The Flea Market!

Lay Day: Indian Rocks Beach MM 93.3

Weather: sunny, light wind, high 83, low 70

Comment: The Gray’s took us to a huge Flea Market today/ Besides the usual junk, there were dozens of produce vendors. We bought some produce and a couple of “T” shirts and then stocked up on other groceries at the local Winn-Dixie.

After arriving home, we strolled the beach for a bit. Luce and I waded in the Gulf. The news station reported the water temp at 69 degrees. It felt warmer than that to us.

After a tasty scallop dinner, neighbors Tao and Scott came over for a rousing game of dominos! 

Lay Day: Indian Rocks Beach MM 93.3

Weather: sunny, light wind, high near 80

Comment: Wow! Another great day! Willis and Luce took us out on their boat (Offshore 25). It's a great center console with high gunnels that make one feel very safe. It gives a great ride, very smooth with no pounding in chop and it is fantastic in corners and tracks well. The boat sports a "T" top with a lookout tower above. It is powered with two Honda 150s that provide good speed with little noise.

The famous Harp Tree on Caladesi Island  is documented in photographs as far back as the 1880's

We enjoyed an outing in the Gray's Bluewater boat!

Caladesi Island State Park (http://www.floridastateparks.org/caladesiisland/) Is one of the few completely natural islands along Florida´s Gulf Coast. Caladesi´s white sand beaches were rated America's Best Beach in 2008. Beach lovers can enjoy swimming, sunbathing and beachcombing. Saltwater anglers can cast a line from their boats or surf fish. Nature enthusiasts can spot wildlife while hiking the three mile nature trail through the island´s interior or paddling a three mile kayak trail through the mangroves and bay. Picnic tables and shelters are located near the beach, and picnic pavilions can be reserved for a fee. The park has a marina with electric and water hookups, as well as a snack bar and gift shop. Marina rates for an overnight stay are $1.00/ foot for a slip or $2.00/ foot for a "T" head (as of February 2012). The park is accessible by boat or ferry. Ferry service is provided by the Caladesi Island Ferry (727) 734-1501 and departs from Honeymoon Island State Park.

The park has an outstanding nature trail that takes one through several distinct habitats. The 2 1/2 mile trail is well maintained. There is pamphlet is available so one can take a self guided tour.

After dinner we dined at the Pub in Indian Rocks Beach. The Grouper Ruben is outstanding!

A Six Mile Beach Walk!

Lay Day: Indian Rocks Beach MM 93.3

Weather: Sunny; high temp 80, low 65; E @ <10 knots

Comment: After a light breakfast, we took a walk on IRB. We covered over six miles in two hours and ten minutes.

Willis and Luce arrived back from Daytona. They decided to return home to watch the race on TV after they heard that the race was postponed to 1900 hours. We watched with them. It was a long race with several crashes and a fire. The race was finally over shortly after 0100!

Yuck!

Lay Day: Indian Rocks Beach MM 93.3

Weather: Shower in the early AM; wind E @ 20 knots; overcast high temp in the low to mid 60s and low in the mid 50s

Comment: A dreary day with no sun. The threat of showers combined with the cool temps kept us indoors. The Daytona 500 was postponed for the first time ever! There was more rain in Daytona than in Indian Rocks Beach.

The Jolly Trolley!

Saturday, February 25, 2012 The Jolly Trolley!

Lay Day: Indian Rocks Beach MM 93.3

Weather: Windy! N @ 20-25 knots; high temp in the high 70s, Low 55; partly sunny

Comments: IRB has a great transportation system that seems very popular with the tourists. We purchased an all day pass ($2.25/person) that allows us to get on and off at will.

We rode north to Clearwater Beach to watch sailboat races in the ocean. There were a number of fleets, but we were particularly interested in the Opti and Laser fleets. We were amazed to see these boats racing in the ocean in BIG wind!

After the regatta, we watched Beach Volleyball. The North End Volleyball Club was hosting the competition. In the game we watched, the #1seed lost to the #4 seed. They won the last two of the best of three to win the match.

We rode the Jolly Trolley (the bus) south to John's Pass where we did a little window shopping and walked through a few stores.

After about an hour, we took the trolley back to IRB. 

Feeding the local Bluebills (Lesser Scaup)

A Nice Walk!

Lay Day: Indian Rocks Beach MM 93.3

Weather: Windy! SW @ 15-20 knots; high temp in the low 80s, Low near 60; sunny

Comments: The Gray's and friends are on their way the the Daytona 500! They'll have a great time, I'm sure!

