Great Loop Overall Statistics to date:
Statute Miles: 5647.9
Average Miles/Day: 50.9
Total Hours Underway: 749
Average speed (mph): 7.6
States Transited: 19
Total Days: 218
Travel Days: 111
Locks: 75
Fuel Purchased: 1584.3
Miles / Gallon: 3.5
Nights at Extra Days
Marinas: 62 110
Anchor: 35 6
City dock: 6 1
Free Wall: 9 4
Mooring: 0 0
Travel Day 106 Leaving Shalimar, FL
We left Two Georges Marina at 6:00 am and crossed Destin Harbor as the sun rose to reenter the Gulf ICW. Due to anticipated light northern winds, we planned to anchor on the Northern shore of East Bay, near Panama City FL. We had flat, glassy water in most of the wide bays we crossed. The remainder of the creeks and canals heading east were smooth and currents were slight, affected by the tides and inlets. We got into the bay and anchored in 7ft of water in a wide open area for the night. The sunset was spectacular from this location as the whole bay opened up to the SW.
Travel Day 107 Leaving Panama City, FL
At sunup, we pulled up the anchor and headed east back out the creeks and bays along the gulf. It was an uneventful day with tidal flow affecting our boat speed much more throughout - 8.5knots, then 5 knots. We arrived in Apalachicola around 3:00 PM (we are now back on Eastern time) and stopped in at Scipio Creek Marina for fuel. We took on 233 gallons at $3.35/gal. We then came back down the river a quarter mile and tied up at the Ice House docks for two nights to visit the town, see the brewery, and sample the famous oysters from “Oyster City”.
Travel Day 108 Leaving Apalachicola, FL
We only had a 3-1/2 hour travel day today to get to an anchorage behind Dog Island in Carrabelle. This would set us up for a quick exit into the Gulf of Mexico the next day for a long open run to Steinhatchee. We slept in and left around 10:00 AM after the sun had dried off the deck and arrived at a beautiful white-sand anchorage behind Dog Island around 2:00 PM. We anchored in 12ft of water near the beach. The wind was supposed to do a full 360 overnight and remain in the 5-10mph range.
Travel Day 109 Leaving Carrabelle
A check of the morning forecast showed there was still 2ft waves predicted from behind us for our gulf crossing east to Steinhatchee, so we decided it was a go at 6:15AM. We left out of East Pass just before dawn. Waves were 1ft or less until we got about 6 miles out in the Gulf. Then, as the wind increased also, they stacked up to 2ft with occasional 3-4 footers. They were confused with a swell mixing in from an odd westerly direction along with the strong NW wind. It was somewhat uncomfortable for the next 4 hours as we rolled and wallowed in the waves. The wind was expected to ease as the morning wore on. Around noon, the strong winds abated and the steep waves on top of the swells lowered. Although smaller, the waves were still confused, and we thrashed about in the “washing machine” for another 3 hours before reaching the calmer entrance waters of the Steinhatchee river. The entrance channel is narrow with 1-2ft of water depth at the sides, but we stayed in the center and never saw less than 6-7ft of water at low tide. We checked in for the night at Sea Hag Marina and planned to stay 2 or more days to wait out a favorable weather forecast to head south.
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Great Loop Travel Days (GLTD):
106: Callaway FL from Shalimar FL
107: Apalachicola FL from Callaway FL
108: Carrabelle FL from Apalachicola FL
109: Steinhatchee FL from Carrabelle FL
Map of our Overall Great Loop travel:
GLTD106 Callaway FL (from Shalimar FL): We left Two Georges Marina at 6:00 am and crossed Destin Harbor as the sun rose to reenter the Gulf ICW, heading to anchor at West Lake, near Panama City FL.
A couple of dolphins played in our bow wake. This dolphin kept turning sideways to get at a look at me.
Yum! I had pre-cooked bacon earlier a day or so ago, and I found gluten-free bagels on our Publix trip, so I made toasted muenster-bacon bagels underway! Delicious!
👍 Thanks to our old friend “Anthony” for the idea for this treat (many years ago)!
The sea was flat, but 13mph wind on the nose scuffed up the surface just enough to create sparkles all over. This made it a little harder to spot dolphins; we would need be lucky to find more today.
As luck would have it 😉...within the hour, the water was glassy again, and 3 dolphins surfed our bow for a couple of minutes. Ray also saw dolphins surfing the stern wake on fellow looper mv My Dori. but I didn't see them in time to get photos. 🙁
By mid-morning, we entered "The Grand Canyon of Florida”.
This quickly became a study of textures! Chiseled-sand ridges.
Splintered-Sand Hillsides.
Rippled Sand-Slides.
Tree-Covered Sandy Beaches.
Later, we passed some beautiful marsh land. We were enjoying the gorgeous weather! 🌞
At one point, it seemed the wildlife, like this Anhinga, were painted on lined kindergarten paper …
… or a canvas of thin, blue stripes.
Interesting Facts: Anhinga birds have a sharp pointed beak for piercing their prey, while Cormorants have hooked bills and shorter necks.
