Author: Greg

April 01 – May 02, 2020

On April 1 the governor of Florida signed an executive order for the entire state to “Stay-at-Home”. This was just our first full day at Melbourne and we had planned to spend a month here anyway, so be it. Checking with marina management about what conditions we may expect and they assured us that we were secure in our slip, that all services would be available with exception of access to their ship store and office, and the dockmaster would be on site everyday and available if needed.

Callin’ in Gone had an early reservation at Ortega Landing in Jacksonville so they departed the next day. Ed & Kathy on Vitamin Sea arrived the same day as us and stayed for a few days and decided to move up to Fernandina Beach Marina to spend a month as Ed’s brother lived on Amelia Island and they would be close to family. Jim & Marilyn on Spinning Dreams came in and took Vitamin Sea’s slip so that left our small dock with Spinning Dreams, BackAtcha and us to weather through the stay-at-home together for the month.

First order of business was to read through the governors order and see just what was in it, what we could and could not do. While ‘nonessential’ businesses were required to close, restaurants could open for take-out only. Aside from all the standard CDC guidelines of social distancing and limiting gatherings to 10 or less, etc. we were free to go for walks, all forms of boating were still allowed (the governor disband the small boat raft ups and gatherings on small islands), parks and boat ramps open, fishing was ok, even some counties allowed very limited walking on the beach. At least that is what we experienced in Brevard County where we were located.

We did our best to stay active within the guidelines of the governors orders. We did general cleaning and maintenance on the boat, waxed the gel coat and fixed things that we had been putting off. We took a walk every morning and again around 4pm to the park across from the marina or to one of several known manatee hangouts; we did get to see a manatee up close. Occasionally we would walk to the historic district of Melbourne and get take-out lunch from one the non-chain type eateries. At 5pm everyday we would gather at the end of our dock with Chris & Lisa (BackAtcha) and Jim & Marilyn (Spinning Dreams) for a social hour and just talk to someone besides ourselves. Then we would disperse to our own boats, cook dinner and settle in for the night.

As time went on we became more comfortable being around each other and by Easter Sunday we decided to have a meal together aboard Spinning Dreams. Each couple prepared a dish, we blessed it and broke bread together. Hence forth we decided to make Friday night our ongoing steak night and break bread together. Chris our gourmet chief would prepare the steak (always above and beyond the standard grill), Maggie would toss up one of her specialty salads and Marilyn would do an appetizer or dessert. It was good to gather with friends and we looked forward to it each week.

The marina has mid-rise condos surrounding the docks. Every other Friday night one of the condo residents would come out on her balcony and perform for an hour, singing tunes from the Sinatra era, God Bless America and the National Anthem. Turns out she is a retired professional singer and just wanted to do something for the residence who would come out on their balconies and listen; we too enjoyed her performances from our dock. She was good and we were grateful for her generousity.

As the end of the month approached we started making travel plans with Spinning Dreams to journey north to Jacksonville and our final destination, for now, Ortega Landing Marina. Some of the municipal marinas were still not taking transient boaters but all the others were open and we had no trouble reserving a slip at each stop.

On April 29 we departed Melbourne Harbor at 8:30am with Spinning Dreams headed north to New Smyrna Marina. The weather was clear and warm but the wind kicked up to 15-20 knots which made for an exciting docking but all went well. This marina is newly rebuilt after being destroyed by a hurricane a couple years ago. It is small but nice, has beautiful landscaping, an attractive restaurant on site and new Billingham concrete floating docks.

On this first leg of the trip we passed Kennedy Space Center and had a good view of the SpaceX rocket scheduled to launch with 2 astronauts onboard on May 27, a first in a long time. Previously, while still in Melbourne we had an opportunity to watch a SpaceX rocket launch with a satellite aboard which will be used for a new remote location internet service.

We had planned to depart the next day, April 30 but the weather was terrible with severe thunderstorms predicted along our path the entire day. So we decided to sit it out and stay put one more day and wait for better weather. In between rain showers we took a long walk to see the area, something we try to do at every location we stop and stay. Although access to shops, museums etc is very limited due to COVID-19.

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May 1 dawned with favorable weather predictions and we cast off at 8:15am headed for St. Augustine. Not much in the way of boat traffic, it was a nice trip passing through Daytona and some interesting residential and remote areas. The original plan was to dock at Camanchee Cove Marina but with the delay of one day they could not save our slip so we changed to the Conch House Marina in St. Augustine which turned out to be just fine. It too was recently rebuilt as the same hurricane that impacted New Smyrna also impacted St. Augustine. This is a large marina and base for many sport fishing boats. We had an opportunity to see the boats return from fishing and watch the experts clean and dress some rather large fish (Mahi Mahi and others, not sure what they were).

From the time we entered Mobile Bay in November of 2019 until present, we have been graced with the presence of dolphins greeting us everyday and entertain us with their frolicking and playful attitude swimming and jumping in our quarter wake. On this leg, New Smyrna to St Augustine, we had one occasion where 2 dolphins swam on our starboard side and 4 dolphins swam on our port side at the same time, what a joy. We never tired of watching them and having them come along with us. (We have some great video of them and will try to post it soon)

Our friends Steve & Vickie drove from St. Simons Island, GA to meet us at St. Augustine, spend the night aboard and travel to Jacksonville aboard Serenity Blue. Steve was a roommate in college with Greg and best man at our wedding. A long time best friend. We were thrilled to have them travel with us on this leg of the voyage.

We took the furry mates ashore at sunrise for their walk, it was early and an absolutely perfect morning. The sky was cloudless, the water was still and the air a gentle breeze, I could just feel the peace of the Spirit indwell my being. We checked signals with Spinning Dreams and decided a 9am departure would work fine today. Had breakfast, ran through my pre-departure procedure, started the engines and as they warmed up I pondered, is this the last ever leg of our dream voyage; what is God’s will for us. Time will tell. For now, its time to cast off and head for Ortega Landing, Jacksonville, FL.

The Conch House Marina is located in Salt Run, a cove just inside the inlet to the ocean, once we cleared the area and headed north we were in the Tolomato River with an abundance of marsh and uninhabited areas on both sides. It was still early and little boat traffic, so we enjoyed the tranquility, at least of now.

We traveled for 2 hours before we came to civilization at Palm Valley where neat homes lined the east bank of the waterway for the next hour at No Wake speed. It was fun to see the folks sitting on their docks having brunch, fishing or just watching us and other boaters pass by. The channel was close to their docks, I felt like I could reach out and shake their hand as we slowly went by.

