Anchors Aweigh

Where did that phrase come from? Often misspelled as “away”, it’s an old Dutch sailors expression that means the anchor is up and the ship is ready to leave the harbor. Now that Exhale is on the water again, it seemed like a fun piece of useless trivia.

Anchors Aweigh is the well known march song for the US Naval Academy, dating back to a 1906 Army Navy football game. In the 1940’s my father served in the Army and my uncle served in the Navy – so those rival football games were a BIG deal in our house.

The phrase and the song were made popular in the 1945 musical comedy, of the same name, starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Kathryn Grayson, with a special appearance from beloved cartoon characters Tom and Jerry. You can probably sing along – – –

Anchors Aweigh, my boys, Anchors Aweigh!
Farewell to foreign Shores, we sail at break of day-ay-ay-ay;
Through our last night ashore, drink to the foam,
Until we meet once more, here’s wishing you a happy voyage home!

That nautical trivia may have been far more than you ever cared to know …

On the Road (water) Again!

On April 23 we traveled from Fort Myers to Marco Island. This familiar run on the water is bittersweet – with a little tribute to our VERY favorite water photo of Maddie in 2016.

First a little commercial break to thank our dear friend, Joe Solari, for resolving our AC issue. Critical to our efforts to CHILL. Stay healthy Joe!

Marco Island

Safely docked with Tonto’s Reward at Marco Island Yacht Club, we launched a dinghy to explore the neighborhood.

The name of this tourist boat seems relevant – given a certain celebrity story in the national news. Not taking sides, it’s just a nod. You might recall we saw the original boat from the Pirates of the Caribbean a few years back.

After Marco Island it was time to Drop Anchor – the opposite of Anchors Aweigh. Anchoring out can be serene. It’s definitely not fun if the weather is bad – as David B. says, “we don’t anchor out if it’s blowing like stink”.

Russell Pass anchorage

Our first anchorage was spectacular.

From the anchorage at Russell Pass it was an easy dinghy ride to Everglade City, where we found a few Florida craft brews.

Cape Sable anchorage

The second anchorage gave us a superb sunset.

Anchorage at Sandy Key – a little cloud magic.

The third anchorage was quiet and serene with dinner onboard Exhale.

Faro Blanco, Key Largo, FL

Enjoying a little deja vu, we spent two nights at Faro Blanco.

We were not disappointed when we witnessed another Faro Blanco wedding – and dinner at the marina was yum-a-licious! Yes, it was a whole snapper 🙂 Gail B. swears the fish was gasping in distress! Delicately prepared, the taste was reminiscent of dinner with Reg & Kelly in Belmont Shore. Perfect meal for two. Sorry Craig there were no Rodriguez cigars this time.

Big Pine Key

With a rental car (courtesy of Tonto) we got to explore Marathon. If you have the time, a quest for the no name bar is well worth the drive. The slogan is “a nice place if you can find it.” Renowned for it’s pizza, the No Name Amber Beer is crave-able.

In the late 1930’s the site was a brothel. Perhaps tips for scantily clad dancers were the impetus for the dollar bills hanging everywhere, one can only imagine. A news article on the wall, dating back to 2018, estimated $90,000 decorated the bar.

Marathon Marina

Thanks for the memories Tom and Faye. We were happy to return to Marathon Marina. Thanks Caryl and Ray for making the drive to say hello! So sorry Maddie Sue wasn’t at the boat to greet you.

From the flybridge of Tonto’s Reward we witnessed a spectacular sunset!

Arriving Sunday, May 1: Claude and JoAnn Welles 🙂

Milestones and Celebrations: Birthdays – April 18, Liz turned 40!; April 19, John Gill, Jr.; April 27, Katrin Ericson; May 2, Celeste Amish.

Next Stop: Pilot House Marina, Key Largo