Chapter 21 - Day 22: Final Day of Leg One

(I started this e-mail at the airport, and continued it during two flights, and finished it at my desk at home on Sunday morning. Sorry for the extreme length, but when you get tired of reading, just hit delete.....)

Tampa Airport
3:30 PM
Saturday, September 25, 1999
Day 22 final day, leg 1

This will probably be a long e-mail, because I'm going to wrap up the last couple of days, including our Gulf crossing.

Thursday,
We got up early, and got the fuel as planned. There were 2 other boats planning on making the crossing as well. One of the boats was a 100ft Broward traveling from Detroit to FT. Lauderdale, and the captain had two problems. The first one was he had dropped a valve in one of his engines.

(Yes they were Detroits) The second was that on the trip down the owner had died. I'm serious. I talked to the captain (Ollie) for a while, and it was an interesting/sad story. The good news for me was that when we got there, he had two Detroit mechanics on board. I needed someone to set my electronic injectors, because when my valve was fixed the mechanic didn't have the right set-up. So before leaving for the day one of the mechanics came over to set my injectors. It worked out great.

The other captain, (Dan) was on a 58ft Sea Ray and the owner and his wife were on board, and they were headed to Stuart, FL. They were flying! They had left Northern Michigan 10 days earlier, and were going to be in Stuart by Saturday. As we fueled up, I ask Dan to give me a call when he got out in the Gulf to let us know how the waves were. I thought if it was too bad we'd just stay in the harbor. I didn't hear from him, so we headed out. About 10 minutes into our trip Dan called, and said the going was a little slow for him, because there were white caps out there, and 2 to 4 footers. Oh well I thought I'd give it a try.

The distance to the Gulf from the dock was a couple of miles, and the waves were getting bigger the closer we got to the gulf. As soon as we got through the inlet we were rolling with waves hitting us on our port bow, at about 10 o'clock (does that make sense?). We decided to keep going and see how things progressed. It wasn't bad, but you had to hold on at all times, and we had spray from waves hitting us as we sat on the fly bridge.

Note-- (As we got fuel on Friday we talked the captain of "It's a Wonderful Life" that crossed later that night in a 100ft Yacht and he had so many waves breaking over the flybridge that fish actually landed on the bridge.

As he pulled away from the fuel dock, he threw us one!!) The morning crossing was wet, bumpy, and boring. (I found out a few things about my boat. The front windows leaked, but it handled the water just fine) I had set a heading of 134 degrees into the autopilot, and set the plotter to show us our progress toward "C 1". This was a green day marker off of Clearwater Beach, 146 miles away. Looking at the plotter, and watching the miles tick away seemed like forever. There was nothing to do. I didn't touch the steering wheel for almost 10 hours (except to hold on when we hit a big wave).

The weather was fine. Sunny, and about 80, but it was boring. As the day wore on we all said we never needed to make this trip again. (Terry confided in me later that when he looked down and saw that there were 90 miles to go he said to himself "just get me off this boat") Shortly after noon we could see that there were less white caps, and there were also less big rolling waves like there had been. My spirits started to rise, because I could tell we were going to make the crossing, but I began to realize that the fuel gauges were getting lower than I thought they should. Deb could tell that something was wrong, and I made the mistake of telling her what I was concerned about. (Les reminded me later that was a
mistake) If you remember, earlier I only put in 100 gallons of fuel cause,"
why carry all that weight"

.......on the plane now-headed for Chicago, via Atlanta. The plane left 1 hour and 5 minutes late.....hope we don't miss our connection.
...........so anyway here we are in the middle of the Gulf, ("bored out of my skull" according to Terry), and I started to get concerned about our fuel situation. My engine computers have a fuel trip meter on them so I figured out what had used since we left Apalachicola, and found we had used waaaay more fuel that I had planned. Because we were fighting all those waves we had consumed almost 30% more than normal.

At that point I was not concerned about having enough fuel to get there, because I knew I could slow down, and we'd have plenty. My concern was if we had to slow down, the rough ride we were experiencing would get worse. You see we were riding on the tops of some of those waves, not sinking down into the troughs of the waves, where it would be a lot "more rolly". (I know it's not a word, but you get my point). I watched the gauges, and kept calculating the fuel, and I knew we would have to slow down before we got there and make a long trip even longer.
Note--(At this point I should tell you that many, if not most of the people who make this trip make it overnight. They leave about noon and arrive early the next morning. While we were fueling on Friday 2 different boats were doing just that. They told me they would travel about 10 knots, fish along the way, and get there before noon the following day. One was headed for Panama City, the other for Mobile-direct, which is over 350 miles.) Back to the Gulf......good news, the water continued to lay down. There were less and less white caps, and the swells were starting to be flatter. They were also starting to make a turn in direction. What once was on our port bow was starting to be on our port stern. (Our heading was still 134
degrees) Much to Terry's regret, we slowed down. I had too. I felt we had plenty of fuel, but I couldn't chance it. I couldn't wait for this to be over, but better late than......who knows? What this meant was instead of arriving at 5:30, with plenty of light, we would get there at about 7PM, with very little light left, entering a strange harbor. Not my idea of a good thing to do.
At almost exactly 7PM we went by that marker we had been looking for, for almost 11 hours. It was a beautiful sight. Now all we had to do was find our way into the Clearwater Municipal Marina, and our mission was complete.

I mentioned before that Terry likes to work with the charts, and he is good at it. He had scoped out the channel to the marina, and had a good idea of how to get in there. As we were getting close, everyone assumed their docking positions on the boat (GREAT CREW). The problem was Terry was not next to me, and he assumed I knew exactly where I was going. I didn't. The channel went in two directions. Straight, and a hard left. I knew the marina was up on the left, so when I got to the point I could turn left I did so. Bad move. 1-the marina we wanted was straight, and then follows the channel around to the left. 2-the place I turned there was an unmarked shoal and we ran aground. We were stopped. Several times I tried to use the engines but they stalled because they dug into the sand. They other bad thing was it was a full moon, and people told us that it was an unusually low tide now. Great!

We hailed a couple of young kids over in a small boat, and asked them to grab a line off our bow, but they couldn't budge us. I used few choice words, but that didn't help either. Deb had an idea. Put everyone one the front, which would raise the aft, and maybe then the props wouldn't be in the sand. Didn't work. We hit again.

Les had an idea. Use the bow thruster to move the boat sideways. Didn't work. The bow was sitting on the sandbar. (but just barely) Jeanie, and Annie, just looked at me and knew what I was feeling and said "tells us if we can do anything"

I used the VHF, and called Sea Tow, a marine towing company, and they informed me they could be there in 45 to 50 minutes and the cost would be $650 to get us off the sand bar. The other choice was wait for high tide which was starting to come in. "What time will it be high tide?" I asked.

Midnight........ (another few choice words) To add to all of this I had shut off the generator, because I was afraid the fuel would get too low and the pick-up tube for the generator might not get fuel. I did not want to have to try to prime the generator. And while sitting there I had shut off the main engines because there was a chance I could run out. Plus to top it all off, it was getting past my bed time! This was not a good thing.

Terry had an idea. How about we take the dinghy off the back, and load everyone in it. The combined weight of everyone (except me) and the weight of the dinghy might help. "Couldn't hurt", I said, besides we had nothing to do until the high tide floated us off this shoal. I was up for trying anything.

Made the flight, we're on our way to Chicago, but now my computers battery is getting weak..
With Les and I on the boat, and everyone else in the dinghy you could feel the boat float a little easier, and it would shift a little bit in the wind.

I tried to put it in gear a couple more times but killed the engines.
Finally, after about 20 minutes or so just enough tide had come in and the boat shifted a little more. This time when I put it in reverse, the boat jumped, and started backwards, where we had come from, and back into deeper water.

Once back in the main channel, we had to feel our way because it was dark now (about 9PM). I saw a boat up ahead, and followed his lights until we could see the marina. I stopped briefly to get everyone aboard, except Terry, who followed in the dinghy. We found our slip, tied it up, hooked up the water, and the power, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. We had made the Gulf crossing. (Terry got his wish. 3 to 4 foot waves, and a little adversity). We were all safe, and although no one cares if they do it again, we could say we had done it, and always enjoy the memories.

Friday......
Probably one of the most enjoyable days (at least for me) that we have had so far.
The sky was bright blue. The wind calm. We all took a cup of coffee and walked the docks of this beautiful marina. We ate breakfast as we watched all the hustle of people going out on charter boats, that promised they would catch the big one. Les and Ann took a short walk across a pier to the Gulf, which was dead calm.

While I did a little catch up on voice, and e-mails from work, everyone enjoyed the fact that we did not have to blast out, and had some time to just enjoy the morning.

