Thursday, December 10, 2015

Naples, FL to Marathon. FL

12/9/2015
Scenes from our final Gulf crossing



The last day with our gold burgee
Leaving the Great Loop in our wake
One of the hundreds of floats we dodged on our way to Marathon

The "Admiral" at the helm

 Approaching Banana Bay 

 Displaying our new Platinum Burgee
Celebration cake after dinner on "Joint Venture"
 
We untied from the dock at the Naples Yacht Club at 6:30 a.m., while it was still partially dark with temperatures in the ‘mid 60’s, which felt chillier because of the damp air, and slightly breezier conditions than we had expected.  Today’s trip would be our last for this adventure, and we would travel 110 miles across the Gulf of Mexico to our winter home for our seventh season at Banana Bay Marina in Marathon, in the Florida Keys.  “Reflection” made her way to Gordon Pass and then entered the Gulf at 7 a.m. with winds of about 10-15 knots out of an easterly direction off the land, with seas of about 1-2 feet.  As we headed south, we were surprised to hit off- and-on patches of dense fog, and we were glad to have radar to let us know, if and where any other vessels might be out there.  Now, however, we also encountered hundreds of pots scattered over the Gulf by local fishermen and crabbers over wide areas, which we had to dodge to avoid.  Eventually the skies started to clear, and by the early afternoon the sun was high in the sky, the water and air temperatures were well into the 70’s, and the sea conditions were lovely.  We contacted our friends, Marc and Susan Einbinder, who were vacationing aboard their boat, “Joint Venture”, in the slip next to ours in Banana Bay, to tell them that we would be arriving at around 3:30 p.m., only to find that they were out on their dinghy fishing near the 7 Mile Bridge, and they hurried back to the marina, so that they could beat us in and be ready to take our lines when we arrived.  We soon approached Banana Bay, where we had started on this adventure on 4/7/2015, and with much love, joy, and thankfulness after having traveled 5,768 miles over 198 days on the water on this trip, and having boated over 40,000 miles together in our 43 years of marriage, we sounded our horn as we “crossed our wake” for the second time on this circumnavigation of the eastern waters of the United States and Canada known as “America’s Great Loop!”  We had now achieved “Platinum” Status in the America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association, so we quickly removed our “Gold” burgee and replaced it with our new “Platinum” burgee to signify that: “We’ve come a long way, baby!”


Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Port St. Joe, FL to Naples, FL

11/26/2015
 
Thanksgiving Dinner at Port St. Joe






Our host and Chef, Huen
 
Thanksgiving Day dawned bright and beautiful and by 1 p.m. the “Loopers” at Port St. Joe Marina were beginning to line up in the parking lot to either be shuttled by cars to Linda and Huen’s home, or to ride their bicycles there.  Their house was all on one level with a very large backyard, and when we entered, the dining tables were set up in an L-shape which spanned two rooms with seating for 40 people!  Huen was in charge of all the cooking, which included at least three turkeys and several hams, soup, gravy, stuffing, and at least nine different side dishes of various vegetables!  While Huen spent his time cooking over hot stoves, and ovens, we all enjoyed appetizers outside, and when we were all called to the table, Huen started to make an emotional sppech, then got short of breath, and had to step outside.  His health had not been the best this year, but with the help of his doctors, and a lot of prayers, a procedure had been done which helped him greatly.  When he returned to the table, he asked if someone would say “Grace”, and Pat volunteered to do so, with special thanks for these gracious boaters who had opened their home to all of us who were basically strangers to them.  After the wonderful meal, now the desserts appeared:  Pecan Pie, two kinds of Pumpkin Pie, and Blueberry Cake, which were all home-made.   The camaraderie continued after dinner, and one “Looper” even wrote a terrific poem a la “Twas the Night Before Christmas” about our fabulous hosts.  By 6 p.m. the shuttles resumed taking boaters now back to the marina, and we returned to “Reflection” both full and happy after a very memorable Thanksgiving Day!
 11/27/2015
Today we awaited the arrival of Ray and Caryl Houle, who were driving up from their home in Cape Coral, Florida to join us for the up-coming Big Bend of Florida crossing of the Gulf of Mexico from Carrabelle on the Panhandle to Clearwater on its west coast. This would be an over-night crossing which we would do two days from now, if the conditions were favorable.  They had a six hour drive, got a late start because of a problem with the rental car, and then ran into some additional traffic delays, so they didn’t arrive until almost 6 p.m.  After some cocktails aboard, we ended up going out to a local Chinese restaurant for dinner, and spent the rest of the evening catching up on all our mutual activities.
 
