Marathon - Part 1 March 4-11

March 4-11

Ok, well, let's see how good my memory is. I was halfway thru this email, and our current thunder/lightning storm made my numerous paragraphs disappear. Darn. Makes me recall our MSFT Office instructor at Stark Bros saying, "Save, save, save!" Never tho't it applied to emails, tho. Guess I'd best save, save, save!

The Little Shark River goes 2-3 miles into the Everglades and is 8-15' depths & federal channel markers. The mouth is in the distance.

North bank of the Little Shark River as it empties into the Gulf.  The trees died after a hurricane blew all their leaves ff several years ago.

Our anchorage partner in the mouth of the Little Shark

 The Little Shark River is in the heart of the Everglades National Park.  Clay had traversed the Everglades Park in our 13' Whaler several times and was familier with much of this part of the park as he had camped on the beach for several days and stayed on park "chickies" (raised platforms with roofs) many other nights.  There is a 3'+ tide in the Little Shark River, which has federal markers for the first 2 miles.  Except at extremely low tide, there is no "land" in the southwest part of the Everglades Park where we stayed--only mangroves some other native trees.  The trees lost their leaves in a hurricane several years ago which killed many of them.

Arriving at the mouth of Little Shark River mid-afternoon Monday after having left Naples and en route to Marathon, FL, Captain Clay toured upriver a bit in search of the perfect anchorage.  

Taking clues from a fellow boater, we dropped anchor back 1/4 mile from the mouth without incident. Our location in the Everglades allowed no cell or internet reception, giving us the feeling of being cut off from the rest of the world. Kinda eerie. Soon late afternoon breezes came unexpectedly to a dead calm, and we were immediately invaded by a multitude of no-see-'ems. We quickly closed all of the doors and windows and started the generator as our air source. A sauna in the making without the generator!

Closest thing to land around the Little Shark River.

We were quick to close up (well, I was quicker than Clay), but the invasion had already occurred. No-see-'ems were biting with a vengance! Buggins (bug spray targeting no-see-'ems) to the rescue, but I kinda/really overdid the application.  Kept the bugs away but about suffocated us with essence of Buggins! Next time (and there will be a next time) I'll remember that a little goes a long way.

During the night, my ears detected a crackling noise. Why is Clay able to sleep thru all of the during-the-night forCeign noises? I was unable to detect the source; I didn't try very hard vertically but tried very hard horizontally, which kept me awake and wondering for a very long time and unable to go back to sleep. I finally inserted bedside earplugs, endured a restless night and arose early which allowed us to pull anchor and be off at an early hour.

No walking in the Everglades--Nordic Tracking in the Gulf

I put in a half hour on the Nordic Track as we cruised along at our usual 8-9 mph rate (Clay has never been known for speed), taking in the sights of the waters off the Florida Keys. Noteworthy to both Clay and me were the large sea turtles we spotted off both the port and starboard sides. Fun spotting these creatures in their natural habitat!

Bass boats way out in the gulf!

Tiny sailboat in the gulf.

Cape Florida beach, the southern most part of mainland Florida

As we departed toward Marathon, we dodged thousands of crab pot floats.  It was surprising that there were so many crab pots this far from civilization!  Some folks were camped on the beaches where Clay camped in the Whaler a number of years ago.  Quite a number of bass boats and small craft, including small sail boats were in the waters off the Everglades National Park too. 

F

Happy First Mate

Have to go southsouthwest to Marathon.  Key West would be westsouthwest from the Little Shark River.

                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                           We arrived at Sombrero Marina and were greeted by our new neighbors with an invitation to join them for cocktails, but allowing us time for Clay to rinse half the boat and me to acquaint myself with at least some of the amenities and services closeby. I find comfort in having at least some land familiarity. Ya never know when you might need something...quickly. 















 




 














Along with the boats and various sea creatures including manatees, the first of which we saw here soon after our arrival--a 'family' of five huge, ugly creatures rolling over each other and surfacing frequently for air (making them mammals I guess--revisiting junior high science here). 
In addition to the manatees, we had dauphins and other creatures. 

