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Blue Heron (in 'evening dress' w/ screened windows), my second/last Naples boat, seventeen foot "Switzer-Craft". Kept at my upper Naples Bay condo. Sold her in 1998.
She's fully rigged with elctronics, extra food and water for safe cruising, powered by a ninety horse Yamaha and six horse kicker. Used for trips to Flamingo, southern most tip mainland Florida (www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/flamdirections.htm 140 nm trip) often for Easter and Christmas and to the middle and lower Florida Keys (http://florida-keys.fl.us/maps/mainmap.htm 200 nm trip), slept two, with color TV, hot & cold water & shower, cooking & sanitary facilities, fans for air circulation and a fold-up bike. Two deep cycle 6-volt batteries in series and a 12-volt for back up. (One carefully picks his weather to venture far. Caught in five foot following seas near Pavilion Key once and believe me that was not fun).
First overnight trip after rigging her for safe trips was with Felix Allison to Indian Key, the entrance island to Everglades City, ~ ~ first long openwater trip was to Flamingo with Capt Ed Ten Eyck on a cold windy morning into two to four foot seas, passing the 35 foot ketch "Sarasan" off Highland Point before arriving at Little Shark river where we spent the night on the hook, with Reade aboard his "Sarasan" later passing us on way to their favotite anchorage up the river a bit. Next morning we ventured around Cape Sable into Florida Bay, to Fllamingo, returning on the inside passage, lower portion of the ninty-nine mile canoe waterway, through Whitewater Bay, to Little Shark river for another night on the hook before returning to Naples after another nighton the hook, above the Goodland bridge on Marco river.
"Fond memories for us, too! Remember our trip to the [middle] Keys - and my first attempt at snorkeling [at Sombroro Light reef]? Fond memories - and I could add to that - White Horse Key (of 10,000) islands - always amazed that we found our way home!" Lois Haupt, Sept 1, 2008
Above picture taken at now extinct Faro Blanco www.marinamate.com/wsf-fbr.html bay-side marina, Marathon, middle keys, day of the Oklahoma City bombing 19 April 1995.
