The Crossing

We found Carrabelle's Memorial Park on Veteran's Day.  Miniature statues representing the five branches of the Armed Forces, like this Air Force airman, decorated the square.

"Thanks" from Eddy & Linda to all of you who served or are currently serving!

 

 

 

 

 

In the days long before cell phones, Carrabelle's police (both of them) operated from this booth that the telephone company donated.  It was their only means of receiving or making calls.    

 

 

 

 

 

The Captain decided to give Spiritus a washdown after her journey from Pensacola to Carrabelle.  This, we would learn days later, was time that could have been better-spent!

 

 

 

 

If it is near, SHE will find it!  Do you get the sense that this trip on The Loop may really be a secret quest to find a most favorite ice cream???

 

 

 

 

A view of the Moorings Marina during our walk over the Carrabelle River bridge (in search for ice cream!).

 

 

 

 

Some of the many uniforms on display at the World War II museum in Carrabelle.

 

 

 

 

Camp Gordon Johnston, originally named Camp Carrabelle, played a vital role in training amphibious troops for the invasion of Normandy.

 

 

 

 

Many of the 250,000 troops that trained here during World War II enjoyed "luxurious" accomodations such at this, complete with sand floors!

 

 

 

 

Fellow Loopers Mike & Cindy aboard their 22' Hunter sailboat, Aurora, in Carrabelle.  They came down the river system all the way from St Paul, Minnesota!  They will be one of the three boats that turned back on the day of the Gulf crossing. 

 

 

 

 

Captain's Eddy, Jim and Fred gather in the Chart Room to discuss the route they plan to take across the Gulf to Tarpon Springs.

 

 

 

 

 

Moorings Marina's infamous "Buddy" giving a weather update to anxious crews prior to the crossing.  Buddy has helped hundreds of Loopers over the years to determine their "weather windows" for the journey across the Gulf.

 

 

 

 

 

With Buddy's help, nine Loopers decide that a Wednesday-Thursday weather window will provide the best opportunity for crossing the Gulf in the week to come.  The white board's info "predicting" winds from the north/northeast at 10 knots with 1 to 2 foot seas never happened!

 

 

 

 

Mom & Dad Pennington passed this guardian angel along to Spiritus when they retired from their yearly R.V. trips.  She kept them safe from harm for 19 years and obviously plans to do the same for Spiritus, as we would soon find out!

 

 

 

 

With a planned crossing speed of 7 knots, it should take us about 21 hours to reach Tarpon Springs.  Spiritus started her journey at 2:30 on Wednesday afternoon, but didn't reach her destination until 26 hours later!  The forecasted weather conditions never materialized and we spent 12 hours in TOTAL darkness on the most terrifying water conditions we ever care to experience.  Winds in excess of 20 knots and seas of 4 to 5 feet were the reality and NOT the predicted!

 

 

 

 

To distract ourselves from the precarious situation we found ourselves in, we resorted to singing every song we ever knew over the course of 4 hours.  Here, the seas calm down enough for the First Mate to finally catch a few winks without falling off the settee!

 

 

 

 

After daylight arrived and the water calmed down a bit, a new threat emerged: crabpots!

  Our First Mate kept a vigil lookout.

 

 

 

Fishermen drop crabpots in rows that are miles long, with perhaps only a hundred feet of spacing between pots.  Getting one of these wrapped around your propeller will ruin your day and bring you to a stop!  Could you spot a marker, not much larger than a softball, before you run over it?

 

 

 

 

  

Blue Angel & Northstar, 2 of 6 boats that made it across, were already quietly at anchor outside Tarpon Springs when we arrived.  They left us a phone message saying "We're going immediately to bed after the trip from Hell !"

 

 

 

 

One of many inviting settings on our way up the river into Tarpon Springs.

 

 

 

 

The famous sponge docks in Tarpon Springs, just around the corner from Turtle Cove Marina, where Spiritus (and the crew) will have a well-earned week of rest!