Here and Now Great Loop Trip

EpiWestilogue...The Last Word

2010-09-27T13:10:00.009-05:00

Dad thought he was finishing this blog up with his cute little 'Over and Out' at the end of his last post but not to be...I always have the last growl!! I am now a fully-looped Westi having traveled the entire loop on the boat(See pic from when I first came aboard , I was a real little guy). About the time I got the crew to understand what I wanted and when, this thing is over. Like the back door on the boat...Mom and Dad had a lot of trouble understanding that I wanted that door open so I could strut around from the cockpit to the swim platform and check everything out, growl at animals or people that I saw and just let all know I was in charge. I finally got them to open the door right away by pitching a real fit and scratching the door and latches and barking frantically....they kept saying something was wrong with me but just part of my plan to get my way...it worked! Now, I am glad that we have this Gold Burgee flying (see pic) but I was very, very, unhappy that I was not included in this picture. As I said I am a Fully-Looped Westie and should have been in the picture....they did include me in another pic but I wanted to be in the first one.

I am gonna miss the boat and some of the fun things like sleeping late with Mom, taking walks in the ports with Dad, visiting with Mom and Dads looper friends, and helping Dad navigate during the day while we were underway. But it is so good to be home where I have full run of the deck, the yard, the river, you name it! Plus a big, big , bed to sleep in!!!!

I have heard Mom and Dad talking a lot about the future lately some of which includes me....like getting another Westie which I think would be good as long as the new guy understands who is boss! Me in case you didn't understand! Also they talk about boating again sometime down the road but not for a while...don't think there is total agreement on that one but I am a flexible Wesite and just want to go when anybody is going anywhere in the car, truck, boat, or just for a walk down by the river...I like to wade up to my belly in the edge of the river. OK, I got in the last word for now.

Its been a blast.......and I am sure we will have another boat adventure down the road somewhere. See you all later...bark more, growl more!!

Back on the Rivers and Home to Tennessee

2010-09-25T09:44:00.000-05:00

We left Chicago on August 30, 2010 with 771 miles to traverse on the Illinois, Mississppi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers. Most of this section of the loop is small river towns, locks, and lots of barge traffic. We stayed at free dock walls, a few marinas, and several anchorages along the way. We had 8 locks on the Illinois, 2 on the Mississippi, 2 on the Ohio, and finally Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River. We had a few waits getting through but made it fine. The Mississippi was moving swiftly and we got excellent fuel economy and were able to travel longer distances due to the push we got from the current. We lost our bowthruster prop in a lock on the Illinois and was told by several other loopers that I had to learn to drive a boat like everybody else!! We made it to Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, KY late (in the dark, got to use my spotlight!) on September 10 and had the boat pulled for some work and rented a car and drove home for a week. We returned to Here and Now on September 20 and stayed and extra day at Green Turtle for a looper potluck with 18 other loopers. We departed on 9/21 and arrived at our home port at Riverstone Marina on 9/24 after crossing our wake on 9/22 near Pebble Isle in New Johnsonville, TN. Gold Burgee was lifted and what a feeling of accomplishment but also a little sadness that our great adventure was over. Our neighbors and fellow loopers Van and Diane Carter met us as we arrived home and welcomed us back and we toasted our loop completion.

We have traveled 5320 miles, went through 102 locks, and visited 16 states and one foreign courntry (Canada) over about 10.5 months. Our average speed for the entire trip while underway was 8.3 mph which includes lock delays, no wake zones, and a few days that we picked it up a notch (not many of those). The longest distance we travled on a cruise day was 241 miles from Panama City, Fl to Clearwater, Fl with a fuel stop at Appalachicola, FL as we crossed the Gulf of Mexico overnight with our traveling companions Biddie and the Beast...what a night! The shortest distance was 6 miles from St. Ignace, MI to Mackinac Island Harbor. The best parts of the trip have been the time our little crew have been together on Here and Now and what a crew it is...Admiral, First Mate ( and best mate ever!) Carolyn and Commander Willi (rumor has it there will be a final epidoge post from Willi), all the great people we have met along the way, and so many special stops I cannot begin to list. Thanks to all of our family and friends for staying in touch and a special thanks to all those who came and visited us on Here and Now along the way.

Over and Out
Be Safe.....

Mackinac Island and Lake Michigan

2010-09-25T08:43:00.000-05:00

A slower pace we found on Mackinac Island.....no motorized anything.....only bicycles and horse drawn carriages! How quiet......you hear children laughing and people walking. Our friends from Galveston, Texas arrived on Thursday, August 12. It is wonderful when you can share this trip with family and friends. Between riding bikes the 8 miles around the island, to taking horse carriage rides, wonderful dinners, and a little shopping we really enjoyed our four days on Mackinac Island. Tuesday the 15th of August we left Mackinac for the 60 miles to Petoskey, MI. Little did we know but the winds changed from the forecast and soon after passing the Straits of Mackinac, the five of us (Willi ) found ourselves in strong west winds with 5-7 foot seas! All donned life jackets as we planned our escape path in case the boat capsized. For four hours Steve stood fighting the waves, huge sprays, and zigzagging to stay on course. Finally we arrived at our destination to find the salon completely a wreck with food, appliances, books, and two cabinet doors torn from the screws that held them to the frame. But we were safe in harbour and it was good Teresa and Mark were with us to help weather the long day.

Petoskey is at the NE corner of Lake Michigan. It is a quaint town with a very pretty harbour and clock tower at the edge of the lake. Cute shops and good restaurants always make a port a good stop. We said good-bye to Mark and Teresa the next day. Willi hated for Teresa to leave and blamed me by barking at me for two hours. Kids are all the same! Another part of the trip I've enjoyed is checking out the spas.....sooo the spa at nearby Bay Harbour was calling.....these days are wonderful treats!

Steve has become quite the marine mechanic. He has repaired most everything that has happened to Here and Now. Since Petoskey had a West Marine, he was able to replace the bilge pump that had failed during the rough seas. Of course Willi always has to supervise his work.

After a couple of days the winds laid down enough for us to go the 18 miles to Charlevoix. Another beautiful 'green area' harbour. Here we reconnected with a couple of other loopers, Two Turtles and MaGoo. Laundry and grocery shopping are always on the "to do " list so we were glad these places were close. We always try to walk the town/village to experience the area and get the much needed exercise. Charlevoix is known for the mushroom houses by Earl Young. Built in the 30's, they are still beautiful today.

On our travel days,we average traveling about 50 miles at about 8.5 knots. We usually leave around 8:30 in the morning and arrive at port about 2:30 in the afternoon. This gives us time to secure and wash the boat, do laundry if needed, grocery shop and explore before dark. Most evenings we get to enjoy the sunsets.

Another good stop was Frankfort, MI, not because of the town but because our Lyondell friends Tom and Lin Kilburn were in town visiting Tom's mother. We were able to visit with the 3 of them over dinner and "cherry pie". What a great surprise!

