Warm this morning, about 65F. Expecting 80F today.
Jerry got the bikes off the boat. We rode around Tarpon. Some really beautiful homes on the waterfront. Found our way to Pinellas Trail. Road several miles then back to restaurant for lunch and to Publix for a few groceries. Rode about 16 miles today.
Back to the boat, we chilled on the sun deck reading and doing crossword puzzles. Just like it's supposed to be. The marina was hosting an inside tailgate party for the football game, sort of. We went for the beer and snacks. Neither of us knew who was even playing. Sorry, we're not big fans of pro football.
The marina owner, Ed, sat down at the bar by us and was great entertainment. He wasn't really watching the game either. Really a nice guy. We did enjoy our time at this place.
January 21, 2012
After a night at anchor, head into Tarpon Springs. Tarpon is known for Greek heritage, lots of Greek food, and sponge diving. Once we are settled in at Turtle Cove Marina, we meet our dock neighbors, Jim and Lisa Favors, on Kismet, fellow loopers. They have their Gold Birgee (completed the loop) so will tap them for information later.
We asked for a recommendation for Greek food, Jim suggested Hellas Greek Restaurant and Bakery. This is a major tourist town. Sponges are everywhere. Every little shop has sponges, individuals have set up make shift sheds to sell sponges from and there are even sponge boat cruises. We had heard that the diver actually has sponges in his pockets and dives into the water and miraculously comes up with sponges. Who knows?
Turtle Cove is knew to the transient boaters but has come up to speed quickly. We are very impressed with their attention to our needs. It's shallow coming into the marina but we had a map from them to help us navigate. I find it interesting how some boats are stored. Reminds me of a tiered parking lot. The boats are lifted on and off at the owners request.
Tarpon also has a great bike/walking trail. It stretches from Tarpon to St Petersburg. It's flat and easy to walk and bike. We walked a small section today.
After lunch we walked to West Marine, Radio Shack and found a Panera across from them. What a deal! It was a round trip walk of about 4 miles.
Back at the boat, we washed off the salt that had dried on from the crossing.
We invited Jim and Lisa over for drinks and to share anchorages they used going south.
Great evening, quiet and calm.
We asked for a recommendation for Greek food, Jim suggested Hellas Greek Restaurant and Bakery. This is a major tourist town. Sponges are everywhere. Every little shop has sponges, individuals have set up make shift sheds to sell sponges from and there are even sponge boat cruises. We had heard that the diver actually has sponges in his pockets and dives into the water and miraculously comes up with sponges. Who knows?
Turtle Cove is knew to the transient boaters but has come up to speed quickly. We are very impressed with their attention to our needs. It's shallow coming into the marina but we had a map from them to help us navigate. I find it interesting how some boats are stored. Reminds me of a tiered parking lot. The boats are lifted on and off at the owners request.
Tarpon also has a great bike/walking trail. It stretches from Tarpon to St Petersburg. It's flat and easy to walk and bike. We walked a small section today.
After lunch we walked to West Marine, Radio Shack and found a Panera across from them. What a deal! It was a round trip walk of about 4 miles.
Back at the boat, we washed off the salt that had dried on from the crossing.
We invited Jim and Lisa over for drinks and to share anchorages they used going south.
Great evening, quiet and calm.
January 19, 2012
Today seems to be the day for crossing the Gulf. Jerry spent the morning working on the spot light. It would go up and down but not side-to-side. He had wires out on the bridge everywhere. Unfortunately, couldn't get it fixed so put everything back. Looked at weather several times this morning. There must be an art to this weather forecasting.
Arberojos (gold birgee) took off late morning heading out to Dog Island. About 3pm, we met up with Thanks Dad and Sundance to head out that way. Two other boats weren't far behind, Second Chance and Fantasy. So 5 boats to make the crossing with us.
Before we left I made every attempt to stow or tie down anything that might move during the crossing. I put the TVs on the floor, plant in the sink, loose items like soap and shampoo under the sink. All doors and drawers were secured including the refrigerator and freezer doors.
We ate cold sandwiches about 6pm and watched the sunset. Then it got very dark. A moonless night with a sky full of stars. How cool is that. All we can see are navigation lights from the other boats. We use the autopilot which is set to follow the course set in the GPS. It's choppy for several hours. The boat is rocking and rolling. Slightly uncomfortable.
About 9:45pm I nap in the salon for a few hours. I wake up grumpy as a bear. Jerry takes his turn on the sofa for a few hours also. While Jerry is napping, I'm on the bridge reading. I have 3 layers on and a blanket. I could sure use some hot tea. Ain't happening now.
It's 3:10am. We've been underway 12 hours. Jerry is up now too. The stars are incredible. We can see the Milky Way.
We are about 30 miles offshore. Two boats, Thanks Dad and Sundance are on a different course heading for Clearwater. The rest of us are headed for Anclote Key just outside Tarpon Springs. We plan to anchor there, take a rest and hang out before heading into Tarpon Springs.
Still the middle of the night and the seas have laid down making this part of the crossing very pleasant. We had no idea what to expect out here. Like I said earlier, we checked several different weather websites including NOAA trying to figure out if this was the time to go. Checking wave heights and winds then analyzing the data when we really weren't sure what was best except we did know that less was better on both accounts. Jerry asked local fishermen around the marina in Carrabelle as well as Towboat US guys (the beer drinkers), trying all angles.
Luck of the draw because the Gulf can change with little warning. It's about 4:45 am. The seas have kicked up again. No more smooth waters.
The moon rose about 5:30am. About 6:30, a little daylight is peeking through. Shallower waters, about 42' down from 60 and 70 feet. We're already beginning to see crab pot buoys. Have to maneuver around them so the lines don't get wrapped around the props. Hadn't expected them this far out.
We found our way to Anclote Key and anchored about 10:30 am. Once we got around the spit of land, the waters were calm. Still dodging crab pots. Found Arberejos already anchored. They welcomed us and gave a hearty congrats for completing our first crossing.
I fixed a big breakfast. We ate on the sundeck taking in the morning. We both napped for a few hours. So proud to have made this leg of the trip!
This afternoon, we just relaxed and tried to get the boat back together.
We anchored out January 20 then motored into Tarpon Springs late Saturday morning. Have to be mindful of the tides now.
I
Arberojos (gold birgee) took off late morning heading out to Dog Island. About 3pm, we met up with Thanks Dad and Sundance to head out that way. Two other boats weren't far behind, Second Chance and Fantasy. So 5 boats to make the crossing with us.
Before we left I made every attempt to stow or tie down anything that might move during the crossing. I put the TVs on the floor, plant in the sink, loose items like soap and shampoo under the sink. All doors and drawers were secured including the refrigerator and freezer doors.
We ate cold sandwiches about 6pm and watched the sunset. Then it got very dark. A moonless night with a sky full of stars. How cool is that. All we can see are navigation lights from the other boats. We use the autopilot which is set to follow the course set in the GPS. It's choppy for several hours. The boat is rocking and rolling. Slightly uncomfortable.
About 9:45pm I nap in the salon for a few hours. I wake up grumpy as a bear. Jerry takes his turn on the sofa for a few hours also. While Jerry is napping, I'm on the bridge reading. I have 3 layers on and a blanket. I could sure use some hot tea. Ain't happening now.
It's 3:10am. We've been underway 12 hours. Jerry is up now too. The stars are incredible. We can see the Milky Way.
We are about 30 miles offshore. Two boats, Thanks Dad and Sundance are on a different course heading for Clearwater. The rest of us are headed for Anclote Key just outside Tarpon Springs. We plan to anchor there, take a rest and hang out before heading into Tarpon Springs.
 |
| Wind Song "Crossing" |
Still the middle of the night and the seas have laid down making this part of the crossing very pleasant. We had no idea what to expect out here. Like I said earlier, we checked several different weather websites including NOAA trying to figure out if this was the time to go. Checking wave heights and winds then analyzing the data when we really weren't sure what was best except we did know that less was better on both accounts. Jerry asked local fishermen around the marina in Carrabelle as well as Towboat US guys (the beer drinkers), trying all angles.
