Freedom of the C's

YES, WE ARE HERE AND ALIVE

2010-11-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

Early in the morning, after filling out more paperwork than is required for privileges to do cardiovascular surgery, we were short-hauled. Eric, the service supervisor and an obvious "pro" determined our props were both damaged but not terminal. We exchanged for the spares we have been carrying since the Loop and, though under-pitched, they allowed us a 22 knot cruise without issues. We hung out at River Forest Yacht Center and looked at their storage capacity, which we may take advantage of if we need to spend some summers in Michigan. A very professional organization with very professional management.

We learned from a friendly conservation officer that "slow" in a manatee zone meant our bow wasn't raised above the water. Quite helpful.

More time in "the ditch" eventually brought us to slip #83 in the Cape Coral city marina. Another narrow slip, but, hey, we are used to that. Our props are now awaiting being straightened and pitched, we are cleaning several weeks of personal detritus and salt, and much laundry is being done.

Condo is "boy-plus" clean, had a great Thanksgiving dinner at the Royal Palm Yacht Club, spent our 34th anniversary doing "stuff" plus walking the beach on Sanibel Island and eating at Doc Ford's.

More boat cleaning after the farmers' market and other activities including getting together with some other Loopers, then Capt Paul has agreed to drive back north with HRH Victoria with a plan to be back in paradise the week after Christmas.

A Very blessed holiday season to all reading this, and more from us "whenever."

SEA TOW AND GATORS AFTER FT. PIERCE

2010-11-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we headed to Ft. Pierce, being able to run at speed for a good part of the time. Ft. Pierce is a nice little town which the locals seem to have kept looking good with very few open storefronts and some nice little shops. We ate "Greek" at Yianni's, which we couldn't recommend. (BTW, the manatee at Titusville was apparently just taking a very, very long nap!)

The marina is very nice and the staff very capable, friendly, and knowledgeable. A definite recommended stop.

Today we headed back onto the ICW and had a nice fast trip down to Stuart and turned in at the St Lucie River heading across the Okechobee. All went well until Captain Paul misread the chartplotter and ran aground, resulting in a call to Sea Tow. Captain Scott was very professional and capable. He managed to "wash out" the silt and sand holding us, using his two big outboard engines. Following un-grounding Freedom's steering, transmissions, and cooling all seemed to be intact, and we left Sea Tow knowing our membership saved us $500 today. Unfortunately, when revs were taken above about 1300 there seemed to be vibration, probably from the starboard side, which was the side grounded the hardest. We limped ahead at a bit over 10 mph and are now in the Indiantown Marina. People are very friendly and helpful. Paul was about to don mask and snorkel to look at the wheels but we were told at least three alligators call this home. The biggest one soon cruised by to invite Paul into the water. At least 12 feet long! Cancel the look. After looking at our options, we are going to stay to be first on the list for a pull in the AM. If necessary, we will put on our spare props which are under-pitched but should get us home. At best, we may be on our way by about 1100 tomorrow.

More to follow.

TITUSVILLE?

2010-11-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

Not sure I knew where this was before today, but here we are. Close to Cape Canaevral, but Vickie claims, in the movie, the astronauts stayed here before their first space flight.

No stretch of imagination could have convinced us it was a good idea to head out to the ocean today. Hence, the dreaded ICW. LOTS of slow travel for boats in the water, manatee zones, and passing of trawlers (not many) and sailboats (lots.)

Seven hours and only about 100 miles, but we are closer than we were yesterday. Excitment in the marina...there is something large, gray, and not moving in the fairway. Maybe a dead, or very lazy manatee. If it is still there in the morning, I guess that will mean it is dead.

Forcasts are still for very big water outside, so I guess we are commited to the ditch.

Maybe Ft Pierce tomorrow. You will be the first to know after us!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY (OR TWO) MAKES

2010-11-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

As previously noted, Charleston is great. The marina, the staff, and facilities are great. We haven't been anywhere better. That being said, our Tuesday, supposed to be spent reading in the rain, wasn't to be. About 0400 we were awakened by a supernatural howling, which on inspection was a 20-40 knot wind tearing through the sailboats' rigging. Another result was our boat being pinned against the dock, finally resulting in our having to place all of our six fenders to help us from climbing onto the dock! As it was, we have some marks from the fenders rubbing on Freedom's port hull.

On Wednesday we headed out planning an outside passage to St Simon's Island. Not so much. We soon found ourselves in 4-6 footers which rapidly encrusted us in salt. After about and hour-and-a-half we gave up and headed into the ICW, Captain Paul's favorite! Avoiding shoals, sailboats, and some trawlers, we ended up at Hilton Head, spent two hours cleaning up inside and outside, and swearing allegiance to "outside."

Thursday promised better waves (probably because Paul shaved for the first time in 11 days.) Out early and into a great following wind heading south. A pretty uneventful day to St Augustine, where we refuelled. "Pride goeth before a fall." Paul demonstrated his probably-thousand-plus docking skills by getting cross-wise in the assigned slip with a strong wind and strong cross current before safely securing Freedom. Maybe there is merit in bow thrusters!

Looking at the wave prediction for the next several days, it appears the demonic ICW is our path. Pray for patience!

Will let you know how it all works out.

DO'IN (THE) CHARLESTON

2010-11-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday dawned a great, clear day and we headed out to the Atlantic. Although we had periods of waves of 3-4 feet they were all rollers and mostly at our stern. After about a six-hour run (an hour of it in Charlotte Harbor) we arrived at the Charleston Municipal Marina Mega Dock. We refueled in our slip and, for the first time on this trip, did NOT have to de-salt. All-in-all a great trip.

As we arrived too late to get to Fort Sumter, we decided to plan for a stay here on Monday and decide about Tuesday depending on the weather.

This morning we headed for the tour boat taking us to Fort Sumter and the site of the start of the Civil War. Seeing the harbor from the fort really put into perspective how the harbor was defended against the British (although not from Sumter) and us Yankees after the fort was surrendered to the CSA.

After returning to the docks we took a bus tour of the city. There really are a lot of beautiful old houses and other buildings, many of which survived hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes. This is an amazingly small city, probably only around 100,000 in population. Tourism and a big port are what makes it go.

After our tours we had a great lunch at "Virginia's" with some real, home-cooked southern food. Then back to the boat where Paul figured out how to cure an over-year-old absence of cable TV reception. Maybe we can now watch a whole program without pixilated pictures or a "no signal" message.

Right now it looks like a reading day tomorrow while we wait through a rainy day, but the final decision will be in the morning.

More from our next stop, probably St. Simon's Island, GA.

SOUTH...TO SOUTHPORT

2010-11-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

On Friday we continued our journey down the ICW, waiting for bridges to open & reacquiring polite passing skills as a lot of sailboats and a few cruisers and trawlers were headed the same way. We finished a six-hour travel day at Wrightsville Beach, refueled, got the windows "seeable", and went to dinner. Looking at the winds and weather, we decided on a short hop today to Southport, prepping for a trip outside to Charleston tomorrow. Still not our favorite, being in the ICW, but not a bad trip overall. We are in the Southport Marina, a nice facility. Walked around this pretty little town and had a great lunch at "Fishy Fishy", earned by giving Freedom her first real bath since we left CYC.

Hopefully, a happy blog note from Charleston and South Carolina tomorrow!

HERE WE ARE AT JARRETT'S BAY

2010-11-11T15:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, check it out on Wikipedia. Hint...near Beaufort NC.

We were planning to brave Ablemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound, but a conversation with a veteran captain who was headed north this morning suggested we would be less traumatized and get to our destination just as fast using the ICW. We traversed Albemarle Sound, the Alligator River, Pungo Canal, and Pungo River, managing 24-plus knots except when passing other vessles or in no wake zones with mostly following seas. Definitely sound advice.

After refueling we tied up at...the fuel dock. Freedom is in good company with a 1929 Trumpy berthed off her bow.

Paul's ritual inspection in the bilge revealed an oil spill from the port engine (think about pouring oil on rapidly-spinning machinery!) Vickie's still-sharp eyes spotted the source as one we have had before at a point where a high pressure line attaches to our port turbo. Paul has torqued the fitting and the leak seems to have stopped, but time will tell. We will certainly need to do a bilge cleaning when we get to Cape Coral!

Tomorrow morning will require the decision to keep dodging sailboats and trawlers in the ICW or to go "outside" where there are still large waves predicted. Wind direction will play a large part in the decision.

We will let you know how it all turns out!

JOINED UP WITH COINJOCK AGAIN

2010-11-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

Wednesday morning found us headed out a little after sunrise (surprise) into the Bay headed south toward Norfolk. Surprisingly, although the waves were substantial we were running with them and entered the busy harbor at Norfolk without too much trouble. It is always busy in this Navy town and today was no exception. We will spare you the details of multiple bridge openings, narrow channels, and a cold, cloudy day. Needless to say, working our way around a lot of sail boats and a few trawlers reminded us why we prefer "outside" routes in general. Look up our blog describing the trip from Coinjock to Cape Charles and you will find every bridge and the lock we traversed today, except in reverse order. All-in-all, a cold, cloudy six-hour day with one hour of it spent milling around in front of bridges waiting for them to open.

As always, after refueling and a hot shower in Coinjock NC, mile 50 on the ICW, life looked better. A nice meal at the adjacent restaurant completed the evening. We are now debating the merits of traveling in the open sounds with substantial winds, or going "inside" and dodging sail boats and trawlers.

Will let you know what we decided and did in our next posting!

THE WISDOM OF SOLOMAN AND SALTY MARSHES

2010-11-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

Monday found us headed out of CYC at our usual sunrise time, saying goodbye to many good friends. After reaching the Green 1, we headed south down the Bay with a WNW wind blowing a LOT of spray over Freedom from the three-plus foot waves. After somewhat less than two hours of this, exhibiting Solomonic wisdom, we decided to lay over at Solomons Island at the Solomons Yacht Center. After a lot of cleaning inside and out, we enjoyed a nice walk down familiar streets and enjoyed a late lunch at CD's, one of our favorites. A nice sunset enjoyed from the cockpit led to an evening of studying weather websites, with the conclusion we would probably remain there until Wednesday.

Looking at and listening to information on Tuesday morning suggested we would be encountering five foot waves on Wednesday, so we decided to have a try at getting further south today. Leaving at 1100 seemed like we should be looking for a place to stay instead of starting our day. Once we were able to turn south again life was better with following seas ranging from two to four feet in height. We turned into the Salt Ponds Marina in Hampton VA somewhat before 1500, tied up and...cleaned the boat again! A dinner in the marina restaurant overlooking the marina, then to catching up on the news and planning our proposed trip to Coinjock tomorrow. Lots of bridges, so hopefully our timing will be good.

