Carrabelle 12-2-08

A little later start today but it is only 30 miles over to Carrabelle. Another cold front has come through and it was 43 degrees this morning. It is certainly possible that we Northern Loopers are still bringing the cold fronts with us. The silver lining is that this pattern of showers, cold fronts, high winds, then high pressure and low winds is predictable and can lead to a weather window to cross the Gulf.

This was an easy journey today following the red and green buoys over to Carrabelle. Apalachicola Bay is a prime fishing area and here is a picture of a shrimp boat looking like an antebellum Miss with a hoop skirt. Oystering is big here and there were 30 small boats here all raking up the oyster treasure. We did see about 3 pods of dolphins this morning, but just as I would ready the camera, poof, they were gone. I am trying not to take it personally.

We passed Dog Island on our way to Carrabelle and had a chance to survey our route out to the Gulf. We went to the fuel dock at Moorings Marina and Buddy helped us in. He is so knowledgeable about the area and the right conditions to cross the Gulf. More Loopers are coming in this afternoon and we will meet up with them and discuss strategies. Buddy will meet with all of at 6:30am tomorrow and give us his recommendation.

Meanwhile, I got to do a less glamorous task of cleaning the bilge. We have had a lot of rain and did not put the cover on the windlass and had a little extra water in the bilge. The pump handles most of it, but not all, so that’s where I come in.

We did a quick walking tour around Carrabelle and one of its distinctions is having the “smallest police station”. It was fully functioning in the 1960’s and a credit to their lack of crime. However, vandals found it an easy target for illegal calls and one tourist even tried to load it in their truck. So much for progress.

St. George Island 12-1-08

We have 25 knots of wind and cannot go to Carrabelle, so what do we do? We went online and found a car rental deal at the local small airport and booked it for today. We would rather spend money exploring a new area than going out to dinner—it’s about the same cost.

We had read about the volunteer effort to save the St. George Lighthouse and had to see it. A group of volunteers salvaged the 22,000 bricks when the 3rd version toppled over, got grants totaling $525,000, solicited private funds and rebuilt it in a safer central location. It is a work of art patterned after the original but with 92 new wood steps, brass details and reinforcements, it will hopefully survive in this fourth revival.

St. George Island State Park is another barrier Gulf island that has been preserved in its natural state. Like the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, it offers bay and Gulf views but St. George has a more remote feel. I walked for 6 miles on a deserted beach, made firm by low tide, overnight rain and hard packed shells. It was a red flag day of 25 knots and my footprints were vacuumed by the strong west winds. I treasure times like this.

The internet is great and we were able to find out that the local health dept was offering flu shots today so we got that done too. With a little grocery shopping, we are topped off for the next 2 weeks. On to Carrabelle and crossing the Gulf if the sea gods allow.

Apalachicola 11-30-08

Rain..rain..rain but that does not stop these intrepid Loopers from exploring. Apalachicola is a town steeped in history and charm. It has undergone feast to famine cycles so many times from cotton, lumber, salt, fish and oysters (90% of FL oysters are still from here) and now to tourism. There are a number of Victorian houses, B&B’s, and interesting galleries, shops and restaurants. Fresh fish and oysters are readily available and we went to Papa Joe’s for our fill. The chocolate mousse cake at Café con Leche is not to be missed. There was a musician at Gibson House playing jazz alto sax which added a sultry dimension to this rainy afternoon.

There are a number of museums to be explored. We toured the Orman House which is part of the FL Park system now and received a $300,000 grant for restoration. It has had a colorful history with Thomas Orman, the original owner and transplant from Syracuse NY, mirroring the town cycles of fortune and misfortune in the 1800’s. At 6’7”, he was a robust man who regularly had a breakfast of eggs, ham, grits, biscuits and 2 dozen oysters at the dining room pictured above. His last descendant, Miz Andrews, lived into her 90’s and kept a horse in the parlor and a shotgun under her bed.

