We got up early today to drive about 2 hours north to the Miami area to shop for various items to help organize the boat and supplies. In the next few days we will be organizing and putting together tools, spares and supplies for future sailing trips.

Today we started moving on to the boat and organizing stuff and reviewing what items need to be replaced from food to cookware.

Today we sailed the boat we are looking to purchase to a boat yard for a full marine survey that required a haul out. It was about a 6 mile sail to get to the yard and back.

Today we drove from marathon to key west to explore the key west area. First we walked around town walking Duval street from end to end. Then we jumped on bikes and biked around the island visiting the parks and marinas.

Today we had some friends fly down from okeechobee area in their small plane to help us review the boat as they are boat delivery captains. We also biked around town and chatted with folks at the Marina where the boat is located.

Today we biked around Marathon Florida and ended up going to the beach twice to swim in the ocean.

Today the weather was mostly overcast but nice enough to bike so we biked the marathon island from top to bottom and some streets that head off away from hwy 1 that heads to key west.

Today we walked around Marathon Florida a bit and took a few hour sail on a sailboat we are looking at.

Today we drove from okeechobee down to marathon Florida to look at more sailboats.

We visited friends and hiked a section of the Florida trail. We ran into several hikers and some trail angels on the hike.

Shopping for a sailboat is a full time job. First generally deciding on what size and price and purpose comes first. Then searching the numerous online listings websites and arranging showings at marinas that can be fairly distant from each other even in the same town. Today the deal breaker for some boats was draft – the depth of the boat. A boat 5 feet or less is good and over 5 feet is not good. A single foot or 18 inches can be a bill deal for sailing in many waters around here. We looked at 4 boats and walked on a few other boats.

We camped last night at an empty state park and drove this morning to St. Petersburg Florida to look at sailboats.

We drove farther east and camped right on the Florida trail by accident ! We might a bit of it in two different locations.

We spent a few day visiting friends in Pensacola Florida. One night a major storm event labeled Finn came thru starting around 11pm to 8 am the next morning. The weather event triggered about 15 official warnings from intensive thunderstorms storm to multiple tornado watches and then warnings. The storm did bring multiple tornados that destroyed several homes and trailer parks about 100 miles to the south.

Today the storm called Finn is approaching the gulf coast today expected to bring 3 inches of rain in 6 hours and high winds. We spent the morning walking before some rain downtown and spent the afternoon at the public library looking at sailboats and creating a spreadsheet of boats and options.

We bike around gulf shores state park and headed into Florida to visit friends in Pensacola Florida.

Today we biked around dauphine island and did a 12 mile bike tour of historic homes in Mobile Alabama.

We drove down to gulf shores where camping was full and few options to park so we ended up getting a hotel.

Today we visited a few wildlife refuges and leaded into Alabama as the storm weather appeared.

We left New Orleans today and started traveling east into Mississippi. Our first stop was bay Saint Louis.

Today we biked about 28 miles on the levee north of uptown New Orleans.