4 to 5 February, 2005. Another free dock with electricity. Docking here is done Meditteranean Style (either bow or stern straight in- and no finger dock or anything to step off the side of the boat. You drop your anchor to keep from swinging too much. We docked stern in and found that our outboard was getting slammed up underneath the dock whenever a wake would come through- so we pulled forward. It was very difficult to jump from the boat to the dock and vice versa. There was a post office here so we were able to get out a few orders. There was also a U-Save grocery store a few blocks away but we were stocked up so didn't need it. There was also a laundromat a few blocks away with a bar inside. I got laundry done and the foreman for Florida Aluminum and Steel bought rounds of pitchers so I was able to have a few beers for free while doing laundry.
The bridge just before the dock here opens on request (like most bridges) and apparently we got lucky getting the bridge tenders attention. A guy who knocked on our boat had a Bayliner Buccaneer like ours and we talked for awhile. He said that he once had to actually climb up the ladder to get the bridge tenders attention after trying his radio, his cell phone and using his horn. The bridge tender had the TV up so loud that he didn't hear this guy. Then, another guy in a sailboat who docked next to us here said that after numerous attempts to contact the bridge, he actually called 911 because he thought something might have happened to the bridge tender. The 911 operator was able to contact the bridge tender and let the guy through. I think this bridge tender needs a new job.
No comments:
Post a Comment