Day 38: Saturday, October 13, 2012

Underway: 7:35 am      Motor Off: 12:35 pm      Miles Traveled: 23      Stayed At: Marina

First Things First: First time in Mississippi (for about 5 minutes in the middle of the river.

Mile 192 to Mile 215: Today was a much better day for travel than yesterday. Like yesterday, we are fighting an invisible but stronger than expected current but at least the weather is less threatening and the temps pushed to almost 80˚ in the sun.

We noticed the water line for the river was recently two or three feet higher than it is today – clearly marked by the dark, wet line along the shore. We asked the lock tender if the water level has dropped significantly in the last day or two and he said they may have let water out downstream to start bringing the pool down to normal winter levels. This would explain why we struggled against a stronger that expected current the last two days. We had been told to be careful to have plenty of water under your keel at anchor since river levels can drop or rise 2-3 feet overnight but I couldn’t figure how they could drop that much so fast. Now I believe them.

Another thing we have noticed along the Tennessee is a lot of houses – most of which are high up on banks and then raised even higher up on stilts or cement block “basements” – have steps going down to small docks but no boats to be seen. None. It’s too early to have all the boats pulled for the season. The river seems pretty tame around here. Where have all the boats gone? We’ll have to solve this mystery later.

After passing through the Pickwick Lock which raised us up 50+ feet to Pickwick Lake, we ended up at Grand Harbor Marina – a wonderful place to spend a day or two (or more if you have the time) at Mile 215 on the Tennessee or at Mile 449.7 – right at the beginning of the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway (Tenn-Tom Canal). This marks the end of the Tennessee River leg of our journey and the beginning of the Tenn-Tom leg.

We have tried to be good sailors and get our chores done as soon as we arrive at a marina or anchorage. This is good discipline and allows us to be ready to leave at any time if our plans change and lets us relax and enjoy our stay instead of worrying about all the projects we need to do before we leave for our next stop. So we gassed up the fuel tanks, pulled out all our cushions and foul weather gear to air and dry them out, scrubbed the hull (we are growing grass at the waterline) and deck, stripped the sheets and gathered our dirty clothes and washed a couple loads, put everything back again (usually the hard part), took showers and finally were able to relax at about 6:30 pm. We had reserved a courtesy car for the evening and drove towards Counce to try a local Mexican restaurant but missed it in the dark and ended up at a busy local dive called R&B’s BBQ where we thoroughly enjoyed their $8 rib special – 1/2 rack of ribs, baked beans, coleslaw, fries and texas toast – and we split a strawberry shake. This was a dive but a classic dive that we hope to discover all along our journey.

After stopping at the Pickwick grocery store to restock, we drove home on the narrow dark roads, stowed our goods and crashed ready for another day.

Day 37: Friday, October 12, 2012

Underway: 7:10 am      Motor Off: 5:45 pm      Miles Traveled: 24      Stayed At: Anchor

First Things First: First time we couldn’t get the anchor up.

Mile 168 to Mile 192: Although we had a bright and early start (on a cool and overcast day) from our anchorage at Indian Creek, mother nature kept getting in the way of our progress upstream. First, it was raining lightly when we were leaving. We made it only about 3 miles upstream when a dark cloud started rolling in and we decided not to chance fate again like earlier in the trip (what would Bruce do?), so we anchored behind a small island, tucked in near a large catamaran upstream and two power boats farther back downstream also waiting out the weather. It rained cats and dogs and thundered off and on for a couple of hours. We impatiently read and snacked and watched the rain fall as we waited for better weather.

We finally decided to try again to leave at about noon and found that the anchor rode had wrapped around the centerboard at least once. The centerboard was down to try to keep us straight in the current. After guessing correcty which way to unwrap the line we then found out the anchor was stuck on something on the bottom. After “powering” (if you can call it that with an 8 hp motor) into deeper water, whatever it was fell off and released the anchor and we were off – for about 1 minute. We made it about 100 feet when it started raining again so we anchored for one final time (Cindy is getting her exercise as our anchor windlass). We left for good at 1:25 pm – our third try – and had an uneventful mostly dry afternoon motoring to our next anchorage at Wolf Island.

Wolf Island was a quiet anchorage and, although we are close to Savannah, Tennessee, we still don’t have internet or phone connections. A minor frustration but hard to get used to in 2012.

