tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64815927681471619252024-02-19T08:00:53.076-08:00The Adventures of M/V Abreojos.....America From the Port Side - The Adventure Continues.Abreojos completed America's Great Loop twice, concluding in Superior Wisconsin at the west end of Lake Superior. Then, she moved to the Puget Sound area and cruised the Pacific Northwest for nearly a year, before returning home after a cruise down the US West Coast. Now, her crew is off on another adventure.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-50441873789523885642015-07-28T15:09:00.000-07:002015-07-28T15:14:31.451-07:00A NEW ADVENTURE FOR THE CREW OF M/V ABREOJOSTrawlers are great fun. Aboard Abreojos, we go lots of places. There are limitations, however. The Roughwater 41 is an excellent coastal cruiser. In my opinion, it's one of the best. She has adequate range and is very seaworthy. Yet, she was never meant to cross oceans.<br />
<br />
This August, Brenda and I will be doing just that - crossing an ocean. Unfortunately, our Abreojos will be awaiting our return at the dock.<br />
<br />
Our friends, Phil and Sara, have a Swann 44 over in Hawaii that they want brought home. Her name is Second Chance, for many good reasons.<br />
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In 2011, Second Chance raced from Long Beach, California to Hawaii in the Transpac. Here she is at the start of the race:<br />
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<img alt="Second Chance" src="http://transpacyc.com/images/phocagallery/2011_boatphotos/thumbs/phoca_thumb_l_SecondChance.jpg" height="320" width="268" /><br />
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She completed the race. However, not long before crossing the finish line, she earned herself a bit of acclaim by rescuing a rather forlorn paddler who managed to get himself into something of a pinch quite a distance from the beach. Here is a link to an article that explains essentially what happened:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sailmagazine.com/racing/regattas/luck-on-the-transpac/">http://www.sailmagazine.com/racing/regattas/luck-on-the-transpac/</a><br />
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For the last 4 years since the race, Second Chance has called the island of Oahu home. Most recently, she has been berthed at the beautiful Ko' Olina Marina which lies on the south-west side of the island of Oahu near the town of Kapolei. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.koolinamarina.com/">http://www.koolinamarina.com/ </a><br />
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This year, Second Chance is coming home to Channel Islands Harbor in sunny Oxnard, California, and Brenda, my friends Robert and Lou, and I will be bringing her home.<br />
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We will be leaving for Hawaii on July 29 and plan to leave the marina on August 1. Although this is really not a "cruise" so to speak, the same adage as we apply to cruising applies; cruising plans are often written in the sand on a rising tide. As I write this, the National Whatever Service is keeping an eye on a tropical depression they are calling "Tropical Depression 18e". Here is what they say:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, 'San Serif'; font-size: x-small;">The National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida is issuing advisories on tropical depression Eight-E, located 1715 miles east-southeast of Hilo Hawaii, under AWIPS header tcpep3 and WMO header wtpz33 KNHC. Eight-e is expected to cross 140°W into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center area of responsibility Thursday morning</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, 'San Serif'; font-size: 16px;">.</span></blockquote>
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<img alt="Central Pacific Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook and Infrared Satellite image for 02 UTC" src="http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/graphics/gtwo_gsat.gif" height="320" width="318" /><br />
<br />
This will probably turn out to be a fizzle and cause no more than a period of excessive heat and humidity. Moreover, we are heading north and it appears, based on the projected cone of influence, that the unstable weather will pass well to the south of the Hawaiian Islands. Nevertheless, it adds one more thing to the matrix of matters that form the myriad of considerations taken in planning this trip.<br />
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The trip is approximately 2600 nautical miles. It will take us somewhat north (probably to around the latitude of Oregon) before we start heading easterly and then south-easterly towards Channel Islands Harbor. This is primarily because of the belt in which the trades blow and the location of the center of the North Pacific High. The way things look now, we will almost always be sailing well off the wind on a variety of headings that make great points of sail for Second Chance. In that regard, we hope the trip will not take us more than 14-18 days. I have asked my crew to bring their passports with them, however. Granted, one would think navigating from Hawaii to California is easy - just head east. Well, it's not THAT simple. I mean, what if we get in close and tune the fm radio and hear Spanish music? Well, then we turn left. If we approach shore and are met by folks paddling skin covered canoes and offering us seal blubber to eat, well, then we turn right. Seriously, August is the best time of year to do this trip because the weather conditions are most apt to remind us of just why the Pacific is so called.<br />
<br />
So, we head out tomorrow morning to catch an early flight to Honolulu. From there, we'll catch a shuttle to a friend's house where we will pick up his truck which he generously offered us for our use prior to shoving off. Then, we'll head down to Second Chance and begin the process of packing and unpacking and provisioning. It promises to be a big job. Although there will only be 4 of us aboard, and thus plenty of space, there will also be provisions for 4, all of which must be stowed appropriately. I'm glad we have a couple days to get it right before we head to the fuel dock. Yes, I said it, "fuel dock." While Second Chance is a first rate sailing vessel, she does have an auxiliary engine and a generator that need to be fed. We'll carry as much fuel as we can possibly stuff aboard so, if we have to, we will easily make it across the North Pacific High, although the goal will be to sail as much and as fast as possible recognizing, of course that we are only 4 and we are not in a race. Second Chance had a much larger crew when she sailed TO Hawaii.<br />
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So, for now, I'm going to close this out and hope that you will follow our progress. How is that possible, you ask? Easy! We will have a DeLorme In Reach device on the boat. This is a two way satellite communication device that relies on the Iridium system. It does many amazing things. Perhaps the most amazing is it will function as a tracker linked to a website so our friends and family can not only follow our progress, but send us text-like messages. The following link is the link to our page. Check it out. We will turn the tracker on and start "pinging" the website when we leave the harbor on August 1.....we hope. I'll also ping the link to my own timeline on Facebook.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://share.delorme.com/LawrenceGolkin">https://share.delorme.com/LawrenceGolkin</a><br />
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I'll try to write more before we leave and let you know how the provisioning goes. So, for now, this is the crew of M/V Abreojos, on temporary assignment aboard S/V Second Chance, signing off.<br />
<br />
Out!Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-52704746761491601902014-01-02T21:31:00.000-08:002014-01-02T21:31:29.208-08:00A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Some of you know that Abreojos is now on the west coast. She is not home quite yet, however. Presently, we are working to rebuild the cruising kitty, but we are also doing a bit of cruising out of Abreojos' new home port, Everett, Washington. The following video documents our recent visit to the San Juan Islands.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Aemk5nNpT88?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-87157716849417118322013-07-20T14:41:00.000-07:002013-07-20T14:41:07.318-07:00LAKE SUPERIOR - THE FINALE.
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has been a little while since I have written to this
blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After getting out of Parry Sound,
we ran extremely long days through the rest of Georgian Bay and the North
Channel, usually leaving at sunrise and typically ducking into a safe harbor or
anchorage at or near sundown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
pretty tired and did not feel much like writing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, I wanted to complete the crossing of
Lake Superior and have some time to reflect on it before putting it down for
prosperity.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our crossing of Lake Superior basically began after we left
Drummond Island in upper lower Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know that sounds strange, but since Michigan is comprised of upper and
lower peninsulas, it actually makes some sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Drummond Island is bordered on the north by the North Channel, on the
south by Lake Huron, on the east by False Detour Pass, and on the west by the
St. Mary’s River and Detour Pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
only a day’s run from Mackinaw Island and the straights that separate Lake
Michigan and Lake Huron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, we
checked back into the USA as Drummond Island is an official Port of Entry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a US Customs and Border Patrol
office there at the Drummond Island Yacht Haven. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Calling it a yacht haven is somewhat a misnomer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is pretty rustic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sits at the bottom of a rather deep bay
riddled with small islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The approach
was rather spectacular, although there were lots of small boats running all
over the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had reservations and
called the harbor on the radio as we approached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called several times and got no response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I dialed them up on the phone and
asked whether or not they were monitoring the radio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told me it was down, but that it was
miraculously working again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I called
to get instructions to the slip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
markers on the chart did not in any way, shape or form, correspond with what we
saw out the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, out of simple
concern over the rapidly shallowing water, we wanted some direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got it……sort of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, another boat was coming in and
we watched what he did, schooled off him, and went into the marina and tied up,
unscathed and with the new bottom paint intact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we arrived, we were greeted by the seemingly ubiquitous
young, blond female who was working at the marina while on summer break from
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was not so swift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She tied the bow way too tight and for a
moment there, we were at serious risk of colliding with a larger DeFever docked
in the same slip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a little testy
with her as I told her she had to ease the bow line so we could get the stern
of the boat to the dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, after we
were tied up, and while she was standing around probably awaiting a tip that
was never forthcoming, I asked her where the customs office was located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said, “Oh you need Customs?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With an air of apparent exasperation, I leaned
out the starboard side pilothouse window and pointed upwards thereby directing her
seemingly depleted attention to the yellow “Q” flag we were properly and
prominently flying from the starboard outrigger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said, “Oh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just stay on your boat and they will come to
you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we waited about 10 minutes until the
customs officer arrived, conducted his interview, gave us our entry papers and
left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The customs officer was quite polite and
friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think he was new because he
told us of what turned out to be nothing more than some grandiose rumor about
having to contact the Canadian Boarder Service when we crossed back into
Canadian waters to go into the Sault even though we were not going to be going
ashore in Canada again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave me a
number to call to verify and I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Canadian Boarder Service told us this was not the case and that, so long as we
were not going ashore, we did not have to check back into Canada, or even call.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After clearing customs, we went to the marina office, paid
for the slip and got the courtesy car to head out to the grocery store for some
provisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a simple matter of
making a left, then a right, yet another right, and then a final right, and we
arrived at the local IGA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We loaded up
the car and went back to the boat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After we arrived back at the boat, unloaded the groceries
and were kicking back on the back deck, this guy comes up to us asking us what
we were doing there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him this was
the slip we were assigned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He seemed rather
distressed insofar as, apparently, his buddy had already been assigned the same
slip and was coming back from Mackinaw along with a third boat in their
posse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Sorry”, we said, but we are not
moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the slip we were
assigned to and I had already had a couple drinks, and I was not about to move
my boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This guy turned out to be
pretty cool about it, but his buddy was not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had left his electrical cord on the pedestal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went and unwound it for him and he took it
from me with nary a comment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His wife
was giving him shit and he had been drinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then again, so had we.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
best that we all let the matter drop and left it to them to complain to the
marina manager about the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
found a spot two slips over and were right next to their friends only on the
other side of their friend’s boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All’s
well that ends well, I always say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it
turns out, it was the same ubiquitous blond teen that tried to help us tie up
that assigned us the slip that had apparently already been assigned to someone
else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know what they are
teaching kids in college these days, but it would appear that organizational
skills is lacking from the curriculum.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First thing in the morning, we wound our way out of Drummond
Island Yacht Haven, across Detour Pass, and onto the St. Mary’s River heading
roughly north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were compelled to play
“dodge and weave” with several very large cargo ships heading up river,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even on the narrow river, they move
very fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured it was a good idea
to plug in the AIS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was helpful in a
number of ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could determine the
name of the ships and their speeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ultimately, we moved well over and let them pass before falling in line
behind them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The St. Mary’s River was very beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On one side is Canada, and on the other, the
USA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was funny seeing the flags on
either bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems that folks are
trying to outdo one another in terms of size and number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The USA side won handily having displayed the
largest number of very large flags.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This river also took some remarkable bends and turns and we
commented on how interesting it must be for the shore-dwellers on either side
to watch these behemoths freighters negotiate hairpin turns literally yards
from their own boat docks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw no
ships coming down until later in the afternoon as we approached Sault St. Marie
(pronounced “soo”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, we were passed
by two very large ships, both of which appeared to be fully loaded with
whatever, and drawing nearly 30 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
made sure to stay well clear while some other folks in very small fishing boats
would sit there in the way of the oncoming ship and fire up its little outboard
motor with yards to spare and scoot out of the way narrowly avoiding getting
turned into “chum”.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We knew we were approaching the Sault (pronounced “the soo”)
as development was becoming more apparent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We could also see the massive radio antennae sticking up over the
rolling hills, and the tops of the mega-bridge that crosses the passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, as we came around the final bend, it
all came into sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sault is a
rather busy area with lots of ships coming and going through the Sault locks
into and out of Lake Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
the only entrance/exit to/from Lake Superior and we calculated that ships of
all variety carrying all sorts of goods and material transit these locks 3500
plus times per year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XGDYF8biCw_d-Uky8-rXozYaeCCe2F5J722BcKfW3v4DJXoktND7x5aJRVmAlk74uBJeQKB2ukLF8zH3xqcuVoZCqSspFmdnDxGKverXcD7spj7QVTExxe5juvkvu1-HzaO2ANKqSkE/s1600/2013-07-07_12-15-17_648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XGDYF8biCw_d-Uky8-rXozYaeCCe2F5J722BcKfW3v4DJXoktND7x5aJRVmAlk74uBJeQKB2ukLF8zH3xqcuVoZCqSspFmdnDxGKverXcD7spj7QVTExxe5juvkvu1-HzaO2ANKqSkE/s400/2013-07-07_12-15-17_648.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSPEFunc6-Eg9ZjTxWH38M9AvaCoCgACsnx5tWB3yzyxurr5dYNmK4ddsx7fZCgyCf3qTvLEdYnbY3EcxZYVjYkCL2XbrSDmD_qAkfXJKbNERiVm662w6ncqRDir6H_Ug1y214lZqbOM/s1600/2013-07-07_12-19-32_502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSPEFunc6-Eg9ZjTxWH38M9AvaCoCgACsnx5tWB3yzyxurr5dYNmK4ddsx7fZCgyCf3qTvLEdYnbY3EcxZYVjYkCL2XbrSDmD_qAkfXJKbNERiVm662w6ncqRDir6H_Ug1y214lZqbOM/s400/2013-07-07_12-19-32_502.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnjF0H6LgWUSBBv_Eko6RFyWZ2MtKdxgv48ohAcwBOnj5ohuNYf-4aApNuLzzbUxxEensQkTaTLcVD4If5EmGglTknUICcKXmV4cvTb0KCdADIOLBc5RbNjuU1_-1lLAMmxy0Wu3CZAM/s1600/2013-07-07_12-21-10_814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnjF0H6LgWUSBBv_Eko6RFyWZ2MtKdxgv48ohAcwBOnj5ohuNYf-4aApNuLzzbUxxEensQkTaTLcVD4If5EmGglTknUICcKXmV4cvTb0KCdADIOLBc5RbNjuU1_-1lLAMmxy0Wu3CZAM/s400/2013-07-07_12-21-10_814.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We stopped for fuel at Sault St. Marie Municipal Marina on
the American side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there, we met
some nice guys on an Olson 40 that were taking the boat down to Chicago for the
Chicago-Mackinaw Race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, I learned
that one of the guys on that boat was the owner of the Olson 30 Polar Bear and
had won the single handed class in the Pacific Cup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am not mistaken, I think Polar Bear may
have come to Channel Islands Harbor back in 2008 when our yacht club hosted the
Olson 30 Nationals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could be wrong on
that so I will have to go back to the records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In any event, it was good to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The kid who worked at the fuel dock was a really nice fellow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told us of his plan to move to California
to pursue a career in film making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
said he had a buddy who lived there with a girlfriend and that he and his
girlfriend were going to hop on a plane and move in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God bless him and we wish him all the luck in
the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s going to need it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_xC2dQ0ric5-_-6ySn2XQAW0Jw50ZfbXo_QclJFN_BDmAUMYXSXPBGZXgAuCF90390jgkBVKMJj7TanNws5rrrn9GKDu-QVtPDL5nVub_diwPBD4QKA4kPOOGc1uUI2hOInaae6KBEI/s1600/2013-07-07_13-01-46_84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_xC2dQ0ric5-_-6ySn2XQAW0Jw50ZfbXo_QclJFN_BDmAUMYXSXPBGZXgAuCF90390jgkBVKMJj7TanNws5rrrn9GKDu-QVtPDL5nVub_diwPBD4QKA4kPOOGc1uUI2hOInaae6KBEI/s640/2013-07-07_13-01-46_84.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the American locks at Sault St. Marie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_DyxrZtpdiHBqJKJSfMfJ1l3M_6nhJW-y4CeyYE0HLF8oxsIvrT7xEtqqwmf63dlCrRL-xTwP4GvNhfHEWaIs0u8t5sSERdNCCFj03E0Y6DgFSMUqCkZU1zjEYzC6bl5o7hHg_G8jQs/s1600/2013-07-07_13-06-46_78.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_DyxrZtpdiHBqJKJSfMfJ1l3M_6nhJW-y4CeyYE0HLF8oxsIvrT7xEtqqwmf63dlCrRL-xTwP4GvNhfHEWaIs0u8t5sSERdNCCFj03E0Y6DgFSMUqCkZU1zjEYzC6bl5o7hHg_G8jQs/s640/2013-07-07_13-06-46_78.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the Sault, all recreational boats are directed to transit
the Sault via the Canadian lock as opposed to the huge American locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not that we were actually prohibited
from using the locks on the American side, it’s just that you are functionally prohibited
from doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These locks are primarily
for the freighters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One can wait a long
time to transit if commercial traffic is coming insofar as they clearly have
priority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just faster and easier
with little or no waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, off we
went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We pulled up to the old blue line
and noticed that the lock began draining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was surprised that it was such a little thing compared to the American
locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This became readily apparent when
the doors opened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The locks on the Erie
Canal were larger than this lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it
was a pretty quick effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty red
doors, though.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahDhufWw3459jve5BDLnAiaq3Sg-_VPxfXGtOBMIp4a5vP_-U7UiL43It-Sr32IrgyzSxMJMyw5T646Y-EyB0-vZWWNYbKQTFkeAPlGZxZnmkwXIc1v7_PapWmkNhCZQUPGru7Ghmxn8/s1600/2013-07-07_13-09-34_797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahDhufWw3459jve5BDLnAiaq3Sg-_VPxfXGtOBMIp4a5vP_-U7UiL43It-Sr32IrgyzSxMJMyw5T646Y-EyB0-vZWWNYbKQTFkeAPlGZxZnmkwXIc1v7_PapWmkNhCZQUPGru7Ghmxn8/s400/2013-07-07_13-09-34_797.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbnBI4OpbCoZ9hfM1izDBadDOdIQSJt5OaTjoLGflDgmnUv3vtjd9sl5OhmO3u9SDuX7pDRD-ZABuTJH3CWFif0uOSpuNYF6O6r3uvWTr6_VKhHeYlHEfWjVmMZtWov2WMWdEoLbELxw/s1600/2013-07-07_13-17-35_230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbnBI4OpbCoZ9hfM1izDBadDOdIQSJt5OaTjoLGflDgmnUv3vtjd9sl5OhmO3u9SDuX7pDRD-ZABuTJH3CWFif0uOSpuNYF6O6r3uvWTr6_VKhHeYlHEfWjVmMZtWov2WMWdEoLbELxw/s400/2013-07-07_13-17-35_230.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeHirRfvmN_1FQPxz_K1tZN7un0Lab7fGIN6I2Ukm-VlYbdIcpJxcIhNhrEXgodX39r0QU6oqLNXX_aTytPVRaN_P8rLUPaouanonXRlSz1UP0xSmzbtdHcJsbKq1yfG5dE5FY9MJnGA/s1600/2013-07-07_13-26-27_380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeHirRfvmN_1FQPxz_K1tZN7un0Lab7fGIN6I2Ukm-VlYbdIcpJxcIhNhrEXgodX39r0QU6oqLNXX_aTytPVRaN_P8rLUPaouanonXRlSz1UP0xSmzbtdHcJsbKq1yfG5dE5FY9MJnGA/s640/2013-07-07_13-26-27_380.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Canadian side of the Sault is characterized by large,
modern glass and steel buildings and Indian casinos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The American side is much older with
interesting historic structures such as the hydro - power plant and the tall
spires emanating from a variety of religious structures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suspect it is completely normal this time
of year, but the weather was calm but overcast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seems like we rarely ever saw the sun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once we got out of the lock, the shores on both sides were
dominated by huge industrial plants of a wide variety, but mostly relating to
the production of metals such as steel and aluminum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were huge piles (literally mountains)
of ore waiting to be processed into ore pellets to be loaded on the huge iron
boats bound for steel mills in places like Ohio, Michigan and
Pennsylvania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we were now on Lake
Superior and it was a tremendous thrill, one neither Robert nor I had
experienced before.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-m5myZnDW-1sP5dkaVN-2V4GXvEntMThagHkzMbjfBsaLhjllGssxpzbvvAdqbDrsvdlB3qr_1zoKkXX7sa2kF5gu5WC9_1D15yviNtmDxeCZ2cTpXjE6f0EAPH5n926RR91QroA4OrY/s1600/2013-07-07_13-44-05_374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-m5myZnDW-1sP5dkaVN-2V4GXvEntMThagHkzMbjfBsaLhjllGssxpzbvvAdqbDrsvdlB3qr_1zoKkXX7sa2kF5gu5WC9_1D15yviNtmDxeCZ2cTpXjE6f0EAPH5n926RR91QroA4OrY/s400/2013-07-07_13-44-05_374.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc_z5UcXkRDBDObJBQLUnbUzuc9RB5K284cGeDdCHHghbJlkXpcO_wrPzEC1nkiGha0nwLB3fLtrL1Gj3MpdBWyCEEf45Sahs8WBIYl4YZ4IUlZTN8PuvoHHQt6bZkJw7MCvN02gBxrw/s1600/2013-07-07_13-36-59_986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc_z5UcXkRDBDObJBQLUnbUzuc9RB5K284cGeDdCHHghbJlkXpcO_wrPzEC1nkiGha0nwLB3fLtrL1Gj3MpdBWyCEEf45Sahs8WBIYl4YZ4IUlZTN8PuvoHHQt6bZkJw7MCvN02gBxrw/s400/2013-07-07_13-36-59_986.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSapDi3OSVK1WzE6orXflhLAMoqc7HpLsETJ8t7mXjRLXrbpRWJE6saUOyzQay4aWPZqJJqiKBdKH8JQ5R6l3cOtNUmu3z11TyOzJH3xjN24NRknZQCrrh5y1Q2_79Bx5G6qLBpSXgpLg/s1600/2013-07-07_13-48-59_969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSapDi3OSVK1WzE6orXflhLAMoqc7HpLsETJ8t7mXjRLXrbpRWJE6saUOyzQay4aWPZqJJqiKBdKH8JQ5R6l3cOtNUmu3z11TyOzJH3xjN24NRknZQCrrh5y1Q2_79Bx5G6qLBpSXgpLg/s640/2013-07-07_13-48-59_969.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So we wound our way down the St. Mary’s canal on Lake
Superior until we cleared the outer buoys and entered the infamous Whitefish
Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our plan was to cross Whitefish Bay
and make landfall at Whitefish Point, a little harbor of refuge managed and
maintained by the State of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an aside, you may recall when Brenda and I
were on the Great Lakes previously that, we learned how the State of Michigan
maintains a harbor every 20 miles on Lakes Huron and Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when the weather gets stinky (I say when
and not if) one is never more than 10 miles from safe harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This same logistic held true on Lake Superior
as well, at least so long as we were in Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good thing, too, as I will explain,
the conditions on Lake Superior are quite different from the other Great Lakes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR5fq0qaXI_XwZIcfhnvJo4qdpJV4EMpCtxepzCSkZ657ccEi_cXA_DsfAa09JdPkbPgORcSwqfUh837AWx7fhJ681ep9XUAjgZgemg9VqA6Mf63IqknPjh_WlvWWkj3BKyE-Uf2P2W0/s1600/2013-07-07_13-49-50_73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR5fq0qaXI_XwZIcfhnvJo4qdpJV4EMpCtxepzCSkZ657ccEi_cXA_DsfAa09JdPkbPgORcSwqfUh837AWx7fhJ681ep9XUAjgZgemg9VqA6Mf63IqknPjh_WlvWWkj3BKyE-Uf2P2W0/s400/2013-07-07_13-49-50_73.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once we cleared onto Whitefish Bay, the lake was flat like a
mirror and there was absolutely no wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The air was slightly chilly, and patchy fog did a number on our
visibility from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there
we were, on Lake Superior with over 360 miles to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were passed by a huge Iron Boat on the way
out onto the bay and were very pleased when they waved at us as we passed port
to port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After this, we hardly saw
another boat on the lake throughout our entire journey westward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcX_d3nFtMp-Zghx9hL4cVofZoPyPwUhyphenhyphenNJplEPeaLyTXn6CXPgIp-SJuqMuSZKntv-p3CSnLNzhN4LADibTPHrBExhgRTCt1CXG2Be_4ctDIGKuMn9ZD9cl-XmkF0389ONxPx46yOWY/s1600/2013-07-07_14-52-33_602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcX_d3nFtMp-Zghx9hL4cVofZoPyPwUhyphenhyphenNJplEPeaLyTXn6CXPgIp-SJuqMuSZKntv-p3CSnLNzhN4LADibTPHrBExhgRTCt1CXG2Be_4ctDIGKuMn9ZD9cl-XmkF0389ONxPx46yOWY/s640/2013-07-07_14-52-33_602.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Lake Superior, there are very few longer range cruising
boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, there are a large number
of smaller boats that leave from a myriad of launch ramps all around the lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abreojos was, in most cases, definitely the
big dog on the block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compared to the
rest of the beaten path known as the Loop, few of those boats ever venture up
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some say it’s the lack of
services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others say it’s the distances
between safe harbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some even say
there is no place to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I think
Lake Superior was spectacular and was a highlight of my cruising career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After leaving the St. Mary’s River we crossed Whitefish Bay
to Whitefish Point Harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are
looking for a fancy marina with all the services available, this is definitely
not the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, on the other hand,
you are enthusiastic about colors and textures of wide sorts, then this is
definitely a great place to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
it is technically managed by the State of Michigan DNR, there is nothing there but
a boarded up old fish processing plant surrounded by trees and high grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a variety of birds on the roofs
all “wind-veining.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is apparent that it has been there a very
long time and that nothing has been going on there for quite a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The processing plant was boarded up and
posted with “No Trespassing” signs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a launch ramp there catering to small fishing boats operated by
rather serious fishermen who spared no expense on gear for trolling for
anything from Lake Trout to Whitefish, Muskee and Bluegill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These boats were not pretty, but they were
all equipped with “kicker motors” so that when the main engine quits, they have
a way to get back to the ramp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is
NO Towboat US up here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are on your
own and you definitely have to be able to fend for yourself.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb-9vubxzEIVQ6fcHxwq1tG5z9-4pOsme_hA5j9chju9XOofljswwLUjikUXWc36hQmgj5xNT_dOQ_B_symAH4K-v018V5Gt0VzdrGEKMF-AhJur5-6hmJHPDzRlsqfHORk-txeCknGc/s1600/2013-07-07_15-32-26_695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXb-9vubxzEIVQ6fcHxwq1tG5z9-4pOsme_hA5j9chju9XOofljswwLUjikUXWc36hQmgj5xNT_dOQ_B_symAH4K-v018V5Gt0VzdrGEKMF-AhJur5-6hmJHPDzRlsqfHORk-txeCknGc/s400/2013-07-07_15-32-26_695.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a lighthouse at the St. Mary's Rivermouth where it meets Whitefish Bay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Notwithstanding the potentials, the water is crystal clear
and very cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We never saw water much
above 50 degrees F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also quite
deep in places exceeding 400 feet from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The volume of Lake Superior is such that it
can contain all the water from all of the other Great Lakes combined within its
shores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a big lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really hate it when folks compare the Great
Lakes with the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s just like
the ocean”, is the cry of the uninitiated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is not like the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
like the Great Lakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, in many
cases, it is very shallow (i.e., Lake Erie averages around 40 feet, Lake Huron
is a little deeper on average, and Lakes Michigan and Ontario are yet even
deeper.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also fresh water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The buoyancy of your boat is affected
thereby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water is seemingly
lifeless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the ocean, one becomes
accustomed to seeing lots of wildlife, such as birds, dolphin, whales, jumping
fish, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the Great Lakes, one sees
little or nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except for the
flies!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea where they come
from, but we were 15 miles off shore passing the Huron Islands, barren rocks,
and were jumped by thousands of black flies, apparently, the Michigan State
Bird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a while we put Shteutle the
Fly-Swatter to the test and killed hundreds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hanging fly strips inside the cabin looked hairy being covered with
stuck flies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, we put up the
screens on the pilothouse windows and just left them there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It helped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the little bastards still found their way in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we landed in Superior, Wisconsin,
Shteutle was held together with duct tape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, the Great Lakes are not like the ocean.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weather on Lake Superior is rather fickle to say the
least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One minute it might be sunny and
ten minutes later, you might find yourself shrouded in very thick fog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind and the waves do not necessarily
line up either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a number of
prominences sticking out from the shoreline that bend the wind and the waves in
a frustrating way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 300 milles, I
was absolutely convinced that the indian name for Lake Superior,
“Gitcheegumee”, means “on the beam.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
didn’t matter what direction we were travelling or what direction the wind was
blowing, or forecast to blow, the waves were seemingly always on the beam,
making for an occasionally uncomfortable ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were pretty careful with the weather forecasts, however, and never
had a bad day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were several hours
that might be considered unduly uncomfortable, but never really dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We spent a few hours wandering around the grounds at
Whitefish Harbor and met a friendly couple from Iowa who were part of a tour
group staying in a retired barracks out on the end of Whitefish Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wandered up and talked with us and we
ended up giving them a tour of the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They were impressed with the fact that we had seemingly travelled quite
a long way to get where we were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, we told them we were in the process of bringing the boat back to the West
Coast, and her comment to Robert was, “Doesn’t he have a map?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, we all got a good chuckle out of
that one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following morning, we awoke to some rather obnoxious
wind which delayed our departure a couple hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t blowing that hard, but it was
blowing hard enough to make the water inside the point all cappy and
nasty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited for a couple hours
until it stabilized before leaving and making a run for Whitefish Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once we got around the point, however, the
wind eased to a following breeze and off we went…….of course with the waves on
the beam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We ran all day, passing a series of rock piles out in the
middle of nowhere, sporting some rather unique and beautiful lighthouses and
millions of flies, and made landfall in the town of Munising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Munising is a mill town with a large paper
mill and other aspects of lumber harvesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There, we met Mike the dockmaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was perhaps not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he was friendly
enough and rather enthusiastic about having a boat from a California homeport
in his marina; definitely not something he sees every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He came over to the boat after work and had a
couple beers and told us a little about life in Northern Michigan, and on the
banks of Lake Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pointed out
that the marinas all close up tight by the end of October as the ice begins to
form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were rather shocked to learn
that the water in the harbor will freeze to as much as 4 feet thick and that
this thick ice would go out for several miles off shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The offshore islands in the vicinity of
Munising go from cruising grounds to snowmobile grounds in the course of a few
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ice fishing is big as well, with
avid fishermen moving small buildings out onto the lake ice, all suited with
propane heaters and lots of whiskey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There might be as many as 100 houses out on the ice within a couple
miles of shore. From where I sit, although I admire their tenacity, I still
think they’re nuts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also barely found the local IGA to pick up some
provisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with directions we ended up walking all
over town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone we asked told us it
was just up the street to the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, we did that like 3 times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were convinced nobody actually wanted us to find the place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the morning we left Munising in the rain and in the
fog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fog was pretty thick but we
left a good track of crumbs on the plotter that helped us clear the big islands
in front of this town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the fog
cleared nicely once we got out of the bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We ran all day, putting yet another 100 miles under the keel and made it
to the Keweenaw Peninsula and the southern entrance to the Portage Canal, a
manmade river that shortens the transit across the lake by over 100 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were headed for the twin cities of
Houghton and Hancock, about 12 miles up the 22 mile long Portage River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, having dodged the fog, several
rather thick thunderstorms, and forthcoming breezy conditions, we thought we
were golden, so to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, less
than 100 yards from the dock at the Houghton County Marina at the foot of a
spectacular lift bridge, I lost propulsion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was weird.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were motoring
along slowly looking for our slip on the river bank when I felt a pulse in the
stick and, even though the engine continued to hum perfectly, we were going
nowhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got on the radio and called
the Marina to let them know of our predicament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, the guy on the radio was one of those kids working part
time while on summer break from school and he was not helpful at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then called Towboat US on the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within 5 minutes, the lady from Towboat US
called back and said there were no towing operations in the area and that she
had called Coast Guard Station Portage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As it turned out, before she even called them, they were already
responding and were within sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
guess they overheard me telling the marina that we were stuck in the middle of
the river and that we were dropping our anchor in 50 feet of water directly in
front of the lift bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess when
you have to do it, do it big, right?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, the CG came on over, side tied, turned us around, and
functionally sling-shot us at the dock where we were caught by some good
Samaritans who happened to be lazing around on the dock in the pouring
rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suffice it to say I was a little
less than pleased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert kept reminding
me, however, that this is cruising and breaking down is part of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this is absolutely true, it doesn’t
sound like much fun when all you want to do is get to Superior and start
heading home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The kid in the marina office, however, had the brains to
call his boss and get some information for us regarding a mechanic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an aside, it turns out his boss is Scott
Perkins whom, if you have travelled in the Florida Keys, you have probably
heard performing with his guitar in any number of small bars and restaurants,
especially in Key West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly
remembered hearing him play at Schooner’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Scott genuinely has the system wired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He works at a beautiful place all summer and then gets laid off for the
winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He collects unemployment and
heads south to live on his sailboat with his wife in the Keys all winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sold his business and retired a few years
ago and has no mortgage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With money in
the bank, Scott wanders north and south without a care in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds pretty good.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the advice of his boss, Scott, the kid at the marina gave
us a card for a guy named Craig Bekalla.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I called Craig and he seemed less than positive that he could do
anything for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, he is a diesel
mechanic, but no, he did not have a lot of experience with boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave us the name of the guy who owns and
operates Merkels Marine a couple miles down the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I called him and he agreed to come down in
the morning and take a look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had
this happen before and was pretty convinced it was a broken damper plate inside
the transmission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So while all of this
was going on, I was calling Lee Spry Marine in Iuka, Mississippi to try to get
a part number since he was the last guy to repair a blown damper plate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In hindsight, it would appear that locking is very hard on a
boat’s transmission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, leaving
the engine running for an hour while sitting in a lock is also hard on the
tranny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, all the idle and
slow speed running while waiting for locks is no good either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can be the only explanation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My crewman, Robert, an engineer by training
and trade, puts it in terms of cycles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He explained that engineers for all products test products until they
fail and have a reasonably good idea how many times something can be used
before it fails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When put in these
terms, it would appear that a transmission is slammed in and out of gear many
times more often when locking than in normal operation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally, a boat is turned on, put in reverse
and put into forward, put into neutral and then put into reverse and
docked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would be approximately four
to six cycles per week or per month, or even per year for some boaters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under these conditions, a transmission will
last forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, consider the
number of cycles a transmission goes through after 70 locking episodes in a matter
of weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hundreds if not
thousands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will certainly shorten
the life of a damper plate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
considered the number of locks transited before the last damper plate episode
and the number of locks that preceded this episode, it basically adds up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I may never know for sure, but I can tell you this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abreojos is done with locks…..for good!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, Craig called me in the morning before Ron from Merkels
showed up and asked if I wanted him to come take a look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him to hold off since Ron was
coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, Ron was no help at
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, all he could do was tell
us that he was two weeks behind on the work he had in his yard already (Oh
Geeeez, I don’t knoooooow) and express his concern over the lynching he might
suffer if the locals saw him at the marina working on some transient boat. While
he was standing in my engine room whining about his problems, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was fixing to shove a screwdriver into his neck,
I was so pissed off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What in hell did he
expect us to do?!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I have to take
all the bad words and feelings back because, ultimately, almost as soon as he
got off the boat, Ron started making phone calls and truly organized a great
effort to get us back in motion in less than 3 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unbeknownst to me, Ron called Bekalla.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bekalla was already on his way down to the
boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron also called his local parts
guy to find out about damper plates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, I got the part number from Iuka and the name of the distributor where
they got it from, called them, and spoke to a guy named Al who told me he had
already spoken to Ron and was waiting for the part number, that he would most
likely have it in stock and would ship it overnight to Ron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I was impressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So very quickly, we went from dead in the
water to enjoying a fast moving momentum towards mechanical salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bekalla started the next morning, and in less
than 10 hours pulled the bell housing, replaced the damper plate, and put it
all back together again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This guy Craig Bekalla restored my faith in youth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a guy in his early 30’s, running his
own business, with a wife and 3 kids, willing to work around the clock if
necessary to get the job done, and yet he had never even tasted beer!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We called him “The Boy Wonder.” He was like
Spiderman in the engine room and came out all covered with grease; literally,
from head to toe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even had smudges on
his face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This kid worked very
hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though he had not worked on a Borg-Warner
Velvet Drive before, he spent hours on line researching the matter, came up
with the service manual for the same, and came prepared with all the tools,
knowhow and skill to do a terrific job and very quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although he probably thinks he got the better
of us by charging what he called “emergency rates”, he was still less expensive
than any other mechanic of similar skill, and actually got the job done for
$300 less than the veterans in Iuka and in Port San Luis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we were very pleased to be under way by
Friday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We only lost a day since
we had planned to stop at Houghton/Hancock to wait for weather for two
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We left Houghton/Hancock under a sketchy weather
forecast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our original plan was to leave
the Portage River and make a B-line for the Apostle Islands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, we decided to divert to the very
small harbor known as Ontonagon, the last of the Michigan harbors of refuge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good thing too, because within half an
hour of our docking in Ontonagon, the wind dropped down like the hammers of
hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This harbor was festooned with
whitecaps across a water area hardly larger than an Olympic size swimming pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the boats in the harbor were heeled over
due to the force of the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, that
left us with only one thing to do – go in search of more beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So off we went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The harbor master in Ontonagon was a strange bird
to begin with and so his directions were something short of useful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me regress.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntVavrO4f5lsC6DrKikG1whaHYWumWmzyHZJhSaze2EC-lqhTASXwQruvgOqf-stZIfyjBygscQa0tPUPrdFsnoaDrgQkDILTriwir_KZRJXW8bUxQSby96WfTkBckScwTAKDpOdaiC0/s1600/071113123905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntVavrO4f5lsC6DrKikG1whaHYWumWmzyHZJhSaze2EC-lqhTASXwQruvgOqf-stZIfyjBygscQa0tPUPrdFsnoaDrgQkDILTriwir_KZRJXW8bUxQSby96WfTkBckScwTAKDpOdaiC0/s400/071113123905.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This dude ran across the railing where we were sitting having lunch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> <span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we arrived in Ontonagon, we called in and the harbor
master said he was not going to be there when we arrived, and that he would be
back around 7:00 that evening, so if we missed him, he would catch up with
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, after we tied up, we made no
rush to get to the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within about
10 minutes of docking, he shows up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
we took our beers with us and walked with him to the office to sign in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most places we have gone at least have a
pre-printed form to complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not this
guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he did was take a legal pad and
write out all the information he wanted me to provide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like, hasn’t this guy heard of a copy
machine?????<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh well, so he gave us directions to a convenience store he
said was closer than town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just go out
of the marina and follow the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
we followed the road out of the marina and came to a “Y”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our friend the harbormaster neglected to tell
us which way to go then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made a guess
and headed to the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, there is
nothing……NOTHING……out there but grass and some trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, we did find the convenience store/auto
parts shop/mechanic/bait shop and gas station, and they had what we were
looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, there was this
really nasty woman working there as the clerk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was quite the smart-ass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
laughed at her funky hair and decided the word “Ontonagon” was actually a Chippewa
Indian word describing the nasty things that should happen to her; things I
will not repeat here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a good
laugh of it though, as you would expect two guys travelling together on a boat
for the last two and a half weeks to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Interestingly, the water changed as we approached
Ontonagon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could see what looked like
a long sandbar extending out from the river mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we got a little closer, however, we could
see that it was just very muddy water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
water went from crystal clear and blue to absolutely brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like this all the way up the river to
the town dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We asked the harbor master
about this and he informed us that it was from rain runoff and also due to the
fact that they are trying to lower the water behind the dam by some 60 feet to
repair a broken valve, or something like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was quite a bit different from the water quality we experienced the
next day when we ran another 80 miles from Ontonagon to the Apostle Islands.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Apostle Islands are a group of around 15 islands that
form an archipelago extending from the northern tip of the Bayfield Peninsula
in Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are largely
uninhabited, except for the occasional NPS Ranger station, and are also largely
inaccessible except by small boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are a few docks scattered throughout the archipelago<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>which are almost free to spend the
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no electricity and no
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There may be a primitive
bathroom, but that’s about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest
of the islands are thick forest on top of granite carved millions of years ago
by receding glaciers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are covered
with small wild life of a vast variety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We saw snakes, lots of birds, frogs, insects of all kinds, and other
amphibians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a sign that
suggested that bears not be fed, although I think that was for the tourists as
these islands are generally too small to support the foraging needs of your
average black bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water was
crystal clear and teaming with small fish darting in and out of the pier
pilings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was beautiful, but the water
was very cold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can honestly say that
our Channel Islands on the west coast have nothing on these islands in Lake
Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While they are very different,
they are at least equally superb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Robert just had to go swimming; so he could cross it off his
bucket list; that’s right, take a quick dip in Lake Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stood by at the ready to gaff him if he
lost his breath, not to mention his ability to swim, due to the cold water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In spite of it all, however, Robert made good
on his word and cheated death like a real cowboy, screaming expletives starting
with “F” all the way in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess he can
now say he went swimming in Lake Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, I don’t give a
shit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate cold water whether it’s
fresh or salt, Lake Superior or Larry’s Lilly Pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t going to dip my ass in 50 degree
water just for the hell of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a great dinner specially prepared by Robert as taught
to him by his mother, had plenty of drinks to celebrate our last night of the
cruise, and laughed like monkeys until the wee hours before hitting the sack,
for the morrow would be our last day on Lake Superior…….forever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We did not bother to set an alarm as it was only 63 miles
down to Superior, Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
forecast was stable and we had no need to get in early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we woke up, luxuriated over a couple pots
of coffee before casting off from Rocky Island in the Apostles for the cruise
to Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would be a very long
day for me as I was only concerned with one thing – finishing this passage and
starting to work my way home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
sound caught my attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every bump or
knock caused my bowels to tighten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ultimately, it was all nothing, but I was prepared, and after a long day
(another long day) we pulled into the service dock at Barkers Island Marina and
marked the end of this cruise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1h60IhuC8_u6fTeQhVLmjBo3rE-1e-2EGEAsBciC2yrbvaM3Xo1rF1tqitBQHBEJUoZ6oKqRJIryoTAs1DcIwFXCouYo-FkWlq9kdwhH3PuT7PLCrC8FPAr5BGyvpHk0rXg71p91z8Q/s1600/2013-07-14_14-34-27_425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1h60IhuC8_u6fTeQhVLmjBo3rE-1e-2EGEAsBciC2yrbvaM3Xo1rF1tqitBQHBEJUoZ6oKqRJIryoTAs1DcIwFXCouYo-FkWlq9kdwhH3PuT7PLCrC8FPAr5BGyvpHk0rXg71p91z8Q/s400/2013-07-14_14-34-27_425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For me it was, once again, bitter-sweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love being out cruising and exploring a lot
more than I enjoy terrestrial life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
called this trip a delivery and thus forwent a lot of the tourist opportunities
along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did, however, enjoy
the essence of the passage; the beautiful scenery all around us, and the sense
of knowing that we travelled over 1600 nautical miles from Camden, NC to
Superior, WI having navigated on the Dismal Swamp Canal, Chesapeake Bay, the
C&D Canal, the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, Cape May, the Atlantic Coast
of New Jersey, the Hudson River, the eastern half of the Erie Canal, the Oswego
Canal, Lake Ontario, the Trent Severn Waterway, Georgian Bay, the North
Channel, the St. Mary’s River, Sault St. Marie, and Lake Superior.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09VsSYIB5FE7aHTPMkV7W4PDX-QGJQkDYpJYhY868E2ifePDIfMQiJgv_KrZTyRvVTcJVadwMMDEf0h5ZaA84dY1EF_N_TDmERmh00GcTi0ME_oFBfyBQmj7dX45U6inMfKUnNZyz4yo/s1600/2013-07-17_09-12-53_428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09VsSYIB5FE7aHTPMkV7W4PDX-QGJQkDYpJYhY868E2ifePDIfMQiJgv_KrZTyRvVTcJVadwMMDEf0h5ZaA84dY1EF_N_TDmERmh00GcTi0ME_oFBfyBQmj7dX45U6inMfKUnNZyz4yo/s400/2013-07-17_09-12-53_428.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, Abreojos was prepared for departure, loaded onto
