11/13/2010 ANCHORAGE AT DESTIN TO PANAMA CITY MARINA, FL

SATURDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY:    50 NM

The bright sunshine this morning heralded a mass exodus of fishing boats in all sizes and shapes, all with eager fishermen filled with visions of a bountiful catch. Wishing them luck we pulled up our anchor, left Destin and entered the Choctawhatchee Bay. This expansive bay (about 30 NM long and 3 to 5 NM wide) is subject to rough conditions during blows from either the east or west. We, however, experienced no such conditions and enjoyed our morning’s journey across her placid waters.

FISHERMEN SCAMPERING OUT TO SEEK THE DAYS CATCH

Early in our journey we intercepted a distress call from a charter fishing boat to the U. S. Coast Guard. They had a passenger on board that was having a heart attack. Luckily, two of the other passengers were nurses and able to render assistance. We followed the radio communications until we were out of range but a speedy Coast Guard boat was on the way to transport the resting patient and one of the attending nurses to a hospital.

We left the Choctawhatchee Bay and entered the 16 NM cut of the GIWW. We came upon an eclectic array of vessels here; small day fishermen, a barge and dredge and cruisers making their way to Panama City. The shores of the cut were deep, some sandy and some cut rocks, but all beautiful.

TOW WITH BARGE AND DREDGE ACROSS THE WAY

STEEP ROCKY SHORE

SANDY, DUNE LIKE SHORE

Swamp Thing went zooming by us loaded with tourist getting their “thrilling tour” just before West Bay opened up before us as we left the cut. Dolphin came to escort us and we spotted few grapefruit sized and shaped jelly fish floating by. Dan spied this "gigundus" nest high up on the power line tower.

SWAMP THANG THRILLING THE TOURISTS

NOW THAT'S A NEST!!

ROUND JELLY FISH

OUR FRIENDLY DOLPHIN ESCORT

We followed Sea Moore into the marina and made plans to meet and walk to Bayou Joe’s for dinner at 5:00. Now it was time to clean the salt water residue off poor Quest. Dan gave her a quick rinse and then we allowed ourselves to de-grunge.