Nov. 26th through Dec.12th

Hello, it's been awhile, hasn't it? We've been busy getting adjusted to being retired. Paul & Patty, and Norm & Sue have been wonderful guides here in Florida. They have been showing us where the best restaurants and shopping are. They have led us to many Happy Hours, bars, and places to watch the Bengals and U.C. play football. Paul and Patty took us to sing karaoke. I've never done that before and I LOVED IT! (Paul, you've created a monster.) They have introduced us to so many really nice people (their friends). My Christmas sewing is finished, the shopping is finished and the gifts are wrapped. I found a great sewing store and I've signed up for a quilting class. It's a block of the month class. Even though we won't be here through the end of the class, the owner of the shop said she would send me the instructions and designs in the mail each month after we've left here.

We are anxious to see all of our family and friends. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wed., Nov. 25, 2009 LAST LEG (for now)

It hadn't rained all night, but shortly before 7:00 A.M., just as we were leaving Royal Palms Marina in Englewood, Florida, it started raining. It rained all day. Fortunately, we were on the ICW (Intercoastal Waterway), mostly a narrow channel, so the crab pots weren't in our path. Since visibility was rather limited, this was a very good thing. We got to our new winter home Paradise Marina in N. Fort Myers, Florida, right around 2:00 P.M. Paul and Patty had driven our van from Cincinnati to N. Fort Myers for us and delivered it within about 15 minutes of our arrival. Thank you, Paul and Patty. It was great to visit with them this afternoon.

It is nice to be here. The weather has been warm enough for shorts only yesterday and today. Now we're ready for some Florida sunshine. We are also happy that we made it just in time for Thanksgiving. The marina is having a community Thanksgiving dinner. The manager is providing the turkey, a ham, and mashed potatoes. Everyone is bringing a side dish. John and I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and we'll see many of you over the Christmas holiday. 'Til then.......

Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 23 & 24, 2009

C-Quarters was a delightful place to stay. They charged us $35 for each night instead of $42 each night and only $ 2.30 a gallon for diesel fuel. The place is so laid back and there are plenty of places to walk. We had a great time.

Monday at 1:30 P.M. we departed C-Quarters to do the Gulf crossing. Our intention was to go from Carrabelle to Clearwater across the Gulf. We figured it should take 18 hours. The seas were calm and there was little wind. It was cloudy and very dark. That is the strangest feeling, to be out in the middle of a huge body of water and not be able to see anything. If we didn't have a compass or a chart plotter, we probably would have gone in circles all night long. However, we were approaching Clearwater at 5:00 A.M., before it was light outside. We decided that wasn't a good idea to come in close to shore and all of the crab pots in the dark. So, we amended our plan and didn't come in near shore until we got to Venice. We ended up in Englewood at The Royal Palm Marina. We had traveled 26 hours straight. The couples took turns at the helm in three hour shifts. We were soooo lucky to have Norm & Sue along and to have calm seas. The entire experience was grand. We ordered pizza and are planning to go to bed early tonight. We have one more day of running to get to our winter destination, Paradise Marina in N. Fort Myers, Florida.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

We pulled away from the dock at Bay Point Marina at 6:10 A.M. It was cloudy and gray and mild. It was supposed to rain this afternoon, but it's 7:00 P.M. and it hasn't rained yet. We're so glad we decided to travel today. Our goal was to make it to Carabelle and we did. We arrived at C Quarters Marina at 5:35 P.M. just as it was getting dark. (I'm happiest when we arrive a good 1 1/2 hours before it gets dark.) The trip today was mostly narrow rivers except for Apalachicola Bay and St. George Sound. We saw probably two dozen dolphins and a large turtle. It was a long day and nice to have Norm & Sue"s company.

While we would like to cross the Gulf tomorrow, we are supposed to have thunderstorms tonight and the Gulf is supposed to be too rough tomorrow ( 4 to 6 foot waves). Supposedly, on Monday the waves should be 2 to 4 feet. This is the scary part as far as I'm concerned. Driving the boat across the Gulf for 18 hours straight, including the middle of the night and worrying about getting seasick. I've misplaced my sea bands so I guess it will have to be Dramamine to the rescue. My fingers are crossed. I'll let you know how it goes.

Fri., November 20, 2009

Pensacola Lighthouse

Can you see the dolphins?

Welcome to Florida

We left our anchorage at 5:45 A.M. in clear, cool weather. Our goal was to make it to Panama City. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be bad, so we wanted to get to a harbor where there would be things to do while we wait out the weather. The pelicans are so funny. They fly down to the water and plop in so ungracefully. You'd never be able to call it diving. Today we had dolphins run with us again. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing them. I tried to get pictures again of them jumping, but by the time the camera clicks, they're back in the water. All I have is pictures of water. That stinks.

We arrived at Bay Point Marina in Panama City at 3:00 P.M. We caught up with Bob & Liz on "Second Wind" at the marina. Bay Point gave AGLCA members a 25% discount on moorage and a $ .25 discount on fuel. We had dinner in their restaurant called 30 degrees Blue. Mine was the best salad I've ever eaten (or else I was so hungry i didn't know the difference). There are some of Norm & Sue's friends wintering here at Bay Point. We had a nice visit with them. All in all, it was a wonderful day.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

We got underway at 6:00 A.M. this morning. The day was cool and sunny and we couldn't have asked for better seas. We left Fairhope and traveled about 90 miles to Santa Rosa Island which is only about 10 miles from Fort Walton Beach. It was so strange to be in the middle of a big body of water and only have a narrow channel that was deep enough to navigate. When we reached the Pensacola area, we had two dolphins that swam along with us for awhile. They swam right in front of the bow and swam exactly the same speed we were going. They were quite the entertainers. They rolled over for us and jumped in the air. I tried to get pictures, but I don't think I got a very good shot. Sue said they love the attention and as long as you watch and make over them, they'll stay. As soon as you stop paying attention to them, they leave.

We also saw the Pensacola Lighthouse. I did get a picture of that which I will post once we get somewhere with WI-FI. We are anchored out in front of a Park called Navarre Park. We did not travel with any other boats today, but it was a fun and uneventful day. That's the kind we like.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

This is the swing bridge. Isn't it cool!

Happy Birthday, Bob! Sorry there is no cell service here, so I can't call you on your birthday. Love you and hope your day was great!

Today Norm & Sue, and John & I spent the day in Fairhope. We started at Walmart grocery shopping. The Walmart Greeter was hilarious! He sang us a rap song about shopping at Walmart and being happy. It was funny and very strange. We took the groceries to the boat and then spent the rest of the day in town walking through all the little shops. One thing we noticed was that 75% of the shops had dogs in their shops. All of the dogs were nice. I just thought that was odd. The town itself is quaint. There were very few vacancies in their store fronts, there were lots of fall flowers around the business district, and the houses and yards were extremely well taken care of. We had lunch at Mary Ann's in their outdoor courtyard.

At dinnertime, we were planning to go to Ben's Bar-B-Q that we had passed early in the morning. A 8:30 A.M. they had the food cooking and it smelled so good when we passed by. However, when we got there for dinner, it was closed. So, instead, we went to Old Bay Steamer and had delicious seafood.

We are hoping to leave at first light in the morning barring no fog or big time waves.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

We had another interesting night at anchor. Around midnight we woke up and John went out to check on things. Our anchor was fine. However, the boat that was anchored behind us had their anchor let go and they drifted back on the boat behind them. He reset his anchor and most of us went back to sleep (not John).

It had rained during the night, but the morning was cool and cloudy, but not raining and not foggy. We left our cozy Three Rivers Anchorage at 7:00 A.M. We saw a raccoon swimming in the river. I'd never seen that before.

Coming through Mobile Bay was intense. It made me feel so tiny and insignificant. There are so many barges, tugs, and freighters moving about. My mouth hung open (no wisecracks) in awe of all the commerce and activity. It was amazing.

We arrived at Eastern Shores Marine, Inc. in Fairhope, AL. "Finally", "CC Manhatten", and "Theresa" are here with us. Norm and Sue drove from Ft. Myers to accompany us on the next leg of the trip across the Gulf. However, we are taking tomorrow off and going into Fairhope to investigate. It is so good to see them and spend time with them.

Monday, November 16, 2009

We were up early and ready to go. However, Mother Nature had other ideas. We had to wait for the fog to lift and then for barges at the Coffeeville Lock. All six boats left together and stayed pretty close together all day. We ended up at an anchorage called Three Rivers. The six of us were there plus one more. Again it was dusk when we arrived at our anchorage for the night. It's beautiful back in this creek and we anchored in a single file. The Skipper Bob Book says that there is 6 feet of water back in this creek, but we were in 25 feet of water.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

We left our anchorage around 9:00 A.M. and headed on down the river. We are still in the company of three other boats. We went as far as Bobby's Fish Camp and stopped for the day. It was only 2:00, but after last night, we needed to be tied to shore to get some serious sleep. This is the last "marina" until you get to Mobile. Bobby's costs $1 a foot. There is no electric or water, just a dock that holds only four boats. Usually, he allows people to raft off one another, but because the water is so high that is not an option right now. We were lucky that there was no one else at Bobby's when we got there. He does sell gas and diesel fuel ($3.15 a gallon). There is a restaurant here, but it's only open Thurs. through Sat. Bobby opened his marina in 1956. He had a stroke this past September and has just recently come back to work. This is an interesting place to say the least.

We had Happy Hour on "Moon Beam" and got to know one another better. One couple is from Montreal, one couple is from Minneapolis, and the other couple is from Charlottesville, VA. They are all very nice people.

Underway Again

On Friday the 13th, we decided to leave on the following morning at first light with three other boats. So, on Saturday, we were up and ready to go at 5:00 A.M. However, there was so much fog, we couldn't leave right away. By the time the fog lifted, there were a number of barges ahead of us at the Demopolis Lock. Our "early" starting time ended up being 11:30 A.M. We hesitated to take off at that time because there didn't seem to be any good anchorages close enough to make by dark. The people at the fuel dock at Demopolis Yacht Basin told us about a barge facility off the river, that didn't have a contract this year and so is closed down. They told us that would be a good place to anchor. We arrived there just at dusk and this facility is a very active barge facility. Uh oh, time to reevaluate. The lead boat contacted an oncoming tow and asked if he had any suggestions of where we could anchor for the night. He told us Old Lock #2 at mile 168.6 That's where we ended up. We rafted with one of the boats in our group. Everything was fine from 6:30 P.M. until 1:30 A.M. Evidently, when a barge went by, it loosened the anchors. Both boats' anchor alarms were chirping. We had to get up and found ourselves in the middle of the channel with one anchor now holding in the channel. It took awhile to release our rear anchor and haul it aboard. Then we went back to where we were before and anchored separate from each other and stayed put the rest of the night. We weren't comfortable just going back to sleep. So, we took turns staying up and monitoring the situation. Of course, we didn't move at all after that. Thank God for anchor alarms.

Thurs., Nov.12, 2009

I had to look at my phone to know what day it is. The days are all running into one another. Yesterday the manager of the marina made gumbo for everyone for lunch and then gave us his take on the situation. He said that if you have only one engine, don't even think about attempting to leave. If you have two engines and have enough power to motor against the current, then it's up to you. However, there is a really swift current and a lot of debris in the river. Two boats left yesterday and three left today. We heard one person say he is leaving tomorrow morning, and some are talking about leaving on Saturday. John is leaning toward Saturday at this point. We'll see how things are by then.

Today to keep busy, I did laundry, baked a pie, and made two Christmas presents for grandchildren. John put the numbers on the dinghy, fixed a wire that pulled out of the marine radio, did some computer stuff, and watched a movie. I believe we are going out to dinner tonight. There is a restaurant at the marina.

While doing laundry, I was visiting with some of the other women here. One of them said she has a Designer I sewing/ embroidery machine (just like me) which she brought with her. She also brought her serger. We seem to have a lot in common. We miss everyone at home. Til tomorrow.....

UH-OH

We had hoped to get underway this morning. However, the marina manager (Fred) came around yesterday late afternoon and advised everyone to stay put for another week. It seems the flooding below the Demopolis Lock and Dam is significant. At Mobile, it is expected to be 33 feet over flood stage on Thursday. Another week..........oh, my! The good thing is we are safe and have grocery, laundry, water, and trash collection services. It would be ever so much more boring if we anchored out somewhere. All of the loopers' boats are soooo clean because there is nothing else to do.

