St. Charles YC and Fort Myers

 We left the anchorage across from Cabbage Key and motored on down behind Captiva North, Captiva and Sanibel.  Sadly the epicenter of Red Tide is in this area and we were both affected but once we turned up river towards our destination, St. Charles Yacht Club, things let up.  We love coming to this club.  It is very protected and the members and staff are friendly.  It is also convenient to the old Fort Myers downtown.  The town has really made an effort to recover from Hurricane Ian and revitalize old town.  We also wanted to see how the former yacht club was faring as well as the old municipal marina.  We took Uber to our starting point, walked all over the area, went to grocery shop then back to the boat with another Uber ride.  We also managed to get laundry done so a total success from our perspective.  Next stop, Boot Key Harbor.

The entrance to the club.  I really love the old ship's wheel.

The club is situated in a gated community and I think most 

of the residents are members.  The palm line entrance

boulevard is so stunning.

We both agreed that the original Ford's Garage restaurant was

a must visit spot.  It is full of fun memorabilia from a bygone era. 

This bar back is full of old pennies. All along the shelves are old

oil cans and old signs advertising different automotive products.

Why Ford, you ask, it's because Henry Ford along with Thomas Edison,

Charlie Firestone and other moguls of their day made Fort Myers

their winter home.  In fact, the Edison-Ford museum is well worth the visit.

Not only was the burger tasty but creative as well.

I always wonder how they get it stamped without

squishing the bun.

Near the waterfront is this art display.  It is

of Ford, Edison and Firestone on one of their many

camping trips.  If you look closely, the pond surrounding

also has frogs, fish and an alligator statues.

This old Ford is proudly the centerpiece of the bar.

Not to be ignored, the ladies' room sinks are old

tires with gas pump spigots with valves to

turn on and off the flow of water.  The door handles

throughout the restaurant are old pump handles.

One of the views of the nicely restored vintage

buildings in old downtown.

Not sure what these awards were for but the cups were 

covered with decals from beer companies.

The other side of the street.

This is an old post office converted to a performing 

art space.  The old post office boxes are still there.

The area has a lot of public art installed along

the street.  This is one of many.

The old municipal marina is still torn up.  All

the sunken vessels are gone but the plans to rebuild 

are still tied up in red tape according to one source.

The history of Fort Myers.  The sign was crooked, not me.

Cabbage Key

 Decongestants seem to be controlling the worst affects of the red tide so we're pressing on from Charlotte Harbor to Ft. Meyers.  This is a particularly beautiful stretch of the waterway.  We usually like to go into Pelican Bay and go ashore at Cayo Costa State Park, but it is still closed from the bay side due to extensive hurricane damage.  We hope it's open on our way back to the Panhandle.  We did stop at another favorite place, Cabbage Key.  It is an historic place that successive owners have worked hard to preserve it's natural beauty while welcoming thousands of visitors every year.  The island has taken a hit with each hurricane but after nearly 100 years, they have figured out how to minimize damage and get back up and running quickly.  The only way to reach the island is by ferry or private boat.  All supplies must be boated over daily and all the detritus of running an inn and restaurant sent back to the mainland.  The water is supplied by a well pumped up into an iconic water tower.  The trails have been cleared and are always fun to walk and see what's new.  Cabbage Key is a place to visit and spend some time.  

A view from the inn's porch looking down to 

the marina and boathouse.

Looking up at the in and restaurant from the dinghy area.

Lots of cabbage palms on Cabbage Key.

This weird looking cactus grows up into 

bushes and trees.  You can see two tendril

hanging from a top tier of the palm.

The afternoon we visited, it was very crowded.

we were lucky to find a sliver of a spot to

park the dinghy.  They have a long dock for bigger

boats that come for a meal along with several slips

for overnight visitors.

The island has numerous gopher tortoises.

They are classified as an endangered species and

these seem to have a good life here.

