The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and crew...

Hi,

I have enjoyed your posts since I joined and admire your integrity. I am not on my boat as much as I had expected and you are most welcome to use SEA COASTER :D I am using it August 15th-23rd at the longest and except for that am totally flexible. If you would help me learn more about using my boat and all its features it will definitely be a great trade :D

This is a beautiful time of year in the Pacific Northwest and we have many Brats out and about that would love to see you. Give me a jingle or drop an email and please consider coming!


BaseCampAnne
SEA COASTER
 
BaseCampAnne":1sfft0xz said:
Hi,

I have enjoyed your posts since I joined and admire your integrity. I am not on my boat as much as I had expected and you are most welcome to use SEA COASTER :D I am using it August 15th-23rd at the longest and except for that am totally flexible. If you would help me learn more about using my boat and all its features it will definitely be a great trade :D

This is a beautiful time of year in the Pacific Northwest and we have many Brats out and about that would love to see you. Give me a jingle or drop an email and please consider coming!


BaseCampAnne
SEA COASTER
Click to expand...

My goodness, what a very gracious offer! I also had another invite from Marty and Dot in a PM . You people overwhelm us with your generosity and kindness. Please understand that we miss cruising on Wild Blue, but we are really OK. We could have headed right for south Texas, but instead decided to take this time and just play. Today, we put a couple hundred miles on the new motorcycle, driving through some of the best motorcycle country around. (The Black Hills are consistently voted in the Top 10 of Best Motorcycle Roads by the Harley Owners Group and various motorcycle magazines.) Out butts are tired, our smiles are big, and we are feeling completely relaxed. Mt. Rushmore, Hill City, Custer, Custer State Park, Iron Mountain Road (and the tight-turning "pig tail" bridges, back through Keystone, and a great meal out in Rapid City. We rode through a herd of buffalo (yes, very cautiously), worked through the gears on some fine "twisties", got off and walked through some interesting shops, felt a swell of good ol' American pride as we first saw "the faces", and admired the beauty of the Black Hills. It was a truly fine day.

Tonight, I sat in a campchair outside our RV and watched a thunderstorm build over the Hills; it is slowly moving our way. Nature, her beauty, and her power are an awesome sight to behold. The rain has started, along with the wind... hopefully, we won't have hail, but I know it isn't going to snow!

Life is different at 3200' elevation as opposed to 7800. It's all about how you adapt.

As Jay said, had there not been an ultimatum, we would still be in Yellowstone, and today would be one of my days on. We really enjoyed our jobs, we put a lot of effort into getting ourselves equipped and there, and we would have certainly stayed through our contracted time had the marina management been forthright. I am disappointed it turned out badly, but happy to not have to deal with the indifference of the management.

Now, this group here is completely the opposite - what a compassionate, friendly, generous bunch you C-Brats are! :thup

Anne, we will get back to the PNW sometime with Wild Blue, and it would be our pleasure to show you how we use our boat. Your offer is most kind, and please don't think we take it lightly. Cruising/boating isn't always an intuitive venture, but the more you do it, the more it becomes second nature. We have spent a lot of years on the water with our different boats, and everytime we take Wild Blue out, she teaches me something new. I think that is one of the things that draws me to the water - every day is a new adventure.

Thank you again for thinking of us, BaseCampAnne and all the folks who have posted, PMed, and e-mailed.

Best wishes,
Jim & Joan
 
Well, it's that time again...

at200804_5day.gif


Whirly-girl season. Hello, Dolly... she seems to have our house in her crosshairs. As usual, we'll know more in a couple days.

We've been enjoying our time in the Black Hills. Yesterday we went to the Festival In The Park in our old hometown... saw some friends and picked up this...

SignE_002.jpg

It will look good at our dock, assuming Dolly leaves our dock alone. You can't see it 'cause my hand is in the way, but the last line says, "All others will be sunk!"

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
This just in...

Dan sent the latest Captain Jim comic strip. Usually I post these on Monday, but we will be traveling... so, here's Molly's nightmare:

7_20NightmareStripE.sized.jpg

This may be two in a row that have some basis in fact. :wink: Not sure, other than at feeding time, I can't always tell what Molly is thinking.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Jim,

Just caught up with your story. Fabulous. Made me feel good that you guys had the courage of your convictions and the cohones to make it stick.

Congratulations on your stand for common sense.

You should visit the Broughtons and talk with real people like Billy Proctor.

"Grumpy" is a good state of mind when faced with faceless and mindless idiots.

