APALACHICOLA, FL TO DUNEDIN, FL - CROSSING THE GULF

Saturday, November 29th to Sunday, November 30th, 2014

Day 117-118
Miles Traveled: 194 (in 26 hours)
Total Miles Traveled: 2481


  We enjoyed our stay at Apalachicola, FL.  This was a neat little town to stay at until a weather window opened for an overnight gulf crossing.  The Water Street Hotel Marina, although small, was nice and conveniently located to town. 

leaving Water Street Hotel Marina

  Saturday morning after reading Eddy's Weather Wag on the AGLCA forum and looking at the weather and wind forecasts for the hundredth time,  we decided it was time to cast off our lines and cross The Gulf to the west side of Florida.  Before leaving, we had to get the cabin secure for possible rough seas.  Nothing could be left on ledges or shelves that might fall off.  The table and trash were laid on there sides.  The couch was secured to the wall.  These were just of few examples of preparing for this day's journey.  This was not going to be a typical "day on the water" so extra preparations had to be made. 

Dan ready to captain "Seahorse" across The Gulf

  We buddied up with three other boats for this trip.  Safety in numbers.  We chose our crossing mates because our boats traveled at about the same speed, they were well maintained vessels, and we had confidence that if a problem arose our buddy boats would help us out.  We crossed with John & Kathy on "Serenity", Roger & Mary on "Ta-Ta, and Mark & Becky on "Mara Beel".  Jim & Mimi aboard "Perfect Balance" also decided to travel with us at the last minute.  We could not have hoped for a better group of boaters to travel with for this nighttime Gulf of Mexico crossing.  

"Serenity" and "Mara Beel"

"Ta-Ta"

  The cruise started out a little lumpy coming out of East Pass to enter The Gulf of Mexico.  But, as the afternoon and evening progressed, the winds and waves improved and made for a pretty comfortable ride.  There were many times we had dolphins swimming off of our bow.  The sunset and sunrise on The Gulf were spectacular.  

entering The Gulf

dolphins playing in our bow wake - on both sides

sunset on The Gulf

sunrise on The Gulf

  Neither of us slept much during the crossing.  Even though we took turns driving, the other just wasn't able to fall asleep - too much excitement.  We left Apalachicola, FL at 10:00 am and arrived at our final destination, Dunedin, FL, at about 1:00 pm on Sunday.  

  We did come across a lot of crab pots (metal cages to catch crabs with floats attached for fisherman to find them).  These floats that mark the crab pots are small and blend in with the water so they are difficult to see.  We played "dodge em'' " when we got closer to shore on the other side.  These are common findings along the coast.  


  On Sunday, after our arrival, putting the cabin back together, and a short nap, another boating couple had a BBQ for our "crossing group".  We had grilled chicken and all the fixins'.  It was a great way to celebrate a successful and safe crossing, and we didn't have to cook. "Cheers to a Good Crossing!"  

Our Gulf Crossing group    

APALACHICOLA - CHRISTMAS SEASON KICK-OFF

Friday, November 28th, 2014

Day 116
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 2287


  It was a beautiful cool, but sunny, day. We walked around this neat town for one last day.  We stopped by Piggly Wiggly, know as "The Pig" by locals, for further provisions for the Gulf Crossing planned for tomorrow evening.  Our menu was now complete. In order of consumption as the overnight crossing progresses:
               Chicken pasta salad
               Deli meat sandwiches
               Apples and grapes
               Granola Bars
               Cheese and crackers
               Potato chips and Fritos
               Fig Newtons
               Double Chocolate Oreos
               Chocolate candy bars
               5 hr. Energy Drinks

  
  Now that Thanksgiving was over, it was time to get into the Christmas spirit.  We bought a cute kitchen towel with a garland anchor on the front.  This is the first Christmas decoration we have put out.  Usually we would have started with the Christmas tree, but, with the upcoming Gulf crossing it would not have survived.  The table tree that Dan's son and family bought for us is going to have to wait until we get to the western shores of Florida. 

First Christmas decoration

  Santa made his first appearance for the holiday season aboard a shrimp boat right here in Apalachicola.  The local children were all very excited to see him.  Christmas music was playing and there was a lot of cheering when he showed up.

Santa arriving on a shrimping boat

Santa and his helpers on the bow of the boat

  That evening the town lit up the downtown with lights on the palm trees and decorations on the lamp posts.  The nautical Christmas tree was even lit up. 

