For those of you who were on your boats last Sunday like I was, or
missed the Super Bowl for some other reason, you can now replay the
best parts of the game. The ads, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal
online edition:

http://tinyurl.com/bf4zn

There are a couple of pretty good ones.

On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 21:41:02 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

magic refrigerator, the clydedales one, bud light hidden bottles and
the fed ex commercial were my favorites.

Yes, they were all pretty good. For some reason Bud Lite at the
office left me hysterical however.

Watch them again and you get to vote for best and worst.

The weekend boating was interesting, mission was to deliver the GB49
to St Pete Beach early on Sunday afternoon, dock and drive home. That
is usually an easy two day run either outside in the Gulf or inside up
the ICW.

Normally we would go outside to miss the lift bridges and the slow
speed zones but we got a late start on Saturday morning waiting out a
cold front passage and nasty string of thunderstorms. The forecast on
the Gulf was 30 kt+ with 8 to 10s out of the north so we went inside
even with the late start and got about 40% of the way on Saturday.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny as we started out from Cape Haze Cove
on the ICW headed for Venice, Sarasota and points north. We passed
one south bound sail boat in Lemon Bay who had presumably just passed
through a the lift bridge ahead. We called the bridge tender for an
opening when we got there, the siren sounded, traffic began to stop
but the gates never came down and the cars started crossing again.
Repeat twice. The bridge tender informed us the control circuits were
not working properly and he would have to call out the electricians
(on Sunday morning of course).

So we did some exploring and found a way into an anchorage that is not
well charted and did some poking around while we kept one ear on
channel 9 for bridge status. After 2 hours of that we decided to head
back out to the ICW on the off chance the electricians had been able
to do their magic, and were pleasantly surprised when the bridge
tender started his opening sequence just as we arrived. Voilla, it
worked, but now we are way behind schedule and figured we'd be lucky
to arrive at St Pete Beach by 5:00PM (quitting time for the
dockmaster).

More bridge rage ahead. At the north end of Long Boat Key are 2 more
bridges only 1 1/2 miles apart but on synchronized 20 minute
schedules, and 2 more with a similar deal at the south end of Boca
Ciega Bay in St Pete. Too make a long story short, we arrived in the
dark at 6:20 and had to tie up by ourselves after losing at least 3
hours to bridge delays.

Next time we go outside regardless.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 21:41:02 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

magic refrigerator, the clydedales one, bud light hidden bottles and
the fed ex commercial were my favorites.

Yes, they were all pretty good. For some reason Bud Lite at the
office left me hysterical however.

Watch them again and you get to vote for best and worst.

The weekend boating was interesting, mission was to deliver the GB49
to St Pete Beach early on Sunday afternoon, dock and drive home. That
is usually an easy two day run either outside in the Gulf or inside up
the ICW.

Normally we would go outside to miss the lift bridges and the slow
speed zones but we got a late start on Saturday morning waiting out a
cold front passage and nasty string of thunderstorms. The forecast on
the Gulf was 30 kt+ with 8 to 10s out of the north so we went inside
even with the late start and got about 40% of the way on Saturday.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny as we started out from Cape Haze Cove
on the ICW headed for Venice, Sarasota and points north. We passed
one south bound sail boat in Lemon Bay who had presumably just passed
through a the lift bridge ahead. We called the bridge tender for an
opening when we got there, the siren sounded, traffic began to stop
but the gates never came down and the cars started crossing again.
Repeat twice. The bridge tender informed us the control circuits were
not working properly and he would have to call out the electricians
(on Sunday morning of course).

So we did some exploring and found a way into an anchorage that is not
well charted and did some poking around while we kept one ear on
channel 9 for bridge status. After 2 hours of that we decided to head
back out to the ICW on the off chance the electricians had been able
to do their magic, and were pleasantly surprised when the bridge
tender started his opening sequence just as we arrived. Voilla, it
worked, but now we are way behind schedule and figured we'd be lucky
to arrive at St Pete Beach by 5:00PM (quitting time for the
dockmaster).

More bridge rage ahead. At the north end of Long Boat Key are 2 more
bridges only 1 1/2 miles apart but on synchronized 20 minute
schedules, and 2 more with a similar deal at the south end of Boca
Ciega Bay in St Pete. Too make a long story short, we arrived in the
dark at 6:20 and had to tie up by ourselves after losing at least 3
hours to bridge delays.

