Ding Darling Anchorage

 Wednesday, February 10, 2021. Day 66.

We have been at the Legacy Harbor Marina in Fort Myers since last Sunday; 10 days. This is the longest time we have been anywhere. The week turned into a month commitment here, coming and going during the month, as they don't have room for us for the whole month. Due to the vaccine schedule in the panhandle, combined with the forecast for heavy winds, all plans had to be changed.

The way pricing works, once we were here over a week, the most economical plan was to pay for a month, although we couldn't actually stay for 30 days. Part of learning to be a boater, I needed to get a handle on the marina pricing plans. It was a bit like volume pricing, the more you buy, the lower the price per unit. So, new plan: we had to leave today, not return until Sunday, and then go and return again on certain agreed upon dates.

We were anxious to start cruising again. We spent the morning getting ready to ship out (last- minute shopping, empty the holding tank, get the lines ready, check the systems, fill the water tank,warm up the motor, etc.).

The day was a pleasure: comfortably warm (still wearing Devigi summer clothing), and sunny. The birds were singing and it was quiet on the dock; Sassy must have had an extra day at the resort because they didn’t return yesterday; we will miss them.

We had left the stern door open all night to enjoy the cool air but, not with standing having the screen in place, the little black bugs were all over the ceiling and walls of the salon. Hopefully at anchor we will not be living with these little tiny bugs.

We expected to be out at anchor for 5 or 6 days and hoped to have good Wi-Fi with our hotspot because this was bill week and it takes me two days to get everything together, reviewed, and paid for the month. The process is new for me as until we left in December, all the bills came in the mail for my review. Getting all of them on line is a system change for me, and I do not take easily to change (this may seem unbelievable to some in light of my jumping off the cliff onto Magic Moments and motoring into the sunset with almost no preparation, but it is true. I tend to resist change and my bill paying system works for me. A new system creates stress....but there was no choice). When the weather is not so beautiful, I don’t mind sitting at the computer so much. I had lots to follow up this week for WIL, and I had at least two segments of the blog to dictate and edit, so I had many things to keep me busy in addition to the dishes and cleaning. Laundry had to wait until we were back on the dock.

We were hoping to get a second vaccine closer, although it was beginning to look more and more unlikely. But we were going to give it a try. In the meantime, we determined to enjoy cruising around the general area as much as possible.

In addition to several trips back to Publix before we left and of having missed a call from Lee County which I had hoped would give me a second vaccine nearby, (I really freaked out when I realized we had each missed the Lee County call!), we finally got off the dock quite beautifully actually. Captain Roland is getting better and better at de-docking.

A good part of my day while we were cruising was spent listening to the impeachment trial. It was extremely painful listening to the details presented by the house managers; so upsetting.

We anchored in Pine Island Sound within the “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, between Captiva and Sanibel Islands, where we had anchored before. The location is perfect protection from south winds and it was windier than we had hoped.

The anchorage is lovely: it is peaceful, beautiful, cool and clear, and comfortable. We had a wonderful dinner of lamb, grilled off the stern (no grilling on the boat is allowed at marinas, another advantage to anchoring), mushroom risotto, and lots of wine. While I did the dishes, we caught up on the news.

Thursday, February 11, 2021. Day 67.

The impeachment trial continued to dominate my life. I again listened on my phone, I didn't know if I’d be able to get TV reception, but I was concerned that seeing the videos of January 6, and all that led up to that day, would be far too upsetting; listening was difficult enough.

We had hoped to move to Pelican Bay (we had heard how lovely it was), but the winds were so heavy that we had to postpone moving and stay in this protected area. So there we stayed, between Captiva and Sanabel islands. The boat was rocking quite a bit with the wind so I delayed spinning until after 4pm. 

Roland put out the fishing line with lore hoping that he would be able to catch some fish. No success. We were really looking for an opportunity to test the dinghy again (we really needed the practice), and to try the stand up paddle boards. Unfortunately the heavy winds caused the delay of those plans as well. Between the impeachment trial, trying to arrange the second shot closer, simultaneously making arrangements for a second trek to the panhandle, and various computer and paperwork obligations, I had plenty to keep me busy.

Friday, February 12, 2021. Day 68. And Saturday, February 13, 2021. Day 69.

I wasn't sleeping. I had insect bites all over my arms and ankles, and the itching was driving me crazy. I was miserable. The wind was rocking the boat and the eerie sounds of the chain rubbing were not helping.

The day was cool, the morning foggy, but the wind had abated a bit. Opportunity to go to Pelican Bay, or try the dinghy or the SUPs? This is the only place nearby that was protected from the south wind so, we stayed. It is interesting on the boat at anchor: there is always a beautiful water view!

There were several other wonderful anchorages if the wind had been from the north, however that was not the situation so there we stayed. It was pretty and it was quiet, so I did my work, read, cleaned, and listened to the shocking and incredibly painful impeachment trial, for yet another day.

In the late afternoon, I got into my brand new shorty wetsuit while Roland set up one of the SUPs for me to try (I guess I look a bit like a guinea pig!). It was a little awkward the first time trying to board the board (smile), off of the swim platform (thank goodness for the staple), but the wind was still too strong and the water way too choppy. I had to paddle into the wind rather frantically to avoid being blown away from the boat. After very few minutes it was clear that the conditions were not appropriate for stand up paddle boarding. I got myself back onto the boat, not so easily, and we decided to wait until it was calmer. Unfortunately, calmer it was not going to be for quite awhile.

So, with the wind blowing steadily, we cooked, we ate, we drank, we cleaned, we listened to the impeachment trial, enjoyed the scenery, paid bills, read, and I found ways to exercise. Unfortunately, I was still sleeping very little as a result of the insect bites which were still causing me to itch all over.

We have had several weather delays throughout this trip however none have ever been as long as this one. As much as I enjoy anchoring out, I was now looking forward to returning to the marina, doing the laundry, going for a run, cycling, obsessing over getting the second vaccine shot, and waiting out the next 10 days of heavy wind.

Sunday February 7, 2021. Day 63.

I got up early and did the dishes from last night's dinner. Roland had made grilled cheese upon our return at 10 pm, from the panhandle.

Although the forecast said rain, the day turned out to be quite beautiful; warm, so warm in fact that I actually broke out my summer clothes. I am now wearing Devigi shorts rather than the Devigi long sleeves and long pants. Thank goodness for Devigi, it solves all of my clothing problems.

So it is now warm, very warm, and Roland tried to get the AC to work. Surprise! A new issue. The AC is not working correctly. As usual, as soon as something new comes along on the boat, another growth opportunity!!

As as usual, Roland broke out all of the manuals, read everything, did some research, tried lots of things on the three air conditioning units, and finally just texted guru Scott.

During this time I was trying to get my email to work. We had obviously been away from email for several days and it was time for me to check the status of the world. I was extremely frustrated, the marina had Wi-Fi but every time I clicked onto the Wi-Fi showing five bands, it dropped to one band and was unsteady. After an hour or two of this stress, (no AC, no wifi), I gave up and decided to go for a walk. There is just so much technology frustration I can handle.

Because we did not know whether or not Roland would have been able to get his vaccine on Saturday with me and may have had to wait until late Sunday afternoon, we had arranged for the rental car through Monday morning, giving us a car to do errands for another day. Roland drove to the usual: West Marine, and Lowes. As luck would have it, a brand new Trader Joe's (his favorite), had just opened nearby, so he got to stop by there as well.

In the afternoon we walked over to Edison Ford Gardens. Thomas Edison and his two buddies, Ford and Firestone, wintered in Fort Myers, and Edison had created gardens and a research lab. The idea was to find sustainable rubber plants that would grow quickly so they could produce rubber, thereby reducing the US dependency on foreign sources. Unfortunately, the experiment was not a success. Interestingly, the best rubber yielding, fast growing, sustainable plant turned out to be goldenrod.

The garden was quite interesting and lovely. We did not tour the home and the residential area but rather just walked around the area garden laboratory and testing area where various plants were grown. There are several large Banyan trees on the property, one of which is almost 100 years old and covers an acre. I ended up going by that tree at least once a day for several days over the next 3 weeks. It is mystical.

On our way back to our boat, we passed a Super Bowl party in front of a boat owned by Kansas City folks. They had put out an enormous amount of food and drink and were wearing all kinds of Kansas City fan clothing; everybody was all psyched hoping that, although we were close to Tampa, Kansas City would win. The bets were in and the TV was on the back deck of their boat. We all know how that worked out. I was secretly cheering for Tampa although, as a true Eagles fan, Tom Brady is not my favorite.

We didn't stay for the party, as no one was wearing a mask. Most of these people have happy hour together on the dock, again, without masks, and we often just walk by. We wave, we say hello but we do not stay. We are always wearing a mask; they may think we are antisocial, but I am uncomfortable under the circumstances.

We had a really nice dinner on our boat. We were disappointed that the AC was still not working. The interior can't handle the humidity and we can't handle the heat! We thought it may be the thermostats. It was clear that the AC was mandatory as this was still early February, and if we went to the keys in March and April....... well let's just say, no way without AC.

Guru Scott responded (thank you Scott!), and suggested that we re-calibrate the thermostats. Nowhere in any of the manuals or directions was there anything about re-calibrating the thermostat: not the need to do this, nor how to do this.

We watched part of the Super Bowl and part of the halftime show and although I was disliked seeing Tom Brady as a god, it warmed my heart to know that a couple of years ago, the Eagles beat Tom Brady.

Monday, February 8, 2021. Day 64.

It was warm and sunny; no wind; lovely even though a bit humid. I saw Janice and Jerome from Sassy, the boat next-door, and wished them well. They were off to spend two or three days at a beach resort. I went for a run and I was not back in time to see them off. Roland, back from his morning errands and returning the rental car, was able to help them off the dock. I had run my 3 miles around the Edison Estates. Most of the homes were modest; I only saw two with second stories, all on what to me, a city girl, looked like quite generous parcels.

Before they left, Janice and Jerome had given us a card and some tulips as a congratulatory gift for finally getting our first vaccine, notwithstanding the challenges that we faced. I was touched; very kind and caring slip neighbors!

Roland loves the cruising life, and one of the many reasons, is the easy, generous nature of his fellow boaters. Except for some of the speed boaters who thoughtlessly pass us by, waking us (causing a lot of rocking and rolling when they pass), it has been a pleasure to meet the other boaters.

In the morning, I spent a great deal of time inside on the computer, which is not my happiest place to be. In the afternoon we walked over to visit some other folks on the next dock. Kitty and Kevin on Sabrina were not on their boat, but we met the owners of Tortuga. They gave us some suggestions of nearby places to go when we left the marina. They were originally from Seattle and have lived at Legacy Harbour Marina, for a number of years on their boat and seem like very down to earth, nice folks.

