St. Petersburg to Sarasota Harbor, April 11, 2013,
By: Roger Anderson, Crew aboard the Aqua Vida.
Aqua Vida lies just off shore of the Maximo Moorings Park in South St. Petersburg when I arrived to
join the voyage on the morning of April 11th. This was to be my second passage after the shakedown
cruise between Galveston Bay and Morgan City. This morning a cool south wind blow off Tampa Bay
and a heavy mist lingered over the grass flats as Ken and Kaylee motored into Frenchman’s Creek to
pick me up. The objective of the day was to cross Tampa Bay to the Intracoastal Waterway in Manatee
County then south to the mooring field at Marina Jack’s in Sarasota Harbor, a distance of approximately
35 miles. An offshore passage to Sarasota was determined to be out of the questions because of the
restrictive pass into Sarasota Bay from the Gulf. The cruising guides were unanimous in stating the
constraints of the shallow pass with shifting shoals. Local knowledge, with daily experience on the pass,
was recommended to make this passage and none was available among our small crew. The high south
winds also prohibited an offshore passage. Cool winds gusting to 25 mph would make of a rough ride in
the Gulf.
I wanted to join the Jones’s for this passage since I am a native of St. Petersburg and have sailed the
waters of Tampa Bay since my early teens. Memories of long past Sea Explorer cruises, all night snook
fishing trips to Egmont Key and Inter Collegiate sailboat races from the Eckerd College on Frenchman’s
Creek were on my mind as we weighted anchor and motored south along the channel west of the
Sunshine Skyway Causeway. Further west of the channel we could see the luxury development of Terra
Veda and the expansive seagrass beds around Bunces Pass. Closer to Tampa Bay we could see the
large American Flag on Fort De Soto Park that looked out of place towering above the islands mangrove
forests and flapped vigorously in the high winds.
The south wind was an issue from the start of this passage. Winds were 18 to 20 mph straight out of
180 degrees south with gusts to 25 mph. So, the wind was on the bow for the entire trip to Sarasota
and limited the ability to sail to just the crossing of Tampa and Sarasota Bay’s. Danielle set the course
using two IPads, IPhone and the boats chart plotter. We set a reefed mainsail and genoa off of the
Skyway Fishing Pier once we cleared the outer marker of the channel and fell off to 220 degrees
south, southwest into the white caps of Tampa Bay, a heading that would take us to the Intracoastal
Waterways off Anna Marie Key in Manatee County. We could see the tree line of the Key on the
horizon 10 mile away. Danielle and Kaylee curled up on the cockpit seats for the bumpy ride and I
braced my right foot against the cowling for leverage against the shape heal to starboard. The boat
responded to the wind with speeds of 6+ knots and we made the crossing in less than two hours. Any
sailor can tell you that sails seem to come alive in winds higher than 20 mph. They shout for attention
as they flap in the wind and strain the sheets like an angry bulldog pulling on it leash. The jib sheets join
the animation like collided snakes thrashing the decks while coming about. We were to experience
more gyrations of these jib sheets once we reached Sarasota, but that’s later in the story.
After the sleigh ride down Tampa Bay we furled the sails off of Anna Marie Key and motored into
the Intracoastal segment in Manatee County. The protected waters between the mainland and
Gulf beaches gave relieve from the strong winds and we only had a light chop as we continued to
motor south. Two bridges later we leisurely motored towards Sarasota Bay passing the old Florida
Communities of Anna Marie, Cortez, Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key. The land uses on the shore
were a mixture of old and new, with the old Florida beach and fishing communities giving way to the
mega mansions and the scenery was always interesting.
A large commercial vessel passed under the Cortez Bridge in back of us. It looked out of its element
as it steamed down the Intracoastal. Ken suggested we turn around and let it pass before we reached
the narrow section of channel a few miles ahead. As it passed we could see that it was a 125+ foot
Army Corps of Engineers dredge with its suction pipes deployed on either side. A few miles further
south the dredge slowed and unannounced began dredging the channel, a process that obstructed the
narrow channel and confused boaters on the waterway, including us. After several attempts to pass the
dredge, we circled and waited for a chance to snick by. The depth finder on the boat went wild when
we entered the turbulent waters around the dredge and we were unwilling to attempt a passing when
the water depth showed only four feet, since we needed 5.5 feet just to float the boat.
After 15 to 20 minutes we passed successfully and entered the broad section of Sarasota Bay, where Ken
raised the sails and executed a nice series of tacks to the St. Armand Key Bridge, just north of downtown
Sarasota. Ahead was Marina Jacks, a sprawling waterfront facility that included a full range of amenities
for both the local and transit boating community. Danielle had called ahead to reserve a mooring and
the plan was to wait out an approaching weather front while replenishing supplies, doing laundry and
preparing for the next leg of the trip to Charlotte Harbor.
