The first Stop After the Flotilla to Cayo Costa is Roosevelt Channel –

One of the fun parts of cruising, and anchoring, is discovering new places to throw the hook. Kismet is beginning the slow process of heading down to the Keys. On this morning, we left Cayo Costa State Park, after anchoring with the flotilla of tugs for two nights in Pelican Bay. Our destination is Roosevelt Channel, off Captiva Island, next to the Buck Key Preserve and Patterson Island Preserve.

We were buddy boating on this day with the crew of Liberty, another Ranger Tugs R29S, heading to Roosevelt Channel off Captiva Island. We also had company (below) join us on the boat during lunchtime, think it was the tuna salad he was interested in, more than a boat ride.

Look who we bumped into at the head of the channel, Miss Norma, as in Driving Miss Norma fame, Norma’s son, Tim, and his wife, Ramie are taking a page from Miss Norma’s book and having an excellent adventure of their own, doing the Great Loop boat trip.

We actually, very briefly, met the owners of this red-hulled Ranger Tugs F29S, in Charlevoix, Michigan during our 2017 Great Lakes Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats Rendezvous – Charlevoix, MI, when they were buying the tug, it was just like our Ranger Tug. We buzzed their boat, but unfortunately, the crew was not onboard. It sure is a small world!

After we all got settled into the anchorage and watched the resident dolphin make his rounds, we hopped in the dinghy, picked up Ethan and Tammi, on Liberty, and went for a ride up the channel to check out Buck Key and Patterson Island Preserves.

The crew of Liberty, anchored just ahead of us in the channel, are from California. They have sold their home there and are currently living on their boat while doing the Great Loop.

Pretty low-key Valentine’s Day for us this year. However, I have to say, whenever anchored out in a peaceful spot with my man, cool drinks, and some soothing music – we seem to have many romantic evenings on the hook.

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Our long-range plan last year was to spend the winter in Florida this year. After hauling the new Kismet across the country last fall, we put her away in a storage building in Sidney, Ohio for a three-month winter’s nap. We like to be home with our family for the holidays and always leave northern Michigan after the new year. It would be tough, due to ice and snow conditions, to leave Traverse City with a 10.500-lb boat behind our truck. Ohio is a little safer bet. Even if it is in the throws of a storm, we’d be out of it within a day, driving south.

We stored our boat in this same building just last year. It is the perfect spot for us due to it being so close to Jim’s mom’s house, just off I-75.

After three days of successful trailering to Fort Myers, Florida, we launched Kismet at the downtown ramp. Then cruised less than a quarter-mile to her berth at Legacy Harbour Marina, our home for most of January. It was great to be back on the water again.

Legacy has been our home for parts of the winter for many of the past 10 years. It feels like home to us, knowing the staff and returning boating friends who return yearly or are permanent liveaboards. Downtown Fort Myers is only a short walk from the marina and there is always something festive going on. While we were there we attended Bike Night, a car show, an art show, a jazz fest, a Martin Luther King celebration, a weekly farmers market, and a Celtic Music Festival.

As we’d only been on the new Kismet for two months while out in Seattle, we still had many projects to address and stuff to assimilate once we unloaded the truck and provisioned the boat. Documentation numbers needed to be applied, Kismet signage designed, ordered, and installed, and there were also porthole and vent covers to make.

Many of Our Looper Friends Have Settled in the Fort Myers Area

One aspect of returning to the same place year after year is not to be ignored – there are many social gatherings to look forward to with our many friends in the area. A lot of boaters we did our Loops with have settled into either a liveaboard boat, condos, or homes in the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area. I guess it is easy to see why it feels like a second home to us here.

We arrived in Fort Myers mid-afternoon but had to wait a few hours for the tide to rise so that the ramp would be deep enough to launch the boat.

The flu bug intervened to put a damper on the first week of our winter in Florida.

All snug in our slip, right across from Joe’s Crab Shack (above)

Had to share this shot I took of Lisa, this sort of sign is just an invitation for her to explore (above-right).
We found a vendor at the Farmer’s Market who made the very best souvlakis we’ve ever tasted (above-left).

And the chores begin…

Our good friends Cheryl and Rich, on Roam, visited us for a few nights at the marina.

IMPROMPTU LOOPER REUNION
When Patsy and Rick unexpectedly arrived at Legacy Harbour Marina we did what Loopers usually do… Happy Hour onboard Kismet!

We were able to meet up with our Looper friends Charlie and Linda (below), Brad and Patty, and Andy and Mary (above). Interestingly those three Looper couples were all docked together at Sea Spray Marina in the Abacos in 2008. My point is that when one makes a friend on the water, we tend to remain friends long-term.

Carol (above), a friend from home, came to the boat for an afternoon visit.

In between prepping Kismet for cruising, socializing, and attending downtown activities, we were able to get away from the marina to anchor out for a few hours. About once a week during our stay at Legacy Harbour Marina, we’d leave the marina mid-day and head across the Caloosahatchee River to our favorite local anchorage, which we’ve come to name… “Kismet Cove.” We are typically the only ones ever anchored there. Spending a whole month at a marina without venturing out is hard for us to do. This was our solution.