Back at home now...
We still had two things to take all the stress away from yesterday. First, we had to get the engines started, and to the fuel dock without running out of fuel. Second, we had to go out in the Gulf to put the boat up on top of the water to make sure I didn't damage the props while I was trying to get off the shoal last night.

Fuel---no problem. In fact we had about 46 gallons remaining in each 300 gallon tank. It was a good feeling, and I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations with the other captains at the fuel dock. One boat came in on fumes, and another said they had 3 gallons left when they fueled up. (That's the guy headed for Panama City).

The test run to check the props went with the same positive results. No problems. Headquarters was running great (although I do have a few maintainance items to follow up on).
As we made our way from Clearwater to our new slip for the winter, we went outside in the gulf for a while, then inside on the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). I can't describe what a boating Mecca this. Every size, shape, and model of boat is here. The closer we got to Tierra Verde, the more I felt we had made the right decision. (in keeping the boat here) When we made the turn off the ICW, and into the channel leading to our marina, the feeling was something hard to describe. In Terry's words "I think I have a tear in my eye". At the entrance to the channel is beautiful sand beach, that has the channel on one side and the Gulf on the other.
Along the channel are over a hundred boats of all sizes, but mostly large, and expensive. At the very end of the channel is Tierra Verde Resort and Marina. Good looking marina, with a huge pool, a pool bar, a good restaurant, and an inside bar with games, and Nascar stuff on the wall.
Awesome!

I won't bore you with everything that happened next, just to say we enjoyed the rest of the day, and topped it off with a great meal at the marina restaurant, and on Saturday we cleaned the boat, and prepared it for several weeks alone.

I need to finish this, and so I'll do so with a recap. In no particular order;
* I know it was three weeks, but it seemed like a few days.
* I now know I could do this for a long time.
* I'm glad we made the decision to do this now, verses later in life. It takes a lot of energy, to go at this pace.
* Speaking of pace. I need to allow more time for weather, and maintenance in my next legs. I planned to make too many miles every day.
* I did achieve my goal of not wasting part of this trip worrying about things at work, and I'm really fortunate to have folks that allowed me to do that, but I can't wait to get back involved. The next legs will be shorter.
* I learned a little about myself, and a lot about cruising.
* I felt good about my planning, and realize how important it is to be completely prepared. I look forward to spending many evenings, with charts, and guide books, planning the next legs.
* The more time went on.........the more I looked forward to writing this log.

Thanks for all you're e-mails. The entire crew looked forward to receiving them each day.
A special thanks to all my crew. Along with all the much needed help you gave me, you made the trip very special!

Our next plan is to move the boat to Florida's East Coast, (not sure just where yet) starting December 27th.

So far this is just a "semi-circle". Plenty of cruising yet to come.
I'll keep you posted.........

BK.

Chapter 20 - Day 21: Welcome to Florida

7:30 am
Saturday, September, 24, 1999
Day 21

WE MADE IT !!!!!!

Well at least as far as Clearwater. We still need to go about 20 miles south to Tierra Verde, FL, where we will keep the boat for the winter, but that will be a piece of cake.

The gulf crossing will make for a great story, but it will have to come shortly, because I have so much to do now. The e-mail I tried to send yesterday didn't go so I thought I'd at least let you know we are doing great.

I look forward to telling you all the stories of the last few days.

BK

Chapter 19 - Day 20: Crossing Time Zones

5:55 am (eastern)
Thursday, September 23, 1999
Day 20

Well were in the Eastern Time zone now, and we had an interesting time getting here.
As I said yesterday, our plan was to go outside in the Gulf, and go to either Carrabelle, or keep going. Well, we did neither. We tried to go outside, and did so for about 8 miles. The going was rough, but the winds, and seas were at our stern. I was checking the charts, and knew we would have to change course once we got about 40 miles down the Gulf. To test what our ride would be like once we made this change in course, I turned the boat in that direction. Good idea, but bad results. What we found was that the seas were very unfriendly. We were being tossed pretty good, and had to return the eight miles back to Panama City. The boat did fine and we were in no danger, but it wasn't pleasant. Also in all the tossing we did, our cherry table that we have (had) in the salon fell over, and down 2 steps, hit the kitchen cabinets, and broke off the base. (the Illinois River was never like this.) Once we got back inside on the GIWW the winds were strong (north at 15 mph) but the water was much more protected, so it was fine. We traveled the 80 miles left of the Intracoastal to Apalachicola, FL., without an issue.

We arrived here at about 4 PM. We had called ahead for a slip, but the guy said he would have to put us on his fuel dock, and we were too early, because he didn't close until 5:30. There was a motel/restaurant that had slips next door, so we pulled in there, and spent the night.
Here is a picture taken from that restaurant.......

This is an interesting place. It is a slow little community, that is both on the Gulf, and on the Intracoastal. It is a very common stopping off spot for those heading both north, and south. Great seafood, because they get it directly from the boats that are docked here, like these..
Our plan was for spaghetti on the boat, but we ended up eating at a restaurant down the way a little bit, and it was great. Not much to look at, but good food. Fresh oysters caught that day, fresh shrimp (heads, and all), and grouper...man that was good eaten.

Today we try the Gulf again. Our plan is to get about 100 gallons of fuel
91 cents) at 7:30 when they open, then head out. There is another boat tied next to us that are heading out also. They have come from Michigan, and are heading for Stuart, FL, (on the Atlantic side). They winds are predicted to be much less today, so our hope is that it will be better. If not we'll come back in, and try it again tomorrow.

Not much time left now on this 1st leg. It has been very interesting, to say the least. It will be fun to sit in my favorite chair at home, and relive the memories. (It will also be interesting to see all the bills role in).

Thanks for the continuing e-mails. We enjoy the comments. Like........
* "Who cares about all that technical stuff---give us more on the fun you're having"
* "It sure would be nice if we could hear more about the engines, and things like that"
* "Talk more about the places you're seeing"

It's like I told Debbie, and others as they have told me what to, and not to write about. This is the Captain's log, and I write about what I'm thinking....if you want to write something....be my guest. So far only Deb has done so.

Hopefully I'll write tomorrow from Tampa.....

BK

Chapter 18 - Day 19: The Hustler

5:32 am
Wednesday, September 22, 1999
Day 19

Short report today.....I don't have much time because we are going out in the Gulf this morning. We'll either stop at about 60 miles and go into Carrabelle, FL, or keep going toward Tampa. (165 miles) The decision will depend on what the gulf is like.

Good day yesterday. Went about 65 miles on the Intracoastal, made it to Panama City (we also went into town...there is a picture of Les here winning the pool tournament). The weather turned perfect, and when we got here we went out in the Gulf for a little bit to check it out. It was fine. Probably 2 to 3 foot waves, but easy going. We are all hoping for the same today.

Here are some of yesterday's pictures.

Sorry for the short note....gotta go.....

BK

Chapter 17 - Day 18: The Gulf is in Sight

5:40 am
Tuesday, September 21, 1999
Day 18

Here we are in Destin, FL. We are literally a hundred yards from the Gulf, directly off our stern. They call this one of the fishing capitals of Florida. I can't speak to that, but if the number of fishing boats makes it that way, then this must be it. The one picture doesn't do justice the incredible number of fishing boats throughout this area. I guess it is because the Gulf is so close, and they can actually be fishing in a few minutes. I don't even know what they are fishing for, but I hope there's a lot of them, cause if not, this is a huge waste of fiberglass.

Yesterday......
Easy 60 mile trip on the GIWW from Pensacola to Destin. We left about 7:30, and arrived at about 2 PM. It was fairly overcast, and as we arrived Destin, it started to mist. But as the afternoon went on the sky's got better, and the sun came out several times. Temp.-80 degrees. After settling in, and washing the boat, we went exploring. The girls found an art gallery, and the boys found a Pub. McGuire's was it's name, and it was truly an Irish Pub. (this was the same name as the one we went looking for in Pensacola) All beer brewed on premises---good time.
After dinner we also walked to another pub---AJ's. It was set up by the marina, and most of the deck was outside. They also had a live band. A good live band. ( a couple of points here. 1-we are definitely back to civilization 2-this new crew thinks this is a vacation, not a mission) Terry made a comment about 10 PM that I had not been up this late on this trip, and he was right. So Deb, and I left, and came back to the boat. I'm not sure what time the rest of the crew made it back, but I know that it is after 6 am and their not up yet. I guess the fact the Les and Terry got up early yesterday was just a fluke.

Today.....
We plan to head out about 7:30, and travel about 60 miles to Panama City. In the guide book there is a full page picture of one of the neatest marinas that I have seen. As I have been planning this trip, this picture has stuck in my mind, so I'm looking forward to finally seeing it. (this will test my guide book theory) The weather should start to get better today. The winds are forecast to be strong (20 to 25), as the front passes, but more sun starting this afternoon. We will be crossing a couple of wide open bays on our way, so yesterday we took down the bimini top. (that way the winds won't catch it and damage it).