We also toured the Gorrie Museum which featured the ice machine invention by the venerable Dr. John Gorrie. This is the antecedent to modern refrigeration and air conditioning which he developed to help the suffering of patients afflicted with various fevers. We had wanted to tour the Maritime Museum but it was closed so we headed to the 2nd best—the Tin Shed which features all sorts of nautical bric-a-brac.

Lest you think that we are all play and no work, Bob changed the impeller which sorely needed it. He also tested the long distance capabilities of the Ham radio and made contact with the maritime Ham network in Toronto, Canada. We will need this when we go to the Bahamas to get weather and make any emergency calls.

Pushing East to Apalachicola 11-29-08

It takes about 6 Loopers 5 minutes to figure out what day it is and now that we have crossed into the Eastern Time zone, add 5 more minutes. I wake up in the morning to the familiar surroundings of my v-berth bed, but I have to lie there awhile and ask myself, “Where am I?” I would definitely need more time and a little coaching to pass even a Mini-Mental Status exam these days. I like that about cruising life—everything is different practically every day except for your boat and your partner and I would not trade either of these.

We are off to Apalachicola today and hope to get there before major rain is expected. Our trusty "Intercoastal Waterway Chartbook" directs us through long narrow sections with very interesting descriptions of the adjoining land masses—the impenetrable swamp, cypress swamp, low swampy area, bayou and marsh. I can not tell you what the differences are but all have a subtle beauty and quietness as we proceeded almost alone for the whole morning. Questions that I cannot answer: "if the swamp is so impenetrable, how did they get a house there; what is the story behind the chair; how shallow is that island"? I think that these are the proverbial FL swamplands that are for sale to naive investors.

We then entered Lake Wimico which is very shallow (1-3 feet) off the narrow buoyed channel. This was made a bit more interesting by increasing winds and tidal flow so we had to be very vigilant to stay within the markers. There is anxiety with cruising, and in these situations, we do a rehearsal for the worse case scenario, i.e. “What would we do if our engine cut out right here and we are blown into the shallows in this really remote area?”

We arrived at the Water Street Marina at noon. We chose this marina as it is close to town and they have floating docks. However, at extreme low tide which is today, there is only 4’6” of depth at this marina which discouraged other Looper boat with deeper keels, "Golden Lily" and "Highlander", from coming in.

The forecasted rain did materialize but we were able to get a picture of palm trees with Christmas evergreen decorations in front of Water Street Hotel and Marina. The Yule Log lighting ceremony was cancelled but Santa did arrive by shrimp boat yesterday so Christmas is on.

We did tour the Raney House in the rain. It is another example of Greek revival architecture during the antebellum period and gives a glimpse of life in the mid 1800's. We plan to tour more historical areas tomorrow, rain or shine.

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park 11-28-08

One of the advantages of staying in an area an extra few days is the opportunity to really explore. Our gracious host, Ray Whitney, offered us the use of his Toyota so that we could drive 20 miles to St. Joseph Peninsula State Park which is situated between the Gulf and St. Joseph Bay. It is the crown jewel in the FL park system and offers a sweeping landscape of towering dunes and untamed wilderness.

On the bay side, we explored the nature trails, peeked in on nesting birds and were surrounded by the quiet subtle mood of nature that was so nicely captured by the passing red kayak. The Gulf side offered a wilder side with rough surf, seagulls flying and kids playing on the beach. To have such different experiences in the same afternoon was memorable.

This area offers 2 campgrounds and modern cabins for rent and would be well worth a visit on the way to southern FL.

It Does Not Get Better Than This (Port St. Joe) 11-27-08

This part of Florida is dubbed the “Forgotten Coastline” but we will never forget our time here. Port St. Joe (PSJ) deserves a full page spread in the Destination section of “The Waterway Guide.” We almost didn’t come here but got a recommendation from fellow Looper, Madison Groves on “Joy@Sea” and we are so glad that we visited. Looper rate is $.75 per foot--that is a deal!