Shortly thereafter we began to enter the southern end of Jacksonville, a lot of Saturday small boat traffic buzzing by us creating an annoying wake as they head for their favorite place to anchor or whatever; what’s the rush.

About 4 hours into the trip we came to the treacherous Pablo Creek area where the intracoastal waterway intersects the St. Johns River. We coordinated our path through this section carefully with Spinning Dreams to avoid the shoals and all went as planned. Once we entered the St.Johns River we turned west toward Jacksonville, our destination is yet another 25 miles or 2 1/2 hours away.

Most of the small boat traffic continued across the St Johns River and back into the intracoastal waterway or headed out to sea, making for a much more pleasant run into Jacksonville. From here the river was wide and deep with little traffic so we decided to spin up the turbos and burn some carbon for a while, its good for the engines after running them at slow speed for hours. We don’t do it all the time as it lights my wallet on fire; our normal fuel consumption is 5 gallons per hours, 40 gallons per hour at Wide Open Throttle (WOT).

As we pass through downtown Jacksonville at No Wake speed we can see the streets are deserted, more signs of COVID-19 compliance. Once pass the city we turn off the St. Johns River into the Ortega River, request the Ortega River Bridge to open for us and arrive at Ortega Landing Marina on the other side.

Spinning Dreams goes into her slip first, we follow into ours and shortly we are all secure, hooked up to power and water, just like home. It was a great day.

From Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, Kentucky to Ortega Landing in Jacksonville we have logged 2,000 miles, including direct routes and side trips. It has been a wonderful ride and a true blessing.

March 08 – 30, 2020

We spent a week at home, March 8-16th, during this time we began to hear more about a virus called Corona or COVID-19, and the potential of it being severe. Two days before our planned return to the boat we stopped at our local Publix to find people franticly buying groceries. Fear was evident in the faces of the shoppers; could they be reacting to the news of the virus. As time would tell, they most certainly were reacting in fear.

We arrived back to Ft. Myers on March 16th, for the most part everything was normal. Our next leg of the trip would be across the state of Florida via the Okeechobee Lake and Waterway to Stuart. The plan was to do the trip with our friends Phil & Susan on Callin’ in Gone who were expected to arrive at Ft. Myers from the Keys any day.

The news about the virus was not good. It appears it could be a serious pandemic. The governor of Florida closed all the bars and a few days later closed all the restaurants, allowing them to stay open for take out only. We began to learn of marina closing to transient boaters, Waterway guide began compiling a list of marina status. Our departure was delayed as we pondered the options. The Lake Okeechobee level was dropping due to the drought. If it got too low we would not be able to cross to the east coast and faced with having to leave our boat in southwest Florida hauled out on land for the hurricane season; going around the southern tip of Florida was not an option as the area of southeast Florida (Miami) was hit hard by the virus and closed to pleasure boaters. Suddenly the ‘pleasure’ was draining out of our bucket boat voyage.

Life goes on. We walked to the Ft. Myers Publix every few days in the morning where we were able to buy what food we needed considering the occasional shortages. We even scored the coveted toilet paper. I guess we were just lucky, no blessed, to be where we were. We supported the local eateries by getting take-out for dinner as much as we could. The scene on the streets of the historic district was sad compared to when we first arrived to Ft. Myers and dined alfresco and had a joyful time. We took long walks and covered all the back streets, waterfront and parks; we were mostly alone and certainly greater than the suggested 6′ separation.

As much as we liked Ft. Myers and the weather we had to get serious about moving to the east coast. Meeting Phil & Susan one morning we called marinas along our route and while some were indeed closed to transients we did find what we needed and were able to set a date to depart.

On March 26 we left Ft. Myers Yacht Basin heading east with buddy boat Callin’ in Gone. The first stop would be Moore Haven, a small town of less than a thousand people and zero cases of covid-19. The dock was small, just enough room for the two of us and maybe one other boat. It was peaceful, even had a pool where we dipped our feet and cooled off.

The next morning we awoke to heavy fog, the plan was to travel to Clewiston just a short distance away so an early departure was not necessary. We transited the Moore Haven lock which brought us up to the level of the lake. A manatee took the ride up in the lock with us. Once out of the lock we followed a canal to Clewiston. Along the canal shore we spotted numerous alligators; this is not the place to have a problem and sink.

Arrived at Roland Martin Marina in Clewiston in time for lunch and take a stroll. The dockmaster warned us that we must keep our dogs on a leash and Do Not get in the water, you guessed it, alligators, many alligators.

We need good weather to make the crossing of Lake Okeechobee as it can be wicked if the winds kick up. The next morning we awoke to clear blue skies, calm blue waters and a gentle breeze, perfect for our crossing. It was a long day, departing at 7:30am and arriving Stuart, Harborage Marina at 4:30pm, but a great day to be on the water; hardly a sole in sight.

From Ft. Myers to Stuart via the Okeechobee Waterway we passed through 5 locks, three up and two down.

The next day we cast off at 8am for Vero Beach. Shortly after leaving Harborage Marina we made the left turn into the intracoastal waterway east coast and headed North for the first time. It was Sunday and our church, First Baptist Atlanta, was doing live stream services. We were able to pick it up on our iPhone and watch it from the bridge while under way with the phone propped up on the instrument panel. The virus, COVID-19, is impacting our lives in ways we cannot image. #26 “Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.”

We arrive Vero Beach City Marina mid afternoon, enjoy a long walk and home made pizza for dinner prepared by Susan of Callin’ in Gone.

Our goal for this leg of the voyage was to get to Melbourne where we would hunker down for a month while awaiting for our slip in Jacksonville to be available, not until May 1 at best. While we like the Vero Beach area and would have liked to spend more time there, Melbourne was calling so Monday morning we cast off and enjoy a leisurely run north arriving at Melbourne Harbor Marina at 1:30pm. Our friends Chris and Lisa on BackAtcha arrived here a couple weeks previous and show us around; I think we will enjoy it here.

February 19 – March 8, 2020

With the crossing behind us and the beautiful Sun Coast of Florida in our grasp we decided to spend a week in Dunedin, rest and take a trip to Tarpon Springs.

We rented a car and drove the short distance north to Tarpon Springs on Saturday morning with Jim and Marilyn of Spinning Dreams. The other two boats who left Carrabelle an hour ahead of us, Inshallah and Paradise Falls both went to marinas in Tarpon Springs and we planned to visit with them and discuss their experiences of the crossing.

