After April’s haul out cost, one would think we’d take time to replenish the “floating funds” jar. Nope. Not Team Wiff. We celebrated a successful haulout with a few new accessories. 😬
Maryland Pride
While we were home in Maryland, we fell in love with my dad’s Maryland flag, which included Maryland crabs and the state flower, Black-eyed Susan, within the flag design.
My step-mom said she got it from Route One Apparel, which sells a bunch of Maryland gear, so we checked it out that evening. “Hmm… should we get the pirate crab flag since it’s boat-y, or a small version of the flag they had?”
Decisions, decisions. We finally opted for the pirate crab, because I mean, come on, it’s a pirate crab!
The day our flag was delivered, we got a text from my step-mom to check the mail for a package. What-do-ya know, they ordered us a smaller version of the flag they had!
Sweeeet… instead of choosing between the two flags, we decided to get a second flag pole and put up both! — Hey, a Marylander can never have too much pride.
Family Discussion
For some time, Will and I had gone back and forth about getting a dingy or a jet ski to accompany Wiffersnapper. And by back and forth I mean, Will wanted both and I wanted neither.
They say women always get what they want, but in our relationship it seems to be the opposite. Somehow, we ended up with a collapsable dinghy, and a supercharged jet ski all within a two-month’s span.
“They were too good of a deal,” Will insisted – his persistence eventually wearing me down. “You have to balance your expenses between adult responsibilities and fun,” he explained simply.
He had a good point, but one that was hard to swallow for a penny-pinching, future planner like myself. We finally came to an agreement, and expanded our fleet with a 2015 Yamaha FX Cruiser SVHO.
To be honest, I love the jet ski. I knew I would, since I have fond memories of riding my dad’s skis with my brothers when we were younger. Except this ski is about 10x faster than any I’ve ever been on.
It’s alarmingly fast actually, but I like that we can hop on and head to another island or beach that we otherwise couldn’t experience.
Jet Ski Sunsets
Our first ride on our (still nameless) jet ski, we went from the marina to the Gulf side of Estero Island to watch the sunset. In Florida, jet skis can’t ride 30-minutes after sunset, so we knew it would have to be a quick trip.
As we headed out of Big Carlos Pass, the Gulf waters were a little choppier than we predicted. Will tested the throttle and the cruise control, and before long we were soaking wet.
As the sun sank into the water, we turned around to head back to the marina, which we learned is more than 30-minutes away if you put-put through the no-wake zones. Since then, we’ve learned another passage to avoid these slow boating areas.
Jet Ski Training Wheels
Our next few trips were also informative. We learned that we should follow the channel at low tide, the sand anchor is worthless, sunglasses don’t really keep water out of your eyes, and that we’re going to need some real riding gear.
We also learned the in’s and out’s of setting the cruise control, with a few accidental rapid take-offs, and few accidental complete halts.
Oh, we also gained experience towing stranded kayakers, when we were waved down by a mother/daughter combo who had paddled out to see the dolphins and underestimated the strength of the current.
#ParentingFail, on Mother’s Day, mind you.
Need For Speed
Wondering how fast she goes? That seems to be the first question everyone asks. The speedometer reads 75mph, however it’ll likely only reach 68/70mph in reality. Which, yes, is still extremely fast for the size of the watercraft.
How fast have we gone? We’ve got her up to 66mph with the two of us on it. We went to a clear and calm spot in the backwaters, and properly prepared ourselves before opening her up.
It was thrilling yet terrifying all together. But that’s what jet skis are for, right? Cheers to new adventures!
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