We never did get to a marina on Friday February 6th -- the local marina was full and the north winds made it impossible to get out of Charlotte Harbor, and even if we did there were no feasible anchoring or docking options for some distance. So, we stayed put, or rather we stayed on Freedom while she swung on the anchor chain. Getting in and out of the dinghy was a bit treacherous, so Ham had to be content with one trip to shore per day. #mostpatientboatdogever.
When we did make it to shore we enjoyed walking about Punta Gorda. There was an excellent free dinghy dock adjacent to the waterfront promenade allowing all of us to get onshore and stretch our legs. The winds died down enough on the morning of 7th so we headed in to the weekly Saturday Farmers Market. The highlight of this market for me were the incredibly fresh Strawberries from nearby Plant City. Next time you buy strawberries in your local market, check the origin. It is quite likely they are from Plant City. But, I can assure you they are no where near as delicious as the ones you can buy at the local markets. Here they are sweet, full of flavor and red all the way through. As I understand it, the berries picked for shipping out of state are picked before they are fully ripe, resulting in white centers. That early picking robs the fruit of the its full flavor potential,.
Some local fishermen were also at the market selling "caught the day before" fish. We feasted on Mahi that night.
After returning to the boat, eating lunch and taking a siesta, we lifted the anchor ( not an easy task after all those days and nights of heavy wind) and headed down the ICW to the Burnt Store Marina, just 2 hours away. Once again, the winds picked up and our 2 night stay at the marina turned into 4. Burnt Store is a large gated community north of Fort Myers. There are over 3,000 residences in mid size condo buildings, townhouses and single family homes. We spent a lot of time walking through the various neighborhoods. One day we saw an owl chick take its first flight between the branches of a Live Oak tree. The marina grounds and restaurant are a gathering place for many of the residents. Every morning groups would gather on the porch or under the Tiki Hut for coffee and conversation. (In case you were wondering,, "highlighter yellow" appears to be the official color of 2015 snowbird outerwear.) As we did on boat chores on Sunday afternoon we were able to sing along to the live entertainment on the restaurant deck.
Once again, the winds calmed enough for us to continue our cruise, and on February 11th we pointed our bow towards Useppa Island. Two and a half hours later we were anchored in one of our favorite anchorages. A combination of the wind direction and the number of fast moving pleasure crafts in the ICW made it a less than enjoyable stop for us this time, We had hoped to stay put for a few nights, dinghy over to Cabbage Key for their famous cheeseburger (rumoured to have inspired Jimmy Buffet), and spend some time exploring a local state park. But, we couldn't stand the rocking and pulled anchor just after noon on the 12th for a 5 mile trip to York Island near St. James City.
Keeping with the theme, the north winds made for a few bumpy nights at anchor and some cold and damp trips to shore with Ham. Once we motored the dinghy out of the anchorage and into the St. James canals, the waters calmed down and we had a great time exploring the area. We had lunch at a canal side restaurant on Friday the 13th and considered ourselves lucky to get back to FREEDOM before the winds kicked up even more and prevented us from safely landing the dinghy back on FREEDOM. Once again, it was a long night for Ham because there was no way we could get back to shore for his evening walk.
On Saturday the 14th we proclaimed success in squeezing a two day trip from St.Petersburg to Fort Myers Beach into a 2 week cruise. It was time to head to the dock.....just 7 miles away.
Until March 15th we will be calling Moss Marina in Fort Myers Beach home. It's a lively, colorful town, and the beach is just two blocks from our dock. There is a constant stream of boats passing by-- fishing boats, run-abouts, shrimpers, the daily Key West Express, the local Pirate ship "Pieces of Eight", muscle boats, sailboats, and a water taxi -- to keep us entertained from sun up to sundown.
If only the winds would calm........
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Friday, February 6, 2015
Back to Loopin'
I see over on my blogger home page that it has been 2 months since my last update. Most of the time was spent at our on-shore home for holiday celebrations, but we did manage a one week dog-free trip back to Freedom in December and a quick ski trip to Colorado. Once our youngest was back to college in mid January we headed back to St. Pete and the Loop. Our intent was to stay just a few days before throwing off the bowlines. It only took a few days, though, to remember how much we love St. Pete and how much we wanted to extend our stay. The marina had room for us, and so we settled in for another week. There is always something going on in St. Pete -- music festivals, boat shows, and in mid February the annual Martin Luther King Parade. Ham and I headed up the dock to watch and it was full of marching bands, kids throwing and catching beads, and high spirits.
As always we enjoyed watching the St. Pete Yacht Club kids sailing lessons every afternoon. Their chatter made us laugh..
Once that week was up, Mother Nature chimed in with her opinion and we waited out a cold front for a few more days. The extra time in St. Pete allowed us the chance to head over to our favorite beach side lunch spot one day and drive down to Venice for lunch with Al and Donna (staying on Venice for the month), Bill and Judy (who live in Venice fulltime), and Allen and Amy( Ft. Myers residents). We really don't have anyplace to be until February 15th when we have a month long slip reservation in Fort Myers Beach. We could easily do that in two days -- but instead we are squeezing it into two weeks.
We finally did untie the lines on January 29th -- and what a project that was! After nearly two months of hard work the lines were tight and taut around the pilings. The Cap'n wisely suggested we start the process on the 28th. That afternoon we spent about an hour untying what I call the long-term lines, ie those lines that allowed FREEDOM to withstand the winter weather patterns, but were not needed to keep us safely in the slip until the next morning. We were also able to make a plan for getting the remaining line untied the next morning -- we were fully prepared to just cut off the starboard bow line and keep moving the next day. As it turns out, with expert use of the thrusters and boat hook, we slipped out easily just before 7:30 AM and we were back on the blue highway.
