11/20 - 11/29/22 - Carrabelle, FL to (Steinhatchee/Cedar Key) Tarpon Springs, FL (Gulf Crossing)

Sun, Nov 20 - Thurs, Nov 24 (Thanksgiving) C-Quarters Marina. All of the responses to our inquiries about the Carrabelle Marinas were not that great, so our expectations were pretty low.  Turns out C-Quarters is an old marina in a cute fishing village where we were perfectly comfortable, exceeding our low expectations.

  • The laundry, shower rooms were pretty basic, but cleaned every day - that's all I ask!
  • The ship store was well-stocked and appeared to be a regular stop for locals to stock up on fishing tackle and ammo.
    New dock planks
  • The project to replace the planks in all of the docks began during our stay, so they are maintaining the old marina pretty well in my opinion.
  • Wifi was really good - extra points for that!
  • Kim, the manager and delivery captain, was a fantastic and realistic resource for analyzing the feasibility of crossing the Gulf.  The rest of the staff was equally helpful too.
  •  We did the 1/4-mile walk over to the Moorings for the nightly captains' meeting to discuss the Gulf crossing, and it seemed like a fine marina too, although much larger.
  • Captain Chris on Nautic Venture is retired Coast Guard, and he did a great job leading the discussion.  After his weather and water conditions report the room divided up into groups depending on whether they were going all the way across to Tarpon or Clearwater or taking the Big Bend Route over several days.

  • Dan & Chris on Long Gone2 were our neighbors for 3 days and we enjoyed cocktails on their boat and dinner at Fathoms.
    • Long Gone2 and two other boats did the overnight Gulf crossing to Clearwater on Thanksgiving night - Kudos to them!
  • Lots of other loopers came and went, we saw several cross to Steinhatchee and beyond, but we kept waiting for the smoothest ride possible
  • Ironically, Carabelle claims the World's Smallest Police Station . . .  and is also home to the Florida Correctional Institution, hosting 1,300 inmates.
  • We stopped in the Carrabelle History Museum, and one of the highlights was a video recording of the Carrabelle Police Chief's interview on the Johnny Carson show . . . the history of the town and shipwrecks were pretty cool too!
  • The whole town has paved sidewalks and flat terrain, perfect for running, walking, and biking.
    • We tried all the restaurants:
      • Fathoms - not impressive when you walk in, but excellent grilled (never fried) seafood
      • Fisherman's Wife, cute setting with good food.
      • Tiny restaurants - Seafood Shack, A Taste of Korea, Sopchoppy Pizza, Food Truck







On Monday, 11/21, my cousin Karen picked us up and took us on a fascinating tour of the Carrabelle/Panacea area by land.  She is a great tour guide and excellent host.
By Tuesday, 11/22 it was looking good for a crossing and improving each day through Friday. We decided Friday was our day!  Our anxiousness was a mix of excitement and fear.
  • Captain Chris (Nautic Venture) did a great job developing a plan for 10 boats that agreed to do the Big Bend route across the Gulf.
  • The afternoon of Thursday, 11/24, (Thanksgiving) we all made our way to Dog Island to anchor for the evening and get an early start on Friday.  We ended up in 3 different areas:
    • Port-A-Gee, Table 6 and KARL dropped the hook at the east tip of Dog Island.
Thanksgiving Feast
      • Port-A-Gee feasted on grilled chicken salad for Thanksgiving & we were most grateful!
    • Nautic Venture, Arabella and No Rush anchored at the west end near shipping cove.
    • Sea Bear, Blue Moose and Blue Moon cruise about 5knts, so they went out to Alligator Point to get a jump on the rest of us.
    • There was another group that came across from Apalachicola too.
Friday, November 25, 2022 - Dog Island to Steinhatchee, FL (66.6nm)

  • 6:45am - we pulled the anchor and prepared to depart.  Brian was at the helm, and I was scrambling around securing everything for our journey.  I stepped down into the galley and heard an alarm sounding - uh oh!  I looked at the Victron gauge and it was flashing; other alarms were signaling Low Voltage - OH F@&%!!! and why now?!!!
    • My capable Captain did some quick troubleshooting and discovered the starboard engine's RPM was slightly under the speed for the alternator to kick in.  He throttled up a little, and everything was good to go - PHEW!!
  • 7:00 a.m. EST, we all took a deep breath and pointed our bows east to cross the Gulf of Mexico!!
  • The seas were flat, with the exception of some slow rollers, but it was very comfortable.
  • By 9:00 the fog was so thick we couldn't see more than 100 yards in front of us - YIKES.  We were navigating with charts and radar and keeping our eyes peeled for anything that might pop up unexpectedly.
    • No Rush had such an encounter with a fishing boat.  The fishing boat indicated that they had radar and could clearly see No Rush; inexplicably, they turned right in from of them!  So close, that No Rush cut some of their lines - GEEZ!
  •  The fog dissipated around 11:00, showing us the miles of water that surrounded us in every direction - no land in sight.
  • By Noon the fog returned for another 2 hours, and we were once again relying wholly on our instruments for navigation.
  • Around 3:30 we started to see land and breathed a sigh of relief that we conquered this hurdle with minor issues (fog).
  • 4:30 p.m. 13 boats Looper Boats converged upon Steinhatchee, Florida!  10, including Port-A-Gee, chose the brand-new marina, Steinhatchee Marina at Deadman's Bay. 1 went to Seahag, and 2 more went to Steinhatchee Inn and Marina.
  • Roy's Greek Salad
    WE WERE ALL ELATED AS THIS WAS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT in our Loop adventure.
  • After getting secured in our slips, we all made a bee line to the Tiki Bar to celebrate!
  • Captain Chris' leadership continued as he organized a lunch at Roy's on Saturday.  Still excited about our crossing, we enjoyed the afternoon exchanging every detail of our respective experiences.

