One of my favorite movie lines that I can certainly identify with is "there is nothing better than riding a fine animal into new country". Movie line or not, I have been blessed to experience this for real many times. I'll tell you something else "there's nothing better than sailing a fine vessel into new waters".
Godspeed slipped under the "Seven Mile Bridge" At Marathon Florida and into new waters. Yet Again! The Gulf of Mexico. Many times as we slice through the sea, I tell Lorrie "What an amazing little machine she is". Her legs are unlimited, she makes all of her own electrical power, only complains if I push her too hard (which I have learned not to do now), and will self steer herself seemingly forever...flawlessly. I could go on and on but you get the picture. Simplicity is divine! What a gal!
Within a mile of the bridge we anchored and I had to jump in. Snorkeled around looking for lobsters but none were to be seen. It didn't matter much... we had Mahi Mahi in the freezer and new water ahead.
Miles and miles of white sandy beaches where to starboard as we caught site of land that afternoon, not a soul in site because there is no way to get there unless you travel by boat. Yes, we were in Everglades national Park. No Cell phone signal, no lights, very few boats, and only nature. We really did not realize it was so big but reality set in and Godspeed was many miles from mankind in a wilderness of mangroves, alligators, and old time Florida. I love it! Well provisioned we might as well enjoy it and that we did. long dinghy expeditions, great fishing, and solitude were an the daily menu and we ordered them all!
The end is near! Well, we had a couple of weeks to burn so we sailed into Fort Myers beach. On way, I caught a nice King mackerel and when we entered, Our Freedom and Non-Linear were there. Fish fry the next evening, and you guessed it, a fine King Mackerel fed us all with much left to split up and enjoy later.
Knot Tide Down, Hocus Pocus, Our freedom, Non-Linear, were all boats we have swung on the hook with before...some hundreds and some more than a thousand miles from here, is that cool or what! You never know who or what is ahead of her bow.
After removing the mast, building sun covers, and feeding an alligator Ritz crackers, we said a temporary good by to our trusty little ship. She will spend hurricane season in Port Charlotte Florida and be in prime position to explore the Gulf, or the Bahamas, or both...I don't what's next, But more than likely we'll be sailing a fine vessel into new waters!
