Marathon to Fernandina

It was hard leaving all of the friends we had made here and those we had been traveling with. The liveaboards at the marina made us feel at home. We have not lived that close to any neighbors since we have been married. It was a really pleasant month. I spent the entire month in shorts and surprisingly there were no annoying insects. No flies, gnats, mosquitoes or noseeums!

Thursday, March 24th

Annie talks to a dolphin

The water in Florida Bay is clear and blue. It was very calm today. Annie detected a dolphin swimming alongside and tried to talk to it. The dolphin does not understand dog and Annie does not speak dolphin so her barking went unanswered. It did listen to her for about 3 or 4 minutes then got bored and swam away.

Flat Water Narrow Channel

We are running in skinny water again. Only 2-3 feet under the keel most of the time. So it is shallow and clear and we can see the bottom easily. It can get scary when you can see the leaves on the plants at the bottom.

With the wind behind us at 7 mph and we travel at 7 mph so there is no wind over the boat. I actually got hot. Carole moved a fan on to the flybridge to keep her cool while steering.

Shallow water on the right

And then the water got even skinnier. We were seeing only 2-3 inches under us at times. We made it to Tarpon Basin on Key Largo without incident.

The anchorage was about 3/4 mile from the nearest place to walk Annie. By now the wind had picked up and there was a chop on the water. It was a very wet ride in to the dock. The dock was in a nice park with concrete steps up to the grass. The return trip was quartering in to the chop and was even wetter. If it is like this in the morning Annie is going to have to hold it.

Friday, March 25^th

Florida Bay

Calm and foggy this morning. I could not see the shore until 8:30. Since it was calm I took Annie in for a walk. She must have read my mind about not taking her in so she found a real smelly pile of something and rolled in it. There is nothing better than having a wet smelly dog in the boat. A heavy application of soap and water by Carole cured the smell, and Annie was relegated to the deck until she dried out.

We headed out and the State Park where we intended to stay does not allow any pets ashore. I did some fast navigating and we headed for No Name Harbor. It was a bit further then planned and we ran out of fuel in one tank on the way. I switched tanks and we were fine. Saw a frigate bird on the way, first of the trip.

Biscayne Bay is flat and the water is crystal clear. With Polaroid Sunglasses on we feel like we flying 10 feet above the ground. We can see the sand and grass clearly on the bottom.

Miami on the horizon

There is gray smudge on the horizon so we know we are nearing Miami.

We arrived at 4 instead of 2 so tomorrow will be a shorter day to Ft. Lauderdale.

The wind kicked up a bit as we entered the harbor. $20.00 to anchor and there are no facilities except a trash can. There is a concrete wall at the dinghy dock and Annie had to climb a ladder or jump 3' to the top of the wall. She jumped it. We are still working on the ladder climbing shtick, give her six more months and I think she will be able to do it.

Sunset at No Name Key

Right after cocktails we were hailed from a dinghy and asked to move, as his boat which was tied to the wall needed to come back out on to the anchor that was underneath us. There is no overnight docking allowed here. We thought that the float we were near was marking the edge of a restricted area, not his anchor. At this time I'd had a drink and there was no place left to anchor. Bottom line is I do not drive after drinking and we did not move. The park allowed him to stay at the wall since he was disabled. We talked the next morning and all was good.

Saturday, March 26^th

It must be Saturday in Miami

Off we go through Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Past all of the million + dollar boats and lots of bridges.

Miami

We arrived at New River in Ft. Lauderdale and joined the boat parade up the river past 10 million dollar boats and 5 million dollar homes. We tied up along the river wall which is actually part of the city docks. It was much too far from everything so we moved to the Cooley Landing City Marina. We were just in time to be invited for happy hour.

The start of the New River

Sunday, March 27^th

Ft. Lauderdale 100^th Anniversary Celebration today. It was held on the waterfront - all of it within 10 blocks of our dock. Lots of food, people and music, all free (not the food)– dance performances, singers, old and restored cars from a Shelby to 1958 & 9 Chevy Impalas, and a 1932 Ford Model A. Sunday was topped off with a short fireworks display we watched from our back deck.

Only a few columns

Monday, March 28^th We left late today and headed up the waterway through a concrete alley. More big yachts and more big homes. Carole has been counting columns on houses along the way. A house we called the “White House” was the winner at 39 columns. It was the the same style architecture only it is located on an island facing the ICW in Ft. Lauderdale. As we moved north through Lauderdale she found a 40 column house.

