An update from Zeke!

RUFF!!!

Grrrr, this is Zeke! Kathy and Garth are busy so I thought I would take a shot at this. First off, I am kind of sad to leave Stuart because it's a very dog friendly town. You can tell by the number of water bowls left out on the street for me. I just wish the people who leave them would clean them out once in a while. I really like the man at the hot dog stand downtown because he gives me fresh cold water! I made the mistake of jumping in the water the first time Garth took me downtown so now they put me on the leash to walk past that area. I didn't know the water was polluted!!  

I sure will miss my friends on B dock. Lily is a chocolate lab who lives on a Cat. I just don’t get that! Anyhow, Lily is so sweet. She told me that she is coming to the Exumas in January so perhaps we will get together once again. Salty Dawg has already left and gone up north for Christmas. I wish Kathy had taken a picture of Salty cause he is the spitting image of me only he’s a something poo and very small.  I will not miss Fuzzy the Golden from A dock.  I just hate Fuzzy!! He is tall, handsome, and unneutered!!!!! I have a friend on C dock named Winston and he is also coming to the Exumas in the new year  - WOW, I hope Lily , Winston and I can get together on the beach, swim have dogtails and chill!  I will also miss that bone shaped swimming pool at Fur Seasons. How cool is that! The good news is that we are coming back here in the spring and I am sure they will take me back to the pool! I will miss the cookies at the marina office. They have this big jar of cookies just sitting there and I pretty much get one or two everyday, yeah. Last week my friend Daisy from A dock jumped off her boat and went to the office by herself to get a cookie. They are still talking about it around here, it was quite a hike!

So, my peeps have been out almost every day. You should see the amount of dog food they have for me...... 120 pounds! I did not see any treats or greenies come aboard but I am pretty sure they would not have forgotten those.  The cupboards are full, the dishwasher is now being used for storage. Hey, maybe my cookies are in there! There are so many cubby holes and hiding spots on this boat you could hide a small army of cats. Besides Fuzzy, I also hate cats! Most cats anyway but not all cats I suppose. Why do they say that Lily lives on a Cat? The crew shower is full of water and toilet paper and I also saw some new dog toys in a drawer in there the other day.  Yes, Santa I have been good!! Ok, except when I see Fuzzy on the dock. But Santa you understand, don’t you?

Garth and Kathy drove to Miami on Tuesday as Garth had to get a new passport. Would have been simple to get one in Toronto when he was there a few weeks ago but he did not realize that it was due to expire until last Wednesday. They are still talking about how fast they got it - delivered to Miami on a Thursday and picked up the next Tuesday. Date and place of issue reads Miami on Thursday Dec 6th. Wow, in reality it was same day service! Anyhow, I got to spend the day with Judy aboard Quest. We went for a few walks and she even took me out for a drive! I tell you I was exhausted at the end of the day. Judy just moves a mile a minute and of course I had to follow her all over her boat, up and down all day long! Thanks Judy for taking care of me, it sure beat sitting in the car zooming down I-95.

Oh No, Garth just said he has to go out and find a spear. A spear?? Oh, it is for lobster fishing. I tell you this fishing business is pretty serious stuff. Garth went to a special fishing store with Dan a few weeks ago and he is always saying I need 30 SPF for fishing, I need a small cooler for fishing, I need a .....for fishing!!! I think our time in the Bahamas will revolve around fishing....... instead of me.

I think we are ready for Christmas. Kathy has been shopping for weeks and Garth and I walked downtown yesterday and finished our shopping in an hour. I don’t get that myself but I guess Garth must be a much better shopper is all I can figure. 

They left me alone today on the boat when they went for  dock tails. I could see them from our boat so finally they came to get me so I could talk to Lily. You know, Lily who lives on a Cat? Now, they are talking about organizing tomorrow, the last day with a car. Garth has to go get his spear, Kathy wants paper towels, and hey let’s make a stop at Petsmart just to see what’s new!!

