The Expeditionary Force was foraging Saturday morning, so we vectored Dan to the Piggly Wiggly for bananas and planned to link up. We were soon en route to rendezvous.
The weather was spectacular and, unlike the day of Dan's trek, winds were not howling. In fact, along the way, we saw dozens of small fishing boats on flat, shallow water.
Arriving in Apalachicola, my handler and I set out to find Dan. Then things took an unexpected turn......
Later, I contacted Dan, and learned that he had foraged successfully; shortly, I spotted him. Strolling down the sidewalk, he looked normal, except for the large sack of bananas. Really, how often do you see a Californian in Florida with a sack of bananas? Think about it.
The Apalachicola Antique and Classic Boat Show is small, friendly, and fun. It occupies the street next to the river, and is surrounded by eateries. There is good food and cold beer around every corner, but the boats! There are antiques there, but many are finely built small craft of more recent vintage. Canoes and kayaks and wherries and skiffs and oysterboats and cruisers, boats of strips and of ply, but there is aluminum and fiberglass, too. There are sprits and lugs and gaffs, and boats that make you want to row.
The crowds are small enough that it is easy to talk to builders and owners, and we were lucky enough to do that. Small boats, smallcrafters, and sunshine are a fine combination.There are other groups there, too- the Apalachicola Riverkeepers, who remind us that we must protect this river and estuary from ourselves, and those who protect the life and habitat of nearby St. Vincent Island.
We were pleased to see SeaPearl hull number 1, strikingly different than newer boats, but one hundred percent SeaPearl. All I can say is "WOW"!
Old cars and outboard motors are there, too, and odds and ends of boat parts. I missed a metal bodied manual bilge pump, but scored some nice bronze stuff. More on that later.
The show ended with awards for boats in several categories, and was followed by a dinner and guest speaker. We opted for a smaller group, and feasted on oysters and Alligator Point mussels. The beer was cold, too.
We left Dan well fed and hydrated, with an outline of new objectives for the Expeditionary Force. He was to spend Sunday in Apalachicola, probably eating bananas.—Steve Haines
The weather was spectacular and, unlike the day of Dan's trek, winds were not howling. In fact, along the way, we saw dozens of small fishing boats on flat, shallow water.
Arriving in Apalachicola, my handler and I set out to find Dan. Then things took an unexpected turn......
Later, I contacted Dan, and learned that he had foraged successfully; shortly, I spotted him. Strolling down the sidewalk, he looked normal, except for the large sack of bananas. Really, how often do you see a Californian in Florida with a sack of bananas? Think about it.
The Apalachicola Antique and Classic Boat Show is small, friendly, and fun. It occupies the street next to the river, and is surrounded by eateries. There is good food and cold beer around every corner, but the boats! There are antiques there, but many are finely built small craft of more recent vintage. Canoes and kayaks and wherries and skiffs and oysterboats and cruisers, boats of strips and of ply, but there is aluminum and fiberglass, too. There are sprits and lugs and gaffs, and boats that make you want to row.
The crowds are small enough that it is easy to talk to builders and owners, and we were lucky enough to do that. Small boats, smallcrafters, and sunshine are a fine combination.There are other groups there, too- the Apalachicola Riverkeepers, who remind us that we must protect this river and estuary from ourselves, and those who protect the life and habitat of nearby St. Vincent Island.
We were pleased to see SeaPearl hull number 1, strikingly different than newer boats, but one hundred percent SeaPearl. All I can say is "WOW"!
Old cars and outboard motors are there, too, and odds and ends of boat parts. I missed a metal bodied manual bilge pump, but scored some nice bronze stuff. More on that later.
The show ended with awards for boats in several categories, and was followed by a dinner and guest speaker. We opted for a smaller group, and feasted on oysters and Alligator Point mussels. The beer was cold, too.
We left Dan well fed and hydrated, with an outline of new objectives for the Expeditionary Force. He was to spend Sunday in Apalachicola, probably eating bananas.—Steve Haines
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