America's Great Loop
Page 11
It always impresses me how the landscape can change in just a very few miles, especially on the waterways of America.
The river is getting crooked,,,

Real crooked
Several times we were once again cruising North on a South flowing river. Seemed like we were traveling more in other directions south.
Today's destination, Bobby's.
This is Bobby's Fish Camp, pretty much in it's entirety.
Kinda reminiscent of Hoppies, a 125 ft. single loaded dock with out electric. There was water, on one end of the dock, and they have Fuel and Gas .
11/11/07
11/12/07
This morning I awoke at dawn to THICK fog, and all 8 boats at Bobby's were un tieing to make the first Damn opening.

If you look real close, you can see the stern light of MV Norseman, in front of me.
Thank God for Radar. Here you can see the boats in front and behind me.
Kinda spooky and fun!
Here you can just see the lights of the dam.
After locking thru the fog started to lift.

This is why you Don't build you house too close to the River Banks!
Or put your house on wheels so you can move it as the bank deteriorates
Spent the nite on the Tenasas River. Pretty huh.
11/13/07
Off to Mobile and the Dog River
The landscape is getting much flatter. More marsh, less hills.
Just a few chilly hours south , and  we were approaching Mobile. a very commercial port
The Coast Guard uses this to practise fighting ship fires
The Government uses this to practise "military Tactics"
The free docks down town Mobile, but I would not feel real safe there, so we went on to Dog River Marina, South of Mobile.
My firs oil rig, huge, under tow, on Mobile Bay
Besides reportedly having the cheapest fuel around, Dog River Marina will give you a free nites dockage with a fill up. $700 later, I was docked. And the dockmaster there is very good.
Went with Wayne and Lynn of the MV  Skinwalker, to Wintzells, world reknown for there $.25 clams, and cheap happy hour drinks.  We took full advantage.
11/14/07
cruising with the MV Norsman, a 44 defever with Capt. Pete , Jan, and german shepard Ebody.

On this trip I have seen dozens of bald eagles, and never got close enought to one to photgraph, so this is the best I can do,, so far...
Lulu, Jimmy Buffets sister (if you have to ask, skip thru this part) has a place right on GCICW,very tropical, made me feel like I was home. Here is a pictorial essay,, may I present,, LULU"S
the Lady patently waiting on our Margaritas
And this concludes the LuLu portion of this program..back to our regularly scheduled great loop program.
After LuLu's, we arrived at Pirates Cove , a very small marina the Skipper Bob calls a must see. It was quite rustic. The Lady  used the anchorage in Roberts Cove, right behind the Marina. It's a very good anchorage, excellent protection, which we where gonna need tonite.
Took the dingy in to Pirates Cove, and it was Jam nite. Lots of local talent, cheap drinks and fried foods. Life is good!
Arrived Shalimar Marian about 3 PM, it was about 3 miles up a bayou, and well protected.
We got a covered slip,, but there were dead fish floating everywhere from the red tide.
As is usual, early to bed, early to rise on a boat.
11/15/07
The winds, as predicted, were 25 knots, gusting, and the temperature tonite was supposed to drop to 35 tonite!! I decided to brave the winds and made a two hour run to a marina, where we could plug in.
The temperature at Southwinds did drop to 35 at nite as predicted. Southwind marina was hit hard by Hurricane Ivan and Katrina. There are just now getting back on line.
Walking around "town" there were several lots with just the foundations for a house that was there before the storms.
And in the Dumb sign department....
Slept snug as a bug in a rug, with the reverse heat on the marine air on, pluged into shore power.
11/16/07
It was a cooler day on our way to Shalimar Marina
11/17/07
It's a geougous day,near perfect,  just a little to chilly to drive from the bridge. Have been driving from below for the past week, running the Honda 2000 while cruising to run the heat.

Look at that glass SMOOTH water!
Lookit, Marsh, feels good to be back in Florida!!
Tacky Condo's painted Tacky Colors
Then we entered the "ditch", kinda looks like the Dismal swamp, if you squint. Well , at least this part.

The farther in we went, the steeper the clifs
a most unusual shrimper
Now is the time to talk about the "three things". Whenever I go to an overnite dockage, it becomes the perfect experience if it has these "three things", and they are.......
There ya have it.
The outside stage --->
<---Jimmy was aparently inspired to write the song here
While Using Skipper Bob's books, (Do not cruise with out them), I happend to call Sun Marina , and dockmaster Dave was having a Nov. Dock sale, $0.50 a foot!
Went there.
Having never been, I expected a dump, however, it's a true first class marina. Normal Dockage is $1.00 a foot.
That evening we had dinner and drinks with Pete and Jan of the MV Norseman. Prices were good too.
11/18/07
At these dockage prices ($18 a day total) decided to stay another day.
And in the stupid sign dept.
Took the dink over to the inlet and Shell Island.
There were thousands of these Jellys in the ocean. The dinghy's motor was hitting them while we were on plane. I have never seen any like these guys, about 10 inches diameter, and solid.
The Sand dunes at the lnlet. The shelling was not that good on this day. all small .
11/19/07
Left Sun Marina around 10ish, and traveled 5 miles to Pamana City Marina. Had to hunt down a bildge pump. Then got a hot dog. Exciting day.,had a bildge day down in the "holy Place" hanging upside down installing said pump.
Oh Yeah, bought a sawed off shotgun at the local gun shop. Had to give up my gun before going into Canada. Now I sleep better.
11/20/07
Panama City bound
This is not a sunset, it's the other one. Left real early.
the day ended with my favorite dinner.
More easy navigation, I like this.
This is my custom design, pants dryer flag combination. To use, get two curtan rod rings......works good.
Swamp and cypress trees, startling to look more and more like home, now if it would only start feeling like home, temperature wise.
This guys is right on the Waterway. How often do ya suppose Sea Ray waves wash in his living room?
Passed This lonley out in the middle of nowhere marina, right on the waterway.
Got a slip at PaPa Joe's, $1.50 a foot. Fuel was $3.25 a gallon. I filled up with 85 gallons.
Panama city is, in a word, very touristy. Lots of Antique shop, very expensive, but rustic.
Old style barber shop
<---old style soda fountain.
<---This antique bar thought it was in New York City. Happy hour drinks were $6!
Left right away.
So happy hour was spent on the aft deck...Where drinks are cheap...
Feeding the segulls stale fig newtons...
While a jelous pelican looked on....
and this freshly tossed beer bottle floated by. Ya know, you never see rum bottles floating by...hmm
These night herons were perched across the channel
This shrimper quietly coasted by off to work
the home state.