SITTING AT ANCHOR - MARCO ISLAND

Sat 12.17.2016   Marco Island   (It's actually tiny Morgan Island just south)

WE ARE STAYING AT ANCHOR TODAY – Saturday – and then moving on to Shark River in the morning.  *Last night we ‘met some bugs’ off the Island winds and spent time installing a few port screens.  We have a pretty good system that gets the screens in place, the latches adjusted for the new depth, with only a minimum of serious cussing.  (imagine a tight stainless bracket and now you put a 1/8^” rubber gasket in it.  It needs the stainless adjusted on it’s hinge to tightly close the window again.)

Today's agenda:  explore the shore, picnic, dingy over to the dome buildings and write our names.  I might take spray paint and 'TAG' the walls?  Search the shore for the perfect drift wood specimens. (send some to Don England)  Take a nap?  More screens.  rest and repeat.

We gathered up some snacks, lowered the dingy and outboard to explore the area.  We motored around the 6 domed structures feeling the amazing current and laughing at Lynne’s driving skills.  Then we drove the dingy up onto the beach and had a picnic in the shade followed by a walk along studying the shells and driftwood.  You can see where high tide has driven up mounds of shells.  We didn’t bring any back on board but we took several photos.  Afterward I took a nap below while Lynne sunned on deck.  (see, a rest day!)  Next we raised back up the outboard engine to attach it on deck and pulled the dingy up to it’s raised riding position on the arch aft.

Now, 6pm, we are below deck straightening up and thinking dinner thoughts.  Lynne’s famous soup de’jour with Cornbread is what the maitre 'd told me we were having.  (I’m excited hoping it’s as good as last nights “Fidel Castro’s Lost Cuban Pork recipe.”  A surprise secret that JD and Cox will beg for when they visit early January!) 

Tomorrow we will motor sail down the coast ~54 miles to SHARK RIVER…   (use the scary music for this scene)  Gators and swamp critters abound.  Then Monday morning early we get up and head on for Marathon, Florida my January destination.  I’ll grab a mooring ball there and plan to stay through January before moving on to the Bahamas.

Today was a GREAT day for a much deserved rest.  Lynne ‘says’ she’s not tired, but I sure am.  The stress alone can wear on me.  (constant worry and second guessing myself mixed with bouts of panic and terror)  I hope the seas stay calm tonight so I can get some sleep.  I’m afraid that Shark River might cause me some minor sleeplessness?

I hope YOU are enjoying sunny 80 degree weather, beaches thick with shells and drift wood piled so high you cant walk through it.  Oh, and have a Merry Christmas.  I heard today on the radio that it’s “the busiest shopping day before Christmas.”  I had forgotten all about shopping.  Drift wood is free!

From the warm Shores of Florida.  Anchored just off tiny Morgan Island, south of Marco.     -Skip

xoxoxo Pirate Ship Skip