The St. Johns River

Only about 45 years ago in the wee hours of the morning of February 12, 1970, I and many other "recruits" were on our hands and knees in an old WWII barracks building at the "Reception Center" at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri having just arrived for our first day of U.S. Army service--Basic training. They didn't have anything for us to do so they told us to reach into our dopp kits and pull out our tooth brushes and commence scrubbing the wood floor. We did that until 2 or 3 in the morning then, finally, were sent to another barracks building where we were "put to bed". Somewhere in this process I met a guy named Bernie Boryc Like me, and others, he had just graduated from college, and had signed up for Officer's Candidate School with the Combat Engineers. Although serving in different training companies throughout Basic, we ended up as Squad Leaders in the same company for our AIT training (Advanced Individual Training) and, together, learned how to build bridges and blow them up. After completing our training we were sent, along with 20 others, to Ft. Hood, Texas where we served the balance of our Army stint, first with the 1st Armored Division and then with the 1st Cavalry Division. Although I was married and living off base with Diane and Bernie was still single and living in the barracks on base we continued our friendship. Eventually, Bernie went home and married Jane--his college sweetheart--and brought her back to Ft Hood for the remainder of his (our) term. Diane and I and Bernie and Jane became fast friends and remain so to this day. Although we drifted apart during those years that we were pursuing our careers (me in the law business and he as a rising management star with Sears) and raising our families, we continued to stay in contact--usually through Christmas letters and an occasional phone call. Then, around the summer of 2008, as B and J were passing through Colorado on vacation, they came to visit us at our townhome in Vail. Since then we have tried to get together on almost a yearly basis--not an easy thing to do as they live in Madison, Wisconsin. But we've managed to have some amazing times together--sailing in the Abaco's, hanging out on our boat in Punta Gorda, and most recently a 2 week Alaska Cruise. So it was only fitting that I asked Bernie if he would like to join me on Opus V for a guy trip to explore the St. Johns River.( Diane was to be in Chicago for a couple weeks tending to her sister after major knee surgery)Much to my surprise and delight Bernie took me up on my invitation (and Jane encouraged it).
We arrived within minutes of one another in Orlando and traveled over to Palm Coast in a rental car. We spent the next few days getting the boat ready, provisioning and readying and christening our new dinghy (the old one had finally given up the ghost).
On Saturday, October 24th, we took off and headed up the ICW to St. Augustine where we picked up a mooring ball in the city owned mooring field for the day and night. The trip was only around 25 miles so we arrived with plenty of time to dinghy ashore and spend the afternoon seeing the sites, having a beer and a cigar at "Stogies" and an early dinner at "Catch 27"---delightful restaurant. Then back to the boat for "sundowners" and early to bed.
The next morning, early, we detached from the ball and headed north again to tie up at a dock on the eastern outskirts of Jacksonville. Finally, we were on the St. Johns River.
The SJR flows north out of Lake George in almost central Florida--just north and east of Orlando--ie. it runs almost a third of the length of the Florida peninsula. At the north end it is quite wide--as much as a couple miles--but then narrows to average river width farther south. It is one of the few rivers in north America that flows south to north. I've been reading about cruising these waters for some time and was anxious and curious to do so.
The next day we wound down river to, and eventually through, Jacksonville and out into the river proper. After spending one night on the hook in a nice cove and dinner at the world famous "Outback Crab Shack" we moved on to Palatka. This old river town, famous for its timber industry but currently struggling to survive, is located at the south end of the wide part of the river where it begins to narrow and winds its way south to Lake George. We spent 2 days in Palatka because of some rainy weather and, thus, didn't get to explore the southern end of the river---maybe next time.
We then headed back north and spent the night on the hook in Doctor's Lake just south of Jacksonville proper. The next day we motored through J'ville and all the way back to St. Augustine--and the next day back to home port in Palm Coast.
The river lived up to its reputation as a very nice cruising ground with lots of tributaries, inlets and coves to tuck into and small towns along the way. We were disappointed that we didn't get the chance to explore further south where it gets even more interesting--but all in all the trip was great, fun and very interesting--for the most part the weather cooperated and the boat performed beautifully. Naturally, Bernie and I had plenty of time to regale each other with many stories about our lives before and after the Army and really came to recognize and appreciate this friendship that has lasted over these many years. Bernie proved to be quite a helpful and skillful "First Mate". I hope that he is willing and able to convince Jane that she ought to join us for another trip sometime in the near future.
Plans:   We're planning on spending the spring of 2016 in the Florida Keys. We'd like to move the boat back to Ft. Myers to the Legacy Harbor Marina some time in late Jan. or early Feb. to wait out the weather and then head south in the Gulf of Mexico to the Keys and Key west in March-April. There's lots to be discovered by us in the Keys although we have spent considerable time previously in  Marathon. Hopefully we can have some family/friends join us occasionally for a bit of fun on and in the water. 'Till then---Life is Good.

LIFE IS GOOD IN PALM COAST, FLORIDA

                                                              
                                                      
                                             Diane at the Fort in St. Augustine


                                                                     
                                        Two Old Farts Resting at the "Oldest Schoolhouse"




Palm Coast is a "new" community about 20 miles south of St. Augustine, on the east coast. We pulled into the Hammock Beach Marina on Sunday, March 22 as this is the place where we would spend several days with Kris and family at the Hammock Beach Resort. We rented a 3 bedroom condo at the resort for the "kids" but never really needed 2 of the bedrooms as the little ones (Anna--age 11; Asher--age 8; Elli--age 6)
wanted to sleep with us on the boat at the marina. Fun times. They were really excited about it and we managed to put up with having our grandkids with us. It was great!
One day we took the boat out and motored up the waterway to Matanzas Inlet where the plan was to anchor and cook a hamburger picnic on the boat. We encountered some really shallow water at the intended anchorage and opted just to turn around and head back down the waterway at a leisurely pace while we cooked the burgers on the Jenn-Air grill on the fly-deck and picnic while underway--taking turns at the helm. What a glorious day. Several times dolphins swam in our wake--no more than 3 feet from the side of the boat, jumping and really putting on a show. You can imagine how thrilled the little ones (and the big ones) were. It was like some movie director said, "Cue the dolphins!!
The visit was far too short and the weather didn't cooperate completely but we had a great time. We did get in 2 days at the beach although one of them was quite cold with a cold front that blew through the day after their arrival. Beach, swimming pool, boat ride, dinner out, picnic on the boat, sleeping on the boat, playing "quarters" (a mindless game where you roll dice and either pass one or more quarters to the left or right or into the pot and the last one left with quarters wins the pot. When 6 year old Elli won she muttered, "Bring it to Mama" as she raked in her quarters---We about fell off our chairs laughing. She is a very precocious character)
It had been an interesting trip up here. We left a marina at New Smyrna Beach the morning of the 20th after waiting (we thought) for a very dense fog to lift. We got about 1/2 mile up the waterway when it settled in again and we couldn't see more than 25 feet in front of us. Rather than head back to the marina we opted to just sit adrift in the middle of the channel and wait. Of greatest concern at the moment was a drawbridge up ahead about a 1/2 mile that we felt we could fit under with a couple feet of clearance but weren't sure as we were on a high tide. We would have had to get right up on it before making the decision to ask for an opening or not and I didn't want to risk it in the middle of the fog (You can be fined a fairly stiff penalty if you require an unnecessary bridge opening). The fog would not cooperate---We hung out in the middle of the channel, sounding our horn every couple of minutes to warn off any approaching boats, for about an hour. Finally we radioed a marina just off to our right and asked permission to tie up to their T-Head dock until the fog lifted. The harbor master came out and helped with our lines and we waited there for about another hour. Our fuel was a bit low--just over a quarter tank--so we took advantage of the time to fuel up while we waited. Not the best price but not too bad--but very convenient.
Finally, the fog lifted and we were underway once again on our trek north to Palm Coast.
Having some time to relax and assess our circumstances we came to a couple conclusions that result in a change of plans (we should know better to even talk about our "plans" on this blog because they're always changing). First--overnight or even 2 night stops are killing us, cost-wise. We've found that there are not enough safe and easy anchorages in this part of the ICW and end up spending too many nights in marinas. Second--We actually do most of our site-seeing from our car. While motoring along "the ditch" is pleasant and sometimes quite scenic but you really only see the area on land. So, we decided to park the boat here on a month-to-month basis (much cheaper than doing a bunch of overnights at different marinas) and explore the area by car. We spent two days in St. Augustine doing what tourists do there--a very pretty and interesting city and history--and are playing some golf at area golf courses. Also, we decided to head back to Houston earlier than originally planned to take care of some business, taxes, check in with the medical profession and begin preparations for our cruise to Alaska in May (with our dear friends from Madison, WI--my old army buddy, Bernie and wife Jane.
So we'll be leaving the boat here soon, and start heading back to H Town with a couple of stops along the way for some Apalachiacola (SP?) oysters and some golf in Pensacola. This schedule allows me to attend a couple of my choral organization's events and an important Board Meeting later this month. (The Lake Houston Musical Arts Society board drew me back in as Chair just before and despite their knowledge that we were heading to the boat in Florida). The "plan" is to return sometime in June and either continue up the east coast or, possibly, head over to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas--or both. Of course June begins the oppressively hot summer here in Fla. so we'll not want to linger too long in this area. (I've been to the islands in August and, with the sea breezes it's not too bad. Heading up the coast to the north also would bring some relief from the heat. Fortunately we have very competent A/C on the boat and a helm station in the main cabin where, if it gets too uncomfortable, we can turn on the generator, while underway and steer from the comfort of our air-conditioned living room.

