Florida Scallops with a hitchhiker... fresh from the bay.

We arrived in Horseshoe Beach on July 1 as scheduled. The rest of our crew arrived on time and the great scalloping adventure of 2010 was about to begin. We had our three grandsons with us for the summer and showed them all the wonders of the great outdoors here in sunny Florida. They learned how to sail, catch and release sharks, beach metal detect, and now … scalloping!

Last year we were catching our daily limit within an hour or so at this spot, so we were hopeful. The first day showed us that we were going to have to work a bit harder at filling our five gallon buckets. We ended up going north of Steinhatchee where we ‘slammed’ them. Everyone was limited out in under an hour, no oil either.

Before you head out make sure you know what YOUR daily limit is. Check with the FWC website for the official rules and regulations as they change by the number of people you are scalloping with. The maximum daily limit per boat is 10 gallons of whole scallops, regardless of the size of your crew. Check the per person regulation, too. The youngest grandson, who just turned 5, counted towards the daily limit the same as the adults.

We noticed fewer scallops in this area. I’m not sure if they migrated to someplace different this year or if the early season opening depleted the stocks already, but we were working hard to get our limit.

Teaching my youngest grandson how to 'look' for scallops

If you have never been scalloping before, it’s very easy. Just snorkel along and pick up the tasty little critters as you spot them. It may take a bit to develop an eye for them, but you will quickly get the hang of it.

Sometimes the white part of the shell is turned upwards which makes them really easy to see. Generally though, the darker side is up and it matches the grass beds very nicely. With the sun shining into the water, you can sometimes see their sparkling blue eyes along the entire opening of the bi-half shell as they are filtering water.

As you approach they will generally snap shut and remain still. This makes them easy prey. Sometimes you get a swimmer and they are fun to catch. They rapidly open and close the halves of their shell which propels them through the water in an attempt to escape, usually with out success. I’ve seen them swimming along and I’ll hold open my collection bag and let them swim right in. Volunteers, you got to love them.

Watch out for the OUCH! Scallops can snap shut on your fingertips and they really pinch. If you’re picking up a scallop with Attention Deficit Disorder (the one that forgot to slam his big mouth shut as you are reaching for him), grab it from behind along the hinge side. It will keep you from getting pinched.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pU6L_BCwjw

Some folks I know are going scalloping for the first time and have requested a detailed explanation of this fun event. So then, here it is.

BASIC ITEMS NEEDED

A good mask and snorkel. Essential. You will have your face stuck in the water most of the time. The snorkel really makes breathing underwater much easier. When you get your mask home, wet the inside lens in the sink. Take some toothpaste, just a tad, and use the tip of your wet finger to very gently clean the inside lens. Trust me on this … it will really make a difference. Rinse the mask well. If you have some anti-fog drops (recommended), apply as directed before swimming. The drops can be obtained where you got the mask or at any dive shop. Don’t forget to dip your mask in the salt water to give it one last rinse before putting it on your head.

If this is all I got, I'm gunna starve here!

Being able to clearly see the scallops is the key to success. A poorly fitting mask, or one that fogs up constantly, makes for a less fun day. Hint: To find a properly fitting mask, stick it on your face without the strap on the back of your head. If the suction created by the mask holds it in place for a few seconds after you let it go … it fits. Then go for a nice stylish look.

I do suggest going to a dive shop or expedition outfitter type store for the mask and snorkel. Discount stores sell discount merchandise. It won’t fit or last. The professional stores have qualified sales people to help you with your selection.

Fins. Necessary. Quality fins will last years and years. I have a set of Rocket fins that still work well. I’ve owned them for over 20 years now. I highly recommend some sort of bootie or wet sock to wear with your fins. This will prevent chafing and the occasional blister.

Dive Flag: Required by law. The dive flag is red with a diagonal white stripe and must be flown when you are in the water. You are required to remain within 300 feet of the flag. Flags are available at all dive shops.

Collection bag: Necessary. This can be any kind of mesh type bag that will hold your catch.

Five gallon bucket(s): Necessary. You need some place to put all your scallops as you collect them, and the bucket gives you a good gauge of your catch to keep you within legal limits. The scallops NEED some place to chill out (in salt water) until such time as the cleaning process begins.

Scallop knife: Necessary (maybe). It all depends on how you like to clean scallops. Some folks use a spoon, I like the knife. You can buy these at the dive shops as well. They are not particularly sharp and only three inches long. The tip of the knife is curved to fit the inside of the top half of the shell. This is important when cleaning scallops.

Ice cold frosty adult beverage: Necessary, for our crew anyhow. Got to keep hydrated!

Scallop parts, double click for large view

CLEANING SCALLOPS

We generally set up an assembly line for cleaning. This consists of one person splitting the shell open with the scallop knife. You hold the scallop, white shell down, in the palm of your left hand (reverse this for southpaws). Put the back, or hinge part of the scallop facing your fingertips and the bivalve opening of the hinge towards your wrist. The goal here is to use the curved portion of the blade to scrape the upper inside of the shell. This cuts the muscle and membrane free from the top (dark) half of the shell . Peel this half of the shell away. Save the shells if you are crafty … they make lots of neat things.

The next person cleans out the guts (kids love doing this part). Use a spoon or the curved edge of a scallop knife to scrape out the membrane. Practice makes perfect here. The only thing remaining in the lower half of the shell when you are done should be the white muscle. The last person cuts the meat from the remaining bottom shell. This is the easiest job.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=76D5w2Qzcag

Store your scallops in salt water in a good zip lock type freezer bag. A good fresh water rinse before cooking is all you will need after you thaw them out.

Lined up for cleaning..... yummmm

So there you have it … go out and enjoy some of nature’s bounty. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.

The link below has  more detailed information about cleaning, with photos!

http://www.southerncrosses.com/2009/07/15/florida-bay-scallops-the-how-to-guide/

By the way… have you read my novel yet?

The newspapers are full of controversy concerning another major ball team rocking the bank vault again and waiting to see what falls out. They apparently have a contract with the city, but as lawyers are involved, contracts can be broken, repealed, or amended, as the fee structures for their services increases on a somewhat skewed sliding scale.

Section 133 row JJ Right field

The owners basically want a brand new stadium someplace else. That apparently will (despite numerous been there done that didn’t work there either with a new stadium) boost ticket sales and increase general revenue. If they move to another venue, with a brand new stadium, the dollars will once again begin to free fall into the franchise’s coffers.

So then, here you go Mr. Multimillionaire decision makers, the view from your target, me.  The average guy’s wallet, the OSF who could go either way on this controversy.

I own a sailboat, fishing poles, scuba gear, underwater metal detectors, and a host of other outdoor type fun stuff. I live on the coast where there is a lot of stuff to do, and we do keep busy. I can park at the beach for a few dollars (some spots still for free) or go fishing/sailing or diving. All at minimal cost after the initial investment.

My grandsons are visiting for the summer, three boys ages 5-12. They live in the middle of the country and are discovering beaches, sand, and how to catch sharks. It’s a great time to grow up, and their is nothing better than a grandpa shark story to take back home and amaze your friends with. They have a sharks tooth necklace now, one that they made themselves, how cool.

Anyhow, we settled in for an evening of TV as a Florida thunderstorm released its energy yesterday evening. Switching on the TV channel we saw it was tuned to some pro baseball game somewhere. The older two grandboy’s  had played ball in school sports and seemed interested in the game. During the conversation I determined that they had not been to a professional ball game before. Perhaps this was the time for that rite of passage.

Free stuff!

I grew up with the Milwaukee Braves, which kind of gives away my age. When one of the Braves would hit a home run puffs of white smoke would come out of the top of a Tepee and an Indian would emerge doing a war dance. Not very P.C. anymore~  Anyhow, my team, our team, the Braves, sold out and moved to someplace called Atlanta, which was  a zillion miles away to a 10 year old kid. I grew up a bit that day discovering that baseball was just a business. They were not MY team from MY town anymore. They moved someplace else for more money and a new stadium.

