Happy Easter from Susan and I! We are truly blessed to be where we are and we hope that all of our family and friends are enjoying this magnificent day and all of the meaning that it has for each of us.
As the sea gulls fly overhead serenading us with their unique calls, and the breeze blows over the transom this afternoon, we ask that you come back and see us tomorrow when it will be April.
God Bless and Thanks for Reading!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Sunny Saturday in JAX
We arrived at the boat late last night. After unloading the car and stowing the critical stuff for the trip, we finally got to bed about 11. Long day, and a tiring day after fighting Easter Holiday traffic on I-75.
Today was another textbook Spring day. The great weather brought a bunch of people out to the docks and villages around the Marina. We had a man come to the boat to do the anchor line to chain splice that we needed to extend our anchor rode. After looking at the anchor again, I decided to get a heavier anchor, so I will upgrade to a 44 lb Delta that will fit on my anchor roller on the bow pulpit. The new anchor will arrive Tuesday by noon, just in time for the Wednesday departure. I need to paint the 25' interval marks on the anchor line before we finalize the configuration.
Our daughter Beth and grand daughters Ava and Annabelle came to the boat this morning, then we all went to nearby Avondale Village for lunch at a place called Biscotti's. It was excellent!
Seemed like there was a steady stream of folks walking the docks, enjoying the beautiful weather. Our next slip neighbor Patrick was working on replacing his hatches. We saw our "back slip" neighbors who are from DC and Northern Virginia and have a Catamaran sailboat right behind us. We saw our friend who has a sailboat at the end of our dock. Bert is a retired container ship captain who is leaving next week for the Bahamas and Costa Rica then through the Panama Canal and to San Francisco in his sailboat. I helped another fella load groceries on his boat for a trip to Ft. Lauderdale and on to the Bahamas. Gary and Susan on "Traveller", also on our dock, are heading to the Bahanas at the end of April. We met a couple who just came to the dock today in their C-Dory (hear that Monty and Linda?) who are from Ft. McAllister, GA. They are interested in Mainships, so we gave them a bar tender's tour of "Blue Moon".
So, it was a great day on the water! Happily waiting for our Wednesday departure!
Also thanks to Susan and Gary of "Traveller" for helping me understand more about blogspot.com. They helped me figure out this picture thing!
Thanks for Reading!
Today was another textbook Spring day. The great weather brought a bunch of people out to the docks and villages around the Marina. We had a man come to the boat to do the anchor line to chain splice that we needed to extend our anchor rode. After looking at the anchor again, I decided to get a heavier anchor, so I will upgrade to a 44 lb Delta that will fit on my anchor roller on the bow pulpit. The new anchor will arrive Tuesday by noon, just in time for the Wednesday departure. I need to paint the 25' interval marks on the anchor line before we finalize the configuration.
Our daughter Beth and grand daughters Ava and Annabelle came to the boat this morning, then we all went to nearby Avondale Village for lunch at a place called Biscotti's. It was excellent!
Seemed like there was a steady stream of folks walking the docks, enjoying the beautiful weather. Our next slip neighbor Patrick was working on replacing his hatches. We saw our "back slip" neighbors who are from DC and Northern Virginia and have a Catamaran sailboat right behind us. We saw our friend who has a sailboat at the end of our dock. Bert is a retired container ship captain who is leaving next week for the Bahamas and Costa Rica then through the Panama Canal and to San Francisco in his sailboat. I helped another fella load groceries on his boat for a trip to Ft. Lauderdale and on to the Bahamas. Gary and Susan on "Traveller", also on our dock, are heading to the Bahanas at the end of April. We met a couple who just came to the dock today in their C-Dory (hear that Monty and Linda?) who are from Ft. McAllister, GA. They are interested in Mainships, so we gave them a bar tender's tour of "Blue Moon".
So, it was a great day on the water! Happily waiting for our Wednesday departure!
Also thanks to Susan and Gary of "Traveller" for helping me understand more about blogspot.com. They helped me figure out this picture thing!
Thanks for Reading!
Friday, March 29, 2013
We Met Spring Today Then She Stuck Her Tongue Out At Us
We left Alabama today with mixed emotions. Such a beautiful Spring day!
Spring walked up to the house early this morning and rang our door bell. I answered, said "great to see ya", then I walked right out and drove to Opelika for a Doctor's appointment.
When I got back to the house, Spring was unloading all of her goodies for us to see. The morning was clear and warm, and had that certain smell in the air that says Spring! She stuck out her tongue and taunted like a child "too bad you won't be around here to enjoy days like this!"
Spring unloaded a ton of pollen on our vehicles this morning. The yellowish green dust is a certain indicator that the weather has changed. Spring stuck out her tongue and said "too bad you won't be around here to wash my dust off your cars!"
Spring ushered in her carpenter bees as they figuratively drove up in a van with a big trailer hooked up with all their tools. We continued to load our car for the trip South, and all the while we were watched and escorted by the huge carpenter bees that hovered in our way. Spring stuck out her tongue at us and taunted "bet you can't wait to get back and see all the destruction these bad boys are going to do to the wood on your porches!"
Spring opened buds on azaleas and flowering trees in the neighborhood this morning. She stuck her tongue out at us and said "eat your heart out, you won't be around to enjoy the show this year!"
Spring colored our lake water a beautiful, brilliant green this morning. A shade of green that we only see at this time of year. Spring stuck her tongue out and said "much nicer than the water that you will be seeing for the next year!"
So on this beautiful day when Spring finally appeared, we loaded up our car, hit the road, and here we are in Florida, sitting on "Blue Moon". As we looked in the rear view mirror heading up our street in Alabama, there was Spring, sticking her tongue out at us to taunt us to make us feel bad for leaving now that she has finally arrived.
But the joke is on her! We will see Spring again and again in the next month as we head North on The Great Loop. We will see her in new and different settings along the East Coast. We will escort her as she unloads her goodies for all to see. What we are giving up in Alabama will be with us in areas yet to be explored.
To Spring we say, "Put that tongue back in your mouth! Do not taunt us! We are with you for the long haul. Show us what you do to other parts of the country! (But PLEASE do something else with your carpenter bees!)"
Thanks for Reading!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Customizing a Dog for the Great Loop
We have a Golden Retriever named Maggie who will be going with us on the Great Loop trip. She is almost 4 and this will be her second cruise with us.
Maggie has very curly hair. She has a lot of hair. When we pet her, we get handfuls of hair. The air conditioning and heating return air grilles on the boat all know about Maggie's air. We have to clean these grilles very frequently and we always get a ton of dog hair off the filter media.
Maggie's long hair also seems to affect her when it is hot. I don't know much about the ventilating systems of dogs, but she seems to pant more and generally seems more miserable in hot weather with her long hair.
Before last year's cruise, we got Maggie what our Vet calls a "sanitary" clip. This is not a full shaving, but rather a selective clipping. She seemed to fair well in the heat and our overall assessment was that the clipping was beneficial and that she was more comfortable.
So this year, we decided to get Maggie a new "sanitary clip" for the Great Loop. Last week when I was at the boat, Susan took Maggie to our vet in Auburn and the clipping was conducted. When I saw Maggie on Friday after getting home, I was struck by the fact that we had "customized" our Golden to make her trip more comfortable.
How do you customize a Golden Retriever? First, shave her body. Get all that curly hair off, and make her body look like a yellow lab. When all that hair is gone, her color goes from a reddish gold to more of a white. Check.
Next, get the curly hair off the neck, but leave a "roll" of hair on the back of her head. Leave her ears alone,and leave her face alone. She maintains her sweet Golden face from the front. Check.
At the back end of the dog, the tail is always important, especially with a Golden that has a long bushy tail with tail feathers. So, to maintain at least some Golden Retriever integrity, the tail was basically left as is. Check.
All the hair and feathers on the legs go also. If our Golden loved to swim (which she doesn't), I could see where bare legs might make for less drag and make it easier to swim. No hair on the feet and legs lets Maggie see her toes and finger nails which somehow makes her want to chew on these. Check.
With the clip complete, we have a custom Golden that is ready for anything that comes at her on the Loop, except sunburn. We have to be extra careful to keep her from too much sun exposure to prevent sun burns! She should be able to weather the warm June days on the Chesapeake. She can take the summer heat of the Jersey Shore. She will fair well in the humidity and warmth of Lake Erie. And, by the time we hit Lake Michigan in late summer, I hope she has grown enough hair back to keep her warm on those chilly mornings.
Thanks for Reading!
Pictures Below:
1. Maggie's "Sanitary Clip"
2. Back of the Head
3. Tail and Legs
4. Face
Maggie has very curly hair. She has a lot of hair. When we pet her, we get handfuls of hair. The air conditioning and heating return air grilles on the boat all know about Maggie's air. We have to clean these grilles very frequently and we always get a ton of dog hair off the filter media.
Maggie's long hair also seems to affect her when it is hot. I don't know much about the ventilating systems of dogs, but she seems to pant more and generally seems more miserable in hot weather with her long hair.
Before last year's cruise, we got Maggie what our Vet calls a "sanitary" clip. This is not a full shaving, but rather a selective clipping. She seemed to fair well in the heat and our overall assessment was that the clipping was beneficial and that she was more comfortable.
So this year, we decided to get Maggie a new "sanitary clip" for the Great Loop. Last week when I was at the boat, Susan took Maggie to our vet in Auburn and the clipping was conducted. When I saw Maggie on Friday after getting home, I was struck by the fact that we had "customized" our Golden to make her trip more comfortable.
