Little Shark River to Marathon - March 15

We got underway about 8:05 this morning and arrived in Boot Key Bay, Marathon about 2:30. We tied up with some friends, Bob and Margaret who are also doing the Great Loop. In fact they’re ‘half-looped’, having started last fall from Lake Superior and going down the river systems to the gulf. They will finish their loop this summer.

We motored under the 7 Mile Bridge, which connects Marathon to the rest of the Keys. It replaces the older bridge, which is still standing but has a section removed so it’s not usable.

The anchorage is beautiful. There is a Seafood Festival this week-end so we hope to get there tomorrow.

Factory Bay to Little Shark River - March 14

We pulled up anchor and left at 8:15 this morning. We were out in the gulf again today, but this time further from amenities. We lost cellphone and internet coverage around 11. Today was a long day (67.6 miles, 8 hours), and there was really nothing to look at. No dolphins today, no land. Only crab pots, which we had to avoid.

We arrived at Little Shark River at 4:15 and were anchored by 4:30. Little Shark River is deep, deep down in the everglades. We were next to the mangroves.

We saw this boat of outward bound kids. They left Key Largo 2 weeks ago in this boat. They sailed across Florida Bay, the southern tip of Florida and were exploring the everglades.

There were a few other boats anchored here. Beautiful sunset.

Cape Harbor to Factory Bay ( March 13)

As we left Cape Harbor there were several dolphins swimming next to us for a couple miles. They are so graceful and beautiful. It’s thrilling to watch them surf our bow wave.

We went under the Sanibel Bridge then into the open water of the Gulf of Mexico. We cruised by Ft. Myers Beach which brought back memories of a vacation Beth took with her mother and sister. We were traveling 3-5 miles offshore as we made our way to Factory Bay at Marco Island. The seas were really rolling and a person could get sick pretty quickly if they went below. Beth found out when she went to make lunch.

We arrived in Factory Bay and were anchored by 4 p.m. We passed this sailboat. Don’t know what happened to it but it once must have been beautiful.

Took the dinghy for a ride around the harbor, then stopped at the Tiki Bar for the best hamburgers ever. The Tiki Bar had been recommended by friends, and they were right.

Back to the boat by 7:30.

Fuzzy sees Dolphins

Fuzzy was beside himself with excitement! One of the parts of the trip he was really looking forward to was seeing dolphins, and he had a ringside seat. He was so close he could almost touch them!

There were dolphins swimming and jumping right beside the boat! Nana took pictures of them. Can you see them swimming under the water? And then jumping out of the water?

Dolphins are mammals. That means that even though they live in the water they need air to breathe. They breathe through their blowhole which is located on top of their head. Can you see the blowhole in the picture? A baby dolphin is called a calf. It is born under the water and will swim straight up to the surface to take his first breath of air. Dolphins like to play together and swim in groups. A group of dolphins is called a pod.

Fuzzy is looking forward to seeing a lot more dolphins.

First Day

This day was a long time coming, in fact I wasn’t sure it would ever get here! At 9:30 Wednesday, March 12 we left our slip at Burnt Store Marina, planning not to return until November.

In the last few days friends came by to say goodbye and wish us well. Several of them hope to visit us along our route.

Our first stop was Cape Harbor, 41.7 miles to the south. We saw a lot of dolphin along the way, but they weren’t close enough for us to get pictures. Osprey nested on the channel markers and were busy feeding their young.

We arrived at 3:00. The developer of Cape Harbor is the same person who owns Burnt Store Marina so offers a free night of docking to boats from Burnt Store. We stopped first at the gas dock and pumped 120 gallons of diesel.
Our cruising speed will normally be around 7 ½ - 8 mph for the best fuel efficiency. We can increase our speed to 9 ½ mph and will for longer passages.

We are Ready to go!

Here it is the day before we leave and I haven’t updated the Blog for a…. Long…Long ....Time.

I won’t go into great detail but listed below are the major upgrades/improvements that have been made to the boat:

Engine room:

100 amp alternators for the Engines , New Oil coolers – Exhaust Elbows and “Speed Seal Kits” for the raw water pumps. New Exhaust elbow for the Onan Generator, New Gulf Coast F-1 Fuel Polishing System, 8 Trojan T-105 Golf Cart Batteries, New Water heater, freshwater Pump and Washdown Pump. New Holding Tanks,

Topside:

Manson Supreme 45# anchor, Genesis 1000 Windlass, , Weaver Dinghy Davits, Garhauer motor Lift, Propane storage locker

FlyBridge:

Garmin 492 Chart Plotter, Depth sounder, New Flybridge enclosure, cockpit table

Galley-Salon

Installed Princess 3 Burner Stove/Oven, Microwave, Combo Washer/Dryer, Central Vac, Flat Panel TV , and new Inverter to power it all. Track-it-TV system, Converted Ice Box to Refrigerator/Freezer, new Salon Table

Installed carpet tile throughout boat, New Mattress, Curtins, paint


Starting tomorrow we will be updating our Blog on an almost daily basis

Fuzzy sees Manatees

Fuzzy is excited. He is also a little scared. In three days he will start his big adventure, a trip called The Great Loop! He is looking forward to all the new places he will go, the new things he will see. Fuzzy is happy that Nana and Papa are going with him. He knows that they will take care of him and keep him safe.

Yesterday as Fuzzy was going to the boat he saw many manatees in the water, more than he’d ever seen at one time. Nana was with him and took some pictures. Manatees live in the water but need air to breathe so they stick their noses out of the water to get air. It is hard to get pictures of them. Look closely and you can see some noses. How many can you find? (You can click on the picture to make it bigger).

Manatees are sometimes called “the gentle giants” and only eat vegetation. Ask Mom or Dad to find a picture of a manatee so you can see what they look like.