Day 7 under the transom

Wow, what a day. Dolphins, egrets, white pelicans, brown pelicans, osprey and deep in the heart of tarpon country.... Somewhere there is a dolphin wearing my (actually Nonie's...sorry) Oakleys.

The day started quickly, not how we usually move. We were out the door, packed, ready and sunscreened at 0915. We were to meet John Carroll at the launch beside the Sanibel Island causeway. For those that know us, believe it or not, we were on time, even early.... I know, shocker...

After some quick intros we were off to North Captiva. It was blowing like stink today, and it's a long fetch so it was a lumpy run even in the Cat... It would've been downright uncomfortable in a monohull. All hands bumped around a bit, but happy. Corrigan slept like a rock, and even Max was sedate. We tooled in by a new restaurant on North Captiva... Strangely, here were all sorts of dead fish on the water? By all sorts I mean 20+, odd. John claimed it was red tide.

Next stop Cabbage Key, formally owned by Rinehardt, an author, now the same dwelling is a restaurant known from the Jimmy Buffet song a cheeseburger in paradise. Max was out of his mind as there was a huge tortoise eating lettuce and tomatoes on the deck, and a 4! foot long rat snake...!

Another cool thing about this bar was that the walls were covered in money. People come, sign their names on a bill and post it. Each year they tear them all down and give it to charity... I'm talking 50k... The story is that an older fisherman who liked his drink, in times of good money would staple a few bucks to the wall and write his name on it so that another time when he was broke could still have a drink or two.

The rip home didn't seem to take long and we were 35 knots right into the wind the whole way back. It was less bumpy than the run out. It was this leg, while securing a hatch that the Oakley sunnies I have been mocking Nonie about for years, blew off my head into the drink.... Bloody hell

We were going to go to lighthouse beach, but we were all tired so...home to LHB for a swim and supper.