We spent the first half of January visiting with Lib's mom and sister in Englewood. Because the resort rules don't allow sleeping aboard at the dock we would shove off each evening and anchor by the mangroves on the far side of the channel. That was pretty much the extent of our boating during that period, just as well, lots of wind made even the Intracoastal sloppy. I did do a run to Stump Pass Marina for windlass repair, oil changes, and badly needed bottom cleaning. Interesting to see that the growth had changed from soft and fibrous to hard shell in just a few weeks. Norm and his excellent marina service team did a great job and worked hard to accommodate our schedule-full marks! We departed Englewood mid month and headed for Cayo Costa State Park on the seaward edge of Big Pine Sound. CCSP is a lovely island park with campsites, cabins, trails and miles of shell covered beaches. We spent three days there waiting out the first gale of our loop so we were able to explore it thoroughly. Once the wind died we ran down Pine Island Sound and entered Estero Bay. We wanted to explore Mound Island State Park there but another gale was in the forecast. We would have liked a few fresh provisions but realized that a shopping stop in Naples would probably mean waiting out the blow there. We quickly agreed that eating canned and dried chow in the wilderness of Everglades National Park was a lot more appealing than a city stay. With that decision made we ran on flat calm seas past Naples and stopped briefly for gas and ice on Marco Island. A poor route planning decision on my part ended up with a long boring open water run. I should have gone inside Marco Island and skirted the Ten Thousand Islands, a lovely area where we kayak camped years ago. Instead I set a course outside of Marco Island not realizing how far south the shoals of Cape Romano extend. By the time we cleared the shoals, the most expedient course was a straight line across open water to the mouth of Shark River. Located in the center of the Everglades coast, Shark River is a myriad of mangrove islands and winding channels. Full of birds, dolphins and sea turtles it was the perfect spot to wait out three days of wind. We even managed to catch a nice speckled trout for dinner to alleviate the boredom of canned meat. After the blow we re entered the Gulf and cruised along the beaches of Cape Sable and entered the boat basin at Flamingo. At a rather shoddy marina concession we paid the highest gas price of the loop-$5.29/gallon! The shabbiness of the concession was a stark contrast to the immaculately maintained park campgrounds and trails cared for by the park staff and volunteers. We crossed Florida Bay to the Keys and took advantage of the free mooring at Lignum Vitae State Park. We've enjoyed landing at the park and wandering amongst the historic buildings in the past but opted for an early departureWe spent the next three nights at Bahia Honda State Park waiting for calm seas, one anchored out and two in the marina. We met a retired foot ball coach there who cruises a 23' wood/fiberglass downeaster. He invited us to visit him on Sanibel Island when we head north and we look forward to that. We also chatted with a crew on a Maine built catamaran(Maine Cat) that have been sailing the Pacific and Atlantic for 3 years. I was washing dishes one morning and chatting on the phone and looked up to see these guys patting a manatee that had been attracted to the freshwater they were spraying to rinse the boat. The inelegantly named Mud Keys are among our favorite anchorages. Located about fifteen miles northeast of Key West they're a part of the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge. Wild mangrove islands tightly spaced with deep winding channels teeming with fish, its a great area to spend a few days. We were there for 4 days and enjoyed a fish dinner each night. We caught and ate whited grunts, Lane Snapper, Barracuda (great tasting and safe to eat fish less than three and a half feet long) and Spanish Mackerel. We had a great paddle in the kayak along where the flats meet the mangroves on the north side of the keys. Lots of egrets, pelicans and comorants and secluded little deep holes that were full of fish. Now spending a night or two at the city marina in Key West. Weather does not look promising for a run to the Marquessas so this may be the southern terminus of the loop. Sorry to miss the Marquessas, theyr'e spectacular but we've visited them before and will again. |
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Lying awake aboard the Laughing Gull about an hour before dawn in early January, I heard something heavy bump into our bow. Expecting to see a log I looked out and was able to see this 24-26' pontoon boat tangled up in our anchor line. Luckily wind and current were light enough that Laughing Gull was not damaged and I could untangle the boat and secure it to our stern cleat. I called the sheriff's office and they arrived on the shore at dawn. I towed the boat to a nearby dock for them. It seems that an extreme high tide had raised the boat off a dock side lift a half mile from where we were anchored. Five and a half months of eating my own cooking everyday has me trying some new recipes and looking for some new ideas.
For Thanksgiving we caught 4 white bass, Steve filleted and sauteed them; they were so much tastier than the canned corned beef which was our other option. Served the fish with brother-in-law Stan's curry pumpkin soup allowing the meal to feel a bit Thanksgivingish. We had 70 degree weather that day so it was a lovely Thanksgiving. Curry Pumpkin Soup 1 large onion, diced/minced 1 can pumpkin 1 can low fat milk 2 TBS honey 1 TBS curry (or more to taste) 1 clove grated garlic or some garlic powder or garlic salt 1 TBS olive oil Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil on low heat until the onion is fully cooked and soft. Stir in curry powder cook for a few more minutes. Add canned pumpkin, canned milk and honey. Heat gently, adjust seasoning to taste. What to do with a cabbage? I've seldom cooked with cabbage at home and really don't like coleslaw all that well but with only a small cooler and limited food storage keeping salad ingredients on board is a challenge. Cabbage is pretty darned durable and will keep for a couple weeks stored on a shelf with the canned food so I have been doing my best to explore the world of fresh cabbage. So far the grated cabbage, carrot, and raisins, dressed with olive oil and vinegar has been the best. I realized what I didn't like about coleslaw is the mayo dressing and mayo needs constant refrigeration once opened so we don't carry it on the boat. But with the oil and vinegar dressing and lots of raisins coleslaw is pretty good. I tried a canned corned beef and cabbage stir-fry which was OK and used up the rest of a large cabbage but can't say it was all that interesting. Not bad, but no bragging rights. If anyone has recipes for fresh cabbage salads or stir-frys do send them along. Fresh Coleslaw 1 cup grated cabbage 1 cup grated carrots ½ cup raisins Olive oil and vinegar dressing or honey mustard dressing (see below) Or use the peanut sauce as a dressing and substitute peanuts for the raisins. Jicama When I visit my sister in Colorado she often adds jicama to the relish tray or salad. I remembered liking it but had never bought or prepared one but there it was in the