The Okeechobee Waterway March 6, 2021

 Saturday, March 6, 2021. Day 90.

I got up early and was able to run 3 miles on the beach. I was so grateful that our second vaccine reactions had been so minor.

The beach and the town were crowded with walkers and joggers and dog walkers and cars. The employees at the concessions lining the beach were setting out jet skis, chairs, umbrellas, paddleboards, kayaks, parasailing kiosks, and other toys. It was Saturday, after all, and spring break, and the beach was hopping for a half mile on either side of the center of Ft Myers Beach. I had to swerve frequently to avoid being close to maskless folks (which was everyone). The parking lots were beginning to fill up and the mobs were arriving.

I returned to the boat and we prepared to leave Moss Marina and Fort Myers Beach. to start our trip on the Okeechobee Waterway and then to cross the Lake.

Fort Myers Beach is very touristy, there are vrbos everywhere, lots of bright colored residences for rent, a tram to shuttled visitors around, and lots of parking lots; a real family place.

When I got back from my run, Captain Roland had Magic Moments all ready to leave the dock and had asked the dockhands to help with the lines. As you may recall this was a very narrow slip with only 6 inches to spare on the beam. Captain Roland backed out beautifully, we pulled up the fenders and at 9am we left Moss Marina and went through Matanzas Pass headed to the Okeechobee Waterway.

Sadly, we had to again abandon the plan to go through the Gulf to Naples and then down the west coast to Key West due to the weather; it was just too windy, and choppy seas are not my forte! So, Plan B: go back across Lake Okeechobee to Stuart, to Miami, to Key Biscayne, to Key Largo, and maybe even to Marathon Key. We shall see; it is all weather and timing dependent.

I steered and Roland secured all the fenders and put the lines away. It was overcast and cool and then and the rain started around 11am. Because the weather was unpleasant, the traffic was light even though it was a Saturday.

There were lots of bridges but most were passable for us without requested openings. Although the scenery was gray and muted, it was attractive in its own way, almost matted.

Captain Roland realized that the Wilson Pickett, Bridge, which we reached at around 1:12pm, was only 20.5 feet above the water (maybe it was because it was high tide). The paper charts said the clearance was 27 feet, so this was a surprise. Magic Moments is 25 feet high, so with only a 20.5 foot clearance, we needed to contact the bridge tender at the last minute (they usually prefer a bit of notice). Fortunately, this bridge tender was quite kind and said they would raise the bridge for us when we arrived. Right before the bridge, we passed by a marina that had a cruise – in, boat wash, similar to a car wash. One just motors right into the slip and they wash your boat. I thought it was pretty cool.

Our plan had been to dock for the night at Calusa Marina (formally known as Calusa Jack's). It should have been an easy docking for us to pull up to a straight dock on our starboard side. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we saw that the dock to which we were to tie up was almost in the center of the waterway, a slow speed area that, in violation of the law, was used as a speed boat drag racing practice area. Calusa had failed to mention this issue when we had booked the marina. When we tried to tie-up, the racing boats going back-and-forth at high speeds, were creating immense wakes, rocking Magic Moments like crazy. Notwithstanding, we optimistically tried tying lines, the dock hand tied us up with six lines crisscrossing to hold us in place, but it was impossible. Furthermore, when we tried to attach to the electric, there was no power. The dock hand said, the boats racing by and creating havoc were not even the fast ones!

It was absurd: there was no easy way to get on and off the boat, we were rocking madly, there was no power. The situation was untenable. We saw no choice but to leave, even though we had no plan, no alternative marina, and no known anchorage.

We told the marine owner and the dock hand, that we were really sorry, but had no choice but to leave; this dock was not remotely reasonable for Magic Moments. We asked if they had any other dock or slip. Nope.

Captain Roland had tipped the dock hand generously (even more than his usual good tip.......and Captain Roland tends toward the generous normally), when we tied up; afterall, he tied six crossed lines. So, we expected that he would help us untie, but no, the owner and the dock hand left the dock and left us to fend for ourselves. It was totally inappropriate and disrespectful. I would recommend that absolutely nobody go to this marina, ever.

We were 4 miles from the first lock at Franklin National Park. Fortunately, it was still early enough to get through the lock (the last lock entry is 4:30pm). Franklin Lock went up 1.5 feet, which was a fairly short lock, thankfully. By this point we were pretty stressed. We went to Franklin National Park, although, we knew there was no real chance for a slip big enough for us. Only one slip in the Park worked for us, and, of course, when we arrived so late in the day, it was taken.

The only alternative was a dolphin, and my view was NO WAY was I doing that again! The Captain tried to assure me that we could do a dolphin, just differently: anchor on the bow and only tie to the dolphin on the stern. He had a plan and it would work.

I, however, believed the small, protected cove next to the slips would work for anchoring. The Captain gave it a try, and it was perfect. Yay, yay, and yay, the thought of the dolphin was far too upsetting for me. I was relieved...and I believe the captain was as well!

Red Tail was in a slip at the Park. We caught up by text. They had enjoyed their month in St. Petersburg. It was too bad that we couldn't get to shore for a socially distance happy hour. It made no sense to take the dinghy down as we had to leave the next day at dawn.

It had been a very difficult day, and the problem at the Calusa Marina had really aggravated the situation. The stress level was off the charts, then, to top it off, Roland's phone was no longer functioning.

