Marina Jack’s, Sarasota, FL

Day 223 … Wed, Nov 29, 2017 … 31.9 miles, 5 hours

Maximo Park to a mooring at Marina Jack’s, Sarasota, Fl

First up, we cross Tampa Bay; we only see the Sunshine Skyway Bridge from a distance. Then another interesting day down the FICW. Lots to see on either bank and several bridges to go through.

I enjoy watching all the birds on the markers.

Our first choice of an anchorage next to a great park for Cally, was a bit too open & unprotected from winds, so we moved slightly south and took a mooring at Marina Jack’s in Sarasota. A mooring is a permanently anchor connected by chain to a large floating ball with a line attached. I needed to grab the line and secure it to the boat. That will hold us like putting an anchor down with out using our anchor. More boats fit when moored AND the marina can charge for the mooring.

I got it the first time, but the wind blew before I could secure it; SO, the captain had to maneuver us back to the ball again. Second time worked well. This was our first mooring; I have read lots of accounts of how many times it took (think an hour or two) to grab correctly AND tales of first mates going over board trying to grab the mooring ball line. First time out, not so bad.

during the afternoon we saw another boater (not a Looper) being towed into the marina.

Here’s one of the party boats taking folks on a cruise. Very festive!

The best news? Cally could go swimming here. Though the marina itself and it’s dinghy dock are NOT very accommodating for us to bring the dog to shore there is a park with beach right at the mooring field. So, we just went to the beach and park and skipped the marina side of things.

The park has a Tiki bar; we didn’t have time or energy to stop by there. BUT, Cally could have gone with us.

Good night from Sarasota FL

Maximo Park, FL

Day 222 … Tues, Nov 28, 2017 … 29.9 miles, 4.5 hours

Marker One Anchorage, Dunedin, FL to Maximo Park, FL

A short day today; under 30 miles!!! The whole crew is rejoicing.

Some of the sights from the ICW today:

Even birds have to scratch themselves

Being invaded by Pirates

Another great park for Cally, almost perfect; except No Dogs on the beach or allowed swimming from the beach.  The anchorage is by the beach and close location to floating docks by the public boat ramps at a large park (with trash cans!!)

Cally enjoyed herself, despite the lack of beach access.

In pic below … Can you spot all THREE birds in the mangroves??

Just a little recap … here is where we have been so far (our satellite tracker wasn’t working quite right when we started our Loop) .

I still have a hard time believing we were in Canada for 2 months this summer in our boat and have now crossed The Gulf of Mexico and are in Florida.

Dunedin, Florida

Day 221 … Mon, Nov 27, 2017 … 83.66 miles, 9.5 hours

Cedar Key Anchorage to Dunedin, Anchored by Marker One Marina

Starting out, we are not 100% sure where we will end up tonight. It will be a long day and our 1st and 2nd choices of a marina are full. We still have choices, just depends on how long we decide to run today. This will be the last really long day for quite a while, so we may push it and be done with it.

It was a rougher ride than we like for the first part of the morning. Nothing bad, just not fun. Cally does not like it when the boat rolls side to side a lot. SO … I sit with her and she leans into me and pushes off the side of the boat so she doesn’t slide around. Rip altered course (heading east inshore several miles) so evidentially things calm down and she goes back to her usual sleeping, I mean traveling, spot.We catch up with Kia Mae out in the Gulf, who went further than us last night but is going shorter than us today so they can see Jim’s brother. It was nice to have someone around again.

Lots of dolphin playing in our wake today.

We leave the Gulf today and enter the Florida ICW. But, first we snag our first crab pot. Rip saw it (I was below brushing my teeth) and left it well to starboard but the line from the float to the crab trap had been cut and was floating just below the surface along the water in our path. Rip slowed the boat immediately, which brought me up from below to see what was wrong (tooth brush and all). The line and pot pulled in toward the boat but then appeared behind us … no damage done and Rip resumed speed. I finished brushing my teeth.

We run all the way to Dunedin Municipal Marina (who are not taking boats over 17’)but there is an anchorage outside their seawall and we decided to use their dinghy dock to get Cally to shore. We know there is a nice park there. Going this far means we have relatively short days ahead to get to Punta Gorda where we have reservations for the entire month of December.

The town Christmas tree at the park. Their  tree lighting ceremony and lighted boat parade are this coming weekend, we will be long gone.

Good night from Dunedin … it looks like a fun place where I would enjoy staying a day or two, but we are ready to move on south. We arrive too late and leave too early to partake of anything except the park for Cally.

I am not tired of the sunsets …