Dancing with the Wind

One good thing about coming in after dark last night was that we did not unload the boats. We just tied them up to the dock and scurried in for warm showers and bed. This morning we did not have to perform the usual two hour boat packing ritual. We shared conversation and coffee with our host and made an early departure.

If we were not meeting Frank with his promised shelter this would be a no-go day due to deteriorating weather. We have set a meeting point - the bridge out to Lido Island from Sarasota, but Frank is flexible about the location. Naturally, we want to get as close to the bridge as possible.

We needed the early departure to get ahead of the wind and rain. The forecast is that by 3 pm the wind will shift and pick up speed, bringing rain. A small craft advisory will be in effect through tomorrow morning.

As we depart, we are facing 10-15 mph winds from the west. We choose a route close to shore, providing protection from the winds. So far, so good. We enjoy the birds along the mangrove covered shore.

Around 11 am conditions change, hours earlier than expected. We've observed the low altitude dark clouds drifting in. By now they sky is dark and the wind shifts from the north. The first drops of rain fall and suddenly we're in a downpour. We duck under a mangrove cover and gear up for the worst. As we emerge, we surf the tailwinds for a few miles.

The power boats are heading for shore in this busy channel. We are usually able to handle the wakes, but one deep hulled boat throws up a wake that turns into breaking waves. The channel is close to shore, forcing us into shallow water. The waves break on us and we have the most interesting side-surfing fun on the trip. Now we are totally drenched, both inside and outside our rain gear. Note...since we reached Southern Florida, we have stowed our drysuìts in the hatches. It has been much too warm to wear them. Today would have been a good day to resurrect them.

The winds continue to pick up and we dance between deep water with bigger waves and shallow water with more wind protection. When the wave reach three feet breaking into our chests we head closer to shore only to encounter more waves bounding off the cement seawalls. Now they are coming from every direction and whitecaps are starting to form. We're getting tossed around. Rod is watching Fran bounce up and down so much that even though we are just 10-15 feet apart her entire boat disappears in the troughs. He is practicing rescue strategies in his head. It is getting dodgy.

Fran calls out "I'm done now". Rod replies, "If we can get around the corner of this seawall, maybe we'll get some relief from the wind". Only 15 feet to go, then 10. With ample bracing and will power, we're around the corner. The conditions around the corner couldn't have been more dramatically different. The water was glassy smooth as we discuss bail out strategies. We're only a couple of miles from our meeting location, but we've reached our limit.

The multi-million dollar homes in the area all have tall protective seawalls with boat canals going inland. We consult the Boat Ramp app and find that there is a ramp nine canals away from us. We count the canals down and enter the ramp. Our luck hasn't come through. A boat tender comes out to greet us and says that we can't take out here. This dock is just for power boats. Looking out at the water here, he says that with the wind coming from your back you should make good time. From these protected waters, he is not alarmed at the conditions and suggests a sandy beach take out around the next point. Fran is not too excited about getting back out, but we head out.

When we reach beach the wind is whipping the palm fronds sideways and we are happy to be out of the water. It is a great landing place with a sandy beach, a restroom to change clothes and a snack bar. And we did reach Lido Key, only about a mile short of plan. We call Frank, stow the gear and get into warm clothes.

Frank is a very gracious host and we have a delightful evening with him. I'll write more about him tomorrow.