A Little Loopy

Tate’s Hell State Forest Anchorage to Clearwater Anchorage: 15.3 mph; 162.6 miles; 10:37 hours We left Carrabelle at first light and made it to our Clearwater anchorage before sundown - that’s a good day crossing the Gulf.  The crossing is long and tedious but we had to stay vigilant. We played a game of frogger the closer we got to Clearwater with the crab pots. Florida crab trap markers are child’s play compared to the markers on the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. We use industrial family sized bottles spray painted in Hunter’s Safety Orange for goodness sakes. These guys use something that looks like a ping pong ball painted white and blue! Who can see that? Some had a red stripe and a small few were green or pink. The pots are dropped at 20/30 feet deep all the way up to the shallow channel off Clearwater. The weight of the trap is not supported by the marker and you cant see them when waves are at a foot. During our crossing, a seagull decided we were a good resting place; ...

Edith Hammock Anchorage to 158.8 Wharf Marina: 6.2 mph; 16.0 miles; 2:35 hours Wharf Marina to Day Break Marina (Pensacola): 7.9 mph; 29.2 miles; 3:42 hours Day Break Marina to Upper Grand Lagoon Anchorage (Panama City): 9.9 mph; 70.6 miles; 7:10 hours Upper Grand Lagoon Anchorage - Apalachicola Anchorage: 11.7 mph; 98.1 miles; 8:30 hours Apalachicola Anchorage to Tate’s Hell State Forest Anchorage (Carrabelle): 13.0 mph; 28.1 miles; 2:10 hours NOTE: About the EHL thing, the mile markers aren’t as important in Florida as they are on the river. I wish that they were - I would be helpful. DAY 143: The Wharf Marina:  Escorted to the marina by a small pod of dolphin and a manatee - love this place! Really nice marina with the BEST showers and captain's lounge - everything you need. Total cost around $100/night. Didn't really care - been on the hook for a week and needed to wash my hair, do some laundry, and walk around. Things are more expensive here, even with the AGLCA or BOAT US...

39 Tensaw River Anchorage to 144 EHL Edith Hammock Anchorage in Mobile Bay:  10.0 mph; 81.6 miles; 8:09 hours 39 Tensaw River Anchorage to 144 EHL Edith Hammock Anchorage: Along the route, everything looked like the day before - will this ever end? Somewhere, along the way, I caught a whiff of brackish mud and my mood changed - getting closer to saltwater and that’s a good thing.  When we entered the Mobile Bay shipping area, things REALLY changed, there was so much traffic and the wind increased. All these vessels are loading and unloading containers for distant lands. They are so big!!! IMPORTANT : You need to stay in the shipping channel as much as possible to catch the Gulf ICW channel - things are not as they seem in these waters - do NOT trust was maps tell you - it gets shallow - and quick - outside the channel - trust me. Looking for the shrimp boat Jenny from the movie, Forrest Gump I'm totally thinking back to Tom's River when I was quoting the movie - there will b...

NOTE: There are two long days ahead of you. You need to leave at first light each day.  November 6, 2021: 35 degrees - you have GOT to be kidding me.  We need to be in St Petersburg, FL by November 20th to catch a flight to NOLA for Thanksgiving with Kabir, Kennan, and Paige. This is my first Thanksgiving without the kids. Yeah, I know they are older now; but, how lucky am I to have had them all to myself for all these years? The kids will holiday with family or friends - but it isn't the same.  DAY 140 188 Anchorage to Drop Anchorage Again Because of FOG: 4.5 mph; 1.5 miles; 0:20 hours 189 Try Again to 116 Coffeeville Lock & Dam Anchorage: 8.9 mph; 68.4 miles; 7:41 hours 188 Anchorage to 116 Coffeeville Lock & Dam Anchorage: Hello alligators! BIG ALLIGATORS in this part of Alabama - saw two and looked for more. These fellas were bigger than me! You need to call Bobby’s Fish Camp ahead of time so they have a time frame of your arrival. Bobby’s Fish Camp does not u...

265 Heflin Anchorage to 216 King Fisher Maria 216: 8.7 mph; 49.3 miles; 5:39 hours 216 King Fisher Marina to 213 Demopolis Lock 213: 3.5 mph; 2.4 miles; 0:41 hours 213 Demopolis Lock to 188 Smith ‘Island’ Anchorage 188.7: 9.2 mph; 24.2 miles; 2:38 hours Travel Day: Sunrise to Sunset {A VERY long day} There isn’t a Marina or Fuel stop between Demopolis and Bobby’s Fish Camp.  You MUST stop at 216 Demopolis for fuel; Gas/Diesel: the KingFisher Marina  (November 2021: Demopolis has/had two marinas. The only marina in operation for boaters is the King Fisher Marina; the Demopolis Marina will only service fuel to commercial vessels and does not offer slips at this time.) 265 Heflin Anchorage Lock to 216 King Fisher Marina: There is a strange floating vegetation in the river; like a colony of water plants - small and clumpy. 240 The White Cliffs of Epps; this area will sneak up on you and it’s amazing. King Fisher Marina: Fuel and slips. Lots of Loopers use this marina and have only...

318 Hairston Bend Anchorage to 307 Bevill Lock: 7.1 mph; 11.6 miles; 1:37 hours 307 Bevill Lock to 266 Heflin Lock: 8.5 mph; 39.3 miles; 4:39 hours 266 Heflin Lock to 265 South of Heflin Lock Anchorage: 3.6 mph; 1533 yds; 0:14 hours Mile Marker 318 Hairston Bend to 307 Tom Bevill Lock: DOWN 27’ Floating Bollards 307 Tom Bevill Lock to 266 Howell Heflin Lock: DOWN 36’ Floating Bollards 266 Howell Heflin Lock to 265 South of Heflin Lock Anchorage Great Anchorage; 20-30’; mud/good holding and room for LOTS of boats! Cell Service!! YES!! We came across our friend, the Micasa sailboat, and asked him to have dinner with us.  We met  Micasa in Midway and really enjoyed his company. Such a great guy!