grocery store so back to the boat it came. To me they taste a bit like a cross between a radish and an apple. Durable, fresh and tasty; I wish more of the grocery stores had them. They keep for a week or more with no refrigeration and don't bruise in storage. They are easy to peel, I just cut in to bite size pieces and eat plain or with a little oil and/or lemon and salt and pepper. I also put them in sandwiches or salad greens when we have them. Peanut Sauce ¼ cup peanut butter 2 TBS soy 1 tsp sugar 1 TBS hot sauce 2 TBS lemon juice (or vinegar) small handful unsalted peanuts chopped 1 tsp mince garlic (or some garlic powder) 1/3 cup hot water Stir/whip til blended. Great on chicken, fish, rice and even cabbage salad. Honey Mustard This is kind of a silly recipe and probably obvious to everyone but me.... Looking into the food box at much the same ingredients that we have had on board for months I was missing the honey mustard that comes in the glass jars (which we never bring on board) and is so good as a veggie dip or on a chicken sandwich or salad. I thought, hey we have mustard and we have honey..... mix them together and voila, that easy. Equal amounts honey and mustard (adjust ratio to taste) Add olive oil to make it a salad dressing. Pozole (kind of....) During the southern portion of our trip we have ended up shopping for groceries at Dollar Generals a number of times. They have a moderate selection of canned food and frozen prepared items but no fresh fruit or veggies. They had canned pulled pork which I had never seen before, hominy and green enchilada sauce so...... with apologies to folks who take hours to cook wonderful pozole with fresh ingredients here is the on board quickie version. 1 medium onion, diced 2 TBS cumin powder 1 TBS chili powder Garlic (fresh or powdered) 1 can pulled pork, drained (I think the can was about 12 oz) 2 cans white hominy, drained and rinsed 1 can enchilada sauce (I like green but suspect red enchilada sauce would work just fine) ½ cup water? Red pepper flakes or hot sauce to taste Saute onion until soft, add garlic, cumin and chili powder, cook for a minute then add the canned pork, stir and cook for a few minutes. Add the enchilada sauce simmer for a few more minutes and add the hominy (and maybe ½ cup water if you want if you want it more soup like), heat for a few more minutes til everything is hot. I don't add any salt as the canned items already have a lot of salt added. For us, the first few days back from a big grocery store are easy cooking, lots of fresh ingredients and even better if we catch a fish to add to the menu. After that we look to the “durable fresh veggies and fruits” that can be store without refrigeration for 5 – 10 days and can be combined or added to dried or canned items. Modest cooking time is also pretty essential as we carry a 10 lb propane tank and getting the tank refilled is sometimes a challenge. We have some back up cooking options but try to make the propane last 3+ weeks. So with those parameters, recipe suggestions? Thanks!
The Suwannee River is just grand! We were here about 10 years ago and I loved this wide, slow moving, wild river. I was a bit worried when we returned, would it be as wonderful as I remembered? Yes it is! The river has a large salt marsh delta as you enter from the Gulf of Mexico, two marinas as you began to head up the river and then mile after mile of undeveloped National Wildlife Refuge shoreline with channels headed of into the back country, fish jumping, ducks and birds everywhere, wow! About 20 miles up river is my favorite river community so far, Fowler's Bluff. Maybe 75 houses/cottages/trailers/camps on the river and a terrific “fish camp” restaurant Treasure Camp. We pulled up the dock on a cool day, went in, there was a fire burning in the potbelly stove and lunch was delicious! For carefree cruising on the Suwannee one thing is essential, a shallow draft boat. The marked channel coming in from the Gulf is shallow, reported to be at times only 2 ½ ft; larger boats can come in but need to do so at half tide or better, Most loop boat skip the Suwannee for this reason. Also, the river is usually fairly deep, except for when it isn't. Going up river we regularly saw 4 ft depths. For us this is not a problem as we have a 2 ft draft with the engine down, so exploring the Suwanee was carefree. Thank you Seaway we love our seaworthy shallow draft boat! Libbey and I are celebrating the new year in Englewood with her mom Gloria and sister Mary. Gloria will be spending the next two months at the resort and Mary will fly back to Denver next week. Libbey and I will visit for a week or so before striking south. Over nighting at the resort docks is not allowed so I'll push off from the dock and anchor out at night. Logs and observations follow with photos at the end. #Day 137 12/18 Suwannee River. Lunch and Wifi at Treasue Camp in Fowlers Bluff. Cool and breezy-wood stove in restaurant was welcome. Anchored down river DE3533 Day 138 Suwannee River Overnight temp in 30's, 50's during day. Breezy, we'll be windbound for another day or two. Cat fish for dinner (Hard heads) DE 3538 Day 139 Suwannee River Cool and breezy, tried for trout and reds in delta, no luck water still warm out on the flats. Dinner and dock at Salt Creek Restaurant. DE 3543 Day 140 to Crystal River. Sunny SE 5-10. Marina prices jumped to $2/ft plus $5 for electicity. Anchored out. Received wrong part for windlass. DE 3614 Day 141 Crystal River. Cruised Kings Bay. Tied up at Pete's Pier and walked into town for groceries and Thai lunch. DE 3617 Day 142 Crystal River. At anchor. Warm gray day. Manatee watching by kayakk in Three Sisters Spring outlet. Crowded! Day 143 To Tarpon Springs. Partly cloudy and calm. Crowded harbor. Lunch at Greek restaurant-great gyros and soulvaki. Walked from restaurant dock around town, bought sponges-locally harvested. Anchored by Anclote River Park below town. DE3693 Day 144 Christmas. Hot and sunny. Walked in park after breakfast, then motored downriver to Dunedin Harbor where we anchored and swam. Phone calls with family, leftover Greek, Cointreau night cap. DE3708. Day 145 To Tampa Bay. 75 deg with light wind. Extremely heavy boat traffic, lots of poor seamanship observed, mostly passing too close (often less than 15 feet away and boats larger than 30' LOA) at high speed. Found wild secluded anchorage on SE shore of Tampa Bay by Rattlesnake Key. DE 3749 Day 149 At anchor. Kayaked into Miguel Bay SE 15-20 85 deg. Caught 18” Spanish Mackerel-excellent on the grill Day 150 to Whites Beach 10-15 SE. 75 degrees. Anchored by Sisters Key. Kayaked up Bishop Bayou for groceries. Current guide book inaccurate-store closed 3 years ago. Ice at nearby restaurant. DE3762 Day 151 to Bird Keys, L. Sarasota Bay. Sunny with light breeze. Heavy and reckless boat traffic again. DE 3784 Day 152 to Englewood. 80 degrees and little wind. Anchored off Indian Mound State Park and kayaked ashore for groceries. Anchored inside Stump Pass. DE 3805 Day 153 Cruised Lemon Bay returned to Stump Pass anchorage. Mostly sunny and hot with light breeze. Chatted with Minnesota loopers in Rosbourough 246. Caught 4 catfish DE 3816 Day 154 New Years Day. Hot and sunny. Offshore to fish artificial reef and fish haven. Small sand perch and jacks, lost nice spanish mackerel at boat side. Anchoring out “Did you spend the night at the marina or did you anchor out?” That's a very common question loopers ask each other when they chat. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it seems lots of folks mostly spend their nights tied up in a slip at marinas and a few like us mostly anchor out. I know of two ways to find an anchorage. First is to use an anchorage that somebody else used and you learned about from a guide book, website or word of mouth. This has the advantage of some prior experience and with a good description can greatly aid your cruising plans. However the information may well be inaccurate or may or may not be relevant to your boat or the conditions you face on the night of your trip - boater beware!. On our passage down the Tombigbee River we picked up a list of suggested anchorages at the marina in Demopolis that some boater had shared. Suffice to say, my taste and safety considerations for anchorages differ greatly from the author. The second way to find an anchorage is to discover it for yourself and this is what I almost always do. This doesn't necessarily mean you'll be first to anchor there, lots of good anchorages are pretty obvious and you'll sometimes end up sharing with another boat. That's no problem, simply give each other as much space as possible and help maintain the peace and quiet particularly at either end of the day e.g. turn off your generator Moondancer. To find an anchorage a number of tools are handy. I use a chart or map, a tide table if on the salt, a depth sounder/chart plotter combo unit, and a weather forecast. Google Earth would be handy in finding anchorages that have the wild shorelines that I prefer but I've only used it that way a time or two. Leaving the scenic considerations aside for now, I'll share my thoughts on safety and comfort, focusing on inland waters for this discussion. There are times when a sheltered anchorage is essential and there are times when maximum exposure to the breeze are welcome particularly since Laughing Gull lacks air conditioning. Boating across the Erie and Trent Severn Canals in the heat and bugs of August we often sought wide open anchorages. Spending a night in a sheltered anchorage or marina would have been really unpleasant. I never anchor without considering a current weather forecast. Safety concerns focus on protection from wind, current (and the debris it may carry), and other vessels. This last consideration was largely new to me on our loop. While of course I never anchored in a busy channel I'd never had to consider heavy barge traffic. Starting at the Chicago Sanitary Canal and extending to the Gulf of Mexico, barges and their attendant tugs (more accurately push boats but most folks call them tugs) travel the waterways 24/7. These “tows” are often 100 feet wide and in excess of 600' long depending on the number of barges coupled together. Obviously these tows are “restricted in their ability to maneuver” and always have the right of way while underway. Anchoring where the tows don't go is essential to a good nights sleep at a minimum. Except when mooring, tows always operate in the main, often marked channel. Needless to say, anchoring out of the channel is the best solution. One of my favorite strategies is to anchor on the shoreward side of a buoy hopefully far enough inside that the boat can't swing into the channel with a breeze. Early in the trip while anchored shoreward of a buoy on the Illinois River I asked over the radio a passing barge skipper if I was in his way. In a strong cajun accent “long as you anchor outside the buoy line you'll be fine” was his reply. Sometimes a bit of current can help but I try to avoid exposure to the main thrust of the current because the inland rivers often carry downed trees which can be a hazard. Fortunately the current was mild when the Tensas River lodged a 30' tree on my anchor line one fine November morning. Thanks again to the crew of Leeloo for standing by while I cleared the line. To find an anchorage on the rivers I would look for islands on the map which might offer a back channel. Generally only the main channel is marked for navigation so even deep straight back channels are good choices. Another good choice are bends in the river. Tows, the strongest current and debris tend to travel to the outside of the bend so anchoring on the inside is best, hopefully behind a buoy. Often a shallow sand bar will form on the upstream side of the inside of the bend. The downstream end of these bars often make superb anchorages. A final type of anchorage are less traveled tributaries-streams, bayous etc. Because their depths are usually uncharted, explore slowly and against the current or wind. Because only the main channel is mapped for depth on most of the rivers, leaving the channel has to be done slowly and cautiously with a sharp eye on the depth sounder. When boating down river and I spot a likely back channel or bend to spend the night at I go past and then proceed into the current. Its a lot easier to un-ground a boat when the current or wind helps push you off rather than onto whatever you're stuck on. I like to find a depth where a change in depth can be accommodated. We anchored one night on the Tennessee River when the water dropped perhaps 2 feet. A month later we anchored on the Tombigbee river when heavy rains were predicted to raise the water level by 8 feet (didn't happen). In tidal water the range of the tide must also be accommodated. Another factor in anchoring is whether the anchored boat will “answer to” i.e. point her bow into, the wind or the current. Its more convenient if both are going in the same direction but that is often not the case so it is a good idea to find protection from one or the other. If the wind and current are opposed and of equal effect the boat will lie cross wise and rock in the chop. These forces also come into play to affect your view and comfort. The course of the Tombigbee River crawls across the Alabama landscape like a snake. We cruised the river during an extremely warm spell and often saw temperatures well over 80 degrees, hot by our Maine standards. We quickly developed the habit of anchoring where the current flowed north. This put the bow into the sun and allowed us to enjoy the shade of the wheelhouse and a glare free view of the river over the transom. I favor over sized anchors. Laughing Gull's Manson Supreme weighs 25 pounds and is rated for a 45' boat (LG is 24' LOA). While I generally deploy the standard 5:1 rode to depth line, I find great comfort in knowing that I can safely shorten the scope in a tight anchorage or still be okay if the river rises in the night. I use 15 feet of chain and carry 600' feet of 8 plait Brait rope. A Maxwell HRC-8 windlass, again oversized, retrieves the rode and anchor. As I write this, wind bound on the Suwanee River, I have learned that a pressure plate for the windlass is an essential spare. I have two pressure plates (one replacement, one spare) and a mechanic waiting for me in Crystal River tomorrow. Hauling a 25 lb anchor and chain by hand is doable but not my idea of a good time. Skinny Water Growing up in Maine, many of my early experiences on saltwater were on Passamaquoddy Bay on Maine's eastern border with New Brunswick. The waters run deep and tides run strong there. Depths of 100-300 feet within a few hundred yards of shore are common and every month on the full moon the tides exceed 25 feet in range. Hand lining for cod and haddock