Pelican Bay to PGI Paradise—April 27

Out away from the city lights a rising full moon becomes a huge focal point in the dark night.  Bright orange, sending a path of shining diamonds on the water, it rose about 20 degrees on the horizon and then vanished behind a cloud layer.  Our first night in Pelican Bay was our last night on the water, peaceful with temperatures conducive to sleeping comfortably.  

Three hours to home we were anxious to catch the steady easterly 10 knot wind which would give us our final sailing fix for a while.

If you don’t get to go on a trip you have planned for six months and must return instead to home, what better place than to Charlotte Harbor.  In fact, as we glided through its water, we asked ourselves, “Why did we want to leave this place at all?”  A place where the sailing is amazing, the beauty of the harbor unspoiled and unmatched, maintained canals edged with immaculate landscapes and vessels of all shapes and sizes docked amidst a quiet harbor of like-minded boaters. It was good to be home, to our chosen family of Mariners and friends, to this PGI paradise. 

Didn’t mean to make this sound like an advertisement, but gosh it’s great here!!!

Coming soon a follow up…reflections…wrap up of our three week non-Bahamian cruise.  

 

 

 

Useppa Island anchorage to Pelican Bay—April 26, 2013

Last night the full moon peeped first in one hatch opening and then another creating its own light show in our berth as Aurora swayed in the gentle breeze.    

In no haste to enter the Pelican Bay anchorage until tide was in our favor and knowing this would be the shortest travel day of the whole trip, made it our most relaxed morning of the three weeks.  We’d heard tales that the anchorage was tricky to get into and last night had heard a call for Seatow to assist someone aground.  Our own chartplotter indicated it was extremely shallow which added to our trepidation, but using the way points and depth meter to guide us we found our way in with plenty of water and avoided bumping Aurora's keel on the bottom. 

Easily anchored by ten, we donned our tennis shoes and lowered the dinghy, anxious after 3 days aboard to stretch our legs and explore Cayo Costa State Park.  There are kayaks and bikes to rent or a free tram to take you to the beach a mile away, but we needed a walk, so walk we did.  First, we headed west to the white sand beach looking out on the Gulf, then northward to the tip of the island which overlooks Boca Grande Pass.  Meandering along the way we saw many plants in bloom, shore birds and live sand dollars at the water’s edge.  The winding trail back took us through hardwood forests, mangrove swamps, past an old cemetery, and eventually to the Ranger’s station for a total of 5 beautiful miles roundtrip on this unspoiled barrier island. 

Over the last two years we had often talked of crossing Charlotte Harbor to explore this island, and just never made it.  Now we feel blessed, that ironically missing the Bahamas trip gave us this opportunity to come here to this amazing place.  That’s so the way it is when cruising, when one door unexpectedly closes, often another totally unplanned opens.  Just expect the unexpected.

Naples to Useppa Island anchorage—April 24

It was another beautiful, calm day of motor sailing putting us under the Sanibel Bridge in Ft. Myers by 11:30.  Winds were light, but traffic heavy on the ICW’s miserable mile.  Our thoughts were to possibly get into Pelican Bay only a mile farther north this afternoon, but with a falling tide and our first attempt into the tricky anchorage there, we stuck with our original plan to put down the hook just off Useppa Island east of the ICW and Cabbage Key to wait for rising tide to enter the shallow bay in the morning. 

Looking forward to our first visit to Cayo Costa Island, walking the beach and exploring the trails of the State Park, but for now content with a 5 knot breeze blowing through the hatches, Simon and Garfunkel “Sounds of Silence” playing and only one day away from PGI.

Little Shark to Naples City Marina—April 24

Captain has said we need a new anchor, but after the way it held us in place again last night in 17-22 knot winds, I am more in favor of saving the several hundred dollars it would cost to replace and letting this one, having earned our confidence, to adorn the bow for a while longer.

Our trek to Naples from Little Shark was quite pleasant without strong winds or waves to plough through.  Arriving around 4:30 we wanted to anchor with Dottie and Mark on “Toots Sea” in Port Royal so picked our way through the shallow channel to “21” where we thought they were only to realize they were at “7.”  Not sure we could get into their anchorage with our deeper draft and the tide continuing to drop decided the Naples City Marina Mooring field was as close as retracing our path back.  We hailed the harbor master to see it a ball was available, and it was, but they would be closing at 5:00p.m. a few minutes before we arrived.  “No problem,” we responded and continued on to the fuel dock where they instructed we would need to pump out before mooring.  Without a lot of wind, docking unaided was pretty easy.  While we were there we deposited our trash, filled the tanks with water, pumped out the holding tanks and washed salt-encrusted Aurora clean.  In the meantime, Fritz and I went ashore to do his business and with the binoculars spotted our mooring “A” ball in the harbor.  When we returned Dennis was ready to push off, leaving behind what had begun as a mistake turned into the very best deal of the whole trip, and for only $10.

