November 30, 2009

The early Monday morning finds us cruising along the Mobile Bay, in water that--at 8-8-1/2 feet--is not as deep as many swimming pools!  It is a gorgeous sunny morning with fluffy clouds scattered randomly in a sky that contains more shades of blue than you can shake a stick at.  We’re heading south to the bottom of the bay--where it joins  the Gulf of Mexico. We’ll turn east into the Gulf IntraCoastal Waterway where we’ll ride inside the barrier islands, and head for Pensacola.

Last week was divided between the two sides of Mobile Bay.  We stayed in Turner’s Marina until Wednesday afternoon and for the first time since Canada, we took the dinghy down!  The outboard thought we’d forsaken it, and had quietly faded away, but a charge from the handy battery charger/compressor thing-y Fred found in a recent hardware store  brought it back to life. It felt good to be back in exploring mode. 

Wednesday, the Turner family organized a Thanksgiving lunch and I went early to learn how to fry a turkey.  Definitely a southern cooking method.    For those of you who, like me, find fried turkey a bit off the beaten path, here’s how it was done..  Drop your turkey in the pot and cover it with water.  Remove the turkey and measure the amount of water, then dump it out and replace it with the same amount of oil (peanut, in this case). Using this early step should assure that you miss out on the excitement of extra boiling oil frothing out of the pot when the turkey proves that there was too much oil heated.  While the oil is heating, infuse the bird.  You should have pre-purchased a kit with seasoned butter-y liquid and a packet of stuff to rub on the outside of the bird.  The liquid gets drawn up into a syringe that took me back to some you-don’t-want-to-hear-about-them hospital events, and as the chef injected the bird--everywhere--he assured me that this will be a moist, juicy, tender turkey!  Pop the bird head first (well, had his head still been there...) into the pot and let it boil for 3-5 minutes a pound.  The first deep fried turkey was served along side of the traditionally roasted bird, while the second was frying away for second helpings.  Pretty slick!  By all accounts it was delicious.

As were all the other goodies brought by the boaters.  The weather co-operated and about 40 people spent the afternoon in the shade of the covered patio.  A nice event.

Immediately after the pumpkin pie, we threw off our lines and headed across Mobile Bay to the Eastern Shore Marina, where we stayed until this morning.

We enjoyed a second Thanksgiving gathering, this one at the home of Bob and Vikki Riggs.  They generously expanded their traditional dinner for 8 to include Loopers--they posted an invitation on the Great Loop website and the crowd grew to 26!    Great people, great food, and a delicious afternoon.  Much to be thankful for!

At the Eastern Shore Marina we got a tour of a shrimp boat--Miss ‘Bama!  Paul and Carol, who use her for a boating hobby, not their livelihood,  explained how all those nets work.  On many of the shrimp boats we’ve seen, the huge nets are dragged behind the boat and the outriggers (the huge net ‘holders’) ride along the sides of the boat above the water.  On Paul’s, and many other shrimpers, the outriggers are weighted by ‘shoes’ and hold the nets beside the boat, but skipping along the bottom.   Makes it easier to grab the end of the net and pour the catch onto the sorting table.  From the table, the little fellas go into the ice chest for distribution.  Pretty slick.

We really enjoyed a post Thanksgiving Day visit with Paul, his dad, Jesse, Carol and Rushme, the exchange student from Nepal who is sharing their home.  A great family.

On Sunday, I found a Unitarian Fellowship.  Fred cleared items from his ‘to do’ list.  Some further challenges came up to be added to the bottom of the list.  That amazing list just cycles and never ends.

The above-mentioned gorgeous morning has deteriorated smartly as I type away.  We left the Bay with a large grey cloud  hovering, and now, as we near Pensacola, the rain and fog have become our best friends.  We entered FL at 1:15 p.m. and were greeted by gracefully leaping dolphins!  First we've seen in a very long time.

This will be the final message of 2009.  We’re leaving YA in Pensacola, safe in the hands of the Picas (remember Carolyn Ann?).  On Wednesday we will fly to NY for the holidays.  

The Monday Messages will resume in Mid-January.  May you and your family and friends enjoy a particularly wonderful Holiday Season!

Fred and Linda

November 23, 2009

We anchored in Sumter Landing last Sunday night, thinking we’d ease into Demopolis, AL on Monday.  The four boats in the anchorage all locked through the Heflin Lock together, and  by 1;30 we were actually leaving Demopolis, as there were still so many boats backed up from the high water south of us, that the slips were full.  So we anchored in Fuscue Creek, a couple of miles away.  

We tied a stern line to a tree and swung enough on it to wear the line almost through!  That was a shocker!  Some boats left Demopolis in the morning and we headed in, got fuel and a pumpout, and moved to a slip .   Used their courtesy car to do a bit of replenishing,  and smiled at the alligators who guard the restaurant.

Tuesday 15 boats left.  The lock that is immediately downstream has 10 floating bollards, and so can move  10 boats at a time.  We’d decided to stay another day so we could get an earlier start.   The best laid plans.  On Wed. a.m. the fog was so thick that our 7 a.m. departure turned into  8:45!  Our 10 baots moved out as soon as the Demopolis lockmaster, Mike, let us know the visibility was ok.  Mike was a marvel of professsionalism as he organized  everyone and got us in and out (he even asked a tow to wait for us, and the captain agreed) We were locked through and underway by 9:45! 

The group of 10 separated by speed, and after a day of variety on the Tenn-Tom--rock, then clay, then mud, then rock again along the shore, hairpin turns and tows, 4 of us, QUEEN ANN’S REVENGE, GRATEFUL, GRYPHON and YA anchored nose to tail in Bashi Creek.  Just before dusk,  MILLENIUM SEA joined us and rafted to our port side.  Ken and Cheryl are a Canadian couple who began the Loop 2 years ago, returned to Canada, and now have picked up where they left off, in KY.  They’re heading back to Canada via New York--the long way.   

Friday dawned with thick fog and we waited until 8:15 to get underway. There was more activity on the water today.  We sow pleasure craft (go-fast boats) and fishermen--even a few cows along the shore!  At noon we locked through at Coffeeville, AL--our last lock of the loop.  We’re back at sea level now, and by 1:30 we four boats (GRYPHON had to hurry on to keep a schedule) were tied up at an abandoned lock at mile 100--that is how far away Mobile is.  At four in the afternoon we eight folks gathered on YA to raise a toast to the last lock, to sea level and salt water, and to good traveling companions and new friends.

The guide books say not to try to go into old Lock #1 as the water is too shallow.  The Coffeeville Lockmaster had told us that the water is 15” above the normal level, and because of this we were able to tie to the lock wall.  Great for boat visiting, and for walking dogs! (Sorry I don’t have a photo of Porter, GRATEFUL’s Portugese Water Dog.)

Saturday morning was clear and we were again parading along by 7:15 a.m.  We made it an easy day and stopped in Bates Lake where we were anchored by 1:30--just in time to get in out of the rain!  It poured all afternoon and evening.  When the rain stopped at exactly 11 p.m., all was incredibly still.  This was so despite the many small houses along the shore of the lake.

Sunday at 6 a.m. we heard the AIS signal beep on the navigation system, telling us that a tow was passing in the River.  If the tows are moving, there is no fog, so we’re up and at ‘em.  Anchors aweigh,  and we are in the River (no more Waterway--it’s the Mobile River now) at 7:07!  The water is streaming along--almost 3 kn. of current have us going 10 kn, or 11.5 mph!  At 11:05 we passed under the Cochrane Bridge, and into Mobile Bay!

Mobile is a major seaport and harbor with lots of ships, activity, and a free wall to tie up at the Convention Center  Our little parade enjoyed a running commentary from Cdr. Hank on QUEEN ANN’S REVENGE, as we moved through the Harbour, across the Bay and turned into the Dog River.  This is salt water and it spreads as far as the eye can see, but once again, shallow is the operative word.  Staying in the channel with it’s 7 foot depth is important.

We tied up at Turner’s Marina, then untied and moved to a different slip where the electric power matched the boat’s needs.   The Marina has a courtesy car and Hank, Ann, Mark, Carol, Fred and I piled aboard to have dinner at the Mariner’s Harbor Restaurant.

We are having a hard time getting our brains around the fact that we’re actually in Mobile.  For over a thousand miles when someone asked “where are you heading?”  we’ve answered ‘Mobile’.  And here we are!  And here we’ll be for a few days.

So enjoy Thanksgiving, and continue to note all those wonderful blessings.  See you next week!