Anyway, that's "the plan". Stay tuned for more changes. One thing is certain--we are loving this experience, despite the bumps and challenges.

 The Gang of Seven

  Downtown St. Augustine                                                        

                                                     

                                                                               

                                                                                 

                                                                      

  

                                                                    
                                                          
                                                                      


                                                                    

MOVIN' NORTH

We are tied up in the Cocoa Village Marina in Cocoa, Florida.
As usual, our plans took a dramatic turn when a minor incident occurred that required us to head out of our anchorage in Lake Worth and head into a marina in North Palm Beach. (I won't go into the details here). As it turned out it was a very nice change in the plan. Instead of heading south to Ft Lauderdale, my cousin, Jane, with whom we had left our car in Ft Lauderdale, drove up to pick us up in N. Palm Beach at the North Palm Beach Marina. We all drove down to Ft Lauderdale and spent the afternoon at a restaurant/bar on the New River, took a short boat ride up the river and enjoyed the sights along the way. (The New River is a narrow river that runs west out of the waterway through downtown Ft Lauderdale. It is lined with condo's, bars, restaurants, marinas and a "river walk" area. Quite the place to see and be seen. It was a Friday afternoon so around 4:00 the river got quite crowded with boats of every type and size and people---lots of people. Our original thought had been to take our boat up the river to experience the experience but we are glad we didn't, The river was jammed with traffic--is quite narrow and many of the "boaters" have no idea what they're doing. Kind of a "Caddy Shack" experience) But it was FUN.
We went back to Jane's house; had dinner at a nearby Cuban restaurant and spent the night at her place. The next morning we left and headed down town to link up to highway A1A, the road that meanders along and through all the beach towns. We stopped in Ft Lauderdale By The Sea to meet up again with Jane and her daughter, Julie and Julie's fiancée, Brian (we'll be attending their wedding at Key Largo in April) for lunch at a beach side restaurant--Aruba--(very good). After saying our good-bye's Diane and I continued up the coast back to our marina in N Palm Beach (right around the corner from Jack Nicklaus's home on "Jack Nicklaus Drive" right down from PGA Drive (Think they play a little golf here?)
As it turned out this marina was fantastic. Floating docks, very accommodating staff and an excellent location. It was so nice we had decided to stay there rather than get into the crowded waterways around Ft Lauderdale. Plus, it kept us at least a day closer to our destination south of St. Augustine where we will meet up with Kris and family for a get-together toward the end of March (They are driving from CO. Springs to spend several days at Disney World with Paul's folks before heading over to the Hammock Beach Resort where we will be tied up in the marina there. It's supposedly a very nice resort with lots to do for the munchkins.
We left N Palm Beach on the 10th, spent one night on the hook in the Indian River and pulled into this (Cocoa Village Marina) marina on Tuesday evening. Wednesday we rented a car and took a road trip back down A1A to pick up our car at the last marina. Thursday we drove over to Orlando to pick up Diane's sister, Nancy, who was flying in to spend a few days with us and escape the bitter Chicago winter. (I don't know how people live up there!) That night we were fortunate to see a NASA launch of an Atlas V rocket from  the Kennedy Space Center, about 10 miles away, as the bird flies, from the comfort of our bridge deck right here in the marina (We will get to see an afternoon launch when the kids are here--planning to drive down for it and spend the day at the Space Center). It was spectacular. The timing of our arrival here was just perfect and I feel so fortunate to have been able to see the launch. It wasn't a shuttle launch but still pretty impressive.
Today we take Nan back to the airport in Orlando (when there last we spotted a Chuy's Restaurant---great Mexican food despite it's being a chain). This will be our first Mexican food fix since we left Houston---Love the green salsa!!!!!
Tomorrow we reprovision and then take off again on Wed to head north and our eventual rendezvous with "The Kids". Getting really excited about seeing the little ones.
Cocoa Village has been a nice stop-over. The marina is right on the edge of the village where the area is undergoing a renaissance with lots of neat restaurants, bars etc. -a very quaint little town. You cross the bridge over the Indian River to Merritt Island (where NASA is located) then over to Cocoa Beach where Diane and Nan have spent a couple of days lounging on the beach. Very touristy, and it is Spring Break--so very crowded--but what you would expect for a tourist destination. Met some nice people, again, at the marina, including a guy on a Nordic Tug Trawler who owns some slips in the Myrtle Beach area and invited us to park our boat there for a very reasonable rate when we need to leave it and head back to Houston. Don't know if it will work--whether we'll get that far or pass it by altogether, but it's a very tempting possibility.
The weather has been wonderful. Warm and sunny but not too hot. Perfect tanning weather.
So far we have traveled 300 miles in the boat, burned around 150 gallons of diesel (You do the math---we're starting a "Fuel Fund" to which you may contribute). We've spent way too much time in marinas and not enough time at anchor which is what we prefer but that will all change, I hope, once the visit with the kids is over and we start moving north again. Life is soooo good!!!
When in Cocoa Village you must! eat (or drink--or both) at Norman's Raw Bar---Outstanding and cheap. Also---breakfast at Muddies--3 people, huge breakfasts--21 bucks.

