It was with mixed emotions that pulled out of Ft. Myers earlier this month to continue our Great Loop Adventure. It’s rare we stay anywhere for 3 months at a time, and were so in need of some still time.
The city of Ft. Myers won our hearts and kept sucking us in.
But it was time to toss the lines.
With our dingy setup complete, and weather looking clear – we opted to head south to the Keys to get to the east coast of Florida, instead of heading across the Okechoobee Waterway. While it adds more miles, has more risk – it has more potential for adventure and amazing views!
And after all, isn’t that what life is about?
So on August 3rd, we tossed the lines and set sail with my Mom aboard (after she road out TS Emily on her own while we went to St. Louis).
This post covers August 3-8, 2017
Here’s our 13 minute video version of this adventure:
Stop 1: Ft. Myers Beach, FL
Our next stop would only be 19.1 nautical miles away, most of it re-tracing our own wake westward back out towards the gulf.
But we’d be turning south this time exploring new waters!
Mom would be staying aboard a couple more nights with us before heading home, mostly to celebrate my birthday with me!
As a nomad, I’ve gotten pretty used to every birthday being in a new location and usually far from friends & family. So it was a special treat to celebrate with my Mom AND be in a new location.
We repositioned her car down to Ft. Myers Beach and ironically ended up driving back to Ft. Myers (all of 15 minutes as compared to the 3 hours it took by boat) to see a play at The Laboratory that was opening that night (a little community playhouse we fell in love with.)
We selected Salty Sam’s Marina, mostly because of their 50% summer discount offered through Dockwa (an online marina booking system) and our BoatUS membership (which provides us towing services – similar to CoachNet for RVers).
At about $60/night it was a bargain as far as marinas go in this area and was a pleasant stay.
Stop 2: Anchoring at Big Carlos Pass
With mom safely back at home, it was time for Chris, Kiki and I to continue on. For our first night in almost two weeks alone (remember, we had just returned from a trip to St. Louis), we were craving an isolated spot to anchor.
We called ahead to the local BoatUS.com captain for local knowledge, and felt confident navigating the skinny but beauitful waters of Estero Bay on a rising tide.
We got to an anchorage marked on Active Captain just before exiting into the gulf via Big Carlos Pass to stop for lunch, and decided to just stay.
This was exactly what we were craving and we really have no schedule… so, Y-Not?
It was an absolutely lovely and a magical evening that started with a cooling thundershower, a gorgeous sunset, a full moon rise with a blue heron who spent the evening on our bow with us.
What a welcome back to active cruising!
Stop 3: Naples
Next destination was Naples, where we had a marina reservation waiting for us with expectations of taking care of some final provisioning and chores before heading off into the Everglades.
To get there, we’d have to make our first open water crossing into the Gulf of Mexico – nearly 20 nautical miles. We were a bit nervous, but had a nice calm day and passage.
Those chores on our list included some last minute grocery shopping for fresh stuff, filling the fuel tanks and pumping our waste tanks.
And we were a fail on 3 of them in Naples.
Upon check-in to the Naples Boat Club, we were informed their pump out station was broken and awaiting a part to fix it. Ugh. We were disappointed to hear this, and should have inquired before making our reservation.
Lesson learned.
We then discovered the closest grocery store was a couple miles away and more of a speciality high end store. So opted not to make the effort.
And while we could have filled our fuel tanks here, we didn’t feel like spending more than the $250 we had already paid for our slip in Naples – especially since all of our chores were seemingly lining up down the river in Marco Island.
We did enjoy our stay however, the marina is in walking distance of the beach and two retail areas- mostly filled with high end boutiques and upscale dining (even at off-season 50% discounts many offer, they were still pricey).
All and all, Naples was pretty, but with one of the highest per capita of millionaires – we felt a bit out of place. We may have a yacht, but not that kind of yacht!
