Reflection

6/9/10 – Brick, New Jersey – Home Port

2010-06-13T16:44:00.001-04:00

Pre-dawn in the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway north of Atlantic City

Getting lighter

Dawn breaks

Red sky at morning - sailor take warning.

All is calm.

The gold burgee signifying our completion of America's Great Loop.

We were both up early and anxious about the tide heights, since we decided that we would return home by the Intracoastal Waterway route which twists and turns through the somewhat shallow marsh-lands of southeastern New Jersey, rather than take the outside route up the Atlantic Ocean and into Barnegat Inlet.

Because the winds were predicted to pick up from the southeast gusting to 25 mph, and rain was also in the forecast, the inside route seemed to be a better choice. “Reflection” left Gardner’s Basin at 5:10 a.m., and the scene was really lovely as we entered the ICW with the dawn sun breaking through the clouds over the ocean. We made our way carefully through the channels, always making sure we were within the channel markers so as not to go aground. Our depth sounder alarm went off several times, but we were always able to find deeper water.

A number of our fellow “Loopers” had problems in the Little Egg Inlet area, but we did not because we observed the markers, not relying solely on our GPS chartplotter, but on our actual visual sightings of the buoys and daymarkers. There were hardly any boats on the water, and our trip past the many summer homes on Long Beach Island was quite pleasant.

After about 4 hours George phoned our next-door neighbor, Ernie, to ask him to make sure that there were lines on our dock, and to tell him that we expected to make it home by 11 a.m. A little while later we made the turn into our home waters of Barnegat Bay. We were very nostalgic about this amazing adventure that we were completing, and then we talked about all the enjoyable things we could do this summer with our boat in our local area.

It now became quite over-cast in the western sky, but it looked like we would still beat any showers in. Finally, our own channel into Seawood Harbor was in sight, even though many of the markers were still down from the winter storms. Unfortunately, the condition of our inlet had gotten worse since we left, not only with a sand-bar building up and narrowing the channel, but also with shoaling continuing to make the depths tenuous.

George maneuvered “Reflection” in carefully and then blew her horn to announce our arrival in our lagoon. We were greeted by one of our neighbors who ran out of her house, waving and yelling, “Welcome Home!”, and Ernie, and his dog, Casper, who gave us his version of a warm “Hello” by running up and down our docks barking excitedly! At exactly 10:58 a.m. and after some 5,474 miles we crossed our wake and completed the “Loop” at our wonderful home where we started this trip on June 6, 2009!!! Later that evening we had an animated “Arrival Celebration” with a number of our neighbors, whom George called our “Support Crew”. We then made champagne toasts to each other and to “Reflection” as an acknowledgement of how truly grateful we are to God for not only blessing us with each other, our boat, and this exciting travel adventure, but also for the great people we met and the old friends we got to see along the way.

Here are a few of our trip statistics:

Miles traveled: 5,474
Days on-board: 324
Number of states visited: 16
Locks: 104
Gallons of fuel: 3,547
Number of towns/villages visited: 98
Great Lakes: Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan
Length of stay in Canada (Ontario Province): 5 ½ weeks
Length of stay in Marathon, Florida: 5 months
Number of friends we’ve made: Too many to mention

This was definitely the trip of a life-time, or until we say: “Let’s do it again!”

6/8/10 – Atlantic City, New Jersey

2010-06-13T09:41:00.000-04:00

Pre-dawn in the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

Salem Nuclear Power Plant along the Delaware River

Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse - Delaware Bay

Cape May Ferry Terminal and Cape May Canal

Cape May Harbor.

Cape May Coast Guard Station

Leaving Cape May Inlet

Atlantic City

New casino under construction.

Atlantic City Inlet.

“Reflection” left the dock at 5:37 a.m. for our destination of Atlantic City – 110 miles away. It was a lovely, but cool morning as we continued to make our way through the C& D Canal. Things soon got interesting when George saw flames and smoke coming up from a fishing pier along the Canal. He immediately called the Delaware Bay Coast Guard to report the sighting, and then had several more transmissions with them as to our longitude and latitude coordinates and the exact location of the pier so that one of the local fire companies could respond to the blaze.

After leaving the canal, we then entered the Delaware River with the imposing Salem Nuclear Power Plant in sight. This is not our most favorite scenic view, but it is a favorite fishing area for many (if you like nuclear fish!). We had an easy trip down Delaware Bay with the wind at our back, and then entered the Cape May Canal at 11 a.m.

We were now back in New Jersey waters for the first time in over a year! Naturally, one of the ferries chose this very moment to signal that he was about to back out, but we snuck past him and then entered a dredging area. Suddenly, we heard on the radio: “Trawler ahead of me, trawler ahead of me, what are your intentions?” Pat said to George: “Is he talking to you?” We took a look around but we didn’t think so, because all we saw was a small trawler approaching us, and the announcer didn’t even identify where he was. Suddenly, we heard another repeat of the previous announcement! George then got on the radio and told him our location. The elderly captain then demanded that we move aside because he felt he needed more room in this tight situation. When George informed him calmly that we would continue on our course, and that we had plenty of room to pass each other safely, the other captain uttered a number of profanities at George! Ah, it was so good to be back in New Jersey again! Now we felt at home!

We continued though the Canal and into and through Cape May Harbor in record time. Now we made our way out the wide Cape May Inlet into the Atlantic Ocean. We marveled then at the color of the sea-water which was a tropical blue-green color similar to the waters we saw in Florida. It was an absolutely clear, beautiful day with winds out of the northwest and 2 – 3 foot seas. We had a pleasant trip north, and noticed a change in the landscape of Atlantic City’s sky-line which we could see from many miles away – a huge new casino/hotel being built near the “Showboat”.

We entered the Atlantic City Inlet and tied up at Gardner’s Basin by 4:15 p.m. After relaxing for awhile, we decided to stay on the boat rather going out to dinner, and elected to play “Train Dominoes” and to eat appetizers and small pizzas accompanied by celebratory cocktails for our last night on board.

6/7/10 – Bear, Delaware

2010-06-13T09:08:00.000-04:00

Calvert Cliffs.

Cove Point Light.

Cove Point Natural Gas Terminal.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

Looking west.

Looking east.

We left the dock at 5:40 a.m. for our 100 mile trip up the Bay. Winds were predicted to be out of the northwest at 10-15 mph with sea heights at 3 feet, with both wind and waves to diminish as we continued north. Things were fine as we left the harbor and entered the Patuxent River, but as we rounded the point and entered Chesapeake Bay, the wind was actually from the northeast, and we ended up taking the wind and waves directly on the nose. This was not the most pleasant travel situation, but we forged ahead this way for about 5 hours while passing the Cove Point Natural Gas Terminal, the Cove Point Nuclear Power Plant, and the prehistoric Calvert Cliffs along the way.

Conditions eventually calmed down past the Annapolis Bay Bridge, and it continued to get nicer and nicer as we headed north up the Bay through the Elk River and then into the C&D Canal. We arrived at Summit North Marina around 4 p.m., and had a meatballs and spaghetti dinner aboard with an early bed-time, as tomorrow would be another big travel day.

6/6/10 – Solomons, Maryland

2010-06-13T08:58:00.000-04:00

Since the weather forecast predicted small craft warnings for winds out of the southwest with gusts to 25 mph and thunderstorms with possible tornadoes for later in the afternoon, we thought that it would be wiser for us to stay in port today. We then cancelled our reservation at the Annapolis Yacht Club, and then decided to amend our itinerary and make a 100 mile run to the C & D Canal tomorrow, since things would improve then.

After a quiet morning we walked to “The Captain’s Table” restaurant for an early Sunday dinner. George had their fabulous She-crab soup, and we even ordered another quart to take back to the boat with us. We have eaten here many times over the years, and have always enjoyed their “down-home” cooking and casual atmosphere. The predicted thunderstorms did appear in the late afternoon, and we were even under a tornado warning for about 45 minutes, but we did escape the major wrath of this system, and happily conditions calmed down as the evening wore on.

6/5/10 – Solomons, Maryland

2010-06-06T13:08:00.000-04:00

Point "No Point" Lighthouse

Fly over near Patuxent Naval Air Station

Coming in for a practice landing.

Since we (especially Pat) are early morning risers, we pulled away from the dock this morning at 6:20 a.m. for our 62 mile trip to Solomons Harbor Marina. The winds were supposed to be out of the southwest at 10 – 15 mph, but it was more westerly, which meant we again were taking the waves on our stern quarter to port beam, giving us a rocking motion. The conditions were very handleable, however, and after we passed the Potomac River, the waves lightened up, and we used our autopilot for almost the whole trip.

As we approached the Patuxent River and the Patuxent Naval Air Station, a large Navy transport jet was practicing a series of take-offs and landings right over our boat! On one of these maneuvers Pat almost jumped out of her skin as the plane came roaring in for a landing a couple hundred feet high over our fly-bridge as George kept shouting: “Get a picture! Get a picture!”

A little while later we listened to the Marine Weather on the radio for tonight and tomorrow’s forecast. Tomorrow’s weather especially sounds somewhat questionable with small craft warnings and winds out of the southwest with gusts up to 25 mph and strong thunderstorms predicted, so we will have to monitor this situation as to whether we should move on tomorrow, or stay put in Solomons for another day. We shall see!

When we got tied up at the marina, we found out that the dockmaster, Bill, had also been in Marathon, Florida for a number of months this past winter, just as we had. What a small world! Pat then headed to the hotel’s laundry (there is a Holiday Inn on site), and George headed to Washburn’s Gourmet Grocery Store to do some shopping. This store and the restaurant, “Captain’s Table”, are two of the main reasons for making Solomons one of our favorite stops on the Chesapeake. Since it took so long to complete our chores, we decided to stay on board tonight and made a pork chop dinner with ice cream for dessert.

6/4/10 – Deltaville, Virginia

2010-06-06T12:57:00.000-04:00

Navy ship in drydock.

Navy ships everywhere.

The container ship CMA CGM NEW JERSEY

Aircraft carriers small . . .

. . . and big

Our friend Judy (on right) and her friend Agnes.

We made an easy departure from Waterside Marina at 5:40 a.m. and headed out into the Elizabeth River. This passage is very interesting because both sides of the river are lined with commercial ships of every description, as well as numerous U. S. Naval warships lined up at Norfolk Naval Base, the largest naval installation in the world.

A security zone is strictly enforced by patrol boats near the berthed Navy ships, and it is fascinating to hear some of the bridge crews talking on the radio about their intentions to pull out to sea or vice versa. We even heard one ship talking to a recreational vessel to get out of the way as it was pulling in! Truly any smart person would not want to be in the way of one of these destroyers or air-craft carriers!

We had a pleasant crossing of the Hampton Roads area where the “Monitor” and “Merrimac” had their Civil War sea battle, and then we entered the very wide lower Chesapeake Bay. Our trip north was very pleasant and we arrived at Dozier’s Regatta Point Yachting Center on the Rappahannock River at 2 p.m. This was a very lovely facility with pool, captains’ lounge, courtesy car, newspaper and continental breakfast in the morning, etc., and we would like to spend more time here on our trip south in the Fall.

We then got “Reflection’ and us cleaned up for the anticipated visit of our dear friend, Judy Hagerstrom. Judy has lived in this area for the past 20 years, but she and her deceased husband, Jack, have a special place in our hearts and were mentors to us when we all lived in Brick and were fellow members of the Bristol Sailing Club which we joined over 36 years ago!

She and her friend, Agnes, arrived at 6 p.m. for cocktails, and despite their mutual knee and hip problems, they were able to climb aboard and take a tour of “Reflection”. We had a great time catching up on all our mutual activities, and you couldn’t meet two more amiable, up-beat, active senior ladies than these two. It was then time to go out for dinner, and Agnes (at the age of 91) was our driver! She really knew her way around these rural roads, and we had an enjoyable dinner at “Cocomo’s”.

We returned to the marina about 10 p.m. and we said our “good-byes” to Judy and Agnes with hugs and kisses all around, and plans to see them again in the Fall, and maybe in Florida in the Winter!

6/3/10 – Norfolk, Virginia

2010-06-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

"Great Bridge" bridge

"Great Bridge" lock. Lock 104 on our Great Loop Adventure.

Norfolk harbor

The following series of pictures are of the cruise ship "Enchantment of the Seas" which made a 180 degree turn in front of our dock so it could head out to Chesapeake Bay.

... and away she goes.

At 7:45 a.m. George called the Great Bridge bridge-tender and told him that we were pulling away from the dock at Atlantic Yacht Basin for his 8 a.m. opening which would then coincide with the opening of our last lock on our journey (#104), the Great Bridge Lock. We tied up quickly at the lock and were then lowered only 2 – 3 feet - quite a difference from some of our other locking experiences!

After the lock opened we were now grouped together with two other powerboats and one sailboat for our last timed bridge opening, plus one more highway and three possible railroad bridge closing/openings depending on train traffic. We eventually made it through pretty well, except for an approximate ½ hour delay for a train with 99 coal cars at the Norfolk Southern Bascule Bridge!

The area became very industrial with many shipyards and other marine facilities along the way. We then stopped at the Ocean Marine Yacht Center in Portsmouth for fuel, and then headed across the Elizabeth River to Waterside Marina in Norfolk , where we arrived at 11 a.m. We couldn’t believe that it took 3 hours to go 12 miles!

George took the opportunity to clean the outside of the boat this afternoon while Pat worked on our blog and made phone calls, and in the evening we walked into the Waterside Festival Marketplace. We have been here many times before, but we were surprised to see how quiet it was tonight. Many of the restaurants appeared closed, and we finally went to the Outback Steakhouse, which was open. We had a very nice dinner, and eventually the restaurant filled up with a mostly young crowd, but as for the rest of the establishments we couldn’t tell if they are only open on the week-ends, or if their being closed was a sign of financial difficulties.

6/2/10 – Great Bridge, Virginia

2010-06-06T12:41:00.003-04:00

We left the marina at 6 a.m. for our 73 mile trip to Atlantic Yacht Basin. The winds were light and the sun was coming up when we left, but as we traveled across the mighty Albemarle we noticed several dark cloud banks, and then the wind picked up from the northwest – not the direction predicted. Conditions got lumpy, and the clouds got darker, but we made the crossing safely and without any rain.

In 2008, we took the Dismal Swamp Route north, but on this trip we decided to take the sparsely populated Virginia Cut route which is 3 miles shorter and takes the boater up Coinjock Bay, Currituck Sound, and the North Landing River nearer Cape Hatteras and the Outer Banks. Our decision was also based on the fact that we also had several timed swing bridges we could get through today, and with this marina’s location being only 12 miles from Norfolk, we would have only one lock and a couple of timed bridges to go through tomorrow, so that we could get there early in the day.

When we tied up at 2 p.m., we watched the boats waiting for the Great Bridge Bascule Bridge to open (once an hour) and then the Lock opening up right after it. It was a very busy spot, and we were glad we decided to wait to go through until tomorrow morning. Besides, we had to finish off our “Train Dominoes” game! (George won handily!)

6/1/10 – Columbia, North Carolina

2010-06-06T12:21:00.001-04:00

Alligator- Pungo Canal

This is the stern wash from "Reflection" - notice the color of the water. The natural tannins in the canal water turn it as black as coffee.

We cast off our lines before 7 a.m., and continued north up the Pungo River and reminisced about our anchorage in this area two years ago. “Reflection” then entered the 20 mile long Alligator- Pungo Canal. This narrow waterway is scenic, but the boater must be wary of the many stumps and snags located along its banks and stay to the middle of its channel. Considering our recent prop/shaft adventure, we were very careful en route.

There were a number of sailboats motoring slower than we on this stretch, but we were always considerate, and called each on the radio requesting permission to make a “Slow Pass” with minimal wake. Each was gracious as expected, and we ended up being a forward “look-out” for the vessels behind us as we spotted and moved around a number of “dead-heads” (stump obstructions, not individuals!) in the water.

We then finally entered the wide Alligator River and then headed for the Alligator River Swing Bridge which is very close to the entrance of the somewhat notorious Albemarle Sound. Our destination today was the Alligator River Marina, just beyond the bridge. When we made our turn west into its channel, we rocked and rolled our way into the harbor as now we had the wind hard on our beam. Conditions calmed down immediately as we cleared the break-water and we were tied up safely only a short time later.

Many additional transient boats made their way in here all afternoon, as this was the only fuel stop and dockage for 86 miles! We started playing a game of “Train Dominoes” late in the afternoon, and only took a break around 6 p.m. to pick up burgers at the marina’s grill. There we met a couple who hope to do the “Loop” next year in their newly- purchased Monk trawler, “Journey”.

Tom and Melissa live in Swansboro, North Carolina, and since he is a Harbor Host for the American Great Loop Cruisers’ Association, he invited us to call them on our way south in the Fall. This was only Melissa’s fourth day on the boat, and Pat was stunned to learn that her responsibility was taking care of the engine room! That’s quite a turn-about from most cruising couples, but since Tom has knee problems, she was quite willing to take on this job. We traded stories with them and another gentleman who was “captaining” a one million dollar Regal powerboat from Florida to Stamford, Connecticut and then we returned to the boat to continue our game with George in the lead.

5/31/10 – Belhaven, North Carolina

2010-06-06T12:11:00.002-04:00

As we left River Dunes on sheltered Broad Creek and made our way into the large waters of the Pamlico River, we had to keep our eyes open for the many crab pots in the area which were very hard to see in the bright morning sun-light.

The ICW path then led us north into the Pungo River and many miles later to a 90 degree turn near the town of Belhaven, which we had earlier considered as a destination. However, after reading about the storm barrier in front of its docks which only offers moderate protection from wind and waves, we decided to go on to the Dowry Creek Marina for its shelter from the southerly winds which pick up every afternoon.

This was a small rural marina run by a sole woman, and we were helped to tie up with the assistance of some of the boaters who stay there. They had a small pool and we were invited to a late afternoon get-together there, but we opted to have our own Memorial Day dinner of barbecued ribs aboard.

5/30/10 – Oriental, North Carolina

2010-06-03T18:16:00.001-04:00

River Dunes Harbor Yacht Club

More River Dunes

The fishermen started pulling in early this morning at the marina for fuel, so we took this as our signal to start moving! Our trip today took us past busy Morehead City, Beaufort Inlet, and the city of Beaufort (“Bo-fort in North Carolina). Small boats loaded with families and friends were everywhere, and we dodged so many of them, we thought that we were back in New Jersey transiting Barnegat Inlet! Luckily we’ve had a lot of practice!

Our friends, Andrew and Sallyann, aboard the boat, “Freedom”, are staying at our dock at home for this week-end. They are from Kentucky and are on the “Loop” which we traveled with them for six weeks this past Fall from Alabama to Florida. Though they left Florida ahead of us, they have many more legs of their trip to finish before they “cross their wake”, while we will be finishing our trip very shortly. Since they were in the New Jersey area, we invited them to stay at our dock, but we advised them not to transit out of Manasquan Inlet until Tuesday, so that they don’t have to encounter the “crazies” coming in or out from the ocean on this holiday week-end.

After many more miles the scenery really opened up when we entered the Neuse River near Oriental, the sailing “Mecca” of North Carolina, and the beginning of wide Pamlico Sound. We finished up our 58 mile trip at lovely River Dunes Harbor Yacht Club, which is part of a planned community of homes and condos on sheltered Broad Creek off the Intracoastal Waterway. The facilities were lovely as well as the docks and the setting. We spent a quiet evening aboard, but got involved in watching a “Godfather” movie on T.V., and ended staying up much later than we probably should have.

5/29/10 – Swansboro, North Carolina

2010-06-03T18:12:00.000-04:00

You see everything on the I. C. W., including a house with a giraffe.

What not to paint your house.

We were on our way this morning at 7:35 a.m. in order to make the opening of the Wrightsville Beach Bridge, which only opens once an hour/on the hour. This was the first of four bridges we would encounter today which would only open at certain times. This forces the boater to really plan his speed and timing with precision. If you are late for an opening, your wait could cost you an hour of your trip, and if you are too early, you will have to waste fuel while idling, or anchor, if you can. Luckily, George is very good at figuring all this out, and we made our way through very smoothly.

By the time we arrived at Dudley’s Marina on the Waterway for fuel and dockage, there was lots of holiday boat traffic with their acompanying wakes as people traveled in and out of close-by Bogue Inlet. We did manage to tie up and to get fuel, but we were not thrilled with the bouncing at their face dock. In fact, one of our fenders got caught between the boat and a piling, and exploded! Later on, we did borrow their courtesy vehicle and made a quick trip with it to the grocery store to load up on a week’s provisions. We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and evening, and luckily the boat traffic eventually died down.

5/28/10 – Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

2010-06-03T18:05:00.000-04:00

The last pontoon bridge on the I. C. W.

The bridge is open and we are passing through.

Sand dunes along the North Carolina I. C. W.

Sand bars and houses on the ocean beach

We pulled out of Anchor Marina at 6:30 a.m. for our 65 mile trip to the Seapath Yacht Club in Wrightsville Beach, where our god-son, Chris, and his new bride, Lindsey, were scheduled to meet us this evening. It was a very pleasant ride north as we passed a number of inlets, and then encountered the Cape Fear River with her current going against us. “Reflection” handled every situation well, and George was happy with the smoothness of our 4 blade props.

As we got closer to Wrightsville Beach, it was very obvious that Memorial Day week-end had started, as there was much more boat traffic in the area and slip space at the yacht club suddenly became very scarce. Chris and Lindsey, who live in nearby Carolina Beach, arrived at the boat a lot later than they had hoped because of traffic delays, but we were just happy to see them!

They had been married on May 1, but we had not been able to attend their wedding because of our trip, so we were thrilled to have them aboard for a separate celebration, to give them their wedding gift in person, and to take them out for dinner. We asked them to bring some wedding pictures, and after dinner we went back to the boat so that Pat could “ooh and ahh” over every single one. They are a lovely couple and we know that they will be very happy together!

5/27/10 – Little River, South Carolina

2010-06-03T17:56:00.000-04:00

Ready to go back in the water.

"Reflection" is back where she belongs.

Last night and this morning George had several conference calls with Bo, the previous owner of our boat. He got some additional tips on how the boatyard should correctly lift “Reflection” with her blocks, and then he discussed them with the yard manager. George also found out that the marina staff had stayed and worked on the fiberglass repair until 9 p.m. last evening, and we really appreciated their efforts in attempting to remedy this mishap. In the early afternoon we got a call from the yard that they were again ready to launch “our girl”. As we quickly left the hotel for what we hoped would be the final time, we were picked up by a marina staff member and taken by golf cart to the “launch site.”

“Reflection” and we definitely got the “kid glove” treatment as she was now slowly, carefully, and gently lowered into the water and we were then assisted on board. Everyone now held their breaths as we started up the engines and backed out of the travel-lift and into our own dock area at the marina. The engines sounded great, and the new props and shaft had no vibration! We were now “happy campers”! This, indeed, was a great day, so we celebrated with drinks and dinner at “Captain Poo’s” in anticipation of continuing our journey tomorrow.

5/26/10 - Little River, South Carolina

2010-06-03T17:47:00.000-04:00

New props, new zincs, straight shaft - we are ready to go.

And then it went crunch.

Since “Reflection” was scheduled to be launched around high tide late in the day after all her repairs, and Pat discovered that our hotel had a laundry room, she took advantage of their facilities to do our wash while waiting for George to come back from the marina after doing his “finishing touches” on our vessel. We asked for a late check-out, and they were glad to accommodate us, but we still had to wait around in their lounge area until the marina’s crew was ready. Rod also came back to get his check and to see how everything was going, and then we all went back to the marina for the launch.

“Reflection” has her own wood blocks which hang over the sides to protect her exhausts from getting squeezed by a travel-lift’s straps when she is lifted. The starboard block was put in place, however, the yard staff wanted to use their block on the port side. Just as the slings were tightened and she was getting pulled up, we heard a loud “CRACK”, and one of the staff started yelling! When we ran over to see what had happened, we saw that the block on the port side had rolled, and the fiberglass exhaust on that side had been crushed. This was not supposed to happen!

The marina staff was extremely embarrassed and apologetic, and within minutes they began to make repairs. However, this job would definitely take a lot of time, and it was already near 5 p.m. Then it began to rain! We knew that we would definitely have to spend another night at the Hampton Inn, not to mention being delayed another day by this additional repair. So we got our bags, which we had not even unpacked, and went back to the hotel to lick our wounds with cocktails and Domino’s pizza in the same room we’ve had for the past two nights.

5/25/10 – Little River, South Carolina

2010-05-26T13:14:00.002-04:00

While at breakfast we got an early morning phone call from Rod who was already at the Wilmington prop shop with our shaft. The verdict was that they could straighten it this time, but if it gets hit again, we will have to spring for a brand new shaft. The good news also was that they would have it ready in a few hours, if Rod would stick around and wait for it, which he was willing to do. Things were now going our way! George went down to the boatyard and worked on some other small repairs and cleaning on the bottom of the boat since “Reflection” was out of the water.

When Rod arrived in the late morning, both he and George managed to get the now straight shaft back into the boat without nearly the effort it took to get it out – this was great! The last piece of the puzzle now fell into place when the boatyard said that they could launch us again tomorrow afternoon, so we could be on our way again on Thursday morning. We are eager to get moving, so that we can see our godson, Chris and his new bride, Lindsey, in Wrightsville, North Carolina since we couldn’t make it to their wedding on 5/1, and also to get home to see Pat’s mom, who is still in the Healthcare Center at Harrogate.

Our plan now is to arrive in Seawood Harbor sometime between 6/8 and 6/12. In the evening we went to “Captain Poo’s” Bar and Grill which is on Anchor Marina’s property. Wow, was this place hopping! It reminded us of the dances we used to go to in our 60s high school years, but now everyone here was in their 60s and up! The music was great, everyone was singing and dancing, and it was 35 cent wing and taco night! We had a great time and lots of laughs as we ate and people – watched! Afterwards, as we returned to the hotel, we had several calls from friends, and Pat phoned her brother to wish him a “Happy 36th Anniversary” as a priest. Then we (actually Pat) finished off the evening with the results show of “Dancing with the Stars”. What a terrific night!

5/24/10 – Little River, South Carolina

2010-05-26T13:12:00.002-04:00

We got a call from Anchor Marina early this morning telling us that we could come right into their travel lift at 8:45 a.m. With lines ready we pulled out of Myrtle Beach Yacht Club at 8:20 a.m. and were lifted out of the water and blocked up on jack-stands by 9:15 a.m. in a very quick and efficient manner. One of the marina workers then drove us and our luggage over to the hotel where we were checked into our room immediately. While Pat stayed at the hotel, George returned to the boat to work with Rod on removing the shaft. This turned out to be a momentous job which took a number of hours, as this piece of metal was not only over 14 feet long, but very heavy. It was obviously bent, and the verdict from the local prop shop was that it would have to be taken to a larger shop in Wilmington, North Carolina for repair, if possible, or have a new one fashioned. Rod had to get a trailer to move it, and he will drive it to Wilmington early tomorrow morning for the verdict as to whether it can be straightened. George was exhausted when he got back to the hotel, and we opted to have pizza delivered to our room, rather than going out for dinner, but Pat was happy as she got to watch the ”Dancing with the Stars” dance finals!

5/23/10 – Little River, South Carolina

2010-05-26T13:11:00.002-04:00

This was a quiet day aboard with George preparing the boat to move tomorrow, and Pat cleaning and packing up clothes, important papers, and other essentials so that we can get off the boat while it is out of the water and move to a hotel room. Luckily, there is a Hampton Inn very close to the boatyard, but the only issue is that we are not sure how long this repair process will take, so we don’t really know how long we will be there. We are not missing any great weather on the water, as there have been more thunderstorms this afternoon, and more are forecast for tonight and tomorrow with another coastal low coming in from the Bahamas and potentially working its way up the coast with strong northeast winds this week. Since we know that God always watches over us and our vessel, could it be that we are not meant to be in the Cape Hatteras area during this time? All we do know is that everything happens for a reason and works for the good, so we expect a good outcome from this whole experience.

5/22/10 – Little River, South Carolina

2010-05-26T13:10:00.000-04:00

Back under the boat.

Linda graciously drove Pat to the supermarket this morning, and we waited for Rod’s return with the fixed prop and for him to make the transfer of the spare ones onto the shafts. Things moved slowly, so George and Linda, who were waiting to see the completion of the job, finally had to leave so that they could get to their hotel in Richmond, Virginia at a reasonable time. We had a very enjoyable week with them, and have possibly tweaked their interest in “trawler” cruising themselves.

A few hours later, Rod finally completed the prop transfer job, and it was time to start up the engines to see how things sounded. Ugggh! – now we had our 3rd Trip Surprise! We still had a major vibration on the starboard side, which could only mean that the shaft was bent! We were not happy campers at this point!

Now the boat would have to be lifted out of the water for this repair! We contacted Anchor Marina about a mile away which had a travel lift large enough to haul us out, but since this was late Saturday afternoon, nothing could be done until early Monday morning. Rod was willing to continue to work with us, and agreed to meet us at the boatyard after the boat is taken out and will help George take the shaft out for its eventual replacement or repair at that time. The weather this afternoon also deteriorated and we had the first heavy rain and thundershowers we have encountered on our trip north. With the weather matching our mood, we had a quick fried chicken dinner aboard, and licked our wounds!

5/21/10 – Little River, South Carolina

2010-05-26T13:07:00.000-04:00

Tram over waterway for golfers

Replacement Props

Offending prop

Waiting for the diver to surface.

Our “Reflection” crew took a relaxed approach to getting started this morning, and First Mate, Pat, was especially moving slowly as she was nursing lots of aches from yesterday’s fall. However, we finally got underway at 9 a.m. for a 27 mile trip to the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club. The journey was very scenic and everything was going along well until we got a call on the radio from a boat from Cinnaminson, New Jersey who wanted to pass us. Boating etiquette dictated that we should slow down and move out of his way slightly and allow him to do so.

However, we forgot that we were in an area known as the “Rock Pile”, a stretch with rock ledges on both sides of the channel. Unfortunately, when we moved over, we bumped a piece of the ledge with our starboard prop – so much for being “Mr. Nice Guys”! After having travelled so many thousands of miles without damage, we were hopeful that “Reflection” would come away from this incident unscathed – but this was not to be the case. When George started up the starboard engine, there was definitely a strong vibration coming from that side. We limped carefully into the marina only a few miles away, and were able to get tied up. We were able to make contact with Rod, a local diver living aboard his boat in the marina, who eventually was able to get the damaged prop off in the water and took it to be repaired at a local prop shop. We decided then to put on the two spare 4 blade props which we had aboard, but as the time was getting late, Rod would have to continue this repair job tomorrow. Since George and Linda were also leaving us tomorrow, we then had a farewell dinner at the marina’s restaurant with hopes that our repair would be quickly completed then.

5/20/10 – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

2010-05-26T12:59:00.000-04:00

George and Linda - on our way to Osprey Marina - Waccamaw River

George walked to the local convenience store to get us some hot dogs for lunch and some additional breakfast items, and after breakfast aboard, we took a cab into town. One of the town council members was our driver and he regaled us with stories and opinions about politics for the entire 10 minute trip. We started out at the Visitors’ Center, and again opted for a narrated tram tour provided by Swamp Fox Tours for an over-view of the town, which is the 3rd oldest city in South Carolina and once rivaled Charleston as South Carolina’s major port. During its boom time of indigo and rice farming, Georgetown developed into a town with truly beautiful architecture, and many of its homes are marked with building plates from the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s. We truly enjoyed our tour which included a visit to an African Methodist Episcopal Church, stories about General Francis Marion, a revolutionary war hero (aka Swamp Fox) who eluded the British and rescued American prisoners, narratives about the French Huguenots who settled the area as well as those specific to particular homes. Enormous oak trees and palmettos lined the streets, and Pat, in particular fell in love with the town. We will be sure to stop again and tour the revitalized downtown shopping area when we travel south in the Fall.

We returned to the boat at noon, cast off our lines, and headed out to the ICW. We now made our way up the lovely Waccamaw River, which we remembered from our trip two years ago. We were grateful to now see oak trees with Spanish moss along our way and speculated about the rice plantations which existed here years ago. Our destination was Osprey Marina on a sheltered turn-off only 29 miles away. We made great time and pulled into its gas-dock at 3:15 p.m. Even though we had filled up with fuel at Brunswick, Georgia only 6 days ago, George wanted to top off our tanks again, as the Osprey’s prices were also good. While he was doing this, Pat somehow slipped on the steps coming down from the fly-bridge, and fell down hard on the aft-deck on her behind. Though shaken, she immediately applied ice to her neck and tail area, and was well enough to have pizza, cocktails, and to play another game of “Train Dominoes” with everyone.

5/19/10 – Georgetown, South Carolina

2010-05-26T12:50:00.001-04:00

Georgetown, S. C.

In the background is a 600 year old Oak Tree

Our destination of Georgetown Landing Marina was a 67 mile trip, so we started out at 7 a.m. We made our way past Isle of Palms, Goat Island, and through many miles of the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge. It was finally through this area that we finally broke out the fly-swatters and bug spray, and at one point we even went down below to operate the boat from the lower station. We arrived around 2 p.m., rested, had cocktails, and then had dinner at the restaurant on the marina grounds. The food was great, and we had a lovely view of the Waterway. This marina is really a hub for tournament fishing boats, and the sight of all their rods in the air made a lovely evening sight at sunset. Again the current ran swiftly here, and we were glad that the wind died down, so we did not bounce too much during the inevitable opposing wind and tide.

5/18/10 – Charleston, South Carolina

2010-05-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

Scenes of Charleston

Oldest theater in the U. S.

George and Linda at the Old Exchange

George and Pat - same place

After spending some time this morning taking care of business items and making phone calls, we were all ready to take the marina’s 11 a.m. shuttle bus into town. Since this was George and Linda’s first visit to Charleston, we suggested that we take another narrated carriage-ride to give them an over-view of the historic district. This turned out to be a good idea, and afterwards we headed to the market area with its several buildings of merchandise stands. We then had lunch at an Irish Pub, walked around a bit more, and then took the shuttle back to the marina. We bought a few breakfast items at the marina store, and then headed out to our boat which was quite a distance from the entrance. After cocktails we decided to have an easy spaghetti and meatball dinner on board, followed by a game of “Train Dominoes”.

5/17/10 – Charleston, South Carolina

2010-05-26T12:31:00.002-04:00

We began our 69 mile trip at 7 a.m. and again made our way through miles and miles of marshland with Indian names for rivers, creeks, islands, and cut-offs like: Ashepoo, Coosaw, Toogoodoo, Stono, Wadmalaw and Wappoo. We continued to see many dolphins who played in our wake and often dove underneath our bow. So far, they have proved elusive to George T. and his cameras, as they seem to hide as soon as he picks one up. It started to drizzle as we approached Charleston and the wind was blowing in the upper teens, however, Captain George was able to bring us safely into the dock at Charleston City Marina with the assistance of his capable crew and a quick-moving dockhand. Though again we had a swift running current here, the wind eventually died down, and we had a pleasant evening with a pork chop dinner aboard.

5/16/10 – Beaufort, South Carolina

2010-05-26T12:30:00.000-04:00

Angel Tree

Scenes of Beaufort

“Reflection” was on her way to the Port Royal Landing Marina near Beaufort at 8 a.m. George and Linda got a chance to get their sea-legs on this 44 mile journey through the “Low Country”. George is an amateur photographer, so both of his cameras were always at the “ready”. The course wound through many twists and turns as we made our way through miles and miles of marshland past Hilton Head Island and eventually Parris Island. Finally, we arrived at the marina around 1 p.m., but after we were tied up we experienced a lot of the bouncing that opposing wind and tide can create. At any rate, we got off the boat, borrowed the marina’s courtesy car, and drove into Beaufort. We found the Visitors’ Center, and then drove down to the riverfront to board a carriage-ride tour around this lovely town which boasts that it is the second oldest city in South Carolina. The architecture of many of the homes dates back to the 1700s, as it was largely saved from the destruction of the Civil War. They are also very proud of the many movies that were filmed here including “Forrest Gump”. After our tour we headed to the small outdoor restaurant at the marina for an early dinner, and enjoyed the rest of the evening relaxing aboard.

5/15/10 – Savannah, Georgia

2010-05-26T12:22:00.000-04:00

By 6:40 a.m. we had untied our lines and were headed down the Brunswick River to St. Simon’s Inlet. Our trip out to the ocean was calmer than yesterday’s and the waves seemed a little smaller and more on our stern, which made the motion easier. This was good, since we had 50 miles to travel to Wassaw Inlet.

As we approached we had to keep our eyes out for the markers which were placed far apart and would help us make our way through the shoals on each side of the inlet. Happily we were able to spot most of them, and we made our way in safely. Now we headed up the very busy Wilmington River towards the Savannah Yacht Club. There were many vessels of all types out on the river including lots of sailboats of various classes obviously involved in Saturday racing regattas. We kept out of everybody’s way and pulled in at 2 p.m. as George had predicted. We immediately phoned George and Linda, who were headed down from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in a rental car they had picked up after dropping off their own car at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club earlier in the day, to tell them that we had arrived. They said that they wouldn’t get to us until about 4 p.m., so that gave us time to shower, dress, and straighten up. We then called Andrew and Claire Zeigler, who had made the arrangements for us to dock here, and invited them to come aboard for cocktails and munchies at 6 p.m.

After George and Linda arrived with their luggage, George returned the rental car to the airport, and Linda unpacked. Because of heavy traffic, we finally all convened on our aft deck at 6:30 p.m. It was so great to see all these friends, and we ended up trading sailboat stories and going over some of our adventures on the “Loop”. We ended up going to one of the Yacht Club’s lovely dining rooms for dinner, and we could see that Andrew and Claire were well-known club members by all the people they knew and the wonderful attention we got from the staff at dinner. The food, atmosphere, and camaraderie were wonderful, and Andrew was a more-than-gracious host by treating us to dinner. We would like to repay the Zeiglers’ hospitality to us when we return to the Keys next winter, and we hope that they will join us there for a visit. It was a truly wonderful evening!

5/14/10 – Brunswick, Georgia

2010-05-26T12:19:00.000-04:00

Lighthouse at St. Simon's Inlet

“Reflection” left the dock before 7 a.m. and within 2 miles we had crossed the border into Georgia and then headed out the St. Mary’s River Inlet. The wind was out of the southeast and we were headed into an incoming tide, so George pumped up the engines as we headed out, but when Pat started getting splashed by spray up on the fly-bridge, he decided to back off a little. As we eventually made our turn north we were taking the waves on our stern quarter, making for more motion than we would prefer, but at least the trip to St. Simon’s Inlet was only 22 miles away. Conditions improved as we headed in past Jekyll Island and up the Brunswick River. George planned to fill up with fuel at Ocean Petroleum in Brunswick, as they had very good fuel prices, but unfortunately we had to wait at idle in the river for almost an hour while two other vessels before us filled up. We finally got in and made our purchase of almost 200 gallons, and then headed a little further up the river to Brunswick Landing Marina. The dockmistress and her agile female assistant got us tied up quickly around 1:30 p.m. Pat then cleaned the inside of the boat while George sprayed off the salt from our ocean trip on the outside, and then he caught a cab to go to the grocery store, while Pat did another load of wash. Our friends, George and Linda Telschow are coming aboard tomorrow, and we wanted everything to be in place for their arrival. With all our tasks completed, we walked across one of the town plazas to a lovely restaurant, “The 4th of May”, for a dinner of local southern dishes. We retired early, as we have a big travel day tomorrow!

