Cruising on M/V Monarch

April 22, 2010 - St. Charles Yacht Club, Ft. Myers, Florida

2010-05-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

After transiting Pine Island Sound, and leaving the Intracoastal for the last time this season, we entered the Miserable Mile and the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. Here is an entrepreneur ready to sell you lunch or bait, floating near the channel.

The Nylands joined us for a refreshing swim in the pool of St. Charles Yacht Club, our destination for the night in Ft. Myers.

We were delighted that our friends Carl and Nancy Meyers from Marco Island could join us for Jerry’s birthday party dinner tonight, in the clubhouse.

The club furnished the Marathon Yacht Club burgee as our table centerpiece. We had a fine evening with good friends, and homemade rhubarb pie back aboard Monarch.

Now it’s time to put Monarch in storage for the summer, while Marty and Jerry spend the summer at their cabin on Stag Island in the Georgian Bay. Stay tuned for the further adventures of Monarch when she resumes her journey in October.

April 20-21, 2010 - Isles Yacht Club, Punta Gorda Isles, Florida

2010-05-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

We eagerly anticipated the arrival of friends John & Carol Nyland from St. Michaels, Maryland and Lake Charlevoix, Michigan. They flew in and met us at the Isles Yacht Club in Punta Gorda Isles.

We enjoyed some fine cruising across Charlotte Harbor with the Nylands.

The weather was warmer than we have seen all winter, and we sought shady locations!

We anchored at Cayo Costa, and dinghied to Cabbage Key, famous for its Cheeseburgers in Paradise of Jimmy Buffet’ song.

The grounds of Cabbage Key have beautiful plantings, and we saw some wildlife. A gopher tortoise was crossing the sidewalk.

And eagle-eyed Carol spotted two otters in the water, which climbed into an adjacent boat and attempted a break-in of the cooler onboard!

Our next stop was a manatee cove, where we have seen manatee on many occasions.

Like many animals, spring is the season when manatees mate.

These normally docile “sea cows,” usually scarcely visible above water level, were very active today, and we spent hours watching them get friendly.

April 16 - 20, 2010 - Venice & Cayo Costa, Florida

2010-05-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

We traveled south on the Intracoastal, transiting a number of bridges, including the Hatchett Creek Bridge. This is a bascule bridge, with the bridge hinged and lifting for boats to pass.

We stayed the night at the Venice Yacht Club. We were fortunate to get in, as they were hosting a sailing regatta, and barely had room for us.

They put Monarch at a secondary dock, near the Club, which was accessible through this impossibly narrow channel.

The Venice Inlet allows boats to come and go to the Gulf.

We walked the nice beach, well populated on this warm day.

We found this ship’s wheel, marking the entrance to a motel.

The next morning, as we departed Venice, we paused so another group of Optimist Dinghies could make their way out for a race.

It was a great day for small sailboats, as we next saw a Sunfish regatta.

Here is a fly fisherman, trying his luck in the Intracoastal.

We headed for Cayo Costa once more. It was a busy time at the barrier sand bar.

And a beautiful night awaited us.

April 14 - 16, 2009, Bradenton & Sarasota, Florida

2010-05-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

Back across Tampa Bay on a windy, sunny day. We felt at home with freighters in the channel.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is very modern and often photographed. Yet, we are more impressed by the Might Mac.

This bridge is held in place by gossamer cables, reminiscent of a spider’s web.

Next stop is Bradenton Yacht Club.

They have a nice clubhouse and pool, and bicycles to borrow.

We went inside for a drink and popcorn, and to look around the Club.

As we relaxed on deck, we noticed small sailboats called Optimist Dinghies racing up the channel, next to Monarch.

They skillfully came VERY close to our boat, and then tacked away at the last minute. The harbormaster informed us that the Club has a young girl who is State Champion of this sailing class.

We looked good from the bridge vantage point.

The next morning, we cruised south, passing this interesting bird sanctuary.

Our next stop was the Field Club in Sarasota. At one time, this was the winter home of noted retailer Marshall Field.

It was a pleasant surprise to see this beautiful private home turned tennis and yacht club! The architecture reminded us of the Fisher Mansion in Detroit, with the Spanish influence.

The Olympic-size pool was inviting, as was the adjacent outdoor dining area.

The grounds were lovely, and very large, with a dozen tennis courts. Other beautiful homes were arrayed on adjacent lots, many with walkways to the Club for easy access.

This was the mansion’s gatehouse, now the Club’s maintenance headquarters.

The best feature on the property is the drive-through canal, under the house. We could imagine Marshall taking his beautiful Gar Wood custom boat through it, to dock in the calm pond behind the mansion.

As we went inside the Club for dinner with Bradenton friends (and GM retirees) Mark and Karen Alexander, we were greeted by this beautiful fountain in the inner courtyard.

April 12-13, 2010 - Sarasota and St. Pete, Florida

2010-04-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

Heading further north on the Intracoastal, we noted car ferries that take vehicles over to Knight Island.

There were two ferries to accommodate the volume of traffic at the tail end of “high season.”

All along this stretch of Intracoastal, ferries access the barrier islands – this one for people going to the beach near Venice.

We passed by the Venice Inlet, staying in the Intracoastal. The channel of the Inlet is visible as a darker area in the water, surrounded by lighter shoals.

This is a nice way to live.

The architecture along the waterway is interesting. This looks like a covered wagon.

Further along, as we approached Sarasota Yacht Club, we knew we were headed the right direction!

The Club marina has over 100 boats at the docks.

The Sarasota Yacht Club is brand new and very modern in design. The “official” grand opening hadn’t occurred yet when we stayed here.

This is the most contemporary yacht club design we have ever seen. The beautiful outdoor pool was open, as well as a large health club facility and beautiful showers and restrooms.

After departing Sarasota Yacht Club, we headed north through the bay, and past a favorite restaurant, Moore’s Crab Shack.

Here is a beautiful location for a hidden cabin, with a private dock, near Longboat Key Pass.

And here is the Pass, a popular spot to access the Gulf through the bascule bridge.

We next crossed Tampa Bay, and headed for St. Petersburg’s notable skyline.

This shopping complex and tourist attraction juts into the bay at St. Petersburg. You can’t miss it!

We docked for the night at St. Petersburg Yacht Club, and Jerry did some clean up.

Monarch looked “Bristol” at the dock.

We did our walkabout in St. Pete’s adjacent downtown district. There were many restaurants, shops, a Publix Supermarket and the essential West Marine, all within a short walk.

The area is lovely, with this pocket park to give shade on a hot day.

We enjoyed an evening at the Club, having a drink and a snack from their Taco buffet.

April 10, 2010 - Cape Haze, Florida

2010-04-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

We headed north, across the Boca Grande Pass and through the Boca Grande Swing Bridge.

Anchoring in a breakwall-lined basin called Cape Haze, we joined a few other boats for the night.

The next day, we dinghied across the Intracoastal to Don Pedro State Park, which is reachable only by boat. We walked along the beautiful beach and picked up a few shells to add to our collection.

Cruising through the canals adjacent to our anchorage, we noted canal front homes and low bridges, which restricted the size boat homeowners could use.

The next day, we pulled anchor, but then heard a weather bulletin for severe thunder storms, so we did a u-turn and went right back to our anchorage.

There was a torrential downpour, gusty winds, and thunder and lightening. We were glad to be safely on the hook.

The evening brought interesting cloud formations, and reinforcement of our decision to stay put!

April 4-8, 2010 - Naples, Florida

2010-04-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

North to Naples. We anchored for the night in Champney Bay, in the Port Royal area of Naples. Gigantic houses are the norm here on huge canal-front lots. This is a single family home, not a hotel resort.

The area is just south of downtown Naples. We went for a dinghy ride up and down the canals.

Many big houses sported big boats out front.

One after another, the mansions won’t quit!

We think the landscaping services and maid services are fully employed in this area.

We liked the priority this homeowner put on housing his yacht!

We packed a lunch and ate while idling through the canals.

Some of the yard and pool art was interesting.

We especially liked the color of this home.

We docked the next night at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club, as we continued our “club crawl.”

The clubhouse is a real beauty, and newly constructed. The interior is beautifully appointed with a nautical theme.

The second floor offered a wonderful view of the harbor. We entertained Aunt Zelda and Uncle Jack aboard Monarch with drinks and dinner. They live in Naples.

Part of the décor is a non-functioning lighthouse. It houses a giant ice machine on the ground floor, and has a staircase for viewing the harbor and accessing the second floor deck.

The following day, we motored less than two miles across the Gordon River to the Naples Yacht Club.

This is another elegant club, newly built, and beautifully appointed.

While the club was closed the day we visited, we did do a walk-through. The style is elegant “Tommy Bahama.” The club is a short walk from Naples’ famous Fifth Avenue, so we walked there for dinner out.

We are certainly enjoying our club hopping, and you can see why!

March 29 - April 3, 2010 - Smokehouse Bay, Marco Island, Florida

2010-04-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

Back at Smokehouse Bay, we settled in on the hook for a few days. One day, the area received four inches of rain in 12 hours. We were glad to be in a boat.

But not all boats are as lucky as Monarch. Here is a 21-foot deck boat, whose bilge pump had failed during the storm. She went down…..

…..and down…………

….and down, as local police, firemen and condo residents watched and conferred.

Shortly, the AAA of the waterways, Sea Tow, arrived on scene.

Inflatable bladders were inserted under the hull, and filled with air. Up she came.

And Sea Tow took her away for the necessary repairs. It was our excitement for the day!

March 25 - 28, 2010 - Panther Key, Florida

2010-04-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

We cruised south of Marco Island to Panther Key, where there are no settlements on land, and nothing but mangroves as far as the eye can see.

The weather promised to be a sailor’s delight, with the red sunset.

But the morning wasn’t good for any kind of navigation, as the fog made seeing even the shoreline an eyestrain.

Here’s the only other boat at anchor, Life’s Too Short. Once the fog lifted, it was fine for exploring.

We dinghied to Hog Key, for the Florida Crown Conch shells we like to collect.

The beaches are interspersed with red mangroves. They hold the soil in place, and creep ever outward by sending down “tentacle” roots into the salt water.

The next day, as we headed north along the Gulf coast, we saw parasailers enjoying the fine breeze. We headed for Smokehouse Bay at Marco Island.

March 17-25, 2010 - Marco Island, Florida

2010-04-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Back to Marco Island for a few days. Marty had to attend a conference in Orlando, so Jerry stayed at the boat – thanks to friends the Hennings for use of their dock. After Marty got back from the meeting, we visited our favorite Farmer’s Market.

We love the colors of the market, and the eating!

This market draws large crowds during the “high” season.

The Plant City strawberries are at their best this time of year, and we stocked up.

As we exited Smokehouse Bay, we saw this pair of ospreys feeding their young, accompanied by much racket! They have made a home right on a channel marker, a common location for them.

March 16, 2010 - Glover Bight, Cape Coral, Florida

2010-04-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

We are ready to depart Royal Palm Yacht Club.

We took one last walk around the harbor, and shortly, cast off.

Traffic was heavy out in the Caloosahatchee River.

We traveled just a few miles to anchor at Glover Bight. The huge condo complex which we saw under construction two years ago, is finished, partly occupied, and now in foreclosure. A hotel is part of it, just a few shops and a restaurant.

We spotted Monarch from the walkway of the complex.

The sunset here was lovely, as we settled into the night at anchor.

March 9, 2009 - Ft Myers, Florida

2010-04-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

During Jim and Janet’s short stay with us, we again visited Cayo Costa. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, with lots of rain. But we kept busy.

For a change, our shelling was not on the beach, but involved pecans for the dinner salad.

Jim learned the features of his new high-tech phone.

Janet, always in her element in the galley, prepares appetizers.

And we filled the time with good conversation, fine dining………

……and the occasional libation.

So our friends could catch their flight back to Washington, DC, we headed for Royal Palm Yacht Club in Ft. Myers.

This is another fine club, which we toured. And then we went for a walk through downtown Ft. Myers.

We had wanted to swim with the dolphins, but settled for sitting next to them.

Then, it was time to put on our finest and head into town for our big night out, fine dining at a lovely Italian restaurant.

Festivals follow us wherever we go – this time, a big motorcycle rally downtown, Ft. Myers Bike Night, with hundreds of bikes and bikers.

March 8, 2009 - St. Charles YC, Ft Myers, Florida

2010-03-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

Out next stop on our “club-hopping” expedition is St. Charles Yacht Club in Ft. Meyers. They have a sign in the water to point the way.

The club is very nice, with beautiful docks and facilities….

…….including a heated pool.

