Between a Sunset and a Sunrise
We arrived Wednesday afternoon near Dog Island just off of Carabelle so we could meet up with other Gulf Crossers. Around 3:30, boats started their way out to the large expanse of open water. David opted to be the lead boat, which helps set the pace and scouts for obstacles. After a thrilling long visit of a family of dolphins, the sun started setting on our Starboard while the moon began rising on our Port side..
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Even though we were blessed a with a full, bright moon, we had complete darkness surrounding us. We kept the interior of the cabin also dark in order to be able to have visibilty while running the boat inside. Even though we have navigation lights, they are not meant to be used as headlights!
David was so very excited to finally get this chance to travel in dark open water, and even when I tried to relieve him at 10 PM, he kept popping back up to the helm to check on the boat and me! It couldn't have been more easy to navigate with the autopilot set on a straight course of 143'! All I had to do was listen to the engines and look at the instruments. I did get bored and tried playing some music on my Spotify, or check emails, but really to no use. We were completely out of any cellular reach for the night. David relieved me around 1 AM and while I slept the next 4 hours, he deligently monitored the boat. He was so fueled on enthusiasm, he had no problem staying awake. I got up around 5 AM to start the next leg of the trip. Even before the sun rose again, we were on now on the alert to the vicious and pervasive crab pots.
They look like volleyballs that have been strung together and you have to dodge them constantly. Really made me want to boycott consuming crabs ever again. As the sun went higher and brighter in the sky, it became even harder to spot the ones in the glimmering trail of sunlight on the water... directly on our path. David did a great job taking over the navigation and I was glued to my binoculars. We finally reached the Intercoastal water at Clearwater around 10 AM. It took all the last bit of David's energy, (Now accompanied by nausea, caused by Starbuck's energy drink) to get the boat into our marina and working with the rapid tides. Needless to say, after showers, we have been resting the entire afternoon... or until the next sunset!
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