Day 75 - the miserable mile — Captain Father John

Miles cruised 0, fuel purchased $0, slip fee $120, daily high temperature 79*F

It clouded over and rained again overnight. Chris Weber’s former boss Ken and his wife Beth have a condo overlooking the marina. They stopped by to say hello. We also had a wonderful visit from Betti and Seaby Bess. They are living the dream in Ft. Meyers. They have connected with the local Power Squadron and with the yacht club. They are racing on a Cabo Rico 48 sailboat and will crew on a race to Key West in the spring.

John, Priscilla, Betti and Seaby

Priscilla and I had a wonderful Italian dinner at Ceno with Chris and Kirstyn. Dale and Andy got off the boat and stayed with their friend Carol Ann overnight. We will spend another day in Cape Coral and move to Marco Island on Sunday.

There is a section of the ICW near Cape Coral called the miserable mile. The original miserable mile was named because the cross currents are terrific for sail boaters with such a narrow channel to maneuver. From green marker “1” to red “10 If you’re outside the markers even a foot you stand a good chance of running aground. Now the power boaters call it the miserable mile because it is very crowded and is a no wake zone due to the numerous manatees.

The sister ship to Changing Latitudes is in this marina. Seas Life is a Cruisers 4450. Barbara the owner is having her boat buffed and waxed in the water. I spoke to the workers and they advised it costs $2,400 for a buff and wax job while the boat is in the water. They have a small flat topped dingy they use to work from the water side. She is selling her boat but is having trouble selling it in Florida because most of the buyers are elderly and do not like to climb the cabin stairs. I offered to list her boat in the Chicago area where people climb to the top of the Sears/Willis Tower and have no fear of stairs.

Buffing and polishing from the water.

We will cruise to Marco Island on Sunday. That will be about 50 miles. The ICW does not extend all the way from Cape Coral to Marco Island. We will enter the gulf at Higgin’s Pass and reenter the ICW at Naples. Chris Weber arranged free dockage for us at his friend Steve’s rental house. We met Steve at Macapoloosa in September. This is a great deal. Thank you Chris and Steve.

The BBQdonut boats look like a lot of fun. They have a BBQ grill in the middle and everyone sits in a circle.

Dale and Andy met a local celebrity at breakfast.

bonus photo

Carl (Chef) Wooden – quote of the day.

“If you cannot arrive in daylight, then stand off well clear, and wait until dawn. After all, that’s one of the things God made boats for to wait in.” (Quote by Tristan Jones).

Dave ( Mack ) McKenna – quote of the day.

“If you do not change your direction, you may end up where you are headed.” – Lao Tzu – Taoist teachings