Wednesday

November 30th, 2016

Amateur Radio on the Loop

For all my ham radio friends out there I though I'd shoot a short video of just some of the noise I have to deal with while on the boat...

My best reception is when Joell and I are anchored out away from power lines and other boats. I turn off all the power to every device/appliance on our boat except to the two way radio.  I do the same when in a marina which helps but we're surrounded by other boats making the same or other noise...

If I have a good strong station it'll usually break through like on the video where K9BTQ, Tom is running the Milwaukee Florida Net...

Tuesday

November 29th, 2016

On our way to St. Charles Yacht Club I noticed one single dolphin come in quick from the port side of our boat and race up to the bow of the boat, only to find 6 dolphins all racing along with us...

"if you don't see an image here you either don't have "flash" installed on your computer 
or 
your trying to view this video clip on an iPad which doesn't run flash I understand"

St. Charles Yacht Club

Main Entrance 

Waterfront view...

Inviting pool...

The drive in to the club...

Mikee Likes It parked right next to the club...

Monday Evening

November 29th, 2016

So, after a hard day of shelling I thought I'd have a drink with my Potato Packers, steaks on the side...

What's this....a big pair of nostrils...

Hey, it's Mavis the Manatee...

Swimming around our boat during Cocktail Hour...

Looks like propeller marks on the manatee's back...

Here the manatee is trying to untie our anchor line... 

Stop that Mavis...

Ouch...

Looks like Mavis caught one across the left eye...

Elwood was very interested...

Time to pet Mavis the Manatee... 

Kind of sponge like skin...

You just shake your hand in the water and over Mavis came...

What a great visitor!!!

Monday

November 28th, 2016

Our day of fishing on the Gulf yielded nothing....

I put on a slide diver and let out a little too much line and caught the bottom...

We put the engine in neutral, Joell pulled in the two other lines and turned the boat around and we were able to get it to release without issue...

Even though we hooked the bottom the Penn reel preformed great..

Yet another boat sunk just off of the ICW

Our anchorage for one evening at Stump Pass with three other boats..

This was the coolest swing bridge....We didn't have to wait with our antennas down...

Pelicans we scared up with the dinghy...

This is an Osprey nest...

up close... the Osprey comes and goes...mostly goes...

Our anchorage in Pelican Bay, near Cayo Costa State Park, last evening and tonight...  super secluded...

We named this sandbar "shell beach"....

Shells, shells and more shells...

This is "Shell Beach".... just before Elwood found a dead fish and rolled in it...

He got a bath when we got back to the boat...

Had to have a Miller while walking on the beach...

Our small collection from the day...

After we got back to the boat we decided to do a little fishing in the cove we were anchored in...

This is a Pompano with the yellow fins....

And this fishie is a Mutton Snapper (we think....)

or some other type of bait fish (which he'll be tonight after the sun goes down...

Friday Evening

November 25th, 2016

We're going out onto the Gulf 6 miles as we head south Saturday morning to try our hand as fishing...

This lure is made by Rapala but it's supersized compared to the ones we use in Wisconsin

This baby is a good 6" long...

Other lures that were recommended...  See the one with 3 hooks in a row?

A diver lure that takes it down to 40'

We picked up a couple of Penn Rod/Reel combos with 30' test installed...

Friday

November 25th, 2016

A little bit of Florida below...

Sunset with David after Thanksgiving Dinner on Lido Key

Just before sunset...everyone waiting...

The Red Tide and props are the worst threat towards Manatee's here in Florida...

Here, one is floating and presumed dead...

A little bird keeping an eye on Elwood

Having Drinks with LeBron James!