Sarasota Florida to Cape Haze Florida - Nov 29, 2016

Nov 27^th – It was another hot and sunny day today.  We did a little rocking and rolling since we arrived here, mostly because of the boat wakes from the GICW.  We’ve decided to stay one more night on the mooring ball at Marina Jack, however we’re looking to move farther south tomorrow morning but we still haven’t nailed down our options.  I was working in the man cave this morning to carefully look at the wiring on the positive and negative side of the alternator.  On the negative side (ground) I found that one of the major ground cables going from the ground on the engine to the negative post on the battery had a loose connector which I recrimped.  On the positive side I found that the connection from the alternator to the positive post on the battery came loose … I assume from vibration.  Thus I fixed these 2 issues and hope that this will fix my charging issue on the Port engine.  I plan to call the Alternator repair shop tomorrow morning to discuss my findings to see if they agree that this could have caused my issue.  After I cleaned up my mess we went by dingy into town and visited the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota which has a wide variety of plant life including a desert setup.  After our visit it looked like it may rain so we rushed back to the boat since all the windows were left open, however the rain never arrived thus we sat back and watched the boat traffic along the GICW. 

Nov 28^th – It was a hot, sunny and windy day today.  We left the mooring ball at Marina Jack this morning and travelled 37 miles down the GICW to the Palm Island marina in Cape Haze Florida.  Unfortunately the port side charging issue still haunts us and the alternator repair shop really isn’t able to help much without hands on support thus I may have to try switching parts from one engine to the other to see if the problem moves.  Unfortunately it takes 2-3 hours of run time before the issue shows up thus it may take a fair amount of time to isolate the issue.  I may exchange the alternators to see if the problem is alternator related since I’m still within driving range to take advantage of the 1 year warranty on the rebuild.  On the bright side, we were met at the marina by a bunch of Krates north people: Don, Jim, Liz, Greg and Joanne.  It was Exxxcellent to see familiar faces from Canada.  We even had dinner at Don’s favorite Florida restaurant.  Our plan is to stay here for either 1 or 2 months to see what it’s like to be part of the Krate’s South crowd to see if the Snow Bird gig is for us or not.

Nov 29^th – It was another hot, sunny and windy day today.  Don picked us up this morning and gave us a tour of Rotonda Florida which really helped us understand why they enjoy Florida so much.  We relaxed at Don’s place for a while and during the middle of the tour we stopped at Greg’s and Joanne’s place and had a couple Canadian Caesars which was a treat since we haven't had a Caesar in a while.  Afterwards we went to Donny’s Bar for Happy Hour and dinner with Don, Jim and Liz.  We enjoyed a great day with a great group of people!  Maria and I could get attached to this lifestyle pretty quickly.  Perhaps we’ll become members of the Krate’s South group … however we learned that Don has moved his boat to Starport which has surprised us since he was our neighbour and seen to be a fixture at Krates.  We’ll be spending another day with the group tomorrow on Jim's and Liz's boat.  Exxxcellent!

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota FL

Interesting suspended bridge

Amazing Roots

Another bridge picture

And you are probably asking ... Why is Mike always in the picture????

The desert

An interesting place on the GICW

Mike, Greg and Don in Greg's backyard

Mike, Jim, Liz, Don and Maria at Donny's favorite bar!

St Petersburg Florida to Sarasota Florida - Nov 26, 2016

Nov 24^th – Happy Thanksgiving to our US friends!  It was a hot and sunny day today.  We haven’t spent much time with other Loopers since most of them rushed south to a marina where they could leave their boat to travel home for Thanksgiving and some have an extended leave until after Christmas.  We’ve been moving at a slower pace than most since we aren’t heading home until Christmas and we have until Dec 15^th to get to Palm Island Marina which is only about 80 miles south of where we are.  Thus we’ve been socializing with people we meet in the marinas we stay at and expect to see the Loopers sometime in January, however we hear that this part of the trip will be quite different since the Loopers tend to scatter during the winter months and then they are driven back together again as they head north along the Atlantic ICW in April.  The bikes are taking a beating from the salt thus I cleaned them and oiled the major components so we could go for a bike ride today.  We rode 27km today from St Petersburg Municipal Marina to Pasadena and back. And we weren’t done yet … we walked into town for an ice cream cone or happy hour however the stores were closed … Oh well.  Back to the boat, chairs on the front, sunning ourselves with cocktails and a non-traditional BBQed Thanksgiving dinner.   

Nov 25^th – It was a hot and sunny day.  This will be our last night at the St Petersburg Municipal Marina.  We walked all around the town today and it’s amazing how many businesses are putting up Christmas decorations.  We went out to dinner on a patio close to the St Petersburg Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.  After dinner we walked over to the huge gathering of people where a large brass band was playing Christmas carols.  Then a count-down began: 10-9-8-…-3-2-1 and then the whole area was lit up by thousands of lights on a massive Christmas tree as well as trees throughout the area.  All this while we were wearing shorts and flip flops …. A very strange outfit for a Christmas gathering!   
     
