See the most recent transmissions from the McPhail's SPOT satellite messenger.

It was never determined who was to blame for the spilt wine last December. My mom said, "He wouldn't let go!" My dad said, "My pinky got caught!" Either way, the table was flooded by a full glass of Mirassou Merlot. The silence as we waited for the waitress to mop up our embarrassing mess was eventually broken by my Dad's explanation of why he had order a Mirassou in the first place.

He had just finished reading the first half of John Mirassou's book, "Only in America." John and his two buddies, John and John, spend a summer on the Great Loop back in 1987, and the book recounts the best of their adventure. In the early pages of the book, John tells a side story about his family's stop at the Mirassou winery while on a summer road trip and their unsuccessful attempt to prove their relation to the wine-makers. That weekend I borrowed the book, and ordered a copy for my sister at Knox College in Illinois. A sticky table of wine soaked napkins is not the best start to happy hour, but this was my introduction to The Great Loop, the start to our Small Boat Big Summer, and proof that a glass half-empty is merely a reason to pour more.

In January, I asked my sister, Elizabeth, what she planned to do after college this summer.

"I don't know," she said.

"Wanna go on a boat ride?"

"OK."

Little did she know the ride I was proposing would take us 5,805 miles from Chicago down the Mississippi, up the Eastern seaboard, and around the Great Lakes. All in a 16-foot Duroboat. We know the boat well. Our Dad, Larry, runs the company, and I've worked just about every job possible in the factory and business offices. Still, some will think it a little off the wall for 21-year-old Elizabeth and me (25) to ride the loop. We're not out to prove the impossible. Just the opposite. We want to prove that boating is possible for everyone – and it doesn't have to be complicated or ritzy. It just needs to be fun. Ours happens to be about three months of fun, or so we hope. (Newest posts at the top)

Check out media coverage of the McPhail's journey:

http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=381778

http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/news.ssf?/base/news/124557930546600.xml&coll=5

http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/05/26/local-women-embark-on-big-voyage-on-a-small-boat/

http://titancast.titantv.com/p/wcbi/v/Making-the-Great-Loop-61909/12GI19YT.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RScD91LR7fA

http://www.duroboat.com

You can also follow the McPhail's journey by scrolling through the photo gallery.

Elizabeth
The trip home
WI, MN, SD, WY, MT, ID, WA

With the boat in tow, we started our journey home on Tuesday Sep 2. Summer break is over which means it is time for Katie to go back to work and for me to find a job.

We took our time getting home. We had five days to get to the Dave Mathews concert at the Gorge in George, WA. Along the way we stopped in Beaver Dam, WI to see Aunt Moe and the Neitzel family; and Beloit, WI to see Jen for the fourth time this summer and the now, married lady, Breeze for the second time. 

We made timely progress to South Dakota where we stopped at all of the "must sees" along I-90. Our stops included The Corn Palace, Wall Drug, and Mt. Rushmore.

We arrived at the Gorge Friday evening and set up camp for the Sunday show. At the concert campsite it was difficult to maneuver the car and boat through the crowded and unorganized Dave fans. As we entered we could read lips that read, Why would you bring a boat here. Once we found a clear spot that would fit us and our joining friends, we set up camp.

A storm rolled in which was disappointing. At least we weren't on the boat. The wind and rain lasted 30min then it was clear again for the concert. The Gorge venue looks over the Columbia River with beautiful cliffs behind the performer. This was my first time seeing Dave at the Gorge and Katie's fourth time. It was great!

The next morning, Labor Day, we finished our last 3 hours to Issaquah. Home Sweet Home. Ready to take it easy until our next adventure.

As we get time we will be adding comments, acknowledgements, notes and pictures from the trip to Duroboat's website, check in once in awhile.

Elizabeth
8.30.09
Waupaca, WI

Waupaca's Chain 'o Lakes is comprised of 21 small lakes which every summer draws vacationers to the area. Katie and I are the 4th generation of our family to spend our summer vacations on the lakes. It was the perfect place to celebrate the end of our trip. 

Sunday morning we launched our 16' Duroboat into Long Lake along with a 12' Duroboat that Sammy had brought from Seattle on top of the Suburban. Katie and I were in the Loop boat while Joel and Sammy trialed in the 12 footer. After making it to Taylor Lake we followed the Chief Waupaca paddleboat around the Chain. We pulled up to Clearwater Harbor where Amy from the Waupaca Chamber of Commerce and Maureeen Meighan the harbor Manager had organized an end up the trip and welcome to Waupaca celebration. They had prepared a wonderful welcoming banner. A professional photographer and another newspaper interview were all arranged. We ate lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon listening to the band at the Harbor and talking with folks who were interested in the boat and our trip. We met Pat Meighan the owner of the Harbor. Pat lives a large part of the year in Florida. He has actually completed some large portions of the trip in his Stamas Yacht. Remember we met John Stamas, the builder of that boat in Tarpon Springs.

The weather was unseasonably cool but it was sunny. We were happy to have spent some time at our favorite vacation spot. We lounged for a few days around Waupaca before heading home.

Elizabeth
8.28.09
Fremont WI

We arrived at Wolf River Outfitters around 10:30am for our first real fishing trip. Louis Woods the owner leads fishing excursions on the Wolf River. Louis is also an inventor who has made a forearm brace to assist handicapped people to fish. Katie and I have been disappointing fishermen around the country when we answer their fishing questions with "ahh, actually we don't fish". Katie and I have dangled a few lines in the water when we little, but when we didn't catch anything in the first 15min we both lost interest and have never given it another chance. We were hopeful a professional like Louis would be able to help us out. 

We took the Duroboat out on the Wolf, now equipped with poles, live bait, and Louis showing us the way. When Louis instructed  we cut the engine, dropped our lines into the water and slowly floated down river. The fish were slow to bite and beginner's luck was no where to be seen. Louis got a few bites, which Katie and I would reel in. Eventually Katie caught one of her own. It was a small Catfish. Worried that the catfish would poke her, Katie gave Louis the honor of removing it from the hook and throwing it back. While we were unable to find and monster fish we did have fun.

We met family and friends at Channel Cats the largest of several restaurants and bars along the downtown Fremont waterfront for lunch. After a time we returned the boat to Wolfriver outfitters, secured it for the night and drove by car 15 miles to Waupaca for the evening. 

On saturday there were no trip events. We just moved the boat over to Waupaca.

Elizabeth
8.27.09
Appleton, Freemont, Waupaca

Sammy drove us to the Appleton Yacht Club so we could start the  trip to Freemont. Upon arrival, we talked with two members of the Yacht Club about our trip. They informed us that the one lock we had to go through didn't open until 10am.  So we ventured back to town to find some breakfast. We enjoyed some Mexican baked goods and Jell-O. We highly recommend the baked goods, but cannot say the same for the Milk Jell-O. 

The first lock went quickly and the Appleton newspaper was there taking pictures as we passed through. They later published an article in the Appleton post Current. It is on line.

Lake Winnebago was quite rough and we kept a close eye on our depth finder. Because we traveled along the shore, the depths could quickly go from 8ft to 4ft very quickly. Luckily we never passed through any areas shallower than that.
 
We cruised from Winnebago back into the Fox which becames Lake Butte de Morts. At the west end of Butte de Mort up river on the Fox is to the south. We head west and north up the Wolf River which starts with Lakes Winneconne and Poygan. On the way to Fremont we pass through the waterfront town of Winneconne that features several waterfront restaurants. The Wolf is a recreational hot spot that features lots of boat traffic from large cruisers to Pontoons and fishing boats, to jet skis and kayaks. It offers something for those who want excitement but also world class bass and walleye fishing as well as eco-interesting paddling up isolated backwaters.

We arrived in Fremont. The area looked like a fun place. The river was lined with many cottages and several bars and resorts. Unfortunately it was a cooler weekday which left the place looking empty. 

We docked the boat at Wolf River Outfitters, where we met Louis Wood. We are scheduled to go on a fishing tour with him tomorrow. Katie and I have never fished beyond dangling a line in the water at age seven. This should be interesting.

Sammy and Aunt Lynn met us in Freemont. From there we went to local waterfront restaurant for lunch and drinks. The rest of the afternoon we relaxed in Waupaca at Aunt Lynn's cottage and again caught up on much needed sleep.

Katie
8.26.09
Green Bay, Appleton, Waupaca

Before leaving the Tarragon Motel we had a deliciously large breakfast at the Stampede. We launched into Green Bay at Marinette to complete our lake michigan run heading south to the town of Green Bay. We made it down the west side of Lake Michigan quickly. The water was completely opposite from yesterday. We still had medium sized waves, but they were slower rolling and headed our way. They still made for a rollercoaster ride, but they gave us a little push down the length of the lake.

