PUNTA GORDA, ENGLEWOOD, VENICE, SARASOTA, MADEIRA BEACH

He Said:  Hello from Madeira Beach.  It is currently in the middle of April.  I will know see what I can remember of the past 5/6 weeks.  

We arrived in Punta Gorda on Thursday March 12^th to a standing ovation.  Pat’s sister Donna from Vegas was here visiting good old friends from Chicago.  Our plan was to stay a couple of days and we wound up staying 6, and we enjoyed every minute of it. The friends are Tom and Laura, and her mother, Shirley.  The 6 of us had a wonderful week.  They had a really cool condo and lent us their wheels for a few days.  This allowed us to escape from the marina and do some new things.  Downtown PG was just a few 100 ft. from the boat so we enjoyed the downtown scene.  We also spent a fun day in Sanibel Island.  We were there last year and really enjoyed it.  

Tom, part of our fan club

Donna, Laura, Shirley, Tom & Jack having Bloody Marys at Jack's on Marion

On Wed. March 18^th it was time to say good bye to our fun group and head to Englewood.  After being on a mooring ball for nearly 2 weeks we needed very much to get to a slip and kind of get re-juiced if you will, 50 amp, and all the good stuff you have at a dock.  We only spent 1 quick nite here in Englewood then headed to Venice. Here we caught up on laundry and rode the bikes from the marina into the cute-as-shit little town of Venice.  That nite we headed back into town to find a little sports bar so I could catch the 1 and only Ohio State/NCAA Game.  We escaped with a narrow W against Virginia Commonwealth - that was the end of our run in the tourney.  It’s tough to get excited after the football season - I think I drained all of my excitement watching College Football a few months ago.  

Entrance to Stump Pass Marina

MTB with a hitch hiker on top

Our next journey was back to Marine Jack in Sarasota and back to the ball, but what a cool area.  Downtown was about a 5 minute walk and the bar at the marina was very cool.  Most of the little cities I mentioned are places we were at last year.  We love going to new destinations, but we also love places that we have been to before.  It’s nice to kind of know your way around. 

Jack Marina, Sarasota

 Our friends from Buffalo (John and Trish) talked to us in the Keys about the St. Pete area which was our final destination. They encouraged us to consider Madeira Beach, and we are happy to have arrived here on Sat. March 21.  This is kind of a funky little beach town about 10 miles from St. Pete.  John knows the lady (Shirley) who runs the very small but cute marina here.  We decided to give Shirley a shot at selling the boat and see where it takes us.  This marina is very well priced, has a pool, tiki bar, and is 100 yards from the beach - tough to beat.  In about 5 minutes you can be at John’s Pass, this area is very cool with restaurants, bars, shops, and about anything you need.  We love being able to walk everywhere, but we got WHEELS.  Pat bought the little car she has had here eye on for about a year.  It’s a VW EOS, has a back seat, and is the only car with a sun-roof and retractable hard top - damn cute.  So now we are able to drive to St. Pete, grocery store, golf, and all the other things you folks have been doing for years.  It makes life lots easier. 

Our new car with the top down.  A fun beach drive

We have been hanging here for over 3 weeks and are really enjoying it.  My nephew Todd, his wife Katie, and their 2 kids came to visit for 4 days back on March 26^th.  We had a blast with them and it is their 3^rd trip to the boat.  We did the John’s Pass area, the beach, and lots of NCAA Hoops.  The great nephew (Jake) would go with Todd and me to watch the tourney while the girls would go shopping and stuff.  We introduced Jake to a little place down the road with large TVs called Hooters.  Yes, I did say large TVs, but if I was 14 I would like Hooters also.  I am just 50 years older than Jake, and I also like it.  Not certain what he thinks of his Uncle Jack, but I think Todd is happy there’s not a Hooters in Granville, Ohio.  We had a blast, and we always love seeing our friends and family. 