SPOT

If you are following us on SPOT (see left hand columns on this page--just click on the SPOT link) you will see a "cluster" in Lake Worth. This happened because DIANE forgot to turn off the SPOT sending device and it recorded us bouncing around on the anchor all night long. (You just can't get good help anymore).

THE OKEECHOBEE WATERWAY TO FLORIDA'S EAST COAST

                                    The St. Lucie Lock (14 foot drop)

 

We departed as scheduled—at around 7:30 AM on Sunday, Mar 1, and headed up-stream up the Caloosahatchee River and into the Okeechobee Waterway across Florida. The weather was perfect—warm and very little wind. We managed about 58 miles without incident, passing through several bridges, only a couple of which needed to open for us (we are 17 ft in the air and most of the bridges here are at least 21 feet high with a little wiggle room). We arrived at Moorehaven, Fla on the west side of the lake at around 4 and tied up to the city docks that are right on the waterway—electricity and water supplied, all at very little cost. As it was Sunday, no-one was in the City Hall bldg directly across the street but we placed our fee in a baggy and dropped it with our boat card through the pay slot for the first arriving clerk to use for what would probably be a pretty good lunch in Moorehaven the next day.

Monday was more of the same but included a very peaceful and relaxing crossing of Lake Okeechobee from around 9:30 to around 12:30; then more “ditch” travel as we made our way down the St Lucie canal to the east side of Florida, eventually turning south in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW –but I prefer “ICW”) and winding up at a lovely anchorage in the north end of Lake Worth, just north of Palm beach. There are lots of sail boats here and they appear to be awaiting the coming weather window to cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. I’d love to join them but will have to pass this time as our plans keep us pretty well tied to the east coast.

Once we turned into the ICW the traffic increased considerably, especially when we enter into the various towns along the way. It’s interesting seeing al the different boats and people but can be a bit annoying when you encounter the inevitable A-hole. The homes and yachts here are amazing. This is a very interesting way to see Florida.

We’ll spend a couple nights here on the hook and then depart for the Ft Lauderdale area where we’ll meet up with my cousin, Jane, and her family and do some exploring of the area before turning North to head up the coast to Palm Coast, just south of St Augustine to meet Kris and family at the Hammock Beach resort for a few days. They will have spent several days at Disneyworld with Paul’s parents before joining us at Hammock Beach. We’re also hopeful that Scott will be able to join us (currently in San Fran)

The boat is doing beautifully (except for brief scare the second day out when one of the raw water alarms went off on the port engine indicating the engine would overheat without sufficient cooling water to keep it cool. Investigation however showed the engine running at normal temps despite the alarm and it went off several minutes later and we haven’t heard it since. Talked to my engine guy and we think it was a short in the alarm sending unit—ie something electrical as opposed to mechanical) But, no other problems and we are really getting to know and enjoy this boat.

