OUR VISIT TO PANAMA CITY BEACH AND THE ST. ANDREWS STATE PARK

We left Hogtown Bayou under sunny blue skies.  There was a gentle breeze blowing from the north east, and the water was considerably less "bumpy" than the day we arrived.  Originally, our plan was to head into a place called Burnt Mill Creek, a bayou on the north side of the east bay.  However, our plans changed and we headed all the way to Panama City Beach.  Plans have to be flexible when you are cruising.  This is especially true in the winter time when the weather can change so rapidly and radically from one day to the next.  Again, our destination at the end of this week is Port St. Joes Marina at Port St. Joe, Florida for an informal gathering of "Loopers" hosted by the marina.  With weather like this, it only made sense to push a little further and really enjoy being on the water. 

After exiting Hotgown Bayou, we were back on the larger body of water known as Choctawatchee Bay and heading east.  Towards the end of the bay, the water narrows and soon you disappear off the bay into a narrow canal through some trees that leads from Choctawatchee Bay to the East Bay.  The canal is narrow and tree lined.  It seemed "deeper" than other canals we have been in because of the high banks on either side.  Granted the tide was low, but we were actually running in shadows.  It was very beautiful and we had our first aligator sighting.  This dude was not more than 4 feet long and was floating just under the surface near the bank with his nose and eyes only above the surface.  It was too quick a sighting to get a photo of it, but at least now, we know what we are looking for.

This photo shows the end of the line, as it is; the east end of Choctawatchee Bay
where we will soon disappear into those trees up ahead.

Once in the canal, the water was like a mirror.  There was a current at first, and we
benefited somewhat from an increase in speed, even if it did make steering
a little more interesting.

It's really nice to slow down and take a look at just how far back your

wake extends in a straight line behind the boat. Personally, I think it is important to

slow down in these areas because of the erosion that your wake can cause and

the disturbance to whatever wild life is on the shoreline.  We experienced just such an inconsiderate boater who was coming the opposite direction in a $1,000,000 Mochi Craft travelling at an estimated 25 knots.  His wake was pushing water way up the banks.  Brenda and I said to ourselves, "Thanks to that A-Hole, there goes our chances to see any more gators in here."

As you get closer to the end of the canal and the opening into the East Bay, the waterway changes.  It gets wider and is spotted with small islands.  We saw dolphin and many sea birds including pelican and gull.  The tide was still in the low phase following a north wind and a wierd moon, so we were fairly confident there was not sufficient water behind those islands to consider anchorage in any  of the "oxbows".

These birds (Pelican) were all standing on a mud bank.  It just goes to show you how important it is to stay centered on the magic magenta line when you otherwise have no idea where you are going.

As we popped out of the canal and onto East Bay, the water was so flat.  It was amazing.  I have crossed flat bodies of water before, but nothing like this.  Hard to believe it is about one foot deep on average if you get out of the channel.

 So after several hours of travel time, we arrived in the Panama City area.  Once you go under this really big bridge, you begin to see population signs again.  Buildings, condo high rises, commercial ships, high wires, and other signs of "progress" become more apparent now that you are, once again, back in town.  There is a large Navy contingent here as well as a larger Coast Guard Station.  Panama City has a large commercial port and many marinas dot the sides of the waterways.  In spite of the development, we were never out of sight of dolphin or sea birds.

The bouyage in this area was also sort of strange.  There were a couple of reds that seemingly had no business being where they were.  Nevertheless, we stuck to that magic magenta line on the chart that marks the ICW and stayed between the marks.  The charted depths were more than plenty.  Really, now.   Water 30 feet deep?  WOW!  How exciting!  Nevertheless, we figure if someone thought to place a mark where they did, there was probably a good reason for it and who are we to question?  In Texas, in comparison, where marks were sometimes in trees, having been blown there by some recent or long since departed storm, you had to stick to the line in spite of some of the marks.  Here, however, things are seemingly much more organized.  So, it is getting easier to trust the marks and the line. 

