FLORIDA BAY

Marathon, Florida

EVERGLADES

Shark River

RENDEZVOUS

Palm Island, Florida

LOVERS LEAP

San Juan Islands – Stewart Island, WA

SOUTH SOUND

Tacoma, Washington

BLAKE ISLAND

Puget Sound, Washington

FLORIDA BAY

Marathon, Florida

Apalachicola, Land of the Friendly People

November 6, 2014
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Panhandle

The Little Fishing Village of Apalachicola is the End of the Line for Our Fall Cruise Apalachicola is definitely "Old Florida." Famous for its fresh oysters, Appalachicola employs a variety of seafood workers. It's our favorite place to eat oysters. Apalachicola Bay is well protected by St. Vincent Island, Flag, Sand, St. George Island, and Cape St. George Island. We'll leave Kismet tucked away in TCC Storage's building, just across the bay in Eastpoint, while we drive the truck home to spend the holidays with family. We'll return to pick up Kismet on January 1st for a winter of cruising in southern Florida…

Last Leg to Appalachicola Looks More Like a Rorschach Inkblot

November 5, 2014
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Panhandle

Cruise to Apalachicola, a Photographer's Dream Cruise Smooth sailing today as we cruised the last leg of our fall cruise through Florida's Panhandle. A little stormy and overcast but we still got some nice photos of some of the beauty available to see while cruising this area. the cruise to Apalachicola did not disappoint, even though it was overcast, the water was mirror calm and the reflections on the still water gave pause to the crew on board Kismet. Nature provided us with some interesting illusions while on the water today. Note the symmetry of the above water images on the mirrored…

Cruising the “Grand Canyon” Cut to St. Andrews

November 4, 2014
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Panhandle

Grand Canyon Cut – A Favorite Cruising Channel in Florida's Panhandle Today we cruised Florida's "Grand Canyon Cut," after crossing Choctawhatchee Bay to a man-made, 18-mile channel (statute mile 255 to 260, east of Harvey Lock) that leads to St. Andrews, aptly named due to the steep, up to 100' high, sandy banks lining this cut. Tall pine trees grow along the ridge of the sand dunes and down to the water. One of our favorite areas to boat in the Panhandle. The clouds provided a stormy backdrop to the sun-it shoreline. Not many boats out on the cut today, a few fishing boats, that was about it…

Remembering the Last Time We Were in Destin, Florida

November 3, 2014
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Panhandle

Fond Memories of Our Last Trip to Destin Florida Destin Florida is a popular tourist destination located in the Panhandle of Florida. It rests on a peninsula separating the Gulf of Mexico from Choctawhatchee Bay. Well known for its pristine beaches and turquoise waters, Destin claims to have the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida. The last time we stopped in Destin was in 2008, while on our second Great Loop boat trip. It was Thanksgiving Day and we roasted a turkey (below) on the back deck of our Fathom 40 while anchored in the harbor. My favorite way to share…

Chilling – McRee Cove at Perdido Key – Pensacola, Florida

November 2, 2014
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Panhandle

A 15-mile cruise to a well-protected cove next to Perdido Key – McRee Cove The barrier island between Orange Beach, Alabama, and Pensacola Bay is called Perdido Key – Pensacola Bay inlet and Santa Rose Island are directly east of Perdido Key. Following the War of 1812 three major forts were built to strengthen the United States defenses in this Pensacola Bay area – one being Fort McRee built at the eastern tip of Perdido Key. Fort McRee is long gone, it was held by the Confederates during the Civil War until 1862 and was mostly destroyed. The property remained in…

Ingram Bayou – “I’m Going Back Someday, Come What May, To Blue Bayou”

November 2, 2014
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Panhandle

After a smooth cruise through Mobile Bay, from Eastern Shore Marina, we made a port-side turn into the protected Intra-Coastal Waterway where we soon passed our first tug and tow (above). The first landmark we see on the ICW is Lulu's Cafe (below). Not stopping there this time though as we were both in a hurry to get settled into our night's anchorage. Returning to Ingram Bayou... Ingram Bayou is one of our favorite anchorages, this will be our third time stopping here. The afternoon was spent by first hanging by some scarves to block the heat of the sun while we settled into lounge on the…