 

                                                                            

UPDATE OF CRUISING PLANS

We leave tomorrow!!!! (We hope!!!) The weather has not been cooperative for our departure. Can't remember a February this cold and windy in this part of the world. Although tomorrow is "iffy" the rest of the week looks good for our travel across the Okechobee Waterway (Caloosahatchee River eastbound from Ft Myers; across Lake Okechobee; into the canal system and exiting into the ICW on Florida's east coast around Port St Lucie). Along the way we will encounter numerous bridges and locks. There are only a couple of bridges that we will need to ask to open but we can fit under most of them (We are right at 17 feet including the radar mast and anchor light on the fly-bridge. The lowest bridge that we will negotiate without asking them to open is around 25 feet. It will be a bit nerve wracking with only 8 feet of clearance but it shouldn't be a problem even at high tide. This will be Diane's first experience with locks (From Ft Myers to the Lake the locks will raise us up to lake level--each lock only rises a couple of feet on this side) They'll be taking us down on the east side of the lake and the last lock is about an 8 foot drop--should be interesting. Fortunately, I experienced several locks on our way from Houston to New Orleans in Assisted Living back in 2010 and know that they are not as intimidating as they may appear to Diane. My confidence, however, has done little to alleviate Diane's anxiety. "Seeing is believing"

We were fortunate to have some great weather last week-end for a 3 day side trip back to Pelican Bay and Cabbage Key where we celebrated my 39th birthday again.

                                                                   

After 2 nights in Pelican Bay we cruised over to Cabbage Key, about 1 hour away, where we anchored across from the Key, showered and dressed and dinghied across for my birthday dinner at the restaurant. Just as we were preparing to leave the boat a dense fog settled in and stayed through dinner and our return to the boat. Up to within 50 yards of the boat it was not even visible but we managed to find it (We had left the running and anchor lights on as well as our salon lamp so once we were close enough it was easy to spot). The next day we motored on back to the marina where the wind and current were up and it took me several attempts before I was able to back the boat into our slip--to the amusement of quite a number of our anxious neighbors. BUT--I succeeded, once again without incident. Each time is a new experience on the learning curve and I'm getting more confident. Just take it slow and easy and avoid running into stuff.
We drove our car to FT Lauderdale yesterday to leave it at the home of my cousin Jane, so we are now officially car-less as we make our last minute preparations for our departure tomorrow. (Fill water tanks, empty holding tank, last minute provisions, check all engine fluids, a last minute tutorial from Eric, the dockmaster, on the use of our Furuno chart plotter and radar instruments, chart study--general clean-up and a "Farewell Lunch" with our dock neighbors.
Let's hope the forecast is correct (a very rare phenomenon down here) and we're able to finally get on the road tomorrow. More later.


                                                                 


                                                               


                                                             

I think I figured out the photo thing

                                                                                                        Here we are at anchor in Pelican Bay.




     Pelican Bay is a small bay west of Pine Island at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor. It's a small bay with a very tricky (shallow) entrance, but once inside it's very nice, well protected and just a very special place to us. This was one of, if not the, first anchorages we found back in 2011 aboard Assisted Living. After you get your anchor set and get the dinghy in the water you take the dinghy across to a state park on Cayo Costa Island, and either take the shuttle or walk the 1 mile across the island to the beautiful beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Since the only way to get the beach is by boat into Pelican Bay the beach is quite unpopulated and quiet--good shelling, watch the dolphins swim by, watch the birds--or just hang out. After our time on the beach we always stop at the park headquarters building for a Klondike bar before returning to the boat---or am I repeating myself.
Anyway---I think I have the photo thing figured out. Here's one of the Admiral at the
beach.
                                                                                 

WE DONE DONE IT !!!!

