April 2026 – Exhale on the Water

Cool Thing – Sarasota

For some, it’s a song from Rascal Flatts, “Cool Thing“

A little Sarasota moonlight
Driftwood fire burnin’

For us, it’s a place to Walk (a lot), to Shop (supporting the locals), and to Dine (with LOTS of delicious options)!

First, a little area History. The oldest documented reference to the area is found on a sheepskin Spanish map, from 1763, with the word “Zarazote”.

Girl Power: Bertha Palmer (Bertha Honoré Palmer) May 22, 1849 – May 5, 1918. Beginning around the start of the twentieth century she was the region’s largest landholder, rancher and developer, known to have purchased more than 90,000 acres in what is now Sarasota County. A well known socialite, and philanthropist in her time, her success was impressive – especially since women did not win the right to vote until 1920!

Male Competition: Also arriving in 1910, Owen Burns (October 31, 1869 – August 28, 1937) became the largest landholder within what is now the city limits of Sarasota; he also founded a bank, built bridges, developed landmark buildings, and constructed a few waterfront mansions. Most important to boaters – he dredged the harbor, using the soil to create more waterfront property!

Sarasota Yacht Club

This is for SCYC Past Commodore Greg Rocque – looking forward to the remodel!

Also for PC Greg Rocque, the Sarasota Yacht Club understands a grand lobby!

PLUS, they have a wine room, Commodore Kim, this would be great at SCYC!

Say hi to the resident mascot, a great white heron.

We returned to Blue Dolphin Cafe in St Armand’s Circle for a delicious breakfast, followed by some very successful retail therapy. Shoppers, there are over 100 stores and dining options in the circle, not sure where to go first? Check out this color-coded map!

To Buttercup’s annoyance, this pelican continued to dive nearby, making a great splash with every catch of fish.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens – Downtown Sarasota

We walked with David B. and Gail B. around the 15-acre botanical garden, which included a Display Conservatory – think greenhouse – with a sweet Bonsai. For more details, see Gail Bernstein’s next blog!!

Here’s another angle for Zach.

Bird Key Yacht Club, Sarasota

Although the club is in the midst of a massive construction project (don’t worry, there will be no columns in the dining room), the marina is still welcoming to transients. Our timing was perfect as we were invited to join the monthly Grill and Chill! Delicious swordfish, chicken, salads, and more!

Hi to new followers, Bird Key Yacht Club members, and dockmates, David and Kathy Tucker, enjoy the water!!

The second night at Bird Key we ate on board. Grilled Tuna Steaks ‘ala Tonto’s Reward. Thanks Chef Gail B. for another delicious meal.

sunset by Capt Rick

One more comment about Bird Key – Buttercup did not appreciate the construction zone view – but she did seem very busy barking at the myriad of workers!

Shout out to Family

Hello to Mija Alisha and her cousin Joe Buckendahl, enjoying the Long Beach, CA Grand Prix.

And, for my brother Sam, this week the AK Straleys are celebrating the annual slush cup in Girdwood, AK – think Polar Bear Plunge on skis and snowboards! Too cold for Capt Rick, for sure.

Oh Hey Sideways! Looking Good!

Special Message to Mark Cardone – Get better, brother from another mother, all the way better, soon. XoXo

Celebrating Milestones: Toasting the April birthdays and anniversaries!

Next Up: Bradenton Yacht Club followed by Tampa Convention Center.

See you soon Tom and Faye at St. Pete Yacht Club!

A Windy Start

Singalong now …

And Windy has stormy eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (above the clouds)

Here’s a YouTube of the Song by The Association ‧ 1967

More than a blustery day, in the past few days we have experienced winds up to 30 knots, Capt Rick said the average was 20 to 25 knots. Although we were safely tied up, it was not fun for Buttercup. But I digress …

Pelican Bay / Cayo Costa

We started this journey with an overnight at Pelican Bay, a favorite spot for all of us. The only thing missing was the conch at sunset, blown with much gusto by SFYC Commodore Connie.

Boater’s Tip – open the hatches and enjoy the fresh air! The stars at night are beyond compare. The splashing sound near your hull is very likely bait fish!

Yes, there were Pelicans in Pelican Bay!

Isles Yacht Club (IYC), Punta Gorda

Our first Florida Council Club stop was at IYC.

Fun fact: Punta Gorda is Spanish for “Fat Point”. Spanish fishermen from Cuba, who frequented the area in the early 1800s, are believed to have given the area its name, long before permanent settlement.

Boater’s Tip: It’s a perfect place to launch a dinghy to explore the waterfront neighborhoods.

Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club (CHYC), Port Charlotte

The water is too shallow at CHYC for us to overnight, but it is an easy run by dinghy from IYC. The owner, Jeffrey, is delightful

and the brunch at the club is exceptional. Gail and I both ordered the Eggs Benedict, with a Bloody Mary, all was delicious!! It was nice to see the SCYC burgee prominently displayed in the club house.

The weather was calm in Punta Gorda.

Buttercup waited on Tonto’s Reward for Gail B. to bring her a treat, Capt Rick said what she really wanted was to take a nap with Bert and EJ, on David B’s pillow.

