A
Whirlwind of Boat Projects Follows Mother Nature’s Lead: February 8 2018
Our
arrival in Key West has us taking a longer view of schedules and projects. It’s a rough theme we have adopted for this
cruising season – see fewer places but spend more time in each place. Spending more time in a place gives us a
chance to do everyday things rather than zip from Historic Site to local eatery
to boat projects always with a feeling of urgency and weather window
departure at any moment. However, slowing
our pace is a challenge with our brains still rapidly circulating project
lists, shopping lists and weather reports.
We will dial it down gradually - unable to flip a quick switch. The palm trees wave in the wind, pelicans
swoop & dive, roosters & hens peck at the dirt and the scent of the sea
lingers. We love being in this zaney, colorful, laid-back place.
Chris
continues with the windlass and I have started finding daily life resources
like supermarkets and a gym (Jan 25).
The Winn Dixie supermarket was a bus ride away and way more of an
odyssey than I expected. However, after
doing anything once – the next time will be easier (I hope). Deciphering the bus schedule required
multiple maps to pinpoint drop-off points, my desired stop had no sign (and an
inflexible bus driver whizzed right past me) and the fellow passengers were
a tough lot…closer resembling the craziness generally reserved solely for the
DMV clientele which is rarely dealing with a full deck. That said – little things are falling into
place. We love the boarding mat! It is not an engineering marvel but it is
functionally perfect; acrylic carpet with a no-slip underside and weighted on
both ends with sand. This allows us on
and off the boat without marking the paint on the cap rail. And on and off the boat we go! Tonight was Happy Hour at Schooner Wharf
located just a few steps away down the docks (http://www.schoonerwharf.com/). Drinks are half price at Happy Hour and we
LOVED the raw tuna nachos. They are not
the cheapest app on the menu but they blew us away with the piled high tuna
just off a fishing boat on a bed of crispy wontons topped with a bit of seaweed and a drizzle of salty/sweet sauce.
Key
West is an island of a mere 2x4 miles so everything is nearby. We do a lot of walking around town and
contortions during boat projects but the gym gives us a chance to have an
actual workout. We did not realize one
key reason for the gym was going to be the need for a solid platform…winds are
honking which has the boat bouncing despite being at the dock. Key West 24hr Fitness is perfect and not more than
a few steps away. A little more ambitious are our dock neighbors on
s/v Obsession who are headed to Cuba for a race. We had sundowners aboard
Barefeet before they leave tomorrow.
As a bonus – Captain Church gave us travel tips for the Alabama shoreline
before they were off to a race meeting.
Sorry guys - strong winds have delayed the race start by one day.
Los
Cubanos Marine Hardware on Caroline Street is as great as ever with all the
bits and bob that we needed to complete the windlass wiring (Jan 27). I did some laundry and mapped out a bit of a Key
West walking tour based on the hilarious history described by Joy Williams in
her book, “The Florida Keys.” Bill from
s/v Andelen passed along the book which guaranteed it was a keeper. The tid bits are fascinating and the characters
are colorful. For example, Pan Am was
the first international airline recognized by the Post Office and made its
first flight from Key West to Cuba in 1928. Pan
Am replaced Aero-Marine which went out of business. But here’s the part I like – Aero-Marine
Airways made flights to Cuba in the early 1920s with passengers, mail and…a
pigeon. The trained pigeon would be
released in case of trouble over the open ocean. Clever!
And then there’s the people. Holy
Cow! Take Joe Russell. Russell was a rumrunner, a charter boat
captain and a bar owner who is most famous for his friendship with Key West’s
most famous citizen Ernest Hemingway.
Their friendship started when Russell cashed a royalty check from
Scribner’s…that a bank down the street would not. Joe Russell’s bar was Sloppy Joe’s which had
a couple of different locations before settling on Duval Street in 1937. Local lore has it that the final move happed
because of an increase in rent of $1/week and was executed, “in the middle of
the night when he and every drunk in town moved the bar.” Literally, every piece of furniture,
fixtures, mirror…even the urinals (the one Hemingway snagged is still at the
Hemingway House and Museum).
Another
delay for the race to Cuba followed by the ultimate canceling of the race would
not deter our neighbors on s/v Obsession.
