Now we've transited the big rivers with their monster tows and tight corners: Illinois (333.4 miles), Mississippi (221.5 miles), Ohio (58 miles) and Cumberland (32.6 miles), VELOMER (and her crew) is (are) enjoyed a long awaited break for resting and refitting at Green Turtle Bay Marina at the entrance to the Tennessee river at mile 24.5. We have a plan, subject to change, to go as far as Chattanooga at mile 454 prior to the next cruising phase of this amazing adventure south along the Ten-Tom Waterway from Pickwick Lake at mile 207. We will be reverencing our course when we depart Chattanooga to get back to the Ten-Tom Waterway but will be going downstream as far as Mobile from this point.
It is just now we can take some rest and fill in the blog after the last 645 miles. We did the commercially active, and I mean ACTIVE, rivers without incident, other than a brief kiss of soft bottom at an anchorage we decided was too shallow for out draft. Leaving Chicago, we decided to take the Calumet River Channel south to the Illinois River as we had take the Architectural Tour on a tourist boat in Chicago. Seeing the huge skyscrapers from the Chicago River and hearing lots of useless information about the architects of these monsters was nevertheless, a really fascination days trip and I would heartily recommend this to any one with a few hours to spend in Chicago. We learned about the corruption and graft that early nineteenth century city of sin is famous for, including some tidbits about Al Capone, the reasons Chicago got picked for the 1890 Worlds Fair and why this place is known as the "windy city". Its not because the wind howls off Lake Michigan, and it often does, but the cacophonous and disingenuous political speak of the city fathers.
VELOMER departed Hammond Marina in Chicago on September 9 after an 18 day stay that allowed us a trip to Colorado to stay with Phoebe and Erik and the special g-kids we have missed so these past few months. They were finishing their rafting season and I believe they did enjoy us being there to play with the kids while they closed shop after a record breaking season 4. I know we did. hanging out with these 4 year old twins returns us to a simpler time and perhaps one that is honestly more about what life should be.
So off we went to explore the rivers for awhile. We will be on rivers and some lakes for the next few months as we travel south attempting to stay ahead of the fall frosts and winter snow to Mobile and the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico and saltwater again. Our boat insurance carrier, Boat US, requires us to stay north of the Gulf until November 1 but as we are getting a late start, we will not have that as an issue.
First stop was Joliet, the famous locale of Joliet Jake from the movie Blues Brothers. There really is a large prison here which we spotted as we tied to the wall in the downtown. The locks on the Illinois River are huge an the tows immense compared to anything we've encountered as yet. The locks are 600 x 110 to accommodate tows that often have to lock through in two pieces. Soon after we departed Joliet, we were delayed at the Dresden Lock for 4 hours, while we anchored, to allow a tow to lock upstream. We waited a few days at Heritage Harbor Marina in Ottawa for Jim and Gwen t catch up after they had some repairs in Chicago. Our time there was put to use biking into town and touring the Heritage Harbor Condo development project (build it and they will come). As often happens, we met some great people, one of whom gave us his car to play tourist and get in some hiking at Starved Rock State Park and get our laundry done in town. This town is almost within reach of Chicago and will no doubt be a fine populous community in a few years, assuming the economy does not tank again.
After Ottawa and meeting up again with Chimera II, we went down river to Hamm's Marina in Chilacothy, Ill, a slightly bizarre place with decrepit river boat casino paddle wheel and old barges beached like rotting carcasses around the entrance and in the embayment where we spent one night. I had never seen a shower set up like those we encountered here, a switch on the wall turned on the shower, no volume or temperature contols just water on or off.
Pioria was next and a few days visiting this fun town at the City Museum featuring local history and a great display of vacation photos and the Caterpillar factory museum where the largest machine I've ever seen was on display along with memorabilia of the WW II era female baseball team the movie League of Their Own was modeled after. The real players did not look much like Madonna and Genna Davis though. I had an interesting and unexpected dip in the river whilst assisting a larger boat to land at the dock here but will let that pass for now. Perhaps PM will write about that event but it is perhaps better left in the dustbin of this adventure.
Tall Timers had voracious mosquitoes, Big blue Island was out frst anchorage, Alton marina saw us entering the mighty Mississippi and Hoppi's Marina, which is just a couple of old barges tied to the river bank, was everything the cruising guides say it was including the infamous Fern who provided us with local knowledge for our transit down the Mississippi to Cairo Il. and then up the Ohio River to Peducah, KY and the entrance to the Cumberland River and finally to Green Turtle Bay Marina at the confluence of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. This time on the rivers was past, and we all felt it was time to rest, navigating in and among large tows, 4 wide and 10 long, on the Ohio River and through the not to be missed at least once in a boating life Lock 52 south of Peducah was exhausting but we had it in the books. Perhaps we will not pass this way again but we will forever remeber this time as the most requsite of courage and endurance. We are awsome on VELOMER.
I LOVE THIS LIFE.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Hard Aground - the Next Chapter
PM's Perspective
Much water has passed under Velomer's hull since my last entry. Antsy to leave Buckhorn at 3:30 PM on Thursday, July 17, the furthest we could cruise safely before the locks shut down for the night was Bobcageon, 18 statute miles away. I called the lock master at Lock 32 in Bobcageon to find out if there was room along the upstream lock wall where we could dock for the evening. He responded that there was no room at the present time but that the situation changes moment to moment so we may be able to find space. He also stated that if we arrived later than 30 minutes before the lock closed for the night at 6:00 PM we could tie up at the blue line. FYI, the blue line is literally a blue line painted along that portion of the lock wall where a boat wanting to go through the lock on the next opening ties up to let the lock master know his/her intention. Amazingly, by the time we arrived in Bobcageon, a perfect sized space along the starboard side of the lock wall had opened up. The folks on the boat docked ahead of us assisted our landing. An extra bonus was the electric post right by our area of the lock wall where we could plug into power, an unusual occurrence along the lock walls.
The next morning, we breakfasted at the Smart Egg and walked around town visiting Bigley's, a huge shoe and clothing store directly on the waterway, and stocking up on dark chocolate at the local
grocery. We left Bobcageon by 10:30 AM headed for Kirkfield, the site of the second lift lock and the point along the Trent Severn Waterway where we start locking down. The day went very smoothly and delightfully uneventful save for the occasional rain shower. We arrived at Lock 36 about 3:00 PM. Entering the pan of the lock felt like we were about to fall off the edge of the earth, an eerie feeling but with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. We descended 49 vertical feet marveling at the mechanical engineering feat of the lock. At the bottom, we pulled to the starboard side to tie up at the downstream lock wall for the night. As we tied up, we encountered a couple who were disembarking from kayaks heading upstream. Not to be one to pass up an opportunity to engage in conversation, Bob started talking to the couple and invited them in for some hot tea as they were both shivering from the cold and damp. As we discovered, they are from Campbellford and are actually friends with the OPP officer who took our grounding report. Talk about a small world!
The following day we cruised to Orillia, the port on Lake Couchiching. Our journey took us under the Hole in the Wall Bridge as we entered Canal Lake, across Lake Simcoe and through the Narrows, the site of Ojibway fishing weirs. We stayed at the town marina for three days enjoying what the area has to offer including biking trails, the OPP museum, art museum, and Champlain Park. We shared the marina with at least three other loopers so we were beginning to feel that the grounding did not delay us all that much. We may have been bypassed by the folks we were traveling with before the grounding, but plenty of others were available to share the experience as we journeyed on.
Over the course of the six days away from Buckhorn, Bob began to notice the bilge pump going off more than usual which concerned him. He investigated the hull and found seepage along the rear head intake. He suspects that the grounding caused numerous hair line cracks in the fiberglass that are pathways for water to seep in. He was able to minimize the seepage with gobs of life caulk but was not able to stop it entirely. Bob called Boat US to inform them of the additional damage yet to be repaired. They said that subsequent repairs are often indicated after such a hard grounding and that these repairs can be done later after we returned to the US.
Our time in the Trent Severn Waterway was nearing an end. After Orillia, we had 32 more miles and four more locks including the Big Chute (Lock 44) before entering Georgian Bay. We left Orillia
and headed for Big Chute intending to spend the night on the upstream docks before actually going on the Big Chute. Although not a lock in the strict sense of the term, the Big Chute is a marine railroad that carries boats on a travel platform between Upper Severn River and Gloucester Pool a vertical distance of 58 feet. The marine railroad platform slides into the waters of the Upper Severn River, loads boats (with crew aboard) on the platform and holds them in place with straps. Once the boat is secure, the platform raises up out of the water along railroad tracks powered by cables, crosses Big Chute Road and travels down the incline to Gloucester Pool where it again slides into the water and releases the boats. It is quite a site to behold. We arrived in Big Chute at 2:45 PM and spent the rest of the afternoon watching the process several times to prepare ourselves for the experience the next morning. The next day Velomer glided onto the platform under fair skies. Everything went extremely smoothly and we were on our way. Our next stop was Midland, Ontario in the Georgian Bay. We had completed the Trent Severn Waterway leg of our Great Loop, a distance of 240 miles, 44 locks, 1 grounding and countless wonderful experiences and delightful people!
Much water has passed under Velomer's hull since my last entry. Antsy to leave Buckhorn at 3:30 PM on Thursday, July 17, the furthest we could cruise safely before the locks shut down for the night was Bobcageon, 18 statute miles away. I called the lock master at Lock 32 in Bobcageon to find out if there was room along the upstream lock wall where we could dock for the evening. He responded that there was no room at the present time but that the situation changes moment to moment so we may be able to find space. He also stated that if we arrived later than 30 minutes before the lock closed for the night at 6:00 PM we could tie up at the blue line. FYI, the blue line is literally a blue line painted along that portion of the lock wall where a boat wanting to go through the lock on the next opening ties up to let the lock master know his/her intention. Amazingly, by the time we arrived in Bobcageon, a perfect sized space along the starboard side of the lock wall had opened up. The folks on the boat docked ahead of us assisted our landing. An extra bonus was the electric post right by our area of the lock wall where we could plug into power, an unusual occurrence along the lock walls.
