K
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 1506
|
K
Just got back from a weekend in St. Petersburg with my in-laws. While there we drove by the Pier and noticed two tall ships docked nearby. One of them was the HMS Bounty!
I was very surprised because I knew the ship was to return to St. Pete next January after years of absence. Marian and I even had loose plans to go over and see it when it returned. I asked one of the crew if they had arrived early and he said, "no". He told me they had docked two days ago on their way to New Orleans and were leaving the next day. He said the ship would return to St. Pete in January as scheduled.
Unfortunately, the ship looked horrible. The decks and hull were very weathered and neglected. This was disapointing because I had read the ship was being refitted in Maine before sailing to Flordia. Obviously, she is still a work in progress, however. I also saw a sign that said they were looking for people to work aboard, and seeking financial donantions.
Perhaps after we get our tiki raised at Tiki Gardens, we should consider a fund raiser for the HMS Bounty. It would be a damn shame if they couldn't keep this tiki-related vessel afloat.
I also want to mention two other pleasant experiences we had this weekend. First, we went to a Florida vintage and collectibles show at the old Gulfport Casino. They had lots of cool retro stuff and we managed to score two Westwood mugs and an Orchids of Hawaii scorpion bowl (the brown one with masks on the side). One vendor had six of the old Bali Hai mugs and a set of Bali Hai Salt & Pepper shakers. He wanted $50 each for the mugs, and $45 for the shaker set. These prices seemed kind of high to us.
The second thing is, we ran into Chris Holland who we had not seen since the Hukilau in Atlanta. He was moving to Houston the following day (though not sailing on the Bounty), so it was nice to have a chance to reconnect and wish him luck. He's hoping he'll make it to the Hukilau next summer.
[ Edited by: Kailuageoff 2006-03-21 18:50 ]
|
