MOBILE TO COLUMBUS, MS

June 20 - 25 -  Between these dates, we cruised 347 miles from Dog River Marina in Mobile to Columbus Marina in Columbus, MS.  Our stops included Three Rivers Lake, Bobby's Fish Camp, Demopolis Marina, Cochrane's Cutoff, and Columbus Marina.  We have been through the first five of the 12 locks on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.  The first three days we cruised behind Richard Walker on Holiday VII.

                            LARGE DREDGE IN THE MOBILE BAY SHIP CHANNEL

                               HUGE PARKING LOT FOR BARGES NORTH OF MOBILE

                                LARGE LOADING FACILITY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
                                              ON THE TENN-TOM WATERWAY

                                SUNRISE AT THREE RIVERS LAKE ANCHORAGE
                                                                JUNE 22

                                HOLIDAY VII ANCHORED IN CANAL LEADING TO
                                           THREE RIVERS LAKE - MILE 64

                                 HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PUSH THIS UPSTREAM?
                         A LOAD OF PIPES USED AS BASES FOR WIND TURBINES

We wondered how the tow captain could possibly see where he was going.  Then we saw there was another tow in front of the barges.

                                                                     LEAD TOW

                                        HERE THEY COME AROUND THE BEND!!

                           WHITE HERONS PERCHED ON DEMOPOLIS LOCK WALL
                                                                      JUNE 22

It was really hot the first two days and nights when we anchored out.  Severe storms were forecast for the afternoon and evening on June 22, so we decided to stay at the Demopolis Yacht Basin rather than anchor out.  Enjoyed having dinner with Richard Walker.  He was taking off the next morning, and we decided to stay and enjoy having AC and Internet access for another day.

On June 24th we continued north upstream to Cochrane Cutoff where we anchored for the night.  We were held up at Heflin lock for an hour and a half while a tow was locked through.  All commercial vessels have priority over pleasure craft, so even if you happen to get to the lock before them, you have to wait if they are within a certain distance behind you.  Threatening thunderstorms were approaching as we came into the anchorage, but
 fortunately they moved away from us.

                                     RAINBOW AT COCHRANE CUTOFF, MILE 287.4

Before we got underway on June 25, two northbound tows passed by so we knew we were in for more waiting at the next two locks.  No need to get in a rush to get ahead of them as we knew we couldn't make it through the next lock in time.  We passed both of them and fortunately only had to wait an hour for the first one to lock through.  Another trawler was a short distance behind us, and we locked through with him.   We were able to get far enough ahead of the first tow to get through the second lock (Stennis) without waiting.  Columbus Marina is just above Stennis lock, and we were welcomed by a fellow boater we had met last fall.  They put us in a covered slip, which was an unexpected treat.  There were lots of weekend boaters and fishermen on the waterway today, which requires frequently slowing down to reduce our wake.  We decided to stay at Columbus until Monday when all the weekend warriors are back at work. 

                                         OMEGA AT REST IN COVERED SLIP
                                                   AT COLUMBUS MARINA

June 26 - Went to church in Columbus this morning and caught up on chores (boat washing, laundry, etc.)  Enjoyed visiting with several people at the marina (Frank and Joyce and granddaughter Miranda aboard Daphne from Biloxi, and Jim and Marie aboard Sea Casa from Corpus Christi.)

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

SUMMERLAND TO CAPE CORAL

                                                        Melody Key off Summerland
                                                     
June 9 - We finally left our home port on June 3rd on a windy day (20+) knots and a very choppy Atlantic.  Bounced up and down to the 7-Mile Bridge. 

                                                        
Once we were in the Gulf, we had a more comfortable ride with a beam sea.  Anchored off Shark River that evening - lots of flies welcomed us and enough mosquitoes!  On the 4th, we made it up to Marco, where we enjoyed having seafood at Snook Inn. 

                                              OMEGA at Chapman's Dock

Continued on to Cape Coral on the 5th where we were welcomed by Barbara Fordyce and her daughter Linda.  Our friends, Jim & Shirley Chapman, generously offered space at their dock which we greatly appreciated.  They are at their summer home in Michigan. 

                                                   Chapman's Yard in Cape Coral

We've enjoyed three great days here with Barbara and her neighbors plus a great dinner at Sara & Ed Dennerli's home.  We met Sara & Ed up at Goose Pond Marina in Scottsboro, AL.  They spend time there on their houseboat in the summer & fall, so we'll look forward to seeing them there when we get there.

We'll be leaving shortly headed north on the Intercoastal to Useppa Island, which is just a short hop.  From there we'll anchor tomorrow evening in Sarasota.  Hopefully, we'll be crossing the Gulf over the weekend, weather permitting.   As usual, we'll be glad when that is behind us.

MOBILE TO SUMMERLAND KEY

Nov. 5 - The wind laid down somewhat, and we headed out across Mobile Bay.  It was a little choppy, but our stabilizers reduced the rocking and rolling.

Seagulls Following Us Across Mobile Bay

 We met our good friends, Debbie and Alan Hager, at Lulu's for lunch and had a great visit.



Charlotte, Alan, and Debbie at Lulu's

We were back to Florida again!  Hoorah!  Our anchorage for the night was at Ono Island just west of Pensacola.  Capt. Bill had to don his lightweight wet suit and go under the boat to fix one of the cutters that had come loose.  The water was mighty cold...brrh!

