Day 77 - November 29, 2012: Tarpon Springs: a Greek community and the sponge industry

Today we walked the Tarpon Springs old town and explored the history of the sponge industry. It reminded me a bit of the preserved fishing port of Leland, MI.

Tarpon Springs was just a sleepy little fishing village until the sponge industry began to rapidly expand during the 1880s. To support this growth, Greek immigrants with sponge diving experience were hired, and soon Greeks began to settle here in significant numbers. Today, Tarpon Springs has the largest Greek community of any city in the U.S.

Sponge capital of the world

We watched a movie in a local store and learned much about this fascinating industry. Sponges are organisms that thrive on the bottom of the ocean, adhering to rocks and outgrowths. Their bodies have a very fine skeletal structure surrounded by a mucous membrane and are full of pores and channels that allow water to circulate through them. They don't have a mouth or stomach, but absorb nutrients from the water.

We also learned that, by law, a sponge must be larger than 5 inches across to be harvested. Initially, sponges were retrieved from row boats in shallow waters using small rakes on long poles. Later, as the sponge population near the shore was depleted, Greek divers, who were skilled at diving in deep waters, were hired to find sponges.

In looking at the sponges, we observed many shapes, including round, cylindrical, and hollowed out like a basket. They are used for all kinds of cleaning such as washing dishes, floors, cars, people and animals, polishing delicate surfaces such as silver or plastic, and even applying makeup to faces.

Local boat loaded with sponges

After harvesting, boat workers scrape the membranes off the sponges, and they are hung out to dry on lines. Back in port, they are taken to sponge factories where they are further cleaned by removing debris and flushing the interiors with water. Then they are sorted and auctioned for sale around the world.

 Sponges drying on lines

Sponge factory

So many sponges have been taken over the years, that today the number of sponge boats still working has been significantly reduced. As a result, Tarpon Springs is primarily a shrimp fishing port and a boating and tourist destination.

Actually, I have never purchased a real sponge and can only vaguely remember my parents owning one that they used to wash the car. We looked at them, but have not convinced ourselves that we need one! 

Day 76 - November 28, 2012: Tarpon Springs and a day of rest and recovery

During yesterday's crossing into Tarpon Springs, we encountered crab pot buoys while over 25 miles from shore. Crab pots are used by crabbers to bait, lure, and catch crabs for commercial purposes. The pot is actually a wire cage designed so that crabs can get inside to the bait but can't get back out. The buoys are about 9" in diameter and are connected by a line down to a crab pot to mark its location for recovery. They are decorated in colorful ways and have numbers on them to identify the owners.

Crabber pulling in a crab pot full of crabs

It is important not to run over one of these buoys as the line can get fouled in your prop, wound around the shaft, and disable the boat. Then you might be forced to hire a diver to come miles out and cut it loose. This, of course, is an embarrassing thing to have to tell your friends, and it can be very expensive. So for that reason, we were strongly advised to come into Tarpon Springs in daylight.

Now, a few buoys here and there are not so much of a problem. The probabilities are that you might not run over one even if you weren't looking. But we encountered fields of them as far as the eye could see. The crap pots with their lines and buoys are thrown out of the crabber's boat while it is moving and appear every 100 or so feet set in straight lines. However, these lines are from different boats going in all directions, and they crisscross each other like pickup-sticks scattered on the floor. It was not easy to see them and sometimes not obvious how to navigate through them.

As a result, we spent the last couple of hours cruising with Anne up in the pilot house searching for and pointing out crab pot buoys, while I maneuvered the boat to evade them. It didn't help that we were already fatigued and just wanted to get into port. I tried to estimate the number of crab pots that might be in the Gulf by multiplying the density we were seeing by an estimate of the areas they might be in. I never got to a good answer, but I'm sure it is in the hundreds of thousands!

Today there were high winds and waves in the Gulf, so our decision to cross earlier was a wise one. We spent today recovering and I rinsed the salt off the boat, ran checks on the dinghy engine, and filled the water tank, while Anne straightened up the interior. Then, we got some exercise and an overview of Tarpon Springs by bicycle. More on Tarpon Springs starting tomorrow.

Day 74 and 75 - November 26-27, 2012: Crossing the Gulf of Mexico

When luck is on your side, life is good. 

