12-14-2013

We are attempting our first blog post. Please forgive any errors, blunders or faux pas we may inflict upon you.

After some (read way too much) preparation, we finally left the harbor in Mandeville on December 1, 2013. We spent months installing new electronics, radios, an autopilot, antennae, a windlass, and a watermaker and solar panels (Greg). We also made covers for the outboard motor, BBQ and dinghy as well as dinghy chaps(That was a real challenge!) and an awning to shade the cabin top(LizAnn). We also had an enclosure made for the cockpit (possibly the BEST decision we've made) and had the boat hauled and the bottom painted and set the propeller pitch.

 

 

Our new cabinets that our friend, Bill Edwards was building for us.

















Greg making the shelf for a new cabinet.





















The new autopilot that Greg spent countless hours in this cramped space to install.








Wiring to make all the electronics talk to each other (NMEA multiplexer) which took Greg weeks to run the wires and get everything connected as it needed to be. What a job!! There's lots more wires and antennae, etc than you see here.

 Making a pattern to make the dinghy chaps. (That's covers for the inflated pontoons on the dinghy which are damaged by the sun so need to be covered.)

 The finished chaps with a vinyl cover on the bow to protect from abrasion.

A cover for the dinghy when it is stored upside down on the deck during travel.














We left Mandeville about 2:30 (14:30 for you sailors) on Sunday, December 1, 2013. Had to motor to Slidell because it was flat calm. But had a beautiful sunset on the lake that day.

Casting off!!

Going down Bayou Castine from our dock to the harbor entrance into the lake.

Greg at the wheel, leaving the harbor. (Note the beautiful new covers on the BBQ and the outboard motor!)

So long to our homeport!
















LizAnn at the wheel.

Sunset on Lake Pontchartrain, December 1, 2013

We anchored the next night at Ship Island and put up our Christmas tree.The following night we were at Dauphin Island. It was really foggy as we sailed across Mobile Bay the next day then lifted a bit. As we entered Ingram Bayou (near Orange Beach), one of our favorite anchorages, to anchor on the 4th, the fog rolled in again. After we anchored, it cleared for the evening. Next day we sailed to Redfish Point on Perdido Key for a nice anchorage.

 



Cooking the first night. Getting used to the small galley and trying to remember where we stowed everything.

We are ready for Christmas!

Sunrise on Ingram Bayou.

Our anchorage at Redfish Point on Perdido Key.

Sunset at Redfish Point.

We sailed from Redfish Point to Ft. Walton in the ICW and tied up to their city dock. Free pump out and free dock for the night! Our cruising guide had warned that the bridge at Navarre was charted as having a 50 ft clearance but often only had 48 ft. We need 49 1/2 ft clearance for the mast and antennae. The tide markers showed 50 ft and we had no problem. However, when we left Ft. Walton and crossed under Brooks bridge, which was also charted as 50 ft., the tide markers were missing on the side and our antennae brushed the underside of the bridge. The tide marker on the other side which we could see once we got through, said it had less than 49 ft at that time. Whew!! That night we anchored just East of the Choctawhatchee Bay bridge n the East end of the bay.

 

We made it to Pearl Bayou a little East of Panama City the next night. It was a great anchorage as far as calm safe waters. The drawbacks were that the military has appropriated the western branch of the bayou for search and rescue vessels and has a base nearby. We heard reveille every morning at 6:30 and taps at 9:30 at night. Not too bad except the airbase nearby must have been having some practice flyovers or whatever they call them the first day we were there. We heard jets and could practically see the pilots as they flew overhead for hours.

 

We stayed there a couple of nights and then motored to Port St. Joe. As we left Pearl Bayou on the morning of the 11th, we had to go under the Dupont bridge. Just as we got under the bridge, I heard a flapping noise coming from the engine compartment. We had to raise the sails (under the bridge), shut off the motor and Greg had to replace the fan belt while I tacked back and forth on the other side of the bridge. Fortunately, we had good deep water on both sides of the ICW channel there. We couldn't sail in the channel because the wind was right on the bow. That was our cardiac workout for the day. We  motored through the very narrow ICW from there to Port St. Joe and docked at the marina there. Rented a car the next day and drove home for Connor's graduation on the 14th.

 

Heading back to the boat on Tuesday for more adventures.