Sunday, April 9, 2017

Fort Myers Beach

09 April 2017

That first day at Matanzas Bay we did not dinghy in to register. Weather was not good and we knew that the outboard was uncooperative. The next day, April Fool's Day, things had calmed down so we went to the dinghy dock where we roared in.  (It was the slow idle that was not working so we could only go fast!  As soon as Jim throttled back, the motor died)  No crash landing fortunately.  After registration we waited in a long line for shower availability.  Amazing what a hot shower does for one's perspective.  It also turned out that the City was putting on a free BBQ for the boaters so we stayed in town and reconnected with a few other boaters that we had met last year at Marathon in the Keys.  

That afternoon, for obvious reasons, Jim decided that he needed to practice rowing the dinghy.  It actually went well, but notice that he kept himself tethered to the boat....just in case.


Practicing - note the blue tether!
When we took the dinghy in to be looked at, they fixed the slow idle easily but discovered there was a small gas leak.  One thing always seems to lead to another.  We are now waiting for the small part to fix it.

We have been at Matanzas Bay for almost a week and it has been very peaceful and semi productive.  Jim has finished the Auto Pilot and is still working on the SSB. He also discovered a problem with the windlass. We have very little information on it and the phone number for service has been disconnected.  ??

My accomplishments are more mundane: laundry (not a la Well, Why Not?), grocery shopping, a haircut and knot tying!  Apparently neither my girl scout training, 30 years with llamas or a week of sailing lessons had a lasting effect on my knot tying abilities.  Finding myself at a loss when faced with a tying challenge, I decided it was time to buckle down and work on them. Armed with a small rope and a 1969 booklet about knots I persevered.  


My "salty" instructor


Check out that bowline!


We have not done much sightseeing because of the dinghy but we did manage to continue Jim's key lime pie obsession and we have done grocery shopping via dinghy and via trolley.  


Key lime pie at Matanzas Bay Restaurant
Key lime pie at Nervous Nellie's

The only obvious sign for  Nervous Nellie's is this chair!
The Ft. Myers Beach trolley 


1 comment:

  1. Just a few comments and questions, for now. According to Google Maps, you're lost or Google Maps needs to explore Florida. GM says Matanzas Bay is on the east coast of Florida and further north than Ft Myers Beach; I am absolutely positive that you are on the west coast. So, GM needs revision. As for knot tying, the bowline is a must; and not just for sailors. Learn to tie it with the loop towards you, away from you, left handed, right handed; it is a great knot. There is a version of the bowline that takes the place of a boatswain's chair; it has 2 loops, one for the seat and one for the back. Also, learn to tie it with the thickest rope you have onboard. As for grocery shopping, I bet you hung on to your purse?

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