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Our first stop in the Keys this year was John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Time for another Keys Eco-Tours. This was a new stop for us and we’re glad we had the opportunity to check it out. We left Boca Chita while it was still quite windy, but manageable. When we got to where the waterway narrowed down a bit, we passed under the Jew Fish Creek Inlet and Bridge, in Key Largo, Florida, and passed the Anchorage Resort and Marina. We’ve stayed there in 2010 when we helped the new owner of our Fathom 40 take the boat north from Key West to Palm Coast.

Shortly after we emerged from Jew Fish Creek into Blackwater Sound we headed toward the man-made cut, Marvin D Adams Waterway (mile-market, 103.6), it would take us into Largo Sound and shortly after our destination, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The “Cut,” created in the late 1950s and completed in 1961, was interesting because it is an exception to the many natural passageways available to boaters, it is a very narrow shortcut, and it reduces the distance by half, to the other side of the Keys. The man-made, one-and-a-half mile, the cut has 15-foot high vertical chiseled walls, and sports a 25-foot depth, is cut through solid coral. Many homes now line the waterway with boat access and patios cut out of the remaining wall.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, established in 1963 and adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean waters, is home to the first undersea park in the United States. Covering 70 nautical square miles, the park offers a unique Florida experience with mangrove swamps, seagrass beds, and tropical hammocks, but it is the coral reefs and the bountiful marine life that brings most visitors to this park. Many activities are offered and available for visitors including rentals of kayaks and canoes, also several tour boats, some with glass bottoms, are available for scuba diving or snorkeling. There also is a small marina and campground on the park grounds.

The park is named for the late John D. Pennekamp who teamed up with Dr. Gilbert L. Voss, to lead a fight together to protect the reefs from further damage. The Florida Keys and the Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast are the only living coral reef formations in the continental United States.

Shortly after we arrived at our assigned slip at the marina, we got a call from Ranger Tug owners Tom and Pam, on Evolve, (above) they were nearby and wanted to know if there was room at the marina for another boat if so they would call and make a reservation. It’s funny because their “new to them” tug was the first Ranger Tug we ever saw. At the time Laurie Ann was owned by John and Laurie Gray, who later became friends of ours after we bought our tug, in 2011, Kismet. It’s a small world!

We had to wait a few days for the wind in Largo Sound to subside a little so we could take our small dinghy out for a long tour around Key Largo. After transiting through South Sound Creek, we’d be exposed to the openness of the ocean so we had to pick the right day and we did. After a long trek through the mangrove swamps, we exited and quickly headed toward the protected canals where we had lunch at Sharkey’s Bar and Grill.

Look what we spotted just before we tied up for lunch at Sharkey’s, the boat (above and below) is the original African Queen from the 1950s movie of the same name, starring Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. The iconic vessel is still afloat in Key Largo.

Just an idea of what the mangrove swamps look like at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Whenever we are in Key Largo, we have to look up our friend Captain Sterling, Everglades Eco-Tours. We met the captain while doing our second Great Loop boat trip, he was also the first person to buy our book on the Great Loop, When the Water Calls… We Follow.

Our first encounter was arranged ahead of time and when we were heading south through Key Largo, Captain Sterling met us at our boat which was anchored nearby Key Largo to take us for a tour through the mangrove swamp. This encounter, while staying at John Pennekamp’s marina, he and his partner, Jill met us in their pontoon boat and took us for an incredible cruise through the waters of Key Largo, including back through the “Cut,” with a stop at their new house on a nearby canal. It’s always fun to run into Captain Sterling and Jill.

We get to have our own personal Keys Eco-Tours with Captain Sterling and Jill.

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Hurricane Harbor Provided Us with an Idyllic Sunset!

Leaving Miami in our wake, we pointed our bow toward Key Biscayne Island. Jim did some research and found this beautiful anchorage, a spot further enhanced by a flaming sunset. The sky was on fire, I must have taken a hundred photos as it morphed with varying shades of sky blues, oranges, and hot red tones.

Soon after we threw the hook into the harbor, we had a visit by local law enforcement. Hurricane Harbor is adjacent to a popular boater’s weekend hang out, located just outside the entrance to the harbor, consequently, there is quite a lot of law enforcement visible in the area hovering ready to maintain order. They must do double duty while overseeing the day spot by patrolling and retaining a presence in the small harbor. They work at establishing a casual and conversational dialog, checking boats for their anchoring plans and intentions, and making sure people who anchor there are not inebriated and will respect the quiet atmosphere of the surrounding neighborhood.

Map and More Info on Hurricane Harbor in Biscayne Bay.

Not too many boats anchored here on this night, we had the harbor almost all to ourselves. Great Spot for the crew of Kismet and looked promising for a good night’s sleep!

