There are about 20 loopers here waiting for a weather window to get across the open waters between here and Tarpon Springs. Many are leaving tomorrow, including me.
I like it here. Good anchorage and a few shops and restaurants. I finally met Ted and Sarah from Manatee after five years of occasional spottings.
I’m heading to Steinhatchee from here, leaving early in the morning. It’s about 70 miles straight across. There will be a few of us.
I didn’t quite make it here yesterday. Around dusk it got quite foggy on the cut section. I stopped and anchored in an oxbow, then continued on down to here this morning. Went in to town for lunch.
Tomorrow I’ll noodle over to Carrabelle. There are about a dozen loopers gathering to head across the Big Bend. Looks like decent weather early next week.
In other news, I’ve turned on my satellite tracking. Keep up with me for the next few months here.
I filled up yesterday near Destin, and realized that I had filled up exactly three months ago in Chicago.
For that three month period I’ve been aboard 7 of 13 weeks.
Total fuel: 306 gallons, 1,155 l
Engine hours: 241
Distance traveled: 1,854 miles, 2,985 km
I usually track furnace hours, but had a glitch with the hour meter after leaving Memphis. It was at 80 hours then, and I’d estimate 40 hours since. That would be 55 gallons. So 250 gallons for the engine.
Here’s to cruising slow downstream!
I’ve been slugging through the sounds against moderate easterly winds. No big deal, but a long way from anything interesting, and generally adverse currents. Ah well. Today I got to go through a ~20 mile cut straight through the swamp to connect two sounds. It’s nice to be close to shore again.
I’m anchored here, sheltered from SE wind. Tomorrow I’ll probably get to Apachicola and stop for a spell.
I’ve been chugging east the last couple of days. Today I stopped for the night here at Fort Walton Beach. Went ashore for a meal out and some groceries.
It’s very quiet around here. Their busy season is summer time, when people come for the beaches.Â
The cold broke a couple of days ago, and it’s now rainy for the next few days¹q. I’ve got 2-3 days of travel left on the GICW, then will be watching for decent weather to cut across the Big Bend area.
Need to get fuel tomorrow. I haven’t topped up since leaving Memphis. That’ll probably be a new record distance on a tank.
I’m out of the rivers and bayous and into the Gulf. Tonight I’m anchored here.
Yesterday I left Houma and headed east to the Boomtown Casino just south of the Harvey Lock. I anchored in the basin next door with the buffet in mind, but it’s no longer offered, so I stayed on the boat.
Today it was a smooth trip up through the Harvey Lock, down the river past downtown New Orleans, and down through the Industrial Lock and west out of Louisiana and into Mississippi.
Wind is NE about 15 knots and there is a wind chill warning with overnight lows below freezing. Comfy inside.
I arrived at the town dock last night after dark. I’m feeling pretty comfortable around the commercial traffic, and there’s not much else on or in the water.
Today is a lay day, and I may stay tomorrow as well. I need to lay in groceries. I’m not in any rush now.
I like the trip east on the GICW from here to the panhandle. It’ll be relaxed travel for the next while.
Lots of interesting boats and machines around here.
I’m anchored here in Bayou Sorrel. Last night I stayed just above Baton Rouge, and this morning I exited the Mississippi River through the Port Allen Lock.
I like it in the Bayou. When I came this way five years ago I got off a little farther north and came down the Achafalaya River. This is more canal and less river, but both run largely through uninhabited country.
The big news is the weather, but I’ve been comfortable through it. I don’t think it got above freezing today, and freezing rain last night left a coating of ice on deck that made going forward to retrieve the anchor this morning an adventure.
Next stop Morgan City. I should be there for lunch tomorrow.
Pictures, in order
I’m anchored here behind a dyke just south of Natchez, at mile 358. That’s 378 river miles in 4 days. Last night I stopped just above Vicksburg.
The last two days have been pleasant. Cool but mostly sunny and light north winds. It’s going to get cold for the next couple of days, but I’ve outrun the snow and real nasty stuff.
I’ve decided to go to Baton Rouge and take the Port Allen Canal to Morgan City. I should be at the lock on Tuesday. All good.
Only one picture in two days. There really isn’t much to see…
I woke up about an hour before dawn to a fairly violent thunderstorm and a tornado watch. But that was pretty much the end of it, and I got underway at first light.
The only real challenge today was in the afternoon when the wind boomed in from the west at 25 knots or so. There were a few stretches where we were going into the wind with a tail current, and the waves got up a bit. Normally I try to stay in areas where there is more current, but getting into lower current made a big difference reducing the chop. It was interesting watching the big tows blasting through the waves. I took a brief video.
I came up to town and dinghied ashore to get a couple of things I forgot in Memphis, and am anchored here for the night.
Tomorrow looks like a nice traveling day.
Boating Adventures 