The next morning, we breakfasted at the Smart Egg and walked around town visiting Bigley's, a huge shoe and clothing store directly on the waterway, and stocking up on dark chocolate at the local
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| Traveling through the Trent Canal on a rainy day. |
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| Hole in the Wall Bridge |
Over the course of the six days away from Buckhorn, Bob began to notice the bilge pump going off more than usual which concerned him. He investigated the hull and found seepage along the rear head intake. He suspects that the grounding caused numerous hair line cracks in the fiberglass that are pathways for water to seep in. He was able to minimize the seepage with gobs of life caulk but was not able to stop it entirely. Bob called Boat US to inform them of the additional damage yet to be repaired. They said that subsequent repairs are often indicated after such a hard grounding and that these repairs can be done later after we returned to the US.
Our time in the Trent Severn Waterway was nearing an end. After Orillia, we had 32 more miles and four more locks including the Big Chute (Lock 44) before entering Georgian Bay. We left Orillia
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| View aboard Velomer while on the Big Chute heading toward Gloucester Pool |
Friday, July 24, 2015
Hard Aground Chapter 4
PM's Perspective
While we waited for our turn to be hauled, we were docked under cover within Buckhorn Yacht Harbor Marina. For a week, we explored the area by bike, were given a courtesy car and drove to Peterborough for a day, ate at all three of Buckhorn's restaurants, provisioned, did laundry, visited the library, went to the community center, met our neighbors and such. Bob even did some bright work. But our most memorable moments were when we were boarded at night by an intruder, not once but twice. I awoke from a sound sleep about 3:00 AM and heard footsteps on our deck and felt the boat move ever so slightly. "What the heck?" I thought to myself. I then saw the intruder walk past Bob's side of the state room and was taken aback by the light reflected in his left eye. I was a bit unnerved. I shook Bob. "We have an intruder on board," I tried to whisper. We then heard this thumping, then clanging. I jumped out of bed and banged on the wall thinking I may scare him away. It worked! I grabbed the flashlight and shined it on shore just in time to see a huge raccoon amble into the bushes. He apparently reached in under the screen door, managed to catch hold of a shopping bag containing a quart of epithane varnish that was sitting on the entry step and tried to pull it out. That was the source of the noises. He returned the following night. This time we closed the boat doors, so he couldn't get into too much mischief. Bob thinks he just wanted to help with the bright work.
Monday arrived and Velomer got hauled. As the hull emerged from the water, everything was looking as it should, no gaping holes, gashes or overly obvious impairments. Closer inspection proved otherwise. The damage was worse than we expected, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. The more closely I inspected, the more disheartened I became. The good news was that we were at the right place to get the repairs done correctly. As far as we could tell from the scars in Velomer's hull, particularly the keel, we most likely grounded on a ledge and as we slid off, the edge of the rock dug into the keel in three stripes along the entire keel's length. The repair process included drilling an inch boring into the back of the keel to drain any water that was in the keel, let the keel dry out, taking the fiberglass off the keel and replacing it. Damage also included pitting of the hull where propeller bits or pieces of rock dug into the fiberglass. These wounds also needed repair. And, of course, the damage to the gel coat on the port side that sustained damage because we had no reverse and couldn't avoid contact with several concrete walls.
When we were first hauled, we were thinking maybe a day out of the water, then two days, then three. Bob and I used our time to take the flybridge cover down and wash all 13 panels and condition the isinglass. Bob found a large piece of carpeting in the dumpster and we fashioned replacement carpeting in the engine room to protect our knees as we crawl about in that area. We also had the opportunity to get to know the staff at the marina and other boaters. One couple we met were Joanne and Shirley who just had their boat rebuilt. Their boat is a Hobo, a brand no longer made, that is the most compact boat imaginable with a living area, dining area, sleeping area, kitchen area, bathroom and helm all withing 21' of boat. Joanne is known as Hobo-Jo around the boatyard!
On the fourth day, Thursday, we were ready to roll! Velomer looked fabulous with a new brass keel plug, freshly painted keel, repaired gel coat, cleaned flybridge, new engine room carpeting. Although we will miss the fine folk at Buckhorn Yacht Harbor, we were so happy to be underway again! Unfortunately, our good feelings didn't last too long.
While we waited for our turn to be hauled, we were docked under cover within Buckhorn Yacht Harbor Marina. For a week, we explored the area by bike, were given a courtesy car and drove to Peterborough for a day, ate at all three of Buckhorn's restaurants, provisioned, did laundry, visited the library, went to the community center, met our neighbors and such. Bob even did some bright work. But our most memorable moments were when we were boarded at night by an intruder, not once but twice. I awoke from a sound sleep about 3:00 AM and heard footsteps on our deck and felt the boat move ever so slightly. "What the heck?" I thought to myself. I then saw the intruder walk past Bob's side of the state room and was taken aback by the light reflected in his left eye. I was a bit unnerved. I shook Bob. "We have an intruder on board," I tried to whisper. We then heard this thumping, then clanging. I jumped out of bed and banged on the wall thinking I may scare him away. It worked! I grabbed the flashlight and shined it on shore just in time to see a huge raccoon amble into the bushes. He apparently reached in under the screen door, managed to catch hold of a shopping bag containing a quart of epithane varnish that was sitting on the entry step and tried to pull it out. That was the source of the noises. He returned the following night. This time we closed the boat doors, so he couldn't get into too much mischief. Bob thinks he just wanted to help with the bright work.
Monday arrived and Velomer got hauled. As the hull emerged from the water, everything was looking as it should, no gaping holes, gashes or overly obvious impairments. Closer inspection proved otherwise. The damage was worse than we expected, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. The more closely I inspected, the more disheartened I became. The good news was that we were at the right place to get the repairs done correctly. As far as we could tell from the scars in Velomer's hull, particularly the keel, we most likely grounded on a ledge and as we slid off, the edge of the rock dug into the keel in three stripes along the entire keel's length. The repair process included drilling an inch boring into the back of the keel to drain any water that was in the keel, let the keel dry out, taking the fiberglass off the keel and replacing it. Damage also included pitting of the hull where propeller bits or pieces of rock dug into the fiberglass. These wounds also needed repair. And, of course, the damage to the gel coat on the port side that sustained damage because we had no reverse and couldn't avoid contact with several concrete walls.
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| Velomer gets hauled |
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| Close up of keel damage |
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| The shipwright drilling into the keel to dry it out. |
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| Close up of the pitted hull by the propeller |
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| Keel under repair with new fiberglass and wood keel protector. |
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| Pitting under repair! |
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| Port side under repair! |
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| Keel in bow area under repair! |
On the fourth day, Thursday, we were ready to roll! Velomer looked fabulous with a new brass keel plug, freshly painted keel, repaired gel coat, cleaned flybridge, new engine room carpeting. Although we will miss the fine folk at Buckhorn Yacht Harbor, we were so happy to be underway again! Unfortunately, our good feelings didn't last too long.
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| New brass keel plug |
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| New prop in place and ready to go. |
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| Ready to roll! |
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| Joanne and Shirley aboard their Hobo! |
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Hard Aground Chapter 3
PM's Perspective
Bob's activity of preparing to dive under Velomer to remove the prop attracted much attention from passers-by who became bystanders which gave Bob the audience he has so desperately desired since, I think, birth. He was in his element looking trim and sleek in his one-piece dive skin as he donned his BC, Phil's bright pink scuba tank, regulator, mask, fins and snorkel. Of course, I was on hand to explain why Bob needed to remove the propeller in the first place and was regaled with even more "that's nothing, let me tell you about when I went aground" stories. My humbled and bruised ego (after all, I consider myself a very competent woman with more than average skills who would never go aground) was beginning to regain confidence. I was beginning to feel as if I have gone through the initiation rite of a not-so-exclusive club as every boater goes aground at some point.
The array of tools dockside included a pair of pliers, two pipe wrenches, a hammer, and an ice pick. Why an ice pick, I have no idea, but it looked good all laid out. Several of the bystanders became sidewalk superintendents who were very helpful (seriously) in the process. Once all geared up, Bob, with pliers in hand, slid into the water with a splash, waved to the crowd and descended into the water, fading away in the murk. Every once in awhile we caught glimpses of pink and bursts of air bubbles along the hull when Bob exhaled underwater. One minute passed, then two and three. Then five. Bob had explained that removing the prop was simple. All you had to do was remove the cotter pin, unscrew two bolts, remove the prop from the shaft and make sure the prop-shaft key didn't fall into the mud below.
Just at the point of real concern on my part, Bob emerged from the murk, pliers in hand but nothing else. "I'm having trouble getting the cotter pin to come off." The superintendents gave several suggestions. With the pliers and a long screw driver in hand, Bob descended again. Lots of underwater clanging was heard. Five more minutes and Bob surfaced with a twisted, bent, and rather deformed cotter pin. Success! Next, at the recommendation of one of the supervisors, Bob used the hammer applied at just the right angle to loosen the first bolt, then the second. He brought these to the surface and handed them to me. Descending for the fourth time, he took a line with one end attached to the boat, slipped it through the prop and gently yanked on the line -- the signal to those above to haul the prop up. Ever so slowly, the superintendents raised the prop. As the prop broke the surface, I cringed to see the damage, but I must admit I also experience a pang of pride. I didn't do a half-assed job of going aground, I really went aground! That evening, the prop folks came and picked up the prop with promises of return the next day.
Our four days in Peterborough were spent enjoying what the area had to offer. The post prop removal day was July 1, Canada Day and Peterborough celebrated like no other. The park directly adjacent to the marina started to fill early in the morning with food and trinket venders. By noon, throngs of people were milling around; downing tasty ethnic food, typical festival fare of hot dogs or sausage, onions and peppers, or cotton candy and other teeth rotting goodies; and viewing various demonstrations of karate, yoga, native dancing, gymnastics and whatever on the concert stage.
