Day 181 & 182: Naples

Day 181: January 15: We woke to another rainy morning but the wind had died down. The basin was like glass, looking much more appealing than yesterday while the wind was blowing. Our plan was to get UW at 8:00 and hoped the sun would come out to make the trip to Naples a bit more comfortable. John bailed the dinghy once again and I wiped down the windows on the flybridge. Once the anchor was hauled we led our small entourage of two out of Pelican Bay. We saw that several more boats had come in the bay to anchor for the night; it's easy to see how this large bay must get pretty busy during the summer months. 

I texted Paradise early, just to let them know our plans. Mel responded that they were leaving Pelican Bay as well but were only traveling to Matanzas Pass Mooring Field just off Ft Meyers Beach. Summer Fling and we wanted to travel further south and take advantage of the diminished wind. 

Traveling out of Pelican Bay, we passed by several small islands, if only we had time to explore them all. Pine Island, Captiva Island, Useppa Island, Chino Island and the JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. All recommended as good spots to anchor along the last stretch of the GIWW. A mix of clouds and sun, along with a few moments of rain, hung around all day. Whenever the sun peaked through the cloud cover; the scattering sunlight reflected off the sandy, clear bottom, turning the water a brilliant green. 

We reached the end of the GIWW at Fort Myers, entering the shallow Gulf Coast water once again. Fort Myers is where folks make the decision whether to head east to join the Okeechobee Waterway or work their way south. Southbound vessels continue cruising into the San Carlos Pass. Wanting to explore the Keys and eventually the Bahamas, we chose to skip the Okeechobee and continue south!

The dolphins were super present and playful; sometimes four of them following along together, splashing and jumping, showing off in our wake. Watching them never gets old, especially when they turn on their sides and stare up at you. It's like they are asking if you are enjoying the game! 

We cruised past Sanibel Island and under the Sanibel Causeway. It's amazing to think about the causeway's restoration that took place in 2022, just days after Hurricane Ian destroyed several sections of the bridge and roadway. Despite the dreary day, there were many people strolling on the beach near the Sanibel or Point Ybel Light. Built to mark the entrance to San Carlos Bay & first lit in 1884, it was one of the first lighthouses on Florida's Gulf Coast. 

As we traveled into San Carlos Bay, the wind increased a bit to around 11 knots, kicking up the bay. Rollers increased in height to about 4 feet; luckily we were headed right into them and they were not hitting us broadside. Our speed was set at 14 RPM's or 8 knots, ideal for skimming atop many waves, avoiding a dip into the trench between rolls. A bit uncomfortable but we have seen worse on Buzzards Bay. We just went with the flow, or in this case the roll. A true Nantucket sleigh ride! 

It took us just about 7 hours to travel 51 NM to Naples, one of the wealthiest cities in Florida. We turned to port to enter the river, heading to the Naples City Dock Marina about 2 miles off the Gulf. Little did we know that No Wake Zones don't mean anything in Florida. As we made our turn, a somewhat irresponsible boater, sped toward our stern then proceeded to zoom by, throwing a mega wake and of course rocking us enough so chairs and other things flew over. We assumed the rest of the trip up river to the marina would be better but we were mistaken. Being a slow trawler we were at the mercy of the speed demons who couldn't care less how much they rock you. Welcome to Florida! 

The mansions lining the shore were incredible. I love the bright colors and the palm trees that shout "Florida". It's hard to imagine anyone needing such huge houses but to each his own. Money needs to be spent somehow. 

It was a bit tricky tying up to one of the 6 mooring balls available at the marina. The balls had no pennant or lines tied to them and no easy way to pick them up from the bow. This required us to catch the ball from the stern and then walk the line along the port side to the bow. I stood on the swim platform while John backed Slàinte Mhath enough so I could reach the ball, easier said than done since he couldn't see and depended on my directions. Somehow we got it done!

We went to shore to get some laundry done and take showers before settling in for the night. All the while, private jets zoomed overhead, transporting their owners home from work. This is certainly rich and famous territory. It was a beautiful evening with lightening illuminating the sky in the distance. 

Day 182: January 16: It was a gorgeous day. Blue skies and sunshine allowing us to put on summer clothes. We dinked to a public dock along Bayfront. The area was not very "dinghy friendly" but we did find one public spot at the end of the Freedom Boat Club dock after passing under a double causeway: Tamiami Tri and Tin City Bridge. The passage opened up to a view of Bayfront Plaza, a residential community and shopping center. Tall, brilliantly colored buildings met our gaze, reminding me of Old San Juan, PR. 

The traffic was pretty heavy so we were happy to see a pedestrian walkway running underneath, connecting Bayfront to Tin City. This part of the waterfront was originally settled in the 1800's. The rustic  buildings topped with tin roofs were once used as a busy center for oyster processing, clam shelling and boat building. A half-century later, the buildings were converted into the Old Maritime Museum. Eclectic shops and cafes offer tourists and locals an opportunity to enjoy this part of Florida's coast.

We dinked back to the dock and walked down the boardwalk in front of the marina, planning to have lunch at a pizzeria we read about. To our disappointment it was closed and under repair. Might be left over destruction from a previous hurricane! Still hungry, we decided to head back to the boats where we have plenty of lunch options! At that moment a fishing charter came in and folks were gathered round watching the fish being brought to the dock for cleaning. Looked like a pretty good catch!

By late afternoon clouds increased overhead and the air changed. We expect a bit of weather tomorrow so we will are thinking of making a small 10 NM mile to Marco Island.