Wild Things: Saw a lonely white goat walking along the bank on one of the islands we passed.

In Passing: Hookers Bend, Flat Bluff, Sawmill Branch, Maple Slash Slough, Big Gum Pond and Coffee Bottom

Day 36: Thursday, October 11, 2012

Underway: 8:00 am      Motor Off: 3:25 pm      Miles Traveled: 25     Stayed At: Anchor

First Things First: First time taking evasive action to avoid another boat.

Mile 143 to Mile 168: Brrr! They predicted frost for this area last night but we don’t think it quite made it to freezing at Kelly’s Island. We had lots of dew on the outside and condensation on the inside of Aurora, but no frost yet. We need to keep heading south I guess.

We stopped at Clifton Marina to gas up and ended up having a great lunch of grilled burgers (on a real outdoor grill), fries and onion rings (we’ll eat some of our tons of food on the boat tomorrow). Cindy, the marina jack of all trades (dock hand, clerk, chief cook, and probably bottle washer) gave Cindy a full cotton ball after breaking it off of a full branch used as a decoration in front of the marina. Bruce on Tango came in for the day just as we were getting ready to leave – he had heard they have a highly recommended hamburger steak meal for dinner – I think he might have been drooling already.

We learned something today. Even though we are travelling less than 6 mph most of the time and can usually see 2 or more miles down river, surprises can still happen. Today, while Cindy was driving, she suddenly had to swerve to avoid a small fishing boat that was right in our path in the middle of the main channel. These small boats tend to blend into the background vegetation (especially since they many time are wearing dark or camo colored clothing) and are hard to see. We almost could have served them lunch we got so close but everything turned out okay and it was a good reminder that you can’t let your guard down for a minute.

After a slow, relatively uneventful day – except for the handful of cows we saw drinking down by the river – we motored up Indian Creek at Mile 168 and anchored in a nice cove for the night. Today was a short day but the choices for safe anchorages are few and far between and we only need to get within a days’ range of Pickwick State Park that is our next planned stop and the beginning of a new leg of our journey.

Day 35: Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Underway: 9:15 am      Motor Off: 5:55 pm      Miles Traveled: 47      Stayed At: Anchor

First Things First: First free breakfast at a marina.

Mile 96 to Mile 143: After hot showers and a wonderful breakfast of fresh hot cinnamon rolls and coffee (a surprise treat from the marina), we motored out into an amazing day for sailing.

It doesn’t get much better than this. Warm sunshine on a fall day, following breezes, sails up and beautiful scenery moving slowly by on both sides of the river. The wind was so nice we decided to let Boris rest for awhile and were silently cruising on a beam to broad reach up river for a half hour before we decided to douse the sails to get under a lift bridge. Yesterday was cold, clammy and gave us wind on the nose and we couldn’t wait to stop for the day. Today, we don’t want this day to end and only anchor because we run out of daylight. We ended up motor sailing most of the day and actually sailed without assist for over an hour.

At Mile 109 at 11:40 a.m. today we hit a thousand miles of our journey.  It seems like we have been doing this forever and yet we are only into our second month. We need to remember to enjoy each day because this adventure will end before we know it like some of our Looper friends whose trips are nearing completion.

After a long, exhilarating and tiring (good tired) day, we anchored with a small motor tug next to Kelly’s Island at Mile 143. This is a deep anchorage and we had to try three times to the anchor to set properly and let Aurora settle in with the current holding us steady all night. We rearranged Aurora by moving some heavier items in the stern lazerette to a storage compartment in the bow to try to balance our load out a little. When Boris is pushing us up-current, the stern digs in too much creating a lot of drag. Hopefully this will help.  We also removed a half dozen 2-liter bottles of water from home that we will enjoy over the next several days – Cindy really likes Mound water. Mike likes the idea that we are going to get rid of 50 pounds of excess weight. Someday we may even see Aurora’s waterline again.

After a dinner of leftover rotisserie chicken, rice and corn, we cleaned up and relaxed after a great day on the river. Just before going to bed we went out in the cockpit and stood in awe as the milky way arched over our heads surrounded by more stars than we have seen in a long time. What a way to end a top ten day on our Great Loop adventure.

