Bringing the Sea Star home...Take 2.

Time to try this again! We flew back to Florida yesterday. Spent the night at a hotel in Clearwater beach.
The boat is supposed to be put back in the water today. They got the props back yesterday from the prop shop. Ouchy on what that cost...
Looking at the weather, our plan is to head out Sunday morning unless the forecast changes.
We have to go grocery shopping for cold/frozen stuff all over again as we had to give it all away before we left. We have plenty of time to do that.
Some friends from our marina at home who live on their sailboat are nearby for spring break with their grandkids. They are going to come over to Tarpon Springs tomorrow to visit and see the boat.
We met a couple who have a very nice older Bertram at the marina where our boat currently is, and they will be at their boat this weekend and want to hang out so our time between now and Sunday should be fun!

Hope the weather holds for you. I'm leaving Sunday morning to head across the Okeechobee to Stuart, and then up the AICW to Chesapeake Bay.

Ted

I looked for your boat on Tuesday.

We had ours hauled out at Pittman for a bottom job and a buff and wax.

I'm headed back down there today and most likely headed home sometime tomorrow. If you see a 420AC Sea Ray in the water at Pittman's stop by and say hi (or yell across the river.)

Looks like this weekend will be great to make the trip. We are heading out today for the lake and enjoy the great weather on the hook. Enjoy the trip and be safe. Happy Easter

Looks like favorable sea conditions Sunday afternoon through Monday evening!!!!! Have fun and smooth sailing.

What time is high tide?

menzies said:

What time is high tide?

Click to expand...

Now that’s just mean.

chriscritchett said:

Now that’s just mean.

Click to expand...

Well I hope the weather holds for you and
Best of luck!

O C Diver said:

Hope the weather holds for you. I'm leaving Sunday morning to head across the Okeechobee to Stuart, and then up the AICW to Chesapeake Bay.

Ted

Click to expand...

That sounds fun. How long will the trip take you? Are you going to spend the summer on the Chesapeake?

DLP said:

Looks like this weekend will be great to make the trip. We are heading out today for the lake and enjoy the great weather on the hook. Enjoy the trip and be safe. Happy Easter

Click to expand...

We need to meet up sometime over the summer!

k9medic said:

I looked for your boat on Tuesday.

We had ours hauled out at Pittman for a bottom job and a buff and wax.

I'm headed back down there today and most likely headed home sometime tomorrow. If you see a 420AC Sea Ray in the water at Pittman's stop by and say hi (or yell across the river.)

Click to expand...

Can I see Pittman’s from here at Mar? I can see a marina or yard but don’t know which one it is. If you were passing by boat, you wouldn’t have seen our boat. When we got here it was out of the water and way up almost by the road.
We’re back in the water now and in a slip.

It’s cloudy, windy, and cool this morning. The crappy weather from home followed us here. I’m so tired of being cold. The first time I complain about how hot it is over the summer someone can slap me. Lol

menzies said:

What time is high tide?

Click to expand...

We just got home from a walk along the gulf a mile north of you...flat as a pancake today.
Hopefully that good tomorrow.

jleonard said:

We just got home from a walk along the gulf a mile north of you...flat as a pancake today.

Hopefully that good tomorrow.

Click to expand...

We stayed the night on our boat last night at the Pittman dock. The dock is right across from where the Two George’s boat docks.

This morning we left out around 0900 and headed to our home marina 60 miles north.

It was sloppy in the gulf for sure!

Star0210 said:

That sounds fun. How long will the trip take you? Are you going to spend the summer on the Chesapeake?

Click to expand...

I'm planning on 3 weeks this time. Have done it in 2 weeks as a delivery run, brutal. Planning to stop, see friends, and eat my way to the Chesapeake. Will be running my charter boat this summer on the weekends and cruising the bay with my trawler during the week. Will leave in late September to slow cruise back to Fort Myers.

Ted

Star0210 said:

They got the props back yesterday from the prop shop. Ouchy on what that cost...

Click to expand...

Did you consider an insurance claim on the repairs?

FlyWright said:

Did you consider an insurance claim on the repairs?

Click to expand...

No, we didn’t. Wasn’t about to even try to make a claim on such a new to us boat and policy.

