May 28, 2013
Today we are anchored at Emerson Point in the Manatee River after a LONG travel day from Pelican Bay yesterday. This trip is one of our longest daysails at 75 nautical miles and over 12 hours.
We weighed anchor in Pelican Bay at first light (barely) at 0615 and proceeded out of the Bay and then out Boca Grande channel on a slack current. We leave the channel through a break in the shoals just before the G"7" and R"8" buoys. Then it is off-coast for 57 miles to the SW Channel into Tampa Bay.
The day started with a great beam reach with 15-18 knots of wind - just beautiful average speed 6.8+. But after 3 hours the wind died and we had to motor sail. We made good time until we started to approach Tampa Bay where we were met with a 1+ knot ebb current. On a trip this long, there is not much you can do about currents in channels on the ends of the trip except grin and bear it.
The only significant traffic we had was in crossing Tampa Bay over to the Manatee River, where hordes of boats were completing their Memorial Day water fun.
A highlight of the trip was two dolphins swimming in our stern wake for over 5 minutes. Dolphins will often come and swim in our bow wake, but they are hard to see there unless you go forward. It is rarer to see them in the stern wake, but this pair kept swimming back and forth and turning their bellies to the wake on most passes. Fun to watch!
We anchored at Emerson Point in the Manatee River about 4 miles from our home marina at about 1830 (6:30 PM).
Although this is a long trip, we like it because it gets you north in one long day, opposed to 2-3 days and umpteen bridges if you go inside on the Intracoastal Waterway. Also sailing outside is so much more relaxing than driving the ICW!
Today we take the long :-) 4 mile trip up the river to Twin Dolphin Marina and the completion of our 2012-13 cruise. We definitely have mixed emotions. It will be nice to have 'unlimited' water and electricity, a vehicle, the safety of a marina, and to be able to catch up on boat maintenance. But we will miss the joys of 'being out there'.
Tom
Anchored Emerson Point
Manatee River
Palmetto, FL
Map Cruise 2012-13
It has been a great year sailing along and following your wonderful writings and observations. Island Spirit is inside the IPY factory and we are nearing home. We too really miss the beauty and peace of OUT THERE. See you next NOV when we refit for Bahamas #3.
ReplyDeleteHayden