Back in February, we finally go to take a real trip aboard our new sailboat. We’d been to Cayo Costa many times through the years and we actually stopped for 1 night in Pelican Bay when we brought the boat back from Punta Gorda. This time, we planned to stay several days and we’d hoped to get to sail there and back.

Since we got a late start in the day, we actually spent the first night at anchor near Bunche Beach and were treated to an amazing sunset.

The next day, we tried sailing at first, but didn’t have enough wind, so we motor sailed until we got around Sanibel Island where the wind picked up for us. Once in a good position, we cut the engine and enjoyed a few blissful hours of Gulf sailing. In order to make it there before dark, we cranked the motor on and navigated through the narrow and shallow channel into Pelican Bay.

Once anchored, in Pelican Bay, it was happy hour time and then some dinner. The next couple of days we enjoyed taking Sophie to shore to walk the trails and return later for some trail running for us. One of the great things about Cayo Cost/Pelican Bay as an anchorage is the easy access to the island. When anchored out, it’s not only great to have a spot for the dog to do her business, but also for us to get some exercise and time off the boat.

We also got to check out the newly installed boat name graphics from the anchorage rather than dock.

While we were there in Pelican Bay, Randy’s dad told us to look for their friends Mike and Ellen who were also aboard their sailboat. After an afternoon walk on the island with Sophie, we got in the dinghy and set off to locate Mike and Ellen’s boat. Once we saw it, we noticed they were aboard and so we stopped to introduce ourselves and chat a bit. They were very nice folks and their pups, Spanky and Buckwheat were absolutely adorable. After we said good bye to them, we headed back to Blue Turtle for sunset and sundowners before getting ready to head home in the morning.

The next morning was gorgeous as we made our way out of the anchorage and through Boca Grande Pass. We continued to motor sail and sail off and on as we found the wind. Randy and I are getting good at raising and lowering the sails but still need a lot of practice learning to trim them properly for the best speed. I think we’ll figure it out in no time, the more we cruise. We can’t wait until next time to get out on the water!