Well, I will share the plan with you as far as I know it. We leave here Sunday and make our way down to Lake Worth to anchor out for the night. I really do not like to anchor out cause there is nothing for me to do and they encourage me to do my business on that fake grass stuff they bought. Maybe Garth will dingy me to shore and I can run around a bit....time will tell.  Monday morning we will leave Lake Worth and go across to Freeport. Things seem to be changing a bit and we could be heading farther south and heading over to Bimini. They don't tell me much about that stuff. What I heard was that if we go to Freeport and the weather gets bad then we may have to sit for a few days before making a run to Chubb Cay or beyond to Nassau.  It all depends on the weather!!!! I think that's why Garth is thinking about going further south before going over. The weather might be a little bit more dependable is what he's thinking. He and Dan will come up with a good plan I'm sure.  Remember you can always see exactly where we by clicking on the "CLICK HERE FOR OUR CURRENT LOCATION"

This is Zeke signing off and wishing you ....

A Merry Christmas 

Counting the days!

 We are not counting the days until Christmas but counting the days until we move.

 We really quite like Stuart but we have been here long enough. The town itself is very quaint with deco style buildings, boutique like stores and a variety of restaurants. It has a market every Sunday and there is always something going on. We are less than a ten minute walk along the river to the heart of all the action.

Sailfish Capital of the World

Our first delay was unavoidable, but thanks to modern medicine all is well and Garth has a clean bill of health! Our second delay, Garth had to make a quick trip home, now that we have our own pied -a -terre there are no worries and we can rest assured that our belongs are safe. Our third and hopefully final delay is work related. Dan and Judy - aka Quest have waited patiently for us and now Judy, Garth and I will wait while Dan is up north working. We would all like to have gone with him and helped out  but someone has to stay here, watch the boats and make sure the air conditioning stays on. Dan hopes to be back this weekend and then we are outta here!
We have been keeping ourselves entertained and busy.
The four of us went down to Miami for a day, visited Vizcaya, a mansion built in 1916 by a wealthy industrialist.  Then we stopped by to see Peggy and Steve in Key Biscayne before descending on South Beach for the evening.

The channel entrance to Vizcaya

The back gardens of Vizcaya

I wish I had had the presence of mind to have taken a picture of the drinks we had in South Beach, speaking for myself, we ordered mojitos and I expected a normal size drink but out came these fish bowl size glasses full of mojito!!!! We suffered through them!

We have been making lists of things we absolutely must have in the Bahamas, like twenty packages of Starbucks coffee, 120 pounds of dog food, pill pockets, renewing our insurance, renewing our Spot so that you can see exactly where we are and stocking up on rum and wine...  etc etc....last stop will be for fresh fruit and veggies!

The Fur Season Pet Resort Stretch Limo

While doing some running around we dropped Zeke off at the Fur Seasons. It is illegal to leave a dog in a car in the state of Florida. So, here he can swim in a bone shaped pool and have some dog time. We draw the line at having a limo pick him up!
Once we leave here we have  no real plans other than to spent a few months bumping around the Exumas and relaxing. Garth is planning on getting in some serious fishing! I am planning on getting in some serious reading and beach walking. We want to be in Farmers Key for the First Friday in February Party!  We are hoping to have some company - flights go from Toronto to Georgetown every week!!
So, while we wait patiently for Dan we continue to scour every store in Stuart and Jensen Beach checking out what they have and could we possibly need it. We even went to the flea market - Garth got a fishing tackle box and I bought a "as seen on TV" screen - I don't have great hopes for it working but something may prove to be better than nothing.

Some interesting and amusing boat names:

Yacht To Trot

Broke & Drunk

His and Hers

Follow Me

Algonquin and  Quest

 Even Zeke is anxious to get moving, he loves travelling by boat and kissed his airline cage goodbye this summer!!

Ah, the days of air travel!!

Ontario Beach time!

Long Point, Lake Erie - next beach will be in the Exumas!!

The Pressure to Post!!

Docked at:  Sunset Bay Marina

The other day I asked Judy (on Quest) if she wanted to go somewhere with us - she said "No, that she needed to get her blog posted as she was getting pressure to post." I didn't really think much of it until this morning when I opened my email and got this: the names have been left unchanged to single out the sender! 

