Day 89 - Wednesday, 4-9-08, Panama City Marina to Fort Walton Beach Yacht Basin

It was a pleasant day, travelling from St Andrews Bay to West Bay thence into West Bay Creek, the ICW and across Choctawhatchee Bay, under the 49' vertical clearance Brooks Bridge (whew- we need at least 48'!) into The Narrows and to the marina where we would moor for the evening- our last night out. We had good wind out of the Panama City Marina, allowing us to motor sail all the way into West Bay Creek at speeds in the 6-7 kt range- this is the speed range we love! Once into the Creek and continuing along the ICW to Choctawhatchee Bay, we were able to maintain our speed in the mid- 6 kt range because of a favorable current. For the day, we had one of our best daily speed averages- 6.2 kts for the almost 59 nm passage.

Our passage through the Creek/ICW was uneventful except working our way around a tow that was blocking most of the channel. Roger was on the wheel at the time and Gerry was below having lunch. Roger immediately called Gerry up on deck to help him sort out the options. Fortunately, the closer we got to the tow, the more the passageway opened up. As we approached his location, it was obvious that the tow boat operator was maneuvering the barge to provide us adequate clearance.

Unlike earlier Choctawhatchee Bay crossings, the Bay was tranquil if not glassy due to the "light and variable" winds. This slowed our progress somewhat but made for a very pleasant ride. As we approached Destin Pass and the west end of the Bay, the Paraglide operators were out in force. We saw one tandem couple splash into the Bay as they were being reeled in but no harm done, they were only several feet above the water at the time.

We located the marina without a problem, stopping at the fuel dock to pump out our holding tank before securing the boat in a slip for the night, the mooring process was not without incidence but everyone walked away from the process- ok, one crew member limped away. Using the boat hook, Sara was trying to push the boat away from the dock so Roger could tie a bow line to the far piling. The boat hook slipped off the plank and sent her sprawling over the life lines toward the water. She dove for the dock and was suspended there for a number of seconds, hanging on by her fingertips while her legs were balanced on the lifelines. The boat continued to move away from the dock. The dock hand finally saw what was happening and helped her push back to the boat.

The crew enjoyed drinks and snacks in the cockpit and then walked to a Crab House Restaurant at the end of the pier. The food was very average, as was the service.

Tomorrow, the 90th day of our voyage, we'll return to our homeport in Roberts Bayou. It's only about 43 nm from where we sit, so it should be a comparatively short day. Jean will post her blog for this leg and then the crew members will independently post their personal reflections of the cruise. Don't miss these final chapters of the Last Dance Bahamas Blog! Each crew member is restricted to 150 words. (RKS)