Boating to Tarpon Lodge, Pine Island

For our second boat trip destination on our birthday / anniversary weekend getaway, we travel to Pine Island’s Tarpon Lodge resort in SW Florida. Wilson’s Cut channel is narrow, shallow and difficult to navigate but we forge on to the historic 1926 lodge that sports cottages, pools, restaurants and outdoor bars. Tarpon Lodge is famous for their sunsets annd fishing over Pine Island sound and this trip certainly did not disappoint.
Follow us as we travel from Cape Coral to Cayo Costa’s Pelican Bay sandbar by Cabbage Key, Useppa Island and finally back home to St James city and Picnic Island in this birthday series.

[@pamelagrusz8137]

Did this before hurricane Ian in our 26ft crownline. Was told to go in that shallow channel on plane. One boat at a time. Pretty shallow. We made it! Food was worth it. Not sure new boat would make it draft 3.5

[@chuckvogt899]

When is the 42ft FB coming?

[@lesliefleming4359]

Most people are always looking for a bigger boat! When you get old like me, you are looking for a smaller one.😢 had a 40 foot lobster boat. On down to a 16 footroundabout. down to a paddle boat I made out of plywood and two by fours when I was 12, lol

[@edwardranno7119]

Big boats are too much work.I have had many boats up to 37 ft and my favorite boat was 22 foot!

[@lesliefleming4359]

@@edwardranno7119 yes, you’re right. We had a 22 foot cuddly cabin. and had lots of fun on it for years. I think our favorite was a 28 foot regal. Never know . May look for one again.

[@r7boatguy]

I've taken a couple of half-day fishing trips out of there. Very handy location.

[@mycompasslawp.a.4328]

We took the boat there a few months before Ian and stayed for three days. Really cool place to have a little "staycation."

[@scottyk8017]

Been there twice and no one was around. Enjoyed the bar as well. Did you look at the old time pics on the wall in the lodge?

[@jonmenges2256]

Can't find the boat....can't remember how many drinks you had. I'm starting to wonder if you had 2 bartenders because 1 couldn't keep up with you 😂😂

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

lol 😂

[@craigc.7033]

I bet a beer, you keep the tracker history always on, with the GPS?

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

Yes. I never shut it off. It just overwrites itself when the memory is full. Keeps about a years worth of data.

[@craigc.7033]

@@AdventuresofHappyOurs That tracker history is perfect for that area, especially your exploring new areas. I have a Searay 34' DA. I keep it on all the time as well, throughout the Great Lakes.

[@fairwind8222]

And cabbage key!

[@bryancozad5317]

Great video! It hit me while I was watching, that I have been there. We had taken our boat from Palm Beach to visit friends on Matlacha. Tarpon Lodge is beautiful and the food is five star. As always, thank you for sharing all your Adventures!

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

Thank you!

[@larrys4109]

Great video as usual! Happy Birthday Tom and Happy Anniversary to you both!

[@V.V-gh9kq]

Pros and cons of the Regal? Would you buy again or go with a different boat?

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

No major cons at this time. There is good room in cabin for its size. I’ve heard a lot of bad things about the westerbeke generator. I’m having issues with it too. They “overthink the plumbing” with that generator.

[@edwardranno7119]

Looks nice😊

[@skipper260]

Nice looking place. Did you motor in during high tide? It looked like a good time!

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

I don’t recall the tide but it appears a to be on the high side.

[@JG-wr1sl]

You're getting good on the harmonica lol

[@heyjules2008]

You should have played corn hole AFTER your 2,3,4 drinks 😂 looks like you had a great time! Love that place 🥰

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

That would have been a hot mess. Lol

[@heyjules2008]

@@AdventuresofHappyOurs oh, but a great video ! lol

[@lordTowle]

I have seen them have weddings, or something, there. Probably a beautiful venue for that. That channel coming in, I have only done with paid fishing captains; they rip right through it (even the 39' Capehorn captain). It looks tight to me, from the video, they make it look easy. Stick close to the rocks and go fast, 😆. (There's also another way in there but, it looks scary to me, especially on low tide) Worth mentioning, one of the "subscription" boat rental companies rents boats out of the marina there. It is worth the car drive so you don't have to go through the 'miserable mile'. The channel between Captiva and North Captiva is a bit tricky, going to the gulf.

[@skabonski]

👍

[@RedDragon72q]

Love your adventures! Just watched the whole series front NY to Florida. QQ.. what are the glasses with the camera? Again loving the videos and how you add tips and tricks into each one. Can't wait for the next one.

