Is it what you expected?

Yes, it is, only more so! We'd read enough books and Blogs by Loopers to get the gist of what to expect as far as the rosy, big picture of Looping and the day-to-day down and dirty realities, so we started this venture with eyes opened, ready to roll! I marvel at the things that excite me and touch me. I find myself giddy from the sound of water slapping against the boat; all of my senses are so much more aware and alive. I love the clanking and jangling of boats on a dock; the rocking and swaying of The Zone as another boat passes; the faint taste of salty mist as we glide along the water. I don't think I'll ever not feel magical when I see Dolphins!

Street Sign in Beaufort, SC

My crying jags are not about cleaning or being homesick or fighting with Ross; they are just my reaction to being new at this. I get frustrated that I don't know more,and feel insecure, but I sure am seeing that each day I grow more experienced and further develop the skills needed. I know that in time, it will all be second nature. Ross guides me through it all (relatively) patiently, and occasionally we even learn something together.

When last we met... in St. Augustine...Ross & I were grizzly and in need of grooming!  We found a (scary) Barber Shop in the center of town for Ross, and a cute little salon, Small Indulgences, for me to get a pedicure and a haircut. Once deemed fit for the public, we further explored St. Augustine and prepared for our first visitor.

My brother Michael spent a few days with us on The Zone as he made his way south to visit our folks, his mom-in-law and son, Jake at UF. he also brought with him bountiful gifts of blessed items from Costco (THANK YOU MICHAEL & SUZIE!!) We enjoyed lots of laughs (and Matzoh), good meals (including an amaazing dinner at the beautiful Casa Monica Hotel's restaurant) and a surprise side-trip to Gainseville to see Jake in his element.   Looper Reality Moment: Michael also had the pleasure (NOT) of getting all nice and soapy, sudsy...just before we ran out of water.  His shower was delayed and he had to sit there/stand there for about 20 minutes until the tank was refilled.

Dinner at the Kingfish Grill, Camachee Cove Marina
St. Augustine, FL

St. Aug. Barber Shop

First Looping haircut!

LOOP LOOP LOOP!

Michael & Jake - Fraterday!

Delish!

Shave & a haircut...

From Hobbit to human in
45 minutes!

Passover on The Zone

Our next stop was Fernandina Beach on our way towards Savannah, GA.  We left the morning of Easter Sunday and about an hour and a half out, we snagged a pot (crab or shrimp) on our prop (or rudder?).  I googled what to do (I love the Internet!) and saw a suggestion to try to go in reverse gently...and it worked! Now, the Captain says he'd tried it successfully once before, but I like to think it was my (Google's) bright idea. As the day went on, Ross started to not feel well - chills, nausea, fever, aches - and yet our fearless hero at the helm got us through some of the trickiest waters we'd encountered yet, depth-wise. We slowly followed two sailboats through some severe shoaling and watched as one after the next they went aground (for moments - they maneuvered their boats back into the waters and were fine). We felt bad for them, and learned from their mistakes, as we made our way into deeper waters. We were grateful not to go aground ourselves.  We are finding more and more that most of us out here in Looperville are novices to some extent.

While anchored out, I nursed my Captain through the night as best I could, and in the morning he was much, much better! He told me we were headed to an anchorage at Jekyll Island, which is mile marker 666. I thought that was just asking for trouble!  The movie,"The Island of Dr. Moreau" came to mind...

At one point, the Coast Guard pulled up next to us, asked where we were headed, and told us to stand by for an escort as there was a naval exercise in progress.  We waited..and were then told to hurry it up!  I bet that's the first and last time the Coast Guard asks us to speed up. After our escort, I went below to the galley to make something for lunch. It was absolutely surreal. As I made English muffin-toaster-oven pizza (with basil & oregano from our little herb garden), I glance up to see the underside of the Jekyll Island Highway Bridge...wild!

We ended up anchoring in the much more pleasant sounding, Buttermilk Sound, which was calm and sweet even with the swarms of no-see-ums. As Ross was at the helm, I was in place at the bow giving hand signals to show the angle of the anchor chain in relationship to the bow. All of a sudden Ross saw my arms flailing wildly and wondered what I was doing and what signal I was trying to give him.  I was just trying to shoo-fly the flies!!

