Ross and I have left Oddysea in St. Petersburg Florida while we return to Minnesota to celebrate Christmas with family, and eat way too much. Life is good!!!!!!
We wish you all a joyous Christmas and a blessed new year.
We will return and continue on the Loop January 2nd.
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9
The weather is forecast to become very windy the next few days so we changed our plan of going to Sarasota and just head straight to the Harborage Marina at St. Petersburg where we will leave the boat for a month. The day started out sunny, but then turned a bit foggy. Then really foggy. Guess crossing the Gulf wasn’t enough anxiety for us so we traveled all day in heavy fog. What is 
wrong with us? Don’t answer that.
The sun did pop out a few times during the day. One of those occasions we heard a splash along side the boat. I looked and there was a dolphin chasing us and leaping out of the water. By the time I got my camera it had dropped back a ways but was still playing with our wake and flying in the air.
Shortly after arriving at the Harborage,
Ross spotted this manatee swimming along the dock. It was hard to get a decent photo so there are two so I could show you 
it’s tail. It's skin looked like a boulder with lichen on it. You can see the white scars on it's back where it was probably hit by a prop.
wrong with us? Don’t answer that.The sun did pop out a few times during the day. One of those occasions we heard a splash along side the boat. I looked and there was a dolphin chasing us and leaping out of the water. By the time I got my camera it had dropped back a ways but was still playing with our wake and flying in the air.
Shortly after arriving at the Harborage,
Ross spotted this manatee swimming along the dock. It was hard to get a decent photo so there are two so I could show you 
it’s tail. It's skin looked like a boulder with lichen on it. You can see the white scars on it's back where it was probably hit by a prop.
TUESDAY DECEMBER 8
We slept for 12 hours straight. I don’t think I even moved during the night. One of the first things we did was call our friends Diann and Tom from Noah Genda. There was no answer. We hoped they didn’t answer because they were out of cell range and crossing the Gulf. Sure enough, we got a call and they were just arriving at Tarpon Springs. Very good news to us. They discovered some sort of antifreeze leak and didn’t make the crossing with us. It ended up to be a quick fix for them and they crossed the day after us.
Ross washed the salt off the boat. Plenty
of that. I put things back in their place and the boat looks pretty much back to normal. We are 2 blocks from the Clearwater Beach so took a long walk along it.
Bob and Kemba DeGroot of Spirit Dancer
invited us out to dinner at Crabby’s on the Beach. Great little spot and a good meal.
The sunset over Clearwater Beach
Ross washed the salt off the boat. Plenty
of that. I put things back in their place and the boat looks pretty much back to normal. We are 2 blocks from the Clearwater Beach so took a long walk along it.Bob and Kemba DeGroot of Spirit Dancer
invited us out to dinner at Crabby’s on the Beach. Great little spot and a good meal.The sunset over Clearwater Beach
CROSSING THE GULF
“Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours”……….Gordon Lightfoot
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Well okay, maybe our Gulf crossing wasn’t quite that dramatic. But it definitely ranked pretty dang high on the creepiness scale.
We had made sandwiches and coffee ahead of time because we knew it would be too rocky to be cooking. We prepared for the trip by setting most things on the floor and wrapping towels around breakables. Our “overboard bag” in the event we had to abandon ship was packed with water, flares, vhf radio, flashlight, waterproof mascara, etc. What?
Ross went up to the office for one last weather briefing and we decided to cross incase the bad weather moved in earlier than predicted. When we left Carrabelle on Sunday morning, there was ice on the railing and deck of the boat. Yes, I said ice. We were travelling with two buddy boats so we weren’t making the trip alone. One of the boats sped up and left. So it was just us, and the Spirit Dancer. We plodded along in the 3-5 foot seas most of the day. When the sun set, the world became very dark. At this point you are trusting God and your navigation system because you can’t see anything! You pray that there isn’t anything floating around out there to run into. No lights anywhere except those of Spirit Dancer. It was reassuring to look out and know someone was out there. At one point Spirit Dancer radioed us and said they had lost an engine. That gets your adrenaline going. It turned out they had blown a coolant hose. They were prepared and had it fixed and we were underway again in no time.
Once our course took us south rather than east the waves hit us from the side rather than from the front. So we were rolling side to side. Not pleasant in the least. We rotated being at the helm and would try to nap in between watches, but it was impossible to do at that point. Later in the night as the seas settled a bit we were able to take some naps. Our trip went faster than predicted so we ended up at idle speed for the last 3 hours waiting for daylight. There are crab traps everywhere once you get close to shore and you need to be able to see them to avoid them. The traps themselves are on the bottom but connected to a heavy line and a large floating bobber on the top. If you hit one, the line wraps up around your prop and you are in trouble. Most of our crossing was in 40-60’ water, but we encountered our first crab trap at 32’ as we were entering Clearwater.
We arrived at the Clearwater Municipal Marina 24 hours after we left Carrabelle. Our bed never felt so good!!!!!
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Well okay, maybe our Gulf crossing wasn’t quite that dramatic. But it definitely ranked pretty dang high on the creepiness scale.
