1/3- 1/7/2016. Leaving Key West. Here we come Ft. Meyers.

OK, we’ve had several friends wondering if we’ve lost our sense of direction.  Yes, we went south to Key West and then went back north to Ft. Meyers.  Why?  Because we can. 🙂

Remember we went to Key West because good friends said, “Come.”  So we went, but we want to be in Ft. Meyers on Jan. 20 for an AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruising Assoc.) seminar that will give us a preview of the rest of the Great Loop.  Also, the DeFever club will be having a rendezvous at the end of February at Marina Jack’s in Sarasota that we will attend.  We went to DC in October for the DeFever Rendezvous that was canceled because the hurricane that came through.

A weather window opened up for us with forecasts of less than 2 foot seas for the 3rd and 4th, but increasing with a front coming through on the 7th, so we left at 2pm on Tuesday, the 3rd.  We planned our departure to allow us enough light to get us past the crab traps outside of Key West.  We estimated 18 hours to get to the beacon marking the entrance to San Carlos Bay.  That would put us getting there at 8am and we knew we would be running into crab traps at least an hour before that.  We have learned that timing of departures and arrivals is critical in Florida.  We have to have enough light to see the traps other wise trouble may await.  Upon leaving, we thought we’d given ourselves enough time.

Just as dark was falling, it seemed that we were finally out of the trap lines.  Unfortunately some time around 9pm we heard a loud thump soon followed by an increase in the vibration on the starboard side of the boat.  There was nothing that could be done about it at that point, but we assumed we had caught our 3rd trap of the trip.  In the early morning, the wind and waves picked up and dodging crab traps became a sport.

Salty Sam’s Marina was our home for 2 nights.  Tim had a diver come to check on our props and  shaft.  Sure enough, he pulled a crab pot line off.  It seems that the port prop caught the line and slung it over to the starboard side.

We left Salty Sam’s on 1/6 to go a short 2 1/2 hours up to The Marina at Edison- Ford in Ft. Meyers.  We will stay here at least through the 20th.  It is more central to downtown and to groceries, etc.  The Edison-Ford Winter Estates is right next door and we will certainly visit there.  Meanwhile we are storm watchers and boat cleaners.  All is wonderful.