Oops--Watch that hole!

Norm's birthday was great!  No storms. Norm enjoyed 10-year old cheddar with sliced salami after our swim and chocolate cream pie with many candles after grilled fresh grouper dinner. The yellow bug repellent cellophane over the lights worked pretty well -- the cellophane didn't over heat and the bugs attracted were minimal.  A few tugs came by during the night with minimal wake.  Norm says "thanks much" to all who sent birthday wishes.  He says he does not feel old at 67.  But he does feel old when he thinks that he is heading toward 70!!!

Unfortunately it was really hot last night with almost no wind.  Even after cooling down the stateroom with the air conditioning the temp in there was 87, so sleeping was tough.  We're at Demopolis Yacht Basin tonight with electric (read air conditioning) so we'll have good sleep.

Nice 71-mile cruise today up to Demopolis.  A bit of trauma in the Demopolis Lock.  We're still getting used to putting our line over the bollard in the lock and we learned that it needs to be cinched tighter than we did today.  As the water entered the lock, the boat angled with the stern up against the wall of the lock.   Norm is positioned with a boat hook to hold the stern off the wall while Vicki is positioned on the bow to hold that off the wall.  When it became clear that the current of the water was forcefully pushing the stern into the wall, Vicki rushed back to the cockpit to help push off (Norm was stationed on the top deck).  In her zeal, she stepped back to get a firmer pushing position and stepped into the open lazarette.  (The hatch is open when we're running to allow heat to escape from the engine room.  We close it when working back there, but it was unexpected that Vicki would have to assist with the stern push-off.)  In a real stroke of luck, Vicki caught herself with only a few small bruises.  The lazarette, on the other hand, needs a new gas cylinder arm to hold it open-- it got the worst of that deal!  Another lock tomorrow -- no problem -- we learn from our mistakes!



Norm here......Should also mention that getting to the lock was a bit tense too.  We heard on the radio that another boat that past us earlier was about to enter the lock. If we miss this lift, we might have a long wait because a tug and tow was close behind us and heading to the lock too.  (Commercial traffic has precedence.  And tugs can take up to 4-hours if they have to break apart their barges.)  We were 30-minutes behind.  We put the pedal to the metal and increased our speed from 8.1 mph to 8.5 mph.  The lockmaster was a real cool dude and waited for us.  Unfortunately, the other boat had to wait too.  So, we slipped right through the open gates; and, we were not even secure on the wall when we saw the gates close behind. This lock lifted us up 40 ft.  By the way, since going through the Coffeeville Lock yesterday, we are out of tides and salt water.  Yippee!!  Also, Vicki is a real champ! Agree??  She could have done serious damage to herself falling into the hold.  I know of a guy that fell into one and broke seven ribs.  This is a risky adventure we're on.  Anyway, I'll apply all the salves later.

Happy Birthday, Norm!

Our last night in civilization was spent in Fairhope Alabama, a beautiful small town and suburb of Mobile.  We used the courtesy car at Eastern Shore Marine to explore the town.  Missed out on panninis at Pannini Pete's (reportedly the best in the nation) as they close after lunch. 

Our first anchorage in the Tenn-Tom was the Alabama River Cutoff, a narrow river that required both a bow and stern anchor.  This was the first time we used two anchors and they were tested with a big windy storm late afternoon.  The boat was pushed from one side of the river to the other, but we held!  Leaving the anchorage the next morning was beautiful - the sun rising, mist on the water, and a small alligator swimming across the river.

We went through the first of many locks yesterday - Coffeeville Lock.  Then on to Bobby's Fish Camp where Norm had the best catfish in the universe when doing the Great Circle Route in 2001.  Unfortunately, the restaurant is only open Thursday - Sunday.  We'll have to catch it on the return trip. 
  
We were advised by Hank and Nancy (who are a week or so ahead of us on the river) to get some yellow light bulbs that don't attract bugs for the outside of the boat so that we'll be more visible to tows when we're anchored in the river without ending up with a boat covered in bugs.  Couldn't locate bulbs, but bought yellow cellophane to cover the lenses of our lights.  We'll try them out tonight when anchoring outside Bashi Creek.

Today is Norm's birthday.  Let's hope it's storm-free, bug-free and filled with wonderful birthday surprises.

Back on the water.........

We've been out of touch.  We know.  And we're sorry.  We've been extra busy with expected and unexpected land travel.  Our daughter, Colleen and her husband, Brian, were expecting their first baby (our 4th grandmiracle) on May 15.  We were docked in St Pete at the time.  After 36 hours of labor, she delivered a beautiful baby girl, Ella Grace.  Baby Ella was OK and Colleen's recovery from the C-Section was going well.  We flew back to St Pete and immediately got underway for our slow trek around Florida's panhandle to Mobile Bay.  (See previous blog entry.)

