Back in Wisconsin

We left Panama City, FL Thursday the 13th about mid-day instead of the 9am start we’d planned. Too many details to go into but the bottom line is we had to change rental cars and the one we changed to, a Pontiac Grand Prix, had two screws in one of the rear tires and we had to get that repaired before we could take off. Never a dull moment, right?

The rest of the day went smoothly. The weather was great for driving; hit rush hour traffic in Birmingham, Alabama but we still made pretty good time. We stopped for the night at Clarksville, TN (about 30 min. north of Nashville) still in our shorts from the warm weather we left behind. I was pretty excited to be able to sleep in a real bed and take a shower without flip-flops for the first time since September (it’s the little things you know!)

We got a much earlier start on Friday am. We heard there was snow and ice predicted for the next day in Illinois so we were very glad we left when we did. We got to Milwaukee by early evening and had a pizza with our son, Eric. We picked up the rest of the mail forwarded to him and headed north to Green Bay, arriving about 9 pm .

It was so strange to drive through our neighborhood with the snow and holiday lights. I felt like we were in some kind of a time warp since it was late summer when we left and we never got to see the fall leaves and the start of winter. Thankfully it wasn’t artic cold, only about 14 degrees!

Our house looked HUGE to me compared to our boat accommodations. It felt really good to be home but I didn’t kiss my dishwasher like I’d heard of some women doing! I was pretty excited to do laundry the next day without plugging it with 5 or 6 quarters though. I think Paul’s a little worried he won’t get me back on the boat after living in luxury for a few weeks.

We were happy to see Christmas cards, letters and pictures from a lot of you – thank you so much! Please don’t delete us from your card list for next year but we’re going to send our love and best wishes through this blog this year. So, pay attention now – here’s your “card”:

We wish you a very “MERRY CHRISTMAS” and may the peace and joy that can only come from the blessed Christ Child be with you all as you sail gently into the new year.

This will probably be the last blog entry for quite some time as we didn’t continue our internet connection at the house during our trip. Please check back in January for more “Loop” adventures on the “Restless Wind”!

Here’s Paul and Santa the day before we left Florida. Bye for now - Paul and Emy

Happy Birthday!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our daughter Alison who turns 25 on December 15th!

Paul and Alison before we left Green Bay in September and a shot of Alison with her co-workers at WSAW Channel 7 in Wausau, Wisconsin. See you soon Alison!

USS Mesa Verde

On Saturday we had the chance to tour the USS Mesa Verde while it's docked in Panama City awaiting commissioning on Saturday, December 15th. It was built in Pascagoula, Mississippi and was launched in August 2007. It is an amphibious transport dock designed to transport and land Marines and their equipment and supplies. Some stats on the ship: Length - 684 ft; Beam - 105 feet; displacement - approximately 24,900 tons full load; crew - 360 sailors (28 officers, 332 enlisted), three marines. Here's the website if you'd like to read more about it: http://ccmesaverde.com/. Her namesake is Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado. We were fortunate enough to tour Mesa Verde and some of the cliff dwellings there while visiting Em's brother, Larry and family who live near there in Ridgway, Colorado.

The next ship to be commissioned in this LPD class will be the USS Green Bay (LPD 20)!

Quite an imposing sight!

This is where we entered the ship. Paint was still being applied to this side of the ship.


This young officer was our tour guide. You can see how these little guys were quite impressed with the whole experience! There were quite a few retired Navy personnel on the tour also.

This is the view from the bridge - pretty impressive!

Panama City, FL - Sun Harbor Marina

Here are two of our jellyfish companions from Smack Bayou. They've got to be one of the stranger creatures our creator designed for our enjoyment!

Someone asked what a hurricane hole is: just somewhere to safely hole up while riding out a hurricane I guess! Since Dec. 1st was the official end of hurricane season, we haven't given them a lot of thought.

This is what one of the posts on the pier in Panama City Municipal Marina looked like. Barnacles are definitely something foreign to us. At night when it's really quiet, you can hear something like Rice Krispies in a bowl of milk: snap, crackle, pop! The harbormaster said it's crustaceans nibbling on the bottom of your hull. Hopefully all the work Paul did putting anti-fouling paint on our hull will prevent the little buggers from attaching themselves.

