New Years in Bradenton

It was pretty windy and gusty over New Years so we stopped in Bradenton for a few days and met  up with some good friends.  We first met Chuck and Diane (Bear) on the Illinois River and have been hopscotching each other ever since.

We spent a little time exploring and shopping in town and ventured into learning how the city buses work.  It was pretty convenient and a lot cheaper than renting a car.
We left on Thursday and headed towards Sarasota.  We anchored out near Marina Jack in front of this iconic statue.

The pelicans were hungry and we had a few laughs watching them.  They are so graceful in flight but when they swoop down with a surgeons precision to snag a fish their feathers are all akimbo and feet are splayed as they flop into the water with a mighty splash.
The next day we sailed towards Venice and anchored in a tight little bay called Cape Haze along with several other boats.  We had the chance to put hoist the new sails and they are great.  We definitely get more speed and are able to speed up and slow down much better than with the old sails.
The weather has been cold so we have been moving fast to find warmer temps.  We next anchored in the lee side of Chino Island and weathered out the winds on Sunday.

Sunset at Chino Island

Papa and Delilah taking a quick nap over Christmas

It is beginning to warm up as we head for Marathon Key.

 On to the Keys~~~~~→