On the Water with As You Wish: Feb 17 Ft. Myers to Naples

Feb 17

Sorry everyone for the long hiatus. After that trip we took 2 weeks ago we got back to Ft. Myers and Martha immediately started feeling a bit off. Scratchy throat, tight chest, dry cough and sinus issues. We decided to stick around Ft. Myers until she got feeling better. Unfortunately, she kept feeling worse and we finally got her to a doc in a box where it was diagnosed as an upper respiratory infection. Some antibiotics and heavy duty cough meds for her. About that time I started coming down with the same symptoms. So, between the both of us we’ve been out of commission for the better part of 2 weeks. Thankfully, this has been a pretty good place to be stuck for a few extra weeks in the winter. Sunsets are still glorious.

Even had an awesome full moonrise - that's As You Wish in the foreground

Unfortunately, our friends Jamie and Trish couldn’t wait for us and headed off to Key West. We’re now back to our plan of cutting across Lake Okeechobee but before doing that we wanted to explore a little further south on the gulf coast and so are taking a few days and going to Naples and then Marco Island. So today we left for Naples. On the way Martha reminded me we just had our 10-month looperversary yesterday.

Celebrating Valentines Day on board with a chicken parm dinner by Chef John

While we’ve been “stuck” in Ft Myers a few more festivals have taken place. There was an “ArtWalk” festival. One of the most unbelievable one’s I’ve ever seen. Hundreds of vendors from all over the country with all sorts of exceptionally good artwork. Sculptures, pottery, woodwork, paintings, jewelry, etc. It took us a full 4 hours to walk the event. Really good stuff. Definitely not your local craft fair! This past Saturday was the Edison Festival of Lights Parade. Largest night parade in the southeast now in it’s 82^nd year celebrating Thomas Edison’s birthday. Firetrucks, police motorcycles, marching bands, lighted floats and fireworks over the river as a grand finale. Then another classic car show on Sunday covering several streets downtown.

Quick video below of a crazy wind sculptures for sale at the Artwalk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yS_wc63rxc&feature=youtu.be

One of the many lighted floats - this was a pirate ship

2019 Ford GT

How about this sweet old Studebaker

Back to today. We topped off the fuel tanks with 178 gallons of diesel. Not bad considering our last fill up was in Carrabelle before the gulf crossing. Off the fuel dock at 8:45 and making our way down the Caloosahatchee River. By 10:30 the boat traffic really started picking up on the river. It’s been a bit breezy lately and forecast now calls for several days of light winds and very calm waters out on the gulf so everybody with a center console fishing boat seemed to be out and buzzing around us. The only time we got relief was going through the no wake manatee zones where we all lined up and passed slowly single file.

Interesting new 87' Horizon Yacht pulled into our marina for a few days

Boat parade going through the manatee zone

Once out of the river and into the gulf things opened and we pretty much had those clear blue waters to ourselves. We were a bit disappointed in only spotting a few dolphins and none wanted to come over and ride our bow wave. We did manage to spot a fair number of large sea turtles, but they come up, surface for air and then just leave a swirl as they swim back under. About the time you grab a camera for a picture they’re gone. It was a nice straight shot to Gordan Pass and the winding entrance into Naples which took a couple hours. With the gulf barely having a ripple I actually put out a line to try some fishing. No bites but honestly we were trolling at a bit too high a speed.

Conditions were too good to not at least try wetting a line.

Gordan Pass entrance to Naples - beautiful water colors

Naples is very nice, but we can tell it’s just not our type of town. Simply a bit too much wealth on display. It has the second highest proportion of millionaires per capita in the US. The dockmaster told us “the thing to do on Sat. nights is walk down 5^th St and check out all the Ferrari’s that go by”. As he’s telling us that there’s a constant stream of private jets taking off from the regional airport across the river “oh yeah, they’re all going back to work after the long Presidents Day weekend – normally they all come in Friday night and leave on Sunday”. It also doesn’t help that we’re docked in the shadow of a 100+’ three level superyacht. Damn 1 percenters!!

Just to give you a feel for the scale of this boat - that's a 50' Mikelson sportfish in front of it

Old Naples still exists but is disappearing quickly. We found the Gondolier Inn feeling completely out of place nestled on a side street lined with multi-million dollar homes