Sanabel Island and beyond

Just south of Cayo Costa is Sanabel Island.  last spring I sailed north and didn't even slow down near Sanibel this year we were going south with no expectations to stop.  Our choice this morning with no wind was motor outside or motor inside.  We chose the inside route.   Our plan was to come outside after Sanibel and sail non stop to Marathon.

On this trip down the intercoastal there were HUNDREDS of bottle nose dolphins in the channel.  All the way from Cayo Costa to San Carlos Bay

We didn't think in time to get a video of the first boat that came within 40 feet of us at nearly 100 mph and spayed us with his rooster tail but this one will have to do.

multiply this by 10 and you could get the feeling of the first boat

San Carlos Bay:  Seatow is very aggressive here!  They can be found hiding behind the small spoil cay near the intersection of the intercoastal and the Okeechobee Waterway at marker "2".  Seriously two boats watching over the mangroves and a third coming in behind us to join them.  Also the local police patrolling and who knows who we have missed seeing.  We later found them at the public ramp at the foot of the bridge.  Kind of like back in Miami last year.

Just before leaving San Carlos bay it wasn't long until we had a hit and miss on one of the rods.  I was doing the reel in and check, which is not very easy with a deep diving Yo-Zuri when the phone rang.  It was Espin of s/v Mini Pearl.  He was heading to Apalachicola to make the crossing to the west coast.  Tin took a message and I had to return the call after the rod was reset.  Always good to hear from other Vegas and Sailors in general.  Espin has lots of salt that needs to rub off on us. lol.  

Now this is a good video from just south of San Carlos Bay in the Gulf of Mexico

the best sunset in a couple of days

The lower the latitude the better the attitude, 

the GPS has a better attitude.

The sun is setting again without hiding behind a cloud of gray.

Even the dolphin play longer.

Next landfall.... Florida Keys

Later that evening with no wind the autopilot couldn't keep a course so we set up a drift in hopes to make headway SSE toward Marathon.  Over night we managed to gain 10 miles but by 8am we were getting a good 15 knots of east wind.  this lasted for and hour or so and then it calmed down.  I was below with Tin when the auto pilot complained and the sails ruffled.  By the time I made it to the cockpit, all of 10 feet, the boat came about and the autopilot complained more.  The wind had shifted 90 degrees, a rain squall was on it's way.  We reef and rolled in the foresail partway.  It was a good ride for about 30 minutes as we threaded two storms on the port and starboard sides.  The next two were farther apart and produced less wind.  Wanting to make the most of the usable wind I was dying to unreef the main and roll out the Genny but up ahead was another dark black cloud directly ahead...

 (Marina closing to be continued)
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