from the family dory was one of the great times of those Maine summers. After I took early retirement from Maine's Bureau of Parks and Lands in 2007, I spent the following three summers working as a wildeness saltwater fishing guide in Alaska's Tongass National Forest out of Ketchikan. The waters of this inside passage are even more dramatic than Passmaquoddy Bay. I knew a spot where I could put the bow of my guide skiff ashore and the depth finder would read 300 feet of depth from the transom mounted transducer. Again the tidal range approached 30 feet. While I've done a number of Florida boating trips, my experience is mostly in the south, ranging from the Ten Thousand Islands through the Everglades to the Keys. There is certainly skinny i.e. shallow water there. This is where I was first advised that it was so shallow I'd need to stay up on plane to get where I wanted to go-a thoroughly frightening concept for someone with my background. Suffice to say, I'm more comfortable with a nice bit of water under my keel. However Florida's Big Bend is super skinny water. From Carrabelle around to Tarpon Springs its necessary to run miles off shore when paralleling the coast. The shore can only be safely approached from within the confines of a marked and usually dredged channel. While this makes for inconvenient boating and requires good weather, I'm sure that these shallows have done much to protect the character of the area. There are miles of lovely wild shorelines and the towns tend to be smaller and have the old Florida feel to them. St. Marks, Suwannee and Tarpon Springs are easily some of our favorite towns so far on the trip. They say that in this part of Florida the water gets a foot deeper for every mile you go offshore. In a funny sense this is often true. A number of times I noted that to boat in three feet of water I needed to be 3 miles from shore. Beyond that the water often dropped to 8-10 foot depths but of course once you're beyond the three mile limit you're not in Florida anymore. Now wind bound on the Suwannee River, we crossed the Gulf from St. Marks to Steinhathcee a 50 mile open water run a couple days ago. This was the last big crossing of the loop for us. When the wind lies down in a few days we'll head on to Crystal River for some manatee watching. Photos follow observations and log Day 104h to Kanot Bayou off Tensas River. Short hop to new anchorage. Warm day, nice paddle along the bayou and back channels. Barred owls calling (who cooks for you?) in mid afternoon. DE2854 Day 105 To Eastern Shore Marina in Fairhope, Light SE, sunny. First night free for loopers, then .90/ft decided to stay 3 days. Wine with fellow Mainers Bob and PM Amidon aboard their lovely trawler. DE 2876 Day 106 Marina Day. Shopping and laundry. Sunset beer on the beach. Docktails with loopers . Day 107 Marina Day. More shopping, computer repair. Jam session at 17 Turtles kayak outfitter, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Stan Rogers. Beer and chilli provided Day 108 to Wolf Bay. Sunny light SE, moderate chop. Planned anchorge built up so planed 10 miles to wilder area. DE2912 Day 109 to Perdido Bay north end at river mouth. Fair with light breezes but 20 knots forecast for next 3 days. DE2933 Day 110 At anchor. Cool and breezy.Paddled lower river. Wooded swamp with islands and bayous. Caught 2 hardhead catfish. Day 111 At anchor. Cold and windy 30-50 degrees. Day 112 To Grand Bayou in Pensacola NAS. Cool and sunny, calm. Nice walk at Big Lagoon State Park DE 2972 Day 113 To Escambia River. 10-15 NE cool gray. Quick stop in Pensacola Shipyard Marina fro ice cream. Anchored upriver above coal fired power plant DE 3005 Day 114 (11/24) to delta. Sunny and sheltered. Kayaked bayous. Poor fsihing. DE 3012 Day 115 Thanksgiving at anchor. Sunny and windy Paddled the channesl in the marsh. Caught 4 white bass for T-day dinner. Full moon rose while sipping whiskey and chatting with family by phone. Day 116 To Bahia Ba Mariana in Pensacola. Boat neighbors Eric and Jeanne on 45' sportfisherman, shared lots of good local knowledge. DE3027 Day 117 To Grand Bayou. Sunny, warm light SE. Eric gave us ride to tour town and buy groceries, introduced us to royal red shrimp. 25 lb redfish from surface blitz 2 miles from harbor and lost another-broken hook. Cat fell overboard. DE 3039 Day 118 Mary Esther on GIW. Morning revilie and fighter jets at 8a.m..DE 3077 Day 119 To 4 Mile Point on Chatawachie Bay. Sunny light easterlies. Walked in town park at Fort Walton Beach. Hooked and lost redfish in surface Blitz. DE3105 Day 120 To Botheration Bayou. Some clouds. Light breeze. 2 catfhis.DE 3140 Day 121 (12/2) To Mexico Beach. Gray, 15 knots NW (10 knots SE was forecast). Inaccurae weather forecast woke us to bouncy conditions. Moved before breakfast to shelter. Passed Panama City fished with no luck. DE 3178 Day 122 To Wimico Lake. On GIW. Cool breezy. Side trip to Port St. Joe for gas and lunch and Gulp. Friendly town. DE 3215. Day 123 To Appalachacola and back up river to anchor. Tied up at town dock and shopped for xmas presents DE3215 Day 124 To Riverside Hotel and Marina in Appalachacola. Shopping and biking, pretty town Beer and tacos at the Tap Room DE 3239 Day 125 Back upriver to anchor. Sunny mild, calm. Biked 5 miles for propane. Laundry and Groceries. DE 3247 Day 126 To St. Vincents Island NWR. Anchored on gulf side due to NW wind. Sunny and 10 NW DE 3287 Day 127 To Tahiti Beach. Sunny and mild. Biked on Refuge roads. Nice scenery but lots of biting flies. Chatted with NWR staffer about Sambar deer and red wolves. 2 whiting DE3294. Day 128 At anchor (moved about 1 mile). Sunny, light wind. Kayaked Tahiti Beach Vultures on gator carcass. Great beach and marsh. No fish. DE 3295 Day 129 to Dog Island off Carrabelle. Sunny light breeze. Small shark and ray, one bite off. Curry for dinner. DE 3324. Day 130 to Carrabelle and back to E end Dog Island. Groceries and gas at marina, 1 hard head catfish.DE 3338. Day 131 To St. Marks. Sunny, SE 10 knots. Ran on plane across open water. Toured town by boat anchored downstream. DE 3380 Day 132 To Shields Marina in St. Marks. .60/ft convinced us to stay 2 nights. My 62nd birthday, nice call from daughter Meg made it special. DE3388. Day 133 Marina Day. Gray and mild. Biked around town to old fort and first few mileso the Tahhahassee rail trail. Day 134 To Steinhatchee. E 5-10 knots, sunny. Heavy fog in morning. 