Post-Adventure Events and Christmas

It was somewhat shocking to go from the temp in the 80's to this Winter scene in our backyard overlooking Prior Lake in MN. But we adjusted quickly as friends and family welcomed us home.

This beauty stops for a picture with her father-in-law in the middle of preparing Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. Our homecoming was made all the more enjoyable when, as we entered our home after being gone for 9 months, the place was fully decorated with all our Christmas things. The three daughters-in-law (Lisa, Sara and Becca) had taken everything from the attic (about 15 boxes, including the big Christmas tree) and fully decorated our home for Christmas. Even the temperature had been turned up so the house was warm and inviting. We feel so blessed!

Those of you who have been to Key West, Florida will recognize this marker which resembles the Southernmost point of the U. S. This is a replica of that marker at our marina in Ft. Myers. It was put up recently by a Cuban restaurant there and named the Funnestmost Point.

What's Next for Us?

We will stay here in Ft. Myers for the next week to get organized to return to Minnesota to be with our family in time for Christmas. Plans are to sell the boat here in Southwest Florida. It has performed flawlessly for the entire trip and was, without doubt, the best choice we could have made for this adventure.



We are so thankful to God for His protection for this entire trip. I was also able to gather some great interviews of first generation Christians. I plan to continue those interviews till I have about 50 or so and then hopefully work with another author to write a book on the topic.

Others have encouraged us to write about this trip as well. Given the interest in the adventure, we may just do that. Many books have been written on the Great Loop Adventure but most are several years old.

WE FINISHED THE LOOP!!

....or, as fellow loopers say, we crossed our wake at this spot where we began our journey 8 months and 11 days ago and over 6000 miles. This works out to 36 weeks and 4 days. So we stopped the boat and drifted for a few minutes to take these pictures before moving up the Caloosahatchee River where our boat will be docked.

I finally got the camera to work so we could both be in the picture. But I like the other one much better. She honestly deserves so much of the credit for making this adventure a success. To say that I couldn't have done it without her is an understatement. In this, our 43rd year of marriage, it only gets better every year!

Dolphins were everywhere as we came into port. The Admiral caught this one in mid-air. Even when we stopped about 6 or 7 were gathered near our boat as if to say "Welcome Home"

Triple Play

Amazingly, on this 9 month cruise, we have managed to see Sara, Troy and the kids at three different concerts; first in New York City at the Teen Challenge 50th anniversary celebration, again in Chicago at their fall tour, and last Sunday night at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Fl. on their Christmas tour. Aaron Fabrini, Sara, and Troy put together some great Christmas sounds off their brand new album just released. Go to their website (www.saragroves.com) to order your copy of O Holy Night. You will like it!

Papa and the pirate are guarding Kirby and Toby at Clearwater Beach.

If you zoom in, you will see Ruby Cate, our newest granddaughter in the back of their tour bus. Troy had it remodeled recently to sleep up to 14 people, which is how many they had on the 6 week fall tour.

Mimi got her grandchild fix here at Crabby Bills on the Sunday afternoon prior to the performance.

Bradenton, Fl and the Manatee Museum

If you've never heard of a Manatee then you haven't spent much time in Florida. There are about 2700 of them in Florida waters and they are highly protected. Weighing in the area of 600 to 800 pounds, they are docile mammals who sometimes get in the path of boaters. So they put up special signs on waterways to slow us down to avoid hitting them. We learned more about Manatees at this museum which has one of the few Manatees in captivity. The one above, named Snooty, was born in 1947 (age 61). Most, however, only live for about 20 years. That white stuff on the surface of the water is lettuce, a main food they give them.

We are in Bradenton, Fl. at the same marina (Twin Dolphin) we visited when we bought Joy @ Sea 2-1/2 years ago. The weather has been very good for the past few days as evidenced by the Admiral being at the pool. It's about time. Looks good for the next few days too.

