Delivering the Motor Yacht “Outnumbered”

A New Adventure

It was just a normal day. Jim went out in the morning to make a few bucks driving for Uber. He got a hit, picking someone up at a local marina. He arrived, and met Matt and Amy, a couple from Mississippi, who had just bought a boat. They were going to pick up a rental car, which is where Jim would deliver them.
Of course, seeing as though they were on a boat, the conversation turned to who, what, when, where and why! It also developed, as usual, talking about our Great Loop Journey. Matt and Amy bought their new to them boat, “Outnumbered “, in Stuart, Florida, which is on the East Coast of Florida. They drove it themselves, here to Venice, where they had some sort of issue that needed a part. The part took awhile to get here. Their plan was to deliver their boat to their homeport in Gulfport, Mississippi, themselves. Matt and Amy run an Allstate Insurance Agency, and needed to get back to work. They ran out of time to deliver their own boat home, hence, why they were renting a car. Their plan was to leave their boat here in a marina, and find time in the future to retrieve it.
Jim delivered them to the rental location, gave them one of our Happy Destiny Cards and went on his way.
Later, Jim got a call from Matt asking him if he knew any delivery Captains. Someone who could deliver Outnumbered to Mississippi. Jim, raised his hand a said, “I’m a boat Captain”, and our adventure began!
It’s very cool how God works. Any Uber driver could have received the call on that day, but Jim is the one who took it and all of a sudden the stars aligned and Jim was hired to deliver their boat to them. So awesome.
Jim of course asked me if I was cool with the plan. I of course said “ Yay”.

We started to plan the trip, and invited Marshall, our friend who is also a Gold Looper Captain, to join us on the Adventure! He was pleased as punch and jumped at the opportunity to get back out in the water! All of us were giddy!
A lot of planning goes into this. Jim plotted a chart and I started to reserve dockage. It panned out to be an eight day trip, if we could travel every day, longer if we ran into weather issues. Marshall, lives in South Carolina. He booked his airline ticket and we made the plan to leave for October 20, 2020. The weather looked good for the week. Little did we know, a storm was a brewin, which eventually would stop us dead in our tracks!

Jim and I took Outnumbered out in few runs to make sure all the systems were working well enough to take us safely on our 650 mile journey. There were a few issues, but, Captain Jim analyzed and corrected. The boat is a strong boat. She ran well! We were a go!

I hung our Gold Looper Flag on the bow of the boat. What a great feeling! To see it flapping in the wind was a joy to behold! I felt very ready for this adventure with everything I learned from our loop. I was excited, not afraid. I felt grateful to have been given this opportunity.

Proud of our Gold Burgee!

Our trip was going to take us 650 miles to Gulfport Mississippi. This is where Matt and Amy Live. This is where they want their boat. This is how we are going to get it there.

Our First day out, is a 73 mile trip to Clearwater, Florida. We Left Venice Inlet at around 8:00 am.

We cruised offshore in the Gulf Of Mexico the whole way to Clearwater. It was a breezy day, but the waves were not bad. We knew rain was expected later in the afternoon, but were hoping we would beat the squall. As we entered the channel, with several miles to go, the sky darkened. I came prepared on this cruise with rain gear for all. I got everyone their jackets! We were going to need them! One thing about Outnumbered is, it has no enclosures at the helm! If it rains, you will get wet.
The rain held off until we were about 10 minutes out from our first port of call. It came in sheets, but, hey, it’s all in the adventure!

I would have loved to get pictures of us in our rain gear, but I was too busy trying to keep Jim’s IPad with our navigation chart dry!🤣

We arrived safely to Clearwater Beach Municipal Marina, tied up, and enjoyed a nice dinner aboard.

Day 2. Clearwater Florida to Crystal Springs, Florida. 79 miles offshore.

Clearwater to Crystal Springs

Another beautiful day! Jim and Marshall shared the driving of the boat. My job, to feed them and keep them happy! I love to listen to Jim and Marshall talk. They problem solve and both share navigation issues. Not that there are many. It’s pretty straight forward. We all had our eyes open for crab pots! Our trip was uneventful. I was busy taking pictures and videos, something I love to do. Obviously! As we got closer to the channel to enter Crystal River and our destination for the day, the depth of the water began to dwindle. This boat needs 4 feet of water under its keel, to keep it from hitting the bottom. Jim slowed the boat down in the channel as we were seeing 4 feet of water. You don’t want to drive a boat any faster than what you’re willing to hit something!
The boys got us through and we landed at Twin Rivers Marina, safe and sound.

Upon awakening, I went outside and noticed the docks were underwater. Not only the docks were underwater, but our power cords were underwater too! The tide had come up so high that the land had become an island! I went to tell Jim, but he was still sleeping and didn’t quite understand what I was saying. We had power to the boat. That was the weird thing. These power cords are just plugged in. They were submerged in water. Marshall and Jim were befuddled! How could this be? It was a topic of discussion all day! Problem was, how are we going to unplug them in water up above our ankles? I’ll tell you how! You get the dockmaster to take one for the team. That’s just what we did!

