Day 170: GIWW to Saint Petersburg

Day 170: January 4: We had a calm night but things changed at about 6:00 a.m. Winds started to howl and the boat started to rock a bit! John got up a few times and went out on deck to check things out. He came back in and the anchor alarm went off. We were definitely dragging anchor; he knocked on Summer Fling’s door and told Frank we needed to untie him from our boat and he would have to pull away and drop his own anchor. As soon as we released him we were fine and Frank was able to successfully drop the hook a bit off our starboard side and we waited for sunrise! 

John hailed the Welch Causeway Bridge and requested a 9:00 a.m. opening. We picked up the anchor and John led the way through the bridge opening and along the GIWW. We contacted two more bridges; Treasure Island Causeway Bridge and Corey Causeway Bridge. Vertical clearances range from 21 to 25 feet as recorded on Navionics depending on the tide. These bridges are restricted meaning they open on the hour, 20 minutes before and 40 minutes after the hour. 

We enjoyed a very pleasant 2 hour cruise along the GIWW; admiring the lovely homes and relishing the sunshine. I received a notification on NEBO from a Looper named Mike Fitz. He sent a picture of us traveling by his condo in St Pete Beach just before the Corey Causeway Bridge. He and his wife own "Fitz Perfectly". They are on a break from their loop and plan on starting up again in June or July. NEBO is such a handy tool for us Loopers; being able to keep track of others traveling in our vicinity. I bet he really enjoys being able to watch for Loopers passing by his waterfront window.


We passed the Don CeSar, the "crown jewel" of Florida's Gulf Coast. Known as the "Pink Palace", it is perched on top of lofty dunes and offers expansive water views in all directions. It has provided some of the most famous and notorious figures with a luxurious setting and glamor since opening in 1928, the heyday of the Gatsby Era. The hotel has quite a history. In 1940 owner Thomas Rowe suffered a heart attack and died, leaving the hotel to his estranged wife Mary.  The U.S. army purchased the hotel in 1942, and used it as a hospital and rehab facility for airmen returning from WWII battle. In 1971 concerned citizens saved the hotel from the wrecking ball and in 1972 William Bowman became the new owner; he began renovations which have continued throughout the decades. In 1989 the hotel became the only historic resort on Floridas coast as it joined the "National Trust's Historic Hotels" as a founding member. With standard rooms costing well over $500 and a suite over $800, the closest we will get to the Pink Palace is from our view from the water. 

We dropped the hook and rafted with Summer Fling in about 12 feet in Maximo Park, a well protected and calm anchorage. Several boats passed in and out of the area throughout the day, most passing slowly by so as not to wake us. Frank needed to go ashore to get his glasses repaired so he and Mona launched their dinghy. As soon as it hit the water a few visitors appeared. Three snowy egrets looking for a handout!


As evening approached, the sunset became more glorious by the minute, lighting up the bridge at the entrance to Tampa Bay. 













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