This is one of those nasty 50 ft. bridges that kept us off the ICW getting to Panama City. We figure we need 55 ft. of clearance to be safe. We went a whopping 4.6 miles on the water yesterday. We moved the boat over to Sun Harbor Marina, also on St. Andrew Bay just off the Gulf. They gave us a really reasonable monthly rate to leave the boat here while we're in Wisconsin for the holidays.

This is our slip. The finger piers are very short, maybe a third of your boat length. No cleats, just huge posts to tie to so your boat can move with the tides. We find it a bit more of a challenge docking by yourself. It also makes it a little tricky getting on and off the boat but so far no one's fallen in. (Ginger did once back in Tennessee but that's another story). That's Paul working on cleaning the salt off the boat. It's amazing how sticky it is and how quickly your boat looks a mess. (you know those Great Lakes boaters like to keep a clean ship!) He's putting a restorer and polish on all the rails to keep them from pitting.


There's a restaurant here at the marina but we haven't checked it out yet as we're trying to use up the food in the freezer before we go home. There's also a paddle wheel boat docked here, the "Betsy Ann". It's all lit up at night with holiday lights, quite festive. Last night a group went out for a holiday party, I can't imagine it's a very scenic ride in the dark but they seemed to have fun! I don't think I'll ever get used to the Christmas lights and decorations in 70 degree weather with green grass, flowers and palm trees. I feel like I'm in a foreign country sometimes. I'm sure the drive back to the land of cold and snow will bring me back to reality in a hurry!


This is looking across to the Betsy Ann from our dock. All for now - there probably won't be anything exciting to document for awhile but then you never know on this trip! Also, for any boaters looking for a fixer upper: the nice couple across the dock from us is selling "Nora B". Maybe they'd include the lounge chairs already set up for you on the foredeck!

We're in Florida!

Our last night in Fairhope was spent on Jan and Joe's m/v 5th Quarter for a spaghetti dinner with Andre and Olga from m/v Mystic Bond. Pictured is everyone minus Joe, the photographer. We met these boaters from the Florida Keys and Nova Scotia back in September in Joliet, Illinois so it was fun to reconnect.

We all left Fairhope on Tuesday and headed down Mobile Bay to the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW). We were excited to be sailing again though we had to douse the sails too soon as the ICW channel is quite narrow at that point.

We were told we needed to stop at LuLu's at Gulf Shores, AL, a "must stop" for Loopers. So we all had "Cheeseburgers in Paradise" at Jimmy Buffet's sister Lucy's place. It's a fun place with great food and atmosphere so it was well worth the stop.







We anchored for the night in Ingram's Bayou near Perdido Bay just off the ICW. The highlight of the day, besides the cheeseburger, was seeing our first dolphin! The lowpoint was running aground (though briefly) in the ICW, in the channel - crazy tides!

The next day was sunny and in the 70s again (sorry Wisconsinites!). About mid-morning we crossed into Florida - another milestone. The three of us got slips at Palafox Pier Marina in Pensacola - hooray for floating docks! We hadn't seen those in a long time and there can be some mighty big steps onto your boat with the fixed docks. History lesson: Pensacola is the City of Five Flags; over the last four centuries, Spain, France, England, the Confederate States of America and the United States of America have ruled Pensacola. All Navy, Marine and Coast Guard aviators start their training here. I never quite managed a picture of the Blue Angels in formation but trust me, we did see AND hear them. We also saw the Coast Guard doing maneuvers and plucking people out of the water by helicopter.


The next day we parted ways with the other boats that don't have a mast. There are several 50 ft. bridges that prevented us from heading to Ft. Walton Beach via the ICW. We headed to an anchorage near Pensacola near historic Ft. McCrae. A very pretty anchorage but we hit a sandbar coming in that somehow wasn't where it was supposed to be! We hit pretty hard and came to a dead stop. I have two bruises to prove it; I was down below and was thrown a couple of feet into a post. Hopefully that's the first and last time that happens!