Boredom

We have been here since last Tuesday when we limped in with the drive train problem. It was fixed by Friday morning and then Hurricane Ida came along. It has been raining and blowing at 20 to 30 MPH since yesterday afternoon. It is suppose to continue today. We hope to be able to finally move on Wednesday. The people here at Demopolis Yacht Basin are very accommodating but there just isn't many amenities here. Even with the power antenna, we can only get PBS on TV. I AM TIRED OF WATCHING COOKING SHOWS AND DORA!!! There are a lot of loopers here who are also waiting like us. At least we are not in Mobile yet as we would have been had the pressure plate not broken. The group we were traveling with before the mechanical problem put us here are in Mobile now. We sure hope they are fairing well with no Ida problems and found safe harbours.

Fri., Nov. 6, 2009

This morning I got the laundry caught up. We walked the docks a couple of times and met a couple from Ft. Mitchell, KY. It's so interesting to hear people's stories. We all learn from one another's experiences.

Our transmission issue is repaired. That's a very good thing. The manager of the marina came around and told everyone to stay put at least until Monday. The different marinas along the waterway spoke to one another and there are no slips available. So, they are telling everyone to stay put until the weather lets up and the boats can make the Gulf crossing. At least we are in a marina and not anchored out in case the weather gets bad here. So, our balloon on the map has to stay in the same space for awhile longer.

Thurs., Nov. 5, 2009

We are still at Demopolis Yacht Basin. The part we needed (pressure plate) was delivered this afternoon around 2:30. The mechanic came to work on it at 4:00 and his work day was finished at 5:00. So, he will be back first thing in the morning. Our next issue is Ida. The AGLCA is advising people to not try to cross the Gulf, even via the armpit (staying close to shore).

It's a bit boring here for John because there is only one TV station and it's PBS. I went to Walmart this morning for groceries. Tomorrow morning I will do laundry. We 've each read a book borrowed from the harbor's lounge. Hanging loose .........

Tues., Nov. 3, 2009

The rocks are so impressive looking.

The scenery is beautiful.

It's supposed to be another gorgeous day. We left Pirates Marina Cove at 5:30 A.M. in the dark. There was a full moon and Sandpiper knocked on the door and told us he spoke to the lockmaster and if we got there in 15 minutes, we could lock through before a barge. So, five of us left the harbor and locked right through Tom Bevill Lock and Dam. By the time we were tied up to the bollard, it was light.

Yesterday and today we saw a lot of floating grass and foamy looking stuff. At 10:00 A.M. we exited the Howell Heflin Lock. We didn't have a wait there either. There were eight boats that locked through together. After going about 2 miles beyond the lock, something happened to the transmission and it locked up. We limped on one engine the rest of the way to Demopolis Yacht Basin. John did a great job docking with only one engine. We are probably going to be here for awhile. I hate to think how much this is going to cost.


JOHNS NOTE: We are very fortunate. The problem is not the transmission but the pressure plate which deliver the power from the engine to the transmission. It is a considerably cheaper fix. They are planning to overnight the part and be able to fix it in the morning and then pull the boat to check the props and put on the ones we had worked before we left Cinicnnati. What started out as a horrible day has turned into not so bad one after all. The staff here is very considerate have been prompt to work on the boat.

Mon., Nov. 2, 2009

We left Aberdeen at 6:00 A.M. We immediately locked through Aberdeen lock. There was one other boat in the lock with us. While we were in the lock, one of our "dingle balls" became unattached from our boat and fell in the water. Captain John was able to snag it with the boat hook. (My hero!) The people on the other boat cheered for him.

At 9:30 A.M., we locked through John C. Stennis Lock. At this particular lock, the lockmaster asked for information, such as documentation or registration numbers, where we were coming from, and where we are going to. We were in the lock with one other boat who was smaller and faster than us. So, Captain John contacted him on the radio and invited him to pass us. We slowed way down for him, but he went past us full speed ahead. My juice and John's coffee spilled all over our guide books, a lamp fell over, the loveseat slid across the floor, ... You get the idea. How rude he was!

We spent the night at Pirates Marina Cove. They had laundry facilites, so I spent the rest of the day doing laundry. Their dryer took forever. We finally brought the jeans down and hung them across the back deck. I felt bad because there was a man waiting to use the washer and dryer when I still has 2 more loads to go. We met up with Second Wind and Sandpiper again here. Tomorrow will be an early day, as we want to get as far as Demopolis.

Sun., Nov. 1, 2009

84 foot drop - one of the largest of the trip

How did it get to be November already? Time sure flies when you're having fun. Today is absolutely gorgeous. We left Midway Marina around 7:00A.M. (the time changed last night). Actually, the 7:00 A.M. is Cincinnati time. Here it was only 6:00 A.M. That makes me tired just to think about it. Six boats left this morning together and went to the first lock which was Fulton Lock. We pulled right in and left together to the next lock, fifteen miles away, which is Glover Wilkens Lock. Then , another five miles we came to Amory Lock and Dam. The next lock is Aberdeen, but we turned off right before the lock and went to Aberdeen Marina. All of the others went on to Columbus, MS, about another 20 miles away. We heard later that there is a problem with the Aberdeen Lock. Hope they get it fixed before tomorrow morning.

Upon arriving at Aberdeen Marina, we went into the store to pay and pick up our mail. Allelluia! Our 50 amp splitter was there. Thank you, Paris Landing!!!!! Thank you, Gina, for our mail too. We especially like the picture Clara drew. We borrowed the courtesy car and went into Aberdeen. Very little was open as this is Sunday. We did, however, find a drug store, a car parts store, and a grocery store. We spent money in all three. There is supposed to be WI-FI here (and at the last stop), but there is none. So, pictures will have to wait until we reach a place that has WI-FI.

We hope to catch up with the people we ran with today or hook up with other people doing the loop.

Halloween, 2009

Another river entering the canal.

Carol in the lock.

At first, yesterday it seemed like a bad decision to stay overnight at Grand Harbor. The day started out warm, no rain, little wind, and cloudy. However, by afternoon the wind picked up and by late afternoon we had some pretty heavy rain and high wind. We were glad to be in a covered slip.

Today is another gray, cloudy, cool day. We are traveling with a group of loopers who were at the Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park. The first lock we came to today was Jamie Whitten Lock, an 84' drop. There were 11 pleasure boats in the lock. The lockmaster was holding the gates open for all of us. There were two boats already in the chamber who had passed the rest of us up earlier.

In a mere 6 miles, we all arrived at the second lock of the day. This lock is called Sonny Montgomery Lock, All 11 of us were again in the chamber together.

In a mere 6 miles, we all arrived at the third lock of the day. This lock is called John Rankin Lock. All 11 of us were again in the lock together.

We went to Midway Marina along with eight of the other boats. We spent 9 hours traveling today. The sun came out and warmed things up and by night time, there was a full moon. How appropriate for Halloween. We met a lot of interesting people and attended a Halloween Party at the marina. It was nice to run with a group of boats.

We spoke to our boat buddies in Aurora, Indiana, and to some of the family who were at a party at Mom's. We miss you all. See you at Christmas.

Thurs., Oct. 29, 2009

What a peaceful night we had anchored out by Kelley's Island. This was a great place to spend the night. The stars are amazing when the clouds go away and there are no city lights to interfere. We traveled all day in cloudy, gray, cool, rainy weather. Are you seeing a trend here? We passed an area called Williamson Pond Slough. It made us think and talk about Jim & Joyce Williamson (only good stuff).

We pushed onward because of the forecast. We had to wait 2 hours at Pickwick Locks because they have one side closed like Markland. We had to wait while they broke down barges. We had intended to stay at Pickwick State Park Marina, but they are 3 years into a renovation and have no docks. Apparently, the state pulled their funds after they had just begun renovation. So, we ended up going to Grand Harbor on Yellow Creek. It was just getting dark when we pulled in to fuel up. We are staying here tomorrow as well because of the weather. There are about 7 or 8 other looper boats here. Most of them have just come from the Rendezvous. We spent 12 hours traveling in the boat today. That's more than we would have liked, but we are in a safe place now to ride out the weather.

Unfortunately, we realized when we hooked up electric last night that we accidentally left our 50 amp splitter at Paris Landing 2 nights ago. We called them this morning and they did find it. She said she would try to send it to Aberdeen where we hope to be on Monday.

Wed., Oct. 28,2009

We left Paris Landing at 8:10 A.M. It's still really gray and cloudy, but not raining. It's about 55 degrees and no fog. We stopped at 5:00 P.M. and anchored out behind Kelley's Island. No, not the Kelley's Island in Lake Erie, the Kelley's Island in the Tennessee River (mile marker 142.8). It stayed cloudy, gray, and cool all day.

