Back in the US of A

5-16-92 - Edmont Cay
Midnight last night the wind finally decided to fill in, and of course right into our little anchorage. Not to bad but about a 2 ft chop is still bad enough. I don’t know what kind of bottom they have around here but when picking up the hook I get it straight up and down and it doesn’t come out. I can feel the whole boat shudder as it dips up over a wave and stops, the bow sprint taking the load, one more like that and it is gone. I yell back to Jan to put the engine in gear and power it out, which she does and in a flash we are under way.
Looks like we will be tacking up to St Petersburg, can’t make out the skyway bridge yet thru the haze but this will be fun lots of wind and itty bitty waves! We raise the ole sails and boogie. Alittle while later I am puzzled by the slap and looseness of the backstays, I check above and all seems to be well. I move forward and look, the Bob Stay is swinging in the breeze. Brand new it has completly sheared at my norseman fitting. The bang it got pulling out the anchor must have snapped it when it rebounded, because the force applied by the anchor was in the other direction.
Motoring in this delightful breeze I hide my face from all the other sailboats out here enjoying the day. Here we are sails furled, but destination in sight. George says you can’t miss the upsidedown pyramid and he was right. Soon we putter our way into the seaplane basin and drop the hook. Looks like someone knew we were coming they are setting up a stage and beer and all kinds of stuff in the park.
As the rock and roll booms we meet Chuck and party all night, welcome back to the USA.