More from another location.

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

2010-11-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

After spending the remainder of the 2009 boating season on the Chesapeake Bay after we completed our Loop, and doing the same in 2010, we have decided now is the time for Freedom to return to warmer climes. Hence, we are headed back to Cape Coral, this time with shorter travel days necessitated by the time of year.

In between, we were able to sell our house, moving to a leased condo a whole block from our house. We accomplished about 50% down-sizing of our tangible possessions, but that may not prove to be enough in the long-run. Tara was married on 02 October of this year as yet another milestone. Vickie has been exceptionally successful as "team leader" in the McLean VA Keller Williams real estate office, the position that called her back "up north." She plans to return there after the trip. Paul became an acceptable cook, shopper, and general house husband while spending several days a week puttering on Freedom during the boating season. He also spent several months in early 2010 back at the Florida condo doing "what one does" during those months and doing some volunteer work at the Harry Chapin food bank and singing in our church choir.

Freedom has had some issues, as she suddenly dropped a valve seat in her port engine while in the slip in early September, 2009. This resulted in replacing a piston and rod, cylinder sleeve, valves, cylinder head, and turbocharger. Fortunately, we identified a wonderful mechanic who, over the course of the winter and early spring, accomplished the "fix" without pulling the engine. With the exception of a couple of minor problems probably related to the re-build and quickly remedied, she has performed well and we think she is ready for the trip back south.

Today was supposed to be the first travel day for the first leg of our trip, but a review of several weather sites at 0600 today promised us 4-5 foot waves toward the south end of the Bay and into the Atlantic. With no fixed schedule it seemed prudent to hang out here at the Chesapeake Yacht Club for an additional day with the plan to try again tomorrow. Tara and her husband, Karim, plan to pick up our car this afternoon, so I guess we are committed!

This has been a long one, but hopefully catches you up on the Christiansons' interim activities. More when we actually get somewhere.

5206.2 MILES, BUT WHO WAS COUNTING??

2009-08-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Freedom pulled out of Bay City Marina in Cape Charles at 0735 on 10 August 09, having waited to refuel. After a bit of typical Bay chop and skirting a crowd of fishing and crabbing boats, she headed basically north for the final leg of her Loop adventure. She eventually spotted the Green "1", then the Green "1A", and finally the Red "2." As she rounded the "1A" she officially crossed her wake at 1225, completing her Loop. Next, into the Chesapeake Yacht Club in Shady Side MD, where she eased her way into her new slip, now on New Dock. After a good rinse-down the crew took advantage of the club's pool, as the heat index was well above 100 degrees. In the evening, celebratory champagne was shared by the crew with a bit splashed over the bow to thank Freedom and Neptune for bringing us safely back. Reacquainting with a number of old friends has been made, and will likely increase now that we are approaching the weekend.

Subsequent days were spent, respectively, cleaning the cockpit from the bare deck up, cleaning the hull and topsides, and cleaning the cabin and preparing to take a lot of long-term cruising "stuff" back to McLean. Failure of one leg of Freedom's battery charger brought the electrician on board today, and he was able to jury-rig the system until a new one can be installed.

Some calculations included 5206.2 statute miles traveled on "Loop business", 56 stops, including the final one here, 300.3 engine hours and 302.7 travel hours. (Extra is from sitting in locks, etc. with engines shut down.)

Crew discussions reached a number of conclusions. Tommy Mohawk, the Mohawk Carpets doll, honorably served for the entire Loop, beginning as Seaman Apprentice, having progressed to Seaman,and is now awarded the rank of Petty Officer Third Class. Maximilian Bear, "Max", having joined the crew in St Joseph Michigan and having served honorably for the remainder of the Loop, began as Seaman Apprentice and is now awarded the rank of Seaman. The Navigator/Deckhand/Chef/Confidante proved to be the best there could ever be and was instrumental in Freedom's "zero grounding" and "nothing destroyed" records of accomplishment. The Captain proved capable in following the Navigator/Deckhand/Chef/Confidante's directions, also contributing to Freedom's success. Can't close out without giving creds to "Otto" our autopilot who steers "way better" than Captain Paul, and "Ray Radar" who more than once told us we would run into something we didn't want to if we stayed on our present course.

Next? Hard to know. A car trip to Michigan to be with Vickie's parents for a week, a flight to Florida by Paul to pick up the second car, to work on 01 September for Vickie, and sea stories to be told by Max and Tommy to the numerous other bears residing in the McLean house. Also, more travels on the Bay before winterizing in November.

It took forever, it happened in a moment, we probably wouldn't do it again, we wouldn't have missed it for the world. We made lifelong memories, but more-importantly, lifelong friends.

Fair winds and following seas to all who read this. Freedom "out!"

Stationary Blog

2009-08-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

Still at Cape Charles. Took the luxury of not watching the sunrise, had a leisurely breakfast, did a bit of boat-organizing, then hit the bricks to walk through Cape Charles. Only 1400 permanent residents dependent on a big cement plant and raising snap beans and tomatoes, and chickens for Tysons and Perdue. VERY dependent on their summer tourist influx. Had a light lunch at a neat pub (Kelley's Gingernut Pub, the converted original bank building. Also picked up a couple of small gifts at "Bad Girlz Collective." The owner tries to keep prices down for the locals but the variety and quality are good, so they are especially reasonable for a resort town. Both the pub and "Girlz" are recommended stops on Mason Street. May do some laundry this evening, but off in the morning for Knapp's Narrows.

Bridges (And A Lock) To The Bay

2009-08-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Alright. We'll admit it. We can't seem to justify leaving somewhere much after sunrise. Left Coinjock about 0635 to try to coordinate bridge openings and not spend a lot of time idling in basins waiting. Had a smooth run through the ICW at about 21 knots, encountering only a few crabbers and one sailboat who kept us from running aground by pointing out we were probably in two feet of water trying to give him a kindly pass. Hit the North Landing bridge on time to hit its opening with a short wait. Next bridge, Centerville, which opened on demand. Then through a Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge which was open and on to the Great Bridge which is a fixed bridge. The Great Bridge Draw Bridge keeper, next, was nice enough to cut us a few minutes slack so we avoided an additional hour's wait for the next scheduled opening. Then into the last lock of our Loop trip, which was a pleasure with rubber fenders built into the lock and only a short rise. The Steel Highway Bridge was, we thought, open on demand, but we were not demanding enough and waited about a half hour for a scheduled opening. Then through the Highway Bridge, not a problem at 65 feet, the Gilmerton Highway bridge, which was raised for us, the open Norfolk Western Railroad Lift, the open Jordan Highway Lift, the N & PBL Railroad Lift (open) and finally into the maze which is Norfolk. We had forgotten how many of our Navy's ships are either stationed there or in for repairs. The Portsmouth skyline has changed markedly for the better since we were stationed at Langley AFB in the mid-90s.

Hit the Chesapeake Bay at 1140 and headed northeast, eventually winding our way into King's Creek at Cape Charles Virginia and tying up at the Bay Creek Marina and Resort. A first class facility with lots to see and do. Had a great meal at Aqua after rinsing Freedom down and checking out the resort. Because waves are scheduled to be 2-4 ft tomorrow and half that on Monday, we are delaying plans to travel to Knapp's Narrows until Monday. A welcome down day tomorrow. As I write, XM weather is showing big TS activity moving across the Bay toward us and the whole lower half of the Bay is under a marine warning. A good time to be in port!

Sounds Like? (How Many Sounds To Get To Coinjock?)

2009-08-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

7 August 09. First, a bit of drama from yesterday. While we were grocery shopping Vickie received a call on her cell phone telling us they needed our slip for a 78-footer. The dockmaster claims he told us he would “try” to keep us for the second day, but that’s not how we remembered hearing it. Refueled in a BIG wind, then with Marco, a very skilled dock hand from the marina aboard, we headed to the adjacent National Park Service marina, where we tied up uneventfully with Marco’s assistance. Turns out it wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened, as with Paul’s “Senior Pass” we docked for $0.60 per foot and $3 for electricity. This pass should be a “must” for anyone of a qualifying age, and has paid for itself many-times-over on our trip. An interesting note is that we tied up to a wharf and cleats built in early WWII for PT boats who patrolled the area looking for the German submarines wreaking havoc on our East Coast shipping.

Today, 7 Aug, saw us leaving at the usual pre-dawn time in order to beat the two ferries out into Pamlico Sound. Promised 1-2 footers were again 3-4, but once you get a good layer of salt on board more doesn’t make much difference. From Pamlico Sound into Croatan Sound, then Albemarle Sound. Finally, the ICW for about 15 miles before reaching the Coinjock Marina where we refueled and tied up. More excitement, as the bulkhead door to the master suite spontaneously locked itself. After Paul spent about an hour trying conventional break-in techniques without success, a passing SeaRay owner shared an additional way to break in to SeaRay boats. Paul’s lips are sealed except on an individual and emergency basis! Turns out a spring in the lock had malfunctioned making it impossible to unlock the door by any conventional means. We will be finishing our journey unable to lock that door, so hope we continue to get along well with each other!

Vickie spent the afternoon paying bills on-line and managing our laundry, while Paul gave Freedom her oft-promised bath. You could almost hear her sigh. Not perfect, but a whole lot better. Then, a very nice dinner at the marina restaurant, where the two of us shared an absolutely-wonderful, 32 oz slab of rare prime rib. The marina and the restaurant are both highly-recommended. Next? Hopefully, Cape Charles tomorrow.

How Do You Get To Ocracoke??

2009-08-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Are you seeing a pattern? Lots of sunrise photos, yes? This one occurred about 30 minutes after we left! Definitely need more sunset photos taken with our feet up and wine glasses in hand.

Monotonous beginning, this time with FOUR footers on the nose for 25 miles so we could get far enough out to avoid the many local shoals. Then northeast again with SW winds and three-to-four foot waves all the way to Beaufort Inlet, where we turned in and traversed to the ICW. By this time we were pretty much encrusted in salt. Traveling in the ICW with fishermen and a lot of shrimp boats made us remember why we like traveling outside, even with its waves and salt spray. Eventually into the Neuse River, a nice, wide waterway, then into Pamlico Sound, where the waves again were at three-to-four feet height at short intervals. Gee, another narrow inlet, this time shared with a car ferry. Finally, at rest on a "T" at the Anchorage Marina. Winds at 20+ knots made landing a bit thrilling again, but at least it wasn't into a slip! Initial electrical power problems were an aggravation, but after achieving the solution, running the AC and lowering our body temperatures below heat stroke levels, rinsing about an inch of salt off Freedom and slightly less off ourselves, our trip to the marina's restaurant provided about the best hamburgers ever! Plan to "chill" for one or two days, explore this barrier island, and weather-permitting, give Freedom a real bath before heading to the Hampton Roads area.

