Georgia On My Mind

Well, a lot has happened since my last update over 2 weeks ago. Life on a boat stays pretty busy. Not always easy to carve out time for writing. In a nutshell… we finally made it out of Florida, through Georgia, and are now in Beaufort, South Carolina! Due to ongoing winds, we ended up staying in St. Augustine, FL for 5 days. Our friends, Ginny and Mark from our veterinary ski group ( SVMA ) not only hosted us at their home for a lunch of home-made pizza, but they also loaned us one of their cars to help us get around their great city. It was really great spending the afternoon with them. While in St Augustine, we toured the Castillo de San Marcos. This is the oldest masonry fort in the US. There had been other forts at the same location built of wood that were destroyed. This fort was built from Coquina which is a rock formed almost wholly from shell particles. It took 23 years to build the fort but the coquina proved to be impenetrable, even to cannon balls. The fort was never taken by force but was eventually given up by the Spaniards through a treaty with the Brits.

Also in St Augustine…. We walked up the 219 steps of the lighthouse for a great view of the area and visited the Alligator Farm. As interesting as the alligators were… their star alligator Maximo is huge…. The real highlight was the wild bird rookery in the park. With all the alligators there to ward off the small predators that would typically raid their nests, hundreds of egrets, spoonbills, blue herons, green herons and tri colored herons make their nests in the trees… some so close you could almost touch them. It was an amazing site to see.

With all the wind and tight quarters of the marina, we were worried for the entire time we were there about how we were going to get Off Leash off the dock. Well, it ended up being pretty easy… we just let the current and wind help us around. From St Augustine we traveled north to Jacksonville Beach for one night and then set off for Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island where we stayed on a mooring ball for the night. Amelia Island is the northernmost barrier island in Florida. We took a 10 mile bike ride on our folding clown bikes to see the beach on the eastern side of the island and down a tree lined road to Fort Clinch on the northern tip of the island. From this location we could see across an inlet to Cumberland Island in Georgia… Our next stop.

A funny thing happened on our way to Fernandina! About 1 hour north of St. Augustine, the engines suddenly bogged down and we came to a stop. Our props were in mud on an uncharted sand bar! Fortunately, we were going slow at the time and caught it quickly and we were able to back out of the soft, silty mud. Physically we were OK but mentally we were shaken up. I guess we have joined the club. Apparently, along the east coast, there are 2 types of boaters… those that have run aground and those that have not YET run aground. It turns out, 2 of our friends also ran aground in that same spot that day! With much anxiety, we finally tried anchoring again at Cumberland Island. If you recall, our first experience with anchoring in Miami did not go so well. Fortunately, this time there was no drama and the anchor held well all night. Cumberland was wonderful. It is home to wild horses which can often be elusive. We not only saw over 20 of them, we even saw a mare with her very young foal wandering among the ruins of Dungeness Mansion. We hiked across the island with our friends Katja and Swen and Bret and Suzanne. Bret and I took a short swim on the Atlantic side of the island…. The gulf stream waters are so nice and warm compared to what we have at home in LA… but no real waves.

The next day we were off to Jekyll Island. Unlike the mostly deserted Cumberland, Jekyll is a beautiful island that has been a stomping ground for the wealthy. We took a golf cart ride into the town to see the beautiful old homes set amongst the huge moss covered oak trees. We also went to see the lobby of the Jekyll Island Club which is truly magnificent. It was in one of the rooms in this lobby that a group of wealthy men, including JP Morgan, met in secrecy to draw up the legislation for what would become the Federal Reserve Bank. Ostensibly meant to stabilize the economy and prevent future financial panics, once pushed through congress the day before Christmas break, it protected their assets and kept them very wealthy. There is a book about this, The Creature From Jekyll Island, that I intend to read.

That night we had a pot luck dinner with Katja and Swen on Bret and Suzanne’s catamaran, Lucy2. Loopers will tell you it’s the people you meet that make the trip so worthwhile. I know these are two couples we will be able to call friends for life! Below is the Catamaran Lucy2 belonging to Bret and Suzanne and Rykher, Katja and Swen's Mainship.