I just love anchoring out.  It's peaceful, the skies are beautiful at night, it's serene and picturesque.  But I always think we're further away from land than we are.  I get mesmerized by the birds and the sailboats and the stars, and all of a sudden I get jolted to reality by the sound of a car horn. Talk about buzz kill!

The next morning was cold and quiet as we headed for Savannah. We decided to stay at the Isle of Hope Marina. (The option was to stay at a marina whose review in one of our books included a reference to the move, "Deliverance"). We arrived at 5PM and did our routine of docking, checking in and cleaning the boat.  Despite the "flies", which turned out to be gnats, attacking us once again, we washed the boat and settled in. We were delighted to find the marina was full of Loopers in various stages of their journeys.

Sighted another Looper boat in Savannah!
The gold burgee signifies they've completed the Loop

We met Frank & Carrie on (ONCE AROUND), from CA who are on their way to completing their Loop, as well as Fred & Julaine from MI (BOREAS) who are on their 14th month of Looping and still loving it. I got high from their enthusiasm, and dizzy by the amount of tips and suggestions they freely, and way too quickly, imparted.  I couldn't write them down fast enough (and Lord knows I can't remember sh*t).  They were middle aged couples (younger than the average Loopers), and yet we all came from different planets on land.  All Loopers have common ground, no matter of socio-economic differences.  It's like the great equalizer.Boat size doesn't matter either.(Except to Ross).

We first explored Isle of Hope by bike. Just behind our marina was a gorgeous street of historic homes.
We were struck by the majesty and solemnity of the Live Oaks dripping with Spanish Moss.  They appear on the verge of breaking as they arch with such heavy looking branches. Riding through a long path as the leaves and moss of the trees on both sides almost completely block out the sky was enchanting on our way to and throughout Wormsloe Plantation. Click on the link to see much better photos and read some the history.

Southern Live Oaks with Spanish Moss

Entrance to Wormsloe Plantation

When we arrived at the marina, the Dock Master handed Ross his receipt as well as the usual packet information and key cards for bathrooms and laundry and such, and let us know that they have two loaner cars and that nearby they have a West Marine & a Piggly Wiggly.  I wish you could have seen his face. Apparently Ross had never seen, "Driving Miss Daisy" and didn't know that it is a chain of supermarkets in the South.  We've since been to yet another one in Beaufort, SC and Ross WISHES we got a Pig Card for discounts.

We went into Savannah and took a trolly tour of historic sites..

Laundry at IOH Marina

Yup, saw the bench in my favorite of
Savannah's Squares, Chippewa Square

We had a lovely lunch in the heart of Savannah's City Market at Belford's though Ross sat eyeing the pizza place across the way.  The tour guide had pointed it out saying it was the best pizza in Savannah.  Now Ross, who has had pizza in every major city of the free world, couldn't help himself.  As we left Belford's, he ran across the street and ordered a pie to bring back to the boat.

The Zone Sitting proudly!

Pizza to go!

Speaking of FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD.....I have to say, the best food we ate in Savannah, GA was Ross's pot roast, roasted potatoes and vegetables.

Mmmmmm...juicy goodness!

For those of you who wonder what in tarnation we eat on the boat, here are some other delights created by my multi-talented Captain, with me, his trusty (and incredibly blessed) sous chef cleaning, chopping and prepping::

Fresh off the fisherman's boat, Red Snapper with tomatoes & green beans

Beef Stew Perrone

Chicken parm

Laura's Vegie Supreme-O

Onto Beaufort, SC!
We had a gorgeous ride to Beaufort, a sweet, historic town filled with lovely folks and charming, historic sites.  We stayed at Port Royal Landing Marina. It was a small marina in a perfectly charming setting with a friendly staff.  Before we could finish our docking, we were met by a Looper wannabe who saw our burgee and was loaded with questions and stories of his own. LooperWannaBe-Tom, was nice enough and hungry for the Looping Life.  We hardly had all of our fenders hung and we learned that he was selling his home and then starting the Loop. We definitely identified with his excitement.

