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After staying in any one place for an extended period, it's often hard to leave. Kind of like giving up a security blanket. At Boot Key, the Harbor is secure from all but the worst storms. We had good friends, evening entertainment, nice weather, great pizza and marine outlets. But, we were ready to move on. So, just before the dawn of April 27, the anchors were loosed and we slid out of the harbor, down Sisters Creek and out on the Atlantic side of the keys into Hawks Channel.

On this departure, being a mature responsible captain, I made no special gestures toward our grumpy sailboat neighbor. The hour and unavoidable noise of the windlass and anchor chain were sufficiently gratifying. - - Well, OK maybe I did quietly call him a poopy pants (thanks Leslie Neilsen).

Hawks Channel is an easily navigable body of water that runs the length of the keys on the Atlantic side between the keys and offshore reefs. On this day, the channel was a little rough with 4 to 5 foot seas on our starboard bow. It was only a little uncomfortable though. Maggie found her spot on the fly bridge where she wedged in securely. On such occasions, it's exhilarating to feel the freedom of being a nomad. No set schedule, destination or expectation. Our kids call it being irresponsible. We call it enjoying their would be inheritance.

We cruised up Hawks Channel for several hours, then crossed back through to the Florida Bay side via Channel Five (a cut and bridge not TV). When the weather is right, taking this route is much shorter than going all the way in the bay. There was a slight vibration. I considered that barnacles were on the props and planned to clean them at the first stop.

Arriving at Angelfish Key late in the afternoon with an approaching squall, two sailboats were already there riding at anchor waiting to cross to the Bahamas. We gave them a wide berth and dropped the hook. The bottom there is grassy with poor holding. As the squall grew closer, the RADAR was turned on to check the storm's direction and speed. It would also be needed if we dragged anchor. At onset of the squall, the wind surged quickly to at least 40 knots with a torrent of rain and visibility dropped to less than 100 feet. RADAR observation confirmed that both sailboats had broken free, with one getting precariously close to grounding on Key Largo. We held position for a few minutes, but also broke free.