Our plan is still to cross the Gulf (135 miles of open water) on Thursday, or Friday. The timing looks like it may be good. (but lots of prayers wouldn't hurt) After Harvey goes east, and this front passes my hope is that the high pressure system will flatten out the Gulf, and make this crossing a pleasure.

Since he has been aboard Terry has been saying "don't worry...a little adversity is good for you". Yesterday, he said "I hope we have some waves, just 3 to 4 footers to make it interesting", and "as long as we can make some headway, that's all that is important" and "I don't want this to go too smooth". Then, last night before dinner, I was working with the charts planing our next moves (see....... for me, this is a mission) and Terry says "let me see those charts, and get the big picture". Now that he has, let me just say, he is no longer looking for 3 to 4 footers, and "some adversity" has not left his lips. But he did call Les over, to say "did you see how far this is across here?".(like it was not that far before......and it had just gotten further) He also used his fingers (a common method used by several mariners) to measure the distance on the chart and proclaimed to Les, "see my fingers...as far as we have come so far, (three fingers) we have more than that to go in one day!" This is not a vacation.

One final note....last night Terry said he would get up early, and fix Les and I, a great breakfast.....it's 6:45, Les just came up the stairs, and Terry is still not up. It must have been a great band.

BK

Two Cents from Deb

9/20/99

Hey Everyone!

I just read BK's Chapter 16 and noticed he forgot to send a picture of Headquarters tied up for the night. Figured I hadn't put in my two cents for awhile, I'll just send this picture along. This picture is taken at about 3pm on Sunday. Les is hosing the day's accumulation of salt water
off the boat (a daily ritual necessary from now on) and Annie's up on the flybridge looking for her glasses (also a daily ritual she has found necessary). This pic was taken just moments before the rain came. We have been regularly been blessed with good timing on this trip. As an example, we plugged in to shore power, turned on the satellite TV just in time to catch the last 6 laps of the NASCAR race in New Hampshire. All 3 boys stopped in their tracks and stared at the screen. It was a sight to behold!

We 3 ladies could have marched thru the boat in thongs, playing "Yankee Doodle" on kazoos and they would have craned their necks to look around us in order see that checkered flag come down! I guess we all have our obsessions.

OK - off to join the crew on the flybridge! A couple of notes:

* Mando - HAPPY BIRTHDAY
* Susie - Found some postcards - look for them soon!
* Donna - Got your e-mail - you 4 really know how to have a good time! - P.S. We haven't played LCR yet!
* Beccah - Are you caught up on reading these chapters?
* Daphne - Where are you? No e-mail for awhile!
* Rome & Theresa - Did you get my card?
* Bob K. - How are ya feeling?
* Geneva - How is he REALLY feeling?
* Allan - Can you get the pictures yet?
* Mom - Don't worry! "Harvey" is supposed to be gone by the time we get there!
* Hoffmans - Are you getting your daily chapters?
* ST - This camera is GREAT - maybe Santa will bring me one! Hope you like the pictures we've been sending.
* Jenny - Have you been getting the daily chapters?
* Nancy - Are you sending Julie the faxes?
* Julie - "HI" (This is a test)
* Randy C. - My hope is that you sign up for a leg for sure - I like the sound of those recipes!
* Uncle Bill - Are you getting your chapters regularly?
* Art - We've averaged 16 gals diesel per hr so far
* CVA - We all had toasted English muffins for breakfast - and yes, we remembered to buy peanut butter.

As you can tell from BK's dailies, we've worked all the bugs out and it's been smooth sailing so far (sorry Darrell & Donna). The days are a lot shorter as far as covering ground (water?) and we hit port early in the day, giving us time for dock walks and souvenir hunting (again - Sorry DD's!).

The plan is for chicken on the grill tonight and we raved enough over Terry's catfish last night that I think we can talk him into grilling again
tonight! "HI" to all! Hope you're having as much fun as we are!

Seeyabye--->DK

Chapter 16 - Day 17: Mobile Bay

6:32 am
Monday, September 20, 1999
Day 17

I messed up yesterday, and told you it was day 15. It wasn't. It was day 16, and a good one it was.

We left our slip at about 7:30 am, and headed out into the Mobile Bay. As soon as we got outside of the harbor we were greeted with a stiff wind, and a pretty good chop on our bow. Mobile Bay is much larger than you imagine, and with the wind out of the east (the direction we were going) it was a little rough.

Our plan was to down the shipping channel, and then meet the GIWW at the bottom of the Bay, just before we got to the gulf, and head east. As I said yesterday, the Gulf was pretty rough ( as it turns out very rough...when we got to Pensacola, we talked to a dive boat that went out and he said they were in 6 footers, and most everyone was sick) so we decided to stick to the Intracoastal. Terry did some great navigating ( one of the things he loves to do---see picture) and we cut off a large angle off our trip by getting out of the shipping channel, and cutting across the bay to join the GIWW.

This may not seem like a big deal, but they keep the shipping channel deep by dredging it and blowing all the deposits next to the channel. So the channel is deep, but if you get out of the channel and you could have a problem. So you have to be careful, read the charts carefully, and pick your spot to cross. We did.

In total yesterday, we went about 70 miles, and ended up in Pensacola. It was a good trip, and with the exception of going fast, to make it a better ride, in some rough waves, we went about 10 mph for most of the day. As the picture shows, the girls enjoyed a lot of the trip on the bow. Because we are on the Intracoastal, most of the time you are fairly protected, so even in 15 to 25 mph winds you're ok.

We arrived Pensacola about 2:45, and after tying up, and Les washing the boat, we walked into town. We were looking for this tavern that brewed their own beer that was supposed to be close to the marina, but it wasn't. (remember those people that write these guide books) so we ended up in a real neat place(sort of a tavern) that was huge, and enjoyed a beer. (just a side note..... I beat Terry in a Nascar racing game) Back at the boat we had cocktail hour, and Terry cooked some wonderful catfish on the grill. As usual, on this kind of a trip, we went to bed early. (well let's just say I went to bed early...are you noticing a pattern
here?)

One final note before I close on yesterday. This new crew has taken over where the others left off. As you can tell by all the activity, these folks are great have aboard. Everyone has a job, and not many questions asked, they just do it.

Today...

The first thing I saw when I got up was Les, and Terry looking at the weather channel, and telling me I wasn't going to be happy. Tropical depression #10 had just been upgraded to tropical storm "Harvey". I told them unless something changed overnight we were fine. Harvey is tracking E-NE, and that is good for us. We are actually west of any problems now, and expect to stay that way. As we make our way east the storm should have gone through, and because we are on the inside we won't have to deal with any large waves. The only problem is that the weather won't be perfect, like we have become accustomed too. Today is forecasted to be winds 15 to 20, and chance of rain. We took the sun screens off the front windows, so we can drive from below if we need to, so we will be fine. Besides that, we are only going 35 miles to Destin, Florida. I predict a great day no matter what we face.

I'll let you know tomorrow if I was right.........

BK

Chapter 15 - Day 16: Back to Civilization

5:25 am
Sunday, September 19, 1999
Day 15 (16)
Crew change day went fine yesterday. Steve and Chris helped us clean the boat before they left, and they got off about 11 am. The new crew arrived at about 1 PM.

Other things going on:
* Remember that pesky oil seeping coming from that manifold bolt? Fixed it.
I'm sure a real mechanic would not approve, but I used a caulk/sealer that I carry on the boat. One morning while the engines were cool I just took a little caulk and wrapped it around the outside of the bolt-and it worked. No leaks for a few days. Speaking of that----why do they paint engine rooms white? No matter how I try I can't keep it clean. Wouldn't at darker color make sense?

* Tropical depression "Ten" is brewing down in the lower Gulf. They predict it to go north east, and that would be good for us, but I'm sure we will feel the effects as we travel east this week. We don't plan to have to cross the Gulf until Thursday, or Friday, so we'll see.

* Great to be back in civilization again. Marinas, cell service, restaurants. I am really looking forward to traveling through the Intercoastal, and seeing all the boats, and marinas they describe in the books. Les, Terry, and I always love spending time in a marine store.
Today we plan to cross Mobile Bay and head for Pensacola, Fl. My plan was to go outside in the Gulf, and travel 41 miles before going back inside. Based on the weather I am watching as I type this, I think we will stay inside.

The winds are from the east so the waves will be at our bow, and there is just enough unsettled weather from the depression to probably cause a shower, so we'll travel the 50 miles, or so, on the Intercoastal. This was not my first choice because the inside route is pretty tricky (so the chats say) and it would have been easier outside, but... OH WELL.

Not much else to report. Sorry for the dull e-mail, but nothing is really worth writing about. I hope this is not because of our new crew. I was, and am, expecting big things from these folks, so the reports should be better.

