We took Elysium up to Bahia Honda. Of course, we had anchoring problems. No more Bahia Honda for us. It's a jinx.
Here's link to the last brouhaha.
This time it was the control for the windlass, could get it up, but not down. It was odd how we thought to check if it worked BEFORE anchoring, yay us. But windlass down not a big thing, since gravity helps with the down. However--Bahia Honda---between two bridges, not a lot of room for error.
First try didn't quite go the way we wanted. And of course shore side peanut gallery was there.
So we try again and got well placed. Then tidal swing and the tour boat pontoon got pissy, but seriously they had 5 boat lengths between us and shore. AND ITS A PONTOON. Later we found out that the captain is just a whiner.
No wind, so we didn't have that to add to the tidal swing. Soon our chain rode (love my chain rode), got settled into the bottom and we were sitting pretty.
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| Going through the original Bahia Honda Flagler RR bridge. They took a span out to allow sailboats in. |
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| Anchored with US1 behind us. |
After we got settled, we headed into the park to walk around. Five hours at sea, oh my, we must get moving about! :-) Both times I have asked if we need to pay a park fee, they ask 'How did you get here?' I say by boat. 'You just staying overnight?' Yeah. 'Don't worry about it' There's usually a donation box they we wind up putting money in.
I knew there was a trailhead that we hadn't visited the last time we were here so we opted for that since it was afternoon already.
Beautiful original tropical hardwood hammock that most of the Keys looked like before development (or overdevelopment, if you prefer). However, the first damn sign we see on the trail head is pointing out the POISONWOOD tree. Yeah, don't take that name lightly. Way way way more toxic than poison ivy. Metopium toxiferum if you want to Google its fun filled facts.
Immediately, my husband (very allergic to poison ivy, have no idea what this would do to him) freaks the hell out. 'WHY? WHY WOULD THEY HAVE A F*CKING POISONWOOD TREE ON THEIR TRAIL!!'
Well, it's supposed to be a native nature trail full of original plants, my dear. (City boy)
Once I got him calmed down, and off the parking lot and back on the trail-I really believe he thought the tree was going to attack him-we continue on our lovely journey.
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Mid trail you pop out on the beach--pretty is it not?
(more about the little island off in the distance) | | | | | |
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So we made it through the trail with no attacks by the flora and fauna, and in time to meet our peanut gallery. We refrained from any witty comments, just smiled and said, yeah, we were having problems with our windlass. To which peanut gallery looked at us like we were speaking Martian. (Yeah, I thought so, f*ckers)
Clouds moved in so no sunset pics. Just a good Elysium eye view of our anchorage.
