The Adventures of the HideAways

[HideAway]

We finally managed to sneek in a cruise to Terra Ceia Bay -  Just West of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge  and east of the Manatee River across the mouth of Tampa Bay. Twenty seven miles from Gulfport according to the gps.  We joined our sailing club on this early March cruise.


The Adventures of the HideAways

Saint Petersburg is Under the Skyway Bridge

By Matt Maloy


There are old jokes in the snow infested northern state of Nebraska about the difference between four wheel drive pickup trucks and the common two wheel drive.   If I were to run my two wheel drive into a snow bank for instance I?d just open the door, get a snow shovel out of the back and commence digging.

In a four wheel drive ? Get ready for it - You have to crawl out through the window first.  Har Har Harrr!   The snow?.you see ?. Well it?s too deep ?.. aaaa?to open the door??cause?.. by their nature, 4 wheelers are required to drive in deeper snow . . . and . ?.   The same logic seems to apply to the shallow vs deep draft sailing vessels.

On leaving the Bird Island anchorage on Terra Ceia Bay last cruise the First Mate was heard to comment that we didn?t HAVE to go all the way to the second mark since we ARE a shallow draft vessel and as such are obligated by the whole concept of BEING shallow draft to cut the mark.  Shallow draft vessels don?t run aground, just so you know, the ground as it were runs into them.  Did I mention we use a lead line and our keel to determine the Apparent and Actual Depth of the water?

Now I know you?re thinking this is just another two wheel drive story of running aground.   Nay I say!  This is a story of what happens to a four wheel drive shallow draft vessel navigating a narrow serpentine channel early on a chilly low tide morning without the actual ground impacting the hull.

Some of you may not have met our long term crew member, The Famous Mr. E, but you probably have one of his relatives lurking close by.  Mr. E believes he is the center of the universe and demands much pampering before you can expect him to do any work.  He is a heavy drinker and smoker.  He does whatever he likes when he likes to do it and no amount of cajoling, swearing or bodily threats will change his mind. 

I?ve had many conversations with him over the years about his drinking problem (I believe he is a gasoholic) but they usually end with a belch and smelly smoke blown in my face and then he does what he wants anyway.  The bottom line is you don?t want to mess with him, especially when he?s in water colder than he likes and you just woke him up from a nap.

It was the First Mate paying attention again who first noticed the cloud forming at HideAway?s stern as we motor-sailed down the channel from Bird Island.  What followed was the Capt hung over the stern engaging in deep metaphysical unilateral discussions with Mr. E while the First Mate expertly sailed down the channel and out into Tampa Bay without incident even with the Capt. leaning on the tiller at inopportune moments.

Judging by his water pump output indicator Mr E had inhaled a fine white substance that clogged his water pipes and made him run funny.   Yes Mr. E was steamed by the sand stirred up by HideAways? keel as she passed too close over a snowdrift. 

Once on Tampa Bay time was gained to fix Mr. E before HideAway crossed the shipping lane so all that was necessary was to set the GPS to go to Mullet Key.  Unfortunately the GPS directed us to the south west. (Mullet Key is north and slightly west)  It seemed to know where Mullet Key was but did not have a clue as to how to get there.  This according to unnamed sources is equally true of the Capt.  Line of sight navigation would have to do since other problems over rode the need to bring out the manual chart plotter.  Who cares how far away something is when you might not get there anyway?

In an effort to shorten this long story I removed Mr. E?s hat and the plumbing necessary to let sea water pump directly from the engine head.   A half inch stream of gritty and for the most part cold sea water shot almost three feet from the side of the engine for the next 10 miles.  It wasn?t until the horn of Structure C sounded that Mr. E sputtered and nearly stopped.  But that?s to be expected is it not?


It has been said that what ever you experience in a small boat it will be more intense than if you sailed a larger vessel.  You are closer to the water, more attuned to the wind, waves and weather.  You sail longer since you are slower so you see more of the natural world and notice things unapparent to the faster vessel. Shallow sandy reefs apparently did not make the list during this cruise for the HideAways.

Its more than sailing to a destination isn?t it? 

It?s about transporting a hot pot of chili to the raft up in a tippy dink that you haven?t rowed in three years.

