A few of the proposed anchorages and areas to explore on the trip.
Starboard view - Photo taken on West Coast - California, USA by original owner
Port view - Photo taken on West Coast - California,USA
Inside Helm Station
Salon
Looking forward ... both settees convert to bunks -- the galley, head a v-berth are on the same level
The galley on port side ... propane stove, well insulated cold plate reefer and high overhead make for a versatile and well ventilated work area -- it will be a pleasure to prepare simple gourmet meals aboard!
Stowage below forward v-berth ... hanging locker on port side --
Alexandra in Tarpon Springs Yacht Services boatyard after cross country trip by tractor-trailer. She looks good despite the dirt from rip and a somewhat 'minor' ding to the helm. Thorough wash down (for both boat & car) and reinstall of metal work, hardware and antennas scheduled for Thursday. morn - 12-18-08
Peter and John Orme (owner of Pelican Marine Services, Inc. at the boatyard ) discussing 'the plan'.
Name change, new waterline stripe and hull waxed / polished are planned for Friday the 19th
Prepped and ready for bottom paint, hull buff polished and waxed -- then new waterline stripes and name
She is cleaned up and ready to be measured for new canvas and enclosure for fly bridge
New name will go on stern only - notice Radar Mast installed -- also new GPS electronics
The boom is rigged to mast -- going to make launching the dingy very easy and gentleman-like ...
Peter and John discuss placement of waterline stripe
... various viewpoints that you never see when she is in the water! ... continued
some more...
The rudder, prop and shaft are well protected. The blade is in North Carolina for a tune-up and may be replaced by a 4 blader. New bottom paint and zincs will be completed by Jan 1 2009. She draws 3'10".
In the yard at Tarpon Springs Yacht Services - Across the Anclote River from the famous Sponge Docks
Tarpon Springs Yacht Services - Pelican Marine - Across the Anclote River from the famous Sponge Docks
John and Peter fine tuning "the plan" at Pelican Marine Services - Tarpon Springs, FL - 727-942-3860 - John Orme built the 70' Catamaran in background
OK - ready for bottom paint and hull wax -- see you Jan. 1st when Peter and George return to launch on the 2nd, service engine and generator ... almost ready to head out on the Adventure... Happy Holidays to all and see you next year!
Looking southwest across the Anclote River toward the famous Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks
Panorama of Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks -- ( 'stitched' together from previous 4 photos )
Peter renaming ALEXANDRA
New name and bootstripes almost completed
She is ready to launch!
... setting the slings on the Traveling Lift
New bottom paint, Prop fine tuned -- ready to "get wet"
-- notice how prop and rudder are protected by the keel
... almost ready
... on the way
ALEXANDRA goes back in water ...
After about 4 weeks "dry" ALexandra is re-launched
At our slip at the Tarpon Springs City Marina - .54 cents a foot by the week!
The canvass shop is fitting the new enclosure on the fly bridge
Slow speed back to the City Marina slip after a day trip to 3 Rooker Island and a refueling stop
The swim step before stripping, sanding and teak oil
Peter busy at sanding
The finished product - photo taken at Marina Jack in Sarasota, FL
Nice! ... what a difference
Loading fuel at the commercial docks in Tarpon Springs
Alexandra rafted to John Orme's catamaran at the yard where they let us use their power sander for the swim step
Enclosure completed - with 'frownies'
At City Marina Slip - Tarpon Springs
Sunset in Tarpon Springs
Living on board -
Brandy is an old salty dog ... always finds a good, comfortable place --
This Pelican guarded the boat throughout our whole stay in Tarpon Springs
First anchorage at Jewfish Key / Longboat Pass in transit to Marina Jack, Sarasota, FL
Pedro & Brandy go to shore from anchorage to' take a walk'
Series of photos taken from dingy - George trying to get good angles and distance
Why aren't you here? Come on down!