Day 34: Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Underway: 7:40 am      Motor Off: 1:15 pm      Miles Traveled: 30      Stayed At: Marina wall

Mile 66 to Mile 96: The day dawned cool and foggy as we prepared to leave Paris Island Marina. Temperatures have been 10-12˚ cooler than normal for this time of year and have almost matched temperatures back home in Minnesota. This is not what we expected but we have lots of layers to choose from and have not suffered too much.

We followed Tango out of the harbor with only wispy fog creating a beautiful sunrise view of the river. As we traveled upriver, the fog created some interesting effects. In some areas, rivers of fog rolled down low areas along the shore and spilled out onto the river before disappearing as it hit the warmer water. In other areas we thought we were watching some scary movie as Tango would disappear into the abyss in a small dark fog bank where all we could see was the tip of his mast. Yet, when we entered the fog bank, we had decent visibility and could see for miles behind us. Spooky and beautiful at the same time. The scariest part was all the fishing boats whizzing by at full speed fog or no fog trying to catch that winning fish.

The fog kept the temperatures down to where Cindy was wearing maybe a record number of layers – she wouldn’t let me count them. But I was cold too so we were glad to end the day a little early by following Tango into a highly recommended family owned marina – Pebble Isle – at Mile 96. The sun was shining, the wind died down and Cindy had to start stripping layers within minutes of tying up to the transient dock.

Even though we live in the year 2012, communications can still be difficult in remote or lightly traveled areas. The marina had decent satellite internet that allowed me to do some furnace research (our dirt house needs a new furnace since it is getting very cold in Minnesota). In order to call and arrange the installation, I had to climb up a hill and stand in a particular 5-foot diameter circle in a parking lot under a street lamp and even there it was iffy. Glad that project is in good hands and I can relax a little.

It was nice to see some Looper friends on Northern Spirit – they have taken a leisurely cruise down the lake stopping at several nice anchorages and biding their time before they head to the Looper Rendevous in the middle of October. We also saw Loopy Kiwi from Green Turtle Bay and met a nice couple that are professional crew on a 57’ motor yacht. They basically live on the boat year round and manage the boat for the owner. They have made the north south river trip many times over the last five years (usually a lot faster than us at 20+ mph). What an interesting career.

After enjoying a walk to a nearby park celebrating the site of Old Johnsonville and a civil war memorial, we shared a strawberry shake from the onsite restaurant and a snack of crackers and cheese for dinner on Aurora. We found out our daughters have tickets to visit us in Florida in December and can’t wait to share a little of our adventure with them. We slept like babies at Pebble Isle.

Day 34: Monday, October 8, 2012

Underway: 9:45 am      Motor Off: 5:15 pm      Miles Traveled: 42      Stayed At: Marina

First Things First: First time motorsailing with both sails flying.

Mile 32 (Cumberland) to Mile 66 (Tennessee): It’s nice to be underway again. The marina life is fun but, after a while, it can be exhausting to be social all the time. We will no doubt cross paths with some of our new found friends in the next year and keep in touch

It’s cool but sunny with a gentle following breeze so we are motorsailing with boat the jib and main up. We are almost a sailboat again. Yaaa! Bruce on Tango is just couple of miles behind us also motorsailing.

We talked to Robert and Theresa on It’ll Be Alright just before leaving – they were able to fix their steering chain last night so they are ready to have their mast pulled this week in preparation for their voyage to the Caribbean. Now that is an adventure.

We have enjoyed hearing and reading the stories of other Great Loop travelers. Many people who have done this trip keep logs or publish blogs online. When we were planning this trip we heard about several other people – friends or relatives of friends – who decided to pack up and go on this adventure. One of our neighbors’  father and uncle (Bob and Dick) did the Great Loop on a small powerboat named Fuddy Duddy over a period of 5 years and 6,465 miles in 3-4 week increments each year. We have enjoyed reading about their adventures along the way. We have discovered good marinas and anchorages, things to watch out for and interesting places to visit by reading other peoples stories.

After an uneventful motor sail up the Tennessee River, we decided to stay at Paris Landing State Park. We arrived after closing and couldn’t find anyone to talk to so we just stayed at one of the many empty transient slips near the floating store/office. Bruce followed us in too. We invited him over for dinner and enjoyed steak, fried red potatoes, salads and an apple as the sun was setting. A nice way to end another great day on the river.

In Passing: Blood River, Ginger Bay, Happy Chandler Park, Blockhouse Creek, Snipe Creek, Redd Hollow Creek, Turkey Bay, Mays Hollow, First Class Harbor, Second Class Harbor, Aurora Kentucky.

