Date: January 12, 2014
Day on the Cruise: 205
From: The Wharf Marina, Orange Beach, AL
To: Palafox Pier Marina, Pensacola, FL
Statute Miles: 29.4 SM
Time: 3.33 Hrs
Cumulative Miles: 5,251.8 SM
On Board: Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut
Tonight we are in back in Florida at the Palafox Pier Marina in Pensacola.
 |
| First night back in Florida |
 |
| Right downtown Pensacola |
It was a beautiful cruising day. Clear, blue skies with blue water and some wind. We headed East along the ICW, and soon we were at Ono Island and leaving Orange Beach in our wake.
 |
| Our view out of the Front Door this morning! |
 |
| Cruising East on the ICW |
 |
| Condos on Orange Beach |
 |
| A spit of an island in the ICW near Ono Island |
Next was Perdido Key and the big bridge that connects Perdido with the main road into Pensacola. Just before the Bridge, we met a West bound tow pushing barges filled with junk automobiles that had been squeezed into cubes. Some cubes even had the tires left on them. I fugure that this scrap is either going to the Port of Mobile for shipping overseas, or up to the Thyssen Krump Steel Mill North of Mobile on the Mobile River.
 |
| Approaching the Bridge from Perdido Key to Pensacola over the ICW |
 |
| Passing this "Scrap Tow" "On the One Whistle" |
 |
| There he goes. "Sun Gypsy" is on our stern. |
 |
| Under the Perdido Key Bridge |
Once under the Perdido Bridge we we "Welcomed" to Florida by a big blue sign. Get out the swim suits and sun screen, right? No, not quite. It is still very cool and really windy, so that stuff will have to wait until we get farther south.
 |
| Welcome to Florida! |
After a few turns on the ICW, we were right beside the Gulf with only a thin sliver of a barrier island to block our view. This took us into Big Lagoon which has it's Eastern terminus as a very narrow channel cut between the Navy Base at Pensacola and the beach. Negotiating this very narrow cut was tricky. There was a lot of big water on both ends of the cut, hence a big current also.
 |
| Cruising in Big Lagoon |
 |
| Big Lagoon is a BIG body of water |
Once through this cut from Big Lagoon, we were into Pensacola Bay and looking right at the Navy Base. Pensacola is home to Naval Aviation, as the Navy does primary, jet, and helicopter training here. There is the main base and then there is a multitude of smaller outlying fields where the pilots train. Since today was Sunday, we saw no aviation activity.
Soon after entering Pensacola Bay, we came upon the inlet from the Gulf of Mexico to the Bay. There was a brisk tide running into the bay. We also were passed here by a big Sport Fisherman that did the standard ego driven, devil may care, I am bigger and badder than you are, pass that is common to Florida. Thirty - five miles an hour, throwing a huge wake, 50 feet from my boat, "take that "Blue Moon". I took it like I have taken these SOB's many times before. Off the throttle, Immediate turn into the five foot high wake, and pounded like a washed up prize fighter. I stood up, threw my hands in the air, then gave this hot rodder the one finger salute. The idiots on the fly bridge of "Reel Fuelish" just waved and smiled. Welcome to Pensacola!
 |
| Downtown Pensacola is dead ahead |
 |
| The Palafox Pier Marina |
After a little more than three hours, Palafox Pier Marina was a welcome sight. This marina is right downtown, and has nice, wide transient slips. We got a pump out then headed to our slip. Dinner was on board tonight, as Sun Gypsy had bad colds and we wanted to lay low also.
Not sure what we will do tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be terrible, so we may just lay over here another day.
Thanks for Reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment