tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3809967948839293132024-03-14T03:56:14.130-04:00Segue's Voyage on the Great LoopDoris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-16339931428443769192011-03-20T17:05:00.006-04:002011-03-20T20:57:39.555-04:00Apalachicola to Panama City, FLThursday, March 17 - Got to White City early, having gained an hour going back into Central time. One, long floating dock was our home for the night and it was pretty decent. (Fishing boats headed into or out of the nearby boat launching area were not much for reading the NO WAKE signs, but it was a free dock, after all.)<br /><br />Just as several of us had settled down for a nap, a pack of dogs came along with one particularly loud one who looked like a pit bull. And he was crazy! He would bark at anything (waves coming in!) and attempted to "chase" fishing boats as they came by. Turns out he was pretty tame, or so it seemed. Lucy kept wanting to take him on and we held her back. :-) Next day we're off to Panama City....<br /><br />Friday, March 18 - A day I'll not soon forget. We got to the marina around 2 in the afternoon. Last Dragon went to an anchorage but we decided the marina would be best for us since we're having some head issues. We both worked around at different projects all afternoon (Wayne removing one of the pumps in line with the head and I doing laundry.) We also identified what sounds like a real "find" in a marina: Alan's Little Marina in Niceville, FL, at $15/night.<br /><br />I was carrying laundry back when I had an accident boarding the boat. My laundry container hit the boat railing and I lost my balance, falling off the boat and onto the dock, hitting my left ribcage on the side of the dock. ER visit confirmed a broken rib, and they eliminated a worry about damaged internal organs with a CT scan. We got to the ER around 7:30PM and didn't get back to the boat until 2AM. Spring break, weekend, full moon...what an experience the ER was! <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Fortunately I only came out with a broken rib and a bunch of sore muscles. Wayne and I both thought I was headed into the water after the smack on the dock. Considering I had the wind knocked out of me, that would have been much worse. As it was, I had no scrapes or cuts, only bruises...since my hands were full and I just hit full force with the ribs. Scary, though. We are both usually so careful about moving around the boat because there are so many opportunities for something like this to happen. We both have a renewed commitment to mindfulness.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Sunday, March 20 -I'm taking meds for soreness/pain and it seems to be working well, so far. The plan is to leave here tomorrow morning for Alan's Little Marina with Sharon on board Segue to help with navigation in case I can't ride on the bridge. Ben is excited about handling Last Dragon on his own. We promised him a "medal" of honor made from a scrapped impeller if he is successful. :-)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On another topic, we saw some great wildlife coming into Panama City on Friday. Dolphins, eagles, and even an alligator. You know me and dolphins, if you've read the Loop blog. Well, this dolphin beat anything I've seen. It was romping in the water...then turned over on its back and sailed along with it's nose kicking up a spray:</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpQ3M0ExmUY/TYZxtVGxHHI/AAAAAAAACT8/NdRNzghfcpg/s1600/dolphin2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hpQ3M0ExmUY/TYZxtVGxHHI/AAAAAAAACT8/NdRNzghfcpg/s320/dolphin2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586277411373259890" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__qXiCdFcN8/TYZxs_OwlDI/AAAAAAAACT0/dIuC1hsoeas/s1600/dolphin1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 187px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-__qXiCdFcN8/TYZxs_OwlDI/AAAAAAAACT0/dIuC1hsoeas/s320/dolphin1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586277405501199410" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4rPRjXXyNo/TYZxuF3423I/AAAAAAAACUU/p5dwQ1oMJnM/s1600/dolphinback3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4rPRjXXyNo/TYZxuF3423I/AAAAAAAACUU/p5dwQ1oMJnM/s320/dolphinback3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586277424464190322" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xrOyaAg2ZAw/TYZxt13Jp3I/AAAAAAAACUM/gIaN7KbFh6Q/s1600/dolphinback2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xrOyaAg2ZAw/TYZxt13Jp3I/AAAAAAAACUM/gIaN7KbFh6Q/s320/dolphinback2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586277420166129522" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VOZd_PbYjbA/TYZx2OhoOdI/AAAAAAAACUc/kyAccNcquLg/s1600/dolphinback4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VOZd_PbYjbA/TYZx2OhoOdI/AAAAAAAACUc/kyAccNcquLg/s320/dolphinback4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586277564225698258" border="0" /></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">More later....<br /></p>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-39253483905958435762011-03-15T19:58:00.007-04:002011-03-17T06:20:48.662-04:00Gulf Rim Route: Done!Tuesday, March 15- Well, we're "over" the Gulf! We left Dunedin on Saturday the 12th thinking we had a good shot at doing our three legs of the trip in three consecutive days. The first day out was great: smooth waters by the end of the day as we made our way into the Cross Florida Barge Canal to anchor. The Canal runs alongside a greenway now, and there were several people out fishing from the banks as we found our spots in the middle of the canal. We saw only a couple of fishing boats that evening and found it to be a very nice anchorage. The next morning we were treated to a gorgeous sunrise.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LzRFSaEIso/TYHZiSrd1uI/AAAAAAAACS8/Nyoj17k_RoE/s1600/cross%2Bfl%2Bbarge%2Bcanal.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LzRFSaEIso/TYHZiSrd1uI/AAAAAAAACS8/Nyoj17k_RoE/s320/cross%2Bfl%2Bbarge%2Bcanal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584984196069054178" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>Day 2, Sunday, March 13, we left the canal and went 80+ miles to Steinhatchee and River Haven Marina. We left Yankeetown around 8 AM and got to Steinhatchee by 5:30PM. Again, good water for the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Day 3, Monday, March 14, saw us leaving Steinhatchee around 7:45 AM in the fog. Last Dragon led and it was a tense experience for all of us. The fog didn't lift until we were out of the channel that leads into Steinhatchee...about 5 miles. From then until noon the water was fine. We thought we were drawing the best 3 days in this spring for our passage. So much for thinking. Around noon the waves picked up and before we knew it we were being pushed on our beam, rocking us sideways. Not comfortable! We tried various alterations in our course to see if we could take the waves better...and some worked pretty well for a while. Nothing, though, was a solid winner. We ended up going back to our original course and pretty much gutting it out through the rest of the trip. This is the third time we've come through this section of water and every time the waves have been coming from all directions.</div><div><br /></div><div>We anchored last night in the Shipping Cove at Dog Island. What a gorgeous anchorage on a night when winds were low and from the south. We took Lucy into shore and she romped up and down the beach. (She'd heard talk of dog island for a few days now and was surprised to be the only mutt there.) We took her sandy body back to the boat and gave her a quick shower afterwards. The evening was calm and clear and we woke up early to a spray of stars across the sky.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today we came to Apalacicola and the Water Street Hotel and Marina. We have stayed at Scipio Creek Marina the other times passing through, but decided the paved parking lot here would keep Lucy cleaner than the powdery lot at Scipio. We had concerns about the depth of the slips, so did bow in (which is better for our view since we're looking at the marshy grassed area behind the boat).<br /><br />Thursday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pflI3uQxjDc/TYHZi9i9pYI/AAAAAAAACTE/SyGl6A0mxxA/s1600/diving%2Bsuits.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pflI3uQxjDc/TYHZi9i9pYI/AAAAAAAACTE/SyGl6A0mxxA/s320/diving%2Bsuits.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584984207576114562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We're leaving Apalachicola today for a short 20+ mile run to White City and the free city dock there. Apalachicola is one of our favorite spots in Florida and the weather here these two days has been perfect...springtime in Apalachicola. <br /><br />As I was looking through my last download of photos I spotted a few to add to the Dunedin experience. The first is of Jack, the troubadour. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4re1_-NeLUc/TYHZixhMCvI/AAAAAAAACTM/iu77hHD9O8g/s1600/dunedin%2Bsinger.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4re1_-NeLUc/TYHZixhMCvI/AAAAAAAACTM/iu77hHD9O8g/s320/dunedin%2Bsinger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584984204347443954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />According to a local, Jack (who seems to be of Italian heritage) lives in a retirement home right by the Dunedin Municipal Marina. Several times a day he would walk down to the pier and...when he found a pretty lady...break into song. He would end by blowing a kiss...and with a flourish, wish her godspeed. It was interesting to watch the reaction of the people being serenaded. One time he approached a car that was parked nearby and ended up singing to the couple inside.<br /><br />The other photos are of a Great Egret that stayed on a pole by our boat during our stay at Dunedin. I read up a little on the bird and it seems that the feathery plumes and green lores (area between the beak and eye) mark it as a breeding bird.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2DT4Nb3Ips/TYHZjPShfAI/AAAAAAAACTU/B50Sv4W1xXM/s1600/Great%2BEgret%2B1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2DT4Nb3Ips/TYHZjPShfAI/AAAAAAAACTU/B50Sv4W1xXM/s320/Great%2BEgret%2B1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584984212338998274" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pdV3dL4orGI/TYHaiiimKwI/AAAAAAAACTk/E9-_7wlJHUU/s1600/great%2Begret2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pdV3dL4orGI/TYHaiiimKwI/AAAAAAAACTk/E9-_7wlJHUU/s320/great%2Begret2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584985299838446338" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ha1il0nhpvY/TYHZjHhRJVI/AAAAAAAACTc/u8gKdwVXWuQ/s1600/great%2Begret%2B4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ha1il0nhpvY/TYHZjHhRJVI/AAAAAAAACTc/u8gKdwVXWuQ/s320/great%2Begret%2B4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584984210253358418" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PoffI9y59wc/TYHai3O--tI/AAAAAAAACTs/k8yU0M0MA_k/s1600/great%2Begret3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PoffI9y59wc/TYHai3O--tI/AAAAAAAACTs/k8yU0M0MA_k/s320/great%2Begret3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584985305393330898" border="0" /></a></div>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-20492657255005463662011-03-09T15:58:00.005-05:002011-03-09T16:39:47.015-05:001984 Californian 43 Cockpit Motor Yacht(CPMY) Trawler for sale!<div>Oh, by the way...we're ready to sell Segue! We've been considering this move for sometime and both feel really good about the decision. We have a few ads out on the internet for the boat...and have a website with complete description and photos:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.afrugalcruiser.com/">http://www.afrugalcruiser.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-78196198395691846092011-03-03T06:15:00.010-05:002011-03-09T15:57:10.378-05:00Ft. Myers Beach to Dunedin (Florida, not New Zealand)<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ot-FHq0_Qn8/TXfowwBr2SI/AAAAAAAACSQ/QXY6JMFvO4I/s1600/Doris%2Bat%2Bmardi.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: left;">Tuesday, March 1- Our lovely time in Fort Myers Beach is over for now...and we're ready to leave for the 2 month journey home. The weather here has been just gorgeous...dare I say a little too warm at times if there's no shade around.</div><br />We did rent a car and drive over to Miami Beach for the boat show. We left on Thursday, the 17th of Feb., and got there in time for Wayne to meet with a supplier for his business. We spent the night in an area of Miami called Miami Lakes and it took us a while to find it following the Google map we had. (As in...the map was mistaken.) The next morning we drove down to the convention center on South Beach and I dropped Wayne off at the show. He spent about three hours there while Lucy and I went back to Miami Beach and walked around the gorgeous neighborhoods and beach. (Miami Beach has wifi available to visitors at no charge so I was even able to check my email once we were back in the car! Ah...the little pleasures.)<br /><br />Wayne didn't buy anything at the boat show...but came back to Ft. Myers and ordered an AIS system for the boat. This technology will allow us to "see" commercial vessels (tows) for miles out. Should come in real handy on the Tenn-Tom.<br /><br />Wednesday, March 2 - When we left Ft. Myers yesterday we had thoughts of meeting Ben and Sharon at Cayo Costa for an anchor out before heading into Sarasota today. As it turned out, the winds were due to pick up Tuesday night...and we have another "issue" with our generator, so we opted for a marina a little further north. We stayed at Cape Haze Marina and fueled up there since their diesel was...well, I started to say reasonably priced. Let's just say diesel is, like all oil products, inching up in price daily and their price hadn't reached the extremes yet.<br /><br />Cape Haze was a friendly little marina based around a community of townhouses. <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8a-zPrz9fQ/TXfbU605n2I/AAAAAAAACR4/whHAJSLnHjY/s320/cape%2Bhaze.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582171415584022370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sZERogD8Ig/TXfbUrttxlI/AAAAAAAACRw/y-nHoqw66f4/s320/cape%2Bhaze%2B2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582171411527353938" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>We could see signs of their having started new construction and then, like many, cut it short because of the economy. Still...a nice feeling place.<br /><br />So today we left Cape Haze at around 9AM and the Birdwells left Cayo Costa at 7AM. We were traveled within easy hearing distance most of the time and both came into Marina Jack's in Sarasota at around 2PM. After taking time to dock, register, and clean up some...we walked up to Patricks for drinks and dinner.<div><br /></div><div>Thursday, March 3 - We met Bob at First Watch for breakfast and got back to the boat in time for Wayne and Ben to evaluate the generator problem. Looks like they've got it working.</div><div><br /></div><div>We all set out for a walk then to St. Armand's Circle, across the John Ringling Causeway Bridge. It was a gorgeous day, even if a little windy!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kUqwqFY5hWM/TXfX4ANp0CI/AAAAAAAACRg/dpNEbxspbAQ/s320/bridge%2Bsarasota.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582167620278931490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4X4XjHlffE/TXfX4LreZVI/AAAAAAAACRY/ws7fHtSIGrI/s320/B%2Band%2BS%2Bon%2Bbridge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582167623356802386" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6DrliFPUWbU/TXfbVJ3sPkI/AAAAAAAACSA/QmpeG5RERi0/s320/d%2Band%2Bw%2Bbridge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582171419622260290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>We went to the Columbia restaurant for lunch and, after a brief spin around the circle, back to Marina Jack's. That evening Bob and Shirley came over for a visit. We had hoped to sit outside on the deck...but came inside because the winds were too high.</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday, March 4 - We left Sarasota early knowing we'd have a long trek today to Caladesi Island. Fortunately, the trip across the Tampa Bay area was not bad and we ended up making pretty good time. Segue found one of the two wide slips open and hopped on it, while Last Dragon took a slip near the end of Dock D. (Last Dragon later had to move over to a narrower slip on "C" dock. The marina was by no means full...and we think there was a "regular" scheduled to come in that weekend who used the slip on "D" dock.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Caladesi was just as beautiful the second time around...and Ben and Sharon seem to agree. Despite my resolve to leave shells where they lay...I came back with another baggy full! Oh, well. I just couldn't resist!</div><div><br /></div><div><div>We were watching the weather daily, hoping for a 2-day window that would get us from Caladesi to Yankeetown...then Yankeetown to Steinhatchee. We were determined to anchor on the Cross Florida Barge Canal near Yankeetown instead of going into a "marina" (most would agree there are no REAL marinas in Yankeetown...least none that willingly take transients.) It looked like we had a chance to leave on Monday morning so we moved to Dunedin on Sunday afternoon. The low tide is just about sunrise when we'd want to leave...and the channel into Caladesi is pretty shallow for us at low tide.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>Dunedin Municipal Marina had a slip for Last Dragon inside the sea wall...but Segue ended up tying up to the transient docks just out side the protected basin. It may have been the roughest conditions (high winds, tall poles, etc.) that we've done in a long time, but we made it in just fine. This is our view from the transient slip that afternoon. Uh, we were the only boat in the slips that evening. Wonder why?</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hK0r2qW9jiw/TXfbVSFgVNI/AAAAAAAACSI/U_i54z7_wYs/s320/rough%2Bwater%2Bdune.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582171421827683538" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>After putting out every fender we own to buffer the side next to the dock, we went over to Last Dragon for a final check of the weather at 4PM. </div><div><br /></div><div>Were we ever surprised to see the weather prediction for Tuesday had changed drastically...and there was no way any of us wanted to be traveling in the waves that were forecast. We stood the chance of getting "socked in" at the Yankeetown anchorage for maybe a week if we couldn't leave Tuesday morning. So...reluctantly...we decided we'd be in Dunedin for the week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Monday, March 7 - Waking to a leisurely day plan, Wayne checked the weather, as usual. Suddenly Monday and Tuesday looked good for a run! We called Ben and Sharon and started the process of gearing up for a 75-80 mile day when we realized it was just going to be too rushed. There wasn't a way for us to get out before 8AM and we really needed all the daylight we could get. The other problem was, there wasn't a backup plan for us: no where to go if for some reason we were unable to anchor at Yankeetown. </div><div><br /></div><div>OK. We're in Dunedin for the week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday, March 9 - Lucky us!! We love Dunedin! The historic downtown is near the marina with all kinds of good restaurants and shops. There are several long walking/biking trails nearby. And we hear from a fellow boater who stays here a good part of the year that Dunedin loves to throw a party. The day we arrived they were wrapping up an art and antique festival and a "taste of Dunedin." Last night they celebrated Mardi Gras, complete with a parade! Ben, Sharon, and I decided to wait out the parade (Wayne headed back to the boat). Here we are decked out in our beads...most of which Ben caught!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOFRGeZt52M/TXfX4c1EUXI/AAAAAAAACRo/As0tPWhwMFQ/s320/mardi%2Bgras.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582167627960439154" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Oh, wait. That's the wrong photo. Here we are.....</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gKtBHR-CfCE/TXfX34JkfoI/AAAAAAAACRQ/qyAXXXTf948/s320/b%2Band%2Bs%2Bmardi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582167618114322050" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ot-FHq0_Qn8/TXfowwBr2SI/AAAAAAAACSQ/QXY6JMFvO4I/s320/Doris%2Bat%2Bmardi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582186187372353826" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>We're watching the weather and might get out on Saturday. No problem-o, though, for this bunch. Friday and Saturday the town has a great Green Market nearby...and on Friday night they will have the second Friday Wine and Art Walk. We'll be just fine, thank you!</div>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-27768590249308396292011-02-10T10:10:00.012-05:002011-02-12T18:02:15.529-05:00Sarasota, FL, to Ft. Myers Beach, FLAt last, we're ready to check in again on the blog! Here's they way we made our way from Sarasota to Ft. Myers Beach...<br /><br />We totally enjoyed our time in Sarasota...and the visit home to see family in December. We got back to Sara Bay on January 2 and spent the rest of that week finishing up a few boat projects and visiting more with Bob. On Wayne's birthday, January 5, we went to St. Armand's Circle and had lunch at the Columbia restaurant, a long-time favorite. Here's the birthday boy enjoying the day out at their sidewalk cafe.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1HniSjm9Gg/TVRVrKcgelI/AAAAAAAACJc/gh81euOD8RY/s1600/Wayne0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x1HniSjm9Gg/TVRVrKcgelI/AAAAAAAACJc/gh81euOD8RY/s320/Wayne0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572172838990805586" border="0" /></a><br />Interesting neighbor on the Sara Bay dock...the Chapel on the Bay, a floating chapel used for weddings, renewal of vows, funerals at sea...you get the picture. It was really weird to see this floating up to the fuel dock!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0CgS5EC-f-s/TVRVrR1JgjI/AAAAAAAACJs/X4Rr_qxP-NI/s1600/Chapel0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0CgS5EC-f-s/TVRVrR1JgjI/AAAAAAAACJs/X4Rr_qxP-NI/s320/Chapel0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572172840973206066" border="0" /></a><br />Talk about weird, how about this reindog we spotted on the streets of Sarasota before Christmas...<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dBPrfgiLWZo/TVRfpWkr0kI/AAAAAAAACKU/YU0EIXyGZVA/s1600/reindog0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dBPrfgiLWZo/TVRfpWkr0kI/AAAAAAAACKU/YU0EIXyGZVA/s320/reindog0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572183803002868290" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sunday, January 9 - We waited on high tide to leave today since we need all the water we can get in this channel. Around 2PM we let loose the dock and headed across Sarasota Bay to Buttonwood Harbor, an anchorage near Longboat Key. We chose a spot just outside the channel in the harbor, a short dinghy ride from the Dock on the Bay where we paid a daily fee to land the dog. The area is beautiful...so peaceful. We were the only boat anchored there and very little traffic in and out.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EdEskwp1TU4/TVRVrTVOA3I/AAAAAAAACJk/L4ThgswBT5I/s1600/Buttonwood0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EdEskwp1TU4/TVRVrTVOA3I/AAAAAAAACJk/L4ThgswBT5I/s320/Buttonwood0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572172841376154482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This was another great location for a cruising boat to land. The bus stop was right in front of the Dock on the Bay and the beach was just across the street. We had some mail to collect from Sara Bay...and some other small business to care for before we took off down the coast... and this was a perfect spot from which to work.<br /><br />It was a little breezy Monday night and into Tuesday, but we were comfortable with the way the anchor was holding. Until Tuesday night.<br /><br />I woke up at midnight and Wayne was nowhere to be seen. I went up on the deck and there he was, huddled up on the fly bridge, watching the boat spin and turn in winds that were howling. He was going to sit up and make sure we didn't move. I entertained, for a minute, the idea of going back to bed...then got dressed and took my place up on the fly bridge with him. It was a night to remember. We ran through every possible "disaster plan" we could come up with...and sat up all the rest of the night, talking and watching.<br /><br />We kept thinking the winds would die down a little with sunrise...but I'm not sure they did. I was concerned about Wayne being out on the bow trying to dislodge the anchor (heaven knows it was SET!), but that went smoothly. We gingerly picked our way out of the shallow channel and into Sarasota Bay. Fortunately, the winds died down enough that it was not an unpleasant ride from Sarasota Bay to Venice. We went into Marine Max for the night in Venice, right off the ICW. We ate lunch and went to sleep! A drowsy afternoon spent walking along the Venice waterway...then early to bed. A new resolution made: don't anchor out if the winds are going to be high. I think we underestimated how close we were to the Gulf in Buttonwood Harbor? The winds weren't supposed to be outrageously strong, according to the standard weather sources. The thing is...once it's dark and you're anchored, you just have to hang on for the ride!<br /><br />Thursday, January 13 - Having recovered, somewhat, from our all-nighter, we went from Venice to Gasparilla Marina in Placida, Fl, on Charlotte Harbor. (Longest walk we've ever had from our slip to the marina office!)<br /><br />Friday, January 14 - We decided to go into the Ft. Myers Yacht Basin for a night or two. Our generator had stopped on us that fateful night in Buttonwood Harbor and Wayne wanted to take some time and figure out what the problem was. In talking with our friends Ben and Sharon Birdwell we decided to go up to LaBelle where they keep their boat and let Ben, the mechanic, help out with the repairs. Ben and Sharon actually came down and helped us into our slip at Ft. Myers...then Wayne and Ben scoped out the generator problem. We finished off the night with dinner at Joe's Crab Shack and made plans to go up to Port LaBelle Marina the following day.<br /><br />Saturday, January 15 - The trip from Ft. Myers to LaBelle was a beautiful one. I see why many boaters choose to cruise the rivers of Florida because from our limited experiences this year they are prime areas for lush vegetation, abundant and varied wildlife, and gorgeous views. Speaking of varied wildlife, this is one variety we hadn't expected on the Okeechobee...<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6We9Ms8EdD8/TVVyWovpz5I/AAAAAAAACKk/Oa4S_SPITFk/s1600/Camel0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6We9Ms8EdD8/TVVyWovpz5I/AAAAAAAACKk/Oa4S_SPITFk/s320/Camel0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572485847160835986" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Loved this sailboat all decked out in bright colors...<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Quj5BT50zsU/TVRfpQUvekI/AAAAAAAACKc/89wI6HO0roQ/s1600/sailboat0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Quj5BT50zsU/TVRfpQUvekI/AAAAAAAACKc/89wI6HO0roQ/s320/sailboat0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572183801325386306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We spent the next week at Port LaBelle Marina, taking one of the TWO slips with power hook-ups. (There's a whole TV series worth of oddities here...lots of stories. So entertaining, was this week!)<br /><br />LaBelle is a beautiful location, right on the Okeechobee Waterway. Here we are towards the end of this dock with Last Dragon.