The day ended much differently than it started. We woke to 55 degrees with noisy winds and because of daylight savings time it was still pitch dark and cloudy at 7:00 am. I wanted to find a third quilt to add to the other two and continue my nap until warm breezes returned. We're anchored on the ICW off of Indian Mound Park in Englewood. Last night was the bounciest night so far, with gusty winds 15-20 knots at times. Reluctantly, I started the coffee, and planned our day. With a check of the predicted winds, rain, and rough seas for the next few days we decided to put off our trip up the ICW to Venice Inlet and head homeward. Bundled up in all of our sweatshirts and jackets our first challenge was traversing the Tom Adams bridge a mile south. The bridge tender was accommodating and by the time we reached the bridge it was open and we motored through without a pause.
The weather remained cloudy and windy but there was no traffic today on our route. We reached the Boca Grande bridge a few minutes too late to make the 1:00 opening, so Jack had to circle in the basin for 25 minutes until the next scheduled opening at 1:30. No exceptions. I took the helm after we cleared the bridge and while Jack was below, the bridge tender called me by (boat) name and warned me about a potential near miss with a barge hidden from view behind an old sea wall. I thanked him, gracefully avoided the barge, and went on my way. The wind continued steady at 15-20 knots from the east, so we put up our side curtains then hoisted the main and jib and had a wonderful sail the rest of the way to Pelican Bay. The sun finally came out, warmed our way and brightened our spirits. We'll spend a breezy evening here relaxing an d boat-spotting, and unless the weather takes a drastic unpredicted turn for the better, will head home tomorrow.

Last year's spring trip was cut short by daily thunderstorms. To remedy that situation Jack and I promised each other that we would not make any plans for the month of March. Advancing age complicates this as we get caught up in medical appointments and testing for ailments we might have but thankfully don't.
Nonetheless this season has been complicated by Hurricane Ian's destruction in our favorite sailing spots and along the Gulf coast. The hardest part of the trip is leaving the dock. The to-do list gets longer not shorter. The discovery that our auto pilot isn’t working was a big disappointment but we decided to leave anyway. It mus have been damaged by the lightning associated with Ian. We can steer just fine. It’s just more work. We had to steer around the usual collection of crab pots immediately as we left our canal so it took a few minutes before we could hoist the sails. A pleasant surprise was discovering that our used sail which replaced the on shredded in Ian set nicely and gave us a little faster ride down Charlotte Harbor. Our goal is Pelican Bay by sunset and we engaged the diesel to arrive on time. We enjoyed a light dinner on deck and will plan the next few days as we wait for our new sail.

We’ve had some health issues and other distractions but finally we managed to break loose from our dock and head out. After a pleasant sail we anchored in Pelican Bay late this afternoon. After a dinner of delicious leftovers Jacks decided to fly his drone. Here is a picture of us doing just that.

We have a favorite singer songwriter that performs at the Schooner Wharf Bar in Key West. We’ve enjoyed many lazy hours, spending an afternoon listening to Michael McCloud’s easy style of singing. He accompanies himself on the guitar with his cigarette stuck in the top fret until he finishes the song. They are never very long so that he can grab a drag before it burns out. Just his shtick.
One of our favorites is “Chasin’ the Wind”. It speaks to us about why we really came on this trip in these hazy days of late spring in Florida. The chorus goes…..“I’d rather be sailing nowhere, than do anything else on the land. Don’t ask me to stay with you Darlin’, there’s things that you don’t understand….. I’d rather be chasing the wind.”
We awoke to a light steady southerly breeze. Continuing our trip southward would only give us a day of pounding through the waves, listening to the drone of the diesel with our sails neatly tucked in their sail bags. It was an easy decision to plan a northerly route and take advantage of those lovely breezes.
Since we were now in no hurry, we treated ourselves to a light breakfast before hauling the anchor. We caught a breeze right away, and hoisted our crisp new main sail. The jib quickly followed and we were making 5 knots down the Intracoastal Waterway, heading back the way we came. We were following the intracoastal to stay out of shallow water and soon were able to throw up the mizzen sail, the little one on the back deck. It didn’t give us much of a boost but proudly filled with a breeze and an “I think I can attitude”.
We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon chasing the wind up the intracoastal. We sneered at huge powerboats roaring by throwing up a wake, rocking our boat, which just adds to the fun. They were burning up hundred dollar bills in fuel, and we were getting a free ride—sort of. We also pitied the sailboats heading the other way who were doing what we avoided, trying to motor into a headwind. We’ll repent of these sins later, but for this day we feel fine.
Anchored at Pelican bay which had even fewer boats than a few days ago. I’m wondering if the gas situation is making folks stay at home. Practically speaking, gas in the boat can be put in the car if you need it in an emergency. Back to repenting later, I’ll be Scarlet O’Hara and worry about that tomorrow.
We need to take a short break from this idyllic trip and are heading back to our dock in El Jobean tomorrow to take care of a few matters.
Thursday:
Before we left Pelican Bay we were once again entertained by the thousands of bait fish splattering around our boat in the shade cast from the rising sun. Another lucky fisherman eased up close and scored a cast net full of the little guys. He should enjoy a day of fishing with plentiful bait. I guess it’s local lore among the fisherman as to where and when the bait hangs out. We took one more dinghy ride to shore to stretch our legs on the beach before our 5 hour trip home. This is a difficult place to leave, but we were one of only about 5 boats in the bay. Eerie. Normally it a popular hangout in season and off. Late in the afternoon, thunderclouds loom on the horizon, so I won’t be sad to sleep at home tonight. It’s a pretty nice place to come home to. We hope to be off soon on another adventure.

