Days 222-223

Sea Hag Marina, Steinhatchee, FL

Friday & Saturday January 30 & 31, 2026

After yesterday’s crossing, today was all about boat chores: laundry, washing the boat, and tackling the never-ending to-do list while the temperature hovered around a decent 60°. We took full advantage, because the next two days are forecasted to be windy and downright cold 🥶.

Once the work was done, the six of us Loopers—Avontuur, Winsor Rose, and us—piled into our dinghies and headed upriver to explore. This poor little town has been through so much. Hurricane Idalia tore through in August 2023, and then Helene came back even harder in September 2024, nearly wiping it off the map. With a population of around 500, the town depends heavily on scallop season (June–September), followed by fishing season. You can see signs of resilience everywhere: new buildings going up, old ones being restored, and sadly, some properties still left untouched. The people here are tough, proud, and clearly no strangers to hardship.

We stopped for a late lunch across from the marina at Who Dat Bar and Grill. They also owned the Good Times Motel, which was destroyed. After rebuilding from Hurricane Ida, Helene came along and wiped out much of it again. This time, they made a smart call—everything was removed from the building, doors and windows left open, and the restaurant itself was saved. The kitchen and motel weren’t as lucky, but today they’re operating out of a large food-truck-style kitchen with portable motel units. It’s actually really impressive. The food was fantastic, the service was great, and we’re crossing our fingers that future storms finally give them a break. Of course, I forgot to take photos—especially of our group 🙄.

The evening was low-key and peaceful. Fresh air, productive days, and a quiet night—hard to beat.

Saturday

We woke up to 45°… and that was the high for the day. The winds were ramping up too. We took a long walk into town to explore a bit more, get some exercise, and take care of a few odds and ends. The sun helped warm us on the way out, but the walk back was straight into the wind—which was now howling. Sustained 25 mph with gusts up to 45, and out in the Gulf the waves were running 7–10+ feet. Yikes! Tonight’s low: 24° 🥶.

That evening, we headed to the local American Legion for a comedy show fundraiser. The marina owner and his wife are heavily involved and graciously offered to drive us there and back—it was that cold. We were treated like royalty with front-row reserved seats! Four comedians plus an emcee kept us laughing for a couple of hours. Such a fun night and a great cause.