It was a glorious Sunday morning; in fact, it looked to be the nicest day we’d enjoyed in a couple of weeks. We took the Miata and found St. Joseph’s Catholic Church just in time for the 9:30 am mass. It was a very small church – the original structure would seat about 60 people comfortably. An alcove had been added at a later date and we estimated another 50 to 60 people could be accommodated there. It was nice to participate in the familiar prayers and songs of the service.
After church, we parked the vehicle back at the marina and picked up Lucy for a walk to McDonald’s. We sipped on a couple of lattes while relaxing outside on the picnic tables provided.
Gale tried his luck fishing once again – he was excited about last night’s catch and wanted to see what kind of damage he could do today. He returned without any fish and only one bite, but he thought if he tried again towards evening, he might have better luck. In the meantime, he tackled a few projects like switching the swim ladder from the starboard to port side stairs, greasing the lower unit, adding a cleat to the mast, and insulating some of the outside lockers from the rain.
Gale’s second fishing expedition of the day was no more bountiful than the first. He said nobody was catching anything – it must have been too nice of a day??
The fresh flounder, toast and beans and rice we had for dinner were delicious! We hope there will be more flounder in our future!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
It was another cold morning; however, we were toasty warm inside the cabin. The difference was we used the “furnace” heater for the first time. The boat actually has two heaters. The heater we have used in the past runs while the engine is on. The other one, our “furnace” heater, runs with the thermostat and the air conditioning unit when we are plugged into shore power.
We’re still working on the antenna problem – we tried to connect with Al, but kept missing each other.
Gale and Lucy took the dinghy out to fish near the harbor entrance to the marina. He brought home a nice flounder and a story about the one that got away. Since Maureen had already started supper, Gale filleted the fish for tomorrow evening’s meal.
We’re still working on the antenna problem – we tried to connect with Al, but kept missing each other.
Gale and Lucy took the dinghy out to fish near the harbor entrance to the marina. He brought home a nice flounder and a story about the one that got away. Since Maureen had already started supper, Gale filleted the fish for tomorrow evening’s meal.
Friday, November 27, 2009
It was CC-CCC-CO-OOO-L-LL-LL-D this morning! One of the marina guys said he had to scrape heavy frost off his windshield before he could drive into work! Our experience had been that we have a few days of less than ideal weather followed by a couple of days of very nice weather. Evidently, even Florida is noticeably affected by the cold fronts from up north.
About 10 am we moved the boat to another dock in the marina and into a slip that was very close to the building and the WiFi signal. In order for Al to help us anymore, we thought we needed to have an internet signal on both computers and access to the booster antenna. We called him in the afternoon, but after a bit of “telephone tag” we were unable to connect with him. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon just settling into our new location.
About 10 am we moved the boat to another dock in the marina and into a slip that was very close to the building and the WiFi signal. In order for Al to help us anymore, we thought we needed to have an internet signal on both computers and access to the booster antenna. We called him in the afternoon, but after a bit of “telephone tag” we were unable to connect with him. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon just settling into our new location.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
We had many things to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving – not the least of which was the beautiful day in the making. The skies were clear and sunny and the temperatures were warming up towards 70°F. Last night, we had agreed to relax and enjoy each other’s company all day – no chores beyond the basics and no computers.
About 10 am we took off in our friends’ little red sports car and headed for the barrier lands forming St. Joe Bay. We enjoyed seeing the snowbirds’ winter homes and the lovely scenery along the route. Our first real stop was St. Joseph Peninsula State Park where visitors can swim, sun and play on 9.5 miles of snow-white sand beaches.
We checked out the towering sand dunes, the wild Gulf side of the peninsula and the tamer Bay side. The campgrounds were nice, but very close together. There were also furnished cabins for rent that included kitchens, fireplaces, bathrooms, heat and air. We took some time on the beach and noticed the various signs warning of possible dangers one might encounter; such as, alligators, rip currents and rough waters. There was a sign asking people to stay off the dunes, and one requesting that any monofilament line that was found be deposited in the receptacle.
While at the beach, we made a few phone calls to wish our parents and our children a Happy Thanksgiving. After leaving the park, we continued east towards Apalachicola hunting for turkey -- turkey on a platter, that is. Apalachicola is a very small town, but we stopped at a service station and were given a couple of possibilities for places that might be serving turkey dinner in town. We struck out on the first one, and the second one was a very nice seafood restaurant looking out over the river which was serving its usual fine entrée’s – but no turkey. We put our name on their list, anyway, and were told they could seat us in one hour, at 2:30 pm. Since we had an hour to kill, we got back in the car and continued driving east towards Carrabelle, another small village on the panhandle. It didn’t look like we were going to find much there either and we didn’t want to get any further away from home, so we turned around at 2 pm and decided that we might just as well drive back to Port St. Joe where we knew of a restaurant serving the full traditional menu, and then some.
After stopping at the marina to check on Lucy, we drove to the Sunset Coastal Grille for our holiday dinner – and it was worth waiting for! There was turkey with all the trimmings as well as prime rib, ham, basa stuffed with a clam dressing, pork loin, great appetizers, delicious soups, wonderful sides and several different desserts including pumpkin pie and key lime pie. We shared a nice bottle of wine and reflected on all of the blessings in our lives.
What better way to top off a perfect day?? – A good movie!! We watched Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl.
About 10 am we took off in our friends’ little red sports car and headed for the barrier lands forming St. Joe Bay. We enjoyed seeing the snowbirds’ winter homes and the lovely scenery along the route. Our first real stop was St. Joseph Peninsula State Park where visitors can swim, sun and play on 9.5 miles of snow-white sand beaches.
We checked out the towering sand dunes, the wild Gulf side of the peninsula and the tamer Bay side. The campgrounds were nice, but very close together. There were also furnished cabins for rent that included kitchens, fireplaces, bathrooms, heat and air. We took some time on the beach and noticed the various signs warning of possible dangers one might encounter; such as, alligators, rip currents and rough waters. There was a sign asking people to stay off the dunes, and one requesting that any monofilament line that was found be deposited in the receptacle.
While at the beach, we made a few phone calls to wish our parents and our children a Happy Thanksgiving. After leaving the park, we continued east towards Apalachicola hunting for turkey -- turkey on a platter, that is. Apalachicola is a very small town, but we stopped at a service station and were given a couple of possibilities for places that might be serving turkey dinner in town. We struck out on the first one, and the second one was a very nice seafood restaurant looking out over the river which was serving its usual fine entrée’s – but no turkey. We put our name on their list, anyway, and were told they could seat us in one hour, at 2:30 pm. Since we had an hour to kill, we got back in the car and continued driving east towards Carrabelle, another small village on the panhandle. It didn’t look like we were going to find much there either and we didn’t want to get any further away from home, so we turned around at 2 pm and decided that we might just as well drive back to Port St. Joe where we knew of a restaurant serving the full traditional menu, and then some.
After stopping at the marina to check on Lucy, we drove to the Sunset Coastal Grille for our holiday dinner – and it was worth waiting for! There was turkey with all the trimmings as well as prime rib, ham, basa stuffed with a clam dressing, pork loin, great appetizers, delicious soups, wonderful sides and several different desserts including pumpkin pie and key lime pie. We shared a nice bottle of wine and reflected on all of the blessings in our lives.
What better way to top off a perfect day?? – A good movie!! We watched Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
We had started wondering about our decision to stay in Port St. Joe until after Thanksgiving. The nights and mornings had been rather chilly lately with temperatures in the 40’s. But, we still had a few projects that we wanted to get done before moving on and, usually, it did warm up enough in the afternoon that you didn’t need a jacket.
Maureen had been trying to figure out why the WiFi booster antenna hadn’t been picking up any signals since the hard drive crashed. In addition, we couldn’t seem to get it to work with the new computer and its Windows 7 operating system. Finally, Gale called Al, the guy we bought the antenna from, and he worked with Maureen for an hour or so before determining that he needed to do some additional research to try to help us out. We agreed to call back later tonight for follow up.
Our friends, Tim and Sandy, left for Thanksgiving with family in Texas today and gave us the keys to their red Mazda Miata for us to use while they were gone. Nice! Late in the afternoon we drove the 40 miles to Panama City to pick up a few items at Target, Office Depot and PetSmart. We were home about 7 pm and while Gale started getting dinner together, Maureen called Al to see if he could fix our antenna problem. Using a remote access program, we turned our PC over to Al while we enjoyed our dinner. Unfortunately, Al was unable to find the problem, but promised to obtain more information and get back to us next week.
Maureen had been trying to figure out why the WiFi booster antenna hadn’t been picking up any signals since the hard drive crashed. In addition, we couldn’t seem to get it to work with the new computer and its Windows 7 operating system. Finally, Gale called Al, the guy we bought the antenna from, and he worked with Maureen for an hour or so before determining that he needed to do some additional research to try to help us out. We agreed to call back later tonight for follow up.
Our friends, Tim and Sandy, left for Thanksgiving with family in Texas today and gave us the keys to their red Mazda Miata for us to use while they were gone. Nice! Late in the afternoon we drove the 40 miles to Panama City to pick up a few items at Target, Office Depot and PetSmart. We were home about 7 pm and while Gale started getting dinner together, Maureen called Al to see if he could fix our antenna problem. Using a remote access program, we turned our PC over to Al while we enjoyed our dinner. Unfortunately, Al was unable to find the problem, but promised to obtain more information and get back to us next week.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
It was overcast and looking a little like rain when we got up. We spent the morning straightening up around the boat and getting ready for our guests.
Just before noon, Lisa, Kim and Tim were at our door and ready to take a ride out into the Gulf for their ceremony. Lisa was from Georgia and was her father’s primary caregiver; her sister, Kim, was from Seattle and was here with her boyfriend, Tim. Kim and Lisa’s father succumbed to cancer a couple of weeks ago. He had been in the Merchant Marines and was particularly fond of the Gulf waters. The girls believed their father would want to have his ashes scattered over the Gulf but they were not sure exactly where they should go to do this. When they saw Port St. Joe on the map, they both felt that it was the right place since their father’s name was Joe.
The skies got a little brighter in the afternoon, although we didn’t see much of the sun. Once our passengers were settled on the boat and we were out of the marina’s harbor, we all toasted to new friends and happy times. Soon, the sisters were ready to pay tribute to their father and the two of them went out on the bow to say “Goodbye” one more time and scatter their dad’s ashes over the water.
We enjoyed the next hour or so visiting with our guests and snacking on bread, cheese, apples, grapes, nuts and wine. Lisa and Kim had massages scheduled for 2:30 pm and Tim was planning to do some alligator hunting in the afternoon so we returned to port in time for their appointments. The three of them were staying at the Port Inn Hotel where they said they would be in the hotel bar, The Thirsty Goat, that evening about 7 pm,
if we would like to stop by and share a drink with them. We were about 25 minutes late getting to the bar, and discovered there was a “mayoral election” in progress. Evidently, the bar elects a new “mayor” each year so it was quite busy with young adults. The bartender said we had missed our friends who had been at the bar earlier so we each had a drink and enjoyed the “Taco Tuesday” hors d’oeuvres before walking back home for the night.
Just before noon, Lisa, Kim and Tim were at our door and ready to take a ride out into the Gulf for their ceremony. Lisa was from Georgia and was her father’s primary caregiver; her sister, Kim, was from Seattle and was here with her boyfriend, Tim. Kim and Lisa’s father succumbed to cancer a couple of weeks ago. He had been in the Merchant Marines and was particularly fond of the Gulf waters. The girls believed their father would want to have his ashes scattered over the Gulf but they were not sure exactly where they should go to do this. When they saw Port St. Joe on the map, they both felt that it was the right place since their father’s name was Joe.
The skies got a little brighter in the afternoon, although we didn’t see much of the sun. Once our passengers were settled on the boat and we were out of the marina’s harbor, we all toasted to new friends and happy times. Soon, the sisters were ready to pay tribute to their father and the two of them went out on the bow to say “Goodbye” one more time and scatter their dad’s ashes over the water.
We enjoyed the next hour or so visiting with our guests and snacking on bread, cheese, apples, grapes, nuts and wine. Lisa and Kim had massages scheduled for 2:30 pm and Tim was planning to do some alligator hunting in the afternoon so we returned to port in time for their appointments. The three of them were staying at the Port Inn Hotel where they said they would be in the hotel bar, The Thirsty Goat, that evening about 7 pm,
if we would like to stop by and share a drink with them. We were about 25 minutes late getting to the bar, and discovered there was a “mayoral election” in progress. Evidently, the bar elects a new “mayor” each year so it was quite busy with young adults. The bartender said we had missed our friends who had been at the bar earlier so we each had a drink and enjoyed the “Taco Tuesday” hors d’oeuvres before walking back home for the night.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Maureen was up early trying to get several loads of laundry done before taking off with Sandy for a trip to Panama City. Sandy had mentioned yesterday that she needed to go to WalMart and thought she would leave around 10 or 11 am. It was more like noon before they were on their way, but they made the 40-mile trip to Panama City, did their shopping and were back at the marina before 3 pm.
Around 4 pm as Gale was heading for the showers and Maureen to the laundry facilities to check on the last load of wash, we met two young women and a young man just outside the Dockside Café. They had arrived in town about an hour ago and the two sisters were here to distribute their father’s ashes over the Gulf of Mexico. They were looking for a boat to rent or a charter vessel and captain for hire but hadn’t yet been able to make a connection. Gale said we would be happy to take them out in Blue Heron if they would like, and the three of them quickly agreed to meet us at our boat tomorrow at noon.
At 5:30 pm, Tim and Sandy of Bodacious joined us aboard our boat for cocktails and steamed shrimp. The evening was warm, the wind was calm and we actually had to fight off a few mosquitoes!
Around 4 pm as Gale was heading for the showers and Maureen to the laundry facilities to check on the last load of wash, we met two young women and a young man just outside the Dockside Café. They had arrived in town about an hour ago and the two sisters were here to distribute their father’s ashes over the Gulf of Mexico. They were looking for a boat to rent or a charter vessel and captain for hire but hadn’t yet been able to make a connection. Gale said we would be happy to take them out in Blue Heron if they would like, and the three of them quickly agreed to meet us at our boat tomorrow at noon.
At 5:30 pm, Tim and Sandy of Bodacious joined us aboard our boat for cocktails and steamed shrimp. The evening was warm, the wind was calm and we actually had to fight off a few mosquitoes!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
As promised, we received heavy rain last night. We stayed dry and snug in our cabin and awoke to clearing skies and 60°F. Midmorning, Lucy and Maureen walked Gale to the gym so he could do his workout. The girls continued walking for about an hour and still made it home before Gale. By 11 am it was starting to feel hot with the temperature already at 75°F!
We enjoyed our day working around the boat. In the evening, we watched My Sister’s Keeper. If you’re looking for a good, but very sad movie, this one ought to fill the bill.
We enjoyed our day working around the boat. In the evening, we watched My Sister’s Keeper. If you’re looking for a good, but very sad movie, this one ought to fill the bill.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The forecast for today was for afternoon rain and evening thunderstorms with ½ to ¾ inches total precipitation. Gale wanted to get some work done outside and Maureen was hoping to pick up the groceries before the rain so we skipped the morning workouts and went right to the projects. The rain held off for the entire day, so we both felt like we accomplished more than expected.
We settled into a nice relaxing evening and watched the movie, Deliverance, with Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty. We had talked about the movie a few times while we were traveling down the Tennessee River because we knew the story was told around the damming up of the rivers in this area and we were often reminded of the scenery in the movie as we passed through. Of course, the best part of the show was at the very beginning with the “dueling banjo/guitar” scene.
We settled into a nice relaxing evening and watched the movie, Deliverance, with Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty. We had talked about the movie a few times while we were traveling down the Tennessee River because we knew the story was told around the damming up of the rivers in this area and we were often reminded of the scenery in the movie as we passed through. Of course, the best part of the show was at the very beginning with the “dueling banjo/guitar” scene.
Friday, November 20, 2009
It was a beautiful sunny morning with temperatures forecast to be in the mid-70’s. Gale mentioned that we should go to MacDonald’s – Maureen was thinking pancakes but Gale was thinking about the internet connection. So, we took our computers to MacD’s and received a complimentary hour of internet service on their network as we enjoyed our breakfast. We left the restaurant a little after 10 am and walked to the gym where Maureen left Gale and continued her walk to the library. She spent the day at the library while Gale went back to the boat after his workout and continued working on his anchor project.
At 5 pm, we walked over to our new friends’ boat, Bodacious, where we met Sandy and the dog, Dudley. Tim arrived about 30 minutes later as he had been held up at the doctor’s office where he had gone for an appointment. We had admired Bodacious at the boatyard in Demopolis when we were out walking. Gale had introduced himself to Tim on a later walk in the yard and learned that Tim and Sandy lived on their boat in Port St. Joe during the winters and kept it in Demopolis during hurricane season. They spend their summers at home in Indiana.
After a couple of cocktails, we climbed into their vehicle and drove to Provisions for a wonderful dinner of red snapper. On the way back, we stopped at Piggly Wiggly to pick up a frozen key lime pie and some lime sherbet for dessert. The pie just didn’t measure up to the Dockside Café’s but we appreciated the sweet treat all the same.
At 5 pm, we walked over to our new friends’ boat, Bodacious, where we met Sandy and the dog, Dudley. Tim arrived about 30 minutes later as he had been held up at the doctor’s office where he had gone for an appointment. We had admired Bodacious at the boatyard in Demopolis when we were out walking. Gale had introduced himself to Tim on a later walk in the yard and learned that Tim and Sandy lived on their boat in Port St. Joe during the winters and kept it in Demopolis during hurricane season. They spend their summers at home in Indiana.
After a couple of cocktails, we climbed into their vehicle and drove to Provisions for a wonderful dinner of red snapper. On the way back, we stopped at Piggly Wiggly to pick up a frozen key lime pie and some lime sherbet for dessert. The pie just didn’t measure up to the Dockside Café’s but we appreciated the sweet treat all the same.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
We started the day with our workouts: Gale to the gym to lift weights and Maureen and Lucy on their walk about town. Gale took the computer with him so he could stop at the coffee shop afterwards to do some follow up work from yesterday. Lucy and Maureen didn’t walk quite as far today as they didn’t want to “push” as hard as the day before. Maureen finished out the morning by straightening up the cabin and washing and preparing the fresh fruits and vegetables she’d picked up yesterday. Gale came home just as the fresh salads were being placed on the table for lunch.
During the afternoon, Maureen worked on extracting backup files, mostly photos, and reloading them to the computer. Gale tackled a project he’d been wanting to go after for some time – figuring out a way to mount our heavy Delta anchor as the main bow anchor.
The way the anchor mount was configured, it did not allow enough space for the larger anchor to lie neatly in the holder. He was able to move the mounting plate into a better position and now the Delta anchor looked like it was custom made for that space! He couldn’t have been happier especially since he thought the entire project would cost a few hundred dollars, be a bit of a puzzler to figure out, and take much more time to complete!
During the afternoon, Maureen worked on extracting backup files, mostly photos, and reloading them to the computer. Gale tackled a project he’d been wanting to go after for some time – figuring out a way to mount our heavy Delta anchor as the main bow anchor.
The way the anchor mount was configured, it did not allow enough space for the larger anchor to lie neatly in the holder. He was able to move the mounting plate into a better position and now the Delta anchor looked like it was custom made for that space! He couldn’t have been happier especially since he thought the entire project would cost a few hundred dollars, be a bit of a puzzler to figure out, and take much more time to complete!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
It’s time to change-up the routine! Maureen was now inspired to get back to some kind of fitness regimen and started with a long daily walk. Gale loves to walk, too, however, because of his back injury he can’t walk as fast or as long so while he works out, Maureen and Lucy will power walk. The “girls” found themselves walking about 4 or 5 miles through some areas that we hadn’t yet explored and they very much enjoyed being out in the fresh air and sunshine.
When we were checking out Barefoot Cottages on our bike ride the other day, Maureen admired the rental representative’s haircut and asked her if she got her hair done in Port St. Joe. She said that Lena from Donamelia’s does her hair and she just loves her! She is only 22, but she does an excellent job. Maureen had scheduled an appointment with Lena for today at 12:30 pm and she was excited to have her hair cut and colored. Here’s the New Look:
While Maureen was having her hair done, Gale took the computers to the coffee shop so he could catch up on some business that needed attention. He also wanted to view the blog and answer some emails. Maureen was home before he was and she busied herself with household chores. During the afternoon, Still Busy and Meander arrived at the marina. We had heard them on the marine radio a couple of days ago so we knew they were in the area. Jack and Pia aboard Still Busy are probably our “oldest” Looper friends that we continue to run into. We met them first way back on the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty before Memorial Day 2009.
Gale shut the computer down and left the coffee shop just before 5:30 pm as the sun was setting. He was ready for a break!
When we were checking out Barefoot Cottages on our bike ride the other day, Maureen admired the rental representative’s haircut and asked her if she got her hair done in Port St. Joe. She said that Lena from Donamelia’s does her hair and she just loves her! She is only 22, but she does an excellent job. Maureen had scheduled an appointment with Lena for today at 12:30 pm and she was excited to have her hair cut and colored. Here’s the New Look:
While Maureen was having her hair done, Gale took the computers to the coffee shop so he could catch up on some business that needed attention. He also wanted to view the blog and answer some emails. Maureen was home before he was and she busied herself with household chores. During the afternoon, Still Busy and Meander arrived at the marina. We had heard them on the marine radio a couple of days ago so we knew they were in the area. Jack and Pia aboard Still Busy are probably our “oldest” Looper friends that we continue to run into. We met them first way back on the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty before Memorial Day 2009.
Gale shut the computer down and left the coffee shop just before 5:30 pm as the sun was setting. He was ready for a break!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Big news for the day: The blog was brought up to date and everything was posted from October 17th to November 16th, 2009. Now, if we can just keep posting every other day or so, barring any further hard disk failures, hurricanes, or major life events, we should be able to keep up!
We had thought about borrowing the bicycles this afternoon and doing some exploring; however, while we were in the coffee shop during the morning hours, it clouded up and started to rain. The damp air and winds made it feel very cold. We’ll look forward to trying out the bikes another day.
We had thought about borrowing the bicycles this afternoon and doing some exploring; however, while we were in the coffee shop during the morning hours, it clouded up and started to rain. The damp air and winds made it feel very cold. We’ll look forward to trying out the bikes another day.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Just A Note
Hey, Everyone!
Some of our friends have been wondering why we haven’t posted to the blog lately. As we’ve noted on the new posting for October 17, our hard drive crashed on the morning of October 29th and we had to wait for our replacement hard drive to catch up with us. It was mailed to us under warranty and we were able to install it on Sunday, November 8. We’re still trying to get programs and files loaded back up as well as deal with an internet connection issue. While we were in Mobile, we purchased a little Toshiba notebook so we at least have that for the internet.
Because we hadn’t been anywhere long enough for our online backup to kick in, we did lose ten days worth of photos so there aren’t any pictures to go along with the postings from October 17 to 26. When we post again, the photos will be back but we’re having to reach back into memory to try to reconstruct the last few weeks.
In the meantime, we have also dealt with our first hurricane! We arrived at Port St. Joe, Florida, on Saturday evening, November 7, when the weather forecasts were simply talking about increasing easterly winds over the next few days making travel on the water ill advised. We tucked safely into our slip at the marina and on Monday morning we learned that we needed to be making hurricane preparations! Gale was excited about it – Maureen was very nervous! Everything turned out fine and the storm was not nearly as bad as some of the thunderstorms we have experienced while at anchor. We do know, however, that it could have been different and we are very grateful that we did not have to experience a hurricane’s full potential.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and encouragements. We do enjoy sharing our adventure with you.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Not much to write about on this day. We are starting to feel like we have a "land" routine. Gale did take the dinghy out towards mid afternoon and spent two hours trying to catch dinner. Not even a bump!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The day started out cloudy but by mid morning, the sky was clear and things were warming up nicely. Our plan was to hang around the boat again today and continue with our tasks. About 3 pm, Gale took the dinghy out to see if he could catch some fish. He was so excited when he came back to the boat with a large redfish and four smaller groupers. There were two 30-pounders that got away – probably grouper. The next time he goes out, he’ll use his heavy ocean tackle.
Our evening meal was fantastic! We tried a little of each type of fish and looked forward to more.
Our evening meal was fantastic! We tried a little of each type of fish and looked forward to more.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
We walked uptown at 9 am so Gale could do his workout and Maureen could sit at the coffee shop and use their WiFi signal. We found out No Name Coffee didn’t open until 10 am on Saturdays! Since the gym was right next door to the coffee shop, Maureen was able to get a great signal and start her work while Gale did his yoga. By 10 am, Gale was done and Maureen went next door for a latte and to work until noon.
We’d already decided that we weren’t going to “Barktoberfest” today – it was too far to go on the 3-wheeled bicycles and we didn’t want to make Lucy run that far beside us on the 2-wheeled bikes. Instead, Gale dug into his projects and started a deep boat cleaning.
At 5:30 pm, we strolled down the dock to join Terry and Sue on Final Decision for drinks before dinner. Our plan was to walk to a place called Provisions that we heard was one of the better places to eat in town. When we called the restaurant, we found out that they are only open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays - Saturdays were reserved for catered events. Instead, we took the few steps up to shore and enjoyed blackened grouper at the Dockside Café.
We truly had a wonderful time getting to know Terry and Sue. He is 71; she is 52 and they’ve been together for 2 ½ years. He dropped out of school at age 13; built a company that employed 3,000 people and has done a lifetime of ocean racing on large and small sailboats. Personally, he owns five boats – Sue’s favorite is the 54-foot sailboat they left behind in Gibraltar. Terry calls his 95-year old mother every day. Sue thinks he should write a book about his life but he is not interested in that – he doesn’t think anyone would read it! Terry was about the most humble and self-deprecating individual we have ever met. We enjoyed seeing their custom made boat, but even more than that, we enjoyed the new friendship!
We’d already decided that we weren’t going to “Barktoberfest” today – it was too far to go on the 3-wheeled bicycles and we didn’t want to make Lucy run that far beside us on the 2-wheeled bikes. Instead, Gale dug into his projects and started a deep boat cleaning.
At 5:30 pm, we strolled down the dock to join Terry and Sue on Final Decision for drinks before dinner. Our plan was to walk to a place called Provisions that we heard was one of the better places to eat in town. When we called the restaurant, we found out that they are only open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays - Saturdays were reserved for catered events. Instead, we took the few steps up to shore and enjoyed blackened grouper at the Dockside Café.
We truly had a wonderful time getting to know Terry and Sue. He is 71; she is 52 and they’ve been together for 2 ½ years. He dropped out of school at age 13; built a company that employed 3,000 people and has done a lifetime of ocean racing on large and small sailboats. Personally, he owns five boats – Sue’s favorite is the 54-foot sailboat they left behind in Gibraltar. Terry calls his 95-year old mother every day. Sue thinks he should write a book about his life but he is not interested in that – he doesn’t think anyone would read it! Terry was about the most humble and self-deprecating individual we have ever met. We enjoyed seeing their custom made boat, but even more than that, we enjoyed the new friendship!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Maureen was up early getting some laundry done. While she was putting clothes away in the boat, she heard Gale calling to her and looked outside to see him riding by on a 3-wheel bicycle with Lucy in the rear basket! He said, “Let’s go explore the area!” We headed to the marina warehouse and signed out the other 3-wheeled bike and left about 10 am. It was sunny, the temperature was in the 60’s and there was very little wind. Perfect conditions for an adventure like that!
