Key West to Key Largo

Over the past 30 years we have seen Key West change from a funky laid back town of local restaurants, bars and artsy shops to a full-on cruise port terminal filled with all manner of T-shirt shops, trinket stores, bars that are over crowded, and streets filled with tourists. That said, there remains a certain "charm" about Key West you just don't find anywhere else.

Fortunately, we were docked at the new Stock Island Marina which is a few miles east of "downtown" where the pace was slow and the vibe is easy. It is just a short ride into town (which is where the better restaurants are) so when you want some action, it is easy to find.

Our new best friends Angie and Zak at the Tiki Bar!

Beautiful, well managed and friendly Stock Island Marina

One of the best evenings we had was on the totally isolated Sunset Key, just a short boat ride from the downtown Key West docks. The Latitudes Restaurant sits literally (and I do mean literally) on the water facing west. A wonderful meal, drinks and desert as the sun slowly sets on the horizon. Perfect!

Latitudes Restaurant - right on the beach!

An "Old Fashion" sunset!

The best Key Lime Pie!

Our last night in Key West was highlighted by a visit from our dear (old) friends, Alan and Susie Petrasek. We first Alan and Susie in 1989 as our "dock mates" at the Chesapeake Yacht Club near Annapolis Maryland. Over the past 30 years, despite our distances, we have managed to stay in contact and keep tabs on each other. They now live in Summerland Key just outside of Key West so they came by Endless Summer for cocktails followed by a delightful dinner at Le Te Da -- a Key West favorite.

So after four days in Key West it was time to move on to our next stop in Key Largo, The Ocean Reef Club. The winds have continued to be strong out of the ESE so the expectation that our run outside in the Atlantic via the Hawk Channel would be another sloppy day on the water. And it was! 2 to 3 foot seas aren't all that bad if you are down wind with following seas, but this was the complete opposite -- winds and seas on our nose and we were taking a pounding. Time to go to plan B.

About 20 miles east of Key West is one of the few crossings from the Atlantic Hawk Channel to the "inside" of Florida Bay. Since the wind was coming out of the ESE, getting to the inside should provide added protection and calmer waters. And it was!

The balance of the run to Key Largo, while meandering, narrow and shallow at times, was uneventful and relatively easy. Yes, it took about an hour longer going this was but the added comfort was well worth it.  The only tricky part was cutting back over to the Atlantic side (to get to Ocean Reef Yacht Club) through Angelfish Creek at dead low tide. Endless Summer draws 4.3 feet of water so So when the depth gauge registers 4.5 feet, it's a little "tense" to say the least.

We arrived safely and with incident at Ocean Reef some 6 hours after leaving Stock Island. A good wash down, cold cocktail and dinner "on the beach" made up the balance of the afternoon and evening.

Key West to Key Largo 144 miles - Outside / Inside / Outside

The Beautiful Florida Keys

Naples to Key West

We have made the run from the West coast mainland of Florida to the Keys and back again numerous times. No matter how much planning goes in to making it a pleasant trip, the weather will almost always throw you a little "surprise" along the way. This time was no different.

The winds have been unusually brisk for this time of year and have varied significantly from day to day. None the less, the "forecast" from the National Weather Service along with the projected sea and wind conditions provided by NOAA suggested that today would be a good time to make the 110 mile crossing. Well they were right -- for some of the trip!

As we left Gordon Pass in our wake and turned to a straight-line 180 degree setting for Key West, the wind was moderate, the seas were a light chop and under clear sunny skies looked to be a good start. The further we got from shore, the more exposed we were to the open sea and wind fetching up the waves. Light chop became 1 foot, that become 2 feet, now coming at us from the port beam, soon was 3 feet and even 4 feet with a period of 4 seconds. What all that adds up to is a sloppy, wet and unpleasant ride the last 60 miles.

But this is a Sabre Yacht built in Maine and is very "at home" in those types of conditions. The boat handled it well (actually, really well) and the crew, well, let's just say we've had better! None the less, 5 hours later we turned into the Northwest Channel approach to Key West then back out the Atlantic side as we arrived at the beautiful (and peaceful) Stock Island Marina.

We will be here most of the week before continuing our journey to Key Largo.

Dock to Dock 5 hours 120 miles

Starting to get a little dicey out here!