The roller Reefer and genoa proved to be a problem in the high wind while we approached Marina
Jacks. A section of the head sail halfway up the forestay remained bloused and would not furl. The
bloused section thrashed violently in the high wind and it was apparent that damage to the sail was
inevitable, unless we resolved the problem and completed the furling. What followed were repeated
attempts to furl the genoa while secured to the mooring. The winds were now up to a steady 25 mph
and the sail beat violently against the stays as we repeatedly unfurled and furled the sail to eliminate
the blouse. During these efforts the ¾ inch jib sheeting came alive, like the enraged snake described
earlier, and pummeled both Ken and myself as we attempted to control the sail. For the record, a ¾
inch sheet that spends most of its working life gently coiled up on deck, can be a formable sparring
partner in the high wind and can deliver devastating blows to the head and shoulders of anyone within
reach. After an exhaustive and unsuccessful battle with the roller reefer, we dropped the mooring line
as sailed back into Sarasota Bay looking for a sheltered area to complete the furling. While sailing
downwind we were final successful in furling the foresail (Ken’s idea). The lesson learned was that the
high wind caused the foresail to furl too tightly and there was not enough line on the roller reefing spool
to accommodate all of the sail. With this new knowledge, we limped back to our assigned mooring
to nurse our rope burned hands and wounded pride. The next day we replaced the furling line and
added additional loops of line around the furling spool on the roller reefer. Next time we will be better
prepared to battle this snaring beast.
The real adventures in Sarasota were the trips back and forth between the dingy dock and boat. In the
best of conditions the 8 foot RIB (Rubber Inflatable Boat) barely accommodated the four of us. When
you add, laundry, groceries, dry bags full of cloths and necessities for daily excursions; the boat was full
to capacity. On several occasions we made a late night run back to the boat in 20 mph winds and white
caps. Danielle and Kay Lee both kept us entertained with screams and gremmies as the cold water
surged over bow and soaked the entire crew. Other than these little adventures, Sarasota was a great
stop in the cruise. Stacy Roberts and her mother fixed us dinner one night, and the facilities at Marina
Jacks and downtown Sarasota were excellent. Of course, there was the unusual sighting of a couple
with nine dogs at the Marina Jacks restaurant. That’s right nine dogs all dressed up in matching jackets,
having dinner on the dog friend section of the restaurant deck overlooking the marina. You have to love
Sarasota.
By: Roger Anderson, Crew aboard the Aqua Vida.
Aqua Vida lies just off shore of the Maximo Moorings Park in South St. Petersburg when I arrived to
join the voyage on the morning of April 11th. This was to be my second passage after the shakedown
cruise between Galveston Bay and Morgan City. This morning a cool south wind blow off Tampa Bay
and a heavy mist lingered over the grass flats as Ken and Kaylee motored into Frenchman’s Creek to
pick me up. The objective of the day was to cross Tampa Bay to the Intracoastal Waterway in Manatee
County then south to the mooring field at Marina Jack’s in Sarasota Harbor, a distance of approximately
35 miles. An offshore passage to Sarasota was determined to be out of the questions because of the
restrictive pass into Sarasota Bay from the Gulf. The cruising guides were unanimous in stating the
constraints of the shallow pass with shifting shoals. Local knowledge, with daily experience on the pass,
was recommended to make this passage and none was available among our small crew. The high south
winds also prohibited an offshore passage. Cool winds gusting to 25 mph would make of a rough ride in
the Gulf.
I wanted to join the Jones’s for this passage since I am a native of St. Petersburg and have sailed the
waters of Tampa Bay since my early teens. Memories of long past Sea Explorer cruises, all night snook
fishing trips to Egmont Key and Inter Collegiate sailboat races from the Eckerd College on Frenchman’s
Creek were on my mind as we weighted anchor and motored south along the channel west of the
Sunshine Skyway Causeway. Further west of the channel we could see the luxury development of Terra
Veda and the expansive seagrass beds around Bunces Pass. Closer to Tampa Bay we could see the
large American Flag on Fort De Soto Park that looked out of place towering above the islands mangrove
forests and flapped vigorously in the high winds.
