![Angela Palma](/img/default-banner.jpg)
- Видео 70
- Просмотров 87 683
Angela Palma
США
Добавлен 29 окт 2020
Local real estate consultant in the Florida Keys. Marathon 33050 & Key Colony 33051. Genuinely loving where she lives and a desire to share it with others, Angela Palma will introduce you to the Keys community and real estate. Along side her husband, Alexander Palma, on this channel they will interview local shops and business that bring together the community and make the Keys a beautiful place to live or visit.
AngelaPalma.com
AngelaPalma.com
101 Sombrero Beach Road Marathon FL Keys 33050
Welcome to a fantastic opportunity in Marathon's sought-after waterfront community. Presenting 101 Sombrero Boulevard, a remarkable multi-unit property offering an enviable lifestyle with breathtaking harbor views and boating for you boating enthusiasts.
Located directly across from the Sombrero Golf Course, this property is perfect for large boats needing deep water access. It boasts four boat slips, a 75-foot concrete seawall with water and power access, and is nestled in a golf cart-friendly neighborhood, making local attractions and restaurants easily accessible.
To give you a firsthand experience of this extraordinary property, enjoy our walkthrough video highlighting its stunning feat...
Located directly across from the Sombrero Golf Course, this property is perfect for large boats needing deep water access. It boasts four boat slips, a 75-foot concrete seawall with water and power access, and is nestled in a golf cart-friendly neighborhood, making local attractions and restaurants easily accessible.
To give you a firsthand experience of this extraordinary property, enjoy our walkthrough video highlighting its stunning feat...
Просмотров: 259
Видео
Walkthrough Tour, 1240 Coury Dr. Key Colony Beach, FL 33051
Просмотров 392Год назад
For Sale! Single Family Home located in Key Colony Beach of the gorgeous FL Keys! Walk, bike, fish, boat and much more in this beautiful location of Key Colony Beach. Paradise awaits! Address: 1240 Coury Dr. Key Colony Beach, FL 33051. Located in the highly desirable Key Colony Beach. This CBS home at 2,649 interior sq. ft. includes 4 Bedrooms and 3 Bathrooms. Two bedrooms and two bathrooms are...
Walkthrough Tour, Bougainvillea Villas, 12400 Overseas Hwy. 3 Marathon, FL 33050
Просмотров 388Год назад
Listed For Sale: 12400 Overseas Hwy. 3 Marathon, FL 33050 Located in the Beautiful Bougainvillea Villas Community on the Gulf Side of Marathon. Come along with me on your personal walkthrough tour of the property and community. Enjoy the gorgeous day in the FL Keys! Property hi-lights: * 3 Bedroom * 3 Full bathroom * 1,493 interior sq. ft. * Elevator shaft * 2007 Concrete Construction * Rooftop...
Bougainvillea Villas: 12400 OVERSEAS Hwy 3. Marathon, FL 33050
Просмотров 305Год назад
Bougainvillea Villas Community, built in 2007, Concrete Construction with impact windows and doors. Home features 3 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. Interior is 1493 sq ft. Interior stackable washer and dryer unit located in hallway. The property has a desirable internal elevator shaft constructed with the property and it's ready for your cab installation. Home allows for 2 parking spaces under t...
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Laying Blocks
Просмотров 283Год назад
Laying the block finally gives the house the "look". One can visualize the walls and the space, allowing one to appreciate the home in its actual configuration. We laid down 161 yards of concrete 653 strands of rebar 1800 blocks 🤔 Thinking about buying, selling or building in Marathon? Shoot me a text or email. 🏡 Check out available homes in Marathon at www.AngelaPalma.com Contact me at 💻 Angel...
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Framing
Просмотров 395Год назад
Framing partitions the home out and allows for all the utilities (gas, water, electricity, plumbing) to hide behind the walls. The drywall will be hung next. The metal studs will are perfectly straight and are termite resistant 🤔 Thinking about buying, selling or building in Marathon? Shoot me a text or email. 🏡 Check out available homes in Marathon at www.AngelaPalma.com Contact me at 💻 Angela...
