FORT MYERS - WIND AND WAVES

Saturday, January 24th to Thursday, January 29th, 2015

Day 173-178
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 2644


     Early Saturday morning the wind increased and the Caloosahatchee River had two to three foot waves.  "Seahorse" was rocking in her sleep all through the night.  This, however, did not make for a very restful night for us.  The wind and waves continued throughout the rest of the day.  The waves were crashing over the dock and anyone walking by was wearing foul weather gear.  We choose not to venture out and stayed on the boat all day watching movies.  We even popped some popcorn.   

wind and waves

  Sunday was a much calmer day on the river with a lot less wind.  The front had brought in cooler air, but, it was still pleasant to be outside.  We took two walks this day.  

  Monday the wind and waves returned.  This time the waves were even higher.  It was another day to stay aboard and watch the waves crash over the breakwall (which is just a floating concrete dock). 

  Tuesday evening we gathered with other "Loopers" for a pot luck dinner.  We again were reunited with John & Kathy of "Serenity" and Glenn & Brenda of "Young at Heart".  There were about 20-30 couples who attended, some we knew and some we did not.  It was a great time with great friends and great food.    

  Wednesday was another beautiful day.  We continued to enjoy walking along the river and the downtown area.  That evening we went to dinner at Rum Runners in Cape Coral with Jim and Vicki.  They are a couple that have a boat at our home port, Holiday Point Marina, and have a winter home in Fort Myers.  We didn't know them very well, but enjoyed getting to know them better over dinner.

  Thursday is the day for the Farmers Market.  We couldn't wait to go and get some more fresh strawberries and other fresh fruits and vegetables.  While Angie was doing the weekly laundry task, Dan was replacing the fresh water pump.  Last week he thought he was able to fix it, but, after one day, it failed again.  A new one was ordered from West Marine.  They were kind enough to deliver to the marina.  Hopefully, this new pump will last longer than the last one.  That evening we went to another pot luck dinner.  The boaters at the marina have one every Thursday evening.

  This past week has been a mix of just relaxing and doing nothing and getting together with other boaters for dinner.  We are enjoying the "down time" and not being quite so busy.  Although, it doesn't make for very interesting blog posts.  We are planning to stay at Legacy Harbour Marina for the month of February and just take it easy and enjoy the sunshine and palm trees.     

FORT MYERS, FL - REUNITING WITH FRIENDS

Wednesday, January 21st to Friday, January 23rd, 2015

Day 170-172
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 2644


  Wednesday we got a surprise visit from Mark & Jane on "Average Looper" and Tom & Jan on "Navigator".  We had met them at the Fall AGLCA Rendezvous and had not run into them since.  They were docked at Fort Myers Beach and drove over for a visit.  We had a great time catching up with the four of them.  That afternoon, the daughter of Henry, one of the men that helped Dan bring the boat to our home port after its purchase, stopped by to meet us and welcome us to Fort Myers.  She and her husband live just 2 miles from the marina and have lived in the area for over 40 years.  That evening we had dinner with "gold loopers" (meaning they have completed their great loop cruise) Craig & Barb on "Blue Heron".  They are from the Cincinnati area and we had dinner with them on our stop there back in August.


  Thursday was a shopping day.  Fort Myers has a nice farmers market every Thursday morning.  It is located just a little over one block from Legacy Harbour Marina.  We loaded up with fresh fruits and vegetables.  We then took our little red wagon and walked to the Publix store, also only a little over one block away, to get the rest of our groceries.  Now, we just have to stop going out to eat and enjoy our recent purchases.  That afternoon Mark & Becky aboard "Mara Beel" drove over from Bradenton for a visit.  We all went over to Cape Coral and met up with John & Kathy on "Serenity" and Glenn & Brenda on "Young at Heart" (who now had officially "crossed their wake" - meaning they completed their looping journey and were back were they first started).  That evening we went to dinner with them and three other couples who were all "gold loopers".  


