Nick wanted to stay with the boat again as the anchor has failed a couple of times now so Max and I set off south again. We thought it would be quick compared to sailing but it seemed that most of Miami had the same idea as us. After 2 hours we had only just made it off the mainland so we stopped for a photo opportunity with this very large lobster!

Next stop was to check out Boot Key harbour where there is a mooring field and marina which we may go to if we can’t find a rigger here in Miami to replace the forward cross-beam. We had to order it from France and it is now in the UK waiting for a destination before being air freighted over here. It looks like a good place to stop for a while. Pretty, warm, good marina facilities and a short bike ride to a large supermarket and DIY store. There may even be manatees too!

Further down the Keys we left the main road in Deer Key and went in search of the Key Deer. This is a small and endangered white-tailed deer only found in the Keys. Despite requests to the contrary they are obviously fed by tourists as this one happily stood for a photo shoot and put her head in the car in search of a snack.

We finally arrived at Key West at 15.00 having left Miami at 09.00. First stop, Hemingways House where the descendants of his polydactyl cats remain. There are about 50 living on the property at the moment, most named after famous film stars of the 30s and 40s. This ginger one is called Valentino

We then went to the very southernmost point for cocktails and a view of the sunset over Cuba, only 70 miles away. We also watched a mad French man and his performing cats. The photo isn’t brilliant but it shows one cat jumping over another through a hoop on a tightrope….

After wandering around for a while and supper at The Hard Rock Café, we drove back to Key Largo where Max had booked a Christmas wreck dive starting at 08.00. As the traffic had been so bad, we decided to sleep in the car rather than risk getting back in time. We found a supermarket car park with 2 RVs and about 4 other cars all doing the same – a strange little community.