November 16, 2009

We are South.  Mornings are chilly--typically in the 40’s, but the afternoons are gorgeous!  Sunny, very little breeze and temps in the low to mid 70’s.  No bugs and no humidity.  Does it get better than this???

We left Cuba Landing, TN with my new coffee mug in hand, at 7:35 a.m.  Early for us.  The water was calm--there was a lot of debris afloat, and soon we passed an Army Corps of Engineers Dredge Boat.  After that the water wasn’t nearly so stirred up.  It is important to the tow boats that the channel be kept deep by dredging.  The bottom of the River is in constant motion with weather and traffic, in addition to the current, moving things around.  The rule that says “the deepest water is on the outside of the curve” has certainly proved to be true here.  And if one meets a tow on a curve, guess who gets to decide which side to take?  The pleasure craft (us) ALWAYS asks “How would you like me to pass you, sir?”  Even the ‘small’ tows we’re seeing here--typically no more than will fit in a lock chamber, so that is 3 deep and 3 across--have mimnimal maneuvering ability.  We get out of their way!   By the way, that is an inclusive ‘we’.  I now have driven YA past tow boats all by myself--with Fred not even in the room!  Like anything else one learns, the only way to do it is to do it.  Yikes.   I did surrender the helm when we came around a corner, knowing there was a tow there, and discovered an anchored barge in our path.  As Fred noted, that way neither of us was so nervous!

By 2:00 p.m. we were tied up at the Clifton, TN Marina--which, by the way, is for sale.  It’s a nice little spot-- about 90 yearly boats and space for a lot more transients than were there with us.  Matter of fact, there was one other.  We’re a tad behind the Looper Crush--last week Cynthia  at Clifton said there were 20 baots here nearly every day!  Cynthia makes burgers, but we opted to take the courtesy car to the local truck stop and get a pizza.  Yum.  

Again we were underway bu 7 am.  The Temmessee’s current is trying to push us back to the Ohio River, so we’re only moving along at about 5.5-6.3kn. (that’s  only 6-7 mph) so it’s slow going. Gave us lots of time to enjoy the unusual houses along the way, and by 3 pm,  we reached Pickwick (a tricky lock--the wind blew us all over the place!) where the Tennessee River turns north (the section we are in) and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway continues south.  We opted not to follow the Tennessee east to Chattanooga and Knoxville, even though that is a wonderful area to cruise.  There is always  next year! So we’re continuing to move south in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, which Fred Myers (author of guidebooks for this area) calls “The Waterway that almost never was”.

Connecting the shallow, winding Tombigbee River with the Tennessee would give commercial traffic an option other than the lower Mississippi to move goods to and from the Gulf of Mexico.  The idea was first proposed in the late 1700’s, and was debated and discussed for nearly 150 years before Congress gave the go-ahead in 1946.  Work began in May of 1971.  It would be June of 1985 before the twelve locks and dams were operational and the  ribbon was cut to officially open the Tenn-Tom Waterway. The project involved moving more earth than digging the Panama Canal!  When it was done, the total cost was over 2 billion dollars.  

Both the Black Warrier and the Alabama Rivers flow into the waterway as it moves along the 450 miles from Pickwick to the Gulf Port of Mobile, AL.   Lots to look forward to!

Our first stop was at Aqua Harbor where we celebrated entering a new leg of the journey with a dee-lish shrimp scampi dinner.  The other best thing here was that the exhange library in the Marina Office had two Stuart Woods novels that we’d not read!  Add those to the Sunday NYTimes Crossword that isn’t done yet, and we’re set!

The first 24 miles of the waterway is the 200’ wide, arrow straight Divide Cut.  As we looked at map of the squiggly lines of the Tombigbee running alongside, we were happy for the Cut.

The end of the cut is the widest and deepest spot on the whole project.  150 million cu. yds of dirt were moved out of this 175 foot deep and 1300 foot wide hill-y section, and then the terrain changed as we entered Bay Springs Lake.  Lake equals dam, and after spending the night in our first covered slip at Bay Springs Marina, we headed for Whitten Dam.  

The vertical drop between here and Mobile is over 400 feet.   Whitten Lock is the first major step in that drop.  At  85 feet, this is the 9th highest single lift lock in the U.S.  The rest of the locks will be identical--to each other, not Whitten--and will take us down a mere 30’ at a time.  Three of these locks later, (a total of four for the day) we turned into the Smithville Marina.   Here Jesse, a WWII vet who has a certificate commending his support of the WWII monument finally (he says) built in Washington DC, and his golden retriever hold the fort.  Neither moves too fast, but they are a great pair.  We know we’re in Mississippi now, as we went to Mel’s Diner for  dinner, and heard everyone refer to it as “My-els”.  

Friday, after two locks, we carefully followed the path into the Aberdeen Marina where we were met by my Central High School in Aberdeen, SD classmate Jan and her husband Dan. Jan and Dan moved to Aberdeen MS from Aberdeen WA, making Jan probably the only person on the planet to have lived in three cities named Aberdeen.    [Factoid:  Jan must live in Abdrdeens in ID, OH, MD, NC, and NJ to cover the US; then of course there is Scotland...) 

Our visit was delightful, including a driving tour of Antebellum (pre-Civil War) homes--of which many remain in Aberdeen, and dinner in nearby Columbus MS at Woody’s on the Water--the restaurant at the Columbus Marina.

Two more locks on Saturday brought us to the Pirate’s Cove Marina, where we parked, paid, ate, slept and left.  At 7:05 a.m. we were inside the lock with two other boats.  It was so foggy that one tied up below the lock to wait for some clearing..  The other boat disappeared ahead of us immediately, as we proceeded with great caution.  I stood on the bow where the visibility was slightly better, and with our headphones, Fred and I could ommunicate easily.

The fog burned away before 8 a.m. and we had a lovely run at 8.5 knots--that is nearly 10 mph, folks!  We decided to make it an easy day and by 1 p.m. we’d deployed Knute, our trusty anchor to grab the muddy botttom of a delightful cove in a State Recreational area.   There were fishermen as well as families picnicking on the shore. Around 4 o’clock 3 other boats came in and in the morning we made a parade to the next lock.

The waterway now has connected with the river, and we are about 1/2 way to Mobile.  There are twists and turns, tow boats with barges, and patches of debris in the water.  We crossed into, out of and back into Alabama--the Tombigbee is like a snake!    Monday’s destination is Demopolis, AL, significant for a couple of reasons.  First, it is the latitude marker for ‘south of’ in the hurricane season.  Our insurance company says that season ends Nov. 15--today.  So we can continue on.  Second, this is the last marina before Mobile, 234 miles to the south. Knute will be busy for the next few days.

Two more locks and we’ll be only 100 ft. above sea level, back in salt water and dealing with tides again.  The Great Loop is closing!   

November 9, 2009

Well, hello from Tennessee!  Yes, indeed, we’ve headed south, and are moving along at a pace that works very well with Hurricane Ida stirring things up on the Gulf Coast.

We actually stayed in Green Turtle Bay until Saturday morning.  But this time when the power cord came in, it stayed in, and the lines came off and we were underway!

The Tennessee Valley is a beautiful one.  We’ve missed the peak leaf season, as the rain beat many leaves off the trees, but there still is much color and the sights are interesting and varied.

As the map shows, for the first 75 or so miles south ot the dams--Kentucky Lake and Barcley Lake--the Tennessee and Cumberland run pretty much parallel.  The ‘Land Between the Lakes’ is a national park designated by President Kennedy.  This is a wonderful area for boating (we passed a sailboat race) fishing (boats are everywhere--crappie, catfish and sauger, a cousin to the walleye, are the most prevelant) camping (the shores are virtually littered with RV’s) and just general enjoyment. To quote Quimby’s Cruising Guide, the LBL “offer(s) a variety of cultural, educational and recreatioal opportunities for any lifestyle, age group or vacation budget”.

On Saturday night we stopped at the Paris Landing State Park Marina/Resort. Many of the Marinas along the River (80 on Kentucky Lake alone, according to Quimby’s) offer cabins as well as boaters facilities, and golf courses abound.  Here we noticed the signpost pictured, which was another graphic demonstration of the work of the Tennessee Valley Authority.  This agency was created by an Act of Congress in 1933 for the purpose of developing the water resources of the Tennessee River.  As the Tennessee flows west and southwest (and due north where we are now) from it’s headwaters in Knoxville, TN, it empties into the Ohio River back at Paducah.  The Ohio is running downstream (very fast) to the Mississippi, which is roaring along toward New Orleans.  Thus, the series of dams constructed on the Tennessee (and also the Cumberland, which also feeds into the Ohio just 12 miles further upstream) provide a means to mechanically restrict (or enhance) the amount of water flowing downstream.  Before the water gets too high at New Orleans, the volume, and height can be reduced  (or elevated) anywhere along the system.

