Date: February 9, 2014
Day on the Cruise: 233
From: Marina Jack, Sarasota, FL
To: Palm Island Marina, Cape Haze, FL
Statute Miles: 37.3 SM
Time: 4.75 Hrs
Cumulative Miles: 5,820.6 SM
On Board: Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut
Tonight we are at Palm Island Marina near Cape Haze and Englewood, FL.
It was good to leave Sarasota. We were turned off by the bad weather and the difficulty in getting around. Perhaps also contributing to our feelings about this place was the knowledge that we were about to finish our adventure, and Sarasota was just a hinderance to completing the Loop. We will give it another try sometime by car.
Before we left, Susan took Maggie for a walk around the Park. It is really very dog - friendly and a great place to walk. Three slips down from our boat, Susan encountered a dolphin playing in the slip. Maggie was very impressed and sat and watched as the dolphin rolled out of the water and then played up against the boat in the slip. She can't figure out where all these animals in the water come from. Dolphins and Pelican, and gulls....its just overwhelming for a dog! We also said goodbye to Bob and Janet on "Harmony" before we left. We hope to see them again at Fort Meyers or in Jacksonville.
The Sarasota weather cooperated and was overcast and yucky as we left about 10:00 and headed South. There were slow speed zones and idle speed zones all the way to below Venice. We had to call for two bridge openings where the closed heights were about 9'. We passed many beautiful homes on the stretch of waterway from Sarasota to Venice, then below Venice the waterway turned into more of a straight canal like the Western Erie Canal, and thee wasn't much to see.
Palm Island Marina was a place that we found that was about half way between Sarasota and Captiva Island. It looked like a good place to stop, so we got reservations for one night. We were not disappointed. Our arrival was about 3:00. The heavy overcast dissipated about 1:00 and it turned into a beautiful, warm, South Florida Spring Day. At last! This is what we came for!
As we docked at Palm Island in a very nice tropical setting, it became evident that there was some sort of Ranger Tug Rendezvous taking place. There were 20 tugs of sizes from 21' up to 31'. These Ranger Tugs are trailerable Tug boat cruisers that have become very popular. It was neat to see so many of the tugs together. The tug folks were very friendly, and many of them came to "Blue Moon" to admire our boat and ask questions.
One of the Tugs here is "Kismet" owned by Jim and Lisa from Michigan. They are authors and members of our Great Loop Association, and we have met them at AGCLA Rendezvous's in the past. Jim's advice last July on cruising lake Michigan in September was instrumental in helping us decide to continue our Great Loop Trip when the Erie Canal was closed for so long. I visited with Jim here and thanked him for his input, and he was very nice. Good to see him again. He also invited us to a talk he was giving tonight on Lake Powell, but we opted to go to dinner instead.
Dinner tonight was at the marina restaurant, which is right next to the docks. Very convenient to the boats! It was very good and was very crowded.
Tomorrow we will do our last day on the Loop and we will cross our wake at Captiva Island. Can't believe that our adventure will end tomorrow!
Thanks for Reading!
Tonight we are at Palm Island Marina near Cape Haze and Englewood, FL.
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| Palm Island is between Sarasota and Captiva |
It was good to leave Sarasota. We were turned off by the bad weather and the difficulty in getting around. Perhaps also contributing to our feelings about this place was the knowledge that we were about to finish our adventure, and Sarasota was just a hinderance to completing the Loop. We will give it another try sometime by car.
Before we left, Susan took Maggie for a walk around the Park. It is really very dog - friendly and a great place to walk. Three slips down from our boat, Susan encountered a dolphin playing in the slip. Maggie was very impressed and sat and watched as the dolphin rolled out of the water and then played up against the boat in the slip. She can't figure out where all these animals in the water come from. Dolphins and Pelican, and gulls....its just overwhelming for a dog! We also said goodbye to Bob and Janet on "Harmony" before we left. We hope to see them again at Fort Meyers or in Jacksonville.
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| Maggie is on "Dolphin Watch" this morning |
The Sarasota weather cooperated and was overcast and yucky as we left about 10:00 and headed South. There were slow speed zones and idle speed zones all the way to below Venice. We had to call for two bridge openings where the closed heights were about 9'. We passed many beautiful homes on the stretch of waterway from Sarasota to Venice, then below Venice the waterway turned into more of a straight canal like the Western Erie Canal, and thee wasn't much to see.
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| Beautiful homes along the ICW |
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| Front of the house |
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| Back of the house |
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| Grady-White 360 on a lift in front of a nice home in Venice |
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| Blackburn Point Swing Bridge |
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| Bridge Tender Opens the Bridge from the Middle of the Structure! |
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| Following the "Norma Jean" through the bridge |
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| Basquale Bridge Below Venice |
Palm Island Marina was a place that we found that was about half way between Sarasota and Captiva Island. It looked like a good place to stop, so we got reservations for one night. We were not disappointed. Our arrival was about 3:00. The heavy overcast dissipated about 1:00 and it turned into a beautiful, warm, South Florida Spring Day. At last! This is what we came for!
As we docked at Palm Island in a very nice tropical setting, it became evident that there was some sort of Ranger Tug Rendezvous taking place. There were 20 tugs of sizes from 21' up to 31'. These Ranger Tugs are trailerable Tug boat cruisers that have become very popular. It was neat to see so many of the tugs together. The tug folks were very friendly, and many of them came to "Blue Moon" to admire our boat and ask questions.
 |
| Palm Island Marina Looking Over a Ranger Tug |
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| Palm Island Marina |
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| Restaurant at Palm Island Looking Over Ranger Tugs |
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| Palm Island marina |
One of the Tugs here is "Kismet" owned by Jim and Lisa from Michigan. They are authors and members of our Great Loop Association, and we have met them at AGCLA Rendezvous's in the past. Jim's advice last July on cruising lake Michigan in September was instrumental in helping us decide to continue our Great Loop Trip when the Erie Canal was closed for so long. I visited with Jim here and thanked him for his input, and he was very nice. Good to see him again. He also invited us to a talk he was giving tonight on Lake Powell, but we opted to go to dinner instead.
 |
| Palm Island Marina. "Kismet" is the Red Hulled Tug in the Background. |
Dinner tonight was at the marina restaurant, which is right next to the docks. Very convenient to the boats! It was very good and was very crowded.
Tomorrow we will do our last day on the Loop and we will cross our wake at Captiva Island. Can't believe that our adventure will end tomorrow!
Thanks for Reading!