Michigan has wonderful marinas along its west coast. After stopping in Pentwater, Grand Harbor, and St. Joseph we are now about 60 miles to Chicago by crossing over to the west side of Lake Michigan. Our reservations for the 5 days there are at DuSable Marina in downtown Chicago. Matt and Susan will be joining us for the weekend. Susie and I will shop while the guys tour the Cubs stadium and attend the White Sox and Yankees game. Life is Good!

Back in USA....Westi Country

2010-07-31T16:37:00.015-05:00

Well, we finally left Canada and are back in the USA in northern Michigan. Canada was great according to Mom and Dad as for as the cruising goes....I guess it was OK...lots of ducks and geese to bark at!! We finally got through all those locks on the TSW (44!) and as you can see I had to do a lot of the work communicating with the locktenders, handling lines, and holding the boat away from the lock walls....and trying to keep Dad cool during a few tight spots. I just start barking and running around all over the boat to distract him. We got into the Georgian Bay and got to stay 'on the hook' several times...I like that because Mom and I get to kayak a lot. We saw lots of neat rocks above and below the water....again Dad was sweating it through some of the narrow channels. Then on to the North Channel and real wilderness...they kept saying we would see a bear but not this time. We anchored and stayed in marinas there too. Finally we left Gore Bay and made a long, long , long ride to Drummond Island in Michigan where we cleared customs and got a good rest. We are in St. Ignace and I am not very happy now...I have overheard talk about a trip 'home' and 'boarding Willi this time'. They will pay for that!!!

The pics are mostly me in and out of the boat including Dad brushing me and he and I napping a couple of times...I chill out with him from time to time during the day but I like to sleep next to Mom at night even though she freezes me out a lot. There are a couple of other pics of the Big Chute railway lift and a sign we saw on the waterway...guess people dont like you speeding by their houses.

Anyway, we are getting closer to home after going over 4000 miles...be home for good in September...take care and remember Bark More, Growl More!!

The Trent-Severn Waterway

2010-07-25T07:18:00.000-05:00

We are still in Canada and completed our transit of the Trent-Severn Waterway(TSW) . The TSW connects Lake Ontario with the Georgian Bay and runs about 240 miles from Trenton, Ontario to Port Severn on Georgian Bay. It is a series of lakes, rivers, and canals with 44 locks in between. The locks are smaller than the Erie and some are very unique like the ' pan' lift locks at Peterborough and Kirkland and the Big Chute railway lift. You can google or go to the Canada parks website for more info and history ( system was built over a 90 year period starting back in the early 1800's). The waterway is beautiful and can be a bit tricky navigating as there are some very narrow channels and most of the bottom is rock not mud. There have been a lot of neat stops and interesting people particualarly the very helpful lock tenders. We veered off the main waterway for three days to a resort called Viamede on Stoney Lake....aptly named by the way. Here we relaxed and went for a long dinghy ride with our friends Pam and Bob and also fought a very strong storm that came through and almost tore off the dock we were on.

We have been traveling with Mint Julep and Sassy II for the last several weeks with a few days where we have separated but it has been nice having other boaters to travel with. We have also met some other boats from Tennessee and that has been nice as well. We have done well through the locks and Carolyn has done a great job getting us tied up to the lock walls as well as taking most of the pics from the locks. We are finally out of the TSW and through with locks for a while. We are enjoying Canada but do miss family and friends and look forward to being back on the Tennessee River. Updates a little behind but more to come....have to wait to find free wifi. Enjoy the pics and be safe....

Lake Ontario, Thousand Islands, and Canada

2010-06-28T17:49:00.001-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been exciting with new places, lots of rain, and looping with friends. We left Winter Harbor in Brewerton, NY on the Erie and headed north on the Oswego Canal through eight locks to Oswego, NY where we stopped for one night and left the next day for Sackets Harbor, NY across Lake Ontario. We had a south wind which gave us some sideways action for a couple of hours but generally a good trip across the Lake, about 40 miles. Sackets Harbor is a great historical town where a key battle of the War of 1812 was fought. It was one of only two naval bases on Lake Ontario the US had during the war and had to fend off a British invasion from the west. Willi and I walked the whole battlefield. Check it out on google or your history books. We spent three days, one more than planned to change transmission fluid on Here and Now. Our traveling companions went on to Clayton, NY where we caught up with them on the 25th of June. We stopped and picked up Bob and Pam from Mint Julep and all went together on our boat about 11 miles further down the St Lawrence River to Alexandria Bay and stopped on Heart Island to visit the Boldt Castle. The story of the castle is interesting and for more info...google!. We returned to Clayton, NY a 'border' town where the Antique Boat Museum resides...a really neat place. We left Clayton today and arrived in Kingston, Ontario Canada where we cleared customs and will be here a few days including Canada Day on July 1. Clayton and this whole area is part of the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River and there are actually more than 1700 small islands many of which are privately owned. This is where the famous dressing was first served and named after the islands. It is a beautiful area with many fine homes and lots of state parks in both the US and Canada.

We have traveled @ 3500 miles and will be in Canada for about 45 days. The weather as been OK but a lot of rain...we have had to travel in the rain some but made it OK with low winds. We will be leaving Kingston later this week heading for Trenton to start the 250 mile Trent-Severn Waterway connecting Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay. Here are a few recent pics....enjoy!

Be Safe

Caught on the Erie Canal

2010-06-20T21:09:00.013-05:00

Well, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later...I got caught by Mom doing my update (see the pic). So what....I wanted to give you all my latest views on this trip. I am doing great and getting to roam all over the boat without too may "no's". My days start with sleeping as late as possible with Mom as Dad is still up way too early for Mom and I. It takes me a while to get going but when I do, I do big time. I get out pretty quickly and take care of business on my head and back inside to eat my treat spiked breakfast...I hold out as long as possible to eat because eventually Mom and Dad will put the treats in the regular stuff. We are moving about every day now and I have to stay in the condo until we are squared away and then I go upstairs and hang out with Dad and Mom on the bridge. Sometimes I go up to bow and hide out under the front seat where Dad stores the water hoses...Mom found me there recently. For the last week or so we have been stopping a lot along the way to 'lock thru' as Dad says. Mom goes outside and holds the boat except when the lock has only ropes hanging down and both Mom and Dad have to go hold the boat. We have been through 23 locks since Troy, NY with several stops at some marinas and lock walls.

We are now in Brewerton, NY at Winter Harbor marina which is right on the Erie Canal. Mom left all day yesterday to some place south of here to look at the place where she got her dishes...Mack and Child or something like that. I get to do some exploring once in a while as you can see in the pics...but need a sign for our boat that says 'Beware of Westie" like the one on the tree. I am still helping Dad with maintenance work and am learning to use the channel locks...at least make the handles are well worn. We are leaving tomorrown heading up the Oswego canal to Lake Ontario and then on to Thousand Islands and Canada within a week or so....I will have to check in to the Westie customs office and report my toys and treats and any other contraband just like Mom and Dad. Will let you know about that.

