We were busy today. Matt installed the battery charger while I cleaned the inside of Blue Moon and re-provisioned for the next week on the boat. Tomorrow, we rest.
This cruise's final statistics: Distance- We traveled 1057nm (1216 statute miles) in 60 days. We spent 59 nights on the water: 31 nights at a dock ( 52.6% of the time)-14 nights were free docks. The other 17 nights cost a total of $289, with the highest price marina being Moore Haven, which was $28/night ($1/foot). 11 nights on a mooring (18.6%of the time). The total cost was $156, with the highest being St. Augustine and Stuart for $20/night. Only 17 nights at anchor (28.8% of the time), which is very low for us. We spent a total of $3484 in the 60 days or $58/day Fuel (including gas for generator and dinghy)- less than $1185 (this includes 60 of gallons diesel to fill the tank on Day 1 at Burnt Store Marina) Grocery and alcohol bought at store-$504 Marina and moorings-$445 Food out (including ice cream, drinks off the boat)-$852 Other (including ice, laundry, haul out and repairs/parts, sight seeing, buses, etc)-$494 279 hours were added to Blue Moon's engine using less than 1.5 gallons of diesel per hour. It was a great trip and the weather cooperated most of the time. We enjoyed the St. Johns River, but we both agree that we don't need to go back. Fishing seems to be the main pastime in that area, and that is something that Matt and I don't enjoy doing. The small towns along the river don't have a lot to offer, which is probably why the docks are free. The St. Johns, south of Palatka, was very scenic with lots of wildlife. Additional highlights of the trip were St. Augustine, Jacksonville Zoo, visiting our friend in Palm Coast, cruising with JourneyOn and Blown Away and the $12 park docks at Franklin and St. Lucie Locks. Stuart continues to be a favorite spot and we've added LaBelle and the City of Ft Myers to our list of nearby destinations. We don't know where our next "big" cruise is, but I do know there will be lots of local cruises ahead. We plan to leave in a day or two to meet up with our friends in the Punta Gorda Sailing Club for the annual Memorial Day Weekend Bash at Pelican Bay.
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Matt was up at 6:30 and told me that he wanted to go home to buy and install the new battery charger. We were raising the anchor at 6:45 and headed the 37nm to our home.
Our trip down the Caloosahatchee River was uneventful until we turned north toward the Matlache Pass. The wind was blowing 15-20 kts on our nose. The water depth was less than usual with only one foot under out keel where the chart indicated 7-10 ft depth. Matt maneuvered Blue Moon up the winding channel, while he kept a close watch on the depth sounder. We only got stuck once and Matt was able to back Blue Moon off. Soon we were on the north side of the Matlache bridge. Since the winds and waves had increased, it was a uncomfortable going up the harbor with the wind on our nose. The waves were steep with a short period, which made Blue Moon's bow get buried every 3-4 waves. Walking in the cabin, I would momentarily be suspended in the air, with the cabin floor dropping 6-8 inches under my feet. At one point, the dinghy which was on the davits, flew up a foot or so which somehow released the attachment to the dinghy's stern. We were lucky that we had put the extra line on the stern which held the dinghy in place until Matt was able to reattach the dinghy to the davit. By 13:15, we were pulling up to our dock at home. Matt went to work researching battery chargers, then went out to buy one, while I washed the inch off salt of Blue Moon. When Matt returned, he started the installation. At 17:00, I interrupted to let him know that Happy Hour was about to begin. We are hoping that the repair will be done soon and that we can rejoin JourneyOn and Blown Away. Today marks the official end of this cruise, even though we will be back on the water in a day or two, it will be all local cruising. Tomorrow, I will post the status of our repair and the cruise stats in the final entry. We were awakened at dawn by the sound of rain on the cabin top. After breakfast, we broke up the raft-up and headed to Bimini Basin which was 10 statute miles away.