Merv
 
Hi Merv,

Sounds like you had some big fun up north! How did the new boat do? We enjoyed Roger and Janet's postings along the way.

I don't know about cojones, but trying to get things made right in that situation was like banging one's head against a wall. Frustrating. Fortunately, we have moved on. All things considered, it would have been a great summer in the PNW. We may make it up your way again next year - would love to see your boat!

Thanks for the kind words.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Jim,

New boat did great but still wish we had the 22 for quick trips.

See that "Dolly" has just grown to Cat #1 and looks like a direct hit for you. Hope all is well tied down.

Merv & Kathy
 
Grumpy":2hvcvkmk said:
Jim,

New boat did great but still wish we had the 22 for quick trips.

See that "Dolly" has just grown to Cat #1 and looks like a direct hit for you. Hope all is well tied down.

Merv & Kathy
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I checked... no "boat limit" in Washington - you can have as many as you want!

Dolly looks to be a real problem... our house is right in the crosshairs of the predicted path. We are battened down, the hurricane shutters are down. As long as the neighbors didn't leave anything out that could become a "missle" and the house doesn't get breached, it should be OK wind wise. Storm surge is another problem. Waves are predicted to be 15 - 18 feet at the coast, storm surge around 5'. That would put water in the storage area under our house... another foot or two and it will be IN the house. That would really suck. Our neighbors have all evacuated, so there's no one there to give us an on-the-scene idea of what's happening. We'll know more in about 36 hours.

Wild Blue is about 15 miles inland. I wouldn't be surprised if there is some flooding in that area, but she should be OK.

Thanks for your concern. I'll post something here when we know.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Pat Anderson":1xy9s6ei said:
Jim and Joan - you know we are all thinking about you and Dolly and hoping for the best...
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Thanks, Pat. It's a pretty helpless feeling, being this far from home. Having satellite TV helps, as does Weather Underground on the computer. We didn't get much sleep last night, though. Of course, if we were there, we would have already evacuated.

Every computer model is now showing the eye crossing right over our house sometime in the next 6 hours. It's a rather eerie feeling, watching this unfold on national TV, with scenes from our daily life... yep, there's Jim Cantore standing by the Pavilion; oh, look at the traffic on the causeway; that weather guy is broadcasting from the NAPA store (about 10 blocks from our house). It's a great little house, but it's on it's own right now. If things take a bad turn, we will probably head that direction as soon as possible. If the house weathers it OK, we'll ask our neighbors to check that the air conditioning is still running (helps keep things dry inside), open the door to our underneath storage (sure to have water in it), and head for home in a few weeks.

We appreciate the kind thoughts sent this way. I'll keep y'all posted.

Best wishes,
Jim & Joan
 
Jim and Joan,

Seems you two have the knack for living life 'large'! Maybe the Yellowstone situation was a fluke of good luck to free you up for gettin' home quick.

We are all wishing you the best times, the least hassle and damage, and that you continue your colorful posts!

What was that old saying? "May the wind be at your back, the sun out of your eyes and the water out of your basement..."?

John
 
Up to a Category 2 and looks like the eye will pass right over our house. Reports of roof damage in our neighborhood, but no specifics. Our island has been evacuated because of the swing bridge... once the tide surge reaches a certain height, the bridge will open on it's own - you can't stop it. So, no one would be able to get off the island at that point. Hopefully, everyone got off already.

Dolly has slowed down, allowing the intensity to build. Power outages, coastal waves building, with anticipated heights of 22'. South Padre Island will get the worst waves, we will likely see more surge because of the ship channel direction.

No basements in our part of the world, Dr. John... if anyone had one, it would be called "an indoor pool."

Our house is built to hurricane specs, supposed to withstand winds of 120+ mph. At that point, it isn't the wind, it's what's IN the wind. If the house is breached, it's a guarantee there will be damage. Debris blowing at 100 mph is the problem.

Jim Cantore is an idiot - standing on a dune on SPI and proclaiming "We haven't seen the worst, yet. Dolly has stalled right off shore and Port Isabel is now seeing hurricane force winds. Let's go to our guy in Brownsville to see if they've had any flooding, yet..." You can hear the anticipation in his voice.

Sigh.
 
Jim,

We're thinking about you and hoping for the best.

RE: TV coverage. You're spot on about the anticipation. I remember watching hurricane coverage on the Weather Channel a few years ago with the "reporter" decked out in full foul weather gear leaning into the wind seemingly to keep his balance. However, for a few seconds a family could be seen in the background in shorts and t-shirts walking their dog at the water's edge with surf conditions appearing to be very calm.

