Venice and Cayo Costa

We left St. Pete with tears in our eyes..ok Brian is the tough guy and I was the one crying…I hate goodbyes and I know that it will be some time before I see my mom and Ron again. The cloudy day matched our moods. We had planned on anchoring just off of Egmont key and doing some exploring but the harbor there does not offer any protection and in the north/east winds we would have had a bumpy night so we decided to sail on until about sunset and anchor just off of the beach for the night. Next day after a thick fog bank cleared out we headed out with dreams of exploring Venice.

We have anchored in Venice a few times but have never explored ashore so we were excited. We filled our pockets with lots of dough hoping to find a tavern where we could spend it and maybe meet some fellow sailors. Much to our surprise all that we could find was condos…lining both sides of the streets and but one place to stop for drinks or grub. It looked fancy and not what we had in mind so we skipped it. We did enjoy walking the jetties and the beach which by the way surprised us by having black sand. I didn’t know that FL had any black beaches. So for us Venice was a let down. We’ve never liked the anchorage there because it is super shallow and crowded with small sailboats that seem abandoned. So we left Venice with the same amount of money that we arrived with so I guess that could be a positive point.

Next stop Cayo Costa. This stop is always a favorite of ours. Beautiful as we remembered. The anchorage here is very protected and with the state park here there is lots of exploring. The anchorage is good for boat watching too with lots of cruising boats coming and going. It’s a pretty busy harbor. My goal was to find some sharks teeth. Last time we were here I found a couple but we had met a man that had a whole handful. After finding the tiger sharks teeth in Anclote I had the fever and was sure that I would find lots. Well after hours on the beach I found 6 or 7 but they are very small and not what I expected and I really, really looked. Brian has the patience of a saint for walking with me for miles at a snails pace stopping every few feet.

We had a good time though it’s always fun exploring the shore. I found several very tiny starfish and even rescued a seahorse that had washed ashore. That guy was lucky that we had come along his path. Poor thing was struggling high and dry on the beach washed up by a wave. I got him back to the water and he swam away. Good deed of the day. He was lucky that we found him before a bird came along and made him lunch.

We’ve had fun here. Brian cleaned the bottom again so we should move along pretty good when we head out to Ft. Myers. We’re almost out of beer so I can see Brian wanting to haul anchor soon. Next stop Cape Coral and Ft. Myers where we will visit with more family before we head out on the high seas. Take care everyone and Merry Christmas to you all!!

Jennifer and Brian