We stopped in Green Bay for an appointment with John, a photographer hired by Beloit College. He coached us as we cruised back and forth in front of the dock and posed for a few photos.

We traveled  through Green Bay and down the Fox River. Unsure how far we could get, we pushed on until we arrived at a lock.  Unlike the 100-plus Canadian locks that we had become experts at traversing, this lock had no wall to tie up to and did not answer our attempts at communication via the VHF radio. After eventually making our way into the lock, we learned that the lockmasters don't even have VHF radios!

As we waited for the water to rise, we asked the lockmaster about the water ahead. There was another lock only a few miles away that was only open on the weekends, and the lock after that was closed permanently (until they can find a way to prevent invasive species from travel up the Fox River.) We also realized we didn't have exact cash to pay the $6 charge for the lock we were in.

The lockmaster offered to lower the water and let us turn around and exit from the way we entered. This would save us the $6 fee and prevent us from getting stranded at the next closed lock. We took up his offer and headed back to a boat launch we had seen on the way in. We pulled the boat, moved it around the closed locks. It was only a few miles on land to the Appleton Yacht Club. We secured the boat for the night and took a short drive over to Waupaca to hole up in our Aunt Lynn's cottage on teh Waupaca Chain o' Lakes. From here out our lake travel sort of circles our eventual desitnation so making our way up the fox and Wolf Rivers is mostly day work and we will return each night to the cottage.

Katie
8.25.09
Mackinac Island

We got up very early excited for a run to to Makinac Island. We left De Tour and made it a short 2 miles before we realized we were not going to get anywhere in the current wave conditions. Instead of waiting out the day in De Tour where there weren't too many exciting things going on, we took advantage of having the trailer near. 

We pulled the boat and traveled 20 miles down the road. We thought that if we got around the corner the land would block some of the high winds. Once again we ventured out into the open water. The waves were no smaller. We actually found ourselves in very shallow water because we missed a bouy. The green marker was dipping in and out of the huge waves and it was difficult to see. Once again the water was too big for travel, so we headed back to shore. We drove to St Ignace a few more miles toward Mackinac and planned a short run across to the Island.

We are running out of days, but traveling during a small craft advisory, rip current warnings, and waves forecasted at 5-8 feet, is not a smart decision. Instead, we took a ferry to Machinac Island.

Mackinac Island is a small resort town that has outlawed motor vehicles of all kinds. There are no cars, no golf carts, and no emergency vehicles. All taxis, fire trucks, and deliveries are conducted with the use of horse and carriage.

There are 600 or more horses on the island, and they live a pretty good life. On Machinac Island horses always have the right away, they wear rubber soled shoes ( We think this is an opportunity for the next Kentucky Derby  to sign on with Nike) instead of uncomfortable metal horse shoes, and they run free all winter long.

Bicycles line the streets where you would normally find cars, and the smell of fudge permeates from nearly every storefront. 

After a two hour horse and carriage tour of the Island, we were treated to lunch at Patrick Sinclair's courtesy of Mary and the tourist office. Sinclair's is an Irish pub on the main drag of town. Lunch was delicious and people all over the island are very friendly.

The weather continued get worse. As we took the ferry back to the mainland the waves crashed higher than the window of the boat. We were thankful we did not try to cross the Mackinaw straights today, but disappointed that we would not have the time or acceptable weather to make the crossing in our own Duroboat. 
 
We trailered the boat along the lake Michigan curve of the UP toward the Wisconsin border trying to recover to a pace that would allow us to meet now scheduled events in Wisconsin.

Just over the Wisconsin border we got a motel room from Bob and Kim at the Tarragon Motel in Marinette, WI. The motel is owned by the friendly couple who have built their business up through good service, and word of mouth within the fishing community. After checking in we talked with them for sometime. When we settled into the room we decided to pass up the beach volleyball at the Stampede Bar and Grill  next door in favor of sleep.

Katie
8.24.09
De Tour

Our trip across the North Channel was fairly easy. The water started out just a little choppy, so when we found a bigger boat to block the waves, we radioed via VHF and asked to follow in their wake. They were headed the same direction as us, taking a very direct route, straight across the Channel. We traveled a little slower than noemal to match the speed of the larger boat but we were thankful to have company on a fairly desolate portion of the trip.

As we neared our buddy boat's final destination the water had become very smooth. We cut outside of their wake, thanked them for the escort, and continued on alone. The water stayed perfect until we were about 20 some miles from De Tour Village, the end of the North Channel and our passage towards Lake Michigan. The winds were coming from the South and unfortunately that was our new direction. This leg of the day seemed to take forever, we were so close, but only able to travel at a snails pace into the stiff wind and waves.

As we approached De Tour Village, the barge and ferry traffic picked up. In the evening when the sun is glaring off the water it can be difficult to tell what you are looking at in the distance. We hung back to determine which way the larger boats were actually traveling before we made our way amongst them. These are not the boats you want to cut in front of!

Sammy had driven back from the border to De Tour. He was with the employees of De Tour Marina and all were awaiting our arrival. The de tour folks  had been reading our blog and anticipating our arrival. Their excitement for our trip and offer of kind accommodations was really appreciated. We were not looking forward to camping because last time we put the tent and sleeping bags away was the rainy night before the wedding. The De Tour Marina opened up an empty house on the property and let us "camp" on the floor – dry, with room to stretch out our legs.

Katie
8.23.09
Back to Little Current

Breeze and Stephen's wedding was beautiful! It was another amazing weekend with some of my favorite people. I was sad to leave, and even sadder to think about repeating our trek from Little Current to Sturgeon Bay in reverse.

Sammy again drove us the 8 hours from Sturgeon Bay to Sault Ste Marie. We caught a 3:45am cab ride across the border into Canada and took a 4-hour Greyhound bus ride to Espanola. Then we were stuck, again.

Now we were only 45 minutes away from Little Current but unlike the day when we were on our way to the wedding we did not have a ride lined up for this leg of the journey. At a loss of what to do next, we ate breakfast at Twiggy's, the diner/bus stop and asked the owner (our waitress) if she knew any regulars that might be commuting to Little Current. 

She did, but it wasn't the right day. After we had finished eating she told us she would have one of her employees drive us.  That is service you are not likely to get at Denny's. We were grateful for the offer and tried to tip enough to cover the cost of gas. Please next time you are in Little Current, Ontario eat at Twiggy's.

Katie
8.20.09
Espanola ON / Sault Ste Marie ON

Elizabeth was lucky she didn't drown last night. It down poured and the list of our boat created a puddle just below her pillow. Everything was wet, but her corner was the reservoir. We stayed in the tent a little longer than usual, but we didn't sleep in – we scrunched to the middle, away from the dripping walls, and waited for the rain to let up enough to come out of our humid soggy hole.

A small craft advisory warning and forecasted wind gusts of up to 30 knots prevented travel. With nothing better to do and in need of a dry shelter, we headed to the Anchor Inn for breakfast. 

We ran into Tim, the guy that loaned us his charts the night before, and joined him for breakfast. Many of the other boaters from the cruisers-pot-luck the night before stopped by our table to say "good morning" and inquired about our travel plans.

Disappointed we wouldn't be able to make it across the North Channel in time to met Sammy in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Elizabeth and I were brainstorming ways we could still make it to Breeze's wedding TOMORROW! We bounced around ideas of rental cars, hitch hiking, or taking a bus.

Most people laughed and joked, "It's not your wedding, is it?" and advised that we just relax because, "you can't do anything about the weather." But, I couldn't relax – one of my best friends is getting married tomorrow and it was looking more and more like I might miss it!

Shortly after breakfast Elizabeth and I met Day and Craig, a boating couple that was driving to Espanola to do laundry.  Espanola had a Greyhound station (which we would find out later started only three days ago!) Jib, the owner of Turner's, a family-run gift and convenience store (and an actual Duroboat owner), offered to trailer our boat and store it in his back yard for the weekend. A solution was starting to come together! We took everyone up on their generous offers, and scrambled to get the boat packed and catch our ride to Espanola. Side note: Duroboat's website has for several years, in the Duroboat Experience links page, had links to Jib Turners website but it was strictly a coincidence that he became a part of this adventure. If you are looking for very unique gisfts this year find him on our links page.

Craig hurried to get us to the bus station, at Twiggy's diner, but when we tried to buy our tickets we realized that the 10:45 bus left at 10:45 pm not am. Ugg!

