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!

Sunday February 7, 2021. Day 63.

I got up early and did the dishes from last night's dinner. Roland had made grilled cheese upon our return at 10 pm, from the panhandle.

Although the forecast said rain, the day turned out to be quite beautiful; warm, so warm in fact that I actually broke out my summer clothes. I am now wearing Devigi shorts rather than the Devigi long sleeves and long pants. Thank goodness for Devigi, it solves all of my clothing problems.

So it is now warm, very warm, and Roland tried to get the AC to work. Surprise! A new issue. The AC is not working correctly. As usual, as soon as something new comes along on the boat, another growth opportunity!!

As as usual, Roland broke out all of the manuals, read everything, did some research, tried lots of things on the three air conditioning units, and finally just texted guru Scott.

During this time I was trying to get my email to work. We had obviously been away from email for several days and it was time for me to check the status of the world. I was extremely frustrated, the marina had Wi-Fi but every time I clicked onto the Wi-Fi showing five bands, it dropped to one band and was unsteady. After an hour or two of this stress, (no AC, no wifi), I gave up and decided to go for a walk. There is just so much technology frustration I can handle.

Because we did not know whether or not Roland would have been able to get his vaccine on Saturday with me and may have had to wait until late Sunday afternoon, we had arranged for the rental car through Monday morning, giving us a car to do errands for another day. Roland drove to the usual: West Marine, and Lowes. As luck would have it, a brand new Trader Joe's (his favorite), had just opened nearby, so he got to stop by there as well.

In the afternoon we walked over to Edison Ford Gardens. Thomas Edison and his two buddies, Ford and Firestone, wintered in Fort Myers, and Edison had created gardens and a research lab. The idea was to find sustainable rubber plants that would grow quickly so they could produce rubber, thereby reducing the US dependency on foreign sources. Unfortunately, the experiment was not a success. Interestingly, the best rubber yielding, fast growing, sustainable plant turned out to be goldenrod.

The garden was quite interesting and lovely. We did not tour the home and the residential area but rather just walked around the area garden laboratory and testing area where various plants were grown. There are several large Banyan trees on the property, one of which is almost 100 years old and covers an acre. I ended up going by that tree at least once a day for several days over the next 3 weeks. It is mystical.

On our way back to our boat, we passed a Super Bowl party in front of a boat owned by Kansas City folks. They had put out an enormous amount of food and drink and were wearing all kinds of Kansas City fan clothing; everybody was all psyched hoping that, although we were close to Tampa, Kansas City would win. The bets were in and the TV was on the back deck of their boat. We all know how that worked out. I was secretly cheering for Tampa although, as a true Eagles fan, Tom Brady is not my favorite.

We didn't stay for the party, as no one was wearing a mask. Most of these people have happy hour together on the dock, again, without masks, and we often just walk by. We wave, we say hello but we do not stay. We are always wearing a mask; they may think we are antisocial, but I am uncomfortable under the circumstances.

We had a really nice dinner on our boat. We were disappointed that the AC was still not working. The interior can't handle the humidity and we can't handle the heat! We thought it may be the thermostats. It was clear that the AC was mandatory as this was still early February, and if we went to the keys in March and April....... well let's just say, no way without AC.

Guru Scott responded (thank you Scott!), and suggested that we re-calibrate the thermostats. Nowhere in any of the manuals or directions was there anything about re-calibrating the thermostat: not the need to do this, nor how to do this.

We watched part of the Super Bowl and part of the halftime show and although I was disliked seeing Tom Brady as a god, it warmed my heart to know that a couple of years ago, the Eagles beat Tom Brady.

Monday, February 8, 2021. Day 64.

It was warm and sunny; no wind; lovely even though a bit humid. I saw Janice and Jerome from Sassy, the boat next-door, and wished them well. They were off to spend two or three days at a beach resort. I went for a run and I was not back in time to see them off. Roland, back from his morning errands and returning the rental car, was able to help them off the dock. I had run my 3 miles around the Edison Estates. Most of the homes were modest; I only saw two with second stories, all on what to me, a city girl, looked like quite generous parcels.

Before they left, Janice and Jerome had given us a card and some tulips as a congratulatory gift for finally getting our first vaccine, notwithstanding the challenges that we faced. I was touched; very kind and caring slip neighbors!

Roland loves the cruising life, and one of the many reasons, is the easy, generous nature of his fellow boaters. Except for some of the speed boaters who thoughtlessly pass us by, waking us (causing a lot of rocking and rolling when they pass), it has been a pleasure to meet the other boaters.

