2002 - 3/27 - 3/29 - Anclote Key - St. Pete

Wednesday, March 27^th Anchor up at 8:30-nice early start for a change. We had about 47 miles to St. Pete, which should take us 6-7 hours. Incoming tide, beautiful day &, thankfully, calm seas as we were going ‘outside’ to avoid the multitude of bridges in the ICW. I knew it had to happen eventually - we went aground - not hard aground - but we were definitely stopped in our tracks. Stopped the engine as we were kicking up tons of muck. After a short time we felt the boat move. The incoming tide was our friend. I stood on the bow watching for the shallows while Wayne slowly wiggled our way out of this beautiful spot that was my idea to anchor in. As we approached Clearwater, we saw many fishing boats. I heard there was good fishing just off the beach so I got my big pole out with the same rig I caught the dolphin on in the Bahamas. (Yes folks, this is another fish story) It was minutes after setting the line out when I had a hit. “Fish on”! It didn’t actually feel like there was anything on the line, but I reeled it in anyway. Sure enough it was a Spanish Mackerel.
They don’t put up much of a fight. We doubled checked the fish regulations & positively identified it. The regs say that they must remain whole until taken to shore. Another crazy rule especially if you live aboard. He flopped all over the deck spurting blood everywhere - Molly was hot on his tail. Measured 24” to the fork with a 8 ¾ girth...nice one. Put the line back in. WAM another one, this one a little smaller - 18” to the fork. This continued until I caught four and decided to start filleting them. One nice thing about Mackerels,

they’re very easy to clean & Oh So good to eat. We still had a little way to go so I decided to troll some more. No hits. Got comfortable on the bridge then-WAM-another hit. Got 7 all together. Cleaned the last one just as we turned into the North Channel to Pass-A-Grille. Not a bad haul for the day.- About 15 meals worth! Arrived in St. Pete about 4pm. Called the Municipal Marina on the VHF multiple times with no response. They finally answered but dreadful transmission only to learn there was no dock space. Decided to anchor in the Vinoy Basin, which is just north of the marina and next to the “world famous"- St. Pete’s pier. (You can see BLUE MAX towards the left in between the trees) Everyone says it has a mucky bottom making it a poor anchorage. We didn’t seem to have many problems. However, there didn’t seem to be any dinghy dockage. Wayne visited a nearby sailboat & got the scoop. You could take your chances & leave the dink tied to the sea wall or, for $5.00/day, keep it safely tied to a dock belonging to Nancy who rents pedal boats. Remained on the boat for a yummy fresh fish dinner, fresh Greek bread and Wayne’s homemade coleslaw. March 28th Put on our walking shoes to explore the area with Molly in tow. Went to the “world famous St. Pete Pier” which consisted of several restaurants, shops (of course) and an aquarium. Since the aquarium had an admission fee, we decided not to go in. We see enough fish on

our own for free. We saw old pictures of the pier and decided that they should not have replaced it with the current building. It did give you an awesome view of Tampa Bay, the marina and the city. The downtown area has undergone a three-year revitalization, which has paid off for this city as well as tourists like us. It is incredibly ‘user friendly’. (as opposed to Key West) We did not see one parking meter. The streets and sidewalks are immaculate

& well cared for with large and visible street signs & environmentally friendly lighting. Everywhere you looked there are artful touches, restored architecture and beautiful parks with shade trees, benches, water fountains and squirrels. This is one

                                                                 Wayne on the artful Bay Walk

of their artistic fences & lighting. St. Pete reportedly has a population of 250,000 yet we’ve never experienced such peace and quiet. I guess you can tell we were very impressed. But, more importantly, we were impressed with the residents of this town, the shop owners, the employees & the regular guy on the street. We were greeted & welcomed to every shop and I’d say, 98% of every encounter ended with “well, you just have a great day”, & they meant it! I felt surely there must be a mandate for everyone to attend a guest relations course! (what a great idea for Key West) How unusual is it to visit “anywhere USA” & not have at least one bad experience with bad attitude or rudeness? Those negative incidences can change your outlook on the entire city. We saw an interesting Italian restaurant and stumbled onto a piano bar located in the basement of the newly renovated, but very old, Ponce de Leon Hotel. Mental notes to return. Friday, March 29th Overcast in the morning. Cruised out to the Sunshine Sky Bridge (Interstate 275). Lots of discussion and sharing thoughts. We recalled

our last trip when it took about 3 weeks for us to adjust being together 24/7. This was the third week. Returned to the same anchorage for a quiet night.