Enjoy the pics and remember...bark more, growl more!!

The Big Apple and Hudson River

2010-06-12T10:45:00.000-05:00

Returning from Maison Rouge, after my city council meeting, with our niece Tammy and Heather to Philly airport we were met by Steve's smiling face. He and Willi had moved the boat from Cape May to Atlantic City so we would be closer to Ms. Liberty and the Big Apple. Early the next morning we traveled about 95 miles (a veryyyy long day) to Staten Island and docked 2 nights at Great Kills Yacht Club. From this marina we girls caught the early bus into Manhattan to TKTS and got 1/2 price tickets to the play FELA. Then took the subway down to Chinatown, where we had the best time. Heather was a natural at buying the most for the least amount of money... so we took advantage of that and all left the area with lots of bags with good stuff. We took the subway back to 42nd street where we met Steve and went to the play. It wasn't what we expected, but a great play to see. Dinner was at an Irish Pub and the pizza was wonderful. : ) Tammy and Heather walked my legs off but I loved every minute.

We left Staten Island early, going to Liberty Landing Marina on the Jersey side of the Hudson. Floating docks, new bathhouse, laundry, and the ferry to Manhattan on site made this a GREAT stop. Up early again to hit the streets of New York Heather, Tammy, and I caught the ferry to WFC and up to SOHO for another day of shopping. What a great time exploring we had again. Late that evening we met up with Steve and two other Looper boaters, Mint Julip and Sassy II for a wonderful Italian dinner at Max's.

We hated to see Heather and Tammy leave. Willi loves it when we have guests on board. It was special having them experience our dream with us in such a exciting stop along the loop.

Its neat when you meet up again with loopers you have met along the way. Gullwing joined us at Liberty Landing Marina and we enjoyed walking to dinner with them after they arrived.

After the second night there, we left to meet with Mint Julip and Sassy II in front of the statue of Liberty for a photo op. Hopefully the pictures won't have toooooo many ferry boats so you can't see the Here And Now. Goodbye NYC, hello Hudson River. The weather has been beautiful and the ride up the Hudson was gorgeous. Rolling hills and beautiful homes made the travel day nice for all 3 boats. Passing Sing Sing Prison, West Point, lots of light houses, and the beautiful Catskill mountains, we traveled north to Half Moon Bay Marina at Croton-on-Hudson then to Catskill. The awesome scenery in this area makes it a great place to bike and kayak.

Another highlight for me was touring the CIA culinary school and having dinner there. The setting was gorgeous and having started as a Jesuit property, the architecture was beautiful. This may be my second career after we finish the loop. : )

The last few months have been so exciting because of the people we have met and the ports we have visited. Our time seems to be flying by....Steve has made so many days extra special with fixing breakfast before he wakes me and bringing in fresh flowers from the store. Just a few days and we plan on starting across the Erie Canal. We miss family and friends but wouldn't trade this experience for anything. Thanks for your support and the comments you have left on our blog.

Chesapeake Bay to Cape May, NJ

2010-05-30T23:06:00.000-05:00

Today is Sunday, May 30 and Here and Now is in Cape May, NJ at Miss Chris Marina. Since leaving Irvington, VA which is up the Rappahonnick River about 10 miles we made stops on the Chesapeake at Solomons Island, MD, St Michaels, MD, Rock Hall, MD via the Kent Narrows (skinny bypass from St Michaels) and the Bohemia River on the upper Chesapeake.

The Chesapeake is a great boating bay and by far the best so far on our trip. All of these places we stopped were unique. We have been traveling with Jerry and Carolyn (no. 2) on the boat Sassy II. They just started the loop in Portsmouth, VA. I cannot do these stops justice in the blog but St Michaels was probably the best stop as far as the harbor and town go. We stopped for a couple of days on the Bohemia River at a small marina near where our friends Tom and Lin Kilburn have a second home just a 5 minute walk from the marina and we spent two nights with them off the boat for a change. We met Tom and Lin through work several years ago and they are now special friends and it was great visiting with them. On the second day Tom took us up to Chesapeake City in their Grady White for breakfast....great morning. The only problem we had was the spring tides were extreme and there was a full moon. We arrived at low tide and the depth gauge on the boat read 3.5 to 5.0 all the way in to the marina. Needless to say we decided to leave at high tide.

After visiting with Tom and Lin we departed on May 27 intending to go all the way to Cape May, NJ. (about 73 nautical miles). In order to reach Cape May you leave the Chesapeake via the C and D canal which connects the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware Bay. We wound up stopping on the C and D after traveling only about 15 miles due to a change in the weather forcast for the Delaware Bay including high winds and thunderstorms. We spent the day relaxing at Summit North Marina in Bear, DE and Carolyn and Willi kayaked on the C and D. While there we got reaquainted with another looper boat, Adagio, and traveled with them the next day to Cape May. We waited until 11 am to depart to catch the outgoing tide on the Delaware River to get a 'push' to Cape May. As it turned out the winds were up and our trip across the Delaware Bay was the roughest full day we have had on the entire trip with seas of 'many feet' and water over the top of the boat about every 5th or 6th wave. We arrived in Cape May around 5:30 pm at Miss Chris Marina.

Cape May is a good place with lots of shops and resturants and lots to do including a famous light house which we climbed for a great view and sore knees! I took Carolyn to Philly today to fly back to Tn for a few days. She will be returning with Tammy and Heather on Thursday for our trip up to New York. Willi and I are hanging out in Jersey for now.

Be Safe!

Goodbye Ditch, Hello Chesapeake Bay

2010-05-21T21:01:00.000-05:00

We are finally out of the Atlantic ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) commonly referred to as the 'ditch' . It is nearly 1100 miles from Portsmouth, VA to Miami and we are glad to be through it. The ICW is good and bad...it provides protected water travel except for a few open sounds and bays but you have to pay constant attention at the helm due to a multitude of shallow spots and shifting shoals as well as several places where the current runs through narrow cuts connecting sections of the ICW. The names of the various places and waterways tells the story.....Cape Fear, Lockwoods Folly, and Hell's Gate for example.

We spent four days in Portsmouth, VA one extra than we had planned due to bad weather. We are now on the Chesapeake Bay in Irvington, VA at the Tides Inn Marina. Portsmouth was great stop as we visited Norfolk and met up with Greg and Judy Edwards who we met in Naples, Fl. They live in Newport News and met us in Smithfield, VA at Smithfield Station for dinner. Smithfield is home to Smithfield Hams. We will be here in Irvington for 2 days as it is a great little spot to walk, bike , and kayak (Carolyns VA spot). All of the pics are from Irvington and include Christs Church (circa 1735) and the White Fences Winery. We have now travled over 2600 miles since leaving home and have about that much more to go. We plan to visit 4-5 spots on the Chesapeake before heading to the Delaware Bay, Cape May and on to New York City. The Chesapeake is a great boating bay with plenty of water and lots of neat stops and anchorages. We are now back into plotting courses every day and watching the weather as a lot of the bay is subject to wind and can get nasty quickly.