The boat crew had a vote and departed at 11.30am anyway - regardless of race status (Jan 28). Good luck guys! Soon we were off on land to The Bite to watch
an afternoon Duke basketball game. Drat
– it was a loss to Virginia for the Blue Devils but The Bite looks like a gem
of a local spot quietly off the tourist track.
And at $30,000/month rent on Duval St – who can blame them for the more
mellow locale. Ending the day with cocktails
on the top deck at sunset is full of theater; from the sunset cruises on the
elegant schooner Hindu or the Sebago party catamarans complete with live bands
to the returning charter fishing boats to the wedding party photo ops (looks
like someone is in the Coast Guard). We
have a lot to entertain us nightly.
Eventually, our stomachs began to grumble so we headed downstairs for
another fish recipe from The Key West Commercial Fisherman’s Cookbook – snapper
with coconut sauce (recipe below). The snapper was
fresh as can be from the dockside Half Shell Raw Bar’s fish market and the
creamy flavors in the sauce were delicious.
Wow - I have yet to find a dud recipe in this Cookbook.
Daily
tasks are being handled for a second time which means they are a smoother
process; breakfast aboard, supermarket run, going to the gym, cleaning the
decks, laundry and Duke basketball watching. Walks around town are never dull; a van painted entirely by sharpie
pen, funny signs on every gate and flamingo bikes. In the sidelines I am trying to track down a
trip to Cuba…that’s TBD. All the while
it is blowing like stink which has us bouncing like we are on passage rather
than tied up at a slip. Forecasts say
that the winds should lighten in a few days.
Tick tock. In the meantime, the
windlass project continues and I have started a templating project (Jan
30). During storage season of 6-ish
months we need something to protect the top helm controls. Last time we used shrink wrap and tape. Sadly, the tape left terrible residue behind
so we’ll try a piece of quarter-inch opaque acrylic next time. And Los Cubanos has a resource just a few
blocks away – Monroe Glass & Mirror on Simonton Street. Los Cubanos never disappoints – thank you.
In
order to have Monroe Glass & Mirror cut the plastic they will need a
template. I started with a piece of
poster board then transferred it to cardboard for a dry fit. The cardboard was found in the nearby
dumpster from a discarded flat screen TV delivery - perfect. It was hot work with sweat dripping
everywhere. And as mentioned online,
“how to template” responds: keep trimming cardboard, curse, trim, swear, trim
and after eight hours your template will almost but not entirely be what you
need. That sums it up. Final “cuts” were sanded to get better angles
and we have a good template. Off to get
a quote. Geesh, the wind is making it
into a bit of a wonky sail that requires some wrangling on the walk over to Monroe Glass.
Hooray
– the windlass wiring is complete and it is onto painting…tomorrow. Gulp.
That is a new skill for Chris but he has researched and chatted with
lots of folks. During walks around town
we learned that there’s some live music at the Green Parrot tonight (Jan
31). Burgers and handmade onion rings
came first at B.O.’s Fish Wagon because the only food at the Green Parrot is
popcorn. Key West is one of the few
places we have been where many culinary stars for a restaurant do not
automatically mean many dollar signs.
B.O.’s Fish Wagon is a perfect example; three stars and one dollar sign.
Onto
the Green Parrot just a short stroll away (https://www.greenparrot.com/). In 1890 it was a grocery store incarnated later
as a bar even later as a Navy hangout bar and today it is an icon. The Parrot’s rep was formed one night at a
time as revelers spilled out onto the sidewalk.
There is live music, energetic dancing and “no snivelling.” Patrons are hippies, sailors and
travelers. On the night of our visit the
music started at 5.30pm to a packed crowd.
In front of the band danced a woman in a Marilyn Monroe-esque white dress
from her dress-blow-up-over-the-subway-vent scene in The Seven Year Itch. The dancer rocked as she likely did at
Woodstock, Studio 54 and the Troubador.
The rest of us swayed on our barstools or leaning against the wall below
a ceiling draped in a parachute strewn with green twinkle lights. And we smiled a bit every time a woman
entered the ladies’ restroom. You see
the restroom door is practically ON the stage.
