July 31, 2017

Our second day in Chicago and we experienced a non tourist 

Chicago.  We had a native Chicagoian show us around.  We

had lunch in a non tourist restaurant and it was great.  You have your choice of either a hamburger or a cheese burger.  The best 

was a boozy vanilla shake.  It is now my favorite kind of shake.

We then drove around the various neighborhood, and went shopping in my favorite grocery store, Aldi.  Jim and I went to

the Field Museum and saw the sights.  Then this evening we rode

Ready to see the City

Remember the Bob Newhart Show?

the Farris wheel and ate another bag of Garret Popcorn.  Can't get better than this.  Tomorrow Lea is joining us to St. Louis.  Thanks Pam and Ellie for showing us the city.

End of a Great Day

July 30, 2017

The winds were with us today.  We left Racine at 6:00AM and spotted the Chicago skyline within an hour.  Like the New York City skyline, the Chicago skyline can be seen for hours before you actually get there.  The waters coming to Chicago are Caribbean

teal as far as you can see.  It never fails we always are in a busy city or port on the weekend.  Chicago did not fail us.  There were big, fast, slow, tiny, you name it boats in the harbor going every which way at the same time.  Anxiety levels went way high.  We

had a slip in the downtown marina, and when we got there they

were not there to help us pump out, which is a first for us.  We got it done very cleanly, and headed to our slip.  There was another

boat in our slip.  Called the office and they gave us another one,

it was to small.  Call again and they gave us another slip, this time the office had their boats in it.  They moved their boats and gave us 2 nights for free for their bungling of the check in process.  We hit the streets and enjoyed the Navy Pier, and Michigan Blvd.  After

walking 6.5 miles and a Chicago pizza for dinner we hit the sack

Selfie at Navy Pier

for a good nights rest.  We will be here tomorrow and then we

Colorado Cat Docked By Navy Pier

start down river.  Unbelievable  that we are in Chicago before August 1st.  

Chicago!!!!

Night View From the Boar

July 29, 2017

Finally some good news.  The wind went from a gale to a blow today, and hopefully tomorrow just wind.  Anyway I guess we are going.  We did get some good news.  It seems if you stay 2 days in Raine, you get the third day free.  Also Racine is know for their

Kringles, (danish roll).  We tried it and it is great.  In fact I got 2

so breakfast will be good for the next few days.  We called the La

Grange lockmaster to get the skinny on the lock.  It is open, right now but call to see if things change.  Both of us are ready to get started again.  Jim blew up our lock bubbles again, so we are officially ready to hit the next batch.  

We took out the dinghy today as did just about everybody else.  I guess we weren't the only ones with cabin fever.  Late night we were surprised with a very nice fireworks display.  Racine is celebrating Italian American Days this weekend.  It made up for our lack of fireworks on the 4th.  Tonight it happens again and we will be waiting for it on the bow of the boat.  Everybody wish on a star tonight that we have blue skies and very calm  winds for tomorrow.  I will let you know if it works.

July 28, 2017

Another day on Lake Michigan and still in Racine,  Wisconsin.

It is as if the Loop Gods are trying to give us more obstacles so we 

will just give up or turn around.  The problem is that we have come to far to quit now and there is no way we are going to turn around

and go back.  The only solution is to have patience and keep waiting for the day the wind calms down or changes direction.

Right now it seems it might be Sunday.  

While waiting I have been doing some investigating the next part of the trip.  I have found that the Illinois River has 10 locks for us to go through.  The Mississippi has 2,  the Tennessee has at least 12,

the Tom Biggsbee another 10.  One our first locks on the Illinois

River is open only on Sunday and at night.  So with everything else 

we now have to make sure we get to that lock on Sunday, or at night.  Unbelievable!

We got Uber to take us to the mall today.  Jim went his way and I

went mine.  We both helped the economy little, but I could have stayed a lot longer.  Thank goodness he got the cable working on the TV so we can watch TV.  What makes this weather so frustrating is that it is prefect temperature for activities that don't involve boating.  Next time we come up here, it will be in a car.  

July 27, 2017

As we hop our way down the western shoreline of Lake Michigan and race again against the weather, I began thinking about how much this trip has changed my attitude about things and life.

You need to be flexible in both body and mind.

There really is not a word, "can't, won't, and I really don't want to"

Your comfort level changes far more than you thought possible--

   not just inside the boat, but outside the boat.

You become a quick learner, and your memory skills are sharpened.

Time is not a factor, the only time you need to worry about is         sunrise and sunset, and when the winds pick up.

Don't worry about what has happened or behind you, always look 

  forward

At all times expect the unexpected .

