Carrabelle to Fort Myers

The mast stepping in Carrabelle could have been a painfully expensive endeavor, but thanks to the kindness of a very special family who owns Dockside Marina, it was truly an enjoyable experience.

Our plan was to rent their crane and crane operator and do all the labor ourselves, just like we did at Dog River Marina in Mobile last year. This saves a lot of money, and after having done it several times, we are getting pretty darn good at it. We were totally unfamiliar with this marina, but dared to ask if we could take the masts off the boat the night before the stepping so that we could have everything prepared and minimize the crane rental time. Randy said no problem, he would bring the forklift over and lift them off. In his eagerness to help, we suspect they underestimated the amount of time and manpower involved.

As we pulled into the slip, two friendly dock hands appeared and helped with the lines. Shortly, Randy came down to survey the situation, and guys just kept appearing after that until we had a half dozen of them, scurrying around Tessa, ribbing each other while figuring out how in the heck they were going to move these "telephone pole" sticks! Eric, the owner, joined in and eventually the masts were stretched across saw horses.

As I am the designated worrier, I assumed the position and expressed my concern about the cost associated with all the labor and help already incurred, when we hadn't even started stepping the masts! Gary, the designated placater, assured me everything would work out just fine. The guys were great, Eric was great, life was good. Let's have a cocktail and relax!

The next morning, the guys were ready to start stepping, but first we had to move Tessa from the lift slip over closer to where the crane could pull up. Tessa decided to take control of the situation and refused to cooperate with the winds and current, and soon we had a dock hand on the boat with us and several guys positioned on the dock pulling lines with all their might. Since we could not pull up parallel do the dock, Eric decided to turn her around and back into the slip to step the mizzen mast first. Next, turn her bow in to step the main. All the while, the hours ticked by and I counted $$$$ like watching a spinning taxi meter heading to Chicago O'Hare.

Instead of leaving it to Gary and I to handle all the labor, the guys gathered around and efficiently got everything done. I commented to one of them that it looked like they were having fun! "This is fun...as long as everything goes right!" one of them replied. Eric was the last one on the scene, checking to make sure everything was completed properly. "Eric" I asked "Should I just bring the title to Tessa up to the office to settle up???" He just laughed and offered his truck for our use that night. We accepted, and ran across the river to pick Walt and Vickie up for one last supper at Old Salts Cafe. The oysters and grouper was as good as the first time.

We awoke early the next morning, anxious about paying our tab. Eric slid the invoice across the counter and I looked up in amazement. He smiled and said "I didn't charge you for all the labor." All we could do was offer a very heartfelt "THANK YOU!" Not only did we receive the royal treatment for almost three days, but they offered it generously with no strings attached. What great people!

We hated to leave this hospitable group, but needed to get back across the river to the Moorings Marina, where Bryan Diveto and Danielle were scheduled to rendezvous with us on Sunday, in time for an early Monday morning departure toward Tarpon Springs.

The weather was ideal for crossing the Gulf.....for Walt and Vickie. Calm seas and bright sunny skies, but lacking in one critical element for us. WIND! The masts were up, sails ready to fill, and we got nutthin! We didn't complain much as the Perkins droned on and on for the 24 hour overnighter to Tarpon Springs, as it could have be A LOT worse. Since it was calm enough to be out on deck to fish, we threw a lure out and Bryan reeled in what we thought was a small tuna. I filleted it on the stern deck, and tucked it right in the freezer for dinner. To our disappointment, it was a "Little Tunney" which sounds close, but definitely not tuna quality fillets. Strong and a weird consistency.

Anyway, who needed Tuna when we arrived at Tarpon Springs ready to feast on the Greek culinary delights. But our first delight was meeting Ted, the dock master of Tarpon City Marina. He professionally handled our docking procedure, all the while welcoming us exuberantly and explaining that he was not Greek, just a Polish guy imitating one. Picture Bruno from Dancing with the Stars, only much more masculine. Soon the Tessa crew joined Walt and Vickie on shore, all surrounding Ted to catch the next laugh. When I told him I might have to jump ship to stay with him on his big roomy SeaRay, I became his "Chickie".

Ted was generous enough to offer his somewhat rusty mountain bike for Walt to ride to Walgreens. Vickie wisely declined on Walt's behalf, so Ted next offered the bike to Gary. Not just to ride, to keep! Gary gleefully accepted, pumped up the tires, and off he rode to West Marine. Little did Ted know that he had just donated Gary's transportation to work in Fort Myers.

Each one of us enjoyed every charming aspect of Tarpon Springs. The Greek food, the beautiful pastries, the octopus, the Ouzo, and most importantly, the sponges. They didn't give the sponge fishermen convention enough credit in "Captain Ron". It is a fascinating industry, which we learned all about during the "Spongerama" movie. After shopping and laughing and playing with sponges, we did in fact buy several of them. These are not your everyday blue or yellow kitchen sink sponges. They are works of art!

As much as we hated to leave Ted and Tarpon Springs, the Tessa crew departed the next afternoon for destination Fort Myers. 20 uneventful hours later, we entered Matanzas Pass and arrived safely at a mooring ball. We celebrated with champagne toasts and then were treated to pitchers of beer and garlic teriyaki wings at one of our favorite hangouts, The Beached Whale.

Bryan and Danielle departed with his Mom and Stepdad, and Gary and I wandered around town seeking out old friends from last season. Gary kept saying "We're home, baby!" and after the long, exciting eight week journey, it felt wonderful to be back.

For the past week, it has been a whirlwind of activity, which will soon be documented in another update. For now, I must get back to work and finish pressure washing the decks!

Friday, November 5

We successfully arrived in Destin in time to see Bob and Mary Jane and Brad and Chris for two days before they headed back home to Ohio. The docking procedure, however, was far from successful. Without going back through the painful details, we will just say that both Tessa and Taken Care of Business did not like Destin Harborwalk Marina A LOT!

It was a great evening together at their Destin Towers condos. I fried up some of Bob and Brad's freshly caught Red Snapper, served with a clean-out-the-refrigerators buffet. The sun went down and the look in Vickie's eyes expressed exactly what I was thinking. It's time for us cruisers to be in bed! After six weeks of waking with the sun and going to sleep with the sun, we run out of steam after dark.

The next day, Vickie looked on in disgust as Gary, Walt, and I purchased a box of 8 dozen fresh oysters at the seafood shop. "What are you going to DO with all of those?" she asked incredulously. "SLURP EM!" we replied! Raw, Grilled, Rockefellerd, Steamed, each one was delectable. Vickie had a BLT.

That night, compliments of Bob and Brad, I served panko crusted snapper with Thai red chili sauce and basmati rice. The crowd loved it. Way too soon, it was time to say good night and goodbye, as we were all travelling the next day.

Saturday morning the boaters were off to Panama City. Taken Care of Business was behind us, and Vickie said Walt complained all the way, claiming that all he could see was empty oyster shells flying off Tessa's deck. Not true!


 





We like to time a marina arrival so that we have a few hours to enjoy the port before dark, instead of arriving late in the evening and paying just for a place to sleep. However, travelling on the intracoastal is unpredictable, and we barely got to Panama City before sundown in time to have a cocktail and some grilled oysters. Vickie had a hamburger.



After a short stay, we moved on early the next morning towards Apalachicola. The sky was breathtaking, casting long rays of sunshine downward toward the water. This portion of the intracoastal included a nice comfortable channel through swamp country. As we cruised along enjoying the scenery, we came upon the first boat we had seen the entire day. When the name "Serenity" became visible, I screamed to Gary "THAT'S JIM!" and ran toward the bow waving. What are the odds that we would cross paths here on the intracoastal when the last time we saw each other we were bidding farewell in Fort Myers last April, after mooring together for the winter? Jim grew up in Fort Walton Beach and he had departed from there a few days earlier after visiting his parents. We cruised side by side catching up quickly before he made his turn toward Port St. Joe and the Gulf. Just as Jim said, the wonderful part of cruising is that you meet good people, you become a part of each other's lives, you go your separate ways, and sooner or later it is meant to be that you cross paths again.

Once again the day, and daylight, slipped away too fast, and we decided to anchor is a popular hurricane hole instead of arriving in Apalachicola in the evening. Taken Care of Business moved faster than Tessa, so they continued on. This was indeed a perfect spot to drop the hook. Scenic, secluded, and safe! It was a little disconcerting when we spotted our only neighbor....a partially sunken trawler. Gary surmised that they didn't quite survive the last hurricane. I concluded that if we had to hole up somewhere, this would be my choice. It was so peaceful and quiet that night that I found myself laying in bed listening for something, anything, except the crickets. You get used to so many sounds, some comforting and some not, at anchor or at a dock, that they lull you to sleep. This night was absolutely still. Mother Nature pulled out all the stops and treated us to a black sky filled with a spectacular multitude of shining stars. I crawled into the cockpit with only my headlamp for light, unzipped the canvas, began to crawl out and ZAP went the bug bites. Back to our stateroom to gaze up through the hatch! The next day, the welts were there, but only on my left hand and arm that Ihad stuck out of the canvas.

We took off the next morning bright and early, as we were excited to finally experience oyster heaven, Apalachicola. We were not disappointed. It is a quaint, rustic, seaside town with several interesting shops and restaurants. The best restaurant, Papa Joe's Oyster Bar, was right at our dock. The food was good and the oysters were the plumpest juiciest ones we have had.

Gary and I planned to stay two days in Apalachicola, but the weather decided that we should leave the next morning with Walt and Vickie. We had to cross thirty miles of open water, and the winds were predicted to increase steadily. It was a rough crossing but not unbearable. We arrived in Carrabelle with plenty of time to relax and head to "Old Salts Cafe" for more oysters. Vickie had grouper.

We spent a second day at the Moorings waiting for an opening at the marina that we planned to step the masts. Gary and I explored the accomodating town of Carrabelle. Vickie did not want to see any more slimy oysters being ingested, so instead I prepared chicken enchilada casserole.

Today we step the masts at Dockside Marina here in Carrabelle. I hope I have very little to report about that!

Wednesday, October 27: "Dangerous Deadlines!"

We’ve learned from experience that while cruising, deadlines are dangerous. You set yourself up to make bad decisions based on the deadline instead of the more important issues…..like weather. In 2008, we made a bad call on the brutal North Atlantic because we wanted to get to Long Beach Island for Mom’s birthday. Last year, we rushed across Lake Michigan to get Nick James back to his Princess (and work) and dealt with terrible conditions. This year, we promised, NO deadlines! Except, Chas had to be in St. Louis by October 9. And Bob and Mary Jane and Brad and Chis had condos rented in Destin. Can we make it there by the end of October? Sure! Another deadline snuck out of nowhere and off we rushed down the Tenn-Tom Waterway. This year, though, everything went in our favor. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. We did not see a cloud or a drop of rain from Mackinaw City to Mobile Alabama. We did not munch on one single Triple Ginger Snap to deal with rough and rolly seas. It was warm and sunny and perfect cruising. Backtracking to the first lock on the Tenn-Tom, the Jamie Whitten was a drop of 84 feet.  In a previous lock, Gary noticed someone had stuck an advertisement in the floating bollard.  Since he had so much time on his hands in the Whitten, he went down below and grabbed a sharpie.  I thought he was writing "TESSA was here", but instead he was being wonderfully romantic, writing “Gary loves Lori”.  I love my Captain!   That night we stayed at Midway Marina and enjoyed a relaxing evening on Taken Care of Business. I fried up some wonderful catfish with a side of home grown black eyed peas, compliments of Bill Magers. Delicious!   Sunday we made it to Columbus Marina, where we were greeted by Jacob, who invited us all over "to his wooden houseboat across the dock" for a cocktail after dinner. He should have said "come over and see my classic Trumpe Yacht that looks like a magazine spread for lifestyles of the rich and famous."  He has spent seven years restoring her, and Aurora is stunning. The next night was our Demopolis layover, where we met some great people on board a power yacht named Duet. Here is where Walt and Vickie departed with no ice on board, from my previous short update. From Demopolis, it is a long haul (217 miles) to Mobile, which requires anchoring out three nights in a row. The first night was uneventful. The second day, we needed to get through the Coffeeville Lock and make it to Three Rivers Lake, where we enjoyed our hurricane hole last year. Except our timing was a bit off. We first had to wait for a barge to pass our previous night’s anchorage so that we could pull out into the river without interruption. Next we had to wait at the lock for 45 minutes. Our window of daylight was severely compromised. The miles ticked by, the sunlight faded, and Gary called out how many minutes until sunset. We searched anxiously for a cut-off prior to Three Rivers that we KNEW was there somewhere….having seen other cruisers holed up there last year. We did not want to run down the river in the dark. Walt and Vickie stayed close behind, and I was sure they were cussing up a storm as Tessa led them into the river darkness. We both used our spotlights to point out big steel red and green buoys that could sink us if hit. Where was the darn cut-off? We had to have passed it, as the chart showed we were now close to Three Rivers Lake. Shortly, Gary advised that we were there, we should see the entry, but it was so dark that even the high powered spotlight wasn’t picking up any cut in the riverbank. Suddenly, I saw lights from boats at anchor, and screamed to Gary “There it is!” He cautiously steered to starboard and eased into the mouth of the cut, as Walt and Vickie followed. It was such a relief to drop the anchor and call it a night, although difficult to block out thoughts of what could have happened. The last anchorage on the river was another bit of a challenge. We attempted to raft off to Taken Care of Business , but the current fought us and we aborted the mission. We agreed it best to anchor separately, except Tessa’s anchor windlass moter disagreed. Our spirits sunk as we suspected another blown windlass motor, which we just paid $800.00 for in 2008. Gary muscled out the back-up Fortress, tossed it overboard, and collapsed in fatigue and frustration. As the sun set, we chatted with Walt and Vickie on the VHF, to compensate for our planned evening of dining and drinking together. Next morning, we departed at dawn and were on our way to Mobile Bay and Dog River Marina. It was a beautiful trip, sun sparkling off the water, and we were thrilled to see Captain Sid, the shrimper boat we made friends with last year, shrimping on Mobile Bay. The staff at Dog River were welcoming as we fueled up and pumped out. Duet was also there, and we all enjoyed a great dinner at the Mobile Yacht Club. The following day we moved next door to Turner Marine, where Gary and I spent a very enjoyable, economical week last fall. Boat chores had piled up aboard Tessa and Taken Care of Business. We briefly crossed paths as we worked, and stopped in the evenings to cook some great meals. Fresh flounder stuffed with freshly picked crabmeat, and grilled shrimp for night two. The weather was balmy and humid and the no-see-ums drove us all crazy. I layered bug spray constantly, and thankfully escaped with only a dozen bites. This morning, we headed south down Mobile Bay toward the FloriBama Intracoastal, with Taken Care of Business in the lead. Another brilliant sunny day, with brisk winds and agreeable seas. Both Walt and Vickie have exhibited a tendency to play chicken with barges. As a big one approached in the distance, we watched in amazement as Taken Care of Business’s silhouette lined up perfectly in it’s path, just like the closing scene in Captain Ron. The closer they got to each other, the harder we laughed…until the barge blew a loud one-whistle warning and Walt scooted out of his way. To hear what that Captain in the bridge was saying would be priceless! Later this morning, we saw our first dolphin after many months of missing them. It is hard to describe the feeling of finally seeing a dolphin after a long saltwater absence, but suffice to say we CHEERED! Tonight we are in a peaceful anchorage called the “Big Lagoon” where we enjoyed a great meal with Walt and Vickie. Tomorrow,off to Destin, to see our friends before they head north. So far, this does not appear to be yet another dangerous deadline….but nothing is for certain until the dock lines are securly tied at Harbor Walk Marina in Destin! And then we have to be in Carrabelle to pick up Bryan Diveto on November 6………

This morning we left Demopolis for what everyone considers the last leg of the trip to the Gulf. There are no marinas until Mobile, so we have three nights of anchoring out ahead of us. Last year we recall many scenic peaceful spots with enough water for Tessa. This year the water is way down and the guys at Demopolis warned us that we have just a few choices to drop the hook. Walt and Vickie are following us. Even though they draw only 4 1/2 feet, they have expensive props that extend below that. All we have is a lead keel to worry about. I would prefer they went first, but they always get their way. Walt is the one who encouraged us to put an icemaker on board, but decided they didn't have enough room for theirs this trip. He just hailed us on the radio to advise that they left Demopolis without ice. If they hadn't just given us a bottle of bourbon, I would gouge the heck of of them at the anchorage tonight. FREE ICE TOMORROW! Today, five bucks a bag!

