Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

Tuesday 5/12/09 Left St. Andrews Marina at 7:40 am. At least that's what time we think it was. Seems we're right on the border between Eastern & Central time zones and our clocks still registered on eastern time but our cell phones were on central time. After about 15 minutes debating which time we would use for the "official Log" we decided on using central time since we would definitely end the day in that zone. Whew!

Again we travelled the GICW past the commercial docks in Panama City, across Choctawahatchie Bay, through a couple of narrow streams and ended up anchored in Ingram Bayou which is west of Pensacola. The Panhandle area of Florida is rich in military installations. Several times today we had military fighters fly over us. At first Pam thought we did something wrong but I assured her they flew over because she was laying out in her bikini! At one point we passed a black inflatable filled with military personnel doing some sort of exercise. As soon as we went by they pulled into the channel behind us and fell over the side of the raft. Maybe they were just hot. Also today we met our first barges since January! We also went past Fort Pickens which was built between 1829 & 1834 to defend the entrance to Pensacola Bay and the Navy yard there. Seems the fort was used into the 1940's. Somehow we both missed this on the way through in January. Go figure! Total for the day 123.2 miles made possible by light traffic on the intracoastal.

Wednesday 5/13/09 Morning broke over Ingram Bayou with a hint of rain in the air. The last rain we saw was at Samson Cay in the Bahamas. In fact we've seen little rain during our entire stay in the South. Before we pulled anchor we got to see a couple of Dolphins fishing around Tourist. No matter how many times you see them it's always a rush when they appear. Pam is like a kid at Christmas every time and is always on the lookout as we travel. Unfortunately our sightings will come to an end once we start up the river system. Speaking of rivers, it seems that every one that we need to travel on is currently at or above flood stage. Guess we'll go from looking for dolphins to watching for logs. We are currently at Grand Mariner Marina on the Dog River just south of Mobile, Al. The picture of their fuel dock shows how high the water is. When we stopped here in January there was almost four feet of space under it. We'll pull out Friday morning and head up stream leaving the blue water and dolphins in our wake but today is Walmart day! Sure wish our stimulus check would come in so we could buy some Cheetos, chips and cigarettes while we're there. Seriously though, for a boater with limited access to transportation Wally World is a one stop shopping facility.

Sunday 5/10/09 & Monday 5/11/09 Happy Mothers Day! We pulled out of Clearwater at 7:18 am. Not a happy start to Mothers Day fro Pam. Too early! After sliding out Clearwater Pass we turned toward the Florida Panhandle. About the only boat we saw once away from shore was a shrimper. Seas were good with only a 1' to 2' chop out of the N-West. Pretty much on the nose. We had a pretty uneventful crossing until the last 30 miles when the seas kicked up to 3' with an occasional 4' thrown in and came at us directly broadside. Not a big deal, just not the most comfortable ride. About that same time we passed a 100' Air Force tower out in the middle of nowhere. There are several of these in this area of the Gulf. I'm not sure what their purpose is but you can see them for several miles. At 5:38 pm we dropped anchor behind Dog Island, 171.6 miles from Clearwater. Time for a shower!

Monday we pulled out of Dog Island and headed into Carabelle, Fl. to take on fuel at C-Quarters Marina. Not a huge marina. More of a pier with a pump but the friendly dock attendants were ready to take our lines as we came in. (Pelicans) After filling up we headed back out into the GICW which starts in this area and heads west behind the protection of the barrier islands. We passed the oyster farmers in Apalachicola Bay. Past the shrimper fleet in Apalachicola and on through the GICW to Panama City. A scenic ride with some wide spots and some barely wide enough to meet another boat. We arrived at St. Andrews Marina around 4 pm. Fueled and washed the salt off of Tourist. Dinner was at the Captains Table about 2 blocks away where we had a dozen Cajun baked oysters on the half shell (delicious) and other sea food delights. A great place that doesn't look like much from the outside but packed with people on the inside!

Tuesday 5/5/09 thru Saturday 5/9/09 Tuesday thru Friday we did a host of boat chores. Tourist got 2 new batteries, a new flag, washed, oil changed, oil & fuel filters changed, strainers cleaned and to top it off we made a trip to the flea market! It was nice to get back to Legacy and visit with the few remaining boaters who were still there. Some went home for the summer, others start travelling in their boats this time of year since the winds usually die down making for a more comfortable ride. For us our chores are done and it's time to start heading home.

Saturday we pulled out of Legacy at 7:52 am and headed down the Caloosahatchie. It was a nice ride since not too many of the weekenders were out yet. We picked up the GICW and headed north past Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Once we got to Charlotte Harbor we turned to the Gulf and headed out Boca Grande Pass. About 2 thirds of the way out a boat hailed us on the VHF and said there was a whale ahead of us. Sure enough, right in the middle of the channel. We tried to take pictures of him but not very successfully. He was about 30' long and was just lazily swimming in the channel. Every once in awhile he would exhale and shoot water into the air. Pretty cool!

The seas were calm and we cruised offshore up to Clearwater avoiding the traffic of the GICW. The vhf was humming with reports of boats on fire and people in the water. The Coast Guard was busy. When we came into Clearwater we spotted our first pirates of the whole trip. We had to wait for them to pass and hoped that they wouldn't fire on us. We made it safely into Clearwater Municipal Marina. Fueled up and tucked Tourist into a slip for the night.

Sunday 5/3/09 & Monday 5/4/09 Sunday arrived under bright sunny skies at our anchorage in Biscayne Bay. After morning coffee we got ready to pull anchor when I spotted a rope right beside the boat. Not wanting to wrap it around a prop I got the boat hook out and fished it out of the water. Hmmm. There's something on the other end. I started getting excited thinking maybe it was an anchor or something I could use. Wrong! A crab pot without the usual marker float. Not wanting to leave all that rope floating for someone else to get tangled in and unable to get the pot onto our boat we did the next best thing. Pam got me the trusty hunting knife located just inside the back door for special occasions like this and we sent the pot to the bottom and stuffed the rope in a garbage can for later disposal. After this excitement we backtracked a couple miles to Crandon Park Marina and took on fuel before heading into the Keys. Sunday is a busy day anywhere on the water and it was no exception here. Every idiot that had a boat was out. Not bad on Biscayne Bay but once into the narrow ICW channel in the Keys stupidity reigns supreme. We think the bass boats cruise too close at home. Try a squadron of cruisers ranging in size from 30' on up weaving and cutting in and out of the slower boats. Apparently they only slow down when they run out of fuel. All of this in 5' of water or less. I miss the Bahamas already! One of the pics shows the sand being churned up by Tourist in the shallow areas.

We ended the day anchored off Upper Matecumbe Key. The same place where we drug anchor on the way to the Bahamas. Since we didn't get into the Lorelei restaurant on the way over we thought we'd give it another try. All I can say is fantastic! Jerk pork & chicken and cool soothing rumrunners followed by a beautiful sunset. The boat even stayed put making it a great ending to a hectic day.

Monday we got under way at 7:30 am and travelled at trawler speed till noon due to the shallowness of the water in the yacht channel which leads from the Keys to deeper water off the SW coast of Florida. Shortly after leaving we passed a flock of birds sitting on sticks just outside the channel in the shallows. Once in deeper water we inched the throttles forward and headed to Ft. Myers and Legacy Harbor. Gone was the Gin clear water of the Bahamas and the deep blue of the Atlantic. We are now in the murky waters of Florida Bay. We arrived at Legacy just as the staff was closing for the day. They saw us coming and stayed around to help with lines etc. It felt like home as we were greeted by some of the folks who we had gotten to know during the winter.

437 miles in three days. Not bad. Sometimes it's nice to have speed available although trawler speed is much more relaxing. Next up......boat chores to get ready to head home.

Back in the USSA

Friday 5/1/09 & Saturday 5/2/09 Friday morning we woke up to find the cockpit floor had been used for target practice by the birds. Poop everywhere! While cleaning it up I came across the culprit. It wasn't a whole flock. Just one scared bird who had gotten himself in a corner and didn't know how to get out. I scooped him up with a towel and set him on the swim platform where he proceeded to take a couple of hops and flop into the water! Don't fret. He flapped his wings and after a couple of botched attempts made it into the air and flew away.

