Fort Myers Beach, FL

We left South Seas Resort on Wednesday morning to head just 5 miles south along Captiva Island to another marina for a few days.  Coming out of the marina we saw the 80 foot Marlow that was in the marina with us.  They had left about 3 hours before us but got out of the channel when leaving and ran aground.  This is them waiting for Sea Tow to give them a pull out of the shallow water about 500 yards from the marina.  Yikes, that is why you have to stay in the channel.

We were at Tween Waters Resort on Captiva Island for Wednesday, December 19th through Saturday the 22nd.  The weather was nice the day we got in.  It went downhill Thursday and Friday with rain and it was VERY, VERY windy.  We were at a good spot with a lot of protection from the island and condos near the marina and we still had sustained wind at 20-30 mph and gusts up to 40 mph.  We still were able to ride our bikes a bit and play tennis one day.

On the rainiest day I decided to make home made soft pretzels, raised dough and all.

Captain Keith loves soft pretzels

The beach on Friday during some of the biggest winds

The waves were some of the biggest I have seen on the beach.  The off shore forecast was for 10-14 foot seas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Santa climbing a palm tree at the resort.  He had a tough time in the wind.

During the night I got up to check on the fenders and make sure the wind had not rocked the fenders out of place.  I saw numerous flashing lights from emergency boats and a boat out in the sound that was on fire. It was aground out in the sound.  A fire-boat was spraying water onto the burning boat, but with the heavy wind it just seemed to intensify the fire.  There was also what looked like a part of a dock that was smoldering along the shore north of the marina.  Eventually the fire boat left when the burning boat was about burned to the water line.  When we left the marina the next morning this was what was left of the boat.

Our cruise to Fort Myers Beach was easy.  The wind was calm by Saturday when we left.  We waited until around 2:00 PM to leave when the tide was up.  The full moon and low tide in the morning prevented us from going any earlier.

Sanibel Lighthouse on the way to Fort Myers Beach.

Christmas wreaths around it are very festive.

View from the bow of Southern Style up the river at Fort Myers Beach

Full moon coming up Saturday night.

Walking the beach on Fort Myers Beach Sunday morning.  High speed ferry to Key West coming out the inlet in the back round

This would be a Florida snowman for most but also could be a Florida inuksuk to our very northern friends.

Sunset Sunday Fort Myers Beach

We are in the final push to Marathon.  One more stop in Naples, FL for the week between Christmas and New Year.  We will leave for Marathon on New Years Day (weather permitting).

Captiva Island, Florida

Keith and I were able to get back over to Cayo Costa State Park one more time Saturday before leaving Cabbage Key.  We walked the beach and explored a bit.

Beach on Cayo Costa

Southern Style left Cabbage Key and cruised the short 10 miles to Captiva Island on Sunday morning December 16th.  We are staying at the Captiva Island South Seas Resort.  Captiva Island is a Gulf Coast island located near Fort Myers, FL.  It is just north of neighboring Sanibel Island.  South Seas Resort is centered around outdoor activities such as its beach, 3 pools, executive 9 hole golf course, tennis and fitness center, and boating.  There are several restaurants on the resort as well.  And "oh by the way" their average December temperature is 65 F (not bad).

The marina at the resort is smaller than the large marina at Long Boat Key, but I kind of liked the smaller atmosphere.

Marina at South Seas Resort

View off the cockpit out over the marina.

There were several manatees in the marina (the things that look like logs floating in the distance are the manatees).  

They did come up to the dock area several times and I got some pictures of them.  One lady sitting on a bench in the marina watching them said "aren't they just beautiful?"  Now I think all of God's creatures are beautiful in their own way, but manatees have a face only a mother could really equate with beauty.

Keith and I were able to take advantage of the nice weather while at South Seas resort for 3 nights.   We played tennis several times and Keith played the golf course 3 times.

Golf Course

We walked the beach to the inlet

Pengi enjoyed the beach and catching some rays

He wasn't the only bird enjoying the beach

Had a little "drink-e-poo" at the beach bar

We walked around the pools but did not stop

Another Marlow (over 80 feet) came in while we were at the marina.  It is bigger than us, we are in the back round.

I did some kayaking

Sunset at the marina

After the sun went down, palm trees in the Christmas spirit.