It?s about finding a lost widget in your tool box that just may keep the boat sailing/running awhile longer.

It?s about taking multiple bearings from  your rolling deck on the freighter that was hiding behind Egmont Key only a moment ago to determine whether it will split your craft in half  or just graze the stern as you cross the shipping lane with a screaming, side spitting, over-heated engine and tired sails straining to find a weak wind.   

It?s about figuring out how to get 12 gallons of gas in a six gallon tank should you have to motor the whole cruise.


It?s about your three fixes defining a SMALL triangle on your chart right where you think you should be when your GPS tells you to head South West towards a North East mark.

But mostly it?s about??..

?Island Girl  . . . , Island Girl . . .  Island Girl . . . This is HideAway ? We have a problem . . . . Over. . . ?

?HideAway . .  This is Island Girl . . . We?ll stay with you . . .  How can we help? . . . Over??


photos and more www.vistagalleriesofdunedin.com

[Craig Weis]

I'm not exactly sure what your talking about but you ought to keep that boat off the bottom. That's why I fitted a KEEL BOOT  [Frappr] on the bottom of my CP-19.  Sometimes I don't.
skip.

As per above. The sand may have destroyed the flexible water pump impeller or  'machined out'  the waterpump housing, causing a loss of pumping action. So do you get any water out of the engine? The water inlet screen is open? then the water jackets around the cylinder may be plugged with sand as you think and is not allowing the water to 'see' the cylinderside of the jacket.

All we have in my neighbor hood for a bottom is rocks. Great big mothers and some others. 

[HideAway]

This part of Fl has very fine white sand, almost the consistency of flour.  A boat does not have to touch the sand to stir it up, just the pressure of the water will do it.  We didn't bump once.  It was this fine sand that was sucked up into the motor causing it to over heat.   I'm still having problems with it and will probably have to disassemble the motor to clean it out.    There is a photo of the temporay fix on my website www.vistagalleriesofdunedin.com   M

[bob lamb]

Good report!  Sailing is always full of excitement.  I checked your website and wonder if you have any more cruise logs?
I plan to sail the West Coast of Florida, maybe Dunedin to Marathon and back,  someday soon and would appreciate any tips you can give.

Thanks
BobL

[HideAway]

Bob,

Glad you enjoyed the story.   Yes I will be posting more stories about our area as time allows.   I plan to include more information related to the  act of getting there as well as the experience.

Dunedin to Marathon would be a marathon thats for sure!  The previous owners of my boat took it from Dunedin to Key West and told of surfing down ten foot waves for days.  Not my idea of cruising.   We took a cruise in HideAway from Gulfport to Boca Grande and stayed a week in a beach shack on Cayo Costa  then motored back up the Inter Coastal.  A wonderful cruise in perfect weather.  The only real problem we had was tankage and gas.  The 23 is just not set up well for the longer cruises.   I know of others who have lived aboard a 23 for a month and are still married though.

If I were you I'd break up the trip.   Spend a week cruising Dunedin - St Joseph Sound, Honeymoon Island, Caladesi, and Ancolte Key- Tarpon Springs.  Then pull out and head for Charlotte Harbor and spend another week cruising Pine Island Sound then load up and drive to Marathon etc.

For instance I'd put in at the Seminole Dock rAmp in Clearwater.  There are some cautions we should talk about, but it gives you great access to some of the best beaches in America-- The entrance to Caladesi Island State Park through the mangroves is magic.  Caladesi Island is the 2008 Best Beach award winner - I could stay there for a week easy.  Then on northward Dunedin - Honeymoon Tarpon Springs - gotta stay at the city marina and chow down on the Greek food and culture.   In the time it takes you to load the boat back up and drive to Ft Meyers you would only be, on a very good day - in Tampa Bay if you sailed it.

After our Boca Grande cruise we decided to get a trailer just for that reason.   Remember just last month three football players lost thier lives when they were caught in a cold front 35 miles offshore.  Sure they never should have been there but they were.  They launched thier power boat from the Seminole Boat Ramp.

If you are going to make this cruise do it between now and the second week of May - We usually do this type of cruise the first two weeks of May.   Before then we have cold fronts and by the end of May it gets hot and buggy with the threat of a tropical storm popping up.

Now you've got me thinking of Anclote Key Again!!  M