Crossing Over to the Other Side

Winds are light.  The Gulf waters are placid.  The temperature is in the low 80s.  A weather window is open and we’re making the crossing today!

I took a break from writing Friday (yesterday) because it would’ve probably been entitled “Problem-Ohs:  Chapter 2.”  It was a series of things that occurred and it may be best to say that by 5 pm, Mike had gotten in 2-3 miles of hiking, enjoyed an air-conditioned cab ride to Clearwater's West Marine, and muscled through 8 reps of heavy-duty weight lifting (Four 90-lb. old batteries out of the engine room + four 90-lb. brand-spanking new batteries back in).  The result: Velsignet's engine started right up! 

We spent another night in the lovely Scottish town of Dunedin, Florida (My dear friend and birthday buddy, Guy Falskow, has visited another Dunedin, located in New Zealand).  A highlight was last evening watching the Dunedin Pipe Band play in the park adjacent to the Marina.  With bagpipes and various drums, the band played for a couple of hours.  It was a treat for us!

After a good night’s rest, we woke up to Florida’s relentless humidity and heat, and over coffee on our sundeck overlooking the marina, we went to our online  sources for confirmation that indeed our “weather window” had arrived:  calm winds and no storms on the horizon.  By 9:45 am, “Velsignet” was leaving Dunedin Municipal Marina.  By 10:30 am, we were at Marker 1 Marina to top off our diesel fuel tanks, and by 11:45 am we’d texted family our whereabouts and plans, received a text from Long Lake neighbor Pat Grimes that included ENYA’s “Sail Away,” and entered the Gulf of Mexico.

We will be monitoring our course from the flying bridge of “Velsignet” for the next 24 hours.  The autopilot is on which—like cruise control in a car—makes navigation much more relaxing.  We have our Aquamaps program guiding us as well as radar, VHF radio communications, and our cell phones.   We have the equipment, now we will have to manage our energies so that at least one of us is awake at all times during the crossing.


Here's "Velsignet" in Slip 8 at Dunedin Municipal Marina.

Delivery of new batteries.

Batteries:  Our (mostly Mike's) weight-lifting activity!



The Dunedin Pipe Band entertaining us on Friday night.

The drum section of the Dunedin Pipe Band.

A popular weekend retreat for families and their boats.  Just off of Anaclote Key near Tarpon Springs.

Last buoy before entering into the Gulf of Mexico.  Calm waters!



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