We decided to find Windmark Beach which was the location for “Barktoberfest”, an event sponsored by the local Humane Society and scheduled for tomorrow. If we were going, we wanted to be sure we knew where it was! We first located the hardware store so Gale could pick up some miscellaneous supplies, and then headed out on Highway 98 across the canal to find the beach. Along the way, we stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom, pick up a snack and make sure we were headed in the right direction. Just before the bridge over the ICW, we stopped at a pottery, plant and gift shop and spoke to the proprietor about the beach and whether there were any bike paths we might use. She came outside to visit and gave us a lot of good information about Port St. Joe, the beach, and biking nearby. We followed her directions and found the Windmark development. It was a good thing we were armed with additional information, because we might have thought we had entered the “Twilight Zone.” We found beautifully maintained paths along the beach, boardwalks, wonderfully manicured landscaping, even a little “downtown” with shops, restaurants and a fitness center for this village – but there were virtually no houses and very few people!!
We knew there was a restaurant in the village square and it was about lunchtime, so we went in search of the eating establishment. We found the restaurant “School of Fish” and Gale went in to see what they had to offer while Maureen remained outside with Lucy. He came back out with a menu and said they would prepare anything we wanted for carry out. In the restaurant he found three chefs, two waitresses and zero patrons. Very strange – but I guess the place had been open only a few months.
After sharing a sandwich, we rode down to the beach. It appeared that it was groomed every morning, but the only tracks in the sand besides our own, were of the crabs, shore birds and a raccoon. The critters must think they’re rather special to have a groomed and deserted beach to use!
On our way back to the marina, we stopped at a housing development we’d noticed earlier called Barefoot Cottages. Again, we found ourselves in the “Twilight Zone” with a few more people about. There were three cottages with signs indicating they were open model homes, so we ventured inside and inspected each of them. These were the type of cottages we could see ourselves in someday. We stopped at the “Office” and found the agent in charge of renting the homes for owners. She said they had 92 units and only 30 of them had been sold. There were plans to build 20 more, but she didn’t know when, or if, that would ever happen.
We were back at the marina by mid afternoon As we were walking down the dock by Final Decision, we talked to Terry who let us know that we had missed the manatee! Evidently the marina has a resident manatee that nobody talks about. We think there are some laws on the books in Florida that make it illegal to run boat props when manatees are present.
Gale wanted to do a yoga workout at the gym before dinner so while he did that, Maureen got the computers out again and kept on working. Upon his return, he said there was a singer setting up at the Dockside Café and it would be fun to walk up there and listen for awhile. The singer was quite good – and so were the stuffed mushrooms. As we were enjoying the evening, Terry from Final Decision came by to grab a beer. He sat with us for a few minutes while we listened to the entertainment and got to know him better.
We decided to find Windmark Beach which was the location for “Barktoberfest”, an event sponsored by the local Humane Society and scheduled for tomorrow. If we were going, we wanted to be sure we knew where it was! We first located the hardware store so Gale could pick up some miscellaneous supplies, and then headed out on Highway 98 across the canal to find the beach. Along the way, we stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom, pick up a snack and make sure we were headed in the right direction. Just before the bridge over the ICW, we stopped at a pottery, plant and gift shop and spoke to the proprietor about the beach and whether there were any bike paths we might use. She came outside to visit and gave us a lot of good information about Port St. Joe, the beach, and biking nearby. We followed her directions and found the Windmark development. It was a good thing we were armed with additional information, because we might have thought we had entered the “Twilight Zone.” We found beautifully maintained paths along the beach, boardwalks, wonderfully manicured landscaping, even a little “downtown” with shops, restaurants and a fitness center for this village – but there were virtually no houses and very few people!!
We knew there was a restaurant in the village square and it was about lunchtime, so we went in search of the eating establishment. We found the restaurant “School of Fish” and Gale went in to see what they had to offer while Maureen remained outside with Lucy. He came back out with a menu and said they would prepare anything we wanted for carry out. In the restaurant he found three chefs, two waitresses and zero patrons. Very strange – but I guess the place had been open only a few months.
After sharing a sandwich, we rode down to the beach. It appeared that it was groomed every morning, but the only tracks in the sand besides our own, were of the crabs, shore birds and a raccoon. The critters must think they’re rather special to have a groomed and deserted beach to use!
On our way back to the marina, we stopped at a housing development we’d noticed earlier called Barefoot Cottages. Again, we found ourselves in the “Twilight Zone” with a few more people about. There were three cottages with signs indicating they were open model homes, so we ventured inside and inspected each of them. These were the type of cottages we could see ourselves in someday. We stopped at the “Office” and found the agent in charge of renting the homes for owners. She said they had 92 units and only 30 of them had been sold. There were plans to build 20 more, but she didn’t know when, or if, that would ever happen.
We were back at the marina by mid afternoon As we were walking down the dock by Final Decision, we talked to Terry who let us know that we had missed the manatee! Evidently the marina has a resident manatee that nobody talks about. We think there are some laws on the books in Florida that make it illegal to run boat props when manatees are present.
Gale wanted to do a yoga workout at the gym before dinner so while he did that, Maureen got the computers out again and kept on working. Upon his return, he said there was a singer setting up at the Dockside Café and it would be fun to walk up there and listen for awhile. The singer was quite good – and so were the stuffed mushrooms. As we were enjoying the evening, Terry from Final Decision came by to grab a beer. He sat with us for a few minutes while we listened to the entertainment and got to know him better.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
It was six months ago today that we left Delaware City! My, How Time Flies!
At 7 am, the sky was sunny and the temperature was 55°F. Mid morning, Gale walked uptown to work on the “old” computer at the internet café and to do some yoga at the gym. Maureen met him at the coffee shop a little later and we had both computers going!
By mid afternoon we were both tired of looking at computer screens, so we packed up our bags and walked around town. We stopped at the Goodwill store looking for a blanket for Lucy. We also found the Fed Ex dropoff box and mailed the failed hard drive back to Dell. Other errands included returning our movies, picking up some milk and stopping at the big sporting goods store. It is always so great to have all the necessary merchants within walking distance of the boat!
While we were on our walkabout, Final Decision and Quotidian arrived. Gale ran into Maurice of Quotidian on the dock and learned that he had weathered the storm quite well at a marina with a floating dock. We said a brief hello to Terry on Final Decision and promised to catch up with them tomorrow since they had only pulled in ten minutes ago.
Gale and Lucy took the dinghy out on a little fishing expedition and brought back a small breem. It wasn’t enough for a meal but Gale cleaned it and promised to add more to the catch tomorrow or the next day. We also need to find out if it is a good fish to eat!
Maureen made dinner and we tried to stay up until 9 pm but didn’t quite make it. We should know better than to try to read in bed.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The day was overcast, cold (63°F) and a 20 knot wind was blowing. We were still feeling the remnants of Ida.
