A beautiful day to start the adventure. Left Karen at the dock on a Chamber of Commerce day in Punta Gorda. Winds 10kts from the East as we left. However, as the day warmed, the winds died and came on shore.

With light winds I sailed to the InterCoastal Waterway (ICW) and then motor sailed down the ICW to San Carlos Bay just north of Ft Myers Beach. Overnight the winds picked up to 15-20 from the south.

On Sunday I got up early and underway at 7:30 trying to make Naples which is only 30 miles. As usual, the winds were fickle but strong. After 2 hours, I had gone 4 miles and most of that was up and down. Waves were 3 ft and the wind close enough to the bow to slow us down to 2.5 kts or less. Since I was trying to beat a cold front with thunderstorms I though better of it and turned back to Ft Myers Beach. We hooked up to a mooring ball rented by the city in Estero Bay. Should be a safe place to ride out the 35-40 kt winds forecast during the frontal passage.If the waves calm down Monday, we'll try for Naples or Marco Island depending on the weather.

Serenity is behaving but we're having some issues. The rope clutch for the mainsail halyard broke the first time I used it. The GPSMap 76 lost a power pin to corrosion so it only works on battery. Lost a boat hook over the side during the waves. Nothing too bad.