Living Under The Bridge

Did that get your attention?  A few years back I brought the boat up and when asked where I lived that was my answer.  I didn't exactly live under the Henley Street bridge, but I was very close to it!  This year I'm closer to the old railway bridge than Henley.  A bit of trivia - did you know that the stone piers supporting the railway bridge were constructed in 1850?  It was a wooden bridge until 1903 when the structure was changed to steel.  The steel structure you see there today was placed in 1940!

We decided to leave Chattanooga on Labor Day to start the trip to Knoxville.  It's 130 miles from Gold Point Marina in Chattanooga to Ft Loudon Marina plus 2 locks to transit.  That takes about 8 hours to do.  On September 2, we left Ft Loudoun and traveled the last 45 miles to our spot on the Vol Navy dock.  Regina suggested that we come up a bit earlier than originally planned and it was a good thing that we did!  I got the last open spot on the inside, right beside our friends on Miss Tenn-A-Sea and Cheers Dude. This will be our location until we leave in mid-November.

Made the news on WVLT

Most people's reaction to living on a boat is "WOW that must be so much fun".  Well, I got to admit that I do enjoy it.  Probably more than Regina does.  But it isn't always fun.  With the move to South Carolina, we hadn't used the boat much this summer.  If we had been around, I think we might have discovered a few things that could have been addressed sooner.  On the way up, I began having issues starting the starboard engine.  Turns out that the alternator on that engine failed and I had old batteries.  Seems like the surveyor should have noted that my main batteries were 6 years old, but he didn't.  So the first few weeks here have been spent replacing batteries, installing an invertor, trying to figure out why the air horn trips the circuit breaker, replacing the starboard alternator, replacing the shore power cord, setting up the generator with it's own battery, trying to get the outboard motor on the dinghy to run and servicing the generator.  I still need to get some electronics updated, but haven't been able to make any progress on that. So these are the not so fun parts!

Finally got the new name on the boat

The Vol Navy has made a a great showing so far.  Lots of boats came early to get a good spot for Georgia weekend.  It's so much fun to get back together with old friends and meet some new ones.  Tailgating on the river is a different experience.  We've had bands, tv shows and lots of boat parties and that's just the first three games.

It has been a few weeks since I started this post.  The season has progressed and I left to go back to South Carolina for about 10 days.  In the past, I never did anything like that because the refrigerators and freezer onboard were always full of food which would have spoiled pretty quickly!  This year there wasn't much so I just emptied everything and turned off all the power.  My friends live on their boat which is right beside me, so I felt confident that everything would be fine and it was!

Can't have a post without a night time bridge picture.

Part of the Navy is always at Calhoun's.

For the Arkansas game, we were invited to go sit in the Chancellor Emeritus skybox on the east side.  I've been in one of UT's skyboxes on the west side many years ago, but nowhere else.  That was back in the early 2000's and it was a very formal, jacket and tie, kind of event.  Thankfully, all that has changed - at least on the other side of the field - and it was a very casual atmosphere.  We went down to on the field at half time to get an up close view of the band which was a lot of fun.  Game was a bit too close, but the Vols got a "W" so all was well.

There are only two more home games before I leave to start the voyage to South Carolina.  My new electronics are installed so that is a blessing.  Almost everything else that needed updating or repair is done or will be in the next couple of weeks.  Now I can focus on learning how to operate my new chart plotter!  Seems like it might be a little more complicated than expected.

If you happen to be walking down the Greenway beside the river and end up under the bridge, stop by and say hello!

A New Beginning

Moving day

It has been almost six years since my last blog.  When I finished that one I was pretty sure it would be the last, but I have a few friends who have continued to push me to do it again.  Adventures and explorations are starting to begin again and this might be a good thing to add to the mix.  We'll just have to see how it works out!

So many things have changed since 2019.  I have a hard time keeping up with them and keeping them in the correct order or sometimes, even remembering exactly when they happened.  I'm sure it must be because of Covid or global warming - you have to find some ridiculous idea to blame things on - right!!  But let's keep it real, at the point in life that I have reached, I believe most people have settled down, found their groove, are enjoying the "golden years" and are planning the next early bird special.  Well, somehow, I missed the memo.

During Covid, most of my buddies in Marietta were still meeting at our local bar and grill for our regular happy hours.  None of us got sick.  Governor Kemp of Georgia one day announced that anyone over 60 should stay in their house and not leave.  Well, I left and went to Tennessee to live on my boat.  Chattanooga didn't have Covid and we continued on as normal a path as possible. This also got me closer to Knoxville and I visited Mom regularly.  The place where she lived had big warning signs on the doors, but they never kept me out and I was able to get Mom out to restaurants and rides through the countryside.  Her favorite, besides dinners at Ruth's Chris, was to go to Gatlinburg.

We got shots!  That's one thing that I wish I could undo.  But what was the alternative?  You had to show your card to get into some restaurants or on a plane!  We sat six feet apart, sometimes even outside.  People wore masks riding alone it their car, jogging and probably sleeping.  We were brainwashed.  Yes, I know people died, but that happens every year during flu season.  Finally, we're pretty much back to "normal".

During all of that craziness, I went to Alys Beach in Florida for a wedding and I met a girl.  She was officiating the wedding.  After the mother of the bride almost gave me a heart attack screaming out het name, she sat across from me at the rehearsal dinner.  Her name is Regina - how was that even possible - it's not a common name and yet there she was.  We started dating not too long after that even though she was living in Augusta, Georgia - far away from my home in Marietta.

In the summer of 2022, I sold the home in Marietta where the first Regina and I had lived and raised our daughter, Brittany.  It had been 29 years since we had bought that house.  Oh my, the things I found as I worked on getting it ready to sell and moving out.  But where was I going?  I had been hurting for somewhere to live since Covid hit.  Everything was selling the day it was listed and I didn't like any of the houses anyway.  Then one day, my realtor took me up on Signal Mountain and I found a house.  It hadn't been listed yet and that's probably the only reason I was able to buy it.  

Signal Mountain home

I should have consulted with the new Regina before I bought that house.  It was a nice house, but it had a huge, well over an acre, lot and was on top of a mountain!  I was still having a rough time and the need to get away from Marietta was just too strong.  Thankfully, she was understanding and we ultimately got engaged and she moved from her little Augusta bungalow to the top of the mountain.  We joined the golf and country club, played on the boat, spent one fall in the Vol Navy living onboard, traveled abroad, but the top of a mountain can be tough - especially in the winter!  So we started talking about moving somewhere else, but where was the big question.

Living on the boat for 3 months, began to inspire another change.  Mine was a 2007 Sea Ray 40 Motoryacht.  That's a boat with a master bedroom in the rear of the boat and lots of steps to get in and then down inside.  I've had it since 2013 and I've gotten tired of steps too!  So we started talking about maybe getting a different style that had more social space and less steps.  Lots of choices, but which one and where could we find one - more questions.

Blue Ayes on Chickamauga Lake

Mom continued to do well.  We celebrated birthdays and went out for pedicures and dinners.  She was moving slower and wouldn't object to getting a ride on her roller/walker, but she could still climb in the car to go out!  Regina had gone back to work with her former boss from the Golf Channel to launch the new TGL league in January 2025.  We were going back and forth between Chattanooga, Orlando and Palm Beach Gardens.  I was in Orlando when the call came that Mom's blood oxygen level was dangerously low.  It took until the next day for me to get to UT Hospital.  After meeting the doctors and hearing the diagnosis, it was obvious that we were very close to the end.  Maybe you read my Facebook post - 39,251 days - 107 years, 5 months, 6 days.  She lived an amazing life and I was blessed to have her as long as I did, but you are never prepared to lose your Mom.

