A Few Days on the Gulf

[Be Free]

I left yesterday for a multi-day trip on the Gulf of Mexico.

I started in Steinhatchee and spent the night anchored in a creek near the mouth of the Suwannee River.

I saw several pods of dolphins along the way but none ran with me long enough to get any good pictures.

I did have this little critter with me for about 20 minutes. I was close to five miles offshore when it landed. I'm guessing I was a convenient spot to rest. Anyone know what it is?

[kenfyoozed]

Where all will you be visiting?

[Stickinthemud57]

LOL! I couldn't see what you were talking about until I zoomed in.

Looks like a Yellow Warbler:

https://www.lifeonchickadeelane.com/201 ... gging.html

"Yellow Warblers breed across central and northern North America and spend winters in Central America and northern South America. They migrate earlier than most other warblers in both spring and fall. Like many other migrating songbirds, Yellow Warblers from eastern North America fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a single nonstop journey; some Yellow Warblers in fall take an overland route around the Gulf."

In your case, it had a chance to rest up. Good on ya!

Looking forward to following your log entries.

[Be Free]

Where all will you be visiting?

No real plans other than a few days out on the boat. I was hoping to get to Cedar Key but the winds pretty much died on Sunday.

I played around in the Suwannee sound on Sunday. I was back at anchor by 6pm and used the extra daylight to track down a wiring problem on my anchor light.

Monday was the last day with good winds forecast so I took off early and rode them back to Steinhatchee. I went well offshore to catch the strongest winds. It ended up just shy of 40 miles under sail today.

I had a pod of dolphins than stayed with me all the way down the Suwannee channel. It's always fun when they show up.

My wife met me at the boat ramp at 7 with a hot meal. We motored out to the mouth of the river and enjoyed dinner and a sunset. She's back home and I'm anchored out for the night.

Tomorrow I'll see how far the wind will take me to the north.

[Be Free]

After dinner show. Those are my wife's feet, not mine

[Be Free]

LOL! I couldn't see what you were talking about until I zoomed in.

Looks like a Yellow Warbler:

https://www.lifeonchickadeelane.com/201 ... gging.html

"Yellow Warblers breed across central and northern North America and spend winters in Central America and northern South America. They migrate earlier than most other warblers in both spring and fall. Like many other migrating songbirds, Yellow Warblers from eastern North America fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a single nonstop journey; some Yellow Warblers in fall take an overland route around the Gulf."

In your case, it had a chance to rest up. Good on ya!

Looking forward to following your log entries.

When he landed I told him he was welcome to stay and rest as long as he wanted. I'm not saying he understood, but I've never had any other bird sit within 6 feet of me for that long.

[Jimmyt]

After dinner show. Those are my wife's feet, not mine

Great sunset pic! I'm vicariously enjoying your trip. Thanks for posting!

[Be Free]

Tuesday was a bit rough in the morning. The Gulf was very choppy and the prevailing waves were coming from exactly the wrong direction.

Things settled down around 10 and I had a very comfortable downwind run to the north.

Around 2 I got a call from my wife that she was out with a friend and they were just passing Hagens Cove. I told her that I was about 2 miles off the beach there. She turned around and got this picture.



I continued north to Keaton Beach. The channel is well marked but best sailed at high tide. There is a good Anchorage on the south side of the channel near the breakwater. It is open except to the east. Unfortunately that is the only direction the wind was not going to blow for the next 18 hours.

I could not find anything deep enough behind the breakwater that was not too close to houses.

There was not enough time to sail back to Steinhatchee so I reluctantly dropped the sails and motored back

This was Tuesday's evening show coming into the Steinhatchee River.



It was a very windy night and I sailed at anchor all night. Guess that makes up for not sailing back from Keaton Beach.

[ris]

Glad you had a nice trip. Did you go to the Suwannee river past the town of Suwannee? We have thought several times about doing the West Coast of Florida and going up the rivers like the Suwanee. I think a Mac could go up the Suwanee river to Branford but not sure.

Richard

[NiceAft]

LOL! I couldn't see what you were talking about until I zoomed in.

Looks like a Yellow Warbler:

https://www.lifeonchickadeelane.com/201 ... gging.html

"Yellow Warblers breed across central and northern North America and spend winters in Central America and northern South America. They migrate earlier than most other warblers in both spring and fall. Like many other migrating songbirds, Yellow Warblers from eastern North America fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a single nonstop journey; some Yellow Warblers in fall take an overland route around the Gulf."

In your case, it had a chance to rest up. Good on ya!

Looking forward to following your log entries.

You definitely get the Audubon award.

[Stickinthemud57]

Have to give credit where credit is due. A Google image search for "yellow bird" got me to a matching pic pretty quickly.

[Be Free]

Glad you had a nice trip. Did you go to the Suwannee river past the town of Suwannee? We have thought several times about doing the West Coast of Florida and going up the rivers like the Suwanee. I think a Mac could go up the Suwanee river to Branford but not sure.

Richard

Yes. I sailed from Steinhatchee to the mouth of the Suwannee, then upriver past the town of Suwannee.

I can go up the Suwannee River as far as Fanning Springs. You, since you mast is already down, will have no problem getting under the US 19 bridge and making it up to Branford. If the river is up you can go another 10 miles or so past Branford. It gets rocky and shallow above O'Brian.

I've done the Steinhatchee, Suwanee, and Crystal rivers along that stretch of coast. I highly recommend it.

[dlandersson]

I'm glad you said that. I was worried by my appreciation of those feet for a minute

After dinner show. Those are my wife's feet, not mine

[miamistyle]

Be Free is correct about the rocks in the Suwannee up-river from Branford. I have bent several props on my run about learning exactly where those rocks are.

I would be interested in joining you out there on the gulf this summer in my , especially around scallop season. You would have to wait for me when sailing and roles would be reversed when motoring

Fall 2023 or fall 2024 I would like to try to sail from Steinhatchee to the keys. Who is up for joining the flotilla?