Around the Great Loop on the Answer

Week 28 – Week 36: December 12 – February 12

Week 28 – Week 36: Fort Myers, FL to LaBelle, FL

We met a number of people who reside in Florida when we began our loop journey in June. In addition, a number of the loop guidebooks have Florida as the starting point and that means you are able to complete your loop before the winter season. Those of us who need to continue north need to locate a place where it is warm to wait until Spring to continue to our home port.

Many winter in various places – west or east coast of Florida, the Keys or perhaps a side trip to the Bahamas. One thing we learned was that unless you made reservations close to a year in advance, you would have difficulty finding long term dockage and having a place to settle for a month or more. It was hard enough for us to secure dockage for the winter on the west coast and then plans changed because the yacht club we were to stay at voted in a new board with different ideas and no longer wanted any liveaboards – even short term transients – in the marina. Scrambling by calling back every marina where we were on a “wait list” eventually resulted in securing a place in Fort Myers that worked out very well. We thought about a trip to the Keys but with the lack of slips, the high cost for any openings at the last minute, plus the open water, we decided to stay put in Fort Myers for six weeks to two months. It actually made sense to stay the full two months since our friends from New York were arriving in early February to spend a month in Port Charlotte and we wanted to spend some time with them.

The Marina at Edison Ford was a safe, secure place to stay and worked well. We were within walking distance to downtown Fort Myers that is a hub of activity with special events practically every weekend. We met a number of other former and current loopers at the marina and a number of snowbirds who would also be there for the winter. We also have a number of friends and yacht club members who winter in Florida and Fort Myers was a mid-point to see some of them.

To accommodate our family when they arrived for the holidays, we rented a vehicle. The cost for one week was outrageous because it was holiday season so for a little more, it made sense to rent it for a month and then have the opportunity to explore the area on our own. While Fort Myers has a good public transportation system and a free Trolley to downtown, we were limited as to where we were able to go and the one month rental made it easy to explore the area and visit others.

Our daughter and son-in-law arrived at 1:30AM on Christmas Eve. It would definitely not be a traditional Christmas and we weren’t sure what we wanted to do. We had a few options – cook on the boat, try to find a place to eat out or attend a pot luck Christmas dinner at Legacy Harbour Marina for boaters. Since they would not know any of the boaters, we left it up to them. They thought it would be fun and our son-in-law said they could “pretend” to be loopers. Legacy sponsored the dinner at $10 per person to enjoy turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, gravy and dessert. Boaters were asked to bring a dish to share and a wrapped gift (one per boat) for a boater grab bag up to $25. We played a version of Dirty Santa and we came away with a useful gift – $25 gift card to West Marine. Thanks to Pam and Mike on Sea C Rider for inviting us to participate in the dinner! Everyone had a good time and it was the first time we shared a Christmas dinner with 50-60 people!

In addition to this holiday function, our son and daughter-in-law rented a house in Cape Coral from 12/28-1/4 so we were able to spend time with our family for the holidays. When they initially rented the house they were told that it was pet friendly (Kodey could stay!) and there was a dock out back where we could dock the boat for the week. Of course the owners never mentioned all the low bridges in Cape Coral and the clearances – even the highest vertical clearance in all of Cape Coral would not be high enough for us so we left the boat in Fort Myers and stayed at the house. Fortunately, we found out about the bridge clearances early on after they rented so this was not a surprise. The house was equipped with a pool and hot tub, and two kayaks for use on the canal out back. It was strange to be staying in a house with no “rocking” for the week. Access to the use of a full kitchen and large bath facilities was a pleasure. We spent the week enjoying family and participating in typical tourist activities – exploring downtown Fort Myers, enjoying the holiday lights and museum at the Edison Ford Winter Estates, shelling on Sanibel, a trip to Manatee Park where few were visible, a dolphin tour with only a glimpse of a dolphin, walking through Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, visiting IMAG History & Science Center, and a visit to the Shell Factory and Nature Park. We had a great time over the holidays with family.

At the end of January we attended Looper Palooza sponsored by AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association) and hosted at Edison Ford. We attended the one day route briefing seminar for loopers in progress that provided a wealth of information about either crossing the Okeechobee or going around the Florida peninsula to head north. The presentations were conducted by former loopers and they shared not only their knowledge but personal experiences. We left with much information and a listing of marinas from Fort Myers to Southport, NC. In addition to the seminar, we also went to Legacy Harbour Marina to tour the boats who signed up for the Looper Crawl. There were 14 boats who participated and we met a couple who competed their loop in 2010 and actually spent a few nights at our home yacht club in Peekskill. It was also nice to reconnect with loopers we traveled with at the beginning of our trip.

Visiting with old friends, Rosemary & Neil, Grace & Mike, and yacht club members Barbara & Tim and Anne & Jim plus exploring the area’s restaurants, libraries, real estate open houses, re-provisioning and spending time with boaters at Edison Ford, dinners, grilling, experimenting with my instant pot (made lasagna in the instant pot for the SuperBowl), SuperBowl and Oscar parties, all added to a full schedule over the past few months. We also took advantage of the down time to paint the salon, a task we have talked about for years. The light blue paint made the salon look much brighter.

Our last week at Edison Ford was spent in preparation for leaving in order to cross Lake Okeechobee and begin our journey north. While it is still too early and too cold to head home, we will take a side trip and explore the St Johns River before crossing into Georgia.

