Time for a break

I exhaled consciously while I kept my eyes shut. Bringing in a fresh breath I opened my eyes and did my best to burn the image into my mind for future reference. I took some photos, but it would not be quite the same.

It had been far too long since I’ve been on the hook overlooking the trappings of society along the shoreline. It’s nice to get to look at it from this prospective now and again.

I’m amazed at how well sound travels over water. The mixed din of shouted conversations was competing for attention with the excessive volume of the live band along the anonymous waterfront bar and grill. Why do they have to play so loud? I thought the band was pretty good while considering my relative state of sobriety. My evening cocktail hour had just begun with the conclusion of today’s activities.

Life in general had been allowed to overtake me this past month. Somehow I had forgotten to slow down and enjoy each day along the way as family duties and responsibilities keep fulfilling my days. I’d lost precious time in my quest for boat time. Hopefully all of that will fade into the background while I march forward with my master plan of relaxing on the water for a few days.

I had managed to spirit away one week out of the last five to escape on the boat. We didn’t manage to go very far on any nautical chart, only a couple of inches if you were to put a ruler to the paper, but it was the separation from the dock that made this short time so valuable. Once you are untethered from the holdings of the marina, life seems to change a bit. I’ve always looked at the navigation charts with an eye to find a place as far away as my travel time would allow.

We left the dock with no real destination this time. That was a bit different for me. I always like to know where I’m going and how long it will take to get there. A precise arrival time usually is in the mix somewhere. Not this time however, we simply left the dock. I wasn’t exactly sure where we would end up.

Motoring down the ICW we approached a day marker navigation post that indicated a turn for Gulfport Fl. We have been there in the car before, but never on the water. I knew about the anchorage here and read about a proposed mooring field in some local magazine.

Why not?

I spun the wheel to port and off we went. I found the channel to be well marked with reasonable depth for my keel. There were about 15 boats anchored here when Gulfport came into view.

The usual mixture of well maintained prideful vessels were intermingled with the ‘why the heck is this still floating’ future underwater reef. We dropped the hook next to one apparently abandoned vessel. She had once upon a time been someone’s pride and joy. Time, neglect, and weather had all taken their toll on her as she bore the scars proving her life was just about over. An area aft of the port bow was missing a two foot section of fiberglass revealing the inner foam core. Some pelican had made this vessel his permanent perch. The growing reef along the waterline was providing a sanctuary for small fishes which kept the pelican in a constant alert and attack mode.

Several dolphins began feeding alongside us. I love listening to them breathe as they broach the surface. An osprey hunted nearby while the pelican seemed to finally settle in for the night. The winds began to dissipate into a soft breeze slightly cooling the days heating as the sun set into the distant Gulf. With the easing of the breeze the boats in the anchorage began to relax on the mooring lines and rest quietly. The lights of the waterfront started to work their way across the bay reaching my bow.

Sheree and I settled into the sights and sounds of the evening with our sundowner cocktail. This is why I own a boat.

South of the waterfront, along the shore, we watched as an emergency signal flare climbed into the evening sky. It went up a couple of hundred feet before falling into an arc while illuminating the area. The next two were smaller and did not go up as far, lasting only 6 seconds or so. The next one went much higher and had a small parachute attached to it. The best one so far.

There is a Coast Guard station here, and it was apparently some kind of educational class in progress. It was interesting to see all the different types of flares in action. I hope I never have to use one in a real situation as that would mean everything has gone horribly wrong and I would be wishing I was someplace else.

But for now, everything was going very right. This evening was about as pleasant as one could ask for. Tomorrow we shall explore Gulfport from a mariner’s perspective, but for now…

Cheers!

Filed Under: Travels

Tags: Gulfport • sailing • travel