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S6s2ZLV5sPs/TVRVrjyL3PI/AAAAAAAACJ0/viQcO2EJIxE/s1600/LaBelle0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S6s2ZLV5sPs/TVRVrjyL3PI/AAAAAAAACJ0/viQcO2EJIxE/s320/LaBelle0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572172845792615666" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R18VeX9ZS2E/TVRVsnNNqmI/AAAAAAAACJ8/X0EX1F11Aeg/s1600/LaBelle20001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R18VeX9ZS2E/TVRVsnNNqmI/AAAAAAAACJ8/X0EX1F11Aeg/s320/LaBelle20001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572172863891155554" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1NCPfvB3cKc/TVRfo3DFAaI/AAAAAAAACKE/aaKXQr32JzU/s1600/LaBelle30001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1NCPfvB3cKc/TVRfo3DFAaI/AAAAAAAACKE/aaKXQr32JzU/s320/LaBelle30001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572183794540413346" border="0" /></a><br />Wayne and Ben fixed the generator in between side trips to Ft. Myers Beach, Clewiston (we saw Lake Okeechobee), Leigh High Acres...and, of course, LaBelle downtown and surrounds. I can see why Ben and Sharon like this place!<br /><br />Friday, January 21 - With the generator fixed and all four of us ready to be "cruising" we all left LaBelle today for a night or two in Ft. Myers at Legacy Harbor. We had a little rain and fog going down, but it wasn't bad.<br /><br />Saturday, January 22 - A really blustery day! We'd given thought to going to the Ft. Myers Beach mooring field for a night or two before heading down the coast a ways...but the wind predictions made us decide to stay close to the dock for another night. The wave action in the marina was so bad at times that we had a hard time being comfortable! Bonine to the rescue!<br /><br />Sunday, January 23 - We moved on down to Ft. Myers Beach mooring field with Last Dragon. What an ordeal picking up a mooring ball! Half the balls in the field were missing their pendants so Ben actually had to use the dinghy to help us secure a line to the ball. Looks as though the mooring field isn't being cared for: missing mooring balls (or submerged) and few pendants still attached. We went ashore for lunch out at Nervous Nellie's. Good hamburgers!<br /><br />Monday, January 24 - Off to an anchorage spot just down from Naples, FL, called Rookery Bay. It's on the Old ICW, so we were hoping for enough water to float Segue safely down. We ran up on some ground at one point because we'd strayed slightly out of the channel. Fortunately, we were able to get out of the problem with no signs of injury to the props.<br /><br />Rookery Bay was well worth the trouble. Beautiful bay right next to a wildlife reserve area...and plenty of water to anchor in. The best part was the beach on Keewaydin Island, a short dinghy ride away... few people and lots of shells.<br /><br />Ben and Sharon leading the way down to Rookery Bay...our depth finders!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GXvBDqLc0zU/TVRfozIdrYI/AAAAAAAACKM/f9sSVICOi08/s1600/LastDrag0001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GXvBDqLc0zU/TVRfozIdrYI/AAAAAAAACKM/f9sSVICOi08/s320/LastDrag0001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572183793489259906" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Tuesday, January 25 - The winds were predicted to kick up again this week so we pulled up anchor and headed up to Naples City mooring field. We were anxious to see where/what/how of this field. As popular as mooring fields are to cruising boaters, this field never seems to be more than half full...and it only has about 10 mooring. Well, it didn't take us too long to see what the problem was. None of the mooring balls had pendants.<br /><br />The winds had picked up, as predicted, just as we were ready to moor. Each boat had to go into the City Dock and get a pump out before going into the field. We finished first and headed out to tie up while Last Dragon registered and got pumped out.<br /><br />We decided to try accessing the ball from the side of our boat, since the bow is so high. Wayne positioned himself on the port side and did actually get a hand on the ball for a few minutes. Trouble was, the wind was blowing against the boat and there was no amount of holding on that would have prevented us pulling away from the ball. When Last Dragon came onto the field they had the same problem. Ben finally got the dinghy out and secured their boat, then ours. Both boats ended up putting about 3 lines onto the ball to try and secure the boat against the winds.<br /><br />Naples was a great place to be from our vantage. We were in the Old Naples section, being close to the City Dock, and within easy walk of shops and the beach. Most days were spent exploring the area by foot. The weather was sunny...and windy.<br /><br />Saturday, January 29 - There is a four day limit to staying on the mooring field in Naples...and we were ready to move on when Saturday came. The waves were predicted to be 2 ft. and the winds were light. The ride up to Ft. Myers Beach was a little rocky-rolly because of the direction of the waves, but it was tolerable. We found our way to Snook Bight Marina on Estero Island and took our spot for the next month at the end of a T-dock with great views of Estero Bay.<br /><br />We've been here for two weeks now and can honestly say this is the best place we could have chosen for the winter extended stay. The weather has been fantastic! Mostly 70's during the day and mostly mild nights.<br /><br />Yesterday was a strange weather day with fog that was there in the morning and didn't lift until well up in the afternoon. We took the trolley to the head of the island and walked over the bridge to lunch at Doc Ford's. It was mild enough to enjoy eating outside...with views of the fog, even at 1PM.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Zrr0Cvqt1I/TVcKFZMFrEI/AAAAAAAACLM/-ReM4m8vNpQ/s1600/DSCF8047.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Zrr0Cvqt1I/TVcKFZMFrEI/AAAAAAAACLM/-ReM4m8vNpQ/s320/DSCF8047.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572934151671491650" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4q_3P27Tr_s/TVcKFErpW0I/AAAAAAAACLE/FtMVOw8aCoA/s1600/DSCF8048.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4q_3P27Tr_s/TVcKFErpW0I/AAAAAAAACLE/FtMVOw8aCoA/s320/DSCF8048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572934146166709058" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We walked back over the bridge and had intended to walk about mid-way down the island before stopping for a trolley. The clouds finally congealed and started spurting rain, though, so we hustled to a trolley stop and only got slightly soaked before getting a ride.<br /><br />Today has been the first really rainy day since we've been here...and it feels chilly (in the 60's). We've taken advantage of the rainy day by working on our computers and sipping hot tea. :-)<br /><br />We have a couple more weeks here before beginning our trip back up the coast and home. Ben and Sharon have decided to take Last Dragon home this year, so we will have some company on the trip back. They will drive home this weekend and leave their car...flying back in late February to be ready around the first of March for the trip home.<br /><br />Last Sunday Ben and Sharon drove down from LaBelle and picked us up to go with them to the Everglades City Seafood Festival. We'd never been to Everglades City before and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. What a crowd there was on that nice, warm day! The food was plentiful and good. All in all, a great trip.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itIikb3gcmw/TVcKE9yHs0I/AAAAAAAACK8/vA88H_cHUfE/s1600/DSCF7986.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-itIikb3gcmw/TVcKE9yHs0I/AAAAAAAACK8/vA88H_cHUfE/s320/DSCF7986.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572934144314815298" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bxG_NIktlEY/TVcKElk4R2I/AAAAAAAACK0/2t0ta_zcQMM/s1600/DSCF7985.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bxG_NIktlEY/TVcKElk4R2I/AAAAAAAACK0/2t0ta_zcQMM/s320/DSCF7985.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572934137816827746" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rcmLNgnh7i0/TVcKEXDATGI/AAAAAAAACKs/AmNejKkyX0A/s1600/DSCF7978.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rcmLNgnh7i0/TVcKEXDATGI/AAAAAAAACKs/AmNejKkyX0A/s320/DSCF7978.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572934133916650594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'd like to pick out a couple of possible rentals for this area for the years to come. We both really like the area here and can see coming down for a couple of months in the winter. There's a great art center here, the Ft. Myers Beach Art Assn. I attended an all day workshop last Friday and have since joined the association and participated in a couple of painting groups that meet regularly.<br /><br />Next week we're renting a car and driving to Miami for a couple of days to check out the Miami Boat Show. We probably won't communicate by blog much until we start moving again in March. Ta ta for now...Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-50937288284928349532010-12-01T08:17:00.008-05:002010-12-01T13:50:45.626-05:00Steinhatchee, FL, to Sarasota, FL!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaYlA9_kFI/AAAAAAAACCk/qkGa8TCQ6HM/s1600/Yankeetown%2BMarina.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaYk6K02ZI/AAAAAAAACCc/s1K1T0UR40A/s1600/Withlacoochee%2BRiver.jpg"><br /></a><br />Tuesday, November 23 -<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaQMCe_czI/AAAAAAAACCE/jq_7_AhthIM/s1600/Steinhatchee%2Blast%2Bevening.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaQMCe_czI/AAAAAAAACCE/jq_7_AhthIM/s320/Steinhatchee%2Blast%2Bevening.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545778527653032754" border="0" /></a><br />Finally, after 4 days in Steinhatchee waiting for a time when the tides would be right for our exit, we took off for Cedar Key anchorage. "We took off" is a little less descriptive than it should be: The tide was going out at Steinhatchee and Segue was docked alongside a dock that was perpendicular to the tide flow. It would have been OK if we could have just taken off the lines and floated (rapidly) away from the dock...but there was another dock and an abandoned crab pot in our path. Oh, and we were bow into the dockage (so our propellers would be in the deepest water). We have less power and maneuverability when trying to go in reverse.<br /><br />It was 6:30 AM, but we found someone in the office to come out and help us get out safely. The dock hand had to hold the stern in towards the dock until we got in position to take off. Always something new in docking...or un-docking.<br /><br />Crab pots were out, and we were running pretty close into shore so we saw a good number of them. The water today, though, was beautiful! Smooth riding! So smooth, in fact, that we just couldn't stand to make the most of it. Mid trip we decided to go on down a little further to Yankeetown, FL, and spend the night at Yankeetown Marina. While making for a longer day today, it would shorten tomorrow's run.<br /><br />The river into Yankeetown, the Withlacoochee River, was stunning. We felt like we really were in "old Florida" now.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaQJ1tCjgI/AAAAAAAACBk/GyN1EqNsRn4/s1600/island%2Bin%2Bwithlacoochee%2Briver.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaQJ1tCjgI/AAAAAAAACBk/GyN1EqNsRn4/s320/island%2Bin%2Bwithlacoochee%2Briver.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545778489862557186" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaYk6K02ZI/AAAAAAAACCc/s1K1T0UR40A/s1600/Withlacoochee%2BRiver.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaYk6K02ZI/AAAAAAAACCc/s1K1T0UR40A/s320/Withlacoochee%2BRiver.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545787751010720146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The marina...well, that's another story. Let's just say I've come to compare it to Bobby's Fishing Camp on the TennTom, minus the catfish. The fee was $40/night, including electric and water (OK, one of the reviews on Active Captain already warned that you would be really lucky to find either). We talked with the manager earlier in the day and she told us we'd be docking next to a shrimp boat named Anna Maria. When we got there we saw the Anna Maria, but questioned which side to take and called out to her on the shore. She pointed to the outer position (not quite a slip...more a half dock) and, when asked whether bow in or stern, she said, "whichever you want!"<br /><br />We docked and worked with the ties to account for what locals at the dock said would be a nearly 4 ft. tide. The crew from Anna Maria was very helpful, as was everyone we encountered that evening. As I walked Lucy up to the office to settle up (we planned to leave early again), one of the shrimpers called out that the manager had already left. It was 4:30. I asked when she got in on the next day and he said around 6 AM. OK, we'd settle in the morning. Anna Maria pulled out of the marina around 6 PM for a night out shrimping.<br /><br />Wednesday, November 24-<br /><br />As the shrimp boats were coming in...we were leaving. The manager never showed up so we left a check stuck into the crack of the door. If you come to this marina, just know what you're getting ahead of time and you'll be OK. It's a safe feeling place, a neighborhood street right beside the marina, but it's pretty much a rickety dock with no power or water.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaYlA9_kFI/AAAAAAAACCk/qkGa8TCQ6HM/s1600/Yankeetown%2BMarina.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaYlA9_kFI/AAAAAAAACCk/qkGa8TCQ6HM/s320/Yankeetown%2BMarina.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545787752835944530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We were headed out as the shrimp boats were coming back. Again today we had smooth waters on the Gulf.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaQLvlSYeI/AAAAAAAACB0/KAB2J-fR4wI/s1600/Smoother%2Byet%2Bto%2BYankeetown.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaQLvlSYeI/AAAAAAAACB0/KAB2J-fR4wI/s320/Smoother%2Byet%2Bto%2BYankeetown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545778522579165666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Some crab pots, but they were actually easier to spot today than yesterday because of the angle of the sun and our course. We were hoping to get into Caladesi Island State Park for a day or two, provided they had a slip to fit our boat. We knew we could tie up to a t-dock, but that would cost $2/ft/day...and we weren't interested in spending that much. (Slips were available for our sized boat on a first come, first served basis.) We called a couple of marinas as backup and settled on Dunedin Municipal Marina if we couldn't get into Caladesi. When I talked to the ranger at Caladesi he sounded willing to work with us to find dockage.<br /><br />There were plenty of spaces available when we arrived. Two of our boating friends, Blue Angel and Sea Estate, were already at the marina and we docked next to them.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaPXDDKq6I/AAAAAAAACBU/QnlrSUQeglw/s1600/Caladesi%2BIsland%2Bcrew.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaPXDDKq6I/AAAAAAAACBU/QnlrSUQeglw/s320/Caladesi%2BIsland%2Bcrew.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545777617271696290" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Caladesi Island is gorgeous and accessible only by boat. A ferry runs between Clearwater and the island several times a day. The beach was voted Florida's Best in 2008. White, powdery sand and lots and lots of shells.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaPWjwBDNI/AAAAAAAACBM/bflYFZk4t-0/s1600/Caladesi%2BIsland%2Bbeach.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaPWjwBDNI/AAAAAAAACBM/bflYFZk4t-0/s320/Caladesi%2BIsland%2Bbeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545777608869874898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Being used to the Carolina beaches, it was neat to find totally different shells...and sand dollars that were still all in one piece! We walked the beach daily.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaPXXLYpwI/AAAAAAAACBc/JeUeE-jBcoY/s1600/Caladesi%2BIsland%2BWayne%2Band%2BDoris.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TPaPXXLYpwI/AAAAAAAACBc/JeUeE-jBcoY/s320/Caladesi%2BIsland%2BWayne%2Band%2BDoris.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545777622674876162" border="0" /></a><br />We ended up staying five nights at Caladesi, partly because of tide issues and partly because we got sort of hemmed in with boats on the opposite side of our dock. The "runways" between docks are a little close and if you have a long boat across from your long boat...it can make getting out a little difficult. Thanksgiving Day saw a few boat visitors (the ferry didn't run)...and even more boats came for the weekend.<br /><br />Monday, November 29-<br />We left on Monday morning when the marina was pretty empty and we still had to wiggle our way out due to little turn room. With help from friends on the dock, however, we came out without injuring our boat or any one else.<br /><br />We traveled about 55 miles today, crossing Tampa Bay and ending up at Sara Bay Marina in Sarasota, our home for a month. The marina is right on a bus route so we figured it would be a nice (and less expensive) alternative this time to Marina Jack's in downtown Sarasota. We'll visit with our friend Bob, catch up on various chores, play, and travel back to Knoxville around the 20th for Christmas visiting.Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-30574327885961698822010-11-20T19:48:00.008-05:002010-11-22T18:02:51.790-05:00Steinhatchee to...Saturday, November 20...continued<br />So what, you might ask, does one do in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Steinhatchee</span> on a Saturday night when the no-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">seeums</span> come out at 5PM? Did I mention we can't pick up one station on the TV? Most of the time in these out of the way places we can at least pick up a couple of educational channels and we catch up on episodes of Rick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Steves</span>. No NPR on the radio, either.<br /><br />Tonight we resorted to our good old standby...National Lampoon's European Vacation. Oh, that's not all we have in the DVD genre, mind you. The reverse side has National Lampoon's Vacation! Holiday <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ro</span>-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">oad</span>, holiday <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ro</span>-o-o-o-o-o-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">oad</span>. Love that Lindsey Buckingham. The good news is that we just discovered there's a "comments" version, too. We were tempted to watch it tonight but decided to pace ourselves. Something to look forward to tomorrow, honey!<br /><br />All I want for Christmas is Monty Python's All Time Greatest Hits.<br /><br />Sunday, November 21-<br />We were restless today. We'd checked out the diesel prices at Sea Hag yesterday and they are $3.95/gal. for diesel. We paid $2.79 in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Carrabelle</span>...and calling down to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Clearwater</span> we got prices in the low $3 range. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Hmmm</span>. We decided to look around at the other marinas here in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Steinhatchee</span> to see if someone else might have a better price. River Haven Marina is on the same side of the river as Sea Hag...just under the 25ft. fixed bridge.<br /><br />We decided to take a walk this morning, then, up to River Haven and see what the price was...and see about whether we could get in there or not. What a fortuitous decision! We walked up and talked with Shari Powell, one of the owners, and found out that 1) price of diesel is $2.89, 2) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">dockage</span> (including power and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">wifi</span>) is $25/night and 3) there's enough water around for us to get in here. Guess where we are tonight???<br /><br />After the marina visit we walked on up to Fiddlers, a local restaurant that has been recommended to us by several different people. Turns out they were having a Sunday lunch buffet that began at 11AM. We were there waiting on the doors to open...and we weren't disappointed. For $10.95/person we had fried chicken, brisket, black eyed peas and rice, a variety of side dishes, 3 soups, salad bar, and a delicious peach and cherry cobbler. We'll be back!<br /><br />Then we walked over to the grocery store and bought a bag of dog food for Lucy. (BTW, Lucy got a little razor burn at her last grooming (not unusual) and developed what looked like an infection in that area. [I know, I know, TMI!] This morning I called our dear veterinarian, Denise Frazier at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Northshore</span> Animal Hospital, and talked with her about the situation. Denise had put together a great first aid kit for Lucy when we went out on the first trip and updated it for this round. I have an antibiotic in the kit that she suggested I begin giving Lucy. Thank you Dr. Frazier!! :-)<br /><br />So...our new location is great. It's like being off the main drag and in a quiet, more intimate neighborhood. The marina is great, the owner dropping by the boat this evening to tell us about the proximity to Fiddlers Restaurant. We'll be here tomorrow, at least. Our aim was to move on down to Cedar Key asap...but there's a full moon this week and a phenomenon called the "negative tide."<br /><br />Monday, November 22-<br />What is this negative tide, we wondered? Our charts show depths and those depths are expressed in feet to represent the mean low water. So when we go into a channel that's showing 6 ft. (with our 4.5ft. draft)...we're expecting that most of the time the water is at least that deep. With a negative tide the water will be below that charted amount. Notice a tide chart sometime and look at the days when there's a full moon. Often those days will indicate a negative tide expressed with a negative number like -0.6. The full moon is responsible. We know the full moon makes people crazy...now we know it makes the tides crazy, too.<br /><br />This morning we spent several hours figuring out the tides for this location, Cedar Key, and Tarpon Springs...charting the course for each leg of the journey...consulting weather resources for information about wind and waves tomorrow and the next day. After a nice breakfast at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Cackleberry's</span> (adjacent to Fiddlers) we made the firm decision to go on Tuesday to Cedar Key and anchor out...then to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Caladesi</span> State Park (near Tarpon Springs) on Wednesday. Both days we'll need to be on the water by 6:30AM to avoid being around for a negative tide period. Tomorrow's trip will take around 7-7.5 hrs. and Wednesday's will take at least 9 hours. By Wednesday night, though, we will be back in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ICW</span> and, therefore, in more protected waters.<br /><br />A few pictures of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Steinhatchee</span> before we leave. First, Wayne sitting at the colorful bar at Sea Hag Marina..."it's five o'clock somewhere."<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOryH7r8MOI/AAAAAAAACA8/THQ_garX-3Q/s1600/Wayne%2Bat%2BSea%2BHag%2Bbar.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOryH7r8MOI/AAAAAAAACA8/THQ_garX-3Q/s400/Wayne%2Bat%2BSea%2BHag%2Bbar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542508509527814370" border="0" /></a><br />And a view from our dock looking up <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Steinhatchee</span> River on the last evening here.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOryHjAeF-I/AAAAAAAACA0/aHtpmXknv9k/s1600/Steinhatchee%2Blast%2Bevening.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOryHjAeF-I/AAAAAAAACA0/aHtpmXknv9k/s400/Steinhatchee%2Blast%2Bevening.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542508502903035874" border="0" /></a>BTW, a little factual info on the town, the name (pronounced STEENhatchee) came from Native American words meaning river (hatchee) of man (esteen). A big improvement over the community's original name, Deadman's Bay.Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-91030421776307106492010-11-20T14:11:00.007-05:002010-11-20T19:20:09.659-05:00Apalachicola to Steinhatchee, FLThursday, November 18-<br />It was cold last night! We woke up at around 5:30 and turned on the heat to warm up the place before we crept from under the covers. It was in the 40's. We're going to go to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Carrabelle</span> today because the conditions are favorable (we'd still be in sort of protected waters) and it will get us a bit closer to either a "run" across the Gulf or a run around the rim.<br /><br />You know, we came out on this trip thinking we would definitely do the rim route instead of the "all at once, 20-hour, up all night" crossing. Then we started looking at the details of the rim route and questioned whether there would be enough "water" in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Steinhatchee</span>...and whether we could have a good anchorage in Cedar Key. Well, this week we've checked all those issues out and have decided we can do the rim. And (unless a TOTALLY CALM day comes in the meantime) we really would like to do the rim route so we'll have a comparison for when we have to make the return trip in the spring.<br /><br />Just a few more pictures of Apalachicola. I can't get enough of these shrimp boats against the marsh and water...<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfK5zjA-fI/AAAAAAAAB84/ij4DYslnz-4/s1600/Apalachicola%2Bshrimp%2Bboat.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfK5zjA-fI/AAAAAAAAB84/ij4DYslnz-4/s400/Apalachicola%2Bshrimp%2Bboat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541620960941111794" border="0" /></a><br />Lucy and I visited a botanical garden within walking distance of Scipio Creek Marina and watched (well, I watched) monarch butterflies milling around the flowers.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfKD8Q7_HI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/-L1Am0iETJg/s1600/butterfly.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfKD8Q7_HI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/-L1Am0iETJg/s400/butterfly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541620035568270450" border="0" /></a><br />Cloudy weather coming up in Apalachicola...<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOgeY4vmJyI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/fX6rj8EAdyk/s1600/apalachicola%2Bstorm2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOgeY4vmJyI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/fX6rj8EAdyk/s400/apalachicola%2Bstorm2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541712754377107234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Papa Joe's Oyster Bar, connected to the Scipio Creek Marina and right beside our dock...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfKFFoQDGI/AAAAAAAAB8g/_4i4Efxpf8g/s1600/Papa%2BJoes%2BApalachicola.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfKFFoQDGI/AAAAAAAAB8g/_4i4Efxpf8g/s400/Papa%2BJoes%2BApalachicola.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541620055261842530" border="0" /></a><br />Speaking of oysters, we went back to the Papa Joe's Tuesday night for another round of oysters (Wayne) and steamed shrimp (me and Wayne.) On the way out of Apalachicola this morning we saw oyster boats at work harvesting a bed. In case you're wondering what's involved in oyster harvesting, here's a piece from the website http://www.cityofapalachicola.com/ApalachicolaBaySeafood.cfm:<br /><br /><blockquote><p class="MsoPlainText">Apalachicola Bay, including the waters of St. George Sound and St. Vincent Sound, provides an ideal environment for oysters. The 210 square mile estuary is wide and shallow; depths in Apalachicola Bay average only six to nine feet at low tide. The estuary is dominated by the Apalachicola River which provides nutrient rich fresh waters vital to the Bay's natural productivity. Oysters grow rapidly (the fastest in the country) in these waters reaching marketable size in less than two years. </p><p class="MsoPlainText"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Oystermen</span> harvest oysters in Franklin County from more than 7,000 acres of public oyster "bars" and about 600 acres of private leased bars in the Apalachicola Bay area. Public bars are divided into "winter" bars which can be harvested from Oct. 1 through June 30 each year and the "summer bars" which are harvested from July 1 through September 30. </p><p class="MsoPlainText"> There are more than 1,000 people employed by the oyster industry in Franklin County. And there are a variety of jobs associated with harvesting the mollusk. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Tongers</span> (traditionally called "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">oystermen</span>") harvest the oysters from small boats using tongs which look somewhat like two rakes attached in a scissor style. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Tongers</span> generally use a small wooden boat, 20-23 feet long, equipped with a culling board near the bow and sometimes equipped with a "dog house" or small covered area to provide shelter from bad weathers. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Tongers</span> are accompanied usually by "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">cullers</span>" who separate the oysters by size (oysters must be at least three inches in length to be considered legally <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">harvestable</span>). Out on the bay, oysters are stored in burlap sack and shaded until they reach the shore. On the shore, seafood houses employ "housemen" who sort the oysters and package them for sale either in bags or boxes or pass them onto <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">shuckers</span> where they will be shucked, washed and sold generally either in pints or gallons.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoPlainText"><br /></p></blockquote><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOgfygphiuI/AAAAAAAAB9o/Skye7ArTTEw/s1600/oysters.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOgfygphiuI/AAAAAAAAB9o/Skye7ArTTEw/s400/oysters.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541714294097414882" border="0" /></a>So here we have a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">tonger</span> and a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">culler</span> at work, with a mound of oysters on front of the boat.<br /><br />The trip from Apalachicola to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Carrabelle</span> went far quicker than we thought it would because we had a nice boost to the speed from current. It was mostly an open water situation (though still somewhat protected).<br /><br />We're at C-Quarters Marina in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Carrabelle</span>. The folks are really nice and we have ready access to grocery, bank, hardware...and library. We're considering a move to St. Marks tomorrow. We'll decide in the morning.<br /><br />Friday, November 19-<br />This morning we talked and looked at weather sites until we decided today would be the day to go from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Carrabelle</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Steinhatchee</span>, across the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Apalachee</span> Bay. It sounded like the winds might gust up a little above 10mph (9-13, in fact)...but waves looked like 1-2. By 8 AM we were on the water, headed for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Steinhatchee</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Carrabelle</span> was beautiful this morning, all calm and clear....<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfK649ULgI/AAAAAAAAB9I/luMPPSN5LWc/s1600/Carrabelle.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfK649ULgI/AAAAAAAAB9I/luMPPSN5LWc/s400/Carrabelle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541620979573468674" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfKGKfhREI/AAAAAAAAB8w/cA3hgNXDQJQ/s1600/Carrabelle%2BC%2BQuarters.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfKGKfhREI/AAAAAAAAB8w/cA3hgNXDQJQ/s400/Carrabelle%2BC%2BQuarters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541620073747268674" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfK6dTDb3I/AAAAAAAAB9A/v0ZWrSpd2lI/s1600/Carrabelle%2Bleaving.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOfK6dTDb3I/AAAAAAAAB9A/v0ZWrSpd2lI/s400/Carrabelle%2Bleaving.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541620972148453234" border="0" /></a><br />Well, we got kicked around for the first 4 hours of this trip! The wind was from the east, which we thought might somehow be blocked by land. Not! We definitely had 1-2 and 2-3...on the nose and hard to block. We altered course several times trying to find an angle that would lessen impact, but it was like the waves were coming from an "easterly" direction and no matter where we turned they were there. We'd go through a spell of nearly smooth water then get slammed by a series of 2-3ft. waves. It was weird. I took a little <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">snippet</span> of video on my little camera during the very first part of the trip...when the waves were just a little rough. (Later on, we were rocking and rolling!) If and when I figure out how to post it on here, I will.<br /><br />Meantime, this is how the water looked shortly after noon when it laid down to a bathtub slosh.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOhhl7X01OI/AAAAAAAACAc/i7IZENm4y2M/s1600/carrabelle%2Bwaves.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOhhl7X01OI/AAAAAAAACAc/i7IZENm4y2M/s400/carrabelle%2Bwaves.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541786645700072674" border="0" /></a><br />We got into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Steinhatchee</span> 9 hours later and are tied up to a dock at Sea Hag Marina.<br /><br />Saturday, November 20-<br />We were in bed last night by 7:30 and slept until 6 this morning. Needless to say, it was a stressful day. We learned, again, that we don't like traveling in winds over 10mph...even if for a part of the trip. We're also thinking the guy from Tallahassee Marine Weather Station was right when he said "the east is the beast!" But at least we're over on this side and maybe our trips on down the coast to join the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">ICW</span> will be easier.<br /><br />We were really impressed with the look of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Steinhatchee</span> as we came in last night.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOhh9g8PW0I/AAAAAAAACAs/HZZOYHHqhd4/s1600/steinhatchee3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOhh9g8PW0I/AAAAAAAACAs/HZZOYHHqhd4/s400/steinhatchee3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541787050921909058" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We were here by car in the fall of '07 and it definitely looks better from the river. Very pretty...and activity everywhere. This is a place that takes its fishing seriously! There are fishing boats everywhere. And here they fishers are weighing in the day's catch...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOhh833cM5I/AAAAAAAACAk/5HMlJQdr83c/s1600/weigh%2Bin%2Bstation.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOhh833cM5I/AAAAAAAACAk/5HMlJQdr83c/s400/weigh%2Bin%2Bstation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541787039895925650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The only really bad thing about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Steinhatchee</span> is the no-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">seeums</span>. Yep. And, in case you're wondering, those OFF personal insect repellent fans you can wear? They don't work on no-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">seeums</span>. Nope. I just observed (from inside the boat, since it is the time of day when no-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">seeums</span> roam) that the folks over at the marina are rubbing down their exposed body parts with some sort of repellent. I'll have to ask what they are using. :-)<br /><br />Next move is to Cedar Key...but it looks like we might be here a few days before that can happen. We have 4 days worth of dog food left right now. Wayne suggests we let her fend for herself here after that...like the miniature schnauzers do in the "wild." Me, I'm thinking we'll go ahead and pay a king's ransom for a small bag of dog food at the local grocery, Maddie's.Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-84301918250132564852010-11-14T16:38:00.002-05:002010-11-14T16:41:21.266-05:00Port St. Joe to Apalachicola, FLSaturday, November 13 -<br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">We really did think we'd stay a few days at Port St. Joe. We liked the marina - brand new looking - and the area held potential for some good beaching. There's a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Piggly</span> Wiggly right next to the marina, too. What more could a cruiser ask for!<br /><br />But, like I said yesterday, I think we are ready to start preparing for the Gulf crossing. This morning we looked at options and decided to move on over to Apalachicola...knowing we might be there for 5 or 6 days. If we were ready, tonight would be a perfect night for crossing. We talked yesterday to Blue Angel and they were headed to do the crossing tonight. We're not ready yet. We need an oil change and a few other maintenance chores done before we feel ready to go. Looking at the weather it will probably be next weekend before the waters calm down enough for us to go. So we left Port St. Joe after a trip to the hardware, auto supply, and grocery store.<br /><br />The trip out of St. Joe down the County Canal on a Saturday (Veteran's Day weekend, at that) took an hour to cover about 5 miles of water. There were a lot of boats out fishing and enjoying the weather and we have to slow way down when approaching other boats because we throw off such a large wake.<br /><br />We traveled across more interesting water, including Lake <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Wimico</span>.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOBXNujcnQI/AAAAAAAAB8E/wPvHhROqg0Q/s1600/Lake%2BWimico.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TOBXNujcnQI/AAAAAAAAB8E/wPvHhROqg0Q/s400/Lake%2BWimico.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539523435012332802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We keep commenting to each other that all of this looks new to us. I know it's been 3 years, but some of this waterway looks so different I'd swear we came a different way. It's really very pretty...and I don't remember being impressed with this area the last time. (Note to self: read the blog.)<br /><br />We reached Apalachicola around 2:30PM and cruised down to look at the Municipal Marina (aka, town dock) before deciding to spend the first few days, at least, at Scipio Creek Marina. A walk around town showed a lively, prosperous looking community with LOTS of art, antiques, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">collectibles</span> to ogle. Back at the marina we went to supper at Papa Joe's...shrimp and oysters.<br /><br />Sunday, November 14 -<br />Another beautiful day! Wayne is changing the oil and I am catching up on some laundry. I plan to walk into town this afternoon and see if some of those shops are open... :-) Right now I'm sitting in the shade on the marina office back porch (best place for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">wifi</span> reception) and enjoying the sunny day while laundry "does." We'll be in Apalachicola until we cross, which will likely be next weekend. Ta-ta for now.<br /></div>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-33186979582016072342010-11-09T12:43:00.020-05:002010-11-20T18:56:35.324-05:00Fairhope, AL, to Port St. Joe, FLMonday, November 8 -<br />Time changed yesterday and so we were up this morning at 5:30...and out of the marina by 6:30. Mobile Bay was gentle so the trip (18 miles) down to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ICW</span> was easy. On the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">intercoastal</span> waters we had dolphins playing in the boat wake.... This was what we'd see at first...<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1JNKWly9I/AAAAAAAAB68/BzXYBTr5nkE/s1600/dolphin%2Bunderwater.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1JNKWly9I/AAAAAAAAB68/BzXYBTr5nkE/s400/dolphin%2Bunderwater.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538663607201811410" border="0" /></a><br />Then, ta-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">da</span>!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1JNZi0K6I/AAAAAAAAB7E/SK46Aeoi-PI/s1600/dolphins.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1JNZi0K6I/AAAAAAAAB7E/SK46Aeoi-PI/s400/dolphins.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538663611279616930" border="0" /></a><br />Also spotted this set of buildings. Now, if you did a watercolor painting of this some might say it was just not realistic... WAY too colorful. :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3l_v7-ZEI/AAAAAAAAB78/GTVmvuKYs8M/s1600/painting.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3l_v7-ZEI/AAAAAAAAB78/GTVmvuKYs8M/s400/painting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538836000098116674" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1JNvO79CI/AAAAAAAAB7M/Vg_LhwD81Ro/s1600/painting.jpg"><br /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1JNvO79CI/AAAAAAAAB7M/Vg_LhwD81Ro/s1600/painting.jpg"> </a>We anchored in the Big Lagoon, just before the Pensacola area, at Red Fish Point. Our aim was to dinghy in to the Gulf Islands National Seashore and do some walking/exploring. Unfortunately we were anchored in a spot that held lots of shallow water and weeds between us and the shore. Our dinghy motor started coughing and we turned back. On the way BACK to Tennessee, we'll anchor in a bit different spot there and go ashore! Still, a beautiful place to be..<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqS-o2E1-I/AAAAAAAAB40/ywaYaze9M-Y/s1600/Gulf%2BIsland%2BNational%2BSeashorejpg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqS-o2E1-I/AAAAAAAAB40/ywaYaze9M-Y/s400/Gulf%2BIsland%2BNational%2BSeashorejpg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537900296619218914" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqTuCB0pmI/AAAAAAAAB5E/tubfH5W76h4/s1600/gulf%2Bislands%2Bnational%2Bseashore2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 168px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqTuCB0pmI/AAAAAAAAB5E/tubfH5W76h4/s400/gulf%2Bislands%2Bnational%2Bseashore2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537901110833227362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Tuesday, November 9-<br />Slept 'til 6 this morning...we're getting better. Left the anchorage around 8 and headed for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Palafox</span> Pier in Pensacola. The marina is only about 10 miles away. This is a strategy we learned the last trip: get close the night BEFORE going into a marina and take advantage of every part of the next day when you tie up. :-)<br /><br />On the way over to Pensacola we were treated to the Blue Angels practicing their maneuvers over the water. It was an amazing show! We've seen them before in air shows, but felt like we actually got much closer today! Between the dolphins yesterday and the Blue Angels today I've probably taken over 100 photos!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUVy5PVNI/AAAAAAAAB58/YQNmzmuuZHE/s1600/blue%2Bangels3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUVy5PVNI/AAAAAAAAB58/YQNmzmuuZHE/s400/blue%2Bangels3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537901793965462738" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqTuexajWI/AAAAAAAAB5M/RttPVDUT_9U/s1600/awesome%2Bblue%2Bangels.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqTuexajWI/AAAAAAAAB5M/RttPVDUT_9U/s400/awesome%2Bblue%2Bangels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537901118549036386" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqTu62QwWI/AAAAAAAAB5U/koxug96F0b8/s1600/blue%2Bangels%2B2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqTu62QwWI/AAAAAAAAB5U/koxug96F0b8/s400/blue%2Bangels%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537901126085558626" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUTWw-u3I/AAAAAAAAB5k/zqttFNRqZs0/s1600/blue%2Bangels%2Bfrom%2Bour%2Bbridge.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUTWw-u3I/AAAAAAAAB5k/zqttFNRqZs0/s400/blue%2Bangels%2Bfrom%2Bour%2Bbridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537901752054889330" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUUaJ95LI/AAAAAAAAB5s/diVaMRJY1AM/s1600/blue%2Bangels%2Bheaded%2Bfor%2Bus.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 208px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUUaJ95LI/AAAAAAAAB5s/diVaMRJY1AM/s400/blue%2Bangels%2Bheaded%2Bfor%2Bus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537901770144867506" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUUzj6f5I/AAAAAAAAB50/D_ylHx8Xsx8/s1600/blue%2Bangels.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUUzj6f5I/AAAAAAAAB50/D_ylHx8Xsx8/s400/blue%2Bangels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537901776964583314" border="0" /></a><br />We also saw some people involved in what we thought might just be the Gulf Oil Recovery Project.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUW43I13I/AAAAAAAAB6E/HXYYlqC48C4/s1600/Gulf%2Boil%2Bspill%2Brecovery%253F.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqUW43I13I/AAAAAAAAB6E/HXYYlqC48C4/s400/Gulf%2Boil%2Bspill%2Brecovery%253F.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537901812747130738" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Going to the National Naval Air Museum today. Catching a bus from downtown. Should be lots of fun! The area is so nice here I think we'll end up spending two days instead of the one we'd planned....<br /><br />Wednesday, November 10 -<br /><br />The Naval Air Museum was good, even if we did miss a large part of the collection due to renovations and their moving the era from Vietnam forward to another building. The new area opens in late November. A cute thing of interest was a sign defining a "navy shower," which is what we do when we're anchoring out for a series of nights and need to conserve water.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqU2nc9KkI/AAAAAAAAB6U/cBaPjVR6ygQ/s1600/Navy%2Bshower.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNqU2nc9KkI/AAAAAAAAB6U/cBaPjVR6ygQ/s400/Navy%2Bshower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537902357829724738" border="0" /></a><br />The bus trip to and from the museum was entertaining, too. We went onto two military bases, showing our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ID's</span> at check points, and got to see a lot of the Pensacola area.<br /><br />This morning Lucy and I took a nice long walk through downtown before we left. (Yes, we decided to leave today. I finally came to understand today that we are probably not going to be content until we get across the Gulf to "the other part of Florida.") As we were walking in one of the parks downtown I noticed a man standing still with one arm outstretched in front of him and the other arm slightly held out from his body. His back was to us...and it occurred to me that this was probably someone taking advantage of the park setting and a beautiful morning to do some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Tai</span> Chi. Probably some pose named "plucking the bird from bush," you know. (Apologies to Dana and Joan. :-) As my perspective changed, I realized that he was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">texting</span> on his cell phone.<br /><br />So, anyways, we left beautiful Pensacola and headed out for Ft. Walton Beach town dock. We arrived at around 3:30 PM and there was room on the outside dock for us to stay. Here's a view from the park nearby of Segue tied up to the dock (far left, outside.)<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1IxIv2jkI/AAAAAAAAB60/U5tbOewmEao/s1600/Ft.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1IxIv2jkI/AAAAAAAAB60/U5tbOewmEao/s400/Ft.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538663125734559298" border="0" /></a><br />Walked around town and saw this hotel. A picture really IS worth 1,000 words.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1Iw9iSMXI/AAAAAAAAB6s/ZeuySI4gIC4/s1600/You%2Bget%2Bwhat%2Byou%2Bpay%2Bfor....jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1Iw9iSMXI/AAAAAAAAB6s/ZeuySI4gIC4/s400/You%2Bget%2Bwhat%2Byou%2Bpay%2Bfor....jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538663122724860274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The sunset that evening brought a gorgeous sky...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1IwDgueDI/AAAAAAAAB6c/VasHZYW0zxo/s1600/Fort%2BWalton%2BBeach%2Bsunset.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1IwDgueDI/AAAAAAAAB6c/VasHZYW0zxo/s400/Fort%2BWalton%2BBeach%2Bsunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538663107149068338" border="0" /></a><br />Thursday, November 11 - Veteran's Day 2010<br />We're off to Panama City today. We're going to meet up with friends from a group that Wayne shares information with concerning trawlers and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">trawler-ing</span>, Jill and Rudy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Sechez</span>. We went through an area dubbed "the canal"...but it was really pretty.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3bJRkauZI/AAAAAAAAB7s/iuCpiIpe_qE/s1600/to%2Bpanama%2Bcity.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3bJRkauZI/AAAAAAAAB7s/iuCpiIpe_qE/s400/to%2Bpanama%2Bcity.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538824069117032850" border="0" /></a><br />Rudy and Jill live aboard a boat they built, Briney Bug. They came over to the marina that evening in their boat (we got a tour and it's an amazing, comfortable home!) and we went to dine at an Italian restaurant nearby that makes great pizza.<br /><br />Friday, November 12-<br />We were on the blue highway by 9 this morning...kinda took our time. Rudy and Jill came over to wish us a safe journey. We caught this shot of the Briney Bug.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3ZBbobVkI/AAAAAAAAB7c/-G8Ce7qioCk/s1600/Briny%2BBug.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3ZBbobVkI/AAAAAAAAB7c/-G8Ce7qioCk/s400/Briny%2BBug.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538821735355995714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Great trip to Port St. Joe along the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Wetappo</span> Creek (yeah, I know: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Itchycoo</span> Park comes to mind.)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3ZBiDLRNI/AAAAAAAAB7k/IGQycHHqwAU/s1600/Wetappo%2BCreek%252C%2BFL.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3ZBiDLRNI/AAAAAAAAB7k/IGQycHHqwAU/s400/Wetappo%2BCreek%252C%2BFL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538821737078801618" border="0" /></a>Saw a couple of eagles and caught this one on "film"....<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3ZBEsSMqI/AAAAAAAAB7U/sFRvFbWIpkU/s1600/bald%2Beagle.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 302px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN3ZBEsSMqI/AAAAAAAAB7U/sFRvFbWIpkU/s400/bald%2Beagle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538821729198158498" border="0" /></a>We're in Port St. Joe for a few days...then on to ready for the leap into Gulf waters. More later...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TN1IxIv2jkI/AAAAAAAAB60/U5tbOewmEao/s1600/Ft.jpg"><br /></a>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-65559343855750489512010-11-06T20:34:00.002-04:002010-11-06T20:48:27.874-04:00Fairhope, ALSaturday, November 6-<div><br /></div><div>I painted all day today!</div><div><br /></div><div>OK, we've gotten a lot done here while waiting on Mobile Bay to calm down. Today we put varnish on all the teak and will do a second coat tomorrow. We'd originally planned to leave for Florida tomorrow, but the weather report looks better for Monday. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I walked Lucy to the "beach" area here at the marina this morning I saw that the beach was very exposed...water "out." Our boat has probably been sitting on the bottom of the bay today. We watched a sailboat across the way trying to get out. They finally gave up around 2:30 and left. A fellow here to pick up a chartered sailboat said he'd never seen the water this low in the area. But a power boat we talked to said the water in the channel coming in is just fine...6-8 feet. </div><div><br /></div><div>We had breakfast in town today at a restaurant boasting to be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fairhope's</span> oldest. Good omelets! I've found a great walking trail here that runs for miles along scenic Hwy. 98. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fairhope</span> is a neat town. Some really pretty homes. Yesterday I went down and visited the library and several retail establishments. My favorite was the Page & Palette, a combination art supply, book store, and coffee shop.. </div>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-71649955023864615112010-11-02T19:08:00.011-04:002010-11-20T18:55:16.849-05:00Columbus, MS, to Fairhope, AL<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="Standard">Wednesday, October 27 -</p><p class="Standard">After six days at Columbus Marina, Columbus, MS, we've moved on down the Tenn-Tom to a lovely anchorage at Sumter Landing. (Some of you may remember our last experience at Sumter Landing in December '07. This was our way of "getting back on that horse.")<br /><br /><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNCb69el3oI/AAAAAAAAB34/OZSwxCgGMJE/s400/Sumter+Landing+anchorage.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535095379275931266" border="0" /><br />The weather was fickle today. We ran in and out of rain...sometimes MAJOR rain. Tomorrow morning we'll set our sights on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Foscue</span> Creek below <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Demopolis</span>, with a stop at the Yacht Basin for fuel.<br /><br />Thursday, October 28 - </p><p class="Standard">Beautiful day on the water...no rain! The night was very peaceful and we were up and heading out into the main channel by 7:30...just as Bulldog Sally was passing by our anchorage. (They anchored a few miles up the river.) We had about an hour wait to get through the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Heflin</span> Lock. For the rest of the trip the scenery held our attention. Last time we passed this way it was dark, so we were really impressed with the cliffs along the water.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNCd7WIDKnI/AAAAAAAAB4A/Q4kcBcFr8VA/s400/Going+to+Demopolis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535097584915524210" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" /></span></p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"></span><br />We were docked at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Demopolis</span> Yacht Basin fuel dock by 3 PM. Fueled, watered, and walked (Lucy), we left the dock at 3:45 and found our way down to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Foscue</span> Creek anchorage right before the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Demopolis</span> Lock. Bulldog and Crossroads were already in the creek...and we were later joined by a fourth boat.<br /><br />We anchored pretty much in front of the dock that belongs to a Coast Guard Cutter, "Wedge." That evening one of the employees at the Coast Guard station came out and said he thought we'd be fine there for the night...that the cutter wasn't due back until around noon the next day. He did say that if the boat came back, we'd have to move because it needed all that space to turn around and get docked. We'd stayed out that far because one of the boats in our group had touched ground not too far into the pocket of water beyond the dock. The night was calm, though, and the cutter didn't come home before we left.<br /><br />Friday, October 29 - Up early and headed for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Demopolis</span> Lock, we were in the lock by 7:25AM. We had four boats in the lock that morning and we were the last ones on the starboard wall. What a show!