Date: January 31, 2014
Day on the Cruise: 224
From: Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs, FL
To: Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs, FL
Statute Miles: 0.0 SM
Time: 0.0 Hr
Cumulative Miles: 5,638.8 SM
On Board: Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut
Still here at Turtle Cove Marina in Tarpon Springs. Still rainy and very cool.
Looking back over the last month is not a pleasant experience. I have pontificated several times that boating is a warm weather pastime! We certainly did not follow this line of thinking during our January trek from Mobile, AL down here to Tarpon Springs.
We began in Mobile on January 7 with temps in the teens, water turned off at the dock, and frozen pump out systems. Heavy winter coats, gloves, and hats were the uniform of the day and not shorts and tee shirts. Keeping warm inside was a priority, not soaking up rays on deck. The sun elevation is still in winter mode and is low and makes for still-short days and a certain glare that just smacks of wintertime. No daylight savings time to help extend the travel day, and sunrise at ridiculously late hours. We encountered wind and cool temps that were made cooler by the wind.
We had several lovely days of cruising across the panhandle in clear blue skies and temps in the fly bridge that were toasty as long as the Isinglass was kept zipped up. We also had days of clouds and overcast and very cold weather for cruising.
Stops at some of our old stomping grounds along the Panhandle were very different from what we had experienced in the Summer. Cold rain all day in Pensacola prevented us from seeing the town. Sandestin was beautiful but was bitter cold with wind chills and ice on the dock. Panama City was nice, but our friend's accident and the cold there put a damper on our visit, for sure.
Carrabelle was a lowlight of the month. I would be fine if I never returned to this place. The terrible docks, high winds, and the cold were bummers. Having to wear heavy coats off the boat was terrible. If a dock master has to wear Carhartts to do his job, it is too dang cold for boating! seeing all the people that had been waiting to cross the Gulf from Carrabelle for over a month was discouraging. I made up my mind that I wanted out of this place as soon as I tried to dock Blue Moon, and it went down hill from there.
So, I guess Steinhatchee was the bright spot of the month for us. We have heard all along our Loop trip how you can't do the "Big Bend" in the Winter time because the prevailing winds lower the water depths by two feet or more. OK. And the facilities at Steinhatchee won't accommodate the Looper boats. OK. And don't go into Crystal River because there is not enough water depth in the channel. OK. And Crab Pots are everywhere. OK. Well, guess what? We did the Big Bend and didn't have much of a problem at all. Yes, Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee could use an electrical power upgrade on the docks, and Free at Last was docked in some skinny water, but we made due! The people at Steinhatchee were very nice and went out of their way to help. They picked us up and drove us to and from the Restaurants. They invited us to their homes for drinks. And our boats safely navigated the channel in the River!
Crystal River was a BIG disappointment, but it was the only safe haven marina that we could find between Steinhatchee and Tarpon Springs. Sure wish someone would put a marina at Cedar Key! Crab Pots were a disappointment, but except for Steve running over a buoy, we executed the "Crab Pot Shuffle" and made it OK. (BYW, Steve had a diver remove the rope from his prop shaft and got his engine working again over the last few days here in Tarpon Springs.)
Weather forecasts? Take 'em with a grain of salt. Dockside weather prognosticators? Just know that EVERYONE on the docks has an opinion, and these opinions and $6.00 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. But strangely enough, these "opinionated" folk are very unlikely to say go or don't go. They scare you and let YOU make the decisions! The best weather forecasts that WE found were from PassageWeather.com. Bank on it!
So, the Big Bend Route got us some good times in Steinhatchee, and let us avoid overnight cruising in a rougher than forecasted Gulf of Mexico, while we sailed in calm, flat seas (and fog) down the coast. Such a deal!
We finally said enough is enough today and saw that the rain stopped about 4:30 this afternoon. We just needed to get off the boat, so at 5:30, Sun Gypsy and Blue Moon climbed off the boats and walked two blocks to The Rusty Bellie for drinks and appetizers. Sure enough, once we got on the dock, the heavens opened up and the rain came down again. When we got to the Bellie, we were a little wet and a little cold, but none the worse for wear. We sat at the bar under infrared heaters and we were soon joined by Free at Last.
Sometime as the night wore on, I spotted a woman at a table, and she was wearing an Auburn hat. I went over to the table and yelled "War Eagle" and we introduced ourselves. They had just bought a boat in Naples and were bringing it back to Destin. She was with her husband and the Captain that was helping bring the boat back. Turns out her brother has a Condo in our gated community, and lives a block or so from us in Alabama! It was very cool to talk to them. War Eagle!