11/28/2015
This morning we were all up early, and Pat and Caryl were grocery shopping at the local “Piggly Wiggly” supermarket at 6:30 a.m. so that Ray could transport them back to the marina with all their many bags of purchases before he had to drive to Panama City to return their rental car.  George accompanied Ray on the trip, and a taxi service from Port St. Joe returned them back to the marina several hours later.  At 5 p.m. we were invited  aboard “Changing Latitudes”, a “Looper” boat owned by John and Priscilla, and Dale and Andy from Waukegan, Illinois, who we had hosted a few nights ago on “Reflection”.  We knew that all these folks would have much in common with ray and Caryl, since all of them had been racing sailors, prior to owning their power-boats.  We all enjoyed a great evening together, and then we and the Houles had dinner at the marina’s on-site restaurant which was very close-by. 
11/29 -11/30/2015
 
Dog Island Anchorage


 

After a stop at the marina’s pump-out, we left Port St. Joe at 7:30 a.m. for a 55 mile trip to Dog Island Anchorage near Carrabelle, and arrived there in very calm conditions in the early afternoon.  We noticed a number of “Looper” boats who could not operate as fast as we would, heading out through East Pass for their crossing, but we, as well as “Changing Latitudes” had decided to start out at 10 p.m., so that we would spend less time in the dark and make the 170 mile trip to Clearwater at a speed of 10-15 knots.  This would also enable us to not be blinded by the sun, which before 10 a.m. could mask our seeing the many crab pots near the Clearwater entrance on the other side.  At 9:50 p.m. we raised anchor along with “Changing Latitudes”, who would be following us on the trip.  Pat had already said many prayers for our safety and had blessed our vessel with the holy water she keeps near our bed-side, and so, we were on our way!  Traveling at night in the dark and relying on instrumentation alone ( GPS, AIS, and radar) which we have at both our upper and lower helms, can be somewhat surreal, and it feels like you are going into a black void.  Though there was some cloud cover, it was almost a full moon, so we could see some semblance of a horizon at times through the clouds, but we never got the full benefit of the moon-light, which we could have if conditions were clear.  Though the wave and wind conditions at the anchorage were calm, as we headed out farther and farther away from land, the seas started to pick up from a south/southeast direction.  George and Pat took the first two-hour watch from 10 p.m. – 12:30 p.m., and Ray and Caryl took the next from 12:30 a.m. – 2:30 a.m., and this is how we alternated overnight.  Nobody ever got a good deal of sleep, because the engines were loud when running at these higher speeds.  As dawn broke, the waves were now 2-3 foot high, and the wind was blowing at 10-15 knots on our port bow, and besides spray coming over the bow, the couch in the main salon started moving back and forth, and it became difficult to move down below.  This was remarkably similar to the conditions on our first “Loop” trip!  Finally as we got closer to Clearwater, things eventually started to calm down, and we only had to concern ourselves with doging crab-pots.  “Changing Latitudes” chose to enter Clearwater from a more southern pass , so they had broken off from our course a few hours before.  At around noon we entered the harbor where the Clearwater Yacht Club is located, but the dock space where we were assigned was taken up by another boat!   We quickly contacted the dockmaster,    and were given a better spot right in front of the Yacht Club’s dining area, and we were tied up at 12:20 p.m. – a trip of 14 ½ hours.  Afterwards, naps were in order for all of us, and since the yacht club was closed for dining on Mondays, we had Italian dinners delivered to the boat by “the Gondolier” restaurant nearby, and toasted to our successful crossing with an outstanding crew!
12/1/2015
We remained at the Clearwater Yacht Club for an extra day, so that we could clean up the boat, and also catch up on some rest.  Ray and Caryl also took advantage of the town’s “Free Rides for Tips” program to go mall shopping, and in the evening we we went to the Club’s casual dining room for dinner.
 
