Log 191; Day 661; March 13, 2010 Final Great Adventure Log

Log 191

Day 661

Saturday, March 13, 2010

7:00 AM EST

Location: Cape Harbour Marina; Cape Coral, FL.

Weather: 62 degrees...only a high in the 70’s today

Unless I write an epilog...this will probably be my last captain’s log for this trip.

With a fair amount of thought going into our decision, we have decided to head back to Chillicothe, (and build our new home), somewhere around the last week in April. That leaves us only about 2 months remaining on this “Great Adventure”. And not long after that, the next great adventure will begin. The next one not being as clear in our minds, as this one was.

While there have not been any major events taking place here in Cape Coral, there has been a lot going on. Here is a recap of some of our highlights:

· Visitors...have been a great treat since we arrived back here in early January. First, our good friend Carl Melville (former co-worker at TLC) flew in from San Diego for a few days. Then Dave and Jane Smith (long time friends from Herscher) flew in from Chicago for about 10 days. Dave and I did a lot of fishing. Just as they were getting ready to leave, Les; Annie; Darrell; and Donna arrived, and they will be renting a home for 2 months just about 5 minutes from our boat. At that same time (Feb. 1) our friends Brad and Patti (from Salvage Crew) came into town, and they were renting a condo in Tarpon Point, which is about 5 minutes from our boat. Around the second week in February, Jenny (Les & Annie’s daughter) visited them, and we all spent some time together. And that was the same time as Andy and Mary Sarver (Good News) came and joined Brad and Patti...and they will share the condo for the month of February (we have had so many get togethers with them I have lost count). Also, Don & Char Hoffman (friends for many years) stopped by the boat; and we met up with boating friends Tim & Jan (from the M/V Our Turn, who we first met 2 years ago on the Tennessee River) Starting on Tuesday (March 2^nd) Steve and Claudia Larry will visit us for a week or so, and stay on the boat. And finally, on March 5^th, 7 of my friends, (and former co-workers) will descend on Cape Coral for a weekend of “lying to one another”. It has been a great time being with all these friends.

· Selling the boat...continues to be a daily project. The daily part is making sure the boat is perfectly clean at all times, just in case the call comes in that someone wants to see it in the next few minutes. So far, that has happened 2 times, and neither group has made an offer on the boat. We do have a couple flying in from Texas on March 6^th to look at the boat, and the broker tells me they are very interested...so we’ll see.

· Fishing...has been a lot of fun down here. Even with all the guests, most of the time I go fishing by myself, because (other than Dave Smith) none of our friends really enjoy fishing like I do. While I have not caught any very large fish, I have caught lots of fish...and certainly learned a lot. The extreme weather changes has made the fish very tough to catch, but I have had a great time none the less.

· Weather...has been 10 to 15 degrees below normal much of the time. The normal highs this time of year should be 78 to 80, but we rarely see those highs. Much of the time it’s been in the high 60’s, and low 70’s. We keep hoping that we have seen the last major cold front come through...but the long range forecast does not show thing getting back to normal...yet. That said...we certainly have had a great winter down here. We have watched the rest of the nation get hammered by bad weather, so even though it’s colder than normal...we are not complaining.

· Coming up...there is really not a lot extra going on, other than our normal life here. The 3 biggest activities are cleaning the boat; fishing; and going out on the Whaler for day trips, and looking for a great lunch spot. All of which are fun, and (although routine) we love each day. Les; Annie; Darrell & Donna will be heading back to Illinois at the end of March. Although we have not spent much time with them, we have done a few things together. Once they leave, we are not aware of any other friends who will be in the area this winter, so it will be just Deb and me until the end of April.

· Heading home...is both exciting, and sad. Exciting because we are looking forward to building our new home, and what we do from there. Sad, because we have loved every day of living on this boat, and are not looking forward to seeing it end. But, we have said from day one that we wanted to stop cruising while it was still fun, and before the time we both said “get me off this boat”. Neither of us know if this is the right way to do it, but we wanted our cruising memories to always be happy ones, and not feeling like we can’t wait for it to be over. At this point neither Deb, or I, can come up with any bad memories...but there are sure lots of great ones.

· And finally...thanks to everyone for all the notes that you have sent me as a result of these logs. As I have said many times, I write these logs for me (so I can go back and read them later) but it is also a great way for others to follow us, and get some idea of what it’s like to live, and travel, on a boat. From these logs, I have got the coolest notes from people...many of them we do not know. Like one person who said they read these logs, and have fun sharing them with others on the boat docks; another who wrote and said they were following the logs and had a boating question I might be able to answer (the good news was I could answer his question); another who wrote to thank me because he had fixed his impellor issue (he lost some of the veins on his impellor) by using the method I had written about in one of my logs; and the many who wrote to say “we were living their dream”. All of which I wrote back to and let them know that they could live their dream as well...just start planning.

Bob

Log 190; Day 603; January 14, 2010; Back at the boat in Cape Coral

Log 190

Day 603

Thursday, January 14, 2010

9:00 AM EST

Location: Cape Harbour Marina; Cape Coral, FL.

