Mike & Pam

SWEEET RIDE

November 18, 2019November 21, 2019Mike & Pam

Our 17 hr crossing from Carrebelle to Tarpon Springs went about as well as possible. After exhaustive reviews of weather reports and meeting to discuss every possible variable, I think we were just lucky when all is said and done. Similar weather reports for other crossings resulted in much more challenging journeys.

Our Gulf crossing travel buddy boats…. Tx Au, Paddy Wagon, and At Ease all stayed fairly close throughout the night and we checked in every two hrs by radio to make sure the others were doing well. Some minor rolling seas and unexpected crab-pots 30 miles out added some fun to the route, but all was good,. Thanks to “Buddy” for his local knowledge and many years of experience to help us choose a window that worked.

Happy to be in Tarpon Springs FL, the sponge capital of the the world?? Great Greek food and an awesome place to plan whats next. Looking forward to spending a couple days here and then slowly making our way down to Fort Meyer to rendezvous with family…. Nancy, Samantha, (& Scott) and Tyler…. for the holidays. Life is Good!

We decided the 170 mile route was best for us.

Serious route planning in Carrebelle with local knowledge…thanks Buddy.

Pam’s reward once we were safety tucked into Tarpon Springs,

PANHANDLIN’

November 14, 2019November 14, 2019Mike & Pam

We are now back in society, where the towns we encounter are popular vacation towns on beaches with all the amenities rather than searching for necessities among minimal civilization Traveling along the GIWW is fun but offers new challenges.

The waterway is very clear when marked well but it is easy to veer off the narrow channel into shallow water. There are numerous reports of grounding along this route over the past few days. Dolphins love to swim in these areas and watching the cormorants and pelicans is amazing.

Can’t get enouph of the dolphins – Video

Visiting Flora-bama was a must. Sam had a spring break trip here back in College and as we explored this enormous establishment with 5 stages and a myriad of bars and food services, we could just imagine this place crawling with spring breakers. This week the place was hopping with locals attending the Frank Brown songwriters festival and we were able to dock for free on a public dock right out front of Old River Bar – within walking distance of everything ‘bama. We walked the white sandy shores until it started raining. The perfect thing to do now was to post up along an upstairs rail overlooking a stage filled with awesome talent.

This guy wrote this famous song… Video

A short cruise east was the annual Pensacola Blue Angel homecoming air show where we anchored for the night. This is just like tailgating – Florida style: beaches and waterways filled with boaters, campers, tents etc. There was a bonus night show (planes flying low in formation with blinking lights) to cap off the night.

Air Show – Video

We found another couple free town walls down the GIWW at Fort Walton Beach and White City. We pulled our bikes down and cruised around town. There was this cute oasis of food trucks, complete with healthy bowls & smoothies and cute little sitting nooks. We found Fockers, home of the mother focker, with a great happy hour special to watch the 1st half of the Alabama and LSU game. Since we were getting hungry we left in search of the sign for 99 cent tacos and 99 cent drafts. Lo and behold it was a gem of a place: a Cruse Thru liquor store/drive thru taco joint. We ordered and ate outside watching the rest of the game. Met some guys in the ‘palm tree business’ – these hurricanes certainly keep these guys busy. Learned a little bit about the care and maintenance of palms including how to truck them safely.

The cart broke down and we pushed it back..Ooops – Video

Next up is the much anticipated Gulf crossing. Some choose to take the big bend route hugging the Fl shoreline while others choose to cross the roughly 170 mile from Carabelle Island to Tarpin Springs, which we plan to do. We are just waiting for a weather window i.e. low winds and wave. Many boats have attempted this crossing but few have survived to tell………..no just kidding. We will leave at around 4 pm and arrive around 9 or 10 am. See ya on the other side!

BRACKISH WATER..LOVIN’ THE GULF!!

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019Mike & Pam

We finally made it to the GULF of Mexico!! Loving the sights, sounds and smells of the deep south. Big ships, salty waters, beautiful plantations with their grand double staircases, diving pelicans and graceful dolphins to name a few! The last few miles leading into Mobile Bay become brackish (in-between salt and fresh water) introducing us to alligator country! Pam has been studying tide tables and open water navigational aids to increase her comfort level as we navigate past ocean going vessels and huge fishing boats in shipping channels.