After Jekyll, Karen and I spent 2 days at St Simons Island, another of Georgia’s barrier Islands. Another bike ride. We noted how much the vegetation has changed since leaving Florida. The sparse Florida landscapes made up mostly of scrub and palm trees has been replaced by lush green trees and shrubs. In particular, the majestic oaks. After St. Simons, we continued northward along the Intracoastal Waterway and then made a 6 mile detour up Blackbeard Creek to The Sunbury Crab Company. In the late 1700s, Sunbury was a major port city that rivaled Savannah. However, the town was captured and later burned by the British during the revolutionary war and later faced further devastation by hurricanes and Yellow Fever. As far as I can tell, the only thriving business there now is the crab restaurant. Accompanied by another Looper we met on the dock, we had a great meal there that night of crab, oysters, shrimp and flounder. We spent the night on their dock and set sail again early the next morning. That morning at Sunbury had a magnificent sunrise with flat calm seas. When the seas are so calm and glassy, it is almost difficult to tell where the sky stops and the water starts. As we prepared to pull away from the dock we were accompanied in the channel by both dolphin and manatees!

Although this does not get us caught up to our present location…. This is enough for one blog. Will catch up again later!

On the AICW

Hello From St Augustine!

We are now 15 days into our loop and have covered approximately 350 miles. Since our last post, we have completed the Okeechobee Waterway and started our way up the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW). We have made stops in Fort Pierce, Eau Gallie (Melbourne), Titusville, New Smyrna, Marineland and are now in St. Augustine. We have met some wonderful people - both fellow loopers as well as just other fellow boaters. In New Smyrna we got our first taste of true looper camaraderie when we were invited to join four other couples for a nice dinner out.  Loopers come from all over the US and the world and from all types of backgrounds. Some are very experienced and some are newbies like ourselves.  It makes interacting with other loopers both fun and educational.

Along the way we have seen alligators, dolphin, egrets, pelicans, turtles, sand pipers, and iguanas. On our tour of St. Augustine today, the guide was excited to point out peacocks....oh ho hum - we have seen way too many of those at home! We have seen run down old Florida shanties and multimillion dollar estates. We have also seen amazing yachts as well as rotting hulks of vessels abandoned on the river banks. We even got to see a launch of a SpaceEx rocket! Fortunately, we have had mostly clear skies and flat seas although there is a good thunder storm display right now.  

Karen and I are getting more comfortable on the boat although we still get nervous docking, especially in wind or current. I am still doing most of the driving and Karen is working the lines.  At our last two marinas, we were told we looked smooth and competent as we came in. Boy - I wish I could say that was how we felt! Once we are tied up and engines are shut down it's time for a high five and big sighs of relief. Tonight is our second night on a mooring ball. We love these as they offer the serenity of being away from a marina but without the worries of being on an anchor. They are also far less stressful to tie up to than a dock. 

Some of the highlights of the last 10 days...

The Navy Seal Museum in Fort Pierce was fantastic. Fort Pierce was the site of the training of the original navy "frogmen." You cannot come out of that place without feeling patriotic and inspired by the courage, fortitude and skills of these highly trained soldiers.

Riding our bikes on New Smyrna Beach was a lot of fun. We did it twice! Cars are allowed on the beach there, like in Daytona. When the tide is out there is a large expanse of smooth hardened sand that works great as a riding surface, even with thin road tires. On the second day we rode about 4 miles each way on the sand to see the light house at Ponce de Leon inlet. Juan Ponce de Leon was the governor of Puerto Rico and the first European to explore and chart Florida in 1515. At 4"11" tall he was actually above average height for Spaniards of that era. He ultimately died from wounds suffered in a skirmish with native Americans who did not share his enthusiasm for European settlement of Florida.

The marina at Eau Gallie was a picture perfect setting.  It looked more like a small town in the north east than Florida. The marina locals were as friendly and helpful as could be. If we had come through here a few years ago we might have been tempted to stay. 2-3 years ago you could have have purchased a nice waterfront home here  for $350,000.  They are now well well over $1,000,000.

Although we just got here today, St Augustine is shaping up to be a highlight as well. Originally founded in 1565, this picturesque city, it is the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin in North America. The old fort and the Bridge of Lions are just two of the many highlights of the city. We are moored tonight just south of the bridge which is beautifully lit up at night. 

And of course.... the miles and miles of beautiful, peaceful scenery and fresh air. Still beats a day at the office.

