After much thought (and some angst), contemplation (and some drinking) and consideration (and some sleepless nights), we have listed “Endless Summer” for sale! While there are a host of reasons for doing so (and plenty of excuses for not), we once again turn a new chapter in our life on and off the water.
Over the past 20 years, I have navigated the Intracoastal Waterway from Florida to the Mid Atlantic and New England some twelve times, mostly with my loving and supporting mate (a.k.a "The Admiral"). While maybe not a "record" by any means, it represents a lot of time, energy and money well spent seeking out new horizons and adventures.
We have plied the waters of Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys, the entire Atlantic coast from Miami to Maryland as far north as Boston, even to the out islands of the Bahamas. We have enjoyed precious time with family and friends along the way and been treated to some amazing sights and experiences over the years. We have no regrets or unfulfilled itineraries, just a genuine sense of accomplishment awash with life-long treasured memories.
That said, until she is sold (the boat, not Rachel), we plan to continue to use and enjoy "Endless Summer" to the fullest. In a few weeks we will embark on a final (?) cruise from Longboat Key down the Gulf coast to Key West, east along the Florida Keys heading north past Miami and Ft. Lauderdale to our summer dockage in Stuart, Florida on the St. Lucie River. We plan to stop at a number of our favorite ports of call and revisit some of the "best of" experiences, restaurants and sites along the way.
Due to unique nature of the custom configuration and pristine condition of our Sabre 48SE, the folks at Dimillo's Yacht Sales (listing located here) thinks the sale will happen fairly quickly -- meanwhile, I am secretly hoping it doesn't happen too fast! No doubt there is another boat in our future, perhaps a little smaller and closer to home.
In the meantime, here is our planned two week 500 mile route and timing for "The Last Cruise"
Longboat Key Club Moorings / Longboat Key
Boca Grande Marina/ Boca Grande 53 miles — 4 hours
Pink Shell Resort and Marina / Ft. Myers Beach 33 miles — 2 hours
Naples Boat Club / Naples 32 miles — 2 hours
Stock Island Marina / Key West 120 miles — 5 hours
Ocean Reef / Key Largo 114 miles — 4 hours
Bahia Mar / Ft. Lauderdale 63 miles — 3.5 hours
Palm Harbor / West Palm Beach 43 miles — 3 hours
Sunset Bay / Stuart 42 miles — 3 hours