5/13/10 – Fernandina Beach, Florida

2010-05-26T12:16:00.000-04:00

Inland waterway cruise ship

Our next boat

George again carefully played the wind and the current as we backed away from the dock and headed out under the Bridge of Lions to our last stop in Florida, Fernandina Beach, a distance of 62 miles. The scenery now began to change as we headed north with much more marshland starting to appear. We eventually crossed the St. John’s River near Jacksonville and spotted the first large commercial ship we had seen since Miami. When we arrived at Fernandina Harbor Marina we were again greeted by a capable dock hand who quickly caught our lines in this area of big tidal ranges and fast-running current. The marina was busy with lots of vessels of all sizes tied up including a coastal cruise ship, and a private vessel even larger than the cruise ship! We dodged the tourists who were apparently coming back from a shore excursion as we made our way up the steep ramp to the laundry facilities so Pat could do the wash. George also talked with some sailors who had just come down the ICW from Georgia. They said that we should go offshore, if possible, as the May flies were out in force in the marshes, making the journey very uncomfortable. Thus, we decided that going out into the Atlantic tomorrow would be the preferable route.

5/12/10 – St. Augustine, Florida

2010-05-26T12:08:00.000-04:00

Bridge of Lions

Museum

Street in old city

We left the dock at 6:40 a.m. for our 53 mile trip to St. Augustine. The weather continued to be the same – sunny and beautiful, and outside of our being very careful near several spots that were shoaling near the closed Matanzas Inlet, the trip was smooth. We arrived at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina around 1 p.m., and George had to very carefully bring the boat into the dock, because the current rips through here, and he also had to play the wind which was now blowing from the southeast in the teens. He did a beautiful job while the dock hand very efficiently caught our lines from Pat. Our system of throwing our light lines and then replacing them later with our heavy ones continued to work. We headed to the “A1A Alehouse” for dinner, and sat at the bar again like we did two years ago. While reminiscing about that night, George asked the bar-maid if she would be willing to play a joke on his cousin, Ed, who was with us then. She said, “Sure!”, and we placed a call to Ed at his home in New Hampshire, so she could pretend to be one of the patrons who remembered Ed from that evening. We’re not sure if Ed appreciated the joke, but we sure did, and had a bunch of laughs as he stuttered his way through a very short conversation with our accomplice! We walked around town and had drippy, but excellent, ice cream cones before returning to the boat a few hours later.

5/11 /10 – Daytona Beach, Florida

2010-05-26T11:58:00.000-04:00

Harbour Ridge Yacht Club

We had a lovely ride north again with very light boat traffic, unlike our inaugural trip up the ICW two years ago. Daytona was very busy with vessels of all sizes riding around at that time, but today we almost had the Waterway to ourselves. The winds continued to be out of the southeast, and the temperatures were in the low 80s. Our destination was our last yacht club in Florida – the Halifax River Yacht Club. It turned out to be a beautiful large facility, and we were welcomed by the dockmaster and his assistant at our slip. George then got a personal tour of the club and we were given an extensive booklet about the HYRC and the surrounding area. We could have had dinner at their lounge or dining room, but we opted to have a quiet dinner aboard as this was a “Dancing with the Stars” results show night, a T.V. favorite of Pat’s.

5/10/10 – Titusville, Florida

2010-05-11T17:30:00.002-04:00

Though we have travelled this area of the Waterway before, when we delivered our boat from Florida to our home two years ago, some parts look familiar, and some don’t. At that time we had crew aboard with us, and were doing a much faster pace of 100 miles a day, so some of it went by in a blur. This time we are stopping and “smelling the roses” by travelling only half as far each day.

We arrived at Titusville Municipal Marina around 12:30 p.m., and when George went into the Dockmaster’s office, the personnel there tried to convince him to stay for a few more days, since the last NASA Space Shuttle launch is scheduled for this Friday. They are planning a Dock Party for that event, and told him that when a shuttle goes off, the whole marina shakes! Unfortunately, our schedule right now does not coincide with NASA’s and we have already committed to being in Georgia by Friday. We can’t be everywhere! When George returned to the boat, we wrote out mail, paid bills, worked on the blog, and enjoyed a pizza delivery with Pat’s current favorite show, “Dancing with the Stars”! – some things are just like being at home!

5/9/10 – Indian Harbour Beach, Florida

2010-05-11T17:29:00.002-04:00

As we made ready to leave the dock this morning at 9 a.m., we were delighted to have Linda and Gus come here to see us off! Hopefully we will see them at home this summer, and we even talked about having a Bristol Sailing Club reunion in the Florida Keys next winter! This was another beautiful day on the water, and despite the strong winds blowing out of the southeast, there were lots of boats with families beached at the many islands which dot the Waterway. They must have been celebrating Mother’s Day!

Pat called her own mother, who seemed to be improving slightly, and had enjoyed receiving her flowers and cards. At 2:30 p.m. we pulled into stunning Eau Gallie Yacht Club with its vibrant blue-roofed white buildings, and it was really bustling. There were many families having Sunday Brunch, swimming in the pool, and enjoying their boats. Pat was feeling a little under the weather with allergy symptoms, so we had a pork chop dinner aboard cooked by Chef/Captain George and after watching movies on T.V., we retired early.

5/8/10 – Vero Beach, Florida

2010-05-11T17:28:00.001-04:00

"Reflection" at The Moorings Yacht Club

Linda, Nancy, and Gus.

Bo and Cyndi helped us cast off our lines from their dock at 7 a.m. with promises to visit us at our home this summer. We had a lovely ride north on this lovely, sunny day and arrived at The Moorings Yacht Club around 1 p.m. We were the only boat there at the dock which was located right next to the pool and club area. Again, this was a stunning location and the dock boys who took our lines even brought us ice water and lemons on a tray after we were tied up!

We rested in the afternoon and then got ready to host our friends, Gus and Linda Barberi, and Nancy Husbands who all live at The Moorings complex in the winter months for cocktails aboard the boat. We were all members and officers of the Bristol Sailing Club at one time and have known each other for many years. In fact, Nancy still owns her Bristol sailboat which she returns to every summer in New Jersey. Despite breaking her pelvis in a car accident in March, Nancy is getting around really well, and she and both the Barberis look terrific.

After a tour of “Reflection” and “Happy Hour “aboard, we were hosted for dinner at the Yacht Club, followed by a ride around Vero Beach which appears to be a lovely community in which to live. We were happy to spend some time here with our friends, and they look like living in Florida for the winter months really agrees with them!

5/5 – 5/7/10 – Palm City, Florida

2010-05-11T17:23:00.000-04:00

Heading north from Boca Raton.

Watering hole along the waterway.

Lighthouse at Jupiter Inlet

Today we travelled 72 miles to the home of Bo and Cindy Trossbach, the previous owners of our boat. We left beautiful Royal Palm Yacht Club before 7 a.m. in order to travel through a series of several bridges for their scheduled openings. Again the homes we passed along the way were simply phenomenal. Each home was larger, and more beautiful than the next, and most were already closed up for the season! As we observed the obvious opulence and wealth that many of our fellow Americans have, we realized that it is ridiculous for any one of us to be envious of another. There will always someone who has the bigger boat, the bigger car, the bigger house, etc. However, because we live in this country, we should all be thankful for what each of us has, because we all are truly blessed if we take advantage of our opportunities!

By 4 p.m. we called Cyndi and Bo, the past owners of our boat, to tell them that we were entering their lagoon system. It was very nostalgic for us to bring “Reflection” back to the dock where we first saw her, and to have them see her since we left here on 4/6/08. We were delighted to see them and to see their new boat, “Voyageur”, a beautiful Mainship 34’. Of course, their new boat is in pristine condition, and it was a wonderful sight to see our two boats tied up stern to stern. They came aboard for a tour of the improvements we have made on “Reflection” as well as for cocktails and a Chinese take-out dinner. We spent a wonderful evening with them trading stories about our various travels and our busy lives.

Early morning visitor out our window.

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On Thursday Cyndi left to meet her daughter in Fort Myers, Pat had a phone meeting with her brother and the Health Care Center staff at Harrogate re: her mother. At the age of 94, her Mom’s health condition continues to vacillate, and we all want to monitor her closely. Bo and George did a walk-through on “Reflection”, and even though it has been over 27 months since we bought the boat, George still respects and values Bo’s opinion on various aspects of our vessel. We also had a delightful visit with Jessica, the Trossbachs’ daughter, who came aboard for a visit. All this was followed by a quiet evening aboard.

On Friday, after a few days of suspecting a computer virus, George made some calls to get a tech aboard to check out our computer. We managed a trip to the grocery store, and two wash loads in Cyndi’s laundry before John, from “Fast Tek” arrived at 9:40 a.m. Within minutes he informed us that we need to buy a new computer – ANOTHER SURPRISE! He met George a few hours later at a local “Best Buy” to purchase one and then spent time late in the afternoon transferring all our old info onto the new computer. He arrived back at ‘Reflection’” at 6:30 p.m. and worked with George for an hour getting him acclimated to the new laptop. After he left, we took Bo and Cyndi to the Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club for dinner. This club is also in the Florida Yacht Council and is an unbelievable facility. The clubhouse was very grandiose and the grounds imposing, but we had a fabulous dinner with terrific food and wonderful friends at this opulent facility.

5/4/10 – Boca Raton, Florida

2010-05-11T16:42:00.005-04:00

Miami skyline.

Looking down the Miami River.

Intracoastal Waterway through Miami.

Waiting for one of many bridges along the way.

"Noordam at" Port Everglades

Some of "Reflection's" bigger friends in Fort Lauderdale

“Reflection’ left the dock at Coral Reef at 7 a.m. and Captain George again showed his skill in maneuvering her out of a very tight spot with large boats both in front and behind her. She is a very big girl who needs her room, but he handled her beautifully, even in awkward spaces!

We made our way through a number of bridges, and again there were very few vessels around as we passed through Miami. Pat really enjoyed travelling the ICW up to Boca Raton, and we could have made a commercial for “Homes of the Rich and Famous” as we passed multi-million dollar homes and hundreds of apartments and condos along the way.

We arrived at the beautiful “Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club around 12:30 p.m. The dockmaster got us settled in at our slip which was across from several gorgeous homes, and we spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready to see our friends, Florence Grant, and her daughter and son-in-law, Andrea and Ed Boulbol, along with their daughters, Melissa, and Kaitlyn.

Pat and Florence have known each other for over 30 years, and they not only taught together, but also car-pooled together for about 15 years! They were always close friends, and we often visited her over the Christmas holidays when she first moved to Florida. We have known Ed and Andrea since their dating days at Monmouth University, and we consider all the Grants and the Boulbols our extended family! Our guests arrived at 6 p.m., and after cocktails and munchies aboard, we went to the “Lemon Tree” in Boca for terrific Thai food. As usual, Ed knew the owner personally, so our meal was very special. He is a great host, and we had a wonderful evening catching up with everyone.

5/3/10 – Miami, Florida

2010-05-11T16:39:00.000-04:00

Coral Reef Yacht Club

We left Key Largo at 8 a.m. for our 43 mile trip to Coral Reef Yacht Club in the Coconut Grove area of Miami. The skies were somewhat overcast as we travelled across the sounds and Biscayne Bay, and we were surprised to see how few boats were out on the water. We seem to have the place to ourselves! It was great to see the Miami sky-line as we approached the Yacht Club, and Tony, the Dockmaster, was there to help us tie up. Because we are now members of the Marathon Yacht Club, we have full reciprocal privileges at all the other clubs in the Florida Yacht Council as well some reciprocity at others listed in the American Registry of Yacht Clubs. These may include docking, dining, and access to the bar, pool, golf, and tennis facilities particular to each club.

This club (founded in 1955) was lovely! Unfortunately, the facilities were closed on Mondays, but we were able to dock here with no fee! George spent the afternoon on the phone, but finally we got a verdict from the Westerbeake dealer in Stuart, Florida that our generator was not worth fixing. Though this news was grim, George immediately started making additional inquiries and after doing so, we decided to wait until we get home to get a used or re-built one. The only change we have to make now to our trip itinerary is to travel from marina or yacht club to marina or yacht club until we return – unfortunately, anchoring is out. Pat then got out her books, and by evening we had a revised plan for our journey home.

5/2/10 – Key Largo, Florida

2010-05-11T16:35:00.000-04:00

Heading out for a sunset cruise (Key Largo).

The end of the line for the Florida Keys

Captain George got to practice his boat maneuvering skills this morning as he turned “Reflection” “on a dime” in this very tight spot so that we could leave going forward instead of backing out of the marina. Next, he got to practice his navigation skills as we made our way out the shallow channels without going aground. He did both admirably!

The wind was still blowing out of the northeast as we made our way to Anchorage Resort and Marina, a spot familiar to everyone who has entered the Keys via the Jewfish Creek Bridge, as it is the first marina on the right in Key Largo. Little did we know that this place and Gilbert’s Resort across the creek would be ”hopping” this much on a late Sunday afternoon! Boats of all sizes were coming and going from the docks and Tiki bar, and the music was loud, if nothing else. It was fun, however, to watch everyone enjoying themselves, and we had a pleasant evening aboard as we continued to ponder solutions to our generator issue.

We contacted our friends, Bo and Cyndi, from whom we had bought our boat, and they said that it would be fine for us to bring the boat into their dock on Wednesday, a day earlier than planned, for our visit with them. Bo gave us the phone number of a Westerbeake dealer in the area that might be able to do repairs, and we also hoped to have a fuel truck delivery made at their house for “Reflection”.

5/1/10 – Islamorada, Florida

2010-05-11T16:22:00.003-04:00

Dolphins playing in "Reflection's" wake

We left our winter home in Banana Bay at 10:00 a.m. with air temperatures in the low 80s, water temperatures in the low 90s, under clear skies with winds out of the northeast at a brisk 15 to 20 mph. Though it was hard to leave this lovely place, we do so knowing that we will return next again December.

As we left the dock, only the maintenance men, Larry and Tony, were there to see us off, as most of the other boats have already left for northern climes. The water colors were beautiful as we headed up the Gulf side, and we carefully watched our depth-sounder because of the many shallow areas around here. We planned to make this first day out a short one by going only 27 miles, and chose our anchorage to be lovely Matecumbe Bight. We pulled in around 1 p.m., and after lunch, we both took naps.

Around 4:30 p.m. George said that he wanted to start up our generator in order to keep our refrigerator and other appliances powered up for the pleasant evening ahead. THEN WE GOT THE FIRST SURPRISE OF OUR LOOP COMPLETION! – The generator was only putting out 25 volts of A. C. power. Thinking quickly, we started looking for a marina in the nearby area where we could plug into electric for the night, and possibly find generator repairs.

Try to find help on a late Saturday afternoon! We made numerous phone calls, and finally found one marina about 7 miles away to help us. We immediately picked up anchor, and started heading that way, however, the traversing the shallow channels in this area take a lot of local knowledge. The dock assistant gave us one set of directions on the phone, and then when we had realized that we had gone up the wrong channel, when we called back, he was in the process of leaving for the evening, but was willing to give us the marina owner’s phone number so he could give us additional directions.

We now had to drive back a number of miles and the time was getting later and later. The directions and shallow channels were so convoluted that the owner finally came out in his own boat to not only lead us in, but also to sound our way in to very hidden Watermark Marina where it was low tide. We came in very carefully through water depths only an inch or two below our keel into a marina not much wider than our own entrance channel at home in Seawood Harbor. Not only was sunset coming quickly upon us, but also the power connections at this brand new marina had not all been completed, so George and the owner scoured the premises for extra power cords and even jury-rigged an outlet so that we could plug in for the electricity we needed. By about 8 p.m. we were finally settled in and we realized that the odds of finding a generator mechanic on the week-end were less than zero, so we decided to wait until Monday to make our calls, and adjusted our plan of anchoring out tomorrow night to finding a marina slip instead. We have learned to be very flexible!

4/13 - 4/30/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-05-01T07:52:00.008-04:00

Things are getting thin at Banana Bay

and thinner

and thinner.

We are leaving things to the original occupants.

We have had a whirlwind 2 1/2 weeks! We began by driving our car home with an overnight rest stop in Savannah, Georgia and another in Richmond, Virginia at the lovely home of George's sister, Pat, and brother-in-law, Al. During our visit we also got to see our 5 year old great- nephew, Charlie, play in a soccer game! It's amazing to see these little guys chase the ball and attempt to make goals. Pat also got to play "dolls" and sing with our darling great-nieces, Allie and Anna, and we enjoyed a pizza dinner with all our Richmond family at the home of their parents, Chris and Angela.

When we got home George undertook the outside tasks of cleaning things up and mulching around our house after a particularly severe winter. Pat spent the time not only visiting her mother at her apartment, but also taking her to several doctors' appointments. We also were able to all have a family dinner together with Pat's brother, Father Tony. Unfortunately, her Mom's leg condition had worsened again recently and in consultation with her doctor, her mother agreed to go back into the Harrogate Healthcare Center where she will be monitored more closely until her condition improves. Our nephew, Ken, and his wife, Nancy, were also able to visit with us as well as some of our terrific neighbors and friends.

After 10 days at home we flew back to Fort Myers, Florida, and then met our next-door neighbors, Ernie and Kay, and former neighbors, Larry and Joyce, for lunch in Naples. Ernie and Kay invited us to stay over-night at their home before driving 3 1/2 hours south to Marathon, and we took them up on their offer. We returned to Banana Bay on Monday afternoon. It was great to see "Reflection" bobbing happily in her slip waiting for us and ready for the continuation of our journey!

We spent the rest of the week doing paper-work, cleaning the boat inside and out, shopping for groceries, planning a tentative itinerary for our "Loop" completion, and contacting some of the friends we will visit along the way, as well as George and Linda who will meet us in Savannah, Georgia and travel with us to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Most of the boats in Banana Bay have already left for other destinations, and the population in Marathon has declined substantially from the numbers who were here this winter. It is now time for us also to leave "Paradise", and both we and "Reflection" are ready to cast off our lines and start the last leg of this tremendous trip which we began on 6/6/09. We will begin the final segment tomorrow, and are looking forward to the adventures yet to come along the way!

4/1 - 4/12/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-04-12T13:17:00.019-04:00

On Thursday afternoon we met Ken Farthing and his wife, Diane, who had just flown down from Atlanta, for a late lunch at the "Hurricane" Restaurant, and then we walked over to their marina at Blackfin Resort next door to Banana Bay. There we got to meet Bob, their beautiful Great Dane, who is indeed formidable in size, but mild in temperament. He is Ken's boating companion, and when he stands up they meet eye to eye!

We attended a Cruisers' Meeting at the Marathon Yacht Club on Good Friday evening, and met several member couples who were seated at our table for dinner afterwards. The Commodore introduced us to all the attendees, and some suggested that Pat have the job of leading the singing of the National Anthem at the monthly outdoor Flag ceremony on a regular basis after hearing her sing it earlier in the evening.

On Saturday morning we headed north to Naples, to visit with our friends and next-door neighbors, Ernie and Kay, for Easter week-end. We always have a great time with them, and their hospitality is outstanding. We had dinner at "Su's Restaurant" with them and our other neighbors, Tony and Evelyn, who were still in the Naples area at their winter rental. After dinner we went back to Tony and Ev's for a game and dessert.

Easter Sunday was warm and beautiful, and again the Mass at St. Agnes Church was a most moving service. The music ministry at this church is far above the norm, and the talent of both the choir and the soloists is breath-taking. Father Bob, the pastor and Mass celebrant, was assisted by a Deacon who was 95 years old! Florida living certainly agrees with him!! We had dinner that afternoon at a country club with Larry and Joyce Santangelo, who are our former neighbors, along with another couple, the Gallaghers. After dinner we all headed back to Ernie and Kay's house where we were introduced to the game of " Train Dominoes", which we played for several hours. We were definitely the novices at this game, which seems to be widely popular in Florida currently, and luckily the group had pity on us, so we did not place bets as is usually the case. Kay gave us a game to take with us to practice on, and by the time we get home we expect to be ready for some great games on our back decks this summer.
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The three great explorers; Tony, Ernie, and George landing on Marco Island

A pod of Dolphins surrounding a school of fish - it is lunch time.

The great white hunter with his catch of the day.

On Monday morning Ernie and Kay took Tony and Evelyn and us out on their boat. It was a beautiful day, and Ernie beached the boat on a lovely island spot off of Marco Inlet. We brought our beach chairs, umbrellas, drinks, and sandwiches, and even Casper, their dog came! We had a lovely afternoon with dolphin swimming along the beach, and Tony, the avid fisherman, found a conch in the water right next to the boat. Later that evening Kay had a wonderful sparerib dinner for everyone, but after this weekend of sun and fun no one's body could accommodate any more desserts!