Other Travel Posts in this Series:
- The Great Loop: South to the Keys (Part 1) — Ft. Myers to Naples
- The Great Loop: South to the Keys (Part 2) – Naples to Marco Island
- The Great Loop: South to the Keys (Part 3) – Cruising Ten Thousand Islands
- The Great Loop: South to the Keys (Part 4) – Everglades National Park — Little Shark River & Cape Sable
- Sometimes Nomads Need to Grow Some Barnacles (Two Months in Fort Myers)
- Starting the Great Loop — First Adventure: Punta Gorda, FL to Fort Myers, FL
What’s Up Next?
We left out of Naples with a plan to accomplish our tasks in Macro Island. We’ll continue the adventure in the next chapter as we make our way to the Keys.
We’re thrilled to be back out in motion exploring this beautiful area of the country by waterway!
My husband and I spent six weeks in a ‘park model’ at a campground in northern Naples two years ago. Even though we had to drive, we loved visiting the different parks (beaches) tho our favorite by far was Marco Island (about 45 minutes south of our cottage). We did most of our shopping at the local huge Walmart honestly. But overall, we did not care for Naples either. Be glad you’re on the water; no one there on land knows how to drive the speed limit or use turn signals. Between sports cars racing (and I mean seriously speeding) to get through yellow lights, arrogant drivers popping between our car and the one in front of us with split-second timing and maybe a foot to spare (we were too terrified to even honk the horn as even a touch of someone’s brake would have caused a pile-up), and the noise and dust of new subdivisions being constructed, we were glad to leave it behind and return to Ohio. We will, however, be returning to Marco Island, our favorite beach; next time, we plan to stay east of it instead of north!!
You’re starting to sound like a sailor :-))) The Big Carlos Pass stop sounds like a piece of heaven. Great sunset shot – you’re definitely living the dream.
Sounds awesome! FYI-if you come back to that estero bay area…at the back of the Mantanza Preserve, there is a dinghy dock and you can walk to Tops grocery store…It’s not the cheapest store with the most variety but you could walk….or bike to Publix which is a bit farther in the other direction. This is right behind the Red Coconut Campground if you are trying to locate on google. Also at Shell Mound House there’s a nice dock for smaller boats and that is closer to the Publix. Hope that helps, that is a nice area in the bay!!
Awesome to know.. thanks! It’ll be a few years before we’re back that way, but such a lovely area!
Thoroughly enjoying your travels by boat —-Safe cruising!!
Cherie, it occured to me that the “urge to go, but need to stay” and vice versa is universal among us full-time travelers, regardless of our vehicle/vessel. It’s more about the balance of rest and risk, as you said. Carry on, stay safe and sure, and enjoy those sunsets with Chris. We have just completed a great time wandering around cool, lovely Michigan and are making our way toward Wyoming and South Dakota in our Class A motorhome.
Indeed, it is all about balance and following your calling. Enjoy exploring the northern portions of the country, some lovely spots to discover!
It’s fun to read your blog posts from this area, as my grandparents lived in Ft. Myers for decades during their retirement, and I spent many happy times there over the years. We also visited Naples, Marco Island, and many other surrounding areas. Never in a boat, but on land. Enjoy your trip!
Ft. Myers really did take us by surprise.. it was never on our radar, but what a cool little city with a great mix!
I’m enjoying your trip and looking forward to traveling with your vicariously. Cherie, you said you like marinas better than RV parks. Perhaps you can expand on the differences you experience? Happy motoring!
We actually addressed that in a live video chat we hosted back in April about the differences we noticed between RVing & Boating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0po_w6cins&t=25s
Thanks, Cherie! I missed that live video chat – glad to see it because I had many of those questions in mind. Thank you!
Cherie, Happy Birthday!, and many more. Enjoying your trip with you on my ipad
Thanks.. and thanks for virtually joining along!
Hello you two travelers…I have been following your adventures in the new boat….sounds wonderful! Was wondering what your plans are for the fall and winter…are you still going to live aboard during the winter months? I have been busily preparing my 14 acre ranch home in the country in NW Washington for my Granddaughters wedding….very busy summer!!
Happy travels!!!
Hi Nancy – we’ll more than likely be on the boat through fall, and possibly into a touch of winter (but still in Florida). We just agreed to present at an RV event in Texas in late February, so we’re gearing up to switch back to the bus at the first of the year for a bit. Best wishes in your land preps and the wedding!