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.

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.

Still on the way to Clearwater and then we were there...

 Thursday, January 21, 2021 Day 46.

Chilly but beautiful day. We were at anchor last night and the current moved us 180° overnight so the sunrise was in the same place as the sunset.

Now that our new administration has been inaugurated and hopes are high, the hard work must begin.

In addition, the vaccine frenzy is up and running. And we have tried all kinds of places to sign up, and to register to get appointments. We have registered in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and various places in Florida. I am heavily caught up with this frenzy and I want the vaccine. The situation in Florida is dire, and so many people do not wear masks.

Captain Roland decided that because the weather was perfect (it is quite sunny, although a bit chilly), we would be doing some part of our trip to Clearwater today off shore in the gulf of Mexico. Because it was so calm, I did not use a patch

We left the GICW and entered the Gulf of Mexico near Venice, for our first leg up to St Petersburg. We were only a short distance offshore (1 to 3 miles). It was quiet, pleasant and sunny, and although a little too windy for the flybridge, I was able to spin on the back deck as we were cruising along. The scenery was lovely, passing the beaches of Longboat Key. It is so cool to spin as we cruise the Gulf of Mexico. As much as I love the Sporting Club, spinning while cruising wins hands down!

I got a call from the motor repair shop in Pompano Beach asking some questions. What?! It is Thursday! The motor was supposed to be in Clearwater Friday and they haven't even finished the repair let alone send it?! This was discouraging. This was frustrating. I now had no idea how long we would have to stay in Clearwater and whether or not we could make arrangements at the yacht club.

Around 4:40 PM we entered the north channel of Boca Ciega bay near Tierra Verde, and anchored at 5:15 PM. It was a long day for the captain. In celebration of our offshore trip, we had a great dinner of rack of lamb (my favorite), grilled, (life is good), a nice red wine and fudge for dessert.

Friday, January 22, 2021. Day 47

Captain Roland planned an easy day for today. We awakened late, and pulled up the anchor before 11 AM, starting our trip to call Carlouel Beach and Yacht Club, as guests of Cynthia and Dan. I made arrangements to take Dan and Cynthia to dinner on Sunday evening at a Club Corp affiliate country club (Countryside); they had outside dinner reservations available.

There were several bridges in front of us over this short trip, many of them required openings. The first, Cory Causeway opened at 11:20, Treasure Island Causeway Bridge opened at 11:40. This was great, the bridges are timed for 20 minutes, we can make them all at our trawler 7 knots. Very cool! We approach Welch Causeway Bridge, hopefully opening at 12:20. As we approached , at 12:08, all ready to pass under as we arrived, we were told that they only open on the half hour (oo bad), so we had to hang out till 12:30. By 1 pm, we were near Madeira Beach and requested an opening of the Park Boulevard Bridge and proceeded on, passing Indian Shores.

As we approach the bridges for which we need to request openings, we call the bridge tender on the appointed channel, on the radio. We announce the name of our boat, the time we want to pass, and hope the tender is cheerful and cooperative, as most of them are. Occasionally, the tender has had a bad day, or is uncooperative, but, in my limited experience, this is rare, although we have had a couple. They always address us as “Captain”, document the name of the boat and the time of the opening, and we always thank them when we are clear, and we wish each other a nice day. I often go outside the boat to take a photo and/or waive to the bridge tender.

We have listened on the radio to exchanges with tenders and captains whose boat's have odd names. The tender patiently asks the captain to repeat the name of the boat a couple times, and finally resorts to requesting the captain to spell the name. It is quite entertaining to listen to each bridge tender, when we are traveling near one of these vessels, one after the other ask repeatedly for the name. We know it is going to happen, and it just brings a smile to my face.

This area was narrow and heavily populated with homes and condos. There are lots of pontoon party boats in the water; very busy.

We passed under a few more bridges, some fixed and some requiring openings. Roland was able to reach Scott (our guru), this afternoon and we have an idea of why we have not had hot water for a couple of days. Whenever we have an issue, I comfort myself that we are learning so much. Maybe a break in our education would not be a terrible thing!

So here goes, the hot water issue: The water heating system is somewhat complicated. I am sure that it makes sense, it is probably efficient, but without a short course or trawlers, who would have known?

The engine heats the water (when we are not traveling and therefore, not running the engine), the generator, if we put it on (like we had been doing because it was cold and we needed heat), heats the water. Because our PO (prior owners), did not anchor out as much as we have been doing, they had turned off the valves heating the water from the engine. They used, primarily the dock electricity. Scott, our guru, let us know about the valves from the engine; problem solved. I am not sure how any new boat owner, especially an owner of one as complicated as Magic Moments, can manage without Scott.

At 2:45pm, with the help of Ian (the dockmaster) , and two helpers, with Cynthia looking on, we docked at Carlouel Yacht Club.

Captains note: this is as far north as we will go on the west coast and have traveled over 1300 miles, after Clearwater Beach we will be heading south again.