Marathon Fl, to Columbus, MS

Total Miles Traveled since departing Grand Rivers, KY 2503 miles

We have covered a lot of water in one month, traveling 1054 miles from Marathon, Florida March 1^st to Columbus, Mississippi April 1^st.   We have had unbelievable weather and cruising conditions this year. 

We were in Marathon for three months without one day of fog, but on the morning of our departure, we were fogged in.  After it lifted, we traveled 51 miles to an anchorage at Little Shark River, the Gulf of America was almost flat the entire cruise.  

Approaching the 7 mile bridge at Marathon separating the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of America.

On March 2^nd we traveled 64 miles to an anchorage at Marco Island, then traveled 42 miles on the 3^rd to Ft Myers Beach, Florida and grabbed a mooring ball for a couple of days.  We had a great visit with our friends on the beach.

Dinghy dock provided for boaters on a mooring ball.

After hurricane Ian, all of these shrimp boats were tangled in a big pile on land, the storm surge picked them up and pushed them ashore.

On March 5^th we traveled 41 miles to an anchorage at Cape Haze near Charlotte Harbor, then on the 6^th traveled 40 miles to another anchorage at Sarasota, Florida.

With ideal conditions on March 7^th, we cruised the Intracoastal Waterway to Tampa Bay, then passed through the inlet and cruised the Gulf 53 miles to Clearwater Beach, Florida. 

We had an awesome time at Clearwater with our family during their spring break.

Farmers market at Clearwater

Clearwater's new waterfront concert venue at the 19 acre Coachman Park.  Covered seating for 4000 guests.

After spending a week with our family, we anchored 4 days at Clearwater waiting for a weather window to travel 86 miles on the Gulf March 20^th to Cedar Key, then 115 miles on the 21^st anchoring at Dog Island near Carrabelle, Florida.  We experienced some pretty rough seas the last 3 hours before arriving at Dog Island, we had a few 5 footers on the bow, slowing us down and causing us to arrive at our anchorage after sunset.

Sunset through the salt covered flybridge windows on our way to Dog Island

On March 22^nd we traveled 5 miles to C-Quarters Marina at Carrabelle for a couple of days to top off our fuel tanks, water, and stock up on groceries. 

Sunrise at our anchorage at Dog Island

Grocery run

We departed Carrabelle on the 24^th and traveled 91 miles to an anchorage at Pearl Bayou, then 66 miles on the 25^th to an anchorage at Destin, Florida.  The bays between these points are several miles long and wide, and were almost flat, so we decided to cruise longer days to take advantage of ideal conditions.

I guess the parasail boat captain thought it would be a good idea to pass them across the channel, what could possibly go wrong.

Canal connecting East Bay at Panama City to the Choctawhatchee Bay to Destin and Ft Worth.

On March 26^th we cruised 74 miles to Gulf Shores, Alabama and secured dockage at Homeport Marina.  We had dinner with our friends Kenneth and Susan on m/v Cra Sea Horse, and although it would have been nice to stay an extra day, the 27^th was a perfect day to cross Mobile Bay into the river system, so we traveled 80 miles to an anchorage on the Tensas River, a cut off of the Mobile River. 

We hit a wall of fog half way across Mobile Bay but it only lasted a few miles with 1/2 mile visability.

Entering Mobile ship harbor

We usually get held up in the Gulf Shores area waiting on the river conditions to improve from spring rains, but this year the rivers we close to normal levels and flow.  On March 28^th we traveled 60 miles passing through the Coffeeville Lock and anchoring out of the channel on the Tenn Tom Waterway, then on the 29^th traveled 72 miles to another anchorage along the waterway. 

On March 30^th we traveled 55 miles passing through the Demopolis Lock and anchoring in an oxbow at Rattlesnake Bend. 

The small white dot to the left is the International Space Station.  The ISS Detector App is great for tracking the space station, satellites, and planets.

On the 31^st we traveled 85 miles passing trough Heflin and Bevill Locks anchoring near Pickensville, Alabama.

We weighed anchor at daybreak on April 1st and traveled 28 miles, passing through the Stennis Lock at Columbus, Mississippi then continuing on the the marina.  The marina at Columbus has a courtesy car, so we drove to town for lunch and stocked up on provisions for the cruise to Green Turtle Bay.

There are 12 locks between Mobile Bay and the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake, raising us from sea level to over 400 feet, only 7 locks to go.