Crews of: No Rush, Blue Moon, Sea Bear, Blue Moose, Port-a-Gee, Nautic Venture, Arabella:

  • Steinhatchee is another cool fishing village, but more a sport fish community as opposed to the shrimpers of Carrabelle & Apalachicola.
    • I didn't get any pics - I guess my Crossing Hangover was all I could focus on!
  • Walking around is a little difficult, just worn ruts along a pretty busy highway.
    • I found some quiet streets/gravel roads for a run but was encountered by a pack of 4 dogs that apparently were not used to seeing people on their street - fast run that day!
  • Steinhatchee Marina at Deadman's Bay just opened in July of 2022 and they learned about Loopers 2 weeks ago!  Boy, are they in for a surprise over the next 2 months!
  • It's a wonderful marina featuring floating docks with power & water, fuel (at your slip), nice restrooms (1 shower stall), huge bar and fish cleaning stations.
    • Points for improvement:
      • Pump out
      • Laundry
      • Wifi
  • We loved the camaraderie of our Crossing Buddy Boats all weekend and had many opportunities for "fellowship" all weekend.
  • On Sunday, Chris organized another Captains' meeting and 8 of the 13 boats that descended upon Steinhatchee last Friday agreed to head out together on Monday Morning.
  • We still have another leg on the Gulf.

Monday, November 28, 2022 - Steinhatchee to Cedar Key (49nm).  We had a lot of fun re-living our Westward passage across the Gulf with our buddy boats all weekend, but we still have a few more legs of Gulf to complete before getting back to the ICW.

  • As agreed at the captains' meeting, we departed Steinhatchee at dawn (7:00 a.m. EST).  Back out to the Gulf, this time setting our course for a southern route to Cedar Key, FL.
  • Once again, we were blessed with calm seas, and grateful for 100% visibility.  The western coast of the Florida peninsula remained visible at our port on this sunny day.
  • I was a little disappointed with the sparce wildlife, but a new species glided past us all day, Jellyfish!
  • Several of our flotilla anchored near town and dropped their dinghies to check it out.
  • KARL and Port-A-Gee anchored off of Atsena Otie Key, a barrier island and GHOST TOWN, 1/2 mile offshore.  Since we arrived in early afternoon, I had time to research the area.
    • In 1999 a skeleton was found on the island and determined to be more than 2,000-years old.
    • It also has history related to the 1st & 2nd Seminole Wars and the Civil War.
    • It was a good anchorage for the night. I went to sleep reflecting on its history.

Tuesday, November 29, Cedar Key to Anclote Key (Tarpon Springs) (60.2nm) - Our 3rd and final leg of the Gulf of Mexico resembled our Western Gulf crossing on 11/24 - about the same distance and no land in sight.  The differences were: more disturbed seas, and the fog was replaced by Crab pots - UGH!

  • The sun rose at 7:00a.m., - we pulled the anchor and disturbed a dolphin breakfast just inside the channel.  Once again, our float plan took a last-minute revision as weather conditions forced our decision to skip Crystal River and push on to Tarpon Springs. Also, we really wanted to be done with the Gulf and get back to the ICW.
SUNRISE
    • We were disappointed to miss Crystal River because of the many reports of its beautiful setting and being a favorite place for manatee - oh well, we need to adjust to conditions. 
      • Sea Bear, Blue Moose and Karl decided to call it a day at Crystal River. So, we had to say to goodbye to our friends for now.
      • No Rush, crossed their wake as they arrived back home in Hudson, Florida.  Congratulations, Gold Loopers!!!
    • Almost immediately after we poked our nose out in the Gulf, we had 1-2' seas hitting our port bow. The occasional 3-4' wave crashed over the bow.  It was mildly uncomfortable, but it wasn't long before the plethora of crab pots demanded our undivided attention - FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!  Ugh it was exhausting, literally keeping our eyes peeled for the tiny buoys that were getting lost in the crests and troughs of the 1-2' seas.
      • Knot Dreaming caught one and was temporarily stalled while their steering was compromised.  They had cutters on the shafts (in front of the props).  They did drag it for a bit, but it finally let go.  This made the rest of us even more vigilant.
    • The seas calmed down for the last 15 miles, so the pots were easier to spot, but they were still there!
    • Anclote
      Because we arrived early, we did not have a slip in Tarpon until Wednesday, so we dropped the hook at Anclote Keys. The only protection was the barrier island between us and the Gulf.  We knew the winds were going to pick up, so we made sure the hook was set tight.
      • We were joined by Table Six, Next Chapter & Nautic Venture.
    • After dark, 1' seas began slapping our hull and our AGLCA burgee was flapping with gusto; so, we not only felt the waves - we heard them!  Several times we heard a wave crash over the swim platform.  Things quieted down around midnight, but Cap didn't get a very restful sleep.  I did though!!

    LEG STATS:

    Miles:  175.8 Nautical Miles 66.6, 49, 60.2

    Locks: 0

    Marinas: (2) C Quarters (5 nights), Steinhatchee Marina at Deadman's Bay, 

    Anchorages: (3) Dog Island, Cedar Key, Anclote Key

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