It wouldn’t be any fun if there wasn’t challenges

 From One Extreme to Another

After getting an on the ground view of the utter devastation in Ft Meyers we headed 32 miles to Naples. Now for those of you who don’t know Naples it is the land of plenty. It is probably one of the highest concentrations of Uber wealthy.

We are talking homes in the tens of millions where each one has at least one exotic car in the garage. They have a general aviation airport where the end of the approach runway is right at Naples City dock where we picked up a mooring ball for 4 nites. Heck at $16/nite it was hard to beat. The airport  caters to the Lear, Gulfstream and Citation jet crowd. On Friday there was one landing about every three minutes! 

I bet that costs a whole lot more than what we paid for a mooring ball. The marina has a great restaurant onsite called appropriately The Dock and is a walk to both Historic down town and 5th Ave. We were very excited to have Kevin and Tina make a repeat visit for the weekend. Yep you read right. We now have guests that have visited twice! The rest of you are really missing out! 

So they arrived right on schedule so  the weekend was off to an early start. First thing was to pack provisions for an amphibious assault of the interior waterways to gawk at the opulent waterfront homes. All I can say is WOW! Later we wandered into town for a late dinner after which we called it a night. 

Saturday morning we walked back into town where there was a great farmers market going on. After sampling all the offerings we decided to walk over to 5th Ave where the Annual Naples Art Show was going on. It was 10 blocks of some of the most high end art you could imagine.The pieces had a price to match.

Kevin invited his Uncle Glen who lives in North Naples for lunch. Really nice fellow from Rochester, NY. 

Dinner was another event that is hard to describe. We went to this grocery store Called Oak Farms Seed to Table. No we did not shop and cook on the boat. We actually ate and danced in the grocery store. I kid you not. 

This place is a big store that also has a couple of micro restaurants inside along with an option to pick out a protein of your choice then select a couple of sides to go with it.  Then they cook it to order for you.You can then go buy a bottle This place is a big store that also has a couple of micro restaurants inside along with an option to pick out a protein of your choice then select a couple of sides to go with it.  Then they cook it to order for you. You can then go buy a bottle of wine or a six pack of beer and bring it to wherever you want to sit. They have a small stage and a dance floor upstairs where you can work off those calories from the delicious prime steak you just devoured. We just cracked up!  

Sunday we made the trek to Stans Idle Hour and Buzzard Bar in Goodland just below Marco Island. It is an iconic place where several hundred people show on a Sunday to listen to music and drink cold beer. In February they have the famous 3 day Mullet Festival where a 1000+ gather. We returned to the boat and said our goodbyes to Tina and Kevin as they were jetting back to VB.

What a fun filled weekend. Back on the boat I had been monitoring a low voltage issue with the house batteries. I did a little checking and found a dead cell in one of the four batteries. So I disconnected it from the bank and ran the generator for a couple of hours to recharge.In the morning the house bank had dropped again to 11.7 volts enough to know that’s too low.

That meant that we needed new batteries. So Tuesday morning we moved the boat to the dock and began the process of changing batteries. Now our boat takes 4 8d batteries. Don’t need to know what that means other than each one weighs about 120 lbs. To make matters worse they live in the lowest part of the boat. So how do we move each battery from the engine room, up the stairs to the sundeck, down the stairs to the dock, from the dock into a truck? So after giving Sue a pep talk we went at it with a can do attitude. The two of us were able to remove the old ones, put them in a Home D truck, get new ones and put them back into the boat by 2pm that day, all without anybody getting hurt! Can you say Team Work! If it wasn’t for theses challenges that happen to everybody it just wouldn’t be as much fun. OK you caught me that was a line of crap. BUT! It is all part of the adventure.

                                                                                         Meeting new friends

In the grocery store Seed to table. I just don’t know what to say. 

                                              Stans Idle Hour

Downtown Naples

                                                  City street Naples                       

Beach front Naples

The Awesome Power of Mother Nature

 Ft Meyers Beach

On Thursday we headed for an anchorage right off Ft Meyers Beach. You all probably remember that this was the epicenter of where hurricane Ian rearranged the landscape. It was about a 35 mile cruise along the intercoastal waterway. We were on high watch to keep an eye out for any debris in the water or changes in depth due to shoaling. Fortunately all was clear. It was very appearant from the water that the devastation was great.

