Sea Pal's great loop adventures

[B&B Burks]

Hi friends,

Sometimes I think Sea Pal is not playing with a full deck. We began with
A 3000 mile road trip over going over a pass of 8000 in a mild snow storm.
Then we had to watch out for tornadoes and had to change our trip plans
To miss them. Sorry Pat we missed Nashville but not Dayton Oh. We will see Pat next year or near the end of this phase. I was sorry we had to miss
Seeing him early in our trip.
Seal Pal did arrive early enough to make the Carolina Loop gathering
And we had a wonderful time and it is still happening. We have a dinner
Date with a c-brat couple so I have to cut this short. Kudos to Richard for
Setting the trip up and a special thanks to all the brats in attendance
For helping a misplaced Westerner. We know what southern hospitality is
About.. Just sat thru a 60 to 70 mile per hour t-shower that hit like now.
We ,luckily were in a harbor when it hit but it shows the power of God.
Will send more info later, this is the first day of the great loop adventure.

Happy days
Bob and Betsy

[R-Matey]

Hi Bob and Betsy,

We just found out last weekend when we were at Friday Harbor that you were heading in the direction of the right coast, etc. Sure nice reading that you've made it back there okay and that all is well. Please keep posting so we can keep up with your whereabouts.

Hugs, Ruth and Joe
R-MATEY

[hardee]

Hi Bob and Betsy,

WOW, you are brave. You must have that special slippery stuff all over SeaPal, you know, that tornado proof wax. Hay, have a really great time, and keep us posted here. OH, and don't forget, keep you head down when the whirly gigs get bigger than the parking lot.

Missed you at Friday Harbor.

Harvey
SleepyC

[DoryLvr]

I was definitely thinking about you when the storm hit last night. I watched it build over the bay, I couldn't believe how fast it grew. In about 15 min you could see it spreading and growing in intinsity from here on the Eastern Shore. I am so glad you made it through ok. I am headed over to the marina today to see how Litl Tug rode it out.

It was great meeting you all and I wish you fair winds for the remainder of the trip. I hope you all post lots of pictures.

All the best.

Tivo

[JamesTXSD]

Hi Bob and Betsy,

I recall that couple we met at a C-Brat gathering years ago who had only had their C-Dory on a lake... you've come a long way, baby! We'll be looking forward to reading about your travels on the Loop, and wish you good luck and great fun on your journey.

Best wishes,
Jim & Joan

[Grumpy]

Hi B & B from B,

Wow. You did it. Can't wait to follow your adventures.

By coincidence the speaker at our Yacht Club meeting last week was Chuck Hewitson who did a presentation of his travels around "The Loop" and his new book "When life throws you for the loop".

We will miss you in the Broughtons

Stay safe,

M & K

[ddenver]

B & B,

Since I am still stuck working (for God knows how long) and retirement is only a very distant longed for event, I will have to enjoy the loop vicariously thru your postings in the meantime.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip and keep us all enlightened as to your adventures!

Take care,
Dan & Tanya Denver

[localboy]

Travel safely and may the weather improve!

[richnkay]

Bob & Betsy
We were thinking about you guys as we watched the weather channel from our motel room in PA, far enough north that the bad weather missed us. We arrived back home last night about 4 PM with just a few showers. Today, after mowing foot tall grass, I will start on my engine fuel filters and water seperator! Had a great time dispite our engine problems and we are looking forward to seeing you and hearing about your adventures as you traverse the Erie Canal in the next few weeks.
Rich and Kathie

[Pat Anderson]

Bob & Bestsy - you MUST blog this great adventure!

[B&B Burks]

Thank you all for your encouraging words. It was wonderful to read your responses. We really hated to miss Friday Harbor this year -- you Left Coasters who wrote made us feel a little homesick !!

But we have had such a ball meeting new C-Brat friends. So happy that we were able to make that Carolina Loop Cruise -- it was super !!! So many friendly, fun people. The Osprey crew, Steve and Joan, went to dinner with us the night we arrived in Norfolk (right after that infamous storm) and extended a warm invitation to tie up to their dock and spend the night at their lovely Virginia home the next evening. Bob thought he had died and gone to Heaven when we pulled up to their dock and there was a Corsair F24 Mark 1 set up on the back lawn like a piece of garden sculpture. It was exactly like the one he had before Sea Pal joined our family.

After a yummy dinner, a wonderful visiting time, and a great king sized bed we reluctantly said good bye to our new friends, not knowing when we would see them again, and headed to Deltaville, Va. We stayed at Dozier's Marina, the publisher of The Waterway Guide cruise books. We'll tell ya', he knows how to set up a marina. Huge covered porch lined up with rocking chairs overlooking Chesapeake Bay plus a library/ setting room where we could go and put our feet up and crank up the air conditioner. Oh yes, and did we mention they have a loaner car for the guests to use. We really liked the small town atmosphere of Deltaville including a great local's Saturday Market.

It was in Deltaville that it became abundantly clear that the heat and humidity were NOT going away any time soon, actually they both were going to increase significantly to a pair of mid 90's. Unfortunately, this necessitated a change in plans -- the allure of Washington DC and Annapolis quickly faded. Another time. We needed to get ourselves NORTH !!

After 3 nights in our "beloved" Deltaville we headed to Solomons, Md. for one night and then did a marathon day - ran up to the top of Chesapeake Bay, across the C&D canal and down Delaware Bay to Cape May, N.J. Over a 150 miles-- we hadn't planned on doing it all at once but Delaware Bay, known to be fairly inhospitable to mariners, was calm and almost like glass -- we needed to get while the gettin' was good !! We arrive in Cape May in time to enjoy a wonderful seafood feast. We'd never had soft shelled crab before.

