Week 15 The Gulf Crossing! Carabelle to Hernando Beach

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 Week 15 January 29, 2023 to February 4, 2023 - The Big Crossing!

Carabelle Moorings Marina to Dog Island

The weather window looked good for the next couple of days. If we did not make the gulf crossing now according to Marv’s weather forecast as well as AGLCA we would be in Carrabelle for another two weeks. We watched both wind speed, direction, the height of waves, and the interval between the waves. Our forecast was 6 knots of north wind and 1 ft swell with a 3 second interval.  This meant a flat sea with calm wind.  We made the decision to leave the marina with several other boats and anchor out at Dog Island. It was a short crossing from the protected marina to the small island but very foggy. Several of us took the dinghy to shore for a cocktail and bonfire.

The Gulf Crossing to Steinhatchee 

There are two options for making the crossing.  The longer of the two is 170 miles from Carabelle to Tarpon Springs.  Most Loopers travel between 7 and 10 knots per hour so this option could take up to 17 hours. We chose the shorter route to Steinhatchee, FL. About 10 Loopers started moving at 7:00 am. The seas were calm but visibility was about 1/8 of a mile. The crossing would be 80 miles and at 10 knots per hour would take us about 8 hours to cross.  Fingers crossed we
would get to Steinhatchee marina before dark. The forecast was correct, calm seas, but we only had about a 1/8 mile visibility all day. In this picture, there is actually a trawler in front of us but is not visible.  We used our newly installed AIS and were glad to have it.  The
11 boats we crossed with were in constant communication all day on our VHF radios.  At the end of the day, we all gathered together and were happy for a safe crossing.  A lot of tired captains and first mates were ready for a great dinner. 



Steinhatchee to Crystal River Anchorage

This anchorage is famous for the Manatee sanctuary which we visited years
ago while boating with our C-Dory.  We did not see any manatees but caught a good glimpse of palm trees and for the first time were able to have the cabin open all night and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Crystal River to Hernando Beach Motel and Dock


Finding a slip at a marina has not been a problem until this week.  The devastation caused by Hurricane Ian is still very real to the gulf coast residents.  I called all of the marinas within a 30-mile radius of Hernando Beach to no avail.  Our plan was to stay with my cousins Eileen and John in Spring Hill for a week and

pick up the many Amazon deliveries we had shipped to their home.  Finally, a very kind marina manager suggested I call the Hernando Beach Motel as they had several slips for motel guests. The manager could not have been any nicer. He understood our struggle to get a slip and agreed to allow us to use their dock for a week.  A week with my cousins on land was a welcome break. We had a wonderful time, relaxing, visiting, and enjoying each other's company.

Spending time cruising in our Rosborough 246 on America's Great Loop.

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