How do you customize a Golden Retriever? First, shave her body. Get all that curly hair off, and make her body look like a yellow lab. When all that hair is gone, her color goes from a reddish gold to more of a white. Check.
Next, get the curly hair off the neck, but leave a "roll" of hair on the back of her head. Leave her ears alone,and leave her face alone. She maintains her sweet Golden face from the front. Check.
At the back end of the dog, the tail is always important, especially with a Golden that has a long bushy tail with tail feathers. So, to maintain at least some Golden Retriever integrity, the tail was basically left as is. Check.
All the hair and feathers on the legs go also. If our Golden loved to swim (which she doesn't), I could see where bare legs might make for less drag and make it easier to swim. No hair on the feet and legs lets Maggie see her toes and finger nails which somehow makes her want to chew on these. Check.
With the clip complete, we have a custom Golden that is ready for anything that comes at her on the Loop, except sunburn. We have to be extra careful to keep her from too much sun exposure to prevent sun burns! She should be able to weather the warm June days on the Chesapeake. She can take the summer heat of the Jersey Shore. She will fair well in the humidity and warmth of Lake Erie. And, by the time we hit Lake Michigan in late summer, I hope she has grown enough hair back to keep her warm on those chilly mornings.
Thanks for Reading!
Pictures Below:
1. Maggie's "Sanitary Clip"
2. Back of the Head
3. Tail and Legs
4. Face
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Working Around the Weather and Under the Weather
Weather here in Alabama since I returned from JAX on Friday has been atrocious! Cold, rainy, and most of all windy. It has been winter type cold with lows in the 20's and 30's and highs in the 40's and 50's. Combine all this with winds of 20-30 mph, and it has been miserable and certainly not weather for getting last minute house items done outside.
I brought an intestinal "bug" home with me from Florida. I felt so-so on Saturday when we attended David's funeral in Montgomery. Sunday it was a little worse. Sunday night through last night was fever, intestinal maladies, and just a crapy feeling. I have a Doctor's appointment Friday morning, so I will get this checked out.
Today the wind was only 5-15 mph and the sun was out, so I forced myself to tend to some outside things associated with getting loose ends tied up to leave. That didn't go over real well, so I am laying low once again. We missed a dinner engagement tonight with neighbors Monty and Linda. Trying to reschedule for tomorrow evening.
Susan has so far escaped the physical feel-bad this week, but she is still down about her sister's loss, and is taking it hard. Couple this with getting packed and finishing our checklists, and she is stressed. Didn't help much when our house cat (inside cat) Trooper, who is going with us around the Loop, slipped out this morning and found a good hiding place. Usually our Golden Retriever Maggie will "retrieve" him from under a porch or some bushes. No such luck this morning. He showed back up and is back inside now, but there were some tense moments. Wonder if he knows something in his life is about to change?
This week we have managed to file our taxes, get our passports renewed, change our cable plan, confirm our first guests on the cruise, distribute a bunch of boat cards, decide on some marinas at which to stay early in the trip, finalize our bill paying strategies while on the trip, and pretty much complete our trip book.
Rodger has also completed some more loose ends maintenance-wise on the boat. He got us a spare domestic water pump for sinks, shower, and head. He will have the anchor line spliced and installed by the end of the week. He has done a great job!
A week from today we leave our marina slip in JAX and head out on the adventure. The reality is setting in. The planning phase is pretty much behind us. The execution phase is here.
Right now I am not sure whether we will be executing or whether we will be executed. We will know after we slip our lines, then turn left out of the marina, call for an opening, and go under the Ortega River Bridge. If this were a football game, that will constitute the first "hit".
Game on! (almost)
Thanks for reading.
I brought an intestinal "bug" home with me from Florida. I felt so-so on Saturday when we attended David's funeral in Montgomery. Sunday it was a little worse. Sunday night through last night was fever, intestinal maladies, and just a crapy feeling. I have a Doctor's appointment Friday morning, so I will get this checked out.
Today the wind was only 5-15 mph and the sun was out, so I forced myself to tend to some outside things associated with getting loose ends tied up to leave. That didn't go over real well, so I am laying low once again. We missed a dinner engagement tonight with neighbors Monty and Linda. Trying to reschedule for tomorrow evening.
Susan has so far escaped the physical feel-bad this week, but she is still down about her sister's loss, and is taking it hard. Couple this with getting packed and finishing our checklists, and she is stressed. Didn't help much when our house cat (inside cat) Trooper, who is going with us around the Loop, slipped out this morning and found a good hiding place. Usually our Golden Retriever Maggie will "retrieve" him from under a porch or some bushes. No such luck this morning. He showed back up and is back inside now, but there were some tense moments. Wonder if he knows something in his life is about to change?
This week we have managed to file our taxes, get our passports renewed, change our cable plan, confirm our first guests on the cruise, distribute a bunch of boat cards, decide on some marinas at which to stay early in the trip, finalize our bill paying strategies while on the trip, and pretty much complete our trip book.
Rodger has also completed some more loose ends maintenance-wise on the boat. He got us a spare domestic water pump for sinks, shower, and head. He will have the anchor line spliced and installed by the end of the week. He has done a great job!
A week from today we leave our marina slip in JAX and head out on the adventure. The reality is setting in. The planning phase is pretty much behind us. The execution phase is here.
Right now I am not sure whether we will be executing or whether we will be executed. We will know after we slip our lines, then turn left out of the marina, call for an opening, and go under the Ortega River Bridge. If this were a football game, that will constitute the first "hit".
Game on! (almost)
Thanks for reading.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Back in Alabama
Yesterday was a good work day. The weather was sunny, but cold. I finished painting the dinghy bottom with some coats of paint around 1:30 in the afternoon, then again about 7 yesterday evening. The afternoon painting was affected by the wind, so I bought another can of spray paint and put some more paint on after dinner when the wind was basically calm.
The evening painting session was supervised by several of our dock neighbors. Much discussion was conducted about the pros and cons of using off the shelf spay paint by Rustoleum and Valspar that I purchased at Lowes, vs very expensive marine paint. Just as long as it doesn't come off is my motto! Heck it's just an inflatable dinghy with an aluminum hull. The overall job is passable and will serve the function for which it was intended. The boat name will go on when we get back to JAX to start the trip. Gotta give the paint a chance to get hard.
I also put some retaining devices on the shelf areas in the engine room, then set plastic tubs into the spaces to use to store pet food and other consumables that we need to take. I had gotten supplies the day before, but naturally I had missed some things, so this meant a trip back to the store yesterday afternoon to complete the project. I have done all I am going to do on this deal.
Today I got up early and cleaned the protection paper and tape from the dinghy hull. I used Gorilla Tape and that stuff is sticky! I was concerned that the tape would not stick to the Hypalon material of which the dinghy is made. Don't need to worry about that again! It stuck like a champ!
I also finished some other loose ends this morning, re-tied the boat forward in the slip, filled the water tank, loaded the car, then cleaned the decks. The bugs kept coming back after I would hose them down. They love the beige color of our boat, I guess. Even with the temps in the low 40's this morning, the bugs kept coming. They are hearty souls!
Left the marina about 10:20 AM Eastern and arrived back at the house here in Alabama about 3:45 PM Central. Traffic on I-75 was brutal! Ran into rain between Albany and Columbus, and carried it with me until I got home.
So, it was a good week in JAX. I got most of what I needed to do done. I am impressed with the freezer and the inverter. I have a better knowledge of the mechanical systems than I did last week-at least I have a knowledge of what I want to tackle and what I don't want to do. We are about ready for the trip........at last!
Thanks for reading.
Two pictures below of the finished paint on the dinghy
The evening painting session was supervised by several of our dock neighbors. Much discussion was conducted about the pros and cons of using off the shelf spay paint by Rustoleum and Valspar that I purchased at Lowes, vs very expensive marine paint. Just as long as it doesn't come off is my motto! Heck it's just an inflatable dinghy with an aluminum hull. The overall job is passable and will serve the function for which it was intended. The boat name will go on when we get back to JAX to start the trip. Gotta give the paint a chance to get hard.
I also put some retaining devices on the shelf areas in the engine room, then set plastic tubs into the spaces to use to store pet food and other consumables that we need to take. I had gotten supplies the day before, but naturally I had missed some things, so this meant a trip back to the store yesterday afternoon to complete the project. I have done all I am going to do on this deal.
Today I got up early and cleaned the protection paper and tape from the dinghy hull. I used Gorilla Tape and that stuff is sticky! I was concerned that the tape would not stick to the Hypalon material of which the dinghy is made. Don't need to worry about that again! It stuck like a champ!
I also finished some other loose ends this morning, re-tied the boat forward in the slip, filled the water tank, loaded the car, then cleaned the decks. The bugs kept coming back after I would hose them down. They love the beige color of our boat, I guess. Even with the temps in the low 40's this morning, the bugs kept coming. They are hearty souls!
Left the marina about 10:20 AM Eastern and arrived back at the house here in Alabama about 3:45 PM Central. Traffic on I-75 was brutal! Ran into rain between Albany and Columbus, and carried it with me until I got home.
So, it was a good week in JAX. I got most of what I needed to do done. I am impressed with the freezer and the inverter. I have a better knowledge of the mechanical systems than I did last week-at least I have a knowledge of what I want to tackle and what I don't want to do. We are about ready for the trip........at last!