Thirteen Locks down, Nine to go!

Saturday, October 16 This morning we departed the Tennessee River at Yellow Creek and began the trek down the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. It has taken us a week to travel down the Mississippi, then up the Ohio, and the Tennessee River. Oh, what a glorious ride it has been! Tessa screamed down the Mighty Mississippi doing 12 knots, challenging Captain Gary to dodge river debris. We shot past the lock wall at the the Kaskaskia River where we spent two nights last year waiting out torrential rain. We anchored in the Little River Diversion Channel, close to “Taken Care of Business”, and Gary grilled some delicious duck breasts for dinner. Two boats came by to welcome us to Missouri with warm southern hospitality. Soon we were snuggled in our bunk, listening to the night sounds and the hum of tug motors pushing barges past our anchorage. The next day we exited the Mississippi and headed upriver on the Ohio River. It was a smooth trip with little current and we just kicked back and soaked up the warm sunshine all the way to the next anchorage before Lock 52. The following morning at dawn we were told to head to the lock immediately or risk not getting through the rest of the day. Both boats weighed anchor in a mad rush and hurried to the lock entrance. Five miles later, we were heading up the Tennessee River toward the next lock at the entrance to Kentucky Lake. Here we were greeted with really bad news. The wait to enter the lock was predicted to be two and a half hours! We passed the time circling while Taken Care of Business anchored and grilled burgers. Once that frustrating delay was over, we thoroughly enjoyed crossing Kentucky Lake. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon with lots of sunshine and blue skies. We grinned from ear to ear as we broke out the bathing suits in place of the layers of foul weather gear we piled on during the last two trips south. Taken Care of Business crossed the Barkley Canal toward a marina they wanted to visit. We continued on to Kenlake State Park Marina for an overnight stop. As we approached the face dock, the people on their houseboats went inside instead of grabbing a dock line, which was a first in all of our travels. They appeared put out by our arrival, perhaps because we blocked their evening view. Whatever the reason, we just quietly got our dock lines in order and then took a walk before dinner. There was no socializing in our future that night. Pebble Isle Marina certainly made up for that the next night. Several guys ran toward the dock and grabbed for lines, introduced themselves, and invited us to the happy hour party that was already in progress. At least twenty chairs lined the dock, filled with jolly “loopers” all swapping stories and boat cards. We had a wonderful evening making new cruising friends. Since Clifton Marina was to be our next stop, we told everyone about the great time we had last year and encouraged them to stop there. Little did I know that I almost talked us right out of dock space! Instead of anchoring out the next night like they had planned, they all went to Clifton….and beat us there! Sonya was in a panic to fit us all in, so we suggested that Taken Care of Business raft off to Tessa. Our first order of business was to find Bill Magers and give him a big hug! Soon everyone was gathered together having drinks and grilled burgers. It was great to be back together with all of our Clifton friends, and our new cruising friends fit in perfectly. The next day we were looking forward to a lunch date with Bill. Bill Magers is the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back. But he didn’t stop there! He gave us two shirts! And food out of his freezer, beer out of his cooler, arrowheads from his collection, AND a Billy Bob beer couzie! The best gift of all was the memorable day we spent together, touring the Tennessee hills surrounding the river and hearing a funny or fascinating story around every turn. We returned to the marina just in time for happy hour. Sonya squeezed in a record breaking number of boats and still had time to prepare chicken & dumplings, white beans, cole slaw, and fried cornbread. Another wonderful evening in Clifton spent with good friends. Bill came by the following morning to deliver country ham biscuits and to see us off. As we sat in the cockpit having coffee, I had a bright idea. “Hey Bill, you should call your daughter and tell her to pick you up at Aqua Yacht Harbor and cruise down there with us. Y’anto?” Better yet, give me her number and I’ll call her! We hadn’t met Bridget yet, but I assumed she would have a sense of humor to match her father’s. So when she answered the phone, I said “If you ever want to see your Daddy again, show up at Aqua Yacht Harbor tonight with $50,000 or the deed to your riverfront property.” After a stunned silence she started laughing and later told us her first thought was “What is he up to now?” We informed everyone at the marina that we were kidnapping Bill, he offered the keys to his truck to fellow cruisers who were staying another day, and off we went down the river. We so enjoyed having our own personal tour guide on board. Bill grew up on the river and had a story to tell at every bend. It was another wonderful, memorable day….until we arrived at the Pickwick Lock and were advised of a 2 ½ to 3 hour delay. Which meant that we would probably not lock through until after dark, which meant that we would have to cross Pickwick Lake to Aqua in the dark. Gary claims that the Garmin chart plotter paid for itself that night, as he followed our track from last year all the way across the dark lake and right to the marina without bumping into anything. Bill left us with some delicious homemade Brunswick Stew and headed for the hills, while we enjoyed a well deserved cocktail before calling it a night. The next day Gary, Walt, Vickie, Fred and I met Bill and Bridget at the well known “Hagy’s Catfish Hotel” for lunch. Most of us enjoyed all-u-can-eat catfish and coleslaw. Yummmm! Hagy’s is located in Shiloh National Park, the site of a bloody Civil War battle. After lunch we followed Bill around to some of the popular spots. Then Bill turned right and we were supposed to turn left to exit the park. Somehow, we got so turned around that we went in circles and ended up right back where we started. Vickie took control, grabbed the map, and finally got us back to the main road. We have all navigated boats from Lake Erie to Mississippi, and we had trouble finding our way out of a park. Funny! This morning as we enter the Tenn-Tom, we are a little sad to close the chapter on the river trip so far. It has truly been a wonderful experience. And we already miss Bill Magers! Such is the cruising life. You leave behind so many good friends and memories, but there is always another adventure awaiting with each new day.

