With our weekend on the mooring ball and the Wednesday dock party behind us, we were ready to get off the dock for an extended stay. This was Randy’s last weekend of freedom before starting a new job and the end of Corey’s spring break so Randy wanted to go to Cayo Costa. Unfortunately, I had my hard drive crash last week and I’ve been working furiously to catch up, so this trip would be a trial to see how well I could work while underway and while out on hook.

On Thursday morning, Randy and his father (who was coming with us) helped my folks get off the dock after their stay at Snook Bight. Shortly after that, we departed for Cayo Costa. The weather was cool and brisk and quite windy still from the front we had earlier in the week. I stayed below in the cabin (where it was warm) and continued to work. I worked almost the entire way out to Cayo Costa and it was nice to know that I could continue to be productive even while away from the dock. My Verizon hotspot has proven to be better than any marina wifi I’ve seen. Once at Cayo Costa, I helped Johnny get Blue Turtle anchored and we were set for the weekend.

On Friday, I planned to work much of the day and sent the boys (Randy, Corey and Johnny) out of the boat. They packed some sandwiches and fishing rods in the dinghy and set out for the day to fish. I enjoyed the quiet of being out on anchor and took advantage by working. I was more productive at a remote location like Cayo Costa than working at the dock. I had no interruptions, excellent wifi (thanks to Verizon) and a peaceful, serene view. And what a view! I have to say these were my favorite days working in a long time. The boys eventually came home and we grilled some chicken and sausages for dinner and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset.

On Saturday, we had a plan. This would be my first day off the boat and not working (Yay!). We decided to pile into the dinghy  and head to Cabbage Key for lunch. After that, we would try to find the Love Canal on the backside of Cayo Costa and walk across to our very own private beach oasis. Lunch at Cabbage Key was excellent and after that we walked up the water tower on the Island for a higher up view. After that, we got back to our dinghy and headed out to the beach. After some careful navigation, we found the Love Canal, a secluded passage that required us to lift the engine and paddle our way through skinny areas to get through very narrow areas. Luckily, we got through without any trouble and the payout was awesome! Only a couple of people were on the beach and we pretty much had the area to ourselves. It’s nice to find a gorgeous beach of white sand and clear water and to have it all to yourself. Corey spent his time trying to cast net bait fish and boogie board, while Randy and Johnny and I enjoyed a few beers and soaked in the sun on this gorgeous cool winter day. Finally it was time to get into the dinghy and head home back to the boat for another gorgeous sunset and excellent grilled meal.

Today (Sunday) it was time to come home and end the awesome trip. We left after coffee around 10am with no real hurry to get home. We decided to go via the Gulf of Mexico for a change of scenery and this happened to be our first time on the Gulf with Blue Turtle. The weather was gorgeous and the seas were minor at about 2-3 foot swells. Occasionally we stopped to let Corey fish for triple-tail or cobia. We saw several sea turtles pop their heads above water only to dive down after seeing us. As we headed into Fort Myers Beach through Mantanzas Pass, we spotted Bon Foeyage, a boat from our marina loaded down with most of our dock mates out for an Easter afternoon cruise. It was awesome to see these guys as we were headed in. We arrived at Snook Bight and spent a couple hours cleaning, after which, we decided to head out for dinner. We ended up at South Beach Grille in Santini Plaza and ended up eating at the bar because every place was packed due to the Easter holiday. The food (and company) were excellent and we recapped at what a fantastic weekend we had.

Here are some other photos from our trip: