ON THE MOVE AGAIN

Not a big move, but from Tampa to Palmetto, FL. For those of you who want to look it up, we are on the Manatee River on the south end of Tampa Bay. It is a large marina with around 130 live aboards. That is a lot live aboards. The group runs the gambit from pretty shoddy to nice yachts.

The trip down was good we had a good 2 hours of sailing. Then the wind died. It picked up again when we were about a mile north of the Skyway Bridge. After passing underneath the bridge we would be turning SSW and directly into the wind. Then we turn up the river for a couple miles. The trip up the fiver runs from passing through narrow dredged areas to a mile wide area.

The marina is on the north side of the river which is a mile wide at this point. The marina is pretty much open to the river. One of the complaints is that large yachts transit the area at cruise speed. That causes large wakes to come into the marina. Our boat actually moves. Interesting. It will make Yoga a challenge. When we got here the assigned dock was a 40 foot dock. We also had to back in to have the boat’s gate meet the figure pier. I do not like being stern to the pier. Cuts down privacy.

Now, good old Nightwatch does not like to back up. Plus when it backs, it like to go to the right. One has to allow for that and of the environment. Like wind and currents. But I made it without touching anything. The locals gathered to handle lines and see me squeeze into a small slip. I did it. Got a great reputation. I found out that that means you get no help with lines in the future. You do not need the help.

We were not happy about being in a 40 foot slip with our bow sitting 15 feet out into the cannel between piers. The cannel was about 70 feet between pilings. We complained.   One for the size, and another for the charge for a 60’ slip. Not wanting to loose the money, they found a 60 foot slip. We moved.

Next great thing the broker showed our boat this morning. That took a long time when we were suppose to be moving the boat. We therefore shainghide the broker to be line handler during the move. We first. let him finish his brokering duties.

So far a good week. We are to have a gale on Saturday. We shall see how we ride. I think the wind will be from the shore side of the marina. That should keep it calm, I hope.