National Naval Aviation Museum – Orange Beach Marina – Pensacola, Florida

November 1, 2014
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Panhandle

Staying at Orange Beach Marina so that we can take a day to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum. We arrived late afternoon, got settled then borrowed the marina's loaner car to take a tour of the area and visit one of the beautiful beaches. Some folks stopped by (above) that knew us because they also own a Ranger Tug. It's a small world! The National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida – A Must-See Museum! On our third cruise through the Florida Panhandle, nine years after we heard about the museum during our first Great Loop adventure, we made plans to…

Fairhope Alabama – Starting Our Cruise Through the Panhandle from Mobile Bay

November 1, 2014
Lisa Favors
•BOATERHOMING, •TRAILERING, CRUISING, FLORIDA, Panhandle

Boaterhoming Our Way to Fairhope Alabama After leaving Joe Wheeler State Park after the AGLCA rendezvous we headed south with Fairhope Alabama as our intended launch site. However, after a late start and a long day's drive, we called it quits when we got to Greenville, Alabama, and found this rustic RV park about a mile off I-65. Stopping here for the night gave us the opportunity to arrive at Fairhope early in the day. The park was quiet except for an evening symphony of cricket chirping in a swamp nearby. We have been by this way twice before and each…

Great Loop Adventure – Loopers Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park

Great Loop Adventure! The Great Loop Adventure! We packed up our boat and truck and headed down the highway to Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, Alabama for AGLCA's 2014 Fall Rendezvous (AGLCA). Jim and I have been Loopers for almost ten years (we have done the Loop almost twice). The excitement and camaraderie we feel when out on the water cruising new territory, meeting other Loopers in far-off ports, and especially while connecting at one of the rendezvous, or Gold Looper Reunions, never gets old, in fact, it sustains us as cruisers. We laughed, we played, we shared boating…

Fox Island – North Channel, Canada

Fox Island Provided a Beautiful Rocky Hiking Trail Lined with Berries When we left South Benjamin Island we headed for Fox Island, located only about four miles from South Benjamin. We had anchored here once before with our Silverton and remembered how beautiful it was. The landscape is rocky all around the anchorage's perimeter, offering good hiking and photo opportunities. When we anchored here previously, we were the only boat on the hook in the channel, this time there were several boats already at anchor. Our boat has a very shallow draft, about 2.5 feet, so we can usually get…

2014 Ranger Tugs/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous – Many Thanks to All…

August 9, 2014
Jim and Lisa Favors
•RENDEZVOUS-RANGER TUGS, REN-Great Lakes Area

We Want to Thank Everyone Who Attended the First 2014 Ranger Tugs/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous We look forward to meeting up with many of the participants on the water in the future. Boats in attendance ranged from far away as Alberta, Fort Lauderdale, Rhode Island, and Texas. This was the first time cruising the North Channel for 9 of the 15 boats. Although we could not have had a successful rendezvous without those in attendance, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes well before the event starts and during the rendezvous. Thanks to Debby Turner at Little Currents Turner’s for…

North Channel Rendezvous – Two Presentations and a Pizza Party

August 9, 2014
Jim Favors
•RENDEZVOUS-RANGER TUGS, REN-Great Lakes Area

Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous Last Day! On the last day Roy Eaton, from the LCCN, gave a wonderful PowerPoint presentation at the Anchor Inn Bar, an overview of Georgian Bay and the North Channel highlighting some of the history and many popular anchorages. Later, back at the pavilion, we gathered for a presentation by Mark Coles (above), of Boating Georgian Bay, who gave a geological and historical overview of Georgian Bay. Mark also spent the afternoon photographing and video-taping Ranger Tug owners for a piece he was doing on the Boating Georgian Bay’s website. Later in the afternoon,…

Roy Eaton – Little Current Cruisers Net

August 8, 2014
Lisa Favors
•RENDEZVOUS-RANGER TUGS, REN-Great Lakes Area

Little Current Cruisers Network is On the Air in Little Current! At 9 a.m., most of the Ranger Tugs attendees hiked up to the Anchor Inn building where Roy Eaton gives his live VHF broadcast of “The Net,” Little Current Cruisers Net, on channel 71 for boaters cruising Canada's beautiful North Channel. This is definitely a must-do if you are visiting Little Current by boat. Roy Eaton founded the LCCN in 2004. Little Current Cruisers Net, in operation during the boating season between July 1st and August 31st, not only broadcasts weather, sports, and news, (world and local – Roy sometimes injects…

Day Two – Activities and Good Food

August 8, 2014
Jim Favors
•RENDEZVOUS-RANGER TUGS, REN-Great Lakes Area

Day Two of the Ranger Tugs Rendezvous Begins... Day two started off with a catered breakfast prepared by Kelly, owner of the Anchor Inn. We could have gotten by without eating the rest of the day, the meal was so plentiful and well prepared. Breakfast was followed by a visit to the Cruisers’ Net, provided by Roy Eaton, at the Anchor Inn (see next post for details). (Above Left) Mike and Jim were having some fun at the marina up the road. Later that morning Kenny Marrs conducted a “Ask the Factory” session in which a lot of questions…

North Channel Rendezvous In Full Swing

August 7, 2014
Jim Favors
•RENDEZVOUS-RANGER TUGS, REN-Great Lakes Area

A North Channel Ranger Tugs Rendezvous It is often stated that the North Channel is some of the best inland cruising you’ll find anywhere. We could not agree more! It is, after all, in our boating backyard. Lisa and I talked about the possibility of having a Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Rendezvous in the North Channel shortly after we bought our red tug several years ago. With that in mind, we approached Jeff Messmer at Ranger Tugs while we were cruising in the Pacific Northwest last summer. By fall the Ranger Tugs/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous was put into full planning mode. Jeff…

Day One of the Rendezvous Began with Introductions, a Potluck, and Lots of Smiling Faces

August 7, 2014
Lisa Favors
•RENDEZVOUS-RANGER TUGS, REN-Great Lakes Area

Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous Welcomed 14 Tugs and One Cutwater! Ranger Tugs arrived all morning at the town docks in Little Current until all fifteen boats (35 people) were secure in their slips. Introductions continued all day as we met people from all over the United States (8 boats) and Canada (7 boats) – 14 Ranger Tugs and one Cutwater. The boat coming from the farthest distance in the U.S. was from Texas and the farthest Canadian boat hailed from Alberta. Many different people, tastes, and personalities all share one common passion, their Ranger Tugs/Cutwater boats. Carolyn, on Pour House (above), brought a…

Rendezvous Early Birds

August 6, 2014
Lisa Favors
•RENDEZVOUS-RANGER TUGS, REN-Great Lakes Area

First Ever – 2014 Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous We arrived in Little Current one day early for the 2014 Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous. Jim is the organizer of the event, the first ever for Ranger Tugs in the North Channel. First things first. We headed to the town dock for a pump out before going to our slip assignment. We thought it was important to arrive early since we had a few loose ends to tie up. We needed to visit the local grocery store, located just up the hill from the marina so that we had ingredients…

And Then There Were Two… Kismet and Illusions

Two Ranger Tugs on the Rocks – North Channel, Canada Coffee tasted extra good high up on the granite rocks this morning. Jim and I discussed how long we should stay in this spot at South Benjamin Island before we headed to the Ranger Tugs Rendezvous in Little Current – we both agreed, it might be one of those long three-day stays. We only have five days before we need to be in Little Current for the rendezvous and sometimes it's just not as relaxing to move every day or two to cram several spots in. We figured it doesn't get much better than this…

On the Rocks – South Benjamin Island

Rocking On the Rocks We left Eagle Island early so we would have the best chance to secure a place on the rocks at South Benjamin Island. We anticipated a lot of boating activity in the North Channel this weekend due to the Canadian Civic Holiday falling on Monday. We wanted to get in early in the day to snag a good spot. Kismet On the Rocks! We had previously anchored in a small cove near the southwest entrance to the channel. Although that spot was free when we arrived, we soon spotted another location further in where we had seen boats tied…

First Anchorage – Eagle Island

After launching the boat in Spanish, we decided to anchor at Eagle Island. There we spent most of the late afternoon and early evening organizing and storing stuff on the boat. Since Jim organized the rendezvous, we have boxes and boxes of ditty bag items, printed agendas and books to stow on board. We finally found a home for everything and were able to relax on the back deck to enjoy the last remnants of the sun setting behind the island. Eagle Island, which is 2.25 miles in length, has a large open bay, but we found it to have good protection…

Oh Canada!

