My Day Off

Today, I took the day off! It is Sunday, and as the story goes, even God took off the 7th day...

Anyway, I thought I would share some pictures of the Marina we are in. It is called Twin Dolphins Marina, and is located just West of the Highway 41 Bridge over the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida. There is a nice pool area with propane grills and hot tub for use of the resident boat owners and their guests. On these hot, sultry afternoons, people really enjoy a dip in the pool, socializing, and eating in this area.

The Bradenton Library is directly across the street from the Marina, as well as the Manatee Aquarium, and Bradenton Museum and Observatory. The city hall and police station are a block away. There are a few small restaurants within a few blocks, but I haven't tried any of them. I've mostly taken my meals aboard the boat, except for a couple of burgers at Mattison's Restaurant, overlooking the river.

I've met 8 or 10 other couples who either live aboard their boats here at the marina, or spend weekends here. Some, like us, are retired, some are still working in the area, and others are seasonal or part-time live-aboards. All are friendly, sociable people who are more than willing to offer advice on services here, swap boating stories, and answer any questions I may ask. All have been very complimentary on our choice of boats. Many have been aboard our boat while it was for sale, and they have invariably expressed envy of the living spaces, as well as the heavy duty construction, and seaworthiness of this boat. The ladies are all curious about the new appliances they've seen come aboard, so we will have to hold an "open house" when our remodel is finished.

Today, I also met the former owners of our boat (Vicki and Dave). They traded it in on a new Mainship 43' Pilothouse model. They only use it on weekends. Very nice couple, so I spend a couple of pleasant hours talking with Dave about his experiences aboard. Too much to relate, but long story short is, his wife has no interest in long-range cruising or living aboard for extended periods. She also has no nautical skills, and is not interested in learning them. So... they downsized to a boat he can handle alone when necessary. I could tell Dave really misses this boat. He had nothing but good things to say about it.

It has been really great to be made welcome in this small community of like-minded folks.