Getting into Sarasota Harbor is tricky....
Setting the sails for the current wind direction
Goodbye Marco Island
So we are off, on November 21st; the wind is good, Capt. Jerry decides to keep the motors running to keep to our time. We are feeling refreshed after 3 days of R&R. Factory Bay Marina had all the amenities needed for a relaxing stay.
Choices for Sarasota
Some investigation is needed regarding the entry to Sarasota harbor. 1. Notes on the Navionics indicate that the "big pass" and the "new pass" are actually unpassable due to silt. Of course, Graham knows someone....2. Amber gives a call to the harbor master who advises strongly to go into the Intercostal Waterway at Venice and come up through 4 bridges. Of course, 3. the bridge clearances must allow our 63 foot mast to pass. With a little more research, the bridges that we have to pass either open fully or turn. Thus, 4. we can take the intercoastal instead of having to pass by Sarasota and go up to Longboat Key, where there was a potential for there to be bridge clearance issues, also.
Understanding the FL allure
Once inside the InterCoastal, We begin to understand why Florida is such a big draw to all the Northeast snowbirds. The real estate is off the chart! One empty lot we saw was listed for $2MM - with no house! Of course, it was right on the Intercoastal and had a seawall and was about 3/4 acre….
Although it was little foggy, we passed through the four bridges with no issues.
Quiet, peaceful and somewhat narrow in spots, the ICW is a good alternative for cruising if your vessel can beat the bridges. Getting out of Sarasota, it appears we will need to go the same way, since dredging by the Municipality might be a pipe dream in this year of COVID.
Here in Sarasota!
So, we make it to Sarasota and get a slip at Marina Jack's. Nice facility - www.marinajacks.com - named Marina of the Year in 2015, with all the amenities: restaurant, showers, taxi boat to the mooring field and a stone's throw from downtown Sarasota. They administer the public mooring field for the City of Sarasota, which is great income for the city and provides a service for transient or long term boaters. Once we tied to G-13, Captains Jean and Jerry head ashore to the airport, and Amber waits on her ride. Carlos and I can relax and call the family to come pick us up. For tonight, we are only taking what we need to sleep in and any valuables: we'll be back the next day to start preparing the boat for winter storage in the mooring field.