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNCjZK7KZMI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/ZgX8Ad4_dxg/s400/Demopolis+lock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535103594862896322" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" border="0" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div> Today we're headed to an anchorage at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Bashi</span> Creek, mile 145. No locks today after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Demopolis</span>, so it made for an easy trip. (BTW, there aren't any more marinas down the way, either. There's a place called Bobby's Fish Camp where you can tie up to a dock alongside the waterway, but we did that the last time and decided to do anchorages this time.)<br /><br />We arrived at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Bashi</span> Creek by 3:30...and proceeded to take another hour and a half to get comfortable with the anchor placement. The wind was blowing straight into the creek, and there was a current running opposite that. We ended up setting a stern anchor and having Breaking Away, another boat anchoring there, help straighten the bow of the boat with their dinghy. I kinda liked the place...very "Heart of Darkness." Wayne, however, wasn't crazy about the place because of the difficulty in setting anchor and positioning a boat of our size in the channel.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNClbpxTJGI/AAAAAAAAB4g/L67MjEMVkd4/s400/DSCF7651.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535105836526019682" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" border="0" /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"></span><br />There's a recreation area near the creek with boat ramp, small dock, picnic tables, trash can...what more could a cruiser (with dog) ask for?<br /><br />Saturday, October 30 - Foggy morning! But so pretty....<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNChcSEUtpI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/_vCt4wGqUqg/s400/DSCF7653.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535101449296721554" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" border="0" /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"></span><br />It took a while for us to be able to pull up anchor and move.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TNChcPigsDI/AAAAAAAAB4I/SkoVbiiw8yY/s400/DSCF7654.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535101448618029106" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" border="0" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>As we left <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Bashi</span> Creek we met Blue Angel and Sea Estate who had anchored a couple of miles up the river. We traveled with them to the last lock on the Tenn-Tom, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Coffeeville</span> Lock. Unfortunately, when we got to the lock we had a tow going down and one coming up. We were there by 12:15, but didn't get through the lock until 2:15. We only had about 20 miles to go to our anchorage for the evening, Old Lock 1 at mile 100. As we came through the lock at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Coffeeville</span> we saw that the water gauge was up by 3 feet. Good news for anchorages down the way that might, otherwise, not offer us enough water.<br /><br />Another great anchorage at Old Lock 1. We joined our neighbors that evening for a sharing session...and learned how to make "little beers." Yummy!<br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday, October 31 -</div><div>Shout out to all the goblins out there! Alex is going to be an astronaut and Ryan...an alien.</div><div><br /></div><div>It looked awfully cloudy this morning when we got up. Blue Angel and Sea Estate were out way before us...we got a dog. :-) We'd originally planned to anchor at Bates Lake, but were hearing that the entrance was too shallow. Blue Angel called back later in the day and confirmed the shallow conditions. They were going to the Alabama River Cut-Off to anchor. We were thinking we'd try an anchorage we'd heard about on the way down: David Lake. See, we had visions of motoring through Mobile harbor on Monday and the further down we could get, the better.</div><div><br /></div><div>[Here's where we're seeing that your days would be a lot different if you were living aboard a boat, as Blue Angel's crew, Jim and Sharon, do. For us it tends to be a push to the next destination. For them it's less urgent. They tended to travel fewer miles a day than we...and they ended up sitting out the weather in the Alabama River anchorage with Sea Estate. They planned to take their dinghy's back up the river to Bates Lake and explore by boat that way. We're trying to loosen up, but I think we both look forward to being in Florida so much, it hasn't happened yet. We'll see if it DOES happen.]</div><div><br /></div><div>The sky cleared up and the ride was pretty good. We got down to David Lake and opted not to stay. The setting was, Kay, "soul crushing." Murky surroundings with a rusty old building and deserted industrial site. We went on down to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Tensas</span> River anchorage, mile 39, and were pleased with the decision.</div><div><br /></div><div>Monday, November 1 -</div><div><br /></div><div>We thought we would take 21 days to get down to Mobile Bay...and today we made it! We had to wait until after 9:00AM to leave due to fog. The trip through Mobile Bay was quite different this time. Last time was Christmas Day 2007 and very cold and crisp. The Bay was deserted. This time, there was plenty of activity around.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our aim was to get to Eastern Shore Marine in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Fairhope</span>, AL, for one night, then head on down to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">intercoastal</span> on Tuesday and wind up at Bear Point Marina. The trip across the Bay was so easy. There were no waves and no wind. We got into Eastern Shore around 3PM. I took the courtesy car to the local <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Publix</span> and brought home steamed shrimp for supper. (Thanks to Sea Estate for that little tip!) Life is good!</div><div><br /></div><div>Looking at the weather forecast, we decided to stay at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Fairhope</span> for a few days. Rain, wind, and waves were coming...and we were ready for another break. We'll be here probably until Sunday and will get back with you when something happens. :-)</div>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-67453636692169160122010-10-25T07:00:00.002-04:002010-10-25T07:04:51.247-04:00Columbus, MS, October 25Storms moved in last night and it was quite a show! Thunder, lightning, wind! We woke up this morning wondering what we will find outside (did anything blow off the deck?) We're going to be here today and tomorrow, at least. Probably leave by Thursday morning.<br /><br />Happy Birthday to my sweet Mother, Willie Smith, 82 today!Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-54444256920630584372010-10-23T17:20:00.001-04:002010-11-20T18:52:38.855-05:002010-11 Knoxville to Columbus, MSFriday, October 8<br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><br />Well, we're off again! After a quick trip back home this morning in the marina van (pick up of athletic shoes, cruising charts) we were going through the Ft. Loudon Lock by 10:15. It was a beautiful day on the water.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TLd2YxRte5I/AAAAAAAABps/amFeuN67TSQ/s400/First%20day%20out.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TLd2YxRte5I/AAAAAAAABps/amFeuN67TSQ/s400/First%20day%20out.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />54 miles later we pulled into the "Smith Marina" (home of friends Chuck and Vickie Smith).<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNP8umfC0I/AAAAAAAABsM/3av8WfdL6Kg/s1600/DSCF7579.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNP8umfC0I/AAAAAAAABsM/3av8WfdL6Kg/s400/DSCF7579.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531352672061295426" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNPRGSEZ3I/AAAAAAAABsE/ssauNLSBaWI/s1600/smith%27s+dinner.jpg"><br /></a><br /><br />After a quick tie-up of Segue and walk around the grounds for Lucy we congregated on the Smith's screened porch for refreshments. To our delight, Ben and Sharon Birdwell had come down to join us. We caught up with the Smith's latest adventure, a 3-week trip to Europe, and shared a delicious meal that was topped off with a lemon sorbet made by Chuck. Here we are, relaxed and full...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNPRGSEZ3I/AAAAAAAABsE/ssauNLSBaWI/s1600/smith%27s+dinner.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNPRGSEZ3I/AAAAAAAABsE/ssauNLSBaWI/s400/smith%27s+dinner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531351922503870322" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When I was putting lunch items back in the Norcold frig this afternoon I realized the refrigerator wasn't on. When Wayne checked it out he discovered that the appliance wouldn't work on battery power...only on AC. (If we're not plugged up to shore power somewhere then we have to be running the generator.) So...we've adjusted our plans to include a stop over somewhere down the line for repairs. Tomorrow we'll get down to just above the Chicamauga Lock and have a contact there that might prove helpful. More later on the frig!<br /><br />Thursday, October 14 - We docked on Saturday at Chicamauga Marina just above the Chicamauga Lock. Sunday a repairman came out from Shelburne RV Refrigeration (Sid) and he did some checking on the frig...but needed to come back on Monday when Norcold offices were open to confirm his diagnosis. Monday morning he was back over and ended up placing a part on order...a DC power supply...to arrive on Wednesday, the 13th. Wednesday came...and the part didn't. The manufacturer agreed to ship in out "overnight" to Sid...and we decided to move on down to the Chattanooga waterfront area to make a little progress in the trip. Today Sid came over with the part and was finished by 1 PM. Sid was very reasonable with his charges: $75 for one service call and a 10% markup on the part.<br /><br />Ah! Now we can get going tomorrow morning and be down to Goose Pond Marina on Saturday by noon. This morning I walked over the pedestrian bridge to the Whole Foods store and Walgreens. It's a lovely day...in the 70's...with a brisk wind.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNRoMnIVII/AAAAAAAABsk/977YfVVvm3k/s1600/Chattanooga.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNRoMnIVII/AAAAAAAABsk/977YfVVvm3k/s400/Chattanooga.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531354518363067522" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We met the nicest guy, Richard Walker, aboard Holiday VII, at Chicamauga. Richard has been up and down the TennTom over 20 times and had some great reviews of anchorages and marinas along the way. On Monday afternoon he let me go with him to the new Publix store in Ootlewah for a little provisioning. We're hoping to see him again on this trip since he's headed the same way we are.<br /><br />Friday, October 15, 2010 - Today was a day of contrasts as we went from Chattanooga to our anchorage near Crow Creek. We had our heavy jackets on in the morning (I added gloves and hat). By 3 o'clock we were back in shorts and short sleeves, being beaten down by the sun as we made our way westward on the Tennessee. The winds were calm as we pulled out in the morning...but soon picked up to give us our first whitecaps of the trip (minor, but whitecaps!).<br /><br />Leaving Chattanooga we came to one of my favorite spots on the journey...the section where I-24 parallels the Tennessee River for a while. When I come to this part I think about having been on that very stretch of I-24 many times...and now I'm seeing it from a different vantage. That's what a lot of this traveling by boat is for us: seeing places we've been before...but seeing them in a different way.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNVM3PaUII/AAAAAAAABtE/jdRQNonjagk/s1600/IMG_7271.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNVM3PaUII/AAAAAAAABtE/jdRQNonjagk/s400/IMG_7271.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531358446816481410" border="0" /></a><br />After about 3.5 hours of travel we reached Nickajack Lock and found a tug boat working to move a barge downstream. It would be 2.5-3 hrs., the lockmaster said, so we anchored there next to a park. Two other cruisers waited with us, Blue Yonder and Felix, the catamaran. We got there at 11:30 and were through the lock by about 2:45. The anchorage we had picked for this evening was still about 2.5-3 hours away...and we were now on Central Time, which meant that sunset comes at around 6:15. We had to pass the tow that had been ahead of us in the lock...and that took a little time. By 5:15 we were going into Crow Creek anchorage at about mile 401 on the Tennessee. Another cruiser had entered the creek about 5 minutes before we got there. To make a long story short, we didn't anchor in the creek area. The marked channel weaves all over the shallow area, in and out of the green growth. We just couldn't get comfortable with the depth or current. As the sun set we were weaving our way back out of Crow Creek. We anchored, instead, on the non-channel side of Crow Creek Island and it was a great place to be on a windless, moonlit night. This was the view out our window the next morning...<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNVc4KX3sI/AAAAAAAABtM/jpyQR8PX2p8/s1600/IMG_7273.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNVc4KX3sI/AAAAAAAABtM/jpyQR8PX2p8/s400/IMG_7273.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531358721941692098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Saturday, October 16 - Gorgeous day traveling down from mile 401 to Goose Pond Marina at 378. We were docked early and in line for the courtesy car by noon. Our turn came up at 4PM and we took off for laundry and provisions. (Walmart on a Saturday night. Ask Mamaw Prichard!)<br /><br />Sunday, October 17- Another beautiful day on the water. I woke up and looked at the alarm clock...6:30AM. I woke up fully and started coffee. At about 7 Wayne came up and said, "You know, my watch says it's 6..." Uh oh. I hadn't set back my alarm clock for Central Time. We left the marina by 7:45. :-)<br /><br />Guntersville Lake is one of the prettiest areas on the Tennessee that we've traveled. I couldn't get over the feeling we we somewhere back up in Canada.... Camp-like settings and small, cozy looking homes peak through wooded banks.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNV8POHvOI/AAAAAAAABtU/9kAqow3jX88/s1600/IMG_7277.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNV8POHvOI/AAAAAAAABtU/9kAqow3jX88/s400/IMG_7277.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531359260707372258" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNWmgJGfoI/AAAAAAAABtc/kKOu-5eVv9s/s1600/IMG_7281.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNWmgJGfoI/AAAAAAAABtc/kKOu-5eVv9s/s400/IMG_7281.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531359986804227714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We were docked today by 1 PM and had the afternoon to nap, work on odds and ends, and (of course) meet new people. We're at Ditto Landing near Huntsville (shout out to the Ledbetters!) Tomorrow we leave marinas and plan on anchoring out 4 or so nights before getting to Columbus Marina on the Tenn-Tom.<br /><br />Monday, October 18 - Wayne was up at 4:45. It may take us a while to adjust to the time zone. We traveled today from Ditto Landing to an anchorage on the right descending bank just below the First Creek entrance. We had a little southerly wind at first, but just enough to be pleasant. We took Lucy to the bank (nice access to the land in this little cove) and rested for the evening.<br /><br />Tuesday, October 19 - Headed out at 7:45 having done our morning "chores" and walked Lucy. We hailed the Joe Wheeler Lock and were told to come ahead. We locked through with Sunshine Lady and traveled most of the day with them in sight. They have AIS, which allows them to see where oncoming tows are located. When we got to Wilson Lock they spotted a tow in the chamber. We only had to wait 20-30 min. for the lock to take us down.<br /><br />The closer we got to our anchorage tonight the more the wind blew. Pickwick Lake is so broad and long at this point that we were getting some pretty good sized waves, but it was not uncomfortable. We passed by Panther Creek anchorage and spied a couple of boats already at rest. We had decided to edge on down to Zippy Branch on Yellow Creek (thus putting us, technically, on the Tenn-Tom). Zippy Branch had 2 boats in it, but we found a nice spot close to the front on the western bank. It was so windy, though, that we opted not to take Lucy in this evening. We're trying out a new system (pad) for Lucy's elimination needs...and decided now was the time to try it out. Unfortunately, we're not so good at Schnauzer lingo (she's much better at telling US what SHE wants). Lucy refused to have anything to do with the mat. The wind died down as dark approached and we had a quiet night on the water.<br /><br />Wednesday, October 20 - Up before 6 and out by 7:30. We're headed to Midway Marina to pick up some fuel and then on a couple of miles down to an anchorage at Cummings Creek, right before the Fulton Lock. We'll go through 3 locks today. Lucy's still maintaining her dignity.<br /><br />As we headed down the "canal" portion we admired the neatly coiffed banks on either side (better on the right bank than left)...and we saw a coyote! I wanted a picture, but quickly lost sight of it as we moved on and a tree came between us. I saw it kind of walking along the canal with us...and wondered if it got a whiff of Lucy, the tasty little morsel.<br /><br />The ride today was beautiful, for the most part. The trees are turning color. We both commented on how different everything looks now compared to how it looked when we last came down in December 2007. (I know the Bloomfields have made a similar comparison!)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNU7RK4vbI/AAAAAAAABs8/s_7PrgeMgyA/s1600/Fall+color.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNU7RK4vbI/AAAAAAAABs8/s_7PrgeMgyA/s400/Fall+color.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531358144539180466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We made it through all three locks, Whitten, Montgomery, and Rankin, with only a one hour delay at Rankin. We anchored near the channel for this wait. Out of Rankin we made our way into Midway Marina for diesel fuel at $2.79...a good price in these parts. As we pulled in I spotted a boat named Selah! with a home port of Edisto Island, SC (still one of our most favorite places in the world!) The Murrays live on Edisto and are doing the Loop. They plan to tour the inland rivers next year, including the Tennessee, and we exchanged cards in the hopes of meeting up again.<br /><br />Anchorage for this evening was about 2 miles downstream from Midland Marina, close to Fulton Lock. It was a quiet, windless evening.<br /><br />Oh. Just a note. That whole "new system" we had in mind for Lucy to use... it may not work out like we thought. As usual, the Schnauzer had a different idea for the pad.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNXJY4C4dI/AAAAAAAABtk/WhrZg4VPTTA/s1600/IMG_7318.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNXJY4C4dI/AAAAAAAABtk/WhrZg4VPTTA/s400/IMG_7318.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531360586149061074" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Thursday, October 22 - Today we planned to anchor at Aberdeen Lock, Blue Bluff anchorage, but we have a new plan. As we came out of Midland Marina yesterday we started having a vibration in the props. A similar thing had happened a few days ago as we left a lock, and at that time we thought we'd solved the problem by doing a few reverse engine maneuvers to knock off anything we might have picked up on the props. (Common thing to happen in these locking situations.) Anyway...we called Columbus Marina in Columbus, MS, and found out they could dive in and check out the props, and even remove them and have them repaired. We decided to see if the locks would cooperate today to get all the way down to Columbus.<br /><br />As we pulled up anchor a sailboat was passing us headed for the lock. We ended up traveling all day with the sailboat, though we pulled ahead some after getting out of the last lock. We went through Fulton, Wilkins, and Amory Locks. We left at 7:45 and were pulling into Columbus Marina at 5:15PM.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNSJi0uvBI/AAAAAAAABss/EQPun9KMgNk/s1600/DSCF7621.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNSJi0uvBI/AAAAAAAABss/EQPun9KMgNk/s400/DSCF7621.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531355091261373458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />"T", the marina manager, was ready to hit the water for the dive when we got there. (He said he was glad to be doing it that evening because the temperature the next morning would be in the 40's.) He put on a mask and hit the water. A few minutes later he came up with a hunk of frayed rope. Down again, he went, and emerged with an even bigger piece. There were parts of the mass that actually fell off and sank before he could get them up, so it ended up being quite a lump of trouble. This is what he ended up retrieving...<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNSJi0uvBI/AAAAAAAABss/EQPun9KMgNk/s1600/DSCF7621.JPG"><br /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNUZrS1EhI/AAAAAAAABs0/BxVE20Pt2ZY/s1600/DSCF7623.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/TMNUZrS1EhI/AAAAAAAABs0/BxVE20Pt2ZY/s400/DSCF7623.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531357567436263954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />(That's "T's" mask next to it for size comparison.)<br /><br />What a relief! For the cost of a dive we were spared spending hundreds to pull the boat out for a look. Thank you, "T"!<br /><br />Friday, October 23 -<br />After a leisurely morning we picked up the courtesy van and left for lunch out and provisions. Back at the boat that afternoon we met the folks on Sea Estate and Blue Angel. The evening brought a happy hour and more swapped boat cards. It was a good day.<br /><br />Saturday, October 24 -<br />Borrowed the van this morning to have breakfast out and run a few more errands. We're thinking about leaving tomorrow (since we don't have to have props fixed) and spent the day taking care of some chores that need to be done in a marina. We're going to look at the weather this evening and see whether the incoming storms will keep us here a few days or not....<br /></div>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-44228068844362446802009-05-19T07:14:00.003-04:002009-07-13T09:36:00.988-04:00At home on land!Well, we've been home now for about 7 months...and we're still adjusting. Wayne and I are both still craving the adventure and change we had daily on the trip, but we're trying to make up for it with new ventures on land.<br /><br />I'm working part time at a local community college library...and working on my art. From January to May of this year I took a drawing class at Pellissippi State Community College and loved it.<br /><br />Wayne is starting a new web-based business called Cruiser Marine (<a href="http://www.cruisermarine.com">http://www.cruisermarine.com</a>). Since Wayne takes care of most of our boat maintenance and repair, he's interested in finding the best products at the best prices. He has gathered quite a few already and will be adding more as time goes on. Check out the site next time you need a boating product and see if "Stretch A Buck Wayne" can serve up a deal!<br /><br />Lucy has had the hardest transition from cruising life to life on land. She was with us 24/7 on the boat...most evenings finding us with willing laps for her rest. Now we're busier and gone often in the day.<br /><br />We all enjoy going down to the boat and spending time, so that's what we try to do often. 'Til we see you on the waters again....safe travels!Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-73248757331960094832008-11-08T08:56:00.013-05:002008-11-12T09:17:39.699-05:00Segue comes homeThursday, October 16 - We had a pleasant cruise up through Watts Bar Lake to Caney Creek Marina. Our friends, Vicky and Chuck, were off cruising on their boat (a Californian, too!) and had offered their slip to us for the night. With the threat of showers that evening it was a welcome offer for Lucy's sake!<br /><br />We had trouble this morning getting the dinghy back up on the boat and had towed it all day. The wench that pulls the dinghy up was slipping. Wayne worked with it after we docked that evening and slowly got it back up in its resting place.<br /><br />Friday, October 17 - Today would be a short day. We left Caney Creek around 9 and arrived at Ft. Loudon Dam just as Bear Cat, a large towboat, had locked through with several barges.<br /><br />We pulled into Ft. Loudon Marina and set about getting the boat cleaned up for homecoming!<br /><br />Saturday, October 18 - We had invited about 10 couples to join us at Choto Marina for a celebration at 12 noon this day. As we paced our journey up the familiar Ft. Loudon Lake we were continually surprised at the changes/additions during our year's absence. More and more large homes are cropping up on both the Knox and Blount County sides.<br /><br />As we rounded the bend nearing our home stretch we heard on the radio, "Detour, calling out to all Looper boats...Over." It was Pam and Jim from their boat, Detour...there to meet us and chronicle in pictures our trip back into Choto Marina! Pam and Jim will be doing the Loop in a year or so and we're dying to return the favor now!<br /><br />Seeing our friends gathered at the dock as we came into Choto gave us an emotional experience equal to only a few other events on this trip (I'm thinking the entrance into NYC harbor and the Statue of Liberty comes close.) It was so nice to have the love and support from these people as we took this trip...and so nice for us to be able to share the experience with them. Some had visited us along the way and others had been regular contacts by phone or email. It meant a lot along the way, and it meant a lot to see them there today.<br /><br />To all of them, and all of our friends and family who gave us well-wishes and offered prayers of safe keeping on our behalf...THANK YOU!<br /><br />I had a camera ready to document the afternoon, but never took a picture. Fortunately, Jim and John were there and were kind enough to give us a photo chronicle of the day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRra_-wjJ0I/AAAAAAAABe0/40vGhlGpk5w/s1600-h/010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRra_-wjJ0I/AAAAAAAABe0/40vGhlGpk5w/s400/010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267763506876458818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrbACXByZI/AAAAAAAABe8/DtHS0AJvCmY/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrbACXByZI/AAAAAAAABe8/DtHS0AJvCmY/s400/012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267763507843156370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrbAplFBnI/AAAAAAAABfE/ZXnCfvCZFUs/s1600-h/016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrbAplFBnI/AAAAAAAABfE/ZXnCfvCZFUs/s400/016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267763518371071602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcvRH30SI/AAAAAAAABfM/9UUUe69V-EQ/s1600-h/040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcvRH30SI/AAAAAAAABfM/9UUUe69V-EQ/s400/040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267765418771599650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrfne51UkI/AAAAAAAABg8/KRBUGiRFl9Q/s1600-h/DSCN8693.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrfne51UkI/AAAAAAAABg8/KRBUGiRFl9Q/s400/DSCN8693.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267768583566742082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcv83YdBI/AAAAAAAABfU/l-kYupbNZ_k/s1600-h/046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcv83YdBI/AAAAAAAABfU/l-kYupbNZ_k/s400/046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267765430513595410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg4h63c9I/AAAAAAAABhE/Mg29Kd2FkzM/s1600-h/DSCN8697.