Abeam seas made for a wet ride!

Docked, fueled and washed -- ready to enjoy Key West!

Boca Grande to Fort Myers Beach to Naples

After two enjoyable days in Boca Grande, it was time to move on to our next port of call in Fort Myers Beach, The Pink Shell Resort & Marina. Since the wind had subsided somewhat, the run across Pine Island Sound was relatively smooth except for the buildup of "boat traffic" heading out for the holiday weekend.

We have stayed at Pink Shell before and always enjoy it. It is a relatively small marina with excellent floating docks and top notch crew to match. We did have one little surprise on our arrival, we were docked right next to another Sabre 48 for the night! What are the odds?

A pair of Sabre 48's "Truly Blessed" and "Endless Summer"

After a relaxing afternoon we headed off to dinner at a new restaurant call Coste located in the Diamondhead Hotel. Now, I'm not normally a fan of restaurants in hotels (much less beach type hotels) but this place had already gotten such great reviews, we decided to give it a shot. Wow -- it was all it was cracked up to be and must confess, one of the best preparations of grouper I have ever had.

The next morning, we lazed around the boat, resort and beach for a couple of hours before getting underway to Naples. The 12-15 mph ENE winds were in our favor as we headed south running close to shore (about a half mile out) before turning in to the Gordon River. The short 5 mile run to the headwaters was filled with all manner of fishing boats, pleasure boats, jet skiers, sailboats, kayaks -- you name it, it was out on the river enjoying a beautiful Saturday holiday weekend.

Sunrise over the harbor at Pink Shell

Lazy days!

Upon arriving at the Naples Boat Club, we refueled "Endless Summer" in preparation of our Monday trip to Key West. The winds have been rather brisk the last few days so we're hoping it will calm down before we run 100 miles offshore.

And the martinis!

"Hugging" the Gulf shoreline in route to Naples

Longboat Key to Boca Grande

Knowing this would likely be our "last cruise" on Endless Summer, our departure from Longboat Key was filled with both excitement and melancholy. It is always fun to prepare, plan and provision for a trip on the boat, but this time felt different. It all seemed so final and that made saying farewell all the more difficult. None the less, we have made wonderful life long memories at Longboat Key and will always treasure the time we had there.

Now, it's time to move on!

We left the dock at a very reasonable 8:30 am and worked our way out to Sarasota Bay. The winds were out of the east at 8-12 mph so while there was a little "chop" it wasn't bad at all. Since it appeared the offshore winds were favorable we opted to do the first part of the day outside in the Gulf of Mexico. Due to the constant shifting sands, Big Pass can be a tricky inlet to navigate. Fortunately, I have relatively good "local knowledge" of the Pass and with the sun at our backs, able to see the narrow but safe water path out.

Once out in the Gulf, however, the seas were surprisingly rougher than forecast (that's just the way it is sometimes). So after an hour or so of moderate pounding, we decided to go back "inside" at Venice Inlet for the balance of the trip to Boca Grande. After all, we weren't in any hurry and that's where the Admiral prefers it!

We arrived at the Boca Grande Marina around 12:30 and after a good wash down from all the sea spray, settled in for the next few days. As luck would have it, my "big brother" Ray and wife are also on a boat trip aboard their Swift 50 Trawler "Someday Is Today". We connected in Boca Grande for a delightful dinner that night and bid them farewell as the departed early the next morning.

Boca Grande (Gasparilla Island) has a rich history back to 1870's when this was a small but prolific fishing village. To this day, it remains one of the best fishing designations in Florida and is considered the Tarpon Capital of the world. We spent the next day exploring the island from one end to the other in a slow but trusty rented golf cart. From beach bungalows, to mega mansions, to fish camps, to world class accommodations, Boca Grande is a microcosm of contrast that is Florida.

We concluded our visit with a delightful breakfast at the Inlet at The Outlet before getting underway for our short run to Ft. Myers Beach for the day.

The night before our departure we were treated to the old mariner's saying,  "Red sky at night -- sailor's delight"

Outside from Sarasoata Big Pass to Venice Inlet then inside to Boca Grande

Boca Grande Marina -- One of our favs

Big brother departing on "Someday Is Today"

Boca Grande Inlet Light House

Banyan tree canopy, first planted in 1915