Ep. 182, ⛵️ Sailing Into the Path of a HURRICANE🌀Matlacha Florida

Casting off from Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda, Barefoot Sailing Adventures set a course south across Charlotte Harbor toward the shallow passages of Matlacha Pass aboard their Odin 820 powersailer, Split Personality. As evening settled across the Florida waterway, the temperature held steady at 72 degrees. The crew motored past residential shorelines before easing into an anchorage north of Matlacha to wait for daylight.

Despite the flat calm surface across the anchorage, the tidal flow proved relentless. Around 3:00 in the morning, rushing water surged along the hull, signaling the powerful tidal movements characteristic of the pass. As Ashley Toland noted after daybreak, “we could hear the current pick up in the middle of the night” with swift water sliding against the hull while the surface remained glassy.

Clearing Tackle and Rigging for the Pass

Morning brought an overcast sky across the mangrove horizon, greeting the mariners with a classic nautical warning: “red sky in the morning sailors take warning”. With local fishermen motoring out toward the Gulf, Mike and Ashley Toland prepared the vessel to get underway. Hauling the ground tackle revealed a dense mass of seaweed packed tightly across the anchor rollover bar, demonstrating the holding power of the gear against reversing tidal flows.

Before firing up the engine to depart the anchorage, the crew carefully inspected the side decks. A loose line secured along the gunwale required checking to ensure it would not dangle overboard and foul the outboard propeller. The moment prompted a lighthearted reflection on maritime terminology. As Mike remarked to the crew, “a rope turns into a line when it has a purpose” once brought aboard a vessel. Ashley elaborated on the hierarchy of boat gear, adding that “if it has an extra special purpose is it’s a sheet” handling active sail control.

Navigating the State Road 78 Drawbridge

Steering south along the channel toward Matlacha, the sounder registered roughly 6 feet of water, with shallow shoals bordering the narrow passage. Directly ahead stood the State Road 78 bascule bridge, spanning Matlacha Pass with a closed vertical clearance of only 9 feet. Because the powersailer carried its full mast aloft, navigating underneath required a coordinated opening from the tender.

Mike keyed the VHF microphone to establish radio contact with the bridge operator: “SR 78 Bridge SR 78 Bridge sailing vessel split personality headed southbound requesting an opening over”. After the tender acknowledged the transmission, the massive counterweighted leaves swung upward. The crew steered Split Personality through the opened passage, managing the vessel through the fast-moving tidal stream surging between the bridge fenders.

Docking at Matlacha and Assessing Storm Conditions

Once south of the bridge, the helmsman lined up the approach to the docks outside Bert’s Bar and Grill. The swift current pressed against the hull, requiring careful handling at the helm while deckhands set fenders along the starboard side to cushion the impact against the dock pilings. The crew made their lines fast, stepped ashore to explore the local shops, and sat down for a hot meal.

Outside, the weather continued to deteriorate with dark, leaden clouds gathering over the horizon. Recognizing that tropical weather was strengthening across the region, the crew evaluated their planned voyage down the coast toward Key West. Rather than running south into worsening weather, they made the executive decision to secure the vessel and remain in Matlacha. As Ashley explained, “we’re going to wait we’re not going to force the issue we’re going to take our time” until the weather clears.

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