Tuesday 1/24/12. Bummer… No dinghy motor…no exploring the mangrove islands!
Plus, Linda didn’t get to sleep until after 4:00A. She must have overdone the fishing on the “front porch”. (See yesterday’s picture.) Since exploring is out of the question until we can find a fuel pump kit, we sat down and revaluated our situation. The First Mate rationalized the following:
Situation:
1. We have already decided not to cruise to the Keys.
2. Since the exploring and fishing has come to a halt we might as well move on. (Our next port of call was Ft. Myers Beach/Estero Island.) But that would be on a mooring ball and going anywhere requires the dinghy.
3. We still have about 12 days left on our slip rental at Ft Myers Yacht Basin. (After our daily rental reached the monthly rate they gave us the slip for a month)
4. There is a whole lot to see and do where we can’t take the boat.
Answer:
1. Go back to Ft. Myers and use up the rest of our slip rental.
2. Rent a car and… Go…See…Do.
3. Drive to Key West and take the tour boat to Dry Tortugas. (I’ve been fascinated about Tortugas since I was a kid.)
4. Take an airboat ride through the Everglades. (Linda thinks that would be cool)
5. Drive north to Lake Wales and see Bach Tower. (We went there on our 5th anniversary)
6. Stop and see friends in the Clearwater area.
7. Do whatever we darn well please!
Linda called Denise at the Yacht Basin and our slip is waiting for us. So tomorrow we will head back up the Caloosahatchee River. It’s a 40 mile trip with several manatee zones so it will be an all-day ride.
Joe and Connie, who are from our home marina in MD, left a few weeks before us aboard “Chesapeake” and were always about 200-300 miles ahead. They sent emails telling us of conditions along the way. Just yesterday I mentioned to Linda that I haven’t been keeping in touch with Joe and Connie and I should really send them an email and let them know where we are. Late morning we saw a man in a dinghy headed for our boat. At first I thought I was Jim who gave us a tow yesterday. But as he came closer and started to speak I realized I had no idea who it was. It turns out Joe and Connie (and Buster the mariner dog) are anchored on the other side of the mangrove covered shoal that divides Pelican Bay. A mutual friend, Dave, who is following our blog, emailed them that we are both anchored at the same place. Joe visited with us a while and said he would bring Connie back in the afternoon. Linda and I had never met Connie. She is one of these people you take to right away. We really enjoyed their visit and plan on seeing them again, by car, when they tie up near Everglades City FL on their way to the Keys and Bahamas.
Just a few minutes ago the Conch Shell Horn blew and the sun has set. This day has been anything but a Bummer.
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