We stopped in Delray for the night. We pulled in just as it started to pour. Good timing.

Large Yacht

Toy Box on the Yacht

Tuesday, March 29^th

Heading north again Carole found a 44 column house.

The current column Champion

We passed the Rybovich Boatyard with about 25-30 boats there, none smaller than about 150 ft.

Arrived in Lake Harbor Marina, just north of Lake Worth Inlet earlier than expected. Met up with Felix and Margaret and talked for a while. They are friends of my sister and really nice folk. They are headed for the Bahamas on their TriMaran. Hopefully we will meet them this summer in Lake Champlain. We also met Thelma and Fuzzy (my cousins). They were the main reason we stopped here. It was a nice evening.

Never know what you'll see on the waterway

Wednesday, March 30^th

Slightly hazy this morning with a south wind at 10-12 mph.

Some upscale housing early, then some middle class houses in Jupiter Sound and now mangroves on both sides as we pass through the Hobe Sound Wildlife Refuge. Lots of Osprey nests in the trees.

One O'Clock - St. Lucie Inlet

Showing the Gold Burgee

WE HAVE CROSSED OUR WAKE!

That means we completed the loop, about 6000 miles, which we actually started when we brought the boat north from Florida. Mentally we will feel that we have really finished when we arrive home which we left last May.

We arrived in Ft. Pierce at 4:30 – the weather is looking pretty heavy. While walking Annie through town we came across a Big Restaurant Taste Fest. It looked interesting with about 20 restaurants participating. We wanted to sit down and celebrate, so I took Annie home and we went out for Thai & Sushi.

We planned on visiting one of Carole's friends by staying in Daytona. Their scheduling did not work for the time we would be there, so we made our car and boat reservations for Titusville, Fl.

The weather does not look good tomorrow.

Thursday, March 31^st

Tornado watch this morning. It will make the three day run to Titusville difficult. We switched destinations once again. This time to Cocoa, FL. It will be easier to reach by noon Saturday.

We spent the day working on taxes and sewing. The wind never did show up, but we got stuff done.

Friday, April 1^st

April Fools Day.

Underway early (for us) about 8:15. Cloudy with a 10 mph wind from the Northwest. It was cool this morning. I actually needed long pants and a long sleeve shirt in the morning, bummer. We headed up the Indian River with only a light chop.

Anchorage in the Bannana River

I had been thinking that we had not seen any dolphin since Miami (about 120 miles) when one showed up. Certainly there are not as many around here. Our DWD (Dolphin Warning Device) sometimes known as Annie, did not go off for this one, although we have had several false alarms. The DWD is not very reliable.

We pulled in to the Banana River and found an anchorage above the bridge. The bridge tender told us where we could take the dinghy in to a dock so that I could walk Annie. I had to avoid some Kayak racers practicing their starts. We also watched some racing Kayaks and Canoes practicing in the river. Otherwise it was a very quiet night.

Saturday, April 2^nd

Clear and Calm this morning and we got an early start. We need to be in Cocoa by noon to pick up a rental car. Annie did not get a walk this morning so she is a bit antsy. We should be at the dock by 10:30 so she will be O.K.

Another Failure of the DWD. She did make it to the dock O.K.

Picked up a rental car and we went to the Merrit Island 14^th annual marine flea market. It was a good market, lots of marine gear both used and new. I was able to pick up a few items.

We ate at the Black Tulip and had a really good dinner.

Sunday, April 3^rd

Warm and Clear with a light breeze. We left by car this morning to visit with Joni and Len at The Villages. Joni is a high school friend of Carole's and she wanted to visit her at home to see what this “Villages” was all about. She wanted to see a development that had its' own ZIP code.

It was a two hour drive. After we passed Orlando we saw a pair of Sandhill Cranes by the side of the road.

We had a good visit. Len gave a great tour of the Villages. It is like a Disneyland Setting. Everything is staged with theme decorations at all of the clubhouses. There are separate golf cart paths along all of the major streets with underpasses at the crossroads. Each area has its own clubhouse or recreation center. The centers are large with multiple meeting rooms, pools, bocci courts and tennis or pickle ball (don't ask) courts. NOTE: Pickle Ball is played with paddles and a wiffle like ball on a court similar to a tennis court. It is very popular down here. There are lots of golf courses that are free to residents plus some championship courses that they pay $50 to play. All of the residents have their own golf carts, some with air conditioning or at least fans. Two large shopping areas called Village Centers have just about every chain store and all of the fast food restaurants you can think of . There is a large Hospital – kind of necessary for a 90,000 person retirement community.

