Snead Island Boat Works, Palmetto, Florida

Beautiful day today, sunny and warm. The boat is still out of the water, prop and shaft back this afternoon, will be put back on tomorrow am. The good news is that the fuel in the starboard tank has been cleaned, as well as the tank itself. The mechanic found a lot of grit/sand in the tank, as well as a couple of zip ties and other pieces of junk in the bottom of the tank. We had wondered if the issue was with the tank itself being older and deteriorating on the inside, but that is not the case; it had to have been a load of very dirty fuel. Apparently the walls of the tank have a clean shiny finish; they have previously been coated.


We spent the afternoon at Emerson Point Preserve.

A few hundred acres of land have been set aside on Snead Island as a nature and bird preserve; trails have been made through the preserve so that people may drive on part of it, walk around much more. This preserve is on the point of Snead Island, so that when you walk out to the point, you can see the Manatee River on one side, Tampa Bay on the other. There are small areas of sandy beach all along the edges of the preserve, and small ponds in the interior. It seems to be a popular place with walkers, bikers, and people walking dogs. Emerson Point Preserve also protects a significant archeological site: the Portavent Mound. More than 150’ long and 80’ wide, this artificial flat-topped hill shaded by ancient live oaks is one of the oldest temple mounds in Florida, more than 1,000 years old, built by the ancestors of the Timucua. In the 1800s, early Florida pioneers built a homestead atop the hill. You can still see some of the orange trees that they planted, as well as a walkway shaded by royal palms. It is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.

Went to visit Nancy and Eddie, they very kindly fed us dinner since we are currently homeless. Back to the hotel for the night. We should be able to stay on the boat tomorrow night.

Tampa Bay Skyway Bridge - view from the Island

One small area of the mound

Osprey Nest