Later..Be safe!

Birthdays and Learning to Swim the Fast Way

2010-05-16T04:03:00.009-05:00

OK, folks I have a lot of stuff to inform those readers who want the 'real story' from time to time. We left Morehead City, NC and traveled a long day to stay on the hook ( I am getting this lingo down) near the entrance to the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal. We went through some big waters including Neuse River and Pamlico Sound which for about 2 hours we were rocking and rolling and I DID NOT LIKE IT AT ALL. Big ol waves and lots of pounding and things falling down everywhere.....don't think Mom and Dad liked it either. Dad kept saying something about how somebody sure missed the wind and wave predictions. Next day we made another long day crossing the Albemarle Sound to Coinjock, NC to a neat marina where I could walk right by the boat.....also it was my Dad's birthday and Mom had some stuff for him and they ate a 32 ounce prime rib....and get this....brought NONE back to me!!

Now here is the exciting part.....my Mom has this deal where she is kayaking in every state we are in and this was the last stop in NC and Mom had to get the kayak in the dirty brown water and as usual wanted me to go along. Now I have been on the kayak and few times and like it and don't mind the life jacket too bad. After doing some exploring up a few little creeks and other neat places we stopped at a boat in another marina close to ours for a short visit with some folks from Texas who are doing this same trip we are. Mom was talking to them and next thing I know I am under the water and in the dark under the kayak all alone! Mom had flipped the thing over somehow sitting by the boat and then turned the kayak up and got me by the life jacket and put me up on the boat....it was wet, salty, and cold!. Anyway it was a big deal for me and good thing I had on the goofy looking life jacket. We got back on the kayak and headed back to our boat. Well , guess what? Next thing I know is over we go again!! Well, by then I had had enough and let Mom know it. She got all wet too and we got back to our boat and told Dad all about it....I barked at Mom all night to let here know not to do that again. Not sure I will go with her next time...matter of fact I think I will chew up the life jacket and that will be the end of it.

Yesterday we were supposed to have an easy day going about 50 miles (we had traveled about 75 miles each of the last two days) and get in early....not to be as we sat in a lock (first lock we had seen since the Tom Bigbe Waterway) for over 2 hours waiting on the lock guys to get something dislodged from the gate before we could get out. Then there were lots of bridges we had to wait on to open and wound up just idling around with lots of other boats near the bridge...made Dad nervous. Anyway, we got in here at Portsmouth, VA yesterday for a couple of days and I know today is special because it is my birthday....a whole year old!! I know Mom and Dad will do something special for me...if not I will let you and them know about it. Lots of big Navy ships.....Mom and Dad left me in Condo today to visit Norfolk and a big Battleship.

Over and out for now....bark more, growl more!!

Rendevous, Back Home, and North Carolina

2010-05-12T20:04:00.000-05:00

We left Charleston on April 23 and stopped in Georgetown, SC for one night and then on to North Myrtle Beach, SC for the Looper Rendevous. Rendevous was great and we met a lot of new loopers and had great sessions from speakers describing the next portion of our trip all the way to the Tn river. After the rendevous we rented a car and traveled back to Tn for a week. We got to see family and friends and Jamey flew in from Houston to visit for a couple of days as well. Water was up on Tn river by @ 17 feet and we lost the flagpole on our dock at home when a huge tree took it under. It was good to be back home for a few days.

We returned to Here and Now and departed on 5/9 to Southport, NC then to Surf City, NC and now we are in Morehead City, NC at ICW MM 205. Weather has been a little windy and cool but we have traveled around 50-60 miles a day and will be here 2 days and then plan to make Norfolk by this weekend. We had a few skinny spots along the way.....but did not touch bottom as a number of other boats have through this stretch of the waterway. Along the way we saw the US Marines as we passed Camp LeJune doing drills and the Navy jets strafing old targets...lots of noise. It was neat seeing these young folks doing their jobs and training to serve our country.

We are doing a lot planning for the next few weeks as we will be exploring the Cheasepeake Bay and have to pick our stops as there is just too much to see for the time we have to spend there. We are now in a move mode and travel 4-6 days per week. We are looping though and are not schedule driven on a day to day basis...just have to keep the big loop picture in mind and make sure we get out of the north before cold weather sets in. Later....a few more pics......

South Carolina Low Country and Blue Angels

2010-04-19T19:37:00.000-05:00

We are now moving along at a good pace. We left Savannah, Ga on 4/18 and traveled 51 miles to an anchorage in Church Creek,SC about 22 miles south of Charleston. We could not get into our marina until Sunday and had to get there before 1 PM because they were closing Charleston Harbor due to the Blue Angels performing Sunday afternoon. So we anchored out Saturday night in a great little spot with 7-8 other boats so we could make into Charleston early the next day. See anchorage pics....who is that long-haired guy? We left next moring at 7:15 am and arrived at the Charleston Maritime Center at 10:30 am. Winds picked up as we traveled and were really rocking and rolling as we came into the marina but got in OK. Donna Pence flew into Charleston and met us in time to see the Blue Angels perform...we had a front row seat from out boat in the marina!! It was a great show .....I am amazed at what these guys do in the jets flying in close formation and doing all kind of zigs and zags and meeting each other and then flipping upside down to avoid hitting each other.

Today we went to see Fort Sumter today and took a tour of Charleston on a horse drawn carriage...really neat town. I leave for Houston tomorrow to visit with Jamey and then back on Thursday to prepare to head to North Myrtle Beach, SC for the AGLCA rendevous starting this weekend. We have now traveled over 2000 miles and been in 6 states on our great adventure. We will take a break after the rendevous and head back to Tennessee for a week before moving into North Carolina.

Dog Country...Finally

2010-04-15T18:28:00.016-05:00

Well, I am finally back again and happy to report that we are in Dog country....Georgia Bulldog country that is. We finally got out of Florida at least that's what Mom says. Since I last got to do an update a lot has passed. Mom got a new little pink boat to paddle around in and I get to go with her once in a while. Good thing I didn't go last time because she turned over in alligator infested waters and I think a gator might have a liking for a little Westie. We left St. Augustine, Fl. and as Dad says 'stayed on the hook' off of Cumberland Island , Ga where the horses run wild....boy I envy them! We are now in Savannah, Ga and I met a new friend (a little Pug) named Savannah as well...we had lots of fun running free and wild (without the durn leash!) on the dock. On the way up things got a little rough a couple of times going through some 'sounds' and Dad got real intense going through some place called 'Hell Gate' at low tide. He was going crazy at the helm holloring something about the depth finder reading zero...but we made it without any big problems. Mom had a big time going through St. Andrews sound when we had 6-8 foot seas and water over the top of the boat...what a ride Dad and I said! Not really, because I don't eat or drink much when we are moving. We stopped in a place called Jekyll Island before Savannah and got fuel and met some new friends. Thats where Mom flipped in her new kayak and lost some shoes but made it back OK without any gator bites. Mom fixed a nice Easter dinner on her new plates and as you can see in the pic I am under the table NOT on the table during a family holiday...what a bummer!