It was a cold start ( 46 degrees) but a sunny and calm trip to Venice. Among the crowd of fishermen and snowbirds lining the jetty at the Venice Inlet we spied our friends Donna and Bill waving a welcome. We felt like celebrities!
That was nothing compared to our arrival at Fisherman's Wharf Marina just a few minutes later when waiting on the dock were our friends Margie and Jim from Maryland, and Donna and Bill who had somehow reunited with Al and Judy between the jetty and the marina. The dockhands were very impressed with our welcoming committee and the Cap'ns smooth docking.
After two nights in Venice we were off again, continuing our very s-l-o-w trip south. It was Saturday and there was lots of boat traffic, bridges openings to wait for and shallow waters to avoid -- welcome back to the Gulf Coast IntraCoastal Waterway! By 2:30 we were anchored 14 miles from Venice near the town of Englewood. Late afternoon we lowered the dinghy to explore the area. We had quite a time finding a good place to take Ham ashore and finally settled on a small patch of grass between two private homes at the end of a street. A post on Active Captain told us a park bench by the water indicated it was okay to pull up. At this particular spot we felt we were being assessed by the neighbors, so we made it quick: we pulled the dinghy up to the concrete bulkhead, told Ham to jump off the bow, gave him the command to do his thing, and then to jump back on board. 30 seconds later we were off.... Not a good solution for more than an overnight, but he was a trooper and it all worked out.
The following three nights found us in a cul de sac-like anchorage near Cape Haze, about 10 miles down the ICW We were a short dinghy ride from the Don Pedro State Park -- a perfect spot to take Ham to shore, get some exercise and do some shell seeking. Ham wasn't allowed on the beach, but we found plenty to do and see on the nature trail. We shared our anchorage with two Nordic tugs ( one a Looper named Celebration) for the first two nights, and 2 different boats, including one Looper, on the third night.
On Wednesday, Feb 4th, we ventured about 20 miles to Punta Gorda in Charlotte Harbor. Once again, we are at anchor. The first few days were a little rainy and lumpy due to a passing cold front, and thunder storms kept us awake, but after all the months of limited anchorages and difficult on shore dinghy access through the Great Lakes and down the inland rivers, we are really enjoying the chance to anchor out and really "cruise.". I love the late morning departures, spending no more than 4 hours traveling each day, and staying in the same anchorage for as long as we want. No rush, no docking lines and fenders to sort out, no marina fees. And a fabulous sunset every night.
We may end up in a marina tomorrow night to take fill the water tanks and go out to dinner, but even so, it's good to be back to Loopin'
As always we enjoyed watching the St. Pete Yacht Club kids sailing lessons every afternoon. Their chatter made us laugh..
Once that week was up, Mother Nature chimed in with her opinion and we waited out a cold front for a few more days. The extra time in St. Pete allowed us the chance to head over to our favorite beach side lunch spot one day and drive down to Venice for lunch with Al and Donna (staying on Venice for the month), Bill and Judy (who live in Venice fulltime), and Allen and Amy( Ft. Myers residents). We really don't have anyplace to be until February 15th when we have a month long slip reservation in Fort Myers Beach. We could easily do that in two days -- but instead we are squeezing it into two weeks.
We finally did untie the lines on January 29th -- and what a project that was! After nearly two months of hard work the lines were tight and taut around the pilings. The Cap'n wisely suggested we start the process on the 28th. That afternoon we spent about an hour untying what I call the long-term lines, ie those lines that allowed FREEDOM to withstand the winter weather patterns, but were not needed to keep us safely in the slip until the next morning. We were also able to make a plan for getting the remaining line untied the next morning -- we were fully prepared to just cut off the starboard bow line and keep moving the next day. As it turns out, with expert use of the thrusters and boat hook, we slipped out easily just before 7:30 AM and we were back on the blue highway.
It was a cold start ( 46 degrees) but a sunny and calm trip to Venice. Among the crowd of fishermen and snowbirds lining the jetty at the Venice Inlet we spied our friends Donna and Bill waving a welcome. We felt like celebrities!
That was nothing compared to our arrival at Fisherman's Wharf Marina just a few minutes later when waiting on the dock were our friends Margie and Jim from Maryland, and Donna and Bill who had somehow reunited with Al and Judy between the jetty and the marina. The dockhands were very impressed with our welcoming committee and the Cap'ns smooth docking.
After two nights in Venice we were off again, continuing our very s-l-o-w trip south. It was Saturday and there was lots of boat traffic, bridges openings to wait for and shallow waters to avoid -- welcome back to the Gulf Coast IntraCoastal Waterway! By 2:30 we were anchored 14 miles from Venice near the town of Englewood. Late afternoon we lowered the dinghy to explore the area. We had quite a time finding a good place to take Ham ashore and finally settled on a small patch of grass between two private homes at the end of a street. A post on Active Captain told us a park bench by the water indicated it was okay to pull up. At this particular spot we felt we were being assessed by the neighbors, so we made it quick: we pulled the dinghy up to the concrete bulkhead, told Ham to jump off the bow, gave him the command to do his thing, and then to jump back on board. 30 seconds later we were off.... Not a good solution for more than an overnight, but he was a trooper and it all worked out.
