Month: September 2018

Paducah, Kentucky

The city marina in Paducah is one long wall, making it really easy to dock.

In Paducah we met Jim and Kelly Horan, S/V Jimmy Rigged.  So sad to hear about your sailboat tragedy going into the marina, so thankful you were quickly rescued and your three orange kitties are all okay.

Happy Birthday Bruce

Celebrating 56 (strike, reverse that, Willy Wonka!).  Live Long and Prosper Sea Trek.

Green Turtle Bay, Kentucky

A popular destination for southern folks (Hello, Donna!), there were hundreds of turtles swimming around Green Turtle Bay.  Accustomed to people feeding them, the turtles climb on top of each other – forget about a “dog pile”, the aggressive little turtle piles were insane.

Patti’s 1880’s Settlement – worth the stop! Click here to learn more!

Dry Fork Bay Anchor, Land Between the Lake

Congrats to Forever Friday and HeartBeat – celebrating their FIRST day on the Loop.

Hello Tennessee

Pebble Isle, Tennessee

Don’t ever underestimate the power of one.  One child, one woman, one man, one voice.

From just one small acorn, grows a mighty oak.

Savoring the Sunset

Dense Morning Fog – ARGH! Thanks, Garmin, for the navigational tools. And Thanks, Capt. Rick for keeping out a keen eye.  Well done, babe.

Tennessee

From a small seed to a dense forest. Walnut trees, so beautiful.

Bridge to no where

This reminded me of Sarah Palin – If you are from Alaska, you know why.

Beech Creek Island Anchor

Anchoring out with Sea Trek. Another perfect evening. Thanks for the Little Beers.

Tennessee River Rocks

This is for Susan Merritt, we miss you Gypsy!

Fall Migration

On the waters, “fall migration” is a busy season.  As leaves turn autumn red a virtual “convoy” heads south, filling up the anchorages and marinas along the way. By late November most loopers will be off the mighty rivers, headed to Texas, Florida, the Caribbean, and other warm waters.

So far, Exhale is on track to be in southwest Florida by late December.

Next up:  Aqua Harbor, Mississippi

Where Have We Been So Far? Thanks for asking 🙂

Total Locks completed = 135 plus 2 dams, includes:

• Florida – Lake Okeechobee area: 7
• Virginia – Great Dismal Swamp: 2
• New York – Troy & Champlain Canal: 12
• CANADA – Chambly Canal/Quebec: 9
• CANADA – Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway: 5
• CANADA – Rideau Canal/Ontario: 47
• CANADA – Trent-Severn Waterway: 44
• Illinois – Calumet, Illinois and Ohio Rivers: 8 plus 2 dams
• Tennessee – Pickwick Lock and Dam: 1

States and Provinces traversed on the water, commencing March 1, 2018:

U.S (March 1- June 10). Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Vermont. (August 10 – tbd): Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi

Canada Provinces (June 10 – August 9): Quebec, Ontario.

Side trips (via auto or plane):

Los Angeles (MS [3 – April, May & Sept], Rick [4 – May, June, July, Sept] & Maddie [2 – May, Sept]), Cleveland (RMG, MS & Maddie [2- April and July], Craig [April]), St. Charles and St. Louis by car (thanks, B and B)

We left Exhale docked in Alton, Illinois to make another side trip to California. A visit with special friends and family began with Craig and Maureen (former and future Exhale crew members).

Moorpark, CA

Continuously vying for attention, Maddie and Murphy, a 95 lb young English Labrador Retriever, eventually found a balance.

Thanks for the first class treatment, and, for the healthy diet plan. We’ll report back later on our progress.

Los Angeles – A CareGiver Lesson from Mija

Have you ever seen a dog running along the road, at risk of being hit by a car?  What did you do?  Would you watch closely to make sure it stays away from the traffic, until you pass by? Not if you are my daughter, Alisha.  First, pull ahead, jump out and try to catch the dog.  Now, what if you see someone else trying to do the same thing?  Would you let them take over and continue on to your original destiny?  No again.  Work together, position both cars farther ahead and try again, about 5 times, coax the dog towards you with some kind of food (cheese crackers).  Okay, what if that dog has bloody feet?  Engage volunteer car driver #2, and your mom; gently lift the dog into the back of your SUV and transport it to the nearest dog hospital.  But wait, what if the dog hospital says you can’t leave the dog there?  Ask for expert help to find the owner, noting it is wearing a tag.  When they identify the owner and dog, Kopi Tart, but can’t reach the family, you generously offer to pay to bandage up the dog (the hospital did it for free), and agree to transport the dog to its home, only a few blocks away.  If no one answers the door, do you leave the bandaged dog inside the fenced yard?  No, you take it to the nearby shelter, to make sure Kopi Tart is safe until the owners can retrieve the beautiful dog.  Sarah O, I know you are listening; I believe you would have done the same.

