Traveler’s Log

Upon leaving Missouri we suffered the untimely demise of our air conditioning. So with windows rolled down, we headed south toward Nashville, TN. We were anxious to visit Nashville since that is where we lived when we were first married and it is the town of Taylor’s birth. We were also excited to have the opportunity to visit with many old friends.

We set up camp at a great campground with an excellent view of Percy Priest Lake were we had spent many hours sailing when we lived in Nashville. Our trip to Twang Town, which lasted four days, was a tightly scheduled, non-stop marathon where we visited with as many friends as possible. And we enjoyed every minute of it. It was nice to catch up with folks that we had not seen for years and I would like to name each and every one of them. But there are to many and space is limited. But as they read this blog they will know whom they are and we want them to know that we are thankful for their friendship.
One of the most interesting things about our trip was traveling around a city that had gone through many changes since we were last there. We were amazed at how big and busy Nashville has become.

After leaving Nashville, we headed toward the Smoky Mountains and from here on out, our trip went down hill, in more ways than one.

On Friday, the last day of our trip, we traveled through the mountains in a steady rain. With the windows fogged up, it seemed like the right thing to do to turn on the defroster. Boy was that a mistake. It turns out the defroster also engages the air conditioner compressor, which as you may recall died back in Missouri and we had been warned not to turn on. I guess I should have been suspicious when I noticed a slight burning smell in the truck. My suspicions where confirmed later when we heard a terrible screeching sound and the “Check Engine” light came on. And so without hesitation we pulled off the interstate to assess our situation.

After a close inspection, I concluded that the air conditioner clutch pulley had locked up. I immediately phoned my trusty friend, Terry McIntosh. Terry informed me that we needed to find a shorter belt that would bypass the air conditioner and we would soon be on our way. The only problem was….we were out in the middle of ‘No Where’. We also did not know where we were, what we were near or transportation to get there. Soon after ward a fellow stopped and informed us that he was a mechanic and would return to his shop just up the road and get the part we needed and would return soon. An hour later he had not returned nor did he ever.

So I took off walking and soon found a Shell Station where I was informed that there was an auto shop 2 miles up the hill. A nice fellow named James offered to give me a ride but the shop said they could not help me. So James suggested that we go to a NAPA store in a town about 10 miles away. At this point all seemed to be going well, we returned to the truck with our new fan belt, and soon after Tant Erhardt, a pastor at a local Baptist Church stopped to render assistance. Between Tant and James, we were able to install the new belt only to find that it did not fit. Tant recommend that we re-install the old belt and unplug the air conditioner, hoping that the seized pulley would free wheel. Again all seemed to be going well, but when we cranked the engine, it seems we had a severe knocking sound. At this point depression set in. Tant announced that he believed that we has thrown a rod and suggested that we call a tow truck.

With no other options, a tow truck was called and we waited. And waited. And waited. And then waited some more. While waiting a severe thunderstorm came through the area dumping torrential rains and severe lightning struck all around us. As we stood under the awning at the Shell Station, we surmised that we were unemployed, homeless and without transportation. Bobbi Jo, with a positive attitude said, “Hey it could be worse”. To which Taylor replied, “Oh yea, How?”.

As the lighting struck around us, we asked God to strike the Suburban in hopes that the insurance would pay off, and that we would not have to buy a new engine. God did not see fit to answer the prayer and soon after the tow truck arrived. We loaded the Suburban on to the flat bed and hooked the trailer to the tow truck’s hitch. Then all five of us crammed into the cab of the tow truck for the 100-mile trip to Charleston. Five you ask? Yes, five. Bobbi Jo, Taylor, Jim the tow truck driver, Cindy his wife and me. Bobbi Jo sat on my lap for the whole trip, which I thoroughly enjoyed, while Cindy and Taylor became very close.

We were almost to Charleston when the driver noticed something dragging on the interstate in his rear view mirror. So after pulling over, the depression deepened even more when we discovered that one of my favorite fishing rods, that I had owned for over 25 years, had blown off the top of the Suburban, broken into multiple pieces and was dragging down the road. Taylor’s rod, also accidentally left on top of the Suburban was just plain missing. I placed the rods on top of the truck to avoid damaging them while loading some things into the back. However I forgot that I put them there. But hey, my luck at fishing had not been so good anyway, so I guess it was no great loss.
$300.00 later we arrived in Charleston, dropped the trailer at our friend Mike’s house and the Suburban at Terry’s shop.

So here we sit. Our great, adventure as come to a dramatic end. We had a fabulous time boating and an anti-climatic RV experience. It would be tempting to get back on the boat and take off again. But at this point I guess we will search for jobs, move back into our house and put a new engine in our Suburban.

