Day 240…Horses and Clouds

By on September 7, 2014 in Misty Moose

Welcome to day 240 of  365 photos…so what do horses and clouds have to do with each other? In the last week, we have had some seriously beautiful cloud formations around. They build and build and so far, haven’t produced much more than a few showers at my house. Yesterday as I went to get […]

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AMY’S VISIT TO SICILY

By on September 7, 2014 in Envoy
Envoy is now back at Taormina having completed a 15 week circumnavigation of Sicily.
Although we’d already spent six weeks in the Trapani and Egadi Islands area we always find some new places of interest and different things to do with new visitors, and this proved to be the case with our daughter, Amy.
Having been settled by Greeks, Corinthians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and Spanish the Egadis have a fascinating legacy of history culminating in the tuna trade. Since the 1960s tourism has taken over as the major activity.
Most of the jellyfish had gone although there was still the odd one around – I jump in the water first with my mask on to do a quick check. The water is a tropical 27d so we stay in for ages.
We cruised to Marettimo and berthed in a small marina – quite expensive at 85 Euros (NZ$133) per night, but at islands like this there’s no good shelter for anchoring with any wind. Here we dined at a great restaurant overlooking the marina, La Scalatta, made famous after a visit and positive reviews from Jamie Oliver. There are no menus and the chef, Giovanni, serves whatever delicious fare he feels like preparing, with a heavy fresh seafood bias. Giovanni served us a culinary six course treat of bruschetta, clam chowder, grilled tuna, prawn risotto, mixed grilled fish and cassata and lemon gateau, of course washed down with various local wine varieties.

Jamie Oliver with Giovanni

Laurie and Amy pose with Giovanni

Laurie and Amy enjoying La Scaletta’s ambience

Amy tucks into the clam chowder

Next day we went around the island by tour boat visiting many deep sea caves and the two metre swell made it an adrenalin rush for all inside the caves, with waves bouncing us around and the thunder of blowholes.

The castle perched atop the craggy peak used to be a political prison

Inside the sea caves was a real adrenalin rush

Looking out from inside a sea cave

After cruising back to Levanzo Island we did a guided four wheel drive trip to see a cave – Grotta del Genovese which has some 14,000 year old cave paintings depicting deer, horses, cows, tuna and dolphins. 

Amy and Laurie alongside the Landrover

Entrance to Grotta del Genovese

Shopping in Favignana was of course compulsory for the girls and we found a fantastic delicatessen loaded with delicious treats.

Amy and Di enjoy a gelato break while shopping

Amy and Laurie in atmospheric delicatessen

Preparing snacks in delicatessen

Envoy’s saloon table set for dinner

TECHNICAL – nothing to report

ENVOY LOG As at 10/8/14, we’d spent 124 days aboard and cruised 1,072 miles for 197 engine hours.

Helm, Pilot House and Exterior Views

By on September 6, 2014 in M/V Serenity

Now that my girl is on her way home, we will have to content ourselves with some pictures that were taken while Tom was in Taiwan.  I also have some pictures taken by the yard just before she was bundled onto Eris J.  So there will be a trick…

Day 239…Sunset – Tideland Trail

By on September 6, 2014 in Misty Moose

Welcome to day 239 of  365 photos…the sunset at Tideland Trail last evening was pretty. It wasn’t one of those spectacular, sky lighting sunsets but it was interesting.  I posted the following photo on the Emerald Isle Photography page but thought that I would post it here also for those of you that didn’t see […]

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Homeless Again!

By on September 6, 2014 in aCappella

It was a busy and stressful week for the kids. Well, stressful for them means that occasionally their daytime naps were interrupted. After a week onboard, they were booted once again out of their home while aCappella was hauled, bottom painted, and rec…

Port#18: Docktails in Dolton…

By on September 5, 2014 in Ocean Breeze
Great Loop II Date: 9/5/2014

Day #36 (Friday): 13.5 miles (1030 total miles)

Locks: 1 (3 total locks)

Port #18:  Dolton, IL

On August 28th a 57 foot tug capsized and sank in the Calumet River just past the 106th Street Bridge in Chicago, IL.  Other than the headlines, who would think it would cause us problems as we prepared to start our trek down the rivers.  Because of Ocean Breeze’s bridge clearance, we chose to take the Cal-Sag Shipping Channel both in 2010 and again during this Loop.  The 106th Street Bridge was part of this route.  Worse yet, we were informed the Army Corps of Engineers responsible for removing the sunk tug planned to close passage through that area for a week.

Todd and I had already decided we wanted to get underway and get to a point where we could pass through the famous Aquatic Nuisance Species Dispersal Barrier (Asian Carp Fish Barrier, for short!) on Saturday or Sunday when it was open.  During our 2010 Loop trip, we traveled down this corridor on Sunday and it was quiet.  No barges were moving, all the plants along the waterway were still and the locks and bridges opened as soon as we arrived.  We knew leaving on a Friday would put us amid a working river but we had to get down stream before the river would be closed.

By Friday, a large group of Loopers had come into Hammond Marina to prepare for their river transit.  A few made the decision to stay in Hammond.  Andante (Sue and Tom) and Sweetwater (Pam and Tim) were ready to make a run for the rivers.

Bye bye Hammond
We met our first barge before we even entered the Calumet River!  Only one barge being moved toward one of the steel plants.  We saw quite a few being moved around and repositioned in the river.
The entrance to the Calumet River.  We’re finally off the lakes…until next summer.
The first bridge we had to wait for…although this one went up fairly quickly and our wait was short.
Believe it or not, we fit under this railroad bridge…and wouldn’t you know a train came over it as soon as we started under it!
At normal pool we would have fit under this bridge.  With the higher water levels in Lake Michigan this year, the clearance was lowered to 17 feet.  We eased up to the bridge but there just was not enough room so we waited with this trawler.
There’s a sunk 57 foot tug at the end of that crane.
This is a pretty big operation to get this tug pulled up and out of the river.
More barges in various stages of loading and unloading along the side of the river.
Scenes like this also populate the river and always catch my eye.
The last freighter we’ll see until we come into the Hudson River…unless we catch them along the East Coast.  That won’t be until next May.

The rivers were busy with small numbers of barges being moved about and positioned for taking on a load or travel.  Some of the bridges were open as we came down the river, others had to be called.  It was very windy and hot, so waiting was not pleasant.

When we reached our only lock of the day (the Thomas O’Brian), the lockmaster was filling the lock and two sailboats were waiting.  A trawler and a small johnboat joined us, as well.  The transit took an hour and the drop was only 3 feet.  We didn’t have to tie to a bollard since the drop was minimal with no turbulence.

Good Ol’ Thomas O’Brien, the first lock of 8 we will go through on our way down the Calumet, Des Plaines and Illinois River System on the way to the Mississippi.

When we’re in the rivers, the scenery seems so remote and rural that we often forget civilization may only be a bridge away.  This is the I-94 bridge that runs north into Chicago, on up the west side of Lake Michigan into Milwaukee then inland into Minnesota!
We arrived at our stop for the day only 13 ½ miles downriver from Lake Michigan.  The trip took us 2 ½ hours, which is not unusual with wait times for lift bridges and locks.  The run positioned us well to transit the Fish Barrier on Saturday morning.  We also had our first Docktails get together with 4 other Looper boats: Andante, Sweetwater, Satisfaction and NancyAnn.


Port #17: Making a Home in Hammond!

By on September 5, 2014 in Ocean Breeze
Great Loop II Date: 8/26/2014

Day #26 {Tuesday): 60 miles (1016 total miles)

Locks: 0 (2 total locks)

Port #17:  Hammond, IN

After an uncomfortable night, I woke up with the clock at 5:30AM.  NOAA’s reports were for afternoon and evening thunderstorms developing southwest of Chicago.  During the last 3 days we had heard severe thunderstorm warnings accompanied by severe weather marine warnings for Chicago and southern Lake Michigan.  Looking at the radar, all looked well with a line of developing storms well south of the Illinois/Indiana border and heading due east.  Lake Michigan was calm with 1 foot or less seas that would be on our stern.  That would make for a nice ride.

