Wednesday, May 3rd

You might think that is an odd title. Only if you have never lived on a boat. We could not pump out at Uncle Henry's Marina, and once we got into the slip at Gasparilla Marina the guys didn't want to move the boat. The restrooms were a quarter of a mile away. Even with a complimentary golf cart, it is mighty inconvenient to have to trek all the way up there every time. Have you ever been on a boat with four old people?

After negotiating three more moveable bridges, we arrived at the marker that was our turn into Galati Yacht Basin. Perhaps our expectations were too high, but we were underwhelmed by the marina. It is perfectly nice, but not what we expected. Seahawk is docked next to a rookery containing black crowned night egrets and very noisy sub-tropical cormorants. The smell of guano is distinct. Thank goodness for air conditioning. And, once again, we are about a quarter mile from the restrooms/showers. The gem of the marina is the restaurant located here, Ocean Star. It has sushi, hibachi, and Japanese cuisine. The food, service, and the ambiance are superb. It was a wonderful meal.

Back at the boat, Jean and Sara challenged Roger to what has become our nightly game of Skip-Bo. Just as it appeared that Sara was about to win, Roger managed to snatch victory from her. He went to bed a happy man. -- JGR