M.V. Blue Yonder - Nantucket MA

There She Blows

2011-05-03T21:18:00.000-04:00

What a Great Year and what a Great Trip. As we pulled into Nantucket on a foggy night our minds were filled with memories. This little video will give you a little taste of what we where thinking.

Boldly going where few loopers have gone before gives us the Gold.

2011-04-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

My god is it Cold! Early in the morning Anna and I pushed off from Cape May, NJ. The weather for the next five three days is calling for heavy winds and seas off the Jersey coast. If we are going to cross our wake this week and start our run back to Nantucket, we are going to have to do something drastic. As I have mentioned in the past there are a few major hurdles that must be crossed in order to complete the Great Loop. The most obvious would be crossing the Gulf from Carrabelle to Clearwater Fl. Others would be navigating the Mississippi with it heavy current and barge traffic or being mindful of the heavy winds and seas in Lake Michigan. One of the less popular with regards to loop conversation is the trek from the bottom of NJ to Sandy Hook. Having grown up off Sandy Hook, I know all to well the dangers of running offshore this time of year. The water is cold and the winds can be relentless. At a temperature of 40 degrees, a healthy man is thought to be able to swim 40 yards before he begins to cramp and feel the effects of Hypothermia. These are not conditions anyone wants to find themselves in if there is an emergency. If you run on the outside this time of year odds are you will be alone. On occasion you will see a fishing trawler making way for Barnegat bay or the Manasquan inlet but for the most part you have got the coast to your self. If Anna and I were to make a decision to run on the outside the conditions would have to be perfect. As luck would have it no such conditions lay on our predictable horizon. That left us with two options, wait or run the old ICW of NJ. The old intercoastal waterway of NJ was abandoned by the core of engineers some years ago. People still use it, but it's navigated with a large amount of local knowledge do to the constant shoaling. With our boat drawing a smidge less than four feet Anna and I believed that if we run on a rising tide we just might be able to pull it off. What the hell we thought. We got sea tow and Boat US at the start of this trip and we have never had to use it. Lets give it a go. Our run from Cape May seemed to be going according to plan until we got about 3 miles from Atlantic City. As we rounded a bend in the channel we encountered a bridge that was covered with tarps. I checked the charts and verified that there was a 6 foot vertical clearance making it impossible to get under even if we waited till low tide. The bridge tender radioed us and confirmed that fact that the bridge would not be in operation for another two weeks. I asked him why it was not listed in the notice to mariners and he responded that he didn't think the contractor wanted to advertise that he was so overdue. This presented a major problem. We would have to backtrack five miles and run on the outside till the safety of Atlantic city's inlet. Anna readied the boat and with white knuckles off we went. The swells were huge, but Blue pushed us through and in an hour and a half we had made it safely back in. Anna and I tied up in AC that night feeling as if we had dodged a huge bullet. After a rough nights sleep Anna and I woke about 5 am and decided today is the day. The winds in the afternoon were forcasted to turn to the south east giving us a few hours of good weather on the outside to run from Manasquan to Sandy Hook. We pushed off and kept our eye's pealed to the depth sounder as if alarmed constantly as Blue's bottom came inches from the bottom as we ran up the inside. I was so thankful to have Anna helping me through those channels, she would watch the paper charts and keep an eye on the upcoming buoys as I tried my best to keep us in the middle of the winding channels. Our arrival to the Manasquan inlet left Blue bumping the bottom as we pushed through. At one point I was sure we would ground but Blue slipped over the shoals as if she was determined not to fail us now. Leaving the Manasquan inlet we ran up the engine and made a dash for Sandy Hook. Coming round the point we could see the hills of Highlands off in the distance and with a sigh of relief and a long hug Anna and I crossed our wake completing the Great Loop portion of our cruise. Our emotions were strange, of course we were happy but we were also sad. The great loop was a dream for so long, and now with it done it is hard to know how to feel. There is no question this trip has changed us. We are different people than we were a year ago, our horizons are broader and our minds are filled with wonderful people places and memories. As my father cracked a bottle of Champagne on the dock in Red Bank, we toasted our success. The first completion is done, now we will be off for Nantucket where in our minds our trip will truly be complete. I feel we miss our family and friends more now than ever. It will be nice to cruise New England's waters back to Nantucket we hope to have a few weeks to catch up before we will pack up and head south to our new life in Florida.

Anna thought it was funny to take this picture as I looked at the charts and contemplated our decision to run the inside of NJ. Man I hope this works I thought.

Running the outside to Sandy Hook. If all goes well this will be the last time a white AGLCA burgee will fly on Blue's Bow.

At this point off Sandy Hook 5:09 PM Anna and I crossed our wake completing the Great Loop. Seeing Long Island off in the distance we wished it was Nantucket. We can't wait to get back.

I have seen these lights my whole life, but never before has it meant so much to see them off in the distance.

Not nearly as many boats in the water this time of year, nice to know we will have no problem getting a slip.

As we crossed under the Oceanic Bridge on our way up the Navasink, we called our families and told them the good news.

After a long day we pulled in to the dock in downtown Red Bank.

My Dad had no problem popping a bottle of Campaign to toast our completion. It was so nice to see my family, it had been to long.

After three days we pushed off to Connecticut, their has been a new addition to the family and we want to meet her.

A short car drive and we got to meet Maeve, our new niece born six weeks ago. She looked good with her Grandma, Grandpa and big brother Jeffrey.

I have to tell you we missed Chris and Deirdre so much this past year, we can't wait till they all come down and visit us in our new home in Florida.

Good thing we had the gold looper flag. Our old Bergee ripped in the wind off NJ.

What a great feeling!

To the Chesapeake and Beyond

2011-04-18T10:49:00.000-04:00

It was an early start as we pushed out of Norfolk. The sun has been cresting over the horizon a bit earlier each day and with another patch of heavy winds coming in we need all the daylight we can get. As we made our way up Hampton Roads, we were once again overwhelmed by the scale of the Naval operations around us. The night before we had enjoyed a nice quite dinner in an Irish Pub in downtown. I was surprised that the pub was so quiet, it was thirsty Thursday after all. The Barkeep laughed at my comment and said payday wasn't till tomorrow. She explained that about 75 percent of the people in the Norfolk area are on a government payroll, you can always tell when payday is about to happen because one night the bars are empty and the next they are packed. Lucky us I thought, it was a sure treat to have the Bar to ourselves. Our run up the Chesapeake was one of the more beautiful days we have had on the water in some time. The winds were calm as could be and the sun was shinning allowing us to be nice and toasty in Blue's wheelhouse. Towards the end of the day Anna and I decided that with high winds forcasted for the next four days, we would rather make tracks today and push on to Annapolis. In hindsight, this was one of the more foolish decisions Anna and I have made in some time. Our plan would leave us arriving in Annapolis at night. The final two hours of our trip were a bit hair raising as we had a lightning storm form on the horizon and a number of large Freighters to contend with. With Anna and I both keeping watch and the radar tracking six targets we finally made it into port. Looking back on the situation, I am glad we pushed to get to Annapolis but the risk of navigating through the freighter traffic was extremely stressful. In the future I would not advise anyone to navigate through those waters at night. As soon as we pulled into Annapolis the heavens opened and Anna and I joked how nice it was to not have to wash the boat. Over the next two days we enjoyed a nice visit from my old college buddy Lou and Anna's childhood friend Alissa. What a treat it was to spend some time with them both. Anna and I absolutely loved Annapolis, we took an afternoon to walk through the Naval College and enjoy the quaint homes and State House. As soon as the weather cleared we pushed on up to the C & D Canal. Once through we quickly realized that our trip was about to take a major turn. None of the marina's are set up for dockage yet, we quickly found that finding water to fill Blue's tanks was going to be a major issue. With temperatures still hovering around freezing during the night, many of the marinas have not yet run water on their dock or to their restrooms. From here on out we will be making long jumps until we reach Sandy Hook. We have decided to do something many other boaters would never try. We will run the inside of NJ up the old ICW. I have asked many boaters if they have done this and never met anyone that has. Loopers usually opt to wait for good weather and run NJ on the outside off shore. With heavy winds forcasted every day and water temperatures hovering in the low 40's Anna and I decided to give it a go. Should be interesting to say the least.

This was lifted out of the water in this floating dry dock.

I tell you these new stealth ships sure look strange when docked next to the older destroyers.

Hampton Roads is a channel which runs between the two major Naval Docks in Norfolk. Once again it is advised that you don't stray from the channel unless you want to have a conversation with a nations Navy.

Once in the Chesapeake bay we started to see sights that reminded us of home. It has been a long time since we saw a lighthouse that looked like this. It was a good feeling.

We have been told this tavern has the best Crab Cakes in Annapolis. I have to tell you Anna and I really enjoyed the the crab pretzel. A huge soft pretzel with crab dip and cheese baked on top of it.

If you go to Annapolis do yourself a favor and get breakfast or lunch at Chick and Ruth's Deli. They say the pledge of Allegiance every morning at 8:30 and some of you might have seen them on the TV show Man Vs. Food.

Anna and I were happy to see the Cherry Blossoms.

My Fraternity and College roommate Lou and I enjoying a fine Cigar and a beer. Life don't get much better than this.

Alyssa and her daughter Elena. One of the best parts of the trip is being able to reconnect with all our old friends.

Anna and I really enjoyed or walk through the Naval College. I would have loved to have gone, that is if I had the Math scores and a congressional appointment.

What the heck is going on, it feels like it might snow. Delaware city was the last spot we could find running water on the docks for 180 miles.

The owners of this marina are amazingly nice and it is was a great stop to get organized and some laundry done.

If you stop in Delaware City you have got to get a bite to eat at Crabby Dicks. Anna and I stopped in and stopped in and had to buy a t-shirt. I don't think I can ever wear it in public but man they sure had fun making funny t-shirts.

"Look at that" Anna said. "We must have made it to NJ".

The City of Steel.

2011-04-16T09:29:00.000-04:00

As we pulled out of the last lock on the Dismal Swamp Canal, it was pretty clear that we weren't in Kansas anymore. The water quickly changed from the clean amber pure water in the canal to a dark murky industrial soup. Norfolk Harbor is known as being on of the most polluted bodies of water in the US. Thanks to years of abuse from our nations Navy, it will be years until the mud and banks of Norfolk are clean. That having been said, Norfolk is still one of the most amazing places we have seen so far. As we round the last bend leaving the canal, the pine trees seem to shrink as if they crouched with fear as the steal ships take over the landscape. Moving along the channel, one quickly finds that it is extremely clear which way you are to go. To the right and left of Blue we found patrol boats and signs. The signs made the matter clear, a violation of the security barrier would result in the use of deadly force. Well at least there is no confusion Anna joked. The ships are truly amazing. As we passed by an Aircraft Carrier we suddenly realized the intimidation factor of having one of these massive ships show up off a foreign shore. It truly is the biggest stick on the block. Anna took pictures of many of the ships from the bow and seemed to be attracting a bit of attention from the men on the ends of the dock. I took a look in my Binoculars and saw that they were looking back at me. What was a bit unnerving was the fact that all of them had machine guns over their shoulders. I quickly called to Anna on the bow and suggested we be a bit more discreet with our photography. I tell you it was a strange feeling having all those eyes peering down on you. As we pulled into downtown Norfolk and tied up Blue, we were so excited to sit and watch a giant destroyer being lifted out of the water in a dry dock right across from us. It would be hard to imagine the size of the operation with out having seen it first hand. With Blue tied to the dock Anna and I sat down to discuss a very important issue that had arisen over the past few weeks. As many of you know I have been giving a lot of thought toward what we would do when we return to Nantucket. Well a short while ago I had been offered a job working at St Augustine Marine Center in Florida. The opportunity offered to us was hard to ignore and we had arrived at a decision that we would be crazy not to jump on it. With the prospect of needing to relocate to Florida a few short weeks after arriving back to Nantucket, we decided we should put the brakes on and leave Blue in Norfolk for a week and drive back to Florida to find a place to live. Our drive back to St Augustine was filled with emotions. We constantly struggled with our decision to leave our lives on Nantucket, we have made so many memories their. Upon our arrival we put our thoughts behind us and started to explore. After a few days we had found a place to live on Anastasia Island right outside of St Augustine and were beginning to feel much better about our decision. On our trip back to Blue we sat in the car with 1000 yard stares, man we were tired. We have our work cut out for is now. We have a trip to finish and a new life to start. Bring it on, nothing can be worse than the rough seas in Albermarle Sound. After all that Anna and I have seen and done in the past year, I feel there is nothing we can't do once we put our minds to it.

A view as we pushed off on the last leg of the Swamp.

This place cracked me up. The sign may be hard to read in this shot but this is the superintendent house on the Canal. Looks like the Cobbler's shoe if you ask me.

What a thrill to see how far we have come.

Until you see one of these ships, it is hard to grasp their size. You can see the barrier in the water around the ship. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy. NOT!

I think this is about as close as anyone can get to a Nuclear Sub without being in the Navy. Note the patrol boats keeping a watchful eye.

The View from the helm on the Battleship Wisconsin

The door to the main control room on the Battleship. 18 inches of steal protect the main controls and communications. During Battle the Captain and Helmsmen would be inside this room with the door shut.

The Helm and Command center on the Bridge.

Look at those Guns.

They say the Guns could shoot a Volkswagen Beetle. This shell had a range of over 20 miles.

You should enlarge this photo and check out these specs. This ship is just amazing!

Anna joked that she wished she had this on board Blue, maybe then she could get some privacy.

The Battle Ship Wisconsin was only hit once off the shore of Korea. At the time the Captain was so mad that someone had damaged his boat he ordered the boat to turn broadside and load all six of their guns. In one shot all six guns fired on a mountain top where a single enemy gun had got it's million dollar shot. When the dust cleared, the spotter reported that the enemy gun had been destroyed. He added that the entire top of the mountain was now missing. Moments later the Captain received a typed message from the a fellow Captain in the battle group. It contained two words. TEMPER TEMPER.

The Chrysler Art Museum is a free museum and a must see

The flower display inside the entry was a piece of art itself

The lighting and architecture of the building are amazing

The museum was filled with room after room of amazing sights. Of the whole loop this really was the top art museum.

Old North State

2011-04-15T16:05:00.000-04:00

There is no other way to put it than we are on the move. With time running out on our Great Loop adventure we are buckled down and forging North. I must say when we first left Florida we felt sad as we looked around and saw less and less boats doting our horizons. Now as we find ourselves alone most days on the waterway we are finding it to be rather peaceful and special. Anna and I have really enjoyed the time we have spent together on the trip, it may be a wonder how we did not kill each other, but as completion approaches we find ourselves wondering how it will be once we get back to life as we new it before. As we run up the outer banks of North Carolina we find ourselves taking more and more time to enjoy the peaceful landscape. In a few short weeks these waters will be filled with charter boats and weekenders, it is a real treat to see it so quite. Upon our arrival to the base of Pamlico sound we got a opportunity to visit with my Cousin Sue in Beaufort NC. It was a great weekend and she was a great host showing us around the town. We all enjoyed a beautiful walk on the beach with here new puppy Beau. I got a kick out of seeing all the Christmas Trees buried in the sand. I remember some years ago people would put their trees in the dunes of Nantucket in an attempt to slow down the erosion on the beaches. Well they got that theory in full operation here and amazingly it seems to work very well. You can see the mounds of sand building around the trees making a sort of artificial sand dune. It makes me wonder why they banned it on Nantucket. It seems to work very well. Our entrance into pamlico and Abermarle sounds did not go as well as our time with Sue. Our first attempt to run up pamlico sound had to be aborted due to the size of the seas. Anna and I were not to upset as it left us with a great excuse to run into Oriental NC one of our favorite little towns in NC. Our evening in Oriental was as wonderful as we had hoped and a great evening was had with our fellow loopers on Dragonfly, a solar powered Erie Canal boat that has been doing the loop this year as well. We first bumped into Dragonfly in Canada. I must say it is an amazing accomplishment to have done the loop in their boat. They have truly had an unbelievable adventure. Our arrival to Abermarle sound just south of the Dismal Swamp Canal showed us the biggest seas we have seen so far on our trip. We stuck our necks out into the sound only to see our lives flash before our eyes. I can truly say we ran back to port with our tails between our legs. I tell you some times it is just not worth it, and this was one of those times. We tied up to a dock at a Shell Station and were happy to pay their price even though it was pure Piracy. In the morning we made way for the Dismal Swamp Canal. There are a few cool things I learned about the Canal, first, it is the oldest Canal in the United States having been used by George Washington in the Revolution. It also has the purest water known to exist in the US. It seems the acid from the pine trees kills the bacteria in the water, allowing it to stay fresh indefinitely. Our Navy use to fill barrels of the water to provision for long voyages. Even more shockingly NASA planned to use water from the Canal to send up to the moon with the Apollo Astronauts. We learned many of these facts as we waited for the last lock to open. The Lock attendant was one of the nicest guys and treated us to a truly amazing musical rendition on one of his many Conch Shells he has collected from northern travelers over the years. We may be alone on the waterway, but we sure our getting the full tour. Our next stop is the home of our Nations Navy. Can't wait to see the Ships!

Love the Candy Cane Shudders on this home in Southport

We loved this sign as it showed we were half way home

Beautiful Sunset from our back deck

How embarrassing, we got lapped by this tanker

This lovely dredge was in he middle of the ICW and did not answer any of my hails so I had to go ahead and guess on which side to pass. Luckily I guessed correctly

Great to see surfers again

My cousin Sue and her beautiful dog Beau on a beach walk

OK, this is like looking at a train wreck

What is it you ask. Well in the home that Sue rented the owners decorated the bathroom walls with all different cans stretched out floor to ceiling

Oh yeah!! They used the front as well as the back of the cans. So Bizarre

Great to see a little 26 on a lift along the waterway

It may be hard to see but this boat and this home have identical paint jobs. I am all for matching but this is extreme

Dragonfly!

Beautiful Old Homes

Our peaceful anchorage behind Goat Island

It really is a Dismal Swamp

It was very eerie to be here all alone

Anna was going overboard with the water reflection shots

Our second to last lock on the whole trip

Locking again made us feel like we really had come full circle

If you come down the swamp or stop off the highway it is great to read about the history of the area here

We tied up blue along the swamp and went and checkout out the visitor center

Two more down

2011-04-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

Georgia is beautiful! On our run up to St. Simon's Island we saw the King's Bay Submarine Base. It is just amazing and a bit spooky how close the ICW runs along the side of this base. When we passed by we could see a submarine in port as well as the gun boats that were keeping an eye on us. Upon arrival at St. Simon's we were lucky enough to take out the courtesy car and check out the local sights. The trees and scenery were so peaceful and what you think of when you think Georgia- large trees with moss hanging off. After leaving St. Simon's we haded to Isle of Hope Marina. We had planned on going from here by car to downtown Savannah but did not have the time and were worried about the weather north of us so we enjoyed a night on the boat with our long lost boating pal, Uncle Ed. He drove down to greet us as he was in Dawtaw having a survey done on his new home. It was great to see him and we were excited the next day to be given his personal tour of Beaufort and of his new digs. Little did we know on the way to Beaufort, SC we would be boarded by the Coast Guard in Port Royal Sound. They wanted to come aboard for a safety inspection. We said we had one less than a year ago but they informed us in the south it is every 6 months were as in the North it is once a year. Needless to say we passed but it was quite interesting to be in the middle of the sound with a 2-3 foot chop and the winds blowing 20 knots and be boarded. We asked them why they were boarding boats in such crappy conditions. The two guys shrugged there shoulders and said it gets pretty boring sitting on that big boat. Anna and I looked at each other and decided to change the topic or they could get really picky. After our rocky and rolly inspection we moved on to Beaufort for a rainy day and our much anticipated tour with Ed. Our next port was Charleston where we were lucky enough to meet up with Mark and Ashley who had recently relocated from Nantucket. They gave us the 4 star tour of the restaurants, downtown and outlying areas. Luckily we had a beautiful Saturday to see the sights. It is easy to see why so many people move to Charleston and its outlying areas. After leaving the big city we stopped in Georgetown. Maybe it was the weather or our state of mind but we both found Georgetown to have some amazing charm. It just felt right to us and we loved strolling along the streets. Our final stop before entering North Carolina was Myrtle Beach. We pulled in for the night to Barefoot Landing and had a nice bite to eat. The plan had been to wander over for a stroll on the beach but the weather just would not cooperate so we decided to move on up to another state. Believe it or not we covered those two states with only 6 stops. We really enjoyed the scenery along the waterways here. It was beautiful. We got a surprise phone call before we entered North Carolina. Looks like there might be something interesting on the horizon.

Submarine Base

Military people in trucks following and watching us as we moved past the sub base

We kept trying to explain to these birds that we were not a fishing boat and we would not be throwing scraps but they insisted on flying behind us for miles and miles

A beautiful old church on St. Simons Island

This moss hanging off the trees over the road has a mystical feeling to it

Our boat tied up safe and sound at Morning Star Marina

When you come from the North you can never take enough palm tree pictures

We spotted this boat from a far and had to take a closer look. We asked a fellow boater and he said this boat is a treasure hunting boat. They use the large fans to blow the sand away from the bottom

Ed's new man cave in Dawtaw

Anna loved all the plantings in Beaufort

Along the waterfront in Beaufort are these great swings to relax and take in the scenery

Occasionally Captain Mobey finds a new place that he is going to monitor the boat from. Today it was Anna's lap

It was impressive to see this Nordic Tug 26 on a lift along the ICW. She reminded of us of our 26' Tootsie

Popular downtown spot in Charleston

A visit to see Mark and Ashley in Charleston. Always good to see friends from Nantucket

The beautiful South Carolina ICW

I am not sure how many Yacht Clubs hang signs on the front gate about firearms and fireworks. South Carolina!!

Mark and Ashley let the dogs run around this amazing park

Reminds me of the South Carolina flag

We voted this the ugliest light house we had seen along the trip. Someone said you can actually rent a apartment in the top of this

A delicious home cooked meal at Mark and Ashley's

You are never far from home in the boating community. This boat was parked behind us at Charleston. It is owned by Rob from Nantucket

Three boats away from us in Charleston was this boat which is owned by the daughter and family of one of our fellow loopers we had cruised with. Not only that but this boat was purchased on Nantucket from Bob and Roz Rank. Bob you would fall over if you saw all the work they have done to her. She looks great!

The Mega Dock is really quite a large a dock with lots of room for the big boys. We were quite small here

A view down the Mega Dock

We viewed these houses up close and personal on a tour but they almost look more impressive from the water. One of these is the home of Mr. Piggly Wiggly

Georgetown is probably the most beautiful small town we have seen along this whole route

The best breakfast of the trip came out of this Cafe in Georgetown

This is the first town in awhile that just about every home was proudly displaying their American flags

Wow. Daffodils. I hope the ones on Nantucket are in bloom like this when we get home

The peaceful tree lined streets of Georgetown

It is always cheerful to read the signs at the dock and realize what creatures are lurking below the water

The shops at Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach. The last time we had been here was in 1996 for Senior Week. Makes you feel kind of old when you start to think about it

These trees were amazing in full bloom. Although after a strong wind the blossoms were everywhere on the boat

Good old Blue along the dock in Myrtle Beach

If we leave this early will they still call us snowbirds?

2011-03-16T10:53:00.000-04:00

After crossing Shuttle Launch off our bucket list we pulled away from Titusville still shocked and amazed that we had seen Discovery fly. Unfortunately it was really time to finish up our stay in Florida and begin to get up the coast. As we started to think back on it, we could not believe that we had been in Florida for FOUR months. When you think that this trip will take us a year it is sort of strange to think we gave up that much time to just one state. This figure of four months is actually skewed by the fact that we stopped for a month in Marathon, we have come to learn that the locals consider this a whole different country. None the less we think it is time to try out another state. After leaving Titusville we stopped in two great anchorages, first being Rockhouse Creek and then Fort Matanzas. What was amazing at both of these anchorages was that the landscape and vegetation had begun to change in such a way that it was beginning to feel more like home to us. We loved looking at the moors as we sat on Blues top deck and watched the sun go down. When we anchored off of Fort Matanzas we were right by the ferry path that takes the visitors to the fort. As we were concerned that we were in the way, we asked the Ranger if we were ok. She promptly told us we were fine and we even received several compliments on our boat from visiting tourists. I couldn't resit saying how excited I was that we had finally found a group of tourists in Florida with good taste. Let's just say that went over like a fart in church. That night a huge wildfire burning in the area was choking us and leaving ash all over our boat. We began to wonder if it was so smart to be there but thankfully a heavy rain came and the wind shifted allowing us breath a little better. From the fort we had a short run up to St. Augustine. A friend of the family kindly let us stay at the St. Augustine Marine Center where we were a short walk to downtown St. Augustine. Amazed and pleased is a great way to describe how we felt to be in such a wonderful historical town. The architecture and history were a most welcome sight. After walking around the first day we decided to do the ultimate touristy thing and ride one of the trolleys. The trolley was well worth it as we got to listen to the history of the area and visit some of the museums. St. Augustine is a stop not to be missed. Epping Forest Yacht Club was our next stop. We had met a wonderful couple in Canada on a boat named Benelle. I had actually helped fix their dingy engine which had fallen victim to the dreaded affects of Ethanol. We had kept in contact and they invited us to stay at their absolutely beautiful yacht club. The people who worked and lived at and around the yacht club were amazingly welcoming to us and once again renewed our faith in the boating community. Josh and Jan were the ultimate hosts and had us over to dinner and drinks as well as lending us their truck to borrow for a day of sightseeing and provisioning. Besides their company the best gift they gave us were some wonderful fresh bagels as we were saying our goodbyes. It is hard in the south to find any place with bagels. From here we hit our last stop in Florida- Fernandina Beach. We were originally going to anchor off of Cumberland Island but the winds were so strong we decided to head in and we were glad we did as Fernandina is a wonderful little community. We heard the best time to be here is at the end of April for the Shrimp Festival but you better get there early as is is a big crowd. On our run up to Fernandina we learned that it is no joke about following the Magenta sailing line and going on a rising tide. Drawing a little less than four feet we more than once bumped and pushed our way along the bottom. To our friends behind us who draw more than us- Hug the Magenta and go on a rising tide. Well the time has finally come for us to say Good Bye to Florida and Hello Georgia, the temperature is dropping and the winds are picking up but we are excited to be headed home.

If you painted this Lighthouse white we could have been on Nantucket

It was amazing to watch a pod of dolphins swim through the anchorage at sunset

This cloud of smoke was from the brush fire burning near by

View of Fort Matanzas from our boat

The old streets of St. Augustine are beautiful with the moss hanging off the trees

On our trolley tour we went to the old jail.

Old historical downtown St. Augustine

Many weddings take place in this famous courtyard

These wonderful fountains can be found throughout the city

Check out the amazing landscaping

This old store has been around since the beginning of the city

There are many beautiful churches in downtown

This winery has a great tasting to enjoy for free at the end of the tour

Anna fell in love with this fountain and said if she ever lives in the south she wants one like it

The buildings on the right are a part of Flagler College

You can't see it from this angle. Behind these trees is the College pool and sand volleyball court

The Walrus. This boat is beyond belief. Custom made at the St. Augustine Marine Center. She is for sale, check her out on Yacht world.

Can you say repower. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

These St Augustine fishing trawlers are also built here at the St. Augustine Marine Center. You should see the mold for this hull. It is just huge!

With a 250 ton railway here, it seems no boat is to small.

This guy was getting repowered.

These Transmissions are almost three feet in diameter.

One of the molds for the St Augustine Trawler.

The view of St. Augustine from the ICW

This cross in downtown St. Augustine is actually taller than the arch in St. Louis

You see all kinds of things on the ICW

You have to hang one of these from your ICW man cave

The St. John river that takes you up to Jacksonville is a true shipping port

This is just one of the big boys that we passed on the St. John

As you leave the boat and head up to the Epping Yacht Club this is the beautiful front view of the mansion

The plantings around the Yacht club are beautiful

This is the front entrance to the beautiful mansion at Epping Forest

The estate was once owned by the Dupont family. This building housed a perpetual motion machine that was designed by one of the Duponts.

These gates guard the boats

No detail is spared at this yacht club. This is the base to the flag pole

Our hosts in Jacksonville- Josh and Jan

You can actually smell the coffee in the air as you come past this plant in Jacksonville

I guess this is where the big boys get their work done.

For some unknown reason Anna was drawn to this fellow

Downtown Fernandina

This Pirate guards the downtown of Fernandina

Crossing these train tracks going into Fernandina Beach reminded me of crossing the tracks at good old G-burg

Our final shot as we leave a Florida Marina for Georgia

We have Lift Off!

2011-03-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

When Anna and I started our Loop we had always hoped that when we arrived in Florida we would be lucky enough to witness a shuttle launch. Well as luck would have it on a beautiful Thursday afternoon in February we got just that.

Enjoy the Launch and Space Center.

The Boating Community

2011-03-01T10:13:00.000-05:00

The boating community never fails to amaze us. I know we have said it a lot but we just can't say it enough, we have met so many awesome people along the way. All to often now we find ourselves saying goodbye or rather see you later. Our arrival in Ft Lauderdale meant more of this for us. Many of our fellow loopers have headed over to the Bahamas or are in in the process of preparing for this. Although we would have loved to have gone to the Bahamas we decided we will save that for a future adventure and focus our efforts on this crazy thing called "a job". So many times our friends have asked us why aren't you going to the Bahamas with us, we tell them well we have to get home and find jobs, this response is always met with laughter. Retired people can be cruel that way. We also parted ways with our friends the Parrent family who are headed on a much slower path that we are up the East Coast. It was a sad thing to leave the Parrent family, we made hopeful plans to connect again up north once again parting with will see you soon. On the happier side we got to have a great dinner with our old friends from Monkey Girl, Bill and Laura Peters. They live in Ft. Lauderdale and were kind enough to drive us around to help us provision and then invited us to have dinner at their home. We got delicious authentic Italian ingredients from Mimi's and drank our favorite wine. I would tell you what it is but Bill has sworn us to secrecy since it is harder and harder to find. As a matter of fact we had to go to two stores to get enough of it for our dinner. I will give you a hint, it's cheap and good. We spent a great night eating in a house and sharing stories of the people that we had met and where we had been and are going. It was great to see Bill and Laura but it was another reminder that our time for reentry is coming closer. They like many other loopers who finish the trip were trying to decide what to do next. If you have spent a year preparing and a year doing you feel rather confused at the end. At one point in our visit Bill spoke to me with great concern for our state of mind when we finish. He always surprises me, he comes across as a funny light hearted guy but in truth he is one of the most thoughtful and caring people we have met on our loop, his presence on our final leg will be greatly missed. We had a great stay at Cooley Landing while we were in Ft Lauderdale which included an interesting nail biting trip up the New River. If you have never done this then I suggest a walk along it or a dingy ride up or down if your boat is at one of the other marinas. Taking your boat up the river it is quite intimidating and will test your nerve, even for us on a small boat the river felt tight with its mega yacht on ever turn. Pulling out of Ft. Lauderdale we continued north up the ICW. The houses along here are truly amazing with all the different styles their is always something to look at. As we continued north the boaters got to be a little friendlier and even on occasion slowed down so as not to wake us too extremely. Our path north finally connected us with our Island friends Kim and Ellen Tonkin near Jensen Beach. They own the Nantucket Ship Chandlery on Nantucket and we see them often at the Angler's Club as well as for social visits in and out of their store. They live in a gated community filled with some great people all whom like them enjoy the winter months in their own little paradise. We enjoyed a great dinner with them at Shuckers Restaurant, a great place on the beach across from their home. They looked tan, happy and relaxed, a combination that is hard to come by when we see them at their store on Nantucket. The next day we furthered our northern push, we have an item on the bucket list that might finally get checked off. In two days with any luck we will see the Space Shuttle Discovery rocket itself into space. I can't wait!

Welcome to Ft. Lauderdale

Our Coast Guard friends in training

Ft. Lauderdale in the distance as we arrive

Our final view of Negotiator before we parted ways.

This train bridge was one of our bigger challenges up the New River as the tide was screaming and we were headed towards it with a large casino cruise waiting to come through from the other direction. Lets just say he wasn't stopping.

You will see many diverse boat sizes and styles as you cruise in and around Ft. Lauderdale.

Big boats and building line the shores of the New River

That building would be a great spot for an apartment.

Look at this big boy being towed down the New River.

The tugs in the bow and stern allow the mega yachts to navigate their way around the hair pin turns.

Here is that boat about to round the corner on the new river. You can see how tight it can get with the bow and stern tugs working to keep it in the middle.

A huge home under construction. It is amazing to see all the different styles and materials used on these homes especially when you are coming from an island that has many restrictions on building codes

A big home hidden among the palms

A beautiful and classy home along the ICW

It is strange to see the city rising up above the trees

Bye Fort Lauderdale

Their are big yachts everywhere in and around the Fort Lauderdale area.

As we got closer to these big boats we realized we knew this one who often comes into Nantucket. I think I smell a bunch of Yankee Candles.

Imagine having the shrink wrap job on some of these boats.

This was the second boat we saw in less than 10 miles that was a frequenter of Nantucket Harbor.

You never know what sort of things you will see along the ICW

Our family friends the Turners keep their boat here in Jupiter. The water in the inlet was some of the cleanest we had seen since the keys.

We learned that their are many kinds and styles of Golf Carts. This one of course being the best, it was no shock that it belonged to Kim and Ellen.

Kim and Ellen in front of their convertible.

A view of Kim and Ellen's great community.

So long Kim and Ellen, we will see you back on the Rock.

This is truly bizarre. The crane flew up and landed on our dingy while we were underway. He hung on for a few miles and then just flew away

The dolphin started swimming along with us just after the crane landed and I was joking that we were becoming the Ark

Sunrise the morning of the Shuttle Launch

We could not figure out what this boat was doing aground just off the ICW. That is going to be a big job for Sea Tow.

