We never did get to a marina on Friday February 6th -- the local marina was full and the north winds made it impossible to get out of Charlotte Harbor, and even if we did there were no feasible anchoring or docking options for some distance. So, we stayed put, or rather we stayed on Freedom while she swung on the anchor chain. Getting in and out of the dinghy was a bit treacherous, so Ham had to be content with one trip to shore per day. #mostpatientboatdogever.
When we did make it to shore we enjoyed walking about Punta Gorda. There was an excellent free dinghy dock adjacent to the waterfront promenade allowing all of us to get onshore and stretch our legs. The winds died down enough on the morning of 7th so we headed in to the weekly Saturday Farmers Market. The highlight of this market for me were the incredibly fresh Strawberries from nearby Plant City. Next time you buy strawberries in your local market, check the origin. It is quite likely they are from Plant City. But, I can assure you they are no where near as delicious as the ones you can buy at the local markets. Here they are sweet, full of flavor and red all the way through. As I understand it, the berries picked for shipping out of state are picked before they are fully ripe, resulting in white centers. That early picking robs the fruit of the its full flavor potential,.
Some local fishermen were also at the market selling "caught the day before" fish. We feasted on Mahi that night.
After returning to the boat, eating lunch and taking a siesta, we lifted the anchor ( not an easy task after all those days and nights of heavy wind) and headed down the ICW to the Burnt Store Marina, just 2 hours away. Once again, the winds picked up and our 2 night stay at the marina turned into 4. Burnt Store is a large gated community north of Fort Myers. There are over 3,000 residences in mid size condo buildings, townhouses and single family homes. We spent a lot of time walking through the various neighborhoods. One day we saw an owl chick take its first flight between the branches of a Live Oak tree. The marina grounds and restaurant are a gathering place for many of the residents. Every morning groups would gather on the porch or under the Tiki Hut for coffee and conversation. (In case you were wondering,, "highlighter yellow" appears to be the official color of 2015 snowbird outerwear.) As we did on boat chores on Sunday afternoon we were able to sing along to the live entertainment on the restaurant deck.
Once again, the winds calmed enough for us to continue our cruise, and on February 11th we pointed our bow towards Useppa Island. Two and a half hours later we were anchored in one of our favorite anchorages. A combination of the wind direction and the number of fast moving pleasure crafts in the ICW made it a less than enjoyable stop for us this time, We had hoped to stay put for a few nights, dinghy over to Cabbage Key for their famous cheeseburger (rumoured to have inspired Jimmy Buffet), and spend some time exploring a local state park. But, we couldn't stand the rocking and pulled anchor just after noon on the 12th for a 5 mile trip to York Island near St. James City.
Keeping with the theme, the north winds made for a few bumpy nights at anchor and some cold and damp trips to shore with Ham. Once we motored the dinghy out of the anchorage and into the St. James canals, the waters calmed down and we had a great time exploring the area. We had lunch at a canal side restaurant on Friday the 13th and considered ourselves lucky to get back to FREEDOM before the winds kicked up even more and prevented us from safely landing the dinghy back on FREEDOM. Once again, it was a long night for Ham because there was no way we could get back to shore for his evening walk.
On Saturday the 14th we proclaimed success in squeezing a two day trip from St.Petersburg to Fort Myers Beach into a 2 week cruise. It was time to head to the dock.....just 7 miles away.
Until March 15th we will be calling Moss Marina in Fort Myers Beach home. It's a lively, colorful town, and the beach is just two blocks from our dock. There is a constant stream of boats passing by-- fishing boats, run-abouts, shrimpers, the daily Key West Express, the local Pirate ship "Pieces of Eight", muscle boats, sailboats, and a water taxi -- to keep us entertained from sun up to sundown.
If only the winds would calm........
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