SCYC – Exhale on the Water

Somebody’s Watching Me

This is for Cat Eisele- here’s why! She was spying on Captain Rick today as he was in repair mode for Tonto’s Reward at SCYC. Thanks for looking out, Cat.

Go ahead, click here and sing along with Michael Jackson: “Sometimes I feel like, somebody’s watching me.”

Zooming in …

This blog post will wrap up Part 1 of our Florida tour, focusing on the west coast of Florida. In this post we traveled from Longboat Key to The Field Club, to Pelican Bay, to Cabbage Key, then Fort Myers.

Longboat Key

Rick and David B. TRIED to help our dockmate, Sapphire – a 52 Beneteau – relocate the washer/dryer to the bow of the boat. But the cozy hatch opening was a bit of a struggle.

After several tweaks and determined tries, the appliance was lowering, but not enough, then the heavy rains came. Quick thinking, our dinghy cover did the trick, protecting the appliance from the deluge.

The next day Rick and David B removed ALL protruding nobs and hardware, and detached the hinges on the tight fitting hatch.

Finally, the appliance was lowering!

Unfortunately, there was another impediment inside, so they could not complete the job, a disappointing moment.

Quest for the Perfect Hamburger

Capt Rick LOVES a good burger. Longboat Key delivered.

Field Club

Boater’s Tip: We had to book nearly one month ahead to secure docks at The Field Club – it’s that popular!!

It’s an old club, sort of. Originally a mansion for the Field family (part of the Chicago family behind Marshall Field & Company), the main structure dates back to 1927. It was converted to a club in 1957, when the Fields, in their 80’s, moved back to the Chicago area full time. Sarasota Yacht Club was the first to be given the opportunity to purchase, but some short sighted board members passed on the chance. Capt Rick loves to say, “You can’t fix Stupid.”

The 16-acre waterfront property is absolutely beautiful!

Pelican Bay

The waters of Cayo Costa State Park include our favorite anchorage. We anchored out for two nights.

Cabbage Key

We docked at Cabbage Key for one night. First a shout out to Ray and Caryl – who are cruising the Greek Islands – we know you love Cabbage Key. For those of you who have visited, you know there is a LOT of money hanging from the ceiling and walls.

Did you know that Cabbage Key donates the money that falls from the walls to local charities? To the tune of roughly 20,000, annually. SOO cool.

Capt Rick knew this was a good place to honor Michael Gillespie since he and his wife Susan Gillespie absolutely LOVED this place!!

We miss you, Gonzo.

Fort Myers

We returned to Fort Myers on May 27. Here’s a little nod to my firstborn. Celebrating your recent birthday, on Memorial Day.

Breaking News: So far we have 14 Florida Council Yacht Club signatures, qualifying along with Tonto’s Reward for the annual Founders Award. Stops so far include Bird Key, Bradenton, Carlouel, Charlotte Harbo, Clearwater, Davis Island, Field Club, Isles, St. Pete, Sarasota, Tampa, Tarpon Springs, and Venice.

Hey Carl, Gary, Cat and Jim – YOU CAN DO IT! Keep Boating, Safely.

What’s Next – Part II

On June 5 we will head to SCYC, then we will join Tonto’s Reward to commence Part II of our Florida tour. First stop is Naples City Dock followed by Marco Island Yacht Club, then Marathon and Key West. Weather permitting we will anchor out at the Dry Tortugas.

Celebrating Milestones: Birthdays – May 25 – Zach Silverstein; May 28 – Scott Ginsburg, Brennyn turned 10; May 29 – Doug Belknap; May 31 – Pamela Ledward; June 1 – Craig Adford, Mark Marlow, Amanda Saylor, Skyllar Tanner; June 2 – Susan Gillespie.

May 25 – Anniversary Gail and David Bernstein; May 26 – Jeff and Patty North

Thanks everyone for following our travels!

That’s a Looong Bridge

The Gov. William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge spans over 4 miles! When it was opened in 1952, it was the world’s longest continuous over-water steel structure. Now, there are numerous bridges worldwide that beat that record.

The bridge name honors the former 52nd governor, who launched the construction of the phenomenal connector. But that’s a long name, even for a loooong bridge. Instead, you might call it the Chesapeake Bay Bridge or just the Bay Bridge.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Annapolis to Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Stock Photo Wikipedia

Notice the guard rails are low, and the bridge is relatively narrow. No wonder Susan Jellen is not fond of driving across this scary bridge.

From the water it was sweet to see this sailboat passing smoothly under the bridge.

A brief Florida visit

This week I flew to Fort Myers, FL for a brief visit, happy to reconnect with several friends. First, let’s check in on our wildest neighbor, Ollie, the Burrowing Owl!