In slip at Marina Jack - Sarasota, FL
Sunset at Marina Jack
Hanging with George #2 on his sailboat - Cortes Island Bradenton, FL
Pedro, Scolley and Ken at dock of Moores' Restaurant Longboat Pass - Lunch Expedition
Clear but cool - beatiful day and cruise
George and Pedro at Tiki Bar in Sarasota
The first 'Blue Norther' is coming in and it got damn cold for thin blooded crew from Orlando, Fl
A Sunday walk around Marina Jack - Last day before departing for Fort Myers Beach, FL
Underwat to Fort Myers Beach doing 14 kts at 2050 rpms
Little Sarasota Bay
High Rises and Mangrove Estuaries
Last Swing Bridge at South Casey Key
Marina and Anchorage - South Casey Key
... back up to cruising speed
House Boats north of Venice, FL
The 'Highlander' at Venice Marina (green canvas) This couple is doing "The Loop" from New Hampshire they have cruised the great Lakes to the Mississippi, Tom Big Bee on their way back to their home port up the Atlantic Coast - The Loop
Venice Inlet
Peter and Brandy - underway
Peter is working to broker a deal on this Bertram while on this cruise.
In "the ditch" south of Venice
... at cruising speed - looking aft
and this is what it looks like forward - smooth ride
A small Auto Ferry - not more than 150 yard crossing
From aft cockpit looking into "the floating office"
The office is "open"
Peter likes to cook -- and the food is always excellent!
At Snook Bight Marina
We moved to a slip on day 2 so we could tie up at the 4 corners -- less movement by wind and tide
Views from Alexandra's slip at Snook Bight
At Snook Bight, they have these big fork lifts to haul boats up to 40' for dry storage or yard work
Brandy hanging out....
Sunset - last day at Snook Bight - end of first leg of the Adventure
The beach - 200 yards from slip - looking northerly
Looking southwards
Panorama of the Fort Myers Beach across the street from Snook Bight Marina
ALEXANDRA - almost "put away" for our the time we will be gone --
--- The photographer -- lots more photos when we return Feb 1st for the second leg of the Florida Adventure
We began the 2nd leg with "boat chores" ... varnishing The Plank was one of the first to be completed. Maintained varnish is beautiful on any boat - BUT, it requires LOTS of care; kept free of salt and re-varnished regularly, especially in southern climates ...
Snook Bight Arina - Our view off the port quarter at the slip. Our German friends live aboard the American Tug across the way. They are on their way to the Bahamas.
Back on board. Alexandra with the new BISTRO restaurant in left background.
The Swim Step is re-oiled ... again.
George captures an opportunity to get into a photo - reflections from another finger of the dock.
Peter wanted to carpet the cabin sole in the galley and V-berth forward. We went to a carpet outlet and found a remnant that almost exactly matches the existing rugs in the salon.
A very nice improvement that warmed up the interior -- visually and physically.
We went to a carpet outlet and found a remnant that almost exactly matches the existing rugs in the salon.
The Galley has proven to be very functional. The 4 burner stove and oven / broiler work perfectly on Compressed Natural Gas (although the CNG is difficult to provision). The cold plate refer holds temps and lots of food. The deep sink makes cleanup easier than many larger Galleys. Storage is very sufficient.
Looking from Galley aft toward Salon.,
Sunrise at Snook Bight
Sunrise at Snook Bight - 10 minutes later
Sunrise at Snook Bight - reflections...
Sunrise at Snook Bight - continued
Sunrise at Snook Bight - notice the full moon!
The 2nd Full Moon of the trip - photographed from the same angle as the sunrise.
Oh yeah - more boat chores ... tape, sand, clean up & varnish --
-- over ...
... and over ...
Well, you other boaters know the drill! It takes a lot of rubbing to keep any boat looking its best! The never ending chores ... ...
Scolley drove down from Sarasota with 2 single kayaks and 1 double. Dave MacFarlane and George shared the double and did a more modest tour of Mound Key ...
while Peter and Scolley paddled more miles up to Estero River.
It was a great and enjoyable day!
The next day we departed Snook Bight and headed north through Estero Bay (tide too low to use the southern inlet) for our trip to Naples.
Approaching the city operated mooring field at Fort Myers Beach. There were many boats anchored around the bay too -- in all states of seaworthy-ness. Some had grown to the bottom ...
Salty Sam's Marina off the Port quarter.
Approaching the North end of Estero Island - a narrow and shallow entrance.
