MARATHON SAIL

Marathon Sail...

  

A marathon is 26.2 miles and good runners can complete it in 4-5 hours. But from St Petersburg to Marathon in the Florida Keys by boat is over 200 nautical miles, taking ~48 hours of continuous sailing. For lazy fair weather cruisers like ourselves, and adding in "liming" time with friends, it takes days. 

Bay Breeze berthed with sister Shoalsailer, Zydeco, in Fort Myers Beach

St Petersburg is one of our favorite ports. The vibe of the city reminds us of Manhattan, but cleaner, with better climate and palm trees, although, sadly, too many homeless people. Museums and art galleries, restaurants, farmers market and a generally liberal progressive attitude is all comfortable for us. That we have a trusted boatyard for maintenance on Bay Breeze at Sailors Wharf in Salt Creek Marina District is a very attractive feature.

  

It was a treat to meet Courtney and Tommy to catch up on their careers over lunch at Doc Fords on the St Pete Pier and tour the James Western Art Museum with them. It's been five years since their wedding across the Bay at the Tampa Westshore Yacht Club. It was really special to be at their special day on our boat.

Nanday Parakeet (Black-hooded Parakeet)
 has established a wild population in Sarasota. 

Sarasota is another favorite port, both for Marina Jack being located right downtown but more for the friends we get to hang out with. Pat and Judy are wonderful hosts and we enjoy touring the sites there (as well as when we get together in Maine.) Joined by new friends Steve and Jennis we sat out a downpour aboard Bay Breeze and had a good lime with wine and rum. Then, as the sky cleared, a rainbow appeared over Bay Breeze as a metaphor for the rewards of cruising adventures.

Departing Marina Jack to push on south, the VHF radio crackled "US Coast Guard St. Petersburg Group....switch to Channel 2-2 Alpha for latest navigation information". The broadcast reported: "US Coast Guard has received a report that the Blackburn Point Bridge is stuck in the closed position and is considered a hazard to navigation." ThIs bridge is an old swing bridge that pivots to allow boats to pass. Being stuck closed informed a new plan to sail outside in the Gulf instead of taking the Intracoastal Waterway. 

Lee expertly piloted the boat through the shallows of Big Sarasota Pass to the outside. A fresh breeze made for a nice sail 30 miles or so to Venice Inlet. At Venice we had a quiet night at Crows Nest Marina and restaurant. We stopped short on our plan to get to the head of Pine Island Sound. We travelled the ICW the next day to anchor in a spot we'd seen on our past cruises, but had never stopped. We decided to check out the idyllic hurricane hole of Schoolhouse Bay on Punta Blanca Island. This small anchorage is nearly encircled by the island's mangrove shore. Quiet and calm in all weather, it was good to be on the hook gunkholing rather than at a marina - totally off-grid, except for our on-board wifi. Punta Blanca Island is directly across from Cayo Costa and Cayo Costa State Park.

A momma manatee and her persistent calf greeted us with a long visit. They were entertaining performers, or at least the calf was, entreating mom by nuzzling, trying to rouse her from rest to allow him/her to nurse. In an anthropomorphic spin, it could be interpreted as loving affection in anticipation of Mother's Day. (video at the end of the blog)

 

Schoolhouse BayHurricane Hole

Taking the dinghy to shore, we explored trails on Punta Blanca for a bit before heading to Cayo Costa to hike to the beach and snag one of the ice cream treats from the expansive varieties of Klondike bars sold at the park CSO store. The beach was a pleasant stroll with a little shorebird watching.

Since the Schoolhouse Bay anchorage was so well protected and calm, we opted to move to anchor in Pelican Bay so we could catch a little breeze. The anchorage was less crowded than we'd experienced in the past so we had plenty of swing room and little concern for dragging the hook.

  

From Cayo Costa Sate Park we traveled to Linda and Michael's Fort Myers Beach waterfront dock and lovely home so Bay Breeze could meet up with her bigger, younger sister, Zydeco. Linda and Michael have cruised extensively aboard their Shannon Shoalsailer 35 and are in our Sailing Heroes Hall of Fame. The 35 principally differs from our 32 by the add-on of a sumptuous 3 ft sugar scoop extension on the stern but it is otherwise the same design. It is great to spend time at their home and share the camaraderie of the Shoalsailer Sisterhood.

Although we were delayed for a day to wait on suitable weather, we journeyed on together, buddy-boat sailing on to the Florida Keys, with pleasant temperatures and favorable winds.

