A little waylaid, a little out of the way

While the delivery passage was underway, there were moments of stress and anxiety among what we dubbed the kid-delivery crew – Grandma Kit, Aunt Mer Mer, the twins, and me.

Despite some sleepless nights of worry for the boat and crew, there were also moments of joy and laughter in a town that was new to all of us! I am so grateful to Kit and Meredith for being a part of the journey; huge thanks to them for being there for all of us. It was a memorable trip for all of us, I’m sure.

We had a great time exploring Pensacola over the course of one time warp week. We made the most of two separate Airbnb rentals – recharging, recuperating, and repairing what we could following the delivery through the ICW from Galveston. 

Highlights include:

• Pensacola public parks are on point! We especially loved Bruce Beach Park and Corinne Jones Park. 
• Tearfully watching Agora motor into the harbor at Palafox, and welcoming the boat and remaining crew to Pensacola with those first hugs after a very long, tense five-day journey.
• Attending a Blue Wahoos MiLB game (the boys’ first ticketed baseball game!)… and then seeing fireworks at the stadium a few nights later from the cockpit at the marina while debriefing the delivery with Kit & Farley
• Peering out at the bay and watching from the piers at Palafox as the GL52 Southern Series boats practiced and raced, and connecting with members of the sailing community along the way
• Wandering around Pensacola for a few days with Barrett and the kids, finding festivals, food halls, and fun places to play games

After throwing the dock lines yet again from Palafox, we spent a couple of days on the hook in the Big Lagoon outside of Pensacola Bay. We took the dinghy off deck to explore white sand beaches, practice our birdwatching, and observe hermit crabs at eye level. In an almost surreal welcome to cruising life, we also had dolphin visitors at dinner on deck the first night and again the next morning. Not to mention, what felt like a private Blue Angels practice show, thanks to the anchorage’s proximity to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola.

We pulled up the anchor in Pensacola on Tuesday, April 15. Then we headed west toward a shipyard that could handle Agora’s height and any repairs needed. It was only about a three-hour trip through the ICW on a pleasant day with calm waters before we arrived at Bay La Launch in Baldwin County, Alabama. We anchored in beautiful weather and had our calmest night on the hook yet. We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset after cheeseburgers for dinner, and bird songs lulled us to sleep. 

Just another hour west to Gulf Shores, we pulled in at Saunders Yachtworks to get hauled out and assess the damage sustained from the passage. It was quite a shock when we pulled into the deep slip at the shipyard and immediately began getting lifted out of the water. We assumed we’d get off the boat and then the lift would engage! Once secure mid-air, though, we all climbed off, and the team there carefully operated the wheeled lift to take Agora the rest of the way, positioning her on some boat stands. We were able to pack up toys and toiletries, clothing, and fridge items, because we had a feeling we might be on land for a while.