30 December. We have made preparations all day; laundry, grocery shopping, packing, storing and chart review and electronic navigation planning in anticipation of getting out of here. Weather on 1 January has been promising for about 4-5 days now. However, slight hick-up later today in the forecast with possible North winds being considerably higher than anticipated. We remain a potential go, but not as certain as we were yesterday. We still desire 1 foot seas, anticipate real world 2 foot and less than 15 mph winds. Much lower would be best. A bit higher numbers in the latest forecast.
Intent is to fill the fresh water tank (31st) tomorrow morning, pay our marina bill and get ready to cast off the lines after lunch. We are going to go out to Dog Island and anchor. It is about 1.5-2.0 hours of motoring the 7-8 miles to the anchorage with almost half of the distance in a no-wake zone. There we will celebrate new year's eve with thermal pot chili made today and hawk the weather forecast. If conditions don't get worse, we will get underway Wednesday before first light and ease out of the anchorage and proceed out East pass into the Gulf and begin our 70 mile crossing of the northern section of the Gulf of Mexico.
Well not so fast. As mid-day yesterday approached, the noted uptick in northerly winds continued to freshen in the forecast. My paid weather forecaster sent an update in the early afternoon---2-3 foot wind chop on the beam for the first 4-5 hours of the trip. I queried back and forth and he said it would be doable, but probably did not meet our comfort level. Dejected, we and two other loopers in similar size boats as ours, decided to cancel our plans.
We then hiked to Carrabelle Beach and had a small picnic then walked the 2.4 miles back. Quiet evening visiting with another looper couple, then early sleep.
Happy New Year.
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