Okay, so the last we knew you were in Stuart, Zeke's health is looking rosey, you were waiting for Hurricane Sandy and were not sure what you were going to do when the storm hit.  Then we find out Garth is driving around in a fancy Aston Martin.  Where is the continuity here?  What happened in between?  Was the Aston Martin thrown up onto Algonquin during Sandy?  Are you headed to the Bahamas?  How is it staying in Stuart (which was a place that we were considering spending some time this winter on Coda.)  Now, of course, Coda is high and very dry in Rockland ME and we are in Newport, boatless.  Herk went up to ME this week to get a boat fix but basically we are boatless.

Hurricane Sandy came and went.  We were prepared for the worst but in reality it was just really strong winds and sheets of rain for two days. But, yes it did blow the Aston Martin up onto our deck and finders keepers losers weepers! The worst part of Sandy was putting everything back after the storm – moving the cushions back out, putting up the canvas and then cleaning the salt off the boat.  

Hurricane Sandy  - the trees are really blowing!

Looking out to the mooring field - pretty choppy!

 We took a drive along the ocean the next day; you could see huge amounts of “stuff” strewn around, mostly tree parts.  Glad we were safe and sound at the dock.
 For Halloween we went to a pot luck the marina held. So many pirates in one place! It was a fun evening.  Hard to believe that it is November – before you know it 2013 will be here!

 We found a dog sitter through a woman who was cleaning the boat next door. We took Zeke there for a meet and greet and he seemed very comfortable. The West Palm Antique Extravaganza was on so Zeke went to day care and we spent the day at the show. There were some lovely things but the prices on the internet are much better.  We (Garth) did find one nice piece of Etruscan majolica! It’s a replacement of one I broke long ago (drats) so it was a good day.
. 

Garth has been busy getting the engines ready.  Some spots are tight and I sometimes hear moaning and groaning, followed by grunts and some very colorful words . He usually comes out covered in grease and happy. This week he is taking advantage of the cool weather and sanding the teak railing and prepping for the varnish.  Next week we will turn the boat around and do the other side!

For those of you who have followed the blog you may recall me talking about QUEST.  It has been over a year since we have seen Dan and Judy, but we have followed each other’s blogs and been in touch. Well, they pulled in beside us last Friday and WOW was it great to see them!  Quest looks spiffy inside and out - some major changes since we saw her last.  Dan had to return to Vermont, and you know Garth is busy doing the teak, so that leaves Judy and I with nothing to do but shop.  We have pretty much covered Jensen Beach and Stuart.  Shopping while on a boat really isn't shopping since you are very limited in what you can bring back. It is better classified as browsing. Although the Florida powerball is 214 million tomorrow and I did manage to find room on the boat for a few tickets!

Last weekend we went down to Sailfish Marina to have lunch with Linda. She was here to attend her brother’s wedding celebration. The actual wedding took place two months ago. Linda, her Mom, Cheryl , and Linda and Les’ kids Scott and Lindsay were all here. Archie flew them down in a private jet, very nice. This is where the Aston Martin comes in. They couldn't all fit into the Mercedes so Linda’s brother gave Scott the Aston to drive for the afternoon!!  After lunch Scott, Garth and Zeke went for a drive. When they came back Garth was driving!  “It is like a rocket on wheels. What a sound when you kick it.”  That really did make Garths day! Thanks Linda for the great lunch and thanks Scott for giving up the steering wheel – did you have a chance to say no?

We are busy getting organized to head over to the Bahamas. Judy and I were out "stocking" (not stalking) the other day – had to quit at 6pm ....guess I am getting old ..... gone are the days of twelve hour shopping sprees! YSYL!
When we arrived back to the boat there were some people visiting with Dan and Garth. This couple from Minnesota or Wisconsin had been having dinner at the marinas restaurant and noticed the boat Algonquin.  They are planning on doing the loop in a few years, have a 53 Hatteras Yachtfish,  found our blog while doing some research and have been loyal followers ever since. So that was interesting meeting people who know all about us! 

  Peggy and Steve came up Sunday morning. We played cards till the wee hours of the morning. Garth and Steve somehow managed to beat Peggy and I........ doesn't happen very often!  (editor’s note: they were reeling)

 The win was too much for Garth, he made a trip to the local Urgent Care Facility first thing Monday morning !  In actual fact he has not been feeling well for a few weeks. After blood work and two CT scans he was diagnosed with diverticulitis!  Something he knows he has but it had not acted up for quite a while!  A five day course of a very powerful antibiotic and one more trip back to the doctor this Monday,we hope. We will wait to get a green light from the doctor before we leave the dock.  Thanks Steve for giving up your  morning and accompanying Garth to the doctor. 

