CAPE CORAL TO MOBILE

JUNE 9 - 19 - During these ten days, we have cruised from Cape Coral, FL to Mobile, AL - a total of 626 miles.  Most of the time, we had beautiful weather and calm waters.  Our anchorages included Useppa Island, Sarasota, Anclote Key (Tarpon Springs), Cedar Key, Shipping Cove off Dog Island (near Carrabelle), Pearl Bayou (east of Panama City), Destin, and Wolf Bay (west of Pensacola).  We have anchored at all of these anchorages except Cedar Key on our previous trips to and from the Tennessee River in 2009 and 2010.  A few photos taken along the way follow.


OMEGA HEADING OUT TO THE GULF AT LONGBOAT KEY PASS







  

SUNSET AT ANCHORAGE AT ANCLOTE KEY NEAR TARPON SPRINGS

SUNSET OVER DOG ISLAND NEAR CARRABELLE - JUNE 13

HOUSE ON THE GULF FROM OUR ANCHORAGE AT SHIPPING COVE NEAR CARRABELLE

DOLPHIN PLAYING IN OUR WAKE ON INTRACOASTAL ON JUNE 15

AIR FORCE BOAT RETURNING TO HOME DOCK AT PEARL BAYOU NEAR PANAMA CITY

HELICOPTER CREW PRACTICING RESCUE OPERATIONS NEAR PANAMA CITY

PASSING THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON SECTION OF THE GULF INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY - JUNE 16

LOTS OF FOLKS HAVING FUN AT DESTIN

LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES HEADING INTO DESTIN HARBOR

DESTIN SEA BLASTER DOING A BOOMING BUSINESS

WORLD WAR II PLANES PUT ON A SHOW OVER DESTIN HARBOR

WE LOVED WATCHING THEM!!!

GORGEOUS SUNSET OVER DESTIN

ENJOYING THE SUNSET AND; FIREWORKS AT DESTIN HARBOR - JUNE 16

FIREWORKS OVER DESTIN HARBOR AT END OF BEAUTIFUL EVENING

         WAVING TO OUR FRIEND ALAN HAGER AS WE PASS HIS HOUSE WEST OF PENSACOLA

OVERTAKING OUR FIRST TOW NAMED DIANE NEAR PERDIDO KEY

SUNSET AT WOLF BAY ANCHORAGE - JUNE 17

MOON OVER WOLF BAY ANCHORAGE WEST OF PERDIDO KEY

A GREAT LUNCH DATE AT LULU'S AT ORANGE BEACH, AL
BILL WITH GOOD FRIENDS DEBBIE AND ALAN HAGER

DEBBIE AND ALAN HAGER WITH CHARLOTTE - JUNE 18

JUNE 12 - OUR VISIT TO CEDAR KEY, FL

Rather than  make an overnight crossing from Tarpon Springs to Carrabelle, we chose to cruise north up the Big Bend area of Florida to Cedar Key.  Most cruisers with a deep draft don't try to go into Cedar Key because they are uncertain about making it in and out with plenty of water.  We called several people in Cedar Key to ask about the water depth and finally connected with Capt. Doug, who operates a tour boat there.  He assured Bill that we could make it in and out on the Main Ship Channel which comes in from the south with careful attention to the channel markers, but not to try the northwest passage when we left.  By going there, we could make the Gulf crossing in two days without cruising after dark.  Sounded like a good plan!  We had a great cruise there and didn't have any problems getting in. 

  Cedar Key has no marinas with dockage for larger boats.   The wind started picking up after we anchored across from the boat launch area.  We went ashore in our tender to do a walkabout and have dinner.  There are lots of accommodations for boaters near the main street, and we assumed folks come to stay to go fishing.  The main street was colorful with a number of little shops, but they were closed by the time we arrived.  We had dinner at a waterfront pub overlooking the water.  As the wind continued to pick up, we decided we better get back to OMEGA and get the tender lifted back up before sunset.

                                    TENDER TO OMEGA DOCKED AT CEDAR KEY

                                         OMEGA ANCHORED AT CEDAR KEY

                                           MAIN STREET OF CEDAR KEY, FL

                                              FISHING PIER AT CEDAR KEY


JUNE 13 - GULF CROSSING FROM CEDAR KEY TO CARRABELLE

This is a day we will never forget!!  We left Cedar Key at 6:35 AM and headed to Carrabelle.  The NOAA weather prognosticaters forecast 10-15 knot West winds with 2-3 foot seas.  They must have been on another planet!!   The reality was the winds were as high as 30 knots, and the waves were between 3-6 feet.  Bill changed course and headed more northerly toward St. Marks so the waves wouldn't hit us head on, but it wasn't much better.  Around 4 PM we turned toward Carrabelle and the last four hours were worse.  We finally made it into St. George Sound behind Dog Island around 8 PM and anchored at Shipping Cove just before dark about 9 PM.  It was a long, long day!  We were thankful it was behind us to say the least.  Lost our bimini top and broke out two sections of our windshield on the flybridge, but we were both in one piece.  Praise God!

JUNE 14 - APPALACHICOLA

After refueling at Carrabelle, we decided to cruise on over to Appalachicola and anchor for the night before going into a marina the next morning.  The winds were still strong out of the west, and St. George Sound is big and wide, so it was still very choppy.  It was much too rough to anchor, so we went on into the Appalachicola Marina.  It felt so good to have our feet on solid ground again!  Walked down to Boss Oyster and pigged out on fried oysters!  OMEGA was covered with salt from top to bottom, so the next morning we gave her a good washdown before departing.

                                              MOON RISE OVER APPALACHICOLA

JUNE 18-19 - DOG RIVER MARINA IN MOBILE, AL

After enjoying lunch with Alan and Debbie Hager at Lula's, we crossed Mobile Bay to Dog River and docked at Dog River Marina for a day or two of rest.   Went to church on Father's Day at Our Lady of Lourdes, picked up provisions,  and caught up on laundry, etc.  It's hot, so we're enjoying having AC.  Enjoyed seeing Richard and Carol Walker aboard Holiday VII.  They had spent the winter in Marathon, and Chris O'Brien brought them down to our house shortly before we left home.  Richard is headed back to his homeport at Chickamauga Marina in Chattanooga, TN.

                            CAROL AND RICHARD WALKER ABOARD HOLIDAY VII