In the morning, I spent a great deal of time inside on the computer, which is not my happiest place to be. In the afternoon we walked over to visit some other folks on the next dock. Kitty and Kevin on Sabrina were not on their boat, but we met the owners of Tortuga. They gave us some suggestions of nearby places to go when we left the marina. They were originally from Seattle and have lived at Legacy Harbour Marina, for a number of years on their boat and seem like very down to earth, nice folks.

It as turn to facilitate a zoom that evening and I feel that it went well. The most difficult part for me was sharing memories of Mona, who had passed away at the end of December. Such an amazing woman and an open, inclusive friend. We will miss here dearly. A couple of my women friends were going through some real transitions, including retiring from active work. I listened to a nearby boat playing music and people were dancing on the dock. I would have wanted to join them but the timing did not work out. I so miss dancing.

Happily, the AC seemed to be working after Roland figured out how to re-calibrate. We were hopeful that the AC problem was solved; one never knows what challenges are in our future.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021. Day 65.

Big day; we were having socially distanced, outdoor guests! We were up early. I stretched and did a work out on the back deck. Roland slept later, as usual ( I seem to need less sleep....I just wish I had his metabolism.....he weighs the same now as he did in high school....ugh!!! I wonder if I would lose weight if I slept more...less time to eat?!). We straightened and cleaned the inside of the boat. Roland's friends, Gary and Niamh (I hope I spelled her name correctly....spelling is not my forte; she is Irish and her name is pronounced “knee-f'), were coming to visit at 11 am, and we wanted Magic Moments to look shipshape. Roland had helped Gary and Niamh take their sailboat to Puerto Rico a couple years ago. They are live-a-boards, but due to the pandemic, they had to leave their boat in the Caribbean and they are leasing a house in Venice, Florida, until it is safe to return to their boat.

Gary and Niamh have been very careful; they brought their own lunch, and wore masks the whole visit even though we were sitting over 10 feet apart outside. That worked for us, as we too have been really careful. It was a little odd to have visitors on the boat even though we just sat outside on the back deck. What to wear? I was meeting them for the first time. In the olden days, I would have put on an outfit, jewelry and makeup, and fussed with my hair. I haven't had anyone touch my hair in over 2 months and I had attended my salon religiously every 4 week before covid. I haven't worn make up, nor jewelry or dressy clothing for almost a year. I'm a boater and I only have simple things with me. It was very weird; it felt strange to meet new folks so au naturel.

The visit was lovely. they brought their own salads for lunch, and Roland made a salad for us. The three of them recounted sailing stories; I listened.

After they left we went for a walk. I had a 5:00pm zoom with my high school buddies, and we had a 7pm zoom with Roland's friends.

We finished the evening focusing on the fact that we were leaving the marina the next day; we had been here over a week (all previous plans altered in order to get our first vaccine shots in the panhandle). Casting off, we planned, probably around 2pm, which is high tide. We had been here a long time. We would be coming back from time to time over the next three weeks but for now, cruising was looking good.

Legacy Harbor marina -Fort Myers

 Sunday, January 31, 2021. Day 56.

Entering Legacy Marina in Fort Myers was an interesting event. The marina was packed, and the slips are narrow and short. We were assigned slip C6, and told that we could find the C dock by the yellow flag. Finally Roland spotted the yellow flag and we made our way in, zigzaging around several turns to get in to C dock. C6 was very narrow and very short, (we are 17 feet wide, the slip is 18 feet wide). But Captain Roland did an incredible job getting in. The dock hands were there to help us dock, bow in, port side (not my favorite).

We have a walk around only on the starboard side so getting on and off the boat on the port side is a little bit of a gymnastic feat for me. We have two possibilities of exit: one towards the stern and one towards the bow. Both were challenging. But I ended up going in and out near the stern, saying a short prayer each time I got on and off the boat for the entire time we were in Fort Myers.

There was a very large boat next to us, Sassy, and Janice and Jerome greeted us warmly when they returned from their outing. Their boat was so high off the dock that it took Jerome about 30 to 40 minutes to assemble a ladder so that they could get on and off Sassy. Unfortunately, the ladder took up most of the width of the narrow dock. Every time I went passed their ladder to get on and off my boat, I had to walk sideways. It was rather inconvenient.

Janice and Jerome were very nice and welcoming. They are from Toronto, and had already gotten both of their vaccines in Florida, without the need to show any documentation that they are Florida residents, and of course, they are not stressing, every day, over getting the vaccine and not in the vaccine frenzy that is dominating my life.

