November 28, 2012
We are currently moored at Coconut Grove Sailing Club in Miami. This is a great place at which we stayed earlier in the year. They have a limited number of transient moorings and we are not sure if we are going to be able to stay longer; we will find out today. If not, we will move to the less protected and less convenient Dinner Key mooring field. Hope we get to stay.
On Saturday we left Marco Island on the west coast of Florida and made the lonely trip down to Little Shark River. This is a very desolate, but interesting area. We wished that we could have stayed there a day or two, but we were racing a cold front to Miami so we needed to move on.
Sunday had us traveling down off of Cape Sable to Marathon in the Keys. This stretch has an incredible number of stone crab traps. Sometimes it seems as though you have no way out of them! Although our hull and rudder configuration makes us less susceptible than many boats, we must avoid the traps or risk tangling the lines in our prop. This would necessitate a dive to attempt to cut the line which tends to wrap tightly around the shaft. After a stressful trip we anchored in Marathon just outside Boot Key Harbor.
Monday had us motor-sailing up the Hawk Channel against a wind on the bow. Numerous crab traps, but nothing like off Cape Sable the day before thankfully. We anchored at Rodriguez Key that night where we were not well protected from the east - southeast winds, but thankfully they were light overnight.
Tuesday had us sailing up the remainder of the Hawk Channel under sail. The wind was 10-18 knots and we were on a close to beam reach. It was one of the best sails in recent memory! We made great time.
Just a word about the Hawk Channel. It is a broad area of water between the barrier reefs and mainland stretching from Miami to Key West. It is defined by widely separated markers that show where shoal water exists. It is protected on the Atlantic side by only the reefs and can get pretty lively in bad weather. Today was gorgeous!
After transiting the Biscayne Bay Channel and crossing the bay, we called Coconut Grove Sailing Club on the radio. It is a great place, but they have a limited number of moorings that are not used permanently by members and they do not take reservations. So you never know if you will get in. As I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, we had a mooring for last night, but we will find out if we can stay longer today.
After 4 long travel days we are ready for a little R&R in Coconut Grove. Next week we will be traveling back to Bradenton, by car, to attend a friends' wedding. Then we will be looking for a 'weather window' to cross to the Bahamas.
Tom
Coconut Grove Sailing Club
Miami, FL
Map - Cruise 2012-13
PS An addition to the 'Only in Miami' file. Last evening I was out on the foredeck when I noticed some people taking pictutes across the channel at Dinner Key Marina of what I thought was a young girl in a white skirt. After several poses including climbing up and leaning over the fence rails like a model might do at a photo shoot, I was very surprised when the 'girl' jumped down from the fence and started to walk around on all fours. After I shook my head a couple of times I finally realized that it was a dog (like a golden retriver) wearing something that looked like a skirt and posing for the pictures. It was a photo shoot, but for what I have no idea. As I said - only in Miami!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Little Shark River
November 25, 2012
We are currently anchored in Little Shark River near the southwest tip of the Florida peninsula. Very little wind yesterday so the trip down from Marco Island was motoring. Very desolate waters - in the 35 miles after rounding Cape Romano shoals we did not see a single boat. We are sharing the river with one other vessel.
Today we head down to Marathon. We expect many crab pots on this leg requiring a sharp lookout.
It is notable that this post was done by satellite email - no cell coverage here.
Tom
Anchored in Little Shark River
We are currently anchored in Little Shark River near the southwest tip of the Florida peninsula. Very little wind yesterday so the trip down from Marco Island was motoring. Very desolate waters - in the 35 miles after rounding Cape Romano shoals we did not see a single boat. We are sharing the river with one other vessel.
Today we head down to Marathon. We expect many crab pots on this leg requiring a sharp lookout.
It is notable that this post was done by satellite email - no cell coverage here.
Tom
Anchored in Little Shark River
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Marco Island - Thanksgiving
November 22, 2012
As planned, we are at Marco Island for Thanksgiving.
