CROSSING THE BIG BEND TO DOG ISLAND 4/3/15

 We relaxed in the morning, Ed did boat maintenance, while I prepared easy to eat foods for the trip across.  In case the seas were rough, I  wanted to have a hot meal already cooked and in the thermos to avoid having to be down in the galley for any length of time.  I made a dish of yellow rice, black beans, stewed tomatoes with slices of cheddar cheese folded in.  I also washed and cut up fresh veggies, and made up some dips, bleu cheese for Ed, Ginger Mayo for me.  We were all set and weighed anchor at 11:40.  The winds were dropping, SE at 6-8 knots.  By the time we cleared our anchorage, the wind had died.  By the time we got out in the gulf proper, by Seahorse Reef, the winds became light out of the Northwest.  Figures…thats the direction we were going!  So, no sails, just motoring.  We started doing watches, I took the first watch from 12-3pm.  Ed enjoyed just relaxing and moving about the boat as he wished.  While on watch, I had to monitor the horizon, look for boats,  keep on course, using the chart plotter and the auto pilot.  We didn’t take many pics, all we saw was calm water!  None the less, very peaceful, we were all alone!

It was an uneventful crossing.  We were each able to rest and sleep a little on our off-watches. 

Full moon over Cedar Key

A picture of the key we anchored by

We slowed down half way through the night to time our arrival to East Pass at daylight.  Ed even went in circles outside the channel waiting for daylight.  Was a good plan in theory, however un-forecasted heavy fog set in, just as we were ready to go into the channel!! Damn fog!! Its got to be the worst conditions to navigate a channel in.  The chart plotter, luckily, showed us where the buoys marking the channel were located.  We could not see them in the fog until they were about 100 feet away.  What is it about this crossing?? We had the same scenario back in December going into Crystal River.

FULL MOON OVER THE GULF

SUNSET OVER THE GULF

This is one of the buoys that was impossible to see in the fog, as big as they were!

We managed to get through the channel without hitting one of those suckers!  Just call us the “FOG MASTERS’!!  We’re getting the practice, thats for sure.  

We settled into our anchorage off Dog Island around 9:30 am, ate a good breakfast and took a few hours nap.  Enjoyed the rest of the evening. The full moon was beautiful.

Morning came and Ed went topside as usually to greet the day.  He yelled down to me, that there is an eclipse going on!! Either that, or someone is trying to steal the moon!!!

Lunar Eclipse!!

Weighing anchor at sunrise and heading for Saul Creek, off the  Apalachicola River.  There is another big blow coming across with wind gusts 30 +, so going to find a peaceful spot to hole up for the weekend.  Happy Easter everybody!