Captain's log: 08-31-10

    Wine and old friends.... both get better with age.   Had a great time visiting with long time friends not OLD, Thanks for making the trip down, Rick and Mary. Keep in touch.

     Well, Moka is right I have been busy and I'm glad she clarified that retired misnomer. When people ask I say I am definitely NOT retired. Just smart...I live on a boat on the beautiful upper Mississippi. Or.. is that crazy... or crazy happy?     You Know, boating is like being a kid again.....Wide eyes, Big Smile and a Wet Bottom.       Till next time  Capt. Jeff

Note from the dog: 8-30-10

     These guys call themselves cruisers??!!  I'll let you know they haven't left the dock in over a week. Laundry hanging all over the side rails! jeese!  Talk around the marina is they are calling them "Trailer Trash" or is that "Trawler Trash?.  I don't have the heart to tell them. They still think they are adventurers.
    In the captain's defense he has been pretty busy, still works 40 hours per week (even though everyone calls him retired) I guess that's true he is "tired " alot. Plus all his boat projects. He hasn't even had time to write on this blog thingy.  I should't complain they leave the AC on for me and I'm getting plenty of rest as you can see from my picture. I,d also like to go on record that I don't appreciate them sneeking up on me with that d@!#$ camera!

(Note from wife:)   Listen dog!  my husband is a great guy and bought me a washing machine!  Where else am I suppose to hang my laundry??????  Plus my clothes smell wonderful from hanging out in the fresh air!!

Captain's log: 8-22-10

I found the "Captains log" everyone always talks about. No not the one on the chart table, nothing to do with the bowels either. The one in the river. Yup. Haven't even left port yet and we hit a submerged log. We went out for a "shake down " cruise on Sat. with Dan and Kris and when we were backing into our slip I felt several clunks and Dorene said it looked like we fired a torpedo. And since we used our last torpedo I quickly deduced that we hit a log. Sure enough about an eight footer with prop chops all down its side.
     The good news; carb rebuilds working fine and at least it wasn't a rock.
     Today 8-22 we went on another 3 hour cruise to check damages from yesterdays log adventure. For this entry and the rest of this blog ADVENTURE is defined as: adversity in retrospect. Brad and Kristine went along (brave people) Since several years ago and 3 boats ago they went on a " round trip"  to LaCrosse with us and only made half a circle. Maybe more on that later but, it involved wading in water, rocks, a pad lock and a trailer rescue. On second thought that's enough.
     The good news; no apparent prop or prop shaft damage....time will tell.

Captain's log: 08-16-10

So , what is a blog? A public diary? Public psychotherapy? A little of both I suppose.  Well I'm going to use it as our ship's log. So once we leave ( tentative date 09-20-10) it will be mostly boaty things like ports, weather, daily challenges etc.  Maybe some words of wisdom, that is if the dog decides to speak again, but for now just what we're doing to get things ready.
       This week-end I installed our new Danforth anchor. It was supposed to be a 23 lb. anchor. enough to handle a 45 foot boat (ours is 38) . I lost a lot of weight last year when I was sick but thought I was almost back to full strength. I struggled way more than I thought I should. Carried it from the truck, down the dock, onto the boat, inch by inch to the bow ( that's the pointy end of the boat), hooked up the shackle and got ready to heave it over. Then noticed the sticker....43lb. Danforth....I feel better. I have a good solid anchor and I'm not as weak as I thought I was.
      Today we finished the rebuild on the starboard carb. Now both are done and running well. Next up is fuel water separators for both engines and of course there is always varnishing the teak.

A note from the dog:

My name is Moka . I am a dog. These people belong to me. And let me tell you these people are NUTS!!! It's obvious to most of you , they moved onto a boat for pete sake. It doesn't have a yard!!! Do you know what the guy that used to be Jeff (now he goes by Captain) wanted me to do yesterday?..... No worse! Remember we have no yard. He actually wanted me to do my business on the swim platform. Dumb boater if that was ever going to happen they would have called it a "poop" deck. He said we would work on it later. Ya he must have forgotten I have bulldog blood and I can be pretty stuborn. more on that later.

THen look what he put on my head! This is not going to be good. I miss my yard. :(

Captain's log:

Seriously! I was in the picture when I posted it. Maybe it's a ghost ship! I'll try again

Captain's log:

Well, if you want something done just mention it to my wife, hereafter referred to as 1st mate, both literally, descriptive and... well nevermind. I wanted a blog site to record our travels and voi'la ! here it is. We already have "followers"  That is what they call you I guess... Isn't that what they call cult members?
      Up to now most of our boating this year has been getting equipment on our boat installed and up graded. New chart plotter, anchor windlass, plexiglass enclosure ( for the cold days) carb rebuild etc. Very little time for boating! It took me 6 months to do these things . Dorene ( D for just Do it already) decided I needed a new captain's chair since we'll be in it 6-8 hours per day (the chair that is) had it researched, purchased and installed in a day and a half. I'm not complaining its very comfortable!!!! Just be carefull what you wish for around her. It just seems to happen.

Me and my new chair!

Poem

..just read this in one of our boat books while "researching"...loved it! Amazed at her age!!!

A SIMPLE LIFE

Gentle power, a calm sweet push
Tightens the sails in a glorious rush.
The sun on my back is soft and hot
and I watch the speed go up a knot.

Little gusts come and go
Like people who I've been lucky to know.
Some I lost track of, some sailed away
And some I hold dear in my heart today.

And just as a I wonder about the next swell,
I wonder about my life and I never can tell
Where I'm  going, though I know where I've been,
And will I ever relive this again?

My life's like an ocean with shifting seas,
Rising and falling, pulled by the breeze,
But always moving, never at rest,
And rather unstable it seems I've confessed.

Even so, my stability lies in my close friends,
The few that can cast their souls to the winds
And sail through the ocean, mother of all,
And probably never make a landfall.
                      -Melanie Neale (Age 15)

August 4th, Wednesday

Captain Jeff says:
well.....we did it! Sold the "stuff" , sold the house, kept the dog, moved onto our boat!
sounds easy huh??
12 years in the planning, 1 year in action....
More adventures to come!!

test run!!!!!

WELCOME TO THE 30 BELOW WEB BLOG PAGE!!!!!  We anticipate leaving mid-Sept. on our trip South to Florida via  the AGLCA !!!! (America Great Loop Cruiser Assoc.)

We will be posting pictures as internet allows us....so should be fun and an adventure!!! We would love to have you follow our journey!!!

Peace and safe travels!   Dorene/Jeff