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Stucco
Просмотров 415Год назад
The initial finish of the home is taking place with the application of the stucco. The stucco basically water seals the home and allows the house to be ready for painting. We decided to add the look of siding to play with the key west style home. 🤔 Thinking about buying, selling or building in Marathon? Shoot me a text or email. 🏡 Check out available homes in Marathon at www.AngelaPalma.com Con...
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: The Truss Hangers
Просмотров 221Год назад
The hangers in which hold the trusses up right had to be fabricated due to the unique design. They were built through the night, as we had insulation coming in the next day 🤔 Thinking about buying, selling or building in Marathon? Shoot me a text or email. 🏡 Check out available homes in Marathon at www.AngelaPalma.com Contact me at 💻 Angela@AngelaPalma.com ☎️ (305)733-0025 ☀️ calendly.com/angel...
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Insulation SprayFoam
Просмотров 411Год назад
The Insulation of the home is what allows the home to be comfortable & feel like a home. This spray foam will be approximately 8 inches and will be equivalent to a R-30 insulation. 🤔 Thinking about buying, selling or building in Marathon? Shoot me a text or email. 🏡 Check out available homes in Marathon at www.AngelaPalma.com Contact me at 💻 Angela@AngelaPalma.com ☎️ (305)733-0025 ☀️ calendly.c...
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Trusses Installing
Просмотров 456Год назад
The final piece to the shell-construction, the trusses. Here the trusses are laid out like a giant puzzle. The crane lifts them and they are then held down with the hurricane straps and gravity. The plywood and water barrier will be next. 🤔 Thinking about buying, selling or building in Marathon? Shoot me a text or email. 🏡 Check out available homes in Marathon at www.AngelaPalma.com Contact me ...
Key By the Sea Walkthrough 6099 Overseas Hwy 119E, Marathon, FL 33050 FOR SALE
Просмотров 1 тыс.Год назад
Ocean View Lot Key By the Sea Community Address: 6099 Overseas Hwy 119E, Marathon, FL 33050 FOR SALE Link: www.marathonhomesearch.com/search/results/2oy/ Ocean View Lot with a 5X26 ft floating dock, which is designated by the Association as Limited Common Elements. Direct open ocean access. Located in Key By the Sea in Marathon, FL. You OWN the land. Bring your RV, rent monthly to RV owners or ...
Key By the Sea 6099 Overseas Highway Marathon, FL 33050 119E
Просмотров 578Год назад
Lot 119E is listed on the Market for SALE! Located in the Beautiful Key By the Sea community in Marathon, FL. Ocean View lot with 5X26 ft floating dock and direct open ocean access. You OWN the land. Bring your RV, rent monthly to RV owners or bring your set of building plans. Lot is paved with pavers. It is a permanent RV lot. Monthly RV rentals allowed. This desirable RV lot rents to RV guest...
Coco Plum Beach Clean UP
Просмотров 142Год назад
Took the family out to participate in keeping our beaches clean and show them respect of the environment. 🤔 Thinking about buying, selling or building in Marathon? Shoot me a text or email. 🏡 Check out available homes in Marathon at www.AngelaPalma.com Contact me at 💻 Angela@AngelaPalma.com ☎️ (305)733-0025 ☀️ calendly.com/angelapalma/30min 📕 Find out more about Marathon or building a new home ...
Sombrero Beach Marathon FL Under 1 Million. Is that possible in January 2023?
Просмотров 735Год назад
Less than 1 Million Dollars in the gorgeous Sombrero Beach Area of Marathon, FL 33050. Sombrero Beach Area - Single Family Home - Walk, bike, golf cart to the beach !! Listed for Sale! Address: 312 Calzada De Bougainvillea Marathon, FL 33050 Single Family Home nestled in the highly desirable Sombrero Beach neighborhood. Steps away from Sombrero Beach, this 3 bedroom 2 full bathroom home feature...
