This year's week-long sail was a return to the Pine Island Sound area of southwest Florida. From Sanibel Island and Ft Myers to the south to Charlotte Harbor and Gasparilla Sound in the north, there is plenty to explore. We launched at Uncle Henry's Marina Resort on Gasparilla Island (very sailboat friendly) and made stops heading south at Boca Grande's Grande Bayou, Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa(accessible only by boat, the entire island is a pristine nature preserve and state park) Cabbage Key and Safety Harbor on North Captiva Island. We then changed plans and headed north east to discover the sleepy fishing town of Bokeelia, about a mile up the winding Jug Creek on the northwest tip of the island. From there we headed further north to Lemon Bay. Some of us went via the Gulf and Stump Pass, and some of us took the inside sail through Placida Harbor and stright up "The Narrows" with wind all the way.
Here's some pictures of a great week. There's alot of them, so be patient while the page loads.
From left to right it's Impatience, Not for Hire, Oh Happy Day and Lesismor at the dock at Uncle Henry's Marina Resort.
Looking south across Boca Grande Pass to Cayo Costa.
The old Gasparilla light at Boca Grande.
Seven boats stop for lunch, snorkeling and beachcombing at Pelican Bay, Cayo Costa.
We found this shack built over the mangroves on 'unihabited' Cayo Costa (LaCosta Island). There was an automobile exhaust system complete with muffler sticking out of the kitchen window. Very strange.
Five boats rafted up for the night in Safety Harbor, where the Manthey's dinghy escaped for the first time. It was salvaged in the middle of the night by Bill Bairley, who graciously returned it to the negligent owners.
Another raiding party goes ashore after Michele's "Dinghies at Dusk" plan was foiled the night before. (That's her waving)
Barnacle checks out the action in Four Winds Marina in Bokeelia.
Some of the group at lunch in the marina's restaurant in Bokeelia.
Mark Major introduces the unsuspecting town of Bokeelia to the didgeridoo, one bar at a time.
Tom Tennesen (L) and Bill Bairley try to figure out how to break it to Tom Hunter (R) that his clothes don't match.
Tom Hunter cleverly escapes from the evil UFO (foreground) by using the umbrella spinnaker.
Poolside at Fish Tale marina (formerly Stump Pass Marina)
The final night back at Uncle Henry's. The Club bought steaks for everyone, and everyone brought out the remains of the galley stores for a killer salad. Not a great picture, but there was a lot of beer and wine.
