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Fort Myers Beach |
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1 December 2008 Click on picture
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Matanzas Harbour
mooring fields
Matanzas Harbour
mooring fields, looking out over the shrimping fleet
Adam balancing on the arch, sorting a sail batten
Crew in training |
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After an eventful
arrival at Fort Myers Beach and clearing in to the US, time to look at the
logistics of getting to Annapolis to collect our stuff from storage.
Fort Myers Beach is definitely a tourist area. A long narrow
island with a beautiful white sand beach with resorts, condominiums and some
very nice private homes.
The harbour between Fort Myers Beach island and San Carlos
Island is well sheltered and there are many local facilities. Unfortunately,
the main shops are mostly driving distance away towards Fort Myers and Cape
Coral, so we rent a car for a day from time to time to catch up with
shopping needs.
With the boat on a secure mooring and not swinging at
anchor on a loose silt bottom, we were happy to leave her to make the trip
to Annapolis.
We flew up to Baltimore from Ft. Myers on Tuesday morning.
Picked up a budget truck in Baltimore and were loading our stuff in
Annapolis by 4pm. Finished the store room by 7pm and dived into the closest
motel.
8am Wednesday we were at the boat yard where we had kept Dream On to collect
our dinghy and hoped to be able to say our final farewells to Dream On. But
she had left on Monday to be sailed down the Chesapeake Bay to Herrington
Harbor for some bottom repairs.
Met up with our broker Todd Taylor in Annapolis to collect a few items he
had retrieved from DO before she left, then headed south. The total journey
will be about 1,200 miles. First overnight in Florence in South Carolina,
having driven through Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, (Carol & Bob - the
Charleston route).
Thursday we had a Chinese buffet lunch date in Kingsland on the Florida
border with Bobbie & Gordon who are in the process of moving out of their
summer RV travelling home and back onto their boat in Brunswick with their 2
large dogs and 2 large parrots.
Thursday night at Melbourne in Florida just north of Vero Beach so we could
meet up with John & Mikki Powers Friday morning and collect our mail and
other deliveries that they are kindly holding for us, then back to Ft. Myers
Beach by Friday night and back on to Dreaming On.
On Saturday morning we brought Dreaming On from her mooring out in the
harbour to Salty Sam's Marina to start loading. Two days and many dock trolley loads down to our slip and
finally an empty truck, but a very congested Dreaming On.
It took us over 3 years to make the most of Dream On's
storage nooks and crannies and here we are trying to achieve the same on
Dreaming On within 2 days!
A real rush to try to have Dreaming On partway
shipshape in time for Adam and Simon to visit us for Christmas
with Adam arriving only two days after we arrived in Fort Myers Beach with
our truck load! |
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Adam getting ready
to go up the mast to install the radar reflector
Up the mast
sorting out the courtesy flag lines
Putting up the
main
Crew resting |
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Cayo
Costa, Pelican Bay and Captiva |
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22 December 2008 Click on picture
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Cayo Costa beach
A fin??
Swimming with
dolphins
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With Adam and Simon
on board, we left Fort Myers Beach, Matanzas Harbor on 22nd December, timing
our departure for a rising tide as we knew we would get stuck along the way
as we did on our arrival.
Sure enough, we sat for close to 4 hours in one spot
waiting for just a few more inches of water or a wave to take us off.
Anchored for the night just inside the Big Carlos Pass Bascule Bridge.
Left early on 23rd for an outside run from Big Carlos Pass
at the south end of Fort Myers Beach entering Charlotte Harbor at the
northern tip of Cayo Costa and anchoring in the very pleasant Pelican Bay.
By now we have discovered that everything around here is
shallow, even for a catamaran.
Had time to explore the Gulf beaches of Cayo Costa which
is a nature reserve.
24th December, motor down the Intracoastal Waterway
passing Useppa and Cabbage Keys to Captiva. Adam & Simon kayaked ashore and
had time for a run down the island. Christmas Eve on board in relatively
traditional style.
Christmas Day - Went ashore for lunch on the island of
Captiva. Not quite turkey and all the trimmings, but the weather was warm
and it's a great little island.
On the dinghy ride back to the boat which was anchored
some way off the island in the inner waterway, we came across a large pod of
dolphins playing with calves jumping out of the water. Adam and Simon
climbed overboard quietly and swam up to them. There was no actual contact,
but the dolphins came to within 3 metres, (3 yards for our US readers!). A
great experience which we've always hoped for but not had the opportunity so
far.
After our Christmas lunch and dolphin encounter, time to
move south so we could get Simon to Fort Myers Airport on 26th. Motored down
the waterway past Sanibel Island and into the very shallow entry to the
Caloosahatchee River to anchor in Glovers Bight.
Simon left us on the morning of the 26th to fly back to
New York and immediately connect to London for a short visit. He is actually
based in New York, (Manhattan) for a year |
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Kayaking at
Captiva
Yeah!
Xmas fun
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Marco Island |
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Click on picture
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Gulf Intercoastal
Waterway
Sanibel Bridge -
the new bridge, which we could not fit under! |
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Our intention was
to head south to Marco Island immediately after Simon left. To do this we
would need to get outside the inland waterway and into the Gulf of Mexico
again through the opening Span A of the Sanibel Causeway, which according to
our book opened every 15 minutes. So we filled up with fuel and water at
Tarpon Pointe Marina in Glovers Bight and headed that way only to
find they built a new bridge, opened in July 2008, fixed at 65'!!!