The morning was spent visiting with everyone. After lunch, we took a 3.5 mile walk from Belleair Bluffs back to Indian Rocks Beach. We even got to walk about 1/2 mile on the beach.

SUNSHINE tied up to the Gray's Dock

Visiting Friends in Indian Rocks Beach!

From: Twin Dolphin Marina, Bradenton, FL MM 93.3

To:         Indian Rocks Beach, FL MM 129.0

Odometer: 38.2

Latt:         27 53 39N

Long: 82 50 60W

Weather: A mixed bag of dense fog, sun, clouds and overcast sky; high mid to high 70s and low in the mid 50s; SSW 15 knots

Comment: Bradenton proved to be a great place. Not only did we have a great time with cruising friends, we enjoyed the city, museum, a couple of the restaurants and the Old City area. There's still a lot more to see and do on a return visit.

Departure was delayed by dense fog. Once underway, we followed the channel to Tampa Bay. We motor sailed across the bay and furled the jib when we entered a narrow channel that was bordered by 1/2 foot depths on both sides. 

On the day we passed through seven bascule bridges before making landfall at the Gray's home. Willis and Lucille and their neighbors were waiting on their dock for our arrival. They helped secure SUNSHINE, and in no time we started exchanging stories about activities and events since we last visited with each other. 

We went out to dinner and continued to swap stories throughout the evening.

Snooty!

Lay Day: Twin Dolphin Marina, Bradenton, FL MM 93.3

Weather: A mixed bag of sun, clouds and overcast sky; high mid to high 70s and low in the mid 50s

Comment: Larry and Fran came by at 0900 to take us to the local Publix. After stowing the refrigerated items, we walked to a local establishment for breakfast. It was great catching up on their family and what they've been doing. Sometime around 1100 hours, it was time for them to shove off. After the goodbyes, we walked to the museum where we saw a couple of shows in the planetarium, the feeding of "Snooty" and "Charly" the resident manatees and a few exhibits. Snooty is 63 years old, the oldest manatee in captivity, weighs 1200 pounds,.

Sixty-three year old "Snooty" lives in the Bradenton Museum

Lunch was taken in a German Restaurant, and dinner was enjoyed with Patty and Ray at a local Italian Restaurant. It was another great visit with them and we thank Patty, Ray, Fran and Larry for their company and friendship!

Reunion!

From: Sarasota Bay, FL MM 78.4

To: Twin Dolphin Marina, Bradenton, FL MM 93.3

Odometer: 24.0

Latt:         N 27 30 03

Long: W 82 34 37

Weather: A mixed bag of sun, clouds and overcast sky; high mid to high 70s and low in the mid 50s

The "Flock" (Larry, Fran, Ray, Patty, Anna Marie, Bill)

Comment: What a great day! We had a 3-boat (although we were the only attendees on a boat!) mini reunion with members of the "flock" from our southern migration in 2007-08. It was wonderful to see Patty and Ray (Reflection"), who now call Bradenton home, and Fran and Larry (Kalista) who are visiting family and friends. We haven't seen Fran and Larry for a couple of years. It's been way too long! We enjoyed seeing and hanging with all four of them.

Excitement!

From:        Englewood Beach, FL MM 43.3

To:        Sarasota Bay, FL MM 78.4

Odometer: 42.2

Latt:         27 23 31N

Long: 82 34 35W

Weather: The cold front went through yesterday. Today's high temp is in the mid 70s and the low should be 55; N wind < 10 knots but picked up after sunset to 15 knots making it lumpy in the anchorage at Longboat Key.

Comment: The trip to Sarasota Bay was interesting but uneventful. Our course took us through back bays, cuts and mangroves with developments peppering both the oceanside as well as the mainland. During the course of our travels we had to pass through several bascule bridges and one swing bridge.

The mud hook was lowered near Longboat Key on the west edge is Sarasota Bay by 1430 hours and it was time for some R&R. As the evening chased the daylight, the wind veered to the east and increased in intensity to 15 knots. SUNSHINE was bouncing in the waves from the two and one-half mile fetch and it was becoming uncomfortable. We are loath to be underway in the dark in unfamiliar waters, but we made the decision to make the 2 1/2 mile trip east across the bay to get in the lee of the eastern shore. The mud hook was up at 2200 hours and we were resecured to the bottom by 1045 hours. It came as no surprise that life is much better on this side of the bay in an east wind.

