Thursday, January 30: Dull, Dreary, and Rainy, But We Venture Out to do Shopping

Date:                           January 30, 2014

Day on the Cruise:      223

From:                          Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs, FL

To:                              Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs, FL

Statute Miles:              0.0 SM

Time:                           0.0 Hrs

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.

During the afternoon, Sun Gypsy and Blue Moon got a cab and went out to US 19 to the WalMart, Staples, West Marine and CVS. I got my prescriptions that were finally transferred from a Rite Aid in Montgomery to the CVS here in Tarpon Springs. Thank you Melissa in Montgomery for helping! We had several light bulbs go out on Blue Moon, so I got some replacements at West Marine and at the Radio Shack next door. Our salon is brighter now, as is the engine room! We all got some provisions at WalMart.

Tonight we met Looper friends Ron and Jan from "Adagio" up here in Tarpon Springs for dinner. Ron and Jan are Harbor Hosts in Dunedin, which is about 10 miles South of here. We have traveled with them some and they were at Kingston, NY last Summer when the Erie Canal was closed. Sun Gypsy and Free at Last were also in Kingston, so we wound up hanging out together. We had 10 people at dinner with Blue Moon, Adagio, Sun Gypsy, Free at Last, and Attitude Changer all enjoying an excellent meal at Costas' right up the street from the Marina. I thought it was better than Mama's where we ate on our first night in Tarpon. It is a much smaller, more intimate family restaurant, and the Greek food was really good.

Tomorrow we think the rain will stop and we will try more exploring around town. We have also crafted our tentative itinerary for the rest of the trip. We have made the decision not to take Blue Moon to the Keys this Spring. Rather, we will go back to Jacksonville through the Okeechobee Waterway and across Lake Okeechobee. We will spend several days in each of Bradenton, Sarasota, Captiva, Ft. Meyers, Daytona Beach/Ponce Inlet and be back in Jacksonville around March 1, give or take a few days.

Thanks for Reading!

Wednesday, January 29: We get a Solid Dose of Liquid Sunshine

Date:                           January 29, 2014

Day on the Cruise:      222

From:                          Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs, FL

To:                              Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs, FL

Statute Miles:              0.0 SM

Time:                           0.0 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:        5,638.8 SM

On Board:                   Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

Still here at Turtle Cove Marina in Tarpon Springs.

Today we sort of hibernated on the boat as all day rains and temps in the low 50's brought the Loopers here in Tarpon Springs back to reality that it really is still Winter! Oh well, the weather promises to be better come the week end, with temps in the high 70's and low 80's.

Needless to say, we did not venture out, although Susan ran through the rain drops to do laundry. Tomorrow promises to have rain also with temps in the mid 50's, but we think we can get out some by the afternoon.

Thanks for Reading!

Tuesday, January 28: A Textbook Spring Day in Florida While it Snows and Ices in Alabama

Date:                           January 28, 2014

Day on the Cruise:      221

From:                          Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs, FL

To:                              Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs, FL

Statute Miles:              0.0 SM

Time:                           0.0 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:        5,638.8 SM

On Board:                   Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

Enjoying a lazy day at Turtle Cove Marina in Tarpon Springs! The Chamber of Commerce sent us this beautiful, warm day to talk us into staying here longer! With the marina docking deals, we decided to stay through the weekend!

Susan washed the boat this morning. Two days of salt and spray needed to come off, along with the rusty pieces of metal roof from Pete's Pier in Crystal River. I did some things inside and chased down two prescriptions that I need to get refilled at CVS because there are no Rite Aid Stores in Florida! This means that I have to get Rite Aid to transfer the script to the CVS store here in Tarpon Springs. A hassle!

Susan put on shorts today for the first time in months! It is beautiful here. We joined Sun Gypsy for lunch at a place called Rusty Bellies about two blocks from the marina along the waterfront. It was Great! we sat outside right on the water. Gulls played with the patrons and screamed their signature cry as they begged for food. It was all very nautical, to say the least. 

After lunch, we walked around the town in the sponge and Greek districts. It was neat to see the shops and restaurants and the sponge boats and other fishing boats along the docks at the waterfront.

