Wednesday January 13, 2010

We motored Water Mark out of the Apalachicola Municipal Marina at 8AM. We turned left and headed back under the bridge and into the Apalachicola River. It was a short 25 minute run to the gas dock so that we could top off the gas tanks before heading for the open Gulf. Millers Marine is one half a mile up the river. We had passed it on our way to the Municipal Marina.

At 8:25AM we left the fuel dock and motored out into Apalachicola Bay. We aimed the bow of the boat for Government Cut. Government Cut is a man-made channel that cuts Little Saint George Island in two sections. Dave noticed 50 to 75 pelicans that were sitting on the stone seawall and jetty that touched the land on each side of the cut. It seemed that the Pelican Air Force was there to send us off into the unknown.

I called Sandy and told here that we were in the Gulf and that the cell phone would not work in the middle of the Gulf. I expected the passage to take about 30 hours and would call her when we got to the other side of the Gulf. Dave called Patrice his wife and told her the same thing.

At 9:45AM we were in the open Gulf. Dave steered Water Mark. I cautiously put up the 110. This is a headsail that is on the small side. I did not want to be over canvassed in the open water. Once the sail was up our speed dropped to 4.3 knots. The wind was dying on us. At 10:30AM IO pulled down the 110 and put up the 155. The 155 is the largest head sail available. I took 15 minutes to change sails. The sky was clear and the temperatures in the high thirties.

After the sail change Dave continued to point the boat toward the center of the Gulf. I went below and cooked oatmeal for breakfast.

About 12 noon 4 military jets flew over our position. It looked like they were dropping explosives out of the airplanes. I checked the charts and fixed our position. According to the charts we were using, we were next to a missile test area. The charts clearly show Caution: Danger Area Missile Test Area. I asked Dave if he thought the pilots of the jets could see us. He said, yes. Even as ordnance exploded above us. Dave said they were just flares and not to worry about it. Our first visit to the Gulf of Mexico we got to see first hand how exploding things are tested.

At 12:30 the winds diminished and clocked around coming out of the southeast. The boat speed dropped to 3.2 knots. Dave said that at this speed it would take at least 3 days to get to the west coast of Florida. I agreed and fired up the Honda. She came to life on the first pull. Our boat speed increased to 6 knots. We were back to taking 30 hours to make the crossing. It was then that I told Dave that we did not have enough fuel to motor all the way to Tarpon Springs. This was our destination. Tarpon Springs is the start or end of the Intracoastal. The Intracoastal ends in Carabelle and starts up again in Tarpon Springs. Any one doing the Intracoastal has to make an off shore passage across some portion of the Gulf of Mexico. Dave told me not to worry the winds would pick up and we would be able to sail. I think he was a little disappointed that we did not have enough fuel to motor all the way.

At 1:15PM we refueled. Dave was at the helm. He noticed dolphins were all around us. There must have been 35 to 50 of them. They were jumping out of the water. Spinning as they broke the surface of the water and then entering the water again head first. Then they would jump out of the water and perform the same jump. They were swimming in front of the boat and jumping in front of us. It was a show that I will never forget. They were omens of good luck and our luck was about to change for the better.

At 4:30PM The winds were stiffening. Dave and I discussed the times of our watches. Good seamanship dictates that one of the two of us needed to be awake and on watch at all times. We did not want to run into anything in the middle of nowhere. Dave suggested three hour watches. My initial thoughts were to set two hour watches. But those ideas were formulated when it was 20 degrees. Now that it was 38 degrees, three hour shifts seemed better. I opted to use Dave’s plan. I would take the 6 to 9 watch. Dave 9 to 12. John 12 to 3AM and Dave 3AM to 6AM.

After discussing the watch schedule, I ran a jack line from the cleat on the port side of the bow back to the cleat on the port side of the stern. This jack line would allow both Dave and me wearing safety harnesses to hook onto the jack line so that if for some crazy reason we fell overboard, we would still be connected to the Water Mark. This safety precaution was necessary because you are alone on watch. The other person is down below in his bunk “sleeping”. Sleeping is not really what you do when you are not on watch. Trying to trance yourself into a state of semi consciences is what you do. For example at 8:45PM when I shut off the motor. Dave immediately jumped out of his bunk and asked if everything was all right in the cockpit..

As Dave took the watch, I cooked up some stew. After dinner I laid in the aft bunk trying to get some sleep. The autopilot was steering the boat. Dave was in the cockpit and yet I could not fall asleep. I have a safety harness on, foul weather gear and long underwear. I was not comfortable enough to get a good nights sleep. Then again I don’t think many people really sleep well on a small sail boat in motion across a large body of water. Finally about 11:30PM I nodded off to sleep. And the dream I had was of the Boblo boat. At midnight I was ready for my watch.

Dave said the boat was on course and everything was fine. He went below and with all of his gear on climbed into his bunk. I did nothing for 3 hours. The sails were set properly. The motor was off. The boat was on course. All I did was listen to the waves bounce off the hull. Then I looked up and saw the stars. Wow! They were as bright as I had ever seen them. Some reflected across the water. I don’t ever remember seeing a star do this in the past. Orion was ascending in the east and the Jimmy Buffet song Jollymon came to mind.

Dave had his alarm set and was in the cockpit at 3AM. I told him he had set everything up so perfectly on his last shift that I did not have to touch anything. The boat had been moving along by itself at 6.2 knots to 6.8 knots. Told him that I was bored and headed below for some sleep. The boat under stress from the wind and the waves creaked. She was making a noise that I had never heard before. I asked Dave if he heard it. He did. It was not an alarming sound. I guess it was the noise of an old, small sail boat galloping along at hull speed in the middle of the night.

We switched watches at 6AM. I took the helm for awhile, but Dave was up. I make coffee. The sun was coming up. Winds had been steady all night at 10 to 15 knots. What a ride!

At 8AM the winds started dying again. We fired up the Honda and started motor sailing toward Tarpon Springs. It was daylight. We had sailed all night.

At 11AM Dave took the helm and I headed below for a nap. At 2PM we started to see the outline of land on the horizon. I sure hoped it was Tarpon Springs. As we got closer we were able to fix our position and were certain that we had found the right destination after 30 hours of not seeing land. At 3:30 PM I lowered the sails and we motored up the Anclote River into Tarpon Springs. A little town on the Gulf coast famous for sponge diving industry created by the Greek immigrants. On my foot tour, I was reminded of Greektown in Detroit.

We tied up at he Municipal dock. Ted a proud Polish immigrant to Canada and then the USA helped us tie up Water Mark. I washed off the boat. Dave took a shower. Dave cleaned the inside of the boat and I took a shower. Once we were cleaned up we walked over to the Line and the Coconut for some food that came out of the Gulf we had just crossed. We ate shrimp. We split a fancy and very tasty fish casserole.

By 8:30 PM we were back on the boat and in our sleeping bags. Tied to a dock and safe after spending 31 hours crossing the Gulf of Mexico.