Wednesday, September 07, 2016

Panama City, Fl - i made it (attempt number two)

I’m a transient in Panama City Beach, Fl.   I’m not going ashore at all.  I dropped the anchor off a sandy island about 5pm today.  I plan to pick up and move on before 8am.  I’m sailing tomorrow to St. Joseph Bay.  That’s about 40 miles.  I did about 45-50 miles today.


I don’t want to jinx it, but everything worked great today.  Yesterday on my first attempt, I had left a valve closed to the auto pilot and ambushed myself with no steering.  It would not let the auto pilot turn to port.  So I aborted the attempt, limped back into Destin and fixed it.  (opened the valve I had closed)  Today was attempt number two.  Success.

I’ll just be at St. Joseph Bay for a night and then move on through the ICW for a day finally to arrive at Apalachicola.  It feels good to get things done and become more comfortable with all the demands of this moving thing.  It’s all so new and overwhelming, I’m still learning.

I’ll be smart when I learn more. 


Sailing: 'hours of boredom accentuated by moments of sheer terror and panic.'  Today I almost fell asleep while in transit.  I got about prone in the cockpit and ‘rested my eye’ for a second.  I did get drowsy, then jumped up and checked everything again.  When I finally got to the inlet for Panama City it was quiet, till I arrived.  Then Seatow called on channel 16 to report they were inbound with a towed vessel.  (they came just off my starboard side and cut in front of me)  While this was going on, my AIS was screaming at me – “Warning dangerous vessel is approaching.”  I look up and see a guy on a pontoon boat fishing and cutting me off.  Dangerous vessel to my left, a towed vessel to my right (*note the jet skier who cut through the middle of all of it at 50mph.) so I slowed and waited for them all to pass then turned to Port to go find my anchorage. 






I’m tired now.  It’s been a long day!

New to Pirating, Capn Skip  

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