On Monday, Nov 3 we left Holiday Harbor Marina in Pensacola and headed for Destin, Fl. We had choppy water but arrived safely at 3:30pm and tied up at Harborwalk Marina. No one was there to greet us, give us codes to the bathrooms and the pier we tied up to was very difficult to get into - Stan had to maneuver in a tight space and back in. He did a fantastic job, but we still had a difficult time getting off the boat due to the short dock. Also, was not close to much of anything. Traveled 55 miles.
Dock person came down in the morning and when we told him we were not at all happy, said we were free to move and didn't charge us anything. Moved to Harbor Dock where we were lucky to get into a temporarily vacant space. Roxanne moved also. This was closer to some restaurants and a moderate walk to Harborside Village; shops, restaurants, etc.
Stan ordered a new radar as everyone he talked to said ours was too old to get parts...sounds like us! While waiting we walked to Walgreens for prescription renewals, shopped for some groceries at Target (couldn't find a Walmart close enough to walk to) and got a haircut.
On Friday, Nov. 7 sister Barb and husband Darrell stopped to visit. They were on their was to California, with a stop in Tucson. Since they were traveling along I-10 it was the closest we would be to each other a while. We enjoyed a relaxing dinner at AJ's. Mahi Mahi was very good.
On Saturday we took the boat out for a peaceful cruise, only to be interrupted by getting stuck on a sandbar in the middle of the channel. It was a nice sunny day, so we had a nice visit while waiting for Boat US to pull us off. They came in about 1-1/2 hours and quickly freed us. We went out to the gulf to run the engines at speed to make sure the props hadn't been damaged.
All was good. Walked across the street at had a great burger at Hog's Breath Saloon. (Steve - you would have enjoyed it!). Barb and Darrell went on their way Sunday.
Monday the radar was installed! We were in Destin for a week.
Tuesday, Nov. 11 we left Harbor Docks at 9:15am and headed north across the bay to Niceville where we docked at North Light Marina. Traveled 10 miles. David and Jane found a boat they wanted to look at just in case the boat they have an offer on falls thru. The boat didn't suit them but it was interesting to look.
Wednesday, Nov. 12 we left at 9:15am (see a pattern here?) and headed to Panama City, Fl. It was slightly overcast, flat water. Traveled 70 miles and arrived at Panama City Marina and was at the dock by 4pm. Ran into loopers EJ and Ed on the sailboat EDE J and Mary and Roger on a trawler named (?) (didn't get a card).
Walked a few blocks into town and had dinner at an Italian Restaurant. Cute town with a variety of shops.
Thursday, Nov 13 we went with David & Jane to look at another boat - a 52' which was overpriced and needed electronics. They crossed it off their list. Pizza, wine and a movie on the Hotei.
On Friday, Nov 14 we fueled up and headed to Appalachicola. A chilly 39 degrees but sunny. Had an uneventful, pleasant trip arriving at Water Street Inn and Marina at 3pm. Lots of short piers and Stan is getting pretty darn good at backing in even tho his sightline is partially blocked by the dingy up on top. David/Jane walked around town with us and had dinner at Up The Creek Raw Bar where Stan had his oysters. The rest of us had something different!
Saturday, Nov 15...after checking 3 different weather sites, we decided to make the gulf crossing, starting out at 3pm. Went thru government cut and all was well, with 1-2 chop.
Sunset came and things went downhill quickly...seas built, it was pitch black and we had a very, very rough ride. Thanks to Roxanne (David and Jane) for leading the way. Had a quesy stomach most of the way and was soooo grateful to see the sunrise. The seas finally calmed down about 7am and the last 4 hours were okay. A bright note... two dolphins came along side, and were soon joined by 2 more, then 2 more. For a while we had 6 following, jumping and playing. Very cool!
After 20 grueling hours, we arrived at Marker 1 Marina in Dunedin, FL at 11:30am Sunday, Nov. 16. So thankful to be tied up safe and sound. Traveled 190 miles.
Today, Wed. Nov 20 we are still at Marker 1. We have made arrangement to move on Sunday, Nov. 23 to the Dunedin Municipal Marina where we will stay for about 2 months.
A recap of our journey so far...as of Nov. 16 we have been on the loop for 80 days, 31 underway, 49 at rest and traveled 2151.8 miles! Phew!