You have to depart the ICW a few miles to get to where we planned to go - an anchorage in front of the St. Andrews State Park in St. Andrews Bay, just north and a hop skip and a jump from the jetties that lead out into the Gulf of Mexico.  It was well marked and deep water.  However, we got there just in time to have the blazing sun in our eyes.  For those of you who have spent considerable time on the water, you know that when the sun is in your eyes, it comes not just from the sky, but also is reflected off the water.  I think that is worse.  In any case, we were able to rely on our well tuned radar to see the marks as well as the chart plotter that had our position and course line to the outter markers in front of St. Andrews Bay.

As we got closer to the bay, we noticed that there was only one mark leading into the bay.  It is a red day mark.  Now you know that, when coming into a port, the reds should always be passed on the right.  Red-Right-Returning.  A close look at the chart showed that there probably should have been a green there as well, as the opening, though it looks quite wide, is actually a very narrow slit between sand bars and oyster beds.  Oh my God!  Here we go, another Offetts Bayou adventure.  Well, we have got to the point where, in the absence of local knowledge, or a barge to follow in, we put our faith in NOAA and follow the chart.  The chart showed that you have to basically hug the red very closely as you enter the bay before it opens up to deeper water again.  So we did.  I think we could have reached out and put a sticker on that pole if we had been so inclined.  No problem.  We slid right in there and, as planned, the water got deeper and wider.  So, we made our way a little further in to the place where the anchorage is and dropped a hook in 11 feet of water just at the end of the pier; just like it said to in the cruising guides.

The next four photos are from our vantage point anchored in front of the St. Andrews State Park.  Nice water, eh?

We got to sleep early this evening as we were both tired after a long perfect day on the water.  I was greeted in the morning by yet another beautiful Gulf sunrise.

Our plan for the day was to get in touch with Gail and Vidat, the parents of Brenda's friend Erol with whom she went to college in Colorado.  We called and arranged to have the day with them after they concluded their business in the morning.  So in the interim, we had time to play.  We hopped in the dinghy and ran to the back of St. Andrews Bay to where there is bridge construction going on.  The marks back here are really confusing so, of course, we ran the front of the dinghy right into an oyster bed.  No harm, no foul, however, but we were glad we did it in the dink and not in the big boat.  We went over to Treasure Island Marina and asked permission to tie the dink to a wall and were granted the same.  Then we got out and walked for a while.  We went into a local dive shop and had a chance to chat with the owner.

Business has been real slow around here.  According to the owner of the dive shop, the Gulf oil spill has really harmed business.  Not because there is any oil on the beach, but because of the media's response to the disaster.  Folks are not coming down to this area like they used to.   There is a concern that there is no oil on the beach.  Well, where the hell did it all go?  Apparently, according to this guy, BP can estimate how much oil was spilled, but they cannot account for where it all went.  Now it is true that the ocean will eat up much of it.  It is also true that BP and Company used millions of gallons of dispursant.  These chemicals break up the oil on the surface so it sinks.  IT DOES NOT CLEAN UP THE OIL.  The use of dispursants might be compared to sweeping dust under a rug.  Let's not forget what petroleum is.  It is a blob of chemicals which, through refining, can be separated out and made into lots of other useful chemicals.  While it may be naturally occurring as a result of decomposition and pressure over millions of years, frankly, if God had wanted it spread all over the surface of the ocean, he would not have burried it miles beneath the ocean floor where it would take mankind hundreds of thousands if not millions of years to discover!  A similar logic may be employed by folks who want to dispose of nuclear waste at or under the bottom of the ocean........where it will be lost and gone forever?  Now, I am certainly no "eco-nazi" and I can well appreciate the benefits of petroleum exploration and refining, but I am not so sure it is cool to spring a major leak and then try to sweep it under the rug with the use of dispursants.  It might have been better for the ocean if it had washed up on the beaches where it could have then been picked up and cleaned up, even if it did take a longer time and cost more money.  Instead, through the use of dispursants, all sorts of nasty chemicals have been set free in a much wider range of oceanic zones where it can arguable wreak havoc on a much grander scale, the effects of which we will probably never know and which will only be experienced by our grandshildren who might be eating fish born with two heads and five fins.  The whole thing was so stupidly handled.  Dollars did all the talking and very little actual thought went into it.  Nobody wanted to listen to the oceanographers and biologists whose whole lives have been devoted to the study of the oceans - the source of all life on this planet. Rather, folks listened to the folks who were "interested."  It's so typical and another reason why I just want to do like Bob Seger and just be a hermit in this world of hypocrisy. 

