Panama City to Port St. Joe, FL

Following a relaxing and peaceful stop at Emerald Harbor Marina, we took advantage of another lovely day on the water to keep moving across the Florida Panhandle. After crossing East Bay, the intracoastal route enters Wetappo Creek, a narrow, secluded and very beautiful waterway bordered by marsh, swamp and scrub, with the occasional house and cabin. 

We’ve seen plenty of abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs), the official name for wrecks, both commercial and recreational, They are a big problem all over the country, and especially in Florida, where local and state authorities have enacted restrictions on the anchoring rights of pleasure craft in certain waters. The basic tenet is to eliminate irresponsible boaters by keeping out live-aboards and cruisers, and the flawed logic is largely supported by influential waterfront property owners and non-boater politicians. Every year there are new bills in Tallahassee to make it harder for transients like us to enjoy Florida waters. 

We’d heard good things about Port St. Joe, FL, and decided to take the side trip. To get here, one has to leave the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, travel down the five-mile Gulf County Canal, go out into St. Joseph Bay in the Gulf, follow the coast for two miles, then enter the harbor. We’re at Point South Port St. Joe Marina, which was completely rebuilt after Hurricane Michael destroyed it in 2018. The new marina is gorgeous, largely empty and offered us an amazing view of the sunset from our dock.