January 8-14

We ended up staying 4 nights at Regatta Point Marina.  We had hoped to leave Monday morning but there were 4 to 5 foot waves on Tampa Bay, so we opted to stay another day.

While in Palmetto, we spent time with the Gillespies, and walked into town and did some shopping.  I also caught up on laundry and read another book.  The internet at the marina was only accessible in the boaters lounge—so wasn’t able to do too much on the blog.   Check out this house  boat it use to be a wedding chapel.

 

On Tuesday we traveled with Dream Catcher through Sarasota

I think this is the Ringling Brothers Circus Museum – it was purple so I took the picture.

and up  until Venice where they went into a marina

and we opted to go another 20 miles to an anchorage in Cape Haze at mile marker 36,  there were two other looper boats in the bay, and one of them was  from Montreal.  We travelled  under 12 bridges that range from 65 feet to 9 feet ( this was the  Blackburn Swing Bridge)

 and saw a car ferry,

we also went through several Manatee zones, but didn’t see any.

 

On Wednesday we left Cape Haze at 9:00, and found the water to be moderately choppy across Charlotte harbor so we only went about 15 miles to a sheltered   anchorage behind  Punta Blanca island.

 

We spent the night there with another boat called Frost Free.  While checking the oil; Andy noticed that we had a fuel leak.  This morning when he started up the engine he found the leaky hose.  Here’s his solution to collect the leaking fuel while we travelled- it’s amazing what you can do with tin foil and clothes pins and string– maybe his last name should be McGyver

When we got to Salty Sam’s Marina in Fort Myers beach,

we called  Dawn; who is Peter Westhead’s partner—she was able to drive us to a hydraulics shop with our leaky fuel intake  hose; and they made us another one while we waited.  We then went out for supper, and then to Dawn’s condo to meet their cats Kirkby and Sefton

We  also found a loaner car to use for the weekend. Just kidding Peter- we’re not going to use it.

We crossed mile marker 0 of the gulf  intercoastal waterway today ,  When we go back out on the water will turn East and cross the state of Florida  on the  Lake Okeechobee waterway.

It is suppose to storm tonight- so we may be here for a day or two.