Venice Yacht Club, Venice FL

Celebrating it’s 75th Anniversary, Venice Yacht Club was a WINDY stop.

To our pure delight, SCYC Past Commodore (PC) Gary Ralph, on Knot Dreamin’, joined us on the second evening in Venice. He is also busy visiting Florida Council Clubs!

PC Rick Ginsburg (SFYC) and PC Gary Ralph (SCYC) on board Exhale.

The wind continued to howl! We were happy to stay put, to let the fowl weather pass. Heather R, don’t you love my crazy hair :-)

A little ambulatory update from this blogger – thank you to the numerous followers who asked about my recovery from the unfortunate gravity-driven accident last August on Tangier Island, VA. I am happy to report I have now taken on all First Mate duties, with no issues! And, I am walking like a normal human with minimal challenge (although not to be compared with super walker David B). Navigating stairs – going up – is fine, but going down stairs, and uneven surfaces, require extra effort; that’s just a minor inconvenience. So thanks again for checking!

Special Note to Sideways – we know you are making progress with all those projects. Can’t wait to connect on the water, again.

Celebrating Milestones: Birthday April 22, Katrin Ericson

Next Up: Sarasota Yacht Club and Bird Key Yacht Club – both in Sarasota, FL

Thanks everyone for following us! Your comments and “likes” are appreciated.

Let’s Go!

It’s April, and Exhale is on the water again! Buttercup says, it’s been a long time, been a long time, been a LONG time!

First, a little catch up. In our September 2025 post – Chesapeake Summer – Hello Gravity – we reported the bizarre boating accident – on August 29 – on Tangier Island, Virginia. The next day, with the first mate out of commission, Capt Rick moved the boat from Tangier to Onancock, by himself. Thank you for the escort by Tonto’s Reward.

The diagnosis was a fractured tibia plateau – fancy medical words for a broken leg. On September 5 surgery was performed to realign and elevate the knee cap, and to insert a total of 10 metal screws!

The ortho surgeon told us to hold still for another two weeks in Onancock. Meanwhile, Rick and Buttercup were just waiting to Exhale …

This patient was sustained by a lot of yummy grilled cheese sandwiches, with pickles and fresh fruit, thanks to Chef Ricardo.

We were cleared by Ortho to travel on Sept 19, a total of 21 days after the accident. Next up – Norfolk, VA.

SeaBee Ray Houle climbed on board to help! A true hero, after securing Exhale in Norfolk, Ray drove with Rick and I back to Fort Myers, a grueling 950-mile road trip. The next morning, the men said goodbye to Buttercup and me, then drove back to Norfolk to retrieve Exhale, with a helping hand from Caryl, who flew in to the St. Augustine area to join the men.

In Rick’s absence, a BIG thanks to the many friends and neighbors who walked Buttercup, drove me to medical and physical therapy appointments, and helped me hobble around.

Thanks Zach for this fancy cane from your travels in Asia!

Exhale is On the Move!

Fast forward to late March of 2026 … it’s time to get back on the water, but first,

Summer Breeze

a little tribute to Seals and Crofts, one of the great soft rock bands from the 70s. Sadly, Austin, Texas singer Dash Crofts passed on March 25 at age 87. They wrote “Summer Breeze”. You probably know the sweet lyric, “Summer breeze, makes me feel fine / Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind”; and, you might know that my daughter, Alisha Jasmine, is named after that song.

Florida Boating in the Spring is Heavenly

On April 16, 2026 Exhale left the home dock, stopping for one night at St. Charles Yacht Club.

Jane Linscott, Capt Rick, Past Commodore John Linscott

What’s the Float Plan?

Early on April 17 we travel in tandem with Tonto’s Reward, heading first to Pelican Bay.

This boating season we will visit the Florida Council Clubs! There are 36 in total, let’s see how many we actually reach.

First, we will spend about six weeks exploring the west coast of Florida – going north from Fort Myers. Our destination is a bit north of Clearwater, to Tarpon Springs. On the map below it’s a little north of Tampa. After a short return to Fort Myers, we will head south towards Key West, then loop around towards Miami, heading north on the east coast of Florida, towards Jacksonville and Melbourne. Boating friends, please join us when you can!

Here’s a map and a list of the clubs

For now, say hi to Danielle’s new mascot from the birthday trip to Orlando.

Celebrations: Recent Birthdays include April 7, Ryan Mendoza;

April 8, Grandson Tyler Hendry turned 10, to celebrate in style, nine of us gathered in Orlando. He’s such a cool dude.

A shout out to Anders, can you believe that 10 years have passed since we took delivery of our first Exhale, time has flown by!

April 10, Dale Morgan; April 13, Piper Jackson turned 18! April 14, Meghan Reese; April 18, Rachel Gill; and April 19, cousin John Gill, Jr.

Congratulations to our sweet friends, Ray Houle and Caryl Moulder on their new boat, a Mainship 350, soon to be named “Sideways”.

Special Shoutouts – Thanks for the new bridge – Joyce and Dr. Bennett! Congratulations to Bill Greggs and our VITA team – it was a great season!

Next Up: Cayo Costa, looking forward to lunch at Cabbage Key and anchoring out in Pelican Bay with Tonto’s Reward.