Red e Tug o

Still heading North

2007-05-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

I am pleasantly surprised that you are still reading our blog and wondering where we are!?!?!??!?! I have received a few phone calls. Today Sunday May 27, we have left the Charleston, SC area and are continuing north.
We had a very nice weekend with Kevin and Jeanne in St Augustine.
We had been having a vibration on the boat so we stopped by our ole stomping grounds in Fernandina Beach. After making multiple adjustments to the alignment, we finally got a Cummins guru to come in with his computer to check the engine. Apparently, just like the new cars on the road today, our electronic engine needs a specialist. He determined that we had a bad fuel injector. Of course this was on a Friday. On Monday the new injector was installed and we are now running smooth as silk.
We stopped at the Isle of Hope and rented a car to go into Savannah. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed getting on and off the open-air trolley all day to view the sights.
We have been cruising about 50 miles a day and making good time. Today is a bit slower, however, with the Holiday, there are hundreds of boats out here and the Intercoastal is very narrow where we are today.
We have anchored out the last two nights and I am trying to use up all the food we still have left. We are both rather anxious to get home!

Back in the States

2007-05-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

I know I know I have been very lazy about giving everyone an update so here goes. We went into Nassau but only stayed 2 days................nothing but a big, dirty city. We left for the Berry Islands on Friday, making it to Chub Cay. We kept an eye on the weather because of the storms heading East and decided not to dilly dally. We left the following morning for Bimini and Alicetown. By now the storm was predicted to affect the Gulf Stream and Atlantic by Sunday night into Monday. We decided to make a run for it. We left early on Sunday and headed for Ft. Lauderdale. The winds were in our favor all day and as we got closer to Florida decided to continue further North. We made it to Lake Worth about an hour before the skies turned ugly. The winds picked up over night and there were thunderstorms and hurricane warnings. By Tuesday most of the weather had eased up and we knew the Intercoastal was a narrow body of water with little fetch. We headed North to Ft. Pierce, had a very nice dinner and talked with Kevin. He and Jeanne are meeting us in St. Augustine on Saturday morning.
We had a long day yesterday getting into Cocoa Beach in time for dinner.
Today we are on the water again, the winds are still strong but Red e Tug o can handle them.

Heading North

2007-04-30T19:07:00.000-05:00

Saturday we said ‘goodbye’ to some really nice ‘sailors’, even if they are from Tennessee.
We first met Serendipity, Optimystique and Restless at the Exuma Park and hung out with them down to Georgetown and back to Emerald Bay. We had a pot luck on our boat last night and I almost didn’t have enough counter space to accommodate everyone’s drink of choice. Judy brought her red wine in a mouthwash bottle, Nancy brought her ginger beer and rum Susan and Lee brought fruit juice in a wine blatter along with both coconut and spice rum. No one is sure what William was drinking, since he ran out of beer (he started with 27 cases on his boat). In fact between the 3 boats they had ordered a truck load of 42 cases of beer to the docks before they departed Florida. They also carried boxes and boxes of wine. Obviously we do not know how to pack! They have been great fun and I will miss them. Although I was a bit disappointed in Nancy when she tried to stuff Misty in her tote bag……….
I am not able to post any more pictures right now. My laptop died and Jerry's does not have a download program for my camera, but we will keep working on it.

Georgetown on Great Exuma

2007-04-23T12:22:00.000-05:00

We are here in Georgetown on the Great Exuma Cay. We are anchored right in between two islands along with about 200 other boats. The entire area is really geared to the cruiser. There are volley ball games, softball, pig roasts, ARK meetings (if you drink too much join in, if you don’t drink enough show up anyway). There are picnic tables and chairs on the beach. There is a Exuma Regatta this week and the place is really jumping. This is one of the big events for all of the Bahama Cays. We will stick around for another few days before we head north.

Great Exuma

2007-04-18T11:20:00.000-05:00

We had Easter dinner on the beach at the Exuma Park and met a lot of cruisers. This world of boating is really fascinating. Some cruisers are going south, some live on their boats, some cruise 6 months out of the year, etc.
We are continuing south to Staniel Cay and more. I think I have already posted photos of that area. I am running behind on the script.
We have been here on Emerald Bay on the Great Exuma Island for almost a week now. This entire area is being developed around a Four Seasons Property. There is a 1 mile long curved beach that is shared by the Four Seasons and several other condo and homes used for rental. The setting is beautiful. We have not seen anything else of this caliber since we left Florida. We went to dinner at the Four Seasons Il Cielo restaurant and had a great dinner. I could stay here another week but everything is very expensive, including the dock fees of $2.25 a foot plus the cost of electric and water.
Georgetown is not far from here and we still intend to go there for a few days before heading North. We are planning to go to Nassau, the Berry Islands, Bimini and then Florida

http://picasaweb.google.com/RedeTugo

2007-04-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

We have been cruising the Exumas and they are every bit as beautiful as we thought they would be. The waters are crystal clear, like a swimming pool. Most of the islands give protection from the Eastern winds and seem to always have a beach and some coral heads. The islands are fairly close together so you can go from one to the other easily. We have been slowly moving south. Some are just a big rock with a few palm trees, others are much larger. Most islands have no facilities at all. We have learned to pack garbage tightly and are carrying it with us until we stay at a marina which may be another week or so. Now I know why boats are starting to put on trash compactors.
As an overview – everyday has been warm in the high to mid 80’s. The winds have been changeable but generally from the East, Southeast at 5-10knt. There are a few clouds and we have only had brief showers of no consequence. There are no bugs-none---no ants, no flies, no mosquitoes, etc. (and that was true in the Abacos as well. We leave doors and windows open and have not turned on the HVAC since we left the states.
We stopped at a marina on Highborne Cay that also had some groceries. We have gotten use to some of the prices but this place was a ‘6’. $6.50 for Zip Lock Bags, $6.50 for one large avocado, $6 for one cucumber, $6 for a loaf of bread, etc. I am so glad we brought as much food as we did…….in fact the freezer still has meats, as well as grouper, snapper and 8 lobster tails that we bought off of a fishing boat in Spanish Wells.
Today we are headed for the Exuma Park, which consists of several islands regulated by the government. Moorings are available as well as internet. We hope to be able to get caught up on email and do some snorkeling. In fact there is snorkeling just about everywhere, but the Park is supposed to be especially beautiful.

Hippos and Elephants

2007-03-30T15:17:00.000-05:00

Well we did it! We went through the Little Harbour Cut to the Atlantic and down to Eleuthra. It was the roughest ride we have ever had going through the cut. Our cruising partners took some pictures of us and I will attempt to put them on here. We have now cruised over to Spanish Wells and will stay one more day before heading further south.

Wicked Wind Witch

2007-03-25T17:49:00.000-05:00

For the first time as long as anyone here can remember ………. these winds have been strong and sustained. Meaning, the Sea of Abaco is very rough for any long passages and the Atlantic is not recommended with small craft warnings being posted for a full continuous 2 weeks. Apparently, there are folks still waiting in Florida to cross over to the Bahamas. There are boats in Eleuthra waiting to get here. And there are several boats like us that would like to make the passage South.
The weather here “Barometer Bob” is predicting that the prevailing winds should die down on Tues with a calm day predicted for Wed. We are at anchor in Marsh Harbour and will go down to Little Harbour on Tuesday to await the calm.
Even with the winds of 20-30 knots it is still warm and pleasant on the ‘lee’ side of the islands. Unfortunately, the reefs are on the ocean side so there is not much snorkeling; the water is just too rough.

Hopetown

2007-03-15T11:44:00.000-05:00

I guess you have been wondering about us……..we are fine. We have been here in Hopetown along with about 60 other moored and anchored boats. This is a very quaint little town with colorful, picturesque homes. We have taken more pictures and I will attempt to add a few.
It has not been as easy to get ‘connected’ here. Our Cingular card does not want to work even though the company keeps telling my daughter it is set up to work$%#%^!^?? We are looking at getting a small external antenna to strengthen the signals we are able to get.
Anyway, the weather continues to be in the high 70’s but the winds have been ever present. In fact, we are waiting on a favorable wind direction to move on down to the Exumas. We have found several vessels that want to make the trip also but we have had a stubborn front that has been hanging over the area with winds from the Northeast which are not what we want. Yes, I am also learning a lot about weather forecasts.
We finally got to go snorkeling for a little while yesterday. It was not in a coral area however (again because of the winds), but it was a good starter trip. The equipment Denise got us worked out perfectly. I am so glad we have it.
The watermaker is working fine, as well as the freezer. I am glad we have them as well. There are grocery stores available but not with a lot of variety. We are always able to get milk, fresh baked bread, and seafood. There is little fresh produce but they always have limes. And speaking of it – the vodka here is cheaper than at home. And the Blue Sapphire is the same price as Stolys. As soon as we drink up what we have, we can stock up for the trip home.
Would you believe that Jerry was chastised for going too fast in his new red dinghy? Of course with the 15hp motor and the ‘planning’ ability of the dinghy that is not hard to do. Misty loves it by the way

http://picasaweb.google.com/RedeTugo

2007-03-10T16:41:00.000-05:00

Ok Folks let me know if this works and I will send more Pictures. The first few are from Charlie's condo on Amelia Island where we stayed for 2 weeks. Then St. Augustine, FL and on down to Lake Worth where we did the crossing.

I know you are probably surprised to hear from us again so soon, but we are ‘connected’ again here at Man o War Cay. This is a little island that was settled by the loyalists from the American Revolution to escape the American 'Terrorist'. It is now a very ‘religious’ crowd that occupies this Cay. There is no alcohol served or sold here at all. We met a couple last year at Onancock, MD who have a home here. There were very helpful in telling us which charts to buy and some of the ins and outs of cruising the Bahamas. We are going to try and reach them.
If any of you are wondering about the weather – I know I did a lot of complaining earlier - today is the first day we got caught in a shower. The rest of the time it has been sunny to partly sunny with temperatures ranging from 69 – 80 degrees. The only change each day is the winds which we use to determine whether to anchor, grab a mooring ball or get a slip in a marina.
All of the islands we have visited so far have been scarcely populated but they all seem to have homes, apts, or resorts for vacationers. You can also charter a boat if you like. What you can see here is nothing like what you see on a cruise ship. The waters are very shallow and there are no facilities for the masses. Cruisers are the life blood and they are very much appreciated.
We are keeping our ears open for another boat to cross down to Eleuthera and into the Exumas. It is about 60 miles further south.
If anyone should need to reach us in an emergency, there is an internet address that can be used - cruisers@oii.net. They give the news, weather, and information to cruisers every morning at 8:15am. But they will relay any emergency message immediately or will even send out an ‘all call’ to get in touch with us. Please be sure to give our boat name.

Everything is Beautiful

2007-03-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

Well I guess you all are wondering what we have been doing. We are on a mooring ball here at Guana Cay which is a long slender island with the Sea of Abaco on the south and the Atlantic on the North. We are in a sheltered harbor where we can walk up the hill to Nippers, which is a small resort and bar overlooking the beach, you can then walk down the stairs to the water. The reef runs along the 7 miles of Ocean, this is where a lot of snorkeling and scuba is done. Misty just loves the beach, she ran and ran jumped in the surf, rolled in the sand and had a great time.
One thing we noticed from the very first day is that the 'locals' are so friendly. Everyone waves, just like NC, they are very eager to help if you need it, we have never been afraid or intimidated. And of course 'boaters' are always friendly. There is a 'cruisersnet' that comes on the radio everyday with weather and what is going on at the different island bars, restaurants, fishing, etc. It is a great time!
We rented a golf cart yesterday which is the main mode of transportation for all of the islands. We rode around from one end to the other, there is a lot of property for sale here.
Our dinghy has worked out fine and we are going to take it over to the marina here so we can get ‘connected’.

PICTURES!??