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
We spent 4 days ( 10/29-11/01) at Dog River Marina getting some maintenance done on Hotei. We went out to dinner with some other loopers at a nearby Yacht Club and gathered on our boat a couple nights for snacks and drinks. Had a good time getting to know Shipperly (Ken and Pauline), met up with Priority (Randy and Sherry) and met some new people. Randy is the one responsible for us buying Hotei - Stan was on their boat a year ago and fell in love with it. Also borrowed the courtesy car and went into town a few times to get provisions.
Sunday, Nov. 2 we left and headed across Mobile Bay for the ICW (intercoasal waterway). We had a following sea when we left so rocked and rolled a little bit until we neared the eastern shore where it calmed down and then we had a great ride. Chilly when we left, but was sunny and warmed up nicely. As we entered the ICW, we saw some dolphins - looking forward to seeing a lot more! Traveled about 50 miles and docked at Holiday Harbor Marina on Perdido Key (near Pensacola, FL). Plan to leave tomorrow for Destin, FL, then on to Panama City, FL where we will stay for a while. Need to look into repairing or replacing it ($$$$).
Sunday, Nov. 2 we left and headed across Mobile Bay for the ICW (intercoasal waterway). We had a following sea when we left so rocked and rolled a little bit until we neared the eastern shore where it calmed down and then we had a great ride. Chilly when we left, but was sunny and warmed up nicely. As we entered the ICW, we saw some dolphins - looking forward to seeing a lot more! Traveled about 50 miles and docked at Holiday Harbor Marina on Perdido Key (near Pensacola, FL). Plan to leave tomorrow for Destin, FL, then on to Panama City, FL where we will stay for a while. Need to look into repairing or replacing it ($$$$).
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Sorry we haven't posted in so long, but was without internet access or good phone service.
On Monday, October 20, we left Grand Harbor at 8:00 am in the fog with 5 other boats. Had to turn around and idle outside Grand Harbor and waited an hour for the fog to lift then resumed our journey at 9:20 am. It turned out to be a nice day. Seanna did a masterful job in clearing the way through 3 locks; no waiting. Arrived at Midway Marina in Fulton, Ms at 4:30 pm. Traveled 55.7 miles.
Tuesday, Oct. 21 we left for Columbus Marina, in Columbus, Ms. going through 4 locks, again cleared thru by Seanna. We can't thank him enough for his expertise. Another great travel day and I think I might have tying up in the locks down to a science! (I hear the Canadian locks are a bit different!) We pulled into the gas dock, fueled up, went to our slip and went to bed early. Don't know how we can get so tired sitting on a boat! Traveled 59 miles.
We stayed two nights at the Columbus Marina in Columbus, Ms. Borrowed the courtesy car and made a trip to Kroger's for groceries, and the wine store to stock up. David and Jane from Roxanne went with us.
Thursday, October 23 we left Columbus at 6:50 am. Seanna had called the John Stennis lock which was only .3 of a mile from the marina. We had a total of 7 boats in the lock. It was a chilly 42 degrees. Went through 2 more locks and after traveling 69 miles, anchored out just past the Howell Heflin lock.
Uneasy night as we weren't positive the anchor was holding tight so kept checking and didn't get much sleep. All well in the morning. Seanna, Freedom and Roxanne anchored with us.
Friday, Oct. 24 pulled anchor at 8:30 am and left with Roxanne. Seanna and Freedom left at 7:00 am. Bright sunny day and headed for Demopolis Yacht Basin in Demopolis, Al. After traveling 49 miles we arrive at 1:30 pm. Waited in line for fuel, and got to our slip at 3:00 pm. This boat sure uses a lot of fuel!!
Actually took my first shower on the boat (we always used the marina showers ... less clean-up) but it was great and decided I'd put up with cleaning our shower for the convenience. Had dinner at the marina restaurant with David and Jane -- other loopers also were there.
Stayed Saturday and made a trip to Walmart for supplies (that's my new "go-to" store as it has just about everything at one place). I do miss Publix tho! Had "docktails" at the marina with other loopers to see who was leaving in the morning. A total of 5 boats decided to leave at 7am. The next leg down to Mobile is void of any viable marinas and requires anchoring out 2 nights.
Sunday, October 26 we headed out at 7am and traveled 3 miles to the Demopolis lock where a total of 9 boats locked through together, including a 120 foot yacht...it was impressive. Looked like a crew of at least 5. Traveled 72 miles and dropped anchor with Roxanne - tied stern to stern with their dingy in between serving as a "foot bridge". David grilled chicken and vegetables and we ate on our back deck. Wonderful! Slept well that night.
