Feb 10th 2017: Naples, FL to Everglades City, FL

A Very Low Tide

During the night, while in our slip at the Naples Boat Club, there was an extremely low tide due to offshore winds and a full moon. The dockmaster said the lowest he'd seen in 30 years. It was a floating dock but we had one stern line attached to a wood piling. Not expecting the low tide, I happened to get up once during the night and noticed the boat was listing to starboard. I went out to investigate and saw the line to piling was as tight as a guitar string. I needed to use my mariner's pocket knife with marlin spike to get the line loose from the cleat on the boat. The boat settled quite a ways when the line snapped loose. We were in only about 4 feet of water at low tide, so our keel was nearly touching the bottom. But the tide was rising and would be higher by the time we left, so I went back to bed.

Under Way

There was a fresh breeze affecting the marina and I was in a tight space among other boats so I asked the dockmaster to come assist us in our departure. Everything worked out fine and we got underway a little after 10AM. Once out of the Naples inlet we went a short distance offshore and headed south past Marco Island and toward Everglades City. We entered the Indian Key Pass and wound our way through the everglades to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City. They have a 1,000ft seawall and told us to just tie up anywhere and come inside. When we arrived after 48 miles and 5 hours some other boaters already there assisted us in tying up.

Red Pearl at Rod & Gun Club, Everglades City, FL

The Rod & Gun Club dates back to the 1860s with many presidents, Hemmingway, famous actors & actresses, and other notables as guests.

It just so happened that it was the Friday when the Everglades City Seafood Festival and Carnival was on. The entire city center was full of vendors of all sorts and the carnival rides and games. We walked just out front of the Rod & Gun Club to shop the various vendors and to find some seafood to bring back to Red Pearl.

Coconut shrimp, crab cake & jambalaya on the party deck

During the night we were awakened by a very loud "twang." I had to get up to investigate. One of the fender boards we had out had gotten caught under some skirt boards on a wood piling when the tide went out and came back up. Under pressure it let go with a twang. Oh well, back to bed.