That is the super simplified version of what happens, and would probably make any Army Corps of Engineers guy (they monitor the flow rate at the dams) twitch.  For our purposes, what matters is that we’re having to fight very little current right now as the water is above ‘summer pool’ level.  Therefore, very little water is being released to run against us. 

It is interesting that so many buildings, marinas, restaurants, etc. are built to float.  At GTB during the heavy rain, the walkway from the office to the shore went from about a 20 degree slope (away from land) to level as the water elevation increased by more than a foot per day.  In the spring, we’re told, the 20 degree slope goes the other way, and the bottom of the roadway is submerged. 

In any case, it is fascinating.  Add the man made wonders to the geological wonders and the history, and this is a pretty neat trip.

Speaking of history, between Paris Landing and Johnsonvville is the site of one of the biggest Confederate victories of the  Civil War.  To read about it, google Gen. Nathan B. Forrest, the hightest ranking officer to enter an American army as a private.  Apparently we cruised over the remains of 33 Union ships he was responsible for sinking in this stretch of the Tennessee.

Sunday night we tied up at the Cuba Landing Marina.  Small and quiet, the high point was my purchase of a new coffee mug in the ship’s store.

And so it is Monday.   We’re moving toward Mississippi--the state this time.  Fred’s back is co-operating--knock on wood--and he’s taking very good care of it.   So until next week, we’ll sign off, wishing you good health and lots of laughter!

Fred and Linda

November 2, 2009

Greetings from Green Turtle Bay Marina, in the Cumberland River, at Grand Rivers, near Paducah, KY..  Seems I’ve said that before, and I have.......We arrived on Monday, as planned, and then, well....

Here’s how the week  went.  Get up in the morning, unhook the power cord, check out the circumstances of the day--health and weather (and most days both were less than thrilling) chat for a minute or two, re-connect the power cord and relax for the day.

Well, relax is a  relative term, too. Coming thru the Cheatem lock on the Cumberland River on Monday, Fred’s back twisted, or popped, or did something that was painful.  He’s had issues with it for years, and except for minor ‘blips’ it has behaved well for a long time, so we expected a quick return to normal. It was not to be.

Tuesday the rain poured from the wee small hours to late in the day.  Don’t know about your back, but that cold, raw, bone-chilling kind of day does nothing for a back that is strained.   We met and visited with Liz and Steve, the crew of SHINGEBISS (the boat is named for a duck) from MN, but Fred was not anywhere near feeling  good. 

The decision to stay on Wed. was easy.  Cold, raw, and foggy, We have the use of a Courtesy vehicle here, so I went off to the grocery store and pharmacy.  After  dinner we visited for a bit with Dot and Dan from PRINCESS DOT, and then watched Game 1 of the World Series.  We turned the game on at the top of the 8th inning, thereby missing the 7th inning stretch when  Mary Kay Hollenbeck, a family friend of longstanding and soloist for the West Point Army Band had the honor of singing ‘God Bless America’!  Sorry to have missed it.  And the Yankees lost, also a bummer.

Better job next day, though, when we’d had a pretty quiet day (after the morning power cord shuffle) and were happy to see the Yanks come back to win.  Fred's back's improving, bot not 100%.

Friday we were ready to go!  Rest and meds seemed to have put the back back, so we actually moved to the fuel dock, added 100 gal. of diesel, and pumped out the holding tank.  But the weather turned to junk.  The radar verified what we could see on the horizon.  We ‘d just finished re-tying the dock lines when the squall hit.  And lasted well beyond squall length.  It rained and blew and gusted all day.  Could we have been underway in the rain?  Sure.  However, it just didn’t seem like a good idea to head out into a day that was just generally unpleasant.  We’re doing this because it is fun, right?  Slogging in the wind and rain isn’t much fun.

Saturday dawned blue-skied and gorgeous. Dilemma.  We’ve been here 5 days and now can go to the weekly rate and stay the weekend “for free”.   As the back seemed to be improving--in fact, nearly back to normal-- to give it two more days seemed like a good idea.

It most certainly was a good idea.  The improvement reversed itself and by Sunday night Fred was immobile and it was ER time.  Injectable meds did the trick and he got some relief.   

Monday--a day of rest.  See you next week, when we may no longer be held onto by the Green Turtle!

October 26, 2009

Tuesday morning dawned clear and--you guessed it, cold.  I won’t be whining about the weather forever, but will mention that this week there was one day of warm sunshine!  We loved it.  Actually, the crisp sunny fall is exhilerating, as well.   And it was a  very good week in the Music City.

For me, Nashville was the Apple City.  In my efffort to learn to effectively use the iMac laptop I spent 6 hours of one on one time at the Apple Store.  A rental car came in very handy--made possible the trips to the Mall as well as to meet up with family and friends.

So Tuesday we spent the day bustling about locating things and from 9-10 a.m. and from 1-4 p.m. I was poring over my keyboard with Jarrett (and his brain) at my side.  What was fun about that was that others were at the same table, and we’d in turn hoot “You can do THAT?  And it is that easy???The Apple guys spend two weeks in the home office--Cupertino, CA-- learning, not the machines, but how to work with adults in a meaningful way.   Lots of laughter was involved, and I’m hoping my notes will be decipherable!  

At 5 p.m. we boarded the shuttle heading for the Grand Ole Opry.  Even if you have a car a bus ride is the best for this trip!  Well, maybe.   Plan A was that we’d catch the early shuttle so we’d have time to wander about and do our tourist thing.  Turns out 5 p.m. just meant we were the first to be picked up, and we got to ride for an hour and a half--from hotel to hotel to hotel.  The last hotel stop was 5 minutes from the boat--our car was in the parking garage.. Sigh.

The bus was crowded with Sweet Adeline singers---there are 8000 of them in Nashville  this week.  Our busmates were mostly from Montana.  We hoped they’d burst into song, but, no such luck....

In 1974 the Opry (the longest continuously runnning radio show in America) moved from down town Nashville--the Ryman Auditorium--(located  5 minutes from our boat dock) out of town to a huge complex with the Opryland Hotel and massive theater for the show, and of, course, a Mall next door.  Hey, it’s America.   The plan was to retain the flavor of the Ryman, and they did it well with tabernacle seating (pews) a circular floor plan and wide deep stage.  The center circle of floor on the stage was literally lifted from the Ryman, so all new Opry singers could stand on the exact piece of wood where Patsy Cline, Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash and all the great (and not so great) country singers have stood. 

A 21st Century Minnie Pearl (with hat but no price tag) greeted us with a lusty “Howdy”, and the show began promptly at 7--as it’s a radio broadcast, timing is important.  When the curtain went up, the first person we saw was Kenny Reis--lead fiddler for the Time Jumpers!  He was accompanying  Jimmy C. Newman, the first performer of the evening.  We felt right at home!

Other 15 minute segments were performed by Opry standards June Shepard, Bill Anderson and Little Jimmy Dickens, all well into their 70’s or more.  Membership in the Opry is by invitation only.  According to Wikipedia, the obligation to appear onstage in Nashville 26 times/year that is implicit in membership, has been relaxed in recent years.  Each show is a combination of members and guests--one guest said he had been there 84 times.  Wonder if the invitation to join will ever come....The final performer on Tuesday evening was guest Darryl Worley, who currently has a Top Ten Hit--"Seems like life to me".  He also sang his latest, which he hopes will follow to the Top Ten--"the Best of both worlds".

All in all, it was a hoot! Actually, a literal hoot--Li’l Jimmy Dickens finished his set with a song from Hee Haw!! Remember that one?

Wednesday morning at 8 I was back at the Apple Store, and after my session we grocery shopped at the Whole Food Store (for produce) and Harris Teeter (for everything else)   While I got my not so curly locks curled at the Hair Beauty place, Fred lugged bags of groceries from the parking lot, through the train station, and down the long ramp to the short ramp to the dock to the boat at the base of the bridge.  Multiple trips.  He gets a gold star!

