Marco Island, The Everglades National Park and Marathon, FL
We enjoyed our stay in Fort Myers but we were ready to get back to boat life and continue chasing the sun and warmer weather. We did a ton of provisioning over December and so many nooks and crannies of the boat are stuffed. Even with that said, it is amazing the storage space we have onboard.
Cupboards are full but not busting at the seams, however unusual spots store most needed bulky items. The shower in the v-berth is stacked with cases of beer. We have heard beer in the Bahamas is extremely expensive! The Christmas Tree is vacuum seals and stored under the bed. The freezer is packed with proteins and we are also well stocked with toilet paper and paper towels since they are in the very expensive items category.
The Gulf of Mexico and Mother Nature provided us with four absolutely amazing days of calm sea, little to no wind and sunny days for cruising. Leaving Fort Myers on December 31, 2021, we traveled 153 miles, over 4 days arriving in Marathon, FL on January 3, 2024. There were numerous dolphin sightings as they played in the the wake of the bow or swam along side us. The final leg of our journey dolphins were replaced with crab traps. Dodging the traps is a like playing a game of frogger while running on a treadmill with about the same consequences as getting squished. We did find a trap under our swim platform but thankfully, hopefully, it broke off before getting tangled in the props.
Marco Island, FL
Since time is on our side, we are slowing moving down the Gulf of Mexico taking in the sights before hitting the Keys. Our first stop, was Marco Island, where we rang in the New Year. We anchored In Big Marco River, between Marco Island and Capri Island. A constant stream of day recreational boats zoomed by us but once the sun set, all was quiet on the water. However, over land there was a steady hum of music and fireworks. We took the dinghy ashore with the intention of walking around and checking out Marco Island but never left our first stop, Snooks Inn. The music and folks around the bar made time fly and next thing we knew it was dark, so we hopped into the dinghy and headed back to the boat.
Everglades National Park – Everglade City
The next day, New Years Day, we cruised to the Everglades National Park. We dropped the hook in Russell Pass which is off Russell Bay. It was a stark difference from the night before. Three Sons was surrounded by mangroves with the sound of dolphins swimming by and shrimp hitting the boat. We were treated to total peace, stillness and tranquility with shining stars providing the only light. When standing on the deck at night the quietness and darkness feels like you are the only people in the world. Although it is an amazing feeling, it has a bit of scary mixed in.
Before night fell, we ventured off in the dinghy to explore. During the four mile dinghy ride to Everglade City, we did not see much wildlife but saw some interesting landscapes of open water, narrow channels and many tree islands. Once we reached Everglade City, we got gas for the dinghy, explored an extremely bougee RV Park and Marina, had a drink and appetizer at City Seafood and bought a Powerball ticket. Thankfully, no one in Everglade City, FL won Powerball because my ticket flew out of my pocket and is lost somewhere in the waters of the Everglades.
Little Shark River
The last stop before the Keys was Little Shark River also located in the Everglades National Park. No land in sight, so, we relaxed on the boat with a delicious dinner, games and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
Marathon, FL
Segment Stats
- Fort Myers, FL to Marco Island, FL
- Sunday, December 31, 2023 – New Years Eve
- Cruising Time: 6 hours 23 minutes
- 49.4 Nautical Miles
- Weather: Temperatures 53-70, Winds: SSW 3-5mph, Sunny
- Route: Caloosahatchee River to Gulf of Mexico
- Anchored in Marco River
- Marco Island, FL to Everglades National Park, FL
- Monday, January 1, 2024 New Years Day
- 29.4 Nautical Miles
- Cruising Time: 4 hours 4 minutes
- Weather: Temperatures 55-68, Winds W3-5mph, Sunny
- Anchored in Everglades National Park, Russell Pass
- Everglades National Park (Russell Pass) to Everglades National Park (Little Shark River)
- Tuesday, January 2, 2024
- Nautical Miles: not sure NEBO crashed, we had no service and it did not recover.
- Weather: Temperatures 61-75, Winds: N 5-10mph, Sunny
- Anchored in Little Shark River
- Everglades National Park (Little Shark River) to Marathon FL
- Wednesday, January 3, 2024
- Cruising Time: 5h 20m
- Nautical Miles:37.9
- Weather: Temperatures 55-73, Winds: W 5-8mph, Sunny
- Anchored at 33rd St. Boat Ramp Anchorage
