Going South March 13-14, 2021

 Saturday, March 13, 2021. Day 97.

We had left the fuel dock two minutes before 11am and had just enough time to get to the Roosevelt Bridge for an 11am opening. Yeah! Because most of the bridges open on a schedule, it can seriously delay travel if one misses the opening by a few minutes. One must hang around for 30 or 45 minutes waiting for the next bridge opening, which is not only frustrating, but also a waste of fuel and increases the risk of injury or collision as more vessels are hovering around waiting for the opening. As my friend Joel reminded me in the fall: boats don't have brakes.

I steered for the first hour and we went under a total of 5 to 7 bridges. It was sunny and mild (the wind was only 5 to 7 knots ), and it was a Saturday so there were hundreds of boats all sizes going all speeds stopping by beaches and at the shoreline,

 folks were wading in the water. The visual was an endless caravan of vessels, and a what felt like an endless stream of people everywhere.

The ICW channel we were traveling through, on our way to Peck Lake, to anchor for the night, was quite narrow from time to time. Fortunately, most of the boats observed the speed limitation in the narrow passages, but the crowds on the shore were unbelievable: boats everywhere, people on every inch of beach.

We anchored in Peck Lake at about 12:40pm. By the time we had arrived, there were already dozens of boats in the beach area. We observed them longingly. Because we were leaving the next next evening for an offshore run, it made no sense to take the dinghy down nor inflate the SUPs. We comforted ourselves that we would soon be in the Keys and have lots of time for dinghy rides and to use the SUPs (famous last words!).

Peck Lake is right off the ICW, so there was a lot of traffic going by, and all day and all night the boat was rocking and rolling.

I used the afternoon to take care of my never ending paperwork and other obligations, and continued to contact all necessary creditors and other parties, to let them know my address was still the same.

Roland made his favorite lunch after we anchored: grilled hotdogs. Dinner was delish: steak from the butcher of Stuart, also grilled on the back of the boat

Sunday, March 14, 2021. Day 98.

Chris called early in the morning, to wish us happy Pi Day (3.14). Before that call. I was unaware that it was a holiday! I enjoy any excuse for celebration! Saturday night had been the start of daylight savings time, so we lost an hour of sleep (or got a very late start in the day, depending on your point of view). Although it was sunny and warm in Peck Lake, it was quite windy and the traffic was busy so we continued to rock ‘n’ roll on the boat.

After our poached egg breakfast ( loving those silicone cups), we left our anchorage and proceeded to start our slow cruising south through many bridges

I did some steering until the traffic and the narrow area got out of hand and then Captain Roland took over. The traffic for most of the way, had speed restrictions because it was deemed a manatee area. Where there were no speed restrictions, boats and jet skis were scooting all over the place, creating lots of wakes so, again Magic Moments was rocking and rolling. We passed by every vessel type known: fishing stand up paddle boards, fishing kayaks, ocean going fishing boats, mega yachts, and little floating pontoon boats, and a myriad of other motor vessels. People and vessels everywhere.

 It was lunacy, it looked like thousands of children had been released on a football field for an Easter egg hunt. And the boaters were acting as if “there were no lanes” (a favorite expression of my father). To say the least, steering was challenging. I think my favorite were the people who beached their small boats on sandbars in the middle of the waterway, and were wading, swimming, floating, and playing in the water around their beached boats, on the sandbar: very strange looking to me.

The most stressful part of cruising that day was going south under the PGA bridge. It was the narrowest area in the whole ICW (anybody who knows, better please correct this). On the starboard side, there was a packed waterside restaurant, whose dock was also fully occupied. There were several boats all around, waiting to dock and go to lunch, narrowing the passageway even more. As we waited for the bridge opening, a 200 foot mega yacht that wanted to have lunch at this restaurant, entered the ICW from a marina on the side, and was just idling in the middle of this very narrow passage. Fortunately, the yacht was behind us, but he kept getting closer. I finally went to the back deck and made hand motions to tell them to back up; they were too close for comfort and we couldn’t go anywhere because the bridge was not ready to open. They finally did back up, but the situation was unnerving.