It was then that I became an OSF.

Back to the present…   I immediately logged on to the net and found a Rays game on Sunday. They were playing the Diamondback’s at the Tropicana.

With a few button clicks I had 3 Family Fun Day tickets and we were going to the game. Regular seats, $108. Each ticket was a convenience to some undisclosed entity so I was charged an additional $4 a ticket for said convenience. My lovely wife got out my Rays hat and shirt from the last game we went to.  That was in 2005. I’m not kidding, I truly am an OSF.

Enjoying the game!

I believe they changed the Rays logo and style a couple of years ago. I was slightly out of place, but that’s nothing new. My stuff was green and still had a Devil Ray on it. The logo is now a star looking thing and a gentle  blue kind of color.

Parking $15. Only 20 minutes by car so I’ll not count the gas. The kids got a bobble head figure and a poster as we entered the stadium. The souvenirs included, that was nice.

Since this is a rite of passage for the boys, two small bags of peanuts and two small sodas were mandatory. $20.

During the 7th inning stretch we cashed in our coupons for a free hot dog, cola, and bag of Cracker Jacks. Crummy prizes now in the Cracker Jacks… something to do with lawyers and kids choking on toys.

The game was fun. We had a ‘wave’ that almost made it 4 complete times around the stadium. Our seats were not the best, but for the price, fair enough I suppose. We were out beyond 3rd base behind the foul line up a few levels. When this OSF goes back in a couple of years I’ll have to buy the $75 seats. I guess that’s why I only go once every few years.

Total cost for today, $160 for a little over 4 hours.

We made some great memories

Priceless memories were made at the Tropicana today, so the cost is negligible for this occasional event. Is this something most families can afford on a regular basis? Enough to fill the stadium every game?

The multimillionaires seem to think so, particularly if the taxpayers help get them a new stadium.

The boys and I are heading for the beach tomorrow. Parking, $4.

Ahoy~

(the above is a secret coded message which you should just ignore unless you are  Heather or Pete)

Ahoy!

Hey, look what I found!

As you are aware, we are all facing economic hardships and money is tight. We like to drop anchor and come ashore a couple of times a week for a nice meal (something other than fish) We have had to tighten up our budget a bit and are now looking for alternatives. We passed some cruisers the other day and they suggested we try seagull. Are they any good?

John Livingstone

s/v Fletcher Wind

The common seagull, to dine or not to dine...

Dear  John,

Interesting question, which reminds me of a story…

I was sailing solo one time from Bermuda making a straight shot to Anguilla. That’s a great course to navigate, just head due south and favor a little to the left. I missed once and landed in Tortola, which is an entirely different story.

Anyhow, I was becalmed about 300 miles north of the islands for a week. I hadn’t planned on staying at sea quite that long and my provisions were running a bit low. Like you, I was beginning to tire of fresh fish.

Well, as it happened on day, a sea gull had perched himself on my stern rail one afternoon. The more I stared at that bird the more it started to look like a chicken. The hallucinations were causing my mouth to water and my stomach to growl.

I won’t go into the specifics involved, but let’s just say that a spear gun may be a bit excessive for this task. (hey, I was hungry)

Well then, with a clean bird I head below and start the makings of a nice chicken stew. I took what leftover vegetables I had, which was half an onion, two limp carrots, one cup of dry beans, and a small can of mushroom pieces and stems.

I tossed everything into the pot with the bird and set it to simmer for a few hours. I spent the next three hours on deck cleaning up a scene that would keep the best TV CSI investigators confused. I don’t remember there being that much of a struggle, and I was never able to untangle the cord on the spear gun. I’ll just have to get another one, I suppose.

Anyhow, I went below to taste the bird. I got my bone knife out and cut a small chunk off. After about five minutes of chewing my jaw was starting to cramp. This bird would have to cook a bit longer. I remember my Grandma using an ad hoc pressure cooker of sorts once. She put a couple of bricks on the pot lid to speed up cooking. Not having any bricks handy, I used some stainless steel safety wire and secured the lid in place.

About a half hour later I was up on the bow splicing a jib sheet that had previously broken when I heard the loud pop. Running to the galley I discovered that the pot had literally blown its lid. The safety wire had held but split the lid right in the middle. The sea gull was lodged in the open portlight over the galley stove. The carrots, mushrooms, beans and onions had long since merged into a gooey greasy biomass which had coated  the underside of the companion way hatch cover.

“Should be done now!” I said to myself and proceeded to taste the cooked delicacy.

So then, two major lessons learned.

1. Spearguns are for fish.

2. Never safety wire cooking implements

On a more positive note, the companion way hatch has never leaked since, and if you cut cooked sea gull into 1/4″ strips you can use it to repack your cutlass bearing.

Ahoy,

Capt. Bilgeplug

Okay, so here is my end of the bargain…

Just south of Venice Beach (west central Florida) is a small beach on Manasota Key named… well, you guessed it, Manasota Beach. It is one of the few beaches left in Florida that has free parking. It’s a wonderful little spot that is known by locals (who are probably mad at me for telling you about this) with the distinct charm that the old Florida beach’s have to offer.

Here it is, Manasota Beach

Beautiful white sand, lots of seashells, calm surf… It’s what I really love about living in Florida. No high-rises or blaring traffic noise. Just a nice beach.

There are public restrooms and a place to change clothes. It is an amazingly short walk from the parking lot to the beach. Bring the kids and the metal detector for a little added fun.

The teeth are easy to spot once you develop an eye for them. They like to hide among the numerous shells that are there for the taking as well. The shells can make some very pretty decorations in the home, only limited by your imagination.

Here is the mixture of shells and teeth, is this great or what!

Just start poking through the shells and sand. You will start to find the teeth easily after a little bit. One of the best times is after a good blow from offshore. New material has washed up and is ready for sorting!

Told ya, just a short walk to the beach.

This little pile took about an hour to gather.

There was even a bonus quarter here which can be applied to the purchase of a really great book!

So, get digging and start your collection of fossilized Florida shark’s teeth. Then click on the book link and get yourself a really great novel to take to the beach with you the next time you head out for some teeth, or just a relaxing day on the beach.

Once you finish the first novel, let me know what you would like to see in the sequel. I’m about halfway through with it and our hero is into some pretty exciting stuff. Then maybe, just maybe… I’ll tell you where to get the shrimp!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

Here’s the book link!

http://www.southerncrosses.com/book/

I was fortunate enough last year to compete in this race to Mexico, and it was the thrill of a lifetime. Stunning night skies followed by brilliant sunrises in the open ocean, it’s when heeling over on a sailboat eclipses all of the world’s problems.

This year, I’m stuck in foreign lands on tasks that are about as opposite from sailing as possible. So, with my computer and imagination, I’m with my crew from last year. I have managed to mentally escape and return to the open ocean, and life is wonderful during this brief respite.

Here is the race report so far.

Monday 26 April 2010 10 AM positions

The Elice II owned by Marlin Brigman departed St. Petersburg Fl on the 24th of April 2010 as part of the Regata del Sol, the race to Isla Mujeres Mexico. I’m logged onto the live tracker and have been silently cheering my old shipmates along.  If mental energy can cross oceans and push a sailboat along on a port tack, they should be cutting waves with precision and ease.