12/2/2015
 Leaving Clearwater
 Ray
 Caryl
Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa Bay 
Caryl and her birthday cake
 


“Reflection” left the dock around 8 a.m. for a 39 mile trip across Tampa Bay to the Bradenton Yacht Club on the Manatee River where we pulled in around noon.  This was another lovely facility, and since it was Caryl’s birthday, George made arrangements for a chocolate birthday cake to be delivered to our table when we would have dinner there that evening.  Our meals were delicious, and finally when the staff came out singing with the cake and candle, we were shocked at its size and weight!  It was about 12 inches round, and made of sumptuous dense chocolate, and it weighed six pounds!  The slices were large and pre-cut, and we even shared some with the people at the next table who were “eyeing” it!  After our own fair shares, we boxed up the rest and took it back to the boat, where we continued to make a slight dent in it over the next few days.
 
12/3/2015
 
 Clouds on the way south
 Caryl
 Ray
 The Captain
 Venice Inlet
 
 
The weather was not predicted to be good over the up-coming days, so we left Bradenton at 7:10 a.m. for what we originally thought would be a 55 mile trip to Royal Palm Marina in Englewood, Florida.  However, as we were about to go through the Casey Key (Albee) Bascule Bridge that had to open for us, the bridge-tender asked us how far we were going that day, and then informed us that the Boca Grande (Gasparilla) Swing Bridge which was being repaired, and through which we would have to proceed, was closed for the next three days!  If we went to Royal Palm as we had planned, we would be stuck there, so we made a very quick on-the-spot decision.  The Venice Inlet was only a short distance ahead of us, so instead of our remaining on the sheltered ICW, we decided to make a fast run of 21 miles south on the Gulf to wide Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda.  Luckily the conditions were not bad out there, and we made the trip in about three hours all the way to Burnt Store Marina, which was the closest location for us to return Ray and Caryl to their home in nearby Cape Coral. We arrived at their fuel dock after our surprise 91 mile trip, and after getting 50 gallons of diesel, we moved to a slip in front of their on-site restaurant at about 4:15 p.m.   The Houles stayed that night with us, because Caryl’s step-dad, who was going to pick them up, unfortunately had to take his wife to the hospital for some tests. At any rate, we all had a great pork chop dinner aboard, and we still had plenty of Caryl’s birthday cake available for dessert!
 12/4/2015

 Our surprise wreath

 
 
The Houles left in the morning when her step-dad picked them up, and even took our bedding and towels that they had used aboard home to be washed.  Ray also took one of our galley drawers home to repair for us in his shop.  It’s great to have good friends!  Ray eventually drove back again in the afternoon to pick us up, so that we could visit their new home in Cape Coral which they have owned for about a year, have dinner, and do more laundry.  Their home and landscaping is lovely, and they have really worked on it and decorated it beautifully.  After our house tour, we ended up in their bar room, and then we suddenly noticed a huge wreath made out of 400 corks hanging from a glass corner cabinet.  It was wrapped with green ribbon and bows, decorated with two American flags, had an AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers” Association) logo, along with signs which said: “Reflection”, and “Platinum Loopers” on it!  We both stunned and thrilled that they had taken the time to make us such a truly meaningful, wonderful keep-sake for us!  They are both amazingly creative people, and their house is a tribute to their talents and artistic piece collections.   We had a terrific dinner with them that evening, and later went back to the boat with our wonderful wreath and three bags of clean laundry!
 
