Dog Day at the Beach: Snipe Point

After a week of unpacking, sorting, and rearranging furniture, it was time to relax. We arranged a date with Michael and Layne, one that involved a boat ride to Marvin Key for some swimming and relaxing in the sun. I checked the tide table and set up a time to arrive at the sand flat close to low tide. I was doubtful, though, that the sand flat would be exposed since it was a rather high low tide. Sure enough, as we approached the back side of Marvin Key, there was no sand, only turquoise water. "Where to now?" I asked everyone. It was decided that we would meander out to the Gulf, our first trip beyond the back side of Marvin. And, who better to explore with than Michael and Layne, well seasoned boaters who sailed from Santa Cruz, California, through the Panama Canal, and explored most of the Caribbean Sea before settling here in the Lower Keys.

My apologies for the persistently annoying spot in the center of my pictures.
Unfortunately, it's unreachable somewhere inside the camera lens.

I had an vague idea where the channel was to the Gulf. I followed the chart and the GPS and found the narrow opening of the channel leading north to the Gulf. We then followed, at idle speed, a path of crab pots.

Layne, who learned how to read the waters sailing the Caribbean with Michael and their two dogs, kept a watchful eye of the varying shades of brown, green, and blue ahead, skillfully guiding us down the center of the channel. Michael was positioned nearby on the bow also pointing the way and recording the whole adventure on film (digital, actually) for one of his future essays in his blog, Key West Diary. He posted several about our trip. You can read one of them here at  http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/2011/05/dogs-of-snipe-key.html.

Zuzu and Tootie have really gotten used to riding in the boat. We rarely keep them on a leash now while we're underway since they are usually camped out in the cabin or at my feet. We did buy them life jackets during our trip to St. Louis with a gift card from mom and dad. We now have to get into the habit of putting them on while they are riding in the boat.

We continued through the channel, which was fairly wide at this point. The lighter green then brown water, indicating shallow water, was comfortably off our starboard side. 

And there was plenty of wiggle room on the port side as well. Still, it was a leisurely trip through the channel towards the Gulf.

We weren't the only ones cautiously plying the waters. Just ahead of us was another boat heading towards the channel leading to Marvin Key. The captain of that vessel asked his companions to stand on the bow to keep an eye on the water depth.

We emerged from the channel and admired the open Gulf of Mexico in front of us. Off to our left we could see some boats anchored just off Snipe Point. It wasn't too busy and looked like a perfect spot to let the dogs run on the beach and play in the water. Comfortable with the depth, we planed out of the channel and headed towards the beach.

Wayne tried to get a picture of the pod of dolphins we passed, but he could only get a couple of fins peeking out of the water. They came pretty close to the boat. Afraid I was going to hit them, I slowed down abruptly (sorry Layne, I meant to warn you) to see where they were. Of course, they kept their distance and remained out of harm's way. They are probably quite used to the great number of boats buzzing around these waters.

The shallows extend quite a ways out from the beach. I putted in as far as I could, then shut off the motor, trimmed up, and let Michael pull us in as far as he could. The plan was to unload the dogs and gear and, as the tide was heading out, one of us would pull the boat back out to deeper water for anchorage. I managed to anchor the boat in 5 feet of water, in line with the other boats, but finding firm sand to plant the anchor was a challenge.

Back on the beach, the gang set up their chairs under a tree.

You can't beat the view looking out across the beach and the shallow water to the Gulf.

Wayne played the part of beach bum very well.

It looks like I'm consumed by my phone. I wasn't completely lost in technology but was merely trying to figure out how to send a picture or our view in a text. Once sent, I enjoyed the scene along with Zuzu and Tootie who kept an eye on the activity around us. It was rather quiet, unusual for Snipe Point as this is the preferred weekend destination for Key Westers and local teens. At this time of the morning, there was a group of three couples who were kayaking the back country (Zuzu and Tootie left to explore the beach...we found hanging out with them, sniffing their kayaks for food or treats), a woman was floating on her raft while reading a book, and a few people were swimming around their boats. 

It was a very relaxing morning at Snipe Point. We enjoyed the view, the sea breeze, and the warm water. It's hard to believe that this tropical island paradise is just a twenty minute boat ride away from home.