Nov 26^th – It was a hot day with a mix of sun and clouds.  We walked into St Petersburg to check out their farmers market and we were impressed by the size of the market, diversity and quality of the items available.  Afterwards we pulled out of the marina and travelled 39 miles across Tampa Bay and on the GICW to Marina Jack in Sarasota Florida.  On the way our port engine had the same undercharging issue and I quickly went below with a volt meter to check the output of the rebuilt alternator and it was only 12.3 volts.  It started working again after 10 minutes or so.  Thus our intermittent charging issue is still not fixed.  I’ll have to call the alternator repair shop on Monday.  We decided to stay on a mooring ball at Marina Jack and Maria did a great job catching the mooring ball with the pipe pole especially since we are mooring ball virgins!  Not anymore ;)  Once we were settled we used the dingy to get to Marina Jack’s dingy dock and walked into town.  It looks like a nice town, however we think St Petersburg gave us a better first impression.  We may stay here a few days, however the mooring field isn’t well protected from the wind as what we thought it would be thus we may move if it gets a little lumpy here.

US Thanksgiving day - getting some sun on the boat

Tree lighting ceremony in St Petes

Wow ... there are lots of people here for the tree lighting!

St Pete's farmers market

A very long bridge over Tampa Bay

Someone must have forgot to put their plug in their sailboat

Arriving in Sarasota FL

I'd like to meet the person that rides this bike!

Our first mooring ball

Hanging out in St Petersburg Florida - Nov 23, 2016

Nov 21^st – It was cool and sunny today.  Charlie from the LSYC came by to pick me up this morning to take our alternator into a local repair shop and afterwards we went to Walmart to load up on heavy stuff like Beer, Water and Engine Oil since this stuff is hard to carry without a car.  The alternator repair shop called back later in the day to tell me that the alternator needs to be rebuilt and will be ready tomorrow morning.  This should resolve the intermittent battery charging issue that I’ve been experiencing on the port engine since the summer when we were in Canada.  Today was a cleaning day … I washed the boat to make it salt free and Maria caught up on the laundry.  In the afternoon we walked to the local Publix to get a few things for dinner.  Maria is going to make her famous pumpkin rice with hot Italian sausage that I love soooo much.  Our kids will be glad that they are not here since they never seemed to like it … that just means there will be more for me ;)  Tomorrow will be repair day: Step 1 – Pick up the rebuilt alternator;  Step 2 – Install the alternator;  Step 3 – Test the alternator to ensure it works.

Nov 22^nd – It was a warm and sunny day today.  We are still in St Petersburg Municipal Marina enjoying the town and getting things accomplished before we move on.  We still need to decide where to go next, however my guess is somewhere in Sarasota.  The alternator repair shop called to say the alternator is ready and we accepted Charlie’s offer to assist us getting to the shop to pick it up.  Afterwards I installed and tested the alternator and everything seems to be working thus hopefully my intermittent charging issue has been resolved.  Only time will tell!  We invited Charlie and his mother to dinner to say thanks for their help getting us to and from the alternator repair place as well as taking me shopping for supplies.  Maria wowed us with enough food for an army and now I’m stuffed … I think she’s trying to fatten me up ;)

Nov 23^rd – It was a sunny and hot day.  We plan to check out sites in town today since our mandatory jobs have been completed.  The first thing we visited was the Salvador Dali museum.  We went along on a guided tour and then used the audio tour devices to see the unique art work that Dali created during his lifetime.  I’m not really a fan of museums, however this one was interesting since Dali incorporates the use of math and science in his artwork and has created some mind bending pieces.  After our museum visit we walked into town and found a big Christmas Tree … another reminder that Christmas is coming!  Finally back to the boat for some cocktails while watching the sun go down.  I think we'll just relax tonight!    

The St Petersburg Municipal Marina

Charlie, Lucille and I during our dinner to thank them for their help

Strange looking birds that aren't afraid of us

The Dali Museum

Beautiful scenery at the museum

2 pictures in one - Nude lady from the rear and President Lincoln

View from inside the museum

A ham that has been cured for 4 years using sea salt

One of the interesting looking homes in St Petersburg

Another reminder that Christmas is on its way!

Clearwater Beach Florida to St Petersburg Florida - Nov 20, 2016

Nov 18^th – It was warm and sunny today.  We’re staying one more night in our Clearwater Beach anchorage and then we are moving to St. Petersburg Municipal Marina tomorrow afternoon.  Maria’s allergies were killing her today thus she just popped some pills and blew her nose all day while she was suffering in bed, on the couch, etc.  When I look at her I think of “Rudolf the red nosed reindeer”!  I decided to use the day to check out the systems in the engine room and I believe I found our intermittent alternator charging issue on the port engine.  The relay stator terminal on the alternator came loose thus there’s an internal loose connection at this terminal, however the only way to fix the loose terminal is from the inside of the alternator.  I removed the alternator and tried to take it apart, however I gave up and decided to take the alternator in to a starter/alternator repair shop in St. Petersburg to have them correct the issue and test the alternator to ensure everything is working OK.  Fun, fun, fun!

