By Joanne Ziemer
An even dozen! That’s the number of boats that took advantage of the $1/ft. marina fee for our summer cruise to Pink Shell! Jeff & I settled in ahead of the arriving boats on Tuesday morning. Dave and Craig from Pink Shell were there to greet us in their usual cordial manner. Boaters arrived over the next several hours so, by Docktail time, we had a nice crowd gathered on the lawn for adult beverages and heavy hors de oeuvres. We were fortunate not to have the normal summer afternoon thundershowers.
Thanks to Michelle & Doug Rhees, and Becky & John Todd, Wednesday morning we served up a breakfast of sausage, eggs, fruit, sweet breads, and juice on the deck. It was HOT even at 8:30 a.m. but a few people found shade to enjoy their coffee and breakfast. After clean up, it seemed to be pool time for some folks. The wind was still out of the East, so no one was bothered by the effects Red Tide.
One group rented a pontoon boat for a leisurely cruise to a nearby restaurant for lunch. Others retreated to their boats for some “down time” or took the opportunity to just visit, and some headed to downtown to browse the many shops of Ft. Myers Beach. At 6 p.m., we reconvened for dinner on the lawn. It was again a concerted effort from my helpers who served up burgers and dogs along with the many varied and delicious sides our boaters brought! We had the 12th boat arrive today plus six folks by car so a total of 30 people for our BBQ! Again, the storms held off so no one got wet!
Thursday morning was a repeat of Wednesday. The temperature did not moderate, so another hot day was in store for us. Unfortunately, the wind shifted to the West, so even at the pool, we could feel the effects of Red Tide. No one stayed for a long time at the pool, most wandered back to the marina for some down time before gussying up for dinner. Tonight folks were on their own for dinner, and several headed to Fort Myers Beach to a favorite restaurant.
The last day of the cruise found all but four boats heading home. We were very fortunate with the weather this cruise. Although we had storms all around us, we did not experience any for the duration of the cruise. (For those of us who stayed Friday night; well, that’s another story!)
Thanks to all the participants! I know the staff at Pink Shell was pleased to have 12 boats nearly fill the marina!
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at 239-541-0236. Read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