Clifton, TN - The memories are still vivid...-ish

Click HERE to see Our Previous Visit to Clifton TN...

October 8th, 2010: "Empty Nesting"

We spent last night at the legendary Hoppies Marina, south of St. Louis. Chas picked a 16 oz rib eye for his last supper. We dined on Taken Care of Business and celebrated the arrival of their crewman Fred, while Gary and I secretly mourned the departure of our crewman. I offered a warm chocolate chip cookie to the crew of a big fancy powerboat at the dock. The captain asked in amazement "You cooked those on board a sailboat?" As though us cheap sailors wouldn't even spring for an oven on board! I wanted to snatch the cookies out of their greedy little fingers and tell them to go suck up some Dom Perignon on their upper deck. The alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. this morning, a cruel reminder that it was time for Chas to leave. We said our tearful goodbyes and quietly walked back to a lonely Tessa. She truly feels empty without Chas' presence. He wakes up smiling, goes to bed smiling, and never stops smiling in between. He belongs on Tessa, and loves her and his Dad as much as I do. This is definitely going to take some getting used to after being together for over three weeks, 24/7. We tossed off the dock lines at dawn in order to make 100 statute miles downriver. The current is pushing Tessa along at 12 knots. Now that Chas is gone, I realize I can listen to Glen Beck without a battle, but it does not feel victorious. I no longer need to look over my shoulder while bringing in the bumpers and dock lines. There is no one accidentally-on-purpose threatening to push me overboard. This is boring! I will get the foul weather gear ready just in case Chas really did take the good weather with him. It is sunny and in the high 70's today....but he didn't predict the weather to change until tomorrow. I will try to remember to water my herbs, the way Chas did every day with tender loving care. Gary will go back to being unquestionably correct in everything he says and does on board, instead of being challenged daily by his extemely intelligent and talented son. And hopefully, sooner than later, Captain and I will stop missing Chas and just focus on the happy memories the three of us just made together!