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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Welcome to Tarpon Springs!
Thanks for Reading
Tonight we are at Tarpon Springs, FL at the Turtle Cove Marina in downtown Tarpon Springs. We are finally in Tarpon! Yea!
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| Tarpon Springs is the Southern Terminus of the Gulf Crossing |
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| Tarpon Springs is on the North Side of the Greater Tampa Bay Region |
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| 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.
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| Heading up the Anclotte River to Tarpon Springs |
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| On the Anclotte River going to Tarpon Springs |
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| Passing fishing fleet at the docks |
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| Fishing Fleet at the Docks |
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| Fishing Fleet at the Docks |
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| 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.
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| Blue Moon in her slip at Turtle Cove Marina tonight |
Welcome to Tarpon Springs!
Thanks for Reading
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