Recess, towing their dinghy, heads out of Panama City bound for Carrabelle.
By the time Chip Ahoy entered the Carrabelle channel, the Recess crew was back to workaday routines. November is quiet in Carrabelle. Those looking for action would do well to arrive on the weekend or in peak tourism season, perhaps when the scallops are ripe for the
From left, second-grader Mico, mom Ivy and dad Dave, smiling— and squinting—in the morning sun after a pleasant stay at the White City docks on the Florida ICW between Port St. Joe and Apalachicola. One of their favorite pastimes here is strolling to the little Hammond Country Store for fresh-dipped ice cream cones.
picking. We walked the mostly deserted waterfront, visiting the World’s Smallest Police Station, a fitting attraction in a town with a population of approximately 1,231. We watched the amusing sight of oyster shells popping out of the chutes at a nearby processing plant. We found no fresh local seafood, but the IGA pizza and provisioning were tasty as promised, with a hardware store conveniently located next door. Ice formed on Chip Ahoy’s decks in the wee hours. The docks were hoary with frost as we let go the four-point ties and pushed away from the pelican poles. The burn barrel just off the fuel dock porch at C-Quarters Marina smoked merrily, locals bundled in flannel and fleece gathered ‘round to solve the problems of the world while waiting for better fishing weather. With warmest wishes to Recess, we pointed Chip Ahoy’s bow south. The east winds that kept the fishing fleet at the docks would also make for a sporty 27-hour sail to Tarpon Springs and play a role in sinking a 61-foot power yacht suffering pump failure several miles off the coast near the Cedar KeyCrystal River sector of the Big Bend. The elderly couple and their faithful dog were successfully airlifted by Coast Guard helicopter. In the New Year, we received exciting news from Carrabelle. The McGoverns’ offshore dreams have taken a giant leap closer to reality. “We just became the proud owners of a Pearson 323,” Ivy wrote. “I am sad to see Recess go, but now we will be building tons of memories on the new boat. Her name is Sea Trials, which we are thinking of changing to Sea-Renity.” Cyndi Boschard Perkins is an old school journalist with a passion for all things boating. She’s a frequent contributor to numerous boating publications, including the book, Women Onboard Cruising (www.womenonboardcruising.com). Cyndi and husband Scott have been sailing Lake Superior from their homeport of Houghton, MI, for 17 years and have completed two 6,000-mile circumnavigations of America’s Great Circle Loop. They currently cruise south each winter on their 32-foot DownEast sailboat,
News & Views for Southern Sailors
SOUTHWINDS
April 2013
55