I got a phone call from Colorado this morning from the owner of the slip we've had 'Div in for free for the past several months.

We've been there slip-rent free since the hurricane scares last summer. Besides being an excellent dock, we've found that the speckled trout have been showing up with great regularity right there behind the boat. The other night I caught four fish from 17-23 inches, all respectible specks, all bound for ceviche and other delicacies...

There's even a dinghy dock where I can pull 'Divs dink up and out of the water.

But I guess good things never last and now the season of my free slip rent has expired. The owner's mother and her boyfriend blew into town today, and he is wanting to put his stink-pot pleasure boat in the slip. And so, Olivia has to move once again....

What's worse is that the guy wants to slip his boat NOW. The owner, Steve, was real apologetic, and wants me to have the slip again as soon as these folks depart, in exchange for looking after his property while he's gone for a good portion of the year, but until then.....

.....and of course I was unprepared to have to move this quickly...

I am however, very greatful for his kindness and the free slip rent. 'Div and I always seem to find good people.

The dredging in the fingers was supposed to be underway by now, but I spoke with Joe, my friend and PI City Commissioner, this morning and he was pretty upset. Seems as though the dredgers had an "emergency" upstate and had to pull out to go take care of that before they could even begin dredging the trecherous bar out in front of the fingers....

Well that's another story.

Anyway, there's an accute shortage of slips in this part of the world (is it like this everywhere?), so I was faced with a few choices: 

(A) I could go back to the Island, or over to Southpoint for $300 a month. Both of these slips are in deep water, outside the fingers, but neither have what I consider great facilities available for this sort of money (But hey, they do have a public restroom available!) Or;

(B) I could go back to the $80/month slip that I was in briefly after bottom painting this past spring, but the dock on the starboard side (I moor bow in) is falling over, and I'm not sure when it's going to cave in entirely, inside the slip. Finally, option;

(C) return to Anchor Marina for the time being while trying to scam another, better slip elsewhere.

What would you do? (answer this before reading further)......

I chose option (C). It seems the least difficult, and certainly the quickest (as well as second cheapest option), so this afternoon I will be motoring over there and occupying Jack and Barbaras (Sea Shack) slip. I think I can stay there for at least 6-8 weeks while they have Sea Shack in Tennessee getting the delamination problems on the cabin taken care of.

The big caveat here is........I'm only about 4-5 boats insulated from........you guessed it.......DOCK BOY and his floating tenement, Sea Lyin......

There are rumors however that TPWD (the 'possum cops) are now alerted to DB's shenanigans and have given him till Wednesday 1600 to obtain full ownership and current registration to his "vessel" or else. Or else what? Be outta town before sundown?

It looks like a good story. Of course, I'll keep you informed.

Anyhow, Mark's still in jail (till who knows when), Jean is, unfortunately very, very sick and not able to come in almost at all (Don told me the next step is unlimited morphine. When, oh when, will we declare all out war on cancer, or at least recognize it for what it is....a murderer) and so Kim ( nee..Nanook) is trying to hold down the fort.

I'll catch ya'll up on Kim later. He's an interesting guy, having lived aboard Nanook with his wife Rosie for 8 years, sailing many oceans before swallowing the anchor a couple of years ago. I consider Kim the Leonardo di Vinci of sailing,  I have a lot of fondness and respect for him.

The next few weeks ought to be mighty interesting.