Nov 19^th – It was a warm and sunny day today.  We waited for the tide to go up enough to leave our Clearwater Beach anchorage and travelled 40 miles to St Petersburg Municipal Marina.  The Gulf Intercoastal Waterway was extremely busy today … I assume because it was a Saturday, however it was also a great boating day.  On route Charlie from the LSYC saw us as we went by his St Petersburg condo and called us on the VHF radio to say Hi.  Once we arrived at the marina we secured our boat and then went into town for dinner.  The town is filled with interesting restaurants, museums, pubs, etc.  It’s filled with activity and there are horse drawn carriages on the streets.  Many of the people in town are dressed to the 9’s and valet parking seems to be very popular here, however it filled up quickly thus the late comers had to self park their cars.  It was a perfect time for us to come into a marina today since they are forecasting 30 to 50 knot gusts tonight!  After we got back to the boat we relaxed and then all of a sudden there was an explosion … I jumped up to see what happened and close by there was an amazing fireworks display that caught us by surprise.  I thought a boat blew up in the marina!

Nov 20^th – It was a very cool windy and sunny day.  We are still in St Petersburg Municipal Marina and will be taking advantage of their weekly rate since we’re ahead of schedule and there’s lots to do in this area.  I went to get my hair cut today and Jamie, my hair stylist, did a great job!  Afterward we went shopping at Publix for a few things and then walked back to the boat.  We then walked back into town and checked out an Art Festival that was taking place this weekend.  We came across a nativity scene for Christmas … OMG I can’t believe there are Christmas decorations up already.  It especially feels strange to see Christmas decorations in a warm climate like this.  As the sun went down the temperature really started to drop and I hear that tonight is going to be the coolest night since February … I guess we’ll have the heaters going tonight!  Tomorrow morning Charlie from the LSYC will be coming by to take me to an Starter/Alternator repair shop in town to fix our Alternator issue.  Hopefully the repair bill is reasonable.

Bridge heading towards St Petersburg

Approaching St Petersburg Florida

Most restaurants in St Petersburg have an outdoor seating section

I'm bored ... get in the carriage and I'll take you for a ride

An interesting tree ... I think kids live in it

A scary piece of Art ... the face in the picture looks around

Jamie cutting my hair in St Petersburg

Christmas decorations already? 

Arts festival in St Petersburg

Still relaxing in Clearwater Beach Florida - Nov 17, 2016

Nov 15^th – It was a cool, cloudy and windy day with some sun in the afternoon which did not match last night’s forecast which said it would be 79 degrees F with sun in the afternoon.  We dropped the dingy and visited a Canadian Looper boat that was anchored close by and discovered that they will be leaving today to go farther south since they’d like to be in the Bahama’s before Christmas.  We then went over to the Clearwater Beach Municipal Marina and only found that one Looper was staying there and they planned to leave as soon as their unplanned engine repairs were completed.  After we checked out the area by dingy we landed the dingy at a free day use dock and walked along the main drag along the beach.  The beach is beautiful with white sand and many waterfront condos and resorts.  I was amazed that there were a number of people playing in the water even though it was a cool and windy day.  We’ve noticed a negative trend … the beer seems to be getting more expensive as we move farther south???  Hopefully this trend doesn’t continue ;) 

Nov 16^th – It was a warm and sunny day with weather in the mid 70’s F.  We had breakfast and then went by dingy to the town free day use dock and walked along the beach which was much busier than yesterday.  The water is warm and the white sand is very soft on your feet, except the odd shell that you step on.  We walked through town and visited a number of beach shops checking out their merchandise, however things seem to be expensive here thus we just browsed.  Afterwards we went back to the boat and relaxed in the sun for a bit before we had to meet Charlie (from the LSYC).  Charlie picked us up at the town dock and drove us back to his condo in St. Petes for happy hour and dinner with his mother Lucille and another couple from the condo complex.  After dinner Charlie drove us back to the boat, however he had a navigational issue with a round about, however the 3^rd attempt got us back to the dingy.  We then went back to the boat in the dark by dingy and ran the generator for a bit to ensure the batteries had a good charge before bed. 

Nov 17^th – It was a perfect warm and sunny day – not too hot and not too cold.  We went by dingy to the town dock and walked along the beach all the way to Caladesi Island State park.  In total we walked about 14.7 km … I think we may be a bit sore tomorrow!  We saw a crab pot on the beach with a number of crabs in it plus an unknown beach creature and a countless number of birds.  After our walk we went to Frenchy’s for lunch and enjoyed their famous Grouper sandwich.  Then some shopping during which Maria visited Hulk Hogan and finally back to the boat to relax.  This boating life is hard work ;)

Clearwater Beach

Beautiful white sand and warm water

We found a crab pot on the beach at low tide

Guess what the crab pot had inside?

What the heck is this????  It was alive!

I didn't know that shells grew on trees!

The bird on the right was telling off the bird on the left.  Does this remind you of something?

Who put that cold beer in my hand!

Maria is going to take down Hulk Hogan!