Click on Google icon to see map on computer. Click on map with phone or tablet, use slider in upper right of map to see details.
Arriving in Charleston we found the boat at Safe Harbor City that was really not in the city. On schedule, on Oct 3 the boat was launched and we went directly to the downtown marina in Charleston. The next day it was off to the charming small city of Beaufort and then on to Hilton Head that reminds us of why we are not enamored with gated communities.
Next stop was Isle of Hope where we took the marina curtesy car to Savanah for provisions and some touring. On to one of our favorite stops, Jekyll Island. On the way past Brunswick we encountered the overturned M/V Golden Ray, a car carrier with 4,000 new vehicles on board.
We spent a couple of days here visiting the ‘cottages’ and beaches at Jekyll. A short run down to Fernadina Beach, another charming small city. On route to visit a friend of Dan’s in Jacksonville, we got a little confused and ended up in the middle of the city with it’s very nice free marina. Correcting our route, we moved on the St. Augustine for a reunion with a group of Marcia’s siblings. What a great time and thanks to our hosts Cheryl and Mike.
Jeanne and Austin then joined us for the 50 mile run down to Daytona. Unfortunately, as we passed by Cape Canaveral we managed to miss launches a couple of days before and after our stay at Titusville. Next stop was Sebastian at a less than pleasant marina where we elected to spend the night at the nearby Best Western. Moving down the coast on the inside, we stopped a Loblolly Marina with prior arrangements from Dan’s ex business partner Sam. Finally, it was time for the last leg into Ft Lauderdale where the boat will stay for a couple of weeks having warrantee issues address.
Click on the picture to see the album of this trip
Click on Google icon to see map on computer.
Click on map with phone or tablet, use slider in upper right of map to see details.
Running the boat from Cape Cod down to Charleston would take a couple of weeks with the with shorter days and colder weather, this is a trip we have done a number of times and decided to avoid it this fall. That’s what they make trucks for, to carry boats.
Having left the boat in Wareham almost a week ahead of the original plan, we came up with a plan B. This would take us on about a ten day road trip to visit friends, return to favorite places and visit a few new places.
First stop was Providence, RI to have dinner with Tony and Julie and John and Amy. While there, we visited the Providence Mall just to see what post Covid might be like. Hard to see how many of these retailers and the malls will ever be the same.
On to another visit with Dan’s brother Dave and his wife Ba in Westerly and another Covid test before setting out. Overnight at the nephews ‘shack’ on the beach.
Longwood gardens in Pennsylvania was our next destination. We had heard about this garden from Alessandro, our Italian gardener friend. Wow, what a magnificent place. This is duPont alley with the Winterthur Museum, Nemours Estate and Hagley Museum.
On route to Pittsburg we stayed at a charming B&B in Kennett and had a visit at Frank L Wright’s Kentuck Knob. A wonderful dinner with Dan’s classmate Jim DeAngelis and Beatrice at their home in Pittsburg. Then on to Falling Waters. While the house was closed, we hiked the ground and peaked in the windows. Ohiopyle State park provided us time for another great hike.
Next stop was a visit with Marcia’s dear friends Jennifer and Joe and their wonderful boys in the Virginia countryside. Down the Skyline Parkway to Roanoke. Black Dog Salvage was listed as the top attraction, what a dump. The museum of transportation and the Star were far superior. Then on to the Ashville with a visit to the Biltmore and the many art galleries.
From Ashville, we tried the Blue Ridge Parkway but were overcome by the fog. What a disappointment, we last drove the Parkway in our GMC motorhome and enjoyed all the views. A stop at Columbia for an overnight on route to Charleston. We stayed at the charming Rutledge House in the historic area and walked King Street several times. Unfortunately, King Street was badly damaged during the protest marches in March and has not recovered. The road trip over, we were back on True Green to finish our cruise home.
Click on the picture to see the album of this trip
Click on Google icon to see map on computer.
Click on map with phone or tablet, use slider in upper right of map to see details.
Before Leaving Watch Hill, we once again got Covid tested knowing we would be in Massachusetts in a few days. Our next stop was Wickford, RI to visit Tony, Julie and Leah. Finding dockage full, we imposed on one of the ex captains of Canim for space on his service dock. While there we also installed radar in anticipation of New England fog. We were also very fortunate to take Julie’s advice and get a Thundershirt for Nola, it made a world of difference to her comfort level. From Wickford, we took a short trip to Newport where we stayed for a few days of mansion touring.
Another 30 miles took us to South Dartmouth where we got a chance to visit Ed and Kim on their farm and learn more about growing heirloom seeds. Also another wonderful lobster and corn dinner. Next was a stop at Fairhaven Shipyard where True Green will be the fourth boat and a RV to be serviced there. A nice visit with Rob and Mellisa to learn about their Covid life.