We had a couple of more days before we got to Lake Okeechobee; they should only go well.

The Second Vaccine

 Thursday March 4, 2021. Day 88

We got up early and left for Hialeah at 6:50am. It was an easy trip on Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley). There was lots of traffic from Fort Myers Beach to Naples but after Naples, the traffic was quite light until we got close to Hialeah. We arrived about a half hour early (9:15am). It was our second vaccine and the check-in was easy. The woman just looked at our driver's licenses and we showed her our card with the documentation of our first vaccine.

Alfredo, the pharmacist, modified our cards to include the second vaccine information. This was Alfredo's first second shot so he didn't know for sure how best to add the information. He decided to apply a sticker; we were fine with whatever he preferred. He gave us each our vaccine, we sat for 15 minutes, and Roland toured the supermarket.

We really didn't need very much (we had already purchased chicken soup in preparation for our reaction), but Roland is a foodie and he likes to see what is available wherever we go. Hialeah is a Hispanic area. In fact, Roland and I were the only people speaking English (except for employees who spoke to us). Of course, although needing nothing, Roland still found some good bargains and interesting fruits for us to take back to the boat in preparation for our vaccine reaction.

For the 30 minutes we were in the supermarket, we observed one of the patrons who apparently was using the air-conditioned supermarket as his exercise track. He cycled the market several times, just walking, and no cart. And I loved his outfit. He was wearing all red: red sneakers, red high socks, shiny red basketball shorts that came below his knees, and a red T-shirt. His ensemble was topped off with a brown straw hat, narrow in the front, that I associate with sports car drivers from the 1950s. He was adorable.....and, keeping fit. Unfortunately, he didn't wear a mask and no one said anything!

With our updated vaccine cards, and interesting fruit, we got back in the rental car and started the trip west, back to the boat. On the way, we stopped in the Pembroke Gardens area and met my high school friend, Barbara, for a celebratory lunch, outside at a sushi restaurant. I was elated, vaccine done, and we didn't have to go to the panhandle! We would be back at the boat long before and reaction set in.

After a fun lunch and visit, and with some guidance from Barbara, we went to Bagelmania to get some whitefish salad and bagels, and I couldn't resist, I also bought two giant muffins (one chocolate fudge and one pistachio....Roland loves pistachio so I knew he would enjoy the surprise). We then had to drive to Naples (which was not much out of the way), for me to pick up a prescription which I had originally ordered for Naples thinking that was where we would be today.

The pharmacy staff at Walgreens in Naples was really helpful. I had to work with my insurance company for them to allow me to get the 90 day prescription; they felt I was getting the medication 13 days earlier than they thought I should get it. I had no idea where we were going next or when I would be able to get off the boat or would be near a Walgreens (my insurance company's chosen pharmacy). This was not an opioid; this was absurd. Health care in this country needs an overhaul!

Because I didn't want to wait inside the store, I was in and out of Walgreens several times to make calls to the insurance company to work things out. On one of my many trips in and out of Walgreens, I found $70 in cash on the floor. I took the money to the pharmacist who looked aghast and backed away from the counter. She called the manager, who immediately came to her side with an assistant, and the three of them could not believe that I was returning the $70. There is no way for me to know who dropped it, nobody was around when I walked by, and I was hoping someone realized they dropped it in Walgreens, and calls and gets their money back. I assumed that they have security cameras all over the store and they could actually determine the owner. Otherwise, I hope Walgreens will give it to charity.

After we returned the rental car and took an uber back to the marina, we took a brief walk around Fort Myers Beach and decided that it was a little too touristy for us. It was packed, it was spring break, and not a single person was wearing a mask.

We went back to the boat, had a very late dinner and prepared for our vaccine reaction. We hydrated, put the ibuprofen close by, and continued our alcohol abstinence.

Friday, March 5, 2021. Day 89.

I was up a couple of times during the night (I had hydrated pretty heavily), and I woke up at 6:30am, with a slight headache, took two ibuprofen and went back into bed. I was totally unable to move for two hours; I was really tired. Roland had some chills but said it was not too bad. We had planned nothing for today and tomorrow, not knowing how we would react. We had heard how seriously some folks had reacted to the second vaccine.

We were pretty lucky; our reaction was mild. I did some laundry and went for a walk. Roland planned the next segment of our cruise. Unfortunately the weather would not permit us to go to Naples (the Gulf was too choppy for me), so we would have to go back across Lake Okeechobee to Stuart, and head to the Keys from the east coast. Roland had a lot of work to do to make all the new arrangements.

For the last few months, our lives were dominated by the availability of the vaccine and the weather. Now, it is just the weather. When cruising, the weather runs our life.

Around 6pm, I felt like I hit a wall. I was exhausted, really tired. But I forced myself to stay up until 8:15pm, in hopes that I would not wake up in the middle of the night, unable to go back to sleep.

Unfortunately, it was “Friday Night” as the boater in the marina explained to us when we asked him to lower his blasting music; to him it was party time, and we were real party poopers!

But.......we were saved by our vaccine reaction: so tired, we fell asleep anyway. Tired and happy; vaccinated and relieved!

Detour to Ft Myers Beach

Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Day 86.

It was foggy when we awakened in Punta Gorda.

