MIDORI ADVENTURES

We are underway just before 7:00 a.m. The easterly breeze across Charlotte Harbour is a bit choppy at first, until we get behind the islands (Pine and Useppa). Shortly underway and a dolphin jumps out to greet us!

We are motoring through the intracoastal channel, but put the jib sail out in Pine Island Sound which helps improve our speed immensely.

We have seen a couple of dead fish floating by which we assume is caused by the Red Tide.

And so the day continues. It is cool, partly cloudy with a light easterly wind.

We arrive at Fort Myers Beach and are moored by 1:20 p.m. I have suffered some anxiety about picking up the mooring ball. There can be a lot of current in this mooring field and it is not always easy to grab hold of the slippery pennant with the boat hook. I am kneeling on the trampoline at the bow and Captain Brian can't see whether or not I have successfully grabbed the pennant, so we communicate through head phones called "marriage savers" . And if I don't get it on the first try, it means that he has to manoeuvre to try again. I AM SUCCESSFUL ON THE FIRST TRY! I get my starboard line through the eye of the pendant and let him know that I've got it so that he can put the boat in neutral and come out to help me finish up with the port line. YAY!

We have travelled 28 nautical miles in 6 hours.

Not sure how long we'll stay, but we need to put the dinghy down and get the outboard lowered and attached in order to go ashore and check in. A nice shower and mussels at The Beached Whale are in order! Then, we will take a look at the weather to see if we have at least a three day window to get to Boot Key Harbour, Marathon, in the Florida Keys.

Stay tuned,

First Mate Lynn and Captain Brian