The Gulf Stream, which is a strong ocean current, arrives from the south passing between Cuba and Mexico, right along the race course. The current can reach upwards of 3 kts. which, can really slow you down if your heading straight into it. When the boat is traveling at 5.5 kts. and you are heading into a 3 kt. current, well, you’re only moving ahead at 2.5 kts. It can take a long time to get anywhere that slow. (but it’s a sailboat, one of the slowest forms of transportation around, so what do you expect)

http://cloud.iboattrack.com/r/google_view.php?r=2010_regatadelsol

Monday 26 April 2010 8PM position

Anyhow, the race appears to be on! There are several classes of boats, as all boats are not created equal. The class of Elice II is in is the ‘Cruising B’ class, which groups equal boats together. The Elice is running nose to nose with Nobility, a Morgan OI 41′.

Already in port is the American Spirit, a Beneteau 39OC, which appears to have taken first place in this class. The Elice, a 47′ Catalina, is fighting for second. (last year we took 3rd) I’m sending a lot of mental energy that way my friends…

It appears that the Elice has plotted a course that favors the crossing of the stream a little better than Nobility right now. Nobility took a more northerly course for the race. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

You can see the stream current indicated by the solid black lines running north with the speed listed next to them. If the wind keeps blowing, Isla Mujeres should come into view with the sunrise in the morning.

Yucatan Channel currents

Good luck my friends~

http://www.isla-mujeres.net/home.htm

Approaching St. Petersburg from Tampa Bay you will see the Pier sticking out in its colorful upside down pyramid. At night the place is lit up with some really nice effects. The building changes colors and is always alive with activity. Downtown is just as pretty. The buildings are illuminated and the streets busy, yet peaceful enough to enjoy.

Vinoy Basin looking out towards the entrance

When you approach the basin you will slide along the right side of the Pier and pass the small beach on the left. The entrance is well marked and plenty deep. I’ve never had a problem with shallow water here. Sailboats with 6′ drafts will find the entrance easy to navigate.

Once inside the basin the water is an average of 10′ deep. I like to take the first left into the basin and anchor along the seawall. The bottom holding is tricky here, as in the entire basin. The bottom is covered with silt and takes a little work to set the hook.

We came in and dropped my Danforth anchor with about 50′ of 10mm chain. The Admiral backed down on the engine and we got a pretty good set the second time. The stern was pointing at downtown and we had plenty of distance from the wall.

The Admiral had a hankering from ice cream, and who was I to argue. We dropped the dink in the water and loaded up the outboard and other necessaries. We started up the new video camera and went on a short tour. This little camera is waterproof, so no worries there.  

It was decided that the best plan of action was to motor up to the pier and get ice cream there. We could visit downtown a little later. The weather was so perfect that we dare not waste any time on the sidewalk. Ice cream and a dinghy tour was the plan of the day.

The opposite side of the Pier has public (free) docking. The docks are in poor shape so don’t leave your dink there without proper tying up. Use caution as sharp pieces of rebar are exposed in some areas. I remained with the dinghy while the Admiral ran into the building for the snacks.

One of the treats here is a never ending dolphin show. The frequent the waters of the pier and are usually feeding somewhere in the area. I can’t recall a time that we came out this way and didn’t get a dolphin show. They slap the water to stun the bait fish or jump and land sideways stunning the food. They are always interesting to watch.

When we came back the wind had shifted 180 degrees. It was enough to break my anchor loose from the silty bottom. The AbbyGale drifted towards the seawall but stopped when the keel kissed the soft bottom. You won’t smack the concrete here as the rising bottom will stop the boat first. One of the advantages to this corner.

We moved the big boat away from the seawall and reset the anchor. We did get a better set this time as full reverse didn’t move us an inch, and the wind was expected to stay in the same direction the rest of the night.

There is a wonderful little dinghy dock in the basin (opposite of the marina) where you stick a few dollars in the honor can to tie up. From there it is a very short walk to enough restaurants and shopping to satisfy any ships crew.

It’s truly one of my favorite stops. If you see us here, stop in and say hello. Below is a nice little video of the anchorage coming out into the bay. There are some dolphins feeding again as well.

Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OefQnFHYVQM

Last Tuesday evening we stopped by the Boca Ciega Yacht Club for a little bit. There were some folks getting the Catalina’s ready to go out into the bay.

Getting the Catalina's ready to go

The boats are stored on trailers and need to be hoisted into the channel. The task takes several people to accomplish, but is fairly easy to do. The boats are easily readied and out into the bay they go.

Dropping a couple of red buoys quickly sets up a race course. There is no official judges standing by, just some of the club folks having a great time, most of them anyhow.

There always has to be someone vying for special attention in every event I suppose… this one being not much different.

I don’t want to mention any names so Bill and Belinda shall be hereafter referred to as: The Swimmers.

Have you ever been preparing to do something and there is this nagging little voice that get’s you to thinking, ‘I shouldn’t be doing this, I should just go home?’

Using the hoist to drop another in the water.

When you try 3 or 4 times to push away from the dock in a little sailboat and the wind just keeps pushing you back against the dock… and all the other boats just glide away easily~ there is that little voice.

So the ‘Swimmers’ finally push off of the dock and get the little boat heading into the bay. We (Sheree and I) reposition ourselves to take some photos of the ‘race’.

We see why that little nagging voice should not be ignored in one of the videos below. For us Floridian’s it’s no big deal, when the water is in the 80′s. The water is only in the 60′s which is absolutely frigid for most of us. Bill, Belinda, and son, (I mean the Swimmers) are all recently from N.Y. so I would surmise that this was not as cold as I am imagining. (see the last YouTube video)

I shall have to wait for the full story. Until then, enjoy the videos.

Ahoy,

Larry

The Swimmers try again to get away from the dock!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThgIdaD3eD4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vBwmu9WGbc

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5w-ijwulCk

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCPicbmLzXE

I could sure use some advice. None of my friends in the marina are willing to get involved, or offer any advice.

You see, I don’t seem to get enough time hanging out at my boat. When I’m at home my wife keeps me hopping with a list of chores. Mow the lawn, paint the garage floor, bury the dead cat; the usual. I thought I bought the boat for a bit of rest and relaxation, but when we get to the marina, it’s just another long list of chores. Mop the deck, fix the lights, throw out the dead baitfish…

I’m starting to not like my boat, or the marina anymore. It just seems wrong somehow…

Can you help?

Jerry Kann

m/v ‘T-Back’

Dear Jerry,

First, I see that you have a powerboat by your signature, m/v (motor vessel). I do like the name, ‘T-Back’. Is she named after your wife? We like to publish photos here on the blog, so if you could send some along…

Now then, onto your dilemma. Motorboaters are a strange and odd bunch. Too much torque mixed with exhaust fumes I think. It’s not surprising you have to turn to a ‘blow-boater’ for advice. We have a section in my marina where the motorboats are sequestered. We do often find ourselves avoiding that side of the marina unless we are missing something.

It’s apparent that you need to spend some time at the marina with your boat alone to begin healing. It can be a delicate maneuver separating yourself from the Admiral without drawing suspicion. They have a keen eye for any kind of a con involving going to the boat without them. Therefore it is imperative that you get her to think it’s her idea to stay home while you go to the marina.

Grab a cordless drill, some bits, your tool bag, and snatch one of the pretty guest towels from the bathroom.

“Ummm, what do you think your doing with that towel?” she will ultimately ask.

“I have to fix the flangeulator in the bilges. Remember the noise you told me about the last time we were out?” Look very concerned at this point. “I need you to hold the rhumb line while I lube it with relative bearing grease. If you cover yourself with this towel you won’t get any grease on your shirt.”

“What??? I can’t get greasy, I just had my nails done.”

“It will come out with some MEK, just soak your nails in it, oh- and can I use that tupperware bowl?”

Success comes as she is yanking the towel out of your hand. “Not that towel you don’t, and you will have to find one of your play friends at the marina to get all greasy.”

“But honey, nobody there works for free, I’ll have to buy somebody some beer just to get them to help. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just have your nails done over?”