School of dauphins at Boot Key Harbor

Boot Key Harbor resident with his "best friends"

Boot Key Harbor residents.

                            

Around 250 boats of all kinds and shapes anchored at Boot Key Harbor.

The Boardwalk dock

Located on Vaca Key surrounding the Boot Key Harbor on all sides is the town of Marathon, Sombrero Marina was truly 'keysie,' offering a low-key, relaxed, laid-back atmosphere and a lifestyle far different from the Midwest. The SaSea Sally was docked with many other boats along a boardwalk (I use the term in the loosest sense of the word because it was a seaside walkway made of rough, weathered boards offering little of the elegance the term 'boardwalk' might bring to mind).

Dinghys scrambling to leave the Dockside Cafe before a storm.

Four slips away was Dockside Tropical Cafe, owned an operated by a female yoga instructor and her male musician companion. The open-air cafe housed a bar, dining space, a detached kitchen and bandstand, with a perimeter that dropped along one side into the sea without barrier of any sort. One drink too many and you might find yourself IN the drink

Margie (l), from Long Island and Jeri (r) from Coral Reefer

Glenn, Larry and Margie

                                                                                                                                                                   The Dockside owners really had their methodology perfected for attracting a diverse and plentiful clientele. The restaurant/bar offered nightly entertainment 7-10 p.m. and a Sunday jam session for various musicians in the area. The music was diverse with a decibel-level considerate of dining patrons and resident boaters nearby--very nearby!  Too, Sunday afternoon brought Charlie's Cheeses reps who set up a temporary retail 'shop' in the bandstand and sold delicious Pennsylvania cheeses. On three weekday mornings, the dance floor provided space for yoga enthusiasts wanting to meditate, flex, stretch, bend and strengthen. 

The golf course at Sombrero

On Wednesday, our first full-day stay at Sombrero, Clay and I established our daily walking path by circling the golf course which happens to be the only one between Ocean Reef and Key West. Returning in time to take Kim's yoga class, I found her to be an extremely knowledgeable and caring instructor. Later in the day I did laundry and swam in the nearby pool while Clay did boat maintenance (mostly washing and removing rust stains on the deck from our funky bikes). We put those bikes to good use the next day, finding our way to the local Publix grocery store which was a convenient 5-minute ride each way (but 15 minutes on foot!) I have gotten accustomed to having no car and am very appreciative of those funky little rusted bicycles. We've even mastered the 'art' of hauling larger quantities of supplies on them. Backpacks and bungee cords are certainly handy and necessary. We've been alert to others' ways of transporting items, noticing various cart configurations, but Clay is still resistant to buying a cart. Go figure. Guess he thinks the challenge is good for my back and leg strength and for my balance because I usually get the heavier and bulkier loads; I'm always up for a challenge.

One way to get to your anchored boat

Clay and I nested in Marathon, establishing a routine of sorts while awaiting the arrival of friend Joe Weston who was to come aboard mid-week next for a week's cruise. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, socializing, swimming, walking, computer/desk/paper work, etc fell into comfort levels paralleling home life. Nice! 

Jerry Webster (r) and his friend/neighbor Jeb.

Clay had earlier spent time locating friends from home who were to be in the Florida area in tandem with our presence here. Thursday afternoon, in a driving rainstorm, Jerry and Mel Webster arrived for a boat tour along with their friends (soon to be our friends, too!) Jeb and Linda. What a nice reunion we had despite the weather. Thanks, Jerry, for dinner at nearby Plaza Grill! Yum! Jerry bought our dinner upon recalling an incident at Two Rivers Marina whereby Clay's timely prompt kept Jerry's Pig Tails from potential disaster/sinking.

Melanie Webster (r) and her friend/neighbor, Linda

With our vessel docked bow in, our mount and dismount to and from the deck was highly impacted by the tides; the inexpensive plastic chairs we borrowed from the evening cocktail party stash worked short-term, but we felt compelled to visit nearby Home Depot on Friday in search of a 2- or 3-step ladder that would be stowable. Once we determined where to stow it (space on a boat is tight, you know), off we went. You can bet we (actually I) looked pretty funny with a 2-step lightweight aluminum ladder laced across the handlebars of my bike. But, mission accomplished, and I can guarantee that Mel, Linda and I would have appeared far more ladylike had we had the benefit of the ladder a day earlier.