Freya Peterson, the AGLCA harbor host in Peterborough, threw a cocktail party for loopers that evening and at 7:00 PM, the band Hotel California, regaled the capacity crowd with Eagle songs. A very pleasant sense of nostalgia captured our hearts as Bob and I made our way around the sea of people. The evening was made all the more mystical by the rising of the full moon over Little Lake. Shortly after dark, the fireworks began! Bob and I had ringside seats on Velomer's flybridge.
The next day was spent trying to figure out the phone system in Canada and the best, most cost effective service package (no easy task for this techno-phobe!), provisioning, exploring Peterborough, and discovering the recreation trails throughout the area. The following day, Friday, Bob and I took advantage of the bike trails and rode to lock 21, Peterborough's famous lift lock. That evening, the repaired prop was delivered! We couldn't believe it was the same item. It looked more like a piece of art work to display on the wall rather then something you put on the shaft to propel the boat. Saturday Bob reattached the propeller with less of an audience, but an audience nonetheless. That afternoon, we bid farewell to Peterborough and started heading north once again along the Trent-Severn Canal toward Buckhorn Yacht Harbor where Velomer will be hauled to inspect the hull, shaft, cutlass bearings, and rudder for any additional damage that could not be assessed while still in the water and to perform fiberglass repair.
We have made it to Buckhorn Yacht Harbor passing Burleigh Falls on the way waiting to have Velomer hauled. All the boats that we were traveling with have gone on to other harbors. The haul takes place on Monday, two weeks post grounding. Depending on the extent of damage we may be here for awhile longer. We are using our time to get in some biking, provisioning and sightseeing. Bob is doing more bright work, I am catching up on the blog, and we are both getting antsy to continue the adventure.
Bob's activity of preparing to dive under Velomer to remove the prop attracted much attention from passers-by who became bystanders which gave Bob the audience he has so desperately desired since, I think, birth. He was in his element looking trim and sleek in his one-piece dive skin as he donned his BC, Phil's bright pink scuba tank, regulator, mask, fins and snorkel. Of course, I was on hand to explain why Bob needed to remove the propeller in the first place and was regaled with even more "that's nothing, let me tell you about when I went aground" stories. My humbled and bruised ego (after all, I consider myself a very competent woman with more than average skills who would never go aground) was beginning to regain confidence. I was beginning to feel as if I have gone through the initiation rite of a not-so-exclusive club as every boater goes aground at some point.
The array of tools dockside included a pair of pliers, two pipe wrenches, a hammer, and an ice pick. Why an ice pick, I have no idea, but it looked good all laid out. Several of the bystanders became sidewalk superintendents who were very helpful (seriously) in the process. Once all geared up, Bob, with pliers in hand, slid into the water with a splash, waved to the crowd and descended into the water, fading away in the murk. Every once in awhile we caught glimpses of pink and bursts of air bubbles along the hull when Bob exhaled underwater. One minute passed, then two and three. Then five. Bob had explained that removing the prop was simple. All you had to do was remove the cotter pin, unscrew two bolts, remove the prop from the shaft and make sure the prop-shaft key didn't fall into the mud below.
Just at the point of real concern on my part, Bob emerged from the murk, pliers in hand but nothing else. "I'm having trouble getting the cotter pin to come off." The superintendents gave several suggestions. With the pliers and a long screw driver in hand, Bob descended again. Lots of underwater clanging was heard. Five more minutes and Bob surfaced with a twisted, bent, and rather deformed cotter pin. Success! Next, at the recommendation of one of the supervisors, Bob used the hammer applied at just the right angle to loosen the first bolt, then the second. He brought these to the surface and handed them to me. Descending for the fourth time, he took a line with one end attached to the boat, slipped it through the prop and gently yanked on the line -- the signal to those above to haul the prop up. Ever so slowly, the superintendents raised the prop. As the prop broke the surface, I cringed to see the damage, but I must admit I also experience a pang of pride. I didn't do a half-assed job of going aground, I really went aground! That evening, the prop folks came and picked up the prop with promises of return the next day.
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| Before |
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| Hotel California plays Eagles songs on Canada Day |
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| Full moon rising |
Freya Peterson, the AGLCA harbor host in Peterborough, threw a cocktail party for loopers that evening and at 7:00 PM, the band Hotel California, regaled the capacity crowd with Eagle songs. A very pleasant sense of nostalgia captured our hearts as Bob and I made our way around the sea of people. The evening was made all the more mystical by the rising of the full moon over Little Lake. Shortly after dark, the fireworks began! Bob and I had ringside seats on Velomer's flybridge.
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| After! |
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| Lock 21, Peterborough lift lock |
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| Burleigh Falls |
Friday, July 10, 2015
Hard Aground Chapter 2
PM's Perspective
The next day was Monday, June 29 which gave us two days to cruise to Peterborough in time for Canada Day. Peterborough Marina is located between locks 19 and 20, a mere 55 miles and seven locks from Campbellford municipal docking, so two days left ample time to make our destination in a timely manner, or so I thought. We left the dock shortly after 8:30 AM heading toward lock 13 just up the canal apiece. The lock was open when we arrived and entered smoothly pulling up to the front of the port side of the lock and securing lines to the lock's vertical cables. Several other boats were cruising toward the lock so we waited for them to enter and get secured. We were joined by Chimera (a 36' Monk with Jim, Gwen and Blaine aboard), September (with Ben and Nancy aboard) and Chinook (with Klaus and Elizabeth aboard) as well as two others. Our locking through was a pleasant, social affair with lots of chatter about adventures in Campbellford, plans for Canada Day and the like. As the boats exited the lock, Velomer was the first out and headed toward lock 14, 1.5 miles away.
The canal between locks 13 and 14 takes a 90 degree turn to the port and has several islands and a small peninsula jutting out from the port side shore. The charts clearly state to stay within the channel as outside the channel is unforgiving. The capital R in the waterway on the chart indicates the bottom consists of rock versus G for gravel, M for mud or S for sand. As Velomer approached the 90 degree turn with Bob at the helm he said, "PM, take the helm. I need to go below for a moment." Not a problem. We often make this switch. As I got behind the helm, I quickly pressed the auto pilot 10 degree to the port three times for a 30 degree correction in course. Nada. Velomer kept right on going in the same direction. Not to panic, I quickly looked down at the auto pilot and realized that the auto pilot was not engaged. Again, not a problem. It's happened before. I quickly engaged the auto pilot and got us back on track with a few more presses and negotiated the turn. Velomer rounded the bend with ease smoothly gliding passed red channel marker T248 to starboard. As Velomer approached the port shore more closely I again pressed the 10 degree starboard button to correct course. Again, nada! What is going on here? As I was looking down at the auto pilot trying to figure out why the auto pilot was not responding, Velomer slide passed green marker T249. I looked up and saw the entrance to lock 14 looming ahead.
"Where the heck is Bob?" I said to myself. "He should be back by now. Well, if he doesn't make it back in a timely manner, I'll just have to helm Velomer into the lock." This is a maneuver I have yet to do, but no time like the present. Without warning, I felt a strong thrust upward and sideways and heard a continuous deafening sound. "What the f...?" I said to myself. I saw green marker T251 on the right and thought I'm clearly in the channel so we can't be aground. Then, "Oh shit, the green marker is supposed to be to port." At this point, Bob comes scrambling to the flybridge as best he can while the boat is at a 45 degree angle to horizon, "What the hell...?" The situation became obvious. We were clearly aground. Hard aground. Very hard aground.
Bob jumped into action turning on the bow thruster and moving the joystick to starboard and the bow into the current. Velomer groaned as she teetered. "Are we going to tip over?" I wondered. It sure felt like it. We both tightly held on to available railing. Slowly, ever so slowly, Velomer's keel turned and slide off whatever it was that hung us up while she still screamed in pain. As Velomer slid, Marker T251 appeared to port and with a final splash, Velomer was free at last! "Oh, thank God," I said to myself as I suddenly decided to get religious. I sighed a bit of relief but deeply stressed by whatever damage may have been done. Bob assessed immediate damage and realized Velomer still possessed maneuverability. Gwen's voice came over Channel 16, "Are you both all right?" After an affirmative reply, she continued, "That was spectacular. Your hull was out of the water! Damn, I should have taken a picture." Bob slowly helmed Velomer into the lock where we secured the lines to the lock cables. He then went down into the engine room to see if Velomer was taking on water and see if there was any visible damage on the inside of the hull. The other boats followed with all aboard asking how we were and offering any support we needed.
The downstream lock gates closed and the lock began to fill. The lock master came to the side of the lock where Velomer rested. He bent his knees to be at eye level with us and gently asked if we were okay. I was still shaking from the experience, still trying to figure out exactly what happened and why. "A bit shaken but okay," I replied. Bob, who was back on deck by this time, entered into a litany of how there was no visible damage on the inside of the hull, how he could still operate the boat but needed to tie up somewhere safe to snorkel and assess damage to the outside. The lock master replied that we needed to tie up on the port side directly at the top of the lock so that we could give a police report. He witnessed our grounding, saw our hull out of the water, our sharp angle and immediately called 911 as he thought for sure we must have been ejected from the boat. He also said that due to the current as the top of the lock, that this location was not safe to check for damage.
After the upstream lock gates opened, Velomer limbed out of the lock and we tied her up to port side. The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) who responded to the 911 call came over and took our report. P.C. Summerfeldt took down our names, birth dates, addresses, telephone numbers and details of the grounding including time, date, who was at the helm, etc. The event was even assigned an incident number. After this interview and taking a few deep breaths, we made our way to lock 15 where the lock mistress directed us to a small embayment to the port of the top of the lock where the current is almost non-existent and we could dock Velomer to check for damages. She also told us that we probably wouldn't find dock space at lock 17 as it is a very popular place for overnighting and typically fills up very early in the day. We were a bit discouraged by this news but decided that if needed we could anchor for the night. I also felt our getting to Peterborough in time for Canada Day slip away. Once tied up, Bob donned snorkel gear and dove down. The only damages he could find were three curled prop blades and a scraped keel over its entire length. Bob also discovered that due to the curvature of the blades, Velomer had no reverse gear which is a problem when trying to stop forward momentum. He also realized that Velomer could not exceed 5.0 kph (6 mph) without getting vibration.
Just about his time I began to feel like an embraced member of the boating community. New travels fast among these circles and sympathy abounds when it comes to incidences involving groundings and other problematic events for boaters. As we pulled away from lock 15 towards the flight locks of 16 and 17, Ben from the vessel September called on the radio to say that there was dock space waiting for us at the top of lock 17 and to come on up. Ben had directed the other boats to move a bit tighter together to make room for Velomer. As we left lock 17, Nancy was on the bow of September with a boat hook ready to take lines from Velomer, pass them onto folks on shore so they could gently pull us into the tight dock space along the wall. I felt we were in tender hands. Once docked and on terra firma, all sorts of folks came up to me to relay their grounding story! To continue with the religious theme, I felt baptized!
Still hopeful that we may be able to get to Peterborough this day, we left early the next morning. The route through the Trent Severn for the day would bring us across Rice Lake and through two locks over a distance of 49 miles. Because we could only cruise at 6 mph to avoid vibration, the trip would take us a minimum of seven hours. Add two locks into the mixture and the time increases by at least another hour. And with no reverse gear, lock maneuvering would be challenging. Surprisingly enough, our day went fairly smoothly making Peterborough without major incidence.
We informed Peterborough Marina that we were a handicapped boat with no reverse and needed a slip with no current so Bob could dive down and remove the prop to get it repaired. We were given slip B28 which happens to be on the main pedestrian thoroughfare of the downtown public park where all the Canada Day festivities were to take place. Once securely tied up, Bob went about putting on his scuba gear, setting out tools and preparing to remove the prop. The marina staff helped put him in touch with Kawartha Prop Repair from Buckhorn Yacht Harbor who was willing to come to Peterborough, pick up the prop and return it after repairing it. Life couldn't get any better than this, but it actually did! To be continued in Chapter 3!
The next day was Monday, June 29 which gave us two days to cruise to Peterborough in time for Canada Day. Peterborough Marina is located between locks 19 and 20, a mere 55 miles and seven locks from Campbellford municipal docking, so two days left ample time to make our destination in a timely manner, or so I thought. We left the dock shortly after 8:30 AM heading toward lock 13 just up the canal apiece. The lock was open when we arrived and entered smoothly pulling up to the front of the port side of the lock and securing lines to the lock's vertical cables. Several other boats were cruising toward the lock so we waited for them to enter and get secured. We were joined by Chimera (a 36' Monk with Jim, Gwen and Blaine aboard), September (with Ben and Nancy aboard) and Chinook (with Klaus and Elizabeth aboard) as well as two others. Our locking through was a pleasant, social affair with lots of chatter about adventures in Campbellford, plans for Canada Day and the like. As the boats exited the lock, Velomer was the first out and headed toward lock 14, 1.5 miles away.
The canal between locks 13 and 14 takes a 90 degree turn to the port and has several islands and a small peninsula jutting out from the port side shore. The charts clearly state to stay within the channel as outside the channel is unforgiving. The capital R in the waterway on the chart indicates the bottom consists of rock versus G for gravel, M for mud or S for sand. As Velomer approached the 90 degree turn with Bob at the helm he said, "PM, take the helm. I need to go below for a moment." Not a problem. We often make this switch. As I got behind the helm, I quickly pressed the auto pilot 10 degree to the port three times for a 30 degree correction in course. Nada. Velomer kept right on going in the same direction. Not to panic, I quickly looked down at the auto pilot and realized that the auto pilot was not engaged. Again, not a problem. It's happened before. I quickly engaged the auto pilot and got us back on track with a few more presses and negotiated the turn. Velomer rounded the bend with ease smoothly gliding passed red channel marker T248 to starboard. As Velomer approached the port shore more closely I again pressed the 10 degree starboard button to correct course. Again, nada! What is going on here? As I was looking down at the auto pilot trying to figure out why the auto pilot was not responding, Velomer slide passed green marker T249. I looked up and saw the entrance to lock 14 looming ahead.
"Where the heck is Bob?" I said to myself. "He should be back by now. Well, if he doesn't make it back in a timely manner, I'll just have to helm Velomer into the lock." This is a maneuver I have yet to do, but no time like the present. Without warning, I felt a strong thrust upward and sideways and heard a continuous deafening sound. "What the f...?" I said to myself. I saw green marker T251 on the right and thought I'm clearly in the channel so we can't be aground. Then, "Oh shit, the green marker is supposed to be to port." At this point, Bob comes scrambling to the flybridge as best he can while the boat is at a 45 degree angle to horizon, "What the hell...?" The situation became obvious. We were clearly aground. Hard aground. Very hard aground.
Bob jumped into action turning on the bow thruster and moving the joystick to starboard and the bow into the current. Velomer groaned as she teetered. "Are we going to tip over?" I wondered. It sure felt like it. We both tightly held on to available railing. Slowly, ever so slowly, Velomer's keel turned and slide off whatever it was that hung us up while she still screamed in pain. As Velomer slid, Marker T251 appeared to port and with a final splash, Velomer was free at last! "Oh, thank God," I said to myself as I suddenly decided to get religious. I sighed a bit of relief but deeply stressed by whatever damage may have been done. Bob assessed immediate damage and realized Velomer still possessed maneuverability. Gwen's voice came over Channel 16, "Are you both all right?" After an affirmative reply, she continued, "That was spectacular. Your hull was out of the water! Damn, I should have taken a picture." Bob slowly helmed Velomer into the lock where we secured the lines to the lock cables. He then went down into the engine room to see if Velomer was taking on water and see if there was any visible damage on the inside of the hull. The other boats followed with all aboard asking how we were and offering any support we needed.
The downstream lock gates closed and the lock began to fill. The lock master came to the side of the lock where Velomer rested. He bent his knees to be at eye level with us and gently asked if we were okay. I was still shaking from the experience, still trying to figure out exactly what happened and why. "A bit shaken but okay," I replied. Bob, who was back on deck by this time, entered into a litany of how there was no visible damage on the inside of the hull, how he could still operate the boat but needed to tie up somewhere safe to snorkel and assess damage to the outside. The lock master replied that we needed to tie up on the port side directly at the top of the lock so that we could give a police report. He witnessed our grounding, saw our hull out of the water, our sharp angle and immediately called 911 as he thought for sure we must have been ejected from the boat. He also said that due to the current as the top of the lock, that this location was not safe to check for damage.
After the upstream lock gates opened, Velomer limbed out of the lock and we tied her up to port side. The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) who responded to the 911 call came over and took our report. P.C. Summerfeldt took down our names, birth dates, addresses, telephone numbers and details of the grounding including time, date, who was at the helm, etc. The event was even assigned an incident number. After this interview and taking a few deep breaths, we made our way to lock 15 where the lock mistress directed us to a small embayment to the port of the top of the lock where the current is almost non-existent and we could dock Velomer to check for damages. She also told us that we probably wouldn't find dock space at lock 17 as it is a very popular place for overnighting and typically fills up very early in the day. We were a bit discouraged by this news but decided that if needed we could anchor for the night. I also felt our getting to Peterborough in time for Canada Day slip away. Once tied up, Bob donned snorkel gear and dove down. The only damages he could find were three curled prop blades and a scraped keel over its entire length. Bob also discovered that due to the curvature of the blades, Velomer had no reverse gear which is a problem when trying to stop forward momentum. He also realized that Velomer could not exceed 5.0 kph (6 mph) without getting vibration.
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| Velomer in the flight lock with Chimera to our port |
Still hopeful that we may be able to get to Peterborough this day, we left early the next morning. The route through the Trent Severn for the day would bring us across Rice Lake and through two locks over a distance of 49 miles. Because we could only cruise at 6 mph to avoid vibration, the trip would take us a minimum of seven hours. Add two locks into the mixture and the time increases by at least another hour. And with no reverse gear, lock maneuvering would be challenging. Surprisingly enough, our day went fairly smoothly making Peterborough without major incidence.
We informed Peterborough Marina that we were a handicapped boat with no reverse and needed a slip with no current so Bob could dive down and remove the prop to get it repaired. We were given slip B28 which happens to be on the main pedestrian thoroughfare of the downtown public park where all the Canada Day festivities were to take place. Once securely tied up, Bob went about putting on his scuba gear, setting out tools and preparing to remove the prop. The marina staff helped put him in touch with Kawartha Prop Repair from Buckhorn Yacht Harbor who was willing to come to Peterborough, pick up the prop and return it after repairing it. Life couldn't get any better than this, but it actually did! To be continued in Chapter 3!
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Hard Aground Chapter 1
PM's Perspective
Let's face it, smooth sailing through crystal clear water along scenic countryside visiting idyllic quaint villages with unique boutiques, charming architecture and lovely informative museums is boring, so I will not bore you but will provide you with the more exciting moments of our Velomer adventure!
To quickly catch up, from Annapolis we cruised to Summit North Marina on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. We planned to stay a week, but the weather forecasts became more and more ominous with bad weather extending for more than a week. Based on the impending forecast, we decided to take advantage of the current fair weather and high tail our way to New York Harbor where we would visit with Phil and Bettina in Brooklyn. The trip was to take four days. Day 1 from the C&D Canal to Cape May, NJ; Day 2 from Cape May to Atlantic City; Day 3 from Atlantic City to Manasquan, NJ; and Day 4 from Manasquan to New York Harbor, exact location to be determined.