It's close quarters with 6 people on board.  The Belt's family's luggage

We also took just a short road trip and caught up with some of Pat’s good friends.  Like I said, we are digging the wheels.  Our friend Mark Camp and his wife Janet bought here a few years ago.  We of course got together with them for a fun happy hour and the beach along with a little music.  Mark and I worked together for several years at xpedx and retired at about the same time.  They are loving the great waters of Florida.   

Having dinner with friends on the ICW

Since being here for nearly a month we of course have enjoyed ourselves and life here in Mad Beach.  Pat’s parents are due in tonite from Vegas.  We have not seen them for about a half a year.  They will stay here for a week, and I am certain we will have a blast.  It is great to see them both still traveling at 82 and 80.  Ray is a trooper and a half when it comes to travel. 

Also, congrats to Duke.  Coach K is nothing short of amazing. I loved seeing 2 Big Ten teams in the Final 4.  I, of course, was pulling for the Badgers.  What a great season for Madison, but short just 1 game.  Oh well, it was once again a terrific tourney. 

We will keep you all posted on the sale of MTB.  We are none too anxious, but when it happens it happens. We realize neither Florida with its humidity or Phoenix with its high heat are exactly Paradise in the summer.  Either place will work for us depending on the boat selling. 

From Mad Beach, Florida this is Capt. Jack saying L8R 

 

She Said:  We were really looking forward to Punta Gorda and we were not disappointed.  We went for four days and stayed six.  That’s usually a good sign. 

Punta Gorda (PG) is about 15 miles off the ICW where Charlotte Harbor meets the Peace River.  All along Charlotte Harbor, our welcoming committee of my sister, Donna, and friends Tom & Laura, was there waving to us.  We were much more visible than they were, but we could see the gang using our binoculars.  In two years, we never had such a welcome.  What fun! 

Our Welcoming Committee
 

We met the gang, including Laura’s mom Shirley, at the Tiki Bar (one of our favorite places from last year) and then continued to another favorite, Dean’s Cantina for Mexican.  Tom & Laura have two cars in PG and they loaned us one so it made meeting up really easy.  We spent a lot of time hanging out at Tom & Laura’s gorgeous condo and pool.  They also introduced us to numerous new restaurants and bars – it was such fun.  One day we visited Tom’s sister in Sanibel Island.  We went to Sanibel last year, but didn’t have a chance to get there this year, so it was a fun treat.   

Pat, Donna & Jack our first night in Punta Gorda

One day we planned to meet for lunch and Bloody Marys at Jack's on Marion and then go for a ride on MTB.  Jack and I got to the car and it wouldn’t start.  Granted, we haven’t driven a car much in the last 2 years, but we do know how to unlock a car and start it.  So it was AAA to the rescue.  The best we can figure out is that the theft alarm went off at night and drained the battery.  We eventually had lunch and took a boat ride.  We even saw dolphins.  We finished the day at Tom & Laura’s for pool time and dinner, then said our good byes.  Tom & Laura hope to spend some time in PG this summer, and we will definitely get together with them. 

Sunset from the mooring field in Punta Gorda

When we stayed in PG last year, we were the only boat in the mooring field.  This year there were about 10 boats.  It’s nice to see the balls being used.  One day we were visited by another boater who recognized us from St. Augustine.  It’s always fun to reconnect.  On another day we were boarded by Florida Fish & Wildlife – they have a lot of authority and we were nervous.  They checked mostly emergency gear like flares, fire extinguishers, and floating devises.  They also checked environmental concerns – mainly toilet waste.  They didn’t like the position of a particular lever and really interrogated us about our pump out procedures, frequency and documentation.  They finally believed that we were following appropriate procedures, but they did want us to move one of the waste levers.  We passed our first “boarding” with no tickets, fines or warnings.  Yeah for us. 

After the gang left PG, Jack and I used the marina’s bicycles and did some grocery shopping (we didn’t have time when we had the car) and ran other errands.  We’ve gotten pretty good at getting around on bicycles.  We also participated in the marina’s St. Patrick’s Day potluck.  We met a lot of new people and had fun sharing stories.  After the potluck broke up, we walked into town for the typical Irish craziness.  We were leaving early the next morning, so we made it an early evening. 