A visit to Tarpon Springs is not complete without a tour of the sponge industry, a good Greek dinner at Mykonos and a stop at Hella’s bakery for the best Greek pastries and fresh baked bread to take back to the boat.

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Back at Marker 1 Marina we meet Chris & Lisa on BackAtcha. They completed their crossing a few days ahead of us. It’s Sunday and a beautiful warm afternoon so we drop our dinghy in the water and join Spinning Dreams and BackAtcha for a little dinghy tour of the lagoons, see some spectacular waterfront homes and stop at Sand Key Island to walk the beach.

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The extended stay at Dunedin was timely as a cold front blew in pushing 20 knot winds. This gave us time to walk to the Publix for groceries, do laundry etc. Once the winds calmed down we departed with BackAtcha and Spinning Dreams for Gulfport adjacent to St. Petersburg. It was the perfect travel day, light winds, calm waters and temps in the mid 70’s. The trip was through a lot of no wake zones so we got to take in the scenery and just enjoy the ride.

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We docked at Gulfport Municipal Marina, very well protected from wind and waves. Once we all settled in, we took a walk to a nearby city park for dogs to let them run free & wild. There was Zues a shitzu on Spinning Dreams and Winston a Yorkie on BackAtcha plus our two furry mates, River and Cooper, both yorkies.

The next morning we all took a walk to the trendy village of Gulfport for breakfast at Stella’s. Later that day Greg’s cousin Sugar, her husband Tom and their daughter Beth met us at the village for lunch at O’Maddy’s. The food was good and company with family was great. It’s not often we get to visit with family and we really appreciated them very much. Sugar and Tom are spending five weeks at Indian Rocks Beach which is just south of Clearwater while Beth and her husband Mark spend the winter in the area racing their horses.

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The next day, Sunday, we were off again to Sarasota. The route of the ICW goes around the southern tip of St. Petersburg, out into the Tampa Bay, west to under the Sunshine Skyway bridge then south along Anna Maria Island and continue to Sarasota. The bay can get rough but today it was kind to us with just a moderate chop, the skys were clear and winds tolerable.

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Originally we had planned to stay on a mooring ball in the harbor outside of the Marina Jack, but after further thought about being disconnected from land, having to use the dinghy to get ashore etc we changed our reservation to a slip on the transient dock. It ended up being a good call as our buddy boats on the mooring balls said it got a bit rolly and the dinghy ride ashore was wet and wild. Little did we know that Marina Jack and Sarasota is frequented by the rich & famous. While a few other boats on the dock were our size, most were twice our size and several well over 100′. It is a beautiful marina, well kept and the staff are all friendly and helpful. It is adjacent to a popular park and several downtown streets filled with just about any type of restaurant you might fancy. So we stayed here for three days and very much enjoyed it.

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We could have stayed at Sarasota longer, from this point one could Uber to the Ringling Museum, however it was time to go. Our buddy boats Spinning Dreams and BackAtcha met us as we departed the marina and we all headed south to an anchorage at Pelican Cove, Cayo Costa State Park. The trip was pleasant, the crossing of Charlotte Harbor was a bit rough with 2′-3′ waves on the bow, but it did’t last long. We arrived to find the anchorage well occupied with other cruisers. The anchor was set without any trouble, we sat back and enjoyed the serenity of the cove while we watched the movement of the boat and set the anchor alarm. All was good and we were assured it would hold through the night.

This cove reminds us of the anchorages we have stayed in the British Virgin Islands before it became commercialized with beach bars and mooring balls, truly a peaceful setting.

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The next morning we all pulled up anchor and headed south one last time to Ft. Myers. For a Thursday morning we were surprised at the number of small boats we encountered along this trek. It was a warm sunny day and we can’t blame them for wanting to be out on this beautiful stretch of water. On several occasions we had 3-4 dolphins playing and jumping in our quarter wake. We never tire watching them, what a delight.

When we made our turn at R16 early that afternoon, at which point we reached our southern most position of the Great Loop. From this point it will be all East across the state of Florida via the Okeechobee Waterway until we arrive in Stuart, FL on the East coast.

Secure in our slips at Ft. Myers Yacht Basin by mid afternoon. The boat was covered in salt water spray and in much need of a wash. With the temps in the mid 80’s and sunny, it felt good to be in shorts and tee shirt.

We joined a Looper gathering on the dock at 5pm where we met several other Loopers who were staying at Ft. Myers Yacht Basin. Later we joined the crews of our buddy boats Spinning Dreams and BackAtcha for pizza at the much recommended Capone’s in the village of Ft. Myers; it was excellent pizza.

Capone’s is located in a renovated bank. They claim the hidden vault of Al Capone was discovered under the floor of the bank when they did the renovations. The contents were left much as they found it and can be seen via a glass panel they installed in the floor of the now restaurant. More than Geraldo Rivera discovered in his vault reveal.

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With Serenity Blue safely secured at Ft. Myers Yacht Basin, we are heading home for a week to take care of a few things. When we return, we will get ready to make the crossing of Lake Okeechobee and onward to the East coast.

We left Serenity Blue at Bluewater Bay Marina in Niceville FL while we went home for a couple weeks to take care of doctor appointments, replenish our meds and the such, as we are senior citizens and those sort of things play into our schedule of life these days.

Upon return to Niceville on February 12 we were invited once again by the Harbor Hosts Jack and Patty aboard ‘Nearly Perfect’ to attend docktails (a gathering of Loopers for socializing, sharing of snacks and stories of the day, usually on the dock or aboard the host’s boat). There were three other Looper boats in attendance with us, Inshallah, Spinning Dreams and Paradise Falls. We all agreed to travel together to Carrabelle and hopefully make the ‘jump’ to the west coast of Florida as a flotilla.

Serenity Blue was provisioned and made ready but again the weather was not cooperating so we all decided to stay until Saturday February 15 when it was predicted to be more tolerable. Paradise Falls took off on their own on Friday, Inshallah, Spinning Dreams and Serenity Blue left as planned on the 15th. Bound for Pearl Bayou in Panama City to anchor for the night.

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The anchorage was perfect, well protected and calm. Spinning Dreams and Serenity Blue rafted together at the back end of the cove while Inshallah stayed near the entrance.