12/5/2015
The weather continued to be windy and dismal, so we had a quiet day on the boat, and Ray and Carol came over and picked us up so that we could take a riding tour of Pine Island and the Matlacha Pass areas as well as Cape Coral, and we eventually stopped in at one of their favorite outdoor bars on the water for wings and nachos.  Later, after they dropped us off, George picked up a Caprese Salad and an amazingly good pizza for us for dinner at Burnt Store’s on-site restaurant which he said was really “hopping” that night.  However, by choice, a quiet dinner on the boat and TV were the only things on our agenda for the evening.
12/6/2015
We decided to stay at the marina for one more day, and Ray and Caryl again kindly invited us to come to their house for dinner in the late afternoon.  In the morning, we had a knock at our door, and met one of the AGLCA Harbor Hosts for Burnt Store, who not only welcomed us to the area, but was willing to drive us to the grocery store, West marine, WalMart, etc.  It was a very kind gesture, and we thanked him for his thoughtfulness.  Ray picked us up, and after a quick trip to the local Publix for a few supplies, as well as dessert and wine, we returned to the Houles’ home, which now had even more decorations up than two days ago, including a beautifully decorated tree.  Our chicken dinner was delicious, and afterwards we said our final “good-byes” for the time being with thanks for all they had done for us, and with hopes that they will visit us in Marathon sometime this winter. 
12/7/2015
 Sanibel Island Light
 Coming into Naples, FL


 
 
 
 


Saturday, November 28, 2015

Mobile, AL to Port St. Joe, Fl


11/12 – 11/14/2015
Scenes from Mobile Bay

 Cold front coming at us across Mobile Bay


 Scenes from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

 Sunrise over Pensacola Bay
We left the dock at Dog River Marina before 8 a.m. and as we went down the waterway lined with docks and sheds filled with vessels of all kinds, we passed “Holiday VII”, and Richard was out on his deck waving “good-bye” to us.  We signaled back with our horn, which probably woke up the whole marina!  We now entered the Dog River Channel which led to large Mobile Bay, which was quite docile this morning.  A little while later we noticed two white-hulled vessels to our port stern, and then with our AIS we were able to identify them as “Ivory Lady” and “The Next Chapter”, who had just left the Eastern Shore on the other side of Mobile Bay.  They, too, were headed to Pensacola, as we were, but they would be staying at a marina there, while we would be docking at the Pensacola Yacht Club.  Eventually we looked behind us, and noticed that ominous cloud cover was forming, which was the pre-cursor of an up-coming cold front which was predicted.  Luckily for us, as bad as this formation looked, though the winds did pick up, we were able to continue to travel safely.  The scenery along the way as we moved through the Gulf Shores area of Alabama and Florida continued to change, and now we had large sand dunes on our starboard side, and eventually we saw a number of naval vessels on our port side as well as military air-craft in the sky as we approached Pensacola.  After 65 miles, we got tied up at the lovely Pensacola Yacht Club by early in the afternoon.  Pat was beginning to feel the on-set of a cold, and we ended up spending three nights here.  We had two excellent dinners at the Club, and George also enjoyed their luncheon buffet one afternoon.  This was also a chance for us to avoid the windy weather on Pensacola Bay.  We even got to observe a lovely wedding ceremony that took place on the Yacht Club’s lawn  late on Saturday afternoon, but Pat did not envy the bride and her bridesmaids who were obviously freezing in their strapless gowns!
11/15/2015
Sand dunes on the way to Fort Walton Beach, FL
Our destination today was the Fort Walton Yacht Club in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, a trip of 46 miles.  Though the waters were choppy with the wind on our bow, it was sunny, and we arrived at the Yacht Club at 12:30 p.m., just a little too late for their Sunday Brunch.  We were helped in by two gentlemen, one of whom was the Vice Commodore. There were lots of sailboats from the Club out on the nearby waters, either racing or practicing, and it made for a lovely scene.  In the early evening we had a knock on our door, and it was the Commodore of the Club, Reddoch Williams, who had come out to welcome us.  We invited him aboard, and had a terrific visit with this charming Alabaman gentleman.  He invited us to go out to dinner with his wife and him, but we declined his kind offer, due to Pat’s feeling “under the weather.”
11/16/-11/18/2015
Florida's "Grand Canyon"