312 Calzada De Bougainvillea Sombrero Beach
Просмотров 214Год назад
Listed For Sale ! ! ! Single Family Home nestled in the highly desirable Sombrero Beach neighborhood. Steps away from Sombrero Beach, this 3 bedroom 2 full bathroom home features a secluded side balcony surrounded by gorgeous trees and landscaping. The natural foliage offers privacy to the balcony. Home sits on a 7,200 sq. ft. lot. Vacant properties located on either side of the home offering a...
Galway Bay 1361 Overseas Highway, F40, Marathon, FL 33050 Galway Bay
Просмотров 669Год назад
Galway Bay 1361 Overseas Highway, F40, Marathon, FL 33050 Galway Bay
307 Sombrero Blvd Walk Through and Dock Side Trot
Просмотров 747Год назад
307 Sombrero Blvd Walk Through and Dock Side Trot
Boot Key View Condo Marathon Florida on 307 Sombrero Blvd
Просмотров 469Год назад
Boot Key View Condo Marathon Florida on 307 Sombrero Blvd
Coco Plum Beach in Marathon Relax Music Drone
Просмотров 367Год назад
Coco Plum Beach in Marathon Relax Music Drone
The 5 things I wish I knew About Moving to Marathon FL
Просмотров 32 тыс.Год назад
The 5 things I wish I knew About Moving to Marathon FL
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Moving the Wall
Просмотров 200Год назад
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Moving the Wall
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Second Floor Slab
Просмотров 468Год назад
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Second Floor Slab
5 Best Neighborhoods in Marathon and the Middle Florida Keys
Просмотров 1,6 тыс.Год назад
5 Best Neighborhoods in Marathon and the Middle Florida Keys
Marathon Florida Keys during Hurricane Ian
Просмотров 1,5 тыс.Год назад
Marathon Florida Keys during Hurricane Ian
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: HollowCore
Просмотров 975Год назад
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: HollowCore
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Tie Beams
Просмотров 8522 года назад
Building a New Construction in Marathon Florida: Tie Beams
Things to do: Marathon Community Park meets the Florida Keys Brew BQ. Craft Beer
Просмотров 1882 года назад
Things to do: Marathon Community Park meets the Florida Keys Brew BQ. Craft Beer
House looks great. How much did they charge per sq foot for that particular process? Thank you
Я далеко от океана.I from kyrgyzstan.
Great video, I will be in contact soon to see if you can help provide some resources for my kids and I. Thank you!
My parents lived there for awhile. After irma they had enough. Can’t say im a fan of the conchs or ocean hippies, to say the least, but im the visitor and it is there home, but the dealings really put a sour taste in my mouth. Our saying was you had to beg “to get ripped off”. There
❤
Thank you
Good job love you by mila 😊
Thank you
Thanks for your frank discussion about living full time. Definitely gives one some things to think about.
Its sooo much different when you live here vs when you vacation here... thank you for the good vibes
Definitely a festival I want to check out next time we’re in Marathon. Thanks for sharing New Friends!
The food, atmosphere, beer & music is energizing
"Island time" is just a way to validate peoples laziness and irresponsibility.
I can definitely understand your conclusion... so that is why I advise to accumulate patience to combat the "island time" blues
Love your content. Sincere and genuine. Keep it coming! Thank you!
Try to be real.... Thank you
Looks like a great property
It has lots of potential to check lots of the boxes of living in the keys.