We had such a nice day today. We met two fabulous couples here. One of the ladies cooked breakfast for everybody this morning. We went out to dinner with them them last night and today they invited us along to Three Rookers Island with them on their boat. It’s a super nice Grady White. We left the big boats at the marina. It was chilly and windy and the sun only came out for a few minutes but it was still such a fun day. They brought bean bag games out there and we brought snacks and food. Had to wade through the water to get to the bank and it was too cold for me so David carried me on his back. He’s so sweet.

Oh and we picked us some guests for our trip across the gulf. We had been communicating with a guy with from Indiana who is buying a boat just like ours in Michigan....same year, same engines, but his is in much better condition cosmetically. Because of where it is, he won’t get to sea trial it for another month or more. He and his fiancée flew down tonight and will spend the next few days with us probably leaving us in Pensacola or thereabouts. He’s excited to be able to spend some time on an identical boat. We’re happy to have the company and the help.
We are leaving out in the morning.
And Menzies...I still don’t know when high tide is. Here’s what I know, it was pretty low when we left the island this evening. As of right now, it’s come up a good bit. I judge by where and how I can get on and off my boat.

Star0210 said:

No, we didn’t. Wasn’t about to even try to make a claim on such a new to us boat and policy.

Click to expand...

Understand. When I hit the rock. I thought it was such a stupid mistake, it never even occurred to me to make insurance claim.

Later, when I thought about it, I decided that my insurance was so expensive as is, I didn't want to do anything to increase it, as a 10% rise, would pay for the rock damage in one year.

Wxx3 said:

Understand. When I hit the rock. I thought it was such a stupid mistake, it never even occurred to me to make insurance claim.

Later, when I thought about it, I decided that my insurance was so expensive as is, I didn't want to do anything to increase it, as a 10% rise, would pay for the rock damage in one year.

Click to expand...

That was also our thinking. I’m not even sure what our deductible is but this ended up costing a little over $2k so that definitely wasn’t worth making a claim for. Had the damage been more extensive and costly, it might have been tempting to think about but still probably wouldn’t have done it. The policy wasn’t even two weeks old! Lol

Looks like it's a perfect day for the crossing. Have a pleasant trip!

Rogerh said:

Looks like it's a perfect day for the crossing. Have a pleasant trip!

Click to expand...

A couple of things -

In my experience, that’s cheap for two props! I’ve had to redo my props three times in 4 years. Using metal to find out how deep the water is can get expensive.

When you leave Tarpon, go all the way out of the channel to the last marker before turning north. Then stick to the eastern side of the red markers after you turn north until you clear the northernmost sandbar Island.


High tide in Tarpon is at 1:59 this afternoon. Dead low tide is in just a few minutes (8:14am).

Get the Navionics app for your phone and pay the $6/ year fee. It’s worth it!

Star0210 said:

We had such a nice day today. We met two fabulous couples here.

Click to expand...

One of the best parts of boating - meeting other boaters.

We are leaving out in the morning.
And Menzies...I still don’t know when high tide is. Here’s what I know, it was pretty low when we left the island this evening. As of right now, it’s come up a good bit. I judge by where and how I can get on and off my boat.

Click to expand...

Download an app called "Tides Near Me" and allow it to see your location.

Safe sailing.

Star0210 said:

No, we didn’t. Wasn’t about to even try to make a claim on such a new to us boat and policy.

Click to expand...

I don't blame you. That would be like walking into a biker bar and yelling "Harleys suck!" Just asking for a beating!

The BoatUS app has a good "nearby tides" section.

The USCG app has a good "nearby buoys" section. what we've found useful for actual windspeeds and sometime wave heights when it happens to be a floating buoy.

-Chris

<<And Menzies...I still don’t know when high tide is. Here’s what I know, it was pretty low when we left the island this evening. As of right now, it’s come up a good bit. I judge by where and how I can get on and off my boat.>>

Navionics is a cheap download to an iPad or phone that can give you that, and a lot more good info. Edit, just realized someone else already posted that.

menzies said:

Download an app called "Tides Near Me" and allow it to see your location.

Click to expand...

I second this app. It's free and it's fast. I used it all last summer in LI Sound and it agreed with my Garmin so I trust it.
I also have the Navionics app and it's well worth it for back up navigation or for use in the dinghy if needed.

We made it to carrabelle just fine. It was a beautiful day. A smooth ride. Left TS at 9am and pulled into the inlet at 4pm. I took A big ole nap laying out in the sunpad.
We are docked at C Quarters. There is like ONE restaurant that’s open tonight. A little hamburger shack.
I think we are heading to Panama City tomorrow.