We are happy to report that Eta (tropical storm, then hurricane, then tropical storm again) has passed us for the second time, high winds have died down, and the sun is shining again in SW Florida!
After a few days at Legacy Harbour reacquainting ourselves with R&R, getting settled in, and catching up with boaters we had met there earlier this year, we prepared to leave Legacy Harbor. It felt like rebuilding muscle memory when, for the first time in months, I went through the pre-cruise checklist, created a route in Navionics, exported it to Active Captain, and synced with our Garmin chartplotter to prepare for the 48 mile voyage to Naples.
Looper friends Andy and Cindy (from Aquaman) were very helpful with the logistics of moving R&R to Naples and our car to Marco Island. Andy and I enjoyed a three hour cruise in near-calm seas to Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club in Naples, where the four of us joined Greg and Susan (from Lucky Me) to celebrate Greg’s birthday with other Looper friends.
All of R&R’s systems worked well on this shakedown cruise (except for a pesky bow thruster electronic glitch – to be repaired soon). The autopilot steered part of the open-water route while I kept a close watch from the helm. This short trip was a confidence-booster, and I enjoyed Andy’s company.
After dinner, we spent the night in a transient slip at HHYC (thanks to Greg and Susan for guest access!). The marina and dining facilities were excellent, and the HHYC staff members were very friendly and helpful.
The Gordon River and Naples? My very favorite place with wonderful (shared) memories!
KB
Good to hear from you, Ken! We remember wonderful times with you and Jan as our hosts in Naples!
So it is “just like riding a bike”…?…:) Seriously, glad to hear all went well, though there is a huge void in the slip next to us. We were sorry to see you go, but excited for your next chapter on R & R! Wishing you smooth sailing & following seas.