the back of a great truck, and is now making her way in the fine care of
Absolute Yacht Transportation to her new temporary home in Everett, Washington.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abreojos will ride again soon, and I’m
certain we’ll have more to say about her travels as we draw to a close our
version of America’s Greatest Loop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cheers for now.</span></div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-18095398873102888642013-07-06T20:21:00.005-07:002013-07-06T20:21:47.203-07:00Georgian Bay and North ChannelSometimes things happen for a reason. I mentioned previously that the water pump giving up the ghost resulted in us being stranded in Parry Sound, Ontario, but that this same town is the home town of Bobby Orr, a childhood hero of mine. Well, the folks at Sound Boat Works did a terrific job getting us going again just in time for some epic weather. Whereas we lost a day at the dock, we made it up over the next couple days running over 170 miles in those two days. It may not seem like much, but you have to remember that Abreojos runs at around 7-8 knots and we do not run at night, especially in Georgian Bay and North Channel where the bottom is mostly rock. In the North Channel and Georgian Bay, rocks have a tendency to spring up where you might not expect them to. The markers are pretty good and accurate, but on occasion, we have come across places where the marks are gone or are clearly not where they are supposed to be on the charts or on the chartplotter. This fact alone makes running at night a bad idea unless you have very strong local knowledge.<br />
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Nevertheless, these places are absolutelty beautiful and, at least to me, show what I imagined Canada would look like.<br />
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So, after we left Parry Sound, we "b-lined" it across the rest of Georgian Bay, taking a mild beating in the early afternoon, at least until we got into the mouth of North Channel. The wind was coming from the wrong direction. For most of this trip, I have always had the wind following me. For the last few days, it seems the wind has always been on the beam. Oh well. We just tighten things up to make sure they don't fly. As you all know, if it can fly, it will fly. These are words to live by on most boats that actually leave the confines of the harbor. <br />
he<br />
Georgian Bay became less and less populated, the further northwest we went. There are rock islands popping up all over the place, none of which are inhabited by the ubiquitous "cottage."<br />
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Once we got across Georgian Bay, we entered North Channel and it got even prettier. We passed through the town of Little Current and barely made it under the fixed bridge. They say the water levels are down, but I'm not sure about this. We have made it under plenty of 18' bridges, but this one clipped our outriggers. No harm, no foul, but either the water levels are actually up or my outriggers got longer.<br />
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We anchored last night at a place called Clapperton Island which gave new meaning to the word quiet. It was beautiful in there and, other than a single sailboat and a couple houses on the island, there was nobody around. When we pulled the hook to leave this morning, we managed to capture the interest of a 10' log that got itself jammed in the anchor. With a little determination and a touch of ingenuity, we managed to get the log out and left. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXCU316EpDE8u9Ee8cRjt2KbrewmtNZY_rW9bYL8KCkah_XmabpOwoNiL-zIYpgjZ3_zyGXWFzvgepO9836fxnMGz0AvhpScKrwPy482xW0fkfkuD7-PHm72gK5lnDbJLtqmzG_qA_hs/s1600/2013-07-06_06-37-00_153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXCU316EpDE8u9Ee8cRjt2KbrewmtNZY_rW9bYL8KCkah_XmabpOwoNiL-zIYpgjZ3_zyGXWFzvgepO9836fxnMGz0AvhpScKrwPy482xW0fkfkuD7-PHm72gK5lnDbJLtqmzG_qA_hs/s640/2013-07-06_06-37-00_153.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are really strange flies. Apparently they only live 24 hours. Up close they are very beautiful, but they cover the boat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Nine hours later, we arrived at Drummond Island, Michigan. The first thing we did was check in with Customs. This was really an easy process and the CBP agent could not have been more pleasant. I was rather suprised insofar as I had heard horror stories about checking back into our own country. This put all the rumors to rest, however, as everything went smooth. We then borrowed a marina car and got some groceries. Tomorrow we plan to leave again very early and make it through the big locks at Sault St. Marie and into Lake Superior. I am very much looking forward to this and I'm all but certain I'll have more to write about then. In the mean time, I am going to sleep. I am very tired. Long days full of hard concentration leave one drained at the end of the day. The problem is, it does not get dark until 11:00 this far north. Moreover, it's been in the high 80's late into the evening, so it is hard to think about food and eating. Oh well.<br />
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Life is short. You only get one trip around this one, so it makes sense to do whatever you have to do to enjoy it.<br />
<br />
Cheers.<br />
<br />
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-83574487557496695922013-07-03T20:29:00.000-07:002013-07-03T20:37:09.921-07:00Stuck in Bobby Orr town<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After completing the Trent-Severn Canal, we cruised into the
heart of Georgian Bay to a town called Midland, and stayed for a few days at
the Bay Port Yachting Centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BPYC was a
beautiful marina with all the facilities you could ask for and it was only a
short walk to the town of Midland for groceries and other provisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only exception was their wifi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did not work but sporadically from the
boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brenda and I resolved this issue
by packing the laptop and the Ipad into town where we found two lovely coffee
shops which had free wifi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is how I
was able to post the last blog.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAaHLsqbE4T7NQn1cedQonhZ40DydLrgY55HXLkTCHesWqCkHKwklDHT5zBeT0IR0mCc-2xUW1b_5lOg3z29q6OdWU9MKlfAs2PRM6HoPw_hQ1fV7Pg7zpKjMyPU7AL8i7PryWs6iHvA/s1600/2013-06-30_09-59-45_220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAaHLsqbE4T7NQn1cedQonhZ40DydLrgY55HXLkTCHesWqCkHKwklDHT5zBeT0IR0mCc-2xUW1b_5lOg3z29q6OdWU9MKlfAs2PRM6HoPw_hQ1fV7Pg7zpKjMyPU7AL8i7PryWs6iHvA/s400/2013-06-30_09-59-45_220.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyways, Brenda went home on July 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>July 1 is Canada Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you ask a Canadian what this means, they
tell you it is like our July 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
heard this I almost laughed out loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, July 1 represents the day Canada purportedly became “independent”,
however, gaining this so called independence involved sitting down and signing
a document after mediated discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is absolutely no basis in fact or imagination to compare their
Canada Day to our Independence Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
yet, they celebrate with fireworks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
tawdry!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not as if the signing of
some confederacy document involved glorious battle against tyranny and the
sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of lives to gain true freedom and a crack at
democracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess you can tell I was a
little put off by the comparison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here
they still cheer, “God Save the Queen.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We cheer “God Bless America!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
on our July 4 holiday, I am ever more proud to be an American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially since I am stuck in Canada.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My friend Robert drove in from Virginia to cruise with me
for the last leg of this trip, from Midland to Superior, Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tuesday morning, Robert and I cast off the
lines and headed out into Georgian Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Somewhere along the line, we must have sucked up something that clogged
the raw water pump on the main engine causing it to overheat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We caught it very quickly and shut down the
engine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were adrift several miles
from land in more than 100 feet of water, so there was no use dropping an
anchor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So there we were, adrift in
Georgian Bay, while we waited for the engine to cool enough to put the fluids
back in and to check for water flow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, when we started up the engine, the temperature rose
quickly signifying that there was no water flow. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could only mean one thing: the impeller was
shot and had to be replaced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately, I carry spares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Between Robert in the engine room and me running around handing him
tools and parts, and gooping up the ends of fittings, we got the impeller out
and replaced in under an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we
started up the engine, she ran nice and cool, so we started out again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">About an hour later, we did an engine room check and
discovered a rather significant leak from what looked like the water pump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A tad more disconcerting was the fact that
there was a large amount of water that had accumulated in the engine
bilge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are talking like 20 gallons of
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we stopped again, and pumped
all the water out of the engine bilge into the keel bilge where the bilge pumps
would simply pump it overboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we
tightened a couple things and made sure all clamps were secure, and made off
again.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A half hour later, we were still taking on a lot of
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time, we were about half
way between Midland and the next possible place where services were to be had;
the town of Parry Sound, Ontario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we
pulled the pump hose from the keel bilge and put it in the engine bilge and
kept going while running the bilge pump for several minutes every half hour to
keep up with the water being pumped into the boat due to the now faulty raw
water pump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we were tempted to
continue this way for the next two days and make it to Drummond Island,
discretion, being at all times the better part of valor, dictated that safety
of vessel and crew was paramount, so we put in at Parry Sound at a place called
Sound Boat Works, the only place around that has mechanics that work on diesel
engines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sound Boat Works is rustic to say the least, but we are on a
fairly new section of dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a long
walk to town, but as I will explain, the town is very nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got in at almost 5:00 pm so there was no
mechanic around, but at 8:30 this morning, the owner of the marina showed up
and pulled the water pump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 9:00 this
morning, another “bench” mechanic had the pump disassembled and had identified
that it was the seal behind the impeller and the back plate that had given up
the ghost and were the cause of the big leak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is now the end of the day, and they have yet to find replacement
parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are hoping they will locate
them tomorrow and get them in asap so we can be on our way again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am a soft believer in coincidence and try to give faith a
chance whenever possible, so it is was very interesting to learn what Parry
Sound’s claim to fame is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
home of Bobby Orr, perhaps the greatest hockey player to ever lace up
skates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was also my hero growing up
and playing hockey in LA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wore #4 just
like Bobby Orr and was a defenseman just like him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I idolized the man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And to think we just happened to end up
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I consider this a stroke of good
luck in a swim meet of bad strokes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
once the pump was pulled, we geared up and walked to town to visit the Bobby
Orr Hall of Fame Museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, let’s keep
in mind, Bobby Orr is still alive and doing quite well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His family is still a presence in this
community and every year, Bobby Orr still hosts a big golf tournament in
connection with ceremonies to induct new members into his hall of fame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in spite of it all, it was extraordinary
to visit the home town of a childhood hero of mine and to see his things
proudly exhibited in the museum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZxOOI46RlDIUHVBGlyvpV5xXigLI5JVk2CTu9mdS8aFH5H12OrQNbKtJzLi0ziyZApnB2koGPOnU25zrS7_dAuYLil6LTNTpFcLIMtiNdYK9EVjufATg1vlTClcRIS1nM2gz5PefdtI/s1600/2013-07-03_10-51-56_988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZxOOI46RlDIUHVBGlyvpV5xXigLI5JVk2CTu9mdS8aFH5H12OrQNbKtJzLi0ziyZApnB2koGPOnU25zrS7_dAuYLil6LTNTpFcLIMtiNdYK9EVjufATg1vlTClcRIS1nM2gz5PefdtI/s400/2013-07-03_10-51-56_988.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was Orr's first jersey as a Boston Bruin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit34u5L5-3rz9UedMKIkba_JYA-Dq8Iy3N6qbmmXck1mspjPFs8gLAoHKhhGzCpr9D-Ijxhe5hVisxDZCJjWfF8eJlTvZf6qyzfnYH7tsl79UJxzASw-LagbbZ3epDU9R-0AYcqCj9Bug/s1600/2013-07-03_10-50-15_36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit34u5L5-3rz9UedMKIkba_JYA-Dq8Iy3N6qbmmXck1mspjPFs8gLAoHKhhGzCpr9D-Ijxhe5hVisxDZCJjWfF8eJlTvZf6qyzfnYH7tsl79UJxzASw-LagbbZ3epDU9R-0AYcqCj9Bug/s400/2013-07-03_10-50-15_36.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was his last.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of you may realize that the recent Stanley Cup
Championship was played between the Boston Bruins and the Chicago
Blackhawks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of you may not realize
that Bobby Orr started his illustrious career with the Bruins and finished it
with the Blackhawks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must have been
tough to watch that series here in Parry Sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s it for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All we can do is sit and wait for the parts to be found and shipped so
we can again be on our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16q6Ss_BZM8S44sEypwjz10K5PKDhBlGbOfYNa2eHRFp3ooPmnU2sfSu2Psu3UB2utpYh1D6WHT_vMPpJT2dAE5b-G0QTzxdJ3q8ihn5-ArzfJGPsNlhrIE3XA149lPAUPUABfQNaAVA/s1600/2013-07-03_10-23-35_877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16q6Ss_BZM8S44sEypwjz10K5PKDhBlGbOfYNa2eHRFp3ooPmnU2sfSu2Psu3UB2utpYh1D6WHT_vMPpJT2dAE5b-G0QTzxdJ3q8ihn5-ArzfJGPsNlhrIE3XA149lPAUPUABfQNaAVA/s320/2013-07-03_10-23-35_877.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks, Brenda.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-85915161401353562252013-06-29T07:27:00.003-07:002013-06-29T07:27:16.932-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Trent–Severn Waterway is a 240 mile canal route
traversing Southern Ontario cottage country, and is a National Historic Site of
Canada administered by Parks Canada under the statutory authority of the
Historic Canals Regulations. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of its 240
miles, around 20 of those miles are man-made channels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 45 locks, including 36 conventional
locks, two sets of flight locks, hydraulic lift locks at Peterborough and
Kirkfield, and a marine railway at Big Chute which transports boats between the
upper and lower sections of the Severn River. The system also includes 39 swing
bridges and 160 dams and control structures that manage the water levels for
flood control and navigation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 18
hydroelectric generating facilities located along the route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a trivial aside, while on the Trent-Severn
Waterway, one reaches the highest place where a boat can be navigated from sea
level under its own power, 840 feet, 11 inches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The history of the Trent-Severn Waterway is somewhat
pathetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the mid-19th century, the
river systems of Central Ontario were used by lumber barons to transport newly
felled trees to sawmills closer to their markets. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the logging companies opposed the
building of locks because they might interfere with this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, because it seemed like a good
idea in terms of moving people and goods other than lumber through the rugged
central Ontario region, construction began in the Kawartha Lakes region in 1833
with the Lock at Bobcaygeon marking its beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The slow progress was noticed by the Canadian government. In
1878 Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald tried to speed up progress by making
it government policy to ensure that the system would be completed. To realize
some of the economic benefits of a complete canal, the Government of Ontario
built some of the locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lock system,
they argued, would aid the development of central Ontario, allowing a quick and
efficient flow of goods to and from the major trading centers along Lake
Ontario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, it took over 87
years to complete the canal system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
make matters worse, when the canal was finally completed, it failed to have a
major impact on the economy of the regions it was built to serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time the canal opened for business its
design had been made obsolete by larger boats: it had been designed for boats
too small to be commercially viable. Furthermore, in the years that it was
under construction, railways had further developed their networks and improved
service, which influenced settlement patterns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The waterway became totally obsolete for commercial purposes when the
present day Welland Canal (connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie) was completed
in 1932. The Welland Canal could handle large, ocean going cargo ships.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For sake of
comparison, the Erie Canal in New York runs about 363 miles from Albany, New
York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a
navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal
contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of
approximately 565 ft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First proposed in
1807, it was under construction from 1817 to 1825 (<u>7 years</u>) and
officially opened on October 26, 1825.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today, the Trent-Severn Waterway is maintained for
recreational boating and tourism. The Waterway connects two of the Great
Lakes—Ontario and Huron—with an eastern terminus at Trenton and a western
terminus at Port Severn. Its major natural waterways include the Trent River,
Otonabee River, the Kawartha Lakes, Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching and the
Severn River. It is open for navigation from May until October, while its shores
and bridges are open year-round.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On June 22, 2013, Brenda and I left Trenton for our first
day on the Trent-Severn Waterway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
started at 0830 and stopped at approximately 1745, a mere 26 miles from where
we started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We docked at the bottom of
Lock 11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Trent River is nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is quite wide in places except where you go through some clearly
man-made cuts, where it can get very narrow – like barely can two 40 footers
pass each other. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The river is also very
well marked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You really do not need
fancy electronics here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charts and
binoculars will easily get you through. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s funny – if you read some of the cruising
guides they make it sound like this is the most dangerous and hazardous
waterway in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, there are
shallow spots, but the water levels are maintained and if you stay in the
marked channel, there should be no issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You are well advised not to screw up, however, as it can be a costly
error, but that goes with every marked channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is especially true where some of the channels are rock lined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said, they seem to do a very good job
marking the channel, so I’m not sure what the entire hubbub is about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are nice homes along the waterway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, this is “Canadian Cottage Country.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, there are what appear to be campgrounds
along the banks in places where folks bring extensive equipment to spend time
in the great outdoors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have seen
mobile trailers surrounded by what look like brand new redwood decks,
above-ground pools, and even a hot tub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There have been miles and miles of grass lands like we haven’t seen
since the Gulf Coast of Texas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
very pretty and very serene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The lock operation is another story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Here we go again” is all I can say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lock operators like to talk, and they all
seem to want to talk about their problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have a situation up here that seems similar to that on the New York
Canal System: full timers are being laid off and replaced with part-timers; the
river is being mismanaged by the new form of management.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Union is fighting with management.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blah, blah, blah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not really sure what to say at this point
other than…..shut up and do your job and be thankful you still have one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One other point must be made clear:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are passing through a lock and you
wonder when they started hiring elementary school children to operate lock
machinery, stop and look in the mirror – you’re not 18 anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it seems that the canal regulatory authority
has taken to letting go the full timers and replacing them with college
students working summer jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rumor has
it, this choice has led to a number of considerable flooding issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So far, all of the locks we have gone through have been
manually operated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is to say that,
the gates are opened by two people who run in a circle pushing a bar that turns
gears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are other valves opened in
a similar way which allow water into the lock to raise the boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The locks are in great shape and the grounds
are well maintained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking of which,
we got our Parks Canada Canal Pass this morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The canal pass is a great idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This way you don’t have to pay at each
lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To purchase the pass, we pulled
into Lock 1 and the doors closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then,
they raise you to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I got
off the boat, ran into the office and purchased the pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is all very efficient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, unlike the one pass you buy to transit
within the entire New York Canal System, the Trent-Severn only pass costs three
times as much (for a one way transit) and does not entitle you to stay the
night on the lock walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, we
were never charged for staying on the lock walls in the Trent-Severn Waterway,
however, it was made clear that we would be charged a “modest $.90 per foot” to
do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This fee included only the right
to tie the boat to a concrete quay with no power, water or other service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the Erie Canal, one can stay on the lock
walls as part of the pass price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So as I said, we only made it 26 miles on our first day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is because there are so many locks close
together in a very short period of distance. It is also because they don’t
start running boats through until 0900 and finish at 1800 on Saturdays and
Sundays, 1700 on every other day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover,
the last lock through will be approximately a half hour before it otherwise
closes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is ridiculously civilized. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the longest stretch we went without a
lock was 7 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The closest distance
between locks today was around .4 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is true in the first 50 miles of the TSW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, things will stretch out a bit and
cruising will become a lot more enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, it doesn’t help that we were stuck all day with two other boats,
neither of which were not operated all that well, and both of which arguably
cost extra time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also rained on and
off all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Throughout the trip on the Trent-Severn Waterway, we met
some really nice folks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our first
night tied to a lock wall, we met Bob and Sharron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
introduced themselves as follows:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Hello, I am Bob and this is Sharron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’re Canadians from Toronto, a civilized part of Canada…….”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I said, “Hi I’m Larry and this is my wife
Brenda, we’re Americans from ….oh don’t say it, yes, California!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After we finished laughing, we had cocktails
on the wall and shared a lot of interesting information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it was all said and done, we were both
wondering why the hell there is a border between our two countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s nothing like cocktails to induce good
international relations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly
thereafter, those two grabbed up their gear and headed off to catch a taxi to a
hotel in town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, alrighty then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, we had the wall all to ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very quiet and the surroundings were
lovely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The banks are covered with wild
flowers and vines. The river is running by and is full of what appear to be
little chunks of ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, that is
foam from detergent allegedly being fed into the water as part of a sewage
plant up river a spell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is detergent,
not ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it foams like that
because of the strength of the current.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m not swimming here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On June 23, 2013, we celebrated Brenda’s birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let her sleep until almost 8:30 and presented
her with a birthday card that played, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was very foggy and overcast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, the sun would come out and it
would turn out to be a beautiful day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At 0850, we started the engine and prepared to enter the
next set of locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This first set of the
day was a “double”, also known as a “flight”, by which I mean you go into one
set of doors, get lifted and then, instead of exiting the lock into a canal, we
went immediately through another set of doors and got lifted again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole thing involved a 50 foot lift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were travelling with the same three boats
as we were the previous day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waiting
while 4-5 boats stuff themselves into each lock really puts a drag on
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes some folks soooooooooo
long!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A new couple joined our little locking club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call them Welsh Bob and Irish Anne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are all men in Canada named “Bob”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyways, they were great to talk to……after I
fixed a very bad boating habit of Bob’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once they joined the group, they were side-tying to us in the
locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d go into the lock first and
then they would simply come in and tie to the side of our boat, as if it were
the lock wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not unusual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the first time they tied to us, they
floated into the lock and before they were even tied off to our side, Bob cut
the engines thereby allowing his boat to drift into position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Bob and I had a little talk and fixed
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From then on he was really happy
at how easy it was to control his boat while tying up inside the lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Irish Anne was happy too insofar as getting
their boat to stop while she put the first line through the wire bollard was no
longer a death defying experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So,
today we got to give a little back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speaking of wire bollards, this is how these locks
work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each lock has a blue line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do not use vhf radios on the Trent so
there is no way to communicate with the lock personnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you do is pull up to and tie to the wall
with the painted blue line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This signals
the lock person that you are ready to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, you wait for instructions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes there are none.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather,
the lock doors simply begin to open and then, you start your engine and go on
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you enter the lock, there are
rubber covered cables bolted to the top and bottom of the lock, spaced roughly
12 feet apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trick is to pull
close to the wall and then stop the boat, have lines prepared and then, loop
one end of the line around a cable and return it to the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you simply hold the line as the water
level in the lock moves you up or down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here, unlike in the Erie Canal, you are required to stop your engine
when inside the lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you get to
the top, or the bottom as the case may be, you start your engine as the doors
are opening, and then motor out and you are on your way again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Welsh Bob and Irish Anne are on a boat called
“Farfour”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is named after a British
liner that was taken into service during WWII to carry men and munitions into
war and was ultimately sunk after being hit by five torpedoes fired by German
U-Boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welsh Bob said his uncle died
aboard that boat and naming his as such was a tribute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also said he was named after his
Uncle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an interesting story,
reminiscent, in a way, of the sinking of the Lusitania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the most part, things were very slow going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up stopped at one lock for nearly an
hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody was there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The folks responsible for operating this
particular lock just didn’t show up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
guess they just didn’t care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
that’s easy since, in Canada, you cannot fire a person from their job, even for
gross incompetency without giving them notice in advance and paying them a pile
of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, sometimes this country
seems like one giant liberal labor union.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, anyways, someone did show up and off we went.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By 3:30 in the afternoon, we had only travelled 18 miles!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had gone through 7 locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were all very slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The countryside is very pretty, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The waterways are lined with “cottages” and
campgrounds, rice paddies, and trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Things seem very clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the
lawns!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never seen a place where
everybody’s lawn looks like a golf course; beautifully manicured and very
green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have seen folks out on their
riding mowers, so it’s not fake grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In any event, we stopped at the town of Hastings and tied to
the lock wall or town wall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in
the lock and the wind was really picking up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were both tired and thought seriously about stopping for the
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, when I looked at
the numbers I became sort of disgusted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is a delivery for me and so I was a little disappointed at having
worked that hard all day in the muggy heat to have only made 18 miles!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We discussed it, decided we were not really
interested in this town, and agreed to take off again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided, at a minimum, we would make it
across Rice Lake and start up the Otonabee River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind had really started picking up so we
asked the lockmaster at Hastings what he thought the conditions on the lake
would be like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, “rough.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him what he meant by “rough” and he
said he didn’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a dog sound I
guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, off we went.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am not sure what he meant when he said the lake would be “rough”,
but for us, at least, it was not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure,
it was windy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, as a general rule,
shallow lakes can get quite sporty when the wind whips from one end to the
other for 20 miles as in the case of Rice Lake, and despite the fact that it
was whipped and capped, the waves were less than a foot and, for Abreojos, this
meant a ride she liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, when
the conditions are like this, it’s as though she floats across the tops of the
waves like a hydrofoil instead of plowing through them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, all at 7.3 knots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other thing about crossing this lake, and
for most of the TSW, my computer chart plotter has not been behaving well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first I thought it was the Canadian Hydrographic
charts being incompatible with our software.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Later I determined that the ‘hockey puck” gps we plub into the laptop
died. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do have charts and we used
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We purchased each and every chart
for the Trent-Severn Waterway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(They are
no on sale if anyone is interested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not going to need them again.) So, for the rest of the Trent Severn Waterway, navigation
has been “old school” and a simple matter of identifying and following the very
well laid out path of marks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do want
to give a sincere shout-out to our friend Rob at Cruising Services who is
sending me a new GPS unit to replace the dead one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has been great. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, like I said, we do it by hand the way we
learned long ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things will get back
to normal when we return to the Great Lakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would meet the new GPS somewhere in Georgian Bay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Crossing the lake was fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had wide open water, sunny skies, and a nice breeze to cool things
down a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were lots of little
boats out there, but nothing of a bother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once we found the mouth of the Otonabee River, we headed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we entered the river, it was
nearing 7:00 pm, so it was time to start giving some thought to where we would
stop for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the charts, we identified what appeared to be a public
dock in the small shire known as Campbelltown with enough room for our boat
only.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One cruising guide said there was
nothing on the dock to tie to, but they were wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were plenty of cleats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another guide said there was only four feet
of water at the dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, there is 9
feet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the cruising guide did not
tell us about were the chunks of steel sticking out where old bolts and other
metal parts had broken off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A neighbor
who lived adjacent this dock told us as we approached that there was plenty of
water, but watch out for the steel that is sticking out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the binoculars, I could see that it was
not that bad, so we put all our fenders on the starboard side and approached
very slowly and made a pretty, gingerly landing, tied off to the numerous
cleats, and shut down the engine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout
the evening, we had some small boat wakes, but nothing of any concern.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This place is genuinely out in the middle of nowhere, it
seems, although it is only about 5 miles by road from the larger town of Peterborough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, we were immediately adjacent to a launch
ramp and enjoyed launch ramp antics over cocktails as the day wound down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met a couple of police officers who were
very friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were launching their
boat for a cruise out to the lake and some of the islands where folks are known
to go party on weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They busted or
netted quite a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw how drunk
folks were when they came back to the ramp. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s pathetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guess it’s just a “small boat” thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ve met many a drunk along the way on big boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they are always tied to a dock someplace,
not careening around river bends at high speed with a passenger barely hanging
onto the front of the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Canada, boat operators must have a license. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only must they have a license, they must
have it in their possession while on the water. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While such a license is not hard to obtain
(one can go online, complete the course, and pass the 50 question final exam,
and it only costs a couple bucks), it sure gives the police here the right to
stop everyone and anyone they see to ask for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’ll tell you something, in quite a few
cases, once that barn door has been opened, it’s possible the whole herd is
going to run, so to speak, especially when alcohol and boating are involved. So
in Canada, boat operator licensure = a reason for police to stop you, if only
to inspect the license.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, it’s “open
season” on whatever they find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I
like the idea of minimum training requirements, as a lawyer, I’m not sure I
like the implications associated with using boat operator certification as a
means for the police to get into your business in the absence of some other
articulable reason to be concerned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anyway, this is Canada and they make their own rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are many cultural differences between our two
countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travelling is always about
experiencing these and either attempting to understand them, or simply being
entertained by them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I choose to do a
little of both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, when
locking through side-tied to another vessel, there is opportunity for
conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I said to Welsh Bob, “I
was wondering about something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You folks
have the Queen of England on your money, but everything is in French.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His response was hysterical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He simply said that, “We just haven’t gotten
around to fixing that yet.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost
fell off the boat laughing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In another example, the folks in this Province (Ontario)
seemingly don’t think much of their brethren in Quebec, the next province over
to the east.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is Toronto Maple Leaf territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even mentioning the Montreal Canadians could
get you in a fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then Irish Anne hears Welsh Bob and me laughing in the back
and asked if we were telling “tall stories”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, I couldn’t help it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told
Welsh Bob the one about the Canadian and the American guys up pissing off a
bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Canadian guy says, “Wow,
that water is cold!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the American
guy says…….well, you can probably guess the ending of that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We laughed and laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, here we are the only two Americans “toodling” along,
passing through this beautiful country, in the company of intrepid Canadian
travelers, seemingly without a care in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are lots of other Americans wanting to
get up here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, the Erie
Canal has been closed for weeks now due to rain and flooding (and poor
management).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ll get here soon, I
hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The folks here are mostly very friendly
and you feel safe all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
boats passing wave at us and we wave back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everyone waves at each other and greets each other on the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really enjoy being in a place where folks
passing you on the sidewalk make eye contact and say, “Good morning” or “Good
Afternoon”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a sign of a decent,
mannered society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately, there are many boaters here who are
extraordinarily rude with their wakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought Florida was bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So let me pay
some credence to what my “brother” Barry from Tampa once said in response to my
commentary regarding Florida boaters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
said, “Hey man, they all come here from somewhere up north.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, like Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if you are going to travel on this
waterway, you better button things up anytime you are on an open stretch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had three goons fly past us at four times
our speed, in a channel barely wide enough for one boat, not to mention two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody uses vhf radios around here and
getting to “the place” is the goal, not the voyage there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose it’s because folks up here have a
rather short boating season, so they want to do as much as they can in that
short time span.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, it’s f’ing
amateur hour out here!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the next few days, we travelled in the company of a
really great guy named Robert B. whom we met actually a couple days ago. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Yes, another Robert) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the TSW, when several boats show up at a
lock at the same time, you all travel together that day unless and until
someone stops or otherwise separates from the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travelling with this Robert has been
great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lives in Ontario and is an
avid boater who knows this canal system very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knows how long it should take to get from
place to place at a certain speed and knows the great places to stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, he spent one season on the TSW
documenting all the ice cream shops along the route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert has been more than generous with his
advice and guidance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you have to
run through “skinny water” over boulders, it’s good to be able to “school” off
of someone who knows what they are doing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is especially true when you have no
electronic chart plotter to show you the preferred line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert is cruising in an aluminum boat he has
all but built himself called “Magi B”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once you get to know him, you’ll appreciate the name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We went through a very unique lock in Peterborough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a hydraulic lift lock that is one of
only 2 of its kind in the world (the other is located about 12 miles from where
here).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, it is over a hundred
years old and still works like a champ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You sail into a pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The back
gate closes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there is a pan on the
other side that they fill with water; about one foot more than the pan in which
you are floating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weight of the
water in the other pan is just a little heavier and, like a scale, the heavy
side goes down and the side you are in goes up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When you get to the top, they dump about a foot of water out of your pan
and you sail out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was one of the
things I was looking forward to experiencing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, the whole thing is over in barely a minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose one could stop and sit around and
wait to watch other boats go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night we spent a great evening at a lock wall at a
place called Lovesick Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This place
was immensely beautiful and way off the beaten path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was like being in a lake somewhere in the
high Sierras. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rock formations
covered with trees were beautiful and the silence was certainly something to
behold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went swimming in clear, cool
water which was quite a relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not
a big fan of fresh water for boating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
prefer salt water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, as a general
rule, it has been my experience that swimming in lakes leaves a slimy coating
on your skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not here, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This water was fresh enough and clear enough
to drink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a very different
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, when boating
around here, you need only look over the side to see the boulders you are
passing over with mere inches to spare. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One night, we stopped at a place called Roseville so we
could pump out the holding tank and use the wifi for some business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not a place I can in good faith
recommend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The marina charges $25 for a
pump out!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, that’s right, $25.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They only charged us $20 in Miami.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their excuse is that, because they are in a
rural area, and on a septic tank, it costs them extra to have their septic
system maintained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say it’s simply a
rip-off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also advertise diesel
fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, from the looks of the paper
sign taped to the pump, however, it would appear it has been a long time since
they have even had diesel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore,
if you want to use the wifi, you have to drag a chair and sit outside the
repair and service office to get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
did clean a rather large ball of weeds and grass out of my raw water strainer,
though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Frankly, I am beginning to think the Trent-Severn Waterway is
overrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first time around the
Great Loop, we travelled through Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan to get to the
Western River System without ever entering Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would do that again and skip the Trent
altogether. The cruising guides describe majestic beauty everywhere you look
and quaint little towns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I disagree with
both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it is very pretty up here but
there are basically no parts that could logically be described as
“majestic.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First, the locks so close together, that it is impossible to
really slow down and enjoy the vistas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
suppose that if you wanted to spend an entire season “gunkholing” around the
TSW, you would have some really great times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, it is just
not that interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every inch of
shoreline, every granite outcropping, every rock is covered with a
house/cottage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anchoring out here would
be like anchoring in someone’s back yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There simply is no secluded place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other thing I think makes it unattractive to cruisers is
the price of booze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all, you
cannot buy beer, wine or liquor at anything but a government run
establishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are called LCBO’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone should write a guidebook just to find
these places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are generally not
that close to the docks or lock walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, once you do find one, be prepared to prevent your credit card from
melting!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alcoholic beverages are on
average 100% more expensive than in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For instance, a 1.75 liter bottle of Captain Morgan that would cost
around $35 in the US costs over $75 in Canada.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, and forget about beer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
stunned when I purchased an 8 pack of something domestic and it cost nearly $23.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What they do is charge for each can
individually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were respectful of the
laws in Canada as far as what you are allowed and not allowed to bring into the
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The limits are very, very
low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the one hand, it is noble to
respect and follow the laws of the place you are visiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, check in is usually over
the phone and as such, there is not likely to be anyone coming to inspect for
and find the 10 cases of beer, the 24 bottles of wine, and the 5 gallons of rum
you have stored in your boat and to which you refer as “ship’s stores.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if I had to do it over again, I think
this is one body of laws I might have to fracture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Up to this point, we have not been bothered by the rental
houseboats that roam all over the upper lakes and rivers during the
summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We timed it well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine turning over control of a 40
something foot houseboat to a group of folks who has never operated a boat
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They get a 15 minute instruction
video and that’s it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been warned
that locking through with some of these folks can be more than interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made it all the way through without having
had a chance to witness this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our last actual day on the canal, we got to experience
the Big Chute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not really a
lock, although it transfers you from the Upper Severn River to the Lower Severn
River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a railway that carries your
boat up over a knoll and then down a hill before returning you to the
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, you come around a bend and there it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks rather strange, kind of like a trestle
bridge halfway submerged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped and
looked because we were not completely sure what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, we saw the guy waving at us to come on
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I maneuvered the boat to line it
up with this thing, and moved forward very slowly into slings like those on a
giant travel lift – the thing used to move large boats out of the water and
into the boatyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a thick
wooden platform that the boat will actually sit on, and the slings simply keep
the boat from rolling over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
equipment operators on the Big Chute are total professionals and really know
their jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do this for thousands
of boats each year and have probably transferred just about anything that can
travel on the Trent Severn Waterway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had no worries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, the boat got all slinged up, and then up and over we
went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The machinery makes a “clickety-clackety”
sound as the whole platform is pulled by thick cables on rails over the top of
this hill and then eased down over 50 vertical feet down the other side of the
hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is really cool!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, the platform goes into the water and the boat
floats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The back end of the platform is
lowered and the slings are released, and you are told to start your engine and
have a nice day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you motor out of
the slings and you are on your way once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It all takes about 7 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From the Big Shute to the final lock at Port Severn, it is
only 8 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made that in no time at
all, tied to the wall, and called it a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Actually, we called it “a canal.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next morning, we left through the Port Severn lock which
is the smallest of the locks and headed over to the town of Midland on Georgian
Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exit from the lock was
legendary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as the doors open,
you are confronted with the roaring water from the adjacent dam that obviously
creates lots of current.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to get
in this current.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you have to get
under a bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it is well marked,
but the marks are a mere 10’ apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Abreojos has a 12’6” beam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of
the green buoys was dancing in the current.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, when we went through this row of reds and greens, the buoys were literally
bouncing off both sides of the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
that “dancing” green sounded like a snare drum on the side of the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not even bother to look at the depth
sounder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brenda tells me there was
barely 5 feet of water under the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After getting through that, however, and after my testicles dropped out
of the back of my throat (Brenda had to slap me between the shoulders a couple
times), the water got deep again, and it was an easy run down to Midland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our journey through the Trent-Severn Waterway was worth it,
but it is not one I would consider doing again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, if given the choice to reach northern Lake Huron and the St.