Home is more than a place it is an attitude.

There really is a thing called luck, but you have to work and be 

  ready for it when it happens.  It won't wait or give you a second 

  chance.

You can not have negative thoughts on the boat, the trip, or 

   whatever.  Positive thoughts make whatever good or bad 

   happening, Better.

I keep thinking about the children's book "The Little Red Train".

It sums up my loop experiences. "I think I can, I think I can, I can, I can".  Soon I'll say "I did, I did".

Sunrise on a Foggy Morning

A Bit of Sunshine in a Grey Morning

To day we are in Racine, Wisconsin.  Our trip this morning was about 4 hours long in fog.  We stopped here because the winds and waves were building up and the next town was further than we felt comfortable going.  We will probably be here a couple of days as the lake is suppose to get 4 to 6ft waves.  But should Mother Nature decide to give us a break tomorrow we will once again jump out there and go little closer to Chicago.

26, 2017

July 26, 2017

Today was quite a day.  We started out not planning on leaving because the weather was not going to be suitable.  About 8:30 Jim decides to go and find a breakfast spot.  I declined as it was cold and windy.  When he comes back at 9:15 he thinks we have a window of good weather or at least better weather and we head out to Sheboygan about 20 miles south.  As our luck has it about 8 miles into our journey the weather turns sour.  We have to decide to  turn around and go back into worse weather or try and out run the storm.  We decide to try and out run it.  There was hail and very high wind behind us.  In front there was a glimpse of sunshine.  We

crank the engines up even higher and head to our new port.  The storm caught up with us.  It wasn't as bad as the Coast Guard said it 

would be, but it was bad enough.  Then it got little better than we planned on so we changed our plans again and headed even further south.

Our new port was now Port Washington, 50 miles.  We made it.

The lake waters were very lumpy (about 3 to 4 ft), but we got here, 

and before the rain and fog came.  Thank goodness.  So now it looks like we will be in Port Washington for a few days.  Who knows, if there is a window tomorrow we will probably take it.  I can honestly say I am ready to get off the Great Lakes to some very boring river water.

July 25, 2017

Going on the Great Loop is not for the feint of heart!  So, you might legitimately ask why and how am I doing this.  Simple:  My foolhardiness counter balances my feint heartedness, thus here I am.  We never know what is going to come up, or reach down, show up on our bow or stern, or our starboard or port.  We never know what is lurking in the engine rooms, or in the electric system, or in the toilet system, or in the anchoring system, or in the electronics, or in the autopilot.  (I know these are all out to get us!). It seems there is always something to worry about.  However, we have made it this far (Manitowoc, Wisconsin where we are AGAIN sitting out the weather), and it seems like a good time to put down some thoughts and reflections (in no particular order).

First and foremost, I have to say that I cannot think of anyone with whom I would rather do this trip than with Penny.  She has been positive (for the most part), enthusiastic (for the most part), and has done more than her fair share of the chores.  She is not only the Admiral, but she is also the strategic planner and navigator.  I could add some other attributes and acts Penny has demonstrated, but those are between Penny and me.  

I still get a thrill going into (for us) the unknown.  I always wonder as we leave a harbor and head out into a body of water that only meets the sky what that day will bring.  We have spent large segments of several days outside the sight of land.  It makes our boat seem small, slow and vulnerable.  Yes, I know this is not really a big deal, but it is to me.  (To paraphrase Neal Armstrong: “This is a small step for man, but a giant step for Jim Bailey.”). 

We have been surprised at how often weather has slowed us down.  Spending days waiting on good weather makes the boat feel isolated and small. Sitting in port certainly gives us time to read.  We both have done lots of reading.

We have had the great good fortune to have friends and family spend time on our boat.  These have been the best times on the trip regardless of the country through which we were traveling.  Penny and I both love to share experiences with family and friends. 

We just spent some considerable time in Canada.  I found Canada to be a wonderful place.  Without exception we found the people with whom we interacted to be friendly, helpful, generous and quietly and obviously proud of their country.  The care Canadians take of their environment is remarkable.  I had the opportunity of talking with several men working on replacing a pier one rainy morning.  They hunted and fished and generally enjoyed their part of the country.  They expressed their support of keeping their environment healthy for the generations who follow.  They were serious about keeping their water and water ways clean and healthy.  (In all the time cruising Canadian waters, Penny and I saw only ONE styrofoam cup floating in the water.  We saw no plastic bags or other human refuse.  Even along the shorelines and along the docks we found no trash.)  These men were all for regulations that protect their environment.  We were fortunate enough to be in Canada on “Canada Day”, their Fourth of July.  Everywhere we looked were Canadian flags and red decorations.  To a person, they were celebrating their pride in their country.  What was especially noticeable to me was the absence of what I call “cry baby” flags (i.e. stars and bars, and don’t tread on me).  Our A/C water pump quit working while in Parry Sound.  After some asking around I found a man who worked on auto and boat electric systems (among other things).  His father is American and mother Canadian.  He spent about half his life in each country and chose to live, work, and raise his family in Canada.  Why? Among other reasons, he stated that Canadians are not angry.  I thought that to be a good observation.  The Canadians hired young people to work at the locks during the summer.  It is obvious they care about their children and the future.

Some thoughts about our boat:  We have now lived on our boat since March 1, and have observed a great many boats and have been invited aboard a good number of other boats.  We have been on a large catamaran, large and small trawlers and cruisers.  Most of these boats have been more luxurious and more classically “nautical” than ours.  I have yet to meet a boat I’d rather take on this journey.  Now, there are a great many boats I’d trade this one for, but only because of the price of the other boat.  Our boat has proven (And right now I’m knocking on wood because every time I’m positive about anything mechanical, it turns around and bites me.) to be comfortable, maneuverable, safe, affordable (as much as a boat can be), practical, and (so far) dependable.  When going through locks (so far about 80), we have enough flat deck space to walk around as needed.  We don’t have to lean out the pilot house or balance our way around the cabin, or walk a sloping deck to the bow.  I know we are going the sell the boat at the end of our journey. It only makes good sense.  But I’m afraid I’m starting to feel an affinity for this boat.  (Damn!)  I am convinced that we chose wisely.  (I would love to have bow and stern thrusters!)

So, would I do this again?  No.  Only because of my stage of life.  There are too many experiences out there and very little time.  If I were younger, who knows.   

Good bye Door County

Manatowac Light house, home for a while

July 23 & 24, 2017

The past two days we have been in Sturgeon Bay waiting for the "Pain in our butt" wind to die down or quit so we can continue on

down to Chicago.  The bad news is that the wind is suppose to stay with us for another two days.  Thank goodness for Jim and Ellie for

taking us under their wing and showing us around the area.  We have had a delightful time.  We have eaten very well in some delightful diners with  atmospheres which are delightful.  Tonight

we had a dinner for 4 with a beer for $18.00.  Our sloppy joes were

a buck a piece, fries, onion rings, and cheese curds, 3 beers, and 1 

Sprite.  The food was great!  Tomorrow night the beer is $1.00 with

a dollar off,  Free.  I think the plan for tomorrow is for Jim and Jim to go to the airshow in Oshkosh.  Wednesday the weather is terrible

so we will bing watch NetFlex at the boat.  One good thing about this mess, is we are in a good place to be stuck.  I guess instead of

calling the travels of the Colorado Cat, we should call it the Misadventures of the Colorado Cat.

July 22, 2017

Today  we crossed Lake Michigan.  Yesterday we came straight

down the middle and today across,  we are getting to know the lake very well.  I understand from people who live on the lake, that we have been very lucky in our crossings.  The lake has a tendency to get nasty, thankful it has been very nice. Hope it stays that way.

We have another 230 miles before we are back in the river system.

Welcome to Door County, Wisconsin

Good bye Michigan

Door county is so pretty.  The small towns are very inviting and each one has its own personality.  Having our own tour guide, that's  a great big plus, and they know all the right places to go and do.  Tomorrow we will be in Sturgeon Bay again, and if the weather 

is good we will head towards Chicago on Monday.  Which is 4 days South.  We're hoping Jim and Ellie will be able to joins us.

Sun trying to peek through

The middle of the lake is deep

  We are in Central Time Zone now.  Of course our bodies are not, so instead of a 5:30 wake up call, it is 4:30, and it's dark outside. I'm sure by the time we get back to Florida, we will be use to it.

July 21, 2017

Today as we left Mackinac Island the sun was a big red ball.  The sky was hazy like a early morning fog,  no wind, and smooth seas.

We couldn't ask for a nicer day to travel 127 miles to the big town of Frankfort, Michigan.  We really didn't plan to travel that far, but the weather report said nice today, and not so nice tomorrow.  So we got comfortable in our chairs and took off.  The winds never came up, the seas were very calm, but the fog kept rolling in and out all day.  Sometimes it was very thick and Jim relied on his radar screen, other times it was just a very heavy haze.  Either way the day was perfect for traveling 12 hours.  We went by the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Seashore, but at that time the fog was pretty thick.  It looked like it was pretty neat, but couldn't really tell that much about it.  We passed several light houses, the fog was

in and out.  Not a very colorful day all in all.  Our marina slip was

too narrow for the boat, so they put us at fuel docks.  It was fine with me, I didn't want to anchor out.  There is a chance of rain 

tonight.  Tomorrow we are crossing the lake, going into Wisconsin,

Over 600 feet Under the Boat

Foggy Sleeping Bear Dunes

Jim Playing With All His Electronics and Driving

the Central time zone, and staying in Sturgeon Bay.  Tomorrow is a

Mackinac Island Bridge

short day too, only 50 miles.  We won't know what to do with all that free time.  I hope the weather holds until we are settled in our next slip.

Sun saying Good Sailing today

July 20, 2017

Today was another wonderful day.  You can't go wrong with sunshine, a beautiful place, and warm temperatures.  We tried the layout with a buggy ride around the island.  There are beautiful homes, and BEAUTIFUL homes.  Learned a lot about the island 

One of the buggies

The bottom of the lake 15ft down

and the people who started the island.  It was started with Indians, and then the wealthy moved in and that is the rest of the story. 

Grand Hotel 600ft of Porch
built in 1885

One of my favorites

The houses are very seldom sold, they are handed down through the generations.  The movie "Somewhere in Time" was made here.

Do you see the face in the rock?

Tomorrow we leave paradise and head southwest.  

Arch Rock

July 19, 2017

We left this morning with light winds and blue skies. That is 2 days 

in a row and 2 days back in the states.  I don't think Jim and I will go back to Canada any time soon, it rains too much.  We left Lake Huron and went into Lake Michigan.  We now have been in the 4 Great Lakes.  Last year at this time we had never been to any of them, let alone in them.  You never know what is going to happen in a year.  At least I don't.  We stopped in Mackinac Island and it is so nice.  The weather is great, the scenery and houses are beautiful, and the water is so clear we can see at least 15 feet down in the harbor.  

If you have never been here I can describe it very quickly.  Think of Disney World Main Street, now add bikes of every size, shape, etc.,

and horse drawn wagons.  No motorized vehicles of any kind.  And

of course lots of people.  Mickey and Minnie aren't here, but they could arrive anytime on the cruise ship, ferry, or personal boat.  The Grand Hotel advertises the largest front porch in the world.  I believe that is true.  Jim feel in love with the 6+ fudge stores and ice cream shoppes.  I enjoyed walking the street and shopping in all of the shops.  We enjoyed it so much we are going to try and stay several days.  Hope we can.  I did't get to go

Delivery Truck (mostly beer)

to all the stores yet.  Tomorrow I will take my camera and show you the sights.

This house looks like a shop stuck in the woods

July 18, 2017

Today we went through 2 more locks.  These were locks at Sault

Ste. Marie.  One was in Canada and the other in Michigan.  The 

Canadian lock was just like all the locks on the Trent-Severn, and

we went through with a sightseeing boat.  After the lock we went out into Lake Superior to say that we took our boat into the lake.

We saw Whitefish Bay like in the song Edmonds Fitzgerald.  When

we got to that bay the land disappeared on three sides.  The lake is huge.  I can see why big ships get in trouble on that lake and I am 

glad we didn't go out any further.  When we came in we went to

the US side.  That is the commercial side and was it ever busy.  We

Canadian side

There are 3 freighters in the channel
and 1 just out of sight

Michigan side, known for the commercial
traffic

saw 4 extra large freighters within the time it took to leave the Canadian lock and the river, less than a half a mile.  I really got nervous and it was all for nothing really.  The ride was very smooth and slow. These 2 locks put through about 10,000 vessels a year.  The Michigan side works 24/7/365.

Lake Superior

We now have gone through about 80 locks.  You think I would relax a little, but they still give me the willies. 

 So tonight we are back in Sault Ste. Marie, and tomorrow we head South.

July 17, 2017

Last night I went out to check if the Northern Lights were out.  They were not, but the stars were.  It was fabulous.  The Big Dipper 

was so close it looked like it had just been in the water to fill up.  hopefully it won't spill out on us.  We are hoping today is our lucky day.  We have a full house,  three 7's, and two 1's, and two 0's, and the sky was red and that means sailors take warning (no wind).  We took off and headed to the USA.  There was no wind, no rain, and the sun was shinning.  We went 92 nautical miles and made it all the way to Sault St. Marie, Michigan.  We are officially back in the USA.  Today was the first day since we entered Canada that we

had sunshine all day long, 3 weeks, and now we are leaving.  It is

This house and yard were covered with seagulls

Calm waters all day

Clouds pointing the way to the USA

amazing how much sunshine can brighten up everything around you.  I sure hope it continues to shine. Tomorrow we are going to spend a day here and then go through the one lock that takes us to Lake Superior and then right back out.  That way we can claim we were in the lake.  Lake Michigan will be our next stop or stops.