The Key Biscayne Police do a good job of patrolling the anchorage. They stopped by for some light conversation. We knew they were at the same time checking us out, making sure we would not be a threat or noisy overnight guests for the permanent residents of Hurricane Harbor. We think the residents appreciate this patrol since the harbor is so close to a popular day anchorage just outside the harbor.

We could not get over the beauty of the sunset on this night. Hurricane Harbor seemed to be on fire.

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Fort Lauderdale has it all.

On our way for a week’s stay in Fort Lauderdale. This Florida boating destination has it all… lots of canals to explore, a beautiful beach to walk on the ocean, shopping on Las Olas Avenue, a beautiful River Walk for leisurely strolls along New River and now we can add one more thing to our ongoing Fort Lauderdale list… the warm and welcoming home of Carolyn and Harry House, (homeport for their Ranger Tug, PourHouse).

We left our anchorage at Lake Sylvia to secure our reserved dock space at Cooleys Landing, on the New River at the head of the River Walk. One of our favorite marinas in Florida. We took our time cruising there as it was a beautiful day and, as you can see, lots of nice scenery on our route.

One of the main reasons we love to stay at Cooleys is we are easily entertained by the parade of mega yachts that slide by our cockpit all day long. They are coming and going from the large marina and boatyard upriver. Add to that the Jungle Queen tourist boat that takes tourists up and down the river.

Carolyn and Harry (below) graciously invited us to dinner at their beautiful condo that actually overlooks Cooley Landing. From their patio, you can see all of Fort Lauderdale in its splendor.

Did you spot Kismet by the bridge (above)? There she sits happily as can be while we dine in luxury with the Houses.

We found out, and always suspected, that Carolyn is very proficient in the kitchen. She made a delicious feast for us and made it look like nothing.

One of our “List” restaurants is Jenkins’ Bar-B-Q, but don’t try to visit on Sunday or Monday… (see sign below-right).

Some of my favorite yachts that cruised by the back of Kismet, especially the turquoise one.

On our to-do list, while in Fort Lauderdale, is a dinghy ride up or down the river. We’ve usually gone up, but this time we dinghied around the canals downriver. We saw alligators, some beautiful houses, and a few unusual boats.

When we left Fort Lauderdale, Carolyn was out on the dock to wave goodbye and take photos. What a doll!

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One of the reasons we love to boat is that we are more prone to make new friends while we’re cruising, Visiting friends in Palm City, Florida, was no exception.

We briefly met Alyn & Diane in our hometown, Traverse City, they also live there part of the year, and we share a passion for boating. One day they stopped by to look at our Ranger Tug, which Jim often works on while it is parked in our driveway. It’s as simple as that and before we knew it (well, actually a few months later) we were visiting them at their home in Palm City, Florida. They found us a dock nearby to tie up to for the night and insisted we join them for an overnight at their home. We had a nice tour of Palm City, shared happy hour and pizza with them and another couple, and slept in a very cozy king-size bed. It was fun, we shared boating stories and laughed a lot.

Diane is a very talented artist, I enjoyed her artwork displayed all over the house. As an artist myself, it was inspirational.

The Bells had a nice dock for Kismet to tie up to during our visit. We used Their golf cart to get back and forth, from their house to the boat.

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Short Cruise Today – Transiting from South Bay Cover to Indiantown, Florida.

Leaving South Bay Cove in the morning put us with an early arrival to our day’s destination of Indiantown, Florida, located on the St. Lucie River, just off the big lake. Indiantown was established by the Seminole people as a trading Post.

On the way to our destination, we were intrigued by Slim’s riverside sign (below), too bad we didn’t have time to stop, it looked like it might be an interesting place to investigate off the river.

Finishing up the last leg of the “Rim Route” today to go through the lock and enter the St. Lucie River.

St. Lucie Lock and Dam awaited us this morning. We were the only boat locking through and, as usual, it was an easy process.

By the time we made it to Indiantown, the sun made a spectacular reappearance. Indiantown Marina looked like a peaceful haven for boaters looking to get off the water for a time.

Our neighbors at the marina were colorful and unique. This is a homeport for many and a very nice one at that. Loved how the woman on Pandemonium shaded her cockpit with a beautiful, big umbrella.

After two days on the boat, we needed to stretch our legs, so we headed toward town, we didn’t know if we’d make it there or not as it was already hot and humid at midday. Not surprisingly, we only made it to the end of the long straight road outside the marina, we could see the edge of town from there, but then turned around to head back to the boat. Look at what we happened to notice on the ground by the side of the road – if you guessed remnants of an alligator, you are right. Made us think twice about the wisdom of taking a long walk on that road.

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Free Dock in LaBelle, on the Caloosahatchee River!

On our way east on the Caloosahatchee River today with our eye on making it to the free town dock in LaBelle for a one-night stay, we had to go through two locks to get there. The Caloosahatchee River always provides us with a scenic cruise and the easily accessible free dock was a welcome stop, one we had not taken advantage of before.