Nick and Marcia
"Valkyrie"
 
Jim and Joan,

Judy and I are watching and praying that your "boat" and home are spared any damage. I am keeping an eye on CNN and The Weather Channel both, watching to see if either network enlist "Wild Blue" as their means of transportation for after storm coverage....Do you have her in covered or open storage?

Hope your neighbors will be able to get back on the island soon, so as to send you a report....waiting and not knowing is hardest part.

Try to remember, "if it is not in your control"...don't worry about it....What will be...will be...Cay Sara..Sara.

Hope you enjoyed my Doris Day Moment.
 
Hi Mike & Judy,

Thanks for the good wishes. Wild Blue is in indoor storage, about 15 miles inland. One of the last things the guy who has the storage lot said to me... "If we get a big one, I may have to use this boat to get on outta here." I left him a key. :wink: I would imagine that storage lot is now a swamp; we're hoping Wild Blue was spared any of the flying debris by being inside.

We do have some friends who stayed on the island. We spoke to them today while Jim Cantore was out standing on a sand dune. Their house is a couple blocks from ours. By staying on the island, they now have no way off - the swing bridge to our island is opened in case of a storm surge (when it would open on its own). They told us that the canals were not showing signs of a bad surge; the wind was howling, and there were a lot of palm trees that had shed their branches and some roof damage that they could see. I told them where to find the generator at our house for when they lost power. No idea yet if our house has sustained any damage... gusts were around 100 mph at times.

If there was no breach in the house and our neighbors can go inside and make sure there is no water inside, we'll probably wait a few weeks before heading home. If there is damage or water leaks, we'll head back right away. We're now waiting for power to be restored so we can hear what the situation really is. The uncertainty is unnerving.

I remember my grandparents telling me about that Doris Day person. Apparently, you've been in south Florida long enough to transpose a "Cay" for a "Que". I still have memories of you dancing around in your twirly skirt and singing show tunes... not surprised that you are doing your Doris Day impersonation. Anything that keeps you out of that Michael Jackson Sgt. Pepper's jacket is an improvement.

"Que Sara Sara" is a helluva lot better than "Hello, Dolly" right now. :roll:

Thanks for thinking of us, buddy.

Best wishes,
Jim & Joan
 
JamesTXSD":2fjaqrvp said:
Hi Mike & Judy,



I remember my grandparents telling me about that Doris Day person.


"Que Sara Sara" is a helluva lot better than "Hello, Dolly" right now.


Jim & Joan
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Even in this difficult situation you are still making me chuckle. Take care both of you and say hello to Molly . Know we are all pulling for you. :hug
 
Jim,
You guys have the greatest attitude. I would be tearing strips of something by now.
We are all rooting for ya. Maybe you can replace Cantore and introduce some reality......?

Gottemallcrossed. Hate those hurricane thingy's.

Merv & Kathy
 
Thanks for the kind words and good thoughts, friends. We certainly have concerns about our friends who are there, and hope everyone's homes made it through OK (ours included). A little humor helps in most situations.

Grumpy":36f7tb7q said:
Jim,
... Maybe you can replace Cantore and introduce some reality......?
Click to expand...

Well, Merv, I think I've proven that I can't hold a job. :wink:

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Thursday, July 24th.

Hurricane Dolly has passed. I was able to get through to our friends who stayed on our island this morning. They are OK... said they'd never do that (stay) again. Winds topped 125 mph on our island. Lots of damage. They lost some roof and have water that came through their upstairs and has leaked through to the main floor. They have not gone out to survey the rest of the island, and can't see our house from theirs. They said the street looks like a war zone.

I asked if we should be heading down right away. She said, "No point. You can't get on the island. A shrimpboat busted loose and hit our bridge, so they can't get it closed right now. We'll make our way to your place by late afternoon and let you know how your house did."

So... our friends are safe. Stuff can be replaced. Sounds like I may have to learn how to do some house construction. I have plenty of tools... they were all in our underneath storage area... nevermind. :?

No word on how Wild Blue did - can't get through to the storage lot folks.

Wish us luck.

Jim B.
 
Luck atcha! I keep checking Google news, not much news yet. Dolly hit South Padre Island as a Category 2 hurricane, has been downgraded to a tropical storm, levees held in South Texas but lots of flooding - but all old news, nothing current. Hope your home and Wild Blue came through OK...
JamesTXSD":1o3qo3oc said:
Wish us luck.

Jim B.
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