Sometimes Ya Gotta Get to Shore

 Punta Gorda

On Tuesday morning as we all three boats readied to pull anchor we knew we were going to deal with a bit of a chain rats nest. We tensioned the middle anchor chain and sure enough we were all crossed as a result of the boats spinning 360 degrees while at anchor. So we boarded our respective dinghies and went into Tug mode. We swung all three boats in the direction we thought would untangle us. Thought was the operative word. Now we were 720 degrees out so back in the dinghies to rotate the boats twice in the opposite direction. We only had a 50/50 chance of getting it right. Oh well it was fun pushing the boats around with the dinghies. Shortly we were all on our separate ways. We headed to Punta Gorda were we desperately needed supplies and laundry. We had been at anchor several days so we needed to get to shore.  It was a short 25 miles up Charlotte Harbor to the City marina where we would get shore duties accomplished.

Punta Gorda was a fairly nice town with a small downtown within walking distance of the marina. There was also a bike path along the Peace river that led to a shopping and entertainment complex called Fisherman’s Village. We could definitely see residual hurricane Ian damage here. Of interesting note is that because of where Punta Gorda was in the path of the storm it actually sucked all the water out of the Peace river and Charlotte Harbor.

It must have been a sight. After Sue handled the shore duties and I cleaned up the boat we went for a bike ride to the village. We stumbled across a group of ten guys playing the bag pipes at the Sunset Tiki Bar. They were amazing. I’m generally not a Bag Pipe fan but theses guys when playing in unison were hypnotic. What a treat to listen to them as we watched the sunset and the sky catch on fire. We headed back to the boat where Sue did her usual magic in the galley. 

Boca Grande

Wednesday morning we made a leisurely departure for Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island which was 23 miles back down Charlotte Harbor to the west. The name Gasparilla comes from the last of the Buccaneer Pirates, Jose Gaspar who pillage the Florida coastline. Lore has it that before he died he hid his vast treasure somewhere on the Florida coast. Sue and I are keeping a keen eye our for any clues to find the treasure.

God knows we need it just to cover our fuel! Anyhow when we arrived we pulled into a very narrow channel which made for a challenging anchorage. We had to set our anchor in the middle of the channel then back down to the shore and tie off a stern line to a Mangrove tree to keep us from swinging across the channel blocking outer boaters from transiting the channel.

Sounds easy but we spent almost an hour getting it just right. We were then off to explore the island. It had a very nice feel to it in that it was much less refined in the small village area. Just enough shops and restaurants to keep folks entertained. One notable was the Gasparilla Inn.

It had two centers, one was the Beach Club and the other was the Inn on the golf course. This place dates back to the early 1900’s with families returning for generations each season. If you stay at the Inn and you book the same time the following year you are guaranteed a reservation in the same room! Another old world Florida place perfectly appointed. We know our friend Betsy Temple would love the place.  

One of many beautiful homes  at Boca Grande

                                                                                                 Gasparilla Light

These guys were soooo good. 

The dinghy tug service

An Epic New Years Eve

Pelican Bay

    

We planned an early departure from Sarasota on December 31st to make the 52 miles south to an anchorage at Pelican Bay just off  Cayo Costa where five other Looper boats would be to ring in the New Year. We had a great cruising day passing thru the beautiful area of Venice. We wished we had planned a stop there but we had a big New Years Celebration to get to.

We arrived  at our planned destination about 2 pm. Cayo Costa is about 15 miles off the mainland of Florida consisting of large areas of Mangrove swamps and low lying sandy keys. We rafted up with Razors Edge and Odyssey and let the last day of the year unfold. We were boat hopping with our dinghy (stopping by to say hi to other Looper boats) when we passed a boat anchored in the harbor.  “Look”,  I said to Sue, “there is another Heritage East just like our boat.”

Well before you know it they were waiving us on board as they had seen our boat earlier. We have rarely seen other Heritage East’s on the water. So we invited them back to the evenings festivities. Although nobody made it till midnight we all had a blast sharing tales and stories we had experienced on the Loop.

There was even a couple there that was on Day 1 of their Great Loop adventure along with three of us who recently earned the right to fly the Gold Burgee. Pelican bay is very serene teaming with wildlife. Many shore birds like pelicans and Ibis, alligators and loads of fish darting about in the shallows. It is great Dinghy territory with all kinds of nooks and crannies to explore. On New Year’s Day we went to a little known place called, “The Tunnel of Love.” Get you minds out of the gutter, will you? It is this shallow, narrow, over grown path thru the mangroves that leads to a secret lake which edges right up to a secluded beach on the Gulf of Mexico. 