Fishing Boats Along the Public Docks

Fishing Boats Across from the Public Docks

Fishing Boats Across from the Public Docks

Greek Fishing Boat at Public Docks

Greek Sponge Boat at Public Docks

Greek Sponge Boat at Public Docks

Street Along the Public Docks in Tarpon Springs

We then hopped a cab to Publix and CVS to get my prescriptions. After waiting for a long time at CVS, I was told that the Rite Aid store told CVS that they didn't have time to transfer my prescriptions. Needless to say, my hair bristled when I heard this. My first inclination was that I guessed that I didn't have time to ever use these people again. So, I stepped aside and called the Rite Aid in Alabama that I use. After two or three tries when no one answered the phone at the store or the pharmacy, it dawned on me that the store might have closed due to the ice and snow that Alabama was currently getting. I relayed this to the CVS pharmacist and we agreed to keep trying to get through to them. I left CVS empty handed, but we did get some things at Publix that we needed.

We had the pot luck supper tonight on the grounds of the marina next to our boats. We had Free at Last, Sun Gypsy, Panacea, Attitude Changer, and Harmony, along with Blue Moon. All the boats were here at Turtle Cove except Harmony. They are at Clearwater and came over to visit Rick and Leila. We all grilled out on the grille that the marina got for us, then ate on long picnic tables that the marina placed over by our boats. It was great food and company, and we enjoyed getting to know Harmony and Attitude Changer.

Loopers gather for Pot Luck dinner and grilling at Tarpon Cove Marina 1.28.14

Janet and Meredith

Loopers enjoying the meal 1.28.14

During the evening we learned of the issues brought by the ice and snow in Alabama. Ben and Amanda had left work early in the Mobile area and were safe at home with lots of ice on the roads. Mobile, AL, now, along the Gulf Coast! Amazing! My sister Betsy and her daughter were stranded at an office building in Birmingham where they took refuge after getting stopped on a major artery for HOURS after traffic snarled in the ice. They wound up spending the night at this building when they could not get home!

Back in Tarpon Springs, thanks to the Chamber of Commerce for a great Florida Spring day!

Thanks for Reading. 

Monday, January 27: An All Day Run in Zero Visibility to Tarpon Springs, and One of Our Group Looses an Engine!

Date:                           January 27, 2014

Day on the Cruise:      220

From:                          Pete's Pier Marina, Crystal River, FL

To:                              Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs, FL

Statute Miles:              78.0 SM

Time:                           8.5 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:        5,638.8 SM

On Board:                   Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

Tonight we are at Tarpon Springs, FL at the Turtle Cove Marina in downtown Tarpon Springs. We are finally in Tarpon! Yea!

Tarpon Springs is the Southern Terminus of the Gulf Crossing

Tarpon Springs is on the North Side of the Greater Tampa Bay Region

Our marina up the Anclotte River in Tarpon Springs

We decided last night that Free at Last would leave at 7:00 this morning to get out in front of Sun Gypsy and Blue Moon on the 81 mile run from Crystal River to Tarpon Springs. We would leave at 8:00. Rick came by the boat about 7:30 and noticed that my two radio antennas were broken. They are attached to the radar mast and stick up 20' above the water. One was broken at the base and was leaning slightly. The other was broken about 8" from the top and the broken piece was slightly bent.

Great! Remember in yesterday's Blog when I mentioned the cover over the slips and Free at Last's antenna getting bent when he pulled into his slip? Sometime during the night, Susan and I both heard noises that I thought was rain hitting our boat through the holes in the metal roof. Nope. That noise was not rain, but the sound of our antennas being pushed up into the metal roof when high tide came and raised the boat up. We figured that the tide rose about 2-1/2' and it was enough to break the antennas. To add to the evidence, there was a ton of rusted metal shavings spread over the upper and lower decks of Blue Moon.

I lowered the radar mast and got some duct tape and taped the broken pieces. On the one that had bent at the base, I splinted it with kabob skewers and taped it again. Both radios seemed to work OK, so I will try to make it back to JAX to get it fixed. Note to Self: You are now back in tidal waters and boats will go up and down with the tide!

