Ft. McRee to Niceville

After walking the dogs via a dinghy ride to the little sand island near us we headed out. Our destination, Bluewater Marina, was across the bay from Destin, one of Florida's new "happenin'" places. Destin also has new "happenin'" prices, so One Eye Dog suggested Bluewater instead.

Given the route was protected, we didn't have much in the way of excitement. Or challenge. 

A boat named Just Jillin' anchored with us last night, and he left really early, before we did. But we both arrived at the marina about the same time. We cut our engines and slowed down to let them get in and docked before us.

Ah, Florida, your sunk ships amuse us all.

You have to go by the marina a bit, then make a hard turn back and navigate your way through the narrow dredged channel. We watched Just Jillin' do just than and I slowly approached the hairpin turn to give us enough space. Then Russ asked, "Doesn't it look like he's listing a bit?" I was to busy steering to pay attention, but Russ realized Just Jillin' had moved to the wrong side of the red marker and run himself aground. 

We hailed him. Yep, stuck, can't move, gonna wait until the tide comes up (it was almost dead low). Russ volunteers us to pull him out.

Now, I'm not against being neighborly and lending a helping hand, but in order to pull him out we need to get close enough to him to get him a rope. And, frankly, it is not an intuitive thing to go towards the boat that's run aground. But I kept an eye on the depth every inch of the way and we spun in the narrow channel, then bumped forward just enough so Russ could toss him a line. He caught it, secured it, and we did the same. Then we slowly backed up and got him out of the shallows.

Yep, that's a tree. In the laundry room.
Gives clothes that pine-fresh scent.

At this point we were ahead so we just headed for our slip. Conditions were perfect -- no wind, no real current to speak of. I lined up the boat and pivoted, then backed into the slip. Then Russ called "All stop!" because, wouldn't you know it, it was too dang small. So we pulled forward, and I moved the boat about to line her up for a second try on a different slip, which all went perfectly.

So, boring day in but rather interesting in the end.