Monday, October 27 pulled anchor and left at 8:20 am. Beautiful sunny morning; put beef stew in the crockpot; went on the bridge and enjoyed the morning with my coffee. Had to wait 2 hours and the Coffeeville lock which was the last lock on the river system. Hurray. Got too late to make our 1st choice of anchorages, so stayed at a wide spot in the river...a little nervous as the barges were moving through all night - two passed each other right where we were. We originally anchored stern to stern with Roxanne, but ended up too close to the channel - had to separate and move closer to shore. It was getting dark when we settled in.
Tuesday, October 28 we left anchorage at 7:30 am after a few tense moments. One engine did not want to start and had to use the battery parallel to start it. The inverter was down to 94% but that should have been enough so anxious to get to a marina to plug in electric. We were running off our center tank since our last fill up and switched to side tanks after 180 miles. Still should have been a healthy reserve left, but didn't want to worry.
Coming into Mobile Bay was awesome and intimidating. Lots of commercial barge traffic, huge cargo ships along with some military vessels. We managed to find our way to Dog River Marina, arriving at 4:45pm, got more fuel and tied up for the night. Whew! Good to be on solid ground (so to speak).
Had the remainder of our beef stew with David and Jane; had a little too much wine and Baileys and toddled off to bed. Nice evening tho.
Today, Oct. 29 we went over our list of things we wanted to have done on the boat with the boat yard. They are putting together cost and time estimates which will determine how long we will stay. More later.
On Monday, October 20, we left Grand Harbor at 8:00 am in the fog with 5 other boats. Had to turn around and idle outside Grand Harbor and waited an hour for the fog to lift then resumed our journey at 9:20 am. It turned out to be a nice day. Seanna did a masterful job in clearing the way through 3 locks; no waiting. Arrived at Midway Marina in Fulton, Ms at 4:30 pm. Traveled 55.7 miles.
Tuesday, Oct. 21 we left for Columbus Marina, in Columbus, Ms. going through 4 locks, again cleared thru by Seanna. We can't thank him enough for his expertise. Another great travel day and I think I might have tying up in the locks down to a science! (I hear the Canadian locks are a bit different!) We pulled into the gas dock, fueled up, went to our slip and went to bed early. Don't know how we can get so tired sitting on a boat! Traveled 59 miles.
We stayed two nights at the Columbus Marina in Columbus, Ms. Borrowed the courtesy car and made a trip to Kroger's for groceries, and the wine store to stock up. David and Jane from Roxanne went with us.
Thursday, October 23 we left Columbus at 6:50 am. Seanna had called the John Stennis lock which was only .3 of a mile from the marina. We had a total of 7 boats in the lock. It was a chilly 42 degrees. Went through 2 more locks and after traveling 69 miles, anchored out just past the Howell Heflin lock.
Uneasy night as we weren't positive the anchor was holding tight so kept checking and didn't get much sleep. All well in the morning. Seanna, Freedom and Roxanne anchored with us.
Friday, Oct. 24 pulled anchor at 8:30 am and left with Roxanne. Seanna and Freedom left at 7:00 am. Bright sunny day and headed for Demopolis Yacht Basin in Demopolis, Al. After traveling 49 miles we arrive at 1:30 pm. Waited in line for fuel, and got to our slip at 3:00 pm. This boat sure uses a lot of fuel!!
Actually took my first shower on the boat (we always used the marina showers ... less clean-up) but it was great and decided I'd put up with cleaning our shower for the convenience. Had dinner at the marina restaurant with David and Jane -- other loopers also were there.
Stayed Saturday and made a trip to Walmart for supplies (that's my new "go-to" store as it has just about everything at one place). I do miss Publix tho! Had "docktails" at the marina with other loopers to see who was leaving in the morning. A total of 5 boats decided to leave at 7am. The next leg down to Mobile is void of any viable marinas and requires anchoring out 2 nights.
Sunday, October 26 we headed out at 7am and traveled 3 miles to the Demopolis lock where a total of 9 boats locked through together, including a 120 foot yacht...it was impressive. Looked like a crew of at least 5. Traveled 72 miles and dropped anchor with Roxanne - tied stern to stern with their dingy in between serving as a "foot bridge". David grilled chicken and vegetables and we ate on our back deck. Wonderful! Slept well that night.
