Thursday, May 31, 2012
Beginning Leg 2
Flying to Baltimore tomorrow to meet up with Debi at the airport,
rent a car, and drive to Pt. Lookout Marina to Reunion. This start of leg 2 will begin in the Potomac River, up to
the top of the Chesapeake Bay to Skipjack Marina in the Sassafras River. We expect
to see and feel the remnants of tropical storm Beryl. Rain expected Friday
night and clearing early Saturday morning.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Friday, May 18
Heading home from the May voyage
Its a gorgeous sunset tonite, and in the morning we are heading for home. Thursday we left our anchorage at sunrise with smooth and tranquil water. Our hope was to make 80 miles or more on our way up the Chesapeake Bay. By 8 am the water was getting a little choppy and by 10 am we were coping with 20+ mile an hour wind, 3 foot waves and a small craft advisory. We were dipping and diving and bouncing along, crashing through the waves. We learned that Chesapeake water is salty by first hand tasting it - our helm is 15 ft. above the water and my hat got wet. Looks like a lot of fun when you are watching this in the movies, but it does get tiring hanging on to the railing after an hour or so. We did prove that neither of us get seasick - I hope this is the best test we ever get for that.
So after making 20 miles we took the first exit ramp into the Potomac River. They post those small craft advisories for a reason!!! We found a little marina called Point Lookout and tied up here for the rest of the day. Several other boats joined us in escaping the wave action and most were larger than ours. The winds had slid one of our companionway "roof" areas closed and instead of looking up I managed to clunk my forehead into it pretty solidly. Knocked myself right off my feet, so I was feeling a little shaky for awhile but had no serious effects. It just reminded us that the most stressful times are the most dangerous as well.
We spent the day watching weather charts and trying to think of reasons they must be wrong. But by this morning (Friday) it was clearly marked that there would be small craft advisories at least until next Tuesday. So we made arrangements to leave the boat here and fly home from Baltimore tomorrow. Tonite we had a nice dinner date at the marina restaurant. I had soft shelled crabs for the local experience. Gotta say, I prefer walleye.
Dennis will be back in two weeks to pick up the boat and pick up the journey.
We are looking forward to seeing (some of ) you back in Racine.
Things we learned: Dennis is not very good at doing nothing (big surprise I know) and I value my kindle more than ever.
Things we learned AGAIN: Plans are just not a good idea. As soon as you make a plan - mother nature reminds you who is in charge.
Its a gorgeous sunset tonite, and in the morning we are heading for home. Thursday we left our anchorage at sunrise with smooth and tranquil water. Our hope was to make 80 miles or more on our way up the Chesapeake Bay. By 8 am the water was getting a little choppy and by 10 am we were coping with 20+ mile an hour wind, 3 foot waves and a small craft advisory. We were dipping and diving and bouncing along, crashing through the waves. We learned that Chesapeake water is salty by first hand tasting it - our helm is 15 ft. above the water and my hat got wet. Looks like a lot of fun when you are watching this in the movies, but it does get tiring hanging on to the railing after an hour or so. We did prove that neither of us get seasick - I hope this is the best test we ever get for that.
So after making 20 miles we took the first exit ramp into the Potomac River. They post those small craft advisories for a reason!!! We found a little marina called Point Lookout and tied up here for the rest of the day. Several other boats joined us in escaping the wave action and most were larger than ours. The winds had slid one of our companionway "roof" areas closed and instead of looking up I managed to clunk my forehead into it pretty solidly. Knocked myself right off my feet, so I was feeling a little shaky for awhile but had no serious effects. It just reminded us that the most stressful times are the most dangerous as well.
We spent the day watching weather charts and trying to think of reasons they must be wrong. But by this morning (Friday) it was clearly marked that there would be small craft advisories at least until next Tuesday. So we made arrangements to leave the boat here and fly home from Baltimore tomorrow. Tonite we had a nice dinner date at the marina restaurant. I had soft shelled crabs for the local experience. Gotta say, I prefer walleye.
Dennis will be back in two weeks to pick up the boat and pick up the journey.
We are looking forward to seeing (some of ) you back in Racine.
Things we learned: Dennis is not very good at doing nothing (big surprise I know) and I value my kindle more than ever.
Things we learned AGAIN: Plans are just not a good idea. As soon as you make a plan - mother nature reminds you who is in charge.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Wednesday, May 16
Happy Birthday Brother-in-law Fred
We didn't forget, its just a little out of the way to drop by for cake.
