July 8, 2007
Bradenton, FL

Nereus at anchor on Sarasota Bay

Nereus is going on a short, but rapid cruise. Starting on or soon after August, 1, 2007, Nereus will set sail for northern Alabama to be moth-balled. The route will take Nereus from Twin Dolphin Marina in Bradenton, FL, across the Gulf of Mexico, into the Bay at Mobile, and up the Tombigbee River to Demopolis, AL and the local boat yard for temporary decommissioning.

But first, let’s review how we got to “here” and why we are going to “there”:

It has been two and a half years since the end of our cruise and a lot has happened, but little of it happened aboard Nereus. I did manage to complete a few things on my “wants” list I developed after our last trip. Nereus now sports a new roller furling head sail, a new 12 volt refrigerator, and a new dingy with outboard motor. However, the decks never got painted, the paint and varnish is completely shot, and I have sailed the boat exactly three times in the since we have been here.

Florida – “The Boater’s State” – is not so boater friendly. The main thing here is everything is SOOO expensive and facilities are disappearing as developers continue to snap up waterfront property, leaving us cruising sailors with limited options. But it is not the State of Florida’s fault. We came here with an idea of what we wanted our home/boat lifestyle to be and we were not able to live up to that ideal. So, it’s time to stow Nereus and reassess our plans.

Admiral & Captain in the Dink on Sarasota Bay

We had our “shake-down” cruise on 4th of July to evaluate the conditions on board. There were a few things that broke, but nothing critical. I’ve made the repairs and, ready or not, here we go. My buddy, Pat, is flying in on July 30th to crew with me, which is great. I will be going Binga-less, though, as Vanessa and Bing are staying behind. Not to excited about that, but it is the way of things.

So, August 1st, I’ll take Nereus across the Gulf of Mexico and up the river past Mobile to a boat yard in Alabama.

Stay tuned as the saga of Nereus continues.

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