HAPPY HALLOWEEN...Lots of Goblins!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.....

October 31, 2017

Seems like the "goblins" are paying extra attention to us this past week....After last post, we spent a few days back in Florence, AL as Bob was waiting for new light to replace the one "removed" when the dock master tried to put us under a covered dock....(they volunteered to pay for the damage)....we bartered a few days of free dockage.

We also had a new Sirius radio installed here....Now we can listen to "FOX" news and get back into the "real world" again!   HA, actually, I kinda like being "off the grid".  Bob also discovered a switch of sorts in tv cabinet when working on the new radio and now we can even get a few tv stations on our old model tvs....We haven't watched in so long, that we don't even bother to turn it on when we do have service at the docks.  So those were the good things......then it all broke lose and we, yes WE, decided to retrofit our back refrigerator and remove the
icemaker.  Now we will be replacing the WHOLE unit as we probably should not have attempted something electrical and we are pretty sure we fried the thing(live and learn thru experiences, this comes into account later in week).....then came the anchor problem....we put the anchor down in a nice serene spot while we WAITED for the yet another lock to open....and it refused to come up..Bob hauled it up by hand....not an easy feat....100 feet of chain.....(this since has been fixed...twice(!)....2nd time last eve, we hope for the best) ... We then spent "extra nights" in Columbus, Mississippi at a nice marina, where they treated us very nice.......EVEN towed us in off the river.....(A 4 hour tow trip down with one lock, interesting experience that I will leave up to the Captain if he wants to elaborate on)  Most of our "tow saga" has already spread thru our looper friends network.....and some have confessed on the "down low" that this has happened to them also....live and learn!  I think the captain was seeing if I would really "jump ship" as promised, but in reality I just sat on the bow, drinking bloody marys, waiting for the tow, watching the world go by!!...It won't happen again, but then again, never say never!...because I think I promised myself earlier in the trip the same thing.....oh ya, I forgot to mention the new Sirius radio is no longer working ......another project for poor captain bob to figure out.  I told him on "marina days" I work hard...cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc....but he works hard on marina days AND on moving days!  Every so often I MAKE him get off boat and join me for docktails with friends.

After a few cold nights (in the 30's) we were good to start back on the loop.....and ventured out at 7am with a group thru the next couple locks......

This is what boating in 30 degrees looks like....first one is me, locking down with coffee and baseball cap, gloves, 2 jackets, and SOXS (I hate soxs) in my sandals, as my toes are still sore from the step accident...shoes don't fit )Then Bob took the outside on the next set of locks and is wearing long underwear under flannel pants and his hat from ALASKA!   Boy, is this fun or what.  I knew I packed a winter hat somewhere, but my hands were too numb to look for it too long.....!  (I have since found it, and everyone is glad, because that means it will warm up and I will never have to use it!!)  I also got the comforter out and we are snuggling under that the past few nights.  The weather has given me an excuse to use the "convection oven" (not sure I am doing it right) but did make some mighty fine biscuits and gravy (canned) ....the captain enjoyed it a lot on the cold fly bridge.   Once the sun comes out it does get warmer and by the afternoon, we even open the windows .  Yesterday we saw a deer swimming across the river and several bald eagles.....so once again, our woes behind us (WE HOPE)  we are back to enjoying this journey!   I read a post yesterday about the locks....they said they are kind of like childbirth.....lots of labor to get thru it, but once it is done, you forget about the pain!!  This from someone who will be starting their 2nd loop!...Lord, just get us thru the first one safe and sound, please!

We are now in Demopolis, Alabama....a group left today.  We decided to stay another day and enjoy the BIG Halloween party here tonight.  Today I have shorts on (see, the hat will never be needed!) the sun is shinning and capt is working on projects.   Also our next stop after a night on the hook, will be Bobby's Fish Camp....the WORLDS best cat fish, and they are only open Thurs thru Sunday, so with holding up a day, we should get there for Thurs dinner....can't wait!..I have heard the promise of the WORLDS BEST before, I will see!  Bob is hoping they have burgers also!

October 21, 2017

Here are pictures of some 20 plus loopers in the Wilson Lock.....and the last one in was a guy in a homemade canoe......I don't think Capt Bob could talk me into that trip!

We finished up our Looper Fall Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park in northern Alabama....

About 50 boats were there, along with lots of "planners" by car, like we were last year....(doesn't seem like it was a year ago that we were "just planners").... Now, in order to get back on "the loop" we had to go back down the Wilson Lock.....which is CLOSED for maintenance.  They agreed to take one load down at 4:30 in afternoon, once the workers finished for the day....we all had to be there and ready to load.  20 of us took the Friday slot and one guy laid out the plan as to how we would all fit and who would raft on to who etc.....even though it looks like lots of room in picture....you need to tie to the bollards on the side and there are only 5 on each side....so Ted (our lock leader, who, by the way, we had met earlier in the loop, when we were both in Rogers City!!) had a chart with bigger boats on outside, smaller ones rafted on  (we are in the 2nd row on right side in pic)...we also encountered a couple of boats who weren't with our group, but were happy to follow our plan...(you only get one shot a day)....and then the canoe!  That guy has guts! (or is nuts)   So it all worked as planned and we locked thru without drama, and the lock master took our picture for us!!  They were even impressed with our planning!  This afternoon another group will be leaving Joe Wheeler and heading this way...waiting to see if they are impressive as our group!

We are back in Florence Harbor and plan to stay until Monday.  We are waiting for a part that Bob had delivered here and it will also give us time to separate from "the pack" that came in last eve....Most of the 20 of us also needed to lay up here for the night....so kudos to this harbor for having that all organized and getting us ALL in and secure at dusk.  Staff stayed late and locals helped .....it is a great feeling to know there are nice people all over our country that do what it takes to get a job done.  The people that helped us tie up said they were in the bar, saw ALL these boats coming in and decided to give a hand...  So, of course, we HAD to reciprocate in the bar later.  This is the marina I spent 5 days in while Bob flew back to MI before the rendezvous, so they know me in bar!  Imagine that!

Just before we left for Joe Wheeler, I fell down the stairs into the master stateroom.....my left foot swelled up pretty bad and I have been icing it and wearing an ace bandage....good thing I have ONE pair of shoes that fit over the swollen foot ...(sandals with adjustable straps).  So we are, 1 for Jane and still 3 for Bob (accidents that is)  Someone asked me how I can handle the lines with my foot like that.....I said "well, I don't use my feet to throw or catch the lines...I use my hands"  !!!'  Apparently that wit is not overlooked.....as a "documentary film making crew" that were at Joe Wheeler making a travel film about loopers sought me out for an interview!....they said they thought I was "saucy"...I said you mean "sauced!"???  Then I told them as long as I got to keep my clothes on, I would agree to be part of their film!...(maybe that's where the saucy came in??).   Anyway, it is kind of daunting in front of a camera when they fire questions at you.   But who knows, maybe some day you will see me on the travel channel!!  I felt like I was doing a commercial for Michigan....as one of the questions was "what surprised me the most about looping"....and I answered the LACK of quality harbors like I was "accustomed" to!!!   I had to sign a release, so if this becomes a BIG film deal, I don't think I have any rights to it!    But could lead to a future for me, when I grow up!😁

So by Monday we will be back out on the loop, heading south.  We want to be in Panama City, FL by November 10 or so, as we have airline tickets out of there for Michigan on the 15th.  Baby girl is due on Nov. 18, so hope that goes as planned!!  Then, after Thanksgiving we will return and hopefully get a weather window to cross the gulf and into St. Pete, FL by December 10 or so.  Finally got a reservation in that area for a month and looking forward to seeing old friends and neighbors.

Expectations!

A while ago I decided that my expectation of things and people, weren't exactly like anyone else,
  and the only ones I could control were my own.....so that being said, I have "changed" my expectations of marinas  since we have left the beautiful, wonderful, outstanding, etc etc,.....Great Lakes!  When someone says "oh, you will love this marina, or that marina, it's a great place".....that only raises my expectations.....only to later say "you've got to be kidding me!"   Plus, the people that are telling me what I will like, don't really know me (like "you all" do)....I guess I became accustomed to a boating way of life (or life in general) and had "expectations".   NOW, THAT BEING SAID, it has come a long way from the river "marinas" that we experienced, but since Green Turtle Bay (MECCA) I have been longing for the "spa life" again.  HAHA.  (why can't every marina have a spa and a pool and a yacht club, and several other places to eat, within walking distance??)

Since we left GTB, we have been in Paris Landing, Cuba Landing (neither as glamorous as they sound) but adequate (as in power and water, lately that is all it takes to make it a great place!!), Clifton Marina (where the restaurant is the owner grilling off the back porch......but excellent burgers!  and Bob loved his DEEP FRIED TWINKIE!) and then on to Grand Harbor Marina, where we stayed 4 nights due to rainy weather, and also stayed for the chance to see "Shiloh" civil war battle site...in Pittsburg Landing on the Cumberland  and Tennessee rivers.  So glad to have taken this side trip....said I learned more there than I ever did in high school history....was I not paying attention??   Bob said I was probably too busy checking out the boys in class, and he is probably correct.  I told him that now that I have my "forever boyfriend", I can concentrate on other things.....like  civil war history.!!  To think that the war went on for 4 more years after this bloody battle is so daunting.

Another expectation......we also HAD to go to a shack on the river for the WORLDS GREATEST CATFISH.....or so they said!  Another tourist trap!......I am trying to eat my way through the south on catfish, (and doing a fairly good job of it)....and this was not the best in the world, let alone on the trip so far.

Pickwick Lake is absolutely beautiful with lots of beautiful homes and cottages....also known for houseboat rentals.  I would love to come back to this area sometime and just hang out in a small cove for a few days.  Some we know, call us "dock huggers" as we don't" hang on the hook" as much as they do.  I guess we should really try it more than we have and this would have been a perfect spot, except we had to get near an airport......so,

we are now in Florence, ALA.  Here for 5 nights while Bob is back in Michigan, working!  Gotta keep gas in the tanks. (sometimes I think he just goes to "get away!"  haha)  I have to say you better have a strong marriage before you attempt this journey.....it (or us) has its moments.....luckily we've been married long enough to ignore each other!!....come to think of it, Bob has been ignoring me long before this trip started! HA..but some days its 24/7 and you are the only people you see all day!

There are lots of loopers here,  some we haven't seen in a while that have gotten to be good friends....they "take me in" .  Had dinner with one couple last eve on their boat....yummy.  There is also a bar here (that has become a BONUS, along with  power and water) and the loopers generally meet up there for happy hour.  Once Bob returns (Sat) we will go thru the huge Wilson Lock up to Joe Wheeler State Park, Alabama, where the annual rendezvous of loopers is held.  We attended last year (by car) as a " planner"....this year we will be "in progress"...it will be fun to share......and speaking of sharing......this is how I get my dog fix....I share other peoples dogs.....this is Abby, the one eye dog!

"Nothing works on an old boat..except the Captain"

Maybe you have heard that saying.

Actually, Le Reve, a 27 year old Californian, is working well beyond expectation. But I thought that might be a good lead in to a day in the life of Captain Bob.

The alarm sounds at 7 am, unless I am awake already and turn it off first. In about 40 minutes I can S/S/S, dress, dry the dew from the bridge windows, wipe the cobwebs from the railings, swab down the bow and companionways with a mop and/or shamie, short tie the boat for easy departure, ready the helm, warm the engines and depart from the dock or an anchorage, and be on our way before 8am. Actually, I only shower and shave about every four days, immediately following a comment from the Chief Stew on the order of 'what is that awful smell'.

I am at the helm from about 8 until we arrive at our destination, usually about 4-5 hours, but we have had some long 10-12 hour days dealing with long stretches between marinas and multiple locks with long delays. This gets us in at dark thirty instead of the desired mid afternoon arrival time. Not according to plan!

                                                               Captain Bob at the helm

I follow a pre-determined route to our destination that keeps us in sufficient water depth and avoids hazards. The route is automatically developed by the Navionics program I have installed on my tablet! All I input is starting and ending points and let the thing think for a couple minutes. Kind of like if you know what order to push the buttons one can be a surveyor these days with all the electronic gismos replacing the trig, but I digress. The following is an overview and detailed photo of our route tomorrow from Clifton, TN to Harbor Beach Marina, just below the Pickwick Lock, a total distance of about 50 miles. This will takes 5 hours plus the lock time, which can be anywhere from an hour to 6 hours.





The Chief Stew prepares breakfast and lunch which we both eat on the bridge while I am tending the helm, occasionally adjusting our course with the autopilot course adjustment dial.

Upon arrival at our destination we both work to tie up along the dock, connect 50 amp electric cable to shore power, connect to fresh dockside water, turn on the boat A/C to cool down the cabin areas, pay the marina for our slip and sit down for a cool one...me Pepsi, and the Chief Stew...well you get the picture.

