Weather forecast for November 12, 2018:
Gasparilla Sound - Charlotte Harbor, Florida
Low 68 high 75
Southwest winds, 5 to 7 kts
Captain’s Log: November 1, 2018 thru November 09, 2018
After a four-month road trip, we reunited with s/v Perfect Love at Safe Cove Boat Yard in Port Charlotte on November 1st. Our excitement was tempered by more than a bit of anxiety as we anxiously climbed aboard. Did the exhausting preparations that we had taken back in June while preparing our big girl for a hurricane season on the hard provide enough protection from all that Mother Nature would throw at her during our extended absence?
Only one way to find out - climb the ladder!
The deck was filthy, but that was to be expected; nothing a little pressure washing wouldn't take care of. Descending the companionway, we were extremely pleased to find the interior bone-dry; not a hint of moisture or mold; no odors, no signs of leaks, no critters or bugs. The electrical power supplied by Safe Cove had stayed on all summer and the big dehumidifier that we had purchased from Costco actually kept the interior a little too dry. It was now time to start bringing all of the items that we had moved to our off-site storage unit back to the boat.
While we were transferring all of the contents of our storage unit, Safe Cove completed painting the bottom (black this time). The next day I rented a pressure washer and hit the deck. She came out looking like new.
On November 6th Perfect Love was placed back into the water. That evening, as we sat on the quarterdeck couch, anxiously anticipating a new season of cruising, a young alligator made an appearance in the canal, not more than five feet from our boat. It was probably the same young gator that we had seen four months earlier while we waited to be lifted out of the water. Shirley did not feed the gator this time.
We completed our provisioning on Wednesday, November 7th, and cut the dock lines at 8:00am on November 8th. The transit of the canal and of Interceptor Lake was uneventful and we arrived at the manually-operated lock leading to the Myakka River at approximately 2:00pm.
There were two small powerboats traveling in the opposite direction already in the lock, which was just opening as we approached. The last powerboat through signaled to us that she would leave the gate open as she exited the lock so that we could enter without managing the gate. All went very smoothly as we secured our boat to the lock wall.
Shirley pulled the chain used to close the entry gate; once the entry gate was closed the lock would then begin to drain to the level that matched the Myakka River on the other side of the exit gate. She pulled, but nothing happened. She pulled again; and again and again. Still nothing. She tried again. I tried, and I tried again. Nothing. We reread the instructions painted on the wall several times to make sure that our actions were proper; nothing. The gate would not close. We were stuck.
By this time several boats had queued up behind us and in front of us. One gentleman, a local who was obviously familiar with the peculiarities of the lock, left his boat (which was tied to the dock on the far side of the exit gate) and attempted to reset the chain mechanism. No luck. In desperation we called the telephone number painted on a wall under the sentence "In case of emergency, call:".
Two hours later a municipal employee pulled up in a white pickup truck, unlock the door on a small building not far from the lock, and disappeared inside. Five minutes later the entry gate began to close and ten minutes later we were through the lock and heading for the deeper water of Charlotte Harbor.
It was now after 5:00pm and there was no way that we were going to make it to Burnt Store Marina, which was on the other side of Charlotte Harbor, before dark. We dropped our anchor in 15 feet of water at a spot on the Myakka called Cattle Dock, about 1/2 mile from the lock. After a beautiful sunset we were treated to flashes of chain lightning from a distant thunderstorm on the far side of the harbor. We slept well that night.
We were underway the next morning, November 9th, by 7:30am and filling our tanks at the Burnt Store fuel dock by 10:30am. Our buddy Al Nichols met us at the fuel dock and, after a short conversation and not much persuasion, I was able to convince Al that he should sail his boat, s/v OKbayou, with us as we headed for the Keys. After Shirley returned from the local Farmer's Market with a bag full of fresh vegetables, we headed out. Al followed several hundred yards behind us.
By late afternoon Perfect Love and OKbayou were approaching Cayo Costa. Al tucked into the Punta Blanca South anchorage while we dropped the hook at the Usepa West anchorage on the opposite side of the ICW. I splashed the dinghy and we motored over to pick up Al. The three of us were heading for Cabbage Key for dinner.
Dinner was OK, not outstanding, but we were very hungry and it hit the spot. The view from the open-air dining room more than made up for the mediocre meal; it was outstanding.
After delivering Al back to OKbayou, we enjoyed a SAD (Safe Arrival Drink) on the quarterdeck couches while we watched yet another outstanding sunset.
Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas.