Pine Island – MV Simple Life

Thanksgiving

Well it’s Thanksgiving and Mike and his friends have invited me to T-Day dinner. It was a nice feeling to get the invite as it made my Thanksgiving.

Pub Crawling

The next night turned out to be a late one bar hoping around the Cape.

The Overtime Sports bar in South West Cape Coral is a great place for food and drinks with sports games playing on every TV that literally cover the walls.

I don’t believe I found salvation at The Dek but I do love the signage.

Why do I have a Buzz Light year face on my watch? Maybe cuz it’s 3AM and I am just pushing buttons without being able to read my watch?

December 7th a day that will live in infamy

We started it off with a boat ride.

St. James City near Sanibel Island

Dawson Canal is a narrow canal that leads up into St. James City on the southern tip of Pine Island. Lots of good places to tie up the boat and enjoy an IPA.

On our way to Fort Myers Beach

On our way to Fort Myers Beach you pass Punta Rassa. The location was named Punta Rasca (Spanish for “smooth or flat point” and later corrupted to “Punta Rassa“) by the Spanish Conquistadors in the mid-16th century, who unloaded cattle in the area.

We got back just in time to go to Dennis’s Christmas Party. Thanks Dennis for inviting me. It turned out to be a party I’ll remember.

Xmas Bash at Dennis’s Home

This is how you throw a house party in Cape Coral. Complete with catering, live band, tiki bars and so on.

We pulled up a seat on the mobile tiki bar. It’s a tiki bar built on top of a 4 wheeler where the bartender drives the bar around as you are seated.

Spend some time talking with Vince about the PBR circuit and he will amaze you with his stories. Yes, Vince was a professional bull rider who now works as a charter captain.

Claire was my friend to visit with on my morning walks around the marina. Always with a big smile on her face.

The Marina

The next morning I took it easy and walked around the marina.

One of the boats I was told was owned by the band Foreigner’s ex-drummer. Having grown up listening to the Foreigner 4 album I could not resist searching my iPhone for some Foreigner and playing it aboard. I got a strange look from the captain so I’m guessing he was in the band?

Cape Harbour Marina has many nice boats and is surrounded by fancy high-rise towers. You’ll find great restaurants like Fathoms & Rumrunners as well as the V.O. Tiki Bar.

Someone keep me honest on my fish species identification here?

House Partying

If you are into sports like Tom & Chuck you build walls of TVs all streaming different games

Mike’s group of friends were so enjoyable and quickly accepted me into their group of friends. Cape Coral felt like a second home almost instantly.

It’s 3AM do You Know Where Your Boat is?

It’s 3AM, the wind is gusting and I’m up checking weather and tides.

It’s almost low tide and I’m anchored in a narrow creek with the wind blowing me towards the creek bank. Oh great, I only got another 3 hours and 19 minutes till the that burning disc comes up.

The USCG Gale Warning is still in effect till about noon today.

USCG Gale Warning Still in Effect

Into the Mystic

OK, the sun is up and I’m underway with that still ominous sky above me.

The offshore cold front has dropped the temp. Fog is building on the waters surface. It’s a strange thing to be piloting straight down a river that has the fog blowing by you from behind.

King’s Bay Naval Base

At the end of the above video you can see the USCG boat appearing out of the fog. Below is a video of them circling around me before hailing me to explain that the US Navy was carrying out exercises in Cumberland Sound that could interfere or damage my electronics if I got too close. They wanted to know what my intentions were. I explained that I was an ICW boater and would be crossing Cumberland Sound bound for the Amelia River in Fernandina Beach and points south. They politely asked me to stay 2000 yards from the naval ships or as far away as possible while still safely navigating.

USCG Approaching MV Simple Life

USCG Boat moored on the CG mooring ball near entrance to Amelia River

Cumberland Sound is home to the King’s Bay Naval Submarines Base. There are six Trident-class submarines stationed here. There is a a long deep channel cut through the shallow coastal shelf and muddy tidal Cumberland Sounds, to the Atlantic ocean. This allows for the submarines to pass. Every time I cross Cumberland Sound I have interactions with the Navy security boat or USCG. Recreational boaters are not permitted in the King’s Bay area west of the ICW Channel.

Entering the Amelia River I passed this USCG boat.

USCG Boat in the Amelia River

Welcome to Florida!

The St. Mary’s River divides Georgia from Florida. The town of St. Mary’s is on the northern Georgia side of the river and Fernandina Beach is on the southern Florida side. When you sail into Fernandina Beach you’ll find the WestRock Industrial wood pulp plant and CHP (Combined Heat & Power) plants along the shore. Industry began here after the great depression with a wood pulp plant. Now there is a cluster of both power, wood and packaging plants located here partly due to the railway and harbor.

I think it was Hurricane Matthew that caused a lot of damage to the Fernandina Beach area and boats.

Hurricane Matthew Oct 2016 just offshore of Amelia Island

MV Acadia had followed me through the Navy exercises area and was now breaking off to go anchor in the Amelia River. I’ve anchored in the Amelia River a few times. Today however, I planned to use of all the daylight to get south of Jacksonville, FL. That would allow me to make Daytona Beach the next day.

FV Gina Ann with all her gear proudly displayed

I often see this police line-up of birds on the shore. I wonder why they group like that?

It was lunch time and I have to keep the boat moving so I bring all my ingredients to the helm and make my lunch while I drive.

Soon I came to Jacksonville, FL and I cross over the St. John’s River and into Pablo Creek heading south. There is a tight bridge that I have gone under many times but as I approached it I could that the strong current was producing 2-3′ standing waves on the down current side of the bridge.

Pablo Creek Bridge Jacksonville, FL

I use a user sourced digital cruising guide called Active Captain to keep me aware of all the marinas, anchorages and hazards along my route. Below I pasted my review of the AC strong current hazard located at Pablo Creek bridge.

Please note: There is a current station for this bridge. In order to see it in Aqua Maps, I had to zoom way in. It was hidden under the tide station located just north of the bridge. The current station is named. “Pablo Creek bascule bridge”.
I have been under this bridge 4 times without concern. This time I hit it right at max ebb 5.67kts on a full moon with strong opposing winds (gale warning ended 2hours earlier). There were 2’+ standing waves on the down current side of the bridge. The strong current was catching my full keel causing me to make huge port and starboard rudder corrections.
It’s narrow between the bridge fenders. With no boats behind me… I kicked it in neutral and it spat me out like a toddler does to their first taste of broccoli.
I chose to anchor in the Active Captain Anchorage called “Atlantic Blvd Br.” Just NE of the bridge. I waited for it to slow down a bit. Waiting meant I’d have to burn more fuel to get to my chosen “Pine Island Anchorage” before dark. I’d rather pay a fuel bill than a fiberglass bill. Be careful if you are a full-keel trawler with low power and/or a small rudder.
Capt Mahty

Waiting for the current to slow slightly had cost me time and I would not make it to my chosen anchorage until dark. I still say it was the right move rather than risk getting slammed into the bridge’s fender boards.

This leg of my winter journey looked something like this.

Tag: Pine Island

South West Cape Hangouts