Martin: 'Why aren't they carrying Bibles'?
Kathy: 'What?...Who'?
Martin: 'Those guys in the white shirts and ties'
Kathy: 'Why should they carry Bibles - they are business men'?
Martin: 'Oh - I thought they were Mormons come to preach the Good Word'
Kathy: 'What!!! - Why'?
Martin: 'Cause in Texas only Mormons where white shirts and ties.....................................'

We're in Florida! Yesssssssssssssssssssssssss!

We had a dream trip over from New Orleans - with added excitements as well. Crossing the Mississippi delta, just after New Orleans, we ran into thick fog - I mean 50' (15m) visibility - the forecast had said light fog but.................. Before we left Texas we made the decision to bite the bullet and have an AIS (Automatic Identification System) transmitter and receiver installed. This allowed us to see other vessels as well as be seen. So, how is that different from radar? Well, it certainly is not a substitute for radar - it does not show a vessel without AIS, but the advantage over radar is that it provides information on your vessel, such as, name, type, course, speed, status, anchored, etc. This is a must for anyone transiting the ICW. It means that other people can identify you and you them (even if you can't understand what they say when they call you on the radio!). During the crossing of the Mississippi delta, we managed to:

• Try to run into a 20' thick wall - they are building a flood gate station across the ICW just outside New Orleans - this is not on the paper or electronic charts! A guy who was controlling the traffic called us, by name, and advised us that if we keep going on our course will make our boat considerably shorter! The fog was so thick they sent out a workboat to lead us through the construction area! That's service. When I advised him that we were also hungry and could he come and prepare lunch for us, he declined - I guess service only goes so far!
• Moor on a pile (wooden pole driven into the sea bed) as it was really quite dangerous to keep going at this stage, but the all-seeing man at the flood gate station called us, AGAIN, and advised us the a barge carrying 5,000 tons of benzene was going to tie up there very soon. How inconsiderate. I asked him if he realized who we were? - he was not impressed!
• Get run down by the afore mentioned barge carrying 5,000 tons of benzene - actually this is a gross exaggeration, as we saw each other on the AIS and we negotiated how we were going to pass . We were only 100' apart we hardly saw each other. We did eventually anchor for about 2 hours until the fog started to lift.

The transiting of the Mississippi delta, after the fog cleared was an absolute delight. A 10' spotted dolphin adopted us for about 20 minutes - just to plague India - she would stand rigid and shake, with an expression of 'what is it - Aghhhhh'?

We made a number of overnights/longer stays which we fabulous, such as:

• Point Cadet Marina, Biloxi, Mississippi -here is where we 'washed our fuel'? Some of you may of have heard of fuel polishing' (running all your fuel through a fine filter and having the tank/s cleaned out). This is the DIY version, when one person fills the fuel tank - and leaves the plug out (me) and another person washed the deck down and water goes into the fuel tank and pushes out afore said fuel (Kathy). Ummmm.... A day later we had the engine running again! Ho hum - the joys of cruising!
• Lu Lu's restaurant at Homeport Alabama - this is owned by Jimmy Buffets sister and is a great place for a Margarita and a burger!
• Palafox Marina, Pensacola, Florida - great place to stop. Fabulous restaurant overlooking the marina and the city is just the best, with everything that you could want (even a Greek food store just down the road). We stayed there a little longer than expected and we had a double front came thorough, which decided to stop right over us! 3 days of 30 knot winds, rain thunder, etc. BUT, being in Pensacola made up for it!

Also, Pensacola was the end of ICW passage and now it was the big boys stuff - the Gulf of Mexico! When we entered Pensacola Bay, we watched the water turn from ICW turd brown to crystal clear green/blue (I must confess to there being a visible stirring in my nether regions..... Kathy said that I could put that away and stop being silly!

Anyway, when we did get a weather window we made for Panama City, via Destin - to empty the Fuzzle. The trips can only be described as 'magic' - although the wind was light - clear blue sky, golden sun, clear blue sea - Ooop's ... there's a stirring happening again! We had booked a berth at Treasures Marina at Destin but made the decision to anchor overnight instead and empty Fuzzle using the dingy. THAT WAS A GOOD MOVE! The place is Party Town! We were 3 miles down the bay and the music still made the glasses rattle on the boat!

We are now in Panama City, having decided that we could not take the chance on poor internet connections at Port St Joe, as Kathy relies on that for work (Port St Joe is beautiful, but tiny!). I love where we are in Panama City - firstly, I love Florida, pity about the old people - hang on a minute, I am one of them! We are at St Andrews Marina on the south east side of the bay, I can only describe it as a maidens dream come true (me being the maiden - well , my feminine side at least!), safe, secure, bars and restaurants all around us, a farmers market in the marina on a Saturday morning, selling homemade bread and fresh produce. I know the history and lives of more people on our dock than I ever knew in all the places I have ever lived! There is even a guy at the end if the dock, who lives aboard a 20' yacht with his scruffy, pound puppy, called Gizmo, who plays the bongos every evening - my kinda guy!. ALSO, each night, a few minutes before sunset people blow on horns and conch shells to remind everyone to watch the sun go down!

'Taint a bad life we've got!