Labelle

Labelle, FL is a medium size town on the Okeechobee waterway.  The town has recently built a waterfront park and slips for transient boaters, like us.  The docks are nice, but too narrow for our beam-15’6”.  So we came in bow first, and wedged into the slip!  The sailboat next to us is owned by two Brits, on a 10 week holiday in the US.  He is ex-military, and they are quite adventurous, having visited all states in the continental US by motorcycle.  Too bad Ken (my Brit brother-in-law) did not make the trip.  He would have liked these people. 

We had a long day today, and have gone through just one of the five Okeechobee locks.  The waterway is a short cut across Florida, and is maintained by the Corps.  The locks are almost exclusively used by pleasure boaters, so are much easier (and the lock-masters friendlier) than on the rivers, where commercial traffic rules.  This is link to a map of the waterway: http://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/images/webcams/owwmap.pdf

Tomorrow we continue east.  Happy New Year to all! Note-click on a picture to enlarge it.

Live bait boat

Fort Myers

Locking through

Okeechobee home

Labelle

Wedged in!

Underway-at last!

The pump came in, and we untied the lines!  We are now at anchor next to Cabbage Key.  Travelling today was an adventure-boat traffic everywhere.  I guess everyone has a place to be for New Year's Eve, but us. We will enter the Okeechobee waterway tomorrow and will spend the night somewhere between the five locks we have to traverse.  Today marks 39 years of marital bliss!  Appropriate that we set sail today.  Life is good.

At Longboat-a really nice marina.

We fly the white looper flag while doing the loop.  After completion, we can fly a gold one.  

Venice

Our next house!

We made it with a foot to spare.

I remembered to buy roses!

Still floating!

Well, we are all loaded up-and we are still floating!  It has been a busy last couple of days.  We are new shareholders of Publix after buying three months of supplies for the Bahamas.  The chest freezer is full-to the top!  In order to fit all our clothes and supplies, I had to mail some non-essential items home!  I returned our bright red Impala rental to the Sarasota airport, and we are set to go, almost.  I tested the engines, and noticed water in the bilge-not a promising sign.  The starboard raw water pump was leaking.  After much cursing, I finally got it off the engine-and two of the screws holding the impeller cover were broken.  Fortunately, I had saved parts from the old pump, and with help from the marina mechanic, we got the pump sealed and back on the engine.  For good measure, the marina staff ordered a new pump for a spare, and it arrives tomorrow.  Upon its arrival, we set sail.  We head toward Ft. Myers, FL to catch the Okeechobee waterway across Florida, to the east coast.  Hopefully we will be in the Okeechobee waterway by Tuesday, and spend New Year’s somewhere along the way.  Once on the east coast, we wait for a weather window to cross the Gulfstream to Bimini.  It has not been all hard work.  We dined out three nights.  Two nights at the marina restaurant, Portofino’s.  They make great pizzas at the bar, and have live music.  Another night at a local favorite, Euphemia Haye.  Alexis drank too much, and I ate too much…

The weather is predicted to be nice the next few days, so off we go!  It still has not set in that this is it, maybe once we are underway it will. 

Dickie told me about the tragedy the Gouaux family and others have gone through at home.  I know Phillip, and my heart goes out to his family and him.  Life is indeed uncertain.  

The great loop adventure

Well, Alexis and I are here in Sarasota, about to continue on our great loop adventure.  The great loop is an approximate 6000 mile boat trip.  For us it began when we left Houma, LA last year for Sarasota, FL.  We left the boat at Longboat Key Marina, and after Christmas, we loaded up a Hertz rental and headed to Sarasota.   From Sarasota, we will head across the Okeechobee  waterway to the east coast of Florida, and then down to Miami.  Then we will cross over to Bimini Island-part of the Bahamas.  We will winter in the Exuma Islands, and in late March head north to the Abacos.  April will mark our departure from the Bahamas, back to Florida.  Then we will head north on the Atlantic ICW to the Chesapeake Bay Area.  From there to the Hudson River in New York, the Erie Canal to Canada, Lake Michigan, Chicago, into the river system, to Mobile, AL, and back to Houma. 

Leaving home for a year is surreal, and we have not fully mentally grasped the fact that we are on the trip yet. For me, it is the first time in 32 years that I do not have office obligations scheduled, a very weird feeling.  Alexis and I have both taken a year sabbatical from work so we can do this trip.
Many have asked, why the loop, why now?  Why now is easy.  December 30th is our 39th wedding anniversary.  We have been working, raising a family, and on life's hamster wheel since then.  We have been blessed with great kids, health and good lives, but the time has come for us to do something different.  We are at a stage where we can financially do this, and are still (hopefully) physically able to do this.  Stan is at the stage where he can handle my caseload, and Alexis' parents are still self sufficient.  It is now or never.  Time to slip the dock lines!  Why the loop?  Alexis and I have been boating since we married eons ago.  We bought our first trawler in 2002, and have enjoyed the cruising lifestyle since then.   We bare-boated a trawler in the Virgin Islands with the kids many years ago, and were hooked.  My grand plan was to cruise the Caribbean down to Trinidad.  Alexis (the more sensible one) came up with the loop idea.  On the loop, we are never far from the US and home.  It is mainly an inland voyage, and necessary things like medication, doctors, etc. are available.  We have attended a looper rendezvous, and all the couples told us they fell in love with the US and with each other again while doing the loop.  It was described as a trip of a lifetime, and a way to see the country from a different perspective.  They also told us to set a date, or we would never get out of the planning stage.  So about four years ago we set 2014 as our target date.  Well it it is here!
I think not seeing the kids and grandkids will be the hardest adjustment, but we have face time, and they will join us on the loop for vacations, and we will come home for grandkid visits.

This blog is our way to share our experiences with friends and family so please check this site for updates.  We are provisioning the boat, and will depart Longboat in the next few days.  Happy New Year in advance to all!