Goodbye January. Hello February, and we look forward to finishing the Loop with you and getting home! Hello February. Bring us some Spring time boating!
Thanks for Reading!
Looking back over the last month is not a pleasant experience. I have pontificated several times that boating is a warm weather pastime! We certainly did not follow this line of thinking during our January trek from Mobile, AL down here to Tarpon Springs.
We began in Mobile on January 7 with temps in the teens, water turned off at the dock, and frozen pump out systems. Heavy winter coats, gloves, and hats were the uniform of the day and not shorts and tee shirts. Keeping warm inside was a priority, not soaking up rays on deck. The sun elevation is still in winter mode and is low and makes for still-short days and a certain glare that just smacks of wintertime. No daylight savings time to help extend the travel day, and sunrise at ridiculously late hours. We encountered wind and cool temps that were made cooler by the wind.
We had several lovely days of cruising across the panhandle in clear blue skies and temps in the fly bridge that were toasty as long as the Isinglass was kept zipped up. We also had days of clouds and overcast and very cold weather for cruising.
Stops at some of our old stomping grounds along the Panhandle were very different from what we had experienced in the Summer. Cold rain all day in Pensacola prevented us from seeing the town. Sandestin was beautiful but was bitter cold with wind chills and ice on the dock. Panama City was nice, but our friend's accident and the cold there put a damper on our visit, for sure.
Carrabelle was a lowlight of the month. I would be fine if I never returned to this place. The terrible docks, high winds, and the cold were bummers. Having to wear heavy coats off the boat was terrible. If a dock master has to wear Carhartts to do his job, it is too dang cold for boating! seeing all the people that had been waiting to cross the Gulf from Carrabelle for over a month was discouraging. I made up my mind that I wanted out of this place as soon as I tried to dock Blue Moon, and it went down hill from there.
So, I guess Steinhatchee was the bright spot of the month for us. We have heard all along our Loop trip how you can't do the "Big Bend" in the Winter time because the prevailing winds lower the water depths by two feet or more. OK. And the facilities at Steinhatchee won't accommodate the Looper boats. OK. And don't go into Crystal River because there is not enough water depth in the channel. OK. And Crab Pots are everywhere. OK. Well, guess what? We did the Big Bend and didn't have much of a problem at all. Yes, Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee could use an electrical power upgrade on the docks, and Free at Last was docked in some skinny water, but we made due! The people at Steinhatchee were very nice and went out of their way to help. They picked us up and drove us to and from the Restaurants. They invited us to their homes for drinks. And our boats safely navigated the channel in the River!
Crystal River was a BIG disappointment, but it was the only safe haven marina that we could find between Steinhatchee and Tarpon Springs. Sure wish someone would put a marina at Cedar Key! Crab Pots were a disappointment, but except for Steve running over a buoy, we executed the "Crab Pot Shuffle" and made it OK. (BYW, Steve had a diver remove the rope from his prop shaft and got his engine working again over the last few days here in Tarpon Springs.)
Weather forecasts? Take 'em with a grain of salt. Dockside weather prognosticators? Just know that EVERYONE on the docks has an opinion, and these opinions and $6.00 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. But strangely enough, these "opinionated" folk are very unlikely to say go or don't go. They scare you and let YOU make the decisions! The best weather forecasts that WE found were from PassageWeather.com. Bank on it!
So, the Big Bend Route got us some good times in Steinhatchee, and let us avoid overnight cruising in a rougher than forecasted Gulf of Mexico, while we sailed in calm, flat seas (and fog) down the coast. Such a deal!
We finally said enough is enough today and saw that the rain stopped about 4:30 this afternoon. We just needed to get off the boat, so at 5:30, Sun Gypsy and Blue Moon climbed off the boats and walked two blocks to The Rusty Bellie for drinks and appetizers. Sure enough, once we got on the dock, the heavens opened up and the rain came down again. When we got to the Bellie, we were a little wet and a little cold, but none the worse for wear. We sat at the bar under infrared heaters and we were soon joined by Free at Last.
Sometime as the night wore on, I spotted a woman at a table, and she was wearing an Auburn hat. I went over to the table and yelled "War Eagle" and we introduced ourselves. They had just bought a boat in Naples and were bringing it back to Destin. She was with her husband and the Captain that was helping bring the boat back. Turns out her brother has a Condo in our gated community, and lives a block or so from us in Alabama! It was very cool to talk to them. War Eagle!
Goodbye January. Hello February, and we look forward to finishing the Loop with you and getting home! Hello February. Bring us some Spring time boating!
Thanks for Reading!
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