Luck of the draw because the Gulf can change with little warning. It's about 4:45 am. The seas have kicked up again. No more smooth waters.
The moon rose about 5:30am. About 6:30, a little daylight is peeking through. Shallower waters, about 42' down from 60 and 70 feet. We're already beginning to see crab pot buoys. Have to maneuver around them so the lines don't get wrapped around the props. Hadn't expected them this far out.
We found our way to Anclote Key and anchored about 10:30 am. Once we got around the spit of land, the waters were calm. Still dodging crab pots. Found Arberejos already anchored. They welcomed us and gave a hearty congrats for completing our first crossing.
I fixed a big breakfast. We ate on the sundeck taking in the morning. We both napped for a few hours. So proud to have made this leg of the trip!
This afternoon, we just relaxed and tried to get the boat back together.
We anchored out January 20 then motored into Tarpon Springs late Saturday morning. Have to be mindful of the tides now.
I
January 18, 2012
Carrabelle is a small town. We either walked or rode bikes around most if not all of town.Didn't take too long. There are only a few restaurants open this time of year. The Fisherman's Wife had really good shrimp.
Met with a couple of other boaters to discuss the crossing. The plan is to go tomorrow leaving about 3:00 pm. It will take about 20-22 hours to get across. We plan to stay within sight of each other.
Met with a couple of other boaters to discuss the crossing. The plan is to go tomorrow leaving about 3:00 pm. It will take about 20-22 hours to get across. We plan to stay within sight of each other.
A couple of guys in a pick up truck came by the marina selling shrimp, today's catch. We bought 3 pounds for $4/lb. What a deal. I beheaded them then sorted by size. We boiled some for dinner, bliss!
January 14, 2012
Decided not to hang out in Apalachicola but move on to Carrabelle to wait for a weather window to cross the Gulf to Tarpon Springs. There is a marina with cheaper fuel and the nightly rate is much better than most in the area.
Passed a few boats harvesting oysters close to the channel. Their boats have very shallow sides and this guy has what look like two long poles in the water.
We almost missed the secondary channel coming into Carrabelle (and came close to running aground). Both of us were concentrating on the GPS and looking straight ahead. Jerry saw the depth finder go from 12' down to 2' in no time. He got the boat turned around in time, but it was close. From what we hear, that won't be the only time this happens. Must be aware of where we are!
Dock at C-Quarters Marina. Rustic place with a huge deck out front with rocking chairs and picnic tables. Lots of beer drinkers and kibitzers hanging out here.
Looks like we won't have another weather window for crossing until Thursday. So we wait.
Passed a few boats harvesting oysters close to the channel. Their boats have very shallow sides and this guy has what look like two long poles in the water.
We almost missed the secondary channel coming into Carrabelle (and came close to running aground). Both of us were concentrating on the GPS and looking straight ahead. Jerry saw the depth finder go from 12' down to 2' in no time. He got the boat turned around in time, but it was close. From what we hear, that won't be the only time this happens. Must be aware of where we are!
Dock at C-Quarters Marina. Rustic place with a huge deck out front with rocking chairs and picnic tables. Lots of beer drinkers and kibitzers hanging out here.
Looks like we won't have another weather window for crossing until Thursday. So we wait.
January 13, 2012
It's 30F with a wind chill this morning. The sun is out and warms things up quickly. Weather looks good for our trek to Apalachicola. Light chop in the bay but it smoothed out as we got to the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway (GIWW).
Nothing very picturesque as we traveled today. We go through another "ditch" which opens up to Lake Wimico. Very wide and very shallow except in the channel. Decided we need polarized sunglasses, the glare is horrible.
We anchored across from Apalachicola Marine just off the channel. Quiet evening.
Eastern time zone now.
Nothing very picturesque as we traveled today. We go through another "ditch" which opens up to Lake Wimico. Very wide and very shallow except in the channel. Decided we need polarized sunglasses, the glare is horrible.
We anchored across from Apalachicola Marine just off the channel. Quiet evening.
Eastern time zone now.
December 13, 2011 through January 11, 2012
Our month in Panama City Beach.