After Mom's passing, the realities of my own life became glaringly apparent. We spent days/months talking about doing things and wouldn't it nice to change this or that.  One of those days, I said "enough talk, time to do something".  We met with our realtors and listed the house with no idea of where we were going.  A boat broker friend listed his 2006 Sea Ray 52 Sundancer and I called him to discuss a trade.  The house was under contract in 10 days, I had a "new" boat and we still needed to find a home.  Regina's family lives in Charleston, I've always dreamed about doing more cruising on the east coast and luckily, we found a beautiful place in Bluffton, SC.  Now if the pieces all fall into place, I'll keep the boat at a marina on Hilton Head Island about 20 minutes away.

Bluffton, SC home

With new beginnings and new adventures comes good times and bad, happy times and sad.  So many changes.  The move was a nightmare from the depths of hell.  I've said never again before.  This time I mean it.  We'll be back in Chattanooga in a couple of weeks to get the boat and ultimately get it here.  But first, one last season in the Vol Navy.  I'm really going to miss all my friends there.  Knoxville in the fall is a special place and I've had season tickets for football since around 1995.  In mid-November, it will be time to start the trip to Florida.  We'll stop in North Palm Beach for TGL season 2.  When that's done, it will be time to head north, up the east coast, to Hilton Head and back to our new home.

Time will tell how this all works out and if I feel like there is a story to write.  I'm hoping/thinking that there should be.  After all boat trips are always adventures.  By the time we reach Hilton Head from Knoxville, we will have traveled about 2,100 miles on the water.  Can't wait to get started!

Reflections

The torn and tattered America's Great Loop Cruisers' flag.

Over the last months, I've had the opportunity to look back and reflect on the good days and the not so good ones.  There were so many fantastic times that I experienced in the last 38 years and I just knew that there were going to be many more.  Think about how many times you have heard the words "there are no guarantees" - just like me you probably said that's right and moved right on.  Then suddenly, life happens in front of you and all of those things that weren't possible are there in your face.  Your entire world is off it's axis and nothing makes sense.  All of the dreams and plans that you, as a couple, had made are gone.  Everything that you had done to achieve those dreams is sudden seems worthless.  So now, what is the future supposed to be?

Some of you know that Regina and I met on a blind date in 1981.  It was a date that neither one of us jumped at the opportunity to go on, but it happened and we met.  She was 21 and lived in Winter Park, Florida.  I was 33 and lived in Germantown, Maryland.  Can you say long distance relationship!  For some reason, she was attracted to me.  And for me, there was no question, she was beautiful, exciting and fun.  Her personality was larger than life and she could fill a room all by herself.  We were married in December 1982 and we both liked to do the same things which made our partnership easy.  Everyone one loved to be around Regina and I got to be with her everyday.  That doesn't mean every day was perfect, but the good days way out numbered the ones that weren't.  She was very special and we had great times together.

Anniversary celebration

Regina was able to retire from IBM in 1999 and she would tell me that she was just waiting for me so that we could start having fun.  That day got close until the recession of 2008 which seriously impacted my business.  We worked hard together for the next three years until things finally turned around, but it took until June 2017 before I could also retire and we were excited to be able to start doing the things that had been planned for so long.  RPA threw an unbelievable "Bon Voyage" party for us with many of our friends and family there for the celebration.  Brittany's wedding at Disney World came before we would start our travels.  That was a wonderful time and Regina was over the moon for Brittany to be so happy and to have so many of for our friends there for the ceremony and reception. 

Bon Voyage!

Disney World Wedding!!

We left Marietta just a few weeks later to begin the Great Loop Trip on our boat.  The loop circles the eastern half of the USA by water and we had planned this adventure for several years.  This was the first of many things to do which included cruising the Bahamas, the US Open, Wimbledon, going back to Hawaii and possibly Australia.  The dream ended half way through the loop at Herrington Harbour, Maryland.  That's where we got the diagnosis of melanoma that sent us back to Atlanta.  Even  this setback had an 80% chance of success and I refused to accept the thought of anything else.  Regina told me that I couldn't do that and I now, everyday, wonder how much more she just "knew" than she shared with me.  I know how much she suffered with the treatments and what the doctors told us.  I don't know why those doctors didn't stop the treatments before the drugs killed her.  Yes, the immunotherapy worked to kill the cancer, but she couldn't tolerate the side effects and it took her life.  That pretty much took mine too because all of those years of being with my girl and making plans suddenly went away.  

