Cayo Costa Island FL to Boot Key FL - Feb 7, 2017

Feb 3^rd – It was a warm and sunny day today.  The weatherman was calling for low winds thus we got up early and decided to spend the day traveling.  We left the Pelican Bay anchorage at 7am and headed south on the Gulf Inter-Coastal waterway to Fort Myers where we went out into the Gulf of Mexico.  We gave the boat a good run in the Gulf as we headed down to Marco Island traveling 70 miles today and we anchored in Factory Bay.  Maria and I went for a dingy run to check out an alternate anchorage since we were exposed to boat wakes in this anchorage.  When we returned to the boat “Over Ice” caught up with us and another Looper, “Chica”, anchored in the same bay.  We went for cocktails on “Chica” until the sun started to go down and then we went back to our own boats to prepare dinner.  By the way, Rob on “Over Ice” has a cannon on board and fired off a blank at sunset.  It scared the Sh!t out of me! 

Feb 4^th – It was a warm and sunny day.  We decided to stay another day to explore the area by dingy.  Rob and Brenda on “Over Ice” joined us in their dingy as we headed deep into the river system in the area and then we pulled in to a launch ramp and found a great Tiki bar in Goodland FL, however their docks were around the corner.  We left the girls at the bar while Rob and I tried to find their dock.  We were amazed at how far we had to go to actually get there.  Thanks to Rob for asking multiple locals directions to the bar … we finally made it!  The girls wondered what happened to us!  After a cold one we continued our dingy ride and travelled down unknown rivers covered by mangroves … we felt like explorers!  Rob and Brenda ran over a sunken boat and got stuck in the mud.  I learned to follow Rob from a long way back since he is very adventurous!  We went back to the boat to quench our thirst and then headed out once again to Winn Dixie to do some shopping.  When we returned to the boats we were all very tired from all the fresh air, sunshine and activity thus we relaxed for the evening with a plan to leave early in the morning for our next anchorage. 

Feb 5^th – It was a hot and sunny day.  The weatherman was calling for low winds again thus we got up early to travel south.  We left the Factory Bay anchorage at Marco Island FL and headed out in the Gulf of Mexico and travelled 68 miles to the Little Shark River anchorage in Everglades National Park in Florida.  We ran quickly across the Gulf while our boat buddy “Over Ice” has a much slower cruising speed thus they joined us later in the day.  We travelled slowly for the last few miles so I could test our Watermaker.  It seemed to be working OK, however I found a leak due to a loose fitting in the membrane housing thus I’ll fix it when the engine compartment isn’t so hot.  Two other Loopers “Morning Star” and “Chica” were also anchored in the same bay.  I noticed that my rudder shaft logs were leaking again thus I tightened them and all is well again.  I also completed a couple of small boat jobs before “Over Ice” arrived.  By the way, did I mention that the water temperature is 75 degrees F?  When “Over Ice” arrived they said we’d be having fish for dinner since they caught a 2 ½ footer on the way to the anchorage thus Maria added Caribbean rice to the fish and we had an Exxxcellent dinner while we listened to the Superbowl on satellite radio.  Before sunset Rob shot off his cannon which most likely startled everyone in the bay ;)  Brenda’s team lost in overtime and she wasn’t very happy about it ;)  Unfortunately I’ll miss my blog posting tonight since there is no cell phone signal here. 

Feb 6^th – It was a hot and sunny day.  It’s Maria’s birthday today … Happy Birthday!  We went for a long dingy ride with Rob and Brenda from our Shark River anchorage to Flamingo Florida through Everglades National park.  Our ride was 20 miles each way through lakes and rivers filled with mangroves and wildlife!  Flamingo Florida had cell service thus Maria was busy thanking everyone that sent her birthday wishes as well as letting the kids know that we will have no cell service for the next day or so.  We had pizza for lunch at the on-site restaurant and then checked out the little museum they had.  We saw our first American Crocodile just floating on the top of the water.  Apparently Flamingo Florida is the best place in the US to see a crocodile.  Once we got back to the boat we were parched and had to have a cold one to hydrate.  Rob and Brenda joined us for Maria’s birthday dinner which consisted of a BBQed steak dinner and a Reeses Peanut Butter pie for desert plus the traditional “Happy Birthday” song followed by Porn Star shots.

