Talking About Adventure In Small Boats
Jarhead launched this morning in the Panhandle at the Alabama border to start the Florida Coastal Challenge. He will sail to the CheckPoint at Cedar Key for the first leg. Then he will sail to Fort Desoto and merge with the launch of the Ultimate Florida Challenge and the Everglades Challenge.
If you want to see his route on the Tracking Map, it is being tracked as part of the Ultimate Florida Challenge so look for UF2016 in the list of events.
Ooh-Rah!
lugnut
Member
Jarhead is doing better than 6 mph up St. George Island. He's out in the Gulf, but very close to shore, taking advantange of NW to N winds blowing today, and probably shaking hands with the beachgoers. He got around the tricky shoal area at Cape San Blas and has a couple more slightly tricky shoals coming up at East Pass (between St. George and Dog Island) and, if he's close to shore, off Aligator Point. Once he's past Dog Island, any protected place to stop will involve a bit of a detour; I'm wondering, if he's rested, if he might head into open water and cut the corner off the Big Bend. Forecast is for winds to shift to the NE and then SE (headwinds) and be light to moderate.
Mishigama
Member
Bill asked me to post an update. He had some trouble trying to get in at East Pass. Shifting strong winds and near misses with a red lighted buoy had him tacking and going nowhere. So he gave up on East Pass and went ashore on the gulf side of Dog Island. The moon was not up and the night is very black. Other than the GPS, he is navigating by the sound of the breakers on the shoals. Wind is light except in the pass.
He was concerned that his track would cause concerns or questions and wanted you all to know that all is well.
Mishigama
lugnut
Member
Thanks Mishigama. Those tacks at East Pass were funny looking. The wind was probably northerly, so he would have had to beat in, and there are unlit markers there. Looks like he's made it across most of the Big Bend tonight, making landfall between the Aucilla and Ecofina Rivers, and is now heading SE. Good to know he's scouted the area and probably has picked out a stopping point. Forecast tomorrow is for light SW winds.
MisterMoon
Member
Jarhead anchored for the night about a mile and a half offshore last night. Water in his part of the world is pretty shallow, so I would not be at all surprised to hear his anchorage wasn't much more than chest deep. Yesterday's east winds gave way to southerlies 8-12 knots, which means he's been beating all day. Since starting this morning, he's made about 33 miles towards Cedar Key, past Steinhatchee and still going. Next big waypoint on the way is the mouth of the Suwanee in about 20 miles and Cedar Key about 15 miles beyond that. I'd expect him Cedar Key sometime tomorrow. Then it's another 100 or so miles to Ft. Desoto.
Outlook for tomorrow is light east winds in the morning, clocking to SW by afternoon about 6-7 knots. According to NOAA, winds are forecast to go NW tomorrow night.
MisterMoon
Member
Looks like he anchored tonight about 2.5 miles SW of Horseshoe Beach. Cedar Key lies ahead 24 nm to the SE. Arrive Cedar Key mid afternoon tomorrow perhaps? If he can get another 15-20 miles past Cedar Key tomorrow, he's in good shape to make Fort Desoto on Wednesday, when winds are are supposed to shift around to the NW at 10-12 knots.
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