A Full-time Life

Category: Boats

  • BOAT TRIP TO BURNT STORE

     

    As it says right up there under the  blog title, our life really is about the voyage itself, not the destination.    This was literally true on our boat trip last week.  The three Captains (otherwise and usually known as  husbands) wanted to figure out a route to Charlotte Harbor which none of them had tried before.   They had to use navigation instruments for this one … some of the water was so shallow, it would have been a small disaster had we strayed out of the channel.    There was a lot of zig-zagging back and forth to stay in the channels and at the proper depth. 

     

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    The brownish water is where it is so shallow you can actually see the oyster bars.  (And the standing birds are a pretty good giveaway too of course).   You can also see the markers that tell the boats where the channel is.     There was a little white-knuckle boating there, but it was a successful voyage.

     

      

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    The destination wasn't bad either though!  Here's a panorama view of Burnt Store Marina basin, just after we docked.   (Taken from the upstairs outdoor bar, where we enjoyed the arrival Bloody Mary that  is part of our boat-trip tradition.) 

     

     

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     The exact origin of the name Burnt Store seems to  have been lost over the years.  Apparently a trading post in the area was burned during the Seminole Indian War, but there seem to be several versions of who did it and why.  Burnt Store is the name of a long road that starts in Lee County, where we live,  and extends on into Charlotte County, where the marina is.   (If you were driving, the nearest town to the marina would be Punta Gorda.)

     The top two pictures in the collage above  are in the open bar area.   There was a real salt water aquarium in Cass Cay, the inside restaurant  – but I was too busy eating and talking when we were in there to get a picture.   The bottom two pictures are views from the back and front of the restaurant/bar.   

     

     

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    A closer picture of our three boats.   The transient dock was almost empty — one other boat came in while we were there. (The snowbird season is drawing to a close.)    But there were lots and lots of live-aboard boats and so the marina was busy  and we enjoyed one of all boaters' favorite activities — looking at other boats.   (The Captains dreaming about newer boats, the first mates silently screaming 'no no no'!!)   We also enjoyed the very nice resort swimming pool — every Marina where we've ever stayed makes all the resort amenities available to transient boaters.

     

     

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     A boat-by shot on the way home.  This colorful area is part of  Matlacha on Pine Island (where we went a couple of weeks ago — by car — for the painting class.)

     

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    We passed this working barge right out in the middle of Matlacha Pass.  It is really rather odd to see a truck out there in the middle of the big water.  The people are either repairing or laying electric lines.  

     

     

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    When we got home to Upriver at the end of our trip, this Black Vulture was eyeing us from a street lamp.   We were tired, but not dead tired.   So no dinner for him just yet. 

     

     

    LINKING to MOSAIC MONDAY (thank you Judith); OUR WORLD on Tuesday (thanks to the team:  Lady Fi, Arija, Gattina, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer); to WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY (thanks and apologies to Stewart — these aren't the best wild birds I've ever linked, but it's all I got);  and to WEDNESDAY WATERS (thank you Gemma).   

  • BIRDS AND BOATS = BLISS

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    Really the only thing this boat picture and the bird photos below have in common is that they both make us happy.   Our poor boat has been in the "boat hospital" (the mechanic)  all season but now at last it is well and at home on our dock.   (And now the only thing that is poor is our wallet.)   We do hope we can use it often for the rest of the time we're here.   This picture shows the improvements we made to the dock — that was one of our projects last year.   It's nice to have the step and rails to make it easier to get on and off — and easier to dock when we get home from a trip.

     

    The rest of the post  (all birds all the time) is more from our Everglades excursion earlier this month.  

     

     

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    This is the Gulf of Florida shoreline near where we camped at Flamingo.  And just part of the huge bunch* of Black Skimmers we spotted.

    * I'm quite sure that "bunch" is not the term that a real birder would use.  But in spite of being able to help the people I met at the Osprey nest near here (HERE is that post), I am really an eternal amateur.

     

     

     

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    I am very happy with this close-up because it shows his (or her) eye.    Black on black makes them very difficult to see.   The first one I ever spotted  a few years ago was resting on the grass and I actually thought it had suffered some terrible injury and didn't have any eyes at all. (HERE is that post.)   

     

     

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    I  admit to being a little obsessed with Skimmers  – but aren't they gorgeous looking?    Also, there really is something special about seeing a large flock of any bird.  It kind of makes me feel like there is something right with  the world!

     

     

      Skim on over to OUR WORLD on TUESDAY;  WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY and WEDNESDAY WATERS and click the links.  There are so many interesting stories and so many wonderful photographers who link to each of these fun memes.  SPECIAL THANKS to all of the hosts.  

     

  • STORMS AHEAD

     

    The good weather window we had counted on went by a tiny bit quicker than we'd hoped.   Clouds were beginning to pile up as we headed home after a few days away on the boat.

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     Beautiful — but clouds piling up — this time of year especially — can be ominous.

     

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    Not so much when you're inside your house looking out or even on your porch where you know you can make a mad dash inside if the clouds bring thunder and lightening.   But definitely when you're out in a boat and not close to a safe harbor.

     

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    The captains of these fishing boats weren't worried yet.   They are fishing for tarpon at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor.  There were places where there were so many boats you could have stepped from one to the other.  (We were further out in the Gulf of Mexico and not in the middle of the crowd.)

     

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    Maybe the storm is going to blow over.

     

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    Or maybe not.

     

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     And when we were just a few minutes away from home, the rains came down in buckets!  With thunder and distant lightening.   We were happy to be able to zip down our windows.    And we didn't get wet until we got out to tie up at our own dock (as quickly as humanly possible).  

    The storms don't last for long … we were able to go back outside later that evening and unload the boat.  

     

    LINKING TO:  SKYWATCH FRIDAY (thanks to Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy);  and to SCENIC WEEKENDS (thanks to Gemma)

  • SCENE AT THE BEACH


    After our overnight stay at Sanibel we followed the Intercoastal Waterway North across Charlotte Bay to Cape Haze where we docked as planned at Palm Island Marina.      

     

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    We saw dozens of dolphins along the way, but this one bad shot is all I could get.   The picture on the top left is over-water electric cables.  

    Marker signs like the one the cormorant is perching on and the GPS we have on board tell us where we're going out on the open 'sea'.   The birds like to perch or even nest on the marker and warning signs.

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     I showed a little about the Marina where we stayed in the previous post — it had great amenities like free morning coffee,  this lovely swimming pool and patio, and a very nice restaurant, all of which we enjoyed.  It would have been easy to lounge around here for the whole time, but the water taxi beckoned.  So on the second day, after eating breakfast on board our own boat we boarded the taxi for a day on the Island.

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     The beach was quiet — it is not accessible by car and as guests of the Marina we had a pass allowing us to use it — otherwise it is a private beach for the people who own or rent homes and condos on the Island.

     

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    Sea Turtle Nesting sites were marked off in one direction along the upper portion of the beach.  I used a zoom lens to be able to read the sign.

     

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    The lower part of the beach was covered with shells.     Here are a few we added to our collection (the same way I collect flowers and plants these days — with photos only).

    ***

    Sharing our time on Palm Island by linking to MOSAIC MONDAY;  OUR WORLD on TUESDAY; and WEDNESDAY WATERS

    Thank you to Judith for MM;   Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy, Gattina, Arija, and Jenn for OW; and Gemma for WW.  

     

     

  • CAPE HAZE – Palm Island Marina

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    After our overnight stay on Sanibel (here), we set out by boat to Cape Haze, a boat trip of about four hours.    

     

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    We docked at Palm Island Marina.    These are  miscellaneous shots from around the Marina .  There are some SIGNS, some FENCES (and railings –do they count?) , and some more beautiful blue Florida SKY.  

     

     

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     The little sign on the gate into this house says "CAY PAZE" ,  a cool play on words which made me think I would like to meet the homeowners.

      

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    Palm Island is a Clean Marina.   It is clean and neat, but what this really means is they take fuel spills very seriously, and avoid them with overflow catchers, drip catchers etc.  (Boat owners pump their own gas at Florida marinas.)

     

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     We took this Water Taxi to Palm Island itself —  there is a good restaurant there, open to the public (if they come by boat … this is a real island, with no road access).  And there is a private beach, which we could use as overnight guests of the Marina.   (Beach scenes to come in another post.)

     

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     I liked the palm frond theme on this home that we boated past on our way into  the Marina.  It's built on stilts as many homes on low-lying places in hurricane country are.

    ***

    Thank you to Lesley for SIGNS SIGNS,  Theresa for GOOD FENCES, and Yogi, Sylvia, and Sandy for SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

     

     

  • BOATING TO THE BEACH

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     The aqua blue Fort Myers Beach bridge just shouts 'it's Florida'!  I always love seeing it, especially from the boat!   These are some pictures from our April  trip to the beach.      

     

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    On our way to the beach, we passed this boat that is powered by those solar panels.  

    Here is some information about the boat from the website shown on the sign. The boat had just ended its trip over the Intercoastal Waterway.  

     

    "ReThink Energy Florida is joining the solar-powered “Ship of Imagination”, the Archimedes in its Cruise Aid for a Sustainable Florida, a grassroots effort to raise public awareness about important energy issues in the Sunshine state. The Archimedes is the world’s largest solar powered concrete boat and a mobile demonstration platform for renewable and sustainable technology. It is on a historic passage, navigating the entire “Intracoastal Waterway” of Florida powered exclusively by solar energy."

     

    There is a lot of good information about  ReThink Florida  on the website given on the SIGN.  Worth a visit.

     Below are a few of the more conventional boats we saw:

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    I always look for unique boat names to add to my "collection."  These were the best from this trip.  These were all docked at the same marina where we stayed.

    (And I think they also kind of count as SIGNS).  