This morning we arose with the sun and enjoyed our coffee on deck in the quiet harbor at Pelican Bay. It's unusual for us to be in this place surrounded by so few boats. Our school of fish is still with us but the pelicans and bait fishermen must have stayed in bed. Jack asked me if I wanted to name them. I started with Huey, Duey, Louie, Screwy and lost interest. The other 5000 will have to go unnamed.
As we live on the water we get lazier and lazier. Kicking ourselves in the pants we knew we needed some exercise, so we skipped the big fattening breakfast and took the dinghy to shore. Being a Tuesday morning, the sandbar was deserted so we dragged our little boat up on shore and walked the beach. The chance of finding treasures was pretty remote, so we didn't need to spend much time digging through the seagrass. We just enjoyed the lovely morning. At this time of year, the snowbirds and seasonal residents have abandoned us hard line Floridians. It's becoming hot and humid on shore, but on the water there is always a breeze. If not we create one. The Caprice has a roomy sunshaded sitting area, so we don't burn up and can enjoy the cool gulf air while motoring down the waterways.
After our walk we visited the Manatee hole, but apparently they also take Tuesdays off. Unlike the last few trips, we didn't spot any. Back on Caprice, we decided to move yet southward. We hoisted anchor and headed in that direction following the ICW with light winds directly on the nose. The intracoastal waterway is well marked and avoids the shoals, leading south through a lot of wilderness surrounding Pine Island Sound to Sanibel and out under the bridge to the Gulf of Mexico.
We had a leisurely motor sail but stopped short of the Sanibel causeway bridge. The necessities of life intervened and we realized that after 4 days on the boat, we were in need of ice. We have a tiny fridge and freezer the size of a breadbox, so ice for drinks is at a premium. An icy cocktail is one of the simple joys of life at the end of a long sail. Ice is readily available at one of several colorful marinas in St James City at the tip of Pine Island. The bay off of St James City is sheltered and quiet for the night. Four other sailboats had the same idea and are enjoying the smooth sheltered waters.
The trip up the inland canal to a marina is fascinating if you are looking for waterfront property. Million dollar houses mix in with old trailers, and multi-thousand dollar boats on lifts intermingle with ratty old sail and power boats barely afloat. It must be an interesting place to sell real estate. We putt-putted up the canal in our dinghy powered by a 5 horse outboard. After obtaining the precious ice at a local marina we stopped for an early dinner at the Ragged Ass Saloon. A favorite spot of ours, it's an old Florida Bar with OK food and a collection of local barflies sitting outside enjoying an afternoon beer. The service was friendly and quick and we enjoyed the land break and a slightly greasy meal.
We still haven't decided what tomorrow will bring. Were just enjoying bobbing on the deck, watching the sun set and enjoying a cool breeze before we may have to duck inside to avoid a few mosquitos.

In the 15 years we have been coming to Pelican Bay, we have seen a myriad of wildlife. Dolphins, manatees, thousands of fish and many different birds. This is the first time I remember really noticing the pelican activity. We have sat on the beaches at Boca Grande and Englewood and admired the sheer power and flying ability of these magnificent birds as they dive from amazing heights to grab a fish they have spotted from above.
Today, as we were enjoying our morning coffee at about 7:15 am we observed a school of bait fish gathering under our boat. I guess the locals know this too. Several well equipped fishing boats were cruising the bay looking to net bait fish either to sell or use in their daily endeavors.
The pelicans were also lurking close to our boat acting cool, like they were just hangin' out. We gave the fishermen an OK to come close to our boat and one netted a baitwell full of thread fin herring and white sardines. Good for him. I don't' need them.
We spent a leisurely day relaxing on deck avoiding any repairs or maintenance that needed to be done. In the early afternoon we took the dinghy to the sandbar to enjoy some beach time. While we were relaxing enjoying an adult beverage, we noticed other beachcombers staring off into the water at a dark blur just under the surface. One intrepid tourist ventured into the ankle deep water and shouted, "Sting Rays!! How exciting for him! Jack identified a small school of cow nose rays calmly cruising the shoreline. Once again, we have seen these rays in the harbor, but never here.
That was about all the excitement we could take and we motored back to Caprice to finish out the day. I made potato salad from scratch, that means real potatoes, and thawed some chicken to grill. Jack read and took a nap which is so unlike him. I think he is finally beginning to chill down from weeks of preparation.
We enjoyed dinner on the deck, again watching the bait fish school in our shadow and the pelicans dive to grab a tasty morsel. The bay is sparsely occupied tonight. 9 sailboats and 5 power boats. In recent visits to Pelican bay there were so many boats we couldn't count them and power boats or trawlers outnumbered the sailboats 3-1. Maybe the warm May temperatures bring out the sailboats and keep the power boats at home. Just an observation!