Monday, October 27 pulled anchor and left at 8:20 am. Beautiful sunny morning; put beef stew in the crockpot; went on the bridge and enjoyed the morning with my coffee. Had to wait 2 hours and the Coffeeville lock which was the last lock on the river system. Hurray. Got too late to make our 1st choice of anchorages, so stayed at a wide spot in the river...a little nervous as the barges were moving through all night - two passed each other right where we were. We originally anchored stern to stern with Roxanne, but ended up too close to the channel - had to separate and move closer to shore. It was getting dark when we settled in.
Tuesday, October 28 we left anchorage at 7:30 am after a few tense moments. One engine did not want to start and had to use the battery parallel to start it. The inverter was down to 94% but that should have been enough so anxious to get to a marina to plug in electric. We were running off our center tank since our last fill up and switched to side tanks after 180 miles. Still should have been a healthy reserve left, but didn't want to worry.
Coming into Mobile Bay was awesome and intimidating. Lots of commercial barge traffic, huge cargo ships along with some military vessels. We managed to find our way to Dog River Marina, arriving at 4:45pm, got more fuel and tied up for the night. Whew! Good to be on solid ground (so to speak).
Had the remainder of our beef stew with David and Jane; had a little too much wine and Baileys and toddled off to bed. Nice evening tho.
Today, Oct. 29 we went over our list of things we wanted to have done on the boat with the boat yard. They are putting together cost and time estimates which will determine how long we will stay. More later.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
On Saturday, Oct. 12 we left Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, Ky at 8:30 am. It was cloudy with a little light drizzle. We went through the Barkley Canal from Lake Barkley into Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River). Traveled 72 miles and arrived at Pebble Isle Marina in New Johnsonville, Tn. at 4:30 pm. We refueled and went to bed early. Picked up our mail which was waiting for us.
Sunday, Oct. 13 we left Pebble Isle and arrived at the Clifton Marina in Clifton, Tn. at 3:30pm. Traveled 62.5 miles. Met up with It Takes Two, Rich and Pam who we originally met in Mackinaw City, Mi. We drove over there while waiting for the Hotei to be serviced. Had a few glasses of wine, traded stories and met another couple from Canada, Ken and Pauline on the Shipperly. This is a small but very nice marina with friendly people and a great cheeseburger! A covered sitting area with tables is a nice touch.
Monday, Oct 14 departed Clifton and headed for Grand Harbor Marina in Counce, Tn. located at the beginning of the Tenn-Tom waterway. Went through the Pickwick Lock and Dam and into Pickwick Lake which is a very large body of water. Lots of great boating. We traveled 55.2 miles and arrived at Grand Harbor at 3:00 pm. After refueling and getting settled, we borrowed the courtesy car and drove 35 miles back to Clifton to retrieve our power cord which we left on the dock! (Senior Moment on both our parts). We have been here for a week, relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Hooked up with some fellow loopers, went to dinner a couple times. Visited Shiloh State Park, site of The Civil War battle. Watched a movie re-enactment before driving through to see the different battle grounds. Quite impressive.
We will be resuming our southward trip tomorrow morning, Monday, Oct. 20.
Sunday, Oct. 13 we left Pebble Isle and arrived at the Clifton Marina in Clifton, Tn. at 3:30pm. Traveled 62.5 miles. Met up with It Takes Two, Rich and Pam who we originally met in Mackinaw City, Mi. We drove over there while waiting for the Hotei to be serviced. Had a few glasses of wine, traded stories and met another couple from Canada, Ken and Pauline on the Shipperly. This is a small but very nice marina with friendly people and a great cheeseburger! A covered sitting area with tables is a nice touch.
Monday, Oct 14 departed Clifton and headed for Grand Harbor Marina in Counce, Tn. located at the beginning of the Tenn-Tom waterway. Went through the Pickwick Lock and Dam and into Pickwick Lake which is a very large body of water. Lots of great boating. We traveled 55.2 miles and arrived at Grand Harbor at 3:00 pm. After refueling and getting settled, we borrowed the courtesy car and drove 35 miles back to Clifton to retrieve our power cord which we left on the dock! (Senior Moment on both our parts). We have been here for a week, relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Hooked up with some fellow loopers, went to dinner a couple times. Visited Shiloh State Park, site of The Civil War battle. Watched a movie re-enactment before driving through to see the different battle grounds. Quite impressive.