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     There were three boats on this trip and none of the six of us were 'lie around on the beach' people.  (Fort Myers beach itself is rather 'touristy' … and it isn't great for birding or shelling.)   So instead of hanging around there we took the free beach trolley up to Lover's Key State Park and walked around — that was where we saw all the pelicans that I posted about earlier.   But before we hopped on the bus, we did  walk on the beach for a little while — and at least I stuck my toes in the Gulf.  (Bill and most of the others preferred to look at the water from the pier above or from the boardwalk.)    

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    The two boats on the right are our friends.   We were bringing up the rear of our little flotilla as we headed home after a beautiful mid-week getaway. 

     

    LINKING TO:  SIGNS SIGNS (thank you Lesley); to SKYWATCH FRIDAY (thanks to Yogi, Sylvia, and Sandy); and to SCENIC WEEKENDS (thank you Gemma).  

     

  • SUNSET AT THE BEACH

     

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    Earlier this month we, along with two other boats from Upriver spent a couple of nights at Fort Myers Beach.  This was the view from inside our boat on the first evening.  (Looking through the bimini window toward the bow. )  

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    Views of the setting sun, just strolling along the dock where we were moored.

     

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    Getting darker.

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     Last glance at the sun.  

    And definitely time to join our boating friends for dinner at the Marina Restaurant.

     

     

    Sharing with the blogging communities at SKYWATCH FRIDAY and SCENIC WEEKENDS.  (Thank you to Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy and to Gemma).

  • HAPPY CLOUDS

     

    Florida clouds are purely and simply the kind that you dream about.  

    This time of year especially they are exactly the  kind of fluffy happy clouds that little kids try to draw when they make a sky picture.  (Maybe that's why I like them so much.)

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     I never get tired of sky-watching here.  

    These pictures are from the boat —  just a short hop down the Caloosahatchie to the Fort Myers Yacht Basin (the city boat dock).

     

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    Sometimes it's fun to think about how others live:

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     Much of the river banks are undeveloped  but when you get near downtown there are a few condo towers.  

     

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    There is a lot less traffic on the river than there would be if we drove the roads and across these bridges to the same destination. It takes longer by boat though and it's more work for the Captain.  But he loves it  – and the first mate has a lot of time to look at the sky!  

     

    LINKING TO:  SKYWATCH FRIDAY   (thank you Yogi, Sandy, and Sylvia) and to SCENIC WEEKENDS (thank you Gemma).

     

     

  • CALOOSAHATCHIE RIVER TO LAKE OKEECHOBEE

     

    Fourteen boats from our RV Park made the 65 mile trip to the Lake.  Here are a few random shots of parts of the flotilla (from our boat).    

     

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    We didn't all travel together.  Most  of the pontoon boats left earlier because they are slower — but we never did catch up!  There are three locks to go through on the trip and sometimes you have to wait for them to open.  

     Lake Okeechobee is at the edge of the Everglades.  It's the second-largest freshwater lake located wholly within the United States and  is a major part of Florida's water management system.   It's a scenic trip with lots of wildlife and birds (in a future post). 

     

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    That's us on  our boat in the picture above — a friend who drove arrived early enough to take pictures of all of us as we passed a dike near the Marina where we stayed.

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    We boat past orange groves and were very happy to see that they survived the few days of freezing weather we had last month.  (Wish I could share how wonderful they smell.)

      

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    We stayed at Martin Marina  which also has a gift shop, a tiki bar/restaurant, and a motel.  Only a couple of us have sleep-a-board boats.    

     

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    The weather was nice going and a little chilly coming home.   We had a good time as always …. and most important, we didn't lose anybody on the way over or on the way back.    We first made this trip six years ago, shortly after we bought our used boat (it was our first overnight boat trip).  We had lots of trouble on the way and so I am always happy when that doesn't happen to anyone else.   Here is the earlier post about that trip.  (Gosh I've been blogging a long time.)

     

    Linking to OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY.  Thank you to Lady Fi, Sandy, Sylvia, Arija, Gattina, and Jen.

  • WELCOME 2015

    We celebrated the New Year with our first overnight boat trip of the season — docking at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin.  It's the City's public dock — all boats (of any size) are welcome.     Three boats made the trip.

     

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    Friends, fireworks and food (not shown).  A lovely getaway.

     

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     Downtown Fort Myers is very walkable — Before seeing the New Year in we had a good day browsing the funny little alleys and shops 

    And it is always a joy to get out on the river.   

     

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     Just a few  Caloosahatchie River views — pretty much the same ones I've taken every year on our first boat trip of the season.   But each year is a new one and after we've been away for a few months, it is just like greeting old friends again.  We feel like we're home.

    (We keep waiting for that old dock to fall down, but every year it is still there.  I wouldn't want to use it.)

     

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     Sunset through the palms after we got home on the first day of the New Year.

     

    Sharing with MOSAIC MONDAY and OUR WORLD on Tuesday.

     

    Thank you to Judith for MM and to the OW Team — Lady Fi, Arija, Gattina, Sylvia, Sandy, and Jenn.