Fortunately, this is just a styrofoam mock up of the majestic hammerhead shark. 
I guess it's fun for the tourists.  Note, all of the fishing charter boats are in port and nothing is moving.

Vidat and Gail took us in their car for a tour around town.  This is an upside down building.

We had a really nice lunch, drove around Panama City Beach and then went up to Gail and Vidat's  home.  They live on the 8th floor of a highrise condo complex.  They have an astonishing view.  The next two photos are of St. Andrews Bay taken from their front door.  The following four photos are off their balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

Here is our boat anchored out in front of the State park.  Notice the deer on the walking path?  They are all over the place and are not at all impressed by people.

I have to tell you that it was great to meet Erol's parents.  They are such the quintessential grandparents.  They are both all about the love.  I never really knew my grandparents.  I should hope they were just like them.  I do want to relate two relevant anecdotes, however that give this rendezvous a certain wonderful significance.

Brenda first met Gail and Vidat when they came to visit Erol in Colorado.  You see, Brenda and Erol were roommates.  Not in that sense, but just great friends with their friend, Jeanne, in common.  So, when Erol's parents arrived, Brenda offered them coffee.  Those of you who know Brenda know that she is always the first to be a great hostess.  Then she asked if they would like creme for their coffee.  The both declined.  Brenda, in her own special way, simply smiled and said, "Good, because we haven't got any anyways."  This has been a source of laughter and good will for close to 30 years. 

I think however, we have a new story to keep us all laughing and loving for the next 30 years.  You see, Vidat has a very logical and common sense method of accounting.  He simply has a different credit card for different things.  One is just for health care.  One is just for groceries.  One is just for automotive related expenses, etc., etc., etc.  As much as I hate to admit it, I am still a lawyer, and sometimes, I like to use my analytical abilities to poke holes in what might otherwise seem like a very reasonable, and logical explanation for just about anything.  So, over a great dinner at JJJ's, I just had to ask, "So Vidat, which card are you going to use for dinner?"  He said it would go on the card he uses for "family" expenses. I asked, "yeah, but you could also use your credit card for medical stuff since having dinner with your family and new friends just has to be good for your health, right? "  He punched me right in the shoulder.  I glimpsed at Gail and she winked at me and said, "He punched you.  That's good.  That means he accepts you."  I love these people.  It was so good to meet them.  I watched as they and Brenda seemed to pick up from where they left off as though they had just seen each other last week, as opposed to 30 years ago.  I feel very blessed.

Well, we are off today to get fuel at the Pier 98 Marina over in Parker, Florida.  My research indicates they have very good (if not the best) prices on fuel and so we'll spend a night there cleaning up and recharging before we run on down to Port St. Joes.  We're just waiting for the tide to come up a bit and then we'er out of here.

Talk at you soon.

HOGTOWN BAYOU

The wind and rain finally passed and we had very nice conditions when we left Fort Walton Beach. It was a short 30 mile run to our next stop – Hogtown Bayou. I’m not entirely sure why they call it that, and I certainly didn’t see any hogs, or a town, for that matter. Hogtown Bayou is a big, deep water bayou that offered what we believed would be very good protection from the forecast north wind. We were right. The best way to describe the place is a wide open road stead protected on three sides. It’s really big. For my west coast cruising friends, it feels much like the east end of Santa Rosa Island, in Betchers Bay up near Carrington Point. The wind may blow, but there are no seas caused by it.
The cruise here was uneventful. There were very few boats on the water. And, there is no more barge traffic. The water is deeper and wider, and is not that tannic brown/black color we became accustomed to throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi (Alabama is about where the water started cleaning up).

Here are some additional photographs of where we stopped in Fort Walton Beach, Florida:

Fort Walton Beach waterfront.

There she is!

Waterfront.  Nice and new.

This is looking across the ICW from where we were.  Lots of condos.