Marathon Airport is NOT a private airport. It’s a county airport. If you have lived here for seven years you should know that. Grassy Key is not a suburb of Marathon, it is part of the City of Marathon, as is the Cocoplum area, which is on Fat Deer Key. Locals love to live in Key Colony Beach? I think you mean Northern retirees who love lots of rules and busybodies. Don’t forget that the city has its own police force and with so little to do, they absolutely LOVE to write tickets, so drive slowly. Shelter Key was a pristine island before developers dredged, filled, and dug through it to make Key Colony Beach. People should also know that Marathon is not an island, it’s a city that comprised of thirteen islands. The islands in the west, Knights Key and Hog Key, and the easternmost island, Grassy Key, are all part of the city. The largest island is Vaca Key, (or Key Vaca, or Key Vaccas, depending on what source you consult). The comment below about 15th Street is hilarious but spot on. There are some very interesting neighborhoods in the city, but I doubt that the more la ti da Northern retirees are going to want to move there! 😆
Thank you for taking the time to add your insight. These are the comments that make our island chain great. Your insight allows us to be much more verse in the idiosyncrasies of Marathon and the surrounding keys. thank you
What is wrong with your shoulder?
:-) Thank you for watching !
Million dollar property at least. The City of Key Colony Beach is for rich people.
Thank you for watching.
I think most of the homes in the keys are for wealthy people. Even renting a room can run you an average 1800 a month. Just a bedroom. 😂
@@endofsociety Definitely. Not much affordable housing around, and what does affordable mean? Already the busines owners are starting to complain that they can't get people to work, but who is going to work if he can't afford to live?
@@gazoontight yeah I've talked to locals who aren't buisiness owners in key west. Most of them work 2-3 different places just to survive. The ones I talked to claim to love it though because they say they get to live in paradise. But, when do you get to actually enjoy it? They should build affordable housing for locals only.
@@endofsociety That will be the day. Already it has become too expensive for many people to live here.
This video is oriented toward the wealthy people. If you have enough money to buy a million dollar home and a fifty thousand dollar boat and have no need to work two jobs then you will live just like she says. If you’re not rich, it might be a little bit of a struggle. Marathon Airport is not private! Where did you get that misinformation? You should have told people that the City of Marathon extends from Hog Key to Grassy Key. Duck Key is not part of the city. The large island is Key Vaca, not “Marathon Key”. Mosquito Control is not a company, it is a government agency. You are paying taxes for that service. Shopping? What a laugh. Years ago there was the upscale boutique, KMart, but that’s gone. Private school? You’re talking to rich people, right? You should warn people not to accept real estate industry hype at face value but to be skeptical. I have seen so many people move to town and then move away in the first five years (if they can afford to move away).
Thanks for watching and for the information provided.
Yeah, about your list. First, you obviously never heard the old joke about the person who was disappointed with life in Florida after moving there. It’s too long to repeat here but the gist is the person came on vacation and loved beach, the tropical breeze, the boating, the restaurants. After moving the person complained that he was surprised at how expensive everything is, long lines in the grocery store and post office, spending half the year preparing for a hurricane. The punchline is, before, he was a tourist, now he’s a resident. Affordable housing is nonexistent because there’s more money to be made by selling upscale homes to wealthy Northern retirees. Insurance rates are going up again but wages and salaries are not. Before the deluge of Northerners, many families in the city were related by blood or marriage, so, yeah, watch your mouth because word does get around. Marathon is a city that extends from Hog Key in the west to Grassy Key in the east. You try driving north or south and you’ll end up in the water. (Btw, Key Vaca is not called “Marathon Key”). Island time, like Keys disease, is real. A lot of people decided to move to the Florida Keys to live like Jimmy Buffet but without his money. Some of them spend significant amounts of time sleeping one off. Check the state data to find out how many registered sex offenders live in the county. Rich people who want their children to attend private school are going to have to drive (or have their people drive). The cities of Marathon and Key West have significant Spanish speaking populations. It’s helpful but not absolutely necessary to have a working knowledge of the language. I’ve been here over 20 years and I have seen so many people move away because they can no longer afford to live here. Richly Rich and his wealthy buddies are pushing them out. But lots of newcomers move away in their first five years when they find out that the tourist and real estate industries’ hype doesn’t always jibe with reality.
Thank you for taking the time to compose this email and sharing your experiences. Enjoy the Keys.