At this point I feel compelled to remind all of you, who have sent notes telling us how you live vicariously through us by reading our blog, that if you send money you can live vicariously better.

We trust that God has a plan for what is going to happen next, because we sure don’t. But never fear we will keep you posted. Even though our trip may be over, we will continue the entries on our blog. And when we recover from this minor set back we will seek out new adventures. We are tentatively planning a trip to New York City for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and a fly-fishing expedition for billfish in Costa Rica. So if you would like to contribute to the research for these blog entries our address is……just kidding.

Traveler’s Log

“On the road again, like a band of gypsies we go down the highway”. That line, from a famous Willie Nelson song, sums it up for us. After three weeks in Iowa we are on the move again.

Our first stop was Hannibal, MO. We visited the hometown of Samuel Clemmons a.k.a Mark Twain. Hannibal is a river town and the setting for the tales of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. To our surprise Hannibal had a lighthouse. Having visited many lighthouses on our boat trip, we thought is only fitting to visit this one as well. Of all the lighthouses we have visited, this one had the most steps to climb to get to it. But after climbing 240 steps it offered a fabulous view of the town and the Mississippi River. While in Hannibal we took a trolley tour that took us around to many of the local sites and gave us the history of the town. Hannibal has many historic buildings that are home to shops of all kinds but one of our favorites was The Jam Store, which is a music store that specializes in selling and building folk instruments such as the mountain and hammer dulcimers, as well as guitars, mandolins and banjos. I thought about buying a mandolin. I don’t know why. It just seemed like it might be a fun instrument to learn. However, I decided it might be cheaper to learn to plan the instruments that we already own such as guitars and pianos. We did however buy Taylor a harmonica. As we travel down the road we are now serenaded from the back seat. I have always had a policy of not encouraging creative activities, such as music, for the fear that Taylor may be inclined to pursue a career in music like I have. We prefer that he get a real job. Based on his current skill level as a harmonica player, I don’t think we have much to worry about.

One of the most popular attractions in Hannibal is the Mark Twain Cave. This cave, made famous in the tales of Tom Sawyer, has miles of passageways and maintains a constant temperature of 52 degrees, year round. If you are ever in the Hannibal area, I highly recommend that you visit the cave, however, be aware that there are lots of things to trip over and hit your head on. Trust me I know.

After leaving Hannibal we headed to south central Missouri to Montauk State Park where we planned to meet our friend Kent Mathes and his family. Montauk is a beautiful park with a lodge and several excellent trout streams flowing through it. I was very excited to try my hand at fly-fishing for trout. The streams are stalked daily and you can walk along the bank and see trout everywhere in the crystal clear water. Soon after our arrival at the park, Kent took us to a stream that flowed out of the ground, from a natural spring. We waded into the water and immediately body parts began freezing and falling off. I don’t mind wading into water to fish, but this was unbelievably cold water. Kent and his sons, Andrew and Garrett, immediately began catching fish. Three days later, after many hours in the streams, I wallowed in the agony of defeat. It seems that trout are tricky little beasts that can pick up a fly with their mouth and spit it out without you ever knowing it. Unlike other fish there is no tug or yank, therefore you must be able to see them take the fly in order to catch them. I therefore cannot recommend those persons who are visually impaired try fly-fishing for trout.

After fishing at Montauk we went on to Ironton, MO to spend a few days at Kent’s house and to attend his college graduation. However we managed to get lost in the country. By time we arrived at the school we missed the entire event. We would like to congratulate Kent, who after many years in the insurance business will be changing directions and teaching 5th grade this fall. On Sunday we attended church in Jackson, MO where Kent’s gospel group, Crimson Gold, performed. I have been around gospel music all my life and professionally since 1983. I can honestly say that Crimson Gold is one of the best vocal groups I have ever heard.

After Missouri our next stop will be Nashville, TN or, as I like to call it, Twang Town.

Traveler’s Log

Since our last entry, life has been fairly blasé for myself, and my merry band of travelers. (Note: Blasé is probably not spelled properly but I like that word and we thought we would try to find a way to use it). Not much has happened although we have been enjoying a time of relaxation in Iowa.

The first week we were here we camped at Bobbi Jo’s aunt and uncle’s house where Chris, her uncle, treated us to some delicious meals cooked on an open fire. Few people have the skills or the tools for outdoor cooking that Chris Schafer does. Chris and Betty have an awesome camping area over looking the ponds on their property where there is a large fire ring and a device that swings a grill over the campfire for cooking. Armed with his three-feet in diameter non-stick frying pan and a pound of butter, he can cook anything with the finesse of a master chef.