The south wind was an issue from the start of this passage. Winds were 18 to 20 mph straight out of
180 degrees south with gusts to 25 mph. So, the wind was on the bow for the entire trip to Sarasota
and limited the ability to sail to just the crossing of Tampa and Sarasota Bay’s. Danielle set the course
using two IPads, IPhone and the boats chart plotter. We set a reefed mainsail and genoa off of the
Skyway Fishing Pier once we cleared the outer marker of the channel and fell off to 220 degrees
south, southwest into the white caps of Tampa Bay, a heading that would take us to the Intracoastal
Waterways off Anna Marie Key in Manatee County. We could see the tree line of the Key on the
horizon 10 mile away. Danielle and Kaylee curled up on the cockpit seats for the bumpy ride and I
braced my right foot against the cowling for leverage against the shape heal to starboard. The boat
responded to the wind with speeds of 6+ knots and we made the crossing in less than two hours. Any
sailor can tell you that sails seem to come alive in winds higher than 20 mph. They shout for attention
as they flap in the wind and strain the sheets like an angry bulldog pulling on it leash. The jib sheets join
the animation like collided snakes thrashing the decks while coming about. We were to experience
more gyrations of these jib sheets once we reached Sarasota, but that’s later in the story.
After the sleigh ride down Tampa Bay we furled the sails off of Anna Marie Key and motored into
the Intracoastal segment in Manatee County. The protected waters between the mainland and
Gulf beaches gave relieve from the strong winds and we only had a light chop as we continued to
motor south. Two bridges later we leisurely motored towards Sarasota Bay passing the old Florida
Communities of Anna Marie, Cortez, Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key. The land uses on the shore
were a mixture of old and new, with the old Florida beach and fishing communities giving way to the
mega mansions and the scenery was always interesting.
A large commercial vessel passed under the Cortez Bridge in back of us. It looked out of its element
as it steamed down the Intracoastal. Ken suggested we turn around and let it pass before we reached
the narrow section of channel a few miles ahead. As it passed we could see that it was a 125+ foot
Army Corps of Engineers dredge with its suction pipes deployed on either side. A few miles further
south the dredge slowed and unannounced began dredging the channel, a process that obstructed the
narrow channel and confused boaters on the waterway, including us. After several attempts to pass the
dredge, we circled and waited for a chance to snick by. The depth finder on the boat went wild when
we entered the turbulent waters around the dredge and we were unwilling to attempt a passing when
the water depth showed only four feet, since we needed 5.5 feet just to float the boat.
After 15 to 20 minutes we passed successfully and entered the broad section of Sarasota Bay, where Ken
raised the sails and executed a nice series of tacks to the St. Armand Key Bridge, just north of downtown
Sarasota. Ahead was Marina Jacks, a sprawling waterfront facility that included a full range of amenities
for both the local and transit boating community. Danielle had called ahead to reserve a mooring and
the plan was to wait out an approaching weather front while replenishing supplies, doing laundry and
preparing for the next leg of the trip to Charlotte Harbor.
The roller Reefer and genoa proved to be a problem in the high wind while we approached Marina
Jacks. A section of the head sail halfway up the forestay remained bloused and would not furl. The
bloused section thrashed violently in the high wind and it was apparent that damage to the sail was
inevitable, unless we resolved the problem and completed the furling. What followed were repeated
attempts to furl the genoa while secured to the mooring. The winds were now up to a steady 25 mph
and the sail beat violently against the stays as we repeatedly unfurled and furled the sail to eliminate
the blouse. During these efforts the ¾ inch jib sheeting came alive, like the enraged snake described
earlier, and pummeled both Ken and myself as we attempted to control the sail. For the record, a ¾
inch sheet that spends most of its working life gently coiled up on deck, can be a formable sparring
partner in the high wind and can deliver devastating blows to the head and shoulders of anyone within
reach. After an exhaustive and unsuccessful battle with the roller reefer, we dropped the mooring line
as sailed back into Sarasota Bay looking for a sheltered area to complete the furling. While sailing
downwind we were final successful in furling the foresail (Ken’s idea). The lesson learned was that the
high wind caused the foresail to furl too tightly and there was not enough line on the roller reefing spool
to accommodate all of the sail. With this new knowledge, we limped back to our assigned mooring
to nurse our rope burned hands and wounded pride. The next day we replaced the furling line and
added additional loops of line around the furling spool on the roller reefer. Next time we will be better
prepared to battle this snaring beast.
The real adventures in Sarasota were the trips back and forth between the dingy dock and boat. In the
best of conditions the 8 foot RIB (Rubber Inflatable Boat) barely accommodated the four of us. When
you add, laundry, groceries, dry bags full of cloths and necessities for daily excursions; the boat was full
to capacity. On several occasions we made a late night run back to the boat in 20 mph winds and white
caps. Danielle and Kay Lee both kept us entertained with screams and gremmies as the cold water
surged over bow and soaked the entire crew. Other than these little adventures, Sarasota was a great
stop in the cruise. Stacy Roberts and her mother fixed us dinner one night, and the facilities at Marina
Jacks and downtown Sarasota were excellent. Of course, there was the unusual sighting of a couple
with nine dogs at the Marina Jacks restaurant. That’s right nine dogs all dressed up in matching jackets,
having dinner on the dog friend section of the restaurant deck overlooking the marina. You have to love
Sarasota.