I know that I will continue to reflect on the past and what should have been.  All the "experts" say that you shouldn't do that, but the 20/20 look into the rear view mirror won't go away.  There are lots of jokes about how architects know something about everything, but for me, medicine certainly wasn't one of those things.  If only I had known more about what the signs meant, could the outcome be different?  This is difficult because I had to trust the doctors and, in that rear view mirror, I think they may failed to do their best to save Regina's life and that cannot be undone.  

If you have followed this blog, you know about us buying the boat, preparing for the Great Loop, looping and the unlooping.  After returning to Chattanooga, I did all the basic maintenance on the engines and transmissions and continued on up river to Knoxville.  I found a spot in the Vol Navy to dock the boat.  I was here to celebrate my Mom's 102nd birthday!  The football season has not started the way that any of us had hoped, but we VFL's continue to hope that things will improve.  I know that Regina would be suffering as much as I am as the struggles continue.  She adopted Tennessee, my fraternity brothers, their wives and kids as her own.  It was mutual and we all had wonderful times together.

Just a few of the many times we had with UT friends.

At this point, I've been living on our boat for a bit more than a month.  It's better than being at home, in the room where she took her last breath, but it's still not like it was.  There are times when I do things with my friends here in Knoxville and I get to spend time with my Mom that I couldn't do as we went through the surgeries and treatments.  I had hoped that there would be more folks around in the Navy, but that hasn't been the case.  The boat fire the first weekend has changed much of what had been "normal" on the docks here.  All I can hope for is that somehow there will come a day where life will return to something beyond a reflection.  Maybe I can still do the Great Loop trip that we had planned as well as some of the other adventures.  It's just a bit overwhelming to try to figure it out again at this point when things were supposed to be on autopilot.

An omen??

My spot under the bridge.

There are certainly life lessons that have been etched in stone from all that has happened.  I will tell you to enjoy everyday as if it were your last - it might be!  Take care of yourself.  A mole that had been biopsied and reported as benign killed Regina.  Don't be confident that everything is okay if things begin to look or feel a little different.  If you have a dream and you can pursue it, don't put it off any longer than necessary - your chance may pass you by.  The clock cannot be turned back.  Each minute that passes is gone and will not return.  We all know these things are true, but all too often we don't follow these rules.  I'm going to try to do better and I hope you will too.


This may be the end of the Float my Boat blog - I'm just not sure that there is anything left for this story.  I know I'll always remember the good times that I wrote about and, hopefully, so will you.  Let's try to keep our reflections focused on those.

Unlooping - Days 29 - 32 and done!

Midway nightfall

On the 29th day, we left Columbus Marina early as usual.  The plan only had us going about 70 miles, but we had four locks to do.  I always make a phone call to the lock before we are even close to find out their status and hopefully get them to be set up for our arrival.  Success rate is probably 75 - 25 and today is no exception.  Aberdeen is first and we had to wait for the lock to be reset us us to go upbound.  After that, Armory, Wilkens and Fulton were ready and waiting for us to go right on through.  This got us to Midway Marina earlier than usual and even after fueling and pumping out the holding tank, there was time to do some cleaning.  I worked on the isinglass enclosures around the stern of the cockpit.  The days of being blasted with salt water had them so dirty that you could barely see out.  After washing and treating with Plexus, they may not look like new, but the difference is dramatic!  Afterwards, we took the courtesy car and went into town to Legends Sports Bar for dinner and even got to hear local country band play Rocktop!!  Wonder how they picked that song?!?  Todays track and pics - https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1638460/