The following three nights found us in a cul de sac-like anchorage near Cape Haze, about 10 miles down the ICW We were a short dinghy ride from the Don Pedro State Park -- a perfect spot to take Ham to shore, get some exercise and do some shell seeking. Ham wasn't allowed on the beach, but we found plenty to do and see on the nature trail. We shared our anchorage with two Nordic tugs ( one a Looper named Celebration) for the first two nights, and 2 different boats, including one Looper, on the third night.
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| Despite the thousands of "Manatee Area" signs in Florida, in the three winters I have spent a significant amount of time on the water all over the state of Florida I have seen 1, yes one, manatee |
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| We replaced out overly loved dinghy with a new sleeker model, Here's Ham looking a bit windblown, but still in charge. |
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| Ham and the Cap'n on the Don Pedro Park Nature trail. |
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| Motoring through the mangroves |
On Wednesday, Feb 4th, we ventured about 20 miles to Punta Gorda in Charlotte Harbor. Once again, we are at anchor. The first few days were a little rainy and lumpy due to a passing cold front, and thunder storms kept us awake, but after all the months of limited anchorages and difficult on shore dinghy access through the Great Lakes and down the inland rivers, we are really enjoying the chance to anchor out and really "cruise.". I love the late morning departures, spending no more than 4 hours traveling each day, and staying in the same anchorage for as long as we want. No rush, no docking lines and fenders to sort out, no marina fees. And a fabulous sunset every night.
We may end up in a marina tomorrow night to take fill the water tanks and go out to dinner, but even so, it's good to be back to Loopin'
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
The Bat, The Cat, and The Tree -- Tales From the Loop (so far)
I have kept a Boat Blog for many years now....beginning way back when we had a sail boat and the Cap'n raced her offshore. So, it was a natural to keep on blogging on the Loop.
In this crazy connected world of ours, most people on the Loop keep an blog. And, truth be told, most Looper Bloggers are more diligent than I. There are Looper Bloggers with YouTube Channels and Loopers Bloggers who Blog Daily.
And then there is me -- feeling good about blogging once a week, okay, maybe every two weeks. I'm OK with that but it does mean that some stories get overlooked. Here are a few of them:
Back in late July, as we motored out of Rogers City on the west coast of Lake Huron, and I was walking out of the saloon with Ham's breakfast in hand, I saw a black object flying towards me. It dodged around me, and I screamed: "There's a bat onboard!" "What?" said the Cap'n above the roar of the engine. "A bat, a bat just flew into the boat," I replied, as I turned around to see the winged creature dip right, then left in the pilot house. The Cap'n with his back to me as he steered FREEDOM past the breakwall, said," I think it was a bird, and it flew out the door." I wasn't convinced -- it had been just inches from my face and I was sure it was a bat. Yet, it was no where to be seen in the pilot house, and the incident was soon forgotten amid our excitement over the anticipated arrival of our friends Dave and Jenny the next day.
The following morning, safely docked in Cheboygan, MI I set off on foot to the local market for some provisions. Upon my return the Cap'n met me dockside. "We have a problem." he reported. Engine troubles? No Dave and Jenny? The kids? I wondered. "No, he replied, "it was a bat you saw yesterday and it is in the pilothouse." "Where?. I asked, "In the cushions?" "No, hanging on your rain coat."
Great.
I carefully carried my groceries into the galley and quietly placed the perishables in the fridge. Then I beat a quick a retreat to the cockpit where the Cap'n waited. What should we do, we fretted.
It has always been my theory that there is no question we can ask, no help we can request that a busy marina office has not yet fielded With that thought, the Cap'n headed to shore.....Before long he returned with three marina employees: one leading the way, one carrying a paper coffee cup and one following, hesitantly, a few steps behind. The last known location of the bat was shared ( raincoat hanging beside steps to flying bridge) and the trio headed up the back stairs. While one bravely lay down on his belly placing himself nose to nose with the bat, and the others standing behind him in support, I peered over the lip of the cockpit stairs -- perfectly poised to run if the bat headed my way.
From his prone position "Batman" and we now call him, requested the coffee cup and lid and deftly scooped up the hitchhiking Chiroptera. They later told us the bat was screeching inside the cup, but all I heard was my heart beating.
Soon the trio was heading, single file, up the dock and around the corner of the storage shed to release the trapped mammal. Life on FREEDOM returned to normal - but one question remained: What to do with my raincoat, overnight home to the uninvited guest -- not a foul weather gear jacket, but my nice, feminine, beloved London Fog raincoat. Thought of rabies shots danced in my head.and reluctantly I donned a pair of latex gloves, sadly scooped the coat into a trash bag and marched to the dumpster.
In this crazy connected world of ours, most people on the Loop keep an blog. And, truth be told, most Looper Bloggers are more diligent than I. There are Looper Bloggers with YouTube Channels and Loopers Bloggers who Blog Daily.
And then there is me -- feeling good about blogging once a week, okay, maybe every two weeks. I'm OK with that but it does mean that some stories get overlooked. Here are a few of them:
THE BAT:
Back in late July, as we motored out of Rogers City on the west coast of Lake Huron, and I was walking out of the saloon with Ham's breakfast in hand, I saw a black object flying towards me. It dodged around me, and I screamed: "There's a bat onboard!" "What?" said the Cap'n above the roar of the engine. "A bat, a bat just flew into the boat," I replied, as I turned around to see the winged creature dip right, then left in the pilot house. The Cap'n with his back to me as he steered FREEDOM past the breakwall, said," I think it was a bird, and it flew out the door." I wasn't convinced -- it had been just inches from my face and I was sure it was a bat. Yet, it was no where to be seen in the pilot house, and the incident was soon forgotten amid our excitement over the anticipated arrival of our friends Dave and Jenny the next day.