There was an earlier bus, but not until 8:30pm. We spent the rest of the day wandering the streets of Espanola and loitering at the public library. However, we did have time to do laundry. 
 
We must have looked ragged, because a mother at the laundry mat told us, "you, know the church will give you a meal or a bus ticket if you are down on your luck."  We have been very lucky this summer, but short on showers and sleep – obviously it shows.

We finally caught the bus (with tickets we paid for without the assistance of the church) and arrived in Sault Ste Marie, ON around midnight. We started walking towards the international bridge with the intent of crossing the border on foot to meeting Sammy who was now waiting on the US side. After a mile and a half walk from the greyhound station to the border, a Canadian Customs officer told us that we would not be allowed to walk across the bridge.

We asked if Sammy would be allowed to drive over and pick us up. He would be, but without a passport he would not be allowed back into the US – this wouldn't help. Our only other options were to wait for the next bus at 8am, or pay a flat $35 for a taxi. We paid the exorbitant price for a one-mile ride across the bridge to the US customs office. 

On the American side, we received the usual questions about where we were from and where we were headed. Unfortunately our answers were too far from usual. The Customs Officer didn't like our story, took our passports, made us exit the cab, and report upstairs for a few more questions. After more pointed questions and proof that we did in fact know Sammy (waiting at a gas station around the corner after being asked to leave the customs office), we were allowed to return to the cab and pay our expensive fare, and join Sammy.

Still another 8-hour drive from the wedding in Sturgeon Bay WI, we felt "almost there." We drove through the night, arrived at 6:30am, the morning of the wedding, slept for 3 hours, and later attended a wedding I couldn't imagine missing!

Elizabeth  
8.19.09
Little Current

With all of our charts in order we ventured into Georgian Bay for the second time. The winds were already strong and the small craft route we were following for this portion of Georgian Bay was hardly different from the regular route. This forced us to spend a large portion of the day in open water, rather than amongst islands that would have provided protection.  

The waves were uncomfortably large. With every wave that passed we were adjusting our speed in order to lessen the impact of each blow. This of course caused our otherwise great gas mileage to fade. Once we were back in protected island water we were very concerned about our fuel situation. So concerned in fact, we radioed a police boat and asked them where we could find gas. The answer was Killarney –20 miles away with more open water– or possibly 2 miles up the river at a tiny resort. 

When we passed the resort, it did not look promising. We yelled to a guy on the dock and he waved us in. He siphoned 5 gallons of gas from a gas can and charged us $30. Disappointed we were paying $6 a gallon; we were in no position to look for a better deal. 

We made it to Killarney and the water turned a pretty aqua color. We stopped to fuel up and we checked out a local fish 'n chips place we had heard so much about. The food is served out of an old school bus on the waterfront. It was greasy and delicious. 

Upon arrival in Little Current we saw a sailboat with the Great Loop Burgee. We stopped at the boat and met Mark and Terry.  They informed us of a potluck dinner later in the evening that was being hosted by Great Lakes Cruising Club. Our contribution to the potluck was a last minute purchase of a bag of potato chips. Didn't exactly carry our weight.  
 
Time and the weather projection, is threatening our ability to finish the trip on time and make it to the wedding in Wisconsin. 

We thought the potluck would be a good way to explore all of our traveling options. Perhaps we could make the trip with a buddy boat headed west. We didn't want a repeat of Georgian Bay where the waves were large and we were feeling very alone.  We had a lot of opportunities to tell our story but no opportunities for travel the next day. We did manage to borrow some charts for the trip.  
 
Even big boats were now coming into port to avoid the predicted high winds. 

At the end of the night we were once again setting up the tent, with hope that the rain would miss us.

Katie
8.18.09
Bayfield

Thanks Jack and Jerry!  These guys came to our rescue as we idled in the bay trying to reorient ourselves and contemplated heading back.  Relieved to see another boat, we waved them over to ask where they were headed.  They told us, but we really had no idea where they were going besides north.  We asked to follow them, and to our surprise and relief they escorted us half way up the Georgian Bay, all the way to Pointe au Baril.

Eventually we arrived at Jack and Jerry's destination, their buddy Dave's new cabin.  We stopped just briefly to look at our maps and guide books and make sure we were better prepared to navigate ourselves, on our own this time.  We only traveled a few more miles today, just south of Byng Inlet, to Thompson Marine.  They had very few big boats here, but small skiffs and dinghies were common.  This dock spot is popular with folks living on local islands, which are only accessible by boat.

There wasn't much there besides a dock and small office that sold cold drinks. We used the rest of the afternoon to prepare for the 2nd half of Georgian Bay.  We highlighted the route we intended to take and organized our charts so we could access them quickly.

Around dusk, Peter, or Piotr, an employee of Thompson Marine with a very strong polish accent invited us to join him for dinner.  Hungry and tired of eating peanut butter we were happy to have evening plans.  Peter served cabbage wraps, a dish whose polish name I can't remember, and gave us advice about our up coming leg of the trip.

Katie
8.17.09
Penetanguishene

The father daughter campers saw us off the next morning, as did another boater who had caught wind of our story. The lockmaster was also interested and apparently relayed the whole story to the next lock when he called ahead to tell them we were on our way.

The next lock was actually not a lock at all.  When it was built, back in the 70's it was cheaper to build what they call a "marine railroad".  Boats drive into the lock as usual, but the lockmasters help you position your boat under big belts.  The entire frame of the lock lifts out of the water leaving your boat hanging high and dry with the nose of the boat resting on wooden slats.  The suspended boats slowly chug their way up and over a hill, much like a roller coaster as it reaches the crest. Then, as the boats decend the hill, they are slowly eased back into the water.  We had front row seats on this ride and our little Duroboat was swaying slightly in the wind.  We half expected to go plummeting over the other side of Splash Mountain.  The lockmasters assured us this engineering design is still completely safe. I would be even more nervous in a big expensive yacht.

As we left, upon request of the lockmasters, we sped away so they could see the "giddy-up-and-go" of a Duroboat.

Our last lock on the Trent Severn was pretty uneventful, but we did meet a guy who had gone from Port Severn to New York.  He told us to look for his boat on the rocks as we left the lock.  It was a 12-foot jon boat with a 15hp motor - that's impressive!

This was our last lock and the start of the Georgian Bay.  We had read and been warned of this treacherous body of water.  Shallow and full of rocky obstacles Georgian Bay is known for destroying props and severely damaging hulls.  Less than 10 miles into the Bay, we went skidding to a stop and the engine cover flew forward into the boat.  We had missed a channel marker, partially covered by overgrown weeds, and learned a scary lesson of how dangerous Georgian Bay can be.  Motor and prop seem to be fine, except some scuffing and minor dents.

Further into the southern portion of the Bay we were faced with choppy water due to a southwest wind.  To make the passage easier we waited for a large trawler that we knew was behind us in the locks. We followed in their wake for a calmer ride and added assurance that we wouldn't miss any more channel markers.

We needed to turn off for gas, and made a quick trip down to Penetanguishene.  Also, by this time, the winds had picked up, we needed charts, and we were hungry.  We tied to the public dock and headed to town for our first meal (besides peanut butter) in 24 hours. 

Lunch was so good, but slow. This late in the afternoon, we decided it would be smart to spend the time to recoup and reorganize so we would be more prepared to tackle Georgian Bay in the morning. We sought the help of the American Great Loop Cruiser's Association to help us find a good source of information for tomorrow's crossing.  They directed us to Amanda at Bay Moorings Marina. 

We needed charts as our Navigation software did not cover this portion of Canada in the same detail as it had the US.  While in the locks it had not been an issue but Georgian Bay was something else.

Set with charts and a place to dock, we cleaned up, took advantage of the rare Internet access, and spent the evening preparing for tomorrow.  We huddled in sleeping bags and sweatpants, not to stay warm, but to armor our bodies against mosquitoes. We worked by the dim light of the computer and a pocket flashlight.

Katie
8.16.09
Swift Rapids

Our late 9am start felt really early.  With only a couple hours of sleep, we changed back to swimsuits and Tyler drove us back to Bobcageon. The lockmaster teased us about our late start and we finished our fist lock well after 10am. 

Still tired we locked through as usual, and talked about the previous days adventure and our new Canadian friends.  About 5 locks into our day the lockmaster said to us "so I heard you guys went out last night." Surprised, we asked how he knew.  He replied, "lockmasters know everything" and that's how our conversation ended.

It's an unusual feeling to meet strangers who already know you, but it's also comforting to know there are folks watching out for us and our boat.

We are spending another night camping at a lock wall, but time to blog and early bedtimes tonight are okay.

