21 May 2016 | Snead Island Boat Works, Manatee River
11 April 2016 | Regatta Pointe Marina, Palmetto, FL
17 March 2016 | Regatta Pointe Marina, Palmetto, FL
02 March 2016 | Regatta Pointe Marina, Palmetto, FL
02 March 2016 | Crow's Nest Marina, Venice, FL
21 February 2016 | Ft. Meyers Beach Mooring Field
17 February 2016 | Gulf Harbor Marina, Fort Myers, FL
16 February 2016 | Gulf Harbor Marina, Fort Myers, FL
15 February 2016 | Gulf Harbor Marina, Fort Myers, FL
13 February 2016 | Ft. Meyers Beach Mooring Field
31 January 2016 | Ft. Meyers Beach Mooring Field
25 January 2016 | Burnt Store Marina, FL
21 January 2016 | Platinum Point Yacht Club, Burnt Store Marina, Charlotte Harbor Florida
20 January 2016 | Sarasota Mooring Field
28 December 2015 | Regatta Pointe Marina, Palmetto, FL
16 December 2015 | Regatta Pointe Marina, Palmetto, FL
06 December 2015 | Gulfport Municipal Marina, Gulfport, FL
02 December 2015 | Gulfport Municipal Marina, Gulfport, FL
30 November 2015 | Clearwater Harbor Marina, Clearwater, FL
28 November 2015 | Moorings Marina, Carrabelle, FL
A Friend, a Sail and a Nice Day on the Water
31 January 2016 | Ft. Meyers Beach Mooring Field
Jill
It was time to move on and to get off the dock for a while. The really cold weather seems to be over for now, so we decided to move south to Fort Meyers Beach where we could take a mooring ball and save some money while we wait for a weather window for the next jump. We had wanted to spend a night at anchor in Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa State Park where our friend Pat O’Keefe works as a volunteer. After talking to several other sailors we were a bit afraid of the tricky entrance and being stuck waiting for a high tide to get back out. As a next best thing, Pat accepted our invitation to come along with us on our trip to Fort Meyers Beach.
His wife, Gay, helped us out by bringing Pat to Burnt Store Marina and lending a hand as we cast off. Getting away from the dock was a lot easier than getting tied up. We started just after 9 AM for the 42 or 43 statute mile trip (our log said it was 37 nautical miles). We only got to pull out the jib for a couple of hours, and we were motor sailing then.
There were no opening bridges to deal with and Pat told us all about the islands and channels we passed. The day was cool, but not cold and we all enjoyed the trip, even without sailing. We took a mooring ball in the back mooring field, as instructed. With Pat helping me it was a lot easier to get both the lines through the pendant from the mooring. Once everything was secure Pat and Bud celebrated with a chilled glass of white wine before we lowered the dinghy and went to shore to take Pat to meet Gay, register for the mooring at Mantanzas Inn Marina, and take Matey for a walk. This is a funky town, certainly a change from the quiet around Burnt Store Marina. I’ll take some pictures while we’re here and post them.