January 15-26 Cayo Costa and Ft. Meyers Beach

Sunset anchored near Alligator Creek

We dallied around until about noon today before getting the tow line on the dinghy and lifting the anchor.  Mary found a number of little crabs on the anchor and chain that seemed to enjoy being on the deck so we left them alone.  Besides they weren't all that keen on being moved anyway.

We weren't in a crowded anchorage

From where we are anchored near Alligator Creek, it was 18 miles to Cayo Costa State Park and the anchorage there, Pelican Bay.  Cloudy, and rather cool but for a 20 minute spell the sun did make an appearance and it suddenly became  really warm.  Didn't last long though.

I had loaded up an old track of ours when we had anchored here last year because the entrance can be a bit shallow.  The recommended method to enter the anchorage is to run a bearing line from red buoy #74 to sign indicating the area is a slow no wake zone.  Then you make a slight turn and run parallel to the shore for a few hundred yards before turning into the larger bay.  I followed that track and was happy to see a tour boat was pretty much following the same route we were going to take.

We spotted a tour boat leaving the anchorage area so I idled outside the channel for a few minutes so he could leave without us crowding the area of deep water.  Its narrow in there so I figured I'd be graciou and let him leave.  Of course it wasn't all altruistic.   I wanted to observe his course out so I could follow hist track back in.  I figured he knew where the deep water existed.  And I've never seen a tour boat go aground.

Entering Cayo Costa anchorage

And so in we went following what I hoped was the tour boat's course.  And we found 6 feet was the lowest depth we encountered.

Anchored!

There was a large catamaran anchored almost right where we were last year so I went in a little further, dropped the anchor  and we were secured in a few minutes. 

Tinkering with the radar

While Mary went below to nap I took apart the fly bridge radar and cleaned out all the electrical contacts.  Its been acting flaky of late and that’s usually an electrical issue since the radars are known for being very reliable.  We’ll see.

Did a few other minor chores and then sat down and read for a bit.  Seems we are grilling tonight.  Its cool, near 60 and will dip into the 50’s tonight and tomorrow night.  Luckily we have plenty of blankets and a marginal supply of rum on board so we should be fine.  Heck, we could be up north where 50 is considered a searing hot day!

Discovered, after much fiddling around, that the the flybridge radar is kaput.  No power and following the troubleshooting guide it appears to be a system board component.  So looks like we’re down to only one radar.  The parts for these old radars is pretty much non-existent.  Oh well.

Crowded dock so we had to ti up at the end

We finally took the dinghy into shore today.  It was a rather bouncy night, the anchorage being open to the north winds and just to help matters, the Peace river offers a long, long fetch for the swells to build.  I did see we could have gone deeper into the anchorage but I think it would have been marginally less bouncy.  There is a little cove we could have gone into as well but its full from what I can see and the entrance is tricky.  Since the weather is supposed to be moderating anyway we decided to just stay put.

The long road to the beach

Cayo Costa State Park charges $2 per person per day.  So we paid, and Mary hit the camp store before we headed off to the beach ¾ of  mile away.  Half way there the volunteer who drives a trucked towed people mover (truck towing a large cart with benches) pulled up to see if we wanted a ride.  Mary I went, I walked.  I got to the beach and headed to the point a few miles up the coast while Mary headed in the other direction to poke at shells.

We met back at the beach entrance path which, I should add is unmarked and easy passed by if your not careful.  We starting walking back to the docks where we left the dinghy and ran into Randy and Vicki, old cruising friends of ours who had been at the Gold Looper Rendezvous in Ft. Meyers.   They had just come into the the anchorage and were taking their dog, Heidi for a little stroll.  We talked for a while and were going to have a few drinks with them later but ended up just staying on board.

The Cayo Costa beach

Even though we were in the area, we elected not to attend the Gold Looper Rendezvous.  Now though seeing how many people we knew who had attended we probably should have gone.

This morning, well this afternoon actually, we went into shore and took a trail towards what we thought was a small alligator infested lagoon but turned out to be a private road to private homes.  It was a surprise, but there are 12 private homes in the islands interior.  Seems the state is selling the property.  And we noticed two private realtor signs.

