I drove back to Pensacola last night from Savannah in order to get Alana out of the path of the ever-growing Deepwater Horizon slick lurking to the SW. The winds, which luckily have been out of the north for a while, have kept the oil away from Pensacola for the last few days, but starting tonight, they are forecast to be out of the southwest, then west. The oil is coming and it is time to beat feet to the east. I plan on hugging the coast of Florida most of the way to Key West. It adds a couple hundred miles, but it will make it much easier to stay in touch with those that worry about me.
This morning was spent topping off fuel, water and groceries, then I said goodbye to Dave and Jessica, a pair of ducks which inhabit the marina, before sailing on the ebb at around 1:45 p.m. Jessica earned her name by quacking incessantly as she swims along in her man's wake, doubtless offering wise observations on a variety of subjects. Dave earned his name by displaying a large number if excellent attributes, a few of which include: resplendent plumage, exceptional swimming abilities, outstanding judgement, a powerful intellect, and a Job-like ability to accept hardship and criticism.
Alas, Mike was not able to take enough time away from work to join me on this trip as we had planned. It's a bit of a bummer not to have him here, but with the autopilot seemingly on my side, I'm not expecting too much hardship.
The plan is to sail on through the night, making as much easting as possible while we have favorable winds. I may or may not duck into Panama City for a rest, but if the autopilot continues to perform, will probably just keep going.
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