I went for a 2 mile walk along the waterfront before we left for our offshore trip to Naples. We were very excited because we had reservations at the Naples Yacht Club, and........ we were getting the second vaccine, within a 3 hour drive! The weather cleared quickly during my walk, and at 10:30am, we left the Laishley Park Municipal Marina; it had been great! Captain Roland did an excellent job backing out of our extremely narrow slip (6 inches total between the width of the slip and the width of Magic Moments).

We needed to put the dinghy back on to the top of the boat before we went offshore in the Gulf, and that was not a maneuver to be done in the marina. Punta Gorda is on the Peace River, and the marina had a mooring field that they said we could use to raise the dinghy. There were very few mooring balls available, and unfortunately, Captain Roland didn’t like the condition of any of them, so we anchored and we raised the dinghy. It still took between 20 and 30 minutes, but we are getting better. It is clear that we still need practice; this was only our third time. After raising the dinghy and securing it, we brought up the anchor and began our journey from the Peace River to Charlotte Harbor, on our way to the Gulf.

Our plan was to anchor at our old favorite, “Ding” Darling, yet again (our fifth visit), because the wind was south and that was our best shelter. Our reservations at the Naples Yacht Club was not for another day.

We arrived in Pine Island Sound at approximately 4:30pm. There was light traffic; it was a beautiful day; the winds were varying from 6 to 12 knots, mostly south west. On the way I handled a lot of phone calls, texts and emails.

We had an early start planned for tomorrow so we had an early evening.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021. Day 87.

I did not sleep well because I again had mosquito bites. I have now determined to never go back to “Ding” Darling as long as I live! I was convinced that “Ding” Darling was the source of my tortuous insect bites. I again, had to prepare for four days of itching hell.

We left the anchorage at 6am on our way to Naples.

In preparation for our offshore passage in the Gulf, I applied a patch in the morning and took a pill. After about an hour in the Gulf, the conditions were too difficult for me and I got seasick again. First of all, the forecast, as usual, was wrong. The winds were much heavier than predicted (even Captain Roland took a pill). In addition, I should have, out of an abundance of caution, applied the patch the night before and taken the pill the night before. There we were, part way to Naples and we had to get out of the Gulf. Roland had to really hustle and find a marina; I had to be in calmer water. Itching from insect bites maybe hell, but being seasick, is death. This was the second time on this adventure and, after the first time, I had sworn, never again.

Roland managed to find a marina, for a couple of nights, in Fort Myers Beach: Moss Marina. The people were extremely nice, (I am sure I looked green when we arrived). The slip was difficult for me to get on and off the boat but the dock hands brought over a four step unit which was a godsend. I was very appreciative of their help. They brought me a bottle of cold water and hoped that I would recover quickly from being so ill.



After I recovered, we had to make arrangements: cancel the yacht club in Naples (sad); change the rental car to Ft Myers Beach from Naples; rearrange dinner plans with Andi (fortunately she is closer to Fort Myers Beach then Naples anyway so that worked for her).

Roland had to clean up red wine from a broken wine bottle that was knocked around by the heavy seas in the Gulf, and I had to start working on my post office problem (the post office was sending all of my mail back to the senders, marked “not deliverable”).

But these problems were minor, I was so pleased to be out of the Gulf where I had been so ill. Being seasick is awful. Every five minutes feels like two hours and although we were docked 2 1/2 hours from the start of our day, it seemed like I had been sick for a long time.

The drive to and from Hialeah for the vaccine the next day would be an hour longer each way but the relief of getting out of the Gulf made up for all our inconveniences.

Because of the lack of sleep the previous night, and my episode in the Gulf, I needed to rest; I did very little that day, after we switched all our arrangements. I watched the dolphins in the marina frolicking around the boats, and the birds displaying pecking order dominance, as the bigger birds knocked the smaller ones off the pilings.

I began hydrating, based on advice from other folks who have had their second shot and had reactions: headaches, breathing issues, and exhaustion, starting 12 to 24 hours after the second shot and lasting 24 to 36 hours.

One of the joys of cruising is that I always have a 360 degree water view when at anchor, and a pretty view even in a marina. So, recovering on the boat from our second shot reaction, will really not be so bad.

Andi canceled the dinner reservation in Naples and came to the boat to see Magic Moments at the marina. With masks on and all the doors open, she did a quick tour and then she drove us to Enterprise car rental. We followed her to the restaurant. Outside and socially distanced, we enjoyed a fun, happy hour meal at Bluepoint. We tried to keep the conversation not totally camp centric, so that Roland wouldn’t be bored to tears. It was a fun reunion for both of us.

Still heavily hydrating and very light on the alcohol (we had one and a half glasses of wine each), we went to sleep early so we could leave in time for a 9:45am appointment, three hours away in Hialeah, for our second vaccine.

Punta Gorda

 Saturday, February 27, 2021 to Monday, March 1, 2021. Day 83 to Day 85.

We were in Punta Gorda for three nights. Neither of us had ever been there before. In fact neither of us had ever heard of it before our Clearwater friends, Cynthia and Dan, had mentioned that they had stopped at the marina there from time to time and really enjoyed it.

Because we had to stay on the west coast of Florida in order to be in a position to get our second vaccine, we were looking for new places to go, inching our way north to cut down, even if it was for only and hour, the 18 hour round trip drive to Fort Walton Beach, in the panhandle. We made arrangements for a marina for a week in Sarasota, and decided to try Punta Gorda before we went to Sarasota.

We were pleasantly surprised. Punta Gorda, and Laishley Park Municipal Marina, were quite enjoyable. The town is clean and very well organized. 

