Weather forecast for December 9, 2016:
Turner Marine, Dog River, Mobile, Alabama
Cloudy, low 37 high 55.
North winds 20 to 25 knots.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
Captain’s Log: November 28 – December 8, 2016
It is COLD down here! Of course, ‘cold’ is relative; compared to Detroit, Denver, Marysville or Cincinnati right now, Mobile is down right balmy. Nevertheless, at the time of this writing it is 41 degrees and falling with a brisk and constant wind. After weeks living in the very comfortable temperature range of 55-75 degrees, 41 is bone chilling. With no heat on the boat Shirley’s two down comforters are very welcomed. I am reminded why I was so anxious to leave the frozen north.
Time is flying. We are up with the sun and at hitting it hard by 6:30 every day. By the time that our routine wraps up at night we are completely exhausted. Finding the time and energy to write is becoming more and more difficult. I am thinking that this log will be updated on a weekly basis going forward.
On November 30th our new finish-carpenter started work. Dave is a 50-something, 6’5” long-haired Catholic boy from the east shore of Mobile Bay. He has 10 siblings (like mom and dad, Dave’s parents practiced the rhythm method until they got it right). Dave, and his helper Joel, are great guys and do terrific work. At the rate we are moving now, the interior should be completely finished within another week.
There are a lot of Catholics down here, which surprises me. I thought all southerners were Baptists.
We decided against going to Pensacola this past weekend. On Saturday afternoon we drove into downtown Mobile to do some exploring. Mobile is a charming city. There are many turn-of-the-century buildings and private homes sporting wrought-iron railings encasing second story, wrap-around porches like one finds in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The evergreen live oaks, with their drooping, curvaceous branches, draped in Spanish moss, give a very charming southern quality to many of Mobile's streets, reminding me of Savannah.
We somehow found ourselves on Dauphin Street (probably because Dauphins Street is lined with bars, cafés, boutiques and music venues). We didn’t have enough time to spend on Dauphin Street but we will most certainly be frequenting that grand avenue in the near future. MOM - we also found the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and we will be going there for midnight mass on Christmas Eve (doors open at 11:00 and the choir starts at 11:15).
We decided to dine at a highly recommended fresh seafood eatery called Felix’s Fish Camp. On our way from downtown to Felix’s we drove past and decided to make a quick stop at the Battleship USS Alabama (BB-60) memorial/museum. It was late in the day so we stayed in our Jeep and drove around the very large grounds. The setting, with the massive battleship as the centerpiece, is awesome. We will definitely return for the full tour.
We had a great experience at Felix’s Fish Camp. The restaurant sits among the reeds and mudflats of the Bay and we had a window table with a terrific view. There was so much to look at that Shirley actually excused herself to retrieve the binoculars that we keep in the Jeep. We drank strong waters, ate oysters on the half shell and a fabulous crab soup while passing the binoculars between us.
By 5:30 it was time to hit the road as we needed to be back at the marina by 6:00 to catch the Christmas Boat Parade on the Dog River. The parade was short but fun; the passing boats tossed beads to the spectators while various seasonal and rock tunes blared from deck-mounted loud speakers. One boat actually launched a fireworks display while underway.
It rained all day on Monday and Tuesday. The much-needed rain finally broke a two-month drought but it also exposed a number of deck leaks on the boat. LEAKS DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!! I spent the entire Wednesday and half of Thursday fixing said leaks while Dave and Joel finished up the flooring and mounted the cabin door. Shirley supervised.
Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas!