Dunedin, Florida

Day 221 … Mon, Nov 27, 2017 … 83.66 miles, 9.5 hours

Cedar Key Anchorage to Dunedin, Anchored by Marker One Marina

Starting out, we are not 100% sure where we will end up tonight. It will be a long day and our 1st and 2nd choices of a marina are full. We still have choices, just depends on how long we decide to run today. This will be the last really long day for quite a while, so we may push it and be done with it.

It was a rougher ride than we like for the first part of the morning. Nothing bad, just not fun. Cally does not like it when the boat rolls side to side a lot. SO … I sit with her and she leans into me and pushes off the side of the boat so she doesn’t slide around. Rip altered course (heading east inshore several miles) so evidentially things calm down and she goes back to her usual sleeping, I mean traveling, spot.We catch up with Kia Mae out in the Gulf, who went further than us last night but is going shorter than us today so they can see Jim’s brother. It was nice to have someone around again.

Lots of dolphin playing in our wake today.

We leave the Gulf today and enter the Florida ICW. But, first we snag our first crab pot. Rip saw it (I was below brushing my teeth) and left it well to starboard but the line from the float to the crab trap had been cut and was floating just below the surface along the water in our path. Rip slowed the boat immediately, which brought me up from below to see what was wrong (tooth brush and all). The line and pot pulled in toward the boat but then appeared behind us … no damage done and Rip resumed speed. I finished brushing my teeth.

We run all the way to Dunedin Municipal Marina (who are not taking boats over 17’)but there is an anchorage outside their seawall and we decided to use their dinghy dock to get Cally to shore. We know there is a nice park there. Going this far means we have relatively short days ahead to get to Punta Gorda where we have reservations for the entire month of December.

The town Christmas tree at the park. Their  tree lighting ceremony and lighted boat parade are this coming weekend, we will be long gone.

Good night from Dunedin … it looks like a fun place where I would enjoy staying a day or two, but we are ready to move on south. We arrive too late and leave too early to partake of anything except the park for Cally.

I am not tired of the sunsets …

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.