There are parks, walkways, bike paths, benches, playgrounds, outdoor exercise locations with installed equipment (even some pieces designed for handicapped workouts), trash bins, plastic pet bags, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, water fountains, covered areas with grills, and lots of shady areas and waterfront walking/bike paths. Bicycles are well maintained and free. There were lots of murals, but none as cool as those we have in Philadelphia.

 The public light fixtures were on the walkways and bike paths and the parks, were well designed, and the signage, very interesting. Some of my favorites: Senior Olympic style game registration notice, and caution to not harass the alligators (who, I wondered, needed this warning??).

And of course, many bars and restaurants, particularly in Fisherman’s Village and along the waterfront that faces west for great sunset views at happy hour.

When we arrived on Saturday afternoon, we walked along the water to Fisherman‘s Village, an area that had been re-purposed from its original use. In the 1920's, it was an industrial area and major commercial fishing center. Now there’s a mall, and motel, docks for fishing charter boats and tours, a marina, a park area, and lots of stores in the outdoor mall. Fisherman's Village was less than a mile from the Laisley Marina where we had slip E4. We continued our walk around the town enjoying some very lovely homes, walking about 3 1/2 miles; it’s always good to walk after several days at anchor.

On Sunday, we went to the farmers market and bought some vegetables and fruit, including Honeybell oranges (my father‘s favorite) and a large sweet Florida onion. We couldn't resist the scones and freshly baked bread.

After coffee and scones on our back deck, (very disappointing scones I’m sorry to say), we borrowed two of the free bikes and cycled to West Marine to buy new navigation software (hopefully Roland will be able to install it himself, if not Guru Scott may be able to assist; none of this is ever easy nor simple).

Sunday evening I treated Roland to dinner for his birthday (one may recall that he grilled a wonderful dinner on February 24, his 70th birthday and I wanted to treat him to a dinner out). He picked the Tiki Bar on the waterfront where the outdoor area was spacious, although very crowded, but we were able to secure our own picnic table far from other dinners, facing the water, so we were safely able to enjoy a great sunset over the Peace River. It was bar food: fish and chips, conch fritters, shrimp Po' boy, and, of course, cocktails. It was another celebration of Roland‘s 70th birthday and it was delightful.

We were up early on Monday, March 1, to get ready to try to get the second vaccine closer. I had called a couple pharmacies to discuss the situation and got some hints to enhance our chances to get the second vaccine in a closer location, which had not previously been possible. My alarm had been set for 6am but I was up at 2:30am, too stressed to sleep. We set up our phones and computers before the 7am start of the vaccine rat race; it was so stressful. We were trying to win the lottery, with no real clue of how to be proactive to get the computer to pick us for the coveted prize of a nearby appointment!

Before 8am, IT HAPPENED!! I got an appointment in Hialeah, the western part of Miami, and so did Roland, at the same pharmacy, 15 minutes after my 9:45am appointment! I was thrilled beyond belief. The fact that we did not have to drive 18 hours, round-trip, for our second vaccine shot, made me joyful!! Six hours round-trip felt like a gift! Hallelujah!!

There was lots of work to do to support this change: I called the pharmacy in Miami to make sure they were OK with giving us the second vaccine two days early (yay! They were fine); we asked the marina if they would allow us another day (yay! They had room); we had to cancel our week in the Sarasota marina (sad but necessary), (yay! that worked without a cancellation fee); got reservations at a yacht club in Naples to shorten the ride to Hialeah, (yay!); and arranged a rental car in Naples for the drive to Miami. Before we completed the rest of the arrangements, I went for 3 mile run, I was so happy!

Brownie's (the electric motor repair shop), returned my call to discuss the finicky electric motor that we had paid $1000 to have repaired – hopefully their suggestions will work; at least we now had something to try.

Although I don’t usually check Facebook, occasionally something pops up that makes me curious. Andi, a friend from Camp Louise, where we both worked in the late 60's, had posted a picture of herself in a bathing suit on a friend's yacht. I remembered that she winters on the West Coast of Florida. After some research, I discovered that she actually lives in Fort Myers. I sent Andi a message, and she called me immediately (as I knew she would). I told her we had spent a month in Fort Myers and I didn’t realize she was living there; she chastised me for not calling ( as I knew she would). She was available for dinner Wednesday evening and Naples was not that far from Ft Myers, so we made arrangements to meet for dinner.

We took 2 of the free bikes and used the back roads to go to the supermarket. Roland treated for ice cream when we returned. This was one good day!

Long Weekend in Pelican Bay

 Thursday, February 25, 2021. Day 81.

Beautiful day and, bonus, the dinghy is already in the water from yesterday.

Roland inflated one of the paddle boards (apparently, not an easy task, it requires a lot of strength), and we towed it behind us in the dinghy, to the beach. We had our new folding chairs and we sat on the beach for a while until I was ready to give the paddle board a try. It was actually quite lovely. 

The inlet was protected from the bay, so there were limited wakes. The idea of an inflated paddle board sounded ridiculous to me, originally, but it was feeling really good. For the boat, inflatable made a lot of sense; space is at a premium. The plan is to use them in the summer at the beach as well.

