Mobile AL - Clearwater FL

Yes, it has been a while since my last update. I apologize. Why Richard Branson ( Virgin CEO and Founder) can make a plane that will fly tourists into space but his company cannot my make Virgin Hot spot work in White City Florida is beyond me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


AND YES, I DO KNOW THE DATE ON MY CAMERA IS A YEAR BEHIND!!!!!!!!!!! I AM WORKING ON FIXING THAT AS SOON AS I HAD SOME REST AFTER A 24 HOUR CROSSING


Mobille,AL

Our Brazilian friends on SV Teasa leaving Turner Marina . Their top motoring speed is 5mph.Angela always says they might be slow but they are not lazy!

We left Mobile and spent our first night in Ingram's Bayou.

An abandoned boat in Mobile Bay ...... not a good thing. Could be a fisherman who fell in the water or a boat that got loose from it's moorings.

Shrimper with its wings out

Pelican!!

Here is the thing, I know this is a crappy picture of a dolphin but we see 100s of them and every time I take the camera out they disappear 

MV Second Noelle

Ray

Great people , Ray and Linda

Having fun or what??

Here we met up with friends we haven't seen since last year so fun times ensued. That is all I am going to say about that night but trust me the next morning both Gary and I were a little fragile.

Have I said this before???: Weather controls everything!!? Well due to a cold front with accompanying high winds forecasted we bypassed many pretty anchoring spots for the free docks at Fort Walton.Here we met up with MV Second Noelle and SV Teasa again to wait out the bad weather.

Sv Teasa anchored off Navarre Beach

Gorgeous sundown - Navarre Beach

With another bad front forecasted we got stuck at White City FL. At least the docks provided a very safe haven with power and free water to boot. How could one go wrong.

Otters at play - White City FL

Ties off with SV Fair Ketch - White City FL

While waiting for a weather window one can go stir crazy  - Angela -SV Teasa

Ray's 50th birthday With clams, shrimp, peanuts and chocolate birthday cake  What a feast!!

Not a bad redneck house boat - for sale for $15000

Side note: White City is not a city, actually it isn't even a town. It has one little store which redeeming quality is that it sells beer and pizza.
White City was actually named so for the white tents that housed the sick and dying at the last yellow fever outbreak.

Last year our Gulf Crossing was a trip from hell and the thought of doing it again made my knees weak. We were planning on doing the Big Bend of the Gulf coast but with good weather few and far in between Gary  and I put on our big girl panties and went for it.

Anchored off Dog Island we waited for the waters in the Gulf to lie down - we were rewarded with a great crossing.

Travelling with our friends on MV Second Noelle and about 11 other boats we had the most amazing crossing. The waters were smooth and calm and the stars and moon were bright enough to light the waters around us. I am so glad we did it.

Back in Florida where no one knows boat etiquette!! Many strange things around Clearwater, I am sure there will be more picture to follow.

........to be continued.