And it’s in a very tony neighborhood. This home across the harbor is a single family, 19,000 square-foot monster, stretching from lot line to lot line on its double lot.

The harbor master made us feel welcome, as we awaited the arrival of our boat guests, Janet and Jim Sass from the Washington, DC area. We also had a delightful spur of the moment visit from Rick and Carol Herman of Tobermory, and friends.

March 7, 2009 - Cape Coral, Florida

2010-03-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

Today the dolphins played in our wake for hours, as we made our way toward Ft. Myers.

They came in groups and singly and were real “hams.”

Along the way, on this nice day, we saw people out enjoying the water. These folks were picnicking on Picnic Island.

We decided to spend the night in Bimini Basin, in Cape Coral. The area has both old Florida-style homes and new McMansions, like this one.

Here’s Monarch at anchor in the basin. We enjoyed the nice weather today.

March 6, 2010 - Cayo Costa State Park, Florida

2010-03-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

Back to our favorite anchorage, Cayo Costa, just off the northwest end of Pine Island Sound.

The entrance appears wide, but the navigable channel is very close to the island’s sand bar.

The water is deep within a boat length of the sand bar.

The park features beautiful beaches on the gulf side, just a short walk from this park landing.

Our neighbor for the night was this small catamaran, tucked near the mangroves.

We enjoyed the quiet of the anchorage.

The bay is surrounded by mangroves. An occasional pass allows dinghy passage, but only at high tide.

The following day, a few more boats arrived for a rendezvous. They were from the Cape Coral Yacht Club, and all came together for cocktails on the largest boat of their fleet. The catamaran looked like a sow with nursing piglets!

The next day we carefully exited Cayo Cost and headed south toward Fort Myers.

March 5, 2010 - Punta Gorda, Florida

2010-03-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

It was a short trip to our next stop, Isles Yacht Club, in Punta Gorda, just two miles across Charlotte Harbor.

Here, we knew we were in the right channel, as the Club had a welcome sign on a piling in the water.

The Club is beautiful, rebuilt since Hurricane Charley ruined their clubhouse, among many other buildings for miles around, including the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club from which we had just departed. At IYC, their progression of reconstruction is documented through a photo gallery in the activity center: first a tent for member events, then a modular building (now housing the boaters’ showers, library, Laundromat and activity rooms), and finally this lovely clubhouse. An outdoor pool is just to the left of the clubhouse.

While there, we treated ourselves to a fine prime rib dinner, served in style, with linen tablecloths, and fine china and glassware monogrammed with the Club burgee.

Speaking of burgees, we are pleased to notice when we enter a reciprocal yacht club harbor as a guest, the club will often hoist the Marathon Yacht Club burgee on the yardarm, to make us feel especially welcomed.

We happened to arrive the day before this Club’s big celebration of the blessing of the fleet, and the docks were dressed with colorful flags. We did need to depart in the morning, as they had a full house booked with member boats for the festivities.

March 1, 2010 - Charlotte Harbor, Florida

2010-03-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

Now, as members of Marathon Yacht Club, a Florida Council of Yacht Clubs affiliate, we are able to visit other Florida member clubs and receive our first night’s dockage – FREE! So we plan to do some “club hopping” for the remainder of the winter season.
First on our list was the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club, near Port Charlotte at the head of Charlotte Harbor.

We docked at this friendly club for four nights, as Marty was heading north for a Michigan Technological University Board meeting and needed to catch a plane at Fort Myers airport.

Both the Commodore and Rear Commodore stopped by Monarch to make us feel welcomed.

More than five years ago, Hurricane Charley ruined this clubhouse, among many other buildings for miles around. Since then, the clubhouse and the marina headquarters has been rebuilt. While the club is busy and vibrant, membership has not fully recovered from the unfortunate event.

February 27, 2010 - Cayo Costa, Florida

2010-03-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

After spending a week anchoring near Marco Island and visiting with friends Carl and Nancy Meyers, we departed for parts north. We passed this lovely ship, Summer Love, a 95-foot Feadship, beautifully kept and shining despite the heavy overcast skies.

We had a nice run north in the Gulf, before ducking into the Intracoastal Waterway at Point Ybel, with its distinctive light. We skirted along the east side of Sanibel and Captiva Islands, and dropped the hook off Pine Island’s St. James City.

The next morning it was up and off to Cayo Costa, one of our favorite anchorages, and home to a State Park which is accessible only by boat. The entrance is deep, but so lopsidedly close to the eastern shore and this sandbar, that if you didn’t know the way, you might run aground.

The narrow sand spit which borders the entrance channel is deep on both sides, allowing this fishing boat to “park” its bow securely on the beach, without tilting up its outboard.

We picked a protected spot to drop the hook, next to this catamaran. Some times we are in this harbor with 70 other boats, today it was eight! We think the cold weather has discouraged boaters.

Mangroves line the shore, and are beginning to make a recovery from devastating Hurricane Charley, which hit here over five years ago.

The park headquarters has built a new shelter adjacent to the dock, to provide sun and rain protection for visitors awaiting transit via ferry.

We departed Cayo Costa after two nights, heading through the narrow channel toward Charlotte Harbor.

February 15, 2010 - Marathon, Florida

2010-02-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

Our month in Marathon flew by, with many beautiful sunsets. Between the generator repair, three coats of varnish, Saturday Farmer’s Markets, Sunday night’s free hot dogs at the Yacht Club, local art fairs and an overnight vacation, we have been very busy.

Every day, something interesting is going on. Here, a boater takes a smooth sail around the harbor in his small sailboat.

Many days, it is quite windy in the harbor. Here is one morning when it was not. Notice the boats pointed in all directions at their moorings.

We hosted an impromptu dinner party for new friends Liz and Steve, and Joyce and Wayne.

While at the Marathon Yacht Club dock for our generator repair, a beautiful storm blew up, first with dark clouds, then a torrent of rain.

As we made our way back to our mooring ball, dolphins played in our wake. Later, Chuck and Linda Throm, from the Detroit area, and more locally from their RV park in Bonita Springs, visited us for a few days,.

One of many conveniences here is the mobile pumpout boat. It visits all moored boats once a week for a holding tank pump out.

On one Saturday, there were two art fairs, which we attended.

Jerry organized a Great Loop gathering, for boaters in the harbor who have completed the Great Loop around the eastern half of the US, for those in process, and for those considering it. The event was announced on the daily VHF Cruiser’s Net, and was attended by about 35 people, who swapped stories and memories.

Our overnight “vacation” was our excursion to the Miami Boat Show. This seems to be our virtually annual pilgrimage, where we viewed beautiful new boats and every possible piece of equipment. We rented a car to drive from Marathon, stayed at a South Beach beachfront hotel, and walked to the show. Lincoln Road is our favorite spot there for dinner and people watching. Locals and vacationers alike dress up and strut their stuff. For women here, the minimum shoe heel-height is four inches!

As you can see from this photo, the mooring field here in Boot Key Harbor is immense, with about 280 boats on mooring balls, and another 75 or so at anchor. This provides a vibrant community, complete with daily VHF radio Cruiser’s Net, weekly “Meet and Greet” potlucks, yoga lessons, and fun for all.

January 14, 2010 - Marathon, Florida

2010-01-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

Departing Everglades City, we headed to Little Shark River. We passed Indian Key, where John James Audubon once camped while drawing and studying the region’s native birds. It is a favorite roosting spot for beautiful white pelicans.

Little Shark River’s entrance channel is the shallowest of the region. We were at high tide inbound, and so had no difficulty. We proceeded about ½ mile upriver, to anchor mid-channel in deep water.

This is one of the most beautiful anchorages in the area. The dark waters and strong tidal currents reflect a shoreline heavily wooded with cypress, pine and hardwoods. Hundreds of years before the Europeans arrived here, Timucuan Indians poled their canoes along these shores. Now, fishing boats find good catching along the river’s banks.

The snowy egrets roost in the mangroves along the shore, and then take sudden flight in a flurry of beating wings.

The next morning, after making our way out of Little Shark River in much skinnier water, we crossed Florida Bay. Our destination is Marathon, about halfway down the chain of the Florida Keys. This was our first visit to our new southern club home, Marathon Yacht Club. We docked with kind assistance from fellow members, and had an excellent dinner in the clubhouse that evening. Later, we met many members at the Club’s hot dog roast, held every Sunday night.

Known as the “Heart of the Keys,” this area has long been inhabited by Native Americans, seafarers, and other settlers. Then, in the early 1900s, the Florida East Coast Railway came through, and the island became known as Marathon, allegedly from the railroad workers who likened the pace of construction to a Marathon race.

The island has about 10,000 year-round residents, and about 280 mooring balls in its Boot Key Harbor, which if full to capacity. As we settled onto a mooring ball for a month’s stay, we are learning that the locals are among the friendliest and most down-to-earth folks. We have attended a potluck supper of boaters at the City Marina headquarters, and Sunday service at the United Methodist Church. It really is a cruiser’s paradise, with West Marine, Daffy Doug’s Dollar Store and Publix Supermarket all within walking distance.

January 11, 2010 - Everglades City, Florida

2010-01-19T16:37:00.000-08:00

We departed Marco Island after Monarch’s month-long stay, while we visited everyone in Michigan.

Our first stop for two nights was Panther Key. We had visited here before, and enjoyed its pristine beaches known for excellent shelling.

As the weather was quite cool, we found the surrounding area deserted, and we were the lone boat at anchor. The only other sign of life was a small tent ashore, and a small boat on the beach. It was too cold for shelling!

Next up was Russell Pass, where we got out the extra blankets and watched a beautiful sunset. The clear night skies were the prelude to very cold temperatures that had been predicted for overnight.

Our recording thermometer captured the overnight low of 32. This was a near-record low.
Monarch’s heaters brought the inside temperature to a comfortable 70 in time for breakfast.

As we sipped our morning coffee, we looked out the ports at the surrounding water, where the tide was bringing hundreds of dead fish past the boat. We later learned that the low temperatures had killed catfish, snook, tarpon, jacks and all manner of fish. They sought the shallow waters to feed; when the tide receded, the plummeting temperatures in the shallow water killed them.

We headed to Everglades City, just a few miles north of our anchorage. At the entrance is the Outward Bound post where intrepid outdoors people can base their Everglades adventures. People will kayak or canoe throughout the Everglades National Park, camping among the snakes and crocodiles, along the way.

Everglades City is a sleepy town, with fishing as the prime business.

We docked at the Rod & Gun Club, built on a foundation set in 1864 by the town’s first permanent settler. By 1922, famed Florida railroad tycoon and developer Barron Collier purchased the Rod and Gun Club, operating it as a sportsman’s hideaway that catered to many famous and notable guests.

Today’s tourism can be noisy, with airboat rides a popular pastime.

To our surprise, we saw the campers from Panther Key, in their double-masted sailboat with auxiliary oar-power. They came up the Barron River, past the Rod & Gun Club, and around the bend into the Everglades.

This evening, we had dinner with friends Lynn and Larry Graham from Tobermory, Ontario, at their place just a few miles south, in Chokoloskee.

November 30, 2009 - Marco Island, Florida

2009-12-03T16:48:00.000-08:00

This morning dawned clear and calm, a beautiful powerboat day! We departed the skinny entrance of Pelican Pass and made our way to the Gulf, for an offshore run.

The adjacent Boca Grande Pass is well marked by the Boca Grande Lighthouse, which we had toured two years ago. This pass is the entrance to Port Charlotte and Charlotte Harbor.

We headed directly for Marco Island. We had hoped to spend a couple nights at anchor along the way, but a water pump on the port engine started a slow drip. We called the marina on Marco, who said come right in for a fix! So, we had a couple unexpected mechanical lay days.

Now that we are on Marco, we will leave the boat at a dock for about a month, to visit Michigan. Stay tuned for the further adventures of Monarch, resuming in mid-January.

November 26-29, 2009 - Thanksgiving at Cayo Costa, Florida

2009-12-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

We departed Longboat Key early Thanksgiving morning, to make our way south to one of our favorite anchorages, where we planned to have our Thanksgiving dinner.

The cloudy morning gave way to sun and a brisk north breeze, directly behind us, helping us push south. We were in the Intracoastal Waterway, protected from the waves that were on the Gulf.

It was a pleasant trip, with lots of dolphins playing on our wake and leaping ahead of our bow. There were several large dolphins that flew out of the water, seeming to say, “follow us!” So we did.

We entered Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa anchorage to find about 55 boats already here! It is a holiday weekend, after all, and many local boaters had claimed their spots. Fortunately, this favorite anchorage is large and we poked around until we found a place we liked.

We got the anchor down, and did a pork loin on the barbeque, with potatoes, squash, fresh tomato basil salad, and pumpkin turtle chiffon pie to finish.

We were thankful for all our many blessings, including the next few days of rest and relaxation right here in Pelican Bay.

Early in the morning, the fishermen are using their cast nets to catch mullet.

In the dinghy, we visited the adjacent hurricane hole, where 18 boats were rafted. We had never seen so many boats in this small harbor.

The Punta Gorda Sailing Club had a holiday rendezvous here, with two rafts of five boats each, and other boats, in attendance.

We see some of the most beautiful sunsets here.

This silhouetted sailboat is framed by the day’s last light.

Another day saw us shelling on the beach of the State Park at Cayo Costa.

The beach walkers do not disturb this osprey.

The day was sunny and became calm as the afternoon progressed.

The moon rose early over Monarch.

Another good day, as we live the dream!

November 25, 2009 - Completing the Loop at Longboat Key, Florida

2009-11-30T18:44:00.000-08:00

The day dawned cloudy with mist and rain. But it was a momentous day for us, as today we would complete the “Great Loop,” the waterway that circles the Eastern half of the United States.
There are just a few bridges on this coast from which we require an opening. The Belleaire Causeway Bridge is one of those, and the bridge tender did a lift for our passage. Most bridges can accommodate our 23½-foot height.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay is one of the most striking bridges on the Florida coast, although the clouds and mist made it less so today.

In spite of the brisk north wind, mist and rain, this kayaking fisherman was undeterred. Note in the background, the ribs of a shipwreck, festooned with cormorants.

Near the end of the day, we crossed the northernmost point we had visited on the Florida coast about 18 months ago, at 27º26' 35" N, 82º40'59" W. This was the completion of our “Great Loop” and we celebrated with lobster, stone crab, shrimp and a nice Merlot at Moore’s Crab House Restaurant on Longboat Key. They have a sturdy dock, where we spent the night.

And here’s a bird’s eye view of the “Great Loop” route we traveled. With side trips to the Bahamas, Lake Superior, and an extra trip down the East Coast, we have traveled a total of 10,436 nautical miles on the “Great Loop.”

November 23-24, 2009 - Overnight Crossing of the Big Bend

2009-11-30T18:28:00.000-08:00

We waited for a good weather window to do our crossing past the curve of the Florida Panhandle called the “Big Bend.” This open water Gulf crossing shortens the distance by about 75 miles, making a straight line from either Apalachicola or Carrabelle on the Panhandle, to the southern cities of Tarpon Springs, Clearwater or Tampa.

The distance of 185 miles is too much to be made in daylight hours this time of year. So, many boaters depart in the afternoon, go throughout the night, and arrive in the morning of the following day. It is important to transit the coastal area at the beginning and end of the journey in daylight, as the crabbers have their crab traps scattered at random in 30 feet of water or less on each coast. These traps have lines that can become entangled in propellers and shafts, causing big problems for boaters!

So, with favorable, moderate seas predicted for the night of November 23, Monarch and nine other boats decided to make the crossing. We got a taste of night navigational lighting the evening before our departure, as Buddy’s Boys shrimp boat went out for an overnight run – all lit up.

And as we departed at 12:30 p.m. on November 23, we felt it was a good luck sign to see the Miss Martha, a shrimper offloading her catch.

Apalachicola Bay was calm, wide and shallow, but well buoyed, and we had other good luck signs of loons and dolphins playing in our wake. We were ready for the big crossing.

The Government Cut pass into the Gulf was well marked and easily navigated.

St. George Island is the barrier island that separates Apalachicola Bay from the Gulf. It is heavily built up with homes, much more so than Apalachicola.

As the sun set, the clouds came in, and the winds were at direct opposition to the 3-4 foot seas. The ride was lumpy and bumpy, and the pitch-black night fell. We were glad for our GPS, our computer charts and navigation, and our old-fashioned back up paper charts and 30-minute dead reckoning fixes. And we could see the navigation lights of our fellow boaters headed the same way, and talk to them on the radio. The two of us on Monarch took turns standing watch and trying to catch a quick nap.

The dawn came at 0700 hours, with a large pot of coffee, a bit of fog, and lots of crab traps! We transited the Clearwater Pass, and were tied up at the Clearwater Yacht Club docks by 0840 hours. After hosing the salt water off the boat, we headed to bed for a four-hour nap!

We did a few boat chores and had a prime rib dinner at the Yacht Club. It was an early to bed night, and we’ll be ready to resume our GICW cruise in the morning.

November 19 - 22, 2007 - Apalachicola, Florida

2009-11-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

All along the GICW, the curving river intersects with bayou after bayou. It’s a beautiful area.

And here’s a nice piece of riverfront property.

We think the one above must have gotten lost from the adjacent field of houseboats, tucked in a bayou just off the channel.

We crossed into the Eastern time zone (sprung forward) that we had departed at Chicago six weeks ago. Then we passed this railroad swing bridge. It stays in the open position unless a train is coming.

Our destination is Apalachicola, Florida. This Panhandle city has a rich history and maritime culture, along with bountiful natural resources. The bounty of the sea is evident from the scores of shrimp boats with their booms and nets.

This area also has alligator. The only one we saw was on the menu at a local restaurant, billed as “fresh-caught in Scipio Creek” which is where our marina is located! So swimming is REALLY not a good idea!

The shrimp boats cruised past Monarch at her dock, all day and all night. This one was towing in a disabled fellow shrimper, who must have lost his engine.

Here, they temporarily “park” in the reeds, so the first vessel could reel in his booms, reducing his width enough to navigate the increasingly narrow channel.

The town has about 900 historically designated buildings, and the city has constructed a walking tour of 35 of those, within an area about six blocks square. We did more than one walkabout in the three full days we were here. This is the First United Methodist Church. Built in 1846, a kitchen fire in a nearby house destroyed this and 72 other downtown buildings. It was rebuilt in 1901.

The Coombs House was considered the most elegant residence in Apalachicola when a local lumber magnate built it in 1905. It is a classic Queen Anne style home with ornate verandas, and is now a B & B.

This is the Three Soldiers, Detail statue, honoring soldiers who fought in Vietnam. It is cast from the original mold of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Three Servicemen Statue.

Adjacent to the memorial is the Orman House, a Historic State Park. Built in 1838 by slaves, the wood for this two-story house was cut to measure in New York and shipped to Apalachicola via sailing vessel around the Florida Keys.

We saw many monarch butterflies while here, this one in the Botanical Gardens adjacent to the Orman House. We think this area is on the migratory path for the monarchs, as well as for us! We later returned to the Gardens for a fund-raising weenie roast, to raise money so the local police and fire departments can buy toys for Christmas for needy children in the area.

Built in 1838, the Raney House was placed on the National Register of Historic Homes in 1972. It is owned by the city, and provides a glimpse of life in the early 1800s.

The Gibson Inn was built as a hotel in 1907, and is the cornerstone of the preservation efforts in Apalachicola. It is one of the few inns on the Federal Register of Historic Places that is still operating as a full service facility.

In addition to shrimp, oysters are a local delicacy. This is a small pile of shells near a processing plant. We saw other shell mounds that were at least as high as a two-story building. We see that the shells are used for roadbeds, as we would use gravel up north.

This city is a charming, seafaring town, with lots of local charm and very few chain stores or fast food franchises. The restaurants are many and varied, with excellent oysters, shrimp and fish, and pecan pie as staples. We sampled them all!

November 18, 2009 - Smack Bayou, Florida

2009-11-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

Today took us through a man-made straight-cut canal as part of the GICW (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway). Called the Canyon, the banks were deserted, with an occasional large field of sand from dredging, along the side.

After the man-made portion, the natural serpentine river provided more interesting scenery.

And in West Bay, where the river widens substantially, the dolphin frolicked under our bow, matching their speed to that of Monarch.

Tonight’s anchorage is Smack Bayou. Jerry says it’s named after the dolphins that smack the water to get our attention.

This area is adjacent to Panama City on the Panhandle of Florida, but tucked in here we feel pleasantly isolated.

This area is billed as a hurricane hole, that is, an area where safety may be sought in hurricane conditions. We think that this theory didn’t work very well for this sailboat, now home to roosting birds – when it sticks out of the water at low tide! Fortunately, the wreck is buoyed, so mariners know not to go there during high tide.

Check on where Monarch is today and all of the locations it has visited at the following site -

http://greatloop.org/mod/aglcalocator/membermap.php?id=1601

By checking out the log you will see all of the locations we have been visiting......

November 17, 2009 - Ft. Walton Beach, Florida

2009-11-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

Cruising the Intracoastal Waterway, we see interesting sights, like this mystery tower. We think it was affiliated with Eglin Airforce Base, which owns the barrier island.

Tonight we dock at Fort Walton Yacht Club, a nice facility with lots of sailboats on our dock. Monarch was queen of the fleet here.

The members made us feel welcome, and we partook in $2 chicken fingers and mac-n-cheese, which is a regular Tuesday night feature. Many members are retired military, who used to be affiliated with the nearby air base.

The night comes early and we were glad to be tied to a solid dock.

November 16, 2009 - Little Sabine Bay, Florida

2009-11-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

We waited for the fog to lift prior to departing Dog River Marina.
In Mobile Bay, the Miss Brina was busy fishing, with birds always in waiting.

After crossing the glassy-calm Bay, we slipped into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

One of the reasons we enjoy the Intracoastal is the dolphins, which didn’t disappoint us, as they joined us almost immediately.

They seem to get a kick out of playing in our wake. If we aren’t paying attention, they smack their bodies sideways on the water until we watch them.

It was a calm, beautiful day, the first day we have been in bare feet in months.

We must be getting close to Florida, as the shoreline is now peppered with condo developments and marinas.

Here, we see some homeowners who haven’t yet repaired their docks from Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Note the pile of destroyed dock boards heaped up on the shore.

This house has a sunning porch on the upper deck, with access provided by a ladder running up the roof.

Here we leave Alabama and enter Florida. We haven’t been in the state since April.

Near Pensacola, we can see the Gulf through this pass. In 1513, Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed near here. The city has changed hands 17 times in its history, governed alternately by Spain, France, England, the Confederacy and the US.

This unusual lighthouse (complete with a reported ghost of a past lightkeeper!) is on the Pensacola Naval Air Station base. Today, Pensacola is a Navy town and flourishing center for tourism and recreation.

Further on, these sailors were having a wonderful late-day cruise on the protected Intracoastal.

We decided to anchor for the night in Little Sabine Bay, a very protected spot. The water tanks marking the entrance were brightly painted in the local motif. The bay itself reminded us of Factory Bay in Marco Island, as it was about ankle-deep shallow in the middle, yet navigable all around the rim. We found a nice spot and got the hook down just before dark.

November 15, 2009 - Dog River Marina, Mobile, Alabama

2009-11-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

No surprises, fog this morning. So we just waited for it to burn off.

Once underway, we noticed this classic Cracker house on the shoreline.

Civilization must be close at hand, as these jet skiers zoomed by.

We passed through this swing bridge in the nick of time, prior to it closing for a series of trains to pass. It reminds us of the Little Current Swing Bridge connecting Manitoulin Island to mainland Ontario in the North Channel.

We began to see heavy activity in the Mobile River as we approached the port of Mobile. This boxy ocean barge took up more than its fair share of the channel.

And then we were in the middle of the heavy commercial shipping that typifies Mobile. With all the shipping, the name Mobile, which means “moveable” in French, is most appropriate.

This looked like a military stealth ship, apparently just built at a Mobile shipyard.

This dry-dock shows how they repair freighters and put on new bottom paint!

Here is the small section of Mobile that is the modern downtown. Mobile seems to have more in the way of historic traditions; its celebration of Mardi Gras in February has been held even longer than the more famous Mardi Gras of New Orleans.

This oceangoing freighter was so large, one photo couldn’t fit it all in……..

……..so as we passed, we took a second frame!

We welcomed the sight of big, wide, full Mobile Bay, after a month in the confines of the rivers.

Local fishermen were plying the waters of Mobile Channel.

Seagulls and pelicans rested on this trawler’ rigging while it was fishing, staying handy for anything they could steal when the fishermen weren’t looking.

This tug and barge had a tug on the barge!

Our dockage for the night was Dog River Marina, about four miles south of Mobile River on the west side of Mobile Bay.

We got a prime spot on the main pier here.

We fueled here, and knew the fuel was fresh as the local fishing trawlers also filled up each night before heading out to sea. These fishermen told us they were on the hunt for shrimp, and would be out all night, when the shrimping is best.

We watched another beautiful sunset, before borrowing the marina’s courtesy car and heading to get groceries and dinner at a local seafood restaurant –one at the marina you can see here, directly across the river.

November 14, 2009 - Little Lizard Creek, Alabama

2009-11-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

Another morning of fog. It settled and lifted, settled and lifted. Even so, local bow hunters looking for deer and wild boar sped by in their shallow-draft Jon boats.

Our companions in the anchorage were on top of the local reports. Sea Sea and Just Us radioed a marina and the anchorage downriver, for fog and commercial traffic reports.

Once we had favorable reports of downriver conditions, we upped anchor and were off. Even so, there were fog banks looming around the bend.

Here is the famous Bobby’s Fish Camp. The dock can only accommodate a few boats, each of which were also waiting for improved visibility and the downbound lock.

Here is a nice camp on the riverbank.

Coffeeville Lock was ready for us, but had lots of logs and flotsam in the way. We each approached with extreme caution.

This lock normally locks 36 feet in our downbound direction. With the lower river at flood stage of plus 30 feet, we had a short ride of only six feet down! We also wondered if the lock and dam were named after the color of the water!

Out of the lock, the boats are like ducks in a row.

And as we proceeded, the parade opened up under the next bridge.

Further on, the shoreline was interesting, with sandy banks. Erosion is a constant issue, with the high water. The river is continually reshaping itself.

This photo of one page of our chart shows why it is 100 miles as the crow flies from Demopolis to Mobile, but 200 miles as the river flows!

And on the aptly named Horseshoe Bend, this is a nice rural property. They must hope the creek don’t rise (too late, it has!).

Here is the junction of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers. From this point on the waterway is called the Mobile River.

We raced against the darkness, to anchor as night descended. We passed this tug and barges in the twilight.

We were just a short distance from our intended anchorage as we spotted the twin bridges.

Then we passed under the bridge, turned left into Little Lizard Creek, and dropped the hook in the nick of time, with the very last of the civil twilight to show us the way. The current of 2 knots kept us tight on our hook. In the pitch dark, the Jon boats with bow hunters looking for deer and “pig,” (wild boar) roared by with spotlights flashing.

November 13, 2009 - Okatuppa Creek, Alabama

2009-11-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

Today is the day to leave Demopolis to proceed south. We intended to depart at “oh dark-thirty,” but as they say, best laid plans. There was a tug and barges in the lock just downriver, and fog below the lock, so we sipped our coffee and checked out the harbor.

Lots of flotsam circulates in the fairways. This morning it is an official Coast Guard buoy, “red-on-right-returning” seriously off-station, making its rounds through the harbor.

Finally, a neighboring mariner snagged it with a boat hook and made it fast (tied it up), so it wouldn’t be a hazard. Just about now, the lockmaster made an announcement on the VHF radio that he was ready for our group of pleasure boats to lock down. So we each cast off and headed to the lock.

The lockmaster instructed each of the five pleasure boats on his lock’s etiquette, and we took our appointed spots in the lock.

Because the torrential rains from tropical storm Ida, the dams have all their gates lowered to let the water move downstream. Here is the Demopolis Dam, adjacent to the Demopolis Lock, with a smooth cascade of water flowing over the top. What’s smooth on top, creates turbulence and a hot (fast) current downstream.

The river here is 2 feet higher than just a few days ago, but below the next dam and lock the river is at flood stage with water thirty feet higher than before this week’s rains.

And there is lots of silt and mud from the banks. The river water looks like café au lait.

A side effect of the high water is lots of flotsam, a regular obstacle course.

And then there are the tugs and barges, like the Gilbert Taylor, meeting us up bound against the current.

At Beach Bluff, a 90-degree blind corner of the river, we stood back for the Charles Martin to meet us, up bound. He had called on the radio, we responded we were in the vicinity, and he recommended that we wait. He said “I’ve got two empties, a-slippin’ and a-slidin’ like a greased pig,” so we figured we were better off out of his way!

This homeowner has a submerged dock during this high water.

More stuff in the way. We kept a sharp eye out and actively steered around flotsam the entire 96-mile day, aided by a 2½ knot current.

We had hoped to proceed through the next lock, but a call to the lockmaster found more commercial traffic in the way. So we ducked into Okatuppa Creek for the night’s anchorage.

We plan to be at anchor or a dock by 4:30 p.m. nowadays, because we lose our daylight shortly after that. No sane mariner would be navigating the river after dark (except the tugs, who are fearless and indestructible!).

The stern facing shots show the narrowness of our perfect anchorage, with ¼ knot of current in this tributary to keep us in place on our anchor.

Sure enough, two tug-and-barge rigs proceeded upriver shortly after we were tucked in here, completely blocking the view from our creek.

And later, two of the boats we had locked with caught up to us. The Just Us and the Sea Sea anchored behind us for a peaceful night on the hook.

November 11-12, 2009 - Demopolis, Alabama

2009-11-13T15:07:00.000-08:00

The morning sky dawned clear and blue, a welcome sight after two days of downpour.

We noticed that the water was about three feet deeper than when we first anchored here. That’s a lot of rain.

When we began to pull anchor to resume our trip, we discovered that this 15-foot log had become caught between the anchor chain, snubber line and Monarch’s bow.

Between the two of us, with boat hook and pusher pole, we dislodged it and watched it float away.

And later we passed the log on our way out – at a safe distance.

This private marina on the oxbow had some work boats and some real fixer-uppers. Note the peeled-back roof on the houseboat at far left. Must be a hurricane special!

Once in the main channel again, we noted the considerably higher water had eroded the banks, sometimes causing trees to fall over, and sometimes into the river. We kept a sharp eye out for “floaters.”

We stopped just a short way downriver at the town of Demopolis, at the Demopolis Yacht Basin.

The marina has a rustic Laundromat and a single shower for boaters’ use. But we were happy to have a secure tie-up and use of the marina’s well-worn courtesy car to make the necessary run to a nearby Wal-Mart.

After several dinners aboard, we decided to eat out at this fine dining establishment on the premises. We were pleased with the fresh catfish dinner (there is a big commercial catfish farm nearby) and a nice rib eye steak.

This harbor is a great place for restocking and has a full-service boat yard. Some boaters have even trucked their boats here from up north, to avoid the long water trip. An example of this is Scott, the dock master from Houghton in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We were surprised to see him here, after meeting him up north in July, during our Lake Superior trip.

As the river is high from the rain, and running “hot” (fast current), we decided to spend an extra day here, and let the water settle down some. Fortunately, from the harbor, it is only a short walk to Demopolis’ historic section. So we decided to explore this southern town, with its public square delightfully planted with pansies and snapdragons.

The highlight of this district is Bluff Hall, an antebellum house built in 1832. Bluff Hall was built by slaves of Allen Glover as a wedding present for his daughter, Sarah and her husband. We took a tour of the house, now a museum, which is beautifully preserved with about 75 percent of its original furnishings. Period clothing hung in the armoires, and portraits of the owners graced the walls. Unlike many museums where the rooms are cordoned off and you must peer through the doorways, we could walk freely throughout the rooms.

Now the museum gift shop, this was the original kitchen for Bluff Hall – a separate building, to keep the fire danger away from the main house.

Continuing our walking tour, we saw many classic architectural elements represented in private homes in this neighborhood.

Here is another one of the beautiful historic homes, all built along the bluff overlooking the Tombigbee River – our “highway” through this interesting area.

November 9 - 10, 2009 - Rattlesnake Bend, Alabama

2009-11-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

Departing our anchorage this morning, we passed the tug Mr. Gus taking on a big load of fuel directly from a tanker truck that was parked on the boat launch ramp. They had to wait for one of the ubiquitous bass boats to be launched at daybreak, before they could use the ramp for this purpose.

Mr. Gus is the service tug for this dredging operation, just around the corner and downstream from our anchorage.

Along the banks, some type of mineral in the soil made the rocks look like they were bleeding.

We soon came to these white chalk cliffs at Epes, Alabama.

The cruising guidebook says these cliffs rival the White Cliffs of Dover.

These cliffs lined the right descending bank of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway for about a mile, and then were gone.

Shortly after, we turned left into Rattlesnake Bend, just off the Waterway, where we had located a secure anchorage away from the main channel. Tropical storm Ida is coming ashore 217 miles south of us at Mobile, and a lot of rain is coming our way.

We set securely on our anchor for the next two nights, about 4 ½ miles up this oxbow, to wait out the storm.

The second night, the rain let up and we caught a brief glimpse of a raspberry sunset, a sign that tomorrow would be a better day.

November 8, 2009 - Heflin Ox Bow, Alabama

2009-11-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

And another bump on the departure in this skinny bay of Hairston Creek.

This navigational buoy shows the flotsam that clogs the river, snagged on the green buoy.

We weren’t able to stop to view the Snagboat Museum at Tom Bevill Lock and Dam, which was too bad. We read that it is the 1926 vintage US Snagboat Montgomery, which was the last steam-powered sternwheeler to ply the inland waterways of the south. For nearly six decades, the 108 foot long Montgomery labored to keep seven of the South’s major rivers navigable by removing “snags” or obstructions in the waterway. We wish she was still in service!

Our last lock of the day was Tom Bevill, whose adjacent dam was letting water out of the river system, in a most impressive way!

Just to the right of our exit from the lock, we hooked a hard right into Heflin Ox Bow, a natural kink in the river, which was wide and deep, with a current that kept us comfortably on our hook and well out of the channel for the night.

November 7, 2009 - Hairston Creek

2009-11-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

We’ll do four locks today, starting with the Fulton Lock. We had anchored just upstream of it last night, so we can catch an 0651 opening! The sun had just peeked over the horizon.

The early bird gets the worm, or the fish. This Great Blue Heron was waiting for the lock’s water to empty, so it could nab the fish that were stranded in the lock doors’ wall compartments.

The fog burned off as we exited the lock.

The bass boats are everywhere. We had read that the locks are on a weekend schedule of restricted openings, only every two hours. We had slowed our pace to time the next lock, but learned from the lockmaster that the restrictions were targeting the bass boats. These 16-18 foot recreational fishing boats, out in force on weekends, want to be locked through in search of the next hot spot. Using a 600 X 100 foot lock for raising and lowering them is a big waste of effort and water! We are not covered by this restriction, as we are an “in transit” boat, and are locked through as we need it. We use the magic words “in transit” as we communicate via radio with the lock tenders.

We haven’t seen many sailboats under sail in the waterway, and thought this sailor with his two dogs warranted a photo.

Another lock, another Great Blue Heron, same program!

As the sun started to set, we approached our night’s anchorage, Hairston Creek. It was recommended in Skipper Bob’s Guidebook, with an entrance depth of 6 feet. We found a 4½-foot spot on our way in, gently bumping bottom as we passed into the anchorage! A peaceful, calm night, with no wind and very little current, put us safely on our anchor in 6 feet of water.

November 6, 2009 - Fulton, Mississippi

2009-11-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

Today we enter the Tennessee-Tombigbee (Tenn-Tom) Waterway, which starts at the Mississippi-Tennessee boarder to the north, runs through northeast Mississippi, and extends to Demopolis in west-central Alabama. The Tenn-Tom cuts 665 miles from the Mississippi River route between Knoxville and Mobile, and is 144 miles less for us from Chicago to Mobile.

Thousands of acres of water and natural woodlands entice boaters, fishermen, campers, hunters and hikers to the Tenn-Tom shores. The lakes are stocked with Florida black and hybrid bass, as well as native crappie, white perch, catfish, bream and other game fish.

The concept for this waterway originated as early as 1770, but because of estimated costs, the project wasn’t authorized until 1971, two hundred years later! After 12 years under construction and costing nearly $2 billion, the waterway was opened for commerce in January 1985. The system is five times longer and has 3.5 times greater lift than the Panama Canal, making it the largest civil works project ever undertaken by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Here is a local class field trip, directly experiencing history along the lock’s walls.

Boats can safely move through this protected 234 mile-long waterway, with its 10 locks down for southbound vessels. Here is the boat “Grateful”, locking through the Whitten Lock with us.

The lock has now descended its 84 feet, with the contrast evident for “Grateful.”

This is the largest drop of any lock in this waterway. Another advantage of the Tenn-Tom is that it is a “slack-water” system, lacking the fierce current of the Mississippi River, and the locking down is smooth and easy.

November 5, 2009 - Shiloh National Military Park

2009-11-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Today was very special, as we toured nearby Shiloh National Military Park. The park spans a 4,000 acre site and commemorates the important Civil War engagement of April 6-7, 1862. Here, 65,000 Union soldiers and 44,000 Confederate troops fought a fierce battle.