Where we got to shore it was more clear that this an apocalyptic event of incredible magnitude. Most of these barrier island towns there is simply no open lots. The sand space is simply used up by development of one kind or another. Well I would say that at least 30% of the land was now vacant. We were told that it was greatly improved since it happened.

After the event the streets were lined with wreckage of all kinds the was 10’ tall by 10’ deep. It was like driving down a tunnel. That was all cleaned up when we got there. We were also told that the storm surge hit 22’ across the island. Boat wreckage was everywhere. Ft Meyers is know for being the shrimping capital of the world. Not any more. The shrimp boat fleet looked like somebody picked them up and made a big pile.

But signs of life are returning. A few restaurants were opened some of the hotels had lights on and some home/condo owners had returned to enjoy what they could. There is an interesting dynamic here. A number of folks who suffered a total loss have owned the property for years if not generations. So IF they had flood insurance that’s where FEMA comes in. It only covers $250K. If that is not enough to cover the replacement then they are forced to sell. A local told us that the “official National Weather Service” report for sustained wind speed was 154 mph, just 1 mph below a Cat 5 hurricane. If it had been officially a Cat 5 then the insurance companies would have been on the hook for 100% of the property damage value no questions asked! Many said the wind gusts were well over that. Maybe the government was trying to save some of the insurance companies from declaring bankruptcy? 

Now here is another crazy part. There is not a piece of land on Ft Meyers beach for anything less than about $1.2 million. Very few if any paid that. So do you feel sorry for these people who lost their home? Is it the assumed risk for living in paradise on the edge of the ocean? What we walked away with is that the feel of Ft Meyers beach will change. It will likely loose it’s old beachy feel. Many of the Mom & Pop places will not return. It will likely become another over developed ritzie Florida destination where the average Joe can’t afford to go. Maybe we are wrong in our assumptions. We certainly hope so!

Open space

Anybody for some prime real estate?

Not a good place to dock!

                            Note the new yard ornament

Sometimes Ya Gotta Get to Shore

 Punta Gorda

On Tuesday morning as we all three boats readied to pull anchor we knew we were going to deal with a bit of a chain rats nest. We tensioned the middle anchor chain and sure enough we were all crossed as a result of the boats spinning 360 degrees while at anchor. So we boarded our respective dinghies and went into Tug mode. We swung all three boats in the direction we thought would untangle us. Thought was the operative word. Now we were 720 degrees out so back in the dinghies to rotate the boats twice in the opposite direction. We only had a 50/50 chance of getting it right. Oh well it was fun pushing the boats around with the dinghies. Shortly we were all on our separate ways. We headed to Punta Gorda were we desperately needed supplies and laundry. We had been at anchor several days so we needed to get to shore.  It was a short 25 miles up Charlotte Harbor to the City marina where we would get shore duties accomplished.

Punta Gorda was a fairly nice town with a small downtown within walking distance of the marina. There was also a bike path along the Peace river that led to a shopping and entertainment complex called Fisherman’s Village. We could definitely see residual hurricane Ian damage here. Of interesting note is that because of where Punta Gorda was in the path of the storm it actually sucked all the water out of the Peace river and Charlotte Harbor.

It must have been a sight. After Sue handled the shore duties and I cleaned up the boat we went for a bike ride to the village. We stumbled across a group of ten guys playing the bag pipes at the Sunset Tiki Bar. They were amazing. I’m generally not a Bag Pipe fan but theses guys when playing in unison were hypnotic. What a treat to listen to them as we watched the sunset and the sky catch on fire. We headed back to the boat where Sue did her usual magic in the galley. 

Boca Grande

Wednesday morning we made a leisurely departure for Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island which was 23 miles back down Charlotte Harbor to the west. The name Gasparilla comes from the last of the Buccaneer Pirates, Jose Gaspar who pillage the Florida coastline. Lore has it that before he died he hid his vast treasure somewhere on the Florida coast. Sue and I are keeping a keen eye our for any clues to find the treasure.

