Daydream's Great Loop Blog!

Pat --
We just got a couple of aerial shots yesterday over our lake as a drone was buzzing our resident geese. Got it! The geese flew by overhead squawking their thank you, as the ex-drone sunk gurgling in the pond. :-)
 
The free Canadian lockage pass is still not available. The site is here.

Dr. Bob, I checked out the FAA registration site. I will get my drone registered before attempting to fly. One of the things about the DJI Phantom 3 Standard that caused me to choose it is that this one has a sophisticated GPS and compass system so that fly-aways are not likely. The "toy" drones at Walmart not so much...they have a bad reputation for fly-aways. The extra stuff does come at a price though!

Bill, ouch! I'll try to be aware of any geese!
 
Pat,'
My post was a bit tongue in cheek. However, the DJI Phantom 3 at Walmart is the full basic kit, along with the 2.7K video camera for $399. There were the usual cheaper units. The DJI Phantom 3 is certainly the basic standard, but with different cameras and accessories can run on up to over $1500 as I understand it.

Sounds like a fun instrument! Looking forward to what your experiences are and some photos, Love all of the "new" technology which comes with boating!
 
Here is the fifth installment of Daydream's Great Loop blog! This will probably be the last one until we are on the water! It includes the first video from my new DJI Phantom 3 Standard drone! Lots to learn, but I did succeed in retrieving it to my hand!
 
Pat,

We have had Sirius radio for 10 years or so. We use a portable unit, and move it from truck to RV to boat or wherever. It worked as far north as Skagway Ak and south well into Mexico. Your always up on what's going on in the world. Plus your choice of music genre.
 
As you know we are big fans of satellite radio--However, you are not going to get much weather on it The Marine VHF is going to be your best bet--and computer.

Speaking of computers-Not sure if this is applicable for you, but I suspect that a good cleaning, putting most of what has accumulated on the hard drive onto one of those nice $100 3 Tb external hard drives (I think you have thunderbolt on the 2011 mac book pro, so transfer should be fast)--and maybe where you want to store the several Tb of video and pictures you will get.

Also if you have not maxed out the RAM on the computer, and consider a SSD hard drive, or a larger/faster hard drive.

I suspect that cleaning is going to do the most for you!

Anchors As know, I am not a fan of the Bruce--but am of the Fortress--especially in mud. You may find some mud that the Bruce will just not work well in. I may just loan you one...

For some reason I don't see the video --maybe that is what I get for using a MAC which uses all of those "dongles"! (I agree that it is a huge mistake on their part to get rid of the ports! All part of the conspiracy to put us all on the cloud, where our information is no longer private!
 
Pat, Great to see you are almost there :wink: The drone looks fun, nice catch. If it was me, I think I'd be wearing heave gloves for that job though.

Hope all goes well on your trip north. Hang on there, don't leave quite yet, we still have winter up here.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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thataway":2xjd77sp said:
As you know we are big fans of satellite radio--However, you are not going to get much weather on it The Marine VHF is going to be your best bet--and computer.

...

For some reason I don't see the video --maybe that is what I get for using a MAC which uses all of those "dongles"! (I agree that it is a huge mistake on their part to get rid of the ports! All part of the conspiracy to put us all on the cloud, where our information is no longer private!
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For the record, Bob, the video didn't come up for me the first time I looked at the post. After seeing Harvey's post here, I checked again, and it is there. And, I am dongle-free (not the same as going commando). Video always seems to take forever to post when I put it on our blog.

Pat - congrats on the successful first flight and hand retrieval!
 
And since I am a legal beagle, today I completed the FAA registration and Patty will neatly hand-print the registration number on our drone! Now we need a catch name for the little puppy! FA39W33TCW does not have much of a ring to it!
 
Thanks,
Greg,
I fired up a couple of windows computer, and am not getting it using a couple of different browsers there. Windows 10 would not show the small window--finally got that to display on another computer running Windows XP, did not download the video; I put the most recent version of Adobe Flash, still does not down load. I guess, I'll just have to wait until the video hits HBO, or America's Funniest Home Video... Normally I don't have a problem with any videos on my Macs.

Pat, is there a U tube address for this? I would like to see it.
 