Thanks for reading.
Two pictures below of the finished paint on the dinghy
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Remembering David
Susan's sister's husband passed away early this morning with his family by his bed side. David and Joan have two daughters, one granddaughter and a grandson.
David was a very kind and giving person. I sincerely believe that he did not have an enemy in the world. He loved to come to our lake house and sit out on the big screened porch. He also loved riding in the pontoon boat.
David was an information technology guru who got his start in the IT department with a local prescription drug company in Montgomery, AL. He rose up the ranks in that organization and it's successor companies and had responsibilities for computer operations and training in the company's offices across the US. When the company shut down operations in Montgomery, David went to work with the State of Alabama in the Finance Department doing IT work.
He loved to hunt and fish. He also loved spending time with his grandchildren.
David, you will be missed. May you rest in peace.
Our prayers go out to Joan and the girls.
David was a very kind and giving person. I sincerely believe that he did not have an enemy in the world. He loved to come to our lake house and sit out on the big screened porch. He also loved riding in the pontoon boat.
David was an information technology guru who got his start in the IT department with a local prescription drug company in Montgomery, AL. He rose up the ranks in that organization and it's successor companies and had responsibilities for computer operations and training in the company's offices across the US. When the company shut down operations in Montgomery, David went to work with the State of Alabama in the Finance Department doing IT work.
He loved to hunt and fish. He also loved spending time with his grandchildren.
David, you will be missed. May you rest in peace.
Our prayers go out to Joan and the girls.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Working Around the Rain on the First Day of Spring
So today is the first day of Spring, 2013. We leave heading North two weeks from today! The departure is rushing toward us like a freight train.
Today's forecast in JAX was for rain around 1:00 PM then most of the afternoon. My primary objective now is to get the bottom of the dinghy painted. I put the etching primer on yesterday evening and this morning the paint looked OK and was dry. The rain started this morning about 11. Light rain, nothing torrential.
At 1:00 the sun was peeking through. I looked at the radar and saw nothing to the West or North West which are the directions that the weather had been moving this morning. So, I went ahead and painted the second primer paint, which is white. This would let me apply the finish paint coats tomorrow afternoon. I was feeling pretty good!
I had decided on my storage solutions for the spaces in the engine room this morning,and I made a list of material that I would need to put the storage in place. After I put the second primer paint on, I went out on a run to get some material.
At 4:45 this afternoon, the hard rain hit us. I was at a Target near the Naval Air Station, about three miles from the boat. The rains came. When I got to the marina, I had to make a run for the dock. As I jumped onto the boat in the rain, I checked the dinghy and the second primer had dried enough so that the rain seemed to be running off the hull without affecting the paint. Whew!!
I am staying here tomorrow to finish the painting. The forecast is for sunny skies and NO rain! I will also finish the storage bins tomorrow.
Heading back to Alabama on Friday.
Susan's sister's husband is in grave condition tonight under Hospice care at home in Montgomery, AL. Our prayers are with he and Susan's sister, Joan.
Thanks for reading.
Pictures today:
The dinghy with the white primer applied
2. Area in the engine room where we will but storage bins
Today's forecast in JAX was for rain around 1:00 PM then most of the afternoon. My primary objective now is to get the bottom of the dinghy painted. I put the etching primer on yesterday evening and this morning the paint looked OK and was dry. The rain started this morning about 11. Light rain, nothing torrential.
At 1:00 the sun was peeking through. I looked at the radar and saw nothing to the West or North West which are the directions that the weather had been moving this morning. So, I went ahead and painted the second primer paint, which is white. This would let me apply the finish paint coats tomorrow afternoon. I was feeling pretty good!
I had decided on my storage solutions for the spaces in the engine room this morning,and I made a list of material that I would need to put the storage in place. After I put the second primer paint on, I went out on a run to get some material.
At 4:45 this afternoon, the hard rain hit us. I was at a Target near the Naval Air Station, about three miles from the boat. The rains came. When I got to the marina, I had to make a run for the dock. As I jumped onto the boat in the rain, I checked the dinghy and the second primer had dried enough so that the rain seemed to be running off the hull without affecting the paint. Whew!!
I am staying here tomorrow to finish the painting. The forecast is for sunny skies and NO rain! I will also finish the storage bins tomorrow.
Heading back to Alabama on Friday.
Susan's sister's husband is in grave condition tonight under Hospice care at home in Montgomery, AL. Our prayers are with he and Susan's sister, Joan.
Thanks for reading.
Pictures today:
The dinghy with the white primer applied
2. Area in the engine room where we will but storage bins
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Maintenance Day
Today was "Maintenance Day". The day started with high wind gusts and hard rain before 7 AM. The boat rocked around pretty good.
Rodger arrived mid morning and by that time the sun was peeking through the clouds. We hit the engine room and spent the next 4 or 5 hours in the below decks space.
We changed oil and oil filters in the main engine and the generator. We used the oil changer which is a pump that is connected to both engines. You pump the oil out of the engines into a 5 gallon bucket and then pump oil back into the engines from 1 gallon jugs. We pumped a total of 5 gallons of oil. We put NAPA oil filters back on.
Next we checked fuel filters and we replaced the main engine filter. Rodger will replace the Racor filters when he gets gaskets that had to be ordered, but we went through the exercise. Rodger will also remove the bowl from the main engine Racor filter and clean out some sediment that has accumulated. Diesel fuel is really filthy! No telling what is lying on the bottom of the main fuel tank!
We then replaced the impeller in the raw water pump for the main engine. The impeller is a large rubber wheel with multiple rubber blades. The wheel is about 3" thick and must be pulled out with a puller and then twisted into place. Much lube was used to get this animal to go back into the pump housing. The impeller spins around powered by a belt drive on the engine, and this pumps sea water that is sucked into the hoses from below the boat. All this water is used to cool the big Cummins diesel.
Rodger also replaced the zincs on the main engine. These are called "pencil zincs" that fit on a pin that is on a bolt that is threaded into the cooling water chambers of the engine.
Finally Rodger replaced the windlass switches that had worn out up on the foredeck by the bow pulpit.
After we did maintenance, the sun was shining brightly. I taped off the dinghy bottom and got out the spray paint. I felt that the temperature of the aluminum on the dinghy hull was too high to paint, as the sun now was shining directly on the hull. So, I waited until 7 PM, and then sprayed my etching primer on the bottom. Took almost two cans. Looks good. I will try to finish the next primer coat and the finish coats tomorrow, weather permitting. It is supposed to rain again tomorrow afternoon.
It was a good day. I learned a lot spending the day down in the engine room, even though my back and legs are sore.
Tomorrow I need to try to finish the painting and then work out some storage situations in the engine room.
Thanks for reading!
Pictures below:
1. Nice center console docked next to us....as discussed yesterday
2. Working in the engine room
3. Dinghy bottom taped off
Rodger arrived mid morning and by that time the sun was peeking through the clouds. We hit the engine room and spent the next 4 or 5 hours in the below decks space.
We changed oil and oil filters in the main engine and the generator. We used the oil changer which is a pump that is connected to both engines. You pump the oil out of the engines into a 5 gallon bucket and then pump oil back into the engines from 1 gallon jugs. We pumped a total of 5 gallons of oil. We put NAPA oil filters back on.
Next we checked fuel filters and we replaced the main engine filter. Rodger will replace the Racor filters when he gets gaskets that had to be ordered, but we went through the exercise. Rodger will also remove the bowl from the main engine Racor filter and clean out some sediment that has accumulated. Diesel fuel is really filthy! No telling what is lying on the bottom of the main fuel tank!
We then replaced the impeller in the raw water pump for the main engine. The impeller is a large rubber wheel with multiple rubber blades. The wheel is about 3" thick and must be pulled out with a puller and then twisted into place. Much lube was used to get this animal to go back into the pump housing. The impeller spins around powered by a belt drive on the engine, and this pumps sea water that is sucked into the hoses from below the boat. All this water is used to cool the big Cummins diesel.
Rodger also replaced the zincs on the main engine. These are called "pencil zincs" that fit on a pin that is on a bolt that is threaded into the cooling water chambers of the engine.
Finally Rodger replaced the windlass switches that had worn out up on the foredeck by the bow pulpit.
After we did maintenance, the sun was shining brightly. I taped off the dinghy bottom and got out the spray paint. I felt that the temperature of the aluminum on the dinghy hull was too high to paint, as the sun now was shining directly on the hull. So, I waited until 7 PM, and then sprayed my etching primer on the bottom. Took almost two cans. Looks good. I will try to finish the next primer coat and the finish coats tomorrow, weather permitting. It is supposed to rain again tomorrow afternoon.
It was a good day. I learned a lot spending the day down in the engine room, even though my back and legs are sore.
Tomorrow I need to try to finish the painting and then work out some storage situations in the engine room.
Thanks for reading!
Pictures below:
1. Nice center console docked next to us....as discussed yesterday
2. Working in the engine room
3. Dinghy bottom taped off
Monday, March 18, 2013
Monday in JAX
Yesterday we ate breakfast with Amanda and Ben at a local breakfast/lunch cafe in Daphne. It is in an old house, and it has a lot of charm. Very good meal and definitely a place to go back to!
I drove to JAX yesterday afternoon, and Susan returned home. We had a great visit with Amanda and Ben. The next time we see them will be when their baby is born in about two months. Can't wait for that!