Uncle Bill and Aunt Charlotte came and visited us a couple of days and I like to have company to check them out and they really like to play with me. Mom and Dad and them went to Savannah and toured the town and then went today to Hilton Head and LEFT me in the big pen they call a condo for some reason...guess they think it sounds better than just leaving me couped up all day in a cage. I can't complain because Dad or Mom walk me a long way when we get into a marina and I like that. My life on the boat is going OK...I am getting used to the moving and just chill out and try to sleep while we are underway. I also got some new toys and a little toy that Mom puts treats or peanut butter in and I really have to work to get it out..but its worth it!

Tomorrow we leave for Beaufort, South Carolina and then on to Charleston. We will be in Charleston for several days which is good for me....Dad is leaving to go to Houston to see Jamey and watch some baseball games. Anyway, that about it...you can see some of my recent pics.

Remember, bark more, growl more.

, Spring Break and beyond....

2010-04-07T16:53:00.000-05:00

This trip has been wonderful for lots of reasons, one of which is that you get to share it with family and friends. We so enjoyed Susan and Matt spending their spring break with us in Ft. Lauderdale. Between the morning walks with Susie, great food, a little birthday shopping, pool days, and of course the beautiful beach we had a memoriable visit. After leaving Ft. Lauderdale on March 30th we traveled about 60 miles and anchored in a little cove behind some homes in North Palm Beach and the next day we went 68 miles and docked at Jones Fruit Dock. The movie Deliverance comes to mind when I reflect on it... but it was only for a night so Willi and I made it ok. Steve washed the boat with black slug which caused lots of extra work when we arrived at Cocoa Beach the next afternoon... Traveling on the ICW from Miami until now has been quite the experience being in the backyards of all the highrises and beautiful homes. And with Steve driving the boat with NO Wake, we almost made friends with the residents. : ) Cocoa Village was a quaint place with great restrurants and some beautiful shops. One of those, Pacita's, had a large metal rabbit that the Easter Bunny purchased and sent to Maison Rouge... He will be named Cocoa and will look great on the kitchen island bringing a smile remembering that part of this adventure. Whether we ride our bikes, rent a car, or walk to worship, each time has been up-lifting (exception of once, Ft. Myers.. went back to the 50's). Easter Sunday was no exception. Another neat thing is, all along the way we have met up with our neighbors from TN on Simple Interest. Diane is always so gracious and fixes some on our best meals. We have been able to share our adventure in detail with them because of their travels taking them the same route 2 years ago. Van has given Steve lots of useful advice and we appreciate it all. What do you do without friends??? A highlight of the east coast of Florida was watching the last of the night lift-offs of the space shuttle on April 5th. We were about 12 miles away and were amazed to see the fire as the shuttle lifted from the ground. Even at that distance you felt the rumbling shake and heard the delay of sound as it moved up and out of sight in about 3 minutes. I can only imagine what the astronuts experience as they leave the ground traveling at 5 miles a second, around 17,000 miles an hour.

We left Cocoa around 7:30 that Monday morning traveling north on the ICW toward Georgia.We saw some manatees in Haulover Canal after leaving Cocoa. Our next stop was New Smyrna Beach for a night and to get provisions. Tonight we are at Palm Coast Marina just south of St. Augustine. The next few ports will be one night stops until we reach St. Marys, GA. I wish our pictures could show how beautiful the different areas are. Maybe you get some idea anyway.... Thanks for your interest in our great adventure... love and happiness to all. Admiral Carolyn

Goodbye Florida Keys....Hello Fort Lauderdale

2010-03-20T18:18:00.000-05:00

They say the third time is the charm and that turned out to be true as we finally left Marathon after nearly two months. Back to the third time business later. A brief update is in order since last posting. We traveled back to Tennessee in late Feburuary and returned to Here and Now in Marathon on March 8 along with our Hoosier friends Al and Linda Rudolph who had planned to travel with us to Fort Lauderdale. The weather did not cooperate so we rented a car and went to Key West again, visited the turtle hospital in Marathon, went to the annual seafood festival in Marthon, and finally drove Al and Linda to Fort Lauderdale to catch their plane back home. It was great having them stay with us on the boat...only wish Linda and Carolyn could improve their Eucher game somewhat. We will miss the great people we have met at Marathon and the ribs at Dockside on Thursday night listening to Joe Mama sing about Henry's Railroad. There are too many folks we have met to single out each one but we do appreciate the help and hospitality we recieved by the great group of loopers who were there.

We tried to leave Marathon twice without success. Once we never made it past the pilings as the engines would not run long enough. As it turned out , I had not properly primed the fuel filters after changing them a few days before. That coupled with marginal weather kept us in dock. Next day we tried again and got all the way out of Boot Key Harbor and the starboard engine started heating up and we had to return to Dockside again to diagnose the problem. With the help of Louis and Robert (Looper friends form NC) we got the problem taken care of about 2 pm and lost another day. After a frustrating couple of days we decided to invite Louis and Diane and Robert and Kay out for a St Pats day dinner and had a great meal and good time. We finally got away from Boot Key on the 18th of March and ran outside in Hawk Channel about 115 miles to Key Biscayne. It was a great day on the water and seas were good, not great, but good. We now have a little clay cat called Coleman who sits up on the helm station and is supposed to be looking out for the safety of the boat and for good weather...we will see (Thanks Jamey!!).
We pulled into Crandon Park marina arouund four in the afternoon after entering Biscayne Bay and traveling throught Stiltsville in a storm that came up on the Bay just as we arrived. This is a good marina with floating docks and they offer a Boat US discount. We got a good nights sleep and left around 10 yesterday morning after pump out and refuel.

Yesterday was a fun day as we traveled up the ICW from Biscayne Bay through Miami to Fort Lauderdale and then five miles up the New River to our current marina, Marina Bay. The weather was cool but sunny and it was neat seeing the sights starting with the big cruise ships in Miami and then on through the highrises and beautiful homes along the waterway. We had to go slow most of the day due to no wake and manatee zones. Finally it was a wild trip up the New River with all the tour boats coming down the river which has winding turns and very narrow with marinas, boats, and beautiful houses all along the banks. The Jungle Queen came around a bend and almost hit us. But we made it safely into dock around 4 yesterday and will be here a week or so as Matt and Susan are coming down to visit us next week. We plan to get the boat cleaned up today and go shopping for food and some new toys for Willi.

Later.....Be Safe.

Who Running Things Around Here???