It as turn to facilitate a zoom that evening and I feel that it went well. The most difficult part for me was sharing memories of Mona, who had passed away at the end of December. Such an amazing woman and an open, inclusive friend. We will miss here dearly. A couple of my women friends were going through some real transitions, including retiring from active work. I listened to a nearby boat playing music and people were dancing on the dock. I would have wanted to join them but the timing did not work out. I so miss dancing.

Happily, the AC seemed to be working after Roland figured out how to re-calibrate. We were hopeful that the AC problem was solved; one never knows what challenges are in our future.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021. Day 65.

Big day; we were having socially distanced, outdoor guests! We were up early. I stretched and did a work out on the back deck. Roland slept later, as usual ( I seem to need less sleep....I just wish I had his metabolism.....he weighs the same now as he did in high school....ugh!!! I wonder if I would lose weight if I slept more...less time to eat?!). We straightened and cleaned the inside of the boat. Roland's friends, Gary and Niamh (I hope I spelled her name correctly....spelling is not my forte; she is Irish and her name is pronounced “knee-f'), were coming to visit at 11 am, and we wanted Magic Moments to look shipshape. Roland had helped Gary and Niamh take their sailboat to Puerto Rico a couple years ago. They are live-a-boards, but due to the pandemic, they had to leave their boat in the Caribbean and they are leasing a house in Venice, Florida, until it is safe to return to their boat.

Gary and Niamh have been very careful; they brought their own lunch, and wore masks the whole visit even though we were sitting over 10 feet apart outside. That worked for us, as we too have been really careful. It was a little odd to have visitors on the boat even though we just sat outside on the back deck. What to wear? I was meeting them for the first time. In the olden days, I would have put on an outfit, jewelry and makeup, and fussed with my hair. I haven't had anyone touch my hair in over 2 months and I had attended my salon religiously every 4 week before covid. I haven't worn make up, nor jewelry or dressy clothing for almost a year. I'm a boater and I only have simple things with me. It was very weird; it felt strange to meet new folks so au naturel.

The visit was lovely. they brought their own salads for lunch, and Roland made a salad for us. The three of them recounted sailing stories; I listened.

After they left we went for a walk. I had a 5:00pm zoom with my high school buddies, and we had a 7pm zoom with Roland's friends.

We finished the evening focusing on the fact that we were leaving the marina the next day; we had been here over a week (all previous plans altered in order to get our first vaccine shots in the panhandle). Casting off, we planned, probably around 2pm, which is high tide. We had been here a long time. We would be coming back from time to time over the next three weeks but for now, cruising was looking good.

voyage to the ends of the earth...or ends of Florida

 Friday, February 5, 2021. Afternoon.

So there we were in the rental car starting our trek: our incredibly long and arduous journey (9 hour drive each way), to Okaloosa County, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, for our first vaccine shot at Publix.

The first part of the journey was not so difficult, we were fresh, enthusiastic, and optimistic. We were going to get the vaccine after all! I had many phone calls to make, so I was able to use the time efficiently.

The speed limit on Interstate 75 was 70 miles an hour. As a result, the massive number of tractor trailers that passed us, had to be driving over 90mph.

The scenery was unexciting. Totally flat and just scrub type trees and minor bushes. The billboards advertised chain restaurants and religious messages, primarily anti-choice billboards. Unfortunately, I did not see one billboard that offered any kind of support to pregnant women, no advertisements of places where young mothers could go to be cared for, or have their unborn children cared for or adopted.

After about four and a half hours, we arrived in Gainesville, approximately halfway to our destination. Our hotel, very basic, but clean, was just a half a mile off Interstate 75.

This “adventure”, was our riskiest endeavor since March 2020 and the start of isolation.

We were in a rental car so we had all the windows open the first half of the ride. Roland had picked up the car early in the morning from Enterprise after being assured that the car had been sanitized and that nobody else had been in it since at least the day before.

The hotel, however, was something different. We both had to go inside. My inside events had been limited to short visits to a pharmacy from time to time, and the occasional store when necessary, also for only short periods. Roland did most of the shopping, primarily hardware or food stores, going frequently so that he did not stay inside for much more than 15 minutes.

Our room was on the second floor, we got in the elevator alone, and only had to be there a short time. Roland ordered takeout for dinner and we ate in the room. Had showers went to sleep so we could get up early to drive another 4 1/2 to 5 hours to Fort Walton Beach.

Breakfast came with the room but not until 7am. We left before 7am, so took coffee, a muffin and an orange in the car.

Driving west, the scenery in the panhandle, was not that much different than it had been driving north the day before. Lots of trucks, RV's and tree farms. The most interesting was passing Elgin Air Force Base (almost 500,000 acres), which is used as a target to train pilots dropping bombs. We had no cell phone service during that part of the drive. A bomb target; no towers necessary!

We arrived at the pharmacy, according to the car clock, at 11:48am. My appointment was 1:48pm. I knew I was early, but I was hoping they'd be willing to give me my vaccine early so that we could start the nine hour trek back as soon as possible. I was armed with all my documentation to show that we were “snowbirds” and therefore, qualified for a vaccine shot: our lease of Janice's apartment (Janice is living in California so her condo was empty and she was kind enough to rent it to us for 5 months), and my letter from my financial advisor addressed to our marina; the two required pieces of documentation in addition to a driver's license.

When I entered the store and went to the employee whose job it was to check in vaccine registrants at the pharmacy, and gave her my name, she was in shock, she said you are so early (I thought I was two hours early; it turns out I was three hours early because Fort Walton is in the Central Time Zone). I thought we had driven far, but the concept that we were now in the Central Time Zone really blew my mind.

