Florida Bay

On Tuesday the 24th we left the mooring field in Matanzas Harbor and began our 40 mile boat ride to Naples. We went around the north end of Estero Island out the Matanzas Pass and across San Carlos Bay for our sail out into the Gulf. By 2:00 that afternoon we were entering Gordan Pass on our way into Naples Bay. The waterway from Gordan Pass to Naples Bay displayed some of the finest homes we have seen on the trip. Beautiful homes with beautiful boats docked out front but not a soul to be seen anywhere around.

The Naples City Dock was a delightfully simple spot among all the opulence. The dock was located in the “Olde Town” section of Naples within walking distance to the Pier, Tin City and the old downtown area. There are still some very quaint early Florida cottages located right off the beach in the old section of town, however their prices definitely reflected new Florida. We were pleasantly surprised and greatly enjoyed our three day stop while waiting for the right weather conditions to head for our next stop in the Florida Everglades.


Friday morning we left early for our 75 mile trip to Cape Sable. Around 5:30 that afternoon we arrived at our solitary unspoiled anchorage nestled among the mangroves just inside the mouth of the Little Shark River. The river is located inside the Everglades National Park between Ponce de Leon Bay and Cape Sable. A strong freshwater current coming out of the everglades provided us with a comfortable anchorage for the evening unaffected by changes in wind direction or tidal flow. We would have loved to have stayed there for a couple of days but a cold front accompanied by strong winds and waves was due to hit Sunday so we were forced to press on. Saturday morning we headed south for our trip across Florida Bay toward the Keys. We dodged crab traps all day before arriving at the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway around St. Mile #1192. From there we passed under the overseas highway (US 1) at the Moser Channel Bridge and entered Boot Key Harbor. Boot Key is better known as its largest city, Marathon. The Boot Key City Marina has a mooring field with 225 mooring balls and dock space for another dozen or so boats. We have spent two nights at the dock, tomorrow we go out on a mooring ball for a few nights while we decide where to next.

Dingy dock for the mooring field

Best to all…..