More after the next exciting leg.

To Cape Fear With No Fear (Almost!)

2009-08-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Off again at sunrise and into the Atlantic, once again with salt spray and three-footers on the nose. Better after a turn to the northeast and with the seas on our starboard stern once again. Lots of hobby-horsing and yawing, but eventually the entrance to the Fear River appeared on the GPS and corresponded with our paper charts. OK, if it was easy everyone would be doing it. The entrance is narrow, with a perpendicular current accross it, a gusting wind, and room for only one boat at a time in the channel, which is also the one used by the ferry every thirty minutes! The captain and navigator held their collective breaths for about 20 minutes until all was in the clear. Then to the fuel dock and finally to the slip on Bald Head Island Marina. The cross-wind made Paul happy there was not a large audience grading the landing, but it scored an "excellent" as we can still use the boat again.

After viewing the slip fees, being told there is a $10 fee for WiFi use, and knowing they charge people eating at the restaurant a $20 docking fee we decided to 1) Eat aboard. 2) Recommend this not be a Looper stop.

Off to Ocracoke, NC in the morning.

Here in LOOOOOW Country

2009-08-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

After a predawn refueling in St Augustine, Freedom squeezed past the barges and cranes working on restoring the Bridge of Lions and headed out to the Atlantic. It was good to see the route we couldn't see in the rainstorm coming in. Our trip north was pretty "straight line" until radar and XM satellite weather showed us a TS in the middle of our route. Interestingly, the radar proved the more sensitive and we were able to divert around the storm, losing about 30 minutes in doing so. After navigating a circuitous route into Harbor Town Yacht Basin at Hilton Head SC we refueled again and headed into our slip on a floating dock. Good idea, as the tidal range here is 8 1/2 feet. After reviewing our receipt for fuel and our slip, the decision to eat aboard tonight was an easy one! Rinsing off the salt and buttoning up for the daily rain shower was completed before we took our very-much-needed showers. With luck and good seas, off to Cape Fear tomorrow.

Feet Dry At St Augustine (Almost!)

2009-08-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Off at sunrise from Ft Pierce, mixing with the "live bait" boats and sport fish boats headed out for an early start. Some feeling of deja vu as we encountered three-footers coming out of the harbor, but once we turned to port and headed north life became better. We had a good look at the Cape Canaveral launch and tracking facilities. A very impressive sight. Also, passing Merrit Island, Freedom honked her horn as she recognized her birthplace. Really, a nice trip today with the last third in essentially still water. Would have bordered on boring (mind you, boring is good in long-distance cruising) until we approached the inlet for St Augustine. A sudden downpour with zero visibility and lightning. Use the radar...sure. All it showed was a complete "yellow-out" by rain. OK, follow the sport fish in...he must know where he's going. Not so fast...he's turning around. Oh well, guess we have to trust the GPS. With nav lights on and at idle speed we managed to make it to the municipal marina and tie up to a very nice floating dock. Friendly dock hands and dockmaster with good local knowledge to share made Vickie feel better about being soaked to the skin handling the lines. A shower, a trip to the laundry, and a nice meal at O. C. White's restaurant made it "all better." Oh, did we mention all the canvas leaked like a sieve? After dinner Paul did the water-proofing thing in hopes of improving that situation.

Next, probably to Hilton Head, but not until Monday as the storms north of us make it "iffy" for the next 48 hours. Will tour here and reacquaint from Paul's vist with his parents when he was 12 years old.

BTW, it appears Freedom got her promised bath from Mother Nature, although the cockpit and below-deck areas will get their needed attention tomorrow.

More when we make our next stop.

Fort Pierce...With Fuel

2009-07-31T17:15:00.001-07:00

On the move again at about sunrise. 2-4 footers on the nose coming out of Biscayne Bay into the Atlantic. Life became better when we could make the turn to port and head north. But still with the beam sea there was a lot of rolling. With a predominating SE wind on the starboard stern we eventually picked up as much as five knots on our trip north today. A welcome day without as much drama! We entered the inlet at Fort Pierce and motored to the Pelican Yacht Club, where we re-fueled (lots less than yesterday) and were in a slip before 1400. Lots of salt to rinse off again, then a little time at the pool, and eventually an absolutely-wonderful dinner at the club's dining room. Recommended to anyone staying here. Off tomorrow to St Augustine...we hope! Freedom has been promised a real bath.

On The Road (Oops! Water) Again

2009-07-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

Sunrise on 30 July 09 found Freedom leaving her slip in the Cape Coral Yacht Basin to complete her Great Loop. A trip to and through the Sanibel Causeway took us into the Gulf of Mexico and into 2-3 foot waves on the bow. After a few episodes of salt spray over her newly-cleaned bow re-acclimated her, she put her bow down a bit and motored to Channel Five, where she crosed into Hawk's Channel. Many divers were out taking advantage of Florida's "mini season" for spiny lobsters. While they are supposed to stay close to their identified boats, many were as much as 100 yards away from them. That made making sure we didn't macerate one of them a significant challenge.

Another turn to port took us up along the Florida coast headed toward Biscayne Bay. Whether it was waves and current or our load of provisions, we consumed fuel at a greater-athan-usual rate. After passing through Broad Creek we entered Bicsayne Bay and arrived at the Key Biscayne Yacht Club after about a 10-hour day and with far less fuel in the tanks than the crew would have liked.

After fueling, washing down the salt and partaking of an "arrival beer" the crew settled in for an early evening of TV dinner crab cakes and television, then early to bed.

WE'RE OFF AGAIN!

2009-07-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

Just when we were thinking we were totally settled in Florida, we took a trip to our old stompin' grounds to get our other car & to survey the furniture, etc, that would head to Cape Coral when the house sold. A chance meeting with some real estate colleagues led to an offer for Vickie to assume the Team Leader position at our Keller Williams Realty McLean office - an offer that after much prayer & deliberation, she accepted. The time period will be for 4 to 12 months, so, of course, we had to have "Freedom" with us. Looks like we will attempt to close our Loop after all! Plans call for departure early Thursday...pray for smooth seas & great weather!

Cape Coral FL & End of Part 2

2008-11-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

We ended our Part 2 on Nov 17th, Monday, with a run outside from Clearwater to Cape Coral Yacht Basin, 140+ miles in 2-4' seas, but with the wind at our stern the ride wasn't bad. Thus far our journey has taken us over 3700 statute miles & almost 250 travel hours. After getting a new battery for the car, we unloaded 20+ bags of groceries (I made sure we wouldn't starve) & all the clothes from Freedom. We'll be staying at our condo which overlooks trisecting canals & is a block from the Caloosahatchie River, so we're still "on" the water. Paul's 6 mos growth of head & facial hair is gone, so I'm thinking he should get a job! Wishing you all the best of holidays & hope you'll stay in touch!

Car Trips to the Ringling Museum & Tarpon Springs

2008-11-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

Renting a set of wheels (Enterprise 1/2 off on weekends), we set off for the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Sarasota's most well-known cultural hub offers a day full of events. First order of business was a well-prepared lunch at Treviso's on the deck. Rainshowers were finally abating, so we headed over to the Circus Museum at the Tibbles Learning Center housing the world's largest miniature circus models. Built to a 3/4":1 ft scale it is a massive display occupying 3800 sq ft & depicting the circus from 1919-1938, includes the arrival of the circus by 59-car train, the back lot life of the 1300 circus people, the side shows & 8 main tents & finally over 800 animals. At the time the five brothers started the circus that type of entertainment was not considered respectable. However, the Ringlings were instilled with a strong moral code & they required their employees to be reputable. This "cleaned up" the circus reputation & families started pouring into the shows. One interesting tidbit-the Ringling Food Tent served 1300 people 3 meals per day. Everything was made from scratch & the ingredients were purchased locally. After seeing this display, the real circus artifacts weren't nearly as impressive & in reality the artifacts display is being renovated. At the end of the long path past Mable's huge rose garden is the Sarasota Bay & Ca d'Zan, the winter home of John & Mable Ringling-another work of art. Built in the Venetian Gothic style & restored in 2002, this 22,000 sq ft home gives a peek into the fabulous roaring 20's lifestyle. Both John & Mable came from humble beginnings but European travel kindled a passion for art. Wanting to share this passion with the community, they built the Museum of Art in 1931, now one of the 20 largest in North America. Our final stop was in the Asolo Theater. Created in Asolo, Italy, the decorative panels were saved when the theater was being gutted & were purchased by the Museum. In 2006, after years of painstaking restoration, they were reset inside a new pavilion just inside the Museum's Gatehouse. While Ringling's estate left the 66 acres & its buildings to the State of FL, it was determined that Florida State University would be a better custodian and they now are the stewards of this gem. On Sunday,driving in another direction, we headed north to Tarpon Springs & the small town of Dunedin. Dunedin has Scottish roots & is a quaint town with darling shops. Their annual ArtFest was this weekend & many were partaking of the fun. Tarpon Springs is best known as a "sponge town". In 1891, John King Cheyney formed the Anclote Sponge Co, harvesting the sponges using long-handled rakes. He later hired a young sponge buyer, John Cocorie,who convinced his boss to bring his brothers & other Greek divers to Tarpon Springs. With their advanced rubberized diving suits, copper helmets & pumped-in air, the divers brought in 4 times as many sponges per manhour. More than 500 Greek men & other immigrants entered this area in 1905-06 & the sponge docks were transformed into a replica of a Mediterranean port city with restaurants & markets. The Gulf of Mexico has more than 10,000 sq miles of several varieties of sponges. Did you know the loofah is not a sponge, but a gourd?!? Oh, & did I mention the Greek restaurants? Yum!

Clearwater FL

2008-11-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

After the small towns of the Panhandle & the adventure crossing the Gulf, Clearwater was a welcome sight - plus it was warm, sunny & pretty. The Municipal Marina is a block from the public Clearwater Beach with its pristine, powdered-sugar sands & scores of restaurants & things to do. I'm told that the sands reflect rather than absorb the sun's rays, so it is never too hot for bare feet. Sampling some of the seafood restaurants we enjoyed super fresh fish that wasn't fried. This large marina is home to many commercial ventures, including dinner cruises, deepwater fishing, parasailing & a Pirate's Ship.

