Tuesday, November 13

A friendly gathering on MM 15 - Sarasota Bay

GIWW - Ana Maria Sound - inside  Long Boat Key

A leisurely morning was had by all .......... I took a morning run through the Bayside Park while Charlie walked down to the neighborhood French bistro where he enjoyed some of the best French toast ever....  a real treat compared to his normal yogurt & blueberry start to the day.
At breakfast he checked an e-mail from the Great Loop Association which posted warnings about conditions in the upper Gulf, i.e. The Big Bend (The Armpit) where we experienced big seas on Sat.  One of the
postings included the following:
" Yesterday found the Gulf waters unsettled.  That is another word for crappy and blowing like stink.  Nautical terms are so precise and descriptive.....Tomorrow morning (Today) get off the Gulf ASAP as it will turn nasty...After today and tonight, I don't see another weather window (for crossing) for quite a few days."  We wonder if there is such a thing as a" pleasant crossing" of The (Armpit)  Big Bend?
After a walk on the beach, we left the Bradenton Beach Marina heading toward Sarasota.  The GIWW runs along the inside shore of Longboat Key and then enters Sarasota Bay.  Although much of the water appears to be wide open, it is extremely important to stay within the channel markers do to the shoal water.  It was a short 14 mile hop to the downtown Sarasota's  Marina Jack.

Al fresco dining - St Armands Circle - Jeff & JoAnn and Grover & Polina

We were excited to be meeting up with Jeff & JoAnn Nicholas and Grover & Polina Windsor, friends from the Clear Lake Yacht Club who have winter homes in this area.  After cocktails on the White Label, we relished a superior al fresco dinner on St. Armands Circle.  Located on St. Armands Key which is removed from the mainland by two bridges over Sarasota Bay, it is an upscale shopping & dining center located on St. Armands Key.  It was a great evening!

Monday, November 12

Ana Maria bungalow

Sand Bar - Ana Maria

Beach side motel - Ana Maria Island

Bike path - Coquina Beach Park

It was a gorgeous Florida day - temps reaching the low 80s - now that's more like it!
After a short 25 mile jaunt on the GIWW we arrived at the Bradenton Beach Marina on Ana Maria Island.  This island lies between Tampa Bay on the north and Sarasota Bay on the south.  It is approximately 1/2 mile wide and 7 miles long.
The island although largely developed retains an Old Florida charm.  There is a wonderful bike path on the southern end of the island that runs along the Gulf through the Coquina Beach Park.   The neighborhoods are filled with delightful bungalows and the storefronts and restaurants are  "local color".  We biked to the northern end of the island - home to the small village of Ana Maria - where we treated ourselves to a beach side lunch. 
The heart of Bradenton Beach is Bridge Street.   Though only a few blocks wide the shops and restaurants are charming and City Pier at the end of the street is a nice place to see the inland.

Southern tip - Ana Maria Island

Sunday, November 11

Sun setting over the GIWW - St Petersburg

The GIWW (Gulf Intracoastal Water Way) starts back up again in Tarpon Springs and we headed down the channel for the Clearwater/St. Petersburg area.  By late morning we pulled into the marina at Caladesi Island and headed for the beach which is considered one of the best in the United States.  Because the island is accessible only by boat, even on this holiday weekend (Veteran's Day), the beach was relatively quiet.  We had a relaxing 1 1/2 hour walk on the beach finding several sand dollars & three Conch shells.
Passing down the GIWW through Clearwater & St. Petersburg it becomes clear that this is a boat-minded community.  The channel was bustling with boat traffic & why not ........ it was a beautiful Florida afternoon.  The temperatures were at least 10 degrees warmer than those in the Panhandle - gone was the fleece - we are back to "swimsuit territory".

Caladesi Island beach

The only glitch in our day was trying to find a marina in the Pass-a-Grill area of the Waterway.  Several of them would either not hail our call or did not have transient slips.  The Loggerhead Club & Marina agreed to take us, but we got hopelessly lost trying to find it (there are many canals and channels veering off of the GIWW & very little signage).  The sun was setting when we finally stumbled upon the very narrow Frenchman Creek channel leading to the marina.  We have traveled over 6,000 miles so far on the Loop & have not been this lost ........... kinda embarrassing!

