A week in Gulfport

8/24/2021

It was a boiling hot Tuesday morning in Tampa when we left our marina. Eager to sail just about anywhere after 3 months of intense work on the boat and in our business fixing, painting, scouring and sweating through the terrible summer months in Florida. This year temperatures have soared well past the averages so it was a crazy time to get things done but necessary as its usually our down time during hurricane season anyway. One of the things we’ve learned along the way with boat living, is that in summer it is almost impossible to entertain onboard. Its always sweltering and we spend our days inside a closed up boat with the aircons at full tilt which is great for us, but up on the helm is the best way to enjoy our Happy Wife. In the heat you just fry up there, drinks melt faster than the ice caps, food needs to be brought up and eaten immediately and we sit sweaty clothes and hair clinging to our bodies. Not good unless you are in a string bikini and lathered in suntan lotion lol

We decided to come to Gulfport, just a short 2 hours away from us. We had commitments in Tampa in the weeks ahead and needed to be able to get there for those, so between Gulfport and Fantasy Island is how we would spend the next 10 days or so

It was wonderful just being out again and enjoying time alone together. The dogs love it so much too. The dolphin watching, the swimming, the finding fishies etc leave them tired out at the end of the day which makes us so happy

We visited our usual Tiki bars, had dinners on board and on shore too. We had friends come over and meet us for dinner one night at Pia’s which is a fantastic Italian restaurant with amazing food and wine too

We shopped at the little stores on the main street and went into Tampa by car, which the girls had dropped off for us is Gulfport.

Ella turned 4 and had her birthday party on the Saturday, so we went in on each day fo the weekend to prep, have the party and then have my dads 90th on the Sunday. We also had to wait out the windy days in Gulfport due to hurricane Ida in the gulf before heading off to Fantasy Island on the Monday, another of our favorite, close-to-home-but remote anchorages for us

We left Gulfport and midday and anchored at Fantasy Island mid afternoon. As mother nature would have it, the winds kept coming every day but we were protected in our perfect little anchorage

Lazy days were spent at the beach with swims, picnics and cocktails so they went by faster than we wanted them to

We went up the river one of the days for lunch at River Side cafe by dinghy. It’s always a nice little pull-up-by-boat biker bar/cafe to visit when we just feel like getting out a bit.

On Friday morning we made our way back home to be back for my dads 90th birthday on Saturday. Its so wonderful to have him, still fit and healthy, and mom still with us. Four generations….. 90 times blessed!! Happy birthday dad :-)