Clearwater to Gulfport

The good things about this adventure are made even richer through being able to see and visit with great friends from the past. Marlene spent her growing up years in Canton, Ohio where her dad was a pastor. So she remembers her Canton years very fondly, particularly all the great people she got to know while there. On that note, we really enjoyed being with Barbara (Ciokan) Jacobs (above) who moved to this area about 30 years ago. Barb is an Assistant State Attorney with the State of Florida, celebrating her 29th anniversary with the State Attorney's office yesterday. Congratulations Barb, and thanks for sharing with us about your wonderful family!

Have you ever had Cuban food? Hint: It's not like Mexican food. Barb took us to this great little Cuban restaurant in Gulfport. We had a delicious pork dinner with all the trimmings and topped it off with an award winning desert: Flan made with cream cheese. This was clearly the best food we've had since that fish dinner at Bobby's Fish Camp.

Clearwater Beach, Fl

Only 15 miles down the coastline is Clearwater, Florida and Clearwater Beach. We were joined here by our good friends Barb and Bill Sowers. Marlene got to know Barb in what now seems like another life: Hawaii in the 70's.

On our way to dinner, the fishing boats were coming in with the day's catch. It was a good day!

That is a fairly large Grouper along with some Grey Snappers.

Onlooker Pelicans are patiently waiting to consume what will be available for them and their families.

Almost missed this sunset on Clearwater Beach pier. The sand is as white as in Pennsacola. We were very impressed with this area.

Looking northwest from Clearwater Beach. Wish it were a little warmer. This would be a great beach on which to spend a few days. But it looks like we are in for a couple of cold fronts this week.

Thanksgiving Day at the Sponge Capitol

We spent Thanksgiving with the Greeks here in Tarpon Springs. Even on Thanksgiving day the shops were mostly open to sell you their wonderful greek food and also traditional Thanksgiving meals.

" This is a waterfront view of the boats used to harvest sponges out of the Gulf of Mexico. Divers go down anywhere from 20 to 100 feet to collect all varieties of sponges. I bought one of the wool sponges for my stocking person - extremely soft and will last for years.

These are sponges harvested right out of the Gulf over the past few weeks.

Thanksgiving Day at Captain Jack's restaurant. Joy @ Sea is in the background.

Now we head for Clearwater Beach.

Happy Thanksgiving - we made it to Tarpon Springs

Number One on our list of things to be thankful for is our wonderful family. Today, Sara, Troy, Kirby, Toby, and Ruby are hosting the Thanksgiving spread in their home and have invited Kyle, Lisa, Maddie, Jack, and Josie; Rory and Becca; and Papa Frick. We are so blessed to think about all of them together today; laughing, eating, dozing, watching football. We are so looking forward to being with them again at our home on New Years Day!



The second leg of our trip across the Gulf to here was a long one - 12 hours from Steinhatchee to Tarpon Springs. We covered well over 100 miles but had good weather and seas, but not without some "excitement." We started out in the dark for about an hour because we knew we didn't want to arrive in Tarpon Springs in the dark. Why? There are crab pots everywhere to get caught in your propellers or rudders. So you need light to be able to see them and steer clear of them.



On our way about an hour out to sea, I noticed my starboard engine was running a little hotter than normal. With that, I decided to shut it down to check the coolant level. It was low so I filled it up. Then, when I went to start it - it clicked but wouldn't start. I began to think the starboard battery must have gone out since I used the radar all day previously and I did notice earlier that the amp meter was charging more than the other one. So I pulled out the jumper cables to see if the generator battery would jump start the engine. Nothing. Must be a bad cell on the big engine battery. The Admiral started praying. She does that on everything. I usually exhaust all options and then pray. I reluctantly decided we had to turn back and limp in to Steinhatchee on one engine and buy a new battery. Then Marlene said: Is there something on these gears that needs to be done? Then it hit me: I forgot to put the gear in neutral before starting it. So I put it in neutral and presto! the engine roared to life! She said thank you Jesus! I did too!

Crossing the Gulf from Carrabelle to Steinhatchee

Weather on the Gulf (or anywhere on the open seas) is to be given the utmost respect. So we waited three days for the weather to improve before heading out to open seas. We pulled in to the small port fishing town of Steinhatchee after the first 70 mile leg of the "Big Bend," which is the name given to the curve starting at the panhandle of Florida and ending about 200 miles later in Tarpon Springs.

