Port St. Joe to Tampa

[sailaway78]

Left Port St. Joe Friday morning, not as early as planned, as I felt I needed another fuel fiilter, as a back up. NAPA had to order it, and didn't get in till Fri. morning. So, by the time I got out of the bay, and around the corner of Cape San Blas it was noon. 215 miles on the rhumb line to Tampa Bay entrance. Friday and Friday night were just about perfect, with winds from the West around 10 to 15 knots. On a broad reach for 24 hours, making seven to eight and an occasional nine knots. But into each life some rain must fall, and Saturday morning the winds started to die. Did some back and forth for a while, then just ran DDW for the rest of the day. Making 4 or a little better. By O dark thirty Saturday, winds were down to where boat speed was under three. So the final 12 hours was spent motoring. Still managed an overall average of 4.9 knots, which is at least semi- respectable. Overall a very good trip.

 

[kloudie1]

Other Direction

Hey, Easy.. Glad to hear that you are taking advantage of the beautiful weather .. We were going the other direction, so beating/motoring the whole time! Rough, salty..I was thinking about you guys having a sleighride going southeast on a very un-typical west and northwest wind! Our backstay broke on the second night out of Hudson, Florida.. That was a mess at 2 Am!.. We were lucky to have the main sheeted in really tight and so the mast did not fall. Got the Topping lift rigged as a temp backstay after taking down the genny.. WHEW.. What a fire drill that was.. The fitting itself parted right above the bridal plate on the backstay. Looked like an old crack in the fitting right at the end of the swedge and the beginning of the forged eye. The cable itself was not broken. Other than that, we had a pretty good run. We patched ourselves up in Carrabelle, Fla. at “The Moorings” (really nice folks) and then on to Apalachicola where we found the excellent city marina dock to be brand new. Then on to Ft. Walton in the ditch.. GREAT weather because it was cooler than normal, but wind on the nose the whole way. Back in Baton Rouge now.

 

[sailaway78]

I feel your pain

Kloludie,
I feel your pain. Both with the beating and the back stay. I broke a forestay last year, offshore Destin, so I know what a fire drill that can be. We have had absolutely beautiful weather for the most part. One night when we first left was snotty, and Sat. night coming into Tampa Bay was dead calm. Spending one more day in St.Pete, visiting with my youngest son and his family, then heading to Port Charlotte. Take care.