2007-03-03T17:37:00.000-05:00

You think we have time to take pictures!!! We anchored one night at the Great Sale Cay The water is so blue and clear, it is beautiful and shallow. We could see the bottom in 10 feet of water and actually watch where we put the anchor. The next night we anchored again at Powell Cay seeking protection from a really strong storm during the night. We were both up and down during the night checking to make sure we did not drag anchor. We did actually start dragging about daybreak so we moved on. However, moving on was a bit more difficult than normal. Our little boat on the GPS was turned around backwards. Typical of Jerry not to want to waist any time…….he was subtracting 180 degrees from the heading and traveling south. Finally, I found the right instructions in the manual and we proceeded to do circles in the water to recalibrate the chart plotter and compass.
We came into Marsh Harbor on Friday for the weekend. We are expecting another storm and are going to loose our 80 degree weather for a few days when the cold front comes through.

Here at Last!

2007-02-27T10:11:00.000-05:00

We left very early yesterday morning, about 7am and arrived here at the West End of the Grand Bahama Island abut 11:30am. The ride was rougher than we had anticipated. The waves were in the 4 – 6 range, mostly choppy but as we got about half way across the chop became more like big swells. Poor Misty did not like it at all! She stayed hungered down on the settee with a pillow on her head.
We cleared customs and are now flying the Bahamian flag as required. Today we are going to head out further east to the Great Sale Cay and anchor out. We are both getting a little tired of moving around and are looking forward to some ‘down’ time.

Here We Go!

2007-02-25T21:25:00.000-05:00

We have been in Lake Worth the last 2 nights which is in North Palm Beach, FL. The weather has been delightful. We saw some beautiful homes on the water as we cruised the InterCoastal. What a truly beautiful place this is. No wonder so many people want to live here. We took a walk yesterday, got our hair cut, picked up a few groceries (Jerry needed Smoked Salmon and I was out of Ben and Jerry’s). We are hopeful to leave in the morning. We have found a few other boats and are all anchored out. The decision to ‘go or no go’ will be made at 6:30am. Jerry will wake me if ‘go’, or I will sleep in if ‘no go’.

Getting Closer

2007-02-23T09:15:00.000-05:00

We spent the night here in Ft. Pierce at the City Marina. We had a delightful dinner in town and walked around looking at all the motorcycles, it was ‘biker’s night’. There must have been 2000 bikes. The street was blocked off – mini bars set up in several locations, a full band playing, what a sight!
Ft. Pierce is also an inlet to the ocean and some folks do leave from here for the Bahamas, but we had always planned on leaving from Lake Worth, so we are on our way there today. The weather across the Gulf Stream is not very good today and may not be tomorrow…………..Jerry’s weather program, WX, has been very helpful and we have had good luck with our Cingular card for the computer.
We have finally gotten into some warmer weather, highs in the 70s, at last.

On the Water Again

2007-02-21T08:32:00.001-05:00

We were dropped in the water on Monday morning and everything on the boat works fine. We anchored out Monday night on the Pine Island Creek. Yesterday, we put in a long day picking our way through some very shallow areas. Ending up at the Smyrna Yacht Club, a very nice facility. We are just about ready to shove off this morning.

It Ain't Ready Til Its Ready

2007-02-17T16:17:00.000-05:00

And It Ain't Ready! We are hopeful to be back on the water Monday. We are a little frustrated, but the Tiger Point Marina has been doing a very nice job. The boat looks like new. We have gotten to know Amelia Island very well. It is a very nice place. And the Fernandina Historic District is crowded with fine restaurants and fun shopping. Tomorrow we repack the boat and get ready to 'float'.

Almost - - - Ready to Go

2007-02-13T11:50:00.000-05:00

According to Tiger River Marina and Boatyard Red e Tug o should be finished on Friday. We have used the time to get her all cleaned and waxed, she is looking great.
It sure has been comfortable to stay in this condo, but we are looking forward to getting on our way again. One of the other 'tugs' that we were to meet in Lake Worth, FL was also delayed so we are hopeful to still be able to travel with another boat.

Taking it easy

2007-02-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

Well at the Super Bowl get together we meet a guy - Charlie - who has a 3 bedroom condo on the beach at Amelia Island - he is allowing us to use it while the boat is being repaired. It is much better than being in a hotel. We also rented a car and are getting to know the Island here.
A boat surveyor checked out the repairs needed yesterday and the boatyard will begin work today. The weather finally warmed up a little to 70 degrees and for the next few days.
That's it for now!