We crossed Lake Michigan, navigated the river system, traversed Mobile Bay and the Gulf ICW, and then we got our chance to take on the challenge of crossing the Gulf of Mexico. This part of the loop is much talked about and feared by some boaters who have never been out of sight of land. Bear with me, as this post covers our activities over two long days.

The crossing is 180 miles from Apalachicola to Tarpon Springs, and some have reported very difficult conditions with 5 to 7 foot waves, high winds, and visibility hampered by darkness. With a "fast" boat and lots of fuel, one can make it in a single day and in daylight; however, most of us run "slow" boats and require 18 to 20 hours and are out overnight. If you take risk and go unwisely, there are no good nearby ports to divert to mid-voyage.

Fortunately, there is an AGLCA member, Tom, who publishes Tom's Weather Musings on the forum daily, and makes recommendations to loopers about whether the weather is appropriate to cross. He is a legend and highly respected for his experience and advice. He told us at the AGLCA Rendezvous that sometimes in December there are only one or two safe opportunities for an overnight crossing, so we had been more than concerned about being able to get to Tarpon Springs where we would leave the boat and go home for Christmas.

Since we were starting in Panama City Beach, FL, we first needed to get to Apalachicola, a distance of 70 miles, and it took 7 hours against a pesky 3 mph tide. To go 9 mph ground speed, we needed to go up to 12 mph on the water and this used quite a bit of fuel. Most of the way, we were in a man-made canal with little to see, but as we came into Apalachicola, there were dolphins that came out to play. They can easily swim at 9 mph and like to either jump or surf the wake.

Dolphin jumping the wake

Dolphin surfing the wake

After crossing under the Apalachicola Bridge at 3:00 PM, we followed the ICW 22 miles to East Pass and entered the Gulf at 5:30 PM just before dusk. We were now committed to a crossing. I had found another looper boat on the forum that was interested in doing the crossing together, and we caught up to David and Joy on MAIA and started across.

Sunset over the Gulf of Mexico

Tom had promised a perfect crossing, and he was right on the money. The winds were low, the waves were never over 1 foot, mostly under 1/2 foot and sometimes almost glass. Most incredibly, we had a full moon from dusk to dawn which allowed us to look out over the Gulf and know all was well.

Full moon rising over the Gulf of Mexico

Anne and I took turns with 4 hour shifts at the helm, sleeping in between, and she did an admiral (pun) job of keeping us on track and safe. This included her first time running after dark, her first time using the radar, and our first overnight passage. I knew she was nervous about this part of our adventure, so I was very relieved.

We arrived in Tarpon Springs at 1:30 PM after 30 hours of continuous cruising over two days, and both of us enjoyed every minute. We followed MAIA, a 42 foot Grand Banks, up the channel, and docked at Turtle Cove Marina for a well-deserved rest.

MAIA was our companion for the crossing

We feel very blessed to have had such a great day after so much preparation, anticipation and some anxiety over this crossing. 

Great Laker resting after a long two days underway

Day 70 to 73 - November 22-25, 2012: Thanksgiving in Mississippi

Thanksgiving with family is a great tradition, and we had a wonderful celebration with Anne's family. Great plentiful food, good fun, but a disappointing football Saturday for the University of Michigan.

Happy Thanksgiving from the McLaughlins

                                         Stephanie, Carolyn, Rachel, Anne, and Elizabeth

Day 69 - November 21, 2012: Elizabeth arrives!

After a good night's sleep, we joined Cathy for a great sushi lunch at Chef Scott's, and said goodbye. We then drove with great anticipation to the Mobile Airport to pick up our daughter, who came in from college. We were so excited to see her as it had been over two months! With much to talk about and catch up on, we drove west back to Mississippi for Thanksgiving with Anne's family. 

Day 68: November 20, 2012: A visit to the Mississippi Gulf Coast

This morning, we rented a car and drove to visit a friend of Anne's near Pascagoula. On the way, we decided to stop at Ed's on the Mobile Bay causeway for lunch and another piece of that great Key lime pie.