Next time we go outside regardless.

I wouldn't do that. 8-10 ft. head seas, even in a 49' GB, is no fun...and
not very safe.

On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 22:34:50 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

damn bridges. :)

thats why i like the contender - not much height.

how come you are leaving the gb at St. Pete?

We are driving back up Thursday night to play race committee boat for
one of my oldest son's sailing regattas this weekend - 505 mid-winter
championships or something like that. We did it last year and had a
good time. The boats are exciting to watch in any kind of breeze -
lightweight planing dinghies with the crew hanging from a trapeze wire
out over the water. These things get going about 20 kts in decent
wind and capsize in spectacular fashion if not handled just right.
I'll post a couple of pictures later.

After that I'm taking a weeks vacation from my stress filled life here
in SWFL and we will cruise somewhere, haven't quite decided just where
yet but there are lots of choices ranging from Long Boat Key, Sarasota
and Venice to the north, or south to Naples, Marco Island, the
Everglades and Keys.

There is an inlet to the Everglades at Shark River that I've been
itching to explore. Supposedly it is only habitable in the winter
when the skeeters are dormant. If you see a flying GB49 that is
making funny buzzing noises you'll know that we got it wrong...

On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 22:49:19 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

I wouldn't do that. 8-10 ft. head seas, even in a 49' GB, is no fun...and
not very safe.

Hehe, correct on both counts. You don't actually think my wife would
let me do that? It would be an instant mutiny!

Even the big shrimp boats were hiding out inside Boca Grande pass on
Saturday.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 22:49:19 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

I wouldn't do that. 8-10 ft. head seas, even in a 49' GB, is no fun...and
not very safe.

Hehe, correct on both counts. You don't actually think my wife would
let me do that? It would be an instant mutiny!

Even the big shrimp boats were hiding out inside Boca Grande pass on
Saturday.


I went to the Florida Sportsman fishing show at the Lee Civic Center. On
Sunday, I replaced the auto bilge switch, and the bow anchor roller wheel on
the Grady White.

On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 02:19:37 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

On
Sunday, I replaced the auto bilge switch, and the bow anchor roller wheel on
the Grady White.

Good projects. Not sure how it was to the south, but by late
afternoon the weather was getting really nice up near Tampa Bay.

Have you ever been into Shark River?

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 02:19:37 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

On
Sunday, I replaced the auto bilge switch, and the bow anchor roller wheel
on
the Grady White.

Good projects. Not sure how it was to the south, but by late
afternoon the weather was getting really nice up near Tampa Bay.

Have you ever been into Shark River?

No. I haven't made any overnight trips with the Grady yet. I'm planning
some for late Spring and the Summer when the weather gets nicer and more
consistent.

Shark River is south of Everglades City, right? What's there to see down
that way? Is it deep water, and is it worth overnighting in on the way to
the Keys?

"NOYB" wrote in message
link.net...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 22:49:19 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

I wouldn't do that. 8-10 ft. head seas, even in a 49' GB, is no
fun...and
not very safe.

Hehe, correct on both counts. You don't actually think my wife would
let me do that? It would be an instant mutiny!

Even the big shrimp boats were hiding out inside Boca Grande pass on
Saturday.


I went to the Florida Sportsman fishing show at the Lee Civic Center. On
Sunday, I replaced the auto bilge switch, and the bow anchor roller wheel
on the Grady White.





I cleaned up the boat from the Friday / Saturday fishing, and replaced the 1
year old LED tail light on the right side. Now to see if it was warranteed.
Listened to the game on the radio. Very nice here weather wise, except big
swell in the ocean. Mavericks surf contest today. Only some 35' waves this
year at the break, not the 50+ that we have had. Calling for 70's through
the weekend. May get the new deck finished yet.

On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 04:07:55 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:

Shark River is south of Everglades City, right? What's there to see down
that way? Is it deep water, and is it worth overnighting in on the way to
the Keys?

Yes, well south of Everglades City. Charts show deep water and
several of the cruising guides mention it as an anchorage. It
continues back into the Everglades for a fair distance and the channel
is reasonably well marked if the charts are to be believed.

We've never been there but it looks interesting.