UPDATE OF CRUISING PLANS

We leave tomorrow!!!! (We hope!!!) The weather has not been cooperative for our departure. Can't remember a February this cold and windy in this part of the world. Although tomorrow is "iffy" the rest of the week looks good for our travel across the Okechobee Waterway (Caloosahatchee River eastbound from Ft Myers; across Lake Okechobee; into the canal system and exiting into the ICW on Florida's east coast around Port St Lucie). Along the way we will encounter numerous bridges and locks. There are only a couple of bridges that we will need to ask to open but we can fit under most of them (We are right at 17 feet including the radar mast and anchor light on the fly-bridge. The lowest bridge that we will negotiate without asking them to open is around 25 feet. It will be a bit nerve wracking with only 8 feet of clearance but it shouldn't be a problem even at high tide. This will be Diane's first experience with locks (From Ft Myers to the Lake the locks will raise us up to lake level--each lock only rises a couple of feet on this side) They'll be taking us down on the east side of the lake and the last lock is about an 8 foot drop--should be interesting. Fortunately, I experienced several locks on our way from Houston to New Orleans in Assisted Living back in 2010 and know that they are not as intimidating as they may appear to Diane. My confidence, however, has done little to alleviate Diane's anxiety. "Seeing is believing"

We were fortunate to have some great weather last week-end for a 3 day side trip back to Pelican Bay and Cabbage Key where we celebrated my 39th birthday again.

                                                                   

After 2 nights in Pelican Bay we cruised over to Cabbage Key, about 1 hour away, where we anchored across from the Key, showered and dressed and dinghied across for my birthday dinner at the restaurant. Just as we were preparing to leave the boat a dense fog settled in and stayed through dinner and our return to the boat. Up to within 50 yards of the boat it was not even visible but we managed to find it (We had left the running and anchor lights on as well as our salon lamp so once we were close enough it was easy to spot). The next day we motored on back to the marina where the wind and current were up and it took me several attempts before I was able to back the boat into our slip--to the amusement of quite a number of our anxious neighbors. BUT--I succeeded, once again without incident. Each time is a new experience on the learning curve and I'm getting more confident. Just take it slow and easy and avoid running into stuff.
We drove our car to FT Lauderdale yesterday to leave it at the home of my cousin Jane, so we are now officially car-less as we make our last minute preparations for our departure tomorrow. (Fill water tanks, empty holding tank, last minute provisions, check all engine fluids, a last minute tutorial from Eric, the dockmaster, on the use of our Furuno chart plotter and radar instruments, chart study--general clean-up and a "Farewell Lunch" with our dock neighbors.
Let's hope the forecast is correct (a very rare phenomenon down here) and we're able to finally get on the road tomorrow. More later.


                                                                 


                                                               


                                                             

I think I figured out the photo thing

                                                                                                        Here we are at anchor in Pelican Bay.




     Pelican Bay is a small bay west of Pine Island at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor. It's a small bay with a very tricky (shallow) entrance, but once inside it's very nice, well protected and just a very special place to us. This was one of, if not the, first anchorages we found back in 2011 aboard Assisted Living. After you get your anchor set and get the dinghy in the water you take the dinghy across to a state park on Cayo Costa Island, and either take the shuttle or walk the 1 mile across the island to the beautiful beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Since the only way to get the beach is by boat into Pelican Bay the beach is quite unpopulated and quiet--good shelling, watch the dolphins swim by, watch the birds--or just hang out. After our time on the beach we always stop at the park headquarters building for a Klondike bar before returning to the boat---or am I repeating myself.
Anyway---I think I have the photo thing figured out. Here's one of the Admiral at the
beach.
                                                                                 

WE DONE DONE IT !!!!

