Thursday & Friday, March 8 & 9 - Boca Chita

What a glorious morning for a cruise!

As we leave Ocean Reef, we pass by the beautiful yachts,

 and glorious pool area one last time.

We see many fishing boats heading out to the ocean.

We find out later that there is a "Jimmy Johnson" Fishing Tournament out of Ocean Reef Club with a $1.5 million purse!!! 😲  Maybe Dave and I should take up fishing!!!😏

 Out in the distance we see this beauty!

Good Morning Atlantic Ocean!  We're back out on this body of water for just a short time today.

 Here's our channel to go to the Gulf side!  So excited that we finally get to go back to the ICW 

(it is finally deep enough for us).

Well, this isn't good news!!!  We need AT LEAST a depth of 5 feet!

Out in the distance we see "Unruly".  They decide to take another channel and 

will be the lead as they share the depths with us.

So, we turn around . . . 

and follow "Unruly".

The great thing about this route is that we get to see the very north end of Ocean Reef,

where many of the MULTI-million dollar homes are!!!

After the beautiful homes that are right on the channel, 

we begin to see mangroves with homes in the distance.

We continue to follow right behind "Unruly",

and soon we SAFELY come to the end of the channel!

Ahhhh, it's good to be back out on the ICW!!!😊

Soon we can see Miami in the distance!

We follow "Unruly" as they turn to head towards our destination for the next two nights.

And here we are: the "Ragged Keys", which is the true beginning of the Florida Keys.

There are six Keys in the "Ragged Keys" and we are staying at Boca Chita, the sixth Key.

 The entrance.

The history to Boca Chita is that Mark Honeywell (founder of Honeywell Heating Controls) bought the island in 1937 for he and his wife to build a home and have a place for their rich friends from Miami to come and visit.  Unfortunately, Olive Honeywell fell on the island and died from complications of the fall in 1939. Mr. Honeywell halted his plans to further develop the island and in 1945, he sold his estate.  However, since Honeywell was president of the "Committee of One Hundred" - a social club for industrialists - he hosted many social events at Boca Chita from
1936-1951.  Forty years later, Boca Chita was added to Biscayne National Park.
Today, Boca Chita Key is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Captain Dave secures the last line.

 We're all secure!

As we go to explore the island, this bird welcomes us!

We're all here:  "Rambunctious", "Johnson & Johnson", and "Unruly"!

THE VIEWS!!!💗

I think I've found a little slice of paradise!!!

While the Honeywell's home is no longer on the island, 

there are a few buildings that remain like the barn pictured below.

And the chapel.

Mr. Honeywell created a creek and behind this area he and 

Olive had quite a large vegetable garden.

He even had his own boat ramp.

There are even two boats on the island; this one says it's okay, but Captain Dave isn't so sure!

We find the second one that looks better, but it's full of yellow insulation . . . hmmmm.

The island behind Dave is Sand Key.

On the way back from our exploring, we find Walt in the water. 

 Look what he found!!!

On our way back to the boat, we see Carol who is a Harbor Host for Boca Chita.  Her and her husband are volunteering for four months while they are on the Great Loop!!!

Carol and her husband open up the lighthouse that Mr. Honeywell built, so we can get some sunset pictures.  FYI, this is not a working lighthouse as it is on the wrong side of the island (the Gulf has depths of only 6 to 8 feet, it needed to be on the Atlantic side; the Coast Guard made sure of that).

Before going into the lighthouse, Dave needs to check out the cannon!!!

Be careful Captain Dave!!!

Midge and Walt on their way up to the top of the lighthouse. 

(I'm a little concerned about those steps that go up AND UP AND UP!!!)

Well, the view in high places sure is phenomenal!!!

You can see the Atlantic Ocean on the other side of the island!

 Boca Chita . . . what a rare find!!!  We will DEFINITELY be back!💗

Wednesday, March 7 - Fun Times at Ocean Reef

Thanks to our Looper friend, Chip, we were able to spend four glorious days at "Ocean Reef" in Key Largo.  Dave and I have visited this Key for MANY years and yet we had never heard of this private community . . . that's how private it is!  This is what the the New York Post has to say about Ocean Reef (PLEASE NOTE, THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 2004):  "Ocean Reef Club is a 2,000-acre hamlet with its own 4,000-foot airstrip (more than 200 private airplane owners), school, museum, security force and fire department.  It also has top-rate restaurants, three golf courses, and an inn exclusively for club members and their guests and a man-made lagoon created with sand brought in from the Bahamas.  What's most remarkable about this community of CEOs and celebrities (like Kathie Lee Gifford) is how almost nobody's heard of it."  There's a marina that houses more than 100 yachts, and most people are transported around the community by golf carts.  "Despite such luxuries, Ocean Reef homes are still relatively affordable.  The club has 750-square-foot one-bedroom condos, with boat dockage, that start around $325,000.  In addition, 1,350-square-foot two-bedroom condos, with golf and lake views, go for around $435,000.  Many Ocean Reef properties are furnished, including canal-front homes that run more than $2 million." **On our visit, however, Dave and I saw nothing under $1.2 million for a one-bedroom condo; also the 55 foot tie-along boat slip that "Johnson & Johnson" stayed at is for sale at $365,000!**  "The catch: In order to live in Ocean Reef, a resident must be sponsored by two current members and purchase a charter equity membership for $250,000 (this amount is current, as well as the annual $20,000 association dues!)."  Guess Dave and I won't be moving to Ocean Reef anytime soon!!!🤣  Oh, well, we're so, so glad we got to visit this beautiful community!  Enjoy the following photos of our stay:

Kelly, Angie, and Midge start their day each morning with some kind
of water exercise class.  This particular morning we got to do "Tabata"!