We headed back to Marathon on Tuesday, and spent the next several days doing boat chores, cleaning, paying bills, etc. On Friday afternoon we had phone call from our long-time friends, Charlie and Helen. When we asked where they were, they said that they had spent several days in Key West, and were at Bahia Honda State Park, not very far from here. They asked if they could stop by, and since we had not seen them since they traveled with us on the boat from Chicago to St. Louis in September we were delighted to be able to see them! It turned out that they had been trying to reach us on our boat phone (which we had not been using here) instead of our cell phone. When they arrived we invited them to stay aboard for the night and to have dinner with us at the Marathon Yacht Club that evening. They happily agreed to do so! We were also going to meet our friends, Werner and Grace, for dinner along with other friends, Tom and Diane Kellers, who had driven down from northwest Florida to stay with the Lohmanns, and to visit with us for the week-end. All eight of us had been members of the Bristol Sailing Club some 30 + years ago, so it was a great surprise reunion!
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Charlie and Helen

Tom

Werner

On Saturday we took all of them out for a ride on the Gulf and through Boot Key Harbor with lunch on "Reflection". It was probably our warmest day on the water, and we were grateful for the light breeze which came up later. After we returned to the dock, Charlie and Helen decided that they would return to their winter condo in Fort Lauderdale after our great "spur of the moment" 24 hour visit together, and the other two couples headed back to the Lohmanns' house to relax before our dinner together scheduled there for later that evening. We had a great time sharing stories and catching up with each others' lives over cocktails, a delicious dinner, wines, and dessert. We even talked by speaker- phone to Judy Hagerstrom, a very special person to all of us who lives in Lancaster, Virginia. It was terrific being together again!
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Opening of the Southernmost Air Spectacular

Blue Angels at the ready.

Team RV Airshow planes - they are all home built.

C17 Globemaster

F18 Hornet

101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles"

"Fat Albert", The Blue Angels support aircraft

The Blue Angels flight leader heading for the runway.

Diamond formation.

Passing review

Flying just a few feet apart

Up and over, down and around

Fleur de Lis

At attention after the performance.
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On Sunday we attended the Air Show at the Naval Air Station in Boca Cheeca, where the Navy's Blue Angels were the special guests. The show was very-well programmed and we saw a constant flow of air-craft of all types from many different eras from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. We had great seats right in front, and from our pictures you can see that we were close to the action, and that we really needed the ear-plugs they gave to us as we entered!

Monday was "Packing Day" as we are heading home tomorrow after almost 4 months away to check on Pat's mother and our house, to keep some doctor/dentist appointments, and to see Pat's brother, our nephew, Ken and his wife, Nancy, and any friends we can connect with on this short stay. On our drive north we will also visit George's sister, Pat, and our brother-in-law, Al, and nephew, Chris, and his wife, Angela, with their children who all live in Richmond, Virginia. We will be flying back to Marathon on 4/25 to continue the last part of our "Loop" journey up the east coast. Though we have absolutely loved our sojourn here in the Keys, it is time for "Reflection" to be on the move again, and for our wonderful adventure to continue!

3/22 - 3/31/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-04-03T07:20:00.010-04:00

Our new neighbor.

Lou and Judy, at sea again.

Evelyn and Tony go for a boat ride.

Pat and George at Cheeca Lodge

Snorkeling at Sombrero Light. Look at the bottom of the photo, those ghostly images are Yellow Tail Snapper.

Karen as a mermaid!

George, Jamie, and Karen

Pat's cousin, Karen, and her husband, Jamie.

Our friends and neighbors, Tony and Evelyn, joined us and Lou and Judy here at Banana Bay on Monday. They drove down here from the Naples area where they have been renting a condo for the past few months and they booked a room at the hotel at the resort. After they checked in, we all had lunch aboard "Reflection". Later in the afternoon, we had a stone crab and steamed shrimp "Happy Hour" at a picnic table underneath one of the tiki huts, and we were also joined there by Lou and Judy's friends, Terry and Caroline also from New Jersey, who were staying at lovely Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada. We still all managed to have room for dinner that evening at "Cabana Breezes" over-looking the ocean in Key Colony Beach.

After a light breakfast aboard, we took our friends out on the boat for a 4 hour tour of the Gulf and Boot Key Harbor. We all had an enjoyable ride and returned to the slip early enough that we could take naps before going out for the evening. Both couples were our guests for cocktails and dinner at the Marathon Yacht Club, and Lou and Judy even purchased club shirts and a burgee in anticipation of joining us at some point here in Marathon aboard their own boat!

Tony and Evelyn had to return to Naples early on Wednesday morning, so Lou and Judy relaxed at the beach and fielded work phone calls, while George took care of solving some boat toilet issues, which he and Lou eventually conferred about in our aft cabin with clean-up assistance provided by Pat. We joined Terry and Caroline later that evening at Cheeca Lodge for cocktails in their beautiful bar/restaurant on the beach overlooking the Atlantic, and then we all went to the "Islamorada Fish Company" for a wonderful seafood dinner on the Gulf. The food was delicious, and the company delightful!

The next morning Lou and Judy left us after a tour of "Blue Chip", a beautiful, pristine 55' Novatec, which is for sale and is located in the slip next to us. Lou is holding out hope that they will find a boat to put in a slip here in Banana Bay next winter, and this vessel would certainly be a wonderful candidate. Pat spent a busy morning washing bed linens and towels so the guest cabin would be ready for her cousin, Karen, and her husband, Jamie, who were joining us aboard today for a few days. They flew down from Maryland to Fort Lauderdale, and arrived around 4 p.m. We had stone crabs, shrimp, and other appetizers to welcome their arrival, and then had Chinese take-out for dinner so that they could relax after their long day of flying and driving.

Jamie and Karen are fitness buffs, and Jamie and their two sons, are members of a running club in their area, where they participate in races of various sorts. Jamie is in training for a triathalon, so he and Karen took the opportunity to run on a pedestrian section of the old Seven Mile Bridge here in Marathon. Later in the day they relaxed at the pool, and we had a lovely dinner at the "Key Colony Inn", accompanied by tunes played by Peter, the piano bar pianist.

On Saturday morning Jamie and Karen headed to the local dive shop to rent snorkel equipment, since the conditions were good for us to take "Reflection" out to Sombrero Reef for snorkeling. There are permanent moorings installed at the reef to which vessels can safely tie their lines rather than anchoring and possibly damaging the coral. When we got out there, George, Jamie, and Karen put on their wetsuits, fins, masks, and snorkels and jumped in, while Pat stood watch with binoculars to make sure that no Portuguese Man of Wars were near them. We saw two as we approached the area, and from a previous personal painful experience, George didn't want anyone to get stung.

Pat didn't mind staying up on the fly-bridge, since conditions have to be as calm as a bath-tub for her to participate in swimming activities. After an hour in the ocean spent snorkeling on the reef and feeding bread to the multitude of fish, the swimmers got on board and we got "Reflection" underway for a ride through Boot Key Harbor and the Gulf.

We arrived back at the marina about 4 p.m. after over 6 hours of "sun and fun". That evening Jamie and Karen wanted to see a Keys sunset, which is very special, and we drove to the ramp area of the 7 Mile Bridge to see it, but in the end a cloud obscured the final view! We then went to the "Sunset Grille" which is a new restaurant directly on the Atlantic side of the bridge. The ambiance was great there, but unfortunately, our waitress' service was not. She seemed over-whelmed and quite disorganized, so the food and drinks were not delivered smoothly. We had a lot of fun anyway, and we'd still give the restaurant another chance at another time.

After an early breakfast we said a fond "good-bye" to the "cousins" after their too short visit. We then had a lunch date to meet our friend, Richard, and Sallyann and Andrew at "Lazy Dayz South". Richard and his wife, Carol, will be leaving in a week to spend some time in the Bahamas before he makes his way back up Florida's west coast, across the Panhandle, and up the rivers back to Tennessee. This was our last get-together with him before we hopefully all meet here again in Marathon next December. We had a fun lunch together, and got in our last hugs for a while.

On Monday evening we were invited to Werner and Grace Lohmann's lovely home here in the Sombrero area of town. There we met their friends, George and Jeannie, who also belong to the Marathon Yacht Club, and the Lohmanns' beautiful grand-daughters and two friends who were all spending their Spring Break here. We've known Werner and Grace since 1974, when we were all members of the Bristol Sailing Club, and we watched their children, Victor and Ingrid grow up. We had a great evening with the girls and the adults, and after a phone call was made to other old friends from the Bristol Sailing Club, Tom and Diane Kellers, who live in Northern Florida, we found out that they will be able to visit us here late next week!

On Wednesday night we hosted Andrew and Sallyann, and Ken Farthing from "Savannah II" here for cocktails and appetizers followed by pizza. We had a wonderful time sharing "Loop" stories, and planned to get together tomorrow when Ken's wife, Diane, will join him here from Atlanta. Ken is a great story-teller, and we look forward to meeting his Great Dane, Bob, who is his 170 lb. traveling companion!

3/15 - 3/21/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-04-01T09:49:00.003-04:00

Not all our visitors are human.

This lone manatee exploring the docks at Banana Bay must have been 6 to 7 feet long.

With a little imagination you can see a cloud plane flying by - and no, we weren't drunk when we took the picture.

Our days here continued to fly by amid daily chores, shopping, meeting friends, and interesting marina happenings. On Monday Banana Bay was visited by a lone, large manatee who lingered here for several hours swimming between our boats and the docks. Everyone was thrilled to get a close-up view of this huge, gentle creature whose facial features really do make it look like a "sea-cow".

On Tuesday evening we took Sallyann and Andrew out to dinner at the Marathon Yacht Club for their respective birthdays along with our friend, Richard, the "guardian angel" who led us all safely down the Tenn-Tombigbee Waterway during the floods last November. Richard is a great story-teller and a true Southern gentleman, and we all had a delicious celebratory dinner while being regaled by his travel stories.

Thursday was our "dinner and theater" night. While not as glamorous as this might imply, we truly had a lot of fun! We had dinner at the bar of the "Hurricane" where it was "Wing Night". George happily consumed 20 hot chicken wings by himself, while Pat had a burger. Following this feast, we headed to the Marathon Community Theater for their production of "Guys and Dolls", one of Pat's favorite Broadway shows. The cast, to her delight, included some youngsters who performed as gamblers along with their fathers. They all did a fine job, and we went home humming some of the great tunes of the show.

All the boaters at the marina held a Pot-Luck Dinner at the picnic area of Banana Bay on Friday evening. There was an abundance of food, and lots of Planter's Punch to go around for everyone. After dinner, we all walked over to the resort's beach area for sunset, and "Lo and Behold", we got to observe our first sighting of the elusive "Green Flash", which we have been hoping to see for many years! Weather and atmospheric conditions have to be perfect in order to see this phenomenon, and we both got to see this pinpoint of green light together at the same moment, finally proving to George that Pat's effort to spot it while viewing a multitude of sunsets was not in vain!

Our friends, Lou and Judy, arrived late Sunday afternoon for their second visit to Banana Bay this season, and we were delighted to see them. The weather was perfect for them, and we enjoyed cocktails and dinner aboard on our outside deck that evening.

3/8 - 3/14 - Marathon, Florida

2010-03-17T14:14:00.016-04:00

Our neighbors, Pat Haws and . . .

Charlie Haws, aboard for a four hour tour of Marathon.

Chef George at the Seafood Festival.

Breaking out another box of fish and another pitcher of beer.

Pat working the night shift breading fish.

George's new drinking buddies.

Sunday at the Seafood Festival
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On Monday Charlie and Pat joined us on "Reflection" for a 4 hour tour of the Gulf, Boot Key Harbor, and some of the canals off of Sisters' Creek. On our trip we passed some beautiful homes and we also traveled into a little -known large lagoon immediately behind the club house of the Sombrero Country Club. The guys had found it the day before on their dinghy ride, and with its deep water and abundant anchoring space, it would make a great hurricane hole. We were just surprised that there were no boats there!

Later that evening we all had cocktails aboard followed by dinner at "Cabana Breezes". Charlie and Pat are a terrific couple, and we had many laughs as they both recounted stories of his being a "Paintball" champion, and their years living in Texas and Pennsylvania. They also love the Florida Keys as we do, and we wouldn't be surprised if they joined us here next year either on a boat of their own, or in a condo. The Haws' left on Tuesday afternoon, and we were glad to have had such a good time together with these wonderful neighbors.

We spent the next few days catching up on boat chores, laundry, shopping and in preparation for "Marathon Original Seafood Festival" which was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. It is the largest festival held in the Keys, and is second only to "Fantasy Fest" which is held in October in Key West. It is run by the Organized Fishermen of Florida and the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce as a fund-raiser for various local charities and for school scholarships. The expected attendance was 20,000 people.

Besides all kinds of fresh seafood (stone crab, lobster, shrimp, golden crab, raw bar, and mahi-mahi), burger, hot dogs, etc., there were a multitude of vendors, artists, and organizations who had rented booths. In addition, there were lots of rides for the kids, 8 musical groups scheduled for both days, and a Coast Guard military tribute and Naval Jet fly-over on Sunday. Running an event of this size requires an extremely large crew of people working behind the scenes, and when they advertised for volunteers to help work at the Festival, George and I decided that this might be fun. Our assignment was to help out at the Seafood tent from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday night.

We arrived at the Festival seafood stand just before 5 p.m. looking for our assignment. The man in-charge asked us if we would like to help bread fish. "Sure", we said, "just show us what to do." We were taken to a tent behind the scenes where we met several commercial fishermen who had been helping out breading fish since early morning. They gave us aprons and rubber gloves and then showed us the rapid fire way to bread fish. We each stood in front of three large pans: the first containing about 20 pounds of pieces of mahi-mahi in a water lime juice solution, the center pan filled with cracker meal with garlic powder and coarse black pepper mixed in, and the last pan holding the finished product.

The hand that picked up the fish was your wet hand, and the hand that breaded the fish was your dry hand, but you must not get them mixed up. So with your wet hand you picked up a piece of fish, shook off the excess water and dropped it into the cracker meal mix. Then with your dry hand you breaded the fish and placed it in the finished pan. Done correctly, the whole process should take no more than a few seconds per piece.

The fish began to fly. Within a couple of minutes the first pan was breaded and another was brought on. There were six of us working in teams of two, each standing across the table from his partner. By the time the Festival closed that night we must have breaded close to a thousand pieces of fish by ourselves!

Helping out had its benefits as we took short breaks every now and then, and while on break you could eat all the fried fish that you wanted and all the beer you could drink. The drinking part went on for some even while not on break! George took full advantage of these perks, and so did the rest of the fisherman working with us. By the end of the night George and the boys were doing shots of Captain Morgan, too! These guys could really put it away - all in the spirit of giving of course!

The next morning the Captain was moving a little slowly (and it wasn't just because of the change to Daylight Savings Time). Pat said she was fine, but that was until she got out of bed and got to feel her sore muscles. After breakfast we both decided that we needed a nap, however, by noon we both rallied and went back to the Festival - this time just to walk around and listen to the music. Neither one of us wanted to see another piece of fried fish, although George did manage to down a couple of beers. We returned early to the boat to continue our recuperation.

3/1 - 3/7/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-03-17T09:30:00.009-04:00

Pat's cousin, Steve . . .

his wife, Chris, and their daughter, Stephanie.

A subdued evening at Sloppy Joe's Bar.

Are we having fun yet?

Pat Dailey singing his greatest hits, including: "I Might Be Your Daddy", "Nymphomaniac", "Never Pass Up a Chance to Get Laid", and many, many more.

Our neighbor, Blossom

Blossom working on her tan.

Steve, Chris, and Stephanie adjusted well to sleeping on the boat, and spent the morning getting some sun at the pool. We then took them out on "Reflection" for a 3 hour tour of the Gulf and Boot Key Harbor. The water levels were lower than normal due to the moon tides, and when we got to our turn-around point in front of Sombrero Dockside Lounge, we spotted a familiar-looking sailboat hard aground in the middle of the channel - it was "Flawless D", our British friends, Kathrine and Jim!

We hailed them on the boat radio to see if they needed any help, but they said that someone else had already tried to pull them off, but to no avail, so they would simply wait there till the tide rose, and then float off. George maneuvered our boat around them, which was tricky in the narrow channel, and we kicked up some sand ourselves in doing so. Our depth sounder displayed 4.1' to the bottom, and we draw 4', which was cutting it a little close, but "Flawless D" drew 5', so they had quite a wait ahead of them. At least they weren't far from the bar, both literally and figuratively speaking! That evening we went to "Cabana Breezes" for dinner, and the "girls" enjoyed dancing to the music of the Caribbean steel drum player.

Despite temperatures in the high 60s, Steve continued to work- out/swim at the pool each day, while Chris and Stephanie went shopping or just relaxed, and they also went on a walking tour of Crane Point Hammock. We had dinner at the Marathon Yacht Club on Tuesday, and at the Key Colony Inn on Wednesday and could always count on having interesting and often amusing conversations with 18 year old college girl, Stephanie, about her views on life, her career goals, and the "difficulties" of being young, beautiful, talented, and smart! She is truly a tribute to her wonderful, caring parents who have done a terrific job raising her.

On Thursday we decided that a trip to Key West would be a fitting finale to their visit with us here in the Keys. We also knew that Pat Dailey would still be performing at "Sloppy Joe's" that evening, and despite the fact that Stephanie spent her "Spring Break" here with her parents and relatives instead of her friends, we could all let our hair down a little as she was now old enough to enjoy observing the adult bar scene at "Sloppy Joe's" and to hear Pat's outrageous songs.

Though the show wasn't coming on until 7:30 p.m., George and Pat went to "Sloppy's" at 4:45 p.m. to procure seats because we knew that the place would be jammed. After making several quick table-hopping moves while enjoying the music of "Barry Cuda and the Sharks", we finally got two tables in close proximity to the stage, and our guests joined us after their shopping tour of Duval Street. We ate "dinner" at Sloppy Joes before the show began, and the "people watching" opportunities in the bar were also a show in themselves! Pat Dailey did his usual great job of entertaining, and the gals who danced while balancing full beer cups on their heads added to the ambiance. We were just smart to stay out of their way! It was a fun evening!

We said good-bye to Steve, Chris, and Stephanie on Friday morning after a truly enjoyable visit with them, and then later on our neighbors from home, Charlie and Pat Haws, came onboard. They had arrived yesterday at Banana Bay while we were in Key West, and they were staying here at the resort for several days. We had them over for cocktails that evening, followed by a Fish Fry Dinner at the Marathon Yacht Club.

Our canine next-boat neighbor, Blossom, joined us on the boat on Saturday while her owners, Ed and Susie, were away for a few hours. Blossom is a cute two-year old Westie with lots of energy, and we love dog-sitting for her and giving her treats.

On Sunday we decided to have a lobster and shrimp barbecue under the tiki huts at the marina with Charlie, Pat, and their friend, Bruce, who was also staying in Marathon and who had given the guys a dinghy tour of some lesser-known areas and coves earlier in the day. While George and Charlie went off to Keys Fisheries to purchase the seafood for dinner, Pat and Pat were on board the boat catching up on family and neighborhood news. Just then there was a knock on the door, and when Pat opened it she was greeted by Ken Farthing, an AGLCA member and hilarious speaker at our organization's Rendezvous last October.

Ken had contacted Pat a few weeks ago for marina suggestions in Marathon and had just arrived that day at Blackfin Resort, the marina next to us, so he had decided to look us up. He was accompanied by a friend who often cruises with him and is a fellow Gulfstream pilot, along with the owner of another boat doing the "Loop", "Splendido" from Canada. Ken and his wife are from Georgia, and she was flying home the next day to return to work for a few weeks while he minds the boat. He is the author of several humorous cookbooks: one about Pig Roasts (which Pat would like to get her hands on) and "The Manly Man's Guide to Cooking". Since they are staying in Marathon for the month, we are looking forward to getting together during our time here. George and Charlie were wonderful chefs that evening, as we all feasted on steaks, lobsters, shrimp, baked potatoes, and salad under the stars!

