Doing the Loop in GH 3

Ripley's Believe It or Not determined that Carrabelle, Florida has the Worlds Smallest Police Station. It would be a true CRIME NOT to get there!

Ah Thanksgiving 2016!

We left GH3 in St. Andrews Marina near Panama City, FL; we rented a car and drove to St. Louis to have turkey with family and friends. The occasion was made even more memorable because at Thanksgiving dinner, our son, David, and his long time girlfriend, Marketa, announced that they are engaged! We have considered her family for some time, but now it is official.

We returned to GH3 the Sunday after Thanksgiving. St. Andrews Marina had 7 loop boats waiting for better weather before heading east across the Big Bend of Florida from the Carrabelle area in the panhandle to Tarpon Springs on the west coast of Florida. Our friends Tammi and Mike on Songlines were there as were our friends Libby and Ron on Tug O' My Heart. Songlines asked us to consider making the crossing with them as a buddy boat in a single step from Port St. Joe to Clearwater in an overnight passage.

We met a woman named Diny from Holland who is doing the loop solo on her 26 foot sailboat. It boggles the mind to think of doing the loop solo.

We stayed in St. Andrews Marina from Sunday until Friday morning waiting for calm enough weather to head toward Apalachicola and Carrabelle where we planned to stage for our crossing. Five days of waiting passed quickly. We walked the town and re-provisioned, we rode our bicycles to the beach in St. Andrews, and had docktails at sunset with other Loopers. We ordered pizza with friends on Songlines and we went out to dinner for oysters as guests of Tammi & Mike on Tracy's birthday. Mike had the waitstaff and other diners singing Happy Birthday.

Docktails at St. Andrews Marina (Loopers ARE dog lovers!)



Our friends, Nancy & James on Living Life and Andrew & Jack on Tranquility 2 which we had previously met on the inland rivers were already in Apalacholia heading for staging to go east from Carrabelle in three daytime steps. They were about 80 miles east of us which is 2 days of travel in reasonable weather. We also had the option to travel with them as buddy boats if we could catch up to them.

We left St. Andrews Marina at 8 am on a blustery Friday morning and headed east about 100 miles over several days, destination: Carrabelle, FL. On the first day we motored across choppy St. Andrews Bay and East Bay, when the wind was right we flew the jib which increased our speed as well as helping us to cut through the waves. As we motored down the Intercoastal waterway, we saw 5 derelict boats which appeared to have recently fallen on hard times.

One of the derelict sail boats we saw on the Intercoastal canal.



We also saw one other functioning boat on the GIWW that day, a shrimp boat which was going slightly faster than us and eventually did pass us.

Beautiful Shrimper up close on the Intercoastal Waterway



That Friday, we stayed overnight at a free dock in White City, FL. We were the only boat tied to this long beautifully maintained dock which also has a restroom facility, a pavilion, and a launch ramp. At White City we did meet other Loopers on two trawlers, Lucy and Tortuga; they were not at the dock however because of low water conditions. We went to sleep on our solitary boat securely tied to this dock.

We were awakened at around 4:30 am to the sound of men's voices just outside our boat. Tom stepped outside to find that we were in the middle of about 75 boats participating in a fishing tournament. Before sunrise the tournament started, each boat had his (no lady fishermen were seen) number called, it was then FULL THROTTLE - to get as many fish as possible before the 4:00 PM weigh in. In about twenty minutes we were alone again.





