As you know my previous post disappeared. I did find the photos. So here it is in photos. You can make up the story while I work on my blogging skills. Have a great day. 😎
Category Archives: Uncategorized
PRACTICING FOR THE KEYS and other things
OUR FRIENDS VICKI AND BOB LOANED DAVID A CONCH SHELL TO BLOW AT SUNSET WHEN WE GET TO THE KEYS. WELL – THE CAPTAIN HAS IT DOWN PAT.
BELOW ARE BOB AND VICKI. WE HAVE ENJOYED SHARING A DOCK WITH THEM AND GOING OUT TO EAT. 
SUNRISE AS WE WERE LEAVING ST ANDREWS MARINA. SPECTACULAR. GOD WAS FEELING VERY COLORFUL.
ON THE WAY DOWN THE CANAL HEADING TO PSJ WE GOT UP TO OVER 9 MPH. FOR US THAT IS FLYING. WE EVEN HIT 9.6 ONCE.
THE TRIP OVER WAS NICE. WE SAW DOLPHINS. FIVE EAGLES. A WHOLE BUNCH OF BLACK VULTURES FLYING. THERE HAD BEEN A RED TIDE RECENTLY AND THEY WERE LOOKING FOR DEAD FISH WE THINK.
MISC …
OURCOAST GUARD AT WORK RESETTING MARKERS. FOR BOATERS THAT IS IMPORTANT AS YOU KNOW.
VICKI AND BOB PASSING BY.
ONCE TIED UP AT DOCK WE SHOWERED AND CHECKED IN WITH THE MARINA OFFICE IN THAT ORDER. I LOOK FORWARD TO SHOPPING AT THE PIG.
TOMORROW WE GO EAT AT JOE MAMA’S PIZZA PLACE. YUM.
Moving On…
Our original plan for the day was to stay in Ingrams Bayou and organize. The weather was so nice that we decided to move on to Range Point. This spot is off of Pensacola Beach and a good spot for the way the winds would blow that night. All of our anchoring decisions are based on winds. We enjoyed a sunny day. We sat outside and read, had dinner, cleaned up and watched the sunset.
Look look look lookin out our back door
No dishwasher on the boat. I guess it is my turn this time.
The Captain reading before lights out.
Dinner: Chicken tenders,spinach salad and sautéed Brussel sprouts.
Wednesday we headed to Ft. Walton Yacht Club. It is one of our favorite spots. A very friendly club. We stayed two nights taking advantage of their nice hot showers.
We have a shower in the boat but this is always better.
The second day was windy and grey. Still nice.
Our view out back.
Dinner: Salmon, sautéed spinach and tomatoes. I have learned how to cook fish in the microwave.
Tomorrow Choctawatchee Bay.
October 10 Heading out in Liza…
We are ready to leave. We plan to head east on the ICW, cross the Gulf of Mexico and spend the winter in sunny Florida. Come along for the ride.
We departed Fairhope on Saturday,October 10. We spent the night before on the boat so we could get an early start. There were things everywhere that needed to be put away.
Just a sampling of the mess. We are still looking for things and trying to find a place for it all. However that night we found our PJ’s and tooth brushes plus the coffee for the morning so to bed we went. (A coffee aside. David likes a particular brand. We have 10 bags with us.) One would think we won’t be seeing another grocery store.
We waved goodbye to FYC and headed out the channel to Mobile Bay..
We had a beautiful day heading down Mobile Bay. Our friend Michael took this.
We arrived in Ingrams Bayou by 2:00. Ingrams is a magical place. No houses. Birds and dolphins to see. Very peaceful.
Next on our agenda. Nap time! We were worn out from planning and provisioning. Not to mention all the boat preparations Captain David had taken care of. Thank you David for all your hard work. And thank you for our cruising adventures.
Our friends Suzan and Steve arrived in Ingrams. They were spending the night on their way home from a cruise to the Pensacola area. They dinghyed over in their really cool Porta-Bote. They very nicely brought appetizers over. We settled in for a Happy Hour visit swapping tales and places we have been.
Suzan and Steve heading home Sunday. Their beautiful boat Ambitious is an Allied Seawind ll.
One of the most fun aspects of cruising is running into old and new sailing friends.
Dinner- Pulled pork roast and potato salad from Publix. Sautéed Brussel sprouts. I add this as it helps me remember ideas.
GULFPORT, FL AND A CHANGE IN PLANS
April 30, 2014 We had a nice motor/sail to Gulfport Municipal Marina. Gulfport is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, bordering St. Petersburg and Boca Ciega Bay. We have stayed here before. “Old Florida” is a phrase often evoked in describing Gulfport’s waterfront district, with its mix of small-scale cottages and small independent shops, restaurants and other businesses, situated among mature oak trees and brick-paved streets.
