Day 8     Wed., April 18, 2018    Naples to Little Shark River Anchorage, Everglades

Our Cruising day routine

·         Up at 5:00

·         Coffee

·         Sunscreen

·         Water bottles filled; Drink 2-3, 20oz. per day to stay hydrated

·         Secure cabin; All doors and cabinets locked, and all loose articles secured

·         Electronics powered up; Radio, Chart plotter, radar, wind instruments, depth, autopilot

·          Fenders removed/stored

·         Captain’s seat in place

·         Life jackets, hat and sunglasses

·         Start engine

·         Remove 5 dock lines

·         Push off from dock

With 66 miles to go before we sleep, leaving the Naples docks at 6:30 was a necessity.  Everyone made sure their fuel and water tanks were topped off and ready to go on Tuesday.  Getting away from the docks can be difficult in winds, but there was none, allowing all of us to depart without incident.

Into the Gulf at 7:00 then locked on a heading to first skirt around Ramono Shoals with the ETA to Little Shark 4:30.  A light wind from the East filled our head sail for a short time, but when it shifted more south, or “on the nose,” as Dennis says, our sailing became just motoring.

 

Its days like this that makes us wonder why we live on land.  Clear sunny skies, 80 degree fresh salt air, aqua green water, dolphins, pelicans, even a turtle graced our journey.  And with no cell service, plenty of time to read, reflect, write, exercise and pray. 

With winds increasing from the southwest the decision was made by Captain Dennis to go into the anchorage instead of anchoring offshore.  Being first into anchorage allowed us to choose anywhere to drop the hook.  First a shallow spot, then deeper water, but when the tide dropped another 3ft., and was to predicted to drop another 1½ ft. we pulled up the 55lb. Rocna and found even deeper water.  Terrible mosquitoes and flies frequent the popular stopover, but our overnight stay was bug-free.  By sunset there were 9 boats of various sizes tucked into the protected water.

Although Naples was nice, it was much nicer to finally be on the water again, ending our day in the remote anchorage blissfully quiet after the busy noise of the city.

Nautical Miles traveled:  66 miles