Setting up our potluck St. Patty's Day feast

We got up early the next morning to an almost dead battery and one toilet that wouldn’t flush.  Whatever was wrong with the toilet caused it to run all night draining the battery.  Not good, but at least we have a second bank of batteries and a second toilet to hold us until we get to St. Pete where will address the situation.  

The trip to Stump Pass Marina in Englewood was pleasant and uneventful – until we got there.  This marina is really more of a boat storage facility with boats stored in a multi-level parking lot-type building.  It was crazy busy with small boats moving in and out all day – along with a busy restaurant and fuel dock.  There was so much activity – even a couple boat fender benders.  We were the largest boat and there were only five small slips.  We weren’t feeling good as we made our approach.  Jack brought us in stern first (his least favorite docking) only to find that the power at the slip wasn’t working.  We had been on a mooring ball for two weeks and I was really looking forward to a power hook up.  It was too late in the day to move to another marina so we decided to make the best of it.  About two hours later, the marina got the power working at another slip and we moved.  Just what Jack likes – two stern in dockings in one day!  It was a fun location with a great view off the back patio. 

One of the ferry runs across the ICW from the Florida mainland to the barrier islands

Stump Marina Restaurant & TIki Bar

Our view from MTB at Stump Pass Marina

Stump Marina Sunset

It was a short trip the next day, so we planned to enjoy a leisurely morning before departing for Venice.  Wrong!  We woke up to another non-working toilet, so I spent the morning on the phone trying to line up a toilet repair guy in Venice.  I found a guy who talked me through some trouble shooting and while we were talking I had an idea.  Maybe the problem had something to do with that lever the Fish & Wildlife guys made us move.  YES!  We moved the lever and one of the toilets started working.  We were in business again until we get to St. Pete to have a more thorough look at the problem.   

We visited Venice last year and returned to the same marina.  It’s such a great location we really enjoy just sitting on the boat and watching the activities.  Later in the day we borrowed the marina’s bicycles and rode about 2 miles in to town – Jack watched basketball and I went shopping.  We rode the bicycles to the beach to watch the sun go down before returning to MTB.  Our trip to Sarasota would be another short day, so we took the bikes into town the next morning for breakfast before leaving.  

Sun setting over the Gulf , Venice

This was our third stay at Jack Marina in Sarasota.  We decided to pump out and get fuel before grabbing a mooring ball.  The woman who helped us at the dock went to high school with Jack’s sister-in-law and knew Jack’s brothers.  What a small world.  We headed to the mooring ball and I did a terrible job.  I had to let go of the hook and a neighboring boat (he was our neighbor the night before in Venice) came to my aid.  It was not the way I wanted to handle our last mooring ball.  But, it was such a gorgeous day and the marina restaurant was super busy, so we dinghied in for happy hour.  This was our last official “traveling” night on the boat, so we headed back to MTB around sunset for dinner onboard. 

Sunset from the mooring field in Sarasota

It was a really nice cruising day to Madeira Beach, our home for at least the next six weeks.  We saw lots of dolphins which always makes the day fun.  Madeira Beach is on a series of barrier islands on The Gulf of Mexico off the coast of St. Petersburg.  Last year we stayed in the town of St. Petersburg which is about 10 miles due east of Madeira Beach on Tampa Bay.  There are 3 bridges that connect the barrier islands to the mainland.  Our marina is on the ICW, has a pool and is across the street from the beach on The Gulf.  There’s also a tourist-type shopping area a block from the marina and a trolley bus that runs the whole length of the barrier islands.  It’s a great beach location!   

Our first Madeira Beach Sunset

Less than a week after we arrived, Jack’s nephew and family joined us for 3 nights.  This is Todd’s 4th visit and his family’s second.  We hung out on the beach and at the pool.  The St. Petersburg Grand Prix, a 1.8 mile Indy-car race that takes place on the streets of St. Pete, was in town so we drove in to check it out.  The guys went to the race and the girls went shopping.  Unfortunately, the rain brought the day to an early end.  As always, we had a great time the gang. 