We spent the afternoon with Fred’s cousin Ann Soderquist, who’d just flown in from a trip to Chicago and picked her dogs up from the kennel.  We met at  the Parthenon.  In Nashville, not Athens.  Due to the large number of institutions of higher learning consolidated in Nashville, the city is called the Athens of America.  So when Tennessee celebrated 100 years of statehood, an exact replica of the Parthenon (except it has a roof) was built as the centerpiece of the event.   We found the history of the Greco-Persian conflicts to be sadly familiar---when will they ever learn??? In any case the statue of Athena (added in 1970) and plaster replicas of the Parthenon Marbles, the remains of the sculptures that adorned the pediments that were mutilated (used for target practice, actuallly) around 430 BC were amazing to see.

Back to Apple at 7, and from there we dashed across town to meet Mike Borum for dinner.  Had such a good time we closed the restaurant--and brought home a coconut custard pie. They “were just going to throw it away....”  It was dee-lish.

Friday was a great day.  I stayed hame and puttered, practiced Mac-ing, rescued a land turtle from the solid mass of debris that had tucked itself in between the boat and dock (I put two large grocery bags of bottles etc. into the trash! As soon as the turtle was safely out of rest of the heap, all the debris swooshed away downstream), Fred an Mike returned the car, (ask Fred about that interesting trip sometime...) visited all the boat stores and then toured Chromatics, Mike’s photo lab company.  At six we went off to meet Crystal and Merwin, friends of Mike’s from their Virgin Island sailing days.  Had a great dinner in a floating restaurant near the Hermitage, home of that famous Tennesseean, Andrew Jackson.

Saturday we were underway, the southbound vessel heading north (remember the current thing) at a dizzying 9.4 knots!  We were in Clarksville by 5 and had the dock to ourselves--well, except for the townsfolk who come there for a walk. Sunday we spent the beautiful sunny morning in the engine room, doing diagnostics on the Generator--the real culprit in the ‘water on the engine room floor’ saga.  Port engine has been getting the rap, and it is nearly innocent.  Generator seal to be repaired at the earliest convenience.

Sunday afternoon we hied us hence to Bumpus Mills--we love that place!   Arrived with enough daylight left to scrub and power wash YA’s decks, and to visit with the fishermen who came in to clean theri catch.  Rewarded ourselves for our hard work with a yummy dinner--butternut squash ssoup and shrimp scampi.   MMMMMmmmmmmm.

Today we’re returning to Green Turtle Bay, and the end of the Cumberland trip.  Net week we’ll visit from the Tennessee River!  Until then, be well, laugh a lot, and dance from time to time.

Fred and Linda

October 19, 2009

Heidy ho!  Green Turtle Bay Marina was our home for the week, so for this week’s epistle, no traveling took place between Tuesday and Saturday!  What did we do instead?  Stayed warm--the weather has been the biggest conversation topic around here.  Not NY temperatures, but clearly not ‘southern’ weather!  

I was waiting in vain for a warm day to spruce up YOUNG AMERICA’s outsides.  It is amazing how dirty a boat can get when all it does is pass through water.   Well, ok, it sits at a dock or an anchorage also, but YA needed a shower.  By Friday, I decided there would be no warm day before Saturday, so I put on mittens and did some scrubbing.   Very rewarding work, I must say.

Our mail arrived and with it came many hours of paperwork for Fred.  While he worked on that, I baked bread, read, went to the Post Office in the courtesy van provided by the marina, read, and played with the Mac laptop that has come to live with us.  Will be learning a lot about it in the future, for now I’m just playing.  And isn’t it amazing how many hours can be gobbled up by checking out the things on the internet?

Here at  GTB we have a wifi connection--not available at every marina--so internet access is very good.  When there is no wi-fi, we rely on our Verizon aircard--actually a third line on our cell phone service, but it offers broadband connectinons, not dial-up.  Has worked well and as long as Verizon (or it’s cooperating partners) has towers around, we’re set!

One project we completed this week was the hanging of blinds on the 3 windshield windows.   Dealing with curtains, rods, brackets, etc. makes my teeth itch,  so I’m very happy that Fred was willing to do the necessary climbing, measuring, drilling and clipping into place.  I do a fine job of handing up the necessary tool--not unlike OR nursing--‘drill’ or ‘screwdriver’--says he, and I slap it into the palm.  What a team! The result is good, and we tested it out by watching a movie in our newly darken-able ‘theater’.  Great success!

Friday evening we joined Pat and Diane of SHARPIE’S DREAM for dinner at the yacht club’s dining room in the Marina.  Had a great meal and good company.  We’ll miss them as they head off for the TN river while we explore the Cumberland.

Another pleasant visit we enjoyed was with Fred and Joan Myers.  They’ve traversed the rivers of this area--the Tennessee, Tombigbee, and Cumberland--many, many times and have generously compiled informative guide books. Great for us cruisers to use as we navigate these inland waterways.  Joan and I chatted away while the two Freds spent nearly an hour reviewing the many important things there are to talk about in YA’s engine room.   That place is like a man-magnet!

Saturday morning we topped off the fuel tanks (still $2.74/gal. for diesel) and headed up the Cumberland.  I learned that no matter what compass direction we are travelling---and this river has gone all four directions--sometimes in the same hour-- we are considered to be Northbound on the Cumbie (we’re on a very familiar basis now) because our nose is pointing into the current  The river empties into the Ohio--behind us--so we are heading for it’s origins, against the current, and therefore when we hail another vessel, we are the Northbound pleasure craft....Our destination is Nashville, TN, which most definitely is NOT north of Paducah, KY, but we’re the Northbound vessel.  Who’d a thunk it. 

The current may have been against us, but the wind was pushing us, and  that combination made for some very choppy water.  We rode along through 1-2‘ waves with white caps topping them almost all day.

Along the shore we passed the KY State Penitentiary (the Castle on the Cumberland) whick holds the dubious honor of performing the most legal executions (seven) in the United States in a single day--Friday, July 13, 1928.  

Our ‘home’ for the evening was at Bumpus Mills, TN.  The couple who own the marina had just settled down for dinner when we arrived around 4:30, but they came out to help us tie up, and soon we, too were having an early meal and early to bed.  

Fishing boats greeted us in the morning---a steady stream of them launching off the ramp on our port side.  The fog was so thick the boats disappeared in a heartbeat.  Don’t know if it was just the normal weather conditions or the escaping [delicious] odors from my very onion and even more garlic omelet that burned away the fog, but by 9:40 we could see the opposite shore, and so were off.  Saw very little wildlife as we passed through the  Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge.  We also passed the site of Fort Donalson, where Gen. U.S. Grant scored the first major Union victory in the Civil War.  13,000 Confederate troops surrendered to Grant, although Grant’s Union fleet on the Cumberland  was badly damaged.

Clarksville, TN was our next destination.  Several years ago Fred was father of the groom here when Geoff and his wife Amy were wed. Amy and Geoff were in the Army, stationed at nearby Ft. Campbell.  On that trip, Fred says he stood by the river and thought that someday he’d like to come into Clarksville on his own boat.  Done.  

We arrived and tied up at the municipal wall right after a fleet of C-Dorry boats--tough looking tugboat-like motorboats.  Nine crewmembers from the four nearly identical boats met up in Clarksville, and after a tour of YA, they invited us to have dinner with them at O’Charley’s.  A fun evening.  In the morning they all agreed that they were happy we were the most upstream boat.  The amount of debris that tucked in next to YA’s bow was disgusting!   Logs, boards, a soccer ball, smaller ball and more empty bottles, cups and yes other unmentionable  types of garbage--all piled up between our bow and the wall.  After much deliberation about how to escpe without dragging the stuff along the side of the boat, Fred realized that the bow thruster was the answer!  Two whooshes from that puppy and YA was far enough from shore for the gunk to slide on by.

We slid on, as well, through beautiful countryside--sometimes rocky bluffs, other times gentle rolling hills or green lawns. .  At the end of Barkley Lake, we rejoined the C-Dorries in the 29’ high lock, and we all entered Cheatham Lake. 

Forty two, slogging into the wind miles later (top speed 6.2 kn--often 5.6 or so) we began the progression of bridges that mark Nashville’s downtown.  It is truly amazing that the tugboat pilots can safely move barges through this stretch.  The river makes an S curve and 6 bridges cross it within a mile and a half.  At the fourth, at 6:45 p.m. and pretty much in the dark, we tied up at the Municipal Pier.  Shortly thereafter, fellow Mirage boater Mike Borum, a Nashville native,  picked us up and whisked us off to the Station Inn where we were treated to pizza and to country music by the Time Jumpers.  The group was amazing, and has been nominated for Emmy and Grammy awards. In addition to their own compositions, they ‘jump back in time’ for numbers like “I’m gonna sit right down and write myself a letter”,  “All of me” and “You don’t know me”.  Loved it! 

