The Journey to Stock Island, Key West : January 17, 2016

There will be many pictures scattered throughout this blog with no particular order.  I am learning.  I hope you still enjoy my updated and belated blog.  Happy New Year!

More adventures await us!

 

Rod's brand new prop

Coming into Anna Maria Island

Our walkway to the beach at our condo on Anna Maria Island

 

For my Daughter in Law

Well, we have finally arrived!  It is a little later than we had planned but we keep telling ourselves that we are not on a schedule.

It has been quite awhile since my last blog entry so this one may get a bit wordy but hopefully with several great pictures.

At the closing of my last blog we left Panama City for a 2 day stop in St. Joe's in early December.  The route into the harbor had us passing many abandoned boats:  like a boat cemetery.  The town looked like a very friendly one and we took the suggestion to have dinner at a restaurant right in the center of town.  Perfect!  Not only was the meal great - it included mussels.  Hadn't tried them since we were in New Zealand - but it also included a Christmas parade.  Funny watching Santa wave while we were wearing shorts and he was among Christmas trees and palm trees.

Christmas Parade




Proud of my wreath

Continuing to Apalachicola in the Panhandle of Florida, we or should I say Serendipity (Harley and Ann's boat) encountered a sandbar/shoal.  After being rescued by a passing fishing boat, Harley realized there was more to the sandbar escapade - wrapped around one prop was a D.... crabpot.  Following was a diver's unsuccessful attempt to remove the wires that make up the D... pot.  The boat was towed to Carrabelle, lifted out of the water and the D ... crabpot was finally removed with no real damage to the prop.  Hopefully my pictures will say it all.  We have had to continue to watch for the D... pots all the way to Stock Island.  Since Serendipity usually leads, Ann is our major Pot Spy.  She tells me she gets a free salt scrub as she cues Captain Harley:  "Starboard" or "Port" as we zigzag our way on either the Intercoastal (ICW) or the Gulf.  They can be various colors, in a line or scattered.  Very elusive and frustrating.  I can't believe that after Harley's incident they had a crab dinner.

Another shrimp boat

Harley's tow boat

More shrimp boats

Shrimp Boat: Forrest Gump

 

Rod trying to rescue Harley and Ann

We were in our next Port:  Carrabelle: for several days patiently waiting for good weather to cross from Point A to Point B on the Gulf.  You see, so far we have traveled on rivers, bays or the ICW.  Boating on the Gulf involves watching tides, winds and waves.  It took 7 days after our crab pot incident to have a favorable "weather window"to cross on the Gulf.

Once on the Gulf, we traveled to Steinhatchee.  It's a cute touristy marina and town.  Since it was a one day stay, Rod and I plan to stop in this area when car traveling to Florida.  Steinhatchee was where we celebrated Christmas and I made an attempt to put a little Ho!Ho! in our day. (A bag of candy for each of us in a grocery bag slung over my shoulder.)  You can't take the 1st grader out of a 1st grade teacher!

The next few marinas or anchoring out were stepping stones to our Jan. 16 goal: Stock Island.  Those stepping stones included Barge Canal Anchor in the dark, Dunedin (loved the marina), Cortez at the Seafood Shack Marina.  Very windy when we docked in Cortez and Rod managed to knock over one of their docking poles!  Didn't damage the boat but laughed watching them pull out and cart away this huge wooden pole. 

Cortez is really a little area leading into Anna Maria Island.  Last winter Rod and I invested in a condo for rental property and our use on the Island.  We call it "Our Island".  We have been renovating with the help of  Jeff Petit (a Michigan native).  We were curious and anxious to check out the progress.  We rented a car, checked out the condo.  It is beautiful and rental ready!  The 4 of us then went on a shopping spree for supplies and condo stuff.  We should have taken a picture of the car: piled to the ceiling!  We spent New Year's Eve at the Crab Shack with a local celebrity band and his groupies.  I also had a wonderful experience at a beautiful salon on our island:  a new haircut and color.  But that story is for another time and probably reserved for personal conversations.  Ann tells it best!

We left Cortez on January 4 - again waiting for a good weather window and another boat incident.  Guess Rod and Harley are trying to keep boat issues even.  We, 2nd Knot, hit something - never found out what that "Something" was.   We continued to a Marina that turned out to be a hidden gem: Palm Island Marina in Cape Haze near Englewood.  Rod and I have traveled this area by car several times but never knew this marina was here.  Luckily they had the facility to pull 2nd Knot out only to discover that one of our props was a mangled mess. After research, discussion and securing a rental car, Rod and I drove across the state to a Prop Shop in Fort Lauderdale lugging our injured prop with us.  That was Tuesday, Jan. 5.  Monday, Jan. 11, with a new prop in hand, our boat was raised, prop on, lowered and both boats traveled on the ICW to Salty Sam's Marina in Fort Meyers for a 1 night stay.  This was followed by a 1 night stay at a Marina in Naples where our boats looked like dinghies next to the huge yachts. Next stop was Everglade City at the historic Rod and Gun Club Marina.  Probably would have enjoyed it more if the million mosquitos didn't enjoy us so much!  But we were in the Everglades so I am sure they might consider the mosquitos as pets.  Didn't see any alligators.

In spite of wanting to explore Fort Meyers and Naples longer and wanting to meet up with several friends who winter in these areas, we were docked for a very short time.  We needed to be in Stock Island by the 16th as per our reservations.  We could tell from the little we saw, both areas would be fun to explore.

As we look forward to our Winter Stay on Stock Island till April 15, we hope to do much exploring and enjoy special times:  My sister and brother in law, Barb and Dan 7 day visit beginning Jan. 22; friends from Illinois visit; a ten day trip home at the end of Feb. to see family, friends, and meet our soon to be born new grandson; a trip to DisneyWorld with 2/3 of our family at the beginning of April.  Harley and Ann will also be busy entertaining special visitors.  I am sure there will be many adventures to share.  Let the time slow down!  We plan to continue to enjoy every minute of our Great Loop Adventure.
                       Enjoy a variety of pictures on our route to Key West!

Our last anchoring out

Naples!

A very injured prop