Retrieved car from Dog River Marina.
Our refrigerator stopped cooling the day after we arrive. Fortunately, we were not in the middle of crossing the Gulf. The marina recommended a guy that specializes in diving and cooling. Quite a combination. He seemed to know what was wrong and was able to get the part in short order. We were up and running that afternoon. I was able to save most of the freezer items in the ice maker (a separate unit). We bought dry ice for the fridge and kept almost everything else cold while it was being repaired.
Met Gary and Roz on Panazia. They are bike riders also and showed us around the area. This is a wonderful area for bike riding especially for me, mostly flat. We tried to ride everyday.
Jerry checked out the bait shop asking about salt water fishing. He bought an annual license since we'll be in Florida for a couple of months. So far he's caught a couple of salt water catfish and almost brought up a crab. Having fun though and learning all the time
The marina had a Christmas lunch Wednesday before Christmas. They provided fried turkey and dirty rice. I brought corn macque chox and blueberry/peach cobbler. Cajun theme. Not many folks were there and before we were finished it poured down rain. Back to the boat for the rest of this cloudy, rainy day.
Weather this month has been above average temps. Most days in the 70s. Couldn't ask for nicer weather.
Panazia invited us to Hunts Oyster Bar, a local must see place. It's a dive but good seafood. I'm not an oyster fan, so ordered the seafood platter. All was excellent, crab cakes (the best I've ever had), grilled grouper and bay scallops were good. Jerry ate the fried oysters. This place has an interesting tradition. They place saltine crackers by the sleeve on each table. The deal, so we were told, is to eat the crackers with the cocktail sauce while waiting for your meal. They have boxes of saltines stacked by the check out so if you run out, just help yourself. Also, the driveway is not gravel, but broken oyster shells.
Christmas Eve, I made my mom's recipe for chicken velvet soup. Our tradition for many years. Christmas day we rode bikes, watched a movie and talked with all the kids.
Jerry worked on a bunch of to-do items from the "list".
Went to dinner at the Pasta Grill on Front Beach with Panzia and Larry and Sherry, Lady KK. We ordered one of the specials, tenderloin and grouper. Grouper was excellent, but the tenderloin was tough and no flavor. Boy, eating beef anywhere but home is a tough act to follow.
Went to the chiropractor and had a massage. Well deserved, I must admit.
Drove to Ponce De Leon, FL, to the State Park. The fresh water spring has been enclosed sort of like a swimming pool with steps into it. A couple of guys were getting out of the 68F water as we were walking down the path. Didn't get in ourselves, just felt the water. Not much else in this town. We drove to DeFuniak Springs and found a pretty little town with a beautiful lake drive with huge, old mansions looking over the lake. We drove on to Port St Joe to check out the marina. Not nearly as nice as Bay Point Marina.
Visited Jan and Bob Colvin at their home in Gainesville, FL. Had a wonderful time. We decided we hadn't seen each other in about 15 years. Planned to stay another night but April ended up in the hospital with contractions so we decided it would be a good idea to head to Atlanta for a few days to help out.
April is doing fine and so is the baby. They got the contractions to stop for now. She just needs to take it easy. Easier said than done for a mom with 2 busy, young girls. We headed back to Panama City.
January 9th, we had a visit from Chuck and Sara Pugh. Good to see friendly faces from home. We took them out on the boat for a "3 hour tour". Jerry wants to check out the Gulf so we motor out that way. The bay is nice and calm but the Gulf is choppy. Chuck and Sara did great considering how much rocking and rolling we were doing. Turned around and headed back into the bay for a nice lunch anchored in a cove. We saw some jelly fish around the boat and a few dolphins but nothing close to the boat. We passed our turn back to the marina. Turning around, we see a cargo ship coming towards us in the channel. We moved off the channel to let it pass. The coolest thing, we saw dolphins jumping in the bow wake of the cargo ship. Tried to get pictures but nothing came out. Back to the marina and said good by to Sara and Chuck. It was wonderful having company.