So here we are, and it won’t be long before Monday rolls around again.  Maybe this time, I’ll be able to post the blog in a timely fashion!

Till then, be well and keep smiling!

Fred and Linda

October 12, 2009

Columbus Day, 2009! We share Chris’ excitement of exploring new places by boat. OK, so our travel is not the same as 1492, but it is still just fine to celebrate this day on the water! Here is a good rule--which was reinforced for us last Monday night. Don’t go to sleep with the hatch over your bed open when the forecast is for rain. Sure does wake you up in a hurry! Didn’t keep us awake, though. Last Tuesday it rained--with thunder and lightning--all morning. By 11 the storm blew by, and we were once again pushed south by the currents of the Mississippi. At one point we passed (that is to say, overtook) a tug pushing 30 barges--he was doing 8.3 kn.--we were smoking at 10.7! (10.7 kn = 11.77 mph! WHIPLASH!!) Around mile 30 in the Big River, we slowed to chat with a guy in a wee canoe! He was paddling like mad to keep his little boat straight with the currents and wakes. He told us his name is Neal and he’s a journalist. From July to December he is conoe-ing from Minneapolis to New Orleans to write about good news in America. Hooray for him! To read about his adventure, google Mississippi River Canoe CNN We anchored for the night again, this time near Cairo, IL, just before the turn (left) into the Ohio River. SHARPIE’S DREAM once again rafted with us and Knute performed admirably. We slept soundly, knowing that a new adventure awaited in the a.m. The Ohio is a tributary which empties into the Mississippi, so when we made the turn, we were heading upstream. The Great Loop recommends this route rather than following the Lower Mississippi to New Orleans. That 900+ miles is even more commercial than what we’d just traversed, and docking and fuel for pleasure crafts are rare. So up the Ohio we went, toward Paducah, KY, and the confluence of the Tennessee River. There are 3 locks on this 60 mile stretch of the Ohio. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, Locks #52 and 53 are the busiest locks in the entire Inland Waterway system. Barge traffic from the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers passes through this section on the way to or from the Mississippi. Tidbit of info: 0ver 96 million tons of cargo move along the rivers annually. One 15 barge tow (3X5) would require 870 tractor trailers to transport the same amount of cargo. Most of the tows we passed were bigger than 3X5--the biggest was 7X7! The waterway is extremely valuable, efficient, and unfortunately, in need of much repair and upgrading. Locks 52 and 53 on the Ohio are antiquated ‘wicket’ style locks. A wicket is a wooden fence fastened to the bottom of the river. When the water is high, (as it was when we crossed #53) the wickets are lowered to the river bed and boats simply ride over them. It is swirly and turbulent as you pass over the ‘fence’ but the lockmaster said there were 19 feet of water between YA and the wicket. Not so a few miles further east at #52. There, the wickets were up to dam the river and keep the pool levels high enough for the deep vessels to pass, so we locked through. Olmstead Lock and dam is under construction in this area, and will replace both 52 and 53 when it is completed. Our tax dollars at work! (The federal tax on diesel fuel helps pay for maintenance and upgrades.) Once we reached Paducah anchoring was the only option. No marinas and the barge usually docked and available for ‘transients’ like us to tie to had been mysteriously removed. No one seemed able to explain this, but we found a quiet spot that was secure. Next morning we were in the Tennessee River (again flowing upstream against us) and after a 2 hour wait while a tow split it’s load of barges to fit them in the lock chamber, we locked through at the Kentucky Lock and Dam. First time we've been in a lock with a tug and barge. This wasn't part of the 'split' load, it was a single barge waiting, like us, for a turn to enter the lock. Stopped at a state park marina for 2 nights, and agian found indoor things to do as it rained and rained and rained. The bass fishermen didn’t mind and the water was crowded with boats having a tournament. On Saturday we made a short run across Kentucky Lake, through Barkley Canal to Barkley Lake and up to Green Turtle Bay Marina. This is the ‘reward’ marina’ after all the rivers and locks, and it is very comfortable. Somehow I missed Monday this week. I just looked at the day clock, and it is Wed. as I finish writing this. Guess I’m doing a pretty good job of relaxing! We’ve taken the courtesy cars into Paducah a couple of times--visited the National Quilt Museum where we saw an amazing array of ‘art quilts’ using every medium imaginable--from wooden quilts to nylon screening with sugar packets to a WWII exhibit that actually contained quilts such as grandma used to make! Fascinating. From there we went to the Discovery Center where a simulator allowed us to crash a small barge tow, (we have utmost respect for those tug boat captains) and a real time video of the river outside showed today’s traffic. We attempted to back up a few days to watch YA go by, but the backer-upper stuck at one day. Such is life. We’ll be here at GTB until the weekend, and will let you know next week what the plan beomes then......... Be well......Fred and Linda

October 5, 2009

Greetings from Huckleberry Finn-land. Before we exited the Illinois River we had some fun times. For instance, we used the self serv pump out at Spring Brook. Just insert your token (purchased in the office for $10) and the machine works for, we think, 5 minutes to empty your holding tank. Not fun, you say? You are not a cruiser! We met up with another split tow (a 'tow' refers to the fleet of barges tied together and pushed by a single tugboat). This time the lockmaster told us to tie up to a huge round 'cell' in the river to wait for the first (3X3 or 9 barges) to come up in the lock. We did—had lunch and watched, and an hour or so later were told to sneak in behind the tow and ride the lock down. Would have sworn there was no room, but sure enough we had feet to spare as we entered the lock. At the bottom we again sneaked by--the other 6 barges and the tug were ready to lock up. Our stop that nite was in Henry, IL, at Henry's Marina. 'Skinny' water going in—that means our depth sounder beeps as if to ask if we really want to be in this particular shallow spot. We did, we docked, and Becca in Henry's restaurant and bar was most happy to fix us up with dinner. Evidently this entrance (it is very nearly under a bridge) is a point of local interest. When we left in the a.m., a black pickup truck stopped, backed off the road and watched us maneuver our way around the bridge in the shallow water. Maybe we looked too big to fit in that spot! Journeying down the Illinois River through Peoria brought us back into the Industrial Revolution. Busy-ness everywhere and lots of cranes, trucks, barges and other heavy equipment. We turned into Tall Timbers Marina for the night and were treated to 'Bob's backhoe and dumptruck show'. Bob bought the Marina after a flood had ravaged it. He's re-built the docks beautifully, and was in the process of draining a spring-fed pool. Had a wee road, just wide enough to back the dumptrucks down, and he and his friend took turns filling dumptrucks and hauling away the dirt. We walked about the town before returning to visit with Bob for awhile, and had an early night. Fred wants the baby backhoe. We were up and out early in the a.m., and the weather was not our best friend. It rained, and the wind opposed the current in the river, which makes for messy traveling. In this case the waves were actually worse than the Atlantic Ocean or Lake Michigan! All day we ran the windshield wipers as the spray flew over the bow. At one point we were cuaght between a Coast Guard Buoy Tender and a big ol' barge, but everyone found enough river to carry on. Despite the wind, rain and traffic, we covered 89 miles and anchored behind Willow Island. We were watchint the Constant Gardener, a John LeCarre shoot-em-uip video, and at a particularly tense moment, the boat was flooded with light! I jumped out of my skin. Turns out it was the huge spotlight of our tug-friend Joyce Hale. We've passed her 3-4 times as she goes back and forth on the river. She was just checking us out to be sure we didn't plan to pull out in front of her. We certainly didn't! Totally traumatized, I shut off the movie and went to bed. Fred wants to own her spotlight! Friday we left the Illinois and at 11 a.m. entered the Mighty Mississippi! Took the Chain of Rocks Canal and locked through the Chain of Rocks Lock—our most difficult so far. The floating bollard just didn't work well with the boat, and we had two cleats involved.... crazy. First stop—Alton , IL where our high expectations were dashed by the lack of awareness of the employees we reached by radio and phone. “you'll see it when you get there” and “Starboard—does that mean the right side?” just weren't the most helpful conversational gambits. It took a bit of doing, but eventually we were tied up and secure. To add insult to injury, they were out of diesel fuel, and didn't get the shipment that was expected by morning. One more strike against them, and our plans for the next day had to be changed. Well, as we've often said, “what good is a plan if you can't change it?” After a much shorter run than we'd intended, Fern welcomed us at Hoppie's Marina and happily put 200 gal. of diesel in our tank. ($2.75/gallon and we happily paid, as there are no more fuel stops for a couple of hundred miles.) After we walked into the delightful village of Kennswick and did some Christmas shopping--after listening to the curbside trio and before having a milk shake (delicious!), Fern held forth on the fuel dock. There were 6 boats tied to the barges that constituted the marina, and we all got a 2 hour course called Rivers 101B—complete with listings of anchorages, scary spots, and instructions about how to deal with tugboats and barges. It was fun and informative. Fern and Hoppie are the second generation at this location. When Hoppie was a boy, he, his dad and brother lit kerosene channel markers along the shore every day to help with navigation. Now the markers have gone from kerosene to batteries to solar fuel, but Fern and Hoppie have retained the willingness and ability to take care of folks. Happily, their daughter and son-in-law are now working with them. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Sunday morning we found ourselves encased in a cocoon of fog that didn't burn off till 9:30. We headed downstream and by 4 were at the Koskiosko Lock and Dam. The wall there is available for overnighting, and soon we were joined by Pat and Diane from Canada; a very nice couple whose mast is laying on the deck of their sailboat. They are anxious to get sailing in the Carribbean. More fog on Monday, and this time a 10 a.m. departure—the earliest we could see as far as the west bank of the Mississippi. We covered 68 miles with the current boosting us along—at one point we got to 11 knots—that's a whopping 12 miles per hour! We passed all manner of tows—one with no less than 49 barges attached—7X7! Another tug was pushing 2 tugs that were pushing a mess of cranes and pipes for who knows what purpose. Fascinating, and with avoiding the tugboats and barges, keeping up with the current and being sure to miss all the floating logs, navigating the Mississippi is exciting. We're anchored tonight in a little creek off the river and SHARPIE'S DREAM, Pat and Diane's sailboat, is rafted to us. We had a great dinner and you know what? It's bedtime. Hope you've been able to stay awake through all these words. We're enjoying ourselves thoroughly, and hope the vicarious trip brings you a bit of pleasure,too! Be well............. Linda and Fred