2/22 - 2/28 - Marathon, Florida

2010-03-08T09:17:00.007-05:00

Sombrero Light off Marathon sits atop Sombrero Reef Wild Life Refuge - an excellent snorkel and dive spot.

Ernie and Casper relaxing aboard "Reflection"

Paddock and starting gate at the pig races.

The contenders

. . . and they're off

One of the losers. He was delicious.

After race dining in the "club house" - sort of.

On Monday our friends and next-door neighbors, Ernie and Kay Giordano, along with our favorite dog, Casper, arrived for a visit. We had cocktails and dinner aboard that evening, and on Tuesday we took them out for a 4 hour tour on "Reflection" to Sombrero Light on the ocean side and around and through Boot Key Harbor. The waters' colors were magnificent with shades of blue and aquamarine that were almost surreal in their beauty.

On our return to the gulf side, we couldn't believe it, but a fog bank came in! Because we were used to foggy conditions from our years of boating experience on northern waters, it was not a big deal to us (though a bit unusual for Florida!), but when we returned to the marina, many of our boating neighbors expressed that they had been concerned about us and were awaiting our return. Though there have been a number of transient boats in our marina, there are also numerous boats who also have never moved since they arrived here. We are one of the few boats to make frequent day trips in and out.

That evening we went to "Cabana Breezes" on the ocean in Key Colony Beach for dinner. Even Casper joined us! Florida allows dogs to accompany restaurant patrons as long as they dine at an out-door venue. So, we all had a great time as we ate at a table beneath the tiki torches accompanied by the sound of the surf lapping only a few feet away.

On Wednesday the weather began to deteriorate as another cold front was forecast to come through with lots of wind and heavy rain. After lunch at "Burdine's" where we enjoyed terrific burgers and fries (yes, even Casper!), Ernie and Kay decided to beat the bad weather and returned to their winter residence in Naples before conditions went down-hill.

On Thursday while doing laundry, Pat met Kathrine and Jim aboard "Flawless 'D'", a Hunter 45 sailboat from the United Kingdom. They had arrived yesterday with engine problems, and had spent a horrible night at their dock near the marina entrance bouncing in the waves produced by the cold front that had come through. When Pat found out that they were also out of food and supplies, she volunteered to take them to the local supermarket, as their bike baskets were not nearly big enough to handle the amount of purchases they needed to make. When they returned from the store with a completely full car trunk and more, they invited us to come aboard later for cocktails, but since their boat was still rocking, Pat invited them to visit "Reflection" later on instead.

We had a hilarious evening with them, and found out that they were actually fairly new sailors who had taken some sailing lessons in Gibraltar, and then decided to buy a boat here in the U.S. She owns a jewelry enterprise in London, and he was a drummer and back-up singer for punk rock bands who is now an aspiring comedian. According to them, they are "bopping around" Florida and will stay here until the conditions calm down.

On Friday we attended the "Pig Races" at the "Stuffed Pig". In honor of "National Pig Day" on 2/28, this restaurant was hosting a week-end of activities and food to benefit the Grace Jones Day-Care Center in Marathon, that had been demolished in Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

They are in the process of re-building, and needed to raise money to obtain a grant to finish this endeavor. The races were held at an area with bleachers and a track set up behind the restaurant, and there were 3 heats for the races which were held several times each day. Bets were taken on your favorite pig in each heat: Baby Pigs (60 lbs.), Adult Pigs (250 lbs.), and Potbelly Pigs (300+ lbs.). We had loads of laughs, bet on the winning pig in the second heat, and enjoyed a great sparerib meal surrounded by everything "pig" - mascots, stuffed toys, T-shirts, etc. We even saw some human "pigs"!

After attending Sunday Mass at San Pablo Church where we had a conversation with the pastor, Father Gerry Morris, who is also a sailor and fellow member of the Marathon Yacht Club, about Pat's church music activities and her brother, Father Tony, we had breakfast for the second Sunday in a row at the Marathon American Legion Hall. Their members offer 6 platter selections that are not only delicious and generous in size, but are very reasonably priced, thus, it is always crowded with locals and boaters alike.

Today we also awaited the arrival from New Jersey of Pat's cousin, Steve, his wife, Chris, and their daughter, Stephanie. Though not boaters, they accepted our invitation to visit us aboard "Reflection" during our stay here in the Keys. This coming week is Stephanie's "Spring Break" from Villanova University, where she is a freshman, and a member of the school's Dance Team, so this was a perfect time for them to join us. We're anxious to see how they handle the "boating life"!

The cousins arrived in the early afternoon, and after lunch they unpacked, made themselves comfortable, and headed for the pool. They told us that all they want to do this week is to relax and to get some sun. Despite the cooler than normal temperatures, it always seems to be warm at the pool here, which is very sheltered, so they should get their wish. Later on, after cocktails aboard, we headed to "Sparky's" in Key Colony Beach for dinner and then back to the boat for their first night aboard.

2/14 - 2/21 - Marathon, Florida

2010-03-08T08:59:00.003-05:00

Valentine's Day aboard "Reflection"
.

After a lovely Valentine's Dinner at the Key Colony Inn on Sunday evening, we spent most of this week preparing for the American Great Loop Cruisers Association "Sunset Celebration" that we had organized and were hosting at the beach pavilion here at Banana Bay. Through radio announcements on the "Marathon Cruiser's Net" and postings on our association's daily digest on the internet we received responses from 25 boats in the Marathon area that their owners and some guests would be attending this event!

We did take time out on Thursday to drive down to "Sloppy Joe's" bar in Key West to see one of our all-time favorite Keys performers, Pat Dailey. We hadn't seen him in about 20 years, but we own several of his tapes and know many of his raucous songs. Pat is well known in the Great Lakes area, and especially in Put-In Bay, Ohio on Lake Erie. He sings up north in the summer months and for several weeks in the winter in Key West, so we were delighted to get the chance to see him. To say the least, his show was everything we remembered, and the place was jammed with his fans, who know all of his songs by heart, and who interact with him throughout. We had a fabulous time laughing and singing and George even got hugged by a gigantic drunk guy from Texas while Pat got kissed during the patriotic finale by a young G.I. who had just returned from Iraq!

On Friday evening, despite temperatures in the low 60s and a 15 knot northeast wind, 61 people were in attendance at our "Sunset Celebration". Everyone was asked to bring an appetizer to share, and their own beverage of choice, but mixed drinks were also available at the tiki bar at the pool area. We brought hot dogs cooked by George on our boat grill which we moved to the pavilion for the evening. They were a huge hit, and there was lots of great food contributed by everyone. It was great to see some people with whom we had already traveled on our "Loop" adventure, as well as to have the opportunity to meet and make some new AGLCA acquaintances. Attendees at our get-together were on boats from New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Nebraska, and Ontario, Canada. It was a terrific evening!

2/7 - 2/13/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-02-14T13:51:00.005-05:00

Are we having fun yet?

Cousin Ed and Karen waiting for the launch to take us to Little Palm Island

Lunch on the veranda at Little Palm Island
.

On Sunday we attended two art shows here in Marathon. The one held at the Community Park was the Pigeon Key Art Festival, a large show made up of the works of 200 invited juried artists from around the country. This show benefited Pigeon Key, the historic island off of the Seven Mile Bridge, which is a museum made up of buildings that served as the workers' campsite during the building of Henry Flagler's railroad to Key West in the early 1900s. The second smaller show, affectionately known as "Pigeon Poop", featured the work of local Keys artists and was held in the Kmart parking lot.

The talent demonstrated at both events in various media was wonderful, and Pat purchased a lovely silver and stone pendant at the larger show. When we returned to the boat, we made preparations for our Super Bowl celebration of various snacks and drinks followed by a pre-game grilled sparerib dinner. George and Ed enjoyed watching the game with an ice cream break at half-time, while Pat and Karen read.

We received an exciting phone call on Monday morning from our friend, Helen Dambroski, to tell us that her daughter and Pat's god-daughter, Lori Lacks, had given birth to a healthy baby boy, Jon Charles Lacks. Thankfully everything went well, and we look forward to meeting this new little sailor soon.

At lunch-time we headed to "Cabana Breezes" in Key Colony Beach. Our meal was delicious and the table side view on the Atlantic Ocean was lovely on this beautiful sunny day. Later on, we took Ed and Karen on a 3 hour tour of the Gulf, Atlantic Ocean shoreline, and Boot Key Harbor here in Marathon aboard "Reflection". In the evening we went to dinner at the "Key Colony Inn" where we feasted on Italian food in their piano bar. The piano player eventually stopped and chatted with us, and we learned that he, too, had been a music educator like Pat, and that he lived aboard his sailboat in the harbor.

Little Palm Island was our destination on Tuesday for a lunch celebrating Ed's retirement last Fall from his sales job at MBIA. We had a lovely afternoon there, but we did not see any Key deer as we had on previous occasions, probably because the winds had picked up and the deer couldn't swim there or were hiding. When we returned to the boat, George and Ed started to watch the first episodes from the complete "MASH" T.V. series DVD collection the Pat had given George for Christmas. Dinner that evening was fried chicken, spareribs, and salads on our back deck accompanied by cocktails and lots of jokes, laughs, and stories.

The Weather Channel got a work-out on our T.V. and computer on Wednesday as we tracked the snow-storm that was hitting the Mid-Atlantic States since Ed and Karen were scheduled on a flight from Miami to Newark tomorrow morning.

This storm was predicted to dump a lot more snow on our home in Brick which already had experienced a large storm only a few days before. Ed kept in touch by phone with friends up north between watching the computer and T.V. reports and additional "MASH" episodes with George. Their last dinner here was at "Porky's" for ribs and shrimp accompanied by Keys tunes performed by local musician, "Rocketman".

We all got up at 5 a.m. and were on our way to Miami Airport at 5:45 a.m., but the drive there took us 3 hours because of the heavy morning traffic going into Miami. We said quick good-byes to Ed and Karen when we dropped them off with hopes that their flight would actually go off on time.

Since we had made a 120 mile trip up there, we decided to take advantage of the fact that there was a Costco and a Walmart in the Kendall area. We had breakfast and then did some shopping for items at those stores that are not available in the Keys, since these stores are not located down here at all.

While driving back down to Marathon, we were glad to receive a phone call from Ed saying that they had arrived in Newark safely and on time. Upon our return here in the afternoon we had a late lunch at "Herbie's", followed by a quiet night aboard.

Friday and Saturday found us catching up on laundry, mail, lots of boat chores, locating and filling out tax information, making many phone calls, and working on the details of a American Great Loop Cruisers Association "Sunset Celebration" party that we are hosting here at Banana Bay on Friday, 2/19. We also heard from our down-the-street neighbor from home, Charlie Haws, who was making plans to come to Banana Bay in early March. We'll be delighted to see him and his lovely wife, Pat, as well as Lou and Judy Ianniello, who called to tell us that they will also be returning to see us here later on that month!

Life is good!!!

2/1 - 2/6/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-02-07T14:54:00.001-05:00

After lunch on Monday we said "goodbye" to Ernie, Kay, and our favorite dog, Casper, and made our way through heavy rain showers back to Marathon, a trip of almost 4 hours. On Tuesday and Wednesday we cleaned the boat both outside and inside and installed a new hatch in our guest shower.

George's cousin, Ed Rajsteter, and his wife, Karen, arrived on Thursday from New Hampshire for a one week visit, and we were delighted to see them. George and Ed are like brothers, and we can always count on lots of jokes and laughs when they're around each other. We took them on a driving tour after lunch, and then relaxed later with sunset cocktails on our back deck followed by a Chinese food dinner.

On Friday we took a very informative tram tour of Crane Point Hammock here in Marathon. This area is an ecological and cultural preserve which promotes and protects the heritage of the Florida Keys. Later on in the evening we took Ed and Karen to Friday Grill Night at the Marathon Yacht Club, where we also saw Werner and Grace Lohmann and some boat neighbors from our marina.

On Saturday we had a late lunch at "Burdine's" and had fun phoning some friends and family in New Jersey and Virginia to find out how they were faring in the blizzard they were having up there. We then drove down to Key West where we walked around Duval Street, had a drink at "Captain Tony's" Saloon, and then headed to Mallory Square to see the street performers entertaining there near sunset. When we got back to the boat, we couldn't decide what we wanted for dinner, so we raided the boat's freezer, and ended up having pizza, Buffalo wings, and other snacks while watching a "Charlie Chan" DVD.

1/30 - 1/31/10 - Naples, Florida

2010-02-07T14:53:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we called Pat's Mom to wish her a Happy 94th Birthday! She is back in her apartment, and her health seems to be improving again, so she is indeed happy! We also headed out this morning for a week-end visit in Naples with our good friends and next-door neighbors from New Jersey, Ernie and Kay Giordano. They have a beautiful home there, and we always have an enjoyable time with them. Of course, Kay welcomed us with a wonderful lunch, and then that evening we were all invited to dinner to see our other New Jersey friends and neighbors, Tony and Evelyn Christiano, at their winter condo. Again, the dinner was delicious, and we all had a great time being together away from the cold weather up north.

On Sunday we had brunch with Ernie and Kay and their friends, Carl and Etta, at the Vanderbilt Country Club following an especially moving Sunday Mass with spectacular music at St. Agnes Catholic Church. That evening we were invited for cocktails to Carl and Etta's home, and then we all returned to the Giordanos' for a wonderful Italian dinner. Kay is a fabulous cook who always makes all her entertaining seem effortless, and Ernie is ever the great bartender and host. What a terrific couple they are!

1/24 - 1/29/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-02-07T14:52:00.000-05:00

Our days pass very quickly here at Banana Bay and we have had many activities of both the work and fun variety that have kept us busy. On Sunday evening we attended the first "Get Together" of the marina occupants on the beach at sunset. On that evening we met up with Jim and Mary of "Sales and Nails", who had arrived at Banana Bay that day.
Though we had gone through a number of locks with them on the Tenn- Tombigbee Waterway, we never had had the opportunity to meet them face to face before. The next day we gave them a driving tour of Marathon with a lunch stop at the "Hurricane".

Tuesday and Wednesday were consumed with some toilet issues which we were finally able to "dissolve" after hours of work and sweat on George's part! On Thursday Pat attended the Marathon Yacht Club Auxiliary's Fashion Show with Sallyann. It was a fabulous event with Grace Lohmann as one of the models. Pat also met old friends, Joan Shields and Claire Angermann by coincidence there and immediately was able to catch up on old times with them. Grace also gave Pat the guest card for the Marathon Yacht Club which we can use until our formal application for membership is approved at the end of February. That afternoon we also received an invitation to a wine and cheese party on the dock from "Young America" for that evening. They were celebrating their completion of the "Loop" and we were glad to toast them at their burgee change from white to gold to symbolize this accomplishment. Later that same evening Werner, Grace, and Joan joined us aboard "Reflection" for cocktails, and then we all went to the yacht club for a fish dinner. This special dinner was made up of fish caught by members in their Fish Tournament that day, but prepared by the club's chef in various ways. It was outstanding!

1/16 - 1/23/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-25T08:57:00.005-05:00

Andrew and Sallyann from "Freedom" come for a visit by kayak.

Pat and Al waiting for the launch that will take us to "Little Palm Island"

A "Key Deer" walking toward the restaurant on "Little Palm Island". This is a species of deer that is only indigenous to the Florida Keys. When fully grown, it is about the size of a large dog.

The same deer sneaking up on some unsuspecting beach -goers
.

Pat and Al arrived late on Saturday afternoon, and we welcomed them with cocktails on the aft deck and a steak dinner cooked on our outside grill. The next day, after a tour of the grounds here at Banana Bay in the morning, we had a great burger lunch at "Burdine's" on the Boot Key Harbor waterfront. During lunch we had to keep moving our picnic table farther and farther under the tiki roof since a veritable "monsoon" hit with pouring rain and wind that did not let up for almost an hour. When we left we had to make our way around the floods on the roof where we were sitting and in the parking lot. The sun came out shortly afterward and we continued with our driving tour of the sights of Marathon.

We returned to the boat in time for naps, reading, and the San Diego Chargers vs. Jets football game. The whole marina was aware of who George and Al were rooting for during the proceedings as they coached, yelled, and clapped at the T.V screen. Happily, the biggest roar went up from our boat at the end as the (N.J.) Jets bet the heavily favored Chargers! Later that evening we had a phone call from our friend, Joan Shields, who, we were happy to learn, arrived safely at her winter residence in Duck Key after a late start from New Jersey.

On Monday morning another old friend, Werner Lohmann, from our many mutual years as members of the Bristol Sailing Club, knocked on our door! We haven't seen him in many years, since he and his wife, Grace, moved here to Marathon from New Jersey 17 years ago. They invited us to have dinner with them on Friday, but we could not yet commit, since we were waiting to hear from our Gulfport, Mississippi friends, Ray and Caryl Houle, who will be coming for a visit here some time this week.

In the afternoon we took Pat and Al out on "Reflection" for our "3 Hour Tour" into the Gulf, through 7 Mile Bridge, out almost to Sombrero Light in the Atlantic, through Sister's Creek, around Boot Key Harbor, and back to our marina. We arrived back in time to make "Happy Hour" at the "Keys Fisheries" where the snow crab claws are $1.00 apiece between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The place was jammed, but our guests didn't mind standing at the wall counter on the upper deck and enjoyed picking crab claws accompanied by cold beers. Later on, Sallyann and Andrew joined us for dinner at picnic benches downstairs at the water-front.

On Tuesday, our guests toured Crane Point Hammock, where they took a guided trolley tour of this fascinating local museum and nature center. We have taken out a membership there, which will allow us to share this wonderful historical habitat with our guests. Later in the evening we all went to the Key Colony Inn for a delicious dinner where we all greatly enjoyed the singing and dancing in their piano bar.

Since Pat and Al were leaving on Thursday, we went for lunch to Little Palm Island on Wednesday. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and we were seated at a perfect corner table on one of their decks over-looking the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. The food was delicious and the ambience superb!

Pat and Al left late the next morning after a great visit. We then set about doing wash and boat chores for the rest of the day. After a phone call from Caryl Houle, who said that she and Ray would be coming to see us on Saturday, we called Werner and Grace and told them that we would be delighted to be their dinner guests at the Marathon Yacht Club the next evening.

On Friday night we had a terrific cocktail hour and meal while catching up on old times with Werner and Grace. The Marathon Yacht Club is a lovely facility which we have not seen in many years, and by the end of the dinner, we were seriously considering applying for membership in this club. There are many benefits to our becoming members that we could enjoy not only while we are here in Marathon, but also as we travel up and down the Intracoastal Waterway with reciprocal yacht club privileges. So, we got an application package, and Grace and Werner graciously agreed to be sponsors for us, should we decide to apply.

On Saturday, the Houles drove up from Key West where they have been on vacation, and we went out to "Herbie's" for lunch and conch chowder. They are still getting adjusted to life on land after their 10 month trip completing the "Loop". Even now, just being in the Keys is making them hear the "siren call" of bringing their boat over here, though it is up for sale right now in Mississippi. We're going to stay tuned to see how long they stay off the water! After lunch and a short tour around town, they left to make their way north to Fort Myers to visit with Caryl's dad. We then "chilled out" for the rest of the day after our very busy week!

1/11 - 1/15/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-24T15:33:00.002-05:00

We really settled into our community life here in our beautiful winter home this week as the temperatures again moderated to the usual 70s, rather than the abnormal 50s we experienced last week. Unfortunately, however, those cold fronts also brought down the water temperatures to the 50s causing much harm to the reef fish and sea turtles who had a tough time surviving in the 20 -30 degree cooler water. We saw literally hundreds of small dead fish on the Gulf side, and know that many sea turtles have been rescued and taken to the local Turtle Hospital to be sheltered and cared for.

