Ocean Breeze

Friday, January 28, 2011

Great Loop Date: 1.11-1.19.2011 - Coming to The End of The Mainland...

Days #152-159: 2986.2 total miles
Port #67-68: Naples to Marco Island, FL

Todd and I were excited about coming to Naples. Our contractor, Nick Petti, has a condo in Naples we had made plans to see him. Also, we had never been to Naples except to pass through on our way to the Keys.

Day #152-156: 1/11-15/2011 – Tuesday through Saturday
Port # 67: Naples City Dock, Naples, FL

We left Ft. Myers Beach in overcast skies. We'd had early fog that had finally lifted promising a good travel day on the Gulf. This was the first time we were out of the ICW on the Gulf since our Big Bend crossing from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs. We were a little apprehensive until we saw the flat seas ahead of us. The skies remained overcast until just a few miles from Naples when a dense fog set in. We could hear other boats talking to each other. OB's radar helped us 'see' where land was and where the boats were around us. However, we had to spot crabpots ourselves. Crabpots are floats tethered to cages that are on the floor of the ocean. They can be a real problem if a prop or shaft catch one of those tethers. Even with the cutting spurs on our shafts, OB could still pick up a crabpot at the wrong angle and end up crippled at sea.

As we came into Gordon Pass, the beauty of southern Florida began to appear along side of us.

Of course, these two speed boats had to break the beauty and leave big wakes that rocked OB. Just after they made the turn out of Gordon Pass into the Gordon River, they had to reduce their speed to idle speed. It's hard to understand the thinking behind their rush to slow to a near stop.

As we brought OB around the first corner, big beautiful homes began to appear along the west shore of the Gordon River.

The east shore remained natural and unspoiled.

The houses got bigger...

...and bigger!

Once we were out of the idle speed zone, we didn't know if we could go faster than minimum wake speed. Of course, there are always the impatient boaters that just can't wait to get around and move on...

...and they always seem to come in threes!

Now big estates were appearing on the east shore....

...too!

Todd brought OB into the City Dock without a problem. The tides were getting bigger...3 feet in Naples. High tide brought the edge of the boat just above the dock. Low tide made getting off the boat difficult for short legs. Charlie didn't see land while we were in Naples. It was just to difficult to get him up on the dock. He seems to accept being boat bound when it's impossible to take him to land.

NII Wishin rejoined us at Naples. They were put at the other end of our dock. It's always good to get back together with our Looper friends. We've been separated at different times but stay in touch with each other.

This pelican was a dock favorite because of his attitude. He was missing his right foot but managed without a problem.

Wednesday, our first full day in Naples, we walked 8 blocks to 3rd Street. It is an area with high end shops, salons and restaurants. The next day, Nick told us very few locals go to this area shop. Most of the people we saw there were tourists.

I guess that explains why most of the shops in this plaza were empty. Tourism has probably taken a beating with the economy although there seemed to be a lot of people and cars in the area. The restaurants had very small crowds in them.

This was a really pretty fountain and statue beside one of the restaurants and at the foot of the plaza with the empty store fronts.

Thursday, Nick and his friend Matt came to visit us. We all went to lunch at the restaurant by the docks. After lunch, they took us around Naples and showed us so much. Old Naples is a beautiful city that abounds with activities and entertainment.

A beautiful sunset finished a wonderful day.

Friday Jerry, Joan, Todd and I walked to Tin City. In the 1920s Tin City’s tin roofed buildings were the hub of economic development and transport which was made possible by the construction of the Seaboard Airline Railroad. As a result, this stretch of the Gordon River became the heart of Naples’ fishing industry, including clam shelling, oyster processing, boat construction and maintenance operations.

In the 1970s, seven of Tin City’s sturdy old buildings were transformed to become “The Old Marine Marketplace at Tin City” – a colorful maritime-mix of shops and eateries. Today, Tin City still holds its historic, old Florida charm, and is home to over thirty unique boutiques, two waterfront restaurants and a variety of water and boating adventures that are fun for all ages! We had fun looking through the shops and buying birthday presents for our twin granddaughters.

I even found a salon to get my hair cut! My last hair cut was in Rogersville, AL in October. We ended our tour of Tin City with Happy Hour at one of the restaurants.

We left Tin City and walked down 5th Avenue. Nick had told us this was where many of the diverse locals ate and shopped.

These mimes were trying very hard to entertain the folks on the street.

There were cross walks like this one throughout out not only Naples but all of the cities we were in on the West Coast of Florida. It is a state law that vehicles have to stop when a pedestrian is in a crosswalk.

5th Avenue was charming.

Saturday Todd and I took our bikes out to explore areas Nick and Matt had taken us to by car. We went to Naples City Pier.

It was a beautiful day. Todd wished we had worn our swimming suits to go to the beach.