Proud Mama, Thanks Mija

I firmly believe the dedication of roughly an hour of time by my daughter, Alisha, saved the life of Kopi Tart; Mija was given the chance to exit the task every step of the way, but she never gave up.  She was determined to make sure Kopi Tart was safe.  That’s how Alisha lives her life, every day; she goes the extra mile, with human kindness.  My baby cannot, and will not, be stopped, undeterred by any obstacle.  And by now, I am confident, Kopi Tart has been reunited with her family.  BTW, Alisha’s last infusion is Sept 24.  Take a permanent hike, Big C!   

Long Beach, and then there were three.

On our last day in CA we had a delicious new age Rosh Hashanah meal with Danielle, Sandra, Leo and Abby. Maddie had a play date with her high energy buddies, Garbanzo and Artichoke.  Are you sure you want a third dog, Sandra?

Welcome to the world, Mason Casella

Congrats to grandparents, Maureen & Craig; mom and dad, Alexis & Patrick; and siblings, Tyler & Reagan.

Little Mason was born on 9-18-18 at exactly 7 lbs.  Good start for the future numbers dude.

Life is Good – Man and his Dog

After another long plane ride, Maddie and Rick were happy to get back to the boat.

Alton, Illinois

The numbers are growing! Forgive me if you are not listed, Loopers at Alton include – Back Row:  Exhale, SeaTrek, Antonia, Second Wave, and Sabbatical. Front Row: Let’s Go, Hayley Rose, Sea Jamm, Island Girl, Unfettered, Misty Pearl, and others (30 loopy loopers).

St. Louis

A shout out to Chelsea and Brad Bishop as we drifted past St. Louis. An early Happy Anniversary.

More Locks

Our final two locks on the Mississippi River were really easy.  This one is for you, Gypsy.  Nothing for the worry journal here :-).

Kimmswick, Missouri

An overnight at the legendary Hoppie’s Barge includes invaluable guidance from river experts Fern and her daughter (Get well soon Fern!).  It’s a MUST stop.

A Wall

This historic wall and gate, facing south, stands strong.

A closer look:  reveals the eastern wall is either gone, or invisible.

Given the enchanted tower, you can decide if there is magic involved at this site,

or, if the gate is tightly locked to keep the Zombies out (they won’t go around…)

Blue Owl – Home of the Levee High Apple Pie

If you ever make it to Kimmswick, Missouri, Blue Owl is infamous for its magnificent desserts.  Get there early, they only serve breakfast and lunch (close at 3). Here’s the website:  go ahead, take a look!

Diet Tomorrow (sorry, Maureen, we will keep trying)

Little Diversion, Missouri

After a 98 nautical mile run (114 statute miles), we stopped at a well known anchorage. Along the way, the banks of the Mississippi River fall colors began to show.

Celebrating the first day of fall.

Raining Cats and Dogs on the Ohio River

That’s right, we made it to the Ohio River!  Since March 1, 2018 we have traveled 3,751 nautical miles (4,321 statute miles).  Total gallons of fuel burned:  2,081.

Once again we are very thankful for our pilot house, with steady rain and wind.  We felt sincerely sorry for Unfettered, who is running from the fly bridge with only partial cover.  HOT drinks will be popular at the end of this day.

Meet Bear, boat dog from Unfettered

Say hello to Bear, Maddie’s newest friend, who we hope is staying dry in the cabin below.

Thanks, For the Dogs

For all of you who have dogs on your boats and in your homes, you know the extra work required to take care of the critters, and, you know the reward of never ending loyalty and affection. While they ask for very little, they never stop giving.