After the bird episode we pulled anchor and headed to Nassau to take our chances on finding a slip. We wanted to get to Nassau to stage for the better weather that was to come on Saturday and Sunday for crossing back to the states. When we got near I radioed the marina and much to our delight was told they had an opening. Next I called Harbor Control and didn't need an interpreter this time. We were granted permission to enter the harbor and proceed to the marina. The nice thing about this marina is that there is a shopping center directly across the street from it with a City Market grocery store and a KFC! we stocked up on needed items and later had cocktails on Jeanine, a 44' Gozzard sailboat with BJ and Karl from Marco Island, Fl. who we had met earlier in the trip at Highborne.

Saturday we were up early to check out and get underway. Our original plan was to head to Lucaya, overnight, then cross to Stuart, Fl. and from there cross Lake Okechobee to Ft. Myers. Those plans got dashed when I saw that the lake had fallen 5" overnight from 5'8" to 5'3" of navigable water depth. Tourist draws 4'. To make matters worse the lake bottom is rock not sand or mud. One bump and we got trouble! We decided to head back to Miami and retrace our path through the Keys and up the West coast of Florida.

On our way out of Nassau we met a Carnival cruise ship coming into port. We made it just in time. Several boats who called Harbor Control after us were told to wait until the ship got docked. Our trip from Nassau to Miami was 196 miles. We left at 8:10 am and arrived at Key Biscayne at 6:42 pm. A nice run topped off by a Cuban Cohiba after clearing in with Customs over the phone. On the way into Miami we played chicken with another Carnival ship on it's way out. Guess who won?

Stuck in Paradise

Monday 4/27/09 thru Thursday 4/30/09 Anchor up at 11:07 am and off to Highborne Cay where we spent some time on the way into the Exumas. The wind was still whipping at around 25 knots which again made for a lumpy ride. To soften the ride I employed an old sailboat tactic of tacking so that we were hitting the waves at an angle instead of them hitting us broadside. Much better! Again we enjoyed a meal catered by Cool Runner at Highborne. This time ribs for me and a lobster salad for Pam. Both very good but I must add that the ribs don't compare to the ribs from chef Moose back home! While at Highborne we tried to reserve dockage at the Nassau Harbor Club in Nassau only to be told each day that we tried that nothing was available. Seems no one was leaving due to the winds and rough seas. After 3 nights at Highborne we decided to slide up to Allens Cay and check out the Iguanas on the island. We anchored off the west side of the island close to a Bahamian Defence boat and dinghied in to the beach. At first it looked like any other beach until we got close. From out of the brush they came as if we had tripped a sensor on the way in. It looked like a scene from Jurrasic Park. Pam had cut up some veggies to feed them and they fought each other as we threw them onto the beach. Of course Pam stayed in the dinghy! From there we went to SW Allens Cay to a beach thinking we could sit there and have a couple of Kaliks. Wrong! Same scene all over again. Out of the brush they came! Back in the dinghy and back to the boat. We dug out the State Farm koozies and enjoyed the drinks without worry of attack.

Drug Runners

Saturday 4/25/09 Today started like many others. Wake up, look at charts, read, wait for Pam to wake up and then listen to the weather report. Since we don't have all the high tech means of obtaining weather forecasts we rely on the daily report from Exuma Park which is read over the marine radio at 8 am daily and projects six days out. Nice of them to do that or we'd be in the dark completely. Also Highborne Cay does the same at 7:30 am but only goes out 3 days.

By 10:20 am we were ready to go! We went at trawler speed the 12.4 miles up to Normans Cay and anchored off of the west side of the island due to the strong east winds. Our first order of business was to jump in the dinghy and head down to MacDuffs at the Normans Cay Beach Club and check it out. We beached the dinghy at a sandy spot on the rocky shore and walked down the beach in search of food and drink. We found it tucked back in the island between the beach and a runway. Neat little place with good food and cold beer. Pam particularly liked the bathroom which was outside under the umbrella! No door. Just a sign that said open or occupied on front and back. Just hope the wind doesn't blow.

Sunday we went back to Macduffs for lunch and then set out to find the famous airplane which crash landed during the height of the drug smuggling days back in the 80's. As you would imagine salt water and time have taken their toll on the plane. It seems that back then Normans Cay was controlled by a guy named Carlos Lehder who was a Colombian drug lord. He used the island to smuggle drugs into the US. Drug agents posing as cruisers having boat trouble were able to gather enough evidence to arrest and convict Carlos and send him up the river.

Just so you don't think life is all play down here I'll have you know that I changed the oil, filter and sea water impeller on the generator while anchored at Normans!