Integrity Cruise

Day 259 - Venice to Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa, FL

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Day 259: Tuesday, January 10th: We got underway from our free dock about mid-morning and cruised easily south through Venice. There were many people power walking and biking the trail that runs south along the "ditch" out of Venice. We waved to all of them and they waved back. It was a pleasant morning with temperatures hovering around 70 degrees. We were traversing the narrow channel behind the barrier islands between Sarasota and Charlotte Harbor.

Before long we came to the "confusing ferry boats." This pair leaves their respective banks simultaneously, turn around each other and enters the other side's landing. It can make you want to dock your boat forever:

Much of this run is in a narrow channel of mangrove. All the signs say, "Slow, Manatee Area." That means somebody has a boat dock nearby. However we did have many dolphins (porpoises?) cruise with us much of the way as they played in our wake and bow wave. They are special fellows! Sorry, no pictures.

A short way south the water opens out of the mangroves and the homes appear. You can tell how shallow the water is by how long the piers from the houses are. These were about 500 feet long, we guessed. Pretty shallow banks:

And, of course, there were the bridges. This swing bridge had a closed clearance of nine feet. No way Integrity was going to fit, so we waited for the every-half-hour opening behind this faster trawler:

We crossed Boca Grande pass and entered our favorite anchorage behind Cayo Costa in Pelican Bay. Just before sunset a rainsquall went through and rinsed the salt off Integrity. The sky cleared and it was perfectly gorgeous as the sun set:

It was a perfect close to a perfect and easy cruise through nice weather! We are approaching "Paradise."

Position tonight: N26 41.210 W082 14.523

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