We spent the second week at the home of Jason and Jacki Askelson, Bobbi Jo’s sister, in Des Moines, Iowa. We had a fun week of hanging out. Jacki took the week off from work and we spent the week entertaining Taylor and his cousin Aiden (18 months). We enjoyed a traditional down-home Fourth of July parade where they gathered nearly 5 pounds of candy from the passing floats.

Our third week was spent at Grandma Emmon’s house in Adair, Iowa where Bobbi Jo grew up. Adair is a lovely quiet farming community and we have enjoyed many nice afternoon walks around town and to the park. Once a year Adair celebrates the famous outlaw Jesse James with a weekend festival called Chuckwagon Days. Jesse James put Adair on the map by committing one of his famous train robberies here. The festival is a marathon weekend of over indulgence beginning with the ice cream social at the Presbyterian Church on Friday evening. Saturday morning we awoke early in order to attend the pancake breakfast at the city hall. Following the parade we had maid-rite sandwiches at the Methodist Church. (Note: Maid-rites, for those in the South would be known as a Sloppy Joe). After resting up from the morning activities we took Taylor and Aiden to the carnival at the park. The evening was capped off by attending the Chuckwagon Dinner at the Community Center. One thing you can say about Iowa, there is no shortage of good food.

Speaking of food – we joined Bobbi Jo’s Grandma Harrison for lunch at the Dutch House in Elkhorn, Iowa an authentic Danish restaurant complete with a windmill imported from Denmark.

While in Adair I have enjoyed some outstanding fly-fishing. I have caught some of the largest blue gills I have ever seen. One morning while fishing, Bobbi Jo, who had been out for her morning exercise, walked up behind me. Not noticing her proximity to me, I continued swishing my fly rod back and forth preparing for another cast. When all of a sudden the stillness of the beautiful Iowa morning was broken with a blood-curdling scream. After I jumped out of my skin I turned to see my fly firmly embedded in my wife’s bare shoulder. I immediately set the rod down and ran to her aid. She did not however seem consoled by the fact that the hook was not past the barb, which was good for her because that meant it would be easier to remove and good for me because that meant I would not have to cut my fly apart in order to remove it from her arm. (Note: Flies are expensive). Despite her injuries, Bobbi Jo continues to risk life and limb to go fishing with me and for that I am grateful.

One of the things that Bobbi Jo loves so much about Iowa is that they grow some of the best peaches and cream sweet corn. However, for all the corn grown in Iowa, sweet corn is very limited. One afternoon as we drove through a large cornfield, Bobbi commented that there was corn, corn everywhere and not a cob to eat. Since most of the corn that is grown here is field corn, which is used for feed. Since our stay here was coming to an end, we thought we would have to leave here without having enjoyed some delicious sweet corn since it was not ready for harvest. However one afternoon Chris and I, while driving through Des Moines, spotted a sweet corn stand on the side of the road or maybe it was the attractive blonde wearing the daisy duke shorts and halter top that caught our attention. Either way, we pulled in to make a purchase. On our way home, with two- dozen ears of sweet corn, I was feeling proud of myself, and looking forward to winning some brownie points with Bobbi Jo for finding the allusive sweet corn. Soon after this we saw another sweet corn stand and then another, both were also tended by attractive and scantily clad young ladies. Upon our arrival back to the house I learned that Bobbi Jo, while out and about, had also found a sweet corn stand and suddenly my sweet corn purchase did not seem so impressive. The next day I mentioned to Jason our enjoyable shopping experience at the sweet corn stand and that we had noticed other sweet corn stands with equally impressive salespeople. Jason said that during the sweet corn season, that this was the norm. I asked Bobbi Jo who she bought her corn from and it turns out that she too bought corn from a girl in short shorts and a halter top. Oh, how I do love sweet corn. It is one of the things that makes Iowa such a great state.

By the time you are reading this entry we will have departed for Missouri. We have been promised some of the best trout fishing to be found. I will let you know how it goes.

Camping out at the Schafer's is always a treat. There is abundant fishing, swimming and kayaking, not to mention some R & R. A huge thanks to Chris and Betty for again hosting a great weekend of camping out in the timber surrounding thier beautiful home.

While camping for the Fourth the boys did what they do best, nothing...or rather fishing. With Arnold is my brother-in-law Jason to the left and Uncle Chris to the right.

We spent Fourth of July Weekend camped out at the home of Chris and Betty Schafer, my aunt and uncle. Taylor and his cousin Aiden spent time lounging on a hammock with Aunt Jacki.