We will be resuming our southward trip tomorrow morning, Monday, Oct. 20.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Sunday, Oct 5 while at Hoppies in Kimmswick, Mo waiting for the winds to die down, a group of "loopers" walked about a mile to a farm associated with Anheiser Bush where they have a theraputic riding program, Ride on St. Louis. They help both handicapped youths and also war veterans. A group of about 20 acapella singers performed. They sang together and also had several quartets singing mostly old tunes. It was a great afternoon.
Monday, Oct. 6, we left Hoppies at 7:15 am with 6 other "loopers"... traveled 110 miles down the Mississippi to Little River Diversion where we set about anchoring for the night. We had a little problem getting our anchor to set so rafted off two other boats, Moondance and R & R. Had a light rain shower, but it cleared up and was a nice evening--everyone went to bed early.
Tuesday Oct. 7 left anchorage at 7:15am. Continued down the Mississippi to the Ohio. We were all happy to get off the Mississippi River - it was muddy, had lots of logs, branches and twigs to avoid, along the all the barge traffic. A little stressful! We turned up the Ohio River and arrived at Lock & Dam 52 near Paducah, Ky at 3:30 and requested a lock thru. There was a lot of barge traffic and it became apparent we would not have time to lock thru and get to a good anchorage spot. We all dropped anchor near the Hwy 24 bridge. This night we rafted with Roxanne, Jane & David Anderson. Our inverter quit working so hoped the refrigerator would still be cold by morning.
Wednesday, Oct. 8 we called the lock tender at 6:30 am and requested a lock thru. We finally cleared the lock at 10:50 am. We are on the way to the Cumberland River, one more lock and the marina at Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, Ky. Looking forward to a nice hot shower!
Arrived at Barkley Dam and Lock around 3pm, had to wait a while to get in the lock. All of us got into the lock together, tied up and ready for the 51' rise. Turned off the engines and waited to get to the top. When we tried to start the engines to leave the lock...they did not start! Thank goodness for David and Jane on the Roxanne. They pulled up alongside our boat so we could tie an onto them and they towed us to Green Turtle Bay which thankfully wasn't far from the lock. However, it was getting dark quickly and had a few tense moments getting into the harbor. The staff at the marina stayed to help secure us to the gas dock. David and Jane were terrific and we can't thank them enough. We had no electric hookup or water, but we were safe.
Thursday, Oct 9 we had the mechanics look at the boat to figure out why we couldn't get the engines started. It all had something to do with the electrical system and anchoring out two nights without electrical hookup. We now know we need to run the generator once a day for an hour or so to be sure the battery banks stay fully charged. Thank goodness we didn't need an engine replacement! I splurged and got a manicure and pedicure at the spa. The group had dinner at the local marina restaurant...all were relieved to be safe and secure.
Friday, Oct 10...we got up and it was foggy and rainy so elected to stay put. Rained off and on most of the day. Used the courtesy car to make a run to Walmart for a few supplies. The group got together for a potluck tonight...a very nice group of people to travel with, and we hope to stay in touch with all of them. We plan to leave tomorrow for Pebble Isle Marina in New Johnsonville, Tn.
A recap...we left Harbor Springs, Michigan on Saturday, August 30 and have traveled 1063 miles. Of the 42 days we have been "on the loop", 14 days were traveling, and 28 were "loitering".
Monday, Oct. 6, we left Hoppies at 7:15 am with 6 other "loopers"... traveled 110 miles down the Mississippi to Little River Diversion where we set about anchoring for the night. We had a little problem getting our anchor to set so rafted off two other boats, Moondance and R & R. Had a light rain shower, but it cleared up and was a nice evening--everyone went to bed early.
Tuesday Oct. 7 left anchorage at 7:15am. Continued down the Mississippi to the Ohio. We were all happy to get off the Mississippi River - it was muddy, had lots of logs, branches and twigs to avoid, along the all the barge traffic. A little stressful! We turned up the Ohio River and arrived at Lock & Dam 52 near Paducah, Ky at 3:30 and requested a lock thru. There was a lot of barge traffic and it became apparent we would not have time to lock thru and get to a good anchorage spot. We all dropped anchor near the Hwy 24 bridge. This night we rafted with Roxanne, Jane & David Anderson. Our inverter quit working so hoped the refrigerator would still be cold by morning.