Today's pictures....

I'll keep you posted.......

BK

Chapter 14 - Day 15: One Third Point

6:00 am
Saturday, September 18, 1999
Day 15

It seems amazing to me that two weeks have past already. We've come a long way. In fact from a distance standpoint we've covered almost 1/3 of the Great Circle Trip. (Approx. 5000 miles) Later today if I get chance, I'll give you some of the facts so far. (miles, fuel, etc.)
Yesterday, we finished our treck on the Tenn-Tom waterway. Both Deb, and I enjoy river boating, but I'm glad to have them behind us. The Tenn-Tom is pretty straight forward to navigate, and it's pretty, but boring. In the last two days we've traveled 218 miles, and there were two places where you could stop, and tie up your boat. Notice I did not say marinas! We are lucky in that we can go fast if we need to, and get down river, but most who take this trip are in sail boats, or trawler type hulls. These boat can only go about 9 mph at most, so their days are much longer, and therefore have more trouble finding a safe place to spend the night.

Things sure did change when we arrived at Mobile. This is a busy place.

Barges, ships, and boats everywhere. It was a treat to thread our way through this maze (at least for me). I've attached a couple of pictures that were taken to give you a little feel for the activity. I enjoy this type of boating. You have really got to pay attention to everything, and follow the charts exactly, or you'll get into trouble. I enjoy the challenge.
I've decided that the people who put together these boating guides border on con artists. The things they write about the amenities are stretched as far as they can without lying. I can almost understand this but how do they get these pictures? You flip open your guide and see a full page add of a pretty marina, in a wonderful setting. Then you get to the area where the marina should be and you can't find it. You pull over to this old rickety looking place and ask "Pardon me, where is so and so marina?" and they tell you "This is it-you're here!" That is close to where we're at. Not bad mind you, but the person who took the brochure picture was gooood. Real gooood.

But, you know what? Who cares. We made it. For those of you who are following us on the map, we are about 1/2 way down Mobile Bay in a channel that leads back to the west. Grand Mariner Marina.

Today-- crew change. Steve and Chris will get off the boat at 11 am. And get a shuttle to the airport. Les, and Ann, and Terry and Jeanie will be picked up by that same shuttle, and brought back to the boat. They will then borrow that car and go get groceries for the week. I will use today to check things out in the engine room that have been neglected. We will also give the boat a through outside cleaning. Steve has done a great job of cleaning it each morning (almost as good as you Darrell), but it needs extra attention today.

The next leg of this segment of the trip should be exciting, and beautiful.
We will cross the Mobile Bay (it's huge!) and pick up the GIW (Gulf Intercoastal Waterway). We will follow this east, along the upper part of the pan handle, until we get to Carrabelle, FL., where we need cross the Gulf to get to Tampa. I have been watching all signs of any tropical storms, but as of now, we look pretty good. We'll see.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

BK

An Update from Deb

9/17/99

Hey Everybody!

I just read BK's e-mail for the day. Yep - we all look forward to the daily episode as much as you all do. "Did he mention that I finished my book and I know who the murderer is?" "Did he tell them about the big dredger we saw?" "Did he tell them that he had his first margarita since we left

Starved Rock Marina?" "Did we have any fun yesterday?"
Anyway, it occurred to me that y'all might want to see some pics of our restaurant last night. This will be a test, let us know if you're able to retrieve them.
It's 9:30am - ST is driving, BK is here & there, checking things out (with a Bloody Mary in one hand), CVA is slicing a musk melon and I'm catching up on my journal. It's 74 degrees and (what else?) cloudless. The steam has burned off the water and we're gliding along at about 1100 rpms (saving fuel). Life is good! It's time to get my suit on and hit the front deck!

As BK says, Headquarters clear...standing by...

DK

P.S. BK just said he forgot to tell you about a point in our trip yesterday. The river was so winding that according to the guide book, we traveled 3 miles on the water to move 1000 feet. Does that make sense?

P.P.S. BK & ST have a bet. ST says we'll see an alligator today. BK says - no way. The bet is dinner on the loser. Hm-m-m...I think no matter who wins, CVA & I get a dinner out! You go guys!

Chapter 13 - Day 14: 118 Miles to Mobile

4:20 am
Friday, September 17, 1999
Day 14
Yea I know it's early again. I went to bed so early (8:00), that I've already had plenty of sleep, so I got up to get some work done, and also send another captain's log.

The weather could not be more perfect. Cool evenings, and crystal clear. The days are sunny, and cloudless! I went outside before sitting down to write this, and the stars are amazingly bright. (of course we are in the middle of nowhere).

Yesterday (Thursday) was a great day. From a travel standpoint it was almost the opposite of Wednesday. Wednesday we ran hard to make four locks, and catch up on some time. (by the way I figured out we used 271 gallons of fuel that day) Yesterday, we got through the Demopolis lock first thing, then had all day to make about 100 miles. We took our time, and traveled almost the whole way at 1050 rpm & 10.5 mph. (using 10 gallon an hour of fuel) It was actually a lazy kind of day. Cruising at that speed on a meandering river was wonderful. In the morning, Steve drove for a while and I messed with the charts, getting ready for next week. Then after lunch Steve, Chris, and Debbie went out on the bow to enjoy the sun, and the scenery. At one point along the way Deb, and Chris came in for something (probably another Corona), and Steve was sitting in a chair by himself on the bow. At about the same time we met a barge going Northbound and as we passed the tow boat captain said "dat boy out dere on da bow bout got it made....... dun ee". It was perfect, and he was right.

Between Demopolis, and Mobile (216 miles) there are only two places to stop.
Bobby's Fish Camp, and Lady's Landing. If you read the books, neither seem like much, but you have to stop somewhere, so I chose Bobby's, at mile 118.

When we exited the locks early in the morning I thought I'd read about the sights along the way in the book, and it was then I realized that Bobby's Fish Camp didn't have a transient dock for overnight docking. Now that could present a problem. We didn't want to go through 2 locks today, and go all the way to Lady's Landing, so I called Bobby's. My first clue that we would be in the country was when he answered the phone, because he just said "hello?". I thought maybe I had a wrong number so I ask him if this was Bobby's Fish Camp, and he said "yeaya". I had read in the book that Bobby's had fuel, so I knew he had a dock. And I also read that he had a restaurant, and Bobby did the cooking, so I told him we were heading south, and wanted to stop and eat, and could we spend the night on his fuel dock, and he said "yeaya". I told him that was great, and ask him if it was ok if we got there about 4. He said "yeaya" That was it. I guess he wasn't much of a talker.

When we got to mile 118 we found out why they don't offer transient docking.
They really don't have a dock! Here's how Chris describes what they have----" I'll bet they were sitting around one day looking at this thing, and said Hey!, I'll bet this'll float---let's put this on the river in front of our place". She's probably right. I don't know how to describe it, other than it is a platform that floats, and has tires hanging from it.(probably so you won't harm the platform) I wasn't concerned about it sinking, but I was concerned that if we tied up to it, would it be here in the morning. It had 2 poles attached to the shore (one was some type of a drive shaft, because it still had the universal joint attached-I'm not kidding) It also had a couple of ropes tied to shore, just in case the poles let lose.(well they weren't actually tied) Did I mention that it is about 40 feet long, and we have a 50 foot boat? But it is morning----and we are still here.

Dinner at Bobby's was great. Catfish, french fries, hushpuppies, and cole slaw. Great food served, and prepared by Ann. (it seems Bobby went home) She also entertained us. Told us Bobby used to be a drunk, till she told him to either straighten up, or get him another waitress. (waitresses must be hard to come by because she's still here, and he hasn't touched a drop in over 4 years.) He didn't get any help from his wife though....bless her soul.....she's an alcoholic herself. But Ann told her "As soon as you're ready to quit, just call, and I'll stay up with ya all night if I have to" (somehow Ann has figured out how to cure this in one evening). Toooo much.
Today, we head for Mobile. I can't wait to get this boat back to some real marinas. I'm all for adventure, but I would never have made it as a pioneer.

Our plan is to be in Dog River, just of the Mobile Harbor by mid afternoon.

We have one more lock(about 3 miles from here), and 118 miles to go to get there. I can't wait to see Mobile Harbor.

Steve and Chris will catch a flight from Mobile tomorrow, and we will have a crew change. Ann Walleck (Deb's sister), and her husband Les, along with Jeanie (another of Deb's sisters) and her husband Terry will join us. We spend a fair amount of time boating with them, so this will be fun.

I just called ahead to the lock, and he said he'd take us down in about an hour(7:00), so I'm going to get the boat ready, I'll keep you posted.

