Across the Gulf again

 This was our 15th crossing of the Gulf of Mexico from points North to South or vice versa.  I am happy to report this was one of the better ones.  We left in dense fog which wasn't an auspicious beginning but eventually that cleared and we had flat seas which is always a plus.  The down-side was the lack of wind so we motored along for a much longer time than we would have preferred.  One of the great things about sailing is how quiet it is.  And burning no fuel saves a lot of money!  The forecast winds finally showed up on the second day out and we were able to make the last 60 miles under sail and saw great speeds (for a sailboat).  The wind was behind us which makes for a rolly trip but not so bad that we felt ill.  The seas were behind us and did build to about 3-5 feet so we were treated to a few surfing trips down the face of waves.  That's when you see the greatest speeds.  For us, the perfect wind direction is off of either side.  Then we hum along on what is called a reach.  The boat will heel on it's side a bit but the angle is controllable by how we adjust the sails.  The best part is the stable ride.  Your body quickly adjusts to being at 10 degrees heeled and it seems normal after a while.  Rolling side to side does tend to cause mal-de-mer in a lot of folks, including me.  We made it into a great anchorage just off the Clearwater Yacht Club where we have reciprocal membership privileges.   Those reciprocals makes our regular club membership a real benefit!

We went ashore in the dinghy in brisk winds but the lure of good drink, food and company made it worth the effort.  We slept quite well and were able to get a tie-up with power the next day.  That allows us to take care of the everyday chores of life, laundry, maintenance and making sure there is still money in the bank.  We'll head out tomorrow to Bradenton Yacht Club and visit my niece and nephew who have recently built a house in that area. Not sure what we'll do from there but keep heading south. 

We anchored in a small cove just to the West of the St. Andrew's Bay pass.  It was
a serenely peaceful spot this time of year.  The sunset was gorgeous.  We could not have
asked for a better farewell-for-now to the Florida Panhandle.  The tower in the right side is
a range mark for large vessels to line up on as they transit the pass.  In the days before modern
electronics on merchant vessels these marks were essential to keep big, deep draft boats from
piling up on the shore or jetties.

Not a sight any mariner wants to see even if the plan is to sit another day.
Dense fog is scary because you never know what is headed towards you until
it hits!

You can see the fog bank behind us.  We were really glad to be able to turn
off the radar and save some battery power.  You can also see how flat the water is.
It is very rare to have such flat, lake like water in the gulf.

Clear skies ahead.  Always good to see.

The mackeral sky with the darker clouds in front let us know a weather front is coming with
the promised winds.

The cloud formations always fascinate us.  Not only are they poetically beautiful,
they also let us know changing weather is ahead.

The red clouds were so awesome to behold.  I wish my camera was good enough
to also capture the spectacular blue of the clouds.  Unbelievably blue but we did see it!
The big plus of this sky is the old saying "Red sky at night, sailor's delight"

Sunset at sea is a time to make sure all your lines and sails are set while you still
have light.  Then you settle in for the dark watches.

Sunrise is always welcome.  It is so much easier to see in daylight!

The waves definitely kicked in with the 15-20 knots of wind blowing us into the channel.
It was never dangerous but it does make hand steering an adventure.

Always a welcome sight after a crossing.  The bridge over the Clearwater Pass means we're almost in.

Had to take this one.  Our youngest granddaughter, who loves sailing already, is named Freya.