We Went for A Walk

Couldn't Resist

put a song in my head, which then turned my thoughts to Joann, Madeline, Betty and all the lovely ladies at Total Fitness

Think this means Our Lady Queen of Martyrs

where we are

we are the 3rd mast from the left

                                                                         and a little art

SHOULD WE GO OR SHOULD WE STAY, NOW

HONEY, CAN YOU BRING ME ANOTHER CUP OF COFFEE? I CAN'T MOVE

A LITTLE BIT OF CHRISTMAS

So, we thought the way the cold fronts were sweeping in that we would have to stay  in Mobile, but then a weather window opened and we said let’s go. So bright and early Monday morning we shoved off. I mean that literally, because we were aground in our slip. The tide you know. Pushing and pulling, slipping on the icy decks, we made a less than graceful exit. The bay was brown and choppy with the wind and waves at our backs as we motored down and across Mobile bay to join the ICW. At one point the wind shifted a minuscule amount so we unfurled the stay sail. It was pretty but didn’t give us much more speed. Still, it was a lovely day and we were moving. Found the  anchorage at Ingram’s Bayou, watched the sun depart bringing Venus and the moon to take his place.

INGRAM'S BAYOU

Now our quandary is that with the shortened daylight and our top speed an average of 6 kts, we can only hope to make 40 miles. If the wind is for us, we can sail much faster. But if the wind and waves are wrong, meaning any direction with east in it, we can’t sail or motor against it. The second day we went just 15 miles to a nice anchorage in Big Lagoon and since we had a pleasant day and lots of time, Jack changed the oil. A mess as usual. Our mast is too tall for the bridges over the ICW between Pensacola and Port Saint Joe, so we must jump out to the Gulf, with Destin and Panama City the only safe places to anchor before we can join the ICW again.Each place is about a 40 mile sail. Early Wednesday with the sun quickly warming, we headed merrily out the channel to the Gulf. A north wind was forecasted but they were dead wrong, strong east winds and east seas gave us a top speed of 3 kts. At that rate we couldn’t make Destin before dark ,and the channel there is too tricky to go into at night. We turned around and headed back to Big Lagoon, where the water was clear and pretty and a long low sand island cupped us gently. Had it been summer, we would have had lots of company and swimming would have been delightful.

                                                                    

IN THE CHANNEL TO THE GULF

BUTTER, WISHING OUR CATS WOULD COME OUT TO PLAY

I know that many people are being prevented from traveling home for the holidays because of the same system that keeps us here in Pensacola. I feel their pain but I am giving over to our cruising fate. We found a safe haven in Bayou Chica at Yacht Harbor Marina where Captain Ted Germann has been most welcoming and we are comfortable if not entirely glad to be so close and yet so far from home.  

  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL 

AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!

BTW

 Our friends, Christelle and Gary, on their journey from Columbus, Miss. to Mobile, AL, saw many alligators. They posted several pictures on their blog: http://timeandtidetravels.blogspot.com.

We did not see even a hint of an alligator but we did see the following animals along with many seabirds and dolphins.

                                             

who would have thought: Hippos and Zebras in an Alabama swamp, lol.

 Talk about your global warming!

and because it was so cold, this little fella happened by

Leaving Columbus, Part Two

                                        In case of trouble, Maggie is prepared

                        Keeping warm

                          At our anchorage at 63.8 on the coldest morning, 19 degrees

                                                          A little icing on the boat

                                                                    A recycling plant

                                           Anchorage at MM 12.2, in the marshes

                                                                something stealth-like

                                                   The BAR-B at the free dock, Mobile convention center.

                                                                  In Mobile Bay

                                                                 hitching a ride

getting cleaned up after the long voyage 

                                                               At the dock

This blog is dedicated to Chris Ryals, and the guys at Columbus Diesel. Chris was the mechanic who discovered the problems and did his best for us. He brought us to the shop to see for ourselves the damage done, he patiently answered all our questions even the minor ones. He taught us all we need to know to keep this engine running like new for many years. I wish nothing but the best for him and his family. We also thank T.Caldwell, Jimmy and the young fellas at Columbus Marina. We were safe and treated well at the marina while we waited for our new engine.  T. towed us the 20 miles to Columbus, put us in a covered slip near to shore, got us in touch with Chris and got the crane that took the old Universal out and put the new one in. He was a good help in so many ways.