We had made sandwiches and coffee ahead of time because we knew it would be too rocky to be cooking. We prepared for the trip by setting most things on the floor and wrapping towels around breakables. Our “overboard bag” in the event we had to abandon ship was packed with water, flares, vhf radio, flashlight, waterproof mascara, etc. What?
Ross went up to the office for one last weather briefing and we decided to cross incase the bad weather moved in earlier than predicted. When we left Carrabelle on Sunday morning, there was ice on the railing and deck of the boat. Yes, I said ice. We were travelling with two buddy boats so we weren’t making the trip alone. One of the boats sped up and left. So it was just us, and the Spirit Dancer. We plodded along in the 3-5 foot seas most of the day. When the sun set, the world became very dark. At this point you are trusting God and your navigation system because you can’t see anything! You pray that there isn’t anything floating around out there to run into. No lights anywhere except those of Spirit Dancer. It was reassuring to look out and know someone was out there. At one point Spirit Dancer radioed us and said they had lost an engine. That gets your adrenaline going. It turned out they had blown a coolant hose. They were prepared and had it fixed and we were underway again in no time.
Once our course took us south rather than east the waves hit us from the side rather than from the front. So we were rolling side to side. Not pleasant in the least. We rotated being at the helm and would try to nap in between watches, but it was impossible to do at that point. Later in the night as the seas settled a bit we were able to take some naps. Our trip went faster than predicted so we ended up at idle speed for the last 3 hours waiting for daylight. There are crab traps everywhere once you get close to shore and you need to be able to see them to avoid them. The traps themselves are on the bottom but connected to a heavy line and a large floating bobber on the top. If you hit one, the line wraps up around your prop and you are in trouble. Most of our crossing was in 40-60’ water, but we encountered our first crab trap at 32’ as we were entering Clearwater.
We arrived at the Clearwater Municipal Marina 24 hours after we left Carrabelle. Our bed never felt so good!!!!!
MONDAY DECEMBER 7
WE SURVIVED THE CROSSING. STORY AT 11:00............or when ever I get to it. The only thing on my radar at the moment is some well deserved shut eye. I am way to old to be pulling an all nighter.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 4
We took a ride around town on our bikes. They have a nice grocery store in Carrabelle that is close to the marina. So stocked up on a few things. There is a little cafe named We Be that is just on the other side of the parking lot so we stopped in for breakfast. Great food!! Eating meals out is hard the waistline, but you learn so much about an area by visiting with the locals.
There are several other boats in the marina who also plan to cross the G
ulf. We met at We Be at 5 to talk strategy, but mostly met as an excuse to get off our boats for a while. The rain has held us all captive quite a bit the last few weeks. The owners of We Be are very friendly and served us Swedish meatballs as appetizers while we sat in their restaurant. Didn't really need to eat dinner after all of those.
There are several other boats in the marina who also plan to cross the G
ulf. We met at We Be at 5 to talk strategy, but mostly met as an excuse to get off our boats for a while. The rain has held us all captive quite a bit the last few weeks. The owners of We Be are very friendly and served us Swedish meatballs as appetizers while we sat in their restaurant. Didn't really need to eat dinner after all of those.
THURSDAY DECEMBER 3
We left Port St. Joe on a sunny morning, but chilly. It was a short trip to Carrabelle. We saw this shrimper coming down the channel at us with his outriggers down. The channel was quite narrow at that point so we radioed them and asked what they wa
nted us to do. No answer. We had heard that many of the tow captains and such down here don't answer when you hail them. This guy was one of them. Maybe because he was shrimping in the channel and they are not suppose to be?? He had quite a few birds following along, but I like the two pelicans that are perched on his stern getting a free ride back to shore.
We passed under a bridge and along and area called
Bulkhead Shoals. There were probably a couple of dozen of these flat boats in a fairly small area. They were harvesting oysters. This isn't a very clear photo as I took it from so far away, but you can kind of make out the poles in the fisherman's hands. They are like large tongs with what looks like rakes on the ends and he scissors them back and forth on the bottom. Then he scoops it up and dumps what ever is caught within the rakes in the front of his boat. Another guy sorts what it is brought up. The oyster has to be at least a certain size or it gets tossed back.
Carrabelle is a quaint looking fishing village.
From the looks of things, it must be a hopping place in the summer months when tourist and charter fishermen are here. Many marinas, slips and waterside restaurants. But this time of year, it is pretty much deserted. From Carrabelle, we will cross the Gulf. The weather is such that it won't be for at least a few days.
Another thing we have run in to down south that is different from Minnesota is the dock workers are not allowed to get on your boat. Or so we were told by a few of them. Which means we pump our own fuel (not such a biggie) but also pump out the holding tanks. As you can see, this is a "blue" job so Ross is doing it. Taking a photo of it is a "pink" job.
nted us to do. No answer. We had heard that many of the tow captains and such down here don't answer when you hail them. This guy was one of them. Maybe because he was shrimping in the channel and they are not suppose to be?? He had quite a few birds following along, but I like the two pelicans that are perched on his stern getting a free ride back to shore.We passed under a bridge and along and area called
Bulkhead Shoals. There were probably a couple of dozen of these flat boats in a fairly small area. They were harvesting oysters. This isn't a very clear photo as I took it from so far away, but you can kind of make out the poles in the fisherman's hands. They are like large tongs with what looks like rakes on the ends and he scissors them back and forth on the bottom. Then he scoops it up and dumps what ever is caught within the rakes in the front of his boat. Another guy sorts what it is brought up. The oyster has to be at least a certain size or it gets tossed back.Carrabelle is a quaint looking fishing village.