We left Edison Ford on February 12th and traveled the Caloosahatchee River to the Okeechobee Waterway and stayed overnight at the LaBelle free dock. We only had one lock that day and there are five more before arriving at the ICW. I will definitely be happy when we finish the locks.

Week 27: December 5-11

Week 27: Punta Gorda, FL to Fort Myers, FL

We stayed in Laishley for another week and spent time with Avalon, exploring Punta Gorda, and doing some Christmas shopping.

I did my usual shopping for stocking stuffers since I wanted to have something for family in December but had shipped their gifts since they were all flying and I didn’t want them to have to pack and bring things back on the plane. However, it would not be the same if there were no stockings! Between Beals, Starbucks, Dollar Tree, online shipments to marinas,and a few gift cards, Xmas shopping was practically completed.

Peter and I also visited the Military Heritage Museum that was recently renovated. We enjoyed the various exhibits and were surprised at the number of local volunteer veterans serving as docents. We have heard that many towns are veteran/military friendly and Punta Gorda appears to be one of these. Punta Gorda is proud to be home to a replica of the Vietnam Wall in Washington D.C. The Vietnam Wall of Southwest Florida is located in Laishley Park and is about half the size of the one in D.C.

The town had a number of holiday activities planned this week including the town Christmas tree lighting with music, food vendors and other festivities. In addition, the Visual Art Center was having a Christmas craft fair that Terrie (Avalon) and I decided to check out. We left Peter and Richard back on the boats since we knew they had little interest. Lots of interesting crafts….if you weren’t living on a boat. However, I did find hand-made Christmas ornaments for our granddaughters since we add one to their collection each year. These were oval shaped balls with swirled paint and sparkles in pink and purple. Probably the first year that I purchased ornaments for them that were designed for children but not “kiddy”.

Avalon had plans to spend a few days at Cayo Costa before heading back home for birthdays and Christmas. We had hoped to go with them but experienced some issue with getting into forward gear and needed to wait for a mechanic. We did go out for dinner at Hurricane Charley’s before they left and enjoyed the music of the Silver Sneakers band.

The mechanic came and advised that we should get in touch with a Yanmar dealer since the engine and transmission were new when we got to Fort Meyers next week. He made a phone call to their service department and they were to send an email about setting up an appointment. Of course, their schedule was full but since we were staying in Fort Myers for a month-six weeks, they said they could get to us after Christmas. We figured since there was some difficulty with the gears, it would be best to skip Cayo Costa and plan to get into gear only once to get us to Edison Ford in Fort Meyers on the 11th.

Quick December Update

Just a quick update to let you know we arrived at The Marina at Edison Ford in Fort Myers, FL on December 11th and will be here until the end of January or mid-February.

Our daughter and son-in-law arrived in the early AM on Christmas Eve and will be with us until New Years Day when they return to San Diego. Our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters arrive 12/28 and go back to Virginia on 1/4. When he arrives, we will all relocate to a house he rented in Cape Coral. It is great to see family especially over the holidays.

I will return to the blog after their visits for an update and new photos.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year!

Week 26: November 28-December 4

We settled into Laishley Marina in Punta Gorda for the week. Today is Thanksgiving and we will not be having turkey….except for perhaps a sandwich.

Our plan for the day was to take a walk around the area and to visit Fishermen’s Village, one of the other marinas where loopers usually stay. We knew that Avalon stayed in one of the marinas in the area but we did not know which one. Since Fishermen’s was an easy walk, we walked around the main dock and Peter noticed a Kadey Krogen on one of the other docks so we went and took a look. Sure enough, it was Avalon proudly displaying her gold looper flag. I took a quick photo of the boat and sent a text to the captain. The response was immediate…..”we just missed you since we went home for Thanksgiving but will be back on Monday or Tuesday.” We told them that we would be staying the week and would meet up with them when they returned. It is interesting to note that this is the first couple we met on our first day of our loop but since we took different paths along the way we have only run into them a few times but have maintained the connection. It will be good to reconnect next week and actually have time to spend with them.

Another text was sent to our friends from the Peekskill Yacht Club who spend part of their winter in Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte. They have been following us on Nebo so knew we were in Punta Gorda but called me immediately when I sent them the text of the Christmas tree at Fishermen’s Village. Apparently they spend many days walking the docks and enjoying the harbor. We compared notes on the weather since it was quite chilly in upstate NY.

At Laishley, there are a number of live aboard singles and couples. Later in the day, they had planned a pot luck but it was primarily one person who did all the cooking and a few others purchased sides and dessert. When we walked up to the boaters lounge, they invited us to eat with them but I had already planned to cook chicken for dinner. Peter did have a piece of pie since that was not on our menu.

One thing that we realized traveling across the Erie Canal and around the Great Lakes was that many harbor towns may not have a grocery store nearby but they all seem to have one of the dollar stores. We have found that along with all their miscellaneous items, the stores can provide some food staples. It has been a good source for bread, eggs, canned goods, pasta, etc. So of course I checked to see if there was any dollar store nearby that would be an easy walk and sure enough, Dollar Tree was only a mile away. We planned a visit for the next day and combined that with our walk to the public library, another of our usual stops. The Punta Gorda Library is new and only recently opened. While we usually look at a library’s used book sale section, I think this is the first time we saw one that was really well organized. We have visited some libraries where the books were alphabetized by author or perhaps in fiction and non-fiction but this was actually a separate room that as organized by fiction/non-fiction but also by history, biography, romance, science, best sellers, etc. Peter bought four books since it was the first time he had a real selection of non-fiction/history books. After the library, we ventured to the dollar store, picked up a few things and then back to the marina.

