Crusing

Pictured is Conch Clipper anchored in Boot Harbor, Marathon Florida in 2008. So now it's time to go cruising once again after a long hot summer in Sunny Panama City, Florida. The temperatures are reaching the 30 degree mark and the frost is starting to appear on the dodger glass. All of the upgrades accomplish this year are completed and we are down to the last 13 items on our departure list.

Currently our 1990 Irwin MK III that's 52' overall in the yard getting the bottom re-done. Strange phrase isn't it, yes after only six months in the water since the last bottom job the wing keel of Conch Clipper looked like a grass skirt and patches of barnacles sticking to the surface of the paint. No wonder I was losing speed, not only was the bottom of the wing keel covered but there were also large patches attached to the rudder and cutlass bearing support. The owner of the yard immediately agreed to re-do the bottom at no extra charge and contact the Trinidad tech rep about the paint.

The route we are taking goes from our dock in Watson Bayou in Panama City, Florida out the St Andrews bay pass to the Gulf of Mexico and direct to the Clearwater Municipal marina with winds anywhere except in the Eastern quadrant. If the winds are NE or East then a turn South more towards Venice, Florida will be necessary to keep the sails full and the speed up. Hopefully we will be able to have 15 - 20 knot winds all the way to the coast that should give us a comfortable 7 - 7.5 knots cruising speed and cut our travel time down significantly.

We'll stay a couple of days and dry out in Clearwater and rendezvous with our friends from St Pete and spend some quality time doing the downtown area. After Clearwater comes Venice and we'll stay at the Crow's Nest marina overnight or anchor out off the yacht club just around the bend in the channel. From Venice we go to Marathon in one leg. An overnighter but a beautiful sail off the coast of the Florida far enough out to avoid the crab traps that proliferate the Southern coast of Florida this time of year.

Once we hit Marathon we'll catch a ball in Boot harbor and stay for a month or two before heading to Miami and across the stream to Bimini. We have our bikes and plan on getting a lot of exercise touring the area. Since Sonja and I are tennis players, we really appreciate the fact that the tennis courts are right adjacent to the Marina's dinky dock.

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