Mary’s River via Lake Erie or via the Trent Severn Waterway, I would take Lake
Erie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the height restrictions of
the western part of the Erie Canal, one might be required to take the south
shore of Lake Ontario to the Welland Canal and then up to Buffalo, I suspect
this would be a very enjoyable trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even though the people we met were great, for the most part, it is hot,
humid and more “buggy” than the ICW in South Carolina and Georgia combined. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very expensive, very crowded, and the
scenery is way over rated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
supposed to be a short-cut to get to Lake Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the speed at which you can travel on
the Trent and the limited hours of operation during the high boating season,
however, it would have been faster and less trying to simply go the Lake Erie
route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m glad I had a chance to do it,
but, as I said, given the choice, I would not do it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some may disagree, and that’s fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-21024919567651565242013-06-22T04:09:00.002-07:002013-06-22T04:09:19.282-07:00GOODBYE NEW YORK......HELLO CANADAI am pleased to report that the New York Canal System is behind us. After escaping from the land cut above lock 16, we moved further west and stopped for the night at a dock in Utica. One cruising guide said it was a free dock. Another said it was a restaurant dock and, you know what that means: it's free for the night if you eat at the restaurant. Well, we were only able to run so many hours that day until we ran out of day light, so we stopped at this dock. There were signs posted everywhere that said the dock was $1 per foot for overnight stays. Ok. I can deal with that. So, we plugged in and took a stroll up and around the restaurant looking for somebody, anybody to pay. Unfortunately, or fortunately, there was absolutely nobody around. The restaurant is closed on Monday night. So, I guess the signs should read "$1 per foot, except Mondays when there is nobody to collect." <br />
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The next day, we shoved off and headed to Sylvan Beach. Locks 23-25 and all of the Oswego Canal were still reported closed, so, while we had an opportunity to go somewhere further west, we would. However, even though we could have crossed Oneida Lake and stopped in Brewerton, there seemed to be more to do at Sylvan Beach. <br />
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Of course, there are a bunch of locks between Utica and Sylvan Beach. As we were going through one of them, we heard our friends Tim and Anne on Ivanhoe calling a lock on the radio. They were not far behind us. We kept in touch throughout the several hour run and all agreed to meet for drinks in Sylvan Beach. Then, all of a sudden, we heard the unthinkable on the radio. After clearing through Lock 21 and while heading to Lock 22, Tim and Anne apparently realized their cat, Blackjack, was missing. (For those of you in the know, Blackjack is a distant cousin of our Tarmac, and an even more distant cousin of our friends Dave and Kim's cat Jamal). I heard Tim call Lock 21 and ask if they had seen a cat running around. Brenda and I sat in horror knowing how we would have felt if one of our two cats decided to get off at a lock. What a nightmare. It turned out that Blackjack managed to get himself into a closed box and the box closed on top of him. He was basically stuck in the box. Now, when one is searching for a missing cat, one tends not to look in closed boxes. So, everyone was quite surprised when Blackjack made his reappearance. When Ivanhoe docked in Sylvan Beach and no tears were apparent, I asked Tim what happened. What he told me cannot be posted on this blog. Suffice it to say, Blackjack was arrested, summarily tried and convicted, and placed on probation. He'll be ok. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbG73mtdxzndtE9vineGYY60agRsJ3ZboeKG8szBMZdNp1DcuUCscpnonoWMJTd1bZKsOYz6GBbouVD4an9d8l62isI3w82ynAk8hVtynWTy3CVJDw9tdAO4N7ZV1lkAWfIf3xqzl9JI/s1600/2013-06-18_20-17-05_741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbG73mtdxzndtE9vineGYY60agRsJ3ZboeKG8szBMZdNp1DcuUCscpnonoWMJTd1bZKsOYz6GBbouVD4an9d8l62isI3w82ynAk8hVtynWTy3CVJDw9tdAO4N7ZV1lkAWfIf3xqzl9JI/s400/2013-06-18_20-17-05_741.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim and Anne toasting with Brenda riverside at Sylvan Beach, NY</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The cruising on this section of the Erie Canal is mostly a straight line for miles and miles. Other than spending time with eyes on the water dodging logs, trees, and other debris left over from the storm, there is really not much to tell.<br />
<br />
We met an interesting character on the dock at Sylvan Beach. He travels alone aboard an old wooden boat he lives on six months of the year. All he does is travel the canals. He is basically retired, but goes to work in his family machine shop often enough to have, at one time or another, severed most of the fingers on both hands. Nevertheless, he plays guitar and sings. In fact, he is really good. His repertoire includes mostly American folk classics. He played for us (Brenda and I and Tim and Anne (and Blackjack)) for hours. We enjoyed a great sunset on Oneida Lake with drink and music and great friends.<br />
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Now the good news. When Tim and Anne arrived, they announced that they spoke to the Director of the Canal System and were told that locks 23-25 and the entire Oswego Canal would be opened in the morning. Finally! So, of course, as soon as the sun peaked over the horizon, we split Sylvan Beach and planned the long day to make it all the way to Oswego. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EjS6bTJ7ByqXTMZv39CXnaq7CauZ-N419NTsanlG3sg8EVppKKZs5U4Pgn5oU6oHMRC_DiZI6_HcvWazPOJU97xZnEhu3uGp-sv37vve-p7BtwM2wpSsqbOs8wFyPddry9NY5WtwDSs/s1600/2013-06-19_06-04-26_812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EjS6bTJ7ByqXTMZv39CXnaq7CauZ-N419NTsanlG3sg8EVppKKZs5U4Pgn5oU6oHMRC_DiZI6_HcvWazPOJU97xZnEhu3uGp-sv37vve-p7BtwM2wpSsqbOs8wFyPddry9NY5WtwDSs/s400/2013-06-19_06-04-26_812.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out onto Oneida Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjkVib7SA3qyJudYjNxoYpp86MKF535R0h7nf_Zrh-K0NivI_M2tGcSWeYfpFw_lzd8qqK2ONlbePncIynSKhyphenhyphenj0TdfpejoFYyuMWVE_Pb6XDaJxaC1HV4-8F2hc89s9HbY6C-fgNo1A/s1600/2013-06-19_09-28-52_91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjkVib7SA3qyJudYjNxoYpp86MKF535R0h7nf_Zrh-K0NivI_M2tGcSWeYfpFw_lzd8qqK2ONlbePncIynSKhyphenhyphenj0TdfpejoFYyuMWVE_Pb6XDaJxaC1HV4-8F2hc89s9HbY6C-fgNo1A/s400/2013-06-19_09-28-52_91.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the intersection. The sign points to the left to continue west on the Erie Canal, and to the right to head roughly north on the Oswego Canal.</td></tr>
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Oswego is a city on the shore of Lake Ontario at the end of the Oswego Canal. There are 8 locks on the Oswego. Actually, there are only 7. Somebody decided to merge two of them into a hydroelectric plant and it was easier not to renumber them. No, really. Anyways, once we crossed Oneida Lake, the current became very apparent. We found ourselves zipping along down the remaining several miles of the Erie Canal towards the three river intersection where we turn to get on the Oswego river (canal), making high to mid 8's all the way. It's nice to be able to get somewhere faster and to save fuel at the same time. There was not that much debris, but the water was high and really flowing fast. The locks on the Oswego are in better shape than many of those on the Erie. They are somewhat newer and I think they do not get nearly as much traffic going through. It may also be that they do not get the same kind of storm damage the Erie gets. Different rivers, different conditions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yvXN2OVWeZ4kVGfIaUpCtC6YccfqNTgi-_TVeJlrg-cYMu740ZIL4LQK-YHiROCfmJ2eEb8ovQSLwkMDmk_GrAoWUIPe-YG70yWKlWoZKjkR8Ay1J9eFety6Yu44RFJ671yevy_P2io/s1600/2013-06-19_13-04-49_987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yvXN2OVWeZ4kVGfIaUpCtC6YccfqNTgi-_TVeJlrg-cYMu740ZIL4LQK-YHiROCfmJ2eEb8ovQSLwkMDmk_GrAoWUIPe-YG70yWKlWoZKjkR8Ay1J9eFety6Yu44RFJ671yevy_P2io/s400/2013-06-19_13-04-49_987.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see in this image that the canal runs adjacent to the river, separated by a wall. The current and conditions on the river would be pretty nasty but for the canal created by the system of locks and walls.</td></tr>
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Well, after a long day, we made it all the way to Oswego. First, we got fuel, and then we got to our slip. The folks at the Oswego Marina are used to transient boats and understand that they are both the jump off point for all boats headed to Canada, and the welcome mat for all those coming back from Canada, or leaving Canada for other places. The only other alternative would be to get to Lake Ontario via the Welland Canal from Lake Erie in the west, or enter Lake Ontario from the St. Lawrence River in the east. In the case of Oswego, a travelling boater will enter the NY Canal System and then head for the Atlantic down the Hudson River. It's a few hundred miles of protected water. In any event, we were well cared for.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LAPr7L6V0yDiQldfHUg6l8972yo8ybLeoPuckbkC_D5wgHnLzdnDYFQpebyEjk9ZAAiUeb6SDZBW4BzPw9Z_9UQANfbp9lSvlSfmEGaRZZUWGXiPW9zsvzRxBL2ePGSKg125yvH7eK8/s1600/2013-06-19_13-04-57_426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LAPr7L6V0yDiQldfHUg6l8972yo8ybLeoPuckbkC_D5wgHnLzdnDYFQpebyEjk9ZAAiUeb6SDZBW4BzPw9Z_9UQANfbp9lSvlSfmEGaRZZUWGXiPW9zsvzRxBL2ePGSKg125yvH7eK8/s400/2013-06-19_13-04-57_426.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On approach into the City of Oswego.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6Av83PebLTYyBVKbb6-diP7Fd-4qjmUZ3UWWnyCC93YWrkosouynpdZdYT_x1vS-ZX1jOMlRpfzDBscaXiBv9YEBnW2OAY0r3UWGdzwJiQi9zRTE1EHkNXCV2Crvzr2poXf3WR0RMPY/s1600/2013-06-19_13-09-38_614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6Av83PebLTYyBVKbb6-diP7Fd-4qjmUZ3UWWnyCC93YWrkosouynpdZdYT_x1vS-ZX1jOMlRpfzDBscaXiBv9YEBnW2OAY0r3UWGdzwJiQi9zRTE1EHkNXCV2Crvzr2poXf3WR0RMPY/s400/2013-06-19_13-09-38_614.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Lock 8 - Oswego Canal - the final lock in the New York Canal System. In the background you can see Lake Ontario.</td></tr>
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Sometimes, you have to stop for a day and take care of boat chores. Oswego is a very nice place to do that. The marina was close to town and just about anything you might need is available there, be it groceries or hardware. So, the following morning, the projects began. First, I had to clean up some drippage from under the engine. Nothing serious, and remember, she is a 32 year old boat. Then, I needed to clean out the anchor locker. That was one of those things I did not do when we left the boat in North Carolina last year. To crawl in there and scoop out river mud is one thing. But to do it when it is 95 degrees and 75 percent humidity like it was in Camden when we left is totally another. So, I had to face reality and get in there and get it done. Fortunately, the weather in Oswego was very cooperative and the job was completed. Then, we had laundry to do, stores to restock, and a little navigating to accomplish. Getting all this done allowed us to stroll around the town and take a look. <br />
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Oswego boasts a rich heritage that stretches back beyond written history.
Iroquois Indians lived here as long ago as 7000 years. However, it is October 1615 that marks the beginning of recorded history in Oswego. This is when Samuel de Champlain arrived, the first European. With his arrival, Oswego began developing into the center of trade facilitation that it became. The French and the British maintained supply routes that included Oswego and traded fur with the indians.<br />
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Approximately 12 years after the end of the American Revolution, the British left and settlers from other parts of New York and New England began to trickle in. The newly settled Oswegonians worked hard to construct their own infrastructure - roads, bridges, and improvements to the river to make it navigable. Once the Oswego branch of the Erie Canal was opened in approximately 1830, Oswego boomed. It was a center for the shipping of flour, grain, lumber, iron, salt, and cornstarch from everywhere along the banks of Lake Ontario and beyond. Again, the Erie Canal was envisioned to be a key to bringing goods and materials to New York City. <br />
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Clearly, the Oswego Canal was part of that, and it is for this reason that the town flourished. There is evidence of the city's former wealth all over in the form of stately homes and beautiful granite buildings. It's also a fun town with lots of restaurants and nightclubs. There are two universities nearby - Syracuse and SUNY Oswego (State University of New York)<br />
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On Friday morning, we cast off our lines at 0430 to cross Lake Ontario. By the time we would tie up in Trenton, it would be an approximately 80 mile day, so it made sense to start out across one of the Great Lakes early. The weather forecast was about as good as it could get, and looked quite stable. So, off we went, with the sunrise over our starboard shoulders. The lake was extremely flat and calm. For much of the distance across the lake, there was barely a wind ripple. The last time I saw water that flat was on that very unusual day on northern Lake Michigan when I could see the reflection of the clouds on the water like a mirror. Well, yesterday's passage across Lake Ontario was even better, because there was not even a single cloud in the sky - just perfect blue. Crossing the lake was basically a non-event; which is the way we hoped it would be.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWgMS1MhF4dLqUXoh0tCJ9_Tq4heeiiTQ2wvx4IPr_P_jzXGx4I1wbf98CkjMNF0MfojtP0-PGkO1LqOPwJ_fqbwEs2Q2RLVC0es__IJkYakDcDuLrexV4IPomEE7m6-JYbpEn338Yfo/s1600/2013-06-21_05-10-40_618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWgMS1MhF4dLqUXoh0tCJ9_Tq4heeiiTQ2wvx4IPr_P_jzXGx4I1wbf98CkjMNF0MfojtP0-PGkO1LqOPwJ_fqbwEs2Q2RLVC0es__IJkYakDcDuLrexV4IPomEE7m6-JYbpEn338Yfo/s400/2013-06-21_05-10-40_618.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on Lake Ontario leaving Oswego.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJpQePQMHZmm7nzLtaQ7uN0uZPtMO0oh6P33xZjAsa30flS3KBVvx-K-MEXh8ckUIkOR6X-OAvZJ6_7sf50pfLUJ1opFqnJvfNW0n3EhPhrJ0A3TRgAHic6jkBxvI28dgPaEBacoDnCg/s1600/2013-06-21_07-44-52_896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJpQePQMHZmm7nzLtaQ7uN0uZPtMO0oh6P33xZjAsa30flS3KBVvx-K-MEXh8ckUIkOR6X-OAvZJ6_7sf50pfLUJ1opFqnJvfNW0n3EhPhrJ0A3TRgAHic6jkBxvI28dgPaEBacoDnCg/s400/2013-06-21_07-44-52_896.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As is tradition, one raises the "Q" Flag upon entering foreign waters - "Q" stands for Quarantine. This flag must remain on the starboard side until you are cleared into the country by Customs and Boarder Protection Services.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty calm day.</td></tr>
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One of the key differences in terms of planning to cross a lake like Ontario that shares shoreline with Canada is weather analysis. It seems the forecasts are a combination of information gathered from the National Whatever Service and Environment Canada. Whereas the NWS will tell you lots of detail, it seems EC just says things like, "wind light, nice." Well, alrighty then. With a forecast like that, how can you miss? No, in all reality, you have to dig a little deeper to get the information you need. Weather is also broadcast on the VHF weather stations by both the Canadian and US Coast Guards. The weather comes across in a cryptic number system. The first number in the list tells you the region, the second tells you the wind, then the direction, then the sea state, and so on and so forth. It is helpful to make a key in advance so you can listen to the forecast and have it mean something.<br />
<br />
There are a couple different ways to get to Trenton, the mouth of the Trent-Severn Waterway. One can leave Oswego and head north east and then turn west and enjoy cruising in a region known as "Thousand Islands". The other way is to come up into Presqile Bay and then pass through the Murry Canal. This is what we did. It's a very pretty canal and is long and straight. The charts show three swing bridges, but there are actually only two. As you approach the bridge, you give the bridge master a call on the radio and let him know where you are. He assesses a $5 toll which he collects in a pale at the end of a long pole. Then, you pass. No toll was collected at the other end. We weren't sure if the operator didn't feeling like getting out there with his pale and pole, or if the first operator collects for both from eastbound boats.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKDeqnZp5EYGMjWIkE0CLbpJebuoRHRRqkXqhT1a2BxlD7-GDdYOF5_VNcph27jBBSk-6PkZQh68uJ4l-NxIkGkLRwqGdd7Fw5HZXmUxtNEEgLZV2v1lMB073-nG6ogSyGtJ-NRrArxE/s1600/2013-06-21_12-53-05_990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKDeqnZp5EYGMjWIkE0CLbpJebuoRHRRqkXqhT1a2BxlD7-GDdYOF5_VNcph27jBBSk-6PkZQh68uJ4l-NxIkGkLRwqGdd7Fw5HZXmUxtNEEgLZV2v1lMB073-nG6ogSyGtJ-NRrArxE/s640/2013-06-21_12-53-05_990.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brenda snapped this shot in the bay on approach to the Murray Canal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once out of the canal, you take a rather circuitous route around the back of an island and then you make a large turn to the left once you have lined up the "racetrack" into the mouth of the Trenton River. Finally, we arrived at Fraser Park Marina, checked in with the Canadian Border Protection Services, lowered our "Q" flag, raised our Canadian courtesy flag, and settled in. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRaAIMwt75goro4vNe5Sm4oQvZGcCm-FK1T11XhvvEAe_dqSNyrtWkpL4XFXBfomr2aUXVfU-8h7t0H7XeXeENXg7L2IxCDOYfJcz_D5ABPGY9tidbkpu39vTgKec3toCTKSbThIzTKg/s1600/2013-06-21_16-32-24_212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRaAIMwt75goro4vNe5Sm4oQvZGcCm-FK1T11XhvvEAe_dqSNyrtWkpL4XFXBfomr2aUXVfU-8h7t0H7XeXeENXg7L2IxCDOYfJcz_D5ABPGY9tidbkpu39vTgKec3toCTKSbThIzTKg/s400/2013-06-21_16-32-24_212.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Canadian Courtesy Flag is hoisted - cleared into Canada. A first for Abreojos.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We took a few moments to straighten out some cell phone and data service issues, and then took a walk around town. Brenda and I always take a "walkabout" but we really couldn't find anything terribly unique. We could tell we are not in the US anymore, but other than it being a very nice little city on the mouth of a river that caters to boaters, I could not find much more to say about it without either spending more time here or doing extraneous research. We decided to have cocktails and listen to the band playing Irish music in the park. It got quite warm and we were both tired. <br />
<br />
Here are a few images of Trenton, Ontario, Canada:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59G_kxfdZ5sFudSNnP_X2VLslY6PRZfIusXbBpYbCwbsjeGLRgDvDOSbKn8NIDzwbiVzWycRRdykSLCb_5yVUee7GFpEzSxKGqcOD0WZoOGlVuGSdFzKa6FEIaVQl5D2SglRL1tG9B8E/s1600/2013-06-21_16-53-44_179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59G_kxfdZ5sFudSNnP_X2VLslY6PRZfIusXbBpYbCwbsjeGLRgDvDOSbKn8NIDzwbiVzWycRRdykSLCb_5yVUee7GFpEzSxKGqcOD0WZoOGlVuGSdFzKa6FEIaVQl5D2SglRL1tG9B8E/s400/2013-06-21_16-53-44_179.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
This morning, we will start the next leg of this journey - the 250 mile passage through the Trent-Severn Waterway. <span id="Main_PageDisplay1_lblDescription">The Trent- Severn Waterway National Historic Site of Canada is a natural and man made waterway that meanders nearly 400 km across central Ontario linking Georgian Bay to the Bay of Quinte. Here is what the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada says in its Minutes:</span><br />
<br />
"The heritage value of the Trent-Severn Waterway lies in its legibility and completeness as a transportation route integrated and developed by the Government of Canada early in the 20th century (1882-1920). This is embodied in the many engineering structures, buildings, locks, dams and bridges linked to the waterway, and in those cultural landscapes related to the themes of water power, recreation, natural features and varied uses associated with it. <br /><br />Specific resources along the canal are of sufficient importance to be designated separately, notably the Peterborough Lift Lock National Historic Site of Canada, acknowledged because it was, and remains, an engineering achievement of international renown because it was the highest hydraulic lift lock ever built and was once reputed to be the largest concrete structure in the world. The Lift Lock was designed by engineers R.B. Rogers & Baird and built in 1904 by Corry and Laverdure Construction (site preparation and concrete work), and Dominion Bridge of Montreal (metal work).<br /><br />The Lake Simcoe-Balsam Lake section of the Waterway is valued for the high number of surviving unmodified structures dating from the construction period 1900-1907 and because most lock stations in this section retain their integrity from the early 20th-century period."<br />
<br />
This next leg of the voyage home promises to be interesting and beautiful. I will blog about it as we go along. However, the entries may be fewer insofar as data plans for cellular phone connectivity are expensive and limited. So, I will post when there is access to wifi. In the interim, I miss you all back in California and look forward to being home soon.<br />
<br />
This is M/V Abreojos signing off.....for now.<br />
<br />
Out.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-8154062177241726192013-06-18T04:53:00.001-07:002013-06-18T04:53:24.318-07:00Frustration fed by lack of communication –
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Approximately 2 weeks ago, it started raining in New
York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Approximately 10 days ago, and for
the last several days, we have been trapped in the Erie Canal due to
flooding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This scenario apparently continues
to replay itself over and over, during the last few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to me rather incredible that a canal
that was built and has been operating since the 1850’s is incapable of handling
rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize it’s a lot of rain, but
rumor has it, there is something deeper going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small bits of evidence have been floating to
the surface in support of the proposition that this canal system is broken, and
I do not mean the dams. First, a little background.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the middle of the 19<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century, westward
settlement was only beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were few reasons for folks to move “out there” to lands where they faced little
in the way of comfort, little in the way of promise, and little in the way of
hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as New York State was
concerned there was no easy or inexpensive way to move products from the west
to a market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re a farmer in 1850, you cannot work
that far from the market less your goods spoil before they even get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, the further west you moved, the
more difficult it would be to obtain goods and supplies to build communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long before modern highways, and long before vast
webs of railroads were developed in this country, Americans looked to the water
to move goods from here to there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, well before the Revolutionary War, and before he became a military man,
George Washington was a surveyor and engineer touted as the “father of American
canals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Former New York Governor Dewitt Clinton was called a “visionary
dreamer” when he wrote down his dream about the original Erie Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, no words can more ably describe what
the Erie Canal would do, and has done, for the State of New York, and
particularly, New York City:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“As a bond of union between the
Atlantic and western states, it may prevent the dismemberment of the American
Empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an organ of communication
between the Hudson, the Mississippi, the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes of the north
and west and their tributary rivers, it will create the greatest inland trade
ever witnessed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most fertile and
extensive regions of America will vail themselves of the facilities for a
market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the surplus productions,
whether of the soil, the forest, the mines, or the water, their fabrics of art
and their supplies of foreign commodities, will concentrate in the city of New
York, for transportation abroad or consumption at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agriculture, manufacturers, commerce, trade,
navigation, and the arts will receive a correspondent encouragement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The city will, in the course of time, become
the granary of the world, the emporium of commerce, the seat of manufactures,
the focus of great moneyed operations and the concentrating point of vast,
disposable , and accumulating capitals, which will stimulate, enliven, extend,
and reward the exertions of human labor and ingenuity, in all their processes
and exhibitions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And before the
revolution of a century, the whole island of Manhattan, covered with
inhabitants and replenished with a dense population , will constitute one vast
city.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is not surprising that there were doubters among those
who dreamed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, the
construction of the Erie Canal was delayed for many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The perceived difficulties prevented many a
private developer from attempting to get involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, and finally, in 1817, the state of New
York actually undertook the canal project and began construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back then, it was referred to as “Clinton’s
big ditch.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Erie Canal opened in 1825.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t look at all like the canal we
travel on today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was only 4 feet deep
and 40 feet wide and could accommodate loads up to 30 tons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, over many years, the canal was
modified to accommodate larger and larger loads, and incorporated various
tributary canals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a couple of
facts describing the current canal profile:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The barge canal consists of the Erie
Canal – 340.7 miles (from Troy on the Hudson River to Tonawanda on the Niagara
River); the Champlain Canal – 62.6 miles (from Troy on the Hudson River to Lake
Champlain); the Oswego Canal – 23.8 miles (from Three Rivers Point near Syracuse
to Lake Ontario); Cayuga and Seneca Canals – 27.1 miles (connecting Cayuga and
Seneca Lakes with the Erie Canal); and 347.1 miles of connecting rivers and
lakes, for a total of 801.3 miles of waterway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are a total of 57 locks in the
system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These locks are concrete and
operate by electricity, their lifts ranging from 6 to 40.5 feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As an economic development project,
it certainly succeeded:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the original
Erie Canal construction began in 1817 and was completed in 1825.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tolls were abolished in 1882.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, the canal paid for itself in
a relatively short period of time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>4.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The barge canal system should be
considered one of the engineering wonders of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is ten times longer and has many more
structures than the Panama Canal, some of which are noteworthy worldwide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Governor Clinton’s dream blossomed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Settlers flocked west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forests turned into saleable lumber, towns
were constructed and populations grew steadily along the canal and on the Great
Lakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, New York City emerged
from the shadows of Philadelphia and Boston and became the nation’s greatest
sea port and one of the world’s most dynamic cities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The success of the Erie Canal has been
described as “a veritable frenzy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
so successful, that, over the years, it had to be enlarged on several
occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1825 when the barge canal
opened, a large barge was 30 tons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
its height, barges capable of carrying 650 tons were in use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is noteworthy to understand that the
powers that be determined it was more feasible to design and build the canals
and their improvements to accommodate barges, rather than ocean capable ships
given the vagaries of design and construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The barges could be developed with more uniformity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barges therefore carried goods to New York
City where they delivered the goods to terminals where said goods were then
loaded onto ships for transportation to the far reaches of the globe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today, the New York Canals are no longer “barge canals.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The movement of goods and materials has been
assumed by trains and trucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now,
pleasure boats and tour operators operate on the canal system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a tourist destination and many of the
important commercial installations have been relegated to the status of
historic restoration sites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All along
the canals the once booming factories are silent, and economic destitution is a
common theme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The towns that sprung up along
the canal are largely, and with few exceptions, economic wastelands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This notwithstanding, in 1992, New York
enacted legislation to change the name of the Barge Canal to the New York State
Canal System.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was operated by the New
York Canal Corporation as an independent entity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently, however, and due to economic
considerations, “ownership” of the canal system was turned over to the New York
State Thruway Authority (the Highway Department).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my opinion,
this was a big mistake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
tantamount to turning over control of the national parks to the national
highway administration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would appear
that the canal system became an afterthought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Over the last couple years, there have been mass layoffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Canal folks complain that the administrators
haven’t the slightest idea of what’s important in terms of maintaining the
canal system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard one canal worker
mock the director of the Throughway Authority who was quoted as proclaiming
that all he knew about locks was that the boat goes in, water comes in, and the
boat goes out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several lock workers
complain that they are now vastly understaffed to deal with conditions that
come up due to bad weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lock
operation hours have been cut, but the user fees remained the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The authority has been fragmented into
various sections and no section knows necessarily what the section above or
below it is doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The union workers are
pissed off at the management administration and there has been a serious
decline in morale and pride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The canal
we transited in 2011 is not the same canal system we are experiencing now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, we have had some bad weather over the past few
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been tropical storms
and hurricanes over the last couple years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I have to ask myself, how it is that the New York Canal System has
brought so much success to the state for so many years, but only in the last
few years has it genuinely began to suffer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To me, it seems pretty clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whereas the canals were the epitome of a successful government operation,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it was, after all, a state project from the
very beginning, it has become the “ugly sister” that the parents are ashamed
of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It is now a prime example of all the bad things about a "government operation." </span>The New York Throughway Authority
doesn’t know what it is doing and guess what happens:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>recreational boaters, the only boaters that
use the canal system, get stuck because the Authority cannot manage the
waterways they do not understand or know anything about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel certain that, if it was up to them,
they’d close the canals proclaiming a loss of revenue as the reason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As far as recreational boats are concerned, the biggest
problem is the lack of communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>News of closures and reopenings has been scarce and generally not up to
date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are boaters stuck in locks
and literally at the mercy of the Authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The canal workers have been generally wonderful in that they bring these
boaters what they need – electricity, water, and sanitation removal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that regard, I do want to recite a recent
anecdote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were three of us cruising boats delayed just west of lock 16 for
several days due to lock closures above and below us on the system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Authority did nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did nothing about bringing water, and nothing
about bringing power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a guy who
lives nearby named Marcel, and another guy who came all the way up from
Canajoharie named Dave, who pulled things together for all the rest of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marcel gathered up power cords from God knows
where, and with splitters galore, managed to get power to almost every boat
stuck on that damned wall from a single 50 amp outlet. Dave drove many miles out of his way to take several of us at a time to the grocery store. Other local folks let some of us use their cars. Many other locals stopped by just to say "Hi" and let us know that they would be around if we needed anything at all. But where was the Throughway Authority?</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday, we boaters started making noise about fresh
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A day or so prior, the lock
operator’s response was that we could go to the store and get some
bottles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrong answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh yeah, we should all just take a 12 mile stroll to the nearest market
and carry back all those bottles of water required to fill our boat tanks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dumbass! Moreover, the water at the lock building was labled non-potable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We started making noise about needing waste removal (a pump
out).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same operator’s response was
that he would leave the door to his personal “shitter” unlocked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrong answer again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I explained to him yesterday that his
proposal was misled insofar as there is one boat with 4 people on it who are in
their 70’s who, due to the falling water levels in the land cut, would be
expected to climb a ladder out of their boat and then walk 250 yards, at night,
in the dark, on a wet sloping grassy hill to use the toilet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked him in the eye and asked him how
badly he wanted to get sued?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His glassy
eyed, deer-in-the headlights expression said it all – he did not give a rat’s
ass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t his problem, or his job
to worry about it. He was just not getting the message about the fact that these boats are our homes for the duration. He had no respect for this fact and probably resents the fact that there are folks out there who do this and he can't.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, that’s when all three boats started making phone calls
to all those supervisors who showed up to glad-hand and hand out business cards
as the water levels were burying docks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of us even got the Mayor of nearby St. Johnsville on the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within an hour, a water tank truck showed up,
and rumor had it, either a pump out would be on the way, or they would open the
prior lock to let those that needed to, get to the closest marina for pump
outs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moreover, “the suits” (directors and executive directors) actually
showed up and somehow magically got locks 17 and up operational so we could
leave, and we got some real information about the status of things up and down the canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, then they also updated
their website insofar as we complained most about the lack of communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been assured that we would not have
to pay for extra days on our canal passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ll have to see how that pans out insofar as the operation is about as
efficient these days as a one-armed wall paper hanger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thus, suffice it to say that I am not real pleased with the
NY Canal System this time through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
not so much the incessant delays and the feeling that New York won’t let me
leave, as it is the seeming apathy of those responsible for keeping this
invaluable resource open and operating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This whole mess started because some person with very little common
sense determined that it would be a good idea to unload the dams upstream
before making it possible to drain off the coming flash flood downstream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, they blew up their own operation. This mess has nothing to do with large amounts of rainfall. It has everything to do with the ineptitude of those horses asses in Albany who might know something about trash removal on the highways, but know nothing of how to manage a multilevel canal system. I encourage all my cruising friends who are stuck in the locks below us to start making as much noise as you can. It seems the idea of bad publicity sparks action amongst these otherwise apathetic government beaurocrats.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m very concerned that all this talk about a strong commitment
to preserve the rich history and heritage of the canal is a lot of window
dressing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first thing they need to do
is get it out of the hands of the highway department and put it back where it
belongs – with the New York State Canal Corporation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
while they’re at it, they should spray for mosquitos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My feet are getting chewed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">W</span>e plan to make it to Sylvan Beach today at the edge of Lake Oneida, so close to the Oswego Canal and Lake Ontario we can smell it. We can cross to Brewerton and wait for locks 23-25 and the Oswego Canal to open, but there is more to do in Sylvan Beach. So, if you have to be stuck....again.....it might as well be in a place that offers a modecum of entertainment opportunities. I want ice cream.</div>
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</div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-26558106054079396322013-06-15T03:37:00.002-07:002013-06-15T03:37:22.007-07:00STUCK, STUCK, STUCK
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">STUCK, STUCK, WE’RE STUCK<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, let me recapture, for a moment, where we’ve been the
past three weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left Oxnard and flew
to Camden, North Carolina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent four
days there, getting the boat organized and hanging out with my friend Arnold
before heading north to Norfolk/Portsmouth for bottom paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to leave Camden a day or two
earlier than anticipated so I spent a couple days at Waterside Marina in
Norfolk just chillin’ before moving the boat across the river to the boat yard at Ocean Marine
Yachting Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While Abreojos was in the yard, I had a wonderful visit with
my friend Robert who came down from Deltaville to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drank a hell of a
lot of beer and talked for hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
following day, I left for points north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Specifically, I ran all day, all the way up to Sandy Point on the Great
Wicomico River and anchored for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The next day, I ran all day and all the way up to Annapolis where I met
Brian at the Annapolis Yacht Club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following morning, we left and cruised all day and all
the way up to Delaware City near the intersection of the C&D Canal and the
Delaware River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There we stayed for two
nights because the weather was beginning to stink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After two nights in Delaware City, we had a
window of opportunity to move on and thus we headed down the Delaware River to
the Delaware Bay and into Cape May, New Jersey where we bunkered fuel and
anchored for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0aDWPf1-NQyuq12s26Q2RuBm4ecKxynpHVzyRDm8fr-7zrEGzeLIG7nfOYhyphenhyphen_WsfA87xGOW96zkypu8Js5WBiAjlh5vaqN2XSrFOGDXGlvW92EzDqXzI4g-fcSDno8phaXXObBMhlGc/s1600/2013-06-08_10-51-08_578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0aDWPf1-NQyuq12s26Q2RuBm4ecKxynpHVzyRDm8fr-7zrEGzeLIG7nfOYhyphenhyphen_WsfA87xGOW96zkypu8Js5WBiAjlh5vaqN2XSrFOGDXGlvW92EzDqXzI4g-fcSDno8phaXXObBMhlGc/s400/2013-06-08_10-51-08_578.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day,
the plan was to run about half way up the Jersey shoreline to Barnegat
Inlet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as we approached
Barnegat Inlet, we decided the weather was too good to miss, so we pushed on to
Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, a 115 mile day, and anchored just as it was
getting very dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following day, we
boogied all the way up the Hudson River to Poughkeepsie, New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wanted to go further, but between the rain
and the setting sun, we called it a day at Mariner’s, a restaurant on the
Hudson that offers free dockage to diners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In the morning, it was still raining, so we made our way up to Kingston
and spent a day there doing some provisioning thanks to the generosity of
Chelsea, the daughter of the marina owner who happened to have a car and not a
whole lot of better things to do than to shuttle a couple tired cruisers to
WalMart in search of rain slickers and windshield wipers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having accomplished all that, we left the
following morning, in the rain, for Waterford, with a stop in Albany to take on
more fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While in Waterford, we met
Wayne and Rhonda, and rekindled a relationship with friends at a pub called The
Angry Penguin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where everything
went sort of sideways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxuoS9Gq9d8YawbFGssra-PwTQNUHwML5tbx-Eu5_r_k_u3L8WPa5oxUIuYjZEqv-uCcEcQnHMO1AEG0ABmaB9GyvzqzyEy2k3r7xk1BbuQbuvbzjBh6O2GQOruLL04ArMT3NyMPRWa0/s1600/2013-06-08_16-21-52_346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxuoS9Gq9d8YawbFGssra-PwTQNUHwML5tbx-Eu5_r_k_u3L8WPa5oxUIuYjZEqv-uCcEcQnHMO1AEG0ABmaB9GyvzqzyEy2k3r7xk1BbuQbuvbzjBh6O2GQOruLL04ArMT3NyMPRWa0/s400/2013-06-08_16-21-52_346.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Brian doing his best immitation of a bow thruster.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were moving pretty fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The plan was to get to Oswego, NY where I would be meeting Brenda who
will be accompanying me through Canada and the Trent-Severn Waterway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I anticipated it would take about 5 days to
get to Oswego from Waterford, so I had Brenda make her plane reservation to fly
to Syracuse the following Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
gave us plenty of time to make the 125 miles up the Erie Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, this meant we could slow down a little
and smell the roses, so to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, our decision to go slowly may have cost us.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSN_-Ov0Au3lH8hd2GCf_QsiUvGhrFzMIbJlplHhKQji2Wbng0W6MCAS7E4mWGt0oy3jYgUlxFEro3f1DvTijXqL-elXsCz9Wusthc2yV1VFctqM3nlVYgrTAUy3EXrbBJNt7cC9y-EU/s1600/2013-06-09_19-05-38_59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a leisurely walk through town, breakfast on the wall
at Waterford, a stroll through the farmers market, we left Waterford around noon-ish
and headed a short way up the river to the town of Amsterdam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tied up at a park called Riverlink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a beautiful little park seemingly in
the middle of nowhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made a call to
the number posted on the power pedestals and were given instructions by the “dockmaster”
as to where to find the key to the “boater’s entrance” which gave us access to
showers, laundry, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, we made
payment for the dock by depositing cash in an envelope and dropping it in a
sealed mail slot – It’s all on the honor system, you see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then took off in search of ice.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSN_-Ov0Au3lH8hd2GCf_QsiUvGhrFzMIbJlplHhKQji2Wbng0W6MCAS7E4mWGt0oy3jYgUlxFEro3f1DvTijXqL-elXsCz9Wusthc2yV1VFctqM3nlVYgrTAUy3EXrbBJNt7cC9y-EU/s1600/2013-06-09_19-05-38_59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSN_-Ov0Au3lH8hd2GCf_QsiUvGhrFzMIbJlplHhKQji2Wbng0W6MCAS7E4mWGt0oy3jYgUlxFEro3f1DvTijXqL-elXsCz9Wusthc2yV1VFctqM3nlVYgrTAUy3EXrbBJNt7cC9y-EU/s400/2013-06-09_19-05-38_59.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our hike took us into the older part of Amsterdam, not far
from what once was a factory of some kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, the windows are largely broken out and the factory floor is
silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the downtown area was
completely silent and deserted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
we found a “Stuarts” in relatively short order and made our way back to the
boat, ice in bag.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a nice dinner and left the following morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew there was a nice little village up the
line a bit with a free dock and power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, we left for Canajoharie, a short, three hour run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No sooner did we leave than it started to
rain.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It rained, and rained, and rained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not really that on and off sort of
rain, nor was it that kind of misty wet rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was practically downpour, and it lasted for hours and hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It never stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Locking through in the rain sucks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting through a lock requires that both of
us get out on deck to manage the lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s a good thing we got the slickers in Kingston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention that the slickers were located
in WalMart on the clearance rack and cost only $7.00 a peace?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brian’s is “genuine South African Vinyl” and
looks like it came out of the Eddie Bauer Catalog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mine is 100% Polyester and, wearing it, I
look like a Cal-Trans worker, it being bright yellow, and all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, mine leaks like a sieve at the
seams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I fixed that yesterday with some
waterproofing spray.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I got the
shitty end of that deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, it
fits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, back to the cruise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first night in Canajoharie, we walked into town (yes, in
the rain) and had Italian food for dinner at a great place on Main Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met the owner, chef, head waitress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her name is “Sasha.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, let me say that the food was
amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sasha is a very good cook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, her story was rather interesting.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sasha and her family left Montenegro and came to New York
around 13 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her husband was the
chef in the family and they bought a restaurant with a building attached to
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They worked it together for several
years when her husband decided he was done and left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, he left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He disappeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sasha became
alone and had to fend for herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
did a fine job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the years of
running a restaurant by herself are coming to an end and she is planning to
sell the restaurant and the building and move down to the city where she can be
closer to her children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is concerned
about the expense, but she is a very resilient woman who, no doubt, will be
just fine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following morning, it continued to rain and rain and
rain. We planned to simply move on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, after the engine was running, but before leaving the dock, I
was completely unable to make contact with lock 14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brian was out on the dock getting ready to
untie the lines and speaking with a guy named Jeff, the Superintendent of the Canajoharie
Water Works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on their conversation,
at least what I overheard of it, I shut off the engine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became clear that we were not going
anywhere; the canal was shutting down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jeff had actually come down to the dock with an electrician to
pull the power pedestals and to and inform us of the approaching flood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were pulling the pedestals so they
wouldn’t be lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even pulled the
trash cans out of the park so they would not get washed down river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, we met with Dave, a Canal Maintenance Supervisor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told us that, in a relatively short period
of time, the water level would rise substantially and the ramps to the dock
would be flooded and we would be stuck on our boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, he advised that the river flow was
going to substantially increase as well as the volume of debris that was
slamming down river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously, when
there are trees and chunks of all sorts of this and that flowing in a river
that is basically controlled by a system of locks and dams, there is a significant
concern that there will be damage to the hardware.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, as a precaution, Dave told us the Canal
Authority was pulling wickets and would be allowing the river to run its course
so as to prevent further damage to villages along the river due to flood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, we were visited by the Chief of
Police.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He came down to make sure we
were all fine and had everything we needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everybody was super supportive and friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we would spend a second night in
Canajoharie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4_ghtivyZVXQNZWJXdIpEas0IkrJhGJdzD5QnH3T147wKfXHacNmZgYzi172grQLWbwa4_2xfLBQTxaZ89tLDnZ3yJAwJeVJBOkfApZ6qWt3n9vc7egLqOS6_IebbRAMFClSd_K0noQ/s1600/2013-06-11_10-37-55_211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4_ghtivyZVXQNZWJXdIpEas0IkrJhGJdzD5QnH3T147wKfXHacNmZgYzi172grQLWbwa4_2xfLBQTxaZ89tLDnZ3yJAwJeVJBOkfApZ6qWt3n9vc7egLqOS6_IebbRAMFClSd_K0noQ/s400/2013-06-11_10-37-55_211.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here you can see the water rising. The ramp to the dock was at a 30 degree downslope when we got to Canajoharie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhuJLscqeF631meoeAi-uL-rjZsgZtFBI7aKF0gs1sjwgbtlhShez3v7-j11-HdSWdhbV9bsPP7D62ypbDD_GR2xcermfmuYdo_9E5IpF_4vhQuGHinZnpNlIHTD0bIS_469Po4sRnvw/s1600/2013-06-11_11-15-44_775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhuJLscqeF631meoeAi-uL-rjZsgZtFBI7aKF0gs1sjwgbtlhShez3v7-j11-HdSWdhbV9bsPP7D62ypbDD_GR2xcermfmuYdo_9E5IpF_4vhQuGHinZnpNlIHTD0bIS_469Po4sRnvw/s400/2013-06-11_11-15-44_775.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now, clearly the ramp is at an almost 30 degree up slope from the park which is underwater. You can't really see the debris in this photo, but believe me, it was good to be behind that bridge piling. It offered protection against the trees that were running downstream with a pretty ferocious current.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5hdNF8PSKYUhjkm6ahRuvEEZquQQjKYPCh0yztZ4yLrAOnAHfYxmXyTALVULdJb19CdiRSQFOYShL8jXEILeuuCU63Tqs1En1JgVsQJjPj9KAJaccAEmbWuvfJ0l_q4dlCyAFedwZVQ/s1600/2013-06-12_07-14-21_115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5hdNF8PSKYUhjkm6ahRuvEEZquQQjKYPCh0yztZ4yLrAOnAHfYxmXyTALVULdJb19CdiRSQFOYShL8jXEILeuuCU63Tqs1En1JgVsQJjPj9KAJaccAEmbWuvfJ0l_q4dlCyAFedwZVQ/s400/2013-06-12_07-14-21_115.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was taken the following day, after the Authority pulled several dam wickets and let the water levels recede. At least we were able to get off the boat. We had no power.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While stuck in Canajoharie, we met some new friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met a guy named Steve who lives up the
