The Land of Oz and those Damn Flying Monkeys

The last night in Mad Beach

We finally made a decision on our indecisive plan for the summer/hurricane season.  With so many reasons to stay in Mad Beach it became obvious we needed to venture across the Gulf of Mexico toward the Emerald City.

My favorite part of crossing the Gulf are the spotted dolphins

It took all the way across this time only three hours out of East Pass

The crossing was uneventful except deciding to clean the bottom offshore.  In just three weeks anchored in Boca Ciega Bay Gemini Dreams had a new carpet below.  With Government cut being so unpredictable we didn't complain when the wind took us eastward to East Pass.  After clearing the pass and starting the backtrack on the ICW the wind stiffened to 15-20 on the nose.  Even Motoring became a chore so with the help of Active Captain we chose an anchorage to get some rest and wait for the 7am forecast light winds.

Just past 1am the anchor alarm sounded.  The wind was a steady 20 plus that soon became gusts to 40 or better.  A quick look on the iPhone 's Garmin app showed a hard storm line just the East of us.  Luckily the intensity only lasted for an hour and we missed all the torrential rain they were getting just a few miles away.

For all those in Boot Key Harbor...

FWC checking the fish!

We left early the next morning crossing paths with s/v Enterprise,a Newport 28.  As they turned to hoist the sails we slipped past.  We utilized the dinghy dock in Apalachicola to tie up the big boat and walk two blocks to the gas station.  When we returned from the gas station I realized the little red boat belonged to some die hard Boot Key Cruisers on their way home to Alabama for a visit.  I shared what information I could about Apalachicola and Panama City before I was off on my way.

s/v Enterprise, the smaller of the two red hulls

As Wettapoo Creek started to show so did the damn flying monkeys.  Yellow flies to be exact!  First a couple then 4 or 5 at a time.  As the creek started to widen into the bay I was continually swarmed.  I could no longer count the damn flying basta%$, I mean monkeys!  I passed about three marker cans before I realized that was where they were ambushing me from.  Finding the most caustic can of spray we had on the boat was the only hindrance to their assault.  As we passed a can I waited a few seconds until the lead squadron was visible and then we fogged the rear of the boat.  We were able to keep the counts in the hundreds instead of the thousands.  (the bites are driving me crazy two days later)

A little boat anchored in Oz at Midnight Thirty, June the 8th.  The cruising season is over.  We are back on the Emerald Coast.

W