We spent a great 24 hours on the Mobile Bay Conference Center wall. Never knew that Mobile had so much to offer. We were able to walk to some great restaurants, catch a mass at the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, and visit the USS Alabama battleship. We learned that the first Mardis Gras was here in Mobile but with the number of French that moved to New Orleans that event seems to gain popular attention over this one.

We popped into Dog River Marina, a somewhat painful entrance-way outside the main shipping channel for a few days to do some routine maintenance. A quick twin oil/filter change and a nice discovery/repair of a fuel leak in the generator and we are off and running safely, once again!

Our next stop was a secluded anchorage on Dauphin Island. This little bay lies just to the south of the island and we have to navigate away from the main channel and strike out into the open waters of the gulf for a ways…hoping to avoid spoils and obstacles….and understanding these navigational aids and low vs. high tide helps to calm her nerves. Once anchored, we loaded the bikes onto the dingy (newly named “C minor”) and rode the length of the 3 mile island to the Estuary and Fort Gaines, returned in time to catch another lovely sunset and watch the fishermen finish their day and the ocean going vessels cruise by in the distance.

Sweet Home Alabama…..where the skies are blue!! We crossed Mobile Bay to Gulf Shores and were amazed to see dozens of Dolphins showing off their smooth, gliding, swimming skills. Seems that Sea C has turned from a river cruiser into an ocean condo with ferry service to the beach.

Brave Beautiful Dauphins

ROUTE, DEPTH, DEBRIS REPEAT

October 30, 2019November 3, 2019Mike & Pam

As we look at how we approach each day, safety is one of the top priorities: for ourselves and our boat. Due to the flooding there are fewer anchorages, as many are filled with debris or shoaled over. The TennTom channel is well marked and easy to follow, but get out of the channel and there are hidden stumps and surprises everywhere! The further down river you travel the fewer marinas exist to tie up for the night. This combined with the lessened anchorages makes for longer days as we need to log more miles to reach a safe harbor for the evening.

As our journey continue south we hear of friends with boat issues, the worst being sheered off props as they ‘cut the channel too early. Several have had the boat hauled out and are waiting for parts and/or service. A local mechanic, Diesel Don, literally follows the Looper crowd south and takes up residence in the keys for the winter because “everyone needs service”! If he is not around, it is good to know that the Looper community is a fantastic group of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to help each other. Looking forward to getting to the Gulf & to what tomorrow brings! We are embracing and thankful for each day.

SOUTHERN CHARM

October 25, 2019Mike & Pam

As we begin our journey south down the Tenn-Tom Waterway we continue to learn about the history and charms that the South has to offer. The Tenn-Tom Waterway connects the Tennessee River and the Tombigbee River. Work began on this 253 mile stretch of water in 1972 with the help of President Johnson and President Nixon, but the idea had first been investigated as far back as 1810 as an attempt to link two navigable rivers for commercial transport. It cost nearly 2 billion dollars and was completed 6 months ahead of schedule. More earth was moved in this project than was moved in the construction of the Panama Canal – and we are happy to be traveling this narrow and windy part of American history.

Along the way we’ve seen some pretty neat little towns and rural areas. Sometimes we cruise alone and anchor out by ourselves, other times we need to move as a group in order to clear as many locks as possible (since there are 12 locks). There are fewer and fewer marinas as we head further south down this channel and often there is nothing to look at except the stone walls created to prevent erosion…oh, and dead heads, stump fields, floating trees etc.

Currently we are happily holed up in Columbus Marina, bypassing a cute anchorage in order to outrun Tropical Storm Olga. Knowing there were flood warnings and days of a rainy deluge ahead, we traveled with 13 other vessels from sun-up to sun-down on Thursday and tucked in just in time for a beautiful sunset. The rain hasn’t let up and the waters are rising. A great time to clean, organize, catch up and provision!