We also got together with Jack’s former co-worker and his wife, Mark & Janet.  They live about 4 miles from our marina.  We hung out with them last year and had just as much fun with them this year.  We look forward to more great nights with them. 

Our plan was to put the boat up for sale somewhere in the St. Pete area and we decided to list it with a boat broker here in Madeira Beach.  Needless to say, we’ve been busy cleaning and doing minor maintenance on the boat.  We also have a handyman and mechanic scheduled to come onboard to make sure everything is ready to go.  We planned to have the boat on the market after my parents’ visit, but our broker is a real go-getter and she’s got it listed already.  There have been two impromptu showings already! 

MTB in all her glory.  We will be sad to see her go

One of the more exciting things is we BOUGHT A CAR!  We planned on buying a car when we got here, and we bought it 9 days after arriving.  It is sooooo nice having a car.  The only downside is I’ve gotten lost a few times.  Everyplace here is new to us, and while I’m out exploring I have found myself turned around.  So as fun as it is getting to know a new place, it can also be kind of frustrating.  But the positives far out weigh the negatives.  We have even taken a short road trip to visit friends.   

Our new ride!

My mom and dad arrive later today for one week.  We will be celebrating my parents’ 60^th wedding anniversary and my mom’s 80^th birthday.  Should be fun! 

With the car and our plan to stay here awhile, it’s really like living in a condo on the water.  This area will be our home until we sell MTB.  The average time on market for a boat like ours is over 200 days, so we will likely be here for quite awhile.  We will probably move the boat to downtown St. Pete for a few months, because we both really like that area.  In a car, it’s 11 miles from this marina to the one we stayed at last year – but the environment is worlds apart.  The great thing about a boat is that we can move her whenever we’re looking for something new!   

After hours and hours of discussion, we’ve decided that Phoenix will once again be our home. So wish us luck on the sale of MTB and our move back to AZ.  We will keep you posted along the way!    

FAREWELL KEYS, HELLO MARCO, NAPLES & FT MYERS BCH

He Said:   It’s been a while so I hope all is going well in your world. We have had lots of sun down here in the Keys, but also a fair amount of wind and some cool weather to add to the picture.

 

On Tuesday Feb. 17^th our friends from Phoenix, Gary and Kathy, came down to visit us here at Marathon Marina. Gary had family in Naples so they had an opportunity to catch up with them and spend about 6 days with us on the boat.  The weather was OK but not terrific.  We still had a blast doing some fun happy hours, we spent a day in Key West, played golf, and just caught up on stuff.

 

Pat Daley at Sloppy Joe's Key West

It finally happened - Jack met Jimmy at Margaritaville in Key West

Spectacular sunset at Mallory Square, Key West captured by Kathy

Following their departure we had about a 2 day break and more friends from Phoenix came to visit - I go way back with both Cindy and Joe.  We kind of repeated our previous week and did some of the same fun stuff we had done earlier.  We also did some great HH stuff, did Key West, and just enjoyed each other’s company.  They stayed about 5 days and that took us thru the month of Feb.  They left us March 2 to head back to Phoenix and we departed the same day to head towards Marco Island and Naples.

 

Another great Key West sunset

The month of Feb. was too much fun.  I think we had company for about 25 days in Feb. and really enjoyed all of our friends from Phoenix along with my brothers visiting from Columbus.  We also had a chance to hang with some people we had met earlier in our boating world and enjoyed them also.  Marathon Marina was a great place to spend the months of Jan. and Feb but it was now time to head out.  

On Monday the 2^nd we headed toward the mainland.  We traveled about 10 hours and threw the anchor out near Everglades City.  It was a long day in the open water and a peaceful nite sleeping.  We arrived the following day in Marco Island and stayed at the same marina as last year.  We were happy to visit with our boating friends John and Debbie and spent some fun time with my brother Jim and his wife Claudia. The 6 of us had dinner at Snook’s that nite and Claudia headed back to Columbus the following day to visit family.  Jim and I spent several evenings hanging out drinking a few cold ones and watching the Buckeyes get spanked by Wisconsin in hoop.  After about 6 days between Marco and Naples (14 miles apart) it was once again time to roll. We really enjoyed both places and since we were there about a year ago we kind of know our way around.