2010-02-23T06:25:00.008-06:00

I really dont understand what is going on...I am having to do these updates because Mom and Dad are too busy doing stuff and going places while the boat never moves!! They are taking vacation from vacation the way I see it. And (this is bad) they left me at some hospital for a whole week with people and dogs I did not know....dogs were good and it was OK, but I let them know when I got back to boat how I felt in more ways than one if you know what I mean. Mom and Dad went to Key West again with Gary and Jeanie ( I got to go on this trip!) for the Superbowl and Uncle Terry stopped by on his motorcycle for a day. Then as soon as we got back to boat again they left again to go on a bigger boat for a week, something called a cruise which is what I thought we were doing, go figure! Anyway, Mom is gone again to Houston to see Jamey and her doctors and Dad and I are hanging out here in Marathon.

As I understand we are going back to Tn for a few days and then back to Marathon and will finally start moving again...it has been nice though to be in warm weather.

A few pics are attached for your viewing pleasure.......bark more, growl more!!

Weird Names, New Places, New Friends and Cool Shades

2010-01-25T15:04:00.014-06:00

OK its finally my turn to get a real update on Willi's Big Adventure. We got back to Salty Sams for a few days which was OK because I knew my way around and when to resist walking when we had gone too far from Here and Now. I got to see my friend Vincent (two legged) and his dogs Vincent and Merlin. They were not Westies but real cool Pekinese and fun to play with. After a few days we had someone else on board and taking up part of my space. It was OK because she played with me a lot and took me to the sand to dig and get really dirty...lots of fun. We then started moving again and the problem is it takes me a few days to get to know the marina and my bearings, how long to 'hold it' before doing my business, etc. We got to Naples and met some neat folks like Simon and Wade and the folks on the huge boat beside us (Dad said it was a ocean going ship called a Nordhaven or something like that). Dad and Mom and Teresa/Donna went to shop and eat a lot and Dad had someone take a pic with an old car.

We swapped people on the boat(Donna for Teresa) and left Naples for some place called Little Shark River as you already know from Dad's update. The thing is I don't understand all these names as there were no sharks and also on the way there and to Marathon the rest of the crew were looking for crab pots....again no crabs and no pots....just little round balls in the water. They got me looking for them too and Mom got me some cool shades so I could see them better.

We got to Marathon and met more Loopers (lots of real Loopers and just loopies down here in the Keys). We had to take Donna to airport in Key West and left early to explore Key West. Mom and Donna took off shopping and Dad and I hung out and walked all over the place. Key West is a fun place and very friendly for dogs and Westies. I saw another Westie like me and was a little taken back...thought it was a mirror like on the boat for a while. I think they should change the name of this island to Key Westie!. It was Race Week in Key West and Dad saw lots of fast sailboats from all over the world and we visited lots of little places where Dad and I had to take breaks for some liquid refreshments....I just had water by the way. Another name thing is this one place called Hogs Breath...no hogs that I could see!!

Well I am about done, Dad is walking me every day here in Marathon a long way around a golf course and up and down the docks and I get really tired...its hot too! We have settled in for a while here and have some more guests coming next week...I will be ready and get them oriented to the boat.

Thats all folks....bark more, growl more!

Naples, Little Shark, and Marathon

2010-01-21T14:11:00.001-06:00

We are a little behind schedule on our blog updates but we finally left Fort Myers Beach and traveled 33 miles to Naples where we stayed at the City Dock for five days. Our friend Teresa from Galveston flew into Fort Myers and traveled with us to Naples. Great place to spend a few days. Teresa left on Monday the 18th and another longtime friend Donna flew in and has traveled with us the last two days. We had two great weather days with calm seas and traveled Tuesday from Naples for 70 miles to a great anchorage in the Little Shark River in the Florida Everglades. We did not see any sharks however. There were 7 other boats in the same anchorage. We left Little Shark this morning and traveled about 50 or so miles to Marathon, Florida across Florida Bay. Great day on the boat despite dodging crab pots all day and all the way in to Boot Key Harbor. We got into Sombrero Dockside Marina this afternoon and met our next door neighbors from Tn, Van and Diane, and had a great meal this evening with an number of fellow loopers who are here.
Carolyn and Donna helped all day today looking for crab pots and markers coming into the keys. We will be here for several weeks and look forward to getting to know lots of new people we met today. Just a few pics for this update. Willi is doing well and met a new little friend his size today...her name is LuSea!. Anyway the weather is great down here, around 75-80 during the day, and lots of sunshine. Marathon is what they call 'Old Florida' and I believe it....really laid back.

Back to Sunny But Cold, Cold Florida

2010-01-11T15:43:00.008-06:00

After a great Chirstmas and New Years with family and friends we are now back aboard Here and Now at Salty Sams Marina in Fort Myers Beach. The morning we left our home on the Tennessee River it was 8 degrees and we were looking forward to some warmer weather down south...not to be. It was a record 31 degrees last night and warmed to @ 55 degrees today. Since we returned we have visited Sanibel Island and did some shelling on the one warm day we have had. We ate at a great little resturant called the Island Cow. We have been getting all our stuff organized and cleaning the boat. We hope to leave this week for Naples for a few days and then next week on the Everglades and Marathon....weather permitting. We will be running outside in the Gulf of Mexico from here to Marathon but fairly close to shore. While here we have changed oil and had the boat bottom cleaned and checked as well.

Carolyn and Willi are doing good but we are ready to move on. I have our charts plotted and GPS routes prepared to Marathon with stops in Naples and Little Shark River ( on the hook).

Attached are some pics from Sanibel and Marina here at Salty Sams including the new rod holder flagstaff we got for Christmas......

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Grrrrr

2009-12-26T10:39:00.009-06:00

Yep, its me again...Dad thought he would have the last word this year but not so. I celebrated my very first Christmas yesterday and it was great! After flying home ( I dont like airplanes but I behave pretty well cause I get to go) we got to the river and my deck and I had to check everything out at the house including running a few laps around the den and kitchen.

We spent Christmas day at Matt and Susans and I got to play all day with Riley and Bogie and open presents (mine and everybody else's too). When Dad and I got up at our usual 5:30am time it was snowing...first snow for me but it didnt last long. I got new toys and treats and got to see Jamey on the internet hook up...cool! Papa and MaMaw Wood came over for lunch and presents too. It's cold up here and I do miss the warm weather we left in Florida. Dad took me upstairs today and we got on scales and I topped out at a whopping 13 pounds....boating life has been good for me. I will make this update short and sweet cause I wont be sweet much longer today....heard Mom and Dad talking about a bath today and I know what's coming shortly. Attached are some Christmas pics and a few other loop pics with yours truly.

See you all later when we get back to Here and Now in some warmer weather next year.

Remember, bark more and growl more!!

Last Stop in 2009

2009-12-15T07:43:00.013-06:00

We have made it to Fort Myers, Fl which is our final stop for 2009. We will be here a week and then head home to Tennessee for the holidays. We left Palm Island Marina yesterday after a stay of a week there. Very nice marina with access to beach and pool. The beach was not crowded and Carolyn got lots of shells. We biked a couple of days including riding to church on Sunday morning. It was a beautiful day yesterday on the water as we traveled @ 45 miles from Cape Haze, Fl to Fort Myers through Gasparilla Bay and Pine Island Sound including Captiva and Sanibel Islands. Several pics attached are from both near Palm Island and on the trip to Fort Myers. We had some dolphins who followed close behind our boat for a long time. Also note the slow speed zone sign for manatees. We saw some of these in the marina at Palm Island.