This was a really nice little park.  What you can't see in the photo are all the unfortunate homeless folks sleeping in the bushes.

Nice public docks.  They are new.  Too bad they don't offer power.  Water and pump out are free as is the dock.  You just have to call the City Manager to get permission to stay over night.  The City of Fort Walton Beach could not have been more accommodating.

Look at how clear the water is getting the further east we go.

This old guy was standing with his beak in the wind.  They say heron are good weather forecasters.

We spent a delightful afternoon watching nature go by. Brenda is hooked on her Ipad Black Jack game. She has lost thousands of dollars! Oh well. I keep threatening to stop at the next place where she can attend a GA meeting. In the evening, we found a great series of radio shows on NPR and listened to great American Folk Music and Bluegrass. We discussed how it seemed strange to be listening to this music in Florida, but softened it by noting that, at least, we were anchored in a Bayou.



Fuel is something all cruisers in power boats or trawlers must take into consideration. There is plenty of it along the ICW. There is plenty of water and pump out facilities along the way as well. However, you don’t want to stop at every place to get fuel if you don’t have to. That would be like stopping at every corner on Ventura Blvd. just for the sake of doing so. So, you have to do some planning.
We track our fuel consumption considering at least 4 parameters: 1. Main Engine Hours Running Time; 2. Nautical miles travelled; 3. Average RPMs; and 4. Generator Run Time. I have been keeping a detailed log since we acquired Abreojos 10 years ago. So, we have a really good history of fuel consumption data to look at. The big difference is that, doing what we are doing, we generally move slower. For instance, running between Channel Islands Harbor and Cat Harbor on Catalina Island, we might run at 8.3 knots averaging 1700 RPMs over the 60 miles portal to portal. It would take us approximately 7.5 hours to get there. Historically, at that speed and RPMs, we might burn 2.4 – 2.7 gallons per hour. Thus, the trip would cost us approximately 17.5 gallons of diesel fuel. Those of you who have done that crossing know that the water conditions play a big role in how fast or how slow you move. Sometimes it’s down right rough making that passage. Sometimes, it is simple and easy. I have a tendency to set my throttle at the desired RPMs and not touch it again.

So, sometimes, we go faster and sometimes we go slower depending on the waves, wind or currents. The point is that, at a certain level of RPMs, I can fairly predict my fuel consumption. I did this for almost 10 years cruising Abreojos in the waters off Southern California. Here, however, cruising the ICW, I feel like I have to basically go back to square one. We are moving more slowly, and we often have the benefit of currents either in the rivers or as a result of a tide change, and so we can run at lower RPMs. I’m not sure what the calculation is for fuel consumption on a 200 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine vis a vis speed, engine rpms, etc., but I’m sure one exists. In the mean time, I am tracking hours, RPMs, generator run time, and distance travelled. Each time we get fuel, I make entries into the log for later comparison. Keeping a log is also important because it can help you to identify irregularities or inconsistencies which could tip you off that something is wrong with the engine (or in my case, my math). Twice, now, I have been astounded at how little fuel we are burning here compared to the amount we used at home. This comment is based strictly on a comparison of miles, hours, and RPMs. The problem is that for comparison’s sake, I have only 10 years of cruising in Southern California to compare it to. Well, it is nice to compare and be able to know that, if I burned, say, 93 gallons of fuel over 240 nm in California running at 8.3 knots and 1700 rpms, that I will have used less fuel over 240 nm running at 7.3 knots at 1400 rpms. So, slow down, and your range goes up. You can save money this way. Ok ok. Enough of that technical stuff.


The sunset was gorgeous.












The wind dropped under 22 knots, and we are planning to leave today for our next stop on the way to Panama City, a place called Burnt Mill Creek. It’s another anchorage. We are much happier anchoring out. Everything is better on the hook. We’ll then make our way to the Panama City area. Brenda has a friend from college whose parents live there and whom we will visit for a day. Then, by Friday, we’ll be getting together with other “Loopers” at the Port St. Joe Marina for some party time and a half day of seminars directly related to our cruise.



