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

Fernandina Beach Marina

April 14, 2012
Lisa Favors
REN-MTOA, RENDEZVOUS

We were happy to meet up again at Fernandina Beach Marina with the crew on Mosey (above), we last saw them in Marathon in February. Also in attendance at the rendezvous was the crew of Active Captain (below). We had left the marina for a little cruise and to get a pump out. The paper mill (see the smoke behind the boats) was an interesting sight. Fernandina Beach Marina for the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous. On the way out of the marina for our pump out, we got some good photos of Roy, Ellen, and Lucy, on Our Turn (above)…

Fernandina Beach, Florida – Here We Come

April 13, 2012
Lisa Favors
•USA-EAST, CRUISING, FLORIDA, REN-MTOA, RENDEZVOUS

Our last stop in Florida this year is Fernandina Beach to attend the MTOA 2012 Southern Rendezvous. We've never had the pleasure of visiting Amelia Island when going up or down this coast, but we've only heard good things about this friendly little resort town. We were surprised that, since we got there late in the day, we were able to park and stay on the boat in the marina parking lot overnight without being hassled. We think Fernandina is making a few exceptions during the rendezvous because it is a big event for this town and they'd like MTOA…

Idling Up New River – Dinghy Ride – Fort Lauderdale, Florida

We ventured out on a long dinghy ride today – up the New River and into a few side channels. We were just a short distance away from the marina and it was hard to tell we were so close to such a big city as Fort Lauderdale. We must have been gone several hours as there are a lot of waterways to cover on the river with a few little offshoots to explore. As an extra bonus, we got to see all different kinds of boats – old, new, big, small, and some very unusual ones. Jim said that…

Keeping a Promise in Fort Lauderdale

Lisa made me promise we'd stop in Fort Lauderdale for a week, so after staying in Homestead for two nights to catch up on work and other chores, here we are putting the boat in the water right at Cooley's Landing Marina (below), on the New River at the beginning of the downtown Riverwalk area. Cooley's is one of our favorite marinas in Florida. Nice facilities and location. We can walk to shop in Las Olas, eat out at a choice of restaurants, grocery shop, or get plenty of exercise walking right along the river. Lisa always raves about Cooley's…

RV Park Stop in Homestead, Florida

Just a quick stop in an RV park in Homestead, Florida on our way to Fort Lauderdale.

Rendezvouing with Sea Gator in Marathon

When I was in the planning stages of putting together our book, Women On Board Cruising, an acquaintance introduced me via email to Pat Erhman, a long-distance cruiser, along with her husband Rick on their boat, Sea Gator. I was so happy about the introduction because Pat and I corresponded quite a bit over the course of creating the book and I hoped someday our paths would cross on the water. Today it finally came to be. A friend, another contributor to the book, Ellen, ran into Pat in Marathon earlier in the season and told her we were also…

The Route Less Taken – Key West to Marathon

When leaving Key West by water, and heading east to Marathon, there are two Intracoastal Waterways (ICW) route choices. There is the unobstructed, direct route of Hawk Channel which runs parallel to the Keys and cuts into Florida Bay at Marathon. Hawk Channel is somewhat protected from the coral reefs that separate it from the Atlantic Ocean; this is the most popular route because you don't need to worry about dodging shallow water. We've taken Hawk Channel several times but have never taken the route less traveled, the Florida Bay ICW. One of the reasons the route north of the…

Goodbye Stock Island – Florida Keys

Time to move on, but we were a little sad to leave Key West Harbour and Stock Island. It was a great month, we met a lot of neat people, met up with some friends we hadn't seen in awhile and had good weather. What more could anyone ask for?

Last Walk Around – Key West, Florida

One last walk around Key West before we start heading north up the Keys, through Florida, and finally home to Michigan. Key West is a visual delight... We met Anne and Hank, Queen Anne's Revenge, on our second Great Loop boat trip. We were happy to see them again and share lunch at Salute's, on the beach.

Stock Island Stay

We can't say enough good things about Key West Harbour, on Stock Island. Our second stay here, for the month of March, was ideal. Great slip right by the tiki hut on the outer rim, open-air showers under the hut, and a spot to enjoy happy hour under the other hut. Life is good. We were happy to meet up with Brenda and Vern, on Trouble II, they were our neighbors at Key West Harbour in the winter of 2010.

Mission Foiled – Uninhabited Marquesas Keys – Islands West of Key West

Just for you Rob! We left Key West Harbour early in the morning – with calmer waters and clear skies forecasted, we thought it was time for a little excursion to the Marquesas Keys. The Marquesas sit 18 nautical miles west of Key West and are uninhabited. Our thoughts were that it would be fun to anchor out and enjoy the serenity of these isolated Keys. Although It was a pleasant enough cruise out, shortly after we had cruised halfway around the island and dropped anchor the wind kicked up. There really wasn't an option to move to the lee side of…

Better Than Sex?