We were having difficulties with the steering system from the primary helm on the flybridge. This system had been worked on back in Mobile and seemed to be fine until now. While anchored in Pearl Bayou we checked it out and didn’t see anything apparently wrong. The next morning as we depart Pearl Bayou for our next destination, Apalachicola, the steering was so bad we could not hold a straight line, so we moved to the lower helm where the steering was just fine. The lower helm is our secondary position and does not have all the navigational instruments as the primary helm.

The trip from Pearl Bayou to Apalachicola was in a lot of rain, more tows than we’ve seen since the Ten-Tom but not all bad as the lower helm is also next to the galley where the coffee pot was easily accessed; and the head (toilet).

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We arrived Scipio Creek Marina in Apalachicola, FL around 4:30pm and were secure in a side tie slip next to the restaurant just before the heavy rains began. While motoring all day thinking about the steering problem it occurred to me the work performed on the steering system may not have been all that complete. The steering system is hydraulic and air in the lines will render the system inoperable. Did they bleed the lines? We had the necessary fluids and tools to fix the situation but the work required opening the cockpit floor hatch (outside) to access the steering cylinder and it was raining cats and dogs. SO, we opted to try to fix it in the morning while our buddy boats depart for Carrabelle. If we could fix the problem before noon, we could still make Carrabelle before dark.

Next morning we awoke to heavy fog, no rain, so we jumped at the opportunity to work on bleeding the hydraulics. The lines were full of air, no wonder the steering was so loose! Our buddy boats couldn’t leave due to the fog and by the time it lifted, we were ready to go also. The steering worked better than ever. Praise the Lord!

It is said that Apalachicola today is reminiscent of Key West back in the day when Earnest Hemingway called Key West his home; rustic, primitive but charming. From what we did get to see of Apalachicola, they could be right.

It was a bit lumpy/bumpy, some rain and light fog on our trip to Carrabelle, despite all we arrived mid afternoon to clearing skys and warming temperatures. Spinning Dreams and Serenity Blue took berths at The Moorings while Inshallah and Paradise Falls stayed at C-Quarters. Once we were all secure, it was time to take a stroll and check out the town.

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The section of Florida from Apalachicola and Carrabelle around the Big Bend to Steinhatchee is often known as the “Forgotten Coast”. It is remote, laid back and very peaceful, as if time has stood still. We expected to be in the area longer while waiting for a crossing weather window, however our opportunity came up shortly after arrival. We enjoyed our short stay.

For the past week we had been monitoring all our weather sources, Marv’s Weather Service, Chris Parker marine meteorologist with whom we contracted to help select the best crossing weather window and various others such as Passagemaker and Windy. We had a feeling from what we were hearing that a decent crossing was possible the week of February 17. This was beginning to take shape when Chris Parker e-mailed us on Monday afternoon, and said it looks like the best window would be Tuesday afternoon, overnight, arriving Wednesday morning.

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The crossing or ‘jump’ as its often called by Loopers, is a 177 mile journey across open water, Gulf of Mexico, from Carrabelle to Anclote Key inlet at Tarpon Springs. The waters from Anclote Key out 30 miles into the Gulf is also the primary stone crab fishing zone where the crab pots are everywhere. Hitting a crab pot is bad. The tether from the ball buoy to the trap will wrap around the propeller shaft and render the engine useless until one hires a diver to clear it. At our cruise speed of 10 mph we cannot cross the Gulf entirely in daylight this time of year. So we plan our arrival to some point 30 miles off Anclote Key a few hours after sunrise so we can see to avoid the crab pots, but not too early as we are heading East into the rising sun which creates a glare on the water hiding the crab pots. Back up the travel time and in this case we need to depart Carrabelle at 5pm.

On Tuesday morning we get our confirmation from Chris Parker that Tuesday night is the best time to go, for the foreseeable future. At noon we gather together with Spinning Dreams, Inshallah and Paradise Falls to discuss our strategy. The Forecast calls for light winds 5-10 mph, waves less than a foot to 1.5 feet, some light fog on arrival Wednesday morning with a passing shower when we dock on the other side of the ‘jump’around 10:30 Wednesday morning.

Inshallah and Paradise Falls decide to take a course slightly north of the target buoy R2, while Spinning Dreams and Serenity Blue decide to take the direct route to R2. There is approximately 25 degrees difference in the two routes and we should have VHF radio contact with each other for most if not all night.

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The photo above is a screen shot of our actual track. The red/yellow line across the Gulf is our actual track from Carrabelle on the left to Dunedin on the right. The next solid red line above that is the tract Inshallah and Paradise Falls followed. The other red lines above that are alternate Rim Routes.

In preparation for much anticipated crossing, which also brings much fear and trepidation to most Loopers, the girls make a pass through the local grocery store to stock up on night snacks, energy drinks and the fried chicken from a local resident which we are told is the best.

Inshallah and Paradise Falls depart at 4 pm as their distance to travel will be longer, Spinning Dreams and Serenity Blue depart to 5 pm. Before we get out of town, we are engulfed in dense fog which slows our progress to the sea buoy at Dog Island. At that point we are in open water and the fog has lifted. So far the predicted conditions are close to expected but the waves are more lumpy/bumpy than expected. Maggie decides its too much rolling so she heads for the saloon, never to emerge until we arrive in Dunedin. Seasickness is a terrible thing, just ask her.

We had decided on a watch schedule before we left the dock; Greg on 4 hours, Maggie on 1 hour until we reach the crab pot zone then we would both be on watch together. Well, that was the plan but now with Maggie incapacitated it will be a long night at the helm for Greg.

With Spinning Dreams a half mile ahead of Serenity Blue I lock in my auto pilot and radar and keep an eye on the instruments and his aft night navigation light. Jim on Spinning Dreams and I decide to call each other every hour on the hour to check on each other and just chat a bit to help us stay awake as neither of our mates are taking their watch as scheduled.

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Around 11pm Spinning Dreams nav light disappears, he is still visible on my radar. Fog, dense fog! We check in with each other and decide to slow the pace a bit and I keep the blip that is his boat on radar at the half mile ring on the screen.

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At 1:00am I hear a call on channel 16, it is calling out a 48′ trawler at such and such latitude and longitude. I check our position and its not us but is in the direction of our other buddy boats, Inshallah and Paradise Falls. It is the coast guard calling from an aircraft overhead. It is Inshallah he is calling and informs us they are looking for a 50′ trawler with 2 adults and 4 dogs aboard. The boat in question had departed Panama City on Feb. 13, filed a float plan and never arrived to their destination. The coast guard was expecting we might have seen them. Inshallah informed the CG there is nothing on our radar and we can’t see in the fog. The CG checks in with Spinning Dreams and Serenity Blue and we respond same. (A week after we arrived to Dunedin we heard the CG was still looking for this boat, not a good sign, we are hoping they stopped somewhere unscheduled and just forgot to close their float plan.)

