tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56650705568317269522024-02-20T11:43:46.349-05:00The Trawler Beach HouseChuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.comBlogger225125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-20526905000437426262017-04-03T10:39:00.001-04:002023-07-03T15:24:23.249-04:00One Door Closes...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="tm6"></span><span class="tm7">It is with a certain amount of sadness mixed with excitement that we announce the end of one era for us and the beginning of another. Health issues have required us to move off the water, and our beloved trawler </span><em>Beach House</em><span class="tm7"> has been sold and is now being enjoyed by her new owner. This also means that we will cease publication of </span><strong>The Great Book Of Anchorages</strong><span class="tm7"> guides. Even though the books have been extremely popular and well received by boaters, we can no longer keep up the publications as we would like, and the sales and distribution process has gotten to be more than we can handle at this time. Once the current stock is depleted at our retail partners, there will be no more. </span><br />
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<span class="tm6"></span><span class="tm7">We learned a long time ago that life is always changing. Once we stopped fighting and accepted the changes, the new direction was even better and the benefits greater. We aren’t ready to give up or pack it in just yet. We need to stay closer to available doctors and medical facilities if needed, but the wanderlust is still in us. Last year we purchased a Class A RV and the new plans are to tour the country by land. Our new adventure begins in just a few short weeks. In many ways it will be different and in many ways it will be the same. One big lesson learned is recognizing when it’s time to stay in a situation and when it’s time to let go and move on. The signs have been obvious for us now. Someone said to us, don’t be sad because it’s over, be happy because it was. We’re both excited to begin this new adventure and see where this new direction will take us. We will leave the blog in place for as long as you all find the information useful. </span></div>
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<span class="tm6"></span><span class="tm7">We will miss all the wonderful places we have visited, but what we will miss the most are the wonderful people we have met along the way. Thank you all for making our anchorage guides so much more successful than we ever imagined when we published the first copies in 2012. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement along the way. We’re ready now to pass the torch on to another boater who might want to pick up where we left off, and to head out on our new adventure. We won’t forget the old friends and who knows? If you see a big old RV pull into your marina parking lot, it just might be us. Fair winds and stay safe out there. Chuck Baier and Susan Landry</span><br />
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Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-35151634093304015622016-07-22T21:37:00.000-04:002016-07-22T21:59:25.698-04:00How To Avoid The Scammers<div class="Normal">
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And not get separated from your hard earned dollars. If you have ever bought or sold anything over the Internet, whether it was equipment, parts, electronics or even a boat, chances are
you have been contacted by scammers. If you haven’t, I can promise you that you will be. Our recent experience in selling some boat equipment online is a typical ploy used quite often to try and con someone out of their money or personal information, and we want to share that experience and offer some tips on how to avoid being scammed yourself by these lowlifes. We always ask that our followers share our blogs if they find them useful, and in this case, we encourage you to share this post with everyone and anyone you care about so that they can avoid the heartache and financial loss if they are taken in by these criminals. The following information and tips may
just help others avoid making mistakes, so please read on.</div>
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<span class="tm6">We purchased a liferaft before our last cruise to use specifically while crossing the Gulf Stream and the Gulf of Mexico. Once we finished those crossings, the plan all along was to put it
up for sale and recoup some of our money. The liferaft was well cared for and in almost new condition. It was posted for sale online at a few different sites and we received responses almost immediately. In many cases, the
responses contained offers and ridiculously low prices that we quickly declined. </span><strong><span style="color: red;">Red Flag Number One</span>. </strong><span class="tm6">One response offered to buy the raft at our asking price, no questions asked. </span><strong><span style="color: red;">Red Flag Number Two</span>. </strong><span class="tm6">In addition, they asked if we would prepare the raft for shipping to their freight forwarding company. We explained from the first contact that the raft was for sale as is where is, we would not in any way get involved
with shipping, and it was to be picked up at our location only. We told the buyer that we would not accept any extra money for shipping or handling, period. </span><br />
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<span class="tm6">When asked how to pay, we explained that either a certified check, cash or money order was okay. </span><strong><span style="color: red;">Red Flag Number Three</span>. </strong><span class="tm6">The buyer stated that they were currently out of the country and that they needed to ship the raft to their location. Again, we explained we would not
ship the raft. When they asked for the address to mail the check, we gave them our mailing address and repeated that we would not accept additional money for shipping. The total for the liferaft was $1200.00.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red;">Red Flag Number Four And The Biggest</span>. </strong><span class="tm6">In short order, an envelope arrived with a certified check for the amount of $1850.00 and a note to deposit
the check and send the difference, $610.00, to a freight forwarding company at an attached address. We were to keep the $40.00 difference for our trouble. Now it was quite clear to us that this was a scam. I was born at night,
but not last night. The accompanying cashier's check was written on a California bank. A search of the Internet showed this to be a legitimate bank with several branches in California. Trying to do the right thing, we called
the bank branch on the check from the info we got online and not from the check, although they were the same. We gave the bank the info on the check and they confirmed it was counterfeit. But to our surprise, they had no
interest in pursuing this matter or even in having us return the check. Their response was to tear it up. Search of the freight forwarding company proved it, too, was a legitimate company, but the address the scammers provided proved to be bogus.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: red;">Red Flag Number Five</span>. </strong><span class="tm6">Almost immediately after we received the check, another email followed with instructions to change the information and instructions
on where to send the freight forwarding money. This time we were given an individual's name and address in New York and requested to send a Western Union Money Order to be picked up. Another Internet search brought up several names
that matched in New York and a couple in the city where the address was located. These people, I use the term loosely, are good. But we were still not fooled. </span></div>
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<span class="tm6">Our next step was to contact the local authorities. At this point, we had not made any additional contacts with the “buyer.” A call to the local County Sheriff proved fruitless; they had no interest whatsoever in pursuing the matter. Neither did the authorities in California. The scammers made contact through Facebook, so we did notify them. We have no idea if anything was done to cancel their account.
Since the scammers sent the payment through the U.S. Mail, we took everything to the Post Office to see if they would take up the matter. They made copies of everything and passed it on to the higher ups. But they did say the
odds of anything actually happening was slim. It’s no wonder these thieves continue. There is no one in authority doing anything to stop them or protect the public. So we must all be proactive and protect ourselves. After
about a week, we received another email from the scammers stating they were worried about us since we had not responded and they had not received their payment. Our response was, “We're sorry we worried you, but rest
assured we have turned over all of your information to the proper authorities and you should hear from them soon.” Not quite true, but we never heard from them again. With the many kinds of scams and intrusions you might
encounter over the Internet, here are some ways you can protect yourself.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">1</span>. Be careful if someone offers to buy an item at your asking price. This may not always be an issue, just be careful.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">2</span>. Never accept payment for more than your asking price unless you specifically ask for shipping costs and YOU arrange and pay the shipping yourself.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">3.</span> Never assume that even a certified check or money order is legitimate. Check it out yourself.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">4.</span> NEVER give out you financial information, bank accounts, etc. Scammers will ask for this information to transfer funds to your account. Instead, they will transfer funds out of your account. </span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">5.</span> Never give any personal information not absolutely needed to complete the sale. If you must meet in person, do it at a police station or fire station that is manned. Never go alone, bring
a friend, maybe two.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">6.</span> Never click on any links provided in an email, even if it’s from someone you know well and trust. CALL them and ask if they sent it. Their email contact list may have been hacked.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">7.</span> NEVER click on or open an attachment to an email, no matter who it seems to be from. These attachments can, at best, install malware on your computer and, at worst, install ransomeware that
will encrypt your entire computer and any device connected to it until you pay the criminal money to unlock it. </span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">8. </span>Never give out your Social Security Number.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">9.</span> </span><strong><span style="color: red;">Get a Phone number from the seller and call them</span>.</strong><span class="tm6"> Have a few conversations to satisfy yourself that this person is legit. No phone number, no go. Especially if they claim to be out of the country. You call them, don’t accept they will call you. Discuss
how they will use the product if selling or how the product has been used if buying.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">10,</span> Never make payments via gift cards, prepaid cards of any kind, Western Union or any other money grams.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">11. </span>Watch out for counterfeit cash as well as checks and money orders. Insist on small bills and look for anything that looks suspicious. If in doubt, go to a bank and verify the bills before handing over merchandise. You
might consider meeting in a bank lobby if selling for cash.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">12.</span> Use common sense and follow your instincts. Common sense isn’t so common anymore.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">13.</span> Don’t respond to an email from your bank, call them at the number YOU HAVE for them.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">14.</span> Never provide personal information or click on a link as a result of an email from the Police, IRS or any other authority. They will not contact you via email.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><span style="color: red;">15.</span> If you're contacted about donations, money or prizes, cut off the contact immediately.</span></div>
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<span class="tm6">It’s a different world we live in than the one I grew up in. We all need to be cautious, but not paranoid. Keep in mind that others you're doing this kind of business with are just as
concerned as you are. Think each step through and don’t rush or let others rush you. If someone gets pushy, step back and reassess the situation. If you lose this sale or a great deal, another will be around the corner.
The great deal might just not be so great after all. </span></div>
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<span class="tm6"><b><span style="color: red;">Have you or anyone you know been the victim of a scam?</span></b> If so, post the details in our comments section. Help us to help others. Keep in mind that our comments section is moderated. No comments
are posted with any kinds of links or nastiness. Pass the information in this post on to others. If you save one person from falling victim to these scammers, they will thank you for a very long time. And so will we. If we
pass the word and these criminals can’t find victims to fall for their tricks, they will be forced to move on. Only you can protect yourself and your loved ones. Be well and stay safe.</span><br />
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Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-52447818542414111552016-02-06T15:23:00.000-05:002020-03-12T10:59:10.266-04:00Our Top 10 Anchorages<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.tgboa.com/home" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4mswWzjaULahO2UTKLPjsRxy2xm0GfI3cJ3NchaJAeMFrbHLzftHMsLUKrFWCGTq0i2fyOZuhq2l-8fpFMHk6vatt9nG5KYh0qKGH2U-rOY-ZNpbhVrpUoSv7kNv5aZKPuOhVnJAZyc/s640/Header.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">When we were asked to pick our 10 favorite anchorages, it felt like trying to decide which child you like best. So our criterion was holding, protection, things to do ashore, beauty and location. Some don’t meet all of these, but they cover the range of things we look for in an anchorage. The following are a good sampling of some of our favorites and we hope they will be yours too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. Back Creek, Sassafras River, Maryland</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In the Chesapeake, we would have to say one of one our favorite anchorages is Back Creek in the Sassafras River on the Upper Eastern Shore of Maryland. We found very good holding, protection from all wind directions, a beautiful old mansion to explore ashore <a href="http://mountharmon.org/" target="_blank">(Mt. Harmon Plantation)</a>, lovely shoreline with high trees all around and located fairly close to Georgetown, one of the hubs of Eastern Shore cruising. There are a number of little beaches </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(none of these beaches are named)</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> to land a dinghy to take the dog ashore or just stretch your legs. This is just one of many great anchorages on this river. </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Take a run up to Georgetown to dine in the historic <a href="http://www.kittyknight.com/" target="_blank">Kitty Knight House</a> or the long-loved <a href="http://granary.biz/" target="_blank">Granary</a>.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WV8q3PSBiDRmF-wswljMTbUYTGSdQOSzVqKOz-0u51s5VxMxHHc59xq87PC19IAvyyExg0Yj0I3qwKS-JCz1IP8ESKqx05jmmuG-7yevLybny6fSCzOruN4upzDy2DSusv2F4IqW3UA/s1600/Cambridge+Town+Dock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WV8q3PSBiDRmF-wswljMTbUYTGSdQOSzVqKOz-0u51s5VxMxHHc59xq87PC19IAvyyExg0Yj0I3qwKS-JCz1IP8ESKqx05jmmuG-7yevLybny6fSCzOruN4upzDy2DSusv2F4IqW3UA/s320/Cambridge+Town+Dock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. Cambridge, Choptank River, Maryland</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Also on the Chesapeake’s Eastern Shore is the free seawall in <a href="http://www.choosecambridge.com/" target="_blank">Cambridge,MD</a> </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">along the Choptank River</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">. There is no worry with holding as you tie off to sturdy cleats, but you must fender well against the concrete wall. Located just next to the county building </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">to starboard once inside the entrance to Cambridge Creek</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, the seawall and basin are well-protected from wind. From here you’ll see Snapper’s Waterfront cafe, marinas, and a small bridge that makes regular openings so one can head deeper into the harbor to more marinas. There are many restaurants </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(We enjoyed meals at <a href="http://www.snapperswaterfrontcafe.com/" target="_blank">Snapper’s</a> and <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/portside-seafood-restaurant-cambridge-2" target="_blank">Portside Seafood</a>. <a href="http://jimmieandsooks.com/" target="_blank">Jimmie &Sook’s Raw Bar</a> gets very good reviews)</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, shops and historical sites within walking distance, and a great Farmer’s Market is close by. Cambridge is a pretty little town that requires a stay of a number of days to do it justice.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. Carolina Beach Harbor, North Carolina</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Once on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), we chose Carolina Beach in North Carolina for a number of reasons. We love the beach, first and foremost, so it’s always a plus to be near it. There is easy access off of the ICW with good depths. You can anchor north of the first island with good holding, or take a mooring ball (</span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">operated by the <a href="http://www.carolinabeach.org/town_administration/departments/marina_mooring_field/mooring_field.php" target="_blank">Town of Carolina Beach</a>. Call </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">910-667-0004</span></b></span></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"> and someone will come collect the $20 fee)</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> if you chose. This anchorage is surrounded by attractive beach homes to the north and east, a protective low marsh island to the south and marinas to the west (</span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Zeke's or <a href="http://www.ncparks.gov/carolina-beach-state-park" target="_blank">Carolina Beach State Park</a>)</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.joynermarina.com/" target="_blank">JoynerMarina</a> at the entrance to the harbor is a waterway favorite. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">A dinghy dock </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(at the end of Sandpiper Lane toward the south end of the mooring field)</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">beachside </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">and the town dock at the head of the harbor give easy shore access. This is an attractive little beach town with quick access to the Cape Fear River so you can play the tides and currents to ensure a more comfortable ride down this wide and exposed river.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. Greyfield and Dungeness, Cumberland Island, Georgia</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.exploregeorgia.org/article/cumberland-island-from-camping-to-the-carnegies" target="_blank">Cumberland Island</a> on the Georgia/ Florida border has long been a favorite of ours. There is good holding anywhere along the island, with easy access from the ICW. The anchorage is large and never seems to be full. </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(Anchor anywhere between Greyfield and Dungeness. We prefer the north end near Greyfield)</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">. You’ll be protected from the west by </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Drum Point Island</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, and from any easterly quadrant winds from the beautiful forest at the <a href="http://www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/cumberland-island-national-seashore" target="_blank">Cumberland Island National Seashore Park</a>. You are right at the beach, just a short walk across the island through lush trees, palms and over the dunes. The beach is never crowded as the island is only accessed by boat. And there is great shelling here. The Dungeness Ruins on the south end are often visited by wild horses whose sight is always welcome. We never miss a chance to stop here. Bike or hike ashore to your heart’s content.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. Hontoon Dead River, St. John’s River, Florida</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Once you see the beauty of the Lower St. John’s River, you will have to return for more. Despite the name, Hontoon Dead River is one of those spots you won’t forget. Its peace and quiet, completely surrounded by forest, is almost unsurpassed. With good depth, holding and protection, as well as quick access from the river channel to the <a href="https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Hontoon-Island" target="_blank">state park (Hontoon Landing)</a> around the corner, you will find the solitude you seek for kayaking or just resting on the boat. </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">There is a 10-mile paddling trail around Hontoon Island. See the Volusia County website for a trail map.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. Emerald Rock, Warderick Wells, Exumas</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The remote beauty of the Emerald Rock area of Warderick Wells in <a href="http://exumapark.org/" target="_blank">Exuma Land and Sea Park</a> is probably one of our favorite places on the planet. The water is crystal clear. The open sand banks are to your west and limestone cays of the park to all other points of the compass. If you need westerly protection, there is any number of other spots within the park boundaries to the south where you can find protection from just about any wind direction. From Emerald Rock, you can dinghy to the Land and Sea Park headquarters on Warderick Wells and visit the ranger station. Hike any number of trails and beaches, or visit Boo Boo Hill to leave your wooden carved marker and permanently cement your place in history here. We never tire of this place as it may be one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Keep in mind, this is a </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">No-Take</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> zone </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(you cannot take any fish, conch, shells from the water or any shells, etc from land)</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, from either the land or water. This rule is strictly enforced.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco, Bahamas</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">For unending socializing and access to services and provisions, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Harbour" target="_blank">Marsh Harbour in the Abacos</a> is unrivaled. The harbour is large enough for many, many boats and is surrounded by restaurants and shops offering a landing spot for the dinghy. You can have any type of boat work done, stock the boat from the U.S. style grocery store a short walk from the harbor, restock the liquor cabinet from shops just next to the harbor, meet up with your friends at any number of bars </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(The <a href="http://www.jibroom.com/" target="_blank">Jib Room</a> has weekly specials featuring steak and rib night and happy hours. We also enjoyed <a href="http://www.abacocurlytails.com/" target="_blank">Curly Tails</a> or <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g676266-d2441712-Reviews-Snappas_Chill_and_Grill-Marsh_Harbour_Great_Abaco_Island_Abaco_Islands_Out_Island.html" target="_blank">Snappas</a>) </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">and restaurants lining the harbour, or sit and relax at anchor and watch the world go by. Marsh Harbour is the hub of the Abacos and you will not be bored here. And it’s a quick hop to many of our other favorite spots, such as Treasure Cay, Man-O-War or Hope Town, just an hour or so away.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. Bimini Basin, Florida West Coast</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">On the Gulf Coast of Florida, off the Caloosahatchee River, in Cape Coral is Bimini Basin. </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Just blocks from downtown Cape Coral,</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> this anchorage wins points in all areas. The approach is well-marked, although you will have to cross a 5.5 foot spot to enter. Once in the basin, there is excellent holding, 360° protection, easy shore access, short walk to provisions, free Wi-Fi from <a href="http://www.capecoral.net/department/parks_and_recreationhome/four_freedoms_park/index.php" target="_blank">Four Freedoms Park</a> and attractive surroundings. The basin is bordered on one side by a lovely park with dinghy docks and surrounded by well-kept residential homes and condominiums. One of the most appealing things is Ice Sssscreamin - the newest Cape Coral ice cream shop located onsite at the </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">park - known</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> for their gator tracks and heavenly hash </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">flavors. One</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> should never have to walk too far to ice cream.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. Buttonwood Harbor, Longboat Key, Florida West Coast</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Another gem of an anchorage that we found on Florida’s Gulf Coast is Buttonwood Harbor at Longboat Key. Located at the west end of Sarasota Bay, this anchorage is much better protected than it would appear on the chart. Low-lying scrub keys and mud flats provide protection from the north and east, and beautiful homes and tall palms from the south and west. Anchor in the area marked “see Buttonwood Harbor note” and dinghy to either the kayak launch to the south or the town dock to the north </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(¼ south and ½ mile north respectively)</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">. From those locations, you can walk across to the beautiful Gulf beach, catch the bus to the grocery store or back into Sarasota’s tourist attractions, or walk to the hardware store and a good restaurant. </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(<a href="http://www.pattigeorges.com/" target="_blank">Pattigeorge’s</a> gets high marks</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">) You may be the only boat at anchor here!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. Roberts Bayou, Alabama</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It was hard to pass on many of the other anchorages in the Florida Big Bend and Panhandle when trying to pick one last anchorage, but we have to choose Roberts Bayou in Alabama. Although the entrance channel is narrow, it is easily navigated, passing within feet of the beach just outside the restaurant </span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.piratescoveriffraff.com/webcams.html" target="_blank">(Pirates Cove Marina & Restaurant)</a></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, and the deeper water is clearly visible. Travel at idle speed through the entrance as there may be a number of boats, people and dogs parked at and playing near the channel. Once inside, you have one of the best protected anchorages you will find anywhere. The tall treeline and well-maintained homes provide all of the protection and view you would need. Dinghy ashore to the park near the anchorage to land Fido, or head back to the restaurant and bar at Pirates Cove for burgers and beers and a little nightlife.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Having endlessly researched anchorages in all four regions for our series, </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><a href="http://www.richardsonscharts.com/category/great-book-of-anchorages/" target="_blank">The Great Book of Anchorages</a></b></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">, I think we can safely say there are an almost infinite number of anchorages for you to discover and make your own. All of these anchorages and more are covered in detail in our four anchorages guides.</span></span></div>
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Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-57526540301346180762015-12-11T11:49:00.000-05:002020-03-12T11:01:01.409-04:00Bahamas Cruising Itinerary <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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No matter how many times we go to the
Bahamas, we cannot wait to return. Its pristine beauty never ceases
to amaze us. Like many cruisers, we have our favorite routes and
favorite islands. Also like many cruisers, our favorite way to truly
sample the flavors of the Bahamas is finding those perfect spots to
anchor. Anchoring in the Bahamas offers some unique challenges that
aren’t often encountered cruising inland coastal waters. Bottom
conditions can range from excellent in sand to very difficult in
scoured-out rocky channels. Some of the most problematic bottom
conditions will be heavy grass and thin layers of sand over a rock
base. Heavy grass tends to foul the anchor, and thin sand over rock
doesn’t give the anchor a chance to dig in. We have found generally
good holding in most of the anchorages we have visited on our trips
that have covered from the Abacos, to the out islands, to the extreme
southern islands. We have also encountered some of the more
problematic conditions firsthand. Anchoring close to a cut or a break
in a Cay can result in a very rolly anchorage.<br />
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This route takes you over
to the Bahamas via Bimini, then a visit in the Berry Islands, then
over to and down the Exuma chain. Clearing in at Bimini, you can
anchor at a couple of spots. The most preferred is off the docks of
the Big Game Club in Alice Town. The marina offers dinghy access to
town. The second is at the northern end of the harbor near the new
resort and casino in North Bimini. With any anchorage in the Bahamas,
check to be sure the anchor is well set and be aware of the strong
currents in Bimini Harbor. The next night, due to the distance across
the Banks, you will likely anchor on the middle of the banks well the
rhumb line to avoid nighttime traffic. If you pick that good weather
window, you should have benign conditions for anchoring in the middle
of nowhere. The water depths are uniformly 8-12 feet so anchoring
there is not a problem. Show a very bright anchor light! Upon
departing the Bimini area, you will either have to head north to
North Rock or south to North Cat Cay to cross onto the Great Bahama
Bank. For deeper-draft vessels, you will have better depths on the
northerly route across.<br />
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After clearing in at
Bimini, one can head north to North Rock, then head almost due east
to Great Harbour in the northern end of the Berry Islands. Leaving at
daybreak and heading across the banks will put you close enough to
the Berry Islands to anchor and finish the trip in the morning for
slower vessels or a long day to anchor at dusk for trawlers. This
gives you an opportunity to begin your Bahamas trip in The Berry
Islands and cruise through the many delightful anchorages. The
anchorage at Bullocks Harbor gives easy access to the settlement and
the town dock for landing the dinghy. Beware of the thick grass on
the bottom and look for a sandy patch to drop the anchor. Inside
Hawksnest on the east side of Great Harbor Cay is a spectacular
anchorage with miles of white sandy beaches. Soldier Cay, Hoffman’s
Cay, White and Fowl Cay offer days or even weeks of solitude and
exploration. Cruisers can easily spend a month or more just exploring
the many anchorages throughout the Berry Islands.</div>
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Nassau on New Providence
is usually the next port of call. Anchoring in the harbor can be
difficult. Nassau Harbour’s bottom is like trying to anchor on a
parking lot. It is hard with little to grab a hold of except
hurricane chains. The current has scoured it clean. There are a
couple of sandy patches with fair holding just west of the bridge to
Paradise Island or off the eastern channel near Nassau Harbour Club.
