Panama City FL, to Port St Joe, FL

Total Miles Traveled 1010

We left our anchorage at Shell Island November 18^th and traveled 8 miles to Treasure Island Marina at Panama City Beach.  We had originally planned to keep moving east, but friends from Terre Haute were arriving today and we have been toying with the idea of visiting family at Cocoa, Fl during the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Car rentals are far and few between east of Panama City along the waterway.

We had a great visit with Fred and Kathy here at Panama City Beach, then drove to Cocoa for Thanksgiving, we really enjoyed seeing everyone and look forward to seeing them again at Christmas. 

The weather was perfect for our departure from Panama City November 27^th, crossing St Andrews Bay and East Bay to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.  We are now entering a flat, less populated area of the panhandle.

After a 44 mile cruise, we arrived at the dock at White City.  This is a free dock along the waterway that is about half way between Panama City and Apalachicola.  We plan to make a side trip to Port St Joe from here. 

We back tracked a couple of miles to the Gulf County Canal.  In 1915 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers connected St. Andrew’s Bay to Lake Wimico and the Apalachicola creating the Intracoastal Waterway.  When the St Joe Paper Mill came in 1938, the Gulf County Canal was created between St Joseph Bay to the GICW to transport fuel and logs to the mill. This is a straight man made canal about 5 miles long.

We passed this power catamaran that has seen better days.

Entering Port St Joe.

We arrived at the marina November 28^th and entered the Eastern Time Zone on the way.  As I walked past the fuel dock, this steel homemade boat from Michigan was arriving.  I had to snap a couple of pictures; this is the first boat I have seen that not only has a dinghy, but a 16 foot pontoon boat on its deck.  I believe the owner said the boat weighs 160,000 lbs.