Moorings Marina, Carrabelle, Florida

We travelled today from Port St. Joe to Carrabelle, through the intercoastal waterway which crosses Lake Wimico,  comes down the Apalachicola River, then out into Apalachicola Bay and up into the Carrabelle River to the marina, a distance of about 60 miles. Most of it was very shallow, so we had to be very careful of the buoys.One boat touched bottom in Lake Wimico, but no damage. In Apalachicola Bay, a sailboat had gotten just off the channel and went aground. A Canadian boat, The Old Grouch, tried to pull them off but was unable to, and so we left him to call TowBoat US. He didn't really want to because he didn't have insurance; however, he was off the channel and we were all afraid that The Old Grouch would either go aground trying to help, or damage his boat. We did hear the sailboat owner thanking someone later, so wonder if another boat was able to pull him off. We travelled across Apalachicola Bay watching the dolphins around the boats.
Tomorrow looks like a weather window for crossing the Gulf. A gentleman named Buddy here at the marina apparently is quite expert in weather and routes. He will meet all of us to go over charts tomorrow in the marina officel. There were 7 boats in the convoy which came from Port St. Joe today; two plan to go fast so will leave in the early am and hopefully arrive before dark tomorrow. The other 5 of us, along with at least one or two boats at Apalachicola, will leave around noon for the 18 to 20 hour crossing and arrive Saturday am. The trick is to arrive in the daylight so that you can see buoys and crabpots. We have heard a story of one boat that crossed last week and ran into a crabpot just before he got to Tarpin Springs; he broke a shaft on his boat, losing shaft and propeller. We don't know what other damage he may have done.
Had put dinner in the crockpot today, that works well, it is done when we arrive. Got together as usual with Eddie and Nancy to eat.