A Well Deserved Breather

 Cortez

On Sunday morning December 4th we weighed anchor from our great stay at Clearwater Beach. We headed 22 miles south, crossing Tampa Bay to arrive at Seafood Shack Marina which we will call our temporary home port for the next month. It is a well earned respite, having navigated over 5000 miles, more locks than we can count and experienced more types of waterways that we can name. Once again we were blessed with warm sunny Florida weather with frequent Dolphin escorts along the way. Now the Marina is no big shakes. It has the bare basics, decent docks, electric and water. Laundry and groceries are a car ride away.

The positives for us that far outweigh the short comings is the dockmaster is awesome, there is a couple truly classic Florida dive bars within walking distance and Anna Maria Island Village and the beach is a short dinghy ride across the ICW. This area is still largely old Florida unspoiled by high rise condos and huge beach castle homes. Mom and pop restaurants and shops are the norm. Oh did I forget to mention that my best buddy Steve Shirley is a mere short car ride away?  We also officially earned our Gold Loop status as we technically crossed our wake when we passed by Gulfport, Fl. Some of you recall we purchased the boat there three years prior and captained it back to Virginia Beach. We will officially log our wake crossing when/if we return to Virginia Beach. When we arrived to Cortez we had a great greeting party, Steve and Diane Shirley. I had not laid eyes on my wingman in over a year and a half. We enjoyed the afternoon catching up on the sundeck and later shared a meal at the Tide Table just a short walk away. 

On Monday we had one of our first totally relaxed days, or so we thought. Most of the day we just hung around the boat. Well about noon the crew from Razors edge, Dan and Deb pulled up in their dinghy. They saw us on NEBO and decided to anchor up right next to the marina and stay the night. So we all headed over to Anna Maria Village to explore the shops, beach and of course a couple of bars. One stop they happened to be playing Bingo. Now not just any bingo but boner bingo. Boner bingo is where you get all the spots under “N” and the lowest one on both “I” and “G”. Unfortunately none of us won. We returned to Next Chapter to meet up with Andy and Miguela who would be returning back to the UK the next day. My sister Mary also joined the foray also. She happened to be doing some Mural work in Bradenton just 20 minutes away. So we all went out to dinner to wish them goodbye. Sue and I were a bit sad to see them go as we had so much fun with them. Promises were made to meet again to do some other fun adventure. 

On Thursday we hopped into a rental car and headed over to Delray Beach to be with Sue’s family who had collected to celebrate the incredibly well lived life of their father W. Michael Cassell. We were super excited as Jackie and John, Anna and Alex would be flying in for the service. We had a nice Airbnb so all of us could be together even though it would be for a short time. It felt so good to not only lay my eyes them but to also wrap my arms around them. Sue’s dad was a priest for over 40 years and was rector at the church for 25 years where the service the service was held. He actually designed the entire service prior to his passing. I must say that I have never felt the presence of someone’s spirit like I did during that service. It was so perfectly done and fitting for a man of the cloth. The entire family gathered for a dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate his life. May you Rest In Peace Pop. Sunday morning everybody scattered back into the wind to return to their respective homes. Including Sue who headed back to Virginia Beach to check on the homestead and catch up with friends. I on the other hand headed back to the west coast keep watch aboard Next Chapter and enjoy the sunny warm weather. I must say it is an odd feeling not having a desire to return to our dirt home. Something I am not sure what to make of. At this point of my life for some reason the sea Gypsy life feels right in so many ways. I don’t think I have ever had such an extended period of happiness and contentment. I can honestly say that my corresponding stress level has reached an all time low. So with that I await for my First Mate’s return to continue our great adventure.

Exploring Cortez by dinghy with Looper friends

    Sunset at the Tide Table a short walk from the boat

Best Gyros Ever and Spring Break Mecca

 Tarpon Springs

Wednesday Morning November 30th, which by the way is the birthday of our beautiful daughter Anna, we headed into Tarpon Springs. The weather was classic Florida, sunny and warm. It was only 6 miles up the Anclote river. For those of you who have not been to Tarpon, it is a crazy little Greek enclave that has been there for decades and has not changed one bit.

