Sunset over the Coastguard Base.
And sunset over civilians enjoying a boat ride, more of a floating bar really on a giant catamaran. 
The newspaper says one quarter of all Americans are planning no vacation this summer. Count me among the lucky ones with my increasingly precious government job, and my wife with hers and count us all lucky that tourists keep coming to Key West to spend money. The floating bar was packed. 
This basin used to be home to the shrimping fleet, in my own memory, but the waterfront hotels have pushed the old commerce aside and replaced it with the new. Excursions and pirate stories instead of fish and white rubber boots.
The scared and tanned old fishing hounds now trail around Stock Island, cigarettes dangling, loose tank tops dangling from their skinny shoulders and their feet encased in the low white rubber boots that are the official footwear of commercial fishermen in the Keys.
Change is good of course and when more money is to be made it is always better they say, so we rejoice that we have the boats of the gentry to replace the smelly old tubs that caught fish. I have faced the scorn of the pros when I was traveling for pleasure and it's hard to argue that putting to sea when one doesn't have to is an odd occupation. "Like jail with the chance of drowning" as Dr Johnson said, a long time ago. 
So many pretty boats, so little actual sea time.
And sunset over civilians enjoying a boat ride, more of a floating bar really on a giant catamaran. The newspaper says one quarter of all Americans are planning no vacation this summer. Count me among the lucky ones with my increasingly precious government job, and my wife with hers and count us all lucky that tourists keep coming to Key West to spend money. The floating bar was packed. This basin used to be home to the shrimping fleet, in my own memory, but the waterfront hotels have pushed the old commerce aside and replaced it with the new. Excursions and pirate stories instead of fish and white rubber boots.The scared and tanned old fishing hounds now trail around Stock Island, cigarettes dangling, loose tank tops dangling from their skinny shoulders and their feet encased in the low white rubber boots that are the official footwear of commercial fishermen in the Keys.Change is good of course and when more money is to be made it is always better they say, so we rejoice that we have the boats of the gentry to replace the smelly old tubs that caught fish. I have faced the scorn of the pros when I was traveling for pleasure and it's hard to argue that putting to sea when one doesn't have to is an odd occupation. "Like jail with the chance of drowning" as Dr Johnson said, a long time ago. So many pretty boats, so little actual sea time. 
3 comments:
Dear Sir:
Isn't it nice to think of boats as pleasant escapes, on gentle seas, on beautiful days... As opposed to fragile, expensive toys, that cost money from the second you ownthem.
Dear Sir:
Isn't it nice to think of boats as pleasant escapes, on gentle seas, on beautiful days... As opposed to fragile, expensive toys, that cost money from the second you ownthem.
Michael--
That boat/bar you photographed is the Fury Pacific, one of many they have (as you know).
I was on that boat two months ago. And yes, while it may be a floating bar, it is also a ton of fun to take snorkeling, then drinking Rum Punch on the sunset cruise back into Key West. You should try it sometime...
Greg P. in WV, where no such boats exist, sadly...
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