Day 1, May 28, was one of our longer cruise days, but quite doable. We departed the dock at the crack of dawn and arrived in Cape May with daylight to spare and time to walk around the area and buy fresh fish for dinner. Day 2 began again at the crack of dawn as we left the dock. With such an early departure, we were scheduled to arrive in Atlantic City by 11:00 AM. This left us just too much time in Atlantic City, not our favorite spot. Bob and I just looked at each other as we approached and simultaneously came to the conclusion that we were Manasquan bound. We arrived in Manasquan by 6:00 PM having done 86.6 nautical miles, a new record for us for one day's cruise. Best of all, we avoided Atlantic City with its artificial glitz and downwardly spiraling economy!
The next day we woke up to clear skies in our immediate vicinity but could see thick fog out on the ocean. Bob, in his optimism, said, "It will burn off in no time." We departed by 7:30 AM exiting the Manasquan inlet into the pea soup fog on the ocean. We figured few if any sport fishing boats would be out in this fog, but used the radar system to make sure we wouldn't run into anything. This was the first time we really had to use radar for serious navigation but were able to make our way without ramming into anything (just yet)! My main concern was our approach to New York Harbor and the main shipping channels, but fortunately, the fog did burn off just as we entered the harbor. Initially we were going to find a marina on Staten Island, but Phil recommended we find something closer to Brooklyn. We found our ideal spot at Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club directly behind Coney Island. The neighborhood offered everything we could want including Cherry Hill Gourmet, a grocery store deli with the most wonderful fresh prepared foods imaginable; easy access to the subway; and incredible people. We arrived strangers and left adopted family members! Our week in Brooklyn was spent not only eating fantastic food but visiting with Phil, Bettina and Bettina's parents, and of course our grandpuppy, Otto. Our one trip into Manhattan was to visit with our dear friends Sam and Suzie whom we get to see all too infrequently.
On Saturday, June 6, Phil, Bettina, Otto, Bob and I headed north on Velomer to Half Moon Bay marina in Croton-on-Hudson, my home town. Unfortunately, blustery north winds and incoming tide made for a very rough ride, the longest sustained rough seas we have ever experienced. Velomer is a mighty boat and could take the pounding, the folks aboard not so much. Even poor Otto, all decked out in his personal flotation device, looked a bit green around the gills. Bettina, who is prone to motion sickness, took a good dose of Benadryl and was able to sleep through much of it. Once docked at Half Moon Bay, the winds calmed down. The next day and after a solid night's sleep, we all took a walking tour of downtown Croton where I indicated the three schools I attended, my favorite haunts, Senasqua Beach, the railroad station, the former Grand Union grocery store, the intersection where my dad was a crossing guard and the like punctuated by childhood stories. That afternoon we walked to Croton-Harmon Station and bid Phil, Bettina and Otto farewell as we put them on a train to New York and Bob and I returned to Velomer to continue the Great Loop.
The next morning we bid Croton adieu and headed up the Hudson again. The Hudson River Valley is definitely eye candy with the majesty of West Point, the prominence of Bear Mountain and everything in between. One of my favorite features of the river are the lighthouses. We overnighted at Riverview Marina in Catskill and arrived in Waterford just north of Albany. Waterford is the starting point of the Erie Canal for west bound vessels. The town has a very welcoming waterfront with a long wall where boaters may tie up for as many as two days, a tourist info center, showers and restrooms.
Restaurants, laundromat, grocery store, and hardware store are within an easy waking distance. Most boats take advantage of the town's hospitality and stay at least two nights and sometimes more depending on the weather. In stark contrast to our last Erie Canal experience, we passed through the locks without major mishaps. No boat hook lost, no hull slamming against the lock walls. We made it as far as Brewerton when we received the news that the Erie Canal
was closed until further notice due to heavy rains in the Finger Lakes region creating flooding and a great deal of debris in the canal. We, along with many other boaters, made the most of the situation. Some took the opportunity to travel home to touch base with family, others did work on their boats, others rented cars to explore upstate New York. We did a variety of things like get our teeth cleaned, discovered the joy of food shopping at Wegman's, and nurtured a fast friendship with Dede and Jim McGuire, aboard the good vessel Hope, whom we met at Little Falls. We also used the time to touch base with Brian Burns, my high school classmate who lives in Syracuse and his partner, Doris. Friends who knew you way back when are quite special.
After eight days, the canal reopened and we took advantage of the situation by heading out on
Tuesday, June 23 along with Dede and Jim aboard Hope. We had eight locks and 30 miles to negotiate to get to our destination of Oswego, NY on Lake Ontario where we planned to spend two nights to prepare for entry into Canada. In the second lock, the bow thruster died. Again! The remaining six locks were a testament to Bob's boat handling skills and my line handling skills. The situation was made even more challenging by the fact that it was quite windy and Velomer's flybridge enclosure tends to catch the wind and act like a sail. Despite some tense moments, we made it into Wright's Landing International Marina in Oswego. Bob was able to repair the bow thruster that had shattered a shear pin by replacing the pin, not an easy task, but not impossible. The next day the four of us enjoyed visiting Fort Ontario in Oswego and exploring the town by bicycle.
In the early afternoon, Bob went to enter our course across Lake Ontario and into Canada where we planned to go through customs in Trenton. The only problem was that the chart plotter wouldn't load the Canadian charts. After an hour on the phone with Garmin, the tech at Garmin decided the plotter had a defunct chip reader. "This is an easy fix," he said. "Send the Garmin back to the factory, we'll fix or replace the reader and send it back to you." "How long and how much will that be?" I asked. "Well, let's see. Once we get the unit, we can have it back to you in 10 to 14 days. Too bad your warranty ran out last month, so it will be about $500 plus shipping." This timing was absolutely not going to work as we had reservations at Peterborough, ON for June 30 and July 1 for Canada Day (their Independence Day). The problem was solved by calling West Marine 45 miles away that happened to have a new chart plotter on sale and would deliver it to the boat that evening! Yeah, West Marine, our hero. That night we had a potluck dinner on Hope saying our goodbyes as Dede and Jim were going in another direction. We will sorely miss traveling with these lovely folks!
The next morning we left the marina at 6:15 AM and headed out across Lake Ontario. By this time, the high winds of two days prior had calmed down and the crossing fairly uneventful. Our main concern at the time was Canadian customs. While at Wegman's and charmed by all the fresh fruits and vegetables, we really loaded up on these items. After putting away all these great foods, I googled what we can and cannot bring into Canada. Among the forbidden items were fresh fruits and vegetables. Determined not to have any of these confiscated by customs officials, Bob and I were eating as many of these as humanly possible. "What's for breakfast?" Bob asked. "Fresh fruits and vegetables," I replied. "What's for lunch, snack, dinner?" The answer was always the same. Fresh fruits and vegetables. Stir fried, sauteed, roasted, salad, every imaginable form. Oh, for a potato chip! When we finally reached our destination of Trenton, ON, Bob went ashore to clear customs (I had to stay on Velomer during the process as only the captain is allowed onshore). One of the first questions the custom's official asked was, "Do you have any fresh fruits or vegetables, any meats, any alcohol?" "Yes to all the above." Bob was prepared to list all contents of Velomer's larder when the official asked, "Are they intended for consumption aboard the boat?" "Yes, Sir." To which he replied, "Welcome to Canada. Your customs number is ...." So all that worry (and eating) was unnecessary. Live and learn. Next time, we'll know.
The next day we started the process of locking up the Trent Severn Canal, a waterway 240 miles long with 44 locks. We didn't leave the dock until early afternoon. We had a light day ahead of us intending to go through six locks over 12 miles and spend the night at the bottom of Lock 7. The locks are very well maintained and have at least two attendants if not three. The fills are very gentle and more often than not, you travel through the locks with other boats, often the same boats lock after lock for that particular day. Often locking through is a social event with lots of conversation and merriment. In our first lock we met up with a number of other loopers, a few of whom we first met at the
conference in Norfolk. Our first day was quite pleasant and enjoyable. That night we moored along the lower wall of Lock 7 with the folks on Chimera, another 36' Monk. The following day was equal in quality as we made our way through the next six locks and 15 miles to Campbellford, located between Lock 12 and 13. The community has town docks on either side of the canal, a recreation trail, restaurants, grocery store, liquor store, and most importantly a chocolate factory. The most outstanding feature of the town is a huge sculpture of the toonie, the two dollar coin, in the downtown park (see below). Due to inclement weather forecasts, we decided to stay here for two days and enjoy what the town has to offer. Our second day included a hike in the rain to Ranney Falls and across the suspension bridge, restocking supplies, and visiting with other loopers. Our good times, however, were not to continue indefinitely! To be continued.
Let's face it, smooth sailing through crystal clear water along scenic countryside visiting idyllic quaint villages with unique boutiques, charming architecture and lovely informative museums is boring, so I will not bore you but will provide you with the more exciting moments of our Velomer adventure!
To quickly catch up, from Annapolis we cruised to Summit North Marina on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. We planned to stay a week, but the weather forecasts became more and more ominous with bad weather extending for more than a week. Based on the impending forecast, we decided to take advantage of the current fair weather and high tail our way to New York Harbor where we would visit with Phil and Bettina in Brooklyn. The trip was to take four days. Day 1 from the C&D Canal to Cape May, NJ; Day 2 from Cape May to Atlantic City; Day 3 from Atlantic City to Manasquan, NJ; and Day 4 from Manasquan to New York Harbor, exact location to be determined.
Day 1, May 28, was one of our longer cruise days, but quite doable. We departed the dock at the crack of dawn and arrived in Cape May with daylight to spare and time to walk around the area and buy fresh fish for dinner. Day 2 began again at the crack of dawn as we left the dock. With such an early departure, we were scheduled to arrive in Atlantic City by 11:00 AM. This left us just too much time in Atlantic City, not our favorite spot. Bob and I just looked at each other as we approached and simultaneously came to the conclusion that we were Manasquan bound. We arrived in Manasquan by 6:00 PM having done 86.6 nautical miles, a new record for us for one day's cruise. Best of all, we avoided Atlantic City with its artificial glitz and downwardly spiraling economy!
