Another Adventure Begins

This will be a short one. We are on a 12 day trip through the North Channel. This is just north of Lake Huron and is actually part of it. The scenery is supposed to be spectacular, as is the cruising. We trailered the boat up and launched in a town called Little Current. Before getting here we stayed overnight in Niagara Falls, NY. It was just a short ride to go see the falls on the New York side. People say the Canadian side is better, but having been to the Canadian side as a kid, I thought it was great to see the Canadian falls in the distance while being up close to the New York falls. Jess was never there so this was a new experience for her. 

We left Niagara at 5:00am to start our leg to Little Current. We wanted to avoid the Toronto traffic and even leaving that early there was a bit we encountered, but we didn't lose any time. Once you get out of the city it is real country traveling up north. Towns are far apart and services can be scarce, so planning fuel stops is definitely in order, especially since we use diesel and are trailering a boat. This gives us a total length of 58 feet. You just can't get into any station and you don't want to be on the wrong side of the pump. Usually Jess will get out before we enter the station and scout out the location of the pump and then guide me in. 

So after launching the boat, provisioning and then repositioning to the town docks, we are relaxing after a great dinner at the local restaurant called the Anchor Inn.

The New York Falls

The Canadian Falls in the distance.

In love again at the falls. 

The final Leg

We have made a complete loop and are now back to Palm Island Marina to take it easy for a week and get things ready to trailer home. Here are some trip statistics.

112.7 hours of engine time

698 miles traveled

179 gallons of fuel used

3.89 miles per gallon

Average speed 6.19 knots per hour or 7.12 miles per hour

100 days on the water

The trip from Vero beach brings you back to old Florida. Once you pass Stuart and enter the Saint Lucie River things get much quieter and more pristine. On your passage to the west coast of Florida you pass through small agricultural towns that grow mostly oranges, sugar cane and raise chickens. You go back in time to Florida of the sixties. Indiantown is a usual stop for many before crossing the lake. The marina there is a working marina and provides hurricane storage for boats. Many of the boats here seem like they have been abandoned and are black with mildew. Our favorite restaurant here is Destefano's. The owner is a Brooklyn transplant who came here once on a business trip and just fell in love with the place. I think he may be in the witness protection program. 

There are four locks you must go through to traverse from the East coast to the West Coast, St. Lucie, Port Mayaca, Moorehaven, Ornota and the W.P. Franklin Lock. These locks are run by the Corp of Engineers. Some of the locks provide campsites and slips for overnight stays and have some pretty good amenities. Also along the way a few towns provide free dockage for overnight stays, Labelle being one of them. 

Once you are up the St. Lucie River a way the water is fresh until you reach the mouth of the Caloosahatchie River in Ft, Meyers.

The scenery and wildlife along the way are pristine and plentiful. It isn't rare to see an alligator resting on a bank or see a manatee coming up for air. Sometimes there may even be a manatee in a lock with you. 

After you exit the Caloosahatchie the hustle and bustle of the waterway starts all over again and you wish you were back on the River, but nothing is forever and you can always go back. 

This trip we "buddy boated" with Rich and Cheryll Odendahl. They are avid boaters and true adventurers. They have traveled around the world and Rich even hiked to the base camp of Mt. Everest. This past summer they took their boat up the inner passage all the way to Juneau, Alaska. Besides the great comraderie buddy boating has great advantages, help immediately if you need it, another opinion on weather and route and best of all someone other than you to go shopping with the wife. 

Rich and Cheryll left a few days ago and their trip back trailering their boat was not a good one. They had 3 flats in two days. We have come to the conclusion that 3 years or 20,000 miles on boat trailers is the limit. 

So that's it for this trip. I hope you have enjoyed reading about our adventure. We are planning a trip this summer on the North Channel. So stay tuned for some more adventures of Mike & Jess

Exiting the Port Mayaca lock into the Okeechobee.

