November 22, 2012 -- Clearwater and Completion of Monarch's Second Great Loop

To make the final leg of our circumnavigation of the entire eastern half of the United States, we need to cross the Big Bend, the northeast corner of the Gulf of Mexico. This transit is best done with daylight on each end, to avoid the ubiquitous crab traps, which can foul a propeller. As the trip is 18 hours in length, this time of year with its short days really demands an overnight crossing. So we departed Apalachicola at about 14:00 hours (2:00 p.m. for you landlubbers!), and made it safely into deep and unobstructed water, just as the sun set.

The weather was almost perfect, with just two hours of beam seas. Finally, the sun came up!

And shortly thereafter, we entered Clearwater Pass.

We have earned our Platinum Looper Flag, as this is our second time around. During our second Great Loop, Monarch Traveled 6,271 nautical miles (7,525 statute for you landlubbers) Transited 105 locks Duration 306 days Traveled from sea level to 841 feet above seal level and back Visited two countries (Canada and US), 16 states (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York state, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama), the District of Columbia and one province (Ontario) Stopped in the largest US city (New York), the largest city on Lake Superior (Thunder Bay, Ontario), and the largest city on Lake Michigan (Chicago) Visited too many tiny towns and wonderful anchorages to mention (see our prior blogs)! Docked at, or anchored nearby, and visited every member club of the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs (36 clubs) Northernmost latitude 48°45'28"04 Southernmost latitude 24°42'78"93

And Jerry puts our Platinum flag on display for all to see and admire! Thank you for following the adventures of Monarch. Now it’s time for us to dock the boat and spend some family time back in Michigan. When we have new adventures, we’ll be sure to add them to our blog.

November 19-21, 2012 -- St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club, Panama City, Fl to Apalachicola, Fl

After departing St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club, we entered the Canyon, a narrow man-made cut which forms the waterway.

As the Canyon widened into Lake Wimico, oystermen were hand-raking their catch in this small boat.

We arrived for our night’s dock at St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club in Panama City. The Club was quiet; this is the one night a week it is closed. We had a peaceful night at the dock.

The next morning, we had a view of this interesting shipbuilding facility.

Next we reached Apalachicola, the jumping off point for the annual parade of “Loopers” – pleasure cruisers making their way around the eastern half of the US. Mariners spend pleasant days or weeks in this friendly town, awaiting the weather window for the overnight crossing of “The Big Bend” to Tarpon Springs or Clearwater.

These houseboats seemed permanently moored along the bank on our way up Scipio Creek to Water Street Marina.

Apalachicola Bay is home to some of the best seafood in the country, including 90% of Florida’s oyster crop and 10% of the entire US harvest. Gambler is among the large fleet, which also harvests fish and shrimp.

On the opposite shore, behind Dora Mae, you can see the mountains of shells, the byproduct of all those wonderful oysters.

The shells are not wasted, as they are used in road construction throughout the region, here ready for transport via barge.

Even in town, there are smaller hills of shells, awaiting transport.

To partake of those special local oysters, we dined at Caroline’s River Dining, which boasts oysters eleven ways: Chilled, Key West, stew, Po Boy, Asian Barbeque, Kayarain, Motoyaki, St. Jacque, Saltim Bocca, Lim-O-Zine, and Boat Flambe.

The following afternoon, Thanksgiving Day, we departed the marina, thankful for the predicted perfect weather window and our overnight cruise to Clearwater.

November 15-18, 2012 -- Fairhope, AL to Ft. Walton, FL

Our next stop is a new one for us, in Fairhope, AL. This spot is recommended for its friendly town and East Shore Marina, with courtesy van to make the 2-mile trip into town.

As the sun set, we learned that tonight is downtown’s official holiday tree-lighting ceremony. We hitched a ride in the courtesy van with Anne and Larry McLaughlin, fellow Loopers from Spring Lake, MI, here on their American Tug 34, the Great Laker.

Fairhope’s mayor introduced the dignitaries, the Fairhope Choral sang festive songs, the Fairhope High School Band played carols, and we got in the holiday mood.

We dined at the Fairhope Yacht Club, just across the fairway from Monarch, but two miles by road. Glad to have the courtesy van!

Next day, we drove around town. The City has an on-staff horticulturalist, as evidenced by beautiful plantings everywhere.

Lunch at Tamara’s included delectable Crawfish Elegante, a yummy bisque loaded with butter, cream and crawfish.

Next morning’s travel took us into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, where we knew we were in Florida – the dolphins came out to greet us, jumping gaily in our wake. Here we pass the Pensacola Lighthouse, near the Naval Air Station.

In Pensacola Bay, the local sailing group was out for the regatta.

Our port for the night is Pensacola Yacht Club, a beautiful old building surrounded by live oak. This is the northwesterly most Club of the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs. As we are members of one of the Council Clubs, Marathon, this marks the start of where we get to take advantage of our favorite member benefit – a FREE night dockage!