We enjoyed a sunset before going off to eat a fabulous dinner at Mary Mahoney's Old French House, which is located in one of the oldest homes in America. This restaurant is very famous in the Gulf Coast area. While the restaurant had seawater nearly up to the ceiling in the bar, it survived Katrina and is doing well. Out front is a 2,000 year old live oak tree. Imagine all the hurricanes it has been through!

Afternoon reminiscing

Day 67 - November 19, 2012: Preparing for the Thanksgiving Week

Weather affects our moods, whether we like it or not. 

Today we finally had some full sun and a high of 72 degrees! Yes, I put on shorts and a smile. Anne, who remembers every day in California as having been 72 degrees and sunny, was really happy. I got out the folding bikes, and we rode along the bay looking at the homes, and then did a few errands before riding back. These bikes are really helpful to get some exercise and fresh air after several days of cruising.

Tomorrow we will rent a car and drive to Pascagoula, MS, to visit Anne's friend Cathy again, but this time at her home. After staying overnight, we will pick up Elizabeth at Mobile Airport, and head for Poplarville, MS, to spend four days with Anne's sister Carolyn and her husband Steve.

Here is Great Laker, cleaned, maintained and ready for a week long rest at Bay Point Marina. The staff here will do a daily check to ensure that she is OK.

Washing gets the salt off

Our first mooring with tides

The sunset over Panama City Beach finds us packing for an early departure.

Sunset over Bay Point Marina and Panama City Beach

Day 66 - November 18, 2012: Panama City, FL

Every day is new and every turn presents another view. 

We left our anchorage, crossed Choctawhatchee Bay, and entered a man-made canal that connects to West Bay and Panama City. This canal was as different as anything we had seen before, as it was dug through the swamps. You can tell this area has sand as reflected by the high banks. The canal would run straight for miles and then would take a gentle bend before another straight run. It was a nice change.

Canal through the swamps

High sandy banks

On the way we saw dolphins or porpoises (and we are not sure which). These are closely related species and are almost impossible to tell apart. They differ in subtle ways, such as a slight flattening of the teeth and a different number of vertebra in the neck. To keep things simple, I'll just call them dolphins.

The dolphins would appear in front of the boat and dive under it, sometimes coming up to surf the boat wake. Or they would school around the boat as if they were looking for a handout. So far, we have been unable to capture any usable pictures as they come into sight and disappear so quickly.

We also saw many pelicans sitting on the water or on the many day-markers. They would soar and then dive at great speed into the water looking for food and causing quite a splash.

This pelican never budged as we passed by

As we approached Panama City, the skyline revealed the more familiar bridges, city buildings, commercial businesses, and in this case a container port loading dock. We arrived at the the Bay Point Marina which is filled with very large cruisers and offshore fishers. They claim this is one of the top five marinas in Florida, and this is where we plan to leave the boat for a week as we take a break for Thanksgiving. More on that tomorrow.

Day 65 - November 17, 2012: Fort Walton Beach, FL, and anchorage at Joe's Bayou

Today, we awoke to sun after several days of cool temperatures and cloudiness. We continued on the ICW, entered Florida for the first time, and were greeted by this sign. You can be sure we will diligently look for only "clean" marinas in the future! No more dirt.

Florida welcome sign requests use of "clean" marinas

We continue working our way towards Carrabelle and the anticipated crossing of the Gulf. The shore is almost at sea level and peppered with homes and resorts. You can see how easy it would be to have a hurricane sweep water over this area and destroy everything in sight.

Mix of hotels, marinas and homes

Homes and condos

This radar tower was clearly constructed to withstand hurricanes, and the design is quite interesting (remember, I'm an engineer). Each leg was connected and strengthened with a web of cross bars, and this structure should readily withstand both bending and torsion quite well.

Radar tower

My sister Shari's husband, Jim, was drafted into professional baseball by the Twins and did spring training in Fort Walton Beach. We planned to stop at the municipal dock and walk the town. Unfortunately, we discovered these docks are abandoned and considered unsafe.

The winds are strong today and this evening, so we went on to a wind-protected anchorage in Joe's Bayou. Anne cooked a great meal of salmon, broccoli, and couscous.