LaBelle, Florida, was settled along the Caloosahatchee River, in the late 1800s. At the turn of the 19th century, rivers were the highways of Florida. The region was populated by cattle and citrus farmers in 1895.

There were several boats already docked when we arrived, but still plenty of room for a few more boats. The newly reconstructed docks have stern-to-berths for six vessels between fifteen-foot wide concrete pilings.

We spent Happy Hour talking with the crew on the trawler next to us (above).

The next morning before we shoved off the dock to continue down the river, we walked into town to drop some mail off at the post office and explore. Not a lot to see but we managed to find some interesting stuff to look at while we got some exercise.

Jim found a few old cars to look at, a 1957 Studebaker and an old Chevy.

Not sure what a Swamp Cabbage Festival is, but think it would be interesting to attend. Too bad it’s in late February, we’ll be long gone and hopefully in the Keys by then. After a little investigation, here’s what we found out… swamp cabbage, otherwise called hearts of palm, comes from the state tree, the sabal or cabbage palm. There will be plenty of swamp cabbage to eat at the festival along with a rodeo, parade, beauty pageant (of course), and an armadillo race.

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Kismet Secure at Legacy Harbor Marina, Fort Myers

We planned our winter trip to include a month-long stay at Legacy Harbour Marina in Fort Myers. Many of our Looper friends stay in this area during the winter months, some of them at this marina. We find that boating is like that, we bump into Loopers or boaters we know everywhere we go– planned or not. We did parts of our second Loop with buddy boats, Bella Luna and C-Life. We know other Loopers docked here from being involved with AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association). In the past, when in Fort Myers, we’ve always stayed at Fort Myers Yacht Basin, but this year we wanted to be where our friends were even though the Yacht Basin is only a few blocks away.

When we arrived at Legacy, we were given a couple of choices for dockage. We chose the dock in front of Joe’s Crab Shack. It was the perfect spot for Kismet for the month of March. Let the festivities begin!

The marina staff had some high standards for running the marina. We enjoyed getting to know the whole crew during our stay.

Tom and Patsy Conrad were in their slip on A Dock. We haven’t seen them since the last AGLCA Rendezvous we attended.

Every Thursday there is a great Farmer’s Market under the bridge just a few blocks from the marina. Great spot for a market because in inclement weather the farmers are well-protected from the elements. This is a great place to pick up some fresh, Florida produce, flowers, herbs, plants, fresh fish and shellfish, and even some microgreens (above and below).

Our friend, Louis, on Bella Luna (above), made a habit of giving his female boater friends blossoms off the gardenia plant he got at the market. Such a gentleman!

Needless to say, we ate well during our stay in Fort Myers including a day trip over the river to Cactus Jack. Louis, Diane, Robert, and Kay (below) made the excursion lots of fun.

Fort Myers’ Bike Night is lots of fun! Thousands of bikes, of every conceivable shape, color, and size, show up, once a month, for a spectacular party. Two or three bands keep the place hopping and if you want to buy a biker outfit, there are many vendors that will help you out.

And then there were the parties on the deck of the marina or Tiki Hut. We attended them all during the month of March. Starting with the marina’s Boater Appreciation Party (below).

Mike (above)  is checking hands during the Dinghy Poker Run.

Hometown friends, Mike and Lynne, joined us in Fort Myers for a week. No, they didn’t stay on our boat, they rented a room close by. Our first boat trip with them was across the river to St. James City and the Waterfront restaurant on Pine Island. It was a rough ride over and docking on the waterside of the restaurant was a little challenging. It was a fun trip.

While Mike and Lynne were still here we visited Wicked Dolphin Rum Distillery. The staff provides a good tour and taste testing of some of their products.

Some of the women spent an afternoon shopping and having lunch, at Ichiban’s downtown. I have become addicted to their Hot and Sour Soup.

Jim and I went to soup at Ichiban’s another day and look at our fortune cookies! Spot on!

McGregor’s Pizza was a favorite spot for pizza and calzones. They only have two tables in there, but we made it work many a time. EXCELLENT CALZONES!

Afternoon lunch (above) at Brad and Patti’s condo in Cape Coral, yes, it does seem we do everything in groups.

Another party at the marina! This time a small group of boaters had a Marina Appreciation Party. Louis, Diane, Butch, Kelle, Kay, and Robert (below) planned a festive and delicious feast to honor the marina staff. The party included live music to dance to.

Diane, Patsy, and Lisa (above). Diane, Kelle, and Kay (below).

Louis’ favorite local BBQ pit catered the party.

Claudia (above, second from left), brought Jell-O shots. Bottom’s Up!  Thanks, Claudia!

This is how you have a party for eight on Kismet. Brunch is served with arepas and fresh fruit.

Near the end of our stay, a group of us went downtown to hang out at the top of Ford’s Garage. Great view of the river and downtown up there even a live band.

One last Happy Hour on True North, Tom and Patsy’s boat.