On our agenda for Saturday was a widely-advertised Seafood Festival held in the park adjacent to Home Depot. Knowing we had leg-strength to make the distance, off we pedaled, arriving in time for more seafood choices than most local restaurants offered. We ate standing at long, paper-covered makeshift tables and enjoyed the live music on the immense stage nearby. Too, and of particular interest to most normal females, was a shopping opportunity! Vendors offered everything from jewelry and clothing items to foodstuffs and crafts. Even the men got 'into' shopping with nautical offerings and sun-protection apparel. Highly popular were the beer garden and wine tent. We encountered our new friends Jeb and Linda who were taking a day off from fishing to accommodate Linda's wish to attend the festival; the stiff winds helped Jeb make that decision.

Clay recovering after his "buzz"

Daylight Savings Time started Sunday which gave a late start to our day. After our normal morning routine of walking and breakfast, I biked to Publix while Clay met with a fellow boater, Hans, for an East Coast orientation. We ate a late lunch then I retreated to the pool for some swimming and reading time. I returned 'home' to find Clay prepping supplies for his first Sally's Salon haircut. With only a middle-school buzz cut for John in my repertoire of haircutting, I poured a glass of wine (gave me courage and Clay...fear?) and attacked the head of hair before me, figuring that Clay wears a hat most of the time anyway! Finishing up and feeling highly successful, I went out on the bow of the boat and offered haircuts to any and all of the men gathered on the boardwalk. I had no takers; imagine that!

Sunday night's Jam Session at Dockside featured bands on the hour, each with its own style and 'curb appeal.' As we sat down to a yummy grilled salmon and zucchini dinner onboard following the early eve haircut, Clay and I both noted the 8-9 p.m. time slot was filled with a band singing off-key. For those of you who know Clay's singing ability, you know the band's rendition of "I've Got a Brand New Pair of Rollerskates" had to be bad for Clay to notice just how bad! Musta been an off night for them.

Monday's highlight was a 5:30 p.m. gathering of the boardwalk boaters for a pot luck supper. Now who eats dinner at 5:30 p.m.? I managed to squeeze in yoga, a swim, a bike ride to a nearby post office, and a quick stop at the grocery store for balsamic chicken supplies while Clay worked on the boat's alarm system with a marine electrician. Other misc tasks filled the day which basically ended at 5:30 p.m. with the supper commencing. Was a nice eve which I'm sure Clay particularly enjoyed as he had a smorgasbord of food items from which to choose.

Realizing on Tuesday that I'd rather swim than boat to the harbor entrance to refuel, I approached a fellow boater Larry to recruit him for a boat ride with Clay if he was willing. With that request, we hit the bonus round!  Larry said you can work a deal directly with the diesel truck for delivery to the marina if enough gallons made it worthwhile for the trucker/company. BINGO! Not only does the process cut out the middleman, making it cheaper, but so convenient! I went to swim (yay!) while Clay polled fellow boaters to gather diesel needs to about the 600 gallon mark. Kudos to all concerned! And thanks, Larry!

Dockside's stage, the scene of some good music and some crappy music

Dockside hosted a customer appreciation day Tuesday so as to accommodate a kitchen upgrade without their diners and bar hoppers having to compromise plans. Dollar beer, happy hour prices on mixed drinks and wine, free buffet (sub sandwich wedges, chips, etc) and $5 burgers made many patrons very happy.

Dockside customer appreciation day

Our friend Joe Weston was due to arrive Wednesday for a week stay after his Tuesday overnight in the Islamorada area. Plans had been made for his friend Suzanne to drive him to Marathon on Wednesday, provide us transportation for provisioning, join us for lunch or dinner, then be off, leaving Joe as our guest. Murphy's Law. Joe called Tuesday, telling us his friend, Suzanne, had fallen out of bed and was now returning from the ER sporting a broken collarbone. Pain meds. No driving. Time for Plan B. So Clay spent the better part of two hours researching Keys' transportation along Highway US 1. No worries, Joe!

