We really didn't get too much fun in this trip. We were only getting a 2-3 day window of "acceptable" conditions this week. So the choice was hang around in Apalachicola and Caribell or take the small "acceptable" window.
The Fisher King's first sunset at sea
First we left on the tail end of a front that tossed the seas the night before. This made the Fisher King a little green. So with a little help from his Bonine he slept most of the next 24 hours. Just in case I got a little green also I took one. Funny thing about Bonine it turn me into a zombie. After about 10-12 hours I can't stay awake and I can't go to sleep. Too tired to stay at the helm I put Gemini Dreams in the typical hove to position. I then set the alarm just in case and stretched out hoping to sleep it off. Well remember... I can't go to sleep. I go out and shake my head, no way I can focus to sail and I don't want to motor. Back down below. Needless to say it was an unproductive night. Note to self stay away from the Bonine on crossings! Morning came and I was at the helm when Tin finally woke up.
Our biggest adventures of the trip both happened on day two. While motoring
First: Tin came popping up out of the companion way yelling, "you got a fish, you got a fish". Seems in my slightly tired, mostly deaf condition I hadn't heard the clicker on the Penn. When I tried to pick up the reel it was obviously a large fish. Possibly a Wahoo or King since it stayed down low. By the time I got the rod and reel around to the Fisher King he started to reel it in. This seemed odd as I expected it to be WAY more than he could handle. But there he was steadily reeling this large fish toward the boat. Then the last of the brain cells kicked in and i reached for the line and gave it a jerk. No fish just a large swivel pulling against the reel and a long leader that is obviously two sizes too small. Too bad as this was obviously the largest fish all year long!
Spotted dolphins oh my!
Second was the first of 3 pods of spotted dolphins. This pod was large! I do not know how many were actually around the boat. Best guess is 30-40 as they were at all corners. Chasing and crossing our path. We have a couple of short Videos we can post but the HD video just overpowers our power frugal computers. I am so glad that he got to experience this. All strapped in on the bow trying to pet one. He did end up with a little spray from one in his face. lol
the Fisher King playing with dolphins
Later in the evening the wind a seas didn't like our intended direction. So we spent another night hove to as I was another day tired. This was a tiring night as the seas were changing from one direction to another and seas were crossing and all mixed up and over 5 feet. Massive chop in other words.
Sunrise in blue water
Sunday morning was a good change. The winds were 15 knots from the north and the seas were only 5 feet and getting into sync. This made the last 47 miles a broad reach and a great sail. I started the motor less than a mile from Clearwater channel and motored into the Belleview Island Anchorage. AND A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP!
w
Great posting(s) and a great adventure!
ReplyDeleteAre the still taken with your new GoPro camera?
All the photos are a mixture of iPhone and GoPro. Look for curves in straight lines for the GoPro stills.
ReplyDeletew