2002 - 3/22 - 3/26 - Tarpon Springs - Anclote Key

3/22 Took the ICW south to Pass-A-Grille & the North Pass into Terre Verde channel where Jack’s boat is. Arrived about 4pm. Diligently searched for the anchorage area described in the Waterways guide. Finally asked for “local knowledge”. Tow Boat US answered - advised against going through the channel to the South Channel. Charts show 17-ft. water but very narrow pass. Steady north winds, very choppy in the pass. Decided against the attempt. Back up the Pass-A-Grille channel to Ciega Bay to the Gulfport public beach & anchored at 5pm. Looks like another really cute & quaint place but, cold & windy soooo, just another night on the boat. Heard music later in the night - sounded like a jumpin’ place. Left message for Lexie & told Jack where we were. 
Saturday, March 23rd Very cold & windy. A quick review of charts show Tarpon Springs only 18 miles-figured it would take us about 3-4 hours. Lexie called at 8:30am & said she was leaving Orlando any minute! We better get a move on. Anchor up 9am. After 3 hours we were no where near our destination. Lexie was already there & we advised her of our dilemma. She was shopping and having fun. We felt bad but glad she had lots to see and do. Arrived at the City Docks at 3pm with a

welcoming party of Lexie, Rita (the dock “mistress”) & assorted other curious tourists. Cap’t Wayne expertly backed BLUE MAX into the incredibly narrow slip. Tied off, made Margaritas, relaxed for about 5 minutes then off to the races with Lexie. What an incredibly wonderful place about 3 blocks of shops and restaurants. Sort of like Key West but you can’t take your drinks on to the streets. This is a Greek sponging town. There

               I didn't alter this picture. The sky was that color
were brightly colored tour boats taking people out to watch sponge divers do their thing. (I figured they had a stash of sponges tied under water for show) Casino gambling boats, shrimp boats, pleasure boats. Lots of activity. Wandered into a locals bar called Sea Grass and had a 46 oz. Margarita with only 1 ½ shot
of Tequila in it but made for a great picture. Met a nice local couple, Lisa & Andrew. She’s an ICU nurse and he’s a photographer for the local paper. Gave them our address and phone number. He’ll send me a copy of Photo Shop. Lexie bought fish

Making something w/ Spinach

& broccoli - we had steak. Surf, Turf & wine -great meal with Baklava and Cannoli for dessert. Lexie was exhausted- laid down on the new comforter & never got up the rest of the night! So much for a fun night in a new town!! Sunday, March 24th  Up at 8:00. Gorgeous day, sunny & hot. Strawberries, bananas & cream for breakfast. Lexie sunbathed on the upper

 deck, I walked the streets. There was excitement in the air with tons of people gathering for the big parade - Greece’s 400 years of independence. I
managed to get 3 Greek flags & returned to the boat. Talked with Tom and Vivian getting ready to fish aboard their, very, very nice 28 Albin fishing boat. I was excited about seeing this unusual & special parade. Wayne & Lexie wanted to eat again so they searched for food. I passed. They were gone

about an hour but I had a good time, alone, watching the people and taking pictures. Met a guy named Bob, riding a dressed up bike advertising for the Lime ‘n’ Coconut Bahamian Restaurant. Lexie wanted to go shopping and so we did. Parade over at 3pm. Tom & Vivian returned with a bunch of Grunts & sea Bass. Bob came by & gave us a
menu & free drink tickets. Lexie left for home & we all decided to have dinner at Lime ‘n’ Coconut. Nice evening even though Wayne was unusually quiet. Nick, the owner, comped us with free Conch salad &
                 Nick & his 'girls'
more free drinks. Wayne had a Cuban sandwich with garlic potatoes and I had, you guessed it, cracked Conch with rice & beans. YUM YUM! The bill was only $20.00!! Agreed to do a “photo shoot” of the restaurant the next morning at 9:00. Monday, March 25^th I met Bob at 9:00 as promised. Made a few prints then burned a CD for Nick. Left the dock about 1:15 and traveled 3 ½ miles into the Gulf to dump the holding tank. Returned to anchor at Anclote Key. Tricky entrance to the spot I wanted to be in. Anchor down at 4:30 just east of the

