 |
<><><>< <>
On Dec. 3d., we completed the Great American Loop.We will now fly the Gold Burgee! | <><><><>
Since leaving Norfolk, Va. in May, we have logged about 4,000 miles. We have traveled most of the time at 8-10 mph. When we have gone on plane for some reason, the Captain turns green as he watches the fuel gauge speed toward empty.
We travelled 450 miles on the Tenn-Tom waterway, visiting Columbus and Demopolis, Miss. Both small towns showed signs of decay due to the economy; sad to see. The only other marina stop was at Bobby's fish camp. For the rest of this part of the trip, we anchored out, often rafting with several other boats. Often, the anchorages were shallow or narrow; the water level at this time of year is low. That meant setting up a network of calling boats a day ahead or behind us to pass on the anchorage news.
The Tenn Tom is a partially man made "river" which is also made up of the Tom-Bigbee River and the Black Warrior River. It zigzags and curves back and forth between Miss. and Ala. The waterway and 12 locks were completed in 1985. The waterway provides an alternative route to the Gulf in addition to the Miss. It was basically lacking in rec boat amenities and scenery, but was loaded with tows and barges. We put our passing on the ones and twos to good use.
We are still traveling with Brown-eyed Girl and Something Special, but met up with 40 or so other Loopers at different points. We have shared docktails, pot luck suppers, restaurants, and Evelyn's wonderful cakes along the way. She actually uses her oven; we just store stuff in ours. Core conversation seems to center around food, water depth, and fuel prices!
 |
in Demopolis, some of us got a 2 hr. tour of this tow; Gene chose to stay on the
and make spaghetti! |
 |
| just one of the engines; the tow takes 18,000 gal. of diesel fuel |
 |
a crew of 7 is on for 21 days and off 21 days; the stress for family life is harsh;
we have new respect for tow captains |
The river challenge for the last several hundred miles was, not only to accommodate the tows, but to find anchorages for the night. After Demopolis, there was only one marina (using the term loosely) at Bobby's Fish Camp. I usually don't get off the boat at fish camps, but this one was adequate. Laura, the new owner, opened the restaurant to cook her special catfish and chicken dinners. There were 9 of us rafted to the small dock.
 |
Rafting at Bobby's Fish Camp; no one gets turned away because distances are so great.
Legend has it there have been 17 boats rafted. Of course, the "yacht" at the inner location
had to leave at 5am!
much early morning shuffling and cursing! |
The Slanty Shanty (traveling from Pittsburgh to however far they can go), joined us for dinner at Bobby's.. The "boat" (see below) was built by 20 y.o. Faith who was traveling with her 28 y.o. "friend" Mike. They seem to be looking for donations along the way. Even their blog has a method for donating by credit card. (We all think they are trust fund kids, and the guy Loopers all wish they were 20 again.) Anyway, we asked if their families approved, and I guess they do. Among other things, they have two chickens on board. If given the chance, I think Skipper would have eaten them.
 |
| the Slanty Shanty |
Finding anchorages while traveling to Mobile was a challenge. Since water levels are low this year, the guide information was not always accurate. That meant calling Loopers ahead and behind us for accurate water depths and space. We learned a new way to raft. At least one boat drops an anchor, facing in the opposite direction from the other boats. Then we don't have to take the dinghy to shore with a stern anchor. One night, tho, we had tornado warnings. There were three or four boats rafting with at least 8 lines out. We also set up our "escape" plans in case we had to leave the boat and get to shore, about 10 feet away.....Gene and I had life jackets, shoes and Skipper ready to go and I put a credit card in my pocket. Evelyn, our beautiful cake maker, packed the above plus TP, meds, underwear, food, flashlight, etc. She would have needed a barge to get to shore. But, she was the only smart one; we would have had to borrow stuff from her. Ah, but the warning was lifted and we continued on.
