Apalachicola to Clearwater Offshore

Date: Dec 15, 2019                                          

Arrival Time:  1330 ET                     

Location:  Clearwater, Fl.

Weather:  70, Clear        

Sea State:  Overnight rough, calmed Sunday afternoon

Destination Tomorrow:  South

Engine Hours:  1350                                                                        

Crew:  Bryce      

Bryce enjoying the sunset

Comments:  We said our final goodbyes to Art and Annette and shoved off the Apalachicola city dock, Saturday, at precisely at 800.  We rode the outgoing tide down the Apalachicola River, under the John Gorrie Memorial Bridge, into the Apalachicola Bay and turned east into the St. George Sound.  Bryce was fishing by this time.  He eventually pulled out the big weapons and fished all the way to the Clearwater Channel.  We hoped to make it to the East Pass, 25 nautical miles from Apalachicola, by noon.  A 1200 departure from the pass would give us an estimated noon arrival at Tarpon Springs leaving us room for error and the opportunity to go further if daylight permitted.  At 1125, we cleared the last buoy and pulled out the sails.  I set 3 waypoints from Tarpon Springs to Clearwater, hoping to reach the latter which is the most southerly.  We sailed for about an hour with flogging sails in light winds.  Finally, we furled the sails and started the iron mule.  I was concerned about the sea state because we had been under a small craft warning the previous 4 days.  But we needed to take advantage of this window.  We saw seas of about 6 feet most of the night and into the morning.  They were uncomfortable because they were southwesterly and we were heading SE.  So we rocked side to side all night.  It was nice to see a beautiful ocean sunset.  More amazing was the moon that followed at 2015.  I actually did a double take when I saw the huge orange glow over my shoulder.  The sun didn’t rise until around 700, I guess because we are on the west side of the Eastern time zone.  Sometime in the late morning we decided to change course and head for Clearwater.  I was extremely surprised at the number of crab traps offshore, as far as 40 miles out, in 50 feet of water.  We dodged them all morning.  It made me feel at home in Sabine lake.  From Apalachicola to our anchorage in Clearwater Harbor we covered 180 n. miles.  Early to bed tonight; southbound tomorrow.