Wednesday, Oct. 8 we called the lock tender at 6:30 am and requested a lock thru. We finally cleared the lock at 10:50 am. We are on the way to the Cumberland River, one more lock and the marina at Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, Ky. Looking forward to a nice hot shower!
Arrived at Barkley Dam and Lock around 3pm, had to wait a while to get in the lock. All of us got into the lock together, tied up and ready for the 51' rise. Turned off the engines and waited to get to the top. When we tried to start the engines to leave the lock...they did not start! Thank goodness for David and Jane on the Roxanne. They pulled up alongside our boat so we could tie an onto them and they towed us to Green Turtle Bay which thankfully wasn't far from the lock. However, it was getting dark quickly and had a few tense moments getting into the harbor. The staff at the marina stayed to help secure us to the gas dock. David and Jane were terrific and we can't thank them enough. We had no electric hookup or water, but we were safe.
Thursday, Oct 9 we had the mechanics look at the boat to figure out why we couldn't get the engines started. It all had something to do with the electrical system and anchoring out two nights without electrical hookup. We now know we need to run the generator once a day for an hour or so to be sure the battery banks stay fully charged. Thank goodness we didn't need an engine replacement! I splurged and got a manicure and pedicure at the spa. The group had dinner at the local marina restaurant...all were relieved to be safe and secure.
Friday, Oct 10...we got up and it was foggy and rainy so elected to stay put. Rained off and on most of the day. Used the courtesy car to make a run to Walmart for a few supplies. The group got together for a potluck tonight...a very nice group of people to travel with, and we hope to stay in touch with all of them. We plan to leave tomorrow for Pebble Isle Marina in New Johnsonville, Tn.
A recap...we left Harbor Springs, Michigan on Saturday, August 30 and have traveled 1063 miles. Of the 42 days we have been "on the loop", 14 days were traveling, and 28 were "loitering".
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Planned to leave this morning with 3 other boats to travel 110 miles to anchor at Little River Diversion Chanel at Mile 48.8 on the Mississippi River near Cape Girardeau, Mo. After some discussion and given the debri (logs, tree limbs, etc) in the river the decision was made to wait for a couple days. The river is cresting up stream and washing a lot of junk into the river. Better to be safe than get in trouble. There is a saying among loopers..."the worst thing you can do is bring a schedule on board". We will chill for a while...maybe catch a few naps!
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Spent 3 days in Grafton, Monday 9/29 to Thursday, Oct. 2. We did laundry, got some groceries and finally broke down and bought an I-Pad! Loaded navigational aid Garmin Blue Chart and got a quick lesson from the Verizon rep. We're still learning, but so far has proved a great navigational aid in addition to our paper charts and Northstar 6000 GPS.
Got over 5" of rain on Wednesday. Met some fellow loopers and exchanged "stories". Left Grafton on Thursday, Oct 2 and traveled 20 miles to Alton, Il. Left Friday, Oct 3 arriving at Hoppies in Kimmswick, Mo mid afternoon. Hoppies is a "must stop" for all loopers. We topped off the gas tanks in preparation for the long journey of 241 miles to Green Turtle Bay at the top of Barkley Lake.
Fran (Hoppies owner) gave us a "mini seminar" on pitfalls and what to expect on the next 241 miles to Kentucky Lake/Barkley Lake as there are no marinas to dock at. We will have to anchor out at least 2 nights which we haven't had to do yet. Sunday, we leave Hoppies and plan to travel 110 miles and anchor at Little Diversion Channel, Mile Marker 48.8.
Got over 5" of rain on Wednesday. Met some fellow loopers and exchanged "stories". Left Grafton on Thursday, Oct 2 and traveled 20 miles to Alton, Il. Left Friday, Oct 3 arriving at Hoppies in Kimmswick, Mo mid afternoon. Hoppies is a "must stop" for all loopers. We topped off the gas tanks in preparation for the long journey of 241 miles to Green Turtle Bay at the top of Barkley Lake.
Fran (Hoppies owner) gave us a "mini seminar" on pitfalls and what to expect on the next 241 miles to Kentucky Lake/Barkley Lake as there are no marinas to dock at. We will have to anchor out at least 2 nights which we haven't had to do yet. Sunday, we leave Hoppies and plan to travel 110 miles and anchor at Little Diversion Channel, Mile Marker 48.8.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Thursday, 9/25. Left Hammond, In. harbor and headed down the Cal-Sag waterway. We traveled 62 miles through many locks and bridges. Late afternoon we lost one engine and limped our way itno Harborside Marina in Wilmington, Il. We had reservations at the gas dock, arrived in the dark, only to find someone took our spot! Managed to tie up safely.
