I don't want anyone to get the impression that the trip was so easy that anyone could do it tomorrow. Yes, anyone can do it...but only with the proper preparation and equipment, a good amount of prior boating experience, a well-maintained boat, an attitude and appetite for adventure, and the grace of God. I have made several similar journeys between south Florida and Texas and points beyond in a previous life (20 years ago with my late husband), and I have maintained and grown in my boating knowledge and expertise over the years. Kenn has had as much boating experience as I have, although little of his had been in coastal waters until the last couple of years. He is a quick study in all things nautical, with a high regard for safety. I have never had a better boating or sailing partner.
Barney and Vickie have been boating for years as well. Barn has raced boats, offshore cigarette boats and high speed catamarans. They have also spent a lot of time in Gulf and Atlantic coastal waters with various boats they've owned.
None of us can emphasize enough that if you attempt such an adventure that you spend the time and money necessary to ascertain that your vessel is capable of completing the journey while keeping captain and crew as comfortable and safe as possible. You don't have to have the latest and greatest in electronics or equipment, but everything should be serviced and working properly with plenty of spare parts to back you up in a pinch. You should also temper your adventurous nature with a healthy dose of common sense, usually erring on the side of caution when faced with a potentially dangerous situation. Another thing, always be able to recognize danger when you see it...DRINKING AND BOATING DON'T MIX!!!! Especially this type of boating.
One thing that I can't stress enough is this: Don't always depend on your electronic GPS, radar and SATNAV equipment. For the most part they work beautifully, but the satellites that transmit information to your receivers can be turned off for civilian use in certain circumstances and without any warning to civilians. If you're going offshore, you should know how to navigate and chart a course using the same tools that Columbus used...paper charts, a magnetic compass, handheld dividers and parallel rules, a star chart and sextant for star and sun sightings. You need to be able to accurately determine a corrected course, accounting for set and drift (how winds, tidal and current movement affect your vessel's track along your desired course). To blindly depend on electronic nav equipment without knowing how to navigate the 'old way' is the height of foolishness.
Know your boat. More importantly, know your boat's limitations! If your boat has a 350 mile fuel range, don't expect it to take you and your crew over 650 miles across the Gulf in open water. If you don't have a life raft and offshore life safety gear with an EPIRB, you have no business heading out across open water in the first place. You'll have 4 to 7 days of motoring day and night to make it across, and the Gulf can toss up large squalls and intense isolated storms at a moments notice at any time of the year.
If you have a boat with only a 200-gallon fuel tank, you darned well better know EXACTLY how far the 180 usable gallons will take you, at various speeds and under most common conditions. I will guarantee you that there is some amount of fuel at the bottom of the tank that falls below the pickup point for the fuel pump. If there isn't, you'll most certainly wish it were so if your fuel pump sucks up the sludge and slime off the bottom of the tank and carries it to your engine(s). You'll get a quick lesson in changing out a fuel filter, bleeding and clearing lines when you can least afford to lose the time or your steerage and control of the boat. A stalled boat floating down the Mississippi in a 5-knot current is an accident waiting to happen, and someone will get hurt. A stalled boat offshore in a 40-knot squall with 15- to 20-foot seas means that someone will probably die. It could be you, or it could be one of your crew. You're the captain; you're as responsible for their lives as you are for your own. It isn't just a moral obligation, it's maritime law.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Schedule Update
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of good food and good times with family. After coming back home and working for the week prior to Thanksgiving, I drove down to Panama City Beach where Kenn and the Barnacle II were berthed to spend Thanksgiving week. The original plan was that Kenn and Barney, the boat owner, would continue on the journey to Fort Myers or Key West after November 26th.
We all know how the best laid plans sometimes go...Barney had a rush of business to take care of by the end of the year, so he and Vickie made the decision to leave the boat where she is until sometime after Christmas. They intend to spend a couple of weeks on her after Christmas, then plan the rest of the trip for early 2008.