Next up:  Paducah, Kentucky

Where Have We Been So Far? Thanks for asking 🙂

Total Locks completed = 134 plus 2 dams, includes:

• Florida – Lake Okeechobee area: 7
• Virginia – Great Dismal Swamp: 2
• New York – Troy & Champlain Canal: 12
• CANADA – Chambly Canal/Quebec: 9
• CANADA – Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway: 5
• CANADA – Rideau Canal/Ontario: 47
• CANADA – Trent-Severn Waterway: 44
• Illinois – Calumet and Illinois River: 8 plus 2 dams

States and Provinces traversed on the water, commencing March 1, 2018:

U.S (March 1- June 10). Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Vermont. (August 10 – tbd): Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri

Canada Provinces (June 10 – August 9): Quebec, Ontario.

Side trips (via auto or plane):

Los Angeles (MS [3 – April, May & Sept], Rick [4 – May, June, July, Sept] & Maddie [2 – May, Sept], Cleveland (RMG, MS & Maddie [2- April and July], Craig [April]), St. Louis and St. Charles by car (thanks, B and B)

Exploring the waters of Mark Twain

It seemed romantic to follow the routes of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, but with the river running higher than usual, it was not easy to dodge the mighty trees, swept down river by a strong current.

Visible sections of this tree were more than 50 feet in length, but, like an iceberg, you have no way of knowing what is lurking just below the surface.

The Illinois River

Beverly (Sea Trek), Bonnie (It’s Someday) and I agreed, this structure reminded us of a beloved Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale, Rapunzel.

May flies in September?!?

We celebrated Octoberfest in September, so perhaps we should not have been surprised when the may flies arrived out of season … Bonnie said the flies were wise, resting their weary wings, and hitching a little ride down the river.  The one who had to sweep the little carcasses off the boat wasn’t so altruistic about the invasion.

Grafton, Illinois

We all know Canadian Geese fly south for the winter, but did you ever wonder where the eagles go? Now you know, it’s Grafton, home of the wintering bald eagles.

The river did not disappoint as we spotted numerous bald eagles along the way.

Ciao for now, It’s Someday – we were sorry to break up the happy trio of boats.

Hey, Susan Merritt (Gypsy), when we were in Grafton, we found an amazing display of rocks.

The river was so high in Grafton – How High, you ask?? Well, no one was brave enough to test the bike trail to know for sure.

St. Charles aka Earth City

Thanks, Beverly and Bruce (Sea Trek) for the side trip to St. Charles, although we never found the chocolate covered bacon Beverly was craving, it was a beautiful little city.

Home of Daniel Boone

And the Lewis and Clark Expedition

St. Louis, returning to The Hill

And, we got to visit one of our favorite St. Louis restaurants again.

An early happy anniversary to Brad and Chelsea Bishop, a year ago October we ate at Zia’s the night before their St. Louis wedding. If you are EVER in the area, this restaurant is worth the stop.  Click here for their website. A warm shout out to Brenda and Mark – we love and miss you!

Alton, Illinois

We continued to travel with Sea Trek, docking in Alton for an extended respite.  The marina is lovely, with a refreshing cement pond, and LOTS of Loopers arriving daily.

As you can see, the Mississippi River bridge is spectacular at night.

Whistle Signal Tips

For all you loopers who are finally entering the river, here are the official instructions from Waterway Guide to help you communicate with the tugs/tows:

Next up?  Another Side trip to LA for a little work and a cherished visit with friends and family.  Meanwhile, Exhale is docked in Alton, Illinois, under the watch of Sea Trek – Thanks Bruce and  Beverly! 

This little frog is for Morgan and Brad

Happy New Year

L’shana tova.  May the new year be sweet, and may your lives be filled with health and happiness.

Where Have We Been So Far? Thanks for asking 🙂

Total Locks completed = 132 plus 2 dams, includes:

• Florida – Lake Okeechobee area: 7
• Virginia – Great Dismal Swamp: 2
• New York – Troy & Champlain Canal: 12
• CANADA – Chambly Canal/Quebec: 9
• CANADA – Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway: 5
• CANADA – Rideau Canal/Ontario: 47
• CANADA – Trent-Severn Waterway: 44
• Illinois – Calumet and Illinois River: 6 plus 2 dams

States and Provinces traversed on the water, commencing March 1, 2018:

U.S (March 1- June 10). Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Vermont. (August 10 – tbd): Michigan, Indiana, Illinois

Canada Provinces (June 10 – August 9): Quebec, Ontario.

