Two If By Sea

Sunset in Destin Harbor

  

   So we enjoyed the rest of our time in Destin.  We got a chance to spend an afternoon with John (Bill's Navy buddy) checking out the progress on the house he's building.  On Saturday morning, we pulled up the anchor and headed to meet our friends in St Andrew's Marina.

Same Sunset; Still Pretty

  



   The trip to St. Andrew's wasn't bad.  The waves were a bit choppier than expected but, certainly doable.  It also helped that for the majority of the morning, we were escorted by a pod of dolphins playing around our bow.  We thought that they may not stick around long because, compared to the much larger ships that I'm sure they're used to, we weren't going very fast.  However, they didn't seem to mind.  They leapt out of the water, zigzagged between each other, and changed which side of the boat they were playing on from time to time (guess they needed to decide which side was better). I could have watched these guys all day.  They reminded me of a well choreographed swim team, especially when three of them propelled themselves out of the water at the same time.

Oliver Has Found a New Traveling Spot in the Cockpit

  
   When we arrived in St. Andrew's for the night, the two buddy boats we were meeting, Raindog and Palm Latitudes, helped us tie up.  Brian and Erika (Raindog) even had us all over for dinner for homemade chicken and rice.  Yummy! By the way, these guys have a pretty cool story, too. Check them out at raindogps34.wordpress.com if you get a chance. 

Our Fleet of Three

   The next day, our newly formed fleet of three set out for the next leg of our journey.  Our plan was to head for an anchorage off of Port St. Joe, Fl.  Palm Latitudes wasn't quite sure if they were going to stay there with us or keep going to Apalachicola as they had a deadline to make.  Since the turnoff for Apalachicola wasn't until mid-afternoon, we decided that we'd travel as a group of three and their decision could be made along the way. 

  

The Bridge That I Didn't Have To Worry About

  


Along our route, we passed under a couple of bridges.  One was so close to our mast height that we made sure to pass under it during low tide.  Luckily, we were able to clear it with a few feet to spare.

View of the Route

  


   The scenery made for interesting viewing.   The land on either side of us was a mixture of tall trees with strange root systems and white sand.  This combination made for some precarious travel at times as there were a few too many submerged trees and shallow areas for comfort.  Staying exactly where the deeper spots were was Bill's main focus.  The wrecks around us were a sobering example of what could happen if we weren't careful.

Boats Sinking into the Water; Still Tied to the Dock

A Grounded Vessel

  

Hmm . . . New Take on a Houseboat?

   As we made the turn to Port St. Joe with Raindog, we said our goodbyes to Palm Latitudes over the VHF.  They had decided earlier that they needed to keep going.  So, our group of two continued to motor toward our destination (Yes, I know we live on a sailboat but, sailing is just not possible on that route).  Once we had gotten a bit closer to the anchorage, we had a little powwow with Raindog.  The winds were beginning to pick up (we were heading for open water), the water was getting choppier, and the ever changing forecast wasn't looking pretty.  We decided that the best thing to do was to stay at the marina in Port St. Joe instead.

   So, here we are.  This is our third full day in the marina.  We are all anxious to get out of here and on our way.  The weather definitely doesn't seem to care.  It has plans of it's own.  We've had cold temperatures, high winds, choppy waters, and rain.  Thankfully we are able to hole up here.  I shudder at the thought of being on the open water in these conditions.  Even now, as I'm writing this, Bill is checking the lines for the umpteenth time because of the rocking that we're doing. 

   There is a bright side to this waiting.  If we have to wait things out in a marina, this is a pretty good place to do it.  The marina staff are very helpful and seem to go above and beyond for their customers.  The town has everything we need within walking distance or a short bike ride, and the marina even provided us with bikes!  The other boaters here are very friendly, too.  We had an impromptu BBQ the other night with Raindog and another sailboat, Kittiwake; definitely an enjoyable evening.

   We are making fast friends with Raindog.  We plan to continue to travel with them as we are pretty much headed in the same direction.  The only difference being that Raindog wants to hit the Dry Tortugas before heading to the Bahamas.  That destination is not in our plans.  So, if we can find a good weather window (Right now Friday seems like it might work; A good weather window is so hard to find), we'll keep sailing together until Raindog heads to the Dry Tortugas.  Then we'll head for Marathon Key and catch up with them there to make the jump to the Bahamas (Yeah!). . . Now, . . . where did I put those flip flops . . . ?   

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