Will fill you in on the details of his arrival and our week with Joe in my next email. Until then, Happy Easter! We hope you have a wonderful celebration.

Aqua Vitae departs Marathon - Peggy at the helm and Hans on deck

Peggy and Hans Bjarno

A beautiful sunset at Boot Key Harbor

Anchor lights twinkle like stars over Boot Key Harbor

Naples FL March 1-3

March 1-3, 2014

NAPLES

Clay and I arrived Naples Boat Club Marina later afternoon Saturday following our morning departure from Legacy Marina in downtown Ft. Myers. With an audience of dockmaster Judy and an additional dock hand, I handily (and proudly) lassoed the starboard piling first try and the port piling second try. It's always fun to have an audience when I do that well!  Collecting our fair share of salt water spray on the journey, Clay found it necessary to rinse the boat which probably only removed the outer layer of caked-on salt accumulation. What fun it will be for him when he really has to detail all 43' of the vessel!

While Clay busied himself outside, I busied myself inside making weekend plans with friend Pam Guilander, mom of John's girlfriend Kristen, who has a home in Naples. Once plans were made for Sunday eve, I stoked up the gas grill and cooked burgers and grilled zucchini, both favorites of ours. We find ourselves in the waters beneath the flight pattern of Naples airport; we had no trouble sleeping although during daytime hours, it was a distraction.

Intent on seeing the sights of the area, we set out on our morning walk Sunday and covered about 1 1/4 hours of sightseeing on foot. Good exercise, too! Clay then connected with FIJI brother Tom McDonald and elected to join Tom with his friends Fran and Roger Koch for lunch; knowing lunch conversation would revolve around boating--the Kochs were Gold Loopers who were anticipating departure on a second Loop or part thereof--I opted to hang out at the marina pool (does that surpriseyou?), then dress for a trek to nearby Tin City, an advertised shopping mecca for tourists. Didn't buy anything, but sure had fun looking.

Clay returned to confirm dining conversation did revolve around boating--also around vintage cars fifth luncheon companion, a St. Louis friend to the group, was an avid vintage car collector. Good choice, Sal! Not that I don't enjoy meeting new folks, but the lure of a dip in the pool does have its strong points! With shopping, a bonus!

Pam Guilander and Sally

Pam arrived early eve for a boat tour followed by dinner at Bonefish Grill, a favorite of both ours and hers. Because she had been aboard, Clay had her sign the guestbook/log as he does all visitors, come-aboards, and passengers. I always LOVE it when the guest applauds my 'true grit' in writing. Thanks, Pam! I believe she called me a 'trooper' or maybe a 'saint.' I'm not elevated to that status yet, but as the adventure progresses it may not take too long!

Rounding Marco Island

Overnight stay at our current location is pricey, so we opted to depart Monday morning southbound toward Marathon, FL, via an overnight anchorage called Little Shark River. Short but sweet as the stay was in Naples, we truly enjoyed the Naples Boat Club Marina with its lovely heated pool, club and shower house, and convenient location.

Our Stay In Ft Meyers, FL

Feb 22 – March 1, 2014:  

Fog at the Sanibel Bridge

Fog near Sanibel

Forging ahead thru patches of fog on Saturday morning, Clay and I met our time parameters, arriving at Ft. Myers Legacy Harbor Marina in time for Mark and Becky Mather to transport us to the Loopers' picnic that afternoon at the home of Karen and Dennis Boldger in Cape Coral, just across the river from Ft Myers.  They had a nice home, screened-in pool area, with dock and their Loop boat in the back.  The afternoon passed quickly with, a whirlwind of meeting and greeting new and old Looper friends.

Loopers Picnic at Karen and Dennis Baldger's home

Mark Mather and Clay at the Loopers Picnic

Legacy Marina provides delightful amenities, a user-friendly Wi-Fi system NOT being one of them. We were introduced to Beacon Wi-Fi at Longboat Key, so our failed attempt to connect here could not be attributed to user error! I think our only mistake was spending so darned much time Sunday afternoon with the project! I do have tenacity and perseverance which is why Clay assigned me the task to figure it out. Not. Shoulda stayed at the pool! Clay spent the later evening toggling between the Olympics and the Daytona 500. I went to bed! Frustration can be so exhausting!

