RT Russell Pass to Marco River

2/14/13


It was raining in the morning, and looked like more of the same for the next few days. Casey and Mary decided to call it quits and go tend to matters at the house, and to get ready for their next big cruising adventure in the Pacific NW with their boat.

There was a weather advisory out for this system. It looked awesome rolling in. It was obviously going to be a wet trip!

I love the inside passage from Coon Key to Marco, past Goodland. There are ospreys nesting on many of the channel markers, as well as a few in trees. They are pretty used to people, and we watched one feeding her chicks as we went by.

But, getting ahead of myself. I want at least .7 on the tide to cross the shallow water by Coon Key. We anchored at low tide, which was forecast .4, but lower with the wind, and I poked around with the Whaler. Literally, poked around, with a marked PVC pole. I convinced myself that I ought to be able to make it through on any tide, with the deepest water closer to the back edge of Coon Key bank, a shallow that you could readily see.

We cruised up to Marco Island, and I topped off fuel, gas, water, and ice. (Thanks Casey and Mary!) and said farewell to my friends. I realized that the weather forecast gave me time to return to Russell Pass, and make Little Shark River tomorrow, before heavy winds.

I returned to Russell Pass in the rain. When I saw this, I had to snap a photo. "Run, Forrest, Run!"



There were two sailboats already anchored in the pass. No one else came in behind me. Guess there weren't too many folks running around in the rain... It rained enough rain to wash all the salt off the boat. I made a pot of potato soup, took a hot shower, and enjoyed the internet!

Rose Marina, Marco Island to Dismal Key Pass

2/9/13

In the morning, I returned to scrubbing down the boat, and cleaning the windows, trying to get the volumes of smashed bugs off the insides of the glass. I wondered how many people vacuum bug corpses out from under their windows.

Casey and Mary arrived, and we loaded their gear aboard, and headed out the inside passage back past Goodland and Coon Island. It is really a beautiful ride through there, and it seemed half the boaters in the area were cruising that waterway as well. When we got past Goodland, the cruisers turned into anchored, and drifting fishermen, and running the deeper water was a jagged course dodging boats!

We decided to go into Dismal Key Pass to a gorgeous anchorage. Unfortunately, and bugs found us as we entered from the bay. They weren't bad at the anchorage, but we still had a bunch hanging on the boat. We went up the pass about amile and a half to anchor N25 52.623' W081 33.981

We puttered around in the Whaler for a little bit, walked the beach, and returned to the Mercy and sat on the roof, where, with the slight breeze, there weren't bugs. Well, the bugs were at least tolerable. For a little bit. Then we went inside, ate, and called it an early night.

The one positive thing that I can say about these biting gnats is that they die quickly. Shortly after dark, all we had left were little black corpse-dots sprinkling the decks.

Inside passage to Marco from Russell Pass

2/8/13

I timed my morning to go from Coon Pass to Marco through the inland passage past Goodland with high tide.

I love the passage through there, and the abundant osprey nests on about half of the channel daymarkers. I am comfortable making the passage with my draft if I have at least a partial tide. It is shorter than running offshore, and a lot more scenic!

I called Rose Marina in Marco, and made a reservation for the night, and pulled in for fuel, gasoline, and a night's dockage. The folks there are very nice, and give discounts for volumes of fuel, for Boat US, for their marina guests, at their store, etc.

I washed dead gnats off the boat, scrubbed the salt off, and washed the dog, before taking a shower, and dashing off to dinner with my kayaking friends Craig and Donna, who were aboard with me in Ten Thousand Islands last year.

We ate at the Old Marco Lodge in Goodland, which was packed on Friday night. As we talked and visited, we realized about 8:00 that we were the only customers left. The band was gone, and the staff appeared to be closing up. Craig said something about not having shut a bar down in a long time...

It was so good to see Craig and Donna again!