The following morning, safely docked in Cheboygan, MI I set off on foot to the local market for some provisions. Upon my return the Cap'n met me dockside. "We have a problem." he reported. Engine troubles? No Dave and Jenny? The kids? I wondered. "No, he replied, "it was a bat you saw yesterday and it is in the pilothouse." "Where?. I asked, "In the cushions?" "No, hanging on your rain coat."
Great.
I carefully carried my groceries into the galley and quietly placed the perishables in the fridge. Then I beat a quick a retreat to the cockpit where the Cap'n waited. What should we do, we fretted.
It has always been my theory that there is no question we can ask, no help we can request that a busy marina office has not yet fielded With that thought, the Cap'n headed to shore.....Before long he returned with three marina employees: one leading the way, one carrying a paper coffee cup and one following, hesitantly, a few steps behind. The last known location of the bat was shared ( raincoat hanging beside steps to flying bridge) and the trio headed up the back stairs. While one bravely lay down on his belly placing himself nose to nose with the bat, and the others standing behind him in support, I peered over the lip of the cockpit stairs -- perfectly poised to run if the bat headed my way.
From his prone position "Batman" and we now call him, requested the coffee cup and lid and deftly scooped up the hitchhiking Chiroptera. They later told us the bat was screeching inside the cup, but all I heard was my heart beating.
Soon the trio was heading, single file, up the dock and around the corner of the storage shed to release the trapped mammal. Life on FREEDOM returned to normal - but one question remained: What to do with my raincoat, overnight home to the uninvited guest -- not a foul weather gear jacket, but my nice, feminine, beloved London Fog raincoat. Thought of rabies shots danced in my head.and reluctantly I donned a pair of latex gloves, sadly scooped the coat into a trash bag and marched to the dumpster.
The Cat
You never know who you are going to meet on the dock. After we arrived in St. Pete a few weeks ago, I noticed a black cat, with a pink collar, hanging out near the gate. The collar said someone was looking out for her, but I couldn't tell if she lived on a boat or was a marina cat. ( Rodent traps on the docks led me to believe she might be employed by the marina). A few nights later when the Cap'n and I were returning from a walk, the cat greeted us at the gate and walked with us for a bit. Not long after we got back to FREEDOM and I had my head deep in the cupboard pulling out pans for dinner, the Cap'n gave a shout. "What?" I asked. "There's a cat on board." And there, peering into the galley was the pink collared kitty. "Shoo" I said. She sat. "Go" I said, loudly. She cocked her head. Finally I started to flap my arms, shuffle my feet and shout "Shooo" all at once. The cat, under the silent but watchful eye of Hamilton ( known cat hater) headed for the door. After one last glance she jumped on the rail and up to the dock, skittering away into the darkness.
We laughed.
The Tree
As were were heading south down the beautiful Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway there were several stretches with no marinas, affording the Cap'n and I the treat , and Ham the agony, of anchoring. In mid-October, one day north of Columbus, MS and just south of the Amory Lock we dropped anchor in the Canal Section CutOff of the Tenn Tom. The anchorage is actually in the Tombigbee Waterway which twists and turns its way south from near Bay Springs Lake all the way to this point. The Tenn-Tom Waterway was created to provide a waterway more conducive (ie less twisty) to barge traffic as an alernative to the Mississippi.
We set the anchor at the first curve just after 1 pm and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in the October sunshine -- a welcome relief after a rainy weekend. The anchor held firm in the modest current - small amounts of debris floated by, but nothing to cause alarm.
We both got up a few times during the night to check our location, and look at the stars. All was good the last time I checked about 4AM. Knowing we only had a few hours of travel ahead of us, we "slept in" to 6:30AM the next morning. Lying in our bunk I could hear some debris hitting the hull as it floated by, and then the boat seemed to wiggle, ever so slightly. A few minutes later I climbed up to the saloon, glancing out the window to port as I went by. Shore was a whole lot closer than I had remembered, a whole lot closer -- as in, we were on the beach. @#*&##@**^# grrrrrrrrr.
A glance out the windows to starboard revealed large amounts of debris streaming by -- rafts of tree branches, stumps, grasses. It was like the Mississippi all over again. The heavy rains a few days earlier had washed all sort of things from the shores well north of there into the river and they were just now making their way past us an into the Tenn-Tom.
After bundling up in our fleece jackets we ventured to the bow to assess our situation. This is what we saw:
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| To Port |
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| To Starboard |
A tree had come steaming around the bend, and with the force of the river behind it, pushed us towards shore. A 40 foot tree -- roots and all --now firmly attached to our anchor chain! The anchor, mind you, had not moved. It was still firmly in place in the center of the river where we had placed it the day before. There was enough scope ( length) out on the chain that the tree caused FREEDOM to swing to shore.
