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.