Category: True Green – Greenline 33 Travels

Most people do not know that one can actually circumnavigate south Florida….you can do it in either direction. The key is the Okeeechobee Waterway that dates back to 1937. There are two locks east of the lake and three to the west.

Headed out of Miami, we went on the outside up to Ft Lauderdale, then on the inside up to Boca where we docked for the night and enjoyed the dolphins around the boat.

The next day we stayed on the inside passing the mega yachts at West Palm and proceeded up to Riviera Beach and docked at the municipal marina. We went into Rosemary Square in Boca Raton and really enjoyed this area and particularly the LED tree. Day three took us up to Hutchinson Island near Stuart, FL. Marriott has a monster resort here and we got a chance to walk the beach and take a swim before heading away from the Atlantic.

The following morning we entered the St Lucie canal and two locks later were in Lake Okeechobee. While we did not see a big algae bloom in the lake, the stench at the Port Mayaca lock was so bad Marcia put her mask back on. There are two routes across the lake. The first is the rim route along the south shore and the second is directly across the lake, we elected the later about a 60 mile run for the day.

Rolands Marina in Clewiston was the next stop, this is real redneck country. From Clewiston we took the rim route north the Moore Haven where we entered the canal on the western side and proceeded to Ft. Meyers, about 70 miles. At Ft. Meyers we were guests of the Bentley and Brenda Collins, both formerly of Sabre Yachts. We enjoyed a visit to the Edison and Ford Estates and a delightful dinner.

Our original plan was to head north to Sarasota but discovered all of friends had already headed back up north. We proceeded to Captiva only to discover how difficult it is to get to Sanibel without a car. With a forecast for some heavy weather, we decided to head down to Naples and tuck in there. From Naples we would be heading primarily east across Florida Bay. The forecast was strong winds from the east for the coming week, we decided to leave the boat and head back home till the storm system passed.

Ten days later we were back on the boat and headed down to Everglades City were we stayed at the historic Rod and Gun Club. This area was very busy in the late 1800’s as the birds in the area were plucked for their fancy feathers. From this historic city it was kind of run home. Crossing Florida Bay we docked at Caloosa Cove, not recommended, and then took a long run up the Keys and Biscayne Bay to our dock at Rickenbacker.

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.

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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.

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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.

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