The woman was so shocked that I was three hours early, that she didn't ask for my id, paperwork, or other info. I explained that we had another nine hour, drive back and had just driven nine hours to get here and that we would really like to get the shot as soon as possible, so we could get back on the road. She said it was out of her hands; I must talk to the pharmacist.

I stood in line and waited for what must have been about 10 minutes but felt like 40, and I approached the window at the pharmacy and explained the situation to the woman behind the glass partition. She also was aghast and said she too couldn't make that decision; only the pharmacist can make that decision. I asked her to please ask the pharmacist. Fortunately she did and Trey (I love Trey), said he would give me the shot.

She asked my name, address (I had been practicing Janice's address and got it right) and birth date (again no documentation nor id); and she did what she had to do for me to get the vaccine three hours early. Of course, I had another favor to ask: Roland's appointment was for the following day at 3:50pm; I was hoping the pharmacist would vaccinate Roland now too. We were really freaking her out, but Trey (my hero), came through.

Because we had so stunned the reception person and the assistant to the pharmacist with our three hour early arrival, in my case, and 30 hour early arrival in Roland's case, no one asked for any paperwork or ID: no drivers license, no lease, no letter from a utility company or financial institution or a governmental agency such as a tax record, all the requirements, were never requested nor reviewed..... but we had been prepared.

I think they were all happy to just get rid of us; we were probably the weirdest folks that they had ever seen at the Publix in Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County, Florida.

We were elated. We got our vaccines, sat for 15 minutes as requested by Trey (Roland was jumping around after 5 minutes, but I was not going to upset my buddy Trey); used the restroom, bought sushi to go and ate our sushi lunch in the car, before starting our nine hour ride back to Fort Myers.

The nine hour return journey was not joyful, although we were both really relieved. My arm started to hurt after about an hour or two but it was not serious and not uncommon for me to have a stiff upper arm after a vaccine or other shot.

About an hour before Gainesville, the weather turned ugly, we were in a massive rain storm, we could see almost nothing. We reduced our speed to 40 miles an hour, put on our hazard lights, and watched tractor trailers speed by at the same 90 to 100 miles an hour that they had been driving for the past 2 days. I was a wreck; driving was treacherous. It took about 30 to 40 minutes for us to find an exit so that we could get off the road and wait for the storm to pass. We pulled into a gas station/convenience store parking lot which was quite crowded with other drivers who were also wise enough to get off the road.

Roland went into the convenience store looking for cookies to treat us after that harrowing driving experience, but none were to be had. He did get me some dark chocolate candy (a totally acceptable substitute) and bought himself a Kitkat and some gummy treats. A stiff drink would have been better but we had 5 hours of driving to go.

I was wondering whether we had risked too much to get this vaccine.

I did not really regret making the decision to do this; but I did resent that this is what we had to do to get vaccinated. In Florida, very few people wear masks, even the waitstaff at restaurants, serve maskless. This was the culture we had observed since our arrival in December in St. Augustine. Scary. I feel like we are living in a different reality. Although, we are mostly alone on the boat or walking outside (where I often walk in the street when others walk by), there seems to be no respect for the danger that covid presents; and Florida has the highest incidence of the more dangerous variants than any other state in the United States. So, I felt driven to get a vaccine as soon as humanly possible.

We got back on the road. The weather cleared up, and after an hour or two, miraculously, all of the tractor trailers disappeared off the road. What a relief.

The roadside rest areas have security at night. There is a small house where a guard stays all night because a lot of people, primarily truckers are sleeping in their vehicles at night. I had never seen guarded rest areas. They were basic but the bathrooms were clean and had a lot of air circulation as they were not 100% enclosed (perfect in a pandemic).

Before 10 pm, we rolled into our marina, it wasn't raining, the temperatures were mild, and we were able to unload the car with our overnight bags and all of our food and all of our paperwork in one trip, and get back on the boat without disturbing any of our neighbors in the slips nearby.

We were relieved. We had gotten our first vaccine, we had felt safe not withstanding the stay at the hotel and the rental car, and hoped beyond our wildest imagination, that we will be able to get a second shot closer. Neither of us are looking forward to driving back to Fort Walton Beach for our second vaccine.

Legacy Harbor marina -Fort Myers

 Sunday, January 31, 2021. Day 56.

Entering Legacy Marina in Fort Myers was an interesting event. The marina was packed, and the slips are narrow and short. We were assigned slip C6, and told that we could find the C dock by the yellow flag. Finally Roland spotted the yellow flag and we made our way in, zigzaging around several turns to get in to C dock. C6 was very narrow and very short, (we are 17 feet wide, the slip is 18 feet wide). But Captain Roland did an incredible job getting in. The dock hands were there to help us dock, bow in, port side (not my favorite).

We have a walk around only on the starboard side so getting on and off the boat on the port side is a little bit of a gymnastic feat for me. We have two possibilities of exit: one towards the stern and one towards the bow. Both were challenging. But I ended up going in and out near the stern, saying a short prayer each time I got on and off the boat for the entire time we were in Fort Myers.

There was a very large boat next to us, Sassy, and Janice and Jerome greeted us warmly when they returned from their outing. Their boat was so high off the dock that it took Jerome about 30 to 40 minutes to assemble a ladder so that they could get on and off Sassy. Unfortunately, the ladder took up most of the width of the narrow dock. Every time I went passed their ladder to get on and off my boat, I had to walk sideways. It was rather inconvenient.