We also had the opportunity to reconnect with folks on Floating Debt who we spent time with at Shady Harbor’s Pig Roast and waiting for the locks to open in Waterford in June. Their boat is a swift trawler and they completed the loop in August. It was a trial run to see whether they would enjoy the trip and now plan to do it again in a few years on a different boat and take their time and following the northern route instead of crossing the Erie Canal and going across Lake Erie. They invited us to visit them at home and it was the first time in close to six months that we have been inside a house. It felt a bit strange but we had a very pleasant afternoon. In addition, to spending the day together, the offer to take me food shopping before we left was greatly appreciated. Loopers all recognize the need to re-provision and access to a car greatly improves the process.

Laurie Jean has begun to settle back into their home and plan to rip out their kitchen immediately. Before this happens though we were invited, along with Aquaman, to come to dinner for a home-cooked meal. Two houses in a few days has set a record. A home cooked meal was enjoyed by all and most of the conversation centered on things we did on the loop, things we didn’t have a chance to do, and things we plan for the future. While no one is ready to take on another major cruise immediately, we did discuss potential trips for 2021 and beyond.

Avalon returned to Fishermen’s Village and we had dinner with them on their boat. We also discussed some of the upcoming holiday festivities that were planned for the area – a holiday market at the Visual Arts Center, the annual tree lighting, etc. Since we were all interested in at least some of the activities, we agreed to get together a few times before we left.

Punta Gorda is a very nice town and has a walkable downtown area. Since we were planning to be in Fort Myers for about six weeks this winter, we decided to spend another week in Punta Gorda at Laishley to explore the area and then possibly anchor out a few nights at Cayo Costa State Park before going to Fort Myers.

Week 25: November 21-November 27

Week Twenty-Five: Tarpon Springs to Punta Gorda

On Thursday morning we left Crystal River and headed further south. We were on a quest to find warmth. Honey Badger, Done Diggin, and Laurie Jean were headed to Tarpon Springs. They wanted me to try again while we were traveling to see whether I would be able to find a place to stay in Tarpon Springs with them. They were concerned about our travel to Clearwater since it was a longer trip and we would barely get there in time to dock before dark. Their reservations had been made earlier for Tarpon Springs and since so many boats had been waiting in Carrabelle to cross, the marinas were full and we were unable to join them. I made a number of attempts and was advised that many people extended their stays and there wasn’t anything available. With their encouragement and concern, I continued to try a few of the same marinas again about a slip hoping that someone left early. Fortunately, I got a slip for only one night right across from where the others were staying.

One boat decided to stay another night, two of us were planning to leave in the morning to head to Clearwater where we had reservations for three nights (Sunday was projected to be windy so we were staying until Monday for better weather), and the other was pushing forward since they wanted to cross their wake before Thanksgiving so they could spend it with family. To celebrate a successful crossing, we decided to have dinner in one of the many Greek restaurants that Tarpon Springs is well known to have….resulting in a difficult choice of where to go. We went to Mama’s based on the reviews and the recommendation from another looper. The food at Mama’s was great. My dinner was too much so I was able to enjoy it a second night!

The town is basically split into two sections – one retains the history of the Greek immigrants, a legacy of the Greek sponge divers who settled there in the early 1900s and the history of the once booming industry and a tourist section with sponge boats and shops selling sponges and natural soaps. While there is still a reminder of the industry with the historic work on the sponge boats, there is another section that has a more traditional American atmosphere reflecting the influence of the wealthy who came to the area to escape the harsh northern winters.

Friday was a short trip to Clearwater. We stayed at the Clearwater Municipal Marina and there were a number of other looper boats there. It is typically a place where those making the crossing spend a few days to recover from the travel/stress of crossing the Gulf. Clearwater is a city known for sunny weather, gulf coast and white sand with hotels and numerous restaurants. There were many places within walking distance but the availability of transportation, locally, and between Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Clearwater by taking the Jolley Trolley, made exploring the area much easier.

On Saturday we met up with former Peekskill Yacht Club members, Tim and Mary Pat. They took us to the Dunedin Celtic Music & Craft Beer Festival (www.dunedincelticmusicfestival.com). We had a great day listening to music, visiting craft booths, enjoying local fish for lunch, and then a quick stop to West Marine for a few necessities. The opening act was Seven Nations and I have to report that Peter actually enjoyed a Celtic band, specifically a Celtic rock band that includes a fiddle and bagpipes. You may want to take some time to listen to some of their music on iTunes or YouTube.

As predicted, Sunday was windy and not a good travel day. It was, however, a good day to catch up on laundry and other various tasks. We left on Monday so that we would have good water crossing Tampa Bay. We decided that we really didn’t need to see any cities so skipped St. Petersburg and Tampa (both were really out of the way when making the way south anyway) and headed to Cortez, FL in Sarasota Bay just west of Bradenton.

