On Our way Home from Key West

[Three Gypsies]

We made Key West , spent a week there and have pointed our Gypsy back north .
We have been running offshore since Key West . First heading east to Marathon , then turning north to the mainland of Florida . We stayed out of sight of land until the first island of the Everglades showed up on the horizon.
We are presently between Marco Island and Ft Myers , waiting out storms .
In Ft Meyers we renter the ICW , for awhile , then eventually do the big crossing back across the Gulf of Mexico.

Our Gypsy and her Honda 50 have performed flawlessly , only minor problems that were easily repairable . That's 1800 miles and still going .

In my years I have seen two outstanding boats that were considered economy boats , Bayliner and Macgregor and one outstanding car a VW Bug (the original ) and I have owned all three and had many adventures in each . I have been told that none of the three were up to long distance travel . Yet I took 1,000 mile cruises in the Bayliner , and longer cruises in the bug . Now cruising in the Mac .

I love the couch potatoes / dock sitters who have told me what I can't do in the vehicle/vessels I have done it in .

[topcat0399]

Sounds like a nice trip. I'd like to make it sometime.

In my swing keel bleach bottle. I know I know - It can't be done.


It's amazing the things people say can't be done or shouldn't be done with this or that
and even less incredible the number of determined people that do or have done just that
several times even.

[jazaddict]

Kudos to ya. Our is sniffing westward from the trailer on our drive in Punta Gorda in full sisterhood-awareness as you march abeam northward. The storms you wait out have flooded a few of my neighbors; wet times.

We hope to travel that path ourselves one fine day....er...week.

[Three Gypsies]

Sounds like a nice trip. I'd like to make it sometime.

In my swing keel bleach bottle. I know I know - It can't be done.


It's amazing the things people say can't be done or shouldn't be done with this or that
and even less incredible the number of determined people that do or have done just that
several times even.

When I planned to travel the U.S. in my VW , back in the 70s , I was told the engine wasn't big enough , and being air cooled it wouldn't hold up . I was asking for trouble . the little car did just fine.

in 2002 we bought a Bayliner 2252 , their smallest cabin cruiser . I was told that if you stressed the hull they split open , that all Bayliners do that . There is no record of a Bayliner ever doing anything like that . We did several 1,000 mile cruises and crossed the Gulf once in her . I met a guy once who had a 2852 (I think) nice large Bay with a big comfortable cabin . He had never slept on it . When I told him we had traveled 954 miles of rivers and ocean from Montgomery Ala to Columbus Ga . He told me it can't be done , especially in a Bayliner .

Now the MacGregor , our floating bleach bottle , has been 2,000 miles just on this cruise , and still going .

The point of my post is that the dock sitters and couch potatoes are so quick to tell others what not to do , because they don't have the gumption to do it themselves . They want to use any excuse they can to justify staying on the dock . We , as a people have stopped doing things .
We have seen very few small cruisers actually cruising . There are still plenty of luxury big boats out there cruising , but few little ones with Spartan living quarters , such as a Mac .
People camping in the parks are way down . If you drive thru a campground , it has lots of large Motorhomes , but not many tents or small campers .
We have become so soft and lazy . If we can't take the AC , cable TV , and the easy chair with us then we just won't go .

Remember the movie Wall-E ? We are fast headed in that direction !

[Ixneigh]

...if my answer belongs in the front room, please move it
I think its more that, in the income strata that usually yields the tent campers and small boat sailors are working their butts off just trying to make it, let along go anywhere. The big guys can still go if gas goes up to 3.50 a gallon.

[topcat0399]

While occasionally its about the "stuff" - usually it more about the PERSON.

One of my favorite topics to research is small boat troubles.
I read every thing possible about bad things that happen to people in sailboats all over the world.
It gives me insight on what to prepare for and has paid dividends on the water many times.
I try to prepare for the worst and go anyway. If I die - I die doing something I love.

A common theme seems to be the PERSON gave up - the boat didn't.

I also read about the marvelous things people have done with equipment that has been termed totally unsuitable.

I don't know much but I do know that I plan to take my 40 year old bleach bottle places that
people; including many on this board; say it doesn't belong. It's my life and my risk.
I don't own a rescue signaling device and one is not even on the wish list.
I'd rather have an anchor roller!

ps: we have a tent for camping and the bleach bottle has never spent a night at a dock or in a marina.

[DaveB]

Three Gypsies,
I live in Cape Coral and know how much rain you been thru in past week.
This Friday thru weekend will be much dryer. Good to see you have had a great trip.
I will be heading out to Sanibel Island this weekend and do some swimming off the beach, I have taken mast off boat for the summer and will put it back on next mo.
Maybe see you out and about.
Dave, Hot Tub

[133bhp]

I'm all for using what you've got to the max etc but I asked before, wheres the pics/vids to go with the tale? no facebook.

[Three Gypsies]

...if my answer belongs in the front room, please move it
I think its more that, in the income strata that usually yields the tent campers and small boat sailors are working their butts off just trying to make it, let along go anywhere. The big guys can still go if gas goes up to 3.50 a gallon.

You could be right !
We have wondered if the recession didn't wipe out the middle class's ability to recreate . Like you said , the big trawlers keep on going just like the giant motorhomes .

When we started cruising fulltime we looked forward to meeting 'our people' people who were cruising on a budget . People who didn't mind going without a few luxuries . We have met very few .

They were once out there . I have read their books and stories .

[Three Gypsies]

Three Gypsies,
I live in Cape Coral and know how much rain you been thru in past week.
This Friday thru weekend will be much dryer. Good to see you have had a great trip.
I will be heading out to Sanibel Island this weekend and do some swimming off the beach, I have taken mast off boat for the summer and will put it back on next mo.
Maybe see you out and about.
Dave, Hot Tub

We are held up in a little bay called New Pass . It got to rough out there to continue . NOAA is promising good wind and seas on Friday . We plan to go to Ft Meyers Beach area then , probably Moss Marina for ice, gas , and water .
Hope we see you !

[DaveB]

We have done many overnighters in New Pass, it can get rough in the channel with out going current and a 15-20 knot west wind. We bounced the rudders off the bottom in those conditions and bent rudder bracket as waves were abeam at 3-4 ft. seas and bottomed out about 300 ft. from the green entrance bouy.
We were in the middle of the channel at low tide.
We have the Johnson quick release on our rudders but taking the waves abeam it bent sideways.I should have raised the leeward rudder.
Dave

[Herschel]

Just thinking about you and your journey. Hoping you have crossed ahead of this Karen storm and are safely home. If not, take care.

[Catigale]

Be careful out there Three Gypsies...

[Three Gypsies]

We are safely docked at Turtle Cove marina , Tarpon Springs , Anclote River . We are waiting on Karen to get completely out of the Gulf before we continue north on the outside to Steinhatchee River .

A friend and fellow liveaboard turned us onto Active Captain.com and it has proven to be invaluable in finding marinas and anchorages . It has a moveable chart with flags on it showing the things a boater needs such as marinas,anchorages, walmarts , and West Marine .

[JohnCFI]

We are safely docked at Turtle Cove marina , Tarpon Springs , Anclote River . We are waiting on Karen to get completely out of the Gulf before we continue north on the outside to Steinhatchee River .

A friend and fellow liveaboard turned us onto Active Captain.com and it has proven to be invaluable in finding marinas and anchorages . It has a moveable chart with flags on it showing the things a boater needs such as marinas,anchorages, walmarts , and West Marine .

If you have an Ipad or Ipad Mini, have a look at Garmin Bluechart Mobile, turns your Ipad into a chartplotter AND fully integrates with Active Captain...