Tuesday, November 6

The Narrows - Santa Rosa Island - hurricane damaged pines

We left the Sportsman Marina mid morning for the 70 mile cruise of the GIWW (Gulf Intracoastal Water Way) to Fort Walton Beach.  We crossed Pensacola Bay, one of Florida's largest and safest harbors.  It has served as a heavy weather refuge for commercial and Navy ships, as well as for smaller craft.
The waterway then enters the Santa Rosa Sound.  There are an abundance of homes on the mainland, with scattered beach development dotting the Santa Rosa Island side.  Damage done to the Australian
pines by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 is still evident on the barrier island.  We soon entered a section known as The Narrows.  It is a well-marked channel that twists back and forth through the shallows for about six nautical miles.

Historic Fort Walton Beach - Tatoo Shop

This area of the Gulf is quite populated and somewhat chaotic on shore.  We were taken aback at how little boat traffic we saw today.......it is good to be back on the water.   We arrived in Fort Walton Beach in time for a leisurely bike ride.  Although we enjoyed the exercise,  the community left something to be desired.  The "Historic Downtown" was full of tattoo & tacky tourist shops.