From the looks of things, it must be a hopping place in the summer months when tourist and charter fishermen are here. Many marinas, slips and waterside restaurants. But this time of year, it is pretty much deserted. From Carrabelle, we will cross the Gulf. The weather is such that it won't be for at least a few days.
Another thing we have run in to down south that is different from Minnesota is the dock workers are not allowed to get on your boat. Or so we were told by a few of them. Which means we pump our own fuel (not such a biggie) but also pump out the holding tanks. As you can see, this is a "blue" job so Ross is doing it. Taking a photo of it is a "pink" job.
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 2
Rain, lots of rain. And more rain. We had a very quiet day on the boat. Reading and catching up on computer work were the main activities of the day. It was tough, but we also managed to work in a nap. Or two. Need to load up on the Zzzzzz before we do our Gulf crossing and have to pull an all nighter. Ross is watching the weather and the wind on a multitude of websites. Our plan is to head to Carabelle tomorrow and wait for good weather to cross the Gulf. Hopefully it won't be too long of a wait.
The photo of the sign is from the marina and posted in several places along the dock. We thought it was a joke, at first. There are alligators close by though. We watched for them, but apparently the cold weather kept them where they were. Our friend Cindy from Tug Hill Tug has a photo taken of a gator in this vicinity, so we know they are around. No swimming. No problem.
The rain quit in late afternoon so we rode our bikes uptown with the captain and crew (Tom and Diann) of Noah Agenda and ate dinner at That Place In Apalach. Good dinner. Despite the Christmas decorations and lights, the town was lonely and desolate. We felt like we were the only ones on the streets. A weeknight and the rain must have kept people at home.
The photo of the sign is from the marina and posted in several places along the dock. We thought it was a joke, at first. There are alligators close by though. We watched for them, but apparently the cold weather kept them where they were. Our friend Cindy from Tug Hill Tug has a photo taken of a gator in this vicinity, so we know they are around. No swimming. No problem.
The rain quit in late afternoon so we rode our bikes uptown with the captain and crew (Tom and Diann) of Noah Agenda and ate dinner at That Place In Apalach. Good dinner. Despite the Christmas decorations and lights, the town was lonely and desolate. We felt like we were the only ones on the streets. A weeknight and the rain must have kept people at home.
TUESDAY DECEMBER 1
The day started off cloudy and storms and wind are forecast.
This photo is from the historic cemetery in town. It's very scenic with live oak trees stretching out every which way and spanish moss draped on the branches. I wanted to look around, but I'd already seen one snake on the sidewalk and just didn't want to press my luck.
Ray and Patsy Whitney of the PatsyRay called Tom and Diann of Noah Agenda and said they were driving from Port St. Joe to Apalachicola to have lunch. We rode our bikes back over to Papa Joe's and met up with Ray and Patsy and two other couples. Both of which come from Minnesota. Jeff and Lynda Hammer from Princeton and Liz and Steve Kemper from Newport. Tom and Diann had spent time with the Kempers earlier on the trip so it was a reunion for them. I had a salad with fried oysters on the top. Very yummy. Lightly breaded and fresh oysters, so you could really taste them. Ross had a crab cake basket and he said it was also very good. After lunch Diann and I hopped on our bikes and headed into Apalachicola to look around the shops. We didn't stimulate the economy much, but we had fun and laughed alot! Stopped for a cup of coffee on the way back to the marina. We weren't back very long and it started to rain. And rain. And rain.
Just kind of hunkered down for the evening and listened to the rain. Watched the prez on t.v. I think I had as much trouble staying awake
as most of the West Point cadets. Snore!!! The big excitement of the evening was Ross had a phone call from his niece, Claire. She just turned 5 and lost her first tooth yesterday.
This photo is from the historic cemetery in town. It's very scenic with live oak trees stretching out every which way and spanish moss draped on the branches. I wanted to look around, but I'd already seen one snake on the sidewalk and just didn't want to press my luck.Ray and Patsy Whitney of the PatsyRay called Tom and Diann of Noah Agenda and said they were driving from Port St. Joe to Apalachicola to have lunch. We rode our bikes back over to Papa Joe's and met up with Ray and Patsy and two other couples. Both of which come from Minnesota. Jeff and Lynda Hammer from Princeton and Liz and Steve Kemper from Newport. Tom and Diann had spent time with the Kempers earlier on the trip so it was a reunion for them. I had a salad with fried oysters on the top. Very yummy. Lightly breaded and fresh oysters, so you could really taste them. Ross had a crab cake basket and he said it was also very good. After lunch Diann and I hopped on our bikes and headed into Apalachicola to look around the shops. We didn't stimulate the economy much, but we had fun and laughed alot! Stopped for a cup of coffee on the way back to the marina. We weren't back very long and it started to rain. And rain. And rain.