Currents are strong and boat wakes are a problem. If you don’t need
provisions or have already cleared in, we recommend anchoring at Rose
Island, northeast of New Providence. It’s far away from everything
but a good place to stage to head south into the Exumas.</div>
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Your next destination
will be the Exumas. Starting at Allen’s Cay at approximately 24.45’
N and running south to Georgetown at about 23.30’ N. Anchorages are
plentiful and each should be considered based on the how much wind
protection you need and from what direction. The trip from Nassau or
Rose Island to Allen’s is about 28 NM and takes you across the
“dreaded” Yellow Banks to the Exuma chain of islands. The banks
are not as formidable as some cruising guides would suggest. Ensure
you transit the area with the sun high overhead and have someone in
the bow or flybridge or as high up the mast as needed for a good view
of your path ahead. The coral heads are easily negotiated.
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As you travel south in the Exumas, your
daily runs will be short so you don’t miss any of the wonderful
anchorages in the 100 or so miles to George Town. Some of the
highlights are Allen’s Cay, with its greedy iguanas, Norman’s Cay
with its western beach and cozy inner anchorages, Warderick Wells,
possibly the most beautiful place on the planet, and Staniel Cay with
its friendly townspeople, the Thunderball Grotto of James Bond fame,
swimming pigs and plentiful anchorages in and around the town and
outlying cays. Farther to the south is the settlement of Black Point,
another friendly outpost, and Farmer’s Cay with its yacht club
festivities. Between there and George Town are any number of remote
locales to drop the hook. Deep-draft boats will likely exit at
Galliot Cut to make for George Town (a trip of about 34 NM), while
shoal-draft vessels can travel along the inside to Ray Cay, Square
Rock or Glass Cay Cuts before heading out into Exuma Sound for George
Town at Conch Cay Cut (a trip of about 13-15 NMs).
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Many boats just make for
George Town and plant themselves there for the duration. Once you get
there, it’s easy to see why. There are activities every day on the
beaches on Stocking Island, places to provision ashore and friends to
catch up with. George Town does present a number of anchoring
options. Anchor off Stocking Island in the various locations–Church
Bay, Volleyball (Hole 1) or Sand Dollar (Duck Bay) Beaches–or raise
the anchor and head across to anchor just off the town in Kidd Cove
for that provisioning or laundry that needs to be done. Or, follow
the path into Red Shanks behind Crab Cay on the south side of the
harbor.
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When you are ready to
depart George Town, before you grow to the bottom, you have a number
of options. If you have a little extra time, head back north in the
Exuma chain until back to Warderick Wells again. It is so wonderful;
it deserves two stops on anyway. From Warderick Wells, exit Warderick
Cut and make the 30 NM run northeast to Powell Point on Eleuthera.
Heading around and into Rock Sound, one finds yet another friendly
Bahamian Settlement with an anchorage just off town. Pick your spot
in the sound based on the forecast wind direction.<br />
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From Rock Sound on the
west side of Eleuthera, there are any number of great anchorage
stops, including Ten Bay and South Palmetto Point, Governors Harbour,
Hatchet Bay (360 protection), Rainbow Bay, Current Cut Settlement and
Spanish Wells. None of the anchorages are more than 20 or 30 miles
apart, making for easy daily runs. The area around Spanish Wells is
deserving of a few days at least of exploration due to its
interesting past. Take the ferry to Harbour Island to explore Dunmore
Town.</div>
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From Spanish Wells or Royal Island,
you’ll then make your way north to the Abacos to wrap up your
winter excursion through the Bahamas. The crossing to Little Harbor
from either Spanish Wells or Egg Island ranges from 45 to 50 NM. This
may be one of the longest crossings you’ll have to make during your
stay in the Bahamas. Make sure you have a very good weather window
for this crossing. After crossing, enter through the reef between
Little Harbour and Lynyard Cay and head north for the anchorage
behind Lynyard, or west and south to the wonderful little harbor at,
you guessed it, Little Harbour if your draft will allow. The harbor
will be for shoal-draft vessels only and will be your key to rich
Abaco history and the history of the Johnston family who settled this
area. The Lynyard Cay anchorage is close enough to anchor and dinghy
to Little Harbour and provides good holding and protection from
prevailing easterlies.</div>
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From here, many more
anchoring opportunities present themselves as you work your way
north. Tilloo and Elbow Cays offer anchorages on their west sides,
only 10-15 NMs away. On the north end of Elbow Cay is Hope Town, a
must see. You will need to anchor outside of the harbor and dinghy in
due to the mooring field and docks inside–anchoring inside is now
prohibited. The hub of the Abacos, Marsh Harbour is only about 10 NMs
to the west and Man O War less than that to the north. You could
spend weeks in this area bouncing back and forth between these
wonderful places. Moving onward into the Sea of Abaco, some of our
picks for anchorages are Treasure and Great Guana Cays, then through
Whale Cay Pass to Green Turtle Cay. There are moorings in both basins
on Green Turtle, so you may want to anchor outside near Joyless Point
or off the New Plymouth Settlement, but you will be able to find room
inside as well; just watch the holding. We also love the anchorage at
Manjack and Crab Cays, about 5 NMs to the north of there. Powell Cay
is a short hop north of Manjack with Spanish Cay just beyond.
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Once you reach Crab Cay,
you will need to decide if you will head northwest and visit some of
the other favored spots in the Abacos, such as Allans-Pensacola and
Grand Cays, or head west toward Hawksbill Cays and Fox Town. Your
exit from the Bahamas on the lower route will take you past Great
Sale Cay. Most folks anchor in the cove on the west side which offers
protection from the northwest through southeast. The east side of
Great Sale is also great for those occasional westerlies. Then, head
past Mangrove Cay and to anchor near West End. The next morning,
cross to Lake Worth Inlet, a distance of about 56 NMs, or to St.
Lucie Inlet, at about 67 NMs.</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Anchoring Side Notes</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Anchor</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">During our last journey
through the Bahamas the “Next Generation” anchor has proved
itself to be the best all around anchor we have used. Our choice is
the Manson Supreme, but there are others with very similar designs
and characteristics that will do as well. The prudent skipper will
carry a second anchor for those severe weather conditions and the few
times a second anchor is needed to deploy a </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bahamian
Moor</b></span><span style="font-size: small;">. The Bahamian Moor is two anchors set
off the bow at a 180° angle from each other, used to keep the boat’s
swinging circle limited to a small area. It’s good for strong
reversing currents, like those found in cuts, or where there is
limited space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Finding the Right Spot</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Anchoring in the Bahamas
offers some unique challenges. Often heavy grass will blanket large
sections of some of the better anchorages, which prevents the anchor
from setting properly. Look for sandy patches, seen as white patches
within the grass. Pull forward to the edge of the sandy patch, drop
the anchor and back down slowly until the anchor has set about in the
center of the patch. Once the anchor rode is stretched out, back down
slowly until you are comfortable the anchor has set. It’s a wise
idea to snorkel over the anchor to be sure it is indeed set. </span>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Beware of what might look
like a sandy bottom but is actually a thin layer of sand over rock or
coral. If the anchor appears to be set, it may only be in a narrow
crevice and will release as soon as the boat shifts on the rode. Many
times the anchor will simply skip across the bottom. In this
situation, it’s often best to try and relocate to another spot. </span>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In many of our anchorages,
good holding in deep sand is the norm. Even in a sandy bottom, small
patches of rock and coral are often present. Boats going to the
Bahamas should have sufficient amount of the correct size chain as a
primary part of the anchor rode. Most anchoring will be done in 10
feet or less, so a minimum of 100 feet is recommended. The more, the
better. Nylon anchor rode can and will chafe through very quickly
rubbing back and forth on a piece of rock or coral. Weather
conditions and wind strength and direction will play a very important
role in where to safely anchor. Make monitoring the weather and
knowing what conditions to expect part of your regular anchoring
routine. Most of all, enjoy, be safe and have fun. </span>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>BIO</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Chuck Baier and Susan
Landry have been cruising together as a couple for almost 25 years,
first on their Mariner 40 Ketch, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Sea Trek</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">,
and currently on their Marine Trader trawler </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Beach
House</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">. Chuck and Susan were owners of Beach
House Publications, publishers </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>of The Great
Book Of Anchorages </b></span><span style="font-size: small;">series of anchorageguides. The Guides cover the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic ICW from
Hampton Roads/Norfolk to Key West and include the St. Johns River,
the Bahamas – The Route Most Traveled and the Gulf Coast from Cape
Sable to Mobile, including the Okeechobee Waterway. Chuck and Susan
have been freelance writers for over 15 years and have written for
almost every major boating publication and many online boating sites.
The duo have cruised the Atlantic and Gulf coast of the U.S., the
Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the northern and western Caribbean.
Chuck is former GM and Susan is former Editor of Waterway Guide.</span></div>
</div>
Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-9933003215144765682015-08-04T20:48:00.001-04:002015-08-04T20:49:03.164-04:00Ice Cream Shops on the Chesapeake Bay<h3>
Ice Cream Shops by Boat on the Chesapeake Bay </h3>
By Susan Landry<br />
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We have been traveling up and the down the ICW for over 20 years now and have our routine ice cream shop stops pretty well set. (See Cruising World Sept. 2012 issue.) But although we are originally from the Chesapeake Bay, we had never spent months just leisurely circling the Bay and sampling all of the creamy, sweet delights it had to offer. The summer of 2013, while researching our Chesapeake Bay anchorage guide for our Great Book of Anchorage series, we decided to do research of a slightly different and more fattening kind.<br />
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We decided to run up the Eastern Shore of the Bay on our way north. Our first stop into any sort of a harbor was Crisfield, MD, a short run up the Little Annemessex River. It was very hot as it was now early July, so an ice cream stop was in order. This shop wins our difficult to locate award. Although we were given directions, we still had difficulty finding it and once we found it in an alley between two streets, directly on the waterfront, it was closed. We walked around to the back porch that overlooked the ferry dock to Smith Island, wistfully thinking how nice it would be to have a cone and watch the boats load their passengers and goods for the little, outlying islands offshore. Just as we started to walk back to the main street, we heard someone yell, “Hey, we’re open now!” The owners had just arrived. I sampled the salted caramel turtle, which hit the spot. Chuck had his usual chocolate.<br />
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Next on our journey north was Cambridge, MD, a fairly long run up the Choptank River. And 3-4 blocks from the downtown waterfront area was Gina’s Sweet Shoppe. This shop carries Hershey’s ice cream, which we discovered was quite good. On this occasion, the cappuccino fudge swirl was the choice for the day. It was very tasty and wound up getting a repeat pick later in the summer. A short hop to Oxford, up the Tred Avon River off the Choptank, takes you to the Scottish Highlands Creamery, located on the wharf behind Schooners Restaurant. The ice cream here is homemade and very good as well. Birthday cake ice cream was the flavor du jour. They also had interesting choices such as lavender.<br />
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St. Michaels, on the Miles River off Eastern Bay, is a dangerous little town, having 3 ice cream shops within close proximity of the waterfront. We had read rave reviews about Justine’s winning many awards and decided to head there. A tour bus was in town, and the line was so long, we thought we might swoon before we got to the counter. One block down the main drag took us to Jo Jo’s Cupcakes and Ice Cream, another shop carrying Hershey’s, and the cappuccino fudge made its reappearance. But we couldn’t miss Justine’s, so back we went the next day. They offer a very respectable sugar free vanilla chocolate swirl, which we both decided to have in an attempt to keep our blood sugar down. We passed on the 3rd shop, feeling we had indulged enough.<br />
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We hadn’t planned on getting ice cream in Kent Narrows, but after eating crabs with our family, my cousin snuck off somewhere so we went to find her. There she was in the ice cream shop, directly on the waterfront overlooking the busy channel, buying my husband his favorite chocolate ice cream for a birthday treat. I found a chocolate brownie extreme that was a nice compliment to steamed crabs.<br />
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Chestertown, MD, up the Chester River, was next on the itinerary, and Stam Drug Store is just 3 blocks from the waterfront. I had my first ice cream cone there when I was about 5 years old, having been raised there. Nice to know some things never change. Stam Drug Store wins our award for the lowest priced ice cream and also carries that yummy Hershey’s key lime pie flavor.<br />
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Georgetown, MD’s ice cream shop is Harbor View and sits 50 to 75 feet up from and overlooking a number of marinas and the harbor on the Sassafras River. It ties our award for most scenic/best view. You can either sit inside in the a/c or outside, but the best view is inside at a waterfront table. They carry Kilby’s, a local Cecil County, MD creamery brand. Muddy Sneakers was a tasty choice, mixing vanilla with some caramel and chocolately nut balls.<br />
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Chesapeake City, MD, on the C&D Canal, is the other winner in the best view category. The Canal Creamery sits on the very edge of the canal where you have a spectacular view of the 110-foot bridge that towers over it and the large ships and other boat traffic making their way between the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. We also enjoyed Kilby ice cream here in some very creative flavors like Smores while sitting on a picnic table under a tree and watching the world go by.<br />
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The last ice cream stop on the eastern shore of Maryland for us was the town of North East. Woody’s is the place to find Richmond’s ice cream made in New Jersey. I have to say that it has to be the best Birthday Cake ice cream I have ever had. Creamy ice cream, tender cake chunks and icing with sprinkles rounds off this very sweet treat. My friend had the Tiramisu and also found it very tasty. Havre de Grace, northernmost on Maryland’s western shore, is home to one of the larger establishments with homemade ice cream, Bomboys. The creamy concoctions are also creative in their names and ingredients. Try the Myrtle’s Turtle. Their single scoop is more than generous in addition to being reasonably priced. And just in case you’d prefer candy, they have a separate shop just across the street containing fudge and all of manner of sweet delights.<br />
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Fells Point, near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, is another spot that has 3 ice cream shops, all within a one-block radius. To be fair, one is a gelato shop which we did not try, but heard was very good. We did, however, stop at Molly Moo’s, which was pretty good and Kilwin’s, which was excellent. Kilwin’s also has superb fudge and other sweet treats. Although Kilwin’s was a little less expensive than Molly Moo’s, all of the Fells Point shops win our award for most expensive ice cream stop in the Bay.<br />
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Our trip south down the Western Shore did not allow for as many ice cream excursions, but we know from many years experience cruising the Bay that ice cream is readily available in Annapolis at Storm Bros Ice Cream Factory, right next to Ego Alley at the harbor and a relatively newer kid on the block, The Annapolis Ice Cream Company, just a short distance up Main Street. You can’t go wrong at either location.<br />
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In Solomons, MD, you can feed the craving for ice cream at, believe it or not, Roy Rogers on the main drag. They carry 8-10 flavors of Hershey’s. Reedville’s Chitterchat is a great find just a day’s trip from Solomons. Their homemade ice cream is excellent. You can’t go wrong with any of their flavors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6ZFvm67B9jDlVKVns6nPxxfv-lBKtAud5VRo6311zynVlW1kfTaeUSyfmOeFeRYu_S-iWqNd_UbiuudkGihNHdVkcIwUcP2sm7cfCowtJjcDL7gHuzL-Yae8kJtKoHnpX3k4hKxhWxU/s1600/Hampton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6ZFvm67B9jDlVKVns6nPxxfv-lBKtAud5VRo6311zynVlW1kfTaeUSyfmOeFeRYu_S-iWqNd_UbiuudkGihNHdVkcIwUcP2sm7cfCowtJjcDL7gHuzL-Yae8kJtKoHnpX3k4hKxhWxU/s320/Hampton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
We ended (and began) our Chesapeake sweet tooth adventure in Hampton, VA, at the mouth of the Bay. A 3-4 block stroll from the downtown harbor area takes you to the Old Hampton Ice Cream Parlor on E. Queens Way. It has an interesting selection of flavors just right for a hot summer or fall day.<br />
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One thing I can tell you is that while the research for this piece has been very fun, it has once again been very detrimental to our waistlines and my hips. I think we’d better stick to researching anchoragesChuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-1039653193630587752015-05-27T14:47:00.001-04:002015-06-04T18:02:38.325-04:00Boating Safety Tips For Everyone<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #363435; position: relative; top: 0.5pt;">Always review basic safety rules with your passengers before departure.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #363435; position: relative; top: 0.5pt;"><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">BE WEATHER-WISE </span><br />❐ Check local weather conditions before departure<br />• Play it safe and get off the water if you notice darkening clouds, rough, changing winds or sudden temperature drops<br /><br /> <span style="color: red;"><br />FOLLOW A PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKLIST </span><br />❐ Boating safety rules<br />❐ Proper equipment<br />• Ensure you'll be ready for any on-water emergency<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">USE COMMON SENSE</span><br />❐ Operate at a safe speed, especially on crowded waters<br />❐ Be alert<br />❐ Steer clear of large vessels<br />❐ Pay attention to buoys and other navigational aids<br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><br />DESIGNATE AN ASSISTANT SKIPPER</span><br />❐ Ensure another person on board can take the helm and return to shore should you become incapacitated<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">DEVELOP A FLOAT PLAN</span><br />❐ Always let someone on shore know your boating plans.<br />Include:<br />• Name, address, and phone number of trip leader and passengers<br />• Boat type and registration<br />• Trip itinerary<br />• Type of communication and signal equipment on board<br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><br />LEARN TO SWIM</span> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #363435; position: relative; top: 0.5pt;">❐ Check with local pools, or organizations such as the YMCA and American Red Cross for lessons <br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">WEAR LIFEJACKETS</span><br />❐ Fit and assign a lifejacket to each passenger prior to launch<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">TAKE A BOATING COURSE</span><br />• Boating education requirements vary by state; regardless of your state's regulations, it's smart to be educated<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">SCHEDULE A FREE VESSEL SAFETY CHECK</span> <br />• The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Power Squadrons offer free vessel safety checks to verify presence and condition of safety equipment, check out your boat and make safety recommendations. Find an examiner: http://www.safetyseal.net/GetVSC/<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">SAFETY RESOURCES</span><br />• Boat-ed.com: Official boating safety courses and online tests for your boat license<br />• US Power Squadrons (usps.org) and Coast Guard Auxiliaries (cgaux.org): Free vessel safety checks, boater education and safe boating tips<br />• Boater101.com: Water and boating safety instruction<br />Content courtesy of BoatSafe.com<br /></span></b></span><br />
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<![endif]-->The Coast Guard has recently released its first boating safety App.