After two of the coldest mornings ever!!! we made the coast and tied to a dock at Turner Marina in the Dog River, Friday, Nov. 29 around noon. Nine days traveling and 71.4 hours on the new engine. We missed Thanksgiving Day but what’s that saying? Oh yeah, “we’d rather be sailing”! or motoring and heading south, at that point, even better. S/V Scotia, who I mentioned in an earlier blog, are here, so we finally got to meet Brenda and Hugh in person after VHF-ing with them a couple times.The mast will be stepped on Tuesday and we should be heading to Tarpon, 451 miles away, BUT we’ll be sailing. Juan is slowly coming to understand the boat, hope he’ll like the sailing part better. Mickey fell in the water again, but after drying himself, he climbed in the bed with us. I’ve dosed him with echinacea/goldenseal and sprayed his sneezing nose with colloidal silver solution. Another cold morning but the sun should warm us up handily if the wind doesn’t blow.

Thank you all our family and friends. You kept our spirits from sinking too low. Mummy, thanks for your support and prayers. My brother Andrew in Bermuda, who took time to give us advice about the engine. Donna, the wine helped tremendously, lol. Gail the books are awesome as usual. Pete and Sandy on their big adventure in New Zealand, chatting whenever possible. Phone calls from Shane and Gene and the friends at Mar Marina.

I’ll blog again once we get over to the panhandle of Florida.

Leaving Columbus Part One

this lovely creek was on the way to the mechanics

Goodbye Columbus

The happy Fishermen and their mighty big catfish

Wednesday, November 20th, dawned crisp and clear and ‘Night Music’ was once again complete. Bob and Barb of the BAR-B also left at the same time and we’ve been hopscotching them until now we sit tied to the one dock at Bobby’s Fish Camp. We didn’t get too far the first day and there were some minor issues to work through so we anchored at Pirate’s Marina Cove. At first we thought to dock there but OMG, it was totally not for us in many ways. Jack sorted out the issues, gave Chris, our mechanic a call to get advice, then we settled down to a quiet evening rejoicing our mobility. 

Thursday was grey when we left that cove. The wind still on our nose, so we were running slower than we hoped. We were forced to tie to a tree in an indent not far from the anchorage at Sumter because the pass into the lovely safe cove was too shallow.  The water was deep right up to the edge making anchoring impossible. We found a small log to make a ramp for the cats so they could explore. Jack stayed in the cockpit all night with the cats, the better to monitor the barge traffic. We see more barges at night than in the day. The next morning, Juan went for a last minute explore, and I had to go get him.

With our speed 5-6 kts on average, we then made our next anchorage at MM 224, a place called Rattlesnake, a horseshoe shaped off-shoot, that comes out at MM 223, our intended anchoring place that was recommended. At 223 a work boat was loading a barge and expected to be there for a couple more hours, so we turned around and made for 224, all this in the dark. We discovered that not too far into Rattlesnake, the water immediately got shallow, so we anchored in the mouth. Still we were safe and out of the channel. But the night was restless because the anchor chain was restless & grousing. Sounded like Jacob Marley come to call.

We got up early, and made for Demopolis and arrived around nine. Rainy, windy and cold. The dock was so far from the office that golf carts were provided. We took Juan down a long dock, then the connecting dock where the laundry and the showers were, then up the ramp to land. With all the people coming and going, plus the visitors to the Nina and Pinta replicas that were open for tours, we didn’t want to leave him. We gave him an hour, then needing to check in at the office and get a few more groceries, we scooped him up and drove him back to the boat in a golf cart. Of course, he wanted to jump out, but I held him tight. We did that one more time later that day, he was better then. None of the cats left the boat that night. It was quite cold and too busy. We thought to stay one more day, but after checking the weather, we decided to leave.

Sunday morning was sunny but very windy and cold and that made going through the Demopolis lock a really bad time. I screwed up the lines which wasn’t fun but even worse was the gusting wind that kept pulling the bow away from the wall. After minor cursing and yelling on both our parts we got out of there as fast as we could. Heaven be praised, the wind was behind us, the current was for us and Jack bumped up the RPMs a little so we picked up speed. Spent a lovely evening, if very cold, at Baron’s Landing, having traveled 48 miles instead of our usual 30. All four cats in the bed with us and I’m wearing so many layers of clothes, I can hardly move. After asking the first barge who came by to give us a ‘slow bell,’ the next five, who came by in the night, also slowed for us. Oh, and best of all, Mickey had his first dinghy ride when Jack took the cats for an evening explore. 

Up and away early Monday and made Bobby’s Fish Camp by 3:30. I won’t get started about all that is wrong with this place for the $1:50 a foot they charge. At least there is electricity and fuel. They are the last fuel stop until Mobile and the weather is really very nasty. Squally, and oh yes, COLD!!! We tied to the one dock behind the ‘BAR-B’ and that is nice. We visited with three of the nicest men from Florida on a fun, if very rainy and cold, fishing trip. They came by Tuesday morning to show off their mighty big catch, and they invited us to go to the best ever catfish restaurant later that day, but we'd invited Bob and Barb for spaghetti. Leaving Wednesday looking to raise Mobile by Friday.

                                                          END OF PART ONE