A Thousand Words

2007-02-04T16:15:00.000-05:00

Well we did it! And we want all the awards………Bent Prop, Skunk, rubber chicken, etc.
We are spending the next week here on Amelia Island in the Fernandina Historic District while our ‘home away from home’ is in the boat yard. She is getting some damage repaired to her bottom. We were going to have the bottom painted anyway while we were in the Bahamas, so it is just being done a little early.
We missed the channel to go from St. Simon’s to Jekyll Island so Jerry and I looked carefully and decided we could just enter the channel after the first marker………WRONG……… There was a rock jetty completely hidden by the tide. By the time the Boat US arrived to pull us off, the tide was already going out and it was decided to wait until the evening high tide, which we did and she floated off.
We are in a nice bed and breakfast here in Fernandina. We even get the use of mopeds if we want them but the weather is still kinda chilly but sunny today. We are going downstairs to the restaurant/bar area to watch the Super Bowl Game.

CLUCK CLUCK

2007-01-31T18:29:00.000-05:00

Well after talking with the Coast Guard and checking our tide tables, we decided to stay inside on the ICW. The other couple was from Australia and had never been outside either. We did not feel 'warm and fuzzy' about doing it at this time.
We had a very pleasant day with no groundings, in fact, I think we have been in much more shallow water earlier on this trip.
Tonight we are anchored in a very deep creek in Georgia just south of Savannah on the North River.
Just in case you were wondering...........................Misty is having a great time! She doesn't always like to anchor out but she is doing her thing just like she is supposed to on her personal outdoor potty area. We do have to be careful when docking or fueling because she gets very anxious and will hop off the boat to the dock if we take too long.

Which way do we go?

2007-01-30T18:23:00.000-05:00

This time I will leave you in suspense................we are at the Isle of Hope Marina near Savannah, GA. While Jerry was checking in he heard that 2 of the passages on the ICW are nearly shoaled over or at the least need to be passed during high tide. He met another couple that is going to go 'outside' (that means going into the Atlantic Ocean for those of you 'nonboaters').
We had thought about going outside for a shorttime just to get a feel of it, however this other couple is going to go outside for about 53 miles and I am not sure we are up for that yet. We are still checking the maps and tides and will decide later. Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Hunkered Down

2007-01-29T13:06:00.000-05:00

Well here we are in Beaufort SC. We came in early yesterday because of the expected high winds and cold temperatures. It did blow 20-25 knots yesterday and part of the night, with gale gusts. The temperature got down to 29 degrees. I am so glad I bought a down comforter for the boat. The only problem is who is going to get in bed first to warm it up. Today is sunny and a little warmer but it is expected to get even colder tonight.
We are at the City Marina, very convenient to everything. There is a courtesy car to borrow and very nice people here. I am going to check out the shopping today.

On our way again!

2007-01-26T22:33:00.000-05:00

Well Harold put in the new water pump and accumulator. We were back on the ICW by noon. We anchored out on the Thoroughfare Creek off the Wacama River. It was deep, quiet and still. Jerry made my new favorite drink, the 'Cosmopolitan'. We had a spareribs dinner, some Ben and Jerry's ice cream and slept peacefully. Next day, we got to the Isle of Palms, which is across the river from Charleston. We anchored out again at Little Goat Island and were at the City Marina in Charleston by noon. We walked around town and had a very nice dinner at Magnolia's.
Today, Friday, was our lay day. It was very cold last night, in the 20s and it is supposed to be that cold again tonight. Jerry did some planning for the next few days cruising and I took care of the mail we got delivered today. So far, we have had hot showers and clean clothes.
Our plans are to get to Lake Worth in Florida by the 13th of February. We are to meet up with a few other 'Tugs' and will plan our crossing from there.