No Way to Start the Day!

From: Cayo Costa, FL MM 23.0 To: Englewood Beach, FL MM 43.3 Odometer: 21.9 Latt: 26 55 32N Long: 82 21 31W Weather: A cold front is supposed to pass through sometime today. High 83 low 64; wind SW @ 7 knots building to W @ 20 knots Comment: Rather than stay aboard at anchor, we listened to the forecast (several times) and decided to head north and get anchored before the strong winds arrived. After getting the mud hook on deck, we motored past About Time to thank Lee and Dee for their hospitality and friendship and to wave goodbye. We had a great time visiting Cayo Costa with them! As we rounded their boat, I set a course just south of an anchored sailboat, thinking that we were far enough south to avoid the three foot charted depth. I neglected to look at the GPS. I felt SUNSHINE scrap bottom, but before I could react, we were aground. I jumped into the water and tried to push off, to no avail. Lee and Dee launched their dinghy and came by to offer assistance. Anna Marie had already placed a call to TowBoat US. It was really nice of them to offer assistance. Since the tow boat was on the way, we figured to just wait. They understood and we bid goodbye to them again and they were off. As the tide slowly came in, I could feel SUNSHINE begin to move. She slowly broke free of her connection to the bottom. After 45 minutes we were on our way. Anna Marie called to cancel the TowBoat. The trip to Englewood Beach was uneventful. After Gasparilla, we were in protected waters the whole way. We got the anchor down by 1230 hours and settled in for the blow.

Bocce on the Beach!

Lay Day: Cayo Costa State Park, FL MM 23.0 Weather: High 80, low 60; SW wind 6-10 knots, calm in the morning and evening; mixture of sun and clouds, frequently overcast. Let the games begin! 1000 hours was the appointed time for the historic Bocce rematch between me and Bocce partner Dee (About Time) and Anna Marie and Lee (About Time). We met at the dinghy dock and took the tram to the beach where we established a Bocce area. Dee and I were victorious in 4 of the 6 games we played, making clutch shot after clutch shot. To say we dominated would be a very fair characterization. Between games, we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the pavilion, and following the final match, we set up camp on the beach to enjoy the rest of the day. Anna Marie and I arrived back aboard SUNSHINE, with 18 gallons of fresh water in our jugs. Anna Marie promptly siphoned it into SUNSHINE's water tanks.

A Beach Walk!

Lay Day: Cayo Costa State Park, FL MM 23.0 Weather: High 80, low 60; SW wind 6-13 knots, calm in the morning and evening; mixture of sun and clouds, overcast at times Comment: Cayo Costa is a great place. The beach is about 3 miles long and there is an inlet that is passable by wading. The shelling is outstanding! There are primitive campsites and rental cabins. According to the ranger, one can re-provision by taking the ferry boat. Access is by boat. You can't get here with a car. Our activities included a beach walk of about four miles and shelling. In the evening, we had dinner guests. We enjoyed the evening with Lee and Dee (About Time).

The Miserable Mile!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 The Miserable Mile! From: Fort Myers Beach, FL MM 5.0 To: Cayo Costa, FL MM 23.0 Latt: 26 41 01N Long: 82 14 12W Weather: wind generally less than 5 knots; high 80, low 60, mostly sunny Comment: At 0800, we motored out of the FMB mooring field, bound for Cayp Costa. At the West Coast ICW MM 0, we entered the so called "Miserable Mile." it is a straight, narrow, exposed channel that is subject to strong cross currents and open to wind. The miserable mile has quite a reputation, but it this day, it was very benign. At times we were able to motor sail with the jib. The scenery is pretty along this stretch of the ICW. Useppa Island and Cabbage Key are particularly attractive and will Merritt a visit someday, just not today! By 1330 hours, the anchor was down and we were preparing SUNSHINE for a few days stay in Pelican Bay and Cayo Costa. Anna Marie and I went ashore for an exploratory peek at the cay. We plan to walk the length of the beach tomorrow.

Bocce!