Monday morning was devoted to computer repair efforts--again! This time the diagnosis by tech man #2 was not so economical; with the hard drive of the old computer now infected with a virus, our most viable option was a new computer. Having available to him a notebook computer with Windows 8 operating system at an affordable price, Clay grabbed the opportunity even though he'd insisted that, on his next new computer, he did not want Windows 8. Amazing how the fear of being without technology for an extended period of time impacts a decision. Bonus: New opportunities for learning exercise the brain cells and keep them active! (this per brother/-in-law Walter and right he is!)

Legacy Harbor is a combination hotel complex and marina and affords to both boaters and landlubbers a beautiful, but not huge heated pool, bath house complete with an exercise room and laundry, a patio/deck and tiki hut with seating overlooking the Caloosahatchee River that winds along downtown Ft. Myers. The location is equally appealing with downtown shops, restaurants, a riverwalk of sorts, the municipal marina/harbor and a Saturday farmers market in one direction; the Edison and Ford museum/homes on fabulous palm tree-lined MacGregor Boulevard in the other. During the week, Clay and I had opportunity to explore much of the area with our morning walks and daytime hours to be filled; we'd opted to stay in this location a full week, giving in to Sal's nesting instincts and taking advantage of the weekly rate here. Too, the week's stay gave full chance to complete the technology challenge facing us.  Hamilton Perez did a fantastic job transferring much of my data from the dead laptop to the new one!

Legacy Harbor is a favorite Loopers' resting, nesting spot so making new Looper friends and re-acquainting with old Looper friends is a popular past time. The high population of Loopers here also presents opportunity for Great Loop education (called a “chart review”) which was hosted by friends Robert and Kay Creech, each of the two full-morning sessions Tuesday and Wednesday presented by Robert. How much we all learned...where to dock/anchor, sights to see, available land transportation, waters (current, wind, shoaling) to avoid, and such. A good exchange of ideas! And, so nice of Legacy to provide the meeting room where we found boaters more than willing to share tips (and tricks) of the trade.  One of Robert's cardinal rules for Loopers and cruisers, "never travel on the weekend in high-traffic areas".

Tuesday afternoon our Looper friends Carol and Dave Munro and Sue and Ed Mahler joined us for drinks and snacks on the Legacy deck. The two couples were among the many we've met along the way, but special because we met them early in our Looper days...up near Alton and Kimmswick in late August. Fun to be reunited and share what's happened since last we met.

Our schedule (we've been warned that schedules create havoc and potential mayhem for Loopers) was challenged by the reappearance of the techno-wizard (referenced above as tech man #2) who showed just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday for a 3+ hour installation and training session on the new Windows 8 laptop. My goal: learn to turn it on and off, open a browser, and access my files. Easy enough! But with Captain Clay at the helm (of the laptop this time), my goal was not to be accomplished until later. But Clay and Hamilton (techno-wizard now named) bonded and forged ahead to conquer Windows 8. Admittedly, Clay is still learning and so am I!

The "Bait Boat" near the mouth of the River

Because our by-land-traveling friends Mark and Becky Mather from Muscatine IA attended each of the two Looper morning sessions, Clay and I found ourselves with wheels, a Wednesday lunch date at Panera and opportunity to shop, albeit a boat-related outing to West Marine.  Mark and Becky’s Ocean Alexander, the Mara Beel, is overwintering at the SaSea Sally’s former dock at Two Rivers Marina in Louisiana.  Back for laps at the pool (Sal), phone data update (Becky), and boat-topics discussion (Clay and Mark), we then joined forces with other Loopers again on the Legacy deck to enjoy sunset, but to endure winds of the pending storm.