Shortly after 8:00, Sun Gypsy and Blue Moon departed the dock. It was very foggy as we got into the channel and headed to the Gulf. The fog became thicker as we went West. Free at Last radioed back that the visibility was terrible - not even a quarter of a mile. I made sure to stay on Sun Gypsy's stern so I would not loose him. He was running radar.

Leaving Pete's Pier in Crystal River, and following Sun Gypsy into the Fog. None of this was forecasted!!!!

Yes, the visibility got much worse as we ran into the Gulf and started encountering crab pots. We struck a course to the Southwest, but the water remained about 13-15 feet deep, and we could never shake the pots. I tried to stay about two to three boat lengths behind Sun Gypsy, which is VERY close. It required constant vigilance to not run into him. He was also making turns to avoid crab pots. Even at this close range, we could barely see each other at times. The fog was BAD!

Only about two boat lengths behind Sun Gypsy and the fog obscures our view! Where are the Crab Pots?????

Two times we saw other boats on radar that passed less than half a mile from us. We immediately went into fog horn mode and blew the horn until the boats passed. We never had visual sighting of the boats, although one actually blew his horn.

Blue Moon stayed VERY Close to Sun Gypsy all day

After lunch, Free at Last radioed us and said he had hit a crab pot buoy, and the rope had wrapped around one of his two prop shafts. He could not get his engine restarted, but could run on the second engine. He was running AIS so I had been tracking him on my AIS. We were about two miles away from him, so Sun Gypsy and Blue Moon turned around and went through the fog to find him. AIS took us right to him, but we still did not see him until we were right beside him. He was like a hulking shadow in the fog. Steve got the boat going again, so Sun Gypsy and Blue Moon resumed our navigation to Tarpon Springs. Free at last called Tow Boat US to advise they were having trouble and moving on, just in case they needed to be towed at some time.

This is a screen shot from my iPad that shows our Track today going to Tarpon Springs and how we doubled back to assist "Free at Last" when his engine went out.

All day the seas were flat and calm. No wind, and, in fact, that may be while the fog hung around! The crab pot buoys were just sitting on top of the calm water. There was no wind or current to pull them taut against the crab pots to which they were attached, so in most cases, the line just lay on top of the water or just under the surface. In fact. Sun Gypsy paased one buoy a little tight and got the line caught in his prop. He quickly went into neutral, then reverse, and spun the line off. All of this due to passing a pot buoy too closely, but not hitting it!

We all worked  South toward Red Buoy 4 at Anclotte Key, which is an arrival point to get to the channel going to the Anclotte River up to Tarpon Springs. All day, the sun looked like it was trying to burn through the fog, but it just couldn't do it. At about 3:00 PM, about 3 miles North of Red 4, we started to see a horizon, meaning the fog was lifting. Visibility started getting better and better, and when we got to Red 4, we could at least see around us. We broke out of the fog as we got behind Anclotte Key. Seven hours in near zero visibility. Talk about stressful! 

The sun finally came out as we turned into the channel up to the Anclotte River. We ran into the River and up the two or three miles to downtown Tarpon Springs and our marina, arriving around 4:30 PM. The trip into the marina took us into skinny water that passed right by the fishing boat docks and such. Great views of the Tarpon Springs fishing fleet.

Visibility getting a little better

Running up the channel to the mouth of the Anclotte River

Tarpon Springs was settled by Greek fishermen and sponge divers from some twelve islands in Greece. The Greeks brought their culture and traditions here to this Central Florida coast town. They also brought the sponge trade to Florida where they go into the Gulf of Mexico and harvest sponges growing on the reefs. They sell these natural sponges along the waterfront here in the old Greek town of Tarpon Springs. 

The Greek cuisine is a big part of why people come to Tarpon Springs. Many authentic Greek restaurants line the streets and serve some of the best food and pastries.