Christmas tree

     

APALACHICOLA, FL - HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Wednesday, November 26th to Thursday November 27th, 2014

Day 114-115
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 2287


  Wednesday was a leisurely day.  A chart and weather discussion occurred in the morning about the Gulf Crossing.  Angie went shopping with some of the ladies later in the morning.  There are a lot of neat little shops in this town.  In the afternoon, we took a walk to the only grocery store in town, Piggly Wiggly.  The walk was nice as it was a sunny day, but a little cool with the north wind.


  Thursday was Thanksgiving Day and we had a great celebration at a local restaurant called Caroline's.  There were 26 people, all boaters, that gathered together today.  We all had one thing in common - getting across The Gulf to the western shores of Florida.  We were able to order a "traditional" Thanksgiving dinner - turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry salad.  A fellow boater had bought a pumpkin pie and we had that during another weather and chart review session after the meal.  It was a good Thanksgiving Day with our "boating family".  The only thing that would have made it better is if the Ailes and Frick families could have been there. 

dressed up for Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving dinner at Caroline's

    

APALACHICOLA, FL - EXPLORING

Tuesday, November 25th, 2014

Day 113
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 2287


  Apalachicola, before the development of the railroad, was the third busiest port in the Gulf of Mexico.  Most all of its industries have centered around the use of the waterways.  Initially, the shipping of cotton was the main industry.  Early on there was also a large timber industry with cypress logs being dragged out of the swamps.  Then the steamboat era came into play.  After that, the fishing industry had its turn - with oysters, sponges, and shrimp.  Still today oyster and shrimp fishing is a big part of Apalachicola's economy.  


  We walked around downtown Apalachicola despite the cool weather and periodic rain showers.  Our first stop was the Apalachicola Maritime Museum.  This was a nice little museum.  The museum has restored a 1930's L. Francis Herreshoff designed 58 foot wooden ketch.  Initially called "The Quark", after its restoration by the museum it was renamed "Heritage". 

Dan aboard "Heritage"

Angie at helm of "Heritage"

  We saw several Antebellum and Victorian style homes.  One house, called the Orman house, has been preserved and turned into a museum.  It was closed so we were not able to go into the museum home.  Rumor has it that during the Civil War Sarah Orman, a proud Confederate, would simulate roof repairs whenever Union troops would arrive in town to alert the Confederate soldiers. 

Orman House

  Downtown there are numerous shops and restaurants.  You could spend days here and not see or eat in all of them.  The town was decorated for Christmas with lighted palm trees and even a maritime Christmas tree. 

Christmas tree

  


 

PANAMA CITY, FL TO APALACHICOLA, FL

Monday, November 24th, 2014

Day 112
Miles Traveled: 64
Total Miles Traveled: 2287



  The theme of the day was fog, fog, and more fog with some rain thrown in for good measure.  When we left St. Andrews Marina at about 8:00 am there was light fog out in St. Andrews Bay.  But, as we cruised further east to East Bay, the fog began to thicken.  We were just about ready to go to the side of the channel and anchor, when Rick and Rose on "Grand Finale" appeared on our port (left) side.  Rick has an airplane pilots license and is very familiar with driving with electronics (radar, etc.), so we followed him through the worst fog.  His boat is an express cruiser and goes a lot faster than our "Seahorse", so, after helping to guide us through East Bay and what we thought was the last of the fog, he sped up and went on his way.  Little did we know that we would be encountering fog banks several times throughout the rest of the day.  None were as severe as the first, but all were definitely a cause for some anxiety.  The fog would be there one minute and gone the next.  We had never experienced fog at 1:00 in the afternoon.

  The scenery (when we were able to see it) was beautiful.  Some were wide expanses of water, like East Bay and Lake Wimico, and others were small channels through marsh lands and creeks.  All are part of the Gulf ICW.  The trees were displaying their pretty fall colors. 

entering Lake Wimico

Wetappo Creek - marsh land, part of Gulf ICW

  We also enjoyed plenty of wild life sitings.  Although, we were disappointed that we didn't see any alligators.

Lots of ducks

deer swimming across the creek

bald eagle in treetop

  We encountered our first swing bridge today.  Fortunately, it was already in the open position so we did not have to call on the VHF radio to have it opened and were able to cruise right on through. 

Easy pass through swing bridge

  We were relieved when we finally saw the first sites of Apalachicola, FL, our final destination for the day.  We headed up Scipio Creek to our slip at the Water Street Hotel Marina.  We were greeting by several other Loopers ready to catch our lines.  There are several marinas located on the creek and all are right near downtown Apalachicola.  We finished tying off our lines in time to go to dinner at one of the numerous local restaurants.  