All told that day, we went through a myriad of bridges: Hobe Sound Bridge, PGA Bridge, Jupiter Federal Bridge, Indiantown Bridge, and Parker Bridge, to name a few.

We anchored at about 3:40pm in Lake Worth, near West Palm Beach. We had to anchor past the marina, and past a huge (1-2miles long), mooring field (one is not permitted to anchor in mooring field, and I have never seen such a huge mooring field). Here we anchored for about four hours while the captain had a chance to rest. We had a little dinner and I applied a patch and two wristbands that, similar to acupuncture, were supposed to eliminate seasickness. Across the waterway, was a marina with unbelievable mega yachts; we were in a very fancy neighborhood. Their dinghies made Magic Moments look like a row boat!

Around 8pm, we left the anchorage. MM was prepped, I was prepped, with my patch and wristbands, and just as the sun set, we set off for the inlet to the ocean, and our overnight offshore passage.

Return to Stuart and Sunset Bay Marina March 10-12, 2021

 Wednesday, March 10, 2021. Day 94.

We awakened to a beautiful morning “on the hook” (anchored). We were on the eastern branch of the St. Lucie River, very close to Stuart and Sunset Bay Marina, where we are going to spend the next few days.

I took the morning to stretch and complete a heavy duty work out on the back deck, and made breakfast. The wind was picking up and Captain Roland really dislikes docking when the wind is heavy; but this seems to be our fate. It requires much more skill when there is current and /or wind influencing the boat's direction.

Bringing up the anchor was a major ordeal; it was really dug in and there was mud everywhere. It took Roland a long time to wash off the anchor while I was at the helm steering the boat towards Sunset Bay Marina, following the captain's directions to a T.

The heavy wind made docking, challenging and, being human, Captain Roland pressed the wrong thruster and we hit a piling. Fortunately, the rubber stripping on the piling (that's why it was there), softened the blow and there was no serious damage.

We hoped that the winds die down so that we can leave on Friday, as planned, but if not, we will leave on Saturday. It will not be the first time that we’ve had weather delays and change of plans based on the weather. Meanwhile, I took advantage of being at a dock, taking walks, running, maybe going to an outdoor restaurant if we can find a non-crowded one, and then there’s always the paperwork, bills and enjoying the view and the pleasant temperatures.

We had to go to the supermarket, do laundry, wash the boat, repair the dinghy, and various other tasks of daily living. We were hoping that guru Scott will be able to come by and help Roland with the new software that still was not working on the main screen.

We planned to go around 4 o’clock, to a simple fish restaurant that we believed had a lot of outside space, but on our way we passed Casa Bella which was so cute. The tables were all decked out and arranged and no one was around. They didn’t open until five. We asked if they had room for two when they opened at five and they said they did so we waited around. Good decision! We had one of the best meals that we’ve had on this trip (Parts of Paris, in Safety Harbor, was excellent), and Casa Bella was comfortable and friendly, as well as delicious). The restaurant was a very short distance from the marina, and we took home half the meal for leftovers. It was a wonderful evening.

Thursday, March 11, 2021. Day 95.

I was up early, the temperatures were moderate (mid 70s ). Even Philadelphia reached into the 70's that day. Here in “paradise,” it was sunny but very windy, so as anticipated, we would have to stay another day at the marina until the winds slow down.

I spent a great deal of time trying to get a haircut. I called several people who were recommended either by Joe at home, and/or from the KK owners who live aboard at the marina. We tried mightily but nothing worked. I will just have to live with my hair way too long (and unfortunately stuffed under a hat), until I can go back and be saved by Gabby.

Roland made poached eggs in his new silicone egg poaching cups (yet another galley gadget), and to my surprise, they worked! Roland keeps reminding me of my skepticism (I laughed when I saw them), and now, poached eggs has become my breakfast of choice (there’s very little cleanup as well -bonus!).

Roland got his other packages, including his new phone (thank goodness-living with only my phone was a little challenging which seems curious as two decades ago we didn’t have any cell phones).

