Mobile (Alabama) to Carrabelle (Florida) / November 23 - 30, 2014
November 23-24, 2014
Admin. and laundry days. Pierre also gave King a hand to install a new depth finder on "Blue Moon".
November 25, 2014
What a day!!! We saw early this morning (on the Internet) that our canoe was to be delivered. We were excited! Today we will receive our new canoe, here at the marina (Mobile, Alabama). We called the transport company to confirm this. Everything seemed right, but during the day there were so many problems and much confusion. Fortunately, Josh helped us solve the problem (StressCrete Group). Even on his holiday he took the time to contact the transport company and ensured that our canoe would be delivered today as planned. At 6:30 p.m., accompanied by our friends Cindy and Grant ("As the Crow Flies") and later with Karen and John ("Last Mango"), we received a new canoe and in perfect condition! Very happy we were! It's as if we found a missing part of ourselves. We quickly unpacked and inspected the canoe. Jasmine jumped right into it. We did not even need to hold her leash. She remained in the canoe until we asked her to get out. Then we also sat in the canoe (which was on the turf) just to get the feel of it. So excited!
We would like to thank again Lynne and Clipper Canoes. And a huge thank you to StressCrete Group: Michael, Greg, Chris and Josh; thank you for your great help and support!!!
November 26, 2014
We got up full of energy this morning because we were anxious to see our canoe during daylight. We also had work to do on it; lettering and attaching the rings which tie down the spray deck.
Turner Marine organized a Thanksgiving lunch today. The marina provided turkey, wine and plates. Anyone wishing to take part was to bring a dish to share. We really ate well! Everything was excellent! This was a wonderful idea from the marina’s owner. They have held this event for the past few years. Thank you to the owners!
In the afternoon we put the canoe in the water! We didn't go far, but far enough to see that the Sea Clipper will be quick and maneuverable. We are looking forward to seeing how it will behave when loaded.
November 27, 2014
Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends!
We left Mobile around 6:30 this morning aboard "Blue Moon". We promised, a long time ago, that we would help King and Sharon cross the Gulf of Mexico from Carrabelle to Dunedin (Florida). It is our pleasure to help them, especially since they have greatly helped us in recent weeks. We will be forever grateful to them. They must be in Dunedin at the latest on December 8. We will need to move quickly in the coming days.
We moored around 4:00 p.m. at English Navy Cove (Gulf Breeze). "Roundabout" and "Destinées" dropped anchor there too. The location was perfect for Jasmine. There is a park, grass and two boat ramps.
During the day we saw a lot of changes to the landscape. Beautiful white sandy beaches appeared. We also saw dolphins not far from where we were. We are now definitely in salt water. We are in the south!!! :) We had a sunny day.
November 28, 2014
Beautiful day under the sun. It was even warm enough to wear shorts. We saw huge boats on the Intercostal. There are more and more beautiful, white, sandy beaches. We had the pleasure of seeing many dolphins. They were everywhere! Some even came in front of the bow to play. These creatures are truly fascinating! We stopped in Santa Rosa Beach to anchor in the Choctawhatchee Bay. Another boat also anchored there for the night (Destinées).
November 29, 2014
Beautiful day! We had sun, heat and we saw many dolphins. We cannot get tired of watching them. We stopped at an anchorage east of Panama City, in a place called Walker Bayou. The place is not very deep, but we had a small beach for Jasmine. She was glad to smell new smells after her long boating day.
November 30, 2014
We started out a little later than usual. We didn't have far to travel to get to Carrabelle. As we left Walker Bayou we enjoyed a beautiful sunrise. We crossed a narrow channel before reaching Wimico Lake. It was really beautiful! We saw shipwrecks on the shore ... probably remnants of a hurricane. During the day, Sharon and King discussed the options for the crossing, weather forecasts and navigation. It seems that some loopers will leave Carrabelle tomorrow morning to make the crossing, either up to Tarpon Springs or Clearwater. According to readings, the ideal window to make the crossing will not be until the end of the week (5-6 of December). That timing is too late for them, on December 9 they will fly home from Tampa Bay. Another possibility to get to Dunedin in time to is to "follow" the shoreline and undertake smaller crossings. Still, the days will be long given the speed at which "Blue Moon" travels and the distance between each point. The decision must be made soon. We will help King and Sharon get to Dunedin regardless of the strategy they use and according to their wishes. Sharon is uncomfortable in a rough sea, so they need extra crew.
We arrived at Carrabelle as the sun was going down. What a surprise! Chantal and Germain from "Pimaro" were at the marina where we stopped for the night. It was a nice reunion. They will leave tomorrow morning to do the big crossing to Clearwater. We also met Lou and Anne from "Annie's Songs". We had met them in Columbus in early November. It was nice to see them again.