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| Manasquan in the morning |
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| Phil, Bettina and Otto at Croton-Harmon High School |
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| Hudson River Valley |
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| Albany from the Hudson |
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| Bob, PM, and Brian |
After eight days, the canal reopened and we took advantage of the situation by heading out on
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| Visitor on Velomer, a 2" water bug |
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| Lighthouse on Oswego breakwater |
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| Welcome sign at entrance to the Trent-Severn Canal |
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| Velomer in Lock 1 of the Trent Severn Canal |
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| View from suspension bridge of Ranney Falls in Campbellford |
Monday, June 1, 2015
HANGING IN VERO BEACH
(Note that the publish date far beyond when I wrote this as we have been totally absorbed by travel )
It was a warm and gentle time at Vero Beach Municipal Marina where we picked up a mooring ball just off the marina dock (we were there for the second time, having arrived January 31) and this allowed us to reconnect with Phoebe, the twins, Bobbee and Erik here in Florida. After an unscheduled two week trip back to Maine for John Larsson's memorial service, our travels continued and both PM and I were chomping at the bit to be moving again. Our time in Vero Beach as moored residents at the marina allowed us to re-provision, refit (correcting for the last time, I hope, the idle adjust screw, and changing fluids for the genset and main) and review our cruising plan for 17 cruising days to Norfolk VA. We are scheduled to attend the AGLCA (America Great Loop Cruising Association) Rendezvous at Waterside Marina for 3 days in early May. But first we need to get there.
The community of Vero Beach is known as Velcro Beach to some and this is apt. The services there are really top notch: free municipal bus service, a world class art museum within walking distance of the marina, really good grocery and wine stores and (PM's favorite service) several greasy spoons and some not so greasy breakfast joints.
The biking there is really good as well as the roads all have off road paved paths or wide on road bike lanes. Bobbee's home at The Anchorage (named that as the gated residential development looks like an anchor from space) is a bit over 7 miles from the marina where we stayed and was very doable in under an hour. We made that journey many times as well as explored the community on both sides of the ICW while we were there. (I defer to PM to describe the reason we were here so long in her blog entry).
Well, we finally dropped the mooring pennant March 10 and headed for a north bound inside passage up the ICW to the Georgia line making between 30 and 40 miles (nautical) per day and selecting to anchor as often as opportunities presented themselves for a safe overnight. Our first stop after the 71st cruising day since departing our home-port in South Portland, Maine last July was Au Gollie and our last stop in Florida five days later Fernandina Beach. PM and I had kept a watchful eye out for the Florida Marine Patrol as, due to the unexpected delay for a trip back to Maine, we had overstayed our legal cruising days in Florida by 10 days. I do not recall any thing unusual about this route as no mechanical problems and no weather issues arose for our inside run north. The weather was pleasant, the days gentle and we found convenient stopping places each evening. We had a "daily dose of dolphin" seeing them play in our wake or bow wave several times a day. Our fuel burn averaged just under 2 gallons an hour. We cruised generally between 30 and 40 miles, 4-6 hours, each day but had one day of 62 miles, just under 10 hours, Our favorite stop was in Saint Augustine, where we delayed a day to take in some of the local sights. As we have been travelling along a narrow passage line, we have seen many familiar boats and have spent pleasant time with several of the crews. Most who do the "Great Loop" comment that it is the people they meet that are most memorable and we are beginning to agree as well.
The Florida portion of the ICW is very placid, passing million dollar homes and well tended lawns, well marked and recently dredged canals, and some open water. When we moved south in the fall, we had calmer weather and had taken outside passages along the Atlantic between safe inlets for several days, so much of what we saw going north were new vistas. Given the choice, I would go outside. Most of the ICW in Florida seems to be developed with marinas, homes of the uber- and not so uber-rich, retirement villages, towns and some cities, unlike what we discover as we move into Georgia, South and North Carolina and particularly Virginia.
We pulled into Brunswick Landing Marina, Brunswick, Georgia on March 15 and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. We had escaped Florida and a considerable fine for being scoff laws. The next couple of days, we anchored the first night at New Teakettle Creek, one of if not the favorite anchorage we have discovered, and the second night at Sapolo Island behind Thunderbolt, Georgia, The next eight days we stayed at docks as the currents and available safe anchorages made this a more prudent option. Our passage was again interrupted for a few days in Savannah, where we stayed at a dock on the very industrial river front, enjoying exploring this incredibly beautiful city, likely the most efficiently laid out municipality we have ever seen. I discovered in a town park a monument to my great great grandfather, Nathaniel Green, who had been a revolutionary war hero leading military operations along the southern coasts and lands under Washington and successfully defeating the British mercenary troops attempting to stifle the economy of the American colonies.
We arrived in South Carolina at the little town of Beaufort (pronounced Buford) after spending five days in Georgia and started to be challenged by the lack of recently dredged channels and well marked routes through these bucolic lowlands. The funds made available to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) have been significantly reduced by the economic woes in Washington so to avoid groundings, these areas take considerable attention to our charts and the many temporary visual navigation aids. Although there were many many references to OMGs (Oh My God moments) and NDEs (Near Death Experiences) made in the cruising guides and on Active Captain, we successfully transited the state without incident. Both PM and I have concluded that most of the problem areas noted are such because captains slave their auto pilots to the chart plotter. We found the charted passage line often took us over dry ground. We always use common sense in areas prone to shoaling and depend on our most valuable navigating tool, our eyes.
The North Carolina border was reached March 27 and the Virginia line by the 31st. We anchored in the Alligator River at another of our favorite spots on March 30, made a perfectly calm ideal passage across Pamlico Sound and Albemarle Sound the next day and made Coinjock Marina on the Alligator/Pongo Canal, which stop provided us some delectable pickled artichoke, highly recommended.
Passage up the canal to Vining's Marina, Norfolk took two days, stopping at the free canal wall at Great Bridge for haircuts and some surprising good local food at the park adjacent to our wall. We stayed a month or at least VELOMER stayed a month at this convenient marina in Little Creek, as this was time we used to refit, re-provision, catch up on bright-work, thoroughly clean inside and out and return to Maine to spend a few weeks with the Greenleafs (see PM's blog for this description).
As we continue along the waters of the east coast and soon the inland waters of the "Great Loop", we have adjusted our cruising style to take advantage of cheaper rates for longer stays and to explore the stops more than we had last year. This has given us a much more thorough appreciation of the history of this country, particularly the maritime history of the 17th and 18th century, and also allowed for a much less tiring journey. Perhaps we may make the decision to take even longer to do this trip, although the current plan to is be back in Key West for Christmas.
Well so much for catching up. Next we head north after the Rendezvous and return to unexplored stops in Chesapeake Bay (Annapolis here we come), the C&D Canal, Delaware Bay and the dreaded lee shore of Jersey.
Stay tuned you passionate voyeurs.
(Note that the publish date far beyond when I wrote this as we have been totally absorbed by travel )
It was a warm and gentle time at Vero Beach Municipal Marina where we picked up a mooring ball just off the marina dock (we were there for the second time, having arrived January 31) and this allowed us to reconnect with Phoebe, the twins, Bobbee and Erik here in Florida. After an unscheduled two week trip back to Maine for John Larsson's memorial service, our travels continued and both PM and I were chomping at the bit to be moving again. Our time in Vero Beach as moored residents at the marina allowed us to re-provision, refit (correcting for the last time, I hope, the idle adjust screw, and changing fluids for the genset and main) and review our cruising plan for 17 cruising days to Norfolk VA. We are scheduled to attend the AGLCA (America Great Loop Cruising Association) Rendezvous at Waterside Marina for 3 days in early May. But first we need to get there.
The community of Vero Beach is known as Velcro Beach to some and this is apt. The services there are really top notch: free municipal bus service, a world class art museum within walking distance of the marina, really good grocery and wine stores and (PM's favorite service) several greasy spoons and some not so greasy breakfast joints.
The biking there is really good as well as the roads all have off road paved paths or wide on road bike lanes. Bobbee's home at The Anchorage (named that as the gated residential development looks like an anchor from space) is a bit over 7 miles from the marina where we stayed and was very doable in under an hour. We made that journey many times as well as explored the community on both sides of the ICW while we were there. (I defer to PM to describe the reason we were here so long in her blog entry).
Well, we finally dropped the mooring pennant March 10 and headed for a north bound inside passage up the ICW to the Georgia line making between 30 and 40 miles (nautical) per day and selecting to anchor as often as opportunities presented themselves for a safe overnight. Our first stop after the 71st cruising day since departing our home-port in South Portland, Maine last July was Au Gollie and our last stop in Florida five days later Fernandina Beach. PM and I had kept a watchful eye out for the Florida Marine Patrol as, due to the unexpected delay for a trip back to Maine, we had overstayed our legal cruising days in Florida by 10 days. I do not recall any thing unusual about this route as no mechanical problems and no weather issues arose for our inside run north. The weather was pleasant, the days gentle and we found convenient stopping places each evening. We had a "daily dose of dolphin" seeing them play in our wake or bow wave several times a day. Our fuel burn averaged just under 2 gallons an hour. We cruised generally between 30 and 40 miles, 4-6 hours, each day but had one day of 62 miles, just under 10 hours, Our favorite stop was in Saint Augustine, where we delayed a day to take in some of the local sights. As we have been travelling along a narrow passage line, we have seen many familiar boats and have spent pleasant time with several of the crews. Most who do the "Great Loop" comment that it is the people they meet that are most memorable and we are beginning to agree as well.
The Florida portion of the ICW is very placid, passing million dollar homes and well tended lawns, well marked and recently dredged canals, and some open water. When we moved south in the fall, we had calmer weather and had taken outside passages along the Atlantic between safe inlets for several days, so much of what we saw going north were new vistas. Given the choice, I would go outside. Most of the ICW in Florida seems to be developed with marinas, homes of the uber- and not so uber-rich, retirement villages, towns and some cities, unlike what we discover as we move into Georgia, South and North Carolina and particularly Virginia.