   Well, we've been on the boat at Legacy Harbor Marina in downtown Ft Myers for about a month. I drove down the middle of Jan. with a car completely full of "boat stuff" and clothes. There literally was no room for Diane in the car. So she flew over a couple days later (There were other reasons she didn't drive with me--but the car really was full.) I arrived at the boat around 11 AM on a Monday and was immediately overwhelmed with the huge learning curve that I realized was in store. I'm glad I came early as it gave me an opportunity to clean her up and at least familiarize myself with enough systems, mostly electrical, to begin at least basic operations before Diane arrived. I drove over to pick her up in Ft Lauderdale--about 2 1/2 hours away (cheap airline tickets on Spirit Air)-- and brought her back and watched as she began to experience the same level of panic and overwhelmedness (is that a word??) that I had experienced a couple days earlier. The first two weeks were spent cleaning her up and out and getting familiar with all the systems. The previous owners had left an incredible amount of material--from engine spare parts to binoculars, safety equipment, to pots and pans and linens. The first order of business, however, was to provision the boat with food, drink and even the spices that we all have had in our pantries for years (probably expired). Think about it in terms of stocking a kitchen for the first time. Fortunately, this marina is located right downtown--walking distance to everything, including many fine restaurants in the very quaint downtown. We're even just a stone's throw from the Edison Ford home/museum. A fabulous location. The Publix grocery store and liquor store are a 10 minute walk--but with the amount of stuff we needed we used the car.
After a couple of weeks I felt like I had it down. Figured out the  water systems, electrical systems, including operation of the generator and achieved a basic familiarization with the 2 240 hp diesel engines. BUT---I had yet to operate her. I hadn't had her out of the slip. Driving this boat is a whole different thing from Assisted Living(our previous sailboat). I have been told by many people that once you get the hang of it it's easier than a sailboat. I had yet to try out that theory. So, we hired a licensed captain for a morning and took the boat out and up the river and back and practiced getting her in and out (backwards) of the slip and tying up to a "side tie". It actually went surprisingly well, such that after our learning session we decided to take her out, fuel her up and head down river to a couple of our favorite anchorages--off St James City on Pine Island and in Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island, our clearly favorite anchorage in the area. We spent two nights on the hook and returned to the marina on Super Bowl Sunday around 2 in the afternoon to prepare for the pot luck Super Bowl Party at the marina. Of course returning to the marina meant I had to back her into the slip without any captain standing by to rescue me if I got into trouble. No sweat!! Nailed it on the first try. (Of course there was no wind nor current to complicate the task.) When a known novice is engaged in this activity all the owners of the boats in the immediate area stand nervously by their boat and watch nervously. This was no exception. No problem--I do my best work in front of a jury.
                                       I wanted to insert a photo of us at anchor in
                                       Pelican Bay in this spot but I'm having trouble
                                       posting photos.
                                                          
I didn't figure it out! Must be something wrong with the web site!
I'll have Diane tell you about the marina and people we've met and what our plans for the immediate future are. I hope you enjoy the Blog. Again--you can sign up to be notified of new postings and can click on "SPOT" in the upper left of this page to see where we are. I just reactivated it. Life is good!!! And SPOT is now working!!!!!!!






Diane here:  Hard to believe we have been here almost a month but we have needed every minute of it to get acquainted with this boat and new lifestyle. Regarding the boat,  it doesn't disappoint.  There is so much more room and so many different features than a sailboat.(Where was this boat 4 years ago??)  Having a fly bridge is literally living in a 2 story. Our inherited marina is first class and very active.  Monday night is movie night, Thursday night is pot-luck and then there are special events (like Super Bowl).  While there are several sailboats here, this marina in overwhelmingly a power boat mecca and the majority of the people we have met are from the East Coast.  All of them have more experience than we have doing the "ditch: (the Intracoastal Waterway) and it has been a delight to share stories and adventures with them.  The cruising community is truly a helpful and interesting group.  We have been encouraged and intend to join the American Great Loopers Cruising Association.  There are numerous benefits to this but mostly a camaraderie. (The Great Loop is the route up the ICW of the east coast, thru the Erie --and other- canals into the Great Lakes to Chicago and then down the river system to Mobile and then into the ICW again and down into Florida until you "cross your wake" wherever you started from)
We hope to take off in the next week or so.  We will be moving up the Caloosahatchee River, across the Okeechobee Waterway(think Seminole Indians)  to Port St. Lucie.  Basically we are just crossing from the west side of Florida to the East Coast.   Then South to Ft. Lauderdale.  From there we will take our time traveling up the Eastern Coast.  Waiting for warm weather but enjoying beautiful sunsets!