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Summer Cruising Sanibel

This summer the Bell family escaped from the Olympics by heading to Southwest Florida and bareboat chartered around the Captiva and Sanibel islands on the Inter-Coastal Waterway (ICW). We chose a chartering company we had done business with before, Southwest Florida Yachts (SFY) at Burnt Store Marina. SFY offered a very competitive 50% off regular charter prices (out-of-season rate). This marina is situated on the East shore of Charlotte Harbor as is easily reached from I75.

On this trip we chartered Argo II, an Island Packet 32 cutter rig with a club-footed staysail and a 130% Genoa on a roller furling. Argo II displaces 12,900 lbs with a draft of 3'-6", beam of 11'-6", and LOA of 35'. The shallow draft makes this vessel perfect for gedunking around Charlotte Harbor and the nearby islands. Argo II was an excellent choice for a family of four with ample interior space, a large cockpit with dodger and Bimini top, and most importantly for this time of year, an air conditioner! The air conditioner required dock-side 110 V AC power; this resulted in a slightly altered cruising itinerary that included nightly stops at marinas. SFY also includes a dinghy with motor in the charter.

The Island Packet 32 is a heavy vessel for its size and, despite its shoal draft keel, is very stable (when compared with my Hunter 23.5 it's the difference between a rock and a bowl of Jell-O). Up wind performance when close-hauled is poor. With three sails set and tacking into 15 knot winds we logged at best 5.25 knots. On a close or beam reach we would see 6 knots.

Day-by-Day Log

Jul 21 Sunday

Arrived Burnt Store Marina, checked out Argo II and provisioned for trip. Took short excursion in dinghy to nearby Stingray Island (subject of another story on emergency marine medicine). Temperature in mid to upper 90's with clear sky which was pretty much the same story for the rest of the week.

Jul 22 Monday

Departed Burnt Store Marina at 12:55 PM headed towards Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa; set main and Genoa; motored 2 NM and tacked 10 NM into 12-15 knt west wind. Arrived Boca Grande Pass around 5:30 PM, dropped sails and fired up diesel only to find cold water supply to engine no longer functioning; checked primary CW filter and cycled seacock; could not find source of problem; called SFY on cellular phone and arranged for maintenance in morning. Raised sails and ran with wind 12 NM back to Burnt Store Marina, arrived 9:30 PM at channel entrance and anchored out for the night. Logged 26 NM for the day, most of which was great sailing!

Jul 23 Tuesday

Mark from SFY comes out to affect repairs. We walked through the cold water supply system starting at the seacock and ending on the outlet side of the CW pump. This was a good first-hand learning experience watching and assisting a pro debugging the CW system. No mechanical problems were found and a test of the engine was successful; we then suspected fouling on the seaward side of the seacock which most likely had cleared itself over night. We put back into Burnt Store Marina for the rest of the morning to make use of the showers and pool. At 2 PM we get back underway and motored 13 NM direct to Miller's Marina on Gasparilla Island arriving at 5:30 PM. Trip log reads 39.9 NM.

Miller's Marina is a quaint, small to medium sized marina in a well sheltered inlet. Its focus is primarily on the Tarpon fishermen and their vessels, but a few slips are available for transient sailing vessels. The Lighthouse Hole Restaurant, which has our recommendation, sits on the second floor above the marina office and ship's store. The center of town, Boca Grande, is but a few minutes easy walk and is worth the effort. This is a high rent district - we noticed on a real estate bulletin board two bedroom shacks starting at $330,000 with the typical residence around $600,000!

Jul 24 Wednesday

The beautiful westerly winds we had for two days disappeared to be replaced by a southerly wind at 10 to 12 knts. Given a headwind and the distance to cover, we cancel our plans to sail south down the seaward side of Cayo Costa, Captiva, and Sanibel islands choosing instead to motor down the ICW. We depart Miller's at 9:30 AM and enjoy a wonderful sightseeing trip past Useppa and Cabbage Key islands. At 2:00 PM we arrive at Tween-Waters Marina on Captiva Island; trip log reads 57.5 (17.6 NM for the day). This is another wonderful little marina and is associated with a modest resort complex. Registered transients at the marina are allowed full resort privileges (we made use of the pool, private beach, and barbecue grill). Bicycles, canoes, and other sports gear are available for rent. Also available are Tarpon fishing charters. One portion of the resort faces the Gulf with wide sandy beaches, while the ICW side, with the marina, has a protected inlet. A pair of Macaws guard the dockmaster's office while pelicans and a resident egret mooch food from the marina transients and fishermen. Tween-Waters rates on the top of our list of stopping points.

