HOME AGAIN

The five hour drive from Columbus, MS to Murfreesboro was a piece of cake compared to the trips to Indiantown, FL or even St.Pete.  The trip to Columbus was great.  We moved the boat around 700 miles and did in in under a month.  We only had one breakdown and that was my fault for using a fuel tank that I knew had bad fuel in it. We were able to drop anchor and bleed the lines and get back underway and didn't even loose our place in line.  A fast boat passed us while we were sitting at anchor.  He ask if we needed help.  I told him we were charging our batteries and should be under way soon.  About two hours later we found the fast boat waiting at a lock.  He used all that fuel to get to the same placed at the same time we did.  You just never know on the river.  It seems a commercial tow had the lock in use and the fast boat had to wait.  Lifestyle II has a new home for a while and we can save up some money for the next leg of our trip back to TTennessee which we hope to make before the fall leaves change completely.  This will be our last BLOG for a while.  We will send out a message when we start our next leg so you can follow the fun along with us.

Mike, Denniese and Maggie Mae

Columbus Marina

Columbus Marina is 335 river miles north of downtown Mobile and a welcome site to the boater traveling the Tenn-Tom.  For the first 216 miles you are stepping back in time. That stretch has no marinas and few places to launch a boat.  No boats our size can be serviced along that stretch.  Demopolis is the first opportunity at mile marker 216.  At times we would travel along that portion of the trip and not see a person for 1/2 a day. Then we would see a lonesome fisherman sitting on the side of the river wetting a line and wonder where did he come from?  We could see nothing but trees and swamp for the first 50 miles, then just trees and some small hills.  We did see two good size gators and one large water moccasin. We accepted the fact that we were in their territory and we stayed on the boat and they stayed in the water. After Demopolis, we saw some summer homes and even a few nice residences. Yesterday was work day on the boat.  We are docked under a shed so we can work on the boat with some comfort even as the temperatures get into the mid 90's.  Denniese cleaned and I worked in the engine room. I replaced the starter, cleaned the strainers, replaced the fuel filters and one water pump impeller. Denniese broke out the sewing machine and made some more pretty covers for outside stuff.  Who said boating is boring? Today we start getting the boat ready to leave for awhile.  We will leave Saturday for Murfreesboro and our land home.

We will take this picture with us in our minds as we go back to the real world.

We made it!

When we were planning this leg of our journey back to Tennessee with Lifestyle II, we had hoped to get as far as  Columbus, MS, and we made it to the marina at 5:00 pm yesterday evening.  We pulled up the anchor yesterday morning a 6:30 am from a quiet, secluded spot in Sumter County, AL.  Sumter Recreation Area has campsites, restrooms, a playground and boat ramp.  All we needed was the boat ramp and a little bit of grass for Maggie.

We had anchored in the same place back in November 2011 on our journey down the river and it was deserted.  We fully expected the site to  be busy on a Sunday afternoon in June, but again it was deserted with the exception of 2 local fisherman.  It was beautiful and quiet and HOT!

We knew it was going to be a long day on the water yesterday and that proved to be true.  We went through 2 locks and then into Columbus Marina - a welcome sight!  As we pulled into the covered slip, the temperature on the boat dropped about 10 degrees.  It dropped even further when we fired up the AC.   Thank goodness for shore power!

Maggie likes to ride in the dinghy, especially when she knows we are headed to shore!

Demopolis

Demopolis is a major goal.  Why you ask?  Because it is two hundred miles of nothing in between Demopolis and Mobile.  We left Gulf Shores Tuesday morning and passed downtown Mobile about noon.  We anchored about 12 miles above the city in a little cut off.  A storm come up and rained as hard as I have seen it rain. Lightening struck close to the boat and alarms went off in the boat.  No damage could be found but we did find eight small tree frogs living in various parts of the boat. It took us three days to find all them and return them to the water.  It didn't rain cats and dogs just frogs.  The past two hundred miles have been beautiful, challenging and tiring.  We were up before the sun came up today and stopped the boat this evening at 6:30.  We have had some really long days and we still have a couple of days before we reach our goal of Columbus.  More later when we reach Columbus.  Mike, Denniese and Maggie Mae

Foley, Alabama

Our marina, Homeport Marina, is east of Mobile and south of Foley, Alabama, so today we had to make a trip into town to buy some supplies.  Foley was our choice.  We thought getting away from the beaches would result in lower prices.  Not exactly, the food bill was still high.  It was nice to get off the boat but then we discovered all the traffic and were happy to get back aboard.  It rained here most of the morning so it was good that we were tied to a dock, even if it was behind Lulu's Restaurant.  Tomorrow we leave for the river system.  Our first is the Mobile River which will take us past downtown Mobile and then on to the Tom Bigbee River which will take us to Demopolis.  That will be our next stop and it is about 4 days away.  We will be away from wifi until then so stay tuned. 

We had supper with Bob and Norma.  They have been such a big help to us. It will be the last time we see them for awhile.  Also joining us were Steve and Betty Fry, who live in the area.  I had not seen either of them in a couple decades.  I first met them when we were in the Navy in Memphis. There is something really good about seeing old friends again. Denniese enjoyed meeting my friends from another era.

Sweet Home Alabama

Friday morning we departed Panama City Marina.  We had arrived the night before and were surprised to meet Mary at the fuel dock who just started working there and is a cousin to Karen Jones at 3BC.  Small world!  From there we had supper at a local spot that I have been eating at each time I sail into Panama City.  It is called Bayou Joe's and some years back it was a fuel stop.  Fuel prices got high and they found selling fish to the tourist offered a better profit.  Besides if they continued to sell fuel they would have clean and fix the place up.  It's not much to look at and it is hard to find but the food is good and the ambiance is the best.  We sat on a floating dock under a shaded extension from the building which itself was on floats.  One wrong step and you could be in the water. By 1130 Friday morning we had already made the canal west of Panama City.  Traffic was light and we were in the rural part of the Florida pan handle.  By two we were on Choctwatchache Bay.  The bay runs almost to Destin but we saw very little traffic.  One tow boat and two airboats and some local fishermen. At 1730 we dropped anchor off Cobb point near Destin.  We had covered 62 miles today, which is a hard day.  We then had to mount the motor on the dinghy and take Maggie ashore.  Denniese had found a cove for our anchor and a local park was just a dinghy ride away.  Maggie found some new grass and even a chicken bone which Denniese had to pry from her jaws.  Back on board we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset.  With no AC at anchor we depended on the breeze from the Gulf to cool us down.  About midnight it finally got cool enough to sleep.  Saturday we got an early start and brought up a muddy anchor at 0700.  Denniese drove the boat while I washed the mud off the anchor and the bow of Lifestyle II.  After that we had a good day on the water and stopped for the day off a sandy beach not far from Pensacola.  We dinghyed over to the sand dunes and walked to the Gulf.  Denniese took her last swim in the Gulf for awhile. Maggie does not like water and would have no part in the a/n swim.  Maggie took the attached picture but had trouble with the focus and just took a picture of Denniese leaving me out completely.  I guess its because she doesn't have thumbs. Back on board we had veggie burgers and were in bed by 9pm.  It was still light outside but we were ready for bed. The boat cooled off by 11pm and we were able to get some sleep.  Sunday morning we started off the day with lots of prayers.  The engine has been slow to start and I have it narrowed down to a bad battery or a bad starter. A diesel only needs electricity for the starter.  After it starts it is self contained. When I pushed the starter button it ground very slowly.  I stopped and let it rest.  Thank you Lord, it started on the third try. We raised the anchor and  by 1100 we were at the marina we had planned for a stopover.  We have some friends that live here (Bob and Norma) and they have been moving our car for us.  Bob is also an excellent mechanic and he came aboard and diagnosed the problem as a weak starter.  Tomorrow is maintenance day and I will evaluate our options. We will most likely press on but with lots of trepidation.  But tonight is supper at Lulu's the restaurant here at the marina. We will keep you up dated.
Mike Denniese and Maggie Mae.

Panama City

We departed Carrabelle and stopped at White City, FL.  The city offers a free dock to visitors such as Lifestyle II.  White City has one store and no traffic lights.  Denniese said the entertainment for the city is when a boat stops at the free dock.  Several of the citizens came out and took an evening swim behind our boat.  A few more were fishing.  Since we did not have shore power to the boat, we only ran the boat generator to recharge the batteries and the inside of the boat was unbelievably hot.  It finally cooled off enough to sleep about one this morning.  We had a good day on the water and called it an early day at 2pm at Panama City Marina.  Everything is going fine and the people we have met are inspiring.  Like the guy at White City that took me the two blocks to the only store for a loaf of bread and returned me on his golf cart.  I shared the front seat with his wet dog, but whose complaining.

The Crossing

With a little help from our friends we moved the car and got the boat ready.  We departed Tarpon Springs Monday morning at 0810. As we motored out of the the tourist town, we could see the vendors all ready getting set for a busy day.  The weather was just about perfect. A light wind was blowing from the south with small waves and gentle rollers.  Even better, was the blue sky.  As we got around the barrier island we felt the rollers take over the boat action and it was just the rolling action that creates sea sickness.  No one got sick but we didn't want any food or even the mention of food.  Bob Lawrence, a friend we met in Indiantown, was on board helping with the crossing.  Bob had worked on the west coast as a fire fighter for the forestry service. He has retired since and has done some commercial fishing and high tech engine repairs.  He is a good guy to have on board, and besides, it just works out better if you have three people instead of two.  Maggie did real good although we did put her leash on her so she would not roam about. By 1600 we were feeling well enough for a hot dog on the grill.  I cooked the hot dogs while Denniese and Bob manned the boat.  The good thing about grilling hot dogs on a moving boat is you don't have to turn them, they just foll from side to side.  The dogs were good except no one wanted seconds.  Sundown was about 2030 and it got dark in a hurry.  We had a sliver of a moon and it set in a short time.  No city lights, no other boats, no moon, just our running lights and the stars.  We had gone 1/2 way and we were right on schedule for our 133 mile 26 hour open water crossing.

Tuesday the sun came up at 0630 to some clouds and overcast skies.  Soon we spotted land, Dog Island.  Maggie just knows they named it for her.  We didn't stop because there is no dock and we motored on to Carrabelle.  We pulled into our slip at 0945 but the current took control of the boat and I had to back out and try again. The second try was not pretty either and I scraped a rail, stained the rail covers that Denniese had worked so hard on and even managed to knock out a window.  But like I always said when I was flying, "If you can use the plane again it was a good landing."  We can use the boat again so it must have been a good docking.  We had little sleep during the crossing and a bad docking didn't help our nerves but we got it done and walked the dog.  That comes first!! A good breakfast and a nap and we are ready for a new day in Carrabelle. Tomorrow we will start down the ICW going almost due West along the Florida panhandle and it may be a couple of days before we can write another blog. Thanks for the love and prayers.  Mike, Denniese and Maggie Mae 

Trip begains

It is Saturday morning and we are up early in order to depart Gulfport and move Lifestyle II up to TarponSprings.  Yesterday we spent the day moving the car and visiting with our friends Robert and Cheorlyn Buzby. The boat is ready and the car has been moved so we start today. Sunday we will leave the boat in Tarpon Springs and drive to Carrabelle to meet other friends to help with the crossing and move the car. Who ever said boats were easy?  All is ready and the weather looks favorable for the crossing Monday/Tuesday.  We will send out a new blog as soon as we find a Wifi spot in Carrabelle. Prayers and love for all.  Mike, Denniese and Maggie Mae

Maggie writes her first blog

Today has been very difficultt!!  I have never been in a tropical storm, I have never been aboard a boat during a tropical storm and to make matter worse, my momma and daddy left me all alone.  After my morning walk, which was in the rain and it got my fur wet, Momma and Daddy left the boat and locked me inside.  Daddy had tried to dry my fur with an old towel,  but they said they had to drive to Bradenton and buy a new GPS for our boat. I watched them drive off from my highest place.  It is on top of the pillows that Momma puts on top of the computer to keep me off of it. I cried for a few minutes but the strong winds got my attention and I just sat and watched people running from boat to boat getting ready for the storm. It seemed like forever, but finally I heard Momma and Daddy on the outside.  I got so excited.  I jumped up on top of the pillows on top of the computer but I could not see them.  The tide had come in and with the storm surge our floating home was sitting up about 4 feet higher than it should.  I heard Momma and Daddy talking about how they would get back on board.  The wind was blowing really hard and Momma was soaking wet.  Daddy had a rain jacket and was holding an umbrella over Momma but it was raining so hard that nothing helped keep them dry.  When they went to the boat next door, I could just see the top of their heads.  I was really worried now.  I started crying again.  The wind was rocking the boat and had blown the boat away from the dock.  Daddy pulled hard on the boat but could not pull it close enough to climb aboard.  I saw them push the stairs real close to the edge of the dock and Momma climbed the stairs as Daddy pulled the boat close.  Momma grabbed the boat rail but just them a gust of wind pushed the boat away and she was hanging from the hand rail just inches from the water. She is so strong! She pulled herself up and over the rail. Daddy was next and he was able to get safely aboard Lifestyle II.  I was so happy to see them.  I jumped up on them even though they were soaking wet and then I wagged my tail and tried so hard to not let them know that I had been crying.

We spent the rest of the day watching the storm.  Some damage was reported in the local town.  We saw the rescue boat go out and heard a boater was in danger of sinking.  By 6pm the storm had passed and we were able to go for a walk in the park next door.  I saw lots of tree limbs down but the ground smelled so good, I was so happy I forgot about being alone and crying.

Maggie Mae Liles, Official boat dog for Lifestyle II 

Three steps forward and two steps back!