Day 33: Sunday, October 7, 2012

Underway: Marina      Motor Off: Marina      Miles Traveled: 00      Stayed At: Marina

First Things First: First sightseeing trip by car.

Mile 32 to Mile 32: Before buckling down and finishing all the projects we should have done earlier this week, we had to say goodbye to our friends Rob and Ann on Rumpshaker. They headed out for their new home base in Alabama this morning after we shared some more stories and coffee with them (that carp they caught in their johnboat has now grown to be 6’ long with teeth like a piranha). We will see them again for sure.

We were very productive today. Some of the projects we completed included Skyping the girls, calling the Grandma’s, sending various emails and texts, paying bills, checking our finances, sending post cards, charging all of our gadgets and batteries, doing laundry, taking showers, filling water bottles, fixing a few things, last minute shopping, organizing the boat, stowing stuff that was on dock, planning our voyages for the next week, writing blog post notes, meeting  some new Loopers and saying goodbye to our old and new friends. Even with all of that, we were able to combine a quick trip to the dry Walmart in Benton, Kentucky with a loop through Aurora, Kentucky, over the Kentucky River and north along the Trace through the center of the Land Between the Lakes. A beautiful fall trip.

Leaving a place like Green Turtle Bay is hard. We have met a lot of wonderful people here and made many great memories. It’s amazing how fast a place can feel like home. We will miss our old and new GTB friends. We will try to follow everyone online through emails and blog posts. Good luck on all of your upstream (downstream) adventures.

After a relaxing dinner of rotisserie chicken, red potatoes, beans and strawberries, we cleaned up, finished a few computer projects and crashed the minute our heads hit the pillow. The next leg of our adventure begins tomorrow.

Day 32: Saturday, October 6, 2012

Underway: Marina      Motor Off: Marina      Miles Traveled: 00      Stayed At: Marina

First Things First: First time participating in a sailboat race; first real (non-motor assisted) sail of the trip.

Mile 32 to Mile 32: After a night of cold rain, we are glad the day dawned sunny with a light breeze. A perfect day for a fall sailboat race. Its race day so, after getting up at sunrise, we dressed in multiple layers, packed our gear (more layers) and walked three boats down to It’ll Be Alright where Theresa and Richard were getting the boat ready for the race. Bob from Grand Cru arrived and we headed out to the race course on Kentucky Lake.

Bob is the only one on the boat with significant race experience. He, with family members as crew, raced the Chicago to Mackinac Race on Grand Cru and took third in the cruiser category. This is a prestigious and challenging race so it is nice to have his expertise on board.

We practiced a few tacks along the start line and tried to get our timing down just right so we would cross the line just as the start flag was dropped. Keep in mind that we weren’t the only ones trying to do this – a bunch of other boats of all sizes were in the same small area sailing in all directions, trying to do the same thing. What a rush. We were perfectly positioned for a great start but at the last minute there was a race delay and restart so we had to tack around to try to get back into position for the 5-minute gun. The second time was the charm and we hit the start line almost like we knew what we were doing (and better yet, didn’t hit anything else in the process). The race was underway on a beautiful sunny fall day. What a great place to be at this moment in time.

Racing is a few moments of bedlam followed by long periods of relative calm (at least the way we were racing). The course looped upwind around a buoy and then headed downwind for a long ways before coming back upwind to the finish line. With the different classes of boats and staggered start times, the boats quickly spread out over the course. It’s a special sight to see 8-10 sailboats spread out in front and behind you with their bright white sails and a few colorful spinnakers flying in the following breeze. We were racing for the fun of it – its tough to win a race with a boat provisioned with everything needed for a three year cruise – and we were making the most of it.

