Weather forecast for March 18, 2018:
St. Andrews Marina, St. Andrews Bay, Panama City, Florida
Low 66 high 79, 60% chance of precipitation
West Northwest Winds, 5 to 10 kts
Captain’s Log: March 15 - 22, 2018
As usual, we were up with the sun on Thursday, March 15th, anxious to take Perfect Love off shore for the first time. After the routine engine room check, we completed the safety check on deck and then pulled the anchor. It was a beautiful, sunny morning with calm seas and winds out of the east at 10-15kts.
By 8:00am we were well into the Pensacola ship channel, which was already busy with commercial traffic and local fishermen. About four miles off shore we turned the bow east, heading for Destin. We were hoping to set the sails but the wind was directly on our nose.
At 1,800rpm we were cruising at about 7.5kts. By 11:00am the wind has shifted a little to the south so we set the jib and the mizzen; this added almost a full knot to our speed over ground. We were motor sailing and one step closer to shutting down the iron genny.
By 14:30 we had the outer markers of the Destin ship channel in sight. Friends had cautioned us that the entrance to Destin can be tricky, especially if the wind is blowing hard or the tide is running. Fortunately for us, neither was the case, although there was a lot of traffic in the narrow entrance. I thought it prudent to contact BoatUS for some local guidance and, after a brief conversation with the local TowBoatUS captain, we plunged into the melee.
The anchor took hold at 15:40 and, after securing the boat, we relaxed to take in the view for a few minutes. Destin harbor is like a floating amusement park; with water taxis, sight seeing boats; sport fisherman and various other watercraft, large and small, milling around a harbor that is lined with tourist bars, amusement park rides and pontoon boat and jet ski rentals. It is rather tacky and a far cry from the quaint little fishing village of 30 years ago.
Nevertheless, we decided to splash the dinghy and head for the nearest watering hole. We found The Boat House, an open-air dive bar. What initially attracted us to this fine establishment were the three gentlemen shucking oysters out front and the loud, live music. We walked in like we owned the place, grabbed two barstools, ordered two Coronas and a dozen raw oysters; $13 with the tip.
Wrapping up the evening, we toasted Shirley's daughter Rachel and my daughter Erica; both born on the Ides of March. Although March 15th has historically been a very unlucky day, especially for Julius Caesar, we are both feeling very lucky to have such wonderful daughters.
Back to the boat for one last check of the weather; it’s a ‘go’ for Panama City tomorrow!
Anxious to depart Destin harbor before the rush of vacationers on pontoon boats and jet skis, we raised the anchor at 8:00am and were on our way east again; Panama City here we come.
Once underway, Shirley called St. Andrews Marina to see if a slip would be available for us. Our friends John and Heidi on m/v JoCa are staying at St. Andrews Marina and we were hoping to catch up with them. No dice; with St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday the marina was completely full for the weekend. Our second choice was Panama City Marina; Shirley called and reserved a spot for us.
The trip was uneventful. Calm water and relatively light winds out of the east, on our nose again. With engine running we covered the 53nm in 7 hour and had the outer channel markers for St. Andrews Bay in our sight by 15:00. Clear skies gave way to clouds to our west and by the time we entered the channel it was drizzling.
Shirley tried to call Panama City Marina to get docking instructions but she mistakenly dialed St. Andrews Marina instead. What a stroke of luck! Someone had just cancelled and there was now a slip available for us.
After getting a look at slip 94 at St. Andrews I decided to pull in bow first. That was a mistake; we were too far from the electrical outlets and the bowsprit was hanging over the dock. So, I backed out, did a 180 and backed in. I actually looked like I knew what I was doing. We were secured at the dock by 17:00.
We learned that a Farmer's Market was held every Saturday morning just around the corner from the marina so, bright and early the next day, we checked it out. While at the market we came across a booth selling passports for the St. Patricks Day Pub Crawl. We decided to make an investment.
While still at the market we came across a pamphlet describing The St. Andrews Trail. Very interesting to a native Cincinnatian like myself, the Trail takes one through the Cincinnati Hill area; the center of what was called the "Cincinnati Boom". With the passage of the Homestead Act of 1885, land was homesteaded for $1 per acre and a great deal of land in the area was open for settlement. The St. Andrew Railroad, Land, and Mining Company from Cincinnati, Ohio, bought a lot of this property. The land was cut into lots 25 feet square and sold for $2 each. There were more than 300,000 sold. The "Cincinnati Boom" brought thousands of people to settle in St. Andrews.
Enough history.
At 17:00 a short parade featuring big men in kilts playing bagpipes passed through town, signaling the start of the Crawl. Thirsty, and with passports in hand, we had a real good time getting to know the quaint downtown area of St. Andrews from the barstools at Alice's on Bayview, Uncle Earnie's, Barefoot on the Bay, The Little Village and The Mariner's Daughter in that exact order.
The weather outlook for the next several days is not good. Gale force winds and 6-10ft seas are predicted for Monday through Wednesday with small craft advisories so we are staying put at St. Andrews until at least Thursday, March 22nd. Our plan is to anchor off of St. Joseph Peninsula at St. Joe Point, about 28nm, on Thursday night, then on to the Wreck Island anchorage just off of St. Vincent Island, about 29nm, on Friday night. From Wreck Island we will cross the 'Florida Big Bend' heading for Clearwater, about 160nm, our first overnight sail.
Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas.