Overnight Gulf Crossing | Right call? | Great Loop 

New to your channel, already a major fan when u start any and all things with prayer! God is so great, have a safe trip , all my prayers!

Really powerful to have a women’s shift with videos. Shows how much all of you trust each other and share your faith. I’ve followed your journey from the beginning and it’s been inspiring.

Good as your videos are, this one is a step above the usual excellence! Great video, thanks for sharing

This was your BEST video. So great. Enjoyed it the whole way. Felt like I was part of the trip. Best best best. Congrats.

Nice family nice video..🤙🏻all the best

Absolutely beautiful to see the family praying 🙏 together and for a safe Crossing 🚸!! I to have been with you since the sale of your vessel out west.. safe travels and 🙏 Scott and FuzzyNugget the traveling Cat

I always enjoy Gulf Crossing videos, thanks for sharing

Loved this video! You have helped quell some of my trepidation about this route. It looks doable. Thank you for sharing your strategy and experience.

Wow your best episode to date. Probably your longest as well. I think I noticed your white starting to Glow gold at the 5 p.m. shift. Hope it's a sign of good things to come. It was great seeing "seashine" in your background at the end. I watched both of your families boat shopping. At one point I didn't believe either family was going to be able to find a vessel. I just turned on a good friend to your journey. This episode will be perfect for him to start watching your family.

If you ever have to do shift’s again 5&5 are much easier than 3

Riveting... Im so glad ya'll documented this and often wondered about the crossing. I am and sure others are glad everyone made it safe, Cheers!

So fun to re-live this and see how it went on your boat! Great video and SeaSHINE sure loved crossing with you! Thank YOU for everything you did to help our crossing. xoxo (and so glad we had an uneventful docking behind you LOL)

Very exciting

I had a Blenheim Cav named Ollie (mom was Bella!)... .Best dogs EVER!!!!!!!

Great episode. Thanks for sharing.

You guys are getting better at making videos. Love you guys.

Excellent work by the crew!

On good Friday today I wish you a blessed Easter

Glad you made it safely. Nice job. Best of luck to you.

Nice Job!

Ha! Your boy was yawning before yall even started your shifts. Was wondering if he would last. 😂 Love it

Hey Jen, nice sweater. The crab pots are still there. Waiting on another weather break in St. Pete and should leave tomorrow. May take in a few minutes at the Indy Car Series race which is tomorrow. We got here Thursday and NOISE from 9-6. Sounds like a bazillion bees. Thanks. D.

GOD bless you and your family

Great video! Enjoy watching your videos. It's inspirational

Great video!!

Good job on the crossing and vid. We had similar conditions on our crossing, fairly calm seas and full moon. I will say we weren’t nearly as organized. Our group just agreed on a depart time and that was it. We went to Clearwater instead of TS. at about 9 knots. 180 miles in 18 hours. We waited in Carrabelle for 5 days and although I liked it there next time I am going use your plan and wait in PCB for a window.

Excellent video!! I'm glad you made it safely, and I knew you could do it!! 🛥 The smiles on your faces said it all 😊😊😊😊🐕

Fire Family, Playlist is on point!!!

THANKS!

This is my first visit to your adventures. What's your ride? A Fairline? Kinda rare but I don't recognize the glimpse I got of her lines.

This was so interesting and informative, thank you for sharing.

First time viewer here from Clearwater. Love the boat and the video, just one comment though. I'm 59 and have spent most of my life on the gulf waters between Tampa Bay and Tarpon Springs. It sounds to me like someone has you convinced that crab pots are as dangerous as bombs! Yes, I suppose it's possible you could catch a rope in your prop, but very unlikely. I can't tell you how many hundred we have hit over the years! For example, during Kingfish tournaments you have a few hundred boats trolling through thousands of pots! During these tournaments it's usually pretty rough so you can't see them many times till it's too late. Your bow will just push them clear of your prop. I don't remember anyone who actually caught one. You're much more likely to snag one in reverse, so be careful there. But there really isn't much to worry about while underway! If I ruined a fun thing in looking out for them, then I do apologize. 😉

Great info!!’ Like very meaningful details.