Maureen worked on journal entries for the blog. Gale tried to get the Dell computer connected to the internet. The good news was that he was able to connect to other wireless signals. The bad news was that, for some reason unknown to us, it wouldn’t connect to the marina’s signal. Oh well, at least we could use the new notebook computer from the boat.
In the afternoon, Gale joined the local fitness center where he could work out with weights, use their treadmills, bikes or elliptical machines, and do his yoga in a comfortable and spacious room. We both had such good intentions of working out regularly, but that hadn’t been happening. One of these days Maureen might even be inspired to begin her workouts again.
Tonight’s dinner was a pound of steamed shrimp and stuffed clams prepared for us by the local Piggly Wiggly grocery store. We also shared a slice of key lime pie for dessert. Maybe it isn’t the workouts we’re needing as much as we should quit eating key lime pie and having cocktails every night!
The DVD tonight was “Lies and Illusions” with Christian Slater. It was “okay.”
Maureen worked on journal entries for the blog. Gale tried to get the Dell computer connected to the internet. The good news was that he was able to connect to other wireless signals. The bad news was that, for some reason unknown to us, it wouldn’t connect to the marina’s signal. Oh well, at least we could use the new notebook computer from the boat.
In the afternoon, Gale joined the local fitness center where he could work out with weights, use their treadmills, bikes or elliptical machines, and do his yoga in a comfortable and spacious room. We both had such good intentions of working out regularly, but that hadn’t been happening. One of these days Maureen might even be inspired to begin her workouts again.
Tonight’s dinner was a pound of steamed shrimp and stuffed clams prepared for us by the local Piggly Wiggly grocery store. We also shared a slice of key lime pie for dessert. Maybe it isn’t the workouts we’re needing as much as we should quit eating key lime pie and having cocktails every night!
The DVD tonight was “Lies and Illusions” with Christian Slater. It was “okay.”
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
We were up at 6 am after a pretty good night’s sleep. All night we were aware of the wind and the rain, but it was never so bad that we were concerned for our safety or felt that the boat was being stressed. Checking the weather news on the web we learned that TS Ida made landfall at 6:40 am (EST) at Dauphin Island where we had been on November 1st and 2nd. It was heading for a second landfall at Mobile Bay.
At 8 am we experienced the heaviest rain yet and it rained buckets! We noticed a leak starting in the aft cabin we use as our pantry, but we were actually very grateful that things weren’t worse! At 8:30 am the rain quit briefly and then continued off and on for a couple more hours. The sun even tried to peak through the clouds a few times. From about 11 am until late in the afternoon, there was no measurable rainfall. It seemed the worst was over.
Tonight’s movie was “The Proposal” with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. It was “cute” and made us laugh which felt pretty good after a couple of stressful days.
Monday, November 9, 2009
It’s a hurricane!! Sometime during the night or early this morning, Tropical Storm Ida was upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane! And last night was so calm . . .
We were up at 5:30 am making preparations for the storm. Gale worked outside while Maureen worked inside – both trying to secure everything we could think of. We sent email or called our families to let them know our status. Gale was quite excited about the approaching weather; Maureen, on the other hand, was quite nervous.
By mid afternoon, we were experiencing light rains and the winds were around 20 mph with higher gusts. To Maureen’s great relief, Ida was downgraded back to a tropical storm; however, the winds were still expected to be gale force.
In the evening we had our first hurricane party! We baked a frozen pizza and shared a slice of key lime pie. We tried to watch a movie on our laptop, but we couldn’t get either the new computer or the old computer to play the DVD. Errrrr!! We determined that the operating system on our new notebook, Windows 7 “Starter” edition, did not include the ability to play DVDs! Kind of a sneaky way to sell computers and operating systems. So we spent some time and coughed up the extra cash to download the full Windows 7. By then, Gale was too tired to stay awake for a movie so we went to bed in hopes that the storm wouldn’t be so bad we couldn’t sleep!
We were up at 5:30 am making preparations for the storm. Gale worked outside while Maureen worked inside – both trying to secure everything we could think of. We sent email or called our families to let them know our status. Gale was quite excited about the approaching weather; Maureen, on the other hand, was quite nervous.
By mid afternoon, we were experiencing light rains and the winds were around 20 mph with higher gusts. To Maureen’s great relief, Ida was downgraded back to a tropical storm; however, the winds were still expected to be gale force.
In the evening we had our first hurricane party! We baked a frozen pizza and shared a slice of key lime pie. We tried to watch a movie on our laptop, but we couldn’t get either the new computer or the old computer to play the DVD. Errrrr!! We determined that the operating system on our new notebook, Windows 7 “Starter” edition, did not include the ability to play DVDs! Kind of a sneaky way to sell computers and operating systems. So we spent some time and coughed up the extra cash to download the full Windows 7. By then, Gale was too tired to stay awake for a movie so we went to bed in hopes that the storm wouldn’t be so bad we couldn’t sleep!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
It was a wonderful morning. We each took a long hot shower and then went for a walk around the marina. Shortly after 8 am, the local newspaper was delivered to our boat! What a nice touch! The updated weather forecast was still calling for increasing winds, high seas on the Gulf and rough inland waters. Since we came in after closing time last night, we had to check in with the marina staff this morning and found some wonderfully helpful folks at our service. We were ready to stay put for an extended period and decided that we would hang our hats here at the Port St. Joe Marina for at least three weeks. The rates were very reasonable and the weather seemed pretty nice with average daytime temperatures in the 70’s.
We did some laundry, picked up groceries and spent some time getting the boat in order. Then, Maureen was on the phone again with Dell – this time for assistance installing the hard drive. The installation went great – Hurray!! But, for some reason we could not get an internet connection – Boo!!
Late in the afternoon, we walked up to Movie Gallery to rent a flick and returned to the boat to enjoy tuna casserole. After dinner, we shared a slice of key lime pie that Gale had picked up at the Dockside Café on the marina grounds. He was told that the pie was made fresh here each day. We sat back then and watched a crummy movie with Ben Affleck and Russell Crowe. A day later as we’re writing this entry, we can’t even remember the name of it!
We did some laundry, picked up groceries and spent some time getting the boat in order. Then, Maureen was on the phone again with Dell – this time for assistance installing the hard drive. The installation went great – Hurray!! But, for some reason we could not get an internet connection – Boo!!
Late in the afternoon, we walked up to Movie Gallery to rent a flick and returned to the boat to enjoy tuna casserole. After dinner, we shared a slice of key lime pie that Gale had picked up at the Dockside Café on the marina grounds. He was told that the pie was made fresh here each day. We sat back then and watched a crummy movie with Ben Affleck and Russell Crowe. A day later as we’re writing this entry, we can’t even remember the name of it!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
It was a lovely morning and we turned on the weather radio to get an update on the increasing easterly winds. It was beginning to sound like we needed to get to wherever we were going in the next day or two and then stay put for a few days until the weather cleared up. There was a tropical depression, Ida, in the Gulf that was causing the disturbance. Gale talked to the folks at Bay Point Marina in Panama City and made arrangements to stay for the night. He also talked to Port St. Joe Marina, the sister marina to Bay Point, and said we would be arriving there sometime in the next few days.