Day 64 - November 16, 2012: A new milestone - The Intracoastal Waterway

Today we cruised south on Mobile Bay, turned east, and entered the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) for the first time! This 3,000 mile long waterway runs in three large sections starting in Brownsville, TX, and ending in northern New Jersey. It follows the coastline inside a series of islands and keys and is comprised of inlets, salt water rivers, bays and sounds. Because it is protected from the open ocean, we will be running here whenever possible.

Section of the Intracoastal Waterway

Right away, it became clear that the ICW was going to be strikingly different from the inland river system we have been in for the first 1,950 miles. Instead of silt-laden fresh water surrounded by dense trees with occasional small towns, there are salt water channels surrounded by huge marinas, tourist destinations, and large urban communities. We will be seeing boats of all kinds, including military, commercial, pleasure craft, and, of course, loopers and snowbirds doing seasonal transitions between the north and south.

Orange Key on the ICW with large tourist hotels on Orange Beach

One of the first tourist attractions we saw was LuLu's Restaurant, which is owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister, and she has filled the place with Jimmy's pictures and memorabilia. It faces the ICW, so we docked right in front, went in and had lunch. My meal was aptly named the "Cheeseburger in Paradise." That is good marketing. Some say that if you are lucky, you may run into Jimmy himself.

LuLu's Restaurant

Anne after a great Fish Sandwich

This is from our anchorage in Ingram Bayou. No matter whether you are on the inland rivers or the ICW, nature provides a curtain of color to celebrate the end of each day.

Sliver of the moon over sunset

Day 63 - November 15, 2012: The Eastern Shore Marina and Fairhope, AL

Today we took a short 10-mile trip across Mobile Bay to stay at the Eastern Shore Marina and explore the nearby town of Fairhope, AL. During the passage, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that cousins Sara and Pat had decided to drive down and join us for another day's visit.

We went with them and their close friends, Carol and Scott who live in Fairhope, to Tamara's for lunch. This was by far the best Southern meal we have had to date. After lunch we walked the town which has 6 to 7 square blocks of really nice shops and eateries.

South of Fairhope is the Grand Hotel at Point Clear. A series of hotels was built on this site starting in 1820, and one was converted to a Confederate hospital for the wounded during the Civil War. The current hotel was built in 1941 and is now owned by Marriott. With its beautiful grounds, the hotel is a popular location for vacationers, conferences and weddings.

Grand Hotel on Point Clear

Anne and Sara

Pool overlooking Mobile Bay

Interior with three fireplaces sharing a common chimney

In the evening, we watched Fairhope's lighting of all the downtown trees -- a 27-year Christmas tradition. There was a choral group, a high school band, and of course a speech by the local mayor. Is Thanksgiving over?  Did I miss it?

Lighted trees on the parade route

                                               Ladies Dancing in the Street in Antebellum Clothing

Day 62 - November 14, 2012: More of Mobile

Today was the two month anniversary of our Great Loop trip! What a great time we are having on this adventure. We have traveled nearly 2,000 miles and have been in seven states since leaving Michigan. Every day we discover something new!

I have learned some things about the South on the trip from Tennessee to Alabama.

• The people are friendly, kind, and generous. 
• Southern food is unique and delicious, even if I can't get past the sweet tea. 
• The SEC is the king, and football is just as big here as in Michigan and the Big Ten. 
• Many people in the South are still fixated on the Civil War; however, this is quite understandable as it was fought mostly on southern soil and there is evidence all around of the how terrible it was.  

We spent another day out in the Mobile area, starting with Anne getting a haircut at the Battle House Renaissance Hotel Spa (she looked great). The original hotel was built in 1852 and was at one point the headquarters of General Robert E. Lee during the Civil War. The current hotel was built in 1908 and is an historical treasure that retains the grandeur of the period.

Lobby ceiling at the Battle House

After lunch we went to the Mobile Carnival Museum, where the history of the Mardi Gras and many of the recent kings' and queens' robes are on display. It turns out Mardi Gras was originated here in Mobile, not in New Orleans as I had always thought.

Typical Mardi Gras King and Queen dress and robes

Day 61 - November 13, 2012: Touring Mobile

Today we rented a car and invited Joel and Debby (on cruiser Water Music) to join us on a tour of Mobile. Our first stop was the Battleship Memorial Park, where the battleship USS Alabama, the submarine USS Drum, and many combat aircraft are on display. There is much to see, and you could easily spend all day at this park.