This is an old tree in front of the justice center in Ft. Meyers. The tree was alive for over 100 years, but after several years of trying to save it, it was apparent that it needed to come down. However they did not want to loose the history so Marlin Miller created a sculpture of and eagle and it still stands in front of the Lee County Courthouse.

While docked in Labelle we saw this distressed boat. We mounted my electric Torqeedo on Rich's dingy and went over to help. Not bad, we were able to tow them to the town launch ramp. I sent the story and picture to Torqeedo and they are sending me a fleece Torqeedo jacket and publishing the story in their newsletter. 

A final picture of the shop till you drop team. Our boats lost valuable  RPM's and added fuel consumption with the added weight of girlie things!

Boca Chita to Vero Beach

The ride from Boca Chita to Vero Beach is not one of my favorites. You are meandering though the concrete canyons on the Intracoastal with many speed zones and many discourteous boaters that will wake you as they pass. There are a few highlights along the way though. Ft. Lauderdale has a lot to offer as far as entertainment, beach and restaurants. We stayed a week at the Las Olas City Marina. This is in a great spot convenient to everything. Our friend Rich who is buddy boating with us is an avid runner and joined the St. Patrick's Day race, a very festive event culminating with a dish of green eggs and ham. As we headed north we anchored out one night and stayed another night at Old Port Marina in North Palm Beach. I would say we were the smallest boat in  the marina.

We are now in Vero Beach, also nicknamed Velcro Beach because it is such a nice place that when people come to visit they never leave. We are at the city marina which is conveniently located near the beach and shopping. Being near shopping is a luxury when boating. While here, since we will be here a week, Rich and I decided that it will be a good time to do some periodic maintenance on the boats. I cleaned my heat exchanger, changed my impeller and the belts. On boats access is limited and makes easy tasks difficult. You need to have long arms and be a contortionist. I usually hurt for a day after and am covered with black and blues. It is alway a good opportunity to convince the authorities that Jess beats me. 

Today is March 23rd and we will be celebrating Jess's birthday. 

We are hoping to tour the Piper Aircraft  facility on Tuesday as well as meeting up with a past business colleague, Dave Coffin and his wife Susan for lunch. Wednesday we leave for Stuart and that will be the start of our trip west through the Okeechobee.

Till next time!

Sunset over Miami

Andy and Anita Ragona visited us while in Ft. Lauderdale. We always have great times with them.

Before the race. I think I should go on a diet!

Notice the shadows on the mural. Besides the trees it looks like someone is painting with a roller.

 Some people have bad luck. We passed this boat just before Delray Beach. I think he needs a big bilge pump!

Our neighbor in Ft. Lauderdale must get lonely and carries this chap along.

And the neighbors get even more creative as we move north!

Rich and I working on the engine. Is Rich dozing here!? In the picture above you can see our set up for pumping Rydlyme through the heat exchanger so that we can remove all of the calcium deposits. 

That little small Boat is Roam, Rich and Cheryll's boat, doing a test run after our maintenance. 

Always time for fishing and fun. We have a manatee thing going on with Rich's sister Tanya so we thought we would send her a shot of me teaching "Manny" how to water ski.

Always time for a birthday celebration! It isn't just a birthday it is also time to collect Social Security. 

Marathon to Boca Chita

We spent a week in Marathon at the Blackfin resort. Hardly what one would call a resort, but a real nice convenient place. The people are nice, it is within walking distance to the food store, Home Depot and other facilities one may need. When traveling by boat certain things one takes for granted be come special. Being close to a store is a special treat. A simple task of getting groceries can take several hours depending on where you are. Planning food and supplies depending on where you are going to be is critical. We always carry canned and dried food in case we run out of fresh food. 

Our buddy boat friend, Rich Odendahl is a runner and saw there was a run at Key Colony, a nice section of homes and beaches in Marathon. So we went with him and watched the race. He won second for his age group and received a medal! We also got to meet Rich's father  and a friend who flew down to meet us for the day. 