abandoned lighthouse. Looked like a great place to fish. Took net, bucket, rod & Molly to the beach. Molly ran and ran. I took the net and bucket in search of bait. Wayne explored. The water was cold but I got used to it. Finally found some weird looking bait around some fallen trees - now how to get them in the bucket. Dragged the bucket and net full of bait to the beach then had to carry everything around the trees, in thigh-hi water, to the beach were the dinghy was. Boy am I out of shape! I used to do this all the time but that was many years ago. Sun going down, no seeums coming out and getting brrrrrrr. Returned to the boat, baited my hook...OH NO! Caught the dreaded catfish! I’m done. That’s it -- no more fishing for me tonight. Luckily, we had leftovers and were they good. Got great TV reception on channel 10. Tuesday, March 26th Beautiful morning, know why?? We had no where to go, no one to meet and nothing in particular to do. (Oh..how I wish I was retired) Made eggs Benedict and Mimosas for the 1st time this trip. I watched boat after boat come to the area, throw something into the water then net bait fish. YES...now I get it. We took the dingy and followed suit. Hot damn! However, no fish! Went to the West Side of the island. The main island had the lighthouse. Looked like they were getting ready to put down a boardwalk area. The land curved to the west to create a sandbar with shallow water in between. Beautiful, shame it was chilly. Lots of shells, which we brought home for “projects”. Put a line in when we returned to BLUE MAX but nothing - not even the dreaded catfish. Pretty sunset, cocktails and salad. Decided to go to St. Pete in the morning. Wayne charted course & learned more about the Map-Tech program. I got to watch Jeopardy – yes!



2002 - 3/18 - 3/22 - ICW to Treasure Island

Monday, March 18th Warm, sunny with gentle breezes. ICW all the way. New experience for me as I’ve never been past Cabbage Key. Cruising only 5 - 5 ½ knots due to concerns of low fuel. Called our friend George (Lives inTreasure Island- met them in 2001 in Nassau) and set up a fuel delivery at his dock for Thursday. Several bridges that opened on signal & some on
schedule added more time to the trip. Interesting sites and beautiful homes. Arrived in downtown Sarasota at 5:30. Good thing we didn’t have to go under the Ringling Bridge, north of the anchorage. They had a malfunction that stopped both boat and auto traffic for several hours just in time for rush -
hour. We were only a short dinghy ride to a lovely park with, what looked like, an outdoor bar with live music. Wayne wanted burgers on the boat. Never went ashore what could have been an interesting, fun evening turned out to not be a pleasant night at all. Shame, I’ve heard all his stories about cruising, stopping here & there to explore new areas, meeting people. I was looking forward to that. Tuesday, March 19th Anchor up at 8am cruised the ICW & went “outside” through Longboat Pass. Looked like a really nice area and, like Matanzas Pass, had a public park 

& lovely beach on either side of the pass. This is a picture of a shrimp boat taken through our binoculars. Neat, huh? Back “in” through John’s Pass 

on Treasure Island. Another quaint area with open area bars, restaurants and shops but only enjoyed looking at them through the binoculars. Arrived at Elaine’s at 3:00 & rafted next to HALLELUJAH (a 44' DeFever-we love them). It was good to see George & Elaine again & felt very welcomed. The fuel truck delivered 288.7 gallons at $1.10/gal totaling $339.80.