Cortez is one of the last remaining fishing villages in southwest Florida. It is reflected in the restaurants and tourist shops within walking distance of the marina. We took a walk to Sea Hagg, a nautical antiques shop. There were a number of interesting items but their prices seemed excessive. Needless to say, we went for dinner at the Seafood Shack where I think everyone had some type of fish for either an appetizer or the main dish. Since we have been in Florida, there is no shortage of seafood options and we have tried a number of new fish dishes.

It was so close to Thanksgiving and Laurie Jean’s wake crossing, the plan was spending one night in Boca Grande and then head to Punta Gorda for a week. On Tuesday, we stayed at Uncle Henry’s marina on the north end of Gasparilla Island. This was the most expensive marina we stayed in and it really had nothing to offer. We did, however, find clean restrooms and showers but the marina was about 8 miles to town and there was nothing close by. Once again, WiFi was close to nonexistent. For the rate of $3.50 a ft, I would have expected something more.

We left on Wednesday. Honey Badger spent an additional day at Uncle Henry’s and then planned to leave on Thursday to head south towards Naples to cross her wake. Laurie Jean was heading home to Punta Gorda to cross her wake so we traveled with them until Alligator Creek where they turned off and we headed to Charlotte Harbor to spend a week at Laishley Municipal Marina. We knew we needed to be settled someplace before Thanksgiving since many of the marinas were closed for the holiday. Peter also wanted to delay getting to Fort Myers a bit so we felt this was a good stop to make. We have heard much about Punta Gorda from a number of loopers we have met along the way and it is close to where our friends at the yacht club spend part of their winter.

Our plan is to stay in one place for the week and leave next Wednesday. Not sure where we will stop or whether we will head directly to Fort Myers.

Week 24: November 14-November 20

Week Twenty-Four: Apalachicola To Crystal River

We left Lighthouse Marina as planned and arrived at Water Street Hotel Marina in Apalachicola later that afternoon. Traveling was not the best but there were times that the water was calm and peaceful. We were not able to outrun the cold front and it was only 29 degrees when we left. I did tell you we were in Florida, didn’t I? Wind varied but we were determined to get to our destination since crossing the Gulf of Mexico involves watching various weather windows/projections. Once again, rain was projected so we planned for two nights and double booked marinas for Saturday just in case we would be able to leave on Saturday.

Water Street Hotel Marina is tiny and the slips do not have very deep water. Bahama Voyager was actually sitting in mud. Although we had slip assignments, there were other boats in the slips when we arrived so figuring out where to go took more time and we were struggling with the current in the creek. Once we were secured, we checked in and gave them the number of the slips we took. We don’t expect much with WiFi any longer and found that the “WiFi” meant searching for a hotel room number and then “grabbing” it and then trying to log on. Generally my devices have had more luck but I could not secure any connection. Peter’s computer was not only able to connect to a room but seemed to stay connected the entire time (2 days) we were there. The Verizon network wasn’t strong so even though I have cellular connections on my iPad, no luck.

Apalachicola is an interesting fishing town. It is known as the oyster capital. Some of the fishing villages we have visited have reconstructed themselves into tourist towns and this is one of them. While there is still an active fishing industry, there are now a number of restaurants, various gift shops, and local history sites to visit. One little park we visited was dedicated to a physician, Dr. John Gorrie, who was an early pioneer in the invention of the artificial manufacture of ice, refrigeration, and air conditioning. He was granted the first U.S. patent for mechanical refrigeration in May 1851. His attempt to cool patients with yellow fever later became the basis for the ice industry and air conditioning.

We ate local seafood, toured the town and hoped that when we woke up on Saturday morning we would be able to leave for Carrabelle. The weather window for crossing the Gulf was promising for Sunday & Monday.

I should probably tell you a little about crossing the Gulf and why we are anxious/nervous. Crossing the Gulf of Mexico requires watching the weather window and making a choice. There are primarily two route options to cross from Carrabelle. One of the most popular is the 170 miles from Carrabelle to Anclote Key & Tarpon Springs. This option may be the shortest run in miles but it also means spending the farthest distance from shore for the most time. The second option is a 76 mile route from Carrabelle directly across to Steinhatchee. The distance off-shore is less than half that of the night run and as long as your draft is 5 1/2’ or less, you will be fine. While it ultimately adds mileage, you are either in an anchorage or marina before dark each day.

For slow boats, which we are, the first route involves a night crossing of 20+ hours, leaving approximately 2-4pm and arriving in Anclote Key & Tarpon Springs by 11am the next morning. Not the best choice for us since we don’t like night travel (really cannot see what might be in the water) and trading off by taking naps does not work for someone like me who cannot nap and someone like Peter who takes a nap regularly on a normal day. The question about staying awake and being comfortable for that length of time is not a viable option. The second choice of traveling to Steinhatchee can be completed during daylight hours, although still a long day. The plan would be to leave at daybreak and travel straight across. Most boaters prefer to have a number of other boats traveling together – there is some safety in numbers. Another thing that is now working against us is daylight savings time – the clocks have changed and we have now lost an hour of daylight.

Our choice, crossing from Carrabelle to Steinhatchee, was with a small flotilla of seven boats, basically all slow boats except for two who could run faster but didn’t want to do the night run. This flotilla did not include our usual buddy boats because they opted for the overnight crossing. This route will involve watching weather windows for more than one day in order to arrive in Tarpon Springs in 3-4 days. Since we are already used to watching weather windows, we recognize that this trip will add more miles to the final destination but we are more confident and comfortable that this is the best choice for us.