Not me! I am retired and I could live anywhere. I’ve got a good retirement I’m young and go to bed and get up what I want to stay up as late as I want drink as much as I want and go where I want.😂
Wonderful. Enjoy your retirement! Thanks for watching :-)
The first red flag is that you would ever consider *setting foot* in Florida, let alone living there. The level of crazy there is off the chain. I wouldn't live in that state if you paid me.
Well Prople r Borneo crazy …so these People were crazy before moving here :). I lived in N y prior to moving here so I know what u mean
@@angelapalma952I like that you incorporated the word "key". 😉
Nope
The golden rule of traveling...........Every place seems so much more fun when vacationing......... I live in Flagstaff, AZ. Its the same thing here. People roll through thinking WOW the mountains in Arizona...ITS GREAT!! living here is so boring and transient.......Its stupid expensive and so many Californians have moved here it no longer feels like AZ. Its a great town for a few days to visit, but I am looking forward to moving on.........The winters are terrible and there is nothing to do, too damn cold......The locals keep to themselves and assume your another tourist which most people are......... The part about watch what you say in small towns made me smile because I learned that the hard way.......haha yup, be careful who knows what about your personal business......I miss Florida and will be coming back
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences. All the best on your new adventures.
Price ??
List price is $899,000.00. Thanks for watching.
With the fall of capitalism this area could become a dangerous place to live. A typical half `s vs have nots created by our huge wage gap.
Thank you for watching.
It’s gross there
Thanks for sharing. Some try to find the fun in gross
I love it 🥰 from Mila
Love you back
Awesome!!!! Love the walk through
:)
Thank you
;)
Soo nice love Mila❤🥰
thanks!
Great video hello from 🇨🇦
1:21
thank you
Very good smurf chiming 😂😂Love Kai
he is funnnny
🎉
thanks
Amazing
Thanks
Looking for a boat slip to rent for a 36 ft trawler
Boat rental slips are difficult. Advise, is to Google Marinas and provide the specifics of your vessel, (size, draft, ext) because all marinas have different rules. Good Luck!!!
@Angela Palma thanks. I got a slip in treasure harbor and a job there
Makes me want to live in Marathon what a great place to be
Thank you!
are they 6 inch or 8 inch hollow core? also how did you guys do the plumbing and hvac through them?
Great question. These are 8" with a 2-3" topping. The topping uniforms all the hollow core pieces. There is also rebar at the perimeter to lock it in place. All penetrations MUST be performed with a water core drill as you would in a regular poured slab. The penetrations need to be less than 6", which none of ours were bigger than 3"
Very interesting!!!! we will be soon doing same in Florida!!! our own owner builder project
Very cool! It has been an amazing experience.
Thanks for sharing the construction process of your house.
Our pleasure! Please feel free to ask any question
The thumbnail for the video was a great eye catcher!
We try!!
Lots minorities down there where only like 50% is normal people. Lots of theft and groping by blacks.
You are wrong, this is really interesting video content. Especially in Florida, hate it when I see storm footage of roofs being completely being blown off. Better safe than sorry. Thanks for the content as always. Note: a little longer spent on the process would be cool.
Thank you very much for the wonderful comment. It’s always hard to gauge length of video versus attention span.😊
I wonder if spray foam insulation will become the future remove asap like popcorn ceilings? LOL Kidding
Popcorn ceilings is strictly aesthetics. The spray foam is the actual insulation required both by code and by the need to keep your house at a certain temperature. You are able to use the batt insulation which is the broken down newspapers, cellulose Materials or the pink fiberglass.
is it safe?
@@angelapalma952 oh ok thank you
Looks like your exterior walls are concrete. Is that a building code requirement?
Not sure of the exact question…. But the flood zone is an ae 7…. Our base floor is at 9.9’… so the code states you must build at base elevation or 13” above for max points on BPAS
thanks
What sort of flood mitigation goes into the foundation/ground floor?
