2/3/16   Wednesday   Boot Key, FL


Windy tonight as it has been all day but beautiful sun and temperate temperatures. Day #2 of vacation!

I thought I was going ashore by myself this morning but David decided to go into the marina, too. Out of here by 9:30 after a delicious sleep. Yoga in the City Park which is just beside the marina. Class on the band shell, 30 people, men and women, middle aged and oldsters like me. Good class with some new things for me. I'll go again on Friday. I'd hoped to get to the beach this afternoon but....

Instead I hung out in the marina "lounge" to plug into the electricity and charge my computer, investigated the lay of the land then walked to a local cafe/bar for lunch w/ David. Met Keith/Stitch who is a sailmaker and has two machines in another part of the building here in the marina. Apparently there is another sewing machine, maybe a loaner, that I can use to hem a new curtain...but maybe not. Yet to be discovered.

The marina building is a warehouse of sorts with an office and a reception desk in one corner. Mailboxes and storage are on that short end of the building. A large...LARGE open space has 8 or so rectangle tables perpendicular to a long wall (mostly used for computing and charging phones, etc)  and maybe 12 round tables in the center of the space for other activities - solo or group (today a group of women were making round rugs at one table with a leader/teacher, at another table two children were building w/Legos). Along the other long wall is a line of tables where USP-type packages are "delivered" and can be retrieved. Against that same wall (behind the line of tables) are all the books, somewhat organized by author's name, that are available for loan or give away/exchange. The other short end of this section of the building is divided into two "screening rooms" (without doors but with half dozen theater seats and t.v. screens, maybe DVD or VHS players but I didn't pay that much attention, and a toy/bulletin board area.

Out this big "lounge" room and into another section of the warehouse is the sewing room, rows of LARGE (3' x 5' ??) lockers you can rent to store stuff. Beyond this "room" is another "bay" with a workshop where you can repair...your dinghy or your table or ...whatever you have to repair that takes space. You have to provide your own tools, of course, and materials. Behind this end of the warehouse are gardens. Don't know whose gardens but there seem to be tomatoes in one plot and some squash-looking plants in another and another plot that needs love. One of the long sides of the warehouse fronts a canal with maybe 8 boats tied to each side...the high rent district w/electricity and water (maybe). The other long side is a parking lot with all the recycling bins and delivery entrances.

One short end of the warehouse fronts the harbor and has a yard and a "tikki" hut with several picnic tables. Captain Jack's 94th birthday party was there today. Cap' Jack is spry, has white hair, wrap around sunglasses, has lived here since 1951 someone told me, pushes a grocery cart with some of his stuff in it (probably for balance and support, too) and lives on his boat at the far end of the marina!

Beyond the warehouse is the bath house and laundry room...about 8 shower rooms for women and on the other side same number for men. Looked as if there are about 6 washers and dryers. Haven't needed them yet so didn't pay that much attention.

A pretty well equipped and well run place with more than 250 mooring balls. We're #37 on the waiting list. Should take 10-14 days, depending upon the weather and how quickly people can leave for the Bahamas. Meanwhile, we've paid for a month of services...use of all facilities...and are anchored "up the creek" in Sister Creek with a bunch of other late arrivers. The dinghy ride into the marina is 15 minutes. I'm thinking the ride to the beach in the dinghy is about the same time in the other direction from our boat.

Got back to the boat around 4:00 PM and took a nap. Up around 6 to do some house-keeping chores, dinner and reading. Looking forward to another good sleep and the beach tomorrow morning.