Heading Home

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

FINALLY!  We leave Marathon, heading slowly back to Texas.  We are so very glad to be on the move!  Our planned Monday departure was delayed one day due to weather and today’s forecast looks a little lumpy, but we are so ready to leave that we will deal with it.  As it turns out, the trip is fine and our overnight anchorage in Little Shark River, peaceful.

Little Shark River, Everglades National Park FL

Thursday, May 28, 2020

After another overnight stop in Marco Island, we turn up the Caloosahatchee River, past the “Miserable Mile” toward Fort Myers.  The “Miserable Mile” is so-named because of frequent rough conditions and heavy boat traffic.  Today it is busy but not too treacherous.

Miserable Mile, Caloosahatchee River

We will stay at our favorite local marina, The Marina at Edison Ford, where we are fortunate to get a slip.  Marinas are still mostly full from the lockdown and only slowly emptying as snowbirds begin to leave for summer cruising destinations.  

This summer / fall is proving to be a challenge for boats trying to cruise the Great Loop this year.  With the Erie Canal not scheduled to open until July or August (normal opening is mid-May) and a still unknown opening date for the Canadian border, little time will be available to cruise the Great Lakes region before fall weather sets in.  In addition, maintenance work has been scheduled for all 7 locks on the Illinois River, south of Chicago, between July 1 and October 29, closing the river to all boat traffic for 4 months.  An early November run down the rivers will be a chilly proposition, but doable.  So glad we have completed this route with no plans to repeat!

Sauvy B, Marina at Edison Ford, Fort Myers FL

Today we are reunited with our car.  Yeah!  After being parked for almost 3 months, we discover the A/C is not working.  Bummer!  After some frantic phone calls, a local boater puts us in touch with his mechanic and by the next afternoon (Friday), we have a new $10 relay and working A/C!!  We will spend the next couple of days restocking supplies, then move the boat north to Clearwater and take another break.

Saturday, May 30, 2020

After a quick turnaround trip to move our car to Clearwater, we make time to have dinner with a couple who was locked down with us in Marathon.  They have just arrived in Fort Myers and will be storing their boat here, heading back home to Phoenix for the summer.

Dinner with Tom & Paula, Fort Myers FL

Sunday, May 31, 2020

On our last day in Fort Myers, after some last minute grocery shopping and lots of laundry, I make time to walk the grounds of the Edison Ford Winter Estates, next door to our marina.  The property houses the modest summer homes of good friends Thomas Edison and Henry Ford and is one of our favorite tours.  The grounds were planted by Edison with tropical plants, partly to beautify the property but also to experiment with a variety of rubber plants that might be used as a domestic rubber supply for their friend, Harvey Firestone’s, tires for Ford’s cars.  Lots of history here!  The property is large and landscaping, beautiful.  And lots in bloom at this time of year.

Edison Ford Winter Estates grounds, Fort Myers FL

Mango, Edison Ford Winter Estates

We're seeing Mango trees all over town with lots of ripe fruit on the ground after each afternoon thunderstorm.  Fruit from trees falling on city sidewalks is quickly collected by passersby.  Yummy!

Allamanda "Cherries Jubilee", Edison Ford Winter Estates

Golden Shower Tree, Edison Ford Winter Estates

Queen Crape Myrtle

Henry Ford statue, Edison Ford Winter Estates

We have a final, farewell dinner with new boating friends, John, Heidi and dog Marlow, and prep the boat for an early departure the next morning.

Monday, June 1, 2020

We are on our way again, cruising to Venice FL today.  Dory keeps a lookout for her next dock and porpoise.

Dory watches for porpoise, near Venice FL

And just before we arrive in Venice, she is rewarded with quite a show - porpoise rolling and jumping beside the boat.

Playful porpoise near Venice FL

We tie up at Crow’s Nest Marina next to some very impressive dock mates.  We are dwarfed by the 90 footer next to us, and also by the 100 footer behind him.  Makes us look like a “tub toy”!  The sailboat behind Sauvy B is the “dinghy” for the 90 footer next to us.

Crow's Nest Marina, Venice FL

Wednesday, June 3 – Tuesday, June 9, 2020

After an uneventful overnight stop in Cortez FL, we arrive in Clearwater at the city-owned Clearwater Harbor Marina.  While here, we will use our car one last time for shopping before Robert drives it back to Houston to await our arrival.  We plan a one-week stay but could be here longer to await calm seas for our overnight crossing to the Florida panhandle.

Our dock is a popular fishing spot for a variety of marsh birds.  Dory spends a lot of time on the bow, keeping an eye on the action.

Snowy Egret in breeding plumage, Clearwater Harbor Marina FL

Lots of afternoon thunderstorms end with nice sunsets.  We are thrilled when this pattern weakens and we get a forecast of calm seas right on schedule for our crossing.

Sunset, Clearwater Harbor Marina FL

Wednesday, June 10 – Friday, June 12, 2020

We depart Clearwater by 2 pm for our 198-mile Gulf crossing.  At an estimated 9 mph, our trip will take about 22 hours.  Ugh!  NOT looking forward to this!  Our departure time will put us at the inlet to our destination in daylight, early morning, so we can see marker buoys clearly.  Seas are pretty smooth as we leave the Clearwater inlet.

Clearwater Beach FL from Gulf of Mexico

Robert has put out a fishing line, dragging it behind the boat as we slowly cruise north.  Late afternoon and he is rewarded with a nice Spanish mackerel – dinner!  Dory approves.  Amazingly this is the first edible fish caught from Sauvy B.

Spanish mackerel, Gulf of Mexico

Soon the sun drops below the horizon.

Sunset, Gulf of Mexico

The night is very dark as the moon will not rise until after midnight.  Hazy clouds partly obscure our view of the Milky Way, but the stars are still spectacular!  Finally our third crossing has been blessed with calm seas.

We alternate shifts watching the helm, every two hours after dark, and the night passes uneventfully.  Neither of us has gotten much sleep.  After daylight, we are again dragging a fishing lure behind the boat when we catch another Spanish mackerel, another nice-sized fish to stock the freezer!

We have elected to skip our usual stop in Carrabelle, going instead another 2 hours to Apalachicola and a day closer to home.  We are tied up at our dock by noon.  We relax and nap, spending two nights here.  This quaint town is always fun for visiting shops and restaurants.  We will leave tomorrow for our final leg home.