Not sure of the exact question…. But the flood zone is an ae 7…. Our base floor is at 9.9’… so the code states you must build at base elevation or 13” above for max points on BPAS
Blowout walls are only needed (i think) when the walls sit below the flood plain. These wall sit above the flood level of 7'
Well back in the day, like when i was dealing with customers we built houses for, this was a fairly common problem. Regardless of the amount of time spent during the planning stage, after they saw it during the construction process, they didnt like it. Not a problem if they were willing to pay the cost for the change, but that wasent always the case. With todays computer programs for designing and drawing plans, there is or at least should be much less of this happening. A virtual walk thru the home can take place prior to any work on the home even begins. Problem is that not everyone has invested in the programs.
Sometimes things still get missed... luckily it was caught before the construction was complete!
They call it love - so throw an orange at my head: Lisa and I had been together for around 4 years. We moved from Chicago to Miami together, and never realized how much stress a huge move like that can impose on a relationship. To say things became challenging among us would be a massive understatement - every little issue or disagreement became the cause for a full-blown argument, and soon it all became impossible. So technically, we lived in Country Walk - it was a part of Miami, though miles away from the city center, and virtually right on the edge of the Everglades. It was an Upper-Middle Class neighborhood, with perfect, squeaky clean roads - many of which just meandered off into the bush someplace, miles and miles of white Lexington, Kentucky, style horse fence (as nearly everyone there kept horses; many rode them to the store, etc), and large homes that people were very proud of. She and I found a nice townhome that was literally against a lemon, lime, orange, papaya, and guava plantation: We'd leave the windows open and our house would smell like Fruit Loops cereal! It was - amazing, wonderful, like a dream. But despite that we had one argument after another, usually about something trivial, all of which were the result of stress more than anything else. The move alone took a lot out of us as we did it solely by ourselves, and being so young in a totally new environment was taking longer to adjust to than either of us had anticipated. When we got to Miami I began looking for a job, since I didn't have one lined up beforehand. I had money from my career in music, but I wanted to make sure we'd never have to dip into that savings, figuring we'd buy a house with it sometime later on. One late December afternoon I came home from taking a police exam to find Lisa in bed, naked, passed out in the arms of a female co-worker of hers. Lying on the bed were empty vials of morphine and several hypodermic needles - they had sex, got high, and passed out. Or maybe they got high, had sex, and then passed out. Does this sequence of events really matter anyway? I let them sleep, and went for a walk in a park nearby, and then stopped at this little Cuban farm stand for a tamale and coco frio. When I came home Lisa was awake and her friend had gone home, but there was hardly any communication between us for the remainder of our time together. There was just quiet anger and resentment on my part, while she took the phone into the bathroom and locked the door to make some very private calls. A week later on Christmas Eve I had to go to another police exam, this time for the Miami-Dade Police Department. I got home, and as I drove through the parking lot to our apartment I saw that Lisa's car was missing, and noticed two police cruisers parked right around the corner from our place. As I walked toward the building I could see that the front door to our place was wide open, and when I got closer I saw two police officers standing inside. I went in and saw that the entire apartment was empty, save for a bare Christmas tree (which was a real tree that we got at a nursery on Thanksgiving). One of the officers spoke up and said, "we heard you went to take the police exam, so we figured we'd wait for you to get back as a professional courtesy". I replied, "well, thank you, but, um, where's all my stuff"? I was told that Lisa decided to move out, and she took everything with her (everything except for that tree, anyways). I said, "but she took my things too - you guys let her take it all"? They said she had receipts for everything, and that on our credit cards and checking account her name was listed first - I tried explaining that was only because banks listed users alphabetically, and because her last name began with 'A' and mine with 'C' her name was at the top. Damn, Lisa always maintained such exacting records of everything we purchased - was her acquisition of them her plan all along? Well, it