The lock wall at Swift Rapids is nice.  There are several other boaters staying here this night, included a father and daughter.  We told them about our trip and asked questions about the upcoming final leg of the Trent Severn.

Katie
8.15.09
Bobcageon

This morning, as we locked through, a squirrel splashed into the water about 5 feet away from the boat. I've never known squirrels to swim, so I can only assume that he didn't see the edge of the lock tank. He immediately swam to the wall and crawled the 90 degree incline clinging to the mossy side.

Today we reached the most beautiful part of the Trent Severn. There are houses on their own islands, a church that is accessible only by water, and gorgeous smooth rock clusters. People swim out to the rocks and lounge on them to bask in the sun.

At one of the locks two guys in ski boat pulled in behind us.  By the third time we locked through together we had an invitation to go wakeboarding.  We've been on a pretty tight schedule, but we didn't hesitate to accept the offer.  Wakeboarding is one of the things we've missed most about this summer.  In summers prior, our boating has centered on water sport, not travel. 

We followed the guys to find a smooth spot off of the channel, and used our Sand Spike gear to secure our boat.  We joined Adam and Tyler, two Trent University business students, on their boat.  We each took a few runs while those in the boat discussed serious topics like, Canadian accents, the use of the word "eh" and the songs under consideration for our summer play list.

Adam and Tyler are both good wake boarders and water-skiers.  They are in great shape from boarding nearly every day after work.  Elizabeth and I, on the other hand, were shaky and out of breathe when we drug ourselves up on the swim platform.  Apparently waiting until the middle of August to break your body into boarding is not the best idea, and I'm sure our diet of mostly fried comfort food hasn't helped either.

Wakeboarding was a needed break, but we felt pressure to get back to the locks.  We are running out of time and money, so to help insure that we are able to finish the loop, we have been committed to making strong progress everyday. 

Tyler and Adam escorted us to the next lock – Bobcageon, It was later in the afternoon and becoming more obvious that we would not make it to our predicted stop before the locks closed at 7pm.  We were not interested in spending another night eating peanut butter at a secluded lock wall.  Instead, we opted to leave our boat in Bobcageon and spend another night in Peterborough. Tyler and Adam offered to drive us back to Bobcageon in the morning.

I explained our plan to the Lock Master and bought a dock permit, while Elizabeth secured the boat and threw our stuff into Tyler's boat. The four of us took Tyler's boat back through the locks we had passed through this morning.  Several of the lock workers recognized us and ribbed us with various versions of the same "aren't you headed the wrong way" joke. 

It was the wrong way, but definitely the right decision - Tyler and Adam were excellent tour guides. They drove us past the house the movie "Cheaper by the Dozen" filmed, and passed another house with an amazing view made of all glass.  They also made a stop at Burleigh Falls to ride the waterfall.  After anchoring the boat we swam up to the rocks midway down the falls where we jumped in and let the current push us back out and down stream.  Our tour ended just before dusk with another round of skiing.

Elizabeth and I were both excited to have a real shower and a night away from the tent.  They found us a place to crash at their house. We ate pizza, drank beer, and listened to music.  Canadian guys are alright, eh?

Elizabeth
8.14.09
Peterburough

We left Frankford early to get to the next lock in time for the first opening.  The Lockmaster in Frankford never did make us pay for our tie up to the wall.  The evening before he gave us maps, a bathroom key, and some free pens.  The savings was greatly appreciated. 

We made it to the lift lock just past Peterbourgh.  Lock 21 on the Trent Severn is the highest hydraulic lift in the world, there are only two like it in North America.  We drove into the giant tray of water, and when the tray above us was filled with water it lowered as we ascended.  The lock works like a huge balance and a fun ride. 

We got a ride to Peterburough from a lock worker.  We ate dinner at a brewery in town and visited the Tank House patio for some live country music.  We talked with the bartender and DJ then headed back to the boat. 

On the way back we decided to visit the highly recommended Tim Horton's for an authentic Canadian experience.  We ordered a breakfast sandwich and a Diet Coke.  When it came time to pay they told us they only take cash.  Having used most of our cash a few stops back we scrounged together some money.  I gave the lady the money which included two 1951 Canadian dollar bills.  My Aunt Lynn had found them in a drawer and gave them to me before we left on the trip.  The woman working insisted that I not pay with the bills because they are rare and no longer issued.  So I kept the bills and the woman working covered the last $2.50 of our meal.  We ate our sandwich, and trekked home to the wall.  Hooray for the staff at Tim Horton's.

Elizabeth
8.13.09
Lake Ontario
Welcome to the Trent Severn Waterway

We had to cross parts of lake Ontario from where we exited the Rideau to the start of the Trent- Severn Waterway.   Lake Ontario was smooth as glass.  We made great time and were amazed at how clear the water was.

Surprised to see a police boat driving next to us while we were going about 25mph, we figured we'd better stop to see what they wanted.  When our boat was in neutral the police boat approached for a safety check.  Luckily we had our lifejackets, watertight flashlight, and whistle all on board.  It must have been a slow day on the job. 

We were back up to speed in no time and soon entered the first lock on the Trent Severn Waterway. 

We made it to Frankford well before the locks closed, and could have traveled on but we made Frankford a stopping point because we had heard so much about a Chinese buffet in town.  Chinese food sounded great to Katie and I as did the buffet part, so we quickly got the boat organized and walked into town.  The buffet was in a house on the town's main street, which gave it some charm.   We left the restaurant wondering why so many had recommended it, but were full none the less.

Elizabeth
8.11.09 – 8.12.09
Rideau River

Our time on the Rideau River was longer than expected because of all of the locks.  We spent most of our nights tied to a lock wall eating peanut butter sandwiches.  The daily plan was always to get at far as we could while trying not to bypass cities that could offer something more exciting than a peanut butter sandwich. 

When we arrived in Smith Falls we stayed at Victoria Park Campground. There, Katie and I were well received by the owner, Dave.  The best part about our say was that we were finally able to shower.  From the campground we walked to dinner and the grocery store, and then slept in the tent on the boat. 

Continuing towards Kingston we were hung up at a flight lock.  While waiting the hour and a half to lock through it started to rain. After being in the sun all day the rain was too cold to enjoy. It was still very sunny but we sat in our swimsuits under an umbrella. 

When it was finally our turn to enter the flight lock we were packed in tight.  Our boat –the smallest of them all was one of the last to enter.  In one of the locks we actually cut the motor while other boats in the lock manually maneuvered us into a small space in the middle of the pack --under the bow and anchor of a huge trawler.  The crowded locks made the daily travels more exciting, but slowed travel.

Katie
8.10.09
Ottawa

I woke up when water splashed on my forehead this morning. It started raining early this morning and our tent is far from water proof. It can wick-a-way a light sprinkle, but eventually water seeps through. This was the case this morning and our bedding was beginning to puddle.

We loosely packed our sleeping bags in garbage bags (instead of tight rolls) hoping they would air a little throughout the day, and headed to a breakfast shop for shelter and eggs.

We waited out the rain and fog and finally left around 10am.

Disappointed with her hair, and without a shower, Elizabeth shampooed in the bathroom sink at the lock before leaving.

Once on our way, we had about and hour run to our first lock on the day – the largest lock we've seen in a while at approximately 60ft. Our next set of lock where more than 4 hours away in Ottawa.

The water conditions varied depending on the direction of the river bends relative to the wind, but the wind was coming from the west  - the same direction we where traveling most of the time.

Aware that the locks close at 7:30 and forewarned to arrive at the lock 3.5 hours prior to close, we began to worry that we wouldn't make it to the lock before 4pm. Knowing we'd be late, we tried anyway and arrived just before 5pm. There was a healthy crowd of other boats and a 45 minute wait, but we were relieved to get through.

The Ottawa flight locks were 8 locks and took us about 2 hours to complete. We tied up to the wall for the night which was right down town. We had no bathrooms so we had to pretend to be hotel guest while we were roughing it across the street.  With all of the traffic noise and early building construction, sleep was less than peaceful.

Elizabeth
8.9.09
Canal de-Saint Anne de-Bellevue  

Spirits on board were low today. We are running short on time, money, and sleep. This coupled with colder weather, unexpected lock delays, and a language barrier have made travel a lot tougher.

We had finally made a left turn leaving Sorel which meant we were that much closer to Lake Michigan. As we headed south towards Montreal Katie and I noted that many locks we would have to go through before making it to the Ottawa River. Our guide book had mentioned an alternate route just north of Montreal, but didn't give details. This is what prompted us to try taking a route that headed down the west side of Montreal. We paid close attention to channel markers in order to traverse the shallow waters. At one point we arrived at a caution sign that warned against strong currents. We continued forward thinking that the well marked area must indicate that many travel the area. We made it through no problem, but it was very unnerving.  