All of this transpired while I was driving 800 miles to see the hubby, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got there on Saturday afternoon (17th) to hear that Kenn would be going back home with me. We were able to spend a little time sightseeing, but most of our time was spent on putting Barnacle 'to bed' so that she could survive safely in her temporary home for over a month unattended. We had a lot of time to reflect on the journey that got her there and enjoy reliving some of the highlights by looking at pictures and discussing our experiences. It was really an awesome trip.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
We all know how the best laid plans sometimes go...Barney had a rush of business to take care of by the end of the year, so he and Vickie made the decision to leave the boat where she is until sometime after Christmas. They intend to spend a couple of weeks on her after Christmas, then plan the rest of the trip for early 2008.
All of this transpired while I was driving 800 miles to see the hubby, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got there on Saturday afternoon (17th) to hear that Kenn would be going back home with me. We were able to spend a little time sightseeing, but most of our time was spent on putting Barnacle 'to bed' so that she could survive safely in her temporary home for over a month unattended. We had a lot of time to reflect on the journey that got her there and enjoy reliving some of the highlights by looking at pictures and discussing our experiences. It was really an awesome trip.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
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Saturday, November 10, 2007
Day 14 - Saturday, November 10th, 2007
Barnacle II Cruise Day 14 – Saturday, November 10th, 2007
Leaving Baytown Marina, Sandestin, FL
Everyone was up early drinking coffee. We decided to take another walkabout around the village to find breakfast. We were successful in our quest, and had a really good meal at the Broken Egg Café. Vickie found her Starbucks, too…so everyone was happy.
We were underway by 8:30 to Panama City, the last leg of this trip. Sometime on this excursion we’ll cross over the 1200 mile mark. That is pretty good for the leisurely run that we’ve made for the last 2 weeks. And we didn’t really hurt ourselves too badly doing it.
Between 9:30 and 10:00, we had three pods of dolphin come up to us to say ‘hello’. One containing a bull, mom and baby stayed and played in our wake for five minutes or so. Such beautiful creatures.
We left the more open water of Choctawhatchee Bay for the inland ditch again. This time the cut is 16 nautical miles long before it opens up again in the west end of St. Andrews Bay by Panama City. Then we should have another 13 or 14 miles to go to get to the slip where Barnacle will stay for two to three weeks.
We made it to Bay Pointe Marina in Panama City Beach a little after 2:00. By 2:30 we had the dinghy offloaded and the outboard motor attached. The big boat was re-secured and attached to shore power by 3:00. Vickie and I both did a load of laundry so we wouldn’t leave dirty clothes on the boat…and Kenn can keep up with his this week until I get back next Saturday.
We took a shuttle over to the Marriott to have dinner at their restaurant. The food was excellent, the bar next door was playing 70’s and 80’s disco music, but it worked in that atmosphere. A great way to cap off a wonderful two week trip.
Kenn will get started on some clean-up and scheduled maintenance on the boat this next week while the rest of us go home to work. Kenn and I owe many thanks to Barney and Vickie for this opportunity. It has been a wonderful experience, and I have gotten to revisit areas that I had seen on boat deliveries that I was a part of in the late 80’s and 90’s. A lot of the scenery is still the same, but many places have changed and grown with the times. For Kenn this has been, and continues to be, the dream of a lifetime. In Vickie's words, we pulled out of our home marina, turned left and kept going.
Leaving Baytown Marina, Sandestin, FL
Everyone was up early drinking coffee. We decided to take another walkabout around the village to find breakfast. We were successful in our quest, and had a really good meal at the Broken Egg Café. Vickie found her Starbucks, too…so everyone was happy.
We were underway by 8:30 to Panama City, the last leg of this trip. Sometime on this excursion we’ll cross over the 1200 mile mark. That is pretty good for the leisurely run that we’ve made for the last 2 weeks. And we didn’t really hurt ourselves too badly doing it.
Between 9:30 and 10:00, we had three pods of dolphin come up to us to say ‘hello’. One containing a bull, mom and baby stayed and played in our wake for five minutes or so. Such beautiful creatures.
