Yacht Club Cruise North

All along the Florida and EastCoast ICW, ospreys build nests on the channel markers and raise their chicks in the spring.  We observed a few nests while visitng yacht clubs from Venice to Clearwater on a eighteen day cruise traveling with Joe and Diana on s/v True Colors.

Anchored at Cape Haze, stars filled the night sky our first night out.  That afternoon a dinghy ride a short way up  the ICW and  through a Mangrove passage delivered us to Don Pedro State Park for a walk on the beach. 

We worked our way up the ICW stopping at Venice Yacht Club on our way to Sarasota where we stopped at the Field Club for a taste of old world elegance and the Bird KeyYacht Club where Joanne brought Eagle's Wings perfectly to the dock right in front of the lunch crowd (Remember Captain Ron at St Hogg?). We visited with our friends, Chuck and Trudy, on s/v Hideaway while anchored at Longboat Key. Then, we journeyed up the Manatee River to visit at the Bradenton Yacht Club before sailing up Tampa Bay to St Petersburg.

Left True Colors sails under the Sunshine Skyway on the way to St. Petersburg.  Constance, ever so thougthful, surprized us with   a delicous carrot cake that she had the St Petersburg Yacht Club bake for Joanne's birthday. Yum!!

By the way, the club offers an excellent breakfast every morning at an unbeatably low price!


We anchored at Gulfport overnight on our way from St. Petersburg to Clearwater where we tied up to a long floating dock for two nights at the Carlouel Yacht Club - and then, two more nights at the Clearwater Yacht Club. 

With Sailing Buddies, Joe & Diana

At Carlouel, walking the beautiful white sand beach populated only with shore birds all the way to Caladesi State Park, swimming in Carouel's warm swimming pool and just feeling a quiet evening fade to a starry night around a fire on the beach proved to be a wonderful "Spring Break."  The food at Carlouel is very delicious and reasonably priced. (The word from the members is that they recruited their chef from a 5-star resort!) 

Down the beach at Clearwater, Spring Break was in high gear - the beach, shops and restuarants were overflowing as we rode the Jolly Trolley all the way to Dunedin and back .  At Clearwater YC we enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow boaters while a cold front blew through on the first night with the only rain and cloudy skies of our trip .  

True Colors ventured into the Gulf for the first time for a downwind sail from Clearwater through the Mullet Key cut and on to the Mantee River. At Clearwater we learned that a dinghy dock provides access to the Emerson Point Preserve on the Mantee River.  The dock is a few hundred yards up the river from the Snead Island Anchorage location listed by Claiborne Young in his website - Salty Dog Cruiser's Net.   Anchored here along the preserve, we dinghied in to walk pleasant trails and scope out the area.  We found the dinghy dock in great shape, pavilions with grills for picnics, clean restrooms and even a small beach which might serve as a dinghy landing.   Click on the word pictures to see our snapshots.  For more information click Emerson Point Preserve Visitor Information  and  More Information.

From the Manatee River,  we motored down to the sleek Sarasota Yacht Club for one night continuing to the Venice Yacht Club and then down to Pelican Bay for a night.  We sailed almost all the way back to Punta Gorda first at 6 - 7 knots with full main and genoa to Marker Five and then under spinnaker to Ponce and home. 

Check out our Photos as they automatically scroll below...

Hawaii - February 26-28

Sunday morning Michele drove us to her favorite breakfast spot, The Coffee Shack, high above Kealakekua Bay and the Captain Cook Monument. Two ways to the monument and good snorkeling: hike 1300 feet down a grueling trail along the cliffs above or kyak 1 mile across the bay.  On our trip, whenever that may be, we plan to kyak to the momument.  Photos Feb26

After Claire & Joanne left, Bryan & I drove down to Ultimate Burgers for a good burger before I tried to ride a few more waves at White Beach just down the hill from Michele & Bryan's house.  Bryan used his incredible camera to snap some action pictures of me:  Boogie Boarding.

Hawaii - Lana'i February 23-25

To give Michele & Bryan a break, Joanne arranged a short trip to the desert island of Lana'i.  Bryan drove us the airport to fly Mokulele to Maui to take a taxi across the island to the Lahaina ferry dock to catch the ferry to Lana'i  to take the shuttle to the Four Seasons Resort called the Lodge. Joanne got a special deal for a room in this beautiful place but as the shuttle bus driver said some places take an arm and a leg, the Four Seasons take both arms and both legs!