Old business associate and fellow Sabre 48 owner Dan Calano and his wife joined us for cocktails as we tried to arrange a follow up visit. Moving on thru the Cape Cod canal we stopped at Sandwich and were really surprised to see a lack of sensible virus behavior.
An overnight at Green Harbor and then on to Hull, MA where Dan lived for many years. Once again Peter and Diane were wonderfully generous with lobster and transportation. Visits to Jay at his canvas shop and James Hardison at the Carousel. A great dinner with Josh and his family. Even a visit to Dan’s old house to see how it’s held up over the years. Oh yes, Harry and Sally and Paul and Francine. Many friends and memories for Dan.
On to Boston where we found the least expensive downtown marina and enjoyed a few days at the Boston Harbor Hotel. Marcia had never visited the North Shore of Boston, so it was off on a road trip to Marblehead and the Peabody Essex museum. A surprise visit by great nephew Chad and his cousin Trevor topped off the Boston stop.
Click on the picture to see the album of this trip
Click on Google icon to see map on computer.
Click on map with phone or tablet, use slider in upper right of map to see details.
In early June, after the sea trial of a Greenline 33 hybrid in Ft. Lauderdale and an inspection of a sister ship in Annapolis we traded in the Chris Craft for the Greenline. We arranged to pick up “True Green” on the 20th of July in Annapolis. We expected to spend a few days organizing the entire household that is required for cruising boat. Instead we spent the better part of a sweltering week arranging for a number of fixes to the boat before it was ready to cruise.
Before leaving Florida, we were both tested for the Covid 19 virus and pledged we would wear masks in public, limit our restaurant visit to outside dinning only and let our friends decide if they wanted to visit with us. We did manage to visit our friends Sherri and Per at their home in on the Maryland shore and did a quick sea trial over to visit Megan and Glenn in Easten, MD while getting the boat ready.
Finally, on the 29th we headed out with Baltimore as our first stop. The waterfront has been nicely rebuilt and we enjoyed a visit to the National Aquarium. On thru the C&D canal to Cape May where we planned to visit for a couple of days. Our stay here was extended as we watched the path of hurricane Isaias that ended up making landfall just south of Cape May.
Our next stop was Atlantic City a place of no return where Mr. Trump created an un-holy mess. Moving up the Jersey coast we stopped near Tom’s River and then on to Jersey City next to Ellis Island and statue of Liberty. As New York had a mandatory 14 day quarantine, we elected not to stop and proceeded up the East River, thru Hell’s gate and into Long Island Sound stopping in Stanford, Ct.
Stanford to Branford was an easy 35 mile run to another Safe Harbor marina using Dockwa for our reservations. On route to Watch Hill, RI, we stopped for a swim at Fishers Island and cruised by Latimer Light were Dan’s parents ashes were spread. At Watch Hill, Dan’s brother Dave had arranged dockage for us together with the loan of car and great hospitality. We got to visit with two of Dan’s nephews and family and enjoy a day at their ‘shack’ on Misquamicut Beach.
Click on the picture to see the album of this trip
Click on Google icon to see map on computer.
Click on map with phone or tablet, use slider in upper right of map to see details.
Having had to cancel our entire summer trip due to the Coronavirus, we puzzled over what we would due other than be locked down in Miami.
Ponder our favorite cruising grounds in North America, we focused on Southeast Alaska where we had spend two summer. A call to an acquaintance there who runs Auke Bay Charters turned out to offer us an option. Steve had just had a cancellation of a three week bare boat charter on a Nordic Tug 42. Ok, we are in.
We invited our good friends Glenn and Gail Patron to join us for what would be their virgin adventure to Alaska…although they have sailed the entire Caribean, crossed the Atlantic and covered the Med. The charter started June 13 in Juneau…covid test required before being turned loose in Alaska. We are tested negative.
We preordered our provisions on line and Steve was kind enough to pick up our grocery provisions. He was a little surprised at the cases of wine, not typical for his fish/beer clientele. However, he did work with Jerry’s Seafood to supply us with a fabulous assortment of Alaska’s best. Glenn and Gail, having arrived a day ahead filled in the missing item and had the galley fully organized on our arrival.
With no time to waste, we headed for the Sawyer Glacier at Tracy Arm. Our first overnight was at anchor at the base of the arm having passed a number of ‘burgy bits’ (too small to be an ice burg) along the way. The next day visiting both arms of Sawyer was not a disappoint: mountains of ice, waterfalls, birthing seals, eagles, and new to Glenn ice field navigation.
We have always found the southeast corner of Admiralty Island to be the best whale watching in southeast. Despite the rain and cloud cover, we were not disappointed. Blow, breaches and bellows…watch the video.