Most loopers will stage themselves at Carrabelle until the weather forecast sounds good – no rain, low wind/wind gust and small waves. There were a number of boats waiting for almost a week when we arrived. We were fortunate that the next window for crossing was Sunday/Monday. Our flotilla left on Sunday afternoon to anchor in Alligator Bay to cut some of the travel time the next day. It would give us some wiggle room with the daylight. It is a known anchorage but it was not a comfortable night. We rocked and rolled all night and barely slept. Needless to say, everyone was awake the next morning to leave at daybreak.

Our crossing to Steinhatchee went well. Water was good and no one encountered any difficulty. We arrived at Sea Hag Marina tired and relieved that the crossing was over. Since the weather was predicted to be nice for the next few days, our plan was for some of us to travel together at least until we arrived in Tarpon Springs. The next day we left with three other boats and anchored at Cedar Key which was a great anchorage. Anchors caught without difficulty, there was enough water for all to fit, was peaceful, no rocking and rolling at all.

After a restful night, we left Cedar Key and traveled to Crystal River. We were excited to spend time there since it has a large resident population of manatees. Once we docked and had lunch, it was time to get into the dinghies to go deeper into the river to see the manatees. It was a fascinating experience. Not sure it beats the ongoing dolphin sightings – which never get old – but it comes very close. We probably should have stayed another day but I think we were all anxious to keep moving south. The weather was finally starting to warm up. Not the type of warmth we were expecting for Florida but at least we were above 40 degrees.

The next day we would be taking a few different paths. We were unable to get a slip in a marina in Tarpon Springs so we planned to go further and travel to Clearwater which was the next stop for the others after Tarpon Springs. As usual, loopers continually leap-frog and cross paths along the route.

Week 23: November 7 – November 13

Week Twenty-Three: Pensacola to Panama City Beach, FL

The rain finally ended on Thursday and we left Friday to go to Pensacola…..our first stop in Florida. Although we were hoping for warm weather, that was not the case. We walked around town wearing fleece and long pants and I was also wearing gloves. Not a good introduction to our Florida adventure.

We stayed at Palafox Pier since we were advised that it would be a good place to view the Blue Angels Homecoming air show and was also an easy walk into town. As it turned out, we were able to view the air show sitting on the deck of the boat but we were really too far away to get the real impact of the show. Looks like we were misinformed on that one but it was an easy walk into the main part of town and we took advantage of that more than once. We did a brief tour on Friday while the pier was getting set up for the American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Walk/Run. Large crowd and lots of pink!

Saturday we took a much longer walk and explored the rather large Farmers Market/Craft Fair. There were vendors lined up on both sides of the street for blocks and one interesting section ….. a separate row ….. was dedicated to businesses run by children. Parents were available for assistance but we were advised that the kids were independent business owners. There was a selection of homemade crafts, bakery items, and art projects. Young entrepreneurs at work!

We enjoyed the military history of the town and the large Naval presence on display. Since our nephew is currently in the Navy and one of my childhood friends went to Annapolis, made this his career and was stationed in Pensacola before he retired, the visit was more meaningful.

Congratulations to the marina since it was the best wifi, on the docks, that we experienced since we left. Someone does know how to get this accomplished.

On Sunday we left and headed towards Miramar Beach and stayed at Sandestin Baytowne Marina (no workable wifi). The marina is situated near the town center that has many shops, restaurants, our first Christmas tree, and a stage for live performances. We were entertained by a local group singing Beatles songs. They were OK but it’s hard to satisfy long time Beatles fans.

While we were there, one of the looper boats we met in The Wharf pulled in (this is their homeport) and crossed their wake. No one was there to congratulate them so we went over to greet/congratulate them and took photos with their gold looper flag so they could post on the AGLCA forum.

This was just one of many shorter stays as we traveled to our destination of Carrabelle for the crossing of the Gulf of Mexico.

The next day we left and went to Panama City Beach to stay at the Lighthouse Marina (again, non-existent wifi). Along the way we were still able to view the devastation from Hurricane Michael in Fall 2018. It appeared as though the towns were still cleaning up debris more than a year later. We have been advised that there is federal money available to help rebuild the towns but that there are no workers available to do the amount of work needed.

At Lighthouse Marina we could see the construction projects going on. In the past, the marina had a courtesy car and laundry and now, both are non-existent. There is another marina across the bridge (about a mile) that has an agreement for transients to come to their marina and use their restrooms with a shower and their one washer/dryer. We were scheduled to stay for three nights since a weather front of rain was moving in so the day before we left, we walked to the marina to do laundry as the next two on our list did not have working machines either. While the laundry was getting done, we walked around the town and realized that there was little on that side of the bridge and would need to walk in the other direction from Lighthouse to re-provision. Later that afternoon, I walked to Publix and with the help of my boat cart, I was able to purchase fresh supplies. In all, a total of 7.5 miles walked that day.

The weather projection for the next morning was no rain and reasonable wind so the plan was to head to Appalachicola.

Week 22: October 31-November 6

Week Twenty-two: Dempolis, AL to Orange Beach. AL

The water on the river was better north of Demopolis so that brought another 7-10 boats into the marina from Columbus and some anchorages. A number are planning a few days but others want to leave as soon as possible.

