Key West to Naples
30 March 2013 | Naples, FL
Scott & Freddi
After enjoying our marina evening in Key West it was time for our “offshore” passage to the west coast of Florida. It should have been a ten-hour passage for us (motoring or sailing) and we thought we’d be able to sail it. However, the wind never seems to do what the forecasters say it will do so we motor-sailed again. At our speed (5-6.5kts), the trip was an 11-hour run, but it was the calmest day we’d had since we left DC with seas less than a foot. We dodged the crab-pots all the way across the Gulf and arrived in Little Shark Inlet just after dark and the hook set well on the second try. (Scott here) I always make the case that a big anchor, powerful electric windlass and all chain rode are a safety issue. If I had to pull up the anchor by hand I’d probably have said “it feels OK”, but as it was just a case of stepping on a foot switch to bring up 250# of chain and anchor we pulled it up and the second set was bang-on rock-solid. We like our ground tackle .
Given the wind direction (from the north where we hoped to sail), we decided to take a lay day so we dropped the dinghy overboard, packed a picnic lunch in the picnic back pack that was a gift from our friend Linda Bryce, and, after fixing a problem with the usually reliable Nissan outboard, took off to explore The Everglades. Alas, (sorry, Scott Hill) we didn’t see any alligators. We did see lots of birds, a turtle, and several people fly-fishing with guides. It was wonderful just sitting adrift in the dinghy with our lentil salad stuffed peppers, a bit of cheese and wine (Chuck Wagner’s un-oaked “Mer Soleil Silver”). I would have said “a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, etc.” but the loaf of bread was back on the boat baking itself while we were out playing. (Scott here: we are thrilled to confirm that our solar array can operate the bread maker and when we returned the bread was done and the batteries still @ 100%!) That night a Grand Banks Classic Trawler, ONWARD, anchored near us, and we stopped by to chat with them –nice folks from New Jersey. Just the two of us in an anchorage that could hold a dozen boats off R4 in the “bight” of Little Shark if you’re following along at home with charts .
We had decided to do easy day sails up the west coast of Florida so the next day, with light southerly winds, we had an easy motor sail to Indian Key, part of the Ten Thousand Islands. En route, we heard that lovely sound of the fishing line being pulled out. When Scott reeled him in, it was a barracuda. He was small and bony, and we didn’t think it would be all that tasty so he released the fish (after we got the photo op). We tucked in behind Russell Key where there was only one other anchored boat.
The weather was wonderful and we took another lay day to take the dinghy into Everglades City. It’s a neat town with a sordid past (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades_City,_FL). We planned to dine at City Seafood where our friends Bill and Mara (PUDDLEJUMPER) and Steve and Gloria (LIVING WELL) used to work. We had met Richard, the owner, in Deale when we helped load Bill’s sail-drives onto Richard’s truck for the drive to Florida. Unfortunately, Richard was tending to family business, and he was not at the restaurant, but we met his girlfriend Stephanie. We enjoyed their hospitality munching on soft crabs, oysters, conch and gator--- it’s a fun menu. We watched the air tour-boats while we ate lunch, talked with some folks tied up at the dock, and then explored more of the Everglades in the dinghy.
Returning, we stopped to talk to the other anchored boat, Mary and Bill Dixon on FANTASY who are SSCA members from Punta Gorda. Mary maintains a blog on supermarkets near anchorages and Florida pump-out boats –very useful information in both cases.
Scott took the dinghy out again to try his hand at fishing, but again no luck--good thing we have other provisions on board. As we were loading the outboard and dinghy back onto the boat, a pair of porpoises playing all around our boat entertained us. We never seem to get over our fascination with them, or, it seems, them with us.
During the night, the wind began to pick up, and we thought it prudent to get an early start. Scott’s weather calculations were right again, and he insisted we proceed straight to Naples and by-pass Marco Island that was to have been our interim stop. Something about the wind moving north the next day (and we were sailing north). Let’s just say that we had a raucous and rolly ride and we surfed in the Gordon Pass at mid tide some seven long hours later. While we usually prefer our anchor we were more than ready to be tied up at the dock. We will be staying in Naples for a week, sharing Passover with our niece Loree and Freddi’s mom, and a couple of dinners with Robert and Cheryl, Freddi’s brother and sister-in-law. We’re hoping to see friends Jackie and Garry, who now live in Sarasota, and a law school friend of Freddi’s if possible. Freddi will spend time helping her mom pack up and get ready to move back north for the summer.
Dear readers, if you have carefully followed our cruise you know that we’ve been hand steering the entire route as Scott fusses with the recalcitrant autopilot. The trip up the West Coast was the last straw and a new Garmin autopilot (Model GHP 12 for those playing along at home) is on order and will be installed whilst in Naples.
Tune in for the return trip.