Another what to do? what to do situation. The Cap'n tried to move the tree by pulling in the anchor chain. The tree moved -- but not much. Meanwhile more and more debris was getting caught in the tree -- logs, branches, grasses, etc.,
About 7:30 I called TowBoat US, silently praising our decision to keep our unlimited towing coverage. After giving the operator our Lat and Lon location she revealed that they did not offer service in that area. <deep breath> but that she would look for someone and call me right back. Twenty tense minutes passed before she called back to say she had found someone to help us -- but they were about 40 miles away and she wasn't sure how soon they could get there. They had to trailer their boat to the nearest ramp, launch it and then travel about 20 miles down river. It could be a while. The amount of debris was increasing on the river and in dam on the bow. We proceeded to pace about the boat.....
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| A little bit of everything floated by..... |
I don't recall how long it took for the tow boat operator to call, but I do know it wasn't until 10AM that he came steaming up the river to save us.
He circled the boat once shouting to us over our engine "I've never seen anything like this before!" After consulting with his work mate they circled again, lassoed the tree pulled it off, and sent it down river. They made it look easy.
Another circle captured a menacing tree stump that had been stuck in a whirlpool just feel from our bow,....
.... and then they came back for us. That was a little harder, but with a line securely attached to the stern and a lot of engine power soon we were back in the middle of the river and ready to pull anchor.
With a shout and a wave "See you in Columbus!" our rescuers were off. Before long we were too - moving quickly with the current down the Tenn Tom, right behind the tree and the stump.........
He circled the boat once shouting to us over our engine "I've never seen anything like this before!" After consulting with his work mate they circled again, lassoed the tree pulled it off, and sent it down river. They made it look easy.
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| Taking away the tree. Not a big tow boat -- but a powerful one!! |
Another circle captured a menacing tree stump that had been stuck in a whirlpool just feel from our bow,....
.... and then they came back for us. That was a little harder, but with a line securely attached to the stern and a lot of engine power soon we were back in the middle of the river and ready to pull anchor.
With a shout and a wave "See you in Columbus!" our rescuers were off. Before long we were too - moving quickly with the current down the Tenn Tom, right behind the tree and the stump.........
Sunday, November 16, 2014
The Crossing
From the time you start to even think about The Loop, you hear about The Crossing: the 10-30 hour passage from Florida's Panhandle to its West Coast. For many Loopers in 8kt boats (ie those boats who cannot cross in daylight hours) this is their first overnight experience. It might also be their first off-shore experience. From docktails to dinner conversation be it June or October the conversation almost always rolls around to the crossing, particularly if you have crossing veterans in your midst. Everyone wants to know how it was, what route they took, if they have any advice to share.
The America's Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA) provides information,support and an online forum for members. Each morning I receive a report on questions and answers posted on the previous day's forum. The questions range from good anchorages to good restaurants to electrical wiring to finding the perfect Loop boat. Beginning in late October a daily post is provided re: Crossing Weather. This year is is provided by a volunteer names Eddy. The difference between a good crossing and a bad crossing can be the weather. Flat calm waters and a full moon are the perfect scenario, and may the winds be ever in your favor.
Although the Cap'n has over 15 multi day off shore races under his belt, I have 2 off shore overnight experiences and we had our "Off-Shore Specialist" Al on board for our our crossing, we still spent a good deal of time pinpointing the exact best departure and arrival day, time and location.
As it turned out we had a great trip with relatively calm seas and a just past full moon. Although we knew there were several other Loopers crossing the same night we did, not a one came over the horizon or appeared on the AIS.
We left St. Andrews Marina, Panama City just after 7AM on Monday November 10th. About 1PM a sport fishing boat crossed our bow. About 2PM a gull hitchhiked a ride for about 5 minutes, about 3PM a few dolphins frolicked to starboard, about 4PM we saw a sail boat to port. And that was it -- no more signs of human or sea life until we neared the entrance to Tampa Bay. What we did see was a sunset that stretched across the starboard horizon, the moon rising to port ablaze in orange about 9PM, stars galore, and a peaceful sunrise. It was spectacular.
After taking the early evening watch so the Cap'n and AL could watch the Eagles game on tv, I took my first solo middle-of-the-night-when-everyone-else-was-asleep watch -- an accomplishment I am proud of. We all took turns on "secondary watch", ie, sleeping in the salon in case the watch captain needed assistance. Hamilton took it as his duty to sleep in the pilot house thru the night -- snoring slightly but still at the ready if the watch captain needed any help or happened to have a piece of cheese to share.
By 12:30PM on Tuesday November 11th we were in our slip at the St.Petersburg Municipal Marina. By 1:30 we were all napping.
This is where FREEDOM will be for about 2 months. It feels good not to have the daily "Where are we going tomorrow, how many miles is that, is there enough water in that anchorage, where is the next marina, what time should we leave?" conversation that has been our constant companion since we left Charleston in April. Now it is time to enjoy St. Pete. We arrived on a good weekend, the annual Rib Fest is taking place to our port along the waterfront and we have been able to hear the nightly concerts from FREEDOM ( Daughtry, Starship and Lynyrd Skynyd), To starboard, docks are being installed for the annual Boat Show scheduled for the first weekend of December. But before that we have a few weeks of shore leave scheduled and we are busy putting the boat away and packing our sweaters before the drive north.........
The America's Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA) provides information,support and an online forum for members. Each morning I receive a report on questions and answers posted on the previous day's forum. The questions range from good anchorages to good restaurants to electrical wiring to finding the perfect Loop boat. Beginning in late October a daily post is provided re: Crossing Weather. This year is is provided by a volunteer names Eddy. The difference between a good crossing and a bad crossing can be the weather. Flat calm waters and a full moon are the perfect scenario, and may the winds be ever in your favor.
