Wednesday 18 March 2020 - I can't believe the changes that happened while I was gone for five days on my trip up to the Everglades. When I left, the Corona Virus had been mentioned and was being talked about, but when I returned, it, and the stock market crash, were about the only things that were being talked and written about. When I left, all the bars, restaurants, and grocery stores were open. When I returned, the bars and restaurants were closed, along with the schools, beaches, and theaters, and at the grocery stores, I am told, shelves are half empty, especially of toilet tissue, paper towels, facial tissue, pasta, rice, and disinfectants. All this in five days. Wow!
                    Here in the harbor in order to keep the feeling of community during our social distancing, we've initiated some activities that we can do without congregating. We had Diesel Don Shuler conduct a one hour radio program about diesel engine maintenance and repair that went over very well and will probably repeat. Almost all the boats here have diesel engines in them. Two more marine radio programs are planned, too, one about books and movies to check out at the library and the other about making the jump to the Bahamas for cruisers. On Saturday we're going to have scavenger hunt around the harbor in our dinghies. I think I'll lead a trip through the mangrove kayak trails on Sunday morning, weather permitting. We'll see what we can come up with next week.

Thursday, 19 March - Tom Krueger offered me a ride to the grocery store and I did need a few things including milk, butter, eggs, TP, bread, and a few other items. I didn't stand a chance at all of getting the TP, and I forgot the butter. Such is life.

Friday, 20 March - They have now told all the tourists to leave the Keys. Many were given two days warning. That hardly seems right.
                    This evening we had our second night net on the VHF radio. Tonights discussion was about good books to read and movies to see while were "socially distancing" ourselves here in the harbor. As might be expected, most of the movies and books discussed we of the nautical nature. One I'm particularly interested in is "Voyage For Madmen". It and a book I have called "God Forsaken Seas" are apparently about the same sailing race, an around the world, non-stop, single-handed sailing race, the Vendee Globe, in which several sailing disasters and a sailor going crazy all occurred. Great books about a true story. I'd like to read "Voyage For Madmen", same story, different author.

Saturday, 21 March - Today we had a scavenger hunt in the harbor, run in our dinghies. The list included 52 different items to find and photograph. Some of the items were a: dog in a dinghy, shipwreck, dive flag, crow's nest, boat from Texas, boat named for moving air, someone rowing, pirate's flag, jelly fish, and many others. I thought I did pretty well, but there were several things I didn't find, including: a manatee, a picture of a mermaid, a dolphin, someone on a stand-up paddle board, and wasabi. I didn't even know what wasabi was. I think there were only two dinghies with one person in them, me and a lady. I tried to get a passenger, but to no avail. It would have certainly helped. I couldn't read and keep track of the list and drive and take pictures all at the same time very well and that lady had the same problem. More eyes and someone to check off items as they were photographed would have helped enormously. It really was fun though. Tomorrow I lead a trip through the Boot Key mangrove trails.

Sunday, 22 March - The kayakers had to leave before Diesel Don finished the Sunday Cruiser's Net which started at 9 AM. We took off at 11 o'clock with a group of 16. That number dropped to 10 when two of the kayaks with three crew each, and the adults in that group that have paddled the trails extensively themselves, quickly decided that the rest of our group was going to be traveling way too slowly, departed to go to the beach. I usually let an inexperienced paddler take the lead on the first leg of the trip because, on that leg of the trip, you can't get lost and the first boat through usually sees more wildlife, but on the second leg, I took the lead for the very first part. Doing so made it so that, on rounding the first turn, I discovered a wayward kayak. I was amazed that it could have traveled across the harbor, part way down Sister Creek, up Whiskey Creek, across Silver Pond and into the mangrove trail as far as it had. I had one of the other boaters tie it onto my kayak and towed it behind me for the rest of the trip. Upon returning to Island Time I put it up on deck with my other two kayaks, waiting to find out who it belonged to.

Monday, 23 March - Susie is feeling much better so I finally got to spend some time with her. We went for a dinghy ride all through the canals and ponds on the south side of Vaca Key near Sombrero Beach, passing mostly multi-million dollar homes with large, expensive yachts either docked or on lifts at their homes. Later, since her mother has headed home to Ohio, we went over to the rental she had stayed in and cleaned it up, then, after dinner went skinny dipping in the pool after dark. I hadn't done that in awhile! She said the last time she had done it was as a teenager, and they got caught!