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg4h63c9I/AAAAAAAABhE/Mg29Kd2FkzM/s400/DSCN8697.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267769975945786322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg5NZ0LXI/AAAAAAAABhM/2UpADfnKjag/s1600-h/DSCN8699.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg5NZ0LXI/AAAAAAAABhM/2UpADfnKjag/s400/DSCN8699.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267769987618319730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreNpl8RYI/AAAAAAAABf8/1pMTthkBPwM/s1600-h/090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreNpl8RYI/AAAAAAAABf8/1pMTthkBPwM/s400/090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267767040247874946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg5bH_m8I/AAAAAAAABhU/7r9uNu27VDo/s1600-h/DSCN8700.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg5bH_m8I/AAAAAAAABhU/7r9uNu27VDo/s400/DSCN8700.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267769991301667778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg5pvZzdI/AAAAAAAABhc/BJBLhaW10dE/s1600-h/DSCN8701.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg5pvZzdI/AAAAAAAABhc/BJBLhaW10dE/s400/DSCN8701.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267769995225058770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcweMlUcI/AAAAAAAABfk/JLKvylmWTJw/s1600-h/075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcweMlUcI/AAAAAAAABfk/JLKvylmWTJw/s400/075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267765439460889026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcwBQOlUI/AAAAAAAABfc/QXzOBvvEzg0/s1600-h/063.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcwBQOlUI/AAAAAAAABfc/QXzOBvvEzg0/s400/063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267765431691547970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreO9DupMI/AAAAAAAABgU/bx0HHoFxSqU/s1600-h/099.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreO9DupMI/AAAAAAAABgU/bx0HHoFxSqU/s400/099.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267767062652953794" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreOZ_NVtI/AAAAAAAABgM/yTJOj2BqI_c/s1600-h/093.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreOZ_NVtI/AAAAAAAABgM/yTJOj2BqI_c/s400/093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267767053238752978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreN0TbHfI/AAAAAAAABgE/lJ9yIY7Uimo/s1600-h/091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreN0TbHfI/AAAAAAAABgE/lJ9yIY7Uimo/s400/091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267767043122994674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreNRqi--I/AAAAAAAABf0/Bo31mr86ra0/s1600-h/088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRreNRqi--I/AAAAAAAABf0/Bo31mr86ra0/s400/088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267767033824738274" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrfnKmPLtI/AAAAAAAABg0/_YpDeDMYXqE/s1600-h/114.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrfnKmPLtI/AAAAAAAABg0/_YpDeDMYXqE/s400/114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267768578115841746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrfmna9qOI/AAAAAAAABgk/_8_Xvm9L8kY/s1600-h/107.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 385px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrfmna9qOI/AAAAAAAABgk/_8_Xvm9L8kY/s400/107.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267768568673315042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrfl-V5KxI/AAAAAAAABgc/VA3H8q_9drQ/s1600-h/106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrfl-V5KxI/AAAAAAAABgc/VA3H8q_9drQ/s400/106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267768557646195474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg551wlEI/AAAAAAAABhk/PMkK5C5pMvs/s1600-h/DSCN8711.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrg551wlEI/AAAAAAAABhk/PMkK5C5pMvs/s400/DSCN8711.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267769999546684482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrjKWoIb8I/AAAAAAAABiM/vEm05-TPKuw/s1600-h/DSCN8720.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrjKWoIb8I/AAAAAAAABiM/vEm05-TPKuw/s400/DSCN8720.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267772481175318466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRriKuA9wLI/AAAAAAAABh8/CqZG96x7PPI/s1600-h/DSCN8719.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRriKuA9wLI/AAAAAAAABh8/CqZG96x7PPI/s400/DSCN8719.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267771387941863602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcwqOhflI/AAAAAAAABfs/v-r040ZnIcM/s1600-h/083.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SRrcwqOhflI/AAAAAAAABfs/v-r040ZnIcM/s400/083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267765442690252370" border="0" /></a><br />We're back on the Tennessee River, back home. I'll summarize, for our benefit, some of the stats of the trip in a later blog entry. For now, we have to say that coming back to the Tennessee River and its lakes makes us realize even more how lucky we are. These are some of the prettiest cruising areas we've seen on our travels so far.<br /><br />I read a quote from T.S. Eliot and it rings so true for us. <br /><br />"And the end of all our exploring<br />Will be to arrive where we started<br />And know the place for the first time."<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-80966735731302187562008-10-04T07:44:00.014-04:002008-10-15T20:42:24.918-04:00Metropolis, IL, toSaturday, October 4 -<br /><br />A couple of things I've left out in previous blogs (at least I <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> I have.)<br /><br />When we passed by Peoria, IL, we apparently also passed by a hotel called the Par-A-Dice Casino Hotel. How's that for a name?<br /><br />We're pushing to get home at this point in the trip. Not that we don't have things to see in this area of the country...but this is our area of the country. Before this trip we had only traveled by boat as far as Chattanooga. We're already thinking about future (shorter) trips to areas on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.<br /><br />So this morning...we woke up to heavy fog. We'd planned to get out around 8, but had to wait for the fog to lift and that was more around 9:30 AM. Blue Max called Lock 52 to see when they could get us through and they said to gather up at the lock around 10 AM. We did...and proceeded to wait about an hour and a half before we could get in...and then it took about another hour to complete <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">lockage</span>. Bottom line: we left the lock at 12:30 PM and had about 50 miles to do before reaching Green Turtle Bay Marina. Oh, yeah, and that would be upstream, a-gin. And we had one more lock to go through. We figured we'd be lucky to get there before dark. We were lucky.<br /><br />We turned off the Ohio onto the Cumberland and things began to look more like home. Hills, trees beginning to turn (though more brown than bright colors) and curving river bed. We quickly went through the last lock and, with Kismet in the lead because they'd been here before, we wove our way into Green Turtle Bay.<br /><br />There were a number of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">looper</span> boats already there. Some had been there for days and others just arrived and were planning to spend more time. We were there for one night.<br /><br />Sunday, October 5 - We took our time this morning getting up and ready for the day. We had a loose idea of where we wanted to end up and thought we'd decide on the way how far to go. I took a nice walk into the town of Grand Rivers, KY. We visited with people we'd met along the way and hadn't seen for a while...then pulled the boat around to the fuel dock to take on some diesel. I walked over to the little restaurant at the marina and picked up a couple of sausage biscuits then we left at around 10:30 AM.<br /><br />It was a beautiful day on the water...and we were feeling the pull of home. We'd never been on Kentucky Lake before, but it is beautiful...almost as pretty as our lakes nearer home. There were some very attractive coves and bays that would have made great anchorages, but we wanted to get some miles under our belt. We ended up picking out an anchorage called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Leatherwood</span> Creek at mile 73.6 on the Tennessee River. A marked channel took us in and we anchored in about 10 ft. of water with a very few homes in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">vicinity</span>. As the sun went down it got nice and cool and we enjoyed time on the back deck after taking Lucy to shore.<br /><br />Monday, October 6 - We were up around 7 AM and leaving <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Leatherwood</span> Creek around 9 AM. Oh...yeah...and when we took Lucy to shore this morning I nearly stepped on a snake weaving it's way from the water's edge towards the woods. Lucy was dallying around ahead of me and didn't even see it. I called to Wayne and he came over to help me herd Lucy back our way. She must have gotten a smell of the snake because she stopped and started smelling around. She was so mesmerized that she wouldn't "do" anything and we had to take her back to the boat with a promise of a walk by noon. I think I've identified the snake correctly now as a Northern <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">water snake</span>, a native of Tennessee. Harmless, so they say....<br /><br />Well, with the adrenalin pumping we left <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Leatherwood</span> Creek, bound upstream to Pebble Isle Marina in New <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Johnsonville</span>, TN. It was a short trip of 23 miles and we were counting on borrowing the courtesy car that afternoon so we could take on provisions. We were there by noon and I took off immediately for the grocery store. With our cupboard restocked we took time to wash off some of the Mississippi mud we were carrying.<br /><br />Around 4 PM about 6 other boats came in, including Our Turn. The marina restaurant was opening that evening for the crowd and most of us gathered there for a great meal and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">camaraderie</span>.<br /><br />Tuesday, October 7 - Pulled out of Pebble Isle Marina around 8AM with Our Turn. It looked like we were going to have rain most of the day. We were just hoping the "chance of thunderstorms" would hold off until we got to Clifton Marina, Clifton, TN...and they did.<br /><br />I've heard of dock-o-miniums, but I hadn't seen RV-o-miniums before....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZgB8m0yoI/AAAAAAAABNI/plwEOe5A7eg/s1600-h/rvminium.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZgB8m0yoI/AAAAAAAABNI/plwEOe5A7eg/s400/rvminium.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257495201566739074" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We were tied up by 3 PM and Ellen, Nat and I took the courtesy car into town for a look-see. (We would have walked but it looked really rainy.) After a brief stop at the Dollar General and grocery store we parked on Main St. and walked to the few open shops. The town is cute as it can be...a step back in time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPPbjKxMXcI/AAAAAAAABLI/GuH9-kbPwiE/s1600-h/clifton+downtown.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPPbjKxMXcI/AAAAAAAABLI/GuH9-kbPwiE/s400/clifton+downtown.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256786587304091074" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A short walk down the river took us to the Clifton Public Library which shares an historic home with the T.S. Stribling Museum.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPPbjdw2KdI/AAAAAAAABLQ/z04B91n0hz4/s1600-h/clifton+library.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPPbjdw2KdI/AAAAAAAABLQ/z04B91n0hz4/s400/clifton+library.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256786592402909650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Stribling won a Pulitzer Prize in 1933 for his novel THE STORE in. I was interested in reading more about the man and the book, and found this biography on a University of North Alabama Libary website: http://www2.una.edu/library/stribling/biography.html<br /><br />He wrote a lot of short stories and had a very unique way of crafting a plot:<br /><p style="font-style: italic;" align="left"><span style="font-family:Century Schoolbook;color:#482c20;">Stribling developed an elaborate method to help him produce his short stories. The system involved taking a white sheet of cardboard and dividing it into columns. The columns would consist of various settings, weather, sports, characters, locations, bad habits and good morals. He would shut his eyes and randomly run a wavy line across the columns. This approach insured originality and created some very interesting stories. During this time, he wrote as many as seven short stories a day. </span></p>(Isnt' there some sort of party game based on this idea???)<br /><br />THE STORE received rave reviews when it was published in 1932...and it beat out MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY for the Pulitzer Prize. Sounds like a book worth reading...<br /><br />The library was having a book sale that day, so of course we partook!<br /><br />That evening we gathered for supper on the deck of Our Turn. Roy, Nat and Ellen brought out a bottle of champagne to toast our crossing our wake tomorrow. (They are stopping at Pickwick and we're anchoring further upstream.)<br /><br />Wednesday, October 8 - Our Turn and Segue left Clifton Marina just before 8 AM. I was hoping the marina office/restaurant would be open before we left so I could seek out some leftover cornbread or chicken and dumplings from their dinner the night before. Ellen and Wayne had said it looked really good.<br /><br />It was a beautiful day of travel. A little foggy at the first, from the night of rain, but that soon cleared up. This is a shot of Our Turn as we left that morning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZa0MkqrKI/AAAAAAAABMA/JfyZg1bVSVo/s1600-h/leaving+clifton+our+turn.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZa0MkqrKI/AAAAAAAABMA/JfyZg1bVSVo/s400/leaving+clifton+our+turn.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257489467776347298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There was a most peculiar sighting today. A naked (at least he appeared to be) man was standing on the left descending bank with a pair of binoculars focused our way! Wayne, Roy, and Ellen all saw him. I was on the phone and missed it. I think I was the lucky one. Welcome to Tennessee??!!<br /><br />We passed by some really neat signs for Mermaid Marina...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZcwJdHrTI/AAAAAAAABMQ/zYhdf5ERPp0/s1600-h/mermaid+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZcwJdHrTI/AAAAAAAABMQ/zYhdf5ERPp0/s400/mermaid+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257491597243166002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPaJdISj_kI/AAAAAAAABNo/WUNuULjrE14/s1600-h/mermaid+marina.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPaJdISj_kI/AAAAAAAABNo/WUNuULjrE14/s400/mermaid+marina.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257540748536184386" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Pickwick Lock was a ten minute wait and at around 1:30PM we found ourselves on Lake Pickwick. What a lovely lake! Funny how coming through this way last December it didn't look so pretty!<br /><br />Our Turn pulled off at Pickwick State Park for a night "on the hook" and a meal at the park restaurant that has a reputation for great food.<br /><br />We were waving goodbye as we continued on up the lake to Bear Creek and a beautiful anchorage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZcw6oi4UI/AAAAAAAABMg/5-RBfj2dwBo/s1600-h/our+turn+goodbye.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZcw6oi4UI/AAAAAAAABMg/5-RBfj2dwBo/s400/our+turn+goodbye.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257491610444423490" border="0" /></a><br />We're hoping to catch up with them again in Chattanooga.<br /><br />When we passed mile 215 and the turn off to the Tenn Tom we officially "crossed our wake" and have completed the Great Loop. Now we just need to make our way on up to Knoxville.<br /><br />A shower came up just before we set anchor and we had the most beautiful rainbow arching over the creek.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZeHp5S-AI/AAAAAAAABM4/hm4vyL65nHw/s1600-h/rainbow.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZeHp5S-AI/AAAAAAAABM4/hm4vyL65nHw/s400/rainbow.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257493100599900162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZeHA5Iv6I/AAAAAAAABMw/QBVKm0Im28g/s1600-h/rainbow+after+crossing+wake.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZeHA5Iv6I/AAAAAAAABMw/QBVKm0Im28g/s400/rainbow+after+crossing+wake.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257493089593376674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZeILesGZI/AAAAAAAABNA/qy-0R95FKpw/s1600-h/rainbow2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZeILesGZI/AAAAAAAABNA/qy-0R95FKpw/s400/rainbow2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257493109615106450" border="0" /></a><br />We've completed the Great Loop Route and are headed home with memories that will last us a lifetime...and friends that we hope to keep as long. It seems appropriate that there was a rainbow for the occasion.<br /><br />We'd left Choto Marina on October 8, 2007...also auspicious that we're crossing our wake exactly one year later...<br /><br />Thursday, October 9 - As we returned to the boat from our morning trip with Lucy we heard the anchor alarm sound. Yep! The boat was on the slow slide to the bank. We'd had a lot of wind action during the night and it must have loosened our anchor's hold.<br /><br />Wayne quickly started the engines and I held the boat in place while he pulled up anchor and hoisted the dinghy.<br /><br />Today we went through two locks, Wilson and Joe Wheeler. Wilson is a large (read: deep) lock and it took almost an hour to get into and through that one. Joe Wheeler was a bit faster and we were anchored in another cozy cove near Joe Wheeler State Park by 4:30PM. No phone or internet connection in this cove...but so nice otherwise!<br /><br />Speaking of internet and thinking of blogging...I'm using ScribeFire to blog with on days when I have no connection. A Firefox add-on, it records the blogging on my computer and will transfer to Blogger when we're connected again. Another tool I'm trying on this trip, at the recommendation of a speaker at the Charleston AGLCA rendezvous, is BookSmart. A free download, BookSmart "slurps" my blog entries from Blogger to store on my computer. (I've worried about having my trip "archive" on a dot.com site...) At the end of the trip I can organize the text and pictures in BookSmart to create a memory book. I have every intention of doing that. Question is, how long will it take??? :-)<br /><br />Friday, October 10 - Traveled from anchorage near Joe Wheeler to an anchorage at mile 351 behind Goat Island. We didn't get into the anchorage until around 5 PM. Fortunately, there's no competition for anchoring at this time of year...despite the fact that it's the <i>perfect </i>time of year to anchor out!<br /><br />Passing through Decatur, AL, we requested the railway lift bridge to open for us. the guy there is the same one we talked to in December 2007...a real character. We told him we'd gone under the bridge in December and he said, "Pretty long vacation!" Yes, it was!<br /><br />Saturday, October 11 - Another good day of travel. As usual, we started out with a couple of options for the evening. We'd considered going all the way to Hales Bar Marina (not that that was our first choice, but marinas are sparce in the area). Instead we decided to go to an anchorage just above Nickajack Lock at mile 425.<br /><br />It was 5 PM when we got to the lock...and by the time we got through it, anchored and took Lucy to shore it was after 6 and getting dusky. This anchorage is near a recreation area so we have a dock to use when we take the dinghy in to shore. Again, we're the only boat anchored here.<br /><br />The scenery on the trip today was refreshing...the mountains showing up more and more every day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZazLWRM_I/AAAAAAAABLo/EyQB7p1TG7w/s1600-h/fall+color.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZazLWRM_I/AAAAAAAABLo/EyQB7p1TG7w/s400/fall+color.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257489450267653106" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And we got back into Tennessee today after traveling down a ways into Alabama on the river. One of our friends from Florida commented that she hadn't realized how far south we had to go to get back home to Knoxville by river! Certainly not the most direct route!<br /><br />Approaching Nickajack Lock the current picked up so that we thought we were back on the St. Lawrence River heading into Montreal! The rpm's were up to 2000...and we were just making 9 miles per hour!<br /><br />Our home is at mile 612 on the Tennessee River so we're still almost 200 miles away. Tomorrow we'll get to Island Cove Marina at Chattanooga, TN, where we'll stay for a day or two while they tweak some fittings on the fuel tank. Then we're home to Knoxville, hopefully by Saturday, October 18!<br /><br />Sunday, October 12- I could swear the colors changed in this cove over night. At any rate, it's a beautiful morning. We're up and at 'em by 8:30AM...headed for Island Cove Marina.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZazq7-kFI/AAAAAAAABLw/sorC2Es3QLo/s1600-h/fall+colors.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZazq7-kFI/AAAAAAAABLw/sorC2Es3QLo/s400/fall+colors.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257489458747314258" border="0" /></a><br />The sky this morning was streaked with clouds making it easier to see the change in color from the horizon up. At the horizon level it's more cerelean. Further up it becomes deeper in color and more like cobalt blue. Straight overhead it looks much darker...an ultramarine blue. Thank you, Mary Baumgartner! :-)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZgC20MA5I/AAAAAAAABNg/AmLxM3zFklE/s1600-h/sky.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZgC20MA5I/AAAAAAAABNg/AmLxM3zFklE/s400/sky.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257495217192043410" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPaJdTMcd4I/AAAAAAAABNw/nzUUy7LSPs8/s1600-h/sky2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPaJdTMcd4I/AAAAAAAABNw/nzUUy7LSPs8/s400/sky2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257540751463315330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They call the area we're traveling throught today the area they call the "Grand Canyon of the Tennessee." Eagles were spotted several times as we went through some narrow sections of the river.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZaz29k6vI/AAAAAAAABL4/ydj7PWik0gE/s1600-h/hales+bar+to+chattanoogs.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZaz29k6vI/AAAAAAAABL4/ydj7PWik0gE/s400/hales+bar+to+chattanoogs.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257489461975247602" border="0" /></a><br />Going by Signal Mtn. we could easily see some of the gorgeous homes there...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZgCvbpwZI/AAAAAAAABNY/RUgQ1MU9L-0/s1600-h/signal+mtn.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPZgCvbpwZI/AAAAAAAABNY/RUgQ1MU9L-0/s400/signal+mtn.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257495215210086802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Passing through downtown Chattanooga we admired the bustle on the water and recognized a lot of changes have been made to the waterfront over the past couple of years. Chattanooga is a worthy destination for loopers...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPPbj2097VI/AAAAAAAABLg/uGS5xxCHiKM/s1600-h/downtown+chattanooga.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPPbj2097VI/AAAAAAAABLg/uGS5xxCHiKM/s400/downtown+chattanooga.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256786599131082066" border="0" /></a><br />Chicamauga Lock was something else! They are rebuilding the lock so the entrance was like a maze through water-bound construction machines. When we finally got in, there were eight boats that wanted to lock up and only 4 bollards, 2 on each side. We rafted off the remaining four...and the lock suddenly looked like some of the locks we saw in Canada!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPPbjpnqKnI/AAAAAAAABLY/6YdM7wLeDY8/s1600-h/crowded+chicamauga.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SPPbjpnqKnI/AAAAAAAABLY/6YdM7wLeDY8/s400/crowded+chicamauga.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256786595585600114" border="0" /></a><br />Island Cove was ready for us and we nestled in on Houseboat Row for the evening. Tomorrow we'll talk to Terry, the service manager, and see how long we'll need to be here.<br /><br />Wednesday, October 15 - We got all our issues taken care of and the hull cleaned and waxed. The boat looks great! We stayed a couple of nights at the marina inn while the boat was "on the hard." And I took Tuesday off to go off with Ellen, Nat and Roy for a tour of Chattanooga's most popular sites: Ruby Falls, Rock City, and the Incline Railway. We had a great day, including a great late lunch at the Purple Daisy BBQ place in St. Elmo, TN.<br /><br />We were back in the water today by 4 PM and made our way a couple of hours upstream to an anchorage just past Sale Marina on Sale Creek near Soddy Daisy, TN.Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-27150306766660564912008-09-28T09:08:00.016-04:002008-10-04T15:36:21.229-04:00Havana, IL, to Metropolis, IL (Superman, where are you???)On Monday, September 29 they lifted the restrictions on the Illinois River from mile marker 101 to 80. It was afternoon that day when the announcement came so we decided to stay at Tall Timbers until the next morning to leave.<br /><br />We'd had time over the past couple of days to check out the town. A cute place with some gorgeous homes. I walked most of Plum Avenue one day and took pictures of some of the houses. We breakfasted on Monday morning at the Lunch Box Cafe, then I visited the Havana Public Library for a quick pass through their book sale.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq-wFo-ZI/AAAAAAAABIo/rRHNbpIyRxQ/s1600-h/havana+library.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq-wFo-ZI/AAAAAAAABIo/rRHNbpIyRxQ/s400/havana+library.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252370322969655698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Tuesday, September 30 - Six boats left at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">O'dark</span>:30 that morning (well, it was really more like 6:45 AM): Mistress, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Grettatude</span>, Marbles, Segue, Our Turn, and Blue Max. We set out for our 120 mile trip to Grafton Marina, mile marker zero on the upper Mississippi. We had one lock to be concerned with, but it was another wicket dam and we were able to move straight through.<br /><br />The trip was long, but fairly uneventful. Well, let me think about that. Blue Max would beg to differ. They were the last of 5 boats going under a railway lift bridge when the bridge started lowering! What a feeling!! Fortunately, they had time to clear the bridge, but I'm sure they'll never forget THAT bridge!<br /><br />Then there was the (n)ice pass Our Turn made to Danny's Fault. Danny's Fault, with Judy and Rob, had been anchored out a couple of nights waiting out the lifting of restrictions. During that time they'd run out of ice...and had suggested it might be nice if someone from Tall Timbers bring them some ice on the way down. Ellen and Roy on Our Turn fixed up a bag of ice when we saw Danny's Fault ahead of us that day and Ellen tossed the ice to them in this close pass.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq9kvZecI/AAAAAAAABIQ/Xkz9LuodoV8/s1600-h/%28n%29ice+pass.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq9kvZecI/AAAAAAAABIQ/Xkz9LuodoV8/s400/%28n%29ice+pass.