Cruising up Scipio Creek to the marina

 

  

  

PANAMA CITY, FL

Saturday, November 22nd to Sunday, November 23rd, 2014

Day 110-111
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 2223



  Saturday morning was spent doing laundry, catching up on email, trip planning, and studying the weather.  As mentioned in previous posts, the weather is a big predictor of our schedule, and soon will be even more of a concern as we prepare for crossing The Gulf.  What we discovered, was that no weather man or woman was in agreement.  That made for a very frustrating morning.  We decided to focus on the evening's plans and bought some fresh shrimp right off of the dock here at the marina.  Tom & Linda on "Raydiance" hosted a shrimp boil on their boat.  There were three other couples (including ourselves) - Andy & Julie on "Fruitcakes" and Mel & Jean on "Dovekie".  Each of us brought a side or desert.   This was our first shrimp boil and it was awesome.  We had lots of laughs and good stories which helped to lighten our mood from earlier in the day.  


  Sunday morning was WalMart run and Angie's haircut.  We then went to lunch with Andy & Julie on "Fruitcakes" and took a drive over to the Panama City Marina to visit with friends Rick & Rose on "Grand Finale".  All this was done between howling winds and torrential downpours.  At least the wind was out of the south, so it wasn't as cold as it had been.  We ended our day having dinner with Tom & Linda on "Raydiance".  


  We were hoping to be able to walk around Panama City and historic St. Andrews, but the weather did not cooperate.  At least we were able to drive around in our "weekend special" rental car from Enterprise (we should own stock in this company).


  St. Andrews Marina was a very nice facility with very friendly and helpful staff.  

Seahorse docked at St. Andrews Marina

     

SHALIMAR, FL TO PANAMA CITY, FL

Friday, November 21st, 2014

Day 109
Miles Traveled: 65
Total Miles Traveled: 2223


  We left again at daybreak, but got to see a beautiful sunrise as we began our trek across Choctawatchee Bay.  The temperature was a little warmer this morning - about 45 degrees.  This was a big improvement since most recent mornings have been in the lower to mid 30's.  The wind had started to blow a little in the morning creating some small chop (waves on water), but that would change later in the day.  This bay is about 30 miles long and by the time we got off of this bay there were some white caps starting to appear.  We did enjoy watching dolphins swimming, but try as we might, we weren't able to catch them on camera    

Sunrise on Choctawatchee Bay

  We have experienced two types of waterways on the Gulf ICW.  One was the expansive bays like Choctawatchee and the other is the narrow channels that were made to connect the bays.  The channel connecting Choctawatchee Bay with West Bay is known as "The Grand Canyon".  These channels tend to be fairly narrow.  We are not sure why this particular channel is referred to as "The Grand Canyon" since it is not wide and there are no high cliffs or hill along its banks.  The water here was calm because of the protection from the wind, which was very welcomed this day as the wind increased all day long.   

"The Grand Canyon" of the Gulf ICW

  After leaving the channel, we entered West Bay.  The wind had increased and there was more chop and white caps. Seahorse handled these seas just fine.  We then entered St. Andrews Bay and turned into following seas (waves that are moving the same direction as the boat) which made steering a little more difficult.  Floating in St. Andrews Bay was a very interesting looking ship.  After talking with one of the locals, we found out that it is a naval training vessel. 

Navy training vessel

  Our final destination for the day was St. Andrews Marina.  We arrived in the early afternoon.  Our plan was to arrive before the wind really began to blow and create large waves on the bay.  We succeeded.       

approaching St. Andrews Marina

  St. Andrews Marina is home port to many professional fishing boats, including shrimp boats.  We watched as several shrimping boats came into port at sunset to unload there catch for the day.  This is a very interesting process.  They use a large suction machine, like a vacuum, and suck the catch out of the holding tanks of the ships.  The shrimp are in large baggies and are put in large containers that are then fork-lifted onto a semi. 

shrimping boat coming in at sunset

off loading the shrimp catch of the day

  We have started to see our first palm trees which let us know we are in the warm south despite what the weather is telling us.

palm trees at St. Andrews Marina

    


  


  

ORANGE BEACH, AL TO SHALIMAR, FL

Thursday, November 20th, 2014

Day 108
Miles Traveled: 69
Total Miles Traveled: 2158


  We left The Wharf at daybreak.  As you can see by the picture, this is a very large establishment which includes a marina, condos, restaurants, and other attractions.  Although we were disappointed that we were not able to stay longer, we were happy to have a little warmer weather and conditions favorable for cruising.  The temperature was in the 60's today. But, the sun was behind us and the wind was at our bow (front) most of the day, so it felt a little colder.