50 mile open water crossing of the Big Bend. Arrived S'hee mid day. Bought groceries and anchored in town, no fish. DE3452 Day 135 To Suwannee River. Foggy, then gray, then sunny, light wind. Fog delayed departure 'til late morning DE 3507. Day 136 On Suwannee River to Jack's Sandbar. Mild and breezy. Ice and snacks at Fowlers Landing. Thanksgiving afloat As we transited Perdido Bay headed east on the Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway, strong southeasterly winds were forecast for a day or two either side of the holiday so we headed north up Pensacola Bay into Escambia Bay and up the river of the same name on Wednesday morning. We ran up the river far enough that the rather ugly coal fired electrical generation plant was out of sight and anchored fore and aft in a tiny bayou. We launched the kayak the next day and explored the narrow winding bayous that wander for miles into the low wooded swampland. Fishing was terrible, we were skunked despite a good effort. We had hoped that the restaurant at the Swamphouse Marina and Landing could provide us with a turkey dinner to celebrate the holiday but they were closed so we dropped downriver to the marshy delta where the river meets the bay and anchored a midst the back channels. We were pretty much resigned to a Thanksgiving dinner of canned meat but the marshes were too pretty to not go for a paddle. We caught one smallish white bass(a small serving for one) almost immediately then nothing for two hours. Deciding to buck the wind for a bit we stuck our bow out in the main channel. While the paddling was a bit of a workout we were rewarded with three larger bass in short order, plenty for a fine meal with a bit left over for a fish hash breakfast. I filleted the bass and sauteed them with Old Bay and lemon, finished with a splash of Chardonnay, not bad if I say so myself! Afterward we sipped whiskey and chatted with family by phone while watching the full moon rise over the delta. Half way home? By some measures our voyage is about half done. Our days end mileage last night was 3,452 out of a projected 6,000 mile journey. We plan on being gone about 10 months and we have been on the water for 4 1/2 months. Yesterday we made our last big open water crossing, a 50 mile run across Forida's Big Bend from St. Marks to Steinhatchee in a light chop. We ran on plane at about 16 miles per hour and made the trip in about 3 hours. The Erie and Trent Severn Canals; the Great Lakes; the Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland, Tennesee and Tombigbee Rivers; and the Florida panhandle are all astern. The Ten Thousand Islands, Everglades, Florida Keys, Georgia Sea Islands, Carolina low country and the magnificent Chesapeake are ahead. So exactly what constitutes the half way mark is a bit nebulous. I expect that in many ways it will feel like half way when we reach our southern most point which will likely be the Marquessas Keys (25 miles west of Key West). We've visited those lovely remote isles a number of times and can't wait to return. After we head north from the Marquessas I'll be thinking we're homeward bound. Getting fuzzy Because we trailer Laughing Gull on a regular basis we've not felt the need to put on the specialized bottom paints that the owners of most moored boats use to prevent the growth of vegetation below the waterline. While modern bottom paints are far less toxic than their predecessors its not my understanding that they are completely benign. Bottom paints are also expensive and require annual application As a result of our decision, after 130 days and 3500 miles plus in the water the hull of Laughing Gull is coated with a half inch or more of marine growth and scum. The reduction in speed and fuel economy are striking. Our top speed at the start of the trip was 25 mph. Its normally 30 mph but we're heavily loaded and the kayak and storage tubes on the roof add drag. Our top speed is now reduced to 21 mph. This is of course apparent across the operating range as well. When we run on plane I like to cruise at 4,000 to 4,500 rpm which is two thirds to three quarters of wide open (6,000 rpm). Depending on sea conditions, that gave a cruise speed of 17-18 mph at the start, now reduced to 14-15 mph. So obviously the hull needs a good scrubbing. We're now anchored above Jack's Sandbar on the Suwannee River. The water temperature is 71 degrees but there's a chilly NW wind and its cloudy so I'm hunkered down in the cuddy writing this post, hoping for a bit of sun. With just a little bit more than 2800 miles of freshwater behind us, we've reached salt water at Mobile Bay. We're currently at the Eastern Shore Marina in Fairhope Alabama for 2-3 days to catch up on internet, supplies and laundry. I've enjoyed the lakes and rivers but it sure feels good to be back on saltwater. Tolkien's missive half applies to me
Legolas Greenleaf long under tree In joy thou hast lived, beware of the sea If thou hearest the gull on the shore Thine heart shall rest in the forest no more Over the next month or so we'll be exploring the gulf coast and the multitude of estuaries that feed the gulf. We have an excellent guide book for Florida paddling trails and we're looking forward to lots of days in the kayak Good internet connections continue to be elusive and my skill at working with my blog software is improving at a glacial rate, a number of observations/anecdotes follow and updated logs: Tin Pan Tech Cell reception along the loop has been generally poor. We use pay as you go cell phones(tracfone) that are cloned to the Verizon networks. Through Canada we had no coverage at all. Through the mid west we had poor coverage, usually 1 or 2 bars which led to lots of missed and dropped calls. Somewhere in Alabama I recalled that I had purchased a cell phone “booster” just before our departure and tossed it in a locker. So I dug it out and set it up. Because its designed for auto roofs I needed to find a metallic surface to act as a horizontal antenna. An 88 cent cake pan from Wally World zip tied to the roof rack and we've gone from 1 bar to 3 or 4. Now if I can only figure out the mobil hot spot thing so I can access the internet via my lap top with a wireless hot spot wifi connection from the phone! The cat as an excuse for preferring a wild anchorage to a marina We've about given up trying to explain to folks why we prefer a secluded anchorage in a natural setting to a night in a marina or on a public dock. The affable young lock master on the Erie Canal probably summed it up the best. “ Why would you want to anchor when you can tie up to a free wall with McDonald's right across the street?” While much of the cruising community might have more sophisticated tastes their perspective about nice marinas and good restaurants vs. anchoring out is somewhat the same. One of our more important goal is to experience nature on the loop so we're fussy about finding anchorages with as little development as possible. With binoculars and bird guide at hand and a cold beer and a novel to read, we're happy. Those of you that know me don't need to be told that a fishing rod is in the holder ready to cast. Sure we're on a budget and marinas cost money but that hasn't played a real role in our choices. We're now on the rivers section of the loop with marinas costing a dollar per foot of boat length ($24) per night or less, perhaps when we get to the two dollar per foot marinas in Florida that will influence our thinking. While a restaurant meal is a treat (particularly for Libbey who does all the cooking) when at a marina, we're mostly there to resupply, do laundry, stretch our legs and see a bit of the town. As we get further into the trip we're realizing that perhaps the best part of the marina experience is getting to know our fellow loopers. They're an extraordinarily convivial lot, lots of good stories and information to share, interested in your loop and very supportive-we're going into town would you like to join us?