Panama City to Apalachicola

We enjoyed our time in Panama City very much. Even if one is not a "Spring Breaker" there is plenty to see and do in Panama City. I was charmed by the manhole covers - what a nice touch to add flavor to a routine piece of street equipment.

When we woke today the sky was the bluest of blues and the seas had calmed considerably. It was still a little choppy when we left the bay at Panama City but once we entered the more sheltered water of the Gulf ICW, the water was calm and full of dolphins. Today we saw at least eight to ten dolphins. None of them played with us but they did come close enough that we could see that they seemed to play and travel in pairs. It has become our delight and passion to watch for the dolphins, I don’t think that we will ever tire of this activity.

Again today, we saw another abandoned boat. However this sailboat looks new and does not appear to be a hurricane victim. We tried hailing the vessel just to make sure that it was not manned. We received no response so it does appear to be abandoned…doesn’t it make you wonder what the circumstances were that caused the captain and crew to leave their vessel? I only hope that they are safe…

Today was a rather long and slow day due to the number of small recreational fishing boats along the ICW. Everyone seemed to be out playing today due to the wonderful weather and the fact that it was Friday. Captain Mark is so courteous and cautious when we come upon smaller craft. He always slows to a no wake speed until we are clear of the fishing boat so as to not jostle the fisherman with our wake. So it always comes as a shocked surprise and irritation when a vessel larger than the Lolligag goes flying past us without so much as a hailing call to notify us of their speedy intentions. We had this happen twice today and while the tug can take it, it did catch us off guard as both times we had slowed to pass fishermen. The boats flying past us not only caused us to bounce around like a cork, but they almost capsized one of the fishing boats. While 98% of boaters are courteous and adhere to safety rules, it is that 2% that drive everyone else nuts.

We reached Apalachicola around 5p. It is an easy harbor to enter and we found our slip easily. We had dinner at Pappa Joes and went to bed early as some very special Hoosiers will be joining us for tug tour around the area bright and early Saturday morning.



Hours on the water: 8
Nautical miles traveled: 54
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Next Destination: Carrabelle
What we're listening to: Life of Pi by Yann Martel = Excellent!!
What we watched: NCAA basketball tournament
Lesson for the day: Not all boaters are courteous
Obligatory knitting report: Carol Anderson Tunic Sweater for me

High Winds in Panama City

We arrived back in Panama City late Tuesday evening. As we exited the car we could see the boat rocking and rolling – I think the nautical term for this is “acting like a mixmaster”. The winds were coming directly from the south in gusts of up to 40 mph. We unpacked the car just before the rain started. Knowing that we would not be going anywhere tomorrow, we crashed, and fell asleep very quickly to the wonderfully rocking movement of the boat.

We both awoke Wednesday morning about 8a to the sounds of the Blue Angels practicing above the city. Now what is really funny about this situation is that Mark started grousing about how “a guy just can not get any sleep around here” and he was really serious. What makes this so lame is that I have seen this guy stand in rain and/or heat in excess of 100 degrees to watch the Blue Angels perform at the Chicago Air and Water Show and here we can watch them and other fighter pilots each day and all he wants to do is sleep…




The wind and the rain continued most of Wednesday. During the night the rain stopped but the winds have continued. We have been intently watching the weather situation and it now appears that the wind should calm down tomorrow (Friday), so this is when we will plan to leave Panama City and travel to Apalachicola.





We have decided that instead of spending a month in the Bahamas this spring that we will spend more time in the Florida Keys before heading up the eastern coast of the US and onto the Chesapeake this summer. Next fall we will then turn around and come back down the eastern US coast and head over the Bahamas in December for the remainder of the winter and spring of 2009. This way we will have plenty of time to spend in the Bahamas. There is just so much to see and do/not do (relax) in the Bahamas that neither of us want to miss the experience. That is the wonderful thing about being retired – we can do whatever we want, whenever we want.

Back to Indiana and Back to Florida

I think if I have to drive back to Indiana one more time any time soon that I will literally scream all the way north to Indiana on I-65. I have seen enough of that road for a while.

So we left Thursday March 13th around 10a, drove back to Mobile to get the pick-em-up truck and then each of us drove a vehicle back to Indiana. Captain Mark accused me of speeding, but then he is such a slowpoke and just could not keep up with me in MY very fast and very cool pick-em-truck. I think he was just jealous that I had the truck he had the little compact rental car. Anyway, we made it back to Indiana safe and sound and just in time on Friday to watch the heartbreaker Big Ten basketball tournament loss of Indiana University to Minnesota by one point…but that is oaky because IU is going to the NCAA tournament and Minnesota is only going to the NIT.