Some of our activities this week included going out for dinner at "The Cracked Conch" followed by the movie, "It’s Complicated" at the Marathon Cinema, and attending a "Meet and Greet" for all boaters in Marathon underneath the Tiki Hut at Boot Key Harbor City Marina with Sallyann and Andrew and dinner afterward at "Sparky's Landing" in Key Colony Beach. Pat also investigated some of the "shopping venues" in town with Sallyann, ordered new eyeglasses at a local optical shop, and accomplished the delicate job of finding a new hairdresser for our time here. George continued to chip away at his continuous "To Do" list on "Reflection", and we also prepared for our visit from his sister, Pat, and brother-in-law, Al, who are arriving tomorrow.

1/9 - 1/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

1/9 and 1/10 found us hunkered down waiting for the current cold front to dissipate.

We've been in touch with George's sister, Pat, and brother-in-law, Al, and we're happy that they will be visiting with us beginning next week-end. Hopefully the weather at that time will be back to warmer temperatures with lighter winds than we have been experiencing here yesterday and today, but, even so, it's still a whole lot better than the weather up north!

1/8 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-11T10:31:00.005-05:00

Boot Key Harbor located on the Atlantic side of Marathon

Seven Mile Bridge (from the Atlantic side). This bridge connects Marathon to the Lower Keys.

Seven Mile Bridge. The bridge on the right is the new highway bridge the one on the left is no longer in use. It was an old railroad bridge that was converted into a highway bridge after the railroad was destroyed in a hurricane.

The island in the center of the picture is Pigeon Key. It was used as a work camp during the construction of the "Overseas Railroad" in the early 1900s.

The wind calmed and the temperature was pleasant, so we took this short opportunity between weather fronts to take "Reflection" out for a ride on the Gulf through the Seven Mile Bridge and into the Atlantic Ocean. The boat had been sitting at the dock for over a month and it was time to "knock the barnacles off the bottom". Upon entering the Gulf we took "Reflection" up to cruising speed (about 15 knots). The water was almost as smooth as glass. We ran the engines up to maximum speed and skipped across the water at over 19 knots. If there was any growth on the bottom, it was gone now.

The sea conditions continued to be absolutely superb as we passed through Seven Mile Bridge heading to the Atlantic side of the island. The water was crystal clear and you could easily see the bottom through 20 feet of water. While heading toward Boot Key we spotted two large sea turtles that dove under the boat as we approached them. Looking out toward Sombrero Light we spotted many fishing or diving boats out near the reef.

We continued on through the Sister's Creek entrance into Marathon's Boot Key Harbor which we toured from north to south, and then returned back through the bridge and the Gulf to our marina. This was a perfect 3 hour tour! (This kind of a day is about as close to Heaven as some of us will get.)

1/7 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

We attended a delightful opening night of the Marathon Community Theater's production of "Sylvia" with Andrew and Sallyann Newton. Sallyann was able to get us tickets in the front row for this entertaining comedy about a man who finds an abandoned dog in Central Park and the ramifications with his wife after he does so. It was a particularly physical role for the gal who played the dog, and we were so close we could easily see the sweat on her brow!

1/6 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

We are back into our regular routine of George taking his early morning walks, followed by his shopping, ordering parts, and making repairs or improvements aboard. Besides the regular work of keeping up a home aboard, Pat is busy on the computer, keeps in close touch with her mother, and organizes the paper-work of our lives. She has also started to research a possible Alaska Cruise Tour for us and our friends, Ernie and Kay Giordano for August. Since George and Ernie are train buffs, we would like this trip to include substantial train travel.

1/5/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-11T10:02:00.000-05:00

The Ianniellos left this morning at 8 a.m. for Fort Lauderdale to look at a few boats there before having lunch with a friend and then flying home to New Jersey. We thoroughly enjoyed their visit here with us, and hope that they can return again sometime this winter. We spent the rest of the day doing laundry, taking down and stowing our Christmas decorations, and doing boat chores.

1/4/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

Since today was Lou and Judy's last full day here with us, we took them to one of our favorite places in the Keys, Little Palm Island. This lovely 5 acre island is located 3 miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean and was the location for the film, "PT-109" because it has the appearance of being in the South Pacific.

Only accessible by boat or sea-plane, the resort is known as a special "escape" with secluded oceanfront bungalows, spa, pool, and highly-rated restaurant on terraces over-looking the beach. No one under the age of 16 is allowed at the resort, cell phones must be on "vibrate" only, and no telephones or T.V.s are located in the rooms. (Pictures will follow the next time we visit here - the batteries in our camera died.)

We had a reservation for lunch, so we arrived at the resort's reception center at Little Torch Key at 11:15 a.m. in order to take their launch, the "Truman", to the island. After our 15 minute ride, we were met on-shore by the concierge and escorted to our table. The view was spectacular, and we even had a key deer that came up from the beach to our table. Judy fed him some flowers which the waitress brought to her to let the deer enjoy. Our meal was wonderful and the ambiance and company superb! Afterwards, the concierge gave us a tour of the resort's facilities before we boarded the launch for our return to the main-land.

When we got back to our boat, Lou disappeared for a short while. Upon his return we were delighted to find out that he had put his name down on the waiting list for a slip here at Banana Bay for next winter! Obviously he liked our location - now he just has to get the boat!

Later on in the evening we went to a new restaurant, "Lazy Days South", where we had a lovely final dinner with Lou and Judy, and Lou finally had the Stone Crab Legs he had been craving!

1/3/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-11T09:47:00.000-05:00

Key West was our destination today (by car) and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery along our route south even though the day was cool and cloudy. We first stopped at "Divers Direct" so that George could purchase his new wetsuit and snorkel. Then we headed to the "Half Shell Raw Bar" along the waterfront for lunch, followed by shopping around town.

Judy made some purchases at "Fast Buck Freddie's", and then we stopped at "Captain Tony's" (the original "Sloppy Joe's" where Hemingway actually hung out) for a drink. We returned to "Reflection" in the late afternoon, and after our day's activities we all got so comfortable and relaxed watching football on T.V., reading, etc., we decided to order another Chinese dinner delivered to the boat instead of going out or cooking aboard! (They now know us so well at the "Panda House" we don't have to tell them where to deliver the food.)

1/2/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-11T09:43:00.000-05:00

Today the first in a line of "cold" fronts arrived. Though it was sunny, the temperatures were in the 60s, instead of the 70s and low 80s we had in December.

We took Lou and Judy on a tour of Marathon's many marinas to show them what kind of facilities are available here when they purchase a boat, as they hope to do in the near future. On our trip we stopped by Marathon City Marina to introduce them to Richard and Carol Walker, our friends aboard "Holiday VII" from Memphis, Tennessee. The Walkers have spent many winters here and are serious divers and snorkelers, and they advised George on where to buy the wetsuit and new snorkel he should purchase for his future lobstering plans. Richard wants to take George out to the marine sanctuary aboard his boat in the next few weeks to show him his favorite dive spots.

After lunch at "Herbie's" we drove around Key Colony Beach, Sombrero Beach, showed Lou and Judy the multitude of moorings at Boot Key Harbor City Marina, and even drove by the two houses we used to own here in Marathon. In the evening we decided to go to "Keys Fisheries" for dinner, but because it turned out to be too windy to sit on their outside deck, we changed our plans and instead had an absolutely wonderful Italian dinner inside the "Key Colony Inn". Judy even said that her dish was the best chicken dinner she had ever had!

1/1/10 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-02T18:07:00.001-05:00

Judy, Lou, and George set out for parts unknown into the Gulf of Mexico

Returning safely back to the mother ship.

Today was another relaxing day with a late breakfast and lunch, and everyone chose to either lounge at the beach, read, watch a foot-ball game, ride around in the dinghy, or spend time on the computer. Late in the afternoon the predicted cold front was ushered in by heavy wind and rain for a short time, but when the air cleared, we went out for dinner at "Porky's", a local favorite of George's, for barbecued ribs and fried shrimp. We had a great time soaking up the "ambiance" of this shack on the water, where we sat at picnic benches with paper towel napkins, and ate great food while listening to Jimmy Buffett music performed by a local guitarist/singer. It was a terrific evening!

12/28 - 12/31/09 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-02T18:05:00.000-05:00

We returned to "Reflection" on Monday, 12/28, about 5 p.m. after a whirlwind 10 day trip home to New Jersey. During that time we put up Christmas decorations, took down Christmas decorations, purchased gifts, wrapped gifts, arranged for Pat's mother to move back to her apartment from the Health Care Center where she had been recuperating from her recent illness and hospitalization for almost two months, visited with various neighbors and friends, and shoveled our home out from a 22 inch snowfall (God's way of reminding us of how blessed we are to be spending the next four months here in the Keys).

On Christmas Day Pat sang and played the piano for Mass at Harrogate (her Mom's retirement community), and we hosted Mom, Pat's cousin Steve, his wife, Chris, daughter, Stephanie, and our nephew, Ken, and his wife, Nancy, for a Christmas dinner (including home-made Polish pierogies) completely prepared by George.

After packing our Chrysler Sebring convertible to the gills, we left New Jersey at 5:15 a.m. on 12/27, but after Richmond we began to encounter heavy traffic traveling south, and by the time we reached South Carolina we literally crawled our way to Savannah, where after 15 hours we finally reached our hotel. The next day was much better, and we made it to Banana Bay Resort and Marina in 10 1/2 hours.

The following two days were spent unpacking, shopping, and preparing the boat in anticipation of the arrival of our friends, Lou and Judy Ianniello, who flew down here to join us for New Year's. They arrived on 12/30 around 6:30 p.m. and we welcomed them with cocktails and a Chinese dinner.

On 12/31 Lou and Judy familiarized themselves with the resort and enjoyed the warm temperatures and the sun, and we made plans for New Year's Eve. We had reservations at "Castaways" for a late dinner, and then stopped by the Dockside Lounge at Sombrero Resort to see what was happening there. We couldn't believe how quiet it was - maybe the usual characters there went to Key West! At any rate, we returned to "Reflection" where we enjoyed champagne and chocolates to usher in 2010. Happy New Year!!!

12/11 - 12/15 - Marathon, Florida

2009-12-15T15:15:00.000-05:00

We have spent the last few days luxuriating in the beautiful weather here in the Keys. Temperatures continued to be in the low to mid 80s with sunshine and light breezes every day. It will be a real shock to our systems when we fly back to New Jersey tomorrow with temperatures there expected to be in the low 30s with gusty northwest winds forecast for our landing in Newark!

Besides completing various boat chores like changing the main engines' oil and making some minor repairs, we've enjoyed several lunches out at the "Hurricane" right next to the Banana Bay property. We also attended the Marathon Boat Parade on Saturday night which we viewed from the "famous" (some might say "infamous") "Sombrero Dockside Lounge". All the boats were decorated with Christmas lights and most of the crews were also dressed in Christmas costumes. It was fun watching the boats and also the Keys "characters" on the docks. You might say we just soaked up the local "Pirate" atmosphere and, in fact, there was a group called "The Pirates of the Marquesas" who ran a 50/50 raffle to buy bicycles for some of the local under-privileged kids for Christmas.

The next day we took Andrew and Sallyann to Big Pine Key and introduced them to another one of our favorite places - "The No Name Pub". It is in an out-of-the way spot on the way to No Name Key, a somewhat remote mangrove island off Spanish Channel. We first came here many years ago with our friends, Don and Joanie Shields, with whom we spent many wonderful times in the Keys. Don passed away a number of years ago, but Joanie still spends 5 - 6 months a year here, and we are looking forward to seeing her here soon.

Last night we had a "Clean Out the Refrigerator/Freezer" dinner aboard with Andrew and Sallyann and we did a good job finishing off the items on our very eclectic menu! Today we packed our bags, and readied the boat for our departure tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m. We are anxious to see our friends and next-door neighbors, Ernie and Kay Giordano, who will be picking us up at the airport, and whom we haven't seen in many months. It will be great also seeing Pat's mom, who we hope to have back in her apartment before Christmas, and to enjoy getting together during our 10 days at home with some of our other family members and friends. Our visit will go by very quickly, because we plan to return to Banana Bay with our convertible on 12/28 in order to celebrate the New Year here with our friends, Lou and Judy Ianniello. We are looking forward to a busy and joyous Christmas holiday!

12/8 - 12/10 - Marathon, Florida

2009-12-11T12:53:00.009-05:00

"Reflection" at her winter slip at Banana Bay Resort

"Pretty Joe Rock" just off the marina entrance

Tiki bar at pool side.

Hot tub area.

The largest pool in the Florida Keys. (Air temperature 82 degrees - water temperature about the same.)

Getting ready for Christmas aboard "Reflection".

For the last few days we have been getting acclimated to our new surroundings and getting used to the idea that we are "home" and not on the move for awhile! "Reflection" has gone 3,660 miles since we left Seawood Harbor on 6/6 and by the time we leave the boat next week for Christmas in New Jersey, we'll have spent 169 nights aboard!

The temperatures here have been in the low to mid 80s with lots of humidity, and the water temperatures are in the low 80s. These conditions are quite a contrast to those we encountered on our entire trip south this summer and fall, and very different from the windy, cold, and rain/snowy weather we've been hearing about up north.

We rented a car to get around Marathon, which runs for about 11 miles and 13 islands along Highway 1. We began our "love affair" with this area when we first visited it aboard a sailboat we had chartered in 1986, and at one time we even owned two homes with four rental units here. However, lots of things have changed over the years, and various stores and businesses have come and gone, so we wanted to drive around and see what the current conditions were. After mailing our Christmas cards at the Post Office, we knew that Andrew and Sallyann really didn't know anything about the area, so we picked them up and took them on a driving tour of some of our favorite places including "Herbie's" for lunch, Key Colony, and Sombrero Beach followed by visits to some of the larger box stores and grocery shopping.

On the next day George began to clean the upper decks of the boat, followed by a swim in the resort's pool, while Pat decorated the inside of the boat for Christmas. George continued to clean the outside of the boat on Thursday while Pat did the laundry, and then we decorated the outside of the boat with Christmas lights along with a big red bow on the bow light! We also had a quick lunch at the "Hurricane" next door to the resort, and in the evening went to the Marathon Cinema (where you sit at tables and chairs and can purchase wine and beer with your popcorn and hot dogs) with Andrew and Sallyann to see "Blind Side", a terrific up-lifting movie about football player, Michael Oher.

12/7 - Marathon, Florida

2009-12-11T08:54:00.000-05:00

This morning we finally had the weather window we wanted to comfortably make the 110 mile Gulf of Mexico crossing to our winter home at Banana Bay Resort and Marina in Marathon, Florida. We left the Naples City Docks at 6:40 a.m. and by 7 a.m. we cleared Gordon Pass and entered the Gulf. The wind blew lightly out of the south with a slight northwest swell. The wind and waves lightened even more during the day as the sun shone brightly and temperatures eventually rose into the low 80s.

What an absolutely wonderful trip it was, and by 2:30 p.m. we started to see the outline of the Keys and the Seven Mile Bridge emerging on the horizon. Along the way "Freedom" followed us slightly behind or along-side, and "Holiday VII", who had left a little later than we did, traveled approximately 8 miles behind. We were in frequent radio-contact, and we were able to warn our "buddy boats" about the many crab-pots we had to avoid along our route.

As "Reflection" and "Freedom" approached Marathon, we broke off onto different headings which would take us to separate marinas for the first time since 10/29 when we started out from Rogersville, Alabama together! We said a poignant "good-bye" to each other over the radio, even though we'll only be 1 1/2 miles away apart over the winter. Having spent 40 days and gone 1268 miles together in all kinds of conditions was significant, and we had lots of fun along the way!

As we finally turned into the entrance of Banana Bay Marina at 4:30 p.m., we could see the dock-master, Billy, waiting for us with some of our new boat neighbors to welcome us into our slip and to take our lines. Finally after almost an hour of setting up lines, screens, electric cords, and cable TV, we were settled in to Captain George's satisfaction. Though tired after our long day, when we sat down on our aft deck to see the sun go down over the Gulf of Mexico, we reveled in the absolute beauty of this wonderful place, and were thankful for all the blessings God has given us to make this trip and our winter stay here possible. It is truly a dream come true!

12/1 - 12/6 - Naples, Florida

2009-12-06T13:57:00.002-05:00

The offending part. This little $9.00 starting solenoid came between us and leaving for Marathon, Florida.

Sunrise over Naples Harbor
.

We have spent the past six days here in a slip at the Naples City Docks waiting a weather window for us to safely make our final Gulf crossing to our winter home port in Marathon, Florida. Some days have been sunny and warm, but we also have had our share of rain and wind as various fronts have passed over us.

We have shopped at the "Tin City" complex of stores in town, had lunch at the "Riverfront Café" there, and had a great dinner at "The Boathouse" on the waterfront. Some days we've had quiet evenings aboard by ourselves catching up with Cable TV, but we've also had pizza delivered, partaken of Andrew and Sallyann's great Turkey Pot Pie, and shared several "Happy Hours" with them.

George and Andrew have also gone on long bike rides to procure a replacement starting solenoid for our starboard engine, and a bike basket among other items. Sallyann was also happy to discover a bakery within walking distance, and everyday she took Tut out for at least one stroll on his leash. Pat was happy to catch up on her reading, made phone calls, wrote emails, placed Christmas gift orders, and signed Christmas cards to be sent out shortly.

We have also been in touch with Richard Walker aboard "Holiday VII", who led us down the Tenn-Tom Waterway to Mobile, Alabama. Richard and his wife, Carol, went home to Memphis for Thanksgiving and returned to their boat in Gulfport, Florida this week. They are on their way to meet us here, and all three boats plan to leave together tomorrow morning for our various marina locations in Marathon. At this point we haven't determined whether we will complete the 100+ mile crossing in one or two days, but we are all greatly looking forward to finally getting to our winter head-quarters!

11/30 - Naples, Florida

2009-12-02T10:18:00.004-05:00

The Gulf of Mexico, finally a smooth sea.

Our original plan was to go to Fort Myers Beach, but with the looming bad weather reports about heavy winds and rain coming during the middle of the week, we were reluctant to get caught in Fort Myers and then not be able to travel on the Gulf for many days.

There is no "inside" route to Naples from Fort Myers Beach - you must travel outside. Today's conditions would be just what we wanted, so we quickly changed our plans and untied our boats at 7:30 a.m. It would be more favorable to make this jump now, and if the weather stayed foul, we could still move on through an inside route to Marco Island, if necessary.

It was a beautiful morning again, and the conditions were calm and smooth. George managed to cancel our slip reservations in Fort Myers Beach, Sallyann and Pat made phone calls to various marinas in Naples, and we were finally able to make arrangements to stay in Naples at the Naples City Docks at the reasonable rate of $1.50 per foot rather than at other locations that wanted $2.50 - $3.50 per foot (plus tax and electric).

Unfortunately, last evening Pat received a phone call from her brother informing her that her beloved Uncle George had passed away. She called her Aunt Mae, his wife, this morning to express her condolences, and to tell her how much this wonderful man meant to her. Pat had been the flower-girl at their wedding many years ago and was always close to them. We will not be able to attend his funeral on Wednesday morning, but we will will be with his family in spirit on that day. He will be greatly missed!

We did stop in Fort Myers Beach to take on fuel at Ballard Oil Company, where the diesel was priced at $2.53 per gallon (including tax) - a bargain price for our trip! At noon we headed out Matanzas Pass into the Gulf, which was absolutely beautiful, and the complete antithesis of our trip last week. After 24 miles we headed into Gordon Pass and up the Naples River bordered by one beautiful home after another. By 4:00 p.m. we were all tied up and settled in. Andrew and Sallyann came over for "Happy Hour" and we enjoyed a beautiful Florida sunset.

11/29 - Cabbage Key, Florida

2009-12-02T10:08:00.003-05:00

Sallyann and Andrew at Cabbage Key Inn, and yes, that is money on the wall behind them.

Money, money, money. There is said to be over $50,000 on the walls and ceilings of the Cabbage Key Inn.

We did not leave our slip until 11 a.m. and today's trip was glorious! The inland waters were smooth, the sky was a clear blue, the sun was shining, and we were finally WARM!

Many dolphins jumped and played around our boat, while pelicans dove for fish. With island beach music playing on our CD player, we had a relatively short 25 mile trip to Cabbage Key where we planned to dock for the evening and have dinner.