We went back to the boat for lunch, and then dinghed to Cayo Costa State Park for a hike, checking out the island pretty thoroughly. You might recall, that the island was the center of the Cuban fishing industry in the 1800's. The names of the trails were a little disconcerting: Quarantine Trail (how apropo!), and Cemetery Trail. Other than the names, the island hiking was pleasant. It was very shady, there was lots of foliage, it was flat, and the trails were totally in the interior of the island. In order to see the water, we had to walk off the trail, and through the brush. It was not crowded, we saw very few people hiking. We walked a bit over 4 miles, and enjoyed the experience.

When we got back to the dinghy, it was clear that there was a problem (so what's new ?). The dinghy was losing air. A leak? A bad valve? Although it was not drastic, we still needed to address this new problem.

On the way back from the state park to the boat, I, for the first time, handled the dinghy. And I did a pretty good job, although a bit jerky for a couple minutes, until I got used to handling the speed and the tiller.

I hadn't been sleeping very well. I had insect bites all over my arms and legs and I was getting pretty tired of the extreme itching; it was absolutely driving me crazy. I tried various over the counter gels and salves some Benadryl pills to try to get through the next few days.

Friday, February 26, 2021. Day 82.

I slept rather late, probably due to the Benadryl, but at least I slept. I was still really itchy and tired of the burning sensation that went along with the multitude of insect bites.

We went to the beach but stayed only a short time. Another boater had pulled up right next to us and was blasting his music; totally inconsiderate and unreasonable behavior, for a shared beach. By the time I had returned from my sup ride, Roland had the dinghy all packed up with our towels, chairs, and my clothes, and our water bottles, hats and etc. He couldn't wait to get off the beach.

We got in the dinghy to return to the boat, but unfortunately, the dinghy motor didn't start. After several tries, Roland started to row, but but the wind was intense and we would never have made it back to the boat fighting the heavy wind, although we were only 200 yards from the boat. Soooo so after a bit, I tried operating the motor, it started and for the second time I captained the dinghy back to the boat and did what I thought was quite good landing next to the swim platform.

This is a problem! After all the money and time we spent to have the dinghy motor repaired, we were totally frustrated. The electric motor was so finicky and undependable; we couldn't rely on it to operate when we need it.

A new dinghy and/or new dinghy motor was not high on my retirement plan. There were a couple of things that Roland thought he could do, so hopefully one or all of them will work.

In the afternoon, the dinghy motor started right up, and we puttered to different parts of the of Pelican Bay. The first night in Pelican Bay, there had been about 30 boats anchored. As the weekend passed, boats kept coming and coming until there were easily over 100.

At 4pm, Roland went on a zoom to learn about fishing. He got a couple of good hints and hopefully he will actually catch something that we can eat.

Saturday, February 27, 2021. Day 83.

We got a very early start and took the dinghy over to the beach before anyone else had arrived to party for the day. Roland wanted to take some photos of the empty stretch of beach. We sat for a while and then Roland took the paddleboard out for a spin. The current and the wind were really strong and he whipped right down to the end of the inlet. Coming back however was challenging. Returning was a feat. To reduce the wind resistance, Roland dropped to his knees. It was so difficult that it didn't look like fun and I declined my opportunity to do some paddle boarding.

In the afternoon, we prepared to leave Pelican Bay, and pick up a mooring in Punta Gorda. We had never actually done a mooring, so this was going to be very interesting. The plan was that I would be at the helm, getting Roland close to the mooring so he could lean over the side of the boat as we went by (the bow of Magic Moments is way too high to pick up the mooring from the front), pick it up with the boat hook and tie us to what is essentially a floating ball at the top of an anchor. One of the advantages of going to a mooring, however, was that we could tow the dinghy (not have to put it back up on the top, yeah!), so we secured the dinghy brought in the stand-up paddle board, and made our way to Punta Gorda.

We had hoped to get a slipped in the marina but we were told it was totally booked. No room at the inn. Knowing that we were going to try mooring for the first time we charged the marriage savers and discussed the plan for our first mooring.

On the way to Punta Gorda, we were contacted by Sarasota, but they were only willing to give us our first vaccine and, of course, we needed the second. We so wanted to get our second vaccine a whole lot closer than Fort Walton Beach but so far we have not been successful.

As we traveled north and east to Punta Gorda, on the Peace River, off Charlotte Harbor, the wind died suddenly to 2 to 3 knots which would make it a whole lot easier to pick up a mooring. As we approached Laishley Park Municipal Marina, at around 2:15pm, the marina said that they did have a slip available for two nights, so we took it. It was a very short and narrow slip, only 6 inches wider than Magic Moments, but there was no wind and no current so a good docking was a possibility. Roland was not yet ready for a stern-in docking on Magic Moments, so we went bow in, which forced a port tie up. It was absolutely amazing to watch Captain Roland maneuver into this slip. It was not a floating dock and with bow-in, and a very short slip, getting off and on the boat was a high school gymnastics trick. But, we had been at anchor for almost a week and we needed to pump out the holding tank, do laundry and take a walk. Neither of us had ever been to Punta Gorda, and I was hoping that it would be worth the challenge of getting on and off the boat.

3 Anchorages

 Monday, February 22, 2021 (02222021) Day 78.

Perfect weather, except for the wind; it still was a little too strong for us to try the dinghy and the sup.

We left the dock at 9:50am, and it was an easy off. Captain Roland eased out of our narrow slip after we brought in the lines, and then we zigged, zagged out through the Caloosahatchee River for the fourth time.

