Paula got up at 5:30am because of the sound of the wind howling through the rigging. She started the coffee and a crock-pot pot roast to cook and freeze for a quick, hearty dinner when Glennis is with us. Once that was underway, she walked up to the marina office and channel entrance, curious about the sea state given the blustery conditions.

The swells looked to be about 4 feet, and waves were crashing loudly on the beach (the featured picture doesn’t really do justice in just 2 dimensions). At the channel exit there was yet another sailboat in distress. A newly purchased sloop had left the marina and became disabled and was now aground at the junction of the channel and the bank. It’s unclear to us whether it lost rudder control and went aground, or went aground and damaged the rudder, but the vessel was being pummeled by the surf without steerage. Another amazing rescue was then performed by marina staff. Three small inflatable dinghies with powerful engines buzzed out to the sailboat in no time flat.  Much like nimble sheep-herding dogs corralling a panicky calf, they pulled, pushed, bumped and buzzed around the handicapped vessel. Despite wind and waves, and a couple close shaves, they managed to steer the boat down the winding channel like little tug boats, past the coral heads, and into a slip without a scratch to it or any surrounding boats. A diver then went down to assess the damage.

Seeing just how hard the marina staff work (many work every day of the week), Paula did her Jewish Mama thing and delivered hot drop biscuits with jam to the marina office. Then she undertook to make her first yeast bread in many years from a recipe given to her by another sailboater.

Tommy read all morning and generally was a slack-ass.

After lunch, feeling the need to stretch our legs, and inspired by Captain Mort’s comment about chicken feet, we walked to the grocery store, where we bought the LAST PACK of chicken feet, an onion and some mushrooms for tonight’s dinner, and some apricot preserves. Paula investigated recipes for chicken feet. Besides the classic chicken soup treatment, there are several Asian recipes that are promising. However, they all have multiple steps: boiling, frying, braising, in turn. But it’s the first step that is giving Paula pause. Each recipe clearly states that the toenails must be clipped from the feet before cooking. Urg.

On the walk back from the store we saw two interesting things. First was a very nice example of a bird-of-paradise flower in  the landscaping of one of the gated communities. Next was a house painted sky-blue, which today happened to be exactly the color of the sky.

Then a nap, more cleaning work on the topsides (Tommy) and in the galley (Paula). Dinner was baked boneless skinless chicken thighs with a gravy made from the mushrooms, onions, and extra pot juices from the pot roast, steamed broccoli, left-over spinach ravioli, and the newly-baked bread with butter. This last was pretty good, but not as light as the other sailboater had made. Paula will read about “crumb” in her recipe book and try again when this loaf is gone.