The Cabbage Key Inn is rumored to be the place about which Jimmy Buffett was inspired to write "Cheeseburgers in Paradise". Its walls and ceilings were covered with decades of dollar bills several layers thick signed by its patrons. It is thought that there are over 50,000 of them!

Rather than being like a Key West style bar, the inn was quite lovely with fireplaces, a screened porch, and old-fashioned deck chairs. On the other hand, the menu was pricey, they had no Rose's Lime Juice for gimlets, and the food was just okay. We guess we paid for the island ambience and beautiful view! No matter what, it was a wonderful day!

11/28 - Englewood, Florida

2009-12-02T09:57:00.006-05:00

One of the many bridges we encountered on our way to Englewood, Fl.

Venice Avenue Bridge Venice Fl.

Sunset view from our slip at Royal Palm Marina

Another look.

Cocktails and laundry. Pat having an adult beverage while doing wash at the outside laundry.
.

Even though "Reflection" has a washer-dryer combo aboard, it is really for only light capacity items, so with a week's worth of sheets, and towels, etc., Pat and Sallyann were in a search to find a marina with laundry along our path.

Sallyann located Royal Palm Marina, 55 miles along our route, and we arrived there about 2 p.m. Doing laundry then became our activity for the next 6 hours, as she and Pat did several loads each in the marina's one washer and dryer. No one else had a chance, as the "New Jersey Girls" had the machines commandeered!

The captains entertained themselves by having beers at the Tiki Bar, and watching the televised football games there between carrying loads of clean wash back to the boats.

11/27 - Bradenton, Florida

2009-12-02T09:51:00.004-05:00

Sunshine Skyline Bridge across Tampa Bay

The Newtons' cat "Tut" pays us a visit.

Though Sallyann was still not feeling completely up to par, we slipped our dock-lines before 7:30 a.m. to continue our trip south about 38 miles to an anchorage on the Manatee River.

The trip today took us through a number of bridges necessitating our taking down our antennas so that we could sneak under them, and at some we had to request openings. We also now passed through a very well-marked waterway with many beautiful homes on the shores.

Finally we entered enormous Tampa Bay with its Sunshine Skyline Bridge and headed across the ship channel through some choppy waters to our anchorage just off the Bradenton Yacht Club. Both boats were rafted together for a while, but in the interest of safety, and because of the breeze, the wakes, and the current, "Freedom" eventually broke off and anchored a little away from us for the night.

11/26 - Clearwater, Florida

2009-12-02T09:38:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving dessert is at the ready baked by the Newtons on their boat.

The turkey is in "Reflection's" oven.

The table is set for dinner
.

Thanksgiving morning dawned bright and sunny, but the temperatures were in the 40s and the wind was still blowing strongly out of the north. However, the crews of both boats had planned an elaborate Thanksgiving feast for 3 p.m. aboard "Reflection" when the temperature would be around 70 with lighter winds, so cooking preparations had begun early with a background of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on T.V.

The table was set on our back deck and a wonderful dinner it was! We prepared the Roast Turkey with Sausage Stuffing and Gravy, Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Dinner Rolls, and "Freedom" brought the Jellied Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, String Bean Casserole, and home-made Apple Pie. Knowing the precision of both captains, everything was timed to a "T", and after our blessing in which we thanked God for all the wonderful gifts he has bestowed on us, all the food was ready to eat exactly on time!

After our delicious meal, we toasted again with champagne and chocolates, but how we could eat any more was a mystery. Tut, the cat, even joined us for turkey bits. He had previously sent us a Thanksgiving Card mentioning that he would like white meat lightly basted with no bones and not dried out. We definitely complied with "King" Tut's request! After dividing up the left-overs, the Newtons returned to their boat, Pat did the dishes, and we retired early.

11/25 - Clearwater, Florida

2009-12-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

Today was fairly quiet after our adventures of the past two days. Pat stayed aboard the boat to clean up, catch up on emails, and rest.

Andrew on "Freedom" woke up at 5:00 am and thought it was still yesterday afternoon. He was afraid he would miss happy hour on our boat. It took a bit of convincing from Sallyann, his wife, that it was 5:00 am on Wednesday not 5:00 pm Tuesday, and yes, he did miss happy hour.

George, Sallyann, and Andrew took the "Jolley Trolley" and toured around Clearwater Beach, had lunch out, and purchased some groceries.

The weather had deteriorated and by evening it was still raining quite heavily when we all went to dinner at the Yacht Club and toasted our crossing of the "Big Bend", but Sallyann's stomach still hadn't recovered!

11/23 - 11/24 - Carrabelle Beach Anchorage to Clearwater, Florida (Big Bend Crossing)

2009-12-02T09:21:00.004-05:00

Fixer-upper house boat on the Gulf Intra-Coastal Waterway on our way to Carrabelle, Fl.

Oystering in Apalachicola Bay. There were so many oysters here that each time an oysterman pulled up his rakes he had to have between 20 and 30 oysters

Just after sunrise in the Gulf of Mexico. Not the smooth conditions we were expecting.
The crew was not overjoyed.

We left Port St. Joe Marina for our 55 mile trip to the anchorage off Carrabelle Beach at 7 a.m. The winds were still coming out of the northeast, but for some reason when we anchored in this spot where we should have been somewhat protected, we were still bouncing around, so "Freedom" anchored separately away from us instead of rafting up as we had been doing since we started traveling together.

Conditions continued to calm as late afternoon approached, so we had a very simple early dinner, and actually showered and went to bed in our clothes to try to get some sleep before our departure which we had now bumped up to midnight.

We left our boat radios on, and George told Andrew that if they could not sleep, they could call us and we would leave even earlier. At 10:00 p.m. they did call us, and by 10:20 p.m. we lifted anchor.

It was surreal to be headed out the inlet in the dark! Luckily George has had a lot of experience doing this in many offshore sailing trips, because after the last buoy, all that was visible was a black void.

Passing through the inlet was pretty smooth, but as we headed farther out, the wind and seas started to pick up right on our port beam and this motion caused us to rock from side to side. This was not what we expected!

We decided to leave the fly-bridge where the motion was greater, and went below to operate the boat from our lower station in the main salon. With the aid of our radar, GPS, depth- finder, and auto-pilot we simply held on tight and took turns manning the instruments from our recliner and couch, since WE COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING!

Luckily everything was battened down inside and outside the boat including our outdoor furniture, but our couch kept sliding across the cabin all night, sometimes with one of us on it! We, however, fared better than "Freedom", because Sallyann and Tut, the cat, both got very seasick, and Andrew had to man the helm for 15 hours of our 16 hour passage by himself on the very little sleep he had since the day before.After 10 a.m. things began to calm down somewhat, and we finally completed our 175 mile trip at 2:20 p.m. when we entered Clearwater's harbor.

The harbor-master at the Clearwater Yacht Club was waiting for us as we arrived and was very helpful in tying us up in our slips and we were supplied with lots of information about Clearwater Beach. We were all exhausted and decided to take naps once we were settled and then planned to have dinner at the Yacht Club.

George and Pat were able to do so, but Andrew, Sallyann, and Tut slept the rest of the afternoon and into the next morning once they put their heads down on their pillows, and we decided not to disturb them, since there were no lights to be seen on their boat.

11/21 - 11/22 - Port St. Joe, Florida

2009-12-02T09:02:00.000-05:00

We continued to be in "Watching and Waiting" mode for our Big Bend Crossing from Carabelle. The weather was windy and rainy at times and we so we planned to stay here at Port St. Joe Marina with its good facilities, close shopping, and internet and telephone access instead of moving to Apalachicola or Carrabelle itself with dockage that could be questionable in strong river currents. All chores aboard our boat have been completed and we are ready to go!

On Saturday evening we decided to have a Chinese take-out dinner aboard with Sallyann and Andrew. When placing our order, we were a little confused when the order-taker didn't seem to know where the marina was located, even though it is only a few blocks away.

George finally got a message from the deliveryman that he was on his way and George went to the front of the marina office to wait for him. Pat then got a phone call from the deliveryman in very broken English about where he was. She tried again to explain what George was wearing, and where he was waiting, but all she got was a garbled answer.

Then from the front of our boat she could see George dashing around the front of the marina flailing his hands. Evidently the deliveryman who was on foot had been in front of the "Piggly Wiggly" supermarket which was 2 blocks away. He had commandeered a customer into calling George to find out where he was. He got directions to the marina, but when George finally saw him he still wasn't headed to the marina until George flagged him down. What we had was a failure to communicate, but it was worth a lot of laughs!

Sunday was a day of rest and planning for our crossing. We decided to head straight to Carrabelle tomorrow, bypassing the marina there and going to an anchorage near the East Pass where we would tentatively leave at 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Having consulted with meteorologists, weather prognosticators, sea buoy sites, NOAA wind and wave sites, etc., we determined that our weather window would open from Monday afternoon into Wednesday morning. Our boats can make the crossing in 15 hours, so for some of the time will have to travel in the dark. With a 2 a.m. departure we will only have about 4 1/2 hours of full darkness and can safely make the journey across the Gulf before dark in Clearwater. This is our current plan!

In preparation for departure the captain always checks the engines. Upon checking the transmission oil he noticed a large bolt in the bilge. This was not a good sign!

This began a search to find from where it came. While looking around, another bolt, then another, then large nuts and washers began to appear in the bilge. A total of three bolts, four nuts, and four washers were found. "Houston, we have a problem!" Finding this collection of hardware rolling around the bilge could scare any captain.

What was found was that the propeller shaft coupling was parting from the transmission. The remaining bolts were only hanging on by a few threads and the shaft coupling had parted from the transmission and had opened a gap of about one inch between it an the propeller shaft. It would have only taken a few more turns of the engine and the whole thing would have come apart.

Now came the fun part, putting it back together. Well the boat gods were smiling upon us, because George was able to find all the missing hardware, get all the bolts and nuts in place, force the propeller shaft back into position, and secure everything in less than an hour.

It is good to be lucky!

11/20 - Port St. Joe, Florida

2009-11-21T15:52:00.000-05:00

We continued to closely monitor the weather today, as we are trying to time our journey to Carrabelle from where we will make the 170 mile trip across the "Big Bend" of Florida through the Gulf of Mexico to Clearwater. The ideal trip is made in seas of less than 2 feet with winds of less than 10 mph, and we are hoping that a window of opportunity with these conditions might open up for us early in the coming week.

George perused all his internet weather sites and sources, and even spoke to a meteorologist in Tallahassee to examine the impending conditions for this passage.

We also made our purchases today for our Thanksgiving Day dinner which we will have aboard with Andrew and Sallyann next Thursday. The turkey is in the freezer! Our modes of transportation today were by marina bicycle (George) and tricycle (Pat). We used them to go out to lunch at "Joe Pappas" for wood-fired pizza and capresse salad, and then to pick up our grocery purchases which Pat drove back in the baskets on the trike. It was a fun day!

11/19 - Port St. Joe, Florida

2009-11-21T15:48:00.003-05:00

Traveling along this part of the Gulf Inter Coastal Waterway looked like a scene from the "African Queen"

We continued 44 miles east across the Panhandle today to Port St. Joe Marina after a quick stop at Pier 98 Marina on Pitt Bayou for fuel. Our trip included some wide expanses of water, but also took us through miles of very narrow canals reminiscent of the low country areas in North and South Carolina bounded by pine and cypress trees.

We tied up at around 3 p.m. and after "Happy Hour" had dinner at the "Dockside Restaurant" right at the marina. Today we also moved our clocks forward an hour as Port St. Joe and its nearby town, White City, have put us back into the Eastern Standard Time Zone.

11/18 - Panama City, Florida

2009-11-21T15:46:00.000-05:00

It was another chilly, but sunny morning when we pulled up anchor at 7 a.m., and by 8:40 a.m. we had pulled into Panama City's Municipal Marina - only 15 miles away. After Pat did the laundry, we all headed out to one of the town's trolley stops, because the captains had gotten a recommendation that there was a very good Chinese Buffet in town for lunch.

In truth, the trolley took us on a 20 minute ride quite a distance beyond the downtown area out to the highway, so we had a tour of the area also. The restaurant turned out to be great and we had a fabulous lunch for only $5.49 per person! This was the antithesis of the expensive, small portioned, mediocre lunch we had at "Pirate's Cove" on Sunday. When we returned again by trolley to the boats, we rested, and had only a snack for dinner, since our lunch was a big enough meal for the day.

11/17 - Burnt Mill Creek, Florida

2009-11-21T15:36:00.006-05:00

Some of the many shops and marinas along Destin Harbor

More of the same

Entering Florida's Grand Canyon

Sand dunes along the Grand Canyon

Even though we would have liked to have taken the dinghy in to visit the sights of Destin, we made a decision that we would move on today to a safe anchorage 53 miles farther along the Panhandle. The weather was overcast and windy with sometimes a slight drizzle, so we operated the boat from the lower, inside station quite a bit of the trip.

We talked to "Morningside", a boat from Annapolis we have met many times along the way up and down the Tennessee River, and found out that they were in the area, but that they had decided to proceed on to Panama City, our destination tomorrow. "Freedom" and "Reflection" had the anchorage to ourselves except for occasional dolphins jumping and diving around our boats, and local oystermen dragging their nets nearby.

11/16 - Destin, Florida

2009-11-21T15:21:00.005-05:00

Welcome to Florida

Sand dunes along the Gulf Inter Coastal Waterway

Destin Harbor

Sallyann giving Andrew a custom haircut and you're next.
.

We left our last anchorage in Alabama at 7 a.m. and crossed over into Florida about an hour later. The morning temperatures, however, were still not "Florida" like - in the upper 40s, so we were still wearing our storm gear, hoods over our heads, and gloves when we started out.

After a 64 mile trip we pulled into the narrow opening of Destin's harbor at about 3 p.m., (with the temperature about 70 degrees), and now knew from the view that we were really in Florida! We passed a tall high-rise resort and marina, and countless other marinas of all sizes with outdoor seafood restaurants and bars alongside.

There were hundreds of private fishing boats obviously rigged for deep-sea fishing docked all around the harbor along with many tall condominiums ringing our anchorage. The close access of this harbor to the Gulf makes it a popular destination for boaters and other visitors to its white, sandy beaches and when we sat out on the deck that evening, it reminded us in a small way of New Jersey's Atlantic City with the lights reflecting colorfully on the water.

11/15 - Roberts Bayou, Alabama

2009-11-21T15:05:00.004-05:00

"Reflection" and "Freedom" at anchor in Roberts Bayou, Alabama

Dining outside at "Pirates Cove". Good burgers for Alabama.

With the early morning fog lifting, we headed out into Mobile Bay at 7 a.m. for our trip south. This 30 mile long bay can often be a treacherous body of water, because it is quite shallow and steep waves at short intervals can build up easily. However, on this beautiful morning, the water was completely smooth. We then entered the beginning of the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway which would take us across the Florida Panhandle to Carrabelle.

Our destination today was Roberts Bayou, so that we could anchor and have lunch at the "Pirate's Cove Bistro", a local beach bar famous for its burgers, beer, and pizzas. Our boats entered the cove through a very narrow opening around a sand spit, and we anchored in the small hurricane hole which was surrounded by sailboats either intentionally or in many cases not intentionally grounded, on their sides and tied up to trees. We did not know if some of these had moved here to avoid Tropical Storm Ida, but some looked like they had been here for quite a while.

George almost immediately lowered the dinghy into the water, and the four of us got in and motored to the beach dock at "Pirate's Cove". We quickly placed our food order with the barmaid who reminded how famous their food was, and were told to get a seat at a picnic bench outside. Many small boats started pulling in, and children and dogs (one with only 3 legs) were running around and playing in the sand.

There was a new songwriters' event going on and we could have paid an extra $15.00 per person to sit on the "porch" of the restaurant if we wanted to hear the live music from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., $20.00 from 5 p.m. until closing, or $25.00 from 1 p.m. until closing. We decided to decline all these generous offers and wait until these musicians hit the "big time".

Finally our names were called and George and Andrew went to pick up our orders. Unfortunately the burgers, fries, and onion rings did not live up to the hype. An order of onion rings consisted of 4 pieces, the french fry order was minimal, and the burgers just "okay". In fact, Sallyann's food was still cold. Oh well, we guessed we paid for the ambiance!

After we returned to the boat, six people from a large Morgan sailboat dinghied over and were thrilled to hear that we were doing the "Loop". They had some suggestions for places for us to stop along the Panhandle, and to prove what a small world it really is - one of them was from New Jersey!

11/14 - Fairhope, Alabama

2009-11-21T14:54:00.005-05:00

"Used boat for sale - some minor smoke damage". This picture was taken at Dog River Marina. It looks like "Kate's Dream" turned out to be a nightmare.

Fairhope Yacht club

Sunset over Mobile Bay
.

After filling our boats with fuel, we left Dog River Marina to take a short trip across the Mobile River to the town of Fairhope. The river was almost flat calm, and we traveled at a leisurely pace for the first time in many days, and tied up at the Fairhope Yacht Club by around 10 a.m.

Because the Newtons are members of another recognized yacht club, they received reciprocal privileges here also, and this was also extended to us as their guests. This turned out to be a lovely location and the price was right!

We then called a cab to take us into the town which has many quaint and high-end shops, and a number of restaurants. George also took this opportunity to get a hair-cut, but this took almost an hour and a half because of the number of customers ahead of him. Sallyann, Andrew and Pat spent that time browsing in the stores, and did some people -watching while sitting in rocking chairs on the porch of the town hall.

When George emerged from the barbershop all trimmed and well-groomed, we went for a late lunch of seafood at a local eatery. This is the land of fresh shrimp, catfish, grouper, and Apalachicola oysters. The oysters are very large, and have shells as thick as rocks! We followed this meal off with ice cream cones from the local ice cream shop.

When we returned to the boats in the late afternoon, we had "Happy Hour" on the back deck of "Reflection". Even Tut, the Newtons' cat, joined in the fun as Sallyann had walked him over on his leash for a visit. It was a beautiful evening and the view of the sun setting over Mobile Bay was magnificent.

11/13 - Mobile, Alabama

2009-11-14T22:18:00.002-05:00

Who is the little guy on the big ship?

We reserved the marina's courtesy car for 4 hours today with Sallyann and Andrew so that we could do some sight-seeing, shopping, and laundry. Our first stop was Battleship Park, where we spent two hours touring the Battleship Alabama. Next we did laundry while having lunch from a Chinese restaurant next door, and then did some grocery shopping.

We then returned to our boat to have short naps, worked on the computer, and then awaited our friends, Ray and Caryl Houle, who were driving from their home in Gulfport, Mississippi to meet us here. They recently completed "The Loop" in October aboard their boat "Houlegan", and we were delighted that they were coming here to visit with us.

When they arrived, we had a terrific time catching up with them on what's been going on since they returned home, and filling them in on our adventures. The Newtons also joined us for "Happy Hour" aboard, and then we all had dinner together at the Mobile Yacht Club. Because Sallyann and Andrew belong to a yacht club in Kentucky, they had reciprocal privileges here, and were able to bring us all along as guests. It was a great evening!

11/12 - Mobile, Alabama

2009-11-14T21:59:00.007-05:00

Flooding at the "Lock 1 anchorage"

Over night the river rose another 3 feet.

Flooding was expected to get worse over the next 3 to 5 days.

Entering Mobile Harbor

The next generation of U. S. Naval ships being built in Mobile.

At last, sea level and seawater, after over 5 months and nearly 3,000 miles we entered Mobile Bay.

By 7 a.m. we had lifted anchor and again we continued the final 115 mile leg of our journey down the Tombigbee River to Mobile with "Holiday VII" in the lead. We saw very few boats on the water: 3 beating their way up-river against the current, and only one other boat (a sailboat) on our way south today.

We were now days ahead of the pack of other boats headed south who are now bottled up in the marinas and anchorages behind us because of the flooding situation. In fact, because we have moved so quickly, we are now back on our original schedule, despite our extended stay in Demopolis.

At about 3 p.m. the Mobile sky-line rose in the distance and a little while later we began making our way through its busy harbor. We passed by a number of barges and tows, large ships, ships in dry dock, and even an experimental ship recently commissioned by the government to combat pirates.