river in Rome, New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
travelling alone along the canal in his very small sailboat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to nickname him “Intrepid.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also met Anne and Tim who live and cruise
aboard a very nice Ocean Alexander called “Ivanhoe.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are younger folks and are a lot of fun
to play with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also met the guy we all
call “Dockmaster Dave.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, his name is
Dave and he is the dockmaster in the Canajoharie area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is employed by the Canal Authority and it
is his job, no, it is his life’s function to make every boater who comes to
Canajoharie feel at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave has been
a rockstar of stellar proportions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
comes down every few hours to check on us and make sure we are doing ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He shuttled several of us to the store for
groceries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has offered to bring
portable generators, water tanks, and mobile pump-outs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This guy is superb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Actually, everybody has been superb. The following morning,
I needed a little help with my generator, so I called Dockmaster Dave and asked
for a referral to a diesel mechanic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
not only made a referral, but when he called me back, he advised that the
mechanic was en route and would be there in about 15 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On time, a mechanic named Marcel arrived, who
got right to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note that throughout
all of this, the rain continued to pour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, I’m not sure Marcel is actually a diesel mechanic, but he took a
look, made a bunch of calls, and the problem got solved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He charged a fair price, and everything is
good, electrically speaking.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before Marcel could finish, however, Dave came down to the
boat and advised that the Canal Authority was strongly suggesting that we all
move our boats up the river to the land cut beyond lock 16.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason stated was that the Authority
would be pulling the dams and allowing a free flowing river, packed with high
speed currents and a lot of debris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Furthermore, once the dams were pulled, and the water was allowed to
flow, there was a grave likelihood that the water levels would drop to “winter
levels”, i.e., no water, and that we would be stuck in the mud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, with that, and with the assistance of the
operators of locks 14, 15, and 16, Ivanhoe and Abreojos made the 10 mile move
up into the land cut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would be safe
here because the land cut is an area of canal that acts as a bypass of the
Mohawk River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are locks at both
ends thereby working to control both the water level and the amount of debris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a couple hours of moving in the pouring rain, we got
tied up to the south wall, just west of Lock 16.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were some interesting sights along the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were running behind
Ivanhoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between his prop-wash and the
pouring rain, visibility was difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several times, we had to “zig-zag” around large chunks of tree that were
floating down the river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spotted a
couple deadheads that would do serious damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">It was interesting to watch the chart plotter as we went along. The charts are drawn generally based on the low to average water level scenario. The water level was so high, that even though we were running in what appeared to be the middle of the river, the chart plotter showed the position of the boat over land!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>When we got to Lock 15 however, the narrow choke point on the Erie
Canal, we saw that it was all choked up with debris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behind the dam, there was a canal barge with
a crane on the front of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While tied
up in the lock and waiting for the lift, we saw this mariner inch his barge up
to the edge of the dam, literally powering back hard enough to prevent the
barge from slamming through the wickets, an event which would have killed him
and his crew, sent the barge through and over the dam, and shut down the canal
arguably for the rest of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
recall thinking to myself that this guy had the biggest pair of brass nuts of
any human I had ever known.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, he
inches the barge up, and an operator sitting in the crane on deck throws the
steel clam-shell bucket into the water and it sinks deep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Followed by a billowing belch of black smoke,
the bucket came back to the surface with a tree that had to be 100 feet
long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Later, Brian measured the
diameter of the lower section of that tree at 17 inches.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the tree locked in the jaws, the barge
slams it into heavy reverse and backs away from the edge of the dam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was truly impressive and made the
otherwise tedious time in the lock anything but.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, we are still here at lock 16.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been a couple days and everyone has been
great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Authority keeps checking up
on us and the locals come by and offer us a ride here or there or wherever we
might need to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve all decided to
dub ourselves, the “Lock 16 Yacht Club.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have been keeping each other company and enjoying being stuck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We grilled last night on the grass under the
trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was beautiful weather and we
decided we could not waste it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
the weather seems to be improving, we still have no word, officially, as to
when we may be able to start moving again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, officially unofficially, it looks like we may be able to get
under way Sunday or Monday, and more likely Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijI2df-RlSXvEfjqXG3DXtQonZPDiVkZr3qMN64i6o1Vscu8hCKQA1Utuj7hrMvnZDb4TPZxe1P89Cst3CtGpGIEFGvAc9qZYyE40XyitL5egSUsN4G3ML1CIMrAVTnjjG3JAngBk2nNg/s1600/2013-06-14_12-59-18_543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijI2df-RlSXvEfjqXG3DXtQonZPDiVkZr3qMN64i6o1Vscu8hCKQA1Utuj7hrMvnZDb4TPZxe1P89Cst3CtGpGIEFGvAc9qZYyE40XyitL5egSUsN4G3ML1CIMrAVTnjjG3JAngBk2nNg/s400/2013-06-14_12-59-18_543.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lock 16 Yacht Club</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t really have a lot more to say about it than
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice people, beautiful
surroundings, plenty of nothing to do (other than routine boat crap), and being
stuck is not so bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have friends
down river who are not faring quite as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Authority stuck them inside a lock for their own protection and
closed the doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notwithstanding the
less than scenic location, it is my understanding that the Authority has made
every effort to take good care of them as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They have ladders, generators, water, restaurants nearby, courtesy cars,
whatever they need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all know that
the Canal Authority is doing everything it can to protect the boats, the
people, the river, and their hardware the best they know how.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, how’s about a cheer for those guys!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brenda will be here on Sunday and I’m sure we will be moving
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, for the time being, this is
M/V Abreojos signing off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-54021172275821495012013-06-09T02:59:00.001-07:002013-06-09T03:27:20.247-07:00Atlantic Highlands all the way to WaterfordWhen you gotta go, you gotta to. That's how we felt when we left Cape May and that's how we felt when we left Atlantic Highlands. It was another very long day - over 11 hours behind the wheel to get all the way to Poughkeepsie, NY. There is a dock there in front of and connected with a restaurant called Mariners. If you eat there, you can stay on the dock for free. The next night we stopped in Kingston. We are now in Waterford, NY at the mouth of the Erie Canal<br />
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<span id="goog_247110042"></span><span id="goog_247110043"></span><br />
<br />
Poughkeepsie is also the location of the "singing bridge." Here's the story:<br />
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<span style="color: black;">The <b>Poughkeepsie Bridge</b> (a.k.a. <b>Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge</b>, <b>Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge</b>, <b>High Bridge</b>) is a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel" title="Steel"><span style="color: black;">steel</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantilever_bridge" title="Cantilever bridge"><span style="color: black;">cantilever bridge</span></a><span style="color: black;"> spanning the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River" title="Hudson River"><span style="color: black;">Hudson River</span></a><span style="color: black;"> between </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poughkeepsie_(city),_New_York" title="Poughkeepsie (city), New York"><span style="color: black;">Poughkeepsie, New York</span></a><span style="color: black;"> on the east bank and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland,_Ulster_County,_New_York" title="Highland, Ulster County, New York"><span style="color: black;">Highland, New York</span></a><span style="color: black;"> on the west bank. Built as a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_track" title="Double track"><span style="color: black;">double track</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad" title="Railroad"><span style="color: black;">railroad</span></a><span style="color: black;"> bridge, it was completed on January 1, 1889, and went out of service on May 8, 1974. It was listed on the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places" title="National Register of Historic Places"><span style="color: black;">National Register of Historic Places</span></a><span style="color: black;"> in 1979, updated in 2008. It was opened as <b>Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park</b> on October 3, 2009, as a pedestrian walkway, making it the longest </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footbridge" title="Footbridge"><span style="color: black;">footbridge</span></a><span style="color: black;"> in the world.<sup> </sup>One of composer </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bertolozzi" title="Joseph Bertolozzi"><span style="color: black;">Joseph Bertolozzi's</span></a><span style="color: black;"> most well known undertakings, </span><span style="color: black;"> the Bridge Music project uses only the sounds of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Hudson_Bridge" title="Mid-Hudson Bridge"><span style="color: black;">New York's Mid-Hudson Bridge</span></a><span style="color: black;"> to play the bridge like a musical instrument. The work was completed in time for New York's 400th anniversary observance of Henry Hudson's voyage up </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_river" title="Hudson river"><span style="color: black;">the river that now bears his name</span></a><span style="color: black;">, but was underway as early as 2004. Originally intended to be a live performance piece (circa 2006), </span><span style="color: black;">this "audacious plan" (</span><a class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/arts/01waki.html?ex=1341201600&en=a211e89a7be41cdc&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: black;">New York Times</span></a><span style="color: black;">) to compose music for a suspension bridge using the bridge itself as the instrument brought Bertolozzi wide local and international attention.</span><span style="color: black;"> When funding fell through for a live performance, Bertolozzi took the audio </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_(music)" title="Sampling (music)"><span style="color: black;">samples</span></a><span style="color: black;"> he had used to compose his works for the bridge,</span><span style="color: black;"> and used them to put together a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_album" title="Studio album"><span style="color: black;">studio album</span></a><span style="color: black;">. </span><span style="color: black;">The installation features audio from the album, and allows listeners to hear the project on the bridge itself.</span><br />
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Obviously as boaters we watch the weather likes sports fans watch ESPN. The key difference, however is that, with the weather, knowing what is in the immediate future as well as the long range future, is clearly more important than knowing what happened during last night's game. We depend on weather forecasts, not "pastcasts." We don't care whether or not it rained yesterday. Add to this consideration the fact that the National Hurricane Center is now in the mix with its first named storm of the year conceivably headed in our direction and it is easy to understand just how glued to weather radio and computer screens we can be. Everything depends on the weather.<br />
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All that being said, as it turned out, our decision to jump from Cape May all the way to and around Sandy Hook was a good one. Had we stopped at Barnegat Inlet, and then come up the coast the rest of the way the next day, we would have likely taken a serious beating. Moreover, that beating would have lasted 12 + hours. Once on the Hudson River, however, the wind forecasts are not as critical because the waterway is much narrower and, with less fetch, the effect of the wind is significantly less important. However, serious forecasts of rain are another story.<br />
<br />
Between radar, a chart plotter, a depth sounder and AIS, running in the rain, itself, is not that big a deal. We can see and move even if the visibility is substantially reduced. The problem with heavy rain, however, is runoff. Not so much a problem is the mud, but the debris. This morning, for example, on the short rum from Poughkeepsie to Kingston, we were constantly dodging logs and large sticks, both of which can do serious damage to running gear. So, we just have to be more careful, that's all.<br />
<br />
Coming to Kingston is always a pleasure. The folks here are really friendly, and the historic downtown area is very pleasant and interesting. I wrote a lot about Kingston the last time I stopped here, so I will not belabor it again. Suffice it to say, however, that it was worth a second stop even if it was only 15 miles from where we stopped last night. The main goal in stopping here turned into two fold. First, Kingston is up a well protected creek called Round Out. Second, one of the windshield wipers decided to take its leave on the way up and, in Kingston, it would be easy to replace. No, seriously, the wiper blade took off. It was funny. It's pouring rain and the wiper blade flies off the arm. Fortunately, it landed on the roof of the salon and we recovered it before it was too late.<br />
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<br />
So, we landed at Kingston. The docks were aluminum and floating and were very rocky and rolly. But, they served the purpose. After we got organized, we asked Chelsea, the girl working in the office if there was an auto parts store nearby where I could find a wiper blade. She said she would take us wherever we needed to go, and to just let her know when we were ready.<br />
<br />
Chelsea was a first class gal. Her father is a retired Kingston Police Officer and decided to take over the municipal dock from the city. He is a very nice man and takes the time to run out to the tow boats and barges on the river who anchor nearby and need to come in for supplies. He goes out on his own boat and brings them in or brings them whatever they request. That's a real class act, if you ask me. Anyways, Brian and I called Chelsea and asked her if there was a WalMart nearby. Brian wanted to get a rain slicker and I needed wiper blades. It occurred to me, after doing the loop the first time, that WalMart is a cruising boater's resource of the first degree. Not only is it a one stop shop, but they are generally relatively convenient. Not to mention the fact that the people watching is always interesting. Anyways, Chelsea, her little dog, Brian and I hopped in her SUV and headed out to the WalMart in Kingston. First of all, I had no idea Kingston was as big as it is. My impression was that Kingston consisted of the historic downtown waterfront area. It turns out the story goes deeper than that. There is actually quite a crime problem there insofar as it seems to be the place to run and hide if you get in trouble down in Manhattan. This notwithstanding, I still love the place. The folks are nothing but friendly and always willing to lend a helping hand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbXapHx1ZvPde3hUY0C32TCG1QgFIN9FFj7pOwl7FiHic62GnQve0F-oymXTIyELguztyDrN6iQ_P0k0OYqfUJOaZ0nYMPid_5Qour0Pi3FllZRuhbxIgzNL6PoMamRbGrsEzVl0JK6s/s1600/2013-06-06_10-00-18_133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbXapHx1ZvPde3hUY0C32TCG1QgFIN9FFj7pOwl7FiHic62GnQve0F-oymXTIyELguztyDrN6iQ_P0k0OYqfUJOaZ0nYMPid_5Qour0Pi3FllZRuhbxIgzNL6PoMamRbGrsEzVl0JK6s/s400/2013-06-06_10-00-18_133.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In fact, after we got back from WalMart, we realized that we did not pick up the vodka and tonic we needed. We asked Chelsea if there was a liquor/package store in the area. She simply asked what we wanted and advised that she would have her father pick it up and bring it to us. Amazing! About two hours later, there was a knock on the side of the boat. It was Chelsea's father with the goods we requested. He had two receipts which demonstrated that he actually went to two different stores to fill the order. I cannot adequately express how wonderful a stop this was in Kingston. Chelsea is a wonderful young lady attending college in St. Augustine, FL. She wants to be a special ed teacher. I think she will be great at whatever she ultimately does. Thank you Kingston.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3t_JbM4WYDdEIK11HTuk-5MKF8g5rj9XobGQdX2pWaCmKcO_tQwkTJssPtdha_7dtXVkuwbhOnrrk__LPBkj7trLiXu7-k-oA5dbkO7D_1uRR6Eydr9s7YcNzLLvt-KX8HcMPkrHT3w/s1600/F_ErieCanalwayMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3t_JbM4WYDdEIK11HTuk-5MKF8g5rj9XobGQdX2pWaCmKcO_tQwkTJssPtdha_7dtXVkuwbhOnrrk__LPBkj7trLiXu7-k-oA5dbkO7D_1uRR6Eydr9s7YcNzLLvt-KX8HcMPkrHT3w/s400/F_ErieCanalwayMap.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a map of the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo. Brenda and I did the entire Erie Canal on the last Loop. This time, Brian and I will only be taking the can to the intersection where we will merge onto the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
We left Kingston early yesterday with the town of Waterford in our sights and minds. Waterford is the gateway to the Erie Canal. First, however, we stopped for fuel at Albany and then passed through the Federal/Troy Lock. Most folks are aware that it has been raining quite a bit lately here on the east coast. Whereas Tropical Storm Andrea turned out to be a fizzle up here, she did bring a lot of rain. The Hudson River is rather swollen and the currents down river are pretty strong. It seems like we have been fighting up hill all the time since we got onto the Hudson River. There was no exception when we arrived at Troy Lock. The water was churning and turbulent and the current was very strong. The boat going into the lock in front of us nearly got turned sideways and tossed into the wall. I figure the Army Corps of Engineers were probably on the brink of closing the lock. There was also a lot of debris in the water in the form of logs, branches, and other flotsam. Fortunately, we made it through all that without damage to the running gear or my sweet new bottom paint. Because of the current, however, I did use more fuel than I would have normally. Oh well. We have covered many miles this last week, and are now at the Erie Canal. The cruising should get easy for a while.<br />
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Waterford is the gateway to the Erie Canal. We landed here at around 4:45 this afternoon. The first thing that happened upon our arrival was meeting Wayne and Rhonda on a boat called "Help Me Rhonda." Prior to today, we had never met. We became acquainted through the Roughwater Yahoo Group since, prior to his current boat, Wayne and Rhonda owned a Roughwater 41 similar to Abreojos. We were first contacted when Wayne and Rhonda on their Roughwater 41 were taking it from the marina they used to manage in Muskogee, Oklahoma to their new home port in Galveston, Texas. We happened, at the time, to be approaching Morgan City, Louisiana at the intersection of the Gulf ICW and the Achafalaya River. Wayne and Rhonda were on the Mississippi River approaching the intersection with the Achafalaya, and were only a short distance from Morgan City. Via email, we attempted to meet at Morgan City. Everything was set, but the boat friends they were traveling with developed mechanical problems, and our meeting ended up not happening because we could not wait around for as long as it was going to take. So, we moved forward. In the interim, however, Wayne and I kept in touch via Facebook and email. And, we figured that someday our paths might cross. Well, today it finally happened. Recently Wayne and Rhonda decided they were going to accomplish the Great Loop. As usual, we were keeping in touch. When we decided to bring the boat back to California, Wayne and Rhonda were on their way. Fortunately, however, they were not that far ahead of us and today, when we arrived at the Waterford Town Dock, we had the privilege of making the acquaintance of friends we always had, but had not actually met yet. We spent some time on their back deck just chewing the fat like old friends. For the next week, we will likely bump into them again as we work our way west on the Erie Canal towards Oswego, New York and the Great Lake, Ontario.<br />
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Just when you think things are about as good as they can get, following a fabulous dinner that consisted of stuffed port loin and sauteed vegetables, preceded by Frito's with onion dip and frosty cold V&T's, Brian and I wandered into town to take a look around. I had been here a couple years ago. In fact it was just before Hurricane Irene. Brenda and I did this thing; we would go to the grocery story, load up on groceries and would be walking back to our boat when we would discover we were hungry or thirsty and enter a local establishment on the way back, spend several hours there, and end up eating nothing we just purchased. Right! And all that stuff we just got at the grocery store really didn't matter. Well, when we were here in Waterford, we were coming back from the grocery store and came upon a little locals bar called The Angry Penguin. In the window, there was a signed posted advertising Arrogant Bastard Ale on tap. The pull was virtually relentless and we ended up going into this bar and taking a seat on the corner ..... like we owned the place. Well, within short order, we had met several wonderful local folks and ultimately spent the rest of the evening with them. (Note: our groceries were in the wheely cart and back pack that we simply positioned in the corner at our feet.) During the camaraderie, we exchanged email addresses and the address of this blog. I was aware that, during the next year, some of the folks we met were actually reading this, but I really had no idea the extent of it.<br />
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So, Brian and I wandered into the Angry Penguin and sat at the end of the bar. The waitress came and took our orders and went about her business. Soon enough, she was back and wanted to know where we were from and what we were doing. I told her about my and Brenda's previous visit, but before I was done, she asked, "Are you the lawyer with the trawler?" I was completely blown away! It turns out that a bunch of folks were passing around the blog and talking about it at the Angry Penguin. Then, out of nowhere, this lady comes up to me and says, "I'm Margaret, do you remember me?" Of course. This was a really astonishing turn of events. It's hard for me to even come up with words to describe what this was like. In this tiny little corner of the world, Brenda and I made some sort of dent that the folks remembered even to this day. It was the warmest welcome I think I have ever felt and I am every so grateful for having had the opportunity, apparently, to make some kind of dent in their lives as well; that they actually remembered me and my blog is astonishing and makes me feel really good. <br />
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Well, we will be on the move again tomorrow, but we are not sure what time we will leave or if we will leave at all. We'll see. We have no destination in mind, but we plan to get to Oswego as soon as possible. Our transit should take us no more than 3-4 days.<br />
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I'll write again soon. For now, however, from the Erie Canal in New York, this is M/V Abreojos..........OUT.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-55888676860040471042013-06-06T03:19:00.004-07:002013-06-06T03:19:37.300-07:00
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It appeared originally that we would be stuck in Delaware
City for more than a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it turned
out, however, we were only there two nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We arrived there rather late in the afternoon after hauling
all the way from Annapolis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been
to Delaware City before and I knew the entrance was sort of tricky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My timing was off this time as we arrived a
dead low tide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We followed instructions on entering the
canal and made it with just under a foot of water under the keel clearance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we checked in, we were given a packet of “stuff” about
Delaware City including coupons for free crab balls at a place called Crabby
Dicks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, we went to Dicks to eat
balls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What can I say? So, we went there
and thought to sit outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, the
hostess was going to place us way outside, like back behind the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know we didn’t smell that bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We requested another table with perhaps some
breeze as it was pretty warm and humid out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, the waitress moved us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then,
we were attacked<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by flies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After declaring our surrender, we finally
moved inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flies won.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once seated, we ordered a couple beers and the balls
thinking to ourselves that this would tie us over until a proper dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, when the balls arrived, I was
dismayed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There lying on the plate were
two balls that were rather “smallish” and rather “roundish” and I remember
thinking to myself, “Mr. Crab? What happened?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I thought these were going to be crab balls, not deep fried
testicles!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the time had come and I
had to do something, so I rolled one in the sauce that was dolloped on a shred
of lettuce and ate one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not bad, but not
what I had in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, yes, we went to
Dicks and ate some small balls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe
me, I ordered another beer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day was a do-nothing kind of day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It rained all day, sometimes very hard, and
there was not a lot to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did manage
to get a ride to a real grocery store, as opposed to the convenience mart in
town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We loaded up on some fresh food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our driver, a kid named Cory, got so lost,
even his Iphone couldn’t help him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Granted, Cory was definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed,
nevertheless, we got to see some of the countryside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is not much going on in Delaware.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a tiny state with a lot of power plants
and tax benefits, which I guess explains why so many business entities
incorporate in Delaware.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, after getting our groceries, we went to lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fine and involved no anatomy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the day was for reading and
laying around.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We did not leave first thing in the morning like some of the
anxious boaters also marooned at Delaware City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We waited for the tide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
well documented that the tide can make or break your day on Delaware Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, our time to leave (high tide)
was at around 0900.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, at about 0845,
we started the engine and headed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Believe me, coming or going through this canal is always easier at high
tide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we turned right and headed on
down the Delaware River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a lot
of commercial traffic, but negotiating them was easy with the AIS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a few minutes, we started feeling the
pull of the outbound tide and were easily scooting along at almost 10 knots
towards our destination, Cape May, New Jersey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The sun was shining and the water was pretty flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a nice ride.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we pulled into Cape May Harbor we stopped for fuel at
some resort marina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was easy off and
easy on the New Jersey ICW, so we kept things simple and stopped at the fuel
dock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was another “Cory” working
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This poor guy not only didn’t
know anything about tying up a boat, but he had an even harder time
comprehending instructions on how to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were both pretty tired, but Brian’s patience lasted longer than mine,
so I let him deal with this guy. Although I cannot say it was a monumental
achievement, we did ultimately get the hose and could start taking on
fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our anchorage was within sight so
we didn’t really care how long it took this guy to figure out how to uncoil the
fuel hose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After stopping several times
to fix his hair, we finally got to pumping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I understand that a lot of kids get summer jobs doing all sorts of
things that, perhaps, they have never done before, but these are college kids,
for crying out loud!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between this “Cory”
and the other Cory in Delaware City, I had to take the I out of IQ because,
although we were dealing with some kind of quotient, it had nothing to do with
intelligence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without too much drama, and because we can
handle these things without help, we got off the dock and over to our anchorage
out in front of the Coast Guard Station, where we had a quiet night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At 0600, we pulled out of Cape May Harbor and onto the
Atlantic Ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had been quite some
time since Abreojos really got to stretch her legs on some open ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sensed immediately that she enjoyed
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first few hours, it was
smooth and easy running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our plan for
the day was to make Barnegat Inlet and anchor for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were really looking forward to getting in
as the wind had picked up and had made the ride rather snotty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as quickly as it got snotty, it got
better and as we approached Barnegat Inlet, it seemed to me that the better way
to go was to just dig in and keep moving north and stop for the night at
Atlantic Highlands, NJ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This decision
made a 16 hour day out of an 8 hour day, and an easy day time arrival into a
slightly more complex night time arrival. Nevertheless, what we accomplished
was making some serious distance in one day – 115.5 nm – and we picked up the
day we lost due to weather in Delaware City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, by around 9:00 p.m. we were anchored behind the break wall at
Atlantic Highlands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ride in was very
cool, we got to see the Manhattan skyline as the sun was setting as well as the
Verranzano Bridge all lit up, knowing that we will be there in the morning.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN9XCsN5sK_ckSG-fEcUvacZabt6NuBvJjaTNot_EhyphenhypheneCA_fKRrxuTFYMiw9nzV5d339pgYiKFIaxyYS8NsEtQjCHh2TQpjH1xmuVEmczTY5D_V0_A6rkcrqh4wgOqiCbvcs2Msqf3qk/s1600/2013-06-05_20-16-01_265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN9XCsN5sK_ckSG-fEcUvacZabt6NuBvJjaTNot_EhyphenhypheneCA_fKRrxuTFYMiw9nzV5d339pgYiKFIaxyYS8NsEtQjCHh2TQpjH1xmuVEmczTY5D_V0_A6rkcrqh4wgOqiCbvcs2Msqf3qk/s640/2013-06-05_20-16-01_265.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left">
The Manhattan Skyline. You can see the new World Trade Tower all the way over on the left, and the Empire State Building just off center.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, after a great day on the water, a great dinner prepared
by Brian, and a few minutes simply unwinding in total silence, we crashed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today, we will start making our way up the Hudson
River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure where we will stop
for the night, but we have to get up there as a significant weather event might
be heading our way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday, the
National Hurricane Center announced the formation of Topical Storm Andrea (yes,
the NWS had the audacity to name the storm which has all sorts of implications
from an insurance point of view) in the Gulf of Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As of last night, the predicted path would
take here into the Florida Panhandle and then east, north east across Georgia
and South Carolina before heading north along the eastern seaboard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A small part of New York is in the “cone of
influence” so the farther up the Hudson River we get, the better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In spite of the storm, there is still some
fairly strong rain forecast for Friday late afternoon, so we figure to get tied
up someplace we can wait out the weather………and get ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those Vodka-Tonics are lousy without ice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s it for now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ll probably make the Erie Canal by Sunday, if not sooner, or possibly
later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We roll when we can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-3041900421713842792013-06-03T03:02:00.002-07:002013-06-03T03:02:13.457-07:00STUCK FOR A COUPLE DAYS IN DELAWARE
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was a very
long day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left Annapolis at around
6:30 headed for Delaware City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made
it, but the trip was not without its interesting moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This trip was one of those, at the beginning of
which, you say to yourself, “Gosh, I wish I had left an hour earlier.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of Course the National Whatever Service had a
small craft advisory posted for the northern Chesapeake Bay, and this time they
were a little closer to correct in their forecast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we left the dock, the winds were quite light, but, by
the time we reached the outer harbor, the water was quilted in whitecaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a pretty good lump rolling in with
the wind, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although we were having a hell of a time
running beam to the conditions, we simply adjusted course to find the best ride
until we were at a good angle to turn left and head under the bridge. Finally,
we turned left and started heading north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The course adjustment only took us a mile or two out of our way, but
what’s a mile or two compared to the seventy we had planned for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, if we had only left an hour earlier….<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the time we got to the bridge, we were feeling the full
brunt of the outgoing tide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
turbulence as we passed through the footings was impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our speed dropped to just over 5 knots and I
had to take it out of autopilot to keep the nose from turning too far that we
would spin out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A sailboat in front of
us kept doing just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were
rolling and spinning rail to rail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
that point, I was very glad we have 200 turbocharged ponies down below which
gave us all the push we needed to make it through safely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Moreover, once through the bridge, the turbulence was gone and we had
relatively comfortable following sea conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That first hour or so was a bit rough, and
again, had we only left an hour earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we headed further north, the Bay narrows and the
conditions were fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scenery improved,
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time we got as far up the
Bay as Fairlee Creek, a very cool place where we spent 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> of July
in 2011 with our friends Barry and Jodie on “Love Shack”, the wind was
basically behind the land and not impacting us at all, and the cruising was
easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The upper Chesapeake is a very
different place from the middle or lower parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is actually quite beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At some point, you feel more like you are on a river than a huge bay because
it gets quite narrow and the banks make for good sight seeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are lots of pretty homes to look at and
wonder about.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been a while so I forgot that there are some rude folks
out there who happen to own boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several times throughout the day, we got “waked” pretty hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With as much space available as there was,
why did that numb-nuts find it necessary to pass us within a boat length while
pushing a 3-4 foot wake?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll never
understand why it is impossible to slow down, make a radio call, and then pass
considerately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for the fact that I
would probably get arrested and go to prison for a long time, it has certainly
occurred to me to fit the front of Abreojos with steel plates and a ramming
pole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d actually love to find some of
these dumb bastards and side punch a good size hole in their boats while their
wives and children watch. However, I digress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Following a year-long cruising break following two years of dealing with
“wakeful idiots” on a daily basis, I thought the feelings had gone away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
guess they haven’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, I think they
have intensified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a good thing
Brenda was not on the boat yesterday, or some of these courtesy-lacking,
floating fools might have had their esophagus hooked and removed with a boat
hook……..from the lower end, if you know what I mean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know how much she hated getting waked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The C&D Canal was a total breeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tide was with us as we got in there and we
were flying along at between 10 and 11 knots at barely 1000 rpms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no ships passing through until the
very end, but one interesting thing did happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we were passing under the Chesapeake City Bridge, we saw a Towboat US
boat waiving at us with his flashing lights on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I looked at him and pointed to the vhf radio with a rather quizzical
look on my face, and he looked back like, “oh yeah – the radio.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he called over and warned us that the
powers that be were pulling power lines across the canal and that we should
move to the north side for more vertical clearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The warning was a good thing as, when I got
to that place, the lines were super thin and almost invisible, AND very close
to the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were going up as we
were going by, so there was never any danger of hitting the lines (and they
were not charged), but they looked like spider webs; the kind that get you
right under your nose as you walk unwittingly between two trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, no harm, no foul.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whenever you arrive at a confluence, the system of markage
always seems a bit “wonky.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example,
when you are coming off the C&D Canal, there are marks that take you up the
first river on the left between the shoals, then, there are marks that take you
up the larger part of the river to the left en route to Philadelphia, or Camden,
NJ., and then there are marks that take you down the Delaware River to Delaware
Bay, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ones I think most boaters
find confusing are the marks that are split colored, i.e., top half red and
bottom half green and vice versa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
have to know which channel you intend to follow before these kinds of marks
make any sense, as it is the top color you heed onto the “preferred channel”
and the bottom color that you heed onto or off of the less than preferred
channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, a preview analysis of
your charts helps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t try to figure
it out when you get there or you’ll probably end up aground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any event, this is the kind of thing that
happens when you leave the C&D Canal and flow onto the Delaware River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having been there before, I knew where I was
going (I also studied my charts in advance).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately, for the less initiated, it is plenty deep around there so
you’d have to work pretty hard to end up stuck in the mud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, as we spit out of the canal, we turned left and headed
about two miles up the Delaware River to the turn off for Delaware City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, here, we get into some skinny
water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abreojos draws 4 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course we arrived at low tide, but I
radioed the marina and got some helpful advice: “Stay 20 feet to port of the
green and aim for the little red boat’s bow, and that will keep you in the
deepest water coming in.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I did just
that and slid into the creek with .4 feet under the keel to spare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the west coast, this kind of thing is not
really an issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the east coast,
however, you get used to accepting the fact<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>that, if you draw 4 feet, and the creek is 5 feet deep, there is PLENTY
of water……so what you fussin’ about?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our plan was to get to Delaware City on Sunday and then
leave for Cape May on Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, you
know how plans and cruising go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You make
a plan, God laughs, so you make another plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would appear we will be stopped here for at least a couple days to
allow a sizeable storm to pass through before we head down Delaware Bay for the
Jersey Shore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The storm is not producing
buckets of rain by any means, but the lightning show last night was quite
impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We witnessed bands and
sheets of lightning so big they covered the entire state of Maryland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The radar showed these really thick red and
yellow cells moving right over the top of us and all of Chesapeake and Delaware
Bays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The radar can see out 150 miles
and more, and all of that was completely covered and colored those deep autumn shades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This went on for quite a few hours and
continues as I write this note.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
thunder, just a lot of lightning off in the distant skies, and great cloud
formations – true thunderheads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weather
like this is something I truly missed this last year in California, where there
is no weather.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since we are going nowhere today, it will be a good time to
get caught up on rest, reading, laundry, boat cleaning, and other things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, for now, that’s it and I will talk at you
later.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stuck in Delaware City, Abreojos is…….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Out.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-20346524377373155602013-06-02T01:41:00.000-07:002013-06-02T01:41:24.879-07:00I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a pleasure cruise, but rather a delivery. I am moving as fast as I can to get this boat back to the Pacific Ocean where she belongs. I have been through this part of the country twice and have seen what I wanted to see. So, yes, the days on the water are very long and the nights at the dock or at anchor are very short, with not a lot to discuss but by tired eyes and aching back. I expect things will get very interesting when I get to upstate NY and turn right on the Oswego Canal and head into Canada and then Lake Superior.<br />
<br />
Yesterday was a very long day on the water. It took nearly 11 hours to get from Sandy Point to Annapolis. The first part of the ride was rough. It's almost always a little rough when crossing the mouth of the Potomac River, but today was particularly so. The wind was whipping along at 20 knots out of the south and the water got sporty due to the imminent mixing of the water of the bay with the water of this rather large river. Couple this with a changing tide and it got sporty. I hate it when I don't follow my own advice, but this is a delivery trip and I have no time to dawdle. So, in spite of the small craft advisory in effect, off I went. Abreojos is not really a "small craft" and her breeding on the Pacific, her pilothouse, her lack of fancy sliding glass doors (I'm really being facitious here), not to mention her skipper who can be a grunt when he has to, and off we go. Yes it might be uncomfortable, but I know the difference between uncomfortable and dangerous.<br />
<br />
It seemed like the tide was always on my side for this leg of the trip even though I know it wasn't. However, I set the throttle when I was leaving Sandy Point and I did not touch it again until I got to Annapolis. I was in 8's all day and from the perspective of forward progress, it sure seemed easy.<br />
<br />
Once past the Potomac River, it got really nice. The water flattened out for the most part and the sun was shinning. It turned out to be a beautiful day on the water. Those boys and girls at the National Whatever Service got this one completely wrong. Certainly, I benefit when they get it wrong in the right direction. I hope, however, they don't get it wrong in the next few days. The weather is fixin' to get downright nasty and I don't want to be caught in a situation where I take off under the impression the weather is predicted to be really nice. So, I'll have to research the forecast myself and then back check against the National Whatever Service. I can't really blame them, however, the weather has been a complete mess all year and I'm suprised anyone is still willing to make a forecast given the likelihood that it will be askew.<br />
<br />
As I said, the NWS placed in effect a Small Craft Advisory for the entire northern part of the Chesapeake Bay. A small craft advisory is a type of warning issued by the National Weather Service, most frequently in coastal areas, when winds have reached, or are expected to reach within 12 hours, a speed marginally less than gale force. The wind speed that triggers the advisory has changed over time. Until the late 1960s, the threshold was 32 to 38 miles per hour (or 28 to 33 knots). At some point, the lower limit was reduced to 23 miles per hour (20 knots). Today, however, most places have standardized on 25 to 38 miles per hour (22 to 33 knots), encompassing the combined ranges of forces 6 and 7 on the Beaufort Scale. I saw none of that. In fact, as I mentioned in a post on Facebook, the only "small craft advisory" that made any sense yesterday was, "don't hit one." <br />
<br />
As I got closer and closer to Hammock Bay and Annapolis, there were hundreds of boats out on the water. AYC, that's Annapolis Yacht Club, was hosting a sailing/racing event for CRABS, which is an organization that benefits disabled folks by taking them sailing. There were at least 125 boats participating in this event all flying a wide variety of colorful chutes. But, they sure took up a lot of water and made seeing the marks pretty tough. However, having had the sailing experience I have had, I bothered to put myself in a position where I would least impact their wind and stay clear of the race course while entering the outer harbor of Annapolis.<br />
<br />
So the end of the run was a little hectic. With all the boats on the water and no clear channel, there were boats moving in every direction at a variety of speeds, some with sails, some without, and it was a hard way to end an eleven hour trip. However, the bright side is that Brian was waiting for me at the dock and that certainly made things easy.<br />
<br />
We are docked at Annapolis Yacht Club for the night and will be leaving first thing in the morning, destination, Delaware City on the Delaware River. It's too far to make Cape May in one day, and if the weather gets as stinky as it is forecast, then Delaware City will be a good place to hole up. However, I really want to make Cape May by Monday. I'd rather sit there waiting for weather than Delaware City.<br />
<br />
In any event, Brian and I enjoyed a couple beers on the deck of AYC and then a nice dinner at a place called The Rock Fish. I had Snakehead Tacos. Brian availed himsel of the local specialty - crab cakes. After spending last summer with friends in Deltaville making crab cakes that impressed even the Maryland Crabcake Snobs, I have a hard time ordering crab cakes in a restaurant. I was telling Brian of how I would get the call around Thursday afternoon to go bait and drop the traps, and how Jason and I would go around on Saturday and empty the traps ending up with at least several dozen succulent Maryland Blue crabs for the grill-out on Saturday nights; how we would have way too much food because everybody assumed we would get no crab; and, how Floyd would spend all the time late at night picking the crabs we invariably did not eat, so that we would have the makings of crab cakes during the week. Too much fun.<br />
<br />
Anyways, I'm closing this section for now and will write again probably from Delaware City. Here's the forecast for today over the waters we plan to cover:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=ANZ530&warncounty=marine&firewxzone=&local_place1=26NM+ENE+Baltimore+MD&product1=Small+Craft+Advisory"><span class="warn"><span style="color: red;">Small Craft Advisory</span></span></a><br /><a href="http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=ANZ530&warncounty=marine&firewxzone=&local_place1=26NM+ENE+Baltimore+MD&product1=Hazardous+Weather+Outlook"><span class="warn"><span style="color: red;">Hazardous Weather Outlook</span></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Bye for now.</div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-22613116400781926392013-05-31T15:02:00.003-07:002013-05-31T15:02:34.633-07:00Norfolk, Portsmouth, bottom paint and gone.
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Norfolk is a very nice city; at least the parts of downtown
Norfolk I walked through seemed to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a mix of new and old buildings, mostly new, and everything
seems very well maintained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stayed at
Waterside Marina for two nights before moving across the river to Ocean Marine
Yacht Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea why this
marina is not completely full all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The price is fair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The docks are
well maintained. The staff could not be more helpful and friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, it seems like the place is always almost
completely empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps folks don’t
like the noise of the environs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
marina is right on the public park and plaza where there are at least two
restaurants and nightclubs that stay open late, as well as a hotel and shopping
mall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also right across the river
from a large ship yard where there are at least 6 large navy ships having work
done 24 hours a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, there is a lot
of noise there, but it’s what is referred to as “white noise”, meaning it’s in
the background and if you focus on something else, you tune out the
sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, there is plenty of
activity around this particular marina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guess it doesn’t help that there are two places on the other side of
the river (in Portsmouth) where travelers can tie up for free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there you will find no power or
water, and there is absolutely no security of any kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, one of the cruising guides
recommends that you not leave your boat unattended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is also a decent anchorage in the heart
of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed my time at
Waterside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to take off and
walk wherever and whenever I wanted without concern and the noise didn’t bother
me at all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxzwZ37W6mld_2TU8oej4jPOPBs74Vzr7oWiX8yj4gujRnqArMp7Dkzy-0agd55GhHfvRzMGgimOSKXQBuRbVmwbaY-XDh59IakGb1K851RzFLfkqxfIbMMWG_7L3zsjtpjXoEhFB2bo/s1600/2013-05-28_11-24-09_47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxzwZ37W6mld_2TU8oej4jPOPBs74Vzr7oWiX8yj4gujRnqArMp7Dkzy-0agd55GhHfvRzMGgimOSKXQBuRbVmwbaY-XDh59IakGb1K851RzFLfkqxfIbMMWG_7L3zsjtpjXoEhFB2bo/s400/2013-05-28_11-24-09_47.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After two days, however, it was time to leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had an appointment with the folks at Ocean
Marine Yacht Center for bottom paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No, not for me, for the boat!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
scheduled an 8:30 a.m. haul out so I left Waterside at around 7:45.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gave me plenty of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I got over there, however, I called and
they told me I could tie up on the long face dock and wait because they were
using the travel lift to move another boat in the yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They had someone meet me out on the dock to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretty breezy and it would have been
very cumbersome to try to dock this boat by myself, especially with the wind blowing
me away from the dock and the river current working against me as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not have to wait more than half an hour
before they called me and told me to make my way over to the lift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ocean Marine Yacht Center has the ability to
lift boats in excess of 200 feet out of the water and place them in a huge
warehouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do this on a special
platform that drops down into the river more than 40 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prior to lowering this platform, however,
there are a series of small steel platforms that move on rails that are fitted
with the makings of a wooden cradle on which the boat will be secured before
being lifted out of the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
process involves divers and a lot of pre-planning by both the yard and the
boat’s owner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I did not get to
witness such a lift take place, it was interesting taking a look at the
hardware involved and listening to Steve, the yard manager, describe the
process.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To lift our little boat out of the water, however, all I had
to do was drive the boat into this narrow opening in the sea wall and into the
waiting slings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The operator was in the
crane watching and waiting until the boat was in the right spot, then he would
lift the front slings which basically stopped the boat where he wanted it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he could adjust the position of the rear
sling to where he wanted that one to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ultimately, with a little nudging here and a little nudging there, the
boat was properly supported and was lifted up out of the water with me in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The operator stops when the bow of the boat
is even with the yard, and another guy puts a ramp across to the front of my
boat so I could get off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty slick
operation if I do say so myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately, I am no expert given I spend so little time in boat
yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, they temporarily block the
boat on a concrete pad and pressure wash the bottom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having sat in the Pasquatank River for a
year, Abreojos’s bottom was stained black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were no critters attached nor any obnoxious plant life
either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prop, shaft and rudder all
looked to be in fine condition, al beit stained black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the nasty tanic blackness of the
Pasquatank River was no match for two yard hogs and a pressure washer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within minutes, all that nasty stain was just
about completely removed and I could see the underlying paint my friends at
Anchors Way Boat Yard in Oxnard put on in January of 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very impressed with how well that paint
job held up over the last three and a half years and almost 10,000 miles in
everything from Atlantic ocean water to Mississippi River drainage canals, the
Great Lakes, and the Gulf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The paint had
really been tried and tested and held up wonderfully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could have probably held off another year,
but given that the price was so reasonable in Virginia compared to California,
I decided to get it done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure it
will last a long time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at
it, due to OSHA rules, OMYC would not let me stay on the boat while it was in
the yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I took a room at the
Renaissance Hotel in downtown Portsmouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was very nice and it was AIR CONDITIONED!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hot the last three days in
Portsmouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was humid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes some time to acclimate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was not like “out in the country” hot
and humid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was “in the
city/concrete jungle” hot and humid, which I can tell you is a whole different
kind of miserable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brenda and I explored
Portsmouth the first time we passed through this neck of the woods so I was not
necessarily compelled to go running around trying to figure this place
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was content to merely remain in
my room where it was nice and cool and enjoy the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to read a couple books and
otherwise relaxed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last year, Brenda and I spent three months working at a
marina in Deltaville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made a lot of
great friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told you about my
friend Jerry who was kind enough to go out of his way to fetch me at Norfolk
Airport and deliver me to Abreojos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, while in Portsmouth, my friend Robert visited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robert and I worked together at the marina
and had many opportunities to fine tune what can only be described as a very
special friendship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine landing in a
place and meeting someone with whom getting along is effortless and with whom
interesting and often intriguing conversation is so simple and readily
available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figure the chances of
landing in a strange place and leaving a few months later with a lifelong
friend are not real strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it
happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met others in Deltaville
who will be lifelong friends and it’s a shame I did not get to see more of them
while passing through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But again, I am
just passing through. I’m sure some of our paths will cross again somewhere,
somehow, sometime.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, this morning, just as the sun was starting to come up, I
fired up the engine and started heading north.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a great ride out of Norfolk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had an outgoing tide and saw speeds of 10.3 knots using very little
throttle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sunrise was beautiful and
then, it’s always exciting to be heading out onto the Chesapeake Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those wonderful and effortless speeds were
short-lived, however, and as soon as I turned left and started north on the
bay, I slowed down dramatically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
fighting the tide until almost 4:00 in the afternoon as I approached the mouth
of the Great Wicomico River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind
had picked up as well and was certainly blowing the better part of 15-20
knots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, it was behind me so no big
deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m anchored for the night at a
place called Sandy Point on the Great Wicomico River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This place provides great protection from the
southerly winds but is a bit “rolly” since the wind chop is blowing in around
the corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind will settle down
with the sun, however, and I’m confident<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will be able to make myself a nice dinner and catch a movie and turn
in early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to push another 70+
miles tomorrow in similar conditions to pick up my friend Brian who is flying
in from California to Baltimore and then to Annapolis, to make some of this
trip with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brian is an excellent
waterman so I’m sure he’ll fall right into the routine of east coast cruising
which I understand is something he is not familiar with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will be especially true when we get up
onto the Hudson River and into the Erie Canal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Call me strange, but every time I think of the Erie Canal,
it reminds me of a spooky/eerie joke my friend Dave posted the other day:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did the ghost say to the honey
bees?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Booo Bees!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah ha ha ha! </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll leave you with that and catch up some more soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Out<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-16733216233900060912013-05-27T08:50:00.001-07:002013-05-27T08:50:37.971-07:00In Portsmouth awaiting haul out<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDlCOzsBivpwnY_jETU0PdXUpHuUJZ0l6r0CfA8KwizRCtGNRzD1DP429BM2XdjCryPHIV4G6OoYRdpjAVvbvZEjCeUmIoFaBN0Vw9A135etonM2VVtEeriN5wsmb3HvzGdQxGinc7O8/s1600/2013-05-27_09-55-38_909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDlCOzsBivpwnY_jETU0PdXUpHuUJZ0l6r0CfA8KwizRCtGNRzD1DP429BM2XdjCryPHIV4G6OoYRdpjAVvbvZEjCeUmIoFaBN0Vw9A135etonM2VVtEeriN5wsmb3HvzGdQxGinc7O8/s400/2013-05-27_09-55-38_909.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY FROM NORFOLK, VIRGINIA<br />
THE BATTLESHIP WISCONSIN<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I left Camden early yesterday(around 0615) en route to Norfolk/Portsmouth, Virginia where Abreojos will be hauled out for bottom maintenance. She hasn't had new bottom pain in about 3 years so it is time. The last time I was under the boat, the paint looked good but was getting thin and there was little to no paint on the bottom of the keel. We have the Atlantic ICW and some rather shallow spots in Georgia and South Carolina to thank for that. Every now and then running the keel across some shallow bar is to be anticipated, but it doesn't help the condition of the paint on the keel, that's for sure.<br />
<br />
The weather yesterday was absolutely spectacular. There was not a cloud in the sky and a light breeze. The temperature was a comfortable 68 degrees and the bugs were minimal. I have transited the Dismal Swamp Canal 4 times now, and this time was the best yet. It certainly seemed to go quickly and I was actually tied up by 1500.<br />
<br />
The Dismal Swamp Canal is one of two alternate routes along the Atlantic ICW between Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound. Though it was built more than 200 years ago, today it is operated and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers. When it was built, it's purpose was commerce. Why is it called "Dismal"? Colonel William Byrd II of Virginia was the first to propose taking advantage of a channel to connect Albemarle Sound and the Elizabeth River. He took an expedition party out to survey the area and found the swamp, the dense forest, and the thick undergrowth quite repulsive. It is for this reason that "Dismal" was added to the name. <br />
<br />
Construction of the canal started in 1793. Digging took place at both ends. The canal was dug by hand, mostly by slaves hired from nearby landowners. Of interesting note is the fact that, during the construction of the canal, the slaves became so familiar with the swamp that it eventually became a haven for runaways. The cost of digging the canal became so prohibitive, however, that in 1796, the company building the canal stopped and decided to build a road to connect the two disparate canal sections. Ultimately, it was finally completed in 1805.<br />
<br />
In the beginning, the canal was so shallow that it was only useful for flat boats and long rafts. It was considered a far cry from what material merchantmen envisioned as a trade route. Moreover, over the years, Byrd's company stopped maintaining it and it fell into disrepair, and water levels tended to fluctuate radically. Now, there are two locks, the South Mills Lock and the Deep Creek Lock that maintain the water depth at approximately 6 feet.<br />
<br />
Those of you who know me know that, I love Edgar Allen Poe. As it turns out, there was a hotel built near the North Carolina-Virginia line called the Halfway House Hotel. It was constructed in the late 1820's. This hotel was a popular spot for marriage duels and those escaping justice. Since the hotel was on the state line, all one had to do was walk to the other side of the hotel to avoid being captured in either state. Notably, however, as it pertains to Mr. Poe, it is said that he wrote "The Raven" during one of his stays there. <br />
<br />
Today, the Dismal Swamp Canal is the oldest operating artificial waterway in the United States. Although I have been through it 4 times, it never looks the same. Imagine water as slick as glass, and as dark as a moonless night; trees of many variety and every shade of green. It is so well protected that the water remains mirror like even when the wind is blowing elsewhere. As such, the reflection of the banks and the sky completely obliterate definitional lines such as the banks. I often refer to my radar to see where I am positioned in the canal. It is not deep, that's for sure. Although they say the ACOE maintains it at 6 feet, I didn't actually see less than 7 feet anywhere. And although bumping something sticking up from the bottom, floating, or healing in from the banks is generally par for the course, I only bumped one time (compared to the 6 times we bumped things the last time through.)<br />
<br />
Locking through single handed was interesting, but easy, thanks to the help and understanding of the lock operators. As I approached the inside wall, they used a boat hook to grab my forward spring line before stepping aft and helping secure a stern line. Then, I would take each line in hand and control them both from the gunwale amidships. It was a very easy run. All systems worked well.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_dKX3yzqIXLkm5du2eQnmmFx7HJZCgZFFXM_7P6Qa6UeXjwIBjI5-1ItNEzYzdQK61qdgTI1WQZDRFgXWI1ow_qRxrtZ84wX6Xe7f9gnqG4wQG-hPrEt7-fdb3CZ9zziTOOEQfKlHfo/s1600/2013-05-27_09-02-37_184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_dKX3yzqIXLkm5du2eQnmmFx7HJZCgZFFXM_7P6Qa6UeXjwIBjI5-1ItNEzYzdQK61qdgTI1WQZDRFgXWI1ow_qRxrtZ84wX6Xe7f9gnqG4wQG-hPrEt7-fdb3CZ9zziTOOEQfKlHfo/s400/2013-05-27_09-02-37_184.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ABREOJOS AT THE DOCK AT WATERSIDE MARINA, NORFOLK, VA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, when I got to Portsmouth/Norfolk, I considered several options and decided for various reasons to stay at Waterside Marina. It is very convenient to just about everything and is across the water from where I am going tomorrow morning for haul out. I took a long walk this morning and enjoyed downtown Norfolk. It's a beautiful day today, so I think I'll relax with a book and plan to get out early tomorrow to go to the yard.<br />
<br />
So far, so good.<br />
<br />
Bye now.<br />
<br />
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-83214117024621141922013-05-25T17:55:00.000-07:002013-05-25T18:00:10.581-07:00I've done all I can to prepare to leave on the long journey home.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Day 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today was a hell of a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got a lot done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s pretty
hard work in the humid swamp-like conditions here in Camden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am still acclimating to the time change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I have it backwards, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should be up later being used to west coast
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I find myself napping in
the late afternoon and then staying up until midnight or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I have to do is figure out a way to skip
the nap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tough words under the
circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I managed to wake up in the middle of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was actually able to tick a few items off the five page list of things
to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went back to sleep for a while,
however, because I was tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s one
of the nice things about cruising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
wake up when you wake up and you go to sleep when you feel like sleeping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stayed in bed until almost 0800 this
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like I overslept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have things to do and, as they say, you can
sleep when you’re dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I hopped out
of my bunk and got right to it…..again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I spent five hours today scrubbing a year’s worth of crud
off the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There was actually a plant growing in the port side scupper. I eliminated at least 6 wasp mud nests, tossed overboard a bunch of spiders, and generally rid the vessel of grime. Everything I touched with a brush I did twice. five hours later and gallons of sweat eliminated, t</span>he old girl is finally
presentable again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> After I finished washing the boat, </span>I re-installed all
those little things that made sense for a long time such as the grill and its
propane tank, pumped up the dinghy, unfurled the American flag, put a burgee up
on the bow, put the carpet back on the back deck, etc, etc, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even went to the store and picked up some
additional and much needed provisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, I took a nap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After napping for a couple hours, it was time to move on
down the list – fuel system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always
hate changing the fuel filters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Generally, it’s a messy job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have lots of knicks on my fingers and the diesel fuel doesn’t help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, I tend to go through rolls and
rolls of paper towels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process went
well and the fuel system was serviced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On to the cooling system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here, I had a slight problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to crack the cap on the expansion
tank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like a radiator cap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well. It was kinda stuck and I kinda had to
use some of that brute strength I have a reputation for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure
there was any avoiding it, but there it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My goal is to go out tomorrow early and find a replacement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that doesn’t work, I know who to contact
and I’ll have it sent to me overnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomorrow, the oil and filters will be changed on both the
main engine and the generator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured
out how I am going to get rid of the old oil, so that is taken care of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, as I have said before, I am peeling
off layers of anxiety one at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
far, so good. Well,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>except for that damn
cap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a courtesy car here I can
use, so it’s not that big a deal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Little by little this old girl is starting to look pretty
good again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no doubt she could
use a total paint job, and doubtless I shall likely be contracting with my
friend Tim to completely refurbish the bright-work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now, however, she looks
presentable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Most important, however, all the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems</span> seems to be
working.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Day 3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was a rather frustrating day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel like I did not get that much
done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Priority one was to try to find a
replacement cap for the expansion tank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I hit the road early this morning and drove over to a Napa store in
Elizabeth City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course they did not
have the part I needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I went on
doing some additional provisioning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I got back to the boat, I started looking on line for a
Perkins parts supplier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I knew who to call on the west coast, but I needed someone on the east coast who would be open at east coast time. </span>I found a great
one located in Tennessee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I spoke with a dude named Pat. </span>He was very
helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course he had the part I
needed and was prepared to send it to me overnight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, he called me back and advised
that neither UPS nor FedEX deliver to this area on Saturdays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant I would have to wait until Tuesday
before I could leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I am
certainly enjoying myself here, I am ready to start knocking some miles off
this delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This guy I talked to on the phone was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He called me back again and told me that he
had a distributor in Virginia who, although she did not have the part, was able
to provide a cross-reference number for a Napa part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Funny how the guy at Napa said they didn’t
have one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I called Napa again, only
this time I was equipped with a part number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The nice gal I spoke to on the phone would be able to have it by 0900
Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope at last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Later in the afternoon, the owner of the marina brought the
fuel truck over and I took on around 113 gallons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised at how little I took.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on my calculations, I expected to take
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not complaining since, thus
far, I over budgeted for fuel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Full of
fuel, I reset the trip odometer and notated the log.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the rest of the day I did other projects trying to keep
my mind off the possibility I would be stuck here until Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got all the remaining filters changed and
serviced the transmission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The running
lights and anchor light seem to work fine as did the inverter and this parallel
electrical system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dinner was a drag and
I got to bed early.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Day 4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I woke up this morning full of hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said to myself, “Today is going to be a good
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something good is going to happen.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I was right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was at Napa’s door at 0900 and, lo and
behold, my part had arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I brought
the old one with me for sake of comparison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It sure looked similar and the spring felt right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, would it actually fit?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After making a couple more provisioning stops, I ran back to
the boat, went into the engine room, and tried the cap on for size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, I was able to fill the coolant basin and close the system with no
leaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, I could start the boat to
get the engine prepared for an oil change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s always nerve wracking starting an older engine, but
this time I was pleasantly surprised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
turned the key and pushed the button and the engine roared to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She sounded very good and there was great
water flow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran it long enough to
bring her up to operating temperature and then shut her down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The oil change went seamlessly – nary a drop
spilled, and, because the temperature dropped so significantly overnight, I
hardly broke a sweat even in a heated engine room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After cleaning up and putting all the tools and other stuff
away, I determined that I had completed all the tasks to prepare the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing overlooked; nothing within
my control or ability, that is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
ready to leave Camden tomorrow morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I expect to make Portsmouth late in the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not certain where I am going to
stay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have charted three possibilities
so I have all my bases covered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tuesday
morning, I will move the boat to Ocean Marine Yachting Center to haul out for
bottom paint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the interim, I have had a nice time in Camden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Larry Lamb is a very nice man and is very
generous and helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also had the
pleasure of spending some time with a friend Brenda and I met nearly 2 years
ago under a bridge in Hampton, VA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
favorite Brit, Arnold, aka “Captain Parky” has been bouncing around North
Carolina and Virginia for a few years now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He spends quite a bit of time at Lamb’s Marina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot possibly describe the conversations
we have, but they are spirited and very enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m leaving Lambs tomorrow morning and I can’t
help but wonder if I will ever see my friend Arnold again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wherever your vessel takes you, Arnold, we’ll
always remember and appreciate you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s
wishing you fair winds and following seas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomorrow, up the Dismal Swamp Canal……again, and then
Portsmouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The part I ordered from the Perkins supplier will catch up with me, thanks to Arnold who will catch the delivery and forward it.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-75857968462164040032013-05-23T00:04:00.002-07:002013-05-23T00:04:13.677-07:00THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES......FINALLY ANOTHER BLOG POST.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, where do I begin?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Actually, I really don't need to bein as this is a continuation of the blog, The Adventures of M/V
Abreojos; only this time, the focus is on the new second part of the title, "The Adventure Continues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On December 29, 2011, Brenda
and I completed a nearly 10,000 nautical mile journey around America’s Great
Loop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The journey involved travelling on
a variety of different waterways to accomplish a circumnavigation of the
eastern half of the United States including, but not limited to, the Gulf Coast
Intercoastal Waterway, the west coast of Florida ICW, the Okechobee Waterway,
the Atlantic ICW, the Chesapeake, the Delaware, Long Island Sound, the Hudson
River, the Erie Canal, the Great Lakes (excluding Ontario and Superior) and the
Western River System, including the Illinois River, the Mississippi River, the
Tennessee River, the Cumberland River, and the Tenn-Tom Waterway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After completing the loop, we spent the next three months
making our way all the way back around to Deltaville, VA and spent a few months
working in a marina. We had some good times and met a lot of wonderful
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, working in this marina
got old pretty fast, so we left Deltaville and headed south to berth Abreojos
at a wonderful little marina called Lambs located on the Pasquatank River near
the mouth of the Dismal Swamp Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
has been resting quietly there since July 1, 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have been “boatless” for almost a year and it has been
difficult to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of our
finest moments over the last 23 years of marriage have been aboard our own
boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have travelled over 40,000
miles aboard Abreojos and love her very much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why did we leave her on the east coast?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is an interesting story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we planned our trip around the loop, I secretly hoped
in my heart of hearts that we would continue cruising for a much longer time;
that we could stay afloat indefinitely and continue to enjoy the benefits of a
cruising lifestyle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roughly translated,
it never occurred to me to budget for a return trip home for the old girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, it is very easy to say, “cut the
lines and just go.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is entirely a
different thing to get back home again. (I’ll speak to this phenomenon in a
subsequent post.) It is no easy feat to move a 25 ton boat across the
country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is not cheap
either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps we could sell her on the
east coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We tried, having listed her
with two different brokers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a
serious bite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One guy apparently
contacted our broker and offered to trade Abreojos for a couple acres of land in
Puerto Rico!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, to make a long story short, we
decided that, she had been sitting long enough and that, the downside to
leaving a boat like Abreojos sitting unattended significantly outweighs the
cost of bringing her home where we can provide her with the regular care and maintenance
she deserves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question was, however,
just how to do it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Originally, I contracted with a company called Moger Yacht
Transportation to bring her from California to Texas to begin the long adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, naturally, I called them again when we
decided we would bring her home on a truck from Norfolk, VA to Marina Del Rey,
CA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moger provided me a quote that was
within our budget and we accepted the proposal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, they would not commit to a date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For five months, I contacted them bi-weekly
for updates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was given the run-around
by a woman named Carmen who told me over and over again that she would “talk
with Warren (Warren Moger) and get some information”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, it was I who called again and
again and she never once actually returned a call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently, Carmen told me that Warren was just
too busy and that I should consider getting someone else to do the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you say breach of contract?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a few other choice words of
description which I shall defer at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brenda and I were crest-fallen to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suffice it to say, I can no longer in good
conscience recommend Moger Yacht Transportation to anyone looking to transport
a yacht via truck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lemons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lemonade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lemon Meringue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lemon Tarts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I developed a new idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if
we brought Abreojos home via an alternate sea route?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Panama Canal was out of the
question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would take too long, cost
too much, and would have me out of touch with the world for a minimum of three
to four months. I started to wonder if there was another way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another way might be to bring her to Superior,
Wisconsin and put her on a truck to the nearest point on the Columbia River
where Abreojos could be loaded back into the water and then come home via the
Columbia River to the Pacific Coast and then turn left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zumba!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s the plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I shall bring Abreojos from Camden, NC to Superior, WI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How you ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will leave Camden
and turn right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll take the Pasquatank
River north and merge onto the Dismal Swamp Canal, pass through two locks and
then float out onto the Elizabeth River to Portsmouth, VA where I will stop for
bottom paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I will leave
Portsmouth and turn right to the Chesapeake Bay, and then turn left and head
north to the C&D Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, I’ll
turn right and follow the Canal to Delaware Bay and run on down to the southern
end of the State of New Jersey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I’ll
turn left onto the Atlantic Ocean and head north for New York Harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, I’ll pass Lady Liberty and head
straight on up the Hudson River to the Troy Lock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll pass through the lock and then take the
first left onto the Erie Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll
head to the three rivers intersection and take a right onto the Oswego Canal
and head north to Lake Ontario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I’ll
cross the lake and try to find the mouth of the Trent-Severn Canal in Trent (in
Canada not far to the right of Toronto). I’ll take the TS Canal and it’s 40+
locks all the way to Severn Bay way up in Georgian Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, I’ll turn right (west) and cross
Georgian Bay to the North Channel (northern Lake Huron) to the St. Mary’s
River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, I’ll take another right up
to Sault St. Marie and the entrance to Lake Superior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, all I have to do is cross the entirety
of Lake Superior to its western banks and the town of Superior, Wisconsin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll meet the truck there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, Abreojos will be lifted onto the back
of a really big truck and delivered to Umatilla, Oregon, a small hamlet on the
Columbia River where a crane at the Port of Umatilla with slings will gingerly
lift her from the back of the truck into the cool, clear waters of the
Columbia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, it’s just a down river
run to Astoria, Oregon and the Pacific Ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is where I will conclude this leg of the trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There may be some additional decisions to be
made:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>turn left and come home, or turn
right and cruise in the PNW for a spell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, we could turn left and head for the California Delta region and
cruise there for a spell before coming all the way down the coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suffice it to say, there is still plenty of
time to make that decision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The part of this journey that really sucks, however, is that
my second captain, Brenda, will not be able to make this trip with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have journeyed on the water with a number