We had a really nice visit.

Monday, April 4^th

It was clear with a light wind. We pumped out, dropped off the car and got underway about 9:45. We hope to make it to North Smyrna Beach today. The wind behind us will help, but make steering a bit of a chore.

DWD is going to be renamed DDWD – Defective Dolphin Watching (Warning) Device (Dog). Lots of false alarms and the she misses the real ones.

We arrived at New Smyrna Beach about 5:00 and did not find any room at the anchorage so we tied up at the town dock. The docks are really strange. They(there are two) are semi circular. So only one spot of the boat is touching the dock. Tying up was rather tricky, but once I figured it out it was quite secure and safe. Overnight docking is not allowed, but no one said anything, and a local told me that boats sometimes stayed for days, so we stayed for the night.

Tuesday, April 5^th

Thunderstorms predicted but they should not last long – Mitch's prediction. Checking the radar I hoped to get to Daytona before they hit. I missed by 1/2 an hour. By the time we reached Daytona the worst was over. I then made my mistake at one of the bridges. I went through the wrong opening and ran aground. After fighting with it for a while and being stubborn I finally called Tow Boat US. One hour later we were off – with a lot of vibration when I tried to run at cruising speed. We turned around and went to Aqua Marina for a haul out and a propeller change (we carry a spare). They took us right away and in 1/2 hour and $300 poorer we were on our way again. Of course that does not cover repairing the old propeller.

The rain has now stopped and it is mostly cloudy and cool. We pulled in to Palm Coast Marina for the night. We realized we had stayed here before on the trip up after we bought the boat in 2008. It is a nice marina with a large grassy area where Annie can chase a Frisbee and get some exercise. There is a new shopping and restaurant area that seems pretty nice. We did not try any of the restaurants as dinner was already planned.

Wednesday, April 6^th

Clear and Cold with the wind and current against us most of the way. We needed sweaters – well O.K. maybe only a long sleeve shirt. The ICW here runs behind the barrier islands. There is a marsh on the inland side and homes on the islands.

St. Augustine Mooring

We arrived in St. Augustine a 1:15 and took a mooring for the night.

Carole, Annie and I walked through the town historic district, mostly just looking and checking out the restaurants. I would call the historic area “quainty”. Much of it is old – 1550 to 1800's – and either preserved or restored. What does not fit these two categories has been created to look “as if”. The streets are either pedestrian only or one way, one lane. We thought that we would stop for several days the next time through.

Street in St. Augustine

Carole and Annie on the Bridge of Lions

 Later as we were thinking about dinner (I was, Carole was napping) I got a call from Bill, a friend we met in 2009 on the Erie Canal. He lives in South Jacksonville which is not too far. Bill offered to come to St. Augustine and join us for dinner. He took us to Cap's a place so far away we could never have gotten there without a car and could not have found it even if we had one. It is an excellent restaurant. We sat outside on the deck and had steamed oysters, panko coated triggerfish and Key lime pie. All with some great company.

On the way over we passed a large castle - stone with four turrets. Bill said that two builders wanted to build a castle – so they did. It is not occupied and has no electricity. Bill thinks it can be rented for parties – daytime only probably since there are no lights.

Going home we drove through an old live oak covered street, and then through the Howard Johnson Hotel parking lot that had the Gran Daddy of all Live Oaks. It had seven main branches each of which was as thick as the main trunk of any oak I have ever seen. The main trunk looked to be 10-12 ft. in diameter. A really good evening. Thanks Bill.

Thursday, April 7^th

On the way to Fernandina Beach

We got another early start and carried the current with us for a while. We hope to get to Fernandina Beach tonight.

We lucked out and carried the current most of the way. We arrived at 4:00 - an hour earlier than I thought we would. We were able to refuel at the commercial dock before they closed. Then we moved to a mooring.

I had been trying to locate a friend that I worked with 17 years ago. Jerry and Cheech bought our previous boat and they lived in Fernandina Beach then. I somehow had lost his email and the phone numbers had changed. Three years ago when we were passing through I tried to call and even on the radio with no success. This time we were stopped and I asked the dockmaster if he knew them. He did and He got me their phone number. I called and Jerry came down and we went back to their house for a glass of wine and a lot of talking. We went out to a Mexican Restaurant that night and had a great time. It felt as if we had only seen them yesterday. We stayed out late and it was worth it. Fortunately we do not need an early start tomorrow.

