Pensacola Beach to Bayou Chico

Leaving Little Sabine Bay for the Intracoastal

Entering Bayou Chico, Marinas on the right.
We left Little Sabine Bay at 8:45 this morning, it was a short trip along the ICW and Santa Rosa Island then across Pensacola Bay.

Around 10:00 AM we turned into Bayou Chico on the North shore and just west of Pensacola. We arrived at the Bahia Mar Marina and tied up at our assigned slip. The Bahia Mar is a small but very nice place it has floating docks, and a good restaurant on site. Our friends ted and Mona drove over from Gulf Shores with a bottle of wine and some great smoked tuna dip, in the evening we had dinner at the marina's restaurant.

To see our location on bayou Chico click on the link below:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.39988,-87.24213&ll=30.39988,-87.24213&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

April 15, Sandestin to Pensacola Beach

Heading out to Chocktawhatchee Bay

Crane Barge on the Intracoastal Waterway, Chocktawhatchee Bay

ICW shoreline park

Huge Military Radar tower near Manatee Point, Santa Rosa Island

Little Sabine Bay Pensacola Beach
We Left Baytowne Marina at 9:15 the weather was fine but a bit breezy with East winds 10-15

Chocktawhatchee Bay had a light chop. Along the way we met a crane barge heading East, it is one of the few commercial vessels we have seen on the waterway since leaving Louisiana.

We passed lots of Military installations on Santa Rosa Island mainly radar and air support equipment.

We arrived at Pensacola Beach Marina, right next to the bridge about 2:30 and tied up behind an 85 foot yacht. We were here in our Camano in 2007, the marina had a very good gourmet grocery and wine store then but it closed 6 months ago, too bad it was a nice place.

We had dinner at Hemmingway's across the street it is quite good.

To see our location at Little Sabine Bay click on the link below.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.33664,-87.14557&ll=30.33664,-87.14557&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Baytowne

Tree house along the nature trail at the marina.

Baytowne lagoon, lots of restaurants and shops but nothing important, like a West Marine.

A fairway on one of the resort's four golf courses.

Sunset over the Baytowne Marina.

Beatles tribute band, The Return, playing in Baytowne. They put on a good show in the park, free, lots of people attended. The Baytown complex next to the marina is very nice, there are four golf courses with beautiful houses along the fairways. The Market area has lots of restaurants and small clothing and crafts shops.

A lot of salt builds up on the boat from the spray when we are traveling so I gave it a good washing today then walked around the Baytowne resort for a good while. We had dinner at the Acme Oyster House, a branch of the original in New Orleans had a po-boy, half shrimp and half oyster, Marsha the same it was very good.

Tomorrow we leave here and head towards Pensacola, we may stop for a night along the way.

Hogtown Bayou to Sandestin's Baytowne Marina

Leaving Hogtown Bayou

Entring Baytowne Marina in Sandestin We had a very short trip to Baytowne Marina in Sandestin, it is about ten miles so we didn't leave Hogtown Bayou until after 10AM. The weather was nice as his has been every day lately, about noon we entered the Marina and tied up in the slip they assigned us. Baytowne is a part of the Sandestin resort which has condos, and several golf courses. There are about ten restaurants in the part right next to the marina.

The 49 ' trawler MV Tortuga from Baton Rouge is on the same dock 3 slips down from us. We met Grey Hammett, the owner, when we were here in 2005 he lives not far from our younger son in Baton Rouge.

We plan to leave here Thursday morning.

To see our location at Baytowne Marina click on the link below:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.38823,-86.3278&ll=30.38823,-86.3278&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Gano's dock to Hogtown Bayou

Leaving Fanning Bayou, the location of Gano's dock, headed for West Bay

Ospreys build huge nests, usually as high as possible off the ground.

A section of the Intracoastal with good stands of tall pine trees on either side.

Hogtown Bayou, today's anchor spot about 10 miles from Sandestin

Not a bad sunset for a place named Hogtown Bayou

This morning we went up to the Gano's for a cup of coffee and to say goodbye, we watched a bit of morning news on TV, no good news! They were saying this years taxes will be looked on as "the good old days"! Doesn't sound good for the future.

They helped us cast off from their dock about 9:30 for another very nice day on the water, we joined the Intracoastal again at mile 280, that is the number of miles east of the Harvey, LA lock into the Mississippi River, for example Apalachicola is near mile 350. We transited several bays, lakes and a long section of man made canal.

About 2 PM we arrived at Hogtown Bayou and put the anchor down. It took two tries, there are lots of oyster shells on the bottom here, they interfere with getting a good, deep, anchor set. It got quite windy during the afternoon but calmed down around sunset.

Tomorrow we will have a short run to Baytown Marina which serves Sandestin, we plan to leave there Thursday.

To see our location, the green arrow, at Hogtown Bayou click on the link below:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.40104,-86.24413&ll=30.40104,-86.24413&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Pearl Bayou to Gano's dock in Southport near Panama City

The shoreline at Pearl Bayou

The Park (maybe Military?) at the entrance to Pearl Bayou

Calm bay waters near Panama City, it has been a beautiful day.

Rich came out in his beautiful 42' Grand Banks, Calypso, to guide us into his dock

We left Pearl Bayou around 10;30 AM for the short trip, 27 miles, to Southport just North of Panama City. Our friends Rich and Mary Gano had invited us to stay at their dock.

The weather was very nice and the bay waters were calm as we slowly cruised past Panama City, as we neared Southport Rich met us out on the water in his Grand Banks trawler, Calypso, we followed him into the bayou and were tied at his dock around 2PM it is a very nice place, their house overlooks the dock and the bayou. We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting over drinks then went out to a nice seafood restaurant for dinner. Thanks Rich and Mary for the company and use of the dock.

To see our location at the Gano's dock click on the link below:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.28444,-85.64656&ll=30.28444,-85.64656&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Apalachicola to Pearl Bayou near Panama City

Sunrise over Scipio Creek across from the marina, the boom on the left is not a Paupier but an old dragline on a half sunken barge it hasn't moved since our first trip here in 2005.

One of several Bald Eagles we saw on the Apalachicola River

The swing portion of an old railway bridge, abandoned and locked open, slowly rusting away.

This Osprey caught a nice fish in his talons and flew with it up to this tree branch for a meal.

Sunset over Pearl Bayou our anchorage for tonight, it got dead calm just before sunset.

We had a nice day today cool, clear, and a light breeze blowing. We cruised up the Alalachicola River, it turns to the North but the Intracoastal takes over the rest of the trip West. Even though it is Saturday there is little traffic on the river, we saw 2 other cruising boats, no sailboats, and just a few bass boats. There is lots of bird life on this stretch, we saw several bald Eagles and Ospreys.

We had planned to anchor at Laird Bayou and did for a while but the wind changed directions an left us unprotected so we went on about 5 miles West and into Pearl Bayou. It is our first time here it is very nice, about 10' deep where we are and protected from the wind from all sides. It is surrounded by a military base so there are no houses near the water. There is a nice park near the entrance. We were anchored down at 5:30PM
Tomorrow we plan to take the short trip over to a friend's dock in Southport just West of
Panama City

To see our position in Pearl Bayou click on the link below

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=30.10256,-85.62332&ll=30.10256,-85.62332&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1