Our stay in Mobile was pleasant and included visits with family and friends, but we were ready to resume the journey.
We reconnected with friends that we had met in the Bahamas two years ago and made plans to continue at least the next leg of the trip with them.
So, on Tuesday, October 28, we topped off the water and fuel tanks and headed out Dog River and across Mobile Bay. Thought we were going to be able to sail for a while, but the wind died on us and diesel carried us through again.
The highlight of this day was an overnight stay at Pirates Cove, which always includes delicious burgers and Bushwackers.
Time on the water Wednesday was fairly brief because our destination, Redfish Point near Pensacola, lay only about 10 miles away. We planned to anchor overnight and head outside from there early Thursday and sail. to Port St. Joe.

Thursday, October 30
We headed out to the Gulf with Providence as planned. Seas turned out rougher than expected with wind gusting to 26 mph, so both boats turned back. 'Bout Time opted to head east on the ICW, but this was not an option for Providence because of mast height, so she will stay put for a few days.
Leaving Pensacola we took a "wrong turn," but it was easily corrected and we learned several lessons.
#1 - don't trust your memory.
#2 - pay attention to the buoys.
#3 - always double check everything.
The remainder of the day was easy and uneventful. A little choppy on open water, but pleasant otherwise.
We anchored at mile 212 just off the ICW at a spot Capt. had marked on the chart plotter on our last trip as a likely spot for anchoring. Turned out to be perfect.
Friday, October 31 left the anchorage at about 08:30 under good conditions. Enjoyed a breakfast of scrambled eggs sausage and toast while underway and began thinking about how far we might be able to travel. It actually turned into a long and fairly boring day of motoring.
As the day progressed, we weighed our limited options and decided to push on through the section of the ICW known as the Grand Canyon. There are no suitable anchorages for 20 miles here, so once you head in, you have to go on. We knew we would be pushing it to get to Panama City, and sure enough we came in at sunset (and a beautiful sunset it was!) *photo
Fortunately, we were heading into a familiar anchorage, having stayed there in November of '12 and March of '13.
Anchoring went smoothly and we breathed a sigh of relief. After dinner we listened to NOAA weather and forecast sounded daunting. Wind 30-25, gusting to 30. Of even greater concern was the forecast east of here for the next few days.
So, we checked the anchor one last time, set the alarm, and settled down for the night.
Saturday, November 1
After a bit of a rocking and rolling throughout the night, we woke up to a very chilly boat. Hot coffee rarely has tasted better. We again listened to the NOAA forecast and had no trouble deciding to stay put today. The forecast was for 30 mph winds, even on protected waters, with temperatures in the 40s. That combination was not inviting. Making this decision even easier is the fact that John's tooth extraction has been slow to heal and he's still not 100%.
So as the sun has warmed the cabin, we have enjoyed pancakes and sausage for breakfast, time to catch up on some small tasks, and chats with family back home.
If the weather improves, as it's predicted to, we'll move on to Apalachicola tomorrow. And for those of you who know us well, you know that means oysters for dinner and a visit to the classic Gibson Inn.
*Note - Technically this portion of the intracoastal waterway is the Gulf Intracoastal Water Way(GIWW) with the ICW on the east coast,but it's common to refer to it as the ICW, and that's typically the term I use. Just in case anyone was wondering!
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