The Wharf - marina is on both sides of the bridge

  Since the weather was fit for cruising across bays, we choose to bypass Pensacola, FL and move further east on the Gulf ICW.  We did see the Pensacola Lighthouse and a cool sculpture on a beach nearby. 

Pensacola Lighthouse

sculpture on beach near Pensacola, FL

   In addition to the above sitings, Dan also spotted another alien communication tower.  Angie thought those findings were left behind on the Tennessee River.

?? Alien communciation tower ??

  We crossed the southern end of several bays today - Wolf Bay, Perdido Bay, and Pensacola Bay.  As we entered Choctawhatchee Bay we headed north to Shalimar Yacht Basin to spend the evening docked at its marina.  
  

FAIRHOPE, AL TO ORANGE BEACH, AL

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

Day 107
Miles Traveled: 32
Total Miles Traveled: 2089


  Finally the wind laid and we were able to continue on our way.  Although it was cold (32 degrees when we left), the sun was warm (high was in the lower 60's).  We traveled down Mobile Bay with very little waves and entered into the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway.  This passage runs between mainland and the barrier islands and allows us to travel east or west without having to go into the Gulf of Mexico.  Along this waterway are daymarks that help to keep us in the channel so that we do not run aground.  The area outside of this channel can get very shallow in places. 

The Gulf Intercoastal Waterway

One of the markers on the waterway

  We stopped for lunch at the famous Lulu's Restaurant, owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister.  The specialty  - cheeseburgers, of course.  Although it was relatively quiet due to the weather, we were told it is a really busy place during summer weekends.  
To see more: http://www.lulubuffett.com/

Relaxin' at Lulu's - sweatshirts and sunglasses

  We docked at The Wharf for the evening.  This is a large marina with a lot of restaurants and shops nearby.  We were not able to stay and enjoy all the amenities, as another good weather window was opening and we needed to move along.  Unfortunately, we can't always stop and see everything.  This cold and windy weather pattern has arrived about six weeks early the locals are telling us.  Much like what is happening all over the U.S.  This weather pattern is requiring us to go when the going is good.  There may only be 1-2 good travel days a week and you must take advantage of them when they occur.  We are learning that we do not control our schedule, Mother Nature does.  

FAIRHOPE, AL AND ITS HISTORY

Tuesday, November 18th, 2014

Day 106
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 2057



  Pioneers from Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and California made the pilgrimage to the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay to establish Fairhope, AL.  On November 15th, 1894 ("Round Up Day") these 28 people made it to the Fairhope area and called it Camp Fairhope.  Ernest Gaston, one of the main settlers of Fairhope, wanted to establish the town as a "Single Tax Colony".  This means that the one and only tax is on land.  The community owns the land and leases it back to the residents.  The Fairhope Industrial Association still owns quite a bit of land in Fairhope, AL and leases the land to the home owners.  We learned about the origins of Fairhope, AL and much more about its history at the Fairhope Museum of History.  The museum is housed in the old city hall building.  
  

Fairhope Museum of History

  After leaving the museum we walked around the thriving downtown with its stores and restaurants of all varieties. 

  The rest of the day was spent planning our upcoming travels.   

FAIRHOPE, AL/MOBILE BAY AND VISIT TO MOBILE, AL

Sunday, November 16th to Monday, November 17th, 2014

Day 104-105
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 2057


  Sunday was a very pleasant day with warmer weather and sunny skies.  We even got to put on shorts, which we hadn't been able to do in weeks.  We found our first sandy beach just at the entrance to the creek where the marina is located.  Although it was very small, we enjoyed our short walk.  It was another calm day on Mobile Bay.

From this - calm seas on sandy beach on Mobile Bay

  Monday brought a drastic change in weather.  Overnight the temperatures dropped over 30 degrees and the winds began to come out of the north with gusts up to 25 mph.  The nice calm Mobile Bay was "a mess".  Although we were up a small creek off of the bay, the boat still rocked back and forth over 10 degrees at times.  Fortunately, we had decided to rent a car and go site-seeing in Mobile, AL.  We were glad we were not on the boat all day dealing with rocking.   

