Vacation Day 3

Day three of my vacation dawned bright and sunny, though just a bit breezy.  Our plans for the day were to launch Ken’s larger boat, “Kelly’s Girl.”  Ken has owned “Kelly’s Girl” since 1986 and we used it as the base for many an adventure together in the Tampa Bay area of Florida where we both lived at the time.

 

Ken’s wife Joyce was able to take the day off and join us.  Our plans were to go find a nice beach protected from the breeze and enjoy the day swimming and walking the beach.

 

Ken is meticulous in how he cares for his possessions and “Kelly’s Girl” is no exception.  This boat looks as good today as it did when it came off the showroom floor in 1986.  This boat features a classic style design by Wellcraft and was one of the more popular ”pocket cruiser” designs of it’s day.  Boats of this era are hard to find on the East Coast of Florida still in this good of condition and Ken gets admiring looks and stares every time he launches “Kelly’s Girl.”

 

In this first shot Joyce, ken’s wife, and Ken welcome me aboard “Kelly’s Girl.”

We are in the Ft. Pierce inlet and Ken has chosen our beach location for the day just up ahead.

It doesn’t take Ken long to expertly set the anchor with the boat lined up perfectly with the beach in just the right depth of water.

Joyce and I have known each since their first date.  She is a wonderful lady with a good wit and a sharp mind.  Always looking to improve herself, Joyce takes night courses at a local college in accounting.  She’s been working in the accounting field for many years and I admire her resolve to keep abreast of her career field.  Here we are together saluting Ken as he snaps this picture.

This next shot takes me back twenty years.  Whenever I think of the island camping trips, fishing adventures, diving experiences, or lazing at a beach outing, I always have this mental picture of Ken hanging off the swim platform of “Kelly’s Girl” as you see him pictured here.

Joyce and I took the opportunity to walk the beach and chat.  Here you see us on the return trip to the boat.

We tried to get into the Ft. Pierce City Marina so that we could eat at the Tiki Hut Restaurant.  We ate there on the first day of my trip and had some of the best cheeseburgers I’ve had in years.  The Dock Master would not let us tie up for lunch because the Southern Kingfish Association was holding a tournament nearby and all boat slips had been reserved.  He did let us stay long enough to place to-go orders, though and Ken and I sat at the bar and people watched while we waited for our order.  Here’s a shot of the crowd.

Joyce and I were sitting in “Kelly’s Girl” while Ken was checking on docking accommodations when I noticed the America Flag standing straight on the pole over Joyce’s shoulder.  I quickly got the camera and snapped a shot.

We pulled out of the marina in search of an island to tuck into while we ate our lunch.  We noticed some commotion at a county park nearby and realized that that was where the Southern Kingfish Association was holding the weigh-in for their tournament.

There was a big stage and bleachers had been erected on each side of it.  These events draw huge crowds and we happened by as one of the very earliest boats had pulled into the dock to weigh in.

If any of you remember my very first posts last April, you may remember a fellow by the name of Woody who set out to sail a tiny boat from Savannah to Charleston in some extreme weather conditions.  Woody has been by again on a new adventure and I’ll be posting about it soon.  In the meantime, I have one more day to share of my vacation.  This day we did no boating, but had a great adventure.  ‘Til then be safe and take care!