-Having trouble with the marina wifi (yes, usually)?, use our server password is blah, blah, blah. My friends and colleagues in the long distance hiking community have a mantra about hiking goals and strategies-hike your own hike. The “loop your own loop” approach is well manifested by our fellow loopers with all their varying approaches to this wonderful circumnavigation. Despite that, rather than sound like the elitist tree huggers we likely are, we've fallen upon blaming our anchoring out preference on Admiral Peary, our cat. Admiral is a one and a half year old kitten and loves to romp around the boat when at anchor. In a marina we feel it necessary to confine him to his crate or the cabin for fear he will jump ship. Some folks seem to think we're being pretty noble giving up the bright lights for our cat's happiness. The real cat lovers accept it as a matter of course. Is boating outdoor recreation? As an outdoor recreation planner with a focus on primitive recreation by profession I tend to think of boating in small boat terms, canoes, kayaks and skiffs and tent camping ashore as a big part of the experience. As a small boat cruiser I'm developing a slightly different perspective. We anchor out most nights in a secluded cove and are self contained. Our boat is equipped with an enclosed cabin, a wheel house with a roof and roll up curtains that come and go quickly as the weather changes. While we don't hesitate to deploy the curtains if its cold or rainy on fair days all canvas is rolled up and the windshields are cranked open. One of the more striking observations we've noted about our fellow loopers and indeed most larger cruising boaters is how enclosed their boats are kept even in the nicest weather when there are curtains that could be stowed. Lots of cruising boats have little or virtually no outdoor space to relax and enjoy being on the water. Even at anchor or in the marinas folks tend to remain inside no matter how pleasant the weather outside. To us boating is about being in the outdoors, this inside cruising seems more like touring in an RV. Nothing right or wrong about either approach its just interesting to contrast the experiential differences in the different approaches. Impoundments Impounded water bodies are generally less aesthetic than natural lakes and ponds. A natural pond nestles in to the land scape and the shore line flows with the geology. There is a naturalness and a readability to it. Impoundments are generally less coherent and sit awkwardly on the land. As we travel the loop (which of course we're only able to do because of impoundments) it is interesting to contrast and compare how these aesthetic effects manifest themselves. We're now on the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway and the lakes here are relatively new-the dams were built in the early to mid1980's. Bay Springs Lake in MI is an exception to the “rule”, stunningly pretty and is impounded by a very large dam-its lock lets boats down 80'. Its a deep lake with a very convoluted shore line with hardwoods and sand beaches. Its shipping channel is only obvious at either end of the lake. We anchored there for 3 nights in different coves and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Queen Lake is less appealing. Shallow with an obvious dredged shipping channel, the lake appears and is purpose built for shipping. Aberdeeen Lake is also shallow and built for shipping but the even shallower and flatter terrain formed a myriad of back channels that are a delight in a kayak although finding a good anchorage for the Laughing Gull was not easy (bear in mind she only draws 2' of water and we've anchored many times in less than 4') Shore Support One of the aspects of leaving home for 10 months is of course managing your back home life while on the water for 10 months. We're lucky to have such a great support team looking after things while we're looping. Daughter Meg is checking on the house regularly. Son and daughter in law Jamie are forwarding mail. My best bud Al shuttled us to Troy and is storing my truck and trailer for the duration. We couldn't do this without them! We've also just received some great customer support from Seaway Boats, our builder. When I stepped on bit of grit and managed to crack a hatch cover, I knew just who to call. Skip Wolfe is Seaways Service Manager. I had the pleasure of working with Skip when Laughing Gull was new to sort out some of the inevitable bugs that occur when a stock boat is customized. I simply phoned Skip and a new hatch was waiting for me a few days later at the marina when we arrived. Skip's professionalism and follow up are absolutely first rate. Seaway, give that man a raise! Day 52 Paducah to Barkley Lake via Cumberland River. Sunny light breeze 85 degrees. Gas and ice at Green Turtle Bay Marina. 250 miles, 35 gallons-terrific fuel economy-the power of slow! Anchored Nickel Cove on Barkley Lake DE 2000 mi Day 53 Nickel Cove to Kentucky Dam Marina. Laundry, internet, shopping. Borrowed marina truck to Graftonville and Benton for shopping. Take out BBQ for supper DE 2007. Day 54 (9/26) Kentucky Dam Marina to no name cove in Land Between the Lakes. Sunny hot good swim. DE 2014 Day 55 Cove to Lost Creek LBL. Hot sunny good swim and scrubbed scum off boat hull while swimming. DE 2035 Day 56 Lost Creek to no name cove downstream of Paris Bridge. Gas, ice and groceries-PLSP marina staff guy gave us ride for groceries and tour, gas at 2054 m . Cast netted 4''shad for bait, caught 4lb largemouth bass. DE 2069 Day 57 Back upstream to Lost Creek. Quiet day, good swim, cleaned boat hull again-starting to look presentable. DE 2083 Day 58 Lost Creek to PLSP restaurant for lunch and hike. Met Virginia Webb, Chattanooga, excellent photographer and great volunteer city ambassador. Seriously tempted us to visit Chattanooga but 400 mile side trip doesn't seem viable. Anchored in quiet cove in the state park. Tennessee resort state resort parks are elaborate complexes of hotels, restaurants, conference centers and marinas with rudimentary trails and camprounds(if PLSP is typical). DE 2090Day 59 Windbound. Went back to restaurant courtesy dock for hike around park picnic area and internet access. DE 2092. Day 60(10/2) Windbound 0 kayaked Day 61 Wind bound Day 62 PLSP to Pebble Isle Marina in New Johnsonville. Sunny. Dinner at Marina (cheeseburger and reuben) Nice bunch of loopers, drinks with Karen and Tim on Tika ( a 52' Benneteau Swift Trawler) Day 63 Marina day. Van to Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park on Pilot's Bluff. Great river view and interesting folk life museum. Day 64 Van to Camden for supplies. Up river (current becoming more apparent) to big bend and islands below New Johnsonville. Lots of turtles and mussels. Lots of jumping gar. DE 214 3 Day 65 Kayaked around island, caught one 10” white bass. To Thompson Island near Cherokee. Friendly locals in pontoon boat stopped by to chat. Propane tank empty (probably under filled in Grafton, this tank lasted 3 weeks the previous tank ran 4 weeks and wasn't empty when filled)DE 2143 Day 66 To Double Island Sunny and hot to 85 degree. Cut up white bass for bait caught 4 lb blue cat fish DE 2197 Day 67 To Swallow Bluff Island. Sunny and 80 deg.. Strolled around Clifton, bought sun curtain for boat and hamburger for supper. Town has been recently well spiffed up-flowers and fresh paint abound. Caught 20 lb blue cat fish after dark on cut bait. Yielded 6-7 lb fillets, too much fish, won't kill another fish that big. DE2221 (current has reduced speed to 5 mph at 1800 rpm compared to 6.7 in calm water) Day 68 To Wolf Island in Savanah. Sunny and 70. Cat fish for breakfast and supper. Heavy fog at night. River dropped 1-2' overnight. DE 2243 Day 69 To Pomroy Branch on Pickwick Lake. Sunny and 78. Catfish for breakfeast. Strong current below dam-4mph speed. Good swim DE2265 Day 70 To cove with boat launch in AL. Sunny light breeze, good swim. Last of the catfish for supper (curried) DE 2275 Day 71 To Eastport Marina and back to deep cove on Alabama shore. Kayaked ashore in morning for 3 mile walk on woods road past campground and possible hunting lease. DE 2284 Day 72 To Grand Harbor Marina Sunny light breeze. Docktails with loopers. Ordered phone from Amazon over bad wifi 1 ½ hours to place order. Marina car to Savanah TN for groceries and BBQ lunch DE 2292. Day 73 To Panther Creek Cove. Spending 2 more days on Pickwick Lake to wait for phone to arrive at marina. Sunny good swim before forecasted cooler weather arrives. DE 2297 Day 74 To JP Coleman State Park MI. Walked 3 miles on park roads. Anchored in cove by park DE 2303 Day 75 To Grand Harbor Marina. Marina car to NPS Corinth Interpretive CTR. BBQ ribs for lunch at the Rib Cage DE 2310 Day 76 To Bay Springs Lake via Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway. Cleaned cockpit and wheelhouse. Slack water canal through woods, BS Lake very pretty with deep coves and sand beaches DE 2345 Day 77 To Bay Springs Marina for repairs (carburetor and control cables) on auxiliary engine. Marina van to East Boonesville for groceries. Anchored out in deep silver maple leaf shaped cove. DE 2359 Day 78 Back to Marina to complete repair (had to wait for parts). Cool and sunny. Morning paddle amongst the deep coves Anchored out ¼ mile from Marina. 2365DE Day 79 To Queen Lake. Locked down at Whitten Lock an 80' chamber per sonar=third highest single lift lock east of the Mississippi. Queen Lake much less to our taste with a noisy factory and developed shorelines. DE 2384. Day 80 To Aberdeen Lake. Stopped at Smithville Marina for ice, none available so they loaned us the marina car for a run to Dollar General.They had a terrible tornado 3 years ago that killed 16 people and leveled much of the town Day 81 At anchor. Long paddle through flooded timber. Miles of very pretty yellow flowers with petal and bud form like daisy in shape. Also water hyacinth becoming prevalent Day 82 to Columbus Marina. Covered slip welcome with rain in forecast. Marina car to town for minor groceries and lunch at Proffetts Porch-great seafood gumbo and Land Shark beer. Gray light rain Day 83 Marina Day. Car to town for major grocery restock. Docktails with other loopers Day 84 Back up lake to anchorage for night. Toured 1855 Waverly Mansion in West Point. Beautiful restoration and excellent interpeter. Cool rainy Day 85 To Pickensville anchored behind island. Day 86 To Pickensville Rec Area. Anchor stuck in morning finally able to cleat off and power out. Nice bike ride at rec area, otherwise hangout afternoon on shore. Day 87 To Pirates Cove Marina. Biked to Welcome Center (replica mansion-very expensive work) and snag boat Montgomery in dry dock. Groceries and Mexican dinner in Aliceville. Day 88 Marina day. Rainy, computer work Day 89 Back to Picknsville Rec Area to anchor in heavy rain. Books and phones DE 2482 Day 90 to a back channel 29 mi. south of Bevil Lock at Pickensville. Grey misty day on a mostly wild river. Met Jonathan and Rosa in a 22' C Dory from Melbourne Beach, FL. Bannan curry for dinner (old joke about vegetarian being Indian word for poor fisherman) Day 91 To back channel just below Gainesville (AL) lock. Misty 70deg. Walked from boat ramp dock at Sumter Landing. Short day, too long run from lock to next anchorage. Poor fishing again, left over steak stir fried with ginger. DE 2527 Day 92 To Rattlesnake Bend 6 mi. north of Demopolis. Warm day light mist and sun. Largemouth bass for supper. Anchored in bayou off channel. DE 2567 Day 93 To Kingfisher Bay Marina in Demopolis. Warm, misty, quick rain shower. Dentist visit for Libbey to have crown re attached. DE 2577. Day 94 To Foscue Creek in Demopolis. Great and much needed (3 months) hair cut for me by Eady, she and husband Mark sailing Sailvation around the loop, Mark is a country singer/writer, hope to get to hear him play. Groceries at Walmart and BBQ at Smoking Jacks for lunch. DE 2579 Day 95 Back to Rattlesnake Bend. Decided to fish because last day of 7 day AL fishing license. Several small bass, one keeper. Explored lower Black Warrior River. Heavy showers late in the day and night. DE2596 Day 96 To Pritchards Landing mile 162-town unknown. Lock master advised 9' rise in river level projected, appeared to rise about 1'. Longish run at 8 knots( good current, few good anchorages before Prithcards. Rain. DE 2661 Day97 (11/9) To Talawmpa Creek MM 126 above Bobby's Fish Camp. Some sun, no rain, chilly evening-curtains dropped at dark(5pm) Anchorage is very sheltered. DE2697 Day 98 To MM 104.5 nice anchorage inside buoy. Chatted with bass fisherman before departure, nothing biting. Gas and a walk at Bobby's Fish Camp-very rustic and famous for catfish platters. Sunny day, sandstone cliffs along river and a lovely sunset-our first in a while. DE 2719 Day 99 To Horseshoe Bend MM 72. Foggy, saw 2 deer. DE 2757. Day 100 To Tensas River MM 39. Overcast and rain. First brown pelican.. Libbey baked great banana bread. DE 2791 Day 102 To Twelve Mile Island. 30' tree fouled anchor line during breakfeast. Was able to clear root fouled in anchor davit by releasing line. Nice folks in trawler Leeloo stood by until snag was cleared. Many braided channels, anchored for lunch in back channel. Mosquitos in evening at 60 degrees, biting weakly-deployed screens. DE 2829 Day 103 (11/14) To Mobile and back. City day, heavy commercial shipping development along shore. Tied up at Convention Ctr courtesy dock. Wandered through Church Street and Oakleigh Gardens historic districts and farmers market. Lunch at Wentzels (shrimp and grits, sea food pasta both excellent). Fresh roasted and ground coffee from Serda's. Ice skating rink (fake ice) at Convention Ctr-fun to watch southerners learning to skate with varying degrees of success. DE Day 104 Cooking Aboard
This is Libbey with my first blog post, about time! We have a propane stove with one burner and a grill, a 48 quart cooler, two 20 quart dry food storage tubs and 12 quart spice/bread storage tub. Cooking utensils are 2 medium and one small sauce pan, a frying pan and 2 twenty-two ounce french press coffee mugs. We also have plates, bowls, cups and glasses (all plastic) and eating utensils (service for 4) and cooking utensils. We also have a collapsible stove top oven and 2 square baking pans but I haven't used them very much yet) Because we have limited cooler space and are using ice which starts to melt immediately and is usually completely gone in 1-3 days, this is a major factor in food selection and recipes. Block ice last at least twice as long as cube ice, but is only occasionally available. For the first 2 days after we grocery shop we eat pretty much what we do at home. Steak, chicken, pork or fish grilled, sauteed, or stir fry with fresh veggies or a salad. One major difference is when we are on the boat I cook all the meat/poultry/fish within 24 hours and store it cooked so we don't have to worry about spoilage. So night one we might have hamburgers, I'll cook 4, we'll have 2 for dinner and 2 will go in the cooler and get crumbed into a spaghetti or chili for night 3 and maybe some will be used as an ingredient to added a lunch time canned soup or quesadilla. On night 2 we might grill a couple pounds of