Feb 7^th – It was a hot and sunny day.  We got up early to travel 52 miles from our Shark River anchorage to our Sister Creek anchorage in Boot Key Florida in the Florida Keys.  When we arrived a helpful boater in the area helped us tie our boat back to the mangroves.  Over Ice arrived a while later and we helped him get setup as well.  Once we were settled we headed over to the dingy dock to register which provides us with weekly pump-outs, dingy dock access, showers, laundry, etc.  Afterwards we went to the marina to get some gas for the dingy.  When we returned to the boat we got caught up on our internet related things since there was no cell service in our last anchorage.

Sun rise in Pelican bay as we left our anchorage

Running in the Gulf of Mexico

Approaching Fort Myers

The Fort Myers bridge we crossed to take Amanda to the airport

Approaching Marco Island

Cocktails on "Chica"

Dingy run at Marco Island

Rob ran over this sunken boat with his dingy ... What!?

We liked this sign and it explains what we are doing

Rob lighting his sunset cannon

A freshly caught fish dinner

Aqua-Fennatic running in the Gulf

A 20 mile dingy run from Maria's left hand to Brenda's right hand on the map

We saw this crocodile in Flamingo Florida

Happy Birthday Maria ... Pie and Porn Star shots with Over Ice

Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys

Boot Key Mooring field ... It's full with over 45 boats on the waiting list

Cape Haze Florida to Cayo Costa Island FL - Feb 2, 2017

Jan 31^st – It was a warm and sunny day today.  We got up early to do our final shopping before we returned the rental car to the rental agency.  Don picked us up from the rental agency and gave us one final tour.  Afterwards Maria did some laundry while I washed the boat and washed and lubricated the bikes and loaded them back on the boat.  And we put the dingy up on the davit.  The only thing left to do is fill the boat with water and fuel.  After a busy day we hit the hot tub for one final time with a few boaters and then we went out to dinner since it was too late to cook.

Feb 1^st – It was a warm and sunny day today.  We’re on the road again!  We waited for the tide to be high enough to leave the marina and ensure we would have enough water under our keel for our trip from Cape Haze FL to our Pelican Bay anchorage at Cayo Costa Island FL.  We said good bye to all of the boaters that we met in Palm Island marina and then we left the dock.  We stopped by Cape Haze marina since they have the cheapest diesel fuel in Florida - $2.03 per gallon.  During our travels we had a number of dolphins surfing our wake … Maria actually was successful with the camera this time.  We rafted with Rob and Brenda (Over Ice) and Mike and Cathy (Trawler Life) plus there was another Looper, Gerald and Barb (Hard Dock Café), anchored close by.  We had a couple cocktails and BBQed dinner and just relaxed for the evening.

Feb 2^nd – It was a warm and sunny day.  It’s been a while since we’ve been on anchor thus we’re getting back into the travelling routine including the use of the windless for anchoring, monitoring the anchor position, the use of the generator for power & charging, the solar for charging and budgeting power and water.  It feels great to be travelling again!  We went for a dingy ride to the Cayo Costa State Park and took the shuttle to the beach.  We sat on the beach and looked for shells and shark teeth.  We walked all the way to Boca Pass and back and then we returned back to the boat to clean up a bit before we took the dingy to Cabbage Key for an early dinner.  The Cabbage Key restaurant walls are covered in $1 bills and we all had our Cheeseburger in paradise.  We then returned to the boats before dark.  We’re going to take advantage of the light winds tomorrow and head farther south.

A picture of the group that attended the Looper Reunion in Gulfport FL

Amanda sent us this picture of the three of us

Amanda and Maria

Dolphins following us to Cayo Costa Island

The Shuttle at Cayo Costa Island State Park

The beach on Cayo Costa Island

A lonely crab that was stuck on the beach ... we threw it back in the water

The beach crew ... a couple others decided to go fishing

An interesting creature

Rob and Brenda on Over Ice in the dingy

Cabbage Key ... Do you need a few $'s???

