Panama City for Christmas?

Our course is charted...we need to get to Panama City before Sunday so we can catch a rental car to Orlando for a flight home to Midland for Christmas.  The weather gods are in agreement...the predicted rain has slid both North and South so with a prevailing North wind we are out of Pensacola.  Our only challenge is a 48 ft bridge at Fort Waldon Beach.  My 'b-estimate' measurement of the mast when down at Hammond was 39.5 ft + 7.5 ft from the waterline to mast step = 47 ft not including antennas.  Hmmm...how accurate was that measurement??  Kevin and I remeasured and estimated 46.5 ft not including antennas...we should make it right?!  First lower bridge was the Naverene bridge at 50 ft...should be a good test.  So as we approach the bridge we notice there is construction going on with a platform below the high point of the bridge.  A worker comes out to meet us in a boat to say the platform is 48 ft over the water...can we make it?  Well, maybe!  He suggested going under outside the channel, and construction, where the bridge is 51 ft high (though the water is only 10 ft deep).  Under we go!!  I see our clearance as a couple of feet.  The guy in the boat says we wouldn't have made the 48 ft center and just cleared by less than a foot.  Hmmmm!  So now what?  On we go!  The Ft. Waldon bridge is some two hours away...lots of time to think about the possibile outcomes.  We approach dead slow...and make it clearing without even touch the VHF antenna!  No Prob!!!!!  As we go through we see the clearance scale on the other side indicating a 49 ft clearance.  A lower tide and North wind helped give the edge.  Fhew!!!

One more look at the Wheel of Excellence. 

Ft. Waldon Beach Bridge

No Problem!!

We anchored up in Joe's Bayou just East of Destin.  It felt like we were camping in the backyards of a couple million dollar homes.  Nice evening but it got down to the upper 30's at night.  Good thing we lots of covers and our Little Buddy propane heater!!

Joe's Bayou

The next day we headed out into a large bay...and guess what...we could put out one of those white things we've been carrying around for a few hundred miles!!  Wow!!!  About mid-day we ran into fog so thick it was tough to see 100 ft.  Good test for the radar and AIS...picked out a couple of small tows as we were going into the 'ditch.'

Next stop, the Christmas home for Catmandu, Bay Point Marina, Panama City Marina.

Our first order of business was getting tied up in time for a Looper Party on Lady KK (65 ft Viking).  There was a mixture of Loopers we've seen along the way with some we've met for the first time.  Most were planning to spend the holidays here.  The next couple of days have been spent cleaning up, organizing, packing and completing some projects.  

Up the mast to work on the Wifi antenna

One last sunset on the water this year...next stop Michigan!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Picken Pensacola

Time to depart Orange Beach and head for the land of Oranges.  Another nice morning, if not a little cool and we are off again!  As we thread our way down the ICW you are struck by how many houses, huge homes are crowded along the water front.  Not because it's not beautiful...it certainly is that.  But because it's so exposed to...the Gulf...and storms and hurricanes (oh my!)!!  I've heard it said that the Federal Flood Insurance program is a subsidy the taxpayer gives to these homeowners to rebuild.  It's not free but the cost isn't even close to matching the high risk (which is why it's a government program...no private insurer would touch it).  Still seems like a 'crap shoot' to me.  But again...it's beautiful so I can appreciate the draw.  Guess that's why I'm here!!!

Departing Orange Beach

Sport Fishers - boat of choice in these waters!

We made it!!!  Only a few hundred miles to go!!!

Here comes the welcoming committee!!!!

In front of that Ponce guy.

We stayed at the Palafox Pier Marina which is right at the edge of downtown Pensacola.  The town is pretty and has lots of restaurants and bars (they even have a World of Beer...that was promptly put off limits to me!  I didn't want the World...but maybe a Continent or two!!).  We rented a car and drove out to the eastern end of Santa Rosa Island.  Santa Rosa Island is this huge barrier island that basically protects the main land (from storms & hurricanes) but more importantly is the home of Pensacola Beach!  Oh to be here during Spring Break!!  At the far eastern end is Ft. Pickens.  Built to protect the homeland from the British the only fighting it saw was during the Civil War (the North successfully defended it against the South).  Interesting in this day of missiles and drones back then defending against attack meant protecting ports as they were the only entry points for an offensive army.  Of course to protect our freedom thousands of slaves were used to build these high tech forts.  Maybe not a good trade off?  But if it weren't for those tough decisions we maybe speaking a different language...or maybe the King's English...which is kind of a different language.

Fort Pickens

Our tour guide.

In more modern times Ft. Pickens was modernized with two huge
guns for WWII defenses.

Bet you could fit your head in there Kevin!

Smooth...I think not!

So much for history...time for the beach!  A little windy and cool for Chris and I to walk so we stayed behind and talked to a couple on the pavilion.  Guess where they're from...Bay City, MI!!!

So what to do next!!  Obviously no trip to the beach is complete without a ride on the "Wheel of Excellence"!!!

Bridge we will be going under on the ICW

High end RV park...with no RVs

So this is where we say goodbye to our Zombies.  The heart can't fully describe to the brain in words how much it meant to have them on-board.  Thanks for sharing in our adventure!!  We love you!!!