Our Great Loop Adventure

On Saturday, Nov. 2nd, we went went under the New Cochrane Bridge and officially entered the port of Mobile. We were surrounded by tows, ocean going ships, and shipyards filled with containers waiting to be loaded on the ships. We then came to the shipping channel where we officially entered Mobile Bay. Summer Recess is in salt water. We were amazed at the number of birds following the shrimp boats dragging their nets. We also had dolphins in front and behind us. We followed Priorities into Dog River Marina. After docking and going into town for groceries, we walked over to the neighboring marina (Turner) to meet our good friends, Kathy and Ken, on Meandering. We had an enjoyable visit. At Dog River we had our first experience with tides. The water level here varies by about 18 inches twice a day. It was great to take a warm shower and do laundry on Sunday. We also had a great time taking our dinghy to dinner to celebrate Ken's 60th birthday with three other couples. Monday and Tuesday were taken up with engine maintenance. The technicians were very thorough. Tony was pleased. My days were saved by having a Starbucks in the area as well as visiting with other loopers we have travelled with off and on. After saying good bye to everyone, we left Dog River Marina on Wednesday, Nov. 6. (We were pleasantly surprised that our dockage at Dog River was free because we had all our engine work done there.) We crossed the bay with no incidents. We began our journey on the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway. Our first stop was at the Wharf in Orange County, Alabama. It was a lovely resort complex. We went out to dinner with Janet and Bob (Harmony) to celebrate the 4th anniversary of Tony's triple bypass surgery. Thursday was overcast and gusty, but we left the Wharf without a problem. The ICW is formed by a series of bays and narrow waterways. Pensacola Bay was very rough and we bounced our way into the narrow Santa Rosa Sound where things calmed down a little. We passed Fort Walton Beach, FL to get to Shalimar Yacht Basin just off the entrance to Choctawhatchee Bay. The sun was going down and the winds were howling. Docking was not easy, but we were settled in just before it got really dark. It was a very long day. Friday the winds were still strong, but it was sunny. It was another laundry and grocery day. The marina owner let us use his car and lo and behold there was another Starbucks and a Publix for supplies. Also, many times during the day we saw the Blue Angels flying overhead from the Pensacola Naval Base. Choctawhatchee Bay was choppy as we began our travels on Saturday, Nov. 9th, but it settled down. We left the bay and entered what is called the "Grand Canyon, " a man made canal that connects Choctawhatchee Bay with West Bay. We still have not seen gators, but dolphins and pelicans are all around. We spent the night at the Panama City marina. Left Panama City behind on Sunday morning and travelled through West Bay, the Wetappo Creek, Lake Wimico, and Jackson Creek. Today we had four dolphins enjoying our wake. They came very close to the boat. We also saw a shipyard, where ocean going vessels are constructed. We found a beautiful anchorage on Saul Creek and tucked in for the night. Today, Monday, Nov. Nov. 11th, we had a short six mile trip to Water Street Marina in Appalachicola. After docking we walked into town and found lovely boutiques, restaurants, a coffee shop, and a fresh fish market.