still free

Last night we were going to call "The Bar-B" after we departed company to remind them that sunrise would be earlier now that we're in the Central Time Zone since we habitually agreed to a seven o'clock departure.  We never called, figuring it didn't matter that much.  Bob called this morning though once he realized it.  Good thing we got up an hour early so we could depart a half hour earlier than usual.  Or is that a half hour later than usual?
West Bay had a very light chop this morning.  Then it was ditch for several miles.  We were almost through it when we came upon barges four abreast of a floating dock with a back hoe unloading the innermost barge blocking practically the whole narrow waterway.  A quick call on the VHF and he informed us he would be sliding over in just a moment.  It still seemed narrow to get by and then of course there was a sailboat coming the oposite direction.  The water depth got as low as seven feet all the way over there, but all was well.
Next was Chocktawhatchee Bay which was probably the smoothest we had ever been across it.  We knew we had fellow boaters behind us that we have met along the way.  We all had the Ft. Walton Beach free dock in mind for a destination, but knew that there would barely be room for all four of us, especially if there was already another vessel there.
By the time we arrived we found that there were already two vessels on the end of the T dock and a smaller skiff in one of the first slips.  We made a couple circles and hollered at the boaters already there to verify that they were spending the night, but did plan to depart in the morning.
It was perfect timing to tell "Priorities" and "Blue Angel" the circumstances, so they just pulled into an anchorage at the west end of the bay, just off the channel.  We backtracked a short ways along with "The Bar-B" to join them. Ray provided taxi service for happy hour that was enjoyed on our boat minus "Blue Angel" with Wisconsin salmon courtesy of "The Bar-B" and Linda made stuffed jalepenos.


Anchored behind us left to right: "Blue Angel", "The Bar-B", and "Priorities"