Even with the good weather reports, our trip started out with waves in the 2 to 3 foot range and then tapered down to less than one foot by the time we got to Steinhatchee. Our plan was to leave early the next morning for Tarpon Springs, but again, the weather changed all that. Today was supposed to be seas in the 4 to 6 foot range. It's clearly doable for our boat, but not our idea of a pleasant cruise. So today, we have another weather day which will mean we will miss Thanksgiving with our good friends in Clearwater, Barb and Bill Sowers. But that's the way it is. Hopefully we can connect on Friday.

The Picture Above

Our stay in Steinhatchee is at The Sea Hag Marina. When the Admiral saw this, she lit up. The story goes back to her days in nursing school when she and Sandi (long time friend) backcombed their long hair which stood out in all directions. The hair was then smoothed over to arrive at what most will recall as a bouffant hairdo. As they were in stage one of doing this, a little boy they were babysitting for called them Sea Hags. It stuck. Now that little boy is on staff at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California, David Peterson. Of course, she called Sandi right away who remembered the story. So Sandi, I think there will be something coming to you as a token of your Sea Hag Days.

Apalachicola, Fl.

We pulled into Apalachicola to these floating docks, a rarity at most coastal marinas. These were in front of a new hotel.

This fishing trawler was in the downtown Apalachicola area. Even in its dilapidated state, it has a lot of character.

We couldn't leave town without a basket of oysters and fries. These were literally right off the boat (about 20 yards away) from the morning catch.

Excitement Underway

As we motorsailed toward Carrabelle in the Apalachicola Bay, the dingy hanging off the stern of our boat broke loose from its davit mooring. While the Admiral negotiated the narrow deep water channel in the bay, I was able to go astern and release the other mooring from the davit so that we could pull the dinghy behind the boat the 20 miles to Carrabelle.

Happy Birthday Jack Walter Groves!!

Happy 12th Birthday grandson Jack! We are so proud of you and glad you could be on the boat with us as we cruised up the Hudson River this summer. Remember when you found a new entrance to the boat at the bow through the hatch? That was fun to watch. And then when you tied up your mom? You would make a good pirate.

Hope your day today is a great one! We are so pleased to hear you are doing well and look forward to seeing you and the family again soon.

Love,

Mimi and Papa

Port St. Joseph, Florida

Really nice people here at the marina. This is about 6 miles off the main channel but seemed worth the visit - and it has been - even with the cold weather we've been having.

Don't be fooled. This is the only work I did all day. That boat in the background is called Grape Escape, a couple from Napa, California who took the Great Circle plunge too. They have two dogs on board as well. The dogs have been trained to go on a green carpet so they don't have to dinghy them to shore.

Marlene captured this picture of a seagull who has been here all of the three days watching our boat - perched nearby

We love boats, all kinds. This is a workboat named Speedy. They have been here for 8 months doing a beach restoration project nearby.

Ft. Walton Beach, Destin, and Panama City, Florida

After anchoring out for two days at Pensacola Beach, we cruised to Ft. Walton Beach and stayed at their free city dock. Took a walk over to the Publix grocery store at Ft. Walton Beach, clearly one of the best grocery stores in Florida.

The next day we continued to Destin, Florida about 5 miles further and stayed at a marina inside the bay near the waterfront. This was a beautiful setting to watch all the huge sportfishing boats come into port. We also took a break from boating to shop at one of those upscale malls (above) and saw the new 007 movie.

Then it got cold.......

So we headed for Panama City, Fl. with a good tail wind and some fairly high waves and temps in the 50's. Made the 70 miles or so to the downtown marina. The temps continued to drop into the 30's overnight. Brrrr... Fortunately, the boat has a good heater.

We attended St. Andrews A/G church today and I was able to get another interview for my research. We nixed plans to do any sightseeing since the temps were low and it was quite windy.

Pensacola Beach

Finally! Great beaches again! We found a great place to anchor near Pensacola Beach. A little cool but getting better every day.