Although the Cap'n has over 15 multi day off shore races under his belt, I have 2 off shore overnight experiences and we had our "Off-Shore Specialist" Al on board for our our crossing, we still spent a good deal of time pinpointing the exact best departure and arrival day, time and location.
As it turned out we had a great trip with relatively calm seas and a just past full moon. Although we knew there were several other Loopers crossing the same night we did, not a one came over the horizon or appeared on the AIS.
We left St. Andrews Marina, Panama City just after 7AM on Monday November 10th. About 1PM a sport fishing boat crossed our bow. About 2PM a gull hitchhiked a ride for about 5 minutes, about 3PM a few dolphins frolicked to starboard, about 4PM we saw a sail boat to port. And that was it -- no more signs of human or sea life until we neared the entrance to Tampa Bay. What we did see was a sunset that stretched across the starboard horizon, the moon rising to port ablaze in orange about 9PM, stars galore, and a peaceful sunrise. It was spectacular.
After taking the early evening watch so the Cap'n and AL could watch the Eagles game on tv, I took my first solo middle-of-the-night-when-everyone-else-was-asleep watch -- an accomplishment I am proud of. We all took turns on "secondary watch", ie, sleeping in the salon in case the watch captain needed assistance. Hamilton took it as his duty to sleep in the pilot house thru the night -- snoring slightly but still at the ready if the watch captain needed any help or happened to have a piece of cheese to share.
By 12:30PM on Tuesday November 11th we were in our slip at the St.Petersburg Municipal Marina. By 1:30 we were all napping.
This is where FREEDOM will be for about 2 months. It feels good not to have the daily "Where are we going tomorrow, how many miles is that, is there enough water in that anchorage, where is the next marina, what time should we leave?" conversation that has been our constant companion since we left Charleston in April. Now it is time to enjoy St. Pete. We arrived on a good weekend, the annual Rib Fest is taking place to our port along the waterfront and we have been able to hear the nightly concerts from FREEDOM ( Daughtry, Starship and Lynyrd Skynyd), To starboard, docks are being installed for the annual Boat Show scheduled for the first weekend of December. But before that we have a few weeks of shore leave scheduled and we are busy putting the boat away and packing our sweaters before the drive north.........
Saturday, November 8, 2014
The Gulf Coast
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| Perdido Key, Florida |
As I noted a few posts back, we arrived at Mile 0 of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway on Monday October 27th. As we watched our bow cross this milestone on the nav screen, I turned to the Cap'n and asked: "Did you ever imagine that you would motor your own boat the long way around to the Gulf of Mexico?" What a sense of accomplishment we felt! We knew we would miss the fresh water of the lakes and rivers (ie, we knew we would have to resume rinsing the boat off every time we came ashore), but we were excited to explore this uncharted territory for us.
Our first stop was Dog River Marina, in Mobile. Known for their exemplary service department, and in need of an oil change and a few other routine maintenance jobs, we decided to stay there for a week to get the work done and to do a few road trips. Several other Loopers were there and at the neighboring Turner Marina
At Dog River we were docked next to the Capt. Sydney, a Shrimper ( aka, shrimp fishing boat). Soon after they returned to the dock one afternoon I noticed some familiar faces gathering beside Freedom: fellow Loopers with plastic grocery bags and buckets in their hands.
I opened the pilot house door and asked what was happening: "We can buy a bag full of shrimp for $20" I was told. I grabbed a bag and got in line for $6/lb shrimp that looked like this:
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First thing on the 30th we dropped Ham at a local pet motel and headed off on a Halloween Road Trip to Fayetteville, GA for a fundraising concert ( more on that in another post). On the way back we stopped in Montgomery, Alabama to see the Capitol area and to tour the First White House of the Confederacy. Although Jefferson Davis and his family only lived in the house for three months, it has been lovingly restored by a local committee of women. Over the years, family members have donated pieces of furniture, portraits and clothing for display on the house. The house was even moved, board by board, to its present location across from the Capitol Building.
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| The Dining Room. The Chandelier and the drape of the gold curtains look like an angel from certain angles. |
Ocean Springs is best known for Shearwater Pottery, but we think sometime soon people will be talking about their home grown Crooked Letter Brewing Co.
Shearwater Pottery was founded in 1928 by Peter Anderson with the support of his parents, George Walter Anderson and Annette McConnell Anderson. From the 1920s through the present day, Shearwater Pottery has produced art pottery, utilitarian ware, figurines, decorative tiles and other pottery pieces. Shearwater Pottery is high-grade hard fired earthenware intended for functional as well as decorative use. Each piece is individual and unique in nature.
The next day we drove back to Ocean Springs to see the waterfront before heading to Biloxi to pick up our favorite Vet and Crew Member: Al (and his golf clubs).
We are strong believers in the Looper Road trip. Many marinas offer courtesy cars, allowing boaters to drive to the grocery, restaurants, or local historic sites -- as long as you can be back in 2 hours. That does not always give us enough time to explore, so we like to rent cars when we want to go further a field. This typically requires an advanced degree in logistics. Here is what we did in Mobile:
Picking up Rental Car:
1) reserved marina courtesy car for 4PM Wednesday
2) drove courtesy car to Mobile airport, with the Cap'n riding shotgun
3)Cap'n waited in airport parking in courtesy car lot while I filled out paperwork for rental car
4)Played follow the leader back to marina (our GPS was less than reliable, requiring wild lane changing and the Cap'n muttering under his breath at the expense of lead car driven by the Admiral #greatmomentsinmarriage)
5) Returned to marina at 5:56PM, just under our two hour limit
Returning Car:
1) Drove rental car to Biloxi to pick up Al ( and his golf clubs)
2) Drove from Biloxi to Mobile Airport
3) I went inside to fill out paperwork for rental car return
4)Cap'n and Al parked rental car in row 5, keeping an eye out for white pickup truck from marina
5) White pick up truck, with Jarvis from marina shows up, loads Al's golf clubs and duffle.
