Monday
Today we hopped in the dinghy and set off on a mission to track down a West Marine. After running our errand — and discovering nope, they still didn’t have the very specific fuel filters we’ve been hunting for 🙄 — we decided to pivot and reward ourselves with lunch instead.
We stopped at a waterfront bar and grill called Burdine’s and grabbed seats right at the bar. Turns out, we scored the perfect spot: an entertaining bartender, great conversation with a lovely couple next to us, and a front-row view of the water. And the food? Way beyond expectations! I was honestly thinking it might be just “meh,” but wow — it completely surprised us.
Jeff ordered a Mahi sandwich and fries (and let me just say… those fries were next level delicious). I went with the Mahi quesadilla, which was absolutely amazing. Portions were generous too — I could only finish half, so that and Jeff’s leftover fries came back to the boat with us. We ended up lingering for a couple of hours, soaking in the sunshine, chatting, and simply enjoying a beautiful day on the water.
Tuesday
This morning we dinghied over to the city marina to check on our long-awaited package—you guessed it…fuel filters—but not the same ones Jeff was looking for at West Marine! While we were there, we also had provisions from Publix delivered, so once the groceries arrived, we hauled our goodies back to the boat.
Jeff realized he needed to go the Napa store to find the fuel filters West Marine did not have—there are endless varieties of these things! The nearest NAPA was about 4–5 miles north of the marina, so he decided to hop on the bike and make the trek himself. I stayed behind on the boat tackling a few odds and ends.
Success at last! Jeff returned victorious with the correct filters in hand. After some much-needed showers and finally picking up our package (more fuel filters), we met up with fellow loopers from Blue Lobstah at The Dockside for the evening. Their happy hour definitely lives up to the hype, and the live band was absolutely incredible. We ended up sharing a table with several other boaters — some loopers, some not — and the night quickly turned into drinks, great food, dancing, and lots of laughter.
It was the perfect way to wrap up our final night there — fun, music, and great company.
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