Any advice for first-time gulf sailors?
 

Hello folks,

A friend and I hope to get his 36 footer from Pensacola to Tampa, leaving in
early January. I've never sailed in the gulf for any length of time, and
thought it might be sensible, and maybe humiliating, to lay myself open for
any, and I mean any, advice you may wish to give me. If I had to ask
particular questions, they would be:

Is it sensible to stick to the coast or cut straight across?
Anything out there I should know about?
Do the currents present any sort of problem?

I joke but I take this seriously. If you have any advice I'd take it very
kindly if you posted it or emailed me at .

Many thanks,

Rob

Any advice for first-time gulf sailors?
 

Hey - I went the other way from St. Pete to Pensacola just a straight shot.
I went attended UWF and was on the sailing team. Did a lot of racing in the
area. Only problem may be winter storms/cold fronts. Pick a good weather
window, leave after a front moves through. You many want to take some type
of sea sickness medication two days before. You may want to bring long
underwear and watch cap. It will be a short trip but fun.

stu


"Rob Laymon" wrote in message
link.net...
Hello folks,

A friend and I hope to get his 36 footer from Pensacola to Tampa, leaving
in
early January. I've never sailed in the gulf for any length of time, and
thought it might be sensible, and maybe humiliating, to lay myself open
for
any, and I mean any, advice you may wish to give me. If I had to ask
particular questions, they would be:

Is it sensible to stick to the coast or cut straight across?
Anything out there I should know about?
Do the currents present any sort of problem?

I joke but I take this seriously. If you have any advice I'd take it very
kindly if you posted it or emailed me at .

Many thanks,

Rob

Any advice for first-time gulf sailors?
 

wrote in message ...
Hey - I went the other way from St. Pete to Pensacola just a straight shot.
I went attended UWF and was on the sailing team. Did a lot of racing in the
area. Only problem may be winter storms/cold fronts. Pick a good weather
window, leave after a front moves through. You many want to take some type
of sea sickness medication two days before. You may want to bring long
underwear and watch cap. It will be a short trip but fun.

stu


"Rob Laymon" wrote in message
link.net...
Hello folks,

A friend and I hope to get his 36 footer from Pensacola to Tampa, leaving
in
early January. I've never sailed in the gulf for any length of time, and
thought it might be sensible, and maybe humiliating, to lay myself open
for
any, and I mean any, advice you may wish to give me. If I had to ask
particular questions, they would be:

Is it sensible to stick to the coast or cut straight across?
Anything out there I should know about?
Do the currents present any sort of problem?

I joke but I take this seriously. If you have any advice I'd take it very
kindly if you posted it or emailed me at .

Many thanks,

Rob




Sail near shore till you get to Carrabelle or off St. Marks. This
allows you to put in at Apalach or Carrabelle or St. marks if you have
probs and does not lengthen the trip much at all.
At Carrabelle, jump to the marker south of St. marks and head
generally SE till you arew about 25 miles S of Cedar key. If things
get rough, you can either go into Cedar key or Steinhatchee. Sout of
Cedar key, head for the N. end of Anclote key and if the weather holds
head for Johns pass at St. Pete.
I'd time my jump from Carrabelle to Anclote so I left just after a
front looking to see if I had a window before trhe next one.
Alternatively, Jump from Carabelle or St. marks to Cedar key (about 80
miles from St marks to Cedar Key) sea buoy about 5 miles S of Cedar
key and if weather holds go on to Anclote or St. Pete.
Winds will be light after a front and generally from SW off the N gulf
shore.

Any advice for first-time gulf sailors?
 

either way i'd recommend reefing at night. on a trip from alligator
point to cedar key, the wind came up from 5 kn to 25 kn like somebody
turned on a switch at 2:30am. if you check the bouy data this seems to
be a pretty common occurence.

also, since the gulf is pretty shallow, seas seem to be steeper with
less period between crests.

i like the coastline just 'cause there's some pretty neat,
out-of-the-way places inbetween (if you've got the time) like dog
island, st, marks, steinhatchee, cedar key, tarpon springs, etc...


