Stardust sails to her new home

Monday, 5/15. The radar had been fixed last Friday, but the boatyard didn’t call (or return my messages) so I didn’t find out until Monday morning that the radar was ready to go. This was my last chance for 2 weeks to move the boat. Chris and Terry Reynolds, and JZ, volunteered to help sail to Regatta Pointe Marina.

We had a wonderful sail for 3 hours across Tampa Bay, crossing under the Skyway Bridge. We identified a distant storm cell and two tankers on the radar. The chartplotter led us through deep water to the mouth of the Manatee River. The autopilot did all the work, with JZ punching in +10 or –5 to change course. Terry and I performed all the winch duties. I oversaw the course, spending time on the bow, at the helm, and down below at the nav station with paper charts.

The wind died, so we cranked up the Yanmar and motored the last hour to the marina. Upon arrival at our slip, all the neighbor live-aboards were standing by to watch the new guy enter town. We performed well enough to not get thrown out. Then everyone on dock sprang to action, helping us tie up. What a great community we’re joining!

Stardust exceeded my expectations. The four of us had a most wonderful time. What a great adventure we are about to undertake!