was already too late by this time anyway, so I just thanked the officers, and sat down in an empty apartment trying to figure out what to do.My neighbor, who also worked for the police, came by and brought me a portable TV and said he had gotten all her information and would give her a call to see if he could negotiate having her return my belongings. I mean, she even took all my clothes and the soap from the bathroom! A few days later she stopped by and dropped off the majority of my stuff. We then got into a bad argument, which ended when she threw a huge glass vase at my head (that broke just above me against the wall) and then stormed out. Later that week I was shopping at the local Winn Dixie in the produce section, picking out some veggies when all of a sudden I felt something relatively soft hit me in the back of my head. Even though it didn't hurt, I was still a bit disoriented - and then something else hit me in the back of my head! I turned around to see Lisa standing in front of the citrus fruit section with an orange in her hand, which she immediately threw at me. So, since all is fair in love and war, I picked up a potato and threw it back at her, but I missed my intended target. She then threw a grapefruit back at me, but I ducked and it merely landed on the floor and rolled under the shelves. I then sent a barrage of potatoes her way - one after another which sent any customers nearby scurrying! You're gonna lob a grapefruit at me then I'm coming back with nuclear potatoes - and some boniato too I think! This madness continued until someone got the store manager, who came over and told us -in no uncertain terms, as they say- to leave the store. She walked out first, and I followed around 50' behind her. When we got into the lot she started swearing to herself but loud enough for me to hear it; I just walked to my car shaking my head at the insanity of it all. Though I would shop at that store a few more times, I didn't run into Lisa again there, but I knew it was time to move, to leave Miami. I'd always wanted to live in the Florida Keys (Lisa and I used to go to Marathon every weekend), and now was the perfect time to make that dream happen. Funny how life evolves that way, isn't it? One day you're being pelted with citrus fruit by your ex, and the next you're lying on one of the best beaches in the world surrounded by a group of incredibly new friends...
thank you for sharing
thank you for sharing
When I first moved down to Marathon, I didn't know anyone at all. But immediately people there made me feel at home, like a part of their family. I decided to go to the 4th of July celebration at Sombrero Beach, and when I got there it was already quite busy, and I had a hard time finding parking. But before I knew it, this family that had seen me around town and heard that I was new there came up to my car and said, "come on by us - just park your car in front of our house, on our lawn"! So I did, and they brought out a chair for me, and some cold beer and a burger with potato salad, etc! It was the first time in my life I ever felt at home someplace...
If they only had KFC Extra-Crispy on the Titanic... I accepted a trip working as a 2nd Mate aboard a 50' Bertram yacht that required us to sail it from West Palm Beach down to Key West, which was to take around 3 days. The owner of the boat was a multi-millionaire; the boat, named something like, 'Blue Sea', was gorgeous - immaculately clean, and in every aspect a fine luxury vessel. On the boat were Captain Frank, Captain Jim, and their wives, Trey who was the 1st Mate, and myself. I had bought Kentucky Fried Chicken for all of us for lunch that first day - it was a superstition of mine since every time I bought KFC onto a boat we had a great trip. The boat was outfitted with enough food for the remainder of the trip, and I was going to be assuming the role of Ship's Cook starting the following day. Trey was the Relief Captain, and he would take the helm once we were out to sea. Captains Frank and Jim would be taking the night watch... My job was to essentially being his back-up, and also required that I conduct navigation, be the lookout on 1st Watch, and help monitor all the boat's gauges. Trey and I decided to pilot the boat from the Fly Bridge, which was around 12' up from the main deck. Once we got out and going Trey and I starting eating lunch and chit-chatting small talk as the seas were only around 2'-3', which the boat just cut through effortlessly and smoothly. We were steaming approximately 6 miles E/SE of Miami Beach when things took a very fast turn for the worse. I saw the temperature for the starboard engine starting to rise - at first slowly, then very quickly. I looked over the side to check the exhaust and saw that steam was billowing out of it. Then a warning siren went off while a computerized voice repeated over and over, 'explosion imminent, explosion imminent, explosion imminent'. Trey looked at