Once we were situated, we grilled out and enjoyed dinner on the back deck. Today was a long day running, but we hope to be in Aberdeen on Monday and the weather is supposed to get worse. They are calling for flash flooding, and the current already is extremely swift. Therefore, we are trying to put as many miles as we can behind us. So far, so good.

Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 26 & 27, 2009

Monday was spent at Green Turtle Bay. We cleaned the inside and outside of the boat and did a little laundry. We figured we might as well do any laundry we have, whenever we have the opportunity. After all of the work was done, we rented a golf car and went into Grand Rivers, Kentucky. We drove the golf cart all around the marina too. Green Turtle Bay has everything you could ever want. There's the marina, the beach, boat rentals, laundry, a store, a restaurant, an indoor pool, an exercise room, condos, fuel, golf carts.....The day was beautiful and perhaps we should have been traveling, but it was nice to sightsee on land.

Tuesday we left Green Turtle Bay at 8:15 A.M. in the rain. It was gray and rainy all day. After about 5 hour of straining to see buoys and day markers, we decided to stop. We docked at Paris Landing State Park in Buchanan, Tennessee. This harbor only charges .70 a foot with electric. We thought that was a pretty good bargain and we wouldn't be blowing around at anchor tonight. The park has a lodge with a buffet from 4:30 til 8:00 for dinner. We were told to call the rangers and they would come and pick us up and take us to the lodge. The ranger who came to get us (Ranger Davis) said he lives in the park and is on call 24/7, even Christmas and New Years.

We spoke to Gina who is sending us all of our accumulated mail. She is sending it to Aberdeen, where we expect to be on Monday. John is anxious to get his boating magazines. We are hoping that tomorrow will be sunny and dry. We would settle for just the dry part.

FYI

A few people have asked me to explain how to use the map in the laft hand column. First, click on "Seas 2 Day-Great Circle Trip under the picture. When the larger map comes up, drag the -sign down away from the + sign and closer to the bottom - sign (about 3/4 of the way down) to see all spots. Click on individual exclamation points to see notes about that stop. Zoom in for more detailed look or click on place name in left hand column. So far, that's all I know about it.

Sat. & Sun., Oct 24 &25

E-Town River Restaurant (our boat at dock)


Cave-In-Rock, Illinois

On Saturday, we passed through the John T. Myers Lock. The lockmaster had the doors ready and open for us. After the lock, we were in Illinois. We went past an island called Cincinnati Island. It made us feel at home even though we were 350 river miles away from home.

John and I were discussing the harbor we stayed in last night. John said, "Did you see the shower the guy was bragging about having a 55 gallon water heater? If I took a shower in there, I would have felt I needed a tetanus shot."

We passed a city called Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. It got its name because years ago, pirates hid in a cave in the side of the rock along the river and waited for boats to come along. They would jump out and rob them.

We stopped at a restaurant called E-Town River Restaurant. They have dock space for their customers and said we could stay there for the night. The restaurant was quite crowded and people who didn't know one another were sitting together because of lack of space. A conversation started among 3 or 4 tables that began with the question, "Who's boat is that out there?" When we said it was ours, they were interested in the trip and asked lots of questions about the practical aspects, like how to get mail, paying bills, watching TV .......

Saturday night we were able to get one TV channel and were able to watch the news. There was a story about a bunch (6 or 7) of barges that had been tied on the Cumberland River that got loose just below Smithland Locks and Dam. That's where we were headed the next day. It felt lucky that we were a day behind that kind of activity.



On Sunday morning, we left E-Town River Restaurant in light fog and cool temperatures. We locked through Smithland Locks without waiting. The Cumberland River is very close to the Smithland Lock, but you have to take a 5 mile detour around an island to stay in the channel to get there. We passed 1 barge almost immediately after turning up the Cumberland River and then did not pass another single boat the whole way until we reached the Barclay Lock, which again the lockmaster had the doors open and ready for us. However, after he closed the doors, the lockmaster informed us they were having an electrical issue and we would be delayed. It took about 1/2 hour for them to fix it and begin raising the water in the chamber.
We are at Green Turtle Bay and meeting some very nice people. This place is huge. It even has a brand new indoor pool. Tomorrow we plan on staying here and taking advantage of some of their amenities. So, til Tuesday, ........

