Day 45 - Walking Dead — Captain Father John

Miles cruised 132, fuel purchased 284 gallons, fuel purchased $752, slip fee $67.50, Loopers get free electricity – $7.50 value, Daily high temperature 84*F

The day broke clear and sunny. Dale went to marina office at 8:00 am to discuss forwarding a package that would arrive for him today. It is a wifi booster so he can pick up stronger wifi signals on the boat.

At 8:30 am we headed into Pensacola Bay to make our way to the inlet to the Gulf of Mexico. The Navy ship had already departed. The gulf was a little lumpy and built up to 1 – 2′ foot waves as we crossed. Changing Latitudes handled the quartering seas well. We passed through a missile firing range and were asked by a navy ship what our course would be because they were circling the area. We only saw three other boats on our passage – a charter fishing boat, a tow boat and the navy ship.

We had a malfunction with the transmission on the starboard engine. The transmission is locked in gear. When the engine is started the boat moves forward even though the electronic gear shift indicates the transmission is in neutral. We have a mechanic coming in the morning to have a look. Is it the transmission or the electronic gear shift that is the problem. We shall see.

Here is the advice we received from a mechanic friend. “There should be a wire that comes in for the electric shift, if you unhook that and start the engine and it doesn’t go into gear then you know it’s the shifter. Or if you disconnect it and start the engine and it doesn’t go into gear, there should be a bypass down below and you may be able to switch it back and forth. It may simply be the solenoid on the transmission.”

We arrived at the channel entrance to Port St. Joe Marina. It was still 12 miles to get to the marina from the gulf. There is a very nice bar and grille on the dock called Dockside. Priscilla and I watched the sunset from the high Adirondack chairs.

The sun was framed by the boats on the dock.

Port St. Joe truly is a “small town with a big heart,” the nickname that its residents have adopted. Formerly a bustling port along North Florida’s Emerald Coast, Port St. Joe now welcomes visitors looking for a restful respite. Postcard-perfect surroundings invite lounging on a soft, white-sand dune beach, snorkeling in the Gulf of Mexico, fishing and dining at a rustic fish shack. Also available: an educational, even inspirational, glimpse of some of the state’s earliest history. A compact, easily walkable downtown of gift and antique shops, bistros, vest-pocket parks, wide greenways, and an inviting waterfront marina. And don’t forget some of the nation’s most luscious seafood.

I spoke with Bob who was fishing. I asked him how many fish he had caught. He said he did lots of fishing but no catching today. The red tide (algae bloom) had washed through the area a few weeks ago and killed all the baitfish so the bigger fish moved away. He mentioned that a Florida out of state fishing license is only $45 for s year. There is a bait shop nearby. I will buy a fishing license tomorrow. I will be in Florida for several months so I should get to use it many times.

Bob mentioned that he owns a flower shop in Grantville, Georgia where the TV show Walking Dead is filmed. His claim to fame is that the roof of his building is often seen during the filming.

The town of Grantville, Ga., which is located south of Newnan in Metro Atlanta, is heavily featured in the Walking Dead season 3 episode “Clear” as Rick, Carl, and Michonne go on a weapons run in Rick’s hometown and run into a familiar face. Although the name of Grantville isn’t mentioned by name, some of the town’s defining features are noticeable in the background for those familiar with the area.

This story needs to be shared. Nancy and Bill whom we met in Pensacola and invited us to dinner at their home told us a cat story. When Nancy and Bill were cruising on their 53′ catamaran in Spain along with their cat. One night the cat was on deck and Nancy thought she heard the flapping of the wings of a large bird. In the morning their cat was missing. They went ashore and searched for several days and put up “lost kitty” posters with no success. At the same time someone had abandoned a kitten on a derelict boat anchored near them. The kitten cried out because it had no food or water. Nancy brought food and water to the kitten for several days and no one else showed up to care for the kitten. They finally set sail for the Canary Islands and took the kitten with them. Three weeks latter they were contacted by someone in Spain that had found their cat. Nancy said her cat was a good hunter so would have no problem surviving after escaping from the bird. Bill and Nancy flew from the Canary Islands to Spain to retrieve their cat.

Bonus photo – taken at the Oar House restaurant in Pensacola

Carl (Chef) Wooden – quote of the day.

Now I remembered a captain’s honor and his only duty: to bring his crew back alive – Carsten Jensen