Longboat Key, Venice, Fort Myers to Naples, FL

A bit of a scramble to get underway from Palmetto/Bradenton. We want to give a big thank you to our friend Marilyn Bradley in Sarasota who helped wrangle all of our Amazon Prime deliveries. We wish we had more time together. We head to Longboat Key on a breezy but a pleasant enough day. The ICW is a bit shallow in places and there are a few bridge openings to wait on but we arrive at Longboat Key Club Marina in Longboat Key, FL (22NM) at about one o’clock in the afternoon. After checking in we meet our Looper friends Regina and Joern who live right near the marina. We have a lovely dinner in their gorgeous home that overlooks both the ICW and the Gulf of Mexico. What a special and delicious dinner - thank you for your hospitality! The next few days are spent working on routes/charts while the temperatures in South Florida dip and the wind blows (and the iguanas fall). We get a few workouts in at the swanky and exclusive clubs in the area and a chance for another visit with our friends before heading off to Venice, FL (18NM) for a night. The next morning we exit the Venice inlet to the Gulf of Mexico and have a nice cruise (but with many crab pots) to Fort Myers, FL (58NM). This is our third visit to this fun beach town and we were pleased to have a chance to say hello to our friends who live here, Randa and Bill Veach, who we met in Cuba a few years ago. Nephew Patrick McCullough was also close by and able to visit as he was in South Florida to attend a function the next day. The following morning we head further south to Naples, FL (18NM). Another high end shopping town but don’t worry we found some local fun too.

Regina and I on her Longboat Key balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico

When temperatures in Florida dip below 40 degrees Fahrenheit the iguanas start to fall from the trees…no kidding!

Friends, Regina & Joern, we are so happy to have met along ‘The Loop’

Leaving Sarasota Bay and heading South on the ICW

Blackburn Swing Bridge has a clearance of 9 feet. One of the few old swing bridges left along the ICW in these parts.

Larry in his new Captains’ bench in the shallow waters of the ICW. The average depth over the last few transit days has been about 9 feet in depth (we draw a bit over 5 feet)

Docked at the Venice Yacht Club, Venice, FL

Love this boat name and hailing port which was docked at the Venice Yacht Club, Venice, FL

The Venice Inlet and the Gulf of Mexico at sunset

Our escort across the bay entering Fort Myers, FL

The charter fisherman at Pink Shell Marina, Fort Myers are very superstitious

Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico at Fort Myers, FL

Sunrise from Pink Shell Marina, Fort Myers, FL

PIrate cruise boat up the ICW…they fire cannons too

So great to have Patrick McCullough visit the Independence in Fort Myers, FL

A little local color along the walk to town in Fort Myers, FL

Our friends Randa & Bill Veach live in this sweet town of Fort Myers Beach, FL. He was singing & playing guitar this night at the Tuckaway Cafe.

Bill Veach is running for town council…good luck Bill!

The Naples Inlet is a little hairy in the wind and chop

Our birth at the Naples City Dock Marina

The pelicans are very friendly in Naples, FL

Naples, FL makes it a little harder to find some local flavor but we found the Parrot Bar and can also recommend the Riverside bar too in the ‘Tin City’ area.

Exiting Naples along the ICW and a few humble homes that line the water…..

A nice day for a short cruise south to Marco Island, FL