Would you believe that just north of the Conch Republic’s borders in Miami Beach, a new sport described as scull-vaults-palms has caught on? No . . . you wouldn’t believe that? Maybe the heat has addled my brain. Actually, the foto was taken looking down onto Indian Creek.
I saw a half dozen schooners around Key West, but this one (was at least a mile off) and
this one I could not identify. They could be anchored just off shoals.
Parrotfish are quite colorful, even if viewed from outside the water. Anyone have experience with any of these “waterproof” cameras? I’m toying with #3. Associated with the non-finny parrot variety, Key West
has enjoyed this place not quite as long as this sign would indicate. US Route 1 has been around much longer. I used to drive this road from Massachusetts to Maine, avoiding it in summer, since up there, I associate the name with “tourist trap” congestion. But when you’re not in a hurry and want to see how one geoculture differs from the next,
the 2000-plus-mile road is the one to follow to here all the way from Fort Kent. The black-and-white sticker I’m holding here is for Capt. Joey’s Good Morning Gloucester, whose namesake town lies within 10 miles of Route 1 . . . close enough for me to consider just off the road.
I’ve long associated Key West with Jimmy Buffett; a new name I learned on this trip is David Wolkowsky, an important Buffett patron. As for “parrotthead” . . . I think it should be “pelicanhead,” given their relative population numbers in the Conch Republic . . .
Until I get an underwater camera and travel all the way back down Route 1, this will have to suffice as a foto of a ballyhoo, a newfavorite word from this trip; I like worldkid66‘s description of a school of ballyhoo in the last paragraph. Another “newfavorite” is
chickee, of which this is NOT one. I just like the word chickee: a wooden platform over the water, like a duck blind for hunters, where you could pitch a tent . . . say in the Everglades.
The colors in the waters of the Conch Republic are magical.
and the number of schooners, like this unidentified one . . . surprising.
Hibachi (left) and another unidentified landing craft . . . awaiting cargo?
Some transient islands aka keys near
Fort Jefferson were mentioned by our tour guide: one island used as a cemetery for soldiers who died at the Fort was no longer there after a storm. What’s magical colors for us represented hell for 19th century soldiers sent there from northern states.
Closing shot for this meandering series . . .WHEC-35 Ingham . . . was once painted in dazzle colors like its neighbor WPC-78 Mohawk.
Click here for more background on the Conch Republic.
A new link on my blogroll is worldkid’s blog.
Unrelated: Read this in the context of budget cutting talks and weep. Anyone get a foto of these vessels as they make their way to the Texas scrap yard?
8 comments
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July 21, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Les Sonnenmark
Will–I’ve sent you an email about underwater cameras. Here’s a fascinating underwater place you might photograph with it next time you’re in Miami; I’ve dived there and it’s…er…unique: http://www.neptunesociety.com/memorial-reef
July 21, 2011 at 7:28 pm
eastriver
First schooner, no idea but has the same lines as Shearwater, I think. Second one might be Wolf.
Perhaps your mayorship could annex the place, borough 6.5 or something, ban the cruise ships and set up an air shuttle.
What’s Ingham doing there, bless her stout heart? Usedta be in Baltimore.
Would love to hear more about scull-vaults-palms.
July 21, 2011 at 7:32 pm
eastriver
PS — there’s a channel, Hawk Channel, goes inside the reef from there to Miami. Probably what the white-hull was transiting. If you’re shallow enough(10 ft or so), there is another channel to the north of the Bight which takes you into the Gulf / Florida Bay without having to round the Dry Tortugas.
July 22, 2011 at 9:41 am
bonnie
Hi Tugster –
Almost all the pictures on my blog & galleries were taken with Pentax Optio WP’s. Here are a few underwater shots from my trip to Hawaii last year – the water in Hanauma Bay was a bit sandy that day so they aren’t great, but they’re passable –
http://frogma.blogspot.com/2010/08/fish-flipflops-two-squid-and-sea-urchin.html
July 22, 2011 at 9:51 am
bonnie
Here’s a sample from clearer waters (one of a few that I took while snorkeling in Caneel Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands) –
http://bkfrogma-virginislands1105.buzznet.com/user/photos/snorkeling-caneel-bay-st-john/?id=1966182
I’m on my 3rd one – they’d last longer if I took better care of ’em.
A lot of my paddling friends have Olympias & are quite happy with those.
July 22, 2011 at 11:46 am
tugster
thanks, bonnie . . . i’d thought of your optio when i first read the article. you’ve always said you were pleased enough to get one after another.
July 23, 2011 at 10:57 pm
ben
Pretty sure that first schooner was in new bedord the end of may, name might be yankee, got an email from school saying they were looking for a relief captain. I’ll check into that
July 23, 2011 at 10:59 pm
ben
Halie & Matthew, almost positive