By now you should find yourself standing in the driveway with an old towel, beer money, and permission to be late. So, head for the boat, have a couple of cold beers, and take a nap while listening to some Buffett. The tide will have changed and you will once again be happy with your boat.

Ahoy,

Capt. Bilgeplug

After a rather long and cold winter (40′s & 50′s) the temps are finally coming back up to something livable. Once your blood is thinned by the Florida climate it becomes painfully difficult to endure anything below 60 F.

The good folks at the Boca Ciega Yacht Club decided that some innocuous spit of land in Clearwater would be a great place for the club cruisers to gather for the weekend. The sandy spot is what is known as a ‘spoil’ island. It is entirely manmade by dredging out the Intercoastal Waterway. All the dredged up sand has to go somewhere.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhxqaV6561s

I didn’t know it had been given a name, nor could I find a name for it on a chart. One day I’ll find out the story behind the name, there must be one. It is impossible to lose anyone, or anything on the island. It’s simply not that big. The one lone tree on the island does not provide summer shade for anything more than three birds and a couple of turtles.We did find one Jellyfish washed up. I’ve never seen a Jelly like this one before.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdGkTBtX7hs

There is nothing particularly spectacular about this article, except that it was just a wonderful cruise.

We sailed out in the Gulf of Mexico northward along the western coast of Florida. The weather was perfect, the seas calm and the winds light. It was a beautiful day. We looked at the masses gathered on the beach’s and could hear remnants of live bands every now and then.

14 boats showed up for the cruise. We all anchored and took dinghy’s to shore. Some folks brought firewood, some brought snacks. Everyone brought a good time. It’s the beginning of sailing season and a great way to start the summer.

I was asked about how long it would take to get to where we were going.

My answer was, “I got where I was going when I stepped onto the boat.”

I’ve sent the below letter to my representatives, Senator Dennis L. Jones (R) and Representative Rick Kriseman (D).

You can easily find your elected lawmakers at : My Representatives

Please feel free to copy and paste any portion, or my letter in it’s entirety. I’ve left my home address out of this post intentionally but did include it in the email.

Thanks for any support you may lend.

Representative Kriseman,

During your upcoming legislative session, I urge you to dissuade any actions in support of off shore drilling within Florida waters. Take a trip to the shorelines of southern California or the northern Gulf region states where off shore drilling is active.

The hotels provide crude oil towelett’s to remove the stains from your feet for a reason.

Do we want this for our state? Would the profits by a select few offset the losses in tourism by many? Would increased oil company profits be worth this destruction?

There is absolutely no compelling argument showing where any oil recovered from along our coast would reduce our dependence from any foreign oil-producing nation. Nor would it lower the cost of processed fossil fuels to the average consumer.

Should our state feel a need to stick something in the Gulf waters of Florida, how about a wind farm? The water is shallow enough to support this. The power cables would be routed inshore directly benefiting the residents of this state. Any oil drilled here would not.

One day perhaps, we could plug our homes and cars into this renewable clean energy source while preserving our beaches and lifestyles for generations to come.

You were elected to represent the voice of the people, this voice. I trust you will support us in this matter.

Kind Regards,

Larry Annen

Past generations left this for us, is this the way we want to leave our beaches for our future?

Los Angeles California, tar stained feet circa '70s

I had previously seen the Gulfport Florist shop, which is near our new home. No-no, don’t worry, we still have the boat. It is a locally owned and operated business, which I prefer to do business with. We try to avoid sterile retail chain stores whenever possible. I located their website and found the Fields of Europe arrangement. It was exactly what I was looking for so I placed an order. I wasn’t sure if the order went through as the website was acting strangely and locking up.

I had placed the order with the florist, for delivery on Valentine’s Day. The next day a gentleman called me on the contact number I had listed on the web order. As I am presently somewhere on the opposite side of the planet from Florida, the phone connection was terrible. I was not sure if he correctly confirmed the order or not.

Saturday afternoon, the day before Valentine’s Day I was contacted via phone from a delivery person. She told me nobody was home and asked what to do with the flowers. I explained that the flowers were supposed to be delivered on Valentine’s Day. Once again, the phone connection was terrible; I think she finally understood me, maybe not.

Although beautiful, they were not what was ordered.

Well, Valentine’s Day had arrived and so had the flowers. My wife sent me a picture of them, but was somewhat quizzical as these were nothing like I would normally order. They also had a balloon, which we don’t particularly care for. The arrangement, although well put together, were atypical of our tastes. I sent her the picture of what I had ordered, and the arrangements were completely different.

I notified the florist of the errors via the website. The gentleman I spoke with was very helpful, friendly, and I hope forgiving, as the phone connection was sporadic. I hope he does not think I hung up on him as the connection had been unexpectedly terminated.

There were a combination of issues with this order, as sometimes is the case when placing an internet order from far off places. I have experienced these difficulties previously, so nothing new so far. All too often business don’t seem to care because in a few minutes someone else will walk through the door and buy something.

The difference this time is that my issues were dealt with professionally.

My wife finally received the order as placed a day later, and the arrangement was outstanding. The florist had also placed a nice gift with the flowers.

Now this is what I ordered!

In today’s complacent business atmosphere, I have to say that it is extremely refreshing to find a business that takes pride in maintaining professional customer service. Errors sometimes happen, this is life after all… it’s how the problems are dealt with that makes the difference.

I don’t believe I need to look any further for a florist. If you’re in the area, they come highly recommended!

Thanks, we will be conducting business for years to come.

And on a side note: The sailing blog stories have been a little thin lately.

My apologies.

I’m off gallivanting around the world on business and I hope to be home shortly. We shall cut some dock lines and set sail. Adventures are forthcoming! Oh yeah, I also became a member of the Boca Ciega Yacht Club. I’ve got to find me one of them Thurston Howell III outfits… And Sheree some Mary Ann shorts~

Gulfport Florist

www.gulfportflowershop.com

1410 58th Street North

Gulfport, FL 33707

(727) 328-1917

Xanadu, Panache, The Rachael, Casa Mia, Second Love, Sailacious, and Celebration made up the expedition.

Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas

We hop scotched down Florida’s west coast stopping at Venice, Pelican Bay, Ft. Meyers Beach and Marco Island before embarking on our overnight passage to Key West. Each of these stops along the way could be a story unto itself, but in the interest of time, we’ll leave those stories for the porch.

We arrived at daybreak in Key West after an 18 hour or so passage from Marco Island. This was my first passage of any length, and I would be lying if I didn’t say I was somewhat apprehensive about this long, overnight ordeal. Our group stayed in contact via the VHF, at most separated by 2 or 3 miles. Every hour during the night we reported in stating our condition and our position relative to the Key West marker. I was surprised how quickly the night passed. Thank God it was daylight as we entered the Key West channel. I say this because looking at the lights marking the channels, shoals, etc. approaching Key West, it was the most confusing set of visual aids I had ever seen. Being a 30-year, multiengine instrument pilot, licensed to fly in zero visibility, navigating by instruments is something that comes easy to me. However, having little or no sleep while lining up the paper charts, with the plotter, watching your depth meter for conformation, and coordinating all this with what you visually see which was a myriad of lights blinking and flashing in every direction, I can only say that whoever the guy was who sold Key West the hundreds of lights marking the waterways must have made a lot of money.

Most of us stayed at the Conch Harbor Marina for Thursday and Friday and we departed Saturday morning. Conch Harbor is a Latin phrase meaning “over priced”. However, it was one of the nicest marina’s I’ve been to. Great pool, good food and drinks, showers, laundry…all the amenities. Bill Casey and his crew aboard Second Love had some mechanical difficulties and anchored out. So, we didn’t see Bill or his crew very much until we were on our way back days later. But the rest of us did our thing in Key West. We were a short walk to Duval Street where as they say, “the action is.” We also made a pilgrimage to Mallory Square at sundown to watch and toast the sundown and enjoy the circus like atmosphere that is so Key West. Restaurants, bars, streets, music, lifestyles, it is so different but so neat to see. We decided to rent a motor scooter which made getting around Key West very easy.