Everglades National Park

Sunset from the Sunset Grill, Marco Island

 We then departed for Ft. Myers Beach on Monday the 9^th of March. We spent some fun time with John and Trish, people we met about a year ago from Buffalo.  We had a blast catching up with them in both FMB along with Marathon.  Our friends John and Debbie were also in FMB so the 6 of us had a fun chance to hang out a little. Our plans are to stay in FMB for about 3 or 4 days then head to Punta Gorda.  Pat’s sister from Vegas will be there meeting good friends from Chicago.  It will be a fun time I am certain.

 

Check out the fashion - Jack matches the bar in Ft. Myers Beach

From there we will spend several days heading up the Gulf side of Florida until we arrive in our final destination of St. Pete. Sometimes this boat world feels like it started about a week ago.  It’s very hard to believe in a few short months we will finish our 2^nd year - amazing. That is about it from down in Florida.  Hope all is well in your world, and we will keep you posted once we get to St. Pete.   

 Take Care, Jack

 She Said:  It has been a crazy few weeks.  We are having an absolutely fabulous time – we are definitely going out in style!

 Following the twins’ visit, our Phoenix friends, Gary & Kathy, came for a visit.  The day they arrived the weather was great – we were hanging out at the pool enjoying the sunny weather.  That night we went to happy hour at Cabana Breezes which is right on the ocean.  You couldn’t ask for better weather.  Then a front came in and we had absolutely awful weather.  I wore my “winter” coat almost every day Gary & Kathy were here, and we had a record setting low temp of 49 degrees one night!  In spite of the bad weather we had a lot of fun.  We took a day trip to Key West where we saw Pat Daley at Sloppy Joes, went to No Name Pub and saw the Key Deer (a first for Jack & me), golfed, and did our own version of a Marathon Pub Crawl (6 bars/restaurants in one night).  We ended their visit with a sunset toast at Keys Fisheries, where we hooked up with some fresh caught Mahi.  We brought the Mahi to Sunset Restaurant where they prepared it a couple different ways with several sides.  It doesn’t get any fresher than that.  Before Gary & Kathy left we had brunch on the water at the foot of the 7 Mile Bridge (where the Florida Bay & Atlantic come together) – the weather was perfect!

 

Kathy, Jack & Gary at No Name Pub, No Name Key.  The most dollar bills we've seen in one place.

 

The endangered Key Deer

 

It was COLD!

 

The 7 Mile Bridge seen from MTB

 As our final days in Marathon were coming to an end, Cindy & Joe from Phoenix came to help us say farewell to the Keys.  We made another trip to Key West where we saw entertainer Bil Kraus again (always fun), went to my favorite watering hole, The Commodore, and saw our last KW sunset at Mallory Square.   We got a small group together and headed to Ramrod Key to see local TropRock star Howard Livingston one last time.  While the bottom of MTB was being cleaning by a scuba diver (this improves our fuel consumption and is just good for the boat), we headed off to the pig races.  We spent our last night in the Keys at my favorite Marathon restaurant, Florida Steak & Lobster, for our farewell dinner. 

 

One of our favorite Key West places - Irish Kevin's and one of our favorite performers, Bil Krauss

 

It's a bit hard to make out, but that's a diver on the port bow (how about that nautical talk)

Final pig race of the day.  They were lightning fast!

It was really hard leaving Marathon – especially all of our friends at the Marathon Marina.  After spending 3 months in the Keys this year and 2 months last year, we made a lot of friends.  When we left last year we knew we would be back and likely reconnect with people.  Knowing we won’t be back, and that it is unlikely our wakes will cross with our boater friends as our trip comes to an end, we really were saying our final farewells.

