GULF CROSSING: DAY 148: Crossing the Gulf of Mexico to Clearwater Anchorage

Tate’s Hell State Forest Anchorage to Clearwater Anchorage: 15.3 mph; 162.6 miles; 10:37 hours


We left Carrabelle at first light and made it to our Clearwater anchorage before sundown - that’s a good day crossing the Gulf. 


The crossing is long and tedious but we had to stay vigilant. We played a game of frogger the closer we got to Clearwater with the crab pots. Florida crab trap markers are child’s play compared to the markers on the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. We use industrial family sized bottles spray painted in Hunter’s Safety Orange for goodness sakes. These guys use something that looks like a ping pong ball painted white and blue! Who can see that? Some had a red stripe and a small few were green or pink. The pots are dropped at 20/30 feet deep all the way up to the shallow channel off Clearwater. The weight of the trap is not supported by the marker and you cant see them when waves are at a foot.


During our crossing, a seagull decided we were a good resting place; he landed on the deck and just walked around for a while. Silly bird!


There are two good anchorages when you come into Clearwater. The first is Anclote Island - pretty straight forward. The second, and it’s tricky - watch your depth finder, is at Three Bar Rooker. We chose Rooker. Fantastic holding and a good night’s sleep.


We also saw the Anastastia diving for sponges!







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

AGLCA SPRING RENDEZVOUS IN NORFOLK VA 2022

Image
The event this year is scheduled to take place in Norfolk, VA The Waterside River Ferry   A schedule is online and the ferry travels between Waterside, Norfolk & High Street, Portsmouth & North Landing, Portsmouth gohrt.com > Routes > Elizabeth River Ferry Waterside Marina   The 'right there' marina for the event - in the thick of it all. Nauticus Marina   Located at the end of the Waterside park at the museum is 'right there' too, it’s a little more quiet and smaller. Marinas near the Waterside River Ferry Ocean Yacht Marina Tidewater Yacht Marina Portsmouth Boating Center 36-hour Free Dock in Portsmouth (small); get there early Marinas, Portsmouth with an Uber/Lyft or Ferry :  Virginia Boat Yacht Service, Western Branch Diesel  Reciprocal Marinas, Norfolk with an Uber/Lyft :   Norfolk Yacht & Country Club (reciprocal with who?) Marinas before the Chesapeake Bay with and Uber/Lyft :  Willoughby Harbor Marina Rebel Marina  Mari...
Read more

DAYS 22-23 Cortlandt Yacht Club to Kingston, NY & Lighthouses

Image
Cortlandt Yacht Club (Montrose NY) to Kingston NY: 10.0 mph; 51 miles; 5:07 hours Traveling the Hudson River is peaceful and quiet. I wouldn’t compare it to the Cheasapeake because the ecosystems are completely opposite: saltwater vs freshwater. There is so much history here ... I’ll need to come back - bypassing New Jersey completely. Kingston, NY We docked at the Hudson River Maritime Museum and met some wonderful people. July 13th was Jim’s 55th birthday and the museum was closed! While we were exploring the area, I asked a group of people if anyone thought the museum would open for Jim - being that it's his birthday and the reason for this stop. A man named Jack Weeks said, "I have a key." Little did we know that Jack, a UVA-grad-retired-doctor, was the president of the museum. I was so grateful - this was Jim’s day - hell, it's Jim's YES YEAR. Once inside the museum, you could see the thoughtfulness everywhere: every age group had something to see and do. I ...
Read more

DAY 54: Put-In-Bay OH to Sugar Island, MI

Image
Jefferson Beach OH to Sugar Island MI (Grosse/Dearborn Michigan):  11.6 mph; 38.2 miles; 3:17 hours In this picture, Canada is on the right and USA on the left - pretty cool. Sugar Island: ANCHORAGE   Sugar Island is just past the entrance to the Detroit River, west of the shipping lanes, and off the Meso and Hickory Islands. It's a safe little anchorage with room for a few boats. If you decide to use this spot, be careful with the depths, slow and steady is the course. A colorfully off-centered local boated over in a skiff to tell us there was a barge upstream we could dock off - was that a hint? It sounded a little shady so we stayed put. After setting the hook, we attached the snubber and never budged.  Free Spirit is here with us but too far to go in the dinghy with the current.
Read more