Great Loop: Gulf Shores Alabama to Ft. Walton Beach

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December 8th, 2021

What a great feeling.  We are underway after a week of waiting for a new sea water pump.  Charlie’s Diesel, in Foley Alabama, order the part.  Also ordered a new drive belt and air intake filter for the diesel.  Their mechanic, Blaine, had all the new parts installed within 2 hours and we were good to go. 

First things first though.  We woke to a foggy morning so headed up to the showers.  The fog and early morning lights were a bit eerie.  When we exited the showers, a squall line was moving through the area.  The coffee shop was closer than the boat so we walked to Southern Grind for coffee and breakfast.  Beth had their Avocado Toast and I had quiche.  Yes, real sailors eat quiche.  The squall line passed as we ate breakfast so back to the boat to top off the water, then to the pump out station to empty the holding tank.  Now we were ready for sea.  Let's go!

The new parts worked great.  So nice to be cruising and knowing we were heading to someplace new.  That’s why we like to travel.  A curiosity about what is around the next bend.  The opportunity to meet people one on one and have a real, non-social media, exchange with them.  New sights, smells and interactions are the best way to invigorate your day.


An Unusual Looking Tower
Hiding Electronics?


Close Up of the Top

Our destination for today is Spectre Island.  Sounds like something from a James Bond movie.  With a little luck, maybe this is where the Bond girls hang out in between capers.

Spectre Island

This was a long day as we were travelling 65 miles.  We arrived at Spectre Island 10 minutes before sunset.  It was deserted, not a Bond girl in sight.  What we did see was a steady stream of aircraft from nearby Hurlburt Air Force Base.  This is the home of the 1st Special Operation Wing, a part of the Air Force Special Operations Command.  The 1st SOW mission focus is preparing Air Force Special Ops forces for missions worldwide.  The wing’s mission includes planning, posturing, and executing precision strike, specialized mobility and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. These men and women are the real deal.  We are proud to say that Beth’s son served with this unit.  We salute their efforts on our behalf.

An Interesting Radar Barge


An Osprey Flying at Dusk


Sunset at Spectre Island Anchorage

So our stay at Spectre Island was to a distinctly military soundtrack.  It was not distressing.  It was quite the opposite.  It was the sound of freedom.  I still believe that universal military service is desirable as it makes one aware that our democracy is fragile and something we all have a responsibility to defend if it is to endure.  We can never take it for granted.

So yes, we slept well.  The next morning we pulled anchor and headed to Destin Florida.




Location: Hurlburt Field, FL, USA

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