To this - in just one day

  We spent most of Monday in Mobile, AL at the USS Alabama Park.  The USS Alabama, USS Drum, several war memorials, and an Aircraft Pavillion are located at this park.  Before lunch, we toured the Battleship USS Alabama.  It was commissioned in August 1942 and shot down 22 enemy airplanes during World War II.  This ship is 680 feet in length and weighs 90 million pounds under battle conditions.  The normal crew on board was about 2,500 men.   For more info on USS Alabama go to: http://www.ussalabama.com/about_park.php

Battleship USS Alabama

Dan trying to be a gunman again (last time was on the LST-325)

  For lunch we met with Joe and Marilyn at the Half Shell Oyster House.  We bought a spare prop for Seahorse from Joe, and he and Dan have kept in contact since then.  It was nice to put a face with a name.  We had an enjoyable visit and ate some great seafood.  

  After lunch, we returned to the park and toured the Submarine USS Drum.  This vessel was commissioned in November 1941.  She is 311 feet long, had a crew of 72 men, and is credited with sinking 15 ships.  
For more info on USS Drum go to: http://www.ussalabama.com/uss_drum.php

Submarine USS Drum

  After touring these big ships, we returned to our little ship which was still rocking some from the winds and the waves coming off of Mobile Bay.  The temperatures were continuing to drop and predicted to be well below freezing overnight.  This was very unusual for this area, especially this time of year.  We guess we brought our northern weather with us - that was NOT in our plans for this trip.  Due to the extremely cold weather, the marina turned off the water and blew out the lines to prevent freezing damage.  It was a good thing that we had just filled up the water tanks.  We felt like we shouldn't complain, since, family and friends up North had already gotten several inches of snow.  We had it good compared to that.  This freakish cold weather front affected the entire eastern United States.  

  We decided to go out to dinner to get another break from the rocking and rolling.  We went into town and ate at Wintzell's Oyster House.  The original location is in Mobile, AL, but many more have been opened in nearby areas.  When we returned, the winds were worse, so even more rocking and rolling, which made our evening showers a bit challenging (good thing we have a seat in our shower). 

   

TENSAW RIVER TO FAIRHOPE, AL

Saturday, November 15th, 2014

Day 103
Miles Traveled:  52
Total Miles Traveled: 2057


  We woke up at 2:30 am freezing despite 3 blankets and one large beach towel.  We gave up and restarted the generator to turn on the heat.  Fortunately, we were able to sleep in a little longer since we did not have a lock to worry about getting through and a shorter travel day.  In addition, Mobile Bay's marine forecast was for smaller waves later in the day, so we didn't want to arrive before noon.  Although we no longer have to worry about locks, we now have to worry about tides and waves.  How fun?!


  Dan was very excited as we dropped another degree in latitude.  As they say - "Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude".  The river shoreline changed with the latitude.  We started seeing more Spanish moss and a few needle palms (we think that is what they are).

Shoreline of  Mobile River

  Just as we began to see the skyscrapers of Mobile, AL, the scenery changed dramatically.  Nature was replaced with industry.  What was once trees and plants became large ships and buildings. 

First glimpse of downtown Mobile, AL

Large ocean going vessels along shores of Mobile River

  There were ships from all over the world docked along Mobile's banks.  They were all shapes, sizes, and colors.  There were even some military vessels here.  We felt VERY SMALL next to these big guys!!

large ocean vessel - think of how many semis could fit on this thing - every one of those boxes is ONE semi trailer

Modern naval vessels

  We left the freshwater rivers behind us and entered the salt water of Mobile Bay.  Instead of having to deal with spiders and their "drops" left all over the boat, we will get to deal with salt sticking to every possible surface.  So, instead of cleaning up spider "doo", we will be cleaning off salt.  Boat cleaning is always an ongoing project.

leaving Mobile River with Mobile, AL in foreground

entering Mobile Bay

  Since the water was so calm, we took the opportunity and crossed over to the East side of Mobile Bay.  This was our first "big water" cruising were we had to plot our own course.  Angie charted the course and Dan piloted the "Seahorse" across the bay and we ended up exactly where we needed to be.  The autopilot (with new compass Dan installed in Demopolis) worked great and helped to make the crossing a little easier.  Our final destination was Eastern Shore Marina at Fairhope, AL.  This marina is located at the entrance to Fly Creek. 

entering Fly Creek - Eastern Shore Marina is on the left

  This marina, like many in the south, have very short piers (walkways beside your boat) and pilings (posts) on which to tie your lines.  This was a new way of docking.  In the rivers, there usually are piers that are as long as the boat and with cleats for securing the lines.  Now, instead of Angie having to jump off of the boat to tie off lines, she has to lasso pilings like the cowgirl she is not.  Should make for interesting docking for a while.



  This was a memorable day with many new experiences and challenges and ended with something familiar - a beautiful sunset.  WOW!  What a day! 

Sunset on Mobile Bay