On this particular day, we had just consumed a huge lunch at our favorite Cuban restaurant, El Caney on Stock Island. Later that afternoon, we drove to downtown Key West to take a long walk and watch the sunset. We really weren't hungry for dinner, but we thought maybe we'd just get dessert somewhere. That was when we remembered several people telling us about a dessert restaurant named Better Than Sex, they only offer dessert on their menu. "Why not," we said, "how about we just have dessert for dinner?" Music to the ears of our server. As you can see…

Bringing Home the Shrimp – Stock Island, Florida

Not only did the fishermen "bring home the shrimp," but we also brought it home, to the boat that is. Freshly caught shrimp for dinner tonight, what could be nicer? Fresh seafood all within a mile of the marina. Fishbusterz usually has a full array of fish and shellfish available. The Lobster Company, closer to the marina, has more including stone crab claws, a new favorite of ours. This is just one of many reasons we love to stay on Stock Island. The shrimp boats raft off each other in the basin behind Fishbusterz. We originally thought there were docks…

The Charlevoix Gang Converges on Key West

We're all dock mates from our long-time homeport of Charlevoix, Michigan (the only people missing is our dear harbormaster, Hal, and his wife Mary Ann). Although we have not been back to Charlevoix by boat for many years the friendships have endured. Our first get-together this winter was hosted by Jean and Gary on the porch of their downtown Key West rental. Porch dining was a first for us and somewhat of a tradition in this eclectic little town where many houses feature a big front porch. Jean and Gary cooked us an amazing dinner with crab cakes and salad…

A Favorite Haunt – Stock Island Lobster Co.

One of our favorite haunts this winter was the Stock Island Lobster Co., just a short walk from our marina. Unfortunately, the whole month of March was very windy and the boats did not get out to get their catch like they, and we would have liked. Some days they had nothing to sell and others they could only sell a limited amount to us, but we did get some lobster a couple of times and some snow crab claws another.

Tropical, Eccentric Key West

Not only does it boast a colorful, tropical splendor but Key West is a little unconventional with its kooky signs and unusual, creatively painted or put-together, bikes, and vehicles. Here is something new we saw in Key West this year. Not sure what to call it but doesn't it look like fun? A solar bike with storage to boot. Who would have thought? Lots of sunshine in the Keys, so why not? One of our favorite signs in Key West is Love Lane. The crew on Illusions (Ranger Tug R27), Mike and Jess arrived in Key West with their friends,…

Dock Fever? – Let’s Visit the Florida “Flats”

Ever since we arrived for our month-long stay, it's been very windy and this has inhibited our plans to explore the surrounding area of Key West by boat; we were getting itchy to push away from the dock. We're usually not interested in taking random boat rides, so when we do sever the dock lines and head out, we like to have a purpose and a plan. Key West, being the southernmost spot in the U.S., is somewhat at the end of the road and although the cruising options for a day out on the water are limited, the choices…

Another Turtle is Born

We met up with our friend Rick at A & B Marina, in Key West and a few days later we inducted him into the Turtle club.

Unloading Shrimp

During our walk to the fish market, on Stock Island this morning, we watched a shrimp boat unloading its fresh catch. From the looks of it, they made a good haul.

Mother Nature’s Tropical Artwork

Our first walk in Key West led us to find these beautiful tropical flowers (they had fallen below the tree just as you see them here). Apparently, they are from a Pink Bombax, Shaving-Brush Tree, this deciduous tree is native to tropical Mexico. The tree is mostly leafless this time of year, better to see these pink beauties. They start as a brown/yellow banana-shaped bud (below-left) which peels down to reveal the pink "shaving brush" flower within. Just one small reason why we love tropical Key West.

United States’ Most Southern Destination, Key West, Florida

After three grueling days camping out on Kismet in the boatyard, putting bottom paint on, we arrived at our most southern destination for our winter 2012 boating season, Key West – Stock Island actually, one island up from Key West. We'll be docked for a month at Key West Harbour. Stock Island is close enough to Key West to have fun in the popular tourist town when desired and far enough away to enjoy a relaxed marina setting with beach and pool amenities. This year we procured a slip in the outer basin which is lined with mangroves. We are nestled into…

Boat Yard Blues – Part Two

February 29, 2012
Jim Favors
•KISMET UPGRADES, •TRAWLER RESEARCH, FLORIDA, Florida Keys

I am truly in the swing of things on day two in the boat yard. The good news is the On & Off product helped de-wax the hull, one of the steps needed to properly prepare the hull for bottom paint. Next, I applied acetone to the hull to assure that all wax, from when the hull came out of the mold, was completely gone. After a good washing, I taped the hull off an inch below the boot stripe then applied a very light 220 grit scuffing followed by a final washing in preparation for the painting, which I…

Boat Yard Blues

February 27, 2012
Jim Favors
•KISMET UPGRADES

We never addressed the issue of bottom painting our Ranger Tug until one day, while taking our boat out of the water in Ft Myers Beach; we were surprised by the excessive growth of barnacles on the hull of Kismet. We recognized the problem and we wanted to take care of it ASAP. After arranging to have our boat hauled by 3D, a self-service boat yard in Key West, I began researching how to clean the hull and what to apply to help the process along and what kind of paint we might need. Because we use our boat in…

Mah Jongg Crazy

After the AGLCA Sunset Celebration came to a close, Cheryll (above left) and Jess (above right) and I decided we still had plenty of evening left to play a few games of Mah Jongg in the boater's lounge while the guys watched TV. I always carry a miniature game on board in hopes of bumping into someone who'd like to play or learn to play. It's a crazy game with lots of weird procedures and rules but once you get the hang of it, it's a fun game to play. I had taught Jess to play during the Ranger Tug…

2012 Third Annual Looper “Sunset Celebration”

February 26, 2012
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, FLORIDA, Florida Keys, REN-AGLCA–Great Loop, RENDEZVOUS

The 2012 Third Annual Looper "Sunset Celebration" was a huge success with over 120 in attendance. It was a little windy (not a problem for Loopers) – lots of good food was shared along with a chance to reacquaint ourselves with old friends. Thanks, Patricia & George Hospodar for organizing the event and providing Loopers in the area with an opportunity for this fun reunion.

Women On Ranger Tugs —Women Ranger Tugs Owners Discover Boating As A Rewarding Lifestyle Choice.
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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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