Just kind of hunkered down for the evening and listened to the rain. Watched the prez on t.v. I think I had as much trouble staying awake
as most of the West Point cadets. Snore!!! The big excitement of the evening was Ross had a phone call from his niece, Claire. She just turned 5 and lost her first tooth yesterday.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 30
Happy birthday to Ross' mom!!!! Once again we are
underway and traveling along the ICW. The first part is a man made ditch and the landscape is filled with pine trees. Not what one thinks of when they think of Florida. This part of the ICW is fairly remote and we saw many different types of birds, including a bald eagle. When I opened the door on the boat to get a clear photo shot, he got nervous and flew away. Fortunately for me, he landed close by. It is a clear, chilly morning so we have the boat closed up. The trip to Apalachicola was very scenic with a variety of landscapes. As you can 
see, it started with pine trees and fairly high banks. Then we left the pines and the trees changed to cypress. Later in the trip as we entered the Jackson River and the Apalachicola River the landscape became flat with grassland and the occasional palm tree.
Apalachicola is a quaint fishing village in Florida. We are docked at Water Street Inn Marina about 7 blocks from town. Floating docks, yay!!! It warmed up nicely as the day progressed and we decided to ride out bikes in to the town. We were riding along Water Street (which runs parallel to the water, surprise surprise) which is
where all the seafood processing places are. We noticed this guy unloading burlap bags and weighing them. Always thinking of our readers, we stopped to find out what he was doing. The burlap bags where full of oysters. A couple of his buddies sauntered out to harass him once they found out we were taking his photo for an internet blog and asking him questions.
We rode around the town and ended up stopping at a seafood market down by the waterfront. Bought a couple pounds of shrimp for $6 bucks a pound.
We were recommended a place for oysters called Papa Joe's.
Since Apalachicola is the "oyster capital of the world" we figured we better go try some. They served oysters at least a dozen different ways, so in the interest of science, we started ordering. Our friends Diann and Tom from Noah Agenda joined us in our mission. 
Diann and I decided we should have a photo of "the shucker". The oysters were in a tank of ice along the bar. You can't tell from the 
photo, but this guy had a ponytail that would make most women envious. He schucked two HUGE oysters and told us to take them back to our men. Ross slurped his up, but you can tell from the photo that Tom was a bit sceptical. He was a trooper though, and tried it. He decided to stick with his calamari. Ross, Diann and I tried them 
several different ways before we left.
I bought a package mix earlier in town to make shrimp and grits. After Ross' rave reviews after eating shrimp with grits way back when in Columbus, Mississippi I thought we'd try it. Oh boy, big thumbs up!!!
Cleaning shrimp in the galley.
underway and traveling along the ICW. The first part is a man made ditch and the landscape is filled with pine trees. Not what one thinks of when they think of Florida. This part of the ICW is fairly remote and we saw many different types of birds, including a bald eagle. When I opened the door on the boat to get a clear photo shot, he got nervous and flew away. Fortunately for me, he landed close by. It is a clear, chilly morning so we have the boat closed up. The trip to Apalachicola was very scenic with a variety of landscapes. As you can 
see, it started with pine trees and fairly high banks. Then we left the pines and the trees changed to cypress. Later in the trip as we entered the Jackson River and the Apalachicola River the landscape became flat with grassland and the occasional palm tree.
Apalachicola is a quaint fishing village in Florida. We are docked at Water Street Inn Marina about 7 blocks from town. Floating docks, yay!!! It warmed up nicely as the day progressed and we decided to ride out bikes in to the town. We were riding along Water Street (which runs parallel to the water, surprise surprise) which is
where all the seafood processing places are. We noticed this guy unloading burlap bags and weighing them. Always thinking of our readers, we stopped to find out what he was doing. The burlap bags where full of oysters. A couple of his buddies sauntered out to harass him once they found out we were taking his photo for an internet blog and asking him questions.We rode around the town and ended up stopping at a seafood market down by the waterfront. Bought a couple pounds of shrimp for $6 bucks a pound.
We were recommended a place for oysters called Papa Joe's.
Since Apalachicola is the "oyster capital of the world" we figured we better go try some. They served oysters at least a dozen different ways, so in the interest of science, we started ordering. Our friends Diann and Tom from Noah Agenda joined us in our mission. 
Diann and I decided we should have a photo of "the shucker". The oysters were in a tank of ice along the bar. You can't tell from the 
photo, but this guy had a ponytail that would make most women envious. He schucked two HUGE oysters and told us to take them back to our men. Ross slurped his up, but you can tell from the photo that Tom was a bit sceptical. He was a trooper though, and tried it. He decided to stick with his calamari. Ross, Diann and I tried them 
several different ways before we left.I bought a package mix earlier in town to make shrimp and grits. After Ross' rave reviews after eating shrimp with grits way back when in Columbus, Mississippi I thought we'd try it. Oh boy, big thumbs up!!!
Cleaning shrimp in the galley.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29
Woke up, got outta bed, dragged a comb across my head.......no wait, that was the Beatles. It was a sunny morning and we met up with our friends Diann and Tom from N
oah Agenda and headed up town on our bikes to have a breakfast at a place recommended to us the night before. It was the Port Inn. It was in a small hotel and we weren't certain it was open, as it looked a little quiet. Tom went in and shortly returned. He said they were open, but it was a bit spendy. We all looked worried. Then he told us it was $5. We laughed and went it. For 5 bucks we had our choice of grits (0f course), eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, omelets and Belgian waffles. Definitely our bargain of the day.
It was a quiet day for the most part. Got caught up on the boat and settled in. Ross found out they would have the V
ikings game on TV up at the bar at the end of the dock. So we headed up there for hot wings, fried shrimp and brewskis 
while watching Farv and the boys tromp the Bears. Go Vikes!!! Oh, and how could I forget, hush puppies!!! Those delicious little rounds of fried cornmeal flavored with onion and green pepper. Yummy.
The sunset at Port St. Joe
oah Agenda and headed up town on our bikes to have a breakfast at a place recommended to us the night before. It was the Port Inn. It was in a small hotel and we weren't certain it was open, as it looked a little quiet. Tom went in and shortly returned. He said they were open, but it was a bit spendy. We all looked worried. Then he told us it was $5. We laughed and went it. For 5 bucks we had our choice of grits (0f course), eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, omelets and Belgian waffles. Definitely our bargain of the day.It was a quiet day for the most part. Got caught up on the boat and settled in. Ross found out they would have the V
ikings game on TV up at the bar at the end of the dock. So we headed up there for hot wings, fried shrimp and brewskis 
while watching Farv and the boys tromp the Bears. Go Vikes!!! Oh, and how could I forget, hush puppies!!! Those delicious little rounds of fried cornmeal flavored with onion and green pepper. Yummy.
The sunset at Port St. Joe
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 28
After a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with loved ones, and a lot of great food, it was time to return to the Oddysea. Our daughter, Krista, dropped us at the airport in Minneapolis on Friday morning and we arrived last night to Panama City, Florida. Not many travelers, making it comfortable traveling, rather than the usual sardine scenario. We were happy to be back on board and see that all was well. We took a nice walk in the morning to 
get a bit of exercise after all the sitting yesterday. It was a cool morning, and the salt air smells so incredible! There's nothing like it. The weather was forecast to be a pleasant day, so we opted to go out in the Gulf for our 25+ mile trip to Port St. Joe. It was the first time for the Oddysea to be in the Gulf. Ross commented that this was the clearest water Oddysea had been in since we left Lake Michigan with her 7 years ago. There was a light chop on the water, sun shining and pods of dophins to watch.
We arrived at Port St. Joe Marina and headed up town to the local Piggly Wiggly to reprovision. The marina had a couple of 3-wheeled bicycles with baskets for boaters to use. Once we got over the
"dork factor" we found they were a lot of fun. We felt like kids riding around on Big Wheels! The store was only about 2 blocks away. By the time we got to the check out, we had a full grocery cart load. No way would all this fit in those bike baskets. Wrong!! We could have bought more stuff. We road them right down the dock and out to the boat.
This is a very friendly and accomodating marina.
Way back when on the Tennessee River at Pebble Isle Marina we first met Ray and Patsy of the "PatsyRay". They welcomed us on the dock there and told us about Port St. Joe, Florida and invited us to come and visit their town. Well, we came, and they were here to welcome us. And once again, they organized dinner for the Loopers and others. We fianally crossed paths, or should I say wakes, with our friends Diann and Tom Lanham from Noah Genda. We first met back at Alton Marina on the Mississippi. We have mostly stayed updated on each other's progress through our blogs as Ida disrupted all of our travels. It was good to see them again and catch up. Ray and Patsy made arrangements for anyone who wanted, to go uptown to a Mexican restaraunt called Peppers. Good food, reasonably priced.
get a bit of exercise after all the sitting yesterday. It was a cool morning, and the salt air smells so incredible! There's nothing like it. The weather was forecast to be a pleasant day, so we opted to go out in the Gulf for our 25+ mile trip to Port St. Joe. It was the first time for the Oddysea to be in the Gulf. Ross commented that this was the clearest water Oddysea had been in since we left Lake Michigan with her 7 years ago. There was a light chop on the water, sun shining and pods of dophins to watch.We arrived at Port St. Joe Marina and headed up town to the local Piggly Wiggly to reprovision. The marina had a couple of 3-wheeled bicycles with baskets for boaters to use. Once we got over the
"dork factor" we found they were a lot of fun. We felt like kids riding around on Big Wheels! The store was only about 2 blocks away. By the time we got to the check out, we had a full grocery cart load. No way would all this fit in those bike baskets. Wrong!! We could have bought more stuff. We road them right down the dock and out to the boat.This is a very friendly and accomodating marina.
Way back when on the Tennessee River at Pebble Isle Marina we first met Ray and Patsy of the "PatsyRay". They welcomed us on the dock there and told us about Port St. Joe, Florida and invited us to come and visit their town. Well, we came, and they were here to welcome us. And once again, they organized dinner for the Loopers and others. We fianally crossed paths, or should I say wakes, with our friends Diann and Tom Lanham from Noah Genda. We first met back at Alton Marina on the Mississippi. We have mostly stayed updated on each other's progress through our blogs as Ida disrupted all of our travels. It was good to see them again and catch up. Ray and Patsy made arrangements for anyone who wanted, to go uptown to a Mexican restaraunt called Peppers. Good food, reasonably priced.