Moons over Miami

2011-02-24T08:03:00.001-05:00

After pulling out of Marathon we felt good getting some water under the keel. Our first stop was shell key where we tied to a free mooring ball for a night. The view from the mooring was amazing and we waited with baited breath as the sun set hoping to see the ever illusive "Green Flash" When you are a cruiser there is nothing better than a free safe stop and when you add a great view to it, it is cruisers gold. The next morning we pushed on to Tarpon Basin where we ended up anchoring for 3 nights as we waited out the winds. It was actually a great anchorage we had read on Active Captain that it was difficult to get good holding, so with Anna in the bow we took our time and scouted out a patch of sand with no grass and dropped the anchor. That night as forecasted the winds howled but Blue held her ground and Anna and I enjoyed a day of reading, we joked that once again Blue has proven to be our cocoon of safety. We witnessed more than one boat drag and we felt bad for the crews having to scout out a new spot in the wind and rain. The basin provided a free dingy dock in a park where you could throw out trash and get water. About mile down the road we walked to John Pennekamp state park. Anna and I had planned to get a mooring ball there, but it offered no protection from a north east wind. We had decided to change our plans so we were happy to walk around and check it out. It provided the perfect day for us with a small aquarium, play park and all kinds of walking paths. I think if we were to travel through again we would get a mooring ball there. Finally the winds let up and we were Miami bound. I have to say that we have been boating for over 9 months and this area of Florida has by far the worst boating etiquette. The jet skis and wakes were out of this world. Luckily we only broke one item in a wake, to tell you the truth we should have known better and stowed things better before entering Miami harbor but still what is going on here? Who are these people? We arrived the day before the Miami Boat Show so that we could get into the first day and check all the good stuff out. Being anchored between Miami and South Beach was amazing. We got to see the city at night which coming from a small island is truly a thrill. South Beach truly is the ultimate people watching stop. We saw such a range of outfits and people that it became overwhelming. We ate a belated Valentine dinner on Lincoln Avenue and just people watched. Of course we took a stroll down memory lane and visited the hotel we had stayed at with the crew from GMI about 6 years ago. The main attraction was the boat show. It is just HUGE!! Between the in water show, the brokerage show, strictly sail and the convention center there was an endless supply of products to check out. The best part is just the energy of the show with boating enthusiasts from all over coming to talk and share what they know and hopefully buy what they need. Believe it or not we left the show without a single purchase but we were tempted by many items. Anna and I laughed thinking of what would happen if we had gone up to the financing booths. Hi, I don't have a job, can you give me a loan? The scary thing is four years ago it would have worked. After two days of walking the booths and boats it was time for us to push on. These 8 nights were our longest at anchor and we are very proud of what we have learned about conserving our resources. Even though we are headed to a marina we figure we have enough food, water and holding tank space for 2 more nights. Compared to the beginning of our trip we are really becoming boaters. We even resorted to first rinsing our dishes in salt water then a soupy wash in fresh water. None of this would have been possible without the purchase of our second Honda generator so that we can now run them in series and properly power up our batteries as well as run our hot water heater when we are at anchor. Now we are off to our next stop, Ft Lauderdale here we come!

A beautiful evening at anchor in Tarpon Basin

Egrets at play in Pennekamp Park

This man made his own boat and was getting it ready for a sail to Mexico

This is Jewfish Creek a funny little areas with all kinds of boats. Notice the boat in the far right corner that is aground in the mangroves

More boats in Jewfish creek including this cute little house afloat

We heard this tiki hut in Jewfish Creek was a must stop but we were in a hurry to get to Miami so we skipped it. I guess now we have an excuse to come back.

On of our friendly Pelicans playing under a bridge. These birds really are everywhere

We passed this beautiful boat on our way into Miami. This guy has a date with a beaver hair brush every year to keep that wood looking so nice.

Oh Wow!!! Miami here we come.

Of all the cities that we have seen from the water this is one of the more impressive

You never know what you are going to see on the waterways. This is a moving bar A.K.A. Booze Cruise.

This is Government Cut where all the cruise ships come in and out. We felt very small next to them

After anchoring off the Venetian Causeway we were treated to this view of Miami at Sunset

A stormy evening over Miami

We were anchored near this island with a great monument and a beach where you can hang out and swim. If you anchor here we counted over 17 trash cans on the island so it is great boaters trash stop

Sunrise over Miami

This in water boat show was one part of the Miami Boat Show. Of course I had to take this shot with the Nordic Tug for sale

Moon over the monument

Morgan, Ryann and Jaxon were lucky enough to be given these aliens at the Fusion booth at the show.

Believe it or not Jack Daniels had a booth at the show and I could not resist the JD boat

Deadliest Catch star was on hand to take photos and was giving autographs. Who wants and autograph from Russel, where is Sig?

This boat is incredibly fast

Who can resist the Gecko from Geico

Yamaha was well represented at the show. The way these engines are going this could be life size in a few years.

A view left from the upper walkway of the Miami boat show in action

This is the view right which is less than a 1/6 of what you can see at this show

Mobey has found a new way to make sure we are going the right way. He is now the captain of this vessel

One Month?

2011-02-15T11:56:00.000-05:00

One month? I just kept thinking what are we going to do for a month? In over nine months of cruising we have never spent a month sitting in one place. How would we deal with all this time off and how will it affect the rythum of our day to day activities. No planning for the next stop? No figuring out where to get water, take on fuel or get a pump out? It all seemed so strange. It seems like a vacation from the vacation. As it turns out, you can use up a month pretty quickly. Marathon took us a little while to get used to. Upon our arrival we felt a bit put off, but we quickly found out things happen differently down here and it becomes very contagious. With the major route 1 running through the center, biking seemed quite dangerous, we had trouble seeing the beauty at first. We had many conversations with our fellow boaters on the dock and were happy to hear that many of them stayed for several months and had been calling Marathon their winter destination for years. Determined to keep an open mind Anna and I began a quest to find the charm and beauty in Marathon. It didn't take long, on about our third day in port, we met our first local Manatee. Many a morning started with a visits from Manatees including one occasion when a Mother and her Calf greeted us off the side of Blue. On our morning walks to Pidgeon Key we saw sting rays and sharks as well as one of the most spectacular views of the the Atlantic and Gulf I have ever seen. One of the more interesting creatures that we ran into were the Man o'War jelly fish, I had heard of Man o'War but had never seen them. While taking the boat out for a short cruise trying to keep the bottom from forming to much growth Anna kept saying she could not believe the number of crab pots out there. I said their not crab pots they are plastic bags, well we were both wrong. As it turns out all the blobs that she was seeing were Man o' War. What strange creatures they are. With a big bubble above the water used as a sail a dark blue circle and evil tentacles you can not help but to be fascinated by this creature which is actually made up of more than one organism. Luckily we escaped marathon without a sting, we have been told it is unbelievably painful. I was shocked to find that the worst thing you can do if you get stung is wash it with fresh water. Besides the wonderful creatures we had many special visitors throughout the month. Anna's parents came for almost a week presenting us with a great opportunity to visit Key West and the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. Both were things that we may not have done on our own so it was fantastic to have them in town. They stayed at a great hotel about a mile from the Marina which gave Anna and I a taste of the good life hanging at their resort pool. We also got to explore many of the local restaurants from Burdine's to Keys Fisheries. Towards the end of their visit I thought I might have to take a break from fresh Mahi sandwiches........ NOT!. My god are they good. Our good friends Bill and Carol Yancey also came to visit. We had not seen them since Joe Wheeler when Bill got a rider on his farm insurance and allowed me to drive his Combine. Seeing Bill brought back two wonderful memories, the memory of actually driving and the memory of Bills expressions as I started out. I don't think he would be a great poker player I could see his concern in his eyes as I first pulled out. They were kind enough to drive us up to Fort Lauderdale to Trawler Fest, a gathering and boat show for trawler enthusiasts. The best part of the Fest was seeing that people were starting to purchase boats again. It is a great relief to see people interested in investing again in this not so cheap hobby. My old Boss use to say it is hard to sell fun in hard times, it is the first thing to go in a bad economy. It is no doubt that boating is expensive but it has also been one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives so to think others are going to jump in and take a risk on a boat is a thrill. Our final visit came from my brother H and my nephew Will. This visit was Will's Christmas gift from my Mom and Dad and it included a scuba dive for Will and H. Although their visit was short it included some special moments like our first trip to the Sombrero Beach. Can you believe we were here for 3 weeks before we actually went to the beach? We were sad to see them go but it was then time to begin planning for our next part of trip. Heading North? Yes the time has finally come for us to start our trip North. After a few anchorages our first stop will be the Miami Boat Show. I can not believe that a month has come to an end. In the end Marathon was an excellent place to provision and meet and greet other cruisers especially with the 9 AM morning cruisers net on the vhf. It is a very thoughtful time for us as we say goodbye to many of our boating friends who we may not see for some time as we are going up the coast and they are going to be staying around Florida and moving much slower than us. However one of the most important things we have learned in boating is that you never say good bye it is always will see you again soon. I think we will see all our friends again as we our they cruise the waterways, the relationships and experiences we have shared have been great. So with much mixed emotions we say good bye to our home for the past month. On a beatiful thursday at noon we cut the lines and pushed off. Once again we will be hooking up with the Parrent family as we head north, many an evening in marathon was spent laughing on the decks of Negotiator Craig, Danielle and the kids are to much fun. We will miss our morning walks on the bridge as well as our time at the Sunset Grill but we are ready to write the next chapter in our book. So North it is, "Anna, where did we put our mittens?"

Beautiful Sunsets from the dock at the Marina

Our mail and information headquarters for the month.

You will see these signs everywhere and they are important to read as these animals are truly unique.

Momma and Calf Manatee hanging out by our boat at the Marina.

Can not forget the traditional tourist photo when you are in Key West.

Great Old Coast Guard boat in Key West. Believe it or not this ship is the most highly decoreated in the fleet, and is the only coast gurd ship to have sunk a German sub off key west in World War II.

Anna's parents walking about on an old Coast Guard boat in Key West.

This is a great museum in Key West. We just wish we had know more of the history of Mel Fisher before going.

Although we did not ride the Conch train we heard from others that it is a great way to see the city.

A fun day in Key West

Sunset in Marathon with Anna's Parents

Nautical Flea Market!!!!

We went to this great nautical flea market in Big Pine Key with my parents. They had great live music.

For all you non believers it does get cold in Marathon. Not as cold as New England though.

One night at Key's Fisheries we fed the fish swimming in the light off the side of the restaurant.

The Negotiator out on an attempted cruise to the Mooring Ball Sombrero Reef. Unfortunately we both had to turn back because of high waves.

I am Snorkel Man! I can't get over how much Will has grown in the past year, soon I wont be wreseling with him anymore.

Our first day at the beach

Agent H and his catch of the day

Ryann showing off a beautiful starfish.

My brother H asleep on the beach. It was good to see him relax, his job doesn't give him much down time.

Bill and Mary on Harbour Reach. They showed us their great boat that is truly cruiser comfy. We were shocked to hear that their daughter that use to work for Mystic Seaport has been following our blog.

Our fellow boaters stop by to wish us well as we cast off.

The night before we left Marathon we had a looper gathering combined with a Birthday for Jim.

Happy Valentine's Day!

One Ferrari Two Ferrari Three Ferrari Four......WOW!