6)Jarvis delivers us safely to marina while he , by hands free cell phone, encourages his gf to take a new job and orders some sort of personalized tshirts, and tells us all about his many boat trips across the Gulf. He was delightful. Thanks goodness he could pick us up, otherwise we would have driven back to marina, picked up courtesy car, played follow the leader back to the airport ( 30 minutes from marina), returned rental car and then all driven back in courtesy car.
The next morning we were heading east with Blue Willow. We intended to stop in Orange Beach, but it was barely 11:30 when we arrived and after a good wave to Connie from Patriot on the dock we continued east, thinking Blue Willow was behind us heading to their intended dockage about an hour or two ahead, Meanwhile, they stopped in Orange Beach to say hi to Connie and Jim and thinking we were there, took a slip for the night. By the time they called us we were an hour away. Yikes -- long story short, we went on ahead to Holiday Harbor Marina in Perdido Key and enjoyed a quiet night with dolphins swimming in the bay and a tequila sunset.
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| Calm seas, impressive clouds and low flying birds on the way to Pensacola |
A short ride along the coast found us in Pensacola by 11AM. After securing Freedom, we headed to the National Naval Aviation Museum on the base. Full size and scale models of planes, aircraft carriers of all ages were on display.
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| This plane lay on the floor of Lake Michigan for nearly 50 years. The fresh water kept it in pretty good shape until it was recovered and restored, It had seen combat in WWII and was lost in the lake during a training exercise. |
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| A replica of the Blue Angels flying overhead in their F16's |
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| The Cap'n and Al checking out the AWACS plane - looks like part helicopter, part plane, part satellite dish |
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| AWACS plane |
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| President Nixon in Marine 1 |
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| The Cap'n deplaning from Marine 1 |
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| Man on the moon |
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| Add caption |
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| The last Navy Boat Plane |
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| Unmanned stealth plane |
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| A bad picture of the Blue Angels.They move too fast to capture on a cell phone! I think one plane is upside down and the other right side up! But, they were close, and we had to spin like a top to keep track of them! |
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| Bench where we sat waiting for our cab ride home |
Friday brought us through the "Grand Canyon of Florida" which we have renamed the "Sand Canyon": cliffs of sand resembling the structure of Arizona's Grand Canyon, but in gradations of white not terracotta. It is beautiful
For now we are docked at St. Andrews Marina in Panama City waiting for the weather window to open for our Gulf Coast crossing. Here is what we are doing and seeing:
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| Dinner at local haunt, Hunts Oyster Bar. Jim and Connie from Patriot and Vicki from Blue Willow are listening intently to somehting the Cap'n was saying |
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| This part of the panhandle is known for its oysters. They were yummy. |
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| In the St. Andrews Park just a few blocks from the marina |
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| Happy to be back in the land of Spanish Moss draped Live Oaks |
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| After we have been off shore and the boat is coated with salt I think I should brush it off the railings into small jars and sell it. How fresh can you get? |
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| Hamilton, The Boat Dog, striking a pose in front of the Salt Kettle. |
Fingers crossed we will leave Monday morning and arrive in Tampa/St. Pete by noon on Tuesday. I am relieved to have Al on board. He and the Cap'n make a good team and knowing he is here allows me to relax and enjoy the ride.........
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Oh the Places We Have Been
After we returned from Memphis we headed south down the Tennessee River. After a week under the shed at Grand Harbor, we looked forward anchoring in Bay Springs Lake for a night or two and exploring the many coves with our dinghy. Unfortunately, for the first time in months we had a full day and a half of rain, plus high wind and tornado warnings. Not good anchoring weather......We ducked into a marina just before the deluge. The following day we locked up three times -- once dropping 84 feet (the deepest lock on the Loop) putting us back into the rhythm of the waterways.
Heading south on the Tennessee then the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway we had two weeks of spectacular scenery, perfect weather and intermittent nights of docking and anchoring. This was truly the most beautiful part of our trip: patches of trees with yellow, orange and red tipped leaves, eagles flying overhead, misty mornings, fishermen tucked in coves. Fellow experienced Loopers had told us not to expect much barge traffic south of Grand Harbor, but a larger than average grain harvest has put more tows on the waterways and they were once again our nearly constant companions. In fact,if it weren't for the tows we would have been completely alone some days. Once we got into rural northeastern Alabama we went for an entire day without seeing any pleasure crafts other than the ones traveling with us.
