LOOP Report 03/15/2005

March 15, 2005
Ft.Myers Beach, Florida

Well…. The Peat boys have come and gone.

Sandy and Stefan and good friend John spent some quality time on this great beach by using Johns dinghy. We joined them to do some exploring of back mangroves right up to John’s home and dock up the river near Mound Key ( an ancient historical Calusa Indians Shell Mound).

USA March break goes on all 4 weeks. So the sightseeing is real quality. It’s a good time watching the activities on the beach and also the boats coming and going out of the marina when the tide currents are running fast. Both are exciting and stir the imagination. Maybe the beach more so, eh? Stefan.

Had a tour of a large 100’ plus yacht “FairSkies” docked here by the a young captain “John J” who needed information on Georgian Bay for his boss (owner of boat) as they are making their way to Chicago in June. This was some nice boat with an engine room like I have never seen before. Two 1400 HP Detroit Diesels and a lot of stand up dancing room for many other electrics, etc. The rest of the ship also is beyond description because of the beautiful way it’s kept in bristol fashion.

Pat and I attended a fish fry in the boaters lounge on Sunday. The boaters who spend time here put it on and everyone brought some extras. The fish was “Sheepshead” caught off the docks, done as cajun and pan fried. Stuffed again!


Back to the beach scene, we noticed a new 44’ Hunter sailboat beached and filled with water, took a wrong turn at the markers and got pounded to shore. They are going to dredge it out next day or two when there is a high tide.

Have decided to hang out at this Moss Marina as the red tide is still up the coast killing fish and filling the air with particles that bring on bad coughing. It did’t hit this beach but did the others.

The other big event was the Shrimp Festival Parade at Noon on Saturday. Bands, Princesses, fire trucks and Shriners in funny cars and clowns and a huge turn out of people lining the sidewalks in the hot sun.

The strangest thing though was Pat accepting our next door boating neighbour’s request that we babysit his monkey for couple days. So we all got to spend some quality time with our ancestoral family ties. “Tarzana” ( Black Cat Bolivian Squirrel Monkey) stays in her cage though, as we can’t run fast over water and she might, given the chance to find her owner.

You do meet some interesting types on a trip like this one.

Loopers,….Looping and Swinging….

Ted, Pat and Tarzana on Chinook