LOOP Report 11/19/2004

Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Nov. 19, 2004

Where do I start to tell you of our past few days of anticipation, excitement and outright …like…what are we doing out here?…

Let’s start back with our boating buddies in Carrabelle and a last All-Star game of pool. They had roundly beaten us in the Tournament but we managed to beat them badly in 5 games the last night before leaving. After much discussions with the local dock guru “buddie” (should have been “muddie” ) and reviewing three different sources of weather reports, Wednesday was to be the day to go… straight across the gulf of Mexico on a line of 145 degrees to Tarpon Springs. Winds of 5 to 10 to 15 at times coming off shore from the North and North East and then East… Waves were to be 2 to 4 feet .

The run would take us out a ways, so by leaving around noon we would travel all night to arrive approaching our destination in daylight to be able to see the many crab pots that supposedly are in the approaches. Around 180 miles all together, maybe 18 to 20 hours. The three boats all decided to stay together going at the slowest pace of “Boomer “ at 8 to 9 MPH. “S ingle Minded” also. Both roll more than we do it seems. Prepared the boat by roping every thing down we could think of and got ourselves ready for a gentle ride overnight.

It turned out everyone’s ( weather forecasters) brains had gone south… at midnight we had gusts of NE of 20 and seas of 5 to 6 and rogues of 6-8 feet that beat the three boats badly. A very long and tough night on the bridge mostly steered by David midnight till 4 AM, All three boats crew felt nausious or sick by 5 PM. We got way ahead of the others as our line suited our boat not theirs. They finally later came back on our line as there was no better way. We did have a starlite night with a quarter moon for some light. Pat sat in the galley holding onto the table and watched many things flying onto the floor but could not reach them as standing was near impossible, she finally laid down around 5:15 AM and I after being laid out sideways on the bed since 1: 00 AM went back up on bridge at 4:00 then relieved David about 5:00 AM. Sue and I watched with great enthusiasum the sun rise in the east over the coast and exposed the town of Tarpon Springs. Now we could see the waves and action better…it never subsided as it was predicted so we powered into the bay at 10:00 AM to pick our way through scattered crab pot bouys and their ropes, David came back on the bridge at 7:30 AM with a fresh face to show us,…well not all that fresh…actually quite beat…sue crashed when he got up…she and Pat were tigers for staying the night on the bridge and watching the galley …the boat performed perfectly without missing a beat for around 22 hours…a punishing night.

All three boats safe in Harbour , us at 11:00 AM. The rest 2 hours later.
Everyone to the beds.
Hadn’t eaten since last day. Don’t care.
The land won’t stop rolling.
Arms and legs ache from holding the boat together.
Boat has a thick layer of salt.
Another Canadian Boat pulls in from somewhere else.
Four Canadian Flags flying at dock together.
And old skipper Joe from the “Compromise” got there before us, how? Not a clue!
Dock walking tourists asking where we came from.

From Hell….. jeeZzUsC-X~@x%+>?#$hiT.e.e …..and Back…EH!

We all were hungry that evening and had a good home cooked dinner then all crashed at 10:00 PM.

Spent next day exploring Tarpon Springs,… Greek Sponge fishermen here and the rest of all their relatives who have restaurants are here too…

Finally found a hair salon and got renewed,…(probably lost 20 pounds on the floor)…. since the last haircut was in Little Current back in early September….Is that still me in the mirror or just another dashing young Canadian tourist?

Finished up with fresh stone crab claws on ice bought off the back of a Greek truck in someones front yard for an ourdouerveee…Then all the crews (10) went together for a Greek dinner at Santorini’s.and celebrated our daring and delightful encounter with mother nature. It has taken a day to be able to find some humour in it all. The table was very loud and animated and as you all know that’s how we like it.

Good friends and good tales…all exaggerated….

Tomorrow….Clearwater, Florida

ARRIVED…left our boat friends in Tarpon Springs and arrived in the real Florida, boats of all description… even a floating Church with a blue spire on a barge. We docked at the Clearwater Municipal Marina soon after. Washed down with fresh water and a brisk scrubbing. The Tuckers, Jim and Pat, came over from their RV home and we all went for a great dinner at The Clearwater Beachcomber having had ourderuveveees (Shrimp and stone crab claws on ice) on the bridge of Chinook. The beach next door down the street looks like a place we could spend a lot of time just vegging. Will try it out this week.

David and Susan leave Sunday and will join us again in April or before. Meantime Pat and I expect visitors to show up and help us put down the cool ones and catch some sun.
Are you ready come Jan.Feb.Mar.?

This is a warm place…..eh!


Looping, Woobly and Sunblasted gang…Ted, Pat, David, Susan