We have a reservation for Thanksgiving dinner at Marek's Restaurant which is about a 1/2 mile from the marina. We made the reservation without a lot of information and have since learned that it is quite a fancy (and expensive) place. We have decided to still go - we have not dined out much this month, so the 'budget' should support it (we hope). I just hope we 'meet their standards' and they let us in.
This has been a busy week getting a number of things done, most importantly a new water heater. After finding that the 11 gallon replacement I had ordered would not fit, we were lucky that a 6 gallon unit could be shippped in quickly. The installation went fairly smoothly. The boat yard was able to return the unit we could not use, with only a small restocking fee. Kudos to Rose Marina for a job well done!
Yesterday afternoon was our first day to really enjoy Marco. Sipping coffee at an outside table at Starbucks overlooking the fountain at the Esplanade was very nice.
Tom
P. S. By the time we left for dinner, Tom had me nervous that we were not going to be allowed into the restaurant. One website described it as being dressy, for special occassions, and we have no clothes on the boat that would fit the description. We both dressed in some of our best clothes (Tom even wore socks), and we were greeted warmly upon arrival. Although we were not the best-dressed people there, we were in about the 50th percentile of casual/formal. We keep forgetting that we are in Florida; even Marco Island is quite casual compared to the north.
And, we are not washing dishes because we couldn't pay the bill, so that is a real plus. The meal was good, but I would have preferred Plainville Farms (may it rest in peace). The chef has cooked for the Queen, when he and his wife lived in England, and the building was the former home of one of the founders of Marco. All-in-all it was a very pleasant experience, although we missed family and friends.
Next door to the marina is a vacant lot in a very nice neighborhood of large houses. After investigating, Tom found that there is a burrowing owl nest. This is an endangered species, and cannot be disturbed. We had to feel sorry for whoever owns the property, because the value is greatly diminished if no building is allowed. As we were coming back from dinner, a little owl was sticking up out of its burrow. We were about ten feet away from him, and he was such an adorable guy; we felt so fortunate to see this rare sight. Tom is hoping to take a picture of him with his good camera: his phone camera just doesn't do the little guy justice.
Joyce
Docked at Rose Marina
Marco Island
Collier County, FL
Map 2012-13 Cruise
As planned, we are at Marco Island for Thanksgiving.
We have a reservation for Thanksgiving dinner at Marek's Restaurant which is about a 1/2 mile from the marina. We made the reservation without a lot of information and have since learned that it is quite a fancy (and expensive) place. We have decided to still go - we have not dined out much this month, so the 'budget' should support it (we hope). I just hope we 'meet their standards' and they let us in.
This has been a busy week getting a number of things done, most importantly a new water heater. After finding that the 11 gallon replacement I had ordered would not fit, we were lucky that a 6 gallon unit could be shippped in quickly. The installation went fairly smoothly. The boat yard was able to return the unit we could not use, with only a small restocking fee. Kudos to Rose Marina for a job well done!
Yesterday afternoon was our first day to really enjoy Marco. Sipping coffee at an outside table at Starbucks overlooking the fountain at the Esplanade was very nice.
Tom
P. S. By the time we left for dinner, Tom had me nervous that we were not going to be allowed into the restaurant. One website described it as being dressy, for special occassions, and we have no clothes on the boat that would fit the description. We both dressed in some of our best clothes (Tom even wore socks), and we were greeted warmly upon arrival. Although we were not the best-dressed people there, we were in about the 50th percentile of casual/formal. We keep forgetting that we are in Florida; even Marco Island is quite casual compared to the north.
And, we are not washing dishes because we couldn't pay the bill, so that is a real plus. The meal was good, but I would have preferred Plainville Farms (may it rest in peace). The chef has cooked for the Queen, when he and his wife lived in England, and the building was the former home of one of the founders of Marco. All-in-all it was a very pleasant experience, although we missed family and friends.