WARNING: More Finger Pictures

We had planned to literally turn around and come back immediately to Florida however I was able to get an appointment with my hand surgeon in Indianapolis. It was time for the pin to be removed and since we happened to be in the area, reasonably speaking, I called to see if they could work me in for an appointment on Monday. I can not say enough good things about the Indiana Hand Center – everyone is just so accommodating and they were happy to work me in on Monday. So off I go again to Indianapolis – this time by myself as I think Captain Mark really needed some quality piano playing time all by himself. Everything was just fine with my finger and the x-ray looked great, so as quick as could be and with a slight 1/8 of a turn, the surgeon pulled the pin from my finger. Then I was sent to physical therapy where I learned more hand/finger exercises and was FINALLY allowed to wash my hands. For almost two months, I have not been able to really scrub and wash my hands and it just felt wonderful to scour away. The only restriction that I have at this point with my finger/hand is that I can not really soak my finger in water until the area where the pin was located scabs over, but other than that, I can do anything I want from this point forward.



The mat looking stuff on the nail bed is a "placeholder" and guide path for when the nail grows back.





Of course, the first thing that I did when I got home was to try knitting with both hands. I have become a “continental” or “picking” knitter in the last couple of years and this method of knitting utilizes both the left and the right hand, however, when I was in the finger cast, I was only able to knit with my right hand, using the “English” or “throwing” method of knitting. So it was absolutely wonderful that I discovered that I could knit with both hands. Life is good!

Once again the car was packed and we left Indiana during a horrible rain storm on Tuesday, March 18th to return to Panama City, Florida. This is almost exactly two months following the date of the accident which was Wednesday, January 23rd. Between my finger injury and the weather, we are now two months behind schedule, however, since we are retired and life on the water demands that we have no schedule, we are okay with this set back of our time table.

We discovered during this trip south that we have now also driven the entire length of US Highway 231 in addition to Interstate 65. US Highway 231 originates in northern Indiana and ends at our marina entrance here in Panama City.

How we survived Spring Break 2008 in Panama City, Florida

We had not really planned to spend so much time in Panama City but as it turned out, it has been very nice place to spend time. After having arrived yesterday in the rain, we decided to spend today just relaxing and seeing the city. The marina is very conveniently located to the historic downtown area which has several very nice restaurants and lovely walkways throughout the area.

A cool thing about this marina is that it has a webcam and our boat is front and center if you would like to see us. The website is: http://www.panamacity-fl.gov/pcmcam.htm The date on the camcorder is incorrect but the feed is live, so if you would like Captain Mark or I to perform for you, just give us a call when you have the site up and we will go out onto the bow of the boat and wave to you. We will be here until at least Friday, March 21st.

I have also found that I absolutely love Muffulettas. I was introduced to these sandwiches by Lolligag Crew Member and Reunion Queen Terry last year as part of a “muff” phase that seemed to have overtaken some Golden Knights. I found them to be like no other sandwich that I have ever had. Never having been to New Orleans, I have made it my objective to have one of these sandwiches whenever possible while in the South. The Cheese Barn, a wonderfully charming and smallish restaurant in downtown Panama City, serves one of the best that I have had to date. I highly recommend this eatery but you must be aware that the restaurant is only open between 11a until 2p during the week. Even with these limited hours, the place is packed.

With our new satellite TV, we watched with interest as yet another large storm front was predicted to come our way. The weather for the Panama City area and the Panhandle is predicted to be rather rainy and windy so we thought it would was best to take the pick-em-up truck back to Indiana at this time – it is currently at Dog River Marina in Mobile. This seemed to be the best thing to do after all of the options were considered. We had discussed and considered every possible scenario and it seemed best to take the truck back home ourselves. Now the silliest thing about this whole process is that if we rented a car in Florida, kept it for a week with unlimited miles, drove it home to Indiana and back, the cost would be less than half the cost if we drove the truck home and then rented a car to drive one way back to Florida from Indiana – we put twice as many miles on the rental car for half the price.

While the sun was still shinning we decided to live on the edge and head over to Panama City Beach to see the Spring Break 2008 critters. We had never seen a four story beer bong before so we set out to see what we could see. Need I say that we saw more than we cared to see while safely secure in our seats on the mass transit trolley. We would never have the courage nor would we dare to leave the trolley as it passed through the mass of college students. I must say that both boys and girls were all very cute, very scantily dressed, and were able to carry more cases of beer than most pack animals. As Captain Mark and I gawked from the windows of our trolley, we wished the kids fun and safety as they participated in this annual rite of passage.

