West of the seven mile bridge is Veteran's Park. I went for a walk in the water.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A Walk on the Seven Mile Bridge
Henry Flagler, who created the Standard Oil Company with partner John D. Rockefeller, first visited Florida in 1878. He returned to Florida in 1885 to build the grand St. Augustine hotel. Flagler realized that Florida lacked a transportation system. He purchased the Jacksonville, St. Augustine & Halifax Railroad.
By 1894, Flagler's railroad system reached what is today known as West Palm Beach. Flagler constructed the Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers Hotel, both in Palm Beach, along with Whitehall, his private 55-room, 60,000 square foot winter home. But recurrent freezes convinced him to extend the railroad further south.
Whitehall
By 1896, his railroad reached Biscayne Bay, the largest and most accessible harbor on Florida's east coast. Flagler dredged a channel, built streets, instituted the first water and power systems, and financed the town's first newspaper. When the town incorporated in 1896, its citizens wanted to honor the man responsible for the city's development by naming it, "Flagler." He declined the honor, persuading them to keep the city's old Indian name, "Miami."
Flagler decided to extend the railway to Key West, a city of almost 20,000 inhabitants located 128 miles beyond the end of the Florida peninsula to take advantage of Cuban and Latin America trade and also because the opening of the Panama Canal would allow significant trade possibilities with the west.
The construction of the overseas railway required many engineering innovations as well as vast amounts of labor and monetary resources. At one time during construction, four thousand men were employed. During the seven year construction, five hurricanes threatened to halt the project. Despite the hardships, the final link of the Florida East Cost Railway was completed in 1912, the year before Flagler's death.
In 1935 a hurricane with 17 foot storm surge destroyed most of the railway and killed over 420 people, mostly war veterans and their families who were hired to build the railroad.
In 1938. the railroad bridge and overland railroad was widened to accommodate automobile traffic. In 1982 a new wider bridge carried the traffic load while the old historic bridge became a hike and bike trail and fishing bridge.
By 1894, Flagler's railroad system reached what is today known as West Palm Beach. Flagler constructed the Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers Hotel, both in Palm Beach, along with Whitehall, his private 55-room, 60,000 square foot winter home. But recurrent freezes convinced him to extend the railroad further south.
By 1896, his railroad reached Biscayne Bay, the largest and most accessible harbor on Florida's east coast. Flagler dredged a channel, built streets, instituted the first water and power systems, and financed the town's first newspaper. When the town incorporated in 1896, its citizens wanted to honor the man responsible for the city's development by naming it, "Flagler." He declined the honor, persuading them to keep the city's old Indian name, "Miami."
Flagler decided to extend the railway to Key West, a city of almost 20,000 inhabitants located 128 miles beyond the end of the Florida peninsula to take advantage of Cuban and Latin America trade and also because the opening of the Panama Canal would allow significant trade possibilities with the west.
The construction of the overseas railway required many engineering innovations as well as vast amounts of labor and monetary resources. At one time during construction, four thousand men were employed. During the seven year construction, five hurricanes threatened to halt the project. Despite the hardships, the final link of the Florida East Cost Railway was completed in 1912, the year before Flagler's death.
In 1935 a hurricane with 17 foot storm surge destroyed most of the railway and killed over 420 people, mostly war veterans and their families who were hired to build the railroad.
In 1938. the railroad bridge and overland railroad was widened to accommodate automobile traffic. In 1982 a new wider bridge carried the traffic load while the old historic bridge became a hike and bike trail and fishing bridge.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Our Marina and Boats
Above is a video of our marina at BananaBay here in Marathon Florida. We have about twenty five boats with live-aboards. We all know each other and party together, dine out together, and watch a sunset almost every night together.
Many of the boats are fabulous million dollar yachts but many others (mostly the sailboats) are of modest value.
This is Mike and Peggys' 42 Krogen. It's set up for ocean travel.
This is Gary's 50 foot (I think) Chris Craft built in the early 80's
Steve and Pam's DeFever 42. It's the one with a full size washer dryer on board. It has every amenity. Note the small inflatable (dinghy) on top of the aft deck. It has its own crane to lift the dinghy from the roof to the water.
This is a nearby workboat. The crew sets crab (stone crabs) traps from this boat then retrieves the traps the following day. They tear one claw off of the crab and throw the crab back into the water. It will be able to feed itself with the remaining claw and will grow a new claw to replace the missing one. The crew cooks the harvested crab claw immediately on board, otherwise it will spoil.
This hand built runabout was trailered down from Ohio.
Here is a portion of the Banana Bay boat people.