 |
a beautiful, quiet anchorage; we didn't move an inch! Something Special, Brown
Eyed Girl and Free to B |
We fnally reached Mobile Bay, and happily said good bye to the Tenn Tom. There was finally salt water, and a wide waterway, but the barges and freighters were even bigger; sharp vigilance continued. We then traveled to Fairhope on Nov. 19 (crummy marina but a lovely town with Christmas lights, great restaurants and high end shops...what a contrast). We needed to get a bit of a schedule now, since the weather windows for the Gulf of Mexico were dwindling. Several days of windy, cold weather slowed our travels from Fairhope to Pensacola, to Panama City and finally, to Carrabelle where we would wait to cross the Gulf.. In Panama City, our docking was less than glamorous as the wind had really picked up. The marina owner was more than helpful and invited us to a marina dinner to watch the Christmas Boat Parade of Lights. It was a pleasant ending to the day.
 |
| this was the favorite! |
 |
the surf on the Gulf was pretty strong; not ready to cross yet, so we rented a car
and traveled to Appalachicola (say that 10 times) where we met other Loopers
who would be making their way to Carrabell |
On Nov. 29, we made the 90 mile ride to Carrabelle, anticipating a wait there, but in a position to cross the Gulf at a moments notice. There, at least 10 or 12 Loopers were waiting at the Moorings Marina. Docktails that evening were very serious as everyone set up traveling buddies and routes. There are boats that can travel 20 or so mph, while others travel at trawler speeds of 8-10 mph. The boats Free To B, BrownEyed Girl and Mary Frances lV were in that fast group. If we left at 6 or 7 am we could get to Tarpon Springs or Clearwater before 5 pm while it was still light. The slower boats would have to do an overnight crossing. Anxiety was pretty high. At 6 am the next morning, there was a meeting with'Buddy" who is the Gulf Coast local guru. He recommended staying north of the Gulf Stream and curving along the coast, but still quite a distance from the shallow shore waters. The three faster boats decided to go. The slower boats would leave an hour or two later in order to arrive at Tarpon Springs or Clearwater at first light the next day so that we could see all the crab pots. To make a long story short, we left at 7, traveled 183 miles in 10 and a half hours. We burned 200 + gallons of diesel at a cost of $850.00....Mary Frances, a gas engine Sea Ray headed toward Tarpon Springs, but ended up calling Sea Tow for fuel assistance because they were running low. Their adventure ended happily. Brown Eyed Girl had to make speed adjustments toward the end of the trip due to possible turbo problems, but came into Clearwater just fine. Free To B had a frightened Skipper who shivered because of the speed, noise and waves. Wrapping him in a blanket, and petting him finally calmed him. The rolling waves were 2-4 feet with occasional six footers. We ate crackers all day, but felt we were in our comfort zone. The steering, however, was hard work; I never thought I would wish for an auto pilot to ease the effort of steering. We went through the crab pots into the Clearwater Channel and docked, tired and glad to be tied to a dock
Now, the wait was on for the slower boats to arrive. Spirit of Whitby ( a lovely couple from England) arrived at 2 am. Something Special and Kismet arrived at 9 am the next morning. They had dealt with some rougher seas and sea sickness. The distortion of night time travel was difficult. Evelyn, our dear cake maker, sobbed with relief at seeing all of us and we hugged hard. Beth and Dean on Kismet also dealt with sea sickness. They also have a bird on board who was cold. I guess his cage also fell over with a rough wave......It was now time to decompress and relive the experience. We all agreed we didn't need to cross the Gulf, again, but as time wore on, knew we had accepted a challenge and did fine! Several other Loopers traveled to Tarpon Springs; hopefully, we will meet up with them
 |
| Do we look tired, or what? |
On Dec. 3d, we were revived enough to make the 62 mile trip to Sarasota. Here, Gene will head to D.C. for a meeting on the 5th, and I will stay on Free To B enjoying quiet time. We will head to the Ringling Bros. museum on Mon. On Tues., the "ladies" will have a lunch and yarn shop visit together.
Oh, yes, on Dec. 3d., in Tampa Bay, we officially "crossed our wake". This means that we have completed the entire Looper route. It called for champagne and a celebration. What a wonderful experience it has been. We will now continue our travels back to our home port in Lake Champlain. We have removed the tattered white burgee and have replaced it with the Gold Looper flag! What a great adventure with other precious Loopers...Hmm!...What's next....Stay tuned!
 |
| the Free To B docked in Panama City |
 |
| the proud Captain! |