Heading up the Anclotte River to Tarpon Springs

On the Anclotte River going to Tarpon Springs

Passing fishing fleet at the docks

Fishing Fleet at the Docks

Fishing Fleet at the Docks

Passing the Fishing Fleet

Turtle Cove Marina is a very nice facility. The slips are arranged around a small island. The Marina has dry stack storage and is building more on the island. Slips have floating docks and have utilities at the docks. We are very pleased, and the marina is only several blocks from the sponge docks and the Greek area of restaurants and shops along the waterfront. As we tied up, it turned into a beautiful, warm day. It felt as though we were finally in Florida!

Free at Last got to the marina about 45 minutes after we did, limping in on one engine. With only one engine, Steve had a very hard time controlling the boat. Several boaters helped him dock in his slip, by taking lines and pulling him into the slip. He was very glad to touch shore!

Two other Loopers had crossed directly from Carrabelle over night and had arrived at Turtle Cove a few hours before we did. One Looper boat, Panacea was there when we were at Carrabelle and elected not to go with us on the Big Bend route. Both boats got roughed up a little on their crossing, as they encountered waves that were bigger than forecasted. They also encountered the fog as did we, this morning, and were more than a little intimidated by spending the night in 3-4' seas then finding daylight and they could not see. 

In any event, all boats made it across. Our three managed to do the crossing using the Big Bend Route in three running days, with no overnights, and generally calm seas. We all agreed we would gladly run in the fog and have calm seas over an overnight crossing in higher, rougher weather! Susan and I are sure glad that the Gulf is behind us. We are "One and Done" on the Gulf Crossings. No more for us! 

After getting settled at Turtle Cove, Free at Last, Sun Gypsy, and Blue Moon all walked two blocks to Mama's Greek Restaurant for dinner. It was recommended by other Loopers in Blogs that I follow. The atmosphere was good, and the service was good. Food was OK, but the experience was very nice, and we enjoyed our meal.

Tomorrow is a lay day here at Turtle Cove. We will see the town and get some prescriptions refilled. We are also taking about doing a pot luck Looper dinner, so that should be fun.

Blue Moon in her slip at Turtle Cove Marina tonight

Welcome to Tarpon Springs!

Thanks for Reading

Sunday, January 26: 101 Miles from Steinhatchee to Crystal River, FL

Date:                           January 26, 2014

Day on the Cruise:      219

From:                          Sea Hag Marina, Steinhatchee, FL

To:                              Pete's Pier Marina, Crystal River, FL

Statute Miles:              101.0 SM

Time:                           11.15 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:        5,560.8 SM

On Board:                   Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

Tonight we are at Pete's Pier, a ramshackle marina at the head of Crystal River, FL. This place is not real impressive! It is one of two marinas in Crystal River. The other said they did not have enough water depth or power for our three boats.

Crystal River, Between Steinhatchee and Tarpon Springs

We are about 8 miles from the Gulf of Mexico

Marina is on Kings Bay at the Head of Crystal River

Wakeup call was at 3:30 this morning. OMG, what were we thinking???? Free at Last, Sun Gypsy, and Blue Moon all answered the bell, and we were off the dock at Sea Hag by 5:10 AM. 

It was very dark at Sea Hag Marina when we left this morning!

Free at Last led the way because he had a big boy search light that we thought would let everyone see better in the pitch black dark. Sea Hag has some big flood lights that light up the entire dock area, but once we got away from the docks, it was VERY dark!

The Isinglass on our fly bridge enclosures was fogged up, so we had to lift the front panels up to be able to see. So, Susan and I had our heavy coats and gloves on. Mine was zipped up as far as I could get it to cover my throat and face. I was coughing and wheezing and freezing as we ventured into the channel to the Gulf.

When we came into Steinhatchee the other day, I was very pleased with how the channel was marked with large red and green markers. When I saw this, I knew that it would not be a problem going out of the channel in the dark, and it was not. The channel markers were very reflective. Steve would paint them with his searchlight. Sun Gypsy came next and I was at the rear of the procession. My searchlight worked very well in illuminating the channel markers as well.

We also left on a rising tide, meaning we were bucking the current as we traveled to the Gulf. This mattered little as we only wanted to travel between about 3 and 5 mph. There was plenty of water depth in the channel.

