Gemini Charter By Arlen Bensen
Aftica sitting in her home berth at Burnt Store Marina. Photo by Glenda Libby.
P
unta Gorda forms a knuckle on the western shore of Charlotte Harbor on Florida’s Gulf Coast. For sailors, it’s ideally situated to pick up many of the area’s prevailing breezes and reach through open waters to Boca Grande Pass and the Gulf of Mexico. In early December, I sampled this by chartering a Gemini 105 Mc (34-feet) catamaran from Yachting Vacations at Burnt Store Marina and Country Club. Her name was Aftica, and I chose her for shallow draft (18 inches boards up), roominess and level sailing. This fiveday cruise was a long-overdue wedding gift for a cousin who’d hardly sailed—and who’d never slept on a boat at anchor. Boarding for Yachting Vacations charters began at 1400 hours on arrival day. My companion Glenda and I arrived at 1350, and the smiling staff immediately inspired optimism for a joyous cruise. The largest boat I’ve owned was a Corsair F27 trimaran, and the largest I’d seriously skippered was a 30-foot monohull. We need to go out on a short instruction sail, and we had a lot to do this Thursday afternoon. My cousins were flying into Fort Myers from chilly Virginia and coming to Burnt Store by a car service. Glenda and I needed to go through Aftica’s systems and the cruising area with the Yachting Vacations’ staff. We felt there was a team of people actively helping us put all our ducks in a row. Moreover, News & Views for Southern Sailors
both Peter and our skipper Guy were so enjoyable that we felt fortunate to be making new friends rather than simply conducting business. My cousins had arrived while we were out on our short instruction sail, and they greeted us as we returned to the dock. After stowing all the gear, we sat down to an appetizing meal in the cozy marina restaurant that was steps away from Aftica. In the morning, we couldn’t tear ourselves away without treating ourselves to goodies from the gourmet deli at the dock. By 0930 we’d motored out into Charlotte Harbor and set our sails to broad reach the 10 miles to Cayo Costa and Pelican Bay where we planned to spend our first night at anchor. While the midday mid 80-degree temperatures were pleasant, the prevailing pattern for our cruise saw lulls in the breeze through the late mornings and early afternoons. Thankfully, we had no appointments nor were we in a hurry. Cayo Costa State Park is a key immediately south of Boca Grande Pass on the Gulf of Mexico, and it’s one of Florida’s secret treasures. It’s undeveloped and boasts seven miles of pristine Gulf front often touted as among America’s seven best beaches. Perhaps the fact that it’s only accessible by boat has helped to keep it au naturel. Primitive camping, and cabin rentals are available on the Gulf side of the park, and the rangers run open-air transportation to help get your gear across the half mile from the SOUTHWINDS March 2008
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