Lay Day: Fort Meyers Beach, FL Weather: It's not cold anymore. People are walking the streets of FMB in bikinis! High in the high 70s, low near 60, SE wind 10-14 knots Comment: Dee and Lee invited us to play Bocce at the "old folks home" where they have a cottage and keep their boat. We met them under the bridge in FMB a few minutes before 0830. They whisked us off to Shell Point for Bocce on a groomed lawn that was equal to any putting green I've ever seen. The players were a delightful bunch. We played three terrific games in 11/2 hours. It was great! Following Bocce we were given a tour of the community by our hosts. Shell point has three distinct residential centers that house about 2400 people. The grounds are maintained in park like fashion. The amenities are outstanding. It really looks like a great upscale facility. We wish Dee and Lee much happiness there. Follow lunch, we returned to the dinghy dock. Before heading back to SUNSHINE, we took a walk to the main drag and headed south for several blocks. Along the way, we met our mooring neighbors who are cruising on a really nice, well maintained Endeavor 30 catamaran. Speaking of neighbors, a couple of balls away lies a Packet Cat. We've only ever seen two or three of them being used as cruisers. I've often thought they make a great boat for doing the ICW what with their twin diesels, short mast and nice accommodations.

Reunion!

Monday, February 13, 2012 Reunion! From: Naples, FL MM 32.5 To: Fort Myers Beach, FL MM 5.0 Latt: 26 27 34N Long: 081 56 97W Weather: Hey! It's cold outside! The morning temp was reported to be 39 degrees. On SUNSHINE, the inside temp was in the mid 50s. With 16 knots of wind, it felt plenty cold! The high reached 80+ in the "bubble." the actual high was probably in the mid to high 60s. Comments: Fort Meyers Beach here we come. We left the Naples mooring fields at about 0815 in 13 - 16 knots of wind out of the NE. Conditions just outside Gordon Pass were a bit confused. SUNSHINE rounded the outer mark and made a beeline toward shore to get into the lee of the land. Although we planned to sail, it was too cold to open the bubble. We chose to motors ail instead. We made good time. By 1330 hours, we were tied to Ball 12 in the Fort Meyers Beach mooring field. We walked around a bit before meeting up with Dee and Lee, friends we met in Marathon last year. We had a great reunion and made arrangements to play Bocce Ball with them tomorrow. Thanks for dinner Lee and Dee!

A Cold Front!

Saturday, February 12, 2012 Naples Concert Band Lay Day: Naples, FL MM 32.5 Weather: Cold! Low 50, high near 60; breezy mostly sunny but sometimes overcast Comments: the day started as most do, with breakfast in the cockpit. This morning was a bit different though, we had to use the heater! With it burning at full throttle, the cockpit temp warmed to a rather balmy 68 degrees. After tea and coffee, we went ashore for laundry detail. Once the machines did their work, we went back to SUNSHINE where we enjoyed a great salad for lunch. We returned to shore for the concert at the band shell in Cromier Park. The Naples Concert Band, an all volunteer band, was very good. We enjoyed their program and noted that the band is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. During the intermission, we walked to the grocery store for provisions. The walk was longer than I anticipated. We made it back to the concert for the final two selections. Following the Stars and Stripes March, the large crowd dispersed. Considering the cold weather, it was amazing to see so many people in attendance. Many of the concert goers looked as if they didn't know it was cold out. It seemed that we were the only two people in winter coats, and believe me, we needed them!

Naples Ashore!

Saturday, February 11, 2012 Naples Ashore! Lay Day: Naples, FL MM 32.5 Weather: a little bit of everything overcast, sun, and a lot of wind; high low 70s, low 50s Comments: So, Naples is an interesting town! The 5th Avenue District sported a huge car show. There were more Ferraris than cars in NJ car shows. In fact, there had to be hundreds of cars on display. It was incredible. The park Nextel door had a big art show with what appeared to be one hundred or so tents and all kinds of art and handicrafts for sale. We stopped walking for a few minutes to listen to country singer Rockie Lynne and his band. He thanked his fans for making one of his recordings (something about putting your lipstick on in the car) number 1! Who knew? He was entertaining and a pretty good guitar player too. From 5th Avenue, we walked to the 3rd Street historic section of town. There were more shops and restaurants. It's a shame we missed the Saturday morning Farmer's Market. It would have been nice to get some fresh veggies. We walked back to Crayton Cove to talk to the marina staff and then walked to the Tin City section of town. It's a funky place with shops and more eateries. Not at all upscale like Fifth Ave. our only purchases were coconut ice cream cones that we enjoyed while watching people come and go. We were back aboard SUNSHINE by 1600 hours, after having walked for three hours!

A Change of Plans!

