Coffee time

This is a photograph of the small propane stove on the Anna Dean. It was my Grandpa Tink's fishing boat. The Anna Dean was the large boat he took out in the gulf or if the fishing was away

from Cortez., Florida. It had four bunks and a couple extra mattresses that could be put in the back by the engine cover so we could stay out for days or a week at a time.

The main use of the stove was to cook Grandpa's coffee. I can remember frying fish a couple times but we survived on packaged food. Honey buns, cokes, peanuts and and peanut butter sandwiches packed by Grandma.

Grandpa Tink was the chef. He would put an old coffee pot on the stove, filled with water and a half can of coffee and just let it boil. It was done when it tasted like what you would be spitting out if you took a plug of his chewing tobacco.

Every now and then one of us kids would pour ourselves a cup of coffee but I don't think any of them went anywhere but overboard. We might take a couple sips to show we were able but Grandpa was the only one who drank the stuff.

After the coffee was brewed to a nice syrup he would turn off the stove and let it cool down. After fishing he would just light up the stove and warm up the cold coffee.

I was looking at an old photo and realized the stove was visible. I don't know of any good pictures of the Anna Dean. I spent a lot of time on the boat with him but for the most part, fading memories are all that's left.