We left Norfolk early this morning, while the sky was still gray and got a little drizzle for the first couple of hours. We entered Chesapeake Bay and it was chilly and overcast, but later this afternoon it turned nice and sunny. We didn't see any land on any side for many hours. The predictions are for high winds and small craft warnings tomorrow, so we found a very nice little anchorage with a lot of protection - at Mill Creek on the western shore of the Chesapeake - just in case we have to spend tomorrow here.
Spaghetti and meatballs for supper... we are eating quite well..... we've had steaks and chops and shrimp kabobs and pork tenderloin etc. Our little grill is quite wonderful and as long as you area stocked with the right groceries everything is copacetic. Now I know what Dennis will need to buy for round two. Every morning we pull up the anchor early and once we are underway one of us brings breakfast up to the helm The early mornings on the water are gorgeous, that's when its calmest and everything looks so beautiful with the low sun in the east. We also go below and gather up lunch midday and eat it while riding along. Our goal is to get this boat back to Racine, can't be dilly-dallying around stopping for lunch.
In the evenings Dennis checks in with New Berlin email (as he promised) and I get to look at my email and this blog. For really big excitement, we have DVD movies and TVshows. We have watched a few episodes of Downton Abby, which we never saw before and Northern Exposure, which we loved 15 years ago.
Things we learned today: How to run the radar in case we need it sometime. How to put in waypoints and do compass reckoning to create our way own route map. Most important I learned where the distress button is on the radio. Push that little red guy and the Coast Guard will know where we are, how fast we are going and in what direction. Some of the most valuable lessons are things you never want to use. That probably goes for the rest of life too....... hmmmm, food for thought.
We didn't forget, its just a little out of the way to drop by for cake.
We left Norfolk early this morning, while the sky was still gray and got a little drizzle for the first couple of hours. We entered Chesapeake Bay and it was chilly and overcast, but later this afternoon it turned nice and sunny. We didn't see any land on any side for many hours. The predictions are for high winds and small craft warnings tomorrow, so we found a very nice little anchorage with a lot of protection - at Mill Creek on the western shore of the Chesapeake - just in case we have to spend tomorrow here.
Spaghetti and meatballs for supper... we are eating quite well..... we've had steaks and chops and shrimp kabobs and pork tenderloin etc. Our little grill is quite wonderful and as long as you area stocked with the right groceries everything is copacetic. Now I know what Dennis will need to buy for round two. Every morning we pull up the anchor early and once we are underway one of us brings breakfast up to the helm The early mornings on the water are gorgeous, that's when its calmest and everything looks so beautiful with the low sun in the east. We also go below and gather up lunch midday and eat it while riding along. Our goal is to get this boat back to Racine, can't be dilly-dallying around stopping for lunch.
In the evenings Dennis checks in with New Berlin email (as he promised) and I get to look at my email and this blog. For really big excitement, we have DVD movies and TVshows. We have watched a few episodes of Downton Abby, which we never saw before and Northern Exposure, which we loved 15 years ago.
Things we learned today: How to run the radar in case we need it sometime. How to put in waypoints and do compass reckoning to create our way own route map. Most important I learned where the distress button is on the radio. Push that little red guy and the Coast Guard will know where we are, how fast we are going and in what direction. Some of the most valuable lessons are things you never want to use. That probably goes for the rest of life too....... hmmmm, food for thought.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Tuesday, May 15
Portsmouth, VA
Yesterday the weather was looking threatening so we tied up in a nice marina for a day of rest. The forecast did not disappoint - it rained and blew hard all night and again today. Right now the sky is inky dark and we are glad to be tied up here. We do plan to head out in the morning as the weather seems to be clearing. We plan to head out Hampton Roads (thats a waterway) and straight up the Chesapeake Bay. If everything goes perfectly we might get to the Sassafras river, where Doug Timmels boat is kept, by the weekend. Less than perfect? Then we will have to ask Debi to drive a little farther to pick us up and get us to the Philadelphia Airport. Doug has signed on for the next piece of the journey so that's a great relief for us, it will be nice to have someone more experienced than I to go out into the ocean and around towards New York.
Today has proven the Kindle to be a very smart purchase.