This Nautilimo is a real Lincoln Continental set over a power boat body. It's legal and inspected by the US Coast Guard. It resides in the harbor at Lorelie Restaurant at mile marker 82.
This is Ed and Barb's live-aboard boat. They race it off the Cape Fear coast in summer. That's my namesake, Maxsea, resting on the foredeck.
Many of the boats are fabulous million dollar yachts but many others (mostly the sailboats) are of modest value.
This is Ed and Barb's center console boat that they use for fun and fishing. Their live-aboard boat is shown further below. Notice the workmanship in the finger pier. Instead of the easy way of cutting the wood straight across and trimming to fit the main pier, the craftsmen mitered the curve. The decking is a hardwood from Brazil called Ipe or Tabebuia. It's more dense than sea water so when the next storm surge comes along, the decking won't float off and away when the water recedes.
This Nautilimo is a real Lincoln Continental set over a power boat body. It's legal and inspected by the US Coast Guard. It resides in the harbor at Lorelie Restaurant at mile marker 82.
This is Ed and Barb's live-aboard boat. They race it off the Cape Fear coast in summer. That's my namesake, Maxsea, resting on the foredeck.I hope to make a video of driving the seven mile bridge and post it soon.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
A Visit to Jack and Beth
We went to watch the OSU vs Arkansas game which didn't start until 8:30 pm. We took turns falling asleep in front of the TV.
The next morning Mandy made a phone call while looking over the view from J&B's patio.
Another view of their condo.
You can see more photos and history of Horr's Island at http://www.marconews.com/photos/galleries/2008/mar/25/visit-john-horrs-old-house/
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Happy Holidays from The Florida Keys
Most of the boaters here at the marina decorated their boat for Christmas. Here are a few photos.
We did a Holiday trip to key West and found these baby bibs and T-shirt in a shop on Duval. Click to enlarge.
Mandy meets an inflatable friend on the beach of Key West. Anything goes here
We stopped to visit the church where we were married; St Paul Episcopal Church on Duval Street. If you enlarge the photo, you might see some of the images in the stained glass.
I met this angry fellow. Thirty years ago he would have been my Christmas dinner. "Roosters roasting on an open fire, your words here dripping from his beak." Nowadays they are protected
Mandy tried on some designer sun glasses.
I found a T-shirt with my name on it. There are more pets named MAX than people. Go outside your home and yell "MAX" and ten dogs and a gerbil will come running. Here in KW ten gerbils and a dog will come running.
We stopped to visit the church where we were married; St Paul Episcopal Church on Duval Street. If you enlarge the photo, you might see some of the images in the stained glass.
Monday, December 20, 2010
back on board
After leaving Dahlonega Georgia we continued south and rolled into Venice Florida where we stayed with our neighbors, Ed and Sally Hurley. We had a great visit telling stories over a huge pizza and an occasional cocktail. Ed gave us a tour of their house and we were privileged to visit his studio and see his latest art projects.
Ed cooked a delicious breakfast the next morning and we were off again, this time to visit our neighbors Jack and Beth Huffner who have a condo near Marco Island, Florida.
We arrived in time to join Jack and Beth in a hop along the local waterside watering spots. We very much enjoyed the excellent view from their third floor condo the next morning as Beth slaved over her new high-tech cooking system. They helped me celebrate my 39th birthday (for the 25th time).
We made it into the Keys on Sunday, December 5th but had to make our usual stops before continuing to marathon where our boat awaited our arrival. We always stop for a beer at mile marker 104 where The Caribbean Club, a dive bar overlooks Florida Bay. The bar was made famous when Boggie and Bacall shot a segment of the 1948 movie, Key Largo there.
We couldn't resist a stop at Lorelie, a waterside restaurant on the Bay side at mile marker 82. Nobody cares about addresses except the US Postal Service. We all use the mile markers that line the Keys from Key Largo at Mile Marker 110 to Key West at mile marker 0.
Lorelie was a great "old Florida" kind of place until hurricane Wilma destroyed it. When the owners rebuilt it they ran off all of the stray cats and drunks then used all shiny new materials to replace the shack and therefore ruined the atmosphere in the process.
One of our favorites is the Safari Lounge at the Caloosa Cove Marina on the ocean side at mile marker 74. Bikers, Bimbos, Boats and Booze is the order of the day at the Safari which is adorned with the heads of big game animals that the owner brought back from several African safaris.
I took two days preparing the boat for launch. But we got it done and on December 7th we motored the old girl out and under the seven mile bridge to her winter home at Banana Bay Marina.