Midwayfrom the waterway

going up the Divide Cut

From Midway Marina, the next day was a run on to Florence Harbor Marina which means we are now on the Tennessee River.  But before we get there, three more locks must be completed.  I called Rankin before even starting the engines because that lock is only four miles away.  He told me to wait and plan to arrive at about 8:15 so we had some breakfast and then started on our way.  The tow and his barge were coming out of the lock as we arrived and we went right in behind him.  After that, Montgomery and Whitten locks were waiting to take us right through.  Just above Whitten Lock is Bay Springs Lake which is a nice, wide, pretty embayment from the dam.  It's a Saturday morning and there are a few boats and fishermen out on the lake, for a late summer day, probably about as expected.  This lake is pretty good size and we enjoyed the ride up to what is called the Divide Cut.  The Tennessee-Tombigee is more or less a ditch that goes from Mobile Bay to the Tennessee River at a spot where Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama come together.  All of the waterway right up to the Divide Cut looks like a real river bank but the 25 miles here are a ditch - basically 200 feet wide, straight and lined with rock rip-rap - not a pretty place.  Now where would you expect to find all of the weekend boaters?  For sure not here, right??  Wrong!!  It looked like Cypress Gardens doing a water ski show!!  After that stressful stretch, we reached the Tennessee at about 1 PM and enjoyed and empty waterway all the way to Florence.  Todays track and pics - https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1638467/

Florence Harbor

Wilson Lock

Early Sunday morning. I called Wilson Lock as I watched a tow go past the harbor entrance.  The lock master said "come on down" and you can go right through.  I got the boat started up and Allen had everything unhooked from shore quickly.  We zipped up and got the 95 foot vertical lift up to Wilson Lake.  As big as that dam is, it's only 20 miles to Wheeler Lock and Dam.  Wheeler was ready and there was no waiting there.  Wheeler Lake goes on for many miles until reaching Guntersville Lock.  All of the lakes were almost empty of boaters which is great for us to cruise at our optimum speed of about 17.5 mph.  The stop for the night was Guntersville Marina.  We got in and had a little time to cool off from yet another 95+ degree day.  Dinner was at Wintzell's Oyster House.  Todays track and pics - https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1640565/

Guntersville sunset

Day 32 is the last day of the trip to get back to Chattanooga and it started with BUGS!!  I opened the door to the cockpit to start taking things outside and every surface of the entire cockpit is covered with little green flying gnat-like bugs!`  Bug cleaning became the first job of the day and it continued even as we continued the cruise on upriver.  There are only two locks to do today.  The first is Nickajack which is about 3 and a half hours upstream.  Monday means not too many people are out on the water so the trip up to the lock is easy.  Of course that means something else is in store, so when arriving at the lock we discover they are having an unscheduled maintenance inspection, there is a boat upstream waiting to come down and we would be next after that.  The inspectors went to lunch, the other boat came down and we finally got to lock up after about a 30 minute wait.  The trip from there to Chattanooga is a beautiful ride through what is called the "Grand Canyon of Tennessee" then comes the Chattanooga waterfront and about 8 miles on to Chickamauga Lock.  The lock was waiting on us and it was a quick ride up then a right turn into the same marina where we were before the Loop Trip.  I found my new slip and backed in.  Almost as soon as that was done, the skies opened up and for the next hour rain poured and lightening  flashed!  What a way to end the trip!!  After that finally ended, Allen, Debby and I went to Tony's for some really good Italian food.  Todays track and pics -  https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1641792/

