Thursday, November 23, 2017

Summer 2017


Well, it’s been awhile since I put anything down in this blog so, I guess I should try to catch up anyone who still reads it.
Ready to leave Marathon Fl and head north
Anna's new dinghy
Last time I posted (last spring) we were still in Marathon fl and getting ready to head north. The trip went well with a fast passage up the coast of Fl in the Gulf Stream (about 9 kts hr after hr) and about Jacksonville we headed in to the shore since a front was to come through later that day. The front didn’t hit until we had passed Savanna and then it came on with a vengeance right on the nose. 25 kts of wind and a building sea that we bashed into for the next 6 hrs until we made it to Charleston Harbor where, in the dark, we had not 1 or 2 but 3 ships heading both in and out at the same time as us, it was exciting!
Dolphins off our bow in the Gulf Stream
Finally we made it back to Oriental NC and Deaton Marine where I did a major outside repair job and new paint job on the Snow Goose. Boy does she look good.
After a week of prep I finally put on 3 coats of paint.

she look nice!
Then it was up to the Chesapeake Bay and to Buzzard point marina in Reedville Md where we left the boat for a few weeks. 
Sunset at Buzzard's Point Marina
In June, we brought the 3 grand kids back to the boat and headed north to Maine (or so we thought). After 4 weeks of cruising with stops in Washington DC, Annapolis, Baltimore, New Jersey, New York City and finally Mystic Connecticut we were ready to push on to Maine but the grand daughters mutinied on me and asked if we could skip Maine so, we headed back to buzzard point and back to Michigan.
Scrubbing the decks before we left for Maine
The Crew takes a break in Washington DC
Annapolis was a great stopping point and the Navel Academy was fantastic!
The "Sultan"
Making our way in the Hudson River
The summer was a blur of contracting jobs that ended with Anna and me flying down to Mexico! To San Miguel de Allende to be precise where we spent 2 delightful weeks getting to know Mexico and enjoying the "Day of the Dead" celebration. San Miguel is a beautiful town filled with cobblestone streets and friendly people. A great break from our normal fall rush to the boat and then pushing south for the winter.

The main cathedral in San Miguel

"Day of the Dead" contestant in San Miguel
Now, we are getting ready to leave Michigan and head down to the Snow Goose for the winter. Hope to see some of you this winter!