Features of the app include: state boating information; a safety
equipment checklist; free boating safety check requests; navigation
rules; float plans; and calling features to report pollution or
suspicious activity. When location services are enabled, users can
receive the latest weather reports from the closest National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration weather buoys as well as report the location
of a hazard on the water. The app also features an Emergency Assistance
button which, with locations services enabled, will call the closest
Coast Guard command center. <a href="http://www.uscg.mil/mobile/" rel="" target="_blank">http://www.uscg.mil/mobile/</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuto17nwf0g112-CwPfetDbBV3KR8jr4ZCW_gd8fEaI-Eh8wttIpL-6kALg4ZJrdipm6pil4RQAb1oYtCPGF9W-pqDBMZPEDfv2sJfLcK7SipBmySfNALeAErz1Lw0mwshW2SsxcUfSs/s1600/11057598_656581274486226_1408367001259360316_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuto17nwf0g112-CwPfetDbBV3KR8jr4ZCW_gd8fEaI-Eh8wttIpL-6kALg4ZJrdipm6pil4RQAb1oYtCPGF9W-pqDBMZPEDfv2sJfLcK7SipBmySfNALeAErz1Lw0mwshW2SsxcUfSs/s320/11057598_656581274486226_1408367001259360316_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #363435; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="letter-spacing: -.05pt;"></span></b></span></i>Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-50559867029548993472015-05-21T20:54:00.000-04:002015-05-21T20:54:39.629-04:00Simple and Inexpensive Air Conditioning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdTC3CTPCq_p_sA0aoq1bT-ciI_a9-a3d_WR_i_XJsDKRFh1LPhUIbyvUPCJAjExJFzrJIJJJqwSl9neYrulSJ3EFhhCFk0bNVxs3kDGSjujHLAlQoleu59ZpxOSq9RjoDZDJPumhnDE/s1600/DCP_0620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdTC3CTPCq_p_sA0aoq1bT-ciI_a9-a3d_WR_i_XJsDKRFh1LPhUIbyvUPCJAjExJFzrJIJJJqwSl9neYrulSJ3EFhhCFk0bNVxs3kDGSjujHLAlQoleu59ZpxOSq9RjoDZDJPumhnDE/s320/DCP_0620.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The heat is already upon us in northern Florida and summer has not yet arrived. Already, the air conditioner is running daily, and day and night most of the time. On our previous boat, we did not have the luxury of a built-in air-conditioning system, and early on, we
decided not to install a central system. It would be another
piece of equipment to maintain and would also require a generator installation
for use when we were cruising. We opted for an inverter system to run the 110
appliances and tools, and to take a little different approach to the AC problem.
Of course, on our current trawler <i>Beach House</i>, we have a built in heat/AC system and a generator. Living aboard in the Chesapeake
in the summer, then many years in south Florida
did require that we cool the interior of the boat if we wanted to be
comfortable. While we were cruising through the Bahamas and Caribbean, we never felt the need for an air conditioner. But at the
docks for periods of time, to replenish the cruising kitty, we decided on a less traditional setup.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tq30X3jTRifauMzKeBaN7zfWwJk79H72quFgWhMFRob5MJAOJbdLBzVCiw9a-TkwYeVlKWXeQxH7Lr4VduM_Noysz9FZ2ZjD3UHiVWG93hYZ6-WhSSyP95wTxY8ZzZnuj0u_gPSRqPc/s1600/all+you+will+need.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tq30X3jTRifauMzKeBaN7zfWwJk79H72quFgWhMFRob5MJAOJbdLBzVCiw9a-TkwYeVlKWXeQxH7Lr4VduM_Noysz9FZ2ZjD3UHiVWG93hYZ6-WhSSyP95wTxY8ZzZnuj0u_gPSRqPc/s320/all+you+will+need.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A place to
mount the unit had to be determined first. Actually, we tried installing one in
the hatch on the cabin top. It cooled the area directly under the hatch, but the
rest of the boat got pretty warm. There was also the issue of making it watertight during heavy rain storms. Next, we tried the companionway hatch. As long as we could use a secondary entrance, like the aft-cabin hatch, this could work. In a sailboat, the main companionway may need to be used and this will require stepping over the AC unit when coming or going. Most companionway entrances have groves cut to accommodate drop boards. In the case of some powerboats, one of the large windows can be carefully removed, and the mounting process close to the same. Since the space where the drop board can go is small, and the thickness of the
space for this is ½”, we began with a ½”X2’X2’ piece of marine or exterior
plywood. You can determine the size that will work for you. If using the space from an existing window, try and match the window thickness. Then the frames can be reused for a nice finished look. We also used a tube
of silicone caulk, some sandpaper, a little paint and an aluminum strip like
those used on the bottom of doors. Tools will consist of a power saw with a
fine tooth blade, a straight edge, level, screwdriver or screw gun, metal
snips, disposable gloves, pencil, caulking gun and paint brush. And, of
course, you will need the air conditioner. We usually purchased them from the
local building supply or discount department store. For our boat, we need a
minimum of 6,000 BTUs, and 8,000 BTUs makes for very comfortable conditions.
The size is determined by the volume of your cabin and the available mounting space. The physical dimensions of
the unit should be kept at a minimum.</div>
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The first
step is to cut your plywood to fit the entire space of your opening. Be
sure the hatch will slide shut with it in place if there is an overhead hatch. Next, with the plywood in place, draw a
level line as near the bottom as space will allow. This level line will be
where the bottom of the AC will rest. Once these two steps are completed, lay
the plywood down and set the AC on the level line with the face of the unit
pointing up in the air. Trace around the unit with a pencil using the unit
itself as a template. Once finished, you can cut out the opening into which the unit
will slide. Take a moment to fit the AC into the opening to be sure it is
snug. You should have very little space around the unit. Then, remove it so you
can do a few more tweaks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNsbm9wTAC9vWv1eyxMkYFr1ASSJ8FGe0WjGGwJCs35ipTw_J1I46EKBAE_mU2V1JIoEINbqqUAOqRGWZeCeP1BCNqI3VsAwzD_ntzavzA_2vrhJS0V-BPEaYHHC2p9lMMKIitUWwL2Q/s1600/painting+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNsbm9wTAC9vWv1eyxMkYFr1ASSJ8FGe0WjGGwJCs35ipTw_J1I46EKBAE_mU2V1JIoEINbqqUAOqRGWZeCeP1BCNqI3VsAwzD_ntzavzA_2vrhJS0V-BPEaYHHC2p9lMMKIitUWwL2Q/s320/painting+2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Approximately
2” above where the top of the unit would be, we drew a line straight across the
entire piece of plywood. Use the straight edge or the level. Then, cut this line
on an angle that is such that the rain will not run into the cut edge - very
much like the angles that are cut into your drop boards. This piece can be
lifted out like your hatch<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>boards to make getting in and out easier. We then attached our
door bottom aluminum trim, with the rubber strip attached, to the top edge on the outside to give us
more protection from rain and washing the boat. Again, slide the AC unit into
the opening to be sure it is a good fit. If it looks okay, remove it again, and go
ahead and sand and paint the plywood to seal the wood from moisture and to dress
it up a little. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRLxqPfolWx_vx0gORjUtAGQgsO5PXPURHon170JQCf7YPpqYYSyHtJ4wz2jiSEP0APeW9clz3pvBSMHWcpeH1gTcr0glCcoYZqmuN9X4FtU9_BWts3I_6Oo7KXn-pECDEUsau-XQL_I/s1600/checking+for+angle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRLxqPfolWx_vx0gORjUtAGQgsO5PXPURHon170JQCf7YPpqYYSyHtJ4wz2jiSEP0APeW9clz3pvBSMHWcpeH1gTcr0glCcoYZqmuN9X4FtU9_BWts3I_6Oo7KXn-pECDEUsau-XQL_I/s320/checking+for+angle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now it is
time to mount the unit. Remember that when it is running, it will draw humidity
out of the air. That moisture collects in the bottom of the unit and has to
drain somewhere. Mount the unit on an angle so that the water will drain to the
back. Sounds simple, but there are a few things to adjust. If your water and holding tanks are a
bit forward so when they are full the bow is down slightly, fill them. That way, the
boat is trimmed down in the bow a bit. With the AC mounted on an angle to allow
drainage, it will tilt back a little more as the tanks are drained, instead of
tilting forward when the tanks are filled. Use the level to determine that you
have sufficient angle. If the unit tilts forward it, will drain INSIDE the boat
as moisture accumulates. Many units have small drains in the rear to which you can
attach a plastic hose to let it drain overboard. The front of the unit
should only be sitting a couple of inches inside the boat. Once you are
confident that the unit is sitting where you want it, simply load your caulking
gun with a tube of marine silicone caulk. Fill the space completely around the
AC on both the inside and outside edges with the silicone. Use a moist
finger to smooth it out, but leave plenty. Be careful until the silicone dries
that you do not move the unit. After 24 hours, we have been able to lean on the
box without it moving. You now have a very inexpensive air-conditioning system.
The whole thing can be lifted out in one piece if necessary.</div>
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If
there is any drawback to this system, it is that you might have to step over the whole
thing when coming and going, depending on where it is mounted. But this has never been a big issue. The top board can easily be removed to allow you to step onto the companionway ladder. And it can be run from a small gas-powered portable generator like the Honda 1000 or 2000 when the power fails. We used this system for 12 years before finally installing a built-in marine heat/AC unit. We can usually find a good AC for between $78.00 and
$120.00. They will last for four to five years or longer, and then just buy a new one and you're back in business in a couple of hours. We have watched many of our
friends nearly suffer cardiac arrest after receiving repair bills for their
central air systems or realizing the cost to replace them. I know this approach is
not for everyone, but for those of you on a tight budget or that have space
constraints, it is another option. The same approach with a little modification
can be used to mount your unit in an overhead hatch if the companionway won’t
work. Stay cool this summer!Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-20902633403567141942015-04-09T20:40:00.000-04:002015-04-09T20:40:13.540-04:00Wifi On The Boat - Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimJYQx7rKa6e24vUnSvnwRahBCGkXritvxfP5VI6yBDQCPEIs5mUIAfil5iH1-mAZMO-URTPZCJ0ZMcKngCHrUPoMkurTA9iNQ6iHY23CuDr5C-5nEJR-V_0VnI-jzCJLsQoLjepAPQs/s1600/DSC04954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimJYQx7rKa6e24vUnSvnwRahBCGkXritvxfP5VI6yBDQCPEIs5mUIAfil5iH1-mAZMO-URTPZCJ0ZMcKngCHrUPoMkurTA9iNQ6iHY23CuDr5C-5nEJR-V_0VnI-jzCJLsQoLjepAPQs/s1600/DSC04954.jpg" height="230" width="320" /></a></div>
Our current WiFi set-up has been functioning almost full-time on two boats for about seven years. The progress of our WiFi system has been recorded in previous blog posts, <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2008/12/simple-and-inexpensive-wifi.html" target="_blank">Simple And Inexpensive WiFi</a> and <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2012/06/wifi-on-boat-part-3.html" target="_blank">WiFi On The Boat-Part 3</a> that details the progression to our current equipment. This blog post is possible via that same set-up. We're not ones that have to have the latest and greatest, and we have one hard and fast rule, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But change is inevitable, and we have made a few additions to our WiFi arsenal to improve our ability to get online as needed. This is very important since we run our <a href="https://www.tgboa.com/" target="_blank">anchorage guide business</a> online and everything from the publishing to shipping and receiving is done exclusively from the boat. Changes to the availability of free or open WiFi signals made these additions a necessity for us.<br />
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Early on, free or open WiFi signals were available almost everywhere. Today, they are few and far between, but can still be found. Many small businesses along the waterways offer free WiFi and so do some marinas. With the amplifier system in <i>Beach House</i>, those signals are available if we are within a couple of miles from the access point. Although we still "see" dozens of WiFi access points in most anchorages, many times they are all secure connections and need the correct password to connect. These are the times an alternate means of connection is necessary. These alternate means will require some type of paid service. I don't want to get into all of the options for paid services, rather we will discuss the options for the hardware used to get connected.<br />
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Our choice a few years ago was the <a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/internet-devices/" target="_blank">Verizon MiFi system</a>, which acts very much like a modem. AT&T, as well as others, offer this same type of device. The device is simply a small box that has a dedicated phone number to allow you to use a cellular service to connect to the internet. Typically, it will be password protected, and logging on is just a matter of using your computer or tablet's internal wireless connection to connect to the MiFi using the units password. Most of these devices will allow multiple connections, so more than one computer or a computer and tablet can be connected at the same time. AT&T has a new touch screen device called the <a href="http://www.att.com/devices/netgear/unite-pro.html" target="_blank">Unite Pro</a> that boasts 16 hours of battery life, will allow up to 15 connections and can have an external antenna attached for better signals in fringe areas. The MiFi allows internet connection when other WiFi access points are not available. We have used our MiFi device for two years and find that there are only a couple of places along the entire U.S. East and Gulf coasts where there has not been a cellular signal. Even with the MiFi, another change is in the works.<br />
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As mentioned, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiFi" target="_blank">MiFi is a simple device</a> that connects like any other phone to a cell provider, which in turn allows a data connection. For those without a newer smart phone, the MiFi device is the best alternative. Many of the newer smart phones will allow you to do away with even the MiFi device and use the cell phone as a "hot spot" to get connected, just as the MiFi does. The upside is that you will pay for one less phone line using the smart phone. The process is simply using the "hot spot" software built into the smart phone, keeping it password protected, and connecting via your computer's internal wireless connection. The MiFi device will come with a preset password that you can change later, and the smart phone will allow you to set up whatever password you like. After two years of using the MiFi, our decision is to eliminate the additional charge for a third phone line and use one of our new smart phones as a hot spot. The same connections can be made using many of the current tablet devices. Previously we had "dumb" phones that only allowed phone calls and text.<br />
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So if these new devices work so well, why even bother using our bullet and router set up at all? A very good question. Whether using the MiFi, your tablet or a smart phone to get online, you must pay for the data. Once you exceed the data limits of your plan, the charges can be considerable. At most marinas, free WiFi is offered to all slip renters, whether full-time or transient. Often, these marina connections aren't the greatest, and having our external antenna means the difference of having a good connection at the slip or having to carry the computer to the office or lounge to get online. We still often find open WiFi access points from many towns and businesses along the waterway who offer free WiFi that can be picked up from the anchorages. These are the connections we use to watch videos, download large files and software updates to avoid using up all of our precious cellular data and incurring additional charges. By using our external antenna, we keep our data usage well below our limits. While docking for longer periods at a marina with WiFi, we use very little of our paid data.<br />
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The external antenna can also allow us to share even the data provided by our cell provider. We can connect the Bullet to whatever hot spot we're using, smart phone or MiFi, and share the connection via the router that is connected to the Bullet. It's kind of a roundabout method, but we have found it very useful at times. The other option available with the smart phone or MiFi is the ability to use a cellular booster to get a stronger signal in fringe areas. Boosters, like those made by <a href="http://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/" target="_blank">Wilson Amplifiers,</a> rate among the best. You will need both a booster and an external omnidirectional antenna, and even with the booster, the phone will need to be in close proximity or even mounted in a cradle to get the full benefits. These signal boosters can make the difference between an iffy connection, no connection at all or being able to get online or make your phone calls. These boosters are not inexpensive. I will note that to date, we have not needed a booster for our phones.<br />
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This brings the WiFi system on <i>Beach House</i> up to date. We would love to hear from others about what systems you use and how well they're working. As technology changes, there will surely be new and improved gadgets and devices to improve our ability to get connected, run our businesses and be able to continue posting to our blogs. As changes happen, we will report back to you and try to keep everyone up to date. If you want to review any of our past WiFi posts, including how to keep your connection safe, <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/search/label/WiFi" target="_blank">visit our previous blog posts covering all things WiFi on <i>Beach House</i> here</a>.Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-20488201993158540502015-03-08T18:37:00.001-04:002015-03-08T18:37:25.011-04:00The Ultimate Tribulation<b>By Chuck Baier </b><br />
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Today's blog post will be more of a personal nature rather than another boat related post. I hope you'll bear with me as I get my thoughts down to let everyone know what's going on, and for my own therapeutic value. The big story is near the end if you want to skip right to it. I will bring you up to date first on where we are and how <i>Beach House</i> and crew finally arrived after a long and difficult struggle to make our current destination. If you have been following our recent posts, you know that we had been in Carrabelle for a couple of months trying to cross the Florida Big Bend to get over to the west coast of Florida. <i>Beach House </i>finally made the crossing, albeit short one of her regular crewmembers.<br />
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Many things had held up our passage. Mechanical breakdowns began a stretch of bad luck, speaking engagements and other commitments kept the boat in Carrabelle and some health issues also played a role in our ongoing delays. For many years, I have paid the price for a lifetime in the sun and decades of enjoying all that the watery part of our planet has to offer. For many years, skin cancer has been a fact of life for me, but fortunately, the type of skin cancer has been basal cell, one that is easily treated and does not spread to other parts of the body. In the past, freezing it off or using a laser to burn off the areas solved the problem. But I knew that at some point it was going to get more serious. So what does that have to do with all of this, you ask?<br />
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Once our speaking engagements were finished, a trip to the dermatologist was on the schedule to have a small tumor removed from my neck. Everything went well and we returned to the boat planning to jump on the next weather window. But the surgery was a little more severe than expected and my concern was that if we took a 10 to 12 hour trip across the Gulf Stream and there was a problem, my condition could actually create a bigger risk factor for Susan and the boat. We talked about just waiting it out until everything healed and then make the crossing. But commitments at our next destination were approaching and we would have to make major adjustments if delayed much longer. One of our hard and fast rules is that we never make a decision to go or not go based on any kind of a schedule. We really did not want to violate that rule.<br />
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Weather windows had been few and far between and very short -- sometimes only a half day, and that is just not acceptable to us. We watched as one opened up and seemed to hold, while wondering whether we were really going to let this one pass. As the fates would have it, a new found friend that had been at the marina in Carrabelle for a while mentioned to Susan that they were considering moving from their sailboat to a trawler and would be happy to help move the boat if we needed an extra hand. Since the surgery had just happened, it was still questionable as to whether I was yet up to the passage. After some discussion, it was decided that Susan would take the boat across without me and that I would drive our car over, which we had picked up weeks before. Our friend agreed to go along and since Susan is quite capable of handling the boat, the day came and the weather was holding.<br />
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One of the big concerns was that the engine had not been fully stress tested after the major work that was done. Although we had run it for about 5 hours, it was still not a hard run to be sure all of the repairs were done and that there were no new problems. All I could do was to watch Susan pull the boat out of the slip at sunrise and hope that everything went well. This section of the Gulf would put her out of cell phone range and perhaps even VHF range for the Coast Guard, etc. There is the HF radio on board and as a last resort, our EPIRB. So communication to the outside world was possible and rescue, if needed, would come. But still you worry. I waited for a couple of hours while Susan was still in cell phone range to be sure there was no problems and that she did not have to turn back. Once it looked like all was well, I pointed the car toward Steinhatchee. The decision was made to do the crossing in two jumps rather than stress the boat for 20 hours doing a single crossing so soon after the repairs.<br />
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It only took a couple of hours to drive from Carrabelle to Steinhatchee, but the boat took about 9 hours to get there. Everything worked out fine and the boat and crew made the trip without any problems. Susan drove our crew back to Carrabelle with a big "Thank You!" and returned to the boat late. After spending the night in Steinhatchee, the weather was still looking okay and I was feeling better, so off we went the next morning heading for the Withlacoochee River. Of course, the forecast fell apart and the last couple of hours were pretty hairy, but the boat and crew finally safely made it to the marina in Yankeetown where we planned on staying for a while. Little did we suspect that things would take another turn and soon our lives would be turned on end.<br />
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On Sunday, March 1st, I was washing the car under a shade tree in the marina when suddenly I was just not feeling quite right. It only took me about one minute to realize what was happening to me. All of the classic symptoms presented themselves in a textbook fashion. I first felt like I had simply overdone it a bit and sat down in the car to rest. Very quickly things began to escalate. The pressure in the chest was increasing, the pain spreading to my left arm. I was having a lot of difficulty breathing and it was getting worse. I had this overwhelming feeling of dread and by now had broken out into a cold sweat. There was no doubt I was having a heart attack and it was serious. I was able to walk back to the boat and get Susan to tell her something was very wrong and we needed to go to the hospital and now. We considered calling 911, which should be the first thing you do, but decided that based on our location, by the time the ambulance arrived and diagnosed what we already knew, we could be at the hospital, which was not far away. It was a quick ride to Seven Rivers Hospital which fortunately has an excellent cardiac care unit.<br />
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On the ride to the hospital I considered that this might be my last day on the planet. I remember thinking that this would be very unfortunate since there were still a lot of things I wanted to do. I also remember thinking that if I didn't survive it would be very hard on Susan and my family and friends, and I didn't want to put everyone through that. We arrived quickly at the ambulance entrance and they wheeled me in and began working on me. All of the drugs, oxygen and hard work the doctors and nurses were doing seemed to be ineffective in stopping the pain and making my breathing easier. After about 20 minutes, the pain did ease up, but only a very little. An ambulance arrived and I was rolled off the table and into it so I could be transported to another nearby hospital that had the equipment and facilities needed to help me. It was short ride, but seemed much longer.<br />
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The doctors had determined that I had a 98% blockage in one artery, 95% in another and at least 40% in a third. That didn't leave much working plumbing. From the ambulance, I was moved immediately into the Cath Lab, placed on a table and the Doctor went to work right away. I was awake during the entire process and the next few minutes was an experience that I find difficult to put into words. The Doctor went in through a small incision in the groin area and ran a stent up to my heart. Once the first one was in place, all of the pressure, all of the pain and all of the symptoms just disappeared. I wasn't sure whether I was really feeling this or I had just finally succumbed. With the second stent in place, I truly felt that I could just get off the table, thank the Doctor and go home. It was absolutely incredible. But that didn't happen. I was kept in a cardiac care unit for three days to be sure my heart would be able to handle the increased blood flow that it probably hadn't had in quite some time. And also to make sure I had no reaction to the multitudes of medication I was now taking.<br />