Natural camouflage. Wittman Drive burrowing owl, “Ollie”.

Curious about the local critter? Here area few Burrowing Owl stats: typical adult height 8-10” / Wing Span 22”. Although they can dig for themselves, they often let other animals do all the work, taking over burrows of prairie dogs, skunks, and other digging animals. In some cases it is a revival of an abandoned site, but in other cases the smaller animal was “evicted” unfairly, without notice.

Fun fact – These owls are not great fliers, with relatively short wings and tail; instead they have long, skinny legs so they hunt mostly on foot, and they are fast runners when chasing prey.

Another fabulous fact – the sexes are identical in size and color, they both guard the nest and they both hunt. Thus, gender equality is real in this part of the animal kingdom! Whooo. Whooo.

Friendly Visits

A planned stop at St. Charles Yacht Club (SCYC) was intended to be brief, to retrieve a few club burgees for David B. Lucky me, the timing was perfect as I was invited to sit with the Commodore and his wife for dinner! Say hello to Greg and Paula Rocque. Special thanks to the GM Justin Fleming for preparing an exceptional steak with sautéed mushrooms (pictured here!) Kim H, wish you were there! And thanks to Madi for spoiling me, again!

Say hello to another friend, Dr. Joe Occhino (ret. dentist), you look great, Joe!

Wittman neighbors, Morgan and Pamela,

Steven with a “v” Hunt and Donna Wallace,

and it was great to see Caryl Moulder (not pictured). Here’s Caryl’s cat, the observer, Brock-a-lee; keeping a close eye on yet another DIY project from Sideways!

The talented Mr. Brock – a – lee above the cabinets

Rock Hall, Maryland

After a short flight from RSW to Dulles International, on Sunday Exhale and Tonto’s Reward departed Annapolis (Madi’s special place!) to Rock Hall, yet another small town in Maryland known for it’s seafood.

We had lunch at the Harbor Shack Waterfront Bar and Grill, just a short walk from the marina. Absolutely delighted to spot this meaningful authentic Alaska license plate from Seward, Alaska, where I went to high school, for real! Blaine and former mayor Jean Bardarson, did you give them your plate? Seems plausible!

Zoom in. Issued from late 1997 through late 2004, the design commemorates the Centennial of the 1898 Alaska Gold Rush, featuring prospectors climbing the Chilkoot Pass trail.

Rock Hall is such a cute town.

Family Time

We close with a photo from our granddaughter Pristine Bleu. Our great granddaughter Juliette Bleu Martinez is turning 4 in November; as you can she loves to read! Bravo Pristine!

She is so excited to go to school soon!

Celebrating Milestones

Birthdays: August 23, Matt Jackson; August 24, Patrick Mager – who says, “don’t let the old man in” (you are as old as you believe, so keep strong and live long)!

Up Next: – tonight the Bernstein’s and us will be spoiled with Sandy Grosvenor‘s infamous crab cakes, cooking and dining on her North Pacific, Road Trip.

Next stop is Chestertown, Maryland

Heading South to Go North

Feels like a Willy Wonka moment when you go backwards to go forward. Strike that. Reverse it. Or maybe it’s a Paula Abdul occasion “two steps forward and two steps back, because opposites attract.”

As Tyler Hendry would say, “ACTUALLY”, the decision to traverse south was driven by the US Army Corp of Engineers, as they intentionally drain Lake Okeechobee, eliminating the option to travel from our home port in Florida in a more direct, linear fashion – to go north.

Wondering how to pronounce Okeechobee? For Brenda – it sounds like one of your mom’s favorite songs – Okie from Muskogee – another classic for Tumbleweed! As one fan quipped on the YouTube website, “Today’s country music stars are not even qualified to shine this mans {Merle Haggard’s} boots”

HERE’S A LITTLE FLORIDA HISTORY: Why do they drain the lake? In 1928 the devastating Okeechobee Hurricane overflowed the lake and drowned 2,500 people! To date it was the WORST hurricane in Florida’s history.

Under the direction of President Herbert Hoover, the feds rapidly stepped in to make sure Lake Okeechobee never overflowed again. Completed in record time, prior to the Wall Street crash of 1929, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a huge earthen dike around Lake Okeechobee.

Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874–October 20, 1964), mining engineer, humanitarian, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and 31st US President.

Now the Lake is drained, each year, in anticipation of the rainy, hurricane season. Seasonal drought in Florida plays a major role in the water levels, but, the annoying engineers are generally in control of the navigational depth.

Relevant boater data: There are two charted courses for boaters, the shortest path cuts across the lake, the second runs along the rim. In the past we have successfully taken both routes. As of April 29 the navigational depth of Route 1 was 5.26 feet; Route 2 was a mere 3.46 feet. The draft of Exhale is almost 5 feet – so that means our boat could dramatically run aground in the rocks. Not a good day.

