Stats for 2014

Days traveling          167
Miles                        2905 sm.
Engine hours            406
Fuel burned              813 gals.
Fuel costs                $3727
Marina costs           $6580
Locks                         78

This will be the last post until next spring when we head to the Chesapeake to cross our wake in Solomons, Md.

Crossing Lake Michigan.

Downtown Chicago!

Bald eagle!

Another bald eagle.

At home in the new slip.

Looking across at Marker 4 Restaurant.

Tiki hut entrance to restaurant.

We are home!

We left Anna Maria Island yesterday morning about 730 am in a real blow. As we headed north out of the channel we had to go quite a ways north before turning south to rejoin the intercoastal because of the seas. If we tried to turn eastbound we got hammered. Eventually we succeeded and got out of the open waters of Tampa Bay and into the sheltered waters between the mainland and the islands. It was a pretty uneventful trip down Sarasota Bay past Marina Jacks. Then we started hitting the slow speed zones and bridges southbound to Venice. We are lucky at our height we only had to have 2 opened, Blackburn Point which is a swing bridge and the Albe Road bridge. We arrived at Fisherman's Wharf / Marker 4 Marina just as the winds were kicking up to about 20 mph. Tied up safe and sound so now we begin the tasks of unloading and cleaning. It's great to be home.

Leaving the channel at Anna Maria Island.

Bird meeting!

Van Wezel performing Arts Center, Sarasota.

What a pool cage.

Out on a point.

Blackburn Point swing bridge.

Albee Road bridge.

Pop's, one of our favorites.

Venice Inlet.

Venice Yacht Club.

Our winter home.

Dunedin then Anna Maria Island

Wednesday the 12th we spent the morning waiting for the diver to remove the floats from our thruster. By noon he had not showed up but Rick & Leila has so off to Tarpon Springs we headed to meet up with Ron & Jan for lunch and touring. Ann had never experienced Greek food before and we all loved it. Tarpon Springs is a real Greek community with families going back many years. It is famous for their sponges and the sponge divers. That evening we hosted docktails aboard with the 6 of us and Eddy & Linda Johnson from Spiritus. We all had spent so much time together on the Hudson last year waiting for the Erie to open. We laughed so much at each others stories that we all hurt a bit yesterday.

The lunch bunch.

My crab trap floats.

Docktails

The admirals.

 Yesterday we slipped lines about 800 am and headed for Anna Marie Island and Galati Yacht Basin. The weather cooperated and the water was like glass all day. I have driven the Skybridge so many times to and from Tampa airport to fly to work. It was breathtaking to see it from the water right next to it. We met up with Rick & Leila again for a look at their house that's in the middle of remodeling. It has been gutted. Then to the Moose Lodge right on the beach for happy hour. Afterwards back to the marina and a fabulous Japanese restaurant for dinner. Today we'll head for Venice and Charis's winter home at Fisherman's Wharf Marina.

Our early morning visitor.

Another.

Pink, Only in Florida?

So many more mansions along the water.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Entering Bimini Bay on Anna Maria Island.

Snug for the night.

Sunset

We crossed the Gulf of Mexico to Dunedin, Fl.

After studying all the weather resources Monday morning we decided that it was the night to cross. If you are not fast enough to complete the 180 miles trip in daylight then you do an overnight crossing so as to arrive well after sunrise because there are crab pots out up to 30 miles offshore and you need to be able to see them. NOAA was saying we would see 2' seas on the arrival end but everyone else was saying smaller. The next week showed things only deteriorating. We left the slip at 200 pm with Infinite Sea following. Exited the Carrabelle River and turned east towards East Pass on the west end of Dog Island to head out into the gulf. The weather was beautiful. There were 5 slower boats ahead of us that left earlier in the day. We were to meet 2 boats in East Pass that left Apalachicola earlier. The sunset was beautiful without a cloud in the sky. We eventually closed with the slower boats and early Tuesday morning were joined by 6 faster boats who left later. From there our flotilla of 15 continued  towards the coast. The seas picked up a bit and started coming from behind. The ride wasn't to bad but the autopilot had it's work cut out trying to keep up with them. The sunrise was beautiful also. Then the nerve racking part came as we neared the coast and proceeded into the intercoastal waterway. Crab pots everywhere! We arrived at Marker 1 marina a little after noon very tired. We were met by Ron & Jan Matuska from Adagio are the harbor hosts here and also the ones we traveled most of the summer with. Later had dinner with them. There are 13 looper boats here now. As you'll see from the pictures I was not successful in avoiding the crab pots, I caught a float on my external thruster.

Dockside at Carrabelle.

Infinite Sea leaving the Carrabelle River.

East Pass and Dog Island.

Lots of houses on the island.

Sunset!

Sunrise!

Part of the flotilla.

Crab pot float split in half.

Carrabelle, Fl.

51 low / 68 high

We slipped our lines yesterday about 930 am enroute to Carrabelle. The 3.5 hr trip was a bit choppy but not to bad. We arrived at the Moorings Marina and topped off with fuel before heading for our slip. There were several loopers already here as this is where most stage out of for the 175+ mile crossing of the gulf. Docktails brought more loopers from other marinas in the area also and it was nice to see some old friends as well as meet some new ones.

A shrimper passing in Apalachicola.

Docktails in Carrabelle.

Sunset.