Visit from the North

We had a nice surprise today; a visit from one of our cruising friends from two years ago; Rick Lovekin.
Rick was on Holiday in St. Petersburg FL, after a busy project season in Coberg Ontario.  Unfortunately his wife, Sue, was still back in Ontario putting the finishing touches on a new store.  ;(
But, we had a great visit with Rick on the AB, then dinner, and a walk down town.  

Fort Myers Beach - March 2011

Dean, Jim, and Sharon

We've been in Fort Myers Beach for nearly 2-1/2 weeks now...  It's been interesting.  By comparison, it's like a mini-Key West.
 It's has it's "Times Square" which is like Mallory Square at Key West, where street performers do their thing about every night, after sundown. Very nice.  (Escape artists, magic shows, juggling, etc.)

Of course, the college students are here... (Spring break), as well as the 'snow-birds' and without a doubt...cruisers.
We had a visit from one of my High School friends, Sharon (stanton) Miller.  Great day catching up on our respective lives.


Beach - looking west



Dean as Pirate of the Caribbean



beachgoer

 The beaches here in Fort Myers Beach are wonderful.  Crowded now, but still great !!!   Great for people watching, for sure!



  Bonita Bills is a 'watering hole' for many of the cruisers (and even a few pelicans when the fishing boats come in).  Nice bar...  great people.  Live music a lot of the days, and evenings. 

Even the Pelicans come to
Bonita Bills





randy, kathy, bruce, and esther
at Bonita Bills Bar and restaurant

 


 

Everglades stop - 10,000 Islands

As mentioned before, we stopped amid the 10,000 Islands near Everglades City...and anchored for a week in Russell Pass.  (We did stop in the Little Shark River in the "glades" as well, but only for an overnight stay).
Below are some photos from this stop.  The s/v Troubadour was our sailing 'buddy' on this hop.  The photos don't really show the beauty of the place...and the quiet...(with the exception of bird calls...).   You hear the water slipping through the mangrove roots... and dolphins breathing... but not a lot more.   OH... and STARS.........wow... absolutely NO light pollution.  

Spinaker Flying will crossing Florida Bay

It was a gorgeous day, the first day of sailing north across Florida Bay.  The wind was just about on our stern so we flew the spinaker, nearly all day.
It's still a pain to set up and fly, even with the dousing sock, because of all the extra sheets, tacklines, etc. required, but it is pretty, and useful...  We were pulling a fairly steady 5 to 6+ knots with it flying.   NICE!!!



the Perkins' - on board in the Everglades

  This photo was one of the Happy Hours on AB.  The next is a Happy Hour on Troubadour.


Happy Hour on Troubadour - Everglades

 Happy Hours occur even in the middle of the Everglades.  Nice times. 



Dinghies to Everglades City

  We left the big boats anchored in Russell Pass, and took the dinghies on a 4 mile (one way) ride into Everglades City.  Quite the ride, but at least we could be at plane most of the way....


Russell Pass - Mangroves

We were trying to take a picture of the crocodile (salt water croc) that kept 'cruising' both of our boats...  more curious than aggressive.   But you can see the calm waters, and the mangroves that line both sides of the waterway.  

Rod & Gun Club - Everglades City

The Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City is not to be missed.
It truly is a "step BACK in Time"....  and it's gorgeous !!!
We (the Perkins' and Perrys) ate lunch there after a walking tour of the city (which didn't take long, by the way... ).

Fort Myers Beach - AFTER Everglades 10,000 Islands

I hadn't realized it had been so long since I've added to this website.  wow...  Anyway, since we finished the water system...(which works fine by the way.... multiple tanks, multiple valves for control... Excellent !!!) we've left Marathon Key (Boot Key Harbor),

We enjoyed riding out to Sombrero Beach in the dinghies.... with other cruisers (here the Perkins).

Nancy and Ed cruising in comfort.



 Leaving Marathon we passed under the Seven Mile Bridge, and sailed north to the Little Shark River in the Everglades.  We flew the spinaker on the way to the Little Shark.  

After the Little Shark we sailed up to Indian Key Pass, still in the Everglades, but near Everglades City.  We anchored in Russell Pass for nearly a week.  Saw lots of birds, dolphins, a few crocodiles (or the same one multiple times), and finally took the dinghy to Everglades City (at plane) with the Perkins (s/v Troubadour).

We had Sydney in swimming off of Indian Key (near the Gulf of Mexico)... (photo)


Swimming at Indian Key Pass



Sand spit at Indian Key

A week in the "glades" was enough for us... we motor-sailed passed the San Romano Shoals, then north to Ft Myers Beach.

We "Lucked out" and got a mooring ball the first night.  Then moved up closer to the Matanzas Inn after a call from the s/v Intransition (Kathy, and Randy) that a boat was leaving a mooring near them.  Nice !!
So... we're here for the better part of a month...    We were hoping to see some of the 'cousins' up here on the west side of FL...   We'll see how that works out (???)

New Fuel Transfer Pump
Bow tank to Mid-ship tank

We caught some "weather" this morning (thursday), so we did some inside projects.  I replaced the fuel transfer pump that moves diesel fuel from the bow tank to the mid-ship tank.   I replaced some of the zincs in the heat exchangers, and engine.  

Looking forward to exploring this community over the coming weeks.
More later.