Video Clips from the Ranger Tugs2013 Desolation Sound Cruise

More Videos from Trailer Trawler Life

The post Video Clips from Ranger Tugs 2013 Desolation Sound Cruise appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

After our swim at Unwin Lake, we followed the river and small rapids back to the dinghy. Just outside the woods in the open sunlight by the park entrance, where our dinghy was tied up, we came across a slew of blackberry bushes loaded with precious ripe berries. Risking bee stings and thorn-torn hands and legs, we harvested enough for blackberry pancakes the next morning. But first, when we arrived back to the boat, sitting in our Tenedos Bay anchorage, a batch of martinis was in order to wind down a very enjoyable day. Lisa then whipped up one of our favorite dishes, red beans, and rice.

By this time in our trip, I’d have to say we’ve become very VERY relaxed. Over a stack of blackberry pancakes the next morning, I asked Lisa, “What day is it?” and she said, “I don’t know!” After spending five travel days trailering our Kismet across the country, followed by a few days of preparations, laundry, and provisioning, and finally hop-scotching up the coast of Vancouver Island with the Ranger Tug group, we knew we’d come to the point of our PNW cruise where we had become completely relaxed. We didn’t know, or care, what day of the week or month it was. We had not seen or heard a newscast since putting our boat in the water, and we didn’t care. We had turned our phones off when we entered Canada and our onboard wifi card was turned off as well, no calls in or out for us and no internet except at the rare marina stops. We were beginning to feel like we were in a bubble of sorts and we savored every minute of that blissful state, being in the moment and totally focused on our Desolation Sound Cruise.

Blackberry pancakes this morning in our Tenedos Bay anchorage!

After a yummy breakfast of pancakes and berries, on Sunday morning, we pulled anchor to head over to Melanie and Laura Coves.

The post “What Day Is It?” – Tenedos Bay Anchorage appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

Refuge Cove is a relic of the past.

We have not been out cruising in Desolation Sound that long, this being our fifth day, but we missed getting fuel while we were at Gorge (it was busy when we left and we didn’t want to wait). So when we left Teakerne Arm we thought we’d head over to Refuge Cove, a fully functioning marina and year-round community, centrally located on West Redona Island in the heart of Desolation Sound. We wanted to fuel up and top off our water supply. Refuge Cove is a relic of the past. We marveled at how the store still stands in one piece on top of the ancient barnacle-covered pilings below. The cove provides a seasonal home to 20 families and home to half that many during the off-season.

While there we had a quick trip through the little store and were pleased to find quite a selection, more than we thought they’d have – all the basics were covered and some fresh produce to boot. We picked up a few items at the store and investigated all the other buildings – a laundry and shower facility, a used book store that also sold local honey, and a small gift store and cafe on top of the rocks.

We were really impressed with the laundry and shower facilities at Refuge Cove. They also make and sell ice there.

We like the looks of the marina’s Boater’s Lounge (above).

We ran into a couple of Ranger Tugs while we were at Refuge Cove, one of them had delivered Kenny, Service Rep at Ranger Tugs, to Refuge Cove so that he could catch a seaplane to Seattle to attend the wedding of a friend. We had talked to Kenny earlier about him cutting his Desolation Sound trip short to attend the wedding, he said it was really important that he be there for his friend. The reason Kenny is still sitting at the dock mid-Saturday with his suitcase, a day after his scheduled flight, is that during his trip to the marina to catch his scheduled flight, the boat ferrying him to the marina had a mechanical problem. Kenny chose to forego his flight to stay and help the owner identify and repair the problem. Now that’s way up there on the charts for first-class customer service. Way to go Kenny. It all worked out for the best in the end. We later heard that Jeff Messmer, Ranger Tugs Sales Manager, arranged a special flight for Kenny and he was able to make it to the reception.

The marina has an unusual plumbing system (above and below, right).

We had never heard of this game called Washer Dome (above left and below). Have you?

I guess you could say I have a weakness for cute dinghies. The bright colors of this one caught my eye. Isn’t it sweet?

We stayed less than two hours checking out the cove and getting fuel, water and groceries, then we were on our way again. Next stop… an anchorage in Tenedos Bay.

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We could not have had a better weather day to cruise from Comox to Gorge Harbour, BC, the last stop for the Ranger Tugs group cruise, after a little downtime and one last party at the marina, we’ll all go our separate ways to explore Desolation Sound. As we all slowly trickled out of the marina, glassy water awaited us, the kind every boater dreams of for a first-rate cruising day. We also got our first glimpse of some snow-capped mountains off on the horizon. A short way out we crossed paths with the fishing boat we brought shrimp from last night (below).