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252370302743706050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There was less debris than on our trip to Tall Timbers on Saturday, but it was harder to spot. This is what the water looked like for much of the trip. Can you find the debris???<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq-AtBdhI/AAAAAAAABIY/Pnpb0zy09Q4/s1600-h/find+debris%3F.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq-AtBdhI/AAAAAAAABIY/Pnpb0zy09Q4/s400/find+debris%3F.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252370310249936402" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One of the day's highlights was seeing a flock of white pelicans. Susan on Marbles had radioed back their location so I was ready with the camera... Can you believe what cute creatures these are??? And they have such attitude...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq_OKHKMI/AAAAAAAABIw/6rmGCpfHhVU/s1600-h/single+pelican.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq_OKHKMI/AAAAAAAABIw/6rmGCpfHhVU/s400/single+pelican.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252370331041474754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq-k6-3MI/AAAAAAAABIg/1XbyWyq1Ktg/s1600-h/group+pelicans.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SOQq-k6-3MI/AAAAAAAABIg/1XbyWyq1Ktg/s400/group+pelicans.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252370319972162754" border="0" /></a><br />We arrived at Grafton Marina at around 5:30 PM...120 miles later. We all gathered up in the restaurant for supper and plans for the next day. This was our last night traveling with Marbles since Sue was going to a college reunion and Tom was staying at Grafton for a week until she came back to resume the trip. We'll sure miss their guiding of the "fleet" as we make our way down the Mississippi...and look forward to catching up with them at sometime in the future.<br /><br />Wednesday, October 1- October 1st!!?? Gads, we're ready to be on the Tennessee River!<br /><br />Today we made it down to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hoppies</span> at mile 158. Our Turn, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Grettatude</span>, Mistress and Kismet left at around 7 AM, while Blue Max and Segue waited until around 8:15 AM. We all congregated at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Hoppies</span> that afternoon after a beautiful day on the water.<br /><br />We passed by Alton, IL, birthplace of our friend Dana. They have a big riverboat casino on the waterfront.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObK_FN0vLI/AAAAAAAABI4/Wl121Ot3xFo/s1600-h/Alton+Belle+Casino+.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObK_FN0vLI/AAAAAAAABI4/Wl121Ot3xFo/s400/Alton+Belle+Casino+.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253109200454991026" border="0" /></a><br />We saw some of the biggest tow boats and loads that we've ever seen. These tows throw a wake that goes on forever and makes us think of Lake Michigan!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObK_3xLHgI/AAAAAAAABJA/R9LyGCqkLDg/s1600-h/big+old+tow+boat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObK_3xLHgI/AAAAAAAABJA/R9LyGCqkLDg/s400/big+old+tow+boat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253109214025031170" border="0" /></a><br />The clouds today were really neat...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObLAArtW-I/AAAAAAAABJI/Leppu_r-I9Y/s1600-h/clouds+on+the+mississippi.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObLAArtW-I/AAAAAAAABJI/Leppu_r-I9Y/s400/clouds+on+the+mississippi.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253109216418028514" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Locking through the two locks was quick and painless. (Well, again Blue Max was the adventurous one in the group. When we got to the Chain of Rocks Lock we were instructed to enter the larger chamber. We entered first and went about half way in on the starboard side, aiming at what we assumed was a bollard. When we got to the opening we realized it was a ladder instead...and headed on up to the next spot. We radioed Blue Max but they had already passed the available bollards on our side of the lock so they ended up floating out free in the lock while we went down the 12 ft.! The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">lock master</span> said it was OK...so another "first" for Blue Max!)<br /><br />After the locks we went through the busy St. Louis, MO, waterfront area...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObPXDaOWUI/AAAAAAAABKQ/GkAHW2VVBF8/s1600-h/st+louis+waterfront.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObPXDaOWUI/AAAAAAAABKQ/GkAHW2VVBF8/s400/st+louis+waterfront.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253114010333501762" border="0" /></a> And saw the arch...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObPXDuiulI/AAAAAAAABKY/58ZxEbYbWeg/s1600-h/st.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObPXDuiulI/AAAAAAAABKY/58ZxEbYbWeg/s400/st.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253114010418723410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Hoppies</span> is quite the place...Here are some of my favorite shots from there...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObN61kuBII/AAAAAAAABJg/6xZcIOt3xis/s1600-h/hoppies+art.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObN61kuBII/AAAAAAAABJg/6xZcIOt3xis/s400/hoppies+art.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253112426071458946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObN7P6oBOI/AAAAAAAABJo/ckDUvxJpjS0/s1600-h/hoppies+art2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObN7P6oBOI/AAAAAAAABJo/ckDUvxJpjS0/s400/hoppies+art2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253112433142662370" border="0" /></a><br />Barges strung along beside the Mississippi River...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObN7lj28OI/AAAAAAAABKA/2HSXqSEpf2A/s1600-h/segue+at+hoppies.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObN7lj28OI/AAAAAAAABKA/2HSXqSEpf2A/s400/segue+at+hoppies.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253112438952751330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and Fern, the legend, to meet with all the new folk and tell them how to manage as they go down the river. Here we are taking it all in...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObYT1pN9SI/AAAAAAAABKw/5NNxgyt5Fx0/s1600-h/fern%27s+talk.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObYT1pN9SI/AAAAAAAABKw/5NNxgyt5Fx0/s400/fern%27s+talk.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253123850703336738" border="0" /></a><br />We met the nicest guy at Hoppies. Jim has been a biking enthusiast for years and has recently decided to take up boating. He made this boat by buying a houseboat hull and topping it off on his own. He has a solar panel, head, galley...all the basics. He's come over 700 miles already from his home in South Dakota by way of the Missouri River and is headed down the Mississippi to New Orleans. What an adventure! Here's Jim's boat...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObYTyGWpdI/AAAAAAAABK4/RfDFVnzHY8Y/s1600-h/jims+boat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObYTyGWpdI/AAAAAAAABK4/RfDFVnzHY8Y/s400/jims+boat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253123849751799250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Thursday, October 2 - All six boats left out soon after 7:30 AM and headed downriver for the anchorage 110 miles down called Little River Diversion Channel. Another good day on the water. We pulled in around 4:30 PM. We let the dinghy down and took Lucy to a nearby shore...very loose rocks, but Lucy managed just fine. Tomorrow we'll look for a better spot. Looks like a lot of mud around here...<br /><br />Today we passed by Chester, Missouri...home of Popeye the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Sailorman</span>, and Cape <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Girardeau</span>, Missouri, home of Rush Limbaugh. We saw neither. :-)<br /><br />We also saw a lot more of the white pelicans....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObN7vRsnbI/AAAAAAAABJ4/36wBEaq_3i4/s1600-h/more+pelicans.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObN7vRsnbI/AAAAAAAABJ4/36wBEaq_3i4/s400/more+pelicans.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253112441560931762" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Friday, October 3 - Mistress, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Grettatude</span>, Our Turn and Kismet left as soon as the fog lifted (around 8:45 AM) while Blue Max waited for us to take Lucy in and pull up the dinghy.<br /><br />The trip to shore this morning wasn't pretty. Mississippi mud! I came back with my shoes caked in mud. I got that while "auditioning" a spot for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">LuLu</span>. As it turns out, we ended up dropping her off the boat at a likely spot, letting her do her thing, then pulling her back into the boat. The dinghy was filthy! I was filthy! Lucy had filthy feet!<br /><br />Today we traveled 48 miles down the Mississippi to the intersection of the Ohio River, where we turned up and traveled almost 40 miles on it before we stopped across from the Fort Massac State Park, IL. (Actually only 5 of us went up the Ohio. Mistress headed on down the Mississippi for New Orleans.)<br /><br />The current on the Mississippi was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">awesome</span>, again. We were doing over 16 mph at what would normally have been a 10 mph speed. Turning onto the Ohio the mph dropped to 8.5 since now we were going UPSTREAM.<br /><br />As we neared our destination we spotted a tow boat trolling for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Asian</span> carp. They had a net out and were catching the fish as they jumped out of the water. See the fish jumping off the back of the boat!?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObUGmV04FI/AAAAAAAABKg/NNu9eltgnsc/s1600-h/asian+carp.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObUGmV04FI/AAAAAAAABKg/NNu9eltgnsc/s400/asian+carp.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253119225210658898" border="0" /></a><br />Earlier in the day we saw an eagle soaring ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObVRGwK1iI/AAAAAAAABKo/DpLXJmsQZwI/s1600-h/eagle.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SObVRGwK1iI/AAAAAAAABKo/DpLXJmsQZwI/s400/eagle.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253120505221404194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our anchorage is near the town of Metropolis, IL. Yes, it is the home of Superman!!! OK, I'm due a sighting. I'll let you know how it goes...Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-28310461832912819472008-09-27T18:02:00.004-04:002008-09-27T20:02:33.227-04:00Peoria, IL, to Havana (IL)Saturday, September 27 - We left the IVY Club this morning at around 9 AM with Marbles, Our Turn, and Blue Max. The IVY Club is still dealing with flood waters, as you can see in these pictures, and there are large logs floating all through the marina area. It's a nice place, though, and we'd stop here again sometime.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69ykgpK-I/AAAAAAAABHg/W4hoMFwb5_M/s1600-h/ivy+club.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69ykgpK-I/AAAAAAAABHg/W4hoMFwb5_M/s400/ivy+club.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250842892052278242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69y8BgJzI/AAAAAAAABHo/f3QHnNXJLXY/s1600-h/ivy+too.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69y8BgJzI/AAAAAAAABHo/f3QHnNXJLXY/s400/ivy+too.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250842898364114738" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Only one lock to contend with today just below Peoria...and due to high waters we actually went around the lock and over the dam! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN7DW3vtVDI/AAAAAAAABIA/Y7ztJsB7wa8/s1600-h/wicket+dam.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN7DW3vtVDI/AAAAAAAABIA/Y7ztJsB7wa8/s400/wicket+dam.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250849013249168434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's a wicket dam that can be lowered when waters are high...like now. (http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/pao/wicket_dams.htm)<br /><br />We saw more debris...more flooded buildings..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69ydIhHxI/AAAAAAAABHY/XSTUw1WuceY/s1600-h/bud+lite.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69ydIhHxI/AAAAAAAABHY/XSTUw1WuceY/s400/bud+lite.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250842890072039186" border="0" /></a><br />We passed a couple of tows going our way...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69zJuztDI/AAAAAAAABHw/t9IrSBhsf8Y/s1600-h/passing+tows.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69zJuztDI/AAAAAAAABHw/t9IrSBhsf8Y/s400/passing+tows.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250842902043800626" border="0" /></a><br />And we were wondering what exactly was submerged here...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69zD7UovI/AAAAAAAABH4/GxBg-WyWxnc/s1600-h/submerged.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN69zD7UovI/AAAAAAAABH4/GxBg-WyWxnc/s400/submerged.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250842900485677810" border="0" /></a><br />All in all, it was another good day on the water. We're at Tall Timbers Marina in Havana, IL, and will stay here until the restrictions on the river are lifted...probably early next week. We walked into town today and located the grocery store. We're fine now. :-)Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-19164993128545334302008-09-27T07:27:00.004-04:002008-09-27T08:22:08.829-04:00Moving on the Illinois!Saturday, September 27 - Yesterday morning we woke up thinking we were staying in Ottawa until Monday. We understood from contact with the Coast Guard that they were thinking of opening up a large portion of the river soon, but we were still concerned about having a good place to ride out a couple of days should the openings be delayed.<br /><br />All that said, when boats started pulling out yesterday morning we decided we couldn't stand to stay still any longer! We talked with the folks there with us and several of us decided to just go on down to Peoria, knowing we'd have at least one more day of travel beyond that before we reached the "forbidden" zone of the flooded river. (Yesterday the Illinois was closed to recreational vehicles from around mile 80 to mile 101. We were at mile 242 at Heritage Harbor and decided to travel down to mile 168 at Peoria...then we could go down another day's travel to mile 120 and the Tall Timbers Marina.)<br /><br />We went from a ho-hum morning to a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">zippity</span>-do-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">dah</span> morning!! As Segue and Our Turn pulled out of Heritage Harbor Ellen and I were literally dancing around on the deck! Thirteen days of forced immobility had us ready to go the 70+ miles to Peoria even if we were leaving at 9:45 AM and looking at an arrival time of after 6 PM.<br /><br />We had talked a number of times to the Illinois Valley Yacht Club (IVY Club, it's called) about staying with them when we were able to travel to Peoria. Trouble was, we knew they were having their annual Lobster Fest (???) this weekend and were booked up Sat. and Sun. nights. As we were traveling down the river that morning, though, they called to say that they <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> take us, Our Turn and Marbles for one night. That was great news since our alternatives were either still flooded (read: dinghy to land) or a place described by those in the know as "very rustic."<br /><br />We had only one lock to go through, Starved Rock Lock, just below Ottawa. After a short wait for a tow coming upstream through the lock we locked through with about 6 other pleasure craft and started the trip down to Peoria.<br /><br />The river has just opened a few days ago to commercial traffic and we saw a LOT of tows during the first 2/3 of the trip. We were the lead boat and spent a lot of time arranging passes and spotting debris. And there was a good bit of debris around. Some of those duck blinds we'd been seeing are in deep water now...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN4hl0tGgzI/AAAAAAAABHA/s6yLLnlIrXQ/s1600-h/duck+blind.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN4hl0tGgzI/AAAAAAAABHA/s6yLLnlIrXQ/s400/duck+blind.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250671149247267634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The areas below Ottawa on the river are still flooded so there were a lot of areas where we had to travel at no-wake speed in order not to slosh water into <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">someones</span> home!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN4hmOh8iWI/AAAAAAAABHQ/A_TuIw74vcQ/s1600-h/flooded+house.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN4hmOh8iWI/AAAAAAAABHQ/A_TuIw74vcQ/s400/flooded+house.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250671156179798370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One of the day's highlights was seeing two eagles fly around and light it a dead tree...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN4hl75SpKI/AAAAAAAABHI/C4QVQsFtLAA/s1600-h/eagles.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN4hl75SpKI/AAAAAAAABHI/C4QVQsFtLAA/s400/eagles.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250671151177442466" border="0" /></a><br />I thought I was going to get a shot of the illusive (to us at least) flying Asian carp. What you see below is the flying carp entering the water with a splash! They apparently get all worked up over the propellers vibrating the water and jump out (and sometimes jump <span style="font-style: italic;">into</span> boats!). Their skin is paper thin and we've been told if they land in your boat they will immediately begin bleeding up a storm and cause a real mess. Yuk!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN4hl2A_oFI/AAAAAAAABG4/Rcj8uvGBf6g/s1600-h/carp.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SN4hl2A_oFI/AAAAAAAABG4/Rcj8uvGBf6g/s400/carp.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250671149599137874" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We got into IVY Club, along with Marbles and Our Turn, at around 6:30PM. Already there were Kismet, Stargazer, and Blue Max. The people at the club were so helpful and friendly! We joined our friends for a short time in the club house then headed back to the boat for a light dinner.<br /><br />And we have TV channels again!! We saw part of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Obama</span>/McCain debate! The only channels we were able to get at Ottawa were cartoon or religious. :-)<br /><br />Today we're heading out for Tall Timbers Marina. We'll see what the waterway openings look like for today before we plan out tomorrow's run. We may just keep on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">keepin</span>' on 'til we're back on the Tennessee before taking a break!<br /><br />It's so good to be on the move again. I'm not sure how we're going to do this winter in Knoxville.....Oh, well, we'll think of something.Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-50874019938843412682008-09-21T08:08:00.008-04:002008-09-23T07:48:29.552-04:00Life on the flooded Illinois, continued...Sunday, September 21 -<br /><br />Hooray! Yesterday morning we woke to find the water down enough that we can now <span style="font-style: italic;">walk</span> to shore instead of boat to shore! No need to coordinate trips in the taxi boat. Now we need to clean that boat because we've seen a lotta mud over the past week and much of it has ended up on the taxi!<br /><br />Things have changed a lot here at the marina over the past few days. Friday four more boats came in, then one yesterday, making a total of twelve transients now at Heritage Harbor. Then the weekend hit and (hey!) we're in a <span style="font-style: italic;">marina</span>! Folks who keep their boats here came out for the beautiful weather yesterday and by 5 PM the place was jumping! We've practically had the marina to ourselves over the past week, but as Susan on Marbles said, we're learning to share.<br /><br />We can't believe, either, how quickly this marina staff has controlled the mess involved with the flooding. They've been out every day spray washing the sidewalks, grass, you name it...They even scraped down the gravel driveway to even out the surface and clean up the look.<br /><br />And, of course, Heritage Harbor continues to amaze us with their customer oriented service. If the courtesy van is in use it's not at all unusual to have one of the staff take a marina vehicle to shuttle someone to town. Thursday they gave a luncheon for marina staff, corporate officers, and the River Refugees, as we now call ourselves.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNZDE7HsVFI/AAAAAAAABGY/wqx0jCwPx-Y/s1600-h/S5002521.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNZDE7HsVFI/AAAAAAAABGY/wqx0jCwPx-Y/s400/S5002521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248456167615386706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We keep threatening to do some work on the boat while we're stuck here, but the days pass by and we still haven't jumped into it. Friday several of us took the van to Starved Rock Lock to check out the conditions there. Starved Rock Lock is just south of Ottawa and will be our next lock to go through. They are still not open and were working with lots of heavy machinery around trying to clean up debris and get the lock back to functioning. They think they'll be able to open on Monday...but then they'll need to deal with debris for a few more days. We can't leave Ottawa until we can be assured of a place to land in Peoria, IL...and they are still about a week from being back to even somewhat near normal. (Places further down on the Illinois and Mississippi got more water than we did here.)<br /><br />Yesterday a group of us went to the farmers' market and picked up some fresh produce. Here are Nat and Ellen loading up on veggies...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNZDETpIRBI/AAAAAAAABGI/HXJp5x7GsHE/s1600-h/farmers+market.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNZDETpIRBI/AAAAAAAABGI/HXJp5x7GsHE/s400/farmers+market.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248456157018211346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Wayne and I then walked back into town for lunch and a movie. Ottawa has some lovely park areas and a lot of beautiful old churches.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNZDEphAGdI/AAAAAAAABGQ/c1zfv1ZbHVo/s1600-h/ottawa+church.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNZDEphAGdI/AAAAAAAABGQ/c1zfv1ZbHVo/s400/ottawa+church.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248456162889701842" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We have a jigsaw puzzle going in the boater's lounge boat...we've learned to make spring rolls, courtesy of Nat and Ellen...swapped books and read a lot...and, of course, socialized. :-) Some have gone home for the time and left their boats here. We're trying to just enjoy this time. We'll be home soon enough and back into old routines. More later....<br /><br />Tuesday, September 23 - Sunday afternoon several of us borrowed Captain Moe's truck and went to the Illinois Wine Festival at a nearby park. There was quite a crowd out that afternoon and everyone had brought chairs so we could sit around and enjoy the mingling and music. Pictured below are Judy and Rob from Danny's Fault...and the rest (Nat, Roy and Ellen) sitting on the back row.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNjUspsxJqI/AAAAAAAABGo/jrpitnY8UJ4/s1600-h/IMG_4374.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNjUspsxJqI/AAAAAAAABGo/jrpitnY8UJ4/s400/IMG_4374.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249179229273269922" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNjUr0wZktI/AAAAAAAABGg/kpLEyvCS-Kk/s1600-h/IMG_4373.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNjUr0wZktI/AAAAAAAABGg/kpLEyvCS-Kk/s400/IMG_4373.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249179215061422802" border="0" /></a>Last night we had a "community" supper with a ham we purchased yesterday. Tonight there's talk of a split pea soup from the ham bone and Mexican corn bread...We'd better do some more walking into town and back soon!!<br /><br />It's still looking like this Friday might be the earliest day for travel to Peoria, IL. More later...<br /><br />Oh, I almost forgot. We saw this birdhouse as we came down to Ottawa at one of the locks. The lockmaster gave me the blueprints if anyone out there wants to take on a little project...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNjXBvB_JBI/AAAAAAAABGw/rpynlYvOIZ0/s1600-h/birdhouse.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SNjXBvB_JBI/AAAAAAAABGw/rpynlYvOIZ0/s400/birdhouse.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249181790504952850" border="0" /></a>Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-46403552015156254032008-09-17T08:20:00.006-04:002008-09-17T16:33:08.557-04:00Life on the flooded Illinois..., Ottawa, ILJust a short note to share this experience with you. We've lived on the Tennessee River for years and have never been in a flood situation before. Our hearts go out to these communities who are dealing with the record setting high waters. La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Salle</span> County, Ottawa's area, had 33.7 ft. of water on the Illinois River at its crest, according to the National Weather Service, and 20 ft. is flood stage. This county and several others here have been declared disaster areas.<br /><br />Here are a few pictures of the flooding. Even if you haven't seen the area before you can tell by the scenes that this is a big flood...<br /><br />The Illinois River (background) as seen from Heritage Harbor Marina's "party boaters' lounge" roof---<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5G8tFmfI/AAAAAAAABFQ/f0yCGhb6DDY/s1600-h/IMG_4333.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5G8tFmfI/AAAAAAAABFQ/f0yCGhb6DDY/s400/IMG_4333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246967463656397298" border="0" /></a><br />Looking from the marina grounds to our boats...and the "taxi" boat up on land---<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5HKAcySI/AAAAAAAABFY/DJSbi1HROvU/s1600-h/IMG_4339.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5HKAcySI/AAAAAAAABFY/DJSbi1HROvU/s400/IMG_4339.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246967467227269410" border="0" /></a><br />Ellen from Our Turn looking at the area where the Ottawa town docks and wall were situated (in the middle of the photo, to right of the floating docks you'll see the globes on the street lamps that are positioned on the river walkway). Several of the boats in our group here at Heritage Harbor were originally tied up to the town wall and moved back upstream to the marina when the water started rising on Saturday--<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5HdaBlcI/AAAAAAAABFg/l0u3c1eZnFc/s1600-h/IMG_4340.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5HdaBlcI/AAAAAAAABFg/l0u3c1eZnFc/s400/IMG_4340.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246967472434812354" border="0" /></a><br />Views of the Fox River in downtown Ottawa near the Illinois junction---<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5H9bJZbI/AAAAAAAABFo/iTIGusMjmrM/s1600-h/IMG_4343.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5H9bJZbI/AAAAAAAABFo/iTIGusMjmrM/s400/IMG_4343.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246967481029453234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5IABJP6I/AAAAAAAABFw/84i06SLHmgY/s1600-h/IMG_4344.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND5IABJP6I/AAAAAAAABFw/84i06SLHmgY/s400/IMG_4344.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246967481725697954" border="0" /></a>Part of the funds from disaster assistance goes to pay for sand and materials with which to build water barriers. This wall was put up almost overnight to protect the Ottawa High School and the neighborhood nearby---<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND-d7gxWnI/AAAAAAAABF4/IgC-4igYn2U/s1600-h/IMG_4345.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND-d7gxWnI/AAAAAAAABF4/IgC-4igYn2U/s400/IMG_4345.