Quiet Day Planning Next Overnighter

Motoring dead into the wind on St. Georges Sound

The day started with the crew almost being ejected from the rack due to great movement in the anchorage.  As it sometimes happens, the winds came from a different direction of that forecast.  It still came from the island behind which we are anchored, but sometime during the night the waves found a way to reach around the island and get us.  It was lively for most of the early morning.  Today, we decided that given the forecast, if it is to be trusted, we will make the long crossing that takes us past the Big Bend.  We will saill tomorrow around 1000 hours for Anclote.  This is the entrance to the Anclote River and to Tarpon Springs, our destination.  For the rest of the day, we will make her ready for the Gulf.  We set up all the deck gear including jack lines, teathers etc.  This time we will stage the ditch bag where we can get it if needed since we will be well offshore this time.  It appears we will have about 140 nautical miles in the effort.  That means a passage time from 20 hours and more depending on wind.  The idea it to arrive at the sea buoy around sunrise or later but well before sunset.  Get the idea?  There are many variables which affect boat speed, thus arrival time.  If things don't go bump in the night, we roughly plan a 24 hour effort which requires the crew to take long naps once we are tied up on the other end.  So. this will be our last post until Sunday, most likely.