Now because Clay was still having technology issues, Hamilton reappeared Thursday morning to determine that SaSea Sally's Bad Boy (internet signal booster) went ka-put. Walter reminds me all the time that things happen in 3's, but I'm not counting! Our next quest (now why did I assume ownership of this task?) was to mail Bad Boy components back to home office in Canada. Clay, having retrieved from short supply of boxes on board (2) the USPS priority mailing box of considerable size, packaged up the components and off we went to the nearby post office (see, I told you Legacy was a good location!) only to learn the posting cost was $45. Different box; $8-10 or so. Hmmm. Clay was irritated; I like a challenge. So back to the boat we went (now you know why I assumed ownership of this task as Clay was so tempted just to mail and be done with it!) to formulate Plan B. (See, life IS all about Plan B!) Realizing the components would separate (Clay's ah-ha moment), he directed me (now who is the captain, and who is the admiral, Randy and Margaret?) to re-package and re-address in the other, much smaller, non-priority box. Done deal, to the tune of $12. I like a bargain....err, a kinda bargain! But if it's gonna fix Bad Boy... (does that make it a Good Boy now?)

SeaTow with a customer

Now, after USPS'ing, l FINALLY got to explore some of the downtown boutiques and shops, this being Thursday after previous-Saturday arrival. Of particular enticement was 'Boutique on First' which was owned and operated by Goodwill. Impressive. Piped-in (classical?) music met me at the door. All of the clothing and accessories were grouped (and priced!) according to brand (Coldwater Creek, Ann Taylor, Coach, Chicos, etc). Chicos belt, gently-used, $20. Coach purse, gently used, $45. Bought nothing, but sure had fun looking. As much of my day had been spent on the Bad Boy project, I was pleased that the store was open until 6 p.m. But, as the store closed, Clay called to report the storm had arrived; and it was raining. Thinking he was calling to offer a 'ride' (on foot and toting an umbrella to shelter me from the storm), I was awestruck to hear him suggest I duck into a saloon (or did he call it a wine bar?). Not a bad idea, come to think of it, but by the time I'd found said 'wine bar,' I'd be wet anyway. So, what the heck, I struck out on foot to accomplish the 15-20 minute, multi-block walk back to the boat! I didn't melt! But I did turn purple (Raynaud's is not kind to digits in windy, chilly, rainy weather). Created a memory which I laugh about now!

Being first mate requires taking orders from the captain. I thus declared Friday as 'my day to control,' not taking captain's orders. Loved it! Swam. Showered/processed then helped Clay a bit with Windows 8 before fixing lunch. He opted to go visit the Edison and Ford museums/homes while I trekked downtown and purchased a couple of cute items (Sus, of course I got you one like mine!) Storage on a boat is limited so I evaluated my purchase on a 'need' vs 'want' basis. My original August packing focused on basics; I now find need for a bit of fluff and feminity. Gals, you understand! Then, we went out to eat, dining at Ichiban's, a Chinese/Japanese restaurant highly-touted by fellow Loopers.

PBS (Putnam Boat Sales) Retreat from Columbia, MO

Scattered amongst the other activities at Legacy, Clay installed a new, one-way rollers on my Nodic Track we keep on the rear deck (over the lazerette).  My old roller started rolling both ways which rendered my Track non-functional.  I use the Track when we anchor out to get some exercise.  We met two "surprise" couples of note at Legacy.  Linda and Russ Putnam a Bayliner dealer from Columbia, MO who kept Bayliners on B-Dock (the Mary A dock) at Two Rivers from the early 1990s till the early 2000s had their boat at Legacy.  They drove down from Columbia to stay a few weeks a half dozen times each year.  The other couple we met was               .    was a SAE at Westminster College graduating in the mid-late 1960s. He is teaching school in Ft Myers and living on their sailboat.

Saturday dawned with departure on our agenda, but not before a cold swim and a warm shower for Sal. Love using Legacy's pool and shower/bath house! I will miss both. Never did use the fitness room...surprised?  A boat broker based at Legacy had paid us a visit, asking if we wanted to sell the SaSea Sally; in fact, two boat brokers did. Steve befriended us, personable as he was, and further solidified the acquaintance by arranging a short stay at Naples Boat Club Marina where transient dock spaces are in short supply. Thanks, Steve! We're off for Naples and the adventures we will find there.