Laishley Park Municipal Marina, Punta Gorda … for a month!

Day 225 … Fri, Dec 1, 2017 … 38.8 miles, 4:45 hours

Days 226-230 … Sat-Wed Dec 2-6, 2017

Indian Mound Park, Sarasota, FL to Laishley Park Municipal Marina, Punta Gorda, FL

Our last cruise for a while; time to hang out, enjoy the weather, get some chores done and relax. But first we have to get there.

More wildlife along the way today …

We heard the town had Christmas Events planned for tonight … we found the info, but ran out of energy to join in the festivities.

Yep, missed the tree lighting …

The marina is quite nice … most everything we could want with multiple parks for Cally, home made ice cream shop at the marina, nice restaurant at the marina, downtown shopping & more restaurants is on the other side of the parking lot from the marina including a Farmers Market every Saturday! Other big town amenities are just an Uber or rental car away.

Other Looper friends (Donna Mae & Craic) are already here, including Riley from Craic … one of Cally’s buddy dogs!

Cally has meet a few of the local dogs, including Mandy the 7 month old pup. They are great friends already and enjoy chasing each other and wearing each other out!!

There is even a Tiki Bar Restaurant on the walking trail.

Guess Santa is looking for inspiration on which town to stop by first …

Saturday I shopped the Farmers market … one of the best I had seen on the Loop.

Docktails on Donna Mae with Craic to watch the super moon rise … no one took photos.

Oh well, next time.

Indian Mound Park– a Historic Indian Burial Ground Site

Day 224 … Thurs, Nov 30, 2017 … 31 miles, 4.5 hours

Marina Jacks, Sarasota, FL to Indian Mound Park, Paulson Point, Sarasota, FL

Farther down the FICW today. Part of the time is past mangroves, part of the time in a man made canal and through a lot of bridges, of which some had to open for us.

One of the bridges that did not need to open for us, but was not that much taller.

Clearly this bridge had to open for us!!

Once at anchor, the beach and park are in sight. Cally gets to swim again; 2 days in a row!! Later 3 Loopers pass us, SV Glass Slipper & buddy boat SV No Worries, then Kia Mae passes. Both are continuing on farther that us today.

The park is named for the Indian Burial Ground it surrounds as part of the park.

Click on link below for more information on the this archeological site

https://www.trailoffloridasindianheritage.org/indianmoundpark

We are anchored in front of a few very nice homes with very handsome boats at the pier. Hope they don’t mind the view for the night.

Goodnight from Indian Mound Park

Looks like Cally enjoys sunsets as much as I enjoy them.

The next morning, well before we pull up the anchor … row teams are out practicing.

Tomorrow, Punta Gorda … home for a month!!

Marina Jack’s, Sarasota, FL

Day 223 … Wed, Nov 29, 2017 … 31.9 miles, 5 hours

Maximo Park to a mooring at Marina Jack’s, Sarasota, Fl

First up, we cross Tampa Bay; we only see the Sunshine Skyway Bridge from a distance. Then another interesting day down the FICW. Lots to see on either bank and several bridges to go through.

I enjoy watching all the birds on the markers.

Our first choice of an anchorage next to a great park for Cally, was a bit too open & unprotected from winds, so we moved slightly south and took a mooring at Marina Jack’s in Sarasota. A mooring is a permanently anchor connected by chain to a large floating ball with a line attached. I needed to grab the line and secure it to the boat. That will hold us like putting an anchor down with out using our anchor. More boats fit when moored AND the marina can charge for the mooring.

I got it the first time, but the wind blew before I could secure it; SO, the captain had to maneuver us back to the ball again. Second time worked well. This was our first mooring; I have read lots of accounts of how many times it took (think an hour or two) to grab correctly AND tales of first mates going over board trying to grab the mooring ball line. First time out, not so bad.

during the afternoon we saw another boater (not a Looper) being towed into the marina.

Here’s one of the party boats taking folks on a cruise. Very festive!

The best news? Cally could go swimming here. Though the marina itself and it’s dinghy dock are NOT very accommodating for us to bring the dog to shore there is a park with beach right at the mooring field. So, we just went to the beach and park and skipped the marina side of things.

The park has a Tiki bar; we didn’t have time or energy to stop by there. BUT, Cally could have gone with us.

Good night from Sarasota FL