We rounded the downwind mark and started tacking upwind and our nice relaxing sail soon turned a lot more exciting. We were taking turns driving, and, as luck would have it, I was at the wheel as we were making a tack across the channel towards our final buoy mark before heading for the finish line. Without warning I noticed that I had no steering. The wheel was free spinning and no longer controlling the rudder. This is not good. Especially since we were on an upwind tack, under full sail and only about 500’ from a shallow shoal area along the channel with depths marked as low as 5’ – It’ll Be Alright draws 5’ at the bottom of her keel. Oh-oh! After some quick checking to see if something had been bumped or knocked out of position, we soon realized that the wheel was useless. The boat was sideways to the wind and quickly drifting towards the shoal when Theresa decided we should drop the anchor to slow our drift. This helped to slow the boat and brought the sails into the wind making is easier to drop them. Richard found the cause of the problem was a missing master link in the chain drive that runs over a gear connected to the wheel down through some other mechanisms to the rudder. He didn’t have a replacement link. So Theresa quickly found the emergency tiller in the rear stateroom under the bed that was also where the connection was to the rudder. The tiller was easily attached so we now had steerage but this created another interesting problem. The person on the tiller was way under the deck in an enclosed stateroom and could only see sky looking up through a large hatch over his head. We had to pass information from the person in the cockpit to a person at the hatch down to the person on the tiller. Not an easy way to steer a boat.

We started the motor and pulled up the anchor and made way for the marina about 10 miles away. After a short time someone got the idea to give Richard the Ipad with the navigation software on it so he could steer a course down the sailing line and we just needed to tell him if there was traffic in the way. This worked well but then Theresa had the idea to try to control the boat using the hydraulic self-steering system. This system is connected to the tiller independently from the wheel so it should work. By pressing the plus or minus 10˚ and 1˚ buttons she were able to easily control the boat. Using the bow thruster also helped with small adjustments.

We made it back to the channel between Barkley Lake and Kentucky Lake and, after looping around 10˚ at a time to wait for a tow to clear out of our way, we headed up the channel. All was going perfect until we passed under a bridge when suddenly the autopilot stopped responding. The boat immediately headed to the starboard (right) directly towards the rocks and the concrete bridge pillar. Double yikes! Theresa immediately put the boat in reverse to stop our forward speed and Richard dove in to take the emergency tiller again. We stopped seconds from the rocks and backed to the middle of the narrow channel to try to figure out what to do. The autopilot was reset and started responding again and Theresa was able to pilot the boat back to the marina and directly into their slip (where 6 people were waiting to help) all under automatic pilot controls. Wow! A perfect lesson in seamanship (with a little bit of luck mixed in).

And our day wasn’t over yet. After organizing the boat (and kissing the dock), Bob (from Grand Cru) invited Cindy and I over to his boat for a tour. He was moored in a little cove about 1 mile from GTB so we hopped in his dinghy and motored over there. Wow. What a beautiful boat. Grand Cru is a five year old Island Packet 440 that has obviously been well cared for. We warmed up with hot rum toddies and wine and enjoyed our tour and great conversation. We returned to GTB with Bob to attend the post race party (I’m kind of enjoying this sailboat racing lifestyle) on the beach under a tent where they served bratwurst, hamburgers, wine and desert. We were cold from a long day on the lake but had a blast talking about our days adventures and meeting some of the other racers and crew. We are just transients passing through but everyone has been so incredibly nice and welcoming. It makes us feel a little less homesick. And we weren’t done with our day yet.

Debbie from Water Music had invited us over for desert in the evening so we waited to see if we won anything in the drawing (I’m not sure what I would do with a 32” TV but a new GPS would be handy) and we walked back to the marina and straight over to Water Music for apple pie, more fun stories and good company with our friends on Water Music and Rumpshaker. We’re really tired but having a blast at GTB. Today will be one of those days that you never forget.

Lessons Learned:  Be ready for anything at anytime. It’ll be alright.

Day 31: Friday, October 5, 2012

Underway: Marina      Motor Off: Marina      Miles Traveled: 00      Stayed At: Marina

First Things First: First regatta party.

Mile 32 to Mile 32: The day started bright and early with more good food and company. We brought a tube of cinnamon rolls to Rumpshaker to cook and share. Rumpshaker contributed hot coffee and hot chocolate. Everyone was happy.

We finished our breakfast treats and headed to the courtesy car for another Walmart run. On the way we met Joel who thought Debbie might like to come with so we all piled into the old but functional minivan for another trip to a wet Walmart (a Walmart that sells beer and other alcohol). Wet is better than dry in this case.

