The Big Bend

We returned from our Christmas/New Year’s break feeling refreshed and anxious to move forward. Reverie had been hauled out, jacked and stored for the seven (7) weeks under a large white oak tree and she was covered in leaves. It took several days to clean her deck and the dinghy of the debris. We also added a line cutter (attached to the propeller shaft to prevent fouling) knowing that we will encounter hundreds, if not thousands of crab traps as we descend Florida.

On a rainy Thursday morning (1/20/22), Reverie was placed back in the water in between showers and reprovisioning was expedited.

Our buddy boat, Lady Kadey, was in another marina in Pensacola. Colleen and Tony had returned from their holiday break ahead of us. We coordinated our departures and met up in the big Pensacola Bay, headed for Carrabelle, the jump point for The Big Bend. 

On the way we stopped for lunch at the famous Lulu’s Grill and Resort, then on to Ft. Walton, Panama City and Apalachicola. Each port had its own personality. It was clear that this area of Florida panhandle was still recovering from Hurricane Michael (10/2018) as there were dozens of derelict boats, and from the Covid-19 Pandemic, with closed or struggling businesses.

In Carrabelle, we reconnected with Loopers Bruce and Kathy (m/v Escape), who we met way back in Michigan at Port Austin, at the tip of “the thumb.” They, too, are from Northern California! – I mean, they were. – They sold their home and moved aboard their Loop boat with plans to find their next home as they motored the waterways. I’ve been surprised by how many couples we’ve met employ this strategy to find their perfect retirement community. Bruce and Kathy found their Shangri La in Crawfordville, between Carrabelle and Tallahassee, with a great climate, affordable housing, close to the Gulf and a major city, and very friendly people. 

SIDE TRIP: This year, Uncle Howard celebrated 94 years, and this year for the first time, the cousins included spouses! The logistics were tricky but we made it from Carrabelle to Tampa (private driver), then took a rental car to Melbourne. We all met up at The General’s home, then to Carrabba’s Italian Grill to start the weekend festivities. Howard’s health and staunch independence continues to amaze us all. We held to traditions although we skipped miniature golf as Howard now has some balance challenges. With a good weather window, we skipped Sunday Brunch and instead motored back to Tampa to return the rental car. Bruce met us and drove us back to our boat.

On 30 January, we initiated our Big Bend Crossing by moving to Dog Island anchorage in the afternoon and staged for a very early start. Then next morning, with very calm seas, we left at first light. Our crossing caravan consisted of Benita, Lady Kadey, Orion and Reverie. The waves were less than one foot, the wind calm at 4 mph, visibility was 10 miles. We couldn’t have had a better day!

Steinhatchee is a remote fishing town, specializing in small charter boats and big catches. Sea Hag Marina was recently rebuilt and the docks are gorgeous. So new, in fact, that the electrical infrastructure wasn’t completed. We used our generator for a while only to charge things up and enjoyed dinner out at the town’s best restaurant. Roy’s Restaurant “serving the finest seafood in the Big Bend area of the state.” The marina has an extensive gift shop so I bought a number of souvenirs for the family back home. 

The caravan of four Loopers fired up motors at 07:00 on 1 February. Reverie pulled away first, in the lead. Orion was to follow, then Lady Kadey, then Benita. We were only a hundred yards away when Colleen, on channel 16, excitedly keyed the mic. “OMG, OMG, Pete! 9-1-1, come back!” (I need to paraphrase as I was tending lines and couldn’t hear the radio traffic over the engine noise.) I still had my headset on and Pete, in his authoritarian voice, said, “We’re turning around, set up for a port side tie.” Me: “What?!” Pete: “We’re going back, set up for a port tie!”

I hurried the fenders from starboard to port, got lines ready, and waited for more information. Some of the charter boat crew saw our abrupt U-turn and ran to our dock to catch lines. They originally thought our boat was in trouble. While I secured the boat, Pete disembarked and ran to the boats on the other dock to determine the extent of the emergency. 

It was the crew of Orion. As they were pulling away from the dock, a fender got stuck, the line pulled tight, snapped, and a crew member suffered a traumatic hand injury. I will not elaborate here. This is their story to tell and it isn’t proper to divulge the details. I will say that the staff at Sea Hag were very accommodating and the crew of Benita extremely generous to stay back and tend to some logistics. (Boaters are wonderful people.) An hour or so later, we left with Lady Kadey for Cedar Key anchorage then to Kings Bay on the Crystal River. 