Gorge Harbour at Last!

Upon our arrival at Gorge Harbour Marina Resort, on Cortes Island, we were officially considered to be in Desolation Sound. Desolation Sound is a group of islands that reside at about the 50th parallel north, between Canada’s Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, Canada, at the north end of the Strait of Georgia, a little over 200 miles northeast of Seattle as the crow flies. It’s hard for us to grasp the fact that we are finally here after all the waiting and planning during the last two years. It is hard to describe what it feels like to be at the dock with all these other Ranger Tugs and Cutwater boats in Gorge Harbour.

The marina in Gorge Harbour is set in a large, perfectly enclosed cove, accessed through a single narrow, high-walled canyon entrance. The atmosphere in the marina was electric as boats docked or rafted off other boats and excited crew jumped onto the docks to stretch their legs. Sixty-eight Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats were in attendance. It didn’t take us long to find our swimsuits and run up to the pool that overlooks the harbour from the top of a rocky, grass bluff. It was hot and so were we, a relaxing swim and nap by the pool was just what we needed to refresh our bodies. It was time to savor the moment.

After our swim, we checked out the little store, showers, and recycling area and took a little walk up to the main road and found some huge evergreen trees. The resort has many cabins and campsites on site, it has a smoky, rustic feel. The store was better stocked than we thought it would be, but we didn’t need anything yet since we had visited the grocery store in Comox the day before

On our morning walk, we found our way to the entrance of Gorge Harbour.

After our walk, followed by quick showers, it was time to gather for our last official Ranger Tug 2013 Desolation Sound Cruise function. One hundred and thirty people gathered on the terraced lawn just above the marina for a social hour where we had time to discuss each other’s cruising plans. The dinner that followed was provided by Volvo Penta, they did a great job grilling chicken and burgers for all those people, and no one went away hungry, in fact, there was so much leftover that many folks were able to get a “to go” container of meat or chicken for the next day. It was interesting to hear the loud chatter and laughter of all the participants, most of whom did not know each other but only a few days prior and now everyone is just one big happy family of Ranger Tug and Cutwater owners anxious to get out into the waters of Desolation Sound to explore.

Funny story… when we took possession of our Ranger Tug, in 2011, in Kent, WA, the first place we went was to Gig Harbor for an MTOA Rendezvous. During our stay there we met a couple who owned a C-Dory named C-Gnome, we had tours of each other’s boats as were both curious about the differences. So, the funny part of the story is that on the second day in Ganges we again met Cindy and Gerry, apparently after seeing our boat they decided they had to have one, Celtic Sun, a red one just like ours.

We just can’t say enough great things about how well-organized the run from Ganges to Gorge was. We marveled at how Jeff Messmer, Ranger Tugs Sales Manager, (shown below with his wife Kristie and two of his three children) made everyone feel welcomed and informed of activities. We think the reason this event goes so smoothly is that Jeff, Andrew, and Kenny are all having so much fun doing what they do, you can tell, there isn’t anywhere else they’d rather be but on the water in their Ranger Tugs helping other boaters boat.

We enjoyed meeting and talking with Mac, on Passage Weaver (above-left), during the happy hour and we spent time in Ganges getting to know Bill and Nicole, on Blue Merle (above-right). Bruce and Herb (below right) and I discussed some boat-related subjects while we waited for dinner.

We had initially talked about spending two nights in Gorge, but we couldn’t wait to get started with our trip into Desolation Sound. I spent some time going over the charts again, trying to narrow down a few choices for our first day out.

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We Sought Local Knowledge Before and During Our Cruise in Desolation Sound.

With that in mind, I made it a mission to gain as much local knowledge as I could before and during our Ranger Tugs 2013 Desolation Sound trip so we could maximize our experience during our one month in British Columbia. The first part of our plan was to poll as many Canadian Ranger Tug owners in Ganges during our two-day stay, ones that know the harbors, marinas, and anchorages in order to find out the “must-see” places, what to avoid, when to go, where to anchor, what hazards might lie in wait and which marinas are worth visiting. Of special concern to us on this trip was where we could get fresh water and where could leave off garbage during long periods of anchoring out.

The second part of our polling takes place out on the water, often when we’re in an anchorage with other boaters. We’ll take a dinghy ride around the anchorage before or after dinner to see whom we can meet. Of course, our main objective is to socialize a little and meet other boaters who like us must love to boat and share information; the chances are very good that this is their known cruising ground. We love to see where people came from on their boats, where they are going, and why. This method of gaining information is invaluable to us as cruisers.

