Mobile, Alabama

Being without GPS and AUTO on the gulf or on the ICW at night is something neither of us wish to repeat. It was extremely stressful and more than one cussword was spoken by both of us. I was really afraid, because there was also some fog, and the markers weren't lit up in the ICW. Without GPS there is no route to follow. Paul brought out the big handheld spotlight to shine out in the water so we could try to locate markers. It was touch and go for awhile, leaving us both exhausted.

We somehow managed to work our way into Homeport Marina last night by 9:30 pm. Ken, the gentleman I talked with on the phone at the marina said another sailboat had come in and we'd be docking right next to them. Very nice guy, Ken, and we thank both you and Craig for your hospitality. When we arrived at our slip, we were helped by the sailboat next to us, and lo and behold, it was our buddy partners, Jason, Wendy, Piper, and of course little Hobie, their dog; the family we met in Seabrook Marina in New Orleans! It's easy to see their boat at night, since they have Christmas lights around the cockpit. We all were glad to see each other and shared some of our stories. We have really enjoyed running into these folks in different marinas.

Homeport Marina, for those who don't know, is Lulu Buffet's place...sister of Jimmy. It's a pleasant marina, but we felt it was laid out rather wonky. It was a long, long walk to the restaurant, and the office was nearly impossible to find. However, we were just thankful to be somewhere safe after the grueling night we'd had out in Mobile Bay.

We had lunch at Lulu's Restaurant around noon on Tuesday and our waitress, Tammy, was a kick. Laid back, friendly, and full of jokes. Thanks, Tammy, for your great service and for making us feel at home.

Tammy, our waitress.

Paul



The bridge you come under to turn left directly into
 the marina. Shot from the restaurant.

Outdoor bandstand with outdoor seating.

Outdoor seating with sand floor

Paul inside the restaurant.

Very cool bathroom



Paul with his Ecuador hat on to keep off the rain

Entrance to Lulu's gift shop.



Coming out of the restaurant.

We called a Yacht Marine Service center which was just down the ICW less than a mile, and they sent an Electrician out to our boat the next day. Unfortunately, the guy was there for 4 hours and couldn't fix our GPS. They charge $90/hr. After he left, Paul called our friend in Kemah, Philip, who is an experienced electrician, and he told Paul to put these two wires together, then those two wires together and Voila, we had our GPS back!! Many thanks to Philip for his help. You don't know how much you helped us out. We've both determined that the GPS and AUTO are probably the most important things on a boat.

It rained most of the...and we mostly stayed inside. Since we had our GPS fixed, we figured we would take off the next day. Our friends next to us decided to leave that morning for Pensacola, so we went out to see them off.

Jason, Piper, and mom, Wendy, with Hobie on the dock.



We hope to bump into our buddies again on our journey.

 

Next morning we got the boat ready to go and left Homeport to get back on the ICW. We had a smooth trip, which we welcomed with open arms. It's nice to have a day or so to rest from the more strenuous days. The countryside of Alabama was green and lush, with oodles of Ponderosa Pines along the banks. Next stop, Pensacola, Florida.