We left Smack Bayou about 8:15 am (CST) and arrived at Bay Point Marina’s fuel dock an hour later where we were met by a very welcoming and professional crew. On the way over to the marina we had already decided that if we could pick up our packages, fuel up and graciously leave there without staying the night, we were going to continue on our way to Port St. Joe. Maureen was getting nervous about the weather forecast and wanted to take advantage of a nice travel day before the waters got too rough.
The marina manager had no problems with our change in plans – especially since we were heading for their sister marina anyway. Our package from Dell with the replacement hard drive was waiting for us; however, the mail we had forwarded there was still in transit. Not to worry – Steve, the manager, said he would be traveling to Port St. Joe next Saturday and would bring the package along with him. Can’t get much more accommodating than that!
At 11 am we were on our way to Port St. Joe, another 40 or 45 miles east by waterway. We thought we could make it before sunset; but we might not make it before the marina closed at 5 pm – especially since Port St. Joe was in the Eastern Time Zone and it was already noon there. It turned out to be a wonderful day to be traveling – warm, sunny skies, light wind, very little chop on the water and not much boat traffic. We passed under another 50-foot bridge during this section at mile 295.4, but it didn’t seem like any big deal to us now since we were so “experienced” from the two bridges on Thursday.
We entered the Gulf County Canal just before 5 pm. This is a five-mile long channel that leads to the large protected St. Joseph Bay and the Gulf of Mexico beyond. We were able to transit the canal and tuck into the marina just as the sun was setting at 6 pm and found a beautiful harbor, a small marina and a safe dock to lay alongside.
We left Smack Bayou about 8:15 am (CST) and arrived at Bay Point Marina’s fuel dock an hour later where we were met by a very welcoming and professional crew. On the way over to the marina we had already decided that if we could pick up our packages, fuel up and graciously leave there without staying the night, we were going to continue on our way to Port St. Joe. Maureen was getting nervous about the weather forecast and wanted to take advantage of a nice travel day before the waters got too rough.
The marina manager had no problems with our change in plans – especially since we were heading for their sister marina anyway. Our package from Dell with the replacement hard drive was waiting for us; however, the mail we had forwarded there was still in transit. Not to worry – Steve, the manager, said he would be traveling to Port St. Joe next Saturday and would bring the package along with him. Can’t get much more accommodating than that!
At 11 am we were on our way to Port St. Joe, another 40 or 45 miles east by waterway. We thought we could make it before sunset; but we might not make it before the marina closed at 5 pm – especially since Port St. Joe was in the Eastern Time Zone and it was already noon there. It turned out to be a wonderful day to be traveling – warm, sunny skies, light wind, very little chop on the water and not much boat traffic. We passed under another 50-foot bridge during this section at mile 295.4, but it didn’t seem like any big deal to us now since we were so “experienced” from the two bridges on Thursday.
We entered the Gulf County Canal just before 5 pm. This is a five-mile long channel that leads to the large protected St. Joseph Bay and the Gulf of Mexico beyond. We were able to transit the canal and tuck into the marina just as the sun was setting at 6 pm and found a beautiful harbor, a small marina and a safe dock to lay alongside.
Friday, November 6, 2009
We were up shortly after 5 am to prepare for a long day on the water. The skies were clear, the temperature was a cool 55 degrees and there was a 5 mph east wind. After listening to the forecast last night, we knew we would be heading almost directly into an east wind all day and wanted to cover 60 miles before sunset. At 6:45 am, we pulled anchor, said “Goodbye” to Ally’s Cat and headed out into Choctawhatchee Bay. The first 25 miles of our trip was in the open water of the bay. The water was not as rough and choppy as yesterday – which both Lucy and Maureen were very happy about – so we made this passage in about 4 hours without any difficulty. Since we were going straight into the wind, we didn’t feel the “chop” quite as much as we might have if we were taking the waves at an angle.
The next 16 miles took us through the “Grand Canyon,” a land cut connecting West Bay at the west side of Panama City to Choctawhatchee Bay. There is no good place to stop along this section, but the scenery was interesting and the waters calm. There were dolphins playing in front of and beside the boat – putting Lucy on guard. Even though Lucy has traveled with us aboard Blue Heron for six months and 3,800 miles without jumping or falling off the boat, we predict that she may lose her head and/or her footing and find herself unexpectedly in the water while we are in Florida and it will involve either a dolphin or an alligator. We’re hoping it’s not an alligator!
The final 20-mile leg through Choctawhatchee Bay brought us to Panama City and Grand Lagoon. It was getting late in the day and we were hoping to be able to anchor just off the channel of the inlet into Grand Lagoon and Bay Point Marina. We were planning to stop at Bay Point Marina tomorrow anyway where we would fuel up, pick up the packages we had mailed there and even stay the night. We found the anchorage mentioned in our guidebook on the south shore just off Andrews State Park; however, there was a large active dredging operation going on and it didn’t look like a very restful spot. We decided to head to Smack Bayou, another five miles down the way, described in our materials as a very well protected hurricane hole.
Smack Bayou was certainly well protected and a little tricky to get into. We anchored near an old guy in a de-masted sailboat who told us to be sure to watch the dolphins because they might dance on their tails for us! We didn’t see any dancing dolphins but there were a couple of curious ones who checked out the boat and excited Lucy. Gale threw in a line using squid for bait and caught a catfish immediately! He said he didn’t feel like cleaning catfish so he cut that one loose and caught another one (the same one?) right away. After a long day of cruising he decided to cut that one loose, too, and try his luck another night.
We were comfortable on our boat and sleeping quite nicely until a very pungent industrial smell woke us up and made it difficult to go back to sleep. Gale began to feel a bit nauseated; Maureen tried covering her head and filtering out the odor; Lucy didn’t seem to be bothered at all. It turned out to be coming from a paper plant to the east of us. Right then we decided we probably wouldn’t be staying in Panama City another night!
During the night, Maureen got up to use the head and as she was flushing, she noticed sparkling lights in the water! It was almost like a TV commercial where they try to show sparkles after something has been cleaned. Evidently, there was some sort of bioluminescent plankton in the water and when it was churned up, it flashed. For anyone unfamiliar with a marine head, the source of water for the holding tank comes from the outside freshwater or seawater your boat is currently sitting in. We wondered how long we would enjoy this phenomenon.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
It was 65 degrees and sunny as we left our anchorage at 8 am. We originally thought we would leave the intracoastal waterway and travel on the “outside” in the Gulf because of the two “low” high rise bridges on this stretch – the first one with a 50-foot clearance and the second with a charted clearance of 49-feet; however, according to one of our guidebooks, the clearance for that bridge was more like 48 feet. Our clearance with the wind instrument and anchor light is 47.5 feet. Don had no qualms about going under these bridges as they have had experience with a 49-foot bridge in Guatemala and had no difficulties getting under it. We agreed to follow them so that we could see for ourselves that Ally’s Cat could clear the bridges.