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Now here's the reason for me telling you all of this. Up until the moment this event occurred, I have never had a single symptom or any warning, EVER, that I had a heart problem. Up until that day, my health seemed to be excellent and other than some elevated cholesterol levels, I expected to live to be 100. Because my health was so good, I never felt the need to have my Doctors do any kind of stress test, or test of any kind to check the condition of my heart and arteries. I quick smoking in 1973 and Susan and I have led a healthy, active lifestyle for decades. But all of that didn't matter when the day came. I can't tell you how happy I am to be sitting here writing this blog post today. This will slow down our cruising for a while. The future requires a lot of rest for at least the next couple of months, a substantial time for cardiac rehabilitation and many, many Doctors visits before we feel comfortable enough to untie the docklines and head out again. Many things were properly aligned on that day or the outcome would have been very different. For now, my plans are to concentrate on my new future, get better and do all those things that I thought about on that ride to the hospital. And get myself back in good condition. So that's my story. Take a little advise for what it's worth. Don't take your health for granted and don't assume just because you feel fine today, that you will be fine tomorrow. And don't worry, even though our cruising will be delayed, there will still be some great posts coming on the blog.Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-88272737470895044542015-02-01T11:45:00.004-05:002015-12-04T11:49:09.806-05:00Can I Take My Boat to Cuba?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Can we go now?</b> That's the question every American Skipper has been asking since the President announced talks on normalization with Cuba on December 17th, and the internet is abuzz. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation out there. That announcement stated that talks were to begin on the normalization process, and although the idea of formal talks between the two countries in itself is historic, we still have a long way to go before we top off our fuel tanks in Key West and point the bow south. So the short answer to the main question is, <b>YES AND</b> <b>NO</b>. The original announcement was only for formal talks and nothing more. In the following weeks, there were more announcements and some changes, and suddenly everyone was getting more excited and the rumors began flying throughout the boating community. There is a but. You have always been able to take your boat to Cuba, IF you apply for and are granted a license by the Treasury Department. This is still the case.<br />
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<b>What has actually changed?</b> Not a whole lot. On January 17th, the President announced that the requirement for a license from the Treasury Department for approved visits to Cuba would be changed. Notice the word changed, not eliminated. The facts are that there are still the same restrictions in place that were in place prior to December 17th and they are the same as they have been for decades. The only change as of January 16th is that a license is no longer required to be issued by the Treasury Department in order to travel to Cuba under the current restrictions. Here is where a lot of confusion came about and where the rumors came from. All of the past restrictions are currently in place, except that a formal license is no longer required under certain exemptions and the process is now done on the honor system.<br />
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<b>What are the exemptions and can I qualify?</b> OFAC has issued general licenses within the 12 categories of authorized travel for many travel-related transactions to, from or within Cuba that previously required a specific license (i.e., an application and a case-by-case determination). Boaters may now visit the island for 14 days under one of these general licenses. Travel-related transactions are permitted by general license for certain travel related to the following activities, <b>subject to criteria and conditions in each general license</b>: <br />
<ul>
<li>Family visits. </li>
<li>Official government business. </li>
<li>Journalism. </li>
<li>Professional research and meetings.</li>
<li>Educational activities. </li>
<li>Religious activities. </li>
<li>Public performances, clinics, workshops, exhibitions and athletic competitions. </li>
<li>“Support for the Cuban people.” </li>
<li>Humanitarian projects. </li>
<li>Activities of private foundations or research for educational institutes. </li>
<li>Exporting or importing information or “information materials.” </li>
<li>Travel related to some authorized export transactions. </li>
</ul>
<b>Tourism of any kind</b> is not only not on the list but <b>is strictly prohibited</b>. U.S. companies that organize trips to Cuba designed to pass muster with
OFAC’s guidelines are expensive and rigid, making them unappealing to
many potential travelers. A Treasury Department spokesperson stated, “OFAC will enforce its sanctions and potential sanctions violations as they always have."<br />
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<b>Can I start my own church and visit on religious activities?</b> Going on to the internet and starting the <i>Church of What's Happening Now</i> isn't going to pass muster. Religious activities are extended to major denominations, require traveling in a group and attending conferences or events related to the churches activities. Most American travelers will still have to certify that they
have a valid reason to travel to Cuba under existing law and retain
records for five years proving that they fell under an exemption,
according to the Treasury Department. It is also required that a record of your itinerary, as it applies to the category under which the visit falls, must be kept for five years. If the Office of Foreign Assets
Control suspects someone of traveling to Cuba in violation of the rules
published by the Treasury Department, that person could face an audit
and fines. Under the General License, a journalist, subject to appropriate conditions, full-time journalists, supporting broadcast and technical personnel and freelance journalists are permitted to travel. However, you will need to show credentials or past work to be eligible under the General License. It is illegal for a U.S. citizen to go to Cuba to write a book or paper or any other form of media and to profit from it other than being paid by an approved organization. It is also illegal for a U.S. citizen to take any action that encourages or promotes tourism to Cuba.<br />
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<b>Can I do any of these things from my boat?</b> Again, the answer is no, unless visiting for the 14 day limit under the general licenses. George W. Bush tightened the restrictions considerably under his administration, and no matter what the intentions, traveling to Cuba by boat is assumed to be travel for recreational purposes and tourism. From the Federal Register, <b>Note to § 515.550(d): This general license does not authorize vessels to transport persons between the United States and Cuba. See § 515.572(c)</b>. The United States Coast Guard is currently (as of this blog posting date) on constant patrol in the Florida Straits looking for Cuban refugees trying to get into the United States. Rumors that the U.S. government is planning to end the wet foot/dry foot policy has created an urgency and an increase in rafters. The weak link in the restrictions is the educational exemption. All that's needed is to sign a piece of paper saying your traveling to learn some aspect of Cuban life and the Cuban people. But you still can't do this from your boat...legally, for more than 14 days.<br />
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<b>If I go anyway, what's the worst that can happen?</b> Many of the internet gurus profess to have traveled back and forth between the U.S. and Cuba without ever getting caught and will tell you that lots of American boats go over all the time. Beware, it may very well be possible that these so called gurus have never left the dock, let alone sailed to our southern neighbor. Susan and I have never and will never advise or advocate that anyone break the law of this country or any other. Ric Herrero of #CubaNow, a non-governmental organization pushing for
closer ties to the island, says the restrictions still have a chilling
effect on travel.“If you get caught, you get fined -- how that’s
going to get enforced, we don’t know yet,” Herrero said. There are many that proclaim that Americans should be able to travel wherever
they want, and no government is going to tell them otherwise. Whether you subscribe to that attitude or not, this is still the law and as such, it's an individual's decision whether they will violate the law and suffer the consequences if they get caught, no matter how small the chances may be. Even for foreign flagged vessels, there is what is known as the "180-day rule" and it provides that no
vessel that calls at Cuba may thereafter
call at a U.S. port for 180 days after said Cuban call. The only exception
to this rule were activities specifically licensed by the Secretary of
the U.S. Treasury.<br />
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<b>Is there any other good news?</b> Yes there is. After January 16th, the restriction regarding spending money while in Cuba have been lifted. If you are there on an approved visit, you may now spend unlimited amounts of money. "Other expenditures, other than those directly incident to the traveler’s authorized activities in Cuba, are not authorized." At the present time, you will need to take enough cash, but as of March 1st, MasterCard will begin taking swipes in Cuba for goods and services. I am sure the other credit card companies will follow suit. American Express has already indicated an interest. Travelers are now allowed to bring back up to $100.00 worth of alcohol and cigars, but total imports are not to exceed $400.00 for goods from Cuba to the U.S. In the U.S. Senate, a bi-partisan bill was introduced on January 29th, the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act of 2015, that would completely lift the travel restrictions. A companion bill is to be introduced in the House of Representatives. Whether anything will be accomplished within Congress anytime soon is anyone's guess. It would be silly to assume things are going to change overnight. But we think that in a year or two there will be major changes and this discussion will take a totally different direction. Details from the Treasury Department on all things Cuba can be found at, <a href="http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/cuba.aspx">http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/cuba.aspx</a> and a good summary of changes here, <a href="http://www.safety4sea.com/images/media/pdf/2015/USFinalRule31CFR515.pdf">http://www.safety4sea.com/images/media/pdf/2015/USFinalRule31CFR515.pdf</a> . Although the President can make some modifications to the current restrictions through executive order, only Congress can repeal or significantly change the current travel restrictions and embargo that has been in effect for over 50 years.<br />
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<b>Susan and I have been to Cuba</b> and look forward to the day when we can return. We wrote about our cruise of the south coast in a <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2011/06/cruising-south-coast-of-cuba-east-to.html" target="_blank">previous blog entry here</a>. The people were the friendliest we have met anywhere. The officials were professional, friendly and welcoming. The beaches were spectacular and the reefs pristine. It will take some time for the infrastructure to catch up to the demand once travel is allowed and the boats start arriving. There are 15 marinas and 795 slips in the entire country. The marinas in Havana and Veradero are undergoing major renovations and others will follow. The Cuban government is preparing for the influx of boaters, but progress will be slow. Many may find the restrictions and bureaucracy stifling if they have never experienced the likes before. But from our perspective, it's all worthwhile. As things change, look for us to report here. Stay tuned.<br />
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Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-63231644443712955182015-01-17T20:05:00.001-05:002015-01-17T20:11:31.401-05:00Trials and Tribulations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The mechanic at <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/99269361/www/MSDockside/Home.html" target="_blank">Dockside Marina</a> in Carrabelle did an excellent job getting <i>Beach House</i> back in operation. After our 4-hour tow back to the marina from the Gulf of Mexico, and a quick phone call to the mechanic, Eric arrived early the next morning. We were concerned with letting the engine sit, even overnight, with water in the cylinders and oil pan. There wasn't much that could be done about it on such short notice and just getting someone on board by the next day was better than we expected. Not knowing how serious the problem was made for a fitful sleep that evening. Whenever something like this happens, you always expect the absolute worse and have expectations of major expense and delay. When you live on your boat full time and don't have a place to go ashore when these things happen, it makes the anxiety even stronger.<br />
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The next morning Eric arrived bright and early. After a blow by blow of the description of the previous day, he quickly diagnosed the probable culprit and immediately went to work purging the water from the engine. First the cylinders needed to be cleared so we could get the starter to turn things over. With the Ford Lehman hydrolocked, there was no turning things over either by hand or with the starter. The valve cover was removed and as I turned the engine over using a large wrench on the front of the engine, Eric opened the exhaust valve for each cylinder. The engine was turned over by hand until it stopped and then we moved on to the next cylinder. This was done over and over until all the cylinders were cleared and the engine easily turned over. Next we turned the engine over using the starter, but without actually starting while adding oil over the valves. Finally the engine was allowed to start for a very short period of time. It was getting late so that was all we did the first day.<br />
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Next morning the head was removed and our suspicions were confirmed. The head gasket had failed at a fresh water port and allowed the compression to force the water out of the system when the engine was running. Then, when it was shut down and the intake valves opened, water was drawn into the cylinders. It wasn't a major breach of the head gasket, but enough. With the head removed, the cylinders were flushed with transmission fluid. That was allowed to sit and soak in past the rings. Then oil was poured into the cylinders and again the engine was turned by hand. This was then allowed to sit until the head was returned and the new head gasket arrived. In the meantime, the oil was pumped out of the pan using our oil changer system. This draws from the bottom of the sump so about a gallon of water came out before we finally started seeing only oil. The <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2010/08/12-small-boat-projects-that-made-large.html" target="_blank">oil changer</a> has always made changing the oil much easier, but under these circumstances, it made the process much cleaner and go much faster than if it had to be done with one of the manual pumps.<br />
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The head went out to a machine shop to be checked for warping and any possible cracks or failures. Fortunately, the report was good and no damage had been done. A new gasket kit arrived with a head gasket, exhaust manifold gasket and thermostat gasket. At the same time, a new thermostat and cap for the fresh water tanks was also ordered and replaced. We weren't taking any chances. Once everything was reassembled, the engine crankcase was filled with a combination of diesel and transmission fluid. It was run for just a moment with this concoction. Before starting, we filled the fresh water system with water and a gallon of white vinegar. The diesel transmission mix was removed from the engine and 3 gallons of oil added. The engine was started once again and allowed to run for a few minutes to work the oil into the rings, etc. and get the water vinegar mix circulating in the fresh water system. It was wonderful to hear the engine running and sounding normal. But we were far from finished.<br />
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The mechanic had done his part and the rest was up to us. The vinegar sat in the fresh water system for a couple of days. On the first flush, it was amazing how much stuff came out. Lots of what looked like mud, rust colored water and other things we couldn't identify. The fresh water system was flushed with clean water almost 10 times before we finally saw clear, clean water. Once that point was reached, a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water was added. The oil still showed some water so we did two more oil changes using the cheapest oil we could find. The engine was run up to temperature each time between changes. The third oil change did not show any water so we were satisfied. The only thing left to do was to take the boat out for a seatrial and run it hard to be sure we had the problem solved and that there was no other internal damage that we missed. Little did we know...<br />
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It took about a week before we were able to do the seatrial. In the meantime the boat was run at the slip and in gear for a couple of hours. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Finally, a break in the weather and a break in our schedule brought the perfect day to get out of the slip and run out to the sound. We pulled out of the marina about midday and headed downriver. Several checks of the engine room showed all was well and the engine sounded good. There was no smoke or any problems that showed up in the exhaust. It took about 45 minutes to an hour to reach East Pass where we could exit the sound and head out into the Gulf of Mexico. We poked our nose out in the Gulf and turned back around quickly. We didn't want to be caught in the Gulf if we had a problem; the seas were a little lumpy and the wind was picking up.<br />
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As <i>Beach House</i> turned back into the sound, but while we were still near the pass, we popped open the engine room hatch. To our surprise and dismay, a large puddle of oil was lying under the engine. Climbing down in the engine room revealed that a sending unit on the side of the engine was leaking and not just a drip. The engine was immediately shut down to see if there was a quick repair we could do. At this point, we were drifting around near east pass with strong currents and lots of shoals all around. The oil was leaking, but not so much that we were in danger of loosing all the oil. Tightening the sender did not slow the leak and we didn't have a replacement. A plastic pan was placed under the leak and we started the engine and headed back toward the marina. It took about an hour to get back and a quart of oil was added while underway to make up for what was lost. Finally, the boat was secured back in the slip. This wasn't the seatrial we expected, but the good news was that after 2 hours of running, the engine showed no signs of additional problems from the first repair. Now we had to deal with this leak. In retrospect, a relatively minor issue.Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-39132977629268752482014-12-29T15:56:00.004-05:002014-12-29T15:56:24.982-05:00The Third Time Isn't Always a Charm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have been delayed so long that our friends that were way behind us finally caught up. Our next weather window looked so perfect it was scary. The two previous attempts to cross the Gulf of Mexico from Carrabelle to the Steinhatchee River had met with failure. Once because the weather forecast was not what it was supposed to be and the second time due to engine problems. So it was with a certain amount of anxiety that we began attempt number three. What is it that is said about the third time being a charm? Our friends would be accompanying us along with another boat and couple we had met along the way. How perfect could it get? Well, not so much.<br />
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Two of us left C-Quarters Marina in Carrabelle around midday. We traveled the well-worn route we had used on a number of occasions. The third boat left earlier to spend more time on the beach at Alligator Harbor. <i>Beach House</i> and friends arrived early afternoon and after one anchoring attempt (we were waved off by hunters on the beach), we reanchored in nearly the same spot as our last visit. Our friends picked us up in their dinghy and we went ashore to do some beachcombing before dinner. The dinner was great, the company excellent and everyone turned in for the night with plans to get underway at first light. It was all going very well. As usual, the winds picked up a bit overnight, and by morning began to settle down.<br />
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As soon as the sun was up high enough to see clearly, all three boats were underway and heading toward South Shoals and the turning point for Steinhatchee. Our previous engine issues were still in the back of my mind, but regular checks in the engine room showed no problems. It took a little over an hour to reach the end of South Shoal and make the turn to put our boats on a direct course to the river, some 50-plus miles away. Another check of the engine room showed our problem with the cooling system might be starting again, but it was not serious yet. About 6 miles after the turn, we opened the hatch to the engine room and were greeted by a plume of steam. Water was shooting out of the overflow hose on the engine expansion tank and spraying all over the engine. We immediately shut the engine down and called to the other two boats to make them aware of our problem.<br />
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Checking the engine coolant showed that most of it had been forced out of the engine. The really strange part was that the engine gauges showed no sign of overheating and no alarms went off. Obviously we had caught it right away and shut down the engine before it could overheat. The steam had come from the water being sprayed all over the heated engine. We gave things a little while to cool down and refilled the coolant with water. Meanwhile the other two boats were standing by to give aid if necessary. With the coolant replaced, we hit the starter button and heard nothing but a THUNK. This was not a good sign. This would be the end of this part of our cruise for <i>Beach House</i> until we could get the problem diagnosed and fixed. We had a pretty good idea of why the engine would not turn over. These are the times we are glad we carry insurance for unlimited towing with TowBoatUS.<br />
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A couple of tries on the VHF did not raise TowBoat. We were out of range at about 30 miles from the base in Carrabelle. Fortunately, we were still in cell phone range. The signal was weak, but useable. We reached TowBoat, gave them our position and asked to be towed back to Carrabelle. They still could not reach us on the radio and all communications were by cell phone. In the meantime, the other boats were still standing by and over an hour had passed since we stopped. They needed to get going if they want to make the river and the marina by nightfall. Once we knew TowBoat was on the way, we asked them to get moving and not wait for us. They reluctantly agreed and we watched them disappear over the horizon. The skies were crystal clear, the Gulf was as smooth as we have ever seen it, and here we sat, dead in the water. It would be another hour before the TowBoat would reach us.<br />
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Once they arrived on scene, we rigged up a towing bridle off our bow and took on their tow line. The captain was very professional and did a fine job of towing <i>Beach House</i> the four hours back to the marina in Carrabelle. By the afternoon, the sea breeze had picked up, but for the most part, it was a very comfortable trip back. We called ahead to the marina, explained that we were being towed back and needed a slip that would be easy to get us into. Once <i>Beach House</i> arrived, we were pulled over to the fuel dock and a group of marina staff and other boaters were there to catch us and get the boat secured. Once at the fuel dock, we used our dock lines to spring the boat around by hand into the slip next to the fuel dock. It all went very well, at least as well as can be expected under the circumstances. Now we had to find a mechanic that was capable of resolving this for us. The biggest concern was the engine not turning over. It was a safe bet that this was caused by being hydrolocked, which meant there was water in the cylinders. Leaving the engine sit for any period of time would cause further damage.<br />