Friday, February 10, 2012 From: Everglades City, FL MM 63.0 To: Naples, FL Latt: 26 07 88N Long: 081 47 60W Weather: Fog in the morning and evening; variable wind generally less than 5 knots; high80, low 67; sun after morning fog then partly cloudy, then evening fog Comments: After leaving Everglades City, we set a course for San Carlos Bay and Fort Meyer's Beach. The prudent mariner must go pretty far south and west before turning north so as to avoid the Cape Romano Shoals just south of Marco Island. Recognizing that we wouldn't be able to turn to the north until about noon, and having listened to the weather forecast (a cold front is moving in tomorrow), we decided to change the destination to Naples. Rather than motor in the Gulf, we decided to take the inside route behind Goodland and Marco I. This route would give us something to see. It also allowed us to get rocked by small boat wakes.

Sailboat or Motorboat?

Thursday, February 9, 2012 She's a Sailboat!

From: Little Shark River, In the Everglades MM 100

To:         Everglades City, FL MM 63.0

Start Hours: 399.0

End Hours: 400.8

Odometer:         47.8

Latt:           25 51 50N

Long: 081 23 28W

Weather: Low 67, high 83; overcast in the morning, partly sunny in the afternoon; NE 15+/- knots; 5 hour sail!

Comments: So, we're already a day out of Marathon and after yesterday's long slog, we were hoping for salable wind conditions. The forecast for north wind at 15 knots wasn't promising. It the forecast is right, it'd be a long, along and very bumpy motorboat ride to Everglades City.

As we entered the Gulf from our anchorage, we found lumpy seas caused by wind that was out of the NNE. We could sail (yeah), but we wouldn't be able to hold the rhumb line the Indian Key, the entrance to Everglades City. We were able to sail within 10-15 degrees of our intended course. About two miles ahead and a bit to weather of us was another sailboat. Great! We have somebody to race! 

As early morning gave way to mid-morning, we clawed our way to windward of the lead boat. The wind was backing a bit and soon we were able to cross to windward of the rhumb line. We were sailing almost as high as the monohull and much faster. It took less than two hours to pass him. We waved as we went by.

We reached Indian Key by 1250 hours. The 1000, 1100 and 1200 hours averaged boat speeds of 8+ mph, proving that SUNSHINE is much better sailing than motoring!

We were tied up to the Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City by 1430 hours. We walked around town for a couple hours, stopping for a delicious seafood dinner at the Oyster House (about two miles from the Rod and Gun Club).

There is a nice museum in town, but we didn't go in because a tour bus just off loaded its passengers for a museum tour. It would have been too crowded for us to enjoy. We stopped next door at Sussie's, a restaurant/museum of sorts. It looked like a neat place.

After our walk, we rested on the Club' veranda before boarding SUNSHINE for the evening!

Departure Day!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 

From: Boot Key Harbor, Ball L-7, Marathon, Florida MM 145

To:         Little Shark River, In the Everglades MM 100

Start Hours: 388.8

End Hours: 399.0

Elapsed:        10.2

Odometer:        50.6

Latt:         25 17 66N

Long: 081 08 59W

Weather: overnight low made it down to 75 F, the high reached 80; winds were light and variable at 5-10 knots; Florida Bay was calm but became choppy for several hours before settling down just before we anchored 

Comments: Leaving Marathon can best be described as bittersweet! We love the harbor, the activities and life in the mooring field. But, we're looking forward to new adventures, a slow cruising pace and meeting friends along the way.

It's great to be underway again. The motors hummed along quietly and didn't miss a beat. We put the mainsail up, but the wind was too light for it to do any good. We even unfurled the jib, but couldn't get enough bit to have it draw. 

We made our destination, the Little Shark River by early evening (1810 hours). It was a long, slow motorboat ride to get here.

January 23 - February 7

Well things have been pretty much standard since my last post. We have continued walking, bicycling, and eating Marathon. Here's the synopsis for January 23 - 31:

Monday, January 23, 2012 Pine Needle Baskets

Happy Monday! That's right it's Monday, the day of the week that Anna Marie and other folks from the harbor to meet with Libby (S/V Tarwathie) who teaches them to make Pine Needle Baskets. Libby is a real artist when it comes to making these baskets. She is very creative and her baskets are exquisite.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Bike Ride!

Today's ride was only ten miles. We rode north to the airport, then behind the field to Vacca Cut and south to Banana Bay, where we enjoyed our picnic lunch.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 Laundry and 36 Gallons of Water!