From Fort Myers Beach to Panther Key in the Ten Thousand Islands was about 45nm. Sailing to Marco and entering Gordon Pass we took the river shortcut inland of Marco Island that ends at Gullivan Bay. Gullivan Bay is the beginning of Florida's most remote stretch of untouched wildness. From Marco around the SW tip of Florida, the 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Everglades National Park is about as far away from development as is possible.

 

At anchor Panther Key National Wildlife Refuge

The anchorage at Panther Key NWR was calm and protected, unseasonably cool and bug free. As we departed in the morning, a misty fog rolled in from the inland creeks making for a surreal departure. About forty miles south of Panther Key is the Little Shark River, known as a protected place for safe anchoring but also renowned for bugs.  (see video at end of blog)

Fly fishing for tarpon

On the way to Little Shark River, Zydeco had some issues with her electrical system not providing enough power to supply the boat. Linda and Michael paused to diagnose and repair the system and we moved on to Little Shark River. In anticipation of the abundant insect life we anchored offshore in a more exposed location to be in the wind that would reduce the infestation. But it was a windward shore and a little too bouncy to be comfortable in the strong west wind. Eventually we repositioned to the more protected anchorage that is surrounded by mangroves. To our delight the winds were gentle, the air was cool and surprisingly no hordes of no see ums, biting flies and mosquitos! 

We even grilled a pork loin and shared a dinner aboard Bay Breeze, before Linda and Michael rowed their inflatable dinghy back to Zydeco. There was a brief shower just before dinner, followed by a rainbow over the river.

Our next destination, Marathon, was forty miles across Florida Bay. The wind and temperature was perfect until we were about five miles north of our destination. Then the wind dropped and our sailboats were ghosting along at 2 to 3 knots. Dousing sails, we motored into Faro Blanco Marina. This once fabled high end resort was razed and rebuilt and now features a Suntex Marina attached to an upscale hotel. As kids in the 1950s and 60s the original Faro Blanco was mysterious and inaccessible beyond both our families' means to afford. Now it is still pricey, but we have a credit card.

Overlooking Steve and Edie's dock - with a view of Sombrero Light 

S/V Zydeco

Sailing to Marathon offered an opportunity to meet up with former Shoalsailer alums, Steve and Edie. They sailed their Shoalsailer, the EDIE K, for many years out of Marathon. Five years ago, this month, four Shoalsailers out of the total of 16 built, were in Marathon. These boats with a shallow 30" draft are well-suited for cruising in the shallow waters of the Keys and Bahamas. It is a niche boat, custom built design, decent sailing, with amenities that make it comfortable. It is jovial to share stories, discuss improvements, and commiserate on the common experiences in owning this particular model boat. 

Our friend Pat describes cruising as: "An opportunity to spend time repairing one's boat in exotic locations." So we began our maintenance tasks at our marina slip. And in Marathon, with ample and capable marine service providers, we get maintenance and repairs made that are not available in our home port. Apalachee Bay is mostly devoid of any expert specialty boat services for electronics or rigging. While here we connected with a company to repair Helmsley, our autopilot, and a Yanmar diesel mechanic to do routine maintenance service on our engine and generator. 

Dinner out at Porky's

Grilling out on Steve and Edie's patio

Meeting up with Steve and Edie and their affable neighbors Jonathan and Ann, we had many opportunities to enjoy conversation and libation. None were more enjoyable than a hamburger and chicken cookout on Steve and Edie's fabulous house overlooking the Atlantic. With a dramatic sky to the north and Sombrero lighthouse offshore to the south, we had a very nice evening. We enjoyed a boat ride on Steve's Grady White to another wonderful home-cooked dinner of brats and salmon prepared by Chef Jonathan, with a tour of Ann's native plant/wildlife landscaping. Warbler migration is still going on and many of the little birds (redstarts, black-throated blue warbler, waterthrushes, etc.) enjoy the seeds and berries that Ann's garden provide.

So after a couple weeks on the boat we're settled in to the routine of being busy doing nothing and not having enough time to do it all. From here, it depends on what the weather allows, but probably the back country of the Keys, maybe Key West or Dry Tortugas?

Life is good and we are so thankful that we get to run our "Marathon"  with friends and mostly not worry about the time.

Pelican Bay - Cayo Costa State Park

Thanks for reading!

05.13.2022

LINKS

What is "Liming?"   

    http://liminalities.net/12-4/liming.pdf

    https://epicureandculture.com/what-is-liming/

VIDEOS

Manatees - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdJT5kI626U

Morning Fog rolling in Ten Thousand Islands - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuC6R9_Bm8

Sunset at Panther Key NWR - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XtXg4XCG3ZA