I remember going there as a child and the flash backs were exactly what I recalled. The good news is the Greek food is still top notch home made quality. The Greeks were known for sponge diving which we are told still goes on today. They still use hard hats to harvest them. Hard hats are the big copper diving helmet that you would have seen in the movies prior to the invention of SCUBA gear.

What they use natural sponges for today I really don’t know but there is a lot of them around. Greek restaurants, trinket shops and bakery’s abound. There are numerous places in the back streets where you will find a handful of Greek guys hanging out drinking coffee. At the end of the Main Street there is a great fresh fish market where we scored some Stone Crab claws on the cheap. Wednesday night we were invited to Docktails on Inked Mermaid. Funny enough the wife was completely covered in tattoos. The night had a fun energy that put everybody on a roll. Our group went to a great Greek restaurant. Sue and I ordered the Octopus serverd Greek style. It was delicious. We ended the evening by meeting up with another group of Loopers who had dined at the Rusty Belly. At the end of the evening, which the late hour of 9 pm 9 of us piled into a golf cart and hung on the sides and went back to our respective boats for the night.

Clearwater

Thursday morning we had a leisurely morning dockside. We pulled away from the dock about 11 am and headed 32 miles down the Gulf ICW to Clearwater. The Clearwater Beach Municipal marina did not have any slips available so we dropped the anchor right in front of the marina. It was a great location with a small beach area within a couple hundred feet where we could land the dinghy and walk 5 minutes to the Gulf front where all the action was.

The crew from Odyesse was with us. Many of you probably have been to Clearwater Beach on spring break or at least wish you had. It has really grown up and become much more upscale. High end high rise condos are the norm with more on the way. Clearwater Beach still ranks as one of the top ten beaches in the world. The sand is white and soft. The water clear and emerald colored.

We liked it so much we ended up staying  three nights. Friday I did some horse trading with another Looper that had crossed their wake in Clearwater. He had a nice 9.9 Yahama outboard motor that he was willing to sell pretty cheap. He had not used it since he bought the boat a year and a half earlier. They had an electric motor that was much easier to get on and off the dinghy. He was listing the boat for sale so the motor would not make any difference in the sales price. So after a half hour of tinkering with motor I had it running. So after a hand shake and a check off I went. On Saturday our UK friends, Andy and Miguela drove down to spend the day with us. Sue and I jumped on our bikes and rode the Pinellas Bike Trail 5 miles to Dunedin. The town is a wonderful quaint place right off the ICW. The other two couples met us there by car. We walked around a great Farmers Market and enjoyed lunch from a vendor selling homemade Tamales. We all met back aboard Next Chapter for Happy hour followed by dinner ashore at the Bait Shack. A shack it was but the seafood was fresh as could be!

Brief storm rolled in at Tarpon

                                                            Hard Hat diving Helmet

This was in a historic train station that has been converted to a museum. The striking thing is the ticket windows remain. There was a wall that separated both the windows and the waiting area. One side for Blacks and one for Whites. The windows were clearly different. There was only one bathroom on the Black side two on the White side. Seems so hard to believe today. 

Tarpon Springs with their Christmas jam on. Getting ready for the lighted boat parade. 

Clearwater

                                                The Bait Shack at Clearwater Beach

Dunedin Main Street

                                                                         Dunedin

This was a school of Bonnette Head sharks swimming around the boat at anchor in Clearwater. Also called Shovel Head Sharks. They are related to Hammer Head sharks

                                                     Farmers Market Dunedin

The Big Gulf Crossing

 Steinhatchee 

Crossing the Gulf of Mexico is one of those Looper hurdles that is met with much angst and deliberation. There are two basic options. The first is you leave Carrabelle at 3pm and travel 170 miles, 22 hours at 8mph and arrive at Tarpon Springs about 11 am the next day. The second is you do the Big Bend Route and make 2-3 stops along the way.