Janice and Jerome were very nice and welcoming. They are from Toronto, and had already gotten both of their vaccines in Florida, without the need to show any documentation that they are Florida residents, and of course, they are not stressing, every day, over getting the vaccine and not in the vaccine frenzy that is dominating my life.

As is my practice, as soon as we get into the marina, I start my 4-6 loads of laundry, and providing the weather is good, go for a walk.

Fort Myers is the county seat of Lee County and there were several government buildings, a beautiful regional library, lots of lawyers' offices, some fun public art, and many outdoor restaurants. 

Unfortunately the outdoor restaurants were very crowded and, as we have found in many places in Florida, almost no one is wearing a mask. 

One of the reasons we wanted to go into a marina that week, was the forecast. Heavy winds were expected for the next couple days.

I had plenty of tasks that had to be completed over the next few days so I did not really mind the fact that the weather was unappealing. We were tied very tightly onto the dock but, due to the heavy winds, we were doing a lot of rocking and rolling. I had 18 WIL grant applications to review, and a WIL board meeting. The blog needed some attention and of course, being on land, endless errands. We were within a very short walking distance to Publix, which means we tend to shop everyday.

The reports from Philadelphia and New Jersey were that there was going to be lots of snow. They were having a storm similar to ours; while I was rocking and rolling in the marina, they were shoveling snow. As one friend noted, this was a great winter to cut out!

Because I hadn't been able to get an appointment online for a vaccine at Publix, I went every evening to the local Publix to see if anyone had failed to appear for their vaccine, hoping that I could snag one. On the third night of my visit, the store manager, who was not too happy with me, and announced that everybody shows up, there has never been a no show, and to even if there were, they would not give it to me! The had the required refrigeration and would just roll the dose over to the next week. He suggested I stop wasting my time stopping by very evening. If I were to get a shot due to a no show, it wouldn't be at this Publix!

Our next shot at an appointment (no pun intended), was at 6 am, on Wednesday morning February 3. Meanwhile, I had signed up all over Florida, and Philadelphia, and New Jersey; I was determined....or possibly, obsessed!

On Monday, we took a walk around the marina and stopped by another Kadey Krogen, Sabrina, docked at the Legacy Marina, and met Kitty. Kenny was out doing errands. Kitty showed us their brand new, never been used, dinghy. They had had their boat for four years and Kevin had never been in the original dinghy. They were thrilled. I, of course, admired the new dinghy, considering ours, too, was not my dream tender.

Whenever we are at a dock, and therefore land is accessable, if the weather is good, I try to run 3 miles, once or twice a week, and running around Fort Meyers was delightful. The area around the courthouse and the government buildings in the library usually were empty early in the morning. The temperatures were perfect.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021. Day 59.

The alarm went off at 5:10an, so I could get myself together (I wakened Roland at 5:30), so that at 6am, we would be ready to get online to try to get a vaccine appointment at Publix. The system is so random and so frustrating, but finally, after about an hour Roland got two opportunities for an appointment, one for each of us. Unfortunately, the appointments were in the panhandle, 600 miles away – one way. Our appointments were on Saturday and Sunday which would mean not only driving 1200 miles round-trip but also one or two nights in a hotel. We would of course have to rent a car, neither MM, nor our 20 inch folding bicycles would have made it in a reasonable amount of time. Furthermore, we would have to have our second doses in the same the location, 28 days later (Moderna). This was going to be an expensive odyssey.

Lots of arrangements were required. Our stay in the marina must be extended (assuming they had space). Roland went to the marina office and spoke to the dockmaster to arrange for us to have a monthly fee (which is way more inexpensive than 2 weeks), but we had to agree to come and go because they didn't always have a slip available for us. We worked out the specific days and then made the other arrangements: the rental car, the hotel for the first trip to Okaloosa County, Fort Walton Beach.

Thursday, February 4, 2021. Day 60.

The temperature was rather cold for Florida this time of year, in the 50s. I had plenty of work to do in preparation for my three hour zoom meeting of the Wil Grant Committee, more laundry, dishes, and cleaning; Roland washed the outside of the boat.

In the afternoon, I went for a walk and then met Roland at SoHo Garden where we had happy hour outside at a small corner table for two. On Thursday, the cocktails were two for one, and sushi was half price.

Friday, February 5, 2021. Day 59.

We were up early, and tried to get an appointment at Publix someplace closer then 600 miles. We were not successful. I had my three hour WIL Grant Committee meeting, which went extremely well.

Meanwhile Roland did his last-minute Publix shopping, packed for our trip to the panhandle and went to Enterprise to get a rental car.

After the zoom meeting I took a quick shower, got dressed, got in the car, and we started our absurdly ridiculous and arduous, long trek to get our vaccines.

Dinghy Day 2.0, and on to Ft Myers

Friday, January 29, 2021. Day 54.

I have been in a vaccine frenzy for close to a month. Getting up at 5am, each week, trying to get an appointment on line at Publix. The site opens at 6am and success is totally random. I have signed up on every hospital and county site in Florida that I could find.

Florida, in December, started vaccinating everyone over 65, who showed up, but after objections of some residents, began to require proof of residency. Even though we have been in Florida since late December, we are living on the boat and traveling to different marinas; we didn't have traditional “proof”.

I spent some time working to get the paperwork together to meet the proof of “snow bird” status so we can get a vaccine in Florida. As a “snowbird,“ I needed a lease, and a second piece of ID, such as a utility bill or a letter from a financial institution. The vaccine quest was beginning to dominate my life.