Weather: 51 degrees...only a high in the 70’s today

It’s been a little over a month since my last log. Here is an update of what’s been going on.

· Leaving the boat to head home...things went just as planned. It’s not a big deal to leave the boat for a couple of weeks. Make sure the holding tanks are pumped out; make sure the refrigerator is set, in case of a power outage; set the air conditioners to cycle once a day to keep out the humidity; and shut off all water. We had a 6:30 flight, so we left the boat at about 4:30 am. We had a rental car, so it was easy to head to the airport, and all things were on time. After a 4 hour layover in Chicago, we landed in Peoria, IL at 2 PM...right on time. Our brother in law, Terry Ruhland, picked us up at the airport, and we only had to go a few miles to where we had our truck stored. It had been over 18 months since we had put the truck in storage...and it started without a problem...and ran perfect.

· Our Christmas time at home...was very nice. Lots of traveling to see our daughter; grandkids; different friends and family; and all over about a 7 day period, but, looking back, it was a great time. In years past I would always complain about how much of a hassle things were...but it never seemed to change the fact that we continued to do the same things, so this year I just went with the flow. It was easier on all of us.

· Heading back to the boat...also went as planned. The week before Christmas I went to get our 21 foot Boston Whaler out of storage, and make sure it was winterized for the trip south. On the Monday after Christmas, at 10 am, we hooked onto the boat, and left Chillicothe. When we left it was 26 degrees, with light blowing snow. By the time we stopped in Clarksville, TN on Monday evening it was in the low 40’s and in the mid 50’s when we stopped in Birmingham, AL on Tuesday. (we made a little detour to stop at Brad & Patti’s house...our friends from Salvage Crew). After a great afternoon, and evening, of laughing with Brad and Patti, we left the next morning (after a great eggs and grits breakfast) at 9 am, and by 6 pm we were in Gainesville, Fl for the night. Finally...on New Years Eve, we arrived back at Cape Harbour Marina..to 80 degrees!! There was a big party here at the marina complex, and it was great to be back at the boat.

· The first couple of days after our return were spent getting the boat back in shape, as well as getting the Whaler off the trailer, and “in the barn” (which is a large building with racks, and a they use a big forklift to put boats in the water). The Monday after New Years, I had a mechanic do a complete service on the Yamaha engine on the Whaler, and Deb and I took it out for a quick spin. The key word here is “quick”. It was sunny, but only about 55 degrees...and while it felt warm in the harbor, once we got out on the Caloosahatchee, it was way too cold. But, we did have a great time, and it gave us a taste of many fun days ahead of us, as we explore the area in the Whaler.

· Since that first day of having the boat in the water, I have used the boat almost every day. Most of the time I have been by myself, and just “putzing” around trying to fish. The weather continues to set records for the longest amount of days where the tempratures does not get to 70, and also cold nights (it’s been as cold as 32 and now is back to a low of 47...the average low is 58). This has really caused havoc with the fish. They do not feed during these times, and there are LOTS of fish that have died, and are floating on the water. Many of the locals I have met tell me they have never seen anything like this in their lifetime.

· Keeping busy here does not seem to be an issue at all. Deb loves her morning to be slow and relaxing. She gets wound up later in the day...about the time I’m slowing down. I spend my early mornings on the computer, and then generally head over to the bait and tackle shop (right next to the marina) about 9, or so, and hang out with some of my new friends I have met. There is a great group of guys who come and go each morning, and I have gotten to know several of them, and I am always asking for advice on fishing tips. Late mornings I head back to the boat, and Deb is making plans for the day. While I have been heading back to the Whaler, she has been cleaning, and running errands. And then we meet back at the boat between 3 and 4...just in time for cocktail hour. I know as the weather warms up we will spend more time together on the Whaler, but for now this routine seems to suit us just fine.

· Fishing...is what I am really looking forward to as the winter goes on. While I am alone on the boat I have been working on “hot set-ups” for fishing, and getting the boat ready to make it easy to fish. Along with all the tips, and things I need to buy, I have also found a fishing guide that is going to take me fishing on Friday, January 15^th. I can’t wait for him to show me all his favorite spots, and techniques for catching fish. I have told him I don’t care if we catch a fish (while were together) I just want to learn as much as I can about the area, and the habits of the fish. That way I can explore on my own, as well as know the hot spots when my fishing buddies are here.

· Selling the boat...is a daily work in progress. Almost every day I stop by the Galati dealer (just a minute from our boat) to say “hi” and talk about boat activity. We are coming up to the busiest time of the year (mid January to May) for boat buying, and I want to be sure we are priced right, and the boat is in great shape to show. I will say that my enthusiasm for washing the outside of the boat, in this cold weather, is not very high...but it continues to look great, none the less.

· While it has been quite, and relaxing, the last couple of weeks, the level of activity is about to pick up considerably. A friend, and former coworker, Carl Melville will arrive here on Friday, and be here until next Tuesday. When Carl leaves, I will drive to West Palm Beach for a board meeting, and then, the last week of the month some longtime friends, Dave and Jane Smith, will be here for 10 days. Beginning the 1^st of February, our friends Brad & Patti (M/V Salvage Crew) will be renting a home about 5 minutes from the marina for the month, and sharing it with Andy and Mary (M/V Good News). If that was not enough, Les and Annie, and Darrell and Donna, will be renting a home for 2 months (February and March) here in Cape Coral...which is also less than 5 minutes away from our boat. We also have two other former coworkers (Steve & Claudia Larry and John and Karen Peters) join us on our boat during that time. And to top it off, I have invited 8 former coworkers to come down the first weekend in March...and they all said yes. I’m getting a headache just thinking about all the margaritas that will be consumed.

That’s about all that’s fit to print at this time.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 189; Last log...for a while; Cape Harbour Marina; Cape Coral, FL.

As we made our way from Legacy Harbor to Cape Harbour Marina the dolphin continued to follow us. We have about 25 picutres Deb took that morning...here is just one of them.

This is a shot (looking west) of where the Calooseahatchee River joins the Gulf Waterway...mile 0 on the Okeechobee Waterway. Even on a weekday morning, still lots of boat traffic

This is the beginning of the waterway that leads to Cape Harbour Marina...that's the Cape Harbour condo's in the backround

In this picture we are getting closer to Cape Harbour, and that is Rumrunners bar and restaurant along the water side

This is the small lock that seperates the waterside at Rumrunners from the marina

When you come out of the lock and bear to starboard (right) you come to Cape Harbour Marina

Amoung all the shops and restaurants, they have a bait and tackle shop

This shot is taken from the back of our boat, sitting in our slip

And this one is taken from our slip...looking down the dock towards the condo's and shops

Every Sunday and Tuesday they have a band. We could not believe the amount of people who showed up on Tuesday...even when it was cool out that night.

Log 189

Day 566

Tuesday, December, 8, 2009

9:30 AM EST

Location: Cape Harbour Marina; Cape Coral, FL.

Weather: 69 and hazy...heading to mid 80's today

Note: This will be my last log...for a while. We have made it to our winter home, in Cape Harbour Marina, Cape Coral, FL and as I have said several times...when we are not cruising, I write very few logs. But, I’m sure I will be updating some of our activity as we explore the area on our Boston Whaler. So....if you have followed these logs via the internet at http://www.hqlog.blogspot.com/ verses receiving my logs via email, and do not want to keep checking for an update, I can alert you when I do update an occasional captain’s log, if you send me an email to bob.koerner@gmail.com and I will add you to my email list. On average, 169 people a week, check out my logs (according to the counter) so maybe this will make it easier.

On Monday I wrote...

Interesting...when we are cruising, there are lots of times I’ll wake up at 4 or so, and think about writing a log, and get up to write one. Depending on what time we plan to leave that morning, sometimes I can’t finish it, but I am anxious to write about what is going on. Since we have arrived in Cape Coral Harbour...not so much. Until this morning, I have really had no desire to write a log. Why...not really sure, but I think it has everything to do with the “cruising” part. When we’re cruising, there is always something new and interesting going on. When we’re docked for a long time in one marina, we use the boat for a home, and just “life” goes on. I love our life...but don’t feel a need to write about it.

Anyway...last Monday, we untied our lines at Legacy Harbor about 9 am, and made the 10 mile run from Legacy to Cape Harbour (yes...this is spelled correctly) Marina. I must tell you Deb was in a “funk”. She was so concerned, and upset, that these last 10 miles this winter could be our last cruising days...ever (I’ll explain this in a minute). It was a beautiful warm and sunny morning. We had all the isinglass off, and we were just enjoying the ride. We had several dolphin around us, and I think that helped Deb for a minute, but it also made her sad, because she was thinking we’ll never see dolphin again. I kept telling her...”Deb...we’re not dying today...just not cruising for a while”. Her answer was “if we sell the boat, this is our last day of cruising, and I don’t want this to be over”. So...she made 2 bloody mary’s (one for each of us...not 2 for me), and we went as slow as the boat can go, and just soaked in the short trip. We arrived at Cape Harbour about 11, tied up the boat, and walked over to Rum Runners (one of the several restaurants on the marina property) for lunch. Headquarters was home...at least for a while.

Cape Harbour...is really a great spot. On a scale of 1 to 10, this property is at least a 9, if not a 10. The condo’s are certainly a 10. They are beautifully built, with great colors, and a great layout. They have several shops; several restaurants; at least 4 different companies that sell boats; a great bait and tackle shop that I can’t wait to use; and the marina & dry storage area are first class. The only negative to this place at all, is that there is a lock between our marina, and the gulf waters, that you have to go through. But...that lock also keeps the water at a constant level in the marina, and there are NO waves here to rock the boat. Oh...there is a slight negative, in that there is very little activity on the docks. We are the only ones staying our boat overnight, and this marina have very little transient activity (probably because of the lock), so there is not a lot of activity to watch (which I love to do) like there was in Key West, and other places we have stayed. That said...I think this is a great place to stay for the winter.

Our plans now...are fairly well set. When we got here, we gave the boat an extra good cleaning, and then invited the folks from Galati Yacht Sales to look at the boat, and “officially” try to sell it. I would say that there are probably 40 boats for sale in this marina, and we are one of them. We have Galati for sale signs on the boat, and it gets lots of looks from the folks walking the dock looking to buy a boat. The biggest reason we are here, is that we want to take advantage of the traffic of the boat buyers who walk the docks. The chances of us selling the boat here, verses staying at Legacy Harbor, are greatly multiplied. And, the good news is, (several sales people have told us) that boat buying traffic is up, and there are lots of boats being sold. The bad news is, these buyers are looking for rock bottom prices, so it will be interesting to see if we do accept a “low ball” offer if we get one. If we can’t get what we want, our current plans call for us to head north in the spring, and spend next summer somewhere on the Tennessee River, then back here again next winter. But that’s a long way off.

In the meantime...we plan to head back to Illinois to spend the holidays with our families, and then get our truck, and Boston Whaler, and drive them back to Florida. We should be back in Cape Coral by the 1^st of the year. We really look forward to using the Whaler to run around the Fort Myers area, and explore all the rivers and tributaries. We also look forward to spending time with good friends who will also be in the area. Along with some friends who plan to stay on the boat, our friends on Good News (Andy and Mary), and Salvage Crew (Brad and Patti) have rented a house in Cape Coral for the month of February. Plus...Deb’s sister, and brother in law (Annie & Less), and Darrell and Donna also rent a place in Cape Coral for the months of February, and March. I’d say there could be a party of two?

Here are some interesting statistics since we left our Holland, Michigan home on Saturday, May 24^th, 2008.

· Days on the boat...557

· Days cruising...144...it seems like it was more...but it wasn’t

· Miles traveled...7,499.9

· Hours put on the engines...781

· Average miles per day...52

· Nights at a marina...552

· Nights at anchor...5

· Gallons of fuel used...5,839.18

· Average price of fuel...$2.78

· Average miles per gallon...1.28

· Average price of docking per night...$60

· Cost for repair and maintenance...$18,652

· Total cost for the trip so far...PRICLESS

Today (Tuesday)...up at 4:30...not sure why. Just woke up at 4, and decided at 4:30, I was done sleeping. Obviously, pitch black out this morning, and a little foggy as well. Although I do have the heat on in the helm area, it’s 68 outside and heading for mid 80’s today. I can’t help but think that the temperature will be 50 degrees warmer today, than it will be, when we arrive in Chillicothe on Friday. I am already looking at the 10 day forecast for Chillicothe, and some days it does not even make it to 30. We are not looking forward to cold weather. But, until then we will enjoy this great Florida weather. Not a lot planned for the rest of the week, except an extra cleaning on the boat, and packing for our flight on Friday.

This morning, I am reflecting back on our trip (so far)...I can not find the words to explain how cool this is for us, and how much we appreciated it. In the 557 days, I’ll bet Deb said “we live on a boat ya know” at least 100 times, and each time with a huge smile on her face. At least 2 to 3 times each week, one of us would comment on how great this life is, and how fortunate (luck has nothing to do with it) we are to be able to do this. We planned for it; saved for it; and are doing it. It is a very cool feeling. Many people who do the Great Loop, say their greatest enjoyment was all the people they met. While there is no doubt, we have met some great people, some who will be friends for years to come, for Deb and I, it was the “boating experience” itself that we have enjoyed the most. By that I mean, living and traveling on a boat. When some folks do the Loop, it really becomes about completing the circle, and saying “we did it”. I know what this is like...that’s how we felt in 2000 when we completed our Great Circle Trip. It’s different for us now. We LIVE on a boat. This is our home. For us, it’s an incredible life, and one we enjoy EVERY day. We know someday this will end, and that makes us appreciate it even more. I can’t tell you the number of people we have talked to that have said, what we’re doing is their dream. We are living that dream.

Well it’s now 6:40 am, and still not light out, but you can tell it will be in a short while. It’s time for me to end this log, and get some breakfast. By the time I do that, and sort through the pictures I want to attach to this log, and hit “send”, the sun will be up, and there will be activity in the marina. I’m not sure what the day has in store yet...but I do know, we get to enjoy another day on the boat. Very cool.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 188; Day 556; November 28, 2009; Fort Myers, FL.

The log tells the story...but here we are on Monday morning, after leaving Titusville Marina, and waiting until 7:15 to get them to open the Titusville Swing Bridge

Along the way we were followed; led; and run along side (like this group) by LOTS of dolphins

We arrived at Melborne Marina, and ate lunch at the dockside restaurant
The next day we went further south, to Fort Pierce
Along with other things...this is a big charter boat area. This captain is cleaning the dolphin fish (Mahi Mahi) he caught today

A shot of the center of town in Fort Pierce

The next morning, we woke to lots of storms in the area. You can see on our weather radar the red, which means heavy storms. The good news is they were a couple hundred miles south of us when we left Fort Pierce

By 10:30 that morning we had made it to the Okeechobee Waterway, and Sunset Bay Marina

This is a new marina...and 1st class

As we left Sunset Bay the next morning...this is a typical shot of the waterway heading to Lake Okeechobee

The lock before Lake Okeechobee was open on both ends, so we just drove through. You can see on the other side is Lake Okeechobee...but it might as well be an ocean, because you can't see any land.

45 miles after leaving the lock we came to Roland Martin's marina

This cool Tiki Bar was right beside our boat

The docks aren't much...but it is a nice stop

On Friday morning we left Roland Martin's Marina and turned hard port (NW) to follow the rim route along Lake Okeechobee to our first lock at Moore Haven

The locks on the Okeechobee Water way (5 of them) are not large, and you do not go up, or drop more than 8 feet

But it still takes 2 people to work the lines

Along the waterway is another of the old fashion swing bridges
At mile 133 on the Okeechobee Waterway you come to Fort Myers, and Legacy Marina

This is B dock at Legacy...our home for 3 nights

Log 188

Day 556

Saturday, November 28, 2009

6:30 AM EST

Location: Legacy Harbor Marina; Fort Myers, FL.

Weather: 58 degrees...heading for 68 today.

Here are my captain’s logs for the last week:

Sunday at Titusville Marina...was a beautiful morning. Light winds and warm temperatures. A little hazy, and almost 100% humidity, but very nice. Not a lot to report for the day. It was one of our “typical” Sundays at the Koerner's (on the boat...or at home). Just putzing around in the morning; chili at 11:30; watching football and racing; Deb working on the computer, and doing some laundry; naps later in the afternoon; pizza for dinner. Ahhhh...the perfect day.

Monday...up early, and listening to the VHF, to determine when the Titusville swing bridge would open, so we could head south. It turned out that they had a restricted opening until 7:15, so we left the slip at 7, and at 7:15 we were sitting in front of the bridge...along with several other southbound boats. After clearing the bridge, the 42 miles to Melbourne was easy to navigate, and uneventful. Except...for LOTS of dolphins everywhere. Many times they would swim beside the boat, for a mile or so, and then just disappear. It happened several times, and each time Deb would be “gitty”. She never gets tired of seeing dolphins (Don’t tell her...but neither do I). Our slip for the night was at Melbourne, FL. Not much of a marina, but a convenient place to stop. We arrived about 11 am, and after tying up, went up to the on site restaurant for lunch. (Side note: this is only the second time since we left Holland, 551 days ago, that the marina did not have 50 amp power. We had to use our new 30 amp power adaptor we got in Baltimore...which worked great) After lunch Deb walked into town to check things out (not much to see she said) and I putzed around on the boat...after a short boat nap. Not much to report on the rest of the day. Dinner on board, and watched something on the DVR.

Tuesday...up about 6, and left the dock a little after 7...heading for Fort Pierce City Marina. Another day of light winds, sunny skies, and warm temperatures. The cruise down the ICW was easy cruising and uneventful. Like much of the east coast ICW it is very narrow, and very shallow just outside the channel, but if you watch yourself closely, you have no problem. Along our route today, we passed the towns of Palm Bay; Sebastian; Vero Beach; and at mile 966 we came to Fort Pierce City Marina. After a 48 mile run, we arrived at the marina at about 1 pm. Deb and I decided that Headquarters needed a good washing, so we took our time and completely washed the boat. By 3 pm we were done with our chores, so we walked up to check in, and then walked around the town...which is just across the street from the marina. Fort Pierce has a very nice downtown and water front area, but nothing struck our fancy, and we were back at the boat by 4:30. Dinner was a small salad, and Castle for the movie.

Wednesday...up at 5;30, and LOTS of rain in the area. I was considering not leaving today, because of the weather. NOAA was calling for some strong storms, with wind, but checking other weather sites, and watching the radar I figured out the worst of the storms were around the Miami area...far enough south of us, so it would not be a problem. It was also very warm (75 degrees) so I took off the front isinglass, but, within an hour, we had to put it back on because it started to rain. In the beginning, it was just sprinkling, but soon, it was raining hard enough we had to close up everything. At mile 985 on the ICW (we have come 985 miles since Norfolk) we came to the St Lucie Inlet (which goes out to the Atlantic), and made a hard turn to starboard, and joined the St Lucie River and mile 0 of the Okeechobee Waterway (it’s 147 miles to the gulf from here). From here, we went another 8 miles to Stuart, and arrived at 10;30, just as the skies opened up, and we ended up tying up the boat in heavy rain. Our marina for the night was a new one called Sunset Bay Marina...which is built and owned by Wayne Huizenga (former owner of the Tampa Bay baseball team, and the Miami Dolphins). It is a first class facility, with a great new restaurant on site, that we took advantage of for lunch. The entire site reminded Deb and I of pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale (which, by the way, he once owned as well). In the afternoon we did some boat chores, and had a boat salesman show us a couple of Ocean Alexander’s that they had for sale in the marina. A beautiful 2010 60 footer, and a 2006 64 footer...only $1.6 million each. Dinner was another light meal (getting ready for Thanksgiving), and Lie to Me was the movie.

Thursday...the morning was warm (72) and the rain had moved through. It was still fairly cloudy, but you could tell the sun would shine soon. We left our slip at 7 am, and headed SW on the Okeechobee Waterway toward Lake Okeechobee. The waterway is part river, and part canal, but nice scenery; deep; and easy to navigate. At mile 15 we came to St. Lucie lock, which lifted us about 5 feet, and then at mile 38, we came to Port Mayaca Lock, which is at the eastern edge of Lake Okeechobee. Because of the level of the lake, both lock doors were open, and we just motored through. At that point, we could just as easily be in an ocean, because looking west, or north, or south, you could not see any land. We also saw that the NW winds had caused a chop on the lake, that would be on our starboard beam and make it very uncomfortable to make a slow run to Clewiston. So, after rocking and rolling for a little bit, I picked up our speed to about 20 mph, which made for a comfortable ride, and ran that way all the way to Clewiston...25 miles away. We arrived at Roland Martin’s Marina about 11 am...just in time for us to get plugged in, and for Deb to start cooking Thanksgiving Dinner. For my taste buds, she makes the best dressing there is (just like Mom’s), and her Thanksgiving dinner is to die for. I am happy to report that this years dinner (which we had at 3 pm) was the best she has ever made, and we ate until we were stuffed. To top it off, she made bread pudding (another BEST for her) and we were so full, we actually had it for dinner. Actually...that is all we had for dinner.

Friday morning at 5:30 am...pitch black outside the boat this morning, with fairly strong NW winds and a cool 54 degrees. I stuck my head out the side door once, only to decide I did not want to go for a dock walk. We are in Rolland Martin’s Marina this morning, and I can’t help but think back to when we were here on New Years Eve, in 2000. We were moving the boat (on our first great circle trip) from Clearwater, FL to Fort Lauderdale, and stopped here for the night. They had a big New Years Eve party, and we had a ball. On board, we had Steve and Chris Thoke, and Carl Melville, and we were having a great time. This marina is located at the very southern tip of Lake Okeechobee, in a town called Clewiston, FL. Called the bass fishing capital of the world. After working on the captain’s log a little, I went up to the marina restaurant for a good, ole fashion, southern breakfast (meaning lots of butter and grease). I was not disappointed. My bacon; eggs; hash browns; and biscuit, were excellent, and I went back to the boat ready for cruising. After washing down the boat to get lots of dead bugs off it, we left the dock at about 7:30. The winds were still fairly steady at about 15 mph, but because the “rim route” of Lake Okeechobee is protected by land we had no waves...just some light chop on the water. Our route took us along the SW edge of Lake for about 11 miles (actually heading NW) and then to a lock (drops 3 feet) at Moore Haven, FL (note: when you head toward the Lake the locks take you up...as you head away from the lake, the locks take you down). At this point we are still on the Okeechobee Waterway, but we left Lake Okeechobee behind, and joined the Caloosahatchee Canal...which will later become the Caloosahatchee River. At mile 94 (the Okeechobee Waterway is 147 miles from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico) we came to Ortona Lock (a drop of 8 feet)...number 4 on the system. And then at mile 121 we came to Franklin Lock (3 foot drop), which the final lock, and at that point we are officially in the Caloosahatchee River. At about 3:30 pm (mile 135), we came to Legacy Harbor...our home for the next couple of days. We really like this marina. We stayed here last year for a little over a month, and really liked the people, and the location. We were greeted by Dave, the Harbormaster, and felt very welcome (we would love to spend the winter here, but need to go to Galati’s at Cape Harbour Marina to sell the boat). We had dinner aboard (another turkey dinner...YUM) and watched a Survivor episode we had recorded.

Today (Saturday)...up about 6; it’s now 8:45, and I have been working on this log (off and on) for a couple of hours. It got down to 54 last night, and this morning it’s a little windy, but bright and sunny. The forecast is for 68 and sunny today, and then back to the 80’s for the rest of the week. We plan to walk into Fort Myers today for lunch, and we’ll see what happens from here.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 187; Day 549; November 21, 2009; Titusvville Municipal Marina; Titusville, FL.

Some folks are probably getting tired of pictures of dolphins swimming in front of our boat...we're not.

Along the waterway you see many types of equipment to clean the channels. Some are home made.

Others are much more complex
Then there are those who get elaborate with their docks

And those who could care less what others think

We met this 1971 Trumpy called Jonathon III

Some bridges we have to have lift for us, due to our 18'6" height. This one we only had inches to spare

Along the waterway we also pass all kinds of ferry boats. Some like this one...