We leave Florida Tomorrow!

Marathon

Once again I will not do a day by day account for the month we were in Marathon.

It was a lazy and very restful month. The weather was mostly sunny and mild.

We did do all of the things we wanted to do and see. Jay and Joan had their truck here and either went lots of places with them or they loaned us the truck.

The Owls

Burrowing Owl

Annie got a daily walk around the back nine of the golf course. There is a 1 1/2 mile road around the course and we walked it daily. Not much traffic and there were lots of interesting houses, plants and other people and dogs walking, jogging and biking also. The daily highlight was the Owl count. Alongside one of the holes there were a pair of Burrowing Owls. Almost every morning there were two Owls standing beside the burrow. Sometimes only one, most days two and then one day one flew off and another one popped up out of the ground so there were three that day.

Snorkeling

Our snorkeling trip was not very successful. We went out on Windsong to Sombrero Reef. There was a short chop and Carole had a hard time with both the chop and the gear, so we came back to the boat after about 15 minutes. Joan got seasick so they only made about a 45 minute snorkel trip. We headed in early and beat the nasty chop that followed. We did see a few nice fish in the short time we were out.

The Docks

Green Heron

There were also a lot Little Green Herons at the docks. They liked to sit on the power cables about 6” above the water and look for fish. Other birds that we saw were Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Cattle Egrets, White Ibis, Little Blue Herons and of course Brown Pelicans.

Next door neighbor on one side was a 90 year old that was a recent widower. He did great, but was at the point where he was going to sell his boat. We did go out to dinner with him one night. Carole helped take some pictures of the interior and I found a few web sites for him to list the boat. Another neighbor posted the listing for him. When we left he had one person looking and was hopeful.

We also watched a woman bring four large dogs to shore on a Kayak every day. I thought I was really cooking with only Annie on a Kayak.

The marina dockside grill (Sombrero Dockside) finally opened and they do Prime Rib every Wednesday and Saturday. They do it on an outside smoker grill. We had to try it. WOW, it was excellent. Even though we ordered at 7:30 and did not get dinner until 9:15 we still enjoyed it. They are having some real startup problems. People did not show up for work and both the kitchen and waitstaff were very short. Only one waiter, one bartender and one cook for a twenty five table deck plus bar.

You might have to click on the sign to read it.

There was a group of loopers from a previous year that met every year in Marathon. The sign behind their gathering area say it all.

Sombrero Beach and the Bed Race

Sombrero Beach is a “Dogs Allowed” beach. So we took Annie there several times. She had a ball! It was her first exposure to small waves and salt water. Until now she appeared not to like salt water. She would go up to the edge, get her feet wet and get out. Here when she saw people in the water, she jumped in and swam out. Ran up to the kids in the water and then promptly swam to the beach and rolled in the sand. Put on a show for the other beach goers who seemed to enjoy it. She was quite a sight – nose, eyes, back - sand everywhere. She was one happy dog.

The Bed Baron

On Marathon, for Marathon Week they had the First Annual Bed Race. About 10 teams racing the clock two at a time over a about a 500 yard course, with two traffic humps in it. The beds were really ingenious. It was fun to watch.

Dolphin Research Center

We met with some friends from that I knew from Bayshore Discovery Project. Gil and Vivian volunteer at the Dolphin Research Center and took us for a tour. Really interesting that there were several groups of dolphins doing different things for their trainers and although the whistles all sound the same the dolphins only respond to the trainer they are working with. We also watched them put a long tube down the dolphin's mouth and pour 4 liters of fresh water into it's stomach. Part of the health program. If you look at the video you will see that it does not bother the dolphins at all.

Dolphin Drinking top - Dolphins Jumping Bottom

We had Stone Crabs at the Keys Fishery that night and finally learned what all of the fuss was about. They were wonderful. MSC – They were only $1.25 each which is a great price.

No Name Key

Canals on No Name Key

We visited Tony and Liz (from Two Turtles) on No Name Key where they have a house. They took us on a boat tour of the canals. No Name Key currently has no power on the island. All of the homes are off the grid using solar panels and battery storage for power, and cisterns and roof collection for water. There are a few realtors who apparently speculated that are pushing for power. They have gone so far as to order poles and pay a $700,000 deposit to push it through. Tony is in the thick of the fight to keep it out.

