Across Florida and then down Florida - east coast style

Start out with a little love!

On our way to Okeechobee we spent a night at the Marina at Edison Ford in Fort Myers. The Museum there is still recovering from Hurricane Irma but is still worth a visit if you are in the area.

Thomas Edison's Pool.

The Ghost of Tommy.

The trees and plants were really damaged by Irma.

They are working hard to bring back the grounds to their former glory.

Looking for mullet. Crab trap bait.

On to Okeechobee!
David manning the lines in one of several locks to move us up to the lake level from the Gulf of Mexico and down to the Atlantic Ocean level

Second largest lake located in the continental US

Railroad bridge

We made it to Harbour Towne Marina in Dania, FL where David took off and I stayed behind to schedule regular maintenance work on the boat.

Patty flew in to join me and we started to plan our trip across to Abaco. Plan as much as you want. If the weather doesn't cooperate, no amount of planning will get you across the Gulf Stream.

Friends came to join us for our Bahama trip and low and behold a one day weather window opened up- 2 to 3 feet seas, winds 15 kts from the Southeast.  We took off only to be turned back after 20 NM due to an engine warning alarm. Crap.  2/3 of the way there.

Of course we turned around and limped back to port at 10 knots.

The guys from Sun Power Diesel were there to hook up the computer and diagnose the problem . At 5 o'clock. On a Friday. Really! 

Turns out the fuel filters needed changing even though they did not have that many hours on them. 

Great big shout out to Sun Power Diesel!

Of course the next day the seas were back to running 5 - 6 and that is a little to much for me. We took off south on the ICW and cruised through Miami and ended up at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State park at anchor in No Name Harbour.  A very quiet little harbour with room for about 25 boats and a fabulous restaurant, Boaters Grill, at the head of the harbor.

Unfortunately our friends had to take off since there did not appear to be a good time to cross that would make it worth while for them. So Pat and I are still planning our trip across.  Maybe Thursday. Keeping our fingers crossed!

If not we will probably skip the Bahamas on this trip.

Till next time.....

                                                         
                                     

Up and down Florida's Gulf Coast

As we all know, one of the most dangerous things about cruising is keeping a schedule. We always try to have a duck out port if things are not as forecast once we leave port or change our plans completely if the weather is not cooperating.

Guess what. We were heading to Key West tomorrow (May 2) but the winds and waves are not cooperating and don't appear to be calming down until the weekend. So Plan B!

Tomorrow we head North to Fort Meyers and the Caloosahatchee River. We will continue on to the Okeechobbee Waterway and end up in Stuart, Florida on the east coast.

Fresh water, locks, bridges and alligators!

Then south to Fort Lauderdale where we will start planning our crossing to the Bahamas.

On another note, look who made the cover of PassageMaker magazine. I haven't seen the article yet but I am sure it would be worth getting a copy and checking it out.

Till next time........