Port St. Joe Marina has certainly earned its title as “Florida’s friendliest marina.” P SJ Yacht Club Commodore, Ray Whitney, greeted us warmly when we arrived, offered us his car and he and his lovely wife, Patsy, fellow boaters, Jim and Rita, and visiting friends, Luke and Mary from Chicago, took us out for Thanksgiving dinner at Tindell Air Force Base. We felt so at home with them.

We also met Rudy and Jill who built their 34’ wooden trawler, “Briny Bug”, over a 4 year period and took it cruising up to Lake Eire. Fellow boaters lent Bob some tools he did not have so he could do some engine maintenance. We have not had any mechanical problems so far which is a testament to Bob's preventative maintenance program, the sturdy 135 Ford Lehman engine and some luck. Everyone we met is working on their next cruising plan—these are our kind of people.

The area is favored with spectacular beaches—St. Joseph Peninsula State Park was voted America’s #1 ranked beach in 2002. Port St. Joe was a mill town as late as 2000 and it is to be commended for reinventing so successfully as a tourist destination. Local residents who have transplanted here all talk about the beauty of the area, the amenties available and the charming 1950’s small town feel.

We will be back.

Swampland on the Way to Port St. Joe (11-25-08)

We only have 45 mile trip today to Port St. Joe. I am a little tired from all the nightly adventures that I describe in “Tales from the Sea.” The overnight rain has cleared the air and we head east into a clear sunny sky.

Today’s trip is similar to yesterday as we will traverse larger bays ( East Bay and Big Cove) and snake through narrow connecting channels (Wetappo and Gulf) which makes the journey very interesting. The harder part on the larger bays is finding the red and green channel markers when the sun is in your eyes but the rest is easy. We had company this morning from the powerboat “Rita” who welcomed us to the area and told us that we had 2 dolphins swimming in our stern wake. They were beautiful and fast and again eluded my camera lens.

Another Looper boat, “Lady Margaret”, a beautiful hand-built wood trawler, is 5 miles ahead of us. We hailed them to ask about their plans to cross the Gulf. This is our new preoccupation and any boater who has ever crossed has definite opinions about when and how to cross: “Take the overnight from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs (170 miles) as you will not have the problem of your rudder getting fouled in crab pots….. No, don’t do that, take the multi-day Rim Route from Carrabelle to Steinhatchee (70 miles) and then along the coast to Crystal River then Tarpon Springs. There are crab pots but it’s safer than doing an overnight sail and being far off shore….. Be mindful of when there is a high pressure system over Texas….. Anchor at the east side of Dog Island not Carrabelle as you get ahead by 5 miles….. No, leaving from the north side of Dog Island is safer …….. Just leave from Carabelle at 0 dark 30 and head out East Pass at first light......"

The water turns brown as we head into the Wetappo narrow channel and the land is swampy but very interesting. Fishing is great here but we are also finding more debris. Is that an alligator or a tree limb? We are surprised to find that we have 4 bars on the cell phone in this remote area.

One decision we have made is to spend a few days in the Port St. Joe Marina and not to push on for a Gulf crossing on Thanksgiving. The old Peggy and Bob would have pushed it; the new, relaxed versions have learned a thing or two about enjoying the moment. We decided to make the stop here as other Loopers recommended it, it bills itself as “the Gulf Coast’s Friendliest Marina” and the town has a good grocery store, restaurants, movie store and walking areas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tales from the Sea 11-25-08

This has been an exciting morning for me since 4am when I awoke to the sound of “tat, tat, tat” next to my bed. I logically thought, “We had overnight rain which is still dripping off the flybridge.” I went back to sleep but my unconscious was already alerting me to the presence of something as I had dreams about Neptunian monsters. I awoke again to the same sound and went outside to check the decks and nothing could account for that sound.

I listened again and it sounded like it was coming from the closet. I got out the flashlight and started tearing the closet apart looking for some critter with eyes. Bob’s side of the closet is loaded with all sorts of power packs of techno tools and I went through the bags looking to see if one of them was on. Nothing.