We have a 71' foot mast!
So turn around, retrace our route back up the inland waterway to Captiva, sneaking out of
the narrow and intricate Redfish Pass exit into the Gulf just at sunset.
Anchored on the outside of North Captiva overnight on 26th, then made a 60
mile run on 27th to Naples Beach, anchoring right off the resort beach.
Moved on into Marco Island on 28th, anchoring in Factory
Bay. (More scenic than it sounds!). Nice island, good shops within walking
distance. Spent a couple of nights there until 30th when Adam left by taxi
to return to Fort Myers Airport for his return flight to London via
Charlotte, NC.
It was great having the two here for Christmas, taking
time out of their hectic lives to spend time with us and to meet Dreaming
On.
As we dinghied back to the boat, having seen Adam off, we
made the spot decision to leave immediately for Key West so we would be
there for New Year. |
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Pelicans sunning
themselves at Marco Island
Pelican preening
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Key West |
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31 December 2008 Click on picture
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Key West - Westin
Marina
Key West
Portugese Man of War Jelly fish floating in the current |
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Left Marco Island
around 15.30 on 30th for the 80 mile trip to Key West. Very pleasant sail to
start with and actually had the sails up for the whole journey for the first
time. Having started at around 8 knots on Wednesday afternoon and evening,
our speed dropped to around 3 knots during the night. So we idled one engine
overnight and motor sailed at 4-5 knots in calm seas.
It was a very dark night, so many shooting stars to see. An
overnight phosphorescence illuminated dolphin visit. Hundreds of luminous
jelly fish. Also during the night, we heard the most eerie bird call.
Obviously a sea bird but not yet identified. And in the morning, turtles
basking in the morning sunshine.
Arrived in Key West around 11am on Thursday 31st. Time for
lunch, a siesta after our overnight then to hit the town.
Key West is a fascinating, lively and eclectic place all year round,
but on New Year's Eve it is phenominal. It was just humming.
Our anchorage was so much calmer and the weather so much
warmer than on our previous visit for Christmas 2004 on our maiden voyage on
Dream On. (Here we are visiting Key West and Marathon and later Fort
Lauderdale, on our maiden voyage on Dreaming On, just as we did with Dream
On).
We enjoyed three great days in Key West, re-visiting our
all time favourite oyster restaurant, the Conch Republic Seafood Company,
their Baked Oysters Callaloo are out of this world! Then sipping mojitos as the sun set.
4th January, time to move on. With early morning rain and
overcast skies but with an improving forecast, we headed out early morning
for the 42 mile run to Marathon, also in the Florida Keys.
Anchored off Boot Key outside Marathon Harbor overnight on
4th as we are too tall to go in the normal entry due to overhead cables.
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Sunset at Key West |
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Marathon, Florida |
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5th January 2009 Click on picture
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Relaxing on board
Cleaning the bottom of the dinghy
We've been here too long!
Seahorse spotted next to the boat |
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Picked up fuel and
water at the west entrance of Boot Key Harbor, just before the
bridge and cables, then out again, around Boot Key to the south eastern
entrance, the winding Sister Creek to pick up a mooring in the harbor for a month to sort out storage on
Dreaming On and install a whole list of items. We
spent 6 weeks in Marathon in early 2005, for final installation of
watermaker etc on Dream On. Here we are again with a bigger list of jobs for
Dreaming On.
Marathon is full of boats of every description. It's a
scenic harbour between two keys with plenty of boat traffic to watch during
idle moments. Every possible marine service is available here and many
"normal" shops have marine stock that their mainland stores would not
usually hold.
Our bikes are ashore and as there is only one main road
through the Keys, every shop we need is on that road and no more than 10
minutes by bike or dinghy.
There is a wide variety of restaurants and Iza has
re-discovered the fishing tackle shop that runs weekly fishing seminars.
Installed a new 3000W inverter, which manages our battery
bank and provides 110V when required. This should reduce generator running
time. Began installation of a new 110V modular
watermaker. A challenge to find space for all the bits without taking up
otherwise useable storage space. This one is 4 times larger than in Dream On
so a slightly bigger challenge. Began installation
of new high amp alternators and smart charging system, This and the inverter
installation required 110 feet of high grade battery cable one inch thick to
make sure the the volts and amps get to where they are needed.
We've seen manatees, small eagle rays, small turtles and
our very first ever seahorse. We have searched some of the world's best
diving spots and never seen a seahorse. Then in Marathon, Iza went to shake
off a piece of weed attached to the dinghy painter and it turned out to be a
6" seahorse! Had lots of problems with fuel on one
engine, most likely caused by old dirty fuel in the tanks and the inevitable
condensation from being in the tropics all her life. Having tried every
cheap cure over a period of 10 days or so without success, drove to Miami,
picked up a new fuel pump, installed it and the engine started first time.
This is the engine that cools the fridge, so our little 200
Dollar ice maker has had a busy couple of weeks providing ice to keep the
fridge cool. So with port engine running and a very
short weather window to head to Fort Lauderdale, we left Marathon on 18th
February for an overnight run of 125NM. |
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Kittiwake, with
John and Mary, leaving Marathon, heading to Key West
Tranquility with
Leigha on top of the mast to hold their antenna down under the overhead
cables as they leave Marathon. Leigha is now famous in Marathon.
Tranquility back
and leaving again. Cameron, Leigha, Maya and Fynn. Hope we see them again
some time.
Fog in Marathon
Harbour |
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