Nov 22, Boca Grande, FL

We moved from Sarasota, south in the GIWW, about 50 miles to Gasparilla Island and the small town of Boca Grande. We see some interesting sights along the way.

Beautiful home just south of Sarasota.
There are lots of pretty homes along the waterway.
This one was outstanding!

A group of rowers practicing in rowing shells.
They do not have much 'freeboard' so we give them a very 'slow pass'.

Going through a narrow opening swing bridge.

Sea Tow towing a sailboat.

A single dolphin (porpoise) begins playing in our wake. He is propelled along and seems to enjoy the 'free ride'. Then another and another and another.

The first dolphin playing in our wake
since before Panama City.

Then two.

Then three.

Then four.
Several times we count at least six.

The dolphins stayed with the boat for at least a half hour. We were going a constant 8.4 knots in water that was about 8-10 feet deep in the channel and 2-8 feet outside the channel. Maybe they were attracted by the music.

There are few bridges linking the mainland to the barrier island. Here a car ferry helps out a few miles south of Venice.

Abandoned railroad over the water led to from the mainland to Boca Grande. Reminder of the days when some travelled by private rail car.
Boca Grande was a playground for the very wealthy.
Including JP Morgan.

Cormorants need to dry their wings from time to time.

Our marina tonight is the Boca Grande Marina (formerly Millers). Linda and Owen think they were here about 1970 when they went fishing for tarpon with Jack and Linda Prescott in a chartered boat in the Boca Grande pass. Linda caught a hundred pounder in the middle of the night with the flood light showing the fish jump and the silvery spray flying off the fish as he tried to shake the hook. An unforgettable sight and very nice memory.

Boca Grande Marina.
Sure has changed and the charter fishing fleet is gone.

Gasparilla Inn.
A Boca Grande landmark. Very well maintained.

Refurbished train station, now shops and a restaurant.
A project of 'looper' Tom Dabney.

Boca Grande is the tarpon fishing capital of Florida when the tarpon are here. There will be hundreds of boats in 'the pass' fishing 'elbow to elbow' looking for 100 pound tarpon. Tarpon season begins in late April, hits it's peak in May and June, and continues into july. The pass at Boca Grande is an exciting place to be.

We took a drive around the island and found a lot of upscale residential building has occurred in Boca Grande in the last 40 years since Linda and Owen were here in the 1970's. The style is mostly old Florida architecture with white or grey wood siding and metal roofs and built up on stilts over a carport to protect against hurricanes. The railroad has been replaced by a bike path running the length of the island.