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December 18, 2012    Day 221                             

Bay Point Marina, Panama City, FL

Total miles to date:  4044.3

This is our last night at Bayside Marina in Panama City.  We have been here for a month and will depart in the morning.  This is a very nice, friendly marina, and many Loopers are staying here for the holidays, but we want to make the Gulf crossing this weekend and be in Tarpon Springs before Christmas. That means positioning ourselves in Carabelle on Friday to be ready when the water is calm enough, hopefully Saturday or Sunday.  Tomorrow we will go as far as Apalachicola which is about 50 miles from here.  We will stay there two nights because Thursday is a no travel day according to the weather forecast! 

We will travel with Mike and Gay on Irish Attitude.  We first met them in Mackinaw City, MI and it is good to catch up with them again.  We had them over for docktails this evening.  Other Loopers, Proud Lady and Karma have arrived since we last posted.  Sometimes we feel like we are playing leapfrog!

Joyce has been doing lots of baking this week, including cookies and the sour cream coffee cake we always have in Christmas morning.  Bill has been working on boat repairs and maintenance.