Daydream's Great Loop Blog!

Discovery":3358ichb said:
Pat, Have you nailed down a secure and affordable place to leave the truck and trailer?
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No, we were originally going to launch at Apalachicola, and Marc Grove of Wefings said he would find us a spot. Current plan is to launch on the Caloosahatchee River, and Flint said he would find out what is available around there, I need to find out what he has found out!
 
Pat, I'm proactive. So rather than wait till someone finds out what the score is, you might look at storage yards in whatever areas you wand to launch. Also call marinas in that area and ask where you can leave a truck and trailer for a long period. That's what we did (again) around Rio Vista and found an inexpensive storage yard.

I would think that if Werfings would find you along term place, that's ideal.

But call around, most phone plans have unlimited nation-wide call service. I also think you can launch anywhere in the west Florida coast, so if you locate a good storage space, plan to launch there.

Apparently no one s going to volunteer their back yard.

Boris
 
We came down the Caloosahatchee from Lake Okeechobee in 2006. As I remember there was a large storage facility on the south side of the river a number of miles above Ft. Meyers, but I don't remember a name. Maybe Wild Blue, Jim can remember. There were quite a few acres of boats dry docked there. Maybe by Port Labelle.

We are still considering doing the loop this year. I have been looking at options, even considering buying a 32' Nordic Tug for a loop boat, then reselling it in two years.
 
Discovery":26vmqj63 said:
We came down the Caloosahatchee from Lake Okeechobee in 2006. As I remember there was a large storage facility on the south side of the river a number of miles above Ft. Meyers, but I don't remember a name. Maybe Wild Blue, Jim can remember. There were quite a few acres of boats dry docked there. Maybe by Port Labelle.

We are still considering doing the loop this year. I have been looking at options, even considering buying a 32' Nordic Tug for a loop boat, then reselling it in two years.
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I remember the place, Brent, but not the name. We fueled up there, as I recall. Stack storage and a boat yard.

When we did the winter in Florida, Mike (Papillon) contacted us, offering a place to keep the truck and trailer in his yard. Mike has since sold his C-Dory and moved, so I can't help there, either.

At the time, our daughter said, "So, let me see if I have this right: you are handing the keys to your new truck to somebody you met on the internet? And, he's going to 'keep an eye on it' for you? Are you crazy??"

Yep.

Logistics. Leaving your truck and trailer for months at a time is a concern. I would start looking for storage lots that handle RVs - they are used to dealing with people who leave large assets for half the year or more.

Like Florida, we live in a "hurricane zone." We have a storage unit that is about 40 miles inland, away from the salt air and the potential coastal flood area. Just something else for Pat and Patty to consider in their search for the right place.

Wish I could offer more info.

Jim
 
Pat, what an extraordinary trip this is going to be! I've just spent five hours reading your blog, Captain John's and the other links detailing the looper experience. You'll have so many places to see and visit it boggles the mind. And don't forget your ocarina(s).
 
And here is the third installment of Daydream's Great Loop blog, Navigation on the Great Loop, tackling the issue of whether paper charts are necessary! Hint: I compare the usefulness of paper charts to that of LORAN, a World War II technology that the government put out of its misery officially in 2010, although rigor mortis had set in long before then!

I was going to say that paper charts are probably favored by the same people who think their Motorola flip-phones are great, but as It turns out, that would too cruel to several of my friends!
 
journey on":28xlerzw said:
P
Apparently no one s going to volunteer their back yard.

Boris
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Yes, everyone has good advice. I will start calling around,

I am wondering if we could launch on the Caloosahatchee, drive back to Apalachicola to store the truck and trailer there, and then catch a ride (Uber?) back to our boat. I don't actually know what arrangements for storage Marc had in mind, just that he said he would be able to find us suitable storage there.

And BTW, any West Coast of Florida Brats here willing to volunteer their back yard to store our truck and trailer?? ;-)

 
Pat, Thanks for link again. I just went through the navigation and choices section, twice+, and your descriptions and reasonings are great. I love my C-120 and for the PNW cruising it is more than adequate with my Garmin backup. Would love to do some of what you are doing with a tablet too.

Are you running an AIS transducer, (Active AIS) or just the AIS receiver?

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

PLI_and_SB_CBGT_2_147.highlight.jpg
 
hardee":3arcelr4 said:
Pat, Thanks for link again. I just went through the navigation and choices section, twice+, and your descriptions and reasonings are great. I love my C-120 and for the PNW cruising it is more than adequate with my Garmin backup. Would love to do some of what you are doing with a tablet too.

Are you running an AIS transducer, (Active AIS) or just the AIS receiver?

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

PLI_and_SB_CBGT_2_147.highlight.jpg
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Just the receiver. When I identify a tow on the Mississippi I will at least be able to hail it by name!
 
Pat , sorry I have missed alot of this thread . Was looking forward to seeing you in Apalachicola. Ill brainstorm storage options in the crowded part of Florida !Or see about coordinating a trailer ride back here .
Marc
 
Wefings":19glxgn6 said:
Pat , sorry I have missed alot of this thread . Was looking forward to seeing you in Apalachicola. Ill brainstorm storage options in the crowded part of Florida !Or see about coordinating a trailer ride back here .
Marc
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Thanks, Marc!
 
If you are using a USB monitor anyway, I think a micro PC might be a better choice than a laptop. It would take up much less space.

Granted a micro PC is probably about double what you paid for the laptop.
 
Larry H":8bquw77m said:
Pat,

Great blog entries!

Could you post the make, model and size of your USB monitor? Looks like what I need.
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Larry, all the information on my USB monitor is here. It is possibly a little large but it definatley works.

Here is the bracket. It is intended to be mounted horizontally out from a wall, but I mounted it vertically down from the electornics shelf, which works better from my purposes.
 
ssobol":2pti6egp said:
If you are using a USB monitor anyway, I think a micro PC might be a better choice than a laptop. It would take up much less space.

Granted a micro PC is probably about double what you paid for the laptop.
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You are probably correct, but it is the laptop for now! If/when the C-80 gets replaced completely with the PC based system, including all the required interfaces for radar, AIS, depth sounder and multiplexer, I will no doubt go with a micro PC. What kind would you use?
 
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