The Curse Continues

2007-01-23T11:31:00.000-05:00

I can hardly write this for the frustration that I am feeling. On Sunday morning after our showers the brand new water pump went out. We managed to contact an old marina called Hague that is known for its maintenance. The owner, George, took our phone call and said we could come in and spend the night. The Marina is in a little canal just south of Myrtle Beach on the Intercoastal Waterway. We were able to dock, watch the football games and send emails.
First thing Monday morning the maintenance guy, Harold, was able to determine that the pump valve was in fact burned up as well as the old one we were still carrying. Tomco contacted us as well to talk with the mechanic to be sure he checks all the electrical connections. The only suggestion that was made was to get a bigger accumulator tank and pump. Tomco Federal Expressed it and this morning, Tuesday, we have a new accumulator and pump which Harold is mounting as I write.
The whole delay would not be so bad if the weather was a bit nicer but it has been cold and rainy. The marina here lent us a car yesterday…………….it was a bit of a jalopy, but we managed to get to the mall and walked around for a couple of hours just to break the monotony.

Curse of the Water Gods

2007-01-20T14:58:00.000-05:00

Would you believe we had another water pump go out!!!???? We were only gone 3 days and it just stopped in the middle of doing dishes. And would you believe that the unnamed person who was in charge of the boat’s tools, parts, and such left our spare pump in the garage!?!?!?!?? Me either!!!! But since this is meant to be a pleasurable experience, no blaming allowed.
We were able to get Tomco (boat manufacturer) to Federal Express us one overnight. They were just as incredulous as we were about the pump going out. For those of you who don’t know……..our little 2.5 year old boat has now had 4 new water pumps installed. There must be some other reason for this to keep happening……like a short in the wiring or electrical surge. Maybe all you electrical engineers out there have a suggestion.
Anyway we waited an extra day in Surf City at a Marina, finally getting on our way Friday at noon. We got as far as the Snow’s Cut and anchored for the evening.
The Cingular ‘card’ that we got for our internet connections is working out fine. We manage to stay on line as much as we want. Of course we have to take turns whose computer gets to use it.
Today, Saturday, we have had a pleasant cruising day and are going to spend the night at the Barefoot Landing at Myrtle Beach.

On Our Way

2007-01-17T10:35:00.000-05:00

Well, we left Cypress Landing on schedule (noon) and anchored out in a creek near Oriental NC. Last night we stayed here at Dudley’s Marina in Swansboro NC…….we knew the weather was going to get ugly so felt safer in port. And the winds did blow during the night and this morning.

Cruise to the Bahamas

2007-01-10T14:30:00.000-05:00

Red e Tug o

2006-10-19T21:41:00.000-05:00

Red e Tug o

We are in Norfolk - today is Thursday - we are on our way home.

Red e Tug o

2006-10-19T21:39:00.000-05:00

Red e Tug o

Thursday and Friday we spent at the Boat Show. We had dinner with my girlfriend Debbie and Denise, along with a few friends. We have had a wonderful time.

Well it rained and blew all day today (Friday) but I still managed to go out and get better shoes for the rainy weather.
We met for cocktails and “BS” with the other Tug owners – we met a couple from Maine, Stuart FL, Seattle, and Denver. What a great crowd. There are still several couples that have not made it in but are still expected.
Saturday we spent the day listening to talks about the ‘weather window’, maintenance on our Tug and cruising the Rivers from Mobile to Chicago.
Then we did the trawler crawl where all boats were visited and the chief maintenance ‘guru’ came on board to fix or help with any problems.
After the usual cocktail hours – Denise is worried we are drinking too much!
Dinner was a filet mignon and crab cake platter with shrimp cocktail, a super meal.
On Sunday we went to the wedding for our friend’s daughter, it was very nice.
Monday, on our way back to St. Michaels, Denise took us to Whole Foods – can you fall in love with a grocery store?
We left St. Michaels and anchored out for the night.
Tuesday we headed for Annapolis, arriving around 4pm and picked up a mooring ball in Spa Creek.
Wednesday we took the dinghy to the downtown area and just walked around for the afternoon. Tomorrow the Boat Show.

Obviously we have not been able to get connected and these messages are a little old but I had already typed them so here you go.
We finally got the mechanic and the pump to fix the generator. We left Oxford late morning. It really is a nice little town but not much to do there.
After listening to the impending weather reports, we decided to come directly to St. Michaels (a day early). Even though it was sunny for most of the day, the Chesapeake was getting rough. We got to St. Michaels about 5pm and 3 other ‘tugs’ were already here. The dock master helped us secure the boat for expected gale force winds. Sometime after midnight we started rocking and rolling and it is continuing today. Even with the terrible weather 3 other boats came in this morning. I can’t wait to here their scenarios of getting here.
Our daughter Denise is going to come to spend the night with us tomorrow (Saturday). On Sunday we will go to Denise’s and then our friend’s, daughter’s wedding. We will come back here on Monday and decide the next leg of our travels.