Early dinner at Cabbage Key

Cape Haze Florida – It’s almost time to move on – Jan 30, 2017

Jan 28^th – It was a cold and cloudy day.  We drove to Pasadena Yacht Club in Gulfport FL for a Looper reunion party.  On the way we stopped in Venice FL to buy a used portable air conditioner and then St Petersburg to buy a used Hooka dive unit.  The Looper party was outside by the pool thus it was chilly, however it was great to see all the Loopers that we haven’t seen in a while.  We even slipped in a quick Euchre game which my partner, Amanda, and I won!  What a small world … we ran into a boater from Krates north … Dick from “The Mistress” who keeps his southern boat at Pasadena Yacht Club.  After the party we drove back to the boat and cranked on the heat. 

Jan 29^th – It was a cold, cloudy and rainy day however the sun did make an appearance in the late afternoon.  I used an old shore power cord to build an extension cord for my new hooka dive unit and tested the setup above the water with positive results.  The real test will be underwater which should happen when the weather gets warmer.  Maria, Amanda and I went for a walk around the area and the sun finally decided to show up.  We hopped in the dingy and went for a ride to Palm Island resort and walked along the beach and found a few sand dollars.  It was sunny and cool however we still walked with our feet in the water.  The water was actually warmer than the air!  As the sun started to go down we quickly made our way back to the dingy to ensure we could navigate back to the marina.

Jan 30^th – It was a cool, sunny and windy day today.  I went to get a haircut this morning at Babb’s Barbershop and wow there was a beer tap with free beer … amazing!  We sat by the pool most of the day and Amanda and I went swimming and sat in the hot tub … which is almost working, however it needs to be a few degrees hotter.  Don came over and joined us for dinner at Leverocks and gave us a personally subscribed book about Rotonda FL.  After dinner we drove Amanda to the airport and said our goodbyes.  She says she enjoyed her visit even though the weather wasn’t as good as it has been.  We’ll be on the move south in a couple days thus we’ll need to shop tomorrow morning before we return the rental car and then give the boat a final wash before we head out.  It will be nice to be on the move again, however we are going to miss our Canadian snowbird friends that live close to our current marina.

Amanda monkeying around

Pandabear Yoga

The Tampa Bay bridge ... We went under this bridge by boat a couple months ago

What a small world ... we ran into Dick from "The Mistress" in Gulfport FL

The line up consists of Loopers with birthdays in Jan / Feb

It was great to see our looper friends we haven't seen in a while

The beach at Palm Island resort

Mom & daughter

Dingy ride back to the marina

Dad and daughter

At the Looper reunion

Cape Haze Florida – Our Southern Home – Jan 27, 2017

Jan 25^th – It was a warm and sunny day.  We performed a number of boat jobs since we’re trying to get our jobs done before our daughter Amanda arrives.  I waxed the other side of the boat that’s accessible on the dock.  I also changed the oil in the generator.  Maria was cleaning the inside of the boat and did some laundry.  At 4:30pm we headed over to Jim’s place for a goodbye celebration for Greg and Joanne since they are heading north on Jan 27^th.  We have wheels so we don’t need to be picked up … which seems strange since we haven’t had access to a car (except for courtesy cars) for some time now.  Dawna, Jim and Pat made the chicken and steak skewers and Pat did a great job cooking them on the BBQ.  We all put money into a pot while we picked names from a hat and the last name chosen, which was Don, won the pot.  

