Fort Walton Beach to Panama City to Carrabelle, FL

We depart Pensacola, FL and have a nice cruise to Fort Walton Beach, FL (38NM) where we will spend two nights to wait out a big storm and a cold front. The weather does turn during the night and we get wind gusting up to 30 knots and buckets of rain. We keep the heat up on the boat the following night as the temperature dips below freezing and as we prepare to leave the next day there is ice/frost on the decks of the Independence. We cruise to an anchorage outside of Panama City, FL (41NM) along with our friends Rich & Connie (and their crew, Bentley & Rudy) on Looper boat ‘Allure’. On we all go the next day in overcast skies and after eight hours finally tie-up at the marina in Carrabelle, FL (71NM) just in time to greet the rain. We will spend the next two nights in Carrabelle and wait for our weather-window to make the Gulf crossing to the west coast of Florida.

The calm before the storm. A pretty sunset over Fort Walton Beach at Two Georges Marina

So lucky as yet another enthusiastic pod of dolphins ride our bow in the bay of Panama City

Our buddy Bentley and her chauffeur, Rich on Allure’s tender in the anchorage off of Panama City

The Independence at anchor outside of Panama City, FL. Photo by Larry

Hurricane Michael (Oct. 2018) was a terror to the Panama City area and beyond, snapping large trees in half, blowing away entire homes, marinas and boats with it’s 160 mile an hour winds.

More Hurricane Michael damage along the ICW out of Panama City

Quite a few good bars in Carrabelle, FL including Harry’s Bars

Parts of Harry’s didn’t fare as well as others after Hurricane Michael

A day pic of Fathom’s. Great seafood and live music to follow…

Larry took this photo of what he feels is a perfect Christmas tree at Harry’s Bar

A first blush look at the winds during our Gulf Crossing, which will be 240 statute miles and will take approximately a day of solid travel. Our first overnight transit.