September 28, 2009

Joliet. Spent five days there, but before we get into that, let me tell you about the Asian Carp. You might want to grab a cup of coffee.... Perhaps you've read or heard of this invasive species that, like so many accidently or intentionally imported critters, has become a problem in American waterways. This guy is a voracious carp (think ginormous goldfish) that grows to 75—100 lbs. How? By, you guessed it, eating everything in sight and upsetting the ecology of the waters. Starting near the Gulf of Mexico, the Carp have migtated up the Mississippi and into the Illinois River, heading for the Great Lakes. Besides the ecology issue, it seems the fish gets agitated by the sound or vibration of motors in the water, and leaps out. People have had stitches, and even been killed by being whacked by a leaping fish. In 2002, the US Army Corps of Engineers became concerned that the Great Lakes would be devastated if the Carp got into Lake Michigan. Their solution was to build an electric barrier across the Chicago Sanitary Canal (remember how the canal was created to reverse the flow of um, 'Sanitary' water, if you get the drift, away from the Lake.). The theory: the fish will swim up to the electric current and say, “Hey, what is this? No thank you very much” and turn around and go away. Well, apparently it worked for awhile, but over time, the fish weren't so concerned with the electric charge and this year the COE decided to get their attention with a stronger electric barrier. Problem is, the current was so strong that the Coast Guard became concerned that someone besides the fish would get zapped. NO good. There's evidently enough electricity in that 0.7 mile cage to do serious bodily harm. The solution? Testing. But while they were doing the testing, the decision was made to close the Canal to all non-steel hull traffic. Tugs and barges are steel. 99% of pleasure craft (PC's we're called) are fiberglass or wood. So, as of the end of August, no PC's could get out of Chicago. Well, one could reverse the route, return through the Great Lakes and go back down the East Coast, but that is really not what we Loopers (and there are a whole lot of us) had in mind. New solution. Non-steel boats could be towed through the barrier by steel tugs using a non-steel towing cable. The charge? $600. You can't make this stuff up, can you? Needless to say, there was an outcry from the boating public, and as of Sept. 12, after many towing fees had been paid, the canal was opened to PC's—with caveats. Wear a life jacket, sit in a chair, if something falls into the water (including your spouse, child or pet) do NOT retrieve it, simply wait for it to be carried through the barrier by the current, etc. etc. And, oh yes, you DO understand that you cross the barrier at your own risk, don't you? On the 21st the Coast Guard sent a message to PC's to hurry and get through, as the barrier may be closed again. On the 22nd, along came YOUNG AMERICA, and since we'd gotten our usual 'early' start, it was after 5pm when we were hailed by the Coast Guard guys who were staked out at either end of the barrier. They told us the barrier was closed until further notice, but we could be towed through if we chose ($600???) We said no thanks, and by the way do you know when it will re-open? Yes, said they, at 7 am. WELL, then, we'll just tie up on the wall and wait. Hmmm. A few minutes after we'd tied up on the wall, a miracle happened and, as no commercial traffic was in the area, we were given the ok to pass through. Fred shut off everything that could be shut off—except the engines—we donned our life vests, sat down, and proceeded through without incident. Time will tell what happens with these critters. STILL BUSY was anchored in the Mississippi and awoke in the morning to find that a foot long carp had jumped into the dinghy. They are certainly a problem. The solution remains to be seen. We have put it behind us. The barrier is in Romeoville, IL. Just beyond that is Lockport, where Fred lived as a kid, graduated from high school, and learned to fly—the Lockport airfield is still there! There is, in fact, a lock at Lockport—although to his amazement, Fred never visited it when he lived there. As we approached, we met our first really big tow. 3 barges across and three barges long—they were tied up waiting for the lock to empty and bring up the other part—3 across and 2 long, with the tug. We found a place, once again, to tie up on the lock wall, and got out our chairs and binoculars to watch. By the time the whole load was reassembled, it was dark. I would NOT want to be that tug driver, but off he went. We went to sleep. In the morning, we slipped into the lock between barge loads, and travelled the 3 miles to the City of Joliet free wall. We spent 5 days there! My brother lives in Geneseo and two of his children, Tracy and Sandi, live in Rockton and Plainfield—all within 2 hours of our lock wall, so we rented a car and did some visiting. We really lucked out as neice Sandi's grandson was being christened, and we got to attend and celebrate with Amy, Jason and baby Logan. Another of Sandi's daughters, Sarah, brought her husband Bob and son Parker for a visit on the boat. Additionally, we spent a day with Cynthia and Michael from the Chicago yacht club—they motored down and we had a fun time aboard YA and at Harrah's Casino across the way! Also spent time chatting with fellow cruisers aboard MISS RUBY and SOMEWHERE. This morning we returned the car to Enterprise, and headed off into the river, facing some pretty hefty winds. (Tornados moved through the area last nite, but bypassed us). The ride was a tad rocky, but there is always a bright side. It was way too windy for barge traffic, so we had the river pretty much to ourselves. Opted to stop early here in Spring Brook Marina, and were glad we did, as the winds blew us around quite a bit as we docked and it took a full hour to get securely secured. Weather forcast is for a calmer day tomorrow, so we'll continue on as we head for the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Tombigbee Rivers that will bring us to the Gulf of Mexico. How lucky are we? What a fabulous trip this is! WOW! (see map for current location) Good night for now and we'll 'talk' again! Be well... Linda and Fred

