Post holiday cruising to Keewaydin Island

With the Christmas holiday over, it was time for Blue Turtle crew to get off the dock. The holidays have always been a great time for us to get off the dock. With work slowing down for Randy and I, and Corey out of school it’s always been a great time for us to cruise a little further than our neighboring spots. In the past, we’ve cruised to Palm Island Marina in Cape Haze, Pelican Bay/Cayo Costa and Keewaydin Island near Marco. The last time we cruised to Keewaydin was March of last year for Corey’s spring break. Sadly, we’ve only been off the dock 3 times or so since. The water quality and red tide definitely put a damper on our cruising over the summer but we hope to remedy that this winter by taking advantage of the cooler temps and better water conditions.

Beautiful Keewaydin Island

Since Corey has really been into wake boarding the last couple of years, cruising to Keewaydin Island has worked out great for us. When he’s not at the cable park (Revolution Cable Park) nearby, he’s wake boarding behind a boat. Since Corey’s friend and wake board coach, Nick, has a wake boarding business in Naples he frequently brings his boat down to the Keewaydin area. The past few times we’ve brought Blue Turtle to Keewaydin, Nick has come by most days and picked up Corey to take him boarding. This makes for a very happy teenager and we get some quiet time throughout the day to enjoy the weather and beach.

Corey’s leaving on Nick’s boat to go wake boarding

From left: Cam, Nick and Corey returning home from wake boarding

This year, we left the dock on New Years Eve and dropped anchor nearby around Matanzas Pass. We typically like to ding into shore for dinner and the boys enjoy staying up late for the fireworks. We left Fort Myers Beach the next morning and headed to Keewaydin. The conditions on the Gulf were perfect—flat and calm. After a few hours of relaxing, calm cruising on the Gulf, we entered Gordon’s Pass. From there, our peace and quiet was over as hundred’s of boats zoomed around and past us waking us right and left. Randy navigated us through the narrow channel and to the anchorage. We spent a couple of blissfully beautiful days at anchor there while Corey went wake boarding during the day. The only thing we could have done without were the noseeums and mosquitos. It was particularly warm that week which probably accounted for the buggyness, but they were particularly annoying around sunset.

Captain Randy takes us out of the marina to our anchorage a short distance way

View of the mooring field as we head out

We passed the FMB shrimp fleet on our way out

Heading into shore on New Years Eve

Our perfect Gulf conditions

Northern view from the Keewaydin anchorage

Corey getting picked up by Nick to go wake boarding

A gorgeous quiet evening on hook

View of Keewaydin from the bridge of Blue Turtle

Blue Turtle (with a teenage boy on the bridge) as we dinghy away

View of Blue Turtle anchored while dinghying to the beach

Picture perfect sunset on the Gulf of Mexico

Gorgeous sunset reflections on the water

With some wind and weather coming our way, we headed out at the end of the week toward Fort Myers Beach. Corey was planning a trip to Valdosta, Atlanta to visit the cable park there with some friends. We decided to go back to the marina for one evening to see Corey off and get caught up on some grocery shopping and laundry. The next afternoon, Randy and I headed back out to anchor near Matanzas Pass again for a couple nights. We just weren’t ready to face the dock life yet. Even with the wind blowing a bit, it was great to be off the dock and enjoy the quiet.