Yesterday the weather was looking threatening so we tied up in a nice marina for a day of rest. The forecast did not disappoint - it rained and blew hard all night and again today. Right now the sky is inky dark and we are glad to be tied up here. We do plan to head out in the morning as the weather seems to be clearing. We plan to head out Hampton Roads (thats a waterway) and straight up the Chesapeake Bay. If everything goes perfectly we might get to the Sassafras river, where Doug Timmels boat is kept, by the weekend. Less than perfect? Then we will have to ask Debi to drive a little farther to pick us up and get us to the Philadelphia Airport. Doug has signed on for the next piece of the journey so that's a great relief for us, it will be nice to have someone more experienced than I to go out into the ocean and around towards New York.
Today has proven the Kindle to be a very smart purchase.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Monday, May 14
Dismal Swamp Day
We spent today on the Dismal Swamp Canal - a beautiful ride, despite its unfortunate name. George Washington and some of his business partners owned the land and wanted to farm it, so they had their slaves dig a long canal to drain the land in the 1700's. The slaves probably named it. Imagine the labor, to dig a river 10 feet deep and 80+ feet wide, for 22 miles. In the civil war time it was a route for the underground railroad. The great grandchildren of those who built it used it to go north. Today it is a state park and has a "lock" on each end for boats to enter the riverway. This was our first experience with locking through. Not so hard - it clusters you up with a group of boats and you pretty much go down the canal at the same speed. Slow.
After all that tranquility and greenery (it looks a lot like the Fox River in Wisconsin) you all of a sudden emerge into the port of Portsmouth/Norfolk. It felt like driving your covered wagon onto a giant freeway at rush hour. So much industrial, construction and military activity. And its all coming from different directions. However, the waterways still have those same little red triangles and green squares as their only signage - but they don't put out very many of them in all this mayhem. Time for a break.
We are expecting stormy weather tonite and it is getting very windy, so we tucked into a nice marina and are planning to stay until the weather looks more cooperative. This is one of those times when plans are just going to step aside for reality.
The photos below show the scenery we ride through, and the trailer park marina and the chart for a waterway we were just on - and oh yes, the diesel truck. Too bad for that guy
We spent today on the Dismal Swamp Canal - a beautiful ride, despite its unfortunate name. George Washington and some of his business partners owned the land and wanted to farm it, so they had their slaves dig a long canal to drain the land in the 1700's. The slaves probably named it. Imagine the labor, to dig a river 10 feet deep and 80+ feet wide, for 22 miles. In the civil war time it was a route for the underground railroad. The great grandchildren of those who built it used it to go north. Today it is a state park and has a "lock" on each end for boats to enter the riverway. This was our first experience with locking through. Not so hard - it clusters you up with a group of boats and you pretty much go down the canal at the same speed. Slow.
After all that tranquility and greenery (it looks a lot like the Fox River in Wisconsin) you all of a sudden emerge into the port of Portsmouth/Norfolk. It felt like driving your covered wagon onto a giant freeway at rush hour. So much industrial, construction and military activity. And its all coming from different directions. However, the waterways still have those same little red triangles and green squares as their only signage - but they don't put out very many of them in all this mayhem. Time for a break.
We are expecting stormy weather tonite and it is getting very windy, so we tucked into a nice marina and are planning to stay until the weather looks more cooperative. This is one of those times when plans are just going to step aside for reality.
The photos below show the scenery we ride through, and the trailer park marina and the chart for a waterway we were just on - and oh yes, the diesel truck. Too bad for that guy
Only gonna say this once: I apologize for the amateur appearance of this blog. I did not spend enough time learning to make it pretty before I just started sending it out. Photos too big, photos too small. I am sure there are better ways to do this - but by the time I learn, I will be home.
Sorry, Carol
Sorry, Carol
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Sunday, May 13
Hi All, Its Sunday night and we have internet for awhile. Yesterday we went up the Neuse River and the Alligator River. Long straight stretches. Very long - an 11 hour day, and scenic as well as straight. A long portion had been dug by the Army Corps of Engineers to join two other bodies of water - and the Army Corps would not dig a crooked river. It was very easy and we were easy targets for the stinging black flies. So a lot of the day I steered while Dennis swatted flies. Later in the day I did learn how to navigate by compass. That's how we found a place to stay off "Catfish Point" - we had to navigate into this tiny, shallow little spot full of submerged stumps etc. by following compass points, I think it might be like geocaching to find a place to sleep.
We had a neighbor at Catfish Point. He kind of spooked us because the boat was such a derelict - an old demasted sailboat with peeling paint and rusty gear. As darkness fell, he slowly paddled over in his dingy..... and asked to buy a quart of oil. Whew! We gave him the oil and he didn't even have to pull a pirate sword to get it. He was actually a nice guy with some bad luck.
Today, we have been on the boat a week, so we have graduated to intermediate level. That's why we had some really big choppy waves all across Albemarle Sound. By the time we reached Elizabeth City NC I was done. I just wanted to walk on land. Please. Any land. We needed gas so we stopped at the only marina in 50 miles. They drove a truck down to the dock to sell us diesel fuel. They were nice folks, it was a folksy little place with its own trailer park. One of the trailers was the local "casino" and they invited us over for entertainment later on.
As we settled into a spot right at the main pier there was a loud crashing sound behind our boat. It seems the owner/truck driver had not set the brakes on the fuel truck when he parked it back up the hill after selling us fuel. It came rolling down slowly, took out a piece of pier and landed with the front wheels in the water and the back side up hill. And yes, the crash caused the diesel tank to start to leak. Quickly assessing the situation as only intermediate experienced people can do, we decided we wouldn't spend the night in the middle of a diesel spill and just pulled up our lines, started the engine and drove off into the sunset. We left the marina believing that a tow truck, a barge, a crane, the sheriff and probably the EPA would be showing up any time and we would just be in the way.
Tomorrow we will go through the Dismal Swamp. A once in a lifetime experience I think. See ya.
We had a neighbor at Catfish Point. He kind of spooked us because the boat was such a derelict - an old demasted sailboat with peeling paint and rusty gear. As darkness fell, he slowly paddled over in his dingy..... and asked to buy a quart of oil. Whew! We gave him the oil and he didn't even have to pull a pirate sword to get it. He was actually a nice guy with some bad luck.
Today, we have been on the boat a week, so we have graduated to intermediate level. That's why we had some really big choppy waves all across Albemarle Sound. By the time we reached Elizabeth City NC I was done. I just wanted to walk on land. Please. Any land. We needed gas so we stopped at the only marina in 50 miles. They drove a truck down to the dock to sell us diesel fuel. They were nice folks, it was a folksy little place with its own trailer park. One of the trailers was the local "casino" and they invited us over for entertainment later on.
As we settled into a spot right at the main pier there was a loud crashing sound behind our boat. It seems the owner/truck driver had not set the brakes on the fuel truck when he parked it back up the hill after selling us fuel. It came rolling down slowly, took out a piece of pier and landed with the front wheels in the water and the back side up hill. And yes, the crash caused the diesel tank to start to leak. Quickly assessing the situation as only intermediate experienced people can do, we decided we wouldn't spend the night in the middle of a diesel spill and just pulled up our lines, started the engine and drove off into the sunset. We left the marina believing that a tow truck, a barge, a crane, the sheriff and probably the EPA would be showing up any time and we would just be in the way.
Tomorrow we will go through the Dismal Swamp. A once in a lifetime experience I think. See ya.
Friday, May 11, 2012
"What's Next?" - the name of a book we are reading with our good friends from Mt. Pleasant. This trip has been in the future for so long, its hard to believe its the present. I guess you just have to keep trying things to see if you can do them.
In the short term, our goal is to find a good harbor in about a week and go home for a spell. The next "Next" will be to find willing sailors to try a couple of weeks of this adventure with Dennis in June. Here's what you can expect, life outdoors, fresh air, mostly beautiful weather, and great scenery ... from a comfy seat away from the mosquitoes and the traffic. Traffic here is when there is another boat or two within sight, or a fishing boat who waves as you slowly pass. The camping part includes a queen size bed and a private bath, and good food on the grill. Or, like I did today, you can make an omelet in the galley, while Dennis drives along. WiFi is usually accessible, and we have a comlete selection of TV and movies to play on your computer if you aren't bone tired from all that fresh air.
As for exercise, you get that running up and down the steps, back and forth on the boat and docking. Or you can do yoga on the back deck at sunrise if you like. Dennis spends time every day practically standing on his head to get down into the engine room. We call this boat yoga. To sign up contact Dennis at DJBarkow@earthlink.net
Accomplishing one adventure makes you think you might be able to tackle another. So I encourage you to try something, anything you have never done before, but that might enrich your life in even the smallest way.
In the short term, our goal is to find a good harbor in about a week and go home for a spell. The next "Next" will be to find willing sailors to try a couple of weeks of this adventure with Dennis in June. Here's what you can expect, life outdoors, fresh air, mostly beautiful weather, and great scenery ... from a comfy seat away from the mosquitoes and the traffic. Traffic here is when there is another boat or two within sight, or a fishing boat who waves as you slowly pass. The camping part includes a queen size bed and a private bath, and good food on the grill. Or, like I did today, you can make an omelet in the galley, while Dennis drives along. WiFi is usually accessible, and we have a comlete selection of TV and movies to play on your computer if you aren't bone tired from all that fresh air.
As for exercise, you get that running up and down the steps, back and forth on the boat and docking. Or you can do yoga on the back deck at sunrise if you like. Dennis spends time every day practically standing on his head to get down into the engine room. We call this boat yoga. To sign up contact Dennis at DJBarkow@earthlink.net
Accomplishing one adventure makes you think you might be able to tackle another. So I encourage you to try something, anything you have never done before, but that might enrich your life in even the smallest way.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Thursday, May 10
Southport to Camp LeJeuneYes, actually, we are camped out at Camp LeJeune, NC. We called ahead (I am not making this up) and they told us there were not going to be maneuvers tonite so we could anchor out in a bay that is used for launching naval training vessels and I suppose all manner of rockets and helicopters and such. The word is out, this is a nice spot and we are surrounded by 8 other trawlers and 3 sailboats.
Today the weather was fabulous, about 70 degrees and riding above the water we needed to wear a fleece. Little fluffy clouds for ambiance and not so much wildlife, but more homes and boat docks and civilization. If you've tried looking at a map of the ICW (IntraCoastalWaterway) you must have wondered how in the world one can find their way. Its actually called a chart in boatspeak and it looks like a Jackson Pollack painting - spattered full of dots and squares and triangles and numbers for everything. Basically everything is marked, the trick is figuring out what mark means what. The basics are: There are red triangles and green squares. They put the squares and triangles on high posts above the water to show you where the channel is.... red triangles go on the left, and green squares go on the right and you drive right between them. Unless you are going upriver, the green is on the left and the red is on the right.... or the other way around. And of course if you get in a big hunk of water like Cape Fear (aptly named) there are channels going in all different directions. From the water it looks like a random garden of red and green stick flowers. One more thing - if you head down the channel marked "restricted" a pilot boat comes toward you with a menacing look and you quickly determine that you should try another channel - even if the water may be only 2 feet deep. Or you go back to the green triangle where you turned left, and you turn right. We haven't even gotten to yellow marks and range lights and cable crossings and the difference between a swing bridge and a lift bridge.
Timing the bridges can be a subject for another day.
The upside is spending the day (or 3 in a row) alone with your honey in a small comfy space with sunshine and good food and all the other good stuff.
I can hear what I think are big helicopters going over right now. Tomorrow we will head toward Norfolk again. The charts look even more complicated than today. Good thing we have two people to take turns driving and navigating.
If you want to give us any advice, you can post it here for the world, or send us a text. The cell phones work everywhere.
One final note: A moment of silence please for my favorite hat which was lost at sea today near Myrtle Beach. A very classy final resting place.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Pawleys Island SC to Southport NC
All in a long days ride - 11 hours of moving north. By noon it looked like a little shower, by 3pm we started looking for a place to anchor out but no luck, the places marked "anchorage" should now be marked "massive sandbar". So we continued onward. The rain started at 5, and the deluge started at 6.
We know where all the leaks are now - the canvas over the helm station for example.
By 7:30 we were tied up at a nice marina and made supper- its raining too hard to walk to a restaurant. Wet clothes are hanging everywhere, hope they will dry by morning.
The gear marked "rainproof" was a good investment. Now we need a see thru rain cover for all the instruments on the helm.
A story from Charleston - we had lunch at the Crab place next to the street market. I went to see some french tablecloths hanging there and bought one which you can see when you come for dinner. The shopkeeper was a lovely frenchwoman and we visited for awhile, and while we were talking she just turned around and put a pretty table runner in my bag. How nice is that! It is the perfect size for a boat tablecloth.
Tonite we are near Southport North Carolina. Its just a little way south of Cape Fear. Tomorrow we will see why it is named that. We hope to make a short day tomorrow and fit in some goofing off and fixing up.
All in a long days ride - 11 hours of moving north. By noon it looked like a little shower, by 3pm we started looking for a place to anchor out but no luck, the places marked "anchorage" should now be marked "massive sandbar". So we continued onward. The rain started at 5, and the deluge started at 6.
We know where all the leaks are now - the canvas over the helm station for example.
By 7:30 we were tied up at a nice marina and made supper- its raining too hard to walk to a restaurant. Wet clothes are hanging everywhere, hope they will dry by morning.
