A Banner Day

Today was a banner day because nothing new broke. We think it’s the first day since we started that we didn’t face a new malfunction.
We gave Choices a good bath then spent most of the day wandering the streets of Naples with Tom and Genny. We stumbled upon a big band concert in a tree-shaded park in the middle of old Naples.

Tonight we’re being pummeled by high winds. Thank goodness we’re tied to a dock, although we keep having to go out and adjust the lines.

Posing under a huge Banyon tree – Genny was shy.

Yeah – A Fun Day

Today we put boat problems aside and went and had fun. The day began with an early morning dinghy ride through the fog to the dinghy dock.

Can you find Choices in the morning fog?

Maybe you can find her now in the afternoon sun.

Then we walked across the Sky Bridge to San Carlos Island. For 4 hours we had a walking tour of the natural museum then the working shrimp industry. It was informative and fun.

A TV crew from the local PBS channel taped us as we toured. After the tour we returned to a restaurant near the start and the PBS folks asked us if we’d be their subjects for a segment on eating the shrimp. Free shrimp – who could say no?

We topped the day off with an ice cream cone and a trip the length of  the island on an air conditioned trolley.

The dinghy developed a leak but we won’t address it today.

A shrimp boat coming into dock.

The fleet at dock.

Turtle extruded devices (TEDs) ready for installation on the shrimp nets.

The cameraman filming a man repairing shrimp nets.

TV star Rich enjoying his free shrimp.

A Fix-it & Relax Day

Choices at Kitty’s dock in Cape Coral fFL.

We’re still docked at Kitty’s dock, waiting for our battery to be recharged. We think now that we caused the problem – with our inexperience and lack of understanding. Yesterday Mike Levy helped educate us. When we pick up our recharged battery tomorrow we will operate differently.
Meanwhile on the way here, the rudder gage & auto helm stopped working. Rich checked them today & found a crumbling component with broken wires. It’s not a part we can easily replace (too old) so Rich is attempting to jerry rig fix it.
Between those and other fix-it jobs, Kitty took us for a beautiful drive across Sanibel to Captiva Island for a delicious lunch at The Green Flash. Then at home we luxuriated in a long swim.

Sue & Kitty Nicolai outside the Green Flash Restaurant on Captiva Island.

Looper Party at Kitty’s

Kitty Nicolai, with ample party prep assistance from Gina Smith, opened her house today for an invasion of past, present, and future Loopers. It was a wonderful chance to chat with a variety of boaters. Choices was the only boat docked at Kitty’s new dock. Everyone else drove here, including people who came 3 hours from the Ocala area.
Kitty and Gina put out a bountiful spread for lunch.
Michael Levy from Done Dreamin generously crawled into the engine room with Rich and concluded that our new inverter battery (installed by a marine electronics specialist) was never grounded and therefore never charged. Kacy called today, having mulled our problem over, and concluded the same. So now Rich has marching orders of what to buy and install to fix our problem. Mike also spent time with us sharing his vast knowledge of electronics management on a boat. We’re so thankful for his assistance.
Gina Smith poured over the charts with us, imparting her vast trove of local knowledge. Tom and Genny who will be buddy boating with us as we head south, decided we should lead since we have a deeper draft. That way if we run aground in the shallows, they will know where not to go!