Thurs. and Fri., Oct. 22nd & 23rd

Before we got started this morning, John had to figure out why the aft head wasn't pumping any water. Fortunately, it was just a kink in a hose. Oh that all of our problems could be solved so easliy. We got underway at 7:45 A.M., hoping to do 60 miles or so today. It was cloudy and mild and we are hoping to outrun the rain.



We went right into Cannelton Locks without a wait. We stopped at 6:00 P.M. and anchored out in front of Little Hurricane Island just past Owensboro, Kentucky. It rained and blew all night long. We tool turns monitoring the electronics so that we were sure our anchor was holding. we definitely didn't want to end up stuck on the island. In the end we traveld 100 miles on Thursday.

Friday morning we got underway at 8:00 A.M. We only have about 35 miles to go today. It was gray and ugly and raining when we left. The plan was to go to Nu Plaza Yacht Club in Evansville, Indiana at 797 mile marker. We needed to get fuel, do laundry, shop for a few things, and sleep, not necessarily in that order.

We went through Newburgh Locks at 9:45 A.M.; the locks were open and ready for us again. How nice is that? We arrived at Nu Plaza Yacht Club at noon. The man working there was very nice. We bought 146.8 gallons of diesel at $3.04 a gallon. That means we got 2 miles to the gallon, which isn't bad for a boat our size. If you buy 100 gallons or more of fuel, you get to stay overnight for free. They also have free laundry facilities, and a courtesy van. So, John took the van and went shopping and I started doing laundry. It felt good to get caught up.

OUR NEW FRONTIER

The Kentuckiana guy came back at 8:00 A.M. to finish working on the boat. He did a thorough job, even cleaned up after himself. We did another sea trial and then, finally, left Jeffersonville, Indiana at 10:30 A.M. We went right into McAlpine Lock with no waitng.

This stretch of the river is pretty and undeveloped. Today began the part of our trip where we have never been before. We ran 7 hours and passed 1 pontoon boat, 1 kayak, 1 fishing boat, and 2 runabouts. We anchored out at Upper Blue Island (the island, however, is gone) across from a noisy gravel plant. John contacted the first towboat after anchoring, to ask if we were out of the way. He told us that we were in a perfect place to spend the night. After running all day, John checked the engine room. His report was, "No runs, no drips, no errors. The thing is finally fixed."

We heard from Mike and Linda. They got through Markland last night at 9:30 P.M. and went on to Lighthouse Point Marina, arriving around 12:30 A.M. Unfortunately, they had to go back to work on Wednesday. "Sorry, Mike and Linda."

Anxious to get moving

Today Mike and Linda Luti left to go home. We are going to miss them. They are wonderful traveling companions. They made it to Markland Dam by 2:00, but the last we heard, they were still there waiting to get through (that was around 6:00).

The guy from Kentuckiana came back after noon to work on the boat. We went for a sea trial around 5:15, but there was transmission fluid on the floor of the engine room when we got back. They determined that the leak we knew about is fixed, but there are some worn out O rings that need to be replaced. Therefore, he is coming back again in the morning. Hopefully, we will be pulling out of here about 10:00.

This afternoon, a homeless guy opened our side door to the boat. John asked if he could help him. The guy asked if our boat is for sale? John told him, "No." He went on his merry way. That was a little scary.

Mon., Oct. 19, 2009

Today is a no travel day. Kentuckiana sent a man to work on the boat. He left around 11:00 A.M. because there were parts that needed to be reworked. Norm and Sue called and said they were going to be passing through on their way back to Florida and so Mike & Linda, and John & I met them for lunch. We had lunch at Sunny's which is right across the street from where the boat is docked. It was really nice to see Norm & Sue. So far this trip feels like a vacation. It doesn't seem like we are really retired. It is nice though to not have to worry about making sure the hours are covered at the store while we are traveling.

Hopefully, tomorrow they will have the boat back together and we can ease on down the river.

