Dunedin to Tarpon Springs

Ideally when you visit here you want to stay at the town docks. They are inexpensive and located in the center of town, amidst the sponge boats, tour boats, and a plethora of Greek dining establishments. Alas, it is not an ideal world and there was no space for us there. Or anywhere near the downtown area. So we're at a working marina where, as long as we're here, we'll get the boat hauled and check our bottom (see if our paint job is holding up), clean our running gear, and replace a through-hole with a better seacock.

Yep. On the water for 3 days and already got things to fix.

We plan on taking the rim route which traverses around the gulf instead of crossing it, like we did the last time. Everything should be working perfectly for that. Also, great weather would be nice, so we'll be waiting for the next blow to move through this coming week. With any luck we'll be underway by next weekend.

This pic doesn't do the view justice.
The sky was barely light, but that wisp was
brilliantly lit. Turns out it was from the launch.
ON THE OTHE SIDE OF THE STATE.

Tarpon Springs in off the coast and down the Anclote River, and throughout the day, it was bustling. As we came in we got seriously knocked around by a really big, really fast boat. It through about a 6 foot wake. Even the dog slid around the floor. 

In fact, ever since we left LBK absolutely no one has hailed us for a slow pass. Well, okay, once. And, curiously, it was another power cat that wanted to pass us. I'm curious if this is due to the vast number of new boaters not knowing the protocol (boat sales skyrocketed from Covid last year), or if this is due to politics ("the world is ending since Trump didn't get elected, so screw you!"), or boaters who themselves have been rocked so much they're happy to wake you back. Whatever the answer, I'm curious how things will be as the year progresses.

A constant clog of boats, both in and out of TS

Gulfport to Dunedin, anchor

Last night some folks who winter in Gulfport told us about a great breakfast place, Stella's. Travel today would be short, so we decided to check it out before we got underway. It did not disappoint. We had a wonderful breakfast.

At 9 am we were underway, heading north, us and about a million other boaters. Lots of runabouts and rentals, all speeding and zipping, made for an interesting and busy ride. Being a bigger boat allows us to just get waked a bit, but these guys nearly swamped one another. Kinda fun to watch, actually. Russ commented that he owes the North Carolinians an apology.

Boats everywhere!

By 1 pm we'd reached our destination which was an anchorage near Dunedin (pronounced duh-NEE-dn). It's right off the ICW, however, which meant a bumpy afternoon while we waited for the traffic to dwindle. 

Shark boat. Now you've seen everything.

We took a tender ride to the Bon Appetit, a restaurant near the town's docks. At first we couldn't get into the provided slips due to the quantity of dinghys already there. But the dog needed walked, so we snuck into a private slip where Lizzie and I disembarked. Russ picked us up and we checked out the docks again and, lo, someone was leaving. 

The new Rigid Boat works exceptionally well. I felt much safer despite the bouncy seas. I think we'll get a bunch of use out of it.

A couple of dolphins escort us some of the way.

LBK to Gulfport: Back on the water

When we went to lunch yesterday we were staying in Longboat Key for another week. When we left lunch, we were headed out today. 

Originally we planned on heading south (to the Keys) the first week of March. But we were plagued with a number of delays -- my small surgery (spoilers: I'm dandy) which required a week to wait for the stitches to come out, then the winds that came up again making travel a bit less fun, and Russ's 2nd Covid shot, which is coming next week. We'd planned on renting a car for that but looking ahead at the weather, we weren't sure we'd be someplace where he could rent a car to get back to LBK. So we were staying.

Last dawn in LBK for a while

But we just hated, after over 3 months of being docked, to miss 3 good boating days. And we already cut our time short as to what we'd be able to do in the keys. So, we thought, what if we just started heading north?

We are crazy early, but that's okay. Given we have a condo in Nola, and still some work to do there, we thought we'd boat all the way to New Orleans. We don't want to head up the rivers until May anyway. So this gives us some time to get to NOLA and back. 

Getting back onto real water of Sarasota Bay

We planned for "engines on" around 8 am, but we had a small setback. Our inverter wasn't running. It took Russ a half hour or so to realize it was in a charging-only mode. Once he flipped a switch (he loves when solutions are so simple), we headed out around 8:30.

It's Friday. As I mentioned, it looks like a great weekend. The boaters were already out in numbers. We had to deal with a few SeaRay/Prestige/go-fast boats who clearly believed that if they are on plane they make less wake than if they'd go slow. Which would be no issue if the channel were wide enough that we could pass with more than 10 feet between us. But the ICW in Florida is both skinny and narrow, and we were waked repeatedly.

Even the pirate wears a mask

We have stayed in this marina before so we knew where the fuel dock was. inQuest wasn't out but it had been since St. Augustine since we tanked up. The plan was to anchor out but we asked about staying for the night and, hey, they had a slip. From the fuel dock we'd have to do lots of tight moves to spin around to head toward the slip then spin again to back into it. So, to simplify things, I just backed the boat up the entire way.

Worked great. And that maneuver was a good introduction back into the techniques and subtleties of boating. All in all a good day one.

The last of the big projects... for now

The old dinghy.

We have been in Longboat Key for over 3 months now. Having done this for a second year (staying in FLA for the winter) we remain very happy with our selection of  "home port." Weather is decent, lots of restaurants around (not that we got to enjoy them much this year due to Covid), and various marine-specific stores and workshops nearby. 

In fact, there are only 2 things that are not convenient about our location. Firstly, it is an island, so you do have to plan for that, especially during "the season." It can be tricky -- lots of traffic, long waits, and no movement -- to get on or off the island. Most weekends we don't even try to go anywhere; we have our shopping all done and just cook on the boat.

The new tender

The second problem with our location is getting a small boat in or out of the water. Normally this doesn't concern us but (big project #1) we bought a new dinghy. Russ had to traverse a portion of Sarasota Bay to get to the nearest boat ramp both to retrieve the new dinghy and deliver the old one. Of course, weather being the uncooperative entity that it is, both days were very windy, making the task that much more of a bother. He survived. And we do love the new tender (we decided we should us a more upscale term for our tiny boat). We settled on a Rigid Boat. It's so awesome.

The view from the tender while going out to lunch on Sarasota bay.

Big project #2 just got finished today. We had the upstairs cushions reupholstered, with some new, harder foam in the seats we use most frequently. The original covers were in a faux leather vinyl. It worked, but it wasn't exciting. And we managed to ruin one of the cushions within the first week of owning the boat. We thought we'd go with a fabric this time. However, with supply chains still an issue, any pattern we selected was not in stock. Then out of the blue the gentleman who did our job showed me the fabric he was doing on his boat. Something new. Silicone.

We went with green.

And we just love it.

Out with the old (you can see the patch on the left side)

...in with the new.

That done we planned on heading out. But, a health issues raised its head. The dermatologist discovered I had a basal cell carcinoma that needed to be removed. Once the stitches are out we'll be underway. Early next week.

From here we plan on heading south. We've yet to get to the keys so that's our destination. We'll pass this way again in April or May, stay a while, then continue north to go into the river systems -- Nashville, Chattanooga, and Pittsburgh are on the list of places to get to.

More Projects

We remain stationary here in Longboat key, but not at all bored. We are still knocking out projects. Some are completed, some are in motion (like getting the upstairs furniture reupholstered), and some are perpetual (like cleaning the boat, which has been an ongoing activity since December).

Project #1: New Chair

We decided we liked our Bradd and Hall chair so much that we should get another one. For the dog. Moving in the new chair meant hauling away that the old settee where the new chair was going to go. The settee was getting old and squishy, no longer comfortable to sit on, and took up a lot of space.  

Out with the old...

In with the new!

Project #2: Fender Organization

Long ago we got tired of fenders littering the decks, tangling and tripping us as we needed to run for lines or beer. We realized that Walmart had big buckets that worked for stowing them while underway, the drawback of which was that we looked like Appalachia on the water, bringin' down the 'hood with our back water ways. So, we got shiny, more official fender holders.

Ooooooo, looking like a real boat.