Next door to the marina is a vacant lot in a very nice neighborhood of large houses. After investigating, Tom found that there is a burrowing owl nest. This is an endangered species, and cannot be disturbed. We had to feel sorry for whoever owns the property, because the value is greatly diminished if no building is allowed. As we were coming back from dinner, a little owl was sticking up out of its burrow. We were about ten feet away from him, and he was such an adorable guy; we felt so fortunate to see this rare sight. Tom is hoping to take a picture of him with his good camera: his phone camera just doesn't do the little guy justice.
Joyce
Docked at Rose Marina
Marco Island
Collier County, FL
Map 2012-13 Cruise
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Marco Island
November 18, 2012
We are currently docked at Rose Marina in Marco Island after being at anchor for 2 1/2 weeks.
We had a great sail down from near Fort Meyers! One of the elusive beam reach sails with 15-18 knot winds all the way. A beam reach is where the wind is coming towards the side of the boat. It is the fastest and most comfortable point of sail.
Rose Marina is not the fanciest (or most expensive) marina in the area, but they are very nice to us here and we enjoyed our stay last year. As is our 'speciality', it is a relatively inexpensive entry to an exclusive community.
The agenda for the next few days is to wash clothes, clean the boat, and hopefully get our water heater replaced. Another benefit of Rose Marina is that they are a full service boat yard.
We have reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at what looks like a very nice place about a 1/2 mile away from the marina. Friday will feature a trip to Publixs to restock our fresh provisions which are pretty scare right now.
We plan to leave here on Saturday or Sunday and continue down the coast to Little Shark River.
Tom
Docked at Rose Marina
Factory Bay
Marco Island, FL
Map 2012-13 Cruise
We are currently docked at Rose Marina in Marco Island after being at anchor for 2 1/2 weeks.
We had a great sail down from near Fort Meyers! One of the elusive beam reach sails with 15-18 knot winds all the way. A beam reach is where the wind is coming towards the side of the boat. It is the fastest and most comfortable point of sail.
Rose Marina is not the fanciest (or most expensive) marina in the area, but they are very nice to us here and we enjoyed our stay last year. As is our 'speciality', it is a relatively inexpensive entry to an exclusive community.
The agenda for the next few days is to wash clothes, clean the boat, and hopefully get our water heater replaced. Another benefit of Rose Marina is that they are a full service boat yard.
We have reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at what looks like a very nice place about a 1/2 mile away from the marina. Friday will feature a trip to Publixs to restock our fresh provisions which are pretty scare right now.
We plan to leave here on Saturday or Sunday and continue down the coast to Little Shark River.
Tom
Docked at Rose Marina
Factory Bay
Marco Island, FL
Map 2012-13 Cruise
Friday, November 16, 2012
Headed to Marco I - Anchored at York I
November 16, 2012
This morning we left Pelican Bay to start heading down to Marco Island. Pelican Bay is one of our favorite anchorages and it is always a bit sad to leave.
Currently we are anchored off York Island in the southern part of Pine Island Sound. We had hoped to anchor in 'Horseshoe Bay', another favorite anchorage near Ding Darling Preserve on Sanibel Island, but the wind would have put us on a lee shore (wind blowing towards shore) there, so we headed over to York Island for better protection.
We had planned to be in Marco for Thanksgiving, but are heading down a little early after discovering a small leak in our water heater. The water heater is about 18 years old, and it is almost certain that the small leak will grow larger fairly quickly, so we hope to replace it at Rose Marina in Marco. 18 years is a great service life for a water heater, so we are just glad we discovered the leak before we headed to the Bahamas. It had crossed my mind to replace the water heater proactively, before it began to leak, but you never want for things to fix on a boat so it never rose to the top of the list.
Tomorrow we will head a little south (Punta Rassa) to stage for an early morning departure for Marco on Sunday. The weather is forecast to be a bit frisky (14-19 knots) on Sunday, but from a favorable direction, so we should have a good sail down.
Tom
Anchored at York Island
Lee County, FL
Map - Cruise 2012-13
This morning we left Pelican Bay to start heading down to Marco Island. Pelican Bay is one of our favorite anchorages and it is always a bit sad to leave.