On the negative side.... No See Ums.  These 1 mm devils are next to impossible to see but they have a vicious bite. So far Karen has been pretty much left alone by them but my legs are a bumpy itchy mess. Just picked up some repellant so looking forward to less buggy nights.

Our amusing anecdote ... On New Smyrna Beach we met a guy from Indiana. He was in Florida to deliver an antique truck he had restored. When I asked what year the truck was... 1973! If a 1973 truck is an antique, what does that make us?!!!

Too many pictures to post but here are a few.  And check out our Relive videos linked below.

https://www.relive.cc/view/veqzmm2Q476

https://www.relive.cc/view/v7O9BBNEVQ6

https://www.relive.cc/view/vwq1BRXPZBv

https://www.relive.cc/view/vMv8JgLM8N6

We Have Started Our Loop!

Pardon me my friends, it has been over 3 weeks since my last blog. Yep, a lot has happened! We spent all of March living on our boat at the home dock of Martin, the salesman who sold us our boat. We cannot thank him and his wife enough for their hospitality. This time gave us an opportunity to get used to living on the boat and learning her systems. Martin is also a licensed captain and he took us out a few times to help us learn to maneuver and dock Off Leash safely. It can be very tricky docking a boat her size, especially if there is wind or current. Large power boats are a totally different beast from the sail boats I am used to. It seems different captains have various preferences for how they like to handle dock lines but the one consistency of docking among all experienced captains is...slow and easy. I can do slow... but it's not yet easy! Our plan is for both Karen and I to learn to handle the boat but, until I feel very comfortable handling the boat, we are concentrating on me driving and Karen handling the lines.  She is doing great and handling the lines is far more physical than driving. I cannot say she doesn't panic now and then but, for Karen, that's normal and she bounces out of it quickly.

We also continued to spend a fair amount of time with Alison, keeping her company and helping her with her house and dogs while she was waiting for Dylan to finish his work in Eugene and join her in Florida. And Hooray - he finally got here this week, just in time for us to leave. Karen's brother, Jack, and his wife, Kathy and dog, Twill, joined us on the boat for a few days.  It was great having them aboard. Jack is very knowledgeable about boats and was helpful to us in getting the boat ready.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate for us and we were never able to take them out for a cruise on Off Leash but we did at least take a dinghy ride to lunch!.

The Big News.... We finally cast off our lines and started our Great American Loop at 9:29AM on Saturday, April 2, 2022! We were getting antsy to leave and had been waiting for the right weather window. We monitor 4 weather apps and for the whole week they were predicting winds and thunder storms and we would wake up to clear skies and mild winds. So, we finally declared Saturday would be the day. We were up at 6 am to get an early start only to be socked in by fog. So we waited and waited and waited until the fog lifted and made our get away! 

We are now 4 days in and so far, so good! Our first day was  a 38 mile run from Cape Coral to Port Labelle. On this run we got to experience the first of the hundred plus locks we will transit over the course of the loop. We were pretty nervous about it as this was our first lock but this lock only raised us about 18 inches so it was pretty easy. Labelle is only 12 miles from Alison's house so she and Dylan  joined us for the 22 mile 2nd leg up to Moore Haven. Day 3 presented us with the challenge of crossing Lake Okeechobee, the second largest fresh water lake in the US. We had heard plenty of stories about how difficult it can be if the weather gets bad and, like every day, there were potential thunderstorms forecast. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we had a beautiful, safe and easy crossing. By the time we tied up on the St. Lucie river we had been on the water for 7 hours and traveled 62 miles. But we had fun rocking out to tunes and Karen even got in a little yoga on the bow. 

We are also using the Relive App to video document our travels.. You can follow us on Relive and we will post some of those videos on our blogs. Links to our videos for day one and three below...

DAY 1 VIDEO

DAY 3 VIDEO

The Grand (Mini)Tour - Off Leash!

We have continued to live onboard Off Leash for the past 10 days while still docked in Cape Coral. We have been getting used to her systems, organizing and making minor upgrades. We had promised a tour of Off Leash so we finally spent a day sprucing up our 45 foot hole in the water to the point we are not embarrassed to show her off. On the other hand, cleaning up a boat in the Florida heat left me and Karen a little grimy. So, don't expect much of us in our video.  In the hopes of not taxing the upload. system, I have split the tour into 4 short videos. I do not expect any Academy award nominations for my work! 

