On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 23:28:33 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On 17 Apr 2005 08:07:02 -0700, wrote:

Expect a couple of familiar voices crying out that such waves don't
exist. :-)

Fortunately they did not exist today on the Gulf of Mexico. We did
see a few in the 3 to 4 foot range which caused Mrs B to stow some
things that were flying around the cabin. Altogether though, it was a
nice ride from Boca Grande down the outside of Cayo Costa, North
Captiva and Captiva Islands, Sannibel Island and back home. The gulf
was a lovely iridescent blue green color punctuated with the white
tops of wind driven waves from a northerly blowing 20 kt +. We could
have gone inside, down the inter coastal waterway, but we're trying to
shake things down for the trip north next month.

Saturday night we were anchored in Pelican Bay at the north end of
Cayo Costa, taking wind gusts of 30 kt plus. This was the first
combat test of the new Spade S200 anchor (120 lbs), and 3/8 HT chain.
The Spade S200 bit hard on the very first set and never budged an
inch. It came up this morning with a huge glob of clay on it from
being so firmly dug in. The windlass refused to pull it out but we
snubbed the chain at near vertical and reversed it out with the DD671s
and twin 28 inch props. No problem at all, even at idle speed they
generate a lot of thrust.

That last part read like a Tom Clancy novel. :)

Later,

Tom

On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:35:21 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

That last part read like a Tom Clancy novel. :)

===================

Thanks (I think). One of the highlights of the trip home on Sunday
afternoon was spotting a green object floating in the Gulf of Mexico
about two miles south west of Sanibel Island. Every once in a while
the wind would get under it and flip it over a few times as it sped
downwind into open water. We altered course to investigate, thinking
it could possibly be an overturned boat or kayak. When we got closer
it turned out to be a floating pool toy, an eight foot inflatable
plastic alligator to be precise. We immediately rescued the gator,
saving him from near certain immigration difficulties at the Cuban or
Mexican border within a few days.

The gator will be named in due time and officially adopted as ship's
mascot. Meanwhile he's resting comfortably in the pool outside my
office as a reminder of a windy, fun day on the Gulf.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:35:21 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

That last part read like a Tom Clancy novel. :)

===================

Thanks (I think). One of the highlights of the trip home on Sunday
afternoon was spotting a green object floating in the Gulf of Mexico
about two miles south west of Sanibel Island. Every once in a while
the wind would get under it and flip it over a few times as it sped
downwind into open water. We altered course to investigate, thinking
it could possibly be an overturned boat or kayak. When we got closer
it turned out to be a floating pool toy, an eight foot inflatable
plastic alligator to be precise. We immediately rescued the gator,
saving him from near certain immigration difficulties at the Cuban or
Mexican border within a few days.

The gator will be named in due time and officially adopted as ship's
mascot. Meanwhile he's resting comfortably in the pool outside my
office as a reminder of a windy, fun day on the Gulf.


I saw something almost as cool: a floating armadillo about 7 miles SW of
Matanzas Pass. He must have been trying to swim to the US from Mexico and
didn't make it.