It was a long day. We had to return to the GICW due to the heavy winds and choppy water. Travel took longer primarily due to the dozens of bridges, 

but the calm weather and pretty scenery made it worth the delay.

Saturday, January 30, 2021. Day 55.

We were on the GICW so again there were many bridges. Dolphins were joyfully playing in our wake; 

true delight! We anchored around 3:34pm, facing Sanibel Island, Ding Darling Anchorage. We hadn't tested the motor since we received it in Clearwater and today was the day: Dinghy Day 2.0.

It was after 4 PM when we started the process of lowering the dinghy. This was only the second time we have tried putting the dinghy in the water. The motor is incredibly noisy and loud. Although it was much better this time than it was the first try, it was still awkward and time consuming. It took us about an hour and a half on Dinghy Day; this time, Dinghy Day 2.0, we were able to get the tender in the water in maybe 45 to 50 minutes. Preparation for lowering it from the top of the boat includes inflating its 3 compartments, tying and untying various lines, and swinging, while lowering the tender, out and over the side of the boat. It is definitely a two person project. The pump is really cool; it works pushing air into the dinghy both on the pull up as well as the push down. It’s too bad my bicycle pump doesn’t work that way.

We were told by the the folks on Magnolia, back on Dinghy Day, that lowering the dinghy is the most dangerous part of the Kadey Krogan trawler experience. Finally, the dinghy was in the water. I thought we should name the dinghy, and suggested “Takes Two”; Roland was not enamored with that name. He preferred ZZ, short for my first boat, a sailboat named ZigZag. I think he liked ZZ because with only 2 letters, the work to apply the name is greatly reduced. No decision yet on the name; suggestions appreciated.

Roland got into the dinghy when we got it in the water, installed the seat, and I brought out the battery and the motor and the handle and the lifejackets and the radio, etc., and etc., and after a long time (I was very hesitant stepping from the swim platform ), I too got into the dinghy. Thank goodness for the staple.

The good news is that the motor worked. It is slow and doesn’t have much of a range, but we had a nice ride. We approached Sanibel from the GICW side, not the gulf side, but unfortunately, got too close to shore. It was shallow and we got stuck and had to use the oar to pull off the bottom.

All in all it was a lovely nice sunset ride and best of all, we did not hoist the dinghy back up on the flybridge but rather tied it to the back of the boat so that we could take another test ride in the morning. We declared Dinghy Day 2.0, a success, had a great celebratory dinner, and admired a wonderful sunset.

Sunday, January 31, 2021. Day 56. Dinghy Day 2.5.

After breakfast, we got back in the dinghy. It was wonderful that we didn’t have to lower it. There it was, right on the back, tied to the swim platform. We motored around for a short but sweet ride; I was really beginning to like these dinghy rides. Of course, we would now have to put the dinghy back on the top of the boat. Hoisting the dinghy is a lot easier than lowering it. It only took us about 15 minutes to get it back in place, after we had taken the motor, tiller/controller, and battery out of the dinghy. Convinced that eventually we would figure out how to efficiently raise and lower the dinghy, we declared Dinghy Day 2.5, a success.

We readied the boat, raised the anchor and started our trip to Legacy Harbor in Fort Myers.

Leaving Clearwater & a boarding at sea.....

 Wednesday, January 27, 2021 Day 52.

Sadly, we have to leave Carlouel Beach and Yacht Club, and Clearwater. It had been an amazing visit. A travel advisory was in place because of heavy fog in the early morning; we couldn’t see anything.

Sometime around noon, the fog began to lift and we felt comfortable to cast off. No one was around and we left the dock on our own, one of the few times so far that we have handled docking or de-docking without assistance. Fortunately, the wind was in the right direction and therefore helped us off the dock, and because there were no other boats at the yacht club, it turned out to be fairly easy exit. Roland did almost all the work, although I did tie up the two fenders and secured them on the flybridge.

We went south the way we had traveled north to Clearwater, going through various fixed bridges and then those that required us to request openings.

 After an hour or so, the fog rolled in again and it became almost impossible to see. We slowed down and listened to the other captains on the radio requesting openings and letting the bridge tenders know they couldn’t see how far or close they were to the bridges. It was dense fog. Because of the fog, we had to change our plans. After a couple of more bridges, at 2:30pm, we reached the anchorage that we had stopped in last Thursday, on our way north. At 2:40pm, we were anchored and celebrated with an early happy hour. We were very happy that we had survived the fog.

Having arrived fairly early, we decided to experiment with dinner. Roland moved the grille from the flybridge to the staple on the swim platform, and opened the new the air fryer to make sweet potato fries. The dinner was excellent. I worked on my blog and hoped that the storm would move on. The boat was being moved around quite a bit; it rained for a while, and we had to move the grille under cover and prepare for a stormy day tomorrow.

Thursday, January 28, 2021. Day 53.

I was up before 7am. An alarm was beeping in the pilot house. I was concerned that we were in shallow water (my hope was that that was all it was; shallow water is handleable). I awaken Captain Roland to deal with the alarm. Fortunately, it was the shallow water alarm, and at this point, be were at the low tide and there was enough water for us to stay where we were. In fact, the tide has already begin to rise.

Until the storm passed, which would probably be around 1 PM, we would not be going anywhere. I took the opportunity to stretch, we had blueberry pancakes for breakfast, I did the dishes and thoroughly dusted the main cabin, the pilot house and one set of stairs. A lot of work.