"Tabata" included water cycles, trampolines, water boxing gloves, and water barbells!

One of the three beautifully landscaped golf courses!

Ocean Reef's Airport

Plane taking off over Chip's new boat.

Cooking School

Ocean Reef Academy
Grades K-9

Beautiful homes with gorgeous landscaping!

In the far left corner you can see the Key Largo Bridge from this home.

The guys help Chip get his new boat settled at the marina.

We then get to enjoy a cruise through the canals of Ocean Reef, compliments of yet
another boat of Chip's!  (L to R: Walt, Captain Dave, Gary)

The girls enjoy the cocktail cruise!  (L to R: Midge, Kelly, Angie)

Along the way, we pass by the Johnson & Johnson.

And then, look what we see!!!  Summer Song!  Well I guess we know that Hubbard's
are a member here! (Channel 5 owners and inventor of Direct TV)

We are beyond thrilled to have been able to stay in this community!
We thank Chip with a few token gifts.

A photo of the group and new ice bucket for his boat; oh yah,
a little bottle of champagne, too!

Next we head to the "Fishing Village" where all the shops and restaurants are.

We celebrate a wonderful reunion with this deeeelicious dessert!!!
What a wonderful time we've all had!

Sunday, March 4 - "Ocean Reef" at Key Largo

 We had winds up to 20 mph during the night last night!  While the winds have calmed some, they're still at 17 mph!  We debate whether or not to leave, and then decide that if the seas are too rough, we'll just turn around.  A dock hand helps us untie our lines, and as he hands the last line to me, he says, be careful out there, you could run into six to eight footers!!!  I look at Dave and we both exchange uneasy looks!  Should be an interesting cruise!

Leaving Marathon Marina and Resort, thinking I would like to stay!

We enter the channel that leads us out to the Atlantic Ocean, and what's the first thing we see; a crab pot!  Seriously?  We're getting a little tired of watching for these!

YEP!  It's a little rough out here!  We experience three to four foot waves, and every once in a while the spray from the wave hits us on the fly bridge!!!  The only good thing is that we are going right into the waves; no rolling, thank goodness!

Soon we pass a home that is sitting on its own island!  

WOW!  I wonder how much that must have cost?!

We say goodbye to Marathon and hello to six more Keys until Key Largo.

After a few hours, Captain Dave brings the boat in closer to shore so that we're in 

shallower water (fifteen feet).  Shallower water means smaller waves!😃  Here's one of only three passes to the Gulf of Mexico; wish it was deep enough for us to travel on that side, as I think it might be a little calmer.  Instead, because our boat has a draft of five feet, any vessels with that or more need to run in what is called "Hawk Channel Offshore".  This channel is not officially part of the ICW, it lies southeast and south of the Keys, taking the form of a somewhat protected "channel" running between the line of Keys and the Florida Reef (actually a series of reefs paralleling the islands).

We left the dock this morning at 8:00 a.m. and now at 11:00 a.m. we are starting to see the waves change; we now only have two to three footers . . . yahoo!!!  Out further into the Atlantic Ocean we see what might be an oil outrigger drilling for oil.

Just when we are free of crab pots for about fifteen minutes, we get a treat: ocean blue colored ones that blend in perfectly with the water!!!  In the distance we can see a cement structure that we have seen by car when traveling through Key Largo; we're getting close to our destination!

 And here we are: "Ocean Reef" at Key Largo!!!

Ocean Reef is a private membership community and because we have been 

invited by our Looper friend, Chip, from New Jersey, we can stay!  We are the envy of many of our marina friends back in Legacy Marina in Fort Myers; I think we're in for a treat!

We first approach the pool and beach area.

And then a row of mega-yachts (100 foot and larger)!!!

It's quite a windy path to get to our tie-along, but we're just excited to have a spot!

Here we are passing by "Rambunctious", one of our Looper friends that arrived yesterday 

for this quaint reunion.

And here we are!  Chip gives us specific directions from his "Looper Boat", MaryLou, and his brand new boat that he just brought here this morning from Miami!

While we arrive at 2:00 p.m., Gary and Angie arrive one hour later.  After checking in and getting acquainted with this beautiful community, the group gets together for drinks and dinner.  We are looking forward to this four-day reunion!!!  Stay tuned for more pictures!

Left to Right:  Angie and Gary from "Unruly", Bobby (Chip's Friend from New Jersey who we met in Clearwater),
 Chip (our outstanding host!), Walt, Dave, Kelly, and Midge (Walt and Midge are from "Rambunctious")