Aboard Sauvy B: A Quick Trip East and South

Saturday, November 2, 2019

It’s good to be moving again! We’ve been stopped in this area for 4 months now, so new scenery is most welcome. Of course, we passed this way in 2016 when we began cruising. Today our main concern is how Dory will handle her new lifestyle. So far, so good.

Dory's first day cruising

After an uneventful day, we stop at the Fort Walton Beach Town Dock, a free place to spend the night, even though we need to run our generator for power – always welcome! With no security and lots of locals walking the docks, we elect to not leave the boat except to take Dory for a short walk in the shore side park. At least we have a magnificent sunset!

Sunset, Fort Walton Beach FL Town Dock

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Another uneventful day finds us in the Panama City area. This area was devastated by Hurricane Michael in August 2018. Most marinas were destroyed and have not yet been rebuilt. Although we would love to be able to get Dory off the boat for some exercise, that will not happen tonight. Instead we anchor in a cove to get a little protection from the north wind.

Under the Oaks anchorage, Panama City FL

Monday, November 4, 2019

As we move further east we get a good look at what was once densely wooded coastline. The damage to the trees is stunning.

Wetappo Creek storm damage

Derelict boats are washed up and abandoned along the ICW.

Wetappo Creek storm damage

For comparison, here’s an area with less damage.

Searcy Creek FL

We arrive safely in Apalachicola and tie up for one night. This charming small town was not as extensively damaged as settlements further west, but it does not appear as prosperous as when we were here 3+ years ago. Safe to say it is still known for its local oysters, harvested and shipped from several nearby facilities.

Oyster shells and delivery truck, Apalachicola FL

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Although we would like to stay here one more day, we expect windy weather by mid-week, so we move on to Carrabelle where we will wait for good weather to cross to the west coast of Florida. The “crossing” is an overnight, 175-mile 20-hour ordeal, best done in light winds and calm seas. In anticipation of a wait for the right conditions to leave, we moved our car to Carrabelle before departing Orange Beach and are happy to have “wheels” for the next few days.

Wednesday, November 6 – Saturday, November 9, 2019

According to the 2010 census, the population of Carrabelle was 2778. Small! Much less to see/do here than in Port Aransas, our home for 21 years, with a similar population. We occupy our days with boat projects and working with Dory at a local park. We are starting to train her to retrieve. She loves to chase balls, but still isn’t keen on bringing them back to us.

One unique attraction is the Bottle House. Built by a local resident beginning in 2012, it is an ongoing series of structures built with glass bottles encased in concrete. Visitors welcome!

Bottle House, Carrabelle FL

See what I mean about not much to do here? This was the highlight of our stay! We did drive to a nearby town, St. Marks, to buy stone crab claws. Lots of work to eat but wonderfully sweet! And for those of you familiar with Port Aransas, we enjoyed shopping at a very nice IGA (grocery store).

Sunday, November 10 – Monday, November 11, 2019

Finally, we have a favorable weather forecast for our crossing. We are one of nine boats planning to depart Carrabelle today. We have consulted numerous weather sources and all agree that conditions look ideal with a slight chop for the first few hours, then calming to smooth seas for the rest of the route. We will keep in touch with the other boats until we are out of range of their VHF radios. We will move at our own pace and not try to wait for slower boats nor keep up with faster ones. We have a plan!

We have timed our departure for late afternoon in order to move through the pass into the Gulf of Mexico before dark. We also need to arrive at our destination, Clearwater FL, no earlier than mid-morning as our approach direction will be directly into the morning sun. We anticipate lots of crab trap floats as we approach Clearwater and need good visibility to maneuver around them.

We pass St. George Sound inlet and relax when we realize seas are calm! Last time, in 2016, we spent weeks agonizing about "the crossing", only to find it an exceptional and enjoyable experience with spectacular views of the Milky Way. So we are actually pleased to be moving again and hoping the full moon won’t obscure the stars too much.

St. George Sound inlet

So far, so good for Dory, too!

