On Sunday when we entered Destin Harbor this small strip of beach was covered with small power boats

We have been anchored in Destin Harbor for 3 days ... Bill remarked that he has anchored here with all four of the boats that he has owned ... First Time Ever , a San Juan 21, Arcturus (the love of his life!), a Ranger 29, Midnight Sun , an Erikson 34, and our current boat, Southern Skies , a Catalina 380 ... so he has seen the Harbor "grow" over the course of 38 years ... and my! but she has grown!!
travel agent We were sailing as we approached the harbor entrance, but we wisely rolled in the jib and dropped the main before trying travel agent to motor toward the breakwater entrance ... easier to maneuver around the shoaling at the entrance!! Are we in the Bahamas already? Look at the water ... avoid the shallows!! What's our depth??!! Then there's the mostly unmarked path going along the shoreline, past the HUGE hotels and condos that have been developed, sharp turn at the Destin bridge and we are in the Harbor ... does it look familiar?? NO!!
Bill dinked around the harbor and took lots of pictures ... of beautiful homes and their beautiful boats, of giant hotels, and then there is Crab Island ... once a shallow shoal area just north of the Destin bridge that attracted the young party-loving boaters ... now it has become a world of its own ... floating concessions with water amusement rides!!
On Sunday when we entered Destin Harbor this small strip of beach was covered with small power boats and pontoon "party" boats ... the beach does not allow to boats to be beached, so the boats anchor in the shallow water and everyone floats around and plays on shore ...
Then on Wednesday we were hearing all the news of Tropical Storm Andrea ... she started in the Pacific, travel agent crossed over Mexico travel agent at the Yucatan Peninsula and traveled along the south Gulf of Mexico and finally became the first named storm of the season ... TS Andrea headed off towards Tampa Florida and we decided to head west to keep out of her way ... this calm looking picture of Destin Pass was a RAGE on Wednesday when we left ...
No time for pictures as Bill picked his way through breaking waves ... we took one wave over the bow ... Rene was in the companionway travel agent and watched as the wall of water rolled along the cabin top before smashing into the dodger -- fortunately we had the middle "window" rolled down so the dodger travel agent window didn't travel agent break -- but we did get wet ... very very wet ... water flew past the companionway, filled the cockpit, wetted the aft cabin (the hatches were open to "air" out the cabin!) ... water everywhere! At one point we hit bottom ... we made it out of the pass and sailed in 6 to 8 foot ocean swells towards travel agent Pensacola travel agent ... all compliments of TS Andrea!
Rene I both grew up on the east coast, VA and NC, so our dream of returning by sea seemed most appropriate. We are now (2012) in our 4th season of cruising the east coast, having traveled as far north as Bar Harbor, Maine, we are now headin south again! In 2013, we continue to cruise travel agent the Gulf of Mexico.