Tampa Bound

We had a lazy morning with opportunities to do some exercising and see the local sights. We finally get underway at 1100 and expect to cruise a short 4 hours to our anchorage along the Sunshine Causeway in Tampa.

We have company once again as we cruise the inland waterway. Many times during our travels, we are accompanied by porpoises (dolphins). They will swim either along your beam or directly off your bow. It is fun to watch them perform for you as they jump out of the water and they appear to enjoy the attention. They will often roll on their side to get a better look at their audience.

As I mentioned earlier, we intend to anchor out this evening in the Tampa Bay area. We selected a protected area with other boats anchored there. The weather was great; clear skies, light winds and calm seas. We decided to get our dingy down for the first time and even do some swimming. The water wasn't as clear as we hoped, but it was pleasant enough. The dingy was a little challenging since the davit is basically a one way davit. It will only "hoist" the dingy back to the storage spot atop the cover for the aft deck. You have to adjust the "drag" to slowly deploy the dingy to the water. I was glad I didn't sever a finger in the cable while doing this.... it just looked a little daunting.

Late that evening we enjoyed watching the sun set as the full moon rose. I am hoping for a more comfortable rest compared to a previous anchorage.

As we close down for the night, I do one last check of the anchor, recheck the alarm and make sure everything is secure on deck. Positive everything is "ship shape" and I head off to bed.

As any responsible boater would do, we should be considerate of the wake we create. Especially larger boats with significant wakes that potentially can cause damage to other boaters. I try to be aware of our smaller brothers/sisters on the water and slow down when passing them, especially if they are anchored while fishing. Well, sometime during the night the boat begins to rock more than usual. I get up to see who the inconsiderate boater is and let him/her know this is not appreciated. Once I get on the aft deck, I see what the problem is.... The wind has picked up to almost 15 knots and the waves are slapping against our hull. Certainly not what I had expected, but nonetheless we were prepared with ample rode on our anchor. I did spend the remaining night watching the weather. Whoops... there I go again, borrowing trouble.

The next day we are hoping to get to Marker One Marina to meet up with Chip and Dad. Also my youngest brother Skip lives in the Tampa area and we are planning on getting together with him. He recently purchased a home in Tampa and I haven't had the chance to see it, so it was important for all of us to visit him.

More tomorrow about the visit and the trip.

Till then....

Rusty and Kris