December 25, 2016 – Sunday

We have officially been on the Loop for two months today, we are so looking forward to the rest of the adventure.

Christmas Morning, Sunrise Walk. Panama City Beach

Merry Christmas, see you on the water!

• Sunrise 6:37 am – Sunset 4:49 pm
• Temp 76 F Hi – 64 F Low – Sunny
• Day 61

December 24, 2016 – Friday

Christmas Eve Walk

Twas the night before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through waterways,

Boaters were dreaming of cruising routes and getaways.
The dock lines were fastened, and we know that it’s rare,
But narry a hurricane, nor foul wind blew there.

The cruisers were snuggled all safe in their bunks,
Gifts were hidden away in lockers behind the bilge pumps.
The First Mate in his slumbers and I in watch cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the dock there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bunk to see what was the matter.
Banging my head on the bulkhead and making a crash,
I peered out of the porthole at a red and green flash.

The moon on the marina where we’d spent all our dough,
Gave the lustre of mid-day to the water below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, a bearded pirate in red,
I knew in a moment, I shoulda stayed in bed.
More rapid than seagulls his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now, Splasher! Now, Wave Dancer! Now, Port and Starboard!
On, Channel! On, Charter! On, Dinghy and Whipchord!
To the top of the dock! To the top of the mast!
Now splash away! Splash away! Splash away fast!”

As day sailors who before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the club house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of gear, and that old pirate too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the deck
hooves that were going to scuff it an play merry heck.
As I cursed and headed up towards the sound,
Down the gallery ladder St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed for frostbiting, from his head to his foot,
Under Armor, Gill Three-season gloves and other loot.
A bundle of Gadgets he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

Back off you marauder, you better move quick!
Ahoy there, chill out, it’s just me, St Nick.
I must have hit my head pretty hard, I thought,
As the pirate in red laid out gifts he had brought.

The stump of a Cuban cigar he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face all tan and lined like a map,
He handed me a crab pot, an EPIRB and tipped his cap.

He was chubby and plump, quite a handful of ballast,
And I laughed when I saw, his hands too are calloused!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled the fuel tanks, then turned with a jerk.
“These diesel rates are outrageous!” Cried the old Cringle.
Then gave me a gift that folds, ‘stead of jingles.

He sprang to his sleigh, gave a three-minute whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim to the deer, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Now remember on the way home, keep the red on the right!”  ~~ Waterway Guide

 

 

 

December 23, 2016 – Friday

St. Andrews State Park is known for its sugar white sands and emerald green waters. The park has over one-and-a-half miles of beach on the Gulf of Mexico and a Grand Lagoon that offered us a magnificent opportunity for bird-watching. We looked for alligators at Gator Lake but, they must have been in hiding. Even without the gators, we had an amazing hike on the gulf and around the lagoon.

After St. Andrews State Park we went to the public beach.

As much fun as I had walking on the beach, observing the birds, turtles, and deer I had more fun visiting with the McCorkel’s.  Jessica and I were office partners for five years in Seoul and she was the best work partner ever. Her daughter, Skylar, and I were playmates and often went to the park together. She was only two years and seven months old when we all left Seoul, she is now four, and I was pretty sure that she would not remember me, however, we picked up just where we left off. She is amazing!

 

December 22, 2016 – Thursday

We loved boating down the GIWW and wanted an opportunity to see the area by land. Today we rented a car and drove the beautiful  from Panama City Beach to Fort Morgan.

 

We took a short walk at Brackenridge Trail in the Naval Live Oaks Park.

We made a brief stop in Destin, Florida to pick up a couple of items from West Marine

We arrived back to Andiamo, after dark, tired, hungry, and happy.

 

 

 

December 21, 2016 – Wednesday

Pictures from our morning walk.

Bay Point Marina Swimming Pool

Lady Gray

The best part of the day was a visit from Jessica, my officemate and partner in school improvement at the DSO in Seoul South Korea.

 

December 19, 2016 – Monday

Heavy rain was forecast for last night and we were delighted that Mother Nature would wash the salt off Andiamo for us, and she did just that. She also continued to give us rain until 7:00 am this morning. Today was below 55 degrees, foggy, with winds up to 35 mph. Mind you, I’m not complaining, and I know that most of you are in terrible weather conditions, but the wind-chill index made me want to stay on Andiamo and read the day away.

Docking a boat isn’t as easy as parking a car, but Rick and I work well together and usually do very well. As we prepared to pull into our slip at Bay Point Marina I realized, that this time, I was not prepared.. We had never backed in and had never had to tie-up to poles, suddenly I realized that I needed lines at all four corners of the boat and Rick was already backing up. Fortunately, the marina had sent someone down to help with the lines and he patiently led me through the new process. Next time, I will be ready.