...and they come in all sizes
When we got to New Smyrna Beach we had a problem with our power cord that I had to fix

And later...we went to dinner with Jim and Sandy from Footloose

And here is Footloose leaving New Smyrna Beach early in the morning

When we arrived at Titusville Municipal Marina we were greeted by several Manatee

On Friday we spent the day at Kennedy Space Center

And spent the first 2 hours getting a "up close and personal" guided tour in this bus

Along the way we passed this track vehicle which is the one that takes the space shuttle to the launch pad

This is the launch pad the tracker goes to. It takes 8 hours to travel the 3 1/2 miles from the vehicle assemble building (the picture after this one)

This is the actual control room used to send the first man to the moon

Here we are overlooking a center where they work on the "pods" for the International Space Station

This is the International Space Station as it looks in space

On the left is the space shutle...on the right, the rockets that take it to space

We were able to go inside this shuttle

Log 187

Day 549

Saturday, November 21, 2009

9:30 AM EST

Location: Titusville Municipal Marina; Titusville, FL.

Weather: 75 with light winds and mostly cloudy skies...heading for 83 today.

Sunday...Not long after Peddler and Joy Ann left the dock at Golden Isles, in St. Simons Island, Deb and I borrowed bikes from the marina and rode into town. It turned out to be a 3 mile ride (much more than I had planned) but the weather was perfect, and we kept telling ourselves how good this was for us. Once we made it to the center of the town (on St. Simons Island) we walked around a little looking for a spot for lunch. After stopping at 3 or 4 places, we finally decided on a place called Iguanas. We met Rob, the bartender (we like to eat at the bar because we always have interesting conversations with the bartenders) and he filled us in on the area. He was one of those guys who loves to talk...so he told us a lot...about a lot of things. After lunch, we rode our bikes to a grocery store, and Deb got 4 big bags of groceries, that we somehow managed to get back to the boat without falling down on the bikes. Back at the boat, I watched the football games and NASCAR race that I had recorded, and Deb worked on sorting through some of her pictures (something that takes hours to do). Late in the day, Footloose pulled into the marina, and Jim and Sandy stopped by the boat to say hi. We have met Footloose many times before, starting last fall on the Tennessee River.

Monday...up early, and left Golden Isles Marina, just after first light. Our plan was to head to the north side of Jacksonville, to Palm Cove Marina. Although the Atlantic was good enough to run outside, we decided to stay on the ICW. It is certainly more of a challenge to run the ICW, but we like all the things you see along the way. We have been through this area several times now, but there is always something different to see. On this day, we saw an eagle, and LOTS of dolphins. We also saw a HUGE cargo ship coming out of the St. Johns River, and experienced the best, and the worst, side of the tidal current coming through the bridges. After a 72 mile run, we arrived at Palm Cove Marina at 2:30 pm. After arriving, we took on 200 gallons of fuel ($2.66 @ gallon) and I figured out this could be the last fuel we take on for several months. We have about 400 miles to go to Cape Coral, and that should take about 300 gallon of fuel. Which means we will have about 100 gallon left when we arrive at Cape Harbour Marina...our home for the winter. After fueling up, and getting settled in our slip, I washed off the boat. Not a complete job, but enough to get the salt off. We had dinner on board, and watched the latest episode the Survivor for our “dinner movie”.

Tuesday...we left Palm Cove about 7:15, and quickly joined the ICW again. Our plan was to go to St. Augustine...an easy 30 mile run. Although not many miles, it does fit nicely into our cruising plans. Our original plan was to go to the Municipal Marina, where we have stopped several times, but we decided to change to a place called Comachee Cove...which looked good in the cruising guides. We arrived at 10:30, and after a quick rinse of the boat, we walked over to their on site restaurant for lunch. We had great clam soup, and an even better smoked pork sandwich, and then took a walk around the area. In the afternoon (after a quick boat nap...love it) I did a good job of cleaning the dinghy, while Deb did a couple loads of laundry. Also, Footloose pulled into the dock across from us, and we invited them over for a drink on HQ later that evening. After they left, we had enchiladas, and watched last weeks episode of The Great Race.

Wednesday...we left Comachee Cove before sunrise because we had about a 70 mile run down to New Smyrna Beach. Our previous plan was to go to Daytona, and then to Titusville, but after all my investigations (normal stuff) I decided to change our plans because of a potential bridge issue. The issue was that the NASA railroad bridge (with a 9’ clearance) was having some repairs done to it, and, while it is normally in the open position, (unless there is a train coming), they have been keeping it closed most of the time while they repair it. We found out that they close it in the morning, then open it from 11 am to 1 pm, then it’s closed again till about 5. If we stayed at Daytona (Mile 831) it could be an issue to make it to the NASA bridge (mile 877) by 1 pm. So...we decided to move on the New Smyrna Beach (mile 847) and then we would have an easy run to the bridge in the morning. We arrived at New Smyrna at about 2:30, and decided to pull into our slip because of the wind direction. When we did that, it meant that we needed our 25 foot extension cord for our shore power. But when we plugged in, we found out there was an issue with the cord. We were blowing breakers, and later, lots of smoke (where the boat cord plugged into the extension cord). I was not exactly sure where the issue was, so I took apart the one on the boat, only to find it was fine. The extension cord has sealed ends on it, so I could not tear it apart, but decided that was the problem. After 30 minutes of running around, we finally got the main cord plugged into the shore power, and everything was fine. (I will need to cut the end off the cord, and install a new one. I think this is a problem I caused, by getting the cord wet several times, and causing it to corrode). Once that was fixed, and a quick rinse of the boat, and quick shower, we went over to Footloose for cocktails, and then the 4 of us walked up town for dinner. We were back at the boat early, and made an early night of it.