 

Our final Marathon sunset

Our wake as we are leaving Marathon

 The winds were blowing around 15 MPH (the top range of our comfort level) so we weren’t sure if we were going to leave as scheduled.  After checking numerous weather sites and talking with lots of people, we decided to leave as scheduled.  We were traveling with friends, John & Debbie (experienced boaters), so that made us feel more comfortable.  It turned out to be a good travel day – a bit choppy early, but the water settled down nicely.  We followed John & Debbie so we didn’t have to do any navigating – a unique experience for us.  We actually traveled about 10 hours that day and made it all the way to Everglades City where we rafted with John & Debbie.  Rafting is when one boat sets its anchor and another boat ties up to the anchored boat. While we were waiting for John & Debbie to set their anchor we noticed they had a couple crab trap floats floating alongside them.  They hit a couple of the trap markers/floats – ouch!  We heard that while in Everglades National Park, you have to anchor more than 400 yards from land – so we complied!

 

We had planned to set sail around 8:30am the next day for our short trip to Marco Island.  When we met with John & Debbie in the morning we found out that their generator wasn’t working – it didn’t impact their ability to start the engines, but it was something that would need attention when we got to Marco Island.  We also saw that one of our lines came untied over night and we also lost one of our fenders/bumpers.  It was quite a night!  We untied the remaining lines and waiting while John & Debbie pulled up their anchor.  Or should I say “tried” to pull up their anchor.  Their windlass wasn’t working – you might remember we had the same problem last year.  They have a 60 pound anchor and about 100’ of chain out – that’s a lot of weight to pull up and there was nothing we could do to help them out.  Once we got under way it was an uneventful trip to Marco Island.

 

In Marco we met Jack’s brother and sister-in-law, Jim & Claudia, at Snook’s for dinner.  John & Debbie joined us later after arranging for a mechanic and having a diver go under their boat to cut the trap lines from their propeller.  We never want to see another boater have a problem, but it lets us know that these kinds of problems happen to all boaters – not just us. 

 

Marco Island

We left John & Debbie in Marco working on their repairs and we headed for Naples.  We had a great time in Naples last year and this time was no different.  We got a chance to spend time with Jim, my friend Debi from Chicago, and our Mexico friends Dale & Clara.  We visited all of our favorite haunts and added a couple new ones.  After 4 days we were off to Ft. Myers Beach.

 

Clara & Jack.  Dale and I didn't get the memo

Naples Pier - It's always great

As we pulled into Ft. Myers Beach we saw a friend’s boat.  They were having boat issues in Marathon so we were happy to see that things were repaired and they were making their way home.  We grabbed a mooring ball and got a call from John & Debbie saying that they were arriving in FMB the same night.  They too had their repairs done.  The six of us spent a couple days together until we had to say our final good-byes.  All three couples met on our first night on the ICW in Coinjock, NC a year and a half ago.  John & Debbie have been our best boating friends and saying good-bye to them was the hardest.  They will be traveling “The Loop” for the next year, but we hope to see them on land sometime in the future.

 

John, Debbie & Jack on Bonnie Blue.  We had a great time with you guys!

We are off to Punta Gorda to meet up with my sister, Donna, and friends, Tom & Laura.  We spent 2 nights in Punta Gorda last year and really enjoyed it.  Having family and friends there will make it that much more fun.  That’s it for now.  Will update you again in a few weeks as we settle in to St. Pete.

 

MORE HANGING OUT IN MARATHON

He Said:   

Since it has been nearly 6 weeks since we shouted out I will begin with my biggest news, and of course it comes in the world of college football.  One word explains it all -  UNDISPUTED!!  For us Buckeye Fans it appeared that after the Virginia Tech game we would be in for a long season.  I was one of those fans who was feeling not so good after the VT loss, especially since it was in Columbus.  Late in the season after 2 big wins, Wisconsin and The Tide, I really did believe we could beat the Ducks.  And guess what??  What an exciting year, and I believe the next couple may be just as exciting.  OK, enough football.  Let’s talk boat stuff.