I must admit, in light of the current events happening in Ukraine it seems a little trivial to be blogging about our new boat and adventure. My family history traces back to Ukraine and, like many of you, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine as we hope for a speedy and less violent resolution to the conflict.

The Adventure Begins!

Hard to believe its been 17 days since our last post! Since then, we moved onto the boat, gave her her name, and were surprisingly able to fit most of what we brought with us into one of the many nooks and crannies in our beautifully designed boat. We spent about a week living aboard in Fort Lauderdale organizing things, and then took off with our training captains, Jerry and Jean Coleman, on Monday afternoon to make our way through the keys and up the west coast of Florida to Cape Coral which would be our final staging area for starting our loop. Our first stop was going to be south of Miami, but as we left Port Everglades and were about to throttle up heading south, we saw a submarine (nuclear?) performing operations and were subsequently stopped by the US Navy and told to go back into the intracoastal waterway in order to head south. What that meant was we had to motor slowly and therefore were only able to make it to Marine Stadium, an anchorage across Biscayne Bay from Miami. By the time we got there, the place was crowded, jet skis were zooming everywhere, and the rap music was blaring. We found a little window of space and were able to set our anchor, turn off the engines, and then relax, make dinner and hit the sack early, after our maiden voyage. That all sounds really good, right? Nope.... about 5:00am we get a knock on our stateroom door, and Jerry, one of our captains, told us that our anchor had slipped and that we needed to get up, start the engines and get the heck out of there. Say what??? Rob moved a lot faster than I did, and eventually everyone managed to get the boat safe and secure and anchored out in Biscayne Bay south of Miami to await the sunrise when we could make tracks to Key Largo.

The rest of our trip took us south to Marathon and then a 110 mile cruise north along the west coast to Marco Island. We had great flat seas and Off Leash performed magnificently, her shiny aluminum diesels purring like kittens. We had to move quickly as there were more significant winds forecast through the week. Along the way we got to experience the crab pots we had heard so much about. If you catch a crab pot in your prop, you are in for a bad day. The pots were everywhere! Most were white, yellow, or red and relatively easy to spot. Some crabbers however think it is a good idea to use marking balls painted the same turquoise as the waters of the keys. Dodging the pots is basically the boating equivalent of a video game! We were also joined along the way by a few hitch hiking dolphins.  You just can't help but smile when Flipper is playing in your wake. The docking in Key Largo and Marathon were very tricky due to the building winds so Rob had to let Jerry handle much of the maneuvering. Marco Island was our first stop where Rob was able to dock the boat on his own. 

Our first trip came to a close on Friday afternoon when we docked Off Leash at the water front home of the salesman, Martin, who sold us our new floating  fiberglass villa. We parted ways with Jean and Jerry and made our way back to Ali's house for a couple of days in a real bed, long showers and a full size washer and dryer. We will load up the rest of our gear and head back to Off Leash tomorrow. 

Next up... once we clean her all up... a tour of Off Leash!

Chicken Coops, Dog Beaches and Miami Boat Show!

It has been over 2 weeks since we laid eyes on Off Leash and 10 days since our last post.  We had hoped we would have been able to move aboard 10 days ago but, unfortunately, there were a few issues that showed up on our survey that needed to be taken care of before she could be “splashed” back into the water for us to take delivery. We are getting a taste of how frustrating it can be to have a boat in the yard. Like everything these days, with supply chain issues and labor shortages, nothing happens quickly. So the motto for the past 2 weeks…. “Hurry-up and wait!”

So what do you do while waiting? Our daughter, Ali, took us and her three doodles to the most fantastic dog beach I have seen. Located on Bonita Beach, near Naples, this was a long narrow stretch of beach with a very gradual slope into shallow water. There were over 50 dogs happily frolicking in the water, splashing and chasing balls and each other. I know Ali’s dogs were happy and you could not help but have a smile on your face while watching the action. Tuckered out, they slept well on the way home.