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246973356031433330" border="0" /></a><br />This is my favorite picture, though, taken by Beth on the sailboat Grace. They were one of the boats that had been tied up to the Ottawa wall before the waters started rising---<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND-eQfyrsI/AAAAAAAABGA/k1ngxhY9hu8/s1600-h/parking+sign.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SND-eQfyrsI/AAAAAAAABGA/k1ngxhY9hu8/s400/parking+sign.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246973361664470722" border="0" /></a><br />As to how we're spending our time...about six of us went to the laundromat on Monday and took care of that chore. We've had a daily get together of some sort...from collaborating to take the dogs in (there are 3 on A Dock) to shuttling people back and forth to town, to drinks or dinner together. The roads are open to town so we're not really cut off from civilization...just inconvenienced by the fact that we can't walk to land from our boats.<br /><br />Today Ellen, Nat, and I walked the Illinois Michigan Canal Trail into town, had lunch and walked most of the way back. Yesterday we spent about 4 hours down there looking around at the shops, library, visitor's center, etc.<br /><br />We're thinking it might be the first of next week before we'd be able to leave, and then we need to kind of coordinate the move since those higher up on the Illinois will probably have safe waters before those down on the lower end. Might not be a problem on the Illinois, but could be a problem if we all enter the Mississippi at the same time there's a real shortage of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">dockage</span> there already.<br /><br />More to come....Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-71129476420425030122008-09-11T19:18:00.015-04:002008-09-14T15:52:13.447-04:00Racine, WI, to Ottawa, ILWednesday, September 10 - After a nice, long stay in Racine we were ready to hit the waters again. During our eleven days here we took care of a lot of "household" chores and Wayne changed the oil (major deal!). We rented a car and did some provisioning. Then Wayne drove me to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">O'Hare</span> Airport in Chicago on Sept. 4 and I flew over to Raleigh to visit with Dave, Heather and Alex.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc3Z3ofbI/AAAAAAAABCE/BzyH3xY3CnI/s1600-h/alex+and+dave+reading.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc3Z3ofbI/AAAAAAAABCE/BzyH3xY3CnI/s400/alex+and+dave+reading.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245669772886572466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />(One of the cute things Alex did while I was there: He has several "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">blankies</span>" now that the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pacifier</span> is gone. Some are baby blanket size and some are really small, hand-held size. One day he picked up my eyeglasses case and found the little slick, microfiber cleaning cloth inside. "Grandma's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">blankie</span>!" he beamed!)<br /><br />Racine was a nice place to relax for a while. Reef Point is a large marina and attracts a lot of boaters from Illinois for the summer months. Things really died down after Labor Day weekend and we had the marina laundromat all to ourselves!<br /><br />The downtown area is nicely done and seems to be making a go of it, unlike some. Nice public library, right near the water.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxiwcHGLyI/AAAAAAAABDc/yK62nfLMxuo/s1600-h/racine+public+library.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxiwcHGLyI/AAAAAAAABDc/yK62nfLMxuo/s400/racine+public+library.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245676250298986274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One day we took our dinghy out and down the Root River through town. It was one of the many beautiful weather days we had there and perfect for seeing the city from the water.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxiwqQgDwI/AAAAAAAABDk/1_-yqpFaO0Y/s1600-h/racine+river.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxiwqQgDwI/AAAAAAAABDk/1_-yqpFaO0Y/s400/racine+river.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245676254096527106" border="0" /></a>On another day we drove up to Milwaukee and took in the sights. Looks like a place we'd like to visit some day. Bob <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Kanuth</span> had told us about the art museum there beside the lake that has a wing-like structure on the roof that shifts slowly around during the day to shade the building and collection.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM0NhQYNqqI/AAAAAAAABEc/96C3Or_G2mI/s1600-h/milwaukee+museum+of+art.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM0NhQYNqqI/AAAAAAAABEc/96C3Or_G2mI/s400/milwaukee+museum+of+art.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245864005939866274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As we left on Wednesday, September 10, the wind was blowing on the higher end of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">forecasted</span> 10-15 mph. We were hoping to go all the way down to Chicago today, about 57 miles from Racine harbor. If we needed to bail out we'd stop at a large park marina located mid-way.<br /><br />Well, as has been the case with many of our days on Lake Michigan...this was an uncomfortable day on the water. Not threatening in any way, just long, low waves of about 2-3 ft. (during the first part of the trip) then 1-2 ft. later. They kept us wobbling side to side most all the way. We "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">wollered</span>" down the lake today for our last outing on Lake Michigan!<br /><br />We spotted the Chicago skyline 40 miles out...and as we got closer, this was the view...unaltered.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_Ovl1mI/AAAAAAAABCk/7j0kg8xiLDM/s1600-h/chicago+crooked.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_Ovl1mI/AAAAAAAABCk/7j0kg8xiLDM/s400/chicago+crooked.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245672106362263138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As we approached <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">DuSable</span> Harbor, where we'd be staying for the next couple of nights, the view was spectacular...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc3t0c0QI/AAAAAAAABCU/FVUhnlAKNTc/s1600-h/approaching+dusable.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc3t0c0QI/AAAAAAAABCU/FVUhnlAKNTc/s400/approaching+dusable.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245669778241933570" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We've planned a short, 2 night stay in Chicago...long enough to see something we haven't seen here before and to visit with Jay and Carla's son, J.J., who lives here (at least for the next few weeks!) We've called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">J.J</span>. and arranged to meet him for dinner tomorrow night and I've decided to take an architectural tour on the river tomorrow morning as was suggested by our friend Cheryl. As for this evening...we're water weary and in need of rest!<br /><br />Thursday, September 11 - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">DuSable</span> Harbor is a great location for visiting Chicago. This morning we walked over to Michigan Avenue at the river and I queued up for the tour. I'd selected the tour led by a docent from the Chicago Architectural Foundation and found a seat on the back of the upper open air deck. It was a perfect morning for the tour, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">weather wise</span>. Since we'll be traveling down this river tomorrow morning as we leave Chicago, I wanted to get an idea of what we would see. It was time well spent!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc4Gj2oEI/AAAAAAAABCc/2_YQ21kA-1I/s1600-h/chicago+boat+tour.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc4Gj2oEI/AAAAAAAABCc/2_YQ21kA-1I/s400/chicago+boat+tour.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245669784883208258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My favorite building on the tour was the building at 333 W. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Wacker</span> Drive, an office building designed by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Kohn</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Pedersen</span> Fox. We caught the reflections from several angles on the trip and each time it was a little different...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMz9k8fsZgI/AAAAAAAABD8/TF-aPsHex00/s1600-h/IMG_4291.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMz9k8fsZgI/AAAAAAAABD8/TF-aPsHex00/s400/IMG_4291.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245846477135963650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMz9lE7rAwI/AAAAAAAABEE/khPSG3d6MeQ/s1600-h/IMG_4292.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMz9lE7rAwI/AAAAAAAABEE/khPSG3d6MeQ/s400/IMG_4292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245846479400796930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc3K5zR1I/AAAAAAAABB8/FEMbmL6oj3M/s1600-h/333+West+Wacker.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc3K5zR1I/AAAAAAAABB8/FEMbmL6oj3M/s400/333+West+Wacker.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245669768869136210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Wayne, meantime, took off to find some of his old haunts up here from IBM days. We met back at Michigan Avenue after the tour and set off to find lunch. Wayne had spotted a few likely places, though most of the ones he'd remembered were no longer around. As we were walking along we passed by an interesting looking place serving Armenian food, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Sayat</span>-Nova. One look at the menu and we were hooked! When we got inside we were sure we'd made a good choice. The decor was cozy and exotic with walls that were rounded like a cave. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">surreptitiously</span> took a couple of photos...but their website has better pics, http://sayatnovachicago.com. Below is detail of the wall behind our little piece of the cave...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMz9lfsiTVI/AAAAAAAABEM/dG2o10U4qNg/s1600-h/IMG_4326.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMz9lfsiTVI/AAAAAAAABEM/dG2o10U4qNg/s400/IMG_4326.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245846486585068882" border="0" /></a><br />After a nice lunch and walk back along the river we relaxed on the back deck with the view of Chicago competing with our books.<br /><br />Speaking of books...this is the first time we've visited Chicago since we read Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Our friend Jeff loaned us his copy for the trip. For those who haven't read it, it's about the Chicago 1893 World's Fair (the World <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Columbian</span> Exposition, as it was also called), Daniel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Burnham</span> (who directed the fair and worked on the plan for the city of Chicago) and the serial killer who was loose in the city during the time of the fair.<br /><br />When I saw the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Ferris</span> wheel at Navy Pier as we pulled into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">DeSable</span>...I thought of the book. The first <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Ferris</span> wheel, engineered by George Ferris, a bridge builder, was built for the 1893 Chicago fair. Of course the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Ferris</span> wheel on Navy Pier now is about half the size of the wheel designed for the fair!<br /><br />That evening J.J. biked over to the boat and we enjoyed catching up with his bustling life. J.J. has been promoted to a VP position with Bank of America and will be leaving Chicago around the first week in October to take up residence in Manhattan! He's been looking around at housing there and still hasn't decided on a choice...though he knows it will be more money and less "house" than here in Chicago.<br /><br />J.J.'s friend, Jessica, joined us at the boat before we took off to see his Chicago apartment and have supper out. What a view he has from his apartment! He's located in the part of Chicago they call "old town" and has views both of the city and the lake. It was already dark by the time we got up to his place and even at night it was beautiful.<br /><br />From there we strolled through the neighborhood (an area with stand-alone houses and pedestrian friendly streets) to an old Chicago restaurant called Twin Anchors. (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">J.J</span>. thought the nautical reference appropriate...and he guessed, correctly, that we might be missing the taste of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">barbecued</span> ribs.) A neat, neighborhood tavern atmosphere...and, to our surprise, a location that was used during the filming of the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight. (See the restaurant's website for a clip of the scene, http://www.twinanchorsribs.com/our_restaurant.php)<br /><br />We said our goodbyes to J.J. and Jessica and wound up a perfect day in Chicago.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_WvB2MI/AAAAAAAABC0/uuYMOn68t6M/s1600-h/jj+and+jessica.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_WvB2MI/AAAAAAAABC0/uuYMOn68t6M/s400/jj+and+jessica.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245672108507388098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Tomorrow, we're back to the rivers...<br /><br />Friday, September 12 - It was cloudy and threatening rain as we left <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">DuSable</span> Harbor this morning. We were going down 40-some miles to the city wall at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Joliet</span>, IL, for tonight. But first...a cruise down the Chicago River right through the city! Granted, the weather was a little rainy...but it was still exciting. Passing under low bridges with people walking to work...priceless! I tried to do a mini-architectural tour for Wayne as we went along, but his attention was a little diverted by the number of low, low bridges.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxiw1o9M0I/AAAAAAAABDs/FzEZg05nPzQ/s1600-h/rainy+bridges.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxiw1o9M0I/AAAAAAAABDs/FzEZg05nPzQ/s400/rainy+bridges.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245676257151890242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxiwVblaKI/AAAAAAAABDU/vB5UayERN4s/s1600-h/low+bridges+.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxiwVblaKI/AAAAAAAABDU/vB5UayERN4s/s400/low+bridges+.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245676248505870498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We had taken down the davit so we could fit under a 17 ft. fixed bridge along this route. But just when we were almost out of the city area we came upon a 10.5 ft. Amtrak bridge that is usually up when a train isn't passing...and the bridge was down.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc3rCpqOI/AAAAAAAABCM/zgkJWizyRR4/s1600-h/amtrak+bridge.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxc3rCpqOI/AAAAAAAABCM/zgkJWizyRR4/s400/amtrak+bridge.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245669777496189154" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We hovered a few minutes thinking a train must be coming...and a train did come. But the bridge still didn't raise. We hailed the bridge on the radio...no reply. We tried several different channels in case our information was wrong...no reply. We decided to tie up to the wall along the left descending bank at a nearby park while we decided what to do. Time passed. Nothing happened. We finally started making phone calls...and finally got the Coast Guard on the phone. They didn't know of a reason the bridge wouldn't be lifting, but said they would call the bridge to try and find out something. We were called back in just a few minutes. Apparently the bridge hadn't heard our calls. ???? The bridge lifted and we went through. One hour lost.<br /><br />The landscape begins to change now. We're out of the bustling city and into the industrial area of the river...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_mWPBXI/AAAAAAAABC8/EG8pzdvQ2tM/s1600-h/landscape+changes.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_mWPBXI/AAAAAAAABC8/EG8pzdvQ2tM/s400/landscape+changes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245672112698361202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We saw a new variety of tow boat, for us, today...one with an hydraulic lift for the pilot house so they can get down low enough to go under the low Chicago bridges....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_Vgfm2I/AAAAAAAABCs/D5IWzCH1gUA/s1600-h/hydraulic+tow.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_Vgfm2I/AAAAAAAABCs/D5IWzCH1gUA/s400/hydraulic+tow.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245672108177988450" border="0" /></a>Another interesting site along this waterway was the electronic fish barrier we passed through. In looking for information about it I came across an article by Deborah J. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Siegelbaum</span> from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Medill</span> Report that explains the problem and the solution as of October 2007:<br /><br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">It’</span>s not Jaws, but this dangerous fish could take a big bite of the Illinois economy. The Asian carp, a non-native species imported from China and<br />Siberia, is eating its way up the Mississippi River toward the Great Lakes, conquering water ecosystems in its path.<br /><br />With an estimated $4 billion a year in commercial and sport fishing in the Great Lakes, it<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">’s </span>vital to both the environment and economy that the Asian<br />carp keep out. But it does<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">n’t ju</span>st threaten the economy; this giant fish has also injured sport fishers and water skiers.<br /><br />The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has constructed an electronic fish barrier along the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, the only defense against<br />the invasive species that feeds on plankton and decimates the fish food chain. ......<br /><br />Federal and state agencies joined to tackle the threat of invasive species in 1996, when representatives of the U.S. Army Corps, the EPA, Fish and<br />Wildlife Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and environmental academics met to discuss options for a barrier. Possible solutions<br />included chemical treatment, heat, sound, dense bubbles and de-oxy<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">ge</span>nation of the water.<br /><br />It was vital that the barrier not interfere with the large flow of commercial barge traffic through the ship canal, or with the flow of wastew<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">ater away<</span>br>from Lake Michigan. In the end, the electronic “barrier<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33"> was sel</span>ected because it was a proven technology and there was a practical way to<br />implement it,” Shea said. ...<br /><br />A demonstration barrier was constructed in early 2002 at a cost of nearly $4 million in federal funding. Intended as a research tool rather than a<br />permanent solution, the barrier uses 12 electrodes strung 54 feet along the canal bottom through steel cables. One volt per inch is emitted into the<br />water, a level studies indicate deters the majority of fish.<br /><br />Shea explains that the barrier “puts an ele<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">ctric</span>al field into the water, strongest in the middle of the canal, so a fish coming in from either side starts<br />to get a shock. [The fish] realizes that if it continues moving forward, it will get an even bigger shock, so they turn away.”<br /><br />Activated in April 2002, the barrier is continuously operated. It is the largest of its kind in the world, and the first of its type to be used on an open<br />waterway.<br /><br />Unfortunately, materials used in the demonstration barrier were not long-lasting; the steel cables running the electrical charges have since<br />corroded.<br />(http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=67265)<br /></blockquote>The article goes on to explain that they have begun construction on a new electronic barrier just a short distance from the old one. Since the article is now a year old, it isn't clear to me whether they've completed the project by now or whether funding has been an issue. At any rate, it's an interesting problem... and solution.<br /><br />So...we only had two locks to negotiate on this trip to Joliet. The f<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">irst, </span>the Chicago Lock, was at the beginning of the Chicago River right off Lake Michigan and the second was just a few miles north of Joliet, the Lo<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">ckport</span> Lock.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37"> When w</span>e arrived at the lock we could see they were in the process of moving down a tow and its load of barges. We hailed the lockmaster on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">channel 14</span> and asked about how long it would be before they could let us through and he said it would be about 2 hours. The tow captain came on and said we could go through with him on the last pass down (it was going to take a few loads to get all his barges down) and that way it would only be about 1.5 hours wait. We thanked them and tied up to the wall area offside.<br /><br />As we waited, two other power boats (Charmed III and Our Turn, whom we'd met at Manistee) and one sailboat gathered for the next trip down. And, as we waited, debris of all manner began to collect around the boats on the wall. Large ropes, huge logs, trash, animal remains...YUK! As the time neared for us to position for the lock we decided we'd better try to get out of this stuff without hurting the propellers. We cleared as much as we could with the boat hook, then let the boat drift with the current a little to move out from the wall and into cleaner water.<br /><br />The last load was ready to go down (turns out there were twelve barges, total, involved!) and the tow captain said we could tie to their barges, but he wouldn't take responsibility for any damage done to the boats on the trip down. The lockmaster, who had deferred to the captain on this decision, seemed to feel it would be best for us to tie to the barges rather than to the lock wall opposite them...so we tied up to the barges.<br /><br />You know, here we are 5,500 miles or more into our trip and you'd think we might have experienced just about all you could on the water during that time. This was the first time, though that we've tied to a barge in a lock. Here's a picture of the tow, the Show Me State, as it entered the lock chamber...and a shot of our boats tied up to the barges.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM0NhqP8umI/AAAAAAAABEk/OEAClDkwytE/s1600-h/show+me+tow.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM0NhqP8umI/AAAAAAAABEk/OEAClDkwytE/s400/show+me+tow.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245864012884523618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM0Nh8_6JqI/AAAAAAAABEs/dmk0wRAlsL4/s1600-h/tied+to+barges.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM0Nh8_6JqI/AAAAAAAABEs/dmk0wRAlsL4/s400/tied+to+barges.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245864017917519522" border="0" /></a>With that little adventure under our belt we made our way down to the Joliet town dock and tied up with Our Turn and two other boats for the night. By this time...it was raining pretty hard.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>Saturday, September 13 - Rain, rain... and more rain.<br /><br />The bridge just below our tie up in Joliet didn't open until 8:30AM, so we had plenty of time to ready for the day. Overnight a good bit of rain had fallen and the current on the river...and the resulting debris...had picked up considerably. In fact, we had another log jam behind the boat this morning! We're learning all the time. Now we know to bow-in to the current, no matter what! We were going down to Heritage Harbor Marina in Ottawa, IL, today, about a 50 mile trip. Our Turn was going the same way so we decided to travel together since the locks would control our pace anyway. Our Turn had picked up something on their props during the Lockport Lock incident and was running a little slower than usual so we led the way.<br /><br />Up at the bridge, which would have to be opened for us because the water levels were rising and we needed more clearance than was available, we hailed the bridge tender and asked for a pass through. He started the process...then called us back to say that one of the guard gates on the road to the bridge would not lower and he was going to have to call in a mechanic. He thought it might only be an hour's delay.<br /><br />Back to the Joliet wall we went (only minutes away) and tied up, bow to the current, to wait for word on the bridge. Within the hour he contacted us and said it was fixed. We called the Brandon Road Lock, just below the bridge, to make sure they could take us through before we left the wall and they assured us we would be able to lock right through.<br /><br />The trip today was frought with debris and rain. We saw duck blinds set up along this area of the Illinois River and this guy was putting out some of the BIGGEST goose decoys we've ever seen! Wayne says, "No self respecting goose would dare approach these decoys!" Can geese see well??<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_4tAlFI/AAAAAAAABDE/9Y3IPkaIfJk/s1600-h/large+goose.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SMxe_4tAlFI/AAAAAAAABDE/9Y3IPkaIfJk/s400/large+goose.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245672117625721938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the Brandon Road Lock we had two more before we could get to Heritage Harbor. Fortunately, after a rough start this morning with the bridge, we were able to do great time through the locks. Just before the last lock we passed a tow with several barges and when we were within about 2 miles of the lock called to check on passage through. If we could get there in 15 minutes we could make it down with a few other pleasure craft (pc's, they call us). We did it and were pulling into Heritage Harbor around 3:30 PM.<br /><br />As we made our way down the river Wayne talked with a marina further down that we'd planned to visit next, the Illinois Valley Yacht Club, or IVY Club, as it's called. The contact said they were expecting the water to go up 10 ft. over the next few days...cresting around Wed....and places south of them would receive even more. The IVY Club was having its fuel tanks pumped out as a safety precaution. We'd planned to top off there before hitting the Mississippi.<br /><br />When we got to Heritage Harbor we asked about diesel and they said they could bring in a truck for us. Turns out the truck was coming in that afternoon anyway to pick up <span style="font-style: italic;">their </span>fuel since the water was rising quickly. Three boats took on fuel that afternoon at $4.08/gallon.<br /><br />Word has it we probably won't be able to leave here for several days. The waters are to continue to rise, even after the rain is supposed to stop tomorrow. We'll see what happens.<br /><br />Sunday, September 14 - Rain, rain and MORE rain...<br /><br />We woke up and got Lucy out for her walk. Whoops! The floating docks were up several more feet this morning and the ramp that normally would lead to land is stuck in the water. A couple of boaters waded through the water...up to their knees...to go ashore. Wayne called the marina and found out they have a little work boat on our dock so we used that this morning to take Lucy in (whew! she says...) and then Ellen, Nat and I went to the grocery store and transported the loot back to the boats in the work boat.<br /><br />The work boat, now water taxi...