New Orleans to Apalachicola, FL I
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
This was supposed to be our trip to Tarpon Springs, FL and points south. But making plans where Nature is heavily involved is subject to change. Oh well! Weather has gotten in the way and we'll just have to adapt. Sailors and boaters in general seem to know that and don't get unnerved by changes in plans. In fact, they tend to not have rigid plans.
I arrived in Port St. Joe, FL to meet up with Mike, who had started out from New Orleans with our friend George. Ina, George's and our friend, helped me drive the 8 hr. trip from NOLA to Port St. Joe. No problema. We had a great time together. Eating, sharing stories and spending a day in Apalachicola (easy 25 mi. straight shot away). George and Ina left, and we decided to enjoy Port St. Joe before heading off.
We took the Intercoastal Waterway that leads from St. Joseph Bay to Apalachicola Bay via inland. Normally a 5 hr. trip through swampy areas full of birds and natural beauty. It kind of reminds us of the Tchefuncte River in Louisiana (off of Lake Pontchartrain). Instead of motoring straight through in one day, we decided to spend the night in White City. Not much there except that the town offers a free public dock, period. It's in the middle of all this nature. Just a few docks, some picnic tables, and yes a bathroom facility. We ran into a couple with a trawler that does the loop of inland waterways, hence the name "Loopers" to refer to these types of people. And there are plenty of those coming down from America's heartland, taking a share turn to the east when reaching the Gulf of Mexico, heading for Florida and up the eastern seaboard, thus closing the circle. More or less. Interesting folks. Great tales.
Now we're in Apalachicola, enjoying a town we haven't tired of yet. It's old Florida. A fishing town with nice architectural structures and salt of the earth people. But it's also trending upwards with the number of visitors that pass through, whether for the seafood festivities or the word has gotten out that there's character in this town. Art galleries, theater, plenty of restaurants and inns. There aren't many boat slips, and definitely not much for multihulls like ours. Though small as catamarans go (Lagoon 37), our Aventura, we have a hard time finding a slip. And tides/depths are a problem. But we enjoy this part of Americana very much.
Next we are heading towards New Orleans but plan to stop in some new places. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Mississippi Coast
Road trip to the Mississippi Coast: Scouting for nearby getaways
June 11-13, 2013
The drive from New Orleans was pleasant and quick. We reached Waveland within 1 1/2 hrs, taking the I-10 from New Orleans to Bay St. Louis and then State Highway 607 past NASA’s Space Stennis Center and Buccaneer State Park. Waveland is a backyard to Bay St. Louis. All the Mississippi Coast area suffered dramatically from Hurricane Katrina in late August, 2005. But much of the coastline from Waveland, Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian were the hardest hit. Those areas are coming back but they're not yet there. See post-Katrina, post-BP Oil Spill
St. Louis Bay, where Bay St. Louis town is located, was new to us in terms of anchorage options. The marked channel guides boats through the 13 ft. CSX Railroad (swing) Bridge and the Hwy. 90 fixed 85 ft. St Louis Bridge. From there three possible anchorage areas depart from the channel: Bayou Portage, Wolf River, and the Jourdan River. We had followed the western shore of St. Louis Bay, through quaint downtown Bay St. Louis, crossed the intersection of Hwy 90 and continued along the shore to the Bay Waveland Yacht Club & Marina and onward to and along the Jourdan River.
The Yacht Club & Marina accepts transients and allows boats to anchor there. It's just that the depths are constantly low, around 5 ft. Continuing on, we came upon the newly renamed Hollywood Casino with a small marina, boasting depths of 10 ft. This might be a refuge from stormy weather, in addition to offering the casino/hotel services. We would probably aim for anchoring on the Jourdan River as a first objective, however. The Jourdan River presents sufficient depths, 6-6 ½ ft. depths within channel. This is the west side of St. Louis Bay.
If one would rather enter immediately into a protected area from the Hwy. 90 Bridge, turn right into Bayou Portage. Navigating Portage and the Wolf River might represent more of a challenge because there is little in the way of marked channels and depths are tricky at best. Though, as one sailor reminded us, touching bottom means mud rather than rock. In other words, not catastrophic. But the scenery and ability to duck oncoming troublesome weather might be worth a try. We will certainly give this area a try during these summer months and a prediction of active storms/hurricanes. These opportunities are but a day's sail/motor from our New Orleans harbor. Close enough for a brief getaway and quick return if a major storm is brewing.