I brought up the lines and the fenders and tied them pretty poorly, (Roland will probably have to secure them later). Bugs were all over the boat at the slip; we will not miss those little pests one iota.

I had to work with Ed about the freezing downspout on Van Pelt; thankfully he was able to take care of everything. Thank you, Ed!

We went through a crowded area that we had been through before; a bottleneck, a slow zone (a manatee zone), that looks like a parade of boats, an amazing array of very slow moving vessels. Fortunately, it was a Monday and not a holiday, so there were fewer boats than usual.

The temperature was warm (81degrees), and it was clear, and sunny, but windy. We hoped the wind would reduce a bit so we could try the dinghy and the SUP. We were feeling good about being on the move again. We got to the anchorage around 1pm, going a bit further toward the island than we had the last few times (developing local knowledge - we saw people go in a little further successfully last time), so we gave it a try. 

We were in Pine Island Sound, just north of Sanibel Island, which is a crescent island and gave us great protection from the south southeast winds. We hoped that the wind would slow down (it was greater than 15 mph). It did not happen; maybe tomorrow!

We really wanted to go to Pelican Bay; we had wanted to go there since the first time we left Ft Myers, but the strong south wind made it not doable for almost 2 weeks. Maybe tomorrow?

Tuesday, February 23, 2021. (02232021). Day 79.

Captain Roland knew the wind direction would change, so he set the alarm for 4am, to check the wind direction, in case we needed to move; fortunately there was no problem and we were able to go back to sleep.

The dawn was dramatic, quite beautiful, and around 8 am, the wind did change, from south to north, and we moved from Sanibel Island to York Island. The winds were heavy again, 15 mph, and we had to stay where we were until there was a reduction in the wind. Again we hoped to go to Pelican Bay the next day; hopefully the wind would slow down.

On the boat, the view is always beautiful, and it sometimes feels like a slow moving motion picture film, as the wind and current moves the boat around the anchor. I just sit in place, doing my paperwork and handling matters that need attention, and beautiful scenery passes by.

Anchoring gives us the opportunity to grille, rather than use the electric stove. Food, for some reason, always tastes better when grilled; and, neither of us like the electric stove.

To boat, one has to love it; it is constant work. I do about 30% of the work. Roland is always busy fixing, checking, repairing, cleaning, maintaining, planning, securing, and etc. etc. The projects are endless.

I still had to deal with issues at home: the open window in Ventnor, the alarm company, the police, and thankfully, my friend Lynn, who went to the house and secured the window. A couple of followup calls to reengage the alarm, and hopefully, we put that issue to rest.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021 (02242021). Day 80.

Captain Roland's 70^th birthday.

The morning was cool and the sunrise was picturesque with interesting cloud formations. The wind shifted last night and we were acknowledging that there have been over 500,000 deaths from Covid in the United States pretty mind-boggling.

We were now halfway through our third month on Magic Moments, and hopefully all of the “new” to us (actually new to Captain Roland), systems have been tested and we have learned all about them so that now we could settle into peaceful enjoyment with a little less adventure and drama (famous last words). We knew that the return in April up north will be challenging on many fronts, but we can talk about that later. Now we were still hoping for less stress with the boat itself, so we could start working on our dinghy practice, testing of the rebuilt motor, and the brand new SUPs, followed by the start of the quest for the second vaccine.

By 10am, we had pulled up the anchor and we were underway to Pelican Bay (Yay! Finally). The wind was down to four knots, so maybe, even a visit to a beach (be still my heart!). We had tried for half the morning to yet again, get our second vaccine closer, but alas, no luck. We were registered with the state of Florida, and almost every county within a 4 hour drive; but no calls nor emails nor texts. We planned to try Publix again on Friday.

We cruised northwest to Pelican Bay and Cayo Costa which is a remote barrier island with beaches they say. Traffic on the water was light: it was Wednesday.

About noon, we passed Cabbage Key, an enormously popular lunch stop. Boats were lined up outside the little cove, and the captains were all on the radio asking for places they could come in and dock. I guess someday we will try Cabbage Key, maybe out of season.

Before we start cruising, or choose our anchorage or marina, Roland does an enormous amount of research with respect to the weather (he checks 3-5 sites, sometimes 5 times a day), characteristics of the potential anchorages and marinas. He often uses Active Captain for his research; boaters leave recommendations and information on that site relating to anchorages and marinas.

After we had lunch in beautiful Pelican Bay, the wind was light enough for us to lower the dinghy for the third time ever, and the first trial since the motor had been returned to us in Clearwater. Although we were getting better, it still took a long time. The motor started and we made our way to the sliver of nearby “beach”; shells, not sand, and crowded with boats, and families spending the day.

 Our goal was to test the dinghy so after a short walk on the shell beach, we motored over to at Cayo Costa State Park to take a walk around. 

 Getting on and off the dinghy at the high dock where we tied our dinghy, was not graceful, to say the least. Roland just hopped off and on. I, however, have rather short legs and more bulk. Fortunately, there was nobody within 50 miles whom I knew. But it sure is awkward.

We walked north through the island to a sandy beach. It was not crowded. We planned to return the following day to hike around the state park. Cayo Costa was a fishing area with fishing manufacturing facilities established by Cuban fisherman in the early1800's. I thought it was rather curious that the Cubans, who live on an island, traveled elsewhere to fish.

