Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

Sunday, March 14
Even though the sky is blue and the harbor is calm, we are sitting tight for a while. The Gulf is still stirred up; we won't be crossing any time soon. Meanwhile, Bob and I are loving Sarasota (sorry, no pictures yet). Marina Jack's has every amenity we could possibly want, and it is located downtown just a block or two from excellent restaurants, art galleries -- and a Whole Foods store. We've enjoyed hanging out with Roger and Erica Boe, fellow PDQ owners from Canada, who shared part of the Loop with us. After the four of us walked to a fine farmers' market yesterday morning, the marina shuttle took Erica and me to an antique show in the afternoon. Of course Erica and I contributed to the charitable proceeds. This evening we met another couple and enjoyed visiting their Mainship 34 Pilot boat. Hummmmmmmmm...... may be a good boat for future river adventures; meanwhile we still love Second Wind for long-distance cruising.

Still keeping our eyes on the weather. We will be move to Clearwater Beach soon, just to position ourselves for the Gulf crossing. Unless the forecast changes though, it will likely be late next week before we undertake this huge two-day milestone.

Sarasota Redux. Monday, March 15.
After a bit of shopping (Bob says more than a bit) on Monday afternoon, we enjoyed our second excellent meal with Roger and Erica at a Greek restaurant in downtown Sarasota. This is a fine place to visit; still lots more to do and see, but Bob and I needed to get ready for a Tuesday morning departure. The photos show the view of the park from the back of Second Wind and a view of downtown from the dock. We now think we'll leave in the morning for the Tarpon Springs area. Still watching the weather.