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM1noDH6fDI/AAAAAAAABFE/PYX_kZ6bp9Q/s1600-h/IMG_4330.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM1noDH6fDI/AAAAAAAABFE/PYX_kZ6bp9Q/s400/IMG_4330.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245963078687423538" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And our view from the dock, looking towards the marina office and land. Note they are moving the porta-john further up the hill, and they moved the fuel tank from the concrete pads in the water (now) to a spot on the hill.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM1nn6jv83I/AAAAAAAABE8/FRh5BU7Swew/s1600-h/IMG_4331.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SM1nn6jv83I/AAAAAAAABE8/FRh5BU7Swew/s400/IMG_4331.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245963076388254578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Waters are continuing to rise. We could see when we were in town this morning that there are homes in jeaopardy. They are expecting the waters to rise close to a record high this week in many areas. We're all safe and (usually) dry...congregating haphazardly at the "boaters' lounge" on a houseboat at the end of our dock. Just when we think we've been through everything...something new, again. Gotta love it!Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-1475972687811395602008-08-26T18:19:00.023-04:002008-09-11T19:25:58.617-04:00Manitowoc to Racine, WITuesday, August 26 - Checking the weather this morning we honed our plans for the day. There was a small craft warning out for the waters below Sheboygan so we decided to run only from Manitowoc to Sheboygan in winds of 5-10 knots and waves 1-3. Yeah, right.<br /><br />Getting up early (due to the central time change) we had coffee and then I set out for the farmers market with the idea of coming back with something for breakfast, too. The air was crisp this morning, feeling a little fall-ish, actually. It was a nice walk to the market, though, and by the time I got there I was feeling very comfortable with the temperature. The marina is located next to a little beach and the local YMCA...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIhVZuKdI/AAAAAAAAA_g/aos3x0NpMkc/s1600-h/beach+at+manitowoc.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIhVZuKdI/AAAAAAAAA_g/aos3x0NpMkc/s400/beach+at+manitowoc.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240862328893614546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Most of the vendors were Asian at the farmers' market, which was different. The produce looked great and I came back with strawberries (yes, past the season, I know...but they smell delicious and are small...look like wild strawberries, actually), peppers, lettuce, cucumbers, yellow tomatoes and yellow cherry tomatoes. Since the market offered no breakfast choices I stopped at a nearby hotel cafe for a carry-out breakfast sandwich. While I waited on the order I talked with the hostess about the goings on in Chicago this time of year...<br /><br />Back at the boat, we ate and set off for Sheboygan. Before we got out of the harbor we knew it was going to be a rough ride for a while. We were hoping it would mellow out when we got out a little way into deeper water. And it didn't. Then we had to decide whether to go forward or go back. Go forward, we decided, but at a faster pace so we could "get on top" of the waves. And so we did. I was thinking how nice it is to have the power to use when you need it in situations like this.<br /><br />About 10 miles out of Sheboygan the starboard engine quit. Yep. Wouldn't start back up. OK...good thing, I'm thinking, that we have<span style="font-style: italic;"> two</span> engines and not just one! We rolled on into Sheboygan and the Harbor Centre Marina on one engine. To be prudent and safe, we called the Coast Guard station at Sheboygan and told then we were traveling on one engine and while we didn't <span style="font-style: italic;">expect </span>any problems getting into Sheboygan we would appreciate their being aware of our location and course. They took down our coordinates and destination, then asked us to give them a call when we actually got into the Sheboygan Harbor.<br /><br />We went slowly and just rode up and down a few 4-footers. It took us an hour to do what would have taken 15 or 20 minutes at our previous speed. Wayne did a great job harnessing the one engine to do our bidding! Once safely into the slip we called the Coast Guard and thanked them for their assistance.<br /><br />So...what's wrong with the starboard engine??? Well, we needed to wait a while to let the engine room cool down so Wayne could go in and check on some obvious causes. Meanwhile, we took off for lunch.<br /><br />As we walked on the waterfront we came across this almost derelict looking fishing boat...with a nice Furuno unit perched on top. I like that. Spend money on the important things.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtKGOcEl6I/AAAAAAAABAI/-BNkPA24Gic/s1600-h/furuno+on+old+boat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtKGOcEl6I/AAAAAAAABAI/-BNkPA24Gic/s400/furuno+on+old+boat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240864062191212450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There are several nice spots along the waterfront for dining in Sheboygan and we selected the Duke of Devon, an English pub type restaurant owned by the same group that has Trattoria Stefano, a local Italian restaurant that gets great reviews. (Stefano's is not open for lunch...so if we need to stay here a couple of days we'll try to make it over there for dinner one night.) The pub meal was just right. We split a plate with selections of Wisconsin cheeses and ham, served with curried greens, chutney, and a delicious locally made bread. The bread was so good we almost made a meal of that (with butter) and ordered more when the ham and cheese plate came. (I was telling David later how good the bread and butter were and he recalled a time when he was in Wisconsin for work and ordered a hamburger. They asked if he wanted butter on it, and he said yes. The hamburger was served with a slice of butter atop that looked like a slice of cheddar cheese in size. They don't call this the Dairy State for nothing!)<br /><br />Wayne left after lunch to go back to the boat and see what he could tell about the engine issue and I struck off for the historic downtown area. The weather was perfect for walking around...low 70's, breezy and sunny. I found the Mead County Public Library and spent a little time there collecting some future reads from their book sale area, then visited the Boston Store downtown to browse the sales.<br /><br />Back on the boat, Wayne had done his check on the engine and found nothing out of order...except that it wouldn't start. He had already scheduled a mechanic to come in tomorrow morning. We went to bed wondering what the next day would bring.<br /><br />Wednesday, August, 27 - The mechanic was scheduled to come at 8:30AM, but Wayne predicted he'd be late. At 9:30 AM his boss called and said he'd be another hour getting there. Wayne was going to do some reading until he came...so I headed out to take a look at the local fine arts center.<br /><br />The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (family name, Kohler, of bathroom fixture fame) was within easy walking distance of the harbor. Known for its contemporary art, touring the Center was a morning well spent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtKGUUS26I/AAAAAAAABAQ/Z1Uivs4d0_8/s1600-h/kohler+center.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtKGUUS26I/AAAAAAAABAQ/Z1Uivs4d0_8/s400/kohler+center.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240864063769205666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And its claim to fame? Well...remember the Kohler heritage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIhlmJEuI/AAAAAAAAA_o/4tzux_RDmDc/s1600-h/best+bathrooms.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIhlmJEuI/AAAAAAAAA_o/4tzux_RDmDc/s400/best+bathrooms.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240862333240677090" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The bathrooms in this art center have been designed by artists! This is the first time I've ever taken a picture of a toilet bowl...and I'm not sure I want to know about the others of you out there who have done the same! I checked out two of the women's bathrooms while there. The toilet bowls (at least one in each bathroom) were decorated...and the walls were done up in an elaborate fashion, too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtKHMPu1qI/AAAAAAAABAo/H3NWTdN4ar4/s1600-h/toilet.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtKHMPu1qI/AAAAAAAABAo/H3NWTdN4ar4/s400/toilet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240864078782453410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIhKduoII/AAAAAAAAA_Y/Zd5LWmDhagY/s1600-h/bathroom+walls.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIhKduoII/AAAAAAAAA_Y/Zd5LWmDhagY/s400/bathroom+walls.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240862325957632130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The exhibits were very unique. The Art Center highlights contemporary pieces done by people who are considered on the outside of regular art circles. Things the "Rhinestone Cowboy" home crafted by Loy Allen Bowlin (http://www.galenfrysinger.com/sheboygan_museum_rhinestone_cowboy.htm)<br /><br />I especially liked the exhibit that dealt with hand crafted items. One artist had constructed a quilt from "found" pieces of cloth (used clothing, fabric samples, etc.) and documented the origin of the various fabric pieces in a little bound journal. I'm all inspired to do a quilt from some of my "treasured" aprons, t-shirts, clothing....well, you get the picture. At last I'll have a way to display my original, hand painted t-shirt of Tammy Faye Bakker (makeup smeared all over the face) that reads, "I ran into Tammy Faye at the mall!" I bought it back in the 80's when we were living in Charlotte, NC. And those rock concert t-shirts!<br /><br />So, anyway, after the museum stroll I headed back to the boat to see what the mechanic had found. Turns out the engine was running fine now, and they weren't sure why. He had bled some of the lines from the fuel tank to the engine...and the engine wouldn't start. Then he took the air filter off the engine, and the engine started. He examined the air filter and declared it "good." They put it back on and the engine started just fine. Maybe an air bubble in there somewhere? Could have been all the jostling around yesterday???<br /><br />With the engine back in working order we were ready to continue our journey down the Wisconsin coast to Port Washington. The weather report looked like this was a pretty good day to go, and the conditions were improving as the day went on. So we left at around noon.<br /><br />Well...it was still a bit bumpy getting into Port Washington, but we fared just fine. But all this bumpiness brings up the point of how one navigates around the boat when it's rocking and rolling. Now, I'm not talking about taking a stroll 'round the deck. More like heeding a call of nature...or getting food.<br /><br />Here's my strategy. Hang on to something all the time. And if you find yourself needing to stand in one place for a while (like fixing a tuna salad sandwich in the galley), brace your feet in a position so that you are steadied against something. I think this is why galleys are narrow. I can place one foot against the stove baseboard and one against the opposite cabinet baseboard and ride pretty comfortably, rocking side to side as the boat rocks front to back, with no hands required.<br /><br />Have something prepared ahead of time, if at all possible, so the trip downstairs is a quick one! Or...on especially bad rides, we have been known to bring up the snack boxes (peanut butter crackers, dried fruit, nuts, etc.) and skip a meal. But you know that's gotta hurt. :-)<br /><br />Just a little insight here on what we're learning...<br /><br />We were staying at the Port Washington Marina this Wednesday night and stopped at the fuel dock as we entered to refuel and get a pump out. Diesel was a glorious $3.79/gallon! Can you believe that's cause for celebration now?! Here's a view of the light at the entrance of the harbor and the city of Port Washington as we came into the marina.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtKGkQjfbI/AAAAAAAABAg/hOuAK_7-xyk/s1600-h/light+tower+at+port+wash.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtKGkQjfbI/AAAAAAAABAg/hOuAK_7-xyk/s400/light+tower+at+port+wash.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240864068048485810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIiII9MhI/AAAAAAAAA_8/hM5_9iuManc/s1600-h/entrance+to+Port+Washington.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIiII9MhI/AAAAAAAAA_8/hM5_9iuManc/s400/entrance+to+Port+Washington.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240862342513504786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Once all tucked into our slip we took Lucy for a walk around downtown Port Washington. It's a cute little place. We have plans to stay here for several days...maybe until Monday, Labor Day, so we can visit with family in Grafton, a little south of Port Washington.<br /><br />Thursday, August 28 - Andrea's birthday. Happy Birthday, Andrea!!!<br /><br />A day off the water! (Well, you know what I mean.) We're so excited! We struck out after checking emails and having coffee with the idea of getting some breakfast in town. As we walked we spotted Beanies Mexican Restaurant and decided to hold out a little longer until they opened for lunch and have some spicy food. It was a good decision...lunch there was great.<br /><br />We needed some large items...motor oil, paper products, bottled water...and decided to check out the local transportation options. Turns out Port Washington has a shared taxi service that would pick us up at the marina and take us to the Walmart and grocery store location for $3.75/person. We jumped on that! We were the only people in the little van as we went over to Walmart. It's the kind of vehicle that can accommodate wheelchairs, so there were really only about 5 regular seats in it besides the driver's seat. We shopped Walmart, then I went over to the grocery store for those items we hadn't found already (it wasn't a Super Walmart...just a simple Walmart.) As Wayne was waiting with our Walmart loot, the little van drove by and offered to pick him up. I wasn't quite ready at the grocery store, though, so the van took one person home, Wayne along for the ride, then came back and picked me up.<br /><br />OK. There's no way we could have gotten all that stuff in a regular taxi...maybe not even in a regular car! 15 gallons of oil (all they had on the shelf), bottled water, large packages of paper towels and toilet paper...well, you get the picture. I don't know what we would have done if we'd encountered a wheelchair client on the ride back...there was no room! The driver was so nice. He took his gypsy clients back to the marina and even helped us unload the stuff. What value!<br /><br />That afternoon I got in touch with my Aunt Joann, wife of Mother's deceased brother, Tom, and arranged to go to a family gathering tomorrow night at the home of Betty, one of her daughters. Then I strolled into a hair salon and got a haircut. We were off to a good start in Port Washington!<br /><br />Friday, August 29 - After a breakfast of waffles and bacon, I headed out for the local veterinarian to pick up some Lucy supplies. My cousin Betty called as I was going back to the boat and said that she'd love to bring the kids by to see the boat. We arranged for them to come over that afternoon.<br /><br />I hadn't seen Betty or the kids in a couple of years and was surprised to see how much Adam and Abby have grown! Adam, 10, is starting football this year and Abby, 8, is very active in gymnastics. We had a great time showing them around and answering all the questions they had about life on a boat. How does Lucy get to the bathroom? How do you know where to stay each night?<br /><br />Here are Betty, Adam, Abby and Abby's friend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIhwhEWtI/AAAAAAAAA_w/B-dv92KUyIM/s1600-h/Betty+and+children+at+boat.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLtIhwhEWtI/AAAAAAAAA_w/B-dv92KUyIM/s400/Betty+and+children+at+boat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240862336172186322" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That evening Betty and her sister Chris picked us up and we went to Betty's house for supper. What a great time! We had appetizers, brats, salads....and cheesecake for dessert. It was so nice to catch up with the family and see Aunt Joann again. We ate out on the back deck and took advantage of the great weather. Here are Wayne, Joann, Fred, Chris, Betty, and Mike.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvgyY0yBaI/AAAAAAAABBo/F9K6W_CohZg/s1600-h/dinner.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvgyY0yBaI/AAAAAAAABBo/F9K6W_CohZg/s400/dinner.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241029747637618082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here we are, posing for a family picture with Sonny, the dog....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvc3Gr31qI/AAAAAAAABBg/VNyrShxseH0/s1600-h/family2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvc3Gr31qI/AAAAAAAABBg/VNyrShxseH0/s400/family2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241025430621247138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And Adam with his new football jerseys...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvanpozrLI/AAAAAAAABA4/1PQV5hCYgxY/s1600-h/Adam.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvanpozrLI/AAAAAAAABA4/1PQV5hCYgxY/s400/Adam.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241022966102469810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I even caught a shot of the illusive Abby sampling the cheesecake....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvanWkwljI/AAAAAAAABAw/ABdht12_Txg/s1600-h/abby.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvanWkwljI/AAAAAAAABAw/ABdht12_Txg/s400/abby.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241022960985216562" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Saturday, August 30 - Another day off the water. How nice. We had breakfast and coffee while watching the latest political news and checking emails. Then we checked the weather to see if we could get a feel for what Monday might bring. Lo and behold the weather for today, Saturday, looked great! Waves 1 ft. or under. It took us no time to decide we needed to travel today to Racine, WI, about 40 some miles down the coast.<br /><br />We were out of Port Washington by 9 AM...our only regret that we didn't get to do brunch on Sunday at the Port Hotel. The water was all it was cracked up to be...for the first 3 hours, at least. Then the 3-4 ft. high waves came on, along with a wind, and we bounced on into Racine taking big waves on our bow. I took a few pictures to give you an idea of the water...we had water splashing up onto the bridge windows.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvaoW846iI/AAAAAAAABBQ/mdfgc6Tk_K4/s1600-h/water+on+the+bridge.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvaoW846iI/AAAAAAAABBQ/mdfgc6Tk_K4/s400/water+on+the+bridge.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241022978266294818" border="0" /></a>And as we came into the harbor you could see the choppy water and the flag flying!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvc24S3B5I/AAAAAAAABBY/SNU-esoYuhs/s1600-h/windy+racine.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLvc24S3B5I/AAAAAAAABBY/SNU-esoYuhs/s400/windy+racine.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241025426758240146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We got into Reefpoint Marina and settled in for the evening. Glad to be off Lake Michigan, a-gin, and glad to be staying put until Sept. 10. We were out on the back deck enjoying the evening air when Bob and Carol Kunath of San Souci stopped by to say hello. Bob writes the section on Lake Michigan for the Waterways Guide and we had followed <span style="font-style: italic;">his</span> suggestion to come down the east side of Lake Michigan for a while...then switch over to the Wisconsin side. They invited us to a dock party in the marina on Sunday evening.<br /><br />Sunday, August 31 - Last day in August. Amazing! This year has flown by.<br /><br />We set out for....breakfast, of course. Found one restaurant serving that morning--Blueberries, a natural foods restaurant. I had biscuits and gravy (whole wheat biscuits with organic pork sausage gravy) and Wayne had French toast stuffed with blueberry cream cheese. Mine was way too filling...and Wayne's wasn't filling enough.<br /><br />That afternoon I gave Lucy a haircut. She's a little overdue. I didn't hack her up too badly. When I walked her this evening she still got "cute dog" comments. :-)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLv3D9NYWRI/AAAAAAAABBw/vkNOZFNfm-M/s1600-h/Lucy%27s+do.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLv3D9NYWRI/AAAAAAAABBw/vkNOZFNfm-M/s400/Lucy%27s+do.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241054238718056722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We had supper at Spinnakers, the marina restaurant, then went over to Bob Kanuth's area for the dock party. We met a great group of people who referred to us as, alternately, Loopy Loopers and "real boaters." It was a fun evening.<br /><br />We're here, like I said, for a while. I'm going to fly back to Raleigh on Thursday to hang out with Alex while Heather and Dave celebrate their anniversary. I'll be back on the 8th and we'll re-provision on the 9th and leave here on the 10th. 'Til then, email us or call...Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-380996794883929313.post-51039317541530518712008-08-25T19:40:00.004-04:002008-08-26T07:30:32.454-04:00Manistee, MI, to Manitowoc, WIMonday, August 25 - We had planned to leave <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Manistee</span> Sunday, but the weather wasn't good for traveling so we stayed another day. It was like having a day given to us! We caught up on some record keeping, reading, and laundry. We walked up to Flavors Restaurant for lunch and topped it off by splitting an ice cream <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">sunday</span>. Yum, yum! After that I decided I needed even more of a walk and walked back up to the fishing pier at the harbor entrance.<br /><br />Wayne and I had visited the pier on Friday and things were really hopping down there then! This young duo posed with their catch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLNHlD7BdHI/AAAAAAAAA-4/FwyPiJAwhIM/s1600-h/fish+caught.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLNHlD7BdHI/AAAAAAAAA-4/FwyPiJAwhIM/s400/fish+caught.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238609493595616370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />People were bringing in loads of salmon and a fish cleaning venture had been set up that charged $2/fish for cleaning. Believe me, at the speed with which those guys were cleaning fish they were making money! I've never seen anybody clean a fish so fast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLNHmD4dW9I/AAAAAAAAA_A/LG0ruDwCR0M/s1600-h/fish+cleaning.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLNHmD4dW9I/AAAAAAAAA_A/LG0ruDwCR0M/s400/fish+cleaning.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238609510764731346" border="0" /></a>On Sunday evening there wasn't as much activity going on, though there were still a lot of people out enjoying the day. I walked over to the public beach to enjoy the view of water, sand and shoreline. You'll notice a few brave souls out there in the 70 degree waters...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLNHmSf4USI/AAAAAAAAA_I/wII6WBrdy5Y/s1600-h/manistee+beach.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLNHmSf4USI/AAAAAAAAA_I/wII6WBrdy5Y/s400/manistee+beach.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238609514688172322" border="0" /></a><br />We've had three full days to see the sights around here. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Manistee</span> has some gorgeous old buildings downtown. In fact, the downtown business district is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places. Here's a parting shot of downtown <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Manistee</span> on our rainy Saturday morning out for breakfast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLNHkjyEWCI/AAAAAAAAA-w/DUuOZ9DnW2o/s1600-h/downtown+manistee.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B9wuI6IMMKE/SLNHkjyEWCI/AAAAAAAAA-w/DUuOZ9DnW2o/s400/downtown+manistee.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238609484968122402" border="0" /></a>So, yesterday, Sunday evening, we checked the marine forecast to plan our travel for today. After a lot of studying and looking we decided that we had a shot at making the crossing from Michigan to Wisconsin. It seemed that Lake Michigan was going to have a good day for travel from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Manistee</span> north...and a rough day (at least out in the open lake part) for the south section. (Check out the marine forecasts for Lake Michigan on this website: http://www.weather.gov/os/marine/zone/gtlakes/lmopen.htm) We decided to stay in the upper part of Lake Michigan for the trip and go from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Manistee</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Kewaunee</span>, WI.<br /><br />I was up early this morning...checking the weather again. It can change so quickly! It still looked like a decent day: winds 10-15, waves 1-3. The direction of the wind was north or northeast, and that could prove to be a problem since the course to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Kewaunee</span> would have the wind and waves on our side, or "beam." That can cause the boat to rock from side to side and can result in a very uncomfortable ride. (See segment below where we crossed the Grand Traverse Bay...) We decided to go out and test the waters. If we felt uncomfortable with it, we'd head back into the Michigan shore and go to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Pentwater</span> for the evening.<br /><br />We left at our usual...8:30AM. Golden Lily, Our Turn, and Blue Max all left out before us going to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Pentwater</span>. We wove our way through the maze of fishing boats out that morning and into the lake. The waves were rolling, far apart...and of the 1-3 variety. Fortunately they were slow and far enough apart to be tolerable. About 20 miles into the trip, though, we decided the waves might work with us if they were on our stern so we switched direction and headed in a more southerly path to the town of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Manitowoc</span>, WI. Then we surfed Lake Michigan! We ran the engines at around 1700 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">rpm's</span>...a little faster than we normally go...and rode the waves. Our speed varied from 9.5 mph to well above 12 mph, depending on how we caught the waves.<br /><br />It was a beautiful day and we didn't see one boat in the "big" waters. We did see depths of over 750 ft.! A personal best for us on the Segue.<br /><br />We got into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Manitowoc</span> Marina at around 2:30...or, on their Central Time, 1:30. We were beat, though. Just the anticipation of crossing the lake, not knowing whether we'd end up turning back or not...and almost 7 hours of travel...we were drained. We checked in, plugged in, and took Lucy for a long walk through town. There's a farmer's market tomorrow morning beginning at 7 AM! Shouldn't be a problem getting up with this whole "central time thing" going on. Once we've loaded up on some fresh fruits and veggies we'll head out for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Sheboygan</span> or maybe even Port Washington. We'll see how the conditions are for travel.<br /><br />We just polished off our first Papa Johns' Pizza since we got back to the States...and at 8:30PM OUR time, we're ready to crash. We'll be helping the farmers set up at 6 in the morning. :-)Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14082849745570726577noreply@blogger.com0