After Marathon we worked our way up to Key Largo anchoring one night in Islemorada on the way. We visited the Pro Bass Shop there by dingy and then scooted over to Loreli's for a drink and then back to the boats for dinner. 

The next day we made it to Key Largo mid afternoon. We stayed at Pennekamp Park, which is a state park that offers, snorkel trips to the reef, swimming and camping. It is also we situated for stores and supplies. We stayed for 5 days and are now at Boca Chita. This is a real nice spot, but can get pretty crowded and loud on weekends. We planned it to get here late afternoon, but it was still somewhat crowded and we had to wait about 20 minutes to get a spot at the sidewall to tie up. As the sun set the majority of people left and we had the place to ourselves for the night. Today we head to Miami to anchor our again and then on to the Lauderdale area for about a week.

Stay tuned.

Sombrero reef. Some of the best snorkeling and diving around!

Looking across the way while at Boca Chita. 

Drinks at Loreli's

In Key Largo "Keysing" with Cheryll Odendahl having a drink at our usual happy hour.

Every place we go this guy shows up! We are being stalked! 

You can see military helicopters in the distance. Obama was visiting Ocean Reef club. We suspect they were security circling the area. 

Down to Marathon

It has been a while since my last post. Having left Palm Island Marina we have traveled about two hundred miles and are in Marathon for a week to get into the Keys mode. We had some wonderful experiences on the way down. Cayo Costa State Park is a real treasure with a beach on the Gulf miles long. Ft. Myers Beach has a personality of its own and can be crowded, but fun to see the shops and walk the beach. Naples is a great town with a Saturday morning farmer's market, big label stores and a bank and brokerage firm on each block. 

As you meander south the hustle and bustle slowly subside and you start to enter a new world. Goodland, which is northeast of Marco Island is a small fishing town with a bar and a few eateries that hop at night. This area starts to take on the look of the Everglades. At this point we have to go on the "outside", which means the Gulf of Mexico, so weather and winds are important to watch. The Gulf is shallow until way out so winds can turn it up pretty good. 

From Goodland we made our way down to Everglades City. This City has a lot of history behind it. The Rod and Gun Club has had many Presidents come here to do fishing. I myself had come here years ago to fish for Tarpon, redfish and snook. This was before GPS and if you did not know the area you could get lost if you turned your head the wrong way. I used to have the Mayor of Everglades City, Snapper Butler, take me out as a guide. He told me once, " Mike, it's only me and the devil who knows where you are right now". I made sure I always paid him well! We stayed at a marina called Everglades Isles. This is actually a park for class A RV's that has slips that they rent out. The facilities are among the best, spa, bathrooms and showers with plush towels, free laundry, beautiful clubhouse with pool and gym. When cruising these type of amenities are rare, so when you get them you enjoy. In two days we will be heading into the Everglades, so this is kind of like the last hurrah before being anchored out and fending for yourself against nature. 

After our respite in Everglades City it was off to Little Shark River Inlet from the Gulf. Everglades City is on the western edge of the Everglades, so it isn't too far and you are in the boundaries of the park. From Everglades City to Little Shark River it is about 30 miles in the Gulf heading southward. Once you enter the River  you are in a different world. You are surrounded by Mangroves, egret, porpoise, an occasional turtle and as you get deeper in, crocodiles. The wildlife is abundant and so are the bugs. Mosquitos and noseeums love to pierce your skin as dusk descends. It can be torturous if you stay outside. So once the sun comes down you retreat into the cabin with windows closed until dark. Even though you have screens the noseeums can penetrate through the small holes, hence their names NO-SEE-THEM. I guess "them" was abbreviated to "um". In any event they are the worst biting little devils around. After dark you can open the windows, but don't use lights! When you wake up in the morning your boat is now covered with a carpet of dead bugs. And the ones that are still alive are out to get you. So after eating breakfast it is a mad dash to the bow to pull up anchor and get moving. Once on the move they can't catch you and you start cleaning the mess off.