We set out into Santa Rosa Sound with a NNE wind at 5 mph and a forecast for increasing winds throughout the day. We were able to sail on a close reach (pinched into the wind) and started out the morning with a nice, easy sail. The wind increased to a very stiff 20 knots making the water choppy and the remaining passage through the Sound a bit uncomfortable. We found calmer waters after the first 20 miles and before passing under the Navarre Beach Bridge (50’) at mile 207.0. We hung back and held our breath as Ally’s Cat passed slowly and easily under the bridge. We followed suit and passed without a problem. Late in the afternoon, we approached the Fort Walton Beach Bridge (49’), mile 223.0. Because the tide was rising, the bridge marker showed that the clearance right then was just under 48 feet. Again, we hung back to allow our friends to pass in front of us and they made it through – however, it didn’t look like there was much room to spare. We knew if they could make it, we could, too, so we gritted our teeth and passed slowly under the bridge. Piece of cake!!
It was time to find an anchoring spot for the night, so we took the lead and headed into Joe’s Bayou at mile 229.5. Here we found a good all around anchorage with unbelievably lovely (expensive) homes, huge boats and fancy docks. It was a bit like being in a fishbowl, but we knew it would be a quiet, calm place and that we would be leaving early the next morning. Don and Ally invited us to come over to their boat for a cocktail, but we were feeling exhausted and like we’d been fighting uphill all day long so we declined. We had a quick dinner and went to bed.
This was the end of our third day of traveling with Don and Ally. They were meeting friends in Ft. Walton Beach tomorrow afternoon and spending the weekend at their friends’ home. We were going to continue traveling eastward.
We set out into Santa Rosa Sound with a NNE wind at 5 mph and a forecast for increasing winds throughout the day. We were able to sail on a close reach (pinched into the wind) and started out the morning with a nice, easy sail. The wind increased to a very stiff 20 knots making the water choppy and the remaining passage through the Sound a bit uncomfortable. We found calmer waters after the first 20 miles and before passing under the Navarre Beach Bridge (50’) at mile 207.0. We hung back and held our breath as Ally’s Cat passed slowly and easily under the bridge. We followed suit and passed without a problem. Late in the afternoon, we approached the Fort Walton Beach Bridge (49’), mile 223.0. Because the tide was rising, the bridge marker showed that the clearance right then was just under 48 feet. Again, we hung back to allow our friends to pass in front of us and they made it through – however, it didn’t look like there was much room to spare. We knew if they could make it, we could, too, so we gritted our teeth and passed slowly under the bridge. Piece of cake!!
It was time to find an anchoring spot for the night, so we took the lead and headed into Joe’s Bayou at mile 229.5. Here we found a good all around anchorage with unbelievably lovely (expensive) homes, huge boats and fancy docks. It was a bit like being in a fishbowl, but we knew it would be a quiet, calm place and that we would be leaving early the next morning. Don and Ally invited us to come over to their boat for a cocktail, but we were feeling exhausted and like we’d been fighting uphill all day long so we declined. We had a quick dinner and went to bed.
This was the end of our third day of traveling with Don and Ally. They were meeting friends in Ft. Walton Beach tomorrow afternoon and spending the weekend at their friends’ home. We were going to continue traveling eastward.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The plan for the day was to travel about 15 miles to a beach in Big Lagoon just off Perdido Key and simply relax and enjoy ourselves. We pulled anchor at 8:45 am and made our first stop at Pirate’s Cove, a marina just a couple of miles away in the next bayou. Don and Ally have friends who used to spend a lot of time at this marina and their friends encouraged them to stop in, check things out, and say “Hi” to the guy who runs the place. The marina was pretty quiet at 9:30 in the morning during the off season, but we had a good time looking things over, getting to know some of the yard dogs, and talking to a few of the folks who work there.
Around ICW mile 170 we crossed the Alabama state line and entered Florida! At mile 177 around 12:30 pm we dropped our anchor in Big Lagoon east of Redfish Point next to Perdido Key and a beautiful white sand beach. After making a few phone calls, we put our swim suits on, loaded ourselves into the dinghy and headed for the beach. We walked across the key to the Gulf side and found a pristine, deserted beach where Lucy ran, bucked, snorted, chased shore birds and played in the surf. We saw a stingray swimming close to shore and watched snails quickly bury themselves in the sand when the waves washed them ashore. Gale dug for sand crabs.
We walked a good long ways before Gale brought Maureen back to Blue Heron and he and Lucy took the dinghy to a nearby marina for bait. On the return trip, they sped by Ally’s Cat and gave Don and Ally a shout. Don had been listening to the weather forecast and said they were going to move their boat over to the spoil island and Fort McRae anchorage about a mile east. We followed them to the new spot where we would be protected from the 15 to 20 mph northeast winds forecast for after midnight.
After getting resettled, Don and Ally came over for happy hour.
We reviewed the charts for tomorrow’s journey and enjoyed the company as well as the drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The sunset was brilliant and the moon rise – spectacular!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The original plan for the morning was to leave the marina and be on our way by 6:30 am, however, Ally’s Cat needed to fuel up at Dog River Marina and there was no one at the fuel dock until about that time. Not to worry – it was a lovely morning with a light breeze and we still had plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely sail across Mobile Bay when we did get away from the docks at 7:00 am. Just before noon, we entered the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) where we were escorted off the Gulf and into the canal by six to nine playful dolphins. Lucy wasn’t sure what to think of these huge animals in the water!
At 12:30 pm we arrived at LuLu’s Restaurant. Lucy Buffett, the owner, is Jimmy Buffett’s sister. Both couples shared the special noon entrée which was a pound of wonderfully spicy, barbecued, peel and eat shrimp. Our waitress was fun, the ambience a little “funky,” the food delicious, and the drinks cold. After lunch, we spent a few minutes walking around the restaurant, looking at old photos, and talking to a few people about the restaurant and the area.
By 2:30 pm we were on our way again enjoying the warmth of the day and the peaceful route. We passed The Wharf Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, and were reminded that we stayed at this marina on Mark and Diane Holt’s boat, Adventure, last year.
At 4:00 pm and after traveling about 40 miles for the day, we dropped our anchor in Ingrams Bayou, ICW mile 164. It was a quiet and peaceful anchorage, beautiful surroundings, good wind protection and good holding in soft mud. We shared the anchorage with two other sailboats; however, the bay was large enough for all of us and several more.
After setting the anchor, we lowered the dinghy and took Lucy to the beach. After our walk and on our way back to Blue Heron, we were joined by a lone dolphin who circled the dinghy a few times making Lucy a little crazy. We took Lucy back to our boat and then dinghied over to Ally’s Cat where we spent some time with Don and Ally making a plan for tomorrow before returning to Blue Heron for the night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