The USS Alabama went into service in 1942, and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific campaigns. She was a mighty ship built to fight and armed with nine 16-inch guns, twenty 5-inch guns, ten twin mounted .38 caliber guns, and more. She could fire shells as heavy as a small car accurately for over 20 miles and defend herself from attacking planes, ships and submarines.

By comparison:

• The Alabama weighed 45,000 tons and burned 7 tons of fuel per hour at a cruising speed of 15 knots. 
• Our Great Laker weighs 10 tons and burns 2 gallons of fuel per hour at a cruising speed of 8.5 knots. 

Battleship USS Alabama

Six of the nine 16-inch guns

We also toured the USS Drum, where I went directly to the command center and took over as captain. For some reason, she wouldn't respond to my "Dive, dive" command.

Wannabe Captain Larry

After a late but great seafood lunch and a piece of key lime pie at Ed's on the causeway, we toured The Richards DAR House Museum. This is a Victorian townhouse of Italianate architecture built in 1860. We enjoyed a guided tour of the residence, built by a steamboat captain and mercantile businessman Charles Richards. This home contains furnishings authentic to the period, and the tour guides were very informative.

The Richards DAR House

Anne and Debby enjoying the artifacts

For dinner, we went to Wintzell's Oyster House for more of Mobile's wonderful seafood. Anne and I split a sixteen oyster sampler and wished there were more.

Day 60 - November 12, 2012: A day to recover at Turner Marine

This is a good place to take a cruising break and do some maintenance, repairs, and restocking. Not every day can be an exciting adventure, and this was one of them. I started early this morning by changing the oil in the engine, as it was due.

Also, over the last few days, the marine VHF would receive but not transmit, so I had been using the backup hand-held unit. This is not an acceptable situation for the upcoming Gulf crossing where we may need the maximum possible range! After attempts to diagnose the problem and a call to technical support, I concluded it needed to be replaced.

Therefore, at noon we borrowed the marina loaner car, purchased a new radio at West Marine, and Anne took the opportunity to get restocked at Walmart. After lunch, with the help of one of the marina workers, I got the new radio in place and working. The most time consuming part was enlarging the mounting hole with a saber saw and a rasp. Why can't they make radios that fit a standard-size hole?

The weather remains unseasonably cold, rainy and windy (60's during the day and 30's overnight), and we are still waiting for the warm sunny weather we came south to enjoy.

Day 59 - November 11, 2012: Mobile Bay and Turner Marine

Today we passed through the last section of the Tenn Tom, which some refer to as the Mobile River, and entered Mobile Bay. This is a major milestone as we have now completed the interior river system and will soon be entering the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).

The river had a completely different look here, more like the swamps of Florida, and different wildlife began to emerge. The land is flat and flooded, with Cypress trees, many exposed tree roots, and Spanish Moss decorating the trees. We saw our first sea gulls and pelicans, and even saw a deer and her faun swimming across the river.

Exposed tree roots along the banks

Spanish Moss and Cypress trees

Then, coming around the final river bend, we saw the first view of Mobile and the city skyline. Here we suddenly transitioned into high industrialization, container ports, many major boat yards including commercial and military vessels, and high marine traffic consisting of tugs, fishing boats and ferries. The chart plotter showed such a mire of boats transmitting their positions, you couldn't distinguish one from another. What a change from the peace and quiet of the rivers to the high activity of a big city and major port!

First view of the Mobile skyline

High industrialization

Here is the beautiful riverfront Mobile Convention Center, flanked by the two tallest buildings in the city. Nearby was this beautiful tug and a prototype stealth Navy destroyer.

Mobile Convention Center

Classic Tug

Navy stealth ship

Mobile Bay is over 10 miles wide and 40 miles long, and as we moved into the bay we followed a tug going out to escort a large ship into port. Shortly afterwards, I saw our first dolphin riding the bow wake. The winds were up and the bay is shallow, and we quickly found ourselves in high waves as we moved down to stay at Turner Marine Supply.

Once settled at Turner, Anne called her Ole Miss sorority sister, Cathy, and she came over from Pascagoula for a nice visit and dinner at Felix's (great seafood). It was fun, and overall this was a great day.

Anne and Cathy