America's Great Loop
Page 12
11/19/07
The morning view from our dock was incredible.
Very "salty" looking marina on the way out of apalachacola
<---and in passing, why does a bass fisherman wear Camo?
At the Coast Guard Station, at the entrance to Carabelle (just 3 short hours) was the US Air Force Navy???
I had reserved a slip at the Moorings of Carabelle for an indeterminate amount of time (fronts were coming thru) and with the Gulf Crossing next, I feared we may be here a while.
at rest in slip #5
No Wake Bouy in the driveway, kept traffic slow---->
Carabelle has a VERY expensive IGA,
and a ditto Ace hardware, just across the street
11/24/07
YES, it's been 6 days, waiting out for a weather window, in Carebelle Fl. above is the "Chicken Club". Cruisers who are TRAPPED here in Carabelle, because of the weather. So, we had a pot luck turkey day dinner! The "chicken" Club is building daily with stranded loopers and snowbirds.
This is "Bud"s Charts", which hand in the Mooring's dockmaster's office. The are the 3 possible routes to Tarpons springs, yellow being the marginal weather route, green semi marginal and of course the Black, straight across perfect weather route. We are STILL waiting for a weather window!
What luck! While walking past the "worlds smallest police station" I witnessed an escape! luckily I caught the culprits on film. One of Carabelle's claim to fame, (and in my opinion, the only other claim would be the moorings marina) is the worlds smallest police station. Believe it or not...
This is the real police station, which to me, looked like the real
"worlds smallest police station."
11/26/07
There is nothing more boring that sitting in CaraHELL Fl. on your boat in the rain! If I did have a car, there is NO WHERE to go. Been here 6 days so far, looks like we are gonna be here another 3 days waiting for a weather window to cross the gulf.
This was the highlight of the day for Sunday, a white squirrel in a cage.
Ok , that's it for now, nothing else to say except GET ME THE HELL OUTA HERE, I WANNA CRUISE~!!!!
<-----White squirrel
11/28/07
Still in CarraHELL! Here is what else there is to do. and when I say what else, this is all there was.
Went to the WW2 museum. They used the beaches of Carrabelle to practice for the Normandy Invasion.
The beaches of Carabelle----->
Every evening around 4:30 the Carrabelle Chicken Club (all us stuck by weather cruisers) would get together for snacks, drinks and best of all......
a rousing game of But Darts! How do you play But darts, you ask well, you place a cup on the floor, put a quarter between you butt cheeks, and attempt to drop it in the cup. One point for the rim, 2 if it goes inside the cup.
If I didn't witness this I would have never believed it. This dog, sitting in the car, got behind the wheel and started honking the horn until his owner came out. The guy here is the owner,and the said he does it when he gets tired of waiting. No kidding!
11/28/07
With a little luck we will FINALLY get the heck outa Carrabelle. The forecast for tomorrow seems very favorable.
Batteries were weak this am, thanks to my smart charger, I diagnosed the last of my d4 batteries is going bad. I replaced it with a smaller RV deep cycle starting battery.
Hopefully my last Carrabelle sunset
11/29/07
5 am, we are working our way out of the Carrabelle channel, following the MV Norseman. Good bye Carrabelle, hello Gulf of Mexico. Those tow white lites are stern lites.
As the sun came up, we had a misty, low viability day, sea's 2 foot, with the occasional 3 footer to keep you on your toes. Seas where on the port quarter.
Just for fun I hooked up my laptop car gps program.
Sea Hag Marina was full, all the cruiser left Carrabelle this am, so we had to get a slip at the Gulfstream Motel and Marina. $1 a foot, water, NO electric. Ate at their bar.
Met the girl who is going to solo this boat around the world. For Details go to www.Solo-Sailor.com
11/30/07
No fog this am, so we got an early start from Stienhatchee (pronounced Steen hatchee)
Stienhatchee is a small fishing village with tourist shops and resturants
That's the lady @ anchor on the left. this is the view from the brown bar pictured above.
Dingyed into the Hidden Marina, where they have dingy dockage. But beware, you can get a ticket if you stay too long.
Entering Cedar Key, I saw my first Palm Trees, since leaving Florida. Getting closer to home every day.
12/1/07
Christmas is only 24 days away, and I have not done shopping one.
The wind was blowing 15 plus out of the east, and we had to go offshore 12 miles to be on course. it twas a bit bumpy.
After a long day in the gulf , at 4.15 PM,the Sterling Lady passed Marker #1 at Tarpon Springs, crossing our wake and closing the loop! We have done it, we hung the Gold flag, indicating we have completed America's Great Loop!! Wow!
We are now members of a very exclusive club.
Pulled into Caladise State Park, $20 a nite with floating docks, electric,water, and shelling on the beach.
12/2/07
You didn't think this adventure was over , did ya? We still gotta get back to Key Largo, read on.