After 10 miles of slow travel we arrived at a dam. We had to turn around. The worst part about turning around was the anxiousness that came with knowing we would have to travel through the strong current section again. Now we were traveling with the current, but that made for a wild ride through the caution section. The boat took another beating, which made me cringe. 10miles north of the dam we were back on track. 

As we approached Montreal we were fighting strong currents and rough water. We got through the series of locks. Stopped for fuel and made a 20 mile journey to Saint Anne-de-Bellevue. After finishing our last lock we paid for a spot to tie up on the lock wall. We were amongst many other boats tied to the wall, but by the time we came back from dinner they had all departed and we were left alone.

Katie
8.8.09
Sorel

We couldn't have asked for better water this morning. Lake Champlain was smooth and friendly the whole way from Burlington to the Canadian boarder. We stopped at the first marina we found after reaching Canada. The music playing in their shop was so loud we could hardly hear the employee's answers to our few questions about the route ahead. – Communication was made even more difficult by her heavy French accent – Quebec, we hadn't thought much about the language change until now.

Eventually the river narrowed to a canal with cement walls on both sides, and onlookers hanging over the guard rails above.  We didn't realize we would be traveling through locks so soon. Before heading through the lock we backtracked to a marina to get some maps, find a cash machine, and snacks for the boat. Everybody was speaking French.  We had been expecting to hear French but we hadn't expected not to hear English. With just a few words of French in our repertoire we were out of our element.

We pulled up to our first Canadian lock. It was much smaller than we were used to. We spent the next few hours traveling a narrow canal in and out of 9 locks. Many of the locks and bridges we passed through were manually opened and closed. The locks were usually ready for us, no need to talk on the radio or wait. It was great service. There was a busy bike path that ran along the entire length on the canal, so there was always a crowd watching as we locked through. Lots of opportunity to tell our story.

When we left the last lock we found a marina shortly after. Paid for gas by the liter, split a pizza at the marina's restaurant, and went to bed feeling guilty we didn't know more French. 

Katie
8.7.09
Burlington (it's that much fun)

Back at Small Boat Exchange we gave the boat another once-over, and John's son Ian helped us removed the floor boards so we could inspect the earlier repairs. Everything was pretty much the same, so we filled the boat with gas and returned to the boat ramp to launch the boat.

We contemplated moving on, but choppy water, mild headaches, and the prospect of another night in Burlington convinced us to stay.

We made the quick run 5 miles north of the boat ramp to downtown Burlington and docked the boat at Ferry Dock Marina. The marina had an adjacent restaurant with large patio seating. The hostess directed us to the marina office and shortly after hearing our story, we where offered a place to tie up and encouraged to come listen to the band playing that night. Ferry Dock Marina is right in the heart of Burlington, a very short walk from Church Street and our temporary apartment on College Street. 

Peg and Mike, the couple we met back in Schuylerville who offered to arrange our accommodations in Burlington, made it possible for us to extend our stay. After a few phone calls Peg had everything arranged. The apartment owner, Tim, a self described strong-opinioned-conservative-business-owner (by Burlington standards anyway), hooked us up with the apartment keys and suggested some evening entertainment options.

The apartment was beautiful and a welcome alternative to our tent. Laura, the property manger is also responsible for 6 locally owned full service salons, 4 al a carte budget salons, and several apartments. We were lucky enough for a free stay, but typically boaters interested in renting an apartment can get a 20% at Burlington's O'Brian Salon or Bimini Bills  

We spent the afternoon walking around town, and later decided to use the apartment kitchen and ate dinner at "home" on the couch, in front of the TV. 

After dinner, we ventured back to Breakwater, the restaurant near Ferry Dock Marina, to hear the music. A few other stops and two foosball games later, we met up with Nick, another friend from Beloit College. The most wonderful thing about going to a small college is the connections. On this trip Elizabeth and I have stayed or caught up with, 8 people we've gone to school with!

We ended the evening with a breakfast burrito from a late night eatery, a short walk home, and set the alarm to ring 4 hours later.

Katie
8.6.09
Burlington VT

Up at 7am again! We finished locks number 5 through 12 before noon and decided to shoot for Burlington VT, 60 miles after Whitehall and Lock Number 12. The remainder of the day could be as short as 3 hours or much longer depending on the water conditions of Lake Champlain.

Luckily the water was fairly calm until we were 20 miles from Burlington. The first stretch of the Champlain Waterway was swampy looking, but as we traveled north the river opened up and the terrain became very similar to the Pacific Northwest.  The water temperature has dropped to about 72 degrees, which feels frigid relative to the water down south. We've pulled out our pants and hoodie sweatshirts.

We slowed down when we hit choppy water caused by a south west wind, and the last 20 miles took nearly two hours. On our slow ride to port we called John Freeman, the owner of Small Boat Exchange, one of the oldest Duroboat dealers. When we arrived, John pulled our boat and took it to the shop overnight. Tonight we didn't need it . . . we were lucky enough to have accommodations in Burlington.

On the way home John told us he is the reason for blue Duroboats. When Duroboat started in 1983 the only production color was yellow. Frustrated by macho fishermen that wanted a Duroboat but couldn't see themselves in yellow, John ordered a truckload of custom blue Duroboat, and now blue is now the top color. I still like yellow! 

Burlington instantly made our list of top stops. This mini-city is full of artsy shops, hot entertainment, and lots of young people. We spent the evening (and early morning hours) on Church Street, the main strip of downtown Burlington. The areas is closed to traffic and crowded with pedestrians and it was very easy to meet people. 

We shared our story with several groups through out the night, but my favorite question was, "Doesn't that take a lot longer?" A lot longer than what, we asked. "Driving?" Some people just don't get it.

Katie
8.5.09
Schuylerville

The calm water this morning was enough to excite us out of bed early again – that and our thin sleeping bags had us shivering early this morning! We've learned to make a run for it when the water is good, and fortunately the good water held up most of the day and we were able to log 130 miles. It's nice to be back on the water and making progress. Recently we've had lots of delays, some planned and some unexpected.

Our first stop today was in Coeyman Landing in, Coeyman NY. Pronounce it Kweemans, don't know why. We met the owner Carl Allen and got the scoop on the locks up ahead. We were pleased to hear that the speed limits along the Champlain waterway have changed. It used to be 10mph the whole way, which would have hampered our progress.  Now, the speed limits vary, but are sometimes as high as 35 mph. 

Lunch was at the restaurant next to the Marina.  We hit the water again around 1pm. In the next 20 miles, we passed through Albany and Troy and came to our first lock since the Dismal Swap in Virginia. The Troy Lock is sometimes mistakenly called Lock Number 1, but the numbered locks start about 15 miles after the Troy Lock. We've been told that there are 12 locks but no Lock Number 11.  (Found out tomorrow that there is a Lock Number 11, must have been a bad rumor.)

I'm not sure how this came to be, but it makes communication regarding locks tricky. Today we traversed 5 locks, but Lock Number 5 will be our first lock tomorrow morning . . . see how this can get confusing.

Shortly after passing through the Troy Lock we came to the turn for the Erie Canal. Didn't wwant to take 15 years so…    We took a picture and pressed on north to Burlington.

It was a long day, but Elizabeth and I both appreciated the calm water and our return to "normal" travel days.

We stopped over night at the Schuylerville Yacht Basin and are taking it easy. We did laundry, set up camp, and walked into town to get dinner: sandwich fixings and fruit, from the local grocery store. Our marina tonight is very quaint.  Schuylerville has all the usual marina amenities, with a very relaxed feel. We have spent the evening sitting in their gazebo chatting with other boaters and working on our blog and journal.

Katie
8.4.09
Newburgh, NY

Our 2.5 hr bus ride from Rob's apartment back to Brown's Point Marine was pleasantly cut short when a women riding behind us offered to give us a lift from her stop back to Brown's Point. This cut more than an hour off our transit time.

Her name was Leigh, a production employee at the Today Show. Met her just a day late. She is also coincidentally visiting friends in Issaquah this fall. Even in a city as big as New York a small coincidence can make the world feel smaller.

Arrived at Brown's Point and chatted with Paul and the guys about our trip and repairs. Ever since Paul first heard of our trip from Suzuki he has been anxious to participate. He is a great guy and a real credit to the Suzuki dealer network. The Brown Point crew have been over the top helpful, from picking us up, to last minute service work in a hurry; they did everything possible to get us back on the water quickly.

