The Passage to Carrabelle... Day Six

Day Six was probably the best day yet... though it almost didn't happen.

After checking the weather forecast the night before and seeing where the day was to be filled with heavy storms, I told a friend I would probably stay put in Cape Haze until the day after. Day Six was on hold.

However, the next morning the skies and radar showed most of the storms that were developing were south and southwest of me. The immediate skies over Cape Haze and north looked clear. I decided to got for it. I didn't want to stay in the Cape Haze Marina no more than I had to, (you can read my review on activecaptain.com).

I carefully pulled out of the shallow marina and quickly got back in the ICW. The pictures tell the story better than I can...

Skies looked great to the north...

South and southwest... not so good...

Lots of "Skinny Water" in the ICW... (That is water where the channel is very narrow and on each side of the channel the water is less than the draft of my boat - 5ft.).

I saw no less than five sailboats that either Tropical Storm Colin had claimed or the ICW... maybe both...

I soon came to Englewood, Florida... I used to live and work here.

Then, Venice, Florida... I used to live and work here as well.

I went right by Pop's Sunset Grill in Manasota. My mother and I used to come here and eat dinner often. Fantastic food, great sunsets, and you get to watch the sailboats cruise by.

Before reaching Sarasota, I discovered I was being followed...

Then we, (Annie & I), found Sarasota... I used to live and work here also.

Soon, Sarasota was far behind and we were only a couple of hours from The Seafood Shack Marina in Bradenton, Florida. (I was looking forward to a hot shower and a hot meal).

After docking at the Seafood Shack Marina, I secured and squared away Annie, went to the Dockmaster's office, paid my slip rental fee, returned to Annie to discover they had a welcoming party here... Pelican Petes! (I love living on a boat and on the water)!

I will stay here all day Friday doing minor repairs, adjustments, and provisioning. Saturday morning I will jump offshore from here and begin the Gulf section of my passage. The course is charted and is 236 miles. I estimate it will take 47.2 hours.

I'm a little nervous. This is my first solo sail with Annie in big water, (well, "big" for me). Actually, this is my first single-handed sail anywhere, but as my friend Spock once said to Lt. Savik, "For everything, there is a first time." (Don't you just love my frequent quotations from Star Trek)?

I wonder what it will be like at night. I'll have a waxing crescent moon, so it will not be pitch black... hope I see lots of stars.

I'll post again once I have safely arrived in Carrabelle.

Fair seas and God bless.