Crossing the Gulf, 12-18 thro 12-19, 2014

Thursday and Friday, December 18 and 19

The big trick to a relatively pleasant Gulf crossing is finding a rather benign weather window for the passage.  The fast-boat crowd can make this crossing in one day, arriving before dark. In our case, we require 30-35 hours to make the 170 mile trek from Carrabelle to Clearwater at our usual breakneck 5-6 mph cruising speed. That meant we needed two consecutive days of fair weather and placid seas.

Our “fair weather” definition is winds of 10-15 knots or less, preferably from the north, and waves that are 3 feet or less. To find this magic combination we consulted NOAA, Accuweather, Weather Underground and passageweather.com as well as data that is sent in real time via the web from government weather buoys out in the Gulf (our favorite is weather buoy 42036).

We also rely on a guy named Eddy.  Eddy is a pilot and avid cruiser who volunteers to predict the weather in this little corner of the Gulf during the fall and winter months for members of the American Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA). He uses all the above resources and more. 

All of our weather resources agreed that the window was open. So, at 7:26 AM, we set out with great trepidation through Dog Island Pass, and into the great Gulf of Mexico.

Our route from Carrabelle to Clearwater Beach

Sure enough, the Gulf was placid as we motored along. It was not, however, warm, The temperature was 41 degrees.  We wore all of our foul weather gear, and several layers of fleece under it…and we were still cold.. Hopefully things would warm up a bit.

We were not far (perhaps 3 miles) into the Gulf when our Verizon phones and hotspot had no connections. Our VHS radio was our only way to contact the world outside of Sea Fever. This was another one of those “we-are-on-our-own” moments that make cruising in a sailboat both scary and interesting (they generally become more interesting and less scary if you survive).

To keep the moments interesting, we had some rules for our small crew:

>  When on deck always tether yourself to the boat.
>  Aways wear a life jacket when not ion the cabin.
>  Never leave the cockpit unless both of us are on deck.

Kathy tethered to the boat...new hat!

Tim trying to stay awake

Since the crossing would be long, we would have to spell each other to get some rest.  After all, we aren’t college students any more, where all-nighters were the norm.  So, unlike other folks who set 4 hour watches, we just agreed to stay at the helm until fatigue set in, at which point the other person would take over.

The weather did warm up a bit as the day progressed. The seas remained calm and there was little wind, so we motored through the day.  From time to time, we had dolphin friends accompany us.  We saw few boats, and little by little, the coast line drifted away until we were completely surrounded by big water.
 

Sunset while crossing the Gulf

As dusk came on, the sky clouded over. It was a dark night. Very dark and rather eerie since the horizon line was obscured, leaving us engulfed in darkness. The moon and the stars didn’t appear until about 2 AM on Friday to provide some relief.

Our autopilot was broken, so we had to steer the boat ourselves. It was a burden to maintain a course, but it gave us something to do. With an autopilot, you can just set it and forget it. Many a sailor has met with trouble by dozing off while the autopilot steered the boat into trouble.  The GPS was invaluable, pointing the way to Clearwater and providing assurance we were on the right course. We also kept our compass bearing at 150 degrees south.

At one point, in the dark, and on Tim’s watch, dolphins decided to play and jumped completely out of the water right next to the cockpit.  After virtual silence for so long, it scared Tim out of his wits!

Kathy took her turn at the tiller, while Tim slept. She saw two boats pass her, but nothing else.  After about two hours, Kathy roused Tim and asked if we were getting close to shore since she could see bridge abutments and a shore line. Tim allowed as how we were still in the middle of the Gulf. Time for Kathy to take a break!

Tim manned the boat to sunrise, and then we both stood watch. As we neared Clearwater, the wind picked up and we hoisted all three sails and for the second time in many months, became a motor sailor.  Of course, after about an hour, the wind died, and we needed to take them down.

About noon on Friday, we had our west coast Florida destination, Clearwater Beach, in sight. As well as a mine field of crab pots that we needed to avoid.

We stopped the boat just offshore from Clearwater pass and got it ready for docking. We reattached the fenders, made the dock lines ready, and headed into Clearwater Pass to Clearwater Beach Marina. Once at the marina, we fueled up, and tied up at our slip by 2:07 in the afternoon only 30 hours and 37 minutes after leaving Carrabelle.  Once the boat was tied up, we went below, and fell onto our berths to take short naps.



Kathy and T2 taking a well deserved nap

The crossing did not live up to our fears and trepidation.  The weather was about as benign as it gets and the seas were mostly flat. The boat performed well. So, we don’t have a horror tale to tell other sailors over rums and Coke. That’s fine with us.

We awoke just before the sun went down and wandered down to the beach to watch the sunset. 

Kathy and Tim at Clearwater Beach at Sunset

We were pleased to have finally made it to south Florida after such a long journey.  And we were happy to finally be warm again.

To celebrate we had a glass of wine and dinner at a little bistro, went home to Sea Fever, and fell promptly fast asleep. 

The dreaded Gulf crossing was over.

Day is done.  Sunset at Clearwater Beach