Before we left our dock at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, IL.

We cast off our lines at 7:30AM and Todd set course for Hammond, IN south of Chicago.  We had decided our tour of Chicago during the last Loop was good enough for us.  Another determining factor was Todd had received a call from the VA Outpatient Center in Columbus, Ohio for a long awaited appointment.  This appointment would determine his hearing loss related to his service in the Air Force from poor ear protection while working in the loud missile launch bays.  Hammond would be a good place to stay, rent a car, and travel to Columbus, Ohio for the appointment.

Our trip from Winthrop Harbor to just north of Chicago was unremarkable.  The following seas had been comfortable, although the day had become overcast and dismal.  We were busy killing biting flies that continued to try to make a meal of us.

By 11:30AM it was evident a big storm had developed and was heading east.  It looked like it would hit us.  Todd opted to put OB up on plane and try to outrun the storm.  His strategy and some help from God worked.  The storm blew up directly behind us.  The skies were menicing, there was plenty of lightening and thunder behind us and there was plenty of rain.  It did look like it would overtake as at some point but never did.  The winds were very strong but were also on our stern along with growing choppy waves.  At one point we felt we were surfing 3 foot with an occasional 4 foot wave.  However, with them on our stern, the ride was never uncomfortable.  Part of that comfort was due to the excellent driving abilities of Otto (our autopilot).  We did dawn our life vests and put Charlie in his.  He immediately went to his safe place and hid.

The Chicago skyline did appear and is just under those clouds on the right.  The black dots on the windshield are flies!
Charlie’s safe place…our master stateroom in the front of the boat under the pilothouse where we are stationed.  He’s in his life vest.

We passed the Chicago skyline around 1PM.  It had just begun to reappear from under the dense clouds.  So far we’ve not gotten a good skyline shot of Chicago in either Loop.  Chicago was incased in heavy haze when we approached in 2010.

Todd slowed OB to a crawl just after passing Chicago.  There was another big storm to our south that had developed southwest of Joliet and worked its way northeast into our path.  It took us another 1 ½ hours to get to Hammond but we didn’t get a drop of rain out of that storm.

There goes that storm to the south of us.

Hammond Marina is a large facility that sits right behind the Horseshoe Casino.  Our dock was a good long walk from the main office and not quite as far to the casino.  Since I hadn’t fixed anything for dinner, we decided to go to the casino.  We went to the buffet and enjoyed excellent food from many cultures: Asian, Latin, Italian as well as American cusiene were available.  Todd and I left totally satisfied.

The Hammond Marina.  OB is waaaaaaaaay back in the very back of the picture!  It was a 1 mile walk from OB to the marina office and back to OB.  Excellent exercise.
Since we filled up at the buffet our first night, we stuck with one of our favorite meals the second night…wine, cheese, beef stick and crackers.
Another beautiful sunset…after a rainy afternoon, of course.
We enjoyed meeting and reuniting with many Loopers during our stay.  Akasha with Rosemary and Clark came in soon after we did.  They flew back to their home in Ft. Worth the next morning for a short break and to keep some appointments.  Blue Moon and El Nido came in that same evening.  We had just met them in Leland, MI.  DeDe with Diane and Henry as well as Fruitcakes with Julie and Andy had come in with this group.  All of them had crossed from Michigan and outwitted the storms.

Thursday afternoon we finally caught up with this group of Loopers.  We decided to go to the casino, have some cocktails and try our hand at gambling.  I’ve never had much experience with casino games but decided it would be fun.  Besides, the mention of food will get me to go most anywhere!

First we ate at the Asian restaurant inside the casino.  Again we had a delicious meal.  After dinner, we went to the video poker bar in the middle of the casino floor.  We ordered after dinner cocktails and tried our luck with Blackjack and Poker.  I stuck with Blackjack and managed to lose $4.10.

