Looper and non-Looper boats packed Faro Blanco marina when we arrived on January 31st and throughout February. Now that the new month has arrived and boats have left every day this week, the marina contains a relatively large number of empty slips. Very few boats have arrived to replace those leaving. Many of the boats that have departed recently arrived well before we did. Having spent multiple weeks / months at this location, they decided it was time to move on.
Last night the marina hosted an open bar with food sampling for the new Lighthouse Grille menu premiering this month. The enticement of a free party kept some of our boater friends here for a few more days. They would have left on Tuesday but decided they would stay until today (Thursday) to attend the big event.
Still others decided that the lure of an open bar did not hold sufficient interest to convince them to stay. Although I did not see them leave, I heard that California Lady and Morning Star both departed yesterday. I for one am very grateful that the opportunity presented itself for at least some of our friends to stay here longer with the added benefit of an unofficial "send-off" party held the night before.
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| Lighthouse Grille Food-Tasting Event Buffet Table for Roast Beef and Lobster Mac and Cheese Waiters carried hot hors d'oeuvres on trays. |
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| Outdoor Seating |
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| One of Several Open Bars Bill on Mist placing his order. |
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| Self-proclaimed Looper Table -- Sonny, Phyllis, Ben, Jill, Jane (with non-loopers Brent and Deb) |
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| Phyllis (Corkscrew), Jill (Chasing 80), Julie & Tom (Sum Escape), Bob & Liz (Knot Sew Easy), Jane (Jammin Jane), and Brent (Haley's Comet) |
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| Ev & Clark - Sea Moss My drink matched my shirt - grapefruit & vodka cocktail - yummy! (Phyllis and Sonny from Corkscrew in the background.) |
A large number of people attended the "shindig" yesterday evening. For example, a whole host of people came from a nearby realtor's office (they were all wearing clothing with their insignia). I know they were not staying at the marina. Clearly publicity motivated the event. The open bar lasted from 5:00 to 7:00. Well before 7:00 I saw several people who were "feeling no pain". People continued to visit the bar well after the "open" part ceased to exist.
Since some folks planned to leave at the crack of dawn, I said some of my farewells at the party. Our friends on Knot Sew Easy planned to leave at 6:30 this morning - a time well before I get up on a normal day. We said our goodbyes and grabbed some pictures last night!
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| Bob & Liz (Knot Sew Easy) saying farewell with Jane (Jammin Jane) |
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| Clark & Ev - Sea Moss Bob & Liz - Knot Sew Easy Jane - Jammin Jane (Ben was nowhere to be found) |
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| Tom & Julie (Sum Escape) leaving tomorrow with Bob & Liz (Knot Sew Easy) who left today |
Lying in bed this morning, half asleep, I heard a boat engine start up a little before 6:30. I wondered if I should jump out of bed to say farewell one more time but decided that by the time I got myself presentable, i.e. dressed, they would be gone. Sure enough shortly after I heard the engines roar to life, I heard their noise rapidly lessen as the boat moved out of the marina. Even though they could not hear me I said one more time, "Goodbye Bob and Liz!" I never did get a chance to have Bob show me how to make excellent pie crust like his - darn!
I knew that Liquid Assets planned to depart at 8:00. I did not want to take any chances on missing them leaving, so contrary to my normal behavior, I was out of bed, dressed, and out the door by 7:30 Already at that time, since their slip sits pretty close to our slip, I could see a few folks milling around by the back of their boat with Carol and Tim pulling in their hoses and readying their lines for departure. I managed to give both Carol and Tim big hugs with well wishes to send them on their way!
Depending on how theirs and our travel plans unfold, we may or may not see them again on the loop. We have been invited to Tennessee to come visit them. They promised to show us a real good time!