Day 3. Crystal River to Steinhachee, Florida. 84 miles

Crystal River to Steinhachee

Another beautiful day! Blue skies, wonderful breeze. Destination - Sea Hag Marina. Again, another day in the Gulf. 7 miles offshore. Lots of crab pots to keep our eyes on. Outnumbered is running great. She clips along at 14-17 mph, which is so awesome. Marshall says her engines purr like kittens! Going these speeds is nice. On our loop, this trip would have taken the Happy Destiny 9 hours from port to port. This trip took us only 6 hours! Woooohoooo!
We entered the channel to the marina with plenty of water under us. Sea Hag Marina is a place I have always wanted to go. It has a really cool t-shirt store that did not disappoint. Also, they offered us a loner car. Marshall and I went to the grocery store and we used it to go out to a restaurant for dinner. Jim and I went for a swim in their pool, which was very refreshing. It was a hot and humid day here.
The marina has marina cats everywhere. This is Joey. He is 20 years old and it shows. He was just beautiful!

Joey 😻

Steinhachee to Carrabelle 80 miles. Day 4

Obviously, we have been checking in with Matt and Amy every day to let them know our progress. At this time, on the horizon, there is a hurricane brewing in the Gulf. This was not in the forecast or an issue when we started this adventure, but on this day, it became apparent that we had Hurricane Zeta in our path. Unfortunately, it was getting to be a topic of discussion. Gulfport Mississippi is looking like where this monster is going to land and we began to talk about how we were going to handle it. One day at a time, for sure, but moving forward to the next ports were going to have to be watched carefully.

If you recall, when Jim and I did the Loop, one of our most Badass moments was when we did the 180 mile, 23 hour, overnight crossing from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs. It was a night I will never forget and never wish to do again. I thought we were going to die!
Hence, why we came to Carrabelle this way. Up the Big Bend of Florida. It took us 4 days to get here, but the experience was so much less stressful and the experience was much nicer.
As we entered Carrabelle, I was flooded with memories of our amazing Loop adventure. We spent a week in Carrabelle on our loop. It was beginning to look like we may have to stay again for a day or two, because of the weather coming our way. Carrabelle is nothing to write home about. The marina is nice enough, but the town itself is small and a lot of it is still in ruins due to Hurricane Michael which rolled through in 2018. It’s big hype is that it has the smallest police station in the U.S. It literally is a phone booth!

We got settled and were glad to have access to some really nice transient bathrooms with showers and freezing cold air conditioning! Jim and Marshall along with Matt, were looking at the weather for the following day. Our plans are to get to Panama City as our next port, although, it was supposed to pour rain the next day. We agreed to revisit the weather forecast in the morning and plan accordingly.
The next morning, we all agreed that we would be going into a bad storm if we chose to move forward. The decision was made to stay put for another day. Which is what we did. The storm eventually made it to us in Carrabelle.

Today, I found out that Arthur, the gentleman I have been caring for this last year, passed away. Arthur was 94 years old, and had been getting tired. He died peacefully, with his wife by his side. I will miss him.
After the storm, comes the rainbow. Arthur and I used to sing songs. We often sang “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”. He would belt out “birds fly over the rainbow, why oh why can’t I” .
This was our Rainbow in Carrabelle tonight after this storm.
It was the most beautiful rainbow I’ve ever seen.
Cheers Arthur!

Carrabelle to Panama City

Day 5

Now, we are back on familiar waters. On our loop, we did this part of the Florida Panhandle, except in the opposite direction. We traverse now on the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway (GICW) . This is all rivers, creeks, lakes and bays. There are many No Wake Zones to be had, and we continued to see the damage done 2 years ago during Hurricane Michael. We did however, see some new trees growing, and not as many sunken boats and houses. Looks like the cleanup is still in progress which is good.

We arrived to Treasure Island Marina in Panama City around 3:00 pm and got settled in our slip. On this day we found out that Hurricane Zeta was going to make landfall in the exact location where Matt and Amy are expecting their boat to be delivered to them. This is not good. Not good at all. Ultimately, the hurricane landed and wiped out the marina in Gulfport where they had their slip. Being in Panama City, which is 300 miles from Gulfport, we were going to get hit as well. It was impossible to move forward at this time. I had reservations at our next ports which I had to cancel, not knowing if they would be serviceable over the next week. It was an uncertain time for us all. Especially for Matt and Amy who were now experiencing an ass kicking hurricane and needing to find another dock to put their boat.
It was Sunday, and we were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Matt wanted us to stay where we were and ride the storm out. The marina we were in, allowed us to stay through Friday. Friday’s weather looked good.
Marshall decided to jump ship! Unfortunately, this 8 day trip of ours was now looking like a 2 week tour. He had family obligations to attend to, and chose to high tail it on home instead of sitting on the boat, like Jim and I were going to have to do for the next 5 days. We rented a car, which was a good thing, think “get away car” , drove him to the airport, and we bid our adieus. It was sad to see him go, and I know he was disappointed that he would not be able to meet Matt and Amy. He was a great help to us and I know he had a great time. He also hasn’t been out in the open water cruising since his and Judy’s loop adventure. He’s a good friend, and we look forward to camping with them in February.