Dollar Bills in No Name Bar

We also went to No Name Bar which is really on Big Pine Key. The walls inside are covered with Dollar Bills that people staple to the walls. Two years ago the candles were removed from the tables (for obvious reasons). While touring Big Pine Key we saw lots (20-30) of Key Deer and paid a visit to several of the area preserves where we saw turtles and an alligator.

Key Deer

The Sea Turtle Hospital

One afternoon we went on a tour of the Sea Turtle Hospital. They recover and nurse back to health sea turtles or if they can not be rehabilitated give them a home either here or at an aquarium facility. An interesting view of a really dumb animal. Perhaps not quite as bad as Manatees, but pretty slow on the uptake.

We bought fresh Mahi-Mahi at the Keys Fishery that night and cooked it on the grill. What a difference fresh caught makes.

Anniversary Dinner

Jay and Joan and Brenda and David took us to dinner at Keys Fishery to celebrate our anniversary. First we had to have the Stone Crab Claws at the bar and toast the sunset, then we stood in line downstairs to order and sit at picnic tables for dinner. Key Lime Scallops for Carole and Sushi for me. I almost ordered the Lobster Reuben Sandwich, but Reuben and Lobster doesn't seem right to me. It is however their signature dish – I met a number of those who had tried it and found no one that thought it was anything great. Dinner was great without the Lobster.

Key West

Before we left we took a trip to Key West with Tony and Liz. Took the bus to Big Pine Key and then they drove to Key West. Stopped for lunch at Hog Fish Bar. It is on Duck Key and the special is Hog Fish Sandwich. The real treat however was a walk around the dock. It is located in an old commercial dock and the work buildings are now living quarters. The occupants are artists and the decorations and art were really cool. Unfortunately we left the camera in the car.

Key West Wildlife

Key West Tame Life

In Key West we walked Duvall street from end to end. At sunset we joined the crowd at Mallory Square. We watched several of the street performers, an acrobat and fortune teller among them and enjoyed the shows. I learned that the cat trainer I saw 20 years ago was still there. He has become really weird. After at least 21 years training cats what can I expect! He did so much shouting and hollering we could not stay for the whole show. We did watch the cats jump over several kids and one jumped through a flaming hoop. We had a great day. Key West willo be a stop next year.

Cat through a flaming hoop - look quick

Sunset - Mallory Square

Wings

Found a happy hour with 25 cent wings and shrimp and $1.00 beers at Sparky's on Key Colony . Wing Rating: Meaty – 4, Heat – 2, Crispy – 3, Taste -4, Total = 13

The wings were way better than the 25 cent wings at the Hurricane on Wing Night. Those were so small that I don't think the chickens had hatched yet.

 

Miscellaneous

Some of the work we did during the month will make some things easier. I picked up the new radio that I bought at the Miami Boat Show from West Marine and installed it. I also connected it with the Chart Plotter so that the radio shows all of the information that the chart plotter does (without the map) and it sends the AIS signal to the chart. AIS is a signal sent out by all commercial vessels (and some pleasure vessels) that tells those who can receive it information about the vessels course, speed, name, and size, as well as their radio call number. The AIS can then use that information combined with information from our GPS and tell us if we are on a collision course, how close we will come to each other and how long it will take. It also lets us call them directly so that we can arrange for safe passage.

Carole made several pockets for the flybridge to hold charts and books and also sewed new velcro tabs on the flybridge windows.

I also did a definitive dinghy repair. The repair I made earlier was leaking. It turns out the dinghy is vinyl and not hypalon as I thought. I had been using the wrong glue. After a glue change all is well.

Carole took on an art project. They were selling (for a charity benefit) directional arrows to be painted with a boat name and graphic and they would be posted on a pole at the Marathon Marina. She also helped out Joan on Windsong design hers. Joan's won the award for the best sign.

Serendipity third from the top

Joan at the sign post

Windsong sign

Before we left I dove on the bottom and cleaned Barnacles off the prop.

Then we had one last Prime Rib Dinner before we left Marathon.

This was a really good layover. We met really nice folks – who invited us to come back next year. Had some good times with our friends and did some fun stuff. All without fuss. It was really relaxing.

South to Marathon

Monday, February 21^st (Presidents Day)

Pumpout, Water and sewing in the morning. We left late as we were going to an an anchorage for the night and it was only a short distance.