NOVEMBER 13TH AND BEYOND
I'm playing catch up on the blog. Our last day of the leg was spent traveling from Bluewater Bay at Niceville Florida to Baypoint Marina at 
Panama City. It was a calm, beautiful morning when we left. Our friends, and local tour guides, Nancy and Steve Bachand joined us. We so enjoyed having them along. Not only for the help, but also as tour guides along the way! We stopped at St. Andrews Marina in Panama City and walked to Uncle Ernies for lunch. The wind picked up while we had lunch. Which made things interesting when we backed into the slip!! Ended the day at Baypoint Marina in Panama City where we will be leaving the boat for a couple of weeks.
Heard a great place to eat while we were here is Captain Anderson's. Nancy and Steve have rented a car for their return trip to Niceville, so we have wheels! We arrived at Capt. Anderson's around 8 o'clock and were told it would be a two hour wait. What? You've got to be kidding!! ( we later heard from the locals you need to slip the hostess a healthy greenback to get a table) We headed across the street to a place called J. Michaels. Lots of locals and the parking lot was full. Always a good sign. Very reasonably priced and tasty. Nancy ordered a dozen Apalachicola oysters. She said they are sweet and the best. I must admit that these were the best I have tried.
After breakfast on the 14th Nancy and Steve helped us get the boat set to leave for a couple of weeks as we return to Minnesota tomorrow morning. Ross had Steve help him pull the
dinghy up on the front deck where we think we will strap it for crossing of the Gulf. Boy, was I glad 
for Steve's muscles. Otherwise I would have been struggling trying to help Ross. Which would have been a recipe for a disaster.
Ross washed the boat to get as much salt off it as possible, we did up the laundry, packed and were ready to go by 4. A fellow boater on the dock offered to drive us to the hotel we had booked out by the airport for our early morning flight. It always amazes me how hospitable boaters are. You see many beautiful sights along the way, but the people you meet are the true highlight.
We will return to Florida to continue our travels the day after Thanksgiving.
Panama City. It was a calm, beautiful morning when we left. Our friends, and local tour guides, Nancy and Steve Bachand joined us. We so enjoyed having them along. Not only for the help, but also as tour guides along the way! We stopped at St. Andrews Marina in Panama City and walked to Uncle Ernies for lunch. The wind picked up while we had lunch. Which made things interesting when we backed into the slip!! Ended the day at Baypoint Marina in Panama City where we will be leaving the boat for a couple of weeks.Heard a great place to eat while we were here is Captain Anderson's. Nancy and Steve have rented a car for their return trip to Niceville, so we have wheels! We arrived at Capt. Anderson's around 8 o'clock and were told it would be a two hour wait. What? You've got to be kidding!! ( we later heard from the locals you need to slip the hostess a healthy greenback to get a table) We headed across the street to a place called J. Michaels. Lots of locals and the parking lot was full. Always a good sign. Very reasonably priced and tasty. Nancy ordered a dozen Apalachicola oysters. She said they are sweet and the best. I must admit that these were the best I have tried.
After breakfast on the 14th Nancy and Steve helped us get the boat set to leave for a couple of weeks as we return to Minnesota tomorrow morning. Ross had Steve help him pull the
dinghy up on the front deck where we think we will strap it for crossing of the Gulf. Boy, was I glad 
for Steve's muscles. Otherwise I would have been struggling trying to help Ross. Which would have been a recipe for a disaster.Ross washed the boat to get as much salt off it as possible, we did up the laundry, packed and were ready to go by 4. A fellow boater on the dock offered to drive us to the hotel we had booked out by the airport for our early morning flight. It always amazes me how hospitable boaters are. You see many beautiful sights along the way, but the people you meet are the true highlight.
We will return to Florida to continue our travels the day after Thanksgiving.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12
Finally…the sun!!!!! Steve and Nancy Bachand picked us up at 8 am and took us for an all day tour of the area. It was great
having our own personal tour guides. First we went to Crystal Beach, which is east of Destin Florida. It was low tide and the beach is beautiful. The area is known as “the Emerald Coast” because when the sun shines on the white quartz sand at a certain angle reflects and appears green.
We continued on to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola. The Naval Air Museum is located there. As we were entering the museum an Air Force F16 buzzed everyone and then put on his afterburner. He was most likely practicing for the air show that would take place over the weekend. I can’t begin to describe it, but everyone totally loved it. The speed, the noise, the ground and your body shaking. Believe me, it was a first hand exposure to the power of those jets.
The museum was fabulous. Every aircraft in the museum had been flown by Navy pilots except for one. And that aircraft looked liked a model airplane of sorts. The display presentations where so well done. Whatever area specific aircraft had been used in, the surroundings depicted the actual conditions. One was set up like it would have been in the pacific. Complete with sandbags, outdoor shower and an officer’s club.
WHOA!! And I thought our props were big. This is one of the
props from the aircraft carrier
Intrepid.