The fog finally cleared about 3:30am and a sliver of moon cast a reflection on the waters ahead of us. The sky was ablaze with stars, constellations, it was spectacular.

The weather forecast was mostly correct, they missed the dense fog and the seas where 1.5 – 2.0 feet which is not bad however they were on the beam which made it uncomfortable as it rolled the boat side to side. The occasional 3’+ wave would roll by in the dark and really pitch the boat, then it would settle down.

Needless to say, the chicken did not get eaten. It was energy drinks (Coke Energy, not bad) and chocolate to keep me wake and alert. Once we cleared the dense fog, Jim on Spinning Dreams and I decided to throttle back to idle and go below to do an engine room check. All was good, checked on Maggie who was not so good, the fury mates seem to be doing fine as they mostly slept and lastly made a pass through the galley for more chocolate and energy drinks.

We started looking for the sun to make an appearance around 6am, then 6:30 am and finally it started to show some light at 7am; time always seems to take longer when one’s anticipation is greatest. The miles to go and time to destination on the chart plotter finally showing encouraging numbers that we were getting close. But now we have to deal with the thousands of crab pots; spot them and dodge them. Just what I wanted to do after being at the helm all night; 14 hours so far.

The seas calmed to less than 1′ and sky was overcast with some light fog and drizzle. We made it through the fields of crab pots without incident and to the R2 sea buoy and back into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. From this point it was an easy run south to Marker 1 Marina in Dunedin, FL.

We tied up at the dock in light rain. Checked in with the marina office and proceeded to immediately look for that fried chicken waiting in the frig. It was 10:45 am, I had been at the helm for 17+ hours and that chicken was the best thing ever. Took a shower and then a nap. Maggie was feeling some better. Woke up around 4pm, and met Jim & Marilyn on Spinning Dreams to walk up the street to Frenchy’s Outpost for a fresh caught grouper meal and back to boat for a full night of rest. We made it!

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Reflections on the crossing. While the crossing is the most challenging section of the Great Loop, as most of us are coastal mariners, this requires a trek across open waters away from the coast and the access to rapid rescue if needed. Maggie and I knew we are never alone and as we set out on that afternoon we knew the indwelling Holy Spirit was with us. Although we had a healthy respect for what we were about to do, we were also at total peace about doing it. We did all we could to prepare Serenity Blue mechanically, we had a plan in place if something drastic were to happen and we had to abandon ship, we had our dinghy ready to deploy and a ‘ditch bag’ containing everything we would need including a registered EPIRB to notify the Coast Guard we need rescue and sustain us while waiting for rescue. Lastly we were reminded of Psalms 91:11-12 “For He orders His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will steady you with their hands to keep you from stumbling against the rocks on your path.”

#28. No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.

January 5 – 25, 2020

With the holidays behind us and the Christmas decorations put away, well most of them anyway, we sat by the fire on a cold, windy and rainy day at home pondering the thought of returning to the boat. It just didn’t seem right. It’s supposed to be nice, sunny and warm when one thinks of boating.

Despite our reluctance, we packed up the truck and headed to Orange Beach on January 5, 2020. The weather upon arrival was as hoped, sunny and warm. The next day we provisioned the boat and checked all the mechanicals. We were ready to go Tuesday until we looked over the weather forecast and it called for several days of high winds, 4′- 6′ waves in the bays and possible tornado along our path. So we stayed where we were, secure in our slip, at The Wharf until Sunday January 12. We are really beginning to like this place but this is a voyage not a pilgrimage to establish citizenship in Alabama, not that we don’t like Alabama, we do.

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Sunday morning arrived with lingering cloudy skies from the storm that passed over us on Saturday but conditions were improving enough to make our way to Pensacola. It was a fairly uneventful trip, arriving at the Palafox Marina Complex at 12:30. Took on fuel and a pump out before we secured to the assigned slip. Along the way the skies opened up to a beautiful clear blue and warm temps.

On our approach to Pensacola we noticed a black sailboat off in the distance moving at a speed that is not normal, even for a power boat. Later we learned the New York Yacht Club’s American Magic challenge for the America’s Cup is training on Pensacola Bay and based 300 yards from our marina. The black sailboat that flashed by us is their latest entry called Defiant, locals claim it has been clocked at 70 mph.

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The weather was perfect for a long stroll through Plaza DeLuna and along Palafox Street with all the shops, restaurants and sidewalk cafe’s. That evening our good friend from First Baptist Atlanta, Danny C. came by and we enjoyed dining on the patio at Jaco’s.

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Monday morning we awoke to dense fog, so dense we were not going anywhere that day. The forecast said it would not lift until Thursday, ugh. (#20. Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.) Tuesday morning, same thing. With an absolute latest departure of 10am to get to our next destination before dark, Bluewater Bay Marina in Niceville, it was not looking good again. But wait, while watching the America’s Cup crew rig the boat for practice (they train in all weather including fog) we notice a lifting of fog, around 9:45am, enough we could see Gulf Breeze about 3 miles away. So we decided to make a go for it. Well that wasn’t such a smart idea as the fog closed back in on us half way across the bay, leaving us with less than 1/4 mile visibility. At times like this I was glad I had been practicing use of the radar on clear days so I could identify what I see on the screen with what I see in real life, the difference today is I can only see what is on the radar screen. So we eased our way through the thick fog, the buoys appearing on the screen and as we got closer they could be spotted by eye. By the time we got to the Gulf ICW it was lifting again and continued to improve the balance of our trip to Niceville where we arrived and were secure in our slip by 4:30pm.

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The highlight of the trip from Pensacola to Niceville was the abundance of dolphins that came along with us, they played in our wake, jumping clear out of the water, some doing summersaults; putting on a terrific show for us.

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December 2 – 11, 2019

We returned to Serenity Blue after the Thanksgiving holiday on December 2nd. The next day weather forecast was for calm blue seas and clear blue skies so we departed Dog River and followed the ship channel south on Mobile Bay and turn left into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway headed toward Florida.