Side trips (via auto or plane):

Los Angeles (MS [2 – April and May], Rick [3 – May, June and July] & Maddie [May], Cleveland (RMG, MS & Maddie [2- April and July], Craig [April])

Surrounded by industrial operations, scrap metal and sewage plants, it was surprising to see lovely green hillsides …

Upon closer inspection, we realized they were massive land fills, with methane venting.

Little Calumet River Marine Services

We spent our first night on the river in a very small marina, surrounded by some of the nicest local boaters, celebrating life.

But the flame across from our dock was from another land fill, a very unsettling experience that may have caused a rough night’s sleep filled with strange dreams.

Joliet City Wall

We reunited with Sea Trek in Joliet, tying up to the City Wall together, along with It’s Someday.

Ottawa – Heritage Harbor

As a storm continued to build, we found refuge at Heritage Harbor in Ottawa.

Henry – Lock Walls

Yet another unique experience, we tied off to the rock walls of a former lock.

Power was found about 5 feet off the ground, in anticipation of flooding.

Electrical expert, Dale Morgan, cringed at this photo!

Loopy Loopers

After securing our boats to the rocks, we gathered at Henry’s Lakeside Tavern.

None of the Looper ladies were willing to contribute to the decor.

Five Looper Boats (10 people) closed the bar at Henry’s after a highly competitive game of pool.

Peoria – Illinois Valley “Ivy” Club

The invasion of loopers grew to more than a dozen boats at Peoria.

Havana – Tall Timbers

One of Rick’s Bucket List items is a visit to Havana.  Something about the romance of a certain spring holiday in 1957, his parents, on a beach, you get the idea. Although we have not made it to Cuba, yet; Havana, Illinois was a little slice of heaven.

Beardstown, Logsdon Tug Service – Rafting to a Barge

It was a unique experience, tying off to a barge for the night.  At Mile 88 we stopped at Logsdon, along with Sea Trek and It’s Someday.  

Although it was a little tricky getting on and off the boat, the guys were delighted to get a private tour of the engine room.  Yep, that’s a Cummins 1700hp – the tug has two of them. It’s just a little bigger than the 355hp in Exhale.

Slang from the tugs and barges

Most of the seasoned tug operators seem to talk with a gruff voice and a unique slang, that can be entertaining:

Meet up on the one whistle – when two crafts encounter one another, each staying in their far right lane of traffic

On the twos – when two crafts stay in the far left lane of traffic (yes, it seems backwards, like going up the down staircase)

This one goes ’bout twice across – a double width barge

Knock the rust off it – getting close enough to a navigational buoy that you could scrape the rusted paint off it.

Com on o’er it – come on over closer

Throw Down the Dam! We had heard the tugs say repeatedly, “gotta wait for the lock cause “they done throw down the dam” ???   The marina said the Peoria lock and dam was closed for maintenance, as the “wickets were down”, but you could continue south on the Rivers by going “over” the dam.  The fear of going over a dam turned into a hearty chuckle for all of us when we learned the “wickets” were gates that had been dropped into the water, making the dam virtually undetectable.

Some of the tug names are very difficult to pronounce.  These two were familiar.

Where Have We Been So Far? Thanks for asking 🙂

Total Locks completed = 132 plus 1 dam, includes:

• Florida – Lake Okeechobee area: 7
• Virginia – Great Dismal Swamp: 2
• New York – Troy & Champlain Canal: 12
• CANADA – Chambly Canal/Quebec: 9
• CANADA – Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway: 5
• CANADA – Rideau Canal/Ontario: 47
• CANADA – Trent-Severn Waterway: 44
• Illinois – Calumet and Illinois River: 6 plus 1 dam

States and Provinces traversed on the water, commencing March 1, 2018:

U.S (March 1- June 10). Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Vermont. (August 10 – tbd): Michigan, Indiana, Illinois

Canada Provinces (June 10 – August 9): Quebec, Ontario.

Side trips (via auto or plane):

Los Angeles (MS [2 – April and May], Rick [3 – May, June and July] & Maddie [May], Cleveland (RMG, MS & Maddie [2- April and July], Craig [April])

Holland, Michigan

It was great spending time with Jim and Susan Merritt, Meghan, Lexi and little Cooper. We were sad to part ways with Gypsy, she’s under repair – there was a water problem, discovered by Meghan who was looking for her chapstick when she found her shoes floating in the cabin … AND there was something about a good samaritan effort by Susan’s brother who bravely leaped on board a large sailboat that was drifting away from the neighboring dock in Frankfort while its absent minded captain was releasing a line from the shore. Unaware the boat was in gear, Chip fired up the little motor … and smashed into Gypsy, no good deed goes unpunished.