Wednesday morning December 19th we are heading just 6 miles farther south to Tween Waters Marina.  This spot is also on Captiva Island just slightly more south.  More to explore...

Cabbage Key, FL

We have been making our way south along the west (Gulf Coast) of Florida.  On Tuesday December 11th we had left Venice, FL and came to Cayo Costa Island just a little north of the Fort Myers area.  Our plan was to anchor off this island which is a Florida State Park.  When we arrived at our anchorage area, the wind was pretty strong and none of the anchorages had any protection from the wind.  We searched for another place to anchor in the area; however, the more protected spots were too shallow for Southern Style.  So we went to a plan B.  We cruised up to Punta Gorda and pulled into Burnt Store Marina for two nights.  This turned out to be a good stop.  We got to play some tennis at their fitness center.  Keith and I have not played tennis since college (that is 30 years for those of you doing the math).  We had fun, did not injure ourselves, and hope to continue to play once we get to Marathon.  Captain Keith also played golf and I got a coat of Semco on the portion of the teak decks that Keith had cleaned the other day.  So it was a productive stop.

Osprey that perched at Southern Style's Bow in Burnt Store Marina  I took his picture through the front window while he was watching me.

Sunset in Burnt Store Marina

After two nights in Punta Gorda at Burnt Store Marina, we headed back to Cayo Costa State Park.  We were able to anchor for a few hours before going into our next marina at Cabbage Key.  From our anchorage we dropped the dinghy and road over to the State Park at Cayo Costa.  Our goal was to search for some fossilized shark teeth and we were successful.  Along with some shells we found in Venice (including a Scotch Bonnet), we found several sharks teeth.

Our most recent beach treasures (Game on Dave Hawley)

After exploring on Cayo Costa, we went back to Southern Style, pulled up anchor, and went into Cabbage Key, immediately south of the park, to dock.   Cabbage Key is a small island with a big history. 

Around 10,000 BC as the last ice age receded from the region, this island was formed as what some call an Ice Age Sand Bar.  The first inhabitants were the Calusa Indians around 100 BC.  They inhabited Cabbage Key as well as many of the surrounding islands in the Pineland region of western, Florida.  It was in the 1700's that Cuban fisherman came to the region and they established a fish camp or "Ranchos" on Cabbage Key and other nearby islands to dry and salt fish that would be shipped back to Havana.  Local Indians were employed to work at the ranchos alongside the Cuban fishermen.  Around the late 1800's the island began to be a place that locals came to get away.  Some owners built small cottages on the island and there was even a time when a squatter lived on the small island.  At the turn of the 1900's, well known mystery writer and Saturday Evening Post correspondent, Mary Roberts Rinehart came to the region. 

Mary Roberts Rinhart's son Alan fell in love with the islands of the Pinelands.  He and his wife Gratia (heiress to the Corning Glass Works fortune) purchased Cabbage Key.  They built a large family cottage on the island, a boathouse and docks, water tower, and power house.  The main cottage had 2 large porches, 3 smaller porches, and 6 fireplaces.  When the Rinehart family no longer was using the island, it again went through several owners and eventually was turned into a resort type facility with an inn and restaurant as well as cottages for rental.  The current owners are from High Point, NC.

Boat House and Inn with Restaurant on Cabbage Key (boat house in foreground, inn up on slight hill)

Southern Style docked at Cabbage Key (viewed from the boat house)

Sign on Boat House (they are serious about conserving water)

We walked the nature trail around the island.
Nature Trail

Sign along nature trail (we will keep our eyes peeled)

Water Tower

View from the Water Tower toward Cayo Costa State Park

View toward Useppa Island which is the next island over

Located on Cabbage Key are many Gopher Tortoise.  These tortoises are an important species here in southern Florida and are protected.  They live entirely on dry land and dig burrows that can be 3 to 52 feet long and 9 to 23 feet deep.  Their burrows provide homes and protection for up to 360 other species of animals and the burrows are also protected by the state.  The Gopher tortoise can live up to 80 years in the wild.  There are several on Cabbage Key

Gopher Tortoise

Lots of birds also make the island home

It is a very relaxing place

We are hoping to spend two to three days here on Cabbage Key.