The 20th we got up early to go downtown Panama City to the Bagel Maker and got bagels and cream cheese for breakfast. Good bagels. Their theme is “What flys over the Bay? Bagels.” We left the dock about 8 am and headed up East Bay for the GIWW that cuts through the low lands to Appalachacola. We went through most of canal and anchored at Saul creek near where the Applachacola River enters the GIWW. We had the screens up around the cockpit and it was pleasant reading in the cockpit after sundown. Then I noticed a bunch of little bugs crawling under the netting and we closed up the boat and went below.

In the morning we looked in the cockpit and the little green bugs were up to an inch deep in corners and between the screening and other canvas. Ugh! It took two hours of soap and water to get the cockpit usable. We upped anchor and motored to Applachacola where we docked at the city marina. We used their hose to scrub down the whole boat and wash the screens. Then we went to town and visited the Dr. Gorrie museum. He invented commercial refrigeration in 1855 to help people with yellow fever or malaria. His idea was to make ice to cool the patient's room to make them more comfortable. His invention never took off as the ice shippers ganged up against his ideas. He died shortly thereafter but his compressor system is similar to what makes refrigeration and air conditioning work today.

We left Appalachacola about 3 pm and motor-sailed to Dog Island where we anchored in prepartion for the 70 mile crossing to mainland Florida at Steinhatchee. There was a collection of sailboats there and more followed us in. Some had just crossed from mainland Florida, others were locals enjoying the weekend. We were invited over to a boat to party but declined, too many folks and we had to get up early. We called Dean and left him our “Float Plan” in case something happened. “Leaving East Pass at Dog Island, direct to Steinhatchee, Sea Hag Marina, should arrive in 12 hours, notify Coast Guard if we haven't called by 10.”

Sunday the 22nd we got underway at 6:45 in a ¼ mile visability due to fog. Using GPS and keeping land in sight, we went out the channel and off across the Gulf of Mexico (really Alapatchee Bay) to Steinhatchee. Saw little traffic but a lot of bottle-nose dolphins. They loved playing in the bow wave and we had up to 7 playing around the boat. The fog burned off about 10 am and the sun came out around 11. Sails went up at 1 pm and down at 6 as the wind died. It was a 71 nautical mile day at a bit over 5 knots. We got to Steinhatchee and tied up at the Sea Hag Marina because it is the only place in town. No place to anchor except out in the Gulf. As calm as it is, we could have. But we wouldn't have been able to update this blog.

Monday we leave for Cedar Key another small town on the coast.