Good-bye Boot Key Harbor

May 03, 2016

We left Boot Key Harbor after a great five week visit.  Our solar panel project was completed and the season was too far gone to travel to the Bahamas.  So, time to head home. It had been a comfortable and fun place to be for awhile. The garden which someone had started was just beginning to produce.  I managed to get a couple of green beans! 

The lovely, healthy and productive vege garden

Final strapping on of jugs

Our last trip of the season was to make our way up to Safe Cove Boat Storage in Charlotte Harbor.  Given that we had enough time, we opted to do it in day trips rather than the two overnight sails that we had done on the way down.   We left on April 26 with at least two days of good winds predicted.  And, indeed that is what we got!

Both sail out and filled!

Proof that we actually sailed!

Our first day we sailed, I repeat, SAILED to Shark River where we anchored mosquito free.  This is in the 10,000 island area and a part of the Everglades.  We were really pleased to have been able to actually sail altho the wind was from the south east and the boat motion was side to side.  Still I expect the sails were happy to see the light of day!! And we were happy to see the sails!

Shark River

Sunrise at Shark River

Day two we were also able to sail and after a long day found Russell Key, a totally private bay just east of Indian Key.  Only a few tour boats and fishing boats passed nearby but as evening approached we were totally alone.  It reminded me of the privacy and isolation of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area of Northern Minnesota except the green was from mangroves and not evergreens.

A little stowaway who visited us for awhile

Russell Key, Everglades National Park

 Day three we headed to Marco Island and with the dying winds it became a motor sail.  The anchorage in Factory Bay could not have been more of a change.  We were surrounded by boats, housing and/or hotel complexes, loud music blaring from all corners.  However, in the morning we were treated to the moon setting in the west while the sun rose in the east.

Moon setting in early am at Factory Bay

Sun rising in early am at Factory Bay

Day four was a repeat of the motor sailing and after a long day we opted to spend the night on a mooring ball at Ft. Myers.  Even treated ourselves to a lovely restaurant meal by the water.

Let me just interject here:  Dolphins are a tease!!  They play around the boat and swim alongside...until you reach for a camera.  Then they become shy.  One of these days I will get a good picture.

See the dolphin?  

Day five was a full-on bashing into the wind, and with 2400 rpm we were only making about 3 knots.  We tried a little tacking to gain some help from the sails with a bit of success.  It was another long day but we were able to anchor in daylight at Pelican Bay just at the entrance to Charlotte Harbor.  We appreciated the quiet, relaxing environment.

It was with some sadness that we knew that Day six was our last day of traveling on the boat.  No wind, so we motored across Charlotte Harbor and timed our arrival at the hand operated lock at high tide, late afternoon.  The process of leaving Charlotte Harbor and getting to Safe Cove is worthy of its own post.  It involves shallow canals, a hand operated lock.   To be continued....

What an Experience!

16 May 2015

We are back at Regatta Pointe Marina after our trial cruise which expanded from 3 weeks to 6.  The mixture of experiences, adventures, frustrations, and successes are swirling around in our heads.  It would be safe to say that we are no longer cruising virgins, but it would be equally safe to say we are not yet experienced cruisers. At least we are no longer doing everything for the first time.  And that is a relief.  

Here are a few sights from our Marathon to Palmetto sail:

A visiting egret, Ft. Myers

He took off

But came back again

The canal leading into Smokehouse Bay, Marco Island

Sails are actually up!

 Gulf of Mexico - our 360 degree view!

Sunset on the Gulf

A few accomplishments are tucked under our belts, and a tiny bit of confidence has crept into our psyche.  Much of sailing "plays" to Jim's strengths.  He likes to dig in and solve problems and he has had  opportunities to do that with most of the major systems:  the roller furling, the generator, the engine (alternator), the 200 amp fuses that kept blowing (operator error which took a long time to figure out) .... Not sure sailing is for someone who doesn't enjoy being "Mr. Fixit".  We also gained confidence in what most people would consider the basics.  But if you have never done them before they don't seem quite so basic the first time around!

Using the VHF radio with confidence
Calling to have bridges opened
Picking up mooring balls
Anchoring
Starting the outboard motor on the dinghy (not always so easy)
Using our dinghy
Venturing into unknown territory assisted only by GPS and charts
Getting used to the constant motion of the boat
Rough seas and flat seas, with and without wind
Sailing overnight (turns out I rather liked it)
Learning how to ferret out entertaining activities in new places
Meeting interesting people along the way and learning from them

Staying an extra 2 weeks at Marathon to have the electric stove and the electric cold plate refrigerator and freezer replaced were absolutely worth it!!  Every time I light the stove and make a cup of coffee or reach into the refrigerator and pull out something cold, or get ice from the freezer I thank Alex at SeaTek.  And that is all possible now without relying on the noisy generator!! 

We arrived back at the marina after an overnight sail from Marathon to Ft. Myers, a day sail to Marco Island and another overnight sail to Palmetto.  We were met at our slip by friends who helped us dock and tie up.  So nice to see familiar faces and get a helping hand!!