Kris and I got to Marker One Marina in Dunedin, Florida without any hitches. As we arrive, my Dad is already on the dock waiting to assist us with the lines to secure SeaQuinn for the night.
Dad had flown in from Harrisburg, PA earlier that day and he was here to help crew our boat for the 24 hour crossing of the Gulf of Mexico, sometimes referred to as the "Big Bend". Chip was also coming in to help as well but his flight wasn’t scheduled in until later that afternoon. The plan would be for us to pick him up as we travel to my youngest brother’s (Skip) house.
As I mentioned the other day, Skip works in the Tampa area and recently purchased his first home. Kris and my Mother had gone down to help him decorate his new abode, but I hadn’t had the chance to see it, so this was important for me.
Dad had rented a car at the Tampa airport knowing we would be needing transportation to re-provision and run simple errands. Being on a boat can limit your ability to move around once you come into port, however many marinas will supply you with a “courtesy car” to accomplish these tasks.
The visit with Skip was great, his house is wonderful and certainly a beautiful place. I am very proud of him and his accomplishments!! We went out to eat later that evening and enjoyed some wonderful Italian food.
The next day we were scheduled to make the crossing from Dunedin to Apalachicola which is about a 24 hour leg, but the seas were forecast to be a little more than what I wanted to undertake. The boat has the capability to perform safely in much worse seas than were forecasted, but the crew knew their limitations and made the decision to wait for a better day.
While I was in Dunedin, I wanted to pick up some computer chips for the two Chartplotters I have on SeaQuinn. There is a West Marine that stocked the Central US chip which would cover my route from Tarpon Springs, up the Black Warrior/Tombigbee and even covers Canada. After purchasing the data chips, I attempted to install them in my Chartplotter only to be unsuccessful. Apparently the software on my plotter needed to be updated and there are several ways to accomplish this. One is to order the update from the maker of my plotter (Raymarine), the other is to download the update onto a flashcard and then update the plotter with that.
Since I consider myself being on the bottom of the “food chain of computer knowledge”, I knew this was going to be a daunting task because I didn’t have a “card reader/writer” built into my laptop and certainly didn’t have a spare flashcard.
Fuzzy Zeller once said you can buy anything for your golf game at Wal-Mart except a swing….. Well, that goes for simple computer support items also. Unfortunately we were not able to get the upgrade completed before leaving and decided to have Raymarine send us the upgrade at our next stop.
We were all excited about our crossing and to be honest a little apprehensive. No particular reason for the apprehension, just the fact we would be a long way from help if needed. We knew the boat could take much more challenging seas than we could, so the boat was not the issue but it was just the “unknown” that got our attention!
I didn’t want to enter the Carrabelle Pass during the dark, so the plan was to depart Dunedin around 1100 and hit the Dog Island buoy shortly after daylight. We thought our speed over the ground would be a little less than the normal cruise of 7.7 knots because of the forecast seas but in reality we did exactly that.
We continue on and the ride was very pleasant as the seas were the forecast 1 to 2 feet. The forecast also called for the winds to start from the West at 10 knots and then as the evening went on; they would change to the South and be less than 5 knots. Unfortunately the winds didn’t subside but increased slightly and provided a quartering headwind the entire way. The waves never calmed down and we had a moderately choppy ride most the night.
We hit the Dog Island buoy right on schedule at 0700 with a magnificent sunrise to welcome us. As we entered the sound, the waters became “glass like” smooth and we continued on to Scipios Marina (pronounced “cipios”, the S is silent). After getting all the lines secure and feeling comfortable with our position on the dock, I shut down the Ford Lehman’s at exactly 1105! Twenty four hours to the mark since we departed Dunedin!
After getting cleaned up we decided to celebrate by treating ourselves to lunch at the local Marina restaurant and we certainly weren’t disappointed! Since we were just a few short blocks from historical downtown Apalachicola, we put on our walking shoes and toured the city. There are many quaint shops selling everything from antiques to modern art. We did spend some time at the Veterans Memorial as well as a couple of museums. Who says we Tennesseans don’t have no class!!!
Tomorrow we begin our trip to Panama City.
Tell then….
Rusty and Kris.
