It was a pleasant trip back North that day and we had one last encounter with Shoreline Traveller as they happened to pass us on the water on their way South. We exchanged pleasantries over the radio and as they drove off out of sight, we had our destination set heading toward Captiva Island. Anchoring right off the channel near Green Flash Restaurant, we took the dinghy to the docks to have a few drinks. That evening we had reservations at the Bubble Room…a Christmas present from Duane’s mom and his sister, Lisa. Eclectic and full of memorabilia covering every surface of the establishment, the decor was an assault on all your senses. Our dinner was scrumptious and the desserts were as extravagant as the interior decor. We were so full after the meal, Duane had to loosen his shorts on the walk back to the boat.
The wind was picking up the next two days so we decided to stay put and enjoy the aesthetics of our surroundings. We went ashore the following day and stumbled upon RC Otter’s which was a lively joint a block from the ocean. We sat on the deck enjoying the one-man band and 2 for 1 Happy Hour specials. Just as the sun was setting, we strolled toward the beach and grabbed beers at Mucky Ducks and took our place along the sand dunes to watch the sun go down. People lined the entire stretch of the water and a blow up Santa was perched on a sandy hill swaying in the wind. With a roar of applause, the crowd bid farewell to another glorious day. The anchorage was calm and serene, and upon returning to the boat, Duane mixed us up some cold rum cocktails and we sat on the bow breathing in the fresh air and gazing at the thousands of stars twinkling above.
Waking up the next morning, we decided to tool around in Baby Belle and drove out to the Gulf and explored the shallower areas we couldn’t get to otherwise. Sufficiently parched after the island tour, we pulled the dinghy up to the beach near Tween Waters Marina and made our way to the Oasis Pool Bar to partake in some refreshing frozen Piña Coladas…with a rum floater of course.
The next day we leisurely got the boat ready as we were headed for lunch at Grandma Dots on Sanibel Island a few miles away. The island was a renowned spot to visit and we were eager to see what the hype was all about. The small oasis surely did live up to its reputation, as the food at Grandma Dots was exceptional and we capitalized on the rest stop by taking time to walk the lovely grounds before we were off again headed to Fort Myers Beach. We were spending the next few days in Fort Myers Beach in preparation for crossing though the Okeechobee Waterway onto Florida’s East Coast.
The trip over to Fort Myers was choppy and windy and, with the current against us, we were moving at a very slow pace. Arriving into the area by late afternoon, we hooked up to a mooring and went ashore to Matazama’s Inn to settle our bill. We strolled down to the beach and were just in time for Happy Hour so we bar hopped our way along the sandy stretch enjoying the sights. On the dinghy ride back to the boat we caught a familiar sight at a mooring not far from us…Samantha…so we stopped by to say Hello to Cathy and Kirk who we have not seen since that fateful night crossing the Gulf when Dancing Bears was in distress.
We have been in contact with Jim and Wendy since we last parted ways and they owned a condo in Siesta Key and offered to pick us up the following evening. Upon collecting us just outside of town, we went for drinks at the Beach Bar near the condo. The beach bar just so happened to be next to the 9 foot high bridge that I slightly misjudged and attempted to drive under a few days prior. Needless to say, at 16.8 feet, we would not have made it under the bridge fully intact. One near miss I did not want to be reminded of.
Their condo was so airy and refreshing and they had a marvelous view. If you can’t be relaxing on your boat, this was the next best place to be. Plus, Pumpkin was there and Duane was having a great time playing with his little pal. Meeting some of their friends, we went to town for dinner and late night chocolate martinis at Blasé Cafe. Jim and Wendy were the ultimate hosts and, after waking up to a lovely breakfast followed by a walk on the beach, we were sad to have to go. As you travel day by day and meet a multitude of people, they were true friends who we feel privileged to have in our lives.
After Jim and Wendy dropped us off at the grocery store closer to Fort Myers, Karin and Tommy, who had come back from New Jersey to enjoy a few days of warm weather, offered to chauffeur us and the groceries back to the boat. You can never underestimate the generosity of friends. Food stowed on the boat, we went ashore to meet them at Petey’s Bar for some ice cold beer and pizza. Strolling down the road, we saddled up to the bar swings at the Yucatan Bar and Grill and continued with the flurry of travel stories of the trip. Duane liked to embellish our adventures just a little bit at my expense to get a good laugh.