 Panama City Marina
 
This morning we left the Fort Walton Yacht Club before 8 a.m. for Panama City Marina, a distance of 68 miles across the Florida Panhandle, and we arrived there in the early afternoon.  After filling up at the fuel dock, we were assisted into our assigned spot by a helpful dockhand.  A number of other “Loopers” were already here, and with rainy, windy weather expected in two days, we suspected that they would be here for awhile.  Also, since there were no expected good weather windows for making the 170+ mile Gulf of Mexico crossing from Apalachicola/Carrabelle to Clearwater, Florida  on the horizon, boats were backed up in ports all across the Panhandle.  We were lucky to have pre-arranged a spot at Port St. Joe Marina in Port St. Joe, Florida, and the only reason we were able to obtain this last open spot was because the slip-holder was having his boat hauled out of the water for three weeks, and we planned to move there on Thursday.  For the next two days we used our time well to do laundry, rest, and to get in touch with our friends, Ray and Caryl Houle, who might be joining us aboard for our jaunt across the Big Bend, depending on the time-table for good weather and meeting up.  They were originally supposed to join us here in Panama City, but that plan  right now was not going to fit in with their Thanksgiving Day family duties, so were considering lots of other options.  The nasty weather did show up on 11/18, and thanks to the many lines George had around the boat, springing her off from the wind and the waves, “Reflection” managed the conditions beautifully.
11/19 – 11/25/2015
Wetappo Creek

 Port St. Joe Marina


 Thanksgiving Day dinner invitation
 
 
It was a 44 mile trip from Panama City to Port St. Joe Marina, and the scenery along the Wetappo Creek, and the 5 mile long Gulf Canal through which we had to transit, were again reminiscent of the remote areas of the Tenn- Tombigbee Waterway.  As we neared the end of the Canal, we suddenly entered large St. Joseph’s Bay with our marina just around the corner. Of course, as we entered we called for assistance in finding our slip and for taking our lines, but no one answered on either the phone or the marine radio. So we took a good guess, and backed into an empty slip that we thought might be ours, and finally had several hands catching our lines.  Getting on and off our boat became a bit creative, since the only finger pier was about 10 feet long, which is really not long enough to reach our entrance door, so George rigged up a way for us to do so from steps in our lower cockpit.  Again, a number of “Loopers” are here, and some have come and gone including Bill and Jann on “Ivory lady” and willy and Caryn on “the Next chapter”.  This was a very convenient location for us with a “Piggly Wiggly” supermarket, a CVS Pharmacy, a liquor store, and lots of good restaurants in town, as well as another good one on–site.  We have received and sent mail from here, and the marina staff has been very warm and helpful.  We, as well as other “Loopers”, have received a lovely invitation to attend “Thanksgiving Dinner” to be served “family–style”at the home of Linda and Huen, our next-door slip neighbors, who live in town, and they even have transportation arranged!  This just goes to show the warmth and wonderful generosity of some people.  On Tuesday evening, we hosted our friends, Priscilla and John, and Dale and Andy from “Changing Latitudes aboard our boat for cocktails and munchies, and we had a great time hearing about their sailing days, and about John and Priscilla’s first grandchild who was born a few days ago, with another one due in a few days.  Their boat has been here for three weeks while they flew home to Waukegan, Illinois and back, and it looks like they’ll be flying out again shortly!  We have also been in touch with Ray and Caryl , and they be driving here on Friday from their home in Cape Coral, Florida, as we are hoping to get ‘Reflection’ across the Big Bend on Monday-Tuesday (11/30 – 12/1).  We are looking forward to a great Thanksgiving and are so grateful for all the wonderful people in our lives, and for all that God has given us!!!