About halfway down the Caloosahatchie River we passed Sassy II and Mint Julep – friends from the loop and Burt Store – that were headed up the river to cross Florida on the Okeechobee Waterway and go to the Bahamas. Maybe we will see them on the East Coast ,when we head north and they are headed back to Burnt Store.

Once we entered the Gulf we saw a sea turtle as well as our dolphin friends. Turns out our Dolphin Warning Device (AKA Annie) only works when they are alongside swimming with us. If they are crossing our path she does not pay any attention to them.

When we got to Ft. Myers Beach we decided to take a mooring ball. We thought the anchorage was a bit exposed and far from town. Little did we know that the mooring would be a mile from the dinghy dock.

We took the dinghy in to the dock and took Annie for a walk through town.

Ft. Myers Beach is definitely a beach town. The streets are lined with bars and T shirt shops. It is Spring Break so the people on the street are quite varied, from girls in string bikinis and guys in baggy shorts to men and women with pot bellies and varicose veins. And not much in between, very few children. Actually quite a few nice bodies to look at thanks to spring break.

Had a really beautiful calm night.

Tuesday, February 22^nd

Foggy and calm this morning. The fog lifted at ten and we got underway to Naples. Out on the Gulf there was lots of fog left. Visibility was under 1/4 mile, however by 11 it became just hazy with a 5 mile visibility.

,

I put the fishing rod out but nothing seems to like my offerings yet.

I spoke too soon . I almost caught a fishing boat. They passed close by my stern, cut my line and kept on going. If there is any justice it snarled in their prop and shut them down.

The entrance waterway to Naples is lined with Mega Houses. To call them “starter castles” would be belittling them. Carole counted one house with 32 columns that we could see.

The city marina where we stayed is also home to many charter fishing boats. When we arrived they were busy cleaning the day,s catch with a large audience of Pelicans watching. One of them was bold enough to stand on the dock surrounded by a crowd of people.

Had a good dinner at the Boat House Restaurant and hit the sack.

Wednesday, February 23^rd

Foggy again. We did get started at 9:45. We have along trip today.

It turned in to a beautiful day on the Gulf. Calm sea and a cool breeze. We are headed to the Everglades tonight, leaving the clear blue gulf water for the muddy mangrove swamp.

From Rags

To Riches

 

As we headed south it was leaving the Condo hell of Naples and Marco Island to the jungle. One moment you see a shore lined with concrete buildings and then you can not see anything but low growing mangroves. I kind of think of it as “Rags to Riches”. That is “Glad Rags” to Natural Riches.

A short way up the Barron River in the Everglades National Park is the town of Everglades City. This is the Florida of the 50's. Small single story houses on large lots. Wide streets with no sidewalks.

Rod and Gun Club

Bank of the Everglades circa 1928

We tied up at the Rod and Gun Club. The building dates to 1884, but it actually was bought and made famous on the 1920's. At that time Mr. Barron also built the Tamiami Trail across Florida so his clients could get to the Rod and Gun Club. The bars and game room were all in polished dark woods (it was really dark inside the rooms so no pictures). One room had a pool table with leather web pockets. There was a dining room but we all were eating on the screened in Veranda. A very pleasant trip in to the past (except for the bill, but that's O.K.).

Thursday, February 24^th

We were awakened at 4, 4:30 and 5 by Stone Crabbers heading out. They were not only noisy, but their wake rocked the boat pretty hard.

Woke up to fog again this morning, but since we did not plan to leave until afternoon it was no problem.

We walked to the National Park Visitor Center and were able to squeeze in on a boat tour of the mangroves. They were sold out, but when there were two no shows we were right there to snap up the seats. It was an interesting trip through the mangrove islands with all the usual Herons, Egrets and Osprey. Part of the trip was through a mangrove tunnel. The highlight for us was a dophin hunting in 2-3 feet of water. It was circling and would toss the fish up in to the air. One toss threw a foot long fish about 10 feet high. We stopped to watch it for quite a while.

Mangrove Tunnel

When we got back from the park, about a mile walk each way, Annie cleared the dock of pelicans much to the amusement of the onlookers. A number of Marinas up north were ready to hire her to keep the geese off their docks. Down here Pelicans are the problem. An airboat came by this afternoon with two pelicans sitting on the bow looking at the passengers and waiting for handouts.

We left Everglades City about 3 and traveled 5 miles downstream to a spot in the mangroves close to the gulf.

