Day Drinking and the Mundane

Fort Myers   *

We broke away for a little fun intertwined with the mundane, though everything is running together. We remember when our parents would ask what day of the week it was and we thougth what?, how can you not know what day of the week it is? We are now understanding. Retirement, cruising, and wintering in the south, there is no need-to-know what day of the week it is most of the time!

We had the pleasure of catching up with future loopers we met in October at rendezvous. Maria and Scott were visiting Fort Myers and participating in a loop experience via fellow loopers that turned their adventure into a business. We were able to walk downtown for dinner before their week-long experience began. We caught up again with them for docktails one night and as they headed out after their week. We are hopeful we will get to see them on the water on their own boat in the next year!

The not so glamorous part of cruising is all the things that need to be done so you can have fun. We (mostly David) are working on the list and starting to check things off. Defrost back aft deck icemaker, defrost aft deck small fridge, tighten toilet seat, replace master faucet in head, never ending laundry, work on the blog, cleaning, and so the list goes on.

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We have never hired someone to clean our carpets, but they appeared on the dock one day, Tasha got a quote, and we hired them for the next day. It was a great feat to not only find someone who would do it but show up on time and do a nice job. Our interior, back deck and flybridge all have carpet, and with a 70 lb pup, we needed it done. The hard part is where do you move everything? Inside we piled things on the beds, cabinets, and the dinette. Outside, we took over the dock like hoarders getting set up for an 8:00 tag sale. We needed to stay off the carpet a few hours as well, so we set up chairs, table, cooler, technology (luckily it was a beautiful day) and hung out. We walked downtown for lunch with Remy and stayed off the carpet until dinner time. We are right by the marina office; we are sure they were ready to have a talk with us! Not only did the carpet look better but the fresh smell lasted about a day! This encompassed a good part of a couple of days preparing for them to come, staying off of it all day, and then putting everything back the following day ensuring everything was completely dry. The captain thought it might be a good time to rid ourselves of so many things we do not need, though needless to say, everything that was moved off the boat, was returned. There is a need for everything, we just might not have needed it yet.

The following day, we had a diver scheduled. He had been recommended by several including our friend Pete. The bonus was he showed up! David had hired a diver at Clearwater Beach and one at St. Pete, but they never showed. Having a diver clean our bottom and running gear is new to us, something you do not have to do in freshwater. Barnacles, algae, and marine life attach themselves to the bottom of the boat and as they grow on the hull the organisms will cause frictional resistance and much greater vessel weight. A clean bottom is a good bottom. The diver aligned a barrage of tools along the dock, not knowing what he would run into on our bottom and running gear. We had new bottom paint added this fall that was a salt water formula and we were hoping it was holding up well.

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He came at low tide and jumped in by the bow. When he popped up out of the water he was standing up with his shoulders out of the water. He said I think I can get under your boat ok. We didn’t anticipate the marina being that shallow, it is so easy to forget with the tides. He spent about 90 minutes working on the Now or Never and indicated that our bottom paint had held up well, a welcome relief. He didn’t need many tools as it all came off of the bottom with his gloves, no scraping needed. He did scrape the running gear and exhaust pipes. Our sitting still this month may cause more grow – though we’ve had some cool temperatures for Florida. He recommends monthly cleanings in the summer (warmer water) and every other month in the winter. We will need to schedule it done again in the Keys. If you’re in Fort Myers, we recommend Chilly Chill Dive Company.

David continued with the list, replacing the front hatch as it had cracked. (Make sure when you stumble and fall (from the waves) that you don’t land and sit on the front hatch), a $500+ lesson the first mate learned.

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David also thoroughly cleaned the outside of the boat. The salt air is taking some getting used to. It’s sticky and heavy and makes everything feel sticky and damp. It’s also a killer for our freshwater boat. We’re not sure who boasts the Salt Life stickers, etc., we’re thinking they either don’t have a boat, have crew if they do, or have never had a boat in freshwater.

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We (David) try to wash the boat down after every cruise, and then we spend more time when we are in a port for more than a day or two. The stainless rails get encrusted with salt, the windows have salt crystals all over them, and the sides and decks are like walking on sand – this salt life boating is lots of work! It is a never ending job and one the captain works on daily.

It was time for a bit of fun and we had use of a car (thank you Tiffany!) and took the opportunity to do a little day drinking, a favorite of Tasha’s dad, Kurt, and visited a couple of his favorite haunts. We started with a drive at the beach, Kurt was famous for long drives to nowhere! We visited Moss Marina, which we couldn’t get into this year and are trying to get in next year for a month or two.

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Former dockmates, Kurt and Beth (Petry’s Pet), winter here but we did not find them at their boat. After checking out the marina, we headed to another former dock mates bar and restaurant, Hoosiers in Paradise, for lunch and a drink. A great little beach spot on the main drag of Fort Myers Beach. Remy took over as greeter and watcher of the bar, looking for attention and treats. She was greeted with a bowl of water on ice! Just how she likes it! We were pleased they served our favorite diet beer Miller 64! Dave ordered the famous Hoosier Tenderloin, Tasha her favorite fish tacos, and Remy a hot dog. So good. Jacquie also spoiled Remy with bacon and us a big bowl of beef and noodles (the evening special) to take home for dinner (we need to be careful, we really felt spoiled and could all get used to this). Once the lunch crowd dispersed, Jacquie emerged from the kitchen and sat down and visited with us for a bit.

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We spent Thanksgiving at her house though didn’t get to catch up one on one – this was nice. Jacquie and Mark were always so good to Kurt and his friends that visited the bar, provided a back door parking spot (on the beach that is a treat), and welcomed them with open arms. If you know Kurt, he was home at a bar, and knowing the owners made it pretty special for him. We hope to make a return visit before we depart in February.

On the way back to the mainland, we stopped at Bonita Bills, we have never been to Fort Myers to visit Kurt without a trip to Bonita Bills. It’s like a senior center bar (we have always been the youngest there – though we are starting to blend in a bit better), with bad entertainment, but the food and beer prices are right, and we love their motto – “No shirt, No shoes, Can we get you a beer?” And they had our beer! Score – two places in one day! Remy was right at home with the half dozen other dogs including the afternoon entertainer, Chucky from Kentucky’s, doodle. We sat back, took in the entertainment, and did a bit of day drinking!

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We haven’t been to Fort Myers in over five years, it was a reminiscent afternoon and just what we needed – a little time off the docks in remembrance of Kurt. We think of him daily and know he’s cruising along with us.

After a week of pup playdates and running up and down the docks to greet each other, we said another goodbye to Remy’s friend Guinness. She certainly enjoys his company, and it saddens us of the uncertainty of crossing paths again. He is one sweet dog, and we think he reminds her of her home beau, Gunner. Pups really do create friends, remember their friends, and mourn the loss of not being in their company. We try to make Remy’s trip just as fun as ours and the companionship of another pup is the icing on the cake. She has met a few other pups, but Guinness is a favorite.

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We continue to explore the community and frequent the downtown eateries too much. Our eating out budget has been blown and it’s just mid-month. Too many good places, too close, and too easy to get to. We’ll probably need to get part-time jobs to help with our eating addiction!

We’re hoping you are enjoying your January as much as we are.

Cheers! D, T & R

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