While off shore and crossing the Gulf we received word that the recovery was not going well due to complications from the C-Section. Colleen was in bad shape and getting worse.  Norm was a mess.  We had to get to a safe harbor near an airport.  It took us two painful, chaotic days to dock in Pensacola.  In the meantime, Colleen had emergency surgery to repair a perforated bowl that was not caught for 6 days. It was VERY BAD!!  Norm arrived back in Columbus just after the surgery and remained there for 8 days until Colleen was discharged from the hospital.  Along with Brian's parents and his sisters, Norm helped to care for baby Ella and be with his daughter during the early, hard recovery days.  Colleen's mother is now picking up where Norm left off.  Brian and his family were awesome, providing Norm a place to stay and meals when he was not at the hospital. He'll be eternally grateful to them.

Vicki with Ella Grace

Norm with Ella Grace

With Colleen on the mend, and reprovisioning completed, we resumed our cruise today.  We are currently docked at Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores, AL.  This is also the home of Lulu's Restaurant.  Lulu is actually Lucy Buffett, Jimmy Buffett's "crazy sister" as he calls her.  Yes, we both had to have a Cheeseburger in Paradise.  But, not before a couple margaritas and a dish of fried green tomatoes--a real southern treat.  (Even though Norm's grandmother in Pittsburgh used to make them when he was a kid.)

If you are interested in viewing our cruise routes from Sarasota, FL to Gulf Shores, AL, click on the following links:

Sarasota, FL to St Petersburg, FL

St Petersburg, FL to Gulf Shores, AL

Tomorrow we're off to Mobile Bay, then up the Mobile River to the Tennessee-Tombigby Waterway.  Our friends cruising ahead of us have told us that the river currents and pool levels at the dams are in good shape.  More on that later. 

Gonna See Tennessee

We left St. Petersburg this morning on the first leg of our trip to Tennessee.  Should take around 25 days to get to Chattanooga.  We're anchored out near Tarpon Springs (Anclotte Key). Tarpon Springs is a greek sponge-diving community and we just saw the Sponge-O-Rama (not making this up!) tour boat.

St. Pete is top of the list for our land-based retirement unless Chattanooga or Knoxville ensnare us with their charms.  Stay tuned! 

I say, I say, hold on folks. Sarasota may not be it................

It was a short 4.5-hour cruise up the GICW (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway) to St Petersburg, FL.  Our first stop was to Salt Creek Marina for some preventive maintenance requiring Tide Hiker to be lifted out of the water. So after Tide Hiker was hauled, the bottom was pressure washed and she was blocked, we rented a car and drove over to Apollo Beach to spend the night with our friends, Ron and Charma Owens. It was Wednesday and that means happy hour at Circles Tiki Bar.  We had a great time getting reacquainted with Ron and Charma's friends whom we met last year.

Norm, Vicki, Ron, Charma and friends at Circles Tiki Bar

Charma, Ron and Vicki at Apollo Beach home

The next morning,  Ron, the "much-in-demand-Defever-guru" on the west coast of Florida helped Norm.  More acurately, Norm helped Ron change the seals on the stabilizer fin shafts.  They also replaced all the zinc's attached to metal parts under the water.  (The zincs are sacrificial.  That is, they are there to take the galvanization attacks common in salt water, thereby preventing the galvanization of the more critical parts--propeller shafts, rudders, etc.)  Anyway, they got it all done in 1/2 day.  We then relaunched Tide Hiker and moved her over to the St Pete Municipal Marina.  Ron joined Norm there, and they changed out the engine impellers--more preventative maintenance.  Thanks Ron and Charma for your help, your hospitality and most especially, your friendship.

It was time to explore St Pete--our next possible permanent retirement location. Vicki says St Pete has a good vibe for her.  Norm is more apprehensive at this point, still very much liking Sarasota.  We have been walking our feet off getting to know the city and the bay front. This is WORK!!

Our friend Roger had an interview for a jo---, jo---, jo---, I just can't say it, the next morning.  So he and his wife and our friend, Lisa, drove up from Cape Coral to spend the night with us. I say fortunately, because they were a friendly respite from all the city exploring we have been doing.  So, it was late lunch with martini's.  Vicki and Lisa went for a pedicure and Rog and Norm found the nearest bay-front watering hole and, well, you know....

 More later..................

"Road Trip".........

The cliffhanger from the past blog entry is solved.  Joe never made it to the "Dancing With the Stars" debut.  He had a very ligitimate excuse: "ooops".

