January 26, 2014, leaving Carabelle for Tarpon Springs

Up early, got provisions at the IGA a block away after the Pizza Party last night with 8 other motor boaters who were leaving around 10 am in the morning.  It takes us longer so more concerned about getting there before dark tomorrrow rather than getting there before dark tonight is done. All of us wanting to come in during the light because of the shallow channel and many many crab pots everywhere.
Called all the boys to let them know our float plan, nobody answered so Curt let Bob know the float plan in case we didn't show up in Tarpon Springs tomorrow, the Coast Guard would know where to start looking for us in the Gulf of Mexico.  Called Chris on the way out to sing him Happy Birthday, left a message.
Per Curt's Log--
8:15 Departed C-Quarters Marina, calm wind with High Overcast skies.
9:30-Passing "R 2" Carabelle channel marker. Electing to go direct to Tarpon Springs.  Wind E 10 kts with 2-3 ft  waves.  Forecast to go down to 1-2 ft. waves with winds shifting south then SW til Monday a.m.  Doing about 4.5 kts into the wind.  Had the jib and Main up till wind shifted to more out of the East.
12:00 N29 degrees 37.58', W84 degrees, 29.14', Some sunshine, wind on the nose of the boat still 4.6 kts.  ETA at noon tomorrow.  Put out a fishing line with a 6" minnow and hook to about 50 ft behind us bouncing along in the center of our wake, trolling.
1300-N29,30.7', W84,25' Speed picked up to 5.1-5.2 kts, seas still 2-3 feet but settling down
1400-N29, 30'7, W84, 20.7' 5.3 kts, variable. See Field Trip, BeachQuest, Inching On, Tumbleweed, coming up behind us about a mile west on their course to Dunedin/Clearwater.  Checked in by radio with them.  We told them we were the second sailboat farther to the east from them, so they kept an eye on us as. well as regular hourly check ins till we were too far apart.  They report they are doing 7-8 kts which means they will pass us in a few hours and be out of radio contact.
1605-N29"22.99', W8411.65' overcast, wind E 10, motor sailing under jib and main close hauled on course 137 to Tarpon Springs.  Seeing dolphins swimming and racing around our boat off and all day.
Started to get dark, other sailboat turning to put his sails down, we've passed him and he is now on a new course behind us instead of a mile to the southwest of us.  Motor boats have disappeared, no land insight for quite some time.  Getting colder.  Just as Curt was going to change gas tanks so he wouldn't have to during the dark night, I looked at the fishing pole, looked like the tip was bent more than usual, had noticed this before but when pulled on the line could see the minnow come up out of the water.  This time Curt looked and inquisitively picked up the pole, starting cranking in the line and about a 100 ft back saw a fish jump out of the water.  Oh my gosh, we got a fish, what do we want to do with it.  Curt set up the pole put out the line but let me pull in the fish.  I cranked and cranked but it would only grind, so pulled up on the pole and cranked, this seemed to work a little better.  Just like on the fishing shows when they catch a big one.  I was so excited, can't believe we actually snagged a fish.  Joey should be here, he's the only one to catch fish on our other deep water trips. After 15 minutes of slowing down the motor and pulling in the jib, we saw it was a tuna.  Curt grabbed the line and pulled him out of the water and put him in the dingy, he was tired and bleeding, lying still while Curt was getting the Rum to give him a long drink to comfort him. (Have you ever got a fish drunk? Have you heard of alcohol poisoning?)  By the time Curt finally got the Rum, he was pretty quiet(the fish), pulled him up on deck, decide he was a keeper especially since he was not moving much.  Curt cleaned him like he saw Dennis do on their trip to the BVI's this last Nov.  I was surprised how pretty he was and how red the meat was.  Amazing we caught Tuna for dinner tomorrow night in Tarpon Springs.
After settling down from the excitement Curt changed fuel tanks put down the main sail just as it was getting dark.  I mean dark, can't see a thing except for the lights on the bow and stern of the boat, can't tell which direction we're going.  Curt has experienced this on his trips to the BVI but we always had moon or other boats with us on our other trips.  I just couldn't get warm as the wind seemed to start blowing a little more and waves were rocking us.  We went down below, Curt covered me up as I lied down on the seat on the starboard side.  Since we were heeled to that side was quite comfortable after the second blanket, multiple layers of clothing and life vest I fell asleep, waking up when Curt came down to get warm.  He dozed off for short minutes then back up to the cockpit to check gauges and back down to the main salon where it is warmer and out of the wind, watching his hand held GPS and GPS on the computer. 

 Leaving the Marina at Carabelle

 Dolphins jumping even before we get out of the bay, good luck to see Dolphins so early in the day

 They're hard to catch on camera

 Past the markers and out in the Gulf of Mexico

 Off in the distance we see another sailboat, the mast barely on the horizon

 Water getting more clear, not the aqua blue yet

 Rocking and rolling, just a little, not my idea of calm seas as forecasted

 Trying to catch a picture of more dolphins as they go back into the water around us, had two twin babies come up right beside the starboard

 Waves picking up a little more

 Tuna in the water and then in the dingy

 Guessing about 24 inches long. I held him up over the water in the back of the boat, thinking I would let him bleed out in the water, upside down like we did with the chickens when we butchered them, so to get the blood out of the meat better.  I'm such a farm girl, not a deep sea fisherwoman!  Quit laughing!