As we entered West Bay, we saw dolphins on the bow again.
Before noon, we had reached West Bay, where we had planned to anchor (❌). Since weather and seas were good, we decided to continue cruising.
Ray set a new course to anchor in East Bay, near Callaway (⚫).
By early afternoon, we were in St. Andrew Bay, Panama City, near Tyndall Air Force Base, I went from chasing dolphins to chasing …… military jets!
The jets won every round! 🙂
The current was with us until we passed Panama City; then it turned against us.
⚓Anchored. We anchored in East Bay’s California Bayou by late afternoon, and watched more fly-bys until sunset.
Dolphins and jets in the same day! Awesome!
Someone on Facebook later told us that some of these jets are French military Mirage fighters, now civilian-owned, and used for “adversary” practice.
GLTD107 Apalachicola FL (from Callaway FL): We hauled anchor at 6:10AM. Ray captured a gorgeous sunrise (as I was slowly waking up below).
As we entered the Gulf IWW near Wetappo Creek, we realized we would need to, once again, begin watching for our old nemesis, crab pots. We've traded log & debris watch on the rivers for crab pot buoy watch here on the coast!
You can tell this area has seen some storms, with damaged buildings and trees stripped of life. 🙁
We were now in the Florida Bayou.
This screen shot from the navigation chart gives you an idea of the “back way” we were taking to Apalachicola, through navigable creeks and canals.
Mid-morning, as we passed Gulf County Canal (which runs south to Port St. Joe), there was 2 knots of current against us!! Tide was ebbing; we hoped we would get favorable current after the tide switched direction.
We saw so many eagles on this travel day.
The still water – disturbed by SCOUT’s wake, was entrancing. I see a Seattle Seahawk in this image. Do you?
Finally, in early afternoon, after exiting Lake Wimico, the current switched to a favorable push for us. Yay!
This is Old Woman’s Bluff. The variety of terrain in this area was intriguing, ...
but not quite as intriguing as why this floating home is here, …
and whether it is still in use, and how long it’ been tilting. ...
As we turned off of Apalachicola River onto Scipio Creek, this eagle appeared to be enforcing the speed limit.
After topping off fuel at Scipio Creek Marina, early in the afternoon, we docked at Apalachicola Marina.
Simple Pleasures: We were back in Eastern Time. No need to track the time difference in my Float Status texts!
We had time to check out Oyster City Brewing Company (OCBC) before an early dinner. They have a good Oyster Stout (which had no oyster taste 😉). Many of the local restaurants serve Oyster City drafts, so Ray also got to try their brown ale at dinner, which was good/hearty.
🌎 Small World: North Carolina connection: Oyster City is acquiring Catawba Valley Brewing Co. (CVBC).
Not to Miss: Food: Dinner & drinks at the outside bar of Half Shell Dockside were excellent! We had their simple oyster stew, plump Oysters Rockefeller, and a good basic burger – accompanied by a beautiful marsh view!
When we got back to the boat, Ray got a great photo of a shrimp boat temporarily anchored in Scipio Creek.
The cloudy sundown sky made a great backdrop from SCOUT. All is well!
🔸Exciting News: I received notice from America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association (AGLCA) that another of my photo entries was selected to be featured in the 2022 AGLCA Calendar! We featured this photo of Chicago Skyscrapers at Sunrise in our Chicago Skyscrapers & ‘Rafting’ Down the River blog post: https://n37scout.wixsite.com/travels/post/2021-sept-the-great-loop-chicago-skyscrapers-rafting-down-the-river
The next day, 2 Great Harbours, mv Blue Barnacle and mv C. Marie, passed us as we sat at the dock in Apalachicola. They were heading for Carrabelle or beyond.
We had a fun breakfast and tasty coffee at Apalachicola Chocolate & Coffee Company.
Since we were in “Oyster City”, we sampled more oysters at Up The Creek Raw Bar – as a lunch “appetizer”. The oysters were good, but we preferred the vibe at Half Shell Dockside.
Not to Miss: Lunch: Food truck, Bacon Me Crazy. We shared a Misdemeanor Weiner. Whatever main you order, don't miss a side of pineapple bacon cole slaw!
Not to Miss: Dinner: The Tap Room at Owl Café has all the Oyster City brews on tap. I had a delicious steak, and we kept up with football scores in this intimate bar surrounded by TVs.
Cloudy skies and glassy water provided another fine canvas for the “painted” sunset.
GLTD108 Carrabelle FL (from Apalachicola FL): After Ray cleared the sea cabbage from under the swim platform that we had collected with the tide overnight, we departed Apalachicola Marina at 10:00 am, after waiting for the wind to die down a little. The wind was still 11 mph, and seas were a little choppy.
🟠 Life Afloat Tip: One of our new favorite breakfasts, while underway, is "Just crack an egg". They come in a fairly large cup/container. To save space in the fridge, we open the cartons, store the ingredient-packets in a ziploc, & stack the “bowls” (for use in the microwave and/or for instructions when ready to heat). There are usually 3 pre-packaged ingredients for each carton: veggies, meat, and cheese.
