Breakdown

Should find out todayif we wrapped something around prop or if our new transmission has a problem.  Either way it is going to cost more $$$$$$

Back Home Under Tow

Left South Seas and the pool tiki bar.

Spent a night at Palm Island Marina

Left Palm Island early coffee on Lemon Bay

Broke down at Skyway DAMN

South Seas Resort on Captiva

Left Ft. Myers Beach yesterday early and immediately ran into 20 kt winds from the north and what direction did we need to go?  NORTH of course, so after slogging thru the miserable mile and the the open Pine Island Sound we had had enough.

South Seas is pricy but for the extra $30/day you have 3 heated pools, a hot tub, some of the best BBQ in the country and a very helpful staff.  After 4 days at Salty Sams Marina with nothing to do but drink it was a restful day yesterday and expect so today.

Tomorrow we plan on sailing our SAILBOAT out from Redfish Pass to Boca Grande and spend the night at Pelican Bay as wee make our way slowly home.

Clearing Sky's but change of plans again

Just finished calling a lock on the Okeechobee Waterway.  Ugh the lake levels so not support the rim route and across is just 1 ft deeper than our draft.  Sooooo it is back to Marco Island then the 80 miles to Marathon in the Keys.

The plan now is to gunkhole at Shark River near Cape Sable and cross Florida Bay in the daylight.  Lots of crab traps to watch out for but also because this route is in open water we need to wait for the wind and seas to subside.

Stormy Weather

Hunkered down in Salty Sam's Marina on Ft. Myers Beach waiting for the really bad weather to hit.  Watching the squall line getting closer but the wind is bad now so far gusting to over 30 kts.

Genesis At The Marina

Burnt Store



Burnt Store Marina

Well between the wind and cold water (yes we Floridians like it around 84F) we decided to take a side trip to one of our favorite places for a few days.  Had a good time at the bar last night but the bar food menu was changed a bit and theyno longer carry the potato skins we liked so much last year.  Oh well wings and onion rings did us just fine. 

leaving tomorrow for Salty Sam's Marina on Ft Myers Beach.

Pelican Bay

After a long day inside under power we arrived at Pelican Bay anchorage in the Cayo Costa State Park.  A good protected anchorage it is shallow carying just 6-7 feet at low tide and the path in about a foot less.  Hug the north beach from the inter?coastal and watch for a shoal area in the center of the bay.

Bad weather coming so we expect to head to Salty Sam's Marina in Ft. Myers Beach tomorrow or Friday.

Breezy now.

Sarasota Bay

After a long night of howling 20 kt winds the calm of 12 kts on Sarasota Bay is allowing a cup of morning coffee.  We are inside under power and have about 11 bridges to open and about 50 miles to cover to Pelican Bay.

Monday Departure

Been loading Genesis now for about a week.  We took everything off for the generator installation and had to find where we put everything.  Genesis seems to be in working condition and we just had the bottom scrubbed b4 our leaving. 

6 weeks planned and return on memorial weekend with a final stopover at the Moores anchorage with the Dolphin cruising club of which we are a member.

Generator is still a little noisy but tolerable, we will have to look at making the insulated room that Marine Merchandising was suppose to do but that is next winters project along with an anchor windless.

Getting excited and we are sooooo ready to get under way.

Gina made me promise not to scare her but I want to put Genesis through her paces.  Better to find out now that in a storm huh?

Finally Finished With Phasor Installation

OK so last generator issue fixed. No cost just our time and the aggravation of having to remove the firewall between aft cabin and generator to reconnect the diesel overflow tubing and to mop up the spilled diesel in the bilge. Damn this Phasor installer was bad. Now just for me to install our marine FM/MP3 player and speakers and get the new electrical panels installed.

Looking like we might actually make the departure date of April 16.