It took maybe 45 minutes to get to the Gulf. When we got to the Gulf, Sun Gypsy took the lead and we set a course Southwest to get to deeper water. Unbelievably, we had very few crab pots on the route that we selected. We could see the pots that were there with our search lights, and we steered around them using the "Crab Pot Shuffle". 

Crab pots are a necessary evil in the Gulf, I guess. I love crab, so I do not begrudge the watermen putting pots out as they do to make a living and bring us the delectable crustaceans with the sweet white meat. What I do begrudge are the elected officials who do not see fit to establish crab pot free fairways coming in and out of the significant waterways along the coast. Oh well, I will now get off the soap box!

As we meandered to the Southwest, the swells from the West picked up and started rolling the boat. Not bad by any means, but just enough to make me feel a little green. I popped two Bomine when I started getting queasy, and this held off the urge to verbally salute the great state of New York into a blue five gallon bucket that we had on the fly bridge. The swells did subside as we got farther South, thank goodness.

The first light of sunrise faintly appeared on the Eastern horizon to our port side about 6:30 AM. By 7:00, we could see the water pretty good, and by 7:15, there was enough light to douse the searchlights and resume normal navigation. Sunrise occurred about 7:30, and the day was on!

Right behind Sun Gypsy at sunrise. We all used our spreader lights to be able to see the boat in front of us.

Sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico this morning!

The trip South was generally uneventful. I increased speed and passed Sun Gypsy so that I could get beyond the swells and get to feeling better. We hit the Red Number 2 buoy Southwest of Seahorse Reef off Cedar Key right on que. The autopilot worked great today! 

EarlyMorning on The Gulf of Mexico

Following Sun Gypsy in The Gulf this Morning

Very Calm Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

View out the Front Door this Morning

At the buoy, we made the turn to the East and ran for 20 or more miles through Crystal Bay into the mouth of the Crystal River. About 12 miles in, we passed three tows that were hanging out at the entrance to a very well marked channel into both the Florida Barge Canal and the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant. Passing the tows, we encountered strings of crab pots with which we dealt all the way to the River. 

The seas were amazingly flat and what little swell was to our stern. I could just picture having to deal with the pots in a rougher sea with 3' waves making it hard to see the crab pots. 

One other interesting deal on our leg to the East was the absence of a true horizon. The weather turned very hazy and you could not distinguish where the water ended and the clouds began. I am thankful for the chart plotter which helped us keep orientation, and the big power plant that told us we were heading East toward shore.

Cruising east Toward Crystal River

Nuclear Power Plant at Crystal River

We had been warned about how shallow Crystal River was. People told us do not go into Crystal River. Well, after getting into the River, we found a well marked channel that was plenty deep. We saw 4.5' under our keel in only one or two places. We feared that the speed limit in the River would be idle speed, because this is where the Manatees congregate in the winter, but there was only one real idle speed zone. Several slow speed zones and much more 25 mph zones in the channel!

The River was wide and no real trees on the banks, but rather more open grass land with lots of palm trees. I pictured Crystal River as being a narrow river with overhanging trees and foliage. Alas, it was not to be. Very disappointing! 

Heading up Crystal River

I had been through Crystal River by car on two lane US 19 many times. The downtown looked to be right at the head of the River then. Now, US 19 is four laned and is a hard walk from this marina.  Kings Bay is at the head of the River and is where the marina is located. There are houses all around the banks of the bay. No sign of the springs or clear water where the manatees hang out. But, there were plenty of "Manatee Tour Boats" that advertised that they would take you to swim with the Manatees. Yea, right! I wanted nature and clear springs, not commercial Dave and his retired buddies charging an arm and a leg to see Manatees that I have seen elsewhere in the wild. VERY disappointing. If this hadn't been the closest place to stop at a marina for the night below Steinhatchee, I would have run right by it!

We took on fuel and got a half arse pump out with a fitting that really didn't work on my system. It got most of the stuff out of the tank. It was free! We were then assigned to a covered slip on the rickety docks across from the fuel dock. The metal roof over the docks was rusting and full of big holes where it had rusted through. Make a note of this when you read tomorrow's Blog!