   Well, we've been on the boat at Legacy Harbor Marina in downtown Ft Myers for about a month. I drove down the middle of Jan. with a car completely full of "boat stuff" and clothes. There literally was no room for Diane in the car. So she flew over a couple days later (There were other reasons she didn't drive with me--but the car really was full.) I arrived at the boat around 11 AM on a Monday and was immediately overwhelmed with the huge learning curve that I realized was in store. I'm glad I came early as it gave me an opportunity to clean her up and at least familiarize myself with enough systems, mostly electrical, to begin at least basic operations before Diane arrived. I drove over to pick her up in Ft Lauderdale--about 2 1/2 hours away (cheap airline tickets on Spirit Air)-- and brought her back and watched as she began to experience the same level of panic and overwhelmedness (is that a word??) that I had experienced a couple days earlier. The first two weeks were spent cleaning her up and out and getting familiar with all the systems. The previous owners had left an incredible amount of material--from engine spare parts to binoculars, safety equipment, to pots and pans and linens. The first order of business, however, was to provision the boat with food, drink and even the spices that we all have had in our pantries for years (probably expired). Think about it in terms of stocking a kitchen for the first time. Fortunately, this marina is located right downtown--walking distance to everything, including many fine restaurants in the very quaint downtown. We're even just a stone's throw from the Edison Ford home/museum. A fabulous location. The Publix grocery store and liquor store are a 10 minute walk--but with the amount of stuff we needed we used the car.
After a couple of weeks I felt like I had it down. Figured out the  water systems, electrical systems, including operation of the generator and achieved a basic familiarization with the 2 240 hp diesel engines. BUT---I had yet to operate her. I hadn't had her out of the slip. Driving this boat is a whole different thing from Assisted Living(our previous sailboat). I have been told by many people that once you get the hang of it it's easier than a sailboat. I had yet to try out that theory. So, we hired a licensed captain for a morning and took the boat out and up the river and back and practiced getting her in and out (backwards) of the slip and tying up to a "side tie". It actually went surprisingly well, such that after our learning session we decided to take her out, fuel her up and head down river to a couple of our favorite anchorages--off St James City on Pine Island and in Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island, our clearly favorite anchorage in the area. We spent two nights on the hook and returned to the marina on Super Bowl Sunday around 2 in the afternoon to prepare for the pot luck Super Bowl Party at the marina. Of course returning to the marina meant I had to back her into the slip without any captain standing by to rescue me if I got into trouble. No sweat!! Nailed it on the first try. (Of course there was no wind nor current to complicate the task.) When a known novice is engaged in this activity all the owners of the boats in the immediate area stand nervously by their boat and watch nervously. This was no exception. No problem--I do my best work in front of a jury.
                                       I wanted to insert a photo of us at anchor in
                                       Pelican Bay in this spot but I'm having trouble
                                       posting photos.
                                                          
I didn't figure it out! Must be something wrong with the web site!
I'll have Diane tell you about the marina and people we've met and what our plans for the immediate future are. I hope you enjoy the Blog. Again--you can sign up to be notified of new postings and can click on "SPOT" in the upper left of this page to see where we are. I just reactivated it. Life is good!!! And SPOT is now working!!!!!!!






Diane here:  Hard to believe we have been here almost a month but we have needed every minute of it to get acquainted with this boat and new lifestyle. Regarding the boat,  it doesn't disappoint.  There is so much more room and so many different features than a sailboat.(Where was this boat 4 years ago??)  Having a fly bridge is literally living in a 2 story. Our inherited marina is first class and very active.  Monday night is movie night, Thursday night is pot-luck and then there are special events (like Super Bowl).  While there are several sailboats here, this marina in overwhelmingly a power boat mecca and the majority of the people we have met are from the East Coast.  All of them have more experience than we have doing the "ditch: (the Intracoastal Waterway) and it has been a delight to share stories and adventures with them.  The cruising community is truly a helpful and interesting group.  We have been encouraged and intend to join the American Great Loopers Cruising Association.  There are numerous benefits to this but mostly a camaraderie. (The Great Loop is the route up the ICW of the east coast, thru the Erie --and other- canals into the Great Lakes to Chicago and then down the river system to Mobile and then into the ICW again and down into Florida until you "cross your wake" wherever you started from)
We hope to take off in the next week or so.  We will be moving up the Caloosahatchee River, across the Okeechobee Waterway(think Seminole Indians)  to Port St. Lucie.  Basically we are just crossing from the west side of Florida to the East Coast.   Then South to Ft. Lauderdale.  From there we will take our time traveling up the Eastern Coast.  Waiting for warm weather but enjoying beautiful sunsets!