Pat and Patty -
Have you been checking out the tributary rivers or canal routes off the Loop? We spent the afternoon with boating friends today who returned from a marvelous cruise on the Rideau last summer. They will be going back east next summer to cruise the Trent Severn.

We have cruised both while doing our Loop trips in our sailboat and on Halcyon. They are super trips -- great locks, wonderful waterways, fine residents. You aren't in a hurry to get back to the Gulf, so why not take some time and cruise some of the finest cruising Canada has to offer? Then, there are the finger lakes, and Lake Champlain.

Also, consider a circumnavigation around Long Island and Manhattan Island. Go east thru Long Island Sound and then north up the Connecticut River. Stop at the Statue of Liberty as you wander by New York City.

There are many side trips farther down south - in the Chesapeake, up the St. John's in Florida, and etc. etc. Folks on this site can suggest many, many more. Don't rush the Loop -- some of the best cruising we have done was by using the Loop as the highway and then cruising the 'side roads' off the highway.
 
Bill, You would not believe the number of people who I have said all of that to, who are doing the loop. Folks just seem to be in a rush--it could take more than 2 to 3 years to go all of the side trips--how about all of the rivers, and up stream of the rivers that you go on for short distances?

Even here in Pensacola--most folks have stopped at Dog River, and want to get on to Fort Walton or Destin--and bypass one of the oldest and most interesting settlements in the country in Pensacola. It is 6 miles off the main waterway. Of course many who do get up here, get "stuck in the mud" as we did 25 years ago! Too good a place to not stay!
 
Bill and Dr. Bob, comments noted! Also noted that we do not have two or three years, at least on this cruise! We have eight months, and we will do as many side trips as we can!

Here is a Youtube on the current status of the new marina in Paducah, which the Public Works Director is predicting will be hosting boats in April.

This really makes things look a lot easier. Hoppies to Cairo, IL, is 158 statute miles, 137 nautical miles, and Cairo to Paducah is 46 miles, 40 nautical miles, on the Ohio River, so the distance between fuel stops is now reduced to 204 statute miles or 177 nautical miles. I don't know how to calculate the boost in economy from the current going downstream from Hoppies to Cairo, but it should be appreciable.

This now looks completely and easily doable in Daydream with our 100 gallon fuel tank. Plus, it is not easy, but gas can be obtained at Cape Girardeau by prior arrangement with the Farmer's Co-op, which has delivered gas to other Loopers at the Red Star Access Boat Ramp. We will play that by ear as we get about 50 miles out from Cape Girardeau! I am now not expecting to need to get gas there, but it is available there if, as unlikely as it seems, it looks like we might need it!
 
Pat the current boost will be most at displacement speeds--if you are going 6 knots thru the water, and have 2 knots current, you will then be going 8 knots over the ground, and fuel range improved by25% If going 18 knots, thru the water, and with 2knots of current, you are now going 20 knots over the ground.

Also sounds like a fun stop!
 
thataway":2tlgiwhi said:
Pat the current boost will be most at displacement speeds--if you are going 6 knots thru the water, and have 2 knots current, you will then be going 8 knots over the ground, and fuel range improved by25% If going 18 knots, thru the water, and with 2knots of current, you are now going 20 knots over the ground.

Also sounds like a fun stop!
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The reason I like math is because it makes sense.
 
And Bob and Ken -

If he turns off the blinking motor, he won't make any noise or use any stinky fuel - just a calm quiet drift along with the ducks, geese, and driftwood. Oh, and once in a while, a paddle stroke to avoid a check dam. Ah, now that's the retired life -- sipping a Snowqual. beer and drifting down the river with your girl friend. And where's the next fuel stop? My beer is getting low. 😉
 
El and Bill":189i76id said:
And Bob and Ken -

If he turns off the blinking motor, he won't make any noise or use any stinky fuel - just a calm quiet drift along with the ducks, geese, and driftwood. Oh, and once in a while, a paddle stroke to avoid a check dam. Ah, now that's the retired life -- sipping a Snowqual. beer and drifting down the river with your girl friend. And where's the next fuel stop? My beer is getting low. 😉
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You are TOO MUCH. Love that :thup :lol: :arrow: :thup

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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