Honest, if the door swings too wide it will, quite literally, whack a
band member’s ass. It is clear to see that
every patron has a story – what a wonderful menagerie it is.
Chris
is onto the painting stage of the deck windlass project. This painting thing is new for him but
eventually research has to stop and he has to dive in (Feb 1). The actual painting was three coats spaced 30
minutes apart. The prep was done and
very quickly the painting was done. Eek
but there is a single hair from the paint brush left behind in the paint (both
a roller and paint brush are used to minimize bubbles). I scampered for a toothpick which excised the
errant hair. Okay, let’s get off the
boat and away from the toxic paint fumes.
It was a nice afternoon with a visit to the gym followed by live music
at Schooners’s Wharf. Back aboard
Barefeet it was meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner (recipe below). That really hit the spot!
Holy
guacamole – the paint reveal showed marvelous success! The sun was barely up but we had to look –
oh, the deck looks really awesome. The
paint will harden thoroughly over the next few days before the new windlass is
placed on top. Yippee! The sun got brighter as we drank our coffee
and who is that?! Hey, it’s s/v
Obsession back from Cuba! Well done
guys. The rest of the day proceeded with
a mellow tone. I picked up some shorts
that were altered by Lynn at the Seam Shoppe (http://www.tropicalfabricsonline.com/), saw more Key
West creativity and renewed online our US Coast Guard and state boat
registrations. Chris feels like he has
his life back with the windlass project (almost) behind him. So we jumped in the dinghy for an afternoon
zip to check out the mooring field and anchorage. Strong winds make it a pretty exposed spot –
we’re happy at the docks.
The
day started out gently and with my hopes of no longer living in a tool shed
(Feb 3). But things started to go south at
Noon when Duke lost to unranked St Johns…ggrrr.
That said, misery loves company and it seems that it was a bad day for
ranked teams in general; Duke, Kansas and Kentucky all suffered upset losses
within hours of each other. The last
time this happened? Sports commentators
scrambled to find out…oh, it was when 50 Cent’s ‘Candy Shop’ topped the
Billboard charts, the iPhone didn’t exist yet and Britney Spears and Kevin
Federline were America’s most discussed celebrity couple. Tee, hee, hee – March Madness should be as
interesting as ever. I walked to
Fausto’s supermarket for a few items with the (continued) misguided hope that
the boat would no longer look like a tool shed when I returned. Nope and drat. Chris attacked the stern lazarette which
meant all contents were vomited around the decks. Scrubbing, starboard bilge and scupper hose
replacement and a trip to Strunk Ace Hardware filled the afternoon and delayed
sundowners until after dark. Let’s hope
today’s bad karma is left behind for the Superbowl tomorrow. Go Pats!!
“Erin,
I have cornered and trapped a frog but you need to help get him off the boat,” Chris
whispered. Hhhmmm…not quite the wake up I
expected in the pre-dawn hours. And not
sure where this little guy came from but he was suction-cupped to the wall
before being escorted to a nearby bush (without roosters in residence). Pancakes and coffee were a nice
recovery. Back to the stern lazarette
after a trip to West Marine. Plastic
wire ties were snipped but the starboard hose would just not budge. Ah, there is one more wire tie behind the air
conditioner (blind cutting with a knife removed it). Chris fed pristine, white PVC tubing while I
yanked cracked, old, black rubber hosing.
Hose replacement is very rewarding.
Unfortunately, our rewarding day ended there because not even my Key
West Pats bracelet bling could bring enough good karma to the Pats. We lost the Super Bowl. But I love my fish hook bracelet – thanks
Jane (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HookedOnKeyWest)!
Sunrise
was beautiful this morning with apricot and orange splashes of color behind the
black silhouettes of palm trees (2/5). I
checked in on the cut plastics quote…in progress…and the day trips to
Havanna…not running yet. So my day
didn’t feel very productive despite my trips around town. Yikes – and what did I do to get such a
colorful bruise on my right big toe?! I don’t
remember that happening…just another boat bite.
But Chris had a banner day – the windlass is installed and running! We are back to a fully functioning cruising
boat. Wow – it looks like it has been
there all along; grinding, sanding, fiberglassing, painting, wiring – they were
all a success. Let’s celebrate at
Schooner’s Wharf – tuna nachos here we come.
Cheers to Chris!
Barefeet
seems to be a bit of wildlife central.
This morning we woke up to find a tiny, scuttling crab outside on the
back deck (2/6). He was also released to
the wilds (like the frog). Chris
completed such an amazing project with the windlass that I wanted to give him a
present. And what sounds good for
someone who has spent the last few weeks jammed in a tiny hole in contorted
positions?! A massage, of course (http://mobilemassagekeywest.com/). Chris returned feeling loose as a goose and
much improved. But try as he might he
could not stay away from boat projects.
Chris dusted off the water maker and all is in order and making sweet
water. For dinner I went back to the
Florida Keys Commercial Fisherman’s Association Cookbook for red snapper
parmesan. Okay, the Half Shell Raw Bar’s
fish market was sold out of red so our dinner was yellowtail snapper
parmesan. It was a breeze and cooked up
moist and tender (recipe below). But just-in-case
this new recipe tanked I made a favorite side, too, that is an amazing explosion of flavors - roasted potatoes with
garlic, orange and mustard
(recipe below).
Our
boat projects have slacked off with fewer hours than sunrise to sunset - phew. However, they keep coming and our day starts
early enough that Harpoon Harry’s is the only breakfast place open…but that is
not a hardship because it’s across the street and their breakfast sandwich is awesome
(2/7). Remember the burst hose line from
the washing machine that happened back in Stuart? Well, that project is on-deck. Neighbor Ron helped Chris shimey the washing
machine to the floor and it is time for hose replacement. Some parts are nearby but others will have to
be ordered. We’ll slink past until all
can be gathered and installed. And while
that area is opened up Chris will change out even more old, cracked black
rubber hoses for the pristine, plastic white ones…bilge hose and master shower
sump hose. Did we mention how rewarding
hose replacement is?! Plus, we used a little trick we learned from a pro that is a lubrication for more easily sliding hoses and
wires in SMALL spaces – Premium Synthetic Clear from Klein Tools.
I
have also been entering the project game with cutting of dri-deck to fit the
floor of the stern lazarette. This
lazarette seemed to bear the brunt of the hurricane exposure getting soaked
with water and leaves. The old mats were
chucked, compartment cleaned & dried, Chris replaced hoses and I’m adding
the final step with a layer of dri-deck which keeps all that is on the floor
raised above water that passes through. Dinghy
fuel jerry cans were re-filled and stowed.
It is great to get everything back into the lazarette (and out of
sight/underfoot). Both of our hands were
scratched and blistered but that did not stop our evening; dinner at El Siboney
and live music at the Green Parrot. El
Siboney is a Cuban food institution and we can see (and taste) why (http://www.elsiboneyrestaurant.com/); half of a
roasted chicken, a Cuban sandwich and rice and beans were plentiful and
reasonably priced. This is a definite repeat and the perfect fuel
for the Parrot. Our walks to these
locations had us strolling in quiet neighborhoods with many folks sitting on
porches wishing us a good evening.
Yesterday
was a full throttle work day with today cleaning up the edges (2/8). I picked up the upper helm plastic cover from
Monroe Glass and it fits like a dream.
Yippee! Chris says I am two for
two with boat projects. Nice…but do I
really want to be “too” good at boat projects?!
Speaking of boat projects – the marina has projects of its own replacing
pilings. Check out the enormous work
barge hovering nearby…and by nearby…I mean we could pass the Grey Poupon
between us.
Chris
is on a roll as he installed seven exterior light covers. This has been an odyssey not worthy of
documenting other than that our two year untidy, open holes
will be pretty, covered and functioning ASAP…but make no mistake - Imtra is
VERY proud of their lights (as reflected in their pricing). It was my third trip to Cubanitos Marine
Hardware before Noon – cleaning up the edges involves many bits and bobs. Nervously, we switched on the power and –
behold – all seven lights illuminated.
Wow!
This
whirlwind of boat projects for us has followed the lead of Mother Nature and
her honking winds. Our projects have
needed parts and a few resources but, primarily, it has been our own labor and
sweat…which helps to keep our budget in line.