After our errands, Cindy and I walked into town again to wander and burn off some cinnamon rolls. We walked all over town checking out different stores and sights. We stopped at the Sugar and Spice shop hoping to buy a couple of cookies for later and instead met Marilyn – the resident owner and chief chef. She likes to cook. (We keep meeting people who like to cook). Her restaurant is by appointment only. She treats small groups of up to 12 people to family style German food in a quaint, homey room. She doesn’t just live above her restaurant, she lives in her restaurant. She has had a very interesting career and we enjoyed her stories and a couple of sample bite size pies. But we went away empty handed without cookies.

Not that it mattered since we were invited to a pre-race gathering at the convention center building near the marina that was serving “heavy hors d’oeuvre”. It seems we are going to be racing a sailboat tomorrow. We were invited by Theresa and Richard on It’ll Be Alright to crew for them in the Commonwealth Cup Regatta on Saturday as part of Kentucky Lake Race Week. Now this should be an adventure for all of us.

The pre-race gathering served up great food, some race information and lots of lively conversation. Bob from Grand Cru also stopped by and is going to crew on It’ll Be Alright – which is great since he actually knows a little about racing and a lot about sailboats. Tomorrow should be a memorable day to say the least.

Day 30: Thurday, October 4, 2012

Underway: Marina      Motor Off: Marina      Miles Traveled: 00      Stayed At: Marina

First Things First: First mast restepping; first chili cookoff.

Mile 32 to Mile 32: After a quiet nights sleep we all woke to another bright sunny day – great for biking 70-90 miles right through the middle of the Land Between the Lakes. We treated Richard and KC and Scott to breakfast at the Dockside Café at the marina. Richard has been having trouble getting the 6,000 calories per day he needs to maintain his weight while biking (I wish) – its impossible to eat healthy fruits and vegetables and get enough calories. Twinkies help but he definitely needs more calories. After more great conversation and food, we all said goodbye to Richard and wished him safe passage to Florida.

After doing some computer projects like backing up our photos and organizing some files, we went over to Tango to help Bruce re-step his mast. He will be a true sailing vessel again. The mast raising went up without a hitch (which is a minor miracle given all the cables and ropes that could end up catching on something) and we returned to Aurora to finish a couple projects.

The Yachtclub sponsored a free chili tasting and invited anyone who wanted to come to vote for their favorite recipe. We joined Rumpshaker and Grand Cru in tasting 5 different chili’s and were having so much fun we missed the docktails gathering and returned to Rumpshaker for movie night. All is well in Kentucky.

Day 29: Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Underway: Marina      Motor Off: Marina      Miles Traveled: 00      Stayed At: Marina

First Things First: First ebelskevers of the trip; first overnight boat guest, first dock-tails (cocktails by the dock).

Mile 32 to Mile 32: The day dawned bright and sunny – finally – a good day to have brunch with our boat friends. Cindy and I were up early prepping the batter and cooking bacon for our brunch. Since our boat is too small, Rumpshaker was nice enough to offer their boat for our little party. (Thanks for all your hard work getting ready for a bunch of boat guests). You couldn’t have asked for a better party. We were joined by Joel and Debbie from Water Music, Bruce from Tango, Ron and Lynn from Northern Spirit and Dave and Joy from Maia. A big crowd for Ebelskevers. Thankfully, the first batch turned out perfect (no swear words from Cindy) and were soon followed by many more batches. Except for Rob and Ann, ebelskevers were a new experience and a big hit – especially covered in strawberries, powdered sugar, peanut butter, syrup or even just plain hot out of the pan. We ended up with 6 left from a double batch and these did not make it back to the boat.

We found another one of those random connections while chatting with Joel and Debbie from Water Music. It turns out one of their daughter went to school with our nephew Ryan and they knew Cindy’s brother and sister-in-law Sue really well. A really, really small world.

Cindy wanted a t-shirt like Lynn on Northern Spirit had – a line drawing of a sailboat saying “Life is Good” (which it is). We walked to town to get a shirt and wander around for a while and came home with a boat guest.

While we were in the Cool Things store I heard a click…click…click sound. I knew what makes that sound – bike shoes with cleats. A young guy in biking gear walked in looking for postcards. I like to bike and I had to find out more about this guy. There has to be an interesting story here right? So we started talking. It turns out Richard is from England and he is biking from Washington State diagonally across the US to Florida (www.richardonabike.com). On a fully loaded 80 pound bike. Alone. Now that is an adventure.