Saturday, November 10

Shirt on Dodecanese Blvd -  Tarpon Springs

Sponge boat - Tarpon Springs

Anclote River - Tarpon Springs

5 ft. seas breaking over the bow

Apalachicola oyster boats

This next section of our Gulf cruise is known as The Big Bend/Nature Coast.  Charlie refers to it as
"the armpit" or "the crotch".  Needless to say he does not have a very favorable view of the area and was anxious to get this day behind us.
Because there is no protected ICW here, all passages are done in the open Gulf waters.  This means tht you need to have a favorable weather forecast (winds 10-15 knots or less, out of the east, northeast or southeast) for the seas to be 2 to 3 feet or less.  The most direct route from Apalatchicola is 175 miles.
The entire coastline of the Big Bend is shoaled for about 15 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico making any access to land a challenge.  Most of the coast is low and marshy and the countryside undeveloped.  There are only three potential port of call for the entire area, which is why making the crossing in favorable weather is so important.
We were out of the marina by 7:00 am and soon after entering Apalachicola Bay passed a couple of oyster boats returning with their catch of the day.  Entering into the Gulf of Mexico the seas were running 2 to 3 feet as expected and the ride was a little choppy.  About 50 miles into the crossing & approximately 30 miles off shore the winds picked up and the seas built to 4-5 feet.  Our boat is very sea worthy, still there is just so much pounding these "old bodies" can take!
Luckily after four hours of this (approximately 100 miles) things started to settle down and by the time we reached Tarpon Springs the seas were calm.  It had been an interesting day of cruising -
pretty crazy how quickly conditions can & often do change on the water.
Tarpon Springs is located on the Anclote River where it intersects with the Gulf of Mexico.  It is hailed as the "Sponge Capital of the World" with the sponge docks and adjacent Dodecanese Boulevard paying tribute to the legacy of the original Greek sponge divers.

Scipio Creek - Apalatchicola

Today the boulevard is lined with many Greek restaurants, bakeries and import shops.  The food is to die for & the atmosphere lively - it was the perfect ending to a somewhat long & challenging day.

Friday, November 9

Scipio Creek - Apalachicola

On the waterfront - Apalachicola

Bar at the Gibson Inn

Gibson Inn - Apalachicola

The start of our day was a short bike tour of historic St. Andrews - a section of Panama City that was highly recommended by a "friendly local" that we had met while swimming in the Waterfall Cove on Lake Pickwick earlier in the summer.  He insisted that we should not miss this spot ......... well we could have!
Next we headed down East Bay toward the Wetappo Creek.  It was fun cruising at full throttle throuogh the mirror like waters.  The Wetappo Creek and Apalachicola River took many bends & curves through the surrounding cypress marsh.  A wonderful reminder that not all of Florida has been wildly overbuilt.
Today's cruise completed the Panhandle GIWW - the section of the Waterway from Pensacola to Apalachicola covering around 200 miles of pleasant inside cruising.  It meanders through passages of modern development, forests of deciduous trees, cypress swamps and bayous.  Narrow channels connect big, clear, open bays and sounds with barrier islands protecting this entire area.
Mid afternoon we arrived in the charming village of Apalachicola, renowned for its local oysters caught fresh from the bay's beds.  Charlie was in heaven - I even found the fried variety to be delicious.  It is also home to Dr. John Gorrie who in the 1830s invented a machine that made ice.  While the invention was originally designed to help yellow fever patients, it changed the world by making southern climates more habitable and Happy Hour happier.

Floats at the Tin Shop - Apalachicola

A walk around town is a trip back in time.  This river town has been wonderfully restored and showcases many B&Bs, art galleries and oyster establishments.  We would have enjoyed spending more time here, but with a small weather window to complete the 170 mile offshore run ahead of us we decided to push forward.

Thursday, November 8

Bay Point Marina

Sand dunes along  the Grand Canyon

"Grand Canyon"

The Baytowne Marina at Sandestin is located at about the half way point of the 30 nautical mile long and 3-5 nautical mile wide Choctawhatchee Bay.  As we cruised this wide open area Charlie commented on what a great place it would be for a sailing regatta ......... once a sailor, always a sailor.
The next stretch of the GIWW is known as the "Grand Canyon", a 16-mile long land cut through groves of loblolly pines and some interesting sand dunes.  This area is at least a half mile from the Gulf coast and we were surprised to see such natural sand formations that far inland.
Our final destination was St. Andrews Bay - a deep, almost land locked body of water -  home to Panama City.  It is considered one of Florida's finest bays with the Navy operating a lab on the west end, where it is said that Navy SEALs do some of their most serious training.
The Grand Lagoon at Panama City Beach hosts a number of marinas, including the Bay Point Marina

Choctawhatchee Bay

which was filled almost to capacity with an impressive fleet of large pleasure craft - mainly sport fish.  It was quite clear that two of the most popular pastimes at this complex are fishing & golf.  We enjoyed an afternoon of biking around the property and all too soon the sun was setting over the marina - it was only 5:00 pm.  The days are getting to be way too short!

Wednesday, November 7

The sand is perfect for a sand castle

We woke up to the news of Obama's re-election .................. bummer!  Charlie took the news badly & I told him to get over it  .......... at least until we finish the Loop ............ this boat is too small for all those negative vibes!
We cruised the GIWW a short sixteen miles to the Sandestin's Baytowne Marina, located in the heart of The Emerald Coast.  It was a smooth ride until we entered the Choctawhatchee Bay where the cool breeze caused the water to white cap. 

Beach at Sandestin - Emerald Coast

The resort had five miles of scenic bike paths wondering around four different golf courses & the
 beach with its emerald colored waters was lovely.    A nice place other than the fact the weather is cool - highs 64 - lows 39.