We have traveled almost 1100 miles by water and have been away from home for about 6 weeks. Enjoy the pics and we will update again in 2010 (unless Willi sneaks in and does a Christmas update).

Stay Safe....

Waiting Out the Rain.

2009-12-06T21:14:00.009-06:00

We have been away from home for a month now. It sure doesn't seem that long. Last week we were in Clearwater Fl. The marina was right by a beautiful white beach and every chance we had we were there. That is between rain storms.... which aren't that bad because then you clean the boat and catch up on your laundry. Another thing that happens especially when it rains, is you meet everyone on the dock. Most are starting or finishing the Loop which lends itself to great evenings with everyone sitting in a large circle talking about their experiences. We learned where to eat along the way, what towns are unique to visit, and where to find the best price for gas/deisel. One of the quaint villages was Tarpon Springs. Its a greek community thats been there forever and has the best food and friendliest people. Got to shop a few hours in real stores, not a Walmart.

We are now in Cape Haze, Fl on the ICW after stopping yesterday at Cortez, Fl. The marina here is very nice and we may stay a few days....weather is great. We are now only 38 miles from Fort Myers where we will keep the boat for a month or so over the holidays.

Data, Zombies, and Taking Control

2009-12-01T05:23:00.012-06:00

Hey Folks, its me again! I have picked up the lingo and learned a lot about the boating and navigation in short order including actually piloting the boat. Anyway, my Dad got so worked up about this big crossing we did that he would be quite upset with me if I did not update everyone on some info (data, he calls it) about our recent crossing of the Gulf of Mexico. So here are the facts and then I can speak to the fun stuff:

Left Panama City @ 7:15 am on Nov 28 and arrived at Apalachicola at 3 PM (Dad uses military time but I havent gotten into that yet). We refueled and headed back out across Apalachicola Bay at 3:45PM and went through Government Cut (Dad says this name sounds like a good idea) and into the big, big Gulf of Mexico. We traveled all night and arrived at Clearwater, Fl the next morning, Nov 29 at 10:45 am...a total of 19 hours from Apalachicola and 27 hours from Panama City. We traveled 61 miles from Panama City to Apalachicola and then 180 miles to Clearwater, Fl. The seas were 1-2 feet most of way and the boat did good....my Dad says all his fancy equipment worked and really helped out way out in the middle of the big water. Mom and I slept a lot upstairs with Dad...I did have to relieve Dad once as you can see in pic. We stayed in contact with the boat behind us every 30 minutes by radio. As we got close to Clearwater Dad started zigzagging to keep from hitting crab pots. Anyway, we made the big crossing and Dad kept using the word Zombie toward the end of the trip.

We are going to stay here a few days and it is a neat place. I am really peeved about something and I will just put it on the table now....They do not allow dogs on the public beaches here and the problem is that I am a Westie and that should be taken into account . I want to dig in the sand and check out the birds and kids on the beach. Dad says you have to be careful eating on the beach as one of the birds swooped down and snatched some chips right out of his hand! And another thing...as you can see in the pic Mom is using MY toys to decorate her morning beverages...not sure why? But guess it is OK...she does a good job of taking care of me in the mornings when Dad is busy with the boat and keeps me warm too! Oh, almost forgot, met a new little friend over Thanksgiving and played with him a while. Not as much fun as Riley and Bogie back home but I could handle this little guy.

It is much warmer down here now and I dont think I will have to wear that icky sweater they put on me sometimes for quite a while. We are going to rent a car today and go to some Greek town with sponges, Tarpon Springs I think.

Over and out, roger, and all that other stuff...plus remember Bark More, Growl More!!

Thanksgiving Week

2009-11-27T20:06:00.010-06:00

We have had a great Thanksgiving on the water. We spent three days at Harborwalk Marina and had access to the hotel, spa , etc. On Thanksgiving we were invited to a campsite nearby on the beach with some friends of the couple we are traveling with. It was a fantastic meal and a great campsite...super clean with secluded campsites. It was good to be with others to celebrate Thanksgiving. We miss our family and friends and Willi misses Riley and Bogie but we had an enjoyable day and thought of how blessed we have been and are so thankful for our families.

I have attached a few pics from Destin. Tonight we are at the city marina in Panama City traveling 63 miles today with sunny skies. Its a little cool down here but not as cool as Saltillo, Tn (29 degrees). I am really getting into planning and plotting and piloting the boat. We are approaching a big decision in the next day or two as to whether we will do the Big Bend or make an overnight run across the Gulf of Mexico(170 miles). We are leaning toward the overnighter to get on down further south and some warmer weather and for some aboard an opportunity to work on a tan.

Leaving at 7 in the morning heading further east to Apalachicola or Port St. Joe.....

Later.....be safe!

In The Groove...GRRR

2009-11-23T21:05:00.008-06:00

Well, I am back for an update...been tough finding time to get on this machine. Left Mobile, AL this morning after 3 days at Dog River Marina. I wonder if there is a Westie River Marina?? Lots of dogs around and we rented a car with some other folks we are traveling with on a boat called Biddie and the Beast. Mom finally got to go to Fairhope and shop and also went to Gulf Shores and THEY ate at Lulus (Jimmy Buffets sister's resturant). We traveled 69 miles today and things really look different as we are in bigger waters. Lots of sun today and finally saw some white sand on the way to Pensacola, Fl. We saw the Blue Angels practicing today....very noisy!!

You may think I have life of Riley on this trip but wanted to post a few pics to let you know I am contributing quite a bit. Taking care of safety equipment, rolling up lines, cleaning the deck and main salon...which I do after Mom and Dad eat....with all that work I do have to get in my nap time as well.

Got a bath today while underway and I was not happy about that as I prefer to help Dad with the navigation activities...I let Mom know about it too!! I do smell better though. Then tonight Dad pulls out this Dremel tool and here we go again with getting my nails ground...wonder how they would feel getting their nails ground with a dremel tool.

We are headed for Destin, FL tomorrow and will spend Thanksgiving there .....this is all new to me but I am thankful to be on this trip. Something different every day and seeing lots of new and strange birds and big dolphins in the water...I may have to take a dip in near future at least I am trying....a couple of near misses already!!

I do think I am getting hang of this boat trip...I really like it when we hang out at a marina for more than just one day!! Also, I get to go on long walks/runs and smell around and today got to dig in sand (after bath, Mom not happy)!!

Later.....

Bark More, Growl More!!

Final week on river...