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Across the Carrabelle River is Dockside Marina, and several people in the area recommended the mechanic there. Everyone had excellent things to say about him, and after a call that afternoon, he promised to be at the boat in the morning to check things out. The next day Eric showed up as promised and immediately began the process of flushing the water out of the cylinders. It appeared that every cylinder had water intrusion. It took a few hours to get the water out, get the engine turning over and get lubrication in the cylinders to keep the cylinder walls and rings from rusting and causing more problems. Once that was done, we felt only a little better and the mechanic was to return the next day to start pulling the engine apart. We had both pretty much agreed that the head gasket was the issue and would need replacing. The big question would be, was there any damage to the head itself or the engine block? The next day repairs began in earnest.Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-37664781645277016172014-12-14T19:30:00.000-05:002016-03-11T12:15:04.339-05:00Boardings On The Water. What Are My Rights?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Keep in mind that we are not attorneys nor do we have any expertise in the laws regarding these actions. Every Skipper must make their own decsions when they find themselves in a boarding situation. The following are only our thoughts and opinions. Boardings by law enforcement officers on the water have always been a touchy subject for many boaters. It’s often heard that such actions are considered anywhere from a minor inconvenience to a violation of our Constitutional rights. The truth and reality lies somewhere in between. There are still many misconceptions and misinformation in the boating community as to what can and can’t be done when you hear the dreaded command, “prepare to be boarded.” What are our options? Can we refuse? Are our rights being violated? The answers are simple yet complicated and may not be what many want to hear or to believe. <br />
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<span id="goog_851917589"></span><span id="goog_851917590"></span><span id="goog_851917591"></span><span id="goog_851917592"></span>First, we must make the distinction between the U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement. The U.S. Coast Guard has absolute authority to board any U.S. vessel, anywhere in the world and any vessel from any country in U.S. waters. THEY DO NOT NEED A WARRANT OR PROBABLE CAUSE. Furthermore, they have the authority, based on many treaties, to board vessels of other countries in international waters or within the territories of the members of the treaties. That authority has been upheld over time and is currently in affect under 14 U.S. Code § 89, and included in 14 USC 141. 14 USC 141 allows the Coast Guard to assist other agencies and allows other agencies to assist the Coast Guard. This authority has not been extended to local law enforcement or even other Federal law enforcement agencies by Congress, unless working in conjunction with the Coast Guard or Customs in a specific operation. But many states have passed their own laws allowing any law enforcement officer to board any vessel in their state for the purpose of determining the safety of the vessels and proper registration. In many cases, this allows them to also search a vessel, if necessary, to perform that duty. <br />
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In almost every incident we have been involved in or had reported to us, the Coast Guard crew has been courteous and professional. You may be asked to stop your boat and stand by, or they may ask you to maintain course and speed. You don’t ever want to argue or refuse. At that point, you could be suspected of smuggling or any number of issues, and the Coast Guard has some really big guns aboard their vessels. Suddenly, a simple safety check can escalate into something much more severe. If the Coast Guard boards at night, they will often approach with no lights on their vessel at all. If approached at night by an unlit vessel, it’s best to call on the VHF and ask “unlit vessel located at Lat 00.00.00 and Long 00.00.00, please identify yourself.” If this is indeed the Coast Guard, they will respond. Once again, be sure to follow their instructions. If you aren’t sure what they want you to do, ask for clarification. Be sure to let them know if you have firearms aboard and where they are located. If you have nothing to hide, you will have no problems.<br />
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Stops and boardings from local law enforcement, or even Federal Law Enforcement other than Coast Guard or Customs, should follow the same routine. Here is where there can be much confusion and where many of these discussions turn to the legality of these boardings. Our advice is, you are dealing with a law enforcement officer that is carrying a weapon, probably wearing a bullet-proof vest and driving a boat that you can’t outrun. If he wants to come aboard our boat, he can with no argument from us. Our feelings are, let him board and we can sort out the legality of it later, if necessary, when things are less tense and less perilous. These officers believe they have the legal right to stop and board your vessel without a warrant and without probable cause, and nothing you can say over the VHF is going to change their minds. So it’s best to just comply, and if you have an issue, deal with it through the proper channels away from the boat. But the question still remains, is this legal? Yes and no. In many states, including Florida, where the issue seems to crop up the most, state courts have upheld the rights of state and local law enforcement to board a vessel to determine the safety of the vessel and that the registration and ownership is proper. As of March 2016, a new state law may now require Florida law enforcement to have probable cause to randomly stop and inspect vessels without probable cause. Other states have found this to be illegal. The state courts in Michigan found these stops to be illegal, and Michigan quickly crafted legislation requiring local law enforcement to have probable cause to stop vessels. Ohio followed suit and Arkansas found it unconstitutional in Arkansas v. Robert M. Allen. Once again, we are stuck with a hodgepodge of laws and regulations from state to state. If boaters wants to spend their time studying case law for each state they enter on their boat, you MIGHT be able to argue the legalities. To confuse things even more, some states have said the local law enforcement has the right to stop a vessel, but must do the safety and registration check from the rail. <br />
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The bottom line is this, in our opinion. When stopped by the U.S. Coast Guard or U.S Customs, you have no rights. You must comply fully. When stopped by local law enforcement, it’s a foolish move to try and argue law with a man with a gun and a badge. It’s just as foolish to base any reactions to this situation on “internet lawyers” that will say you have rights and should refuse any such boardings. This could very well turn a routine and short safety inspection into a long, drawn out and very uncomfortable incident, or worse. If you disagree with these policies, get out the checkbook, hire a good lawyer and be prepared to fight your case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Not on the water. All of us in the boating community will be very grateful to you. On the water, it has to be, “Yes sir. Welcome aboard. What would you like to see first?”Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-72926078748904456372014-12-07T15:36:00.002-05:002014-12-07T15:36:58.662-05:00The Best Laid Plans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After 10 days in Apalachicola and a great <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2014/11/thanksgiving-boater-style.html" target="_blank">Thanksgiving celebration</a> with all of the other boaters, the break we had all been waiting for finally came. The gale force winds in the Gulf subsided, the waves returned to manageable levels, the rain stopped and the sun finally came back. On Friday morning there was a mass exodus as the parade of vessels made their way under the highrise bridge and out into St. George Sound. The faster boats quickly disappeared on the horizon and the more conservative boats stayed in the marked channel, avoiding any shortcuts. <i>Beach House</i> has never been known for rigidly following every channel unless there is no other choice. While some boats added miles by transiting all the way out the Apalachicola approach channel, we turned off and headed across the Bay, shaving several miles off the day's run. If there is enough depth for our draft, we will take any shortcut available.<br />
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The destinations for most of the fleet were pretty much the same. A very few were heading to Carrabelle, but most planned to anchor behind Dog Island and exit at East Pass later in the day for an overnight transit to Tarpon Springs and Dunedin. <i>Beach House</i> and four other boats headed to Alligator Harbor for the night with a dawn exit planned for a daytime run to the Steinhatchee River. The distance from Alligator Harbor is 10 miles shorter than from East Pass. By early afternoon, we were all settled in at anchor, and after dinner and a relaxing evening, the fleet was anxious to get underway at first light. The winds dropped off to calm conditions and the seas were perfectly smooth as the sun set in the west. So far, things were looking good. But we may have been a little overly optimistic.<br />
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The forecast for Saturday was for east to northeast winds at five to 10. The crew was up at 5:30 a.m. waiting for first light near 7:00 a.m. The first clue should have been the increase in winds overnight. Our calm conditions were 10 to 12 by the time the sun came up. Still not too bad, so we had breakfast, secured the boat and hauled the anchor as soon as the sun peaked out from the east. The other four boats also prepared to get underway, and <i>Beach House</i> led the way out of Alligator Harbor and toward the open Gulf. As we approached South Shoal, it became more and more apparent that once again we had been led astray by the NWS forecast. The forecast five to 10 winds were quickly reaching the 15-knot range. We were greeted with 3- to 4-foot seas instead of the forecast 1 to 2 feet, and wind and seas were directly on our bow. By the time we were 20 minutes out, waves were breaking over the bow every few seconds and the front windows were covered with saltwater. These were not the conditions we expected and not what we wanted to pound into for hours. As soon as we returned to more protected waters, the seas quieted down.<br />
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The crew has no qualms about turning around if we decide we're not having fun. That's what this is all about and we had no place we had to be and no time to be there. We let the boats behind us know that we planned to turn around so they wouldn't be surprised, and <i>Beach House</i> did a 180. The other boats decided to press on. More power to them, and since some were much larger than we are, they could handle the seas a little more comfortably. Since we had left Apalachicola and bypassed Carrabelle, the plan was to head to C-Quarters Marina and wait until a new weather window opened for us. Carrabelle is about two and a half hours for us from Alligator Harbor. The river up to Carrabelle is deep, but the currents can be strong. This presents a problem when trying to dock in the slips at the marina. C-Quarters is a quaint, friendly place, but the docks were built long ago and not for larger pleasure craft. Most of their slips have very short finger piers that make getting off the boat from the bow very difficult if backing into the slip in the wind and current isn't possible. Fortunately, the current was light and <i>Beach House </i>was able to back into the slip on our single engine without bow thrusters.<br />
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Many boaters claim there isn't much of anything to do in <a href="http://carrabelle.org/" target="_blank">Carrabelle</a> and as a result, pass it by. We find there is plenty to do and everything we might need is close by and within easy walking distance. The IGA grocery is practically across the street from the marina as is the Ace Hardware and Auto Parts. The Post Office is a little more than a block away and there are several shops in the immediate area. One we especially like, the ice cream shop, also sells coffee and sandwiches. Everyone's favorite restaurant is the Fisherman's Wife. They have their own shrimp boat, making the shrimp and seafood fresh and tasty. The portions are so large we have begun to share a meal instead of each getting our own. You still never come away hungry. There are a couple of local pubs and the town has a launch ramp, town dock and fishing pier. The deck facing the water at C-Quarters is a popular meeting place in the afternoon for locals and boaters alike, to enjoy cocktails and sunsets and tell some tall tales. What's not to like?<br />
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It was another week before the next weather window presented itself. This one looked like an excellent opportunity for us to try to cross over to Steinhatchee. Once again, we set out on a Friday afternoon for Alligator Harbor with plans to leave early Saturday morning and arrive in Steinhatchee mid to late afternoon. <i>Beach House</i> returned to our previous anchorage just before the sun was setting. The evening was typical and the next day's course and schedule was discussed. Once again, we were amazed at just how little all of our planning could mean in the grand scheme of things. The winds were up as we finally went to bed for the evening, but by morning they had turned light and the harbor had little more than small wavelets. It was shaping up to be all we had hoped for. At 6:00 a.m., the generator was started so that the coffeepot could be fired up and breakfast prepared. A moment after starting, the generator abruptly shut itself down.<br />
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Climbing down into the engine room, a surprise was waiting. Since it was a short run over from Carrabelle, the engine fluids were not checked until morning. With the generator issue, once in the engine room, it was obvious that we also had an overheating problem with the main engine. There was coolant all over the front area of the engine where the coolant overflow tank had filled and then overflowed. This can only happen if the engine overheats. The engine temperature gauges had shown no signs of overheating and the engine alarms had not gone off. After a brief clean up and about an hour of troubleshooting, the generator was finally working. But the overheating issue had to be addressed. Checking the coolant level showed much of it had been expelled from the coolant tank, so additional water was added. While having coffee and breakfast, we let the engine run until it came up to temperature. Running it longer showed no signs of overheating, but we were not prepared to head off into the Gulf of Mexico with a potential engine problem. It was like someone was telling us that today would not be the day.<br />
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By 8:00 a.m., a thick fog had settled in and visibility was becoming less and less. It became very apparent that today would not be our crossing day. The anchor was raised and <i>Beach House</i> turned back toward <a href="http://carrabelle.org/" target="_blank">Carrabelle</a>. If the engine overheated on the way back, we knew BoatUS Towing was in Carrabelle and we have a membership with their towing service. The fog began to thicken as we once again transited the sound and visibility was soon down to less than a quarter mile. Using radar and our previous tracks on our chartplotter, the trip back to Carrabelle was uneventful. Once we entered the approach channel to the river and harbor, we announced our presence and position on the VHF. Soon <i>Beach House</i> was once again secure in the same slip that had been assigned to us for the last week. The real conundrum was that during the entire trip back, the engine showed no signs of overheating and coolant levels remained the same. The next few days will be spent checking the entire fresh water system for possible issues. Then we'll try again when the next weather window rolls around.<br />
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<b>Visit of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheGreatBookOfAnchorages" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a> for lots of great photos, the latest boating news, navigation updates and just fun stuff.</b>Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-81265693102240628042014-11-27T18:44:00.001-05:002014-11-28T08:16:29.930-05:00Thanksgiving, Boater Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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About the only negative of our lifestyle, living on our boat and the freedom to travel wherever we want, is that occasionally we're away from our family on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Such was the case this Thanksgiving. We have been sitting at the dock in Apalachicola, Florida for almost two weeks waiting for the right weather window to cross the Gulf of Mexico and the Big Bend region of Florida. We had hoped to be farther along and be able to spend this holiday with family. It was not to be, but just because we aren't able to spend the time with our first family, doesn't mean we can't enjoy the holiday with our boating family. For this Thanksgiving, the traditional dinner turned out to be a rather large gathering.<br />
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We have been members of <a href="https://greatlooptwo.bondwaresite.com/index.php" target="_blank">AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association)</a> for some time. The Association is a great resource for anyone planning to do the Great Loop. It's also a great resource to meet some wonderful people. In the fall, most Loopers are heading down the inland river systems from the Great Lakes, across the Florida Panhandle, to the Florida west coast and beyond. To many, crossing the Gulf from the Apalachicola/Carrabelle area to Tarpon Springs or Clearwater can be daunting. The Gulf is famous for very uncomfortable conditions in anything but settled weather in our slow trawlers. From Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs usually means a 22- to 24-hour run, much of it done overnight, arriving in Tarpon Springs in the late morning to avoid getting propellers tangled in the many commercial trap floats. So there's always a certain amount of anxiety.<br />
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This fall has not been a particularly favorable one weather-wise for boats doing the crossing. Forget the unseasonable cold; the winds have been howling to gale force, we have had 6 inches of rain the last few days and the 11-foot seas have kept everyone in port. Those coming from the west along the Panhandle are in protected waters until they reach Apalachicola. That's where it gets tricky. So a bottleneck of sorts has formed here and the boats are beginning to fill the few available slips. It was apparent last week that things were not going to change soon and we would all still be here for Thanksgiving. Like all boaters do, plans began to take shape for a traditional Thanksgiving for our boating family. When planning began, it looked like we would have about a dozen crew members from the few boats that had arrived.<br />
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By the day before Thanksgiving, the boat numbers had increased to 11 and the dinner guests had increased to 26. Ordinarily we would plan a potluck, someone would cook a turkey, and everyone else would bring a dish to share and their own drinks. A potluck can be held on the beach, any available deck and sometimes marinas provide a room. But the docks here are too small, there were no available rooms, it was too cold for a beach and 26 people was a pretty good crowd. The next best plan eventually took shape. Arrangements were made at one of the local restaurants that would be open and providing Thanksgiving dinner. We all gathered at the restaurant about 1:30 p.m. for drinks, hors d'oeuvres and salads. Dinner was served around 3:30 p.m. and everyone had a good time eating and socializing. The celebration went on until almost 5:00 p.m. when everyone headed back to their boats to prepare for what we all hoped would be the beginning of our crossing the next day. Stay tuned and we'll let you know how that worked out.<br />
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<br />Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-11659088094825282112014-11-20T19:48:00.001-05:002014-11-20T19:48:22.438-05:00A Chilly Florida<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whoda thunkit. Here we sit in Apalachicola, Florida, waking up to temps in the 30s and overnight freeze warnings. The winds have been howling out on the Gulf of Mexico and the seas have been way up, keeping us sitting at the dock for over a week. It only seems like a few days since we left Demopolis, Alabama and retraced our steps back to the Gulf Coast. The reality is that it has been 18 days and we have only covered 465 miles. Under normal circumstances, we could easily do twice that many miles in the same amount of time. To get where we are today required us to transit two locks, visit nine anchorages and free town docks, spend three nights at a marina in Alabama, one night at a friend's dock in Panama City, three nights waiting for weather at the docks at White City and spending a week here in Apalachicola. And it looks like we may be here for another week.<br />
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Beach House and crew departed Demopolis, Alabama with six other boats on a cool 41 degree sunny morning. We easily locked through the Demopolis Lock (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1kfol19v0E" target="_blank">see our YouTube Video on transiting the lock here</a>.) and began our return trip down the Tombigbee Waterway. The plan was to try a few different anchorage than the ones we used on the way north. Once out of the lock, the faster boats quickly put us in the rear view mirror. Slower boats dropped behind and a few that traveled at our same speed stayed withing VHF hailing distance. During the day, we passed five large northbound tows before reaching our anchorage for the night at Bashi Creek. A power cat that had passed us earlier in the day was already anchored in the creek, and because it's so narrow, we slowly eased by them and anchored a little farther in. To keep <i>Beach House</i> in the center during the night, we used the dinghy anchor off the stern. We still found ourselves under the overhanging tree limbs in the morning, but the creek is deep right up to the banks.<br />
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The next morning began with a slight fog in the creek. Once we got out on the river, the fog thickened and surrounded us in a ghostly grey cloud that left us with almost zero visibility. In the fall, fog on the river in the morning is almost a given and must be planned for. Since we were already on the river and underway, it didn't make sense to try and go back into the anchorage. The radar unit fired up to help us look ahead, and every 15 minutes or so we announced our position over the VHF and ask for any other traffic in the area. The large tows were our biggest concern, but we also know they were smarter than us and would not be underway. Fortunately, we were the only boat on the river, and very quickly, the sun burned off the fog and shined brightly. By 9:30 a.m., we arrived at the Coffeeville Lock, and after a short wait, locked through with one other boat, the power cat we had anchored with the night before. After the lock, we passed two northbound tows and just before sundown, we dropped the hook in 3 Rivers Lake with two other boats. The lake is a beautiful and well-protected anchorage, and once the sun had set and the moon rose, we settled in to a quiet evening.<br />
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The next day was overcast and cool but no fog. This would be a long day with our plan to finish up at the marina in Fairhope, Alabama. A weather front with high winds was on the way and we wanted to be tied to a dock. We also wanted to visit Fairhope since we missed it on the way north. The anchor was up at 06:00 a.m. and at 3:30 p.m., <i>Beach House</i> was at the docks at Eastern Marine Services. The fuel tanks were topped off and we settled into a slip for the next few days. The not so great part was that once the winds picked up and Mobile Bay began to get rough, swells worked their way into the marina and every boat was rocking and rolling in the slips. It turned out to be very uncomfortable and a little scary. We tended the dock lines all night and a catamaran in the slip next to us suffered some serious damage pounding into the pilings. It fit in the slip so tightly there was no way to keep it off the pilings. <i>Beach House</i> survived the night and by the next afternoon, things had quieted down considerably. We enjoyed our visit to the town of Fairhope, and other than the uncomfortable night, we were glad we made the stop.<br />
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After Fairhope, <i>Beach House</i> continued along the Gulf Coast, anchoring in Roberts Bayou, stopping again at the free town docks in Ft. Walton Beach, anchoring in Burnt Mill Creek, and visiting friends at their dock in Watson Bayou. From Watson Bayou, our next stop was the free docks at White City. Another weather front was on the way and White City is an excellent place to wait out weather. The basin and docks are very well-protected so we saw very little wind, but oh, it was cold. There is no power at the docks so the generator ran a lot to keep the boat toasty inside. Shutting it down for the night, the boat cooled off quickly, and in the morning, temps inside the boat were in the upper 40s. The morning began with firing up the genny, turning on the heat and climbing back under the covers until it warmed up. Then we could get up and turn on the coffee pot and have breakfast. During the day, when things warmed up a bit, we could walk to the nearby convenience store or take a walk around the local neighborhood. After three days, it was time to move on to Appalachicola.<br />