2011-01-17T11:02:00.001-05:00

Okay, so we have all been to some pretty nice places in our lives right? Well I have to tell you I think we found Florida's playground for the rich and famous. After a great nights staying on a mooring ball in Fort Myers Beach, Anna and I gladly paid the ten dollar charge and got an early start bound for sunny Naples, Florida. We had been looking forward to getting down this way because we had been extended a fabulous invitation to spend a few nights tied up at the old Naples Yacht Club. Our cruise on the outside of the gulf to Naples took about five hours, and gave us some wonderful views of Florida's west coast. The crab pots seemed to thin out and we had a following sea which gave us a sweet ride all down the coast. As we made our approach to the narrow cut I sensed a major change in our surroundings. The tall motel high rises seemed to have disappeared and the boats seemed to have been on a heavy regiment of steroids. Not since we have left Nantucket have we seen such well manicured lawns and our descriptions of the surrounding boats shifted from look at the cool boat to look at the massive yacht! I could hear fellow looper Bill Peters now, ok everyone he would say, we are now in an area where we must shave and wear underwear, two things often joked about once you spend a few days away from land. Our short 20 minute trip from the gulf to Naples Yacht Club was a white knuckle experience. It seemed that everyone and their uncle was out on the water and the big boys were using every bit of the 30 foot wide channel. Upon our arrival at the club we got tied up, washed Blue, and took a long walk down to the very posh 5th ave in downtown Naples. It looked like the opening scene of a southern California movie. In a span of two miles I saw more fancy cars than I had even seen before in my life. I guess if you have it all you must have yourself a Bentley Convertible filled with designer bags. I must say after the initial shock over the change in atmosphere and it's occupants Anna and I truly loved Naples. Where else can you get a cup of "Bad Ass Coffee" and sit back on a bench seat and experience some of the worlds best people watching. I use to be a firm believer that if you wanted a good people show the best place to see it was waiting for a flight in a major airport. I now feel like a guy that got bumped to first class on an international flight and upon landing realizes that he will never again enjoy flying knowing what lies on the other side of the brown curtain in the front of the plane. Our hosts in Naples, Bill and Ann Westerfield, treated us to a wonderful evening at their club with friends. With all of them having been accomplished sailors our evening was filled with fabulous stories of having cruised to Bermuda then on down to Granada and all through the Caribbean. It is funny, they looked at our trip with wonder, yet Anna and I look at their travels with amazement, there is a big difference between cruising one night across the gulf, and making a passage to Bermuda. On our second day in Naples we prepped for the arrival of my Mom and Dad and my Uncle Bob. Bob who lives in Naples did a great job playing tour guide and ferried us around in his Hybrid car which fit right in parked next to the fancy cars that filled the parking lots. It was on the drive to Bob's home that Anna and I got to see how huge Naples is. I swear there is more traffic and cars in Naples than I have seen in any other town on our whole trip. At times you would think you were in NYC. We had a fun filled day with the family, we got to the famous Tin City and visited one of the most posh shopping malls I had ever seen in the nearby Pelican Bay area of Naples. With the weather looking good for the next few days and a strong cold front hanging ominously out in the gulf Anna and I had to cut the lines and make the run south. We cruised down the old ICW which allows you to make a run on the inside from Naples to the back side of Marco Island and Goodland Florida. We set anchor at Tripod Key just south of Marco Island and had a beautiful evening on the hook. Not a soul was in sight as we watched the sun go down over the tops of the Mangrove trees which surrounded our little anchorage. In the morning we made a short jump to Russells Pass an anchorage right outside the channel to Everglade City. Soon after our arrival we were joined by our friends Craig and Danielle Parrent along with their kids Ryann, Morgan and Jaxon. We had a blast with the Parrent Tribe back at Treasure Island and were overjoyed to find that they will be spending the month in Marathon with us at the Marathon Marina. I have to tell you we get a huge kick out of spending time with the kids, they have the greatest time exploring their surroundings and love to share there school projects as well as demonstrate their winning dance moves while playing "Just Dance" on the Wii. I don't know what the people around us think when they hear the kids laugh their heads off and getting the boat a rocking as they break it down to "The Eye Of The Tiger" and MC Hammers "Can't touch This". I am yet to play a round with them for fear of shattering a child's dreams by getting beat so bad by a 37 year old guy. NOT! They might see my disco moves yet, but you will be sure there will be no recording devise anywhere near Anna and my cosmic moves. After a fun night in Russells Pass we awoke to a foggy morning and a tough decision. Both Craig and I agreed that we did not want to run into the keys in the dark, and with a 80 mile run and a major front coming through the next morning, we either had to push off in the fog now or we will be here for at least four days. It took a few moments, but a slow run trough some of the thickest fog I had ever seen seemed to be our only option. Pushing Blue at idle speed with our fog horn running and our radar spun up we slowly pushed out to open water. For the most part it was an uneventful run to the outside, We saw one or two crab boats on the radar, but we all gave ourselves a miles distance and soon we were 15 miles off shore and felt pretty good about our run. About two hours into our run down the coast, Craig radioed that his boat was almost hit broadside by a small center consul fast fishing boat running at wide open speed in less than an eighth mile visibility. Luckily Morgan whom was on watch with her dad called out the boats approach off their port beam and the driver of the small boat turned hard, launching his little boat over their stern wake as he dodged them just in the nick of time. Craig and I were just floored that anyone would run such a small boat with little to no radar signature at such a high rate of speed in such limited visibility with what looked like no electronics. I guess he thought this far out what could he hit. Well we all got a good taste of what if and I thought maybe a trip to church might be in order. I have always told myself it is not me that I have to worry about in the fog, it is the guy with no instruments and a death wish that put the fear of god in me. Around four hours into our run the fog finally lifted and we had one the most beautiful afternoons anyone could ever ask for on a run to the keys. Our arrival in the keys was once again a sentimental moment for Blue's Crew, this is as far south as we will travel on our trip. That is unless the scratch off tickets I have been playing hit. As we rounded the Seven Mile Bridge, Blue's hull shook hands with the Atlantic ocean one again. With the our lines tied to the dock and the sun setting on the horizon we heard the sounds of a dozen conch shells being blown signaling the end of another beautiful day in the Conch Republic. I don't think there is any doubt we are going to like our time in the keys, bring on the sunshine.

One of the first of many ocean estates we saw as we entered Naples. I wish I could have taken more but the boat traffic was out of control.

Anna and I went to a great Farmers Market right in downtown Naples. The fresh fruits and vegetables were fantastic.

A mall for the common man. Nothing to buy here but funny post cards and tee shirts.

You have got to look hard, but you can still find a fishing boat or two mixed in with all the Trumpies and Berger Boats.

We had a nice morning Coffee with Bill and Ann Westerfield as well as my Uncle Bob and my Dad.

I don't know why I am not smiling, this was a great day and I had nothing to frown about.

There we go, the beach always brings a smile to my face.

You can see Negotiator off in the distance, Craig and his family had a great day looking for sharks, stingrays and dolphins in the water.

I wasn't kidding about the gulf. I don't think it can get much calmer than this. Those white dots are crab pots. We had to dodge them all the way to the keys. We joked that at times you could have walked on them they were so thick.

I hate to brake it to all my friends at home, but every town in Florida has a Miss China. This shrimper has beached herself off Marathon and is now abandoned. Check out the Parrents link on my blog list, they explored the abandoned ship with the kids.

Marathon at 5:55pm. I intend on being in this spot every night for the next month. I will have to find myself a Conch shell and give it a try. Who knows this summer you might hear the conch shell blow its deep call as the sun crests over the west end of Nantucket.

It's Good to be Back

2011-01-15T15:51:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's been too long since Anna and I have updated the blog and I am sure there are quite a few of you that are wondering what the heck happened. Did they give up? Did they drowned? Where are they? To tell you the truth we have no good excuse as to why it has been so long, the plain truth is our arrival in Florida has been a bit of a head trip. For the past eight months Anna and I have felt like a rocket that was launched into space. On the day we left port we felt as if we were placed in orbit circling the earth filling each day with wonderful new sights and experiences. As we entered Florida and the holiday season approached we arranged to leave Blue and drive home for Christmas. As the day of our departure home approached, mission control called and brought a new word into our looper vocabulary. It was as if it came to us over the VHF radio in a static filled voice from far far away, "Blue Yonder, Blue Yonder" we heard. "this is mission control, prepare for REENTRY!" As many of you have seen this whole trip has been just amazing, the things we have seen, the places we have been, the people we have met, they have changed us forever. With our arrival in Florida, Anna and I realized that we have now completed over 70% of our trip and with that realization we find ourselves facing a harsh reality. In four months time we will be home. That leaves us facing the big question, what's next? The truth of the matter is, we have no idea. The whole situation came to a head last week and Anna and I realized that if we spend the next four months obsessing about what is next, we might as well quit the trip. All our time and energy is being wasted thinking about what is next, not on what is now. Thankfully neither Anna nor I wish to give up on our dreams so with much thought we have determined that we will leave it to fate for now. In our lives there have been many things that seemed to happen for a reason, some were good some were bad, but it has always seemed to fall together in the end. Why should this time in our lives be any different. With that being said, let me fill you all in on what we have seen in the past four weeks. Right before Christmas Anna and I had a spent a few wonderful nights in Fort Myers. The Edison and Ford Estates were a must see for us and they did not disappoint. The number of inventions and the contributions of these two men are astounding. After a long day at the museums, we connected with friends in the area and got to enjoy a fantastic evening with Donna and Joe Corso at a neat restaurant in downtown Ft. Myers. We got a kick out of meeting them at the boat before dinner, it is always fun to watch peoples reactions to how we live on Blue. Half the people that visit us say man I could do this, the other half say no way, you guys are out of your minds. I think it was a split decision with Donna and Joe, Joe seemed to be into it, but Donna seemed more skeptical as we showed her the small space we call home. I can't say I blame her, there are many a moments when Anna and I have freaked out over something on Blue, for instance I seem to have a habit of hitting my head on something every day and Anna seems to have a similar problem with banging her kneecap in things. When these things happen we say to each other, give me a minute I am having a bad boating moment. Thankfully the bad boating moments have become fewer and fewer as days go by, but I would be lying if I didn't say they happen. Leaving Fort Myers we made way up to Rialto Harbor on the Okeechobee waterway and left Blue safely in the hands of Buss, the owner and operator of one of the most fantastic marinas we have seen thus far on or trip. If you are traveling through the lake Okeechobee waterway, you must stop at Rialto Harbor, it is unlike any other marina you will find in the area, and offers one of the most peaceful and enchanting experiences anyone could ask for. It is without question a fantastic representation of old Florida, from the horses to the beautiful landscaped paths, you think you had been brought back in time to an old Florida plantation paradise. Feeling great about Blues new home, we hopped in our rental car and made the trek north. Stopping at my Uncle Ed's home in Evingtion VA then on to NJ to spend a few days and Christmas eve with the Gulick clan. Late Christmas Eve we pushed on to CT to see the other half of the family the von Pechmanns and were greeted by a winter storm that left us all filled with joy on Christmas day. Our stay in CT was made all the more special by having been able to connect with our good friends Ryan and Kiley and their son Paxton from Nantucket. To tell you the truth we could not have asked for a better Christmas, it had been to long since we enjoyed the company of or families. It was truly one of the best Christmas's Anna and I have ever had. With the holidays over we made way back to the boat and have pushed on south with the warmth of the keys on our minds. We will make a stop in Naples and visit with friends and family then we will make way to Marathon. It is good to be back on the path again, we are letting fate make the calls, and sleeping a whole lot better for it. What comes next, who knows. But we can't wait to find out.

A stop at the Edison and Ford Estates in Fort Myers is a must

We had the best tour guide of our whole trip here and that made it so interesting to learn about Edison and Ford

Check out the really cool original lighting in this house.

This above ground swimming pool was truly a unique feature

Anna just loved this amazing tall palm tree

It is said that the phonograph was Edison's favorite invention- because it was the only one that worked on the first try. He was deaf so you can see teeth marks on these where he bit into it to feel the vibration

The number of inventions and contributions that Edison made to society seem to be never ending as you walk around his museum

What would we do without Mr. Ford?

This car on the right would arrive without a cab. What many did is use the wood from the car shipping crate to create the kind of cab that they needed.

We finally got to see some the cars that Uncle Ed is building. It is truly amazing all the different projects that he has going on

Now that is a cool engine

Can you say Hemi! OH YEAH!!!!!

One of my best friend from childhood, Dave. Holding his youngest child, Ethan

Nephew Will- Holding his prized Sparkling Cider

Niece Grace- About to rock it out for us

Nephew Jeffrey- He loves his snakes!!

Jeffrey and Paxton playing together! What an amazing sight to see.

Blue all tied up safe and sound at Rialto Marina as we arrived home to her

Our Santa sleigh that took us many hours north and south!!

Many beautiful, well cared for boats were enjoying some tlc and time off at the marina

The wonderful private dock that we had at Rialto Marina

This is one of the horses at the marina. These horses compete professionally.

The scenery here was just so tranquil

You can hear these beautiful Doves chatting away as you sit on your boat

A very private little house for all your showering and head needs

This is the barn building that Buss runs his marina and yacht brokerage out of.

Beautiful horses and yards surround the entire marina.

Notice all the chickens running around the grounds. Mobey was not sure what to make of them

Two sets of brand new Bosch Washer and Dryers!! A loopers heaven involves great washing machines

The beautiful home of the Rialto Marina owners. Right there on the property

Ahhh! Peace and Tranquility

As we get underway we are met by a beautiful sunrise in Ft Myers Beach!

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!

2010-12-14T12:58:00.001-05:00

Well I have got to tell you all it has been some cold down here in the sunshine state. This morning we awoke to a brisk wind and temperatures in the low thirties. I think I can see a line of Floridians forming a cue on the top of the Tampa Bay Bridge, jumping seems to be the only option for this warm blooded breed. I myself feel quite happy with this brisk morning, it finally feels like Christmas is upon us. In a few days Anna and I will journey home to see the families, it should be a great trip. For the past two weeks Anna and I have been bouncing around in the St. Petersburg and Sarasota area. Our first stop was at the Treasure Island Yacht Club about 30 miles south of Clearwater. We had read a review of the club on the Great Loop Cruisers Forum and decided to stop in and check out how the Jones's live. Upon our arrival we knew we had found cruisers gold. The Treasure Island Yacht Club has just reopened under new ownership, and is offering unbelievable discounts in an attempt to drum up business. Les the dock master gave us a tour of the grounds and let us know that while we stay at the club, we are given access to all the clubs amenities, this included a heated Olympic size swimming pool, steam room, full state of the art fitness center, health spa, pool bar, free arcade, dinning room, jet skies, tennis, and evening entertainment such as the lead singer from Foreigner, Joe Piscapo, KC and The Sunshine Band and other acts. They should rename this place Fantasy Island and have a short Hawaiian Man in white suit yell, "the plane the plane" as you pull in. With a few days of luxury under our belts Anna and I put together a travel plan that would take us down to our departure home for Christmas. Leaving Treasure Island we made way for the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina in downtown St. Pete's. We had heard of an art museum there that features the artwork of Salvador Dali, a famous Spanish painter who's works found fame in the mid 20th century. I enjoyed the museum but am now fully confident that Salvador Dali was clinically insane. His works of art ranging from paintings, sculpture, and performing arts were truly amazing and completely not my thing. I guess that is the best part of doing the loop, I now know I have no interest in owning a priceless piece of art from this unbelievably gifted and wacky artist. Our evenings in St. Petersburg were enjoyed on Blue looking out from the salon at the backdrop of downtown, it is always an exhilarating feeling. Next stop for us was the beautiful area of Sarasota. Our main objective for this stop was to visit the Ringling Museum. When I was a kid I remember my Mother taking my brother and I to see, "The Greatest Show On Earth" the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Just writing the words brings back a wave of senses as I can smell the cotton candy, popcorn and candy apples. I remember looking in awe as a man drove a motorcycle upside down in a steal cage and the famous Gunter cracked a whip in his lion cage. Our visit to the museum was not what I expected. Yes, the exhibits of the old circus cars and clown outfits where amazing, but the true show was found in the history of the founding circus families and their personal art collections. In the golden era of the American circus, it would have employed over 2000 people all of whom traveled daily from city to city, setting up, performing and breaking down all in one day. The Circus resembled a traveling army. In a time without tv and video games it must have been truly amazing to see this circus pull into town and transform an open field into a city filled with mystical animals and seemingly inhuman feets of acrobatics. Having thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sarasota, Anna and I made way back to Treasure Island. Our Friends Craig and Danielle Parrent along with their three children Morgan, Ryann and Jaxon had made it across the gulf and were planning to stay at Treasure Island for the month of December. At $9.50 a foot for the month, with access to all the clubs amenities this is the deal of deals. We had a wonderful time biking and exploring the area, Morgan Ryann and Jaxon are great kids and tons of fun. Taking part in family drawing night where we were given a blank piece of paper and five minutes to draw a dream boat and what we would look like as a super hero is now a highlight of our trip. We also met a wonderful Family the Metro's whom are also cruising with her kids in a custom 56' Matthews named Lady Enna. They invited us over for a great dinner and fun conversation at their home on land. We are always surprised by the openness and willingness of fellow cruisers to open their doors and welcome others to their communities and waters. When you travel far from home there is nothing better than getting off the boat and having a home cooked meal at a real table filled with new friends. I think anyone that has cruised for an extended period of time truly understands this and is all to willing to give back some of the great hospitality they may have received during their travels. From Treasure Island we have pushed on to Englewood Florida just north of Captiva Island and met up with Jim, Gloria, Bill and Laura. Bill and Laura whom we have traveled with on and off since Canada are about 60 miles from crossing their wake and completing their loop. It has been a true pleasure to have enjoyed so much of our trip with them, Bill has said many times how great it is to have so many people weave in and out of their lives as they make way through their trip. I truly hope that we continue to weave in and out of theirs. Hearing Bill's humorous comments broad casted across the airways on a long days run and our evening filled with laughter on the top deck of Monkey Girl will be truly missed. Now with Christmas right around the corner, Anna and I have pushed south, we plan to leave Blue at a small Marina on the Lake Okeechobee Waterway. Tampa Bay here we come!

Hello Paradise!

Pinch me I may be dreaming.

Good old Blue sure likes her new digs.

You have got to love the city at night.

At dock in downtown St. Pete's

I have always wanted to see one of these ships. It sinks and they float other boats onto it. When it is loaded, it rises back up and brings the yachts to ports like the Caribbean and Europe. Think they would notice Blue?

This organ wagon would be pulled by a team of horses through the town in front of a procession of Animals and performers as they made their way from the train area to the circus tent.

We learned that all the woodwork on the circus cars was hand carved by a traveling army of carpenters that traveled with the circus.

This Pullman train car was home to the Ringling Family while they traveled with the circus. If you look carefully you can see the gold plated ceiling tiles lining the roof of the train car. I have never seen that on MTV's Cribs.

Remember the crazy guy that would get shot out of the cannon? I would really like to borrow this for our next beach party.

This miniature Circus has 40 thousand hand carved pieces all made by one man. He started it when he was seven, he is now in his early seventies. The detail was just unbelievable.

The miniature Circus takes up almost the whole building it is displayed in. It is truly something you have to see to believe.

Anna loved the rose gardens on the Ringling estate grounds.

Do you think they will miss one or two?

The detail in the construction of the Ringling mansion shows the unbelievable wealth of the family.

Their are hundreds of pieces of art just like this in the Ringling collection. This one was about 15 feet tall.

Every day I see something that tells me Florida is truly screwed up. Why is the fine $112.50? Than 50 cents makes or brakes the budget I guess.

We passed this floating chapel on our way down the ICW. Believe it or not they were holding mass inside.

I don't know, this could be better than Vegas.

You have got to love Florida.

We have to pay homage to the Captain.

This shirt cracked me up.

I don't care what your politics are, this is just funny stuff.

Danielle

Craig

Morgan, Ryann and Jaxon

We all got a chance to hold a live Alligator.

How can you pass that up.

What is better than sitting on the beach?

Things kids do that Adults can't.

You have got to love looking for shells on the beach.

It might be cold, but the sunsets are still unbelievable.

Back on the water, we were shown the way by the USCG. It sure is nice to know these guys are out here ready to help.

To Cross or Not to Cross

2010-12-02T14:36:00.000-05:00

In our travels Anna and I have experienced so many wonderful things, we have made great friends and seen some wonderful towns, but what we cherish most is our increased knowledge and experience at sea. With the departure of Ed, Anna and I found ourselves focusing on one thing and one thing only, our need to get ourselves across the gulf. Over the past seven months we have broken our trip down into hurdles. Our first hurdle were the locks on the Erie Canal, next came the rocks of Georgians Bay, the high seas of Lake Michigan, the challenges of the currents and barge traffic on the rivers and now, the crossing. Ever since Anna and I started researching the Great Loop, we have been keeping our ear tuned to any advice regarding strategies for crossing the gulf. For those of you not familiar big bend of Florida let me fill you in. The Gulf Coast Intracoastal Water Way stops in Carrabelle, Florida and resumes in Tarpon Springs. The expanse between these two points is referred to as the Big Bend. The waters in this area are shallow and in most cases unnavigable by a boat drawing more than three feet. Blue like most looper boats draws 3.5 feet sitting still and tends to draw about four when under way due to the squatting effect of the stern. This fact rules out a possibility of making small jumps from inlet to inlet around the Bend. Once this fact is acknowledged one quickly realizes that the only option is a long open span of water that must be crossed in order to continue down the west coast of Florida. Having boated on Nantucket, the concept of being out of sight of land is not foreign to us, every time we traveled to the mainland or vineyard by boat there would be portions of the trip where we could not see land. To others that have never been off shore this can be a very intimidating factor and rightfully so. Crossing 180 miles of open water is nothing to take lightly and Anna and I were taking no chances. In my mind, I looked at the crossing as having two outcomes, either we would love it or it would be a stain in our memories. I was going to do everything in my power to make it a good experience. So let the research begin. There are many options to consider, how fast can we travel, how many hours of light is there in a day and what will the winds and tides be. Right off the bat Anna and I decided that it was not economically feasible to run Blue at more than 8 knots across the gulf. Sure we can run her at 12, but our our fuel curve would leave us arriving with less than a third reserve and an even lighter wallet, we both agreed this was not a good idea. So traveling at an economic 7.5 knots we now know we have two options, the shortest distance across the gulf is from Carrabelle to the Stienhatchee River. This can be done in a daylight, but it leaves you in an area where you have no choice but to travel back out in the gulf in order to make it to Tarpon Springs. With weather windows seeming to get less and less frequent as the winter closes in we ruled this out. We had no desire to be stuck for 10 or so days in a small town with no facilities waiting to make our way down the rest of the gulf, so we would go with option two. Option two has it's own problems, the distance from Carrabelle to Clearwater just south of Tarpon Springs is about 180 miles. Due to the crab pots blanketing the west coast of Florida like a mine field we know that we must arrive 15 miles off shore of Clearwater in daylight. With a estimated travel time of 22 hours from dock to dock we decided to leave at noon run through the night and arrive at the crab pot line shortly after 8 in the morning. With our plan and course plotted all Anna and I needed was 36 hours of good weather. The wait was awful, every morning I would get up and check the wind and gulf wave model reports. We constantly told ourselves not to get impatient, the weather will open up if we just wait. With the window on the horizon Anna and I made our jump from the beautiful town of Apalachicola to our staging point at C-Quarters Marine in Carrabelle. Once in Carrabelle we readied the boat for high seas did our engine checks, safety gear checks and forwarded our sail plan to our parents. Looking back, I feel we went a bit overboard on our preparations, but both of us agreed if we over prepare we would not be surprised. On the morning of our departure it looked as if the gulf was still going to be much rougher than we had hoped. A long discussion was had between Anna and I and it was decided that we would both put on our seasick patches and go for it. The wind was forcasted to die that night, and if we waited, we might miss the window. So with our friends on Monkey Girl and Crawdad right behind us we pushed off. As expected the first five hours were a bit rocky, with 5 foot swells on our beam we made way across the gulf, but like clockwork the wind died as forcasted and the sea became as flat as a board. With the sun setting on the gulf and a beautiful full moon rising on opposite horizon we thanked the gods of the sea for letting us cross on such a beautiful night. Anna and I took shifts at the helm and enjoyed listening to the radio communications of about 13 other looper boats all crossing the gulf that night. Not a one of us neglected to give thanks for such a wonderful night. Anna and I saw more stars than we had ever seen before in the crystal clear night sky. When the sun crested on the eastern horizon in the morning we pulled into Clearwater tied up and crashed in our bunk. Crossing the gulf is an experience Anna and I will never forget. A year ago who would have thought that the two of us could work together so well. From plotting our course to piloting Blue across the gulf, Anna and I worked as a team and shared the helm, it was without question the best boating we have ever done in our lives. After a good sleep Anna and I awoke to a beautiful Thanksgiving Day. We gathered for a pot luck thanksgiving dinner by the pool at the marina with Bill, Laura of Monkey Girl and Jim and Gloria of Crawdad we, truly gave thanks.

