We got an early start, off around 0700, with the plan being
to get to Fort Myers. We did have to
wait for the next scheduled opening at one bridge for about 20 minutes, but
otherwise made good progress. The swing
bridges we have encountered the last two days have been unusual, both with
center pivots. Yesterday the bridge
tender had to walk out from the house to the center of the bridge and operate
the bridge from that location on the center pivot. She was out there on the little center pivot
as we passed by; I suppose she swims back if the bridge does not close. The larger swing bridge today required three
employees; one climbed down beneath each end of the bridge to manually remove a
latching pin, and then the third man operated the bridge from the control house
(at least not from out on the center pivot point). One would think that the unlatching could be
accomplished remotely with the saving of two salaries…
From time to time as we've traveled, various birds have come to audition for the position of Ship's Maidenhead. This fellow rode along with us for about a mile...
We then passed down behind Cayo Costa, North Captiva Island,
Captiva Island, and Sanibel Island.
These well-known resort areas had little visible development from the
ICW side, though we know that the beach-front development is more
extensive. Also, there were relatively
few available good anchorages, and shallow water extends a long way in from
shore.
About 1230 we reached Mile 0 of the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River near Fort Myers. We proceeded upriver about fifteen miles amid
rain showers, and after slowing to allow showers to pass, we docked about 1430 at
Legacy Harbour Marina, which will be our base for a few days before we depart
Florida’s west coast for Lake Okeechobee and then the east coast.
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