Jul 25 Thursday

Depart Tween-Waters at 11 AM, sail for 30 minutes until southerly course on ICW through Pine Island Sound puts us back direct into the wind. Captiva Island on our starboard side is replaced by the larger Sanibel Island. As our trip log reaches 70.6 NM we find ourselves in San Carlos Bay on the miserable mile. This is a narrow, shallow section of the ICW besieged by cross currents and tide activity at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. We had been forewarned that inattention to channel markers both before and in front of you will result in a quick grounding! During our passage of the miserable mile we see several dolphins. A number of waterfowl are standing in the shallows only several feet to the outside of the channel markers. At 2:50 PM, 73.9 NM on the log, we arrive at the Punta Rassa bascule bridge and practice holding place in the current waiting for the 3 PM bridge opening. Heading southwest from the seaward side of the bridge we dock 3:45 PM at the Sanibel Marina on the southern tip of Sanibel Island; trip log reads 76.3 (18.8 NM for the day).

Sanibel Marina primarily services the local residences and has few transient slips, particularly slips with any good depth. We arrived at low tide and had to carefully work our way in to their marina. The facilities are limited, but well maintained. Grandma Dot's open air restaurant and bar is attached to the dockmaster's office. A 45 minute walk eastward from the marina, with short stop for ice cream, lead us to the scenic Point Ybel lighthouse on the very southeastern tip of Sanibel.

Jul 26 Friday

Depart Sanibel Marina at 9 AM intent on making the outside passage back up the coast to Miller's Marina. At 11:55 AM, 86.0 on the trip log, we are two miles off the southern coast of Sanibel. The wind has gone calm, temperature is approaching a record 98 for the area, and our course has us parallel to the swells - not fun, crew is turning a pale green color. Captain Bligh elects to crank the motor up, reverse course, and head back to the ICW. The crew smiles with big grins. We cross under the Punta Rassa bascule bridge at 3 PM headed North. At 3:45 PM we pass the beginning of the miserable mile on the port side, headed northeastward through portions of the scenic Matlacha Pass. Once again we see numerous dolphins. At 4:45 PM, 105.7 on the trip log (29.5 NM for the day) we dock at Tarpon Point Marina.

Tarpon Point Marina is a large (172 slips) and deep water marina, but is located in an isolated part of Cape Coral. A cab ride is required to get into town or the Cape Coral Golf and Tennis Resort where registered marina transients have guest privileges. We enjoyed the friendly marina staff and the quiet solitude of this marina. It also had the cheapest rates - 90 cents/foot plus $5 for electricity.

Jul 27 Saturday

Took on fuel and pumped out holding tank. Departed Tarpon Point at 9:20 AM headed first southwestward and then northward on the ICW for Miller's Marina. Overnight a southeasterly wind had picked up and we were able to quickly raise main and Genoa sails. A pod of several dolphin go by with two passing right under our stern. One dolphin goes by at high speed, repeatedly leaping from the water. Was this dolphin Flipper's stand-in? We transit the miserable mile as pros under sail.

At 2:25 PM, 127 NM on the trip log, we have just past Useppa Island North bound and experience an abrupt 45 degree swing of wind, now coming directly from the East. At 3:30 PM we are at the mouth of the Boca Grande Pass fighting a strong tidal outflow and strengthening winds from the East. We lose ground and are drawn into the center of the pass. The next hour and a half proves to be a challenge for Captain and crew. We tack back and forth in the pass, sometimes making ground to the East, sometimes losing. After 45 frustrating minutes we crank up the engine to gain mechanical power only to immediately notice the cold water system has failed - talk about bad timing! Up goes the staysail and we get an immediate half knot increase in speed to 5.25 knots. The crew works hard for the next 45 minutes tacking quickly and working close to the North shore of Cayo Costa where there is more favorable current and wind. A cheer goes up as we squeak out of the pass.

With no motor to negotiate the Boca Grande Bayou entrance we cancel our reservations at Miller's Marina. It's now 5:30 PM and we are two miles into Charlotte Harbor. The East wind is now gusting, pushing 20 knts. Its 10 NM trip across the open harbor to us has raised moderate chop. We have rolled the Genoa up, leaving main and self-tending staysail. Water is periodically breaking over the bow as we continue our eastward tacking home to Burnt Store Marina. Our 11 year old daughter is squealing faster Dad, the rest of us are turning pale green. With approaching darkness, heavy winds, and worsening sea state we take safety into mind electing to head west on a broad run into the sheltered arms of Pelican Bay, Cayo Costa. We drop two anchors at 9 PM, 142.4 NM on the trip log (36.7 NM for the day).

Jul 28 Sunday

Without a motor, an East wind of 10 to 12 knts traps us in Pelican Bay. I follow the same diagnostic path in the CW system that Mark from SFY had followed earlier in the week. This time I discover a deep crack in the cold water pump V belt. To SFY's credit, they maintain a good supply of spare parts, ship and motor manuals, and tools on board each of the vessels in their fleet. I install the spare V belt, crank up the engine, and all is well. At 10:45 AM we raise anchors and, using GPS navigation, motor directly home to Burnt Store against a direct headwind and light chop. We reach Burnt Store at 2:30 PM with an end total of 153.5 NM on the trip log.

Mark T. Bell

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