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That's where we find ourselves now. On our first day in Apalachicola, we wanted to be tied to a dock with the impending bad weather on the way. Our first night was at Scipio Creek Marina, but the marina has fallen on hard times. Given what they charge for transient rates and the fact that once we decided to stay a week, they were unwilling to credit our first night stay toward the weekly charge, we decided to move into the slips at Water Street Hotel and Marina. The marina has floating docks, good power and water, clean, modern restrooms and showers and is closer to the center of town. And this is where we plan to stay until the weather settles down, maybe in about another week. There are worse places we could be stuck for a while. Several other cruisers are also here waiting for the weather to break so we won't be lonesome. Apalachicola has a lot to offer. More on that later.Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-58160050865299909892014-10-27T17:09:00.000-04:002018-02-15T17:02:27.041-05:00Part 2 - Anchoring in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway – Cape Sable, FL to Mobile, AL<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qBEOz-ZmTA4_OVsJoH8F8rc7ZbpdaLVOdKl5klXSKgMkfnquEoiSDV8WXzquUNFZ9Bs47zkliBP1-7ZHgrMckotT1Mo13GeqEdef5yt2iAiQhSGmmQHYNHIiLsQRDDbwK-Q7kNinrjY/s1600/DSC08147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qBEOz-ZmTA4_OVsJoH8F8rc7ZbpdaLVOdKl5klXSKgMkfnquEoiSDV8WXzquUNFZ9Bs47zkliBP1-7ZHgrMckotT1Mo13GeqEdef5yt2iAiQhSGmmQHYNHIiLsQRDDbwK-Q7kNinrjY/s1600/DSC08147.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Taken from <a href="http://www.richardsonscharts.com/category/great-book-of-anchorages/">The Great Book Of Anchorages, Cape Sable, Fl to Mobile, Al, including the Okeechobee Waterway</a>..</b><br />
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<b>The Big Bend–Crystal River to Carrabelle (Mile 46 to Mile 164)</b><br />
Many boats, especially those with deeper drafts, use Anclote Key as their jump off or arrival point from the Carrabelle area. Even we used to be under the impression that the Big Bend region was only for shoal-draft boats, but it really isn’t. The main thing you have to contend with is the distances in from deeper water to the river entrances, usually about 10 miles. Then add another 10 miles or so to the anchorages.<br />
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About 46 miles north of Anclote Key is the Crystal River, your first stop on the Big Bend route heading north. Yes, there is a 5-foot bar near the river entrance, but on a rising tide, even vessels drawing 6 feet can enter and travel upriver. The river itself is deep and once in Kings Bay, you can find a spot with enough water to drop the hook. A grocery store, laundry and marine supplies are all close by. Next, a short distance north, is the Florida Barge Canal. There are no depth issues here, with 7 feet at MLW being about the lowest you will see out in the Gulf and a consistent 10-14 feet in the canal itself. It’s a protected spot next to a park where you can walk, bike or hike and just a little over a mile to provisions to the north.<br />
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Making a short trip out, then northeast into the Withlacoochee River, you will not see anything less than 7 feet. The Withlacoochee is absolutely beautiful. Plan on stopping here to wait out a weather system or simply to rest and relax. It is truly “Old Florida” at its finest. After coming out of the Withlacoochee, head west about 10 miles toward Seahorse Reef, then north into the Main Ship Channel to visit quaint Cedar Key. Anchor either by Seahorse Key or near town, depending on the wind direction. You’ll need to come out the same way you entered, however, as the Northwest Channel has shoaled to the point where it is not recommended by locals to use.<br />
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With at least 7-foot depths over the northern portion of Seahorse Reef, you can easily cross over and continue on your way to the Steinhatchee River, a reasonably comfortable day’s journey. You will find 6-foot areas in the entrance channel so a rising tide is recommended for deeper draft vessels, but those areas are few and far between, so don’t let that stop you from visiting this quiet little fishing village. The river offers a number of anchoring options. all within a short dinghy ride to shore. Then walk to grocery or hardware stores.<br />
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The next leg of the Big Bend takes one to the St. Marks River. With the exception of a brief period of 8-foot depths at a bend in the lower section of the river just north of the lighthouse, the rest of the river is quite deep. A number of anchoring options present themselves here as well. Restaurants, a small grocery and marine supplies are available.<br />
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A relatively short trip will carry you down Apalachee Bay, around South Shoal and then into Alligator Harbor to anchor at Peninsula Point. With 7-foot depths in the approach channel, this too is a viable option for most cruising vessels and a pretty stop for the night behind a lengthy sand bar. One more short hop west takes one to Carrabelle, the end of the Big Bend and the beginning of the East of Harvey Lock portion of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The little town of Carrabelle is a great spot to provision, dine and just to visit in general. It’s a friendly place with anchorage in the protected harbor. But don’t forget to visit the beautiful anchorages behind Dog Island. These anchorages are open to the north, but are protected from the prevailing afternoon sea breezes. Do not miss this lovely island.<br />
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<b>GIWW EHL FL–Carrabelle Beach to Perdido Key State Park, FL (Mile 378 to Mile 170)</b><br />
If you don’t need to come into town or want an easy start in the morning, anchor off Carrabelle Beach, located down the river and around to the west. This is also your starting point for this stretch. Continuing southwest along St. Georges Island, one finds another group of beautiful anchorages, some more protected than others. Rattlesnake Cove is a cozy spot for shoal-draft vessels. Gap Pt. to the east has better depths. All of these anchorages, however, share one thing–they are open to north winds blowing across the sound from the mainland, but are great in prevailing winds.<br />
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At the southwestern end of the sound, a turn to the north finds one in Apalachicola. This super little town continues to try to find ways to lure the cruiser to visit. They have free docks just to the north of the fixed high-rise bridge as well as a long wharf along the waterfront to which one can tie during the day. If you prefer to anchor, it’s a short ride across to the floating dinghy dock at the wharf in the mouth of Scipio Creek. The next section of the GIWW takes you away from the beach and into beautiful, protected forest and swamp. The Pinhook or Saul and Searcy creeks are well-protected options within the next 15 miles. Then one arrives at White City, a public park belonging to the county, which has a floating dock along the canal for deeper-draft boats or fixed docks for boats that draft less than 6 feet in the basin.<br />
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A little more than a mile northwest in the GIWW, the Gulf County Canal heads southwest to Pt. St. Joe and St. Joseph Bay. The significance of this 5-mile-long canal that accesses the Gulf is that if you cannot clear the 50-foot Dupont Bridge, some 33 miles northwest near Panama City, you must go offshore here and come in via the inlet into St. Andrew Bay to visit Panama City. You’ll not be very happy to cover all of those miles to find you need to turn around and go back out at St. Joe Bay! The good news is there are some great anchorages in St. Joseph Bay, which we’ve included, and it’s only a day run to Panama City along the coast. Anchor near Port St. Joe and walk to provisions or the nice downtown area shops and restaurants, and then visit the great beach anchorages on St. Joe Peninsula. The bad news is you’ll miss some cool anchorages in the GIWW.<br />
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Back on the GIWW from Gulf County Canal to the Dupont Bridge, there is a 20-mile stretch of waterway with only one viable anchorage, Wetapoo Creek, and then the waterway opens into East Bay with its many bayous to choose from. Some are good for overnights where others are good for sitting out bad weather. Although they each have some sort of shore access for your pet, you’ll have to wait to reach Panama City for any provisioning. Once through the Dupont Bridge at SM 295.5, the very protected Pearl Bayou opens to the southwest. Even sailboats with tall masts will be able to visit here by coming through the deep inlet into St. Andrew Bay. The bayous on the north side between here and SM 290 will provide boaters an opportunity to access provisions while the bayous on the south side, like Smack Bayou, will be primarily for holing up for weather or getting away from it all. Watson Bayou to the north is one of our favorites.<br />
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St. Andrew Bay gives folks another opportunity to get their beach fix with some great anchorages behind Shell Island and in Grand Lagoon, both part of St. Andrews State Park. The downside of these anchorages is that there is a lot of local boat traffic throwing wakes. They are also very busy during the summer and on weekends. Also, be aware that dogs are not allowed on state park beaches in Florida. The St. Andrew Bay/Panama City area is another spot where tall-masted vessels will be able to visit, but can only travel so far without turning around and going back out the inlet. We’ve already covered the restriction of the Dupont Bridge to the east. To the west, your next height restriction doesn’t come for a long time, but again, it will ruin your day(s) to find you have to turn around and travel many miles to get back out into the Gulf. Though over 60 miles away, you may be restricted by the 50-foot Brooks Bridge just west of SM 225 in Ft. Walton Beach and the 49-foot bridge at Destin, leading from Choctawhatchee Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. If your mast can’t clear these bridges, you’ll have to run from St. Andrew Bay to Pensacola offshore, a distance of about 90 miles that we’ve done in an overnight run.<br />
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If you can run the inside route from Panama City, you’ll have a couple of nice, peaceful options to anchor for the night before making the 20 mile or so trek through the land cut sometimes known as the “Grand Canyon” for it’s unusual sand and rock formations. In North Bay there’s Upper Goose Bayou for east winds, and in West Bay, Harrison Bayou for west winds and Burnt Mill Creek for north winds. At the west end of the canal, you’ll be in Choctawatchee Bay. Pick an anchorage there based on wind direction if you are ready to stop for the day–just outside of the canal for east winds or either end of the 65-foot bridge for north or south winds. If you feel like continuing on, your next option is going to be another 8 miles beyond the bridge on the south side of the bay in Hogtown Bayou; another beautiful, quiet spot with little traffic. Beyond here it’s another 10 miles to any reasonably protected anchorage short of just pulling off to the side of the bay in the mouth of a shallow bayou or cove. Because they offer little to no protection, we have not included them here, but there are options. After passing under the 64-foot bridge that runs from White Pt. to Moreno Pt., head north into Rocky or Boggy bayous for some great anchorages or south into Joes Bayou at SM 230 and back into the very protected basin in the southeast corner. You’ll have a lot more traffic in the latter than the former.<br />
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A few miles farther on brings you to Destin. If you can clear the 49-foot bridge, you can enter Destin Harbor or access the GIWW from the Gulf. It is incredibly busy in this area on weekends and during the summer, but if you’d like, take care with the constant shoaling and current turning in here, then anchor wherever depth and space allows outside the marked channel in the harbor. Boats also anchor before the bridge in Cinco Bayou to the northwest of Destin. Cinco and Garnier bayou’s inner recesses are only accessible by vessels that can clear the 19-foot bridges that cross their entrances, leaving them out for most cruising boats. At the west end of Choctawhatchee Bay is the 50-foot Brooks Bridge and the entrance to The Narrows. The Ft. Walton Beach Free Dock is just west of the bridge to the north. This is a great provisioning stop as a major grocery store is just blocks away to the northeast, but be careful crossing this busy road. There is no power on the dock, but pump-out and water are available on the dock, and trash cans, recycle bins and restrooms are located in the park. You will be bothered by wakes here so fender well.<br />
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The next 10 miles of Santa Rosa Island is in a restricted area occupied by the military so if you anchor along this stretch, land on the mainland side if needed. Navarre Causeway is another easy access point to shopping with a grocery store right across the street from the anchorage by the bridge. For the next 10-15 miles between the bridges, you can pull off toward Santa Rosa Island just about anywhere you’d like with plenty of depth, but for a specific anchorage, we recommend Big Sabine Pt. for the best protection. It is only open to the northeast, and even then, the shoals break up any chop. If you need more protection, Little Sabine Bay about 6 miles west offers 360° protection. After passing English Navy Cove to the north, another great anchorage for frontal passages, you will enter Pensacola Bay. Here, you can either continue west in the GIWW where it enters the land cut just north of Fort McRee, or head north to Pensacola, a city rich in military history. The free day dock downtown gives you access to the city’s restaurants and museums, then anchor for the evening across the bay in Old Navy Cove, or around and into Bayou Chico if more protection is needed.<br />
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Back in the GIWW, those of you who had to run offshore due to bridge heights will be able to re-enter here and pick up the waterway at Big Lagoon. If you want to anchor at Ft. McRee, make sure you only attempt entry from the west side as the east side near the inlet is shoal. There is plenty of water between the visible shoals on the west side to enter and anchor. Redfish Pt., a mile or so away, is a favorite amongst cruisers, but one of our favorite spots is farther down Perdido Key near Big Lagoon State Park. We anchor on either side depending on weather. It’s great to anchor, dinghy ashore, then walk across the dune to the Gulf beach. Again, the beaches are the highlight of Gulf cruising for us.<br />
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<b>GIWW EHL AL–Orange Beach to Dog River, AL (Mile 167 to Mile 133.5)</b><br />
The line between Florida and Alabama is a bit murky. Perdido Key is in Florida, but Ono Key is in Alabama. The 1st anchorage is on the way to Orange Beach, the spot between Ono and Perdido keys near the bridge–a good stop for the night. You’ll have Florida on one side and Alabama on the other. Our 2nd anchorage in Alabama is in Terry Cove, Orange Beach. It’s a 5-mile trek off of the GIWW to get there and it’s also a very busy place. Just north of the GIWW, Spring Branch and Palmetto Creek in Perdido Bay provide beautiful, sheltered anchorages for those who draw 5 feet or less. Continuing west is the gorgeous, protected Roberts Bayou, with good eats and drink at the restaurant or the Arnica Bay anchorage next to a marina and restaurant, but exposed to wakes. Ingrams Bayou, another lovely, protected spot, is just around the corner to the north.<br />
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Anchor off the north side of Orange Beach for easy access to convenience stores and other services, or head up into Wolf Bay for quiet, pretty anchorages. These will be your last opportunities to anchor until you reach Bon Secour Bay, some 10 miles west. Upon exiting the land cut, the Bon Secour River entrance will be immediately to your north. These will be the last protected anchorages you will have until the Dog River northwest in Mobile Bay. Bon Secour provides a couple of adequate anchorages. Edith Hammock on the peninsula is a good spot for south winds, or head north some 20 miles to the Dog River in Mobile. Once beyond the marinas and restaurants, head west to anchor around the bend. This ends the coverage of anchorages from Cable Sable to Mobile.Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-67291260864966336722014-10-04T14:44:00.001-04:002018-02-15T17:03:47.524-05:00Part 1 - Anchoring in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway – Cape Sable, FL to Mobile, AL<b>Taken from <a href="http://www.richardsonscharts.com/category/great-book-of-anchorages/" target="_blank">The Great Book Of Anchorages, Cape Sable, Fl to Mobile, Al, including the Okeechobee Waterway</a>...</b><br />
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A very different kind of cruising awaits the boater traveling on the Gulf Coast. For starters, there is no one system for keeping track of the mileage for the various legs of the journey. Each section, the Southwest Florida Coast, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), the Big Bend and the GIWW East of Harvey Lock (EHL–the distance east of Harvey Lock in New Orleans), has their own method–the Statute Mile is given in two of the sections and the other two use distances between waypoints/markers, leaving you to calculate the miles (which we have done for you). The biggest difference for us on the Gulf Coast is the beaches. With a few exceptions, you are generally traveling right along the coast, either just inside barrier islands or hopping from one island or river entrance to the next. And what could be more wonderful than always being close to the beach?<br />
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We begin coverage of <a href="http://www.richardsonscharts.com/category/great-book-of-anchorages/" target="_blank">Gulf Coast anchorages</a> in Cape Sable, FL mainly because the major guide books and chart kits do this as well and you will be using them together. Although some of you will be Loopers using the book, you’ll simply need to work your way from back to front.<br />
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<b>Southwest Florida Coast – Cape Sable to Sanibel (Mile 114 to Mile 4)</b> East and Middle Cape Sable will be your first possible stops on your way north from Moser Channel, if you came by way of Marathon in the Middle Keys. They are pretty much open roadsteads so will only be an option in settled weather or in winds from the east. Your next best bet for more protection is the Little Shark River, some 17 miles north. Some folks use the Little Shark as a hurricane hole, as one can travel many miles with good depths. Next north are the anchorages in Russell Pass at Indian Key– beautiful and protected–or the great beach anchorage on Panther Key’s west side.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QIYVQrLk2vOJl4D220B-gnT88yzzOvwDROlly8R-Hr5vZ8_MD3mRJIdgL81hF5wTE1a1bXPqiAzGhLkTptDSY_1qHXjtgGat4lwigj_ytySFYI13OCBadtpdWVjMeAsWu3vTkGiSixM/s1600/Smokehouse+Bay.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QIYVQrLk2vOJl4D220B-gnT88yzzOvwDROlly8R-Hr5vZ8_MD3mRJIdgL81hF5wTE1a1bXPqiAzGhLkTptDSY_1qHXjtgGat4lwigj_ytySFYI13OCBadtpdWVjMeAsWu3vTkGiSixM/s1600/Smokehouse+Bay.jpg" width="320" /></a>Some of you will be able to take the inside route north to reach the Marco Island area, if you draw 4-5 feet and can pass under the 55-foot bridge. If so, you have a few more anchorages available to you. In Gullivan Bay, take Coon Key Pass into the well-marked channel that runs through Goodland, then west under the 55-foot bridge connecting Marco to the mainland. There are some good spots to drop the hook in and around Goodland, then a few more in Factory and Smokehouse bays in Marco. If your draft will not allow you to take the inside route, you’ll need to take the long trek out and around Cape Romano, then back into Capri Pass to access these last few.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmG48Kcs44ouNwJIBu5aWEaUxzrgdcAGl7x2-AtBXYOzeeDlzH55ZeM_HWlotOd_yviL2h_qua74D3pSI7VScFG3Nr0WIRBsDYyCnihwS5rAGbrzOdafJsc74fIx2bECg8Z3I-JjpM8g/s1600/DSC07234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmG48Kcs44ouNwJIBu5aWEaUxzrgdcAGl7x2-AtBXYOzeeDlzH55ZeM_HWlotOd_yviL2h_qua74D3pSI7VScFG3Nr0WIRBsDYyCnihwS5rAGbrzOdafJsc74fIx2bECg8Z3I-JjpM8g/s1600/DSC07234.jpg" width="320" /></a>Not many boats can safely travel the shallow waters between Marco and Naples on the inside (the Old ICW), so most of you will have to head back out into the Gulf for the short trip to Naples. For very shallow-draft vessels, however, there a couple of cool spots near and behind the barrier island of Keewadin. Naples offers some anchoring choices relatively near their well-appointed town–a couple close to the Gordon Pass entrance and the other near Doctors Pass. Next heading north will be the Ft. Myers Beach area. A mooring field blankets much of the harbor, but you can still find a spot to anchor among the permanents boats farther down the harbor. There is also a good overnight spot outside in San Carlos Bay. Or, try anchoring in the lee of Sanibel, south of the bridge, for those of you with deep drafts who want an easy in and out stop.<br />
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<b>The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)–Merwin Key to Anclote Key (Mile 2 to Mile 151)</b> The next area north is the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway which starts at Statute Mile 0 at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee in San Carlos Bay. This is also the end (or beginning if you’re headed east) of the Okeechobee Waterway. Those anchorages will be covered separately in their own section at the end of the book. Sailboats will need to come through the high-rise bridge at Punta Rassa to access the GIWW at Statute Mile (SM) 0, however powerboats can proceed to the west near Pt. Ybel, pass under the 26-foot bridge, then travel along Sanibel to enter the GIWW at around SM 3.<br />
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The first 25 miles of the GIWW has so many anchorages, you could spend days or weeks just gunkholing here. They start as soon as you enter the waterway with some fair weather anchorages at Merwin and Picnic Islands, St. James City or the large basin off Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge. Next, try the protected anchorage in Roosevelt Channel on Captiva. As long as there aren’t strong southerly winds, the south end of Cayo Costa is a beautiful spot to walk on those white sand beaches looking for shells. Need more protection? Continue on and anchor in Pelican Bay near the park docks and ranger station. You can also anchor around Useppa Island to the east or west, then Charlotte Harbor is next on your itinerary. Although it is a long trek northeast from the GIWW (approximately 20 miles), many folks can’t pass Punta Gorda without stopping. The anchorage is very open to the east and west, but all feel it is worth the journey. There are a few more stops in the harbor as well.<br />
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Back out on the GIWW, a short trip across Charlotte Harbor brings you to Gasparilla Sound and Island. Enter via the well-marked channel to the west into the area marked “Yacht Basin” on the chart. You can either anchor beyond the marina to the south or take the narrow, deep channel north into a lovely, mangrove lined cove and anchor, tying your stern to the mangroves to avoid swinging into the basin or drop a stern anchor. There’s also a free day dock there to access town. This is a beautiful place with a lush golf course and high-end homes and resorts. If you have no need to go ashore or just need a quick stop, the 5-10 miles between SM 30-40 afford you a number of opportunities. Try Peekins Ranch Cove near the north end of Gasparilla Island, the area between the railroad and bascule bridges, the park area just north of the bridge, or any number of spots between Cape Haze and Don Pedro Island.<br />
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You will then enter Lemon Bay just before SM 40 where another group of great anchorages await. Thorton Key lies just next to Stump Pass for those of you desiring quick access to the beach or fishing. If you need a bit more protection, continue on to Englewood Beach to anchor in the channel that runs behind Manasota Key. If you’re in need of provisions, the mainland side anchorage near Englewood is your next choice. Walk to the nearby grocery store. There are no anchorages for the next 10-15 miles between SM 45 and 57. Your next opportunity to anchor will be in Venice. Over the years, Venice has gotten a reputation for being unfriendly to cruisers, but a local who has been visiting the free day dock there for the past 30 years told us that he has never been bothered or harassed by anyone and even stays overnight there on the dock. Your best bet might be to find a place to anchor for the night near the permanently moored boats after visiting the day dock, but remember, it is not a no-wake or even slow-speed zone and you are likely to get waked. The anchorage lies fairly close to the GIWW.<br />
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Between here and Sarasota, SM 58-73, the anchoring possibilities are once again fairly limited. You’ll have one in Blackburn Bay, where you can pull off to the west in 6 feet of water, or one in Little Sarasota Bay, also with about 6 feet at MLW. Deeper draft boats will have to wait until arriving in Sarasota proper. Your decision about where to anchor in Sarasota will be dictated by what you want to do while in the area. If you need to provision or want to visit the Ringling Brothers Museum, you’ll probably want to anchor on the mainland side for easier access to downtown. If you want to shop and dine, try the anchorage at Lido Key for the shops and restaurants on St. Armands. If you want to get away from it all, there are anchorages in and around Longboat Key that will fit the bill. The west end of Longboat Key and the area around the Cortez Bridge provide another group of anchorages with access to beaches, restaurants and shops. If you need good protection for coming weather, try the anchorage in Bimini Bay inside Anna Maria Key with great depths.<br />
