Safe at home after a quick trip up from Marathon.

We thought about going farther up the keys but thought it might be better if I was home on Thursday to get my bi-weekly shots.

So we got moving Saturday morning and picked up 40 gallons of diesel before leaving Marathon. Out under the 7 mile bridge at Moser Channel and north at 8 knots. The wind was blowing so we were rocking and rolling but not too badly. Again the fish traps were terrible.

Nothing like 6-inch buoys stretched out about 150 feet apart in a line a mile long. Then toss another line about 500 feet apart from the first. Then another and another and another. Then nothing for a bit and then more lines of them. All you have to do is hit one buoy and wrap it around the propeller and it would be all over. Between the two of us pointing them out, we made it. It was easier to see them from sitting up in the Goose than it was from down in the cockpit of Serenity. However, they come on faster at 8 knots and Serenity's keel actually pushed the lines away from the propeller a little bit. So I feel lucky we made it.

We got to Little Shark River about 2:30 and took a tour a few miles up the river but didn't see anything interesting. But just after anchoring, a big green sea turtle swam around the Goose.

We got up Sunday morning to itching and scratching. During the night, we were invaded by tiny bugs like no-see-ums. Their bite was not as bad as the normal little devils but there was no going back to bed once they started on you. We took off and tried to blow them away and suck em up in a car vacuum. We ended up having to close up the cabin and spray everything down with bug spray.

During the day we dodged fish traps but the seas were calmer and it was easier to see the buoys. Once we were back in cell range, we checked the weather and found that the forecast for Wednesday was bad with high winds and thunderstorms. So we acted like power boaters and cranked up the throttle and headed for Sanibel instead of Naples.

We anchored off Ding Darling and enjoyed the final night with a big salad and wine. It rained during the night and we hit rains coming up the intercoastal. Stopping at Burnt Store Marina to get fuel and a pump out, we were at 400 miles for the trip and a total of 153 gallons of diesel. A bit different fuel use than with Serenity where I would use 120 gallons on a 1,200 mile trip. But then we used the most fuel in the 95 mile "dash" from Shark River to Sanibel.

Two hours later and we were home and unloading between rain showers. The bad weather never got too bad. The Goose cockpit is very dry and the windshield wipers make "driving" in the rain easy and comfortable.

It was a good trip and the Goose ran perfectly. Karen learned a lot about the Goose and really seems to enjoy taking the helm on something more akin to a car. She learned about the GPS and autopilot, especially when having to dodge the fish traps. Think she will be ready for more frequent short trips. Sounds good to me too.