The problem with both routes is that you are way out in the Gulf and if bad weather crops up you have to suck it up and get through it. This time of year the Gulf becomes very unsettled due to cold fronts making their way into the Deep South. The prevailing winds are usually from the North West meaning waves hit your boat on the beam. That means the boat rolls from side to side.

Not good for any length of time. The last group that crossed waited over three weeks to get a decent weather window. A few boats pushed their luck and regretted it. Stories abound of Loopers getting to Tarpon Springs and crying when they get ashore. So we decided to do the Big Bend route as Sue nor I wanted to be up all night nor cry when we arrived. But that meant we would need three good weather windows. So the first opened on Thursday but we missed that one. Luck would have it Friday would be another.

So at 6:30 am in the dark we hauled the anchor and set a 70 mile course for Steinhatchee. One thing I will say is that watching the sunrise while cruising on the water is a sight to behold. King Neptune granted us a beautiful travel day all the way to Steinhatchee Marina. We arrived about 3:00 pm. Steinhatchee is know as the Scallop Capitol of the world. The scallops are the small bay variety that are found in the shallows on sea grass. Reportedly they are delicious.  In the summer months the population of 600 swells into the thousands.

Fishing is another big attraction. This time of year they are catching Speckled trout, Puppy Drum and Cobia. The marina we were at was brand new. So there was a few bugs that needed working out but no deal breakers. This is good old fashion old world Florida. The way it was 75 years ago. It’s a place where all the guys wear baseball caps, drive pickups and constantly have a Natty Light in their hand. Tin roofs and double wides are the out number conventional homes 10 to 1. Unpaved sand roads are common off the main road.  The local music was that of palm nuts hitting the tin roofs and rolling down. Anyhow Sue and I explored the “area” by bike as there is no real downtown.

We found our way into an American Legion and then learned that there would be a lighted golf cart parade that night. So we collected up a number of other Loopers and went and watched the parade. After we which we went to dinner at a local restaurant.

On Saturday our plan was to leave for Cedar Key but when we got up the winds were forecast to blow pretty good Saturday night into Sunday.

The problem was the anchorage at Cedar Key was unprotected and there was no marina available for larger boats. We scrubbed the trip and planned for a Monday departure. We made the best of it on Saturday and did some chores in the morning and went exploring in the back waters on the dinghy. After stopping at a local watering hole by water we found ourselves on Knot Dreaming’s sundeck. Randy and Julie are wonderful folks from Vancouver Island. After a couple of beverages we made our way back to Next Chapter. 

On Sunday we made our way to a local church. These small churches, everybody knows everybody so a new face stands out like Rudolphs nose. You get to shake everybody’s hand including the pastor. It was a good message and fun to be in such a small church. Everybody was so welcoming. Later we took another dinghy ride and hung out on the docks and chatted with other Loopers. 

Cedar Key

On Monday morning we slipped out of the marina once again before dawn. The weather was forecast to be very good and fortunately it was. The skies were crystal clear making the Gulf sparkle like a brilliant diamond. The cruise was 55 miles and relatively uneventful until we reached the outer channel. Once we entered we were literally mobbed by pods of dolphin. Did they put on a show!

They seemed to be leading us into the harbor. There is something truly amazing when you are looking at them swimming on the bow wake and they roll over and look you in the eye. Once we were secure on anchor we launched the dinghy.The crew from Knot Dreaming joined us to go explore Sea Horse Island. There is an old Light House and some type of marine research center for Florida State University.

The small bay in the interior was teaming with marine life. Everything from a small shark to rays and schools of snook. After exploring the island we headed to the town. Sue had actually visited Cedar Key with her mom and sister many years ago. Being Monday much of it was closed. We connected up with another group of Loopers and decided to stop and have an small bit at one of the local waterfront restaurants. There ended up being over 12 Looper boats in the small harbor that night. The discussion at the table was, “Would we be able to make the final leg of the Gulf crossing on Tuesday?” 

Anclote Key Anchorage

The weather sites were predicting sunny skies with 10 mph winds out of the ESE but would ease thru out the day. That translates into a bit rough to start but improving conditions as the day went on. The cruise was 75 miles to the anchorage so we left even earlier to maximize the daylight hours. We planned on 9 hours but hoped for better.

