To see as much of the world as we can,
Using the smallest carbon footprint we can,
Spending the least amount of money we can,
Making as many friends we can.

Team Red Cruising

Ph. VI, day 11, Fort Myers Beach

Moored. Ball 5. 26°27.3728′N 081°57.0415′W.

Yesterday we walked down to the Tuckaway Cafe coffee shop. It's a big operation. There's one road up the island and that means traffic is slow. Very slow. Walking makes so much more sense.

Ft. Myers Beach Shrimp Fleet
Ft. Myers Beach Shrimp Fleet

The county will be working on the lock between the Myakka river and the river that feeds Safe Cover. So we've moved up our haul-out date. We'll get through the lock on the weekend before they close it down for a week.

We've downloaded the South Gulf Cove lock instructions South Gulf Cove boat lock We're told it's easy. I think it's a matter of CA getting out of the boat to push the buttons and hold the lines. It's a small lock, I think we can pull her into the lock and then pull her out on the other side.

We've also downloaded the detailed instructions for a near-by haulout yard. map and directions We're told not to panic when we bump, but hit the power and push our way through.

There are three areas where caution is indicated. There's an "obstruction" shown mid-channel at the north end. There's an "island" in the lake: stay to the east. The turn into the canal at the south end is shoaling, take the turn wide.

Here's our revised winterizing schedule.

  • 12th Day sail up to the inlet. At most we'll see 15k of wind 1-4' seas for late morning, early afternoon. Predict Wind suggests it will be lighter.
  • 13th motor up near the lock in the Myakka river. Drop the hook. This is about 3 hours of work. The rest of our busy day will be removing the headsails.
  • 14th (or 15th) arrive Safe Cove dock very late in the afternoon. High tide is 14:30 or so. Followed by a three-hour excursion down the river.
  • 16th Haul out in the morning. Get rental car in the afternoon.
  • 17th-19th. Finish hurrican prep. Maybe visit Sanibel to see the nature preserve.
  • 20th. Drive north to find our truck.

The tasks look like this:

Maintenance tasks:
- [ ] ditch the generator
- [ ] ditch the jerrycans
- [ ] ant spray

Day 1:
- [ ] wash bimini
- [ ] wash Scout
- [ ] wash fenders
- [ ] rinse anchor chain
- [ ] wash deck
- [ ] stow water hose (lazarette)
- [x] tidy v-berth for sail storage

Day 2:
- [ ] stow sails (V-berth)
- [ ] stow flag (nav station)
- [ ] stow Scout (main cabin, behind closet) or bring her to Hendersonville with the inflater
- [ ] stow Scout's propane tank (starboard  stern locker)
- [ ] stow fenders (forward head)
- [ ] stow dock lines (lazarette)
- [ ] stow life sling and throwable (V-berth)
- [ ] remove batteries from small lights (dinghy, etc)

Day 3:
- [ ] stow bimini (V-berth)
- [ ] cover fixed port lights and hatches
- [ ] turn off propane
- [ ] disconnect solar panels
- [ ] water batteries
- [ ] stow whisker pole (main cabin floor)
- [ ] stow anchors (main cabin floor)
- [ ] stow electrical cord (lazarette)
- [ ] stow outboard (not sure)
- [ ] plug exterior holes against wasps
- [x] lubricate port lights

As leaving:
- [ ] turn off electrical panel
- [ ] empty urine jug
- [ ] turn off the refrigerator and leave lid open
- [ ] take out trash
- [ ] lock the companionway
- [ ] stow ladder