This is the most beautiful sand I've ever seen, including Hawaii. It is so white, fine and pure.

The landmark watertower overlooking the beach and lots of places to shop. The Admiral found a couple of items here. That's saying a lot because she usually just looks around and doesn't buy much if anything.

The dingy has been our critical link to land when we anchor out in a bay or other spot protected from the wind. Marlene is surveying a place for us to tie up to go to dinner.

Pensacola and the Brownsville Revival

We pulled into a marina Saturday afternoon in one of the oldest cities in America: Pensacola. It is also noted to me and many others as the location where a great revival occurred, starting on Fathers Day 1995 and continuing for five years. It is known as the "Brownsville Revival" taking place at Brownsville Assembly of God. If you haven't heard about it, you can read all about it in Wikipedia. It is a fairly accurate account but, as with anything else written by secular writers, it misses much of the impact the revival has had on hundreds of thousands of people, including me. We had the privilege of attending the revival in 1996. It was a genuine outpouring of the Holy Spirit, perhaps similar to the Azusa Street revival at the turn of the last century

On Sunday, we attended Brownsville Assembly of God and had the privilege of interviewing one of the people who was a long-time attender who also accepted Christ as an adult (age 39). His story is on my other blog (First Generation) and it is a very interesting one.

Boat Project Week

The good news is that we made it all the way down the Tenn-Tom river without getting shot at. According to some fairly reliable reports, the duck hunters on the river don't like it when boats pass by and disturb their hideouts. So they have been known to shoot above the boats passing by to let them know how they feel about it. On a related note, (this is true for sure) the captain of the 55 foot Viking was arrested at a lock downstream because he passed by a marina under full power, rocking all the boats and damaging some of them.


We are spending most of this week at Dog River Marina giving the boat some needed attention after over 5,000 miles of travel. Our to-do list for boat projects is never done, but it's getting shorter.

Boat names, we've seen a lot of them. These shrimp boats just came back from a day at sea. The front one is named Prince of Peace
What are the chances you would have two boats docked next to each other named:
AND

The Last Lock and then Mobile, Alabama!

Starting in Troy, New York and finishing at the end of the Tenn-Tom Waterway in Alabama, we have gone through about 150 locks. This is the last one!

Coming into Mobile area, we were taken aback at this stealth Navy ship getting ready for service.

Marlene almost jumped overboard when she saw this Hawaii Superferry. It is one of the new fast boats getting ready to ply the waters between the Hawaiian Islands. Access to Hawaii is through the Panama Canal.

Back to civilization! The skyline of Mobile comes into view as we round the bend.

I Think This is the Deep South

Bobby's Fish Camp is located strategically along the Tenn Tom to welcome us as we near the end of the river system. In fact, it is the only "marina" (no electricity, no water) on the last 230 mile stretch. But they made up for the lack of amenities by providing a great catfish dinner and some of the best cole slaw we've ever tasted.

If this isn't the Deep South, then where is it? These two men came by to look at the boats on the dock today. They are self-described "red necks" on their way to a high school football game this Saturday night.

Anchoring out in a peaceful cove gives us a chance to enjoy a couple of good books. The Admirals main fear is that she will run out of books to read. A voracious reader, she will probably read 100 books on this trip, currently at 78.

Rivers and More Rivers - Midway to Demopolis

Joy @ Sea rafted to Decisions at Anchorage

Each portion of the trip has had its own unique twist. Since we left Chicago, we have been more involved with others who are also doing this big adventure. Sometimes we go with four or five other boats down the river. Yesterday we were with one other boat (Decisions) who clipped along at the same speed as us. Then we got to one of the preferred anchorages as the day ended. As it turned out, the basin was quite small, making the swinging room uncomfortably close to each other. So we decided to "raft" our boats together with both anchors set. To top things off, Bob, Judi, and Steve invited us over for a steak dinner. Very nice!

After a nights rest, we awoke to find ice on the deck!

Here is a beach on the Tenn Tom all decked out with Alabama's version of Cabanas

Demopolis Yacht Basin's Restaurant. The burgers were really good!

White cliffs on the Tenn-Tom Waterway.