Florida Gulf sailing - any ride along interest?

[EngineerSailing]

Congratulations!

There is a very convenient cut from Port St Joe back up to the intercoastal waterway, if you want to use it to carry on to Apalachicola and Carrabelle instead of sailing around the outside.
I sailed to PSJ from Pensacola (~105 miles), so I don’t know what the intercoastal waterway is like between Panama City and PSJ.

thanks, I can't go the ICW from Panama City the Tyndall-Dupont Bridge is low and under maintenance
It also looks like going to Apalachicola and Caribelle is way more trouble than its worth talking to locals and reviewing the charts

i see the next full moon (after few repairs/updates) is May 1, Tempted to go to Clearwater/Tampa from here (probably will if i find crew)
So while it'd be nice to stop at PSJ and Mexico Beach, i'm trying to figure out how to succeed at the bigger goals but Weather also dictates decisions

 

[nquigley]

Yeah, if your goal is to get further down the Florida coast, detouring to Apalachicola and Carrabelle doesn’t offer very much. But maybe you might like to go for just a day or two down to Port Saint Joe and, if necessary for repairs etc., pop back to Panama Beach after that.
How does the full moon play into your plans?

 

[EngineerSailing]

How does the full moon play into your plans?

The full moon provides light to see the waves if they are building or falling it also let you see if the waves (and likely to follow) the wind are changing direction at night off shore
Also the full moon brings a high overnight tide creating some extra depth in the case i cross a moving(uncharted) sand bar
the full moon also provides better working conditions on deck off shore without using artificial lights that hurt night vision and could create confusion between colored lines with extreme filtered red light

 

[EngineerSailing]

Crossing to Tampa did not go well
Aborting to Apalachicola

 

[nquigley]

That’s too bad!
Was it the bad weather last night, or some sort of breakdown?
Will you resume from there, or go on to Carriacou first via the GCW?

 

[EngineerSailing]

That’s too bad!
Was it the bad weather last night, or some sort of breakdown?
Will you resume from there, or go on to Carriacou first via the GCW?

Bad confused sea, weather not as predicted

 

[nquigley]

I know the exact feeling. The area of the Gulf in the north east corner is very confused most of the time. A fisherman told me that one can avoid the worst of the short steep chop by either staying well up on the shallow shelf between the deep part of the Gulf and the shoreline, or, sail well out into the Gulf across that interface. His advice was to avoid remaining near that shelf transition for an extended period. Plus, it seems very common for the weather to change unexpectedly in this area. I’ve had a boat at a marina on the west side of Mobile Bay for a year and a half, and I’ve been surprised how quickly the weather can change.
What’s your current escape plan? I understand. The weather is going to go bad again this weekend, according to the forecast at least. Are you thinking about continuing on the GCW to Carriacou, or just wait at Apalachicola for a good weather and sea conditions window for your passage to Tampa?

 

[EngineerSailing]

Going to anchor at the North end of St George's Island when get there across from Carrabelle
Every pass before the East pass is either too shallow or has no where to stop near by
About 9+NM out

 

[nquigley]

I couldn’t find St George’s Is. on Navionics.
I see Dog Is. just off Carrabelle (previously, I meant to write Carrabelle, not Carriacou)

 

[EngineerSailing]

I couldn’t find St George’s Is. on Navionics.
I see Dog Is. just off Carrabelle (previously, I meant to write Carrabelle, not Carriacou)

Dog Island is out from Carrabelle
The next island (SW) is St George Is

 

[EngineerSailing]

Headed back out to the Gulf

 

[EngineerSailing]

Made it to Clearwater FL