The Sterling Lady
and Crew
Complete
America's Great loop
For the Second time!
11/20/09
Last nites anchorage was just a few miles south of Marco.
You have to go out about half a mile and make a u turn to go back in at Marco.
Boaters Take Note
Dependling on the age of your GPS,the yellow island just off the inlet on the charts, and GPS, is NOT there. A hurricane took it out.
The missing island--------------------------->
Another IMPORTANT note for Boaters!!
If you take this inside route, when you go under the Marco Bridge three very important things must happen for you to negotiate this channel successfully.
1. The red markers ,going south, go from on your right, to on your left right after this bridge.
2. The channel makes an abrupt hard right turn just as soon as you go thru the bridge
3. It's real dam shallow the rest of the way out. Watch your charts.
markers after this bridge are NOT close together.
Pink Rosetta Spoonbills!!
Passing Goodland, on the inside route.
When you depart the mainland, just past Goodland, at the inlet, it's gonna gonna get so skinny, it will scare you, but I have done this pass with 4 foot draft many times.
The green waters of the gulf were x tra smooth today.
A logerhead turtle poped up to take a peak at us .
Arriving at Shark River, tonites anchorage, the trees are still dead from a past hurricane.
This log wedged in the tree shows you how high the salt water got durring a past hurricane.
Shark river is very pretty, and Very remote. No cell phone,no air cards,just the VHF
The sun sets on this, sadly, our last nite, of the Great loop.
11/21/09
Our last day of this Loop!
The weather God's have been Exellent to us,a smooth gulf the whole time!! Thanks God!
It's just 20ish miles from Shark River , and we see the mile bridge, just south of Islamorada.
The closer we get to home, the clearer the water. Turtle grass on top, the smell of Salt Air,,I am nearly home!!
I have a obligation to offer praises to our trusty dinghy. I have towed this Carolina Skiff around the loop twice, plus thousands of miles cruising,,and it has always been there for us.
Well, except for that time in lake michigan.
Blue,Green and white Keys waters. Gold flag flying.
Dolphins welcomed us to our home waters, playing in our wake for 20 minutes.
Almost home, check out the clear waters!!
The fist mate cried when we entered Tarpon Basin,our home .
At the end of the canal, on the right, Home.
This adventure is over, for now.
Now we go back to work to make more $$ with a planed May 1, 2010 departure for Baltimore,the Erie canal,and in the fall, the St. Johns River.
But now, we will take our tons and tons of personal stuff of the boat, clean her up,
and will put the Sterling Lady up for sale.
Got my eye on a bigger boat. if your interesting in buying a nearly perfect looper boat, CLICK HERE
Stay tuned!!! More adventures ahead!!
Capt. Sterling
