Return to Marathon

One of the boats used by Cuban refugees to flee the island.

Engine exhaust tube, prop and rudder

The ruder and propeller are cut from a piece of 1/4" steel.

The interior, note the bench seating not very comfortable for the long trip.

The boat seems to be made of some sort of thin plastic or fiber planks on a wood frame, all held together by glue and hundreds of small steel bolts We left Key West and drove to Marathon where Marsha and I stayed. Ray and Tena continued on to the Lake Okeechobee area to visit friends and do some Bass fishing. We found every thing fine on the boat.

Across the street from the marina in Marathon there is one of the boats, about 17 feet long and maybe 5 feet wide, used by Cuban refugees for the 90 or so mile crossing to the Keys I was told they usually load about 10 people into a boat this size. The boat is powered by a small engine, the construction is very flimsy, it shows the desperation of these people to get to the US.