One thing we look forward to while traveling via RV is being able to stop and see many of our friends who are across the country. Dave Wayman has been a friend of Arnold's for years and currently lives in Indiana. It was awesome to see him and catch up on each other's lives.

We picked up the travel trailer in Hudon, Ohio and went to the nearest campground in order to set it up, make sure everything worked and clean it up. Taylor spent his time preparing for marshmallow roasting as the campfire blazed.

Traveler’s Log

As you can see, we have changed the name of our ‘Deck Hand’s Log’ to the ‘Traveler’s Log’. The reason for which is that we are no longer traveling on our boat, but are now traveling the highways and byways of the U.S. in our Suburban with a travel trailer in tow.

Two weeks ago we left Charleston in route to Hudson, Ohio where we picked up a travel trailer belonging to our friends Mike and Kristin Sigalis. They offered us the use of the trailer for the summer and for that we would like to thank them. However, after driving two blocks with the trailer, we had a slight technical difficulty with the Suburban. We had to have it towed to a shop where we had a new steering column installed. In one fail swoop we had already spent more money on repairs on this trip then we did during 8 months of cruising on our boat. I must say that we were treated very kindly by folks in Ohio who worked on our vehicle and they gave us a ride at a local hotel to spend the night.

After the repairs were made, we continued on west to Michigan, where we were going to drop off our friend John who was traveling with us. We met John while cruising in Florida and he mentioned that he needed to go to Michigan for a family gathering. Since we were headed that general direction we offered to take him there. Over the next four or five days we spent time working on and cleaning the trailer and experiencing the RV lifestyle in campgrounds in Ohio and then Michigan.

After taking John to Michigan we traveled south to Marion, Indiana where we visited my good friend David Wayman whom I had not seen for 9 years. David and I attend Belmont College in Nashville together and were also roommates. It was great to see David; it is good to have friends such as this whom even though we are many miles apart we still have a close friendship.

After leaving Marion we headed west through the cornfields of Indiana in route for Iowa. As we drove down a narrow country road we noticed the sky was darkening and full of lightning in the direction we were headed. Soon it began raining so hard that there was zero visibility outside of the vehicle. With nowhere to pull over, Bobbi Jo stopped in the road. Although we had come to a stop, the Suburban and the trailer were moving violently and we were not sure whether we were still on the highway or in the ditch. Fearing that another vehicle would hit us, Bobbi Jo decided to pull into a driveway that was near us to get off the road. We sat in the driveway of a farmhouse and waited out the rain, the wind and the hail. When it was clear enough to drive we pulled back on the road where other cars were still wondering if it was safe to move on. All around us the fields of corn had been flattened and trees were damaged. This trip, so far, could be summed up by the young, but wise, Taylor O’Neal, when he said, “Dad, some days it doesn’t pay to get out of bed”.

After three days of driving through corn country and stopping at anti-climactic RV parks, we finally arrived at Bobbi Jo’s grandmother’s house in Adair, Iowa. We will spend time here in Iowa fly fishing in the Schafer’s pond and recuperating from the first part of our trip as we try to decide whether to press onward or to abandon RV travel and head back to Charleston.
I feel like Chevy Chase in the movie Vacation. He drove his family half way across America enduring many trails and tribulations, only to find that Wally World was closed. So not to be defeated, we are hatching a plan to go fly-fishing for sailfish in Costa Rica. But who knows where the O’Neals will go next, regardless of the direction I am sure it will be an adventure.

Captain’s Log

It has been a while since our last entry primarily because we have been out of town. Since our last entry Bobbi Jo had to attend a meeting in Atlanta. In Atlanta we stay at the Marriott Marquis where parking is by valet, ONLY. This is not necessarily a problem, except that in the past, when we arrived in our dilapidated Volvo, none of the valet’s wanted to park it. And since we had no luggage on the boat to take with us, our humiliation was twofold when the bellman had to assist us with our Wal-Mart bags and laundry baskets full of clothes. So this time, I was bound and determined to arrive with my head held high. So before our trip we bought a newer vehicle and actually packed our clothes in luggage.

After Atlanta we traveled to North Carolina where we dropped Taylor off at his grandparent’s home and Bobbi Jo and I went to Washington D.C. for an appointment at the National Eye Institute (NEI).

The NEI is one of the top research facilities in the world and I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Caruso, who is one of the researchers that specializes in RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa). I went through a series of tests to determine what my current situation is and to see if I am eligible to participate in research studies. The testing was very thorough and at times painful. Although they call this testing, torture or maybe interrogation would be a better description. I was at one point placed in a totally dark room after having had my eyelids taped shut and then blindfolded. The researcher, while wearing night vision goggles, then took off the blindfold, removed the tape and placed contacts in my eyes that also held the lids open. There were electric probes attached to the contacts that were in my eyes. With eyes held open, in a total dark room, I then had to stare at bright strobe lights. They say that this was for research purposes but it seemed odd that they kept asking me about military secrets. They didn’t seem to believe me when I insisted that I knew nothing. However Bobbi Jo confirmed that this is true, that I know nothing.

Despite the rigorous testing I was very excited to have the opportunity to visit the NEI. Dr. Caruso and his staff were a pleasure to work with and we were very impressed with how friendly and efficient they were.

We very much enjoyed our visit to the D.C. area. We had the opportunity to spend time with our friends Dave and Becky Nanny in Randallstown, MD. We also need to extend our gratitude to Alan and Lisa Blunt and their family who made arrangements for us to stay at their family’s home in Gaithersburg, MD.

At this point we are back in Charleston at trying to figure out what to do next. We have decided not to continue our trip on our boat. Although this experience has been wonderful and we enjoy boating, we have decided that we would like to visit some places not accessible by water. Our boat is ‘For Sale’. We are going to head west and visit friends and family across the country. We also plan to visit some of the great National Parks and hopefully the Grand Canyon.

And though we will not be traveling on our faithful trawler Imagine, we will be cruising the open roads of the United States. We will continue to bring you tales of our adventure.

The last bridge you have to go under as you travel North to Charleston is the LimeHouse Bridge. Just on the other side of the bridge is Rae's house where we keep the boat. We were excited when we saw the bridge and knew that we had successfully gone cruising and made it back home.

One of life's greatest treasures are the friendships you develop. Two of our great friends, Kerry Haupert and Jim Vearil, drove to Beaufort to meet us, have another fabulous dinner on the water front and enjoy a concert at the waterfront park. These are two friendships we will treasure for our lifetime.

From Charleston to Beaufort in October 2004, Kerry did not take the helm. But on the return trip back to Charleston in May 2005, we put her in charge and she did a great job driving us home.

On our very first leg of the trip, from Charleston to Beaufort, we enjoyed the company of our great friends Terry and Terri McIntosh and Kerry Haupert. We loved having them join us for our first trip, and were sad when they left us in Beaufort. But we were excited when we returned 8 months later and were able to see our friends again.

When we left Charleston in October headed for Beaufort we had three stowaways on board. Here, one of them, Terry McIntosh took the helm.

Deck Hand’s Log

Our last entry ended with our visit to Cumberland Island. From there we had an uneventful trip to Fort Frederica and then we headed to a small marina called the Two Ways Fish Camp to wade out some bad weather. Two Ways Fish Camp is an out of the way fishing marina between Darien and Brunswick, GA. Upon our arrival we were greeted by some local boaters who helped us with our lines, thus beginning the start of a fun weekend. The hospitality at Two Ways was some of the best we have encountered. Everyone was friendly and we spent a lot of time sitting around the dock getting to know some new friends. The marina had boosted that the restaurant on the premises had the best fish sandwich on the ICW. So we ventured into Mud Cat Charlie’s to give it a try. It is hard to say if it is actually the best, because we have had so many good fish sandwiches along the way, but it definitely was good. Two Ways Fish Camp is a true taste of the Deep South, complete with thick swarms of biting insects.

After leaving Two Ways we headed for Kilkenny Creek where we were disappointed that the restaurant was closed however we spent a nice evening in a beautiful and peaceful anchorage. However we encountered the worst attack of No See-Ums of our entire trip. The pests were so bad that Bobbi Jo went to bed early to hide under the covers only poking her head out to spray wildly about the cabin with Deep Woods Off. Although the bugs bothered Taylor and I, they seemed to like Bobbi Jo much better. But then, who can blame them.

Our next stop along the way was Penny’s Creek and then we headed for Beaufort, SC. Beaufort is one of our favorite places and so we decided to spend a few days hanging out there. While we were anchored in Beaufort the wind piped up and the weather began to get a little sloppy. A sailboat came to the anchorage and anchored nearby. I told Bobbi Jo that I thought he was a little too close to us but I didn’t think it would be a problem. But I was wrong.

