Return Sail to Fort Myers Beach

After a week of fun, sun, and wind in the Dry Tortugas we decided to sail the 120 miles across the Gulf to our marina in Fort Myers Beach--approximately a 24 hour run. We pulled out around 8:30 a.m. on Feb.15th and sailed (even though the wind wasn't where we wanted it) through the day, spending much of our time reading, watching dolphin play in the wake of the bow, and listening to music. But the most magical part of any long trip is the nighttime sky. As the sun set, the constellations started to appear. Since we were out of sight of land, the sky was brilliant--with layers of stars visible beyond the constellations. At 2:40 am, a red Cheshire moon rose on the eastern horizon. Throughout the entire time on the Gulf, we saw only one other vessel--a huge fishing boat. We arrived around 9:30 am on the 16th, a bit groggy but happy to be 'home'.