That's right, it's laundry day. Anna Marie did four loads in about three hours. After returning to the boat, I made two runs for water (36 gallons) to replenish the fresh water tanks.

Thursday, January 26, 2012 Key West!

Friday, January 27, 2012 Bocce & Provisioning!

Ever hear of panniers? That's right, they're kinda like saddlebags for bikes. Those things are expensive. We couldn't afford them, even though we could use additional carrying capacity for our bikes. Besides, fancy panniers might make our bikes more attractive to thieves. What to do? I've got it... We'll purchase a few cheap plastic trash bins and zip tie them to the bikes. For the princely sum of $10.00 and a few zip ties, we now have new trash container panniers. Pretty neat!

Saturday, January 28, 2012 Family Fun Day!

The Marathon Community Park was the site for Family Fun! There were games and activities for kids of all ages, with lots of valuable prizes. We went for the music. Misery Loves Company, a local band of four young teens was the headline act. They are good musicians who seem to specialize in classic rock, perhaps influenced by their music teachers. It interesting to see their progress over the last couple of years. They need to develop stronger vocals and a stage presence to go along with their virtuosity on their instruments (guitar, bass, keyboard and drums).

Sunday, January 29, 2012 Dinner Guests!

The crew of Quequeeg joined us for dinner tonight. They kept a watchful eye on SUNSHINE after SUNSHINE while she was on the hard at Driftwood Marina. Thanks Mike and Bev!

Monday, January 30, 2012 Basket Class!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Road Trip!

Went to check out Belle Hatchee Marina as a possible place to store SUNSHINE for the summer. We passed on the idea.

Here's a summary of our February Log:

Wednesday, February 1, 2012 Broke another spoke and the Wednesday Evening Meet n' Greet!

Thursday, February 2, 2012 Saw the movie War Horse!

Friday, February 3, 2012 Played Bocce in the Park and had ginner guests in the evening.

Saturday, February 4, 2012 The Wild West or Is It the Untamed South?

The Bus breaks down. 1 hour wait for the replacement bus. No problem for us as it he driver pulled to a stop about a mile from the Big Pine Flea Market which was our destination. We were lucky. I'd hate to be the people waiting for the bus at stops just down the road!

Just in case you thought that the Keys were becoming tame and that all the eccentric personalities have gone elsewhere, here's a story for you:

This observation occurred while sitting at the bus stop waiting for the Key West bus to take us to Big Pine Key. Across US 1, a middle aged woman was walking northbound. She was having a rather loud conversation with herself when, suddenly, she stopped, became rather animated, yelling and flailing her arms. Apparently she wasn't happy with some of the things she said to herself! After a couple of minutes, she started to calm down and began walking when, she suddenly stopped again, began shouting and took some swings at herself! She yelled, argued and fought for several minutes before walking away.

Now that's the kind of behavior we've come to expect in Florida. Jimmy Buffet says the cosmic baker took us out of the over too soon. He may be right!

Sunday, February 5, 2012 Super Bowl Sunday!

Watched the Super Bowl in the marina. The Giants beat the Patriots 21-17 in a pretty even contest. The crowd was fairly quiet. There Wasn't really any vociferous cheering, except on the really good plays.

The Relay for Life Team sold hot dogs, nachos and pop corn. They also had a Super Bowl pool. We never heard who won. We watched the game in one of the TV rooms. All the chairs were filled, but we only met the Captain of almost Heaven.

Monday, February 6, 2012 Moving the Truck!

Drove 326 miles to Westland Marina in Titusville where we parked the truck until the spring. Westland will be SUNSHINE's summer home. We left her there two years ago and were happy with the storage arrangements. They've made major improvements to the marina facilities and reduced the price by $1.50/ft. since our last stay!

Before parking the truck, we picked up the rental car from Avis in Titusville. Then we drove the 326 miles back to SUNSHINE, That's right, it was a very long day of driving.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 Final Preparations for Departure!

Weather: rain and thunder showers; low temp 71, high temp in the high 70s; south wind @ 5 knots

Comments: rather than rush around this morning attending to last minute preparations for departure, we decided to take our time. I expect all our tasks to be completed by 1600 hours. Those tasks include:

• Return car,
• Home Depot
• Pack/load bikes
• Stow dinghy
• Final trash run
• Register for one more day on ball
• Make birthday movie for Madie
• Run generator
• Check out @ marina