As is my practice, as soon as we get into the marina, I start my 4-6 loads of laundry, and providing the weather is good, go for a walk.

Fort Myers is the county seat of Lee County and there were several government buildings, a beautiful regional library, lots of lawyers' offices, some fun public art, and many outdoor restaurants. 

Unfortunately the outdoor restaurants were very crowded and, as we have found in many places in Florida, almost no one is wearing a mask. 

One of the reasons we wanted to go into a marina that week, was the forecast. Heavy winds were expected for the next couple days.

I had plenty of tasks that had to be completed over the next few days so I did not really mind the fact that the weather was unappealing. We were tied very tightly onto the dock but, due to the heavy winds, we were doing a lot of rocking and rolling. I had 18 WIL grant applications to review, and a WIL board meeting. The blog needed some attention and of course, being on land, endless errands. We were within a very short walking distance to Publix, which means we tend to shop everyday.

The reports from Philadelphia and New Jersey were that there was going to be lots of snow. They were having a storm similar to ours; while I was rocking and rolling in the marina, they were shoveling snow. As one friend noted, this was a great winter to cut out!

Because I hadn't been able to get an appointment online for a vaccine at Publix, I went every evening to the local Publix to see if anyone had failed to appear for their vaccine, hoping that I could snag one. On the third night of my visit, the store manager, who was not too happy with me, and announced that everybody shows up, there has never been a no show, and to even if there were, they would not give it to me! The had the required refrigeration and would just roll the dose over to the next week. He suggested I stop wasting my time stopping by very evening. If I were to get a shot due to a no show, it wouldn't be at this Publix!

Our next shot at an appointment (no pun intended), was at 6 am, on Wednesday morning February 3. Meanwhile, I had signed up all over Florida, and Philadelphia, and New Jersey; I was determined....or possibly, obsessed!

On Monday, we took a walk around the marina and stopped by another Kadey Krogen, Sabrina, docked at the Legacy Marina, and met Kitty. Kenny was out doing errands. Kitty showed us their brand new, never been used, dinghy. They had had their boat for four years and Kevin had never been in the original dinghy. They were thrilled. I, of course, admired the new dinghy, considering ours, too, was not my dream tender.

Whenever we are at a dock, and therefore land is accessable, if the weather is good, I try to run 3 miles, once or twice a week, and running around Fort Meyers was delightful. The area around the courthouse and the government buildings in the library usually were empty early in the morning. The temperatures were perfect.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021. Day 59.

The alarm went off at 5:10an, so I could get myself together (I wakened Roland at 5:30), so that at 6am, we would be ready to get online to try to get a vaccine appointment at Publix. The system is so random and so frustrating, but finally, after about an hour Roland got two opportunities for an appointment, one for each of us. Unfortunately, the appointments were in the panhandle, 600 miles away – one way. Our appointments were on Saturday and Sunday which would mean not only driving 1200 miles round-trip but also one or two nights in a hotel. We would of course have to rent a car, neither MM, nor our 20 inch folding bicycles would have made it in a reasonable amount of time. Furthermore, we would have to have our second doses in the same the location, 28 days later (Moderna). This was going to be an expensive odyssey.

Lots of arrangements were required. Our stay in the marina must be extended (assuming they had space). Roland went to the marina office and spoke to the dockmaster to arrange for us to have a monthly fee (which is way more inexpensive than 2 weeks), but we had to agree to come and go because they didn't always have a slip available for us. We worked out the specific days and then made the other arrangements: the rental car, the hotel for the first trip to Okaloosa County, Fort Walton Beach.

Thursday, February 4, 2021. Day 60.

The temperature was rather cold for Florida this time of year, in the 50s. I had plenty of work to do in preparation for my three hour zoom meeting of the Wil Grant Committee, more laundry, dishes, and cleaning; Roland washed the outside of the boat.

In the afternoon, I went for a walk and then met Roland at SoHo Garden where we had happy hour outside at a small corner table for two. On Thursday, the cocktails were two for one, and sushi was half price.

Friday, February 5, 2021. Day 59.

We were up early, and tried to get an appointment at Publix someplace closer then 600 miles. We were not successful. I had my three hour WIL Grant Committee meeting, which went extremely well.

Meanwhile Roland did his last-minute Publix shopping, packed for our trip to the panhandle and went to Enterprise to get a rental car.

After the zoom meeting I took a quick shower, got dressed, got in the car, and we started our absurdly ridiculous and arduous, long trek to get our vaccines.