Going for the Gulf

2008-11-13T16:48:00.000-08:00

Scouring weather websites while explaining the interrelated dynamics of the Gulf of Mexico's wave formation, Buddy postulated that Thursday's weather window, while not ideal, was the best opportunity we'd have for a week or more. Arising before dawn to find rain showers, we did one last check of the weather websites & cast off. Eight boats headed out, 2 of us with faster vessels set our course for Clearwater, 175 miles southeast. The other boats followed the more protected route closer to shore around the Big Bend of FL. Adding 25 miles & travelling at a much slower speed, they anticipate an 18 hour day. As we approached the final buoy into the Gulf, waves were as advertised 2-3'. Putting her bow down, Freedom rode through the choppy swells like a champ. The rain abated & we ate our PBJ sandwiches for breakfast. Other than boredom, we were doing fine until 100 miles out when it wasn't boring anymore. The starboard (right-side) engine's RPMs started to fluctuate causing the power to fall off then surge. Diagnosing a probable clogged fuel filter, we may have to stop, turn off that engine & change it while bouncing around the Gulf. To add a bit more drama, we entered a fog bank. While visibility wasn't completely compromised, stopping could present a hazard for other unwary boaters. With the RPMs still fluctuating but still surging to normal, the Captain decided to continue the journey. Saying a prayer (or 3)throughout those last 75 miles, we finally spotted Clearwater & made it safely to the Municipal Marina where Paul changed the offending filter. Won't know if that resolved the problem until we can run at speed, but plans tomorrow include the prophylatic changing of the port engine's fuel filter. Oh, and did I mention the 2 million crab pots we dodged the last 10 miles??? Boating is such fun.

Caught in Carrabelle

2008-11-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

A quick trip Monday from Apalachicola through some of the choppiest waters we've encountered in a long time brought us to Carrabelle's The Moorings Marina. The guru of helping boaters know when to cross the Gulf of Mexico, Buddy, doesn't work Sunday or Monday, so we were on our own. Forecasted waves for Tuesday were 2-4' which meant we'd probably give the Gulf crossing a shot, however, the REVISED forecast mentioned 5 footers which did not sound so wonderful. Buddy comes in about 0630, so we set the alarm for an early call & I went to meet the man. Looking a bit like Tommy Lee Jones, he proceeded to educate me on the ins & outs of Gulf weather forecasting. I seem to remember something about the full moon, the time of year & a website used by pilots to forecast wind patterns, but putting it all together I will leave to him. Bottom line, perhaps a window of opportunity on Thursday & he may recommend we traverse around the Bend of the Panhandle rather than straight across. Our next audience with him is this afternoon, so plans are set in jello.

Apalachicola FL

2008-11-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

Blessed with another fine travel day& spotting numerous dolphin along the way, we arrive in Apalachicola, on Florida's Panhandle. Remnants of its colorful past remain very visible today with wide tree-lined streets featuring historic Victorian homes & storefronts. The port of Apalachicola was established in 1831 & was involved in the shipping of cotton, in fact, it became the 3rd largest port on the Gulf of Mexico. As railroads expanded & steamboats disappeared, a new industry became prevalent - lumber. Home to large cypress forests, Franklin County boasted several large lumber mills by the late 1800s. However, by the end of the 19th century, seafood & oysters became the important industry, harvesting over 90% of Florida's oysters & 10% of all oysters consumed in the USA. Our Chesapeake Bay friends may be interested to know that the oysters here are harvested from public oyster "bars" & 600 acres of private leased bars in Apalachicola Bay. The public bars are divided into "winter" (Oct-Jun) & "summer" bars (Jul-Sep) & are harvested by tongers, in the same manner as they have for a century. The oyster bars are carefully monitored for health & productivity & restocking oyster shell into the Bay was begun as early as 1949, to create new oyster bars. Reading & relaxing the rest of the day and it's on to Carrabelle tomorrow.

Panama City FL

2008-11-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

A clear blue sky & temps in the 70s made the 110 miles to Panama City Municipal Marina go by pleasantly. Lots of tow traffic but we only got in a tight squeeze once on a very narrow part of the ICW. Arrived early afternoon & got on the walking shoes to see a bit of the town. This is Saturday & we were amazed that the town was virtually empty. There are some nice older buildings, lovely streetscaping, several memorials to those who serve and one in memory of Sept 11, but few people. There is a historic district near the other city-owned marina, but we were advised that the locals using that marina were more commercial & a bit rough around the edges. This one is more the typical boater crowd. Apalachicola is on the docket for tomorrow. We're starting to watch the weather, wind & waves on the Gulf in anticipation of our crossing.

Pensacola FL

2008-11-07T14:36:00.001-08:00

Not knowing what to expect on the ICW & not having travelled alone for quite some time, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we could run at speed most of the time & that passing tows & other boats wasn't a problem. We arrived at Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS) in about 4 hrs & were greeted by Bob Riggs. Bob is a fellow Looper, now completed, whom we met when weather delayed us in Mackinaw City. He is also retired military & suggested we stay at the Navy marina. It is a nice facility, having been rebuilt after Ivan & has floating docks in a quiet bay. We were planning to rent a car, but Bob insisted we take his to the Navy Mall & stock up at the Commissary, which we did. We had been wanting to see the National Museum of Naval Aviation, which he highly endorsed, and he arranged our transportation. What a museum! Even those who usually zip through (Vickie) found lots to see & do. Their collection of airplanes are strikingly presented & are beautifully restored. They do not buy any airplanes, all are donated & are delivered to the museum. The museum restores & displays them with the final stipulation that they will never fly again. All manner of naval aviation memorabilia are also showcased and they even have simulator rides & an IMAX theater. With our ride back waiting, we reluctantly left & highly recommend at least 3-4 hrs for anyone considering a visit. Bob & Vicki shared their knowledge & expertise for our travel plans to Cape Coral, including places to stay & restaurants to try. Vicki also ferried me to the famous Joe Patti's for all manner of seafood & shrimp is now on our dinner menu. Raining now, but with clearing skies we plan on Panama City tomorrow (Saturday).

Mobile & Open Water At Last

2008-11-05T07:50:00.001-08:00

The only thing between us & Mobile was 1 lock & 135 miles. The day started with --- surprise --- fog! Scurrying to the lock with limited visibility we were pleased to find it had cleared by the time we were down the 30 ft drop. This was our 66th & final lock – no record but we are VERY happy to be done with locks. The inland waterways are full of the hardworking people who work on them & those pleasure boaters who travel them. I'll bet many of American coast dwellers don’t realize the quantity of our goods that are moved through the waterways---petro, benzene, grain, mulch, coal, timber, rock, etc---by very professional tow captains dodging debris & pleasure craft to get the job done. That being said, we have decided we are not river rats. Arriving at Mobile Bay & open water was a relief & after 8 hrs on the water we pulled into our slip at Eastern Shore Marine exhausted. This is a working boatyard & we finally are able to get "Freedom" the cosmetic attention she needs (so do I but I'll have to wait). Early the next morning, she was pulled & the clean up started. Examining the hull & props, etc, we were pleased that we haven't done any damage thus far, so we had her powerwashed, an antifouling system applied to the running gear, & the hull buffed & polished so that it shines like new. Using the courtesy car, we dined at Cousin Vinny's in Daphne-all homemade Italian that was awesome! Staying on the "hard" overnight was so weird---during the night I swore the boat was moving! Next day we took her back to her slip & had the top waxed & oil changed (it has been over 200 hrs!). Now its our turn to rub on her, so today we did the windows & chrome before taking a break & going to "town". Fairhope is a delightful artist-friendly type town with lots of flowers, shops, restaurants & charm. After lunching at The Fairhope Inn (very nice), shopping at Red & White (very nice wine store) & touring we are preparing to leave for Pensacola in the morning. Now timing the locks will be replaced with a vigilant eye to the weather & wave heights.

Moseyin' Down to Mobile-Step 3

2008-11-05T07:47:00.001-08:00

Like a bad penny that keeps turning up, our foggy morning scenario repeated, this time forcing the lockmaster to close the next lock just 2 miles downstream. Two hours later we finally got the word that we were cleared to enter & a mad dash was made by 12 boats & their crews as a tow captain offered to wait while we cleared the area (bless his heart!). The lockmaster did yeoman duty by getting all our lengths & directing us to the correct place to tie so all could safely lock through together. After clearing the lock, the faster boats eased past the slower ones & we were off! A word about the river…it winds like switchbacks up the mountain through some very remote areas. Watching for bass fishermen hiding in the shadows supplants the constant vigil for tows & barges lurking around the next hairpin turn. Several times we were grateful to be travelling with our “Sandy Dawg” friends with their AIS (automatic identification system). They were able to “see” & identify tows several miles in either direction, giving us time to position our vessels out of danger. We finally arrived at Bobby’s Fish Camp with its 100 ft dock & its famous fried catfish restaurant. Refueling using their antiquated pump, rafting off 2 other boats so the other 4 boats would have room albeit without electric, & eating the very good but overpriced fish left us feeling ripped off. The best part of the stop was listening to the nearby youngsters & their parents play guitar & banjo while singing outside their mobile homes.

Moseyin' Down to Mobile-Step 2

2008-11-05T07:44:00.001-08:00

With 90+ miles & 1 lock facing us, we set the alarm for 0-dark-thirty only to find a thick fog & a tow waiting for the lock. A couple of hours later, we were on our way to Demopolis Yacht Basin, one of 2 fuel stops for the rest of the journey. Everyone & their brother passes thru Demopolis on their way south or north & it’s especially busy at this time of the year --- many insurance companies stipulate no coverage below 32 degrees until after the hurricane season ends on Nov 1. Sliding our 14’ wide boat into a slip 15’ wide was challenging but we were happy for the space. Meeting several Loopers from previous stops, we had a fun Halloween night before setting the alarm for another early start.

Moseyin' Down to Mobile-Step 1

2008-11-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

The final highlight of our time in Columbus MS was dinner at Woody's. Located at the marina it not only was convenient & had a great view but the food & service were both top notch. After again waiting out the fog we left for Pirate's Marina Cove in Pickensville AL. Yes, we have arrived in AL! While certainly not considered a top cultural stop, we found several interesting places to visit. First, a mile walk over to the Tom Bevill Visitor Center found an elegant Greek Revival mansion built in 1985 as a reminder of the area's Plantation homes. The Corp of Engineers' office is housed within one small area of the structure with the remainder offering fascinating dioramas & displays into Tenn-Tom river folklore & history. Also featured on the grounds is the US Snagboat "Montgomery", circa 1926. It is permanently dry-docked beside the visitor center & is a fine example of the steam-powered stern wheeler boats that once kept the southern rivers free of debris & sunken ships. A courtesy car trip to the Pickens County Courthouse, Carrollton AL, found us peering at the upper window hoping to catch a glimpse of the "face in the window". Ms Dora, the mover & shaker working to restore said courthouse, shepherded us into the building & proceeded to regale us with the story. It seems a certain Henry Wells was captured & accused of burning down the previous courthouse, among other misdeeds, & was placed in the attic by the sheriff to protect him from lynching by an angry mob. As a thunderstorm approached, he peered out the window & a bolt of lightning etched his likeness into the windowpane. Believe it or not, we got the postcard!