At 11:00, we were setting our anchor. Once we knew we were secure, we dingied to shore. Our first stop was Ice Scream for some ice cream. Then Matt and I walked to Ron's Barbershop where Matt got his haircut. We needed a few items at the grocery store, so we walked to Winn Dixie. After we had the food stowed on Blue Moon, it was time for some fun. We met Mary, Bob, Nancy and Ken at the park where we pLayed some Pig it/Hog It. Soon it was time for Happy Hour on Blue Moon, followed by dinner at Papa Joes Italian Restaurant where we all had a wonderful dinner. We returned to Blue Moon and ran the generator to charge the batteries. Matt smelled something burning. It was the battery charger, which was fried. We now have two options, either buy one here in Ft. Myers and install it while on the boat or return home, make the repair then head back out. We'll decide that tomorrow. It was very windy last night and I was actually cold. I adjusted our homemade "wind diffuser". Doing this I was able to limit the amount of wind flowing through the hatch but still allowed the hatch to remain fully open. That regulated the temperature to a more comfortable level.
We were up at 7:00 and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on board as we read the newspaper on the internet. At 10:00, Blue Moon, JourneyOn and Blown Away left the mooring field. We went three miles across the river to Hancock Creek near Marinatown. Blue Moon went in first to do reconnaissance since we draw only 3ft. There was an empty dock that was the right size for the three boats. A man sitting on the dock said that it was owned by a condo community and it shouldn't be a problem for us to use it. He assisted us in tying up and then Blown Away and JourneyOn came to the dock. JourneyOn was sitting on the bottom and the tide was going down another foot. In addition, we were all feeling a little guilty about trespassing, so we decided to move. There was a small bayou adjacent to the dock with abandoned pilings. Blue Moon tied up to the pilings. Blown Away rafted up to Blue Moon and JourneyOn rafted up to Blown Away in 8ft of water. Once we were all secure, we dinghied over to Marinatown for lunch. The only restaurant open was Cactus Jacks. Everyone reported that they enjoyed their southwestern meals. At 2:30, we returned to the boats. Ten minutes later, it began to rain, as was predicted. We were glad that we got back to the boats in time. We went inside our boats and waited for the rain to stop. Apparently, we all decided it was a good time to nap. It was windy, but we were so well protected in our little bayou that we didn't move. At 18:30, the last of the rain had left and it was time for Happy Hour. We enjoyed heavy appetizers on Blue Moon's back deck followed by Pig It/Hog It late into the night. Tomorrow, we go down to Bimini Basin in Cape Coral. We had a pleasant night on the mooring ball with the consistent breeze keeping the temperature comfortable.
At 8:30, we rendezvoused on shore with Mary, Bob, Nancy and Ken and went to Gwendolyn's Cafe for a wonderful breakfast. After breakfast, we walked 1.5 miles to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Matt and I hadn't been there in twenty years, and it was good to visit again. We opted for the self-guided audio tour and learned all about Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. The tour included both their winter homes which sit on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. We also browsed through Edison's botanical gardens and learned about his inventions. It was amazing that Edison had almost 1100 patents. By 14:00, we were ready for a cold drink and a snack. We walked back to the downtown area where we returned to Taco-Rama for beer and tacos. Then it was back to The Hideaway Bar for another beer while Nancy and Mary visited a nearby bead store. With our thirst quenched, we returned to the new public library where we played Pig It/Hog It at a table in the courtyard outside. After a couple games, we were starting to get hungry, so we walked a few blocks to the Downtown House Of Pizza for dinner. For dessert, we shared a dish of mediocre gelato from the shop next door. The sun was about to set, so we headed back to the marina for a quick shower before heading back to our boats. It was a fun day, but we had spent over 12 hours on shore and we were tired. Tomorrow, we plan on moving to the other side of the river and visiting Marinatown. After enjoying freshly baked muffins for breakfast, we finished our last minute boat chores. We filled our drinking water jugs, topped off Blue Moon's water tank and gave the back deck a quick scrubbing.
