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Hunkered Down

Jan 20

3 min read

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Hunkering down doesn't come easy for Type A folks (guilty as charged) but we find ourselves in the middle of a wait and see scenario. Sometime in the relatively near future, we hope to cross the Gulf of Mexico (sorry Don) from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs--171 miles from outer mark to outer mark. For the Admiral, that requires winds of no more than 10-12 knots and seas two feet or less with a period in excess of four seconds and preferably closer to six. This time of year, those days frequent the Gulf once every couple of weeks or so at best. We are waiting and hoping--there's a possibility a week from today might prove fortuitous.


We're also facing cold, inclement weather. Temps last night dropped to 28 degrees. It will be about the same tonight but tomorrow night we're looking at 25 degrees with rain, freezing rain, and wintry mix. We arrived at Point South Marina in Port St. Joe mid-afternoon yesterday with plans to move on tomorrow morning. After looking at the forecast, however, and given that this is a new, well-equipped, sturdy and protected marina, we decided to ride out the bad weather here and to give ourselves a day afterwards for the sun to melt whatever ice and snow accumulate on Katahdin.

Katahdin Bobbing at Point South Marina
Katahdin Bobbing at Point South Marina

Given the forecast for crossing the Gulf, there's no rush. We'll probably go to Carrabelle on Thursday--our last stop before we anchor at Dog Island a dozen miles beyond on the night before we cross the Gulf.


You may wonder what it's like being on the boat in this weather? One of the many strong points of our Back Cove 41 is it's HVAC system and very tight and dry quarters. We have four HVAC zones--two in the salon, one in the master berth, and one in the guest quarters. Wonderful heat exchangers keep the boat cozy pretty much at whatever temperature you desire in any weather. What a luxury!


28 Degrees Outside; 72 Inside!
28 Degrees Outside; 72 Inside!

Once we hit subfreezing weather, I also use electric heaters in Katahdin's unheated compartments to ensure waterlines don't freeze--one in the lazarette (the space below the cockpit at the very stern of the boat, one in the engine room (probably don't really need this one), and one in the guest head that blows warm air along the inside of the hull where the freshwater anchor washdown line runs.


Blowing Warm Air Into The Space Where the Freshwater Anchor Washdown Line Runs
Blowing Warm Air Into The Space Where the Freshwater Anchor Washdown Line Runs

I also disconnect our shorewater hose and drain it just in case.


In Below Freezing Weather, We Disconnect the Hose and Filter at the Dock and On the Boat
In Below Freezing Weather, We Disconnect the Hose and Filter at the Dock and On the Boat

The trip from Panama City to Port St. Joe yesterday was again a mix of open bays and narrow channels through cypress swamps and woodlands. Yesterday's gray skies, cool temps, and blustery breezes took some of the luster off the scenery which at best looks very haggard as it struggles to recover from 2018's Hurricane Michael. Remember the picture of the one standing house left on Mexico Beach? We passed just inland from there yesterday. Nonetheless, we again encountered a number of groups of dolphins, brown pelicans, kingfishers and other birds. Again, it was VERY quiet. In 50 miles, we saw only two pleasure boats. We did overtake two towboats--Jax and Angelle--that had a cluster of 700 foot long pipes strung between them. We found them in a narrow channel and they very kindly crowded to one side to make room for us to pass them on the other.


Port St. Joe is a very pleasant surprise. As I said above, the marina is terrific and it is short walking distance to numerous restaurants, coffee shops, boating and sporting goods stores, a Piggly Wiggly, CVS and, if you were so inclined which we are not--Mickey D's. Last night we dined at the Uptown Raw Bar and Grill where Jackie had King's Oysters--a dozen baked oysters prepared with butter, garlic, lemon, bacon & parmesan--and I had an Oyster Sampler with four raw, four baked, and four grilled oysters. You draughted your own beer to go with them from one of their numerous domestic or imported taps. As the smile on the Admiral's face attests, the evening was delightful and the oysters to die for.


Delicious Oysters Bring a Big Smile to the Admiral
Delicious Oysters Bring a Big Smile to the Admiral

But for now we wait. The sky's increasing haze presages tomorrow evening's storm but we lie safe and secure thanks to our friends at Point South Marina.


Secure at the Dock Awaiting Tomorrow's Storm
Secure at the Dock Awaiting Tomorrow's Storm



Jan 20

3 min read

8

81

1

Comments (1)

Martha Hewett
Martha Hewett
Jan 21

Very wise to be hunkered down, and it seems like you're in an ideal spot to do it. I will hope to hear that you wait for a really good day to cross the gulf. The Admiral is right!

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