The prediction was 70% chance of rain, high in the 60s, and winds 12 mph for today. We left Fort Walton Beach at our customary 6:30 and headed for Panama City. We had 3 to 6 foot waves in the Choctawhatchee Bay and had to make certain everything was secure so that things weren't flying around and getting broken. It took us about 4 hours to get through the Choctawhatchee Bay. The clouds were extremely dark. One time we had a little drizzle, but that was all. Pensacola had heavy rain after we were past there. Sunglasses and hats weren't necessary items today. We arrived in Panama City around 2:00 P.M. at the Panama City Marina. We rinsed the salt off the boat and headed for the ship store. All of us were impressed by the merchandise in their store (Christmas shopping?).
Later, we walked into town and had a delicious dinner at "The Place". Still no rain. Tomorrow there is a 100% chance of rain. We shall see. Our plan is to stay here until our guests arrive and then make our way to Carabelle and wait for the weather window to make the Gulf crossing. In the meantime, this seems like a nice place to hang out and do a little exploring.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday was spent doing chores. We had Happy Hour on "Trusty III" and were treated to a viewing of a video of Claude and Yvette's first trip around the loop. We all brought our Thanksgiving dinners (we had bought a turkey breast not knowing we would be invited out) to "Trusty III" and ate together. After dinner, we assembled on "Runaround Sue" and played Farkle.
We stayed put on Saturday as well. The weather was chilly and windy. There doesn't seem to be a weather window to do the crossing for several days, so we stayed. Lunch was at Calypso Joe's at the marina. Then we borrowed the courtesy car and investigated the surrounding area. Orange Beach is a big fishing destination and known for its beaches, although right now it's much too cold to swim. We saw a big jelly fish right next to our boats in the harbor.
Today we left Orange Beach at our usual 630 A.M. There may be a crossing window on Thursday night. We are making our way to Panama City where we hope to pick up John's Aunt and Uncle, who are planning on doing the crossing with us. We are looking forward to seeing them and are excited that they want to cross the Gulf with us. Time will tell exactly when that will happen. We don't want to take unnecessary risks.
We stayed put on Saturday as well. The weather was chilly and windy. There doesn't seem to be a weather window to do the crossing for several days, so we stayed. Lunch was at Calypso Joe's at the marina. Then we borrowed the courtesy car and investigated the surrounding area. Orange Beach is a big fishing destination and known for its beaches, although right now it's much too cold to swim. We saw a big jelly fish right next to our boats in the harbor.
Today we left Orange Beach at our usual 630 A.M. There may be a crossing window on Thursday night. We are making our way to Panama City where we hope to pick up John's Aunt and Uncle, who are planning on doing the crossing with us. We are looking forward to seeing them and are excited that they want to cross the Gulf with us. Time will tell exactly when that will happen. We don't want to take unnecessary risks.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving
Well, we had a change of plans. Instead of leaving this morning, we decided to stay here and have our Thanksgiving dinner. Byron and Donna who both work at the marina and live across the street, invited all of us on the dock to their house for "lunch". The six of us, 2 other couples who have finished the loop, and a man who lives here all of the time, walked over to their house around noon. They fed us all and their family a complete Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings. It was delicious! They treated us like kings. Later, we spoke to our family via Skype. That made us feel like part of their celebration as well.
The marina is closed today and tomorrow. So, we are planning to stay here until at least Saturday morning because we have to pay for tonight and tomorrow night and because it's supposed to storm tonight and all day tomorrow. Tomorrow night we are teaching Yvette and Claude how to play Farkle. Happy Thanksgiving!
The marina is closed today and tomorrow. So, we are planning to stay here until at least Saturday morning because we have to pay for tonight and tomorrow night and because it's supposed to storm tonight and all day tomorrow. Tomorrow night we are teaching Yvette and Claude how to play Farkle. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving Eve
This morning we had fog again and did not leave the harbor until 8:00 A.M. We cruised across Mobile Bay and into the ICW (Inter Coastal Waterway). We stopped at Orange Beach Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, only about 8 miles from Pensacola, FL. It was a perfect cruising day, 76 degrees and the sun was shining, plus a little air moving. We are hoping to make Destin, FL tomorrow.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We all have so much to be thankful for.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We all have so much to be thankful for.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Weekend Traveling Frenzy
We have not had Internet or cell service for a couple of days. So, it's time to catch up.
Saturday morning we left Demopolis Yacht Basin a little earlier than planned. We were up at our usual 5:30 and about 15 minutes later, we heard a boat from Demopolis talking to the lockmaster. The lockmaster said he was turning the lock around and to bring it on. So, we hurried and left the harbor at 6:10. There were nine boats in the lock together. We spent the night at Bashi Creek, anchored out with "Runaround Sue", "Trusty III", "Surprise", and "Livin the Dream". We had Happy Hour on the back of our boat. They all came by dinghy.
It was so quiet and peaceful back in that creek until 3:00 A.M. Ann and John on "Livin the Dream" had an intruder on their boat. They woke up and there was a man on their boat. He swam/waded across the water to the boat. They think he was looking to steal gas. They yelled at him to get off the boat and he did leave. How scary is that?
On Sunday morning, we tried to leave at 6:30, but there was too much fog. We pulled up anchor at 7:15, but once we got out on the river, it was foggy again. Once we got through the fog, it was smooth sailing until we reached our anchorage at Three Rivers Lake. We had passed through the final lock (Coffeeville) along the way. We had cruised 81 miles and it was just getting dark when we arrived at Three Rivers Lake. The 81 miles was too far for the 2 sailboats to make before dark, so it was just "Runaround Sue", "Trusty III", and us. We were ready to call it a day. We had a wonderful, peaceful night's sleep here with no surprises.
On Monday morning, we left at our usual time. It was beautiful out for most of the day. Once we reached Mobile Harbor, the AIS was driving Captain John crazy. There were so many tows that the alarm kept going off and the screen looked like a mine field. Mobile was not as deserted as in the spring, but it's not as active as last year when we made our way down river.
We saw our first crab pot. Yikes! We must be ever vigilant, keeping our eyes peeled for the pesky little devils.
We reached Dog River at 3:00P.M. after doing 85 miles today. As we were pulling up to the fuel dock, our boat became grounded. When we made our way along the 7 mile channel to the harbor, the water depth beneath our boat was only 3 to 4 feet. We had spoken to the fuel dock attendant on the radio as we entered Dog River and he was standing on the dock watching us and failed to mention that the route we were on was too shallow. We were going very slowly and it was a soft grounding. After being pulled off (Thank you, "Dollar Boat"), we tested to make sure there were no vibrations. Of course, during all of this, it decided to rain. By the time we were fueled up and tied to a slip, every one of us was soaked to the bone. It felt so good to tie up and go to Happy Hour on "Trusty III". Yvette and Claude are gracious hosts and we enjoyed ourselves yet again.
We plan on stayng here Tuesday to reprovision and get caught up on some maintenance chores. Hopefully, we'll be back on the water on Wednesday.
Saturday morning we left Demopolis Yacht Basin a little earlier than planned. We were up at our usual 5:30 and about 15 minutes later, we heard a boat from Demopolis talking to the lockmaster. The lockmaster said he was turning the lock around and to bring it on. So, we hurried and left the harbor at 6:10. There were nine boats in the lock together. We spent the night at Bashi Creek, anchored out with "Runaround Sue", "Trusty III", "Surprise", and "Livin the Dream". We had Happy Hour on the back of our boat. They all came by dinghy.
It was so quiet and peaceful back in that creek until 3:00 A.M. Ann and John on "Livin the Dream" had an intruder on their boat. They woke up and there was a man on their boat. He swam/waded across the water to the boat. They think he was looking to steal gas. They yelled at him to get off the boat and he did leave. How scary is that?
On Sunday morning, we tried to leave at 6:30, but there was too much fog. We pulled up anchor at 7:15, but once we got out on the river, it was foggy again. Once we got through the fog, it was smooth sailing until we reached our anchorage at Three Rivers Lake. We had passed through the final lock (Coffeeville) along the way. We had cruised 81 miles and it was just getting dark when we arrived at Three Rivers Lake. The 81 miles was too far for the 2 sailboats to make before dark, so it was just "Runaround Sue", "Trusty III", and us. We were ready to call it a day. We had a wonderful, peaceful night's sleep here with no surprises.
On Monday morning, we left at our usual time. It was beautiful out for most of the day. Once we reached Mobile Harbor, the AIS was driving Captain John crazy. There were so many tows that the alarm kept going off and the screen looked like a mine field. Mobile was not as deserted as in the spring, but it's not as active as last year when we made our way down river.
We saw our first crab pot. Yikes! We must be ever vigilant, keeping our eyes peeled for the pesky little devils.