September 25, 2009

Well, I lied. Didn't write from Newburgh, and didn't write Monday, either. Oh my. Here goes a lengthy update! We did dock in Chicago. It was splendid. We were welcomed at the Columbia Yacht Club—whose building is the retired ice-cutting ferry ABGEWEIT. Beautiful old ship, refurbished to make a very unusual and special club. We couldn't have been more 'downtown'. Step off the ramp and the Millennium park is two blocks away. Mayor Daley has done a magnificent job of space for Chicagoans and tourists. The Jay Pritzker Pavillion—a National Medal of Art winner designed by Frank Gehry has an amazing steel ribbon and pipe design over and above the 120'stage and seating for 11,000. Free concerts are offered every summer day at noon. What fun it was to wander among the sculptures—the “Cloud Gate”--a seamless stainless steel kidney bean that reflects the cityscape and clouds, and provides a 12' arch below where it is a hoot to see and touch all the reflections. The crown fountain features –well, see the photo. 1000 Chicago citizens were photographed to show the diversity of the city. For 30 seconds every 5 minutes the children are 'squirted', the rest of the day they frolic in the thin layer of water between the columns. In the summer, the food court is, well, a food court. From Nov. to May, it becomes an outdoor skating rink. For many years, I've heard about the 'Pump Room in Chicago', almost as a joke. Turns out it is there, in the Ambassador Hotel, and we had dinner 2 booths away from the space reserved for Frank Sinatra when he was in town. OK, so it's a bit tired and looking for some tender loving care, but it is now off my 'bucket list'. Claudia, the launch driver gave me a very special hour on the water. I stowed away on the launch and we chatted as she shuttled folks to and from shore. Fun. Wed. afternoon, I saw a matinee of Jersey Boys, which,it was noted, included authentic New Jersey profanity. On Wednesday evening we were 'treated to the twice a week fireworks display. Chicago is a fine city and I hated to leave. But leave we did, and headed south (ahead of the ice and snow). Next stop, Dolton IL on the Calumet River. We arrived at Marine Services Marina in time for pot luck dinner with STILL BUSY, MEANDER, and RIFF RAFF. It's great to re-connect. Our weekend was spent cleaning the boat, working on the Carp barrier fiasco, and packing. I flew from O'Hare on Sunday morning to meet Maureen and Freddie, two long standing friends with whom I shared Nursing school in Minneapolis and apartments in San Francisco. Had a great visit in Ventura CA where we waded in the Pacific, spent hours over coffee and red wine, and did some touring. One stop was Ron Reagan's library—on a beautiful piece of land. An Air Force One is there, as well as an identical copy of the Oval Office. Spent a day in Ojai and Santa Barbara and enjoyed the missions, and the art that is everywhere in Ventura. Meanwhile, Fred was off to Kansas City, MO for a USPower Squadron meeting. I met him there on Thursday, and together we flew to NY on Sunday. How quickly we got into the Newburgh groove---spent time with all six of the seven children (and their children) who are in the area, caught up with friends and with the UU, MHPS, DOF's, and SBCA—the alphabet soup of our non-cruising life That week lasted about a day and a half, I think. YOUNG AMERICA has reclaimed us and today we're in the Des Plains River at Joliet, IL. Will catch up with this segment next week. Till then, keep smiling and share the love and laughter! Linda and Fred

September 7, 2009

Hi guys-- No blog this week. Fred and I are both off the boat. Will get back to you next week from Newburgh..... Linda and Fred

August 31, 2009

Did I say summer? 'Twas a jest. Six of the past seven days have been in the 50's or 60's, and the early part of the week was so rainy we began to look for the animals coming two by two! One indoor task we accomplished was to test our PFD's. (For the non-boater reading this, a PFD is the Personal Floatation Device one wears when leaving the boat to enter the water—usually unexpectadly.) Back in the days when the boat was 'put in service' in the spring, that was on the check list of things to do—right up there with draining the anti-freeze and charging the batteries. Living oboard is a different ball of wax. It's been over a year, and instead of winterizing, we just took the boat to a warm place. So this is one of the annual events that just slipped by. We do know, now, though. that if a life vest is needed, it'll float! The rain was a good thing in that it kept us here while the workers worked, and it worked to work with them. Got that? We did do some walking early in the week and explored the train station and nearby Waukegan Yacht Club where we had a good lunch! By Friday we were ready to get out of Dodge, and we hopped aboard the Metra and took ourselves to Chicago. We spent the afternoon in the Museum of Science and Industry. Fascinating place. It's Harry Potter time there, but we bypassed the display of movie props. Spent some time with a WW II submarine that was captured just before D-Day. The Allies were so afraid that the Germans would discover the capture of the boat—and encoding machines and charts, etc. etc. etc., that the sub (U-505) which was captured 150 miles from Africa, was towed to Bermuda! Over 1700 miles across the ocean. The German crew (all but one survived) was then put into a POW camp in Louisiana—separated from other German prisoners-- to prevent their talking about the U Boat's capture and compromising the intelligance gains of the Allies. Lots of info about it in google. Very interesting. My favorite exhibit was a huge model train display. It included a mock up of Chicago—harbor and transportation hub, then the tracks took off across (or through) the Rockies to Seattle and a Pacific Ocean display. The only problem with it was the plexiglas wall that prevented touching and playing with the signals etc. There were trains running all over the place! We WERE allowed to touch and move and throw and wind and swing stuff in the Children's area. We actually had to beg, and only got in with special permission since we were not accompanied by anyone under 10 years of age. They are tough at that museum. I guess there was some concern about why we might want to be in the Children's area, as they made us promise not to take any photos. They just didn't know they were dealing with two grown-up sized children. We loved the children's area. No pictures though. We behaved and kept our word. It is a great museum—one we highly recommend. There is even an old time ice cream parlor on the third floor! They make a great Root Beer float! We rounded out the day with a delicious dinner downtown to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Caught the train home and it was a fine day. On Saturday, my neice Mary Newnam and her daughter Kyra drove to Waukegan from their home in Rockton, IL. After they had a tour of YA, we rode into Chicago with them. The one hour trip took over 2-1/2 hours! Traffic came out of nowhere on a Saturday afternoon, and we moved at boat speed a good deal of the time! We drove to the Wendella sightseeing boat tour company. It's right downtown—400 Michigan Ave. I had no idea that the Chicago River is right there! There are many, many bridges over that river--more, we were told, than in any other city. The tour guide discussed the architecture of the city and it was very interesting. Did you know that the Sears Tower is now the Willett Tower? Chicagoans don't care that the name is changed--it'll always be the Sears Tower to them. Donald Trump has a big tall building here, as well. (Just thought you'd like to know.) The tour boat went through a Lock into Lake Michigan, and that was a hoot. It seems that way back when, the sewage being dumped into the River as the city grew was making a mess of the Lake, so the city fathers, in addition to creating sewage management, dug a canal to connect the Chicago River to the Des Plains River. Cleverly named the Chicago Sanitary Canal, it was created to be 15 feet deeper than the Chicago River, and therefore, we were told, when the Canal was opened, the Chicago River began to flow toward the lower point—away from the Lake and into the Des Plains. Thus was created the only River in the whole wide world whose direction of flow has been reversed. Sounds like one for Ripley, eh? (Remember, we just returned from Canada, eh?) In any case, the strategy of the Lock, in order to level the Lake and River, is to simply open the gate at the Lake Michigan end of the Lock and allow the water to pour in. In our trip, a family of ducks swooshed in as well. Looked as if the babies were having fun! Within a moment or two, the level of the Chicago River was raised the eighteen inches necessary to make smooth transition. No mechaanical devices required, just build a box and open and close the ends of it on demand. Very clever. It was great to visit with family, even though it was brief. My brother and two of his (gorwn) children and their families are in Illinois, so we're hoping to catch up with more of them soon. Sunday was truly a 'lay-day'. We didn't do much of anything, except stay inside and keep warm. Today I grocery shopped, and Fred readied the boat for tomorrow's run to the Windy City. (By the way, did you know that it is not weather that the nickname refers to, but the seemingly endless talk of local politicians!). See you next week. Be well and keep smiling! Linda and Fred