We left the more open water of Choctawhatchee Bay for the inland ditch again. This time the cut is 16 nautical miles long before it opens up again in the west end of St. Andrews Bay by Panama City. Then we should have another 13 or 14 miles to go to get to the slip where Barnacle will stay for two to three weeks.
We made it to Bay Pointe Marina in Panama City Beach a little after 2:00. By 2:30 we had the dinghy offloaded and the outboard motor attached. The big boat was re-secured and attached to shore power by 3:00. Vickie and I both did a load of laundry so we wouldn’t leave dirty clothes on the boat…and Kenn can keep up with his this week until I get back next Saturday.
We took a shuttle over to the Marriott to have dinner at their restaurant. The food was excellent, the bar next door was playing 70’s and 80’s disco music, but it worked in that atmosphere. A great way to cap off a wonderful two week trip.
Kenn will get started on some clean-up and scheduled maintenance on the boat this next week while the rest of us go home to work. Kenn and I owe many thanks to Barney and Vickie for this opportunity. It has been a wonderful experience, and I have gotten to revisit areas that I had seen on boat deliveries that I was a part of in the late 80’s and 90’s. A lot of the scenery is still the same, but many places have changed and grown with the times. For Kenn this has been, and continues to be, the dream of a lifetime. In Vickie's words, we pulled out of our home marina, turned left and kept going.
Day 13 - Friday, November 9th, 2007
Barnacle II Cruise Day 13 – Friday, November 9th, 2007
Leaving Homeport Marina, Gulf Shores, AL
We had a wonderful night in the marina. We were awakened at 5:30 by a 55’ Viking motor yacht’s bow thrusters as he left the dock across from us. He came in from the east last night after we tied up to the fuel dock for a few minutes.
We got underway about 7:00, heading east toward Orange Beach and Perdido Bay. The beauty of the area is really making Kenn and me ‘homesick’. We swear this is where we want to retire to, just figuring out a way to make it happen is the challenging part. The real estate market has dropped some since the onslaught of hurricanes, but not enough for us to afford it yet.
Dolphins are playing with us again today. There are quite a few of them here in the ICW.
9:00 – Went under the Perdido Key Bridge. We are now in Florida.
10:00 – Passed Pensacola Lighthouse and the Naval Air Station in Pensacola Bay. We’re heading back to the inland waterway between Pensacola Beach and Santa Rosa Island. After we had crossed Pensacola Bay, we looked back west and the Blue Angels were practicing. It was a beautiful sight, but too far away for pictures.
Santa Rosa Sound was smooth as glass with no wind, a great day for power boaters but not for sailors. It was a fairly easy day compared to some of our other days. We were at the Baytown Marina in Sandestin Resorts by 3:30 and secure by 4:00.
We walked around the resort complex enjoying the sights and trying to decide where to eat dinner. After walking through the manufactured (but quaint) village around the hotel, we decided on the Marlin Grill. We had a great meal with fantastic service. It was a top-notch resort.
Leaving Homeport Marina, Gulf Shores, AL
We had a wonderful night in the marina. We were awakened at 5:30 by a 55’ Viking motor yacht’s bow thrusters as he left the dock across from us. He came in from the east last night after we tied up to the fuel dock for a few minutes.
We got underway about 7:00, heading east toward Orange Beach and Perdido Bay. The beauty of the area is really making Kenn and me ‘homesick’. We swear this is where we want to retire to, just figuring out a way to make it happen is the challenging part. The real estate market has dropped some since the onslaught of hurricanes, but not enough for us to afford it yet.
Dolphins are playing with us again today. There are quite a few of them here in the ICW.
9:00 – Went under the Perdido Key Bridge. We are now in Florida.
10:00 – Passed Pensacola Lighthouse and the Naval Air Station in Pensacola Bay. We’re heading back to the inland waterway between Pensacola Beach and Santa Rosa Island. After we had crossed Pensacola Bay, we looked back west and the Blue Angels were practicing. It was a beautiful sight, but too far away for pictures.