[@bigdaddyspeeddemon]

Very nice trip. Happy Birthday and Anniversary. Two quick questions, how long did it take you to get to cabbage key from roughly rum runners area, and how long to Tarpon lodge from roughly rum runners area. I am guessing you came out of that area from your house down there. We're down there in May and June and I want to get to Cayo to see the beaches and maybe tool around some of the islands to get to know the area better. From Rum runners I can tack on another 45-50 minutes for me to get down the canal. :) Thanks for the video love it.

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

It’s about 1.5hrs at 25mph average from Rumrunners to cabbage key. That takes into account the slow speed zone.

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

To tarpon lodge figure another 15 minutes from cabbage key.

[@bigdaddyspeeddemon]

@@AdventuresofHappyOurs thank you

[@JJ-gd7gf]

Pineland marina next door was my favorite launch spot years ago, before traffic to Pine island got so bad. I love that area.

[@Buzzinho-pn6rf]

No crowds! My kind of place. Enjoy yourselves!

[@stew8834]

Hope you guys had a great time. You guys deserve it.

[@Jarek13]

No video form the 420 concert?

[@Ryanrock2]

Happy Birthday Tom!! and Happy Anniversary to the Admiral and to the Captain!!

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

Thanks Ryan!

[@MVScottFree]

Omg this episode was hilarious! We discovered your channel when we were searching for info on hurricane Ian. My parents used to own a house on Pine Island right in St. James city. We were trying to see if it had survived..... and your video with Happy Hours on someones lawn came up! We are fellow boaters. We bought a fixer upper and are hard at work bringing her back to her former glory. We started a channel about it called Scott Free Boating if your interested. One day we would love to travel from Ontario Canada down the ICW to Florida and then over to the Bahamas. Keep the videos coming we really enjoy them .

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

Thanks. Was your old house on Monroe canal? If so, we may have it in video. We toured Monroe canal after Ian and made a video of it. I’ll check out your channel. Thanks!

[@MVScottFree]

@@AdventuresofHappyOurs I'm not sure of the name of the canal, but it was the main one going in at St. James city it was a few doors up from the Waterfront restaurant. I watched all your videos hoping to see it but I didn't. the address was 2181 Oleander Drive. It was right beside the place where they would load barges. Spent many a good time there. Sad to see what happened down there.

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

@MVScottFree ok I know where it is. We tried going to the waterfront restaurant a couple weeks ago but it was too windy and the docks too short for the 26’ Regal XO. You’ll see that video in a week or so.

[@MVScottFree]

@@AdventuresofHappyOurs OK, do you go past the house in that video? Thanks for the reply

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

We went only as far as the next canal junction to turn around. I see in the background what appear to be a couple 2 story houses a few lots down from the restaurant.

[@freedomwanderer91]

Looked like a lot of fun.

[@Jarek13]

Great spot!

[@thomasscialpi8330]

love the content , was wondering what dingy you recommend to buy. i live on state island and always on the raritan bay and just bought a 35ft boat. i got three little ones ranging from 5 years to 1 years old . and me and my wife want to go to some of these sandbar spots and spend the day on the beach with the kids. but going to need a tender to get back and fourth from the anchorage of the boat . just curious on what you recommend

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

First , what can your boat handle? You need to find a Davit system that will handle lifting the boat - whether manually or automatic. Our biggest struggle is getting the dinghy back on the boat. If it’s too heavy to handle, it’s not good.

[@thomasscialpi8330]

@@AdventuresofHappyOurs Yes, just watched your video of the installation of the davit system on your Meridian . How did you know what Davist system to get on your boat ?

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

@@thomasscialpi8330 I researched what other Meridian 341 owners installed and went from there. I’ve found I need a very light dinghy and motor combo as I’m manually pulling this dinghy up on the Davit.

[@thomasscialpi8330]

@@AdventuresofHappyOurs yea dont seem to find a lot of info on my specific boat . But one other question and ill leave you be lol. What specific dinghy do you use , does it have aluminum bottom or fiberglass ?

[@AdventuresofHappyOurs]

@@thomasscialpi8330 I currently have the fiberglass bottom RIB-260 from West Marine. What kind of boat you have that you want a Davit on?

[@leanneadams2549]

Y’all can let me out of your suitcase now !!!!! 😂 🛥️ ❤👍