Day 82 - 26 February

Our "Better Weather" may be ending today...at least for a couple of days as a fast cold front moves through South Florida today. It's the same weather-maker that left so much cold, snowy weather for you folks back home and for that, we are truly sorry and sympathetic. However, we are enjoying our 75 degree days and mild weather here...we just wish it wasn't so bad for all of you back home.

Today we went out to the reef at Sombrero Key, about 4 miles south southeast of Vaca Key and the town of Marathon. The Sombrero Key Light is an iron-pile skeleton with a platform. The light is 142 feet above the water! The lighthouse is located on a mostly submerged reef. Old charts show a small island at the spot, but by the later 19th Century the island had eroded away, with some parts of the reef exposed at low tide. As a result, the reef and the lighthouse have also been called Dry Banks. The lighthouse was put in service in 1858...before Lincoln became President! The light was automated in 1960, and is still in operation. The foundation is iron pilings with disks, and the tower is a skeletal octagonal pyramid of cast iron. It is 142 feet tall and is painted brown. It has two platforms. The lower one, 15 feet above the water, held water and fuel tanks, the generator (after the light was electrified), boat hoists and a workshop. The upper platform, 40 feet above the water, held the quarters for the staff. The original lens, a first order Fresenel lens, is now on display in the Key West Lighthouse Museum. The Sombrero Key Light is the tallest lighthouse in the Florida Keys, and was the last lighthouse constructed under the supervision of Lieutenant George Meade of the Bureau of Topographical Engineers.

Here's what I found on the internet about the reef: Sombrero Reef is one of the largest and surely the most magnificent coral reefs in the Middle Keys, home to some of the best spur and groove reef formations in all the Keys. The amount of coral is breath-taking. As soon as you descend, gorgonians, brain, finger and lettuce corals can be seen. Schools of colorful tropicals, southern stingrays and nurse sharks make their home on this reef. Large barracuda hang out by the lighthouse structure. The coral limestone has an "Arch" which is large enough to swim through. The reef is a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA) and strictly regulated. Fishing as well as lobstering are strictly prohibited. Divers are reminded to look but not touch so that this spectacular reef will be preserved. (http://www.divespots.com/scuba/view.divespot?spotID=36)

The water was choppy and it wasn't a good day for snorkeling, but we enjoyed the experience in short bursts. Phil had the right idea and in between snorkeling runs, he enjoyed the sun on the trampoline of the dive boat.

As the afternoon wore on, the water got more turgid and murky with the chop. We decided to go today since the weather is supposed to deteriorate later today and probably will be more conducive to staying in the harbor.

In fact at about 10PM we were hit with a fast moving squall that dropped torrential rains for about an hour and winds gusting to 50 knots. Joe had to rig a second aft spring line to keep Windreka's bow off the dock. The squall was apparently the harbinger of the front that's expected to pass over after midnight and drop the temperature approximately 15 degrees. That'll make it in the 60s...still warm by northern standards, but a lot cooler than the 80s we have for the past several days!

Even the Pelicans can be grumpy in this weather...

Pelican Food Fight