The Shiloh National Cemetery, established in 1866 and situated high on the bluff overlooking Pittsburg Landing, is the final resting place for more 3,500 soldiers from this battle. All told, nearly 24,000 troops were killed, wounded or missing in this two-day battle, more casualties than America had suffered in all previous wars combined.

Overlooking the Tennessee River were graves of some of the Michigan soldiers who died here, with a cannon standing sentry.

We were surprised to see graves from World Wars I and II, Korea, and Vietnam, as well as soldiers’ spouses interred here.

The Grand Harbor dock master, who had arranged for our courtesy car, also provided maps and a CD audio guide for our tour, which was comprehensive and fascinating. The tour is a self-driving 10-mile tour around the park. The professionally narrated audio tour guide brought the horror of the battle to life for us.

Here we found the marker for “Richardson’s Battery”, of the Army of the Tennessee, designating its position for the battle. It was a part of Grant’s Last Line, the defensive line on the ridge that allowed a Union counterattack, which forced the eventual Confederate withdrawal. Many markers noted the locations of the encampments of various units, where 109,000 men ate, slept and waited in the cold rain and slimy mud for “the glory of battle.”

This memorial is in honor of the soldiers from Michigan who were involved in the battle. The scenery was eerily peaceful, and fall leaves crunched under our feet as we stopped the car at the fourteen designated tour sites.

This monument uses symbolism to convey the situation of the Confederate soldiers during the battle. The first day the Confederates seemed to have the upper hand, pushing back the Federal forces, and half the monument shows proud and strong waves of faces. The second day, the Union got the upper hand, and eventually prevailed, so the other half of the monument shows dejected faces, and fewer of them.

Well known among Civil War buffs is the Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh. The scene of heavy combat on both days of the battle, it happened in J.R. Duncan’s cotton field. The open field with adjacent thick oak woods allowed the Union forces to repel eight separate Confederate attacks before the Union position was overrun. Attesting to the fury of the fight, the Confederates named the location because the enemy’s bullets sounded like swarms of angry hornets. It is believed that the Union’s stand here bought General Grant enough time to establish a last line of defense that eventually repelled the Confederates.

Near this point on the Tennessee River is Pittsburg Landing. The Union Navy played an important role in the battle of Shiloh, as reinforcements were brought via the river, and artillery from Union gunboats pounded Confederate positions. In fact, control of the river played an important role in the entire Civil War, as it was a main conduit for supplies and troops. On a day as beautiful and peaceful as today, it was hard to imagine the horrors of those two days long ago. And yet, we thought perhaps we could barely hear distant cries of the wounded and dying…………..

Coincidentally within the Shiloh National Military Park are the Shiloh Indian Mounds. They are remnants of a prehistoric culture that reached the height of its influence about 800 years ago. These people – who may have been related to the Choctaw, Chickasaw or Creek Native Americans – built rectangular, flat-topped mounds to serve as platforms for their town’s important buildings. At this site, six platform mounds are surrounded by 12 individual house mounds. Other mounds served as burial sites for the town’s leaders and other important people.

This town and its mounds were the center of a society that occupied a twenty-mile-long stretch of the Tennessee River Valley. The residents of the society were farmers, and the society included at least seven towns, each with their own mounds. Excavations have shown that the layers comprising these mounds are distinctive in color, probably signifying each generation’s contribution to the structure.

We had a wonderful and educational experience today, one of the highlights of the trip.

November 3, 2009 - Whetstone Branch, Mississippi

2009-11-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Today we passed the famous Shiloh National Military Park. Here, the 4,000-acre site overlooks the Tennessee River. In a couple of days, we hope to procure a car and drive from a nearby marina to visit this historic site.

The only lock today is the Pickwick Lock, adjacent to the pictured Pickwick Dam.

We had to wait 2 ½ hours to enter the lock, as this tug and barge array had to lock down before we could lock up. We tied to the wall of the auxiliary lock and made good use of the time, playing our daily game of cribbage.

This is a hydroelectric dam of massive proportions, which didn’t discourage this little bass boat from fishing right next to it.

The water level rises (for us who are upbound) by 55 feet in the lock.

Pickwick Lake is the result of the dam, a beautiful large lake with a few nice homes, but mostly state park and wildlife management areas. The hills rise steeply from the heavily wooded banks of the lake.

As we locked through the Pickwick lock, we admired the modern artwork outside the lock office. Shortly after, we checked off another state, as we crossed into Alabama in mid-lake, with Tennessee on the left descending bank. We could tell the exact spot, as we were abeam State Line Island, a ½ mile long island, half of it in Tennessee and half in Alabama. Then just one mile further, we left Tennessee behind, as the left bank now is Mississippi.

We anchored for the night in a nice tight cove of Whetstone Branch, where there was just enough room for Monarch to swing on her hook.

We had read of a waterfall nearby, and so launched the dinghy and went searching.

We found the tiny cove, 20 feet deep, with the waterfall feeding it.

From the dinghy, the pusher tug and barges look bigger than they do when we are on Monarch!

As mentioned before, bass boats are the primary vessels we see in these parts. They have outboards of 200 horses or more, and race at top speed from one fishing hole to another. We see lots of racing, a fair amount of casting, but not much catching!

The afternoon sun turned the banks golden behind Monarch, and we were set for the night.

November 4, 2009 - Grand Harbor Marina, Tennesse/Mississippi

2009-11-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

More fog greeted us, but the sun quickly burned it off.

Today we have a short trip to Grand Harbor, a nice condominium complex and large 325-slip marina.

The docks of the marina are in the state of Mississippi, but when you step on shore, we are back in Tennessee! The resort has courtesy cars, one of which we used to get groceries and to sightsee.

One stop was Savannah, Tennessee, which we had passed on the river the prior day. The signature riverboat motif is stamped into the sidewalks there. We visited the Tennessee River Museum, which chronicles the Mississippian mound builders from 1200 AD, the Civil War, the age of steamboats, and the river today.

On the Savannah walking tour, the Cherry Mansion is privately owned, but they welcome photographers. We learned this home, built in 1830, served as the headquarters for General U.S. Grant just prior to the battle of Shiloh. Reportedly, the Cherry family members were Union sympathizers.

The Ross House features an Ionic two-story portico, single-storey wraparound porches, and its interior and exterior unaltered from its 1908 construction.

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November 2, 2009 - Wolf Island, Tennessee

2009-11-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

With nighttime temperatures falling to 41 and the wind dead calm, we expected to see fog on the warm water, and were not disappointed. As we didn’t need to leave early, we just enjoyed the morning and our coffee until the fog lifted.

As we exited Double Island anchorage, we hailed this down bound tug to pass “on the two whistles,” or starboard to starboard. The wind was calm and the reflection of the tug was crisp.

The limestone cliffs are a beautiful sight over the calm water. The water isn’t completely quiet, as there is about 1.8 knot current against us as we go upriver, playing havoc with our mileage!

This house is prepared for high water. They store their pontoon boat in the flow-through “basement.”

The Tennessee River is usually about ½ mile wide. We are surprised to see many spider webs, drifting over the width of the river, in search of the other side, or in search of Monarch! These spiders are like mad teenage bungee jumpers, flying on the breeze. Our ten-foot high radio antennas look like the beginnings of wands of cotton candy at some giant state fair. Here, Jerry is on the hunt for them, throwing them overboard with his official spider wand.

We approach Savannah, Tennessee, an area noted for its historical antebellum homes.

This one looks authentic, with a huge live oak tree almost obscuring the front, and an old “root cellar” nearby.

We anchored behind Wolf Island. As the sun set, the trees were displaying their fall colors. We see mostly bronzes, golds and browns, and don’t think they have had a hard, sharp frost.

Tonight is a full moon, which Jerry captured just after it appeared. The anchorage is quiet and brightly lit by the moon.

November 1, 2009 - Double Island, Tennessee

2009-11-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

We woke to a sunny, blue 44 degrees. The weather broadcast provided statistics for the past month, and we heard that October had been a very wet month for Tennessee. Twice the average monthly rainfall was recorded, the most for October here in 80 years! In contrast to that, we are glad to see a sunny start to November.

As we had our coffee, we saw this tow headed upriver, and imagine we will pass it later today, as we are headed the same way.
Along the river, we see isolated residential areas. This is a pretty cottage, with an in ground pool.

Several homes here include one that looks like a lighthouse, but is not on the official navigational chart.

All along the way, homeowners find ways to scale the steep cliffs to get to the water’s edge.

And then there are beautiful natural areas with no development.

In many of the small communities we see on the Tennessee River’s banks, the main street ends in a boat launch ramp. Fishing is definitely the local sport!

Tonight we are in Double Island anchorage. We are safely tucked up out of the traffic line, and enjoy watching it go by. Here is a big barge array. We were interested in a Tennessee River navigational chart notation, which showed “first class landing” and “second class landing.” These are mooring and anchoring areas clearly marked on the charts and by signs on the shores. We thought this was for our use, and liked the idea of “first class” in particular, until we learned these are for the use of the huge tug and barge commercial vessels! So for us they would NOT be “first class!”

We also saw a few pleasure boaters pass our anchorage. We don’t see many underway, as almost everyone is headed the same direction and going about the same speed as we are. We enjoyed the sunny evening on the foredeck, which quickly melted into a cool night.

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October 31, 2009 - Rockport Landing, Tennessee

2009-11-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

Up anchor and we are off south-bound. Along the bank, we saw this abandoned dock, with a man sitting on the lower part of the roof, fishing! That is the big sport in Kentucky Lake.

We see little commercial traffic, but did note this tug and barges turning around and heading into the Dupont plant. Mostly, we see bass boats. And the river banks are mostly wooded, with very little industrial development.

We are on the migratory path, not just for boaters, but also for white pelicans (shown here) and Canada geese.

We found a nice cut behind an island, just off the main channel. Here, anchored at Rockport Landing, we put the dinghy in and checked out the neighborhood. It’s quite remote, with tree-lined banks on both sides featuring the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge.

We are starting to see the limestone walls for which the Tennessee River is known.

A Tennessean has claimed this cove for himself!

As the moon rises over Monarch, we have great sleeping, quiet and dark. No trick-or-treaters for us tonight!

October 29 - 30, 2009 - Leatherwood Creek, Tennessee

2009-11-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

The sun peeked out today, and we could see some fall colors. Along Kentucky Lake we first see the state of Kentucky on both banks, then move to Kentucky on the left descending bank and Tennessee on the right, then move on to Tennessee on both banks. Check off another state!

The weather report was for lots of rain and wind, so we decided to seek a secure anchorage in Leatherwood Creek. This is a wide creek, with homes and a marina on the banks.

Secure on our anchor, we decided to stay two nights, and to wait for the front to pass.

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Rememer, you can use the Looper Log to see all of the locations we have visited.

October 28, 2009 - Sugar Bay, Kentucky

2009-11-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

The day was overcast as we made our way the short distance out of Lake Barkley, through Barkley Canal and into Kentucky Lake. This is actually the Tennessee River, which was impounded by the Kentucky Dam in 1944 to create Kentucky Lake. The catalyst for the Kentucky Dam project was the devastating1937 Ohio River Flood. The completion of the dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) provided flood control and hydroelectric power, and of course, displaced some communities.

At this point, Kentucky is on both sides of the lake. For all of you who travel to Florida on I-75 through Kentucky, this area of the state is about 225 miles west of that highway. We are in the narrow “pointy” end of Kentucky, where, from north to south, the state is only about 35 miles deep.

Once in our anchorage of Sugar Bay, we dropped the dinghy in and went exploring. It was overcast and cold, but we dressed warmly and we undeterred. The shoreline here is covered with rocks of beige and orange color, which still have sharp, unpolished edges, as the lake is only 65 years old.

We understand the Kentuckians use clam strips as bait for catfish. Here is the evidence!

This area is a National Recreation Area, with unimproved (no electricity or running water) campsites and boat launch ramps. We see many fishermen in go-fast bass boats hurrying to the places where the fish are biting (they hope!).

We settled in for the night. New friends Liz and Steve anchored their Mainship, Shingebiss, in this cove, and we convened on their boat for a chart briefing session. They are headed for southwestern Florida for the first time, and we showed them some of our favorite anchorages in that area.

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October 26 - 27, 2009 - Grand Rivers, Kentucky

2009-10-31T15:45:00.000-07:00

As the sun came up, the mist rose from our anchorage at Cumberland Towhead Island. We hoisted the hook and were on our way.

As we turned from the Ohio River up into the Cumberland, we looked further up the Ohio to the impressive Smithland Lock and Dam, which was not on our route.

