Things are lookin' up

Well we finally made it into Ft. Myers, Florida. It was at this point where we parted company with our friends Al and Barbara, on "Explorer." They continued on to their destination in Punta
Gorda, FL. It was really fun cruising along with another boat and some friendly knowledgeable boaters to help guide the way. We hope to cross paths with them again.

Farewell and Following Seas to Explorer

After locating a mechanic to repair the generator (the good news is that it appears to be repairable and not needing to be replaced); a marina to keep the boat over Christmas; and a rental car lined up; we are about to leave the boat till after New Years.

We met with our neighbors from Ophelia, Barry and Diane, who have a place near here in Bonita Springs. It's been fun exploring the area here in Ft. Myers/Naples area with them. They will return after Christmas too, so we will get a chance to see be with them again here and do some more exploring by boat of the area.

It has been an interesting trip so far. Most of it was without any mechanical problems and very calm water. Each day had its challenges and we were amazed at the change in character of each area we passed through. Some days it was rare to see civilization, and others, the sides of the canals where one continuous stream of gorgeous homes. It was quite a contrast. Luckily, we had very little cold or rainy weather. The hard part was that we had to move each day, leaving little time to explore the areas where we were. That will change after Christmas as we will no longer have tough deadlines to meet. We are still trying to determine whether we will head straight to the Bahamas, or will visit the Dry Tortuga's first when we leave Florida toward the mid to latter part of January.

So far, I have learned to be a pretty good tosser of lines, and as long as I remember where Port and Starboard are, usually get the lines set up on the correct side of the boat. Bob lets me steer the boat when he needs a break. That is usually followed by him returning and looking around and asking "what the heck are you doing?" Maybe that will improve over time as I get more experienced.

We really don't have much to worry about while we are gone over Christmas. The staff at the marina seem very capable and they have hired some dock workers to keep an eye on things. You can see them below:

We wish you all a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Years and we'll be back on line when the adventure continues in January. The picture below is a small island that is home to thousands of Egrets. Quite a site to see.