BK

Chapter 12 - Day 13: Demopolis Yacht Basin

5:25 am
Thursday, September 16, 1999
Day 13

Good Morning. I hope wherever, and whenever you get this you are in having half as good a day as I am.

We are now in Demopolis Yacht Basin, in Demopolis, Al. I just walked the long dock from our boat up to a restaurant that opens at 5 am, and I tool the computer to do some work, and jot this captain's log. You don't get much of a chance to get a full breakfast on a trip like this, so I thought I'd take advantage of it. It is 67 degrees out, and the sky is beautiful (although it's still dark) so I'm in my normal uniform--swim trunks and T-shirt. Which turns out to be a good thing, because, just 30 seconds ago, my waitress spilled a half of cup of coffee on me. The good news is the coffee didn't burn my bare legs, the bad news is my Cancun T-shirt is history. Oh well-I don't think you could get me mad this morning.

Yesterday started the way it ended, and the way it was all day long---perfect!
We left at about 6:45 from the slip, and I called from the slip to the lock, to let them know we were getting ready to head out, and they had it waiting for us when we arrived. (Illinois could take some lessons from these guys). In total we went through 4 locks and did 145 miles. We actually didn't get to the slip until dark. Before tying up at the slip we took on 350 gallons of fuel. $1.05 @ gallon. It was a long day, but it put us back on track time wise. We are only 216 miles from Mobile now, and we should be there by Friday evening.

The Tenn-Tom is a great waterway to make this trip on. The scenery ranges from man made banks of stone, to cliffs, to many areas that look like a normal small river. Commercial traffic is somewhat light, so the going is fairly fast. The only problem with that is that when Headquarters goes fast so does the fuel. Example: If we go 10 mph we use about 10 gallons an hour.

Seem like a lot? If we go 20 to 22 mph we use 50 to 60 gallons an hour Yes, that's right, this is not a misprint. So......on those days we make all that time, we must go fast, so the fuel stops are more often. (this is why I wanted to make this trip while I was still working---so we could recover when we returned).

An interesting fact---follows this now.

On my dash I have this interesting thing called a chart plotter. It is a computer screen that is meant to show you where you are. I works like this:

You buy chart chips (navigation charts that are computer generated from the original charts, and put into small chips about the size of a stamp) You put these chips into the plotter so you now have the area you are traveling on your computer screen. I also have a GPS satellite system that sends a signal to a satellite and receives one back to let you know exactly where you are.

You interface the GPS system with the plotter, and you can actually see on the screen (chart) where you are. There is a lot more to it that I won't bore you with, but the point is this-yesterday I took the plotter cursor, and put it on the marina we are headed for in Mobile. The plotter said that it was 232 miles away. I thought that can't be right. We were at the 358 mile marker. Which is 358 miles to Mobile. So how can that be. Well the plotter computes in straight lines, so in a straight line is was 232 miles, but because the river twists, and turns so much, it will actually take us over 100 more miles of travel to get there. Well I thought it was interesting.
Today.......

1 lock (three miles from here), and 105 miles to a place called "Bobby's Fish Camp" (that should be special) The weather continues to be perfect. 87 and sunny.

Well the sky is starting to brighten in the east, so I think I'll pay my bill and head back to the boat. (what do you think I should leave as a tip?) I need to check the fluids in the engines, and look at that pesky seeping manifold bolt to see if it is getting any worse. Then we'll spray the bugs off the boat, (Steve does this every morning-it's great to have a good crew) and we'll head out.

Thanks for all the notes-
* Neal-still no fishing, not enough time, maybe next week.
* Jenny-you're on the list now
* Randy-Dad is doing good-Thanks
* Holly-another vacation for you?
* Art-yes, more fuel
I'll keep you posted......

BK

Chapter 11 - Day 11/12: Two Messages

7:00 PM
Tuesday, September 14, 1999
Day 11

Yes, two e-mails logs about the same day.

I'm going to try an experiment. I'll jot a few thoughts down tonight, and read them in the morning, and see if they makes sense.

Before I say too much let me describe..... NOW.

We are in a small back river marina, called Aberdeen Marina. A little stop off along the way that is "something special" (you figure it out).

Deb has three projects going. 1-Laundry in the marina (after she got the dock hand to show her hoe to turn it on). 2-laundry on the boat (she is using the boat washer because as she says "why not?" 3-she's sautéing green peppers, and onions for the polish sausage. (and doing a hell of a job at all three) except that she has space in the washer. I don't understand this concept. She has room, so she is walking around trying to get stuff to wash.

"Bob-go take a shower and give me those trunks you have on"........but there not dirty......"no matter they will be, and I need wash, cause I have room". Someone explain this to me.
Chris is sitting out front on the bow reading her book. Which bothers Deb, because she says "if she finishes it she will be ready for another book, and I said I'd give her mine, but I'm not done" (makes that engine problem seem small by comparison). As Chris sits on the bow enjoying her book she is oblivious to all that is happening around her....neat huh?

Steve has been working for a while to send each of you some pictures he took. Did you get them? He also is in charge of cooking and is looking for a time we all expect to eat so he can get the grill out and get started.

What about Bob? Me, I'm taking this all in, and enjoying all of it.

Just now, I looked out to my left and a guy and his wife went by in a bass boat. She was just sitting there, and he was fishing. (in his "cammo"
pants..what a picture) It all just seemed so serene...(I don't know if I have ever used that word before) Chris just came in and said "what are you guys doing in here it is beautiful outside".
Deb just blew by...stirred the onions, and the beans...set the table (at which I am sitting)....and went to check the laundry. Man I am just tired watching all of this!

5:25 am
Wednesday, September, 15, 1999
Day 12

Well, I looked at what I wrote last night and had to laugh, again. As usual, the writing is not so good, but the scene is correct. I wish I could do a better job of sharing the descriptions with you.
By almost all accounts, yesterday was a near perfect day. That fog lifted as soon as the sun came up, and we were able to get on our way about 7:15. We went directly to the mouth of the Tenn-Tom and headed south. It was breathtaking. Still a little cool, the water showed a little mist, but the sun was a big orange ball, and if you stood in it you were warm.

The river itself is a combination of man made waterways, and natural rivers, and creeks. There were several marinas, but hardly any other pleasure boats out on the water. You could travel fast most of the time if you wanted to.

The locks are great. If you're a boater I know that seems weird, but it is true. They actually seem happy to see you. They get to you as quickly as they can so they can keep you moving (they actually let us in ahead of a coal barge so we wouldn't "be traveling until night"). And, they call ahead to the next lock to let them know you're coming. It went so good that we got through 6 locks, 95 miles, and were at dock by 4:30. Not bad!

I said earlier, we are in Aberdeen Marina, in Aberdeen, MS. Getting in here was a real treat. You get off the Tenn-Tom and wind in a kind of a "s" curve around cypress trees to snake your way back about a 1/2 mile to an opening, and here is the marina.

When Chris went inside one of the ladies ask her "wheeere ya from". Chris said "why don't you think we're from here?" she said "cause ya'll taulk funnie." No doubt we are in the south.
The boat is running great (do I use that word a lot?) I still have that bolt on the side of the manifold that is seeping a little, but it causes more of a mess than anything else. Generator battery is fine now. Not sure what caused that problem-but it is fixed.

Today-

We will continue down the Tenn-Tom, and see how far we can get. I am used to having a plan for a spot, or a marina, but as the books I have read tell you, when you're on the Tenn-Tom you see how far you can get, and then come up with a plan. The good news is, it is faster going than I expected, so I believe we will make up that time we lost with the engine. I still plan to be in Mobile by Saturday.

It seems funny, that just a few miles east of here on the coast they are dealing with Hurricane Floyd, but our weather continues to be perfect. 60 degree nights with crystal clear skies, and sunny, bright, and 85 during the day.

One last note before we head out. For a boater this is an unbelievable trip, but for anyone this would be great. The people we meet, the places we see (from the richest to the poorest) are really exciting. Each day is something completely new.

I wish I could share it each of you......well I am...... sort of.

BK

Chapter 10 - Day 11: Four Rivers...and Counting

5:50 am
Tuesday, September 14, 1999
Day 11

Well include the Tennessee River as one of those we have left behind.
We have now traveled the following;
* Illinois River 234 miles
* Mississippi River 218 miles
* Ohio River 47 miles
* Tennessee River 215 miles

We made it to Aqua Yacht Harbor, in Iuka, Mississippi yesterday. Of all the marinas I have been to, this is one of my favorites. It has everything you would need, and it has several hundred slips with some beautiful boats. I just enjoy walking on the docks.

Before leaving yesterday I called Harborside Marina and asked them to call ahead and have someone come on the boat when we arrived at Aqua, to look at our Generator battery that seemed to be over charging. That's exactly what happened. We got here about 3 PM, and they were ready for us. They checked out the battery, and found it to be bad, so they replaced it.
They also tightened a manifold bolt that was seeping oil from it. We're good to go!

The 90 mile trip yesterday was beautiful. It rained as soon as we untied the lines, but not that hard. I decided to go below and drive because this boat has a great pilothouse ( a lower area where you can drive that has full instruments, and good visibility). Steve took the sun covers off the windshield and I turned on the wipers, but the center one had a problem. It seems that one of the clips that hold on the wiper blade had come off, so the wiper wouldn't stay attached. Steve did a "McGiver" trick, and used a picture hanger to fashion a clip from, and we were back in business. From that point, no problems, and the scenery was great. Hardly and boat traffic so we were on top of the water most of the way.

This morning it is foggy. We had plans to head out at first light, but we'll have to see how long it takes to burn off. We're heading down the Tenn-Tom about 60 miles and going through 3 locks.
The Tenn-Tom is an interesting waterway. The idea actually dates back to the 1700's, and has been studied since 1946, but construction didn't begin until 1971. The plan was to give boats (intended for commercial tows, but used more now by pleasure craft) an easy short cut to the gulf without going on the Mississippi all the way to New Orleans. More dirt was moved for this project, than was moved for the Panama Canal. Enough of the history lesson, I just thought you'd like to know.

Responses to e-mails, and calls;
* I too am glad we are mechanically sound again. My nerves are getting back in order.
* I know that Debbie's notes are funnier, and more interesting than mine.
Her perspective is a little different.
* Art-no way, I want copy rights to this journal. (although I can't imagine who would want to read it)

Thanks for all the notes, I save them, so everyone can read them.

BK

Chapter 9 - Day 10: Cuba Landing

5:50 am
Monday, September 13, 1999
Day 10

Cuba Landing Marina-Waverly, TN

We had a great day yesterday. Except for a little wind on our bow, the cruise down Kentucky Lake was near picture perfect.

We left the marina at Green Turtle at about 8:15, and arrived at Cuba Landing at about 3:30. Most of the trip we cruised at 10 to 11 mph, but we ran on top of the water for an hour or so. Really, except for that, not much to report. Great cruise.

Chris and Steve arrived just as we were fueling up. (100 gallons @ $1.09) they flew from Chicago to Nashville, and drove about an hour to Cuba Landing. They also got the weeks groceries along the way. Great to see them, as they boat with us fairly regularly, and know the ropes, but sorry to see Darrell and Donna leave. They were a real joy to have aboard. Although we didn't know them very well before, we got along great. (this can be a problem when you can't get away from each other) Darrell left us something to remember him by. Before he left he was in the engine room helping me, and when he went to get out he step where he shouldn't have and upset to different tool boxes. Stuff went everywhere. Only casualty was a missing socket that is gone somewhere, but a memory of Darrell I'll have for a while.

Today we head south 110 miles to Aqua Yacht Harbor in Iuka, MS. (I am going to try to get someone to look at my generator battery, as it is still
overcharging) This is where we get off the Tennessee River, and join the

Tom Bigbee or as some call it the Tenn-Tom Waterway. This is the 450 mile, (man made), stretch of water to take us to Mobile, AL. I'll give you plenty of information on this interesting stretch as we go.

The weather now is good. The sun is not up yet, but it is 70 degrees. At about 4 am it rained a little. There is a cold front going through, but I'm not sure if that was it or not. The weather channel (yea, when we got to Cuba Landing I flipped on the satellite, and it tuned in just fine---who knows) shows a little rain yet to come, but we'll see.

I'll keep you posted.......

BK

Chapter 8 - Day 9: Things are Looking Up

6:22 am
Sunday, September 12, 1999
DAY 9

They installed a new head on the right side, fired it up and it still smoked. Not as badly as before, but enough to make me worry that we hadn't completely fixed it. Keith, our mechanic, said not to worry, the engine was loaded with unburned fuel inside and it would clear up. The other mechanic, Jeff, wasn't quite as optimistic. So we took a ride to see who was correct.
When I got outside the harbor, I pushed down the throttle and it took just like normal, except the smoke poured out the stbd. side. My heart was starting to sink when little by little it got better. Within a minute there was no smoke and the boat was running normal. You should have seen the smile on Keith's face. It was definitely an "I told you so" smile.

Once we got back to the dock we checked the engine for any leaks, and all looked good. The engine compartment itself looked like someone blew it up.

Stuff everywhere, and oil residue all over. Oh well, that can be cleaned.

The mechanics left at 4 PM, and I think they did a great job.

Before closing the hatch, Darrell and I changed the oil in the generator.

That oil change should get us to Florida. While we were down there we found that the generator battery was boiling out it's water. Probably from a charger that won't shut off. We unhooked the cables, to keep it from continuing, and I'll have to have someone look at this somewhere along the line.

Today-Sunday
Weather looks good. Cloudy, but 85 to 90 degrees.

Once the marina opens up at 8 we plan to pay our bill, and head out. Our destination is a marina called Cuba Landing. If you get out your Tennessee road map (that you always keep handy), and follow I-40 west out of Nashville, where it meets the Tennessee River, you will see where we'll be.

It's out in the middle of nowhere, but a great marina. We've stayed there before, and it is a perfect stopping place.

We change crews today. Darrell and Donna get off, and Steve and Chris get on. They fly into Nashville, rent a car, get this weeks groceries, and will meet us about 3 PM this afternoon. Darrell and Donna will take their rental car to Memphis and turn it in there.
We should have a great day. I'm looking forward to cruising down Kentucky Lake. It is a beautiful lake formed at the southwest park of Kentucky when they dammed the Tennessee River. It is wide, and surrounded by hills, and cliffs. Like I said-beautiful.

I hope this message finds everyone well. I'll keep you posted........

BK

Chapter 7 - Day 8: Dead Heading...

5:55 am
Saturday, September 11, 1999
Day 8

Weather wise it is going to be another beautiful day. It's 69 degrees out now and the sky is just starting to get light. It is supposed to get to 85 before the day is over.
Engine wise--it is quite another story. What they found is that the #1 cylinder on the right side of the engine is dead. Yes dead. That means there is no compression, which is what fires the fuel in a diesel engine. They think that we have a burnt valve, or probably the valve has a hole in it.

It is a major problem.

I spent most of the day yesterday either in the engine compartment, or on the phone. I continued to talk to all those people I did before, and wanted to find out whose responsibility this was so at cocktail hour on Friday afternoon everyone didn't go home, and say "See you on Monday!".

What has happened is just the opposite. A mechanic got on board at 8 am and worked all day. No breaks, no lunch, non stop, until he figured out what was wrong. My phone calls paid off because once we determined what needed to be fixed, Detroit authorized any, and all, costs necessary to get us up and going as soon as possible. (not normal for warranty work) That means Keith (our mechanic) called the shop and told them what he needed (a new head for that side of the engine). They got the parts together, and sent them to the boat with another mechanic, and the two of them kept working. In fact when I went to bed last night they were still working.

Based on their progress we may be running yet today. Darrell and Donna have changed their plans several times trying to keep with what is going on. They now have a flight leaving Memphis on Monday evening. Steve Thoke (my business partner) and his fiancée Chris Van Allen will be joining us starting on Sunday. We haven't got all the logistics details figured out yet, (because of our location) but we will.

On another note. Remember my comment about the on board TV satellite system,
and how great it was to track the weather? It broke! We have to find
someone to fix that as well.

Two challenges lie ahead.
1. Because of the breakdown I don't know if we can make it all the way to Florida by the 24th of September. I have been working on a new plan, but until we get underway I can't make too many decisions.
2. Hurricanes-I know Floyd is out there, and there are two depressions behind him, so we'll have to watch them to see if they effect the Gulf at all. We have a crossing of over 120 miles in the Gulf, and we can't make it if it is too rough. (yes I know we will be getting to Florida during hurricane season, but this we needed to do this now)

As you can tell this trip is not like a normal day of boating. That can cause a lot of stress, but I enjoy the challenge as well. My crew looks at me sometimes, and wonders why I'm so uptight. I explain it this way:

You are having Thanksgiving dinner at your house, and you are in charge of preparing the meal. You have thought most everything out, and told everyone that you'll eat at noon. While you worry about the final preparations, the quests are thoroughly enjoying themselves, and not worrying about a thing.

You realize that the potatoes won't be done on time, and they may be a little lumpy. You are under a little, or a lot of stress, but your guests could care less, in fact they sense you're under pressure and say "what's your problem, why are you so uptight?". Eating at noon is not at all
important to them, and lumpy potatoes---who cares. YOU DO! While
everyone waits for you to say it's ready, you're worrying about the outcome.

In reality, it's not important what time you eat, or small lumps in the potatoes----but try telling the cook that.

Talk to you soon............

BK

Chapter 6 - Day 7: The Saga Continues...