We had ordered a freezer in anticipation of our two month trip to the Bahamas in a few weeks. We intended to load up with as much food as possible as we were wary about how easily it would be to obtain groceries on the less populated islands of the Bahamas. Lifting a huge weight off our shoulders, Karin and Tommy picked the freezer up at the store for us and brought the heavy load down to the dock. To go a giant step further, Tommy went with Duane to wrangle the freezer onto the dinghy and bring it safety back to the boat on the mooring. Definitely above and beyond, we were more than grateful for the assistance. Me more than anyone as that let me off the hook from some heavy manual labor.
After the boys returned from their excursion, we went down to the beach for lunch at Salty Crab and watched the surfers and paddle boarders making the most of the beautiful weather. We planned to leave in the morning, so Karin graciously suggested we come back to their home and, after taking a nice hot shower which we did not have to wait on line for, they treated us to a delicious sushi dinner at a local restaurant. It was definitely a bitter sweet feeling saying farewell as we had such a wonderful visit, but we were also looking forward to the days ahead and ultimately landing in the crystal blue waters of the Bahamas.
We decided to move the boat closer to the Fort Myers Yacht Basin the next day for two reasons. Duane had contacted his cousins, Gina and Bruce, who lived in the area, and they decided to drive down to meet us at The Lodge for dinner. The second reason was more obvious as it was Duane’s last chance to visit the taco window in the courtyard. Believe me, he made the most of it and stocked up on enough tacos to last the next few meals. We had a lovely evening with his cousins and went back to the dock well after dark. Our dilemma now was to move the boat from the day dock, which we were required to vacate by 10pm, and locate our mooring in the pitch dark. I secured my headlamp and grabbed the boat hook and took my position on the bow readying myself for the task at hand. After searching for what seemed like hours, our lights finally zeroed in on the white ball. What ensued the next thirty minutes was more like a calamity of errors trying to wrangle the mooring ball and slip a line through the pendant. The first attempt almost pulled me off the boat into the darkness as the boat hook I grabbed may not have been the best choice as it got wedged into the metal eye of the ball and I was unable to dislodge it. Making a second pass, when I was able to get a firm grip on the pole stuck on the mooring ball, I pulled with all my might and both I and the boat hook landed onto the hard surface of the bow. The third and the forth tries were no better as the ball bounced up and down seemingly just to antagonize me. Sensing the Captain’s frustration, I knew I had to change my tactical approach. He got the boat close enough to the ball on the fifth try that I was able to lie flat on the bow pulpit on top of the anchor and snag the mooring. All was now good and I gave myself a pat on the back for the ingenious idea. The darkness had really thrown me off my game, and I knew I would soon be getting a lesson and some pointers for “next time.”
The next morning I said good riddance to mooring ball #4 and we emerged onto the Okeechobee Waterway where we were to encounter a series of locks over the next two days. The Franklin lock only raised us 2 feet and, unlike any other locks we’ve passed though, they opened the doors slightly to let water in on the far end of the lock to accomplish the balance between the sides. Arriving at the LaBelle City Docks, we were able to tie up for free as well as hook up to power and water. Once the power was flowing through the boat, I took advantage and charged everything from the flashlights to the dust buster to Duane’s toothbrush. I also whipped together a huge batch of chili to sustain us the next two travel days.
Heading off early, we were soon tied up in the Ortona lock. Raising us about 8 feet, it was like a tidal wave was unleashed when they cracked the doors and the water flooded in. I held on to the rope tightly as Duane laughed at my shocked expression from the pressure of the water exerted on the boat. We made passage through the Moorehaven lock a few miles along without incident and decided to head to Clewiston and tie up between two dolphins (a set of pilings not the marine mammals) before dark. The dolphins towered above the boat and I had to stand on my tippy toes with a fully extended boat hook to get the line secured to the cleats. The boat felt like a hammock rocking back and forth between the two posts. It was hot and buggy so we sealed up the boat as best we could and stayed inside the rest of the evening.
The next day we flipped the lines off the dolphins and we shot across Lake Okeechobee. Because of the water level, the Mayaca lock was open to pass through so we cruised onto the St. Lucie Canal arriving at St. Lucie South State Park where we had reserved a slip. Our friends from Connecticut, Bob and Stephanie owned a home in Stuart and we were anxious to see them as well as their new house located a few miles away. We had highly anticipated this visit and looked forward to relaxing and catching up with friends before we began to head South on the East Coast full steam ahead preparing to cross the Gulf Stream.
