hunkering down ............... from P

What to do when the budget will no longer allow us to stay in the $140 per night marina in Key West, and a new series of cold fronts are blowing through with N winds at 25 to 30 knots? Well, we decided to move the boat out of the marina on Friday, up into a shallow inlet between Boca Chita and Stock Island, just 10 miles or so east of Key West. We anchored using both anchors in a Bahamian style arrangement (one anchor 90 degrees out from the other). We spent yesterday (Saturday) reading, doing e-mails, and monitoring our situation as the north wind blew steadily at 28 knots all Friday night and NE 25 knots all day Saturday. When the wind shifted toward the NE, we had to pull up one anchor (which had now become slack), start the engine, let out a lot of line for the other anchor still deployed, and use it as a fulcrum to pinwheel the boat around to a better angle toward the northeast, then re-deployed the second anchor. This maneuver resulted in us facing the wind with each anchor about 45 degrees in opposite directions off the bow. It was a big job in the 25 knot winds. But we were then nice and stable. This morning we are still hunkered down, but the winds have dropped down to 10-15, so the plan is to dinghy over to Dave and Gail's boat at Boca Chica marina and watch part of the superbowl festivities with the military retirees at the club there. Back underway tomorrow. But for today - still hunkered down.