We did our best to thank them for all there help, and took a group picture in front of the Marina. Mike and George gave us a lift to the gas station, boat launch, and saw us off.

That afternoon we passed by the Statue of Liberty. A part of the trip Elizabeth and I have both been looking forward to.  Lady Liberty was an impressive sight from the water and we wanted to capture a few souvenir pictures. Photographing your own boat is tricky, so we looked for another passing boat to trade services with. We took their picture and they took ours, and we agreed to email one another the pictures.

Most of you have the picture they took of us. We just sent Brad G. a pic of his boat and crew as we published this.

After New York Harbor we headed for Upstatre New York via the Hudson.

That night we stayed at the Front Street Marina in Newburgh NY. The connection there was made by Duroboat friend Arnald C.  and his associate Tom. We walked into town looking for the Orange County Chopper shop.  We never found them, but we saw a town like nothing we've seen on the trip so far – people everywhere! Block parties on every corner, kids playing wall ball against a brick building dodging cars from the middle of the street, babies and strollers, and wonderers everywhere. We've been told it's not the best neighborhood, but there were so many people out, it it felt festive not dangerous. 

We ate dinner at the outdoor restaurant next door to the Front Street Marina. They had a good crowd for a Tuesday night and line dance lessons in full swing.

We slept in the tent - rocked to sleep by the country music and the boat.

Elizabeth
8.3.09
NYC

Got up early to seek our 2 seconds of fame. We made our way to Rockefeller Center to see the Today Show. We stood outside with a sign that read "6,000mi in a 16' Duroboat to be in NYC Today"  The sound crew asked us some questions and came back with a picture printed from the Duroboat website and said, "this is your boat?". It wasn't our boat, but it was the same model. There were some skeptics in the group so we gave them our cards. Our sign made it on the show as they panned through the crowd. Unfortunately we were not invited inside to chat with Al, Matt or Meredith. 

After the show we walked to Boarders to use the Internet. While walking a bird pooped on my head and arm. We've heard that is good luck, so we bought a lottery ticket. We won $3 but have yet to cash it in. 

We met up with Rob and his friend Manzel when they got off work. We visited a bar that had a comedy show in back. The comics were funny.

Elizabeth
8.2.09
NYC

It was nice to wake up without the sound of an alarm. Everybody lounged around until 11am when decided to go get Brunch.  There were Mimosas and the food was several notches above your typical greasy spoon. In the middle of lunch it started to downpour. NY has been unseasonably wet. The Seattle rain jokes got pretty old. Later Katie and I escorted Joel to the airport via the subway. We continued our ride  to Manhattan and spent more time walking and gawking. We sat on a Central Park bench and ate mac and cheese. The people watching was excellent.

Elizabeth
8.1.09
Philadelphia to Browns Point

It was great getting on the water it was smooth as glass. As we got further north there were a lot of floating logs and trash in the water. Just south of Trenton we stopped at a boat launch to meet Chris from Brown's Point Marina. He showed up with a trailer and a Hummer. Chris picked us up on the New Jersey side and towed us to the Suzuki dealer in Laurence N.J. The engine was due for a regular maintenance.

Katie and I had never seen such intense traffic. Seattle has it's fair share of gridlock, but in New Jersey and New York it is scary! Chris maneuvered the Hummer and the boat through angry people and toll booth  traffic jams. After dropping off the boat at Brown's Point we continued into Brooklyn to meet Katie's friend Rob from Beloit College. We ate lots of NY pizza and visited some sights in Manhattan.

Katie
7.31.09
Philadelphia

Leary of crossing Delaware Bay with the heavy weight of three people in less than perfect water conditions we decided to head North East up the Delaware River towards Philadelphia.  Also, Elizabeth has a water polo friend from Knox that currently lives in Philly.  We made it a short day, less than 40 miles, in moderately rough chop. 

The Marinas in Philly were not what we are use to.  The water was very dirty, plastic bags and floating pop bottles became new obstacles to avoid, and the marina offices were less than obvious. 

The first marina we tried was enclosed on three sides by multi-story brick buildings.  After temporarily tying up, we followed signs to the "Marina Office," but our passage through several gates and glass doors left us locked on the city side of the marina - estranged from our boat.  We called the number on the door and got reprimanded by the man who answered – "Where are you?! Don't you know you can't do that?! Can't you read the keep out signs?!"

Firstly, there were no "keep out signs" and secondly, we followed arrows directing us to check in at the "Marina Office."  The guy was a little nicer after he heard more about our trip, but we opted not to inquire about saying and just asked to be let back to our boat.

The next marina was fine, but still very "city" feeling.  More locked gates and a call button to request permission to access the office. We didn't talk to anyone except the women that rented us our slip - $2.50 a foot!  

After quick showers followed by lunch at Dave and Busters, we headed off to find the Liberty Bell.  It was only a 5-block walk. We arrived drenching wet.  This was a kind of rain and lightning we never have in Seattle and have experienced only a few times on the trip.

We took our time visiting the Liberty Bell and waited until the rain let up to head over to the train station.  Elizabeth's water polo friend Lexi was out of town, but she offered to let us sleep at her house.  The house was empty, because she and her roommates have not yet moved in. It was further out of the city than we expected, but we were happy to have dry accommodations.

We stayed at a bar later that evening than we should of, and then set our alarms for an early, early, 6am departure.

Katie
7.30.09
Chesapeake City

We were a bit apprehensive as we shoved away from the dock this morning.  Joel's quick repairs seem to have held up well, but we were careful to ride easy and keep our speeds calm and reasonable today.  We have been pushing the limits a little too far in rough water and want to build up gradually to gain confidence in the repair.

Before leaving, we took a trip down "ego-alley" the main cruising drag in Annapolis.  The 300-yard runway passes through old town Annapolis and past several restaurants.  It is a dead end with a tight turn around.  The only reason to turn down this way is to strut your hull past the hundreds of onlookers.  It was still early when we cruised down "ego-ally" and the usual hordes of people were not out yet. So instead, we insisted that Joel take pictures from shore, so that our egos can pine over them later. 

The harbormaster of the Annapolis City Docks came down to meet us.  We were on our way out of town, but he graciously offered us a slip and confirmed all the wonderful things we had discovered about Annapolis. He is so charmed with the city that he has moved there 5 times!  We were also impressed.

The day passed relatively uneventfully.  We had calm water – less than 1-foot waves, and good weather – a light cloud cover.

We made it to Chesapeake City in about four hours – an easy day's cruise. We stopped for lunch at a waterfront restaurant and talked over our evening plans. 

Joel dreads sleeping three across in the 5-foot tent again, and at a height of 6'3" I don't really blame him.  He decided to gamble on another "name-your-own-price" website, and scored! $50 for a three-star Hilton.  This goes against efforts to budget, but Elizabeth and I didn't' complain.  Instead we bought a cheese platter and a bottle of wine to take with us to the hot tub!

Elizabeth
7.28.09 and 7.29.09
Annapolis MD

We had breakfast at Chick and Ruth's, but were there too early to partake in the daily Pledge of Allegiance.  We got a great deal on hotel rates for the next few days in Annapolis --always a welcomed surprise.  Joel spent time working on the boat.  We did some sightseeing, eating, and met Katie's friend John in Baltimore for an Orioles game. 

We lightened our load.  We have been encountering more big water slamming the boat than we ever expected and we think hare carrying too much weight.  With about 2000 miles to go to Lake Michigan we think it makes sense to reduce the load in the boat particular in the forward areas that are suspended over the peaks of waves a good deal of the time.  We sent two boxes full of clothes and books back to Seattle. 

We spent some time visiting other marinas in Annapolis while keeping an eye out for the AGLCA burgee.  We are excited to get further north, so we can catch up with more Loopers. We are ready to get back on the water.

Katie
7.26.09
Annapolis MD

After an uncomfortable night's sleep, three across in the tent, we departed Fair Point Marina. The water was rough, again,  but we tried to take it slow to build conficence in the new repair. Joel still suspected damage may have occurred to the other side of the boat.

In addition to rough water, buoys and fishing nets scattered the sides of the channel and seemed to booby trap the water for boaters.  We made sure that the front passenger kept an active look out and alerted the driver of hard to see obstacles. 

Eventually the water calmed out, but 10 miles from Annapolis the waves picked up again and we began seeing water from the other side of the boat where joel suspected we might.

We decided to head to shore just south of Annapolis and ended up at South River Marina.

Gerry, one of the first people we met, gave us a ride down town to the a little bed and breakfast located above Chick and Ruth's Deli.  It's a cute place with lots of history and character.

We spend the evening walking and exploring Annapolis.

