Turquoise Water in the Gulf

Day 267  |  Fort Myers Beach to Marco Island  |  5.3 Hours  |  37 Miles  

We easily slipped our bridle lines off the mooring ball pendant and were quickly underway. Snaking our way along the edge of the huge mooring field, we passed by a fleet of shrimp boats sitting quietly at dock. A pelican stood watch from the fender of the Fort Myers Beach Bridge as we passed through. On the other side, we met a shrimp boat returning home. With its stabilizing birds close to vertical, it barely slid beneath the span. We retraced our inbound path and found a bit of irony in the sign telling us to "Resume Normal Safe Operation" just before we cleared the skinny water at Bowditch Point Park. There were several early morning walkers who took more than a passing interest in our close approach to their beach.

Our course was set straight out Matanzas Pass and into the Gulf of Mexico. The Key West Ferry blew by us at a speed of over 35 knots. It carried a full load of passengers eager to enjoy a beautiful day in the Southernmost Point of the Continental US. We settled in at 7.5 knots and made good progress. When we crossed over the "Three-Mile Line" we were able to test our overboard discharge pump. We had not used it since late May off Atlantic City and we needed to make sure it was operational. We were about five miles offshore and the Gulf was flat with waves of one foot or less. Naples passed by and we knew we were getting close to Marco Island. We had the pilothouse doors open, keeping an eye out for the many crab pots that looked like beach balls, and the one beach ball that looked like a crab pot.

The water of the Gulf of Mexico was a consistent 20 feet deep and had changed color to a nice turquoise by the time we pulled into Marco Island's Factory Bay and dropped the hook. I moved to Fiberglass Beach and finished a sweet dog book that, of course, had me reaching for the box of Kleenex at the end. I kept an eye on this beautiful house just off our bow and I listened to the soothing sound of water lapping over the edge of its infinity pool. As the sun set, the eastern shore of the anchorage was lit up in golden light.

Tonight was purely a stopover. The dinghy remained on the upper deck and we stayed onboard. We have now been on anchor or mooring ball for the past eight nights. We've learned a great deal about power management in preparation for our time in The Bahamas. That said, we're headed to a marina in Everglades City tomorrow where we'll take a swamp boat tour, do some laundry (free machines!), and relax a bit by the pool.

The final shot is Marco Island from our stern. One lone sailboat is between us and the resort town's skyline.