Tarpon Springs to Venice

After an enjoyable stay in Tarpon Springs,  we left the City Marina on December 2nd. We first made a stop at Captain Jacks marina for fuel and a pump out. There were strong tidal currents that made docking a challenge,  but with the help of a dock hand, we got it done. Their pump out system was not working correctly,  so we settled for just $48 in fuel.  Not bad for the 300 mile trip from Orange Beach, Alabama. 

We now had 15 days to get to Punta Gorda to catch our flight. We decided to make a series of short day trips.  The only problem was that the weather was not cooperating.  We  had many days of almost no wind. On that Thursday,  there was some decent wind out of the east. 

We motored the 5 miles out the river and into the open water between the barrier islands and the coast. We put up the sails and exited through a gap in the islands into the open gulf. We decided to stop at an anchorage we have used before in the Clearwater area. We could not take a direct path because of wind angle,  but only tacked once to go in the Clearwater inlet. We sailed for about 6 hours and made 25 miles. It was a fun sail and it felt good to do a short, easy trip. 

It felt so good to be under sail again. You can see Clearwater, Florida in the distance.

This is one of the many crab pots that are all over the place this time of year. It really takes the relaxation out of sailing along the coast. Constant attention is required.

Kim looking out over the water as we approach the Clearwater inlet.

We anchored at the Bellevue island anchorage in 7 feet of water right in front of a golf course.  Wind died off as the sun went down and we enjoyed a quiet night at anchor. 

This is a shot of the golf course next to our anchorage.

Another view of the high rises in Clearwater from the inside.

We had a nice sunset over the barrier islands.

The following day we awoke to zero wind. We decided to motor down the ICW 17 miles to Gulfport, Florida. It was an easy trip with minimal traffic. We did have to open 6 bridges. That would be good practice for the following day.

We saw some people enjoying some ultra light flying along the ICW

This guy actually flew under the bridge we had just come under.

We got to Gulfport and dropped the hook.  There was still no wind,  but the wakes from passing boats made for an uncomfortable evening.  We had been to Gulfport before,  so we decided to keep moving south the following day, which was Saturday, December 4th. 

Here we are in the Gulfport, Florida anchorage. Lots of boats.

We did have a nice sunset in Gulfport.

We awoke to thick fog. We waited for over an hour after sunrise to depart.  We were hoping to make it to Blackburn Bay,  which is just north of Venice. We decided to stay inside because going outside would have added about 10 miles. We were also hoping to sail across both Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay.  That turned out to be a big mistake. 

We motored under the bridges and through the canals to Tampa Bay. We had very light wind right behind us,  so we unfurled the genoa and motor sailed across the bay. That was when one of those amazing things happened.  We got a call on the radio from what turned out to be a good friend that just happened to be crossing the bay in the opposite direction on their way to St. Pete with their boating club. It was awesome to talk to them. Wayne and Michele will become part of this story in coming entries. 

The Sky Bridge over Tampa Bay. It felt like coming back where we started.

A large ship heading out the shipping channel in Tampa Bay

After leaving Tampa Bay, we started to encounter very heavy boat traffic.  Many were courteous and many were not.  We had to open a total of 6 bridges the rest of the day. Many of the bridges are on set schedules which requires us to find a place to wait. The water is very shallow outside the channel,  so that can be a challenge.  Couple that with big wakes from large unconcerned power boats, made this a very stressful day. We didn't take any pictures of the craziness, but Kim did shoot some video. I will try to edit it and post it in the near future. 

We just made it to our anchorage before dark. I was so happy to get settled for the night.  We were right along the ICW,  but the traffic continued after the sun went down.  It seems there was a Christmas boat parade in Venice. We really didn't mind and listened to the music and enjoyed the decorations on the boats. By 10 pm all was quiet and we enjoyed a good nights sleep. 

The end to a long day in Blackburn Bay.

After this difficult day we had some of the best days we have had since we have lived on the boat.  In my next entry I will write about the best of times.