We spent our first day there, "chillaxing". See Ross chillax:

Sewing torn zippers

Fixing clogged toilet

I chose to do laundry, as my sewing and plumbing leave a lot to be desired.  I also cleaned the decks (basically, did anything possible to avoid getting involved with the toilet!)  Just when i thought it was safe, I hear Ross calling me and asking if I really loved him. Needless to say, on went the rubber gloves, I took a deep breath and headed in to the unknown to unclog.  Thankfully, it was less of a crisis than I imagined and once again, my handy Honey saved the day.

We did our bike exploration of Beaufort the next day, and had such a great time! Beaufort, pronounced, "Bew-fort", is charming, packed with history, and good food, and we ended our day sharing a swing by the water before heading back to the marina.

Miss Beaufort

The Barnyard Platter at a waterfront restaurant
Pulled chicken, pulled pork, brisket, beans, mac-n-cheese
And he wonders why the toilet gets clogged?!

We truly enjoyed our short stay in Beaufort, and would recommend to those travelling our route to take the time to see this charming town!

We are currently in Charleston, SC, enjoying tremendously this beautiful city. More next time, complete with some visitors making their way for a special celebration of Ross's upcoming birthday!

Ready to head home yet?

No way! We're just getting our Looper mojo on and learning lots as we go forward.  No two days or nights have been the same and we are still floating on clouds of gratitude and appreciation that we are able to be on this adventure together.

As the birds welcomed us to Nettles Island, we became acquainted with a duo of long-time boaters.  Suzie & Ron(they were in constant motion and I couldn't nab a photo!) have been living aboard their boat, REEL ESTATE, for 17 years and had plenty to generously share with us.  Suzie took charge as we docked, telling me which lines to throw her and how and where our fenders needed to be. Simultaneously, and without hesitation she was instructing Ross as to which way he should steer and when to use the bow thruster. Before either Ross or I could get defensive, we realized she was 100% right on all counts and we did as we were told.  She knew a lot about a lot and was able to impart her wisdom with kindness and without ego, and we absorbed it all like sponges.  Apparently she's also the Martha Stewart of boating; she stopped me in my tracks from spending hours on my hands and knees scrubbing the deck.  She gave me her tips on what to use inside and outside the boat not only for better results, but by using much less time, effort and money to boot!  She told us how she and Ron communicate before and during docking to avoid hazardous mistakes as well as embarrassing screaming bouts that could be heard all along marinas.  Now my Captain, who knows his stuff, is always opened to learning. He was impressed with her knowledge of wind and current and the effects on a boat and took her advice when she suggested we should adjust our fenders before heading in for the evening. She even sent over the local Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Safety Inspector, who apparently makes the rounds each Saturday there.  We passed with flying colors and appreciated the opportunity.

Safety Inspector Maccarone

We ended up staying at that marina for five nights while waiting for an electrician to fix a generator related issue. We made the most of our time there doing projects, cleaning (more on cleaning in a bit) and planning, and enjoyed some great bike rides as rewards for our mornings' labors.

Electrician we keep in the engine room.
If only...

Enjoying Nettles Island

After Nettles Island, we headed out to make our way about 200 miles to St. Augustine.  Our first stop, was an anchorage at Eau Galle, about 65 miles away. It was another gorgeous night and morning and we looked forward to anchoring again the next day.

We stopped in Titusville to fuel up, and saw this character spraying some playful manatees with a water hose. They loved it!

Happy Cappy!

Weeeeeee!

300 gallons later, we merrily went along, following charts and cruising books including Skipper Bob's Anchorages Along the Intracoastal Waterway and Managing The Waterway to determine where we'd drop anchor next. Based on these, we thought we would end up at the not inspiring sounding Mosquito Lagoon.  Unfortunately, we couldn't find a spot that looked safe and didn't feel comfortable with the water depth.  The charts and books weren't accurate about the conditions and downright pissed us off.  We ended up going 85 miles to an anchorage in Daytona Beach and were tired and hungry when we got there.  For fun (NOT), the anchor pulled up some sludge and gave me another deck cleaning endeavor to look forward to. Whoopee ding-dong!