Very peaceful. We want to get an early start tomorrow as we have 40 miles to go to the next anchorage.

Friday, February 25^th

Clear and breezy the morning, no fog.

I have been fighting a cold for the last few days and Carole has pulled a muscle, so the walking wounded take off for the Little Shark River.

There is about a 1 to 2' chop on the Gulf today. A few dolphins alongside as we entered the Gulf and I saw a ray leap out of a wave. It was about 3' across. The wind picked up a bit, but the seas remained fairly calm. They maybe got to 1 - 1/2'.

We entered the Little Shark River and anchored in the mangroves again.

There is really no, I mean zero phone service here. The Verizon Card could not find even a trace of a signal. However I did get several strikes while fishing but was not able to hook anything. I did see a sea turtle swimming downriver against the tide. It surfaced several times, but dove before I could grab the camera.

Annie's walk consisted of pushing the front of the dinghy on to a 2' x 2' muddy opening in the mangroves. She jumped on to the mud, peed and jumped back in the dingy. I think she must have heard that there were crocodiles here. I slipped on the mud getting out and Annie refused to get out of the dinghy to finish her “toilet” unless I joined her on the mud. Add to that the insects trying to eat me and it was not a pleasant experience.

Sunset in Little Shark River

At sundown the wind died and then the bugs really came out in force. The No See-um screens and electronic flyswatter really earned their keep. I did have to go out to grill dinner, but a jacket with the collar pulled over my neck and a hood made it tolerable.

Saturday, February 26^th

Mangroves in the morning

We planned on an 8 o'clock start.After taking Annie to shore for a quick trip to the mud, I found the bugs so bad that we were underway at 7:30. Breakfast and coffee waited until we were clear of the bugs.

The crossing to Marathon in the Keys was easy. We had a fun dolphin show along the way. A pod of 8-10 were leaping and diving for a while off our beam.

We arrived at the Marina by 2:30 and settled in. We met our neighbors and were in time for the grand opening of the bar. It was officially the night before, but the beer was still a $1.00. The marina and bar are still coming off a bankruptcy sale so all of the licenses are not in place. Alcohol yes, food, no – have to keep our priorities straight.

We went to Banana Resort for Dinner with Jay and Joan from Windsong.

We are in Marathon for a month.

Ft. Myers

January 17th to February 20th

The visit here has been a good one. Carole completed her art classes. I did a bunch of maintenance including a repair on the dinghy. We rented a car for the month so we had transportation most of the time – we turned the car in five days before we left.

Lots of sightseeing and we met several old friends from the loop. (Magoo, Gone Cruzn, Tony M, Goofin Off, Adida, Sassy II, and Mint Julep were among them).

This Banyon Tree (Strangler Fig) covers almost an acre

For sightseeing we went to the Edison/Ford Winter Home Complex. It was quite a treat. Edison spent many winters down here and he is the focus of an annual month long birthday celebration. The complex was where Edison tried to find a plant that would produce rubber and would grow in the US. He was concerned that we could be held hostage by foreign powers as his friends Ford and Firestone were producing more cars and using more tires. The estate is very well kept. It was donated to the city by his widow and later became a non-profit and a major attraction in Ft. Myers. Check out the statement that Edison made in 1931.

Edison on Solar

 

One of the fig trees that was planted for Rubber

This is the big Banyon Tree Planted by Edison

This is all one tree - both sides of the path

Done by Cape Coral High School Team

They did get some chalk on the street

The festival started for us the first weekend we were there with a first class art show. No crafty stuff here. The art was high quality stuff. The artists were touchy so no pictures. We did get some pictures of the Chalk Artists.

The second weekend there was Science Discovery Day with many outdoor exhibitors and the Science Fair for the schools was judged in the exhibition hall.

 The next event for us was a Jr. Edison Festival Parade on the third weekend. Lots of floats and high school bands, plus every kid activity in Lee County Florida also marched in the parade. It was a bit of fun.

Carole Solarized them so the color is wacky

Edison was the theme

The festival ended with a lighted parade on Saturday Night with fireworks to kick it off. The parade lasted two hours. The floats were all lit up. The floats and the bands were pretty much the same as the Jr. parade, except now they were lit up. They closed Florida route 41 from the high school to the waterfront park (about 2 miles) and the streets were lined on both sides with chairs for rent by the various non-profits. There were even several grandstands set up along the route. We brought our own chairs and sat behind the paid seating and could see just fine. Very patriotic people down here. Every time a color guard passed by with an American Flag everyone stood up. It got a bit old after the twentieth time.

