October 16, 2020 · 1:37 pm

Different Strokes

I love people who are a little off kilter. Like this guy who came and dropped anchor not too far from me at the Coquina North Boat Ramp on Anna Maria Island, FL, and spent the night.

Sometimes you just have to get away even if it’s on board a 17-foot open bow rider. I couldn’t see if he had a cooler or way to cook, but I did make out he was eating something for an evening meal. He slept in rather late despite the bright sun, gulls squawking, and the dumpster trucks swapping containers out at 6 am. He had something to drink as he sat quietly in this tranquil spot, then he raised his anchor and motored off.

This is what gunkholing is all about. The name of the boat is “Out on Business.”

Three years ago I was holed up at Englewood, down south, for the Memorial Day weekend. I DON’T go cruising around when the world is filled with people who don’t believe their boats will go unless they have an alcoholic beverage in their hand. There’s a popular anchorage there (Top red block)

and in the late afternoon an older couple, retirees, probably, came in on their pontoon boat and dropped anchor. Nothing unusual about that. But then they set up a small tent, like people use when they go camping in the woods, in after part of the boat and put a camp stove on the boat’s table. They spent the next two days at anchor and then went home.

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