CRUISING Archives — Page 9 of 20 — Trailer Trawler Life Blog

Willamette River Cruise to Downtown Portland – Day Trip

October 20, 2015
Lisa Favors
•USA-WEST, CRUISING, OREGON

Cruise from Columbia River to Willamette River In an effort to get several cruises in before the weather turns on us, we planned a cruise from the Columbia River to the Willamette River. We left the marina with our son, Ross, and grandson, Silas, for Portland within ten days of our arrival. This will be Silas' third boat trip on Kismet. His first trip was when he was just four days old. The second was in Traverse City last summer. We think he is starting to be old enough to appreciate what our tug can do on the water. [huge_it_maps id="2"]…

Government Island – Friends On Board in Portland, Oregon

October 15, 2015
Lisa Favors
•USA-WEST, CRUISING, OREGON

Government Island is Just a Short Cruise from Salpare Marina. Having just arrived at Salpare Marina, in Portland, Oregon, at the beginning of October, we didn't want to waste any time getting out on the water while the weather was still good. A good day presented itself and we called our friends, Patti and Eric to come down to the boat for a cruise out to Government Island. It really was a great day, with blue skies, calm water, and a sunny warmth shining down on us. (Glad we did because there were not many days like that during our six-week stay)…

Salpare Bay Marina – On the Columbia River – Portland, Oregon

October 14, 2015
Lisa Favors
•USA-WEST, CRUISING, OREGON

Salpare Bay Marina is located on Hayden Island, in the Columbia River, north of Portland, OR, across from Vancouver, WA. Salpare Bay Marina is home for the crew of Kismet for six weeks while we visit family in Portland Oregon. We've stayed at two marinas in Portland over the years with our trailerable tug. Our first visit was in 2011 and we stayed at the Riverplace Marina. While it was fairly exciting to be in the thick of things in downtown Portland, with beautiful walking paths along the river, restaurants, and shopping within a short distance of the marina, our main problem with that…

Staging Storing in Portland, Oregon

October 10, 2015
Lisa Favors
•BOATERHOMING, •STAGING-STORING, •TRAILERING, •USA-WEST, CRUISING, OREGON

Staging Storing Whenever we plan a major trip, usually once a year if we can manage, it usually involves what we like to call "Staging Storing." We often need to stage our boat somewhere near our intended future cruising area well before we actually start cruising. Whether it be storage or docking somewhere nearby to avoid weather restrictions, to avoid higher costs, or we think we'd like to take in some interesting activity short of our final destination – making plans to stage and store the boat is an important element of trip planning. Our cruising plans for the next year will be focused…

Off to Portland Oregon, with Kismet in Tow

October 4, 2015
Lisa Favors
•BOATERHOMING, •TRAILERING, •USA-WEST, Columbia River, OREGON

First North, then West to Portland Oregon After months of packing, planning, and organizing, we finally headed out this morning. First to 131, driving north to the Mackinaw Bridge. After we crossed the bridge, Kismet's bow was turned west towards our final destination of Portland Oregon. Not only will we get the boat out to the west coast before the snow flies, but we plan to spend time with our son, Ross, and his family, in Portland for several weeks before flying home for the holidays. This is just the beginning of a year-long adventure in the Pacific Northwest. Because of the…

“Change is the Only Constant in Life” – Heraclitus

September 16, 2015
Lisa Favors
•BOATERHOMING, •TRAILERING, •USA-WEST, CANADA-EAST, CANADA-WEST, CRUISING

Change is Good! The phrase, "Change is the only constant in life,” was written by a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus of Ephesos (around 500 BC). I’m sure when he wrote these now famous words he was not thinking about the cruising travel plans of Kismet (a Turkish word that stands for "fate" or "meant to be"). Lisa and I have made a complete overhaul of our 2015/2016 fall and winter cruising plans, it must be "kismet." Our original plans, of cruising the Rideau Canal this fall, then heading to Florida for the winter, have changed dramatically. We’ve decided to trailer Kismet west, across the country…

Other Trailerable Boats in Marathon – C-Dory, Rosborough and Nimble

August 5, 2015
Lisa Favors
•POCKET TRAWLER MEETS, •USA-EAST, CRUISING, FLORIDA, Florida Keys

Here are some trailerable boats we saw while in Marathon this year. Friends, Leslie and Flint (above), on their boat Grace Full have been an inspiration to Jim and me since we cruised the Great Loop Boat trip, many years ago.

Lifting Kismet Out of the Water–Key West

Keys Disease in Full Swing for Crew of Kismet

Suffering from Incurable Keys Disease! When trailering our boat to the Keys, we had the added benefit of having our truck nearby, making it easier to stay a distance from downtown Key West. As we've mentioned many times before, our favorite spot is Key West Harbour Marina, on Stock Island. The best of both worlds when visiting Key West. Keys Disease is kind of like a virus that once caught stays in your system forever. It shows up like clockwork as soon as we hit the string of islands south of Florida. Taking the Conch Tour Train was…

Key West Harbour Marina – Stock Island

Staying at Key West Harbour Marina affords us the best of both worlds. We've stayed at Stock Island several times before. We keep going back to Key West Harbour Marina because it just makes sense. We usually stay a month in the Key West area and the downtown marinas are too expensive to stay long. Not sure we'd appreciate the crazy activity of downtown Key West for more than a few days. Staying at Key West Harbour Marina affords us the best of both worlds. Because we trailer our boat to Florida, we have transportation while in the lower Keys. So, we…

Ranger Tugs, C-Dorys and Rosboroughs – Marathon, Florida

February 11, 2015
Lisa Favors
•POCKET TRAWLER MEETS, CRUISING, FLORIDA, Florida Keys

Ranger Tugs, C-Dorys, and Rosborough's are everywhere! The number of small trailerable boats on the east coast of the United States is growing. During the past ten years, while we've been extensively cruising the eastern waterways, we've seen this movement snowball. Ranger Tugs, C-Dorys, and Rosborough's, and a few other, small live-aboard-type trailerable boats are everywhere. During our almost month-long stay in Marathon, we were surprised at how many "pocket trawlers" there were scattered at the marinas on the island. There is a certain amount of excitement among the boaters we've met recently and that of course translated into a casually organized cocktail party at…

Blackfin Resort Marina – A Diamond in the Rough

We left our anchorage in Curry Hammock to face a fairly windy day cruising to Blackfin Resort Marina in Marathon. This is our first stay at Blackfin Resort Marina. We walked through the marina when we were visiting the Keys before because we are always on the lookout for places to stay. It helps with future trip planning. Blackfin is a fairly rustic and laid-back establishment, but it's big on delivering an authentic Keys experience. We had all the amenities we needed for our month-long stay. The marina is within walking distance of the local shopping area. We enjoyed a heated swimming pool, clean shower…

Doing Research On Two Anchorages Between Key Largo and Marathon

Research and Local Knowledge As with most things in life, we find it comforting to return to places we've been before. Revisiting takes a lot of the guesswork out of the trip-planning process. This is especially true when traveling by boat. With that said, it can also be exciting, rewarding in fact, to try something new. I do a lot of research before we venture out on the road to launch the boat in a new territory. Before heading out I check several mapping resources, such as Active Captain and Salty Southeast Cruisers' Net. I then review the charting resources. These include Navionics and my…

Keys Eco-Tours? See Captain Sterling – John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Looking for Keys Eco-Tours? See Captain Sterling at Everglades Eco-Tours Our first stop in the Keys this year was John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Time for another Keys Eco-Tours. This was a new stop for us and we're glad we had the opportunity to check it out. We left Boca Chita while it was still quite windy, but manageable. When we got to where the waterway narrowed down a bit, we passed under the Jew Fish Creek Inlet and Bridge, in Key Largo, Florida, and passed the Anchorage Resort and Marina. We've stayed there in 2010 when we helped the…

Boca Chita Key — Safe Harbor Before the Start of the Keys

January 25, 2015
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Florida Keys, ICW-EAST COAST

Boca Chita Key, an Island Paradise! Kismet is on the wall at Boca Chita Key. Twelve miles south of Key Biscayne sits this beautiful Bahamian-type island. It is part of Biscayne National Park and consists of 32 acres of land, a beach, and a harbor. It includes a beautiful 65-ft. ornamental lighthouse that sports an observation deck overlooking the beautiful harbor, nearby islands, Key Biscayne Bay, the ocean, Miami, and Key Biscayne Island. Down below the lighthouse sits an old canon salvaged off a nearby shipwreck. There is a nice hiking trail and picnic facilities with several grills. There is a little campground, an open-air pavilion, and saltwater restroom facilities. This island always…

Sky On Fire – Hurricane Harbor – Key Biscayne, Florida

January 23, 2015
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA

Hurricane Harbor Provided Us with an Idyllic Sunset! Leaving Miami in our wake, we pointed our bow toward Key Biscayne Island. Jim did some research and found this beautiful anchorage, a spot further enhanced by a flaming sunset. The sky was on fire, I must have taken a hundred photos as it morphed with varying shades of sky blues, oranges, and hot red tones. Soon after we threw the hook into the harbor, we had a visit by local law enforcement. Hurricane Harbor is adjacent to a popular boater's weekend hang out, located just outside the entrance to the harbor, consequently, there…

Miami – A Last Glimpse Back at the Skyline

January 23, 2015
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA

Leaving Miami Behind! We departed Fort Lauderdale today to cruise through Miami to our end destination, Hurricane Harbor, an anchorage Jim found off Key Biscayne Island. So, we left a multitude of cruise ships in our wake in the wide expanse of Port Everglades before we entered the narrower part of the ICW heading to Miami. It's an exciting area to cruise through with the beautiful homes lining the waterway, yachts of every shape and size, and finally the towering buildings of Miami. If you happen to be cruising by at sunset, even better. We left Miami behind us as we entered Biscayne…

Rendezvous with Ranger Tug “Pour House”

January 20, 2015
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA

Fort Lauderdale has it all. On our way for a week's stay in Fort Lauderdale. This Florida boating destination has it all... lots of canals to explore, a beautiful beach to walk on the ocean, shopping on Las Olas Avenue, a beautiful River Walk for leisurely strolls along New River and now we can add one more thing to our ongoing Fort Lauderdale list... the warm and welcoming home of Carolyn and Harry House, (homeport for their Ranger Tug, PourHouse). We left our anchorage at Lake Sylvia to secure our reserved dock space at Cooleys Landing, on the New River at the head of the River…

Hooking Our Way to Fort Lauderdale

Exploring New Inlets While "Hooking" Our Way to Fort Lauderdale! It's a very rewarding experience, for us, when we have an opportunity to explore new inlets, coves, and potential anchorages while cruising AND we end up throwing the hook for the night. The previous times we’ve cruised north or south between Stuart and Fort Lauderdale we’ve always traveled past Peck Lake, Lake Worth, Lake Boca Raton, and Lake Sylvia without ever stopping let alone anchoring. We’ve either been in too much of a hurry to get somewhere else or didn’t have the time, all that is different this trip south on the East Coast ICW…

New Friends, Laughter, and a Cozy Bed to Boot – Palm City, FL

One of the reasons we love to boat is that we are more prone to make new friends while we're cruising, Visiting friends in Palm City, Florida, was no exception. We briefly met Alyn & Diane in our hometown, Traverse City, they also live there part of the year, and we share a passion for boating. One day they stopped by to look at our Ranger Tug, which Jim often works on while it is parked in our driveway. It's as simple as that and before we knew it (well, actually a few months later) we were visiting them at their home…

We Found a Boating Haven in Indiantown, Florida

January 13, 2015
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA

Short Cruise Today – Transiting from South Bay Cover to Indiantown, Florida. Leaving South Bay Cove in the morning put us with an early arrival to our day's destination of Indiantown, Florida, located on the St. Lucie River, just off the big lake. Indiantown was established by the Seminole people as a trading Post. On the way to our destination, we were intrigued by Slim's riverside sign (below), too bad we didn't have time to stop, it looked like it might be an interesting place to investigate off the river. Finishing up the last leg of the "Rim Route" today to go…

Rim Route to South Bay Cove on Lake Okeechobee, Florida

January 12, 2015
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Florida Keys, Gulf Coast

"Big Water" – Lake Okeechobee and the Rim Route From our one-night stop in LaBelle, we proceeded toward Lake Okeechobee (or in Seminole Indian language, Big Water), we'll be taking the rim route around the lake instead of going straight across this time. The Okeechobee Waterway, which includes the Caloosahatchee River and the St. Lucie River, boasts 134.3 nautical miles from west to east and is the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the United States. You can transit the lake by going straight across or by the more protected, though shallower, rim route that follows the southern edge of the lake. We've…

A Simple Sailor Man

Tribute to a Friend – Tom Conrad We lost a good friend. Tom Conrad passed away recently and the boating community lost one of its best. We met Tom and Patsy Conrad many years ago through AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association). If the Great Loop boating adventure did not exist, we probably would never have met – with the Conrads living in Florida's Panhandle and us living in northern Michigan. What a loss that would have been for us. Because we shared a passion for boating and this adventure they call a "Loop," our paths crossed and our wakes overlapped. Loopers, ourselves included, often say that one of…

The Belle of the Caloosahatchee – LaBelle, Florida

January 11, 2015
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Gulf Coast

Free Dock in LaBelle, on the Caloosahatchee River! On our way east on the Caloosahatchee River today with our eye on making it to the free town dock in LaBelle for a one-night stay, we had to go through two locks to get there. The Caloosahatchee River always provides us with a scenic cruise and the easily accessible free dock was a welcome stop, one we had not taken advantage of before. LaBelle, Florida, was settled along the Caloosahatchee River, in the late 1800s. At the turn of the 19th century, rivers were the highways of Florida. The region was populated by cattle and…

Friends Helping Friends – Fort Myers, Florida

January 10, 2015
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, Gulf Coast

First Stop Legacy Harbor Marina, Fort Myers, Florida After spending the holidays at home in Traverse City, MI, we returned to Legacy Harbor Marina in Fort Myers, Florida for the start of our 2015 winter cruising season. Our plan this winter is to cruise to Key West from Fort Myers, spending most of our time in the Keys. Legacy Harbor Marina is a fun spot to spend a week, a month, or a whole season. Last year we spent a month enjoying the amenities of the marina while exploring all the events in the Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Cape…

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Flexibility, Mobility & Affordability!
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