Cedar Key, Florida

Day 220 … Sun, Nov 26, 2017 … 59 miles, 7 hours

Sea Hag Marina, Steinhatchee FL to Cedar Key Anchorage

We don’t like to run long days in a row, just for Cally’s sake. Today is still long but not as bad as yesterday, 2:15 hours shorter. In this next stretch down the west coast of Florida, there are not a lot of choices of places that will accommodate our boat AND getting Cally off onto a dock nor anchorages with topography to get her to shore.

Off we go, into the sun … dodging strings of crab pots.

Dolphin played in our wake but never high enough for a good picture. They sure seem shy.

After a long run down the coast, we turn into Cedar Key towards the anchorage. It is a crazy, but well marked channel. There is a marked portion of the channel with a 90 degree turn and basically a U Turn.

We have 10’ or more in the channel and easily get to a close in spot to anchor.

In the pic above, we’re anchored in front of homes and by the public pier, we are close to the marked dinghy channel to floating docks and boat ramp. In the dinghy we will go through the hole under the road/pier. Taller, larger boats with T-Tops, Tuna Towers, etc go around the pier to the new boat ramp with no height restriction.

Once on land … Rip has found another great park for Cally! this one has a beach, covered pavilions, walking path, etc. Very cute, and yes, trash cans, too. Couple restaurants out by the pier look popular, too. I am sure this is a spot we could hang out for another day, but we are anxious to move on south.

Unfortunately it is too cool and too late in the day for Cally to go swimming … not enough time for her to dry off!

A stunning sunset awaited us as we returned from our last shore dooty of the day …

Good night from Cedar Key, Florida!

Tomorrow … not sure. Several places we would stop like Tarpon Springs and Dunedin Municipal Marina are full. The favorite anchorages along the way have beaches that do not allow dogs. Something will work out; Rip has several alternative spots picked depending on how long we decide to run … but it will be another long day.

Crossing the Big Bend–Carrabelle to Steinhatchee

Day 219 … Sat, Nov 25, 2017 … 79.8 miles, 9:15 hours

C-Quarters, Carrabelle to Sea Hag, Steinhatchee, FL

Finally, after 9 days of waiting for a good weather window, it is time to leave Carrabelle. It is going to be a long day of travel and we are starting early so we will be able to dock again before dark.

Mick on Phantom headed out first, then 4 of us went together; Lab Partners, Kia Mae, Lady North & The Penny Carol. We lead the way going NORTH of Dog Island. Rip thought about going north of Dog Island so he spoke with Russell of Tow Boat US (who works out of C-Quarters) and Mick on Phantom (who had done this route before), this cut of 4 miles of travel versus using East Pass; which in trawler time is about a half an hour. In Dog Potty time … every little bit helps get Cally to shore faster.

Before long, Lady North passes us and heads off faster than us.

An uneventful trip. We lead off north of Dog Island, but followed the AIS track of Phantom (thanks Mick) across Dog Island Reef. Then we started spacing ourselves apart, but Kia Mae stayed closest and are going to the same marina tonight.

Eventually we saw the west coast of Florida come into view and then the marked channel into Steinhatchee and Sea Hag Marina. A lot of fishing boats dart in and out of the channel; we cannot leave the channel.

Steinhatchee was hit hard by Hurricane Irma on Sept 2nd of this year. There is a mark on the office door showing how high the water rose … it was up to my chin. I am amazed they are up & running so soon. Here’s a link to pics of the area around Sea Hag Marina right after Irma.

http://www.gainesville.com/photogallery/LK/20160902/PHOTOGALLERY/902009998/PH/1

The marina staff didn’t answer their VHF calls from us, as we approached the docks. We were right by the tee head (where you see us in pics) when they ran out & motioned us to this spot. Once tied up they said they had to check if that was our spot. Then, proceeded to tell us we should go into the slip next to us; Kia Mae was assigned the tee head. We needed the tee for Cally’s ramp and could see Kia Mae coming and said no thanks, we will switch with Kia Mae. They can go straight into the slip & we will stay put. That worked great; we didn’t have to move and Kia Mae fit just as well in that slip as we would have. Winner, winner. Nice to have nice friends who get it! We all just laughed that we stole their slip.

Cally was great!! She didn’t ask to go potty once while we were under way or getting tied up to the dock … she sure was ready to go when I got her ramp out!!

Not a great place to walk a dog, no grass at the marina, so we walked by the street. Not a busy street and the north side was ok for her, but the south side had lots of sand spurs … and they hurt her paw pads. She stops immediately upon being poked by one, lifts her paw and waits for me to take it out.

All in all a great day to travel across the Gulf of Mexico!! A beautiful sunset; we are all 3 tired and in bed early.

Tomorrow, off to Cedar Key. Kia Mae and the others (without dogs on board) will probably travel farther than us.

Thanksgiving Week in Carrabelle, FL

Days 212-218 … 00 miles traveled

C-Quarters at Carrabelle, Florida

We have never stayed anywhere along the loop this long. We want a 3+ day weather window of acceptable conditions (wind, wave, rain, etc.) to cut across the Gulf of Mexico from panhandle of Florida to the West Coast in 3 hops. There hasn’t been a good window of weather until … perhaps tomorrow!! So, we are in Carrabelle for the 9th day in a row.

We especially like the “handicap” slip we have with the full length finger pier … this allows us to get Cally on and off the boat much easier with either one of her boarding ramps.

C-Quarters marina is a popular staging spot for Loopers who want to cross the Gulf. It is a small town … one that boasts the Smallest Police Station in the World! Plus a couple restaurants, the grocery & hardware stores are a block away. Ultra convenient when you are walking or biking to everything.

If you have to hang out for a while, this is much better than our next 2 or 3 stops will be … so here we sat. There is a great group of locals who hang out at the marina under their huge covered deck. We sort of feel like part of the gang now. PLUS, Tow Boat US franchise here … we have been amused with the VHF talk. They must have one really high antenna because we can hear lots of talk between boaters and Tow Boat as well as the Coast Guard.

One of the advantages of hanging out so long, is cooking something different that is not easy to do when anchoring out.

This time it was RIBS!! Another advantage is long walks thru & around town with Cally.

just a few of the sights …

The local duck is fed feed corn AND cat food … his name is HUB and he is very sweet. This is him on our pier … Cally has been quite interested in him.I love this local pavilion with fishing piers for the locals.There is a 5 sink fishing cleaning station, too. By the fish scales around, it is VERY popular!

Then, there was THANKSGIVING, Looper Style!!

The marina kicked in 2 fried turkeys, paper goods, etc. The locals (boaters & regular landlubbers locals) & Loopers all pitched in, pot luck style with the sides & desserts!

This was seriously a lot of fun and a great day. Cally got lots of attention, went on another long, long walk! The adults hung, talked, played games and … 6 of us Loopers chatted until around 8pm.

Friday is the day to prep and rest for the next few longs days of travel. Rip checked things/systems in the engine room a couple days ago.

Several additional boats have hopped into the marina today and several from the next marina over have come up to chat and organize. Looks like on group will head out at first light or about 6:30am, then Kia Mae and us will try to head out by 7am for an 80 mile run.

Time to call it a night and get to bed early; it’ll be dark at 6am when we get up.