We reached Dog River at 3:00P.M. after doing 85 miles today. As we were pulling up to the fuel dock, our boat became grounded. When we made our way along the 7 mile channel to the harbor, the water depth beneath our boat was only 3 to 4 feet. We had spoken to the fuel dock attendant on the radio as we entered Dog River and he was standing on the dock watching us and failed to mention that the route we were on was too shallow. We were going very slowly and it was a soft grounding. After being pulled off (Thank you, "Dollar Boat"), we tested to make sure there were no vibrations. Of course, during all of this, it decided to rain. By the time we were fueled up and tied to a slip, every one of us was soaked to the bone. It felt so good to tie up and go to Happy Hour on "Trusty III". Yvette and Claude are gracious hosts and we enjoyed ourselves yet again.
We plan on stayng here Tuesday to reprovision and get caught up on some maintenance chores. Hopefully, we'll be back on the water on Wednesday.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Yesterday we cruised from Columbus Marina to an anchorage called Tombigbee Ox Bow just below the Howell Heflin Lock. We passed through four locks John Stennis, Glover Montgomery, Amory, and Howell Heflin. Whew! Dropping from one level to the next is a lot easier than being lifted from one level to the next. We had clouds and drizzle all day long.
Today we had a short day. We left our anchorage at 6:30 A.M., as per usual. It was foggy early on, but it burned off within an hour. We had no Locks today. Demopolis Lock is very near this harbor, so we'll have to do that one first thing tomorrow morning. By 1:00 P.M. we reached Demopolis Yacht Basin. We are doing chores and then we shall eat dinner in the restaurant here at the marina. Tomorrow should be another long day.
Today we had a short day. We left our anchorage at 6:30 A.M., as per usual. It was foggy early on, but it burned off within an hour. We had no Locks today. Demopolis Lock is very near this harbor, so we'll have to do that one first thing tomorrow morning. By 1:00 P.M. we reached Demopolis Yacht Basin. We are doing chores and then we shall eat dinner in the restaurant here at the marina. Tomorrow should be another long day.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sunshine
We left Midway Marina this morning at 6:40 A.M. in the fog. Thank goodness for radar. We didn't have far to go to the first lock and by the time we pulled out of the lock, the fog was considerably less. From that poin t on, the day kept getting better. The sun came out and felt sooooooo good. We traveled through 4 locks today: Fulton, Grover Wilson, Amory, and Aberdeen. We traveled with "Runaround Sue" and "Surprise". We all ended up at Columbus Marina in Columbus, Mississippi. We were cruising for 9 1/4 hours and covered 60 miles. Today was the way cruising is supposed to be (not like yesterday).
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
We left Joe Wheeler State Park yesterday morning at 6:30 A.M. It was cold, cloudy, and drizzling off and on. We went 71 miles, passed through 2 locks, and arrived at Grand Harbor around 2:30 P.M. After getting settled in, Norm and Sue, and John and I borrowed the courtesy car and went to the grocery and to The Rib Cage for dinner.
Today started out about the same way except it rained all day long. It's so gray and cold. Before we left, we took the windshield cover off, in case it rained so hard that we had to drive from the lower helm. In the process of removing the cover, it ripped. The tear is about 24 inches long.
Along the Divide Cut we saw a fox walking along the shore. A little farther, we saw some wild turkeys. Can't you just imagine the feathers flying when the fox made it as far as the turkeys? Hopefully, they got away.
John installed a new marine radio before we left Joe Wheeler. It has an AIS receiver built in. That allows us to see the name of approaching tows on the radio screen. He tied it into the GPS/Chartplotter as well. So, if we put the pointer on the image of the tow, a whole page of information comes up about the tow. It tells us the name, which direction it's traveling, how fast it's going, and what it's carrying among other things. It's really cool.
Today we traveled 56 miles and passed through 3 locks. We spent the entire day in our rain gear. We were happy to arrive at Midway Marina around 2:45 P.M.
I am posting some pictures to this entry from Cancun of the scenery because it's lovely and the weather here is not. Hope it makes you smile like it makes me smile.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Well, we are back at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, Alabama. Yesterday was one long day, beginning early in Cancun, arriving in Atlanta at 4:00, and then getting back to the boat around 11:30P.M. We were all tired by then. Norm's brother bought Norm's van and is currently taking it to Indiana. We will be without a car until we arrive in North Fort Myers, where Sue's car has been parked since April.
