23 March 2013

Wasting Away in Punta Gorda Ville

Tuesday, 19 March 2013


Our original plan for this segment of the journey was to get to the Florida Keys, visit Key West, The Dry Tortugas, get around Miami and across to the Bahamas.  Since we have lost so much time due to weather delays, we have decided to leave the boat at Burnt Store Marina (Punta Gorda, FL) and return home for several weeks. But before departing for home we will visit several of the outlying islands in this area and sight see. 
While we were tiding up the boat, an official marina person approached us and asked if we were the people with the boat from the port of Perry, Kansas.  We said yes, and suddenly Beth shouted, “I know you!”. I did not know if this would require a fisticuff engagement or not.  This “celebrity” marina person is Don Fortune, a Kansas City area sports announcer/commentator for the Kansas City television and radio markets.
We visited and caught up on old times.  Don had a sailboat on Lake Perry at the Perry Yacht Club Marina during his time broadcasting in the Kansas City area. He had retired from broadcasting and moved to this area and whiles away his time working at this marina.  He told us he was working 4 days this week, through Saturday, so we would have many opportunities to visit more.
Dave and Patt came to pick us up and we went to breakfast at John Skis’s House of Breakfast in Punta Gorda.  A menu to behold. Then it was on to West Marine for another couple hundred dollars of stuff, then Walmart, Bealls, then to Dave and Pats home.  Dave, Joe and I rested while Beth and Patt went out to do even more shopping.  Dave and Patt had been invited to a Hors d'oeuvres event at Carl and Linda’s condo at our marina, so we dressed in our finest and away we went.  Carl is a retired Harbor Pilot from the New York Harbor area and entertained us with many interesting sea faring tales.

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