Inglorious bastards
27-NOV-2020 Friday – Pelican Bay, Cayo Costa St Park FL to San Carlos Bay, Sanibel FL (18.3 nautical miles 21.1 statute miles)
26°27’43.8″N 82°05’16.1″W
26.462174, -82.087802
Elevation: Sea Level
States (1): Florida
‘Dis of the Day’
First Place: Thanks for the wake you inglorious bastard!
Second Place: Buy a cellphone you inglorious bastard! (i.e. get off the hailing channel VHF 16)
Good Bye to Cayo Costa
Looking back onto Pelican Bay as we left 
Immediately back with the crazies
Last look at Pelican Bay from the south end.
It’s too shallow to enter from this direction.
Key to Cabbage Key
We were at Cabbage Key two years ago on our last Loop. Cabbage Key Marina is where Dale had the ‘toe incident’ and we had to leave town in a hurry. Keeping the long story short, we took off without returning the bathroom key. It got returned today.
Cabbage Key Marina and restaurant
We figured the small Cabbage Key Marina and restaurant would be busy, being Black Friday and all. We opted to anchor yes dear… on the other side and take The Mooch (a.k.a. the dingy dinghy) into the marina.
It’s tough enough when yes dear… gets hit with a 4 foot beam wake; but it’s a whole new game when The Mooch gets hit. (Our dingy dinghy’s name is The Mooch). I knew the The Mooch could take the wave but I thought for sure Dale and I would be popped out and swimming. Thanks for the wake all you inglorious bastards!
Inglorious bastard! Did you too have to wake us?? 
boats were circling looking for a place to dock or pull up 
We just popped The Mooch right in and tied her up. 
With The Mooch secured we headed up to the restaurant for lunch 
local resident gopher tortoise 
The only way you can get to Cabbage Key is private boat or shuttle boat.
The restaurant waiting list was long for parties of four or more. Us as a party of two, immediate seating. The staff has turned over since we were last here. I didn’t see a single worker over 65. Last time I didn’t see a single worker under 65.
There’s about $100,000 on the walls and ceilings in the restaurant. Each year about $15,000 falls off (or a section gets cleaned off), collected and donated to a local charity.
the ceiling has been cleaned since we were last here 
adding a dollar 
1/2 gallon
The final event was to drop off the key.
The Mooch was pinned into shore when we returned to her to leave. We had to pick her up and drag her to another location where we could just squeeze her through.
The Mooch was tied right in front of these two Inglorious bastards! They came in after us and pinned her. With their power poles set we couldn’t spread them enough to squeeze The Mooch through.
Back on our way
This is unusual. No land around these houses. They probably don’t need to water their yards. 
Looks like the one in the middle is missing
Inglorious bastard! 
This might not look like much but this is a BIG wake 
Inglorious bastard! Are you close enough??? 
Inglorious bastard! Slow down! 
Approx four miles of powerline running through Pine Island Sound out to Sanibel 
Fort Meyers and the bridge to Sanibel
As soon as we dropped the anchor we dropped The Mooch and headed off to explore Tarpon Bay. Tarpon Bay is part of J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. It is completely surrounded by mangroves and there are about 5 mangrove islands in the middle. It seems that every pelican in the area must roost on them at night.
entrance in the back ground and mangrove islands 
mangrove islands filled with pelicans 
only at high tide exit ahead
Good night
Fort Meyers on the left. Sanibel on the right.
Floccinaucinihilipilification
Inglorious bastards pirates Lafitte, Blackbeard, Black Caesar, and Gasparilla are all said to have and made camps on Sanibel and Captiva.
Gasparilla (Jose Gaspar) was a pirate for 38 years and attacked more than 400 ships in the Gulf. His main camp was located near Charlotte Harbor, which is Ft. Myers today. He took women from wealthy families and held them captive for ransom on the island of Captiva in the late 1700s/early 1800s, which is how Captiva got its name.
Drolleries and Yuks
Why don’t pirates shower before they walk the plank?
~ Because they’ll just wash up on shore later.
Why is pirating so addictive?
~ They say once ye lose yer first hand, ye get hooked!
Where does a pirate by a hook?
~ At the second hand store.
What has 8 legs, 8 arms, and 8 eyes?
~ 8 pirates.
What do ye call a pirate with two eyes and two legs?
~ A rookie.