We think this was a Country Club at Smithland, although from what we could see, there weren’t enough homes along the bank to support it.

The Cumberland River is much narrower than the Ohio. We get a close-up view of the banks.

This is an agricultural area, with cattle herds grazing on the hillsides.

And here’s a gravel pit with a huge dump truck, busily moving the gravel to load on barges on the river.

Turkey vultures are patiently waiting for something to die. Their heightened sense of smell attracts them to “eau du dead thing!”

While the quarrying scars the land, this quarry wall is interesting.

Along the riverbank, erosion washes out the sand, and the trees try to hang on.

In the tiny town of Dycusberg, Kentucky on the right descending bank, this little church was the centerpiece.

The only lock we transit on the Cumberland River is the Barkley Lock, which forms the 134 mile-long Lake Barkley. These are named after the 35th Vice President of the United States, Alben W. Barkley. This lock, dam and lake are the responsibility of the US Army Corp of Engineers.

The lock lifts us 56 feet to Lake Barkley, which was formed in the early 1960s when the adjacent dam was constructed on the Cumberland River. That together with the Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River, impounded the two rivers to form an inland peninsula bordered by Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. This peninsula is called The Land Between the Lakes, and was designated a National Recreation area by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

Here are the lock’s double floating bollards, which can be tied to either from an upper or a lower boat deck. As they move up or down with the lock water levels, it simplifies the act of locking through. We appreciate the help!

While the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation area is mostly parkland, there are a few homes around the town of Grand Rivers. Some are most impressive waterfront homes, as this one, others are mobile homes, and others are everything in between. When the dam formed Lake Barkley in the 1960s, entire communities were removed from the lowlands by eminent domain and relocated to higher ground. Grand Rivers is the only surviving Kentucky “between the rivers” community still in existence, though they sacrificed half of their original land for the new lake.

We found the well marked but narrow entrance to our destination, the Green Turtle Marina. This is the area’s premier marina resort and deep-water harbor with 420 slips, condos, restaurants, health club and indoor pool. We did go for a swim here – the pool water was 85 degrees, which felt good after the cool weather and rain we’ve experience.

We got a great slip, and decided to stay two nights because of predicted heavy rains. The marina has courtesy vans, and we check one out to make a drive to Paducah, Kentucky, about 35 minutes away. This town is known for the National Quilt Museum and is home to the American Quilting Association.

We enjoyed our stay here. We dined at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement, a 1970’s era tourist restaurant that can seat 250 diners in numerous over-decorated rooms. The theme now is Christmas, and there wasn’t an inch of wall or ceiling untouched by Patti’s two full-time decorators. They work year-round to execute seasonal themes. But the food was good, with the house specialties a 2-inch thick pork chop, flower-pot bread and mile-high meringue pies. In celebration of our 30th wedding anniversary, we were presented with a mini-cheesecake lit with two candles, and the waitstaff sang “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”

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CHICAGO UPDATE - October 13, 2009

2009-10-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

On October 13th, as we made our way through Chicago heading south, our friends Ron and Linda Watters took these pictures of Monarch from the balcony of their condo. They are located on the 21st floor at Riverbend, right in the heart of downtown.

October 25, 2009 - Cumberland Towhead Island, Kentucky

2009-10-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Dawn came early, breakfast had to wait, as we pulled anchor and headed back into the Mississippi River. Just 43 nautical miles until we turn up the Ohio River.

The sun came out, and the fall colors along the shore were pretty.

This Coast Guard buoy tender was busy with the high water, getting the errant buoys that were off station, back to where they belonged.

The continuing flotsam and lots of logs kept us on our toes.

At Dog Tooth Bend, these campers had set up tents on the left descending bank. They had arrived by kayak, and we hope they were bound downstream!

At Cairo, we did a hard left up the Ohio River. Parked barges were stacked up on both sides of the river for the first few miles. This raft of barges holds scrap metal. Here, as we are going upriver. We have lost our 4-knot boost and now have a 2-knot head current, making it slow going. In the short section of the Ohio River we will transit, we will not be in the state of Ohio, but have Illinois on the right descending bank (our port side) and Kentucky on the left descending bank (our starboard side).

Here, the brand new Olmsted Lock is being constructed. It’s a huge project, with a considerable land-based staging area.

When completed in 2013, this lock will replace two old-style wicket locks that are upstream.

This is one of the wicket locks, and with the high water, the entire dam has been folded down to the riverbed and traffic passes right over it. In the Ohio River, as in the Illinois, these style locks and adjacent dams are common. Their purpose is to keep enough water up the rivers during dry spells to allow unimpeded navigation. So, when there is plenty of water, there is no need for the dam and lock. Then, the dam is lowered, and the lock sometimes isn’t even visible above the water. Buoys keep boaters away from the submerged lock structure.

We passed Fort Massac State (Illinois) Park on the right descending bank.

We enjoy seeing the activity along the riverbanks. Here is a barge in drydock for a refit.

We found a perfect place to anchor inshore of Cumberland Towhead Island and well out of the shipping channel. There were two other boats in this spacious anchorage, one that we had seen in Holland, Michigan weeks ago. Ashore, some Kentuckians were having Sunday evening hayrides on wagons drawn by a pickup and a farm tractor. The sunset was beautiful, and we slept peacefully with a 2-knot current to keep us snug on our anchor.

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October 24, 2009 - Little Diversion River, Missouri

2009-10-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

A sunny, beautiful – cool at 44 degrees – morning dawned. We cast off and made our way down the Mississippi. Along the bluff we could see houses high above the raging torrent.

The bluffs on the right descending bank were spectacular.

Along both banks of the river there are hundreds of wingdams or weirs, running perpendicular to the river. These are an attempt to stop what Mother Nature intends for the river. The weirs underwater, at various depths, and are designed to deflect the river current toward the center of the river, to prevent erosion of the river banks and curtail shoaling of the channel. Because the river level has such variation, mariners cannot be sure of the depth of water – if any – over these weirs. So we stayed close to the middle and on the “sail line” recommended on our charts.

Because of the river level being up 10 feet from two days ago, there were lots of logs and flotsam to steer around.

The river has ample navigational marks, and the speed of the current is evident from the “wake” around this stationery navigational buoy. Fern from Hoppies terms this fast current “the river is hot”. We were getting a 4-knot boost, which is about a 50% beneficial push.

Here is the Chester Prison, on the left descending bank. The inmates have rooms with a river view!

This is the American Heritage, a 6 X 4 barge pusher. This large raft of barges made a three-foot wake.

We anchored for the night in the quiet Little Diversion River just up the right descending bank. This is the river that diverts water around the town of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Behind us was Liz and Steve’s Shingebiss, shown here at anchor with a large tug and barges passing safely beyond her stern. This was a fine anchorage, with friends DiDi and Peter anchored upstream of us in Moon Beam. The current was .9 knots, and this kept us nicely taut on our anchor. We all convened for cocktails on Moon Beam prior to switching on our anchor lights and turning in for the night.

October 23, 2009 - Kimmswick, Missouri

2009-10-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

After a day of heavy rains at the dock, we were ready to get up and go. Here, we wait with two other boats at the Mel Price Lock, just south of Alton. We had coordinated to go through together, which the lock tenders prefer. But then, six more boats announced they were coming out of the marina, and we had to wait some more. Hurry up and wait!

This is a beautiful 53-foot Selene trawler against the lock wall, whose owners, Peter and DiDi are from Charlottesville, Virginia. They summer in Perry Sound in the Georgian Bay.

The six boats we had waited for were mostly houseboats, which seem like the vessel for the rivers – shallow draft and loads of living space. This houseboat’s captain must be an expert locker, as we could see his rig of two swiveling wheels that easily slid down the lock walls.

We were first out of the lock on the downriver side, just in time to be tossed wildly by a tug, which was testing its wing engine at full throttle while nosed up against the lock cell. Jerry did a good job of fighting the wheel, as the tug’s prop wash tried to suck us in.

Next, the Missouri River entered the Mississippi, completing the “Meeting of the Great Rivers” including the Illinois, which we had left earlier. Further on, the Army Corps of Engineers doesn’t want any boaters to become confused and go over the rapids instead of into the Chain of Rock Canal. This sign just can’t be missed.

The Chain of Rock Lock was our most interesting ever. Once again, we were secured in the lock and waited for about an hour for the laggard houseboats and a sailboat to catch up and get tied in the lock. The wind was up, the houseboats, which have lots of freeboard, became hard to control, and some captains were not as experienced and competent as they should have been. It looked like bumper boats. We held our breath until they finally came to a safe stop – not too close to Monarch – and they tied up for the locking.

As we exited the lock, there were some tugs and barges coming at us, and the pleasure boats were arrayed like little ducks behind us. What a lot of traffic!

Now we pass St. Louis, Missouri, on the right descending bank, with its famous 630 foot-high Gateway Arch. This is the tallest monument in the U.S., and the Mississippi River’s most famous landmark.

The Arch is quite a site along the riverbank, providing a focal point for the city. The banks here are mostly industrial, and there were lots of tugs and barges.

A bit later, the riverbanks became more scenic and forested, with houses high on the bluffs.

Our next stop is Hoppies Marine Services, where we met the proprietor Fern along with her husband, Charles Hopkins. Their business on the river was started in the 1930s by his grandfather. The Hopkins men also worked on the river as navigational marker lamplighters for years, long before powered lights were installed. Fern told us the lights needed to be refueled with kerosene every 48 hours, which kept them very busy. Charles may be the last living Mississippi River lamplighter.

The “dock” is made up of single barges laid end-to-end, parallel with the shore, and connected to it by a catwalk with wheels on the shore side. The wheels roll up and down a cement launch ramp, as the water rises or recedes.

This is a rough and ready operation. There were about 20 boats at this “dock” all tied nice and snug with our bows into the 3-knot current of the Mississippi River.

Hoppies is at the town of Kimmswick, Missouri, which is on the right descending bank. This small town was celebrating Apple Butter Festival this weekend. We didn’t stay for it, but the flock of houseboats out of Port of St. Charles, Missouri (about 60 miles north) had made their annual trek especially for the weekend festival. They had their golf carts trucked down, just so they could run around town, and had them on the “dock” as well!

The “dock” had power, water and restrooms, but no showers.

Fern is a lifelong boater and renown for her knowledge of this section of the Mississippi River. She holds daily chart briefings for the boaters, which we were delighted to attend.

Our new friends DiDi and Peter also sat in on the briefing. We all took copious notes and asked questions, which Fern was pleased to answer. With her valuable local knowledge, we now feel we know what may be around the next bend! We invited DiDi and Peter, and Liz and Steve (from the Mainship Shingebiss out of Newport, Minnesota) for drinks on Monarch this evening, and to discuss our voyages so far and yet to come.

As noted, the last couple days produced a lot of rain. In fact, the area has had record rain so far this month. As the Mississippi River centers a huge watershed, there are predictions for the river to rise five feet overnight.

And the next morning, here’s the same shoreline, with the predicted five feet of water evident! We can expect more current in our favor as we continue down the Mississippi River, but also more flotsam, trees, stumps and junk!

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October 21-22, 2009 - Alton, Illinois

2009-10-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

We departed our anchorage this morning with great anticipation. Just a few miles south, we will enter the mighty Mississippi River.

On the banks, some houses are on stilts about one story tall, and some are two stories up. We know which we’d prefer in high water!

Just before the junction of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers is the town of Grafton, on the left descending bank. The sides of the river are delineated by right or left descending (going downriver) bank, no matter which direction you are traveling. This is because the river twists and turns so much that compass points aren’t as descriptive as each side of the river.

We see flocks of white pelicans here, which we think of as Florida birds. However, we have learned that they range is as far north as Minnesota.

At last we are on the Mighty Mississippi! The scenery changes dramatically, with the lowlands replaced by high palisades on the left descending bank, resplendent in fall colors. Along the shore is the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, a highway that winds alongside the river, with beautiful views of the etched river bluffs. Here, the state of Missouri is on the right descending bank, and Illinois on the left.

This church is in the town of Elsah, Illinois. We notice the current is stronger here in the Mississippi (about 2 knots) than it was in the Illinois River (about 1 knot), and as the current is with us, we are getting better fuel mileage!

The small riverside cottages have been replaced by grand mansions along the river. This area is within 30 miles of St. Louis, and we imagine that city is where many people work.

The mansions on the palisades command a wonderful view of the Mississippi River and its heavy traffic.

As we approached our night’s destination, we saw this modern statue of the Madonna, which is Our Lady of the Rivers Shrine. This 50-foot statue was built after the disastrous flood of 1951 in gratitude for the water stopping just short of flooding the village of Portage des Sioux.