Later that morning we left White City for Apalachicola. The forecast said that the open waters in Apalachicola Bay called for wind 15-20 knots with waves 3-5 feet with occasional 8 feet. This is a bit rougher water than we prefer so we planned to motor about 20 miles on the GIWW toward Apalachicola and anchor in a well documented Hurricane Hole - Saul's Creek. Several hours into the day as we motored east we rechecked the forecast and found that winds in Appalachia Bay were expected to moderate in the afternoon and that thunderstorms were still forecast for the following two days. After we both looked at the forecast separately we came to the same conclusion - let's try to get all the way to Carrabelle TODAY! With the help of the outgoing tide our Mercury Outboard pushed GH3 over 7 knots down the Intercoastal - into Apalachicola. This speed would put us in Carrabelle around 3:30 PM (it gets dark now at about 4:45 PM); but once in the bay, with winds and waves of still significant size, and with the fact that we had about 25 miles over nearly open water from Carrabelle to travel, the size of our undertaking this day became more apparent. A small barrier island is all that divides Apalachicola Bay from the wide open Gulf of Mexico. We did everything we could think of to prepare for rough weather including getting out our harnesses and tethers and putting in the lower cockpit slat in position. We were determined to make Carrabelle before dark! We had Five remaining hours of daylight; if all went well this was minimally enough time to get to Carrabelle before dark.

The narrow well-marked channel in Apalachicola Bay led us due south from the Apalachicola Bay Bridge across open water with a strong east wind about 15 knots and waves about 3 feet. Our boat managed this quite well. After 4 miles, the channel turned from south to east. This meant an expected strong east wind right on the nose. Our speed dropped from around 6 knots (at full throttle) to around 4.5 knots. Still looking OK.

Then something unexpected happened seconds after we made that turn to the east. Without any action on our part, the wind caught the furled edge of our jib and it started to unfurl itself.

The furled jib is secured by jib sheets wrapped around it near the middle. Unfortunately those wraps were tangled and could not be released from the cockpit. The jib was essentially pinched in the middle and free at the top and bottom flapping like crazy in the wind. Even with a tether, it would not be safe for one of us to go up to the bow and work on releasing the jib. We made the decision to ABORT and return to Apalachicola and work on the jib while we anchored in Saul's Creek.

Our misbehaving Jib






We anchored in Saul's Creek which is a lovely protected spot about 5 miles west of Apalachicola. As mentioned previously, this beautiful spot has been used as a hurricane hole when needed. That evening in Saul's Creek, two dinghies approached our isolated anchorage. It was our good luck that the trawlers we had met in White City the day before were anchored nearby. Because the wind was blowing hard as forecast, we decided to stay put anchored in the protection of Saul's Creek, and had time for some routine maintenance. The two trawlers, Lucy and Tortega reanchored to join us. That evening they suggested that the three boats could make the crossing from Carrabelle to Steinhatchee together.

Routine Maintenance


The following morning the forecast looked better, so we left at sunrise heading to Apalachicola with the destination of Carrabelle. We passed under the Apalachicola Bay Bridge and found calmer water and winds than we had seen there two days earlier. The winds were 10-12 knots from the south and the waves about 1-2 feet. The slight fog was lifting, so we headed out. In just about 5 hours, we safely travelled from Apalachicola to near Carrabelle. Fog started to set in which made finding the channel markers a challenge. About that time Lucy and Tortega who left the anchorage hours after us but travel faster than we do appeared at our stern and eventually passed us. All three boats arrived safely at Carrabelle mid afternoon.




The next part of the Loop takes all boats across open water in the Gulf Mexico. The GIWW (Gulf Intercoastal Water Way) ends at Carrabelle and begins again at Tarpon Springs on the west coast of Florida. Loopers have several of routes to choose to take from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs. All routes take boaters into open waters of the Gulf of Mexico away from the shore which is shallow about 10 miles out in the Gulf. . All loopers must consider their boats qualities and their own skills as well as the weather in deciding how and when to get from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs. The weather is the most decisive factor and we along with many Loopers have been waiting since Thanksgiving to get a good weather window to cross the Gulf. A buddy boat is also a good safety feature in making this crossing. It is a little like a middle school dance. Most loopers hope to find a compatible partner with which to make the crossing.




You may be wondering:
Which route will we choose?
How soon will we get to Tarpon Springs?
With whom will we travel?
As of 10 pm on Dec. 6 we are waiting patiently for a weather window.

You will have to wait for our next blog entry to find the answers to these questions!


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