With all the formal events behind us, it was time for a "ROAD TRIP"!!  We boarded a plane in Tampa and flew to Washington, DC for Vicki's niece's wedding.  Aimee Cooper and Fish (Brian Fisher) were married on Saturday, March 26.  Vicki's minister-uncle (Aimee's great uncle) performed the ceremony, Norm walked Aimee down the aisle and gave the "Father" of the Bride speech.  He was quite honored to have been asked to do that and he was moved by the event.  It was a great wedding.  How could it not be when the program listed "Congo Line Coordinator".  And, since Aimee grew up with our three girls, they all came to the wedding too with hubby's in tow.  Little JoycE came too.  It was a mini-family reunion. 

The Cheery Blossoms were out in DC

Vicki standing by the Pacific side of the WWII Memorial and the place where she (secretly-not allowed) buried some of her father's ashes.  Cal served in the Navy, escorted the ship where the Japanese surrendered,  and was very proud of his service.

It was chilly there!

Fish is a tour guide when not directing school bands.  He got the tour bus exclusively for family on Thursday night.  Gave any family in town at the time a fantastic historical tour of the monuments.

Aimee was the conductor and flag distributor

Here's where the "elected children" play

Daughters Katie and Chris; and, baby JoycE and Son-in-Law Joel

Korean War Memorial--Spectacular at night

JoycE, Joel and Chris on the tour bus

Rehersal dinner-someone brought mustashes, eyebrows and beards--required attire.

Aimee and Fish

Norm and Aimee

Norm giving the "father"-of-the-bride toast.  He had to wear socks for this event, folks.

The bride and groom having a tender moment on the dance floor

Daughter Katie and Vicki

Daughter Colleen, (with grand-miracle #4) and Norm on the dance floor.

Four Generations:  Vicki's Mom (Avie), Vicki, Chris and JoycE

It was time to depart Washington DC, unfortunately at the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Festival.  We rented a car and drove to some Virginia towns we have never been to.  First stop was Charlottesville, VA,  home to Jefferson's University of VA and Monticello, Jefferson's home.  We really enjoyed this stop and learned a lot about Jefferson.

Jefferson's beloved Monticello.  His grave is in the family plot a short

distance down the hill from the mansion

Then it was on to Lynchburg, VA.  Interesting town built on the side of a mountain.  Lots of Confederate memorials here.  And, Jerry Falwells Liberty University is here.  Very impressive campus and most important (to Norm anyway) a ski hill with no snow.  That's right, it was some other material that is kept wet.  Watch this:

Check out this ski hill with no snow.  Cooooool!!

The road trip continued to Roanoke, VA.  Both Lynchburg and Roanoke are in the midst of urban renewal.  They have real promise but now lots of closed up shops and scars of urban decay.   Actually, we were very excited about these towns as possible retirement locations.  But, really not our mojo there.

It was on to Raleigh, NC next.  We stopped by Rick and Lynnie's home in Cary (suburb of Raleigh) for a couple of nights.  You devoted blog readers will remember our good friends Rick and Lynnie and their Defever "Rickshaw".  They buddy-boated with us for a few years.  They are land-dwellers now and sold their beloved Defever.  We had a great time.  Vicki and Lynnie got a pedicure.  Norm helped Rick with a house project.  After all that, it was play-time.  It was a wonderful visit.  It was sad to say goodbye when they put us on an Amtrack train for our journey back to Sarasota. We didn't get much sleep on the train and 1 hour outside of Tampa, the train hit a truck that tried to beat the gate--but didn't, by a hair.  No one was injured but the authorities had to investigate and fill out reports and do interviews, etc.  We were delayed by an hour.  The last leg of this journey was on an Amtrack bus to Sarasota from Tampa.  We arrived home safe, but exhausted. We've been relaxing since them.

Vicki, Norm, Lynnie and Rick at the University Chapel

Rick and Lynnie took us on a tour of Durham, Raleigh, and these gardens.  Where's Wal__, ooops, I mean Vicki?

Lynnie and Rick at the gardens

One night while playing canasta, Vicki tried to do the mind-meld with Rick.  But he wasn't having any of it and protected himself with this mind-meld barrier.  He won!

This truck tried to beat the RR gate--and lost!  No injuries and only minor damage, luckily. 

No long rest for the weary, though.  Vicki took off today for Columbus, Ohio for Colleen's two baby showers this weekend.  So Norm is "batching it" on the boat tonight.  Tomorrow, our friend Roger will pick Norm up for a drive down to Cape Coral to see their new home.  And, maybe a toddy or two.