God knows we need it just to cover our fuel! Anyhow when we arrived we pulled into a very narrow channel which made for a challenging anchorage. We had to set our anchor in the middle of the channel then back down to the shore and tie off a stern line to a Mangrove tree to keep us from swinging across the channel blocking outer boaters from transiting the channel.

Sounds easy but we spent almost an hour getting it just right. We were then off to explore the island. It had a very nice feel to it in that it was much less refined in the small village area. Just enough shops and restaurants to keep folks entertained. One notable was the Gasparilla Inn.

It had two centers, one was the Beach Club and the other was the Inn on the golf course. This place dates back to the early 1900’s with families returning for generations each season. If you stay at the Inn and you book the same time the following year you are guaranteed a reservation in the same room! Another old world Florida place perfectly appointed. We know our friend Betsy Temple would love the place.  

One of many beautiful homes  at Boca Grande

                                                                                                 Gasparilla Light

These guys were soooo good. 

The dinghy tug service

An Epic New Years Eve

Pelican Bay

    

We planned an early departure from Sarasota on December 31st to make the 52 miles south to an anchorage at Pelican Bay just off  Cayo Costa where five other Looper boats would be to ring in the New Year. We had a great cruising day passing thru the beautiful area of Venice. We wished we had planned a stop there but we had a big New Years Celebration to get to.

We arrived  at our planned destination about 2 pm. Cayo Costa is about 15 miles off the mainland of Florida consisting of large areas of Mangrove swamps and low lying sandy keys. We rafted up with Razors Edge and Odyssey and let the last day of the year unfold. We were boat hopping with our dinghy (stopping by to say hi to other Looper boats) when we passed a boat anchored in the harbor.  “Look”,  I said to Sue, “there is another Heritage East just like our boat.”

Well before you know it they were waiving us on board as they had seen our boat earlier. We have rarely seen other Heritage East’s on the water. So we invited them back to the evenings festivities. Although nobody made it till midnight we all had a blast sharing tales and stories we had experienced on the Loop.

There was even a couple there that was on Day 1 of their Great Loop adventure along with three of us who recently earned the right to fly the Gold Burgee. Pelican bay is very serene teaming with wildlife. Many shore birds like pelicans and Ibis, alligators and loads of fish darting about in the shallows. It is great Dinghy territory with all kinds of nooks and crannies to explore. On New Year’s Day we went to a little known place called, “The Tunnel of Love.” Get you minds out of the gutter, will you? It is this shallow, narrow, over grown path thru the mangroves that leads to a secret lake which edges right up to a secluded beach on the Gulf of Mexico. 

It is not a 101 dinghy trip. It involves ducking and pulling on the branches to claw your way thru all while trying to avoid hitting submerged logs in the water. Branches were host to all kinds of critters like black fiddler crabs, snakes and spiders. Yes, we saw them all. Not for the timid. The reward was a beautiful remote shell covered beach with standing dead cypress tree trunks.

After a long shelling expedition we fought our way back and headed for a cheese burger in paradise at the famous Cabbage Key Inn. Yep, this is the place where Jimmy Buffett actually got his inspiration for the song. We all enjoyed our burger and then headed back to the fleet. We enjoyed it so much in the anchorage we ended up staying an extra day that included hanging out on a little sand bar inside the cove.

Im sure most of us can barely remember but one or two truly memorable New Years Eve parties. This one will truly be a New Years Eve celebration we will never forget! 

                                      Some of the New Years. Crew

Secret cove

                                                                                          Just hangin out

Sunset on Pelican Bay

                                                                                 Ducking in the Tunnel

Local inhabitants

                                                 Sandbar Shore Party

Realizing we can’t even begin to solve the worlds problems

Returning to a Favorite Florida Town and a Best Friend

 St Pete Beach

On December 28th we slipped the lines from the dock at Seafood Shack Marina and back tracked about 22 miles across Tampa Bay to a favorite spot of ours St Pete Beach. We spent 5 weeks there three years ago during the winter and had a blast. We anchored right off Gulfport which is where we bought Next Chapter at. St Petes is a beehive of activity along with a lot of fun entertainment spots.

