Cape Sable

January 27th - 30th

We spent 3 nights in Marco Island enjoying the change in weather.   For the first time since leaving Maine we had 3 straight days of sunshine and temperatures in the 70's.    Shorts, tee shirts and sun glasses were suddenly pulled out of the closet.

From Marco Island we again headed south with the immediate goal of the Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades National Park.   The character of the Gulf coast changes dramatically south of Marco.   No more barrier islands.   No more Intercoastal waterway.   Ponce de Leon Bay has a ragged coast of mangrove swamps and tiny little island where the Everglades flow into the sea.   Yes, little known fact:  the Everglades (that amorphous swamp filling south central Florida) is essentially a very wide river and all that swamp land drains south, then west out into the Gulf between Marco Island and the Keys.   

We spent the first night at a lovely little anchorage next to Panther Key.  We hosted drinks & dinner on the Fly Bridge of Navigator -with pancake breakfast aboard Salty Paws the next morning. 

The second night we anchored between Turkey Key and New Turkey Key.   We met a guy, Scott, who was recently retired and was solo kayaking for 5 days.   He camped on a sandy beach and built a fire.   Adventurous guy.   

In the morning we had to delay departure until the incoming tide.   As we had come in to New Turkey Key close to high tide on the 27th through 5's and 6's we knew we would have to wait until at least half tide to comfortably depart.  Had a game of Oh Hell aboard Salty Paws after breakfast, killing time. 

We departed just after 11 AM, Navigator following Salty Paws through the shoal water headed for Cape Sable - a 37 mile crossing.   We moved on Navigator at between 8 - 9 mph, whereas Salty Paws made more like 16 mph.   About half way across they were way ahead of us but we could see them hull up on the horizon - AIS indicated they were about about 3.5 miles.   I checked Google and calculated my visible horizon from 12 ft in the air (eye height on fly bridge) at 4.2 miles.   Watched as Salty Paws slowly went over the horizon  After about another half an hour we lost sight all together - estimated they were 8 or 9 miles ahead of us. 

Cape Sable is really three separate "Capes"  a North West Cape, a Mid Cape and an East Cape with two beaches separating the three capes - about 8 or 10 miles long in total.  We found Salty Paws anchored just around the corner of Mid Cape Sable in 10 ft of water.  We anchored slightly further off the beach in deeper water.    

Went ashore and met Bill and Molly who had just completed a long walk on the beach.   Liz and I did the same - walked 3 miles.   Lots of nice shells.   No oysters, no conch shells.   The beach had a big storm surge berm with washed over back beach.   The berm about 1 1/2 ft high.   Back beach showing signs of wash over - all vegetation erased for 20 - 25 yards - then a tangle of vegetation that survived, but was damaged.     Several palm trees.   One showing the ravages of a number of storms.   Some cactus.  And washed up crab pot floats.  Other than the crab pot floats, surprisingly almost no other human generated flotsam or jetsam.

As Liz made dinner I heard some low pitched whining or groaning" noises.   On and Off.  WE heard occasional clicking sounds that Liz described as "settling" noises.  At first I thought it might be a pump running on Navigator, but I quickly eliminated that possibility.  Then there was a much louder sound - right under the boat  which repeated, then grew more distant.    I realized we must be listening to dolphins calling each other and echo sounding.   Those sounds went on through out dinner - even after we went to bed - before they moved on and all was quite.

Spent the night at anchor off the beach and then in the morning went for a long walk around the headland the opposite direction - looking for crocodiles that reportedly occupy Lake Ingraham just behind the barrier beach.   We did not see any crocodiles but we did see a lot of storm surge damage to the beach and mangroves behind the beach.

Walked back around the headland to find the wind had picked up considerably with Navigator beginning to drag her anchor.    Got aboard quickly, pulled anchor and moved around to corner to the north of Mid Cape into the lee.  Bill and Molly came aboard to play Five Crowns before dinner. Spent a comfortable night hearing dolphins again….