Currently we are anchored off York Island in the southern part of Pine Island Sound. We had hoped to anchor in 'Horseshoe Bay', another favorite anchorage near Ding Darling Preserve on Sanibel Island, but the wind would have put us on a lee shore (wind blowing towards shore) there, so we headed over to York Island for better protection.
We had planned to be in Marco for Thanksgiving, but are heading down a little early after discovering a small leak in our water heater. The water heater is about 18 years old, and it is almost certain that the small leak will grow larger fairly quickly, so we hope to replace it at Rose Marina in Marco. 18 years is a great service life for a water heater, so we are just glad we discovered the leak before we headed to the Bahamas. It had crossed my mind to replace the water heater proactively, before it began to leak, but you never want for things to fix on a boat so it never rose to the top of the list.
Tomorrow we will head a little south (Punta Rassa) to stage for an early morning departure for Marco on Sunday. The weather is forecast to be a bit frisky (14-19 knots) on Sunday, but from a favorable direction, so we should have a good sail down.
Tom
Anchored at York Island
Lee County, FL
Map - Cruise 2012-13
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Cayo Costa - Indigenous Plants
November 14, 2012
Alert - probably a fairly boring blog entry to most :-)
Cayo Costa Island has been managed to have only plants native/indigenous to Florida. Being a sub-tropical climate, the variety of plants is impressive. The tropics do not suffer empty space for long - plants grow quickly and large.
The plants do need to be adapted to the two-season climate - a wet season where it rains nearly every day, and a dry season where rain is sparse.
Following is a collection of photos of Florida plants, as found on Cayo Costa. Some obvious species are identified - many are not.
Trees
Three common native trees are the cabbage palm - named for the edible content deep in the trunk, long-leaf pines, and live oaks, an extremely strong wood used in early ship building.
Shrubs, Vines, Flowers, and Berries
Some examples of the rich variety of tropical plants:
Sorry that more of the plants are not identified. We have a National Audubon Field Guide to Florida, but it is so detailed that if you don't know what you are looking for - you probably won't find it.
PS Additional identification provided by Ranger Mary of Florida Parks - thank you Mary!
Tom
Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island
Lee County, Florida
Map 2012-2013 Cruise
Alert - probably a fairly boring blog entry to most :-)
Cayo Costa Island has been managed to have only plants native/indigenous to Florida. Being a sub-tropical climate, the variety of plants is impressive. The tropics do not suffer empty space for long - plants grow quickly and large.
The plants do need to be adapted to the two-season climate - a wet season where it rains nearly every day, and a dry season where rain is sparse.
Following is a collection of photos of Florida plants, as found on Cayo Costa. Some obvious species are identified - many are not.
Trees
Three common native trees are the cabbage palm - named for the edible content deep in the trunk, long-leaf pines, and live oaks, an extremely strong wood used in early ship building.
 |
| Cabbage Palm |
 |
| Long Leaf Pine |
 |
| Live Oak with Spanish Moss |
Shrubs, Vines, Flowers, and Berries
Some examples of the rich variety of tropical plants:
 |
| Some colorful berries - American Beauty Berries |
 |
| Colorful Flower on salt-tolerant vine - Morning Glory |
 |
| Looks like a small apple - Coco Plum |
 |
| Tropical pricklers are mean - Nicker Beans |
 |
| 'Air' Plants growing on a palm - Pencil Fern? |
 |
| Poison Ivy is a native vine - beware! |
Sorry that more of the plants are not identified. We have a National Audubon Field Guide to Florida, but it is so detailed that if you don't know what you are looking for - you probably won't find it.
PS Additional identification provided by Ranger Mary of Florida Parks - thank you Mary!
Tom
Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island
Lee County, Florida
Map 2012-2013 Cruise
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Pelican Bay - Lives Up to It's Name!
November 10, 2012
We have been relaxing in beautiful Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island for the last week.