And we found out there is a little basin where these folks keep their boats, Sellers Canal.  We tried to get in there but ended up in the shallows and couldn’t see a way through the mud flats.  That is until I actually looked at a chart and sure enough there is a narrow two foot contour line very near to shore which is the route around this point and into an area where Sellers Canal is located.  Tomorrow. 

Another day at the beach

Today we had to be content with the beach and a ride into this little pool off the main anchorage.  If the water were warm it becomes a Manatee hangout.  Now though (the water temps are 70) they've all moved to warmer waters near power plants or warm springs up the rivers.

Exploring in the dinghy

We took the dinghy out into Charlotte Harbor and then over to Gasparilla Island and then just came back.  It wasn't rough, but it wasn't warm either so with Mary bundled up like an eskimo, we just headed back across the inlet back into Pelican Bay to the boat.   Pelican Bay is the by along side Cayo Costa State Park.

Did you know Gasparilla Island is named after Jose` Gaspar and there is a major festival, the Gasparilla Pirate Festival held in Tampa.   And there is also Gasparilla Sound which runs into Charlotte Harbor.  The Peace River flows into the sound.  Here's a map.

 It was a beautiful evening.  Calm, mostly warm while the sun was still out, and plenty of boats.  In fact I'd guess 20 boats came into today.

20 boats in the anchorage and only we hung a banner!

Today is Game day.  But first we embarked on a dinghy voyage of discovery and we went off in search of a route into this little cove where I’ve seen any number of large boats go in there.  It took a few tries but I finally found a way in.  Curving around three shallow areas we made it in easily.  Next time we anchor here that’s where we’ll stay since its much more protected.

Unsurprisingly, we met several other fans strutting around the island

After, we headed into shore and Mary talked with the ranger for awhile and came away with a few shells.  We walked down by the camping area and saw a number of camping families there.  The camping facilities are bare bones.  Bathrooms, and showers are spartan to say the least.  And no electricity.  Water is located by the bathrooms and you have to carry it back to the campsites.

We walked back and I got Mary to the boat in time so that we could do a recovering job on one of the dinghy seat backs.  And then of course the beginning of the Game!

Attitude Changer on the right

I went back to shore to walk the beach while Mary vented at the TV.  And as I reached the dock I saw a boat we knew about, Attitude Changer  with Ross and Barbara .  We met them in Marathon last year and rode the bus to Key West with them. 

We had a nice catch up talk before I left the docks for the beach.  As I approached the beach, I ran into another group of Loopers .  We stopped and talked a bit and exchanged stories of Waterford, NY where we were stranded for 6 weeks last year.  Small world!

It was getting dark so I could only enjoy an abbreviated beach walk.  I made it back to the dock and savored the calm quiet scene.  Placid water, calm winds and a sunset rivaling any I've seen before.   And suddenly, the serenity of a near silent anchorage erupted in muffled, but a clearly audible string of obscenities.  Recognizing the voice, I realized the game seemed to have taken a turn for the worse.

Yes, they (thats the Packers if you couldn't guess) lost.  Ouch.

Next morning of the 20 or so boats in the anchorage, 15 left around the same time.  We were the 16^th leaving around 10am on  rising tide.  Much easier to navigate out of here on a rising tide.

We made our way down the ICW and had a momentary issue because I had initially laid in a route taking us under the 26 foot section of the Sanibel Causeway Bridge.  I would have had to take two antenna’s down which is a pain.  So we switched and went through the standard channel which is a mile or so longer but no bridges.

Entering Ft. Myers

We pulled into Fort Myers Beach and wandered around the mooring field after being told we would be on ball 59.  Well, it was way off in the distance, about 3/4 of a mile on the east end.   The numbers on the mooring balls were difficult to read and we initially hooked up to ball #58.    A boater behind us warned that ball #58 was intended for only 35 foot vessels.    Dang!  We made a perfect pick up of the pendant (the rope attached to the mooring ball which is brought up and attached to the boat) and had the boat secured in about a minute.

Approaching ball #59

Ball #59 was one over so we moved and unlike the smooth operation snagging ball #58, this one took us several tries including having to untangle a line wrapped around a Stanchion and then rigging another, additional line because we got one tangled on the handrail rail.  I’m sure it was an entertaining sight but we finally managed to sort it all out and got both a port and starboard lines on the pendant forming a bridle.  Yeah!