We ate lunch at the museum’s Cubi Points café. The original Cubi Points Officers’ Club was located near Subic Bay in the Philippines. That base has been closed so they removed all the plaques and used them to decorate the museum café. Each plaque had the names, and nicknames, of each squadron. Not only did pilots has squadrons but also mechanics, nurses, etc. who had squadrons. It made us speculate how some of these people got their nicknames. But we think alcohol may have been involved.
The Naval Air Station at Pensacola is home to The Blue Angels. They have been on tour but have just returned home. They put on an air show that we watched. These guys flew like they were happy to be home. They were short a pilot though so when they heard Ross had his pilots license they asked him to fill in.
Just kidding!!!
These pilots are nothing short of amazing. But I’m glad I’m not any of their moms. I was nervous just watching. Especially when they would fly at very low altitude directly at one another and then at the last second roll their jets over and miss one another.
having our own personal tour guides. First we went to Crystal Beach, which is east of Destin Florida. It was low tide and the beach is beautiful. The area is known as “the Emerald Coast” because when the sun shines on the white quartz sand at a certain angle reflects and appears green.We continued on to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola. The Naval Air Museum is located there. As we were entering the museum an Air Force F16 buzzed everyone and then put on his afterburner. He was most likely practicing for the air show that would take place over the weekend. I can’t begin to describe it, but everyone totally loved it. The speed, the noise, the ground and your body shaking. Believe me, it was a first hand exposure to the power of those jets.
The museum was fabulous. Every aircraft in the museum had been flown by Navy pilots except for one. And that aircraft looked liked a model airplane of sorts. The display presentations where so well done. Whatever area specific aircraft had been used in, the surroundings depicted the actual conditions. One was set up like it would have been in the pacific. Complete with sandbags, outdoor shower and an officer’s club.
WHOA!! And I thought our props were big. This is one of the
props from the aircraft carrierIntrepid.
We ate lunch at the museum’s Cubi Points café. The original Cubi Points Officers’ Club was located near Subic Bay in the Philippines. That base has been closed so they removed all the plaques and used them to decorate the museum café. Each plaque had the names, and nicknames, of each squadron. Not only did pilots has squadrons but also mechanics, nurses, etc. who had squadrons. It made us speculate how some of these people got their nicknames. But we think alcohol may have been involved.
The Naval Air Station at Pensacola is home to The Blue Angels. They have been on tour but have just returned home. They put on an air show that we watched. These guys flew like they were happy to be home. They were short a pilot though so when they heard Ross had his pilots license they asked him to fill in.
Just kidding!!!
These pilots are nothing short of amazing. But I’m glad I’m not any of their moms. I was nervous just watching. Especially when they would fly at very low altitude directly at one another and then at the last second roll their jets over and miss one another.
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11
Left Homeport Marina before dawn. This was LuLu’s restaurant at the marina that has been home to us for many days.
After many weeks in Mississippi and Alabama, today we
entered Florida.It was good to be traveling again. It was cloudy and
windy all day. I think we maybe saw 2 other boats all day. It wasn’t a pleasant ride as there were some 4-foot waves coming across our beam as we crossed Pensacola Bay. Just before entering Pensacola Bay I
noticed a dolphin swimming along side of us. I couldn’t get a good photo but you can kind of make it out in the photo. I will have to learn how to take a video with my camera and see if I can put it on the blog in the event I have the opportunity again.
We saw quite a few kite boarders on Pensacola Bay. You know that crazy Ross. He had to try it too. So here he is kite boarding.
Just kidding. But it does kind of look like him. This guy saw that I was trying to photograph him so came over and went by us. The guys in by shore were going airborne maybe 10 feet and doing tricks. I couldn’t get pictures, unfortunately as they were too far away.
The sand along the ICW looks almost like snow it is so white.
Our destination was Bluewater Bay Marina at Niceville, Florida. Nancy and Steve Bachand are retired military dentists who went to dental school with Ross and now live here. They picked us up at the marina and brought us to their home for a delicious dinner. Ross and I were feeling a bit wobbly. We’ve been on the boat so long that we’ve lost our “land legs.” It was nice to get off the boat for a bit and we very much appreciated their hospitality.
SUNDAY, MONDAY AND TUESDAY
Waiting out Ida.
Remember this guy? King Neptune from Halloween night. He granted us safe travels, and so far is keeping his word. Ida was a hurricane due to come ashore right where we sat. Thankfully he calmed her down and changed her mind.
We have been sitting at the Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores Alabama for three days. Mostly watching the weather channels, reading and napping. Just waiting for Ida to arrive. Much to our relief, she lost most of her punch and was a tropical storm when she came ashore early this morning. The eye passed over us and it became dead calm and so humid it was unreal. Then it passed and turned windy and temp dropped. The tide was high, but we were fine. It was wonderful to have floating docks. At least we know how to tie up to cleats to deal with wind. Tying to a piling is something completely different for us.
It has been a relief to find out that our Looper friends are all fine. Scattered about between the ICW and back up above Demopolis.
