Log 85; Day 233; Jan. 9, 2009; Marco Island, FL

The dolphins we leading the way as we left Legacy Harbor

Just outside the harbor we say this boat owned by Hooters

This is a shot from the condo's just next to Legacy Harbor

This was our last night in Legacy...another pot luck!!

Not only a potluck...they had a meeting as well. Great people.

Log 85
Day 233
Friday, January 09, 2009

5:45 PM EST
Location: Marco River Marina, Marco Island, FL.
Weather: 75 with very light winds

We left Legacy Harbor at 9 AM this morning and had a great cruise to Marco Island. The first 10 miles took us a little over an hour to cover, as we followed the Caloosahatchee River towards the Gulf. The water was calm, and the tide was going out, so we got a 1 to 2 MPH help. It was a great ride.

As we got to Mile 0 on the ICW we turned South and headed under the Sanibel Island Beach bridge...towards Fort Myers Beach, and out in the Gulf. The weather predictions were correct and the Gulf was in good shape, with just a 1 to 2 foot swell from the West. With a light winds out of the East and a swell out of the West it was just a little uncomfortable to go slow, so I picked it up a little, and found that the best speed was at 2000 RPM...17.6 MPH. There is a 3 mile rule that says you can’t (or maybe should not) put any crab traps inside the 3 mile line, which is on all charts. Seems like a great rule to me...too bad the fisherman don’t know that, or pay attention to it. So for the 35 miles from Fort Myers Beach to Marco Island we were in and out of crab traps...a real pain for me. We arrived at Marco Island inlet about 2 PM, and we were pushed in the inlet by a nice swell, but had no issues. It’s about a mile from the inlet to Marco River Marina, where we sit as I write this. The sun is just going down and the winds are dead calm. Perfect.

Tomorrow...we plan to head out about 8 AM and (depending on the waves) head directly for Key West. If for some reason the waves are to uncomfortable we will either turn a little towards the east and hug the barrier islands (actually the Everglades), or turn around, and stay another day in Marco. The forecast says it should be fine...we’ll see tomorrow.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob