Flying Iguanas

Chrisy's fears have been reasonably well chronicled in these posts, but you may need a refresher.  First, there were the rattlesnakes on Beausoleil Island. Roger mentioned that there was a slight chance of seeing one and that was enough for Chrisy to cancel all future walks on the island.  Then there was an actual bear sighting in John Harbor which meant that Roger needed to do all future walks for Millie. There have been numerous issues with alligators in the rivers and more recently in Cayo Costa where a cruiser's report of a gator and some potential paw prints keep Chrisy at a safe distance.  

The most recent incident came when a pre-historic-looking iguana fell out of a tree into the marina about 30 feet from where we were minding our own business giving Millie a much-needed shampoo and trim.  The beast was about two and a half feet long and allegedly has a nasty set of chompers.  Chrisy did manage to finish up with Millie, but she was on constant alert.

We had a very successful Gulf crossing from Marco Island to Marathon. The seas were dead, flat, and calm - perfect for Egret. After years of sailing, Roger is still getting used to defining "perfect cruising weather" as dead, flat, and calm.  We made the 80+ mile trip in a little over 5 hours, and our only obstacles were the untold number of crab pots along the route.  They put the Maine lobster pots to shame.  Actually, another obstacle was the depth of the water.  We left Marco Island at low tide - not our choice but we needed to leave early before any winds kicked up - so our route out of the anchorage at Smokehouse Bay was very shallow. The Gulf itself is also very shallow and we rarely saw depths over 25 feet.  The entrance into the Marathon Yacht Club was also very shallow.  We shoehorned ourselves into our slip at about 1:15 and we are very content.  We're not sure what the next week brings as we have over a week to kill before getting to Key West. 

Our statistics: we have traveled 3,514 nautical miles which for the landlubbers that's a little over 4,000 normal miles, used 1,718 gallons of fuel, and been underway for 366 hours.  Our average speed has been 9.6 knots and we've averaged a little over 2 miles per gallon.  Our trip has been a total of 251 days so far and we have been off the boat for 51 days. Of the 200 days we've been on the boat we have been in a marina 60% of the time, on an anchor 26%, on a mooring 2%, and on a free wall or a free mooring 12%.

One of the many fun aspects of being on the Great Loop is being able to catch up with friends that we haven't seen in years.  Such is the case with Michael and Eileen Strange and Andy and Mary Strange. We even managed to play pickleball with all the Stranges.

We're frequently asked if we do any fishing to which we frequently reply that we couldn't fish if they jumped in the boat.  Well, Roger tried to rectify that by going on a charter fishing trip out of Marathon. Look at that monster of the sea. A fisherman is born. 

E.A.G.L.E.S.

Super fun catching up with great friends from Chestnut Hill - the Jacobys - at their wonderful home in Marco.

Rules are rules

There are plenty of "rules" on a boat. You must monitor the weather. You must check the engine. You must keep an accurate log of your trip. You must wear your life preserver and keep the kill switch in your hand while in your dinghy, etc, etc - you get the point. However, there is no greater rule than "Happy wife - happy life."  We were first introduced to the number one rule of cruising by friends in 2013 while we were on Sanderling cruising south on the Intracoastal Waterway and it has since been enshrined.   We were basically told that if you don't follow the first rule none of the others will matter, because you won't be cruising.  

We are pleased to report that the wife is happy.  The 140-mile crossing from Carabelle to Tarpon Springs was a bit of a stressor, but since arriving on the West Coast of Florida we've enjoyed some spectacular cruising.  We've had a really nice balance of anchoring and marinas.  Chrisy overheard a gentleman in the laundry room talk about the possibility of an upcoming storm - cancel the plans to anchor out and head into a marina- happy wife! 

After St. Petersburg, we anchored at Longboat Key for two nights before heading to Sarasota.  The trip was a little sketchy as there was a fair amount of fog.  We each had our tablets out running charting software and the radar was working overtime. Fortunately, the fog kept the speedboats in their slips, and there was very little boat traffic.  We visited the Marie Shelby Botanical Garden and the Ringling Museum. The man was actually quite the art collector.  It's a must-stop if you're in the area.  And Chrisy was able to reunite with a high school classmate she has not seen since our last cruise in Florida in 2014...and we enjoyed. awonderful eveing with some Jamestown friends on St. Armonds Cay at the Columbia restaurant. Great times!

After some rain while we were in Sarasota, our weather has been spectacular.  Highs in the 70s - lows in the high 50s and very little wind - perfect for a motorboat. And perfecrt for keeping the wife happy.  We stopped in Englewood and Don Pedro State Park before arriving in Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island.  Boca Grande is the winter playground for the rich and famous, but that didn't spare it from the ravages of Hurricane Ian.  There was extensive damage to most of the homes and several were total losses.  We arrived 3.5 months after the hurricane and the recovery effort was in full swing.  Fortunately for us, the marina and most of the restaurants were open. We stayed two nights and had lots of walks, bike rides, and a visit with Jamestown friends.  

Howard Tibbals' model of the Ringling Circus stretches on for 30 yards and includes every detail imaginable. Check it out.

Ca d'Zan - The Ringling Mansion.

John and Mable Ringling collected art from all over Europe from 1910-1920

A replica of David at the Ringling Museum

The captain surveying her anchorage.

"Unconditional Surrender" Sarasota

The door to the Gasparilla Island Lighthouse was open so Roger decided to head on up.  After 133 steps he arrived at the top where a very official gentleman was working with a tablet.  After some basic pleasantries Roger asked what he was up to.  He replied, "Checking the structual integrity of the lighthouse." To which Roger responds, "Oh good, I'll be leaving now,"

But not before taking a few photos.

Chrisy's lastest haul from the beachs at Don Pedro and Bocca Grande