As we passed the military installations along the GIWW I wondered if any of them were in operation during the Civil War. Of the six installations, three Navy and three Air Force, the Naval Air Station at Pensacola has the longest and most colorful historical background. Dating back to the 16th century, the Pensacola area has served as a military base for several countries and was significant to the Civil War, some claim the first shots of the Civil War were fired here.

Brief History of the Naval Air Station at Pensacola
1559 –Spanish founded the first European settlement in the area
1697 – Spanish built Fort San Carlos de Austria on this site
1719 – French captured Pensacola and destroyed Fort San Carlos de Austria
1763 – Great Britain took over the site after defeating the French in the Seven Years’ War
1781 – Great Britain ceded West Florida to Spain after the American Revolutionary War
1797 – Spain built Fort San Carlos de Barrancas on this site
1814 – Pensacola was taken by General Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812
1821- Spain ceded this territory to the US
1825 – At the request of President John Quincy Adams and Secretary of the Navy Samuel Southard, the US designated this area for the Pensacola Navy Yard, which became the Warrington Navy Yard
1826 – Warrington Navy Yard, became one of the best equipped naval stations in the country
1861- Warrington Navy Yard surrendered to secessionists, just prior to the commencement of the Civil War
1862 – Fearing attack from the Union after they captured New Orleans, Confederate troops reduced the Navy Yard to rubble and then retreated. After the Civil War, the base was rebuilt for use as a Navy Yard
1913 – Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola was established as an aviation training station in Pensacola
1917 – As we entered WW I, Naval Air Station Pensacola, the United States’ only naval air station, had 38 naval aviators, 163 enlisted men trained in aviation, and 54 airplanes.
1935 – Aviation Cadet Training Program began on Chevalier Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola
1944 – During World War II, the number of pilots trained by NAS Pensacola reached an all-time high of 12,010 men

Today, NAS Pensacola provides support to 94 Department of Defense (DoD) and 31 non-DoD tenant commands, most of which are primarily dedicated to the training of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel in naval aviation.

 

December 18, 2016 – Sunday

Bay Point Marina, Panama City Beach will be our home for the next seven to ten days. We will be visiting friends, exploring, and planning the next portion of our trip.  This morning we walked two and a half miles to a Publix Supermarket to pick up a few items. The temperature was only seventy-seven but the humidity was ninety-six and by the time we got there, even though we only needed a few items, we walked the entire store trying to cool off.

Below are few pictures from our morning walk.

December 17, 2016 – Saturday

The Gulf Intracostal Waterway is approximately 1050 miles and runs from Brownsville, Texas to Carrabelle, Florida.

Today, Rick and I covered the 46.5 miles from Ft. Walton Beach to Panama City Beach, FL. This section of the GIWW was very isolated, we saw a few fishing boats, a homeless camp, and a consistent change of vegetation.  It was only as we neared West Bay, just before Panama City, the bird life seemed to return.

Civil War History (April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865) Interesting Facts about Civil War Navies

• The Union “Anaconda Plan” relied heavy on sea supremacy.
• The Union navy grew by 600% to meet the demands of the war.
• Naval dominance on the rivers allowed the Federals to gain an edge in the war on land.
• The Civil War featured the first battle between ironclad ships.
• The first successful submarine attack took place during the Civil War.
• Southern raiders terrorized Northern traders, reducing the strength of the Northern merchant fleet by half.
• The Union blockade failed to stop the majority of ships that tested it, but successfully deterred the majority of the South’s pre-war international trade.
• Diplomatic naval crises brought the North and Great Britain to the brink of war–twice.
• New Orleans, the largest city in the South, was captured primarily through naval action.
• The sailors on the CSS Shenandoah were the last Confederates to lower their flag.

 

December 15, 2016 – Thursday

We had a wonderful day, as so many others, we started the day with one of our Blue Heron friends.

After breakfast, Rick and I had coffee with Tanya Binford, author of Crossing the Wake. We discussed possible anchorages and marinas for the next portion of our adventure and she shared many of her loop adventures with us. After coffee, her friends joined us for lunch at Lulu’s. Lulu’s is owned by Jimmy Buffett’s sister, Lucy.

As fate would have it, in the late afternoon, M/V Bob Tale pulled into the slip next to ours. Owners Jean and Paul are a delight and it was great to have time to visit with them.

December 16, 2016 – Friday

We were up at 5:15 am preparing for our departure, at 6:15 am Paul and Jean are up, wishing us Merry Christmas and giving us a push off. The sunrise was beautiful.

Views from the Gulf Intracostal Waterway

The weather forecast for today was, winds from the south with waves one foot or less, instead, the winds came from the north-north-east, the direction we were going, with waves between 1.5 to 2.5  feet. That meant a day of rough riding and trying to stay on top of the waves. Tonight we are at the public dock of Fort Wald0n Beach, on the Emerald Coast in western Florida.

The dock is part of the city park which has a statue of a brown pelican, one of our favorite birds, as well as Christmas decorations.

If all goes well, tomorrow we will be Panama City Beach, FL.