GULFPORT REMINDS US A LITTLE OF FAIRHOPE. MAKES US MISS OUR HOME TOWN.
The marina is a nice protected marina and we were expecting several days of rain. We were on the lay along dock. Boy did we get the rain. We settled in, had a huge salad, read and went to bed early, Did I mention It is very hot here. (88 degrees)
May 1, 2014 We took it easy in the morning. In the afternoon we decided to walk to town. In our previous trips we had not gotten the opportunity to walk to the beach front town of Gulfport. It is only one mile from the marina. The town is so cute and quaint. Lots of little shops and many restaurants to choose from. We weren’t really hungry. Mainly just checking things out. We did go in a store that sold pickles from a barrel. Mary is a pickle lover. Always rated her pickles from 1-10. So naturally she bought a pickle. (rated 9)
PICTURE OF A MAGNET MEME GOT FOR MARY. APPROPRIATE DON’T YOU THINK?
We identified a restaurant we would like to try. Pia’s Trattoria. We stopped in at the Gulfport Casino Ballroom. It is a historic place. Another step back in time. “The Gulfport Casino Ballroom, located on the waterfront, is one of the main event venues in the city. The Casino hosts Swing, Salsa, Argentine Tango, and Ballroom Dance events five days a week with a large turnout from all across the Tampa area. The venue also is available for rent to the public and popular for weddings, company parties and functions, and holiday parties. The ballroom features a 5,000-square-foot authentic 1930s style dance floor.” Their calender is full of activities. Today they were decorating for an event that night. A really neat place right on the water.
REALLY COOL PLACE!
Mary really liked the Gulfport Beach Bazaar. It has home decor, antiques plus the US Post Office. A bit about the Bazaar. “The Beach Bazaar is located at 3115 Beach Blvd. S. in the heart of historic downtown Gulfport,FL. An eclectic store since 1972 – you’ll find something for everyone in this store. An antique mini mall, nautical and beach themed merchandise, a couple of shabby-chic boutiques and a contract Post Office share the 3300 sq ft space.The building was built in 1952 as the original Gulfport US Post Office.”
It was another 88 degree day and we were getting hot so we headed back to the marina. Stir fry for dinner. This was one of the few places where we got tv reception so we watched PBS. The only station available but we always enjoy PBS.
May 2, 2014 The rains came today Rain, Rain, Rain. All day. We could not get off the boat. Not even once.
May 3, 2014 Another rainy day til about 4:00. We then walked over to the Boca Ciega Yacht Club, as they were having a Family Fun Day. They advertized hot dogs. We love hot dogs so off we went. Really cute club house with lots of friendly boaters. And we did have our hot dogs. “Located on beautiful Boca Ciega Bay in Gulfport, Boca Ciega Yacht Club (BCYC) is only four miles from the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico offering sailors easy access to west Florida’s best cruising destinations as well as fabulous sailing on the protected waters of the Bay. BCYC members enjoy club cruising, racing and a full social calendar throughout the year.”
Earlier that day we ran into Jerry, a member of the Catalina Cruising Group we belong to. He was docked right behind us. He was coming up from the Keys and on his way to cross to Carrabelle. He planned to cross on Monday, May 5, 2014. He mentioned there were a couple of good crossing days coming up. We invited him over to share stories and have a sun-downer. In the boating world when it is cocktail time most people just bring their own. Enjoyed his visit. We wished him luck on his crossing and hope to see him again.
May 4, 2014 Yet another hot day. We are not used to this heat. We walked to town in the afternoon. Ate dinner at Pia’s Trattoria. It was delicious. Lovely way to end the day.
At some point during the day we started talking about the heat. We thought about Jerry’s comments about the two day favorable crossing weather. One thing led to another and we decided to take advantage of a good weather crossing day. Decision made. Time to turn around.
May 5, 2014 – Cinco de Mayo Decision made – crossing Gulf of Mexico to Carrabelle on May 6 & 7, so we slipped our lines and headed north to Marker 1 Marina in Dunedin. After dodging other boaters on the ICW, we arrived at Marker 1 Marina and prepared LIZA for the crossing. Systems were checked, fuel tank & cans filled with fuel, everything secured and PFD’s and harnesses handy. We prepared food for quick and easy access. Off to bed for a restful night. Still hot – thank goodness for air conditioning.