Boat Buddies
on the Intracoastal

Alas, after 60 miles the next day, we arrived in historic St. Augustine and pulled into the Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor Marina (WITH A POOL). The initial thrill was gone for the next 90 minutes or so of cleaning the boat of salt water and diesel fumes once we were safely tied up.  We treated ourselves to a lovely dinner at the Kingfish Grill where Captain Awesome enjoyed his chocolate lava cake a-la-mode.

Awesome indeed!

The next day proved productive.  There were thunderstorms and torrential downpours all day long, forcing us to clean the inside of the boat.  For 4 hours. Cleaning - not just mopping, dusting and doing a little toilet cleaner swish; this is on hands & knees, butt in the air lemon-oiling and wash-on/wash-off stuff - is a daily part of maintenance on a boat. And it's not just because Ross's German gene likes all things shiny & clean. ALWAYS. The salt water & sun destroy everything if not constantly cleaned, waxed, polished and made love to.  It's not my favorite thing about this cruising life (though Ross believes in his heart of hearts that someday I will enjoy it as much as he does). It's constant and hard work, but I do indeed enjoy the satisfying feeling when I finish. (By the by, and for the record, ShamWow sucks).
Also, not a small concern, are critters.  Me no likey critters, though I am the designated Bug Huntress.  Captain Awesome can put a Pirate in a choke hold, but truth be known he screams like a little girl at the sight of bugs.

Bridge of Lions.

Flagler Statue

Oldest school house

'Twas a fun day riding our bikes the 2 miles to downtown.  We explored, ate and enjoyed doing what the Loopers are meant to do!

Speaking of Loopers, I finally met one!  At long last a couple noticed our burgee and told me that they completed the Loop on October 6th, and loved every minute of it! I was happy to hear their stories and see the memories light of their faces as they gave me some tips on upcoming pieces of our journey.  I also met the Doyles who write Managing the Waterway, and held my tongue about their less than accurate notes on the Mosquito Lagoon.

We used our first "loaner car" from a marina and did some major replenishing of supplies. This marina, Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor, offers guests of the marina 2 hours of free use of their courtesy car. I feel another ride coming soon, as both of us need haircuts something awful! "Something awful", I fear, is exactly what we'll get, but we're starting to get a little unkempt and aren't quite ready to look like Crusty Sea Dogs yet.

We are expecting my brother Michael to join us in a few days for a night or so of Looping fun! We are really looking forward to our first official guest while Looping and, as suggested by the AGLCA, have decided it's time to post some tips for potential guests:

For Visitors:

Just a few thoughts about what to expect, what to bring, etc.

Above all else, our boat trip will be dependent upon the weather. We have weather radar on our laptops in addition to NOAA radio, so we’ll usually have a pretty good idea about the weather each day. We will not travel on stormy days – so be flexible and bring a good book or Nook /Kindle to read.

We’ll do the best we can to be at your pickup place on schedule – but please understand that it may not happen. You may have to wait for us or make alternative travel plans. Most places have taxi service or car rentals. Also, some marinas will pick up or deliver guests from local airports. As your time with us approaches, we’ll be in touch by e-mail or phone so you will be able to make travel arrangements. Please don’t make air reservations that can’t be changed or cancelled.

On travel days, we will plan to go anywhere from 40 to 70 miles, which will put us at our destination early enough to explore the area or sit and relax. We will be staying in marinas most of the time, which have power hookups and water. Sometimes we will be “on the hook” or tied to a wall somewhere that will require the use of our generator or inverter for any power that may be needed, and water use may be limited.

We eat dinner out when we can. We think that it is an important part of the experience and are looking forward to many interesting local specialties. We almost always eat breakfast and lunch on the boat and have the ability to carry food for at least a week or two. We have a full-size refrigerator and freezer. We mostly drink water,  coffee or tea, and we try to carry a small selection of soft drinks and beer and wine. Many marinas have loaner cars, which can be used to go out to eat or to get provisions.

