What's the Captain got to say for himself?

Cap'n Awesome & Popeye

In response to some of your requests, I've been trying to coerce Captain Crunch to pen a segment himself. The best I could do was to get him to answer some questions (after promising to clean the dinghy..), and allow me to share them with you nice folks (after the dinghy passes inspection)."Quid pro quo, Clarisse..." 

Whatever. Without any further ado, here it is, by popular demand..


They've all heard our stories from my perspective - are they true/accurate?

Well, yes, I mean we experienced together what you wrote about,,.but beyond that, my perspective is more focused on where our next destination is and how we're going to get there.  I am more zoned in on the weather, navigation, and conditions like shoaling.  As you know, every day on the water has to end at some unknown destination, be it an anchorage or a marina.  I am concerned always, every single time, about the approach to the marina, the angle of the dock, how much room they will allocate...there are so many things to think about.

Docking is just one part of this.  Is it all too stressful? Are you having any fun?

Yes, of course! I have fun in between docking. The Loop experience is as you write about it. Everywhere we stop, we find something interesting, someplace new everyday, a new setting, and we don't know what to expect, which has been fun. Plus, together we find humor in the new experiences and I enjoy the camaraderie meeting all the other Loopers. Just as for you, there have been adjustments, some have been easier than others for me, some not so much. For example, not being able to get what you want when you want it, like groceries and banking etc., but we have been resourceful and technology helps; when it works.  Of course I miss my family, though we talk, email, text and "Voodoo" (video conference on ooVoo) constantly, and they visit from time to time, as you've documented.

How is it sharing such close quarters with the same person day after day?


It hasn't been an issue except for your flatulence and wanting me to dye your hair every 6 weeks.  Plus you shed more than Tucker (his dearly departed grand-dog) ever did. Your hair is everywhere. But, you do an excellent job with laundry and boat cleaning and don't complain that much. If only you could iron...


Charming! Do any parts of the upcoming journey scare you?


Well, getting up the coast of NJ will be challenging from all accounts. The NJ ICW is not in good shape - lots of shoaling - and therefore we will likely be forced to transit NJ on the outside (the ocean), which is 110 miles before we get to Sandy Hook, outside of NY harbor. Otherwise, not really, except docking.

Favorite stuff?


Visiting towns and cities in the US I never would have visited; seeing places filled with our country's history, especially the southern states. I've been all over the world, I traveled internationally for 25 years, but unfortunately I know more about foreign people, cities and countries than I do about what's in my own backyard.

Any highlights?

The Big Nasty Biscuit with Fried Chicken & Sausage Gravy at Hominy's in Charleston, my 32 oz prime rib in Coinjock, and the worst, by far, was our gas station dinner at Alligator River.

Any highlights/low lights, that don't revolve around food?

I loved my birthday visit with Joey, Ross Jr. & Nick P., and we had fun in St. Augustine with your brother Michael. I really enjoy our bike rides when we get to a new place.  I also like the way you fold my shorts.  I had no idea you were so good at laundry!


Do you miss anything from your other life?


Not at the moment.  I don't miss work, and I'm very satisfied how the boat has been performing.
I'm living my dream, with my dream boat (aww, totally not solicited).

Anything else you'd like to share?

I am extremely happy that in the 1100 miles thus far I haven't made an error in judgement or navigation - and I just love being out on the water (and being with you, all those sunsets, rocking waves...the magic we share together at the helm... no,. he didn't say any of that, but he was thinking it...)

Now leave me alone, I have to go back to work.(That, he did say.)

And so, friends, going forward, be careful what you ask for...

Here are some pictures of our adventures that Ross took and finally downloaded....

St. Augustine:

Isle of Hope, GA

Charleston, SC

Georgetown

Deltaville, VA

What did you learn at the AGLCA Spring Rendezvous?

Before the Rendezvous even started, we learned that Ross can successfully dock a 52 foot boat in a 51 foot slip! A most excellent way to start this Looper-Duper Fun-Fest! The Dock Master, assisted by two high school students (??), guided us into an extremely tight space, while responding to Ross's query of, "are we going to make it?", by saying, "I think so". (!!) I was searching for a can of Crisco to grease up the boat as we slid into the slip with barely inches to spare.  Ross was an instant dock-lebrity the moment we arrived and has been enjoying "attaboys" from Captains both green and salty throughout the four days of events and seminars.

We immediately saw our newest pals from SWEET PEA & WHY KNOT and caught up with other Loopers we'd met briefly here and there along the way, like Wayne from GYPSY 3, and Joe & Edie from SEQUEL. Our first night here, our dinner table totaled 15 folks, including some new instant friends, such as veteran Loopers Rick & Betsy Johnson (RICK 'N ROLL III) who may be two of the funniest folks we ever met.

The Zone, snug as a bug!

Ross with Rick Johnson

Cocktail Hour w/ Wayne & The Johnsons
 telling one of their famous stories

We'd arrived Sunday, the day before the events began, and were on the first free van from the marina to the grocery store early Monday morning.  Alas, no more Piggly Wigglys, but Harris Teeter, though much less fun to say, certainly did the trick!  Three vans of 6 folks each, left the marina to shop for provisions.  We passed each other, carts flying by through the aisles on BOTH levels of the store!  I'd never been in an elevator in a grocery store. I felt like we were on a Game Show as we all raced to the check-out counters to get the first van back.  Ross pushed me into the 1st van as I had the insulated bag with his precious Espresso Chip ice cream. Score 1 for Team Zone!

There were 9 Loopers with brimming carts waiting for the vans to take us back

We then registered and got our goodie bags (we will never, ever need another pen, floating key chain or lip balm), as well as the schedule of events and our name tags. They got us all wrong; my name was printed as "Laure", they designated us as "In Planning" instead of "In Progress", and worst of all, they refused to list Ross as "Captain Awesome", saying the moniker was already taken!  The nerve! All kidding aside, it was a great time, and the AGLCA folks put a lot of effort into making everyone feel welcomed.

Our days were filled with seminars, a few too many precautionary tales (i.e. horror stories) for my liking, and our nights were filled with buffet dinners, boozing and schmoozing.  Folks at the Rendezvous were from all over the US and Canada, some in the planning stages, some who have completed the Loop, some even multiple times, and many, many Loopers-In-Progress like us.

From left: Wayne (GYPSY 3), Mimi & Jim (just bought a boat, re-naming it shortly),
Rick & Margi (JOURNEY), Darrell & Lisa (WHY KNOT)

There were lots of introductions - of new Loopers, LooperWannabees, ex-Loopers, Loop-di-Doopers..all with stories, some hilarious, some mundane, of how and why we got here and are doing/will do/did the Loop.  All were here in Norfolk to learn from one another, see old friends, make new ones, and offer each other encouragement.  One reluctant Admiral-to-be, told of how she was finally starting to embrace the idea of this venture after hearing wonderful stories the first night of beautiful moments, fantastic voyages, sunsets, rainbows and chirping birds.....and then she went to the seminar on Life Rafts!  Big mistake! Picturing days afloat waiting to be rescued might have relegated her to Land Lubber status for life.

At some point during the seminar on How To Handle Those Locks, the speaker rattled off some worst case scenarios. You could practically smell the fear spread throughout the room. Just then, Rick Johnson got up, and in his down home style, reassured us that if he, Betsy and the hundreds of other idiots before us could manage their way through the Locks unharmed, we all had nothing to worry about. Rick also gave us the single best piece of advice for the Loop. He said, "never spend enough time with a group of Loopers to find out who the jerks are."

Ross, Betsy & Darrell

I am sure I am not accurately relating the essence of these few days.  We got some great tips, suggested routes, options and inside scoops on ways to make this trip more enjoyable, safer and certainly more sociable after meeting all these fun folks.

Well, we ate too much, partied too hearty and laughed until our sides hurt, but tomorrow we motor on...