Tucked in at Chickamauga

The last sunset

Unlooping - Days 26 - 28

Time to say goodbye to Lulu's

It's been a few days since we had any wifi available.  Besides not being able to work on the blog, I can't update charts and often not even weather reports can be checked.  It actually began right after we left Lulu's and entered the Mobile Bay.  That day was very nice and the bay was relatively smooth.  There were lots of commercial fishing boats in the water, several large freighters and even a two dredges.  A fuel stop was required at Dog River Marina because it's 119 miles up river before any more is available.  Going through the shipping channel at the top of the bay is always amazing.  There are all kinds of ships and there are a bunch of photos of them in the "track" link.  As we past the Mobile Convention Center, it was mile 0 of the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway as well as the official entry of the Inland Waterway System.  Today we will continue on up river another 64 miles to an anchorage called Three Rivers.  The entry off the waterway is a narrow, tree lined, channel which opens into a lake that provides a very protected, quiet spot to anchor.  It was a long day, but we are almost back into fresh water.  Today's track and pics -  https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1632617/

House available - Mobile Bay

Dog River fuel dock and office

Check out the birfs behind this fishing boat!!

The little "channel" on the left is the way back to the Tenn-Tom from Three Rivers

Day 27 took us on upriver to our first lock at Coffeeville.  I called them long before we were too arrive to check their status and they said everything was good and come on up.  Maybe this was a sign of things to come, because when we arrived, they were suddenly doing maintenance.  Our conversation went back and forth as to when we were going to be able pass.  I guess we got lucky and they paused some operation for us to be able to lock up with only a slight delay.  Right after the lock is Bobby's Fish Camp which is our fuel stop.  I tried calling on the VHF and got no reply so I switched to the cell phone.  Apparently, since this wasn't a "cooking day" no one actually stays at the location.  After about 10 minutes of wandering what was going on, Bubba pulled up on his green tractor and turned on the pump for us.  We added enough fuel to get us to Demopolis where we would stop for the night.  It's 95 miles from Bobby's to the lock at Demopolis and I pushed up our speed to cover the distance as quickly as possible.  As always, I talked to the lock to let them know we were on the way and to find out about any anticipated delay.  They told me it should be fine, but there was one tow setting up all afternoon to come down with barges and they didn't expect him soon.  Of course, as I got there, he was ready to come down and I was told we would have to wait.  The marina was expecting us so I had to notify them that we would be delayed when suddenly the lockmaster called and said we could come on ahead of the tow!  Today's track and pics -  https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1633964/

Heading out from Three Rivers

Sitting at Bobby's

We left Demopolis about 7:30 to go 4 hours to Heflin Lock.  I called ahead of time to do the usual check and learned that unscheduled maintenance was underway.  They told us to keep coming and we would see how things worked out.  I got there and was told to wait.  After 45 minutes of waiting with no updates, I called again and was told to "hold on" they would inquire again about status.  Another 15 minutes go by until I get the call to come on in and they would locked up.  After Heflin lock, we must travel another 40 miles to Tom Bevill Lock.  They were ready and waiting for us so we went straight in and locked up quickly.  This is a three lock day, so next comes Stennis Lock which is also right before our marina stop.  Stennis was also ready and waiting which was really nice after another long day.  We went into Columbus, MS for dinner tonight at Husker's.  Allen anf I both got catfish with white beans and They told us to keep andouille sausage - so good!!  Today's track and pics - https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1634772/

Leaving Demopolis/Kingfisher Bay

White cliffs at Epes - look closely for the carved structure

Aleen is getting pretty comfortable with locking

Good night from Columbus Marina

Unlooping - Days 21 - 25

Day 21 is Wednesday, August 8, and Allen's first official day as first mate.  It was already steamy, hot when we left Sarasota at about 7:45 to move on further north.  I wanted to go to Tarpon Springs, but couldn't find a marina with a slip and diesel fuel so we went to Marker 1 Marina in Dunedin.  The ride through Sarasota Bay was smooth with few other boats out.  We entered the Gulf at the mouth of Tampa Bay and ran outside until we reached Clearwater Pass.  Then it was just a short run on up the GICW to the marina.  As usual, getting fueled up was the first requirement and today it is especially important to be sure the tanks are totally full - tomorrow is the crossing.  An old buddy of Allen's came to meet us there for dinner and a grocery run.  His name was also Jim and he had actually been on board the boat a few years ago at a Tennessee football game.  The evening ended pretty early so that we could be rested for an early morning.  Today's track and pics - https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1625457/

