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| We departed Miami for the west coast of Florida on March 29th (2004). After overnight stops in Rodriguez and Marathon Keys.
we sailed north around Cape Florida to the west side of Florida. Up until now, we have had good sailing conditions, but that ended with wind heading us and blowing
20-25 knots. In these conditions, navigating 25 miles a days is stressful because you have a lot of spray coming over the boat and a lot of motion that you must fight to keep from
falling down. Also the speed you can maintain is lowered by the waves crashing onto the bow of the boat. We enjoyed a two-day respite in the Everglades to rest up and reprovision. Anchored a few miles out of Everglades City, we noticed a lot of boat traffic during all hours of the day. Taking the dinghy into Everglades City, we tied up at the town dock and walked around this sleepy village that claims to be the "gateway to the Everglades". Of course, the Everglades area is a vast nature preserve and the habitat of thousands of birds, gators, snakes, cattle, sugar cane, fish and even panthers. So a lot of ecotourism goes on here, as well as visits from the curious. Mostly swamp and jungle, the area holds Lake Okeechobee, a huge waterway and recreation area of 730 square miles. After motor-sailing for three more days (anchoring at night) we reached Sarasota. After securing First Star in the marina, we rode the newly re-instated trolley into town. Since it was the first day of service, a reporter from the Sarasota Herald Tribune was aboard and looking for a story. We were featured on page one of the local section the next day, picture and all. The next day, Leigh flew out to see her mother and I took care of the boat and Zephyr. Anchored in Otter Key, I could leave the dinghy at a bulkhead near the beach and walk to St Armand's Circle, where the bus system is available to take you all over for 50 cents! Sarasota, known for its beaches, is a very nice city. The weather in April is pretty good also, with high temps in the 80's, lows in the 60's and a nice breeze. On Mother's Day weekend we rented a car and drove to St. Petersburg, Tampa and Bowling Green, where my mother was born and buried. Mother's parents lived there until they died. Grandpa Pyatt was a country doctor who was well-respected in this tiny community, so much so that they built a nice park in his honor. 
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