Friday, 9/26. Thankfully, the mechanic at Harborside fixed our fuel problem. We filled all gas tanks and headed out once again. Traveled 55 miles thru 3 locks to Spring Valley Boat Club in Granville, Il. We met the nicest people! We had help tying up and two people offered their vehicles in case we needed supplies. After a shower, we went up to the boat club for a drink or two and enjoyed visiting with the members who were there. We would highly recommend this as a stop along the Illinois River. Very gracious people. We could have stayed a few more days!
Saturday, 9/27. Traveled 98.4 miles to Big Timbers Marina in Havana, Il. Bob, the owner, was very accommodating and would also recommend this stop. Long day, again arriving after dark! We docked in front of Toba...third time we have seen Tom & Barbara Wilson. Hope we run into them again and have a chance to visit.
Sunday, 9/28. Our longest day yet! Traveled 120 miles to Grafton, Il where the Illinois River meets up with the Mississippi. Only one lock at LaGrange, Il. but barge traffic was heavy. Once we were in between two barges in the dark which was stressful! With some excellent navigation by Diane and masterful piloting by Stan we managed to find Grafton Marina. Not easy in the dark and in unfamiliar territory. Plans are to chill out here for a couple days, wash the boat, do the laundry and get supplies. Mundane, but we are looking for a little down time before heading out again.
Friday, 9/26. Thankfully, the mechanic at Harborside fixed our fuel problem. We filled all gas tanks and headed out once again. Traveled 55 miles thru 3 locks to Spring Valley Boat Club in Granville, Il. We met the nicest people! We had help tying up and two people offered their vehicles in case we needed supplies. After a shower, we went up to the boat club for a drink or two and enjoyed visiting with the members who were there. We would highly recommend this as a stop along the Illinois River. Very gracious people. We could have stayed a few more days!
Saturday, 9/27. Traveled 98.4 miles to Big Timbers Marina in Havana, Il. Bob, the owner, was very accommodating and would also recommend this stop. Long day, again arriving after dark! We docked in front of Toba...third time we have seen Tom & Barbara Wilson. Hope we run into them again and have a chance to visit.
Sunday, 9/28. Our longest day yet! Traveled 120 miles to Grafton, Il where the Illinois River meets up with the Mississippi. Only one lock at LaGrange, Il. but barge traffic was heavy. Once we were in between two barges in the dark which was stressful! With some excellent navigation by Diane and masterful piloting by Stan we managed to find Grafton Marina. Not easy in the dark and in unfamiliar territory. Plans are to chill out here for a couple days, wash the boat, do the laundry and get supplies. Mundane, but we are looking for a little down time before heading out again.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
After spending 3 weeks in Racine visiting with family and friends, a couple of boat rides and celebrating Diane's Mom's 91st birthday, Stan and his good boating friend, Dave Macnamara left Racine at 6:15 am for Hammond, Ind. They traveled 73 miles and arrived at Hammond Marina at 1:30 pm. Diane drove Dave's car and they switched places after docking. Total miles traveled is 321.5.
Among our guests were Troy Edwards and boys Andrew and Chris. They had a great time fishing, caught two fish on a charter boat that Troy fried up for lunch...delicious! They (the boys) even went swimming off the back of the boat (think it was a little chilly).
Special thanks to son-in-law Rick and his family for spending a boring day hooking up our TV antenna. Much appreciated. We still owe them a ride.
We enjoyed showing off our new home to all who visited and will start down the river system tomorrow entering at the Cal-Sag canal.
Among our guests were Troy Edwards and boys Andrew and Chris. They had a great time fishing, caught two fish on a charter boat that Troy fried up for lunch...delicious! They (the boys) even went swimming off the back of the boat (think it was a little chilly).
Special thanks to son-in-law Rick and his family for spending a boring day hooking up our TV antenna. Much appreciated. We still owe them a ride.