We had a gorgeous sunrise to the south east as land was over 20 miles away. The dolphin that seemed to lead us into town now seemed to escort us out of town. The cruise started off really nice but conditions deteriorated a bit as the seas picked up. Fortunately we only had to deal with 1-2 waves. We had another challenge to deal with. Crab Traps! There must have been a thousand or more along the whole track to Anclote Key. That meant no snoozing on the helm. In fact we had to alter course more times than I can count to dodge the floats for the traps. I must say that I was pretty spent when we finally dropped the hook and called it a day. The good news was we had conquered the Gulf! 

Sunset Anclote Key

                                          Seahorse Key Light House

Sunset at Steinhatchee 

                               Backwaters Steinhatchee 

Cracker Bar Steinhatchee. 

Getting into Position

Apalatchicola

Our original plan was to stay at the great South Point Marina in Panama City Beach for Thanksgiving but you should all know how plans go when it comes to boating. I had been keeping an eye on the Marine forecast looking for a good weather window to cross the Gulf of Mexico to Steinhatchee.

When we planned to start it looked like there would not be a window for several days but I also saw a calming pattern developing. When I got up on Tuesday and checked the weather sites a window to cross would open for Thursday and possibly thru Saturday.

So to get into position we had to hastily depart South Point to get to Apalachicola, a 65 mile run. We pulled away from the dock a little after 8am with three other Loopers following. We knew we would be pushing daylight to get there.

The cruise turned out to be spectacular from both a weather and scenery standpoint. It was a sunny calm day with temps ion the mid 70’s. The cruise took us thru a remote section of the panhandle with coastal woodlands and swamps.

Slash pines, cypress, marsh grass and bush palms were the order of the day. Wildlife consisted of birds of all sizes and playful dolphin that seemed to play chicken with our boat. The cruise took us thru sounds, lakes and narrow canals.

Some places water was all around but you could not wander out of the channel as the depth immediately went to 2’. We arrived at our planned destination right about 5pm. After securing the boat we walked into the quaint little village of Apalachicola.

It is a quirky little place with a great community. We turned a corner and saw folks spilling from the sidewalk onto the street. Golf carts everywhere. The Oyster House was a happening spot. We immediately joined in rubbing elbows with the locals.

The town Sheriff pulled up in his cruiser and asked everyone to get back on the sidewalk which they did. Until he pulled away. Then everyone moved back onto the street. This is one of those old world Florida places unspoiled by the fast paced world.

Everybody seems to know everybody. Wednesday morning we delayed our departure to walk the town. We walked by picturesque old Florida homes and even a cool cemetery covered in live oaks draped in Spanish moss.

The town has an old hotel called the Gibson Inn established in 1827. It makes  you think chic Tommy Bahama with perfectly selected period light fixtures and furniture.

So much character.

We pulled away from the town wharf at noon headed for our staging spot at Alligator Point Anchorage 40 miles away. We no more that got a mile away and slipped into fog. Ugh! We had some visibility so we turned on our Radar and pressed ahead.

After about an hour of puckering, the fog lifted. The winds were nonexistent so the water was glass. Dolphin were everywhere. We had a number of hitch hikers riding the pressure wake in front of the bow. At one point we had five of them sometimes hanging for 20 minutes. They seriously roll onto their side and look you right in the eye. Sue was in her glory I was terrified she would fall of the bow! 

We made it to our anchorage at about 4:30 pm with three other boats in tow. Sue had offered to host a Thanksgiving Pot Luck aboard Next Chapter. The crew of Odyssey, Knot Dreaming, and It’s About Time joined for Looper Style Thanksgiving.

Although we seriously missed being with family this was the next best thing. We gave thanks for all the many blessings we have and enjoyed the meal together. Watching the dusk sky fade into the open Gulf was spectacular. We were lulled to sleep by a gentle rocking from a slight gulf swell. 

                    Town Wharf at Apalatchicola

Homes in Apalatchicola

Sunset at Alligator Point looking across the Gulf

                                                          Mini Pumpkin Pies

The spread