His delivery also included mood lights for the salon, so we could have romantic dinners. The mood lighting even comes with a remote unit to dim or brighten the lights. I must say this was beyond my wildest imagination. I am afraid that I lean heavily to the practical....less on the imagination.

We spent happy hour at the end of dock C with other KK owners, had the Casa Bella dinner leftovers (still delish), and then found out when I went to take a shower before bed, that for 3 1/2 months, I had been misusing the shower sump pump. My hope is that I did not burn it out, but I probably had shortened its life. Hopefully it will still be working well for the entire time I own Magic Moments.

Friday, March 12, 2021. Day 96.

Another beautiful day at Sunset Bay. I finished the housework (laundry, making the bed, doing the dishes, paying the bills, etc), and to our pleasant surprise, guru Scott came to help with the new software. Of course, timing is everything, and five minutes before Scott showed up, the computer crashed, totally. Captain Roland, you can imagine, was extremely frustrated and there was not much anyone could do. The hope was that when the computer was operating again, Scott will be able to guide Roland, by phone, through the software reset.

Roland went back to washing the boat, and I made fudge (yum!).

We borrowed the marina's bicycles, and going the back way (limiting the distance on US 1,which is very unpleasant), rode to the supermarket a couple of times. We were expected to be at anchor for two weeks and needed to stock up on food and treats, and carrying groceries on foot or bike really limited our purchases. A benefit: Roland didn't spend much time in the store each visit, (My job was to stay with the bikes, outside the store, and carry as much as possible). Masked and short stays inside, was our obligation to fight covid spread.

During our stay in Sunset Bay marina, we watched admiringly, a family whose boat was on a mooring, row back and forth several times to the marina's dinghy dock, to buy groceries and run other errands. Rowing quite a distance, their dinghy sans motor, a family that often included several members: father, mother, a teenage daughter, and 2-3 younger children, was remarkable. Often the teenager was rowing. We assumed that they were not Americans, maybe they were Scandinavians. I was sorry that we weren't on the dock at the same time; I wanted to meet them and chat. I was really impressed.

Saturday, March 13, 2021. Day 97, and Gail‘s birthday.

We were up early but I controlled myself to not call my sister, until a bit later, and sing happy birthday to her (a family tradition), at 6:30 am. I’m sure she was grateful for the delay.

Roland made one more trip to the supermarket and we prepped Magic Moments for our departure to Peck Lake, off Jupiter Island.

With the boat prepped, we left the dock, fueled and pumped out at the fuel pump, and then started our journey around 11am, on our way to Peck Lake.

Roland Martin Marina March 8-9, 2021

  March 8, 2021; Still Day 92. Still waiting for the RR bridge to open!

As soon as we received the message on the radio from the lock tender that the railroad bridge was in fact finally open (I guess the sugar company that owns the bridge finally found an employee to in fact open it appropriately and fully), we proceeded through the bridge and to the lock. Roland swapped out the long fenders for the round fenders (hauling and schlepping and tying and untying, and stowing and moving). The Captain preferred the round fenders in the lock, rather than the oval fenders because he felt that it was better protection from the lock walls, against which we had to hold the boat as the water level changed. This lock went up only 2 1/2 feet, but we still had to switch positions from stern to bow in order for me to hold the rope (the rope was too short and it took too much pressure in the stern), as the water rushed in from the front. This time we used the headphones, which made the situation work much better.

It was a slow, a short cruise, to the Roland Martin Marina in Clewiston, Florida. Captain Roland was rather nervous because he knew he had to back down a very narrow waterway in order to dock. We had not done a lot of reverse docking (actually, none at all I could think of). Fortunately, when we arrived, there was no traffic. 

 A couple of days before, a very large yacht had had a mechanical problem, said the captain, and his boat rammed into and punched a hole in, part of the dock. This did not inspire confidence in Captain Roland. We had hoped to get the first out space on the dock because we were planning to leave before 7am (it would still be dark, but we were anxious to leave in order to cross Lake Okeechobee as early as possible. The wind is normally way less early in the morning and we were hoping to not have to deal with heavy seas.