me and asked, "what the heck is going on"? I had no idea, but Trey shut off the starboard engine quickly in the hope that somehow the situation would resolve itself without us blowing up. A few minutes later the exact same thing happened to the port engine, and Trey shut that one down as well, and yelling down to captain Frank who was in the parlor. Captain Jim had just been relaxing as well, but heard the engines come to a grinding halt, and was calling up to us to find out what was going on. So now without any engines at all we were adrift... But there was not even time to catch my breath when I saw one bilge pump gauge max out, followed seconds later by the bilge warning light, meaning that the boat was taking on more water than it could discharge. Immediately the 2nd bilge warning light came on, and that pump became maxed out too. Trey and I looked at one another because we both knew we were in serious danger of sinking; Trey said to me, "you'd better go and get Captain Frank, and let him know what's going on". I quickly climbed down to the main deck, and let him and captain Jim know what was happening. They instructed me to get life jackets on myself and Trey, as well as their wives as they went to check out the engines. I grabbed the flare guns, dye packets, strobe lights, and the rest of the rescue equipment (thankfully we checked all of that before leaving the dock, and it was all relatively new and in good working order). Captain Frank opened the hatch to the engine compartment, while captain Jim looked down into it. I managed to glance into the engine room to see a massive amount of water pouring in from each exhaust like a waterfall... They said I needed to contact the Coast Guard and tell them that we were in imminent danger of sinking, and that at the very least we'd need 2 portable bilge pumps from them. I got everyone in their life jackets and made sure they stayed on the deck near the transom in case we had to abandon ship. I then went back up to the fly bridge, took a deep breath to calm myself down, and grabbed the radio to call the Coast Guard, "Mayday mayday mayday, this is the 50' Bertram yacht 'Sunset' located 6 miles south and 5 miles east of Miami Beach, taking on water and in danger of sinking; 6 souls aboard, and 2 dogs - requesting immediate assistance, and 2 bilge pumps". I repeated the message. The Coast Guard replied that they were sending a C-130 airplane, a helicopter, and a Cutter to assist. At this point there was so much water in the bilge that the boat deck was nearly at the waterline, and she was listing heavily 30-degrees, and at times would shake and lurch so violently to 45-degrees that Trey and I had to hang on with all our strength to avoid being thrown overboard. I looked down at the water to see it was filled with jellyfish, and all I could think of was being in the water and getting stung relentlessly by them! It was only around 15 minutes later when I saw the C-130 circling overhead, but that 15 minutes had felt like an eternity. Then I saw the helicopter, which began to hover nearby. I maintained radio contact with the Coast Guard helicopter, and they lowered a gas-powered bilge pump and a repair kit to us. The Cutter then approached us in case we needed to jump ship. I went to the engine room to check on Captain Frank: He was chest-deep in water connecting the portable bilge pump hoses while Trey got it started. As soon as the water started being pumped out the boat began to right itself, and a short while later I heard Captain Frank say he managed to patch the holes and stop the leaks. At that the C-130 and and helicopter departed, while the Cutter kept us company until the tow boat got there. It took us 6 very. very long hours to get towed back to the marina, where we were met by a mechanic. So what happened to cause the boat to nearly sink? Well, the owner never bothered to have the barnacles scraped off the sea-water coolant intakes. Because of this, the engine overheated (and seized), with some metal parts getting so hot that they melted off. When these parts melted, they fell onto the large rubber exhaust tubes - which were supposed to be covered with aluminum mesh (but again, the owner didn't bother to do this when they were last repaired), but since they weren't, the metal melted right through them, which opened up a direct line to the water. Both engines were blown, and the damage to engine accessories was also severe. It would have cost the owner around $100 to have the barnacles scraped, but now to repair both engines and other damage the price tag would be more than $100K. And that's how an irresponsible and cheap boat owner nearly sent a $10M yacht and 8 souls (6 human, 2 canine) down to Davy Jones' Locker - thankfully, I had brought the lucky chicken (something I'd be known for from that time on)! So, if you're heading out on a fishing trip - bring the fried chicken, and make sure you have enough for your captain and mate.