So there, I have succumbed to the pressure and posted all the news that is fit to print and then some.

Did I mention the oil change is done! We are ready to get moving!!

PS Santa, if you are reading this I would like a new camera!

Milly, I did have some of this ready to go, thanks for the push!!

The boys go for a spin in an ASTON MARTIN!

News and more pics to follow soon!

ALGONQUIN , NOAH'S ARK & STUART –Sailfish capital of the world, so they say:

We arrived at the boat Sunday September 30^th about 5:30 pm. Not exactly good timing as there was no one around and all of our worldly belongings like rum, towels and utensils were locked up in storage. We bought a few groceries forgetting that we had nothing to eat them with or no coffee mugs to drink from! 

When we left here in March we were the only boat in the water and there were a few strapped down around the yard. Now, there are several boats in the water and probably 50 strapped down around the yard. So many that we could not drive the car to the boat. We lugged a few things from the car but soon realized how hot it was and how tired we were.  We are blaming the heat for everything, our lack of energy, appetite and cleaning.

We stopped in Stuart to see the slip that we will be moving to and Zeke was not at all pleased. It is going to be a long walk for him in the morning. Perhaps the pet grass needs to be put back in use to save him the embarrassment. More like us the embarrassment cause he really does not seem to give a hoot. Speaking of Zeke, his latest Mira Vista test (measuring the amount of fungus left) came back Oct 4^th and he is now “Below the limit of quantification”. We were elated, retest in a month and hopefully he will be at a zero. He needs to get two consecutive zeros before he can stop the medication. YEAH ZEKE!!

Up bright and early Monday morning to start cleaning. It seems that some of the local inhabitants took refuge on Algonquin. Frogs, lizards, ants and funny looking creatures of unknown origin had moved aboard the decks. Really ugly tan colored frogs of all sizes – big ones the size of your palm and little bitty ones the size of your thumb nail.  Orange fuzzy creatures were clinging to the gunnel's and sugar cane residue covered the canvas along with green mildew. We did not know where to begin so like good boaters we took off for West Marine.  So much for paying to have the boat cleaned while we were absent – if I ever meet him I will certainly teach him a few things or two about cleaning!!

 It was wonderful looking at all the boat toys and cleaning supplies –not! One of the fenders blew during Isaac so we replaced that and yes bought some more cleaning products. Zeke got a cookie and off we went to our least favorite store Walmart.  Turns out our cutlery was not here so we had to buy something to eat with and some more Damp-Rid to absorb the excess moisture around the interior of the boat.

We spent the next three days wiping, sweating, scrubbing, sweating, dusting, sweating and relocating our hitchhikers back to the water and land.

Thursday October 4th we moved the boat to downtown Stuart. Our first obstacle was the GPS – it did not work. Oh Great....Garth had another coffee and then checked a few things. Turns out the yard had flipped a few breakers. So, literally with the flip of a switch all was well in paradise – stinking hot paradise.

We waved goodbye to the River Forest Yachting Centre and started our two hour trip down the Okeechobee River. It was beautiful and quiet but not a breathe of air to be had.  Along the way I hauled in and wound up the lines – the three lines along the side are heavy but I managed. Then to the cockpit where those lines are heavy duty and weigh a ton! My arms were aching as I wound them up.  Out of practice! We stopped at the fuel dock for a pump out and I had to move all the lines to the other side of the boat – usually we have them all set up on both sides but they were still in storage!! Again, winding and hauling lines. Just as the pump out started the skies opened and both Garth and I got drenched!  Sam, the dock master came out and said he could get us a little closer to the grass for Zeke ....not a huge difference but every paw step helps.  We waited for a break in the rain and then moved to our slip. By the time we were all set up we were both soaking wet, tired, aching and hungry. Spinach – we need to eat spinach!

If you have followed my blog you may remember me writing about the boat Grumpy. We meet Grumpy’s wife and dog – Denise and Harley in Baltimore, May 2011. The first boat Garth spots is Grumpy – only now Grumpy is blue and not green! WOW, looks amazing. We are hoping Harley and Zeke can get some quality play time once again – turns out that Grumpy is staying here for a year.

