On the water again ! Friday the 24th of October.

Today we cast off from Turner Marine at 7:15 am and chased a beautiful sunrise!  We headed down the shipping channel of Mobile Bay to channel marker 60 and  turned to a heading of 135 degrees.  Several hours latter we intersected the intercostal (ICW) with in 100 ft of my plotted course!  We shared the channel with a shrimp boat and assorted commercial boats.  When we turned off the channel I crossed a mile or so ahead of a container ship traveling at 12 knots.  A little latter on we caught the container ships wake!  Holly S@&$! It was a minimum of 6 feet!  The good news they where widely spaced and we just rode up and over them!

While cruising the ICW a 65 ft sport fisher called and ask to pass us as we were only traveling at 6.3 knots.  We BS'd for a bit before he hit the throttle and he was gone.  I asking what he had in it for power,  ttwin 2000 hp MTU's.  The boat will run 40 knots!  Can't fathom  the fuel burn.

We pulled into a bayou a little NE of Orange Beach AL.  Anchored in a beautiful spot about 2:30 we covered about 46 miles today.  Absolutely perfect cruising.  After a nice dingy ride we took the Dingy over to Pirates Cove for dinner.  Pulled the dingy up on a white sand beach and went into the joint!
We befriended the Bar Tender ( always a good  move).  We had intended to go out side on the deck but after being bushwacked, we stayed at the bar for possibly the best pizza in the world and got bushwhacked again!  A Bushwack is three kinds of rum, Kalua, and ice cream.  After dark we headed back to the anchorage in the Bayou and found our boat with the trusty anchor light on!  Gotta love being in the sticks!

Turner Marine Recap

As most know Brigitte went home for 8 days to keep up with her Partylite  Business and see the kids. While home she went with Jillian and Eric for Jillian's ultrasound.  We now know we will be the proud Grandparents of Soren Jane Helleloid in Feb. So what did I do for eight days. I will be brief in my recap.  I day in the engine room changing oil and filters.  A couple of days waxing.  Visiting the USS Alabama .  Going out to dinner with new friends, watching in credible sunsets and sunrises, and a solar eclipse .  Wed night was Potluck night.  Grocery shopping. Cody and I both got haircuts!  BSing  at the dock with other loopers and an group of live aboard sale boaters.  Yes and come this morning, I could not wait to leave port!

10 days at Turner Marine on Dog River Mobile Bay!

We aren't in Minnesota any more!

Marina life!

This might be the last post until a week from Friday.  Monday evening after getting settled in I cracked open a bottle of 18 year old Scotch and Brigitte and I  and enjoyed a toast to our successful voyage down the rivers to Mobile Bay.  One of the locals gave me a tip that the shrimp boat comes into the Marina and for about 15 minutes he will sell shrimp off the boat!  Wednesday we saw him coming in so we ran over and bought 6 pounds of shrimp at $4 per pound! Our friend JB was I town so he joined us with Shrimp on the Barbecue amazing!  Brigitte flew home today so Cody and I are on our own until next Thursday night!
Putz'n Around

Cruising into the Salty Sea!

Mobile here we come!

After 26 days and 1603 miles we made it to Turner Marine on Mobile Bay.  We pulled anchor about 8:15 and headed out of the bayou and down the Mobile River for 16 miles, the scenery was spectacular,  a river running through miles and miles of swamp.  We came around a  bend in the river and on the horizon were  the high rise buildings of downtown Mobile.  With a couple of more turns we were in the middle of one of the busiest sea ports in America! The winds kicked up to about 20-25 knots.  We past the port and headed out into the bay with 2 ft plus wind chop on our nose, spray was coming up and almost into the Flybridge! Putz'n Around is now a salt water boat!
We cruised 7 miles out into the bay before turning west into the channel running to Dog River and our Marina. As we entered the cut the winds where kicking up to 25 knots and hitting on the beam.  we rolled around a bit but made 4 miles back to the protected harbor in Dog River!
Wow, what a trip of a life time!  I will hold up here for 10 days as Brigitte heads home Thursday for 8 days.  When she comes back we will head for part two of our adventure and Florida!