A Rainy Day Full of Surprises

It rained during the night and it was overcast and very cloudy when we left Destin, but not necessarily cold. Our destination for today is Panama City where we will be staying at the municipal marina.

Again Steele’n Time led the way but today would prove to be like no other day we have experienced on the trip thus far. First of all it rained off and on all day. Not really hard but usually we do not travel in foul weather (unlike sailboats who seek out foul weather) so we used the windshield wipers and felt smug inside the tug being warm and dry.

Secondly, we travelled through a long river-type waterway that reminded us both of the Tennessee River and the Tenn-Tom. We commented on the landscape whereby at times it would be low marshy areas and at other times there would be high banks plagued by erosion.





The next three things we encountered made this drab rainy day fun and exciting as all three things were firsts for us. Probably the most exciting was the dolphin that ran with us for at least a mile or more. He/she stayed right with us while we travelled at about 7 knots. I loved that I was able to captures these pictures. Everyone talks about how much fun it is to have a dolphin play with you but this was even cooler than I expected.

About an hour after our friend Flipper left us, we spotted a sea plane docked near a shoreline construction site. This is the first time that either of us had actually seen a sea plane on the water. A sea plane fascinates me because it combines my two loves in life: flying and the water.



Last but hardly least, we came upon a true and actual research vessel. In fact, the communications officer of this boated hailed us when we were about a mile away from it and asked us to change course because they had “unmanned craft” submerged in the water. I know that the spirit of Jacques Cousteau was close at hand.




While it rained lightly most of the day, as soon as we approached the Panama City Municipal Marina, it started to rain rather heavily. I put on my new fashion statement lobster-catcher black rubber glove and took my place on the bow and then the stern to secure the lines. What a fun day this was – rain and all.

Hours on the water: 8
Nautical miles traveled: 55.7
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Next Destination: Staying several days in Panama City
What we're listening to: The Appeal by John Grisham
What we watched: The Biggest Loser
Lesson for the day: Just because it is raining doesn’t mean that the day will be bad
Obligatory knitting report: Mittens for Wunder Kids

Pensacola to Destin, Florida

We woke up bright and early to leave Pensacola and head to Destin, Florida with Steele’n Time once again leading the way. The storms had passed, it was bright and sunny but Pensacola Bay was just a bit rough at first. Nothing that we could not handle, but since we have had such calm seas thus far, it was a little unusual but fun to have waves come over our bow. This was also the first time that the stainless steel railings on the Lolligag became encrusted with salt as a result of the waves. We could run our hands over the railings to feel and then see the salt on our hands.



What is fascinating about the ICW so far is the way the waterway is structured. There were bays of water that were connected when the Gulf ICW was completed in 1949. So we travel in a canal like waterway and then around the next bend we enter an amazing lake. Some of the areas are protected sanctuaries and other parts are very heavily developed with all types of structures imaginable – from double-wides to multi-million dollar homes.

I was able to capture two very playful dolphins that did not come real close to our boat but did show us their tricks several times.





I knew that we would be anchoring in Destin Harbor but I guess I did not realize that Captain Mark meant LITERALLY dropping anchor in the middle of Destin Harbor. This was so cool – here we were right smack dab in the middle of all the action (but not in anyone’s way). What also surprised me about this harbor, as well as a couple of others that we have seen, is the number of abandoned and semi-sunk boats that are just left in place to rot. I can not imagine how and why these boats are just left unattended and then allowed to be picked clean by boat looters.



Certainly these boats had to belong to someone at some point and I just do not understand why the state of Florida or some other governmental agency does not find the owners and make them responsible for removing these eye-sores…

We actually anchored within a stone's throw of this abandoned semi-sunken vessel.

After settling in at the Destin Harbor anchorage, Captain Mark and I took a dinghy ride to explore the harbor. Destin appears to be a major sport fishing hub and the number and size of the serious fishing boats was certainly evident everywhere we looked. There were also plenty of places to eat and stay. I wish that we could have spent more time in Destin - maybe on our next loop trip.




Hours on the water: 6
Nautical miles traveled: 44.5
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Next Destination: Panama City Municipal Marina
What we're listening to: The Appeal by John Grisham
What we watched: Mighty Heart = C-
Lesson for the day: Make sure to wash down the boat after waves of salt water
Obligatory knitting report: Scarf for charity

Three Days in Pensacola

We arrived at the Pensacola Shipyard Marine Complex on Thursday afternoon, got all settled and prepared for the anticipated storm. Before the storm we ventured down to see Mike and Linda from Steele’n Time. Mike has done many custom storage and improvements to their boat. He is really clever and extremely handy – he has found and retrieved extra storage in the most creative ways. He and Linda together have made their boat very attractive and welcoming. It is always fun to see how we each tackle the live aboard issues.