Well, here it is September 24^th already! Where does the time go.

First off, Grumpy – turns out it is a new boat. Out with the green and in with the blue. Say no more!

The marina is just a hop skip and jump along the boardwalk to historic downtown Stuart. There is a green market every weekend, interesting stores and bands playing almost every night. There are quite a few boats here with more arriving daily. 

We are busy doing all the jobs we never had time to do last season. We hired someone to do some touch up work on the awl-grip. Garth is going to re-do the teak railing and Zeke and I are busy checking out the local Petsmart and Macy’s.

Once hurricane season is over – November 31^st – our insurance allows us to leave the coast. We are sending out email enquiries for marinas in the Bahamas. Our sand plan is to leave here the first week of December and return in January or February. If the plan changes I’ll let you know.

But right now tropical Storm Sandy is headed our way.  She/ it has been upgraded to a Category One Hurricane and due to strike Jamaica today.  Will be doubling up on the lines, putting out all the fenders and bringing in anything that could fly away or become a projectile!  Also, we have a few hours to decide if we are going to move the boat inland.   We spent some time organizing for a hurricane when we first arrived. Plan A is to get the boat secured and get ourselves to the Marriott. We put our names on the list and have a room if needed. Problem with all the hotels here is that if the area is evacuated then the hotels must also clear out. The shelters in Martin County are not pet friendly, unbelievable. 

Plan B is to secure the boat and the three of us head to Key Biscayne. Peggy and Steve live there and have a hurricane safe condo. So, will play it by ear but by all accounts it looks like the hurricane will slow down as it approaches Florida and then head east!

Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't change course and head west!

Last Port of Call For This Season

 All good things must come to an end. For now, this will be my last blog from Algonquin. It has been a year to remember in so many ways.  We feel very fortunate to have had the experience of seeing the United States and Canada from the waterways. Towns and cities that we would normally not visit and had never heard of before are now familiar and firmly etched in our minds.  Coinjock, Oriental, Campbellford, Little Current, Brit, Kimmswick, Demopolis, Carrabelle, just to name a few. Our learning curve was steep, but we did it without maiming ourselves or others. What made this trip extra special were the people we met along the way.  Boaters are special, and boaters beat to a different drummer.

How boating is different:

First off boaters live by a different clock.  Getting up at 5:30 am is par for the course. Midnight on a boat comes early, like 9 pm.  Happy hour is any time the boat is not sinking.  On that note 99 percent of the boaters we met drink. Not just as a social activity, but as a celebration of surviving another day on the water.

People lose their identity and become known by their boats name. Fellow boaters bring their own drinks and food when invited over. Rarely do they use your head. Fellow boaters grab lines of any boat docking - others just watch. Boaters are always willing to help in any way they can.  They are easy going and take things in stride. It's a boat ....
Keeping to a schedule is foolhardy as the weather dictates your movement. Waiting becomes a pastime and you make the best of it. We were fortunate enough to have great waiting spots like Cape May, Carrabelle and the Green Turtle Club in the Bahamas. It`s generally not the town or city you wait in but the people you wait with. 

I would be remiss if I did not mention just a few of the special boats we encountered on our journey.

QUEST:   Dan and Judy Querrey. The best mentors newbies could have asked for. Dan ran to our aid late one night when we were broadsided by a sailboat in Fort Dollardale. Dan, learning that we had just bought the boat, offered to take us out for a few boating lessons. Dan & Garth were in heaven and Judy taught me about lines and charts. Dan was at Captains school so Judy and I did a lot of boat shopping. I miss my shopping buddy! Their help, advice,assistance and encouragement gave us the confidence to actually leave the dock.  Most importantly they taught us how to drink, not that we needed much prodding. To this day we are forever grateful to both of them and have a “Judy” every night just to show it!

N II WISHIN:  Jerry and Joan Muhme.  We met Jerry and Joan on Quest one night while a bunch of Loopers were waiting for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas.  Everyone was reliving their boat horror stories and scaring me half to death. At the end of the night Joan came over to me and said, “Listen, if I can do this then anyone can – you’ll be fine.”
 