Captain Sam helped us dock and made suggestions about dinner at the Roland Martin restaurant behind us. Apparently it is a major party place with bands most nights (this was Monday so we only had to deal with the jukebox ), but the music was very loud and went on until midnight.

I had the opportunity to catch up with several friends and had a couple zoom events before we went to dinner where we had down-home, fried food, at the Roland Martin restaurant. We sat near the open windows and away from everybody else. Our waiter was very attentive and the food was plentiful.

I prepped for crossing the lake by applying a patch, taking a pill, hydrating and, after tonight, fasting. The plan was for me to steer across the lake; my sister and Captain Roland's friend Stephen , thought that would help. In any case, we were hoping for calm seas.

Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Day 93.

We were up early and off the dock by 6:10 am. When we approached the lake, the wind was at 10 kn but it wasn’t really bad. By 6:30 am, the wind had reached 12 to 13 kn. 

 

As we were cruising, dozens of birds were flying over our wake,

 (apparently, we were turning up the fish or they thought we would be turning up fish). Keep in mind, we were leaving the bass fishing capital of the world. It was quite a sight to see the birds following us. Maybe the birds agree that Clewiston, Florida, is the bass fishing capital of the world, and were looking for breakfast.

I steered, and we crossed Lake Okeechobee in less than three hours, with zero mishaps or discomfort.

We went through the last lock (14 feet down), and preceded in to the St. Lucie Canal at about 2:15pm. We anchored near Stuart in the St. Lucie River, just above Coconut Point; close to Sunset Bay Marina, where we would be docking the next day. Although it was cool and very sunny, it was too windy for the dinghy or the sups (sigh). I had the rest of the afternoon to start to contact various creditors to try to straighten out my US Postal Service mail problem (all mail being returned to sender – marked: undeliverable).

Roland made a great dinner to celebrate the successful Okeechobee crossing and our returned to the East Coast of Florida.

We were happy to be back on the East Coast, crossing without my getting seasick (yeah). The anchorage is quite pretty, we had a wonderful evening, and we were looking forward to checking in with some of our friends in Stuart for the next two evenings.

Return to Moore Haven March 7-8, 2021

 Sunday, March 7, 2021. Day 91.

I slept very poorly. I fell asleep early, but was up at 4am. Originally, we had planned an early start but due to the forecast of winds for the next 2 days, we changed plans. Captain Roland didn't want to cross Lake Okeechobee in winds and heavy choppy conditions (Yes! Thanks!), so today and the next day were now rather short cruising days, while we waited for calmer seas. So Roland slept late and I nursed a headache.

It was a chilly morning but the forecast said sunny. I hoped we would have a quiet productive day. When I awoke the birds were singing it really was a pleasant morning. Franklin Lock National Park is sweet and it really was very pretty in our tiny cove with the birds singing and dawn breaking.

I learned that “fetch” referred to the distance over which the waves build. Windy in the tiny cove, the chop was not bad, because the fetch was small. The same wind in Lake Okeechobee, with a great fetch, the chop, for me, would likely be unpleasant, possibly, sickening.

We left the cove at 10am, and I steered while Roland washed off the anchor and continued at the helm until the first bridge. We had bought new navigational software in Punta Gorda, so we had much better information. I had to learn to watch the iPad as well as the large, primary screen, and, of course, the waterway.

We had a pretty passage to the Alva Broadway Bridge from Franklin Park. Roland asked for an opening and it was quick. Obviously little vehicular traffic, so opening was not a problem. We slowed down to avoid bridge openings near the vessel “Reel Efficiency”, which had passed us too fast and rather recklessly out of the lock. A water skier was down and Reel Efficiency didn’t slow down and actually waked the man in the water even after Roland told him on the radio to slow down and watch out for the downed skier. Because we reduced our speed, Reel Efficiency was about an hour ahead of us and we expected to avoid future contact.

The passage continued to be rather pretty; very green foliage, and a ranch that raised English Longhorn cattle. The cows are short and stocky with amazing horns; excellent beef I read when I googled the description of the cows as we passed.