Built in 1888 as a freight and passenger dock, The Naples Pier stands as a community landmark. Narrow gauge train rails spanning the length of the pier transported freight and baggage in the early 1900's. Part of the structure as well as the post office located on the pier was razed by fire in 1922. Rebuilt after damage by hurricanes in 1910, 1926 and 1960, it remains a public symbol of the area's history. It was a very busy place on this sunny warm day.

We rode our bikes south from the pier into the Old Naples neighborhoods. The houses were huge! Many took up half a block. We turned onto a side street and came across a small bridge. I had to stop on the bridge and take a picture of the houses on this quiet pond.

We came upon the Episcopal Church in this area.

Trinity on the Cove was built in1951. It suffered major damage from Hurricane Donna in 1960. It has a beautiful Parish Hall and Rectory across the street that looks much the same as the church. When I read about it's history I was surprised to find that Fr. Larry Hooper, the current rector of St. Paul's in Key West, was ordained at Trinity on the Cove. He probably told us that last year and I'd just forgotten.

Todd and I followed the parking lot around the back of the Parish Hall and found a canal with big houses and boats. Naples is an interesting town that seems to have a bigger transient population than year round inhabitants. The airport has no commercial traffic yet lands more private planes than Las Vegas or Los Angeles. As we looked at the huge houses, it seemed most of them stood empty waiting for their owners to show up for a weekend visit or a longer vacation stay.

We finished off our stay in Naples with a fantastic meal at Eric Pate's Back Street Bar and Grill, just one block from Tin City. They offer two meals for $19.95/person with a free bottle of wine. Todd was able to upgrade his to prime rib. The free bottle of wine was wonderful...nothing cheap tasting. We were very pleased as it put a delicious close to our stay in Naples.

Day #157-159: 1/11-15/2011 – Sunday through Tuesday
Port # 68: Marina at Factory Bay, Marco Island, FL

OB and crew enjoyed everything Naples had to offer. It was time to keep moving south. Lines were cast off once again and we retraced our route back down the Gordon River and Gordon Pass into the Gulf of Mexico. The trip to Marco Island was only 15 miles. After all the long miles we traveled in the rivers, these short hops are so welcomed!

Coming into Big Marco Pass on the north side of Marco Island, the shoreline was one continuous condo complex.

It really took away the beauty of the area and made it look commercial.

We chose the Marina at Factory Bay for our planned stay. I learned the condos behind the marina are not part of the marina. When the complex was built, the slips in the marina were being sold just like the units in the condo complex. I was told the slips were selling for $20,000.

The slips in the marina were very nice cement floating docks. Every dock shared a pumpout with the neighboring dock. An added plus was the length of the dock allowed us to bring OB in bow first. Most of the docks we have used were so short we had to stern (back) into in order to get off OB.

Pier 81 was the condo complex behind (in front of) the marina. It was a beautiful place and had manicured grounds with beautiful palms and hedges. We learned the condos were selling for $1 million before the market dropped. They are selling for $500 to $600 thousand now. What a deal! We decided to stick with living on OB.

Before we came into Factory Bay, we knew our friends from S/V Slip Away were anchored near by off of Panther Key. All year we had planned to intersect our travels. Cindy and Steve had stayed on the East Coast last year and began making their way back toward Florida in the fall. They decided to explore new territory on the Gulf side of Florida during the winter. When we came back from registering OB in the marina office, Slip Away was anchored across the bay from us! Schooner, Cindy and Steve's 11 year old Golden, met Charlie last year in Little Torch. They are good friends and were happy to discuss dog adventures as we enjoyed catching up with Cindy and Steve.

The afternoon turned into rain so Steve, Cindy and Schooner headed for dry shelter in Slip Away. We had made dinner plans with Nick, our friend in Naples. His friend, Matt, picked us up that evening and drove us to Nick's condo. Nick had a fantastic Italian meal for Matt and TC (his wife), and Rollie Hahn (another snowbird from Findlay), and us. Rollie and Todd both worked at Marathon Oil Company in different departments. They knew many of the same folks from Findlay. It was a most wonderful evening that we won't forget. Many, many thanks to Nick for his warmth and hospitality.

Todd and I, with Cindy and Steve (Slip Away) in the background at Jake's.

Tuesday turned into a beautiful, sunny day. We left Schooner and Charlie to talk dog talk on OB and spend the day biking around the immediate area of Factory Bay. We saw many houses of mixed value up and down the canaled streets. It looked like the razing of small dwellings and building of mansions had trickled down from Naples. We went through one modest open house that was in dire need of renovation. The realtor was asking $399,900 and thought it was a realistic amount for the property. We quietly laughed to ourselves and moved on.

Todd, Steve, Cindy and I had worked up an appetite. We found Jake's, a small bar and hot dog stand, nearby. The atmosphere was just what we were looking for. Jerry and Joan, from NII Wishin, had rented bikes and caught up with us there. It was great priming for more biking in the afternoon.