Fun in Columbus MS

2008-10-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

"Life is all memory except for the one present moment that goes by so quick you can hardly catch it going" (Tennessee Williams,"The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore"). That line captures this Great Loop experience & it was rediscovered during our visit to the first home of Tennesse Williams here in Columbus MS. Originally a Rectory for St Paul's Episcopal Church & his grandfather, the Rector, it was moved 2 blocks to its present location on Main St & houses the Visitor's Center. Columbus has the distinction of having 42 historic homes, many on the National Register of Historic Places, all available to the public at varying times & all still used as family homes. We found Waverly Mansion just outside of town & were treated to a private tour through this antebellum home built in 1852 by George Young. It features curving stairs and cantilevered balconies that connect the four stories to the 65-foot-high dome. After suffering 60 years of abuse & neglect, an antiques dealer & his wife, Mr & Mrs Snow, bought the home & worked for 30 years restoring, saving & refurnishing the home. Mr Snow & his daugher live there still & provide tours through the home & its gardens. Columbus MS survived the Civil War without invasion & damage, some say by providing medical treatment to the sick & wounded on both sides. In fact, Friendship Cemetery was the final resting place for many, including those who died of wounds in the Battle of Shiloh. In 1866, a memorial ceremony decorating the graves of both Union & Confederate soldiers by 4 local women has been credited as the forerunner of our Memorial Day. Our day was complete with a quick stop at Columbus AFB, one of 4 pilot training bases in the USAF.

More on the Tenn-Tom

2008-10-27T16:40:00.001-07:00

Just to add a few more Tenn Tom details...this waterway shortened the trip for vessels usually using the Mississippi River by 720 miles. We traversed the "Canal Section" today with its dams/locks & pools connected to form a 9 ft minimum waterway. We still encountered commercial tows with their barges...they are smaller than on the big rivers, but still take up the same percentage of the river! Bald eagles are definite residents here & the scenery includes much flora & fauna but few human inhabitants. When we entered the "River Section" the old Tombigbee River was in evidence as it meandered in & out of the banks but the manmade cuts straightening out the river provides a safe channel. We're docked in Columbus Marina after a cold, windy day,4 locks & 60 miles in 7 hours. Still working on the prayer shawl. We'll stay here for an extra day to tour the nearby antebellum mansions.

The Tennessee-Tombigbee (Tenn-Tom)

2008-10-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

Started down the 450 miles to Mobile AL today. The 1st section is called the "Divide Cut" between the Tennessee & Tombigbee river basins. Over 150 million cubic yds of earth were removed to form this 39 mile cut---more earth than that excavated for the Suez Canal. In fact, a total of 350 million cu yds were removed from the entire waterway, or nearly 2xs that removed for the construction of the Panama Canal. The second section is the "Canal Section" formed by excavating a channel & building a levee east of the East Fork of the Old Tombigbee River to preserve the natural river's ecosystem. There are 5 locks in this section & we went through 3 of them today. Starting with the 84' drop at the James Whitten Lock we will lock down over 341' to reach sea level as we reach Mobile. We locked down with our new travel partners, JoAnn & Bob in their Tiara "Sandy Dawg" & a power catamaran. With little or no commercial traffic, the lockmasters keep your "group" together & have the locks ready when you arrive. Of interest, the Tenn-Tom was constructed entirely to provide navigable waters...no power plants, no flood control, etc. We're at Midway Marina for the night - restaurant is closed, so a quick trip to WalMart to procure steaks for the dockmaster's grill was the first order of business. Tomorrow we plan to make Columbus MS, have the boat waxed & do some fun stuff --- like touring the antebellum mansions in this area. Pictures will be posted when I get better internet service.

Starting the TennTom

2008-10-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well, the week at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, AL, just flew by! Hours & hours of seminars of not-to-miss stops, well-prepared meals, and a beautiful setting made for a welcome respite from the Loop. Although I must interject that the Tennessee River is truly a boaters' paradise--many coves to explore, mostly wide waterways, unblemished shorelines & the clean waters have been very welcome after the "big" rivers. The additional 120 miles off the Loop to Rendezvous were especially worth it because we were able to spend time with some of our favorite people! We topped off the week with a diversion to Huntsville via rent-a-car to visit the Space Museum---awesome!---and, of course, WalMart. I've never shopped there before this trip & now I know the store like the back of my hand. Went with 4 other couples in a huge van & had a blast. Jan & Tim are taking a futher diversion to Chattanooga & saying farewell to our travel buddies of the past 6 wks was heartwrenching but we will meet again! Our travel back to Grand Harbor Marina at the start of the TennTom was a chilly but smooth ride & the forecast for 30s in the next of couple days looms. One of our speakers was the journalist & author, Fred Meyers. "Icon" doesn't begin to describe how the Loopers view Fred. He & his wife, Joan, keep their American Tug here at Grand Harbor. They came to our "Captains' Meeting" tonight & were totally delightful. Fred has written several books about these inland waterways & graciously shared stories & local knowledge with us "newbies". We're heading south through some rather challenging waters - narrow, winding, lots of fishermen & very few stops. Will fill in more of the history of this waterway later...these inland waterways are unique.

Joe Wheeler State Park Marina

2008-10-19T13:57:00.001-07:00

Here we are at Shiloh, one of the stops on the way to Joe Wheeler State Park, AL. Ride here from Florence went like a dream - able to run fast & zipped right into both locks. The lock ride up on the Wilson Lock was turbulent...it was 89 ft & the water really rushed in fast! Wheeler Lock was only 48 ft, so was a bit calmer. Trees are just starting to change mirroring the crisp Fall weather. This park has something for everyone - a lodge, restaurant, cottages, cabins, camping, hiking trails, pool, golf & boating - all at reasonable prices...we're paying $.45/ft/day including electric. Our Looper meetings will include some 80 boats plus those arriving by car & will start tomorrow night. Tho I'll bet there will be some Captain meetings tonight! More as it happens!

Working Our Way to Rendezvous

2008-10-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Limited internet access is hindering our communication efforts, so this will combine a couple of stops. From Pebble Isle Marina on the Tennessee River we set our sights on historic Clifton, TN. This small town played a small role in the Civil War, has retained most of its older downtown buildings & is the home of Pultizer Prize-winning author, TS Stribling. This is another marina with a friendly dockmaster who even allowed us to use their cafe outdoor grill to cook & feast on Jan & Tim's Chinese BBQ ribs. With only the Pickwick Lock until our next stop we thought we'd have a short day --- wrong! A 3 hour delay by the lockmaster doubled our travel time, but we did get the "honor" of locking through with 14 other boats...and without enough good floating bollards we all had to raft off at least 1 other boat. For our landlubber friends, floating bollards move with the in- & out-flow of the water in the lock & we tie up midship to it for a smoother ride. We arrived at Grand Harbor Marina in Counce, TN, at the intersection of TN, MS & AL. A much larger facility with condos, pool & a courtesy car. We are now officially on the Tenn-Tom Bigway Waterway & will return past here after the Rendezvous as it is 60 miles past here up the Tenn River. Taking advantage of a set of wheels, we took the next day off & headed to Shiloh National Military Park. An informative film & an automobile tour of the vast acreage made us very aware of the significance of this site in the Civil War (or War Between the States as they call it down here). While temporarily in possession of a large van, we shopped in Savannah TN & are reprovisioned for the next week. With only 60 miles (but 2 locks) to Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, AL, we could certainly make it in one day but Florence AL along the route was another chance to see new sights & meet new people. Docking at the Florence Harbor Marina was a breeze & we used their courtesy van to tour this delightful town. Varied historic & well-maintained architecture, including Georgian, Victorian & Frank Lloyd Wright homes gave us plenty to see. This is also the home of W C Handy, "The Father of the Blues", Helen Keller's birthplace, & U of North Alabama. Pope's Tavern has the distinction of being one of the oldest buildings in the area & housed the command center & hospital for both Northern & Southern armies. Andrew Jackson allegedly stopped here on his way to New Orleans to fight the British in the War of 1812.

Goodbye KY, Hello TN

2008-10-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day to be on the water & our 73 mile trip from GTB brought us to New Johnsonville TN & Pebble Isle Marina. A very friendly stop & close to Johnsonville State Historic area. A walk through the park revealed a fascinating tidbit - this is the site of perhaps the only time a naval force was defeated by cavalry when Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest destroyed the Union river port depot at Johnsonville. More recently, Johnsville itself ceased to exist in the 1940s when it was flooded by the TVA to form a portion of Kentucky Lake. Good thing the walk stirred up our appetites since dinner at their restaurant consisted of fresh, perfectly breaded & fried catfish, complete with white beans & hush puppies! Did I mention we're in the South?

Relaxing At Green Turtle Bay

2008-10-12T12:42:00.001-07:00

This has been a lovely week---sunny weather in the 80s, lots of Looper friends around & fun stuff happening. Two of the highlights were the Looper Weiner Roast & our German dinner in the chef's kitchen. GTB has a beach with a fire pit & it made a perfect setting for the Looper Weiner Roast. Wood was gathered from the nearby treed area, the fire started & sticks sharpened to roast the weiners & then marshmellows. Bocce Ball was fun, even tho I didn't win, but best of all was the gathering of new friends. We had over 20 boats represented, including non-Loopers. A French family sailed over from France & is touring the USA for 2 yrs. Their children were enthralled with the whole process of weiner roasting & especially loved the meltey marshmellows between a split Oreo cookie. More fun eating the next night at Marilyn's German dinner - complete with sauerkraut, red cabbage, sauerbraten, rouladen, lamb, brats, weinersnitzel & jaegarsnitzel. What a way to celebrate Oktoberfest! We worked up an appetite by taking the dinghy up the Cumberland River, through some VERY shallow water, lunch in a pristine cove complete with turtles sunbathing & a foray into Kentucky Lake through the Barkley Canal. Saturday was the big Hunter's Moon festival & we enjoyed the small town parade with the marching band, decorated floats & golf carts & tons of candy thrown to the children. The new Garmin navigation system installation kept us occupied for most of the first part of the week &, of course, the usual chores were completed---they seem to take on a life of their own when you're on a boat! Tomorrow we'll head towards Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama & the Looper Rendevouz, anchoring out along the way.

Green Turtle Bay - At Last!

