Friday and another week in Apalachicola goes slowly rolling down the river to the Gulf...

I wrote on my last post that Rod Duncan is going to help me sail across the 'Forgotten Coast' and allow me to miss all that scary navigating in shallow treacherous water.  According to these plans i have just one more Friday here and then it's time to move again.  (I better eat some more Oysters now!)  from Apalachicola, The Oyster Capital of the World.      

 Little Amy age 6.  'she read a whole book yesterday.'  

 Gerry and his dogs motored over to Prodigal today.  i still have 0 dogs.

 One more shot by popular request.

 His son is a tattoo artist and he just got this new one.

 Kevin the bike repairman and I at Happy Hour

 Last night - well after sundown - this very lit up boat came slowly creeping along the shore of the island looking for something.  I will ask the locals if this was a hunt for Frogs, or Gators?

Sunrise for my next to last Friday in Apalachicola.  

I must make a trip to the Pig today for food and who knows what other mischief i might get into.  It's a GLORIOUS DAY here.  Last night the wind turned from the north and it's cool and crisp on board.  Normally it's pretty sticky and hot.  So i am enjoying my coffee down below in the salon with a long sleeve shirt on, the ports closed and the fans turned off.  (unprecedented)  I hope your Friday is incredible.  Please let me know what you are doing out there in the working world.    - Capn Skip

Wednesday used to be my sushi day. what is it now?

Rod Duncan* has volunteered to help me sail Prodigal on this next passage.  He and his lovely bride Linda are in the Chesapeake with their sailboat - It's Perfect. (you can follow their adventure)  They are putting It's Perfect up for the season allowing Rod to join me about October 12th.  Let's plan on my next voyage departing October 13th and see how that works out!

*Rod helped me back in Kemah when he and Linda were in town for the Xmas holidays.  I posted some about his electric work on Prodigal.

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I got more great questions today:
do you go find a bar and watch tv and football games?
is there a storm headed your way?
-Gary Garner

No, i dont hang out in bars!  (yeah, right...  what else would a Pirate do?)  I use Netflix on the boat when i have a fast enough wifi connection if i feel the 'TV need'.  I did sit in a bar to watch Alabama play, but that was back when i was in Destin.  Fortunately i'm not really into watching football, so i dont miss it.  I've already gotten out of the habit of watching TV.  I hadn't thought about it in weeks.  (i 'listened' to the debate on NPR and didnt miss their faces at all)

I dont see a storm headed here now, yet.  But i monitor different weather sources than you do.  I check the National Hurricane Center, Passage Weather, and am watching the named storm Mathew now.  I also listen to the weather on the radio.  But i dont watch any daily news or see TV weather channels.

"Why dont you hire a prostitute to spend a couple of days sunning on the boat while you make the passage?  That would work wouldn't it?"   - Anonymous  (definitely not my sister Lynn)

Great question Ms. Anonymous, i hadn't thought of that.  I'll check into it!

Angela Yakel asks, " I want to know if you ate the boiled peanuts? Those are a deep southeast thing so I didn't know if you had been exposed to those before? "

Killer question Angela.  short answer - Hell NO!  they looked hideous and slimy.  It begs a question from me, how do you eat them?  with your fingers?  If they are slimy and wet, do you need a napkin and a second cup to put the shells in?  I was there and not even remotely tempted, so what's the attraction?  Are they salty?  Are they as nasty slimy as i imagine?

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I'm still trying to get into a routine, but it's not quite working yet.  I guess i've got too much changing too fast for me to acclimate.  But everything does not feel 'NEW' and out of control anymore.  So i guess i'm getting there.  Retirement is a big change, and then you put me on a sailboat in the middle of a river in Florida.  It's a lot to swallow in one bite.  So i'm still chewing...

Apalachicola Progress is not easy to measure.

I got some great questions asked today:  

Do you ever swim or fish off the boat?  - Tommy Bonds

*Not yet Tommy.  i guess i could buy a fishing license and start fishing, but the water is not clear yet and i'm not tempted to jump into muddy river water with gators and sharks.  Maybe a little tempted, but i'm not doing it.  (i dont know yet where it gets clear, but it will)

Dad got his atlas out today to figure out where you're going next. I mapped on land-- Apalachicola to Clearwater is just over 300 miles on the road. Who will go with you? Is what Dad says true, that your insurance stipulates that you must have more than one person aboard if you go a certain distance from land?    -Sister Lynn

*Ok Lynn it's about 170 nm (nautical miles) going straight across instead of around the coast roads.  I am still trying to find someone to go with.  *YES my insurance only covers ME as a single sailor during daylight hours and 50 miles from shore.  So to sail at night i will need another person.  (i've got some irons in the fire and will report soonest when that's nailed down and a schedule is posted)

Why exactly do you need another pirate? Are there not enough docks between here and there for you to just stop off each evening somewhere along the day to anchor? - Ryan Williams (nephew)

*Great Questions!  Yes there ARE enough places to sail to, but they are too risky to mess with.  The "forgotten coast" is shallow and marshy with lots of islands to hit.  (note - there are no real 'towns' along it.)  The ports are ALL very shallow and narrow with obstacles to hit.  (i look at the charts and see lots of shipwrecks everywhere!)  So, do you take two days and go deep water and straight across?  Or multiple risks of shallow spots to hit?  The Forgotten coast is so shallow and desolate that you spend most time going in and then out of the location, but very little progress is made toward the final target.  To sail stop off each evening - like my original plan - is NOT what people do.  (duhh) It's like playing hop scotch and i'm going to broad jump.  Plan, prepare, and then go!

Sample One - you go out and then along the coast, then back in.  That's a day of travel 61 miles.  (61 / 5 nm = 12.2 hrs)  BUT half your time is spent going in and out.  You really only went about 20 miles.  Sample Two - straight across without stopping.  In two days you are there.  Caveat, it takes a second person.  Ahhhhh, or Yaaarrrrrrrrr as we say.  So that's what i'm working on.  The second person.  (177 / 5nm = 35.4 hrs)

NOW today i followed my usual routine.  Sunrise coffee, pay bills, blog and then go to town. ride my bike, take photos and come home for dinner...    Still working on a second sailor.  Do YOU know anyone?  Wendy Colson says i need to buy a first mate.  not sure that's legal? (I'll check.)

MONDAY 9.26 same same

I went to shore and took photos again today.  didn't find an additional sailor.  YET.  still optimistic and loving life.  I'll listen to "the debate" and then attack it all again tomorrow.

RAIN SQUALL BLOWS THROUGH AT 5P