Across Florida to Tarpon Springs

Goodbye to Loggerhead Marina and Stuart and our good friends there as the Orinoco leaves to cross the Okeechobee Waterway to the Western side of Florida.  Beautiful waters as we lock through the St. Lucie lock on the way to Indiantown and the big lake Okeechobee. It was a beautiful trip and sunny with adequate water as we floated through the Port Mayaca Lock on the east side of the lake and then followed a heading to the channel around the lake to Moorehaven, tied up and had outstanding Mexican food down the street.
Maggi loved to walk along the waterway on the path in the morning before we left heading West on the Caloosahatchee River.  Some critters were watching the little dog bark on the foredeck of the boat but I made sure she didn't go for a swim.

big hungry alligator awakes to the bark of a little dog

j

 Markers on the waterway keep us on course.

Poor abandoned wooden boat sits by the river
waiting for someone to bring it back to its former glory








We continued on the waterway to Ft. Myers, dropping anchor between the bridges for the night.  The next morning we set out to Useppa Island home to fancy vacation homes but nice place to anchor and watch the dolphins feeding in the evening.
The next morning we visited the Cayo Costa State Park that was named for the Cubans who had fish camps here.
Maggi and I took a nice hike through the jungle of trees before getting back on our little dinghy to head back to the mother ship.  People laughed at the dock about our name, One Ringhy Dinghy.

Later that night we left to go out to the Gulf through Boca Grande pass to journey out to Tarpon Springs due to arrive about 2 AM. 


Sunset on the Gulf as we enjoyed calm seas toward the north.

We arrived and tied to the dock at Tarpon Springs Yacht Service Sunday afternoon while we await to get our boat picked up and props sent back to the prop shop.
We do like Tarpon Springs and enjoy being here. Maggi was happy to get off the boat for awhile and walk on the land.