The next day the winds were still light, forecast to remain so, but shifting from the westerly quadrant. Then in a few days, 25-30 knots from the east. I decide to motor over to Arsnicker Key because I wanted a look at the shoals between the two islands. As Suspected, there was a small boat channel there, unmarked. I explored the area by paddleboard with my dogs. I decided after I did a few rigging adjustments, to depart to Elliot key and anchor there to await the easterlies where I would be in the lee on the bay side of Elliot. I put the jib up, and a reef in the main since the course was off the wind and it seem to be getting a little stronger. Making 4.5 now not bad. Not great. Shake the reef out? Too lazy. Looks like Elliott’s is crowded. Wind picks up now hitting five plus. Not bad. Now it’s not as behind me though. And it’s still increasing. The dogs look annoyed at the heel angle. Boats handling very well but I need to reduce sail obviously. Two reefs and my spitfire jib would be perfect and a park the boat into the wind to contemplate that. With no board down, the boat slides sideways but is still under control with with everything sheeted flat. I decide to just lose the jib and see what the weather does. The dogs heartily concur. Before I do this though, I banish them below.
The jib comes down and a lash it to the pulpit. That eases things nicely. I probably should have put the second reef in but I didn’t. It was getting late. Back at the helm I get the boat going again with around five knots just off the wind a bit. We used to not be able to have the full main up in these conditions without rounding up. But I fixed that little vice. With the weather runner set up I can now enjoy the ride sans Rogers “safety feature”. I decide to not go to Elliot key since it’s windy AF now and maybe sands key will be better. It’s only a few miles further and might offer more protection because of the surrounding shoals. Elliott key has sand beaches for a reason and I don’t feel like being anchored tonight in that reason. There’s a few larger power cruisers at sands key when I arrive after dark. I pull the boat far into the little harbor where the chop is less and put the anchor down in 6 ft of water.
The next day the winds are less. I put the sails away and move the boat closer to shore now that I can see it better. The rest of the day is spent paddle boarding around bocachita key (the one with the light house) and the very shallow “keyhole” harbor on sands key which id only be tempted to use in a raging norther due to bug population. (Extreme) the water colors in the sands key location are lovely. Turquoise, white electric blue, green, tan and brown, I found a tiny spot with tidal flow sluicing through the shallows. A better harbor in northers but accessible only on the tide. I parked the boat carefully here at high tide and had a second day of mostly swimming.
The actual little harbor is not visible in these pictures. (Harbor only for Mac’s of course)
Although idyllic, and picturesque, I moved the boat on the evening high tide because of the possibility of sand flies.
The wind the next morning was cranking. They were not lying about 25. It was forecast to come out of the southerly direction in a few days. That meant I had to depart soon unless I wanted 25 knot headwinds. I thought to get underway with the main, and maybe anchor near Alabama jacks for a Lunch excursion. On getting out into the bay, I nixed the idea of a second reef any a storm jib. The boat was slogging along at 4.5 with winds just forward of the beam. I didn’t think the sail adjustments would be worth the extra knot. I sailed through the various banks channels, and under the bridge by Alabama jacks with the motor on idle but it was not needed as the current was with me. If I shor straight over to jewfish creek I could probably make the tarpon basin
Harbor by nightfall. So I made a sandwich and kept sailing. Nice and dry despite the chop. Doing the turtle thing slow and steady but getting there. I had to motor through jewfish creek of course. But once out in blackwater sound it was clear sailing to the other side where I dropped the main and anchored in tarpon basin an hour later.