We hopped in the dinghy and went into the Matanzas Hotel where the mooring field office is located.  The city owns the mooring field but contracts with the Matanzas Hotel to manage the operation of it.  Paid for the mooring, and walked to another bar next door for dinner. 

The dinghy dock.  Crowded so again we end up on the end

It was cold but we ate outside.  We were warned to lock up our dinghy because there have been reported thefts here.  And we also found out there are restaurants with docks near both the CVS and Publix.  The stores are 2 and 4 miles away if we walked there.  So I was thinking we'd just tie the dinghy at the restaurant docks and head to the store.

We're way beyond the big sailing ship right-center

So back to the boat and a chilly night.

Next morning we were off to the Publix for a shopping run.  We took the dinghy down the channel a few miles and arrived at Snook Bight Marina where we tied up at the dock reserved for restaurant guests.  The restaurant, Bayfront Bistro is a fancy place.  Being naive I suppose, I told the dock hand we were going to eat there and then shop and he said no issue.  So we went up and were seated.  White table clothes.  Its been awhile since we've eaten in such a fine establishment.  We had a drink and a some hor d'oeuvres and then left for the Publix.

We stocked up since it was just across the parking lot.  But we only stocked up a little.  The prices in there were astonishing.  Some items were more than a dollar greater than the Publix in Ft. Meyers.

We hauled it all back to the dinghy and since we were coming back this way again I passed on filling up the dinghy.  We managed to get all the groceries up out of the dinghy and into the boat.  By then it was late so we just stayed aboard.

I was getting a little concerned about the boat swinging into one of the day marks along the channel bounding the mooring field.  We would swing with the current and miss the post by 6 feet.  And that was after I pulled the pendant up to one of the bow cleats and attached it directly instead of using one of our lines.  But it looked ok as long as we kept the line taught.

Fish House Restaurant

Next morning we panned to be on the way to CVS by 8.  And so at 9:30 we left the boat and dinghied our way 4.5 miles down the Matanzas channel to The Fish House Restaurant where we tied up to the restaurant docks.  And once again I felt a trifle guilty and ordered coffee while Mary walked to the CVS a block away.  I joined her after 20 minutes and found her still standing in the pickup prescription line.

After several more minutes she found me reading a guitar magazine. All the chairs were occupied and what else was there to do but read magazines.  They had the prescription right there but couldn't give it to her because they hadn't prepared it yet.  Another hour it would take so we thought screw it but relented and told them we'd wait.  They said in 30 minutes it would be ready.  So we tried to check out with al the other stuff we bought (beach chairs, beach umbrella stack etc.) but even that took 15 minutes due to the large numbers of people, some of which were a bit, well slow.  Of course when we checked out we swiped Marys debit card and put in my pin number which caused the whole transaction to fail so they had to re-scan everything.  Yes, we got those, "you slow, old people" looks.

We went back to the marina/restaurant and hung around drinking coffee and called the Clay County tax office to get some clarification on registering our other dinghy.  Yes we have two. The second, smaller one was meant to ferry dogs to the beach.  Now that we have a motor for it it must be registered.  And that of course means fees and paperwork.  ugh ...

As for the dog, well after the Bahamas.

Once we had all the registration info we went back to CVS and got in and out in five minutes.  Before, we had evidently hit the busy time when we first arrived.

We went back to the boat stopping to fuel up at the marina near the "Publix". and then got back to our boat and packed it up with beach paraphernalia.  We were headed over Sanibel Island to see Dave and Kathy, Susan, Aunt Laura, and Mark and Amy.  And Colin, Kathy and Dave's grandson.

We had to traverse a long, channel in order to get out into the Gulf.   And it was, for the most part, a slow speed zone except for a short 1/2 segment.  So instead of zipping right out into the Gulf, we had to putter along the shore for 30 minutes.  Once out there though it was a quick  ride to the beaches of Sanibel where we anchored the dinghy in front of their condo and had a little beach party.

I took Colin and Susan out for a short dinghy spin.  Even got Colin to drive as we returned to the beach.