We motored over to another KK anchored in Pelican Bay, to say hello. I was totally blown away by the fact that they were able to get two people and two full sized bicycles in their dinghy and on and off the dinghy dock at the state park where I had to practically crawl to get on and off. Amazing! I was happy that I got myself on and off the dinghy dock and in and out of the dinghy. It gave me hope that someday I would get better at this!

Pelican Bay was crowded; there were at least 30 boats anchored there on Wednesday night. Fortunately, because we were staying another few nights, we didn't have to take the dinghy back up to the upper deck, we could leave it tied to the swim platform (Yeah!!).

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent in celebration of Roland's 70th birthday. We had a spectacular dinner, wonderful wine, a great port, and cookies for dessert. Roland had a zoom with his special buddies; I was pleased that he felt that his birthday was festive. The big party that he had been planning for the last few years, to celebrate his 70th birthday, because of covid had to wait, like lots of other events and celebrations.

But tomorrow, another day in Pelican Bay and the day of the Standup Paddleboard.

Back to Fort Myers

  Sunday, February 14, 2021. Day 70. Valentine’s Day.

When we got up in the morning it was overcast. Before long, the fog rolled in and we could see nothing. After a reasonably short time, the sun burned off the fog and it was actually clear and beautiful, but still really windy. So it is on the water: we are pretty much dominated by the weather.

We had hoped to try the SUP‘s today but the wind made that impossible.

Roland made me a wonderful Valentine’s Day breakfast: Nutella crêpes; delish! with sliced bananas (our nod to healthy eating). We were rather disappointed that, again, neither dinghy practice nor stand up paddle boards were possible.

Around 11:50am, we pulled up the anchor after four nights at “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Pine Island Sound, making our way back to Legacy Harbour Marina, slip C 6, in Fort Myers.

As was the case with every other time that we passed this way, it was enormously crowded. It was a Sunday, it was a beautiful day, and Monday was Presidents’ Day, so this was a long weekend. We passed every type of boat imaginable from the smallest to the largest fortunately, they all observed the “slow“ area requirement (it is a manatee zone”). 

I steered for a while. It was very windy as we approached the marina: the wind was 27 knots. Although we had been in and out of the marina once before, and were therefore, somewhat familiar with the zig and zag to get to C 6, the wind was really heavy and Captain Roland made his turn into the slip too tight for the first two tries. Fortunately, he was able to back out and the third time, his docking was perfect.

After our initial docking, we had to readjust all the fenders on both sides and retie the lines in a way that would enable me to embark and disembark on my own. It was not my favorite set up. MM was too long for this narrow slip. Sassy, the boat in the adjoining slip (we shared the finger dock), took up 90 % of the width at one point with their access ladder, and I had to hoist myself off the dock onto the boat and sort of jump off to disembark. Not really comfortable, but it is high season and the marinas are packed. After we retied the lines, I was able to get on and off.

We had been at anchor for four nights and five days and because of the strong wind, we hadn’t been able to get off the boat at all or practice getting the dinghy down or try the SUPs. I was looking forward to stepping on land, going to an outdoor restaurant, going for a run, riding our bikes, and walking around town.

When we call the marinas and/or the bridges and/or locks on the radio, the dock masters and lock and bridge tenders always address the caller as “captain”. It is interesting to hear them only use the title; names (except for the boats' names), are not relevant, and there is a certain panache to hearing the respectful reference to the title. Throwback civility that is missing in our casual world today.

My job, when docking and de-docking, is to be at the stern to make sure that there is adequate room for the various turns and maneuvers, especially when and if the captain has to back up. We wear headphones so that we can speak to each other in a calm and clear manner, although the Captain is at the helm, and I am in the stern, many feet away. The headphones are commonly called “marriage savers” (the reason for this nickname should be patently obvious!)

I do believe that I could be more helpful with respect to directions; as an example, I knew that Captain Roland's first two turns were much too tight; if the Captain were open to my input, he would have waited to make this difficult turn, and docked perfectly the first try. I stand prepared to assist when we get comfortable enough to exchange more information over the “marriage savers”. We have docked only 14 times, and just our luck, usually in heavy wind! It is not easy and the Captain is getting better and better.

After we arrived at the dock, we proceeded to address all the tasks, in addition to adjusting the fenders and the lines, that have to be made: the motor is turned off, the electrical and water lines connected, the breakers changed from DC to AC, the engine temperature checked, fuel tanks and water tank and holding tank levels checked, opening and closing of the sea cocks, and the time and hours noted of the engine and generator, if it had been on, etc., etc., and etc.

It was Valentine’s Day so we got ourselves together; I even applied lipstick, put on jewelry and a nice pair of shoes. We walked into town and stopped at the Twisted Vine courtyard hoping to have our Valentine’s Day dinner. Of course, we did not have reservations. But it was only 4 o’clock and they agreed that if we could would leave by 5:30, we could have dinner. The courtyard was totally empty, and we had a lovely dinner. 

The food was good (not great), and a little overpriced. We had a nice rose (we shared three glasses), and we shared seabass and short ribs. The dessert was perfect for Valentine’s Day: key lime pie, which was a little small, and a flourless chocolate torte, which was quite generous, and perfectly delicious.

All in all, a very nice Valentines dinner, and we were out of there at exactly 5:30, as agreed. We had started the day with Nutella crêpes, and ended with a very rich, dark, flourless chocolate tort with a lovely rose wine and a walk. What more could we ask?

