Mike’s Journal – Sharktrip 5-19-03 

We're in Florida. YEAH!!!!

We have to be at sailing school at 8am. BUMMER!

After driving all day yesterday, I was still exhausted and felt like crap. Went to the class, presented by Offshore Sailing School, which was held in a B&B called the Mansion House in the old part of St. Petersburg. 

When we got there, we were told that the instructor wouldn't be getting there till 8:30 so we decided to have breakfast. Ok, for $10, I expect a breakfast. Two eggs over easy, to TEENY TINY strips of bacon that together wouldn't have made one Oscar Meyer slice, a couple tomato slices and an English muffin. Ok, maybe ten bucks I can see. Still, was fairly unsatisfying. Filled the belly though, and not knowing what the water was going to be like, probably not a bad idea to eat light.

Our instructor, Cliff Bare showed up around 8:30. He's a smaller grizzled ol guy whose been instructing since 78'. He was friendly and started cramming sailing stuff into my noggin right away. We lectured until 10:30 and it was time to hit the water. Drove down to the marina and met Cliff down there.

The boat was a 26 footer, called a Colgate 26. We learned how to set up the rigging and prep and Dan skippered it out. He did awesome his first time getting it out of the harbor. The wind was light though and by the time it got to my turn to sail, it had all but died. So we brought the boat in and did more lecture for the rest of the day. I have to say, after being out in the sun all day, going back to do a lecture was NOT conducive to my mental state and sorry to say, I nodded off a few times and at one point was asked to answer some questions on what Cliff had just went over and I couldn't remember a single thing. Luckily that was the end of it.

had lunch at the marina. Old Key West Deli & Cafe. Had a really tasty sammich, some poppers, and couple powerades and water.

From the marina Dan had to get his phone serviced so we cruised up to a phone place fro him to get his roam tables downloaded. Unforunately, there was an hour wait. Both of us were fried at that point, but happened to look around and found a Crabby Bills across the street. Headed over and decided to do some damage on the seafood stocks of the state.

Turned out to be an appetizer night. We split an Oysters Rockafeller. Mussels Marinara with garlic bread and a mess of crawdad tails/ with cocktail sauce. Then Dan went for the salad with shrimp and I had another plate of the Oysters Rock. OH MAN were they good. I could eat those things until Iodine was squirting out my ears.

Picked up the phone, headed to the hotel and passed out.

End of day.

Mike