The Great Loop Adventure starts back up again tomorrow morning. We will be leaving here and heading south, hoping to avoid too much cold and rainy weather along the way.
The Great Loop Adventure starts back up again tomorrow morning. We will be leaving here and heading south, hoping to avoid too much cold and rainy weather along the way.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Yesterday we moved from The Royal Sands to The Royal Islander. We have a beach front villa this week. This is nice for a change. The view of the ocean is beautiful. It feels a little bit removed from where the action is, but that's okay with me. Yesterday and today have been cloudy, windy, and cooler than last week. However, I understand that it's colder in Alabama where the boat is docked.
Friday, November 5, 2010
End of First Week
Tomorrow we move from The Royal Sands to The Royal Islander. This first week has been wonderful. On Tuesday, Norm and I got to do the BOB. BOB stands for Breathing Observation Bubble. It's an electric scooter that has a helmet attached to it. An oxygen tank on the front blows into the helmet and you just breathe like normal while you ride on the bottom of the ocean floor around 20 feet deep. The bottom of the helmet is open, but the water stays at shoulder height. We got to hold a sea urchin, a spider starfish, and a sea cucumber. It is so cool to see the colorful fish swimming all around you.
Today we were supposed to go to Cozumel on a "Jeep Adventure". We were supposed to drive our own jeep, snorkel, shop, and have lunch there. The weather was really windy and it was raining in Cozumel, so they canceled our excursion. So, instead, Sue and I went to Playa del Carmen on a shopping trip sponsored by Diamond International. They paid for the bus ride and gave everyone a charm bracelet and a charm. The town is picturesque, with cobblestones and colorful buildings on Fifth Avenue. The road is closed to automobiles and you walk right down the center of the street. We saw a wedding in town at this unique looking church. The back wall of the Church was made of glass that had a colored glass religious design in it. You could see through most of the wall though and it looked out onto the ocean. Just beautiful! I took pictures. When I get back to the boat I will post a few of the pictures.
Today we were supposed to go to Cozumel on a "Jeep Adventure". We were supposed to drive our own jeep, snorkel, shop, and have lunch there. The weather was really windy and it was raining in Cozumel, so they canceled our excursion. So, instead, Sue and I went to Playa del Carmen on a shopping trip sponsored by Diamond International. They paid for the bus ride and gave everyone a charm bracelet and a charm. The town is picturesque, with cobblestones and colorful buildings on Fifth Avenue. The road is closed to automobiles and you walk right down the center of the street. We saw a wedding in town at this unique looking church. The back wall of the Church was made of glass that had a colored glass religious design in it. You could see through most of the wall though and it looked out onto the ocean. Just beautiful! I took pictures. When I get back to the boat I will post a few of the pictures.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Beautiful Cancun
Well, it seems that the Royal Sands now has free WI-FI. How nice is that? We arrived Saturday around lunchtime. Sunday morning we attended the Orientation Meeting where we were told about the available excursions and the new things for this year like the change in bus fares since last year. There was a free party complete with beer and rum runners. Next we found ourselves in the pool and at the pool bar when Happy Hour started.
Today we had a free breakfast before seeing a model of the new Grand Residences. They are absolutely fantastic. You can buy one a full time one like a condo or 5 weeks at a time like a timeshare. They will split a 5 week timeshare into 2 and 3 week pieces if they can find buyers for both pieces of the 5 weeks. We are happy with our timeshare here at the Royal Sands. After the sales presentation, we went by bus to Walmart for groceries for some of the days. Tonight we had shrimp, salad, mixed vegetable, and rolls. We lazed around the pool and simply unwound.
Tomorrow morning, Norm and I are doing the excursion called BOB (Breathing Observation Bubble). I have done this before. Norm has tried to do this trip on 4 different occasions, but something has happened each time to keep that from happening.
Today we had a free breakfast before seeing a model of the new Grand Residences. They are absolutely fantastic. You can buy one a full time one like a condo or 5 weeks at a time like a timeshare. They will split a 5 week timeshare into 2 and 3 week pieces if they can find buyers for both pieces of the 5 weeks. We are happy with our timeshare here at the Royal Sands. After the sales presentation, we went by bus to Walmart for groceries for some of the days. Tonight we had shrimp, salad, mixed vegetable, and rolls. We lazed around the pool and simply unwound.
Tomorrow morning, Norm and I are doing the excursion called BOB (Breathing Observation Bubble). I have done this before. Norm has tried to do this trip on 4 different occasions, but something has happened each time to keep that from happening.
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