Panama City!

Pat decided she’d open a new business. Shave and a haircut for $20 bucks!

Carl & Greg Vernon are the AGLCA Harbor Hosts for Panama City. They have a lovely house on Watson Bayou, and keep their boat docked in their back yard!. Yesterday, 30 Loopers descended on their home for Thanksgiving  dinner. We all brought a side dish to share, and the Vernons did a turkey and a ham, and even rounded up friends and neighbors to shuttle everyone from their boats to their home.  What a wonderful way to celebrate! It sure made it easier being away for the holiday.  Below are some photos of the day.

Many of the other Loopers we had already met along the way, and some we met for the first time. It’s always interesting comparing notes and boats. Everyone is always willing to help with questions and recommendations.

I was talking to one guy, who we had met briefly at Grand Harbor at the top of the Tenn Tom. I remembered the teak on his older trawler was pristine, and a much lighter color than normal. They were also in the same anchorage as we were a few nights ago. As we were talking, I kept thinking he looked familiar. And his hand gestures were familiar. Then it dawned on me! I looked at him and said: “South St Paul, 1968 - you’re Kermit Wold”!! He about fell over. We had graduated high school together, and not seen each other since!

As we continued to talk, I told him I had also run into Liz (Elm) Kemper at the AGLCA Rendezvous. He about fell over again! He said: “She was my first girlfriend!”  What a small world!

Here are Kerm & I talking over old times.

Today we walked into town, and did some window shopping. Then we found a funky little water front restaurant named Joe’s Bayou. It was a restaurant / marina, and you walked through the slips to get to the floating restaurant. As we sat down, and looked out over the water, I thought I was back in Red Wing. Anyone who has boated the Mississippi or St Croix in the last 20 years will recognize this boat.

The Beluga was anchored in Prescott Bay for years. There was a sign on the boat advertising knife sharpening and sales. The past few years it was in Red Wing. I always wondered where it went in the winter. No one I know of has ever seen it in a boat yard.

Looks like it heads south every winter!

Tomorrow we head East to Appilachacola & Carabelle to stage for the Gulf crossing. We are trying to avoid the slow overnight 16 - 18 hour run. My old friend Kerm recommended we run from Carabelle to Hudson during the day. It’s 130 miles, and at 25 MPH we can do it in 5 to 6 hours with fuel to spare - IF we can get some clean water. Hudson is just North of Tarpon Springs, and has an easy entrance verses the shallow, long entrance to Tarpon. It’s loaded into the plotter - and the long range forecast is good for later next week. We’ll move on to Carabelle, and get ready!

Thanks for the e-mails.

We always appreciate hearing from home.

Captn Ken