We pulled into Brunswick Landing Marina, Brunswick, Georgia on March 15 and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. We had escaped Florida and a considerable fine for being scoff laws. The next couple of days, we anchored the first night at New Teakettle Creek, one of if not the favorite anchorage we have discovered, and the second night at Sapolo Island behind Thunderbolt, Georgia, The next eight days we stayed at docks as the currents and available safe anchorages made this a more prudent option. Our passage was again interrupted for a few days in Savannah, where we stayed at a dock on the very industrial river front, enjoying exploring this incredibly beautiful city, likely the most efficiently laid out municipality we have ever seen. I discovered in a town park a monument to my great great grandfather, Nathaniel Green, who had been a revolutionary war hero leading military operations along the southern coasts and lands under Washington and successfully defeating the British mercenary troops attempting to stifle the economy of the American colonies.
We arrived in South Carolina at the little town of Beaufort (pronounced Buford) after spending five days in Georgia and started to be challenged by the lack of recently dredged channels and well marked routes through these bucolic lowlands. The funds made available to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) have been significantly reduced by the economic woes in Washington so to avoid groundings, these areas take considerable attention to our charts and the many temporary visual navigation aids. Although there were many many references to OMGs (Oh My God moments) and NDEs (Near Death Experiences) made in the cruising guides and on Active Captain, we successfully transited the state without incident. Both PM and I have concluded that most of the problem areas noted are such because captains slave their auto pilots to the chart plotter. We found the charted passage line often took us over dry ground. We always use common sense in areas prone to shoaling and depend on our most valuable navigating tool, our eyes.
The North Carolina border was reached March 27 and the Virginia line by the 31st. We anchored in the Alligator River at another of our favorite spots on March 30, made a perfectly calm ideal passage across Pamlico Sound and Albemarle Sound the next day and made Coinjock Marina on the Alligator/Pongo Canal, which stop provided us some delectable pickled artichoke, highly recommended.
Passage up the canal to Vining's Marina, Norfolk took two days, stopping at the free canal wall at Great Bridge for haircuts and some surprising good local food at the park adjacent to our wall. We stayed a month or at least VELOMER stayed a month at this convenient marina in Little Creek, as this was time we used to refit, re-provision, catch up on bright-work, thoroughly clean inside and out and return to Maine to spend a few weeks with the Greenleafs (see PM's blog for this description).
As we continue along the waters of the east coast and soon the inland waters of the "Great Loop", we have adjusted our cruising style to take advantage of cheaper rates for longer stays and to explore the stops more than we had last year. This has given us a much more thorough appreciation of the history of this country, particularly the maritime history of the 17th and 18th century, and also allowed for a much less tiring journey. Perhaps we may make the decision to take even longer to do this trip, although the current plan to is be back in Key West for Christmas.
Well so much for catching up. Next we head north after the Rendezvous and return to unexplored stops in Chesapeake Bay (Annapolis here we come), the C&D Canal, Delaware Bay and the dreaded lee shore of Jersey.
Stay tuned you passionate voyeurs.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tooth 19 and Annapolis
PM's Perspective
Much water has passed under Velomer's hull since my last entry. In late January while still in Key West, we received word that John Larsson (our son-in-law's father) passed away. Although not unexpected as he had been valiantly fighting stage 4 melanoma for almost two years after being given a two to ten months remaining life span, the news was still quite unsettling. He passed peacefully at home in Vero Beach, FL surrounded by family and under the care of Hospice. From Key West, we cruised to Vero Beach in as short a time as possible stopping only for the night. Six days later, we arrived in Vero Beach to lend logistical and moral support to the family, particularly with our grandchildren, Annika and Trygvy. Within the week, Velomer was securely docked and we all flew back to Maine for John's memorial service.
You learn a great deal at someone's memorial service, about the person, about the family, about relationships. John and I didn't always think along the same wavelengths to put it mildly. I found that John had many different facets to him that he did not necessarily express to either Bob or me as his employees, friends and family members spoke of him during the service. The one very memorable statement that is a "Johnism" is "It comes with the suit," meaning that life is a mixed bag whether in business or personal life and just deal with the downside while you enjoy the upside. I have since incorporated this ism into my favorite adages.
Due to the timing of the service and Maine school winter break making flights back to Florida very pricey, we stayed in Maine for two weeks using the time to visit with friends, play with grandchildren and organize our self-storage unit while trying to stay warm in below zero temperatures. During our visit, we also learned that our dear friend, Kath Greenleaf, was diagnosed with cancer, a very disturbing moment. Kath's entire family has been such a large part of our lives as we muddled through parenthood, our professional lives, our children's college years, and personal trials and tribulations. They have always been there for us and we want to be there for Kath as she faces one of her most difficult challenges.
Upon returning to Florida, we found Velomer exactly as we left her. She is home to us, and a very
comfortable home indeed! After letting the dust settle, we decided to head north, making Norfolk, VA by the beginning of April where we planned to stay a month. The trip north was accentuated by delightful dolphin encounters and visiting places we had not yet explored, the best of which is St. Augustine, FL, a city with a European flare, 1600's architecture, and a thriving economy. We pulled into Vinings Landing Marina in Norfolk on April 2, the perfect choice for our stay! For two weeks we cleaned, repaired and maintained Velomer as we would leave her for two weeks to return to Maine to spend some quality time with Kath and Peter Greenleaf while Kath undergoes two of 16 weeks of chemotherapy.
Our two weeks with Pete and Kath were very precious. I took over much of the cooking and thoroughly enjoyed creating juice cocktails, smoothies and meals for fighting cancer and promoting health. Kath was quite willing to be engaged in these endeavors, Pete not so much. He just wasn't very keen on the beet, carrot, red pepper, kale, apple, orange, strawberry and ginger super juice. Our time in their home also gave us the opportunity to get to know their son Robbie, his wife Becca and son Peter who are living with Pete and Kath lending a helping hand. Pete has been dealing with MSA (multiple systems atrophy) for about 12 years. This disease has many of the same symptoms as ALS (aka Lou Gerhig's Disease) and is quite debilitating. His condition will never get better, only plateau or worsen. Amazingly, he has dealt with his situation with grace and fortitude and displays a phenomenal acceptance. He has lost most speech and balance and gets around in a motorized wheel chair. However, his spirits are other worldly, his mind remains sharp as a tack and he is able to communicate some spot-on zingers that bowl you over. When she was first diagnosed Kath dwelt in a very dark place for several days. Concluding that this was not very helpful to her condition, she did an about face with a fierceness I have never seen. She is a supermodel of how to stare the tiger right in the eye.
Once again, we returned to Velomer and moved her to Waterside Marina near the Norfolk Sheraton. We stayed here a week while we attended the spring Great Loop Rendezvous sponsored by America's Great Loop Cruising Association during which time we meet other boaters planning, in progress or who have completed the loop. The camaraderie was inspiring, the information extremely helpful, and even the food was good. From Norfolk we headed north once again landing in Deltaville where we hauled Velomer out of the water for a good bottom cleaning and painting only to discover a small crack in one of the blades of the propeller. Fortunately, the boatyard at the marina was able to complete a quick repair and we were on our way once again. We left heading for Solomans Island under sunny skies and calm seas. But all that changed once we got out into Chesapeake Bay proper. After being tossed about for more than two hours, we came to the conclusion we weren't having a good time and made the decision to head into the nearest harbor which happened to be Smith's Point, a very protected marina on the Little Wicomico River. We spent two days here waiting for the weather to calm down, biking, and visiting Reedville Fishermen's Museum.
Once again we headed north toward Solomons. While underway, as I was biting into a Larabar, the cap on tooth 19 popped off. How utterly frustrating! "Fuck a duck," I exclaimed as I pulled the cap out of my mouth. I do tend to talk like a sailor when underway. "What is it?" Bob wanted to know thinking something dreadful such as a hole in the hull had occurred. As soon as we landed at Spring Cover Marina, I googled dentists in Annapolis, out next port of call, to see if I could get an appointment to get the cap recemented in place. There was only one dentist within walking distance of Annapolis Harbor and fortunately he was able to take me the following Monday. Not only that, he received rave reviews on Yelp. That Monday, Bob and I walked to the dental office and I was taken in right away, my cap in hand. I explained that this was the third time this cap has popped off. Dr. Speckler looked at the cap, then looked in my mouth, poked about a bit as only a dentist can do, and said, "I don't like what I see." Now that is not what you want to hear from a dentist as he is looking in your mouth. He continued, "You have a cavity in the tooth behind the capped tooth and a cavity under the cap. That's why the cap keeps popping off. It's sitting on mush. I'm going to clean and fill the cavity in the rear tooth and try to do the same with the capped tooth. You may need a root canal." This is also not what I wanted to hear!
To make a long story short, the cavity under the cap was so deep, I needed a root canal along with a new cap. Dr. Speckler said, "Don't worry, I've done thousands of root canals." So I resigned myself to the procedure which was made a bit better by the fact that he looked a tad like George Clooney, so I didn't mind him looking in my mouth. Root canals have been given a pretty bad rap. They aren't that bad. Modern dentistry has taken the pain out of the procedure. I also couldn't be more pleased with my new cap. We did need to stay in Annapolis for several extra days while my new cap was fabricated but we made good use of the time by exploring the area, touring the US Naval Academy and visiting several museums. So, we're still loving this life!
Much water has passed under Velomer's hull since my last entry. In late January while still in Key West, we received word that John Larsson (our son-in-law's father) passed away. Although not unexpected as he had been valiantly fighting stage 4 melanoma for almost two years after being given a two to ten months remaining life span, the news was still quite unsettling. He passed peacefully at home in Vero Beach, FL surrounded by family and under the care of Hospice. From Key West, we cruised to Vero Beach in as short a time as possible stopping only for the night. Six days later, we arrived in Vero Beach to lend logistical and moral support to the family, particularly with our grandchildren, Annika and Trygvy. Within the week, Velomer was securely docked and we all flew back to Maine for John's memorial service.
