April 12-13, 2010 - Sarasota and St. Pete, Florida

Heading further north on the Intracoastal, we noted car ferries that take vehicles over to Knight Island.

There were two ferries to accommodate the volume of traffic at the tail end of “high season.”

All along this stretch of Intracoastal, ferries access the barrier islands – this one for people going to the beach near Venice.

We passed by the Venice Inlet, staying in the Intracoastal. The channel of the Inlet is visible as a darker area in the water, surrounded by lighter shoals.

This is a nice way to live.

The architecture along the waterway is interesting. This looks like a covered wagon.

Further along, as we approached Sarasota Yacht Club, we knew we were headed the right direction!

The Club marina has over 100 boats at the docks.

The Sarasota Yacht Club is brand new and very modern in design. The “official” grand opening hadn’t occurred yet when we stayed here.

This is the most contemporary yacht club design we have ever seen. The beautiful outdoor pool was open, as well as a large health club facility and beautiful showers and restrooms.

After departing Sarasota Yacht Club, we headed north through the bay, and past a favorite restaurant, Moore’s Crab Shack.

Here is a beautiful location for a hidden cabin, with a private dock, near Longboat Key Pass.

And here is the Pass, a popular spot to access the Gulf through the bascule bridge.

We next crossed Tampa Bay, and headed for St. Petersburg’s notable skyline.

This shopping complex and tourist attraction juts into the bay at St. Petersburg. You can’t miss it!

We docked for the night at St. Petersburg Yacht Club, and Jerry did some clean up.

Monarch looked “Bristol” at the dock.

We did our walkabout in St. Pete’s adjacent downtown district. There were many restaurants, shops, a Publix Supermarket and the essential West Marine, all within a short walk.

The area is lovely, with this pocket park to give shade on a hot day.

We enjoyed an evening at the Club, having a drink and a snack from their Taco buffet.

April 10, 2010 - Cape Haze, Florida

We headed north, across the Boca Grande Pass and through the Boca Grande Swing Bridge.

Anchoring in a breakwall-lined basin called Cape Haze, we joined a few other boats for the night.

The next day, we dinghied across the Intracoastal to Don Pedro State Park, which is reachable only by boat. We walked along the beautiful beach and picked up a few shells to add to our collection.

Cruising through the canals adjacent to our anchorage, we noted canal front homes and low bridges, which restricted the size boat homeowners could use.

The next day, we pulled anchor, but then heard a weather bulletin for severe thunder storms, so we did a u-turn and went right back to our anchorage.

There was a torrential downpour, gusty winds, and thunder and lightening. We were glad to be safely on the hook.

The evening brought interesting cloud formations, and reinforcement of our decision to stay put!

April 4-8, 2010 - Naples, Florida

North to Naples. We anchored for the night in Champney Bay, in the Port Royal area of Naples. Gigantic houses are the norm here on huge canal-front lots. This is a single family home, not a hotel resort.

The area is just south of downtown Naples. We went for a dinghy ride up and down the canals.

Many big houses sported big boats out front.

One after another, the mansions won’t quit!

We think the landscaping services and maid services are fully employed in this area.

We liked the priority this homeowner put on housing his yacht!

We packed a lunch and ate while idling through the canals.

Some of the yard and pool art was interesting.

We especially liked the color of this home.

We docked the next night at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club, as we continued our “club crawl.”

The clubhouse is a real beauty, and newly constructed. The interior is beautifully appointed with a nautical theme.

The second floor offered a wonderful view of the harbor. We entertained Aunt Zelda and Uncle Jack aboard Monarch with drinks and dinner. They live in Naples.

Part of the décor is a non-functioning lighthouse. It houses a giant ice machine on the ground floor, and has a staircase for viewing the harbor and accessing the second floor deck.

The following day, we motored less than two miles across the Gordon River to the Naples Yacht Club.

This is another elegant club, newly built, and beautifully appointed.

While the club was closed the day we visited, we did do a walk-through. The style is elegant “Tommy Bahama.” The club is a short walk from Naples’ famous Fifth Avenue, so we walked there for dinner out.

We are certainly enjoying our club hopping, and you can see why!

March 29 - April 3, 2010 - Smokehouse Bay, Marco Island, Florida

Back at Smokehouse Bay, we settled in on the hook for a few days. One day, the area received four inches of rain in 12 hours. We were glad to be in a boat.

But not all boats are as lucky as Monarch. Here is a 21-foot deck boat, whose bilge pump had failed during the storm. She went down…..

…..and down…………

….and down, as local police, firemen and condo residents watched and conferred.

Shortly, the AAA of the waterways, Sea Tow, arrived on scene.

Inflatable bladders were inserted under the hull, and filled with air. Up she came.

And Sea Tow took her away for the necessary repairs. It was our excitement for the day!