On Friday we got an early start and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico. We weren't sure what to expect but it seemed reminiscent of Lake Michigan in regard to the wave action. (Ginger got seasick!) We had to motor-sail a lot of the way but after 47 miles we arrived in Destin, FL.

The white sand on the beaches coming in to Destin reminded me of snow, but thank goodness it wasn't! Since they didn't have any slips available, we ended up tied to the fuel dock at the Harbor Walk Marina. There really aren't any facilities for $1.75/ft. dockage so we weren't too happy but had no choice really. It's a big sport fishing marina. There was a lovely sunset from the boat though.



On Saturday morning we headed back into the Gulf. The wind was pretty brisk but, guess what? It was coming out of the east, directly where we were headed (sound familiar sailors?) So, more motor-sailing; we tried tacking for awhile but knew we'd be out of daylight by 5pm so we mostly just blasted right into it - not happy! The best part was encountering three dolphins who wanted to play. They'd go from one side of the boat to the other, swimming under the bow - too fast for me to get a good picture. The worst part was seeing our Packer windsock sailing off our stern! Not a great time for a man overboard drill but after two tries, we managed to snag it with a boat hook and pull it back onboard - yay team!

We set the anchor in a hurricane hole near Panama City just at dusk. It's called Smack Bayou but could be called "Jellyfish Bayou" - they were everywhere. I thought they were fascinating since I'd never seen one except in an aquarium. They were transparent and about 10 inches across. There were two sunken hulls in the bayou too; one sail and one power boat. Not sure what the story is on them - very strange. We spent two nights at anchor there after getting beat up on the Gulf.

We headed into the Panama City Marina early Monday am when the wind picked up and we weren't so comfortable at anchor anymore. And.... that's where we are now and finally have internet access again - hooray for civilization! Paul even got to watch Monday Night Football on cable and we walked to a place for dinner. Here's a picture from last night after the front moved through. Can't get enough of those sunsets! To be continued.... and GO PACKERS!!

Mobile Bay - Fairhope, AL

The trip across Mobile Bay was pretty quick; it's less than the distance across Green Bay. It's very shallow, outside of the main shipping channel it's less than 10 feet! We saw lots of brown pelicans following the fishing boats, but no dolphin sightings yet.

We're now at Eastern Shore Marine at Fairhope, AL. There's still work going on nearby to repair damage done by Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Ivan was also not kind to the Mobile area. We had a great seafood dinner on Wednesday night with three other couples, one from Algoma, WI. Fairhope is decorated for the holidays with thousands of white lights in the trees lining the streets - really beautiful. Paul's cousin Sandy from Bloomington, IL hooked us up with their former neighbors, Art and Marilyn, who live near the marina. We enjoyed getting to know them at dinner Friday night and lunch today. Art is also retired from the FBI so he and Paul had a lot in common. The sunset picture was taken from the first slip they had us in at Fairhope.

The weather over the weekend was pretty threatening (although nothing materialized) so we delayed leaving. Depending on weather, we'll head out into the Gulf of Mexico Monday or Tuesday. We plan to anchor on our way to Pensacola, FL.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!
34 years and counting as of November 25th,
and no, we didn't finish this bottle of wine in
one night!

The Mast is Up!

Here comes our mast. There's definitely a tense moment while watching your mast dangling in the air like this!








We had help from Rolf, a sailor from Sheboygan, WI who also had his mast put back on "Norske". He and his wife, Kathy, are truly live aboards after selling their land home and moving aboard in May. (not sure I'd be ready for that!)




This is Roger (who needs a bosun's chair?) from Turner's Marina. He scoots up masts like a monkey! They step so many masts that they're really good at it. It was the place that was recommended to us to have the work done. The $.50/foot dockage rate was the best we'll see in a long time too I'm sure.




As you can see, all went well! It was great to have Restless Wind looking "normal" again. We left at mid-day to cross Mobile Bay to Fairhope. More on that later... Belated "Happy Thanksgiving" to all. We both feel we have much to be thankful to the Lord for this year as always.

