Dave and Kelly's Boat Trip: Tuesday, November 14

Leaving Sarasota Bay, we decide to stay on the ICW instead of taking Big Sarasota Pass

to the Gulf (there are white caps out there, just saying!)

Soon Sarasota Bay turns into a canal of mongroves.

We begin to see homes with covered lanais and pools;

something that's very common in Fort Myers.

Most of the bridges we encounter today have less clearance than we would like to see,

so a lot of them we ask to open.

Before we head out to Roberts Bay, we see this home! WOW!!!

You can see through the whole house!

From the other side you can see just how beautiful it is!

This time we need a swing bridge to open.

What's unique about this bridge, is the bridgetender has to leave her cute yellow house,

walk out to the middle of the bridge, and then enable the control panel to turn the bridge!

That is one skinny bridge!!!

As soon as we pass through the swing bridge, we see a Tom Adam's boat!

(This is a gentleman in our marina).

I'd say this boat-owner has a pretty nice shack, too!!!😄

Speaking of beautiful homes, here's just a couple more:

Oh, to own a corner lot!💗

I was wowed by the infinity pool, when Dave told me the black panels on the
roof actual heat the pool water!

This one sits right between the ICW and the Gulf of Mexico; sweet!!!

We go by another pass;

sure looks calmer out on the Gulf now than it did earlier this morning!

Tikki Bar sighting!!!💗🍹

As I'm doing my workout, I see many other people taking advantage of a

water workout on this beautiful day!

Soon we're back on a canal, but this time it is definitely man-made.

Here's our navigation screen; you can see the

blue canal and to the right is the Gulf of Mexico.

As we pass this sailboat, we laugh with Krystina telling her about passing towboats on the Tenn-Tombigbee . . . there were parts that were actually narrower than this canal!!!

Well look at this, a school on the canal! Hi kiddos!!!

All Venice City Schools are on the canal, including the football field!

A little later down the canal I first went to the bow to take a picture of the crane dredging,

but then discovered the "South Venice Beach Ferry"!!!

It drops you off at the stairs that leads right to the Gulf Beach!😎

A little further down the canal, we see TWO car ferries!

After seeing one of the ferries get to shore,
I could see why they would need two . . .

It's a very busy area!!!

And these ferries can transport anything!😲

For a little while there are no homes on the Gulf side; just mangroves.

Finally we begin to see a few houses.

As I was taking that picture, these fisherman yelled that I should take their's as well;
so I did!😄

The ICW begins to widen as we pass under "Tom Adams" bridge.
Hmmmm . . . I sense a theme to today's trip!😉

Remember, it's important to stay in the narrow channel;
these are our waves breaking just outside of the channel - yikes!

We pass under our last bridge of the day on the ICW;

Turns out it's a swing bridge.

Looks pretty new!

Once we fish our way through the old tressels of the previous RR bridge,

we now enter Gaspirilla Sound.

WHAT FUN WE HAVE HERE!!!

Dolphins come and go to cruise under our bow!

We can actually hear them talking to each other!!!

Caught this one jumping!

And there was even a baby!

Our plan is to anchor in Cayo Costa Park and dinghy over to have a burger at Cabbage Key. However, Mother Nature has another plan for us. Turns out there will be 20 mph winds tonight, so Captain Dave makes a quick decision to go into Boca Grande Yacht Club; we're thankful they have ONE spot open! Gasparilla Sound flows into Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande is at the beginning of the Harbor.