6:36 am
Friday, September 10, 1999
Day 7

So much to say, so little time.

I'm sorry I didn't get an e-mail off yesterday, (I appreciate all the phone calls checking on our status-I can't wait to see this cellular bill) but as you will see as I give you a update--- it was not possible to send on yesterday.Wednesday.....

On my last update we were at anchor in a cove in Cape Girardeau, MO. on the Mississippi.
I was feeling pretty good about getting the engine repaired, because I had made all the right calls the day before, and I just assumed that the wheels were in motion. Wouldn't you?
After I sent my e-mail to you I waited for those return calls--- that never came. So I started calling again. This time I reminded everyone why I bought this boat, and these type of engines.
Probably the biggest was Tony at Harborside Marina (where I bought the boat) He called everyone as well to see if he could someone's attention. (I would love to give you the details of some of the conversations I had, cause they were special, but there just isn't time) But before it was over I talked to the people who built the boat. The Detroit engine company who supports their engines in these boats. And even the salesman who sells these engines to Cruisers Yachts.
We were starting to get somewhere, but here we were floating in the middle of the Mississippi waiting for someone to tell us where to go for repairs. I mean this literally. We were dogging tows, and barge traffic in the middle of the river, cause that is where we had good cell phone signal. Every 5 minutes someone different would tell me that someone else would call me back in 5 minutes. Those conversations began at 9:30, and ended at 11:30. At that point some finally told us to head down river, and we could deal with it there. Which exactly what I had said was our only option at 1:00 the day before.

Anyway......we headed down to Cairo (48 miles) and talked to various people (when we had signal) along the way. By the time we got there we had two different companies calling me and wanting to work on the boat. At one point I had three calls going on at the same time. I had a cell phone in each ear, and one on hold via call waiting. We were getting action. The thing that I told them was that is was going to be tricky finding a place to tie up in Cairo, so I said we should go to Green Turtle Bay. It was 80 miles further, but they have a full service facility. No problem I was told, they could find us a place in Cairo.

This is where the story really begins!

As we are talking to the service person we had chosen (between the two) he told me he had made a call to his friends in Cairo, and all we had to do was pull up along the yellow wall next to the city, and tie up, or anchor there.

I knew we had a problem. First there was no wall to tie to---it was 50
feet---up--- from the waters edge. Secondly, we were in one of the busiest harbors in the entire river network (where the Ohio meets the Mississippi, and there were tows and barges going everywhere) and it wouldn't be safe to anchor here! He said not to worry, just call this person he had talked to and he would give me clear instructions. (we had one other problem in that it was getting late, and we couldn't make it up river to a safe anchoring
spot) So I called this guy, but he didn't have a clue what I was talking about. He told me to call the "Ronnie Tucker" he was in charge of all of the spots where someone would put barges, and stuff, in the harbor and he could help me.

So I called, and he told me to anchor right there where I was (Neal---this is where you called me on the cell phone) I asked him if was safe and he
said,---- "NO PROBLEM"!

We were in 25 t 30 feet of water. That's not good because you need a lot of anchor line to make sure it wouldn't drag. He said don't worry it gets much shallower near the bank---really?
With no other choice we dropped the hook close to the bank in 20 feet of water. I was concerned that we would swing into the shore, so we decided to put out an aft anchor. Good idea, but the current was so strong, and the bottom so bad that it wouldn't hold. So I had to get the big anchor out of the engine room, and set it up with chain, and 200 feet of rope. We put the dinghy in the water---the anchor in the dinghy---motored out away from the boat and dropped it in the water. After two tries it stuck, so we felt were safe for the night. Can you sense anything coming here?

After dinner, but before going to bed the wind really picked up-right at our side, so we were being blown directly into shore. Not to worry though because we had two anchors, and they were both holding-actually they were both straining. It's funny that after the exact right combination of bloody marys, beer, gin, and wine you feel safe. (this is getting too long so I'll skip all the parts about the tow boat coming up along side us and seeing if they could see in, and showing off his maneuvering skills) During the night we rocked quite a bit from the wind, and the boats going by, but at 3 am we were blasted by a wave that made Deb and I sit up straight in bed. We thought we were hit, or on the shore. We ran out to see no one, and to find we were still at anchor.

I tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't so I got up to make coffee, and send an e-mail. As I was getting the computer, I looked outside to find we had moved, and we were much closer to the shore. I felt that if we got much closer I would not be able to use the engines to get us off.
This was not good. It was 4 am. Over 2 hours to daylight, and I did not want to be out there with all those tows and barge traffic. I also didn't like the thought of being on that rocky shore. I thought about it for a while, then went and woke the crew to tell them my decision.
There was not a question, or complaint, just a "what do you want me to do".

Without much of an issue we got both anchors up, and headed out into the main channel. I had the radar on, and was just getting used to the dark when I turned around and thought I saw a barge coming up fairly fast from behind. (tells you how fast we were going) I was right, so I was trying to plan how to get out of his way when the radar, and the running lights went out. (no I am not kidding) It seems that the person who installed the radar put it on the same circuit breaker as the running lights. (seems logical to me---why would you ever need those at the same time) I must admit I was a little concerned, but you should have seen Donna. She kept saying "do you think he sees us? Do you think he sees us?" she was jumping and waving her arms in a motion like she was trying to maneuver in a 747. She was so shook up that she finally said "I can't stand this,---- I'm going below". I would have laughed then, but we still had to get out of this guys way.

With a calm head, Darrell found the circuit breaker, and we had lights again. (No radar I didn't want to take a chance). The tow captain call me on the VHF and asked us if he could pass us (like I had a choice) and he even used his huge spot light to tell us what part of the bridge we should pass under. (did I mention we were coming to a bridge?) The name of the tow was "The City of Rosebud", or as he said on the radio "Roze--buudd".

He was a very nice guy, so I told him of my problem, and ask him if could follow him. I also told him to keep me out of trouble-if he could-by telling me what may lie ahead that I couldn't se, or wouldn't know about. He said, "no problem", and we let him pass, and quickly got in line.
The next two hours went fine, but I will always remember them. At about 6:15 the sky got light enough to see the markers without a spotlight. Shortly after that the sun came up, and we could tell we were in store for a beautiful day.

And it was.

By 5:30 PM we were in Green Turtle Bay, fueled up, pumped out, and secured for the night. It is a great feeling to once again be tied to a dock. We all got the drink of our choice, and toasted our adventure. The plan was for the mechanic to on board first thing in the morning.
It's now 9:15 am on Friday the mechanic is here, and he's not sure what the problem is. In one breath he'll say "no problem", and the next he'll say "she doesn't look good" He has just pulled some side covers off the engine and said "it looks bad". "What does that mean", I asked. He said "aaah don't worry", and starts to tell me about other boats that he has repaired.

It' s now 2:30, and the mechanic still isn't sure-doesn't look good for this engine.

That's where we're at. I'll keep you posted.........

BK

An Update From Deb...

Wednesday

Hi to All!

This is Deb. Thought I'd try to get a word in edgewise on this thing!

Originally this was going to be my job but I just can't seem to get up earlier than BK! He's really gotten into this "Captain's Log" idea, and actually, it's kind of interesting to hear his take on all this travelling stuff. I'm still keeping a journal of my own and it will be interesting to compare notes at the end of the trip. So far it's been a great time, aside from the engine trouble. But the boys don't seem to be THAT concerned so Donna & I are taking our cue from them. Yesterday when the trouble escalated, Donna & I went out on the bow of the boat with our lawn chairs, the box of life jackets (footstool), big mugs of Mudslides, & trashy novels.

At least 50% of this crew is still on vacation! It was another cloudless day & 87 degrees. Yes, we put our sunscreen on! The scenery along the river is pretty steady, just a wide, twisty, shallow, muddy river with flood plain on each side. You can see a band of younger trees near the water, then more mature trees behind those. Must be because of that big flood years back. I guess nature takes care of itself.

Bob has been up for awhile, I just got up at 7:15, the Double D's are still sleeping (it's 8am), and we're just waiting for a call from someone saying the helicopter hauling Detroit Diesel's top mechanic is on it's way -

"Where can I land this thing?" I'm thinking (in my "just a grunt-worker"
opinion) "Hey! We've got another engine don't we? What's the problem?"
HA!

Well, I need to go wash my hair and since we're conserving water, I'm allowed one cup. It may take some doing! Where's "Mini-Poo" when you need it?

Seeyabye----->DK

P.S. Beccah - Make sure you clean up after your parties! (& shake hands)

Chapter 5 - Day 5: Smoke on the Water...

6:50 am
Wednesday, 07, 1999
Day 5

Remember that comment I made about dealing with the challenges as they come?
Remember that short comment about the white smoke from the starboard engine when we pulled in the lock and I wondered what that was?

Well, we're about to find out!