Just around the corner of the eastern bend of St. Louis Bay, on the Gulf of Mexico, is the town of Pass Christian and its marina. There are a lot of pluses to making this a stopover. Most of the little town is within walking distance from the marina, therefore shops and eateries, plus a great restaurant right on site It’s an attractive town that was once the main vacation spot for New Orleanians back when. The price at the marina is just right: a flat fee of roughly $25/night including water and electricity (30 or 50 amp). Transient slips are inside the wall and measure 36 ft. by 27 ft. Depths are 8-9 ft. throughout. Bathrooms, laundry, pump out, WiFi and other services will be coming online sometime soon, we're told. Long Beach is the next community when travelling west to east. It’s easy to negotiate the entrance. Depths are 9 ft. Transients use a back wall and dock alongside. At $1/ft. one gets good level services: water, power, bath/showers, access to laundry room. The marina is working on fuel and pump out. There are restaurants within walking distance but other shops and eateries are roughly a mile away.
We had stayed at the Gulfport Small Craft Marina, which is the best of the marinas mentioned here. See last two postings regarding our truncated trip to Western Florida. We stayed at this Marina for two nights while trying to retrieve our anchor and chain lost to the Gulf of Mexico during a storm. The Marina couldn’t have been a better choice. Management was attentive, the services – slip, electricity, water, bath/showers, laundry, ease of entry, one free pump out – are fantastic. The Marina is working on WiFi. This is a newly refurbished marina, part of the Gulfport Harbor Complex that includes daily departures for Ship Is. for the day and a Large Craft Harbor. I walked to a coffee shop for Internet connection and saw that there are plenty of eateries within a mile.
Follow us on our upcoming first trip to St. Louis Bay and beyond. We will embark on our trip to Western Florida in the Fall. After the storm season and after the intense heat that envelops the Northern Gulf.
Friday, June 7, 2013
New Orleans to W. FL II
Fri., June 7, 2013
Sorry, readers, but we have returned to Home Port , Louisiana
The anchor was not retrieved from the bottom of the Mississippi Sound off Ship Is. We knew the probability was low because
neither Capt. Mike nor Capt. George had the necessary equipment and because of
wind, currents, low visibility underwater, etc.
It was worth a try, nevertheless.
The day after our “misadventure” George, Mike and Nick made the two-hour
run from Gulfport Small Craft Harbor & Marina to Ship Is. on George’s cat,
Añejo, to sweep the area surrounding our anchorage spot, roughly within a
one-acre diameter. They tried: (1) using mask and snorkel but visibility was
no more than 3 ft.; (2) they tried using the dinghy and dinghy anchor to snare
the chain or rode to no avail; and (3) they tried using a heavy fishing pole
with hooks and weights but only snagged weeds.
No luck! One day somebody will
stumble upon our 35 lb. Delta!
Should our cat, Aventura, proceed on its course to Western Florida with a secondary anchor, a 28 lb.
Fortress with only 30 ft. of chain and 200 ft. of rode? Even under good weather conditions, using a
light anchor with a 14,000+ lb. fully loaded cat would represent an anchoring
challenge. Now, add in the probability
of frequent thunderstorms and other low pressure phenomena, and that sounds
like too high of a risk. So, getting a
new anchor became paramount. In fact,
getting a better anchor rose up on Capt. Mike’s priority list.
Finally, given the prediction of a very active storm – read
hurricane – season, we needed to rethink what trip(s) we could take nearby that
would put us in close proximity to home port or other shelter. Yes, there are
always the communities around Pontchartrain
Lake
Stay tuned! And, oh,
I can truly say that the phrase “calm before the storm” has new, rich meaning
for us!
Monday, June 3, 2013
New Orleans to W. Florida I
New Orleans to W. FL I
Mon., June 3, 2013
Capt. Mike and I left New Orleans (finally) on Sat., June 1st. Our marina neighbor and friend, George, and his apprentice, Nick, arranged to caravan with us part of the way on our trip to W. Florida. So a Lagoon 37 and Privilege 39 set sail early with hopes to reach Ship Is., MS by evening. That is with the cooperation of the winds and wind direction, mechanical health of the cats and its people, if, if, if. That day would be memorable, as the next day would be too but in a very different way. More like opposite way.
The first day held the thrill of starting out and hours of terrific sailing (not motoring) at a good clip. The next day, however, surprised us with a sudden thunderstorm that initiated another kind of adrenaline rush accompanying the loss of our main anchor, running aground, and general misery. We're all well and at the Gulfport Small Craft Marina. I'm at a local coffee shop reporting on the experiences. Meantime Capt. Mike is on Capt. George's boat gone to try to locate and retrieve our 35 lb. Delta anchor, possibly still attached to its 70 ft. of chain and some rode.
Day 1 was what most sailors look for: favorable sailing conditions to speed along, in full harmony with Nature. The winds were out of the southeast, maxing out at 18 kts. Mike tuned the sails until we reached speeds of 7.9 kts without motoring. Both cats reached the northern side of Ship Is. by 7:00 p.m. (Central). We went to bed tired but content with expectations of exploring completely intact Fort Massachusetts and other points of interest on Ship Is. We had hoped to dinghy into shore, less than a quarter mile from our boat next morning before resuming our trip east.
Day 2 was what most sailors try to avoid: a sudden and strong thunderstorm that catches you unaware and creates havoc. May I also add havoc in an otherwise ideal environment? We were up shortly after 6:00 a.m. and I commented how calm the waters were, almost flat with a beautiful shimmer. A rainbow arched above George's boat. The calm before the storm. Then we noticed dark clouds building on the horizon but didn't react accordingly since the day before we had had a brief shower during our sail, and predictions were for several days of the same. For the next hour or hour and a half we experienced up to 30 kt. winds and heavy chop. We were not able to pull up anchor and push us away from shore in time. It seems that the anchor rode got caught in one of the propellers while the waves were pushing us inevitably towards the shallows of the shore. Though Mike wanted to cut the rode and attach a buoy to it for future retrieval, the propeller cut the rode first. Before we could redirect the boat away from the shore, the waves had moved us onto the bottom. We bumped several times on sandy bottom before finally being able to thrust the boat northward and point towards Gulfport, a couple of hours away.
Now Mike, George and Nick are trying to locate the anchor settled in up to 22 ft. of water in the approximate area around our anchorage, 30 deg. 13.061' N/ 88 deg. 58.208' W. Stay tuned for Part II: anchor retrieved or not.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
New Orleans to Florida V
LAST LEG OF THE TRIP
Sun. 11/26
On the last stretch to home port, back to New Orleans, we experienced what probably other sailors do: a kind of bitter sweet feeling. On the one hand, we were a bit weary from the stresses of the trip and being alert 24/7. On the other hand, we were sorry to put closure on an often exciting journey. But we'll be off again sometime in the near future. Winter is setting in; so, there's less in the long trips but more in terms of short weekender type jumps.
We left Barber Marina at around 8:00 a.m. and traveled the Alabama Canal (ICW) to Mobile Bay, crossing it and passing north of Dauphin Is., finally entering the Mississippi Sound (ICW). It was still light, so we passed Petit Bois Is., part of the Mississippi barrier islands, and stopped for the night around mid-way across Horn Is., arriving roughly at around 5:00 p.m. There we anchored around 1/2 mi. off shore. Though light, the wind was out of the East where we had no protection. So there was plenty of rocking well into the night until the wind shifted. Location: 30 deg. 14.227' N, 88 deg. 37.876' W
Mon. 11/27
We left Horn Is. at around 8:00 a.m. with winds pretty much on our back quarter. SE 10-15 knots and seas 1-2 ft. Thus we made great headway and, instead of anchoring out again at one of the Mississippi islands, we thought we'd try Rabbit Is. which is ensconced in an area at the entrance to the Rigolets, LA. Still light, we decided to make it through the Rigolets and into Lake Pontchartrain, finally reaching home port at around 8:30 p.m. Exhausted but safely home (for Aventura) at South Shore Marina.
SUMMARY
Itinerary: New Orleans - Cat Is., MS - Wolf Bay on Alabama Canal - Pensacola's Palafox Marina - Destin Harbor - St. Andrew's Bay State Park - Port St. Joe Marina - Apalachicola's Scipio Marina - Carrabelle's C Quarter Marina - Oxbow on ICW back to St. Joseph's Bay - Ingram Bayou on Alabama Canal - Horn Is., MS - New Orleans
We loved seeing some of our old favorites:
- The Alabama Canal with Perdido Bay and Big Lagoon
- Ingram Bayou
- Pensacola's Palafox Marina and quaint downtown (arts festival and all)
- Port St. Joe's Marina
We added a new favorite:
- Apalachicola
We learned new skills:
- operating the vessel throughout the night on a multi-day schedule
- fixing mechanical problems along the way (Capt. Mike, that is)
- perfecting sailing on our relatively new Cat (a work in progress)
See New Orleans to Florida I - V. Send comments.