Seven boats left on Thursday even though the water levels were still high. Many of us decided to wait another day or two before leaving. We heard from the boats that left and they said there was much debris and you really needed to be very careful and slow down so that you could navigate around the logs. A few did not heed this warning as they usually travel faster and hit submerged logs and did damage to their running gear. As there are also no services on this stretch of the journey, they now need to get to Mobile for any repairs. They plan to continue and limp to Mobile.

Once again there was a Looper meeting to discuss water conditions. It’s proven very helpful. There is much to be said about local knowledge. About 7 boats plan to leave in the morning but we were thinking that Saturday looked more favorable. So we celebrated Halloween in Demopolis. The marina has a Halloween party every year as it is the Dockmaster’s favorite holiday. The weather put a damper on the event as it was raining and cold. They moved the party into the Boaters Lounge but very few were in the party mode.

The group that left on Friday reported back that 9 boats are rafted at Bobby’s Fish Camp. The debris was better than Thursday but still plenty of both large and small pieces in the river. Our plan was to leave on Saturday as the water level is better but the river still did not crest.

Saturday arrived and there were 13 boats leaving to go to Bobby’s. A few had planned to leave on Friday but changed their minds when they assessed the wind in the morning. Morning was a bit foggy but the lock master said it was only a little foggy so we all left. As we traveled the short distance to the lock, either the fog just moved in or the definition of “little” was different.

Boat order to enter the Dempolis lock was done in two ways – by traveling speed and length. Similar to other large groups, one of the “captains” takes on the role of “looper leadership” so that the entrance to the lock will be smooth. This time, that role was taken by the “captain” of Independence, one of the larger boats. Boats larger than 35′ generally do not fit at the first pin since there is not enough clearance when the lock doors open. As for traveling speed, there are some that travel faster and you don’t want to pass other boats with the conditions we were traveling in so better to have them in the lock first. There was a pin missing from one bollard so there were not enough pins for all of us. Since we are one of the slower boats, we entered last and rafted to Paddy Wagon.

We all entered the lock and traveled in single file carefully navigating around the debris. With the difference in speed, we were broken into three separate groups as we traveled to Bobby’s. The boats in the first group would radio back about conditions and when they saw large trees or telephone poles in the water.

We all planned to stay at Bobby’s Fish Camp. Bobby’s doesn’t have much to offer but it is the only place to dock between Demopolis and Mobile, AL. It carries “looper legend” similar to Hoppies so most people plan a stop and deal with the conditions in an effort to eat the “best catfish” ever. We have heard stories of 17 or more boats rafted together with only a few boats secured on the dock with power. Even though we only had 13 boats in the lock heading to Bobby’s you never know if there were others who anchored the night before and were heading there too. We were also concerned since we were traveling with three large boats – 50′, 59′, and 80′. As they are the larger boats, they would be the ones tied to the dock and others would raft to them. However, the dock will only be large enough to accommodate two of these boats.

When we arrived at Bobby’s, it was a bit chaotic as to order and rafting. The two largest boats were on the dock and there was only about 30′ left for a smaller boat at the fuel dock. Boaters were trying to raft to others by size and if possible, run an electric line across to have power. After the first 8 boats got settled, there was limited space and the smallest boat was 36′. Bahama Voyager is 32′ but left and was searching for an anchorage. The boat is also too light to tie to the dock and have other larger boats raft off. Since we are a heavy 36′ boat we said we would try to squeeze on the dock as long as our side door was accessible to get off the boat. We got the final spot at the end of the dock, barely, but we docked, had power and had two other 36′ boats raft to us. The remaining boat was able to pull into a ramp space as it was more of a speed boat and did not have a deep draft.

We found that Bobby’s charges the same dockage fee, with or without electric. Most people are willing to pay this anyway since the boats are secured, generally Bobby’s has fuel, and provides a space that is not available anywhere else on this long stretch. There is a restaurant at the camp and the catfish is the specialty. While catfish is not my preferred fish, I ordered it anyway but Peter went for a burger. The meal came with coleslaw, potato salad,and hush puppies. Although it was good, I have sampled other catfish along this trip that I enjoyed more. The beer selection was no surprise; Budweiser, Coors and Miller products, similar to what we have become accustomed to along the river system.

No one planned to stay at Bobby’s any longer than one night. We all had plans to anchor out after we left at various anchorages along the way to Mobile Bay. Our group of three spoke about the Tensas River which is a bit further than some but if we were able to get into the lock in Coffeeville, the last lock until we start back north in the Spring, we would be able to be settled before dark. The change in daylight savings time will be working against us for the next few weeks until we get to Ft Myers where we will be spending part of the winter.

