Welcome to Flora-DA. Sorry to anyone who actually lives in or likes the State, but after spending 20 years in the Keys and watching it deteriorate over time, I am not surprised that it continues to attract people to this state that have big egos, big boats, and little genitalia. I miss the barge captains who were kind, respectful and very talented at what they did. These individuals in their big fast boats believe they own the waterway, have no respect for others, and are the ……….well, you get the point.
On this morning of April 7, 2023 with a full moon at my back and the Mobile Bay in front of me, I took off. Mobile Bay did not disappoint. It started out kind to me and my boat, and then decided to show me who the boss was about half way through. The waves were big, the wind was strong, and the current was unforgiving. I battled through. Poor Gnarly got sea sick, barfed once and had three bouts of diarrhea, but each time she told me to bring her out to the deck to do her thing. Even though it was so rough she could hardly stand up, she did not soil the bed. She is a great dog.
We made it through! The boat was intact and my feelings of “why am I doing this” were once again thrown to the side for the beauty and challenge of the trip. And then I started running into Flori-Da residence and their big boats, big egos, and some obvious shortcomings…..you get the point. However, I did find a wonderful marina in Pensacola after 11 hours of struggling through the waves and winds. The place is amazing.
It has a minor league field behind me. I could catch a home run ball if they could it one. It is nice to hear the announcers and the ping of the bat. Yes, they still use aluminum at some minor league parks apparently.
The highlight of my day was being tied up next to this very nice sailboat. A young couple were on the boat and I introduced myself to them. They invited me aboard to tell me a heartwarming and amazing story. The man told me he had stage 4 cancer and was going out in style. They bought this boat in Galveston TX and repaired it so that they could sail the world. They did not have much experience, but what the heck. They were on a tight budget, but they are making it work, along with two very nice dogs. The woman offered me a glass of wine and we had a great conversation about the trials and tribulations of sailing the Gulf. Their mast was too tall to do the ICW, so they were out in the Gulf dodging oil rigs when their aft-stay broke, almost bringing the mast down. They found this marina in Pensecola the same way I did and we ended up here together. Their story is wonderful. They break things, fix things, and wonder how life can be so blessed for them. A man with little time left on earth, a woman who knows she is about to loose her love, and yet they feel blessed. I think the universe introduced them to me for a purpose, just to show me that life can be very good in the face of tragedy, if you want it to be and you have love in your heart. So true.
The weather is going to turn nasty tomorrow, so I am glad I am in a protected marina. I might stay here and extra day, and if I do I will try to upload a video I tried to take of the Mobile Bay day. Stay tuned.