Since then we have been doing repairs and installations. The depth sounder wasn't sounding, the new shower pump needed to be installed, the galley light was full of rain water, the batteries needed service, the sails needed to be installed, etc.
Last Thursday, our friends on Tides In hosted a chocolate party for The Banana Bay Ladies Club. Tides In is an enormous power yacht which probably has more living space than our condo back home. Mandy brought the champagne which everyone greatly appreciated.
We are having a pot luck on Christmas Day. All of the boaters here have some degree of homesickness and these gathering help those of us who miss our friends and families back home.
I hope to have some pictures and videos on my next entry.
Happy Holidays to all.
Ed cooked a delicious breakfast the next morning and we were off again, this time to visit our neighbors Jack and Beth Huffner who have a condo near Marco Island, Florida.
We arrived in time to join Jack and Beth in a hop along the local waterside watering spots. We very much enjoyed the excellent view from their third floor condo the next morning as Beth slaved over her new high-tech cooking system. They helped me celebrate my 39th birthday (for the 25th time).
We made it into the Keys on Sunday, December 5th but had to make our usual stops before continuing to marathon where our boat awaited our arrival. We always stop for a beer at mile marker 104 where The Caribbean Club, a dive bar overlooks Florida Bay. The bar was made famous when Boggie and Bacall shot a segment of the 1948 movie, Key Largo there.
We couldn't resist a stop at Lorelie, a waterside restaurant on the Bay side at mile marker 82. Nobody cares about addresses except the US Postal Service. We all use the mile markers that line the Keys from Key Largo at Mile Marker 110 to Key West at mile marker 0.
Lorelie was a great "old Florida" kind of place until hurricane Wilma destroyed it. When the owners rebuilt it they ran off all of the stray cats and drunks then used all shiny new materials to replace the shack and therefore ruined the atmosphere in the process.
One of our favorites is the Safari Lounge at the Caloosa Cove Marina on the ocean side at mile marker 74. Bikers, Bimbos, Boats and Booze is the order of the day at the Safari which is adorned with the heads of big game animals that the owner brought back from several African safaris.
I took two days preparing the boat for launch. But we got it done and on December 7th we motored the old girl out and under the seven mile bridge to her winter home at Banana Bay Marina.
Since then we have been doing repairs and installations. The depth sounder wasn't sounding, the new shower pump needed to be installed, the galley light was full of rain water, the batteries needed service, the sails needed to be installed, etc.
Last Thursday, our friends on Tides In hosted a chocolate party for The Banana Bay Ladies Club. Tides In is an enormous power yacht which probably has more living space than our condo back home. Mandy brought the champagne which everyone greatly appreciated.
We are having a pot luck on Christmas Day. All of the boaters here have some degree of homesickness and these gathering help those of us who miss our friends and families back home.
I hope to have some pictures and videos on my next entry.
Happy Holidays to all.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
On the Road Again
We are in Ocala, Florida today, December 2nd, 2010. We will meet up with friends today and tomorrow then buzz down to the Keys to do work on the boat while it rests on jackstands in the boatyard. We hope to be floating again by Monday.
We spent a couple days in Dahloneda, Georgia hepling my daughter-in-law and grandkids with a few chores around the house. We also spent some time wandering the Christmas scene around the small town north of Atlanta at the foothills of the Georgia mountains.
Dahlonega is a native American word meaning gold. It was the site of the first gold rush before the 49er started running to California. A local Dahlonega official tried to stop the exodus proclaiming the famed words, "There's gold in them thar hills."
Gold still remains beneath the soil but too difficult to resume mining because large veins have been exhausted of their element. But when the city built a new baseball diamond, the upturned soil sparkled with gold dust.
Gold is in the walls of the old building too. Turn the lights out in the town hall and shine a flashlight on the bricks. They will glimmer with the gold that was residing in the materials they used to make the brick.
If you get near the area, be sure to visit.
We spent a couple days in Dahloneda, Georgia hepling my daughter-in-law and grandkids with a few chores around the house. We also spent some time wandering the Christmas scene around the small town north of Atlanta at the foothills of the Georgia mountains.
Dahlonega is a native American word meaning gold. It was the site of the first gold rush before the 49er started running to California. A local Dahlonega official tried to stop the exodus proclaiming the famed words, "There's gold in them thar hills."
Gold still remains beneath the soil but too difficult to resume mining because large veins have been exhausted of their element. But when the city built a new baseball diamond, the upturned soil sparkled with gold dust.
Gold is in the walls of the old building too. Turn the lights out in the town hall and shine a flashlight on the bricks. They will glimmer with the gold that was residing in the materials they used to make the brick.
If you get near the area, be sure to visit.
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