As much as were excited about finally getting on our way, whoops, Mother Nature had a different set of plans for us. It didn’t take us long to realize that the difference between a nice sail and a rough one is all about timing. Weather rules all!
As we left St. Pete North Basin we were pleased to have a 10 knot wind from the North West. This means a nice easy downwind sail, Right? Not so, the gentle 10 knot wind turned into 20-24 with gusts over 26 knots and changed direction on us. Now blowing hard from the West. So enough of this, we dropped the sails and began motoring. We spent the night at DeSoto Point on the hook planning to begin our journey south in the morning.
After looking at the weather forecast for the next several days, we decided that this was not a good time to go and we will have to stay put for the next few days. Rather than stay at DeSoto Point, we figured Gulfport would be a better location for protection from the wind and easy access to town. So the next day off to Gulfport.
Gulfport is a pretty happening little town with easy access to groceries and a downtown area with all kinds of shops, restaurants, etc. Plus St. Patrick’s day was in two days and they were blocking off the road along the waterfront, this was sure to be a fun time.
After St. Patty’s Day, we started once again to head south. On our way out we wanted to stop at the fuel dock and top off fuel and fresh water. As we were approaching the dock, we heard something drop from somewhere on the mast. Ping, Pang, Plop! Two bounces and then in the water never to be seen again. Renee went forward and found that we lost the shackle pin for the main sail (the shackle holds the sail to the halyard). Well, without a spare shackle, there will be no sailing. So what to do you ask? You got it, back to Gulfport where our favorite West Marine is just a short 3 mile Uber ride away. We replaced the shackle and decided that we would leave again in the morning.
So we did leave in the morning as planned and Renee suggested to stay the night by Egmont Key so we would have a easy shot to the Gulf at daybreak. This was a great idea. We arrived early afternoon and took the Jetta to shore to explore the island.
Egmont Key is now a state park (https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Egmont-Key). It was first surveyed by the Spanish in 1757 and survived the Spanish-American War. It was passed back and forth between Spain and England and finally the United States in 1827. Egmont Key is located at the mouth of Tampa bay and with Fort Desoto on the other side, provided a defense for any ships attempting to enter Tampa Bay.
We left at daybreak as planned because we wanted to arrive in Venice our next destination during daylight hours. We entered Venice inlet and found the spot where I figured we would anchor for the night. As it turned out, this was not the bast of places because the channel was narrow at this spot and I was worrying about swinging into the channel should the wind/current spin us around in the night. Well, you guessed it, woke up right in the channel. No Bueno, but at least we were leaving at daybreak for the next stop at Cayo Costa and can get out before the morning boat traffic begins.
On the way, we met up with a couple from Canada who were doing just what we were, just living in their boat sailing. The difference is that they were 28 and 31 years old, had two dogs with them and they were sailing in a catamaran. Renee hailed them on the VHF and they sailed over to us and were about 25 feet away. As it turned out, they were also going to Cayo Costa for the night. They anchored around the mangroves from where we were to try and get protection from the wind. But it didn’t matter where you were anchored that night, it was blowing 20+. The next morning our new friends Ryan and Chantel stopped by 5KNOTS on their way out for a visit. We had a great time and hope to meet down the road again. We spent the remainder of the day just lying around the boat and resting for our next leg.
We left at 00:30 in the morning because we needed to hit the Marco Island Inlet at, you guessed it, High Tide! We did and with some local knowledge were able to navigate the narrow sections without incident. We found a nice anchorage in Marco Island Inlet in about 10 feet of water. We took the Jetta over to the Snook Inn & Restaurant for unlimited salad bar and Grouper and Mahi-mahi. Since the next few days were predicted to have 20-25 knot winds, we thought best to get a slip in the Marco Island Marina. The Marina it top notch, staff is very friendly, Elmer the Dock Master is always ready to help, heated swimming pool, lounge with couches, TV exercise room, laundry and 5G WiFi.
So it is not always fun and games out here, Renee is off to do laundry while I wait for some help trying to locate the water issue that we have not been able to solve yet. I am pretty sure that I got the better end of the stick on this one. When we arrived in Marco, we vacuumed out over 5 gallons of water from under the cabin sole. Way too much for our liking.