The boat was filthy. Birds and bugs had done their things all over the vessel. It was almost embarrassing. I wound up washing the big boat this afternoon and it looks a little more respectable.
Rain was in the forecast for today, so I held off on any painting of the dinghy. I did do some bottom prep to get ready to paint tomorrow or Wednesday. Rain is in the forecast for the entire week, so I am taking this a day at a time. I got some mineral spirits and sandpaper to use in the prep and painting.
Rodger came by and we checked out the inverter and the things that we need to have to do the maintenance tomorrow. The freezer is working well,and I am excited to have the inverter.
We looked at the windlass and decided to splice an anchor rope (line) to the chain. We also need to add a swivel to the anchor. I have learned how to do splicing, but the attachment of the line to a chain is a specialized splice that needs to be done professionally. Rodger will get this done before we leave on the trip.
Our slip neighbor, Patrick, has a beautiful 26' skiff moored between our boat and his 44' Schucker motor sailer. He showed me this boat that he got for a "racehorse deal". I love it!
We have a new sailboat moored behind us on the other side of the dock. Not sure who this belongs to.
We have another new boat that is moored several slips down from us. Patrick told me that the owners are preparing to start the Loop. They are away from the boat for a few weeks, and I hope we can meet them before we start our trip.
I met another new lady on our dock who is on her sailboat with her husband. They are from Salt Lake City and are returning home tomorrow for a month or so.
I also met a man and his son who were looking at marinas to put a 34' sailboat that the son was going to buy to live on. They were looking at our dock. The son is in the Coast Guard and is a flight mechanic on a rescue helicopter. He is being reassigned to JAX in June. I told them that it would be a dream come true to live on a sailboat at a nice marina while in the military.
We have a Navy pilot that lives on his boat right behind us. He flies out of NAS JAX that is right down the road. He has two small dogs that he keeps on the boat. Maggie never misses an opportunity to give these dogs grief!
Tomorrow is maintenance day with Rodger. Hope the rain holds off!
Thanks for reading.
I drove to JAX yesterday afternoon, and Susan returned home. We had a great visit with Amanda and Ben. The next time we see them will be when their baby is born in about two months. Can't wait for that!
The boat was filthy. Birds and bugs had done their things all over the vessel. It was almost embarrassing. I wound up washing the big boat this afternoon and it looks a little more respectable.
Rain was in the forecast for today, so I held off on any painting of the dinghy. I did do some bottom prep to get ready to paint tomorrow or Wednesday. Rain is in the forecast for the entire week, so I am taking this a day at a time. I got some mineral spirits and sandpaper to use in the prep and painting.
Rodger came by and we checked out the inverter and the things that we need to have to do the maintenance tomorrow. The freezer is working well,and I am excited to have the inverter.
We looked at the windlass and decided to splice an anchor rope (line) to the chain. We also need to add a swivel to the anchor. I have learned how to do splicing, but the attachment of the line to a chain is a specialized splice that needs to be done professionally. Rodger will get this done before we leave on the trip.
Our slip neighbor, Patrick, has a beautiful 26' skiff moored between our boat and his 44' Schucker motor sailer. He showed me this boat that he got for a "racehorse deal". I love it!
We have a new sailboat moored behind us on the other side of the dock. Not sure who this belongs to.
We have another new boat that is moored several slips down from us. Patrick told me that the owners are preparing to start the Loop. They are away from the boat for a few weeks, and I hope we can meet them before we start our trip.
I met another new lady on our dock who is on her sailboat with her husband. They are from Salt Lake City and are returning home tomorrow for a month or so.
I also met a man and his son who were looking at marinas to put a 34' sailboat that the son was going to buy to live on. They were looking at our dock. The son is in the Coast Guard and is a flight mechanic on a rescue helicopter. He is being reassigned to JAX in June. I told them that it would be a dream come true to live on a sailboat at a nice marina while in the military.
We have a Navy pilot that lives on his boat right behind us. He flies out of NAS JAX that is right down the road. He has two small dogs that he keeps on the boat. Maggie never misses an opportunity to give these dogs grief!
Tomorrow is maintenance day with Rodger. Hope the rain holds off!
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Sun, Fun, Food, and Azaleas
We got to Baldwin County, AL yesterday afternoon for our visit with Amanda and Ben. Took us about 4 hours. Ate lunch at the Bates Turkey place in Greenville, AL. Barbecued turkey sandwich and a side of cornbread dressing! It was delicious.
We did some errands late afternoon. I bought a camera like Amanda's at Best Buy. I am very pleased with the simplicity and quality of pics! The pics today were taken with the camera, some looking into the sun (sorry).
We also stopped on "Alligator Alley" in Daphne. This is a city park with trails along a creek that flows into Mobile Bay. Sure enough, there was a big gator laying on the bank by the Hampton Inn near I-10.
Last night's dinner was at The Bluegill on the Mobile Bay Causeway. This is a rustic older fish camp style restaurant. The food and atmosphere was fabulous. We are all big oyster lovers, and we ate our fill. Excellent meal!!
We spent most of the day today at the Fairhope Arts Festival in downtown Fairhope, AL. Fairhope is on the Eastern Store of Mobile Bay, and is known as the City of Flowers. This is often a stop for Loopers as they proceed down Mobile Bay.
The weather has been great all day. Clear blue skies, a nice breeze, and temps in the low 70's. The festival was huge and well attended. The food was standard festival fare with many booths set up. There were dozens of artists displaying their art. Paintings, photography, wood art, furniture, metal art, ceramics, pottery, jewelry, clothes, toys; you name it....it was there and on display for sale.
So, we were part of the several hundred thousand visitors that this festival draws. We stayed about 4 hours. We rode a shuttle bus from a shopping center into the center part of town, and then back out. We sampled food and had some ice cream. Amanda is about two months away from delivering her baby girl, so she shopped for a lot of baby related things. The booths with hand made baby clothes, baby gear, etc. were very popular with our group. Grandma Susan also enjoyed these booths and vendors.
As I had hoped, the azaleas are still in bloom down here. They are very beautiful. They have huge azaleas in this area. Just a large mass of color. I have posted some pics of some of the azaleas that we have seen.
All in all, we have enjoyed our visit. Tomorrow I will head to Jacksonville and to the boat.
Thanks for reading!
Pictures Below:
1. Fairhope, AL Downtown Sign
2. Nana (Susan) Amanda and Ben at Arts Festival
3. Arts Festival
4. Ben, Amanda, Susan Shopping at Arts Festival
5. Big Bank of Azaleas
6. Multicolor Azalea Bush
7. Big Bank of Azaleas
8. Big Bank of Azaleas
We did some errands late afternoon. I bought a camera like Amanda's at Best Buy. I am very pleased with the simplicity and quality of pics! The pics today were taken with the camera, some looking into the sun (sorry).
We also stopped on "Alligator Alley" in Daphne. This is a city park with trails along a creek that flows into Mobile Bay. Sure enough, there was a big gator laying on the bank by the Hampton Inn near I-10.
Last night's dinner was at The Bluegill on the Mobile Bay Causeway. This is a rustic older fish camp style restaurant. The food and atmosphere was fabulous. We are all big oyster lovers, and we ate our fill. Excellent meal!!
We spent most of the day today at the Fairhope Arts Festival in downtown Fairhope, AL. Fairhope is on the Eastern Store of Mobile Bay, and is known as the City of Flowers. This is often a stop for Loopers as they proceed down Mobile Bay.
The weather has been great all day. Clear blue skies, a nice breeze, and temps in the low 70's. The festival was huge and well attended. The food was standard festival fare with many booths set up. There were dozens of artists displaying their art. Paintings, photography, wood art, furniture, metal art, ceramics, pottery, jewelry, clothes, toys; you name it....it was there and on display for sale.
So, we were part of the several hundred thousand visitors that this festival draws. We stayed about 4 hours. We rode a shuttle bus from a shopping center into the center part of town, and then back out. We sampled food and had some ice cream. Amanda is about two months away from delivering her baby girl, so she shopped for a lot of baby related things. The booths with hand made baby clothes, baby gear, etc. were very popular with our group. Grandma Susan also enjoyed these booths and vendors.
As I had hoped, the azaleas are still in bloom down here. They are very beautiful. They have huge azaleas in this area. Just a large mass of color. I have posted some pics of some of the azaleas that we have seen.
All in all, we have enjoyed our visit. Tomorrow I will head to Jacksonville and to the boat.
Thanks for reading!
Pictures Below:
1. Fairhope, AL Downtown Sign
2. Nana (Susan) Amanda and Ben at Arts Festival
3. Arts Festival
4. Ben, Amanda, Susan Shopping at Arts Festival
5. Big Bank of Azaleas
6. Multicolor Azalea Bush
7. Big Bank of Azaleas
8. Big Bank of Azaleas
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Heading to the Boat
Tomorrow we head to the Eastern Shore area of Alabama to visit our son Ben and daughter - in - law Amanda in Daphne. We will go to the Fairhope Art Festival on Saturday which is a street festival in Fairhope, AL. The weather looks to be gorgeous for the weekend.
Fairhope is on the Eastern shore of Mobile Bay. There is a marina there that we will probably visit when we come through on the Loop cruise in November. We will check out the marina on Saturday. Actually there may be two marinas in the location I am thinking of on Fly Creek. The marina areas are just across the creek from the Fairhope Yacht Club.