Several large freighters passed us as they were entering the bay and headed to the port of Mobile. Shrimp boats were working the waters to each side of the ship channel, hugh flocks of birds following them with hopes of a easy meal. More and more dolphins came near and entertained us with their frolicking leaps and jumps; a few swam alone side, just a few feet off our starboard and would disappear just as soon as the camera came out.

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We passed by Lulu’s Restaurant, owned by Jimmy Buffet’s sister, decided not to stop as it was too late for lunch and we wanted to get to our marina before dark. Not far we arrived at The Wharf marina, Orange Beach, AL and where we will be leaving Serenity Blue while we head back home for the Christmas holidays.

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We decided to linger a little longer in Orange Beach before making the long drive home and enjoy the warm weather and the surrounding area. We took long walks, did some shopping, Greg watched a movie at the AMC, ‘Ford vs Ferrari’ and we met Loopers at Villagio Restaurant for social & dinner, all within walking distance of the marina. Susan and Phil of ‘Callin in Gone’ met us for lunch in Magnolia Springs at a place called Jesse’s Restaurant where the food was excellent and the atmosphere was warm and inviting; it used to be an old butcher shop and post office.

We couldn’t leave for home without first taking an evening stroll through the Wharf and enjoy the Christmas lights and music.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

Isaiah 7:14 Luke 2:1-20

November 16 – 26, 2019

With our goal of going 90 miles to Bobby’s Fish Camp for the night, we need an early start. At 5:30am we get word from Demopolis Lock we have a green light, four of us make a mad dash out of the marina and to the lock with just a bit of low fog over the water.

The weather is good, clear sky a bit cold but forecasted to warm above 60. The sun heats up the flybridge like a solarium but until such time, the early hours are just plain cold. So Maggie makes hot oatmeal for breakfast, with a cup of coffee and cranberry bread, all is good.

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Mile marker 145, as all Loopers know, is the entrance to Bashi Creek (see photo above). It is 72 miles out from Kingfisher Bay Marina and one of few anchorages available to down bound boaters if you can’t make it to Bobby’s Fish Camp. It has been reported that as many as 6+ boats have rafted together in this tiny spot. No thanks, onward we press to Bobby’s.

Arrive Bobby’s at 4:15pm, about 30 minutes before sunset. We kept in contact with Dave & Denise on ‘Adagio’ who were already at the dock earlier today. They did great work to rearrange a couple sailboats who were at the dock such that we could get our group of four secured, two at the dock, two rafted. It got dark fast and now it’s time to indulge in the finer joys of Bobby’s Fish Camp; catfish, hush puppies and slaw. It doesn’t get any better when you enjoy good food with friends in the middle of nowhere at a idyllically rustic establishment.

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From the photo above, front to rear: Brian & Dorthy, ‘Seasons’; Dave & Denise, ‘Adagio’; Maggie & Greg, ‘Serenity Blue’; Rev & Sam, ‘Here’s to Us’ and (last two names escape me, if you know, please advise) aboard ‘Grace’

The next morning was another early departure and our last lock, Coffeeville Lock, for this section of the Loop. At 6:15am everyone was ready to go, our boat had to leave first due to the way we were stacked into the dock. However, a group of locals decided to launch their john-boats via the ramp directly behind us, so we waited. We notice they are not carrying fishing rods, but rather they all have shot guns. So Maggie asks, “what are you going to catch with guns?” “Squirrels” they reply. Yea Sure. Hmm.

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Since Amory Lock & Dam we have been in what is called the River Section of the Tenn-Tom. Once we are lowered at Cofferville Lock we will be in brackish water that is tidal.

To date we have completed passage of 13 locks, when the loop is closed we will pass through 100+ locks. At this point we want to give a shout out to all the lock masters on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, they have been great, very accommodating and just a pleasure to work with on our voyage.

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For a brief couple miles we pass through civilization with a power plant and pulp and paper plant.

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Then we are back to remote wilderness were the only other living things are wildlife, deer, bald eagles and now the occasional alligator sunning on the shore.

Our original planned anchorage was Alabama Cut as a group (4 boats). We just felt the need to go further to Tensas River, so we campaigned for the change and all agreed. We arrive Tensas River at 3:45pm, set anchor in 15′ of water about 3/4 mile off the Blackwarrior-Tombigbee Waterway. A nice 1 knot current holds us steady and parallel to shore all night long. ‘Seasons’ decides to drop their dinghy and explore. We consider doing same and taking the furry mates ashore, then reconsider with the possibility of an alligator encounter. We settle for staying on the boat and watch the most beautiful Sunday evening sunset we have ever seen. (#21 Obedience always brings blessing.) This was a great anchorage and a great way to end a day. A true blessing indeed.

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Monday morning. With no rush to a lock, we have a leisure breakfast and host anchor at 9am; next stop Dog River Marina, in salt water!

Cruising toward Mobile we note the scenery change to marsh and palm trees before we enter the shipping channel in downtown Mobile. Commercial boat traffic increases to an intense level until we pass into Mobile Bay where we are greeted by our first pod of dolphins swimming near the boat.

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We arrive Dog River Marina at 3:30pm, take on fuel and settle into our assigned slip to realize we are in company with Loopers we have met weeks ago including Susan & Phil of ‘Callin in Gone’. Susan has just purchased fresh caught shrimp from the shrimpers across the way and has extra, so guess what we had for dinner. Yes! This is salt water and the shrimp are delicious.

Dog River Marina is a working marina and over the course of our travels from Green Turtle Bay we have a couple of mechanical write-ups we want them to fix. The autopilot is inoperable, that is a Raymarine issue and Roger Turner of Turner Marina just next door will handle that. The starboard engine starter solenoid is giving us an occasional dead starter button so Dog River’s mechanic will check that out.

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We had hoped to get everything done and out of here in a few days, as we learn that ain’t happening. The starter solenoid is a non-issue, we buy a spare just in case. The autopilot requires recalibration which must be done out in the bay on a calm day; the earliest Roger Turner can do it is Friday. Friday got pushed to Monday due to rough conditions.

So as they say, when you get lemons, you make lemonade. We spend our time in Mobile to rent a car and travel back to Columbus, MS to get our truck and take it back to Mobile. We tour Fairhope, a quaint little town that takes one back in time. Check out some local restaurants; Guido’s, The Mariner and Mobile Yacht Club. Greg spends a day touring the USS Alabama battleship and accompanying sub and aircraft exhibits while Maggie does an impromptu tour of Mobile.