When we have internet service, we will continue to update our BLOG - about twice a month - so you’ll be able to keep up with our progress and view our pictures. Many marinas have wireless internet. We’ll have our laptops and a small printer on board. Feel free to bring your laptop or other electronic equipment. Just be sure whatever you bring is easy to stow. We have a TV, DVD/Blueray player, CD player and stereo. Some marinas will have cable hookups but we don’t watch a lot of television when we are on the boat – there are just too many other interesting things to do.

WHAT TO BRING - - - most importantly, pack light. There is not a lot of storage room. 

• Passports– if you will be in Canadian waters (though I was told jokingly that we'll need them in Mississippi too!)

• Casual clothing - maybe one outfit other than jeans or shorts

• Warm jacket or sweat shirt and windbreaker

• Rain gear if you have it – if not, don’t buy – we have extra on board

• Hat, sun block & sun glasses

• Swimsuit 

• Clean non-skid shoes for on the deck – white soles or deck shoes preferred

• Soft soled shoes (or no shoes) inside the boat

• Walking shoes – we plan to hike when we can or walk to villages, restaurants, etc.

• Camera and/or field glasses

• Reading materials

• Medicines, toiletries and over the counter items you may need

WHAT NOT TO BRING:

• Hard sided luggage -- we have no place to store it – please use a duffel bag or other soft-sided bags that can be folded up

• Hard soled shoes

• Please note- the wind and sun play havoc on your hair/makeup so we encourage a“natural look”.  We have a hairdryer on board if you need one.

SAFETY:

Remember to keep your personal items stowed. The boat may be in motion even when tied up at a dock. Be sure to hang on when walking around, especially on the deck. Don’t be insulted if we yell at you to sit down or hang on. We are not being rude –we just don’t want you to be injured if we see an approaching problem. Fire extinguishers are located throughout the boat and we will point them out to you. Life jackets are located in the locker on the fly deck. Life jackets must be worn when going through locks in the US – at least on Core of Engineers waterways. That may not be the case in Canada. We’ll be going through a couple of hundred locks on the trip. Hopefully, your visit will include one or more,as it is an interesting experience.

Emergency calling instructions are posted beside the radio by the drive station. Please read this over upon boarding so that you will have some familiarity in case of an emergency.

First Aid kits are located in the head by the “V” berth. We have a pretty good supply of emergency meds etc. but be sure to bring what you think you might need.

HEAD:

Flush or fill with water by pushing the toggle switches on the side of the sink cabinet.

Keep the lid closed to prevent anything falling into the head. DO NOT put anything other than the provided toilet tissue into the head. It is a special paper that disintegrates. Other materials stop up

the delfinhinger,which causes the doohickey to implode, which causes a big mess. (just kidding) but this is all very costly to repair. Also, please note that the water from the sinks goes down the drains and just goes out the side of the boat, so please make sure no food scraps go down the drain when doing dishes.  Remember that water will be limited; we only have what we can carry so don’t run the water while brushing your teeth, etc. so. Most marinas have public showers.

HOW TO HELP:

Please do not try to help with the boat operation unless we ask you to. Often, we need to make fast decisions and move quickly and will probably prefer that you not be in the way. Remember that if we speak loudly and with intensity, we are not being rude or angry. Shouting means fast action is required.

We LOVE help with the housework (or should I say boatwork). Help with food preparation and clean-up is always appreciated. The boat will need to be hosed off at least once a day while we are in salt water and several times a week in fresh water. General boat cleanup is a daily task.

ENJOY – most of all, enjoy!

We are so very glad that so many of our friends and family are interested in joining us for parts of the trip and think that these visits will be trip highlights.

We think this will the trip of a lifetime and are looking forward to each and every day. Please come to us with a spirit of adventure; prepare for new activities, new foods, new faces and exciting new places. And most of all - - relax and enjoy!”

More to come on cruising life realities, including my occasional crying jags, insecurities, and crew miscommunication...until then, happy holidays to one & all! Onto Georgia next....