Jim, Kim and Marshall in Panama City.❤️

I cancelled all our upcoming reservations and we proceeded to hunker down. We luckily were docked between two 60 foot boats which gave us some protection from the winds that were coming our way. We took some car rides and explored Panama City. My brother calls this area the “Redneck Riviera”. It reminds me of what Myrtle Beach and The Jersey Shore looks like. Lots of hotels on the beach and local beachy type stores and attractions. A true tourist trap. I must admit though, the beaches are breathtaking and the sand is white and soft and doesn’t stick to your skin! On this day, we walked on the beach while watching the strength of the ocean during a hurricane pound the shores. It was awesome! I took a little spill, but recovered nicely! 😂

We secured our lines on the boat and threw caution to the wind. We had wind, and waves, and rain, oh my. Not a big deal, but obviously concerning. During this time, Matt found a place for us to dock his boat in Gulfport, so, we were set to leave on Friday to continue the 3 day trip to Mississippi.
Here are a few pictures and videos from our time in Panama City.

Day 11 - Panama City to Shalimar, Florida 68 miles

Panama City to Shalimar, Florida

It was a very chilly start to our day. Jim was bundled up as we left the Grand Lagoon. We had not put the Bimini back on yet, because it was still pretty windy. Still traveling on the GICW with our destination just about a 4 hour trip.
Two George’s Marina in Shalimar, Florida which is close to Destin, Florida for reference. Our trip was windy and cold, and we did cross a pretty big lake which was pretty lumpy. As the day progressed, the sun came out and it was quite enjoyable.

Day 12 - Shalimar to Gulf Shores Alabama. 72 miles

Shalimar, Florida to Gulf Shores, Alabama

We are closing in on the end of this wonderful adventure. One more day until Matt and Amy get their boat returned to them!
I think Jim and I are getting a bit anxious to get their boat delivered to them and head for home. Our trip today was uneventful and quite interesting. We traveled through areas that were just hit by two major hurricanes. Sally and Zeta have kicked this part of the Panhandle’s ass. These poor people, their homes, businesses and boats have been torn up. It was quite sad to see all the damage.

We arrived at Homeport Marina and LuLu’s Bar and Grill in Gulf Shores, Alabama. A beautiful marina with LuLu’s being it’s headliner. Lulu is Jimmy Buffet’s sister, and the restaurant, where we had a wonderful dinner, was really fun. We were entertained by a two man band, which was really great. This is one of my favorite songs!

Day 13 - Gulf Shores, Alabama to Gulfport, Mississippi. 90 miles

Gulf Shores Alabama to Gulfport Mississippi

Today’s trip will take us across Mobile Bay. We have never been to this part of the United States on a boat, so it’s all new territory. Mobile bay is big and today it was snotty. Outnumbered is a strong vessel. She and Jim handled it well.
On our way into Biloxi, Mississippi we had a dolphin escort like no other. I hope you enjoy this video!

We were both excited and knew that Amy and Matt must be as well. They are getting their boat back today! What a joyous occasion for them. It has been planned that they will meet us at a railroad bridge in Biloxi on their small boat, and escort us into the port they have acquired for their boat.
It was a long trip, but it all paid off when we saw them at the bridge! They pulled up next to us and their smiles lit up the sky! I know that feeling, for I had it too. I was crying for them! Pure happiness for them and great pride for Jim, myself and Marshall for pulling this off, no worse for the wear. 650 miles, a hurricane, an amazing dolphin encounter, beautiful sunrises, sunsets and the most beautiful rainbow I’ve ever seen, is now in our history book.

Jim, Kim, Amy, Matt and Outnumbered 🌸

Oh, the places you’ll go…

Matt and Amy, Thank you. Thank you for trusting us enough to get your girl to you. We had an amazing journey! It was so great to be back on the waterways.
It was good for my soul. I find joy in the wind and strength in the waves. I find time to connect with my God and relish in seeing Jim so happy at the helm. It’s what he does best, and I know he had a great time.
I know, for the time Marshall was with us, he was happy and grateful too.
We all hope you find much happiness, as you get out and have adventures on your new boat. Enjoy every moment because every moment matters!
May you always have fair winds and following seas!

CHEERS!

❤️