  Friday morning was about chores and repairs.  The fresh water pump, which Dan replaced while we were in Pittsburgh back in June, was acting up again.  He was able to get it working again.  He also fixed one of the cabinet door latches.  Angie did the laundry.  For lunch we enjoyed some of the fresh strawberries we had bought at the farmers market the day prior.  They were delicious.  That afternoon we saw a couple walking down the dock that we recognized from the fall AGLCA rendezvous - Sharon & Bill aboard "Cport III".  They have a home in Cape Coral and had come over to the marina to see if there were any "Loopers" that they knew.  We visited with them for quite awhile.  And, again, we went out to dinner with friends.  This time it was with Marty & Anita whom we met in Pittsburgh on our "shake down" cruise.  They are spending the winter in Cape Coral.  We walked to downtown and ate at the Ford Garage - great burger place with neat decor.  The bathroom sinks were made out of a tire and the faucet was an old gas pump.

Marty and Anita

  After dinner we walked further downtown.  Fort Myers was having their annual Celtic Festival and a band was playing Celtic music.  There were people dressed in kilts, including one of the band members. 

Celtic Band

    It was a great three days reuniting with friends, those we had just traveled with and those we hadn't seen in a while, and meeting some new ones.     

PELICAN BAY AT CAYO COSTA, FL TO FORT MYERS, FL

Tuesday, January 20th, 2015

Day 169
Miles Traveled: 34
Total Miles Traveled: 2644


  We had a wonderful evening at anchor at Pelican Bay.  We awoke to an overcast sky, but this did not dampen our spirit as we were finally going to reach our winter based destination, Fort Myers, by the end of the day.  We did cruise in and out of some rain showers, but nothing severe.  Not a very good day for picture taking on the waterway.  

  John & Kathy on "Serenity" and Glenn & Brenda on "Young at Heart" followed our lead again today.  They, however, where ending their cruising day at Cape Coral.  So we said goodbye and looked forward to being able to cruise again with them someday.  

  We cruised south on Pine Island Sound.  At the southeast tip of Pine Island we entered into what is known as "The Miserable Mile".  It is a narrow passage with shallow water on either side and runs across the north end of San Carlos Bay.  There is a lot of cross current making it difficult to cruise a straight line.  We made it through "The Miserable Mile" just fine.  Shortly afterwards, the Gulf ICW ends and we entered back into a river system, the Caloosahatchee River. 

last buoy on The Gulf ICW - or the first if you are going north

Caloosahatchee River

  The saying never fails - "You never know what you are going to see on the river".  

A floating bait shop

  Our cruising day ended at our winter lay over location at Legacy Harbour Marina in downtown Fort Myers, FL.  

Fort Myers, FL from the river

Legacy Harbour Marina

  We are looking forward to our stay here at Legacy Harbour.  We have a great view out our front window and an even better view out the back.  

"Seahorse" docked at her new winter home at Legacy Harbour Marina

front porch view

back porch view

  It has been a great adventure and feeling of accomplishment to have finally made it to this destination.  We plan to stay at Fort Myers for a least one month before continuing our Great Loop journey in early spring.  Until then we plan to explore Fort Myers, relax, enjoy the Florida sunshine, and watch beautiful sunsets every evening.      

PLACIDA, FL TO PELICAN BAY AT CAYO COSTA, FL

Sunday, January 18th to Monday, January 19th, 2015

Day 167-168
Miles Traveled on Monday: 9
Total Miles Traveled: 2610


  Sunday we stayed at the dock at Gaspirilla Marina in Placida, FL.  Dan was able to get the windless fixed in no time at all.  An in-line fuse had some corrosion.  Once he cleaned off the corrosion, the windless worked just fine.  

  John & Kathy on "Serenity" and Glenn & Brenda on "Young at Heart" arrived at the marina late morning and we helped them dock.  After lunch, we walked across Boca Grande bridge to an area where a local resident advised us that there was a restaurant, some shops, and a fresh fish market.  We browsed through the shops, and, even bought ourselves a fun rug to help keep the cockpit floor a little cleaner.  We also located the fresh fish market and planned to return for a purchase.