Near the end of our stay, fellow tug nuts, Cheryl and Rich, on Roam and Jess and Mike, on Illusions (below) came to visit at Legacy.

Across the river from the marina is this beautiful anchorage. We came to anchor at this spot a few times to get away from the commotion at the marina. So when our month’s time was up at Legacy, we came over here for one last night on the hook. First time I had ever seen an anhinga bird. He sat in a nearby tree for a long time until sunset came.

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Pine Island’s Colorful Matlacha, Florida

Although we have been to Pine Island and Matlacha, Florida by car before, we had never visited by boat. Jim did some research and found Olde Fish House Marina, a local marina in Matlacha Pass, situated smack dab in the middle of one of the most colorful little “Old Florida” towns in Florida. Matlacha is just a small part of Pine Island, when you cross the bridge going toward the bigger (18-mile long) Pine Island, Matlacha proceeds it. You will know you’ve arrived by all the colorful gift shops lining the way. We stocked up on seafood and enjoyed touring the gift shops, all within a very short walking distance of the marina.

Pine Island is surrounded by mangroves, three aquatic preserves, and acres of fruit groves and is home to many creative folks… artists, authors, songwriters, and poets. It is often referred to as “Florida’s Creative Coast.”

The restroom facilities were some of the most basic we’ve seen, but we are always thankful for a hot shower.

Pine Island boasts of having no traffic signals, tolls, or high rises!

Andy and Mary drove over to the marina from their place, in Cape Coral, for cocktails and dinner out with us. It’s always a fun time when meeting up with friends from home.

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Kismet is hustling to get to Palm Island Marina – Cape Haze

We are attending the 2014 Ranger Tug Winter Rendezvous. Over the four years we’ve own our Ranger Tug, we’ve met lots of other owners, some we’ll see again at this rendezvous and we looked forward to making new friends during the rendezvous. The event was hosted by fellow tug owners, Ted and Carol Whittier and Mike and Jess Rizzo. Many thanks to all of them for a well-organized and fun Ranger Tug Rendezvous!

A Ranger Tug rendezvous is a good place to ask for information about other tug owners. Everyone wants to help if there is a problem. One owner had a hard-to-diagnose situation in his engine room and look how many boaters stopped to give their two cents or to lend a helping hand.

We had already briefly met Frank and Salma (above), on Tortuguilla, during our night on the hook in Pass-A-Grille, Florida, in fact, we had told them about this rendezvous and they signed up to come. One morning they invited us over for a traditional Venezuelan breakfast. They served arepas, a dish we had never eaten and it was delicious.

There was an impromptu happy hour the day before the rendezvous started, it was a good chance to start meeting other tug owners and share tug information and cruising routes and stories.

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Retrieving Kismet from Storage – Eastpoint Florida

Seems like it was just yesterday when we left Kismet at TTC Storage in Eastpoint Florida, in fact, it has been several months. We like to cruise in the fall, somewhere south of Michigan, and then leave our boat in storage somewhere near where we plan to cruise after the holidays. This time, after our trip to the AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association’s 2014 Rendezvous and cruise through Florida’s Panhandle, we ended up in Eastpoint to store the boat.

We arrived at TTC Storage and met the owner, Mike, at the building. Within half an hour we had Kismet out of storage and ready to go. With a little help from Mike, we located a great oyster restaurant within walking distance of the storage building and had to get our oyster fix before heading out on the road toward Carrabelle.

Eastpoint is an authentic fishing town with a heart as big as the bay. Here you can buy fresh local seafood from family-owned markets and eat a fresh seafood meal from restaurants operated by families four generations deep.

Oystermen still use century-old harvesting techniques. They use small wooden boats, under 23 feet long, using tongs that look like scissor-style rakes to scoop the oysters up to the surface where they are then sorted and separated by size.

Just past Carrabelle (going east), we happened onto Ho Hum RV Park, located off Highway 98 (Gulf side), four miles east of Carrabelle, in Lanark Village. The park is roadside, right on the beach, and caters only to adults and seniors, no children are allowed. It was overcast and a little misty while we were there, but beautiful nonetheless.

When we got Kismet parked at our park site, Jim settled into the back deck of the boat and proceeded to take a selfie of him drinking a bottle of his favorite beer, a Yuengling we got at a grocery store before we got to the RV park. We can’t get Yuengling in Michigan so he was pretty excited.

We don’t spend a lot of time at RV parks, so not familiar with all the different kinds of RV, but this one caught our eye as it has a retractable deck off one of its sides. What next?

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If it appears that we are eating our way back to the boat, you are right, we are! Seems like we are always on the move, north, south, east or west.

Not much to report on during our road trip south to Florida to pick up Kismet, however, we found some exceptional food stops along the way. When trailering our boat, or driving back to where she is stored, gives us an opportunity to explore some little towns off the expressway.