During our trip we definitely don’t want to miss anything of value; we want to make sure to make the most of our time by having a list and a rough plan. With that in mind, I made it a mission to gain as much local knowledge as I could before and during our trip, so we could maximize our cruising experience while in the waters of British Columbia. One thing we learned right off the bat, after talking with boaters experienced in the area, was that taking time to go up to the Broughtons, also on our rough list, might be taking on too much of an area to explore. Wishful thinking on our part that we might get that far I guess

The first part of our search for information began shortly after we met Tracy and John, on Sea Change (above), when we arrived at Ganges. We found out they live on Nelson Island in Quarry Bay, by Pender Harbor located at the mouth of Jervis Inlet, which leads to Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls (our cruising destination when we begin our trek south after leaving Desolation Sound). So they are very familiar with not only the Desolation Sound area but Jervis Inlet as well. John and Tracy offered to go over charts with us and in doing so pointed out a few spots they felt we shouldn’t miss.

We had met Charles and Sheri, on Danca (above), when we arrived in Comox, the second day of our group cruise up to Desolation Sound. They told us they live on Quadra Island, across from Campbell River, they were just that day joining the procession of Ranger Tugs from Comox to Gorge. When we finally made it to Gorge, the spot where everyone later dispersed and headed out on their own, we remembered Charles and Sheri knew these waters quite well, so while there I asked Charles if he’d come to our boat to go over charts, he was very generous with his insights on Desolation Sound. Charles’ input paid high dividends on our first days out with scenic anchorages, hiking trails, and his scoop on some freshwater lakes we could hike to while out on the hook.

We took copious notes from any meetings with Canadian boaters both during the Ranger Tug cruise and from others we met en route, we made markers on our GPS chart plotter, marking anchorages and harbors they talked about so we would remember their suggestions.

The second part of our quest for information began our first night out from Gorge, soon after we got settled into the anchorage at Grace Harbor (a suggestion of Charles). At twilight, just before a late dinner, we took a dinghy ride around the anchorage to see whom we could meet. There must have been 20 boats in the anchorage with plenty of room for privacy and to swing free. Our method of meeting folks is simple, we’ll coast by any boat we see people sitting or working on outside, often a smile or a wave is all the invitation we need to glide up a little closer. The rest is easy; we exchange pertinent information about our boats, where we live, how long we’ve been boating, and such. We try to glean a lot of cruising information from those qualified to contribute. This particular night we talked with people on three different boats. The boat closest to us was a Kadey Krogan 44, Maria Elena (above top), the owners, Dennis and Marilyn are from Garden Bay, BC, we exchanged boat cards and general information about places we’ve both cruised. Next, we stopped and chatted with a friendly family on an old trawler, Civetta (above-bottom).

Art and Christina, on Lucky Puppy (above), were the most helpful, they had stopped over earlier in the day, while out in their dinghy, to inquire about our boat; they had promised us a boat card, so we headed over to their boat to talk some more.

We’ve run into Mac, on Passage Weaver (below), a few times since we met him in Ganges, BC. Every time we talk with him we learn more about his experience and acumen as a boater, the kind that comes naturally to someone born to be on the water. The last time we ran into him was when we were both at anchor in Squirrel Cove. After he saw us take two large trash bags to the town dock, he dinghied over to chat and we soon learned a few things about garbage management when at anchor or remote marinas for extended periods of time. Of course, we were already separating garbage to recycle when we got to a garbage drop-off, but Mac suggested we also dry out all paper and plastic, to eliminate the offensive aroma, before putting it in its designated bag. And when in a camping area, where campfires are allowed, you could burn your discarded paper products. Not sure why we never thought of this, but it makes sense to collect and take any compostable matter for a dinghy ride to shore for drop-off in the woods.

We have to say that we learned a lot this trip, not only about the local cruising knowledge we sought and received but how to exist on the hook for long periods of time. If you are receptive, there are always boaters out there who have a wealth of local knowledge to share.

The post Local Knowledge is Important When Cruising Desolation Sound appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.

Leaving Nanaimo, we decided not to cruise with the pod on our way to Comox. It was an easy run with calm seas and sunny skies.

Once settled in at the dock, there were more Ranger Tug owners to meet and hot showers to take.

Happy hour consisted of another Captain’s briefing on the outer dock. Jeff reviewed the events of the day and covered what would happen the next day. Cruising runs like we’ve done the last two days takes a lot out of you.

Not much lingering on the dock in Comox after happy hour tonight.

After reviewing our supplies, a trip to the grocery store seemed in order, so we asked Don and Brenda, on Kenji Maru to walk up with us. Comox has a full-sized grocery store not more than a few blocks from the marina. This being our first time in this area, we’re not sure where the last big grocery store will be.

When we got back to the boat with our supplies renewed, we started to hear from the other boaters about a big shrimp boat coming into the marina to sell its fresh catch. We immediately got in line with about 20 other people to buy a bag. Fresh shrimp for dinner.

Jim spent a good amount of time shelling the shrimp on the dock and said it was quite a conversation starter among the people walking down from town to see all the Ranger Tugs that had come in. Kenny, Ranger Tug Customer Service Representative, stopped by to chat and we invited him to share dinner with us. We enjoyed the one-on-one time with him as we think he is a very outstanding young man.

We found Willie on the dock, Willie’s Tug (above), while we were taking our evening stroll.

This skull came into the harbor full speed ahead, right at our boat (which was side to in the fairway), apparently, we were docked where they usually tie up. It was funny to watch them back all the way out of the channel, laughing as they went.

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From Ganges to Nanaimo, we could choose to join one of the pods or cruise on our own.

After two days of socializing with other Ranger Tug owners at Ganges, the time came to organize the three-day cruise to our mutual destination of Gorge, BC. After that point, we will all be on our own to explore Desolation Sound and the surrounding areas. But first, we had to get our “gaggle” organized. This is the third year Ranger Tugs has organized this Desolation Sound Cruise for their owners, we think they have all their ducks all in a row.

Our first Captain’s Meeting was held during the second night at Ganges, on the dock just before happy hour. Jeff, V.P of Sales and Marketing at Ranger Tugs and the ringleader, had organized, along with key experienced boaters, a system for leaving the dock to leave for Nanaimo (Na-ni-mo) in the morning, which comprised of groups with a “lead boat” and a “sweeper boat,” especially helpful for the more novice boaters in attendance. You could choose to join one of the pods or cruise on your own. We decided to join one of the pods to see how it worked.

For cruising navigational purposes, three pods of boats were available to join, based on a predetermined pod speed. We joined 14 boats in the  “Circle T” group, the second group to leave late morning cruising at 10 knots (Jeff’s group left earlier that morning to catch the first slack tide). We signed up to be the relay boat (for communication purposes when radio signals didn’t quite reach the whole group, since we were in the middle we could hear most of the communications and relay them forward or backward) in the middle of the “Circle-T” group. From Ganges to Nanaimo is approximately 34NM (nautical miles) but the trick in this leg of the trip is that one needs to catch slack tide at the famously temperamental Dodd Narrows 30NM into the cruise, so timing is crucial. Trying to organize 14 boats to cruise in a single file, at a set speed can be likened to herding cats, however Tym, on Circle T, our leader did a great job. We departed Ganges at 11 a.m., giving our group enough time to get organized and idle out of the two-mile-long harbor so that we could all arrive at Dodd Narrows within a half hour of slack tide. At the Captain’s Meeting, we were instructed to keep about a football field’s length between boats. A faster cruising pod of 15 left after us but caught up to us so we could all transit Dodd Narrows single file as one group. We learned later that, Patrick, one of the organizers of the event, was able to have commercial traffic held at bay during our transit through the narrows, due to his connections in the area.

Two miles into our departure from the marina, one of our pod member’s engines started to overheat. Andrew and Kenny, Ranger Tugs Customer Service Reps were piloting a boat in the last pod when they heard, over the VHF, about the engine problem they sped up to be of assistance with the stranded tug. We heard later they found a nearby dock to tow them to and once secure Andrew dove under the boat to find something had clogged the sea strainer. With the debris removed and water flowing freely in the cooling system they were off and running. That’s what I’d call great customer service AND both boats made the slack water at Dodd Narrows passage on time.

In Nanaimo, we were joined by a group of Cutwater owners, also made by Fluid Motion, the parent company of Ranger Tugs. By this time we had a group of 68 boats, Cutwaters, and Ranger Tugs tied up at the Nanaimo Harbor Marina, prompting many to have to raft off so we could all fit in. The benefit of the rafting and mixing it up each night at a new marina is that we were all making new acquaintances, in Nanaimo, we rafted next to a very nice young family comprised of Todd, Connie, and their son Xavier, on Connie Marie (below).

The roof of the Port Authority building overlooks the harbor and provided the setting for the crew of 68 boats for an evening barbeque provided by the marina to celebrate our arrival. Two kinds of seasoned grilled salmon and barbeque chicken, along with a table full of side dishes whipped up in the galley of each boat along with two huge cakes to mark the occasion. What more could we ask for?

It will take two more days of hop-scotching up the coast of Vancouver Island, a total of about 130 miles from Ganges to get to our mutual destination of Gorge, BC. From there we will all go our separate ways to explore Desolation Sound and adjoining areas.

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Ganges Harbor, on Saltspring Island, is a short 10-mile run from Montague Harbor and the gathering point for the boaters participating in the Ranger Tugs 2013 Desolation Sound Cruise. We left early for Ganges, with yet another blue-skied day with just a light breeze and fairly calm waters.

We looked forward to meeting up with about 45 Ranger Tugs and their owners for five days of socializing, pot lucks, and finally taking three days to cruise together up to Desolation Sound, and this was just the Ranger Tug boats, we would meet up with a group of Cutwater’s (about another ten or fifteen) in Nanaimo for the cruise to Comox.

We met folks from Illinois, Georgia, Texas, California, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon with most being from Washington and Canada’s British Columbia, even Ganges.

We wanted to arrive early so we could get our boat washed up and looking pretty, but much to my surprise and dismay I found out the town had a shortage of water and there was a ban on washing boats in the marina. The good news was that by skipping the boat cleaning process we could move right on to meeting other Ranger Tug owners as they trickled into the marina. On the first evening, a happy hour was held on the dock with everyone contributing snacks. We had two full days in Ganges, plenty of time to walk around town to do some last-minute provisioning (vegetables, wine, and fish), we even found two small wood chairs for the cockpit of Kismet at the local hardware store.

The first thing we did when we arrived in the harbor was to fuel up. We wanted to be full-up and ready to go when we vacated the docks on Sunday.

We were surprised that the majority of the Ranger Tugs in attendance sport the classic dark blue hull with the second most popular color being the new dark grey with one or two dark green, two yellow, and three variations of red.

Low tide at Ganges is quite a drop down from shore (below).

We met Vickie and Bruce, on Moondance, at the 2011 Ranger Tug Rendezvous in Bremerton, WA., they recently went from a Ranger Tug R25 to an R29. Bruce and Vickie are very instrumental in a lot of the Ranger Tug cruises and rendezvous.

On our second day in Ganges we took Andrew Ranger Tugs Customer Service Manager extraordinaire and his wife Carlene (above) to lunch at Calvin’s, overlooking the harbor. Andrew and Kenny (also in Customer Service) and Jeff, Ranger Tugs Sales Manager are kept so busy during these gatherings (more later) we felt it might be nice to get Andrew and Carlene away from the docks for a brief spell. The benefit for us was that we really got to them as a couple, hear about their recent wedding and talk about their interests outside of work.

There were lots of these float planes buzzing overhead as they landed in the harbor (above).

The town of Ganges has a very popular Farmer’s Market on the weekend. It really had more arts and crafts with a lot of fresh baked goods, but we found a little produce section and managed to score some nice swiss chard to go with the fish we had bought in town for dinner that night. We really enjoyed the participation by the youngsters at the market, it was interesting to see what they were selling, some very creative, future marketers.

The piano (above) is available for impromptu performances (apparently it gets moved all over town), bring your music or play from heart, we thought it was a very unique item and added even more character to this bustling Canadian town.

Leon and Karen, on ScottFree (below), stopped by to ask a few questions about doing the Great Loop boat trip in a Ranger Tug. The biggest benefit of having two days to gather together in Ganges was that we could take time to meet some of the other Ranger Tug owners, we enjoyed having time to sit and talk with some as we did during those two days before we skipped up the coast to Desolation Sound.

The second night was another happy hour followed by our first captain’s meeting where we discussed our departure schedule (carefully timed and coordinated to get so many boats out of the marina in an organized fashion), the distance being cruised, and the particulars of transiting Dodd Narrows. With 11-foot tides and a very narrow channel, Dodd Narrows is a rapids with up to 7 MPH currents at full force and therefore is safest and best advised to traverse at slack tide. With that said the timing of 50 boats leaving Ganges had to be orchestrated so everyone arrived by slack tide.

After the main captain’s meeting boaters broke up into three groups to receive more specific instructions for our group, having chosen the time of departure and speed each wanted to travel and determined the group they would join. Predetermined, experienced lead boaters headed each group along with sweeper boats previously assigned. One group went at 6 A.M. at a fast speed to catch the morning slack, while the other two groups, ourselves included, signed up to go late morning, so we’d arrive for the early afternoon slack.

There is a kind of electric buzz around the marina tonight as everyone is ready to go and we all kind of know, the excitement is just about to begin.

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There were several Ranger Tug owners we wanted to connect with while we were at Cap Sante Marina.

We’d been to Anacortes, Washington, the gateway to the San Juans Islands, several times in the past 15 years so it felt a little like a home away from home for us. After launching the boat and stowing the trailer and truck it was time to get organized for some serious PNW cruising. We needed to stock up and collect our thoughts a little. Guess the week we spent on the road took its toll. Lisa kept saying maybe we need another day to get organized so we’d not feel so rushed, plus there were several Ranger Tug owners we wanted to connect with while we were at Cap Sante Marina.

We spent a couple of days provisioning at the local Safeway, setting the dinghy up, unloading the truck, and correcting a hydro lock I created in my 4-stroke outboard. Apparently, I did not set the outboard up properly while we had it stored in the bed of our truck, which was not good for it while crossing the country. Engine oil was able to seep above the cylinder head which created the lock and therefore I could not get it started. After draining the oil from the spark plug hole, and cleaning the plug the engine fired right up, a huge sigh of relief as we plan to use it a lot on our Desolation Sound trip.

Herb and Willie, on Willie’s Tug (http://andwilliesaid.blogspot.ca) are Ranger Tug owners from Texas, we met them in 2011. We knew ahead of time they’d be docked at Cap Sante Marina and after getting semi-settled in a little, we invited them over for dinner. After enjoying the wonderful dinner Lisa prepared we spent the evening getting caught up on our boating activities since we last saw them in Bremerton Washington at a Ranger Tug Rendezvous in 2011. The time was also spent reviewing our mutual cruising plans up to Canada’s Golf Islands, Desolation Sound and beyond with a large group of Ranger Tug owners… it never gets old talking about new boating adventures with other boaters.

The day before we left Anacortes we made a trip over to the pump outstation near the entrance to the harbor. Good spot for it.

I got a tour of this boat (above). A one-of-a-kind hand-made yacht. The boat’s interior woodwork was amazing.

The evening before we left was spent getting to know the other Ranger Tug owners, Tym, on Circle T, and Ray, currently in Anacortes at an impromptu dockside happy hour. Ray and Jocelyn, on Nudibranch, organized the party, along with Herb and Willie, on Willie’s Tug, on the dock near their boats, Ray and Jocelyn cooked us some delicious salmon and halibut. Other boaters, Bob and Nita, on Nellie Too, ran down the dock earlier that day with a chart for us, they thought we could use it for our trip, we were headed out to test our autopilot but returned to the dock when we spotted them, such thoughtful people. You could meet people all day long and not meet a friendlier group than we met at Cap Sante during our stay.

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Just a few days before our week-long visit at the Harbour Cay Club in Marathon came to an end, Mike and Jess (below-middle), on Illusions (shown above) and Rich and Cheryll (below-right), on Roam (both couples own Ranger Tugs) joined us and before we knew it, we were having a mini Ranger Tug Rendezvous in Marathon. We had all recently met in Fort Myers Beach during the First Annual Ranger Tug Southern Rendezvous. We communicated often as we were traveling different routes down to the Keys with the hope a get-together would be possible – at least for a few days. As luck would have it both boats arrived at the marina on Saturday – we quickly caught up on all of our travels over an impromptu dinner at the marina.

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CHEERS… Here’s to Here & Here’s to There.

Whenever we meet up with boaters from our homeport of Charlevoix, Michigan, we have a special toast, and it’s always the same. The HERE is always where we currently are and the THERE is always where we love to be and it’s always the same… Charlevoix. We’ve been meeting up with Hal and Marianne (above) in Florida for the last few years. (Hal is our harbormaster in Charlevoix, Michigan and they are both dear friends.)  This year they decided to try the Cape Coral area so it worked perfectly with our schedule.

Before we left home, we were in touch with friends Bill and Mary (below – also from Charlevoix), and we weren’t surprised that they would be in the Naples area during the week we planned at Moss Marine for the Ranger Tugs Rendezvous. We thought it would be fun to get a group from Charlevoix together to catch up far from home.

First drinks on the boat and dinner at Bonita Bills after.

Okay, Hal is completely missing everyone kissing his wife. It was so good to see all of these guys that hugs and kisses were numerous.

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Two days after the Ranger Tug 2012 Southern Rendezvous planned festivities there are still five Ranger Tugs at the dock, including Roam, Kismet, Illusions, Gepetto, and Caroline Ann, most staying for the week. This really gives us an opportunity to spend some quality time, as a smaller group, with those still here.

We figured since we are situated almost across from the shrimp boats in the harbor that we should track some down and have a party on the dock tonight. Jim and Mike, on Illusions, took a dinghy ride over to where the shrimp boats are tied up, found a seafood market, and picked up some of the freshest and biggest jumbo shrimp we’ve seen in a long time, a bag for almost every boat. Jim came back to Kismet with our stash, cleaned, and deveined them while I made cocktail sauce, cole slaw, and a nacho dip. We all met on the dock at the appointed time with our differently prepared shrimp dishes and sides and ate and talked till way after dark. Fun night!

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The Historic Village of Boca Grande, on the island of Gasparilla, is located at the southern tip of the Cape Haze Peninsula on Florida’s Southwest Coast midway between Sarasota and Ft. Myers. Nature has blessed this lush barrier island with seven miles of powdery white beaches stretching the entire Gulf side.

Downtown is just a short walk from the marina and the beach, on the Gulf side, not much farther. We spent the afternoon of the day we arrived, and the morning of the day we departed, exploring the town and stopping in a few shops on our way to the beach. The residents on this island zip around on golf carts and seem to be very happy about spending their winters in paradise.

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Just south of Englewood, on Lemon Bay, is a great spot to anchor in Port Charlotte Beach State Park. We had a fun dinghy ride around the island and to the beach. We stayed two nights here to catch up on some business and boat chores.

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When we’ve been anchoring out a lot we look forward to getting into a big city marina and we can’t think of a better place along this beautiful Gulf Coast than Sarasota. It has everything here to satisfy a cruising boater. Nice marina facilities (Marina Jack), restaurants right on the dock, music to serenade you to sleep, a newer downtown area with shops and more restaurants, and if you happen to be there on a weekend – an amazing farmer’s market and art fair. We love Sarasota!

The Sarasota Farmer’s Market is a visual treat. The quality of produce available is exceptional, we didn’t need a lot since we recently provisioned but we had to buy some fresh corn and watermelon.

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A quiet night and calm waters greeted us at DeSoto Point on the Manatee River (above and below). A few other boats were already anchored for the night when we arrived late afternoon. It was late so we stayed on the boat, made dinner, and enjoyed the sunset.

Longboat Key, a Favorite Anchorage

We are loving the nice January weather, it makes anchoring out a real treat.
We had company tonight when Captain Kathe and a group of women came by to say hi.

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On our way to Gulfport today. Great cruising weather, calm as could be, and not too many boat wakes to contend with and we were happy about that. We’ve heard lots of good reports from other boaters about this little community near St. Petersburg. We made arrangements to stay one night at the Gulfport Marina, just about a mile from the downtown area.

Here’s an artsy idea for your car when it needs a new paint job. Tribal art! This is just a little representation of this little community. Many restaurants along the beach area but lots of art galleries and gift stores dot this small town. Charming.

If you’ve been reading our blogs, you’ll know that sometimes we pass the time playing Liverpool. A fun game and keeps us entertained when there’s not much else to do.

Here is a cute little restaurant, we liked the chalkboard on the door. Instant, directional signage to display specials or to tell you to go around the back.

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Before leaving Tarpon Springs we needed to top off the fuel tank, we found the F & Y fuel dock close to the Sponge Docks and we were surprised at all the help we got. Captain Gregg and his little dog Monster greeted us along with the fuel guy and helped us secure the boat and fuel the boat.

Captain Greg is pretty proud of his companion, Monster. The captain is a real Tarpon Springs fisherman, he and his crew, including Monster, go out in the Gulf several days at a time until his boat’s fish, holding tank is full of catch, sometimes as long as 11 days. We sure do meet some colorful characters on the water.

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The last three times we were in Tarpon Springs by boat, we stayed at the Municipal Marina by the sponge docks. We always enjoyed the stay for it’s proximity to the great restaurants and it’s also a good spot to hear the Greek music and smell the great aromas wafting from all the little restaurants, but the facility is slowly deteriorating and we just felt it was time to try something different.

After hearing several recommendations for Turtle Cove Marina from other boaters we decided to give it a try and we were not disappointed. It’s also only a couple of blocks from the Sponge Docks. We were well looked after by the team at Turtle Cove. Can’t tell you how often we were asked if we needed anything. The facilities are first class and more like a resort with a clubhouse, within a short walk from the marina, and some unexpected amenities that surprised us.

