Extended Stay

TIKA likes it so much on Estero Island, we decided to extend our stay through mid March.  We plan to make some short overnight trips but keep Fish Tale Marina as home base.

When cruising, the bottom of the dinghy identifies TIKA and our home port, since the dinghy covers the lettering on the stern.  While we were in port, I touched up the lettering on the bottom with a paint magic marker.  Looks great.  When cruising, courteous boaters wishing to pass you will call you on the radio and inform you which side they intend to pass.  If your name is clearly visible on the boat, it makes it easy for people to hail you.   By the way, there is another type of boater that doesn't care what your boat name is or informing you which direction they intend to pass.  They usually pass very close and slow down just enough to leave a huge wake with no time to turn into the waves.  As a result everything on shelves gets thrown everywhere as you roll violently with the waves.  There is a name for those type of boaters:........................(you can fill in the blank)

Every year we have a vessel safety check by the Coast Guard Auxiliary to insure we have all the necessary equipment on boat required by Federal and State Law.  Our boat neighbor at Fish Tale Marina is the Flotilla Officer responsible for conducting these examinations.  He was kind enough to do our safety check for 2014.  As a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, I can fly the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flag if my vessel has a current safety check.  The combination of the two should help inform local law enforcement that we are in compliance and help avoid being stopped or boarded underway.