2008-10-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

Finally arrived at Green Turtle Bay (GTB) Resort on 10/5 & we are glad to be done with the big rivers. To fill in from Grafton IL to Grand Rivers KY, we left on Friday & entered the Mississippi River. Our goal was to get halfway or better to GTB, but plans were thwarted by the long wait at Chain of Rocks Lock & slow travel around barges, so after at stop at Hoppie's to top off with fuel & get the lowdown on potential river hazards from the legendary Fern, we pulled into the Kaskaskia River to tie off on the Kaskaskia lock wall with the lockmaster's permission. It was a lovely evening & a few other were there too---one particularly interesting fellow was a 72 year old travelling from Kansas City MO to New Orleans LA in his home built & self-designed European canal type boat, "The Swan". Jan made her gourmet Tilapia with amaretto sauce for dinner - what a treat! Our sunrise departure was totally foiled by a dense fog that lingered for 3 hrs! Ever mindful of wingdams, weirdams, barges & debris in the form of floating trees, we prudently delayed our departure until good visual conditions returned. Once on the water, it was a beautiful day & after topping off fuel at Kidd's in Cape Girardeau, we turned into the broad Ohio River. While we'd miss the 5 mph "push" from the Mississippi River current, the 2 mph current against us on the Ohio wasn't bad & with the wickets down at Lock 53 we were making good time, but not good enough. Not wanting to travel after dark, we pulled over behind Little Chain Bar & anchored out for night, rafted off "Full Circle". A dazzling sunset accompanied our prime rib dinner & life was good. Of course, I was up 5 or 6 times during the night to make sure we hadn't moved & that a barge wasn't running us over & I'm happy to report that all was well. With only 60 miles of the 312 miles left, we pulled anchor about 9:30 AM & headed 10 miles to the busiest lock in the US - Lock 52. A large pleasure boat had blown by us about 8AM & was still waiting when we arrived at 10AM. We had called the lockmaster both the night before & in the morning & I don't know if that helped or if it was the promise of M & M's, but we had a short 20 min. wait & were allowed to lock through with a tow & its barge. Another first was floating free while locking - a bit disconcerting, but Capt Paul did a great job keeping us from crashing into the walls & other boats. Projected delays at the Kentucky Lake Lock due to major repairs underway prejudiced our decision to take the longer route on the Cumberland River & Barkley Lock. A wise choice as we arrived at GTB after a pleasant ride & without incident. Now we're here - for a week of boat maintenance & repairs (the new nav system is being installed as I write this), laundry, reprovisioning in Paducah & hopefully, some R & R. With the 25 transient docks being filled mostly with Looper boats, we are enjoying the camaraderie mostly missing from the Part I of our Loop. A courtesy van trip to a WalMart in Paducah included a stop at the Quilt Museum - unbelievable! There aren't enough adjectives to describe the talent, creativity & beauty of those works of art. Intended activities include a German dinner for 12 in a local chef's home, Looper Luau/weiner roast on the beach, bike riding, Hunter Moon festivities & the archetypical Captains' Meetings.

Getting Into Grafton Illinois

2008-10-02T12:53:00.001-07:00

Temperatures in the 40s welcomed us to Wed. morning & we were off early. Not knowing if the flooding would require "no wake" speed the entire day, we made reservations about 40 miles downriver in case the going was slow & and another much farther down-river. Fortunately, we were not only able to travel at speed most of the day, the debris was light &, more importantly, the "wicket" dams at the next 2 locks were down, so we were able to travel over them without stopping. The day got progressive warmer & prettier the father south we travelled & by the end of our 160+ miles it was shorts & t-shirt time. Lest you think life is perfect, we did lose our chart plotter/GPS/depth finder as apparently the hard drive had a nervous breakdown & left us. Guess the "Loop" was too much for it! Calls & research led us to an electronics firm in Paducah who, hopefully, will be able to install a new system while we're at Green Turtle Bay, one of our major stops on the Tennessee River. Luckily, again, our "angels", Tim & Jan on "Full Circle" will be leading us the 300 miles & 5 locks down the Mississippi & up the Ohio & Cumberland Rivers. Grafton is our last stop on the Illinois River.

Marching to Peoria

2008-09-30T15:44:00.001-07:00

Morning of Sept 29 found rain & T-storms---and more fog--no thanks! We waited for a couple of hours for weather to clear, called the Starved Rock Lock & found no traffic, and hightailed to the lock & got right in. The remainder of the 80 miles to Peoria was fairly uneventful but still stressful- a few barges to pass, intermittent debris fields with large logs & some evidence of flooding of the banks & the homes along them. We were at no wake speed whenever necessary but still made the trip in 6 hrs. We ran with a Captain delivering a 420 Sundancer to Florida & he ended up at the same marina. East Port Marina is quite new & large. We are on the "Yacht Club" side. Very friendly members helped us tie up to fuel as well as dock, offering us the use of their car & insights into local eatries. We took their advice & ended up at Jonah's for fabulous seafood. Fresh oysters flown in daily, succulent shrimp & other tempting delights were a perfect way to end the day. Limited docking options farther south compelled us to agree with the Captain & delay our departure a day. Lunch at Jonah's, laundry & shopping via the courtesy car made for a full day & we'll attempt to traverse as much of the river as possible toward the Mississippi in the morning, hopefully following the Captain.

Out of the Fog. or How We Got to Ottawa

2008-09-27T18:27:00.001-07:00

Starting out in diminished, but manageable visibility in the fog, we headed for Ottawa with four other boats. The first two locks were deceptively easy. Not much farther on we encountered zero-visibility fog. At that time our GPS decided to change our course by 180 degrees and then lock up. Nothing identifiable on radar, but our good old magnetic compass allowed us to head in generally the right direction until we could hook up with the lead boat holding off on a large tow. Our continued course then varied from idle speed to 30 knots, showed us thousands of white pelicans, and had us closer than we wanted to a large tow as we approached our final lock of the day's trip. A really understanding and kind lockmaster along with the speed of our Sea Ray and that of our friends Tim and Jan got us into the lock in time to avoid a three hour wait! We settled in at Heritage Harbor Marina, washed the boat, refueled, and ate a great pork chop dinner thanks to a fund-raiser for the local high school booster club. Tomorrow will bring another day to catch up on a number of chores before heading out again on Monday.

Finally Off to Joliet

2008-09-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

The flooding on the Illinois/Mississippi Rivers continues to play havoc with our "schedule". Chicago is certainly not the worst place to be stuck & we decided to play tourist while waiting. We did the parks, museums, Art Institute (no, I still do not get most modern art) & saw the play "Wicked"--it was awesome! Got a chance to visit the Columbia YC, too, with the retired car & train ferry & icebreaker built in 1947 & acquired as their clubhouse in 1983. It is permanently docked, but still has all 8 engines, 2 of which are attached to propellers forward & used to push water under the ice to help break it up. The club is currently locked in a struggle with the city of Chicago as they may try to remove the ship if Chicago is awarded the 2016 Olympics. The bar has great atmosphere & we were happy to share it with our friends on the 44 Sundancer "Full Circle", Jan & Tim, from Wisconsin. We will be travelling down the rivers with them & if there was ever a clone for our buddy Mark, it is Tim! They have been angels - more on that later. Dawn Thursday, 9/25,found us on the Chicago River headed for Ottawa & we had a relatively uneventful trip dodging some debris until we arrived at our 2nd lock at Lockport. Waiting over 2 hrs to lock thru was not exactly fun, but I did have my Prayer/Sanity Shawl...until all the debris collected at the lock drifted back & totally encompassed "Freedom". It was totally disgusting & smelly & even the seagulls wouldn't come close. We couldn't risk starting the engines so Tim & Jan moved their boat further away & then came over to help pull our boat away from the garbage. As we approached Brandon Rd Lock at 2:30pm we were told it would be a 3 hr wait, so the free wall at Joliet beckoned & we answered. I know, I swore I wouldn't stop at Joliet, but here we are! There are 10 Looper boats & we are having our Captains' Meeting at 5 PM! Next day, we did laundry, walked around Joliet & saw the beautifully renovated art deco Rialto Theatre circa 1926. Brought back childhood memories. Well, enough...we're off tomorrow for Ottawa & Heritage Harbor - 2 trawlers & a sailboat are joining us on the journey.

Chicago-That Toddlin' Town

2008-09-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

A smooth journey 60 miles across the Lake to the Chicago YC on Sat 9/20, was a lovely start to Part 2 of the Loop journey which will, hopefully, end in Cape Coral FL for the winter. Chicago has always been a favorite city & it did not disappoint. Millenium Park, new to us, is a treasure & fabulous addition with its sculptures, gardens, fountains & performance venues. It certainly seems appreciated judging by the throngs present on this summery day. We connected with another Looper couple starting their adventure & may end up travelling with them at times as they are also in a Sundancer. Our day's highlight was connecting with cousins Bruce & Marnie who happened to be in town at their newly renovated Lake Point Tower condo-great job guys! Their scintillating conversation was highlighted by 2 luscious wines from Bruce's cellar & gourmet nibbles from Marnie. These 2 are retired B & B owners & they are definitely hospitality pros. After dinner we were treated with a fireworks display from Navy Pier-a smashing end to a memorable evening. Sunday we were back to business-connecting with other Loopers & the Great Loop Association to come up with travel plans. We decided to monitor, as flooding & river closures continue, with a tentative departure on Tuesday. Daughter Tara was in town for a weekend with friends & we were pleased she was able to spend time with us before we start this Part 2.

Time to Start Phase 2?

2008-09-19T17:58:00.001-07:00

Weather is looking quite nice so we're planning to leave for Chicago Yacht Club in the AM (Sat. 9/20). Problems remain with flooding down river from Hurricane Ike last weekend & the Coast Guard has closed much of the Illinois & Mississippi Rivers to recreational boaters. In fact, many locks are still not operational & the tows are sidelined so all be moving at once-major delays at the locks as they have priority. Yes, I've started another Prayer/Sanity Shawl. The Great Loop Association via the google groups email list has the location of its affected members (including Freedom)& will attempt to coordinate boats traveling south as facilites are scarce in most areas & can't accomodate all of us at once. There are over 50 of us, plus others, so we figured we should get across Lake MI while weather permits & wait in Chicago until we're able to give it a try south. Will keep you all updated!!

Part 2 Delayed

2008-09-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

Just received word from the Veteran's Administration that Paul's rescheduled disability exams will be Sept 15, 16, 17, so he'll be back in Virginia at our home & will return on the 18th. Plans now are for us to have Freedom ready to leave on the 19th & then wait for Mother Nature to give us a good lake-crossing day.

