The Crossing a until 12/8/2023

11/30/203

Forgot to mention at his point we have gone thru 27 locks and have traveled about 1000 miles.
 Started the morning to beautiful sunrise - little did we know what the day ahead would be like !! The guys had strategized the night before that today was the best day to do the crossing. A 78 mile route across the Gulf of Mexico to get to Steinhatchee.   It was predicted that the waves would be 1 to 2 footers. We left dock and headed to sea. It started out a little choppy and preceded to get worse as the day wore on. No turning back - just have to complete the run. We did see 6 other boats out there it looked like groups of two. The larger boats were even challenged by the Gulf. 

This is Dave's boat battling the waves

This is the waves crashing over our bow.

Anything that wasn't properly locked down was tossed to the floor. Fortunately nothing was broken. Just wound up throwing everything on the bed until we docked. The last 30 miles of the journey smoothed out and it was a good ending to a rough day. We got into Steinhatchee along with those other six boats. Everyone was tired after the long day. We can tell we have reached Florida the no see ums (mosquitos) were out in full force.

12/01/2023

Nancy and I walked around the small town of Steinhatchee. We saw some of the devastation from Hurricane Idalia on August 30th, 2023. Water levels on the Steinhatchee River, in the town of Steinhatchee in Florida's Big Bend region, near where Hurricane Idalia made landfall, rose more than 9 feet in about 2 hours. The water level reached a height more tha 8 feet higher than the normal highest tides, exceeding the record set during Hurricane Hermine in 2016 by about a foot.

 Large cranes with dump trucks continued to pick up the piled up debree on Saturday and Sunday.

A 97 year old home survived any damage

Dave and Matt worked on Daves luggage rack which had all but fell off during the crossing.

 We had a pot luck dinner with the other loopers who had made the tumultuous journey the day before.

12/02/2023

The town was having a small craft fair at the community center. Nancy and I rode our bikes there. Picked up some baked goods and talked with many of the locals. 

The big town library

12/03/2023

 There are no ubers or taxis in this town. One of the local girls we met at the craft show picked us up to take us to Kathis Crab House.  Steinhatchee is known for its scallops and stone crabs. Today Kathi's Crab House was hosting the monthly craft show while serving up Stone Crabs and Chili.

Another sign offering up directions.

We walked back to the marina.

The decision was made to leave in the morning. We were supposed to have left today but weather was not cooperating. Waves would be 1 to 2 footers. Several of the other loopers were staying another day (everyone was leary after the 3 to 5 footers).

12/4/2023

Left the marina under clear skies but soon enough the predicted fog set in - lasted about 2 hours then cleared only to return for about another hour. In the 2nd fog we lost our buddy Hygge.

Cannot tell from the above pic but the fog was very thick. The waves were barely 1 foot so the 70 mile crossing was very calm. Keeping an eye out for crab pots is much more difficult with this kind of weather. We arrived at Crystal River to a beautiful sunny day. We were unable to get space in the harbor so we anchored out in Kings Bay which was extremely calm.

12/5/2023

 Even on his phone while driving the dingy !!

Matt & I took the dingy into the Marina and then walked to the Ace hardware to pick up some bolts he needed. We also got an SD card to update the Garmin which was not working properly. Dave called to let us know they were going to check out the manatees. They did a walking path while Matt & I  dingy-ed over to see them. You can get up close to them in your dingy, there were some people swimming with them (which Nancy did the next day, when they took their dinghy over there). The water temperature is kept fairly warm due to the springs in the water.

Looks like a mom and her babies

Nancy really got up close to them while in the water

We were told this was a small dead shark on the bank

 

Every place has signs directing you places near or far

Every town has their own small tourist trap store !!

This palm bush was so small !!

That evening we took our dingy's back into town for dinner. we ate at Kane's Cattle.

 

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Several more boats anchored in the same area as us

12/6/2023

We were supposed to leave today, but it was going to be 3 foot waves again. Nancy took the dingy for the first time on her own and we headed into town again (gotta get those steps in whenever I can). We walked the tourist side with all the little shops

This was City Hall but the sign outside said it was condemned due to water damage

this was a metal dolphin that people added their locks to

Nancy made dinner on her boat - it was a pasta with homemade sauce it was delicious. We plan on heading to Clearwater in the morning. 

12/7/2023

Woke to another beautiful sunrise

The one bird owning the number one marker

We went about an almost uneventful 70 miles to Clearwater. Matt snagged a crab pot line along the way. Fortunately we did not have to stop but the line wound up around the prop shaft. When we got to our slip Matt went into the water to check it out but would need to put on Dave's scuba gear to cut it off. I was finally able to catch up on several loads of laundry. I did get a few Christmas decorations up

We walked over to the Mexican Restaurant for dinner.

12/8/2023

A tourist boat to see dolphins why are shark design ??

 Matt went diving today to cut that crab pot line off the prop.

I was on the ready in case he did not surface. He did with line in hand

He used a hacksaw (which Dave had bought to repair his boat) to cut the line off the shaft.

We took the trolley to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (They rescue many of the animals in the sea) 

You were allowed to touch the stingrays - they have such a smooth skin

We left the aquarium to a light rain and caught the trolley then the bus to get to Home Depot. Matt needed the glue for the raptor decking which had peeled away. We also needed a new waste cap which Matt accidentally dropped in the water at the last pump out. We went to Aldi and West Marine then took an  ubber back to the boat rather than take a bus. Went to dinner at Hooters and called it a nite. We had to move slips earlier in the day - from a very calm spot to a rock and roll nite. No one ever went into our previous slip 😒 !!