Kismet will be cruising the Tennessee River for four weeks!

For die-hard boaters, like us, there’s no better feeling than heading out on the road (for trailerable boaters) on the cusp of an adventure, we were just itching to do a little river cruising. We took our Kismet on a 680-mile road trip, from Traverse City, Michigan, before we floated her off of the trailer today into Lake Barkley at Green Turtle Marina, in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. Our intention is to cruise the Tennessee River for the next four weeks.

We had spent a couple of days at home, prior to departure, rigging the boat up and provisioning for our month-long excursion. We also made storage arrangements, ahead of time, for our truck and trailer in Grand Rivers, Kentucky for the duration of our cruise.

The reason for choosing Green Turtle Marina as a starting point is because this marina, nestled in the calming waters of the Kentucky Lakes, is a natural gathering place for “Loopers.” Upon arriving at the marina, they are usually exhausted from experiencing one of the most treacherous rivers in the United States, the mighty Mississippi River (followed by a short stretch of the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers – or Tennessee River depending on the chosen route). By the time they get through the Lake Barkley Lock and Dam, they are ready to unwind and regroup a little before they head out on the calmer waters of the Kentucky Lakes and Tennessee River.

We’d been to Green Turtle before and, even though we’re not currently cruising the Great Loop trip ourselves, we wanted to get to know some of this year’s participants. Launching at Green Turtle will also give us an opportunity to re-explore the beautiful 240-mile stretch of water from Grand Rivers down to Joe Wheeler Marina, in northern Alabama, our final destination, it’s where we plan to attend AGLCA’s 2012 Fall Rendezvous. Our aim is to try to recapture a little of the thrill of doing the Loop and observe the excitement amongst the current Loopers, many whom we hope to get to know as we bump into them while cruising south on the same route.

The first person to greet us when we pulled up to the boat ramp in the marina was Paul Kessinger (his son, John, above, joined Paul on their sailboat, Memsahib, to do the Great Loop boat trip). See what they have to say about that encounter on their blog… The Tardis Project.

Bruce, (above) on Tango, was our dock mate at Green Turtle, he’s doing the Loop boat trip in this 25-foot sailboat. Bruce is the perfect example of the spirit and determination it takes to do a 6,000-mile boat trip. We hope to bump into Bruce again, and several other Loopers we met at Green Turtle, as we make our way down the Tennessee River to Joe Wheeler in Rogersville, Alabama for the AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association) 2012 Fall Rendezvous.

The Tennessee River begins at the confluence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers, east of Knoxville, Tennessee, and runs 652 miles southwest to Chattanooga, Tennessee, down into Alabama where it runs south and west before turning and heading north at the Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee borders. From here the river runs north through Tennessee and the western section of Kentucky before it ends at the Ohio River, just east of Paducah.

When Loopers arrive at Green Turtle Marina they will actually be going upriver, although traveling south, as they access the Tennessee River via the Barkley Canal shortly after leaving the marina at Grand Rivers.

Lisa and I have navigated these waters twice before during our two Loop boat trips and have gone as far east on the Tennessee River as Chattanooga. We know there will be lots of territories still left for us to explore and we’re excited to get started.

Most of the boats tied up to this dock are Looper boats.

We are leaving Green Turtle (below), headed for the Barkley Canal, and the start of our return trip to the Tennessee River.

The post Third Time’s a Charm – Tennessee River Cruise appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

Duncan Bay was our choice for a peaceful night on the hook!

Our three-week goal was to travel 250 miles on the Tennessee River while meeting Loopers on their southern migration and concluding our trip after attending an AGLCA Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park Marina in Rogersville, Alabama. With three weeks to enjoy this famous heartland river, it felt good knowing we could really take our time leaving a spot late in the morning or deciding to stop early in the day to relax and familiarize ourselves with a new anchorage.

With that said, we left Green Turtle Marina, on Lake Barkley late morning. We eagerly worked our way the short distance to the Barkley Canal and transited the one-mile stretch to the Tennesse River, coming out at mile marker 25.4. It was a perfect fall day, we had the entire river to ourselves as we turned south in search of our first anchorage.

Prior to leaving Green Turtle, I had researched and made notes of possible anchorages along this 250-mile route. Because we had time, and no deadline to fight or 80-mile travel days to contend with, we could explore the many anchorage possibilities and be choosy in our selections. About five miles south, we pulled into Pisgah Bay for a look-see and although very scenic, we decided to explore further. At mile 34, we pulled into Duncan Bay and found an intimate cove to call home for the night. We traveled a grand total of 11 miles that day. I can’t emphasize enough how relaxing it was for us not to have a set schedule, we would encourage anyone anticipating a cruise on the Tennessee River, to plan well ahead and arrive with enough time to take it slow.

We left home with a bounty of produce, some we picked fresh off plants at home, and others we stocked up on so that we wouldn’t have to worry about finding a store for a while.

We didn’t run into any Loopers our first night on the hook, but plenty of fishermen around to keep us company.

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We left Duncan Bay knowing we’d travel south on the Tennessee River for only 4 hours, so it wasn’t going to be a long day. Twenty-nine miles later, at mile marker 62.6, we made a starboard turn into Cypress Creek, then another right into the first cove. What we found was an anchorage that provided us with calm waters in very protective, natural surroundings.

Because of our short cruise day, I took advantage of the calm water by continuing my work on the dinghy davit bracket installation (see next post). I like to maximize my downtime by having a few projects in the works, like waxing the fiberglass or stainless, changing the oil, or cleaning sea strainers. There is never a lack of things to do when spending a lot of time on a boat.

Cypress Creek greeted us the next morning with a bank of fog!

The next morning we woke up to find ourselves completely immersed in a thick bank of fog. It was so thick, we could hardly make out where the nearby shore was; being able to see back out to the Tennessee River was impossible. We learned a long time ago that, when river cruising, it’s best to sit tight and wait for the fog to lift if you can’t see nearby land clearly. We were only delayed a few hours, so we sat back and enjoyed the changing conditions; Lisa took lots of photos of the thickly veiled fog as it moved quickly past the sun and we eventually left our anchorage in Cypress Creek.

It’s kind of eery sitting inside a small boat where you can see nothing beyond the windows but a milky, misty veil. Luckily we were not attempting to transit the river at the time. Before long, the fog lifted in Cypress Creek to present a beautiful sunny day. Another great day ahead of us for cruising the Tennessee River.

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Pebble Isle Marina owners Randy and Tami are well known for their infectious southern personalities.

On our way to Pebble Isle Marina today, At MM-78.2, we passed the Louisville and Nashville RR Bridge (above). It is a non-functioning bridge at this time, probably only used for fishing now. Shortly after the bridge, we passed an abandoned, partly submerged, building (photo below).

The Tennessee Valley Authority purchased many acres of land in preparation to create Kentucky Lake. The Kentucky Dam was completed in 1944, when the area was flooded and many towns below the new water level disappeared. Lake Barkley was created in the early 1960’s when a dam was constructed on the Cumberland River, only a couple of miles from Kentucky Dam. When the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers were impounded to create the two lakes, an inland peninsula was formed. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy designated the peninsula as the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation area. The Land Between the Lakes region has 215,000 acres of water, 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline and 170,000 acres of public land.

It was kind of eerie passing this ghost of a building, it made us think about how things used to be in the area and got us to wondering about what remnants of that prior day lay beneath the surface of the water.

Pebble Isle Marina is located at MM-96 on the Tennessee River, we were looking forward to returning for a visit and some of their famous morning cinnamon rolls. Owners Randy and Tami are well known for their infectious southern personalities, their hospitality, and their genuine care and concern for the boating community, they are the kind of people that find it easy to welcome perfect strangers to their establishment and make quick friends in the process. This was our third visit to Pebble Isle and we’ve returned because we know a good marina when we see one. The homemade cinnamon rolls made every morning in the marina kitchen are just one of the friendly features this marina provides their transient boaters.

Randy and Tami, keep their marina “ship-shape,” while exuding a friendliness we’ve come to expect, and enjoy while cruising the Tennessee River and the surrounding southern states.

We arrived fairly early in the day and immediately pulled up to the fuel dock to fill up on diesel. They have some of the best-priced fuel on the river. Staff helped us secure our boat into our assigned slip and offered the use of their “loaner car.” Since cruising boaters don’t often have the means for provisioning while on the river system, many marinas have a car available for running errands, usually the grocery store. We sometimes like to use provisioning as an excuse so we can check out a nearby town. Oh and by the way we met Loopers from other parts of the world during this stop, one boat was from New Zeeland, and the other from Brazil.

Last time we were at Pebble Isle Marina, this boat looked in sad shape (below). Randy and Tami did a nice job getting her back in ship shape to become signage at the entrance of their marina.

Pebble Isle Marina is located within walking distance of the Johnsonville State Historic Park. Civil War enthusiasts will love an opportunity to absorb some historic landmarks relevant to this area while getting some exercise at the same time.

Gabi and Rob (below), on S/V CanCan, met us one morning at Pebble Isle for breakfast. They are friends of a friend who told them we’d be in their area; they had some questions about trailerable boating. Of course, we had those delicious cinnamon rolls and a good conversation about both our boating exploits and adventures. After breakfast, Rob and Gabi drove us into town to visit the hardware and grocery stores, it’s just what boaters do to help each other. Jim needed a part for something he was fixing and Gabi and I found stuff we needed for our respective dinners, and as the sign below so clearly states… the butcher was in.

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Blue Creek anchorage is just past Cuba Landing Marina.

Leaving Pebble Isle Marina we had our sights set on an anchorage we’d never been to before. Twenty miles upriver at MM116 of the Tennessee River is Blue Creek, Cuba Landing Marina is located there. (The photo above, and below, shows the entrance to the marina and the cove we anchored in.)

Having just left a marina we inched our way past Cuba Landing to a shallow, relatively open cove. We found a few more boats anchored there for the night in 5 to 8 feet of water. We’ve never anchored in Blue Creek before, we liked finding such a well-protected spot. We enjoyed a pleasant evening on the hook and felt it has all the characteristics of a good layover stop as one works their way up or down the Tennessee River.

Our anchorage (below).

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Kismet says “Hi” to 0 Regrets in Lick Creek!

Staying in the travel mode of leaving late and quitting early we only cruised 15 miles today, stopping to anchor out in Lick Creek. This was our first time in Lick Creek, a new experience in a natural setting. We worked our way into the unmarked serpentine channel with the aid of our GPS, and traveled past a few deadheads and very shallow water to an area with 5 to 9-foot depths. It was well away from the river barge traffic, so we settled in for a cozy afternoon warm and dry inside our cabin as it lightly drizzled outside.

We had made prior arrangements to rendezvous with the crew on 0 Regrets, they were heading north on the Tennessee River at the same time we were traveling south. We hardly ever miss an opportunity to talk with someone about boating and Lick Creek provided a great spot to tie off each other for a short visit. After swapping boat stories and experiences they were off to Green Turtle Marina, their homeport and we were left to swing on the hook in Lick Creek by ourselves.

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Clifton Marina exemplifies southern hospitality!

When we’re cruising day after day and anchoring out overnight, we get to a point where we’d like to take in the creature comforts a marina will afford. Most marinas offer the essentials of power, water, fuel, laundry, and showers, but every once in a while we are “wowed” – our second stay (the first visit was during our second Loop trip in 2008) at Clifton Marina in Clifton, Tennessee was exactly that. The welcoming reception and unique experience we received while in Clifton could just well be this part of the country’s well-known southern hospitality or maybe it’s a business owner who really cares about his customers. In any case, transient boaters, cruising the Tennessee River, who are lucky enough to have turned toward the eastern shore at the end of a cruising day to enter the narrow channel at Clifton Marina, get an experience above and beyond the norm. This is Gene’s (the owner) little piece of paradise, but we learned fairly quickly that the marina is really run by his more recent manager, Sonja.

Gene (above), the owner of Clifton Marina, knows he’s got a good thing going at his establishment.

The wow factor comes into play because of how well Sonja manages it all – juggling different tasks always with a big smile and a friendly disposition. Everyone agrees she’s a Loretta Lynn look-alike (and sound-alike) with a beautiful smile to enhance the effect. Sonja was always there, sun up to sundown, making sure everyone was taken care of with dock and slip assignments. She’d run out to take care of her marina duties between preparing and stirring the gumbo and bantering with the rest of the marina staff, who we think enjoyed watching her multitask as much as we did. When we arrived Sonja had just begun to prepare a huge pot of gumbo, it would be offered later in the day to whoever showed up at the marina for dinner.

We first met Sonja (above) as she was dicing ingredients that would go into her famous gumbo.

Clifton Marina’s attractive building, directly situated in the thick of things at the marina, houses the office, small necessities, and marina store, TV, kitchen/restaurant – all in one big open room, along with a combo laundry room/shower facility and a large outdoor, covered porch providing an airy boaters lounge fully equipped with TV and eating area.

Minutes after we arrived we noticed this boater helping out the marina by dragging a huge log out of the fairway with his dinghy.

Sonja’s husband and brother are regulars in the marina office/boaters lounge, we enjoyed their humor and friendliness during our stay.

We borrowed the marina’s courtesy car (above) for a quick trip into town.

We thought the above photo was interesting since it’s probably the only time we’ve had a shot of our Ranger Tug next to a Fathom 40 which is the same model as our previous boat, only with a grey hull. Great shot for a size comparison between the two boats.

We met our dock mates, Mark and Jo (above) on Truant and enjoyed a short chat with them on their boat after which Jo and I exchanged some old books.

Jim is checking out (above) and signing the guest register, shortly after adding our info, he flipped a chunk of pages back to 2008 and found our entry in the register from that year, it was when we discovered this little slice of heaven years ago, we were on our second Loop trip, on our Fathom 40.

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Diamond Island welcomes Kismet back to its beautiful anchorage.

A beautiful fall day presented itself to us as we headed out, from Clifton Marina early the next morning, with a plan to anchor out at Diamond Island. With bright blue skies and a pleasantly warm day, we basked in the scenic beauty along the Tennessee River during our cruise. Lots to see with many boats on the water, some Loopers passing us, and people fishing or relaxing along the sandy shoreline of the river.

The houses along the river are interesting to look at and we enjoyed seeing this herd of cattle grazing along the river. (Above)

We met Bill and Bonnie, on Elissa II (above) during our stay at Clifton Marina, they are from Northport, Michigan, not far from our hometown. Small world isn’t it?

This was our third time anchoring at Diamond Island. We knew there was a number of boats leaving Clifton the same day, so we were surprised to find we had the entire anchorage, on the east side of the island, to ourselves.

Diamond Island (the entrance to the anchorage – above), and the surrounding area, are called Pittsburg Landing where, in 1862, a large force of Union Soldiers stationed themselves for the Civil War’s Battle of Shiloh. On this day, however, it was hard to imagine anything so horrific as a war taking place in this serenely beautiful spot.

As we settled in for a peaceful night on the hook, fellow Loopers, Joel and Debbie, on Watermusic (below), arrived just before dusk and dropped anchor downstream, behind us. The weather the next morning had changed and high winds were expected. Since we had the Pickwick Lock to negotiate, we decided to leave early before the wind had a chance to build, and, as luck would have it, we were relieved to have gotten through the lock without a problem. By the time we made it to Grand Harbor Marina, with the weather quickly deteriorating, we were happy to be tied up to a dock. We were more than pleased to see a lot of Loopers there already, with more headed in later in the day. Of course, a happy hour on the dock was organized and we got a chance to meet several more of this year’s participants in the Great Loop boating adventure.

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End of the line, Grand Harbor Resort Marina.

After being on the hook a lot lately, a visit to Grand Harbor Resort Marina, located where the Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama borders come together (we’re officially down south at this point), hit the spot. It has all the amenities a long-distance boater appreciates including a well-stocked ship’s store, an elegant boater’s lounge, laundry facilities located right on the dock where you can sit by the water as you wash and dry your clothes, they also have several loaner vehicles and they almost beg you to use one to explore the nearby towns. But first, we had to go through the Pickwick Landing Lock and Dam to get to Grand Harbor.

We left early in the morning due to weather reports of high winds, we wanted to get through the lock before they picked up much. Good call because we had an uneventful lock-through.

The marina at Grand Harbor provided us an opportunity to run into a few of the Loopers we’ve met while cruising the Tennessee River. There must have been about ten boats tied up by the end of the day and of course, a happy hour was organized and fun was had by all.

We met Paul and his son John (below), on Memshahib, just as we put the boat in the water at Green Turtle Marina to begin our Tennessee River cruise. We like the idea of a father/son boat trip, they will have made some great memories together while sharing the adventure of doing the Great Loop boat trip.

The Rib Cage is a folksy BBQ restaurant fairly close to the marina. We always make a point to stop there for the good food, fun decor, and friendly atmosphere.

We don’t see this very often… a sprout of a tree (below) growing right out of an old decaying line attached to an old sailboat.

We have to rate this spot as the most unusual thing we’ve seen in a while. Just a few miles down the road from the marina is this creative musician who, when not rented out for a special event, will perform for the neighbors right in his own backyard, complete with seats and a fire pit. We didn’t get to see him in action but we like this idea very much.

And then there is this “Olde Tyme” hardware store close to the marina. The thing we loved most at this store was the train track set up just below the ceiling of the store, which the staff went to great lengths to fire up so we could be amused. While out and about with the loaner van from Grand Harbor, we sure got a taste of rural America at its finest.

After a couple days’ stay at Grand Harbor Resort Marina, we had to move on downriver. Two more anchorages to visit before we arrive at Joe Wheeler State Park and Marina.

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We like anchoring in McKernan Creek!

After leaving Grand Harbor Marina, we made two anchorage stops before we got to Joe Wheeler State Park. The first, Little Bear Creek (above and below), was a new spot for us while our stay at McKernan Creek was our third time at anchor there. Both anchorages met with our satisfaction and provided a colorful and comfortable night on the hook.

On the move again early the next morning we passed the bridge at Florence, Alabama (below).

To get to McKernan Creek we had to lock through the Wilson Lock and Dam. At 110 feet high the Wilson Lock is the highest lock east of the Mississippi River and relatively easy to lock through. Cruising the Tennessee River during this fall’s Looper migration south brought back a lot of fond memories of our two previous trips south on the Tennessee River during our 1.75 Loops.

We had to wait a bit for the doors of the lock to open, this is the second to last lock we will go through before we get to Joe Wheeler. If you’ve never been in one of these big locks, the photos (below) will give you a reference and perspective as to their size. To tie up inside one of these huge locks for the first time can be a little intimidating but everyone gets used to them after a couple of lock-throughs.

McKernan Creek is always a fun stop. We find this creek well-protected if you can get far enough in. We always feel like we’re in a small lake and enjoy the many cottages that dot the shoreline. It was quiet all night and we feel lucky when one of the residents stops by in a kayak or small boat to say hi. Everyone we have met here has been very friendly.

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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 rooms, nice docks, and a beautiful outdoor boater’s lounge. We could relax there at the end of the day to watch the setting sun while mingling with the other boaters at the marina. The staff was friendly and very accommodating. We just felt like we were at home.

Jim changed the zincs today, so he had to go swimming.

The tiki hut (above) is what I call the boater’s lounge. It was windy and chilly most nights when we first got here, but we enjoyed a lot of beautiful sunsets from this spot.

Sometimes you have to get creative with storage space on a Ranger Tug. Jim decided one day that the bar was going to reside in the starboard side cockpit corner. Works for me! We saw lots of interesting things while staying in Marathon. The sun goddess wishing pond (above right) and the coconut cocktail holder (below left) are just a few.

Something important to know when visiting the Keys. The sign (above) says it all. Water comes a long way, from the mainland. So it’s good to be mindful of that fact when consuming water, especially when cleaning boats etc.

Not sure what this guy is collecting on his boat, it looked like a bag full of coral.

We had several delightful manatee encounters right by our boat. The water is so clear it was easy to see them below the surface. The woman, in the photo below, hurried over to our dock when she heard there was a thirsty manatee there. She seemed to know all about the creatures, but I was surprised that she grabbed our hose to give them a drink. We have always heard that it is illegal to give them fresh water. See this article about manatees.

Dave (below), on Will-C (above), is the consummate chef. Not only did he spend hours out on the bay fishing, but he knows how to cook. We were the happy recipients of that endeavor. Fish cakes are his specialty and he doesn’t mind sharing his recipes. Thanks, Dave!

When the winds finally calmed down, we decided it was time to do a loop around Marathon. First, we headed south to the new marina, Faro Bianco Resort, and Yacht Club, to see if some friends were there. We found them tied up there, but they begged off of a visit, they were both sick and were laying low, so we continued on. We cruised under the 7-mile bridge into Book Key Harbor for a quick tour around the marina. Then we went up Sisters Creek to take a tour of the many canals there. Next, we went out into Hawks Channel and proceeded north to Vaca Cut, which separates the island, to get back to the Florida Bay side of the island.

Near the end of our stay, good friends Mike and Jess, on Illusions, and Rich and Cheryll, on Roam, joined us at Blackfin for a few days. We enjoyed Dave’s fish cakes one night and the girls went shopping one day.

Dominic and Caroline, on Poppy, live in Marathon when they are not cruising on their Ranger Tug or in their native land of England. So, at the end of our time in Marathon, we were invited to their home for a delicious feast and conversation. Can’t wait to see Dominic and Caroline again.

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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.

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Blackfin Marina has a Laid-back, Friendly Atmosphere

If you had a doubt about how much fun cruisers enjoy while boating, let’s put that notion to rest. Spending a month at Blackfin Marina and Resort in Marathon (Florida Keys), provides many social activities. Kismet has migrated to this hot spot during winter while escaping the frigid cold of Northern Michigan. We come here to hang out with other boaters who share a love of the Keys.

Sometimes we tow our boat south to Marathon and put her in at the public boat launch on the Florida Bay side of the island. Or, we cruise from the west coast of Florida, typically from Fort Myers. We’ll go on the Okeechobee Waterway to the east coast, before pointing our bow south to the Keys.

“We’re chipping in to buy lobster, give us a twenty and bring a salad”

Once settled in our slip at Blackfin Marina and Resort, we step off the boat and social interactions are a given. “Hey, join us for ‘Happy Hour’ tonight” or “We’re chipping in to buy lobster, give us a twenty and bring a salad” or “Let’s hop in our truck and drive down to Key West for the afternoon.” AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association) and MTOA (Marine Trawler Owners’ Association) put on reunions in Marathon. During these events, we often get to reunite with boaters we’ve traveled with on our cruising adventures.

We’ve been going to Blackfin Marina for several years now. Interesting how we’ve become part of that community. Half of the boats in the marina call Blackfin home year-round. The other half are transients who come for a season or a month or two. Amazing how many people, from the year-rounders, the transients, and the Loopers we’ve met over the years, have settled into various marinas in the area. Ranger Tug owners are gaining a presence in the area as they often migrate to spots together. One marina over, Banana Bay, is another popular marina on the Florida Bay side of Marathon. Many Gold Loopers settle here after completing their “Loop.”

We look forward to our 2019 stay in Marathon. Every year brings another level of connectivity to the boating community we love. Whether it be the Ranger Tugs group, the Looper group, or the Blackfin group, it’s our people and always a fun time.

Our first get-together on the point was a “Bring Something to Grill and a Side Dish” affair.

Farmer’s Market (above) is within walking distance of Blackfin Marina and Resort.

This was one of those nights when some of the Ranger Tug owners invited everyone to share their catch from a fishing expedition the previous day. We gathered onshore in front of our boats, side dishes at the ready while the cooks fried up a huge batch of fish for consumption.

It’s Not a Vacation, It’s a Lifestyle!

Aside from the social opportunities, the support and help boaters share are abundant. We can’t speak for other cruisers, but it has been our experience, you can’t cruise and sit on the beach, day after day. It’s not a vacation, it’s a lifestyle! Some can, but many can’t. So, on Kismet at least, boat projects are in full swing most days in the marina. There’s always something to add, fix or improve on a boat. I know my Jim is that way, and so am I. We’ll enjoy a leisurely breakfast and then work before we hit the pool, exercise, or run errands. It’s amazing how busy we can be during the day just doing those things.

While on the boat, we live outside most of the time, at the least our doors and windows are open to the elements. We’ve even continued this practice at our home in Traverse City. Doors and windows wide open, sometimes the bugs fly in one door and out the other. Guess after all the boating we’ve done, over the years, it’s hard being closed in with stale air.

Our friends had a month-long 50th-anniversary celebration, this is only one of the cakes (above) they received.

Lobster night on the point with our Ranger Tug buddies was a feast and a lot of fun.

Every winter there is a Sunset Celebration for past and present Loopers, this year it was held at Banana Bay Marina.

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The Boat Galley Provides Valuable Tips and Tricks for Boaters! –

Occasionally you’ll come across someone who will inspire you. A few years ago I started to follow The Boat Galley, a popular boating blog created by a talented woman, Carolyn Shearlock, a full-time cruiser. Being a fellow blogger, I can appreciate the valuable content she shares with boaters. The depth of her skills, as a writer and marketer with tech-savvy computer skills, is impressive. Carolyn is a popular force in the boating community. It’s easy to see why—she loves to learn and is eager to share that knowledge with other boaters. How she does this is brilliant with a simple, well-designed, user-friendly, blog.

Carolyn started by writing a cookbook and sharing tips for cooking on a boat. In the natural progression of things, The Boat Galley expanded to include more information on boating, living on-board, cruising, and gear.

“The Boat Galley can help you with tips, reviews, and how-tos for every step of boating. From deciding if cruising’s for you to chartering, buying a boat, outfitting it, moving and living aboard, cooking, getting underway, even maintaining and repairing your boat.”–The Boat Galley

https://theboatgalley.com

From reading articles on The Boat Galley, and being a subscriber to her newsletters, I read that Carolyn and her husband, Dave, spend a lot of time in Marathon, Florida. We are in Marathon, so I contacted her, hoping we could meet… blogger to blogger. My goal was to pick her brain about some aspects of blogging I did not have experience with. I found Carolyn so friendly and open to a meeting during our text messaging back and forth. I said to myself, “I should have done this sooner?”

We planned to meet at the Hurricane Bar & Grille, right next to the office at Blackfin Resort and Marina where we dock our boat. I found out that Carolyn is the real deal, a trailblazer for the boating community. She has spunk and a beautiful smile. Carolyn is more than willing to help anyone with anything–even more so if it relates to the subject of boating.

After lunch, I asked Carolyn to come down to the marina to see Kismet and meet Jim. I also wanted to surprise a friend, Tammi. She is living with her husband on their boat, Liberty, and doing the Great Loop–she follows The Boat Galley with regularity. Can’t tell you how many times over the winter Tammi referenced Carolyn’s blog as the source for some items she bought for her boat.

A big thanks to Carolyn for taking the time to sit and talk with me about blogging. I don’t get to do that often, almost NEVER!

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Thousand Islands – Home to Bolt Castle!

Ever since we did the Great Loop boat trip in 2005/06, we have wanted to visit the Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands, in the Saint Lawrence River. We didn’t take that route. Ever since we’ve had it in our minds to return to the area to visit the Thousand Islands and the amazing Boldt Castle.

Millionaire George Boldt, in the late 1800s and into the early 20th century, worked for the wealthy Astor family as the General Manager of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, in New York City. George’s vision was to build a 120-room castle on Hart Island in Alexandria Bay. They later renamed the island to Heart Island—one of many islands in the Thousand Islands area of the Saint Lawrence River. The project started in 1900, it was a gift of love to his wife Louise. He put plans into motion and construction started on what would be one of the largest private homes in the United States. The enormous undertaking included not only the fairytale castle but a grand yacht house. There are also tunnels, a powerhouse, Italian gardens, a drawbridge, and a children’s playhouse.

Unfortunately, the Couple Never Occupied the Castle

Tragedy struck when Louise died. Grief-stricken, George never returned to the island and canceled all work on the stone structures. The Castle sat unfinished and unoccupied for 73 years. In 1977 the New York Thousand Islands Bridge Authority bought Heart Island for $1.00. The agreement of the sale was that they would work on restoring the buildings and opening the castle to the public.

Today they have repaired the grounds, the Power House, the main and second floors of the castle. All were tailored to George’s original vision, almost 120 years ago, for the Boldt family home. They left the basement and top floors unfinished up to this point. This gives visitors an idea of George’s vision and how much work went into this historic marvel.

We had to pass several islands on our way to Heart Island.

The only way to see the boat castle is to come by boat, either your own vessel or commercial ferry boat.

We arrived early to ensure we would get a spot in the small marina.

Alster Tower and Peristyle, (above & below), was the only new structure completed on Heart Island. The Boldt’s lived here while construction of the castle was underway.

The Peristyle (above) was a 500-by-100-foot man-made lagoon.

The main entrance to the castle is impressive. Lots to explore!

Louise Boldt (above-right).

The upstairs attic and basement are left unfinished. Interesting to see the materials used.

Dovecote and Garden (above and below-left).

The Power House renovation (above and below).

The Power House sits below this beautiful garden.

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We Have Been Going to Legacy Harbour Marina Since 2012 —

The Legacy Harbour Marina staff, Harbor Master, Eric, and Office Manager, Sheila, are accommodating, professional and friendly. Over time, we have docked all three of our tugs there for at least a one, or two-month stay. While it’s nice to try out fresh places, and marinas, it’s also fun to go back to familiar marinas, where you’ve made friendships and feel at home. We like a combination of the two when we go cruising, we enjoy finding a balance in life and everything we do.

We have not been to Florida for two winters, mostly because of Covid. It’s great to “come home.”

Our first dock party, was on “C” dock. Just around the corner from our favorite spot to tie up, C dock is pretty much a party dock. We can join in whenever we like, or have a more laid-back experience in our cockpit. Over the years, we have made friendships with many other boaters who come back, as we do, year after year.

Jim and I organized a reunion of several couples we did our second within 2007-2008, along with several people we met while doing that Loop, Fred and Joan Myers and Kim Russo.

We enjoy Legacy’s proximity to the grocery store (two blocks away), and downtown Fort Myers (also two blocks away).

Fort Myers’ nightlife is full of events, festivals, and so many restaurants to enjoy. We walked down to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve (below).

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This was not the first time we have cruised the St. Johns River. We were living on our Fathom 40, finishing up our second Great Loop boat trip, when Kismet left Key West, Florida, heading north to the Solomon Islands. It was June 2009. Our goal was to spend the summer in the Chesapeake Bay area. That was a fun thing to do. Spending the entire summer in Maryland gave us more of an in-depth experience of another part of the country we knew little about. We made lots of side trips during our stay in the Solomon Islands, either by car or boat. We cruised up the Potomac to Washington, DC, we visited St. Michaels, Annapolis, Tangier Island, Smith Island, and many of the great anchorages close to the Solomons. When the time came to head south again, in October, we had our sights on cruising the St. Johns River. Having heard such great things from other boaters about this lazy southern river; we had to go.

Cruising With Friends —
We hooked up with our friends Louis and Diane Wade near their home, in Morehead City, North Carolina, and cruised with them down the ICW to Jacksonville, Florida. However, just days before arriving there, we received news of Jim’s father’s passing, so we flew to Ohio for the funeral. When we returned to the marina, it was Thanksgiving Day. Louis and Diane, and a few other boating friends surprised us with a very memorable dinner on one of their boats when our hearts were still so tender from our loss. It’s moments like these that define the highlights of our boating adventures.

A few days after we arrived back in Jacksonville, Kismet headed out with Bella Luna to explore the St. Johns River. We traveled from Jacksonville to Sanford, Florida. We tried to hit all the highlights small, sleepy river towns, a few natural, freshwater springs, and a few free docks. Jim and I were a little concerned about the time of year we planned to take this trip. It was the end of November, but we had good luck with the weather and during our three-day stay in Silver Glen Springs, we had to remind ourselves it was December, especially when we went swimming every day in the 72-degree crystal clear water. To two Michiganders, this seemed a miracle for this time of year. However, in December, we didn’t see many alligators moving around, although the river is home to many.

Fast forward to early spring 2022, after our two-month winter stay in Fort Myers, we pulled the boat out of the water and towed it to Deland, Florida. This time we would start our trip from the more southern end of the St. Johns River. Then we planned to explore the narrower section of the river, from Deland to Silver Glen Springs and back to Deland. We heard that section included a beautiful wildlife sanctuary we were eager to spend time in. It was a trip well-planned, as always, by Jim. We saw many alligators while cruising the off-shoots of the river. One must have been nesting and as we moved closer for a better look, she lunged off her perch and headed toward us. While anchoring overnight in the wildlife sanctuary, we saw a lot of wildlife. Alligators, manatee families, eagles, and many birds. The most beautiful thing was the wide assortment of bird songs we woke up to every morning in the wild. Occasionally, a small fishing boat would pass us. But, other than that, during our time in the sanctuary, we felt like part of the wilderness of the St Johns River.

After almost three weeks, we were ready to go home. We’d been away since last Thanksgiving this year—driving to Seattle to get our new Ranger Tug and then driving to Florida. So, we spent a little more time on the river than expected, watching for the weather to ease up a little. There were several blizzards still blowing through where we needed to drive. Not fun while towing a big boat.

Deland Marina, St. Johns River, Florida (above-below)

Two-night stay in Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge (above and below). The best!

Hontoon Island State Park (above).

Silver Glen Springs (above and below), is a favorite of ours. We found it much busier this visit, but still enjoyable.

Fellow Trailer Trawler (Facebook Group) members (above and below), found us at Silver Glen Springs. There was a C-Dory rendezvous happening, at Hontoon Landing, while we were on the river.

One of the many alligators (above) we saw while on the river.

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Blackfin Resort and Marina, Marathon, Florida, is an island paradise and a welcome slice of old Florida. Jim and I have been wintering at this marina since 2013. Because of its old Florida character and its relaxed atmosphere, we keep coming back. In our minds, when we leave Traverse City, Michigan, for Florida, after the holidays each year, we head to a warm, friendly place where our friends are also returning. We look forward to soaking up the sun and ending each day with beautiful daily sunsets over Florida Bay. Blackfin is not a high-end, fancy place, and that’s what we love most about it. The energy and friendliness of everyone, staff, and boaters are palpable. Many of the same boaters come back every winter, making it a home away from home for most of us.

From the perspective of being trailerable boaters, we find Blackfin satisfies all our winter, boating needs. We switched to a trailerable boat 13 years ago. One of our objectives was to lengthen our boating season and get more use out of our boats (we’ve had three trailerable boats since 2011), by towing them south, to escape Michigan’s harsh winters. At best, we might get only 4-5 months of boating in the Great Lakes.

For the first few years, as trailerable boaters,
we explored both coasts of Florida, especially the Gulf Coast.
It is a little less built up and we feel it has more natural areas to enjoy. So, after driving south, for 3-4 days, we typically would launch the boat in Tarpon Springs and spend a few weeks cruising down the Intracoastal Waterway. We would anchor or stay at little marinas along the way. It was fun to explore the little towns we could walk to, stroll the beaches, and talk with other boaters along the way. From Tarpon Springs, we would cruise down to Fort Myers, to our other favorite marina in Florida, Legacy Harbor Marina. We might stay there a few weeks, or a month before we continued on to the Florida Keys. Our route would take us around the Everglades in Florida Bay, or by crossing the state on the Caloosahatchee River. Either way, we would cruise south to the Keys. After a while, we switched that route around by launching in Marathon and cruising north, the same route but south to north, to Fort Myers. Our thinking is that it is a little warmer in the Keys, in January. So why not start there?

At the beginning of our Florida cruising, we stayed on Stock Island (one island up from Key West) at Key West Marina. We had docked there before, while doing the Great Loop, in our bigger boats. When dockage anywhere near Key West became almost prohibitive, we looked for other options and landed at Blackfin Resort & Marina. Key West is only an hour’s drive from Marathon. Since we towed the boat with our truck, we had transportation to drive down to Key West when desired. Occasionally, we’d cruise the boat down to Key West for a few days of fun.

The last few years we have spent most of our time between Fort Myers and Marathon, with shorter side trips, away from the marina, during those stays, and one to two weeks in between marinas to anchor our way to the next.

Since we tow our boat around the country, and it is only a 25-footer, we don’t have room to host visitors overnight. Another thing we like about Blackfin Resort and Marina is that it has a motel as well. We like to take advantage of the proximity of the motel to the marina when friends come to visit. They can rent a room, but hang out with us on the dock, join us for a day trip, on the boat, around the islands, or a drive to Key West, or the point where everyone gathers at night, to watch the sunset.

We like to be outside!
Blackfin encourages people to not only make their boat and dock their home but the surrounding area as well. All the boats have a picnic table at the end of the dock. Boaters encourage each other to top their nautical, beachy-themed outdoor decor. Competition is fierce! Socialization is key to a great marina stay. If Chris, the manager, does not make a special main dish for an occasional potluck, plenty of food, shared musical talents, fun, and conversations occur around our picnic tables. Plenty of walkable access to nearby grocery stores, a drug store, Home Depot, and many outstanding restaurants.

Blackfin’s boat ramp offers guests easy access to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Boat slips can accommodate vessels up to 40 feet. Slips are available on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Electric (30 amp), water, wireless internet, and pump-out service included. Fishing, swimming, throwing cast nets, etc., are all allowed and encouraged on the lighthouse side of the beach area. Call for current rates and availability.

BLACKFIN RESORT AND MARINA
(305)-743-2393

As we left, in March, spring flowers were popping up all over the island resort.

Lots of dedicated places to grill and have a meal in the shade.

This fella (above) jumped into the pool while were there. In January, the iguanas are still used to roaming around the resort, but as it gets busy, they are hard to find.

Lighthouse Point (above and below). A relaxing spot to have happy hour, a meal, or to watch the sunset over Florida Bay.

There’s Kismet (above, on the right).

Blackfin is a small marina channel cut out of the coral the island is made of, when that was allowed many years ago.

The is the owner of the beautiful blue boat, Fishtales (above and below). We asked how many fish he caught that day. We ended up with several bags of freshly caught Spanish Mackerel and a lesson on how to easily clean and cut up fish. We don’t fish — so, it is a very interesting process for us.

Our family Scott and Denna came to visit us at Blackfin. They rented a room at the motel and we got to watch many sunsets together.

A typical evening at Blackfin Marina and Resort. Drinks, music, lots of food, and fun!

This year Kismet was joined by seven other trailerable trawlers. The photos (above and below) show three of them, our Ranger Tug, a C-Dory, and a Rosborough.

One of the many potlucks we enjoyed at the resort. The manager, Chris, and his wife, Ruthie, can sure cook up a storm.

Potlucks we attended included beef brisket, roasted pig, BBQ chicken and fish boil.

Chris is at it again, a fish boil this time.

Our friends, from Traverse City, Lisa, and Fred are staying on their sailboat at a nearby marina. They were headed to the Bahamas after we saw them.

Meals are often a group effort at Blackfin, shared onshore near our boats.

Manatees frequent the marina. We had many delightful encounters with these gentle giants.

We also had two Nimble Nomads with us at the marina. They each pulled their boats out by the ramp at the marina.

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