Out of Naples

2-6-09

Yesterday afternoon, and again this morning, we heard the Coast Guard on the VHF radio repeatedly hail "Deidra" a 26' sailboat and gave the names of two guys who were aboard. They left Everglades City somewhere around the same time as us, but were headed south. The Coast Guard said they were overdue, and all boaters should be on the lookout for them. If they went through the rough seas we did they could be swimming with the fishes.

Last week, we heard the Coasties hail for a different boat that was overdue in it's arrival. Later that day, we heard the captain reply to the Coast Guard that he was ok. The Coasties admonished him and told him to let his wife know where he was. Probably drinking in a bar somewhere. I hope that's the case with "Deidra".

It was cool in the boat this morning. The thermometer on the dash showed 40 degrees. I got up pre-sunrise and started the generator to run our little heater before Pam finds out how cold it really is. I hope this is the end of the cold weather.

The harbormaster from Naples City Docks called my cell phone this morning about 7 am. She said she thought we were still there, and wanted us to pay for another night. I told her we left yesterday about 2:30. She said check out time was noon. (She didn't mention check out time when we checked in.) I told her we had ridden our bikes to the grocery, and by the time we got back, packed up and left, it was later than we had planned..............sorry if we inconvenienced her. I'll probably find a charge for another night on my credit card when I get home. I need a T-shirt with "I love Naples" (but of course T-shirts are not allowed most places in Naples.)

We saw a deer walking around a mangrove island at low tide this morning. We're going to try to go outside up towards Sanibel again today.