Sunset on the Gulf Crossing — Going……………………………
Going………………………………. – Sunset on the Gulf Crossing
G-O-N-E………………..
Who Put Out The Lights?? — It's Very, Very, Very, Very Dark……………………….
Full Moon on the Night of the Crossing
Donn Zinn with Art Navigating the Crossing
Sunrising over the Gulf — We made it through the night! — Perfect…
We left Carrabelle, Florida November 24 (Wednesday) for the Gulf Crossing at 1pm. It may seem like a late start, but the rational is with a 22-hour crossing we wanted to arrive in Tarpon Springs mid-day. This way we could see the crab pots without the sun blinding us. And yes, indeed, it was a minefield of crab pots as we approached Anclote Key (prior to the mainland of Tarpon Springs). After pondering the best route we tweaked it based on the advice that Buddy (the weather crossing guru) at the Moorings Marina just before we left. We went out the East Pass, ran East to R26 for approximately 20 miles, and then a heading to R2 off of Anclote Key. The crossing was close to 200 miles and we were running a good 40 miles offshore. The seas were a bit rough until 9pm when they settled down to a more comfortable level. We saw an incredible sunset over the Gulf. After the sun went down until the moon came up, it was pitch black. For about three hours we couldn’t see the water, we couldn’t see anything; it felt like we were flying. When the full moon came up at 9pm it lit our way for the night crossing. That along with the seas settling down, it turned out to not be a good night but a “perfect” night for this crossing. To help us with the night vigil, two of “Tony M’s” friends (Don Zinn and Walter) came on board our boats for the Crossing. Don and Walter live here in Florida and could be in Carrabelle within hours to accommodate the weather opening. We crossed with “Tony M” but we also had 6 other boats within radio distance crossing as well. Safety in numbers! – It was an absolutely awesome experience and worth the lack of sleep for 39 hours. Both the sunset and sunrise were spectacular!! We had “Magoo” on auto-pilot for the crossing and she tracked right on target. She operated flawlessly and brought us to a safe harbor the next morning arriving at noon. This crew was very happy to see land and gave a few “yahoos” at its sighting. – What a relief!! We did it!!
Walter, Don, and Art — After The Crossing
YEAH!!! We Made It!!
We docked at the Landings at Tarpon Springs and are enjoying the town with its history, biking trails, sponge factory and incredible Greek food. As a matter of fact, this year we did not have turkey on Thanksgiving Day; we had lamb with all the fixins’ cooked the Greek way!! And we had a lot to be thankful for, and we are!! – The biking trail is the Pinellas Trail and runs through Tarpon Springs on the site of the old railway track extending 35 miles from Tarpon Springs to St. Petersburg. Tarpon Springs is a combination of Victorian mansions and a historic Greek downtown; the streets are narrow and remind you of a seaside village in Greece. How did Tarpon Springs get its name? Because tarpons were jumping out of the water. That’s the story of naming this town. –
OOPS!! Wrong turn coming into Tarpon Springs.
We knew that Tarpon Springs had a high Greek population, but we were surprised to learn that it has the highest percentage of Greek-Americans of any city in the USA. It’s quite lively with its Greek restaurants (yes, with belly dancers) and the waterfront not only has fishing boats but sponge boats as well. We so like the Greek atmosphere, there is a warm friendliness that is magnetic. ”Ompa” we say (this is Greek for “whopee”) — we are happy to be here!!!! – There is a sponge factory here which we went through and learned a bit about sponges.
Sponge docks – Tarpon Springs
The first Greek immigrants arrived to this city in the 1880′s; they were hired to work as divers in the growing sponge harvesting industry.
Tarpon Springs Waterfront — Getting Ready for Christmas
There is less harvesting of sponges now in the Gulf, but it is making a comeback. Sponges are actually invertebrate with a porous skeleton and when dried/treated, they have been used since ancient times for cleaning and still are (the loofah does not come from an animal; it is a natural sponge that comes from a plant and is related to the cucumber). The “wool” sponge is the most “durable” for cleaning and lasts longer than the yellow sponge. The “silk” sponge is most common for facial cleaning because it exfoliates the skin. –
“Are female dolphins smarter than the male dolphin”s? You be the judge. The female bottlenose dolphins have been observed using sponges as a tool. Yes, they attach a marine sponge to their snouts to protect it when searching for food in the sandy sea bottom. This behavior is called ‘sponging’. And, guess what. These mama dolphins teach this behavior to their daughters. ”Girl Power”
Is That You Santa??
– In a day or two we will move along to another coastal town. From here on end the cruising will be less work and take on a “vacation” type of boating. We are ready to handle that!! Bring it on!!!! ”OMPA”!
Hello Neighbor — Docking with us in Tarpon Springs
"LOOK OUT BELOW" !!
Thanksgiving Day — Crystal Beach
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