Day 123, December 2nd, 2009
Beautiful morning that soon clouded over but it was hot! The weather reports all forecast a cold front coming through and it wasn't long before the wind started to get stronger. However, we were pretty sure we going to be okay in this protected anchorage and headed out to have a look around.
We took the Central Avenue trolley for 25 cents a ride from the pier and out on Central Avenue to the end of the track. On our way back we got off where Sue had seen a Marine Salvage business. That turned out to be a bit of a waste of time as the place was all empty and up for sale. So then we decided to walk back down to the pier. Hadn't got very far when a younger couple stopped us and asked us where we were going. Turned out he was warning us that the next four blocks were really not that safe and perhaps it would be better to get back on the trolley, they were going that way anyway!
Back down on the waterfront we walked up to see where the St. Pete's Boat Show would be held the next day and then back again towards the Pier for a hamburger for lunch. We sat and watched the pelicans from the window gliding and hovering in the high wind. They are really amazing birds.
From there we were all getting a little nervous about the wind. The books had described the bottom at this anchorage to be "soupy", whatever that means. Sue and Paul had put two anchors out. We hadn't but had plenty of rode out. The young fella at the dinghy dock had also said that sometimes boats did drag. So we decided we'd better go back to the boats and just be ready in case anything untoward happened.
It turned out to be just fine. We were swinging a lot but nothing else. After supper the thunder and lightening started. Sheet lightening mostly but just seconds apart, lighting up the whole sky. It was really quite spectacular, just like watching fireworks. John and I sat out in the cockpit for quite a while, before it really started to rain and then it came down in buckets and we retreated down below to watch a movie!
Beautiful morning that soon clouded over but it was hot! The weather reports all forecast a cold front coming through and it wasn't long before the wind started to get stronger. However, we were pretty sure we going to be okay in this protected anchorage and headed out to have a look around.
We took the Central Avenue trolley for 25 cents a ride from the pier and out on Central Avenue to the end of the track. On our way back we got off where Sue had seen a Marine Salvage business. That turned out to be a bit of a waste of time as the place was all empty and up for sale. So then we decided to walk back down to the pier. Hadn't got very far when a younger couple stopped us and asked us where we were going. Turned out he was warning us that the next four blocks were really not that safe and perhaps it would be better to get back on the trolley, they were going that way anyway!
Back down on the waterfront we walked up to see where the St. Pete's Boat Show would be held the next day and then back again towards the Pier for a hamburger for lunch. We sat and watched the pelicans from the window gliding and hovering in the high wind. They are really amazing birds.
From there we were all getting a little nervous about the wind. The books had described the bottom at this anchorage to be "soupy", whatever that means. Sue and Paul had put two anchors out. We hadn't but had plenty of rode out. The young fella at the dinghy dock had also said that sometimes boats did drag. So we decided we'd better go back to the boats and just be ready in case anything untoward happened.
It turned out to be just fine. We were swinging a lot but nothing else. After supper the thunder and lightening started. Sheet lightening mostly but just seconds apart, lighting up the whole sky. It was really quite spectacular, just like watching fireworks. John and I sat out in the cockpit for quite a while, before it really started to rain and then it came down in buckets and we retreated down below to watch a movie!
No comments:
Post a Comment