The morning came and the forecast was still looking good. We got everything together and prepared for an early departure. Our friends on Trinity came over and assisted us with the lines. They are sticking around for a couple of days, as they are almost done with their Loop. They will ‘cross their wake’ south of Tampa, so they want to slow down and enjoy the last of the trip and some time in Florida for the winter before they go home to New York sometime in February for the birth of a grandchild. As we were pulling out, our new friends on the houseboat called out and asked where we were heading? We told them either Suwamee or Cedar Key, and they responded they have changed their minds and are going to Cedar Key. They pulled out not far behind us heading out of the river toward the Gulf of Mexico.
The ocean was calm and it was a great day to travel. We had chosen correctly with the help of Marvs Weather and our own diligence. The houseboat does not travel as fast as us, but they can go into more shallow areas than us. We had to go a few miles out to find deep enough water to make our way south. We also had to keep an eye out for crab traps, which are strung out across the ocean for miles, sometimes crisscrossing and snaking around. We can go between the floating buoys, which are about 75 feet apart and mark the traps, but you have to be careful not to get the lines tangled in the propellers. That could be very, very bad. We dodged crab traps and made our way south. We eventually came to the keys we were looking for. There is a marked entrance in, but it twists and turns, and at some points is very shallow- six feet, sometimes less. Just outside of the channel the water is only one and two feet deep. We could see birds standing in the water on shallow land we could not see. The charts we have shows the channel and markers, but sometimes the markers would be outside of the channel on my screen. This caused a dilemma, as do I follow the chart or the markers? The markers are on wood posts, so they do not move around like the floating ones in the rivers. At one point I was outside the marker and the depth was going down- 4’…3’…2’…Oh shit! We miraculously made it through and found some deeper water. We came around a bend and found our anchorage as listed on the maps. This was just outside the city pier, and there is a small marina inside the pier, if you can get a boat through 2 1/2 feet of water depth and eight foot height clearance. Most small fishing boats can do this. Our dinghy can also do this. We anchored outside of the channel by the pier in about ten feet of water depth. We made sure we were secure and called our houseboat friends (Moonschooner) to let them know we had arrived and to check in with them. They were looking at a later arrival due to their speed, but all was well and they were on the way. Once comfortable with our anchor holding, Lauren, Frank and I took the dinghy in to the city pier.
Here is Cedar Key Chamber: “Cedar Key is a quiet island community nestled among many tiny keys on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Long admired for its natural beauty and abundant supply of seafood, it is a tranquil village, rich with the almost forgotten history of old Florida. Our island is located 50 miles southwest of Gainesville, Florida. It sits three miles out into the Gulf of Mexico. Highway 24 is only one road coming into town. It crosses over the salt marshes and channels on four small, low bridges. The population is approximately 800 full time residents. There are no high rises or huge apartment complexes. We are a community of quaint cottages, single-family homes, working water front and aquaculture structures. The view as you cross the Number Four Bridge is spell-binding. Cedar Key is a haven for artists, writers and “adventure” tourists…the Cedar Keys form a chain of barrier islands ideally suited to a vast range of migratory and shore birds, including the elusive white pelican, roseate spoonbill and bald eagle. The variety of natural habitats, from salt marshes to Indian shell mounds, makes this truly a nature lover’s paradise. The small town feeling is absolute – transportation is by car, but the road is shared with bicycles and golf-carts. Drivers and pedestrians wave to locals and visitors alike greeting each other with a warm welcome to our island.” I love this stuff and it is true! The town is as charming as it sounds, and we were able to walk around and explore for a bit before we had to head back in the dinghy to our boat before nightfall. We have lights on the dinghy, but we like to play it safe. We were treated to a great sunset on the way back, and I deviated to say hello to our friends on Moonschooner who had arrived while we were gone. We all enjoyed the sunset and we spoke about tomorrows destination.
We finished the evening looking at weather reports and scouting out our next anchorage while we had dinner. We have a couple of days of traveling before we are back in the protected safety of the Intracoastal Waterway again. We hope to get to Crystal River should the day be good for traveling…