Cross our fingers and hope not to die!
Just kidding, We never expected to die!! I am being overly dramatic but It was definitely something we had to plan and not take lightly. The boat would have to perform at top speed for 10-11 hours. If the weather changed the ride could be awful. Loopers before us had told tales of horrific crossing, adding to the stress. Everyone had a tale to tell. We had always been open water boaters in the Pacific and never thought twice about it. Several people we came across had never been in the ocean and feared it greatly. The story’s were grand, which caused me to question everything and increased my fear. I had to trust my captain and know our boat was sound.
We headed out at first light (or just slightly before). The tide was at its lowest adding to the stress. We had to pull the boat forward in the slip because the props were sitting in the mud. We managed to turn on the motors and shift into gear without the props sticking to the bottom, Thank God! We motored slowly following Curti-Sea to the channel through a very narrow cut called Governors Cut. It was SHALLOW!!! I had to stop looking at the depth gauge and the shallow alarms sounded over and over. Instead I watched the sun come up over the horizon. I said a prayer for a smooth ocean and crossing. Then I spotted dophins as we approached the cut. It was a sure sign that this was going to be a good day!
THANK YOU MOTHER EARTH!!! 🐬🐬🐬🐬
I love how they glide along the bow. Hard to photograph them because I am always in the moment of enjoying them before they swim off. What a blessing.
This is the narrow cut we came through following Curti-Sea. It was a little hairy before we exited with shallow water and current but we did it!
Now it was time to open up the throttle, sit back and enjoy the 10 or so hours it was going to take. The ocean was kind to us. It wasn’t flat but it was comfortable. I made coffee and and sat quietly reflecting and feeling grateful. We had our friends on this beautiful day which gave us some comfort. Florida was in sight!! I could hardly wait. We lost all signal so I was forced to put my phone down and just be. That part almost killed me! LOL!! I was fine! I did nap however!
The time passed and we pulled into Tarpon Springs an hour before dark. We docked our boats and toasted to a great day! Relieved, joyous and grateful.
WE DID IT!!!!
Nothing from here will be difficult. It is all down hill. We cannot wait to get to Key West. But first…….. We had to check out this cool fishing village that was made famous for sponge diving. It’s a Greek village and boy did we find amazing Greek food!! It was a nice break to all the fish and shrimp we have eaten the last few weeks.
This day was a great recovery day. We walked all around this cute town and got some boat chores done. The relief was palpable and we all rested up, ate good food and planned our next journey down the gulf coast to Key West.
Adventures Of Aquaman 