Before we knew it Saturday morning had come. Panache left the dock begrudgingly around 6:30 am. Coffee was hot, weather was good, wind was wrong, sun at our backs and the big W on the compass told us go west young man, go west. So west we went. We passed the Marquesas, a string of uninhabited islands 25 miles or so west of Key West. Then, hours and hours of hours and hours, until finally, late in the day Fort Jefferson started rising above the horizon. We had made it. We were still alive. One by one, all of the remaining BCYC boats entered the crystal clear waters of the anchorage abutting Fort Jefferson, dropped our hooks, and settled in. I had never been there before. What a sight. A fortress, in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to drop my dingy in the water and rush over to get a first hand up close look at this thing. But first, there was relaxing to do, wine to open, and a cigar was calling my name. There would be plenty of time to explore. It was only Saturday, and we weren’t leaving until Tuesday afternoon. On the other hand, a quick trip to shore would be nice. We could walk and get some exercise, see and touch Fort Jefferson up close, plus check out the scene in general. We dropped the dingy and headed through the crowded anchorage. We eased through the gin clear water and up on the beach. We had landed at Fort Jefferson. Our feet were on solid ground. The highlight of this first, short, shore expedition was discovering where the visitor’s center was. It had a lot of interesting stuff, but the best part about it, it was air-conditioned. Over the next few days we would visit that air-conditioned center a lot. I personally watched their orientation movie 12 times.

A little later, back on the boat, wine was flowing and cigars were glowing. A big dinner of pan fried pork chops, grilled onions, real mashed potatoes, and salad was devoured with all the gusto of a pack of hound dogs. Panache’s water tanks were full so hot showers were in order. I crawled in my bunk thinking I might read but fell asleep way too fast for that.

Sunday & Monday at Fort Jefferson

The crowded anchorage got less crowded as a few non-BCYC boats departed Sunday. We had 6 BCYC boats and I’m guessing there was probably another 10 or so in the anchorage with us. Like any cruise, we had a lot of comradery going on between club boats, and in doing so, we managed to make friends with other boats as well. One boat in particular, from Cortez, had a father/son on board who lived to fish. We had some killer pot luck dinners onshore that went on late into the night. We invited the father/son team, Mike & Mike Jr., to our pot luck. That day, they caught a yellowfin tuna that they lightly seared and brought to the potluck providing all 6 boats with all the delicious sushi we could eat. While we were there, Mike & Mike Jr. would come by Panache once or twice a day offering us fresh snapper, yellowtail, and grouper.

All this fresh fish got us excited, so Guy O’Conner, our marvelous trip leader, and I jumped in my dingy and went on a fishing expedition. We caught nothing, zip, nada in the way of fish. Guy managed to “fish” a baby bird out of the water who had somehow managed to fall into the sea. Unfortunately, the little bird didn’t make it but it wasn’t for lack of effort on Guy’s part. For those of you who don’t know Guy O’Connor, he is one terrific person. He’s honest and kind, dedicated and knowledgeable, considerate, loyal and just such a good man. He did such a good job in planning and leading this trip.

Later that day our BCYC group had fun snorkeling and saw some awesome sights including some pretty big fish. I think that almost everyone in our group took advantage of the wonderful snorkeling opportunities surrounding Fort Jefferson.

I’ve got to write a little bit about the birds, as they were a complete surprise to me. As it turns out, our anchorage was bordered to the west by Garden Key which houses Fort Jefferson. Bush Key borders it to the north, which house about 100,000 birds. These are not the normal run of the mill seabirds we are used to seeing. These birds, about 4 different varieties, come from as far away as Africa to nest on this one particular island in the Dry Tortugas. For some of the species, it’s the only spot on earth where they do so. I guess it’s a bird watching paradise for some and interesting to all of us. Now these birds make a lot of noise…day and night. I thought birds roosted at night and went to sleep. Honestly, the noise of the birds was no match for comfort and serenity of our bunks, and sleep came easily.

Tuesday morning was approaching. Some of us were leaving early morning and heading for Ft. Meyers Beach, the rest of us were leaving early afternoon and heading for Marco Island. Everyone had a safe passage and rested well Wednesday night. Thursday night we all wound up in the Cayo Costa area and we reunited with Bill Casey and his crew aboard Second Love. This crew was unable to get to the Tortugas due to mechanical problems, but they made lemonade out of lemons and had a great time in and around Key West. Friday night was spent in Venice where about 2 weeks earlier we had spent our first night. Then Saturday afternoon, our little fleet from BCYC passed through structure C and into the home waters of Boca Ciega Bay.

Many thanks to Guy O’Conner and Cathy Tallisman, our cruise directors, who put together a simply marvelous cruise. Well planned from beginning to end. Panache, along with Casa Mia, Sailacious and Celebration were first timers on this cruise. Xanadu and The Rachael both had made the trip and crossings before and were veterans. I also have to give thanks to Dave Brangaccio aboard Xanadu for coming to our aid on more than one occasion with his mechanical expertise. Looking back, I learned a lot about myself and a lot about my boat and was surprised how enjoyable the long crossings were. I envisioned being on pins and needles while 60 or 70 miles offshore. That wasn’t the case. Of course it helped that the weather was good and other boats were close by.

This may have been the best adventure of my life…so far! Thanks BCYC.

Written by Jeff Reckson, Fleet Captain BCYC.

(reprinted with permission)  Photos stolen from Wikipedia and added for dramatic effect 

Wasting an entire day is truly becoming an art form for me.  It’s not for everybody.  My standards of a normal day have changed over the years.  

So you ask, just what is normal?  Well… this day it was being totally worthless at being a productive human being.  I was previously a success at fixing the wind generator a couple of days ago, so today will be different.  The much delayed part from ‘eMarine Systems’ had finally arrived, the fix was easy.  I simply had to have the correct part.  I’d fixed a few other things as well, but that will be in a later blog entry.  This one is about being worthless on a sailboat…

The sun rises to an empty schedule.  Nothing on the calendar but the day and date.  Were it not for the miracle of the personal computer, I would not even know that much information most of the time.  But, since I’m part of the modern electronic world, allow me to share the day’s events.

Watch the sunrise. Drink coffee.

Yep, that about sums it up.  Next thing you know it’s around noon.  We are anchored off the beach in Gulfport Florida, one of my favorite places on the west coast.  The anchor is holding very well, the bay is reasonably calm, and the pace is slow.

We decide to go for a bit of a dinghy ride and exploring a little bit.  It’s always nice to go poking about in a little rubber boat with an outboard.  There is very little work involved and if you hit something, you bounce off without too much damage.  

We find the entrance to Clam Bayou a bit east of the Gulfport Pier.  This is a piece of natural Florida that has managed to survive the urban sprawl along the waterfront. Entering the Bayou we are greeted with a wide assortment of waterfowl relaxing about as much as we are.  Fish are schooling ahead of the boat as we push deeper into the mangroves.

The water is getting shallower as we progress which is limiting our explorations.  This is a perfect place for a canoe or kayak.  One of the water trails is marked for human powered boats only, no internal combustion engines allowed.  We explore the areas that we can get to with our dinghy and enjoy the serenity once I kill the engine.  If you own a kayak, this trail is just what you are looking for.

Entering Boca Ciega bay once again as we continue around the bay back into civilization.  The weather appears like it will be changing in the next day or so.  High clouds are forming some impressive overhead scenes which is usually a sign of another front on the way.  

So we head back to the boat in time to enjoy the evening activities.

Watch the sunset. Enjoy a cocktail.