We look forward to seeing many of our new friends (and maybe some visitors) along the Chesapeake Bay over the next few weeks....in Deltaville, VA, Solomon's Island, MD, & Annapolis, MD.....

We wish a very Happy Mothers Day to all, especially to my, sweet AnitaMom!

Where in the hell is Coinjock?

Well, it's about 1,025 miles North of  where we started from, and about 4,000 miles South of where we'll end up.  Hmm..not helpful? It's actually in North Carolina, where we are right now, and it's our last stop before we head to The AGLCA Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk, VA. It's also where we had our first dinner with other Loopers! "Coinjock" is an Indian term meaning mulberry, though no mulberry trees or bushes grow here, or have ever grown here for that matter...

Darrell & Lisa (WHY KNOT) & Jim & Dale (SWEET PEA),
 with Captain Awesome & me

But wait!! I'm getting way ahead of myself, as we went to Charleston, Georgetown, North Myrtle Beach, Cape Fear/Carolina Beach, Swansboro, Oriental, and Belhaven before we ever even heard of Coinjock.

So let's go back to Charleston, the Holy City, and begin our tale of historic sites, beauty, Jasmine, fried chicken, and surprise birthday visitors.

It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep secret from Ross, his son Joseph's plan to come with his brother Ross Jr. to see their Dad for his birthday.  After the 18th time I asked Ross semi-suspiciously where he thought we might land around his birthday, and got the "I'm not sure" answer,  I encouraged Joseph to spill the beans so we didn't miss out on their visit and have them chase us down like bounty hunters. Needless to say, Ross was thrilled they were driving all the way from NY to be with him for his 57th birthday (It's my Blog, I can say whatever I want.) We booked our stay for a week at Charleston City MegaDock. And Mega it was indeed! It was about a half mile from our slip to the marina office. We got there a few days early and had some time to tour Charleston and scope out some good restaurants before the Perrone Invasion.

We took our bikes downtown and explored this enchanting city!  The first thing that struck me was the smell of jasmine that permeates the air.  It's intoxicating! It's also much, much more pleasant than the sewage stink that wafted it's way to the marina from time to time, but I digress..

The first of many, many churches we saw

The architecture..

We had a fabulous lunch at Blossom's

The famous Gullah baskets made from sweetgrass

We snuck a peak at one of Charleston's amazing private gardens

Our second day was deemed Magnolia Day, as we took a tour of the Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, and followed it with a pre-birthday dinner celebration at Magnolia's, SC's divine fine dining restaurant.

A Magnolia, of course!

Part of the "natural", English-style gardens

Splendor in the grass

Cypress knees

Mmmm..

Happy Birthday, Baby!!

Am I happy too or what?!?

And at last, the moment we've been waiting for (drum roll,
please...):

It's Nicholas, AKA Nick P., grandson extraordinaire,
hidden in the trunk!

Nick P & Popeye on TheZone

It was a great surprise after all!  Ross had no idea that Ross Jr. decided at the last minute to sneak in Nick P. with them for a special birthday present.

We met Ross Jr. & Joseph in the parking lot of the marina.  Joey says, "hey Pop, can you grab something from the trunk?" All of a sudden Nick popped up, Ross jumped back and made one of those scared girlie sounds, and was then laughing and crying at the same time. Ross & Nick P. are like two peas in a pod and he couldn't have been happier!

Perrone Studs

This dish is called, "Big Nasty Biscuit w/Fried Chicken & Gravy

We had some amazing meals, explored some historic sites including Fort Sumter and the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum home to USS Yorktown  and USS Laffey, laughed tons, played cards, watched movies, ate more....

Their motto is,"Grits Are Good For You"

USS Yorktown

Yup, that's fried okra by that homemade coleslaw think Ross had mac 'n cheese on the side for 10 consecutive meals!

Onto Georgetown!