The storm came and the winds howled and it was wonderful. I just love storms – as long as I am secured in a harbor. The sun was shinning on Friday morning and the day was cool but gorgeous. Mike rented a car for the weekend and Friday’s adventure was to the Naval Air Museum located on the Pensacola Naval Air Base.
We had a wonderful time exploring the museum, watching an IMAX movie about naval fighter pilots and I even took a simulated ride with the Blue Angels.

Next stop on the base was to the Pensacola Lighthouse that we passed on the ICW.

This time we were able to get up close and personal.

First lit in 1859, the lighthouse is still functional today.

Before leaving the base, we toured Fort Barrancas. This was one of the three original forts built in this area. The fort was designed in such a way that it was able to protect the port of Pensacola from both land and sea. From the high vantage points, ships could be spotted as far away as twenty miles. This information would then be relayed to the other two forts in the lower laying areas.






Friday night more storms and more winds came and it was an even better storm than the night before. All day it was windy and rather chilly, so we all opted to catch up on our boating chores on Saturday.

Sunday morning we joined Mike and Linda and headed to the Pensacola Historical Village and the downtown marinas. Linda guided us all over and through the sights and landmarks of Pensacola.






McGuire’s Pub was recommended to us by our live aboard dock mate. What a delightful place to spend time and have a wonderfully gigantic meal. No matter what you order, it is huge! But the neatest thing is that there are literally thousands of dollar bills that have been signed and are hanging from every open spot on the walls and ceilings. If you come to Pensacola, you really must drop in McGuire’s – it is well worth the wait!

Not for the queasy

Well, the yeas (and David) have it, so here are the pictures of my finger. When we took these pictures yesterday, it was six weeks following the accident and five weeks since the reconstructive surgery that was performed at the Indiana Hand Center. I think the healing is coming along very nicely. As soon as we are in a larger city with a hand surgeon, I will make an appointment to see if the pin is ready to be removed. I seem to have full sensation in my finger and have been doing my physical therapy exercises faithfully so I also have very good finger movement without too much pain.

Email Issues

I want to let everyone know that something strange is happening with my lolligag email addresses – I can receive emails, but I am unable to send any. I know that I owe many of you emails and as soon as “they” fix the issue I will catch up on my correspondence.

To Mark and Mary: We may see you or at the very least call Delbert when we reach Apalachicola.

To Nancy/Jim & Eleanor/Harold: We should be in Clearwater just about the same time as Jim & Nancy – see ya soon!

To Kim and Kathy: We will be there soon – please keep the light on for us!

Into Florida on the ICW

It was wonderful to fall asleep and wake up to the gentle swaying of the boat “on the hook” (anchor). I know I say this all the time, but I can't express how much we love anchoring out. We do enjoy the camaraderie of meeting new and old friends at the marinas, but I simply love the peaceful calm feeling of solitude while being at anchor. So it was on our first night after leaving Mobile. We fell asleep early as the sun set.

Thursday morning we woke up to bright sunshine and the bluest of skies. We did not see them, but Mike and Linda of Steele’n Time told us that a group of dolphins had been playing all around our boat just before we lifted anchor – I am going to have to be more diligent in watching for the dolphins. We have been told that the motto for Loopers once south of Mobile is that “a dolphin sighting a day keeps the blues away”.

Traveling with Steele’n Time, we left our cove around 8a and headed toward Pensacola along the ICW. Again the homes were lovely and many are brand new as a result of hurricane Ivan. For the first time, we saw a sign on the waterways welcoming us to a state and how fitting that it should be Florida.

We knew we were getting closer to Pensacola when we started to actually see the Navy jets – before we could only hear them. We passed Fort Pickens on our starboard and Fort Barrancas on our port side, the only two remaining forts of the original three forts that protected Pensacola since prior to the Civil War. Fort Barrancas is located within the current naval airbase. It has been restored to historical accuracy and is open for tours.

Another cold front is expected to pass through the Panhandle bringing violent storms and high winds, so it is our plan to stay at the Pensacola Shipyard Marine Complex for the next three nights. I guess I could whine and complain about the anticipated rains and high winds, but since our family and friends in the Midwest are digging themselves out from under 8-12 inches of snow; I probably would not have much credibility or gather much sympathy.

Pensacola, Florida



Indiana



Hours on the water: 3
Nautical miles traveled: 21.5
Number of locks: 0
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Next Destination: Destin, Florida anchorage
What we're listening to: Nothing
What we watched: Mark’s new TV=Big Ten Network
Lesson for the day: I need to keep a better lookout for dolphins
Obligatory knitting report: Scarf for charity