When the winds died down a bit, we pulled up the anchor and Magic Moments, was on the move again. As we were on the Gulf ICW, we had to go through and under a myriad of bridges, so many that Captain Roland prefers going into the Gulf when the weather permits. The bridges can really slow progress.  We passed by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which is a spectacular cable stayed bridge. 

We were now in Tampa Bay and it was getting really choppy, but I needed to organize my vitamins so I can easily take them each night. vitamins together. I take 12 vitamins a day; every six weeks or so I organize my vitamins and put them in individual containers so that each night it is a simple process. There’s really no place on the boat for me to lay out these 40 to 60 small containers and fill them with my 12 vitamins. So, I used the table in the salon and after setting up these 60 or so containers,

 I heard Captain Roland speaking to someone. This was enormously surprising; we were in the middle of the Bay and no one was around. Silly me, I looked out the window and saw an inflatable dinghy with four Coast Guard officers talking to Roland. Really?? The officers were politely requesting to board the vessel. Requesting is just a formality, the answer, of course is: “of course”. After they determined the number of folks aboard, and were comfortable that we had no firearms, their inflatable dinghy moved to the stern to prepare to board.

How lucky! Are you kidding me?? Roland has been sailing for 50 years, he has soloed across the Atlantic twice, he has been living on the water full time for a total of 9 years, and he has never been boarded by the Coast Guard. And now, I have been on this boat for less than 2 months and we were now going to be boarded by the Coast Guard for a random safety check?!

First of all, there were now hundreds of small bottles and pills covering the salon, which is the entrance to the boat. I was freaked out; what if they thought the vials and pills were other than Vit C, A, D-3, etc., etc., etc.? Really, these bottles were all over the salon table.

So, Captain Roland put the motor into neutral and the throttle into idle, and as Magic Moments was bobbing heavily on the water, two of the four Coast Guard officers, wearing sidearms, boarded the boat (the other two stayed in the inflatable dinghy next to us). Keep in mind we really don’t know a lot about this boat; we are brand new owners, and we haven’t used most of the safety equipment (thank goodness!). 

One of the officers sat with me in the salon and asked some detailed questions as he filled out some paperwork. The other officer went through her list of safety items that we were required to have on board. Fortunately, we had everything on the extensive list (our PO was a volunteer safety reviewer, so things should have been in order), except that we were required to have three flares. We had between 20 and 30 flares, however, the officer checked every expiration date. We were 1 short, the rest had expired. BTW: they still work, but we will buy some current flares. The officer suggested that we donate the expired flares to the coast guard for their training use.

It was amazing that Roland could find every item on the list, notwithstanding our short ownership period. The officer was shocked that we had the required Rule Book (everybody else downloads it on their phone); 

she said we were her best safety check yet (we have no idea how many she has done). She issued her clearance (she was still blown away about the hard copy of the Rule Book), signed off on a yellow sheet, giving us the opportunity to skip another inspection for 6 months.

I was just thrilled that they didn’t ask me about the vitamins!

Carlouel Beach and Yacht Club

 It was such a pleasure to see Cynthia when we reached the dock. It was like a homecoming of sorts for me. Although meeting new folks during this voyage has been fun, there is something really special to see friends and family. We spent time around Christmas with my niece and her boyfriend, and Elise, in Charleston; Evin in St Augustine; and now Dan and Cynthia and their clan, in Clearwater..

It had taken us longer than we had anticipated to reach the Yacht Club (all the bridges!). Cynthia had lunch while waiting and arranged lunch for us on the Club patio, overlooking the dock and the waterfront. Does life get any better?

Cynthia, who was coming back with her daughter, son-in-law and grandson, and hopefully Jim and Betsy for dinner, left and we went back to the boat to put ourselves the boat together, and then walked on the beach a bit to enjoy the sunset.

Cynthia and Charlotte and her husband, and baby Tripp, arrived. Dan had a cold so he stayed home to recover. Jim came (I hadn't seen him for two years), but Betsy was busy; I was sorry I didn't get to see her this visit. It was wonderful to finally meet Charlotte and her husband and Tripp. Dinner outside (I ate very little; lunch had been so late), was again, a joyful event. With masks on and all the doors open, everyone took a brief tour of Magic Moments.

Back on the boat, I started our 4 to 6 loads of laundry, finished the dishes, and thought about the great evening we just had, and the joys of friendship. Cynthia and Dan are always so generous when I visit each January; this time, they outdid themselves! Cynthia even left us her car for the duration of our visit. Unfortunately, as we had anticipated, none of the three packages that were to be delivered on Friday were delivered. We did not know how long it would take and we were concerned about overstaying our welcome at the yacht club.

Saturday, January 23, 2021. Day 48.

It was a beautiful day in Clearwater Beach. The quiet of the morning, quickly came to an end as the families with lots of kids came to take advantage of the wonderful club facilities. Several boats came to the dock; it was a busy and active and cheerful place.

We spent most of the day doing errands: West Marine, Target, Publix, Walgreens, CVS, etc. etc. etc.; thank you Cynthia for your car! We even rode by Rumba (Dan's favorite lunch place; he always takes me there after picking me up from the airport). I was a little sorry we didn't get a chance to have lunch there (they have a really nice patio for outside dinning, but Captain Roland really wanted to use his opportunity for lunch to go back to Pollo Tropical (take out and eat in the car). I am glad we got Pollo Tropical out of the way; hopefully, we won't have to do that again. OK, so the chicken is good...but not that good!