            

Chatted, toured her stunning home then had a delicious steak dinner. Wednesday, March 20th The boys quickly became engrossed in boat talk & computers. George’s new lap top/note book arrived so they spent most of the day exchanging ideas & programs. Elaine and I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond. My mission was to get a lightweight comforter & duvet. Managed to get those things

plus a decorative pillow & new place mats. Took Elaine to Bennegan’s for snack and Margaritas. Couldn’t wait to see how the new bedding looked. Takes time to adjust to change. Wayne was noncommittal about the bed but liked the place mats. Boys were still wrapped up with the damn computer. Playing phone tag with my friend, Jack. Need to know what to do about meeting him this weekend in Terre Verdi where his boat is docked. Lexie may also visit for the weekend while there. Forgot to put something out for dinner so we went to Caddy’s, an open bar & restaurant right on the beach. Terrible service (actually no service-left $.40 tip) and food just so-so but great live oldies music and wonderful company made for a pleasant evening. Anxious to try the new comforter. As luck would have it, it was the warmest night we had since leaving & no breeze so we were too hot. For some reason, Wayne couldn’t sleep and was up several hours. Had salon lights on which shine in the cabin, worked on computer & flushed the toilet, all of which woke me up several times. Guess he ‘forgot’ he wasn’t alone. (Remember the “Gods” from the Bahamas trip?* *Theerrre Baaaack!) Wayne always says, “don’t expect too much-you’ll be disappointed”. It’s so negative & I hate it, but he’s apparently oh-so right. Thursday, March 21st. I was wide-awake at 7am with severe back pain. It was overcast, hazy,

damp & cool. I took a long walk to the beach with camera in hand. Took some ‘artsy’ pictures. Returned, took Molly for a long walk. He was still sound asleep. I tip toed around, worked on my pictures and he finally rallied at 10:00. Quiet, uneventful, and restful day. “Boys” are still playing with the blasted computer! Elaine’s daughter-in-law visited with her very tiny Yorkie named Lexie. She

wanted her to play with another small dog. They had 5 adults mesmerized by their antics. They tore around all over the house, slip-sliding on the tile floors. It was hilarious. Phone tag continues with

 

Jack. He was in New York, now home. Called Lexie (not the dog) and let her know where we were. Pork dinner and lively conversation. Bed at midnight. Comforter was a great ‘comfort’ as it turned cold and windy.

Friday, March 22^nd Wayne up before 7am & now I’m wide awake too. Long pants and jacket weather, cold and steady north wind. Downloaded pictures and caught up on the log. Wayne and George out to copy the Map Tech manual. Finally reached Jack then called his marina. No vacancies yet but $1.75/foot/night. Maybe we’ll just anchor out south of Shell Key. Said good byes to George & Elaine and left at 2pm.