Dan with mermaid sculpture in front of store

new rug - fun flip flops

  After our walk, we sat up in the flybridge and enjoyed the sunny day.  We observed two ospreys circling the water looking for their next meal.  One was successful at catching a big fish.  The second one decided he wanted to be invited for this hearty dinner.  Our eyes could not believe what happened next. 

"Invite me to dinner or else I will sit on your head"

  We had "docktails" on "Young at Heart" and with "Serenity" as well.  Was a nice evening with fellow Loopers.

  Sunday morning we walked back across the bridge to the shops and fish market.  Kathy on "Serenity" went along as well.  We all bought some fresh seafood for dinner that evening.

Kathy and Angie with some fun flamigos

 

  By late morning we left Gaspirilla Marina and led the way to Charlotte Harbor.  "Young at Heart" and "Serenity" were following as we made our way to the anchorage at Pelican Bay that is just off the shore of Cayo Costa State Park.  We had 2-3 foots waves as we went across Boca Grande Inlet (opening to The Gulf of Mexico) and at one point we were swaying about 25 degrees back and forth.  Fortunately, this didn't last long and we were back in more protected waters.    

"Young at Heart" and "Serenity"

Charlotte Harbor

  The entrance to get into Pelican Bay, called Pelican Pass, has some shallow areas.  We went slow and watched the depth sounder closely.  It was worth the effort, because the anchorage was beautiful. 

"Seahorse" at anchor in Pelican Bay

  After getting our anchor set and having some lunch, we put the dinghy, "Pufferfish", in the water and headed over to the dinghy dock at Cayo Costa State Park and met up with John & Kathy on "Serenity" and Glenn & Brenda on "Young at Heart".   We rode the tram to the gulf side where there was a nice beach.  Dan and Kathy took off their shoes and enjoyed the cool Gulf waters and sand between their toes. 

Waiting for the tram to leave - Dan, Kathy, Glenn, Brenda, John

Dan and Kathy walking barefoot on the beach

  

  After docktails on "Serenity", we returned to the boat and Dan grilled the fresh Mahi Mahi fillets we bought at the fish market.  Dinner was delicious.  It was a great travel day and beach walking day with great friends.

   
  

SARASOTA, FL TO PLACIDA, FL

Friday, January 16th to Saturday, January 17th, 2015

Day 165-166
Miles Traveled on Saturday: 39
Total Miles Traveled: 2601


 Friday was a "get some jobs done" day - laundry, shopping, boat washing, etc.  We ventured to a Wholefoods Store for some light provisioning (getting food and supplies before cruising).  This is the first time either of us had been in one of these grocery stores.  Many of the items are "organic" (which means more expensive) so we were glad that we didn't need to get a lot.  It did have a great deli department and we bought some Waldorf chicken salad and egg salad for our upcoming lunches.  There were about six different chicken salad varieties to choose from and they all looked very tasty.  Mark & Becky on "Mara Beel", John & Kathy on "Serenity", and (new to us) Glenn & Brenda on "Young at Heart" came for a visit from Bradenton, FL where they are currently docked.  We had a nice visit over drinks at the marina's Portside Patio.  Afterwards, we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

sunset at Marina Jacks overlooking Island Park and Sarasota Bay behind it

  Saturday we left Sarasota, FL and began our journey across Sarasota Bay.  We had a beautiful day to travel with lots of sunshine, unlike our previous cruising day.  It was a little windy, but the sun kept us warm. 

Sarasota Bay 

  In contrast to the larger open water on the Sarasota Bay, we also had a couple of sections that were land cuts which were straight and narrow.  They reminded us of our river boating days. 

land cut through Venice, FL

  
  We encountered our first swing bridge - the Blackburn Swing Bridge.  It was interesting to watch it open and close.  For this swing bridge, the bridge operator has to walk to the center of the bridge to complete the task.  For other bridges, it can be accomplished from a building on land at the end of the bridge.

