Kemah, Florida and beyond

How about an update-Have you gotten any closer to the Bahamas?

LOL no....waiting to do a haul out here before we go any further. It's kinda hard to move now that we have VIP membership to most of the taverns and as you know, you have to earn those things

Blue & Michelle, you all know how to cruise!!

dimer2 said:

LOL no....waiting to do a haul out here before we go any further. It's kinda hard to move now that we have VIP membership to most of the taverns and as you know, you have to earn those things

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Taverns???? I can't believe you found one or two or 10!! Was it time for the haul out??

Well the old girl is on the hard. Just It just took 5 months in Florida to get this growth. The bottom looks fine but the running gear (basically all the metal parts) which also had antifoul done at the same time, is pretty rough. Good yard that will let you do as much work as you want or are full service if you prefer. She should splash again later today.

Had the spare props balanced in Tampa for about a gazillion dollars but hey, we are good to go.

Aren't props the prettiest things when they first come back from the shop ?

Lookin GOOD............hope you two have LOTS more fun down in the sun! Best wishes from up here in the world!

Thanks Kevin. This morning the Admiral, team leader and group commander, announced that she is ready to head back to Texas. I will wait a few days to see if that changes. If not, get the coffee pot ready!

dimer2 said:

Thanks Kevin. This morning the Admiral, team leader and group commander, announced that she is ready to head back to Texas. I will wait a few days to see if that changes. If not, get the coffee pot ready!

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I thought the plan was to head for the Bahamas?

That was what I thought but I am not in charge lol.

Oh. I understand now. I forget that I'm not in charge either. ?

My wife has serious doubts about staying on the boat for long periods of time, and we have a smaller boat than you do. I figure I might have to meet her in the Bahamas. ?

dimer2 said:

That was what I thought but I am not in charge lol.

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Buy her some roses and some chocolates. You never get too old to bribe!

Bribery works! I am thinking if we do head for Texas, I may "miss' the turn at Galveston and head towards Aransas to do a little fishing....

Wifey B: Bribery can take many forms. No, not that guys...

However, you need to jointly work out what makes sense for the two of you. Perhaps it's breaks to fly home for a bit and then back to the boat. Perhaps it's more dinners in nice restaurants. Perhaps it's going to some art galleries in the towns you visit, or museums other than strictly maritime. Maybe just satellite television. Maybe it's determining what is a good length of time for cruising. For some it is something like flying to Nassau and meeting you there.

Talk talk talk and jointly find the solution.

I can't tell you what for you, but here's what we found makes us happy. For us, happiness means we spend about six weeks on the boat, then fly home for three, then back for six more, etc. You get the pattern... We also do tons of stuff everywhere we go. We really explore the towns. That includes the quaint little stores, the art galleries, the old houses, the lighthouses (omg my hubby can't miss a lighthouse), the zoos, everything special about that place. We're never "stuck on a boat" for weeks. We have a day of boating and then a couple exploring an entirely new area. Then it on to the next.

We research each town before we get there to decide what are our must see's and must do's. We love boating but we don't want to spend 24 hours a day on one for weeks or even 20 hours. Our typical pattern is cruise one day, then spend one or two where we land. All the day time exploring and seeing. Then a day of cruising and the next town. A very few we might arrive in the morning and see the town that afternoon and move on the next day.

Make it all fun. You have to define fun for you. But fun to me is doing lots of different things while sleeping on the boat and cruising place to place.

I decided just to give you one random stop we have planned on the Loop. Utica, NY. I've never been there. We'll arrive there after 32 nm and 4 locks from St. Johnsville. Probably about noon or early afternoon. We'll stay there all afternoon and the next day and night. What is there to do? Well, here's a few.

-Art institute-Munson Williams Proctor
-Children's museum-
-Local Historical Society-Oneida County
-Brewery tours. Beer and Whiskey. Matt Brewing. Adirondack Distilling.
-Rail tours. Adirondack Scenic Railroad.
-Shopping. Just see the downtown area but also Specialty stores at the Finish Line. It's in the Brewery district and has a pub too. On Thursdays they even sit out on the deck and have a band.

Restaurants.

-Aqua Vino. Italian/American. Beef and veggies from their own farm.
There are many more but it's convenient to the water and highly rated. We'll probably eat on the boat one night and there the other.

I don't think of Utica, NY as the tourist attraction of all the world. But I know we'll have fun. We'll explore. We'll get a feel of the town. We'll leave with good memories and excitement about the next stop.