We were headed to the Carrabelle area to stage for a Gulf crossing to Steinhatchee tomorrow.
🔷 Boater Tip: What is the looper’s “Gulf Crossing”?
There is no waterway between Carrabelle and Tarpon Springs. See dashed line on map (in link). Since many of the shores in that area are very shallow, cruising this “big bend” is not an option for some boats. The other problem may be inaccessible fuel along that route.
There are 2 well-known options to get from Carrabelle back to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW):
1. 170 miles Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs (or Clearwater). 2. 76 miles Carrabelle to Steinhatchee, then hopscotch 2-3 days to Tarpon Springs or Clearwater.
📞🚩 Float Support: Since I wasn’t sure how cell service would be on the barrier island, where we would anchor, I made a note of possible cell coverage weakness in my FLOAT PLAN, and provided a map screenshot of where we were departing and our targeted destination.
By noon, the seas were relatively flat. This is the inlet where we will enter the Gulf tomorrow morning.
⚓Anchored. By early afternoon, we were anchored behind Dog Island, just across the bay from Carrabelle.
We saw a lot of birds, a few dolphins, and a beautiful sunset.
GLTD109 Steinhatchee FL (from Carrabelle FL): We hauled anchor at 6:15 – before first light.
📞🚩 Float Support: Today, my Float Plan text included a map showing current & target positions.
SCOUT’s Template for Float Plan and subsequent Float Status communications:
Travel Day
Date/Time of message (If message delivery is delayed, team knows when you sent it)
Departure Location – on Float Plan
Current Location – on subsequent Statuses
Current cell coverage, and anticipated weakening/loss
ETA (or best guess, if still motoring at less-than-planned cruising speed)
Map, showing SCOUT’s location if not easily referenced by marina,town, etc.
REVISIONS: If intended destination or ETA changes significantly along the way, I send a Float REVISION.
ARRIVAL: “Travel Day# COMPLETE” message indicating the date/time, current cell coverage, and intended duration of stay.
Just before 7:00 am, we made the turn through East Pass (which is actually west of Dog Island). Our ETA to Steinhatchee was 4:30 pm.
Within the hour, wind had increased to 10-12 mph (off our port quarter, from the north). Waves were from WNW.
An hour later, we estimated the seas were mostly a confused 2 feet, with an occasional 3-footer. There was an odd angle swell under the waves. Our speed decreased from 8.2 to 5-6 with each passing swell.
📞🚩 Float Support: Mid-morning, with just a little cell service left, I was able to provide individual float status texts to 2 of our float support team. (Cell service was not good enough to send a group text.
The seas were a bit lumpy, so there would be no bow photography today!
Some scenes of SCOUT wallowing around in the lumpy waves:
While we were not really enjoying the waves and swells, the dolphins seemed to be loving it!
See all the action in the video link here!
📞🚩 Float Support: At some point, we got AT&T Wifi back, so I sent emails to our float support. (I still could not phone or call.)
📞🚩 Float Support: Mid-afternoon, we finally got Verizon service back, so I got a text out to the float support team.
By 4:00 pm, we entered the shallow channel to Steinhatchee at the worst possible time – low tide. 🙁 Ray carefully navigated the narrow, shallow channel, with no touches (on the bottom). The lowest depth we saw in the channel on that day was 6.7 feet.
🟠 Life Afloat Tip: Cell service “silence zone”: For our Gulf crossing, we lost cell service for about 4.5 hours, at ~15 miles offshore from our departure & destination points.
These charts show approximately where we were when we lost (left) and regained (right) cell service.
10.5 hours after hauling anchor, we docked at Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee FL around 5:00 pm! We were happy there was still daylight when Ray was navigating the entrance and docking in moderate current.
After showering, we walked 0.5 mile to Roy's seafood restaurant, where we validated their claim of having the best sunset in Steinhatchee. We relaxed and celebrated our successful Gulf crossing!
On the walk back to the boat, we got a better look at the marina. Wow! This is a fisherman's haven. Our son would LOVE this place! Look at all of these well-lit, well-equipped fish cleaning stations!
Next Morning, when Ray finally woke up 😉, we walked 0.7 mile for breakfast at McDavid's Cafe. I went there for the "hot donuts", but we both enjoyed an awesome, not-your-ordinary corned beef hash breakfast.
Cellular service was ok in Steinhatchee, but with a limited bandwidth, blogging was a bit challenging.
We walked 2 miles, round-trip, for dinner at Fiddler's. On this Sunday night, they were out of some of the seafood we had hoped to try -- after a busy previous-weekend crowd, but the baked chicken with their special 7-spice BBQ sauce was good.
History: The name Steinhatchee was derived from the native American “esteem hatchee” meaning river (hatchee) of man (esteem).
Ref: Historical marker in town.
Steinhatchee is a quiet little town. It was a great place to unwind a bit.
The pelicans seem to like hanging out here too.
What’s next? We will make our way south – hopefully all the way back to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), around Clearwater FL.
Click here to view our previous blog posts: https://n37scout.wixsite.com/travels/blog
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