Great video! Wait until you guys get up into the Chesapeake Crab Pots pretty much everywhere.

First time viewer and new subscriber. Love watching big water crossings. Loved your content. Keep up your great work.

Playing it safe!

Actually seeing the sun dip under the horizon was incredible, but I didn't see a green flash! Guess it doesn't come through cameras...

just found your channe; amd now i knowwhat im going to bingeforthe next 2 weeks hahaha

When we were younger, we always made the jump across, even going from Clearwater to Pensacola on occasion. But, now, in my sixties, I'm am a firm believer in the daylight only, Clearwater to Crystal River, Crystal River to Steinhatchie, Steinhatchie to Carrabelle way of getting across. I've just hit too much debris at night. Funny, I was watching your video, thinking, wait a minute, that was about the time I was in Carrabelle at C-Quarters. And, in your video, I see my truck parked there in the parking lot for just a second!

If you didn't eat at the Fisherman's Wife you lose!. I always cross from Carabelle to Clearwater at night... the Gulf usually sleeps at night. Usually hit the Clearwwater Bridge at Sun up. My boat is quite a bit larger than yours, so I can't turn to Clearwater Marina after the bridge but continue on to the ICW before turning to port. Crab pots are everywhere, be vigilant.

great vid

Well done! Good planning, good preparation, excellent crew. Happy the seas stayed relatively calm and a full moon helped you maintain vision of the waters around you. Surprised you got salt spray on your windshield heading into moderate seas at low speed -- have you found Witness to be a wet boat? The isinglass over the low windshield must be a hassle -- I had a boat with isinglass making up the entire windshield and disliked it intensely. It became almost opaque when covered with salt spray and there was no windshield wiper to clear rain off it. Running through busy New York City waters in a downpour was much more stressful due to hampered visibility through isinglass. Enjoyed sharing the trip with you -- fine video.

I'm curious if the Stay Cool was the boat in front of you. We are watching their videos as well.

Good job! Were you able to wash down your windshield before you arrived? Do you have a fresh water washdown for the anchor you could have sprayed? Even unzipping the canvas panel above and tossing a bucket of water on the windshield might help. It makes me nervous to see a big cloud of muck coming up when you maneuver into your slip. Must not be much depth there. I guess it's pretty flat and soft on the bottom in FL.

The Chesapeake Bay is one big crab pot mine field...

You could always go for a traditional watch pattern: Forenoon - 0800 to 1200 Afternoon - 1200 to 1600 First Dog - 1600 to 1800 Second Dog - 1800 to 2000 First - 2000 to 0000 Middle - 0000 to 0400 Morning - 0400 to 0800

Plenty of Chitter Chatter!

great job and routines. tips and crossing. what the fuel burn at 7.5 knts your rpm at that speed... I see most going 20+knts.

We have a GB’s 42 and did this trip 2 years ago but the other way. We went from Clearwater to Steinhatchee, then the next day to Apalachicola. We didn’t want to do the overnight cruising as my wife had no experience with boating. Great video. Since the cost of diesel has gone up so much I now cruise on one engine at 8 to 9 knots….the fuel economy is fantastic now…..have you tried that yet?

Most electronics have a setting to lock the clock to one time zone. People like me who live in the boarder of two time zones usually keep ours locked. Otherwise your phone will change time every time you walk across the house as it hits the another tower. Its usually set to the time zone of the , nearest big city, where you work, or where your school is. So two people in the same house may be using two diffrent times. We get around the problems this creates because of slang names for the time zones. If I ask someone what time it is, they will say something like 5:30 fast time or 4:30 slow time. These mean the exact same time. Fast time being eastern time an slow time being central time. Birthday partys or christmas dinner are all given in times with this discriptor at the end. It sounds complicated but its not. If your clock is set to fast time an you are given an apointment in fast time, you change nothing. If you are given an apointment in slow time, you add one hour. The reason its simpler than it sounds is because you never change your time on your phone so you alway add one hour if given a time in slow time. Slow time people always use slow time an always subtract an hour when given a time in fast time. You do it without thinking which is way better than never knowing what time your phone is showing. The navy does something like that on ships as I understand it. They have ship time. Subs commonly use Greenwich meantime for their whole deployment. Ships can use that, their home base time or check an change times once a day based on the captain. But every clock on board is set to the same time an if changed, done by hand once a day. With the exception of the navigator an radio room. They have a second clock always set to local time for communicating with other ships. When I travel, my phone is still kept locked on Eastern time. Its easier to keep up if I do the conversion myself. If my phone is doing it, I am always second guessing it. Has it updated or not? Its hard to know unless you have it locked. Though one clock you never change an one that is changed by hand as you cross time zones would also work well. More work but less confusion once you get use to it. An you always know at a glance what time it is where you are an at home if you want to call home.