Friday...not in a real hurry to head out because we only had 30 miles to go to the NASA bridge, and it did not open until 11. We traveled with Footloose, and timed our speed to arrive at the bridge at exactly 11...and at 11 am & 42 seconds they opened the bridge. Our marina (and home for the next 4 days) was in Titusville, and just a couple of miles south of the NASA bridge. Footloose was planning on going on another 20 miles, or so, to the Haulover Canal, and then to a marina near Cape Canaveral. From there they are headed to Stuart, Florida...their home for the winter. We, on the other hand, wanted to stay in Titusville, because we planned to rent a car for a couple of days, and visit the Kennedy Space Center. After tying up, and getting settled (no wash down today), we checked in, and while I got a quick nap, Deb spent some time on the front deck reading her book (it was a gorgeous day). At 4 pm we had a driver pick us up and take us to the rental car place. We normally rent Enterprise cars, because I am really impressed with the management training programs they have, and the great young talent they have at their locations, but in this case the marina convinced me to use U-Save Car Rental. I could tell, at first glance, this was not Enterprise. They guy who picked us up had not shaven for a week (or two); had a long pony tail; shorts that were falling down just above his crack, and came down past his knees, but not to his shoes (question: who thinks this is cool?); and keys dangling on his side, that I’ll bet he has no idea what they will open. Anyway...he was a nice guy, and took us to the rental location without any issue. I won’t go into the description of the rental location, except to say it matched the description of the guy who picked us up. That said, we did get a car, and we met the owner, who was also a nice guy. After a short run around town, we were back at the boat by 5, and had great tuna steaks for dinner, and watched Castle.

Friday...no real reason to get up too early, but did anyway. A cloudy and fairly foggy morning, with 100% humidity. The temperature was about 68 degrees, but it sure felt much cooler. Deb and I were both looking forward to today. When we went through this area, on our way north, Deb said she wanted to stop here on our way south, and go to the Kennedy Space Center, and today was the day. After Deb did some investigation on the web, and talked to the space center, she decided to go for it and take the “up close and personal guided tour package”. We were not sure what that meant, but they said it was the best they had, so we were looking forward to it. Obviously, I can not describe the Kennedy Space Center, or what is there. A trip to their web page will take care of that. But, I can say a few words about our day there. We left the boat at 9, for a 10 am tour. We boarded a bus, and were introduced to Jeff...our tour guide for the next 2 hours. We learned soooooooooo much about the space program; the astronauts; and the future plans. We took a bus ride around the entire property, and saw where the astronauts live; where they are building the space station (actually watched them in action) drove within a few feet (as it was moving) of the HUGE 4 track device that takes 8 hours to move the space shuttle 3 1/2 miles to the launch pad; went by both launch pads; stood in front of the building where they attach the shuttle to the rockets; and all the while being told the story of each area. It was very cool. After the tour, we went on our own, and saw even more of the Space Center, including; an area where they have a real Apollo Rocket that you can walk around; a ride that simulates the take off of the shuttle; and two different 3D movies that told the story of the International Space Station, and mans trip to the moon. We also were able to walk into a real Space Shuttle (like the one you see strapped to those rockets). Again...I’m not much on museums (or didn’t use to be?) but this was a cool place. On our way back home, I use the GPS to locate a Mexican restaurant, and we had a GREAT meal. Back at the boat by 7, and we could not keep our eyes open. We were both in bed by 8:30.

Saturday (today)...as I write this, it’s 9 am, and 74 degrees, with light winds out of the NE. It’s also mostly cloudy, and a little hazy. Deb fried up some bacon this morning, so we had that with some eggs and potatoes for breakfast. I’ve been working on this log for a while, and it’s time to get the day started. No real pressing plans today. We decided we would leave about 11 and head out to find some lunch. We also want to go to the grocery store, and West Marine, while we have the car, which we will turn in later today. Other than that, and the normal boat chores, not much of a exciting day.

Sunday...we plan to have a lazy day. It’s the last NASCAR race of the season, so I do not want to miss a lap of the race in Homestead. I’m sure Deb will take advantage of this, and get some reading done, along with sorting through her pictures.

Future plans...we plan to leave Titusville and continue 40 miles south to Melbourne, FL on Monday. From there, we’ll go another 48 miles to Fort Pierce, and then another 25 miles to Stuart, where we’ll be on Wednesday, and Thanksgiving Day. At that point we will be on the St. Lucie River, and the beginning of the Okeechobee Waterway. Only 147 miles from our winter home...Cape Harbour Marina, in Cape Coral, FL. We have very mixed emotions about getting there (looking forward to spending the winter...but wondering if we sell the boat, is our cruising life over) but more on that at a later time.

Bob