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Now you have reached Tampa Bay. A short hop to the east brings you to the mouth of the Manatee River. There are a number of great anchorages here, including the one just around the corner at DeSoto Point or the free dock and neighboring anchorages in Bradenton. Terra Ceia Bay just to the north of the Manatee River is accessed by going back out into Tampa Bay, then entering through a winding, but well-marked channel to a quiet, uncrowded area for exploration. Those in need of an urban experience will want to continue north in Tampa Bay to the St. Petersburg area. You can anchor just outside of the north basin to the south or north with a short walk to everything you could want or need. If weather is moving in, head south into Big Bayou or around into Boca Ciega Bay’s multitude of anchorages and take the bus to St. Pete.<br />
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Boca Ciega has practically endless anchoring opportunities. Mud Key Channel takes you back to a very protected anchorage just across the road from the beach. The anchorage off Gulfport is not very protected, but gives you access to a great little town. Good restaurants and shops are right off the waterfront. A short distance down the waterway takes you to Paradise and Treasure Islands. This is a great stop if you need to provision, as the grocery store’s dinghy dock is just a short distance away. Another well-protected anchorage lies hidden behind Johns Pass in a basin to the south with room for a few boats. Redington Shores is a nice spot off the waterway to spend the night, provided you aren’t disturbed by water-skiers.<br />
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Then you pass through The Narrows at Indian Rocks Beach, where you can tie to the free day dock for a few hours, then move on in the evening to one of the anchorages in the Clearwater Harbor area. The anchorage next to Belleair Causeway has good easterly protection and shore access. Clearwater Beach also has a great free day dock in Mandalay Channel just across the street from the Gulf. You can tie here for the day to run errands and dine on the beach, then drop back across the channel and anchor for the night.<br />
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Traveling a little farther north brings you to the end of this section of the GIWW. Three Rooker Bar is not much more than a sandbar with bushes, but what a great spot to unwind. Just to its north is Anclote Key and Anclote River. Anclote Key is good for fair weather, whereas you may want to find a spot in the river anchorage if any foul weather is moving in. Tarpon Springs, upriver, doesn’t really have any anchorages to speak of, but you may want to stop here nonetheless, especially if you are a Greek food aficionado.<br />
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<b>Part 2 will continue along the Big Bend region, Florida Panhandle and portions of Alabama.</b>Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-75820619938721178092014-09-13T18:09:00.002-04:002014-09-13T18:09:52.674-04:00Another Boating Equipment Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We like to take some time at the end of a cruise or during a pause in a cruise to report on the equipment we have installed in preparation for traveling the waterways. If you have followed our blog for any length of time, you know we post each installation, upgrade and repair we do to <i>Beach House </i>in hopes that other boaters will find the information useful. These Project Posts are the most read and most popular on the Blog, so it only makes sense to let you know how things are holding up, what works and what was an absolute failure. Finding quality equipment and parts for a boat is getting more and more difficult as manufacturers look for ways to cut costs, and as a result, the quality declines. It's also the trend to add more and more bells and whistles to everything, and to use the latest and greatest in technology to justify the increasingly higher costs for equipment. This makes many of our electronics more difficult to understand and also adds to the possibility of failure as new features are added. We're still of the KISS mind set (keep it simple, stupid), but we also appreciate advancements that actually serve a purpose and make our boating experience safer and more enjoyable. So let's do an update of our equipment.<br />
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<a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2012/12/do-it-yourself-generator-install.html" target="_blank"><b>The Generator</b></a> is probably the most used piece of equipment we have installed. It now has over 1,000 hours on the meter and overall has served us well. The <a href="http://www.nextgenerationpower.com/" target="_blank">Next Gen 3.5 KW</a> is a perfect size for our boat and needs. It will run all of the equipment on the boat without straining, including our 16,000 BTU air-conditioner. We did trip the internal breaker once with the air-conditioner, microwave and hot water heater all on at the same time. There were a couple of issues that gave us problems, but those were corrected easily. The raw water hose that connects to the intake side of the water pump collapsed. The short piece of hose was made of a very soft material and it couldn't hold up to the suction. We replaced that with a good quality Trident hose and have had no problems since. Totally unrelated, the raw water pump impeller self-destructed for no apparent reason. That, too, was replaced and has been fine since. The raw water pump also began weeping and we replaced that rather than have the pump rebuilt. It had only been in about 6 months and was a bronze Johnson pump, so we were surprised it was beginning to fail. Next Gen did not cover it under warranty and that was a little upsetting to us. A fuel line also developed a leak. It was determined that the line was made of a very poor quality material and the tight hose clamp cause it to leak. It is an odd shape to be able to connect to the fuel pump, and we didn't want to use the same line from the manufacturer and have this happen again. So instead of the pre-shaped piece of line, we use a longer section of diesel fuel line and looped it just enough so it wasn't kinked. No leak since then. Other than these few problems, the unit has worked hard and provided us with all the power we need.<br />
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<a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2012/12/installing-our-garmin-ghp-10-autopilot_3.html" target="_blank"><b>The Garmin autopilot</b></a> is our favorite crew member. <a href="https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/digital/on-the-water/autopilots/ghp-10-marine-autopilot-system/prod13192.html" target="_blank">Our GHP 10</a> steers the boat much better that we can and does a fine job in almost any conditions. Making crossings in the Bahamas and in the Gulf Stream in large, following seas were the real tests, and the Garmin passed with flying colors. The power draw is small and the response is excellent. Even in long, straight stretches of waterway canals, the autopilot does all the steering with only the occasional adjustment. Having the wireless remote at the lower helm instead of a second control head also proved to work well. Since the lower helm is only used in bad weather, the remote doesn't get used very often. When it does get used, everything works as advertised. The crew has been very pleased with this decision.<br />
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<a href="http://www.alltekmarine.com/products_detail.php?bgid=2&gid=41%22" target="_blank"><b>The Alltech Amec AIS</b></a> has been a major disappointment. Not that it doesn't work, but the reception and transmission capabilities have been limited to a few miles when we should be able to pick up AIS signals from other vessels at least 5 to 10 miles away. In the past, we have always had good success with anything we have <a href="http://www.milltechmarine.com/AMEC-CAMINO-108-Class-B-AIS-Transponder_p_268.html" target="_blank">purchased from Milltech Marine</a>. They did take the unit and the antenna splitter back and to service it once. We were assured that the antenna splitter and the AIS unit were matched and should work well together, and they have not. We suspect the problem is in the antenna splitter and are currently working on adding a second antenna and removing the splitter. But we have bought and paid for something that just does not work. Also to our surprise, Milltech Marine no longer sells this antenna splitter. I can't imagine why. It would have been nice if they had told us they were having problems with these rather than, "we have never had a problem with one of these before." Time will tell if the AIS transponder is also just of poor quality. We'll post on that later after we head south and have time to test it.<br />
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<a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2008/11/some-new-equipment.html" target="_blank"><b>Our electronics</b></a> are getting older and many of them are legacy models. But they all work great and we can't justify replacing things just because there is something newer out there. Our RL 70, Raytheon radar is over 30 years old. After <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2012/09/can-you-sink-boat-for-lack-of-one.html" target="_blank">a repair to a connector</a>, it has served us well. We have had this unit on both of our boats. The unit on <i>Beach House </i>was here when we bought her. Many skippers have discussed at length the need for radar at all.We don't use it often, but when we do, we need it. Most of the time the radar is used to track approaching weather. It's easy to tell if an approaching squall or weather front will hit us and gives us enough warning to prepare the boat and crew. It can even help determine if we can find a sheltered spot to get the anchor down, or if we need to just batten down the hatches. The boat's radar has come in handy a few times in foggy conditions. Usually the boat stays put if there is fog, but occasionally the fog will lift, we get underway and the fog returns. It happens. Our elderly Raymarine depth sounder is also still doing an outstanding job of telling us that we have run aground. There have been a few occasions when the depths began to display all over the place, but those were probably anomalies rather than failure of the equipment. Our Standard Horizon VHF has been back to the manufacturer once for repairs. Other than one problem, it has worked just fine. During the repair process, we relied on our backup handheld and a loaner VHF from a friend. <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2011/10/plotting-your-course.html" target="_blank">Our CP 300 Standard Horizon Chartplotter</a> has helped with the navigation for thousands of miles without a complaint. It may not have a touch screen or all of the capabilities of the newer, more expensive units, but it gets us where we need to go as safely as any of those units that cost two or three times as much.<br />
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<a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/search/label/WiFi" target="_blank"><b>The WiFi equipment</b></a> that we built and installed years ago is still doing just fine, thank you, is in use almost every day and pretty much stays on 24 hours a day. The original Bullet extender still pulls in access points that are miles away. We are finding fewer and fewer open WiFi access points as in earlier years, but there are still some out there. In the marinas, when everyone else needs to go to the office or clubhouse to use their computers to get online, <i>Beach House</i> has internet access from the main salon. Because we do need to run our business online, we have added a Verizon MiFi to our wireless arsenal to fill in for those times when an open WiFi or marina WiFi is not available. This combination works well and keeps us connected all of the time. There is a post in the planning stages to bring our boating WiFi information up-to-date. For the most part, nothing has changed and all is well.<br />
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<b>Our entertainment systems</b> include DirecTV satellite, Sirius/XM satellite radio, our Clarion Stereo with 6 disc CD changer and our DVD Player. The DirecTV dish is mounted on a Track-It system to keep the dish pointed in the right direction as the boat moves. The Track-It is only two-dimensional and will only keep the dish pointed in the right direction. If the boat is way out of trim, as it is while underway, it will not work. But sitting at anchor and swinging in the wind, the signal is locked in fine. Even in 20-knot plus conditions, we still have a signal. It does need the azimuth adjusted manually about every hundred miles we move north or south. We have had the Track-It on both our boats for well over 15 years and have never felt the need for expensive (read thousands of dollars worth), fancy satellite tracking equipment. The satellite radio has been a treat, especially on those long days underway. Margaritaville is our favorite, of course. Running the river system in Alabama has been challenging to find broadcasts of any kind, and the satellite system has been a joy. The Clarion stereo is a very nice unit, but the 6 disc CD changer has given us problems almost since day one. It's one of those intermittent things that if sent in for repair, you get a call that says "we can't find anything wrong." Since the satellite radio was installed, the CD changer is seldom used, so it isn't a big issue. The LCD Toshiba flat screen TV began acting strangely, so it was replaced with another Toshiba LED TV. After 5 years in the elements, the Clarion speakers in the flybridge disintegrated, even though they still worked. They were replaced with Fusion outdoor speakers which have a nice sound. They are an improvement over the Clarions.<br />
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<a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2012/08/care-and-feeding-of-ford-lehman-diesel.html" target="_blank"><b>Our Ford Lehman 120 engine</b></a> is a real workhorse. Maintenance is a priority, and <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2011/07/ford-lehman-oil-and-filter-change.html" target="_blank">oil and filter changes</a> are about the only regular maintenance items. There have been a few replacement items. Early on, all of the heat exchangers for the <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2009/09/servicing-cooling-system-on-our-ford.html" target="_blank">oil and transmission were replaced</a>, just in case. The main heat exchanger was cleaned, but eventually started to leak. The problem presented itself when the fresh water side of the engine began to manufacture more water that it held. The replacement was easy, but not inexpensive. If you follow our posts, you know that the front main oil seal started leaking and it took two tries to get it repaired. So far all is well. The repair isn't difficult, but you need the right equipment to do the work, and re-installing the new seal must be done just right. The valve cover gasket had developed a few slight leaks and that was also replaced. The Racor 500 housing was another replacement. Not because anything was wrong with it, but rather the metal had starting rusting in several places.<br />
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The most expensive and frustrating issue we had to deal with was<b> the Paragon transmission</b>. We had it serviced prior to beginning our cruise two years ago by an outfit in Ft. Lauderdale. We began to notice problems with it about 6 months later while in the Bahamas. We nursed it back to the U.S. and up to Fernandina Beach where it became an immediate issue. The good folks at Tiger Point Marina removed it for us and sent us to Cass Transmissions in Jacksonville. They serviced the unit and indicated that it had been improperly put back together during the servicing, which caused it to begin to fail. It was frightening to not be able to get it out of reverse. Cass knows these transmissions well and we highly recommend them. <br />
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<a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2011/01/replacing-boats-main-electrical-panel.html" target="_blank"><b>The electrical</b></a> system was not immune from wear and tear. The batteries all required replacing at about the 6-year mark. Not all of them HAD to be replaced, but our thinking was, if some needed to be replaced now, the others were probably not far behind. The start battery just mysteriously died unexpectedly while we were in Baltimore last summer. <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2012/10/relocating-house-batteries.html" target="_blank">The house bank</a> was showing signs of losing its charge faster than normal during our Chesapeake bay cruise. The 6-volt Interstate batteries that have served us well in both of our boats were very difficult to locate. The decision was made to replace them with Duracell 6-volt batteries, and the best price available was from Sam's Club. All of the new electrical panels are holding up fine. <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2012/12/do-it-yourself-generator-install.html" target="_blank">During the installation of the generator</a>, new transfer switches had to be added for the two electrical panels. The main panel is fed off of shore power, the generator and the inverter. The second smaller panel is just for the air-conditioner and is only fed from shore power and the generator. Sitting in a slip for a couple of months, we have been on shore power only. One morning recently, the air-conditioner panel was showing a reverse polarity fault and only 9 volts on the display. After disconnecting the power from the dock and opening up the electrical area for inspection, it was found the that transfer switch was badly burned. It would not turn to disconnect or switch between sources. Any find like this is very disturbing and trying to determine the cause was priority. Unfortunately, we could not track down how or why this happened. A new switch was ordered and installed and all is working fine with no signs of heating. This is something we will be keeping a close eye on in the future. There were some electrical issues with the dock at the marina on the St. Johns River where we spent this past winter. The owners corrected the problem, but it may have ultimately caused the switch to fail over time.<br />
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<a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2009/05/installing-electric-anchor-windlass.html" target="_blank"><b>The anchor windlass</b></a> died on us while we were in the Bahamas last year. It was repaired in Marsh Harbor and worked fine until reaching Virgina on the return trip up the ICW to the Chesapeake Bay. Rather than repair it again and have it fail once more, we purchased a new Maxwell windlass to replace the old one. The Maxwell is much more robust and has a lot more oomph to raise the anchor and chain. It will run the anchor rode out where the previous windlass would only do free-fall when dropped. The Maxwell will do both. Maxwell is well-known for their quality, and the price was the best we could find for anything in the same size range. The switch was easy, since the Maxwell footprint was about the same as the old windlass. We could also use the same foot switches and solenoid, making the replacement about a 30-minute project. It's been doing a fine job of making anchoring easier, hundreds of times since the replacement. The Maxwell retrieves the anchor rode at about twice the speed of the older unit. <br />
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<a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-dinghy-and-big-change.html" target="_blank"><b>The Livingston dinghy</b></a> and all of the accessories we have installed have served us well and met all of our expectations. Running up on a beach covered with shells or landing on a rocky shore is no longer a worry as it was with an inflatable. If there is a downside, it's the dinghy bumping against the hull or swim platform while in the water. With an inflatable, we never heard it. The Livingston lets us know it's there. The Weaver Davits on the swim platform and the addition of the electric winch on the mast make launching and retrieving the dinghy a breeze. It only takes a few minutes and is effortless. Either of us can launch or retrieve single-handed with the push of a button. Our <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-new-outboard-lift.html" target="_blank">lift for the outboard</a> has been another improvement that is appreciated over and over. Our vintage 6 HP Johnson is not a light hunk of steel, but getting it off the bracket mounted to the stern, on to the dinghy and back off again is no longer a bodybuilding exercise. It makes a big difference if there happens to be a little chop in the anchorage. The lift came in very handy when we were replacing the batteries and needed to lift them from the dinghy to the deck. <br />
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Although this list is not complete, it covers the highlights and most important installs and upgrades we have done so far. Our cruise will resume in October and we look forward to putting all of the gear through its paces once again. On a boat nothing lasts forever, but expectations are that things will last at least long enough that you feel like you did get your money's worth. Over the decades, we have watched as some of the best manufacturers have dropped from the scene or allowed the quality of their equipment to fall. There are a few that have maintained their reputation and those are the same manufacturers we have tried to stay with over the years. How about you? What equipment has held up well for you on your boat? We would like to hear from you.<br />
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<b>For a complete list of our project posts, <a href="http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/search/label/Projects" target="_blank">visit here</a>.</b> </div>
Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-4283233539946982582014-09-08T17:39:00.000-04:002014-09-08T17:39:22.633-04:00If Your Mate Has a Stroke Can You Help?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know that's a scary question and not a subject you usually find here on our blog. One of the big "What if" questions that often goes through our mind when cruising revolves around what we would do if a medical emergency arises. First and foremost, would we recognize the signs, and then, would we know what to do. As our fellow boaters, us included, approach our golden years, the potential issues change in our minds. Early on, our concern was getting injured, but in these later years, it turns more to potential serious health problems. The real possibility was brought to mind by a recent article written by <i>Keith Murray</i> and published online at <a href="http://the-triton.com/">http://the-triton.com</a> . It is with their permission that we re-post the article here for your thoughts and consideration. We hope you find it as informative as we did...<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have written about this topic before,
but it’s all I can think about today. When I conduct onboard CPR, AED and first
aid classes, we always review the signs and symptoms of a stroke. It’s
important to recognize those signs so you can help someone having a stroke.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My father just had a stroke last
weekend. Fortunately, it looks like he is going to make a full recovery.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When reading this column today, please
ask yourself if you would know what to do if someone you loved were having a
stroke, heart attack or other medical emergency. Could you help them? Could you
recognize the signs of a stroke? Do you know how to treat a stroke victim? What
would you do if a crew mate began to slur his words, appeared confused or not
walking well?</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A stroke is a life-threatening medical
emergency that can cause paralysis, coma and death. It is the brain's version
of a heart attack. A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel,
interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain (ischemic stroke) or an artery
bursts and blood leaks into brain tissue (hemorrhagic stroke).</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Think of a stroke as a plumbing problem
at home or onboard. Either your pipes are blocked with rust (plaque) or the
pipe is leaking.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When either of these occurs, brain cells
begin to die and brain damage occurs. Where the damage to the brain occurs and
how much of the brain is damaged will determine which symptoms the person will
display.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here are some typical symptoms that you
may observe:</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sudden numbness or weakness of the face,
arm or leg, especially on one side of the body</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or
understanding</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sudden trouble seeing in one or both
eyes</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss
of balance or coordination</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sudden, severe headache with no known
cause</span></b></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It should be noted that women may
experience symptoms that are different from men. Those may include sudden face
and limb pain, sudden hiccups, sudden nausea, sudden general weakness, sudden
chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, and sudden palpitations.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you think someone may be having a
stroke, act F.A.S.T. and do this simple test:</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">F -- Face: Ask the person to smile. Does
one side of the face droop?</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A -- Arms: Ask the person to raise both
arms. Does one arm drift downward?</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">S -- Speech: Ask the person to repeat a
simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">T -- Time: If you observe any of these
signs, get medical attention immediately.</span></b></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Though it is not part of the test, note
the time when the symptoms first began. There is only about a three-hour window
for a clot-busting medication to be given at the hospital. It is very important
that the stroke victim get to a hospital as quickly as possible.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A TIA, or transient ischemic attack, is
called a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke". This type of
stroke produces stroke-like symptoms but generally has no lasting damage.