Yeah, life on a boat…

Links you might enjoy:

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/bocaciega-pinellas/

http://www.stpete.org/parks/clambayou.asp

N 27 44.5 W 82 41.4

The Gulfport Pier is on the lower left, with Clam Bayou being the nice green area. Click on the picture for a little closer view.

For those of you not old enough to remember, we used to have something called “Customer Service.” This was a grand thing. You would walk into a store and pay money, thus walking out of the store with your item. If it didn’t work when you got home and tried to use it, you would simply take it back to the store.

The person standing at the store would exchange it for one that did work, or make some arrangement with you to ensure that you became a ‘happy customer.’

This procedure was done so you would tell all your friends and they would tell their friends and everyone would want to shop in your store. The next thing you know there you are, a major force on the stock market making a zillion dollars with a helicopter on a mega-yacht.

Today is apparently much different. I have the magic of the Internet, heck, I’m using that magic right now.

The set up: There we were, sitting at anchor 2 am, sound asleep in the aft cabin gently rocking with the slow rhythmical ripples in the bay.

When you live on a boat your senses get tuned into it pretty quickly. A different odor (like a melting circuit breaker) or the way the boat rocks will wake you up. This time it was the shifting of the boat with the waves. I could feel the difference as we came around the anchor chain. I also could hear the wind generator winding up. You can pretty accurately guess the wind speed by the pitch of the generator.

Living on shore has several advantages. One of them is that when you go to bed at night, you can be fairly certain that your house will be in the same spot when you wake up.

Sailing is different. I have been suddenly awakened in the wee hours to discover that we were not in the same place. This is a process called ‘dragging the anchor’, which can have catastrophic results.

Anyhow, when you hear an increasing wind and feel it shifting your anchoring position, it gives you cause to wander the weather decks up top. This task has you wearing whatever you happen to be wearing, or not, to check the anchor.

Taking time to get properly attired is directly proportionate to where you are anchored. In a brightly lit anchorage with lots of other boats around you, well I probably want to layer clothing so as not to terrify anyone who may be up checking their anchor as well.

Lonely anchorages, well, you get the idea.

The wind had shifted and we were resting a bit differently on the hook. It’s time to wander the decks and check that we are secured as the goal is to wake up in generally the same spot we went to sleep in.

As I passed my new solar panel charge controller installation that I’m so darn proud of, I notice a slight problem. I’m low on battery power. Strange… with the wind up and having had the sun exchange rays for electrons all day, my battery bank should be much higher.

The wind generator should be making surplus power at this point as the only thing running is the 12 volt reefer.

You know you are a boater when…

It’s 3am and I’m lying on the cabin sole (the floor) with the aft hatch to the engine room propped open. My head is buried into the engine compartment with my unpleasant side protruding in awkward positions holding me in place as the boat rocks at anchor.

Like a surgeon I simply reach behind me and say, “Alligator clips,” as they get slapped into my hand by my able assistant and ship’s Admiral.

“Multi-meter,” I request.

“Long Phillip’s head screw driver,” was next on the list.

“Knife,” is requested to cut open the wire insulation.

“Band-aid.” (self explanatory)

Hummm… the wind generator is producing 12.9 volts going into the charge controller, but nothing is going out. I suspect that the charge controller is not doing its job having passed away sometime after I installed the solar panel.

That is life on a boat. Here we are at the famous juncture of, ‘if it’s not one thing’ then this must be, ‘the other.’

Secure in the knowledge that the anchor is firmly holding we head back to bed. The sun will be up in a few hours and we will once again convert solar energy into battery voltage.

The morning cup of coffee is enjoyed while ordering the necessary part, hence the eMarine reference. I check the calendar and after giving it some thought, I choose the 3-day shipping option, and electronically pay for it. Fast as lightning, they have my money. I figure that if I give it 3-5 days from ordering, I should be in the same place as the part when it arrives after a 50 or so mile drive to get there. We will go ashore for a couple of days and take care of other business as well. So ends day 1.

Day 4. We are sitting ashore anxiously waiting for the part. As soon as it arrives we can return to the boat, effect the repair, and continue on our journey. The part should be here any minute now.

In place of the part (on day4) I received the following email:

Hi!

We received your order for a HRSi Controller.

We are currently out of town at the Annapolis Boat Show.

We can ship that out to you as soon as we get back. (Middle of next week)Sorry for the delays -

Jeremy

Dang it… I didn’t see anything on the webpage about delays in orders. Looking at the calendar it would appear that my part will get shipped sometime around 7-8 days after ordering. The webpage has a scrolling banner on it about the Annapolis Boat Show, but NOTHING about any shipping delays. Adding in 3 more days of travel time– and my original 3 day select shipping order turns into 11+ days. I’ve already paid with PayPal, so canceling the order and restarting is way too time consuming at this point. Let’s hope for a speedy arrival of the part.

Now I have to figure out where I might be when they decide to actually send my part.

Day 6. I hear from the company again after sending another email to them asking if they would overnight it when they ship it, or still send it via the 3-day route, here is the reply;

Middle of the week, so it should ship out Wednesday or Thursday. Let us know the address you would like this shipped to -

Jeremy

We work on the schedule and make necessary adjustments to try to get us in the same place as the part on the same day. The calendar shows Jeremy’s estimate of the middle of next week as day 9. I send the address of a municipal marina on the west coast of Florida and we start traveling again.

Day 9. I send them the address of the marina and get this reply;

Ok Larry. We will ship it to your new address. I just got back in the office, so that will go out tomorrow, and you should be able to receive Friday. Tracking will be sent to your e-mail.

Jeremy

Day 11. No part, no tracking number. I send the following email;

Good morning,

It’s Friday. I’ve not received a tracking number. Has the part been sent yet? (It was supposed to have arrived again today)

I receive the following;

Its shipping out today. tracking will be sent by e-mail from UPS once it ships.

My reply;

So I understand I’ll not receive it on Friday (today) as you advised.

Great.

Apparently I’ve offended Jeremy with my comments as his next email states;

Look – I’ve tried to work with you. I just got back into town with hundreds of things to do and demands from several customers over the past two weeks. Unfortunately you need a controller, and are not at a stationary location which is your problem. I am trying to accomodate to your needs and I am doing everything I can to catch up. Your 1 controller going out today is a part of catching up. Todays shipments are the first going out since returning. Tracking # will be sent to you, which you should receive the controller Monday.

I’m looking forward to receiving the controller on day 14 or 15. It would also appear that our moving about is my problem, which it is and I’m not sure how, a factor in actually shipping the part out. I’ve been enlightened to discover that it is actually I who is being less than accommodating in this transaction. It also appears that there are additional customers with ‘demands.’

When a company takes care of nickels and dimes, dollars will surely follow.

Okay then, we are back to traveling and changing plans. I suppose that I’ll just have to settle back with a refreshing beverage while I continue to wait for my part. I’ll spend this time contemplating on why eMarine kept my payment for the 3 day shipping and wonder at the logic of how poorly they treated my nickels and dimes with a lack of customer service.

After all, I may know people with dollars…

I know, very traumatic if you are not expecting it.  You’ve been enjoying the evening and now the black cloud of depression begins to set in… but wait!  There is hope!

You spot a bunch of coconut trees on the next island just ahead.  There they are, nature’s mixers, yours for the taking.  Salvation looms just above the rum bottle.  All you have to do is open the coconut.

The finished, and ready coconut

You break out your knife and start hacking.   Twenty minutes later you grab a flat headed screwdriver.  Next comes the hammer.   Checking the width of the coconut , you determine that the vise will not open large enough to insert the now mangled and tattered coconut.  Vise grips, pliers, I’ve even tried cutting with a keyhole saw.  The hacksaw was simply too much work.  I was ordered, by the Admiral, to just put the skill saw back down or she would cut the cord.

