Our Gulf Crossing
January 19, 2024
Our longest day yet at 73.4 miles from dawn til dusk and we are safely across the Gulf in Steinhatchee. We chose to motor across due to the limited weather window and the direct headwind. As soon as we weighed anchor and rounded the edge of Dog Island we knew the forecast was not matching our experience. I told Meriah the waves would calm once we entered the deeper waters of the Gulf. They did not calm, they only changed. Tildy got seasick. I am a beginner at judging wave height but I would not be surprised if we encountered some 5-6’ waves, and steep! Our bow would rise high into the air, then we came crashing down on the bottom of Novella’s hull, audibly jarring our centerboard beneath. Once again, our little boat designed for day sailing has proven to be tough as nails. Our bilge has still not seen a single drop of water. After 4 hours of bashing, the waves reduced in size. By 2 pm the water calmed to resemble a very rough day on our Nebraska training lake. By the time we arrived at Deadman Bay outside Steinhatchee, the Gulf was a sheet of frosted glass, indistinguishable from the cloudy skies above. After docking in the dark, we exhaustedly celebrated with a quick dinner at the closest restaurant and then collapsed into bed. Up next, three travel days to the world’s best manatee viewing site in Crystal River, FL! (Meriah is super excited!)
January 29, 2024
We’re getting to the really good stuff. First, it got warm. Then after a full week “stuck” in Steinhatchee due to rough conditions in the Gulf, we were able to move on to make a quick one-night stop at Cedar Key. It’s important to arrive there when overnight weather AND the next day’s conditions are good for continuing on, because the anchorages there have very little protection and there are no marinas. Our trip there was very foggy. At one point we could only see 50’ in front of us, so radio calls were in order to alert any other traffic. Being alone in the Gulf, miles from shore, and unable to see your surroundings can be as unsettling as you can imagine but also an unforgettable experience. As the day went on the conditions improved at times and we had a great night exploring the charming town of Cedar Key before enjoying an affordable seafood dinner. We dinghied back to Novella, the only boat in sight among the little islands, and enjoyed the gorgeous full moon and feelings of solitude. From our anchorage, we heard strange sounds in the channel that sounded like explosions underwater but they stopped before bed. With 5’ seas coming soon there was no reason to stay an extra night.
Bright and early we started the trip to Crystal River with dozens of dolphins putting on an amazing show. One emerged so close we could have touched his fin if we’d have leaned over the edge of the boat.
We enjoyed a true weekend in wonderfully walkable Crystal River, exploring all over town, going to coffee, eating ice cream and visiting the parks. The main manatee viewing park charges a $20 admission fee per person so we asked the attendee if it cost anything to enter via the water. He said we could take our dinghy to the edge but only swimmers were allowed past that point. There was no expense to swim in unless you had to hire a tour boat to take you. Naturally we decided to go shopping for wetsuits and snorkel gear and go swimming with the manatees, no tour company required. That was this morning, and we were back sitting in our office by 9am Central (where most of our clients are.) Best Monday morning ever! After work we did a ton of provisioning and chores to get ready for our next destination.