MOONSTRUCK:  Doug and Judy Jordan. While walking the dock in Jekyll Island Doug stopped by and chatted with Garth. Later Judy (aka Cupcake) spotted Zeke and needed a dog fix. They were LOOPERS and although we had heard about the loop we were going to do it later. Doug and Judy encouraged us to join the American Great Loop Cruisers Association and attend the Loopers convention in Norfolk Virginia. So, thanks to them we became Loopers!  I also need to thank Judy for the great spaghetti dinner she had for us when we returned to Jekyll after our port engine quit just a mile out.  Now, if that happened, it would just be another day on the water. Back then it was a major catastrophe. The food, wine, and great company were, and still are, appreciated! Eh Doug!

FINALLY: Richard and Jill McGee. It just occurred to me that every time the port engine fails they are around! Jekyll Island last year, and Marathon this year! Humm... coincidence, or karma? Having just finished their loop they came over to our boat one night and imparted their wisdom to us. When we left Jekyll, Jill got up to throw us our lines. I’ll never forget her saying with that southern accent: “I just love the sound of those Detroits, ya’ll stay safe now. Remember to feed those twins.”

ONCE AROUND: Frank and Carrie Vellutini. We heard about Frank and Carrie long before we actually met them. Doug and Judy told us about this couple from California that bought their boat in Florida and were starting the loop. We first met them in Norfolk, and then off and on again all year. We waved goodbye to them for the last time as they left Key West...... with the watering can in their freezer! These two have a wonderful love of life, and are genuinely wonderful people. I think they should both be voted Looper Ambassadors of the Year. If for nothing else than for risking life, limb, and boat, to give us their night vision camera in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico after losing our transmission! That was cool!! Life is good and boating is fun!  

LADY SIMCOE:  Sue Ferguson and Gord Zimmerman.  Sailors from Bobcaygeon that we met in Oriental and then again in Norfolk. They had left their boat in the south and returned home to deal with health issues. They had returned to resume their journey to Canada. I thought, why not just sell it. But no. Here they were planning to go to Washington, and then the Statue of Liberty for July 4^th . After that they were continuing to Lake Simcoe. Seeing them carry on was an inspiration and made me stop and think that yes, there is something special about people on the water.

SALT’N SAND: Rich and Carol Nick. Loopers have what are called Harbor Hosts. When we arrived into Cape May, New Jersey Rich came over to the boat. He had sheets of paper with local knowledge for going up the New Jersey coast.  They invited us to their condo for appetizers and then we all went out to dinner. That was so nice.  Boaters helping boaters!  The next time we saw them was in Key West, eight months later. We just picked up where we left off and spent some wonderful time together.

THE LADY JANE:  Bob and Jayne Koehnke. These two found the charts and books for the loop at a garage sale and, in their mid seventies thought it sounded like a lot of fun so they bought a boat and took off on the loop. Jayne feel had a fall during the first few weeks and ended up breaking her shoulder. Something like this can discourage anyone except that Jayne just dusted herself off and kept on going. They are truly an inspiration to all. We stopped and saw them while passing by their place in Florida and they pulled up in their  convertible. Some people will never grow up, thank God!

CODA: Millie and Herk. Sail boaters who came over to the dark side last year. They are about to venture off in their newly commissioned old boat. I am so looking forward to following you two, and your beautiful Portie Bella on your new adventures. With your combined sense of humor I know you`ll have a blast and enjoy yourself. Don`t forget the popcorn Millie! 

SOMETHING SPECIAL: Sid and Evelyn Tilstra. These two had just taken possession of their boat the day before we met them in Cape May New Jersey. Sid asked, "Can I follow ya."  We ended up traveling together all the way to Trenton. We saw Sid and Evelyn as they continued on their loop from Midland in July. Our wakes crossed again in Key Biscayne and we ended up traveling with them over to the Bahamas. You know how they say that people resemble their dogs. Well Sid and Evelyn resemble their boats name.  They are both lovely, genuine, and down to earth super people. I am going to miss the way Evelyn says "Sid!", and then rolls her eyes. I am going to miss Sid for just being Sid, honest, kind, and one of the friendliest characters you will ever meet. Sid talks to everyone and anyone. I wish there were more Sids in the world! We will have to have a re-match on that euchre game at some point! The boys need to regain some respect!