The big story is the number and type of pelicans we have been seeing this visit. In number there are an astounding number of pelicans, many more than the usual number. But most notably,there is a large number of white pelicans sharing the bay with the more typical brown pelicans.
White pelicans are migratory, spending their summers in places like Montana and Canada. They fly astonishing distances to spend the winter in sunnier climes. In the winter they are typically found in Florida on the far southwest portion of the peninsula - the Ten Thousand Islands/Everglades. We have seen them there in large numbers before - see our blog entry Indian Key Pass - White Pelicans of last December. Previously we have occasionally seen them in Pine Island Sound in small numbers, but right now there are probably hundreds in the area.
A cold front has recently gone through, so this may be a temporary migration stop, or maybe they will set up shop here for the winter - time will tell.
They have been difficult to photograph, as opposed to the ones we saw at Indian Key last year, but here are a few pictures.. I will add to the collection if I get luckier.
Tom
Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island
Lee County, FL
Map 2012-2013 Cruise
.
We have been relaxing in beautiful Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island for the last week.
The big story is the number and type of pelicans we have been seeing this visit. In number there are an astounding number of pelicans, many more than the usual number. But most notably,there is a large number of white pelicans sharing the bay with the more typical brown pelicans.
White pelicans are migratory, spending their summers in places like Montana and Canada. They fly astonishing distances to spend the winter in sunnier climes. In the winter they are typically found in Florida on the far southwest portion of the peninsula - the Ten Thousand Islands/Everglades. We have seen them there in large numbers before - see our blog entry Indian Key Pass - White Pelicans of last December. Previously we have occasionally seen them in Pine Island Sound in small numbers, but right now there are probably hundreds in the area.
A cold front has recently gone through, so this may be a temporary migration stop, or maybe they will set up shop here for the winter - time will tell.
They have been difficult to photograph, as opposed to the ones we saw at Indian Key last year, but here are a few pictures.. I will add to the collection if I get luckier.
Tom
Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island
Lee County, FL
Map 2012-2013 Cruise
 |
| White Pelican in Flight |
 |
| White Pelicans in Flight |
 |
| Brown Pelicans in the Mangroves |
.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
One Year Anniversary
November 5, 2012
This week marks the first anniversary of our living aboard Barefoot. It's been a very busy time, with preparing the boat for cruising twice, preparing for hurricane season once, cleaning out and selling our house, and actually cruising for seven months. One of my main concerns about retiring and cruising was that I would miss the structure and the knowing that this is what I am expected to accomplish today. During the past year, this has not been a concern, because we've had so much to do.
But, I know that this year will be a bit different because we will not have easy access to the Internet for most of the winter. And, we don't expect it to be as hectic as last year. This year, we should feel more like retirees.
I love to read, and that fills many of the down times, but when I am engrossed in a book, I have a hard time putting it down. I really wanted something that would be easy to stop and start but would not require power or Internet. I decided to start knitting again, after a 20 - 30 year hiatus. But, we don't really need mittens or scarfs, and I don't have enough patience to try a sweater. I thought of knitting hats for preemies, but then decided that I would rather help to support fellow cancer warriors and make chemo caps. I've made one so far...hopefully, in the spring I will have several to give to the cancer center.
Joyce
Anchored in Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island
Lee County, FL
Map 2012-2013 Cruise
This week marks the first anniversary of our living aboard Barefoot. It's been a very busy time, with preparing the boat for cruising twice, preparing for hurricane season once, cleaning out and selling our house, and actually cruising for seven months. One of my main concerns about retiring and cruising was that I would miss the structure and the knowing that this is what I am expected to accomplish today. During the past year, this has not been a concern, because we've had so much to do.
But, I know that this year will be a bit different because we will not have easy access to the Internet for most of the winter. And, we don't expect it to be as hectic as last year. This year, we should feel more like retirees.
