15-NOV-2020 Monday – Cedar Key FL to Turtle Cove Marina, Tarpon Springs FL     (62.0 nautical miles 71.4 statute miles)

28°09’06.9″N 82°45’42.9″W
28.151920, -82.761903
Elevation: Sea Level
States (1): Florida

Good Morning

We had a stowaway during the night.

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the Way

Today was another big 60 NM open water jump from Cedar Key to Tarpon Springs. We were ~18NM off shore at our furthest point. No big deal as we were still easily in VHF radio range to other boats and the Coast Guard if the unexpected happens.

7:03AM was sunrise, but not that we would notice. In Minnesota we would call this an overcast day. Here, it’s high coastal fog… overcast.

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The morning run started with a Sea World worthy display from four dolphins our bow. Magnificent, synchronized leaps. Too bad my camera was downstairs.

It was a beautiful run with 8 NM winds on our port rear quarter panel, a near following sea.

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We slalomed through the enormous number lines of crab traps. Everyone says there are a lot of traps in the Tarpon Springs are. There are. It’s a regular mine field.

Crab trap floaties come in all colors (white, green, red, lime, aqua, orange, yellow, black, navy….) and designs (solid, solid top, stripes, multi stripes, lines, Xs). They they range in size from just larger than a soft ball to slightly smaller than a bowling ball.

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Watching for crab traps is similar to watching pelicans fly in as much “now you see them …. now you don’t”. All of a sudden, out of no where, there will be 50 of them right there. Right in front of you. We have a line cutter on our prop but hate to be in a position where it has to be used as they are not 100% reliable. 🙁 We did eventually hit a crab trap. The cutter did its job. Whew.

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By the end of the day, I have to say we got our money’s worth from the line cutters. They are $50 a piece. We need two, one for each shaft. Line cutters can cost up to $500.  Not saying… but we might have hit 4 crab traps.

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The smoke stack was visible from a long distance out.

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There are no short cuts into Tarpon Spring. It’s real shallow outside the channel. The north end of Anclote Island is where the West Florida ICW.

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The Historic Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks are straight ahead.

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You can only get into the marina on mid to high tide. We came in on high tide.

The End.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

Tarpon Springs city’s name is said to have been coined in 1880 when Mary Ormond Boyer, standing on the banks of Spring Bayou, spied fish jumping: “Look at the tarpon spring!” No matter that the fish probably were mullet; residents liked the ring of the name.