Still above water!!

Sunset at St. Pete's Beach 3/9/2018

I know it’s been a few days since the last post…but not much has changed except our location!  We were anchored at Boca Ciega/St.Pete’s Beach and it was WINDY, wide open and unprotected.  By noon on Sat (3/10/2018) we decided it was time for solid ground.  Anchor up and 30 minutes later we were safely tied to a dock at the Gulfport (FL) Municipal Marina…and we stayed until Tuesday (3/13/2018) morning!!

The Lower Place docked at Gulfport Municipal Marina, FL

Gulfport is an eclectic, artsy beach town…no parking meters, no chain stores/restaurants and very pedestrian/bike friendly!  I’m not much of a shopper but the store fronts, wall art & outside dining areas were very inviting.  After a brief walk through the main drag it was back to the boat and an afternoon visit with the laundry facilities! The marina had a great day room – books, DVDs, TV, strong WiFi, large tables & chairs (think: charts & planning) and all of it was very clean!  Nice way to pass the time between washing & drying!

After church on Sunday via Face Book LIVE – thanks Riverview Baptist, Savannah TN – we headed out for another walking exploration with no set destination!  Yep, we found ourselves in Pasadena FL (4+/- miles from the marina) and stopped at Publix for a fruit cup.  Before long, Charlie had an Uber on the way for the return trip…oh well, I enjoyed the weather AND the exercise!  Back in Gulfport, I headed out to the post office in St. Petersburg & he returned to the boat.

Could this be a "family tree"?

We spent Monday (3/13/2018) preparing to leave on Tuesday.  A short walk to a Sav-a-Lot food market, aptly named because there wasn’t much to “buy-a-lot”, a “bonus” laundry trip, pump out the holding tank, fill the fresh water tanks and we were ready for several days at anchor! YAY!

Traveling south from Gulfport we saw many familiar sights Bradenton, Sarasota, Siesta Key, Venice, Englewood…hey, wait, were are we going to anchor?? The anchorages we tried we too shallow, too crowded or all together “no-can-do”. Charlie started calling marinas…no luck for a variety of reasons.  The wind was really blowing all day and the open boats we met coming & going on the waterway looked miserable?  People were covered in blankets, towels, jackets, hoods, hats, gloves piled into their rented pontoon boats…hey, it’s spring break!! FUN!!

We finally anchored at Cape Haze a mere 9 ½ hours after we left Gulfport.  It was a calm, protected cove but directly in front of personal residences.  Not the usual anchorage environment we prefer (seems invasive to the property owner) but it was 6:30PM.  By 9:00AM (3/14/2018) we departed Cape Haze as quietly as we arrived.

Sunset at Cape Haze 3/13/2018

Within 2 ½ hours anchored at Caya Costa State Park!! YAY!! Another favorite from our 2016 travels…but the wind is blowing!!  Getting off the boat via dinghy will prove challenging & staying dry on the ride to shore be a bigger challenge!!  But we are here!! The winds are predicted to calm by lunchtime on Thursday so Wednesday will be a planning afternoon.  The temp is 60°, winds currently 15mph…I’d say a perfect afternoon to update the blog, look at charts, make reservations for Fort Myers!!

May you have a perfect Wednesday and feel the love of family.

God Bless!