Getting off the dock is the hardest part of cruising!
Everyone I speak to that wants to go cruising always talks about their to-do list. After two years of cruising, I can tell you the to-do list is always growing and never complete! The lesson we learned is to decide what is keeping you at the dock and what can be tackled underway. If not, you will never leave because you will NEVER get it all done! Then you will miss all the great adventures to be had…our first was a visit to Egmont Key State Park.
The Have-to-do’s:
On this trip, our “have-to-do” list included getting our mainsail repaired and the rigging inspected. After struggling with that stupid sail so much it became a major frustration for us. We had the sail recut to eliminate the batons, hoping to resolve our issues pulling it out. We also had a rigger inspect all the furling systems and standing rigging on the boat. Of course, we also had to provision and launder all the bedding and towels while we had access to a vehicle (thanks to great friends!!!)
It can wait…
The list of stuff we didn’t get to was pretty short, mostly cleaning below and oil changes for the motor and generator. Both tasks got accomplished several days after we left when we were stuck at anchor waiting out bad weather. No worries! Eventually, it will all get done!
Egmont Key State Park
Retracing our route south to Tampa Bay, we decided to try anchoring off Gulfport for a change. May I suggest avoiding it unless you have a small boat! We went up the channel by the Sunshine Skyway bridge to avoid the other bridges into town (sketchy heights). The depth was sketchy in a few spots and we ran aground twice on the way out. Definitely not an option next time!
On our second day out, we stopped at Egmont Key to hike around the island and go exploring. Wandering the island, you can see the remnants of the old Fort Dade structures and walk the paths that connected all the buildings during that time. Gun batteries, the old jailhouse, and barracks are open, allowing you to wander through the buildings and ruins, investigating life from a century ago. The fort was built in 1898 and was in operation until 1923.
Egmont Key Lighthouse
The lighthouse on Egmont Key is still in operation and has continued to function since 1847. Fully automatic now, the US Coast Guard manages the light. The rest of the island was taken over by the parks service in 1974.
Egmont Key Beaches
The views from the top of the barracks are amazing and the beaches are beautiful. You could easily spend an entire day at the beach here, looking for shells, walking along the shore, and swimming in the clear water. We picked a chilly day to visit, so swimming was not on our to-do list, but we walked along the water from where we beached the dingy to the trails inland.
Onward Southbound
After visiting Egmont Key, we continued south, retracing our path to Longboat Key, Venice, Cabbage Key, and St. James City, as we did on previous trips. The rain and wind picked up, necessitating a two-day stop at Cabbage Key (where we finally got around to the cleaning and oil changes!) A cold front is keeping the weather cool, but the seas are calming down again and it is quite pleasant. Tomorrow we will venture into Fort Myers Beach for another new experience!