The plan was to leave early, between 6:30-7:00am and our “looper leader” was going to contact the lock to see whether we could all be accommodated early as the lock was only a short distance from Bobby’s. The lock master advised that we would need to wait as he had a tow coming up river and another coming down and he would need to accommodate the commercial traffic first. He then advised that he would only be able to take 5 boats the first time. Bahama Voyager was tied to the mooring cell and advised the lock master that he would not be going through the first time as he would be waiting for us and Paddy Wagon so we could all travel together. When the time came to select which 5 boats were leaving (needed to be done in the order of how we were rafted because of the current), Peter and I figured out that the three of us would not all fit in the lock if we followed the rafting order, and included Bahama Voyager in the count of 5 so we didn’t leave and figured we would need to go with the next opening. Paddy Wagon decided to leave with the first 5 and they went through the lock and the lock master told Bahama Voyager that they needed to lock through also. Depending on the time for the next opening, we would or would not be able to catch up to them. As it turned it there were more tows coming and we needed to wait a total of 6 hours before locking through. At this point, a number of the boats decided to stay another day since they would be unable to reach the anchorage they planned before dark. Only three boats decided to leave and we left with two of the larger boats (50′ and 59′) and we only traveled to Sunflower Cut Off and anchored on the river outside of the channel. Both of these boats have AIS so they had us anchor between them so that anyone traveling along the river who had AIS (particularly the tows) would know that there were boats anchored in advance of getting to us and seeing our anchor lights. Since our buddy boats were way ahead of us, we notified them that we would catch up to them in Mobile Bay. We continued to travel with the other two boats until Dog River Marina near the bottom of Mobile Bay. This was not a marina we planned to stay more than a night.

The next day we left Dog River Marina and traveled towards The Wharf in Orange Beach, AL. It was supposed to be a nice place to spend a few days and relax. Near town, Uber/Lyft friendly and a number of tourist sites to visit. The Wharf was as described – nice marina, clean bathrooms/showers but still poor WiFi. We really find it hard to understand that no one really has mastered how to set up their servers to accommodate a marina. I actually told one of their staff that they should take WiFi off of their “amenities” since it doesn’t exist on the docks and not even in the boaters lounge. She agreed and told me that they are installing a new system that should be better. I cannot tell you how many times we have heard that along the way.

While we were at The Wharf we took an Uber to Lulu’s in Gulf Shores. Lulu’s is owned by Lucy Buffet, Jimmy Buffet’s sister and is one of the recommended restaurants in the area. Peter and I had been to Lulu’s in Destin, FL during Spring Break when we had a family vacation in Miramar Beach, FL. The vibe and food were very similar and we had a nice dinner. Another tourist activity was to visit FloraBama a huge place with multiple bars and restaurants. They even hold a non-denominational service every Sunday – the basic premise is to be a good person and treat others well. This is not your usual Sunday service. The bars are open and people bring their drinks to the service. There is live music in various bars and we also happened to be there at the beginning of an 11 day Songwriters Festival. The singer at one of the bars, Neil Dover, was good and of course sold copies of his albums but I looked him up on Apple Music and added a few of the songs we enjoyed to my library.

The Wharf was preparing for the Christmas holidays and it is interesting to see decorations so similar to what we see in New York, in the cold, down in a warmer climate. There are many specialty shops along the main street and there is a ferris wheel that operates on demand. Since so many of us had not been on a ferris wheel since we first accompanied our children on the ride, we decided to take a ride and get a different view of the marina and the local area.

We were scheduled to leave The Wharf on Thursday and head to Pensacola but the weather prediction changed and it was going to rain so we stayed another day and will leave on Friday. We’re hoping that when we cross into Florida that we will have warmer weather. The past few days in Alabama have been cold 34-39 degrees. Peter told me we would be following the seasons and I would not be cold. That has not been the case.

Week 21: October 24-October 30

Week Twenty-One: No movement from Demopolis due to weather

Our plan was to stay in Demopolis two days and leave on Friday, October 25th. We knew rain was expected but didn’t anticipate a major storm. That meant we needed to postpone our departure until Monday. As the days went on, things were not looking positive. There was tremendous rain and that caused flooding on the river and much debris…..lots of logs floating down river. To add to this, more rain was expected for at least three more days so that meant we would be here at least a week.

For the first time since we owned the boat, we had a leak in the saloon. It appears that the rain came into the pilot house via the canvas and traveled into the air conditioner and leaked through the vent over our table. We used a bucket and by morning had collected about 5 inches. There was also a small leak in the stateroom at the head of the bed. There was a drip from some of the bolts on the bow – we believe it was the windlass but these type of leaks find their own path so it could also have been from the cleats. Fortunately, a small towel absorbed the drips and that was sufficient. My hope is that the next round of rain will be more manageable – no flooding and no leaks.

While we were safe in the marina, had access to a courtesy car and their boaters lounge for WiFi, there is little to do in town. We are also too far to do any major sightseeing without renting a car, something we did not want to do since we watched weather daily and planned to leave as soon as we could. I cannot tell you how much reading we have been doing this week. I am so thankful for the Libby App that allows me to connect my three library cards (local, Jersey Shore, and NYPL), to download multiple ebooks for both of us. In addition to reading, we have spent time learning Farkel, a dice game that has multiple versions for various ages. We spent a few hours one rainy day on our boat playing the game. It’s one more of those good travel games that are not only easy to learn but take up no space to store on the boat. We all had a few laughs as we tried to plan our strategy to win.

In addition to wanting to move, we had also hoped to be ahead of some of the crowds of boats coming down the river. Spaces at marinas tend to shrink with too many boats traveling at the same time. From Demopolis, there is really only one place to stop and tie up and it is not really a marina. It is another long dock similar to Hoppies and Riverwalk on the Mississippi. Places that you would prefer to skip but the only place to stop unless you want to anchor on the side of the river. On the other hand, these are places that are “looper legends” so you almost feel compelled to stay there even though you would not miss anything if you opted to skip them.

