January 21-24, 2023: I spend a few relaxing days at Gulfport, FL, waiting out some weather.
Once again, I’m writing about this from memory and my recollections are not very clear. But I do know that I spent a total of three nights at the Gulfport Municipal Marina because of weather moving through the area. My next cruise was across Tampa Bay and I didn’t want to deal with rough water.
It might be a good time to point out that I was still very new to my boat and the Great Loop in January 2023. I took delivery of the boat in early September 2022 and had only cruised a total of 260 hours in the four and a half months I’d owned it. I’m sure that water I would have considered rough back then is something I wouldn’t hesitate to cross now. But this was back then and when there was any doubt at all about conditions, I stayed put.
The only two things I can remember with clarity is going into town and riding my bike on a trail not far from the marina.
Downtown Gulfport
Downtown Gulfport, FL. The marina is on the left (east) in this map image. I did not take a single photo in town.
I took my bicycle to downtown Gulfport, leaving my pups behind. It wasn’t far — maybe 1.2 miles. I rode up and then down Beach Boulevard South, scoping out the area from my bike. I don’t remember seeing much of interest. But I did park and lock my bike and take a walk, stopping in a few shops along the way.
I ended up at the Neptune Grill on Shore Boulevard South. It’s a Greek restaurant and the inside seating had windows that opened wide to the outside air. Although it was getting windy out, it was sheltered inside. I can’t remember what I ate, but it was probably a gyro or something like that. I love a good gyro.
Across from the restaurant was a place called the Gulfport Casino Ballroom, a city-owned public gathering place. There was beach on either side of it. Beyond that was the bay where mostly sailboats were anchored. They were pitching around in the ever-roughening water. I don’t know if it was that day or another day when I returned, but I remember seeing the boats tossed around out there and being very glad I was docked at a sheltered marina.
The Clam Bayou Nature Preserve
Clam Bayou was close to the marina. It made me wish I had a kayak with me to paddle around.
On another day, I hooked up the trailer for my bike, loaded my pups aboard, and went to check out the Clam Bayou Nature Preserve. This was a park just east of the marina with a shallow water inlet perfect for kayaking. There were boardwalk trails throughout the park, making it very accessible for walkers and bikers. I didn’t see many people in there; maybe it was Monday? I biked around, getting off now and then at the end of various trails. I think that if I had been on foot it would have taken up more of my time, but on a bike, it was the kind of thing I could see quickly. In any case, it was nice to get out and get some air.
One of the boardwalk trails at Clam Bayou Nature Preserve.
After returning from the far reaches of the park, I came back to the mouth of the channel that led into the bay. There was a fishing station there with a man cleaning fish while birds looked on, waiting for him to toss fish guts and other parts to them or into the water. It seemed like a pretty common occurrence. The birds were almost tame; they let me get very close to take some photos.
This fish cleaning station on along the channel to the marina had a fisherman cleaning fish and a bunch of birds waiting for snacks. This is the narrow channel I had to pass through with my boat to get to and from the marina.
Gulfport Municipal Marina
The marina was extremely sheltered, tucked away in a harbor at the end of the channel. I was at the farthest area from the channel, so even when the wind kicked up, my boat barely moved.
Looking at my log of blog post, it seems that I spent a lot of my time at the marina trying to catch up on this blog. Back then, I was still writing posts in the order in which I’d done the trip and I see that I published one about November 30’s trip from Modoc, IL to Cape Girardeau, MO and another about December 1’s trip from Cape Girardeau, MO to Cairo, IL while I was there. (I was very far behind!)
I also did some bird watching right from my boat. There was a weird storm drain with a grate on the other side of the dock from the boat and a green heron hanging out in it. He was close enough that I was able to zoom in with my camera for a shot. And egrets. There were always egrets around.
A closeup of a green heron in a storm drain opening.
I saw lots and lots of egrets in my travels through Florida.
I vaguely remember meeting other boaters there. And there was at least one Looper docked in the middle of the marina where I was never quite able to run into them.
It was a stress-free and relaxing time at the marina. Not terribly interesting or fun and apparently not very memorable. But it was a good stop and I’d definitely stop there again if I went through the area.
Sunrise one morning, from my boat.
