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.