We passed two more bridges before we reached, at 1:19pm, Oratona Lock. It was stunning and sunny day. Oratona Lock is 8 feet up and I was surprised and mystified as the water rushed in from the bow and yet push the boat forward. I was on the stern line, hanging on for dear life and could barely hold on while the water was rushing around like a whirl pool pushing from behind. Quickly, Roland and I switch places; and the bow turned out to be easier. The lock had nice new lines since we had been through going west. That part was a pleasure.

There was another boat in the lock with us, and the visual was incredible. On the other boat, was this tall, thin, blonde woman, holding her line, with one hand, as she reclined in a relaxed pose on the bow, while I was struggling with all my weight and very awkwardly, trying to hold on to the line. Of course, Magic Moments is 20 times heavier than her 26 foot boat, but the picture of her going through the lock versus a picture of me, was totally entertaining.

We arrived in Moore Haven, where Bob, the owner of the marina was waiting for us. His new dock was completed, and we moved right in, port side, easily, at about 3:30pm. It was great catching up with Bob, his new dock was beautiful, and in front of us was a boat called SEA 20/20, a fast boat which had passed us hours ago. The captain had kindly slowed down as he passed, to avoid waking us, which is the appropriate way to travel, yet, so often ignored by fast boaters. They had just crossed the Gulf from Alabama. Obviously, much more sea worthy cruisers than I; the waves, as you may remember, had sent me ill to Ft Myers Beach after an hour. They spent days in that chop!

We were texting with Red Tail, who had spent an extra day in Franklin National Park. We took a walk along the water. Moore Haven was much nicer than I had remembered it. Bob, the owner from Boston, had picked this area so he could be near Clewiston, Florida, which he claimed was the best bass fishing in the world.



Roland made an elaborate air fryer orange chicken dinner, with rice and broccoli, and there was enough left over for us to have the next day. I worked on the blog and went to bed way too late.

Monday, March 8, 2021. Day 92.

At noon, we left the dock, for the first time that day, after a very busy morning. The plan was to go a short distance to Roland Martin Marina, in Clewiston, Florida (the best bass fishing in the world said Bob), before we entered Lake Okeechobee. But before we left Moore Haven, I had to deal with the mail issue.

All of my mail (which had been temporarily forwarded and handled as arranged for several months), was suddenly being returned to the senders marked “undeliverable”. And, due to a change on December 31, of the US Post Office, the procedure I had used to establish my temporary change of address was no longer available to me, so I was unable to end, correct or renew, the temporary address change, on the USPO site. So, I walked 1.1 miles to (and then, of course back), to Moore Haven's main post office, to fill out the appropriate forms in an attempt to cancel my temporary change of address.

Even if I could get this to work, I still had to make many, many calls to various credit card companies, insurance companies, utilities and other senders, to let them know that they could still use my address. I felt like going in person to the Moore Haven post office, was a ridiculous and frustrating, waste of time, but hopefully it would, in fact, work.

We had hoped to leave at 11am, but the railroad bridge was down, blocking the waterway. After the train went through, we foolishly thought that we would be good to go. We said our goodbyes to Bob, and as I said above, left the dock at noon, to go a short distance to see that the bridge hadn't been totally reopened after the train had passed. After wasting too much time and fuel, circling in front of the railroad bridge, Roland agree to go back to the dock and wait. We called the sugar company who owned the bridge, the next lock tender, and several other numbers, on the radio as well as the phone, in an attempt to get the bridge open. Finally (I think, after the sugar company employee finished his lunch, at 1pm), the lock tender just after the bridge, called us to let us know that the waterway was clear, the bridge was open and that we could pass. Talk about indifference! No reasonable sized vessel could pass in this navigable waterway while this guy had lunch! Really!! We were told that the sugar company times their crossings in a way that is a problem for boaters all the time: no notice, times that conflict with the lock schedules; really not cooperative and very inconsiderate.

My main regret with this entire episode, however, was not trying, for the first time ever, docking MM myself when we went back to the marina to wait. There were no boats around, it was a straight and empty, long dock, and we had nothing else to do; a perfect opportunity, and we were so busy being annoyed, that we missed the ideal opportunity.

Captains note: we have officially stated our trip back north yesterday .

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.