Project #3: We did manage to sell a number of items. We had 2 deck chairs, the aluminum kind you see in West Marine all the time, which we sold and replaced with 2 folding teak ones. Russ also sold his bright orange kayak as is going back to using the Oru origami kayak.

Folding teak chairs, which store much better than the
aluminum ones did.

Project #4: New radio

We've always had 2 radios, a main radio, who's antennae is affixed to the boat, and a little handheld which we use for docking and short range conversations. But sometimes it's nice to hear 2 or more channels. So Russ installed a 2nd radio, antennae and all. Now both the pilot and copilot have radios.

Radio on copilot side. You an see the small handheld above it.

Project #5: Weather station

It's been a frustration that we can't know what the weather is right now, right here, acting on the boat. Cat-n-Dogs had one but it was rarely accurate. Russ installed a new one on inQuest. So far it's been great, since it's attached to our NMEA so we can see the info right from our phones!

The weather data looks something like this.
We've gotten rid of some of the info we don't need to make it cleaner, 
but you get the jist.

Smaller projects include replacing the washer vent, which we ripped off in St Augustine. I couldn't get a good shot of it from the pier so you'll have to trust me that it's new and shiny.

We have had a couple of little adventures. Recall those new refrigerators we put in last month? Well, this happened.

What looks like ice is actually glass.

Safety glass, thankfully. All over the floor.

While moving things around in the fridge one of the glass shelves exploded. We're getting replacements, yes plural, as I just want to replace the other one still intact in the other fridge.

Awesome sunrises still abound, thankfully

I call this "The Morning Star"

A funny story: We went to eat lunch outside at one of the restaurants here called Latitudes. It's on the beach facing the Gulf. A lovely spot to eat. We faced the water and I see a seagull flying toward the restaurant. Closer and closer, it looks like he's aiming for the couple next to us (the man, of which, wasn't facing the water so he didn't notice this happen). Closer, and closer, and I'm sure this bird is going to land on his head! But it just misses him and artfully tips over his high stemmed glass of red wine, which not only spills all over the chicken wings but manages to knock a couple of wings to the ground. Waiting nearby -- as this was clearly a rehearsed maneuver -- were a bunch of little birds who immediately pounced on the fallen wings. Bird cahoots!

The view from our table at Latitudes

Note the birds and the lumps that are chicken wings!

Projects to be updated in our next installment "Even More Projects" will include a new refrigerator for the sky lounge (turns out the Whynter was totally busted so they're sending a replacement) and new upholstery!

Longboat Key (Projects list, part 1)

Frankly, I miss blogging. I take pictures of random things and, without a blog, have no one to share them with. So this is mostly pictures.

Besides, we have done a few projects, and have a few more planned. Documenting them will help me remember what I never want to do again.

Project Refrigerator: We had 2 boat-sized refrigerators. They needed constant attention since they would frost up in just weeks. Every now and again one would stop keeping temp. We assumed they were original to the boat and we wanted to replace them. Finding something similar took lots of googling and research, but we finally did.

The old...

The hardest part about these types of tasks is getting things 
on and off the boat. There was much heavy lifting, and careful
planning so nothing fell into the water.

One in, one to go

Ta da! They're perfect.

Turns out one of the old fridges was original. The other was only a couple of years old. It, however, was the one that leaked most recently, making us make the change.

Boat brains...

Project Refrigerator, part 2: About a year ago we bought an electric cooler for the sky lounge (which is the fancy name for the helm, upstairs). But it died. After talking to the manufacturer they told us to send it back.

Upstairs fridge packed to be returned.

From our boat we get some amazing sunrises. I call this series "Sunrise over Sarasota."

Bald eagle, right on the golf course, eating his lunch

We spent 3 days at my folks house for Christmas. This is a 
dock cart packed with our travel stuff. Was a time when
all I needed was a backpack. When did we become these people?

A boy and his dog.
More specifically, my brother and Bear.

Did I mention the awesome sunrises?

Project wash the carpets: We have a couple of large carpets inside the boat that, after a year of travel, rain, sand, dogs, and barefeet seriously needed to be washed. The pressure washer did an amazing job.