So Much to DO in St Joe Michigan

2008-08-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

Having been here 5 weeks, we seen & done a bit of everything - from picking fresh vegetables & fruit to car & art shows to musical entertainment to shopping fun, St Joseph MI packs a lot into the lazy days of summer. The 1st annual hot rod show treated us with a loud parade & then the next weekend the Concours d'Elegance amazed with 80 vintage, beautifully redone autos-some one-of-a-kind. We have devoured the fresh fruit with its unbelievable sweetness-blueberries, blackberries, peaches are 3 faves & now the local tomatoes & sweet corn are sold along the road & in stores - what a treat! Have taken Freedom out to exercise a couple of times for family & friends to enjoy. Weather this summer has been like paradise - low humidity, 70-80s daytime with 50-60s evenings --- little or no A/C needed. Michigan is touting SW Michigan as a destination for Chicago-ites & this area is expanding with a new Jack Nicholas golf course throughout the town & along the Lake as well as 800 new condos, townhomes & custom homes plus marinas, hotels & shops to complete the picture. An additional draw will be the rebuilding of the original amusement park with its Carousel on Silver Beach. It will be interesting to see the impact. We're working on a mid-Sept Part Deaux launch, hopefully before the Lake starts its Fall Fury. I would be totally remiss if I didn't mention the fantabulous sunsets over Lake Michigan. From our perch at my folks' home 70 ft above the sugar-sand beach we have been WOWED almost every night. The sky, sun & water cooperate to give a different show each time-in fact, we schedule our day around sunset time!

St Joseph MI & the End of Part One

2008-07-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Arriving at St Joe, we fittingly had a bit of everything today - NW winds 10-15 knots, 2 footers on the beam, then on the stern (I like a following sea)...running about 15 miles offshore & into a fog bank we angle into shore about 15 miles before St Joe to ogle the nice homes between South Haven & St Joe. From calm seas to 4 footers from the SW in minutes time reflects the capricious nature of Lake Michigan. Calming to 2' from the W, it follows us into the St Joe River for a wild ride up to the RR Bridge. Thank the Lord it is open, and once thru it is the typical protected river water. Skinny water due to silting of 2' makes it a bit harrowing, but we arrive safely at Pier 1000 - our home til Labor Day. Our arrival on July 21 is at our 21st port having traveled 1756 miles & 106 engine hours, perhaps 1/3rd of the expected trip. Will spend time with the family here, blogging not so often & plan to cross Lake Michigan to Chicago after Labor Day as the lake permits.

Pentwater - Another Lovely Stop

2008-07-22T07:26:00.001-07:00

Another foggy start & we're off to Pentwater, MI. Along this sandy coast you can run 1/2 mi or less offshore & still be in plenty of water - in fact, a mile out puts you over 100' depth! Passing Ludington, the fisherman are ubiquitous-like spiders, anytime you're near water expect to see 'em. Pulled into Snug Harbor Marina-what a hoot! They have docks that are about 70 ft long & 30' wide so they are piling as many boats in there as they can-like a jigsaw puzzle they fit us all together so no one gets turned away. Walking through town, it is similar to Frankfort as it caters to tourists & locals alike, but for some reason I like it better. Next day forecast is for 3-5' so we decide to stay another day - of course, it turns out to be beautiful! Many boats are taking advantage of the nice day to play on the Pentwater River/Lake with pontoons, jet skis, tubing & the like having a go on the 2 mi X 1 mi expanse. We join the fun with a dinghy tour & get a glimpse at some real cottages, nice but not the mega-ones of Harbor Springs.

Frankfort MI-A Lovely Stop

2008-07-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Another foggy start, but with 1-1/2 mile visibility, we set off for Frankfort. Passing huge bluffs of sand & trees seemingly arising straight out of the Lake, we have a choppy ride. Once in up the river & in port at Jacobson's Resort, we explore the town, finding a beautiful, compact perennial garden in its heart. Friendly people, stores that cater both to the locals & tourists, & blocks to the fine sand beach make this a very pleasant port. Gas grills provided dockside make this a perfect night for a potluck cookout with our 2 other Looper boat friends.

Fishtown USA aka Leland Michigan

2008-07-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

That NOAA forecast is impossible...near shore 2-4', offshore 1-3'...what to do? Well, first we waited for the fog to lift & about 10 AM we decided to try to make Leland, only 50 miles south. Things start out well, so we head across Grand Traverse Bay & are met with a 1-2' chop. Pressing on, it calms to 1' on the other side, and we comfortably make Leland, home of commercial fishing from the 1870s & famous for its fishing tugs. Some of the original Fishtown buildings line the river, now serving a tourist trade complemented by newer downtown buildings with loads of very unique merchandise & talented artwork. Leland really exists today because it is the only port between Charlevoix & Frankfort (about 40 miles from each) & has been designated a Harbor of Refuge-meaning they must take any & all boats that request space. With 40 slips, that means rafting off & creative anchoring is required of the harbormaster. They will have 100+ boats in there next week after the Chicago to Mackinaw race. Meeting up with 2 other Looper boats, we enjoy fresh Perch & Walleye Pike before dashing 4 blocks in a T storm back to Freedom.

Finally-Bye Bye Mackinaw, Hello Petoskey

2008-07-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

The weather forecast FINALLY gave us some good news-scant winds & better yet, out of the east. The trip around the turn & thru Grey's Reef, some of the most treacherous waters on the Loop, went well & we glided into Petoskey on Little Traverse Bay. This Bay is not so little, home to Harbor Springs, Bay Harbor Resort, Petoskey Municipal Marina as well as numerous private & public beaches buffered by trees & homes. Wanting to see Harbor Springs, about 4 mi across the Bay, we lowered the dinghy into the water & took off. Harbor Springs, one of the few natural harbors on the Lake, is loaded with boats & boaters. Docking at the 2 hr dock, we explored the 3 block long downtown & found high-end art, home decor & clothing shops. Embarking once again, we took the shoreline route to view the Victorian "cottages" of Harbor Springs. Each is over 3000 sf by my estimation & is replete with a front porch straight out of Norman Rockwell. Once home, we set off to see Petoskey, vacation home of Ernest Hemingway & featured in his Nick Adams stories. It has quite a vibrant downtown, the usual shops, but more of them & some very interesting restaurants. Dried Michigan cherries make a wonderful addition to any salad! On the way the next morning we passed the Bay Harbor Resort. Resurrected in the 1990s from an abandoned cement plant site, the developers have produced a luxury resort with condos, patio homes, ultra-high end shops & a marina berthing several 100+ ft yachts, like Cambridge Hyatt on steriods!

So Long Mackinaw City-Not So Fast!

2008-07-14T18:20:00.001-07:00

Well, this is our 5th day at Mackinaw City...3 more than plan and the forecast says "2 to 4 ft" & we know the boat can do it, so off we go to the next port...except out there it really is 3-5' with the random 6' or 7' & since the Captain would like the Admiral to remain on the cruise, we turn around & come back to "our" slip #86. Hey! we're retired & don't HAVE to be anywhere! After going through all the usual tie up stuff & discussion with dockmates, we're too itchy to sit around so decide to take the ferry to Mackinac Island. We were there 30 yrs ago but didn't really take the tour beyond The Grand Hotel. This time we do the real tourist thing & take the horse-drawn trolley around the island, disembarking to tour Ft Mackinac, which as you may remember is the relocated fort from Mackinaw City. With the sun ablaze, the sailboats from the Port Huron to Mackinac race are rafted off 5 deep per slip in the harbor looking like a picture postcard from the Med. We zip home in the ferry to find 2 swans with their 4 gray cygnets in our harbor. Don't know if we can leave tomorrow - maybe we'll go to a movie!

Touring Mackinaw City

2008-07-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

This must be the St Michael's of the North! Every kind of t-shirt & souvenir shop plus restaurants & fudge shops are crammed into the 6 block downtown area. Walking from the marina toward the Mackinaw Bridge, we enjoy 5 parks with their beautiful flowers & beach/water access. The major park is for the restored Old Point Mackinaw Lighthouse. We climb up the 50+ ft for a panoramic view & learn a bit about the lightkeeper's job & life back in 1889. Keeping the oil filled & wick trimmed every 5 hours were essential to safe navigation. There are numerous wrecks throughout this area attesting to the treacherous waters. Next we toured the reconstructed Ft Michilimackin. It was taken apart & moved to the more easily defended Mackinac Island when the Americans were threatening the British strongholds. Archeologists have excavated & have been able to recreat the buildings & furnishings of this once important fort & fur trading center.

Into the Straits of Mackinaw

2008-07-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

The morning dawns still as can be --- and a cool 50 degrees! Donning our CYC jackets we head north on Lake Huron for Mackinaw City. Lake is flat until we make the westward turn & then is a following sea. I like following seas! I even worked on the Prayer/Sanity Shawl! The Port Huron to Mack race is this w/e, so we opt to stay in M-City. 124 miles & almost 5 hrs later we're refueling again. Have added up our expenses so far, and believe me, you don't want to know. Got our new fuel cap & were back on Freedom as the rain started. We will be getting a lot of use out of our jeans & jackets here!

Tackling Lake Huron

2008-07-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

Beautiful morning as we pulled out of DYC, wind light out of the south. Lake St Clair & the St Clair River are lined with well-kept homes-some grand, some modest. The waters from the Lake Erie islands to Port Huron have a myriad of boater friendly destinations; reminds me of the Chesapeake Bay. Refueling in Port Huron, the wind turns west as we prepare to turn onto the Lake. It was a lot like the C Bay--choppy 1-3'. Well, at least there aren't any T storms anticipated. Forecasters are saying a good travel day Thursday then 4 footers Friday-Sunday, so we will stop once along Lake Huron's shores & then aim for Mackinaw City the next day. After 180 miles & 8 hours, we choose Harrisville, MI, a municipal marina with very nice facilities including a courtesy car & bikes. Unfortunately, when the dockhand was refueling us he knocked the fuel tank cap into the drink. The harbormaster said "Send me the bill", so that'll be on our next marine store purchase.

Loop Photos!

2008-07-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the Loop Photos we have so far in our web album - more to come!

Celebrating the 4th at Detroit Yacht Club

2008-07-05T08:55:00.001-07:00

America Rocks! U-S-A! U-S-A! The impromptu parade with flags waving by the younger set at the Detroit YC was a fitting end to a wonderful day. Travel time of a bit over 2 hrs in mostly calm seas & a hearty welcome from the staff & dockmates started the celebration. Swim races, yummy cantina food & superb weather didn't hurt the experience either! We were invited to their dock potluck party the next day & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We'll be here til Wednesday - visiting family & getting our military retiree IDs at Selfridge ANG base. Update --- had wonderful visit with family & even a BBQ! Huey at Enterprise on Jefferson St took good care of us car-wise & we're itching to get back on the water. Weather looks good for Wednesday.

