Ok, so I need to do an update ( have been reminded several times :) :) ) so here goes!
We are in a great slip in Legacy Harbour Marina here in Ft Myers. We chose to come bow in so that we would have the sun in the morning & shade in the afternoon ( on the back deck) but unfortunatley so far sun ( heat) has been in short supply. It has been unseasonably cool for March ( except the days we traveled from Ft Lauderdale ) but we are enjoying the facilities here anyway. Our view from the back deck is beautiful, looking east on the Caloosahatchee River but we are protected from wakes by the breakwall so our spot is perfect.
We have great dock neighbors & met other marina residences at the weekly pot luck last Thursday. Most people are "winter residents" & have been here for a few months.
Our social calendar has kept us busy, amazing how many friends are in Florida for either short or long stays & it is wonderful to connect even for a short time. Tomorrow Dave & Annie are coming from Ft Lauderdale to visit their friends in Bonita Springs & they will all come here in the afternoon for cocktails & dinner. Joe's Crab Shack Restuarant, right on the dock here has been doing well off the Langley's & friends :)
We rented a car shortly after we arrived, drove to Port Charlotte & moved our own car down from the storage area so we have wheels for the first time this winter ( except for the ocasional rental) so we are exploring the area & doing a bit of shopping. We still do our daily walks to Publix & are trying hard to keep up the exercise routine that we developed in Marathon. it is more difficult here to be carless as not all services are within walking distance. We have, however, discovered a delightful little coffee restaurant who make their own donuts . Not Good !!!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunatley, we are in "wind down" mode & are starting to organize the boat for summer storage. It will be a different process for sure, but one that does require preparation just the same. Mould & Mildew are an ongoing issue here in the heat of summer so we purchased a dehumidifier & other assorted gadgets to use. Fortunatley our storage are is covered & we have electricity so that does make the process simplier.
So, for the rest of the month we are "dock bound" here & exploring by car. Around April 1st will start making our way north on the Gulf side to Port Charlotte Harbour to the storage area. Having started our journey there in 2009/2010 at least the area is familiar to us.
One quick interesting sideline, confirming what we mentioned last update about the world being very small........... As we were traveling on the ICW, just north of Ft Lauderdale on our way here last week, we had a call from David & Susan Wakefield, long time friends from Mimico Cruising Club. Anyway, Susan was on the deck of their rental unit, enjoying her ( early) morning coffee when she recognized our boat passing by. Amazing, really, with all the boats traveling on the ICW that she happened to be on the balcony just as we passed by. But, we have discovered that these types of experiences are very common in the boating community........... you never know when you will meet someone that you have crossed paths with either on land or the water.
So, thats all for now....... we are just so thankful to be here in Florida on the boat, missing the Ontario winter weather. Life is Good !!