Saying Good-Bye to Friends

The day began with some cleaning as I wiped salt spray off the ports and chased off spiders! It seems every boat has been invaded by these 8 legged creatures...and they are bigger in Florida!

Then we set out to find a church I had looked up on the Internet but apparently I read the map upside down. We went up one street and down another one until we decided to ask someone where the church was...after all this is a small town...sure enough they knew exactly where the church was and we arrived only about 5 minutes late and took a seat near the back.

Afterward we hurried back to the marina to help 4 boats departing to cross the Gulf of Mexico to the west coast Florida. We held their lines until they were ready to back out of the slips. This is Barefootin' with Vicki pulling in the lines. 

This is a huge boat that was too big for a slip so it is on a face dock. Captain Randy did a great job of backing out between other large boats.

Walter had already helped SeaGlide to get off with Grace & Jeff aboard.

 We are concerned about Grace as she was bitten by a cat last night just before our gathering. Her hand is swollen today and a red line is going up her arm! Vicki gave her an antibiotic that she had and Grace called her doctor at home. She has promised us to see a doctor the moment she gets to Dunedin, FL.  

SeaGlide: ready to join the others.

Then Summer Recess was easing out of their slip with First mate Sharon pushing their boat off the pile where she had just removed the bow line.

Safe travels Summer Recess!

Southern Belle is pushing off. 

First mate is tending the lines....notice the Gold Burgee meaning they have completed the Loop a while back.

Our friends were off and it was past lunch time. We had heard this place was a great restaurant but it was suppose to be closed today.

So lunch was going to have to be after we went grocery shopping... I do not like shopping with a hungry Captain......I knew the trip would be quicker than I wanted it to be cause he would want to get back to the boat to eat.  On our way to the store just across the street from our marina was The Fisherman's Wife and low and behold it was OPEN!  Wahoo...lunch was immediate and yummy!  It is  just a house that has been turned into a dining establishment.  

Late this afternoon we were surprised to see Southern Belle back in port.  We thought the report from our weather guru had said the first part would be a little rough with 2 to 3 ft waves but it was suppose to settle down by midnight.  But Captain Kerm from Southern Belle said the waves were more like 5 to 6 ft and some as high as 8 feet!  Going into them was not so bad but they would be making a turn and these awful waves would hit them broad side..abeam...he mentioned that they had been “round the block” a few times......this Gulf Crossing was not their first.....they certainly didn't need to get beat up by the waves... they would wait.

I was so glad when Walter said he,too, would turn around if conditions turned out to be rougher than expected.

Finally, our thoughts are with those that are crossing the Gulf tonight.... prayers for them.