We enjoyed showing off our new home to all who visited and will start down the river system tomorrow entering at the Cal-Sag canal.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Monday, September 1, 2014
Left this morning at 10am from Kewaunee. Visibility was about 1/2 mile and waves 1-2 feet, building to 2-4 feet with an occasional 5 footer. Not a real bad ride, but not fun. Thankfully as day progressed, the fog lifted a little and we hugged the shore to get a little better ride. As the sun started to come out, we decided to tough it out and headed for Port Washington. We arrived at 6:30 pm (long day) and after getting fuel, we pulled into our slip. After some dinner and a shower, we are again feeling human. Total miles traveled so far is 211.5. Off to Racine tomorrow if the weather is good. We plan to dock in Racine for 2-3 weeks to relax and visit family and friends. Welcome aboard.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
The next morning, Sunday, August 31, we left Leeland at 7:25 am following fellow loopers, Bob and Linda Lee on the Errante. We headed to Sturgeon Bay. It was cloudy and seas were about 1-2 but really flattened out as we progressed. About 20 miles from Sturgeon Bay, we changed course and headed for Kewaunee where we docked for the night.
Plans are to head for Racine, WI tomorrow, Monday, Sept. 1st stopping about 1/2 way for the night (most likely Sheboygan) and arriving in Racine Tuesday evening. Of course, that depends on the weather! When we get to Racine, we plan to dock there for 2-3 weeks so all our friends and relatives are invited to visit!
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
At 10 am on Thursday July 31 we closed on the farm. We left Ocala headed north. Stan drove the U-Haul truck packed with all our belongings for a year's adventure. Diane and Kali followed in the car. Along the way we stopped to look at 2 more boats but didn't like either. We arrived at Diane's Mom's in Northbrook, Il on Saturday, Aug. 2 and unpacked the truck, storing all the boxes in the garage.
On Monday, Aug 4 we rented a car and anxiously headed to Harbor Springs, Mi to see the boat we made an offer on and hopefully close the deal. We had a chance get on board briefly when we arrived after hours at Irish Boat Yard. We were more than a little disappointed it wasn't in a "10" condition as portrayed to us. Great boat but needed a little TLC.
Tuesday we went out on a seatrial and were very encouraged at the performance of the engines ... very smooth and all tolerances were within range. Discussed condition of the boat and got estimates of what it would take to bring it up to a "10". Made a revised reduced offer and went back and forth a few times.
Wednesday our offer was accepted and we proceeded to write up a work order for Irish Boat Yard. Decided to have all work done before we started our trip. Also ordered new carpet and furniture for the sundeck which made Diane very happy. Stayed on the boat Friday night Aug 8.
Traveled back to Illinois to spend some family time while they worked on the boat. Plans are to return to Michigan on Friday, Aug 22, get acquainted with our new home and depart on or around Aug 27/28. We will head for Racine, Wisconsin, spend a few weeks there before heading south mid-Sept.
On Monday, Aug 4 we rented a car and anxiously headed to Harbor Springs, Mi to see the boat we made an offer on and hopefully close the deal. We had a chance get on board briefly when we arrived after hours at Irish Boat Yard. We were more than a little disappointed it wasn't in a "10" condition as portrayed to us. Great boat but needed a little TLC.
Tuesday we went out on a seatrial and were very encouraged at the performance of the engines ... very smooth and all tolerances were within range. Discussed condition of the boat and got estimates of what it would take to bring it up to a "10". Made a revised reduced offer and went back and forth a few times.
Wednesday our offer was accepted and we proceeded to write up a work order for Irish Boat Yard. Decided to have all work done before we started our trip. Also ordered new carpet and furniture for the sundeck which made Diane very happy. Stayed on the boat Friday night Aug 8.
Traveled back to Illinois to spend some family time while they worked on the boat. Plans are to return to Michigan on Friday, Aug 22, get acquainted with our new home and depart on or around Aug 27/28. We will head for Racine, Wisconsin, spend a few weeks there before heading south mid-Sept.
Monday, July 21, 2014
.jpg)
Hello and welcome to our first blog!
We have a closing date on our house and we will hopefully close on our new boat a few day's after that. There are a few pictures below.
We Plan to spend the next year or so Cruising America's Great Loop.
Itinerary:
6000 miles
100 days Cruising
265 days Loitering
The website for Loopers is:http://www.greatloop.org/index.php
Please enter your e-mail in the "Follow by E-Mail" box to automatically get updates of this blog or check back occasionally to see what we are up to! Thank You, Stan and Diane.
Here's the boat:
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)