Tuesday was a beautiful morning, good breeze, little puffy clouds, 70ish. Weather report was favorable ..... so we decided to skip the bridges, and ICW and go out into the Gulf. YEAH.
Everything went wonderfully, had to motor awhile, but around 1 pm the wind picked up to 10 knots and up went the sails and we were doing 6 knots. I rigged a sheet in the back of the cockpit to keep some of the sun out and we watched the clouds bloom over the shore. Got our Sirius weather up and running and DANG a line of thunderstorms was down the entire state of Florida, with all those little yellow zig zags for lightening strikes, and the arrows that predicted the path of the storm were pointing towards us. The wind was picking up to 16 knots, not anything we had not experienced before nevertheless the safe thing was to furl the sails.
Mission accomplished and everything stowed
WHOA
Temperature dropped and wind was 30 plus knots, waves 3 feet plus coming fast. We turned to shore and tried to get ahead of the storm cell coming our way. We had a dicey hour or two but then we found the sunshine and I got some fabulous photographs of rainbows.
We decided to anchor out in the Gulf rather than try to snake our way up the Anclote River to the Turtle Cove Marina in Tarpon Springs. A glorious sunset and rocked in gentle waves through the night was a pleasant end to an interesting day.
When we were settled and after Tom hosed down the boat, we took a walk into town. Lunch at Hellas Greek Restaurant was Flaming Saganaki cheese OPAAA! and Gyro Sandwiches.
There is a bakery next to the restaurant and .... well I did get a few things :)
Tom walk to Tarpon Springs proper and the West Marine store while I wandered in and out of the shops by the river.
I found a great store "THE SPICE AND TEA EXCHANGE" spiceandtea.com
Got some fruit teas and interesting spice blends to try on fish and veggies. I liked they had no salt varieties but they did have "Bacon Salt." Gotta try that on potatoes.
I also shopped for sponges. One shop Loris Soaps puts a piece of sponge on the bar of soap... I decided on Lily of the valley to try. Also got Silk sponges, and a vase sponge.
We are going to stay here for a few days, should be fun to relax before the big jump.
As always Fair winds and a following Sea also a few Rainbows.
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| Trip on Wednesday to Marina |
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| Trip Tuesday and Wednesday |
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| Florida has an interesting problem with derelict boats |
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local knowledge this boat was raised, the owner took it
back out to its mooring and it sunk again. |
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| no drama leaving out slip in Bradenton Beach |
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| Edgenot Key Lighthouse |
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| bridge over Tampa Bay |
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| Clouds getting interesting |
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| Temporary sunshade |
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| rain blurred rainbows |
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| where we Anchored |
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| sunset Tuesday night |
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| birds on mangrove islands in Anclote river |
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| what a difference a day makes |
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| Osprey |
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| Flaming cheese |
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