Shan Chinese Buffet was tops on our list, it was just a fluke that we happened upon it, as it was out of town, off the beaten track and very unassuming. However, one step inside and we knew we were in for a treat. It looked like a well-known trucker stop with a huge parking lot for big rigs, and plenty of room to park Kismet. One thing we have to consider when shopping for food is finding a restaurant where we can easily park our rig. The restaurant offers an amazing variety of Chinese food on buffet tables, plenty to satisfy two road warriors for one day.

The Smokehouse Grill in Berea, Kentucky, was a second favorite, offering exceptional southern home cooking. We do find that food stops are an important part of our road trips. Finding good value and something akin to good old home cooking is what we are looking for.

On our last day on the road we were starving and somehow missed the last town that might have provided food for our hungry tummies. When we passed this farm, in Bluffton, Georgia, way off on the side of the road with a little sign that said RESTAURANT, we immediately back-tracked thinking we might miss a great opportunity for something interesting.

What we found was White Oak Pastures, a multigenerational family farm that cooperates with nature to produce artisan products that are healthy, safe, nutritious, and delicious. Care is given to ensure that all production practices are economically practical and ecologically sustainable and that the animals are always humanely treated.

We had a fantastic lunch in an open aired restaurant on the compound, where they feed the 100+employees (butchers, organic farmers, and office staff) and travelers, like us, who stop by. We had the daily special, a BBQ pulled pork sandwich. After a stop in their little general store, we left with some homegrown protein to take to the boat.

If you rest, you rust! Right? Just a little reminder to keep moving, doing, and seeing new things, by road or water – it’s all good.

Jim LOVES old cars. He remembered this spot when we drove north last fall. These old rusted cars lay at peace in their final resting place, exposed to the elements and time. We stopped and spent some time exploring their final resting place.

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Cruise to Apalachicola, a Photographer’s Dream Cruise

Smooth sailing today as we cruised the last leg of our fall cruise through Florida’s Panhandle. A little stormy and overcast but we still got some nice photos of some of the beauty available to see while cruising this area.

the cruise to Apalachicola did not disappoint, even though it was overcast, the water was mirror calm and the reflections on the still water gave pause to the crew on board Kismet.

Nature provided us with some interesting illusions while on the water today. Note the symmetry of the above water images on the mirrored glassy water we plowed through today.

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Grand Canyon Cut – A Favorite Cruising Channel in Florida’s Panhandle

Today we cruised Florida’s “Grand Canyon Cut,” after crossing Choctawhatchee Bay to a man-made, 18-mile channel (statute mile 255 to 260, east of Harvey Lock) that leads to St. Andrews, aptly named due to the steep, up to 100′ high, sandy banks lining this cut. Tall pine trees grow along the ridge of the sand dunes and down to the water. One of our favorite areas to boat in the Panhandle.

The clouds provided a stormy backdrop to the sun-it shoreline. Not many boats out on the cut today, a few fishing boats, that was about it.

Historic St. Andrews is a community in Panama City, Florida, along the beautiful St. Andrews Bay. We stayed one night at the town’s marina.

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Fond Memories of Our Last Trip to Destin Florida

Destin Florida is a popular tourist destination located in the Panhandle of Florida. It rests on a peninsula separating the Gulf of Mexico from Choctawhatchee Bay. Well known for its pristine beaches and turquoise waters, Destin claims to have the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida.

The last time we stopped in Destin was in 2008, while on our second Great Loop boat trip. It was Thanksgiving Day and we roasted a turkey (below) on the back deck of our Fathom 40 while anchored in the harbor. My favorite way to share a holiday feast is with family back home. Yet, that Thanksgiving was particularly memorable for me. It was just the two of us, the weather was perfect, the small turkey just fit in the roaster, and it was a crispy golden brown by dinnertime. While dinner was cooking, we dinghied all over the harbor and visited the beautiful beach for a walk. We had mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Click here to see a post from our Favors Great Loop Blog.

That holiday dinner is what I was remembering as we cruised to Destin this time, six and a half years later. Last time we were here, for whatever reason, we only dinghied around the harbor and walked the beautiful beach. We didn’t venture ashore where all the activity was. So, our mission for this visit was to spend time on shore seeing what we missed before.

We are cruising the Panhandle off-season this year. The busy tourist time here is summer when people in southern Florida head north to beat the heat). So, we didn’t have to fight crowds of people while walking through town or wait long to get into a restaurant. I’d say we timed it about right. Destin is a colorful resort town with lots of water-related activities at one’s disposal. Fishing tournaments and events are a good example of what Destin has to offer and we noticed many water toys available to rent. Not hard to understand why tourists love this town.

After two amazing nights on the hook in Destin’s harbor, we headed out (below) to complete the last leg of our Panhandle cruise.

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Staying at Orange Beach Marina so that we can take a day to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum. We arrived late afternoon, got settled then borrowed the marina’s loaner car to take a tour of the area and visit one of the beautiful beaches.

Some folks stopped by (above) that knew us because they also own a Ranger Tug. It’s a small world!

