Pensacola FL Sailing Blog - sailingnightwatch

 9:00 A.M. we are off across Apalachicola Bay and through St George Cut into the Gulf.  This is one of the areas in which the ICW leads you into open water.  The wind was less than 10 knots out of the east.  It was also hazy.  The wind was suppose to move through the southeast and on to the west and increase to 15 knots.  Perfect as long as it did not stay to the SE to long.  John reminds me that gentlemen do no go to weather. 

 Our goal was to make Clearwater between 24 and 30 hours.  The favorable breeze lasted about an hour, and began to die.  During that time we motored at reduced RPM but soon we were back to cruising RPM.  We pulled the main in tight and the staysail after rolling up the Yankee.  We stood 3 on, 3 off watches.  By the time my 2-5 A.M. watch rolled around, the Gulf was as flat as I had ever seen it.  For those of you who have never sailed the waters in the Big Bend area, the area is shallow and the seas are always lumpy.  3-4 foot seas with 4 second periods seem to be the norm.   The winds are generally light.

Clearwater has a new claim to fame.  From about Tarpon Springs south past Clearwater, the gulf is full of Crab Traps.  One of the individuals we met at the Clearwater Yacht Club said they are thick out past 10 miles.