Adjusting to boat life

Ibis exploring the surf at Cayo Costa.

All 4 of us are adjusting to boat life. Before leaving I sketched out a tentative plan for our travels. We haven’t stuck to the plan for a single day. The first day was short, stopping before an open water crossing to wait for lower winds. Day 2 we crossed comfortably and anchored  at Cayo Costa – still very close to home.
We spent a wonderful relaxing day exploring by dinghy, beach combing and trail hiking.

Beaching the dinghy at Cayo Costa.

My plan had us stopping at anchorages near Sanibel and at the south end of Pine Island. But, the forecast is for increasing winds and rain so we opted to cross the more open water and get the “miserable mile” behind us. We’re now anchored in Glover Bight in Cape Coral at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. Now if winds and rains appear we’re in a river away from big stretches of sea.
Most things are going well. We have a few glitches. The windlass isn’t working fully, the autopilot started making a noise, and our new inverter won’t charge. If it were’nt for mechanical systems, this boating stuff would be fun. We’re now farther away from home than we’ve fewer been in the boat. Each day is filled with a series of firsts.