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.

North on the way to Clearwater Beach

Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Day 44.

We were approaching seven weeks. I got up early and ran 3 miles around the Franklin National Park. I am still running slowly. Hopefully speed is not an important part of my work out. The day was sunny and beautiful. It was a bit crisp, perfect for a morning run.

There was no wind so it would be easier to get out of the weeds and off the dock. Kevin and Caroline, from Red Tail, came over to give us a hand with the dock lines. They are staying another day or two before they go to St. Pete’s for a month.

We said our goodbyes and thanked them for a wonderful couple of days “buddy boating”. Kevin turned us on to a yacht club that is very reasonably priced, and may allow us to get a night or two at affiliated yacht clubs. Roland decided he was going to join.

We left the dock at 10:50 am, and went through the Franklin Lock at 11:17. This time on the starboard side which Captain Roland prefers, not withstanding the lock tender's warning of the shorter ropes. We were only going down a foot and a half. It’s my understanding the Franklin Lock is the newest and it is designed to keeps the salt content in Lake Okeechobee as low as possible.

There was another trawler or motor yacht on the port side ahead of us. The lock tender saw that we hailed from Philadelphia PA, and asked our opinion as to where to get the best cheese steaks, Pat's or Gino’s.

After we left the lock, I steered as Roland put all the fenders and lines away. Because today was so beautiful, we went to the fly bridge to steer. We were now on the Caloosahatchee River. We had to call for a requested bridge opening notwithstanding that the bridge was under maintenance on one side and only one side was being lifted, we got through comfortably (it looked really narrow to me), but the Captain did an excellent job. 

The Caloosahatchee River is wide and deep and we had several bridges to pass under, some of them, thankfully, fixed and high enough for us to go under, without opening. Around 12:45pm, as we approach Ft Myers, we saw circular patterns on the surface of the water. Roland believes that the circular pattern is a sign that there is a manatee under the water; cool, I couldn't see her.

Around 2:30pm, 3 or more dolphins were riding our bow, jumping, cavorting, and playing with us for quite a while. I took a couple of photos. It was really very joyful.

 Pleasure boats and fishing boots were zipping by, making wakes, and crossing in front of us making it difficult to cruise; maybe they were looking at the dolphins playing with Magic Moments. At around 3:30 pm, we anchored across from Sanibel Island. The view was again, serene and really pretty. One of the delightful parts of cruising is that every night the view is different and every night it is beautiful.

 Wednesday, January 20, 2021. Day 45.

I was up before 5 AM am, ready to go online at 6 am to try to get an appointment at Publix for a vaccine. It was very frustrating; it took over an hour and no appointments, other than in the panhandle and we really couldn’t get there in time. We would have to find a marina, leave the boat, rent a car, and drive eight hours each way, at a minimum. I also tried calling Lee County for an appointment (Fort Myers), but after a very long time on the phone, nothing worked. I was tired, frustrated, and stressed.

 But, at 11am, my day was changed! I watched the inauguration. So impressive, and I was very emotional. And also very hopeful. The views on the water as we cruised were terrific and beautiful but I missed most of it dealing with the frustration of not getting a vaccine, and then, the joy of watching the inauguration and participating in positive change. It was thrilling!

 We entered Lemon Bay, which is a very long bay, intending to anchor there for the night. Unfortunately, on our way, there was a surprisingly shallow spot and we ran aground. Wonderful. Roland tried a couple of maneuvers to to get us off, but we were not successful.

Roland called BoatUS (he has unlimited towing - like AAA), gave them our coordinates and a description of our boat along with his membership information and they arranged for a towboat. The towboat operator called, he knew exactly where we were stuck, right outside Grove City, he even described the restaurant that we were eyeing across the water. We were at the intersection of two channels and apparently a very common place for boats to run aground. The channel markers were a bit confusing. The towboat Captain said that if we wait about 15 minutes, the current would come in very strongly and it may just release the keel. In any case, he would be on his way. Sure enough in 15 minutes the current must have come in; we moved off the ground, motored back into the channel, and called the tow boat and thanked him.

We were back in the channel and at 3:15 we approached the Tom Adams Bridge, requesting an opening. Tuscan Sun, another KK, passed us going south, and we connected on the radio.

 3:37 pm, we anchored, near Englewood in Lemon Bay. It was a beautiful evening, drinks on the back deck to celebrate, and then Roland gave me a tour of the engine room: the two diesel tanks, generator, motor fuel filters, through holes, coolant level meters, hot water tank and then the strainer and cooling water for the engine (I cleaned out the shells and stones that we had collected in the strainer when we had run aground). The engine room is not full height so I had to be seated or on my knees on the floor and it is also extraordinarily hot. But it is a clean and well maintained area, even the bilge was clean.

 I went to bed early, it had been a long and stressful day, and I hate waking up at 5 am, but, with a sigh of relief and joy, I savored the fact that we have a new president. Yeah!!