At 9:00, Blue Moon and JourneyOn were pulling away from the dock. Since the lockmaster was locking thru an eastbound vessel, we had to wait 15 minutes for our turn. After being lowered two feet, we headed to Ft. Myers which was 15 statute miles away. We arrived at the Ft.Myers Yacht Basin Marina at 11:30 and proceeded to the fuel dock for diesel and pump out, then we headed out to the mooring field. We picked out a mooring and Matt piloted Blue Moon up to the mooring ball. I reached down with the boat hook to grab the penchant, but I couldn't pull it out of the water. I kept pulling and finally it gave and I was able to bring the muddy, slimey line aboard. I was so glad that I was wearing my anchor gloves. Apparently, the ball hadn't been used in such a long time, that the line had attached itself to the river bottom. Once we were secure, Matt did something that we have never done before, he put Blue Moon in reverse to test the mooring. It held, so we were good. The rate for the moorings is $8/night. We could have anchored and paid $5/night to use the marina dinghy dock, but we opted for the mooring ball. We dinghied to shore and awaited Blown Away. At 14:45, they arrived and we headed into the city for a walk-about. A sidewalk sign advertising $2.00 16oz "Ice Cold Beer" caught our attention. We decided that was a great place to have a reunion beer. Our next stop was a gelato shop were we shared a dish of the very tasty treat. After a little more walking, we wandered into the Hideaway Bar, which is owned by the assistant dockmaster. There, we enjoyed another refreshing beer. We were all starting to get hungry, so we went to Ford's Garage (as in Henry Ford) for dinner. It was very cleverly decorated as a car mechanic's garage. After dinner, we strolled to the new fountains by the waterfront and the new library. The sun would soon be setting, so we dinghied back to our boats. Today is the end of Week #8. We have traveled 1000 nm (1150 statute miles). We plan to stay in Ft. Myers tomorrow. It was a nice night in the air conditioned boat. After a leisurely breakfast, we went to work. The first chore of the day was laundry. We had one load to do...the last load of the trip. The park only has one washer and dryer, and I was hoping that no one else wanted to do their laundry on Mothers Day morning. I was right, the room was empty.
We were finished by 10:30 and I decided that I'd do some boat chores inside the boat since we had A/C today. I changed the bed sheets, cleaned the head and wiped down the cabin floors. At 12:00, Blue Moon was clean and we were ready to relax. We visited with Ginny and Joe and played Pig It/Hog It with Mary and Bob in the shade of a large oak tree. A gentle breeze coming off the water kept us comfortable. Soon it was time for Happy Hour and dinner on Blue Moon's back deck. Matt made his Mattatouille which was served with multigrain bread and Mary supplied the freshly baked chocolate cupcakes for dessert. After dinner, we payed a couple more games of cards. Tomorrow, we are going to Ft Myers and meeting up with Ken and Nancy on Blown Away. After having breakfast and reading the newspaper, I chatted with a guy from California, on the dock. He recently bought a 22 ft sailboat in Cape Coral and was just starting his trip of the Great Loop. He had never sailed or owned a boat bigger than a runabout. He said that he didn't even know how to put the sail up. After going 40 miles, he's returning to Cape Coral, putting his boat on the market and going back to California. I suggested a larger boat and to start with less ambitious plans. But he said that the whole boating thing wasn't for him stating, "Too much work and too many problems with boats".