The sandy beach at northern most tip of Fort Myers Beach.
... rounding the North End.
Docked at Naples City Marina
Dockmaster Office - Naples, Florida
Scenes around the city pier
Naples Harbor Cruise on the Gordon River. Dave Mac and guests
Many grand homes along the canals ...
and boat Houses too! Really quite impressive, but really seems like conspicuous over consumption for an economy that is no longer sustainable ... lots of For Sale signs -- everywhere we visited.
Harbor Cruise guests - Cookie Boyd and family.
The crew on the way to the DOCK Restaurant -- many thanks, Cookie, for a nice luncheon.
George hanging out on the pier and flirting with the "No Smoking" sigh.
There was fog on our trip back to Fort Myers Beach ...
and it was pretty persistent for the next few days ...
... a now familiar view - fogged in for day three --
An overview of the trip - so far ...
A Google Earth view of Estero Island - Fort Myers Beach
Then on Sunday the 15th the fog lifted about mid-morning. George went to the pier on the $.50 trolley to check out the city pier at Fort Myers Beach.
... lots of people there to enjoy the sunny afternoon after the 3 days of fog. It was a 3 day weekend too...
Notice the yellow Palm Fronds from the 2 cold fronts that came through earlier in the month...
These next photos go from north to south for a panoramic sweep of Fort Myers Beach Pier. You can see the fog still hanging on the Gulf Coast of Sanibel Island to the extreme top left of this photo.
The are many beach concessions; food, refreshments, rentals and parasailing --
Raft-up / anchor party just south of the pier -- lots of beer drinking on the beach - those were the days!
Cabbage Key - North Pine Island Sound
We all agreed that it would NOT be too difficult to live here during the cooler months of the year.
The pier and docks at Cabbage Key - free to tie up when you eat at the restaurant -- which seems to be a common policy throughout Southeast Gulf Coast of Florida.
Brandy, Peter and John returning from a nature walk on Cabbage Key.
Lunch at the Cabbage Key restaurant. Peter, John, George
Relaxing after lunch
The crew of Alexandra prior to casting off for return trip to Snook Bight.
John and Pedro on flybridge - South bound to Estero Island
Wake photos (George loves them) Captiva Island to starboard ...
Sanibel Island Bridge
Fort Myers Beach, looking southward across San Carlos Bay
Day one of two day trip across the state on the Okeechobee Waterway - a section of the East Coast ICW. This is the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River where it flows into San Carlos Bay and Pine Island Sound west of Fort Myers on the Gulf of Mexico.
South Cape Coral on the north shore of the Caloosahatchee. The river is quite wide here with many estuaries, smaller rivers and canals connecting to marinas and residential ares further inland.
Approaching Fort Myers
The Bridges of Fort Myers
Typical views along the Caloosahatchee
Approaching Franklin Locks - the 1st of three locks where, as you head eastward, lift the boats UP to the level of Lake Okeechobee.
Leaving Franklin Locks
George driving while Peter attends to some Capt. chores while underway ...
The dike of Lake Okeechobee, the runs all the way around the lake, is on the right ...
We are actually "on" the lake here but separated by everglades like grass and solid ground in some places. We are in a canal/channel the runs all around the lake. However, most people travel from Clewiston to Port Mayaca by traveling across the lake using the aids to navigation like on the ICW.
Tied up, hosed down and chamois-ed off at Roland Martin Marina in Clewiston, Florida.
Relaxing before dinner at the Tiki Bar.
ALEXANDRA looks good from any angle. She looks nice in the softer light of sunset.
East of Port Mayaca on day 2 of the trip to Stuart. We are now on the St. Lucie River portion of the Okeechobee Waterway - about 30 statute miles from the Atlantic Coast.
It's fun to drive this boat in these conditions!
John Schefflein at the helm!
Photo Ops Galore ...
George on bow approaching Stuart
Tied up and hosed down at Allied Marine in Stuart, Florida
It was windy and choppy ...
... and we rolled around a little bit --
End of Leg 2 -- we return to ALEXANDRA March 1st or 2nd to continue the trip to Hampstead, North Carolina...