I should have been more diligent when I saw Free at Last pull into the slip next to me. He bent his antenna as it hit the roof over the slip. Not enough clearance even near low tide. Hmmmm. Make a note of this when you read tomorrow's Blog.

We tied up and hooked up power. By this time it was close to 5:00, almost 12 hours since we crept away from Sea Hag in the dark. A lady who lives aboard her sailboat came and welcomed us to the Marina. Very nice. A nice couple joined her and introduced themselves. They had a boat like Free at Last, only one size larger. Everybody wanted to talk, and for the first time since I can't remember when, I was so tired standing there, I just had to excuse myself and go back to the boat and sit down to decompress. 

The mental fatigue of having gotten up at 3:30 this morning, then running in the dark and then dodging crab pots in the dark, then rolling in the swells and finally coming up an unfamiliar River had plain gotten to me. Dinner was on board and we were in bed before 8:00. 

Tomorrow we will get out of this place and head to Tarpon Springs. The weather is supposed to be nice again with calm seas and little wind. One more day to get off the Gulf!         

Thanks for Reading!

Friday, January 24: It is Still Winter in Steinhatchee!

Date:                           January 24, 2014

Day on the Cruise:      217

From:                          Sea Hag Marina, Steinhatchee, FL

To:                              Sea Hag Marina, Steinhatchee, FL

Statute Miles:              0.0 SM

Time:                           0.0 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:        5,459.8 SM

On Board:                   Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

Note: I updated Wednesday's Blog to talk about our decision to scrub the direct crossing for Wednesday night and pursue Plan B! Please read.

Tonight we remain at the Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee.

Temps were near freezing this morning. It is still only in the low 50's here as a high. Brrr! This is not the Florida that we know. No, really. It is a different place in the winter, especially around the water. Empty, cold, different light patterns, different smells and water colors, few boats, no one on the water, and the birds seem to own the place, especially the Pelicans.

Not much going on today. We are resting up from our sprint across the Gulf and making plans for tomorrow's trip to Crystal River, FL, which will be about a 100 mile run. Plans are to leave at 5:00 in the morning, get into the Gulf and do the Crap Pot Shuffle using our search lights until we can see at about 7:15 AM. We will then make haste down the coast to below Cedar Key, and work our way East into Crystal River, probably dodging more crab pots along the way and down there. Weather looks good until noon, then winds and seas will pick up from the West. We have reservations at Pete's Pier in Crystal River for tomorrow night.

Dinner tonight was with Sun Gypsy and Free at last at Fiddler's here in Steinhatchee. It was recommended by a local.

Thanks for Reading!

Saturday, January 25: Last Day in Steinhatchee

Date:                           January 25, 2014

Day on the Cruise:      218

From:                          Sea Hag Marina, Steinhatchee, FL

To:                              Sea Hag Marina, Steinhatchee, FL

Statute Miles:              0.0 SM

Time:                           0.0 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:        5,459.8 SM

On Board:                   Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

Tonight we remain at the Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee. we decided to stay here today because the weather for tomorrow showed deteriorating on the afternoon leg of our trip. This would have put us going East into Crystal River with heavy following seas through what we think is heavy crab pot mine fields. Not a good combination. Weather for Sunday and Monday looks much better.

I am down with this danged cold and congestion again. Susan walked around town and went to the local grocery. I stayed in bed and rested as best as I could. it was cold again here today.

Steinhatchee is up the Steinhatchee River which flows into Deadman's Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. 

We were invited over to some local's house next to the marina for drinks, but Susan and I opted out because I was not feeling well. Free at last and Sun Gypsy went and had a great time. They heard all about the local culture and got the low down on the 80's and 90's drug trade in Steinhatchee when it was then the "Wild Wild West". Seems the local fisherman could make tons more money by "fishing" drugs out of the water out in the Gulf that had been dropped by "mother ships". The drugs would be brought into Steinhatchee by the fishing boats, then off loaded into warehouses for distribution.