Monday, February 15, 2020 Presidents’ Day. Day 71.

The day was very windy, even in the marina. I ran 3 miles to and around Edison Ford Gardens and Estates. It was hot and humid; okay outside, but not comfortable in a closed boat. The AC was necessary; it seemed to be working well enough. Thankfully. It is good to solve a problem so we have capacity for the next challenge! I finished listening to Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama, and continue d listening to Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Our visit to Legacy Harbour Marina in Ft. Myers, was supposed to be just for a couple days but the forecast showed heavy winds for much longer. We talked to the marina about staying longer. Although it was not really what we wanted to do, it was the only prudent plan. I had plenty of paperwork to do, and bills to pay. We walked to the supermarket at least once a day, zoomed with friends and ate some very interesting dinners that Roland prepared. The highlight of the day was a call from Lee County; it is possible that we may be able to get our second shot through the county which would be a great relief.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Day 72 to Sunday, February 21, 2021 (02/21/2021).

The weather was not perfect, but certainly more tolerable than Texas, New England, Philadelphia, and New Jersey; we had no snow, it was overcast and windy, but the temperatures were mostly mild. The next few days in the marina were spent doing “housework” and “paperwork” and working on Wil and MAG (Mid Atlantic Angel Fund).

We took a walk each day or rode our bikes (taking the bikes off the boat and assembling them was a challenge). I attended a Wil zoom program on Khmer Villages, which reminded me of our visit to Cambodia in October 2019, which we loved.

One evening we went to dinner at 10 Twenty, in a courtyard around happy hour. Most of the customers went to the rooftop deck and we sat alone (thankfully), in the courtyard and had a great dark beer; I had a bison burger, and Roland had smoked brisket flat bread; very good. On the menu were two “Philly” variety sandwiches (we did not order them, but I was mildly curious).

We went to the supermarket frequently, and Roland was having fun with the air fryer and the Instapot. He made egg bites in the Instapot and fried chicken in the air fryer. Both worth repeating.

I got my first opportunity to buy Girl Scout cookies; always an important pleasure of mine. My personal rule is that whenever I see girl scout cookies for sale, I buy at least one box, and engage the girls is conversation. It has been important to me for decades. I bought one box of thin mints and one box of Tagalongs....my favorite!

Again, in the Florida tradition, we rode our bikes mostly on the sidewalk, which really goes against my grain. But apparently it is the tradition here, especially because very few people walk in Florida. Whenever possible I worked out, ran, stretched, and did yoga. I was eating and drinking way too much to ignore serious exercise.

At the suggestion of my next door neighbor boater, Janice, I went to the next dock to meet Susanne, a real character. Susanne and her husband John, live aboard their boat for five months in the marina. They are from Ocean City, New Jersey, about 5 miles from our house in Ventnor. We had a fun discussion, and exchanged boat cards (that's what boaters do). She and John have sailed the world she told me. Maybe we will get together this summer in NJ, after we all have been vaccinated.

Most of the time, there were thousands of these little teeny bugs all over the boat. Our neighbors said that they’ve been in this marina for five years and they’ve never seen it this bad. It was bad. I blamed these bugs for my itching problem, but nobody else seemed to be bitten by them.

On one of our walks, we stopped and had lobster rolls at Masons; really good, almost Maine quality! On one of our bike rides we stopped at Kings Table which turned out to be a Cuban restaurant, and it had a Philly version of a Cuban sandwich. Old home week! We didn't order it, but it was the second restaurant in Ft Myers to feature a Philly style sandwich.

Another Kadey Krogan 44 (very new) stopped in the marina for a night (this marina is the marina with the closest supermarket), and we met Jelles, the owner. I immediately had door envy when I saw the entrance to the back deck; it was twice the depth of Magic Moments's door; so sensible, so easy to get on and off, so sad that KK didn't think of that back in 2007 when MM was under construction! Getting off and on the boat with doors like that would be 10 times easier than what we have. It was a kick to meet him in person; I had read a lot of his commentary each morning on the KK site where people share ideas. He’s a frequent contributor. It was almost like meeting a famous columnist.

Ft Myers has several murals and sculptures scattered around town, creating interest during our walks, even though, due to Covid, we weren't shopping or going into art galleries.

While in the marina, it became apparent that our refrigerator was not operating properly, (surprise: a problem!), so Roland defrosted both the refrigerator and the freezer. It took a while, it was a pain, but it seemed to have solved the issue. I am thrilled that the refrigerator/freezer, doesn’t have to be replaced. But we will have to defrost the freezer and refrigerator more frequently. We also have to be very attentive to closing the refrigerator door, which is a bit tricky, if we don't pay attention and take our time. It’s so great that we solved a problem without having to call our guru, Scott.

While in the marina, I watched some very large boats come in and out of the slips. The ones with stern thrusters as well as bow thrusters had a much easier time. I developed my fantasy list for MM: I would like a water maker, solar panels, gas stove, stern thrusters, drawer replacements, quiet heaters and A/Cs, and deep doors to enter and exit the decks. This is just a fantasy, MM is great, just the way she is.....But, if anyone wants my 2cents, those are really great things to have. There is an item that next week will jump to the top of the list.......hang in!

We are leaving the marina tomorrow, Monday, February 22. Winds: please be gentle, we HAVE to practice getting the the dinghy on and off the top deck, and find out if the repaired motor works!