Out There Somewhere

Vessel Name: CARSON G II
Vessel Make/Model: 49 ft. Morgan OI Ketch
Hailing Port: Tampa, Florida
Crew: Carson & Hope Green
About: Carson was born and raised on Grand Manan Island, N.B. Canada. Hope, a New Yorker, moved to Grand Manan as a new bride....long ago. Miss Gizmo, our Himalayan cat, joined us in Florida. We're both finally retired and we'll be sailing out there.... somewhere.
15 September 2013 | Boot key Harbor, Marathon, Fl.
30 July 2013
01 July 2013
24 June 2013
17 June 2013
13 June 2013 | Florida Bay
11 June 2013
10 June 2013 | Marco Island
10 June 2013
09 June 2013
07 June 2013
05 June 2013
03 June 2013
01 June 2013
31 May 2013
30 May 2013
31 December 1969
31 December 1969
31 December 1969
Recent Blog Posts
15 September 2013 | Boot key Harbor, Marathon, Fl.

Final Blog

I am sorry inform you all that this will be the last blog of the Carson G II. We're unable to continue cruising due to Hope's continued health issues. So our advice to all of you is to go cruising as soon as you can and for as long as you can!!! We did get out in 2010 so we do have those memories [...]

30 July 2013

July's update

July 30, 2013

01 July 2013

Happy Canada Day!!!

July 1st, 2013 (Monday)

24 June 2013

New Blog Site????

June 24, 2013 (Monday)

17 June 2013

June 17, 2013 (Monday)

13 June 2013 | Florida Bay

The good, the bad and water spouts

June 12th, 2013

The good, the bad and water spouts

13 June 2013 | Florida Bay
June 12th, 2013

The start of the day was perfect. We had set the alarm for 0530 to be underway at 0600. (Light enough to see before “sun rise’). We awoke to a slack tide…absolutely perfect. The marina is located on a tidal river so we needed to watch the currents to see how they would set the boat as we departed from the dock. We cleared our easily and pointed her bow towards the Gulf of Mexico.
We were having a wonderful “sail” except the wind was little to nothing so we continued to motor. When the breeze picked up we were able to motor sail, using our jib, for awhile. The sky was overcast. The sun did eventually come out and really showed off the vibrant aqua color of the water. (The water temperature on the Garmin was showing 85 degrees….)
Along the way, to Marathon, we were mesmerized by acrobatic dolphins, flying fish of all sizes, and Carson was “lucky” enough to see a loggerhead sea turtle resting on the water’s surface before it lifted its head, looked at the boat, and then dove. Seeing and experiencing nature like this is one of the wonderful experiences of cruising for me.
We were watching the clouds build in the East, checked the weather on VHF, and the radar but nothing more than “a slight chance of scattered thunderstorms” were being forecasted. So we continued on. Before we knew it the weather went bad… Before we knew it horizontal buckets of rain, which felt like wasps’ stings, were pelting us. I quickly went below to close the open hatches. When I returned topside and turned around there was a water spout, approx. two miles, off our starboard bow. I quickly looked at Carson and we both put on our life vests and shackled our lifelines to the rigging. Using the VHF (Channel 16) I hailed the Coast Guard to notify them of the water spout. (Carson had his hands full handling the steering…) While talking to the Coast Guard two more water spouts dropped, from the sky, approx. 2 miles in front of our bow. All three spouts were dancing around making it very hard to figure out where exactly they were headed. (Carson turned the boat 90 degrees while I was still on the radio with the Coast Guard.) I informed the Coast Guard of all the precautions we had taken, the boat’s name, our position at the time, the course we were now steering, and that there were two people aboard. They replied per form: put your life vests on and if possible change your course away from the water spouts. (We already had done both…) One water spout dissipated and the other two changed their paths slightly… This encounter lasted thirty minutes all told. We did experience very high winds, very high waves, BUT we weren’t hit by the water spouts full on….
Though the water spouts were gone, we hoped, we kept looking for more because the weather conditions hadn’t changed at all. The thunderstorms were still furious with the lightening hitting the water all around the boat, but thank God, not us. (The hair on Carson’s arms, hands, and head was standing straight up, at times…) It was raining so hard that the cockpit was taking on water. I was on my hand and knees using a ruler sideways, as a squeegee, to direct the water down the “drains” more quickly. (We both were still shackled in.) Eventually the storm calmed a bit (3 hrs is a long time). We took turns hand steering and going below to change our soaked clothes. We both had the beginnings of hypothermia due to the very high winds and being soaked through. I came up looking like I was going skiing: polar fleece hat & gloves, sweatpants, sweatshirt under full foul weather gear, and I was still cold. When it was safe I made us both a cup of cocoa to warm up…
While we were still experiencing the storms we heard a call, to the Coast Guard, from a boat experiencing trouble. It had four people aboard… A Good Samaritan Captain came to their aid and it ended well.
We feel fortunate and very blessed to have come through the other side unscathed. We’re safe n’ sound moored in Boot Key Harbor (Marathon City Marina) Marathon, Florida. At this time we planned on staying here for the hurricane season and then (hopefully) “Island Hop” our way down to Guatemala.
Thanks everyone for reading our blog…. We’ll keep telling you what and how we’re doing.

P.S. I did take a photo of one of the water spouts but since my camera was soaked by rain I’m not sure if I’ll be able to post it….
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