The next day was Betsy's birthday and to celebrate we splurged by renting a little red car to tour all over Cape May and the surrounding area. Of course we enjoyed seeing all the Victorian houses, the lighthouse and the look-out tower used in WWII. But short of Florida, we've never seen so many condos on "the shore". A gazillion. Mostly in the neighboring town of Wildwood -- where we saw our favorite, a totally 50's pink motel, with pool in the front with palm trees ( in N.J. !!) and cars parked at each room and called, of course,
The Bel Aire.

After 2 nights in Cape May we took the ICW of New Jersey up as far as Atlantic City. What a nightmare. C-dorys pride themselves on having a shallow draft -- pride's not always a good thing. We thought Sea Pal was an exception to the local knowledge we received. I guess in a way she was but not before giving her crew a lot more gray hairs !! The state of New Jersey isn't real up on keeping their channels dredged -- we made it but it was a bit of cruising by braille. We took Bill and El's advice and raised those motors!!

The harried crew arrived in Atlantic City just in time to batten down the hatches and prepare for "The Big One". Storm that is. This one was forecast, unlike our Norfolk adventure, so we were SURE the sky was going to open at any moment as we tied our Pal down with 5 different lines !! After all, besides severe thunderstorm warnings with gigantic hail, they also put out a tornado watch !! We were done for. Well ---- maybe not so much. What a non-event. I think we were disappointed. Isn't that sick.

Three days in Atlantic City, not by choice but waiting for some semi calm waters in the Atlantic to get us up to NYC Harbor. No way were we even thinking about the ICW. We'd rather die with honor and drama in the open sea than be humiliated by running aground in a rain puddle !!

Gambling -- hump, did that make us feel old and straight. We didn't know what to do with those machines that don't have handles anymore !! What complicated games. We were able to get a lot of milage out of $45 -- timewise not $$s wise. But we had to have something more to occupy us so we got into trying to wrap our heads around The Golden Nugget's business plan for their brand newly acquired Trump Marina and Casino. Which is presently very long in the tooth. We listened to the employees parrot back the company's talking points about how fabulous the transformation is going to be. But anyone who knows us knows we wanted the real skinny, the "off the record" stuff. What fun we had & we think they enjoyed "spilling" and venting to us too.

Yesterday early was our escape day. Isn't the water supposed to be calmer early. Not so. Also the forecast of 1 ft. chop was not so. We ran for 10 hrs. yesterday in lumpy & bumpy water to get to Croton-on-Hudson. We've certainly been in worse water on occasion in our PNW travels BUT never have done the "L&B" for this long. But we did indeed love seeing NYC from the water and took scads of pictures. As we approached, our first sight of Miss Liberty brought a tear to us both.

Today was more mundane --filled with housekeeping and laundry. Tomorrow promises lots of good things. Easy day of cruising to Kingston, also on the Hudson River, and tying up to the public docks. We understand it is a fun place to visit. We are ready for slowing way down and being more rural !!

We will write again in a week or so -- just about the time you are finishing up reading this tome.
Sea Pal's crew, Bob and Betsy

[colobear]

B&B,

Thanks so much for keeping us up to date. We are there beside you in spirit.

[jennykatz]

B&B Wow all the way up to NYC already That should put you by the Erie canal in a few days Which way will you go Champlain or Erie ? Will you go to Canada ? so many Questions . Hope all is well see you when you get to fl. Jim and Loree

[Valkyrie]

Hi Bob and Betsy,

if you decide to run the length of the Erie Canal to Lake Erie, let us know. Valkyrie is in the western basin between Sandusky and Port Clinton in the islands area. We would be glad to help you out with groceries, transportation or local knowledge. BTW: the Erie Canal is beautiful, relaxing and very inexpensive, with the canal towns providing cheap or free dockage.

RE: seeing the Statue of Liberty. Years ago I ran your route to the south on Spirit, my sailboat, and also got choked up upon seeing Lady Liberty. In my case, I couldn't help but think that my grandparents first saw her upon arriving here from Europe and the same with my dad on returning from Europe at the end of WWII. Quite a sight!

Enjoy your adventures!

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"

[B&B Burks]

We wish the crew of C-Cakes was with us too ! Why not a C-Brat Great Loop Cruise sometime??

Nick, thank you for your offer of assistance, but to answer Jim's question, we are cutting off the Erie Canal at Three Rivers to go to Oswego and do the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario. Otherwise Nick we would have been very happy to take you up on your offer. Meeting you and your wife would have been fun.

Jim, say hi to Loree for us and we'll see you next March or April unless you can make it to the SBS in January!!

We are in the little town on Kingston,NY on the west bank of the Hudson River. About 80 miles up from NYC. The Hudson River is very beautiful with it's lush green banks and interesting structures interspersed. West Point was
fun to see.

This is a very old town -- established before the Revolutiary War. One third of the battles of the RW were fought on the banks of the Hudson. We are on Rondout Creek right now which in the 1800s received, from the 108 mile long Delaware and Hudson Canal, coal from Pennsylvannia. This was a very busy place -- doing 1/10 th of the cargo shipping that the Mississippi was doing at 1,500 times the length!!
Seems that the heat will be catching up to us today. Think an ice cream cone will be in order this afternoon.
Thanks for your encouragement C-Brats, here and by PM. It means a lot to us!!
Sea Pal's crew,
Bob and Betsy