Elizabeth
7.25.09
Reedsville MD

Despite more rough water, we made it to Reedsville, just 50 miles North of Hampton, by about 1:30pm.  We heard later that the waves reached 5 feet by 2pm.

We pulled into the Fairport Marina and Mary helped us fuel up for tomorrow's trip and showed us to our slip.  We ate lunch at their crab house and asked for suggestions on how to spend the rest of our day in Reedsville.

We took our boat over to the other side of the inlet and walked Reedsville's main street.  After one and a half miles we saw an out of place gift shop.  We asked the owner how much further away town was, but apparently we had missed it! Town was one ice cream shop, two B&B's, and a closed gas station.  The area was quiet, very nice and definitely a sleepy fishing community.

Fairport had a strong fish stench from the processing plant just south of the town.  One advantage to staying at the Fairport Marina is that the majority of the time the wind blows the odor in the opposite direction. 

We spent the evening with a young couple on their sailboat.  Nick is a pilot, and Lucy is a preschool teacher.  They are both learning and perfecting their skills as new sailors.  Just a few slips down were Bill and Lisa who live aboard their 43' sailboat.  We used Nick's extra bright lantern to try to catch crab.  The crabs are attracted to the light, but we were unsuccessful. 

We all squeezed into the tent for bed.

Katie
7.25.09
Reedsville MD

After launching the boat, we tied up, secured our belongings, and drove back into Hampton to return the rental car. We shoved away from the dock around 10:30 – a late start for us.  It was Joel's first day on the boat since he left us weeks ago in St. Louis.  The water conditions have changed and so has our confidence in the boat.  We've come a long way since the mild flow and calm waters of the Midwest river systems.  We have since overcome the challenges of heavy port traffic; severe weather, abuse of open water conditions, and the apprehension of navigating with land barely in sight.  Gradually our confidence in Duroboat and our own boating skills has improved.

Joel has been dropped in to these new conditions without the building assurance of the prior experiences.  His nervousness makes me nervous, and he's made me question whether we've pushed the limits too far and run the boat too hard.  His apprehension is a healthy reminder of the importance of staying safe and reasonable, so as to avoid accidentally going beyond our limits.

I've also realized how much I love boating!  Four more hours of rough water is not everyone's cup of tea.  While, I certainly appreciated calm water conditions, long hours of cruising day after day have been fun.  We've had our share of hiccups, but in the grand scheme of the trip this summer has been amazing.

We'd never heard of the Great Loop until this year, but now half way through I would definitely recommend the Loop for anyone seeking big boating adventure. For smaller adventure, one weekend at a time, boating is still the way to go!  It's unbelievable how much of the country you can explore by boat.  Plus, the boating community, as vast and diverse as it is, is remarkable.  Nearly all of the boaters we've met have been amazingly supportive of our trip.

Elizabeth
7.23.09 Thursday
Williamsburg and Hampton Marine Service

We returned to Hampton Marine Service. Once again Jeff was very helpful in getting us set up in the shop, and making sure we had everything we needed. Joel's diagnosis was a testament to how comfortable Katie and I have become in the boat. Between the big water, our willingness to run the boat hard, and the added weight of our customized set up and gear; the sub-support stanchions under our storage needed to be replaced. Duroboat has sent some stanchions which will arrive on Friday. Joel added extra sealant to a portion of the joint, and we were on our way back to Williamsburg. We grabbed some dinner in Colonial Williamsburg and walked around the historic homes. We visited Jen, Jon and the kids one last time before we see them the end of August. Hope to get the boat shipshape on Friday and be moving again on Saturday.

Elizabeth
7.21.09 Tuesday and 7.22.09 Wednesday
Williamsburg to DC via car

Katie and I started for DC in a rental car. We pick Joel up from Dulles Airport late afternoon, and headed into the city to stay with Nick, my friend from High School. He had just moved to DC for a research fellowship in the medical field. Lucky for us, he had moved into his apartment the day before our arrival, so we had a floor to sleep on. We walked around and saw all the monuments lit up at night. 

The next morning we went to The National Air and Space Museum, The Lincoln Memorial, The Vietnam Memorial, and The American History Museum. On our way out of town we stopped at the Coast Guard Warrant Office to talk with Ed Swift to see where we could tie up the boat if we are able to visit DC again via boat. 

We returned to Williamsburg to see Jen and family –again, and get a hotel room. We were ready to make a visit to the boat the next morning.

Elizabeth
7.20.09 Monday
Norfolk to Hampton Marine Service

We ventured into the Chesapeake around 8 am. We later found out from Alan, our now official weather resource, the waves we were battling were close to 4ft. We had noticed it was getting pretty rough, so we decided to duck in just north of Hampton.  Unfortunately the area we had stopped at did not offer food within walking distance. The idea of turning around to Hampton did not sound appealing, but there was no way we could continue going forward. While we were deciding what to do, we noticed the bilge pump was periodically turning on and off. Water was slowly creeping in from somewhere. Unfortunately this made our decision pretty easy. We needed to get the boat pulled to see what was going on.

We called Hampton Marine Service who towed us out and brought us to their shop. Jeff from Hampton Marine Service was more than willing to help us out even though they work on fiberglass boats. We did find a breach of metal near the chine.

This was a stroke of bad luck but at least the timing was right. Joel who had assembled the boat and designed some of its unique modifications was planning on meeting us in DC to ride along for the DC - New York portion of the trip. We communicated what we could do about the leak back to Duroboat and a quick kit of parts to fix the boat was prepared for Joel to carry with him.

Still unsure of when we would be moving again, we decided to hitch a ride to Williamsburg, VA with Jeff to crash Jen's family reunion. 

Elizabeth
7.18.09 Saturday and 7.19.09 Sunday
Norfolk

We stayed with Katie's college roommate Miranda and her brother in Norfolk. Saturday morning we went kayaking with Miranda and Stefan, and then spent the day relaxing around the city. Sunday afternoon we went to Tidewater Marina to fuel up for our departure the next morning, and find some maps for the Chesapeake. The guys working in the marina office were very helpful. They gave us a chart free of charge because it was slightly outdated. It will do the job for us. After a boat ride and a visit to the marina's restaurant, we said our goodbyes to Miranda who was flying home to Chicago that evening. Coincidentally, Katie's other friend from college happened to be in the area for a family reunion. That night with stayed with Jen, Jon, and their two kids Jonathan and Jade.

Elizabeth
7.17.09 Friday
Elizabeth City to Norfolk

We encountered rough water on our way to Elizabeth City. Because we had to make Norfolk by the afternoon we were stopping to walk around town, and so I could take a picture next to the Elizabeth City sign. When we arrived the Mayor of the town (Daniel Evans) happened to be at the city dock.  The Mayor suggested that we talk with the city's newspaper and check out the visitors' center. We did both, and in the process met Michael and Nancy another couple doing the loop. While there the Mayor also told us that the state of North Carolina is promoting its own loop for cruisers. For those of you east coasters interested in cutting your teeth on a slightly shorter loop maybe you should check out info on the NC Loop. 

Because our time in Elizabeth City lasted longer than expected, we missed the scheduled 11:30 lock opening. We had plenty of time to get the next one at 1:30 so we ate some lunch and cruised slowly. 

Our cruising guide had noted the color of the water as a deep brown, like ice tea. Katie preferred to describe it as the color of Diet Coke. The stretch between the first lock and the second lock is called the Dismal Swamp and is a no wake zone. When we got through the first lock we thought we would have no problem making it to the second one by 3:30 the last opening of the day.  We miscalculated, and found ourselves strapped for time. We slightly increased our speed because we couldn't spend a night on the boat in the Dismal Swamp. The area was beautiful and the trees were reflected in the water the whole way. We made it to the second lock just in time, and were happy to see the lockmaster was unaware of our early arrival from the first lock. Instead he was more concerned about the storm that we were about to be caught in. 

After passing through the lock, we quickly made our way north. We had about 10 miles to Tidewater Marina, but only got as far as three miles north. We were in a very industrial area with bolts of lightning on both sides of us. The man controlling the bridge just ahead said over the VHF radio, "girls you better get off the water quick". We turned around in hopes of finding the wake boarders we had seen as we came out of the locks –maybe they could let us tie up to their dock. A boat launch came first, so Katie tied up while I went to ask some fishermen for a ride. Jeremy and Rodney gave us a ride to Wal-Mart so we could wait out the storm. After our drop off at Wal-Mart, Katie and I decided Applebee's might be more comfortable. Soaking wet, Katie and I walked to Applebee's to watch the weather channel and use a gift card I had been carrying around. When we called Jeremy and Rodney, they returned to give us a ride back to the boat. We got back on the water to complete the last seven miles of our day. It took a very long time to navigate around huge ships and under bridges. Our hearts sank when we encountered a bridge that read "closed to pleasure craft" during our exact time of arrival. I called on the radio to ask if we could go through. The answer was, "Duroboat, I can't tell you what to do. But if I fit under, I know what I'd do". We interpreted that as an "ok". And we arrived at Tidewater Marina around 8:30pm. From 3:30 to 8:30 we traveled approx. 10 miles.

