3/11 – 3/14
While in the area we decided to go to Marathon Marina & Boatyard to have our oil changed and to the city marina for a pump out. The Boatyard charges $20, and the City is $5. We had heard a lot about the insufficient pump out facilities in Florida even with their more stringent new rules, but we still weren’t prepared for the severity of the problem; pump out stations are few and far between. This city pump out boat travels around to the nearby Marathon marinas and also individual boats anchored in Boot Key Harbor. It’s affectionately (?) nicknamed the ‘turd tug”. Good future job for the Captain if he doesn’t want to become a Wal Mart greeter. Boot Key Harbor is a very popular anchorage area for many boats, especially sailboats. This bright purple one with dinghy to match was unique. We did a lot of shopping by bike while here and checked out other marinas on the Bay side of Marathon. Found a wonderful resort called Banana Bay, but they only provide 30amp service, and we need 50. We had tried 30amp service at Bahia Honda State Park and we couldn’t run much of anything without tripping the circuit. 7 Mile Grill, right across Highway 1 has good food, especially great breakfasts. We also had the perfect sunset view right off our aft deck, overlooking the Seven Mile Bridge in the distance.