I hope that the azaleas are still in bloom this weekend. They have the large leaf azaleas there that grow to be huge. The large pink and purple blooms are beautiful. Both Daphne and Fairhope have quaint older areas that have tons of these azaleas along with large water oaks that over hang the streets.
On Sunday Susan and I split up and I am driving over to Jacksonville to the boat. I am taking supplies to store aboard and I will bring some things that we don't need for the trip, back to Alabama. I will also paint the bottom of the inflatable dinghy and work with Rodger on main engine and generator oil changes, filters, zincs, and impellers.
We should get good pictures to post over the weekend and next week on the boat.
Today I renewed my BoatUS membership and signed up for the tow package. With BoatUS and Sea Tow, I have my belts and suspenders on towing!
I got my passport photo made today. Susan gets hers next week.
So, until tomorrow! Thanks for reading.
Fairhope is on the Eastern shore of Mobile Bay. There is a marina there that we will probably visit when we come through on the Loop cruise in November. We will check out the marina on Saturday. Actually there may be two marinas in the location I am thinking of on Fly Creek. The marina areas are just across the creek from the Fairhope Yacht Club.
I hope that the azaleas are still in bloom this weekend. They have the large leaf azaleas there that grow to be huge. The large pink and purple blooms are beautiful. Both Daphne and Fairhope have quaint older areas that have tons of these azaleas along with large water oaks that over hang the streets.
On Sunday Susan and I split up and I am driving over to Jacksonville to the boat. I am taking supplies to store aboard and I will bring some things that we don't need for the trip, back to Alabama. I will also paint the bottom of the inflatable dinghy and work with Rodger on main engine and generator oil changes, filters, zincs, and impellers.
We should get good pictures to post over the weekend and next week on the boat.
Today I renewed my BoatUS membership and signed up for the tow package. With BoatUS and Sea Tow, I have my belts and suspenders on towing!
I got my passport photo made today. Susan gets hers next week.
So, until tomorrow! Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Three Weeks to Go
Three weeks from today we shove off from Ortega Landing Marina heading down the St. Johns River then North to points beyond.
Susan and I both had dermatologist appointments today in Auburn. We took advantage of this time of being in town to get two back packs and some painting supplies to do the bottom of the dinghy.
I had been looking at backpacks that we can use when we ride our bikes to the stores in the towns we visit. We carry two bikes with us on the stern deck of the boat. We use the swim platform to wheel them on and off the boat and onto the docks. They don't take up much room.
On our trip last year, we used the bikes to go from the marinas to drug stores and grocery stores. In Stuart, FL we rode about 5 miles round trip to a drug store to get prescriptions refilled. We stopped on the way back at a Publix grocery store. When we checked out, we told them we had to have all the purchases in no more than 4 bags. Susan hung 2 bags on her handle bars and I hung 2 on my handle bars. It was shaky getting back, but we made it.
Since last year, we got baskets for the handlebars. The backpacks that we got today are mesh type and we should be able to get 2 or 3 bags of groceries in each. We got them in red so people can see us from behind as we boogie along the bike paths or roads or sidewalks. I think that we should each be able to handle 6 or 7 bags with the back packs, baskets, and handle bars. Time will tell!
The Erie Canal Cruising Guide was delivered today along with some brochures of New York waterways. The Canal Corporation looks to be a first class group. The Cruising Guide is 11"x17" and is very impressive. They were very kind to also send us the brochures. I think with minimal commercial traffic on the canal in this day and time that the lifeblood is the pleasure boater. They are promoting the waterways to the pleasure boater very well!
I also received a GPS receiver for my MAC laptop that I ordered yesterday. Great service! I read about a navigation software program that works on MACs yesterday in the AGLCA daily blog. I also found that I need the GPS receiver to make the software work. So, we will see if we can get all of this working.
Rodger sent me pictures of the new inverter installation today. Looks good to me. I scratched that one off my Check List.
I resigned from Meals on Wheels this afternoon in preparation for not being available to deliver meals one day a month. I will pick this back up when we get back. It is something that I enjoy.
I communicated with my friend Doug in Ohio today. I worked with him with the construction company. He has a big trawler that he keeps just north of Toledo. He is preparing to do a 4 month trip to Lake Superior in the trawler starting June 1. We are sharing some things that can help us both enjoy our cruising experiences. I hope he and his wife can do the Loop trip next year and that we can get together.
Until tomorrow! Thanks for reading.
Pictures Below:
1. New Mesh Back Packs
2. Erie Canal Cruising Guide
3. New York Waterways Brochures
4. New Inverter and Switch
Susan and I both had dermatologist appointments today in Auburn. We took advantage of this time of being in town to get two back packs and some painting supplies to do the bottom of the dinghy.
I had been looking at backpacks that we can use when we ride our bikes to the stores in the towns we visit. We carry two bikes with us on the stern deck of the boat. We use the swim platform to wheel them on and off the boat and onto the docks. They don't take up much room.
On our trip last year, we used the bikes to go from the marinas to drug stores and grocery stores. In Stuart, FL we rode about 5 miles round trip to a drug store to get prescriptions refilled. We stopped on the way back at a Publix grocery store. When we checked out, we told them we had to have all the purchases in no more than 4 bags. Susan hung 2 bags on her handle bars and I hung 2 on my handle bars. It was shaky getting back, but we made it.
Since last year, we got baskets for the handlebars. The backpacks that we got today are mesh type and we should be able to get 2 or 3 bags of groceries in each. We got them in red so people can see us from behind as we boogie along the bike paths or roads or sidewalks. I think that we should each be able to handle 6 or 7 bags with the back packs, baskets, and handle bars. Time will tell!
The Erie Canal Cruising Guide was delivered today along with some brochures of New York waterways. The Canal Corporation looks to be a first class group. The Cruising Guide is 11"x17" and is very impressive. They were very kind to also send us the brochures. I think with minimal commercial traffic on the canal in this day and time that the lifeblood is the pleasure boater. They are promoting the waterways to the pleasure boater very well!
I also received a GPS receiver for my MAC laptop that I ordered yesterday. Great service! I read about a navigation software program that works on MACs yesterday in the AGLCA daily blog. I also found that I need the GPS receiver to make the software work. So, we will see if we can get all of this working.
Rodger sent me pictures of the new inverter installation today. Looks good to me. I scratched that one off my Check List.
I resigned from Meals on Wheels this afternoon in preparation for not being available to deliver meals one day a month. I will pick this back up when we get back. It is something that I enjoy.
I communicated with my friend Doug in Ohio today. I worked with him with the construction company. He has a big trawler that he keeps just north of Toledo. He is preparing to do a 4 month trip to Lake Superior in the trawler starting June 1. We are sharing some things that can help us both enjoy our cruising experiences. I hope he and his wife can do the Loop trip next year and that we can get together.
Until tomorrow! Thanks for reading.
Pictures Below:
1. New Mesh Back Packs
2. Erie Canal Cruising Guide
3. New York Waterways Brochures
4. New Inverter and Switch
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Tying Up More Loose Ends
Our Boat man in Jacksonville, Rodger, was on the boat today to install an inverter for our new freezer. On our last trip, we got a 2.1 cf (small) freezer from Amazon. Our built-in refrigerator in the galley does not have a freezer. For the past two years, when we use a freezer, we use a tiny portable one that we keep on the fly bridge and plug into a 12v outlet.
The new freezer is a 115v AC model. We have AC power when we are connected to dock side shore power or when we run the generator. We want the freezer to run when we are underway without having to run the generator, so we decided to get an inverter. The inverter is connected to the battery bank and converts DC battery power to AC power. You plug the freezer into the inverter.
We can also use the inverter to power our portable ice maker. It works like the freezer on AC power. This will let us have ice when we are underway! Yea!
My "Rescue Tape" package came today in the mail. I bought two rolls of this heavy duty silicon tape to have as an emergency repair tool in case we blow something on the trip. It was recommended by a Looper whom we met at the Fall Rendezvous last year. The first use will be to wrap the skeg on my dinghy outboard so that I can bang it around the decks without scratching anything. Hope it works.
When we marked our anchor chain a couple of weeks ago at Huckins in JAX, we found that we only had 100' on the boat. Anchoring is a science. You have to find the right bottom where the anchor will dig in and hold. You also have to have the right "scope" on your chain or line anchor rode. The scope is the length of anchor line or chain and the angle it produces from the bottom up to where it attaches to the bow (front) of the boat. The longer the rode, the less the angle and the better the anchor digs into the bottom.
The minimum scope recommended for normal anchoring is a 5:1 setup. This means that you put out 5' of anchor rode for every foot between where your rode is connected to the boat plus the depth of the water. In our case, our anchor connection point is about 5, above the water, so we have to add 5' to the water depth, then multiple this by 5 to get the length of anchor rode needed.
A better "scope" for holding the boat in winds or stormy weather or areas of strong current, is a 7:1 scope. So, for this setup, you take the distance from the bow of the boat to the bottom and multiply by 7. Both 5 and 7 scopes will eat up 100' of anchor line or chain in a hurry. A 5:1 scope on 100' will let us anchor in 15' of water. A 7:1 scope on our 100' will let us anchor in 9' of water. This is not real deep once we get out of the more shallow water in the South.
I have been wrestling with what to do, and today I have come to grips with adding about 100' of rope that I can attach to the chain with a shackle if I need to. I can work around the anchor windlass with the line by doing some gymnastics, but having the extra capability will give me peace of mind. Now to verify the line size and get the line. Just another thing on the list.