Katie
7.16.09 Thursday
Alligator River

This morning we ran aground going about 20 mph. Somehow we missed a channel marker and went right into a shallow sandbar.  Prior to the mishap, I noticed boaters nearby staring - but that not unusual since we are in an unfamiliar yellow boat.
We both jumped out into shin high water and started walking the boat back into the channel. As we pushed we were fighting the current, and I thought maybe we were still trying to drag the rudder through sand. I started to use my foot to gage the depth of the water under the rudder. A wave came, lifted the boat, and dropped it back down on my foot. Dumb move, but lesson learned. 

When we got back into 3 feet of water we hopped back into the boat and powered the rest of the way into the channel. Only seconds after getting back on plane a stingray wider than our boat flew out of the water, flapped in mid-air for a moment and dove back in – a live version of a clip you might see played in slow motion on the nature channel. I don't exactly know the consequences of startling a stingray, but we were both happy to be back in the boat and out of the water.

The rest of the day was rough – lots of open water, pounding waves, and water splashing over the gunwales. We were literally counting down the miles and minutes until we reached Alligator Marina. 

Unfortunately our arrival wasn't the relief we had hoped for. We were not especially welcome at the Marina. This response is perplexing – they have lots of open slips and we always buy gas. Our boat may be unusual, but we don't require anything special. In fact, we never use electrical or water hook-ups and we require half as much space as most transient boats.

At first we were told we would not be allowed to leave our boat there. When we politely explained that we didn't have a trailer and that docking was our only option, she reluctantly agreed with an "Okay, but you'll pay." Their minimum slip rate worked out to nearly $2 a foot. The marina discouraged us from camping on the boat and seemed worried that we would try to sleep in their shower area.

Besides no desire to sleep in a shower, there were quickly approaching storms. We called the closest motel, still more than 10 miles away. While trying to arrange transportation, another patron overheard our story and offered to give us a lift. He had a delivery truck with only three seats in the cab. His passenger graciously offered to ride in the utility portion of the vehicle. This was much appreciated, because for security reasons Elizabeth and I draw the line at be shut in the back of a moving truck.

The driver was very friendly, and he was impressed by our travels. His co-worker had recently made the trip from here to Norfolk – the leg of the trip we will complete tomorrow.

We checked into the motel, walked to the gas station (the only dining option within walking distance), and ate cup-o-noodle and fried chicken for dinner. Early to bed.

Katie
7.15.09 Wednesday
Beaufort NC

We left the dock in Myrtle Beach at 7:55, and after a quick stop for fuel we were well underway by 8:15. We typically estimate our arrival time based on 20 mph. We are often traveling faster than that, but no wake zones and occasional stops slow us down.  Based on this math, we would arrive in Swansboro, NC around 2pm. 

The mornings have been considerably colder than we became accustom to in Florida. Temperatures are still warm compared to Seattle summers, but I find that if we are at speed, my sweatshirt stays on until almost noon. This is okay because the long sleeves offer extra sun protection.

We took a lunch break at Wrightsville beach. A very cute beach community, which from what we could tell, attracted people of every age. We made it a quick stop and were back on the water by one.

Before shoving off the dock we called ahead to make accommodation arrangements. Lately we have been arriving so late that the dock masters have already gone home for the evening. We were determined to try and plan ahead this time.

No such luck. Upon arriving in Swansboro, we decided to press on another 20 miles and stay in Beaufort, NC.

When we pulled up in Beaufort we realized we had made the right decision. The waterfront was lively and beautiful boats of all sizes were docked right downtown. There was live music playing in a park near the Beaufort Docks.

As Jebb the harbormaster was helping us get settled he introduced us to a couple strolling the dock with their dog. After hearing our story the friendly couple, Mike and Corliss, offered to let us stay with them for the night. We were once again spoiled by the kindness of strangers.

We rode, via boat, back to their house and Mike pulled out a map and recommended travel options ahead. Mike is very involved in the North Carolina's boating industry. He is a consultant and was involved in efforts to recruit boat builders to North Carolina.  We understand he has in the past pitched NC to Duroboat and is again taking up the challenge.

The state now has more than 100 builders, 40 some of those are custom sport boats, and our route will pass by nearly 80 builders. Mike told us Carolinians are very committed to locally built boats, and pointed out the flared bow style that is typical of North Carolina boats.  

Corliss made a delicious pasta dinner, and Elizabeth and I were happy to have a home cooked meal.  After dinner we walked downtown to the Dock Street Bar for another night of live music. Despite a healthy Wednesday night crowd, Mike and Corliss tell us the economy has slowed down Beaufort too.

Always a fishing community, Beaufort was once a whaling town. Now known for sport fishing and recreation, we happened to arrive just as the town we gearing up for a tournament. Huge boats were being cleaned and prepped for the upcoming weekend. The fancy boats lining the docks dwarfed our little dinghy. Their underwater lights created a romantic looking green glow and gave the dock a ritzy exclusive look.

It's amazing to me how wide the term "boating" is. The only common denominator is water. Countless different boat styles, sizes and purposes make boating as distinct as the individual at the helm. I wonder how other boaters would fare on our trip and I on theirs. 

We met more young people at the dock that night and told them our story.

Elizabeth
7.14.09 Tuesday
Myrtle Beach

We began the day with a large breakfast from the restaurant next to the City Marina. We met with the Channel 5 news in Charleston, and then we headed out of town. Along the way we passed through a lot of 'no wake' zones. Some of the signs read, "You are responsible for your wake". Because we have passed so many trawlers with huge wakes, I can see why damage would be a concern for floating-dock owners along the intercoastal. No wake signs are frequent as you pass waterfront homes, but the signs are not enforceable unless they have been posted by the Coast Guard. Only the Coast Guard's are posted in the middle of the channel. Marinas also have no wake zones that boaters should follow. All of the slow areas between Charleston and Myrtle Beach delayed our arrival time. We think an exemption should be made for Duroboat which even at full speed has almost no wake.

We arrived in Little River just north of Myrtle Beach. We tied up and walked to the marina next door for some dinner. A man playing acoustic guitar was the entertainment for the evening. He told us he had learned to play at the age of 27, which inspired Katie. I guess learning guitar is next on her to do list. We tried to walk around to see the town a little more, but there really was nothing to see from our location. We went to bed early only to later have a group of partygoers intentionally disturb us. While we could hear them trying to talk to us, we thought it best that we ignore them. After they shook our tent and went on their way, we were free to fall back asleep.

 

Katie
Monday July 13th
Charleston

Today was a long ride – 130 miles in total, but the slow zones made it feel like 230.

The Duroboat likes to run and so do we. Our one advantage over the more luxurious cruisers with real beds aboard is we can move faster and cheaper. We hate losing that faster part to imposed slow zones.

Cruising was easy, with smooth calm waters and lots to look at as we crept through the dockfront areas at idle speeds. We made a quick stop in Beaufort SC  . . . . we are still unsure how it's pronunciation differs from Beaufort NC.  We grabbed lunch and an ice cream cone and once again asked around for the Skipper Bob books we've missed since our last copy ran out in the gulf. No such luck. Why are these books are so easy to find out in Seattle and impossible to buy along the ICW?   Skipper, get your presses and your delivery team running.

It started to sprinkle just as we arrived to the Charleston City Marina. Both Elizabeth and I are getting frustrated with the thunderstorms that hit us every evening just as we are trying to get ourselves settled into a new town. It all dries out the next day, but our belongings get stored overnight in wet compartments that don't always smell so great the next morning.

Amanda, one of the boat crew at Charleston Marina, was extremely helpful, and she seemed excited about our adventure.  We were impressed by Amanda's VHF radio skills as she radioed back to pleasure yachts approaching the marina. "Roger Capt, this is the Charleston Marina, over"

We walked downtown to explore Charleston and try to find WIFI to finish our blog. After a couple hours of bloging at a Hooka Bar, we wondered Eastbay and other touristy streets in the same neighborhood. The homes are huge Southern style houses. The straw market which was once the slave market, is long stalled building that now houses a daily art fair.

We had lounged a bit waited out the rain and then walked back to the boat to set up camp.

 

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