 

We are really enjoying our time here at Marathon Marina.  We believe it is the premier marina here in Marathon.  Everything is nice and clean, there’s a great restaurant with a fun HH, a gr8 laundry facilities, a work out room and of course a pool with a great view at sunset.  We have met some really terrific people here.  Bob and Sue, although Seattle and Oregon fans, were lots of fun to get to know. We also have become friends with Kenny and Kathy.  We have done several boat and music things with them and really enjoy their company also.

 

Enjoying the Howard Livingston & Mile Marker 24 Band at Boondocks in Ramrod Key with a group of boaters

Along with that we had our friends Kim and Nancy from Phoenix come visit us for 4 days here at the boat.  We all had a terrific time here in Marathon, and since they had wheels we spent the day in Key West.  They were there about 35 years ago during their honeymoon so it was great memories for the 2 of them.

 

Nancy & Kim at Southernmost Point Marker

Kim, Nancy & Jack, Mallory Square, Key West

Happy Hour!  In the front basket are Florida Stone Crabs.  They're in season and they are tasty. 

 

After they headed to Miami for some business, my younger twin brothers arrived to celebrate their big 60^th.  Terry was here last year with our nephew, but Jerry had never been to the Keys.  We played some golf, went on a dingy poker run to the beach, took the fun bus to Key West. 

 

Celebrating Jerry's & Terry's 60th birthday!

On their last full day we went out in the big water on a 21 ft. fishing boat.  It was a little bouncy, but we had fun.  They caught about 20 fish or so and we have had them for dinner already - delicious.  Our friend Ron was so nice to take the 3 of us out on his boat.  He is a fishing machine and always looking for fishing fellas to hang with.

Jerry catching an eel

Terry catching a Parrot Fish

The day's catch.  They tasted great.

The pelicans waiting for the scraps.

 

We had a mechanic come out and take a look at our impellers.  These are an inexpensive part that could nearly cost you a motor if not replaced when needed.  Guess what, if we had traveled to the Bahamas our port engine would have overheated without a doubt.  Some things are just Meant to Be.

 

Sunset in the mooring field

In the next few days we have Gary and Kathy coming from Phoenix.  Gary has family in Naples who they are visiting for a few days then they will be arriving here and staying with us on the boat.  After they depart we will have a day or 2 before our friends Cindy and Joe arrive.  They will be with us for about 5 days then heading back to Phoenix.

 

Our plan is to leave here on the 2^nd of March and head to Marco Island, Naples, and Sanibel Island. Following that we will head N along the gulf coast towards our final destination of St. Pete where we will put the boat on the market.

 

We have nearly been talked into the Bahamas many times in the past month or so.  It has been a difficult decision but we are sticking to our guns so far.  Nothing is 100%, but we are still leaning towards Phoenix.

 

I forgot to mention that we are playing in a little fun golf day every Wednesday at a little par 3. We have met some great people, normally about 20 or so golfers and at least that many more for HH.

Jack on one of our golf outings

We’re still enjoying Florida, and will probably see you Phoenix people sometime in 2015.  The average boat is on the market about 200 days - that could take us well into this year.  Time will tell and we will keep you posted.  

Take Care, Jack  

 

She Said 

We have really enjoyed our time at Marathon Marina.  It’s been a fantastic move and an entirely different boating experience.  We’ve stayed at a few marinas for a month in the past, but we’ve never been in one place for 3 months.  And, most of the other boaters here are vacationing and also staying for 3 months.  There’s much more of a community feel than we’ve experienced in the past.  There are a lot of planned and spontaneous events – everyone is here to have fun. 

 

The Queen P is traveling the same fairway that MTB entered.  (See MTB on the far left of photo.)  It is a little tight in places.  Not looking forward to our departure. 

 

The pool here is great.  It’s heated in the chilly weather and cooled in the warm weather.  In the afternoons the pool is packed.  It’s a great place to watch the sunset, read a book, or socialize with the “neighbors.”  Three days a week there’s a water aerobics class (sometimes it’s more social than workout).  I like water aerobics, but I’ve only gone a few times because it’s been too cold for me at 10am.  So instead, I’ve been using the gym which is so convenient it’d be a disgrace not to use it.  We also have access to three bicycles.  We now take the bikes to the grocery and hardware store for quick shopping.  With the high winds, it’s quite a workout!