Dad had flown in from Harrisburg, PA earlier that day and he was here to help crew our boat for the 24 hour crossing of the Gulf of Mexico, sometimes referred to as the "Big Bend". Chip was also coming in to help as well but his flight wasn’t scheduled in until later that afternoon. The plan would be for us to pick him up as we travel to my youngest brother’s (Skip) house.
As I mentioned the other day, Skip works in the Tampa area and recently purchased his first home. Kris and my Mother had gone down to help him decorate his new abode, but I hadn’t had the chance to see it, so this was important for me.
Dad had rented a car at the Tampa airport knowing we would be needing transportation to re-provision and run simple errands. Being on a boat can limit your ability to move around once you come into port, however many marinas will supply you with a “courtesy car” to accomplish these tasks.
The visit with Skip was great, his house is wonderful and certainly a beautiful place. I am very proud of him and his accomplishments!! We went out to eat later that evening and enjoyed some wonderful Italian food.
The next day we were scheduled to make the crossing from Dunedin to Apalachicola which is about a 24 hour leg, but the seas were forecast to be a little more than what I wanted to undertake. The boat has the capability to perform safely in much worse seas than were forecasted, but the crew knew their limitations and made the decision to wait for a better day.
While I was in Dunedin, I wanted to pick up some computer chips for the two Chartplotters I have on SeaQuinn. There is a West Marine that stocked the Central US chip which would cover my route from Tarpon Springs, up the Black Warrior/Tombigbee and even covers Canada. After purchasing the data chips, I attempted to install them in my Chartplotter only to be unsuccessful. Apparently the software on my plotter needed to be updated and there are several ways to accomplish this. One is to order the update from the maker of my plotter (Raymarine), the other is to download the update onto a flashcard and then update the plotter with that.
Since I consider myself being on the bottom of the “food chain of computer knowledge”, I knew this was going to be a daunting task because I didn’t have a “card reader/writer” built into my laptop and certainly didn’t have a spare flashcard.
Fuzzy Zeller once said you can buy anything for your golf game at Wal-Mart except a swing….. Well, that goes for simple computer support items also. Unfortunately we were not able to get the upgrade completed before leaving and decided to have Raymarine send us the upgrade at our next stop.
We were all excited about our crossing and to be honest a little apprehensive. No particular reason for the apprehension, just the fact we would be a long way from help if needed. We knew the boat could take much more challenging seas than we could, so the boat was not the issue but it was just the “unknown” that got our attention!
I didn’t want to enter the Carrabelle Pass during the dark, so the plan was to depart Dunedin around 1100 and hit the Dog Island buoy shortly after daylight. We thought our speed over the ground would be a little less than the normal cruise of 7.7 knots because of the forecast seas but in reality we did exactly that.
As we were leaving the West Coast of Florida, we had to navigate around several HUNDRED crab pots. They were everywhere! Since the water was moderately shallow, the fisherman that set out the pots would have extra line attached to the respective pot. This line would float along side of the small buoyant marker identifying the location of each pot. Sometimes the line was almost 20 to 30 feet lying on top of the water attached to the buoy. When you thought you were giving the buoy ample space, you actually could catch the line that is attached to the trap itself.
Both Chip and I were down on the aft deck enjoying the ride while Kris and Dad were on the bridge navigating around the crab pot mine field. Then almost at the same time, Chip and I see what appears to be something following behind us about 30 yards and just below the surface of the water. If you remember the Jaws movie and the scene where the shark is coming towards the boat, well this is what it looked like. Something just below the surface moving towards us! We soon realized the cause of this was not some huge Great White shark, but a crab pot attached to our boat.
We both head for the bridge while Dad immediately idles down and put both engines in neutral. The crab pot disconnects itself and gently floats to the bottom. Not knowing where or how the crab pot attached itself to our boat, we prudently decide to investigate further. I carry two sets of masks and snorkels, so Chip and I dawn them and jump into the water to view the running gear and stabilizers. He checks the port side while I check the starboard. He finds nothing on his side, but I find a small ½ inch line wrapped around the propeller shaft. After a few tries, we free the line from the shaft and present it to the helmsperson for a souvenir.
Both Chip and I were down on the aft deck enjoying the ride while Kris and Dad were on the bridge navigating around the crab pot mine field. Then almost at the same time, Chip and I see what appears to be something following behind us about 30 yards and just below the surface of the water. If you remember the Jaws movie and the scene where the shark is coming towards the boat, well this is what it looked like. Something just below the surface moving towards us! We soon realized the cause of this was not some huge Great White shark, but a crab pot attached to our boat.
We both head for the bridge while Dad immediately idles down and put both engines in neutral. The crab pot disconnects itself and gently floats to the bottom. Not knowing where or how the crab pot attached itself to our boat, we prudently decide to investigate further. I carry two sets of masks and snorkels, so Chip and I dawn them and jump into the water to view the running gear and stabilizers. He checks the port side while I check the starboard. He finds nothing on his side, but I find a small ½ inch line wrapped around the propeller shaft. After a few tries, we free the line from the shaft and present it to the helmsperson for a souvenir.
We continue on and the ride was very pleasant as the seas were the forecast 1 to 2 feet. The forecast also called for the winds to start from the West at 10 knots and then as the evening went on; they would change to the South and be less than 5 knots. Unfortunately the winds didn’t subside but increased slightly and provided a quartering headwind the entire way. The waves never calmed down and we had a moderately choppy ride most the night.
Once out of sight of land, you don’t have any competing light to obscure the stars. It is not often you can actually see the stars of the Milky Way Galaxy, but tonight it was crystal clear to all of us. We could even see satellites as they passed overhead. Being out there certainly made you feel small.
During the night we saw some flares going off to the West of our position. Initially we saw a single flare and then a salvo of three flares. Could this be a boat in distress? Could it be some fisherman disregarding normal safety considerations and playing around? Either way it was our responsibility to take this seriously and investigate it further.
Our first action was to call the Coast Guard and inquire if they have received a distress message from any vessels. We were pleasantly reassured when they answered almost immediately even though we were several miles off shore. They proceeded to ask a number of questions regarding our position, wind speed, sea state, and estimated distance from our boat. They even wanted my cell phone number.
After several exchanges on the radio, it became known to the Coast Guard the flares were from a military operation in the Gulf of Mexico. We were all relieved that nobody was in distress and proceeded to our next waypoint.
Since the Gulf was a confused chop, none of were able to catch must sleep. We spent most of our time on the bridge talking about life in general. Fortunately we solved all the world’s problems that night but forgot to implement them once back on shore.
During the night we saw some flares going off to the West of our position. Initially we saw a single flare and then a salvo of three flares. Could this be a boat in distress? Could it be some fisherman disregarding normal safety considerations and playing around? Either way it was our responsibility to take this seriously and investigate it further.
Our first action was to call the Coast Guard and inquire if they have received a distress message from any vessels. We were pleasantly reassured when they answered almost immediately even though we were several miles off shore. They proceeded to ask a number of questions regarding our position, wind speed, sea state, and estimated distance from our boat. They even wanted my cell phone number.
After several exchanges on the radio, it became known to the Coast Guard the flares were from a military operation in the Gulf of Mexico. We were all relieved that nobody was in distress and proceeded to our next waypoint.
Since the Gulf was a confused chop, none of were able to catch must sleep. We spent most of our time on the bridge talking about life in general. Fortunately we solved all the world’s problems that night but forgot to implement them once back on shore.
We hit the Dog Island buoy right on schedule at 0700 with a magnificent sunrise to welcome us. As we entered the sound, the waters became “glass like” smooth and we continued on to Scipios Marina (pronounced “cipios”, the S is silent). After getting all the lines secure and feeling comfortable with our position on the dock, I shut down the Ford Lehman’s at exactly 1105! Twenty four hours to the mark since we departed Dunedin!
After getting cleaned up we decided to celebrate by treating ourselves to lunch at the local Marina restaurant and we certainly weren’t disappointed! Since we were just a few short blocks from historical downtown Apalachicola, we put on our walking shoes and toured the city. There are many quaint shops selling everything from antiques to modern art. We did spend some time at the Veterans Memorial as well as a couple of museums. Who says we Tennesseans don’t have no class!!!
Tomorrow we begin our trip to Panama City.
Tell then….
Rusty and Kris.
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