There is a Wilderness Waterway from Everglades City to Flamingo through the Everglades. It is about 90 miles long and should only be transversed by a canoe or small boat less than 18 feet without a cabin. Our friends Rich and Cheryll Odendahal, who by the way are out boat buddies this trip,  joined the waterway a couple of years ago off the Little shark River and said it was doable. We did it with them this time and it was great. There are spots though that the depts go lower than 2.9 feet  and our boat draws 26 inches. The depth sounder alarm did not like that and screamed a few times along the way. 

Our three days exploring the Everglades was enchanting. Anchoring out in the wilderness is one of the greatest experiences in boating. You are one with nature. The sky at night is magnificent. You can see every star as far as your eye can see. It isn't often that one can look up and see a shooting star, but in the Everglades it is almost guaranteed. Anchor just off shore and you can see the most beautiful sunset. I even got to see the infamous green flash as the sun went down. I always thought that people were lying about it, but I finally saw it! Is it possible that the wine I was drinking from a green bottle helped me to see it?

We are now in Marathon where we will rest, re-provision and take in the local culture. Today we go out to Sombero Reef and do some snorkeling. 

More to follow. 

A buch of us Ranger Tugs anchored out in Cayo Costa State Park

At the dock in Everglades City

Jess and Cheryll outside the Rod and Gun Club. 

The last leg down the waterway into Flamingo

Rich and I on the beach at middle Cape Sable. You can see our boats anchored out in the background.

This is a manatee. Far cry from that cute guy you read about and see in aquariums.

This is a crocodile. They can only survive in fresh or brackish water. The Everglades is one of the few places where you will see crocks and alligators. Swimming anyone??

One of the best sunsets off of Cape sable!

On the move

After taking a five week respite and staying at one marina during that time, we are on the move. I was co-chair of a Ranger Tug Rendezvous at Palm Island Marina in Placida Florida. We had 21 tugs at the 3 day event and it culminated with a cruise and overnight anchorage at Cayo Costa State Park. Anyone who is in the area should make an attempt to get there. There is a ferry from Pine Island that can take you there. There are great trails with either a 3/4 mile walk to the gulf or a free tram ride. Entry is $2.00 per person and it is on the honor system. The southwest coast of Florida is one of our favorite cruising spots. 

We are currently at another Ranger Tug owners dock at Sanibel Island and will be leaving today for Ft. Myers Beach. Our plan after that is to hit Naples, Goodland, Everglades City, Little Shark River (a spectacular waterway that works it's  way through the Everglades to Flamingo) then Marathon, Key Largo, Key Biscayne and then on up to Vero Beach. After that a short run south to Stuart where we will catch the St. Lucie River and cut across the Okeechobee to the Calooosahatchie River and then back up to Cape Haze to end the trip. 

As things progress and things of interest arise I will post, so stay tuned.

On our charted Catamaran in St. Maarten  with our group of friends.

Looks like I am grabbing a cloud, doesn't it? Can't find snow here!

Our penthouse view! Pretty scary seeing your living quarters on a lift. 

Our group of Ranger Tug owners at our Rendezvous we are also known as Tugnutters.

Ranger flotilla leaving for Cayo Costa

Rangers on the move

Sunrise on the hook at Cayo Costa State Park.

And so another adventure begins

Well I have been remiss on posting. We had left the boat in November in Savannah, GA and had it bottom painted. So our trip to our starting point was a short 8 hours. Our new adventure starts off at Palm Island Marina, in Placida, FL. We will be here until Febreuary 10th and then be on the move down to Marathon and then up the east coast to Vero Beach and then across Lake Okechobee and swing back up to Palm Island. Plans can change so they are all tentative. We have done some of this cruising before so I won't  bore you with old sights.  Between January 25th to February 2nd we will fly out to St. Martin where we rented a catamaran with three other couples. If anything good is going on out there I will make a post. So until something of interest happens I won't be posting.

We were in the penthouse for a few short minutes. Very scary seeing your living quarters for the winter in a perilous position!