of good captains, but none give me the same level of confidence Brenda
does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, to say I am experiencing some
trepidation would be an understatement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hopefully, she will be able to join me for some of the trip later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, not having her along is
stressful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thus, I have decided that what I must do is peel off the
layers of anxiety, one layer at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To start, I will be on the boat for about 5 days before she moves an
inch making sure all systems are ship-shape and ready to make what is going to
be a nearly 2000 mile passage from Camden, NC to Astoria, Oregon on the Pacific
Coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of it should be pretty easy,
but there are parts of this trip I have not done before and which present some
significant challenges, especially since I will be single-handed for most of
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are various other layers to peel off, but I will take
them one day at a time and describe them as I go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have spent the better part of the last year
thinking about this day and what it would be like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had some amazing experiences after
coming home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have practiced law,
taught school, catered parties, brokered insurance, coached sports, raced on a
sailboat; I spent quality time with family and friends, and did several other weird
things I cannot think of at the moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But now, I finally get to go back to what I love the most – facing the
challenge of the unknown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many of
the next 2000 miles, I have never seen the water or travelled over its
surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The charts are new, some new techniques
will have to be learned, and ultimately, for most of the miles ahead, I will be
relying totally on me to get it done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am confident that I am up to the challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I just wish Brenda were going with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ll have a lot more to write about over the next couple
months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you’ll follow along and
enjoy the ride with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gives me untold
comfort knowing that someone is reading this dribble and experiencing
inspiration or wondering what it would be like to do it, too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>Post script:</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>I got back to Abreojos yesterday. My friend Jerry picked me up at Norfolk Airport. It was great to see him again. Jerry was one of those great friends we made working at that marina in Deltaville. It was fine that there was some traffic. That just made it possible to talk a little longer.</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>WHAT A MESS! While the inside of the boat was very clean like we left her, the outside, on the other hand, is going to take a lot of work just to be presentable. She wasn't as well cared for as we had hoped. So, you might not hear from me again for a couple days. There are a couple resident hornets that seem to have made mud nests in some rather interesting places. In the interim, I'm working on arranging for fuel and the removal of used engine oil. Fortunately, there is a courtesy car at this marina and I'll be able to get around to find the bits I need to get this show back on the road.</o:p></span></div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-28585494913967372162011-12-31T07:20:00.000-08:002011-12-31T07:20:06.220-08:00COMPLETIONThe word, "finish", according to Merriam-Webster, has many meanings. Among them are, "to come to an end; to terminate" or "completion". Finish is also a verb meaning to come to the end of a task or undertaking; to bring to completion or issue; to arrive at or to attain the end of. Its origins are Middle English, Anglo-French, and Latin. It's first known use was sometime in the 14th Century. So what?<br />
<br />
We finished our Great Loop. We travelled more than 8000 miles and visited 25 different states. We burned up more than $10,000 in fuel. We learned history, science and technology at the places where it all happened; the places that defined our country's image, and that continue to do so. Yeah, we trapsed around the country and visited a lot of places. So what?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEduS7vW4a-r0oGexb7U7BocPhbWUe1AZuTfllobpWc0PtdnRPAIJdd5B1v67fqxtUiRmx_jzp_eCjcrFh4aUPxgpPv9r4Ost5yRU6OWMakrCzTP1GhsWKC46N20QZSybUl1Px4aOCV4/s1600/2011-12-29_11-49-33_804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEduS7vW4a-r0oGexb7U7BocPhbWUe1AZuTfllobpWc0PtdnRPAIJdd5B1v67fqxtUiRmx_jzp_eCjcrFh4aUPxgpPv9r4Ost5yRU6OWMakrCzTP1GhsWKC46N20QZSybUl1Px4aOCV4/s640/2011-12-29_11-49-33_804.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are at the finish line holding our Gold Burgee and flying the flags from all the states we visited.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>However, in terms of what we have done, to simply say, "we finished" completely understates the emotions associated with completion. There are many things that went through my mind at the moment we crossed our outbound wake. None of them, however, singularly describe how I felt. For instance, I understood that we had completed a cruise of more than 8000 miles. I knew we had visited 25 states. I hearkened to the fact that we had met a plethora of wonderful people. I comprehended that we had visited hundreds of American cities. I grasped that we had sampled wonderful and different foods and drinks. Yet, I am still struggling to describe what it all means. Some of my friends can understand it; those who have completed marathons, or sailed across the Pacific Ocean, passed a Bar exam, or won a hard fought trial. Others who may know what I mean may have served in combat, or played in a championship game. There is a certain rush accompanied by a flood of adrenaline; a sense of accomplishment; victory. So what?<br />
<br />
We closed our law practice. We leased our home. We cancelled subscriptions and did not renew certain memberships. We cruised most of the summer while living aboard Abreojos trying hard to break everything so that it could all be made right before we took off for good. We learned to live in a 41 foot world. So what?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Then, early one morning in October 2010, we left our homeport of Channel Islands, California. Our departure was somewhat anticlimatic. We left without any fanfare. Only our friend Dana came down to the end tie dock to see us off and snap a few photos as we made our way out into the Santa Barbara Channel on our trip to Marina Del Rey, California where we would meet the truck. Our departure was, in many ways solemn, insofar as we did not know where this voyage would take us. You don't just walk away from everything with little in the way of life lines and feel totally confident. You certainly cannot slip your existance and expect that it will ever be the same again. Sure we knew where we were going, but we had no idea of the enormity of it all. You can study and plan, prepare the tools and ready to conveyance all you want. But when the dock lines come off, and you are now moving in a direction away from all that is comfortable and real; away from your friends and family, your job, your house, and all those little things that make you basically who you are on a day to day basis, it is a little mind boggling and somewhat disconcerting. So, off we went, into the sunrise, with a gentle breeze on our backs and a following sea. Although it may be hard to imagine, I was actually short on words. I had this lump in my throat, a pain in my heart, and a healthy apprehension of the unknown or the unknowable. So what?<br />
<br />
The sunrise was spectacular. The waters appeared purple against the orange and red sky. We enjoyed a pod of Spinner Dolphin that followed us out to Point Magu where we would turn south. We thought to ourselves, it's going to be quite a while before we see them again. Bye. We saw the spout of a California Grey Whale as we rounded Point Dume and headed out across Santa Monica Bay. I thought of my father. Bye. And we gazed at the Brown Pelicans and the Seagulls fading away against the backdrop of Anacapa Island as it got smaller and smaller in the distance.....in our wake. So long. So what?<br />
<br />
Ever since that day in October 2010, Brenda and I have been to places we had never been before, and many we had never even heard of. Almost every day took us to a new place. The Pacific Coast, the Gulf Coast, the Atlantic Coast, the Great Lakes, America's Western River System. We saw some extraordinary things. We met some of the most wonderful people. We learned so much about our country. We became convinced that, even with all her bruises, blemishes, warts and other problems, America is, and hopefully always will be, the greatest country on earth. It was so exciting to see where our country was born, and visit the places where some of her most trying and difficult times came to pass. One thing is certain, in as little time as she has had to grow up and develop, America is more than extraordinary. She is amazing, bizzare, curious, exceptional, fantastic, inconceivable, incredible, marvelous, odd, outstanding, peculiar, phenomenal, rare, remarkable, singular, stupendous, surprising, terrific, uncommon, unimaginable, unique, and unprecedented. But, so what?<br />
<br />
Notwithstanding all the wonderful and heartening moments we had, none of which I would ever consider trading for anything, this trip is a challenge from beginning to end. Almost every day we had challenges to face that we didn't really think about before. We had to figure out how to do live in a new place: where to anchor, where to tie up, where to find food and water, or even where to get a simple quart of milk. We took nothing for granted. That, my friends, is impossible on a trip like this. It's hard to go into a new place and meet new people, and see new things, and hear new sounds, and feel new air. But to do that almost every single day? It's exacting. When you get away from your world and delve into a new one on an almost daily basis, you find that you can take nothing for granted anymore. It's formidable. And then, there is always this sense of, "what the hell am I going to do if....." and when something does go south, and you are stuck, you wonder, "how the hell am I going to deal with this", or "now what"? It can be arduous. Sometimes you wake up in the morning and wonder where you are. Sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night because the bilge pump is running. And of course there are those nights when you go to sleep but, come morning, you cannot remember how you got back to the boat. OOOPS. But, the one thing that we experienced in every place we stopped was the kindness of strangers; the willingness of folks to extend a hand, to stop and talk, to show interest in what we were doing, and to let us know that, you will never really meet a stranger in America. Not where we were. There is a lot of garbage out there. But, we didn't get any on us. Then again, so what?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvBVlm6t26m2LaclhXL_8XbOCubnOdezGqIXWV9_j7bSegBlZHtqmRXNs6Q9_cG9OWQhlqeEIpUeyBT0U0olokyDNfn1qykg9HjUbgKkF3ZF2oVjHAbPAw-5YWRk1os8Rw2RouzWPLcE/s1600/2011-12-29_11-47-48_702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvBVlm6t26m2LaclhXL_8XbOCubnOdezGqIXWV9_j7bSegBlZHtqmRXNs6Q9_cG9OWQhlqeEIpUeyBT0U0olokyDNfn1qykg9HjUbgKkF3ZF2oVjHAbPAw-5YWRk1os8Rw2RouzWPLcE/s640/2011-12-29_11-47-48_702.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When we finished the Loop, our friend Kevin on Irish Rover broke out the bagpipes and played us a cool Scottish anthem.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Some say that, there comes a point in any voyage where you have to define it. I have learned, however, that you cannot define a voyage like this. You have to allow it to define you. How you manage the day-to-day, how you administer the harships, how you engineer solutions, how you design the plan, and how you engage the wonders, the beauty, and the ugliness of the world around you, are all things that are like senses. On this voyage, our senses have become extremely accute. Our minds have been opened in a way no time spent in a library or a theatre or in front of the television can. Our sense of who we are and what we are made of has been opened unlike ever before. I thought I knew something about something. I realized just how little that was. I thought I understood the nature of people. Not a clue. I thought I had an idea of what it meant to call myself an American. I'm ashamed of how small my perspectives were. I thought I was a pretty good yachtsman. There is now no comparison. I knew I could function pretty darn well in the challenging and changing, shifting, spinning, and disorienting world we live in. You never really know what you can do until you pull a stunt like this. I am grateful for all the experiences I had growing up; for the pearls of wisdom my father bestowed upon me; for that aggressive fighting spirit my mother instilled in me; for the steady, and steadfast application of patience I have witnessed in people like my mother and father-in-law. I am grateful for all the "punches in the face" I have endured, and all the times I had to stand up and be a "mensch", like my father used to say. All of this experience came to bear to help get us through the last 14 months. I'm not complaining. I am stating that this experience was "otherworldly" and was heightened by all of the aforementioned. It made it all that much more possible and plausible. OK, so what?<br />
<br />
So what? When we crossed out outbound wake thus completing America's Great Circle Route or America's Great Loop, there was an indescribable realization that, Brenda and I are not the same people we were when we left. That's kind of scary because, in a sense, we are not sure we know what kind of people we have become. We have accomplished something pretty big. And, it is by no accident. We worked our asses off. Every day, day in and day out, making sure we garnered every benefit we could from every place we went and every person we met. We worked hard to learn things and understand things. We left only footprints, but took away more than mere memories. I'm pretty sure we are better for having done what we have done. I'm all but certain we are stronger, as partners, as friends, as lovers, as husband and wife, and in the way we will face life's challenges in the future. I think this is what it all means. I think this is why I get all choked up thinking about it. It's like a re-birth. It's like a break between halves. How do you come back from this? I don't know. Where do we go from here? We don't know. How will we view our world when we get back? No clue. Then again, life has beautiful lessons to share, and when you go in empty, you can come out full. This is the most important thing we learned. Take a "walkabout" and see what you find. You might be inspired.<br />
<br />
We are in Gulf Shores, Alabama at the moment. We spent a great night in a great anchorage at Dauphin Island before coming here. We are going to hang out here for about a week and get a grip on what we want to do next. For now, however, I think it appropriate to close this blog for now. I may start another one. I may write a book, or I may write several books. Who knows? I'll let you know.<br />
<br />
But for now, on behalf of Brenda, Runway and Tarmac, and the rest of the crew of the mighty Abreojos, thanks for coming on this ride with us. We hope we inspired some of you to consider stepping out of your own zone and trying something equally absurd if not more so.<br />
<br />
Be well. Fair winds and following seas (or lake, as my friend Harry bid us).<br />
<br />
This is the Adventures of M/V Abreojos - America From the Port Side, signing off. <br />
<br />
Out.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGImLncLhFNe1mwhCZGfuqK6LAUn-ycJHOULElydO9gisn1xLnmD-9PEhPw7X876Aaydc97g8BSN-DW2PEIM91rcLtzYvLbhNAmwVzcQET_NFlXDQGjyXI8G9Tp5Mj7917hFHpGt8W3s/s1600/2011-12-29_17-15-07_85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCGImLncLhFNe1mwhCZGfuqK6LAUn-ycJHOULElydO9gisn1xLnmD-9PEhPw7X876Aaydc97g8BSN-DW2PEIM91rcLtzYvLbhNAmwVzcQET_NFlXDQGjyXI8G9Tp5Mj7917hFHpGt8W3s/s640/2011-12-29_17-15-07_85.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abreojos at anchor at Dauphin Island.</td></tr>
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<div id="fancybox-tmp"></div><div id="fancybox-loading"><div></div></div><div id="fancybox-overlay"></div><div id="fancybox-wrap"><div id="fancybox-outer"><div class="fancybox-bg" id="fancybox-bg-n"></div><div class="fancybox-bg" id="fancybox-bg-ne"></div><div class="fancybox-bg" id="fancybox-bg-e"></div><div class="fancybox-bg" id="fancybox-bg-se"></div><div class="fancybox-bg" id="fancybox-bg-s"></div><div class="fancybox-bg" id="fancybox-bg-sw"></div><div class="fancybox-bg" id="fancybox-bg-w"></div><div class="fancybox-bg" id="fancybox-bg-nw"></div><div id="fancybox-content"></div><a href="" id="fancybox-close"></a><div id="fancybox-title"></div><a href="javascript:;" id="fancybox-left"><span class="fancy-ico" id="fancybox-left-ico"></span></a><a href="javascript:;" id="fancybox-right"><span class="fancy-ico" id="fancybox-right-ico"></span></a></div></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-89028740588765951012011-12-29T01:13:00.000-08:002011-12-29T01:13:00.397-08:00TENN-TOM - IN CONCLUSION.....DEMOPOLIS TO MOBILEWe left Demopolis under cloudy skies but with the promise of sunshine in the afternoon. We planned to leave a day earlier, but there were too many hazardous weather advisories. In fact, a tornado allegedly touched down only 15 miles from us. The rain was extremely heavy and there was an awful lot of wind. So, discretion being the better part of valor, we decided to hold fast for one more day. It worked out fine.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1nx20I1VG-gTOSs7ZmnCcfbxq9mPIW74mxMe8ome_RtV2K9QOdd4_TGcgqK4GtepuORLmBWObfrigj5Uxh717Q9SlELON6o76k_N39h3N69anH315TZy0EqTHVJzONapebADu8Azdpc/s1600/2011-12-24_12-11-43_648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1nx20I1VG-gTOSs7ZmnCcfbxq9mPIW74mxMe8ome_RtV2K9QOdd4_TGcgqK4GtepuORLmBWObfrigj5Uxh717Q9SlELON6o76k_N39h3N69anH315TZy0EqTHVJzONapebADu8Azdpc/s320/2011-12-24_12-11-43_648.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrQa1SgPx_-YoeDvnutYXgbbLDBYw5R-PT5pGuvn1pZ240zogzPrhNUcCMXl43qmGzMlE7ekOwBWSAKnGHM-PX1GfhXqiOjyeXBZbpEDDzrj_WB36L1B0SeBn9K9Iuc5v3kgUrRe2D6k/s1600/2011-12-24_12-24-37_968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrQa1SgPx_-YoeDvnutYXgbbLDBYw5R-PT5pGuvn1pZ240zogzPrhNUcCMXl43qmGzMlE7ekOwBWSAKnGHM-PX1GfhXqiOjyeXBZbpEDDzrj_WB36L1B0SeBn9K9Iuc5v3kgUrRe2D6k/s320/2011-12-24_12-24-37_968.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
After a rain storm, the weather gets really soft and nice. Our plan was to travel to a place called <span style="background-color: yellow;">Bashi </span>Creek for the night. Sometimes I wonder who goes into these places. I checked out the anchorage on a number of sites and all said it was a reasonable place to be. However, when we got there, it did not look promising. However, we thought we'd give it a shot. Once we nosed in and dropped our bow anchor, the wind picked up and we almost got blown onto the bank. However, we got our stern hook down and then pulled in some of the chain on the bow to straighten out. Unfortunately, it did not feel right. So, we decided to try it again. <br />
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Well, as I was trying to pull the stern anchor, I discovered it was connected to a really big log. Luck is a strange thing. When you want that anchor to hook on and hold, it does. Unfortunately, the anchor took a liking to this log, so it was a real hassle getting it out of the flukes. So, I pulled up more bow chain to hold us in place while I deployed the dinghy to get the stern hook off the log and into the boat. It worked. I just had to get a better pull angle on the anchor so the log would fall out. Once that was taken care of, we finished weighing the bow anchor and had to back out. That was dicey, but Brenda did a great job and we were back out on the river. We circled around a bit and discussed our options. Just outside Bashi Creek is another spot. It's a bit more exposed, but it was in a place whee you could anchor and not get hit by a passing towboat and barge.<br />
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What you have to do is think about where and how these boats make turns. If you can stick it in the apex, the two boats will pass you at a good distance and they'll be flanking out away from you in either direction. It's a good strategy in a pinch.<br />
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So, we spent that night out in the river. It was very nice. <br />
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The next morning we left and headed for the next stop on the way down, a place called Old Lock One Cutoff. When we got there, we had to negotiate a very narrow little creek. Fortunately, there was plenty of water under the boat, if not on either side. It's rather disconcerting to have 25 feet under the keel, but having branches scraping the sides of the boat and leaves falling on the bow as you go into a place. I'm thinking to myself, please God, I do not think we will be able to turn around in here, so....<br />
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Anyways, the creek opened up into this absolutely beautiful lake and we found the perfect anchor spot just north of this old lock. There is a gorgeous park there that is owned and operated by the ACOE. There are wonderful oak and pecan trees dripping with moss. It was apparent we were now back in the south. So, we hopped in the dinghy and went to short. We tied up to an old ladder and climbed up the rip rap and started walking. It was sunny out and perfect.<br />
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So, we're walking down this path and we come across this old guy sitting in his van which was parked in the camp host spot. We waived and kept going. On the way back, however, he was standing out in the trail and, as we approached, offered us two candy canes and a wish for a merry Christmas. For a moment there, I would have sworn it was Old St. Nick. He had a big white beard, and a jovial smile. Although he wasn't from the north pole, he might as well have been. He is what landlubbers call an "Itinerant Traveler." We boating enthusiasts call it "transient." Nevertheless, he was from North Dakota and stops a little here and there and keeps moving. We spent some time listening to him regale us with stories of his 1200 mile walk on the Appalachian Trail. It was Christmas Eve and the gift of a "howdy" and the candy was really cool.<br />
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In the morning, Christmas Morning, Brenda and I both awoke at the ridiculous hour of 0200. So, what did we do? We cranked on the genset, pulled the screen outside on deck, turned on the heater, and watched "It's a Wonderful Life". Outside it was raining and raining and raining. All day, it rained. We had a great Christmas - just the two of us, watching movies in the rain, dry and snug as a big in the proverbial rug. I roasted a turkey and made the world's best smashed potatoes. It was a delightful day. So good that we stayed another night in this magical spot. I must say that in nearly 8000 miles, this is one of the most spectacularly beautiful anchorages we have been to.<br />
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Well, in the morning, we awoke to the sounds of gun fire. It was interesting. The day after Christmas, and all the rednecks in the world were out on the banks of this lake, tucked neatly in their cute little camouflage duck blinds trying desperately to blow the hell out of a hapless duck. Didn't they know Brenda likes to sleep in? What the hell? So, we decided it was time to get moving. It was pretty funny. Brenda said I should wear body armor to go out on deck to pull the anchor. While I don't have any of that, I was hoping I at least might find one of those florescent orange hats that the ducks and deer apparently can't see. Hunting is a strange sport. I cannot see myself ever having the unmitigated gaul to use a firearm on a bird or Bambi. I know lots of folks do and that's fine, but if I want a steak or a fowl, I can go to the freaking market! <br />
<br />
So, as we are pulling out of the anchorage, through this same little passage, I can see several of these floating duck blinds. They weren't fooling me. So, I wave at the guys and they just sit there pretending they were invisible. What a joke. Just then, Brenda spouted out one of those little pearls of wisdom we lovingly refer to as a "Brendaism". She says, "So, when you are leaving an anchorage surrounded by duck blinds, don't get on the loud hailer and say, 'Foxworthy was right!'" And that, my friends, is the end of that story.<br />
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We ran a long way the next day. Due to weather in Demopolis and the wonder of a beautiful anchorage, we had to make up some distance so we would be on time to meet my friend Dan who was flying into Mobile to meet us on 12/27. We actually were very close to making it all the way there, but of course, there were the inevitable delays. We got stuck behind two barges on hairpin turns. I guess there is something to this. The have to almost stop, slam it in reverse, swing the ass end around, and then let the river current catch it after they plant their nose in the opposite bank. It takes a while. Then, they call you on the radio and let us pass. It works, but when you are trying to get someplace, the delays are frustrating. Then, you get to 14mile Bridge, and this guy likes to take things real slow. So, by the time we were in striking distance of Mobile, Alabama, and not knowing exactly where we were going, once again, discretion being the better part of valor, we held up short and anchored for the night in Tensas Cut, a mere 12 miles from Mobile. I figure with all the steel moving around in the Mobile Harbor area, it was better to secure my fiberglass ass and not attempt it in the dark. <br />
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We had a nice night in the Cut and moved on early in the morning those final 12 miles to Mobile. Finding the city dock was easy. Getting to it was hard, or should I say the landing was a little hard. The river was flowing pretty good and there was fluky wind, so we didn't make the soft landing I am usually proud of. No, we did not do any damage to us or to the dock, but I wouldn't be nominating that landing for the top 10 of the year. Anyways, we got to Mobile.<br />
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Dan got there in the afternoon and it was sure great to see him. We hung out on the boat a while and then headed out onto the town. We had a nice dinner in a sports bar and then walked over to this club. We put a serious dent in the city's supply of Coors Lite that night. We laughed, danced, partied, etc. until the wee hours and then stumbled home to the boat.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTqMDvsR-5AeB5oxCxvWlDwEW_va7xaz3vt0xN1joFRhtuF90QvwmWwgYsBttYpqofLxXlC2kcsDhSDv3pTy6gRHBVrYIDLGddJdWPtKQo_VLLos9O4g_UAgdfGUgFFzT7FC960d0_Ao/s1600/2011-12-28_11-30-03_306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTqMDvsR-5AeB5oxCxvWlDwEW_va7xaz3vt0xN1joFRhtuF90QvwmWwgYsBttYpqofLxXlC2kcsDhSDv3pTy6gRHBVrYIDLGddJdWPtKQo_VLLos9O4g_UAgdfGUgFFzT7FC960d0_Ao/s320/2011-12-28_11-30-03_306.jpg" width="178" /></a><br />
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In the morning, we hit the town again. What a beautiful city Mobile is. The downtown area is very much designed in the French fashion and looks a lot like New Orleans. There are lots of old brick buildings with ornate metal works and balconies. The streets are narrow and very festive. We walked and walked all day and had lunch at the highly recommended Ok Bicycle Shop for lunch. There the menu includes Mexican food and Sushi. ????? Yes, you heard me correctly. So, a couple fish tacos later, and we were off in search of fishing licenses. We got a cab and it took us out someplace I cannot even tell where. But, we made it to an outdoor outfitter and took care of that business before heading back to the boat. By this time, it was late afternoon and we were all beat so we took a break.<br />
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For dinner, we went to Wentzil's Oyster House. We sat at the bar as the guy shucked the oysters right in front of us. They were pretty good. We leaned that these oysters came fresh from Louisiana each day. I have had a few fresh oysters on this trip, but these were the best. The walls of this place were covered with placards containing little pearls of wisdom. Not an inch of space on the walls was open. We read quite a few of them and laughed a lot. It turns out one of the old guys shucking there had been shucking oysters at this place for 41 years! This place has also been featured on more than one Food Network shows, and is the situs of a number of raw oyster eating competitions. I'm not sure I could compete with the guy who holds the record at 42 1/2 dozen. That's a little much slimy for me.<br />
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Well, tomorrow (or rather, later today) we will depart Mobile and head for the finish line, so to speak. We expect to cross our outbound wake thus concluding the Loop. We'll let you know how that goes.<br />
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More later. Bye for now.<br />
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</div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-6443807564871418642011-12-22T04:54:00.000-08:002012-01-02T05:50:46.573-08:00TENN-TOMM PART 3Once we left Columbus, Mississippi, by mid day, we had crossed the boarder into Alabama.....again. Alabama is probably the one state we have entered and exited more times than any other. We entered Alabama from Mississippi last year when we crossed Mississippi Sound and crossed the south part of Mobile Bay. We entered Alabama from the north on the Tennessee River. And we have entered Alabama from the west on the Tenn-Tom. We will remain in Alabama water until we cross our wake.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRwckmL729cM99kOKOg6pjvxVdAZWosH85bJJk3Ks2PdOLDKdRjHu0p5AYmbIfCOfSAznZfV4923ePcXidGD1QVSK90mnh6-Vk3vsO2ZE1eEtncFDu0usIDiVFbVFL5vWuAOCk6hyphenhyphen820/s1600/2011-12-19_11-19-03_257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRwckmL729cM99kOKOg6pjvxVdAZWosH85bJJk3Ks2PdOLDKdRjHu0p5AYmbIfCOfSAznZfV4923ePcXidGD1QVSK90mnh6-Vk3vsO2ZE1eEtncFDu0usIDiVFbVFL5vWuAOCk6hyphenhyphen820/s320/2011-12-19_11-19-03_257.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White Cliffs of Epes, Alabama</td></tr>
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</div> The Tenn-Tom is a man made cut, but it has all the feeling of a natural river. It is really pretty all the way down, even though we have rarely seen the sun, it's still quite colorful. There is a lot of barge traffic depending on the day you travel. Believe it or not, Sunday is one of the most busy commercial traffic days; Wednesdays are also very busy. I think the skippers get their empties dropped off on Monday and then the full containers leave on Wednesday or Thursday. So, by Friday, there is not that much going on. Tuesdays are also surprisingly quiet. I have been wondering whether or not there was any rhyme or reason to it. I might be on to something here. But, I doubt it, really. It doesn't make any difference unless you are trying to get through a lock. There, commercial boats have total priority, second only to government vessels. For some reason, the Tenn Tom is the only place since the GICW in Louisiana where we have been permitted to lock through with commercial traffic.<br />
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We left Columbus early as we wanted to get down to Demopolis in two days. It's a pretty long run in a slow trawler and there are not many places to stop. The water levels are about average right now, but they can change over night, so you have to be careful where you drop the hook, lest you be staying a while when the water level drops a couple feet stranding you until the next flood.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEdjxl_vqwrCzuJeAIBv3RLJjEpNBDHBbHdOl4y6RVKNfq4kMykqy0051NN5HCEY57YGyClQaSssDlCankKcn_RFb8jJSA4PmDe5COqaaLz8RR2wv_bSgHy7HdMAri-RwW6OxtitfatM/s1600/2011-12-19_11-59-29_745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyEdjxl_vqwrCzuJeAIBv3RLJjEpNBDHBbHdOl4y6RVKNfq4kMykqy0051NN5HCEY57YGyClQaSssDlCankKcn_RFb8jJSA4PmDe5COqaaLz8RR2wv_bSgHy7HdMAri-RwW6OxtitfatM/s640/2011-12-19_11-59-29_745.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These white cliffs are located on the Tombigbee River at Epes AL. They are <br />
part of the Selma Chalk formations which were deposited at about the <br />
same time as England’s famous white cliffs of Dover. </td></tr>
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We rolled along all day and enjoyed sunny skies for a change. We saw some sights and enjoyed the natural scenery, and pulled into an anchorage called McClellan's Landing at around 3:00 p.m. and settled in for the evening. We were surrounded by farm lands for as far as Google Earth could see and enjoyed the sounds of silence, interrupted only occasionally by the sound of a far off cow. Even the birds were quiet. It was sort of eerie, but it was very nice as well.<br />
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In the morning, we woke up to thick fog and a lot of ice on the boat. It got pretty cold during the night. It was a boots and gloves kinda morning while out on deck raising the anchor. Nevertheless, by 6:45, the fog was gone enough so we could see, and so we took off for Demopolis, a little more than 60 nm south.<br />
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Unfortunately, just before we left, and confirmed on the AIS, a towboat and barge had the same idea. It took a couple hours, but we finally caught up to him and got close enough to pass. So, we had the conversation and once everything was ready, we stomped on the old squirrel and started passing. This barge was only moving 6.5 knots, and we were moving only a little faster. The differential between us was only a couple knots, so you can imagine how slow this pass seemed. The barge was not going to pull back as we were coming into a slight bend to the left. This worked out because to make the turn, the barge flanks out to the right while keeping the nose of the furthest barge somewhere near the center or left side of the waterway. It's like using a fulcrum to bend around a corner. Turn the nose slightly to the left, Starboard engine hard forward, port engine hard in reverse, flanking engine engaged. It's a very cool and slippery maneuver to watch. The barge is almost 700 feet long and the waterway (the usable waterway - the channel) is only a little more than 200 feet wide. So, it takes a little seamanship to make tight turns.<br />
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Well, we got by and bid farewell, suspecting that we would see him again when we got to the next lock. Of course, we did. When we were approaching the Tom Bevil Lock, we called and the lock master was going to turn around the chamber and drop us through. Then the barge called and the conversation went from what side he wanted us to tie up on to could we move out of the way and hang over to the side so the barge could get into the chamber. Now we had to start thinking about alternatives as this was likely to cause us an hour delay in terms of our planned destination and there was a real concern that it was going to get dark on us before we got there. However, the lock master called the towboat and asked if he'd mind if we rode down in the chamber with him. No problem, was the reply, but he would have to leave the lock first.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlnpzBkNwlWX7Aw6YSNXf8nWERidKQ25RKIJBe3OnT-QDdUuJYsqsMqwAswy1D5P1iYAeNuxFDMb9egTb_9cop4jct8XIU-v4vzKGqIFMQ7_fjDk_GUhEFDXL9eNMJAV4epnsydFM83k/s1600/2011-12-21_14-28-03_801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlnpzBkNwlWX7Aw6YSNXf8nWERidKQ25RKIJBe3OnT-QDdUuJYsqsMqwAswy1D5P1iYAeNuxFDMb9egTb_9cop4jct8XIU-v4vzKGqIFMQ7_fjDk_GUhEFDXL9eNMJAV4epnsydFM83k/s400/2011-12-21_14-28-03_801.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demopolis Yacht Basin</td></tr>
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The configuration of the barges pushed by this towboat was as follows. 2-2-3. So he had three up top. When he went into the box, he had literally inches on either side of the three. So, we went into the chamber and tied up just <br />
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Now that we were both out of the lock, we asked to pass him again. So, again, we stepped on the old squirrel and rolled as quickly as possible past the rig and back out into open water again. We were talking with the barge while we were in the lock and had everything arranged. I knew, however, that he was going to Demopolis. So, without having said anything, I had also thought about just falling in behind him and following him all the way down if it had become dark out. That was my third back up plan, and frankly, not a good one at that considering how much stuff those guys dig up and kick up from the bottom when they go by, and especially in the turns. I'm trying very hard to get down this river without hitting anything.<br />
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We arrived in Demopolis with plenty of daylight left so we stopped first at the fuel dock and topped off, before going to our slip. We had planned to stay here a couple days to get some things done and to rest up a bit. From the way the cruising guides describe Demopolis, you would think you were going to heaven. Well, it's not really like that at all. The folks who run the marina are some of the nicest and friendliest and most helpful folks we have ever met. But, the marina and the grounds are a little more commercial than originally anticipated. Here, there is a fuel dock where tow boats stop to fuel and provision. One of the guys who works here was telling us what kind of fuel the tow boats take on. It's pretty staggering. I mean, I wasn't surprised when he told us that the one that just left took 45,000 gallons of diesel. I simply experienced a small coronary attack when I thought of what the company bill would look like. Then, if you understand that this should last a couple weeks, and that they will be filling up again before the month is out, and understand that this is now 90,000 gallons for this boat in a month, and if the company owns 10 boats, all working, that's 900,000 gallons per month, and at even a discounted rate, that's one hell of a lot of dineros. I simply cannot understand how that gets paid for if your company specializes in hauling rock and gravel.<br />
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So, we got to our slip and ran into an old friend whom we met at GTB a couple months ago. Kevin on Irish Rover is still out here making his way south. He likes to stop in places for a long time. Actually, he has been plagued with mechanical issues that have compelled him to stay places for a long time. But, he is cheerfully optimistic that, in the not too distant future, his boat will experience salt water for the first time. It was good to see him and we had a nice time in the bar that evening catching up.<br />
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The marina offers a courtesy car so we had a chance or two to get out of the marina and check out the town. Unfortunately, it is not good news. What was once arguably a very quaint and beautiful downtown area, is now the epitome of what happens when a WalMart moves in nearby, and the state routes a highway away from the city. Downtown Demopolis is basically on life support and is about dead from the neck up. What was once the theatre district is now mostly boarded up. The old buildings are rotting. There are only a couple stores open. The rest are all closed and gone. The guide said there had been a number of beautification projects and that they were apparent. Well, here's a little advice to the editor - go there and see it for yourself. It's not true. There is a park in the center of town that looks nice. And, the government buildings, City Hall, Roster Hall, and the courthouse, look nice, but it would appear the local government is sucking up all the funds and using them for their own facilities while all the privately owned real estate near by is falling into a state of true disrepair. There are hints of greatness, but you have to dig through the ivy to see them.<br />
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The rest of Demopolis exists on the banks of the state highway that runs outside the town. There is of course, WalMart, and then there is every fast food restaurant you could possibly want. That's about it for Demopolis. It would have been nice to find a local museum to describe the local history and lore. But alas, it was not to be. Most of the folks in the area live on government handouts and other entitlements. There are a lot more people than there are jobs. Its a very depressing place in stark contrast to other towns in Alabama we have really enjoyed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, this is not a baseball field. It is not a football field. It is not a soccer field. It is a BBQ field! Imagine the grassy area filled with BBQ competitors. Seriously. There are gas hookups and electrical hookups all over the field.</td></tr>
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So, now that the laundry is done and a few other chores have been completed, we will be leaving this place and heading south. In about 6 days, we will be picking up my friend Dan who is flying out to Mobile and who will ride with us as we cross our wake and complete the Great Circle Route. No we are not coming home just yet. Our house is leased until May 31. So, we will have some time on our hands to keep cruising for a while and to contemplate what is next for Larry and Brenda. In the mean time, we'll keep writing this dribble until the loop has been closed.<br />
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Too all our friends and family, at home and abroad, have a blessed holiday season, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year. May all your wishes come true.<br />