A beautiful sunrise in Apalachicola

These Pelicans are everywhere and they are very intense as they dive like bombers into the water.

This sign was our dock greeting in Apalachicola. Are they kidding?

Good old Blue getting ready for her crossing.

Water Street Inn all decorated for Christmas. Before Thanksgiving??

Um guys, what the heck is going on?

Buzzards were all around us in Carrabelle. Is this a bad sign for our travels ahead?

First buzzards and now we and the other boats are stuck in the mud. This one was kind enough to have his low water alarm on all night.

On Crawdad little BooBoo is ready for the crossing

Not a place to be cuffed and stuffed for the night. I wonder what the Nantucket Police think of this station.

One of the last markers we saw as we headed out for our Gulf crossing. Please let the wind die as forcasted.

I have to admit I am a bit on edge.

Sunset on the Gulf. What will the darkness bring?

Anna wonders, Is he studying the chart or sleeping?

Thank you!! The moon finally rose up and brought us some light. In the middle of the night I was just exhausted and staring out off the bow when a dolphin jumped 15 feet in front of the bow. It scared the crap out of me and had the effect of ten cups of coffee. I think it did it on purpose.

Land HOOOOO. Nothing better than the sign of Clearwater on the horizon.

A Looper Thanksgiving

Just think. All this delicious food was produced in three boat galleys

We took the free trolley to Tarpon Springs

This one is for you Lou!

Sponges after they have been brought to shore

This spongeman had just brought his catch to shore

We are still dreaming of the delicious Greek food we got in this restaurant! Yummy spinach pie

We hooked up with our friends Dan and Natalie in St Petersberg. It was great to reconnect with high school friends. Thank you for a delicious meal Dan and Natalie. It was great seeing you.

Charlotte is an incredible kid. We really enjoyed spending the time with her. She can't wait till her baby sister arrives. We got a real kick out of watching her play with Mobey on Blue.

What goes on at the grill. Stays at the grill. I think that's a law right?

Our Greenhorn is back

2010-11-22T10:57:00.002-05:00

Our first two nights in Mobile bay were a bit rocky. Pulling into Eastern Shores Marina in the town of Fairhope, Alabama Anna and I expected to find this beautiful oasis where we could lick our wounds from the river system and recharge the batteries before moving on into the Gulf. With the winds gusting at close to 50 knots out of the northwest we quickly found that most of the water in Mobile bay had been pushed out to sea, we put Blue in the mud as we tried to push her bow into the slip. I could not believe the tide was as low as it was. The dock master reported that at low tide they were down a good three feet lower than there lowest tides. With blue finally tied off, the winds picked up and we found ourselves in the washing machine. It was a tough two nights to say the least. I was able to jump off the boat, but Anna was unable to jump as far as me and found herself marooned in the tea cup at low tides. On the morning of day three we were joined by a whole group of looper boats and we took advantage of the local shrimp boats and bought five pounds of fresh ship right off the boat for 20 bucks. What a deal! With some friendly advise from our new friend Craig on Diamond, we prepared New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp. My god it was good! Finally feeling like we could walk without hitting the walls, Anna and I prepared for the arrival of my Uncle Ed. Many of you may recall Ed had joined us for a week back on Lake Ontario. Well the big guy decided his back had recovered from sleeping on our aft berth enough to want to give it a second go. I informed Ed that our cruise with him would take us through Pensacola the home of the Blue Angels and that their home coming air show was taking place on the day we would pass through. Like a kid finding out Christmas was a week early Ed informed us he had never seen them fly and would love to check it out. Having seen the Angels fly over Chicago from the boat, Anna and I decided that this time we should go to base and watch the show from the flight line. Leaving Mobile Bay Ed, Anna and I cruised with three buddy boats, Monkey Girl, Crawdad and Gone Crusin. It was a fun day spent relaying useless babble over the VHF as we made way to the Gulf Coast Intercoastal Waterway. As our boats rounded the marks of the GCICW we were greeted by two pods of dolphins. Everyone went nuts with excitement as they played in our wakes and seemed to smile at us as if to say what took you guys so long? Our first night was spent in a wonderful anchorage, we sat on Blues deck and watched the dolphins swim around us as the sun set on the bay. The next day thinking life can't get much better than this we headed to Holiday Harbor to get a good night rest for tomorrows big air show. When we tied up for the night, we could hear the rumble of the Prat and Whitney jet engines as the boys in blue practiced overhead. I got a kick out of hearing Ed do the Tim the Tool Man Taylor impression as he reacted to the unbelievable power of the jet engines overhead. Our day at the air show was just perfect. With the temperature in the low 80's and not a cloud in the sky we sat for hours and watched the performers overhead and then we climbed through many of the jets on display off to the side of the runway. Once again the Blue Angels left the crowed in ahh as they displayed their aerobatic skills overhead. On our return to the boat, I got a call from Bill on Monkey Girl and he jokingly said he was busy stitching together his blue jumpsuit, after looking at all the dreamy stares from the women he thought we should all have one on hand. The remainder of our time with Ed took us trough the panhandle of Florida to Port St Joe. Looking back we all agreed these are beautiful landscapes but the towns are hurting badly. With the economy in the ditch and the oil spill, the people here are barely getting by. The overwhelming display of disappointment and downright anger towards the over exaggeration regarding the oil spill is present everywhere. Not a waitress, Bartender, dock boy or check out girl missed their opportunity to express how happy they were to not have seen a drop of oil on their shores, and how crazy it was to come home at night and see reports of birds covered in oil and men cleaning the shores in white suits right in the area where they saw nothing. I guess it is a lesson to us all, our media is extremely powerful and has the ability to spin things anyway they see fit. Much to the sadness of the people in the gulf shores, they were in the medias cross hairs.

Before

After

Man where they Good!

Ed still cant get over how fast a dinner party can be pulled together in this crowd.

It is hard to smile when you have just consumed 20 pounds of shrimp.

We were given wonderful views of the early morning fog.

This sunset from Holiday Harbor was just out of sight.

Nothing says God Bless America better than a special forces jump master landing in front of us with an American flag trailing behind him.

I have to say these planes were some of my favorites.

This plane was the loudest of them all. Ed was in hog heaven.

Can it get any better than this? A jet truck racing a plane down the runway. Would you believe the truck made it to a top speed of 348 miles per hour. WOW!

That guy just burned all the diesel I needed for the trip.

The Boys in Blue get a great welcome as they appear on their home turf.

Everything is timed right down to testing the flaps before take off.

To Cool!

Just crazy how close they are to each other.

Like it is not hard enough, how about two of us do it upside down.

I will never get tired of seeing these guys.

They are just all around impressive

Welcome home guys, this will be their last show for the season, next year they will have two new pilots and many new support crew. I am sure these guys were going to party that night.

We had a great meal at this restaurant right on the Florida state line.

The next day we ran into the Navy Seals training in the waters around the base. Man these guys looked tired. We joked they probable started in Virginia.

Our Friends the Dolphins are back, this time we got a shot.

The fishing fleet in Port St Joe.

Someone carved figures of pelicans into this tree in St Andrews harbor.

Thank you for a great visit Uncle Ed. Safe travels home

A great view from the bar at Port St Joe

With a great view is the perfect pour. Cheers everyone

Salt Water Here We Come

2010-11-11T16:13:00.000-05:00

Ok Tenn Tom we are ready for what you have to throw at us. We need to be in Mobile by the 9th of November to pick up my Uncle Ed who is going to cruise with us for about a week. Everyone says we are crazy to try and get down it so fast but we are up to the challenge and ready to go. At our first stop, Grand Harbor we got to see our old friends Andrew and Sallyann from Freedom. We last saw them when they completed their loop at Green Turtle Bay. After a nice night of visiting with them we were ready for an early morning start down the river. Little did we know mother nature had another plan for us. FOG!! You would think coming from the Grey Lady (Nantucket) we would be used to this but river fog is no joke. Our first day we waited over 3 hours for it to clear long enough to run safely. We had heard even if we got to the lock in the fog their was a good chance the lock master would not lock us down if it was too thick. We went to Midway marina the first night took on some fuel and got ready for the next day. Day two we ran from Midway to Columbus. At Columbus it was getting very crowded and we had to wait over an hour and a half outside the dock for a boat to fuel up with 1000 gallons. They wanted 1600 gallons but the marina did not have enough fuel. The reason we had to wait was that the marina was so full we got the last spot just off the fuel dock and their was no way for us to tie up safely with the other boat fueling. In the days after we left we hear that boats were rafting 2 and 3 boats deep there because their was not enough dock space. We were thankful that we had pushed on and were determined to stay ahead of the crowd. After a night at anchor we went to Dempolis. There we took the courtesy car for what else- Jack Daniels. Here is where the real fun begins. We are going to run two very long days to get this river over and done with. We did 120 miles the next day. Thinking we could do this all by dark was a HUGE mistake. We ended up pulling into an anchorage in pitch black at mile 100. Anna was very scared and kept saying how silly we were to take such a huge risk. All I can say is thank god for the radar. Without the radar there is no way that I would have found the opening to anchorage channel.. As we headed in with 2 spotlights going we kept wondering what we would find. Thankfully we found Felix. Felix is a catamaran that is doing the loop. They were kind enough to hail us on the radio and give us direction to a safe place to throw the anchor. We had of course read of the dangers of the river at night but never would have thought it would be so dark and eerie. Ah well lesson learned. The next day was just 90 miles to a great anchorage where we could hear the owls calling. Of course we could also hear and feel the local fishermen blowing by us at top speed but hey we were in their space. Now Mobile here we come. That is one very busy port and we were like an ant going through there with all the huge boats. It is a truly impressive sight to see those huge ships. You can not help but to reflect on all the hurricanes that have come through there. Overall the Tenn-Tom is a very beautiful river. We had heard that is was ugly but did not find that at all and would gladly do it again over something like the Illinois or the Ohio rivers. We will be picking up Uncle Ed in a day or so and then heading towards Florida with a stop in Pensacola for the big air show.

See those little spots in the water? They are baby deer swimming across the river during our early morning cruise

Holy Deer! See them jump back onto the bank after their swim

The output of these factories is very impressive

Look at all this coal waiting to be loaded onto the barges

Great use for old tires

One of the last barges we saw on the Ten-Tom

The scenery is sure starting to look more tropical

Here is some of the greenery along the banks near the start of the Tenn-Tom

These spillways look like little waterfalls along the way

Early Morning Sun just off the dock in Columbus

Creepy early morning fog near the dock in Midway

Water overflow from the the last lock we passed through

Lock #114 for us!!! No more locks until the East Coast.

The view inside our last lock. We will celebrate this later on

White Cliffs of Epps were very cool to see

Felix was our savior in the anchorage at lock 100. Here is a great morning shot of them

Mobile Bay and civilization here we come

We feel so tiny in our small boat amongst all these large boats

The dry docks are just huge

The city of Mobile

This is a truly amazing port

Leaving Mobile and heading out into the bay. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a smooth ride

This is an old ship that they use to dock emergency drills on

The view of Mobile Bay from the marina. You can just see Mobile in the back.