About 2:30am, we were awakened by ‘things that go bump in the night’. When we looked out the starboard hatch we found that we had collided with the neighboring sailboat. We alway enjoy meeting new people, but this is not our preferred method. He was very apologetic that he anchored so closely and neither boat was damaged. So it was just a minor inconvenience until we discovered that one of our lines from the dinghy had wrapped around our props. So we went back to bed, dreading having to go for a swim the next morning. With the rise of the sun, the weather had worsened, the wind was blowing harder and it was raining. We planned to move to the marina but until the fouled prop was cleared we could go nowhere. So once again I found myself swimming under the boat to untangle the props. After a refreshing morning swim, under a boat bouncing up and down with the waves, we headed for the marina through a driving rain.

After we secured the boat we trudged through the rain to a restaurant that was reported to have a great breakfast and lots of hot coffee. When we arrived at Blackstone’s Café and found it to be a little more up-scale than the typical greasy spoon that we tend to frequent for breakfast. It was embarrassing to go in soaked from head to toe in our yellow raingear, but despite our rough appearance, they showed us to a table. We enjoyed a great breakfast of pancakes and shrimp & grits, and tipped the waitress a little extra for having to mop up the puddle around our table.

Our good friends Kerry Haupert and Jim Vearil came down to Beaufort to hang out and enjoy the town with us. Jim had to return to Charleston to work the next day, but Kerry stayed on board and rode with us on our last leg to Charleston.

Now that our boat is home we have to make a trip to Atlanta and then on to Baltimore, MD by car. Then we will return to Charleston for the next part of our adventure.

Obviously Arial is VERY comfortable on the boat. We went to lunch and when we returned she had climbed out on the bow sprit to get a little sun.

One of our favorite stops was Cumberland Island, GA. This island is only reachable by boat. One of the things it is most known for are the wild horses. As we were touring some of the ruins the horses were almost within reach. Taylor loved watching the colts.

Deck Hand’s Log

We spent a few days in St. Augustine, once again waiting for stormy weather to pass. While there we visited one of our favorite ice cream parlors, The Jester. When the winds slacked off we continued on to Fernandina Beach, FL. From the water, approaching Fernandina, it is tempting to pass it by. The Fernandina waterfront is very commercial and has an extremely smelly paper mill. However if you overlook this wonderful town’s first impression, you will find one of the waterways best stop offs. You can walk from the waterfront up the brick paved street, appropriately named Center Street, and enjoy a great selection of shops and restaurants. Hidden away in the busy commercial waterfront area, we found the best fish sandwich I have ever eaten at the Fernandina Seafood Market. In order to work off the weight we gained at the seafood market we rode our bikes 5 miles to the Fort Clinch National Park. We explored the ruins of an 1800’s fort built to guard the entrance to Cumberland Sound. We enjoyed our visit to Fort Clinch where we encountered an older gentleman roaming around in a Civil War, era Union soldiers uniform. This gentleman really enjoyed playing the part. He would not come out of character, even to answer questions about the Fort. When Taylor asked him, “Is there was a film that gives the history of the fort?” He wanted to know what ‘film’ was.

After leaving Fernandina, we stopped at Cumberland Island. We bypassed Cumberland Island on our way south in the fall and this mistake has haunted us ever since. We have spoken to dozens of cruisers who asked us if we stopped there on our way to Florida. They were all shocked when we had not. So therefore we knew that we could not bypass the island again. One of the things that Cumberland Island is known for is the herds of wild horses that roam the island. As we approached the island from Cumberland Sound we were treated to a view of the horses as they walked down the beach. The island is a beautiful National Seashore Park that is undeveloped other than a few, turn of the century mansions that are still owned by the decedents of the Carnegies and the Rockefellers.

The island is covered in a dense maritime forest where we saw armadillos and wild turkeys roaming about. While exploring the remains of the first mansion that was built on the island in the 1730’s, we had another encounter with the wild horses. We then trudged a ½ mile over huge dessert like sand dunes to get to the beach which was absolutely amazing. On our way back to the boat we walked down the islands main road, which is a sand, and seashell bed road wide enough for a horse and buggy and lined with dense forest on either side. It was fun to walk down this road that had been unchanged for over 250 years and wonder about the people who had passed this way before. Cumberland Island is accessible only by private boat or a ferry that departs from St. Mary’s, GA. The island has tent camping sites for the adventurous and for those with a taste for the luxurious, you can stay at a Bed & Breakfast established in one of the historic mansions, but bring your Gold Card, because is costs $500.00/night with a two night minimum. I would highly encourage you to visit Cumberland Island. For those of you in the Charleston area, it is a short day trip and one you will not forget.
In the past I have tried to end my ramblings with a motivational quote or song line. This time I can’t think of anything clever, so I would just like to encourage you to get out and see the world. Bobbi Jo, Taylor and I are having an awesome time creating memories at places like Cumberland Island and there are interesting sites to see all around us. So go see them.