Misty Spider Webs in Holland

We awoke to heavy fog.  The kind where you can barely see more than a few feet.  You don’t realize how many spiders are on the boat until the webs are covered in mist.

Running in the Fog

There was a small window of opportunity to run the boat on smooth waters, but this time it was in dense fog.  While the fog is unsettling, with the right equipment it’s far more tolerable than rough waters.

Smooth Waters On the Lake, Visibility??

Visibility at 9:45 am : Still Zero.

Visibility at 11 am – Maybe a few feet

The fog lifted sometime after noon.  By 1 pm there was a small parade headed to South Haven, including Sea Trek (one of the 3 not shown), Exhale, and  Miss Hattie.

South Haven

Arriving in South Haven, we met Pirates in the Black River.

To celebrate our arrival, we joined the crew of Sea Trek, gold loopers, on their yacht. It’s always a treat to spend time with Bruce and Beverly (B and B).

When you board Sea Trek, the proper Vulcan greeting is “Live Long and Prosper”

Memories of Popeye the Sailor – Wilhelm Baum

Lenore (Miss Hattie) and I enjoyed the flowers in South Haven.

Michigan City, Indiana

The 6-hour run to Michigan City along side Miss Hattie was relatively smooth.  Anticipated inclement weather, the Labor Day weekend, and our new friends motivated us to stay in Michigan City for four nights. It was a delightful respite! While we were there, we said hello to the little Pilgrim.  Penny and Mats, we hope you are having a fabulous time visiting family in Sweden.

Bob told us, you know you are in Michigan City when you see the familiar stacks.

Opened in 1950, the Michigan City Generating Station is a coal and natural gas-fired power plant located on the shore of Lake Michigan in Michigan City, Indiana. It is operated by Northern Indiana Public Service Company, owned by NiSource.

A dear friend from Long Beach, CA once told me, “we have friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for life.”  We have now been on the water more than six months.  If you ask either of us what has been the best part of the journey – without hesitation the answer is the friends who have joined us, and, fellow boaters we have met along the way.

A warm thanks to our new life friends, Bob and Lenore Bigsby, Miss Hattie. We truly enjoyed traveling with you from Manistee, MI.  Thanks for introducing us to your boating community on the 800 dock of your home port, what a feast!  We look forward to seeing you in Florida very soon.

Parting with Sorrow, Legendary Leadership

This week we lost two great American heroes: the Queen of Soul, Aretha Louise Franklin (1942-2018), and Senator John Sidney McCain III (1936-2018).  Aretha and John taught us to demand RESPECT and fight for human dignity, without compromise.  Rest in Peace, although you are deeply missed already, your legend will live on. In the words of Meghan McCain, “Today we mourn the passing of American greatness, the real thing.  He was a great fire who burned bright. The America of John McCain is generous and welcoming and bold.  She’s resourceful, confident and secure.  She speaks quietly, because she’s strong.”

Next Up: Illinois River

By the end of today (Monday, September 3) we will waive goodbye to Lake Michigan. In Michigan we stopped in DeTour Village, Mackinac Island, St. Ignace, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Leland, Frankfort, Manistee, Ludington, Pentwater, Grand Haven, Holland (with a side trip to Saugatuck on the Vespa), and South Haven. Our first Indiana stop was in  Michigan City.

Next Guests – Not sure 🙂

Where Have We Been So Far? Thanks for asking 🙂

Total Locks completed = 126, includes:

• Florida – Lake Okeechobee area: 7
• Virginia – Great Dismal Swamp: 2
• New York – Troy & Champlain Canal: 12
• CANADA – Chambly Canal/Quebec: 9
• CANADA – Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway: 5
• CANADA – Rideau Canal/Ontario: 47
• CANADA – Trent-Severn Waterway: 44

States and Provinces traversed on the water, commencing March 1, 2018:

U.S (March 1- June 10). Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Vermont. (August 10 – tbd): Michigan, Indiana

Canada Provinces (June 10 – August 9): Quebec, Ontario.

Side trips (via auto or plane):

Los Angeles (MS [2 – April and May], Rick [3 – May, June and July] & Maddie [May], Cleveland (RMG, MS & Maddie [2- April and July], Craig [April])