For those who may be wondering why you want to verify your radar imaging when the "mk1 Eyeball" is at 100% it is to make sure that you know what you're seeing on the radar screen when the eyeball is at 0/0. Possibly the only group that are believers more than those in foxholes are those who venture into deep water. Doesn't matter if you're military or not, all it takes is seeing IN PERSON, Mother Nature in a hissy fit to know that you better start praying! For me, it was taking "green water" onto the flight deck of a Forrestal class carrier. Congratulations on your longest passage on the Loop! Unless you decide to sidetrack to the Bahama's, this _should_ have been your longest trek between ports/marinas!

Wow IGA! I didn't think they still existed.

What are the "crab pods" he keeps talking about? Guessing that some crab nets that could get stuck in the prop??? Maybe?

Why don't you have lighting rigged for RED so your night vision stays intact? I would not operate a vessel at night without adequate night vision; also 1 nautical mile separation for formation cruising is kind of tight IMHO. I made quite a few night surface underways on 2 fast attack submarines and proper vision was essential. The porpoises & dolphins were just the Best; also ran into schools of flying fish while transitting to our dive point from Charleston, SC.

Out of curiosity, what was the book on tape?

Awesome video. Why 1 mile spacing?

This was my first time viewing one of your videos. I think I made my mind up to subscribe when you had your prayer. Then I noticed the name of your boat and channel! I will be watching all your videos. Perhaps a good dose of binge viewing is in order. Hello from St.Louis Missouri.

Apologize for not reading all the comments...but, in the dark, how do you deal with the potential for floating debris such as logs, errant containers, anything that might damage the hull or prop?

Are the crab pots that abundant & dangerous?

😃

Where does the dog go poo? Looked a several youtubers to follow on there journey, I will be following ya'll. Thanks for posting the videos.

Where are you now? We are in Tavernier... 440 Endeavor Sea The Light

What vessel are you in? Are you using an autopilot? great video!

You can't just make a backing in seem like it was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy... lol

What was your speed for the crossing?

You should seriously consider adding line cutters to you propeller shafts. They have saved me numerous times. Glad to see Stay Cool and Sea Shine in you flotilla. I’ve followed both for quite awhile. I am planning to meet Malcom and Rachel in the Bahamas in a couple of weeks. Maybe I’ll even get a chance to meet you guys on the Eastern Seaboard or on the Erie Canal. Keep an eye out for “Mist Opprtunities” 😃😃

Nice boat and family, but let the kids sleep and sail that boat by your self like thru captain

How long have you homeschooled the kids?

Weather permitted there is no wrong time to boat

Wouldn't it be better to be rigged for red at night to save your night vision.

Would have like it if you didn't do an hour by hour play.

I dont know if it was the right call.

1’ seas, with 2’ swells?!! Who are these people? 😂😂

They are worried about hitting crab pots at 5 mph?!! Such novices!😂

I guess I’m too experienced at blue water boating to be able to tolerate this guy. I drive my 38’ Formula from Point Pleasant NJ to Nantucket 3 or 4 times a summer alone. I usually cruise at 35-40 knots. Never a problem with lobster pots. But then again I’m not an idiot.

Can they go any slower?

They check the engines every hour?!!! What buffoons!!!

OMG! Enough with the crab pots!!!

I can feel my intellect getting sucked out of me as I watch and listen to these people!

Who are these people?

Please! Tilt the steering wheel down!