March 13th 2017: Venice, FL to Palmetto, FL

Monday March 13th:

We left Fisherman's Wharf Marina at 8:10am and cruised 49.4 miles to our home port of Riviera Dunes at Palmetto, FL arriving at 1:48pm. It was an overcast and cool day but the wind and seas were light and it was an easy ride. We only encountered some light rain during the last hour of the cruise.

Back at Home Port with the Great Loop burgee flying.

We completed our "Mini-Loop." Here are some of the statistics...

• Total Days = 37
• Cruising Days = 18
• Total Miles - 767
• Total Hours Cruising = 95
• Average Overall Speed = 8.1 miles per hour

Now Joan and I will compare our notes and thoughts about projecting what we learned from this mini loop experience onto doing the rest of the Great Loop. As of now, our first impression is that we want a little more living space inside the boat. But, we'll think about a while.

Thanks for following us along this adventure.

JJ & Joan

Vessel "Red Pearl"

March 12th 2017: Captiva Island, FL to Venice, FL

Sunday March 12th:

We departed Captiva Island at 8:15 and cruised 47.4 miles to the Fisherman's Wharf Marina at Venice, FL arriving at 4:48pm. We had stayed at a different marina in Venice at the start of our trip. We had never been to this one so we wanted to try it. On arrival we were assigned a slip on the outside of the dock along the river. Due to the combination of cross wind and cross current in the channel, I had to try four times to get into the slip. At first I tried to stern in and then gave up and went bow in. The dock hand said I did good because it usually takes the slip's owner eight tries to get into it.

When I made the reservation the dock hand had told me that the "Nina" and "Pinta" replica Columbus ships were there for a few days. We ended up in a slip near the Pinta. We saw a steady stream of tourists who had bought tickets to tour the Columbus ships.

Red Pearl alongside the "Pinta" Columbus ship at Fisherman's Wharf Marina, Venice, FL.

A constant line of tourists at the Columbus ships.

Something very special about those old "square rigged" sailing ships.

We walked a short walk into the downtown Venice shops and restaurants. They were having a car show in the park in the center of town.

After we closed down all the shops we returned to the Red Pearl and then went to the on-site restaurant at the marina for dinner and live music. The sesame encrusted seared tuna entre was outstanding...very fresh and a huge portion.

We met a couple of other loopers in the boat behind us. Their boat is a larger version of our boat and they let us look at it. They expect to be looping in 2018.

We turned-in and had a good night's rest for our last leg home tomorrow.

March 11th: Ft. Myers, FL to Captiva Island, FL

Saturday March 11th:

We departed Ft. Myers, Legacy Harbor at 8:40am and cruised the 30.3 miles to the Tween Waters Resorts on Captiva Island arriving at 12:15pm. This is the same resort we stopped at in the beginning of our trip. There was no dock staff to assist us the last time we stayed here and the dockmaster was apologetic had given us a coupon for a free night of dockage. We liked the resort and it was the right distance on our return so we decided to stay here again.

Going down the Caloosahatchee River from Ft. Myers we passed this strange anchored houseboat with mannequins all over it. Don't know what that was all about.

We arrived at the Tween Waters Resort early in the day so we had time to enjoy its amenities. We began with drinks and lunch at the poolside tiki bar.

Then it was time for a stroll on the beach.

Seahorse statue outside the resort lobby.

 We launched our dinghy and explored the channel and the bayou alongside the resort. We were looking for whatever wildlife we could find. When in the bayou we practiced our rowing skills using the oars on the dinghy. Then we motored back and took this picture of Red Pearl at the dock with the pelicans standing guard.

Red Pearl at Tween Waters Resort, Captiva Island, FL

 Wh then motored the dinghy on past the Red Pearl and explored the channel up the other direction. We encountered a group of manatees surfacing all around us. We turned off our motor and used our oars to stay among them and observe them for about a half-hour. This one came right up to the dinghy to check out Joan. She snapped this picture. She could have touched him (her?)

Close encounter with a manatee.

 Then we returned to Red Pearl, cleaned up for sunset on the beach followed by dinner at the resort's casual restaurant. The view out the restaurant window of the breezy sunset was beautiful. The shrimp and grits dish was wonderful. It was made with polenta instead of regular grits.

Full moon casting a silvery light over the channel next to Red Pearl.

March 9th 2017: LaBelle, FL to Ft. Myers, FL

Thursday March 8th 

We left the Riverforest Marina at LaBelle, FL at 0840 and immediately approached the Ortona Lock. We waited about 10 minutes to enter the lock. Once inside we were lowered about eight feet. We exited the lock about 30-minutes after we first arrived.