Prior to construction of the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway, the only way for barge traffic to travel from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico was via the Mississippi, Heavy traffic, current and it's more western location made this a more cumbersome and much longer route, particularly from ports along the eastern Tennessee River
The first known recommendation to connect the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers was made by a French explorer, the Marquis de Montcalm, to Louis XV of France in about 1760 or 1770. In 1810 the citizens of what is now Knoxville TN petitioned the Congress to build such a waterway shortening by 800 miles teir distance to the trading ports of New Orleans and Mobile. After numerous surveys, investigations, and proposals, not to mention Congressional stinginess and bickering, the project was finally approved in 1946. 25 years later: As part of his “Southern Strategy” for reelection, President Nixon included $1 million in the Corps of Engineers’ 1971 budget to start construction of the Tenn-Tom. On May 25, 1971, the President traveled to Mobile, Alabama, to participate with then Governor George Wallace and other elected officials from five states to symbolically start construction of the long awaited Tennessee -Tombigbee. However, the actual start of construction was delayed until December 1972 because of a lawsuit filed against the waterway by a small group of environmentalists. The federal courts eventually ruled in favor of the project. (The History of the Tenn-Tom)
Further lawsuits and political wrangling ensued until 1977 when President Jimmy Carter withdrew his opposition and construction of the waterway began, Whew!
After 12 years of construction at a total cost of nearly $2 billion, the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway was completed on December 12, 1984. The last plug of earth was removed from the waterway channel at Amory, Mississippi, allowing the long awaited mixing of the waters of the Tombigbee with that of the Tennessee River.
Dedication of the Tenn-Tom Waterway
The Tenn-Tom officially opened to commerce on January 10, 1985 when the Towboat,Eddie Waxler, transporting nearly 2.7 million gallons of petroleum products, made its maiden voyage on the waterway. A lottery was held to select the first commercial tow to transit the waterway.
The dedication of the completion of the waterway was held on June 1, 1985. Record hot temperatures did not deter some 100,000 people, including many Members of Congress, Governors, and other elected officials, from attending ceremonies in Columbus, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama that day. During the previous week, numerous other celebrations were held throughout the four-state waterway corridor from as far away as Paducah, Ky and Gunterville, AL. One newspaper reporter observed that such public exuberance that had been displayed at the Tenn-Tom events had not occurred in this region since those celebrations held at the end of World War II.
It is quite a waterway. Outside of random barge loading facilities, the saw nothing but trees and birds for miles on end. The locks were in great shape and well run -- we seldom had to wait for an opening.
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| I enjoyed these intrepid plants nestled in the lock bollards (posts we wrapped a line around as we locked up or down) |
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| These plants didn't even need a bollard -- they just grew on the lock wall |
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| As we dropped they were a lot further away! |
Where the Tombigbee River was too curvy to allow barge movement, the Corps of Engineers cut straightaways. Some of the "oxbows" left behind are silted in but many can be used as restful anchorages close to the waterway but out of the way of tugs and tows.
Once we hit the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway, the last portion of our route to the Gulf of Mexico, things got a little twistier.
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| Here's a shot of our navigation screen from the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Wateerway. That's FREEDOM below where it says Seanna. We were loopin' the river on the Loop! |
Fortunately, our AIS would alert us to an approaching barge and we could slow down and wait for them to come around a curve. I can't imagine not having that technology and rounding a blind curve to find a tug pushing 6-8 barges in my direction, with no where for us to go but into the shallows.
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| Meeting a barge in a straight away |
For this portion of the trip we played follow the leader with fellow-Seleners Bart and Beth aboard Seanna. We first met them way back in July in Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Next time we saw them was in Columbus, MS when they tied up next to us while the Selene Passage, was across the dock. It was our own little Selene Owners Rendezvous.
We have continued our system of traveling for several days and then stopping for about a week. Most marinas offer a special weekly rate and staying put for a bit allows us to socialize with fellow Loopers and locals, explore areas of the country we would never get to know otherwise, and head off on a few road trips. In Columbus, MS, for example, we attended the Roast n Boast, the Mississippi State BBQ Championship:
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| A home made smoker built to look like a train. The owner had his area at the contest decorated with model trains. They were the only contestants who shared their barbeque with anyone who came by. It was about the best pulled pork we have ever had! |
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| I am guessing the pigs run extra fast when they hear they are at a BBQ Championship! |
...visited the annual Caledonia Days festival about 30 minutes away; stocked up on greens at the Saturday Farmer's Market; toured the antebellum Waverly Plantation Mansion,in West Point, MS:
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| Construction was completed in 1852. The large cuppola and upper floors are reached by a self supporting spiral staircase.The Mansion is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl who died in an accident in the home. It stood vacant for nearly 50 years -- during which time it was a popular party place for local youth (including the dockmaster at our marina) -- until the current owner and his wife purchased it in 1962. Remarkably, the home suffered little damage after all those years of neglect. -- even some of the large gilded mirrors survived with nary a crack The now-widowed owner still lives there and uses the tour fees to maintain the home. No inside pictures were allowed, |
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| A 400 year old Magnolia tree in the front yard of the mansion. Extensive gardens surround the home. In the 1800's it was a large cotton plantation |
..... and the childhood home of Tennessee Williams:
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| The home was orignally sited three blocks away at the parsonage for the local church where his Grandfather was the Rector. When the church expanded, the home was moved to its current location |
drove past cotton fields:
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| From a distance it looked like a fresh snow had fallen. The plants were 3-4' high. What backbreaking work it must have been to hand pick. |
and enjoyed docktails and dinner with other Loopers.
It seems that every time you have had enough of something on the Loop: locks or lakes or rivers or tug boats or catfish etc, the scenery changes and a new set of adventures are at hand. We have said goodbye! to the rivers, locks, fresh water, and catfish and hello! Gulf Coast, palm trees, white sand, dolphins on the starboard side and oysters on the menu. It's not a bad thing.....
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