Jerry and Joan from NII Wishin.

We found some friends waiting for leftovers from our lunch at Jake's. They were sorry to find we'd enjoyed every last morsel ourselves.

After more biking, a little shopping and a building appetite, we all stopped at Snook Inn. It's a well known restaurant just a few blocks from the marina. We saw this amazing hair style and wondered if it was from eating there! Luckily none of us looked like that when we left.

Our group was quick to find Happy Hour at Snook Inn. We managed to get a table by ordering Hors D'oeuvres. They were so good we ended up eating dinner as well! Left to right: Jerry (NII Wishin), Cindy and Steve (Slip Away), and Todd and I. Joan escaped from this picture some how.

All good things must come to an end. Cindy, Steve and Schooner headed back to Slip Away after a fun filled day. They left Wednesday morning for Ft. Myers Beach to see more of the Gulf side of Florida and met family and friends. It was time for us to mosey on, as well.

We woke up to dense fog. Somehow we seem to attract the stuff! It took two hours for it to clear into an overcast morning. Our plan was to go back through Big Marco Pass to the Gulf and make our way down to the Panther Key anchorage Steve and Cindy had just come from. A local on the dock encouraged Todd and Jerry to take the Sanctuary Sound route. It seemed a little skinny on water but this fellow had taken it many times to Stan's in Goodland and knew the deeper path through the sound. He was taking friends to Stan's for lunch and encouraged us to follow him. The choice was a good one. It shaved 2 hours off our run to the Panther Key area.

Of course, Sanctuary Sound was lined with more huge homes. More modest homes were sprinkled between these enormous estates.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Great Loop Date 12.30.2010: Out With the Old, In With The New...

Days #140-149: 2936.2 total miles
Port #64-66: Punta Gorda to Ft. Fort Myers Beach, FL

After a busy two days in Cape Haze, the time had come to move OB south to visit more friends. We were already halfway down the Gulf side of Florida. It was amazing to think we had come so far in such a short time.

Even more amazing was thinking back to that Friday, morning August 13th when we began our adventure from Bay Point, Marblehead, OH! The highlights and the low lights flood through our memories every time we talk about it, much like a fast forward on an old video tape. Todd and I agree, there are so many highlights that the problems encountered blend into the adventure becoming part of the great experience we've had so far.

Day #140: 12/30/2010 – Thursday
Port # 64: Laishley Marina, Punta Gorda, FL

The sun briefly greeted us as we left Palm Island Marina. The clouds quickly covered the sky and sent us into the warm pilothouse. Most of our trip had been made from the lower station. The clouds and cold just seemed to follow us.

Our stop in Punta Gorda was another busy stop. We reunited with our buddy boat NII Wishin, met their dockmaster and his wife from Caseville, celebrated New Year's and visited with one of Todd's classmates, Susan Thomasson Hallman, and her husband, Don.

Joan and Jerry's dockmaster and his wife were generous with their time, taking us to many places and even gave Joan and I use of their car to reprovision. Susan and Don had us over to their house for a wonderful dinner. They also shared information on local anchorages as well as the Abacos, Bahamas. They have taken their boat to the Bahamas many times. We came away from Punta Gorda renewed leaving 2010 behind and stepping into 2011.

Boca Grande Causeway Bridge, Gasparilla Sound. It only opens on the hour and the half hour, no exceptions...and we found that out to be true!

Of course, we didn't mind making these folks wait for us after we had waited 20 minutes...all the while being waked by many little speed boats!

NII Wishin welcomed us into Laishley Marina at Punta Gorda, FL.

Laishley Crab House is part of the Marina Complex. The wood carvings at the entrance were amazing.

Of course, it WAS a crab house. We wondered where they netted this one.

NII Wishin and OB at dock in Laishley Marina. Laishley, the City Dock, was devastated by Hurricane Charley. The new marina is exceptional with floating docks.

Joan and Jerry's dockmaster and his wife from Caseville, MI winter in Punta Gorda. Left to right: Paula Sue, Jerry and Joan Muhme, Todd, Karan and Frank Garner

One of the must see places in Punta Gorda is Fisherman's Wharf, the home of Harpoon Harry's. We had a wonderful lunch salad with Ahi Tuna and Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette dressing.

Fisherman's Wharf has an amazing collection of shops. I got many ideas for crafts with my shell collection from the shell shop there.

The grounds at the Marina Complex as well as the 4 mile Harbor Walk, the streets in the Historic District and the parks between downtown and Fisherman's Village have all been upgraded to brick and landscaping. Punta Gorda really is a beautiful city.

This is a memorial to those who died as well as the survivors of Hurricane Charlie in 2004.

This plaque explains the design of the memorial. I was amazed when I realized we left on our adventure 6 years to the day of Hurricane Charlie's hit on Punta Gorda.