2002 - 3/13 - 3/17 - Ft. Myers beach, Cape Coral, Cabbage Key

It was nostalgic for me going under the Matanzas Bridge & into Ft Myers beach. Tight quarters in the anchorage but managed to find a hole. Anchor down at 3:00. Straightened up both the boat & ourselves and dinked to Bob Wallace’s house. Interesting older gent who is truly a boater’s friend. For years, he has generously allowed dinghies to tie up at his private dock with use of water etc. Chatted a bit, signed his log and were on our way to the                                                               Hotel on the beach
beach. Forgot it was spring break. Oh to be young again but I wasn’t in the financial class nor did I have time off in conjunction with this ritual to participate when I was in nursing school. I did, however, experience spring break while watching that all time classic favorite “Where the Boys Are”. Never played the tourist in all the years living at the beach - shame. Wandered the streets and discovered “Times Square” on the beach just north of the big bridge. How could I have missed this while living just a few miles away? Little shops, cobble stone
walk, trees, plants and fun lighting. Even had live music - one, lone guy, covered with different instruments. See for your self... Wanted to wander in some shops but decided it was time for happy hour & burgers. Suppose one place was as good  as the next. Wound up on the upper level, open bar of the Matanzas Inn under the bridge. More music, happy people & Ken, the bartender, made the best rumrunner I’ve had in a long time. I was still nursing my 1st one and Wayne almost finished his 2nd. Not a good sign. Two gorgeous, very elegant college girls sat next to us. What a hoot and good for the ‘old man’s’ ego. (Oh, & by the way, the girl’s father was scrumptious) Home & in bed by 10:00. God we’re getting old - I hate it! Thursday, March 14th Late start. Took dingy to the pass. Discovered they built a very nice park at the north end of the beach. It felt good to squish my toes in the sand again with cast net in hand. Miraculously, I managed to get 3 of my favorite baitfish. In the dinghy to the pass we
went...BINGO...I caught a ‘just legal’ sized spotted trout. Unfortunately, my last bait was eaten alive by my dreaded foe, the catfish! How could I have possibly forgotten what a PIA they are! Tide was going out and unable to net more of those yummy baitfish. Let me share a “Winnieism”: One sure-fire way to catch fish is to get something out of the freezer for dinner before you leave. Works every time. Happy hour at sunset and fresh fish for dinner. Forgot to mention that Katie Couric’s monster boat was docked by the bridge in Ft. Myer’s Beach (or so we were told) Apparently, the boyfriend is a major league
baseball player here for Spring Camp. (now, don’t laugh at my ignorance) Friday, March 15th Called Gregg (Wayne's brother) & he invited us on his boat (30’ Sea Ray called SUBJECT TO CHANGE) going to ‘downtown’ Ft. Myers for a night of revelry. Had to be at his place no later than 3pm. Pulled anchor at 11:50 and up the ICW. I still can’t get over the massive amount of boat traffic! We were towing the dink - I took it to the house ahead of BLUE MAX. Capt’n Wayne didn’t forget his docking skills. Perfect landing. Plugged in electric but kept breaking the circuit. (?) The new alternator and regulator had not arrived by 4pm - Wayne became concerned and called. He discovered that he gave UPS the street name with no house number. As in the Keys, the UPS driver knew Gregg and the address. All arrived intact. Unfortunately for us, but glad tidings for Renee (Gregg’s daughter) she was in labor. The trip downtown was off & they were off to the hospital. She delivered an 8# girl at 4:30. We skinny-dipped in the pool after dinner (just Wayne & me). Early to bed again. Saturday, March 16th - Another beautiful day in paradise. (Some would call it that-I still prefer the real paradise of the Keys) They watched Arial all day (the new baby’s sister). What a cutie. Wayne spent all day installing the new parts. As with most projects, this one was riddled with technical problems. Different mounting brackets and bolts & the wiring was different as well. Wayne had to adapt them to the existing mounts. To the hardware store, some reconstruction and WAM! The genius strikes again. While he was in the ‘hole’, I had time to play on the computer to downloaded pictures, wrote in the log & made postcards. Used the photo quality paper so the prints were perfect. Also figured out how to print on the back! YEA! Boy did I feel pretty smart. A little glitch...all printing on the back of the shinny side smears even after sitting a few hours. I was bummed out. I hand wrote them instead. Wayne swam after completing the job. Huge discussion between Gregg & Jo about dinner. Gregg won & ordered Pizza. They were both having trouble staying awake & the ‘no seeums’ were annoying, We adjourned to the boat & were in bed by 10pm. Sunday, March 17th - St. Patty’s Day. Gregg & Jo’s friend, Ginger, visited & Gregg
made Bloody Mary’s & brunch. Was a nice morning. They took the Sea Ray out & we readied the boat to leave but skinny dipped to give the neighbors something to talk about. We left at 2pm. Thankfully, boat traffic subsided as we headed north. Anchor down on the West Side of Useppa Island at 4pm - almost sunset. I hadn’t been here for well over 10 years & was very excited about showing Wayne all around & have drinks at their quaint bar. Sure burst my bubble when I learned he had been here before with someone else. Then he wanted to have dinner before going ashore which meant the bar would surely be closed by the time we were done. He knew I was disappointed. He acquiesced & took me ashore. It was nice to see

the place hadn’t changed all that much. After all, the “shower together” sign still hung by the bathrooms at the docks. This is Terry, the very long-time dock-

master. His son & my David played together when they were about 11 years old! David is now 29. Only a few changes that I could see; brick steps up to the restaurant and an outside open patio area with tables & umbrellas. There seems to be way more money hanging inside than last time I was here.

Virtually everything is covered with the green stuff - thousands of dollars in fact. The staff we met were gracious & friendly, Terry McDonald, an off duty server, was at the bar. We enlisted in a lively conversation and she bought me a drink. Wayne, the manager, (yes, another Wayne),

delighted us in conveying the history of the building and grounds. Terry is another ‘drop out’ having had an executive position with AT&T financial. We exchanged addresses. Probably would have had their famous “cheeseburger in paradise” if didn’t cost $12!! Returned to BLUE MAX for light dinner of salad.