We answer questions

I love writing this blog. It takes time to load the pictures and remember the stories we want to tell. But it  gives us a reason to take pictures and makes it easier to remember the highlights and moments that might be lost otherwise. Every so often I go back and read posts and I smile at our adventure.

Another wonderful benefit of writing this blog is it keeps us in touch with our friends who can't be with us. We love it when you send us notes and comments. It makes the whole adventure more personal.

This week we heard from Annette who asked some really good questions. Annette, I am answering here so we can share with other people who might have silently thought the same thing.

Why didn't we travel the lower Mississippi? You got it, there is no fuel and the commercial traffic is thick. Also this year there is very little water so it was safer all around to take the Tenn-Tom which has a little less commercial traffic and more places that cater to recreational boats.

What is the itinerary next? We are off to Florida, probably leaving on Wednesday 11/28. We think we will have these stops:

• Orange Beach or Pirates Cove
• Pensacola
• make our way to Carravelle then anchor in Dog Island to be about 15 miles into the gulf
• then we head across the Gulf to Tarpon Springs FL

The crossing is still under discussion. This is a big deal. We could go in short hops around the bend in Florida to Steinhatchie then about an 80 mile trip to Tarpon Springs but the water is quite shallow through that part and there are lots of crab pots. So we are probably going to go directly across the Gulf from Carravelle (Dog Island) to Tarpon Springs, 180 miles in one trip. We know we have enough gas with 1 gallon per mile or better to do 180 miles. But to get that mileage we have to travel at 10 mph, which will take 18 hours. We could go faster but we will use more fuel. If we go 18  mph it will take 10 hours but use 320 gallons and we only hold 300 gallons. So we have to go slow. In December we are about at the winter solstice with about 10 hours of light for an 18 hour trip. 

So we will probably go about 10 to 12 mph, leaving about 5 or 6 in the afternoon, traveling overnight to arrive close to noon, hoping Rusty doesn't explode. 

We hope to leave Mobile on Wednesday 11/28 with Sareanna, pick up One September on the way and head to Orange Beach or Pirates Cove. Jim's Joy is moving on ahead of us to visit with friends for a week in Pensacola. We will try to meet them before crossing. We might be traveling with other people too, like Irish Attitude or some of the other loopers currently here. We don't want to travel alone because we are not yet confident about running in salt water. It is safer to run as a group at night.

One September wants to cross the gulf fast and they would like to travel with us because we can also travel at higher speed but our problem is having enough gas. Judy doesn't want to travel at night. We are working on her. 

One positive about traveling at night is the dolphins. We are told that they are attracted to the running lights and will stay with boats as long as they hear women singing. So I am stocking up my iPod with lots of songs and plan to sing all night if I have to!!

If we travel at night we need to cover all lights, flashlights, and GPS with red plastic to protect our night vision. We will also have to have a schedule so we can sleep and spell each other. 

Another complication is the weather. In December there are fewer weather openings to cross the Gulf safely. Some loopers have been stuck for over 10 days in Carravelle recently. Joe and Edie on SeaQuell finally gave up and rented a car to get to Tampa in time for Thanksgiving. They will drive back next week and pick up the journey in their boat. 

Giving the weather the benefit of the doubt, it is possible we won't get to Tarpon Springs until mid-December since we are not leaving Mobile until 11/28. Two weeks is a very reasonable time period for that journey. 

We are not going home for Christmas this year. The kids and their significant others are coming to us!! Brett and Julie, Dan and Julia, Marissa, and our rent-a-kids Sarah and Steve will be joining us. Marissa is bringing a blow up mattress because we need 5 bedrooms and the house has 4 bedrooms. We planned to bring the boat for the 5th bedroom but we don't think that will be possible. 

Before we understood the time constraints of getting to Florida we rented a house in Isla Mirada near Marathon Key for 12/22 through 12/29 and made plane reservations for the kids already. So we have to be all the way down to the rental house in the Keys by 12/22. It doesn't seem possible or desirable to travel so quickly from Tarpon Springs around 12/15 to the Keys by 12/22. So we will be renting a car wherever we are by 12/22 to drive to the Keys to see the kids. The other open question is where we can get by 12/22. We think we can get to Clearwater/Tampa or maybe Sarasota by then. 

After visiting the kids we plan to drive back to the boat and resume our trip. We have lots of people to visit in the Tampa/Clearwater/Sarasota area. Our looper friends will be in various places throughout Florida. Some will go home for Christmas and most will not, just like for Thanksgiving. We hope to connect with them again and go with them to the Bahamas in January but it might be late January and early February by the time we get there, given the distance, weather issues, and desire to stop and look around periodically. We don't really care about Marco Island and Naples so we will drive right past them but we do want to spend time in the Keys and Miami before heading to the Bahamas. 

That is the plan. It is complicated and subject to change. I am glad we are getting some rest this week. And to think I wanted to keep moving instead of resting this week! 

Wish you were here!!