The "crossing"

On the C-Quarters Dock

Crossing day is a stressful event and I'm not sure how well I actually slept and I was wide awake well before the sun was.  The coffee was ready and the engines were running and the boat was moving before the sun was over the horizon.  There are various weather forecast sites that I use to try to determine a "go/no go" decision.  We knew that basically today would be an okay day although it was going to be somewhat rough.  Seas were 1 to 2 feet off the port bow with the occasional 3 footer thrown in for a little more fun.  Because of this we had to slow down from the normal cruise speed to make the ride better.  This leg was 175 miles which took 12 hours to complete.  At least this time I knew how much fuel I had and we weren't freaking out at the thought of running out. Allen and I shared the driving duties which was great because I was tired and the autopilot can't be used in these conditions.  At about 6:45, we arrived at C-Quarters Marina in Carabelle, FL with about 25 gallons of fuel left in each tank!  We fueled up, washed off the salt, cleaned up and went to dinner at Fathoms.  Today's track and pics - https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1626779/

The C-Quarters kitty is another that Regina played with while here.

After the long crossing day, I decided that we should have a short, fun day to make up for it so next was a two hour run over to Apalachicola.  But first, we went to breakfast and did a couple of loads of laundry.  I visited with Kim, the harbor master, to get more local knowledge of conditions after Hurricane Michael and then set up reservations for the next few days.  As we crossed the Apalachicola Bay it wasn't possible to forget about the day Regina and I spent on a shoal because of a missing marker.  That was a day that we could have done without, but at least we did no damage.  Our dock at Apalachicola was at the old ice house and only a couple of blocks from the center of town.  The first stop was the Oyster Bay brewery and then across the street to the Owl Restaurant.  Allen found a bunch of pilots there and the remainder of the evening was talk about boats and planes.  Today's track and pics - https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1628283/

The Ice House dock

Part of downtown Apalachicola

Day 24 began by continuing on up the Apalachicola River to Lake Wimico then Searcy Creek and a left turn onto the Gulf County Canal which took us to Eagle Harbor off Port St. Joe.  It was back into the Gulf again, but today was a much better ride than on crossing day.  That doesn't mean smooth, but it sure was a lot better.  We ran about 8 miles off shore along the Emerald Coast to Destin.  Coming into Destin was more exciting than necessary.  Today is Sunday and everyone who owns or can rent a boat is in the inlet and the harbor.  They are also going in every possible direction with no regard for anything around them and in the middle of all this, the US Coast Guard is also cruising the channel.  Here our overnight stop was at Harbor Docks which is really not a marina - just a small place to tie up for the night.  It's also a restaurant that specializes in seafood and shrimp was the choice of the day.  Today's track and pics - https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1630332/

A real fixer upper!

This is Harbor Docks

I'm feeling pretty small here!

Goodbye Destin.

Our next run was going to be another, and the last, one in the Gulf.  Coming back out of Destin Harbor was nothing like Sunday afternoon.  We stopped for fuel and then went back out the inlet into the Gulf.  Today the water was smooth and calm unlike the last legs in the Gulf - in fact, this was the only smooth ride we've had on this side of Florida!  I ran along about three miles off shore until we reached Perdido Pass to come back inside.  Literally at that point, it was a left turn right onto the GICW and on down to Homeport, AL where Lulu's restaurant is located.  In case you don't know, Lulu is Jimmy Buffet's sister and rumor has it that he sometimes shows up here.  Regina and I had a big time here and bought out the gift shop so a return trip couldn't be missed.  I'm sure we will have a big time and a good dinner tonight before going into Mobile Bay tomorrow morning.  From there, it's just a few miles up the Bay and we will enter the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway which leads to the Tennessee River.  Getting close to home!!  Today's track and pics - https://www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/1631352/

The Gulf is flat!!

Arrival at Lulu's!!