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Bye Y'all.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-25022018506166912292011-12-19T04:22:00.000-08:002011-12-19T04:22:15.995-08:00TENNESSEE-TOMBIGBEE WATERWAY PART 2 - COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPIThe town of Columbus, Mississippi is almost completely surrounded by water. It is situated at the juncture of three rivers: the Tombigbee, The Buttahatchie, and the Luxapalila. We got here by turning left off the Tenn-Tom and proceeding about 2.5 miles up the Tombigbee River. We anchored 50 feet from the dinghy dock in front of Memorial Park.<br />
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Columbus is a town steeped in interesting historical tidbits I had never known. For instance, Columbus has not always been named Columbus. Before its formal incorporation back in the 1820's, it had been known by the local Native Americans as "Possum's Town." It is said that Hernando De Soto crossed the Tombigbee River nearby in his search for El Dorado. During the Civil War, Columbus was where the Confederate Army maintained an arsenal that made gunpowder, guns and cannons. Columbus was also a hospital town where many Confederate and Union soldiers received care for wounds inflicted in various battles including the Battle of Shiloh. Interestingly, because of its status as a hospital town, the town itself was spared much of the devastation of the war seen in other towns along the way. As such, Columbus has many absolutely stunning antebellum homes. As such, one of the best things to do in Columbus is walk the streets and see these gorgeous mansions. Practically the whole downtown area is one big historic landmark.<br />
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Columbus is the place where American playwright, Tennessee Williams was born and where he lived for the early part of his life. His home is now the community's Visitor and Information Center. The house belonged to Williams' grandfather who was the leader of the local Episcopal Church. It was the rectory. However, many years later, when the church was looking to expand and install new buildings, including a big center for children, the house was going to be bulldozed. The City of Columbus, however, rescued the home, put it on a trailer and moved it right up front on Main Street where it serves visitors today. We met a really nice woman who volunteers her time working here and she made it very clear that we were welcome guests.<br />
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While Tennessee Williams is one of the most famous persons to come out of Columbus, there are others as well, including Red Barber, the baseball announcer, and Henry Armstrong, the first boxer to ever have world championships in three different divisions at the same time. <br />
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Columbus is also a place where you can get great food. While Brenda and I didn't sample that much of the local fare, no trip through Mississippi would be complete without the obligatory fried catfish, with fried shrimp, hush puppies, mac-and-cheese, and coleslaw. Oh and don't forget the deep fried pickles. What a treat.<br />
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For me, however, the most interesting and important thing I learned about Columbus is that it is where Memorial Day originated. After the Civil War, women of the town decorated the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers. This event became known as Decoration Day and first began in 1866.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9GawP7GQ_GiT9u5S60f7cjnxntiDJd5VbWtdU0yEZQm0PJx8tZ9ZwH9QntLNsAKqi7Ry8MSKjlnU6yYGKKs1Dr_xjU3BkBOVBFwToum66PAmyrWdBNfw6HQ_aRZT4Lw9BHiHzb1lnE8/s1600/2011-12-17_09-54-32_468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9GawP7GQ_GiT9u5S60f7cjnxntiDJd5VbWtdU0yEZQm0PJx8tZ9ZwH9QntLNsAKqi7Ry8MSKjlnU6yYGKKs1Dr_xjU3BkBOVBFwToum66PAmyrWdBNfw6HQ_aRZT4Lw9BHiHzb1lnE8/s320/2011-12-17_09-54-32_468.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the house known as Twelve Gables.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
In 1866, a group of Columbus women met in the home Twelve Gables to decide on a way to honor the Confederate war dead in the local Oddfellows Cemetery. They decided on a date to meet, walk to the cemetery and decorate the graves with flowers from their gardens. Once they arrived, one of the women began placing flowers on the graves of the few Union soldiers, too, for they also had given their lives for their beliefs. Other women followed suit, and soon, all the graves -- Confederate and Union -- had flowers. This generous gesture was told and re-told, and finally made its way to the New York Tribune, where the short article was seen by young attorney Francis Miles Finch. He was so moved by the generosity of the Southern ladies and their Decoration Day, he wrote the poem, "The Blue and the Gray," and it was published in the Atlantic Monthly in September 1867.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fndmw3FScjRj_NP2gp6AoxSuuZBu9iFxXQfI8fiqbz9Gd91yaU2traOVmnCS_04RhbHZNQ96Yej8nFYSIoZZNKwHBuHnHDVgPtjDx4h5sEmvR3FK0I-Ad293zHIGYotqlSviJjeuS-M/s1600/2011-12-17_10-16-04_929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fndmw3FScjRj_NP2gp6AoxSuuZBu9iFxXQfI8fiqbz9Gd91yaU2traOVmnCS_04RhbHZNQ96Yej8nFYSIoZZNKwHBuHnHDVgPtjDx4h5sEmvR3FK0I-Ad293zHIGYotqlSviJjeuS-M/s640/2011-12-17_10-16-04_929.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
Other towns may claim Decoration Day, perhaps earlier than the one in Columbus, but Columbus was the first to honor former enemies as well as their own. Here's what the Library of Congress said: "Columbus, Mississippi, thus, can rightly claim to be not only one day ahead of Columbus, Georgia, in its observance of Memorial Day, but more generous in its distribution of the tributes of honor <br />
and mourning." What began as a solemn occasion in Columbus, Mississippi in April 1866 has evolved into the nation's Memorial Day, now officially observed each May. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvbeVzngK9qL_yBRCRc2MDaIzQWZiOgNJU_FXwDDOoFIlqgO0GAUs5OCIh8v7ww3NyCVBUA_uJSKOMGHoCk6hbY9DS4feRi-ZAZej4NRr-cRHH_xK7I1Ity5i5-GIeuq33WbTbYDDRJU/s1600/2011-12-17_10-28-42_141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvbeVzngK9qL_yBRCRc2MDaIzQWZiOgNJU_FXwDDOoFIlqgO0GAUs5OCIh8v7ww3NyCVBUA_uJSKOMGHoCk6hbY9DS4feRi-ZAZej4NRr-cRHH_xK7I1Ity5i5-GIeuq33WbTbYDDRJU/s320/2011-12-17_10-28-42_141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
You might think it odd or morose that Brenda and I have visited so many cemeteries on this journey. But I'll tell you this. Like it or not, not a decade has gone by since her birth that America has not been at war somewhere, and almost always, in defense of the freedom of someone else. So, when you go to these cemeteries and see the graves of so many young men who died in battle, it is a poignant and heart grabbing reminder of the sacrifices so many have made for what they believed in, and in so many cases, for the freedoms we enjoy today. I don't care what you think. To me, America today is the land of the free because it has always been the home of the brave. Politics don't matter to me. That a man sacrifices his life in defense of his country or his way of life is more noble than any political act in history. War is a terrible thing resulting directly from the failure of politics and diplomacy. And so there are fields and fields of dead men all across this great land of ours who time simply should not forget. Because when we forget these brave souls, we lose sight of everything that is important. America's history is in these fields and beneath these stones. Not just her history, but her humanity and everything she stands for.<br />
<br />
<div align="center"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Blue And The Gray</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><small><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Francis Miles Finch (1827-1907)</span></small><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></b></div><center> </center><div align="center"> <center> <table bgcolor="#f8f8f8" border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><strong>By the flow of the inland river,<br />
Whence the fleets of iron have fled,<br />
Where the blades of the grave-grass quiver,<br />
Asleep are the ranks of the dead:<br />
Under the sod and the dew,<br />
Waiting the judgment-day;<br />
Under the one, the Blue,<br />
Under the other, the Gray.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>These in the robings of glory,<br />
Those in the gloom of defeat,<br />
All with the battle-blood gory,<br />
In the dusk of eternity meet:<br />
Under the sod and the dew,<br />
Waiting the judgement-day<br />
Under the laurel, the Blue,<br />
Under the willow, the Gray.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>From the silence of sorrowful hours<br />
The desolate mourners go,<br />
Lovingly laden with flowers<br />
Alike for the friend and the foe;<br />
Under the sod and the dew,<br />
Waiting the judgement-day;<br />
Under the roses, the Blue,<br />
Under the lilies, the Gray.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>So with an equal splendor,<br />
The morning sun-rays fall,<br />
With a touch impartially tender,<br />
On the blossoms blooming for all:<br />
Under the sod and the dew,<br />
Waiting the judgment-day;<br />
Broidered with gold, the Blue,<br />
Mellowed with gold, the Gray.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>So, when the summer calleth,<br />
On forest and field of grain,<br />
With an equal murmur falleth<br />
The cooling drip of the rain:<br />
Under the sod and the dew,<br />
Waiting the judgment -day,<br />
Wet with the rain, the Blue<br />
Wet with the rain, the Gray.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Sadly, but not with upbraiding,<br />
The generous deed was done,<br />
In the storm of the years that are fading<br />
No braver battle was won:<br />
Under the sod and the dew,<br />
Waiting the judgment-day;<br />
Under the blossoms, the Blue,<br />
Under the garlands, the Gray.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>No more shall the war cry sever,<br />
Or the winding rivers be red;<br />
They banish our anger forever<br />
When they laurel the graves of our dead!<br />
Under the sod and the dew,<br />
Waiting the judgment-day,<br />
Love and tears for the Blue,<br />
Tears and love for the Gray.</strong><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table></center></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-12212854197811345302011-12-17T03:45:00.000-08:002011-12-17T03:45:21.696-08:00THE TENNESSEE-TOMBIGBEE WATERWAY - PART 1<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We Are now making our way south down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, better known as the Tenn-Tom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is absolutely beautiful, in spite of questionable weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then again, it is winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have thought a lot about this phase of the cruise as it is truly our last leg before we close our circle at the point where the Mobile Ship Channel intersects the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many cruisers rush through this leg and miss so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not prepared to do that, although admittedly, there is not a whole lot to do if you are one of those cruisers who thrives on nightlife and other excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it is far from boring and desolate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYOBmgnEdeRqB8hCQKHM08geBpvqjOjKTez3oTjN4P2vkeJhl9VAii0ZMp3G3uf8N7IQ5JGn6h0GaI9Y_r7oO_WxAzVnGybumhID6hYfht-uWyG3w2ORZBnP8L7dLYwG4IaU9cGgJF9I/s1600/Project_Map%255B1%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZYOBmgnEdeRqB8hCQKHM08geBpvqjOjKTez3oTjN4P2vkeJhl9VAii0ZMp3G3uf8N7IQ5JGn6h0GaI9Y_r7oO_WxAzVnGybumhID6hYfht-uWyG3w2ORZBnP8L7dLYwG4IaU9cGgJF9I/s640/Project_Map%255B1%255D.png" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here you can see the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in red.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After leaving Grand Harbor in Iuka, MS, for what we believe will probably be the last time, we headed south down Yellow Creek to the mouth of the TTW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, you enter into a man made ditch that runs 25 miles and then opens up into Bay Springs Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All along the waterway there is beautiful forest and an abundance of wildlife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw at least two kinds of Eagles as well as gulls, turns, and a variety of black birds, the names of which we are unaware.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The environs are clearly man made as the sides of the river are terraced – up, up, and up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were running in around 15 feet of water and the terraces went close to 100 feet up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to imagine that there could be that much water in here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5P7YGbTjlc_5EKMR7V3iYsHhLHoSzj2fBtxPRfY_IZn3Omh1AJQlBGm55HOr1_voLl0IczpXkUUrCqC8N4lfQN_avYnKkBlKUkuwCC-BVNaLsNpVGIt7YvVOPl-_NOcR94toPOOgGGI/s1600/2011-12-12_09-12-41_711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5P7YGbTjlc_5EKMR7V3iYsHhLHoSzj2fBtxPRfY_IZn3Omh1AJQlBGm55HOr1_voLl0IczpXkUUrCqC8N4lfQN_avYnKkBlKUkuwCC-BVNaLsNpVGIt7YvVOPl-_NOcR94toPOOgGGI/s320/2011-12-12_09-12-41_711.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFqENt1dSaWTEvql9ewMGHBTVHDcNmb_yBmWPqG2E1rm-d71d63Ow5_CMZJJuYSpkpE1X6ry4HT6bYqBHlPqLoO-X6nANXHtT_CtbW1VEGlgEGibXWC2V9NQ57_VNIZ4cm2cq02-9L4o/s1600/2011-12-14_08-39-44_193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFqENt1dSaWTEvql9ewMGHBTVHDcNmb_yBmWPqG2E1rm-d71d63Ow5_CMZJJuYSpkpE1X6ry4HT6bYqBHlPqLoO-X6nANXHtT_CtbW1VEGlgEGibXWC2V9NQ57_VNIZ4cm2cq02-9L4o/s320/2011-12-14_08-39-44_193.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In that regard, it is interesting how the rain all flows to the rivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t recognize this as much when you live in a concrete jungle like LA or even Ventura and Santa Barbara.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, there are nice and orderly gutters that take the rain to nice and orderly run off canals and then out to the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, however, the water flows off the land and almost always, directly into the rivers, creeks, streams, etc., until all of it flows into the Mississippi and then ultimately, into the Gulf of Mexico.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just very different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are running on the rivers and have noticed over the last few months how the weather affects us in very different ways than it does on the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, it comes down to this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter how much it rains, the water level on the Pacific Ocean does not change.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJJns834G0VXzlnACy5DmA9EfawaN6sHIaZjkA4Gl6VjbwTi0sDF1d-ZoSzlsGaGj8dvfts7AzBtBI1-uZc02SPo3mZ6vVSuNoOu2noNquA674AvGZq5g5mHBl2VJlyQkNfAFr7X-MUY/s1600/2011-12-14_10-51-35_663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJJns834G0VXzlnACy5DmA9EfawaN6sHIaZjkA4Gl6VjbwTi0sDF1d-ZoSzlsGaGj8dvfts7AzBtBI1-uZc02SPo3mZ6vVSuNoOu2noNquA674AvGZq5g5mHBl2VJlyQkNfAFr7X-MUY/s320/2011-12-14_10-51-35_663.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3DluW_vXpwMI_7cYX5kKjhFWrIkizJFUpvKBQHAE9l4U9k_PwHOCQcOscVJH-nK8EvpsR6PdKrZAbNglTqBgutxLkJ4V6X0LdQ4KbF1zHMCnBYFShQ_tSJ6r4bFzjt9PTliHm-qC_mw/s1600/2011-12-14_13-55-21_773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3DluW_vXpwMI_7cYX5kKjhFWrIkizJFUpvKBQHAE9l4U9k_PwHOCQcOscVJH-nK8EvpsR6PdKrZAbNglTqBgutxLkJ4V6X0LdQ4KbF1zHMCnBYFShQ_tSJ6r4bFzjt9PTliHm-qC_mw/s320/2011-12-14_13-55-21_773.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, we have only done a small part of the TTW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The TTW runs basically from the intersection of the Tennessee River and the Yellow Creek, all the way down to Mobile Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is about 450 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of it is all natural, al beit now controlled with dams and locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hardly just a straight line, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, and especially down towards the bottom where it flows into Mobile Bay, it is full of bends and curves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the designers of the TTW took some lessons from the mistakes Distler made when he designed the Okeechobee Waterway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you run it too straight, the river will not be able to take care of itself and pollution and polluted runoff will become a serious problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In any event, the canal I described above is a small part of all of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, at this point, we are in the “Chain of Lakes” section of the TTW.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We stopped at a place called Bay Springs where there is a TTW Visitors Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was in any event a logical stopping point for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It included a perfect anchorage way back in a protected finger off Bay Springs Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hopped in the dinghy and found the dinghy dock to the Visitors Center which was on the Lake just above the Bay Springs Lock.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvemX9fsT4kS9UEHYRRwQtud_kCjIjzfh_ffRdOflhOLVRvAtjJOCuGWtl6ZCNPilq8mqDCUQ4BjQv8EJ9hC_sk1CPCSLIBOuD9l1RPzK-9ooE44F9EDVuWZHJxX20gDNDOdtOBjerko/s1600/2011-12-14_14-36-12_549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvemX9fsT4kS9UEHYRRwQtud_kCjIjzfh_ffRdOflhOLVRvAtjJOCuGWtl6ZCNPilq8mqDCUQ4BjQv8EJ9hC_sk1CPCSLIBOuD9l1RPzK-9ooE44F9EDVuWZHJxX20gDNDOdtOBjerko/s320/2011-12-14_14-36-12_549.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ib6P0vNWt8pEFFSFO8ZCSREdosHxW7zlBovc3Pqx-6ET4nrKwKB-BxWytH-9hPXguVwI_eFNGsOatRS5gkN9r4jxRSYsx9hpbKkFkdej-dObOIfFjuwlmI5Fs17TdpSSDh2tCCqaXzE/s1600/2011-12-14_14-07-32_656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ib6P0vNWt8pEFFSFO8ZCSREdosHxW7zlBovc3Pqx-6ET4nrKwKB-BxWytH-9hPXguVwI_eFNGsOatRS5gkN9r4jxRSYsx9hpbKkFkdej-dObOIfFjuwlmI5Fs17TdpSSDh2tCCqaXzE/s320/2011-12-14_14-07-32_656.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The visitors center featured a great model showing the whole of the TTW from Yellow Creek all the way to Demopolis, Alabama and included recorded descriptions and explanations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We learned a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, frankly, before starting planning this trip, I had never even heard of the TTW, yet, it was the biggest project ever undertaken by the Army Corps Of Engineers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, in spite of its relative anonymity, more earth was moved in the construction of the TTW than in the construction of the Panama Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, the TTW brings together 12 rivers into a single navigable system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are three sections:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>River, Canal and Divide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 10 Locks and dams that raise vessels the 341 feet to travel from Demopolis in the south, north to the Tennessee River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole point in the construction of the TTW was to shorten the water route from the Tennessee, Ohio and Upper Mississippi River Systems to the Gulf Coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The TTW encompasses more than 16,000 miles of navigable inland waters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe it or not, the TTW was only opened in 1985.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSwR7whkl7f3QuP1vkonZLwJHZL8_X6vvl2415d64vlsc_8cTYNBE8YbrqRktAhsbJOP7PxYpPmbTFj6YuS-fahNZfjevcMhbZW3XMtRDMzLVmZtBVducy6-uhQ64jKa3LO2LSpjcfU4/s1600/2011-12-14_14-50-43_892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSwR7whkl7f3QuP1vkonZLwJHZL8_X6vvl2415d64vlsc_8cTYNBE8YbrqRktAhsbJOP7PxYpPmbTFj6YuS-fahNZfjevcMhbZW3XMtRDMzLVmZtBVducy6-uhQ64jKa3LO2LSpjcfU4/s640/2011-12-14_14-50-43_892.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, that is not a prison. This is the Bay Springs Lock and Dam Complex</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We spent about an hour at the visitors center learning about this amazing waterway and then headed out on what is called the Overlook Trail which takes you on a nice long walk through the forest all the way to the Bay Springs Lock and Dam, aka Whitten Lock and Dam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They handed us a pamphlet that identified a number of trees and other bushes that are commonly found in this area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than to the trained eye, both, or should I say many, species appear the same at this time of the year – all bald.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2kbo2xo2qg_O1I_MJ1l3y2p2pp0uPdARYeaJvUpD4v8TCUQlKyerGCqC_fMhunwIuzZ9rBXV9DJNV3A_cKEKxRGBck9ECxxaqBB-ysdhUJa7z8jMq3roj1c58qgcV2oJ0MO7WENhVYM/s1600/2011-12-14_14-51-51_78.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2kbo2xo2qg_O1I_MJ1l3y2p2pp0uPdARYeaJvUpD4v8TCUQlKyerGCqC_fMhunwIuzZ9rBXV9DJNV3A_cKEKxRGBck9ECxxaqBB-ysdhUJa7z8jMq3roj1c58qgcV2oJ0MO7WENhVYM/s320/2011-12-14_14-51-51_78.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, we followed the trail a little further and it lead us to an old cabin built entirely of old hand working implements back in 1860 in the Paden, Mississippi area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and which was moved here when the TTW was built to save it from the inevitable flooding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was interesting to see this house and to read of its history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This house is not merely a model, but actually belonged to a family that lived here many years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to believe so many folks lived together in such a small space.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2f4EL6DGP2JSMHSqRzKPEUQ8oqofq1xR0csAbhHP4xa05EOZeLr906b5wAcCiQCsUCtXNzetIhe88GHJv6VQPilItoSEccHZkLMfSmRR5hjg9XT6XtLQhsTb06MB-tBvfjiNgo4-ZBs/s1600/2011-12-14_14-40-33_927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2f4EL6DGP2JSMHSqRzKPEUQ8oqofq1xR0csAbhHP4xa05EOZeLr906b5wAcCiQCsUCtXNzetIhe88GHJv6VQPilItoSEccHZkLMfSmRR5hjg9XT6XtLQhsTb06MB-tBvfjiNgo4-ZBs/s320/2011-12-14_14-40-33_927.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yCwUxinVodOaXX7nEcKgOVXoWx0r-lqe1vzcw2tt236yp5Ch8_UWkYcXqoVBJJHZw3aH2GjwUE3SREUgon2jXdh7k7zvOAxwtkgf_OFb0YKsWCye7Ya6SpUKR7dZ3CpaTYYpubYmp5I/s1600/2011-12-14_14-41-23_687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yCwUxinVodOaXX7nEcKgOVXoWx0r-lqe1vzcw2tt236yp5Ch8_UWkYcXqoVBJJHZw3aH2GjwUE3SREUgon2jXdh7k7zvOAxwtkgf_OFb0YKsWCye7Ya6SpUKR7dZ3CpaTYYpubYmp5I/s320/2011-12-14_14-41-23_687.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNe_Yh-zo8HfnP1pAZ6pIq2IiK9e_S51WeByYcPOj_rjenfjQzmpaJm5-Q9F-QXp12x72-n70LBe-vyntmFKoNGP7tE_9EFEfKHviYOouiXHo7H_RTyPavL0iO9M8quAsc5aiipnyYnHw/s1600/2011-12-14_14-43-14_232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNe_Yh-zo8HfnP1pAZ6pIq2IiK9e_S51WeByYcPOj_rjenfjQzmpaJm5-Q9F-QXp12x72-n70LBe-vyntmFKoNGP7tE_9EFEfKHviYOouiXHo7H_RTyPavL0iO9M8quAsc5aiipnyYnHw/s320/2011-12-14_14-43-14_232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-color: currentColor currentColor windowtext; border-style: none none solid; border-width: medium medium 1pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bay Springs was a great stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It got us off on the right foot for the rest of the trip down the TTW.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVq7nyBfZ70Y7mk_JnKfYigo9T6lpxjOWJitFFFcbdeFcn_gAvHdfiw7QX-5OICGO5jXs74TmHiNV1zQTls9N0wq88PY1ecFLzJcHShfr8MlT3rO54CMX1jJa1bNC0jt1OtpmJzTI6rIQ/s1600/2011-12-14_16-54-19_344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVq7nyBfZ70Y7mk_JnKfYigo9T6lpxjOWJitFFFcbdeFcn_gAvHdfiw7QX-5OICGO5jXs74TmHiNV1zQTls9N0wq88PY1ecFLzJcHShfr8MlT3rO54CMX1jJa1bNC0jt1OtpmJzTI6rIQ/s640/2011-12-14_16-54-19_344.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following day, it was my intention to leave early and pass through at least 4 locks and get down to the town of Smithville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever visited Smithville, Mississippi?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither have we so it seemed like a reasonable thing to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, there is an anchorage right next to the lock that is described as one of the best in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, when I turned on the computer as we were getting ready to leave, I noticed that the AIS showed a vessel approaching the lock from down below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, that meant delay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I called the lock on the radio and asked if we would be able to lock through when this boat was through the chamber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, he told me it would be a while as he had another boat coming up, and another heading south that was due to arrive “pretty soon”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it was going to be almost two hours before we could leave.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEQZi_NlwN_avAbLVtURsgG9ma77-yr6LkgFQZqneZ9Gzgs2vLdtQ96nD_6CIAaMB35SjGPOSK8gOqOyggYhxyrpXOW-7y2Ie5Zdf62RnTcFGJa9lkSMKMBZRQ8CKDXELfrzzcJK2Eqg/s1600/2011-12-15_09-26-45_766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEQZi_NlwN_avAbLVtURsgG9ma77-yr6LkgFQZqneZ9Gzgs2vLdtQ96nD_6CIAaMB35SjGPOSK8gOqOyggYhxyrpXOW-7y2Ie5Zdf62RnTcFGJa9lkSMKMBZRQ8CKDXELfrzzcJK2Eqg/s320/2011-12-15_09-26-45_766.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXweAfwOujuqhevL9BhjJsV1sKmX_4IGMvM5Rxp-bKb7nYi_xoLXxDqWenc1YdrFdR2OyeExyX6d4kd2CCH7EeYPs81atBJBet1b6DFL40Cw7NzHda_QpE-qJT3Ny3ah85NB9z7evyzY8/s1600/2011-12-15_09-36-02_549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXweAfwOujuqhevL9BhjJsV1sKmX_4IGMvM5Rxp-bKb7nYi_xoLXxDqWenc1YdrFdR2OyeExyX6d4kd2CCH7EeYPs81atBJBet1b6DFL40Cw7NzHda_QpE-qJT3Ny3ah85NB9z7evyzY8/s320/2011-12-15_09-36-02_549.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have been doing this lock thing for long enough to know that you have to add almost an hour to your day’s journey for every lock just to be on the safe side of cruise planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, we had planned to make it through 4 locks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means add 4 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, although we planned only to go 35 miles, add to that the time it takes to get through 4 locks and it’s going to be a pretty long day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We really did not know how long it would turn out to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhu7w_8boAUISYqPXsE4Lznd3IjB95MjvhAsfrjUg5biUXTekBK9r7yX28hAVXNNWIblpajtC79w6eSbzvXmwZTQUDYuIY-hz-_XhWzsaMacd_iYJgnT1r8Pa6J6bqolLBTPB0q-gT4c/s1600/2011-12-15_09-40-10_684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhu7w_8boAUISYqPXsE4Lznd3IjB95MjvhAsfrjUg5biUXTekBK9r7yX28hAVXNNWIblpajtC79w6eSbzvXmwZTQUDYuIY-hz-_XhWzsaMacd_iYJgnT1r8Pa6J6bqolLBTPB0q-gT4c/s320/2011-12-15_09-40-10_684.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTswypsmy9lodzUD9hLtzShEJNENdKrIYTSYYVeyjdYgJNVYIPkDl0AXUV2GZkzHPcrnDQdEvzZbCtoJTW_ZgxJLJuszWvs87BiTmhPO1TjVcyU3rW_WRsKx49h4bNeH9zOQeH0vQKR3A/s1600/2011-12-15_14-38-33_326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTswypsmy9lodzUD9hLtzShEJNENdKrIYTSYYVeyjdYgJNVYIPkDl0AXUV2GZkzHPcrnDQdEvzZbCtoJTW_ZgxJLJuszWvs87BiTmhPO1TjVcyU3rW_WRsKx49h4bNeH9zOQeH0vQKR3A/s320/2011-12-15_14-38-33_326.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were permitted to lock down with this towboat and barge. This was the first time since last year we could be in the box with a commercial boat. He was just shovin' loads of rock, so there was really no risk. At least, there was no risk once he was tied up and his engines in neutral. We slid in there along side and tied up and they let us out first. I had to be real careful so I wouldn't scratch his boat. Ha!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weather has been simply malevolent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All day long it rained on and off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind blew on and off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then there was the fog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Couple some rather tough weather conditions with longer than anticipated delays at the locks and we had a very long day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had originally planned to get into Smithville at around 2:00 in the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did not get here until nearly 5:00 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was getting dark and the fog got really thick all of a sudden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So thick, that we could hardly see the front of the boat, not to mention our way into an anchorage we had never been in before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, it was interesting to say the least,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but, inasmuch as I am in fact writing this, we made it just fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">We never did make it in to visit Smithville. It was too rainy and forecast to stay that way for the next day or so and thus we decided to keep moving south.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, it is very early in the morning and I am hoping to make it to Columbus, Mississippi today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been anchored out the last few and would like to take in some sights, so we might just take a spot in a marina near Columbus and see what happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather is shit right now and that makes it hard to get too enthusiastic about anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll see.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">____________________________________________________________________________________</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a pretty interesting day rolling down to Columbus. For the most part it was pretty straight forward. 4 locks, but at least the rain showers turned off. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHR9fYWVNLKDuK96epESbvy-apJ9aE-FpogvrtkhizPMl1lPocLXzyUec19ETfCSWj2hLb-eCDEP08IVfBMceKVw6v1Gk909aNZTceQko239DP7QZ2eBXKHRJ6NATZyJW3t2g1O4oiiZI/s1600/2011-12-16_10-29-20_802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHR9fYWVNLKDuK96epESbvy-apJ9aE-FpogvrtkhizPMl1lPocLXzyUec19ETfCSWj2hLb-eCDEP08IVfBMceKVw6v1Gk909aNZTceQko239DP7QZ2eBXKHRJ6NATZyJW3t2g1O4oiiZI/s320/2011-12-16_10-29-20_802.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actually, for Runway, the day's trip was pretty boring.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First thing in the morning I awaken and check our position. It would appear we swung over a little closer to the bank than I was comfortable with. We were still floating so all was not that bad. Nevertheless, it was light out (well, almost) so I woke Brenda and started the engine. We moved out of there and back into the main channel lickety split and called the lock for a trip down. They were ready for us and off we went. It was raining and foggy, but the weather service (National Whatever Service) said it would get better.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh200o2y6LSp4BBNDdVVqVsvZHxlOY4K-SOY_Np_fX2k-PJEtA-9m2t6YhB8flHXvka8dwYYR6IvigJMLvI0VFZPJJtM7rY-0b6erYAj0A-jOdCySbnxFkHx8zJLw_S7C10gn88W5rlOI/s1600/2011-12-16_17-07-55_238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh200o2y6LSp4BBNDdVVqVsvZHxlOY4K-SOY_Np_fX2k-PJEtA-9m2t6YhB8flHXvka8dwYYR6IvigJMLvI0VFZPJJtM7rY-0b6erYAj0A-jOdCySbnxFkHx8zJLw_S7C10gn88W5rlOI/s320/2011-12-16_17-07-55_238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, get better it did. While the sun never quite showed itself, it cooled down (a shift in the wind to the north signaling the end of the rain for a while) and the wind settled quite a bit as well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the fourth lock of the day, we turned left onto the Tombigbee River (sort of an oxbow the TTW runs through now) for a two mile jaunt up to the town of Columbus, Mississippi. We decided to forego the fancy marina which I had heard nothing but good things about, in order to anchor right in front of the town. Actually, we are anchored right in front of the area that is the "downtown" area complete with all the historic buildings including the home of Tennessee Williams, the great American playwright. We got in sort of early so we laid around for a little bit and then took off in the dinghy for the 50 foot row to the dinghy dock (no point in putting on the engine for 50 feet). In any event, we went to dinner and decided we would stay another day. So, we'll explore the place a bit and then move on. I'm sure I'll have more to say later. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, more later.....</span></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-77494292361290558442011-12-12T03:47:00.000-08:002011-12-12T03:47:51.046-08:00Sometimes, the best laid plans......Decatur, AlabamaWe left Huntsville fully intending pass through the Guntersville Lock and make our way further into Guntersville Lake to an outstanding anchorage called Bull Frog Creek when we started noticing something strange. The current had really picked up. I don't mean a little. It picked up a lot; so much so, that from almost 22 miles from the Guntersville Lock we were having a hell of a time holding onto 4 knots. Now, just having had the transmission repaired, I was not really into "standing on it" if you will to try to go faster. I am usually thinking in terms of fuel consumption and completion. So, I set my speed based on RPM's and get what I get. Well, at my normal operating range, I was only getting 4 knots. I did up it a little knowing I would be not far from a fuel supply well within our range, but I did not want to "stand on it". She is a 30 year old boat, after all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeEKDk2hhF39lt6XNKA1UyzZ_c9_qthxzwIkonYqVpyg8A93KGLIhFnO7_2o7L_gRePKQBoukKomM-d1hS0fQHc6_bE_e1-A7LbziJ_WHKJnHRNdGtMYYWSqDvcQDALkkKQVoEfImkXc/s1600/2011-12-11_10-18-15_512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeEKDk2hhF39lt6XNKA1UyzZ_c9_qthxzwIkonYqVpyg8A93KGLIhFnO7_2o7L_gRePKQBoukKomM-d1hS0fQHc6_bE_e1-A7LbziJ_WHKJnHRNdGtMYYWSqDvcQDALkkKQVoEfImkXc/s320/2011-12-11_10-18-15_512.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So, we were litterally slugging it out for 6 and a half hours until we finally made it the 21 miles from Huntsville to the Guntersville Lock and really did not like what we saw. The current was getting stronger and stronger. We were down to 3 knots and were now almost standing on it. There was a lot of debris in the water. I mean trees - whole trees, and lots of pieces of trees. The Dam was spilling and it had been spilling. I started doing some looking (I suppose I should have done it before, but it was such a nice day........). I learned that, due to the very large amount of rain that fell over the last couple weeks, the water levels in the river had become so dangerously high, that all the dams on the Tennessee were having to dump water at a much higher rate than normal to maintain the seasonal pool levels. I explained this in a previous post.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurkzr0AQS_ucAbh-Hq9boh81ZQlGbaYGjpbgNK0gwupwdYMz9uIqw6qP41EsCTVMn5jhEZWyTfsx5IlIM0nhimXDJmpnsGvJFCfE5m1Vs2fqqY1b47ZpaLMcmQzO_CmXaEtPPxv93GWI/s1600/2011-12-09_14-30-48_729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurkzr0AQS_ucAbh-Hq9boh81ZQlGbaYGjpbgNK0gwupwdYMz9uIqw6qP41EsCTVMn5jhEZWyTfsx5IlIM0nhimXDJmpnsGvJFCfE5m1Vs2fqqY1b47ZpaLMcmQzO_CmXaEtPPxv93GWI/s320/2011-12-09_14-30-48_729.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The TVA (Tennessee River Authority) is charged with maintaining the navigability of the Tennessee River to allow commerce in the region to continue. As such, they control the river levels through the use of a series of dams. They have to guaranty at least 9 feet of depth in the main channel. They also have to be very careful to maintain the water levels so as not to flood out any towns. When they put in the dams, they created a chain of lakes. The level of the lakes is referred to as pool level. If the pool is too high, there is a risk of untoward flooding. If the pool level is too low, there is a risk to the navigability of the waterway. So, by holding and spilling water, the TVA maintains the pool where it needs to be, often depending on the season. They let water out in winter in advance of anticipated rain and thaw.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFJPHjqeriHslqgLbV7e1vWJa5D216c3KP6b5A9kvefcDBjDhryl8kyWBTw1CPjJEIt9N_8ZkaQUtGuKrqSpbBJiXMtFY3AzhwjGOty1Wz8QDBW7ePY34554gL633TZWvuSq6_1341UY/s1600/2011-12-09_10-21-27_369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFJPHjqeriHslqgLbV7e1vWJa5D216c3KP6b5A9kvefcDBjDhryl8kyWBTw1CPjJEIt9N_8ZkaQUtGuKrqSpbBJiXMtFY3AzhwjGOty1Wz8QDBW7ePY34554gL633TZWvuSq6_1341UY/s640/2011-12-09_10-21-27_369.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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The last couple days, however, have seen much higher rates of spillage. As a result, when we got to the mile or so before Guntersville Lock and Dam, we were experiencing a spillage rate in excess of 110,000 cubic feet per minute. To put it into perspective, there is at least one lock above Guntersville that closes when the spillage rate reaches 90,000 cfm. As a result, we saw rapids, whirlpools, and sets of waves that would have hit us right on the beam. It's hard to put inter perspective, but I guess it would be like running up a class 5 rapids. We were warned by a downbound cruiser that it was hairy at best and downright dangerous at worse. He advised us to call the lock ahead of time and ask that the gates be open so we could make a run for it for the last half mile or so into the lock. This guy was in a 65 foot Motoryacht with at least 900 horsepower and he said it was ridiculous trying to keep the boat pointed in the right direction. So, as we approached with our measley 200 horsepower and were starting to pound and twist, and slow to slightly better than 2 knots, we realized pretty quickly that there was no way we were going to make it into that lock. Or at least, if we did, it would be hell bent and furious. Frankly, it would have been fun to try, but the consequences severely outweighed the benefits. Even if we did make it through this lock, we had the Nikajac Lock ahead of us and the Coast Guard had just issued a safety zone around that lock due to conditions that apparently made Guntersville look relatively tame.<br />
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So, Chattanooga will have to wait. It was interesting that, when we got turned around and started heading down river, it was at nearly 15 knots! I actually reduced throttle to try to keep it under control at a comfortable 11 knots. Even 11 knots feels fast when you have been shovin' along at 4-5 for the past few days.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYO39lHz-5UMvsxPIHrVe7Vy6YnctpVEhn26oJXE8IhSm-qlLPTw0vnJ9saZb-qbo-a3vknLWkFrOSpmoMXYI6jduG2mjfPdy_HDIL85AznYq51gczgiDJ63TSt9_TdYMQU_fmGhnMTo/s1600/2011-12-09_14-33-16_628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYO39lHz-5UMvsxPIHrVe7Vy6YnctpVEhn26oJXE8IhSm-qlLPTw0vnJ9saZb-qbo-a3vknLWkFrOSpmoMXYI6jduG2mjfPdy_HDIL85AznYq51gczgiDJ63TSt9_TdYMQU_fmGhnMTo/s400/2011-12-09_14-33-16_628.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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It's all good. We made it back to Huntsville in 1/5 the time it took us to get from there to where we turned around, and we still had plenty of day left, so we decided to pass Huntsville and head for Decatur. Like always, we had never been there before. We though about waiting a day or so to see if the water levels were going to calm down. We also wanted to give the generator some needed love, and had a couple other chores to accomplish. So, Decatur it was.<br />
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The town of Decatur is a regular old town. It's a working city. It is not bent on tourism. Frankly, it would be hard to be so, in that all but three of the original structures in Decatur were destroyed during the Civil War. There is nothing much older than turn of the century. There is industry there - petrochemical, grain, and other commodities; and, the Purina Cat Chow factory is there. The reason for Decatur's being, however, is its position on a deeper part of the river which is good for shipping, and its position at a junction of two railroads, one heading south and one heading northwest. So, it was a strategic location during the war, and it is said to have changed hands a number of times. Evertime historians tell you that a place changed hands several times during the war, what they are telling you is that it was burned to the ground, destroyed, razed, and otherwise stomped on and that there was, and likely still is, nothing left to talk about. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeadsrLp1Q4YbE89ZNJWhhj8jL84JQgxxdfBmGBxzJfVkMQJ1dFklaxS1vI-lgbsnpDaTQK2WoWoyHzI8HQ1mOAXj9SICI3nR1HArf3PQbD6Fkx-X-M60C5Dh72WW1OMY-FdRn397Q_L0/s1600/2011-12-10_07-15-59_554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeadsrLp1Q4YbE89ZNJWhhj8jL84JQgxxdfBmGBxzJfVkMQJ1dFklaxS1vI-lgbsnpDaTQK2WoWoyHzI8HQ1mOAXj9SICI3nR1HArf3PQbD6Fkx-X-M60C5Dh72WW1OMY-FdRn397Q_L0/s320/2011-12-10_07-15-59_554.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this says it all.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One interesting thing about this working industrial town is that it was not that beat up compared to some of the others we have seen. Industry is still going on in Alabama so folks are working. For some reason, and I am not quite sure what it is, industry in Tennessee, just a few clicks down the river from here is not nearly as well off. There is an affluence here in Alabama that does not exist in Tennessee or in Mississippi. Folks are working and folks are doing ok. Again, I am not clear on the reason why, but plan to find out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikRHVPCWU85SEqCgnToknZp-ftY0bvZO1NE5kY-jdMxFVcvxbZzxGkZR8spG4u4OqBYUISUp-5zYidFibS91G_ub4q7oxT1ekEG-2aC6678_-dzEnt1tEkZSgRyQYz-0Xeq-21aeWiy4/s1600/2011-12-09_14-30-44_621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikRHVPCWU85SEqCgnToknZp-ftY0bvZO1NE5kY-jdMxFVcvxbZzxGkZR8spG4u4OqBYUISUp-5zYidFibS91G_ub4q7oxT1ekEG-2aC6678_-dzEnt1tEkZSgRyQYz-0Xeq-21aeWiy4/s320/2011-12-09_14-30-44_621.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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So, we are heading back down the Tennessee River to the junction with the Tenn-Tom and then will be heading south to Mobile Bay, at the bottom of which we will close the Great Loop. We'll probably stop in Florence again to take care of some things there, and then stop again in Counce (Grand Harbor) to top off the fuel tanks and fill up the freezer before we make the 460 +/- mile run down the canal to the Lower Black Warrior River and then to the Mobile River. Who knows? We're not in a hurry. So first we will stop for a night at anchor up the beautiful First Creek which is just adjacent to the Joe Wheeler State Park. It's very beautiful here.<br />
