Today, we focused on preparing for the Gulf crossing. We chose the direct route to Clearwater.  It is 170 miles and 18 hours overnight. We leave at 5 pm and arrive at our destination in the morning with sunlight to avoid crab pots snagging our props. 

At lunch, Mike rode his bike to the bait shop in preparation of a chance to catch a fish while crossing.  On the way, he stopped to take a selfie of the world’s smallest police station (see picture below). 

Jen and Kelly took the wagon to the grocery store for new provisions. The store is just across the street but actually a 10 min hilly walk due to our boat slip location. It is very strange shopping with a wagon vs. a grocery cart. Funny, no one looked twice at us.At 5pm, we met up with fellow loopers to discuss the crossing. We divided into groups based on 1. Day crossing, 2. Evening crossing and 3. The “elbow” route which is hugging the shore and stopping in 3 towns (Steinhatche, Cedar Key and Tarpon Springs).  Jen brought name tags and Kelly brought a list of things to consider for safety and logistics. Our group agreed to meet at Dog Island at 5pm and use channel 68 for communication. We agreed to do an hourly check-in at the top of the hour.  In total, our night crossing group totaled 9 boats – Wishes, In Custody, Silver Linings, CJ’s, North Star, Tug Lee Loo, Patriot, Northern Lights and Great Escapes.

After the meeting, all the loopers coincidentally gathered at the only restaurant in walking distance – The Fisherman’s Wife. We sat with our new friends, In Custody and Silver Linings. Funny, we all grew up in Michigan. We had a great night bonding over Michigan hot spots like Alpine Valley Ski Resort, Kensington Park, Lipsticks, St. Andrews Hall and Charlevoix. We also bonded on Michigan food favorites such as Sanders Bumpy cake, Coney Island hot dogs and Vernors soda. It was great time visiting memory lane. Dinner was very good. Mike has been rating key lime pies since we’ve been in Florida.  The Fisherman’s Wife is now #2. Dewey Destins at Destin is still #1!