chicken, we eat some for dinner and put the rest in the cooler to be used as dinner on night 4, a chicken curry or stir fry and some for lunch in a sandwich or salad. Unless we have bought more ice all the cooked meat/poultry will be used by day 4. Because ice is readily available at most marinas we can usually keep fresh food cold for as long as we need to. It is often harder to get to a grocery store that has fresh food and is a bit of a balancing act, how much to buy that we can use before it spoils and/or will fit in the cooler. Because the ice in the cooler is always melting all too often there is water sloshing around in the cooler so keeping items from becoming water logged is an issue. The screw top 1 quart plastic jars are much better than the snap on lids at keeping water out food stored in the cooler. We also buy food items in what I call “hermetically sealed” plastic packaging, block cheese, feta, cooked turkey or pork sausage and sandwich meat. After opening I store them in the screw top plastic tubs. Of course not all the fresh food needs refrigeration. Onions and potatoes don't need refrigeration and last for weeks. Carrots, turnip, cabbage easily last a week plus with with no refrigeration. Tomatoes peppers, zucchini and mushrooms are also pretty durable and will usually also last for a week if they are kept a bit cool. I try to select at least some fresh fruit that doesn't need refrigeration and doesn't bruise easily, (oranges and pineapple are great). We eat the banana and peaches first before they become bruised mush. Though we hope to get to a grocery store once every 7 0 10 days, it doesn't always work out. Weather delays, very rural marina, with the advertised grocery store being a gas station mini mart which has lots of soda, beer and chips with a few canned goods and maybe sandwich meat and cheese or a “Dollar General” which has a larger selection of canned goods, and frozen pizzas but no fresh fruit, veggies or meat. Even when we do get to a grocery store the veggie/fruit section is sometimes is very small with limited selection, so we always have canned and dried items on board for weeks that can be turned into a meal when the major grocery store resupply is delayed. Below are some of our “not much fresh food on board” recipes. Curry couscous 1 cup couscous 1 1/3 cup water 1 bullion cube (chicken or vegetable) 1 teaspoon curry powder ½ cup peanuts ½ cup raisins Bring water to boil, add bouillon and raisins. When returns to boil turn off heat. Let sit 10 minutes?, til raisins are soft. Bring back to boil, add peanuts and couscous. Turn off heat let sit until water is absorbed. Fluff and serve. Optional: Honey and/or hot sauce to taste Substitute: Pecans, cranberries and Moroccan spice Add: Left over cooked chicken to make a main dish Chickpea salad 1 can chickpeas (rinsed) Ham (canned will work) and/or green or calamari olives (feta is great in this salad if you have it) Sweet onion and/or sweet peppers (red, yellow or orange) and/or cucumbers and/or cauliflower and/or Tomato (chopped fairly small) Dressing: Olive oil and vinegar or Italian or Cesar dressing Let marinade in dressing 10 – 15 minutes before serving. Black bean salad 1 can black beans (rinsed) 1-2 cans mandarin orange (in juice not syrup) Reserve ¼ cup of juice ½ cup pecans (chopped but not too fine) ½ cup sweet peppers (chopped fairly small) ¼ red or sweet onion 1 tbs olive oil ¼ cup of the mandarin juice (or orange juice if you have it) 1 tsp hot sauce If you have it add cold cooked chicken. Quesadilla 2 Whole wheat soft burrito or taco shell Cheese (cheddar, pepper jack) any kind that will melt Hot sauce Optional Left over cooked chicken (cut up small) Ham (canned is fine) Peppers (cut up thin) Put shell in fry pan (med/low heat) Break ¼ cup cheese into small pieces (or shred) sprinkle on shell Add ¼ cup chicken, ham or peppers Cover with second shell As cheese melts, use spatula to press the shells together Keep checking the bottom to make sure it doesn't burn (3 – 5 minutes?) Flip, cook for a few more minutes Banana Curry Large onion, sliced 2 bananas, sliced ½ cup vegetable or chicken bullion ½ cup unsalted peanuts 1 tbs curry powder 1 cup on cooked rice Saute onion until soft, add banana and curry powder cook for a few minutes til bananas are soft, add bullion and peanuts, bring to simmer, cook for a few minutes. Stir in cooked rice and serve. Chili 1 large onion (chopped) 1 cooked hamburger, (left over from previous meal) or 1 can prepared no bean chili 1 can beans drained (pinto, kidney or back beans) 1 can diced tomato (any kind, I like the spiced ones with onion and garlic, or the chili ready) 1 large pepper, chopped (if you have it) 1 can corn (drained) or 1 cup cooked rice Chili powder, cumin and hot sauce Salt and pepper to taste Saute onion and pepper until they begin to soften, add chili powder and cumin, saute for another minute, add crumbled cooked hamburger (or can of prepared chili) , tomato and beans bring to a simmer. Add corn or cooked rice and hot sauce to taste. It is ready to serve. Spaghetti 1 can stewed or diced tomato (spiced with onion and garlic if you can find them) 1 med onion, sliced and/or 1 large pepper, diced 1 cooked hamburger, crumbled or 3-4 ounces hard salami, diced 1 tbs Italian herbs Spaghetti or any pasta (enough for 2) Cook pasta, drain and put aside Saute onion and green pepper, til the begin to soften, add crumbled cooked hamburger or salami,, cook for a few minutes, add canned tomato bring to a simmer, add Italian seasoning. Stir. Serve over the spaghetti. Corned Beef Hash 1 large onion – diced 2 med potato – diced ½ can corned beef – break into small pieces Salt and pepper to taste Saute onion and potato in a little oil for a few minutes, add corned beef, cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until potato and onion are done. Works for breakfast or dinner. Fish Hash Same recipe as above but cook onions and potatoes until done, add left over cooked fish, stir gently, serve. Bouchard's Buckwheat Ploy Mix Great mix because all you need to add is water. Ploys are an Arcadian crepe/pancake. We like them for breakfast topped with fresh or dried fruit and/or nuts. Pasta Salad Cooked pasta Hard salami or pepperoni Canned artichoke (drained) Olives (pitted, any kind) Tomato and/or cucumber (if you have them) Dressing, oil and vinegar with Italian herbs or any salad dressing. Radio traffic on the river usually starts on VHF Channel 13. If more than a quick comment or instruction is needed the parties switch to another channel. The tugs all have names and they're used without exception. Pleasure craft are referred to as just that, usually in a thick Cajun accent-Play jure craaft. “No tug captain or lock master will ever allow the name of a pleasure craft to cross his lips (I never heard a female voice on the Illinois, Mississippi or Ohio Rivers unless from a pleasure craft). You soon learn to modify your radio traffic accordingly. “City of Nashville (tug name) this is pleasure craft, how do you want to pass?”
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AuthorWe're Steve and Libbey from Whitefield, Maine. We're launching this blog as we start our attempted circumnavigation of America's Great Loop in August 2015. We'll be traveling living aboard our 24' Maine lobster style boat the Laughing Gull Archives
September 2017
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