Each evening after dinner, we listened to a beautiful lady play the piano and sing old jazz standards.  Very nice. 

About the Cook Island Pines - Lana'i, receiving only ten inches of rain per year, is very dry, something like West Texas meets the sea.  But the highlands are often shrouded in fog. Fog plus tall pines equals "fog drip" that adds much needed water to Lana'i.

About the Black Plastic - Dole covered the pinapple growing ground with black plastic to retard evaporation of moisture and to prevent weed growth. When Dole pulled out, the black plastic was left behind. Little pieces of black plastic are embedded in the soil. 

Four Season's has a second resort on the island, this one on the water.  After breakfast in quiet Lana'i City we hung out on the beach and the resort's pool.

Photos

More photos of Lodge

Hawaii - February 19 - February 20

We borrowed Michele's car and drove around to the other side of the Big Island to Hilo.  We wanted to see how it looked because we had visited Hilo about 18 years ago!  Well, it hadn't changed much!  It's the rainy side of the island and has very lush tropical foliage.  We decided to try zip lining since Hilo has the longest zip line in the state that goes over valleys and waterfalls.  We donned our helmets and gear.  Our guide gave us instructions - you just step off into oblivion and sit on some straps attached to the wire lines and whoosh -  off you go.  At first I held on for "dear life"  - then I let go - and miraculously, the momentum keeps you flying like a bird over valleys and even water falls.  There were 9 zip lines in all - and wisely, they work you up to the "big ones"!Wow - what thrills!  We'd recommend zip lining!!!

Some photos:

Feb 19,  Drive Michele's car to Hilo via Saddle Road
Hilo 

Feb 20,  We zip above Umauma Falls & drive back to Kona along Hamakua Coast through Honoka'a town

Umauma Zip Line    Umauma Website

My sister, Claire, recently lost her husband, Howard, after a year long battle with melanoma that started on his scalp. She flew out to join us so that she could "be" by the water and begin the first steps of trying to heal. Oh, GRIEF, is so scary, but I guess it serves its purpose. You have to go through the darkness and pain to get to the other side. New beginnings are so very hard and bitter-sweet until one day, you are filled with wonder that you have survived!

Here are pictures of us at a gorgeous beach. Richard rediscovered his boyhood by boogie boarding the waves. He had such fun - the smiles just lit up his face!
 Kekaha State Park

Hawaii - February 16-18

Our daughter, Michele, took a new job in Kona, Hawaii last July and we decided to visit her and her "SO"  (Significant Other), Bryan.  We arrived to a gorgeous 80 degree sunny day and have been having such a great time snorkeling and whale watching.  Check out our pictures below by double-clicking on each date.  Today we saw some great hump-back whales breaching (jumping) out of the water.   They are HUGE - the size of a bus.  Tomorrow we were driving about 2-hours over to Hilo on the other side of the island.  More later...

Photos February 16   February 17  February 18


Michele & Bryan  live 450 feet above the ocean in Kailua-Kona.
Whale watching with  Captain Dan McSweeney
 
Hualalai Lava Flow 

Parker Ranch

Webb Lake Bike Ride

Webb Lake

Richard and I joined 43 members of the Isles Yacht Club on a bike ride to Webb Lake, a neat place about 6 miles from Punta Gorda.  We rode 10 miles on a beautiful sunny January day - and then had lunch at a little place called the Burnt Store Grill.  This month our Florida weather has been mild - we feel so lucky to be here in our little piece of Paradise. 

We are praying for our brother-in-law, Howard, who is undergoing treatment for melanoma cancer.   We'd appreciate your prayers, too!  Check out our photos by doubleclicking on

Photos

More Bleu

Bleu really enjoys his time on the lanai patrolling the perimeter, hunting down geckos and snoozing in the deck chairs. Lately he has added the fountain to his routine patrol. Although normally quite agile and sure footed,  yesterday he fell into the pool for the second time, this time off the fountain.  He scrambled onto the pool cover, one wet kitty.  Since he was already wet, Joanne decided to give him a bath, an activity to which he suprizingly doesn't overly object.

We aren't Bahamas Bound this year. Neverthless, Bleu's all packed and ready to go.