"Reflection" also cruised past the waterfront convention center, a new maritime center, and the Carnival Cruise Lines ship terminal. About a mile further we finally entered the open waters of Mobile Bay. Salt water at last! After all these months on inland waters, we felt in more familiar territory even though we were almost 3,000 miles away from our starting point at home in Barnegat Bay.

After traveling a few more miles down Mobile Bay we turned into the Dog River on the west side of the bay. We all had reservations at Dog River Marina for tonight and tomorrow, but we noticed that the marina was jammed with boats that had sought refuge here from Tropical Storm Ida and had not yet left. Despite the crowded conditions, space was found for us, and we finally got tied up before dark.

Instead of going out for dinner as we had all previously planned, we decided to have pizza delivered to our boat, and welcomed Richard, and Sallyann and Andrew aboard for cocktails to celebrate our successful journey together. Richard turned out to be a fantastic conversationalist. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee, but travels south to Marathon, Florida for the winter. He and his wife own a travel company from which he has recently retired, but where his wife still works. She joins him when her schedule permits, but he often moves the boat himself, and really seems to enjoy it. Since he has done the trip to the Keys so many times, he had lots of advice for us, and we are very thankful to have met him and for sharing his Tombigbee and Gulf waters expertise.

11/11 - Silas, Alabama

2009-11-14T21:45:00.006-05:00

Holiday VII (The leader of the "Great Escape" from Demopolis)

Pat's at her post at the last lock (for now)
.

This morning dawned bright and beautiful with much lighter winds than the 15 -25mph that were forecast. At 6 a.m. our association still advised all of us to stay put where we were and not to try moving down the river. We could see that the river was rising, so we decided to take this warning seriously and to take this advice.

Pat began working at the computer and George went for an early morning walk to assuage his dim mood over not being able to finally leave Demopolis today. However, at 7 a.m. George suddenly returned to the boat, threw open the door and said to Pat: "Come on, we're leaving NOW!" Pat quickly finished her email, changed out of her nightgown and into her clothes, and within 30 minutes we had pulled away from the dock.

What had happened is that George had the good fortune of meeting Richard Walker aboard "Holiday VII" at the marina office while on his walk. Richard was a veteran of some 27 trips on the Tombigbee Waterway, came highly recommended by the marina staff and other veteran "Loopers" as an expert on the river, and said that TODAY was the day for us to leave before the situation got worse.

Richard, himself, was about to leave (operating his beautiful 54' Jefferson solo) within a half hour, knew the best anchorages along the way, and in fact would be glad to lead us and "Freedom" down-river! God had sent us our guardian angel!!!

We traveled 117 miles in 8 1/2 hours and through our last two locks on the waterway. It was hard to believe, but we had locked through 103 LOCKS so far on our trip! The current on the river was going our way at a rate of about 3 knots, and there was debris that we had to avoid, but it was not nearly as bad as it could have been on this very winding river.

Richard led us into the Lock 1 Cut-off which was an almost hidden, but very large anchorage where we safely dropped our anchor with "Freedom" rafted up to us. Normally the entrance depth here was about 5 feet, however, today it was over 30 feet as a result of the flooding caused by Ida. We were very tired, but grateful for our benefactor, and the speedy, comfortable trip he made possible for us. WE WERE FREE!

11/10 - Demopolis, Alabama

2009-11-14T21:44:00.000-05:00

We felt the effects of Tropical Storm Ida beginning around midnight with heavy rain that lasted all day until about 4 p.m. in the afternoon. The wind blew at a steady 25 miles per hour with occasional gusts to around 40. We were safely tied up in our slip, but we could see that the water level on the Tombigbee River was steadily rising. Rumors were rampant on the docks, and those of us in the AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruisers Association) received emails that the locks might close down, and that the water would rise with so much debris coming down-river that we might not be able to make it out onto the waterway for a few MORE days. Needless to say, this did not make the captain happy, but we decided to see what the situation would be tomorrow morning. If we cannot move, we will get the courtesy car and try to do some touring in the area in order to make the best of this situation.

11/7 - 11/9 - Demopolis, Alabama

2009-11-10T13:28:00.001-05:00

We have been in a watchful- waiting mode over these last three days while we see what path Tropical Storm/Hurricane Ida will take as she heads north over the Gulf of Mexico towards Mobile, Alabama and our final destination on the Tombigbee Waterway before we actually head into the Florida Panhandle and the Gulf. We are safely docked in the only marina for the next 230 miles between here and Mobile, and "Freedom" and "Reflection" were lucky to be among the last few boats to get a slip here pre-hurricane.

There are many, many boats backed up the entire waterway south and north of here who have been warned to "stay-put" until the storm has passed. We have taken advantage of these three days to clean the boat inside and out, shop for groceries, do laundry, have several "happy hours", enjoy eggplant lasagna and carrot cake made by the Newtons, learn a dice game called "456" which Sallyann and Andrew seemed to have taught us as a means of making "laundry money", and to completely plan out our trip to Marathon, Florida. Ida will hit the Gulf Coast tomorrow morning, but we expect to feel her effects over-night. If all goes well, we are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to finally leave here on Wednesday morning before "channel fever" kicks in.

The Captain reports he already has a severe case of Channel Fever. The only known cure for it is to get moving again.

November 6 - Demopolis, Alabama

2009-11-07T19:49:00.005-05:00

A total of 14 boats where locked down at one time in the Heflin Lock

The white cliffs of Epes

At 6 a.m. we left in fog, which did not dissipate as quickly as we had hoped. We made our way slowly and carefully into the Waterway, but even with radar, the situation was tenuous. We pulled over once, and then the fog lifted briefly so we could continue, but then it filled in again.
Unfortunately, the second time we pulled over, "Freedom" ran aground in an area where the depths went from 46 to less than 4 feet in an instant. We managed to get close enough to them to have Andrew throw a tow-line to Pat, but the current was dragging us sideways into the shallows, so we had to make two more passes until we could get the line secure and safely tow them to deeper water without going aground ourselves.

After this adventure the fog lifted for good and we made our way to the Howell Heflin Lock, only to be told by the lock-tender that we would have at least an hour's wait as he had a south-bound and north-bound tow which he had to lock before us. He told us: "Hang around behind the bridge and count the pigeons!" This wait then turned out to be more like 2 hours when one of the lock gates got stuck and had to be repaired! By now 12 more boats caught up to us and "Freedom" and we eventually locked through as a group of fourteen!

When we left the lock we still had 50 miles to travel, so we upped our usual cruising speed so we could get to Demopolis Yacht Basin before dark. We ended up arriving by 3:30 p.m., and found the marina almost completely filled with "Looper" boats. There was some concern on the docks about Tropical Depression Ida which is forecast to head up the Gulf of Mexico and what its possible impact might be on Mobile Bay and the Florida Panhandle where we are all headed within the next few days. Rumors abounded about the Waterway being closed shortly, and we will be watchfully waiting to see what will transpire before heading any further south.

Later in the evening the Newtons joined us for cocktails and then we had dinner at the marina's restaurant, the New Orleans Bar and Grill, where shrimp and catfish were a specialty, and the people-watching was a real show in itself!

November 5 - Warsaw Cut-off - Warsaw, Alabama

2009-11-07T19:42:00.004-05:00

Pat can't see what awaits her on the other side of the lock wall.

Surprise, surprise! Yes, it was a bad as it looks.

The calm after the rapids
.

The Waterway continued to run quickly as we made our way through the winding route along the 33 miles to our next stop. Tom Blevill Lock also marked the 100th lock we've gone through on our journey thus far!

Marinas have gotten to be few and far between as we have continued south, and mariners must plan carefully for anchorages. Luckily, this spot proved to be lovely and safe, and we dropped anchor in over 30 feet of water with "Freedom" tied next to us. We invited the Newtons for cocktails, and we toasted our 100th locking while enjoying shrimp cocktail, and Sally and Andrew's home-made grilled bread, etc. They even brought us presents: wine from Andrew, tea from Sallyann, and kitty-treats from Tut, the cat, who has paid several visits to our boat!

November 4 - Pickensville, Alabama

2009-11-07T19:26:00.008-05:00

Aberdeen Lock

Foam on the river

Pirate's Marina Cove

The marina office

Sign outside a local general store - check out the last line (I was told it only applied to men)

Tom Bevill Visitor's Center

Andrew and Sallyann from "Freedom"

The Bevill Lock and Dam

The weather continued to be great with clear chilly nights in the high 30s and 40s and sunny days with temperatures in the low 70s. After 1 lock and 28 miles we arrived by 11 a.m. at quaint Pirate's Marina Cove where we received a warm welcome by the dockmaster and his assistant.

After getting tied up, we and the Newtons borrowed the marina's courtesy car which we discovered had a flat tire, but was quickly repaired by the dockmaster. We then made our way to the "Down Yonder" restaurant for local southern cooking. Our fried chicken lunches were delicious, as well as our appetizers of fried macaroni and cheese, and onion rings. Get out the cholesterol pills!

The women then went to do the laundry at the local Laundromat, while the men waited patiently at a picnic bench outside with beers purchased at the mini-mart next door. Afterwards we drove to Tom Bevill Visitor Center which is a reconstruction of a southern mansion with interpretive exhibits of the history of the Waterway. We also toured the US Snagboat Montgomery which was the last steam-powered sternwheeler used to keep seven of the South's rivers navigable and free of debris from 1926 through 1982. It was a fun-filled day!

November 3 - Columbus, Mississippi

2009-11-07T19:25:00.000-05:00

The Waterway continued to be flooded with lots of debris as we passed through 1 lock and 23 miles to Columbus Marina. After we pulled in at 11 a.m. we were joined by a number of other "Looper" boats including the two sailboats we've talked about previously.

We borrowed the marina's courtesy car to check out the town, but returned quickly after just visiting the liquor store with Sallyann and Andrew. Since Pat spent a great part of the day managing her mother's release from the hospital to the Healthcare Center at Harrogate where she is a resident, we were delighted to join an impromptu "Looper" get-together on the deck beneath the marina office at sunset. It turned out that the two sailboat captains were musicians headed to Florida. They came with their guitars and sound equipment to provide the evening's entertainment and Pat also got up and sang at the microphone as the evening wore on.

November 2 - Blue Bluff Anchorage - Aberdeen, Mississippi

2009-11-07T19:20:00.003-05:00

The view from our dock at Midway Marina

Sunset at Blue Bluff anchorage

Despite the fact that we left the marina at 7 a.m., today turned out to be a long travel day. We transited 3 locks and went 36 miles, but we had long waits at the locks and since our "locking' group now included 2 sailboats who could only go about 6 knots, we had to wait for them to catch up with us at each lock.

The Tombigbee Waterway has now become littered with lots of floating logs and foliage caused by the flooding of the upland rivers, and we had to dodge them constantly in the 2 knot current which is thankfully running with us. By 3:30 p.m. we made a sharp turn into the narrow, shallow channel leading into Big Bluff Anchorage. Three boats were already tied up to the short T dock of this recreation area, so we dropped our anchor a little way off, and "Freedom' rafted up to us. By the time dark descended, there were eleven boats here, including the two sailboats we had previously mentioned, as well as two other "Loopers" who had run aground coming into the channel.

November 1 - Fulton, Mississippi

2009-11-07T18:55:00.008-05:00

The fleet leaving Whitten Lock (everybody is going south)

Fall along the Tenn-Tom waterway

We are always on the lookout for a great buy on a boat ...

this one really caught our eye...

it comes with plenty of extras.

We left our anchorage at 7 a.m. after a call to the Jamie Whitten lock-tender, and as we rounded the corner of one of the "fingers" of the "Five Fingers" area of Bay Springs Lake, we were joined by a number of other "Looper" boats who had also been scattered in other anchorages there overnight.

Because the lock-tenders are very aware of the large amount of boats traveling south at this time, we were kept together as a group and transited the next two locks in quick succession. There was no use in trying to speed up to the next lock, because the lock-tender waits until all the boats in a pack catch up and enter the lock before he will lock down. Just before the last lock was about to close its doors, we were surprised to have the lock-tender hand us a holy card, something which had never happened before, but as this was a Sunday morning, we were happy to receive this sign of God's blessing on us and our journey.

October 31 - Five Fingers Anchorage, Mississippi

2009-11-01T18:51:00.006-05:00

"Tenn -Tombigbee" Waterway

Fall is in the air as we head south looking for warmer weather

Sunset at our anchorage in Mississippi

The rain finally stopped early this morning, and after a brief delay to look for our missing storm gear jackets which we had inadvertently left in the marina's courtesy van, we made our way out of Grand Harbor at 9 a.m.

We will be traveling down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway for 234 miles to Demopolis, Alabama and then an additional 217 miles down the Black Warrior- Tombigbee Waterway to Mobile, Alabama over the next two weeks. The connecting of the Tennessee River with the Tombigbee River, a 14 year Army Corps of Engineers earth-moving project, moved more soil than the building of the Panama Canal. It is the building of this man-made waterway that has made the "Great Loop" journey around the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Canadian and Midwest waterways possible.

We cruised 36 miles today down this lovely canal lined with autumn foliage that finally opened up into wide Bay Springs Lake. Finally we turned into the Five Finger anchorage where we had a choice of beautiful locations to stop. We dropped our anchor, and "Freedom" rafted up to us for the evening. The Newtons invited us over for "Happy Hour" and Sallyann made a delicious bread which was topped with tomatoes, onions, and pepperoni and then expertly grilled outside by Andrew. Their "boat cat", Tut, decided to take a tour of the outside decks of "Reflection" while we were eating and returned "home" an exhausted adventurer. Our night at anchor was quiet and cozy, but spectacular with stars, an almost-full moon, and chilly temperatures in the very low 40s.

October 30 - Counce, Tennessee

2009-11-01T18:50:00.000-05:00

Pat was up before 6 a.m. to do laundry at the marina laundromat. When she arrived she found that Sallyann had gotten up even earlier and was nearly finished with hers by that time! With so many boats arriving at the marinas together, washers and dryer availability is at a premium, so it is the early girl who gets her done!

Later in the morning, we and the Newtons used the marina's courtesy car to go out for lunch at the "Rib Cage", a place for local ribs and chicken, and to go to the Pickwick Market for groceries. Upon our return to the marina, we got together to plan our tentative itinerary to Mobile, Alabama. An expected cold front then arrived with heavy wind and rain, so Sallyann and Andrew returned to "Freedom", and we relaxed on our boat with a movie and cable T.V. for the rest of the evening.

Pat has been in daily contact with her mother, brother, and the nursing staff at Ocean Medical Center, where her mother continues to get medical treatment.

October 29 - Counce, Tennessee

2009-11-01T18:43:00.004-05:00

The "Fleet" of 13 boats enter Wheeler Lock in the predawn light

"Freedom" in Wheeler Lock

We pulled away from the dock at 6:40 a.m. in the company of 12 other boats. It looked like a procession as we made our way out into Joe Wheeler Lake and then entered first Wheeler Lock and then Wilson Lock. We even had boats rafted together in the locks! It was a misty morning, but naturally it rained the hardest while we had to monitor our tie-ups to the lock bollards. We were back to wearing our uniforms of full storm gear! After traveling 60 miles and through 2 locks we arrived at Grand Harbor Marina at 3 p.m. Andrew and Sallyann joined us for cocktails and afterwards we enjoyed dinner aboard.

October 25 - 28 - Rogersville, Alabama

2009-11-01T18:43:00.001-05:00

We spent 4 great days here attending a series of seminars, having meals and cocktail parties together, going on a Chamber of Commerce shopping excursion, and attending a wonderful concert given by local musicians at a beautiful bed and breakfast inn.

There were several hundred attendees at this Rendezvous which was "sold out". We shared knowledge and information with each other about this incredible "Great Loop" journey and made new friends. The attendees ranged from those who had done the trip several times, to those who are in the process, to those who are still in the planning or "dreaming about" stage. At any rate, we were happy we were there!

We also enjoyed making the acquaintance of Sallyann and Andrew Newton, who own "Freedom", an American Tug 34'. Pat had briefly met Sallyann at Green Turtle Bay Marina in Grand Rivers, Kentucky when we were there in September. She was originally a "Jersey Girl", but after Andrew's recent retirement they put their Illinois house up for sale and started out on their "Great Loop" trip only a few weeks ago. They, too, are headed to Marathon, Florida for the winter, so we decided that it might be fun for us to be "buddy boats" on our trip south which we will begin early tomorrow.

On this last evening of the Rendezvous we also opened our boat up for the "Looper Crawl" which is comparable to an "open house" event. Many people toured "Reflection", and we were thrilled with all their positive comments about our vessel!

October 24 - Rogersville, Alabama

2009-11-01T18:39:00.000-05:00

After a day of unpacking all the many items we brought back to the boat from New Jersey and food shopping for additional fresh food items, we were invited to another party late this afternoon hosted by "Riff Raff", one of the "Looper" boats from Georgia. There were loads of people on the dock while we were treated to fresh "peel and eat" shrimp and other appetizers brought by many others. We saw some of the other boaters we have met along the way on our journey, and made the acquaintance of others we had never met before. Everyone was here for the Rendezvous which will begin tomorrow. If the party was any indication, there will be lots of people at this event.

October 23 - Rogersville, Alabama

2009-11-01T18:24:00.001-05:00

We returned to Joe Wheeler State Park Marina today after an absence of 15 days. During that time we visited in Richmond, Virginia with George's sister and brother-in-law, Pat and Al, both on our north-bound drive, and then again when we were south-bound. We also entertained George's cousin, Ed, and his wife, Karen, who visited us from New Hampshire, saw a few friends, had doctor and dentist check-ups, checked up on Pat's mother, and had a family dinner with her and Pat's brother, Father Tony. On our drive north we also received word from Banana Bay Resort that they had a slip opening for us, so we decided to take this opportunity to spend the winter months in Marathon in the beautiful Florida Keys.

After today's 11 hour trip from Virginia, within an hour of our return to the boat we were included in a "Conch Republic" Party organized by "Loopers" who had already arrived for the American Great Loop Cruisers Association Rendezvous at the marina. At 5 p.m. conch shells were blown to signify the beginning of the pre-sunset party at the resort's pool. Many of the boats are headed to the Florida Keys as we are, so the party was a great celebration to begin our trip south. George even raised our own Conch Republic flag!

Unfortunately on our drive here today we received word that Pat's mother would have to go into the hospital to be treated with heavy antibiotics for a recurrence of cellulitis which she had contracted last spring. Hopefully, she will recover quickly from this bout.

10/7 - Rogersville, Alabama

2009-10-07T18:16:00.003-04:00

Joe Wheeler State Park Lodge

The night brought heavy rain with lots of lightening, but in the morning we were up and working early. By 8:10 a.m. Pat was at the supermarket making ship store purchases (paper goods, pantry supplies, sodas, etc.) so we would not have to deal with it upon our return, and George was finishing his final cleaning of the boat. He has a dedicated set of clothes which have a permanent "bleach smell" for this task.

We then packed up and loaded the car with items we were taking home from the boat. Our 11 hour road trip tomorrow will begin at 6 a.m. and we will visit with George's sister, Pat, and our brother- in-law, Al in Richmond, VA. On Friday morning we will continue our trip home to Seawood Harbor and look forward to seeing our family and friends before we return to Alabama on 10/23 for our American Great Loop Cruisers Association Rendezvous and for our journey down the Tombigbee Waterway to Florida! Our mileage since 6/6/09 is 2,390 miles and 89 locks!

10/6 - Rogersville, Alabama

2009-10-07T18:15:00.002-04:00

Our first order of business today was to say "Goodbye" to Al and Gayle as they untied their lines at 7:30 a.m. After good wishes for a safe trip, hugs, and waves to them as they left the marina, we returned to "Reflection" to begin the work of cleaning her from top to bottom and making her ready for us to leave for NJ on Thursday morning.

After working hard all morning, we slowed our pace in the afternoon as another weather-front started to make its way across us with rain showers. We organized our books and charts to take home, wrote substantial "To Do" lists for both here and NJ, and had phone calls with our siblings to try to organize our trip home. After a chicken dinner, Pat got to watch one of her favorite shows, "Dancing with the Stars". George was so thrilled he fell asleep.