Fri., Sat., Sun

Mike, Linda, John, Carol, and Ed having breakfast at Lynn's. (Kyle took the picture) Crossed legs sticking out of the wall at Lynn's

Belle of Louisville (before her accident)

Friday we made the trip from Madison to Louisville. The docks right next to Tumbleweeds, are free and have 30 or 50 amp electric service. Shortly after we arrived, the police came down to welcome us and gave us some literature. Louisville's waterfront is wonderful. There are parks, walking trails, grills and picnic tables. They are building a bicycle/pedestrian bridge across an unused railroad bridge. There was a band right up on the hill behind our boat on Saturday morning. We took pictures of the Belle of Louisville on our way to our dock.

Saturday morning we walked into downtown and ate breakfast at a Coffee Shop. Ed & Kyle, and Donna & Dave came to visit us. We had happy hour at Tumbleweeds. While we were sitting there, a blurb came across the bottom of the TV screen that said the Belle of Louisville had been involved in an accident and was being towed back in. Later that night, we heard on the news that she hit a parked barge while turning around in the river and damaged the paddlewheel. They said the boat will be out of commission until spring.

Saturday night we went to King Fish on the Indiana side for dinner with Donna and Dave, and Ed and Kyle. We hugged Dave and Donna good-bye after dinner because they will be leaving early in the morning as they have tickets to the Bengal's game.

Sunday morning was a real treat. Donna Huber had recommended this restaurant called Lynn's in downtown Louisville. Lynn's was certainly something to see. The decor was unusual , to say the least. Very eclectic. The food was good, the company was better. After breakfast, Ed & Kyle left for home. It was so nice of our friends to come to visit us for the weekend before we continue on down towards Florida. We will definitely miss them.

After they left, we moved our boats, over to the Indiana side of the river to the Kentuckiana slips in preparation for them to work on our boat on Monday. We certainly hope the repairs go smoothly and quickly as we are anxious to get underway. It is great to have the Lutis along for a few more days. We really enjoy thier company and we always have a good time.

THE BIG ADVENTURE

The goal for Day 1 was to leave our harbor (Lghthouse Point Yacht Club) at 8:00 A.M. and get as far as the other side of Markland Dam. We were concerned that Markland might be a long delay because only the small chamber is operational. In reality, we left at 8:05 A.M.(not too bad) escorted by Mike and Linda Luti on Dustcutter who are going as far as Louisville with us.
We passed a barge immediately after leaving Loughery Creek. It was the only barge we saw between our home port and the dam.
Upon arriving at the dam, we were told there would be a 2 hour wait. We anchored and ate lunch and lazed around until it was time to lock through (2 1/2 hours). This was much better than we had anticipated. However, we've already had a malfunction. The generator made a squealing sound, quit running, and smelled like burnt rubber. It became important that we reach a marina with electric so we could have heat. We are spending the night at the Madison, Indiana marina. All in all, it was a good beginning, with the exception of the generator issue. The good news is: tomorrow we should be in Louisville and we can have the repairs done there.
JOHN'S NOTE: The water pump on the generator locked up causing the problem. We are going to get it fixed at Jefferson/KYS in Louisville when they do the work on the drive train.

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!

Sorry it has taken me so long to post. We did close our business on Wed., Sept. 30th as planned. What a relief! Since then it's been 12 hour days spent sorting, packing, hauling away, and then doing the same thing the next day. We had a surprise retirement party that was so much fun. We didn't want it to end.

We are on schedule to leave our harbor on Thursday, October 15th. First stop will be Louisville, KY where we will have some work done to the boat before going on.

We were sorry to hear that Billie's was broken into on Friday night, Oct. 10th. The Delhi police caught the guy within 2 hours. We feel bad for Amy and Glen, especially that it happened so soon after they bought the store.

Til next time.....

Step 1: Selling our business, Sept., 2009.

We have a contract on our business and should close by the end of September. We can hardly wait to start our big adventure. The plan is to have the actual sale by the end of the month, pack up what we can't bear to part with, get rid of the rest, and leave on our boat by the end of October. We will be be very happy and very tired by the time we're ready to leave. There is so much to do and we can't wait to start traveling. But, first things first. It all has to be done in the right order.

Let's Get Going === PLEASE

Carol and I are prepared to leave on the Great Loop just as soon as we are able to sell our business. This has proved to be quite difficult in the current economic conditions. We are hopeful to be underway by this fall. We can not wait to get started.