On Saturday Sue and I took locals Will, Jackie, Jeremy, & Dana on a charter. We left the dock at the Harborage a little after 10:00 AM, raised the main sail, unfurled the genoa, shut down the motors, and sailed all the way down the river to Sewall’s Point. The wind was out of the south and on the beam so we didn’t have to tack like we do when it is the prevailing east wind.
once we turned south, we furled the genoa and motor-sailed upwind along the palatial beautiful landscaped waterfront homes lining the long peninsula to the mini sandbar in front of the Manatee Pocket. We dropped main and the hook. Will and Jackie swam to sandy island. It was early enough that only a few other boats were anchored there. A few kids and their dogs were running around on the ankle deep water in the warm sunshine. A cool front lowered the temperature and the humidity to a reasonably comfortable level and the water had warmed up making it just right.
We raised the anchor and motor-sailed to the Manatee pocket to check out the local sport fishing fleet and large yachts docked there. Our guests brought sandwiches from Publix supermarket, along with a cheese, summer sausage, and fruit plate. They enjoyed the food and drinks while having a lively conversation.
We then ventured along the waterway to Sailfish Point and the large Stuart Sandbar. It was well past noon and the boats were lined up. There was lots of boat traffic so we didn’t stop. We retraced our route back to the harborage.
Our guests had a great time as did we. They vowed to book a return visit soon. We’ll be happy to welcome them again anytime.
Capt. Paul A Jones aka Popeye
