Leaving the Bugs behind in FMB

1-5-19     Karen and I first want to wish everyone “Happy New Year”. Hard to believe next year will be 2020. I still remember Prince partying like it’s 1999. For as long as we’ve owned Last Mango Karen has been obsessed with the idea of getting bugs onboard, specifically roaches. We have rules, no cardboard stays onboard, most cardboard won’t even make it out to the boat, all books that come aboard are quarantined in zip lock bags for a few days and backpacks and bags are not set on the ground. Certainly everything is shaken out and picked through before it comes aboard. Needless to say many precautions are taken to prevent bugs coming aboard. This year we have been beset by bugs, the good news is that they are not roaches. Our little Yanmar motor, the Honda outboard for the dinghy and the water pump that supplies water to the faucets and shower have begun to give us problems. We think we have exterminated the bugs with a new fuel pump in Mango’s motor a new spark plug in dinghy motor and removed and replaced a broken bolt in the fresh water pump. Please keep your fingers crossed for us as these bugs in the motors were very intermittent and did not occur very often.

A day of rest and relaxation, not to mention some JackFire.

Since the motor issues Karen and I have developed our own bug. It seems that when we go out at night for dinner the food bill comes to $30 and the liquor bill comes to $50. I’m sure we’re not the only ones with this affliction but it is concerning. I may have to take a break from the Rum Runners as I’m sure it’s the cure.

Last glow of light this evening.

Fort Myers Beach has been great as always. Last night we stayed aboard Mango for the evening due to the approaching cold front and showers. While waiting for the rain and reading books Karen and I were rewarded with what we think was a dolphin giving birth. We noted the noise alongside Mango and rushed up top to see a very small dolphin calve and at least 2 adults. They splashed next to Mango for 7 minutes or so before calming and moving on. Unfortunately both video and photos did not turn out to be usable. The cold front eventually arrived and we hardly noticed other than a few spits of rain.

Dixie Fish has some of the best Rum Runners
I've every tasted.

1-12-19 After watching weather for the past week we decided to leave Fort Myers Beach and sail south to Marathon this morning. We awoke to a slippery heavy dew on Mango’s exterior which made last minute prepping a messy affair. Normally all prepping would be done except we spent last night in the company of sailors Amele and Isabelle. Amele is from South Africa and Isabelle is from France. They are a wonderful couple that we would like to spend much more time with when possible. I find their life stories truly mind boggling and fascinating. Isabelle is an incredible artist and Amele a programmer and wonderful storyteller.

The weather forecasts changed from earlier meaning that the wind may be one Mango’s nose for some of the 126 mile trip. We accepted the situation and decided that it was time to leave. We motored out of the mooring area waving to boaters who elected to stay another day. We quickly hoisted the sails and felt the rush of the cool wind. Mango was on a broad reach quickly clipping along at 7.4 knots with some help of an outflowing tide. More than two hours later we noted the broad reach was moving to a closer reach as the forecast predicted. The clock on the wall informed us that morning had drifted to afternoon as we listened to college basketball games on the Sirius radio and we watch Marco Island pass by on shore. The wind continued to drop in speed and shift directions. We continued to adapt our course and eventually start Mango’s gremlin plagued motor. The good news is that the motor seems to run well and during the Ram’s-Cowboys game the wind clocked back to an easterly direction allowing a shutdown of Mango’s motor and a raising of sails. 

Exiting Fort Myers Beach with the Matanzas
Pass Bridge in the background

Time passed quickly as the salty dew of the night set in on Mango and her occupants making everything wet and slimy. Mango sailed along all night with her pace ebbing and flowing with the changing wind. Karen and I no longer need the instruments to inform us of Mango’s speed as the heel of her hull and sound of the water passing below tells us everything. The night sky is filled with a lazy quarter moon and the distant glow of Marco Island far off to the north. 

Sails up and Mango took off. Water speed indicator
started working later in the day as 3 weeks of
growth broke loose from the speed wheel.

Mango’s speed remains between the high 4 knots and the mid 5’s all night into the morning. We watch the moon head towards the horizon to set as the stars now really start to shine and twinkle brightly. Karen comments on the notable bioluminescence of Mango’s wake beating into what I think is the swell of a changing tide. We’re both tired and take turns napping although Karen gives me longer naps. It seems that when I wake from a nap Mango is always slipping along faster than when I started, Karen’s a great sailor. The sun started to make its presence know below the eastern horizon shortly before 6 as well as a few brightly lit crabbing boats. Mango’s pace was slowing approaching Bluefish banks when the sun fully breached the hazy horizon when we decided to drop sails and start the motor. With the sun now up the first thing we both noticed was the water appeared clean and clear, a stark contrast to Fort Myer Beach. We motored into Boot Key Harbor greeted by the waves of boaters leaving the harbor and others going about their day.

Karen made the call to the marina office receiving the news that we already knew, we were put on the waiting list for a mooring ball. We passed by the bridge to now where and spotted an old friend Bob on S/V Kristenac. We slowly passed by and greeted Bob and Ellie as we scouted a nearby patch of open water to drop Mango’s anchor.

With the anchor dropped and set Karen and I cheered drinks to another successful trip and surveyed the nearby scenery. It’s great to be back in Boot Key Harbor!

Karen's sunrise morning coffee

Buffalo Shrimp and Wings for a treat.