This is the [Ranger] Life!: All Nighter

December 29, 2010

Can’t believe 2010 is almost over! Glacier’s Centennial year! Been sailing (living aboard for 15 days...17 days of sleeping on it. Challenges seem to come and go, but they’re still remembered each time I start a new day. I’m having issues remembering that I CAN do this. In fact, I have! I get nervous when the boat gets going fast. It’s like you have control of a train and if you let go, there could be a wreck or it could just run out of steam.

Haven’t had any major set backs. We had a kinked fuel line, and Dub fixed it just in the nick of time. We’ve spent just about as much time on land or anchored out for a while, as we have been sailing. Dub’s itching to head south, as am I because the weather has been unseasonably cold. Freezing temps almost each weekend. What happened to my warm Florida? Oh well, Patience.

Dub sailing on very choppy Tampa Bay waters (Sunshine Skyway bridge behind him)

Stayed up all night in fairly choppy weather because we couldn’t make it into a channel. Too shallow and the waves were rocking us so much that we were hitting bottom. We headed back out into the Gulf and went south. Not a good idea to try and go into an inlet in the dark. The best idea from there was to head south...and actually head south all night. The wind from the North was blowing us in the right direction, which made for easy sailing south. It was ok sailing at night, just taxing being up and being cold (a freeze warning was in effect...brrr!). I stayed up until 12:30-1:00 while Dub slept. Then He took second shift til 4am. It was ok, just strange to only see lights. You didn’t have a landmark to point at, it was just lights. I never thought I would say it, but I was wishing for more lights. Light pollution is nasty, but they help when navigating. I heard several Dolphins surface for air, 2 or 3 Loon calls and 3 shooting stars! A night to remember.

Near Boca Grande. I never welcomed a sunrise so much!

So we made it to Boca Grande, a beautiful wide and deep inlet near Charlotte Harbor. Traveled about 60 nautical miles from Manatee River outlet (in Tampa Bay) to our new location. We’re staying on the south side of the inlet at Cayo Costa State Park. We’ve kayaked out to this island before, but never anchored our boat and gone ashore. A totally different feeling. It’s nice to be off choppy waters at sea! Camping tonight, Cabbage Key tomorrow!