It is not a 101 dinghy trip. It involves ducking and pulling on the branches to claw your way thru all while trying to avoid hitting submerged logs in the water. Branches were host to all kinds of critters like black fiddler crabs, snakes and spiders. Yes, we saw them all. Not for the timid. The reward was a beautiful remote shell covered beach with standing dead cypress tree trunks.

After a long shelling expedition we fought our way back and headed for a cheese burger in paradise at the famous Cabbage Key Inn. Yep, this is the place where Jimmy Buffett actually got his inspiration for the song. We all enjoyed our burger and then headed back to the fleet. We enjoyed it so much in the anchorage we ended up staying an extra day that included hanging out on a little sand bar inside the cove.

Im sure most of us can barely remember but one or two truly memorable New Years Eve parties. This one will truly be a New Years Eve celebration we will never forget! 

                                      Some of the New Years. Crew

Secret cove

                                                                                          Just hangin out

Sunset on Pelican Bay

                                                                                 Ducking in the Tunnel

Local inhabitants

                                                 Sandbar Shore Party

Realizing we can’t even begin to solve the worlds problems

Returning to a Favorite Florida Town and a Best Friend

 St Pete Beach

On December 28th we slipped the lines from the dock at Seafood Shack Marina and back tracked about 22 miles across Tampa Bay to a favorite spot of ours St Pete Beach. We spent 5 weeks there three years ago during the winter and had a blast. We anchored right off Gulfport which is where we bought Next Chapter at. St Petes is a beehive of activity along with a lot of fun entertainment spots.

One of our favorites is a dive bar at sunset called Willys. It is simply a great hang. Right across the street is the Toasted Monkey which always has great live music. We also made the trek to Ted Peters Smoked Fish. They have been in business since the early 50s and have not changed a single thing. Their fish dip and smoked fish dinners are renowned. We also rode bikes down to the south end to Pass a Grille beach.

It has a small little area of shops and restaurants along with a casual breakfast walk up place right on the Gulf of Mexico. It was so much fun to get back to the area. The morning of the 30th we headed back south with a brief stop to wrap up our affairs and say good bye to the staff at Seafood Shack marina. We then headed on to Sarasota Bay for the night to have a last dinner with Steve and Diane. On the way we stopped briefly to say hi to John and Mary Olliges who live on the water on Long boat key. Note to self, “never take navigational advice from another boater that has a much smaller boat.” We were able to get to their house but could not dock due to low tide and the lack of water. We were at lease able to say hi and have a brief conversation.

After continuing down the extremely busy intercoastal waterway we finally dropped the hook in Sarasota Bay about 3:30 pm and settled in. We met Steve and Diane ashore and had a great time walking the town and enjoying dinner together. Gosh I miss my buddy! We had a beautiful calm night at anchor overlooking the lit skyline of downtown Sarasota. There is a lot of wealth in that area and it shows. 

Christmas on the Loop

 A Very Different Christmas

So I bet some of you thought we had found Davey Jones Locker or been swallowed up by a sea monster. No such luck! Just took a break from the blog thing. This should get us caught up. On Saturday December 17th. I got the bright idea to ride my small folding bike from Cortez, Fl to the Shirley’s winter home in South Sarasota. I had not seen it yet and there was a bike path down the keys which would get me pretty close.

Besides Sue was back in Virginia Beach catching up with everybody while I stood watch over Next Chapter. So off I went. The ride took me over to Anna Maria Island and down Coquina Beach. From there I crossed the inlet to Long Boat Key. It is named “Long” for a reason. There is minimal commercial development on the island. It is mostly homes, condos and a couple of nice golf courses. Believe it or not they are still filling the last scraps of land with new development.

I then crossed over to Lido Key and the famous St Armands Circle. St Armands is a big traffic circle lined with high end shops and restaurants. It is a bust bee hive with a lively atmosphere. It was all done up with Florida style Christmas decorations. I next crossed over the Ringling bridge to the water front in Downtown Sarasota. Downtown is again another high end Florida enclave. My trek then carried me into the Florida urban sprawl where dodging cars and crossing streets became the next challenge. After about 23 miles, tired legs and a sore butt I made my destination leaving me no longer wanting to stand or sit. It was a great ride though. I spent the night after I got both the house tour and a brief tour of their surrounding area. The morning Steve and I went to one of his local breakfast spots. As some of you know Steve and I had been meeting for early breakfast in VB for decades, something I have dearly missed since he has moved. In the afternoon Steve and Diane drove me to the airport to pick up Sue and then back to the boat. It was great to have her back onboard. We spent the next couple of days poking around Cortez and the Island.