We took our cocktails out into the casino and Todd and I chose to try the slots.  Within 20 minutes I won back my $4.10 and added another $10.70 in winnings to it.  With that, I was content to stop and head back to the boat.

This was a huge casino with multiple floors.  This was just a small section of the main floor.  The lights and sounds always amaze me.
Friday was a catch up day on the boat.  We had gotten a mail drop from our mail collection company.  More storms rolled in and it made it a good day for inside work (laundry, sorting mail, etc.).  King drop by (from Blue Moon) and more plans were hatched for another trip to the casino for cocktails and gambling.

Todd picked up a rental car from Enterprise Saturday.  We restocked our supplies for the upcoming river trip.  Saturday night we did go back to the casino with King and Sharon.  I lost that night but still came out with $15.70 of the $20 I played.  I doubt I will ever become a high stakes gambler.
Sunday we prepared the boat to stay in place for the few days we would travel to Columbus, Ohio.  We both remarked how different it was to be in a car fighting traffic compared to being on the water fighting waves and wakes.  We decided we preferred the latter.

Sunday afternoon we had a wonderful visit from one of our Aquaholic couples who winter in Cape Coral as we do.  Linda and Bob have a home in St. Charles, IL just west of Chicago.  Bob knows the area well from his business.  After a brief introduction to Ocean Breeze, we went to a good Mexican restaurant south of the marina in Whiting, IL.  We talked and laughed and had a most enjoyable afternoon and evening.

Monday Todd and I packed, closed up the boat and went to Columbus.  Tuesday, Todd had an appointment at the VA Outpatient Center.  He was tested in the audiology department in follow up from his claim regarding exposure during his service in the Air Force.  That evening, we went to the birthday party of a dear friend and had a marvelous time with our boating buddies that all live in Columbus.

You just never know what you are going to run into on the roads!  This did look like a flying saucer.  I was completely round and could only go about 55mph.  I’d love to see it at night with all the lights going around the outside of it!
Coming into Ohio….
…with a fairly quick turn around going back to OB.
Wednesday morning we were back on the road early to get back to Ocean Breeze and return the rental car.  In the process, Charlie tripped me on the way from the car to the dock in his excitement to get to some grass for his duties.  I fell flat on my back and experienced another round of excruciating pain in my right shoulder.  I spent the rest of the day icing the shoulder and popping ibuprofen and Tylenol Extra Strength.  By evening the pain was well reduced which was a big relief.

Thursday presented itself with a day of wind and storms so we delayed at Hammond one more day.  By then we were getting anxious to be underway.  We spent the day checking blogs and Army Corps sites online concerning the locks and the Asian Carp Fish Barrier.  Many Loopers had already made it past this bottleneck in the Ca—Sag Shipping Channel however most have chosen to transit the area on Sundays while the barrier is open and work is halted for the weekend.  By Thursday evening, we had decided Friday was our day to drop the lines and leave Hammond for the rivers.

Day 238…Sunflowers

By on September 5, 2014 in Misty Moose

Welcome to day 238 of  365 photos…Sunflowers are blooming now at the intersection of routes 58 and 24 in Cape Carteret. If you recall, I posted some roadside flowers that were blooming there early in the season – see Roadside Flowers. When the early flowers died, they were plowed under and the plots were left […]

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Babakale

By on September 5, 2014 in Dora Mac

Anchored off Bodrum
iyi akşamlar  = good evening
   Tomorrow we’ll be in Marmaris.  Too many thoughts about that so I’ll just write about Babakale.  We only spent one night but it will be a favorite for all the reasons in the tourist blurb below.  I took too many photos but they will be some of the […]

Postponed

By on September 5, 2014 in She:Kon

We’ve got some bad weather headed this way for tomorrow morning so I’m going to postpone the flip. I would need people outside the shed to handle tag lines etc. and I can’t really ask them to do it standing in the rain. Will try again for next weekend….