Author Archives: robmcdonald

Conditions were good but cold. We arrived Port St Joe and stayed on the dock and ate on the boat.  

I was up early talking to the professional skippers and they were going out. One captain told his fishing customers that it was still rough out with 5-6 waves and if they were prone to seasickness stay home. I hurried … Continue reading →

The weather was not fit for sailing. Even the professional fisherman were not going out through the Pass so we settled in to see Destin. It was Spring Break so it was crowded and not what we expected. Our friend … Continue reading →

We arose in the dark and prepared to depart at first light. It was going to be our first Gulf Crossing. Nelson and I listened to weather broadcast on VHF and it warned of fog and building waves. Still we … Continue reading →

Early in the morning we discussed coming bad weather and the lack of marinas in Pensacola. I called 12 and none had slips. Feeling some pressure to make a decision I took a deep breath and started looking along the … Continue reading →

Sunday brought favorable conditions to depart. My first large body water crossing with new Garmin instruments and trusty Navionics running on my Ipad. We first encountered a party boat, some barges and relatively calm brown waters. We stayed in the … Continue reading →

Nelson Miller, Tim Parshall and I arrived at Turner Marina in Mobile ready for work on Thursday, March 11, 2021. From Thursday to Saturday we accomplished over 36 items. We were preparing to sail to Carrabelle, Florida over 270 miles … Continue reading →

Reprinted thanks to Mahina When day sailing, seasickness goes away once land is reached or the anchor is down. However, on coastal or offshore passages longer than 24 hours preventing or effectively treating seasickness becomes a health and safety issue … Continue reading →

 Day One: Tuesday Oct 20,2020 Tired but charged with anticipation, Robbie, Nelson Miller and I cast off the lines at 10 am only to discover our GPS was not syncing with Navionics hampering our ability to navigate. Determined to press … Continue reading →