The gear marked "rainproof" was a good investment. Now we need a see thru rain cover for all the instruments on the helm.
A story from Charleston - we had lunch at the Crab place next to the street market. I went to see some french tablecloths hanging there and bought one which you can see when you come for dinner. The shopkeeper was a lovely frenchwoman and we visited for awhile, and while we were talking she just turned around and put a pretty table runner in my bag. How nice is that! It is the perfect size for a boat tablecloth.
Tonite we are near Southport North Carolina. Its just a little way south of Cape Fear. Tomorrow we will see why it is named that. We hope to make a short day tomorrow and fit in some goofing off and fixing up.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Day one was great. 10 hours on the water at a mind boggling 6 miles per hour - and we have arrived at a beautiful little river where we left the IntraCoastalWaterway and dropped anchor. We will make dinner and spend the night here under the full moon. We saw several schools of dolphin playing along the way (are they schools? or herds? or ??). Also saw an alligator - and a bald eagle saw us as he watched from a tall post at the edge of the marsh.
Things we learned today: 1. All boats pass us. We pass sailboats. 2. Once you put a baseball cap on, you can't take it off all day or your hair looks like swamp grass. 3. A box is better than a tray for carrying lunch up to the helm. 4. Driving this big lug is easier than you think.
Really loved this leisurely, sunny day with a cool breeze and wonderful company.
Things we learned today: 1. All boats pass us. We pass sailboats. 2. Once you put a baseball cap on, you can't take it off all day or your hair looks like swamp grass. 3. A box is better than a tray for carrying lunch up to the helm. 4. Driving this big lug is easier than you think.
Really loved this leisurely, sunny day with a cool breeze and wonderful company.
Charleston May 7, 2011
Spent 2 days unpacking, cleaning and stocking up for the trip north. We also managed a couple of nice meals in old town Charleston. We plan to depart at 5 am to take advantage of the low low tide - there is a bridge to go under right outside the Bristol Marina. We are kind of certain we will fit under - sort of, after all .... it did get parked here after Hurricane Irene. We took a shakedown cruise upriver from the bridge and it was exhilirating to finally be aboard with everything working !!!
Jenny and Eliot sign on as Crew
Jenny and Eliot arrived in Charleston the last week of
July - schools out and teacher and principal opted for "changes in latitude and
changes in attitude" by taking a couple of weeks to crew Reunion on the voyage
home.
The parrot head journey will cover the time when one pirate (Jenny) looks at 40 and another (Dennis) has a milestone birthday for starting new adventures. It just means he's growin' older but not up. So the 2 intrepid sailors are closest thing we've got to the sons of a son of a sailor and it is going to be a grand ride.
Sometime Friday the Reunion will leave this one particular harbor and turn fins to the left. Come monday, they will be heading for the north star.
Wishing you nothing but breezes
Love and Luck, Carol
The parrot head journey will cover the time when one pirate (Jenny) looks at 40 and another (Dennis) has a milestone birthday for starting new adventures. It just means he's growin' older but not up. So the 2 intrepid sailors are closest thing we've got to the sons of a son of a sailor and it is going to be a grand ride.
Sometime Friday the Reunion will leave this one particular harbor and turn fins to the left. Come monday, they will be heading for the north star.
Wishing you nothing but breezes
Love and Luck, Carol
July 2011
2011
Finding the right boat
Our friends and family had listened to us daydream for
years about finding a boat that would take us around the Great Loop - a
circumnavigation of the eastern half of the U.S. We spent evenings on the
internet, read books, listened to boat people. We narrowed it down to a 36'-40'single engine
diesel trawler with a sundeck, a walk around bed, a reasonable galley and room
for visitors.
Dennis had a long list of electronics and refinements - most of which he could install or repair if we found something close to our specifications. By spring of 2011 we visited boats in Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, and New York. Then Dennis found a boat that fit the bill in Charleston, South Carolina. It was time to take a leap - or stop talking about it.
We named the new boat "Reunion" and started getting acquainted. Dennis spent a month in Charleston fixing, cleaning, changing, installing and learning to dock a 40' boat. Docking lessons lasted 1/2 hour and from then on it was learning by doing. I flew out to spend a week with Dennis around 4th of July. Then I came home again while Dennis continued banging the air-conditioning into shape, changing a head and putting in an auto-pilot along with hundreds of other tiny details. The boat was almost ready for the trip to Wisconsin. Next step was finding a crew and heading out - 1600 miles to bring her home.
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