Stock Island – 2/16 – 2/19

After a beautiful day but a very lumpy sail from Marathon, we arrived at Stock Island Village Marina and were the first to tie up at this brand-new dock. And, in the “small world” department, look who we have as our dock neighbors!

“When the war is over, and if I live through it, Bea and I are going to sail her around the world.” General George S. Patton commissioned this John Alden designed yacht, built in 1939. Patton never fulfilled his dream, though his schooner lives on, now owned by Doug Hazlitt, of Hazlitt Winery in the Finger Lakes (yes, we’ve been to that winery several times). In Key West, the “When and If” takes people on day sails and sunset cruises; in the warmer months, the schooner rests in New England waters.

This is not the Stock Island Marina Village we remember from four years ago, but as the saying goes, “The only constant in life is change.” With new docks accommodating large yachts, a boutique hotel, two swimming pools, three restaurants, art studios, gardens, and a distillery, this is quite different from our memory of the marina with a side venue featuring great local musical talent and a gourmet food truck. We miss the old vibe, but I must confess, the pool is awfully nice on a hot day.
(You can see our boat’s mast in the background)
This is our dock neighbor on our port side. A group of Sea Scouts is aboard for a week of diving and adventure.

On Monday (2/17), we got our bikes out of the aft cabin and pedaled out of the marina complex to take care of a couple of errands, then stopped at Fishbusterz market. Oh, my – what beautiful fish and shellfish!! We cycled home with tuna, Doug’s favorite Key West Pinks (shrimp), cocktail sauce, and smoked fish dip. What a feast we had!! We’ll definitely do a repeat before we leave Stock Island.

The retail store is a short distance from the docks and the wholesale market.
Parked opposite the Hogfish Grill, a “locals” spot and Old Key West tradition on the water in Safe Harbor, Stock Island

The following day (2/18) turned into a “do-nothing” day on account of Marty’s back problem flaring up, so nothing to report until Wednesday, when (THANKFULLY) the pain subsided. So, what does one do after being out of commission? – – go on a 10-mile bike ride along the ocean! I have been dreaming of this little ride for the past four years. Leaving Stock Island via Highway 1, we turned left onto Roosevelt Blvd., pedaled past the airport, then Smathers Beach, and stopped at the White Street Pier.

Moving on to Higg’s Beach, we stopped at the West Martello, also the home of the Key West Garden Club. Hurricane Irma (2017), whose name we’ve heard repeatedly as we’ve traveled through Florida, caused extensive damage to this part of the fort, built in 1863. We were amazed at the strength of the native plants that weathered the storm, as well as the dedicated efforts of the Garden Club to restore what was once so beautiful.

After touring the gardens, we stopped for lunch at “Salute!” Set right on the beach, the view was beautiful, the food delicious (bread is baked daily at their sister restaurant, “Blue Heaven”), and the service was excellent.

We then pedaled past Flagler’s Casa Marina, in search of the first place Jimmy Buffett called home on Key West. Supposedly, it was right next to Louie’s Backyard Restaurant. What we saw looked pretty new – more research is to be done on this.

Arriving back at the boat, we discovered a new dock neighbor a couple of slips over from ours.

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