Looking forward to continuing our adventures on Aventura!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
New Orleans to Florida IV
RETURNING TO NEW ORLEANS
Fri 11/16/12
We left C-Quarters Marina and the town of Carrabelle around 10:30 a.m., later than our usual departures because we had to wait for a favorable tide. The channel would have been deep enough at any time, but dockside is tricky. Coming in mid-afternoon was fine, but leaving late morning required caution. At some point in the early morning we felt we were stuck, and we saw other monohulls lean onto their sides. It's not uncommon to see boats aground, only to be let loose after a few hours. All this put us back in our itinerary. We had hoped to cross St. George's Sound and Apalachicola Bay and start the inland ICW toward St. Joseph's Bay before dark but that was not to be. We decided to overnight in Apalachicola, arriving mid-afternoon but only a couple hours before dark. Given the depth problems at the municipal docks, we chose to stay at Apalachicola Marina (Miller Marine), which has a lay-along dock centrally located for easy access to the town but not so close to the main office and its services. So it ended up being a good location with electricity and water but without other services yet at the same price as if. It's too bad that the marina situation is not very satisfactory at Apalachicola, at least for Cats, since the town is quite attractive and interesting.
Sat 11/17/12
We enjoyed coffee at Cafe con Leche, talking with the interesting people that have retired or simply settled in the area, plus other sailors. After provisioning we set out for the inland waterway to St. Joseph's Bay. Another boat whose crew we had met were also headed our way. So, we loosely traveled together for that day and anchored close by at a location that Capt. Mike and I were targeting. Leaving at 1 p.m. from Apalachicola, we arrived at an oxbow before White City (after Lake Wimico) around 5:00 p.m. EST. It was quiet, serene and really cold. But beautiful. Capt. Mike set out the anchor and 2 lines aft to run to trees on opposite shores for extra protection (winds and currents) . Location: 29 deg. 50.020' N, 85 deg. 11.380'W.
Sun 11/18 - Wed 11/21/12
We set out around 9:00 a.m. with the goal of reaching St. Andrew's Bay for an overnight at either the State Park near the entrance to the Bay, or Smack Bayou that is near Panama City. However, our starboard engine began to overheat and plans changed drastically. First Capt. Mike tried to remedy the situation but we had to detour to Port St. Joe Marina to order a part (impeller) and wait a few days. We managed on one engine, tied up and began the process of waiting. This is one of the best places at which to wait because this marina has it all plus exceptional friendliness of both staff and fellow boaters. So, we spent time playing tourist on the marina's bikes, got provisions, did boat chores and waited for the part (see earlier posting on Port St Joe Marina). The part was supposed to arrive by Tue but only made it on Wed with a little drama. But why get into the minutia of it all. It's now past and Aventura survived that hurdle. (thanks to the mechanical skills of Capt. Mike).
Wed 11/21 - Thu 11/22/12
We got the part in the early afternoon and departed Port St. Joe Marina by around 4:00 p.m. We decided to skip St. Andrew's Bay and Destin, which we had been to already during this trip (see previous postings). Instead we motored through the night, entering Pensacola Bay by 11:00 a.m. on the 22nd, crossing through Big Lagoon and Perdido Bay, and entering our anchorage point, Ingrams Bayou, by 1:30 p.m. Roughly 124 NM in 22 1/2 hrs. This was our first experience doing an overnighter and there were lessons to be learned. We motored because of wind and wave conditions. So, we weren't afforded the opportunity of sailing through the night. That would have been more interesting and more exciting, for sure. But fooling with radar, getting used to operating in the dark, trying to compensate for the lack of vision and just being all around alert was challenging. Also, trying to be satisfied with just catnaps rather than a full a night's sleep. All in all, overnighting would seem to be another tool to use but sparingly; it has advantages and disadvantages.
When we made it into Ingrams Bayou, we were ecstatic and less tired than expected. Of course a long nap upon arrival helped. Location: 30 deg. 19.245'N, 87 deg. 33.469' W. This anchorage is superb. It's calm, a good weather hole, beautiful and with small coves within the Bayou. So, there's some privacy as well. The greenery is lush and the animals are aplenty. Deer, dolphins and different birds, like falcons, cranes and pelicans. Even though popular, the configuration of the Bayou doesn't lend itself to crowding. Some fishermen and tourists make their way in there but not too many. A really wonderful place in which to anchor and not too far from New Orleans.
Fri 11/23/12
We continued to relax and catch up on rest at Ingrams Bayou. Including a bit of rowing to explore and get some exercise, reading and discussing the next plan. Lovely.
Sat 11/24/12
With knowledge that a freeze was expected for tonight, we decided to go into Barber Marina, nearby on the Alabama Canal (ICW). We checked in before noon CST, filled up the fuel tanks, pumped out and got a slip. Barber Marina & Shipyard is a large, modern facility with new everything. Only here and at Palafox Marina, Pensacola, were we able to get an actual slip that could accommodate our 20.3 ft. beam! Later we used their courtesy car to visit the town of Elberta's grocery store, some 7-8 mi. away. There's nothing near the Marina, nothing walking distance. So, we also used the vehicle to get a bite at Pirate's Cove, a restaurant on the water that has slips for boats and outside seating/activities for families. At this time of the year, there's hardly any activity except for customers crowding around the bar inside raving about a football game. The food is bar food served on paper plates, kind of to-go, and okay but not special. What's special is the character of the place. It reminds me somewhat of Cooter Brown's of New Orleans with all manner of things hanging from the ceilings and walls. Two at Pirate's Cove caught my eye: "Beauty is in the mind of the beerholder," and "Pirate's Cove we hook 'em and cook 'em." Amen.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
New Orleans to Florida III
Fri 11/10 and Sat 11/11/12
Port St. Joe is the start of our "Old, Old Florida" part of the trip. As we were to find out, the further one goes east toward the Big Bend, as we would end up doing, the more original, authentic, unique this part of old Florida reveals itself to be. We were eager to experience Port St. Joe all over again (earlier trip Nov 2010, see postings). The free bikes were taken; so, we walked the few blocks to main street for a cup of Joe at a coffee shop that doubles as book store, and crafts and painting shop with their respective training centers. No better place to get a feel for the community than to listen to the chatter of locals. Then on to visiting shops on the way back via the Piggly Wiggly, which is a mere 2 blocks from the marina. The next day we rode the bikes along the parks that line the waterfront. And we poked around some more along the way.
But the best fun was talking with the very friendly and accommodating marina personnel and the boaters. Boaters are fascinating and instructive with their tales and pieces of advice. Somehow Port St. Joe Marina lends itself to a whole lot of conversations. I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe because there are liveaboards as well as frequent travelers, and because the marina layout and environment lends itself to communal life. So, we explored what routes to take for points South, the problems of tides around the Big Bend, concerns about overnight navigation, favorite spots, and getting to know Loopers (motoring inland U.S. routes and the ICW).
Mon 11/12 and Tue 11/13/12
We left Port St. Joe around 10:30 a.m. after making calls to Apalachicola marinas. The literature on anchoring or municipal wharf options was not specific enough. We decided on Scipio Creek Marina and headed for the inland waterway to Apalachicola: Gulf County Canal to ICW which conjoins with the Apalachicola River on its way to Apalachicola Bay. White City, of which one can only see the docks, offers free overnight docking, if one should need to or want to make a stopover. Then there's Lake Wimico. Some 25 NM further onward, almost to the John Gorries Bridge, we took a sharp U-turn to starboard and headed up Scipio Creek to the last marina, which is Scipio Creek Marina. Arrival 4:30 p.m. given currents and headwind.
After Port St. Joe Marina, Scipio Creek Marina was a disappointment but it did provide protective docking (away from the boat traffic). And it was at a walkable distance from the very quaint historic downtown, absolutely worth exploring. We also met transplants, from within the U.S. but also from abroad, that decided they liked the charm of this forgotten corner of Florida, the Florida of yesteryears. Coffee at this Hispanic coffeehouse Cafe con Leche and lunch at Apalachicola Seafood Grill were entertaining. Visits to shops and the Maritime Museum held our interest, as well.
We also spent time visiting the different private marinas and city docking options to get the true lay of the land. Local folks set us straight as to tides and other considerations. Next time we might opt for the Police Department's city dock that is central to all the sights, or the City's Municipal Docks past the bridge. Also, Apalachicola Marina (formerly Miller) offers several options, especially for Cats, that place you and your boat where all the downtown hubbub is. Since we took time to really explore Apalachicola and all it has to offer, we also found, to our surprise, that we came to appreciate it more than expected. It must be this sense of "old, old Florida" that is attractive to us.