You learn a great deal at someone's memorial service, about the person, about the family, about relationships. John and I didn't always think along the same wavelengths to put it mildly. I found that John had many different facets to him that he did not necessarily express to either Bob or me as his employees, friends and family members spoke of him during the service. The one very memorable statement that is a "Johnism" is "It comes with the suit," meaning that life is a mixed bag whether in business or personal life and just deal with the downside while you enjoy the upside. I have since incorporated this ism into my favorite adages.
Due to the timing of the service and Maine school winter break making flights back to Florida very pricey, we stayed in Maine for two weeks using the time to visit with friends, play with grandchildren and organize our self-storage unit while trying to stay warm in below zero temperatures. During our visit, we also learned that our dear friend, Kath Greenleaf, was diagnosed with cancer, a very disturbing moment. Kath's entire family has been such a large part of our lives as we muddled through parenthood, our professional lives, our children's college years, and personal trials and tribulations. They have always been there for us and we want to be there for Kath as she faces one of her most difficult challenges.
Upon returning to Florida, we found Velomer exactly as we left her. She is home to us, and a very
 |
| Norfolk has multiple mermaids around the city. |
 |
| Kath with grandsons Peter (right) and Harrison |
 |
| Velomer hauled in Deltaville |
Once again we headed north toward Solomons. While underway, as I was biting into a Larabar, the cap on tooth 19 popped off. How utterly frustrating! "Fuck a duck," I exclaimed as I pulled the cap out of my mouth. I do tend to talk like a sailor when underway. "What is it?" Bob wanted to know thinking something dreadful such as a hole in the hull had occurred. As soon as we landed at Spring Cover Marina, I googled dentists in Annapolis, out next port of call, to see if I could get an appointment to get the cap recemented in place. There was only one dentist within walking distance of Annapolis Harbor and fortunately he was able to take me the following Monday. Not only that, he received rave reviews on Yelp. That Monday, Bob and I walked to the dental office and I was taken in right away, my cap in hand. I explained that this was the third time this cap has popped off. Dr. Speckler looked at the cap, then looked in my mouth, poked about a bit as only a dentist can do, and said, "I don't like what I see." Now that is not what you want to hear from a dentist as he is looking in your mouth. He continued, "You have a cavity in the tooth behind the capped tooth and a cavity under the cap. That's why the cap keeps popping off. It's sitting on mush. I'm going to clean and fill the cavity in the rear tooth and try to do the same with the capped tooth. You may need a root canal." This is also not what I wanted to hear!
Monday, February 16, 2015
SNOW FALL
Bob's View:
Here we are in Maine in the middle of a snowstorm and wondering when we will get back to VELOMER and continue our trip on the Great Loop. The amount of snow has been incredible, 62 inches last week alone, which is more than Portland got all last winter, and at least another foot over the last two days.
Whoosh!! What a trip!! This is not the way we expected to transit the serene warm waters of the Florida ICW.
We had been in warm, and I emphasize warm, Key West for the past month, enjoying the warm air and warm water and especially the warm hospitality of Stock Island Marina. Two weeks ago now, we received a call from our daughter and son-in-law who asked that we scoot north to Vero Beach to provide support for them while Erik's dad was dealing with end stage cancer at home with Hospice. Our trip north from Key West to Vero Beach was a marathon of 250 miles in 4 1/2 days, travelling 10-11 hours a day, anchoring shortly before dusk in quiet backwaters or crowded public harbors of the ICW and departing soon after dawn. This is not our preferred travel plan but we were trying to get north as quickly as possible to help with childcare for Phoebe and Erik. We did gain considerable confidence anchoring and We LOVE THE ROCKNA. It sets immediately. It does not drag, And I feel confident we will find many many quiet places that anchoring avails us as we travel on this adventure around America's eastern and inland shores.
Travelling north from Key West along the eastern and southern side of the Florida Keys, we were fortunate to transit the 140 miles to Miami in relatively good sea conditions. The forecast called for 2-4 foot, 5-7 second period seas and was accurate. The 10-20 knots of wind out of the north was cool but on the enclosed flybridge, we were still very comfortable in shorts and t-shirts ( I know I am getting no sympathy from most of those reading this). We have often experienced 3-4 foot seas on VELOMER and she can handle those with solid ease, but on the flybridge we do bounce around a bit. At the worst, we brace into our seats and watch the 40 degree roll provide us a carnival ride. As I descended to the engine room to do my twice daily checks, the rolling considerably lessened as the center of rotation is at the midpoint of the salon, Our first night stop was northeast of Channel 5 at Shell Key at a state park mooring ball. The wind and waves had been all day from the northwest quartering our bow but as we crossed north of the Keys, the rolling seas, which had been from the southwest and contrary to the north wind driven chop was behind us so we were able to spend a relatively smooth night. We were surprised to find the mooring field devoid of any other boats but it was still early for "loopers" to continue north.
Our second day was smoother without the rolling southern seas and we made No Name Harbor at Key Biscayne by nightfall. It was a long day and tiring as we were in the narrowest and shallowest area of the entire ICW, so attention to our course line was critical. We were often within 10 feet of areas that would have put us hard aground.
Day 3 was an adventure of a different kind for us passing almost 40 bridges in and north of Miami. I understand why most choose to go outside and bypass this portion of the ICW. The seas outside were forecast for 7-9 feet so an inside passage was the only safe choice if we were to continue non-stop north. As VELOMER has a 19 foot air-draft, we could pass safely under most of the bridges but we did have a 45 minute delay at one bridge, missing the timed opening by 2 minutes, well it's always something unexpected when travelling by water. Shortly north of Miami, we stopped at SWIFTWATER, docked at Pier 69, the Hyatt Marina in Fort Laurderdale, to make sure the auto-bilge was on and to take spoiled food off the boat. We also off loaded the contents of the refrigerator on SWIFTWATER, which Phoebe and Erik had left abruptly several days prior to return by car to Vero Beach to be with Erik's father. The passage along the built up shores of the ICW in this portion was our opportunity to see how the uber rich live in multi-million dollar, 55,000 SF homes on 5,00 SF lots crowded together along the ICW shores so they could enjoy a brief view of VELOMER travelling the waterway. We anchored that evening at Pelican Harbor, a man-made 10 foot deep harbor, where we were again the only boat in a vast open area surrounded by more jumbled homes and condos.
Day 4, we continued in the shelter of the ICW inside passage to Manatee Pocket at Port Lucie Inlet, 5 miles east of Stuart, the eastern terminus of the passage via canal and Lake Okeechobee across mid-state Florida to Ft Myers. I recall little of the day as it was along somewhat sparsely developed areas and we saw very few other crafts and the bridges were mostly behind us.
Day 5 was a half day's travel, with a brief stop to retrieve electronics off JOURNEY, John and Bobbee's Nordhavn 55, docked in West Palm Beach, (it is listed for sale if any reading this wish to jump into the boating life on a blue water world class trawler) again along relatively sparsely populated banks, except around Ft, Lauderdale, to Ft. Pierce where we connected with Phoebe and Anni and Trig for lunch at Harbortown Marina. We had made it: 250 miles (N), or 284 (S) in 4 1/2 days. If we have to do that ever again, we can, but it is definitely not an enjoyable pace: travelling 10-11 hours a day, starting at the crack of dawn and anchoring just at sunset. The autopilot is helpful but on the ICW, many areas are quite narrow with shallow water within 10 feet of the channel so hand steering was more often the only way to stay consistently in the channel. The warm air caused us to open side panels on VELOMEER's fly bridge after the sun had dried the mist from the windows and taken the morning chill from the air. We passed or were passed by only a few boats, and these were typically fishing boats heading offshore at the inlets. It still amazes us that this waterway is so underutilized. Perhaps it is the time of year as many "loopers" are still tied to docks or at long term mooring balls awaiting warmer spring weather. For us, it has been ideal weather to travel, clear crisp mornings, warm days and spectacular sunrises and sunsets that only a Florida sky can present. The entertainment of observing myriad wildlife, multi-million dollar homes of the uber rich and the wide variation of boats from classic cruisers to derelict sail boats abandoned in the mangroves has kept us happy and smiling over the long hours of our daily passage.
Travel along the ICW is much more comfortable outside, however the availability of safe inlets prevents a safe passage unless wind and especially seas are safe for the coastal off-shore route. The number of boats along the ICW on weekends and especially later in the season, makes travel on the inside a pain at times and the number of bascule bridges that require waiting for an opening, particularly around cities like Miami, Ft, Laurderdale and Palm Beach make travel by boat tedious at times. We noticed many boaters, particularly the larger fishing go fast throw a 5 foot wake when that is totally unnecessary honkers do not know rules of the road (or just don't care) and are less than courteous regarding their passing techniques. That being said, we would rather travel by water than road any day.
VELOMER sits quietly, in a warmer (72 today) place at Kingsly and Cindy's dock in Vero Beach while PM and I are huddling around a wood stove at the Guyot's in Maine, outside temperature 9. We return to Fort Lauderdale next Tuesday, winter weather gods permitting, to travel again the warm waters of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. We will travel north on the ICW on our way to Norfolk for the AGLCA Spring Rendezvous May 3rd to 7th. But first, PM and I will bring SWIFTWATER to Vero Beach before continuing our adventure north.
PM and I will update this blog more frequently now that we are on the official loop course traveling counterclockwise around the eastern US. So stay tuned you cold and fantasizing followers of our travels attending us in Russia. And for those whose lives allow, consider joining us for a portion of this trip over the next 1 1/2 years. This invitation is issued particularly to Phil and Battina, Sam and Susie and Lili, Bobbee, Dr. Bill, Kath Greenleaf, Susan Williams, George Blyer and anyone of you whose interest in doing something memorable and adventurous gets the better of your practical day to day lives.
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