We departed Longboat Key early Thanksgiving morning, to make our way south to one of our favorite anchorages, where we planned to have our Thanksgiving dinner.
The cloudy morning gave way to sun and a brisk north breeze, directly behind us, helping us push south. We were in the Intracoastal Waterway, protected from the waves that were on the Gulf.
It was a pleasant trip, with lots of dolphins playing on our wake and leaping ahead of our bow. There were several large dolphins that flew out of the water, seeming to say, “follow us!” So we did.
We entered Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa anchorage to find about 55 boats already here! It is a holiday weekend, after all, and many local boaters had claimed their spots. Fortunately, this favorite anchorage is large and we poked around until we found a place we liked.
We got the anchor down, and did a pork loin on the barbeque, with potatoes, squash, fresh tomato basil salad, and pumpkin turtle chiffon pie to finish.
We were thankful for all our many blessings, including the next few days of rest and relaxation right here in Pelican Bay.
Early in the morning, the fishermen are using their cast nets to catch mullet.
In the dinghy, we visited the adjacent hurricane hole, where 18 boats were rafted. We had never seen so many boats in this small harbor.
The Punta Gorda Sailing Club had a holiday rendezvous here, with two rafts of five boats each, and other boats, in attendance.
We see some of the most beautiful sunsets here.
This silhouetted sailboat is framed by the day’s last light.
Another day saw us shelling on the beach of the State Park at Cayo Costa.
The beach walkers do not disturb this osprey.
The day was sunny and became calm as the afternoon progressed.
The moon rose early over Monarch.
Another good day, as we live the dream!
This morning dawned clear and calm, a beautiful powerboat day! We departed the skinny entrance of Pelican Pass and made our way to the Gulf, for an offshore run.
The adjacent Boca Grande Pass is well marked by the Boca Grande Lighthouse, which we had toured two years ago. This pass is the entrance to Port Charlotte and Charlotte Harbor.
We headed directly for Marco Island. We had hoped to spend a couple nights at anchor along the way, but a water pump on the port engine started a slow drip. We called the marina on Marco, who said come right in for a fix! So, we had a couple unexpected mechanical lay days.
