Dotty, Alan and Cody, their 11-year-old dog who is the prince of the family, are constantly on the go. They love to fish, and after the outboard motor of their fishing boat was stolen (not the boat and motor...just the motor!), they decided to upgrade to a new (used) boat that has better overnight space for them. They can now comfortably travel by boat up and down the coast and even over to the Bahamas.
Yesterday, they treated us to a day on their lovely boat.
They pulled in to the new Sanibel public boat launch near the causeway, with Dotty as first mate and Cody as supervisor:
With Alan at the helm, we took off for Useppa Island, a two-hour ride through choppy waters:
Boat traffic was heavy as we passed the coasts of Sanibel, Captiva, North Captiva and Pine Island. I can't image what it's like on a weekend. The waves were mostly from other boats, but they did slow us down.
What didn't get slowed down was a seaplane. Just as we approached Cabbage Key, a red and white seaplane swooped in and landed in water just off our bow. The pilot sure did cut it close and we were all aghast at the near miss. The seaplane completely ignored us and just taxied on over to Cabbage Key for lunch. Perhaps they were late for their reservation.
We continued on to Useppa Island, just to the east of Cabbage Key. Alan and Dotty's neighbors, Bob and Mae, had been 27-year full-time residents of Useppa, but now live across the street from Alan and Dotty in Ft. Myers. They were renting a cottage on Useppa for a family reunion and very kindly invited Alan and Dotty (and us) to come over to have lunch at the private Useppa Island Club.
Captain Alan radioed to the dockmaster and we were given an assigned slip. Working the thrusters, Alan backed in and the dock staff helped us tie up. Taking Cody for a little walk was first on the agenda:
We decided to take our own little walk before heading to the clubhouse for lunch. Here's a view of part of the main dock from the shoreline:
An osprey had made its nest nearby:
and birds of different feather were spotted closer to the water:
As we continued our walk, we ran into Bob and Mae, who were coming to look for us. With Bob and Mae as guides, we continued our exploration, walking along the pink path made of coquina shells:
Bob knows every bit of history of the island and the club. We couldn't have had a better introduction to the island and the Collier Inn, which serves as the clubhouse. We had lunch outside on the patio, overlooking the beach and the pool:
After a delicious meal topped off with Key Lime pie, we continued our exploration of the island with Bob and Mae leading the way. We passed the croquet court, with play in progress. (The nurse in me is pleased to report that the man lying on the grass is fully alert and is making sure his opponent's shot goes through both wickets):
Down by the water again, we came upon the one-man fire and rescue squad. I asked him to turn his back for the camera, so we could get the full effect of his working uniform:
As we strolled along, we discovered that Bob and Mae's daughter, Beth, to whom we had been introduced at the pool, and I had attended the same boarding school in Dobbs Ferry. We weren't there at the same time, but I'm sure we have some of the same memories.
We saw house after house, all designed in the Old Florida style so that the island's architecture is very cohesive. The grounds are well kept and many club members toot around in their own golf carts....no roads or cars are allowed on the island. This house was one of the prettiest we saw:
Soon it was time to return to Sanibel.
We said goodbye to Bob and Mae and thanked them for hosting us on a day we'll never forget. Back in the boat, we returned more quickly than our trip over to Useppa, as the wind had shifted and the seas were less choppy. We pulled up to the boat launch and after tying up, launched ourselves up and onto the dock. Alan and Dotty took off for Ft. Myers:
Thank you, Alan and Dotty, for a perfect day on the water. And thank you, Bob and Mae, for a perfect day on your picture perfect island.
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