The Crystal River is known as the most populated manatee breeding grounds in Florida and this time of year there are hundreds of them calving near the fresh water springs. We arrived to Pete’s Pier Marina early enough to secure a courtesy golf cart to scout the town. I found a great wine shop (simply called “Wine Shop,” no website) whose proprietor makes regular trips to California and knows many of the wineries and wine makers that I also know personally! Small world. I found many excellent CA wines and I trusted his recommendations for something new. Needless to say, the boat’s wine cellar was replenished.

The marina itself is rustic, the boardwalks are old, in need of repair, and in some places are under water at high tide. We stayed two nights in this unpretentious marina, and ate at Waterfront Social the first evening, watching the blackbirds swoop in on newly emptied tables and steal crumbs, and Cracker’s Bar and Grill on the second, entertained by the curious tree squirrel. We booked a manatee tour with a knowledgeable and entertaining captain and got very close to these large lumbering animals. It was definitely worth the price to leave the driving to Capt. Tim and learn about these creatures.

On 4 February we reached Tarpon Springs. I have been anticipating this visit for almost four years. The very first Looper friends we met, at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, are now Harbor Hosts here. Jean and Jerry (m/v Makin’ Memories) were slipped next to us, so easy to talk to, about a third of the way into their loop, and full of sage advice. We exchanged boat cards and watched each other’s progress up the Hudson River, through the Champlain Canal, into Lake Champlain and to Burlington, VT. As we were ahead of them, they watched my blog and Facebook posts for intelligence. My stories and reviews helped them anticipate their next stops.

When Pete injured his knee, and we had to put our Loop on hold, it was Jean and Jerry (with the crew of Nine Lives) that assisted with off-loading “perishable provisions.” (I use this term loosely.) What they couldn’t use, they donated to a local food pantry. I continued to watch their progress and traveled with them vicariously, gleaning inspiration from Jean’s stories and pictures. (She is a wonderful photographer!) As Rotarians, they scouted opportunities along their trip. As ambassadors for Cruise for a Cure, they brought enlightenment to distant communities. 

Jean and Jerry crossed their wake in 2019, but their story continued to inspire as they went on to become delivery and training captains and Harbor Hosts. I notified them when we were approaching Tarpon Springs. They greeted us at the municipal dock, took lines, tied us up, and gave us the warmest welcome! Oh, and they gifted us a very smooth tequila to replace the bottle we gave them in 2018.

After Lady Kadey joined us, we all went to Dimitri’s on the Water for dinner and Hellas Bakery for dessert. We got the lay of the land and planned our explorations for the next day. 

Pete was up early for a walk to the bakery for delicious breakfast sweets. Then the four of us walked the length of the town, browsing shops and purchasing up a few souvenirs. We also located the pick-up spot for the Jolly Trolley and rode that to Dunedin (pronounced “Dun-E-Den”). As it was Saturday, the trolley was almost full of locals and visitors, running errands and sightseeing.

Dunedin is a very artsy, fashion-forward, affluent enclave with pockets of modest homes. It offers dozens of restaurants, boutiques and gift shops, art galleries, a marina with a water ferry terminal that takes guests to Caledesi Island State Park or to Clearwater. Adjacent the docks are a motel, a waterfront restaurant and a community park with a war memorial. We wandered through a farmer’s market and many of the shops before choosing a lunch spot. On the way back to the Jolly Trolley bench we happened across dozens of folks playing ukuleles. To our delight this was the 5^th Annual World Ukulele Day Festival in Dunedin! The musicians were walking between venues and playing songs. How fun!

We returned to Tarpon Springs for some afternoon rest. After a bit I heard a conversation on the dock and poked my head out to see with whom Colleen was speaking. It was none other than Herb Seaton (m/v Phanthom), the legendary Looper and Harbor Host! I’ve read about his travels, his AGLCA Forum advice and his incomparable “docktail” gatherings and I was thrilled to meet him in person. In spite of an overcast sky with intermittent drizzle, and suffering from back pain, he made the effort to greet us, as he does with all Loopers. 

We made a few more stops before Ft. Myers. I will share those in the next post.

And then, something MAGICAL happened!