More Intracoastal the next day. This red can is almost obscured by cormorant guano. As they like to have their beaks into the wind, you can tell the prevailing winds here are westerlies.

Fort Walton Yacht Club is our stop for the night. We were welcomed by a gang of members, who made sure we each received a complimentary FWYC shirt prior to our departure. We love the Club life!

November 12-14, 2012 -- Big Briar Creek to Dog River, AL

A 0530 wake up call got us through the Coffeeville Lock before dawn fully broke. This is the last lock on the river system.

This tug along shore was pulling a propeller up on a line near the bow, with divers in the water. We wondered what was up.

This photo of one page of our chart shows why it is 100 miles as the crow flies from Demopolis to Mobile, but 200 miles as the river flows! Shortly we come to the junction of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers. From this point on the waterway is called the Mobile River.

We anchored for the night with three other boats in roomy Big Briar Creek, just off the Tensas Cut Off.

There are occasional homes along the river, with rickety docks. And we know we are getting south, as we saw a huge gator slip off the muddy banks as we passed.

Now we are in Mobile.

These stealth military ships are built here by Austal Shipbuilders, a big employer. Airbus’ US headquarters is also in Mobile, bringing lots more jobs.

The 600-foot Star Fraser out of Bergen was crosswise in the river as we approached, making a U-turn with the help of two tugs.

The skyline has a lacy look.

Ships come here for repairs, this one in a dry dock. The dock is submerged, the ship is parked in it; as the water is pumped out of the dry dock it rises up.

Monarch hurried to get ahead of the container ship Yan Ming Mobility, southbound on Mobile Bay. Unfortunately, her considerably large bow and stern wakes caught us broadside as we turned north into the Dog River Channel, rolling us severely. But no damage.

We entered Dog River Marina, located on the western shore of Mobile Bay at low tide.

Here we will spend two nights, to have Monarch pulled out of the water and her spurs installed. These are line cutters that mount in front of the propellers, designed to cut any lines (like from crab traps) that might wind around the shafts.

November 9-11, 2012 -- Rattlesnake Bend to Bobby's Fish Camp

Exiting the Tom Bevill lock, and further south, Monarch passes the white chalk cliffs at Epes, Alabama, which purportedly rival the White Cliffs of Dover. Shortly after the cliffs, we revisited the good anchorage we found three years ago, as we took a left turn into Rattlesnake Bend. Actually this is the Tombigbee River’s giant oxbow; the Army Corps of Engineers made a bypass that shortened the kink. We anchored for the night next to new friends on Jackets II, Stephen and Charlotte. We plan to be at anchor or a dock by 4:30 p.m. nowadays, because we lose our daylight shortly after that. No sane mariner would be navigating the river after dark (except the tugs, who are fearless and indestructible!).

The morning fog was lifting as we pulled anchor the next morning, here go our 'new friends' Stephen and Charlotte on Jackets II. A short way down stream the waterway becomes the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway – and passes the town of Demopolis, Alabama.

Here we found a secure tie up at the new Kingfisher Bay Marina, next-door to Demopolis Yacht Basin where we docked in 2009. Located at the confluence of the Tombigbee and Black Warrior Rivers, this small town is committed to historic preservation.

A highlight is Bluff Hall, a beautifully preserved 1832 antebellum house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now a museum with many of its original furnishings. Period clothing hangs in the Victorian armoires, portraits of the owners grace the walls and a local history display provides commentary. Now the museum gift shop, the original kitchen for Bluff Hall was a separate building, to keep fire danger away from the main house

Larger and even more impressive are the mansion and grounds of nearby Gaineswood National Historic Landmark, billed as the state’s most unique antebellum mansion, featuring domed ceilings, ornate plasterwork, columned and galleried rooms, original furnishings, and ghost stories. Considered one of America's finest examples of Greek Revival architecture, Gaineswood was built between 1843 and 1861 by Nathan Bryan Whitfield, who named the mansion Gaineswood in honor of city father George Strother Gaines. Visitors can tour the mansion which contains many original Whitfield family furnishings donated by descendants – but not today, as it was closed.

The Demopolis Yacht Basin, next door to Kingfisher Bay and part of the same marina, features a huge pecan tree, which we harvested three years ago. Here is this year’s harvest. The Yacht Basin’s on-premises dining establishment, the New Orleans Bar and Grill, features tasty fresh catfish and delicious jambalaya, which we enjoyed that evening.

We were up with the early crew, before 06:00 hours to transit the Demopolis lock, along with four other boats.

After a long run, the only option for the night is Bobby’s Fish Camp, famous because – it’s the only game in the area! The dock is small, and the boats raft off as needed. We had five boats tonight; the record is seventeen! (For the curious and map experts among you, Bobby's can be found at N 31 45.8617 - W 088 09.4756)

The fine dining establishment waits up the hill.

While short on atmosphere, the catfish and companionship of our friends was excellent. A quiet night at the dock topped it off.