Project scooters: We owned a couple of vespas. They were perfect for getting around in New Orleans, but lousy for the island. We tried to sell them but no takers. We decided to donate them to charity instead. 

The Vespas being loaded and hauled away.

Another life chapter closed....

Project Fitness: This last year wasn't great activity-wise for me. So my New Year's resolution is to get into shape. I blame the drugs I'm on for wiping out all my "joie de vivre" but that's just an explanation, not an excuse. I've already started with some daily walking.

The paths on the key are quite lovely.

All over the island are banyan trees. They grow from the top down, 
sending branches into the soils that become part of the trunk.
I think they are my favorite tree.

And everytime I see one I start singing Aja by Steely Dan.
"Chinese music under banyan trees
Here at the dude ranch, above the sea."

LBK, home

Brrr.... Chilly morning. Russ powered up the generator which allowed us to run the heat. The low was around 50. During the night we were comfortable enough, the three of us huddled together in the bed, but tough to leave the warm sheets.

The anchor came up without a hitch and we were off. I hadn't realized it, thinking we were another night from Longboat Key, but we were only a few hours away. Today was the day we got home.

Roughly 3000 miles ago we left Longboat Key to be with friends while they finished up their loop. The first of those was in St. Augustine when About Time crossed her wake. The second of which was As You Wish crossing their wake in Charleston. The rest of the cruising season was stunted by Covid and crazy high temperatures (6 weeks of over 90 degrees in Baltimore when they typically have 2). It wasn't until September that we got the opportunity to really cruise when we traversed the Potomac with Bella Gatto. Hard to believe another 9 months of boating is under our belts.

The Sarasota skyline. Such a cute little city.

We docked without much drama (I'd forgotten how narrow our slip really is). 

The blog will be a little dark for a while. We hope to do some day and weekend cruising to take advantage of the cool spots around the Tampa Bay, but not much is planned from now until March. The current thought is to go to the keys then for a while, then bop around the tip of Florida up to Miami. From their we're hoping to make the run to the Bahamas and stay there until June, then make our way back. But... Covid. So we'll see.

If you've been reading this blog all this time, I thank you. I will not forget to update it if anything exciting happens, boating or otherwise. I confess, it's nice to be back at homebase.

Englewood, anchor

I admit, we didn't stay very long in Ft. Myers. I do like the place. I'm hoping we have a chance to visit over the winter. We did get to see some friends who also have an Endeavour. They winter in Ft. Myers. It was really nice to catch up and trade stories about our summers.

Early in the morning, right after breakfast, we headed out with a stiffer NE wind. We suspected that it would make for a bumpy ride at the big inlet near Cayo Costa, and we were right. We had to do some tacking to make the ride a less beamy.

Otherwise the day went without a hitch. Including anchoring, which caught solidly on our first try.

Enlarged you can see Gypsy's Palace at 
the Edison Ford Marina.

Our only real adventure happened in the late afternoon when we decided to take Lizzie to shore. But we forgot, between the Thanksgiving holiday and our short visit to Rigid Boats to look at new dinghys (more on that in a bit) to get it a new battery. Russ managed to coax the engine for a while, making progress about 1/4 of the way to the dock. But then it stalled. After repeated attempts to get the 20 hp engine running, we gave up and broke out the paddles. Disgruntled and a little embarrassed, we slowly got back to the boat.

Back in west Florida. The depths in the ICW
are closer to 10 feet or less. Right off
the bow you can see land.

Recall the incident on Lake Okeechobee and Russ being done with our dinghy? Once in Ft. Myers one of the first phone calls we made was to a company called Rigid Boats. We'd been eyeing these small crafts for a couple of years now. They aren't cheap, so it's been on the "someday" list. Conveniently, Rigid Boats is located in Ft. Myers. Serendipity! They came out, picked us up, and took us to tour the facility and make our order (all in masks, by the way). Each boat is made to order. We hope to have our delivered to Longboat Key in late January. 

Which is handy, since that will give us some time to get rid of our current dinghy. Anyone interested in a used small boat?