Dory, Gulf of Mexico crossing

By 5:40 pm the sun has set, the full moon has risen, and a couple of our “buddy boats” are still visible on the horizon. Life is good! Robert and I will take turns at the helm overnight so we can each try to get a little sleep between our shifts.

Gulf of Mexico crossing

Imagine our surprise when, about 10 pm, the wind picks up and the seas start to build. What??? This is NOT in the forecast!! As the seas get rougher, Robert does one of his regular engine room checks and sees a hydraulic fluid leak on one of the stabilizers. Those are the gizmos that keep the rough seas from feeling so rough. After a short discussion of pros and cons of continuing to use the stabilizers, we realize we really must shut them off. Bummer!

So now the boat is pitching and rolling; we are taking spray over the top, running the wipers and straining to see waves coming at us from several different directions in the dark. With the increased motion, poor Dory is now seasick, throwing up! We decide to turn toward shore in the hope we will find calmer seas closer to land since the wind is blowing from that direction. Unfortunately, after diverting from our direct route for a couple of hours, we realize we are in the midst of crab trap floats that we can barely see. So we return to deeper water to avoid entangling our props in the trap lines. We never did find calmer seas. And now we have lost almost 4 hours, delaying our arrival in Clearwater until early afternoon, a 24-hour passage. Never even tried to see the stars!

Needless to say, after all 9 boats arrived safely at our destinations, there was considerable discussion on how the forecasts could have been so wrong! We relax for the rest of the day and catch up on much-needed sleep.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

We are up early to pick up a rental car, drive back to Carrabelle, and bring our car to Clearwater – a long day driving in fog and drizzle ahead of another cold front. Just as we return to the boat, strong north winds arrive and we must hurry to secure the boat tighter to our dock, which is totally exposed to the wind blowing down the ICW.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

By morning, the wind has diminished some and we plan a busy day, running errands, buying groceries, and preparing for our final run to Fort Myers, where we will stay for at least six weeks.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

We’re off again, cruising along the ICW, past the densely developed west coast of Florida.

Ridgecrest FL

Thick stands of Mangroves line the shore, providing privacy and shelter for many of the homes. This is a lovely area!

Ridgecrest FL

Mid and high rise condos are everywhere.

Bay Pines FL

We pass St. Petersburg and into Tampa Bay, under the Skyline Bridge, then back into the ICW, thankful for light winds and calm seas in this big open bay. As we near our stop for the night, we wait for a bascule bridge to open. While we can barely clear most of the many bridges along this part of our route, this one is a little too low and must open for us.

Anna Maria Island bridge

As we pass under the open bridge we get a good, close look at the bridge operating mechanism. Looks quite simple, doesn’t it?

Anna Maria Island bridge

We tie up for the night at the Seafood Shack in Cortez FL, a restaurant and marina combo. We agree to have dinner at the restaurant and get our slip comped in return. Marvelous! And the food is quite good!

Seafood Shack, Cortez FL

Friday, November 15 – Saturday, November 15, 2019

Moving on, we continue south past Longboat Key and Sarasota to Venice. Here we will stop for 2 nights to wait for another cold front to pass.

Longboat Key FL

We discover our slip is positioned in just the wrong direction, getting the brunt of the wind and waves rolling up the inlet from the Gulf. Robert stays on board, watching the lines and working on projects while Dory and I walk to town. This huge Banyan tree (in the Ficus or fig family) was full of squirrels, which Dory much preferred to town with its shops, restaurants, traffic and people. She’s not a city girl yet!

Dory, Banyan tree, Venice FL

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The wind has laid enough for us to leave, so we head south for one more day of cruising before our winter stop. After an uneventful day, we arrive at The Marina at Edison Ford and our slip. The weather today has been dreary but the rest of the week looks fabulous!

Monday, November 18, 2019

Sure enough, the day dawns clear and calm. Temps are expected to warm into the 80s by late week. We stayed at this marina in 2016 and liked it, so we have booked a slip through Dec. 31 and are getting settled in for our stay.

The Marina at Edison Ford, Fort Myers FL

We are located next door to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, a museum and grounds of the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. We enjoyed the tour on our last visit and look forward to spending time here again.