Recognizing and treating TIAs may reduce the risk of a major stroke. Often TIA
symptoms are the same as those of a stroke, only temporary. The short duration
of these symptoms and lack of permanent brain injury is the main difference
between TIA and stroke.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The best way to help someone having a
stroke is to recognize that they are indeed having a medical emergency and
getting them to a hospital as quickly as possible. Stay with the victim, place
them in a position of comfort, and monitor their breathing and consciousness.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To learn more about stroke warning signs
and other medical emergencies, take a CPR, AED and first aid class. Ideally, everyone
should take a refresher class at least every two years. Often classes can be
conducted at your location, on your boat, or at your business.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shipboard classes are helpful because
they allow the crew to develop plans, review first aid supplies, and talk about
medical emergencies as they relate to their surroundings, crew, passengers and
the various ports of call.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The American Heart Association has a
good 60-second video that everyone reading this should watch. And send the link
to a friend. It may help someone save a life. Visit
<a href="http://strokeassociation.org/">http://strokeassociation.org</a>, click on the FAST box on the right side, then
scroll down to the FAST Body Language PSA box.</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Keith Murray, a former firefighter EMT,
owns The CPR School, a first-aid training company. He provides onboard training
for yacht captains and crew and sells and services AEDs. Contact him at
877-6-AED-CPR, 877-623-3277 or www.TheCPRSchool.com. Comments on this column
are welcome at editorial@the-triton.com.</span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<em></em>Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-83493266427668504452014-09-07T15:20:00.000-04:002014-09-07T15:20:00.372-04:00Is Facebook Really for Boaters?We think so. There are several very active boating groups on Facebook with a lot of knowledgeable people who can provide answers, insights and even some humor when answering many boat related questions. There's something for everyone, from the novice to the old salts. If you haven't visited <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheGreatBookOfAnchorages" target="_blank">our Facebook page</a> lately, or not at all, we've posted lots of great information, news and, we think, wonderful photos to enjoy. Just some of what you will find there...<br />
<ul>
<li>Our Gulf Coast Photos for the Florida west coast and Panhandle (more coming)</li>
<li>The latest on the Florida anchoring issue</li>
<li>News and reports from the U.S. Coast Guard</li>
<li>Navigation reports</li>
<li>Articles of interest to boaters</li>
<li>Wildlife on the waterways</li>
<li>Current boating news</li>
<li>Lots More</li>
<li>Links to our videos </li>
</ul>
<b>If you do Facebook, come and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheGreatBookOfAnchorages" target="_blank">visit our page here </a>and if you like what you see, click the Like Button.</b> If you don't have a Facebook page, start one, they're fun. We already have hundreds of followers, so come and join our group. Here are a few photos from our page.<br />
<br />
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Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-62595659143704110372014-08-19T15:54:00.000-04:002014-08-19T16:26:50.804-04:00Where the River Flows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The next morning started overcast but quite warm. A 50% chance of rain meant we also had a 50% chance it wouldn't rain. Yeah, right. Our anchorage for the night was not yet decided, but a few options were available. The plan was to transit about 50 miles of the river before we stopped and 50 miles is not a long day for us. That's probably why we got a later start than usual; <i>Beach House</i> didn't get off the dock until almost 9 a.m. One of our neighbors from the night before, a sailboat, had already gotten underway, but we knew we would catch up later. The owner was singlehanding and also heading for Demopolis to leave his boat. Later in the day we would get quite an education in anchoring on a wide and deep river system.<br />
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Information on anchorages along the river is scarce, and the river itself presents some interesting challenges. Not since cruising the Pacific coast have I experienced the difficulty in finding an anchoring spot where the water is shallow enough to not need all of the anchor rode for scope. That wouldn't be an issue except that using a lot of scope would allow the boat to swing out far into the river and this could be a serious problem at night when the sometimes 200-foot tows came cruising down the river. We didn't want to be swinging out in their way. One option we considered was tucking in behind one of the several marked shoals in some of the river bends. The shoals are marked with buoys and too shallow for the tugs to maneuver. As they rounded the turns they would safely pass any boats anchored. We sounded a couple and they looked like good possibilities, but the need to press on kept the boat moving. One reported anchorage was near mile marker 65, the Nanafalia Bridge. The bridge abutments the tows had to negotiate kept them center channel, somewhat protected the anchoring spot.<br />
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As we approached the bridge, it was pretty obvious that this was just a wide spot and not as protected as we had hoped. But since it was just an overnight stop, we decided to give it a try. What a surprise to find water depths of 25 to 30 feet right up to the river banks. I suppose we could have simply pulled along the banks and tied to a tree, but the decision was made to push on and see what else we could find. Several miles farther on there were a few options to explore. One was a wide indentation that we attempted to back into without success, the depths went from 25 to 4 feet at the river's edge. Another option near a launch ramp proved to have a rocky bottom and the anchor just skipped along the rock. Our third attempt was at a small creek called Tuckabum. A previous pass showed a shallow enough space just outside the creek, or we could have attempted to drop an anchor in the river and backed into the very narrow creek. There was no way to tell if the bottom contained stumps or obstructions if we attempted to back in. Plus, the overhead trees would block our satellite TV dish, so we opted to anchor just outside of the entrance. One other consideration was that a small fishing boat had gone in earlier and if we had backed in, the creek was so narrow that the fishing boat would not be able to get back out past us.<br />
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Feeling our way in, we found a spot with 14 feet of water almost right along the banks. There was still the issue of swinging out into the river during the night. To hold us in place, we dropped our primary anchor and backed down until we had more than twice the scope we would need. At that point, we dropped our secondary anchor and pulled forward on our primary with the engine in neutral until the boat was positioned between the two. Care had to be taken since we couldn't use the engine for fear of fouling the second anchor in our prop. The boat was pulled forward by hand and the aft anchor given a tug to try and set it. The aft anchor rode was then pulled up along the side of the boat until it could be secured to the stern cleat. This gave the boat bow and stern anchors rather than swinging on both rodes as is done in a Bahamian Moor. Now things were secure enough to stay put along the banks and well out of the river. One odd occurrence was being swarmed by attack moths as we set the anchors. Then, no sooner had things settled down when an afternoon storm rolled through.<br />
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As the rains approached, the wind began to build. First 10 knots, then 20, then 25. Of course it came from directly down the river rather than from either side where there was plenty of protection from the high treeline. The second anchor was a concern since we were not able to set it in our normal fashion. Add to that we had never had <i>Beach House</i> lay on a stern anchor before. In a short time, we felt secure that the second anchor was holding and as quickly as the storm came up, it passed. Just shortly after dark, two large tows passed on the river, both using large searchlights to light up the river ahead of them. <i>Beach House</i> was tucked securely out of the way and the rest of the night was very quiet and peaceful. We felt very secure in our anchorage choice. In the morning, we noticed that the current had increased considerably overnight and it was going to be a much slower trip upriver. We also saw lots of debris in the water with everything from plastic buckets to large trees. The day would be spent dodging a lot of this debris.<br />
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I'm not sure why we had gotten in this habit of sleeping in and getting a later start. Usually while cruising, the anchor is up and <i>Beach House</i> is underway as soon as there is enough light to see. This river cruising seemed to make us a little lazier. Perhaps that's where the term "up a lazy river" comes from. It was nearly 9 a.m. before both anchors were secure on deck and our journey continued. The final destination for this leg of our cruise was only about another 50 miles up the river. It would require transiting one more lock and we hoped this time it wouldn't be in the pouring rain. Our neighbor on the sailboat from <a href="http://www.ruralswalabama.org/attractions/bobbys-fish-camp/" target="_blank">Bobby's Fish Camp</a> had passed us while we were still anchored, and then we passed him a few hours later. In hindsight, we probably should have just matched his speed and stayed with him for the rest of the day.<br />
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By 3:30 in the afternoon, we were approaching the Demopolis Lock and Dam. A southbound, or downbound as they say on the river, large tow had asked us to stand by on the bend just before the lock, and wait until he passed. We obliged and once he passed us, <i>Beach House</i> headed for the lock. We aren't sure whether it was from our conversation with the tow or from our AIS broadcasting our location, but well before we arrived, the Lockmaster called us on the VHF by name and told us he was expecting our arrival. We were instructed to tie on either side of the lock and he advised us as to which of the floating bollards would give us the best ride up in the lock. We chose to tie starboard side to and slowly entered the lock. As we approached, it was obvious why the current was strong on this leg.Water was tumbling over the dam so much that the mist from the falls was visible from quite a distance. <i>Beach House</i> was soon in the lock and secured to one of the floating bollards. Then the Lockmaster called us on the VHF to announce we would have a wait.<br />
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The sailboat we had passed some time back had called the Lock to say he was about 20 minutes behind us and the Lockmaster decided to wait for him rather than do two lock-throughs. It made sense, but would delay us another 1/2 hour before the locking process could begin. During our wait, Steve, the Lockmaster, called us on the radio and assured us he had contacted the marina in Demopolis and they were not only expecting us, but someone would be waiting there until we arrived, however long that took. We spent the next 20 minutes chatting about the Demopolis area, the best restaurants in which to eat and what to do in the area. It was fun and entertaining and made the wait time very pleasant. Once the sailboat arrived and was secure, the locking process began, raising us up some 40 feet to the next river level. We were lucky enough to have no rain for the day, even though it did threaten a few time.We made a short video of our transit of the Lock and hope you enjoy it.<br />
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It was almost 5 p.m. by the time <i>Beach House</i> exited the lock and started the short run to Demopolis Yacht Basin and the Kingfisher Bay Marina. We arrived 30 minutes later, and while there was no one at the docks to help us tie up, a marina staff member was on the VHF with us to give instructions on how to get into the marina where our slip would be for the night. We would move the next day to a more permanent slip. The marina is in a completely enclosed, deep basin with nearly new floating docks. There is the choice of covered or open slips. The marina has a haul-out yard, swimming pool, clubhouse with heads, showers and laundry, and a golf cart and courtesy car for transient boaters to use. This will be our location for the next few months while we finalize our 4th anchorage guide, <a href="http://www.tgboa.com/home" target="_blank">The Great Book Of Anchorages, The Gulf Coast</a>. It will be good to just rest for a while and not have to be constantly on the move. We love cruising, but at times we also need to just sit still. Even if we're working while sitting.<br />
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Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-25282869094535936792014-08-07T21:03:00.002-04:002014-08-07T21:03:46.751-04:00The River Is Waiting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First I would like to apologize for our blog postings not being as timely as they have been in the past. There is a very good reason for that and I will do a post explaining why sometime in the future.<i> Beach House</i> still needed to get farther north to be sure we met our insurance requirements and to also give the crew peace of mind during this next hurricane season. The stay at Dog River Marina was nice and the chores and repairs we wanted to make were done early. The only delay was waiting for the chart chip for the plotter that covers the inland river systems. We came to the realization that our plotter only covered a small part of Mobile Bay and did not cover any of the inland rivers. So a new C-Map chip was ordered and, of course, the two-day shipping arrived in four days. Since it was delivered at about 10 a.m., the docklines were cast off and the trip up Mobile Bay and into downtown Mobile was made a little later than we liked, but still early enough to reach our first day's anchorage with time to spare.<br />
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The downtown Mobile waterfront is mostly industrialized with shipping terminals, repair yards and various other terminals. The only semblance of a downtown waterfront is the Convention Center with a concrete bulkhead to tie recreational boats. The reviews we have received from other boaters do not recommend this spot because of the large amount of commercial activity, including large ships, working tugs and tows that can create rather large wakes along the wall. In bad weather, this can be downright treacherous. Our destination was much farther upriver, and one encounter with the prop wash from a tug moving a ship into the terminal was all we needed to encourage us to keep moving. Once beyond the main harbor, the scenery changes significantly and the hustle and bustle changes to a relaxed and more remote waterway. The Mobile River is wide and deep right up to the banks. The current flow was against us for the entire trip and always runs from north to south. Along this stretch we would have about <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">½</span> to <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">¾</span> knot of current against <i>Beach House</i>, nothing of real concern. During the Spring floods, the current can run 3 knots or more.<br />
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Once away from Mobile, the river is tree lined on both sides and there is little to no sign of civilization. There were a few small fishing boats, but even they disappeared as the miles ticked off behind us. A sharp lookout is required anywhere on the river system. We often passed everything from plastic buckets to tree branches to entire trees floating just near the surface. Many of these pieces of debris could do serious damage to our propeller if we struck them at our cruising speed. What appeared to be nothing more than a small branch floating just above the surface might very well have a 20-foot tree trunk attached and just a foot or more underwater. We often found ourselves zigging and zagging around small pieces of driftwood just in case. Once well underway, it would be a long distance for any attempts to provide us with assistance or repairs should we have needed them.<br />
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Because of the late start, the decision was made to pass up several good anchorage spots early on. Insurance pressures were not the only reason we needed to get up the river system as soon as possible. The locks at Coffeeville and Demopolis were both scheduled to close for a month to complete annual maintenance and the date was approaching. The distance to our first anchorage was at river statute mile 39.2, giving us a total mileage for the day at about 50 miles. The tree-lined river is spectacular and the only traffic besides <i>Beach House</i> was a number of large tows pushing barges that measured in the hundreds of feet. The first day was uneventful and by mid-afternoon the entrance to Tensas River appeared around a corner offering a wide, deep, protected anchorage well off the river and away from the commercial traffic that travels all night. Just past the first bend in the Tensas, the depths rise to 8 and 10 feet rather than the normal 20 to 30. Our challenge for the rest of the trip would be to find anchorages that were shallow enough to not need excessive amounts of anchor rode. On this night, we would share the anchorage with a small sailboat. It would be the last anchorage for while that we would share with another pleasure boat.<br />
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Hurdle number one was within our grasp. Coffeeville Lock and Dam is located at river mile 116.6, about 77 miles up river. A long day for us, but easily doable. The day started just after the sun came up, and for half the day, the sun was out and the temps were comfortable. By midday, the clouds began to build and a check of weather radar showed showers and rain moving into our area. At the junction located at statute mile 45, the Mobile River becomes the Tombigbee. The river twists and turns to such an extent that to travel 40 miles as the crow flies requires traveling 60 miles or more on the river. On several occasions we heard our boat named being called over the VHF radio. Tows heading in our direction were seeing us on their AIS display and knew exactly where we were, and how fast we were traveling. The AIS allowed us and them to be aware of each other and make passing arrangements long before either of us saw the other. At times, it was as simple as instructions from the tow to give them a pass on one or two whistles. One whistle meant we passed them leaving the tow on our port side and two whistles meant we left the tow on our starboard side. On a couple of occasions we were asked to pull over to the side and stand by until the tow had passed. <i>Beach House</i> was happy to comply.<br />
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By 4:30 in the afternoon, we were approaching Coffeeville Lock. It had been raining off and on for hours, and as we approached the lock entrance the rain increased, of course. Contacting the Lockmaster on the VHF radio, we were instructed to enter the lock and tie up port side to. The boat is secured in the lock using a single floating bollard tucked into an indentation in the lock wall. All that is required is a single line attached to a midship cleat. We were also instructed to make sure everyone working on deck was wearing a lifejacket. <i>Beach House</i> slowly approached the floating bollard, slowed to a stop, and a line was dropped around the bollard and then made fast to the midship cleat with little or no slack. It was the easiest lock tie up we have ever experienced. The Coffeeville Lock would raise us up 35 feet to the next river level. The entire process took about 25 minutes and <i>Beach House</i> was the only vessel in the huge lock. When we motored out the other side, the rain was pouring and we were thoroughly soaked. Rather than find another anchorage for the night, the decision was made to tie up at Bobby's Fish Camp, a small marina and campground just outside the lock. We wanted to plug in and dry off for the night before we began the next part of our river journey.Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-34276090649573676932014-07-16T18:53:00.000-04:002014-07-16T18:53:06.399-04:00The Fantastic Journey Continues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The run from Apalachicola to the docks at White City is a short one. There were a couple of potential anchorage spots we wanted to check out, including one that was a regular for us on our sailboat, <i>Sea Trek</i>. The White City docks are located in a basin surrounded by a park with a boat ramp. There has never been a lot of activity here whenever we have visited. The dock next to the pavilion was under repair and closed off with caution tape. There are 20 amp outlets at the pavilion that can be used for limited power. A new floating dock has also been added on the canal front. The floating dock is better for deeper draft boats since depths along the fixed docks are 6 feet or less. There is a 24-hour limit at the docks, but if bad weather is in the area, a longer stay would not be a problem. A short walk down the road to the east brings you to a gas station and convenience store with basic staples. This is a favorite stop for us and most other boaters that pass this way. But we did find a problem on board that needed our immediate attention.<br />
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Our shifter has always been stiff on the boat, especially at the upper helm. While docking, it began to stick in forward and took a great deal of pressure to get out of gear. It also made a loud popping sound when it finally shifted into neutral. The pressure needed was such that in the process, the shifter knob broke off the threads from the handle. Once docked, the quick determination was that the problem was the shifter cable that runs from the lower helm station to the transmission. The cable had to be replaced immediately. One thing about White City is that it isn't a city and is little more than the convenience store and a handful of private homes; not exactly a place to find parts or make repairs. It became necessary to formulate a plan and it needed to be done without needing to travel very far given the problem.<br />
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The first requirement was to take an accurate measurement of the length of the cable. Knowing the exact original make helped, too. The original is 30 years old and was made by Morse. It is now <a href="http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|311|2349031|2349035&id=134543">made by Teleflex</a> and they offer an exact replacement, but of different lengths. We needed a 19-foot cable to reach from the helm to the transmission. We have wifi via our Verizon Mifi (more on that in another post) and were able to find the exact cable needed online. But it couldn't be shipped to a public park so we needed to find a place to have it shipped and to be able to do the replacement. Apalachicola was too far in the wrong direction so we chose <a href="http://psjmarina.com/">Port St. Joe Marina,</a> which was only about 8 miles away. The order was placed and we added overnight shipping to lessen our delay. Even though overnight is expensive, it's less than paying for extra days of dockage at a marina. The next morning <i>Beach House</i> left the dock and headed for Port St. Joe.<br />
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We called and made a reservation and gave them a heads up about the part. The marina staff was very friendly and professional. From White City, the trip to St. Joe requires taking the long and straight Gulf County Canal to St. Joseph Bay. Once in the Bay, as you exit the canal, the marina is beyond a well-marked channel just to port. The basin is surrounded by a breakwater and the entrance is narrow. Someone from the marina met us at the dock and helped with lines. Fortunately, the shifter worked well enough to get us into the slip without incident. Timing was perfect and shortly after we arrived our cable showed up. Removing the old cable, pulling the new cable through and making the proper adjustments took maybe an hour. A quick test proved the shifter was now working smoothly and perfectly. We love it when a plan comes together. The crew still had time to explore the town and get in a little shopping at the grocery store across the parking lot from the marina. The town is a quaint beach side village with shops, bars and several restaurants. The marina itself is a very, very busy place with boat rentals, snorkel and dive excursions coming and going and lots of tourists visiting the tiki bar and restaurant. After being out in remote locations for weeks this was almost a bit overwhelming to us.<br />
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Once repairs were completed we were ready to leave the next morning. The plan was to explore the St. Joseph Bay anchorages, then return to White City to spend another night and be on our way in the morning continuing westward. During our next nights' stay, we were treated to our own private fireworks display put on by some local residents. It was, after all, getting near the 4th of July. A peaceful night and a feeling of accomplishment on how quickly and easily our repair went, and off we went the next morning. The following days were filled with exploration and side trips for our <a href="http://www.tgboa.com/">Gulf Coast anchorage book</a>. Nights found <i>Beach House</i> anchored behind barrier islands with white sand beaches or tucked into beautiful bayous enjoying the peace and solitude. We needed peace and solitude on some days after being buzzed by hundreds of small boats running in every direction at full speed. One day we were surprised by a call on the VHF while in Watson Bayou near Panama City. Getting a call on the VHF isn't surprising; we get them all the time from folks that recognize <i>Beach House</i>, many from this blog. The surprise came when the caller announced that they were standing on their dock as were passing by and invited us to pull in and tie up. We looked around to see them waving from the end of their dock. As we pulled in and tied up, Carl and Greg Vernon introduced themselves and told us they were <a href="http://www.greatloop.org/">AGLCA (Americas Great Loop Cruising Association)</a> Harbor Hosts. We were invited to stay at their dock, which had power, water and cable TV to which we could connect. They kindly took us on a shopping trip, invited us into their home and went out of their way to help and assist in any way they could. It's always wonderful to experience this kind of hospitality and friendship.<br />
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<i>Beach House</i> said farewell the next day and our exploration and research continued. There were still a lot of anchorages to cover and many miles to go. Another issue we began to experience and had to deal with were the daily afternoon thunderstorms. For quite a while the weather had cooperated and the days were dry with light winds. But now we found we needed to be anchored by 1 or 2 PM and looked for sheltered locations. By 2 or 3 PM, the storms would roll in and some came with serious winds. If caught in an open anchorage, it would mean having to deal with the high winds and choppy seas as well. Each day we needed to plan for the afternoon and the direction from which the storms would be coming. Once the pattern was established, there was no let up. Our routine would be to get underway early, anchor by 2 pm, prep for bad weather, enjoy the quiet evening after the storms passed and then do the same the next day. The Florida Panhandle and the Gulf Coast of Alabama are some of the most fantastic cruising grounds that we have experienced. It was almost a disappointment when we reached Mobile Bay and turned north toward Mobile, but we needed to get out of the hurricane box for insurance purposes. The plan was to make a stop at Dog River Marina to regroup and resupply in preparation for moving up the Tombigbee Waterway and into the interior river system - the next chapter in our ongoing adventure.Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5665070556831726952.post-69808211753249961842014-07-04T08:35:00.002-04:002014-07-04T08:35:47.893-04:00Revisiting The Florida Panhandle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCi06MYsm_PAiObU6ol42dQKPA43B8HIci38D9HQxmgO90ViSMpxAAFnfoagUABUqUVD5gSqjBq2hk5GQ1xAX4nJ732KWWhJ8qz_vLbIlhjHnOm1g6HvGfOvHsse3i-fB8lBEx0pJQ9A/s1600/DSC08388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCi06MYsm_PAiObU6ol42dQKPA43B8HIci38D9HQxmgO90ViSMpxAAFnfoagUABUqUVD5gSqjBq2hk5GQ1xAX4nJ732KWWhJ8qz_vLbIlhjHnOm1g6HvGfOvHsse3i-fB8lBEx0pJQ9A/s1600/DSC08388.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
It would seem that the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of the Steinhatchee River has it's own weather system. For a week we watched as the reports from almost every other location showed light winds and quiet conditions. Yet all of the forecasts and buoy reports for the area we needed to transit to get to St. Marks had winds and seas more uncomfortable than we prefer to travel. A long time ago we came to the conclusion that the shallow waters of the Gulf can develop some nasty waves without a lot of wind. The constant forecasts of 15 to 20 and buoy reports confirming winds kept us in the Steinhatchee much longer that we would have liked. Even on the day of our departure, the morning brought winds of 15 knots directly from the direction we had to go. We patiently waited and checked the buoys every hour until they showed wind had dropped to 10 knots. <i>Beach House</i> and crew was underway. The conditions were not ideal; there was still a very sloppy sea for us to plow into for a few hours. As the day progressed and we moved away from the Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach, things began to settle down and eventually the seas flattened and the winds dropped below 5 knots. Finally we were experiencing the Gulf at its best.<br />
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The outer buoys to St. Marks are not as far out in the Gulf as the other rivers we have explored, but it is still some distance from the first set of markers to the town itself. The distance from river entrance to river entrance was 54 miles after heading due west out of the Steinhatchee to avoid a large shoal, and then turning north to reach St. Marks. The lighthouse stands guard at the the river entrance with marsh land beyond. Farther upriver, the marsh and forest begin to combine to make for a very scenic cruise. Some boaters have anchored just off the lighthouse, but we found this less than desirable in anything other than calm conditions. It's wide open to the Gulf and the southerly afternoon seabreeze, making for a bumpy location. We took the time to check out the other fewer anchorages available on the river. Much of the river bottom is rocky so there are only a few places we felt comfortable adding to our anchorage book.<br />
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The next morning the forecasts looked good and the plan was to explore a new location for us, Alligator Harbor. This would still be a 44 mile day by the time we headed back down river and made the crossing to the harbor. The channel to get into Alligator Harbor can be a little tricky, but it is well marked. It required us to cruise along the outside of Alligator Point and stay within the channel with shoals on both side. Once around the western tip, the harbor opens up and is wide, but mostly shallow. Following the marked channel on the inside, we found a deep pocket just out of the channel and at 3:00 p.m., <i>Beach House</i> was secure on her anchor behind a thin ribbon of beach. The afternoon seabreeze blowing off the Gulf and the sounds of the waves lapping not far off our bow made for a perfect end to a perfect day. This is another anchorage we planned to include in the Gulf Coast anchorage guide and the next day we would be spending most of our day going from one potential anchorage to another. But for this evening, we just enjoyed where we were.<br />
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The next morning we reversed our course out of the harbor and pointed the bow toward Dog Island. Odd how such a fantastic island could have such a strange name. During the course of the day we visited and sounded 5 separate anchorages and really wish we could have stopped at every one. Weather delays have put us far behind so it is necessary to keep moving along. After a thorough exploration of Dog Island which included 5 hours of zigging and zagging, we headed across the sound to Carrabelle. It was only 1:50 p.m. when we arrived so some shore time was needed. The last time we were here was by car and we wanted to visit one of the restaurants we liked, The Fisherman's Wife. We were not disappointed and the shrimp, which comes off their own boat, was excellent and just as delicious as we remembered. We also took some time to stop by "the porch" at C-Quarters Marina and visit with the locals while enjoying a sundowner. Another perfect day.<br />
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From Carrabelle, it was deja vu all over again as we spent the day in the anchorages around St. George Island. So far the weather had been very cooperative with light breezes, calm seas and most importantly, no thunderstorms. After St. George Island, it was time to visit Apalachicola. Our last visit here had been by car a couple of years ago, but we have also been here a couple of times by boat. Apalachicola is one of those Florida towns that once thrived by the fishing and shrimp trade but fell on hard times when those industries declined. It has been trying to reinvent itself as a tourist destination and has succeeded somewhat. It's a funky, but fun town with lots of interesting shops and restaurants. There is a free municipal dock just inside the bridge that has some local boats filling most of the slips, but there is still room for a couple of transient boats. The cross current can be strong and makes getting into the slips challenging. There is also a day dock along the waterfront park and boats can spend the night, but there is a $30.00 charge just to tie up. There is no power or water. An alternative is to spend the day at the day dock, visit the town, and then move across the river to an anchorage just outside the channel for the overnight. If the anchorage is desired, there is a nice floating dinghy dock at the park. This is called The Wharf. From White City beyond Apalachicola, much of the rest of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway will be new territory for us, since with our sailboat we had to go out into the Gulf because of the fixed bridges. This time it won't be a problem.Chuck and Susan;http://www.blogger.com/profile/04844233452744671062noreply@blogger.com2