January 10:
We left Palm Island on what looked like a relatively calm day to head down to Punta Gorda. The waters were pretty decent until we hit Charlotte Harbor. As we made our way up the bay, the waves were on the beam and it made for a rather uncomfortable ride. We were pleased to arrive in Fishermen's Village Marina which will be our base for about two weeks.
Just in case anyone thought that our days are filled with house hunting and going to the beach...here is some photographic evidence to the contrary.
The Captain engaged in a big electrical project-changing our existing light fixtures from inefficient wattage to energy saving LEDs.
The finished product...
The Captain also tackled a much bigger project: removing and installing a new water pump. The old one was leaking so a major overhaul was needed. He is pretty handy to have around so I think that I will keep him on.
The Admiral, meanwhile, was demoted to waxing the upper hull.
Fortunately, our arduous boat projects were pleasantly interrupted by a visit from Rhode Island friends, Avi and Laura Nevel. Avi is an avid boater and we had to check that he had not stowed away in the forward cabin...
The marina at Punta Gorda is a total change from our previous one at Palm Island. Palm Island was very quiet with only a few boats. This marina has dozens of visiting boaters and hosts a mini shopping mall, several restaurants and lots of tourists.
The great house hunt continues: We have spent several days touring areas around Venice, Sarasota and Tampa evaluating communities as potential permanent bases. So far, no one location has jumped out at us as the perfect spot. Oh, well, the search continues.
The marina that we are currently located in is typical of most Florida waters...it is very shallow. Here are some photographs of the marina at low tide.
Entrance to the marina at low tide
Definitely do not want to take a short cut via this route into the marina.
At a recent full moon, we had an exceptionally low tide. This is the Duddon Pilot sitting on the bottom at this very low tide!
Love that mud!!
As we were sitting on the bottom, we could not use our air conditioning or heating system (yes, we actually needed heating as we had a rather cold snap) so we asked to be moved to the other side of the marina that is considerably deeper.
Here is the Duddon Pilot happily floating in deeper water.
No, this is not downtown Istanbul...these buildings were originally part of the Tampa Bay Hotel and were donated to the University of Tampa by railroad and shipping magnate Henry B. Plant.
Built between 1888 and 1891, at a cost of $3 million, the 511-room giant rose five stories, surrounded by ornate Victorian gingerbread and topped by Moorish minarets, domes and cupolas.
The rooms that once hosted Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, Sarah Bernhart, Babe Ruth (who signed his first baseball contract in the hotel’s grand dining room), Clara Barton, Stephen Crane, Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, the Prince of Wales, the Queen of England and many other celebrities of their day, are today's classrooms, laboratories, public rooms, academic and administrative offices–the heart of the University that now fans out around Plant Hall.
On one of the beautiful, sunny days, we took a break from house hunting and boat chores and took our dinghy across to the barrier island of Palm Island. Here is the Captain relaxing on the deserted beach that seems to stretch forever.
The beach is covered with shells.
Unfortunately it was also covered with dead fish as a result of a recent Red Tide. According to Wikipedia,
Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon known as an algae bloom (large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms) when it is caused by a few species of dinoflagellates and the bloom takes on a red or brown color. Some red tides are associated with the production of natural toxins, depletion of dissolved oxygen or other harmful effects which causes certain fish species to die.
One fish's poison is a turkey buzzard's bread. Flocks of these birds were enjoying a smorgasbord of fish. They really are quite ugly but perform a useful clean up function.
The posted speed on Palm Island which is perfect for the main mode of transportation seen below.
Christmas decorations really seem strange in 80 Degree weather. Some folks take their holiday decorations pretty seriously.
Another sunny day, another excursion to another beach. This time to the barrier island of Boca Grande which is a rather upscale resort area. The charge to cross the short causeway to the island is $6.00 which is designed to keep the undesirables out-somehow we managed to scrape the fee together and enter this upper crust domain. President George W. Bush has a home here. We were not invited in, however.
The Captain in front of one of the smaller beachfront houses-at least in the area that allows the public riffraff to enter.
Boca Grande is well known as a sports fishing center.
