Christmas cruise 2023

[Gene Neill]

We towed Daydream six hours and launched yesterday late afternoon. We motored a couple miles to a convenient anchorage, tossed out the hook, and got a really great night's sleep.

Today we began sailing and gunkholing our way south along the west coast of the Everglades, checking out potential anchorages for future use. Tonight we are anchored in a small inlet, on a glassy-smooth Gulf of Mexico. There are dolphins, manatees and sea turtles breathing in the water around us, and a few birds calling in the distance. Otherwise, the world is utterly still.

We are completely alone here.

 

[kappykaplan]

Good on you, Gene Neill! Stay safe and have a Merry Christmas!!

 

[shemandr]

Beautiful!

 

[Stu Jackson]

So nice. Thanks. I recall with great fondness our C22, 1981 #10496. Sailed and anchored out often, from 1983 to 87, in Northern California.

 

[Alan Gomes]

Looks like you have a Pelagic autopilot. How do you like it? I've really enjoyed mine.

 

[Kings Gambit]

When we lived in St Petersburg we made Christmas-week trips down Florida’s SW coast to Pine Island Sound, and one memorable time up the coast to Dunedin. Once, we left the Harborage at Bayboro on Christmas day, motored and sailed down the ICW to Venice for the night at Heigel Park. There were absolutely no other boats on the ICW north of Sarasota Bay that morning! I mean, just us sailing on a west/northwest breeze into Sarasota Bay. Remarkable. After the night at Higel Park we arrived Pine Island Sound the next day. Visited Useppa Island and Cabbage Key, then spent our last night before returning north in Pelican Bay at Pt Blanco. There, as you describe, in perfectly still waters throughout the night, we, all alone, heard the bottlenose all about us surfacing to breathe and milling about. One of our most memorable nights on the water.
Merry Christmas!

KG

 

[Not Too Shabby]

Beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Gene Neill]

It's a little less idyllic now, but Merry Christmas to one and all!!

 

[Gene Neill]

We were very lucky to get here and get anchored when we did. We had planned to sail another two hours NW today. All we had was VHF weather forecasts and they really didn't sound as bad as this

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

It's a little less idyllic now, but Merry Christmas to one and all!!

Thanks for the body warming pictures. Always appreciated up here in the almost, but not quite frozen north of British Columbia. Cold, soggy, foggy, rainy and cloudy. Your pictures give us hope for the coming summer, when we once again become the most beautiful place on earth, on both days it doesn't rain.

Stay safe and warm gentle winds.

 

[Gene Neill]

Yesterday was much nicer. There was more sun than predicted, and we found a new "secret" spot we'd never been to before. We decided to spend 24 hours there rather than sail further.

 

[Gene Neill]

 

[Gene Neill]

Looks like you have a Pelagic autopilot. How do you like it? I've really enjoyed mine.

It's a Raymarine ST2000. Inferior to your Pelagic I believe, but we absolutely could not live without it.

 

[Gene Neill]

 

[Alan Gomes]

It's a Raymarine ST2000. Inferior to your Pelagic I believe, but we absolutely could not live without it.

Indeed it is! When I glanced at photo 758 it looked like a Pelagic actuator. But I see now clearly that it's a Raymarine unit. My bad.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

We decided to spend 24 hours there rather than sail further.

I'd have spent a week there :

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Looks like the clam bake to end all clam bakes .

 

[shemandr]

I think even the British Navy had bigger grog rations.

 

[Gene Neill]

I think even the British Navy had bigger grog rations.

I'm actually a little embarrassed to say how quickly that particular bottle evaporated. It was like I wanted to get rid of it.

 

[Gene Neill]

Indeed it is! When I glanced at photo 758 it looked like a Pelagic actuator. But I see now clearly that it's a Raymarine unit. My bad.

Even the entry level Pelagic looks really super nice. Please talk me into one. Where would a guy like me mount that control box?
I actually keep two ST-2000's on board because I don't trust them not to stop working now and then. And Raymarine has been ... less than perfect to deal with in my limited experience.

pelagicautopilot.com