At 9:00, Blue Moon and JourneyOn were leaving the LaBelle dock. At 11:15, we arrived at the Franklin Lock Marina. Since it was the weekend, we thought it might be full, so we had made reservations for two nights. Blue Moon was assisted into her slip by a man who had helped us last year. He said that he spends a good part of his winters at this campground. As we were securing Blue Moon, JourneyOn pulled in next to us. We spent the afternoon relaxing, napping, reading and playing games, while JourneyOn did boat chores. Matt and I were sitting on the back deck and were surprised when Ginny and Joe D. came up to say Hi. We chatted with them on our back deck. They were staying in their new RV in the campground for the weekend. It was soon time for Happy Hour at the pavilion. Mary and Bob made a wonderful dinner, which we enjoyed on Blue Moon's back deck. After dinner, we played a couple games of Pig It/Hog It. Tomorrow, we plan to stay another night at Franklin Lock Marina. At 8:00, Mary, Bob, Matt and I walked to the Bridge Street Coffee Shop for breakfast. This little coffee shop's breakfast menu has egg sandwiches and pastries, and the place was well decorated. It was like we stepped into the set of the TV show "Friends". We found a table by the window and lingered enjoying the ambiance. After breakfast, Mary headed to the library to use the wifi, Matt and Bob went to Ace Hardware and I finished another book.
In the afternoon, we walked the one and a half miles to WinnDixie to buy bread for tonight's picnic. Because it was so hot in the sun, we stopped at Burger King for a snack. Matt and I enjoyed ice cream sundaes and the Anderson's had burgers. Then on our way home from the grocery store, we stopped at MacDonald's for an ice cream cone. I know...we're bad. All six slips at the LaBelle dock are occupied tonight. We had Happy Hour and our French picnic at the mini pavilion that overlooked the waterway. It was very relaxing. Then we played Pig it/Hog It until the sun set. We returned to the dock and enjoyed Banjo Larry, Guitar Len and Ukulele Matt jamming under the stars. We met Larry and Len today as they are also staying at the dock. It was fun listening to them play especially Len's original songs. At 10:00, we said good night and returned to our boats. Tomorrow, we are returning to Franklin Lock Marina. We had a very peaceful night. There were a total of eight boats on the city dock and the Riverside Marina dock, with six of them hailing from Charlotte county.
On this trip, we have stayed at both the City dock and the Riverside Marina, and found that we preferred Riverside. The dockage rate was the same. The Moore Haven City dock had a newer dock, but it was very difficult to tie up to if no one is on the dock to assist. The Riverside dock is older, but is in better condition than it looks from the water. And their hospitality is what we really liked, that and the free ice. We were up at 7:00 and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. At 7:30, we saw JourneyOn leaving. We wanted to go through the Ortona Lock together, so that would give us 15 statute miles to catch up to them. About a half hour later, we were pulling off the dock and headed the 25 statute miles to LaBelle. It was a beautiful morning to be on the water. The sun was shining, a slight breeze was on our stern and the temperature was perfect. At 9:30, we were arriving at Ortano Lock. JourneyOn, Blue Moon and a big manatee were exiting the lock at 9:55 after being lowered 8ft. We arrived at LaBelle at 11:00 and went to the free town dock (with water and electric). Susan, from Beach House, assisted us with our lines. We have been following them since we left the Acosta Marina when we were hauled out. We saw them at Palatka, the St. Lucie Lock, and now, here. Once we were secure, JourneyOn came under the bridge and tied up next to us. I immediately started to scrub Blue Moon's deck. She really needed a good cleaning and today was the first day that I felt good enough to do it. Then we topped off the water tank and refilled our drinking water jugs. After getting settled in, we all walked into town to the local MacDonald's. That was the best ice cream option that we could find in LaBelle. We were sitting at a table finishing our frozen treats and looked up to see Robert and Margarite from Punta Gorda come through the door. They joined us and we chatted for a while with Robert telling us about the glider that he recently bought. After we said our goodbyes to them, we poked around a couple antique stores. Later, Barb and Frank drove down from Punta Gorda to join us for the evening. After Happy Hour on a riverbank pavilion, we went to the Log Cabin for some good barbeque. Since it was a weekday, it wasn't as crowded or as hectic as it was when we were there in March. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals including the complementary soup and ice cream. After we said goodbye to Frank and Barb, we strolled through the side streets back to our boats where we played a couple games of Pig it/Hog it. We plan to spend another day in LaBelle. |
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