In the afternoon/early evening I check all the fluid levels in the two Caterpillar diesel engines and the generator (if we ran it). I often need to add oil to the Cats, but they run exceptionally well in spite of this.

In the evening after the Chief Stew and I enjoy a dinner she has prepared aboard Le Reve, or often dining out uptown from the marina, I will sit down with my tablet and plan the next days journey (by pushing the buttons in the right order), set the alarm for 7, enjoy an episode or two of West Wing with the Chief Stew in our stateroom and retire for the night by 9pm (also known as Looper midnight).

On days that we are not afloat I have a running list of projects to complete to maintain and/or improve Le Reve. Things like...sand/varnish teak in the cockpit, replace shower sump float switch, replace a faulty light in guest stateroom, change engine oil/filters....etc.

I recently changed the oil in both engines, both gear boxes (transmissions) and the generator, along with the filters. I will do this every 200 hours, or about 2,000 miles. I used the automatic oil change pump that I installed a couple months ago, which consists of a manifold of valves that is plumbed to the oil pans of each engine, generator, and gear boxes. Just open the right valve, pump the waste oil from the engine in to the waste oil can, reverse the pump direction and fill the engine with new oil from the new oil can. Works slick. I even use it to top off the oil levels daily instead of dealing with quart bottles, funnels, etc. Whole thing saved me around $600 over hiring a marina, more than paying for the oil changer installation in the first oil change. And, I got to know my boys (CATs) a little better.

375 HP Caterpillars

Oil Change System

We look forward to times when we can lay up somewhere nice for a few days, such as Green Turtle Bay Resort that the Chief Stew has written about. It refreshes us so we can get back on the water. I have even re-read five of the books in author Robert Macomber series about fictional naval civil war hero Captain Peter Wake. Check it out at www.robertmacomber.com...well worth the read. I intend to stop in to see 'Bob' on Pine Island, Florida when we pass by this winter. Thanks, Madeline, for giving me the first book! I am hoping my number 1 son can determine if we are related before then.

That is all from Captain Bob for now, I need to plan our route for tomorrow.

Captain Bob

catching up about Hoppies

A few post ago I referred to "Hoppies Marina" on the River as being an "interesting place".  I came across a few pictures that I want to share.  Now, after being tied to a junkyard barge, and anchoring out, Hoppies really did seem like (at least) a place to reconnect with loopers and see some "local color".

This is a picture of the marina.  There were no spas, pools, OR bathrooms here.  I looked out our boat window into a barge with a bathroom stall on it with the door open.....but when I inquired the answer was "Oh, that hasn't worked in years"....ok, then......However, you can get a Uber to drive you to town if you wish.  We didn't wish, but am now reading (day late, dollar short) that it is the "smallest" town in the USA.....maybe the Uber would have been worth it?  The  "dock" also had an old phone booth on it, lots of holes, (watch your step) and just plain junk around.  However, it is the ONLY game in town for hundreds of miles, so all the loopers go to Hoppies and have gotten to know Fern and Hoppie on a personal  basis. 

This is Fern, and at 4:30 pm every day, she "holds court"......She gives you the latest update on the river and the locks coming up.  She does this all for a "few glasses of wine" and a cigarette (she does have her own, if you don't offer)

As you can see, the loopers take her quite serious....although I questioned whether she has the SAME speel every day???  (Fern is sitting in front of the phone booth.  As you can see it is presently a lawn chair storage area)  Anyway, she does call down to other "locals" and seems to have the scoop as to what locks are holding people up, etc.    She suggested that when we are held up for a long time, we should tell them that " legally" they MUST lock us thru on the 3rd cycle (ie: after 3 commercial loads have used it)...I said to Capt Bob, Ya, YOU tell them that and we will be sitting here waiting ALL night AND the next day!  Maybe Fern can get away with talking to the lock master like that, but I'm NOT Fern,... although I am thinking about becoming her in my "retirement" from boating.  I said to Bob, ..."all we need is an old barge and some line and we would be sitting on a gold mine"....hey, charging $1.50 a foot to tie up has to be lucrative, there sure is not much "overhead"...just don't know where we can get a phone booth.... and  I do like the "free wine at 4:30pm" benefit!  So that's the story on Hoppies Marina.....just another interesting stop on the muddy rivers!  God Bless the Great Lakes and the Michigan Waterways Commission!!