Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

The map shows our route since we returned from the holidays.

Wednesday, January 24. We spent the morning trying to make reservations at marinas for the upcoming weekend. As it turns out, LOTS of people are enjoying the mid-60 degree weather and want to go boating this weekend, so everything is pretty full. Finally we headed out on the ICW toward Gasparilla Island, with Boca Grande Marina as our destination. The run from Venice to Boca Grande was pleasant. I especially loved an area called Lemon Bay, but I’ll bet insurance is out of sight for anywhere so susceptible to hurricanes. We finally saw a lot of dolphins frolicking in the bay around the boat.

We had a 20-minute wait for the Gasparilla Causeway bridge to open, but by 2:30 we arrived at Boca Grande Marina. The wind had picked up, and the helpful dock staff wanted us to go into the dock stern first. Big challenge! We did it, but we had to take off the dinghy to make it work. After that we rented a golf cart and explored the Gasparilla Island. Multi-millionaires abound here. The houses are gorgeous but tasteful, and we enjoyed seeing all the flowers in their beautifully landscaped yards. This is another place we could live happily! The weather has taken a turn for the worse, and the boat is rocking. Hope we don’t get seasick tonight.