Just saw where today is the 20th anniversary of the great snowfall of 1993 in Alabama. March 12, and we had 4-8" of snow in Central Alabama and over 12" in the Northern part of the state where we were living then. Our daughter got stuck at Auburn for several days where she was attending a Band Camp as a senior in high school. Time flys when you are having fun!!
Thanks for reading.
The new freezer is a 115v AC model. We have AC power when we are connected to dock side shore power or when we run the generator. We want the freezer to run when we are underway without having to run the generator, so we decided to get an inverter. The inverter is connected to the battery bank and converts DC battery power to AC power. You plug the freezer into the inverter.
We can also use the inverter to power our portable ice maker. It works like the freezer on AC power. This will let us have ice when we are underway! Yea!
My "Rescue Tape" package came today in the mail. I bought two rolls of this heavy duty silicon tape to have as an emergency repair tool in case we blow something on the trip. It was recommended by a Looper whom we met at the Fall Rendezvous last year. The first use will be to wrap the skeg on my dinghy outboard so that I can bang it around the decks without scratching anything. Hope it works.
When we marked our anchor chain a couple of weeks ago at Huckins in JAX, we found that we only had 100' on the boat. Anchoring is a science. You have to find the right bottom where the anchor will dig in and hold. You also have to have the right "scope" on your chain or line anchor rode. The scope is the length of anchor line or chain and the angle it produces from the bottom up to where it attaches to the bow (front) of the boat. The longer the rode, the less the angle and the better the anchor digs into the bottom.
The minimum scope recommended for normal anchoring is a 5:1 setup. This means that you put out 5' of anchor rode for every foot between where your rode is connected to the boat plus the depth of the water. In our case, our anchor connection point is about 5, above the water, so we have to add 5' to the water depth, then multiple this by 5 to get the length of anchor rode needed.
A better "scope" for holding the boat in winds or stormy weather or areas of strong current, is a 7:1 scope. So, for this setup, you take the distance from the bow of the boat to the bottom and multiply by 7. Both 5 and 7 scopes will eat up 100' of anchor line or chain in a hurry. A 5:1 scope on 100' will let us anchor in 15' of water. A 7:1 scope on our 100' will let us anchor in 9' of water. This is not real deep once we get out of the more shallow water in the South.
I have been wrestling with what to do, and today I have come to grips with adding about 100' of rope that I can attach to the chain with a shackle if I need to. I can work around the anchor windlass with the line by doing some gymnastics, but having the extra capability will give me peace of mind. Now to verify the line size and get the line. Just another thing on the list.
Just saw where today is the 20th anniversary of the great snowfall of 1993 in Alabama. March 12, and we had 4-8" of snow in Central Alabama and over 12" in the Northern part of the state where we were living then. Our daughter got stuck at Auburn for several days where she was attending a Band Camp as a senior in high school. Time flys when you are having fun!!
Thanks for reading.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Our Itinerary is Taking Shape
Over the weekend we did more trip planning to tie down our early trip segments. We also worked on our Trip Book, developing and populating our worksheets and data to take with us for reference.
One of the primary rules of doing the Loop is that you do not set a schedule. Bill Chapman, a good friend who we know from Church, has counseled me on numerous occasions to "Throw away your watch"! Well, my construction experience will not let me get rid of my time measuring device just yet, although in retirement, I find that I don't refer to it as much as I once did. The schedule thing, on the other hand, is a different matter.
You have to have a "plan" of where you want to be when. On this trip, we want to be in Norfolk on May 5 to attend a 4 day meeting of the AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruiser' Association). We also want to be back in Alabama the middle of May when our son and daughter-in-law have their first baby and our third grandchild.
To fulfill these goals, we have developed an itinerary that should get us there. OK, I won't use the "S" word. We will call it an itinerary!
We leave JAX on April 3. Our planned stops on the way to Norfolk are Fernandina Beach, Fl; St. Simons Island, GA; Savannah, GA, Beaufort, SC; Charleston, SC; Isle of Palms, SC; Georgetown, SC; Myrtle Beach, SC; Southport, NC; Wrightsville Beach, NC; Swansboro, NC; Moorehead City, NC; New Bern, NC; Oriental, NC; Belhaven, NC; Coinjock, NC, then into the Portsmouth, Norfolk VA area. We anticipate staying more than one night in St. Simons, Savannah, Beaufort, Charleston, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, Moorehead City, New Bern, and Portsmouth. After the Looper meeting in Norfolk, we will come back to Alabama for about three weeks, then back to the Loop.
Today we developed our itinerary for the segment from Norfolk to New York City. From Norfolk, we will stop in Deltaville VA, Tangier Island VA, Solomon's MD, Oxford MD, St. Michael's MD, Annapolis MD, Baltimore MD, Delaware City DE, Cape May NJ, Atlantic City NJ, Manasquan NJ, then New York.
We are looking forward to the Chesapeake portion of the trip. The itinerary gives us some time in small villages and towns on the Eastern Shore as well as one of our favorite towns in Annapolis. I am really looking forward to this!
Once we reach New York Harbor, the itinerary gets more cut and dried. There are not as many choices of where to stop. You have to stop at specific towns as there are not as many opportunities.
So, I feel much better about having my sch........ Itinerary developed for the first portions of the trip.
Thanks for Reading!
One of the primary rules of doing the Loop is that you do not set a schedule. Bill Chapman, a good friend who we know from Church, has counseled me on numerous occasions to "Throw away your watch"! Well, my construction experience will not let me get rid of my time measuring device just yet, although in retirement, I find that I don't refer to it as much as I once did. The schedule thing, on the other hand, is a different matter.
You have to have a "plan" of where you want to be when. On this trip, we want to be in Norfolk on May 5 to attend a 4 day meeting of the AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruiser' Association). We also want to be back in Alabama the middle of May when our son and daughter-in-law have their first baby and our third grandchild.
To fulfill these goals, we have developed an itinerary that should get us there. OK, I won't use the "S" word. We will call it an itinerary!
We leave JAX on April 3. Our planned stops on the way to Norfolk are Fernandina Beach, Fl; St. Simons Island, GA; Savannah, GA, Beaufort, SC; Charleston, SC; Isle of Palms, SC; Georgetown, SC; Myrtle Beach, SC; Southport, NC; Wrightsville Beach, NC; Swansboro, NC; Moorehead City, NC; New Bern, NC; Oriental, NC; Belhaven, NC; Coinjock, NC, then into the Portsmouth, Norfolk VA area. We anticipate staying more than one night in St. Simons, Savannah, Beaufort, Charleston, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, Moorehead City, New Bern, and Portsmouth. After the Looper meeting in Norfolk, we will come back to Alabama for about three weeks, then back to the Loop.
Today we developed our itinerary for the segment from Norfolk to New York City. From Norfolk, we will stop in Deltaville VA, Tangier Island VA, Solomon's MD, Oxford MD, St. Michael's MD, Annapolis MD, Baltimore MD, Delaware City DE, Cape May NJ, Atlantic City NJ, Manasquan NJ, then New York.
We are looking forward to the Chesapeake portion of the trip. The itinerary gives us some time in small villages and towns on the Eastern Shore as well as one of our favorite towns in Annapolis. I am really looking forward to this!
Once we reach New York Harbor, the itinerary gets more cut and dried. There are not as many choices of where to stop. You have to stop at specific towns as there are not as many opportunities.
So, I feel much better about having my sch........ Itinerary developed for the first portions of the trip.
Thanks for Reading!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Triple A Doesn't Work on the Water!
We have Triple A for on - the - road breakdowns and other maladies that might occur to our automobiles while driving. This gives us peace of mind when traveling.
But while cruising on the waterways in our boat, Triple A is not an option. When we bought the boat, we signed up for towing coverage with a company called Sea Tow. Sea Tow is comprised of a number of operators (or franchisees) in cities and towns along the waterways. These companies operate under the Sea Tow brand with standardized logos and colors on their boats. Sea Tow operators have boats that provide towing services for disabled vessels. They also pull softly grounded boats into deeper water.
Sea Tow has worked fine for us in Florida. It has worked so well that we have not had occasion to use any services, which is the way we want it.
We also have a membership with a boating organization called BoatUS. This is an industry advocate group that for over 45 years, has been delivering time, money and life saving services to recreational boaters from coast to coast. BoatUS lobbies on Capitol Hill, and offers boat insurance, a fleet of tow boats ready to assist, and an interesting boating magazine. We use BoatUS discounts at West Marine and on fuel, and transient slips at marinas where we stay.
Yesterday it occurred to me that maybe I should look at the towing resources along the route that we are taking on our Great Loop Trip. Much to my dismay, Sea Tow, while still in many places on the East Coast and up the Hudson River to Troy, NY, shows no operators for the remainder of the Loop until Mobile, AL. BoatUS has much better coverage, especially between Buffalo, NY and Chicago.
So it looks like I will add BoatUS towing coverage when I renew my membership that expires the end of the month. I also have done a spreadsheet that shows the towing resources and pertinent information geographically as we proceed on the Loop. Before we start, I will also mark the towing resources on our paper charts. I hope we never need these services.
Today was a better day for clearing our Checklist items. The letters for the dinghy arrived this afternoon, and they look good. Replacement foot switches for the anchor windlass on the bow of the boat also arrived today. We will get these installed before we start the trip.
We managed to clear several items off the list by deciding that we did not need to do the items.