Yesterday a local fisherman came out to the docks at Sea Hag and asked if we wanted some left over bait that he had. He wound up throwing it to the Pelicans that are prolific around the marina. He told us about a Pelican named "Steve" that hangs out at Sea Hag, but he did not know which one Steve actually was. So, we have been looking for "Steve" the past two days! If Steve has been around, he has been dealing Maggie fits. She can't stand it when these huge birds walk along the docks and come over to the boat.

Is this "Steve"?

Excuse me. Are either of you two named "Steve"?

Tonight we went over to "Free at Last" for a pot luck dinner with Rick and Leila from "Sun Gypsy". Steve cooked chicken on the grille and everyone brought something to add to it. Another great get together with wonderful food!

We managed to do some planning for tomorrow's trek to Crystal River, FL. We will leave the docks at Sea Hag at 5:00 AM, travel down the channel to the Gulf in the dark, then head Southwest for 8 or 10 miles to clear the shoals, then go South to the Entrance to Crystal River. It is about a 98 mile trip. The channel to the Gulf is very well marked for travel at night. The hairy portion is once out of the channel, we will be in the crab pot mine fields. Dodging pots in the dark? None of us are looking forward to this. Wake up call is at 3:30 AM to start a back breaker of a day. weather looks very good also.

Thanks for Reading!

Thursday, January 23: Implementing Plan B

Date:                           January 23, 2014

Day on the Cruise:      216

From:                          The Moorings Marina, Carrabelle, FL

To:                              Sea Hag Marina, Steinhatchee, FL

Statute Miles:              85.2 SM

Time:                           8.67 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:        5,459.8 SM

On Board:                   Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

Note: I updated yesterday's Blog to talk about our decision to scrub the direct crossing for last night and pursue Plan B! Please read.

Tonight we are at Sea Hag Marina at Steinhatchee, FL. We have crossed the Gulf!

Route of Gulf Crossing from Carrabelle to Steinhatchee 

Here we are at the Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee, FL

I did not sleep well last night. I realized at some point during the night, that we were taking our boats on a route that might not be for everyone. My concerns? How fast these boats could go and the limited amount of daylight available at this time of year.

The ride from Carrabelle to Steinhatchee was doable for all the boats with us. The route down the West Coast of Florida from Steinhatchee to Tarpon Springs is different. The first Marina from Steinhatchee South would be at Crystal River which, dock to dock, is 100 miles. Add the difficulty of getting out to the Gulf from Steinhatchee and getting into the town of Crystal River from the Gulf, and all of our boats had to be able to kick up their speed to do the trip in the daylight.

Tossing and turning last night, I was worried that we would get "Perrigrine" and maybe "Free at Last" into a jamb once we got to Steinhatchee. So, I began to question Plan B.

Up at 5:00 this morning, adrenaline flowing. I emailed Rick on Sun Gyspy and suggested that we had to get a face to face commitment from Ron on Perregrine and Steve on Free at Last to run the speed and burn the fuel that would have them with us.

Outside in the freezing cold at 6:00 AM, the four of us met on Steve's boat to do a final check of the weather and get buy-in and understanding of life beyond Steinhatchee. Weather was still OK, maybe a little better than it was last night. Tom Conrad had weighed in at Rick's request and suggested that we should stay North of Dog Island and hold along the Northern Coast before we turned South to Steinhatchee at noon. We did not think that this idea would get us to Steinhatchee before dark. The weather was predicted to be not as rough at the beginning of the trip as it was predicted yesterday. Still going to rock and roll in the middle of the Gulf. Flat at the end.

Rick put the speed commitment to Ron and Steve. No problem with Steve. His boat can do 10 mph if it has to, but like Blue Moon, it comes with a huge downside on fuel burn. Not so with Ron. He can't get close to 10 mph. Man, I just didn't want to see us get him to Steinhatchee then not be able to get him to Crystal River and then Tarpon Springs in the daylight in order to get into the Rivers leading to the marinas.

When Ron said he could not travel the speed needed, I just recommended to him that he not do Plan B. I think he understood. He had just started the Loop at Pensacola. His boat was new to he and Kathryn. He had not seen it perform in much of any kind of conditions, let alone being in the Gulf in waves and wind. Reluctantly, he stayed behind.