Wed 11/14 and Thu 11/15/12
We left around 9:30 a.m. to cross Apalachicola Bay and head up the Carrabelle River to C-Quarters Marina. Again, tides and lack of local knowledge would deter us from looking for anchorages. In addition, the weather coming across the Bay was nasty. The day was grey with some drizzle, cold, and bucking headwinds and waves: just miserable. We reached C-Quarters Marina around 3:30 p.m. with the high tide. The next morning, we saw what the River looks like during low tide. Yikes! there were exposed swaths, like islands, in the middle of the Carrabelle River. A reminder to pay attention to the tides, even though the channel is well marked.
C-Quarters is within a block of ATM, good size grocery (IGA), an Ace Hardware and a couple of blocks from a colorful coffeehouse and pharmacy. The services at C-Quarters are good and everything is functioning. It looks like an old town hardware store with a front porch that looks out on the River. Old timers gather to drink beer and tell tales. What a great introduction to the farthest point on our journey, the farthest point east for this trip. "Old, Old Florida" here refers to a defiantly individual corner of the U.S. and we have fully enjoyed it.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
New Orleans to Florida II
Sat. 11/3/2012
Our friend Margie arrived for a couple of days of arts fest and sailing. The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival 2012 was good. Compared to 2 yrs. ago when we happened to have sailed to Pensacola and encountered the Fest, it has really grown. More arts and crafts vendors, food and entertainment options, and many more people, from the coastline and beyond. Enjoy the pictures!
Sun. 11/4/2012
It was a sunny and mild day for sailing, which also meant mild and variable wind. But it was great for enjoying the trampoline and deck areas. Dolphins! and a leisurely lunch while playing with the sails (Capt. Mike's sport). More home cooking, wine/beer and Cable. AVENTURA stood to the test of providing comfort for additional folks besides just us. Two cabins with queen size beds, only one head but large enough for a 6 ft. man to shower and move around, a good size salon with wrap around view, and a good size cockpit too, not to mention trampoline and other seating. Oh, and the galley is quite sufficient. We love our 37 ft. Lagoon.
Mon. 11/5/2012
Margie left and we had hoped to continue our trip eastward but the forecast was for heavy winds and sea. Given a 58 ft. mast, we couldn't opt to use the Santa Rosa Sound (somewhat protected) all the way to Destin. We would have had to make a run outside in the Gulf. The trip would have been at least 10 hrs. with no place to take refuge if the weather deteriorated further. And Destin Harbor is tricky when there's low visibility, low tide and poor conditions. So we decided to stay another couple of nights playing tourist in Pensacola.
11/7/2012
We left for Destin at just after 7:00 a.m. hugging the coastline at not more than 2 mi. out so as to avoid fetch and under full sail (full 110% foresail and slightly reefed mainsail). We have a Schaefer in-boom furling system that allows reefing at any point. And Capt. Mike decided to use the whisker pole to extend out the foresail since we had the wind on our back port quarter sometimes as much as 16 knots. Boat speed reached 8.8 knots. Very nice. Along the way we passed Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach and Fort Walton Beach, reaching Destin Harbor around 4:30 p.m. in time for the sunset. Anchorage: 30 deg. 23.392 min. N, 86 deg. 29.747 min. W, a quieter spot on the lagoon. Destin Harbor is known as a party town for its many eateries, hotels and bars.
11/8/2012
We left again around 7:00 a.m. not being able to shake the numbness of an extremely cold night, in the 30's. We headed for St. Andrew's Bay, which was another similar run as the day before: 50 NM along the coastline. This time passing by Sandestin, Grayton Beach, Seaside, Seagrove, Rosemary Beach and Panama City Beach on the way. We sailed into the wind, which is not the most favorable tack for Cats. Winds exceeded 16 knots at times and we made 7.5 knots under sail only. We entered St. Andrew's Bay and immediately turned into Grand Lagoon to anchor just off St. Andrew's State Park. Position: 30 deg. 8.297 min. N, 85 deg. 40.244 min. W.
11/9/2012
Again we woke up to very chilly weather but it warmed up quickly, enough for us to lower our dinghy for a row over to the state park. We visited an old turpentine still and walked a trail. Then off to St. Joseph's Bay and Port St. Joe Marina, a favorite among sailors. We motored the 35 NM to our destination with the wind directly ahead, managing around 5.5 knots and arriving around 3:30 p.m., which was really 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. We are really looking forward to this stopover. In addition, Port St. Joe represents the furthest point we have been since we began sailing the Gulf Coast.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)