Okay, I am going to have to go down to the bilge so I lifted the small floorboards up and the noise got LOUDER. There is probably a giant bilge rat down there. My plan was to blind it with a flashlight while I trapped it with a colander. Don’t worry as I’ll have time to buy a new one before I need it to drain pasta.

I started to lift the large floor boards up when I was startled from behind and almost had a heart attack. It was Bob wondering what I was doing. I explained that I was fixing to do battle with a bilge creature. He laughed hysterically and said that the sound was fish nibbling debris off our hull and keel. It must have been an Old Country Buffet spread down there as these fish were really chowin’ down.

We decided to stay up as I was already so full of adrenaline. We began to ready the boat for an early departure when we noticed that our dinghy oar was askew and a big chunk of it had been bitten off!!!! What did this????? Alligators????

Panama City (11-24-08)

We are getting closer to the Eastern Time zone and daylight comes earlier in the morning so we were able to leave at 6:30 for a 61 mile trip to Panama City. We were pushing it a bit today as we are still undecided if we will try to cross the Gulf on Thanksgiving which looks like the next opportunity.

We crossed Choctawhatchee Bay and then squeezed into the narrow Cedar Swamp part of the GIWW. The name sounds dank and dark but this part of the GIWW is like a coastal version of the Cumberland River with evergreen covered sandy banks. It is a beautiful 20 mile ride along a 40 yard channel and the only company was the occasional fisherman and another Looper boat, “Lady Margaret”. We had adequate depths of 10-17 feet. We were also visited by dolphins again but sorry, still no pictures. Bob saw them this time so I am not making this up.

It is a shift when you emerge back into the broad West Bay and then St. Andrews Bay as the boat traffic increases as do the size of the boats.

Picking a marina for the night is always a little difficult for first timers to an area. We always appreciate recommendations but sometimes, we just have to wing it. We pulled into Panama City Municipal Marina and it is ok. We did get a side-tie dock, staff helped us tie-up and the bathrooms are clean. We’re passing this info on to you as it may help with your dock choices. We walked around Panama City, and like so many small and medium size towns, it has been hit by an economic turndown. They do have a bakery and coffee shop within walking distance of the marina so that is a plus but no grocery store or courtesy car. "The Nutcracker" ballet will be performed here on 11/29 and there will be a "Star Spangled Christmas" boat parade on 12/13.

After talking with other boaters, it would probably be better to stop at either St. Andrew Marina which has been renovated and has floating docks or Bay Point Marina in the Lagoon area.

Niceville FL (really) 11-23-08

We left Pensacola at 7am with cloudy skies, 50 degrees and 1 foot chop on the bay. We heard and saw some reminders of how tricky boating can be sometimes. The Coast Guard broadcast a “Pan Pan” this morning for the overdue 75’ fishing vessel, “Master John”, and a pleasure craft needed assistance further up the Intracoastal at St. Joe’s. The CG was diligent in responding to both situations and it is good to know that we have help out here when needed. We passed 2 sailboats that were aground but no owners on board so must have happened earlier.

The Verizon aircard had a signal for most of today and I was busy trying to find out more about how to cook a small turkey this week in the SeaWard Princess 3 burner /oven propane stove. It is a hot oven and I usually decrease the temps for most things but I have never cooked a turkey in it. We have the Owner’s Manual but it only covers installation, not how to cook in it. The internet had a lot of sites for ordering parts but nothing on actually cooking. Anybody have any suggestions???

After 7 hours and 57 miles, we decided to go to Bluewater Marina in Niceville. It had been recommended by some sail boaters that we met in Pensacola. It is one of the “nicest” marinas yet with such a great view. L J Schooner's Bar is located at the marina and is named after a famous sailing dog who frequented it. It is a small tiki bar with the best drinks and really interesting people. The main restaurant is adding an oyster bar which will probably be ready next year. There are walking and bike trails and there is a heated outdoor pool which is still open about 1/2 mile from the marina. Courtesy car also available.