2009-11-20T22:51:00.007-06:00

This week we have traveled at least 60 miles a day. Most of the time its about 10 miles an hour. We arrived in Mobile yesterday and will leave on Sunday. The weather has been without rain for 5 days, which is great. It has been lots colder than I ever thought. Can't wait until we get to warmer days. We have anchored out under the stars a few nights and in/at marina's the other ones. I think the prettiest part of the day is the early mornings, sometimes with the low fog and total quietness it is almost spiritual. The river curves so much its like you are meeting yourself. Because of the rain north of us there have been sooo many large floating trees (which the loopers call sharks). It takes two people watching so we don't hit any. Of course Willi has to stay in his crate when its busy and after he has done that most of the day, he is wired.... We have been traveling with two boats Biddi and the Beast from Louisville Ky and Floating Stones from Cincinnati. Its their second time to do the loop so we have loved hearing their stories and learning all we can. When looking for a marina the first question we ask is, Do they have a courtesy car, then are there washers and dryers ( how many) and how close to a resturant.... The trip has been more than I ever thought. Its a great journey.

On the Move Again

2009-11-15T19:27:00.006-06:00

Here's the deal: I am confused...we leave on this great adventure and then turn around and go back home!! Something about rivers flooding down below and no boats moving. Anyway, I enjoyed a few days back at my deck and it was a short drive by car and I am sure much less expensive. We are back on the move again and traveled 69 miles today and anchored out in something called an Ox Bow just below some lock named after a famous US senator.....tomorrow to Demopolis and a chance to walk and run a lot. Since I last posted we ran aground even though I never saw any ground just a lot of back and forth and Daddy getting very nervous...I can tell! We stayed a few days at the marina and I had to help calm Dad down and check out the boat engines (see pic). I did not go in the ice cold water just barked to support Dad in his dive suit....cant get Mom to give the pic for that (yet!!)

Mom and Dad are doing OK and mom has done a great job with her new dishes...food is good too per my Dad...they dont let me eat off the table (yet!!) Still don't like being underway but hopefully it will get better...I have to stay in kennel a lot because I like to chew and investigate new areas of boat when Mom and Dad are distracted with things like locking through and watching for trees in the water.

Wag More, Bark More, Growl More!!

Sooner or Later

2009-11-10T11:17:00.003-06:00

They say sometimes its better to get things out of the way sooner than later if they are going to happen. Well, during our 59 mile run from Midway to Columbus we got in the mud coming out of a lock. I won't go into the muddy details of how or why but needless to say I have greater respect for the Tenn-Tom and value of watching charts and buoys that are misplaced. Boat ran OK and I doned my wet suit today and went down and checked props and also got my speed transducer unplugged. It took a few minutes to get adjusted to the cold water but got it done and looks like we dodged a bullet. Anyway, our first grouding is past and hopefully the last!

We went through four locks yesterday with no problems except for dodging the trees and other junk in the locks (see pic). We will be here at Columbus Marina for a few more days due to flooding further south and lots of trash and trees expected at Demopolis. We may rent a car and drive back home for a few days waiting for the Black Warrior River to crest below us..it is expected to be 10 feet or more above normal with lots of trash, trees, and fast current. We think we can do without that after yesterday! It rained last night and and most of today. Lots of Loopers here
and we are having a boaters potluck tonight...everyone is ready to go but stuck here for now.

Later........

Getting My Bearings

2009-11-08T18:24:00.008-06:00

OK, its about time I got the real story out on this 'Great Loop Adventure' my folks are telling ya'll about. First of all, we have been gone from my deck for five days and traveled only 2 of those days....at this rate I won't get back to my real home until who knows when...I don't think Mom and Dad care much about that. We are in Mississippi at Midway Marina (if you click on the pic of the marina you can see my new home Here and Now on the right) which I kinda like because I get to walk and meet other dogs almost like me (non Westies). We had a long day yesterday going through three locks but good thing about locks is Dad turns the engines off and it is much better. So, when we are underway (a term my Dad uses) I sleep a lot. However, my Dad gets a little nervous at times and I have to help out with navigation as you can see in the picture attached. Also, while underway I am getting to know Mom a little better and I think she is OK...gives me treats when I go in my kennel.

We are leaving early in the morning headed further south with four locks and about 59 miles. It will be slow going for a few days due to some woman called Ida......they say she is in Gulf of Mexico and the marinas are full with no boats moving south.

I am starting to get my bearings on the boat and now can climb all the steps and know where they hide the fun stuff to chew on....I really like the full water bottles to play with!!!

So long for today....Wag More, Bark Less ...nice saying but not for me....I say Wag More, Bark More!!!

quite reading day at Aqua Harbour

2009-11-06T18:40:00.003-06:00

Today was a slow day waiting on the marina to do some waranty work that never happened. Good news is, I got to read alot... We took Willi on several long walks thru the falling leaves along the shoreline. He loves this weather as we do. Met several new loopers. Listening to their stories is inspiring. Most of the ones we are meeting are at the end of their adventure. Each one tells of their favorite area... most speak of Canada... We will leave Pickwick as soon as the fog lifts tomorrow, Saturday. Good Night...

second night-Aqua Harbour

2009-11-05T19:10:00.003-06:00

It's been the perfect day. Work was done by noon on the boat. Long walks with Willi while Steve washed the boat. Then wonderful dinner at Jon's Pier... tomorrow early morning departure. Life is Good.

A Great Start on the Great Loop

2009-11-04T22:13:00.007-06:00

Well, our primary blogger hit the sack early today and I am up watching the World Series with Willi. We left Riverstone Marina at 0800 today (about an hour delay due to fog) and arrived at Aqua Yacht Harbor in Iuka, MS around 1545. We passed by La Maison Rouge( our home at Tn River MM 172) around 0900 and honked at Billy and Judy Duck who were kind enough to take us to Rivertone last night. We traveled around 55 miles today and locked through Pickwick Lock this afternoon. Overall a great day and beautiful weather. Carolyn took lots of pics and hopefully will get them up tomorrow. We will be here 2 days and then move on down the Tenn-Tom.

Not a lot to say about the trip today as we have traveled this part of Tennessee River before. It was colorful and blue skies were with us all day...actully got rather warm this afternoon after starting out around 32 degrees.

Tough day for Willi getting adjusted to new surrondings but one day at a time..wait a minute ...I will let him speak for himself in a few days!

Thats it for tonight!

Getting Close

2009-11-01T21:27:00.002-06:00

Went to the boat again today to load groceries and check on a few things. Just a few days now before we leave...getting anxious to go! Boat is getting crowded and we have not left yet. Weather looking good for this week. My crew members are excited too...We plan to head up the Tennessee to Pickwick and stop at Aqua Harbor for a couple of days for a little minor work on boat and then down the Tenn-Tom.

Something is happening......

2009-10-27T10:41:00.003-05:00

Its getting real wierd around here....Daddy and Momma keep talking about some big trip. I hope I get to go....they keep going to the boat and I am not sure that is good. They keep putting stuff on me to wear and I tolerate it but dont really like it. But anyway I get to sleep on the big bed sometimes now and whatever is fixing to happen I will be ready.

2009-10-25T21:43:00.001-05:00

Gas tank full... boat in good shape... waiting for the 4th...