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| Tim does last checks on Liquid Assets with Ben and Crockett in the background lending a hand / paw |
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| Carol on the bow getting ready to depart. |
After their departure, I wandered up towards the restroom only to see Friar Tuck getting ready to take off. I quickly changed my course to their dock to wish them well on their voyage. We met them originally at Tarpon Springs; we crossed the Gulf of Mexico the same night to the same destination. We did not really get to know them until Faro Blanco, however. Sharing the experience of Susan Gunning's unfortunate accident brought us together in a unique way. We got to know them quite well and hope to see them again in the future - a distinct possibility since their home base for boating is in the Chesapeake.
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| Ken & Jo (Friar Tuck) almost ready to depart |
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| Friar Tuck on her way! |
As I walked back towards my boat, having visited the restroom, I saw Chasing 80 surrounded by helpers with Kevin busy winding up his hose and Jill on the bow of the boat ready to work the lines. Another one leaving?! I got Kevin to stand still long enough to get a great photo of him standing by his boat.
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| Kevin posing behind Chasing 80 while preparing to leave port |
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| Jill (Chasing 80) on bow with Jane / Ben / Crockett (Jammin Jane) pushing off and Jim (Daisy) [red shirt] working lines |
To be honest it has not been all departures! Mist (Bill and Bobbie) arrived at Faro Blanco on 3/1 (Tuesday). Sadie II, docked next to us, departed Tuesday morning, and Namaste came in that same day and took the vacated slip. Namaste was our neighbor before Sadie II, left for a family visit, and returned. It is nice to have them back again. Fryedaze (Dave and Betsy) and Elizabear (Tom and Jane) arrived in Marathon this week as well. Fryedaze is docked at Burdines, and Elizabear is swinging on the hook in Boot Key near the city marina.
Betsy and I planned a little get together for noontime lunch today at Burdines. Mid-morning Clark noticed that Jim from Namaste planned to dive under his boat for a look-see. Clark decided that he had the time before lunch, and someone else doing the same activity was all the motivation he needed to do a bit of a dive under ours. He checked the water temperature and saw 74 degrees on the surface and donned his lightweight, "shorty" wet suit.
As he prepared to jump in a helicopter came swooping in to the area. Clark thought it planned on landing nearby, but it turned out to be hovering by the newly opened hotel next door. We expect a photographer was busily taking photos for advertising.
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| Helicopter Photo Shoot?? |
Sitting in the marina for a month, Sea Moss had collected various forms of growth on the props and hull. Clark used a scraper, a soft brush and a stiff brush to take off the worst of it. When he climbed out of the water some 45 to 60 minutes later, he was tired and chilled. The "shorty" provided insufficient insulation to keep him warm. Long after he came out of the water he still felt chilled while I was sweating bullets.
Betsy invited Tom and Jane from Elizabear to join us for lunch, and I invited Ben and Jane from Jammin Jane to join us as well. We had a nice little crowd at the lunch table.
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| Lunch at Burdines Dave & Betsy -- Fryedaze Ben & Jane -- Jammin Jane Ev & Clark -- Sea Moss Jane & Tom -- Elizabear |
Probably owing to less sleep than normal I found myself in a lazy mood. The boat felt way too hot to me even though Clark said he finally felt warm and liked the heat. I decided I could not stay there any longer than it took me to pick up today's paper from the coffee table and depart for a cooler venue. I decided to sit by the pool. As I read the paper and worked on the crossword puzzle, I found myself dozing off repeatedly. I should have just given in to sleep, but I felt funny lying there asleep so I fought my tiredness instead.
Just when I walked back to the boat, I found Clark heading up towards the marina restroom. He said he was coming to look for me and that he would be back after a quick stop. Before coming back though he walked the docks and talked to the folks on Sum Escape as well as those on Haley's Comet. Brent and Deb from Haley's Comet went out fishing today and came back with something like 50 tuna. When Clark walked by, they were busy cleaning them all. The pelicans presented themselves and fought for scraps.
It is a light-supper, light-entertainment evening tonight -- perhaps some internet movie / television or some book reading and then an early night if I can stay awake that long!
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