Saturday evening was dinner at Cynthia's and Dan's new home. They have a very spacious screened in outdoor pool area. It was wonderful to see Dan and Arlo, and meet one of Dan's sons, Joe, and tour their new house. We spent most of the time outside, but when inside, everybody wore a mask, even though both Dan and Cynthia had already had their first vaccine (they are physicians and Dan had even had a test that had come back on Friday as negative); but we were all being very careful. Cynthia set us at separate tables so that we could socialize safely.

Their new home is just wonderful, spacious and lovely, all on one floor and they are loving it. I got to try out their new washer and dryer (which is immense and doesn't have a central agitator). I wanted to wash the blanket/bedspread which could not be done in the small boat washer and dryer. Cynthia graciously let me use her washer and dryer. I could have washed my entire 4 - 6 loads in one load in her machines.

It was Saturday and none of our three packages had arrived. We really did not want to overstay our welcome so if the packages don't arrive on Tuesday, we planned to leave and return when the shipments are received. I was not real happy about all that especially because we wanted to test the dinghy motor; we need a working dinghy.

Sunday, January 24, 2021. Day 49. Seven weeks at sea.

I was up early and ran on the beach for 3 miles. It was quite beautiful. Roland worked on the boat and, again, we did errands. We met Cynthia and Dan at the Countryside Country Club for a lovely outdoor dinner. Mike, the food and beverage director, had comped us a around of drinks; very kind. We were the only ones at dinner (we ate outside overlooking the golf course); it was lovely. The timing was a little awkward. We had dinner during the final for the Super Bowl here in near Tampa, and Dan and Cynthia, fortunately had recorded the game, but sat through dinner while listening to cheers from the employees inside the restaurant. We all assumed the outcome but Dan and Cynthia still enjoyed the game when they got back (the miracle of technology). I felt really bad that I had timed the dinner so that they missed this important game. Tampa hasn't won a superbowl for almost 20 years and this final game was huge.

But the dinner was was great fun, quite delicious, and they were very gracious.

Monday and Tuesday (January 25 and 26), at the yacht club was quite strange. The club is closed. What we did not realize is that they lock the gates. It was great to have no one around, so quiet, an having no one around meant that Roland was able to wash the boat, change the oil, and do other things that might be annoying to guests. The fact that the club was closed made it quite easy, without bothering anybody. Being locked in however, was not so great. Fortunately, Roland had found a way out of the club through the garbage area. It was rather bizarre to come and go through the garbage area, but we were grateful that we weren't actually locked in. One (meaning me), wonders what would have happened had they lock that gate as well.

On Monday, I called Brownys to let them know that we still had not received the motor, and left a message at Zekes that the inflatable standup paddle boards had not arrived. All these items were promised for Friday, and as of Monday, nothing!

Monday, January 25, 2021. Day 50.

Monday morning, Roland and I went for a long walk on the beach and collected some shells. We did even more errands (when we have a car only once a month, we go a little nuts!).

Roland installed the staple and the second set of cups for the staple, (so they can be moved for grilling), 

 and then we went to Safety Harbor where we were meeting Dan and Cynthia for an outside dinner at Parts of Paris. Safety Harbor is the location of my yearly TIAW, mid January rendezvous, canceled this year. I enjoyed walking around and showing Roland all our haunts. I took lots of pictures to send to Lisa to distribute to the “Old Girls” (a play on the old boys network). We had a fabulous dinner outside at Parts of Paris. Dan and Cynthia they had never been there before and of course neither had Roland. The food was terrific; we had escargot, polpo, foie gras, moules and frites, and great wine and fun cocktails; it was wonderful. Monday was half priced appetizers, and we tried several. We had an excellent evening, and I had the opportunity to treat everyone again.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021. Day 51.

Called Brownys and Zekes yet again. They both were convinced that their packages would actually arrive today. Roland installed the second set of cups on the swim platform for the staple and we did a few more errands, after my work out on the deck. Roland and I met Cynthia for lunch in Clearwater Beach at one of the five Frenchy's. She loves their original grouper (fried) specialty, and Roland and I shared an original (I would have mine grilled next time), and two appetizers. We sat in the back in the area where customers normally bring their dogs. Absolutely no one was there. The front of Frenchy's was packed. So we enjoyed a wonderful lunch outside, safely, socially distanced.

We walked up and down the street in Clearwater Beach a couple times, window shopping for beach towels (I am still steamed at myself for not bringing some from home; I must own 100), so buying more seemed absurd, but we we were in such a rush to leave in December that there are things that I forgot to bring. Packing for a small space; living on a boat for 5 months; weather for all four seasons.....OK, I am not perfect!

Tuesday evening,we were again invited to Cynthia and Dan's for dinner (everyone should have friends like Dan and Cynthia!). And, voila, the three packages had, in fact, arrived, plus a fourth package for Roland that had arrived timely; what a bonanza.

Cynthia made beef pot roast half on the stove top and half in the slow cooker; we got to try each. I did not think that one was tremendously better than the other (Roland said the slow cooker was better; he is the foodie).

After a fabulous dinner and a wonderful evening and an amazing visit for 5 great days, we drove back to the yacht club. Dan and Roland got the packages to the dock (the two SUP's were really heavy and bulky), Roland and I got them aboard (not an easy feat), and we said goodbye for now to Dan and Cynthia. It was one amazing visit. No cooking, great food and drink, a car all 4 to 5 days, “so fun” as JNG and HLG would say.

The only bummer of the day was the late afternoon travel warning from the CDC: forget the Bahamas for now. We are really disappointed.