I have decided to make one more trip to JAX before we leave on the trip. There are still some things I need to do on the boat, and I want to do some maintenance items with Rodger so that I know how to do them on the trip.
Another week has come and gone. Daylight savings time goes into effect this weekend. Cruising season is almost here!
Thanks for reading!
But while cruising on the waterways in our boat, Triple A is not an option. When we bought the boat, we signed up for towing coverage with a company called Sea Tow. Sea Tow is comprised of a number of operators (or franchisees) in cities and towns along the waterways. These companies operate under the Sea Tow brand with standardized logos and colors on their boats. Sea Tow operators have boats that provide towing services for disabled vessels. They also pull softly grounded boats into deeper water.
Sea Tow has worked fine for us in Florida. It has worked so well that we have not had occasion to use any services, which is the way we want it.
We also have a membership with a boating organization called BoatUS. This is an industry advocate group that for over 45 years, has been delivering time, money and life saving services to recreational boaters from coast to coast. BoatUS lobbies on Capitol Hill, and offers boat insurance, a fleet of tow boats ready to assist, and an interesting boating magazine. We use BoatUS discounts at West Marine and on fuel, and transient slips at marinas where we stay.
Yesterday it occurred to me that maybe I should look at the towing resources along the route that we are taking on our Great Loop Trip. Much to my dismay, Sea Tow, while still in many places on the East Coast and up the Hudson River to Troy, NY, shows no operators for the remainder of the Loop until Mobile, AL. BoatUS has much better coverage, especially between Buffalo, NY and Chicago.
So it looks like I will add BoatUS towing coverage when I renew my membership that expires the end of the month. I also have done a spreadsheet that shows the towing resources and pertinent information geographically as we proceed on the Loop. Before we start, I will also mark the towing resources on our paper charts. I hope we never need these services.
Today was a better day for clearing our Checklist items. The letters for the dinghy arrived this afternoon, and they look good. Replacement foot switches for the anchor windlass on the bow of the boat also arrived today. We will get these installed before we start the trip.
We managed to clear several items off the list by deciding that we did not need to do the items.
I have decided to make one more trip to JAX before we leave on the trip. There are still some things I need to do on the boat, and I want to do some maintenance items with Rodger so that I know how to do them on the trip.
Another week has come and gone. Daylight savings time goes into effect this weekend. Cruising season is almost here!
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Checklist: One Step Forward and Two Steps Back
True to my construction training and experience, I have developed and am running a Checklist in order to ensure that all things that we need to do to leave on the trip are identified, planned, and then checked off when complete. The Checklist lives on my iPad, and one of the first things that I do every morning is to review the list, add to it as necessary, then print an updated copy for Susan and I to use during the day.
I love seeing items completed and checked off. I love it when Susan brings her copy in with her items checked off. I don't love it when we continually add items to do every day. We check one item off, but add two more. UGH!!!
But that is what a Checklist is for! Keep adding the items because it might not get done if it isn't on the List!
Today was a good day for the Checklist. We got our Coast Guard Boarding Book updated. This was an item on the list. A boarding by the Coast Guard for a safety inspection is inevitable. Hasn't happened yet, but it will. Probably sooner than later, too. From what I have seen, you will be cruising along minding your own business. You will either pass a Coast Guard Patrol Boat or they will overtake you. Either way, they are in position to come alongside, drop off an officer or two, and do a thorough boat inspection.
I welcome the visit. So, I have developed a three ring notebook called the "Coast Guard Boarding Book". This has copies of all information, documentation and certifications, as well as pictures of the safety equipment we carry, etc. I patterned this book after similar books that we put together when we built hospitals. We would do a book like this for the State Health Agencies and their Occupancy Inspections and Certifications. All the information is in one place; in the three ring notebook.
So, when we are boarded, I will greet the Coast Guardsperson, bring him or her aboard, offer them a drink, and take them through the notebook. Hopefully this will show them that we are prepared and that we have the mandated paperwork and equipment. Our fingers are crossed.
Today we also ordered a cruising guide to the Erie Canal. Found this on the Erie Canal Corporation web site. Called the 800 number listed on the site, but no one answered. I found another number and called it. This time I got someone in the Finance Department. They weren't giving away any money today, so she switched me over to a very nice lady who took my order. The book is to be shipped today and I should have it when UPS Ground brings it to Alabama. The Erie Canal is one of the legs of the trip that I am looking forward to the most. I have seen pictures and videos and it looks so green and laid back, with old locks and old historical towns. There are many towns where you can tie up to the town wall and visit the town and stay over night.
Yesterday I ordered vinyl letters to go on the bottom of the dinghy with our boat name and home port. With the Dinghy hooked to the swim platform, the boat name and home port that is on the transom is covered up. I think there is a reg somewhere that requires the home port to be displayed. I will just put the boat name and port on the bottom of the dinghy. But, this made me add another "to do" item to the Checklist: paint the bottom of the dinghy. More on this later.
Tomorrow I will look at Towing Services and the things we did today to review our risks and what we might do on this subject.
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Every Boat Dog Needs a Good Yard
One of the reasons that we chose the Ortega River area of Jacksonville to keep our boat was the availability of marine related resources in the area. This includes boat yards and boat stores like West Marine.
We have used the Huckins Yacht Facility Yard for our work on Blue Moon while we have had her at Ortega Landing Marina. The yard is about a mile or less up the river from our marina. You go under the Roosevelt Bridge, then immediately under the CSX Railroad Bridge, then you are at the Huckins Yard.
Huckins has been around since the late 1920's. They built PT Boats for the Navy and they built beautiful wooden yachts there at their yard on the Ortega River. Even now, there are many old Huckins yachts that are in pristine condition that are berthed at the Huckins Marina at the yard. The bright work on these boats is beautiful.
When we have visited the yard, we have been allowed to look in the shops that are housed in the buildings on site. The wood shop, paint shop and paint booth that can handle a huge yacht, the metal shop, and the electrical shop are all facilities that have supported the construction of fine boats and the maintenance of customer's boats for years.
Our contact at Huckins is the service coordinator who is a gal by the name of Deb Grant. She is very knowledgeable about boats and really espouses customer service. She works with a great group of people that are also very customer focused. These folks make up the Huckins experience that we have come to appreciate in the work they have done for us on fiberglass, our salon cabinetry, painting, washing, and metal work.
This brings me to our experience with Deb and the folks at Huckins last week. We were scheduled to be at the yard at 9:00 AM to get pulled out of the water for our work. We passed under the CSX Railroad bridge and immediately made a turn to starboard to get into the marina. I remarked to Susan, who was on the bow waiting to handle the dock lines, that I was coming into the marina a little "hot". Sure enough, the wind caught me and we veered sideways toward some pilings near the entrance. We also got up close and personal with one of the old, pristine Huckins yachts that are docked along the fairway leading to the work area. Despite Susan's exhortations and a worker on the dock talking to us in elevated voice, we averted any disaster here and got back under control. No harm, no foul, right!
We motored to the work area at a considerably slower speed. We were met by several Huckins folks, including Deb, who had obviously witnessed the debacle at the entrance, but were very pleasant and welcomed us warmly. After maneuvering Blue Moon by another pristine Huckins Yacht, we were in the slip where the travel lift would pick us up.
We had all pets aboard and we decided to leave the cat and bird on the boat while it was out of the water. Maggie was a different matter. Really, there was no decision here because she never misses an opportunity to get off the boat. She jumped onto the dock and ran into the yard to greet her new found Huckins friends. Deb was ready with dog treats and this instantly made her Maggie's new best friend! Susan and Maggie went into the office with Deb to visit.
After I talked to the yard folks about what I wanted done, I went into the office to check in with Deb. Miss Maggie had taken over the place! She was running everywhere, including up and down the stairs to the executive offices! She jumped into Deb's lap and tried to get on her desk. Really embarrassing, for sure!
Well, the boat was put back in the water after about an hour and a half, and Maggie went back aboard. Things calmed down in the yard, and the folks were glad to get rid of the Golden Retriever that had spiced up their morning.
But, this just goes to show that every boat dog needs a good yard! Thank you Huckins!
We have used the Huckins Yacht Facility Yard for our work on Blue Moon while we have had her at Ortega Landing Marina. The yard is about a mile or less up the river from our marina. You go under the Roosevelt Bridge, then immediately under the CSX Railroad Bridge, then you are at the Huckins Yard.
Huckins has been around since the late 1920's. They built PT Boats for the Navy and they built beautiful wooden yachts there at their yard on the Ortega River. Even now, there are many old Huckins yachts that are in pristine condition that are berthed at the Huckins Marina at the yard. The bright work on these boats is beautiful.
When we have visited the yard, we have been allowed to look in the shops that are housed in the buildings on site. The wood shop, paint shop and paint booth that can handle a huge yacht, the metal shop, and the electrical shop are all facilities that have supported the construction of fine boats and the maintenance of customer's boats for years.
Our contact at Huckins is the service coordinator who is a gal by the name of Deb Grant. She is very knowledgeable about boats and really espouses customer service. She works with a great group of people that are also very customer focused. These folks make up the Huckins experience that we have come to appreciate in the work they have done for us on fiberglass, our salon cabinetry, painting, washing, and metal work.
