As you have heard on the news the Florida Keys was heavily impacted by Hurricane Irma. What you haven't heard is how quickly we are recovering and how the entire Florida Keys was not totally devastated by this hurricane. I do not want to take anything away from the areas that received the most devastation, but it is important to know that the Upper Keys and Key West are a little battered and bruised, but overall, we will be able to recover fairly quickly. Areas like Marathon, Big Pine, and Cudjoe Key will take a little more time to recover but they will come back better and stronger than ever.  We certainly have people in the Upper Keys that lost their homes and many of their belongings, but our community has pulled together and is working hard to help those that are most in need.  

Already many businesses have reopened and construction and rebuilding have begun. For instance, my marina, World Wide Sportsman opened yesterday, Monday, Sept. 18th and the store opened today. Most of our local restaurants are open. Many have been serving free food to the first responders since the day after the hurricane and most are now serving locals as well. You have probably heard that the World Famous Robbie's suffered major damage - and that is true - but take a look at their Facebook Page today....they have already started rebuilding their docks.

There is a lot of debris on the side of the roads but the county has already started picking it up. And even though some of our trees are brown, there are still lots of bright green palm trees and the water is clearing up and almost back to the pristine blues and greens that you remember. Some Oceanside hotels may take a little longer to get reopened but I can assure you that they are working around the clock to get reopened to welcome guests as soon as possible. 

The outpouring of support is unbelievable and I truly cannot believe how many clients have reached out to check on us or to offer help. Right now, we are asking you to do one thing - CONSIDER BOOKING YOUR NEXT TRIP TO ISLAMORADA! As you know our town survives on tourism so the quicker we can get you back on the water the quicker we will recover.  As tourist return to the keys (when we are ready), they will be helping our service industry and hospitality staff get back to work and get back on their feet. 

Hotels have started booking rooms in October and Monica (my wife) and I are happy to help you find a room. If October is too soon, consider a Thanksgiving or Christmas vacation with your family. We hope to see you soon in the beautiful Florida Keys!

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Captain Tony Horsley and Bowed Up Fishing Charters are ready to get back on the water and from a few reports, I have received, the fish are biting! The Pathfinder went on the rack on Monday and I am going to finish detailing the Hell's Bay tomorrow.

The pictures below were taken on Monday when I put the bay boat on the rack. When I did that Monday morning it was the only boat in the marina, but by the afternoon over half the racks were full! 

Call or email today to book your next fishing trip! 804.513.7744