Bradenton to Sarasota

In the last post, I told you about finding the Caroline C just outside of Bradenton. Steve called the number on the sign and spoke to T-Bone, the current owner. He was quite interested in learning more about the boat's past, and came over for a visit. T-Bone is an Ernest Hemingway look-alike (as you will see from the photos) and is a very nice and interesting man. He has taken the Caroline C to Cuba on humanitarian missions, with more work planned in the future. As you can tell from the photos, the Caroline C is in need of lots of maintenance. That is T-Bone's current project. He already knows quite a bit about her history, but we put him in touch with our neighbor - a former owner. We wish T-Bone and Caroline C the best in their future endeavors.

We left Bradenton for Sarasota on Thursday. Along the way we were accompanied by a porpoise for a short time. That isn't unusual, but this guy was jumping completely out of the water and splashing down on his back! I tried to get a picture... I really did. He was coming up in random places, and by the time I found him with the camera he was splashing back down.

We passed by Anna Maria island, the childhood home of Rebecca's friend Blake. We didn't stop there, but it looks like a beautiful place! Took a few photos for you, Blake!

We decided to anchor out in the harbor outside Sarasota. It was beautiful and pretty much uneventful. The wind was really blowing so we rocked all night long, but that's not so bad. Friday morning we cruised across the bay to Bird Key Yacht Club. The Yacht Club is in a very nice neighborhood, and the people here are so friendly! Our friends the Harwells will join us sometime today to cruise for a while. Once they arrive, we will go into town for shopping and sightseeing. We will stay here at Bird Key until Monday morning - we don't want to miss the playoff games!

T-Bone and Steve. Don't you think he looks like Ernest Hemingway?

Bradenton is on the Manatee River. This statue is on the walk near the marina.

Some artwork on the side of a condo.

I'm thinking the hot dog on the left used to be a Ronald McDonald

Saw this table in a window

As you know, I love architectural details

I loved the Think + Drink - cocktails and science, what a combination!

I wish I could have caught him out of the water! This is the porpoise I told you about.

Anna Maria Island

We saw a flock of white pelicans

Sarasota

The view from our anchorage

This party barge has REAL palm trees on it! Pretty cool!

There is quite a bit of yard art around here - I'll post more later.

The Bird Key Yacht Club