BUSHRANGER RIDES AGAIN: Boyd and LynnAnne Robinson. They left us with good memories of Iuka, Mississippi and it was our pleasure to have met them. These folks are in the process of totally refitting their boat. BIG JOB!! They have gutted her and are now in the process of adding everything, and I mean everything, back into place. LynnAnne will be the most welcome addition to all Happy Hours with her amazing assortment of home made from scratch breads, biscotti and cakes! I really think you missed your calling LynneAnne for choosing the cockpit over the kitchen all those years ago!  

BROWN EYED GIRL: Ginny and Craig Ryland & SWEET PEA: Dale & Jim McGovern:  Couldn't have asked for better buddy boats, B.E.G. crossing over to Bahamas and S.P. the Gulf.  Our waiting time in Green Turtle and the lobster-steak-tipsy turtle, lobster.-steak -tipsy turtle ,lobster-steak-tipsy turtle dinners are memories etched in out minds!

"16 foot canoe, 53 foot Hatteras - they both float and it's all just water"




Blue skies and calm seas!


Kathy, Garth & Zeke

Our last run on Algonquin ...for now!

 Time travelled:        10 hours
 Nautical miles:        82
 Docked at:             River Forest Yachting Center


Locks: St Lucie Lock

West End, Grand Bahamas

We left West End Bahamas at 8:30 am and had a beautiful run right across to the St. Lucie Inlet. Speaking for myself, it was a little scary being that far away from land, by ourselves and in really deep water. The depth finder stops at 286 ft. but the charts tell you that the water was 2500 feet deep!  Very different from the Bahamas where half the time you could see the bottom of the ocean.  We both sat outside just enjoying the warmth and watching for whales. The North Atlantic Right Whale season is from December to March. No whales in sight.

About thirty miles off shore the VHF started to get busy, the first conversation we heard:

" White westbound vessel approaching West Palm Beach this is Customs"

There was no answer, about three minutes later,

"Grady White with three outboards approaching West Palm Beach this is United States Customs"

There was still no answer but it was kind of eerie that somewhere up there they were watching. With three outboards the guy probably couldn't hear anything.

Next conversation,


"Yeah, he popped up about a half mile in front of me all in yellow,scared the crap outta me"  "I am the White Viking, hes at 12'o'clock off my stern"

"He got away from the herd, he has a gun"

"Do you see him? Do you see him?"

Well- that certainly got our attention - who got away from the herd, why do they have a gun in the ocean, and where are they? Scanning the radar we could see that there were no other boats in our immediate vicinity. The only logical explanation we came up with  was that it was a diver who strayed from the others and was carrying a flare gun.....who knows!

I dislike coming into the inlets, I read the big yellow CAUTION section in the Waterway Guide saying that the St. Lucie inlet is not marked due to constant shoaling. Great!  I called Boat US for local knowledge and they were wonderful - go to the sea buoy, parallel the north side of the south jetty, at the green five turn to starboard and head to the red eight.  Sounds easy, but they failed to mention the dredger in the middle of the channel , all the red dredging buoys, and the fifty little fishing boats zooming in and out. The Inter Coastal Waterway markers intersect here with the Okeechobee so it was a little confusing but we made it through without a hitch.  I called US Customs to report our arrival and was told to call back when we were stopped. So, we decided to just keep on going instead of stopping there for the night.
We knew that we had clearance under all bridges except the Old Roosevelt Bascule Bridge. Garth called on the VHF requesting his next opening and he said he "I am having a malfunction" A few minutes later Garth called again to ask if the malfunction was going to be fixed anytime soon or should we turn back and go to a marina?  The bridge tender sounded a little panicky and explained that only one side of the bridge was working and he would open  for anyone who wanted to go through. Of course there was a line up and shortly thereafter we made it through with only one arm up.

The Okeechobee is actually quite nice, narrow and not very deep but lined with lovely homes and trees. It is a manatee zone and therefore we had to go really slow. Never did see a manatee. We arrived at the River Forest Marine Center after hours and tied up to the wall ourselves, hooked up the power and took a deep breath.

Back in fresh water, no tides, no current - a little like a big bathtub for boats. A few boats are already wrapped and strapped down.