We frequently see casinos near towns along the river, on boats permanently moored to the shore. This one is in Alton, just north of the marina where we will dock tonight.

This harbor is very nice, only eleven years old. The entire marina floats, including the harbor office, the shower and restroom facilities, and the swimming pool and hot tubs (unfortunately closed for the season!). As the river floods every spring, and sometimes in between, this is an ideal setup.

The metal roofs over the slips are fixed to the floating docks as well, and so the whole array goes up and down with the river’s level.

Our walkabout started with a trip to the grocery store. Here, the streets seem to go straight up and straight down, so we took a rest by this beautiful church. The grocer guessed we were boaters, and kindly gave us a ride back to the marina – complete with a narration of his family history. Nice friendly town!

Next we took a walking tour of Alton’s Lincoln and Civil War Legacy Trail. The first stop is the site of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. On October 15, 1858, Lincoln met Douglas for the Senatorial campaign debate. Lincoln’s point was “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” while Douglas’ point was “our government can endure forever divided into free and slave states.” Lincoln won the debate, but lost the Senate race. But this debate caught the attention of the national media and elevated Lincoln into a prime position for his 1860 Presidential victory, and there his point was proven.

Next stop was the Alton Prison, opened in 1833 as the first Illinois State Penitentiary. Because of deplorable conditions, the prison was closed in 1860, but re-opened in 1862 as a Federal Military Prison for Confederate soldiers, southern sympathizers and court-martialed Union soldiers. During the Civil War, over 1,800 people died in the prison, and all that remains today is a corner ruins.

These buildings are nicely preserved, and right across the street from the Franklin House, the hotel that served as Lincoln and Douglas’ respective area campaign headquarters.

Alton is doing a nice job of beautifying its streets. This is a lovely park. Note the steep incline of the street in the next block.

We decided to spend two nights here, as torrential rains are predicted. So Monarch nestled comfortably at her dock, with the modern New Clark Highway Bridge almost overhead.

October 20, 2009 - Mortland Island, Illinois

2009-10-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last evening we took some photos of Monarch tied to the rough barges in Beardstown, and some sunset shots.

In the morning, we locked through the LaGrange Lock, and then saw the remnants of the Old LaGrange Lock, pictured above.

We know there are agricultural fields beyond the levees that block our view, because we see the grain elevators loading barges. Here, we think soybeans are being loaded. There is a great amount of dust in the air, and these men are using push brooms to sweep the spilled soybeans into the Illinois River.

This is a different way of loading gravel into barges. Dump trucks back down the elevated gangway, and dump their loads into the barge. This seems a slow way to make progress.

At last, the banks are low enough to occasionally see the fields. This one is corn.

People who live here are prepared for high water.

You can cross the Illinois River by car on this ferry.

We anchored for the night at the south tip of Mortland Island, where thousands of noisy birds (which sound like grackles) have roosted.

October 19, 2009 - Beardstown, Illinois

2009-10-21T16:39:00.001-07:00

Off the hook this morning, we continued our trip down the tree-lined Illinois River. It was rare to see a residence, like this small hideaway using an old pontoon boat as a dock. The river’s banks along here are sometimes earthen levees, mounded up with trees growing on them, beyond which we can’t see.

Next stop is Beardstown, Illinois, hometown of our Detroit friend Bob Hommel, past DYC commodore. He had recommended we make a stop, and so we pulled in for the night. The only place to tie was alongside the Logsdon Tug Service depot, the most industrial surrounding we have had in a long time. The levee here is a straight cement wall, and the town is only visible after climbing way up the industrial metal staircase adjacent to the barges.

The town’s claim to fame is the attractive Lincoln Courtroom and Lincoln Museum in the old city hall.

In this 1844 City Hall building we found the original jail.

This jail housed prisoners awaiting trial in the second-floor courtroom. The courtroom is still used about once a month, making it the only courtroom still in use where Abraham Lincoln practiced law.

Lincoln won his spurs as a county lawyer in this courthouse. Here, he successfully defended family friend Duff Armstrong on a charge of murder, in what became known as the Almanac Trial.

A witness said he saw the fight in question “by the light of a high moon”, between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. Lincoln then produced an 1857 Almanac showing that on that night, the moon set a bit before midnight, and therefore couldn’t have been high at that time. This painting in the courtroom depicts Lincoln and the almanac at the moment of triumph.

We think trials went swiftly in those days, as the courtroom’s hard wooden chairs and severely upright benches wouldn’t encourage lounging around!

Beardstown was founded on the famous Indian Mound Village called Kickapoo Town, and the museum also houses an extensive assortment of Indian arrowheads and tools – the largest we have ever seen.

Beardstown is centered around an attractive town square, just blocks from the river. The town’s founder, Thomas Beard, gifted the square to the town for use as a marketplace that was never to be built upon, but to remain a public park in perpetuity.

Bob Hommel’s family, the Schultz’s, founded the grain mill in the town in the 1800s. The silos still stand, although the mill is much smaller now. Later that evening, we enjoyed a great rib dinner at Annie Sazarac’s Bar, in a small aluminum shed near the river. Annie has run this establishment for 25 years, and we were fortunate to be in town on a Monday night, the only day she serves food! The ribs were cooked outdoors on Weber grills.

October 18, 2009 - Bath Chute, Illinois River

2009-10-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

Before departing Peoria this morning, we saw two folks rowing for exercise on the Illinois River, just off our dock.

Though it is a beautiful sunny morning, the night had been cold, with a low of 37 degrees. So we weren’t surprised to see fog on the surface of the river. It closed in as we approached the now-working Peoria Lock and Dam.

After idling in the lock without lines for the quick eight-foot drop, we exited into pea soup! This green mark showed we were in the channel – but not much else. We sat here for 45 minutes waiting for the fog to lift. Our radar doesn’t work, as we had to lay the mast down on the upper deck in order to transit under the low fixed bridges! So, we radioed boats ahead and behind to let them know our intentions, and to find out conditions and river traffic.

Once underway again, the sun shone brightly, and we enjoyed the scenery. Along banks of the wide Illinois River, we noticed scores of barges parked in the mud and tied to trees with steel cables. They are waiting to load or to unload, or for pusher tugs to take them on their way.

And there’s always a surprise coming around the bend. This is the Ralph Plagge pushing a 3 X 5 load of barges – three wide and five long.

These grain barges are filled first at one end, and then the other, causing them to list severely fore and aft in mid-fill.

Around another corner, a pilot boat warned us to go slow for this dredging operation, at work in the river. We saw its homeport was Holland, Michigan.

This tug passed us upbound with barges filled with ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and quite explosive.

We found a nice anchorage in the Bath Chute, a remote area just off the main channel of the river. We were joined by the DeFever 46 pilothouse Gypsea, from Holland, Michigan, who we had met last week at the Chicago Yacht Club. They came by in the dinghy for a chat.

As the sun shone brightly off the water of the main channel, we saw the tug Martha Mac downbound with a load of barges. We have seen her hard at work on the river these last couple of days.

A beautiful sunset capped off our wonderful day of cruising.

October 15-17, 2009 - Peoria, Illinois

2009-10-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

We departed Ottawa to continue down the Illinois River. Here, the banks are forested, and state nature preserves and wildlife refuges line the river. We spotted a bald eagle in a tree at Buffalo Rock.

Our sole lock today is the Starved Rock Lock, in the Starved Rock State Park. We had about an hour wait for the Aggie C, a pusher tug with barges, which had to break into two groups for two trips down the lock. We tied to a cell (a large cement pod) along the dam, and had our game of cribbage while we waited and kept an eye on Aggie C’s progress. She is the type of tug built for the low bridges in the upper Illinois River, with a hydraulic pilot house, here seen in the down position….

……and here she’s in the up position, peeking into the lock to see what’s going on!

We were put into the lock ahead of the Aggie C, who slid in behind us. Then we could exit first, steer around the tight spot where her remaining barges were tied waiting for her, and be on our way.

This is the Starved Rock, a beautiful formation over 400 million years old. Waterfalls, bluffs and 18 canyons dominate the landscape of the spectacular Starved Rock State Park.

We saw our first riverboat paddlewheeler here, the Spirit of Peoria, out for a color tour.

We knew we were coming into civilization, as the riverbanks became more industrial. Coal is being offloaded at this power plant.

We had thought to stay at Chillicothe, but found only a few inches under Monarch’s keel while still eight feet from their dock, so we pressed on. We had no point of reference, but later found out the river’s water level is down. Even the marinas we phoned along Peoria Lake couldn’t accommodate our 4½-foot draft. The harbor master at the Illinois Valley Yacht (IVY) Club asked how we felt about plowing up some mud to get to their dock (NOT very good). So we headed for the downtown Peoria City Dock, which had 12 feet alongside.

The dock proved to be a fine spot to stay. As it is past boating season here, there was no dockmaster, and we couldn't find anyone to take our money. So we had to stay for free! We were fortunate to also have dockside power, as the weather is cool. With the lows in the high 30s at night, we needed Monarch’s heat on. Friday evening we had an excellent dinner at Two 25, the restaurant in the Mark Twain Hotel just a few blocks from the dock.

We had planned to spend two nights here, but added a third when we learned that the Peoria Lock, five miles downstream, was down for repairs all Saturday! So, we took advantage of the Art Fair and Farmer’s Market on the riverfront.

Downtown Peoria has many businesses, banks and office buildings, including the world headquarters of the Caterpillar Corporation. Nestled among the buildings, we found this impressive bronze Sailors & Soldiers Monument to the town’s Civil War heroes.

Now the Spirit of Peoria docked right behind us in the harbor, coming and going with tourists in search of fall colors.

October 14, 2009 - Ottawa, Illinois

2009-10-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

As we had breakfast, the Pamela H tug came through the bridge with a full raft of barges. We knew that the Dresden lock a few miles downriver would be busy with her for a while. Together, the barges will be too large for the lock, so the tug must break the tow into pieces for locking through. They do this by pushing into the lock, untying the first number of barges, and then backing out the rest. The lock descends, and the barges are winched out and tied outside the lock. The lock is raised, and the remaining barges and the tug go through. After descending, the barges are re-tied and the whole unit is once again underway. This takes about 1½ hours for two “loads” of barges.

After talking to the lock tender for an estimate of when he would be ready for us, we cast off. Shortly we came to a power plant, which was discharging coolant water into the river. The hot water made the river steam, and its temperature raised from 50 to 74 degrees,

Sure enough, the Pamela H was just getting her second load of barges into the lock, and the captain suggested we join them for the lock down. A sailboat was then added for a full load.

We tied to the floating bollard with spring lines to midship cleats, and had a smooth ride down.

The barges must be just made to fit the locks here, as there is hardly room for a piece of typing paper between them and the lock walls.

Just after we all exited the lock, there was another tow coming upriver, which caused considerable congestion. The Pamela H pushed her barges right into the bank, so that the other tow and the two pleasure boats could get by.

After that, traffic thinned out, and we were alone on the river. Along the banks are mostly woods, areas that are nature preserves and State (of Illinois) wetlands. Here is a duck blind ready for hunting season. The owner must arrive by boat, and hide it in the blind. We saw many of these blinds, some of which had ramps for hunting dogs to come and go as they retrieved the game.

At the next lock, we waited for it to fill. After it appeared ready, we wondered why the lockmaster didn’t open it. Then we saw him feeding his “pet” deer, tossing apples to them. Finally, we were allowed to enter the lock and be on our way.

We docked for the night at Ottawa, Illinois, a small town with a small – but free – dock!

October 13, 2009 - Joliet, Illinois

2009-10-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a farewell dinner with Ron and Linda Watters, and visited with them in their 21st-floor condo on the Chicago River. The view is spectacular, and their place is elegant.

Delighted to have a sunny day – even though only 42 degrees with a brisk north wind – we departed the Chicago Yacht Club to begin our river trip.

The Chicago Lock drops us a few feet to the Chicago River. Lake Michigan drains down into the Chicago River.

Lakeshore Avenue bridge marked the first of 55 bridges in the Chicago River and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal’s 36 mile length. We had lowered the radar mast to allow us to pass under the lowest fixed bridge height of 17 feet.

The Chicago skyline is more impressive than the Manhattan skyline, as we were right under the skyscrapers.

These condo owners can moor their boats right under the building on the river.

What an impressive sight.

This is Linda and Ron’s building located right on an section of the river called Riverbend. They waved to us from their 21st floor balcony as we passed!

Linda reminds us that the Sears Tower is now called the Willis Tower, with new owners.