We've looked at every place we're heading in advance and made lists of more than we can possibly see and do.

Typical stop. We arrive noon or 1 pm. Rinse the boat. Eat lunch. Head to town. See one of the things on our list. Just walk the downtown area. Dinner at Aqua Vino. Back to the boat. Day 2, breakfast on boat then head out. Railroad tour thingy. Maybe distillery (no brewery for us). The art institute. To the Finish Line for lunch and the little shops. The local historical museum. We love these. They're generally small but you learn about the area. Probably the Children's Museum. I'm a child. Many of them are very cool. The one in Boston is omg beyond fantastic. Plus fun to watch the kids doing fun things and trying them as well. Back to the boat. Relax and then grill something for dinner. Relax and ready to head out early tomorrow.

There is something to enjoy everywhere.

And adjust. Be flexible. Learn. Don't force it but let it come to you. It will if you're open. There's a method of madness out there for each couple. Make your own kind of music. Oh and that's one too. Find local events or places with music or entertainment you'll like. Sometimes you're just freaking lucky. It was luck we hit Panama City, Panama for Carnival. But then maybe one of the most mind blowing times ever was Easter in Port Antonio, Jamaica. Now wow they know how to do Easter. We had no idea how great that was going to be.

Make every day special.

I just asked my "wifey b" to read this...

???

cardude01 said:

I just asked my "wifey b" to read this...

???

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Wifey B: I'm flattered. It's a team thing. Now I know some just go without a plan. We plan. My hubby's a planner and corrupted me. Now, plan always subject to change. But we spend time looking at each destination, fun things to do, checking our the restaurant reviews, looking at events when we'll be there. It's not the anchorage or marina that excites us over and over and over, but what lies beyond. The coastal community. I think Coastal communities are so special. I had no freaking idea there were sooooooooooooooo many maritime museums. But you see the old boats and things of the area. Then some days we just explore in the RIB. Every place has something special to find. Plus in doing so you meet the people. If the only thing you're doing at a town is hauling laundry around and shopping for groceries, then I'm out too.

Some of you are happy just communing with nature. I find nature more beautiful interspersed with other. Nature's calming and relaxing so I have to do something exciting to calm down from. Contrast in life is great.

Older friends, more the ages of many of you, who are also captains and have cruised many many times more than us, said once we were trying to walk them to death. But they also said, "we've seen more in one trip with you than years with others" So much of their time as Captains over the years never got them beyond the marina.

Make your own memories. I know not for most of you, but I remember Naples, FL in special ways. It's nice in general. But one Saturday night....we went to the Opera. We dressed up. All the way. Me in heels, evening dress...I'd describe but might have adverse effects on the health of some of you like elevated pulse or something...him in suit but no tie. I've agreed never again a tie for him unless required for admission. Went to fancy restaurant. Went to opera. Had dessert and champagne after. Then back to the boat. The next day back to normal beach wear and exploring.

We had no idea when we started how long we'd like being on the boat without seeing home. For some it's decades. For us it turned out to be six weeks mostly, a max of two months (we did for Alaska). Hubby believes in the theory of pain. When you start longing for home. But then we have the same on the other side, when we start longing to be back on the boat. That's three weeks. i think in the case of both of you posting, something's being learned, but then how to address it. We park the boat...hehe....ok, I know dock instead of park...and fly home and fly back. No luggage.

It's like Mikey. "Try it, you'll like it." Don't make it like Alka Seltzer, "I tried it. I thought I would die". I like "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" but it doesn't fit what I was saying.

Omg I love the water. We're just on a quickie right now. 8 day trip from FLL to NYC to relocate the boat. Then home for a couple of weeks before starting the loop. Going to be a cold trip north.

dimer2 said:

Thanks Kevin. This morning the Admiral, team leader and group commander, announced that she is ready to head back to Texas. I will wait a few days to see if that changes. If not, get the coffee pot ready!

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Blue: If I'm near the boat, the coffee is ALWAYS on............and you, my friend are always welcome!

Wifey B, those are two of the best posts.....LIKE......EVER!!!! I hope you don't mind...if I copy and paste into the general discussion area. I always try to tell people the gist of your post...but I can never figure out how to put it into words. It is basically whatever works for YOU...and not to let other people's cruising "templates" get you off of your own course. EXCELLENT POSTs!!!!

PS...by the time you read this I will have already shared it...