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By y'all for now.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsk46NURkS1oHNBTc78_-1kacS4o_Vxfhil8Iqw6rEnNVxcxNj0Jbl3pta1-P5hxQytm05R-UB6zc9zAkuHDK4it8oa7-FwLS5LdUTIuXqeLtkByxL2HU4PGUBsm09bjnUsRZZ3X05GnA/s1600/2011-12-11_16-43-47_281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsk46NURkS1oHNBTc78_-1kacS4o_Vxfhil8Iqw6rEnNVxcxNj0Jbl3pta1-P5hxQytm05R-UB6zc9zAkuHDK4it8oa7-FwLS5LdUTIuXqeLtkByxL2HU4PGUBsm09bjnUsRZZ3X05GnA/s640/2011-12-11_16-43-47_281.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset anchored in First Creek</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-23727294419562580612011-12-09T03:49:00.000-08:002011-12-09T03:49:13.458-08:00MAKING OUR WAY UP THE TENNESSEE RIVER TO CHATTANOOGAAfter leaving Florence, we took advantage of some reasonable weather to anchor out for a couple of nights. There was rain in the forecast, but it was not expected to get that cold. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1GloKSEewWeuNAlBPAe7UBuvcuX4ykhT2FD6G1L2jM8mYlbY-ryUknCfmOAJK07-axynWEZZVizje2zBLG8DWYTXFTiWPL3V2hPUm205P3ajEOC4y5O-8GcwjlJ-bZUaKYbrNvGLWE0/s1600/2011-12-07_14-02-38_239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1GloKSEewWeuNAlBPAe7UBuvcuX4ykhT2FD6G1L2jM8mYlbY-ryUknCfmOAJK07-axynWEZZVizje2zBLG8DWYTXFTiWPL3V2hPUm205P3ajEOC4y5O-8GcwjlJ-bZUaKYbrNvGLWE0/s200/2011-12-07_14-02-38_239.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-Aa6hS-Qomxmz923dGoDZuOj5uCFtTOyY6lsePOmCS662amfxQFAO3f3AEoy6oY0daMkIt31SX6i0LFflIW9a2hLFT0qZoHVB2F8e2vXvf-ULt0v0xjkkpYCAetAtMlhk4-q3IWdAA4/s1600/2011-12-07_14-02-23_430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-Aa6hS-Qomxmz923dGoDZuOj5uCFtTOyY6lsePOmCS662amfxQFAO3f3AEoy6oY0daMkIt31SX6i0LFflIW9a2hLFT0qZoHVB2F8e2vXvf-ULt0v0xjkkpYCAetAtMlhk4-q3IWdAA4/s200/2011-12-07_14-02-23_430.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8uUhhuIkJMwc32SaIchCH87uxf45irW1b69Ttj1XzNKcQZmv7bzQLaYCqtA6jHxtFrC539ETcP43vjCZFw-56S-Kt1tHXF52qIsfCwN9Ybc8wtxZ3l-4WE5QUEWa5klys6AO_Odunbc/s1600/2011-12-07_14-02-30_292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8uUhhuIkJMwc32SaIchCH87uxf45irW1b69Ttj1XzNKcQZmv7bzQLaYCqtA6jHxtFrC539ETcP43vjCZFw-56S-Kt1tHXF52qIsfCwN9Ybc8wtxZ3l-4WE5QUEWa5klys6AO_Odunbc/s200/2011-12-07_14-02-30_292.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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It usually works as follows: the weather will be prevailing from the south. With the southerly flow comes warm, moist air. Temperatures even in the winter will reside between the mid 60's and the mid 70's. However, the jet stream comes to play every few days and screws it all up. <br />
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The jet stream is like a massive sine wave that moves around the earth in the mid to upper latitudes, from west to east. Depending on the position of the North Pacific High (a massive high pressure system that moves north and south, back and forth, with the seasons - north in the summer, south in the winter) the sine wave may be north or it may be south. When it is north, the California coast has beautiful weather. Actually, the weather is good all the way up to Washington and Oregon. The same generally goes for the mid west and the plains. When it is south, it tends to drag weather from the Gulf of Alaska right into northern California, Washington and Oregon, and occasionally Southern California as well. These same low pressure systems also catch polar air and drop it into the lower eastern part of the US.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH8A8KRUf7ZfCu6siSK9xdj0grNFKdif17wRWuD_xUuc3JHgtFcvIl8lBb6-stDfuy-hH4A59L-WYEEUpPrf7HFdcMlmw8az8rV7vWcaulo5rsUUOupT7SWtNzdq1TTN4CKtM81sqeOY/s1600/2011-12-07_13-43-37_664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH8A8KRUf7ZfCu6siSK9xdj0grNFKdif17wRWuD_xUuc3JHgtFcvIl8lBb6-stDfuy-hH4A59L-WYEEUpPrf7HFdcMlmw8az8rV7vWcaulo5rsUUOupT7SWtNzdq1TTN4CKtM81sqeOY/s320/2011-12-07_13-43-37_664.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYmLO-4h_BdpNkVnX3iLgHcYcsydbLR1Sy8SjFnZeGjhmGarCnx7Kz6pmchXXQWnAoJf8SA2wS5PPWfwGprMCnQMaS6GC0DNbi7Z27C14EmERGR-b6o2aaXfXM7beRsOlNJF3ah-DviA/s1600/2011-12-07_13-43-45_661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYmLO-4h_BdpNkVnX3iLgHcYcsydbLR1Sy8SjFnZeGjhmGarCnx7Kz6pmchXXQWnAoJf8SA2wS5PPWfwGprMCnQMaS6GC0DNbi7Z27C14EmERGR-b6o2aaXfXM7beRsOlNJF3ah-DviA/s320/2011-12-07_13-43-45_661.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94MBXVYLR6ss52XjCnsySId2XqVhNIQxCMcYxW-3mPlua9Aa-w9LplhiLP544u186HVkY3Iczg4XNvyKJYTwWBrYTE4A5oZcxR6zX_QyRvvznWU4Ubnx3GABPSMZ7U9ODZNIe0yXEaEA/s1600/2011-12-07_13-43-57_288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94MBXVYLR6ss52XjCnsySId2XqVhNIQxCMcYxW-3mPlua9Aa-w9LplhiLP544u186HVkY3Iczg4XNvyKJYTwWBrYTE4A5oZcxR6zX_QyRvvznWU4Ubnx3GABPSMZ7U9ODZNIe0yXEaEA/s320/2011-12-07_13-43-57_288.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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You might imagine that the bottom of the sine wave stretches and compresses depending on the size of the polar air mass that falls into this trough. The bigger it is, the further south the trough of the sine wave will dip. This is also a function of it being cold and heavy air - high pressure air, if you will. So, for instance, if you have a large mass of polar air corresponding with a trough in the sine wave, then that trough may dip as far south as the Gulf of Mexico. You may recall we had ridiculous weather last winter on the Gulf Coast. That was because large polar air masses kept pushing the trough in the sine wave way down. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAobQWOtLWkNC1ZgikvrNrK5h81kIGWdAsN6jtyQTKv3lHF8LKmTddTgWcgjR_CMjxUjaZu6b2qONSi-3yqEfSTn-1mAus4p54L8KsRunYV0L8gqoHHOwa8zeVvFiw3psVJ2uddY4qlJU/s1600/2011-12-07_11-31-04_503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAobQWOtLWkNC1ZgikvrNrK5h81kIGWdAsN6jtyQTKv3lHF8LKmTddTgWcgjR_CMjxUjaZu6b2qONSi-3yqEfSTn-1mAus4p54L8KsRunYV0L8gqoHHOwa8zeVvFiw3psVJ2uddY4qlJU/s640/2011-12-07_11-31-04_503.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the frozen mist hanging just over the surface of the water. That's snow on the windshield. It didn't last long and barely stuck, but it was interesting none the less.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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So, the sine wave moves from west to east. Highs and lows. One after another. We can fairly well predict the weather here in the central plains region based on what happens a few days earlier in Washington, Oregon and California. The Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada play a role, for sure. Cold air that makes it over the top accelerates down onto the plains. This helps the trough of the southbound sine wave move along and when you have this combination of cold, fast moving air come into contact with the warmer air that was coming up from the south, you get a rather nasty frontal system bringing with it rain and even snow for a couple days. Then, as you might well expect, the sine wave continues on its merry way to invade points further east, and the now inverted trough allows the warmer southerly air to fill in. This seems to happen every few days. So, three of good and three of nasty, three of good and three of nasty and so on and so forth. It's a little more complicated than I have described here, but not that much.<br />
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Anyways, we anchored out for two nights in this really pretty place out in the middle of nowhere called Goldfield's Bend. We hung out, listened to the radio, watched movies, did a few boat chores, and basically took it easy. We did drop the dinghy in the water and went for a short cruise and then a hike on shore. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpi96sNNhCSjRQUP438QPGnRyvny-ol8ycN4t0sZtR7NpfgtMepWWKj_EOYeDdvzliMvtyV8pSm8x6oov6Dce9Y3YysvucByKYRlZ-xnJoNklbJ9VKczONxiB6r5r0iFKSbRnHGjg-Ek/s1600/2011-12-06_11-37-09_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpi96sNNhCSjRQUP438QPGnRyvny-ol8ycN4t0sZtR7NpfgtMepWWKj_EOYeDdvzliMvtyV8pSm8x6oov6Dce9Y3YysvucByKYRlZ-xnJoNklbJ9VKczONxiB6r5r0iFKSbRnHGjg-Ek/s320/2011-12-06_11-37-09_20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
On shore, there was not much of anything. We found a launch ramp to exit from and then walked on a lonely country road for a mile in each direction. The Droid showed that there was nothing around, but it was nice to walk in any event. What was so wonderful was how quiet it was at night and even during the day. There was simply nobody around. Granted, we anchored out on Monday and Tuesday nights, and we did not expect to see other boats out. Also, it is winter and there are not that many brave souls out there using their boats at this time of year. Finally, there was a weather frontal system approaching. We were in a good spot for its arrival. So, the wind comes from the south and it is warm and rainy. Then, the wind shifts to the north and it becomes cold and rainy. We even got some snow. However, our anchorage was perfect for both northerly and southerly conditions. We had plenty of chain out and slept very well at night.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajbWFRN3X1GKYMP8TdU6H_xjpgfswxw7rzly-C1G0SqqdjyDvhZSxBwT63fm8Y3ka6Ye6jdQufSy0y9u6XehxINz981GOc4IwQmeTITT5c_6wCZLNRFYwmUL0EzG4xDyZUeBb_HTrRH8/s1600/2011-12-06_11-37-27_696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajbWFRN3X1GKYMP8TdU6H_xjpgfswxw7rzly-C1G0SqqdjyDvhZSxBwT63fm8Y3ka6Ye6jdQufSy0y9u6XehxINz981GOc4IwQmeTITT5c_6wCZLNRFYwmUL0EzG4xDyZUeBb_HTrRH8/s320/2011-12-06_11-37-27_696.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqhpF029ta0VGO7yDjKij-9Y1jp5m3uo-0KriYap0rcAky1RyjcEsmXDSJXKyXbFtMApTR4cwLulfNecsmipxhGHYHdFWhMb7sbTQv8Pip0uXYZl9NrvwA8LcARu0QMDGMDPU7WQHQLs/s1600/2011-12-06_11-48-32_210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqhpF029ta0VGO7yDjKij-9Y1jp5m3uo-0KriYap0rcAky1RyjcEsmXDSJXKyXbFtMApTR4cwLulfNecsmipxhGHYHdFWhMb7sbTQv8Pip0uXYZl9NrvwA8LcARu0QMDGMDPU7WQHQLs/s320/2011-12-06_11-48-32_210.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKE9nMOx4z777zxTVVLcE3kiK5xtf1HKhjdKEDuj8mCCtAel0UvmWPPCA5Fkxt8DWLnNZSpC1wqHtHieYWaU6Jh5sdrSqpxOj265sbYqkCToPMs-68glIe7_dxfgIZQLAiux5scAd324/s1600/2011-12-06_11-54-34_680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKE9nMOx4z777zxTVVLcE3kiK5xtf1HKhjdKEDuj8mCCtAel0UvmWPPCA5Fkxt8DWLnNZSpC1wqHtHieYWaU6Jh5sdrSqpxOj265sbYqkCToPMs-68glIe7_dxfgIZQLAiux5scAd324/s320/2011-12-06_11-54-34_680.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's us anchored way back in Goldfield Bend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Our next stop is Huntsville, Alabama. There is a rocket and missile museum here. Apparently folks in Huntsville had a lot to do with the development of rockets and whatnot. We still have all of that to learn about so I will write more about that later. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5b_jMZcFwny-oNCb8Lkew2p129X5slJ6ENZxhcI4kEch5x9ha22wETr1YJ72pXpfPfBUe8OuKVy3qEbQTR_T-a8JF1b-SWdFCH0pQtPjYLpNQurPOLPm1W1emJYnQji-pGNZqfk0rkw/s1600/2011-12-06_12-02-36_493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5b_jMZcFwny-oNCb8Lkew2p129X5slJ6ENZxhcI4kEch5x9ha22wETr1YJ72pXpfPfBUe8OuKVy3qEbQTR_T-a8JF1b-SWdFCH0pQtPjYLpNQurPOLPm1W1emJYnQji-pGNZqfk0rkw/s640/2011-12-06_12-02-36_493.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, those are bullet holes in the boating safety sign. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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You might be wondering why I publish what some might consider really poor photographs out the windows of the boat. I do that so you can see what we see. Also, sometimes, it's just too cold to open the window and take that shot......from the port side.<br />
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More later.....<br />
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HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKrapm91ozY4XCcU3y5eeOtaKuupiBpifYjvGb7JBQV3PEP32579Wqgeq8bqTb29XAe7rq_zf3LGFhwn5exWMX92JJgzh3lOxi4cGKY_IueNlsi9jmZmVbSX8JlVCCovKMaYAlrCcLeY/s1600/2011-12-08_06-45-30_299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKrapm91ozY4XCcU3y5eeOtaKuupiBpifYjvGb7JBQV3PEP32579Wqgeq8bqTb29XAe7rq_zf3LGFhwn5exWMX92JJgzh3lOxi4cGKY_IueNlsi9jmZmVbSX8JlVCCovKMaYAlrCcLeY/s320/2011-12-08_06-45-30_299.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpaoidZJlJlPyqoCdi8SlWM_MKNBJMwI-SfoISccbTPm0Kpih8B09CxOkvaDZXsSI-YKay1PNfZK4-rlEODtn0Q5FodSbjK8K9C7s-RfhJ5vohhV2xDNZomC2pWrOGsg4JkVjKupWsuw/s1600/2011-12-08_06-54-09_415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpaoidZJlJlPyqoCdi8SlWM_MKNBJMwI-SfoISccbTPm0Kpih8B09CxOkvaDZXsSI-YKay1PNfZK4-rlEODtn0Q5FodSbjK8K9C7s-RfhJ5vohhV2xDNZomC2pWrOGsg4JkVjKupWsuw/s320/2011-12-08_06-54-09_415.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I must say that I bristle at the idea of how life would be different if Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13 had uttered the words, "Huntsville, we have a problem", instead of "Houston, we have a problem." Well, it actually could have been. <br />
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We have visited Kennedy Space Center, where rockets are launched. We have visited Houston Space Center, where they are controlled after launch. Finally, to complete the trifecta, we have visited the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama where they design and build rockets. Actually, we visited the museum and space camp portion of the establishment. Either way, it was very interesting to see the variety of rockets, missiles, and other flying things. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl_w8xWXOUWTYwsv_r9dwPNZ8JyP8vQtVdwtZ54q7cTY_nGjbFbfG-ylaikFZvbts4wZq_NFKpJE8YlzBuztwz_vPZ_d4au1BO1J4dbTANp_ykOuk35OB0EdG4dhhVJn-l3M9DdDfH1A/s1600/2011-12-08_10-26-28_573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl_w8xWXOUWTYwsv_r9dwPNZ8JyP8vQtVdwtZ54q7cTY_nGjbFbfG-ylaikFZvbts4wZq_NFKpJE8YlzBuztwz_vPZ_d4au1BO1J4dbTANp_ykOuk35OB0EdG4dhhVJn-l3M9DdDfH1A/s320/2011-12-08_10-26-28_573.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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They have a Saturn V rocket exhibit that is, hands down, the best we have seen. There was more in the way of interactive exhibits and actual artifacts than at Kennedy and at Houston combined. Plus, they had a Saturn V actually "all up". It is so big, you simply cannot believe. However, you can see it from miles away. Even having seen this magnificent machine twice now in different locations, it is still overwhelmingly impressive.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQYjo3gRsD5zHQGpw0aqMpkgLkFk3h1NWic4CLIjMmNNCThgLFlNpCNgmq-Mu9Dgys10G9eDnZ3gaHB6AlYK-D3OpQWqGnftEi0ok12WOTKpfHu2bN4TaNfyXCih66Bpay-Y7aF5h7vI/s1600/2011-12-08_10-25-51_376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQYjo3gRsD5zHQGpw0aqMpkgLkFk3h1NWic4CLIjMmNNCThgLFlNpCNgmq-Mu9Dgys10G9eDnZ3gaHB6AlYK-D3OpQWqGnftEi0ok12WOTKpfHu2bN4TaNfyXCih66Bpay-Y7aF5h7vI/s640/2011-12-08_10-25-51_376.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGN_plYbpDjGRfXxfHQCSBOdkduBdZdDd0ZtjT140aaQbfhTDKB1oWJ58BT0D4gCWoo0wUX0wYQepgJE7Ipg3jv9qcBPpIAImDHAk8gwz5NDQOSYe1EhrE3x-B80D2a7uiJUOCAgCLRk0/s1600/2011-12-08_11-33-58_446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGN_plYbpDjGRfXxfHQCSBOdkduBdZdDd0ZtjT140aaQbfhTDKB1oWJ58BT0D4gCWoo0wUX0wYQepgJE7Ipg3jv9qcBPpIAImDHAk8gwz5NDQOSYe1EhrE3x-B80D2a7uiJUOCAgCLRk0/s640/2011-12-08_11-33-58_446.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br />
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They had a very interesting exhibit there covering the life and work of Wernher Von Braun. Von Braun is probably the greatest rocket scientist of all time and is directly responsible for the success of American rocket science and the technology that ultimately put Americans on the moon. Before this, however, Von Braun worked for the Nazis. Whether consensual or not, Von Braun's science is directly responsible for the V2 rocket which was used by Germany to terrorize its enemies during WWII. For me, the most important part of the exhibit focused on the moral decision he made at the war's end.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7oxDcENlYicnrZ4wDufdNCbSqXFG65CjzyTaXm0tbI05ZqBlzTLqts9a7xYtYOlyPhwSIR1pZs8Mto2abcUDxoXJq_zYBDlN24QpX34B3UsFLtzWfLNA2z40LbbfATv-kNu0iDi15nk/s1600/2011-12-08_11-35-00_962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7oxDcENlYicnrZ4wDufdNCbSqXFG65CjzyTaXm0tbI05ZqBlzTLqts9a7xYtYOlyPhwSIR1pZs8Mto2abcUDxoXJq_zYBDlN24QpX34B3UsFLtzWfLNA2z40LbbfATv-kNu0iDi15nk/s320/2011-12-08_11-35-00_962.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BozD_tscDwVe4tMk5qkspUd3iVHL4lmb4020jID74lieTSOM_wlnBrga83ecE0Od0fnmQHYk4bLNY8ahchF6LCcV0JLZkFAKCaCVbgxgkKereXcHlduSZycmyaezQJMgldkmrcMUfEE/s1600/2011-12-08_11-35-07_16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BozD_tscDwVe4tMk5qkspUd3iVHL4lmb4020jID74lieTSOM_wlnBrga83ecE0Od0fnmQHYk4bLNY8ahchF6LCcV0JLZkFAKCaCVbgxgkKereXcHlduSZycmyaezQJMgldkmrcMUfEE/s320/2011-12-08_11-35-07_16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Von Braun was a very intelligent man and was very good at a lot of things in addition to building rockets. He was very well read, and was very astute at comprehending the world around him. So, when the Nazi stronghold on Germany was coming to an end and the Americans were at one gate, and the Russians were at the other, he and his team of scientists had to decide which gate to go through. Von Braun chose to surrender to the Americans. We learned that he believed it was a moral obligation to ensure that his science and his work would go to the side that had in place the best system of checks and balances to make sure that his work would never again be put to use for evil purposes. This noble gesture notwithstanding, he also wanted to come to America. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabAGbx6OqySPmbSDMA6xqViFKgr_Zif3TmKoZD5XLZCD3Xbs3xYNimvY4KDzg70-wFWnRRD_IcxL1K-qzMovhyphenhyphen_rDyae2ztB7imsXjL9-UNAfKFcpUnPc8PiVcBgt-fSQIeA3eToG0dY/s1600/2011-12-08_11-38-58_70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabAGbx6OqySPmbSDMA6xqViFKgr_Zif3TmKoZD5XLZCD3Xbs3xYNimvY4KDzg70-wFWnRRD_IcxL1K-qzMovhyphenhyphen_rDyae2ztB7imsXjL9-UNAfKFcpUnPc8PiVcBgt-fSQIeA3eToG0dY/s320/2011-12-08_11-38-58_70.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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So, with the help of an army general, Von Braun and 118 of his co-workers were taken out of Germany, not as POW's, but rather as POP's (prisoners of peace) and taken to a military installation in Texas where they lived essentially hidden until WWII was over. Then, they started building and testing rockets in Texas and in New Mexico before finally being moved to a facility in Huntsville. Then, Von Braun was given the keys and allowed to run the whole program. At first, his group worked on an intermediate range ballistic missile for the army, but then, when his program was assimilated by NASA, his group worked on the super booster known as the Saturn V which is the rocket that ultimately took Apollo astronauts to the moon.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqB-cVP1mmnGDnfgAhdjtJaKYiNcrGJ8BphJEb6yQBIpwUnVhjqosm24FqXoG7T5U_qLY_1Wt-U8aXLUanJarCeRYEwStrDXNtmhUH32GZXoXf4_nYa402wsgXlVfZTCwv4dCLG54pv0/s1600/2011-12-08_11-36-06_142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqB-cVP1mmnGDnfgAhdjtJaKYiNcrGJ8BphJEb6yQBIpwUnVhjqosm24FqXoG7T5U_qLY_1Wt-U8aXLUanJarCeRYEwStrDXNtmhUH32GZXoXf4_nYa402wsgXlVfZTCwv4dCLG54pv0/s320/2011-12-08_11-36-06_142.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's one small step for man.......one giant leap for Bucket.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5XklXMpMxXz1RL2JFLcVb2vIVq-IWqSHQAq6IVFWE_lFo9jO0uE5cfz0deIeh7ZW_9dX8wfXjFA8nPg9WdPVOjR0ol0xv9GiCfjOQ5wtQ5n7Axej68OdTm6x17rdo_i6eFhok-2cm04/s1600/2011-12-08_12-37-11_41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5XklXMpMxXz1RL2JFLcVb2vIVq-IWqSHQAq6IVFWE_lFo9jO0uE5cfz0deIeh7ZW_9dX8wfXjFA8nPg9WdPVOjR0ol0xv9GiCfjOQ5wtQ5n7Axej68OdTm6x17rdo_i6eFhok-2cm04/s320/2011-12-08_12-37-11_41.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Von Braun became the Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center located here in Huntsville. He marshaled (pardon the pun) some pretty extensive resources to help this country develop its rocket and missile program. So not only was he the chief architect of the Saturn V program, but his work lead to the growth and development of just about every other aspect of missile technology we have today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipsJuaVyrPUWPY9jdhVwiWiPnV323lcrCX5-A9ea-p3tQzWEfy-3h9yekzbD9Q7cdkGst1wMFnsAQfk2U16JCyYqPVtrI8dSiikOw7L_nKQ2aCu5Oh3hcnvpBmdNQk9O3_fZ89YI-gr4/s1600/2011-12-08_11-48-46_534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipsJuaVyrPUWPY9jdhVwiWiPnV323lcrCX5-A9ea-p3tQzWEfy-3h9yekzbD9Q7cdkGst1wMFnsAQfk2U16JCyYqPVtrI8dSiikOw7L_nKQ2aCu5Oh3hcnvpBmdNQk9O3_fZ89YI-gr4/s320/2011-12-08_11-48-46_534.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first American in space. This little dude was only 11 oz and fit into this canister for the trip to space and back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaDmKHQbIa8Bv-_KGS9X8QK7qV3_v2OAkL6-EDVdKbb-yyUNT1R7JU3P_3_FdM2ruDMl_37Hk_88jp_7xG1LiU4q9Ww6NdvEECFOu9uy5cDDK5uLT8Wp5v40I5YsipF9fIchgZF5zieo/s1600/2011-12-08_12-52-17_344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaDmKHQbIa8Bv-_KGS9X8QK7qV3_v2OAkL6-EDVdKbb-yyUNT1R7JU3P_3_FdM2ruDMl_37Hk_88jp_7xG1LiU4q9Ww6NdvEECFOu9uy5cDDK5uLT8Wp5v40I5YsipF9fIchgZF5zieo/s320/2011-12-08_12-52-17_344.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is where he is buried. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Since we had the rental car for the day, we took the opportunity to do some sightseeing in downtown Huntsville. It's a very nice smaller city that has absolutely everything you could possibly want. The historic downtown area is very nice. Lots of old brick buildings built in the late 1800's interspersed amongst newer buildings. You can sense the effort on the part of the city's planners to retain the old school charm. Whether it is a good thing or not, the downtown area is dominated by the big county courthouse. As such, the streets below are lined with law offices. However, what I have not seen before were the window dressings. I have never seen law firms that actually organize a window display on the street level. Mostly, they involved the placement of books and furnishings, as opposed to broken and bent cars or slippery floor tiles. But, they looked pretty nice. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYYZjxKgwms_qShpSPSjK56swWxXZgQ_UKT3zJ5WrFRGaKPLEpOCgaqeVYnt1pjvU_FU3FmvjkGB9kH2E8vbDRlRo9VvZ-eFBuAO9tyNZkBkQ8J1MttPfyIuZdQYVpR_ujZzIiAUeHAU/s1600/2011-12-08_13-22-36_695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYYZjxKgwms_qShpSPSjK56swWxXZgQ_UKT3zJ5WrFRGaKPLEpOCgaqeVYnt1pjvU_FU3FmvjkGB9kH2E8vbDRlRo9VvZ-eFBuAO9tyNZkBkQ8J1MttPfyIuZdQYVpR_ujZzIiAUeHAU/s320/2011-12-08_13-22-36_695.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaEwbzw2vhni5y2SgXr_u6VlCdMBiVYdSJShNfD_Fs-76WmSVDFx0SmwVgauo7r-rWSk3yBAQa3ZkXSEszxURSsWdJesciGVhE57TAxoSHB8kQoptXTxIRa-L5Kx8dAhuEESTIEeYWmI/s1600/2011-12-08_13-22-52_112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaEwbzw2vhni5y2SgXr_u6VlCdMBiVYdSJShNfD_Fs-76WmSVDFx0SmwVgauo7r-rWSk3yBAQa3ZkXSEszxURSsWdJesciGVhE57TAxoSHB8kQoptXTxIRa-L5Kx8dAhuEESTIEeYWmI/s320/2011-12-08_13-22-52_112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEXRHoMAMNo3qMTIh2Rr8rL5zaeMrpDKa9N_mdExwTVu7kG7R0wbSDpV4av5YP0w5DalKpijfHEFbdnn-4eTKHiXqyw_7P0wN-SD4BW-QSJ8mXnDfHtGB8zQ74XhWRDe6mzLiMa_G5Tc/s1600/2011-12-08_13-24-11_723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYEXRHoMAMNo3qMTIh2Rr8rL5zaeMrpDKa9N_mdExwTVu7kG7R0wbSDpV4av5YP0w5DalKpijfHEFbdnn-4eTKHiXqyw_7P0wN-SD4BW-QSJ8mXnDfHtGB8zQ74XhWRDe6mzLiMa_G5Tc/s320/2011-12-08_13-24-11_723.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwV4XByy4gs0NR9OyMuPFlYui9Z1HveYhVd0nwPhpqB9mMO62zczOmUZ-Qbiinv8zwk80XEpmdOBfO8rquA-SRqyGo84vVK-ioqV-QF4x6_DZBM21l2qIbPwLnmJSlcGWPuc8OMwCIyYE/s1600/2011-12-08_14-13-44_513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwV4XByy4gs0NR9OyMuPFlYui9Z1HveYhVd0nwPhpqB9mMO62zczOmUZ-Qbiinv8zwk80XEpmdOBfO8rquA-SRqyGo84vVK-ioqV-QF4x6_DZBM21l2qIbPwLnmJSlcGWPuc8OMwCIyYE/s320/2011-12-08_14-13-44_513.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWCDNV5yGVbLsDoJULQaWIWPVNI2_uU551S4M3WBWucvVIk6_j3WPVZ3gyh0DgqfRWxb5b2jksZpwICsYy8v_N1WKeDvAT3BO5nusmUlxPBuux1-xidQDSP7y5H_iqVpfNbAP8btYGEc/s1600/2011-12-08_14-14-17_365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWCDNV5yGVbLsDoJULQaWIWPVNI2_uU551S4M3WBWucvVIk6_j3WPVZ3gyh0DgqfRWxb5b2jksZpwICsYy8v_N1WKeDvAT3BO5nusmUlxPBuux1-xidQDSP7y5H_iqVpfNbAP8btYGEc/s320/2011-12-08_14-14-17_365.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVwXrc_hrp3zzAFgmkCAJBFShHbvjsMy8QsC9C6HPYD8FJi8ojNfbj1CuIohMRxxY5oEtrjhFLcTW8HUD__7jXJME-nLN6V2Uk_ctuzwQOl200T5Sx5CDpUdAqrHgkG5MpUxvmYhV2bg/s1600/2011-12-08_14-14-55_816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVwXrc_hrp3zzAFgmkCAJBFShHbvjsMy8QsC9C6HPYD8FJi8ojNfbj1CuIohMRxxY5oEtrjhFLcTW8HUD__7jXJME-nLN6V2Uk_ctuzwQOl200T5Sx5CDpUdAqrHgkG5MpUxvmYhV2bg/s320/2011-12-08_14-14-55_816.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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We finished our day with the grocery shopping escapade at the nearby WalMart Supercenter. That's always a treat. You just never know what you are going to see. Long hours travelling on the river seem to have inspired Brenda to take over as Ship's Quartermaster. For one, she is cutting and organizing coupons. Actually, if you know Brenda, then you know that what she is doing is searching for coupons online, printing them and then cutting them out. She has established methods for finding manufacturer's coupons that work on top of the store coupons for additional savings. Moreover, she has found Droid Apps that allow you to scan bar codes and she has started an inventory of items we keep in the pantry and in the fridge. I'm proud of her for taking the interest, and I now sleep comfortably knowing that our chances of running out of sliced jalapeno peppers have just dropped from slim to none. You go girl!<br />
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OK, that's quite enough for now. We'll be heading further east today on our journey to Chattanooga. We will be there in a few days. I'm thinking of stalling our arrival until after the weekend. We will stand a better chance of finding a space on the wall near the aquarium and will lessen the chance of getting stuck moored under the pedestrian bridge which, in any city, can spell bad news given the propensity of certain lower species of humankind to throw things off bridges at the boats below. (We almost got nailed a couple times in Nashville and we weren't even directly under the bridge). So, the weather is looking good - sunny but very cold - so .......<br />
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See ya later.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLUwGDND339zhL0dsdKJOh4SNRF6pmtNVAQ5naDC9nqZfGNGQde_T4iXZKL6YeQGXqFmKS676Eqh5oqLmYvWaAicXCwrstXZ_lzVUxpP1HFLUcNSY7ZKQj3PBJ4B0w4sRseEHH_PpyI0/s1600/2011-12-08_06-59-55_54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLUwGDND339zhL0dsdKJOh4SNRF6pmtNVAQ5naDC9nqZfGNGQde_T4iXZKL6YeQGXqFmKS676Eqh5oqLmYvWaAicXCwrstXZ_lzVUxpP1HFLUcNSY7ZKQj3PBJ4B0w4sRseEHH_PpyI0/s320/2011-12-08_06-59-55_54.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704715548188475515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481592768147161925.post-14225622828691367702011-12-05T06:23:00.000-08:002011-12-05T06:23:55.272-08:00POSITION UPDATE - FLORENCE, ALABAMAAs you know, we broke down the day before Thanksgiving. We got out of the yard yesterday, December 2. The total time for repairs was only 4 days. The pricetag could have been worse. Well, there you go. We are done with that episode and hopefully, we make it through the rest of this cruise without any further mechanical issues. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hKx3jQBpnALcQ8m2dXdj4NNc3sWYvOew6QOy1z-aWE8rUML44dSPdCGRDgUQXY-zhgBm4tywB7AuPhWFayIK7EozKfgDMHETAbdeUgQNPhsHe_3Vs-usbq_PEybKyh_90xP5UBxCDvc/s1600/2011-12-02_14-05-24_737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hKx3jQBpnALcQ8m2dXdj4NNc3sWYvOew6QOy1z-aWE8rUML44dSPdCGRDgUQXY-zhgBm4tywB7AuPhWFayIK7EozKfgDMHETAbdeUgQNPhsHe_3Vs-usbq_PEybKyh_90xP5UBxCDvc/s320/2011-12-02_14-05-24_737.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ta4imz0-K8WO25G0h9WfDU2wm-ZVP7kKb_MNWB4ZsnSo04ulDlfIIbETsJJJVyLLh6PL7RCCgTaRO0vWbHxckN7VQsdBmglMMxhGoQmqVx6yWVbQPmBYnzDJ1f9VUhLzMmuV7QYnCBA/s1600/2011-12-02_14-05-30_649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ta4imz0-K8WO25G0h9WfDU2wm-ZVP7kKb_MNWB4ZsnSo04ulDlfIIbETsJJJVyLLh6PL7RCCgTaRO0vWbHxckN7VQsdBmglMMxhGoQmqVx6yWVbQPmBYnzDJ1f9VUhLzMmuV7QYnCBA/s320/2011-12-02_14-05-30_649.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We had an interesting time where we were, however. I have described how we did not merely sit idle by, but rather explored the area in the courtesy car provided to us by Grand Harbor Marina. We visited, Savannah, TN, Iuka, MS, Tupelo, MS, Memphis, TN, Crump, TN, Counce, TN, Corinth, MS, and all the little places in between. <br />
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We also met some really nice folks, like Garth and Kathy on a boat called Algonquin, and Jerry and Jenny on another Roughwater 41 called Sweetgrass. All wonderful and interesting folks we enjoyed meeting very much.<br />
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For the next couple weeks, we will be traveling on the Tennessee River on our way up to Chattanooga, TN. We have been told that, if we thought the Cumberland River was something, the Tennessee is like the Cumberland on steroids. So, how can we not go? It's always hard to imagine where you may be many years from now, but travelling up the Tennessee River on a boat is not something I can clearly imagine so we have to take advantage of this time. We are here. So, let's go.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPzmaP3f1hLwmjZGaiZfhJpgsgI8_yySkNEFsfaehe_cPo3wJKzeG8INjeWArKmORIgNmeoVDteJelo8tRsdxVVOSYUZ-poHOmoWxoz5xZiAwKvUvJ8mOchJcCesPXobF-Nj67M5LxbU/s1600/2011-12-02_14-34-03_398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPzmaP3f1hLwmjZGaiZfhJpgsgI8_yySkNEFsfaehe_cPo3wJKzeG8INjeWArKmORIgNmeoVDteJelo8tRsdxVVOSYUZ-poHOmoWxoz5xZiAwKvUvJ8mOchJcCesPXobF-Nj67M5LxbU/s320/2011-12-02_14-34-03_398.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgqYZefMz3Z6VajCsvh-5zqHbQfd_ZrXkowqSKVoR5574SCL70MkGi-SH04C72tR9EaODvcmIxu-67_EP31csdy-OPF-MBTAgFSvdWb0TGwBADN9TWyXajuCKf37eRxsy4kWlKjpE7KE/s1600/2011-12-02_14-33-52_523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgqYZefMz3Z6VajCsvh-5zqHbQfd_ZrXkowqSKVoR5574SCL70MkGi-SH04C72tR9EaODvcmIxu-67_EP31csdy-OPF-MBTAgFSvdWb0TGwBADN9TWyXajuCKf37eRxsy4kWlKjpE7KE/s320/2011-12-02_14-33-52_523.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those black spots at the top of the tree in center are bald eagles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
At present, we are in Florence, Alabama. We got here late yesterday afternoon. After all the rain we had during the last week or so, the lake levels are rather high so the dams are spilling and causing a significant increase in the current on the nose as we head UP river. I think we barely made 5 knots for the better part of all day yesterday. So, it was a long 37 miles from Iuka.<br />
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When we got here, we hit the town and enjoyed what the locals call First Friday. This is an evening street festival that includes music, and lots of street vendors. The restaurants and stores stay open late. It clearly reminded us of Art Walk in Fort Myers, FL. <br />
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Florence is in the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama which is known for great music. Many of the studio musicians for some of the greatest acts in history came from the Muscle Shoals area including, but not limited to, The Swampers.<br />
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We encountered this band playing on Court Street that was a Christian Rock band called Fervent Worship. Their music was pretty good. Their message was very religious. Then there was the crowd. I have seen this sort of thing on TV before, but I have never personally witnessed anything like it. When the music was playing, a large crowd of folks in the street right in front of the band swayed back and forth with their arms in the air just like you see on the religious TV stations on Sunday mornings. It was good, though. There was not a single dirtbag among the crowd, and everyone seemed content. There was absolutely nothing but good feelings. But, it was almost scary that folks who look just like us and who are seemingly otherwise completely normal got such a religious charge on with the music. <br />
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After we had had enough of the revival style music in the street, we headed back to the marina and found that the upstairs bar and grill was still open so we went up. What we found up there was the extreme opposite of what we witnessed dancing in the street. At the bar upstairs, there were blues musicians going at it all loud and bawdy. The booze was flowing and there was a lot of laughing, commaraderie, and carrying on. We ended up staying really late and closing the bar with the locals who own the place. (YES, WE ARE "CLOSERS" IN ALABAMA, TOO...HA! THAT MAKES US "MULTI-STATE CLOSERS" - PLEASE LET LINDA AND CECILY KNOW WE WILL NEED AMENDED "CLOSER" HATS)<br />
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Due to the extended party call last night, we will stay in Florence another day and see what this very cool city has to offer. I am aware that the house where Hellen Keller grew up is here, and there is some interesting archetecture to view. And, there is a rather famous musician playing at the marina tonight. So, we'll check it out and report more later.<br />
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The next day we woke up really late. I think Brenda was asked what time she woke up this morning and she replied, "This afternoon." So, I had some time to get some boat chores done. Then, we hit the road in the courtesy car and visited a couple of the recommended sites in Florence. <br />
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We had lunch at this place in the downtown area. The sandwiches were great and we met a nice girl who attends the University of Northern Alabama which is in Florence. The school is pretty small, but has apparently just made the decision to go to Division 1 in athletics which is a huge undertaking. Ultimately, this will mean a big hit in terms of income and in terms of school population. In the interim, however, it is a really nice place to go to school. Their mascot is the Lion and there are a pair that actually live in a special enclosure on the campus. This time, we did not get to see them, but will probably stop and visit on the way back. Florence is really into their Lions. There are painted paw tracks on the streets, on the walls and even in the courthouse.<br />
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In fact, Alabama, in general, is really into sports - but not just any sports - COLLEGE FOOTBALL - is where it's all at. If it ain't red, you ain't wearin' it on Saturdays. The expression, "Get a rope" originally thought to have evolved in connection with the notion that reasonable salsa could come from New York City, actually emerged when a travelling business man once (and only once) suggested a professional football program would be good for Alabama. No way, Jose. College football is the rule here. Actually, not just college football, but all college sports. <br />
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Then we went off to visit Hellen Keller's birthplace which is across the river in Tuscumbia, Alabama. <br />
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I had never bothered to learn much about this amazing woman before. Of course I have heard of her and of the multitude of jokes that have spread so far and wide. Really, however, this woman is no joke and the things she accomplished in her life for herself and for the folks who endure her plight - the blind and the deaf - are truly astonishing. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqY2h1MRCpXoQoDFk4kvwS2T8O7CuAciO0DDTxsdTKueuk08Ph7vScb2YdlBsiiBNEkcQ01m7b2JETCFSFPQlBzIBVV59tZJ9YZRuc4Eow0Vis76iaWJwYGJLrDtQOXK7YqU4bqzFG5w/s1600/2011-12-03_15-42-15_559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqY2h1MRCpXoQoDFk4kvwS2T8O7CuAciO0DDTxsdTKueuk08Ph7vScb2YdlBsiiBNEkcQ01m7b2JETCFSFPQlBzIBVV59tZJ9YZRuc4Eow0Vis76iaWJwYGJLrDtQOXK7YqU4bqzFG5w/s640/2011-12-03_15-42-15_559.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Helen Keller was not born blind or deaf; instead, it was not until she had a serious illness which may have been meningitis or scarlet fever, did she lose her hearing and her sight. However, she overcame these obstacles and became a world famous activist, a lecturer and an author. She is the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor's degree. The essence of her story is how, throughout her life she learned to communicate, and the things she did with that ability.<br />
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After spending some time visiting the Helen Keller Museum, we moved on to something that does not appear in too many crusing guides - the Coon Dog Cemetary.<br />
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</div>This place was introduced to us in concept in the movie, "Sweet Home Alabama". So, when it came up on our radar screen so to speak, we just had to go. The road out there is long and you really get the feeling you are way out in the sticks. Then you turn off the main road and you keep going and going and going, further and further out into the middle of nowhere and then you see the sign telling you the Coon Dog Cemetary is only a couple miles away. Then the road winds on and on and on. It was getting dark. We were driving a courtesy van that was in the shop when we arrived in Florence. We had driven the van for a couple hours the first day and then a couple hours the second day before heading out to the cemetary and had not seen the gas guage move. So we were concerned. Nevertheless, we headed on out not knowing if we were going to encounter some bearded toothy feller with a shotgun. Anyways, we found the cemetary just as the sun was about to set.<br />
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We were unable to determine if this place is private or public property, although there was a sign with a phone number to call. However, what we did discover is this really beautiful place where only Coon Dogs are allowed to be burried. What is a Coon Dog? Glad you ask.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopW9Eu4rnhpz1lbViAQXE_KxBMvMUlrUXLoDeFkVc4YdeTqN67fYBL1RMoR6XxqfM81ocEDTK_8e1Rkgv-VX3IRfxHpAOr78h7JXYQIMMuTRV2AvafijobN57jdbWmJm-2H4Ls0U1c7w/s1600/2011-12-03_16-42-34_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopW9Eu4rnhpz1lbViAQXE_KxBMvMUlrUXLoDeFkVc4YdeTqN67fYBL1RMoR6XxqfM81ocEDTK_8e1Rkgv-VX3IRfxHpAOr78h7JXYQIMMuTRV2AvafijobN57jdbWmJm-2H4Ls0U1c7w/s640/2011-12-03_16-42-34_20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
A Coon Dog is a variety of scent hound. This hound was named after its original purpose: hunting raccoons. The hunters do not eat raccoon (at least not here in Alabama). The sport of coon hunting however involves cutting the dogs loose and allowing they to chase raccoons up trees. Coon Dogs are developed and chosen for their keen sense of smell, the ability to track, chase and corner any manner of animal independent of human commands. Most importantly, however, they have to have the ability to follow an animal both on the ground and when it takes to the trees. A good coonhound will bark and keep its prey treed until the hunters arrive. The folks who engage in this sort of hunting apparenly have great admiration for their animals and hold them in ridiculously high esteem. Here, they even have their own cemetary.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRblQAaITW66T0e4QQixR3Ezgb9tyagkTcLjIJZcEXSyfPKd9eLRJ71tVOqWrWTLrotF81EtFgVNNXgU_63SdlDqODXNW2L1Wo5rVQJ0aoOxC45lXpgOnc2Z6mM_5mMNVyihI8TAouZvQ/s1600/2011-12-03_16-43-12_341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRblQAaITW66T0e4QQixR3Ezgb9tyagkTcLjIJZcEXSyfPKd9eLRJ71tVOqWrWTLrotF81EtFgVNNXgU_63SdlDqODXNW2L1Wo5rVQJ0aoOxC45lXpgOnc2Z6mM_5mMNVyihI8TAouZvQ/s320/2011-12-03_16-43-12_341.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, we had another great evening at the bar and grill at the marina. This evening, we enjoyed more wonderful music and met some new friends, and continued to learn about this place and its people. We'll probably stop here one more time on our way back down the Tennessee River. In the mean time, we headed out of Florence with some beautiful weather. We are now anchored in a nice little embayment where we will stay for at least a night if not more before continuing up the river towards Chattanooga. Next stop will be either Decatur or Huntsville.</span></span><br />
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First, however, we engaged the biggest lock we will see on this entire cruise. It is one of the biggest locks in the world - the Wilson Lock and Dam. The photos really do not do it justice. The lift was a little less than 100 feet (due to higher than normal pool levels). Not withstanding the turbulence you can imagine when over 50,000,000 gallons of water go sloshing in and out, it was a smooth ride and a great experience.<br />
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