We had to idle in the river for 45 minutes for the lone bridge we needed raised. The Amtrak trains took their time jockeying for position at the adjacent rail yard. At this point, the riverbanks became industrial.

The traffic began to pick up, with tugs and tows meeting us.

The tugs often passed very close to Monarch.

Here’s the Pamela H pushing barges upriver.

This is the junction of the Calumet Sag Channel and the Chicago Sanitary Canal.

The invasive species Asian Carp have taken over the lower Illinois waterway, and the Corps of Engineers is determined to keep them out of Lake Michigan. This nuisance fish has the potential to decimate the Great Lakes’ $4.5 billion fishery. To accomplish this, they have designed a sort of “invisible fence”, which is a two volt/inch electric charge in a section of the River. The carp are becoming more persistent, and so the Corps has “turned up the juice”, and we had to request special permission to transit the ¾ mile stretch.

We were required to wear PFDs even inside the pilothouse, and instructed not to touch any metal or standing water on the boat! But this was an improvement over a couple weeks ago, when boats were required to get a commercial tow at a $600 expense! We transited with no issues. And none of the high-jumping carp landed on deck, either – and Marty had her filet knife at the ready!

The banks of the waterway are lined with commercial operations, and barges are loaded, emptied and jockeyed for position.

We did a few locks today, and enjoyed the floating bollards, which slide up or down with the boat, and make the job much easier.

Our port for the night is Joliet, Illinois.

Here we are secured for the night.

Here is the link for where we are - http://greatloop.org/mod/aglcalocator/membermap.php?id=1601

October 10-12, 2009 - Chicago, Illinois

2009-10-12T15:43:00.002-07:00

Today we departed Holland, MI to make our dash across Lake Michigan. The winds and waves were predicted to build in the afternoon, so we left port in the dark at 7:00 a.m. We cruised across the 88 nautical mile width of Lake Michigan at 14+ knots in just over six hours, faster than normal to even out the rough chop of 3-4 footers. We took on lots of spray during an otherwise uneventful trip – and discovered our aft bilge pump wasn’t functioning! A repair will be done in Chicago.
Monarch’s kind of town, Chicago is! We entered the large harbor at the Chicago Light.

We had spotted the Chicago Skyline from a distant 40 miles offshore in Lake Michigan. As we entered the harbor, we got a close-up view of this bustling metropolis.

The tallest building in the city is the Sears Tower, dark in color with lots of antennae on top.

From the deck we spotted this beautiful fountain in Grant Park.

We docked at the Chicago Yacht Club at Monroe Harbor, in the heart of downtown, just three blocks from Michigan Avenue. It seems unusual to be in the midst of a big city, after so much time in remote anchorages and harbors this summer.

Our requisite walkabout was through beautiful Grant Park, a large and meticulously manicured and landscaped waterfront favorite of Chicagoans. This is a piece of “art” in the park, which provides a fun-house reflection of the skyline.

The elevated train takes commuters to and from work in the heart of downtown Chicago.

We were impressed with history-making Millennium Park, adjacent to Grant Park. This is where President-elect Barack Obama gave his victory speech to the masses on election night.

The latest mode of touring Chicago appears to be on a Segway. This is a two wheel, gyroscope balanced vehicle and the tours reminded of us a mother duck with all her little ducklings following closely behind.

Adjacent to the Chicago Yacht Club is a huge mooring field with hundreds of boats.

Boaters can come and go to their vessels via the park’s water taxi.

On our second day we walked south along the harbor from the Chicago Yacht Club. We came to the famous Shield Aquarium, and next door the Field Museum of Natural History.

The Sears Tower is a visible landmark everywhere we go.

Though Chicagoans are disappointed they did not win the Olympic bid, they still take any occasion to celebrate. Because Monarch came to town, they threw a parade. 45,000 people did a fast-paced parade (but no floats!) for over 24 miles, and over 1 million people turned out to cheer us on our voyage. (This is more commonly known as the Chicago Marathon!)

The million spectators were evident throughout downtown, including Grant Park.

We wandered north on Michigan Avenue, and found many wonderful pocket parks and extraordinary architecture.

The flowers in each park are seasonally changed, with mums and decorative cabbages now displayed.

We contacted our friends Linda and Ron Watters, who live in Chicago. We knew them when we all lived in Detroit. They came to the boat for a much-appreciated visit.

Monday morning, it was out for breakfast and a long walk to West Marine for a new aft bilge pump.

We leaned over the railing on Michigan Avenue to get a good look at the Chicago River, where tomorrow we will begin our river transit through the center of the US.

It’s a beautiful sight, with the bustling city along the banks of the Chicago River. Tonight we are going to Ron & Linda’s riverfront high-rise condominium, where we will get a bird’s eye view of the beginning of our river voyage.

To see where we are on the Looper Locator, just follow this link - http://greatloop.org/mod/aglcalocator/membermap.php?id=1601

October 5, 2009 - Holland, Michigan

2009-10-05T17:08:00.001-07:00

Today was another tourist day, as we wait for the right time to depart for Chicago.
We did a nice fall walk in the nature park across from the marina, and then into the car and off to Grand Haven, just 18 miles north. It was a beautiful drive, with the sun coming out this afternoon for the first time in a long time. We visited the State Park there, and saw the Grand Haven Lighthouse.

We have heard of a pumpkin shortage on the East Coast. They need to come to Michigan, where the pumpkins are a bumper crop! Along US 31, the Green Acres Farm Market has thousands, of all sizes.

Tomorrow, Marty is off to Houghton, and Jerry is left with a chore list a mile long!

October 3 - 4, 2009 - Holland, Michigan

2009-10-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday brings the Eight Street Farmer’s Market to downtown Holland. We were “up with the chickens” to take a look.

This takes place in a large paved lot near the Civic Center. Even the flowerpots have a farm theme!

Fruits and vegetables of every type were attractively displayed – fresh from local farms to our table!

Today is Fall Family Funday at the market, with all kinds of activities – including pumpkin painting and carving……….

…………and a pumpkin pie eating contest! (We declined to enter.)

We were reminded of Marty’s Dad’s fine gardens.

Fall Indian Corn makes a beautiful display.

Literal fields of fall mums were displayed, as well as cut asters and zinnias.

The vendors had set up during an early morning shower, which gave the vegetable and fruits a dew-kissed appearance.

October 1 - 2, 2009 - Holland, Michigan

2009-10-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

More time in Holland, waiting for the weather to break. Another gale blew in on Friday, so we decided to wait it out. In fact, we will wait for another week here, as Marty is due at a board meeting at Michigan Tech on Tuesday. Jerry will wait on Monarch, with the chore list, for her to return.

In the meantime, we enjoy Holland. What a great spot to cool our heels! (And cool it is, with nightly lows in the 40s!)
We looked over the aft deck and were surprised to see a freighter creeping along the narrow and shallow channel away from the port of Holland. It probably came to “feed” the power plant in town.

Playing tourist, we visited DerKlomp Wooden Shoe and Delftware Factory.

The Wooden Shoe Factory can customize wooden shoes, and paints all types of designs on them.

Of course, Marty had to try them on for size! But they are not available with Top-Sider soles, and so would be of little use on the boat!

Next to the Factory, Veldheer’s Tulip Farm is Michigan’s only tulip perennial garden, with more than 600 varieties of bulbs. Visitors were not allowed into the garden today, as this is fall planting time.

September 28-30, 2009 - Holland, Michigan

2009-10-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

The gale came as predicted. We drove out to the Holland State Park point, where we had entered the harbor on Saturday. The wind was so strong, we could barely open the car doors, and held onto each other for support. Big Red was getting a fair amount of spray.

The sand was blowing horizontally, as we struggled to approach the point on foot. Not too close, as the waves were washing over the breakwall.

The giant waves – approaching 18 feet in height – were a spectacle to see. Our stomachs tightened at the thought of Monarch – or any boat – being out in this! Winds, at 60 mph, approached hurricane strength.

The north entrance mark on the breakwall almost disappeared behind the crashing waves.

Behind Big Red, you can see the wall of water on the horizon. It was the angriest sea we have seen, even more than the oceans we have sailed.

The parking lot and sidewalks had been blown full of sand by the high winds. The poor park ranger had an uphill struggle with the front-end loader, trying to put the sand back where it belongs.

With sand in our eyes, ears, socks, shoes and who knows where else, our next stop is to check out downtown Holland, about 5 miles around the lakeshore. On the way, we passed a large junkyard and scrap metal depot.

Along the avenue, we saw these sculptures, which we later learned were created from scrap metal by Stuart Padnos of the Louis Padnos Iron & Metal Company.

The downtown is both historic and hip! Nearly 120 specialty shops, nice restaurants, art galleries and traditional Victorian architecture greeted us.

When the weather is cooling down (now it’s in the high 30s at night!), downtown Holland’s sidewalks heat up. That’s right, there is a snowmelt system to keep the sidewalks clear of ice and snow. Not necessary quite yet, but no doubt soon!

The Dutch influence is evident. Founded by Albertus Van Raalte and his followers in the mid-1800s, Holland has many more international influences today, but still the windmills.

September 26-27, 2009 - Holland, Michigan

2009-10-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

We awakened to sounds of conversation – about types of bait, where the best spot is – to find ourselves unknowingly anchored in the locals’ favorite fishing hole! We pulled up and headed to the big lake.

About 50 miles on, we were welcomed to our destination by the Holland Harbor Lighthouse. Erected in 1872 with $4,000 of federal funds, the lighthouse got its nickname – Big Red – after the Coast Guard painted it bright red in 1956. It definitely marked “red on right returning” as we entered the channel, which was dug with picks and shovels by determined Hollanders in 1860, to connect six-mile long Lake Macatawa and Holland Harbor to Lake Michigan.

Weather predictions are for a significant gale to develop. So, instead of pressing on or anchoring out here in Lake Macatawa, we sought safe dockage at the Anchorage Marina Yacht Club, where we were warmly welcomed. As we are now in the “off season,” we don’t have to worry about availability, and think the dock crews are lonely and glad to see us. This marina has a half-indoor-half-outdoor pool, an on site restaurant, convenience store, laundry facilities, and nice showers.

Many local boats remained in their slips, and this beautiful schooner came to the dock. This is a nautically oriented place, with at least half a dozen marinas, yacht clubs and hundreds of boats of all sizes and types.

As we prepared to wait out the storm, we found a nearby park, with walking trails in the woods.

Small bridges had been built over the woodland streams, and a “Frisbee golf” course installed in the woods. The park provided a beautiful fall walk.

Jerry’s friend, Scott Wright, lives nearby. He has loaned us a car during our stay so we can get around, see the sights and shop – what a treat!

Now for a new feature - The Great Loop Cruisers Association has added a feature to their website that will let you track our progress on Google Earth. We often get questions on just where we are, so hopefully this will help. We will add the link to each of our blogs as we move along our route. Hope you find this helpful. Here is the link - http://greatloop.org/mod/aglcalocator/membermap.php?id=1601

September 25, 2009 - White Lake, Michigan

2009-09-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

As we departed Ludington, we noticed the reservoir just south of the entrance. It appears as an unnatural, flat-top hill. When there is excess power in the local grid, the power company uses it to pump this huge reservoir full of water. Then, when power is needed, the reservoir is drained into Lake Michigan through the turbines, which create electricity.

Next stop is White Lake. At the entrance is the White River Light Station, now a museum. Many historic Lake Michigan light houses have been saved for posterity by foundations and volunteer groups.

About every 15 miles or so along this part of Lake Michigan’s shore, there is a natural river and lake which enters the big lake, making for many wonderful protected harbors. This one is White Lake, a beautiful body of water, about four miles long, and edged with cottages. As it’s only about 45 minutes from Grand Rapids, we imagine many folks from there vacation here. We anchored securely along the southeastern shore for the night.

September 24, 2009 - Ludington, Michigan

2009-09-26T14:01:00.001-07:00

We departed Frankfort for our night’s destination of Ludington. Along the way, a hilltop, lake front golf course shone in the morning sun.

A bit later, Little Sable Point Light was our coastal sentinel.

Once in the harbor, we passed a decommissioned car ferry, the Spartan. It docks next to the dock for the active ferry, the Badger, which was its normal run to Wisconsin.

The lake comprising the harbor at Ludington is Pere Marquette Lake. Here is the Father Pere Marquette Memorial, commemorating this French missionary/explorer.

We approached our marina for tonight.

Here is Monarch, as we wait for our friends, Chuck and Linda Throm from the Detroit area, to join us for the night. They drove all the way across the state to see us, take us to dinner, spend the night, and enjoy breakfast aboard. What a treat for us!