Tuesday, 24 March - I found the owner to the kayak today and they were glad to have it returned. He said that it hadn't actually traveled as far as I had assumed. He had loaned it to someone in Sister Creek, so it didn't have to blow across the harbor and down that creek, only up Whiskey Creek, across Silver Pond and up the mangrove trail aways.

Wednesday, 25 March - At the marina today, I went in and stuffed a few insulated bags that get handed out to new arrivals in the harbor. The number of those being handed out should drop off quite a bit now that so many restrictions on travel have been introduced. I also reordered a few more pamphlets to stuff in the bags. We had run low on pamphlets for the Turtle Hospital, that catches and helps turtles recuperate in all the Keys that have been injured or are ill. Another pamphlet that we're totally out of is one produced by the marine services companies in the Marathon area. Lots of boaters here need a list of the resources available nearby when they arrive.

Thursday, 26 March - I don't understand why people are hoarding toilet paper. Diarrhea isn't even one of the symptoms of Covid-19...but they are. None of the stores have any, nor do they have paper towels, pasta of any kind, Today it was announced that the Keys have had six confirmed cases of Covid-19. All non-residents and people with rental contracts shorter than 30 days were given two days to get out. The only road into the Keys will now have a roadblock on it checking to make sure drivers are residents or construction workers, etc. The City Marina will not allow any short term boaters to get a mooring ball. You must sign a contract for at least 30 days, and if you go to the mainland, you must self-sequester on your boat for 14 days. My friend Marcus is stuck in Nassau, Bahamas and must stay there for a month. Miami and Ft. Lauderdale have closed all their marinas to new boats, too.

Friday, 27 March - Marathon has now closed its marinas to incoming boats now, too. I think they'll allow the boats that were already on the waiting list, if they are willing to sign monthly contracts, no shorter. I'm not sure what the logic is there.

Saturday, 28 March - They shut off all traffic on Highway 1, the Overseas Highway that links all the major Keys, to all non-residents and non-essential workers this morning...no visitors or tourists are being let in.

Sunday, 29 March - I led another trip through the Boot Key Mangroves today. A nice trip on a beautiful 85° day until one of the kayakers overturned and dropped his phone in the water. He couldn't find it right away, but was convinced that if we came back in an hour when the tide had lowered and the water cleared, we could find it again. We finished the trip, then I lowered my dinghy, tied the kayaks behind it, and went back to the location where he dropped it. Sure enough, it was laying about a foot from where he had searched in the previously murky water. I had brought along a net and I scooped it right up. He'd assured me that it was in a good waterproof case and he was right. To be honest, I was still surprised to find it still working after being in the water so long even though it wasn't very deep.

Monday, 30 March - I picked up four packages at the marina today, three of which I was expecting; some watch bands, a couple of parts for the boat. The one I wasn't expecting came from my brother, Mike. He send me eight books to read while we are "socially distancing" for the Covid-19 virus. I'll enjoy them all, I am sure, but especially three books of the twenty Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian about sailing warships during the Napoleonic era. I've already "Master and Commander", first of the series, and "The Surgeon's Mate", seventh. Both were excellent, and "Master and Commander" was made into an excellent movie starring Russel Crowe. Mike sent me books two through four of the series.

Tuesday, 31 March - On the trip to Little Shark River, I broke the handle on one of the rope clutches. I spent about 3.5 hours dismounting, disassembling, and replacing the handle with a spare that was onboard. Well, the replacement was out of a newer model and not quite right. It wouldn't lock open to release the line without being held open. That's not good enough, so I ordered a correct part and it arrived yesterday. I had had to dismount it because it is only about 5 inches from the fabric on the dodger and a drift punch to remove the pin is about 11 inches long, and removing the dodger would take an hour or two to remove and replace. Today I posed the question to myself, "what if I couldn't dismount the whole assembly?" Using a 1/4" socket drive 1" extension as a drift punch and various other tools, I had the new handle in place in about 45 minutes. Last time, I was in too big a hurry to think things through and it cost me about two and a half hours.

So far, there are still no cases of the Corona virus Covid-19 detected in Marathon, although there are about 20 in the Keys. I hope it stays that way.

            Until next time.

                        "Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!" - Hunter S. Thompson

                                          Rick