Only eight blocks from downtown, we could have dinghyed in, walked to the bustling and popular 5^th Ave., but instead fixed dinner on the boat and watched the full moon rising above the beautiful Naples Harbor skyline.  

 

Marathon to Little Shark—April 23

 Saying good bye to Boot Key Harbor, rested and ready to move on, we dropped the mooring line from Aurora’ bow and slid under the Seven Mile Bridge as the sun was climbing above the horizon on Tuesday morning.  Northeast winds at 22knots made reefing the sails and continually adjusting necessary during the morning, then afternoon the winds slacked to 15 knots and made for a nice motor sail. 

Marking our way points for the anchorage just south of Little Shark the last time through made it easy to navigate right back to the same spot which had protected us from the strong easterly.  Other sail boats passed us and went closer to the river’s entrance and we wondered at the time why they wanted to be closer to the northern point of land.  A slight breeze, 5 knots or so around sunset kept the bugs at bay and made the cabin cool without running the generator and air conditioning.  This is going to be a great night’s sleep.   At about 10:00 p.m. it became obvious why it would have been great to be by a land mass blocking the northerly breeze.  First the winds came out of the south turning us completely around, then settled on a northerly direction at around 17 gusting to 20 knots, and our bumpy ride began.   And as always the question, “Will our anchor hold in these winds?”  Well it did in the 70mph winds in the storm of Atlantic City, so why not tonight.  Dennis was comfortable and confident enough to go on to bed, but I read, wrote and checked our location by ascending the steps from cabin to deck about 5 times to make sure the moon, anchor lights to the north and south were still in the same places and not slipping into different positions on the horizon.  Around midnight when the winds finally subsided I was able to climb into our berth for a shortened but very restful night’s sleep.

Last day in Marathon, Boot Key Harbor

Gamblers we’re not, and given our recent run in with lightning, we folded when it came to 75% chance of thunderstorms today in the Florida Bay, the first leg of our route from the Keys to PGI.  Instead we relaxed, did a little laundry and basically enjoyed having the time to do nothing.  Tomorrow Little Shark will be our anchorage and the next Marco Island.  For the next two days we lose our internet and phone capabilities, but will be back in touch by Wednesday evening.

Anybody have ideas on how to use up a month’s provisions so as not to have to tote them from the boat back into the house?  That’s a downside of not going to the Bahamas, but the good thing is we shouldn’t need to do much grocery shopping until June when we were scheduled to return home.  

In thinking about up and down sides to our shortened cruise we came up with a list.  

Downs—left over provisions, destroyed electronics, disappointment of not spending time with friends in the Bahamas, shortened vacation time.
Ups—no grocery shopping for a month, new electronics, more time with friends at home and cruises around Punta Gorda, savings in fuel and marinas.

Cruising is a lot like life, in every situation there’s a lot to be learned.

 

Rodriguez Key to Marathon  April 20-21

When at anchor a light at the top of the mast is required and essential to signal the position of your vessel to other boaters.  Without it you become an unseen hazard to approaching cruisers.  Of all the equipment at the top of Aurora’s mast, the lone survivor was that fragile electrical bulb which endured to shine brightly for us another night.  It’s not an LED which would use much less battery power and previously had been the center of discussion to be replaced, but now believe with its storm resilience it deserves to remain shining brightly atop the mast for the rest of its lumen lifetime.

Over the last few days after talking with other cruisers, reading about strikes in Florida, “Lightning Capital of the World,” and contemplating our misfortune, we've come to realize how extremely fortunate we were to have sustained so little damage.  Don’t want to even think or talk about the physical injuries that can result, but in discussions with just a few who have related their stories of devastating strikes, the range has been from fires engulfing the entire boat to total obliteration of every single instrument  aboard.  Then the time table for repairs has been anywhere from 6 months to a year.  I’m sure Aurora’s captain had no idea when he was struggling through those engineering classes years ago that it would be such a blessing for us today.  Along with those blessings have come a much greater empathy for those who say, “We were just struck by lightning,” and what they must endure before they can again confidently be back on the water.

Friday’s run from Rodriguez to Marathon was uneventful with light SW winds on the nose and a light chop on the aquamarine water.  “Toots Sea” who had anchored with us in both No Name Harbor and Rodriguez Key called to invite us to Porky’s Barbecue for dinner and after having cooked aboard for the last 6 days, gladly accepted.  Over good food, with much wine and beer, we got acquainted with Dottie and Mark from Burnt Store Isles.  Ironically we have mutual PGI friends and after talking realized they had also taken the same Bahama Bound class as us in January.  It was fun to hear stories from their month-long Exumas’ trip.  It may work out, after storms pass tomorrow and weather improves, for Aurora and Toots Sea to head north together on Tuesday.  Until then we will stay blessed and safely moored here in Boot Key Harbor with our 100+ neighborhood of cruisers.