Oh Canada O Canada! Where pines and maples grow, Great prairies spread and Lordly rivers flow! How dear to us thy broad domain, From East to Western sea! The land of hope for all who toil, The true North is strong and free! God keep our land, glorious and free. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee! more lyrics We arrived in Spanish, Ontario this afternoon to launch Kismet and begin our trek to Little Current for the 2014 Ranger Tugs/Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous. After a slow start to our summer cruising…

Have a Ranger Tug or Cutwater?

June 18, 2014
Jim and Lisa Favors
•RENDEZVOUS-RANGER TUGS, REN-Great Lakes Area

Join Us in the North Channel for the 2014 Ranger Tug North Channel Rendezvous! The More the Merrier! We’ve been given a one-week extension, until June 27th, to guarantee dock space for the rendezvous, so if you’re thinking of attending make sure you get your registration form and payment to me by then. We look forward to seeing everyone soon. Click on the link below to access the registration form and please email me with any questions that you may have. With spring in the air, the much-anticipated boating season in Canada’s North Channel is just around the corner…

Seattle – Miss You Already!

September 18, 2013
Jim and Lisa Favors
•USA-WEST, CRUISING, Puget Sound, Seattle

Downtown Seattle is within close proximity to everything we could possibly need during our stay. As we approached the final weeks of our PNW cruising adventure, I asked Lisa if there was one place she wanted to visit before our trip came to a close. Unsurprisingly she said, “Downtown Seattle of course.” That's why we positioned ourselves at the Bainbridge Island anchorage. We stayed for two nights there waiting for an available slip at Bell Harbor Marina, before we made the short 8-mile trip across Puget Sound into Elliott Bay and finally to the Port of Seattle's Bell Harbor Marina. The reason we…

Eagle Harbor Anchorage – Bainbridge Island, WA

Bainbridge Island sits north and west of downtown Seattle – the Eagle Harbor anchorage was our choice for one night on the hook. On a clear day, you can plainly see Seattle’s skyline from the Eagle Harbor Anchorage, eight miles to the east across Puget Sound. The city of Bainbridge Island is home to Eagle Harbor, which can be a little confusing. Kind of like New York, New York but in this case it’s Bainbridge Island, Bainbridge Island! Eagle Harbor juts in from the east shore of Bainbridge Island opposite Elliott Bay. It is two miles long and affords excellent anchorage in 30 to…

Torpedo Town USA – Keyport, WA

Torpedo Town USA – Naval Undersea Museum is located at the small U.S. Navy depot, Torpedo Research, and Testing Facility After doing some research on the Liberty Bay area, for our planned stop in Poulsbo, I stumbled across information on the little town of Keyport, WA., nicknamed "Torpedo Town USA. Its major tourist facility, the Naval Undersea Museum is located at the small U.S. Navy depot, Torpedo Research and Testing Facility, tasked with ranging and repairing torpedoes for the U.S. Navy and its allies. The museum features exhibits and displays on undersea technology, including the Trieste II, which descended to…

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Upside Of Downsizing To A Trailerable Trawler —Learn about the inherent benefits of owning a trailerable trawler.
Flexibility, Mobility & Affordability!
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Women On Board Cruising – Want to inspire your wife, girlfriend or partner to do the Loop with you? Have them read this book. Twenty-five veteran women boaters share the trials, tribulations, helpful tips and humor about their long-distance cruising adventures. SEE MORE!

When the Water Calls… We Follow – Reflections On the Great Loop Adventure. Read how these “Loopers” prepared for the trip, overcame obstacles, also see what they enjoyed and learned while undertaking their Great Loop adventures.
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