Family are clamoring for our presence at Thanksgiving, so after we complete the autopilot sea trial on Monday with Roger Turner, we pack up and head home on Tuesday.

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November 10 – 14, 2019

Sunday, November 10th we drove from our home near Atlanta to Columbus Marina. The route took us through Tuscaloosa, AL the day after LSU handed the Univ. of Alabama their first defeat of the season. There were a lot of long sad faces at the Publix where we stopped to replenish our provisions, except for the bagger who was an Auburn fan and all smiles.

To get to the next marina along the Tenn-Tom we will need to anchor somewhere halfway. All the talk in the marina is about the arctic blast due to sweep through this area Monday night and all day Tuesday and we don’t need to be at anchor at that time. The consensus is to delay departure until Wednesday. Tuesday morning we awoke to winds blowing 25-30 mph and temps dropping like a rock.

At 6:00am Wednesday we have word from Stennis Lock that they are ready for us. The winds have calmed down but the temperatures are hovering around 19 degrees! After we thaw the dock lines enough to get them loose, we ease out of our slip and meet up with our buddy boats Sam and Rev on ‘Here’s to Us’ and Brian and Michelle on’Kitumba’.

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We clear through Stennis and Bevill Locks without delay and arrive at our anchorage, Sumpter Landing at 3:30pm. With just the three of us anchored in this small cove, we have plenty of swing room to stay out of each others way.

The day has warmed nicely, its clear and shore leave seems to be in order. The dinghy is lowered, we load up and head to shore where we walk our furry mates around a deserted state park.

The next morning we all depart at 6:30am and head for our only lock of the day, Hevlin Lock. They give us the green light as we approach and we thank them for the quick passage as we head for Kingfisher Bay Marina at Demopolis, AL.

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We arrived at Kingfisher Bay Marina at 3:30pm and stop at the fuel dock first. Some marinas fuel the boat for you, others just hand you the nozzle and you fill it yourself. The latter was the case today. When we finished, I handed the nozzle to the attendant and he said “Yes sir, we have the best gasoline on the river, you’ll really like it”. Oh No! This is a diesel boat. Sure enough it was diesel, green handle. Ok, he got me. He assigned us a covered slip, same price as open. Thankful for that as it began to rain.

Ann Marie, the head dockmaster, guides us in to our slip and sternly instructs us on how things are to be in her marina. Maybe we should refer to her as ‘head drill sergeant’. As we get to know Ann Marie and realize her care for the marina and concern for us transients, her love for her dogs, we see a totally different side of her. We like Ann Marie.

The next section of our river travels is probably the most remote of the entire Great American Loop; Demopolis to Mobile. We typically try to keep our travel distances at 45-50 miles per day, however this next stretch we will need to do 90, 80 and 70 miles each day. That being said, we learn that 12 boats left Kingfisher this morning headed to the next stop, Bobby’s Fish Camp where there is a small dock for 3 boats, all others have to raft up to those three. So the few other Loopers remaining at Kingfisher, four including us, decide to stay put a day and let those who have gone ahead to flush out of the river and hopefully it won’t be so jam packed at Bobby’s or one of the few anchorages. As you will see, this logic paid off nicely.

So for our day off, we join Sam & Rev from ‘Here’s to Us’, take the courtesy car into town for a tour of historic antebellum homes in Demopolis, have lunch at a local restaurant and of course, make a pass through Walmart.

October 14 – 17, 2019

It’s Sunday Oct. 13th, the generator is fixed, Serenity Blue is washed, fueled and ready to press on. But where to next? Originally we planned to continue up the Tennessee River to Chattanooga, go home for a few days and then return down the Tennessee River to where we are now, Aqua. We sensed that is not what God wanted us to do, so we set our sights on salt water. (#13 Listening to God is essential to walking with God).

We are at the junction of where one could continue up bound on the Tennessee River or down bound on the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway/Canal toward Mobile, AL. For this voyage, it will be toward Mobile and salt water. With that settled we decided to enjoy Sunday in Iuka, MS. After lunch we took the courtesy car to a grocery store called Brooks, a small version of Whole Foods, where we found many good things to bring back to the boat to eat. Then Greg took the dinghy and motored around the harbor to break in the new Honda outboard. As the sun began to set, he headed back to the boat to watch some football while Maggie cooked dinner.

The plan was to make it all the way to Midway Marina today, Monday,Oct. 14th. We were up early and set to go but guess what, we are fogged in again. So we wait. Around 9:30 we could see enough to ease our way to the fuel dock where we have our holding tanks pumped out and wait for the remainder of the fog to lift.

No buddy boats with us as we shove off at 10:10am. We soon enter the narrow divided cut section where we really need our AIS (Automatic Identification System) to see and be seen by the tows. But it decided to take the day off, rats, this is no time for this essential piece of equipment to malfunction. We came upon a sailboat doing 6 knots, he calls a tow on the VHF and we realize he has AIS. We stayed with him until the tow passes. His speed is too slow for us so we bid him farewell and press on sans AIS. (#9 Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees). Once we got to the marina, Greg was able to reboot the system and get it up and running again.

As we approached Whitten Lock we were informed that there would be a delay of several hours. Considering we had two more locks beyond Whitten before we arrive at Midway Marina and the days are getting short, we opted to take a slip at Bay Springs Marina just above Whitten Lock.

Talk about remote, Bay Springs doesn’t offer a courtesy car but if its an emergency they will take you into town which is 30 minutes away. Nice peaceful place, for a day.

We met a couple on a homemade pontoon boat traveling with their dog. They started in Chicago headed for Panama City, FL. Tomorrow morning we will buddy boat with them through three locks to Midway Marina.

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The next morning the pontoon boat called us at 7am to say he just spoke with Whitten Lock and they need us to come NOW. So starts the morning fire drill which will become routine each morning until we get to Mobile. Greg first starts the engines and then disconnects the shore power and stows the power cord, while Maggie starts to wipe the dew off the isinglass in the flybridge to see our way. Greg then heads up to the flybridge to fire up all the navigation electronics and Maggie starts to cast off all our dock lines. Once she says we are all clear, we begin our exit from the slip and on our way. Normally, this process takes us 20 minutes but today, with the lock master requesting our presence, we do it in 10 minutes max.