After talking to him about his trip, we decided to invite him to stay on Aurora (now that will be an adventure for Richard). He was interested but was hoping to get another 20 miles down the road. After we told him we had a pool, sauna and hot showers, he decided he had gone far enough today – he could make up the mileage some other day. And we are glad he did.

We walked back to the boat and Richard parked his bike on our end of the dock and went up to enjoy a quick swim and sauna. We organized the boat a little and put several bins that were in the starboard quarter berth outside in the cockpit. Plenty of room for a guest.

When he returned, it was time for our first docktails with friends from Took the Plunge, Seabatical, Rumpshaker, Jet Stream and other Loopers. Richard is on a different journey but he fit right in and fun was had by all. About 8 pm Cindy decided we needed to feed our guest so we were going to go back to the boat and cook spaghetti but KC on Jet Stream overheard our conversation and said she had a container full of spaghetti ready to eat. So before we knew it, we were on Jet Stream getting loaded up with spaghetti, watermelon and toast. (This is the second time they have fed us – we loaned them our rice cooker at Kaskaskia Lock and it came back full of leftovers). Thank you KC and Scott –we appreciate your generosity and kindness. What an amazing and unexpected adventure. Just another unforgettable day on the Loop.

Day 28: Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Underway: Marina      Motor Off: Marina      Miles Traveled: 00      Stayed At: Marina

First Things First: First marina pool/sauna experience; first marina movie.

Mile 32 to Mile 32: We woke up to a cool, misty morning although the heavy rain appears to be over for now. Cindy and I walked into Grand River to see the town and what it had to offer. Not much was open but we did stop by the marina on Kentucky Lake that we had passed after locking through. We had to check out all the sailboats there.

Other than a few boat projects our only commitment for today was a reservation for lunch with Rumpshaker and Tango at Patties – a local restaurant famous for a lot of things including their 2” thick pork chops. We had a hamburger and chicken sandwich but Rob and Ann split the pork chop and enjoyed it thoroughly. Patties also makes amazing deserts which we also sampled. A nice place to visit but professional decorators would have a heart attack seeing all the seasonal decorations covering every square inch of the walls and ceilings. We heard that there isn’t a silk flower left in the five county area – I believe it.

We wandered down the transient dock for the power boaters to see if anyone we knew was around. Jet Stream, Seabattical and Took the Plunge were all there but now one was home. We stopped by Water Music to say hi – Rumpshaker told us they had locked through with them and noticed they were from St. Paul so we had to introduce ourselves. We met Joel and Debbie and found out that not only are we both Loopers, one of their daughters lives in Mound just a few minutes from us. What a small world. We invited them to our little brunch get together tomorrow – it’ll be like old home week.

We finished the day with a nice swim in the GTB indoor pool, a quick sweat in the saunas and hot showers.  We were able to connect to Netflix and watch a movie using marina internet – a miracle. What a nice way to end a misty, cold day – full, warm and relaxed – is it 8 pm yet?

Day 27: Monday, October 1, 2012

Underway: Marina     Motor Off: Marina      Miles Traveled: 00     Stayed At: Marina

First Things First: First courtesy car.

Mile 32 to Mile 32: Rainy and dreary all day – a great day to make a run to Walmart to restock and reconnect with old and new friends. After using the courtesy car to load up on food and essentials in Padukah, we had lunch with Rumpshaker and caught up with their adventures getting here from Alton Marina. They are only a little over a week from being done with their trip to relocate to Alabama – the journey has gone way too fast.

Bruce on Tango (from Kaskaskia Lock and Dam) motored in looking a little worse for the wear from his long tiring journey. He ended up getting stuck on the lock wall for days longer than he wanted because they opened the dam and let out a lot of water along with logs and other debris. The current was so swift he couldn’t safely get away from the wall. They closed the wall and pool because of the turbulence which caused boaters coming down from Hoppies to have to quickly find less than perfect spots to anchor on the Mississippi. I’m sure we’ll hear more about Bruces’ adventures later this week.

We enjoyed happy hour with Rumpshaker on Northern Spirit. We sat in their fully enclosed cockpit and enjoyed snacks, drinks and conversation, with a steady rain falling on the canvas cover, until well after dark. We made plans for brunch on Wednesday morning. Cindy is going to make Ebelskiver’s (round Danish pancakes) for breakfast – we actually brought the heavy cast iron pan with for just this type of occasion. We wouldn’t want to go too long without knowing where our next meal was coming from would we?