Jan 26^th – It was a warm and sunny day today.  We drove to Costco in Sarasota FL to purchase provisions for the boat.  We came back with a car load of stuff and Maria and I worked as a team to vacuum seal the meats and then pack every square inch of our freezer for our trip south.  Jim dropped by for a visit during our meat packing job and shortly after our vacuum sealer quit … our guess is that it was overheated.  We took a break and headed over to Don’s bar with Jim for one cold one before we returned back to the boat to complete our meat packing job.  The vacuum sealer worked again thus we were able to finish the job.  Oh and did I say that Costco sells a case of 48 Kirkland beers for $22 … Wow!  Now we’ll have to test it to see if it’s any good.  If so, we may buy a few more cases before we leave.  Our daughter Amanda is arriving here tomorrow morning … can you tell that we’re a little excited J

Jan 27^th – It was a cool and sunny day today.  The divers showed up this morning to remove the barnacles from the bottom of the boat.  They said the painted surfaces were OK, however the unpainted surfaces were bad.  We drove to the Fort Myers airport to pick up our daughter Amanda and brought her back to the marina.  It was a cool day, however she said it was hot!  (A true Canadian)  We sat by the pool, she floated on a floaty and I went for a swim.  The hot tub is supposed to be working again however it doesn’t feel hot yet.  Let’s hope that it’s working soon!  At 5pm the marina hosted an event with free beer and munchies for the boaters.  Afterwards we went to the New Faull Inn for pizza … I’m so stuffed!

Our daughter Amanda has joined us in Florida for 4 days

Jim and Pat with their dinner creation ... Exxxcellent!

Don, Greg and I at the goodbye party for Greg and Joanne

The gang at Greg's and Joanne's goodbye party

The divers that cleaned the bottom of Aqua-Fennatic

Amanda enjoying time by the pool and a few hours ago she scraped ice from the windshield

Jumping for Joy!

Free beer and munchies night at the marina

Cape Haze Florida – Our Southern Home – Jan 24, 2017

Jan 22^nd – It was a warm sunny and extremely windy day today.  There’s a possibility of a strong and complex storm with dangerous squalls and risk of a tornado.  The forecast shows winds gusting to 45 mph (72 kph for my Canadian friends).  To prepare for this I wrapped our flags around the flag poles since they were taking a beating.  I also ensured my lines and fenders were ready for the blast.  Don picked us up this afternoon to continue our tour of the area and then we went to Greg’s and Joanne’s house for football Sunday for lots of food and good company.  Of course there was another football pool which we won … Exxxcellent!  When we returned back to the boat the tide was so high that the water was almost over the concrete breakwall.  Maria could barely get on the boat since the dock was only inches above the water … and it’s not high tide yet … yikes!  The winds are high and the boat is blowing around at the dock, however the good news is that the only risk left is that of a thunderstorm.  In the middle of the night I had to get up to adjust the lines and fenders since the rubrail of the boat was hitting the posts that we were tied to and making a loud squeaking noise.

Jan 23^rd – It was a warm and extremely windy day with intermittent rain showers.  The wind was blowing the boat hard against the dock thus I had to adjust the lines and fenders multiple times throughout the day and we expect that the winds will continue until sometime after midnight.  We watched movies today and defrosted the fridge to get ready to get provisions for our trip south.  We pick up a rental car tomorrow that we’ll have for the week so we can go shopping, get Amanda at the airport and go to Gulfport for a Looper reunion party.  It’s hard to believe that we only have 1 week left at this marina before we start our travels again.

Jan 24^th – It was a warm and sunny day.  We picked up a rental car today, a Hyundai Accent, for 1 week.  We used the rental to get a couple oil filters for the generator, get some supplies for the boat and get some t-shirts on sale at Bealls.  We also called a diver to get our boat bottom cleaned before we leave the marina.  I’m hoping to have the equipment to do this myself, however there’s a risk that we won’t be able to purchase the equipment due to the availability of the seller.  Our daughter Amanda is flying in in 3 more sleeps, however it looks like the weather may be in the low 60’s … we’re hoping that the weather man is wrong.

The winds are howling and the tide is sooo high ... how is Maria going to get on the boat?

Adjusting the lines and fenders multiple times due to the winds and tide

The cement breakwall is almost under water

Greg and Joanne ... Our gracious hosts for a Sunday football get together

Time for dinner!