Frustrated, you toss the coconut into the water where it makes an ungainly ‘kaploop’ as you toss it over the side, unopened, devoid of any rum flavoring.

Aha! There is hope.  Here is the step by step guide on ‘How to open a coconut’.  You shall never again be faced with having to consume your Rum Sundowner without the sweet fresh coconut just waiting for your drinking pleasure.

There are several common tools needed to accomplish this task.   Once you have managed to open a few, you will quickly become an expert and amaze all your friends with your natural survival instincts and abilities.  You could also become very popular should you get selected for the Survivor T.V. series.

If you intend to make a machete one of the tools, and plan on hacking off a once usable limb, you can stop reading now and check your insurance policy.  This is the process your kids can utilize. (sans the rum)

1. Place the coconut on the ground.  It will have three or so semi-flat sides.  Remove toes from the immediate area.

2. Take a small pointed shovel or spade.  Stab the coconut with the convex (outwardly curved portion) toward the inside, or middle, of the coconut.

3. Do the same in reverse order with another shovel.  The object here is to have the back of the shovels against each other.  You do not have to get tremendously deep here, just get a good ‘bite’ into the husk.

4. Now, with the backs of the shovels touching, use the handles to pry open the husk a little bit.  Make a couple of good ‘stretches’ in the husk.

5. Roll the coconut onto another side and repeat.  Then roll it, and repeat.

6. The nut is now exposed and you can easily tear it from the husk.

7. The husk works for your small beachside campfire, as a planter for the pretty orchids, or air plants you may have hanging around (you can sell them to your friends, or they make great gifts).

8. Shake the nut and listen to the milk sloshing around in there.   That is what we are after next.

9. Hold the nut so you can see the top.  There are three plugged holes.  Some folks call this the monkey face.  The ‘mouth’ will always be the softer of the three holes.

10. Poke this hole with the screwdriver you had earlier.  Just kind of dig it out.  If using a knife, be very careful… really, it will hurt, trust me.  I know of such things.

11. Once the plug is dug out, pour the clear rum mixer into any handy container.

Here is the tricky part: deciding if you want to eat the coconut now, flavor it, or save it.  So, to flavor it, pour some rum into the hole and plug with a leftover wine cork you have whittled.   (There is lots of time on a sailboat for these sorts of activities.)  You can decide to cut it in half and make a really cool drink cup out of the lower portion, or any other manner of really extraordinarily cool neat things.  But for now, let’s assume you have an anxious parrot wanting to get at the sweet white meat inside the nut and we need to cut this thing open.

12. Grab that hammer you had earlier and give the nut a couple of easy whacks.  It will crack fairly easy now that the little hole has been dug open.   Whack it into manageable pieces.

13. Get that knife you had earlier.  This will allow you to pry the white meat off of the brown nut shell.  Be careful, you can get cut, trust me, I know of such things.

14. Share the coconut with your parrot.

15. Flavor to taste and then sip the rum as the sun sets.

Enjoy the fresh juice and meat. While you’re at it, tip your drink my way and give us an ‘Ahoy’!

Footnote: In response to readers comments I’ve linked the photos so you can view a larger image. Double click them and there you have it~magic!  And while your at it, leave some comments, or share the link with your friends. It’s all FREE!

I pointed at the T.V. and said, “One day that is going to be us anchored there.” I received the customary, ‘yes dear, uh-huh’ reply.

Waking up this morning I listened to a now familiar sound. Light puff’s of air followed gentle swirling splashes of water. They were feeding all around my boat. We were finally parked there, in the harbor. I bet we were on the morning news show weather picture.

Dolphins feeding in the Vinoy Basin

The dolphins were chasing breakfast. I got up and looked through the portlight. (boat window for the landlubbers reading this) I could almost reach out and touch them.

Arriving on deck in my skivvies I watched my own morning weather show. The sun was rising above the horizon casting a red glow across the bottoms of some high passing clouds. A light breeze was spinning the wind generator as the solar panel began to grab the first bits of the sun’s electrical power. The city was still quiet.

We were anchored in the Vinoy Basin, which is in downtown St. Petersburg. We have been here for three days now. Once I completed the solar panel project we decided to go out and give it a try. We headed into Tampa Bay and hoisted sails. The winds were light and variable. Not a great day for sailing, but a beautiful day for boating.

Sheree set out a couple of trolling lines looking for Spanish Mackerel. I’m certain that they would be allowed to bleed on the deck…

Easing along the surface of Tampa Bay

The day was about as peaceful as one could ask for. I was about three miles out into the bay when the wind died altogether. Not a problem I thought as we dropped the anchor. The water was calm. It was time for lunch.

Somehow a nap crept in. That melted away the rest of the afternoon so we headed in.

Approaching St. Pete there is a large pier protruding into the bay. It’s appropriately named, ‘The Pier’. There are several restaurants, an aquarium, shops, and bars. They always seem to have something going on. Live bands, arts and crafts shows, something interesting. Later this month they are having a Michael Jackson event where they are trying to break the world record for the most people ever dancing at once to the song Thriller. I think that may present a little too much activity for me…

We set anchor in the well protected bay and dropped the dinghy. The night was as peaceful as I could have ever hoped for. The bay was calm and the winds were light. The city lights were gorgeous. The buildings were lit with varying colors highlighting the architecture and flavor of the town.

Downtown St. Petersburg

There was a dinghy dock at a boat rental business here on the bay. You park at the business and on the way out is a little lock box affixed to the gate requesting a$5.00 fee for use. ‘Honor System’ in play. We were honorable.

A short walk downtown and we found a nice outside café partaking in evening cocktails and dinner. How nice. This was followed by a quiet stroll around Coffeepot Bayou in the dinghy.

The next morning we went exploring some more in the tender. We traveled through the St. Pete Yacht Club moorings and around Albert Whitted airport. There is a place to anchor at the end of the runway. This is a busy little airport on the water. You want to keep your masthead light on at night to show the small aircraft where not to go, you are that close.

The activities in an anchorage are intriguing at times. The range spreads from multimillion dollar mega yachts to rowboats. The shore-side parks house the homeless and roving packs of laughing teenagers at night.

Chapel on the bay

Vinoy Park had an event yesterday that had thousands of people filling every empty space ashore. It was a breast cancer awareness 5k walk/run. Pink was the color of the day as throngs of folks lined up on Bayshore Blvd to begin the event. News camera’s were everywhere and the police had streets blocked off.

We enjoyed the spectacle from the  serenity of our boat, binoculars in hand. Most of the handmade signs were of the standard variety you would expect to see at a breast cancer event. There was one fellow who was in the middle of the pack holding up his sign, “SAVE SECOND BASE.” That was my favorite.

Just enjoying the day

There was a 30’ Hunter sailboat anchored next to us for the last three days. (Did I mention we were only staying here for one night?) There was a lady onboard with a young girl, about 7. She climbed the mast and perched on the boom while playing with a doll and seemed very happy. When Mom went up front to hoist the anchor this morning the little girl manned the helm adeptly keeping the boat in position. They departed to points unknown waving goodbye on the way out of the harbor.

I didn’t know she was listening at the time, but Sheree reminded me of the day I pointed at the T.V. and said, “One day that is going to be us anchored there.”

We have arrived.

We had a big laugh while reading the directions. They indicated an easy one morning project. What am I at now, day five?

Dinghy davits used to also hold up the solar panel

The electrical cable I ordered from Miami a week ago with three day shipping has yet to arrive. I’ve called the company four times now and have yet to speak with someone about the order. The lady on the other end keeps taking my phone number and telling me someone will get right back to me!

Well, I really can’t delay this project much longer and maintain any dignity around the marina. You don’t do anything here without the scrutiny of everyone in eyesight. They all watch the project progress and are eager to present insightful recommendations on how to proceed. The later in the day it becomes, the more alcohol is consumed. This is directly proportional to the complexity and depth of the suggestions.