While visiting Fort Matanzas we got this great picture of the boat anchored beside this historic landmark.

Deck Hand’s Log

With our last entry we were waiting out gale force winds in a small marina at the St. Lucie Locks. It was great to be in the marina but we were dreading the passage through the last lock, especially since this lock had a drop of 13 feet. While at the St. Lucie lock campground we enjoyed our stay where Taylor had the opportunity to make some new friends from Venezuela and I enjoyed some fly-fishing. One afternoon I was going to a small sandy beach to fish, but upon our arrival the beach was inhabited by what I thought was a large log. But as we got closer it became clear that the ‘log’ was actually a 10-foot alligator. So we decided to fish across the creek, where we could keep a close eye on the gator. For about an hour he never moved, but then with out us noticing he slipped off into the water and disappeared. After that, the big question was, “Where did he go?” and “Where would he reappear?”

After a windy weekend we left the marina and with great anxiety headed toward the lock. We past through, without incident, and boy were we glad. Our next stop was Vero Beach, FL. This is a great stop for cruising boats and has become known as ‘Velcro Beach’, because there is a tendency to get stuck there. We found this to be the truth. The morning we planned to leave Vero, we untied our mooring line to head on to our next destination. After I cast the line off, Bobbi Jo put the boat in gear and we were off. Or so we thought. I then felt a slight ‘bump’ and Bobbi said, “I think we are stuck”. I immediately knew what happened and began searching for the mooring ball with the line attached to it. As I feared it was not where it should have been, but was submerged just under the water line at the stern of the boat. The mooring line had become wrapped around our starboard (right) prop. At this point the only thing left to do was to swim under the boat and try to untangle the line. So after helping Bobbi Jo into the water, I sat on the bridge with a glass of ice tea to ponder our situation. Of course I am kidding, the Captain would never get into the water. Being the lowly deck hand I took the splash. Fortunately after ten or fifteen minutes of unwinding the knot of rope from around our prop shaft, I was able to get us free. I now have barnacle cuts on my toes, legs, arms and shoulders. But hey, that is all apart of the glamorous yachting life-style.

After finally leaving Vero Beach we stopped in Cocoa, FL and were excited to see our cruising friend, John Funke, who happened to be anchored there as well. We then cruised on to the Matanza River where we visited the Fort Matanza National Park. The Spanish built the fort in 1730. We are now in St. Augustine, FL where we are once again waiting out stormy weather.

It has been awhile since we posted our book recommendations. So I thought that I might recommend Norman MacLean's, A River Runs Through It. Yes, this was a Brad Pitt movie, but long before it was a movie staring Brad Pitt, it was an excellent book about fly-fishing and a relationship between two brothers.

Taylor’s pick – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Bobbi Jo’s pick – The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope Stokes (This was the April book selection for the Sweet Monday’s Book Club. This is one of Bobbi’s favorite all time books. If you live in the Charleston area and would like to join this book club email us and we will hook you up with the coordinator. Each month a different Christian book is chosen.)

We made it through Lock #5! We thought we would try to show you what happens in the lock. In this lock you can see the water rushing in and the turbulence it causes. On this one we were going from sea level to lake level. So the boat had to be raised 8 feet. Duing the fifth lock we were dropped 13 feet from the lake level back to sea level. It took 20 minutes to get through it.

Here is the front gate as we waited for the water to come in, and raise the boat up to the level of the lake. You can see the ropes hanging on the sides of the cement wall. You have to grab these, tie them to your boat and hold on.

We got to experience out first lock. Here we have entered our first which is the Franklin Lock. After you enter, the gate closes behind you. Then the gate infront opens and either water rushes in or rushes out depending on if you are going up or down. We were entering Lake Okeechobee so we were going up.

Deck Hand’s Log

The other day I told Bobbi Jo it seemed like it had been awhile since we posted. But there really had not been much to tell. We drove to Atlanta and then North Carolina. We then spent a week in Charleston, which was nice as we got to see a lot of friends. Then we went to Orlando and had a great time celebrating Taylor’s 10th birthday. With all of this going on, I felt a little short on material. But at this moment, while trying to do this entry, we have more material than I have time to elaborate on.

After arriving back to the boat in Fort Myers Beach, FL we finally got under way again. We headed across Florida on the Okeechobee Waterway (OWW). Our first day out was a pleasant cruise through some beautiful farm country and we had our first experience transiting a lock. All went well and we spent two days at one of the nicest places that we have had the opportunity to visit thus far on our trip. We were docked at the Franklin Lock Campground where we had a great time making new friends and enjoying some beautiful scenery. When we finally moved on we continued on a lovely cruise through the central Florida countryside and had to transit Lock #2. This is where things started heading south.