Thus far, Port St. Joe Marina is a model marina. They are hosting this weekend get together. We were able to register by email. They then emailed back a detailed map of the marina with the available slips for our size boat clearly identified. Also identified was whether or not the slip had 30 or 50 amp power. Later in the day, they emailed a detailed description of how to get to the marina, and told us that they monitor VHF channel 16 and to call when we were close as they would have people on the docks to help us into our slip. I’ve heard that they even go the extra yard and greet transient cruisers with fruit baskets. Folks in the south truly are nice.

Be well, and we’ll talk again soon.

Neck deep in the big muddy.........

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA

When we left Fort McRee, it was overcast and grey.  Well, it remained that way all day and in fact, it rained on us most of the day.  The wind was out of the south east, so at least it was warmer than it had been for several days.

We had originally thought to stay at a place called Manatee Point.  However, when we got into that area, we discovered that there was not very good protection from the wind in the direction it was coming.  Thus, we went to our back up (bail out) plan and continued another 12 miles to a free dock in the City of Fort Walton Beach. 

They say, Fort Walton Beach has a subtropical climate with mild southern winds and few weather extremes that make it an ideal area for year round living or visiting. Winters are mild with January and February cooler. There are 343 days of sunshine per year, with summer temperatures averaging 70 - 92 degrees and the gulf waters averaging 80 degrees.   I can tell you with no uncertainty that it was in the 50's and there was no sunshine to be seen.  Also, the water here is in the high 50's.  I guess we just landed here on the wrong couple of days.

It was advertised that they have water and a free pump out at the free City dock.  The docks are great; right on the edge of a public park that had gazebos and a covered stage, lots of trees, and is immediately adjacent to the town.  So, it turned out to be quite convenient.

As soon as we pulled up to the dock, of course, it started raining again.  There was a guy and his wife standing on the dock and they were nice enough to help us tie up and get fenders situated.  Then, they gave me a ride to the nearby grocery store (Publix) for a couple items we wanted to have for New Years Eve. 


Finally, the rain stopped and we decided to go out.  We walked up the main road one way, and then the other before Brenda mentioned that she had read about this place at the foot of the bridge which had a waterfront bar.  So, we headed off in that direction and discovered a place called "Fish Lipz".  This place was totally cool.  We hung out there for a couple hours eating happy hour wings and drinking happy hour drinks.  The place was not that crowded but there was a band that played all the oldies.

Around 11:00 we headed back to the boat, made a couple phone calls, celebrated New Years and enjoyed fireworks from various sides over the ICW.  Our plan was to wake up and boogie further east.  Well, so much for the best laid plans.

When I woke up on Saturday morning, the wind had definitely picked up and there was nothing but thunderstorms and rain in the forecast.  So, we decided to stick around another day.  It was a good call.  The wind blew really hard and the rain was like none I had ever seen.  It must have rained 8" in the day, before it finally stopped at around 4:00 in the afternoon.  At that point, the wind died completely and the water all around turned into a big mirror.  There was some fog that hung just a couple feet above the water and the sky turned purple then grey, then black.  We went out for Chinese food, watched a movie and went to bed.

Today, Sunday, we plan to head to one of two possible anchorages on Choctawatchee Bay.  We will anchor either in Rocky Bayou, or down in Hogtown Bayou.  Both look like the will offer reasonably good protection from the north wind that has once again arrived following the south spell.  And, yes, with it came the cold.  It's supposed to be in the 30's tonight. 

So, nothing terribly exciting to report and nothing terribly photo worthy.  Fort Walton Beach is a resort/retirement town.  It allegedly features famous sugar white sands, emerald-jeweled waters, endless strings of recreational fishing fleets and water activities, links and links of golf, seaside celebrations, and gorgeous beach side parks, dancing dolphin, and undeniably fresh seafood. Perhaps all of this is true, but we didn't see it.  The weather sucks. We were basically boat bound. Maybe the next time around, the weather will be more cooperative.  Lots of real estate for sale here, though.  You can find anything from a studio with a bay view for around $68k all the way up to an estate on 45 acres for around $22 million. 

In the interim, have a great new year.  We know we will.

Even Poki can't stand all the excitement in Fort Walton Beach.  Poor guy!