We are making progress, ever so slightly.  Today Denniese continued working on the rail covers and is sure to have that job done tomorrow. Then she said she would make a wheel cover, grill cover and maybe some other covers that I can think of.  We drove the boat over to the fuel dock and purchased 70 gallons of diesel and then took her out to the bay to check everything out and discovered the newly repaired GPS does not work.  I called the factory and told them I needed it for our trip and they said,"ship to us and we will fix it." RIGHT!!, that's what they said last time. I guess it's time to buy another GPS/Chartplotter.  The engine ran good but I still have some concern about the batteries..  Did I mention that we have 8 house batteries and 2 start batteries? Batteries are very important to a boater.  AAA does not make service calls on the water for dead batteries. Now we have a Tropical storm in our way. Andrea is located just south of us so we moved our departure date up one day to let it get out of the way.  Now we plan on departing Tarpon Springs Monday morning and plan to arrive in Carrabelle Tuesday before noon.  We will keep you posted as we get closer.  I finally turned on the AC unit.  I told Denniese that once you turn it on it is hard to do without it. She said turn it on and we'll worry about that later.  When the admiral speaks I listen.  The picture is Denniese & Maggie at the fuel dock.

Pictures from yesterday

Denniese at work sewing

Mike working with the winch



No-See-Ums

It seems we have traded the pesty mosquitoes in Tennessee for No See Ums here in Florida.  They start attacking around dusk, but they can bite during the day, as well.  If the wind is strong enough, just like mosquitoes, they won't bother us, but let that wind die down and here they come back around.  I am experimenting with lavender oil.  I'll keep you posted on that less than scientific trial.

The weather forecast for the past 2 days has been for rain and thunderstorms.  So far, it has just been overcast with very little rain here in Gulfport.  It has been temperate enough for the sewing project to continue on the aft deck.  The custom made rail covers on the starboard side and the stern are finished.  Tomorrow, I will tackle the port side.  Also, today Mike was able to launch the dinghy from it's winter storage up above the aft deck.  The battery for the winch had to be charged first, though.  The charging of the house batteries continues, too.  We ran the generator for the first time in months and it ran like a dream.  We were so busy that neither of us felt like cooking, so Mike went to the local Greek restaurant and brought back supper of Greek salad, vegetable lasagna and baklava (mine was chocolate).  What a treat! 

We are making arrangements with Robert & Cherolyn to ferry the car up to Tarpon Springs on Thursday.  Then, weather permitting, we will move Lifestyle to Tarpon Springs and wait for the weather window for crossing the Gulf to Carrabelle, hopefully on Saturday.
We really like it here in Gulfport, but we feel the need to be on the move again. 

                                         Another Day, Another Project

I turned off the battery charger at one this morning.  It started doing some weird things so I just turned it off.  Besides, Denniese sleeps over the batteries. Yes, they are under the bed, and if they exploded it would be hard to find someone to clean it up.  Just kidding, but I did worry, so I turned off the charger and let them settle down and I will check them tomorrow. We have regular boat projects and then upgrades.  Today we both started  upgrade projects.  Denniese is making (sewing) new rail covers.  Rail covers are those blue canvas covers that protect the varnished teak hand rails from the sun.  She had taken the measurements last time and cut the pieces while in TN but needed to sew and fit them on board.  While she worked on that, I changed out a radio and upgraded to an AIS.  I don't know what that stands for but it is a radio that tells other boaters that we are in the area, much like airplanes use to keep from hitting each other. I finished my project by wine time while Denniese just stopped her project and will need at least another day on it. We had a Cuban sandwich, crab roll and bean soup for supper. All from a Cuban restaurant not far away, called Pipo's

The sky has been overcast today and even some rain this morning.  The low pressure in the Keys is going to keep us in port till it passes but we have plenty of projects before we make our crossing of the Gulf to the FL panhandle. Maggie got really stressed about a very large bird that landed on a boat next to us and spent much of the morning watching to make sure it did not get on our boat.  I think the bird was considering Maggie for lunch.

The blog is back - the adventure continues. . .

We departed Murfreesboro Saturday morning at 0545 for the long drive to Gulfport, FL.  We almost turned back after realizing that we left Denniese' cell phone at home. But she nixed the turn around saying she was on vacation and if anyone needed her they could call me.  We arrived in Gulfport at 1830 to thunderstorms.  But the weather settled down and we enjoyed the rainy night on board. We had a local service clean the boat for us. It was the first time for that and it was worth it arriving to a clean boat. Sunday we woke at sunrise to a busy marina but we both smiled as we enjoyed our coffee on the aft deck
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Work begins as we get the boat ready to move north.  Denniese cleans and makes it a home again and I check the systems.  One by one the different parts of the boat need to be made ready.  I believe a boat is a mystery all on its own.  Things were going exceedingly well when the batteries overheated and almost did some damage.  Two hours work by both of us and then two more hours for them to cool down and I started the charging system over again. Did I mention that this started at bed time.  Remember on a boat "Nothing, absolutely nothing will work 100% every time each time"

Maybe next time we will have pictures.  Mike, Denniese and Maggie Mae