Yes, we have engine problems. That little puff of white smoke I saw turned into a lot of smoke. First black, then white.

Here was our day yesterday:
* It was a little cool so I decided to let the sun come all the way up before we left.
* Darrell, and I washed the boat, filled the water tank (not all the way, because why carry the weight-this you will hear about later)
* At 7:15 we left the dock
* At 7:40 I got a call on the VHF Radio from Hoppie's Marina that they got a call from the place in Cape Girardeau where we were going to fuel that they were broke down, and we couldn't get fuel, as we had planned.
* 7:45-turned around and went back to Hoppie's to top off the tanks so we could go all the way to Kentucky Lake ---188 gallons at $1.30 @gallon
* 8:15 on our way-awesome day
* Deb, and Donna fixed a great big breakfast of bacon, eggs, potatoes, and toast
* It became a little windy, so we didn't go fast. We went about 1050
rpm/12.5 mph for almost 4 hours.
* 12:00 the wind had died down quite a bit, so I said lets pick it up and make some time so we can make it to Cairo. As soon as we started going fast the black smoke started to pour from the starboard engine. I slowed down immediately, and now the smoke turned white. While Deb drove the boat, Darrell and I went worked to see what different speeds we could go without any problem. There weren't any. What I found is that the engine smoked at all speeds, and above 750 rpm the engine started to shake. Houston---We have a problem!
* I talked to three different Detroit (the make of my engines) dealers, and got three different answers as to what my problem could be. I also talked to the dealer where I bought the boat, and directly to Cruisers Yachts (the boat manufacture). They were all very nice, but they did not know what to do.
* Soooooooo.........We idled on both engines the next 60 miles to Cape Girardeau, where we dropped an anchor in a little stream, at mile 48.6, just off the Mississippi.

That was yesterday.

Today (6:50am) we sit in that stream/river and wait to see what's next.

There are no marinas here so I'm not sure what they can do. There are also no marinas in Cairo, IL, our next logical stop. The next marina is Green Turtle Bay, on Kentucky Lake, 140 miles away.

We are ok on fuel, but remember that I didn't fill the water all the way? (I figured we'd be in a marina tonight, and why carry all that weight) Well, we're on water rations now until we figure out what to do. But it could be a lot worse, right?

It is a beautiful morning. As I type this I'm sitting on the fly bridge having coffee and watching the barges go by and seeing all the fish jump.

At 8:00 I'll start to follow up on my earlier calls and decide what to do.

If they think I won't hurt the engine any more I'd like to head for Green Turtle, but we'll see.
Thanks for all the e-mail responses, we enjoyed reading them. So far we have been lucky, and had cellular signal each morning so I could send these off, and receive yours. If some morning, you don't get one, don't worry, I may have to wait to get to a better cellular area.

* Randy, yes 630-235-8296, and the Mississippi is ok now. Anyone who has made this trip will tell you this is the worst part, and the Mississippi is a terrible river. I agree. But that said, it is low now, and the current is only 3 to 3.5 mph, so it is manageable. But there are no marinas, in fact no towns, or life to speak of, so it's not a great place for boaters.
(especially if you have a problem)
* Mando-I slept in today. 6:15 No where to go yet.
* Chris-yes this is the same route we took before, and we will be staying at most of the same places.

I'll keep you posted.......

BK

Chapter 4 - Day 4: Hoppie's Marina

5:30 am
Tuesday September, 07, 1999
Day 4

We covered 140 miles yesterday, and made it all the way to Hoppie's Marina in Kimmswick, MO.

It was a great day, full of sunshine, and a breeze from the north that most of the day was on our backs.

Day 3 highlights:
* Left our cozy slip (tied next to the barge at La grange lock) at 6:15 am
* Sunrise was at 6:30 and it was beautifull
* Traveled 80 miles to reach to Mississippi at almost exactly 12:00-noon
* Lots, and I do mean lots, of boat traffic
* Once we hit the Mississippi we picked up about 1.5 mph from the current
* Went through two locks before reaching St. Louis-in and out pretty quickly
* In the second lock we noticed that the starboard engine was putting out white smoke each time I put a load on it. It would stop quickly though.
Don't know what that means.
* Once we got out of the second lock we joined the current from the Missouri river and gained a total of over 3 mph of current
* It was neat to go through St.Louis, but you can't imagine the commercial traffic, and the number of barges parked everywhere. If you have ever seen a rail yard with hundreds of rail cars on the tracks beside one another---it comes pretty close. They are 7 or 8 wide, and 10 long. Like Darrell said "How do they find a certain one when they need it?"
* Reached Hoppie's at about 5 PM
* Put in 200 gallons of diesel--- $282, including $30 for slip fee for the night
* Deb made fresh bread, and an AWESOME pasta dish, and we started to watch a movie-I went to bed at 8:00-so I'm not sure what happened from there.

This morning (Tuesday) I slept in till 5. It is dark out now, and we are tied to a long barge (Hoppie's Marina) not far off the main channel of the Mississippi. As I write this I am looking south, and watching a tow boat heading north. He is still a long way off, but I can see his lights. It's a great sight, and it gets me excited about the day ahead. The weather channel says it will be 90, and sunny, and in just the last couple of minutes the sky is starting to brighten up in the west. By the time that barge gets here it will be light out.

Today's plan is to head out shortly, and either stop at mile 48.6 and drop a hook in a small river there, or go all the way to Cairo, and drop a hook about 1 mile north of the Ohio river. It will all depend on how we feel.

By the way we are now at mile 158. The mile 0 is where the Mississippi meets the Ohio at Cairo, IL. Why this is mile 0 seems strange, because the Mississippi goes on to Memphis.
So that's it for now. I need to go check all the engine fluids, and clean the strainers before we leave. I'll also top off the water tank so we will have plenty of water tonight while we're at anchor.

The sun is just starting to show itself, and that tow boat is still down river.
Looks like maybe we'll meet him as we go by.

I don't think my dream was this good............

BK

Chapter 3 - Day 3: Hams Marina

4:05 am
Monday, September 06, 1999
Day 3

Great day yesterday.

We left Hams Marina (mile 178) about 6:30 to a beautiful sunrise. As we headed out there were guys in their blinds hunting ducks. The river was a little hazy, but we could see enough to keep track of the red and green buoys. (the ones that mark the channel-you knew that---right?)
I decided to stop in Peoria to top off the fuel because the port fuel gauge showed that I had already used a 1/4 of a tank. (we had 178 miles before we could get fuel again so I was concerned). I also have a flow meter that keeps track of fuel used and it said that I had only used 49 gallons so..........rather than wonder, we stopped at East Port Marina (mile 164).
As it turns out the flow gauge was right and it took 51 gallons to top off the port tank. In total it took 110 gallons, and cost $ 170 which included $5 to pump out the holding tank (septic)

The haze stayed with us and at 9:30 we entered the Peoria Lock (mile 157).
The drop is only 9 feet, and they let us float in the middle while they took us down.
As we made our way south there was quite a bit of boat traffic so I had to keep it at about 1000 rpm, and 10 mph, so I didn't make a large wake. Our plan was to get to mile 46 and drop the hook, but at 4:00 PM when we got to the La Grange lock (mile 80) they were just putting in a south bound double.

We asked the lockmaster how long of a wait, because we told him we may have to go back to Beardstown to have a place to spend the night. He said it would be 2 hours, but we could tie along his lock wall and wait, and once we were through the lock we could tie up to a barge they had on the bottom side. We knew we didn't have enough light to make it mile 46, so we did as he said, and stayed the night tied to a barge-- that was tied to the bottom lock wall. For dinner Darrell grilled some pork chops, Debbie made some rice, and we were set for the night. We started to watch a movie, but I had enough, so I was in bed by 8:30.

This morning, at 3:30 am one of the ropes on our bow started to squeak. Why after all night it started then-- who knows, but I got up to fix it---which I did----and just decided to stay up.

Yes, this will be a long day!

Now I'm on my second cup of coffee, typing this note, and watching the weather channel. There are a lot of things I love about this boat, but having the on board satellite system is high on the list. Normally on a trip like this you're out of the loop, because you don't have a good way to get information. Having the satellite TV gives us a way to keep up with things, but especially the weather. I'll admit I am a weather channel guy, but it helps so much when it comes to planning a safe trip. If I can help it, I don't want to be anchored out somewhere if severe weather is coming.

Speaking of plans. Today we are going to finish our trip down the Illinois River to the Mississippi. We join the Mississippi at mile 218. From there we stop for fuel, go through two more locks, and on to Hoppie's Marina at mile 158. Like I said---long day.

One last note before signing off. Deb said to apologize to everyone (again) about any misspellings, and errors in grammar. Actually I thought I had been doing fine, but she must have spotted something. Funny how this happens.

BK