Becoming a Sailboat Again!

The mast was taken off the deck and put in the "mast parking lot" for us to prep it. It's scheduled to be stepped on Monday the 19th.

Meanwhile we rented a car and are seeing some of Mobile and got to attend a church service on Sunday. We had "poboys" at The Boiling Pot; they're like a sub sandwich with about a pound of shrimp; Paul had fried oysters on his (no thanks).

We also drove south and toured the Estuarium at Dauphin Island Sea Lab. An estuary is an area where fresh water and salt water meet. It was really interesting - sort of like a museum and aquarium combined. We saw our second fort there (we had toured Fort Conde in downtown Mobile). The Isle of Dauphin was the capital of the Louisiana Territory - lots of history here.

Mobile

We arrived in Mobile, Alabama on Monday, November 12th, two months to the day after we left Green Bay. It felt like a major milestone! Seeing the open water was almost intimidating after being on the rivers for so long with land so close on both sides of the boat. This picture is looking back at Mobile and two of the boats we were traveling with.

Mobile is a major seaport with lots of cargo ships being loaded, tows and tugboats. There was a lot of turbulence while making our way to Dog River Marina on the western shore of the Bay.

We passed by the Mobile Convention Center on our way into Mobile Bay. We felt like we were so far from civilization at the anchorage the night before but we were only 3 hours from this.

A fishing boat in Mobile Bay. This was our first sighting of Brown Pelicans. They can have a wing span of up to 6 1/2 ft and dive bill first into the water for fish.

We stayed at the Dog River Marina one night then moved next door to Turner's where we'll have the mast put back where it belongs. We'll be there a week or so. I hope to put some pictures of that momentous event on the blog next time. Again..... GO PACKERS!!!

Catfish, Gators and Fog

We did get to tour two of the historic antebellum homes in Demopolis before we left: Bluff Hill and Gainswood, both very interesting. They use the term antebellum to refer to anything before the Civil War. Right after Demopolis is the Demopolis Lock (go figure!) Another 40 feet down we went after delaying an hour or so for early morning fog. After going about 50 miles down river, we anchored just off the channel with five other boats. We all got together on Transition, Bill and Jill's 42 ft. Kadey Krogen from Vermont. I was afraid I'd develop "trawler envy" after seeing how 12 people can socialize on a boat and not feel crowded, but I didn't. I purposely avoided touring their sleeping areas however; ignorance is bliss!
















We saw our first alligators the next day: three separate sightings of them just relaxing in the sun - very creepy looking. We're definitely "not in Kansas anymore!"

That night we got to experience Bobby's Fish Camp - a must stop along the Loop. It's just a dock, fuel and the restaurant where 12 of us had a Friday night fish fry southern style. That's fried catfish, french fries, cole slaw and hushpuppies. Paul had catfish at the marina restaurant in Demopolis but it was the first time I'd had it. If you want any alcoholic beverages besides canned beer, you bring your own and they provide the glasses. It was very tasty and a fun time.












Going down 34 feet at the Coffeeville Lock the next morning completed the 26 locks on our way down and we are now basically at sea level. Also the water is considered tidal from this point forward. We felt a sense of accomplishment! That night we anchored in a little creek with just a houseboat for company. That was our first experience with tidal activity. It was doing strange things to our bow and stern anchors so we left there at first light - in the fog. A little scary but we went slowly and made sure the two tows we encountered knew where we were. Ginger did not enjoy the horn we blew every two minutes during the most dense parts. Only one gator spotted on gator watch today.













Check out these chart pages. As you can see, river miles vs. net miles are somewhat of a disparity! Sometimes it was hard to tell what direction you were traveling.

We caught up to the "pack" again and anchored with the same five boats in a very peaceful anchorage a mile up the Tensas cut off, about a mile off the channel. We were now officially on the Mobile River, so named after the Alabama River flowed into it. There was moss hanging off the cypress trees and mullet fish jumping out of the water, no gators though. It was in the high 70s and sunny. Cocktail hour again on the same trawler; kind of nostalgic as this is the last night we'll probably all be at anchor together. On to Mobile tomorrow!