On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 03:09:42 GMT, "Rob Laymon"
wrote:

Hello folks,

A friend and I hope to get his 36 footer from Pensacola to Tampa, leaving in
early January. I've never sailed in the gulf for any length of time, and
thought it might be sensible, and maybe humiliating, to lay myself open for
any, and I mean any, advice you may wish to give me. If I had to ask
particular questions, they would be:

Is it sensible to stick to the coast or cut straight across?
Anything out there I should know about?
Do the currents present any sort of problem?

I joke but I take this seriously. If you have any advice I'd take it very
kindly if you posted it or emailed me at .

Many thanks,

Rob

Any advice for first-time gulf sailors?
 

pinhead wrote in message . ..
either way i'd recommend reefing at night. on a trip from alligator
point to cedar key, the wind came up from 5 kn to 25 kn like somebody
turned on a switch at 2:30am. if you check the bouy data this seems to
be a pretty common occurence.

also, since the gulf is pretty shallow, seas seem to be steeper with
less period between crests.

i like the coastline just 'cause there's some pretty neat,
out-of-the-way places inbetween (if you've got the time) like dog
island, st, marks, steinhatchee, cedar key, tarpon springs, etc...


On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 03:09:42 GMT, "Rob Laymon"
wrote:

Hello folks,


A friend and I hope to get his 36 footer from Pensacola to Tampa, leaving in
early January. I've never sailed in the gulf for any length of time, and
thought it might be sensible, and maybe humiliating, to lay myself open for
any, and I mean any, advice you may wish to give me. If I had to ask
particular questions, they would be:

Is it sensible to stick to the coast or cut straight across?
Anything out there I should know about?
Do the currents present any sort of problem?

I joke but I take this seriously. If you have any advice I'd take it very
kindly if you posted it or emailed me at .

Many thanks,

Rob



That thing about the wind suddenly changing, I thought it did that
everywhere, not just here in N. FL.

He will need shoal draft to visit many places in the Big Bend although
all the places pinhead lists should have about 6' (except Dog Island).
Getting to within 1/2 mile of the coast with draft over 3' is mostly
difficult except in a few places. Unfortunately, they are the most
interesting places, thats why I I have no paint on the bottom of my
keel.

Any advice for first-time gulf sailors?
 

Many thanks to all. I'll let you know how we make out.

All best,
Rob

Parallax wrote:

pinhead wrote in message . ..
either way i'd recommend reefing at night. on a trip from alligator
point to cedar key, the wind came up from 5 kn to 25 kn like somebody
turned on a switch at 2:30am. if you check the bouy data this seems to
be a pretty common occurence.

also, since the gulf is pretty shallow, seas seem to be steeper with
less period between crests.

i like the coastline just 'cause there's some pretty neat,
out-of-the-way places inbetween (if you've got the time) like dog
island, st, marks, steinhatchee, cedar key, tarpon springs, etc...


On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 03:09:42 GMT, "Rob Laymon"
wrote:

Hello folks,


A friend and I hope to get his 36 footer from Pensacola to Tampa, leaving in
early January. I've never sailed in the gulf for any length of time, and
thought it might be sensible, and maybe humiliating, to lay myself open for
any, and I mean any, advice you may wish to give me. If I had to ask
particular questions, they would be:

Is it sensible to stick to the coast or cut straight across?
Anything out there I should know about?
Do the currents present any sort of problem?

I joke but I take this seriously. If you have any advice I'd take it very
kindly if you posted it or emailed me at .

Many thanks,

Rob



That thing about the wind suddenly changing, I thought it did that
everywhere, not just here in N. FL.

He will need shoal draft to visit many places in the Big Bend although
all the places pinhead lists should have about 6' (except Dog Island).
Getting to within 1/2 mile of the coast with draft over 3' is mostly
difficult except in a few places. Unfortunately, they are the most
interesting places, thats why I I have no paint on the bottom of my
keel.