Sunset Sail in Key West, Florida

One of the days we were in Key West, Florida we decided to take a sunset sail and walked over to the historic seaport, where, at the foot of Greene and Elizabeth Street, we signed on to sail on the Jolly II Rover Schooner!

It was the only square rigged topsail schooner sailing out of the seaport, the same kind used by infamous pirates, rum runners, and those who first sought the freedom and solitude of the Florida Keys hundreds of years ago. This promised to be an exciting adventure on a beautiful evening!

There were 12 other customers aboard that evening, plus the captain and two mates, and we sailed out of the harbor along with other sailing ships and catamarans and fishing boats that were for hire, into the bay to watch the sunset.

We passed another schooner leaving the port.

The mates on the Jolly II Rover asked if anyone wanted to help hoist the red sails, and my husband was one of the volunteers.

It was hard work, but he loved having the chance to do it!

We sailed past our hotel, the Westin Resort and Marina.

The captain wanted to take us into the Atlantic Ocean first, as we had a couple of hours to sail before sunset, and the sky was turning stormy.

The views on the water were magnificent! All ocean and sky!

Today is the Christopher Columbus Day holiday, and I can tell you that sailing on the vast ocean gave me an even greater respect for the sailors of long ago who took their brave voyage that led to the discovery of the Americas.

The captain offered to turn the steering over to anyone who wanted to try, and yes, my husband volunteered again! Where was I? Taking photos, of course, and staying safe and sound in my seat!

My husband was able to steer close to the other schooner we saw earlier.

When we were side by side, the crew on our schooner "fired" the ship's cannons on them in true pirate style! Notice their startled expressions -- please click on all photos to enlarge. They fired back, but they were no match for the Jolly II Rover!

The captain now took the wheel and steered us back into the bay.......

....and my husband got a chance to sit for awhile and enjoy the trip.

We saw rain far out in the bay, and we were worried that we wouldn't see a sunset that night.

But, luckily, the rain stopped and some of the clouds opened up. Please click on to enlarge all the photos of the water, as the views were incredible!

The sun sank lower and lower....

The clouds made the scene even more magical, as the suns rays seemed to reach across the sky and bring it from darkness to light.

As the sun set on the water absolutely gorgeous colors appeared..................

.........until the last rays lit the horizon on fire!

After the sunset, when darkness descended, the Jolly II Rover headed back to the port.

It was the perfect end to a perfect day, one that gave us the gift of an anniversary memory to be cherished forever!