The winds are lightening which also has us eyeing a slowdown in
work
projects but it is not easy for us to slow down with a marine hardware
store next
door and a solid dock for stability. But we will try. There
is so much fun to see and do and eat in Key West! We are
inspired. And I think we need a disco ball for our guest bathroom
at home. Why not?!
Snapper
with Coconut Sauce
(serves 4)
Florida
Keys Commercial Fisherman’s Association Cookbook
Josh
Niklaus, Captain R&R Key West
4
large snapper filets
1
lime, juiced
2
Tablespoons olive oil
3
teaspoons garlic, minced
1
medium onion, sliced julienne style
1
stalk celery, sliced julienne style
1
Tablespoon tomato paste
2
cans coconut milk
1
chicken boullion cube
2
bay leaves
1
tomato, seeded and sliced julienne style
2
cups cooked white rice
Cook
rice according to directions. Sprinkle
fillets with lime juice. In a large,
deep skillet, heat oil on medium. Stir
in garlic, onion and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, boullion and bay
leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer on
low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in tomato slices. Add
fillets, gently pushing them into the sauce.
Simmer for 5 minutes or until fish is cooked and flakes easily with a
fork. Place cooked rice on a plate with
fish fillets on top. Ladle sauce over
fillets and serve.
Old
Fashioned Meatloaf
(serves
4) by Paula Deen
1
lb ground beef
1
green pepper, chopped
1
egg, lightly beaten
1
onion, chopped
2
cloves garlic, minced
1
¼ teaspoon salt
¼
teaspoon black pepper
1.5
teaspoons Worcestershire souce
½
cup quick cook oats
8
oz canned diced tomatoes, drained
Topping
1/3
cup ketchup
2
Tablespoons brown sugar
1
Tablespoon mustard (hot dog type)
Preheat
oven to 375F. Saute onions and bell
pepper until soft. Add garlic and saute
two minutes more. Set aside. Mix all meatloaf ingredients well (including
sautéed veggies). Place in baking dish
and shape into a loaf. Mix topping
ingredients and evenly spread on top of loaf.
Bake for one hour. Let rest 15
minutes before cutting into it so that it holds together.
Red
Snapper Parmesan
(serves 6)
Florida
Keys Commercial Fisherman’s Association Cookbook
Bill
Prevost, Big Pine Key
2lbs
red snapper fillets
1
cup sour cream
¼
cup parmesan cheese, grated
1
Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1
Tablespoon grated onion
Dash
of hot pepper sauce
Paprika
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F. Thaw and skin the
fillets if necessary. Cut into serving
size portions. Place in a single layer
in a well-greased 12x8 baking dish.
Combine remaining ingredients except paprika. Spread sour cream mixture over the fish and
sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 25 to 30
minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Roasted
Potatoes with Garlic, Orange and Mustard (serves 4-6)
Aglaia
Kremezi
2/3
cup olive oil
4
to 6 cloves garlic, minced
2
Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1.5
Tablespoons dried oregano or thyme, crumbled
1.5
teaspoons salt, or more to taste
2
teaspoons Maras pepper or a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1
teaspoon ground cumin
1
teaspoon ground turmeric
2
Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½
to 1 cup fresh orange juice, as needed
3
lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5” cubes
2
oranges, washed, halved and cut into thick slices
3
teaspoons chopped fresh oregano and/or 5 fresh thyme sprigs
Preheat
oven to 400 degrees F. In a food
processor or blender combine olive oil, garlic, mustard, dried oregano, salt,
maras pepper, cumin, turmeric, lemon juice and ½ cup orange juice. Pulse to get a thick sauce. Place the potatoes and orange slices in a single
layer in a 13x9” baking dish and pour the sauce over them. With two spatulas (or your hands), toss well
to generously coat the pieces. Cover
loosely with parchment paper and bake in the lower part of the oven for 40
minutes. Take out of the oven, uncover
and toss. The potatoes should be bubbly
and easily pierce with a fork. Taste and
adjust the seasoning. If the pan is dry,
add a bit more orange juice and toss.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes more, or until the potatoes are cooked
through with nicely browned edges.
Sprinkle with oregano/thyme and serve at once.