We spent a lot of time glued to the local weather channel and the NOAA weather site on the internet. There was a scroll at the bottom of the tv screen as to closings of schools and event cancelation. Just like at home when we have snow. Ross commented on all the kids probably cheering about a "hurricane day" when they saw their school's name listed.
We have felt safe here but are now anxious to be on our way. Our plan is to leave at daylight and continue east on the ICW.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7
We left Eastern Shore Marina at Fairhope before 7:30 
a.m. The photo is from our slip looking out toward Mobile Bay at sunrise. Mobile Bay only had about 1 foot seas and a 10 mph east wind. Mobile Bay is a large body of water, but quite shallow. Average depth is only 10 feet. It is supposedly home to one of the largest populations of dolphins. We saw only one. And that was when we entered the ICW. It was an easy trip down Mobile Bay to the ICW. (Intercoastal Water Way)
We met quite a character at the Eastern Shore Marina. Before we left this morning I went up to the office to see if I could get his picture. He either doesn’t work on Saturdays or hadn’t arrived yet. Yesterday his ride had already picked him up when I went to take his photo. His name is Chuck and he’s a large, very vocal tabby cat. He spent the first four years of his life living on a boat in the marina with his owner. When Chuck’s owner married, sold the boat and bought a townhouse, Chuck was not happy. Chuck eventually returned to the marina where he works as the welcoming committee. Boats have been know to leave the marina, only to return after discovering they have a stow-a-way on board named Chuck. There are many night creatures that would love to take Chuck home some night so there is an elderly gentleman who picks up Chuck each night before dark and returns him in the morning.
This photo is of a commercial fisherman who was netting something along the ICW. No idea what, but it was interesting watching the process.
Our destination today is Homeport Marina located at Gulf Shores, Alabama. Very nice floating docks. The restaurant here is LuLu’s. It is operated by Jimmy Buffet’s sister. I guess he makes surprise appearances once in a while and sings.
We continue to keep a close watch on the weather and Ida.
a.m. The photo is from our slip looking out toward Mobile Bay at sunrise. Mobile Bay only had about 1 foot seas and a 10 mph east wind. Mobile Bay is a large body of water, but quite shallow. Average depth is only 10 feet. It is supposedly home to one of the largest populations of dolphins. We saw only one. And that was when we entered the ICW. It was an easy trip down Mobile Bay to the ICW. (Intercoastal Water Way)We met quite a character at the Eastern Shore Marina. Before we left this morning I went up to the office to see if I could get his picture. He either doesn’t work on Saturdays or hadn’t arrived yet. Yesterday his ride had already picked him up when I went to take his photo. His name is Chuck and he’s a large, very vocal tabby cat. He spent the first four years of his life living on a boat in the marina with his owner. When Chuck’s owner married, sold the boat and bought a townhouse, Chuck was not happy. Chuck eventually returned to the marina where he works as the welcoming committee. Boats have been know to leave the marina, only to return after discovering they have a stow-a-way on board named Chuck. There are many night creatures that would love to take Chuck home some night so there is an elderly gentleman who picks up Chuck each night before dark and returns him in the morning.
This photo is of a commercial fisherman who was netting something along the ICW. No idea what, but it was interesting watching the process.
Our destination today is Homeport Marina located at Gulf Shores, Alabama. Very nice floating docks. The restaurant here is LuLu’s. It is operated by Jimmy Buffet’s sister. I guess he makes surprise appearances once in a while and sings.
We continue to keep a close watch on the weather and Ida.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6
Spent the day catching up on boat chores. Our Verizon service doesn’t work here. Ross checked out the courtesy van for a while and drove around until he found cell signal. He made several calls to marinas so we have a number of options depending on what Ida does. Everyone is keeping a close eye on the weather.We are definitely fresh water folk who are now salt water newbies. No more floating docks and cleats. We now have to tie up to a dock piling and consider the tide factor in to it. Heck, I was just starting to figure out the dock and cleat thing. The photo is the boat in the slip as low tide. Ross got up last night and checked on the boat at high tide. He said at that point the boat was lifted so high we would have had to get off the swim platform to get on to the dock. I take his word for it, and you’ll have to take mine. No way was I getting up at 2 a.m. to take a picture.
There are several commercial shrimp boats in this marina. We went to buy some fresh shrimp off of a boat where we saw a crew. But just our luck, their boat had generator problems and had to come back in. No shrimp. Visiting with them I found out they take the boats out at night. There is a huge outrigger on either side of the boat and net attached. On
the ends of the outrigger are gigantic spotlights. They turn them on to attract the shrimp. Dang, I wish they would have had some shrimp!We used the courtesy van and went to a busy little fish joint in Fairhope named Market By The Bay for dinner. Fellow Loopers Liz and Bob Stagg from “Second Wind” joined us. It wasn’t a fancy place by any means, but good, reasonably priced chow. Ross and I both had the fried shrimp dinner and hush puppies. Very good!! More about hush puppies some other time. I’m not entirely sure what they are, but I’ll find out and report back. But know this, the choice was French fries or hush puppies. They are good! Bob had the gumbo and said it was excellent. Being a native Alabamian I figure he knows gumbo. It was “First Friday” in Fairhope so many of the shops were open late and there were street musicians. We wandered around for a while before going back to the marina.
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