Tenn-Tom River Section

Our plans changed and we never did go to the marina at Columbus, Miss. as I mentioned last time. After we left the Midway Marina we went through three more locks in one day: Fulton, Wilkins and Amory. This is the scene while waiting 1 1/2 hrs to go through the Amory Lock; it was down due to maintenance. It didn't do those big guys any good roaring off ahead of us; they just had to wait a couple of hours longer than we did. Although on a sunny 76 degree day it wasn't much of a hardship! Some people anchor and some just float around. The sailboat on the left is a 38' Cabo Rico whose home port is in Tenn. It was being delivered by 4 sailors for the owner who will meet up with it in Florida. We were interested in watching it go under the fixed bridges which were around 52 ft. They didn't make it by much but our mast wouldn't have cleared them at all, which is why it's still laying horizontally on our deck! About 5 miles past the Amory Lock is where the 149-mile River Section of the Tenn-Tom begins.

Factoid - The Tenn-Tom is the largest project ever undertaken by the US Corps of Engineers. 307 million cubic yards of earth were moved, more than the Panama Canal project.

We anchored that night at Blue Bluff. These recreation areas make great anchorages for boaters with a dog as there are small docks and even clean restrooms with flush toliets if you're really lucky! It was a great anchorage but I'm a little sorry we didn't go to the marina at Aberdeen. Evidently there are Antebellum homes to tour in Aberdeen which would have been interesting. Paul says, "next time!" We were heading for the Aberdeen Lock by 8am the next day (early for us) as we heard on the radio the boats who stayed at the marina were heading for the lock. We got there about 30 min ahead of them and had to wait for the big guys. That night we anchored near the Bevell Lock and Dam near Columbus. We had planned to tour the snagboat Montgomery but since it was a weekend, it was closed for "winter hours" - sure doesn't feel like winter! Anyway, we did look around the Montgomery, read the placards and looked in the windows of the visitors center - another place to visit "next time!"




The US Snagboat Montgomery was the last steam powered sternwheeler to ply the inland waterways of the South. The snagboats removed trees, sunken logs and other debris that might obstruct river traffic. She was built in 1926 and retired in 1982. The boat is now dry-docked to preserve it.

Saturday night we stayed at a tiny marina near Pickensville, Alabama. (We crossed into Alabama mid-day on Friday.) Paul says the marinas are getting "seedier" as we move south. They sure do need some TLC and maintenance and some of the showers make you long for home! Ginger and I did make some new friends doing laundry there though. The girls and little Roscoe the wiener dog were visiting one of their grandparents on a houseboat.

We're getting up an hour or so earlier now with the end of daylight savings time. We'll need to get earlier starts as it'll be dark around 5:30pm. We went through the Bevell Lock and headed for the next one. We were excited to find we could get updates on the Packers-Chiefs game on an XM sports station; usually we just call Alison for updates. While we dropped the 32ft in the Hefflin Lock we lost the signal at a critical time. By the time we anchored just off the river past the lock, victory was assured and all was well - wheww!

The next pictures are of the white cliffs at Epes, Alabama nearing Demopolis. (another seedy marina!) The Black Warrior enters the Tenn-Tom here and it's officially called the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway down to Mobile. We had to raft off 2 other sailboats the first night here they were so full. Now that was tricky climbing over the decks of two other boats and all their rigging in the dark! They left about 6:30 this am so we are at the dock now - much better. We hope to tour a couple of the old homes in the town tomorrow.


"Where the burgee flies". This is the burgee that identifies us as boaters doing the Great Loop.


After we leave Demopolis, there are no marinas until Bobby's Fish Camp which is 100 miles. It'll be kind of like that section of the Mississippi away from civilization except less current and definitely less heat! Paul is studying the guidebooks to see where we can safely anchor as I write. We bought a tiny generator in town today. Paul is hoping it won't prove to be too small; we were price-driven! There are frost warnings out for tonight so our warm days may be over. With the generator, we'll hopefully be able to run a space heater while at anchor. Wish us luck, we'll be out of touch for awhile. GO PACKERS!!!