Baranof Warm Springs on Chicagof Island was the next stop with a nice hike up to the waterfall and a swim in the hot springs. This was our sixth visit over the years and the first time we did not see another soul. The cruising boats typically here would be from the northwest US or British Columbia. The US boat could not get thru BC and BC boats could not enter the US. We had the southeast to our selves.
On to Red Bluff Bay and it’s magnificent waterfalls and a few bears on the beach. Kake was as uninspiring as usual, but a safe stop. Down the Rocky Pass and the Devil’s Elbow, the guide books love to terrify boaters. A lot of sea otters on our way to Red Bay with its tidal entrance.
In the rain, we arrived at Meyers Chuck again absent of cruising boats and even the local summer residents. Despite the rain, great hike in the woods. One more stop at Kassan Island where the First Nation people still have a significant influence. The Long House they were working on during our last visit in 2016 was finished and a new commemorative totem had been erected.
Into Ketchikan where Glenn and Gail would leave us to return to Miami. That evening we chanced into the Creek Jazz Cabaret were we met the singer Joe Williams and the Karl family who own the club. Look to see them next February in Miami. The next night we had dinner with our friend Ben Swanson, owner of the classic charter 85′ M/Y Discovery, and his crew.
It was then a trip up the inside with stops at Wrangle and Petersburg. Then some time in our favorite whale watching grounds before heading into Taku. Continuing North, we stopped at Boat Harbor which is entered via a blind chanel and then on up to Haines. We visited our friends Kevin and Jess at their home for dinner and met 3 year old Rellian, Rell for short. The next day we took a day trip on the boat with Sea Lion watching and swimming for the Forster family in the 58 degree water.
The Lynn Canal kicked up on our way back to Juneau forcing us to hold up for a day in St James Bay. Returning to Juneau we were met by Steve who allowed us use of his washer and dryer and some beers with a few friends. Next day, off to Seattle.
Near the airport we discovered the lovely Cedar Lodge Hotel where we were joined for dinner by Dan Gero and Monica with our best approximation of social distancing. Next day, we headed up the Olympic Peninsula for a couple of days with our friends Jesse and Samantha Osborne. During a day of sailing on the Hood Canal, they layed out their plans for a four year sail around the world skippering a 47′ sailboat that they have been rebuilding for a client. We signed on for a piece of the South Pacific.
One more stop in San Diego to see Howard Yuan and family. Great to see Luke and Veronica, Eric and Shawn and to meet youngest daughter Jenna. Dan and Howard got a couple of days to cover world events and just enjoy a father/son relationship. We stayed at the del Coronado which was undergoing a massive renovation, but the beach was wonderful and looked very normal except for the face masks.
Click on the picture to view the album of this trip
Click on Google icon to see map on computer.
Click on map with phone or tablet, use slider in upper right of map to see details.
Another adventure into the unknown, at least to us. POSPONED UNTIL AT LEAST 2021 DUE TO CORONAVIRUS.
We will start in Stockholm with a flight to the Kiruna mine in Northern Sweden then drive back to Gotland in southeastern Sweden, about 2,000 miles, before picking up the boat.
We will then start our cruise on Lake Madaren west of Stockholm on May 17 and be in the Stockholm area until the end of May when we head off to Finland.
We will be based in Helsinki from May 3-20 as we take a tour to St Petersburg and transit the Simiaa Canal thru Russia into the lakes region of Finland.
On to Tallin in Estonia, thru the islands on the west coast to Parnu where we will take a road trip to the interior. Estonia will be 21 June to 6 July.
From there its a straight run to Riga where we plan another road trip for a few days before moving on to Lithuania. Riga will be our base from the 7th to 14th of July.
On to Lithuania where we plan to take advantage of the offer of a friend in Vilnius to spend a week with us on a tour of the country. Kpaidpeda will be our base from 16 to 25 July before we move on to Gdansk.
Arriving in Gdansk on the 26th of July, we plan on a ten day road trip to Posnan, Wroclaw, Krackow, Warsaw and Lotz returning to Gdansk on the 8th of August. From the 10th to the 16th we will travel the coast of Poland and over to Stralsund area of Germany before heading into Szczcin on the 16th of August.
Click on the photo to see the album of this trip
From Poland we will head up into the Mecklenburg Lakes region of Germany arriving in Jabel on the northern most edge of this region on the 24th of August. We will then spend about a week returning to the main Obese-Havel waterway into Berlin. We will be in Berlin from the 3rd to 9th of September. Then a few days each in Potsdam and Brandenburg before delivering the boat to Magdeburg where it will be loaded on a truck for the trip to the Danube River at Donau, Germany.
