January 6 - Marco Island to Little Shark River anchorage

Our Marco Island visit has come to an end. We much enjoyed the Marina at Factory Bay, a quiet place with a great view of the Marco River and Marco Bridge. The Gulf was good to us - waves of about 1 foot and very little wind. Around 4:30 p.m. we arrived at our anchorage - Little Shark River. As we entered the anchorage,
a school of dolphins welcomed us. There were two other boats that had also chosen this place for their overnight stop. After having dropped anchor, Les and I took a dingy ride and were able to see the sunset.

              

January 5 - Marco Island, FL

A great day was in store for us. Blue skies and a temperature that was very pleasant. This morning we did some exploring and visited nearby Goodland. Around 1:00 p.m. Craig and Carol Strain, the parents of a colleague at Witte Travel, came aboard to say hello. After catching up on news, we joined the Strains for a late lunch at a very nice restaurant overlooking one of the many marinas. This evening we continued our card game - men against the women. The women won!

January 4 - Naples to Marco Island, FL

Even though it was still cold for Florida standards, the wind was down and the sun was shining, it was going to be a great trip to Marco Island. Rather then taking the outside route, we decided on a cruise along the inside. We saw many osprey nests such as the one seen here. By the time we arrived in Marco Island, the temperature had gone up to the low 60's. Following our arrival, we rented a car and did some sightseeing. At 5:30 p.m. we went to visit the Skoogs, good friends of  Les and Jane. They live in a fabulous home with a great view of the beach and of the Gulf.

For this evening's dinner, we went to Davide Italian Cafe and Deli. Besides fabulous food, we were treated to great Italian music by the owners father. What fun we had!

January 3 - Naples, FL

It was very cold, down in the 40's with a very strong wind. Pelicans decided to stay out of the wind and were resting in a protected area. During the afternoon the wind died down somewhat. We're hoping for warmer temperatures and no wind. Just after 5:00 p.m. our friends Dick and Judy Bereza and Les and Jane Wong joined us for an afternoon coctails and some snacks. Les and Jane will be cruising with us as we travel southward to Marco Island and then on to Marathon. This evening we had dinner at the Boat House, a few minutes walk from the marina.

January 2 - Naples, FL

After welcoming our dear friends Norma and Merle Peterson onboard the Marco Polo II, we took a cruise through the beautiful city of Naples. The day started nice and warm, but in the early afternoon a cold front came through, accompanied by a light rain shower. After our cruise. we docked at the Naples City Dock where we were confirmed for a two night stay.  After tying up, we had soup and sandwiches on board and then Merle took us to Publix for more groceries. The evening was spent watching the Rose Bowl football game.

January 1 - Ft Myers Beach to Naples, FL

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all! Last night there were parties on various boats and restaurants. Ft Myers Beach fireworks were seen from the comfort of our boat. Today we left Salty Sam's and cruised by way of the fishing fleet and the Matanzas Pass to the Gulf. We had a very smooth ride with waves being around one foot. We entered Naples via the Gordon Pass and cruised northward to our slip at the Naples Boat Club. Our boat was one of the smaller ones tied up here.

Tomorrow we will move on to another marina, the Naples City Dock. Later in the afternoon we took a nice walk that ended with a New Years drink at one of the restaurants in Tin Alley.

December 29, 30 and 31 - Ft. Myers Beach, FL

We arrived at the Ft Myers airport on Thursday evening, Dec 29. Waiting for us was Jason Gless, the son of Cindy Gless - a Witte Travel employee. Jason took us to Publix, a large grocery store. After we purchased items required for breakfast, along with a pound of shrimp, we continued on to Salty Sam's Marina in Ft. Myers Beach. Jason joined us for a drink and ate his share of shrimp. Cindy, you can be proud of your son. He sure was a kind and considerate person. Friday was spent washing the boat and returning to Publix for more supplies. This evening's dinner was at Parrot Key Carribean Grill. Thressa had coconut shrimp and I had salmon - it was fantastico.

On Saturday morning I checked the engine and generator oil and cleaned the small shower pumps. As I was about finished, I bumped into a small black box attached to the water pump. The box came loose, resulting in water squirting through the engine room - what a mess. The pictures above show the hole in the center of the pump and on the right side you can see the small black box with a brass tube. This box contains the water pressure membrane that measures the water pressure and relays it to the water pressure meter. As it turns out, the thread of the brass tube was worn so that it no longer stayed in the fitting. After a number of attempts, I finally did get it to hold. We are keeping our fingers crossed. A replacement part has been ordered. We now have a very clean engine room. The last work project was washing the windows - they now shine. Tomorrow we will be moving southward to Naples. A few more hours and the New Year will be here. With this in mind we wish all of you a Happy and Healthy New Year.