The National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida – A Must-See Museum!

On our third cruise through the Florida Panhandle, nine years after we heard about the museum during our first Great Loop adventure, we made plans to tour the best aviation museum in the world.

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Lots of Crazy Fun at the MTOA Low Country Boil

As you can see there were a lot of fun and creative hat constructions during the Crazy Hat Beach Party and MTOA Low Country Boil event on Wednesday night during the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous. MTOA members pulled out all the stops and showed up in some very colorful and creative hats. We’ll let the photos speak for themselves – the MTOA Low Country Boil sure was a lot of fun.

We think Robert, here with his wife Kaye, on C-Life,  should have won first prize for his hat creation – we know he had a lot of fun making it.

Frank Erwin (above), recent, past President of MTOA, is ready with his hat, a big smile, and a good display of turtle pins and attire.

George Kay, here with his wife Mary (above-left), is the Awards Director for MTOA – this basically means he hands out the turtle pins to members when they volunteer for jobs and events or bring in new members to the club.

Barry and Barbara Kipnis (above), co-chairs of the rendezvous, worked hard to make the MTOA 2012 Summer Rendezvous run smoothly.

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Pirates Galore at the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous

Since pirates played a major role in the settlement of Amelia Island the local gang helped kick off the start of the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous, in Fernandina Beach, at the first-morning meeting.

MTOA is only one of a couple of the boat clubs we belong to. The club is non-profit and member-operated – the yearly events are lots of fun. Every time you volunteer to contribute to the club or an event, you gain a turtle pin. It’s not hard to see who the hard workers are as the turtle pins are proudly displayed during the rendezvous.

The goals of MTOA and its members include the following:

        Maintenance and repair problem-solving.
        Training and education for our captains and first mates.
        Ownership and resale of our member’s vessels.
        Activities and social events for our members and guests.
        Information exchange and dialogue amongst our membership.

For more info visit:  http://www.mtoa.net

We were busy on our boat the day of the boat crawl. Lots of people are curious about trailerable trawlers, especially the “cute” Ranger Tug.

Lots of activities, seminars, dinners, and other social events kept us all busy during the 4-day event. We were happy to be able to spend more time with good friends Louis and Diane, on Bella Luna (above).

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MTOA’s Southern Boaters Put Together a Shrimp Boil

Friends Ellen and her husband, Roy, on Our Turn, came up with the idea to have a simple, but festive, shrimp boil on the dock tonight and procured shrimp from these fishermen (above and below). This was only the first 150 lbs she bought, it was such a popular topic on the docks, people wanted to buy more the next day, so Ellen ended up purchasing the rest of the catch these guys had to sell, another 150 lbs.

This all transpired the day before the rendezvous started, people were still arriving and getting settled in. We were all pleasantly surprised that Ellen and Roy put this thing together so that we would have a fun, carefree evening partying on the docks.

Here we are on the dock with our stash to clean (above – shrimp with heads on). We took some of it to the shrimp boil that night and the rest we froze so that we could savor a little bit of Florida in the weeks to come.

We found out that a shrimp boil is a simple affair. Not many side dishes, just cocktail sauce, a little fruit and potato salad – the shrimp is the main attraction and we just couldn’t get enough of it. There were lots of cooks and one BIG pot (can you believe people travel with this stuff on their boats?) and of course a lot of talk about how this should be done – everyone does it a little differently. There were cans of Old Bay spice laying around – a must-have ingredient when cooking shrimp, we’ve learned since cruising the east coast over the last seven years.

It got pretty quiet on the dock as boaters settled in with a delicious plate of shrimp. I guess you could say that the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous really started tonight, on the dock, when we all got a chance to meet other members of this boating club while enjoying a southern tradition.

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We were happy to meet up again at Fernandina Beach Marina with the crew on Mosey (above), we last saw them in Marathon in February. Also in attendance at the rendezvous was the crew of Active Captain (below).

We had left the marina for a little cruise and to get a pump out. The paper mill (see the smoke behind the boats) was an interesting sight.

Fernandina Beach Marina for the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous.

On the way out of the marina for our pump out, we got some good photos of Roy, Ellen, and Lucy, on Our Turn (above).

One of the best things about attending this rendezvous was being able to meet up with our good friends, Diane and Louis, on Bella Luna. Here we are enjoying a late night, after dinner, treat downtown.

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We ventured out on a long dinghy ride today – up the New River and into a few side channels. We were just a short distance away from the marina and it was hard to tell we were so close to such a big city as Fort Lauderdale. We must have been gone several hours as there are a lot of waterways to cover on the river with a few little offshoots to explore. As an extra bonus, we got to see all different kinds of boats – old, new, big, small, and some very unusual ones.

Jim said that to venture further up the river we had to go under this old bridge. I was a little nervous as to what might be lurking under there but we just had to go for it to see what was on the other side.

This took the prize for the most unusual, and classy, boat sighting on the river today. I want a tour!