Red e Tug o

2006-10-04T14:05:00.000-05:00

Red e Tug o
We left Solomon's on Tues morning and had a quite ride over to the Tred Avon River where we dropped the hook and had a beautiful evening and night. The nights have been cool and the daytimes pleasant.
Then we came over to Oxford for the day. When we were ready to leave, we found water under the generator. We were able to stay the night here and had a mechanic look at the generator this morning. The mechanic checked it out and now we are waiting on the part and more of the mechanic's time to fix the problem.
There is not much to this town expect boat yards, maintenance boat yards, storage boat yards and more boats. Only one tiny grocery store and no shops. At least the weather has been nice and we have taken several long walks. Misty is much happier with real grass to do her thing.

Trawler Fest

2006-10-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

Red e Tug o
Well, we have been really busy.......the seminars for the Trawler Fest start at 8:30am each day and then lunch, visiting the boats and vendors, cocktails and dinner, back to the boat and get ready for the next day.
We both have really enjoyed the seminars and feel we have learned a lot. We have also met lots of cruisers from Canada, the Keys, New Jersey, Belhaven, etc.
We spent most of today cleaning up the boat, checking the filters and getting ready to leave tomorrow. We have been docked very close to a great gourmet grocery store and fully equipped once again.
I will try to write more often, but we do plan to anchor out some of the time.

Red e Tug o

2006-09-25T16:44:00.000-05:00

Red e Tug o
We left Norfolk Sunday morning and yes it was a rough day on the water, but we did not go very far. We spent the night in Fleet’s Bay on the Antipoison Creek. The winds died down while I fixed dinner and the temperature cooled down after we went to bed.
This morning we headed for Solomon’s. The weather was fine. We had a ‘miscommunication’ on the docking and after a few frustrating minutes we got into a very tight space. I didn’t feel so bad after I could see that we had at least 8 inches on either side of the boat. We are at the Hospitality Harbor Marina where Jerry will be taking a course for the next 2 days. I get to shop again.

Red e Tug o

2006-09-23T09:28:00.000-05:00

Red e Tug o

Oh Poo! The winds picked up last night and waves on the bay are 3-4 feet. We decided to cancel our plans with the Schepkers and stay here in Norfolk another night. The winds are not expected to let up even tomorrow, but we will remain flexible.

Red e Tug o: Cruise to the Chesapeake

2006-09-22T16:27:00.000-05:00

Red e Tug o: Cruise to the Chesapeake

We had a nice easy ride to Norfolk. Hardly a boat on the water. We happened to get behind a tour boat and never had to wait for a bridge or lock opening. The docks are empty here at Waterside Marina. Only a few transient boats. The dockmaster said that they have not been full all summer. The price of fuel is suspect.
Sleeping has been great, cool, no air conditionaing or generator noise. The weather today got to 75 degrees and sunny. I like staying here, close to the city and close to shopping, which I got to do today.
Tomorrow we go to Qwenn's Island to see the Schepkers. I doubt there will be internet but I have been surprised before.

Red e Tug o

2006-09-20T16:32:00.000-05:00

Red e Tug o

September 20, 2006

We spent the night, last night at Dowry Creek Marina. There was only one other boat staying at the Marina. According to the dockmaster, the 'season' hasn't yet started, when the 'notherners' make their way south. We had a nice quiet evening after eating dinner on board.
Tonight we are in Coinjock, NC. The weather turned cooler today after the thunderstorms last night brought in the cold front.
Misty has been a real mariner.

Cruise to the Chesapeake

2006-09-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

This blog is about a trip that Jerry and I are taking in the fall of 2006. We are planning to leave the Cypress Landing Docks on Tues. Sept. 19. That is if Red e Tug o does not sink too low from all of the 'stuff' we are taking. I think I hate the packing and unpacking the most about traveling.