We have been to plenty of reunions this is our first Rendezvous

2010-11-04T23:12:00.000-04:00

Every year two times a year somewhere around 200 looper gather in either South Carolina or Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama to share tales of friendship, hardship, excitement and anticipation. This year Anna and I attended their AGLCA fall rendezvous at Joe Wheeler. This is one of the more beautiful anchorages and marinas on the Tennessee river. Who is Joe Wheeler? I wish I could tell you but I was so busy talking with fellow loopers it never occurred to me to learn more about this state park that I was docked in. We learned many things at the rendezvous, the two most common things we learned are that most loopers attend either Over eaters anonymous or AA when they are done, in many cases both. This crowd knows how to party. We spent our days trying to soak up as much information about the remaining half of our trip as possible. I took a number of seminars given by fellow loopers who have done the trip numerous times and seem to have the inside track on the good bargains and things to avoid. There were a couple of really interesting things that happened while we were at the park. The first was our first Tornado scare. No I did not see Dorothy clicking here heals, but I did hear the sirens at the park blare letting us know that one had touched down within 20 miles of us. I thought to myself, should we run to the shelter? A young dock attendant walked by me and said, "Do not worry about it, it is 20 miles away but if you hear it again grab your pet and run for the building." I said to Anna, " We are not in Kansas anymore. Or are we?" I must say the wind did pick up for a good 15 minutes making me miss the strong winds of Nantucket which keep us on our toes with the frequent Nor'easter that blow through the island. The other exciting event was me turning 37!! Who better for me to celebrate this great day with than our friends the Yanceys and the Peters. Bill Yancey said, "It is a shame that I had lived this long without being able to enjoy a true southern catfish dinner." So with no backing out on my part a catfish dinner was planned. At first sight a whole fried catfish seemed to resemble a whole Chinese cooked chicken minus the head. After the first bite I quickly discovered why this meal has become a favorite in America's southern states. If you ever have a chance to eat a true southern hush puppy do not pass it up. My word they are good. To finish off the night Anna made me a Jack Daniels birthday cake that she had gotten a recipe for from the Jack Daniel's website. It involved almost 2 cups of my favorite drink. It was delicious. Despite many comments from other loopers about how young we were it was a great pleasure to meet with another young lopper couple the Parrents. They are about 2 years younger than us and have just stared the loop in Michigan. They are traveling with their 3 children whom they are home schooling along the way. They are really an inspiration to see in action. We had a few great nights hanging out with them and joking about how next year the rendezvous should have a kids table for us young loopers. We also had fun joking about the most common questions we have been repeatedly asked by older loopers like- How is that you can pull this off? We have compiled some of our favorite responses. They are as follows- I won the lottery, I just got out of jail for insider trading, If I keep moving the bank can not find me, and I am scouting for a reality show. With the rendezvous now over we are very excited to start the next phase of our travels. We are headed down the Tenn-Tom waterway to Mobile Bay. Salt water here we come.

Some of these ducks have the markings of a cow. I have never seen a spotted duck before.

All the Loopers have arrived.

Those are some mean looking clowds. A few moments later we got some unbelievable winds. It was a bit of a reality check to see how quickly a powerful storm and brew in this part of the world.

It is amazing this cake didn't blow up with the amount of booze Anna put in it. I had to warn the Craig and Danielle not to give it to the kids for fear they may like it.

On one of the nights they had a looper crawl where a number of loopers opened thier boats to be viewed by others. I got a kick out of the fact that a guy asked me whose boat I was washing and who much I charged while I cleaned Blue.

Anna took a swim in the pool and got some crazy looks by people saying how can you swim it is so cold? We didn't think it was so strange it was 78 and sunny. I guess they could tell we where from the north.

The fall colors are in full swing here.

Once again we were given some great sunsets.

We were able to witness this river boat grounded on a shoal in the channel. I later learned that a tow had snapped a cable trying to pull the old girl of the shoal. It must have been a tough day for the Captain and reminded us that you can drop your guard on the rivers.

Before

After!

Happy Halloween!

A Copper Top Still in the hills and a chance to ride a Combine. What a week!

2010-11-02T22:03:00.000-04:00

I don't even know where to start. In the past two weeks we have checked some major thing off the old bucket list. A few months before Anna and I left on our trip we sat down and made a list of a few major things we would like to see along the way. Much to my surprise one of Anna's top things to do was to see a large corn maze. I myself had never heard of such a thing. A corn maze I thought, where the heck are we going to find one of those. Well much to my astonishment it is not to hard in corn country. So off to a corn maze it was and what a great time we had. It has been a long time since I have taken a old fashioned hay ride. Anna and I had a blast picking out our Pumpkins for the top deck of Blue as well as getting lost in the Maze. Whomever came up with the first corn maze was a real genius, what great thing to do in October. Having checked off the Maze, we moved on to the next item on my list, a visit to the Jack Daniels Distillery. As many of you know I have been known to enjoy a good glass of Jack Daniels, and having an opportunity to go to the spot where this fantastic whiskey has been made since the Mid 1800's was not something I was not going to miss. As we walked the grounds on the tour, we got a chance to see the main still which was pumping out hundreds of gallons of 140 proof moonshine ready to be dripped through the oak charcoal then barrelled for 5 to 8 years before it will be bottled and hopefully happily consumed by some lucky guy like me. I did find it very humorous that Jack Daniels is made in a dry town. Everyone commented at the end of tour that they would surely kill for a taste of Jack Daniels fine whiskey. After visiting the Jack Daniels factory, Anna and I received a wonderful invitation to visit Bill and Carol Yancey's farm in Tennessee. Ever since I first learned that Bill was a farmer I had spent many an evening joking with him of how I had always dreamed of driving a combine. After an evening of enjoying some fine George Dickel Whiskey he made the mistake of telling me he had one. It has been a running joke for many months that maybe, just maybe he would let me drive it. All joking aside our visit to the Yancey farm was one of the most memorable things I think we have done on the whole trip. There is a real wholesome and rewarding feeling one receives working the land for a living. Bill and Carol have made a fine living doing just that. They have a great appreciation for their property and history that epitomizes the American farmer. They treated us along with Bill and Laura to a day filled with southern hospitality which of course included some incredible food, especially the pecan pie. At the end of the day I had driven a combine, filled it with soybeans, transferred it to another tractor and loaded it into a silo. As I watched the beans flowing into the shoot which threw them into the silo I was overwhelmed with a feeling of pride in taking part in one of the things that has made America great. After a day on the farm Bill treated us to a fine cigar on his back porch. When you look back on life you will remember a few special days and for me this will be one of those.

What have I gotten myself into?

I guess I am tall enough for this ride

I can not believe this but I think I am lost

You guessed it- That is a real cotton field

Tractors make everything look cool

Look honey I see some corn

Can you imagine picking this by hand?

The fall colors with the lake are beautiful

The river still constantly surprises us

Let the games begin

I never knew there were so many steps to make Whiskey

One of the main things that makes Tennessee Whiskey different from a Kentucky Bourbon is the mellowing process which key ingredient is oak charcoal. Here we were given the rare opportunity to see the Oak being burned into charcoal. You might think it is easy but I am told burning oak into charcoal suitable for this process is an art that takes years to perfect. The fire must be kept at the perfect temperature. A couple of good old boys stand around with hoses to keep it the right temperature.

Good Old Boys

Had to take a shot of this

Jack Daniels has its own fire department. I guess you need one when you have two copper topped stills that are ready to blow up if you make the wrong move

This statue of Jack greets his workers every morning. Did you know Jack's real name was Jasper? Who would ever buy Jasper Daniels.

You got to share a moment with the man

Every drop of Jack Daniels Whiskey has come from this cave spring. This cave spring is the main reason that Jack came to this area to make Whiskey. The water is pure and is the key ingredient in the recipe

Beautiful horses on the farm

Fits like a glove

Bill and Carol's son was married in this barn just 2 weeks before we came. We saw the pictures and could not believe how cool they made the barn look.

Bill and Carol also raise beef cattle. It is a real trip to walk around the farm and see the free range cattle doing their thing in the fields

This tractor would be my Dad's dream

Laura taking a ride on one of the beautiful horses on the farm

Finally I got my opportunity. Believe it or not I am at the wheel of this monster. I still can not believe that Bill actually let me drive it

I do have to say that I think he breathed a sigh of relief when I got off it and nothing had gone wrong.

Here is the man himself, Bill Yancey in his element. A true southern gentleman and a true friend. Thanks for the hospitality, it will be tough to beat.

A real sense of pride watching the soy enter the silo

Bill was happy to see the Silo was almost full. Soon he will be back on the boat

Good food, Good friends, and a fine cigar. Life on the farm is good

Chattanooga. What a cool name for a city.

2010-10-28T16:21:00.000-04:00

Anna and I arrived in Chattanooga filled with excitement in anticipation of the arrival of my Mom and Dad. It has been almost six months since we had last seen them, that is far to long if you ask me. We had spent the past few day planning the visit and were excited to see just how much Chattanooga offers to it visitors. Chattanooga is home to one of the best Aquariums I have ever seen. We spent a good day walking through their exhibits my favorite of which was the penguins, of course. I could easily spend hours watching these little guys as they flop around and swim in circles. Some of the other attractions that played out to be quite humorous were the incline railway and the glass floor pedestrian bridge to the Hunter Museum of American Art. Both my parents have a deep rooted fear of heights which made for some truly funny moments. On the incline railway even I was shocked at the steepness of the track as we reached the top and were left with the sensation of hanging in mid air. I had forgotten that my dad hates heights and as mean as it sounds was getting a good laugh as he gripped the side of his seat with white knuckles. Once back on the ground we opted to spend most of our time on the boat and took them both on a great cruise up the Tennessee. It was at this time that they did one of the best things any parent can do for a kid cruising the great loop. They bought us a tank of gas. I am not really sure they knew what they were getting into, and I can't be sure but I think I saw my old man break out into a cold sweat as he watched the meter roll on past 100 gallons. I got to tell you I felt a bit bad but when I was done I don't think you could squeeze another drop in that tank. Parents are great. Having enjoyed four great days together filled with good laughs and good food we wished they well and saw them off to the airport. It was a great visit, one that I will always remember. With Chattanooga behind us we will head back down the Tennessee River to the American Great Loop Cruisers Association Rendezvous in Joe Wheeler State Park. We hope to meet up with Bill and Carrol Yancey and Bill and Laura Peters. Rumor has it Bill Yancey has a Combine on his farm and maybe just maybe he will let me drive it.

The Bridges in Chattanooga are just wonderful. Like Nashville it has a pedestrian bridge which spans the River.

From the bridge we could get a great shot of Blue tied up with all the big boats.

The Hunter Museum of American Art was a work of art in itself.

This old riverboat is now a hotel. For a very reasonable price you can get a room on the ship looking out over the river.

The streets of Chattanooga have dance steps painted on the side walks. My Mom insisted that we try them all.

This Carousel is one of the oldest in America and believe it or not was first located in New Bedford MA.

For some reason my Mom loved this Frog.

We couldn't resit having some of Chattanooga's famous hot dogs. Anna got one with Cream Cheese, Pesto and fresh Tomatoes.

All over Chattanooga you will see references to the Trail of Tears. This waterfall runs from the base of downtown Chattanooga to the River and marks the spot where the Indians were forced to cross the river as they were marched west.

Just like the Hunter Museum the architecture of the aquarium was pretty cool to look at.

These huge Parakeets were so cool. It reminded me of a friend that once had a talking one that when the phone rang would say "Hello uh huh uh huh uh huh uh huh goodbye"

The Butterfly exhibit in the the solarium was totally cool.

My Favorite!

Everyone has got to take a picture in the shark cage with a giant shark in the background, right?

Up we go on the Incline Railway to Lookout Mountain.

My Dad was starting to feel a bit uneasy.

Look at how much fun they are having.

Back safe and sound on the boat. I noticed Dad was walking a bit faster after our ride, Might it be a lighter Wallet? Thanks for the Gas Mom and Dad!

As you can see Mobey was just exhausted when Mom and Dad left. To much excitement makes for a very tired Cat.