It is hard to explain how a lock works and do it justice. But the short version is that a gate opens and you pull your boat into a long cement channel not much wider than the boat, there are huge steel doors on both ends. It doesn’t sound that bad until you add 20 mile an hour winds, three other boats and the fact that when the gate opens on one end the water rushes in like a waterfall, thing scan get ugly really quick.

At our second lock a bozo in a small powerboat, went in first and stopped short, blocking the entrance for the rest of us. In swerving to miss him, we bounced off the wall. Eventually we were able to grab the ropes that are dangling on the side of the wall, and secure the boat. We were happy to be secured but then things got really bad when the water began rushing in through the gate just in front of us. The boat began pitching and swinging violently and we managed to smash the wall with our bowsprit, which now has a slight bend to the right. After leaving this lock we managed to make it to Moore Haven, Fl where we spent the night.

Today we got out of bed. You know what they say, “Some days it don’t pay to get out of bed”. Our day began with our entrance into Lock #3. This was not as bad as Lock #2, but it was not fun. We then had a 50-mile run around the edge of Lake Okeechobee. The first part of the trip was very nice. We motored through a canal lined with cypress trees containing huge bird nests, some of which we think were bald eagles. But then things took a turn for the worse. The last 15 miles we had to cross an open section of the lake. The wind was blowing about 20-25 miles per hour and the waves were huge and close together. Needless to say we took a pounding. We desperately wanted to get off of Lake Okeechobee. The bad news is that to exit the lake we had to go into……..Lock #4. With the wind and the waves behind us, we were shot into the lock as if going into a funnel. But thanks to the skill of Captain Bobbi, she managed to keep the boat from smashing the cement wall, while I grabbed the dangling ropes. After exiting the lock we were finally in the protection of the canal but still had 20 miles to go to get to our destination. We finally reached the marina where we planned to stay the night and much to our relief, the first-come first-serve slips, had a couple of openings. But then came the challenge of getting into one of the slips with the howling wind pushing us from behind toward the rocks. Thankfully some fellow boaters came to our assistance and grabbed our dock lines and helped us get secured.

We have been cruising now for 6-months. In all this time we have only had a couple of days like this. But it is days like today, that make it hard to remember all of those good days. And it is days like today that I want to hang a ‘For Sale’ sign on the boat and go home. It may sound like I am complaining and maybe I am. But I guess it just goes to show, that even when you are out living your dream, life happens. And sometimes life can be difficult. Tomorrow is another day and maybe it will be better, but then maybe not. Either way, we are blessed to have this opportunity and look forward to wants lies ahead, in our case…..Lock #5.

At Universal Studios this is a must photograph!

Although Taylor has never seen the movie Jaws he enjoyed the Jaws ride at Universal and really enjoyed hamming it up as the Jaws victim.

We took Taylor to Orlando for his birthday and visited Universal Studios. Taylor got to meet some of his favorite characters including Scooby and Shaggy.

While is Fort Myers, Fl we took a 'field trip' to the Sun Harvest Citrus plant. We toured the facility and tasted some fabulous Florida fruit. A must for anyone visiting the area.

Deck Hand's Log

WE ARE ALIVE AND WELL. DO NOT FEAR, WE HAVE NOT BEEN LOST AT SEA! Many of you may wonder why we have not posted recently. One friend stated he was fearing for our safety, because we had not posted in awhile. The reason we have not posted is that we have been away from the boat, traveling the highways and byways of the southeast.
Bobbi Jo had to attend a meeting in Atlanta with the CDC where she has been consulting on a special project. Our trip to Atlanta was a lot of fun expecially since the CDC put us up in the downtown Marriott Marquis Hotel. There we enjoyed the hottub and heated swimming pool. This was upscale living for us, as we had been on the boat for awhile. We felt like 'gypsies in the palace'. Howere you know you are in trouble when you have to pay the valet, more to park your car, than the car is worth.

After leaving Atlanta we went to Cooleemmee, NC where we visited my family. It was great to see everyone, especially my nieces, Amanda and Bethany. After leaving Cooleemmee we drove to Charleston where we are staying at our favorite Bed & Breakfast, "Hotel Wooten". It is always nice to be in Charleston and have an opportunity to spend time with all of our friends.

After leaving Charleston we will return to the boat which is moored in Fort Myers Beach, FL. We will continue to give of ourselves unselfishly, in order to provide exciting tales and adventure for your reading pleasure.