Cruising the gulf coast of Florida: Anclote Key to Dog Island

Dog Island, Florida

Around this time in 2006, we were cruising the gulf coast of Florida. We were heading north on the inland waterway toward the deep south - Mississippi, Alabama or Tennessee - anywhere we could ride out the hurricane season.

Shelling at Caladesi State Park

After anchoring in Clearwater and spending a couple of days at beautiful Caladesi State Park , we moved on to Anclote Key near Tarpon Springs. There, we waited five days for a favorable weather window to do an overnight gulf crossing to Dog Island near Carrabelle.

Anclote Key (Tarpon Springs) to Dog Island (Carrabelle)

Here is our trip's log:

Gulf Crossing, May 15-20, 2006
The next five days found us at Anclote Key, waiting for a good weather window to cross the Big Bend to Carrabelle. It's a 140-mile passage across open waters in the Gulf of Mexico, so we planned an overnight trip. At a cruising speed of 7 knots, it would take Mai Thai about 20 hours. This would also be our first overnight passage as a crew of two.

On Saturday, May 20, we made the leap. Just half an hour into the Gulf, the forecast of 10-knot westerly winds and 2-foot seas felt more like 10–15 knots with 2- to 4-foot waves. It was an uncomfortable ride, and after several hours, a monotonous one. Had it not been for a pair of dolphins that came to play in our bow wake on two separate occasions, we would have been completely bored.

We kept hoping that once we reached the latitude of the Suwannee River—where the forecast looked more favorable—the seas would settle down. Instead, after the sun set, conditions actually worsened. Mai Thai was now being tossed around by rolling 3- to 5-foot seas, with bow spray crashing over us every six or seven waves.

We could hardly move around, let alone cook. Nor did we have much of an appetite. Apples, cheese, and crackers were our dinner. By 9 p.m., we were enveloped in complete darkness and utterly alone. Other than keeping an eye out for boat traffic, all we could do was trust Mai Thai and the autopilot to take us safely to our destination.

Because we had hoped to cross the bulk of the gulf during daylight and be closer to land before nightfall, we ended up negotiating the inlet in the dark, arriving at 3 a.m. The East Pass inlet into St. George Sound is wide and deep, but we wouldn't have attempted it without our trusty GPS and chart plotter.

As we entered the sound, we discovered we were not alone. A shrimp boat was already at work. By the time our anchor was set in the protected waters off Dog Island, it was 4 a.m. We took showers to wash off the salt, ate chicken soup, and hit the sack.

We awoke to a beautiful morning. Our anchorage faced a long, narrow strip of beach lined with a few simple beach houses on stilts. What a view! We thanked our lucky stars for making the crossing without incident.

After lunch, we pumped up our dinghy and headed to the beach to see what treasures awaited us.

Stilt home on Dog Island, Carrabelle

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Nashville under water

Yesterday, our boating buddies Ed and Joyce called from their boat One Love, currently docked at Oriental, North Carolina. We had met One Love at Jekyll Island, Georgia, and in the spring of 2003, cruised to The Abacos, Bahamas together. What an adventure and what wonderful memories! I had posted our trip's log and pictures on Yahoo! Geocities and written an article that was published in Latitutes and Attitudes, all of which had shuttered over the years (Like it or not, print is slooowly going away). I will try to post those stories, our awesome pictures and videos on this blog.

One Love, anchored at Tahiti Beach, Bahamas

While we were in the Abacos, Joyce had a schedule. Not a good thing for a cruiser when you are dependent on Mother Nature's whims. She's an avid country music fan, and she had bought tickets to Fan Fair, the CMA music festival held in Nashville every June. We were not in tune with music festivals, let alone Fan Fair. Anyhow, we now have to be back stateside in time for her to get to Nashville.

Fast forward seven years. Mai Thai is docked in Chattanooga, a mere 2 hours from Nashville. We actually met Joyce at Fan Fair two years ago, and had enjoyed it so much we went again the year after that. But with our upcoming move from the house, we won't be back in time for the CMA music festival. Joyce said the festival might be cancelled due to all the flooding.

CMA Festival on the riverfront (Cumberland River)

What flooding? Unbeknowst to us, Nashville was pounded with wicked storms that dumped 15 inches of rain over the weekend. The Cumberland River, which winds through the city overflowed its banks and flooded Nashville's historic downtown and other areas. We were so engrossed with BP's disastrous oil spill in the gulf of Mexico, the Times Square Bomb, the Greece debacle and the volcanic ash over the UK that we had no clue the flood, so close to our marina, was so severe. Fox News this evening reported a total of 18 deaths in Tennessee alone. Northeast of downtown, the Gaylord Opryland Hotel apparently evacuated their guests on Monday. The Grand Old Opry House and the Opry Mills Mall in the vicinity were all flooded as well. It is hard to imagine the damages done to this area (here are pictures of the flood).

Clubs along Broadway, Nashville

Just ten days ago, I wrote Top 3 Bars in Nashville, TN for another shuttered Yahoo! site. One of them - Wildhorse Saloon - might be flooded, as we heard on the news that Second Ave is definitely flooded. We pray that people affected are safe and sound, and that their situation will get better soon. 

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A Ritzy Wedding in Laguna Beach, Ca

History repeats itself. Looking back at last year's posts, I published only 1 posting last April. Ditto this year. Alas, life happens. Last April, my mother passed away, and I was really down and depressed. A year later, I am back to my normal self, and in April, was thrilled to go to L.A. to attend our nephew's fancy wedding at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Beach. What a spectacular property! The setting was absolutely gorgeous, with a breathtaking view of the ocean. The food was a tad disappointing, much to our surprise. Not sure why I have such high expectations of great food in L.A., or of California, for that matter. Other than the wedding, the highlight of the trip was, of course, the chance to see all the relatives again. Thank you Howard and Catlina for an unforgettable memory. As you start this new chapter of your life as a married couple, we wish you a lifetime of happiness. Congratulations once again!

Even the bathroom was impressive!

Glorious sunset viewed from the Ritz Carlton Hotel

Meanwhile, back at the marina, our boat neighbors reported duck sighting at one of our flower pots. David had planted something in the pots. Next thing he knew, there was a duck egg! As of yesterday, there were a total of eleven eggs. This is the pot on the other side of the boat, and it is bigger than the one she used last year. I wish I were back on the boat to see all these happening. Thank you Glenda for the pictures!




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