Pyrates!!

Yes, by golly, there is a pirate ship a'winterin' the season hereabouts. Her name is Pieces of Eight, and she operates out of Salty Sam's Marina in Estero Sound. So beware as ye enter Matanzas Pass.

Calypso departed Legacy Harbour Marina at 0805 this ayem and headed down the Caloosahatchee River at out briefly into the Gulf at Punta Rassa, where the old crackers used to load cattle onto ships bound for Cuba.

While in Fort Myers, we enjoyed our walk to the Thomas Edison - Henry Ford Winter Homes Estate and spent much of the day there, returning to the boat via a nearby Publix. A short walk to The Morgan Restaurant in the downtown district finished us for the day. Given the kind of rainy weather we were having in Fort Myers and the crummy forecast, I might have elected to remain at Legacy Marina, but our underwater corrosion control system's meter was showing unacceptable readings in the red zone, and I was uncomfortable remaining. As it turns out, the decision was a good one because we are having fine weather on our run toward Naples.

After a couple of miles, we turned eastward into Matanzas Pass and found the channel is NOT exactly where the chart shows it; however, adhering to the buoyed channel got us through. Estero Sound is the body of water forming the harbor of Fort Myers Beach, and our objective, Ballard Oil deep in the environs of the sound was most helpful and hospitable as we took on 235 gallons of diesel at 1.899 (tax, tag, and title). That amount of full weighed us down an additional 1786 pounds. Giving is a grand total liquid load of 7,008 pounds. That should keep is from much bouncing around in open waters.

After refueling, we eased on down the channel about another quarter mile to Salty Sam's Marina where they gave us a temporary slip while we went into their Parrot Key Caribbean Cafe for lunch and then walked a mile and back to a convenience store.

Underway again found us out on the Gulf at about 1430 with the Pieces of Eight off pour port bow coasting along toward Matanzas Pass to offload her passengers. We "strafed" them with our loud-hailer as we went by crying Arrrrrr and avast and standby for a broadside. They waved and laughed - how humiliating. I should have had Mary wave the ship's cutlass ( a 15-inch used butcher house knife) at them, but she is busy using it to cut up a fresh pineapple - how humiliating for such a fine weapon of war.

It's a pretty clear day with dry air about 77 F blowing in one door and out the other. The seas at one foot are not noticeable, and the tall condo buildings stretch off into the southeast ahead of us until they sink below the horizon. We are almost three miles off shore and still only have 17 feet under the keel.

Unfortunately, the marine weather forecast for Friday and the following few days is kind of grim with winds in the twenty-knot region and 4-6 foot seas. We will likely be required to remain in protected waters for that time. That means staying in the Naples area (our present destination) or maybe sliding down a few miles farther southward through the inside passage from Naples to Marco Island. We will look at that possibility tomorrow if it appears to be too rough outside.

If we find the waters off the coast acceptable tomorrow, we may opt to run the almost 60 miles to Everglades City, which is around the bend of Cape Romano and sheltered from the expected strong northerly winds. The short term weather forecast will be our guide.

My quick resealing of the port engine valve cover seems to be working fine. No more oily smoke.