Blackburn Swing Bridge opening

"Seahorse" cruising through the channel - the bridge is on the right and road on the left with cars waiting as we passed through

  Another first for this cruising day was we had a passenger - or more correctly a "hitch hiker".  This blue heron decided to ride with us for awhile.  He started out on the bow rail, and decided he enjoyed the ride so much that he hopped down onto the deck.  I guess we got him to his desired destination because off he flew. 

"Our Hitch Hiker"

He decided to stay awhile

  We were planning on ending our day in the early afternoon at a beautiful anchorage near Englewood Beach.  However, the windless (what helps to drop and pull up the anchor) had other plans.  Unable to get it functional, we decided to move on further south.  We had reservations for Gasparilla Marina in Placida, FL for the following evening, so we called to arrive a day early and they were able to accommodate us.  Fortunately, we were only about 11 miles away, and at trawler speed that is about 2 hours, so we would arrive before dark.  Dan will have to try and fix the windless while we are at the marina for a couple days.  Like a house, on a boat there is always something to repair, improve, or clean.    
     

SARASOTA, FL - THE RINGLING

Thursday, January 15th, 2015

Day 164
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 2562



  No trip to Sarasota, FL would be complete without a visit to The Ringling.  John Ringling, of the famous Ringling Brother's Circus, left behind a large art museum and a large and very elaborate home.  He and his wife, Mable (originally from Ohio), did not have any children.  Mable passed in 1929.  This was a devastating year for John Ringling.  Not only did he lose his wife, but, he also lost all his fortune due to The Great Depression.  He had some debt at that time and after several years the court ordered Mr. Ringling to sell the home and grounds to pay off his debtors.  Five days before the estate was to be put up for sale, John died.  As per his will, the house and grounds were left to the State of Florida.  The state has kept up the estate and maintains a Ringling Museum campus.  Within, one will find the Bayfront Gardens, the Circus Museum, the Ca' d'Zan mansion, and The Museum of Art.
To learn more about TheRingling go to: http://www.ringling.org/      

  We started our visit with a tour of Ca' d'Zan, which in Venetian dialect means the House of John.  This was the winter residence of John and Mable Ringling.  John believed Sarasota would become a world-class tourist destination and decided to build his new winter home in the area.  Construction of the Venetian Gothic style home started in 1924 and was completed in 1926 at a cost of $1.5 million, or approximately $20.9 million in today's dollars.  They hosted many guests and large parties at Ca' d'Zan.  The furnishings inside were very lush and elaborate.  Most all the ceilings had detailed paintings, most floors were marble, and most windows were stained glass. 

aerial view of Ca' d'Zan (taken from website)

front entrance of Ca' d'Zan

The Court Room (living room)

  We moved on to The Tibbals Learning Center.  This houses the "Howard Bros. Circus Model" which is the world's largest miniature circus.  Howard Tibbal has taken over 50 years to create this exceptional miniature circus model.  The detail of each and every piece was astonishing to us.  Along the way were informative plaques educating the visitor about the workings of a circus, from the weeks before arrival until the last tent moving to the next location.  It was amazing to learn how efficient the circus was run to be able to set up in several hours, entertain an entire community, tear down, and be on their way to the next location by the end of the day.

The Fairway

Main tent - one ring

Main tent - center ring

Main tent - third ring

Meal tent for the circus workers - notice the detail - small pieces of food and silverware

  We moved onto the Original Circus Museum which houses some of the original wagons, outfits, and equipment used.  Of interest was the railroad car " The Wisconsin".  This was the first private railroad car of John and Mable Ringling.  The car was named "The Wisconsin" to honor the state where they initially had lived and the circus was quartered.  It is 70 feet long and 10 feet high.  Within are 3 staterooms, a dining room, an observation room, a kitchen, and one crew quarters.

"The Wisconsin"

  We also saw several circus wagons, a band wagon, and The Zacchini Repeating Firing Cannon (used for the human cannonball).  The Firing Cannon was Dan's favorite.  (This is Dan and wouldn't it be fun to drive one of these around?)  The band wagon led the parade that occurred before the start of the circus and was usually very ornate.  The one on display was called "The Five Graces and was used from 1898-1902 by Barnum and Bailey's European tour,  It weighs over eight tons and was pulled by a team of forty horses.

