Cortez
On Sunday morning December 4th we weighed anchor from our great stay at Clearwater Beach. We headed 22 miles south, crossing Tampa Bay to arrive at Seafood Shack Marina which we will call our temporary home port for the next month. It is a well earned respite, having navigated over 5000 miles, more locks than we can count and experienced more types of waterways that we can name. Once again we were blessed with warm sunny Florida weather with frequent Dolphin escorts along the way. Now the Marina is no big shakes. It has the bare basics, decent docks, electric and water. Laundry and groceries are a car ride away.The positives for us that far outweigh the short comings is the dockmaster is awesome, there is a couple truly classic Florida dive bars within walking distance and Anna Maria Island Village and the beach is a short dinghy ride across the ICW. This area is still largely old Florida unspoiled by high rise condos and huge beach castle homes. Mom and pop restaurants and shops are the norm. Oh did I forget to mention that my best buddy Steve Shirley is a mere short car ride away? We also officially earned our Gold Loop status as we technically crossed our wake when we passed by Gulfport, Fl. Some of you recall we purchased the boat there three years prior and captained it back to Virginia Beach. We will officially log our wake crossing when/if we return to Virginia Beach. When we arrived to Cortez we had a great greeting party, Steve and Diane Shirley. I had not laid eyes on my wingman in over a year and a half. We enjoyed the afternoon catching up on the sundeck and later shared a meal at the Tide Table just a short walk away.
On Monday we had one of our first totally relaxed days, or so we thought. Most of the day we just hung around the boat. Well about noon the crew from Razors edge, Dan and Deb pulled up in their dinghy. They saw us on NEBO and decided to anchor up right next to the marina and stay the night. So we all headed over to Anna Maria Village to explore the shops, beach and of course a couple of bars. One stop they happened to be playing Bingo. Now not just any bingo but boner bingo. Boner bingo is where you get all the spots under “N” and the lowest one on both “I” and “G”. Unfortunately none of us won. We returned to Next Chapter to meet up with Andy and Miguela who would be returning back to the UK the next day. My sister Mary also joined the foray also. She happened to be doing some Mural work in Bradenton just 20 minutes away. So we all went out to dinner to wish them goodbye. Sue and I were a bit sad to see them go as we had so much fun with them. Promises were made to meet again to do some other fun adventure.
On Thursday we hopped into a rental car and headed over to Delray Beach to be with Sue’s family who had collected to celebrate the incredibly well lived life of their father W. Michael Cassell. We were super excited as Jackie and John, Anna and Alex would be flying in for the service. We had a nice Airbnb so all of us could be together even though it would be for a short time. It felt so good to not only lay my eyes them but to also wrap my arms around them. Sue’s dad was a priest for over 40 years and was rector at the church for 25 years where the service the service was held. He actually designed the entire service prior to his passing. I must say that I have never felt the presence of someone’s spirit like I did during that service. It was so perfectly done and fitting for a man of the cloth. The entire family gathered for a dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate his life. May you Rest In Peace Pop. Sunday morning everybody scattered back into the wind to return to their respective homes. Including Sue who headed back to Virginia Beach to check on the homestead and catch up with friends. I on the other hand headed back to the west coast keep watch aboard Next Chapter and enjoy the sunny warm weather. I must say it is an odd feeling not having a desire to return to our dirt home. Something I am not sure what to make of. At this point of my life for some reason the sea Gypsy life feels right in so many ways. I don’t think I have ever had such an extended period of happiness and contentment. I can honestly say that my corresponding stress level has reached an all time low. So with that I await for my First Mate’s return to continue our great adventure.Exploring Cortez by dinghy with Looper friends
Sunset at the Tide Table a short walk from the boat