"Free at Last" and "Sun Gypsy" left about 6:30 and 7:00 respectively. I got a pump out with the cold-sensitive pump at the Marina, then caught up to Sun Gypsy as she entered the Sound from the Carrabelle River. The sun was just coming up at 7:30, but we could see OK at 7:15. As we left the River, there was a dang sail boat anchored in the channel for the night just as pretty as you please. SMH!

The seas were fine going through the East Pass and into the Gulf. Blue Moon took a course South at the Pass to Red Buoy 2. From there, we struck a course of about 100 degrees to a waypoint that we had set about 10 miles West of the entrance channel to Steinhatchee. This gave us a 62 mile leg across the upper Northeast corner of the Gulf.

View of St. George Sound this Morning

Sun Gypsy traveled a mile and a half or two miles Northeast of me. I could see them the entire trip. Free at Last traveled in front of me, again by about a mile and a half, and I eventually passed them before we got to the Steinhatchee channel.

We started out in the Lee of Dog island, and the wind was blowing from the Northeast. Once we got out of the protection of Dog island, the wind picked up and the waves started to white cap. We thought the wind was blowing at 15-20 mph here. The waves gradually picked up. It was hard to tell what were waves and what were swells. I could see them rolling across our path from the NE to the SW. We took them on the forward port quarter, and they rolled us some. The swells were 3' at least with some bigger ones mixed in. We took a lot of spray across the fly bridge as we had in Currituck Sound in Virginia, but the boat was not pounding as much as we had been in the Chesapeake and in lake Michigan.

Heading East Across the Gulf Taken Through the Isinglass

It was rough out there. We had to hang on, but Susan was able to go down into the cabin occasionally. We did not think it was as rough as the Chesapeake or Lake Erie, or Lake Michigan. It was probably more like Currituck rough. Still, Blue Moon does not like rough water nor do her owners!

Maggie stayed with us on the fly bridge. We put her in her life jacket and zipped the door closed to the stairs going below. We managed to keep her contained except for once toward the end of the trip. She panted a lot during the rough stuff. Maggie does not like rough water either.

From 11:45 to Noon, and at 40-42 miles from the Moorings, we started seeing strings of crab pots out in the middle of the Gulf. We did our crab pot weave and missed them.

At 12:35 PM, and 50 miles into the trip, the wind and the waves started to calm down, and it just kept getting better and better. Soon after this, the wind died down, and the seas became flat like the bay. A great ride!

We made our first waypoint right on the money, and then started to get into more and more crab pots. At first they were on strings that were more or less predictable. For the last few miles before we got to the channel, it looked like the pots had been dropped like carpet bombs. No rime or reason! They were everywhere.  We did the crab pot weave for almost an hour.

Then it was into a very well marked channel that took us about 5 miles to greater downtown Steinhatchee and the Sea Hag Marina, where we docked at 4:10 PM. Sea Hag was expecting us. They had dock hands out and helped us tie up and refuel. Yes, Blue Moon did burn some fuel on the trip over! The docks at Sea Hag are floating and are MUCH better than those awful fingers at The Moorings. Much easier to get on and off the boat! Especially for Maggie and her Old Man!

Blue Moon at Sea Hag Marina

Looking Toward the Gulf at The Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee

The Sea Hag Marina

Susan volunteered to rinse off the boat. It was CAKED with Salt. We haven't been in salt water since last June going around Sandy Hook into the Verazanno Narrows at New York. Today was some of the heaviest salt buildup that we had ever seen. It came right off with a thorough rinsing. Is the Gulf saltier than the Atlantic? Any takers on this one?

Rick and Leila had us over for docktails on Sun Gypsy where Rick made Margarita's. Steve and Meredith and son Ricky were there also. Ricky flies back to Cali tomorrow from Tampa. It was nice being able to get to know him. It was also great that he got to cross the Gulf, albeit on Plan B! Good luck on future endeavors, Ricky!

No one has to rock us to sleep tonight. It is very cold here and may go down to freezing. We are warm in the boat and much happier to have finished our blue water crossing of the Gulf.

Thanks for Reading!