Another look at the Laishley Marina Complex.

Day #148: 1/07/2011 – Friday
Port # 65: Cabbage Key, FL

We had so much fun in Punta Gorda and the marina accommodations were so comfortable, it was hard to drop lines and move on. However, the adventure had to continue. Once we were underway in Charlotte Harbor, it felt good to be on the move again.

The trip had evolved into a couple of short hops and one longer stay. Longer periods in one area gave us time to reprovision, clean and thoroughly explore areas we had never visited. Punta Gorda was one we decided to revisit by land in the future.

Our initial plan was to anchor in Pelican Bay off of Cayo Costa State Park. By the time we came into the bay, the wind had picked up and was coming at us out of the south. There were a handful of sailboats and one trawler anchored in different parts of the bay. However it was the shallow areas that made us uncomfortable. Taking both the shallows and the wind into consideration, we decided to move to Cabbage Key Marina, just 20 minutes more to our south.

Cabbage Key was the home of mystery novelist and playwrite, Mary Roberts Rinehart. Deeper history goes back to the Indians that lived there before it was discovered and settled. However, the "Old House" is the focal point of Cabbage Key. It was built atop an Indian shell mound in the early l930s by the Rinehart family. Over the years, the house was converted into a bar, dining room and six bedrooms. Cottages are also available to rent and are all secluded on this mangrove island.

Interesting people have visited and continue to visit this island. Ernest Hemingway liked to hang out here in the early days, and novelist John D. MacDonald was a frequent guest 30 years later. Today, you could find yourself rubbing elbows at the bar with the likes of Walter Cronkite, Ted Koppel, Sean Connery, or Julia Roberts. Singer and avid yachtie Jimmy Buffett likes Cabbage Key so much that it inspired his hit song "Cheeseburger in Paradise."

One of the six cottages on Cabbage Key. The surroundings are very tropical, quiet and relaxing.

OB and NII Wishin at the docks on Cabbage Key.

Todd and I took part of the nature walk after we arrived and before the sun set.

The foliage was really interesting and hard to capture in pictures.

We both enjoyed what we saw. Cabbage Key is an Indian shell mound nestled in dense mangroves.

Looking out at OB and NII Wishin from the porch at the "Old House" where the restaurant resides.

The bar is in one of the quaint dining rooms. The walls were lined with paper money of many denominations and from many different countries.

The porch dining room had the most money. The bar tender told us the total amount taped to the walls and ceilings is now valued in six figures ($). He also said the money that drops to the floor is collected and donated to a local small school. Last year they collected $10,000 from the floor for the school.

The dining room in the bar.

I loved the old picture above the fireplace. The "Old House" has three fireplaces. All have just been changed from wood burning to propane.

Jimmy Buffett's dollar.

Sunset on Cabbage Key...so serene and quiet. We were the only boats in the marina.

Another shot of the sunset.

Joan, Jerry, Todd and I had a fantastic dinner and evening in the "Old House". All of the food is brought in and prepared for the guests on Cabbage Key the same day it will be consumed. They only make two or three extra dinners so there is no waste. They use the original kitchen with no microwave or huge refrigerator freezers.

Day #149: 1/08/2011 – Saturday
Port # 66: Matanzas Mooring Field, Ft. Myers Beach, FL

OB's stop in Cabbage Key was a one night stand. Our destination was Cape Coral or Ft. Myers Beach. NII Wishin had friends to visit at Cape Harbor in Cape Coral. We were more inclined to go to the mooring field in Matanzas Pass, just east of Estero Island and Ft. Myers Beach.

Todd and I had friends from T-Dock at Bay Point (Marblehead, OH) to see in Cape Coral. We kept missing contact points with them and had all but given up. We waved to NII Wishin as they took their heading to Cape Coral and we put OB on a course toward Ft. Myers Beach.

We had been to Ft. Myers Beach by car on one of our many trips to Key West many years back. We always wanted to return for a longer than drive through visit. The time had come and what better way than on a mooring, like those we enjoy at Put in Bay, South Bass Island, Lake Erie!

Our friend, Jen had been our contact to try and organized a meet up. Todd got a message on his phone that they were at Doc Fords just across Matanzas Pass from Ft. Myers Beach. We were yet an hour away and could not make contact. We both thought this was our last missed opportunity.

I still had hopes of seeing either Jen's boat or her dad's boat making way towards us. Just as we moved toward the Ft. Myers bridge, that familiar boat, EcStacy, rounded the corner and came under the bridge. Todd and I couldn't be more excited! Our T-Dock reunion may yet take place.

We moved OB to a mooring and secured her. I looked back to see EcStacy coming back around. I motioned Scott, Jen's husband, to bring EcStacy alongside. We rafted and began a thrilling afternoon of reminiscing, tale telling and reviewing our adventure with our friends.