August 24, 2009

We did spend Tuesday in Manistee---it was a walking, shopping, ride the 'Dial-a-Ride' bus, enjoy visiting with the other boaters kind of day. When you start to move about at 11 it doesn't take long for the day to go by. We finished Tuesday off with dinner for 4 on YA's fantail and enjoyed dessert and a beautiful sunset on CAROLYN ANN's flybridge. Wednesday we were underway at 7:30. That is A.M.! Doesn't happen often but we set out to cross Lake Michigan, and wanted to take advantage of the morning calm. The first part of the 60 mile trip to Manitowoc, WI was a sort of roller coaster ride—a very TAME roller coaster, but up and down enough that the floor rises to meet your step. After noon, however things calmed down, and the biggest excitement was when we passed (and paused to rescue) a bag of 12 balloons. Four of them were already broken, and they added color and fun to our swim platform until we were able to trash them in Manitowoc. As we approached the harbor, the BADGER, one of the last car ferries powered by coal, was departing for Ludington, MI. We learned that this is the last year of it's environmental reprieve, and soon it will stop leaving the big black cloud of smoke we saw. Stormy weather was predicted (we saw only 5-10 minutes of rain just as we were walking to town) and we planned to spend the day sightseeing. The nearby Wisconsin Maritime Museum turned out to be a delightful place. Fred, the tour guide, took us through the USS COBIA, a WWII submarine. Our Fred augmented his narrative. We spent awhile playing in the excellent Children's corner where we were sorry the kid's bibs didn't fit us as there was a great assortment of water toys! Ice cream seemed like a good idea post museum, and just up the street was a cute little 1950's ice cream and candy store. They also served sandwiches so we stuffed ourselves, and headed back to the boats. A nice day. On Friday we headed south. Lake Michigan is interesting. We've decided that when the forecast says 1-2 foot waves, they really mean 3-4---at least. We pounded into the waves at 7.5 knots for a couple of hours before slowing to 6.5 for a bit smoother ride. As we turned the corner into Port Washington we were surprised to see HEMISPHERE DANCER, the first Great Harbour trawler built by Mirage. So very shortly there were three Mirage boats in a row, and we enjoyed an evening of visiting with Joe, Punk, Karen and Jim. Saturday morning Fred and I checked out the Farmer's Market in downtown Port Washington—beautiful produce just a couple of blocks from the dock. Nice. Then we were off. Again the weather reports were a tad off. 4-6 foot waves in the morning, dropping to 1-2 in the afternoon. We found just the opposite as we motored along---the morning ride was calm and lovely—albeit cold. 54 degrees in the morning, and by afternoon, after we'd passed Milwaukee and turned into the Racine harbor, it'd warmed up to 58! Karen and Jim from HEMISPHERE DANCER generously loaned us their slip for overnight. The Root River runs into town and we were at it's mouth, just before the drawbridge. Sunday morning I found a Unitarian Universalist Church within walking distance—The Olympia Brown UU, named for the first female minister in the US. Ms Brown served this parish for many years in the 1800's. Upon my return, we dawdled at the dock a bit, chatting with other boaters before getting underway for the 27 mile run that took us across the state line to Waukegan, IL. And Waukegan is where we are, and will be all week. We're telling ourselves that we can see the skyline of Chicago off in the distance, and will be heading in for some city time soon. For now, the worker bees are doing the service that YA so richly deserves. Her engines have run beautifully for over 1000 hours and need some TLC. Larsen Marine is the gi-normous yard we're calling home. It is HUGE! Oh, so many machines at play---remote controlled travellifts, a swarm of golf carts—every one with the name of it's driver stenciled on the front—and more activity than you can shake a stick at. So we send greetings from slip 16 in Lot 17 at Larsen's. Keep smiling, and enjoy the summer, which seems to finally have arrived! Fred and Linda

August 17, 2009

Monday, Monday...........Last week was our first in the US and we waited until after 9am--until we had the Mon. edition of USA Today before we headed into Lake Huron. We also were giving the early morning fog a chance to burn off...and it did. Very nicely. The Lake was most pleasant. Minimal waves and not much traffic. Not much ability to view the lovely scenery, either--cloudy and foggy, but spectacular! There was enough traffic, though, that the 3 spaces we'd heard were available at the Mackinac Island Marina were gone by the time we arrived at 5pm. We were re-routed to the Arnold Transportation Docks (called locally the 'coal docks' although there seems to be no rationale behind the moniker) and left to fend for ourselves. (Them: “If we don't like where you dock, we'll ask you to move”. Us: “Could you give us an idea of where you wouldn't like to have us?” Them: “Just tie up anywhere. We'll sort it out later.”) Turned out we chose a spot that was ok until we left Wed. a.m., and we had plenty of company in our commercial zone. We loved it! We were perfectly positioned to discover how the Island works. In the 1800's an ordinance was passed by the powers that be that no 'horseless carriages' would be allowed to operate on the island as they would most certainly scare the horses. The law stands, and only horse drawn conveyances and bicycles are permitted on the streets. So in the mornings, we watched the Arnold Transport boats bring Cisco and another delivery company 18 wheelers to the end of the dock where a days goods were off-loaded onto horse drawn carts. Last part of each load was palate after palate of hay bales. Not only the locals and the 'fudgies'(the local term for tourists) have to eat, each of the 450+ horses on the Island must be fed! We got up close and personal with a few of the horses---took a carriage ride around the island. The largest portion of the island is a Michigan State Park (formerly a Nat'l Park, but handed over to the locals). Additionally, there is a summer home for the Governor (who, we're told has visited twice this summer), and the main down town area—replete with tourist stores, ice cream and fudge. This is really gross, but the children of the island (they have one K-12 school that graduates from 2-9 students/year) created an information book and in it assured us 'fudgies' that there is absolutely NO connection between all the fudge and the, well, you know, of all the horses. YUK. Who'd a thunk there was, until it was suggested! In answer to the question “Do you ever get used to the smell?” the children answer “What smell?” Sitting loftily on the west side of the island, is, of course, the Grand Hotel. We (silly us) didn't think to lunch there. I hate to admit it, but I guess we were put off by the rules and fees. $7.00 to walk on the longest covered veranda anywhere---$10.00 to look around inside the hotel, (we later learned the fee would be applied to the lunch tab) and a suit and tie for dinner... sigh. We entered the Grand not at all. Did gaze at and photograph the exterior, tho....and one evening we watched “Somewhere in Time” the movie with Christophher Reeve and Jane Seymour that is romantically set in and around the hotel. Nice. Note: Hollywood was given special permission to drive actual automobiles on the island during the filming. Some 500 people live on the island year round, and it is interesting to note that an ice bridge connects the island to the mainland, usually by January. Then residents can walk or snowmobile to Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. These 2-3 months of winter are the only time of year that residents are not bound by ferry ($24 round trip) or airline ($49 round trip) schedules. They all save their Christmas Trees and give them to the Coast Guard, who “plants” a trail across the ice—so no one gets lost crossing to the mainland or coming back. Amazing! A tourist guide reported that the history of the island comes down to the three F's. Fur, Fishing and Fudge. Fur trapping predominated until the supply was exhausted, fishing took over briefly until it was recognized that tourism was much more lucrative, and fudge became the big seller! While we passed on the sweets, I did my part to bolster the local economy by tracking down t-shirts for the grandchildren, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. By Wednesday it was time to move on, and off we went, under the Mackinaw Bridge, where the painter in an inverted cherry picker waved at me as I snapped his photo, to Petrosky, MI. This is a cute little town with a historic district and an enclave of Victorian houses listed in “1000 places to visit before you die” (I don't have the book, but Punk on CAROLYN ANN does, and she is a great fan of Victorian Homes) Fred and I did other chores while she and Joe bicycled to the Gas Light district. With our holding tank not only empty, but rinsed clean, and a fresh new loaf of homemade bread in the larder, we believed the weather reports that said 1-2 foot waves and off we went! That is how we learned that Lake Michigan 1-2 foot is about 4-6 by our measurement. It was a rock and roll ride to Leland, MI, and that is where we spent the rest of the week. Weather window, it's called in the vernacular. Leland, like most stops along Lake Michigan, is called a Harbor of Refuge. That means that the marina can't turn away a boat when the weather goes bad. Every slip in the marina was filled. YOUNG AMERICA and CAROLYN ANN were rafted together and took up only one space, and a sailboat was 4-point tied between the rows of docks. We rocked and rolled in the harbor to such an extent that for 2 days there was no question of “should we stay or go?” It was simply “NO WAY!” And we loved Leland and arrived in time for the annual sidewalk sales. It's called 'Fishtown, USA'--a self proclaimed “quaint little drinking village with a fishing problem”. We had delicious dinners at the Bluebird restaurant, shopped at the mercantile (fabulous grocery story hidden in a strange square and very unassuming building) and commisserated with the other boaters (as many as 9 Loopers) who were staying on until the winds died down. Today, Monday, was calm. Rainy, but calm. We had a very nice 9am-5pm run (remember that a day on the boat is an hour in the car?) for about 65 miles down the shore to Manistee, MI. Fred literally squeezed YA, our 16' wide home, into a slip so narrow we couldn't use fenders and listened to the painful rubbing sounds as we slid between the pilings in a 16' wide slip. Shades of Long Island! After our early evening walk along the beautiful RiverWalk, we had dinner and watched the parade of boats coming into the river after dark. We assumed they were fishing boats, and had this confirmed when Gary and Trina brought the FIDDLER CRAB into the slip next to us. They'd caught a steelhead trout and 2 huge salmon! “No luck involved here”, Gary said as he showed me the temp guage (the big guys swim in 54 degrees and below—over 100 feet down in the 250 foot depths of Lake Michigan) and the weights and poles and lights and other paraphenalia that pretty much guarantee them a good catch! The RiverWalk has conveniently located fish cleaning stations—one we saw also has a picnic table next to a sign proclaiming that the Ice Cream Store is OPEN! So here we are, and here we will remain for a day or so. I'm hoping to be able to post this and add photos. In Leland both cell phone and internet connections were spotty (to be kind). So until next time, off I go, wishing you and yours good health and much happiness laced with laughter! Linda and Fred