Baker said:

Wifey B, those are two of the best posts.....LIKE......EVER!!!! I hope you don't mind...if I copy and paste into the general discussion area. I always try to tell people the gist of your post...but I can never figure out how to put it into words. It is basically whatever works for YOU...and not to let other people's cruising "templates" get you off of your own course. EXCELLENT POSTs!!!!

PS...by the time you read this I will have already shared it...

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Wifey B: Wow...thanks

I get exuberant sometimes talking about boating. I'm passionate about it. In it's own way it's orgasmic. We clearly don't fit in any of the stereotypes and live on our own wavelengths sometimes.

Met up with TF member, Rossigal, for a few cocktails last night. She has been kind enough to babysit the pickup for the next few weeks, while we cruise. Ain't the members here great!

I believe those cocktails got you a little side ways.

And we are off...... Spent Friday night anchored out behind Anclote Island which was great, until the thunderstorm and wind shift. The rocking and rolling put s to sleep and we left for Cedar Keys at 06:30.

The weather which was supposed to "lay down", stayed "up" and we pounded through 4 to 6 ft on the nose with 25 kt winds. I really didn't want to make the turn for Cedar key and do the whole beam sea thing, so continued to pound our way to Steinhatchee (116 miles). Michelle is no longer in charge of weather . Tried to anchor out as per AC but kept bringing up an anchor full of oysters, so tied up at the fuel dock at the Sea Hag Marina. Great little town (first impression), so will stay until Tuesday morning to check it out. This puts us in great position to hop across the GOM to Dog Island (81 miles).

Stay safe!

Hey Blue!

What was your impression of the Steinhatchee area? I skipped that route last time because I kept hearing it was too shallow, takes too long, etc etc.

I jumped from Clearwater to Panama City and did the "slow beam sea thing" instead.

Blue, get your compass and GPS checked. You are going the wrong way.

Too bad you missed Cedar Key. I think it would have been your kind of place.

Cardude, We got cleaned up and went up to the marina as they has a band playing. $2.50 longnecks...I already like the place! The lights got turned off and they rolled up the sidewalks at 8:00, which was a bit of a surprise being Saturday night and all. But I guess everyone has to get up early to go fishing, as from around 5:30 to 7:00, this place was a zoo. I never saw so many small boats going fishing. It was a continuous stream of center consoles for about 2 hours.

We walked down to Ray's for lunch (all you can eat salad bar). It is about 1/2 a mile there and feels like about 4 miles walking back!. Sunday lunch for 2, $19:00. I might just move here.

The downside so far. It is tight for a fair size boat and we came in 2 hours short of high and saw 3.2 under the boat in several places. There are crab pots in the navigation channel , all the way in! I have seen them line the channels before but this was ridiculous. All in all, still worth a stop and not having to pull the overnighter, is to us, well worth it. We have done it and enjoy travelling at night but it takes me two days to get over it and back to normal.

Hey Don, this is a short cut, not shown on most charts! We will return...we will conquer!
We will see you again next year unless you come across to the massive Texas Trawler Trash Gatherin,,, sponsored by Baker ( who is yet to be informed).

Sounds like a cool place. Thanks for the details.

I would like to be involved in this Trawler Trash get together! ?

Blue/Michelle
Ray and Whitney still with you? Just a word of advise-when in Florida you have to move a little faster than the Barnacles, so they don't attach!

dimer2 said:

Hey Don, this is a short cut, not shown on most charts! We will return...we will conquer!
We will see you again next year unless you come across to the massive Texas Trawler Trash Gatherin,,, sponsored by Baker ( who is yet to be informed).

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Blue if you are thinking of using Northwest Channel into Cedar Key don't, or at least get good local knowledge before attempting it. Your props are much to exposed to be dragged through the bottom. Ask me how I know.

Shallow Spots in Cedar Keys Northwest Channel (Western Florida – Big Bend Region), 1/6/12 | Cruisers' Net

If you are thinking of the Main Ship Channel, be especially careful at the hard switch back "S" turn. The turns are so close together that the markers can be confusing. That could cause you to run across to the other close by turn before completing your turn. Not good!

Sounds like you're having a Great Boating Adventure! $2.50 long necks? Let me start the boat!

A few shots of Steinhatchee. This has got to be the best stopover for those not wanting to do a night crossing to/from Carrabelle. The pool and showers are all part of the $1.00/ft and they even have little chalets if you wanted a break from the boat or had family and friends visiting.