I locate some spare boat electrical cable I had stashed away in the event of just such a situation. I call to cancel my order in Miami and am told someone will get right back to me!

Breaking out the power drill, portable torch, and a host of other tools I resign myself to the task of finishing this.

On the end of the port side dinghy davit is a piece that will hold the pulley which will raise the dinghy. As I adjust the davits to install the cross beams, which will hold the solar panel the unusual magnetic characteristic of salt water sucks the $28 end cap right off the davit. The cap had to elevate itself 25 degrees and slide upwards over an inch defying gravity.

Youch...

The part makes a satisfying plop in the water. Yes, satisfying… This means that I have donated expensive new parts into the briny deep thereby paying homage to the sea Gods that often request such payment. I do feel better having lost this part.

Something was going into the water. Better this than the $600 solar panel.

The drill comes out and now I have to start making holes in the boat. I drill into the cap rail to feed the wire from above deck to below. This is only accomplished after taking apart the aft stateroom and bunk. The wire has to lead from the panel to under the bunk, past the steering gear, next to the engine shaft, past a host of other electrical goodies and into the engine room and onto the circuit panel.

I did manage to install the charge controller, and it looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Lucky I suspect.

Now then, I’m not exactly sure how I did it, but here is the days blood donation. I think I lanced myself with a stiff piece of stainless safety wire I was using to fish the wire up through the hole. It made a nice little puncture wound which should heal without too much difficulty. When I first stabbed myself I let loose with the appropriate cuss words just below audible level.

Solar panel installed!

You know your loved when you immediately hear, “Don’t get any blood on the deck,” from down below. So, that puts me somewhere below a seabass in the pecking order. Fish can bleed on my deck, but I cannot…

It was a good thing as it is only a small donation. Nothing requiring a trip to the nearby emergency room, which makes this donation particularly satisfying. I’ve managed to make the daily project donation without excess injury. Another milestone passed!

Now that I’ve donated brand new parts, lots of sweat, and a bit of blood I can happily continue on with my project, secure in the knowledge that I’ve paid all necessary dues required to safely finish this project.

It was a grand accomplishment. I finished just in time to grab a cold Corona and watch a couple of volts transfer from the panel to the batteries just before the sun set.

Far Reaches, the modern power yacht!

Taking advantage of any opportunity to avoid disaster I jump at the offer to go fishing.

My neighbor, Reed has a rather stately power vessel and is preparing to go to sea. He is looking for volunteers to assist in the seaworthy task of catching fish. We agree.

6am and the preparations are underway. I go to Dunkin Doughnuts to get the glazed ‘energy rings’ and java. Reed heads to the bait shop for, well, bait. The sun rises on time and Reed’s other guests arrive.

We pull away from the dock on a beautiful morning and approach the local drawbridge. We are all noticing a larger than normal population of Box Jellyfish. They have some long tentacles and are plentiful. It would not be a good time to fall in the water.

Box Jellyfish with long stingers~

Dolphins approach and feed nearby. This is always a good sign.

For the last four or five days the weather has been perfect. Today would be the one day this week that the seas decide to play havoc with our fishing plans. We start rolling back and forth and I hear the contents of Reed’s boat begin to shift positions matching the wave action. Nothing too traumatic at this point, just a little uncomfortable. One of the guys comments that he was glad his wife could not make it on this trip as she would have been seasick by now.

We manage to anchor on a reef about eight miles offshore and start fishing. Several small fish are caught pretty quickly. Nothing to keep though as the red grouper were all undersized and the snapper were kind of small as well.

Dolphins love the bow wave

Several storms start merging a bit further out in the Gulf as one small one passes overhead. The boat gets a quick rinse as the waves build. The Captain decides that it’s time to head back in before the larger storms hit us.

Today was a great day. I caught a couple of fish, and was able to avoid the pain and suffering of my pending solar panel installation project. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day for hurting myself…

The difference between fishing and a simple boat ride, bad weather...

Lacking a sufficient reserve of blood I paid someone to install the new engine. Perhaps bleeding is related to the exchange of money.

Anyhow, I’m back from an extended work assignment overseas. Patiently waiting for me is my self imposed list of to do chores and boat upgrades. This time I’m adding dinghy davits, which will ultimately hold the new solar panel on. (and the dinghy) Green is good! Between the wind generator and now the solar panel, we shall have sufficient electricity available while under sail or at anchor to meet our electronic needs.   

Keeping the adult beverages cold comes at a price.

My new davits arrive and I begin the installation process. They are from a company called MarTek Ltd located up the road in Clearwater Fl. They sure do look nice coming out of the package, and were a very good price.

www.martekdavits.com

Being a responsible consumer I actually open and read the directions. Here it is on page one, the first paragraph; “In most cases the installation of your MarTek Davits are a simple afternoon project.”

I start laughing as I read it to my wife. She goes and gets the band-aids ready. I start getting some power tools out. She gets the triple antibiotic ointment and readies the cell phone for a possible 911 call. I tell her I’m not climbing the mast so I should be able to walk across the street to the emergency walk-in clinic if necessary.

Let the project begin…

The davits are a pretty straight forward project. They require two calls with the owner of MarTek who was very helpful on the phone with some suggestions. What I want to do is not possible, it will void the integrity of the design and he convinces me to abandon my independent thoughts and follow the directions.  

The blood on this project has not appeared yet. I’ve managed to cut the davits to custom fit them to my stern rails and have not injured myself as of yet. The project is still young however, and today will require the use of several different power tools. I know I’m going to bleed, it’s inevitable.

While enjoying my morning coffee I’m checking my email and get a short missive from a friend of mine who is on the east coast of Florida. I’m not going to mention Brent’s name here so we shall just refer to him as, ‘injured person #1.’

Injured person #1 is also a boat owner and do it yourselfer. Here is a short excerpt~

Not much sailing going on here, but getting a lot of stuff done. I have managed to almost completely remove my fingerprints from all of my fingers twice in two weeks, once chemically and once mechanically. Surprising how the pain from that is pretty minor at first and then continually increases until you can’t think about much else.

I built a concrete block enclosure for the garbage and recycling. It used to be on the side of the house and trash cans were right there to greet you when you pulled up to the house, now it’s disguised and actually looks pretty good. In a couple of weeks I’ll see if I can teach myself to stucco and then paint it to match the house. I lost my fingerprints for first time on this project when I used my fingers to stuff mortar into the vertical gaps between the blocks and then used my hands and fingers to smooth the mortar for a pleasing appearance. I knew that the lye in mortar would leach the fats from my skin, but I didn’t realize how quickly that would happen, or that the process would make the skin so soft that the sand in the mortar would rip the skin off like I was touching a sanding belt. That hurt for about two days.

Yesterday I started another project where I’m laying wall block and pavers to build up a modest terraced planting area near the front door. All that requires a lot of leveling and stuff and the final layers are sand and this tiny gravel. I again used my hands to distribute those materials around the area, and even though there was no lye involved this time it sanded the hell out of my fingers. Only took off one or two layers of skin this time, so no blood and not really painful… but close. It makes my fingertips feel funny enough that maybe I’ll remember not to be so stupid for a week or more this time around.

One of my other friends, Nat, has been doing a major project on his boat. It has to do with varnishing his cabin sole (the boats inside floor) in the summer with all the hatches closed. There are injuries there as well. How could you hurt yourself varnishing? Well, there are razor knifes, screwdrivers, sanders, and a host of other sharp objects involved in any boat project. Adding varnish fumes in an enclosed space just can’t bee good.

Well, the sun is up and my day is beginning. I salute my injured friends this morning and really mean it when I say, “I feel your pain.”

Time to plug in the saws-all.