Santa Rosa Sound was smooth as glass with no wind, a great day for power boaters but not for sailors. It was a fairly easy day compared to some of our other days. We were at the Baytown Marina in Sandestin Resorts by 3:30 and secure by 4:00.
We walked around the resort complex enjoying the sights and trying to decide where to eat dinner. After walking through the manufactured (but quaint) village around the hotel, we decided on the Marlin Grill. We had a great meal with fantastic service. It was a top-notch resort.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Day 12 - Thursday, November 8th, 2007
Barnacle II Cruise Day 12 – Thursday, November 8th, 2007
Leaving Point Cadet Marina, Biloxi, MS
Everyone was up and drinking coffee by 6:30…that is, except me. The coffee smelled wonderful, but I didn’t want to chance it first thing. So I had a granola bar and water while everyone else had Krispy Kremes.
The morning routine of oil checks, engine checks, etc. went without a hitch. Because of some of the trash we’ve seen in the port fuel tank, Barney & Kenn decided to replace the fuel filter on the generator. It hasn’t hiccupped at all, but it would be a good thing to make sure it does keep running well.
We backed up to the fuel dock and refueled. We found a beautiful old boat that looks a lot like what J-Mar’s should when he gets done with his. We thought it was an Egg Harbor since it had the plywood superstructure, but it was a Norseman. I hadn’t thought about those boats for years. This one was freshly painted with an aqua hull and deeper blue ‘fish hook’ painted insets on the sides. I made pictures in case he wants to drool.
We were underway and back out to the ship channel by 9:00 AM, on our way back out into the big water to pick up the ICW again. It will turn back inland between the mainland and barrier islands at Mobile Bay. Our plan is to at least get to Lulu’s and Homeport Marina in Foley/Gulf Shores, AL. That’s where Kenn and I consider our second home, and we’re familiar with the water from there to Pensacola, since we try to vacation there at least once a year. And Lulu’s has the best key lime pie this side of Key West.
If daylight allows us, we may go on another 10 miles to Bear Point Marina in Orange Beach. With the slowdown in the narrower channel, I think we will be pushing it to try to make it that far before dark.
Kenn went down in the engine room to check everything out after running for awhile. He came back to the helm with this big grin on his face. He said, “You’re not going to believe it, but we’ve got minnows swimming in the sea-strainers.” I wanted to get a picture but they were moving too fast to do it. They were just small enough to get sucked into the water inlet under the boat, but the strainer traps them from going into the engine cooling system.
As we were navigating back into the ICW, we were overtaking a tow boat and barges out of Little Rock, AR, the Rachel Marie. He’s a long way from home.
1:00 – Coming into Mobile Bay behind Dauphin Island, we had several pods of dolphin come to meet us and play in our wake. We could almost orchestrate their moves and jumps by waving at them, or at least we could anticipate their actions. When they would sidle up next to the back of the boat, they would turn to one side and start watching us. When Kenn would raise his hand, they would start breaking the surface. Then they would dive deep, come up and jump out of the water. We had three adults and one juvenile that followed the boat and played with us for at least 15 minutes.
Thank God for digital cameras. I was only burning up space on my card and my battery pack, but I shot over 100 frames. In previewing them, only half a dozen or so turned out the way I wanted.
We’re now seeing some familiar landmarks. Fort Morgan on the west end of the barrier island that contains Gulf Shores and Orange Beach on its east end. We’ll go into the enclosed ICW on the south side of Plash Island where some friends own some property.
At 2:30, we saw another pod of dolphins. They came up and played off the port stern this time. One of the guys looked like he had been in a bar fight. He had a notch out of the top of his dorsal fin and the back edge of it looked a little chewed up. So it was probably a bull that had been in a couple of territorial fights. Again, if you waved at them, they saw it and hammed it up for us even more. I had almost forgotten how playful they are.