We enter the Whitten Lock with our pontoon boat buddy and a power catamaran ‘Cat-n-Dogs’. Together the three of us buddy boat through Whitten, Montgomery and Rankin locks. The weather was getting iffy and as we approached Midway Marina around 10:30am we decided to take refuge while our two buddy boats continued on. The rain began shortly after we were secured and the forecast for tomorrow was 25 knot winds so we decided to stay put an extra day. We took the courtesy car into the town of Fulton, MS and a tour of the local Walmart for a few essentials.

On October 17th with six other Loopers at Midway Marina we call the Fulton Lock and request passage, they reply ok but you need to come NOW. So begins the fire drill again at 7am.

We buddy boat with ‘The Answer’, ‘Paddy Wagon’, ‘Bahama Voyager’, ‘Unwinding’, ‘Corkscrew’ and ‘9 1/2’ through four locks, Fulton, Wilkins, Amory and Aberdeen. After the fourth lock ‘Serenity Blue’ and ‘Unwinding’ need to burn off some carbon so we take off at 14mph vs our normal 10, arriving Columbus Marina at 3:30pm.

Again we are assigned a nice covered slip, which is good as we will be leaving Serenity Blue here for 3 weeks while we make our way back home so Greg can attend an important annual meeting at our church. Columbus, MS is the best jumping off place as we need a one-way rental car and they have a small commercial airport here. Beyond Columbus it begins to get really remote and harder to get the rental car.

Our dear friend Lisa King, procures a car rental for us via her travel agency and the next day we head back to Grand Rivers, KY to pick up our truck. Our gold Looper friends, Byron & Cynthia, host us for the night. The next day we drive both the truck and rental to the Nashville airport, drop off the rental and continue to Atlanta via our vehicle. Complicated but it worked.

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October 08 – 13, 2019

We awoke to clear blue skies and calm blue waters. Took the furry mates for a walk ashore and enjoyed the beautiful fall weather and colorful foliage at Paris Landing State Park.

Departed 10am headed to Cuba Landing about 49 miles further up the Tennessee River. We cruise at 8.7 knots or 10 mph so about a 5 hour trip, but we are going against the river current and it takes a little time to get out of the slip, through the ‘no wake’ zone and into the main channel. We also had to wait for a tow to clear a bridge so our arrival to Cuba Landing was 3:45pm, secured to our slip.

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A ‘Tow’ typically consists of a large push boat and a series of barges tied together. In the photo above there are 12 barges, 4 long x 3 wide and one push boat. They are not the most maneuverable creatures on water so we always call the tow captain on VHF and ask him how he wants us to set up for a pass.

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There is not much to Cuba Landing. A small marina frequented by local fishermen. There are only a couple transient docks, when we arrived one other boat was there; Sean & Natalie with Peaches their golden doodle aboard ‘Alegria’.

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We discussed leaving Cuba Landing with Alegria tomorrow morning early and ‘buddy boat’ with them to our next destination, Clifton Marina and further to Pickwick Lake. Well, that was the plan but as we are beginning to learn, God has other plans that take precedence over our measly ideas. We awoke the next morning at 6am to find ourselves engulfed in dense fog. So we wait. The sun burned the fog off and we departed 8:30am. (#14 God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him).

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Once the fog lifted and we got into the river, we had a beautiful fall day run to Clifton,TN. We had a few tows to deal with, on-coming tows in a straight were easy one whistle pass, we encountered one tow headed the same direction as us but a much slower pace so we asked for a pass and the captain came back with ‘on the one’, meaning we put him on our port (left). However, by the time we caught up to him, we were entering a turn in the river and the captain said it would be better to pass him on the two, our starboard or right side. We were following Alegria and I realized we needed to both speed up or we would have the front barge on our back porch. It was close but we finally pulled away from the tow.

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We arrived Clifton Marina at 1:30pm, secured to the dock, we went for a long walk to see what’s here. Not much but we are kind of in the middle of nowhere.

The marina is under new ownership who are doing an excellent job of upgrading, accommodating and a whole lot of good ole down home country hospitality. We had a wonderful home cooked meal from the marina kitchen, dined outside with other Loopers and as is becoming the custom, headed to bed at ‘Looper midnight’, that is 9pm.

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The next morning we needed an early start, no fog, as we not only had a long distance, we also had to transit our first lock at Pickwick Lake. Other loopers joined us and Alegria as we made our way up-bound on the Tennessee River.

This would be our first passage through a lock. The Pickwick Lock has a vertical lift of 58′ from the Tennessee River up to Pickwick Lake. Maggie was at total peace about this but I was in constant conversation with the Holy Spirit about divine guidance.

Our lead boat had been in contact with the lock master who kept us informed of status. We arrived at the lock around noon and had to wait about 1 hour as a tow was in the lock at the time. Once the tow cleared, we got the green light and we all filed in, in orderly fashion. I got Serenity Blue nice and close to the wall and where Maggie could reach the floating bollard onto which she secured our line. Oh, this is a blessing. Now we waited as several stragglers made their way to the lock. Thirty minutes later, we were all in and secure, the doors began to close and the water began to bubble up from the bottom of the lock as it filled the chamber and lifted us to the top.

We exited the lock and headed to Aqua Yacht Harbor. As we looked back at the lock experience, we knew all we had to do was Trust God.

Originally we planned to spend the night at Grand Harbor Marina but with our unresolved generator issue we changed our reservations to Aqua Yacht Harbor as they have a full maintenance service available on site. We arrived at Aqua at 4:15pm, stopped at the fuel dock and topped off our tanks. They assigned us a covered slip, not normal for a transient like us, but we were pleased to have it.

As we motored down the fairway to our slip it seemed they appeared too short for Serenity Blue to fit under the roof. So, a quick call to the harbor master and he assured us they are 19′-8″ vertical clear; oh joy, we are 19′-6″ tall. Eased into the slip nice and slow, the adjoining slip person said she could see we had a good 2″ of clearance.

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Our arrival to Aqua was October 10, met mechanic TJ the next morning who immediately diagnosed the gen problem as a vapor lock in the coolant line. Hmmm, funny thing, we had the coolant changed by the mechanic back at Green Turtle Bay, I guess he forgot to clear the line. Once he realized the problem, he could not fix it just then as the engine was too hot. He promised to return the next day, Oct. 12, and he did as promised. We like TJ.

Our friends and dock neighbors from Green Turtle Bay, Dave and Wendy aboard ‘Hey Coach’ arrived Saturday afternoon. We had dinner together at the Marina restaurant. This is cat fish country so one must indulge in the local cuisine. It was very good indeed.