JonNe' is in Clearwater, Florida

Now this was an interesting leg!  We tried to leave P-Cola Monday about 1030, but due to operator error - i.e., Jon failed to re-install the top of the new fuel filter after inspecting it for clogging, we starved the engine of food fuel and spent an hour priming and starting the engine - now everyone knows why a Perkins 4-108 Diesel engine has mostly been replaced by Yanmar's.  Following that, Kent and I spent another hour cleaning the diesel fuel out of the bilge.  We knew Renne' wouldn't go across the street with that aroma, let alone all theway to Clearwater.  We finally managed to clean and start the engine, so at last we were off by 1:30pm.  Talk about fantastic sailing!  12 hours of magnificent winds in the very best direction.  Then the wind died down on Tuesday morning sometime.  We started the engine and motorsailed for Clearwater under power.  Now Clearwater is 275 nm from Pensacola.  2.5 days direct.  We were doing great until the fog hit-now when fog hits you on the Gulf of Mexico, it is like the curtain was dropped on your Broadway show at the last minute during a performance!  1/8 to 1/4 mile visibility for next30 hours.  We were anticipating getting into Clearwater last night at about 11:30.  But talk about DARK!!  We could barely see the bow with all the fog.  We slowed our progress down to 2-2 1/2 kts and made it in this morning.

While on this leg, we had at least 30 dolphins playing tag with JonNe', caught our first fish aboard her (a Little Tunny) which was excellent, saw a few satellites go overhead, realized when you are 150 nm from anywhere, there is little light pollution to block your view of the Hevens, and found the Gulf of Mexico can be so flat (does mirror sound flat?) that individual stars reflect in the water with no distortion, and for so long you wonder when you might fall off the edge of the earth.  Great couple of days!!  Except for the refrigerator going down and losing a few days worth of frozen food, everything was great. 

We will be here probably until sunday.  We will keep you up to date.

Best,

Jon, Renne', JonNe' and Kent