Tuesday, Jan.5, 2016

Day 2 Eastward

0802  Weighed anchor at English Navy Cove.  Passed Navarre,  Ft Walton,  Destin and arrived at Hogtowne Bayou to find a great anchorage there.  Protected and spacious.

Day 3 from Fairhope

0715  Weighed anchor at Hogtowne Bayou in Choctawhatchee Bay and soon entered a manmade canal connecting to West Bay and Panama City, then East Bay and another cut.  We passed the canal to Port St. Jo as we wanted to make the weather window for gulf crossing Friday from Carrabelle. Considered stopping at White City, but it was under water from recent rains.  Apalachicola River was at flood stage, so had to push on to Lake Wimico, not listed in any guides.  Found a nice protected cove on the Lake and dropped anchor. Dawn to sunset ride. Made 92 miles.

Ran at 17 knots for a time.

Hazardous Materials ship with heliport

 Day 4 from Fairhope
Apalachicola River at Flood Stage.  Highest since 1993. Note the nav aids washed to the far bank.

Lots of debris and fast current, location of channel & markers: often unknown.
We saw many flooded houses along the banks. Estimated current at least 3.5 knots based on our increased speed.

 Made it to Carrabelle in time for the weather window, and tied up to something solid. Whew!

Meanwhile, the weather window

was closing.

Monday, Jan. 4, 2016

Onwards to Carrabelle, Fl.

 Day One. With Pam still ailing at home, my old friend, Bo Blakey, is on the job crewing.

On Mobile Bay, heading south from Fairhope, The Birds showed great interest and followed us clear to the ICW.  A little Hitchcockish, really.

We did see dolphins off our bow so felt blessed by King Neptune.

Bo,  meteorologist and navigator

Looking for whales, enemy subs.

After encountering an inconsiderate shallow shoal we gave up on Little Sabine Cove Marina.  (Too tight, too shallow.  Wouldn't recommend it.)  Satisfied that when the depth sounder says zero, even near the dock, it really means it, we crossed over to English Navy Cove, south of Pensacola, and dropped anchor in time for sunset. We had made 80 miles.

Dec., 2015

Last days at Eartern Shore Marina in Fairhope. Pam at Sunset, Mobile Bay.

 

Carved seats at La Cocina Mexican Restaurant.

Grand Hotel

Looking east.

Looking west.

 Chris Soper supervising operations.

 Repair work continues. Removal of generator, through hull leaking water and fumes into boat.

 Leaks, electrical issues,
mechanical corrections,
electronic malfunctions. It is all normal for boating.

Great Blue Heron

 Janis, Chris and Pam at the Wharf in Orange Beach, there to see a lighted boat parade.