The flood levels continued for the next few days and we were hoping for a window to leave. Every day we met above the boater’s lounge for an update on the water levels and waited for the river to crest. During this time, another ten+ boats came down from Columbus so that would make leaving even more difficult. To stop at the one available dock, we all needed to be aware of the maximum number of boats – even though they will raft a large number – that would safely fit. Since many of the boats are large, only three-four boats would fit on this 150′ dock and that includes the fuel dock. Generally there are 3-4 boats rafted to the boats on the dock that are usually the largest/heaviest. The boat on the dock will have access to power and perhaps a few of the first rafted if they had a long enough power cord.

The daily updates seem to have the earliest date to leave as Thursday. Most of us do not like the projection and figure Friday would be the earliest we would feel is safe. In the meantime, we will continue to stay put and find a few places in town for lunch or dinner that are not a fast food eatery. You know that you are in one place too long when you need to provision a second time before you can leave.

Week 20: October 17-October 23

Week Twenty: Columbus, MS to Demopolis, AL

We left Midway Marina on Thursday and planned to lock through four locks and stay at an anchorage. When we left, we also picked up another boat to travel the locks with us from Midway, Serenity Blue. However, as we were making our way south, we also picked up another three boats at the first lock and it looked like we would all be traveling through the rest of the locks together. Their final destination for the day was Columbus Marina. We weren’t as optimistic as they were but advised we would see how the day went and possibly we would go to Columbus too. According to their website, Columbus Marina listed service and parts. Peter took a chance and called them and they advised that once we knew whether we would be there on Thursday or Friday, call them back and they will provide the number for the mobile mechanic that they use.

As it turned out, we had a good lock day – little or no wait! At the last lock of the day, we heard another boat call the lock that he was close and the lock-master reopened the doors for him. There were now 8 of us in the lock and it looked like we were all heading to the same place. Since we didn’t have lock delays, we decided to push through to Columbus. Peter called the marina back to advise we would arrive on Thursday afternoon and then called the mechanic who will come early on Friday morning.

When the mechanic arrived on Friday, Peter was happy to hear that he would be able to rebuild the cylinder and would have it ready for Saturday morning. He needed to come back later in the day on Friday to apply epoxy to secure the bolts since age had also loosened the bracket. Since we would need to stay another day to get the boat repaired finally, it looked like we would be staying now until Tuesday morning as the effects from Tropical Storm Nestor will be arriving in Columbus on Monday. We all agreed that it would be best to wait out the storm in the marina since we will need to anchor out between here and our next marina stop. Traveling or being on the hook during a storm is not fun. As it turns out, there are about 10 other boats all with the same idea.

Columbus Marina had two courtesy vehicles, the usual van and a 5-seat pickup. Since there were so many of us, we needed to sign up in advance so that we would have a vehicle to get us into town to do some exploring, shopping and lunch or dinner. We visited the Tennessee Williams Home & Welcome Center and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Transportation Museum. We enjoyed touring the house were Tennessee Williams lived for the first three years of his life and the history of the structure. When we arrived at the Transportation Museum, although it was listed as “Open”, it was closed for the day as they were updating their exhibits. They did let us into the lobby and we took a few photos that clearly demonstrates the winding river. We also rode around town and viewed the “The W” which was the first public college for women in the US, later known as Mississippi University for Women. Another stop we made was the Friendship Cemetery that was founded in 1849. It is the site of the first Decoration Day in 1866 that led to the modern Memorial Day celebration. The cemetery is the final resting place of four Confederate Generals and over 2,000 confederate soldiers and also some union soldiers. One headstone that has become fairly famous is the weeping Angel of Grief as she watches over the grave of one of the town’s beloved Baptist pastors who died in 1891.

The rain cleared and we left Columbus on Tuesday morning and headed to Sumter Recreation Area to anchor. The anchorage was not as wide as we anticipated so once again we rafted. Later in the day, another boat from Columbus who left later in the morning arrived at Sumter and anchored in front of us. We all planned to leave the next morning, lock through the Heflin Lock and head to Demopolis for a few days.

The morning brought us significant fog and the lock-master advised that we wait before traveling to the lock. After an hour or so, the fog was lifting and we saw some blue sky over the river and called the lock to advise that there were four boats coming to lock through. After locking through, we traveled a bit and then picked up one of the boats we had traveled with the day before who had anchored on the other side of the lock. The target for all five of us was Demopolis.

In addition to some more fall foliage, one of the sites that was spectacular was the White Cliffs of Epes. These chalk formations were deposited as the same time as the White Cliffs of Dover, about 70 million years ago. A great place to take photos as the cliffs span about a mile.

Demopolis Yacht Basin (DYB) is primarily a gas dock at this time. The marina was basically destroyed with the flooding last year and has not yet been rebuilt. However, there is a sister marina, Kingfisher Bay Marina right next door. So, we stopped at DYB to get fuel since it is the last place to get fuel before Mobile Bay and then went to our slip at Kingfisher. The marina has covered and uncovered slips and the three of us were at the end of dock in the uncovered slips. Generally that is not a major issue but we have also found that the WiFi signals are close to nonexistent in these locations. For two days, we weren’t so concerned. They have a boaters lounge so we can always take our computers to the lounge if necessary. Although we changed our data plan for our phones and my iPad last Christmas to unlimited, we have found that Verizon does not have great coverage in the Alabama/ Mississippi/Tennessee area. Phone service is severely limited and internet is worse.