wrote in message
...
On Sun, 27 Nov 2005 16:21:20 GMT, DownTime
wrote:

We just got back from a much anticipated long weekend away. The weather
has been awesome, caught some fish, and went kayaking. Will probably
make the reservations for next year and start planning and dreaming.

Hope all fellow boaters did or at least considered the same.


We were over in West Palm for turkey but we got out on the water
Saturday and today. The "birds" are back. Malfunction junction inside
Big Carlos Pass was packed. We stayed back in the mangroves and missed
most of the traffic. The tide was real low Saturday so it kept the
riffraff in the channel. I did see a few folks stuff it in the mud
trying to come over where we were. Ain't that "local knowledge" neat
;--)

I took the new boat south on Friday towards Naples Bay, Keewaydin Island,
Isles of Capri, Marco and Goodland. We tried to get lunch at the Snook Inn,
but there wasn't a slip available...and there were 4 or 5 boats waiting for
one to open. I ran towards Goodland, only to find Stan's still closed from
Wilma damage. Ran back to Snook Inn...and still crowded. Ran to Backwater
Nicks in Isles of Capri, and they're still closed from Wilma damage. Ran
back up to Naples Bay, and got hung up in a foot and a half of water smack
dab in the middle of the channel connecting Rookery Bay to the intracoastal
that runs from Keewaydin to Naples Bay. It was dead low tide. Got out and
pushed the stern to deeper water, and backed off the sandbar. That's the
second time I've run aground in a boat down here in 6 years...but the first
time that it happened in the middle of a channel. We finally made it to
Naples Bay, fueled up at the city dock, and ate at the City Dock restaurant.
Of course, all of the slips at the restaurant were full too...so I had to
pay the harbor master $20 to park the boat at the end of one of the piers.
So you're right...the snowbirds are back. I miss the summer months already.
:-(

It was the first long distance run that I made (except for transporting it
down here from Tampa), and the boat ran great. We had 7 adults and my 3
kids on board, and there was plenty of room for everyone.