6:27 p.m. March 4: We had a challenging Tampa Bay crossing, but really appreciated the storm jib on the shorter foretriangle.
Once in the Intercoastal Waterway we made good time when you comsider it was all upwind. We had to take down the mast to get under the bridges, since the wind and current would otherwise drive you into the pilings. We were able to clear those obstacles faster than some of the other sailboats we were with… The mast lowering system we have worked well.
We sailed into Sarasota Bay with Mead Gudgeon and Wizard, but listening to the weather report and not knowing the waters, wanted to find a hidey-hole before dark.
We holed up in the mangroves outside longboat key moorings, and shifted around the corner when the front came through. Wow. As the front hit, it was wild, with lightning and wind moaning around and through the rigging of the moored boats in the harbor. 80 knot gusts recorded on one of the buoys out in the gulf!
During the night we met DolphinGal, who had a rough Crossing of Tampa Bay. She was pressing on at 10pm.
We called a weather hold into PaddleDancer at 0325, and she responded immediately; I suppose she had a sleepless night.
We met Macatawa and NorthernLite just as the front came through, from 430-6am. We chatted for awhile, and, yes your name came up! Small world.
After they headed off, we cooked breakfast (MRE oatmeal and coffee), packed up, and thought things had moderated a bit. Turns out, we were just in the lee of a beautiful shore. But seventy yards out, you were committed… We doused all sails, and went about 5-6 mph without any sails up, making just enough steerage way from the mast and hull windage to maintain control. Just.
White knuckled, we careened down the bay, a tense forty minutes punctuated by calls of “wave”, and “big wave”, and “oh no!!”
Scanning the chart while zooming in and out and on top of the waves, I spied what looked like shelter around a bend. We hoisted the sail (fully furled) for power, the center board down a smidge for directional control, and scooted up on a beach… Right at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron where Scareman, DolphinGal, SunDance, Diehard and Diehard2 and others had sought shelter the night before!
I cannot say enough about this club! They have a great, albeit rustic, faculty with everything you need to have kids, young families and everyone else involved and happy sailing. Everyone we’ve met has been kind, welcoming, and well educated about all the Watertribers. Very nice place and people.
Now at the Old Salty Dog for fish &chips for her and a Maui-wowee burger for me. Maybe early tomorrow we will head onward, but with big east winds predicted for Florida Bay, most doubt there is much chance of finishing this year. Kind of nice to have the pressure off.