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We left the dock at 10:30 after loading the icebox. It seemed like light
winds at the dock but when we got out it was blowing 15 Kt NNW and we really
moved. The prop/transmission slipped when we put it in reverse at 7 Kt after
stopping the engine so we left it in neutral until we slowed down and then the
prop stopped correctly when put in reverse. The weather is cool and partly
cloudy. It got windier after 1 PM and we really flew down Charlotte Harbor. Jill
steered most of the way and I just tried to hang on. We anchored off Useppa at
3:45 after going 25 NM today. There were a lot of other boats in the anchorage
but always room for 1 more. We had a quiet night as the wind dropped after
sunset and there were only a few times when the wind came up during the night.
The spinnaker halyard banged a bit. It was too loose, maybe the cold or salt
affected it. I got up a few times in the night to try to fix it.
10:30 Left the pleasures of "Parent Harbor" for the unknown. Anchored at Cabbage Key. Dolphins and sail boats all around us! :)
We got an early start and motored down the ICW all day. The wind was light
from S. Jill steered thru the miserable mile but there was almost no current but
lots of other boat traffic going very fast. The wind was slightly stronger in
the bay. We anchored in Ft. Myers Beach anchorage at 1:30 with lots of other
boats of all descriptions.
We anchored E of marker 24 behind an old power boat that is listing and looks like it will sink during the night. 23.4 NM by the meter but by the chart it is more like 25-30 NM. We must have had a current with us. Gambling ship left just after we anchored and a few shrimpers going in and out. The noise form the disco stopped at about 10 PM and the wind died. It was cool but not cold, just right for a very quiet night except for a few shrimpers starting their engines.
We were asleep early and up to follow the ICW to Sanibel Isle. Beautiful through here. So many dolphin! :) Anchored Ft. Meyers Beach.
The weather report sounded OK, S 10-15 shifting to SW bit it never shifted. We departed at 8 AM and motor sailed with the main up, tacking out once. Then we put up the jib and turned off the motor. Around 2 PM the wind decreased and we motor sailed again. There were only a few other boats out. The seas were lumpy and occasionally breaking. It was overcast all day long. We anchored in the first canal inside Gordon Cut just N of "13" at 4:30 beside another old wooded sailboat. A real gaff rigged character boat. I saw the other boat and anchored forgetting that the cruising guide said this was a no anchor ‘cable area. Another boat anchored after us so I decided to stay. This is a nice protected place to anchor and the entrance is wide and deep. Several tour boats went sightseeing up and down the canals around dark. We did 30.1 NM today.
Anchored at Ft. Meyers Beach near the fixed bridge (65') and lots of fishing boats. Took pictures of "Miss Barnegat Light".
After a quiet night the wind came up from the E, possibly a land breeze. The VHF reports 5-10 Kt from the N changing to NE so we pulled up the anchor at 7:30. Or tried to pull it up. It was stuck! Hopefully not on a cable. I motored ahead just a little and the anchor came right up. Whew!!
With a 15 Kt E wind we sailed S at 5 Kt. It was foggy, overcast and cold. I am wearing socks, shoes, long pants, jacket, foul weather jacket, RPWC gloves, blue knit cap and it is still cold. A sailboat is headed S just ahead of us. At 9 AM the wind is a little lighter and we are doing 4.5-5 Kt. A W swell is left over from yesterday. Later a houseboat passes us also going S.
A really great sail S. Started with just the jib doing 5+Kt. When the wind
dropped we put up the main and continued doing 5 Kt. The wind varied a little
but we generally did 4.5 to 6 Kt. At marker #16 we had lunch and dropped the
sails and motored into the small chop to Indian Key. We anchored with 2 other
sailboats, 23’ and 40’ outfitted for cruising with bikes, wind generator, etc. A
really nice quiet deep big anchorage. We did 38.7 NM today.
Spent the night anchored at Gordon's pass - South Naples. (Where is that cable crossing?) Homes all around 50°F and 60°'s. Quiet spot. Still night.
We have been moving right along so we decide to slow down and spend another
day in this neat anchorage. It also means we can sleep late. The control cable
for the autopilot broke yesterday so I spent the morning removing it. We can’t
fix it but should be able to get a replacement in Marathon. After lunch we put
the motor on the dingy and went up the deep Russell Pass. Around the first curve
we saw a fin, just like in Jaws coming right for us. But it was a dolphin 50’ in
front of us fishing for his lunch. Around the next bend we saw 2 dolphin fishing
in a cove. We stopped and watched them for 10 minutes. We went around another
bend and there were 3 dolphins leaping completely out of the water. What a show.
Half way back we met up with a group of 3 dolphin and they followed the dingy
crossing within a foot of the bow. One came up just in front of us and turned on
his side as if to look back at us. It was thrilling and just a little scary.
They were as big as the dingy. We went to the boat and they continued into the
lagoon and swam around the other boats and into the channel where they jumped in
the wake of a passing tour boat from Everglade City. For supper we had steak on
the grill and French fries. We put up the screens and did not have any problems
but there were a lot of bugs outside. We put some of the leftover fat on a
string and hung it in the water after dark. Jill got a picture of a catfish
attacking it. In the morning it was almost all gone. Another quiet night with
some light rain.
Ten-Thousand Isles Anchorage. Boy. the dolphins! We took a dingy ride and saw 10 or more - got pictures! They were swimming and splashing all around us. It's 80°F today - sunny.
This day is titled "35.3 NM Cruise to Nowhere". The weather report was marginal but we left anyway. 2 other sailboats left at the same time for Little Shark River. The wind was 15 Kt SW and we beat into it and a N current. The wind and shallow waters created a short steep chop with many breaking waves. At 1 PM the wind increased and we were still 20 NM from Little Shark River after going only 12 NM from Indian Key so we called it quits and turned around. Going back N was a pleasure after the pounding we went thru the last 5 hours. Another boat "Southern Comfort" was just behind us when we turned around. They called us on the VHF and I told them our plans and they decided to turn around also. He said his wife has a bad back so the conditions must have been very uncomfortable for her. We were zipping along when I heard a distress call but the Ft. Myers CG could not hear them. 2 people in a tipped over canoe and a lady on shore calling for help. 6 of them left Everglade City 2 days ago with the canoe and 2 kayaks. We relayed the information to the CG. A motorboat came along and rescued the 2 in the water and the canoe. What a day. The next day a couple form another sailboat came by and said they meet the 6 people in Everglade City. Their motorized canoe had swamped in the high following sea.
We anchored in Russell Cut by the cove where we saw the dolphin yesterday. This seemed a more protected location than the original anchorage as the weather report was for strong winds the next day. The wind is already blowing harder and the sky is overcast.
We left this AM and only made 13 miles by 1:30 so we returned to our Indian Key and 10K Isles. Now we're further in
The wind continued strong from the SE and moved W on Friday as we waited for the front to go thru and expected N wind Sunday. We had 2 days of glorious relaxation. We needed at least 1 after Thursday. We put out the 2nd anchor in case of bad weather during the front but the wind never exceeded 20 Kt. and it did not rain although we hardly ever saw the sun. The anchor light failed, possible in the pounding we took Thursday so I put up the battery powered anchor light. We read books, played games and watched the wildlife. Several hawks would soar for hours above us.
We expected rain last night but got none. Using pics to combat "no-see-ums" :)
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