This brings me to our experience with Deb and the folks at Huckins last week. We were scheduled to be at the yard at 9:00 AM to get pulled out of the water for our work. We passed under the CSX Railroad bridge and immediately made a turn to starboard to get into the marina. I remarked to Susan, who was on the bow waiting to handle the dock lines, that I was coming into the marina a little "hot". Sure enough, the wind caught me and we veered sideways toward some pilings near the entrance. We also got up close and personal with one of the old, pristine Huckins yachts that are docked along the fairway leading to the work area. Despite Susan's exhortations and a worker on the dock talking to us in elevated voice, we averted any disaster here and got back under control. No harm, no foul, right!
We motored to the work area at a considerably slower speed. We were met by several Huckins folks, including Deb, who had obviously witnessed the debacle at the entrance, but were very pleasant and welcomed us warmly. After maneuvering Blue Moon by another pristine Huckins Yacht, we were in the slip where the travel lift would pick us up.
We had all pets aboard and we decided to leave the cat and bird on the boat while it was out of the water. Maggie was a different matter. Really, there was no decision here because she never misses an opportunity to get off the boat. She jumped onto the dock and ran into the yard to greet her new found Huckins friends. Deb was ready with dog treats and this instantly made her Maggie's new best friend! Susan and Maggie went into the office with Deb to visit.
After I talked to the yard folks about what I wanted done, I went into the office to check in with Deb. Miss Maggie had taken over the place! She was running everywhere, including up and down the stairs to the executive offices! She jumped into Deb's lap and tried to get on her desk. Really embarrassing, for sure!
Well, the boat was put back in the water after about an hour and a half, and Maggie went back aboard. Things calmed down in the yard, and the folks were glad to get rid of the Golden Retriever that had spiced up their morning.
But, this just goes to show that every boat dog needs a good yard! Thank you Huckins!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Some Work Finished Last Week
So, we learned how to blog yesterday, and that puts us off and running. Even learned how to post pictures to the blog from the iPad. On the Loop trip, we will try to use the iPad wherever we can. We have the model that has both wi-fi and the AT&T 3G wireless. Hope this will let us use the Internet when we are not in wi-fi range.
We spent last week on the boat in JAX. We had a long list of things that we wanted to complete in preparation for departure. We are so fortunate to have a great go to guy named Rodger who owns Boating Camping and More in Jacksonville. He has done most of our maintenance and electronics work since we have had Blue Moon. We first met him when he came to us in Daytona Beach to replace our main engine raw water pump that failed on our trip up from Stuart when we bought the boat.
Rodger had replaced our batteries in mid February, and last week he replaced the terminal connectors on the battery cables. We got a new 8D starting battery to replace the old one that was three years old and had developed a bad cell. We also decided to replace the golf cart batteries that make up the house bank of batteries. These were also three years old.
Last week we also added a 2.1 cf freezer to the salon. It is an AC freezer and Rodger will add an inverter to let us run it on DC power while away from shore power. The freezer fit nicely on the side of the cabin where we have two director's chairs. We swapped the two side chairs that came with the boat for the smaller director chairs and this change has given us more room in the salon. On a 34' boat, it is all about maximizing all space.
Our pets that travel with us also add requirements that take up space. The cat's litter box presented a space problem, especially after we added the freezer. We found a litter box cover in the form of an end table cabinet that allows the box to be put in the cabinet. The front of the cabinet has a entrance for the cat to get in and out. The cabinet fits nicely next to the couch on the port (left) side of the salon. We also found that this cabinet concept keeps litter from getting on the floor.
I am a firm believer in the "belts and suspenders" theory of being prepared; therefore We took the Blue Moon about a mile up the Ortega River from our Marina last Wednesday to Huckins Boat Yard to have the boat pulled out of the water for a bottom and running gear inspection. Everything checked out for our trip bottom wise. We had three zincs replaced and the bottom washed.
Zincs are important because they serve as sacrificial anodes for the metal parts of the boat. The less expensive zincs will corrode before the more expensive metal thus saving significant repairs. We have zincs on the transom, the trim tabs, the thruster shafts, and the prop shaft.
While we were at Huckins, we pulled the anchor chain out and had it inspected. The anchor chain had never been deployed since we have had the boat. All looked OK with the chain, and we marked the chain at 25' intervals. We will talk a little more about Huckins tomorrow. Thanks for reading!
We spent last week on the boat in JAX. We had a long list of things that we wanted to complete in preparation for departure. We are so fortunate to have a great go to guy named Rodger who owns Boating Camping and More in Jacksonville. He has done most of our maintenance and electronics work since we have had Blue Moon. We first met him when he came to us in Daytona Beach to replace our main engine raw water pump that failed on our trip up from Stuart when we bought the boat.
Rodger had replaced our batteries in mid February, and last week he replaced the terminal connectors on the battery cables. We got a new 8D starting battery to replace the old one that was three years old and had developed a bad cell. We also decided to replace the golf cart batteries that make up the house bank of batteries. These were also three years old.
Last week we also added a 2.1 cf freezer to the salon. It is an AC freezer and Rodger will add an inverter to let us run it on DC power while away from shore power. The freezer fit nicely on the side of the cabin where we have two director's chairs. We swapped the two side chairs that came with the boat for the smaller director chairs and this change has given us more room in the salon. On a 34' boat, it is all about maximizing all space.
Our pets that travel with us also add requirements that take up space. The cat's litter box presented a space problem, especially after we added the freezer. We found a litter box cover in the form of an end table cabinet that allows the box to be put in the cabinet. The front of the cabinet has a entrance for the cat to get in and out. The cabinet fits nicely next to the couch on the port (left) side of the salon. We also found that this cabinet concept keeps litter from getting on the floor.
I am a firm believer in the "belts and suspenders" theory of being prepared; therefore We took the Blue Moon about a mile up the Ortega River from our Marina last Wednesday to Huckins Boat Yard to have the boat pulled out of the water for a bottom and running gear inspection. Everything checked out for our trip bottom wise. We had three zincs replaced and the bottom washed.
Zincs are important because they serve as sacrificial anodes for the metal parts of the boat. The less expensive zincs will corrode before the more expensive metal thus saving significant repairs. We have zincs on the transom, the trim tabs, the thruster shafts, and the prop shaft.
While we were at Huckins, we pulled the anchor chain out and had it inspected. The anchor chain had never been deployed since we have had the boat. All looked OK with the chain, and we marked the chain at 25' intervals. We will talk a little more about Huckins tomorrow. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Starting Our Blog
Today is exactly a month before we leave on our Great Loop adventure! The boat is at Ortega Landing Marina in Jacksonville, FL. We have enjoyed this marina for almost two years now after bringing "Blue Moon" from Stuart, FL where we bought her in 2011.
Our Mainship is a 2006 34T trawler. She is 34' in length (LWL) and 14'-2" in beam (width). Her hull is painted flag blue, hence our naming her "Blue Moon". She has a single 380 hp Cummins diesel engine and is equipped with a 8kw generator. We have both a bow and a stern thruster installed. These are very handy for docking and operating in close quarters. We also have a 9' inflatable dinghy that is attached to a swim platform on our transom.
Most of our time underway is spent on the Flybridge where we have a helm station. We can also operate Blue Moon from a lower helm station in the salon in the main cabin.
We have electronics consisting of chartplotters, an autopilot, VHF radios, and a just installed AIS receiver that is connected to a third chartplotter. Before we leave on our trip, we will also install a wi-fi capability to allow the chartplotter to "talk to" an iPad that has navigation software installed.
We are very ready to begin this trip. We have been in the planning stages for almost a year. Last Spring, we cruised from Jacksonville to Captiva Island on the West Coast of Florida and then back to JAX. The experience was exhilarating, and we learned so much about the boat and the conditions in which she operates. We also learned a lot about ourselves, as well, and we are now prepared to venture out for the next year or so and travel the 5,000 miles that comprise the Great Loop. We are ready to circumnavigate the Eastern United States!
For the next month, we will chronicle what we have done to get ready for the trip, and what we are doing as we lead up to our April 3 departure. We will continue to blog as we cruise. Come along and join us for the ride. It is sure to be exciting and eye opening!
Our Mainship is a 2006 34T trawler. She is 34' in length (LWL) and 14'-2" in beam (width). Her hull is painted flag blue, hence our naming her "Blue Moon". She has a single 380 hp Cummins diesel engine and is equipped with a 8kw generator. We have both a bow and a stern thruster installed. These are very handy for docking and operating in close quarters. We also have a 9' inflatable dinghy that is attached to a swim platform on our transom.
Most of our time underway is spent on the Flybridge where we have a helm station. We can also operate Blue Moon from a lower helm station in the salon in the main cabin.
We have electronics consisting of chartplotters, an autopilot, VHF radios, and a just installed AIS receiver that is connected to a third chartplotter. Before we leave on our trip, we will also install a wi-fi capability to allow the chartplotter to "talk to" an iPad that has navigation software installed.
We are very ready to begin this trip. We have been in the planning stages for almost a year. Last Spring, we cruised from Jacksonville to Captiva Island on the West Coast of Florida and then back to JAX. The experience was exhilarating, and we learned so much about the boat and the conditions in which she operates. We also learned a lot about ourselves, as well, and we are now prepared to venture out for the next year or so and travel the 5,000 miles that comprise the Great Loop. We are ready to circumnavigate the Eastern United States!
For the next month, we will chronicle what we have done to get ready for the trip, and what we are doing as we lead up to our April 3 departure. We will continue to blog as we cruise. Come along and join us for the ride. It is sure to be exciting and eye opening!
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