Peter (below-right) took good care of us during our stay.

We enjoyed the Turtle Cove Club House which featured a pool, hot tub, bar, and some very nice showers and free laundry facilities.

Happy to be in Florida again and heading south.

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It was a fun trip but sometimes good things must come to a… temporary halt (I was about to say END but heaven forbid that our boating lifestyle would end when it just seems to have started). Before we headed out west we had made arrangements with the RV Park Palace, in Chattanooga, to store our boat there while we went home to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. We had a good feeling about this place just from talking with Tim Aslinger.

We drove into the RV Park Palace’s compound and prepared to store Kismet. Then we watched as they drove her inside a very clean and organized storage facility. Tim and staff all assured us that what we had learned during our research of the facility about the security and any maintenance issues would be up to our expectations.

During our inspection of the trailer and boat outside, this nail was discovered in one of the trailer tires. We arranged with Tim to have it fixed ASAP after we left.

We both felt Kismet would be in good hands during our absence and we know we can count on Tim (below) to have her ready for us when we return after the holidays.

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As “Loopers,” we were excited to be able to tow our boat from Lake Powell to Rogersville, Alabama for the AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association) 2011 Fall Rendezvous. Little did we know that, not only would we make new friends, we’d run into a few Loopers that we did the Loop with back in 2005/06.

Tom Conrad (above-center), here with his wife Patsy and Janice Kromer, was the MC for the rendezvous. He did a great job.

Jim did a presentation on the St. Johns River.

Fellow AGLCA Advisory Board members, Audrey Stehle and Patsy Conrad (above-left). Susann and Alan Syme (above-right).

Tom and Patsy Conrad (above – Tom’s not only the MC for this event, but he’s also the famous weather guy Loopers rely on when anticipating the Gulf crossing).

Fellow AGLCA Advisory Board members, Rick and Betsy Johnson (above-left).

Patsy and Ron Stob sang an original Looper song while Ted Stehle, Steve, and Janice Kromer manned the bar.

Jan and Rusty got a big going away party on the patio by old Looper friends of ours Ken and Darcy Searl (Darcy’s in our book, Women On Board Cruising).

Ken and Darcy Searl, Just Us, (above left), and Darcy again with Lisa (above right). Jan and Rusty, cbay, the honored recipients of the impromptu party (below-left), and long-time Loopers and friends, Elvie and Roy on Roy-El, (Elvie is also in our book, Women On Board Cruising) drove to the event to visit their many Looper friends.

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Jim is an old pro at burying the anchor now. It seems like it only takes a few minutes now to get settled versus the 45 min. we started out with.

Here (above) you can see how our back was protected from wind and wakes off our aft deck.

Our bow headed into this hill, it had the most sand we’ve seen in one spot on the trip at an anchorage.

Morning light on Kismet (above).

Time to leave. We stalled as long as we could pulling up and stowing the anchors. Time to return to Wahweap Marina and civilization once again.

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We found Dungeon Canyon to be quite impressive. It’s another wide open area with lots of sites to beach anchor, and plenty of space between boats for added privacy. As the day progressed, we enjoyed watching the way the light changed on the different rock faces surrounding us as the sun set and the warm, gold glow in the canyon turned more to a pinkish yellow before it cooled off and finally set just before the canyon turned dark.

The view at dusk off the stern of Kismet. (Above)

Jim is giving a demonstration (above and below) on how we embark and disembark the boat when we beach anchored in Lake Powell.

The view at dusk off the starboard side of Kismet. (Above)

You can barely see Kismet here (above and to the left), just a tiny speck in this vast canyon.

Lots of opportunities for beach anchoring in this canyon.

Jim is checking to see if he could get an internet signal (above), using our Liverpool cards as an iPad stand (ingenious). We found that we had to be within sight of Navajo Mountain to get any kind of signal, which made staying in touch a little challenging but we actually welcomed the time to be “unavailable.”

We walked all around our anchorage in search of these Moki (Moqui) Steps (above – left), carved out of the rock by ancient Pueblo (Anasazi) Peoples between 700 and 1,700 years ago. After almost two hours of searching, we had given up and turned to go back to the boat but then, in an area, we hadn’t even considered looking, they just kind of popped out at us when we made our way around this big rock.

This is how the light changes at dusk. First, just a less intense gold/orange (above) to finally a cooler pinkish green (below).

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Sorry, just had to post these photos. As an artist and photographer, I was completely mesmerized by the organic art ready to be found in the rock formations in Lake Powell. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

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