It was hard to leave Longboat Key this morning given the beautiful clear blue sunshine filled skies, calm waters and gentle breeze. But leave we must (and did) at 9am for the first part of journey toward the east coast of Florida.
Since we departed at low tide, we decided to forgo New Pass where we could have run into shallow water problems with the connecting channel to Sarasota Bay. Endless Summer draws 4 feet and the charts we indicating as little as 4.2 feet of water -- that's just a little too close for comfort!
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| Endless Summer ready for departure |
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| Longboat Key Club Moorings - Our Winter Home |
We stayed on the "inside" of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway until we reached Venice about two hours later. From there we opted to go out into the Gulf of Mexico for remainder of the trip to Captiva Island. The seas were only 1 foot and gently breaking on our bow. We came through Red Fish Pass and into South Seas Island Yacht Harbor.
We spent the afternoon on the beach taking in the last of the breaking Gulf surf, salt air breeze, white sand with seagulls dancing along the shoreline. When we returned to the boat dock, we found about 6 manatees feeding in the warm harbor waters with some "new borns" in tow. As a protected species these gentle sea cows are few in number and in danger from passing boats. A good reminder that we all share the same water, the same environment, the same planet.
All in all it was a good, no make that great, first day!
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| Nothing better than a long walk on the beach |
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| The yacht harbor was filled with Manatees and their young |
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| Looking north over Lands End at South Seas Island Resort |
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| Sunset over the Gulf the Mexico |
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