One of our favorites is a dive bar at sunset called Willys. It is simply a great hang. Right across the street is the Toasted Monkey which always has great live music. We also made the trek to Ted Peters Smoked Fish. They have been in business since the early 50s and have not changed a single thing. Their fish dip and smoked fish dinners are renowned. We also rode bikes down to the south end to Pass a Grille beach.

It has a small little area of shops and restaurants along with a casual breakfast walk up place right on the Gulf of Mexico. It was so much fun to get back to the area. The morning of the 30th we headed back south with a brief stop to wrap up our affairs and say good bye to the staff at Seafood Shack marina. We then headed on to Sarasota Bay for the night to have a last dinner with Steve and Diane. On the way we stopped briefly to say hi to John and Mary Olliges who live on the water on Long boat key. Note to self, “never take navigational advice from another boater that has a much smaller boat.” We were able to get to their house but could not dock due to low tide and the lack of water. We were at lease able to say hi and have a brief conversation.

After continuing down the extremely busy intercoastal waterway we finally dropped the hook in Sarasota Bay about 3:30 pm and settled in. We met Steve and Diane ashore and had a great time walking the town and enjoying dinner together. Gosh I miss my buddy! We had a beautiful calm night at anchor overlooking the lit skyline of downtown Sarasota. There is a lot of wealth in that area and it shows. 

Christmas on the Loop

 A Very Different Christmas

So I bet some of you thought we had found Davey Jones Locker or been swallowed up by a sea monster. No such luck! Just took a break from the blog thing. This should get us caught up. On Saturday December 17th. I got the bright idea to ride my small folding bike from Cortez, Fl to the Shirley’s winter home in South Sarasota. I had not seen it yet and there was a bike path down the keys which would get me pretty close.

Besides Sue was back in Virginia Beach catching up with everybody while I stood watch over Next Chapter. So off I went. The ride took me over to Anna Maria Island and down Coquina Beach. From there I crossed the inlet to Long Boat Key. It is named “Long” for a reason. There is minimal commercial development on the island. It is mostly homes, condos and a couple of nice golf courses. Believe it or not they are still filling the last scraps of land with new development.

I then crossed over to Lido Key and the famous St Armands Circle. St Armands is a big traffic circle lined with high end shops and restaurants. It is a bust bee hive with a lively atmosphere. It was all done up with Florida style Christmas decorations. I next crossed over the Ringling bridge to the water front in Downtown Sarasota. Downtown is again another high end Florida enclave. My trek then carried me into the Florida urban sprawl where dodging cars and crossing streets became the next challenge. After about 23 miles, tired legs and a sore butt I made my destination leaving me no longer wanting to stand or sit. It was a great ride though. I spent the night after I got both the house tour and a brief tour of their surrounding area. The morning Steve and I went to one of his local breakfast spots. As some of you know Steve and I had been meeting for early breakfast in VB for decades, something I have dearly missed since he has moved. In the afternoon Steve and Diane drove me to the airport to pick up Sue and then back to the boat. It was great to have her back onboard. We spent the next couple of days poking around Cortez and the Island.

Then Christmas was upon us. So I decorated the boat with some lights and my sister provided a nice little Norfolk Island palm to sub as a Christmas tree and a couple of poinsettias. Christmas had arrived on Next Chapter. My sister Mary joined us on Christmas Eve to celebrate the holiday. We packed up her truck and headed to the Shirley’s. On the way we stopped in St Armands Circle to walk the shops and look at all the decorations. We then stopped at Marina Jacks to have a holiday drink with some Looper friends then onto the main event. Diane had their place all decked out in Holiday garb with a full spread of tasty appetizers. It was a lot of fun. Oh I forgot to mention that Mother Nature decided to give the Floridians the real feel of Christmas. Jack Frost made his appearance in a big way. Not exactly what we were looking for. We made our way back to the boat after many stories, laughs  and wonderful food. Christmas morning was spent connecting with our families back home. It was harder than I thought not being with them on Christmas Day. We made the best of it and took a long walk down the chilly beach. Sue made a wonderful lasagna that we devoured. Christmas 2022 was officially in the books. Slough it was different we still enjoyed the spirit of the season.