Looking across the ICW to Useppa Island.  We 

are anchored just off the island our of the way of 

other boat traffic, at least we hope so.

The water tower is solidly built.  It has 

survived numerous hurricanes since it

was built in the 1930s.

A bunch of steps to reach great views.

One of the draws of the inn is the Money Room

in the restaurant.  The current estimate is about $70,000

on every wall and pillar in the room.

One of the newly graded and cleared pathways.

There were a lot of seashells on trees and bushes along

the paths but this one was really loaded!

Moving on to Boca Grande Pass

 We wanted to get some sea miles behind us so we jumped offshore from Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor through the Boca Grande Pass.  This is about a 73 mile trip with our speed being 4-5 kts.  This means a long day!  We were familiar with both passes but preferred to leave early rather than arrive late and anchor in the dark.  Not every boat is lit up at night as they should be so better to be able to see where you stop.  This meant we left well before sunrise which is always sporty when you have to dodge other vessels headed out into the gulf to fish.  David was on the bow lighting up marks so I could navigate down the river and out into the gulf.  The old saw "It's always darkest before the dawn"  is not an exaggeration.  "Dark as the inside of a cow" as David puts it.  Anyway, once the sun showed up and we had plenty of water around us and under us, we were much happier.  It was another windless, calm passage so the only downside will be when have to refuel and watch the dollars disappear.  We found a new anchorage near the southern end of Charlotte Harbor and settled in.  Red Tide is in the area and setting my sinuses dancing and not in a good way.  We'll see if symptoms can be controlled and to see if we head offshore to clearer waters or press on down the ICW. 

The first fish of the trip.  Too bad it wasn't good for eating

so we threw it back.

Moonset the night at Emerson PT.

The rosy fingers of dawn reflected on the water.

Sunrise, a very welcome sight.

David is doing one of his regular engine checks.

We had used the engine so much more than

usual, he is extra vigilant to make sure all fluid

levels are correct and belts tight.

Our bunk is next to the engine area so is also his

work surface.  One reason we'll never have expensive bedding!

Emerson Point Preserve

 Our time at the yacht club was up so we left the dock and went a few miles down the Manatee River and achored off of Emerson Point Preserve.  This is always one of our favorite places to visit on our cruises south since there is always something new and amazing to see.  It is mostly left natural and while we saw signs of damage from the hurricanes, it is still full of wildlife and beauty.  The observation tower gives a spectacular 360 degree view of Tampa Bay, the ICW, the Manatee River and Snead Island.  We walked as many of the trails as time permitted and covered over 3 miles so we got on steps in today!

This little tiki hut was on the beach where we landed

the dinghy.  Someone's afternoon of creative fun.

Many trees were downed by the storms.  This

one was a particularly pretty example of

pine heartwood.

An educational and practical display of bee 

habitats we can make.

One of the many raised pathways through the

mangrove and ponds.

There are so many waterways within the preserve

that you can launch your kayak or canoe and 

spend hours exploring.

Beautiful birds amon the ruins of downed trees.

Emerson Pt. Welcome center.

A flock of ibis.

They had a group of agave plants that had been

fenced off.  Not sure if it was for our protection or 

the plants.

Mangrove roots at low tide.

A map of the park area.

The observation tower with the commanding views.

Tampa Bay.  If you zoom in, you can see the

 Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the background.

Old Shipwrecks uncovered by hurricanes

 I can't believe I forgot some of the best parts of Dog Island.  There are several uncovered old wrecks of sailing vessels revealed in the recent spate of hurricanes in the Big Bend area of Florida.  It has been estimated that they are at least 100 years old some possibly from the exploration age.  Ships headed for the western part of the gulf were often blown off course in storms.  This part of the gulf is notorious for shallow bars going out 20-30 miles.

You can see the partially revealed hull.

You can see where the screws held the planks down.

A better view of the boat's outline.

This was an ocean going boat for sure.  Thick timbers

on either side of thick structural members.

This boat was over 100 feet long.