February 11 and 12 - Marco Island Smokehouse Bay to Rose Marina

February 11

We left Smokehouse Bay and traveled a short distance to Rose Marina (Kip talking the entire way, of course).  On the way we saw this sign in the yard of one of the houses:

We are staying at the marina for two nights because of the high wind prediction.  When we arrived, we took care of boat maintenance, including topping off fuel, gas for the generator, fuel for the heat stove, pump out, system and battery checks, boat wash, and laundry.

We walked into town to pick up some items at West Marine and Publix.  At the marina we met another couple from Duluth, Minnesota who were also "loopers" and exchanged cards.  We had spaghetti, salad, strawberries and bread for dinner and played dominoes after nightfall.  Kip sometimes zones out while we are playing, and he makes some very interesting plays (sixes on tens, etc.)!  

February 12

The wind kept the boat rocking and rolling last night!  I woke up to see Kip outside (in his blue undies) taking the Bimini down.  The flags were clanking, and the wind was howling!  I was glad to be in a Marina in a slip.  

Kip made breakfast (and in the morning, we'll have waffles).  We took a long walk to the point to see the waves.  Kip stopped and bought two lures that are supposed to be perfect for catching any fish, and a fish guide so we know what the heck kind of fish we catch and if we can eat it or not.  We are not familiar with fishing here!

Our boat in the slip at the marina.

One of the projects Kip also worked on today was to replace the white courtesy lights in the deck and on the sides of the boat with blue LED lights.  It looks really nice!

A security guard stopped by tonight and asked how long we were staying at the marina.  We said we might leave tomorrow depending on the wind.  He recommended we stay at the marina one more day because the wind will be bad again tomorrow, stating that "the waves in the Gulf today were 8 to 10 feet so you should wait to leave, especially in this boat).  We will certainly heed his warning and check the weather tomorrow morning.