Had a little dock party, popped champagne, blew the conch shell, took down the old loop flag and hung the golden one. We are Goldie's.
spent the nite at Clearwater municipal,, $75 for a 35 ft. boat! Welcome back to Florida.
Had a bug, so stay in for afternoon and evening.
12/2/07
Since I have to be back to work on the 5th of Dec, and Since it's a great excuse to go cruising again next month, I put the boat on the floating transient dock at Gulfport Marina, ($400 a month). Plans are to return on January 2 and slowly return the boat to Key Largo, my homeport.
Point is, I am NOT done cruising, not by a long shot, these pages will continue, as our adventures continues......scroll down from here...
In the meantime , here are some thoughts on doing and completing America's great loop.
1. Don't wait , do it now.
2. Time will magically flow, months go by like days, next think ya know 6 months have gone by.
3. Keep a log. You will never be able to remember all the places you have seen and been to.
4.Two things should dictate you cruising plans, weather and Money. Everything else is written in sand.
5. Defiantly have a plan a and b for each day, with a reserve plan C.
6.take lots and lots of pictures.
7. Web pages on your trip are a lot of work!
8. people are friendly, everywhere
9. Boaters are even friendlier
10. cruisers are the best.
11. Everyday will be a new adventure, new candy for the eyes.
12. You will spend more time with your mate in close quarters, than you ever have before. This could be very, very good, or very very bad.
13.Happy hours are "happy" and a way of life.
14. It will probably ruin you, as you will never be happy not cruising again. I know it has me.
1/2/08 Drove a one way thrifty rental car to Gulport Fl, 4 and a half hours, and it was DAM Cold! 19 degrees! Should have left the heat on in the boat.
Turned on the Marine air for heat, and Mr. Bill turned on the space heater.
Last nite while boarding, we droped the ice bag on the dock, and spilled some of the ice on the deck.
<----- I left the ice bag on the aft deck all nite, and the next day, at noon the spilled ice was still on the dock at noon the next day!
Because it was so cold, and because the winds were blowing 20 knots gusting, and because we would have to cross Tampa Bay, I stayed put at Gulfport an extra day.That nite thousands of black birds roosted in the masts of the blowboaters docked.
1/3/08
We crossed a still rough Tampa Bay and got down to Venice Fl for the free docks.
There were extreme low tides, and several sailboats sank as they rolled over hitting bottom in a too shallow anchorage. ------>
1/4/08
Made it down to Moss Marina, for a good nites rest. Mr. Bill navigated------>
1/5/08
Went to Napels Fl. I am not taking pictures, as we have been thru here several times.
1/6/08 Made it down to Shark River, and once again ,and for the 3rd time, no mosquitoes! thank God.
Note the tree log stuck in the trees. left over from high water from hurricane
<-------Katrina, etc.
Shark River at Sunset
1/7/08 This am extreme low tides on Shark River. Made sure I anchored in enough water to allow for 5.5 ft. of low tide.
Went all the way to Boot Key marina, Marathon, and got a mooring ball for $21 a day. Cheaper by the week or month.
Dam fine looking vessel, 5,500 miles on the Great Loop and not a break down, wow!
Boot Key has a water taxi
and now for something completely different....
This is my Honda EU2000 generator. I used it almost every day on this 8 month trip. I have been using it for years prior to this trip. It has literally THOUSANDS of hours on it. It runs quiet, runs great, uses 2 gallons of gas a day. I seldom used my 6.5 kw diesel on the boat.
Gonna rig up a bigger tank though, only runs about 6 hours on a tank.
Found these labeled shift boxes on a 49 ft. marine trader I looked at.. ha!
And this is what happens to a floating tow line when you hit revers too hard.,,, <------- went around the prop.
This Sailboat got a "knock Down" by a huge wave last week, just off Marathon. That rouge wave would have sunk a trawler.
1/10/08 Heading home, damn keys waters are pretty!
The Government puts these sticks in so the cormorants will sit on them, and their Poop makes the grass grow in stripped areas.
And for those who asked, this is me. Good looking S.O.B that I am!
<-------The Hooter boat "Hooter Patrol" was docked here. Must be alot of $$ in chicken wings.
Here's the Lady , arriving back home in Tarpon Basin, Key largo , Fl.
I put the Sterling Lady on the hard, gonna freshen the paint, do some repairs and maintenance, and put her up for sale. Going to ask $89,900 but will take $85,000 NOT a Penney less. Why you ask,, Read my web pages and you will know why.
But, the cruising will continue. Right now , plans are to buy a bigger boat, and do the Chesapeake again this summer. Stay tuned! It the Lady don't sell , she will be with us. cruising again, in Sterling style.
IF you wanna continue with us on our adventures, click
Please Note, the dingy was towed thru the Great Loop also, so it too deserved recognition! -------->
May have to get it a great loop sticker , or something.