Transiting the Ortona Lock on Okeechobee Water Way

Traveling the Okeechobee Water Way took us past many beautiful spots.

An example of a "swing" bridge that opened for us.

At 1234 we arrived at the Franklin Lock, our last lock for this trip. We were lowered three feet in this lock, exiting 20-minutes after arriving.

Joan holding onto the bow line.

At 1445 after 41.8 miles we arrived at Ft. Myers, FL at the Legacy Harbor Marina at the downtown city center. After settling in we walked to dinner at the Firestone Grill downtown. We'll be in Ft Myers two nights.

Firestone Grill

Red Pearl at Ft. Myers, Legacy Harbor Marina.

Friday:

We walked to the Edison & Ford Homes and Museum just 4 blocks away and took the 1130 guided tour. We stopped at Publix on the walk back. After returning to the Red Pearl I replaced the float switch in the shower sump which had begun malfunctioning. We walked to "Capones Vault" Italian restaurant with coal fired pizza. 

Thomas Edison statue

Mrs. Edison statue

Photos of Edison Botanical Gardens

Edison homesite on the Caloosahatchee River

Sunset over Legacy Harbor Marina

March 8th 2017: Port Myaca Lock to LaBelle, FL

Wednesday March 8th we untied from the dolphins just before the lock at Port Myaca and proceeded through the lock and onto Lake Okeechobee. Because of the high lake level this lock simply opened both ends and allowed us to just slowly cruise right through without any change in water level.

Port Myaca Lock - open pass-thru

After passing through the Port Myaca lock we crossed 30-miles of Lake Okeechobee to Clewiston, FL and then continued along the Okeechobee Water Way on the west side of the lake. Along this section we saw a few alligators in the water and one large one sunning himself on the bank before jumping into the water as we passed. There was an "old Florida" rustic beauty along the waterway.

After a 56.0 miles day we eventually arrived at LaBelle, FL at the Riverforest Marina to spend the night. It was located just prior to the Ortona Lock on the Okeechobee Water Way which we plan to transit tomorrow AM.

Red Pearl and Joan at River Forest Marina, LaBelle, FL

March 7th 2017: Stuart, FL to Port Myaca Lock, FL

Tuesday, March 7th at 8:30am we moved Red Pearl to the fuel dock at Sunset Bay marina so that we could pump out the holding tank and buy some ice for the cooler. We departed the dock at 0905 and cruised 32.8 miles west on the Okeechobee Water Way. Our first ever "lock" was the St. Lucie Lock where we were raised 13 feet because Lake Okeechobee is at a higher elevation than the Atlantic ocean. We pulled into the lock and the lockmaster tossed down long lines for us to hold onto bow and stern while the lock doors closed and the water filled the lock. Then the west doors opened and we continued on the Okeechobee Water Way. We knew we couldn't cross the lake the same day so we planned to spend the night right before the lock that opens onto the lake at Port St Lucie. At first we tried to anchor in a designated spot but couldn't get the anchor to hold in the mud, so we tied up to "dolphins" (wood pilings) that are provided at all the locks for boats waiting to transit the locks.

Rairoad "lift" bridge on Okeechobee Waterway

Tying up to "dolphins" for the night.

Our surroundings for the night at Port Myaca, FL Lock.

March 1st 2017: West Palm Beach to Stuart, FL

Wednesday:

We had determined that most of the bridges ahead of us were tall enough that we didn't need them to open so we could leave Palm Harbor Marina at any time. We pulled out at 8:00AM and traveled 41.5 miles in 5 hours and 16 minutes to get to Stuart, FL.

Red Pearl at Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, FL

Thursday:

We took an Uber ride out to a marina where the Trawlerfest Boat Show was being held. We walked the vendor tents and then went out on the docks to go on-board several boats that are for sale. It was interesting to see the various features of the different boat designs and hear the sales pitches of the staff at each boat.

Friday:

We decided we didn't need a second day at the boat show so we walked to the downtown area of Stuart, FL to see the many shops and boutiques there. We were supposed to leave on Saturday but the weather forecast is for extremely high winds the next few days. We have extended our slip reservation here through next Monday to wait out the weather.

Fire Pit Conversation area at Sunset Bay Marina

Stuart, FL claims Sailfish capital of the world.

Statue in downtown Stuart

Red Pearl at Sunset Bay Marina

Saturday to Monday:

Due to high winds we had three extra days in Stuart. We went for walks around town; replenished groceries at Publix; facetimed with our grandkids; and enjoyed dramatic sunsets. JJ repaired some dinghy davit mounting hardware. On Monday we prepped Red Pearl to get on the move again.