When we can’t cross Lake O, we take the long way around, heading south from Fort Myers, along the west coast of Florida to eventually go north, along the eastern seaboard.

Fun facts: Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida (it covers over 450,000 square acres, or 730 square miles) Not so fun fact: Lake Okeechobee is the most polluted lake in Florida. Why? Agricultural runoff, fertilizer in particular, and urban stormwater, leading to algal blooms and high levels of phosphorus. When the lake is drained, the algae thrives in shallow, sun drenched waters.

is there any Good News? Sure – the Lake is home to over 9,300 thriving alligators, some estimates run as high as 30,000 gators in the peak season. Random fact: Herbert Hoover’s son (Allan Henry Hoover) had a gator as a pet.

Boater’s Tip: Check the depth before you go … Here’s the official website from US Army Corp of Engineers https://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/currentLL.shtml. The Navigational Depth changes daily! And, when the weather is rough, the trough of each wave is dangerously low.

Let’s Travel South!

St. Charles Yacht Club “SCYC”, Fort Myers Florida

Our first stop was maybe an hour in transit, to St. Charles Yacht Club. It’s a place where the lovely Miss Madi Mitchell, SCYC Food and Beverage Manager, delivers Rick’s favorite drink before he has sat down. Cheers to you Madi – best of luck as you finish your studies!

Hello Ray and Caryl – Thanks for joining us at our first stop! It is always a pleasure to spend time with both of you! Buttercup appreciates the attention.

Ray Houle aka Sideways, Caryl Moulder and Buttercup at SCYC

Marco Island Marina

The Marco Island club renovation is done! About those gators – here’s a clever boat name from that marina.

Cape Sable Anchorage

We love to anchor out, especially when there are no other boats around. Cape Sable is highly recommended for a star-filled night.

Safe Harbor Marathon

Boaters take your swim suits – the pool is Capt. Rick’s favorite! Shout out to Donna Wallace and Rebecca Hill who have been known to enjoy the refreshing walk-in bath.

Inspired by David Bernstein’s long walks, we hiked to the Marathon Yacht Club as a tribute to members George and Pat Hospodar. Dinner was fantastic – followed by a spectacular sunset.

This is for Tyler and Morgan.

Pilot House Marina, Key Largo

We will be in Key Largo for three days. The marina restaurant is good, the Happy Hour menu is popular! Don’t be fooled by the open stools, by the time we left the place was full.

It’s also a popular spot for fishing charters.

CELEBRATING MILESTONES:

Birthdays: Belated birthday April 26, Andre Walker; May 8, Danielle Ginsburg

Anniversary: May 7, Caryl and Ray

NEWSFLASH. NEWSFLASH. NEWSFLASH.

Morse Code test: . . . – – – . . .

USCG – Pon Pon, Pon Pon – Urgent Need for Assistance

Typically the blog ends after milestones – but THIS is a really important update from Soundings magazine.

The Coast Guard has proposed removing hundreds of buoys and navigational markers from the Northeast.

The proposal for Maine: over 150 buoys are to be removed or altered!

READ THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN SOUNDINGS HERE

PLEASE TAKE QUICK ACTION: Send an email to the Coast Guard today!

They will be accepting comments on the proposal until June 13. All comments must be made in writing. Refer to Project No. 01-25-015. Your E-mail must be sent to: D01-SMB-DPWPublicComments@uscg.mil.

To make it easy for our subscribers, here’s the email we sent, PLEASE feel free to cut and paste and resend:

to: D01-SMB-DPWPublicComments@uscg.mil

Subject: STOP PROJECT NO. 01-25-015.

Dear Madams and Sirs at the USCG.

We are avid boaters, and we need your help!

Don’t be fooled by “budget cutting” excuses. Removing the buoys and navigational markers costs manpower time and money you don’t need to spend!

It’s simple – buoys and navigational markers prevent collisions, grounding and human tragedy. They save lives.

It is true there are lots of apps out there that boaters use – BUT the red and green markers are the ultimate guide.

The Coast Guard has seven basic missions: Search and Rescue “SAR”, Aids to Navigation “ATON”, Ice Breaking and Ocean Science, Marine Inspection, Law Enforcement, Military Readiness, and the seventh, Semper Paratus-Always Ready for the next mission.

Follow your mission! Protect the mariners on our waterways today. The great Jimmy Buffet understood, and warned his boaters to “make sure to keep it between the navigational beacons”.

Now it’s up to you, USCG, to keep the beacons in place.

Sincerely,

M/V Exhale