January11-19, 2016

Tarpon Springs, Florida

 

 

Tarpon Springs is a great stop. We docked at Turtle Cove Marina, a block from the "Sponge Docks", a tourist area with lots of good Greek restaurants and shops.  For cyclists there is a 35 mile bike path going clear to St. Petersburg.  This bike path was built over an old railroad bed so while there are no cars to contend with, the path crosses occasional town streets with restaurants. We rode as far as Clearwater, about 1/2 way.
.
Pam flew into Tampa to rejoin the adventure.  A day later Bo flew back to Seattle.  Thank you so much for crewing, Bo!!!

Turtle Cove Mascots

The Spong Docks.

A sponge diver.

The crews from Paraiso, Sea Jamm and India Jayne at Hella's Greek Restaurant.

We have been here a week and are currently waiting for high tide to leave for parts south.

Boat storage in the Marina. They put your boat in and out of the water on demand. Amazing operation to watch.

Happy Captain at Tiki Bar dock

35 mile bike path, Tarpon to St. Pete

Look closely. Rare picture of two eagles in the act!

January 7-12, 2016 

Carrabelle and Gulf Crossing

 

We ran up the Carrabelle River to the Moorings Marina on the "Long Dock", a side tie right next to the Chartroom lounge for berthers, very nice.  Most other berths were pilings with scant finger piers. Ours even had a cable TV hookup. 3' tides.

 

Unfavorable conditions prevented us from crossing Friday night, so we had a few days in Carrabelle.

The 85' Florida Fish and Wildlife boat docked just ahead of us started to cross Friday and turned back from 6-7' seas.





 

 

 

Seaman 1st Class, Bo

Paraiso was already there, along with Clarabelle.
In days to follow we were joined by S/V Dutchess and Palmetto Paradise.

All crews went to dinner at the Fisherman's Wife (John, Chuck, Bo, Kit, Chris, Alan, CC, Janis, Paula & Jim).  Excellent grouper on the menu.

Bo, Don and Joann at the Carrabelle Junction

On Monday Don and Joann arrived on Magic.

We left Monday afternoon, 1/11/16.  They went for a day crossing the next day.

Red Right Returning?

 

The Gulf Crossing begins.  We left Carrabelle at 1611, R "2" close aboard at 1715 with Palmetto Paradise and Paraiso behind us.
Red Eagle and Sea Jamm were coming out from Apalachicola.

The weather looked great!!

 

Calm seas didn't last long. Nineteen hours later, after a long night of 2-3' beam and generally confused seas with no moonlight and no sleep we passed some resident roosting pelicans coming up the Anclote River coming into Turtle Cove Marina in Tarpon Springs. Nice to be in calm water again.

All berths were reserved so we had been offered the side tie at the Tiki (Knotty) Bar. No complaints about this, a cozy, convenient spot with all the comforts of home.
We are a block from the nearest restaurants, not to mention and ice cream parlor.

Tarpon Springs claims to be the Sponge Capitol of the World, probably undisputed.

Knotty Bar side-tie, Turtle Cove Marina

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.

December 7, 2015

We arrived in Fairhope, AL on Nov. 25, the night before Thanksgiving. It took 3 days and locking through 4 Locks to make it down the Tombigbee/Black Warrior River to Mobile. Here's how those days went:


11-22-2015
First night after leaving Pirate's Cove Marina we anchored out at Rattlesnake II. Beautiful anchorage just off the River - quiet and peaceful, no rattlesnakes. We could see the Tows go by but we didn't feel them.  It has a constant gentle current, just enough to hold the boat from swinging.
We woke up to 27 degrees outside, making Florida sound better all the time.

11-23-2015

Kingfisher at Demopolis

The next afternoon we reached Demopolis Yacht Basin and stayed at Kingfisher Marina. That is a well equipped Marina with the best laundry room and bathrooms we've seen.  Pretty nice with pumpout fixture on each slip and very wide new concrete finger docks.




11-24-2015

Kit with a couple of new friends, Dick and Randy, we met at Columbus Marina.

We woke early the next morning to heavy, low fog. We had planned to leave with 6 other boats to lock through Demopolis Lock but the Lockmaster wouldn't allow passage in the fog. We waited about an hour and when we got the call we all made our way to the Lock and 
each boat was able to tie up to a bollard. Phew! I am really not looking forward to having to "raft up" in a Lock.

We traveled 98 miles that day to Bobby's Fish Camp. It's a funky dock on the side of the River with some Fish Camp Lodges on the hillside. The reason it is so well known is that it is the only dock to tie up to and the only place to take on fuel for a 200 mile stretch. The India Jayne holds 500 gallons of fuel but some boats carry much less and cannot make the entire 200 miles from Demopolis to Mobile on one tank. 

Bobby's Fish Camp is also known for the fresh catfish dinners the little restaurant will cook up if there are at least 8 diners. There were 8 of us so we feasted on catfish and cold slaw. We spent the night tied up to the dock but not at the end with electricity! We used the generator to power the heater and went to bed early.





11-25-2015
On Wednesday we left by 6:00 a.m. basically because the other 3 boats were leaving at that time and the Lockmaster wanted us all to come through the Coffeeville Lock together. We've heard stories about the one boat that sleeps in and ends up waiting at the Lock for several hours before the Lockmaster will open up again.

 

 

We traveled the last 118 miles to Mobile at a speed of 17 (14.8 knots) miles per hour. Mobile is a very busy port with big boat (commercial and military) traffic. There are so many interesting structures and buildings to see in Mobile after having been on the River for 2 months. 

Stelth Attack Ships made od aluminum

But there is nowhere to dock in the Mobile Harbor area so we  continued on down and across the Bay for another 20 miles or so to reach Eastern Shore Marine in Fairhope, AL. Boating on the Bay feels really different than the River. The Bay has bigger waves and a long fetch of wind which changes a smooth ride to a choppy, wet ride. AND, it's salt water.

               EASTERNSHORE MARINE, FAIRHOPE,AL.

We've been tied up in Fairhope for the last 2 weeks while many jobs are being done on The India Jayne. Eastern Shore Marine is a small yard with sail and power boats. There are liveaboards and transient boaters here as well as commercial shrimp boats and fishing vessels.

NOTE: Other Loopers should know that the staff here at Eastern Shore Marine, headed by Ed and Keith, is professional, courteous, considerate, reasonable, expedient and, above all, competent. Technicians, Mike and Dwell, address, locate and solve boat problems quickly and effectively while making the boat owner feel in good hands and at ease.  They have given us great service in a family-like, caring atmosphere. 

 

The Fairhope Yacht Club is just across the narrow channel of Fly Creek. With the Eastern Shore Marine complimentary loaner car we've been able to see a good part of the community. Fairhope is a charming town with some stately bay side homes. It has a village atmosphere that reminds me of Carmel and Mendocino at the same time.

 

 

There we are to the right of the sport fisher under the roof.

Docktails

 DAYS END

 

 

We have been treated to a beautiful sunset every day we've been here



Shrimp Boats



Shrimpers return with their catch, and we've bought

 

some huge shrimp (I know, I know...oxymoron) . I've learned how to pull the heads off and slide the shells off! Cooked a tasty cajun dinner with some herbs and spices given to us by Annie off "Rock Me Baby".

 







West from yacht club into Mobile Bay



A FEW GOOD MEALS

Christopher and Stephanie, the Canadian sailors


 
 


Bill and Annie from Rock Me Baby, Don and Joanne whose boat name I cannot remember, and me and Kit at Fly Creek Cafe. I am not a fan of the Snapper Cheeks but loved the Grilled Shrimp Bowl and the fried pickles.

 

 

 

Kit making an enduring friendship

 

 

 

Afternoon walk on the dock

 

 

 

Janis and Chris Soper from Paraiso. Great dinner at Gambino's.