I love to read, and that fills many of the down times, but when I am engrossed in a book, I have a hard time putting it down. I really wanted something that would be easy to stop and start but would not require power or Internet. I decided to start knitting again, after a 20 - 30 year hiatus. But, we don't really need mittens or scarfs, and I don't have enough patience to try a sweater. I thought of knitting hats for preemies, but then decided that I would rather help to support fellow cancer warriors and make chemo caps. I've made one so far...hopefully, in the spring I will have several to give to the cancer center.
Joyce
Anchored in Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island
Lee County, FL
Map 2012-2013 Cruise
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Winter Cruise Begins
November 3, 2012
On November 1 we left Twin Dolphin Marina and made the short trip down the Manatee River and across Tampa Bay to Egmont Key where we anchored for the night. Egmont, while not an ideal anchorage, allows us to get a easy early start the next day. George and Jane from Happy Hours (IP44) joined us in the anchorage for a lunch hook.
Up at dark-30 (3:45AM) the next day to prepare for departure down the coast to Boca Grande channel and Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa. Going outside down the coast takes us 12-13 hours so it requires an early start to get into the anchorage at Pelican Bay before dark. The alternative is to take the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) with its umpteen bridges, which takes 2-3 days - we much prefer the outside route. Incidently, right now one of those bridges (Siesta Key) is stuck in the down position until repair which effectively closes the inside route anyway.
We got underway around 5:30 AM and transited out of Tampa Bay via the SW Channel on an outgoing tide. The wind was forecast to be light from the NE and swinging to the NW in the afternoon - not a good wind to make it to Boca Grande under sail or mototsailing by dark. Fortunately we had light winds from the E all morning; not enough to sail alone, but giving us a delightlful motorsail.
We transited into Charlotte Harbor through the Boca Grande Channel on an incoming tide; favorable currents in our departure and arrival channels - wow! We anchored in Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island around 5:30 PM.
Pelican Bay is a favorite anchorage that we have been in many times before. Plan is to now 'chill' for a while after all the frantic activity of selling our house in Fayetteville and getting the boat ready for departure.
Tom
Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island
Map 2012-2013 Cruise
PS Some great pictures of our depature from Twin Dolphin Marina thanks to friends Eric & Gail of M/V Viking's Dream. You can't get pictures like these yourself. Thanks Eric & Gail!
On November 1 we left Twin Dolphin Marina and made the short trip down the Manatee River and across Tampa Bay to Egmont Key where we anchored for the night. Egmont, while not an ideal anchorage, allows us to get a easy early start the next day. George and Jane from Happy Hours (IP44) joined us in the anchorage for a lunch hook.
Up at dark-30 (3:45AM) the next day to prepare for departure down the coast to Boca Grande channel and Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa. Going outside down the coast takes us 12-13 hours so it requires an early start to get into the anchorage at Pelican Bay before dark. The alternative is to take the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) with its umpteen bridges, which takes 2-3 days - we much prefer the outside route. Incidently, right now one of those bridges (Siesta Key) is stuck in the down position until repair which effectively closes the inside route anyway.
We got underway around 5:30 AM and transited out of Tampa Bay via the SW Channel on an outgoing tide. The wind was forecast to be light from the NE and swinging to the NW in the afternoon - not a good wind to make it to Boca Grande under sail or mototsailing by dark. Fortunately we had light winds from the E all morning; not enough to sail alone, but giving us a delightlful motorsail.
We transited into Charlotte Harbor through the Boca Grande Channel on an incoming tide; favorable currents in our departure and arrival channels - wow! We anchored in Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island around 5:30 PM.
Pelican Bay is a favorite anchorage that we have been in many times before. Plan is to now 'chill' for a while after all the frantic activity of selling our house in Fayetteville and getting the boat ready for departure.
Tom
Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island
Map 2012-2013 Cruise
PS Some great pictures of our depature from Twin Dolphin Marina thanks to friends Eric & Gail of M/V Viking's Dream. You can't get pictures like these yourself. Thanks Eric & Gail!
 |
| Getting ready to take in final lines |
 |
| Joyce checking for traffic around the corner |
 |
| Yes, the fenders and little dock step will come in shortly :-) |
 |
| Out of the marina and crossing the Manatee River |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)