New Orleans Eastbound II

5/8-12/2014
Pensacola, easy to get around the historic downtown and bayfront. Not only did we follow the coastline on bikes, and roam around interesting neighborhoods, but we also satiated ourselves with dining out, coffeehouses, frozen yogurt treat, and a visit to the Saturday arts & farmer's market. The market was a surprise, but it takes place every Saturday on the neutral ground of Palafox St., a leisurely walk from Palafox Marina. Can't beat the package of a first-class marina in the historic district and at the right price.
5/12/2014
Visiting fun towns has its pluses, but we were itching for other experiences, too. What happened with anchoring out and communing with nature? Well, on that urge we left for parts unknown mid Monday morning, crossing Pensacola Bay, entering the Sta. Rosa Sound and heading East. Finally we were able to sail without motoring at speeds between 6 and 7 kts. Not a rush feeling but lovely not to have to hear the engines churning. Just after passing under the Pensacola Bridge, we made our way towards the beach areas, picking a spot definitely not near a high-rise. Instead we dropped the hook less than 1/4 mi. from a funky little bar/grill on the sand facing the Sound. We rowed to the dock of Paradise Inn, took a walk to the boardwalk down the beach, and returned for a laid-back dinner looking out on Aventura, the golden rays of the setting sun, and people watching. It was delightful. Location: 30 deg.20.23 N/87 deg.8.05 W
5/13/2014
As wonderful as it was to sail, bob on the boat when at rest and enjoy the view, this wasn't exactly the "communing with nature" full fledged experience. After all, we had once again ventured into a human-made environment. It was time for the total OM. We weighed anchor mid morning and crossed back over Pensacola Bay, doing 7 kts motorsailing in 13 kt. winds. We headed straight for "The Cut" over in Big Lagoon. It lies between Sand Island and Perdido Key and is known as the McRae Cove anchorage (as in Fort McRae). "The Cut" is appropriately nicknamed so because it leads to the channel that connects the Gulf of Mexico with Pensacola Bay. Too bad the winds were picking up for it was too choppy to row to shore and see what's left of Fort McRae. We hadn't tried the outboard engine since it failed days ago. No use trying to fight wind and waves. Great anchorage. Location: 30 deg. 19.65 N/87 deg. 19.24 W
5/14-16/2014
The expected forcast for the next couple of days was not good for poorly protected waters. We weighed anchor at 8:30 a.m. and took off for Ingram Bayou, one of the best storm holes we have experienced along the northern Gulf. I was apprehensive that the place would be full, given it's popularity. But, arriving around noon, we were pleasantly surprised to find only one small sailboat, leaving us plenty of room to hunker down and ride the bad weather. Others appeared later, but we got a good spot early. Protected from all sides, Mike nonetheless put out two anchors, our 45 lb. Manson at the bow and a 25 lb. Fortress at the stern so as to reduce swing. The howling of the wind through the trees and the sound of rain accompanied us for a couple of days. Reading, popcorn and a movie kept us in a good mood.
5/16-18/2014
The sun came out, but the wind was still smacking us at 20 kts. We decided to go into a marina for a couple of nights: laundry, groceries....But before heading for Barber Marina on the AL Canal, we decided to take a tour of upper Wolf Bay. We had anchored there before but closer to its mouth. Now we moved toward its northeastern corner called Hammock Creek. Depths OK, around 7-9 ft. Nice homes on the shore. An acceptable cove to duck into when enroute. Then off to Barber Marina, which has its uniqueness, right off the ICW, but far away from towns. In fact, it is a part of several thousand acres of land, mostly just manicured and park-like, all belonging to the Barber family, a very prominent family in Alabama. The Marina is clean, large, first-class, and can fit any size boat. Plus there's a significant dry dock storage area, and other ancillary services. On the land just behind the businesses, there's a kind of mini Jurasic Park recreation: life size fiberglass dinosaurs. There's also a copy of Stonehenge. Not to mention stone sculptures of other animals placed here and there throughout. Interesting, yes, but curious. Until we saw a family with kids visiting the dinosaurs. Leaving tomorrow for the Mississippi Barrier Islands. Stay tuned! And don't forget to double click on the slideshow to get a better view.