Had a great day going ashore in the dinghy and enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant.
Fixed the main engine fuel pump leak today. We hope it stays fixed.
Larry worked on a new mooring bridle for future mooring stops. Obviously many boaters use the moorings regularly.
Today was just a domestic kinda' day. Household chores exist even on a boat.
Tomorrow should be a bit more exciting with things to do.
For the first time in a long while there wasn't a mile long list of things to fix.

Our First Selfie

Bequia Chief at Sarasota Mooring

On a Mooring at Jack's Marina - Sarasota

We are tied to a mooring ball in south Sarasota at Jack's Marina waiting good weather to leave.
If you know anything about us, you'll know we always have an adventure. Our trip here is no exception.
On our way out of pass at Tarpon Springs our engine stopped. We threw out an anchor and after bleeding the injectors we got the engine running again and out the pass we finally made it.
Motor sailed down the Gulf coast with no problems. Had a great time watching dolphins and trying not to get a sunburn. Spent the night at anchor in southern Tampa Bay.
Got up early and headed south to find a more protected anchor. Due to a storm warning we decided to take the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) and find a place to anchor and wait out the storm.
We motored all the way as the ICW is not wide enough to sail. We encountered our 1st draw bridge on this leg of the trip and we were at low tide. Our boat has a deep 6 foot draft and if you get out of the channel any !!! you will go aground.  So guess what ? But it only took 15 minutes for the tide to come up enough for us to get going again. We made it thru the bridge with no problems.
We were following a trawler as he appeared to know his way. But within an hour he was aground just ahead of us. We had to make a quick decision what to do and ended up turning around 2 times to avoid going aground and missing him. We turned a 45 foot sailboat around in what seemed to be a 35 foot channel without going aground. Thank goodness for the bow thruster.
We continued on and got into Sarasota Bay a little later than planned. Winds had kicked up and we had no place to anchor safely. I snapped a picture of winds clocked at 33 mph but shortly after that picture I saw it hit 39 mph but just didn't have the camera in my hands. We were rather busy trying to stay in deep water with wind and water spray coming across the boat. (To get this into perspective: 40 mph is tropical storm force).
We had to find a place to anchor so we headed to possibly deep water close to shore and the engine stalled. We dropped the anchor and Larry frantically swapped fuel tanks. We lifted the anchor and decided our best bet for a safe night was a marina. So we radioed the closest one, Jack's Marina, and thank goodness they had a mooring ball empty. Many other boaters were already moored there.

We are checking things over and doing maintenance. Always something to do on a boat.
I had a pretty bad migraine and spent a day in bed. But winds have started to settle down and hopefully tomorrow we'll go ashore and check out the marina. Hoping weather is good enough to leave day after tomorrow. Today Gulf waves are at 12 foot so we are staying put for a few more days.

Still fussing with fuel leaks in area of the fuel pump. Larry plans to take it apart and reseal it tomorrow and hopefully that will fix it for good. Had issues with Sirius XM weather account but they resent the connection link and it is working again. Very handy tool to have on the boat. Need to know the weather !!

                                            Mooring Field at Jack's Marina After Storm Passed

                                                     Winds clocked crossing Sarasota Bay

                                                     First Draw Bridge

We want to take a minute to thank everyone for all their support and help during our extended stay in Panama City and Tarpon Springs.

In Panama City Glenn let us use his dock to tie to for several months while waiting parts and generator repairs from a local company. Pat even let us use her car to run errands and restock supplies. We had a great time making new friends.

Unfortunately on our passage from Panama City to Tarpon Springs our poorly repaired generator gave out. While trying to make it to Tarpon Springs we took a lightening strick also. Funny what lightening will do to electronics. Thank goodness for Boat US towing service.

We used the time in Tarpon Springs to make a few other repairs needed. Too numerous to name them all, All of these repairs were very costly. The company Shirley had just retired from in March has their Corporate Office only a few miles from the marina. So she agreed to go back to work for a short time to help with these expenses.  We want to thank CRS Medical Benefits for this opportunity in allowing us to make our needed repairs. The people at CRS were super supportive and Shirley enjoyed working with all her co-workers. It was great to see everyone again.

While there I saw an eye specialist and ended up having cataracts removed. I didn't even know I had them. Just knew I couldn't see very well. I can see great now !!!

We said good-bye to all of our new friends at the marina and are again on our way to the Bahama's, the Caribbean, and other ports south.

Please follow our journey and we will post as often as allowed by internet time. That's all for now.
Feel free to make comments on this blog.

Sunset

Left Tarpon Springs dock at high tide. We are now at anchor at the mouth of Anclote River. Checked systems and everything looks good. Setting sail in the AM for a heading of South. Beautiful sunset with the light house on shore. New genset running great !!!

Getting ready to get underway

   
    At dock in Tarpon Springs. Sail covers off and ready to get underway
    Anclote Isle Marina on the Anclote river. Good safe area to stop for a 5ft draft or less, hard for a
    6ft draft to get around. We move on high tide only.