Log 30; Day 112; September 10, 2008; GTB, Grand Rivers, KY

Log 30
Day 112
Wednesday, September 10, 2008

5:10 AM CDT
Location: Green Turtle Bay Marina, Grand Rivers, KY.
Weather: 63* and no wind; heading for 84* and sunny today

Up very early this morning so I have time for a log. Not sure why I wake up so early...I’m thinking it has to do with a clear conscience, and a great night’s sleep. Not that it matters...I love getting up early on a boat. I can’t explain exactly why...so I won’t try...but sitting on the back deck when it’s dark outside and waiting for the first sign of light is something I enjoy. I’ve got the heater on this morning in the back deck, just to take the slight chill off. You can tell summer is winding down.

There are also a lot of things I love about living on a boat, and one of them is meeting other folks who are cruising on their boats. Each one has a different story. Why they are doing it. Issues they are having, and what they plan to do about it. In the last few days there have been a lot of Loopers come in the marina. Some only stay one night, but most stay a few days or a week because this is such a great stop and the first nice stop since Alton, IL. A couple of examples. Jim on TWINS is a 42 Grand Banks classic (beautiful boat). He is from Grand Haven Michigan (where we kept our boat...I used to see his boat there on a regular basis). He left just 2 weeks ago and has been hitting it hard. He arrived at the Mississippi at just the wrong time. The big rains they have had the last week or so across the Midwest made the Mississippi rise 13 feet higher than it was when we came through that area. With all that water, the trash floating increased immensely...and he got a 4” log caught in his prop (sitting at the dock at Hoppies) and now has a vibration. The marina here at GTB wanted $400 to pull the boat and take off the prop. He decided to head out today and anchor out in a cove, and get a diver to pull the prop (because the marina would not let him hire a diver, and dive at the dock in the marina, because they said it was competition for them). I understand wanting to save the money...but can you imagine the hassle of going to a cove; getting the prop pulled; getting it to a prop shop; getting it back and on the boat? I hope he has a big dinghy. Another Looper is a very nice guy named Lorenzo on LIL’ DAVID (African American couple, which is rare for Loopers). He told me yesterday that they were going to leave the boat for a month and drive home to NC because the father of the wife, on the boat next to them (middle aged white couple), was dying and they were not sure how long he would hold on. After a few questions from me...it turns out that the two boats are slip mates at the marina in NC. Lorenzo has been planning the loop for 6 years. About 6 months before they planned to leave they were having dinner with the couple, and the wife of that couple says to her husband “why don’t you retire and we’ll go with them”...the husband could not come up with enough reasons why not...so they did. Lorenzo said “we left together (from NC in March) and we have been together ever since. So when her father is having trouble we need to be there for them. He said he was not sure when they would be back, but when they did they would resume the loop together...and finish together. Like I said...each Looper has a different story.

The last few days have been spent working on our “to do” lists. Deb has done laundry; went grocery shopping again; caught up on mail and banking, and paying the bills. I have finished waxing; cleaned the fenders; set up our anchoring system; did routine maintenance items; and (in general) made sure we (and the boat) are ready for several days and several hundred more miles of cruising. We have friends (Steve and Claudia Larry) joining us tomorrow for 4 days and then we’ll be leaving GTB heading down the Tennessee towards Chattanooga, so it’s good to take advantage of this down time to make sure we’re prepared.

I went fishing again yesterday. I timed it just right...leaving the boat at 6:15 when it was light enough to see exactly where I was going. I went back to the spot where I caught all those fish on Sunday...and caught several (6) again. In fact...I caught a fish on the very first cast. I think I need to reduce the size of my tackle box though, because I have tried several lures...but I only catch bass on one thing...a big rubber worm. It was a lot of fun...back at the boat by 8:30.

The first signs of light are just appearing now. I can see the sky is crystal clear and it will be a beautiful sun rise. This is the tough part of my day. Should I go fishing? Should I get a cup of coffee and take a dock walk? Should I go down and make breakfast? Man...the pressures I have to deal with are staggering. But somehow I manage to get through them. I think it was my CEO training.

I hope everyone is doing well...I’ll keep you posted.

BK.