May 6, 2014 As we prepared coffee and breakfast, we rechecked the weather. Still good to go. We headed out of the marina around 10 o’clock and turned north to Anclote Key. After clearing Anclote Key, we called our contacts in Fairhope to apprise them of our “float plan”. The Gulf was calm with a small swell. Not sailing weather. The motor was purring and the auto pilot was steering, so we settled in for a long uneventful (?) trip. We started our watches in the early afternoon and were able to rest in the cockpit since the temperatures were comfortable on the open water. A beautiful sunset and then dark with only a sliver of moon. Uneventful so far.
May 7, 2014 The Gulf was good to us all night and then presented us with a gorgeous sunrise. As we neared landfall at East Pass, the Gulf became a little lumpy. Very little wind, but we pulled out our head sail to try and mitigate the rolling. Limited success.
After clearing East Pass, we evaluated our condition, realized we were not sleepy and decided to head on to Apalachicola. We arrived in Apalachicola after 30 hours and 180 miles. Now we were beat! We showered, had dinner and were in bed early.
May 8, 2014 We were away early and heading up the Apalachicola River against a very strong current. The recent heavy rains were anxious to get to the Gulf. Lake Wimico and the canal were beautiful today, but East Bay was like a washing machine on steroids. It was a real struggle to keep LIZA between the “ditches” while trying to finding the next channel marker. We appreciate our dodger more and more every day.
We exclaimed a huge sigh when we entered Pearl Bayou and dropped our anchor. After hamburger steak with gravy, onions and vegetables for dinner, we were in our bed.
May 9, 2014 Up and off real early (6:20 ET), we were headed to the Fort Walton Beach Yacht Club. We were going with the tide and made excellent time up West Bay to the “Grand Canyon”. Once in the canal, we still were enjoying the very favorable tide. The canal was a real mess after the severe flooding from a couple of weeks before. We encountered three dredges working to clear blow-outs in the canal. Fortunately we were able to squeeze past the dredges, but the canal had been closed to commercial traffic.
We were not ready for the southwest wind on our nose that greeted us at Choctawahatchee Bay. We eased out some head sail to try and steady LIZA, but it was still a wrestling match the entire way across Choctawahatchee Bay. We were two happy and tired sailors when we cleared Smack Point. In fact, we were so tired that we did not cook on Liza and had dinner at the FWYC. We always enjoy this yacht club. Lots of friendly folks. Wonderful outside patio where you can sit and watch the goings on, have a beverage and read if you want. They also have a nice dining room and bar.
May 10, 2014 Saturday was to be a layover day because of some approaching weather. This gave us an opportunity to wash some salt off Liza and tidy up her interior. We also got to see the Catalina 22’s annual cruise get underway from the FWYC. Always great to see this fun group and reconnect with some old friends.
During the day, David was walking the docks and noticed that the barnacles on the pilings were about 12 to 16 inches below the water line. Not a good omen, because this indicated that the water level was extremely high. After further investigation, he found out the flooding rains had raised the water levels and strong south and southwest winds had prevented the water from flowing into the Gulf. Not good because we had two bridges to go under that had 50′ clearances at regular water levels. We could not possibly get under them with our 48.5.mast. Our option was to wait for the water level to drop, but for how long?
May 11, 2014 Sunday morning, Mary was on the phone with Enterprise Rental. By mid-afternoon, we were loading a huge bright red Dodge Pick-up truck for our ride to Fairhope. On to Fairhope in our “country Cadillac”. Our red “country Cadillac”. Nice to be back home.
May 16, 2014 David was back at FWYC to bring LIZA back to Fairhope. A mid-week cold front passage had pushed the bay waters out into the Gulf so LIZA could clear the two problem bridges. A few provisions and fuel and he was ready for an early departure.
May 17, 2014 A dawn start proved to be perfect. Both bridges were cleared by noon. One encounter was rather interesting. Just west of the Navarre Bridge a dark object was seen to the south of the ICW and it was moving. What could this be – a swimmer, a manatee, a dolphin? Closer inspection revealed that it was a bear. Yes, you read correctly – a bear. Needless to say David did not offer it a ride.
After a long day dodging fast boats with insane drivers, he pulled into Ingrams Bayou. A shower and cold adult beverage made this a good day.
May 18, 2014 The decision was made to layover in Ingrams until Monday. One day on the water with all the maniacs was enough.
May 19, 2014 David left early Monday for the last leg of our journey. An uneventful day with no wind brought LIZA back to her slip at FYC shortly after noon. Now the fun begins – unloading our “stuff” and cleaning both boat and “stuff”. Time to start planning our next journey aboard LIZA.
CRUISING WITH LIZA 