I envisioned myself sitting down every few nights for a blog update. Ha! Certainly glad I never took on blogging for a living. Where does the time go? There are still the usual domestic activities like cooking, grocery shopping, housekeeping, laundry. Add to that determining the next destination, scrutinizing the weather conditions (sometimes 4-5 apps and websites), planning the route, setting the route on the chartplotter, surveying marina and anchorage options, booking a marina, the activity of cruising itself with steering and navigation, social time with other Loopers, repairs and maintenance on the boat, seeing the local sites, and every now and then, a bit of quiet time together and individually.
Day 16-17, Nov. 18-19, 2019
Seabrook Harbor Marina in New Orleans. The power company was replacing a pole so the marina was without power for a day. Second day, they jumped to it with our repair. We knew our bow thruster (a small auxiliary motor that facilitate handling the boat in close quarters) wasn’t working. We had them do a quick haul where they put the boat on a sling from a cradle then lift it out of the water. All of the blades had been sheared off the propeller of the thruster so that was replaced. Fortuitously, Peter discovered that one of the main engine propellers was loose. Had that not been discovered when it was, much worse problems could have occurred, validating my personal view that things are always working out for the best and even when something looks like a problem (the bow thruster issue) it can be a blessing in disguise. The marina crew did a great job for us and we were ready to head out again.
Day 18, Nov. 20
The GIWW east of New Orleans is a very industrial area but still lovely in its own way. A bit of trepidation as we approached the considerably more open water of the Mississippi Sound; still in easy sight of land and protected by barrier islands.
We journeyed from the marina in NOLA to Bay St. Louis, MS. What a lovely surprise! The marina is fairly new and very well managed. Our boat was in a great location for going ashore. On shore was the old town area with wonderful restaurants and shops. We try to stay away from bread but could not resist the Serious Bread bakery. Dinner at The Sycamore House was one of the best meals I’ve ever had including big names in major cities and the restored historic home created a delightful atmosphere.
Day 19-21, Nov 21-23
We had one more stop before we would be crossing Mobile Bay where we wanted ideal weather. A front was coming thru with wind and rain so we decided to spend a few extra days in Bay St. Louis especially since we were enjoying the area so much. This allowed for down time, catching up with chores, and more eating and shopping.
Day 22, Nov 24
Biloxi, MS, at Point Cadet Marina our next stop. After a fairly long day across the Mississippi Sound, we kept it simple with a quiet evening on the boat. I resisted the Golden Nugget casino at our door.
Day 23, Nov 25
This is a bit of a milestone day for us as we crossed Mobile Bay. We had been advised it can be tricky with lots of commercial traffic, several turns on the GIWW and choppy waves. Our decision to wait for good weather was validated as we had a most pleasant journey. The difference on the other side was quite remarkable. The atmosphere shifted from mostly industrial to decidedly recreational.
Across the bay we continued on the GIWW to The Wharf Marina in Orange Beach, AL, a favorite with Loopers. Our experience at marinas prior has been walking the docks and occasionally seeing someone on a boat or walking on the docks often with little response to our greetings. At the Wharf we were surrounded by fellow Loopers. We had not even finished tying up in the slip before others were there to assist, introduce themselves, and anxious to share experiences. A third of the boats or more had active crew aboard. The marina is part of a resort with condos, a hotel, shopping, restaurants and even a theater.
We enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow Loopers and the creature comforts of the Wharf so we relaxed here for Days 24-26 including Thanksgiving dinner which we shared with new friends making the voyage.
Day 27 – 30, Nov. 29 – Dec 2
We are off again. Cruising the GIWW from Orange Beach, AL, to Pensacola, FL. As occurs very often, the Palafox Pier Marina is in an historic waterfront area. Early settlements along the coast were on the waterfronts. Pensacola lays claim to being the first European settlement in the US with the arrival of Spanish explorers in 1559. That settlement was wiped out by a hurricane leaving St. Augustine as the earliest continuous settlement. Still, Pensacola has a lot of interesting history and a charming old town area that is definitely up and coming. With lots of conveniences nearby and a whole new group of looping friends, we lingered for several days. We are finding ourselves to be what is labeled at “laid back” loopers as we enjoy the relaxing days exploring a new town and lazing on the boat in between the days of cruising.
Day 31-32, Dec 3-4
“Quite Nice” docks in Niceville, FL. Options in the area included the beautiful (but more commercial) beaches of Ft. Walton and Destin but we opted for the more relaxed and Looper-popular Bluewater Bay Marina in Niceville on the north side of the bay. Plus, how could we resist with that name. We had the pleasure of spending time with the very gracious harbor hosts Jack & Patty Nickerson aboard Nearly Perfect. The Nickerson’s are a wealth of knowledge and very generous in sharing their experiences.
Day 33, Dec. 5
Our next destination was Panama City. Panama City was greatly impacted by hurricane Michael in Oct 2018 and very few of the facilities have recovered. We aborted our attempted to get into one marina when we kissed the bottom. The Nickerson’s had suggest a great anchorage location at Pearl Bayou so we headed there and enjoyed a lovely evening and overnight comfortably at anchor.
Day 34 – 42, Dec. 6 – 14
Cruising the GIWW between Panama City and Apalachicola took us thru the area so heavily impacted by Michael. Along the way there were the signs of the impact nature can have as well as man’s push for survival on his terms.
This stretch is referred to as “The Canyon”. The walls of the waterway and dense forests are a contrast to the usual coastal plains and marsh lands. On to Apalachicola where we docked at the Apalacicola Ice House Wharf. Like many coastal towns there is a charming old downtown area with lots of history from the time the waterways were the primary means of moving goods before the railroads and then trucking took over. When cotton was king, much was brought down the Apalachicola River to the town where there were cotton exchanges creating an economy for the area that disappeared when the railroads replaced steamships for moving the cotton.
Apalachicola is a waiting area for Loopers. Here (or nearby Carrabelle where the GIWW actually stops) is the spot to sit and monitor weather conditions for an optimum time to cross the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, we enjoyed what Ap’cola had to offer; several excellent restaurants, some fun shopping, and quality time with other Loopers making the same wait.
Day 43-44, Dec. 15-16
There are milestone events and locations around the Great Loop; crossing the Gulf of Mexico is a major one. From Apalachicola or Carrabelle one crosses either to Steinhatchee in the bend of Florida or further down where the GIWW starts up again . For a couple of reasons we elected to make Clearwater our destination on crossing.
The conditions were less than optimum but the wait looked to be several weeks further out. There were a couple of other boats willing to go so we elected to join them and go for it. The conditions posed no threat to our safety as the boat is built for worse, just to our comfort. Our trip would be 170 miles with most of that over open water, taking about 22 hours including overnight.
The good news: we made it safe and sound. The bad news: the boat rocked and rolled and we were exhausted and felt pounded. We elected to steer from the fly bridge for the better visibility. Going below to do anything required us to sit our fanny on the deck and crab walk to the stairs where there were grab bars to hold onto. Next time we will wait weeks and weeks if necessary for better conditions.
We had been experiencing cooler weather since the first cold front we encountered in Lake Charles . We left Apalachicola in jeans and sweaters and multiple layers. As we approached Clearwater and the sun rose, we were peeling off layers and were into our shorts and t-shirts shortly after arriving. We both smiled and said “this is what we’ve been waiting for”.
We’ve elected to stay on the boat and continue our journey through the holidays. We will miss being with our family and friends at home but we will share in celebrating the spirit of Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men on our home that floats.