Panama City to Freeport

It was a very still night and we woke up early to a stunning sunrise. We left East Bay and followed the intracoastal waterway to Choctawhatchee Bay. We have a slip reserved at Freeport Marina..This is the end of our journey that we started on July 1 in Stuart and ended on August 5 close to Glenn's home in Valparaiso, Florida which is Dot's Way new hailing port.

Sunrise over East Bay

With no wind the water was like a mirror

Deceptive shore line

The light poles on the dock are actually clusters of gourd bird houses

Port Saint Joe to Panama City

After a morning of fishing, we dropped Pam and Bob off at the junction of the intracoastal waterway as they headed back to White City and we headed on to Panama City. We crossed East Bay and anchored in West Bay and then will continue on the intracoastal to Choctawhatchee Bay. We passed by Eastern Shipbuilding and Massalina Bayou where we kept our sailboat for a few weeks. The Marinas in Panama City were destroyed by Hurricane Michael and still not rebuilt. There were three ships at the port docks. We anchored off the channel and you could see the ferris wheel lit up from Pier Park in Panama City Beach.

Sunk and abandoned

Miles of saw grass

A Staten Island ferry at Eastern Shipbuilding

Drawbridge entrance to Massalima Bayou and favorite bar Bayou Joe's

Cargo ships at the port docks

White City to Port Saint Joe

We met up with Pam and Bob at the White City launching ramp and we towed their Boston Whaler boat down the waterway out into Saint, Joseph's Bay.We anchored off Saint Joseph State Park, We fished off the beach and also went around into the Gulf of Mexico and fished. We walked the beach and also floated off the boat as it was a hot day. After dinner when all the other pontoon boats were gone, we went out fishing and caught a few keeper blue fish finally. We had a spectacular moon rise over the city of Port Saint Joe across the bay.

A bald eagle or no an osprey up, up and away

Fishing but not catching

Carrabelle to Apalachicola to White City

The wind changed direction in the morning so the anchorage became bouncy but it was cooler with the breeze. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and a lazy morning. We pulled anchor around noon and headed towards Apalachicola. We were surprised for a Sunday the few boats out and about. Once we got in the intracoastal waterway there were more runabouts and folks anchored on the dredge banks swimming. We got to the free dock in White City around happy hour. Luckily most of the boating activity was gone so it was quiet and only an occasional boat wake. We will head out into St. Joseph Bay tomorrow for a day of fishing.

Notice the dragonfly on the end of the fishing rod

Pelican portrait

Maritime museum dock

Fishing fleet

Houseboat across the river

Osprey nest up high

The old railroad swing bridge

St. Mark's to Dog Island off Carrabelle

The current at St. Mark's River had us turning around and around on the anchor but the wind finally died down and it was a calm night. We woke up and got a nice view of the lit lighthouse on the point. Numerous fishing boats got an early start and were the eight miles from St. Mark's to passing our anchorage close to the mouth of the gulf before daybreak. There were calm seas as we set out for Carrabelle and it was the calmest day of the three offshore passages from Tarpon Springs. We came in behind Dog Island instead of coming in the pass and anchored off the beach. From here we have a great view of the blue green waters of the gulf through the sea oats and over  the sugary white beaches.

St. Mark's Lighthouse at daybreak

Seagulls hanging out around the sea buoy

Jelly fish floating past

View from anchorage across Dog Island to Gulf of Mexico