A Sign

As we left Saint George Sound by Dog Island off Florida’s panhandle near Carrabelle and entered into the Gulf of Mexico, knowing we had at least 20 hours ahead of us before reaching land again, we wondered if we were making the right decision to make the Gulf crossing.  We questioned this "weather window" and yet knew we'd studied our weather resources as best we could.  We felt very alone in our decision-making as we ventured out into the big water toward Clearwater, Florida.

Taking a last look towards shore, Mike excitedly told Brenda to look back.  Following in our path  were 3 (T-H-R-E-E) other pleasure trawlers!  In short order, “Dry Martini” hailed us on the VHF radio, introduced us to the other two boats, “Last Call” and “Margarita,” all of which were also destined for the Clearwater area.  YES!  We weren’t alone in thinking today was our day to cross!  

Crossing the Gulf of Mexico from Carrabelle to Clearwater was as we expected.   When we ventured out into the big water at 2:30 pm on Thursday, the waves and northerly winds were a moderate 8 mph.  Within an hour or so, both had calmed and we could cruise at a whopping 8 mph in fair comfort.  At 12:30 am on Friday morning, the wind (now from the SE) picked up again such that we decreased our speed to 6.2 mph.  As the boat rocked and rolled (we felt fortunate in that we were cruising directly into the wind), unless one was resting on the bed in the berth, the rest of the night was an exercise in keeping one’s balance aboard a constantly shifting platform.  Every step taken required holding onto something to steady ourselves.  We asked ourselves, “Who do we know who would do this with us?”  (The above video was taken at sunrise this morning.  It doesn't portray an accurate picture of what was happening inside the boat, but you get the idea.  Who would probably be interested in doing the Gulf Crossing with us? Answers included:  Guy Falskow, Mark Christianson, and maybe Karin Snortland…or what about you, Donna Zelinsky?) 

We’re docked safely in slip 8 at the municipal marina in Dunedin, a quaint town in Florida with proud Scottish tradition.  We visited Dunedin last summer (first docking experience, new batteries) and are excited to be here again.  Our Long Lake neighbors, Dave and Colleen Forte, winter near  Dunedin and perhaps we can connect with them. 

We pulled anchor on Thursday (yesterday) at 6:30 am on the Searcy River (in the Florida Panhandle) and tied up to dock in Dunedin (Florida's peninsula) at 12:30 pm.  We’re exhausted.  We’ll give ourselves a couple of nights to rest up, give “Velsignet” a good washing to get the salt off her, and plan our Sunday cruise south to meet up with our Minnesota-Now-Florida friends, Erica and Mike Ellis on Monday or Tuesday.

Again, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset--this time on the Gulf of Mexico.  The waters were calm and sky colorful.

Mike kept awake during the night by working on a Liberty Puzzle made of wooden pieces; it was a gift years ago from our daughter, Allison.  If you have never completed a Liberty Puzzle, we highly recommend you do so as they are like no other jigsaw puzzle you will ever encounter!

We put our dinghy on the "back porch" of Velsignet to keep it safe from any unforeseen wave that might cause damage.

We reached the shore of lower Florida at about 10:30-11:00 a.m. starting with key islands like this little one.  The water is so blue and the temps are in the high 60s.  Very pretty and comfortable!

Today is the 16th birthday of our eldest granddaughter, Claudia.  Claudia enjoys playing violin in the orchestra, soccer, drawing, and snowboarding.  Happy Birthday, Clauds!  You have always made us smile!