"The Five Graces" Band Wagon

The Zacchini Repeating Firing Cannon

  We ended our tour with a walk of the grounds and the gardens.  There are several on the campus.   One that was particularly nice was just outside the Museum of Art.  We did not have time to venture into this museum.  

Courtyard garden outside the Museum of Art

  Sometimes good things must come to an end.  The tented circus era came to a close on July 16th, 1956 in Pittsburg, PA.  That evening an audience of 10,000 people saw the last performance of the Ringling Show under canvas.  It is a little ironic that this same location is where our dream began.  We had decided if we could survive the cruise to Pittsburg, then we would start our Great Loop adventure.  And so it began.  

    

    

ST. PETERSBURG, FL TO SARASOTA, FL

Wednesday, January 14th, 2015

Day 163
Miles Traveled: 39
Total Miles Traveled: 2562



  We enjoyed our short stay at St. Petersburg, FL, but were anxious to continue to move further south and explore more places.  One nice thing about the St. Petersburg downtown marinas is that they are protected from the waves of Tampa Bay by breakwater walls.  These are walls made of rock and may be continuous or in sections with some openings for navigation.  Thanks to these structures we were able to have a nice calm dockage.    

leaving St. Petersburg Municipal Marina and downtown St. Pete

Breakwaters that keep waves from coming into the marina basin

  The weather was a little cool and overcast, but we were happy to be underway.  Our journey today took us down and across Tampa Bay.  It extends 25 miles north to south and about 10 miles east to west.  There is a main shipping channel that runs through the middle of Tampa Bay and allows ocean going vessels to travel up to Tampa, FL.  We passed by two vessels that made "Seahorse" look like a little toy boat. 

US Coast Guard vessel

Ocean tanker

  To get to the south end of Tampa Bay we had to go under the famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It is over 425 feet high at the top of the cable towers, has 175 foot clearance at the center, and stretches across the bay for almost 11 miles.  This bridge replaced an older bridge that was struck and destroyed by a freighter, the MV Summit Venture, in 1980.  After completion of the new bridge, structures called "dolphins" were placed around the supporting pillars.  These "dolphins" are concrete barriers and are designed to keep a ship from hitting the main supports.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge

Center span of Sunshine Skyway Bridge

dolphins surrounding the bridge supports

  After leaving Tampa Bay we entered Anna Maria Sound and then Sarasota Bay.  There were many large and elaborate homes along Sarasota Bay.  Unforntunately, we were not able to get a great view of them due to the overcast skies.  One of particular interest was the past home of John Ringling, of the Ringling Circus.  The name of the home is Ca' d'Zan and we hope to see this place up close and personal after arriving in Sarasota.  Another interesting building seen from the water was The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.  Its lavender color and seashell shape made it stand out among all the Sarasota skyscrapers.

Ca' d'Zan - Ringling's home

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

Sarasota, FL

  We arrived at our final destination, Marina Jacks, about mid afternoon.  This marina is right in the heart of downtown Sarasota, FL. 

Arriving at Marina Jacks and downtown Sarasota, FL

  We got in early enough to take a walk around the area.  There is a nice park called Island Park right next to the marina.  It has a great walking area, playground, water fountain, and Tiki Bar.  We walked further into downtown and discovered many eateries and boutique shops.  Many were a little upscale for our taste, but it was nice to window shop.  A central part of downtown is know as "The Five Points".  In 1885, a surveying team cleared a ten foot area and the leader, Richard Paulson, announced "We will lay out the town of Sarasota from this hub.".  Initially an artesian well was placed in the center to provide water for all the locals.  The well was later replaced by a flag pole with the Stars and Stripes to honor those serving in World War I.  A nearby ornamental clock has keep time in Sarasota since 1925. 

Five Points intersection

ornamental clock

  A tribute to World War II was found just steps away form the marina.  The sculpture, called "Unconditional Surrender", was based on a photograph taken on Times Square during Victory over Japan Day celebration.

"Unconditional Surrender"

  We retired early today after busy day on land and sea.