Then Christmas was upon us. So I decorated the boat with some lights and my sister provided a nice little Norfolk Island palm to sub as a Christmas tree and a couple of poinsettias. Christmas had arrived on Next Chapter. My sister Mary joined us on Christmas Eve to celebrate the holiday. We packed up her truck and headed to the Shirley’s. On the way we stopped in St Armands Circle to walk the shops and look at all the decorations. We then stopped at Marina Jacks to have a holiday drink with some Looper friends then onto the main event. Diane had their place all decked out in Holiday garb with a full spread of tasty appetizers. It was a lot of fun. Oh I forgot to mention that Mother Nature decided to give the Floridians the real feel of Christmas. Jack Frost made his appearance in a big way. Not exactly what we were looking for. We made our way back to the boat after many stories, laughs  and wonderful food. Christmas morning was spent connecting with our families back home. It was harder than I thought not being with them on Christmas Day. We made the best of it and took a long walk down the chilly beach. Sue made a wonderful lasagna that we devoured. Christmas 2022 was officially in the books. Slough it was different we still enjoyed the spirit of the season. 

A Well Deserved Breather

 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

Best Gyros Ever and Spring Break Mecca

 Tarpon Springs

Wednesday Morning November 30th, which by the way is the birthday of our beautiful daughter Anna, we headed into Tarpon Springs. The weather was classic Florida, sunny and warm. It was only 6 miles up the Anclote river. For those of you who have not been to Tarpon, it is a crazy little Greek enclave that has been there for decades and has not changed one bit.

I remember going there as a child and the flash backs were exactly what I recalled. The good news is the Greek food is still top notch home made quality. The Greeks were known for sponge diving which we are told still goes on today. They still use hard hats to harvest them. Hard hats are the big copper diving helmet that you would have seen in the movies prior to the invention of SCUBA gear.

What they use natural sponges for today I really don’t know but there is a lot of them around. Greek restaurants, trinket shops and bakery’s abound. There are numerous places in the back streets where you will find a handful of Greek guys hanging out drinking coffee. At the end of the Main Street there is a great fresh fish market where we scored some Stone Crab claws on the cheap. Wednesday night we were invited to Docktails on Inked Mermaid. Funny enough the wife was completely covered in tattoos. The night had a fun energy that put everybody on a roll. Our group went to a great Greek restaurant. Sue and I ordered the Octopus serverd Greek style. It was delicious. We ended the evening by meeting up with another group of Loopers who had dined at the Rusty Belly. At the end of the evening, which the late hour of 9 pm 9 of us piled into a golf cart and hung on the sides and went back to our respective boats for the night.

Clearwater

Thursday morning we had a leisurely morning dockside. We pulled away from the dock about 11 am and headed 32 miles down the Gulf ICW to Clearwater. The Clearwater Beach Municipal marina did not have any slips available so we dropped the anchor right in front of the marina. It was a great location with a small beach area within a couple hundred feet where we could land the dinghy and walk 5 minutes to the Gulf front where all the action was.

The crew from Odyesse was with us. Many of you probably have been to Clearwater Beach on spring break or at least wish you had. It has really grown up and become much more upscale. High end high rise condos are the norm with more on the way. Clearwater Beach still ranks as one of the top ten beaches in the world. The sand is white and soft. The water clear and emerald colored.

We liked it so much we ended up staying  three nights. Friday I did some horse trading with another Looper that had crossed their wake in Clearwater. He had a nice 9.9 Yahama outboard motor that he was willing to sell pretty cheap. He had not used it since he bought the boat a year and a half earlier. They had an electric motor that was much easier to get on and off the dinghy. He was listing the boat for sale so the motor would not make any difference in the sales price. So after a half hour of tinkering with motor I had it running. So after a hand shake and a check off I went. On Saturday our UK friends, Andy and Miguela drove down to spend the day with us. Sue and I jumped on our bikes and rode the Pinellas Bike Trail 5 miles to Dunedin. The town is a wonderful quaint place right off the ICW. The other two couples met us there by car. We walked around a great Farmers Market and enjoyed lunch from a vendor selling homemade Tamales. We all met back aboard Next Chapter for Happy hour followed by dinner ashore at the Bait Shack. A shack it was but the seafood was fresh as could be!

Brief storm rolled in at Tarpon

                                                            Hard Hat diving Helmet

This was in a historic train station that has been converted to a museum. The striking thing is the ticket windows remain. There was a wall that separated both the windows and the waiting area. One side for Blacks and one for Whites. The windows were clearly different. There was only one bathroom on the Black side two on the White side. Seems so hard to believe today. 

Tarpon Springs with their Christmas jam on. Getting ready for the lighted boat parade. 

Clearwater

                                                The Bait Shack at Clearwater Beach

Dunedin Main Street

                                                                         Dunedin

This was a school of Bonnette Head sharks swimming around the boat at anchor in Clearwater. Also called Shovel Head Sharks. They are related to Hammer Head sharks

                                                     Farmers Market Dunedin