The morning they left, we left as well and headed to our next adventure! 
The more we practice, the better we get at docking and we've both begun to gain confidence.  Maybe too much! We cockily decided not to wear our headsets upon arriving at the Harborwalk Marina. We were told we would be pulling in on our starboard side and I went to the bow to prepare to throw the appropriate lines.  All of a sudden I see we are going in stern first (unusual for my Captain), and we are docking on the port side. Unbeknownst to me, the starboard engine had stalled, and Ross was therefore unable to maneuver the boat as planned.  Luckily, we didn't crash the dock or another boat and all's swell that ended swell. The engine idle needed to be adjusted. so that's that.  Meanwhile, we learned our lesson and wear our headsets, aka Marriage Savers, so that we can always communicate, even though we look silly, like this::

Still in SC, Georgetown proved to be another sweet spot.  It is South Carolina's third oldest city and has some beautiful historic homes on those tree lined streets named, as in the other cities, Water, or Church or Meeting, Main, or Front. We ended up spending a second night there due to weather conditions.  This meant I got a pedicure, he got a haircut and we really did relax a bit.  We also met some more Loopers! Ginny & Craig (BROWN EYED GIRL) and Mary & John (PASSPORT) invited us for our first "docktails".  They have been Looping for about 6 months each and regaled us with their stories and offered helpful hints.  They knew Carrie & John and other Loopers we'd met and told us we'd enjoy the Spring Rendezvous.


We needed to make up some time after our long stops in St. Augustine and Charleston, and we plugged along from marina to marina heading north our usual 50 miles a day. Ross and I have been through some interesting moments together, not always seeing each other at our best, though always making the best of even those moments.  I feel closer to him than ever before, and can't help but thank my lucky stars for having him in my life, and leading the life we are leading.

As we arrived at Barefoot Marina in North Myrtle Beach, NC we were greeted by waves from our new pals from BROWN EYED GIRL and PASSPORT.  How wonderful that felt!  We have been meeting more and more Loopers at every stop.  Some who have completed their journey, others who are even newer than us.  Always, it's a comfort to see one another.

We next docked in Swansboro at Casper's Marina owned and run by this sweet couple and their grandson.  Talk about Southern hospitality!  They offered to drive us to the Piggly Wiggly themselves.  (I just LOVE saying Piggly Wiggly.  Piggly Wiggly Piggly Wiggly Piggly Wiggly!)

Swansboro, along with the next few stops along North Carolina's Waterway including Oriental, Belhaven, Alligator River and Coinjock, are small towns that depend on marine tourism and the cruising community.  We were treated to extremely helpful and friendly folks.

                                                             Breakfast with some friends in Oriental, NC

                                                              Belhaven below.
                                                              And that's all I have to say about that!

The odd weather, ranging from 46 degrees to 90 degrees, including a hail storm after a 90 degree day of sun...has kept us busy with opening and closing doors, hatches and windows. It's practically an Olympic sport to run up and down three flights, climb, twist and bend in time so that not a single droplet spills inside. 

Before I left my job at The Estee Lauder Companies I stocked up on my creams and perfumes and such.  The only fragrance I use regularly now contains DEET.  Bugs and bug bites are just part of life on the water, at least in the south, and we are managing better than expected.  We always ask the locals what they use, and oddly, they recommend Skin So Soft more than anything else, besides just staying indoors.

At Alligator River Marina, we met the couples pictured at the top of the page.These folks are awesome and that place was a hoot.  The marina is mostly just a fuel dock and gas station. They also serve dinner in the back room nightly from 5-6:30PM.  We basically ate dinner at a gas station for $28, and that included two fly swatters, two scoops of Butter Pecan ice cream and a Slim Jim.

WHY KNOT & SWEET PEA buddy-boated with us to Coinjock and we enjoyed a truly fabulous meal and lots of laughs. 

                                                          Buddy Boats above and the famous 32 oz prime rib at the
                                                          Coinjock Marina & Restaurant below

Tomorrow we leave bright and early for Norfolk and the Looper Rendezvous.  We will experience our very first of many locks (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_(water_transport))...