Our daughter’s new house is located on 2.5 acres in a rural area just east of Fort Myers. She brought a couple of her chickens from Oregon with her and over the past 3 weeks has hatched 6 more chicks and purchased 2 more.  Ten Chickens!  They obviously need a proper place to live and protection from the raccoons, bobcats and even the occasional panther that lurk in her rural neighborhood.  But, how to design the coop? That became the question. We could start from scratch but, with the cost of plywood these days, we thought we would look at other options. Ali is the queen of selling and shopping on Facebook marketplace. We looked for a used coop but they were either too worn out or too small. Karen came up with the idea to look for a children’s playhouse. We found one, rented a trailer to pick it up, and for the past few days we have been modifying it for chickens! I hope they will be happy (and safe) in it.

We also spent one day at the Miami Boat Show. Wow…. Some magnificent boats and lots of toys. We even got a picture with you tube personalities the Gayle Force Twins!

But, what about the boat? We were told the boat was scheduled to splash this coming Monday and we could move aboard at that time. Then I got a surprise call this afternoon that Off Leash splashed today and was back at the dealer dock waiting for us! There are still a few days’ worth of commissioning work to be done, but we will be able to start moving our gear aboard on Saturday! So, if all goes well, our next post should be from Off Leash. Fingers crossed!

OFF LEASH IS HERE!

 

She’s here! We got our first look and we’ve had her surveyed.  A few minor issues to tweak and we should be ready to move on board next week!  So, as promised in our first blog… the story of "Off Leash."

When Karen and I decided we were going to do the loop we started making up our initial list of features we would like in our boat. We both wanted a 4-8 year old boat, approximately 40’ long with twin diesels and 2 staterooms with a walk around bed so we would not have to climb over each other. We also wanted the galley and salon to be “up” with plenty of windows and an open feel. We both liked aft galleys that opened to the cockpit but they were only found on newer boats which were, most likely, not in our budget. We recognized the inherent comfort in a salon with free-standing furniture but we preferred the more modern style yachts with built in furniture.  I wanted a boat approximately 40’ long with a flybridge and stern cockpit and preferred it to also have an inside helm as well.  Karen wanted 2 heads and stairs to the flybridge rather than a ladder.

We started our search on the west coast but the pickings were slim. One boat we did see was a new Greenline 40. We were very attracted to the hybrid drive train which would allow slow speed operation on electric power without diesel fumes. It also had built in solar panels enabling more time at anchor without running a generator. As much as we loved the boat it was new so a bit above our budget and had only one head (Sorry Karen) and no flybridge (Sorry Rob). We took a brochure and drove home.  On the way home Karen thumbed through the brochure and spotted the Greenline 45 Fly and a love affair was started. That led to her binge watching YouTube reviews and the 45 Fly became her dream boat…… my reply “keep dreaming.”

Last spring we traveled to Florida to do a 4-day “Taste of the Loop” trip with Capable Cruising.  We stayed a few days after that to look at boats. The first boat we looked at – you guessed it – a Greenline 45 Fly.  Beautiful, mid-ship, master stateroom with a king size bed. Aft galley.  Inside pilothouse with a pilot house door, and a flybridge. And, more importantly, wide, flat side decks with tall gunnels and high stanchions that helped Karen feel much safer and more secure when walking to the bow. As much as we both loved the boat, my response was still “keep dreaming.”

Over the next few days we looked at boats more in our budget. Unfortunately, we compared every one of them to the Greenline and they all came up short. Some were dark and dreary. Few had an inside helm and none had pilot house door. There was one newer Carver that had much of the galley replaced by a huge glass liquor cabinet which may be a big selling point to some but did not really fit our lifestyle. And, every one of them had narrow or slanted side decks requiring the balance and skills of a ballerina to scamper from stern to bow…..skills Karen and I have lost long ago.

At this point I have to interject…..  I grew up around boats and have many long passages under my belt. Karen’s boating has been mostly a few bareboat trips in the BVI's, including our honeymoon. I am still somewhat in shock that she has been so enthusiastically behind us doing the loop. I very much want her to feel comfortable moving around her boat. So, despite the fact that we would be blowing up our budget, I agreed to move forward with ordering a 2022 Greenline 45 Fly. We did have to make a few concessions….. our boat is standard diesel drives, not hybrid, we have gel batteries instead of lithium and  a galvanized anchor instead of stainless steel. I may have to go back to work again some day, but hey… “Happy Wife, Happy Life!”