Almost time to head out. We've been at Bay Point Marina a month now. Did the usual stuff, laundry, groceries and stocked up on bagels from Panera. Jerry has our routes uploaded to the GPS, we just need good weather to go. There is a small craft advisory in effect so will wait for this to clear.
Retrieved car from Dog River Marina.
Our refrigerator stopped cooling the day after we arrive. Fortunately, we were not in the middle of crossing the Gulf. The marina recommended a guy that specializes in diving and cooling. Quite a combination. He seemed to know what was wrong and was able to get the part in short order. We were up and running that afternoon. I was able to save most of the freezer items in the ice maker (a separate unit). We bought dry ice for the fridge and kept almost everything else cold while it was being repaired.
Met Gary and Roz on Panazia. They are bike riders also and showed us around the area. This is a wonderful area for bike riding especially for me, mostly flat. We tried to ride everyday.
Jerry checked out the bait shop asking about salt water fishing. He bought an annual license since we'll be in Florida for a couple of months. So far he's caught a couple of salt water catfish and almost brought up a crab. Having fun though and learning all the time
The marina had a Christmas lunch Wednesday before Christmas. They provided fried turkey and dirty rice. I brought corn macque chox and blueberry/peach cobbler. Cajun theme. Not many folks were there and before we were finished it poured down rain. Back to the boat for the rest of this cloudy, rainy day.
Weather this month has been above average temps. Most days in the 70s. Couldn't ask for nicer weather.
Panazia invited us to Hunts Oyster Bar, a local must see place. It's a dive but good seafood. I'm not an oyster fan, so ordered the seafood platter. All was excellent, crab cakes (the best I've ever had), grilled grouper and bay scallops were good. Jerry ate the fried oysters. This place has an interesting tradition. They place saltine crackers by the sleeve on each table. The deal, so we were told, is to eat the crackers with the cocktail sauce while waiting for your meal. They have boxes of saltines stacked by the check out so if you run out, just help yourself. Also, the driveway is not gravel, but broken oyster shells.
Christmas Eve, I made my mom's recipe for chicken velvet soup. Our tradition for many years. Christmas day we rode bikes, watched a movie and talked with all the kids.
Jerry worked on a bunch of to-do items from the "list".
Went to dinner at the Pasta Grill on Front Beach with Panzia and Larry and Sherry, Lady KK. We ordered one of the specials, tenderloin and grouper. Grouper was excellent, but the tenderloin was tough and no flavor. Boy, eating beef anywhere but home is a tough act to follow.
Went to the chiropractor and had a massage. Well deserved, I must admit.
Drove to Ponce De Leon, FL, to the State Park. The fresh water spring has been enclosed sort of like a swimming pool with steps into it. A couple of guys were getting out of the 68F water as we were walking down the path. Didn't get in ourselves, just felt the water. Not much else in this town. We drove to DeFuniak Springs and found a pretty little town with a beautiful lake drive with huge, old mansions looking over the lake. We drove on to Port St Joe to check out the marina. Not nearly as nice as Bay Point Marina.
Visited Jan and Bob Colvin at their home in Gainesville, FL. Had a wonderful time. We decided we hadn't seen each other in about 15 years. Planned to stay another night but April ended up in the hospital with contractions so we decided it would be a good idea to head to Atlanta for a few days to help out.
April is doing fine and so is the baby. They got the contractions to stop for now. She just needs to take it easy. Easier said than done for a mom with 2 busy, young girls. We headed back to Panama City.
January 9th, we had a visit from Chuck and Sara Pugh. Good to see friendly faces from home. We took them out on the boat for a "3 hour tour". Jerry wants to check out the Gulf so we motor out that way. The bay is nice and calm but the Gulf is choppy. Chuck and Sara did great considering how much rocking and rolling we were doing. Turned around and headed back into the bay for a nice lunch anchored in a cove. We saw some jelly fish around the boat and a few dolphins but nothing close to the boat. We passed our turn back to the marina. Turning around, we see a cargo ship coming towards us in the channel. We moved off the channel to let it pass. The coolest thing, we saw dolphins jumping in the bow wake of the cargo ship. Tried to get pictures but nothing came out. Back to the marina and said good by to Sara and Chuck. It was wonderful having company.
Almost time to head out. We've been at Bay Point Marina a month now. Did the usual stuff, laundry, groceries and stocked up on bagels from Panera. Jerry has our routes uploaded to the GPS, we just need good weather to go. There is a small craft advisory in effect so will wait for this to clear.
December 12, 2011
Departed Matt's about 8:15. But before we did, we had the pleasure of seeing dolphins up close. They came right up by the boat in the bayou. This is so cool for the kids from Kansas.
Here's a better picture of Matt's place where we stayed.
Cool again this morning, so coat and gloves are in order. I drove us out of the bayou. I'm certainly more comfortable driving the boat than I ever thought I would be. I'm still not ready for docking in tight places but I'm sure I will be before we're done.
Met this shrimp boat in the channel. Seeing more and more shrimpers the further south we go.
A couple of the birds we've captured along the way.We made it to Bay Point Marina in Panama City Beach about 4 pm today. Settled in, had a glass of wine and I fixed beef stroganoff for dinner. We have cable TV so watched a couple of my favorite shows.
December 11, 2011
Spent the day in Niceville. Quiet town, bike friendly. We rode around just to check it out. Had lunch then back to boat.
Later that evening we met Matt and girlfriend Marie. They came in for a beer and we chatted about their set up. He rents out the slips long term. Nice deal. He's a landscaper. Must do OK.
We really liked Niceville.
Later that evening we met Matt and girlfriend Marie. They came in for a beer and we chatted about their set up. He rents out the slips long term. Nice deal. He's a landscaper. Must do OK.
We really liked Niceville.
December 10, 2011
Cool again this morning. We saw several homeless people around the park this morning. That may have been why the police were notified we were at the dock.
Walked to Adonna's Bakery for breakfast. Unfortunately, they weren't serving breakfast any more but she had sweet rolls. (TripAdvisor said they served omelets and such) Not great but the proprietor was pleasant to talk with. There was a charity run today so the streets were full of walkers and runners. Most were dressed for the occasion in holiday garb such as reindeer antlers and elf tights.
Hung out at the boat the rest of the morning. Towards afternoon, we decided to go into town again for lunch. Asked the policemen that had shooed away the homeless guys where we should go for lunch. They suggested Fokkers Sports Bar. The bar had a large, what looked to me to be a, remote control WW1 Fokker airplane hanging over the bar. Lots of old airplane photos also. Neat place. Food was pretty good and we each had a Pensacola Bay Brewery Lighthouse Porter, good stuff.
Took a walk after lunch. It was cool and windy. We found a used book store but it was mostly romance novels. Also found a coffee house so stopped there to warm up. Back to boat so we could head out to Niceville.
Short trip to Sarah Ann Bayou where we were buying a used anchor. This was quite a set up. There are 5 slips, sailboats in 3 slips and 2 empty slips. We passed several shrimp boats docked in this canal/bayou.
Got tied up and relaxed. It turned cool so cranked up the heater. The owner, Matt, was out of town, returning the next day, so we just chilled. We watched one of the shrimp boats getting ready to go out about 9 pm. It was lit up like a Christmas tree. Cool to see up close.
Walked to Adonna's Bakery for breakfast. Unfortunately, they weren't serving breakfast any more but she had sweet rolls. (TripAdvisor said they served omelets and such) Not great but the proprietor was pleasant to talk with. There was a charity run today so the streets were full of walkers and runners. Most were dressed for the occasion in holiday garb such as reindeer antlers and elf tights.
Hung out at the boat the rest of the morning. Towards afternoon, we decided to go into town again for lunch. Asked the policemen that had shooed away the homeless guys where we should go for lunch. They suggested Fokkers Sports Bar. The bar had a large, what looked to me to be a, remote control WW1 Fokker airplane hanging over the bar. Lots of old airplane photos also. Neat place. Food was pretty good and we each had a Pensacola Bay Brewery Lighthouse Porter, good stuff.
Took a walk after lunch. It was cool and windy. We found a used book store but it was mostly romance novels. Also found a coffee house so stopped there to warm up. Back to boat so we could head out to Niceville.
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