Every time we come here I tell Jim this is my favorite little house on the river.

Looks like a “Son of a Barber” lives here (below). Cute!

We think this is the old Jungle Queen boat (above).

We had to quickly hurry out of the way of this big yacht (above) as it headed up the river. Beautiful! As you can see, lots of nice old yachts docked on New River.

If you like to be on the water and close to city conveniences, it doesn’t get much better than New River in Downtown Ft Lauderdale. Almost everything is within walking distance or a short taxi/bus ride away. Restaurants, the beach, grocery, dinghy excursions, museums, and theater, and if that’s not enough West Marine has recently opened their largest and most grandiose retail store only a couple of miles from the river. One of our favorite pass times was watching large yachts traversing the river, on their way home or to the large shipyards upriver. It was interesting to see that some of the yachts had tenders as big or larger than our Kismet.

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Lisa made me promise we’d stop in Fort Lauderdale for a week, so after staying in Homestead for two nights to catch up on work and other chores, here we are putting the boat in the water right at Cooley’s Landing Marina (below), on the New River at the beginning of the downtown Riverwalk area. Cooley’s is one of our favorite marinas in Florida. Nice facilities and location. We can walk to shop in Las Olas, eat out at a choice of restaurants, grocery shop, or get plenty of exercise walking right along the river.

Lisa always raves about Cooley’s laundry facilities which are more like a laundromat, with lots of room to sort, wash and fold. The two times we crossed over to the Abaco Islands, in 2006 and 2009, we stayed at Cooley’s, provisioning and cleaning all our clothes and linens because it would be expensive to buy food and wash laundry while staying in the islands.

Part of the docks at Cooley’s are on the other side of this bridge (above-right), this is where Kismet is headed to in that photo. Below is our slip overlooking the bridge.

The Jungle Queen (above) went up and downriver behind our boat several times a day.

We happened to be here Easter Sunday and apparently, people like to decorate their boats with easter stuff and parade on New River.

A must-visit restaurant for us when in Fort Lauderdale is Jenkin’s Bar-B-Q. Not much to look at but, in our opinion, it is the best BBQ around.

On the docks next to the marina, we happened upon this very new Ranger Tug R27, just like ours.

New River is a fun place to be for us because all day long yachts, like the one below, cruise past the back of our boat. There is a big shipyard further up the river and a lot of these boats dock there when they’re not out yachting.

If you need fuel anywhere on the New River, this boat will help you out, coming right to your boat to fill your tank.

We thought this was interesting, this couple was paddle boarding upriver collecting garbage out of the water. On the end of their sticks were little baskets they used to scoop up debris to deposit in the baskets on the front of their boards. Interesting.

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Just a quick stop in an RV park in Homestead, Florida on our way to Fort Lauderdale.

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When leaving Key West by water, and heading east to Marathon, there are two Intracoastal Waterways (ICW) route choices. There is the unobstructed, direct route of Hawk Channel which runs parallel to the Keys and cuts into Florida Bay at Marathon. Hawk Channel is somewhat protected from the coral reefs that separate it from the Atlantic Ocean; this is the most popular route because you don’t need to worry about dodging shallow water.

We’ve taken Hawk Channel several times but have never taken the route less traveled, the Florida Bay ICW. One of the reasons the route north of the Keys to Marathon is not preferred is because of the shallower water depths. With a 2.5-foot draft on our Ranger Tug, we felt we’d have plenty of water below us. Besides we were up for a new adventure, and we wanted to take a route we’d never done before. Our objective was to slowly cruise the 30 miles to Marathon by anchoring out for a couple of nights enjoying one of Mother Nature’s many gifts.

For a short bit, were escorted by a school of dolphins who were playing tag around our boat in the white sand-bottomed crystal clear waters of the Keys.

Our first stop was an anchorage behind some mangrove islands in Jewfish Basin where we were serenaded by birds and saw plenty of rays. We took time to have a little lunch before we went to explore the surrounding islands by dinghy.

Breakfast on the back deck this morning (below)

On the second day out, we re-entered the ICW to head to Porpoise Key and our second night’s anchorage. Porpoise Key sits just off of Big Pine and No Name Keys, within seven miles of Marathon. So, I guess we averaged 10 miles a day for the three days it took us to get to Marathon, that’s the way we like to cruise, slow enough that we can absorb our surroundings – this time we enjoyed the crystal clear and shallow waters around the many scattered islands on the Florida Bay side of the Keys.

The Seven Mile Bridge provides a pass from the Florida Bay side to the Hawk Channel side. You can access Marathon by either side but this time we’ll be picking up a mooring ball in Boot Key Harbor, so we have to go under the bridge, turning to the east, to get there.

One of our favorite harbors to enter, this channel into Book Key is a boater’s visual delight.

We grabbed this mooring ball for a two-night stay in Marathon. We had some friends to meet and work to catch up on before we reclaim our truck and trailer (which Jim drove up here a week ago) and take our boat out of the water to head north.

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