More later............

Maybe. Just maybe, this might be it...............

Hello to all our blog readers.  As you might know, we have been exploring permanent retirement locations for when we decide to "move ashore".  We have been doing this for a long time.  While that date is still far off, we have come to like Sarasota very much.  Norm's mom and dad retired here many years ago, so we would visit from time to time.  But they lived south of Sarasota and that did not give us much of an opportunity to explore the urban areas.  On this trip, we took the time to rediscover the city we have been to a number of times. We still have a few more towns to check out including St Pete and some in the Smokey Mountains; but, Sarasota is looking good!!  We'll keep you up to date on our progress from time to time.

Here's our cruise from Ft Myers to Sarasota.  We made a stopover in Englewood, FL (we never heard of it before either) and docked at the Cape Haze Marina.  OK for one night but not more.  Remember, just click on the following link and use the + and - buttons to zoom in or out.  Ft Myers to Sarasota, FL

Our cruise up from Ft Myers was delightful.  The weather was superb, the views outstanding and the seas in the waterway were calm.  We arrived Sarasota on Sunday, March 13 and will remain here for a month.  Our first job was to walk to town and "check-it-out".  We were very impressed to see great restaurants, bars, parks, clean streets and sidewalks.  There are lots of high and low rise condos, single family homes, churches and all the county government buildings.  Not satisfied with just walking, we took a guided tour of the cultural areas--on a Segway.  This was a "yet-to-be-claimed" Christmas present Vicki gave to Norm last December.  The tour was a hoot.  We were like a row of little ducklings following the leader through Sarasota's cultural district.  We learned about the opera house, all the theater houses and a good bit of Sarasota's history.  And, the segway's were easy to ride and control and a nice break for tired legs.  Only one little problem.  Norm got a bit frustrated with the speed of the tour.  After his orientation and after gaining good control, he wanted to "put the pedal to the metal", but the tour guide would not allow it and he had to be scolded a couple times.

Vicki and Norm on their Segway Tour in Sarasota

We received a very special treat a day or so later.  Our very dear friends from our old hometown and church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin were in town and visited with us for a day.  Tom and Pat Schildt and Terry and Cathy Andrus and we took a walking tour of downtown Sarasota, ate lunch al fresco and relaxed on Tide Hiker for a while.  Then, we all toured Beverly's (Cathy's mom) home on Long boat Key.   Of course we were hungry again--its the American way, you know.  So, off to dinner to a great Italian restaurant. 

Tom, Pat, Norm, Vicki, Cathy and Terry at lunch al fresco in downtown Sarasota

Tom, who had never been on Tide Hiker before, and being a retired tradesman, had lots of questions.  So, a detailed tour of the engine room was in order.

It was a fantastic day with fantastic friends.  If we settle in these parts, we'll be able to see them more often--giving Sarasota another edge in our thinking.

The next big event was St Patrick's Day.  And, Sarasota celebrates it in style.  A couple streets were closed off and the downtown bars were jumping till wee hours. Our friends Bob and Stephanie aboard September Song, Joe and Julia aboard Sea Pearl and Todd and Brenda aboard Life's 2 Short arrived early (like us) to rest up for the big day. And, Doug and Tammy, "the professionals" aboard Gypsies in the Palace drove over from Cape Canaveral. So, we now had a quorum and were able to celebrate St Pat's.  Here's a few shots that we know will make the blog albums.

Norm and Vicki started early

Tammy and Doug displaying their mobile coozies.  They keep them on their person 24/7,

like professionals do.

Todd loves the Irish

Bob, Brenda, Stephanie, Julia, Vicki and Norm posing for Todd

Another important reason for stopping in Sarasota was the Defever Cruisers 2011 Rendezvous.  One hundred twenty five members and about 25 Defever boats descended on Marina  Jack Marina.  We had two days of seminars covering important boating issues, raffles, banquets, open boat tours and partying, including dancing, till the wee hours.  All in all, it was a very successful event.  Vicki was the registrar and got lots of well-deserved accolades for her hard work.  We're waiting for some pics of this event.  We'll add them later.

Well, tonight starts the one millionth season of the TV program "Dancing with the Stars" as Norm likes to point out. Vicki says that this is a reason to keep the party going.  So, Steve and Di aboard Aurora and Joe and Julia were invited for dinner and a "movie" tonight.  Di and Vicki are humongous fans and never miss an airing.  Unfortunately, Joe and Julia have other dinner plans but said that they will be by for the "movie".  Do you suppose Joe or Julia will become fans like Vicki and Di?  Stay tuned to an upcoming post for an answer to this cliffhanger.