Sanibel Beach Party

We had to decline the offer for dinner, wanting to get back before the evening winds kicked up the swell on the Gulf.  So we left around 5ish.

Got back to the boat and grilled chicken.

Next morning as is our normal routine, I run the generator for a few hours to re-charge the battery bank.  Lately though it been acting a little funky only putting out 90 volts for several minutes.  It's supposed to be 120 volts.   So I called a tech place and made arrangements for them to check it out when we're in Ft. Meyers next week.

Dont recall boats like this around Oconomowoc

We decided to hang out on the Fort Meyers Beach.  So we again packed the dinghy and headed out taking 30 minutes to get into the Gulf.   On the way during our slow ride along the shore,  we noticed a large yacht, No Vacancy.  With a home port of Oconomowoc!  Weird.

We ran along the beach for a few miles, past the pier and pulled into the beach where the crowds of beach goers wasn't so oppressive.  There are a lot of people down here!   We deployed the anchor and set up our little beach area complete with umbrella, and two beach chairs (new from CVS!).  We read, and took a few walks, one back to the pier and then DQ there for ice cream.

Our little beach spot

Around 4pm the sun was getting low so we reversed the unloading process and took off down the beach to the inlet and into the Matanzas channel to the boat.  Great sunset!

We finally got the small dinghy registration form filled out and I went back to shore to mail it.  On the way though I went by this other boat we knew we saw somewhere and since the owner was aboard I stopped and talked with him for a few minutes.  Turns out he was from Oconto, Wisconsin and Hi Seas Marina where we had kept a boat for a few years.  He even knew Pat and Ernie who owned the marina back when we were there.   A rapidly shrinking world at least for us.

I eventually made it to shore and mailed the letter before returning to the boat.   Mary made some stir fry and we ate, ran the generator and went to bed.  Terribly exciting night life we have..

Next morning we went  into shore to do laundry.  Ironically we met the couple from Oconto there along with another Oconto couple.  We spent awhile reminiscing!  Also had a conversation with Buluga, a sailboat couple Russ and Kathy.  Fun People.   We spent several hour doing laundry, giving us time for a walk and a stop at the local hardware store where I didn't buy any hardware but Mary bought a tootsie pop.

We eventually made it back to the laundry and decided to just eat at the Matanzas.  Ok, food but its right on the water so you pay for the ambiance I guess.

During the night the weather, as predicated, got worse.  Clouds, a few rain showers and escalating winds out of the north west.  Luckily we had shortened up our attachment to the mooring ball pendant because I noticed when we swung with the tides we were within 6 feet of one of the daymark along the north channel.  And with these northwest winds, we'd have banged the darn day mark for sure.

The morning saw winds in excess of 25 mph so the waves here were particularly boisterous.  The wind was blowing from the northwest while the tidal currents were in opposition.  Lots of swell and confused seas.  But we took the dinghy down to the marina near the publix anyway.  It was fine going there, not so much on the return trip.  Very wet ride back to the boat.  We were soaked.  So were the groceries.

Loaded and ready to take Dave and Kathy back to the boat

After we returned and off loaded the groceries, I went in to shore to get Dave and Kathy, but the dinghy dock was full as usual.  Worse though, were the rough conditions, a consequence of the high winds and opposing current.  There was no way we could have loaded the dinghy there.  So I had to sacrifice and pull next door to the Matanzas restaurant /bar and sip a few drinks waiting for them to show up.  Had a pleasant conversation  with a couple from Arkansas who were reluctantly heading back home the next day.  And yes, the restaurant is quite insistent that you aren't allowed tie up to their protected dock unless your spending money in the restaurant.  

  

Perfect.  Overnight parking and a liquor store

Dave and Kathy showed up soon after and we had a drink before loading up the dinghy.   Dave took  his car to a  parking lot where it could be left overnight.    We bounced our way back to the boat where Mary was making taco salad.  We had a few drinks, ate and watched a little TV while the generator was running.  Should be a cool tonight as the winds die down so it'll be a good evening. 

Dave and Kathy.

Tomorrow morning we leave for Ft. Meyers to meet the generator repair man.   Aren't you lucky Dave and Kathy.  Generator repair experiences are a rarity! :-)