Crab dinner at Longboat Key

It is always difficult to say too many kind things about Jeff and Suzanne Wright because they just take us in like lost puppies when we come by in our peregrinations. This time we also had the pleasure of meeting their houseguest, Robert Scott, a childhood friend of Jeff’s. He and I have common ground as we both worked at the Navy base in the Bahamas, albeit at slightly different times, and we know some of the same folks.




Today we are contemplating heading on down to an anchorage at Longboat Key just 26 miles from here. The consensus of our crews is to remain there overnight, although we could elect to continue on to Sarasota if things don’t go our way at the anchorage. There is supposed to be a fine restaurant there, and the small village has been cited as worth a walk around. I would normally avoid such a popular place on a weekend in this densely populated area of Florida, but the weather is definitely not the sunny clear sky type weather, which brings out tons of folks on the water.



Later that day:



We transited the condo canyons of the lower St Pete peninsula without incident and crossed the opening to Tampa Bay where we entered Anna Maria Sound. There we were met by a Florida Fish and Game boat, which directed us to turn on our navigation lights due to “low visibility.” I looked around at the navigation marks and land in view and though to myself, why does he think these conditions constitute low visibility? At the moment, we had one-mile visibility, certainly not what I would call low visibility. It was curious that he made no mention of me turning on my radar or foghorn. So much for the nautical knowledge of the FWC.



As we entered Tampa Bay, I noted that there was an Automated Information System (AIS) target showing on my chart plotters with the name Islander and listed as a pleasure vessel. AIS is a wonderful new aid which allows us to see the GPS position course and speed as well as type vessel and name. You can have a system that transmits this information for your own boat (required on large vessels and towboats) as well as receive that of other similarly equipped vessels, or you can have just a receiver like we do.



The Islander was ahead of us crossing the bay, and I thought to myself, I bet he is going to Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant on Longboat key where we were headed and that he’s get the free pier space there before we could get in. Sure enough, as we caught up to him in the thickening fog, I saw him turn into the anchorage at Longboat Key, and then we were able to watch his AIS symbol slide right over to the pier at the restaurant – DANG!

It all turned out well as there was sufficient pier space there for us to moor ahead of him and Seminole to moor astern of him. We ran into them at the bar and enjoyed a pleasant exchange of boat experiences.



Tomorrow’s weather is supposed to be 60% chance of thunderstorms after 2PM, and we have an incoming tide until 1130, which will help us get off this pier. If conditions are not too shabby we may try to run to Marina Jack in Sarasota or continue on down to Venice.