Nov. 6-8 -We hustled across the Panhandle to Appalachicola, making overnight stops at anchorages in Destin and Pearl Bayou just east of Panama City.  The temperatures were chilly early in the mornings (mid to high 30's), but warmed up by midday with sunny clear skies; very windy.  We were able to enjoy piloting from the flybridge now and then. 

We stayed at Scipio Creek Marina in Appalachicola.  Enjoyed meeting several other Loopers who were preparing to cross the Gulf including Art and Cathy from Huntington Beach, CA aboard Fortuity.  They were cruising with Two Turtles, Mint Julep, and Sassy II.  We had met Tony and Liz on Two Turtles back at Dog River Marina in Mobile.  They live on No Name Key just a few miles from our home on Summerland. 

We received a call from Sally Higgins, Charlotte's longtime good friend since she was in the sixth grade.  She and her son Bill were driving back home to Tallahassee from Galveston, TX, and they decided to take a side trip down to Appalachicola to have dinner with us.  What a delightful surprise!  We "pigged out" on seafood at Boss Oyster House and had a great visit.

Sally, Bill, and Charlotte

Sally, Bill, and Charlotte

Nov. 9 - The weather forecast was good for crossing the big pond, so off we went.  Left the marina about 10:30 AM shortly after two other Looper boats (Bar B and Second Noel); they were headed for Clearwater.  The other four boats listed above had departed at 2:30 AM headed for Tarpon Springs.  We decided to set our course for Longboat Key and Sarasota, which was 232 miles.  Fortunately the seas were around one to two feet with the wind from our port stern, so it was a comfortable crossing for which we were very thankful.  Bill was concerned about a vibration so he reduced our speed to 1650-1700 rpm.  We normally run at 1800.

Sunset on the Gulf

The sunset was beautiful as it set at about 6:17 PM.  About thirteen hours of darkness faces us as we continue across the Gulf.  We took turns at the helm over night, and all went well.



 







Afterglow on the Gulf



Sunrise on the Gulf

A welcome sight shortly after 7:00 AM.  It's a new day on the water!

Here Comes the Sun!

We were pleased to arrive at our final waypoint west of  Longboat Key Pass Bridge, the conclusion of our Gulf crossing.  It's always a relief to have that long crossing behind you!



Approaching Longboat Key Pass Bridge from the Gulf

Capt. Bill called the bridge tender to request an opening.  Fortunately, this bridge has no restrictions on openings, so as soon as the bridge tender could clear the bridge from traffic, he opened it for us.

We continued south on the Intracoastal to Sarasota where we anchored in the mooring field south of Marina Jack's.  It was time to rest and relax after 24 hours of cruising from Appalachicola.

Nov. 11 - We continued cruising south on the Intracoastal Waterway on Veteran's Day.  It was slow going as there are lots of  "No Wake" zones.  There were lots of boats out on the water enjoying the holiday, the beautiful weather, and this very picturesque part of the waterway.  We attracted numerous groups of dolphins to swim along in our wake.  Capt. Bill took a great video of at least six of them having a great time.

We anchored in the lee of Chino Island just eight miles north of Mile 0, which is at the mouth of the Okeechobee Waterway (Caloosahatchee River).

Nov. 12 - 14 - It was only 17 miles from our anchorage to Bob and Barbara Fordyce's condo in Cape Coral, and we needed to get there before low tide.  We were welcomed by our good friends, Bob and Barbara, and several of their neighbors.  As always, we enjoyed our weekend visit with Bob and Barbara and their daughter, Linda. 

Bob and Bill

After returning from church and breakfast on Sunday morning, we received the very sad news of the death of our dear friend and neighbor, Lorene Jonas.  Lorene fought a courageous fight against cancer for several years.  Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband of almost 60 years, Bud, and the rest of her family.

Nov. 15 - An approaching cold front was forecast, so we decided we had to get on our way home before it arrived.  We said farewell to Bob and Barbara and headed back down the river.  After refueling at Salty Sam's in Ft. Myers Beach, we headed south to Marco Island where we anchored for the evening. 

Nov. 16 - Another nice day on the open water... we continued south into the Everglades and decided to forge on to Marathon rather than stopping at our usual stopover at Little Shark River.  The Captain dodged lobster bobbers all day and into the evening, which didn't make him a happy camper.  Shortly after sunset, we crossed under the Seven Mile Bridge and headed over towards Boot Key to anchor.  Charlotte manned the spotlight on the waters ahead so Capt. Bill could avoid picking up a lobster bobber line.  It was a long day's cruise - 104 miles in 11 hours, 10 minutes.  It was a good feeling to be almost home.

Nov. 17 - We headed west toward home on Hawk Channel.  Beautiful weather and gorgeous waters - what more could anyone ask!  We had some skinny water going through the outer markers at Summerland which we expected as the tide was fairly low.  As planned, we dropped our hook off Melody Key at midday to await high tide about sunset.  We offloaded our tender and went ashore to open up the house and check things out.  Everything was in order and looked good.   Then about sunset we were able to bring OMEGA in to our dock.  Joan Colasurdo and Melanie Zanini came over to catch our lines and welcome us.  We were so happy to see them again.

Our wonderful 2010 cruise has been concluded.  We cruised 394.2 hours and went 3343 miles in six months.  How blessed we are!