April 16 – 19, 2017

Miles traveled:   53 miles

Total miles traveled: 3427

After chatting with family, we sadly left Pelican Bay on Easter Sunday about noon as we had reservations for dinner at the Inn on Cabbage Key, just 5 or so miles south.  Before we left, however, a fisherman demonstrated net fishing as schools of Red Finn Herring were swimming all around the Namaste.  They are a silver bait-fish that everyone up the food chain enjoys, surely bad news for the Red Finn Herring!  We then took a last dinghy ride to the beach where we met Rick and Mary who will begin their Loop on “Exhale” from Fort Myers in January.  Likely and hopefully we will meet again!

 

We were in need of showers and power for the refrigerator so we up-anchored and carefully followed directions getting into the skinny water marina at Cabbage Key.  What a place!  It is truly a family owned, old Florida resort having been built in 1936.  Twenty-two employees live on island and the remainder take the Ferry to and from Fort Myers and Cape Coral.  An inn, restaurant, cottages, water tower, nature trail, basketball net and marina adorn the island and we took advantage of it all over the twenty hours we visited.  One of the fascinating traditions is that there is $70,000 in dollar bills (estimated 20 years ago) taped to the restaurant walls.  Back in the day, fisherman came for a beer after a good catch but taped $1 on the wall for the next time when the catch wasn’t as good.  When the money falls off the walls, as it must, they stuff it – tape and all –  into plastic bags and donate about $12,000/ year to a local charity.  Of course we tagged a dollar with Namaste and taped it above the water tower door in case you ever happen to visit!

Our dinner was beyond impressive:  great cocktails (Cabbage Creepers), unusual menu selections, great biscuits, large portions, and Key Lime pie!  Overnight rates are reasonable and all rooms are air conditioned.  They serve between 600 and 650 people for lunch 365 days a year, all arriving by boat!!  We got there after lunch and left after breakfast (which is served in the bar at 7:00 a.m.) so we had the island to ourselves.  In fact by 7:30 p.m. another sailboat and the Namaste were the only vessels in the marina and we enjoyed the nature trail alone the following morning.  We say, get on a ferry or rent a boat and go to Cabbage Key!

On we go to Sanibel Island and a marina near the SE tip.  This isn’t a usual Looper stop as it is off the GIWW but Vicki and Ron liked it last year so we are here and not disappointed.  By-the-way, we are having phone docktales with them late this afternoon!  Today is a welcome relief of overcast skies and rain predicted although radar shows nothing.  We spent a quick morning washing the salt spray off the Namaste (Jim), doing a load of laundry and scrubbing the cockpit cushions of salt, sand, sunscreen, and spilled coffee (me).  The reward being a mile or so walk to the Sanibel Lighthouse Point Beach. A Gopher Turtle was our highlight who we saw meandering in the grass above the beach.  Now we will explore the channels by dinghy and call it a day.

This was our last day at the beach as tomorrow we begin our trek north to Fort Myers (no beach) and then back through the Caloosahatchee River, Lake Okechobee and back to Indiantown.  Fun ahead but no beaches!  Looking forward to Dunham Lake, Lake Charlevoix, Lower Herring Lake and Lake Michigan!

Quote of the Day:  “Did you know that Easter has a different date every year because it’s based on the moon phases.  In 325 CE, Constantine I led a council of Christian Bishops who decided that Easter must always be a Sunday to honor the resurrection of Jesus.  They also said it would immediately follow, but not land on, the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, which is why the date can fall anywhere between Marrch 22 and April 25.” – Did you Know

Good Boat Name:  “Exhale”  (on a gorgeous 49’ North Pacific Trawler)

Bad Boat Name: “Assisted Living”  (No comment)

Happy Birthday to:  Norma

Congratulations to Lexi, she is a Spartan!!!