We got to Homeport Marina at Gulf Shores at 4:15; we were secured in our slip for the night at 5:30, and over at Lulu’s (Lucy Buffett’s restaurant) by 6:00. Wonderful food, including key lime pie, and great music. The marina has full floating slips, so we don’t have to adjust our lines for tides. It’s good to be back in our home territory, and Barney and Vickie seem to like it as well. It’s been another wonderful day of boating.
Leaving Point Cadet Marina, Biloxi, MS
Everyone was up and drinking coffee by 6:30…that is, except me. The coffee smelled wonderful, but I didn’t want to chance it first thing. So I had a granola bar and water while everyone else had Krispy Kremes.
The morning routine of oil checks, engine checks, etc. went without a hitch. Because of some of the trash we’ve seen in the port fuel tank, Barney & Kenn decided to replace the fuel filter on the generator. It hasn’t hiccupped at all, but it would be a good thing to make sure it does keep running well.
We backed up to the fuel dock and refueled. We found a beautiful old boat that looks a lot like what J-Mar’s should when he gets done with his. We thought it was an Egg Harbor since it had the plywood superstructure, but it was a Norseman. I hadn’t thought about those boats for years. This one was freshly painted with an aqua hull and deeper blue ‘fish hook’ painted insets on the sides. I made pictures in case he wants to drool.
We were underway and back out to the ship channel by 9:00 AM, on our way back out into the big water to pick up the ICW again. It will turn back inland between the mainland and barrier islands at Mobile Bay. Our plan is to at least get to Lulu’s and Homeport Marina in Foley/Gulf Shores, AL. That’s where Kenn and I consider our second home, and we’re familiar with the water from there to Pensacola, since we try to vacation there at least once a year. And Lulu’s has the best key lime pie this side of Key West.
If daylight allows us, we may go on another 10 miles to Bear Point Marina in Orange Beach. With the slowdown in the narrower channel, I think we will be pushing it to try to make it that far before dark.
Kenn went down in the engine room to check everything out after running for awhile. He came back to the helm with this big grin on his face. He said, “You’re not going to believe it, but we’ve got minnows swimming in the sea-strainers.” I wanted to get a picture but they were moving too fast to do it. They were just small enough to get sucked into the water inlet under the boat, but the strainer traps them from going into the engine cooling system.
As we were navigating back into the ICW, we were overtaking a tow boat and barges out of Little Rock, AR, the Rachel Marie. He’s a long way from home.
1:00 – Coming into Mobile Bay behind Dauphin Island, we had several pods of dolphin come to meet us and play in our wake. We could almost orchestrate their moves and jumps by waving at them, or at least we could anticipate their actions. When they would sidle up next to the back of the boat, they would turn to one side and start watching us. When Kenn would raise his hand, they would start breaking the surface. Then they would dive deep, come up and jump out of the water. We had three adults and one juvenile that followed the boat and played with us for at least 15 minutes.
Thank God for digital cameras. I was only burning up space on my card and my battery pack, but I shot over 100 frames. In previewing them, only half a dozen or so turned out the way I wanted.
We’re now seeing some familiar landmarks. Fort Morgan on the west end of the barrier island that contains Gulf Shores and Orange Beach on its east end. We’ll go into the enclosed ICW on the south side of Plash Island where some friends own some property.
At 2:30, we saw another pod of dolphins. They came up and played off the port stern this time. One of the guys looked like he had been in a bar fight. He had a notch out of the top of his dorsal fin and the back edge of it looked a little chewed up. So it was probably a bull that had been in a couple of territorial fights. Again, if you waved at them, they saw it and hammed it up for us even more. I had almost forgotten how playful they are.
We got to Homeport Marina at Gulf Shores at 4:15; we were secured in our slip for the night at 5:30, and over at Lulu’s (Lucy Buffett’s restaurant) by 6:00. Wonderful food, including key lime pie, and great music. The marina has full floating slips, so we don’t have to adjust our lines for tides. It’s good to be back in our home territory, and Barney and Vickie seem to like it as well. It’s been another wonderful day of boating.
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