 

We’re part of golf group – you definitely can’t call it a golf league.  There are typically 15 – 25 golfers.  We play a par 3, 9-hole course – twice.  It’s a scramble and the winning team gets bragging rights at happy hour.  More people join us for happy hour – which changes venues from week to week.  It’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve got the golf bug again!

 

Our team came in second place with 4 under par.

 

Our dinghy continues to be a challenge.  Most of the time she runs like a charm, but there are times when she gets fussy.  We’ve found that if Jack starts her up every couple of days she happier.  We need to keep her running because we use her a lot.  We take the dinghy to visit friends, go to restaurants/bars, and the beach.  On one outing we rescued two boys and their kayak.  We brought them back to MTB to warm up before taking them to meet up with their friends.  They capsized while fishing and spent 2 hours trying to get back to shore.

 

Our rescue mission

We had two fun dinghy events.  About a dozen dinghies got together and caravanned to the beach for a potluck lunch and day of sunshine.  Another day more than 20 dinghies met up for a poker run.  It was a lot of fun even though our poker hands were worthless.  There were four of us in our dinghy and our 3.5HP was struggling, so we grabbed a tow with another dinghy for awhile.  One Saturday night we took the dinghy to the Boot Key Harbor potluck.  It was a huge event at the City Marina.  One of our favorite bands, Corey & Ty, was the entertainment. 

 


Jack captaining the dinghy



Enjoying the beach

Some of the dinghies getting ready to leave for the beach.  We're third from the left



Poker run.  Heading to card #2

 

Our losing poker hands.  Why do we look so happy?

We’ve found a lot of live music and that always makes Jack happy.  We went to Boondocks on Ramrod Key to hear local superstar Howard Livingston.  He’s a TropRock musician who does mostly his own music – it’s a big production and lots of fun.  We hope to hear him again before we leave.  A lot of the musicians we like are funny entertainers (like Bil Krauss) more than serious musicians (like Myles Mancuso).  Most are in Key West, but some make it up to Marathon.

 

Listening to music at Willy T's in Key West

 

Speaking of Key West, we’ve been there twice in the last month.  We drove down with former Phoenix neighbors, Nancy and Kim Elliott, and took the bus with Jack’s twin brothers, Jerry and Terry.  It’s always a fun day and a more interesting night. 

Here we are in Key West

Sunset set in Key West - we're 10 deep

 

Back home at the marina, there have been three parties since we’ve been here.  Some are arranged by the marina, others are arranged by boaters.  There was a surprise birthday party, a Super Bowl/Chili Cook-off, and a Full Moon Party.  Let me tell you, us old people know how to have a good time.  

 

Another gorgeous sunset from our marina

 

We’ve also participate in some smaller scale entertaining.  Our first attempt at a dinner party was a total bust.  We had to cancel it because no one could get to MTB on their dinghy due to high winds.  A fun event was a progressive quasi-dinner party.  We went to one boat for appetizers, another for salad, MTB for chili, and another boat for dessert.  The food, drinks and parties are never ending.  There’s as much or as little to do as one wants.

 It’s not all fun and games.  Boat maintenance and repairs are ongoing issues.  Jack has tried so many compounding and waxing products on the boat it looks like we could open a small detailing shop.  I think he’s finally found the right combination – MTB is really shining!  When Jack’s brothers were here we got some other minor household issues addressed – most exciting was improved water flow in the shower!  We’ve got the fridge problem diagnosed and have the parts on order - just waiting for them to arrive.  We also had our impellers replaced – they needed it.

 

We really enjoyed visits from The Elliotts and Jack’s brothers, Terry and Jerry.  We enjoy sharing this unique lifestyle with our family and friends and appreciate their efforts to visit.  We look forward to more visitors over the next few months.  Hope to see you!




The Belt boys enjoying the pool



Happy Hour at Cabana Breeze, Marathon