Put-in-Bay Is Next

2008-07-03T07:06:00.001-07:00

Lake Erie was quite cooperative on this first day of July with only 1-2' waves, so after a fuel stop & visit with the nice folks at Chagrin Lagoon YC, we dashed across the lake to the resort town of Put-in-Bay, OH. This is the Midwestern Key West. Lots to do & see, plenty of pubs, restaurants & souvenir shops. Since July 2nd is my birthday I got to do it all. We went from the top to the bottom & everywhere inbetween. This is the view from on top of the Commodore Perry Memorial built to remember the Battle of Lake Erie & the longest undefended border in the world that we share with Canada. Riding a Tram Tour around the island, we got a bird's-eye view of this home for 500 year-round residents. First stop was the winery-of course! Tour of the winemaking process preceded our descent into the Geode quartz cave discovered when the original owner was drilling for water. Naturally we had to taste some of the wine & bought a rather decent Pinot Grigio, one of their 10 locally grown & produced wines. Paul's head was swiveling at all the antique cars in driveways around the island so we visited the Antique Car Museum. Sunday afternoon, rain or shine, is their weekly full island participatory parade. We lunched on fresh Lake Erie perch across from an antique, operational Carousel. It is one of 100 left with horses/animals made from wood. We didn't get a chance to try out the car races, miniature golf, world's longest bar or a myriad of other activities because we had to shop. I found some rather attractive plastic wine glasses to replace the 4 crystal ones the Captain has broken over the past 2 wks. I hate to give in to plastic, but one must be practical. This wonderful day ended with a fresh Maine lobster dinner & a theatrical Tstorm into the wee hours. Plan to sit out the rain tomorrow & travel to the Detroit YC on the 4th. Happy Birthday, America!

Lake Erie---As Far As Erie YC, PA

2008-06-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

Winds were up again when we left Buffalo on Sunday so we entered the lake with 4' waves. With southerly winds we headed for the southern shore rather than go directly across. After a bit we were in 2-3' so were traveling at 18 knots & after 4+ hours arrived at Presque Isle Bay & the Erie YC. Another long-established club - since 1895 - with loads of slips & active members & a limited number of social members. It is interesting to see the similarities & differences the YCs exhibit. A T storm with 60+ mph winds & hail hit shortly after we tied up, so we hunkered down & ate on board. More rain & winds were forecast for Monday (June 30), so the Admiral made an executive decision & we stayed in port. We met a delightful lady, Leann, who offered us ride into town & are we glad we accepted! It was pouring rain when she picked us up and proceeded to drive us around through lovely neighborhoods & parks, pointing out places of interest. Erie has lost many of its once-flourishing industries, as have many of the towns along our trip. There are still the beautiful original homes & buildings, though many are now apartments or commercial properties. Leann dropped us off for lunch & left us with her cell phone number for a ride back. The skies cleared while we ate, so we opted to walk the 4+ miles back to the boat. It felt good to walk but we were thankful to have the rider "insurance". We continue to meet "angels" along the way.

Gearing Up for Lake Erie at the Buffalo Yacht Club

2008-06-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Another severe T storm warning & 20 knot winds help us decide to stay at the Buffalo YC rather than venture onto Lake Erie. This beautiful club was founded in 1860 & is the 3rd oldest in the USA. We only traveled about an hour today & through the final lock at Black Rock Canal. I must admit I am tired of locks, but now we get the challenge of lake travel. Lake Erie is situated west to east with SW prevalent winds so hopefully we can find a good weather window tomorrow (Sunday). Lunch & dinner are both delicious & the members are friendly & helpful.

Tonawanda NY & the End of the Erie Canal

2008-06-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

Tonawanda was the western terminus for the Erie Canal & it is still a happening place. Canadians & Americans come out in force every Friday & Saturday for concerts & fun. This is by far the most boats we have seen. Another 7+hr day at 10 mph with a couple of locks & bunches of liftbridges help me come close to completing the Prayer/Sanity Shawl. We walk into town for a few groceries & a soft serve ice cream, then sit on the boat & watch the human show. Dockage is again very reasonable-$25 including electric.

Brockport NY-A Very Nice Town

2008-06-28T13:57:00.001-07:00

After going through 33 locks this is our 4th of 14 lift bridges. The lockmasters & lift bridge operators have all been extremely cheerful & eager to help us get on our way. Brockport is a college town-SUNY-so is bustling. Dock fee is $10 including electricity & low cost washer & dryer. A new Welcome Center & artwork greet us. We walk into town to find an outdoor concert & have a yummy Greek dinner at Mythos.

A Brief Stop in Newark NY

2008-06-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Skirting T storms, we decide to travel while the weather permits, so 10 hrs later we find ourselves in Newark NY. A free dock with electric & nice welcome center await. Our 76.3 miles were mostly at 6-10 mph, either in the Canal or passing homes with moored boats & no wake zones. Nice sailboater & the harbormaster help us tie up. Exhausted, we ate on board-but it was steak & red wine!

On To Brewerton, NY & Winter Harbor Marina

2008-06-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

What a brutal day -- actually the weather cooperated & we left after the T storms through Locks 14-22 with very short waits. The brutal part was that most of the trip is in the Canal rather than a river so the speed limit is 10 mph not 30. Hours & hours of pastoral treelined canal with an occasional deer or fisherman with a lock providing the excitement. The best part is I didn't have to navigate, so I got out my new project. I'm knitting (no, I'm not a knitter) a prayer shawl, except I think I'll call it a Sanity Shawl. 93 miles & 10+ hrs later we finally arrived in the rain at Winter Harbor. Outran a Tstorm & got to go FAST (finally)across Oneida Lake. Good news is we have only used 100 gals over 130+ miles. Super boater friendly marina. Used their car the next day to restock, cleaned up the boat & are meeting other Loopers for cocktails. Plan to leave early AM. This is after all a working vacation.

Canajoharie NY

2008-06-24T12:11:00.003-07:00

Locks 8-13 accomplished & about a 5 hr trip, we're at the home of Beech-Nut Industries & Canajoharie. The town provides a free dock with electric & a very pretty park. We really wanted to go farther, but it was time to stop. Walked into town for dinner & everything was closed except Mercato's. Did we luck out or what? Delicious homemade Italian food, a yummy Sicilian Pinot Grigio & reasonable prices at this family-owned & operated restaurant. Satiated, we returned to Freedom & helped a group from Canada dock. She owns a winery - my new best friend? - & the 45 ft Sea Ray Sedan Bridge. Anyway, they ran with us the next day & we enjoyed the company.

Albany YC to Schenectady YC

2008-06-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

The folks at Albany YC were great & so was the food! Several winter in FL so may be seeing them again. The Troy lock was our first and it wasn't pretty - not a disaster either. The Waterford flight locks 2-6 went much better & after Lock 7 we kind of had the hang of it. The ropes you hold onto are pretty dirty & the boat & fenders take the hit. Our neatnick friend Mark would find lots to clean after each one! Schenectady YC welcomed us & Commodore Bill gave us a tour of the 9 acres including an original Erie Canal lock that they use as a boat lift area. Their Clubhouse is historic as well. It was the general store & mule changing station in those early times! He and his wife, Sam, graciously invited us to dinner--a cookout with yummy grilled cod & all the trimmings. I even scored a SYC hat! The band & dancing started, but we danced our way back to Freedom. Our dockmates, a group taking a 70' sailboat up to Boston for its shipment to Spain, pushed us off about noon the next day. Thunderstorms delayed our departure, so we didn't make it too far.

Poughkeepsie YC to Albany YC

2008-06-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

Day of touring was fun, but we're now eager to get going again. Showers threaten but we travel thru without incident but against a 2-3 knot current. Fuel here $5.39--ouch! Have tried running slower (16-18 knots) but find that our mileage is about the same...I like going fast better anyway! Looking forward to dinner at the Albany YC--marinated pork tenderloin at $10pp...finally a bargain. Still haven't figured out how to put all these pictures on - will keep working on it.

Cape May Workboats

2008-06-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

On Our Way

2008-06-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Freedom departed her slip at the Chesapeake Yacht Club at 0550 on 16 June. Sure hope we remembered to bring everything we wanted to!

Forecast for the 16th predicted the probability of some nasty afternoon TS, so we ran at about 25-26 knots to get to the CD canal, through it, on to the Delaware River and Delaware Bay, landing at Utsch's Marina in Cape May NJ where we were treated very well by a friendly and helpful staff. Got to settle in, then witness a serious TS while snug in our cockpit. Diesel was at $4.59/gal.

0600 on the 17th found us headed to the Atlantic for the trip up to New York and the Hudson river. Great water on the Atlantic (1-3 foot rollers) and a quick trip, again at 25-26 knots. Our anticipated stay at the Staten Island Yacht Club didn't pan out as a transient scheduled to leave that day decided to stay one more day. On through a busy NY harbor, but without incident. What a view of the Big Apple from the water. We are glad we weren't making the transit at rush hour. Over-nighted at Haverstraw Marina in Haverstraw, NY. Made the day a long one at about 180 miles, and about as far as we would like to go without refueling. In our opinion, expensive for the service. Diesel no bargain at $5.09/gallon. No help docking, wobbly floating dock finger piers, etc. We will not be stopping there again or recommending them to anyone.

Today, the 18th, we took a leisurely trip to the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club. (About 40 mi upstream.) Beautiful scenery on the Hudson, including the United States Military Academy at West Point. Good rates for yacht club members and very friendly, helpful people. Took advantage of the time to catch up on e-mail, housekeeping, laundry, and this blog. Tomorrow's an "off day" with trips to the Vanderbilt and FDR mansions and the Culinary Institute. Next departure on Friday, weather permitting.

Monday, 19 May 08

2008-05-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

A long time since our last posting, but it appears things are coming together for a mid-June anchor weighing. Paul had his retirement ceremony from the Air Force on 09 May, and we survived an engine being "cooked" while it was being returned by the dealer after preventive maintainance...Ironic? It seems to us that when you give the dealer a working boat and it is returned in non-working status, i.e. in need of a new cylinder head, new turbocharger, and new exhaust manifold, that they should bear at least some of the responsibility. Not the philosophy at Clarks Landing. We could probably spend the summer dealing with lawyers, but prefer to be on our way for the Loop adventure.

Currently working on appropriate provisioning and storage and endless lists for our daughter who will be minding the house in our absence.

More when we are ready to cast off!

Getting Started

2007-10-10T13:39:00.001-07:00

Well, we're trying to get our "arms" around this adventure --- where to start? Have bought & read & re-read several books - especially "Honey Let's Get a Boat" & all the pertinent Skipper Bob books. Have purchased our electronic charts and some used paper charts. Have also signed up & monitored the conversations from the google groups for the AGLCA. What an education! Hope to participate as we know more about this trip. Our kick-off date is sometime around June 2008 from the Chesapeake Yacht Club on the West River in Maryland.