Sarasota, Venice, Ft. Myers Beach

After a few days in Sarasota, we left yesterday 1/22 to head back south. We stopped a few hours out at a free dock in Venice Florida. This dock is only available for 18 hours so after walking the town and having dinner at a nice restaurant last night we left this morning to head on down toward Ft. Myers Beach. We had tentatively decided to anchor out at Useppa Island again. Rain was forecasted for this evening and tomorrow so when we got to Useppa, we decided to go on to Ft. Myers Beach and pick up a mooring where we had been before. The weather cleared slightly and we came in to the mooring field with no problems. The weather is still forecasted to be rain tomorrow and tomorrow night and then it is to be "cold" by Friday morning (in the 40's). We will be here for a few days and then make our way back across the Okeechobee Waterway.

Stacy issues the following dispatch:
Well, I have no pictures ("No pictures Aunt Stacy??") so I will use words. Bill was leading coming around a large curve when he suddenly stopped. Moments later it was whoa SEASEA. Let's get the picture - skinny, skinny water (skinny meaning shallow). Turquoise clear water, narrow ICW channel with inlet to the Gulf of Mexico off to the side. Dead ahead we see a barge. It's coming our way; no...it's going South with us; no...it's coming our way. Paul has two handheld radios, one talking with Bill and the other trying to raise the barge. I am turning around trying not to run aground. Did I mention the 20 knot winds? Paul is saying "Stay calm Stacy!". "Take a deep breath Stacy!" "Do you want me to take it Stacy?" With no response from the barge on the normal channel 13 I grabbed the primary radio on channel 16 and said "barge headed north, where do you want me?" Response from barge was to pass on his starboard side. He had had a "little problem". He had run aground and was maneuvering back to deep water and then proceeding north directly toward us (did I mention we are in a narrow channel?). Bill turned in behind me and we scooted past the barge. One week ago when we were headed north we were in that same area at a bridge and another of my fears was realized-- A very strong current was running out the inlet and pushing on our stern into the bridge or the other boats waiting for the bridge to open. I had noticed the current and backed off (Paul thought too soon) but then we watched Bill do some loop-de-loops trying to stay off the bridge. Boy was I glad I had stopped well before the bridge and was able to hold without turning around or being pushed to the bridge. Everything here is narrow and skinny. But as John said on the dock at Lamb's in Jacksonville, "You'll do just fine". John, I did just fine.