Great fun was had by all.

I am not jiggling the Camera

The winning Float

The sightseeing that we enjoyed the most was all of the sanctuaries and county parks. 

Manatee Park is 7.5 miles north of Ft. Myers in the channel leading from the power plant to the Orange River. The town created a park there when they found that in cold weather the Manatees came there to get warm. When we arrived we were fascinated by the two or three we saw in the canal. We could see fish feeding on the algae on the manatee's backs. 

And then we turned the corner to a small backwater off the main channel. There were probably 40 manatees sleeping and sunning themselves along with a number of young ones. Wow! How cool! The manatees have to leave there to feed (no grass grows on the channel) and each manatee needs to eat 400 to 500 lbs. of grass a day. So they leave to feed and then come back to get warm. They need to stay warm for survival. They can not live in water colder than about 65º.

Black Skimmers

Bunche Beach nature preserve is a short way south of Ft. Myers on the gulf. It is a mix of sandy beach and mangrove swamp. We saw a number of new (to us on this trip) birds. It was Carole's first Anhinga. We also saw Black Skimmers, Western Sandpipers,Green Heron, Red Knots, Laughing Gulls, Herring Gulls, and Brown Pelicans.

Anhinga

 

Peninsula Cooters (Maybe)

We went to Ding Darling National Wildlife Preserve on Sannibel Island. Took a tram ride with a great guide. Not a whole lot of wildlife when we were there although we saw many of the birds we had seen before much closer. We also could see an Anhinga swimming after fish in the clear water. Boy are they quick! Lots of speed and turn on a dime under water. The guide directed us to another part of the preserve where we might see racoons, otters and bobcats (right)! When we arrived there was local resident that comes there a lot and said there was not much to see today. We decided to take a look. Spotted an alligator sunning itself about 10 ft. from a tricolor heron fishing. We also saw several Moor Hens, Florida Softshell Turtles, Peninsula Cooters (turtles), and four more alligators made the day.

A view in to the swamp

Great White Egret

The Audubon Society Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is about ½ hour drive from Ft. Myers. They have a 2 ½ mile boardwalk through the swamp. Mostly a bald cypress swamp, but some uplands and some marsh. In addition to many interesting plants we got a decent bird show. The Egrets and White Ibis were very close and unconcerned by our presence. We also saw a red shouldered hawk, Black Crowned Night Heron, Little Blue Heron, Palm Warbler and a Red Bellied Woodpecker. The real highlights were the Painted Buntings (a first for both of us) and a Pileated Woodpecker (A first for Carole). We also saw several alligators and two Florida Redbelly Turtles that wee far larger than the books say they grow. The books say they get to 13” and these were easily 18 to 20”. Another good day.

Little Blue Heron

Painted Bunting

Pileated Woodpecker

I'm Hiding - Can you find me?

The South West Florida Conservancy Sanctuary is in Naples. Much smaller than the Corkscrew Swamp, but it held its own quite well. There were two short walks including a Butterfly Garden.

Florida State Butterfly - Zebra Longwing

Strangler Fig Starting on Tree Trunk

Strangler Fig Growing Up

Part of the admission is a boat ride through the area on an electric boat. Nice and quiet so that none of the birds were disturbed. No new bird sightings, but as we approached the dock we were waved off by the people on the dock. There was a manatee poking around in the slip. It moved around to the other side and we docked. We then got to watch it feed on the mangrove leaves that were hanging over the water. It reached up with its upper lip which is split and then extended the tips like fingers. It grasped the branch the way we might hold a flower between our fingertips, and pulled the mangrove leaves into its mouth. It happened too fast to get a picture.

We stayed on to join Dave and Brenda (The Old Grouch) on a trip to the Miami Boat Show. We had to leave at 7:00 in order to get to Miami by 10:30. The show was huge. Far bigger than the Annapolis Show – although it is both Power and Sail. We spent 7 hours there and never went aboard a boat. The exhibits are in the convention center and cover two floors plus a very large tent (about 50 yards long with 4 double sided aisles). It is amazing how many gadgets, glues, and chemicals there are for boats. A day well spent. We did not get back to Ft. Myers until 10:30 at night.

And then stayed a few days to watch the Lighted Edison Parade before heading to the Keys.