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.