Retiring the Canadian Flag

 

July 16, 2017

I didn't get to see the Northern Lights last night, all I saw were clouds.  This morning when we got up the clouds were still there

and a tad bit thicker.  We hoisted the anchor and took off at 6:20

to get to our next anchorage before the rain came.  Of course we had no idea where that may be.  As we got further out into the bay

the water became wilder, the winds stronger and the ride very rocky, not back and forth but side to side.  Not Fun!  After 3 hours and 18 miles we said enough and Jim found us a little bay to hide in until the winds die down or change.  Our bay is Sturgeon Bay, not

the one in Lake Michigan, but little one in Lake Huron.  People say

the fun thing about the North Channel is the "Gun Holing", that is

when you leave the main trail or waterway and take off to unknown ports, hoping that there isn't a stray rock waiting to eat your bottom. 

We do not think that is very much fun.  Maybe if you know your way around here, have some idea where you are, but we don't.  So

Sunset
Do you see a big dog 's head with flappy ears
in the clouds?

tomorrow we are leaving again early to out race the waves and wind, to get someplace where we can hide from the wind that is suppose to come in from the west.  I am hoping it is in a marina,

in the USA, and fairly close by.  We shall see. 

Sunset

July 15, 2017

We woke to a blue sky and no clouds.  The first time since we entered Canada.  We were not sure what to think of it.  After refueling and pumping out we headed North and West, destination unknown.    

 Of course the wind started blowing and we were in open water but we

kept on trudging along.  We came to the town of Little Current.  It is a cut in the rock that divides two very large bodies of water.  The town is small but it has one bridge that connects the 2 land masses together by way of a road.  Earlier this summer the swing bridge

broke.  It usually opens on the hour for 15 minutes.  Last week it

opened 3 times a day and this week it is once every 2 hours.  Wouldn't you know we got there 10 minutes after it opened.  Jim

did some fast calling around and the consensus was the bridge had a 17ft clearance.  So I climbed up on the bow and Jim came slowly

up to the bridge to see if we could make it.  Of course the current

was up to no good, and my judgement call iffy, but we made it through with maybe 8 inches to spare.  Fun Times.  After Little Current open water for the next 20 miles.  The winds were blowing the waves were growing, so when we found a anchorage we took it.

Our day ended at noon.  Jim dropped the dinghy and went fishing.

About 1 1/2 hours later he came back with a stringer of small mouth Bass for dinner.  We heard some guys on the radio say that the Northern Lights are suppose to be visible tonight.  I sure hope so, that is on my bucket list.  Right now it is threatening to rain.

Think this was a granite quarry at one time

But I will keep my fingers crossed for clear skies with lots of lights tonight. Tomorrows destination West.

Happy Fisherman

July 14, 2017

Today we stayed in Killarney, we should have left.  There was 

some wind and a threat of rain but the wind stopped and the rain never came.  By that time it was too late to leave.  So I did the laundry, Jim tinkered with the boat and we sat and stewed.  I did a lot of thinking or stewing and thought about the 7 deadly sins, 7 plagues of Moses, and I came up with my own 7 challenges or anxieties that we deal with on the Great Loop.

1.  Rain

2.  Wind

3.  Bugs

4.  Currents

5.  Tides

6.  The Unknown

7.  The Unexpected

We have talked to people who have studied, planned and completed

the Loop, and these 7 things have always been a fly in the ointment and a knot in their belly.  You just can't be at ease even for 1 day.  Even if one of them pops up, it knots you up. The bad days are when there are several pulling at you.  Thank goodness that is very seldom.  I know it sounds like I am not enjoying myself, I am having a great but I know I could never do this for years and make the boat my home.  The life you lead while doing it is intense and all the time.  I need more relaxation than intensity.

Today was my relaxation day, but in the back of my mind is the wondering,  where we will anchor, how high the winds will blow, how rough the water will be tomorrow.  I don't worry about bugs, rain, tides and currents.  I will save those for another day.  As for the unknown and unexpected,  you just wait for that to show up and 

deal with it then.

I went through my pictures of Georgian Bay and found some more to share.  It really is a beautiful place, especially when the sun is shining. Tomorrow we head into the North Channel the phone coverage is very limited.

I will try to blog every day, but if you don't

see anything for several days, don't worry we will be back in the USA in about 3 to 4 days depending upon one or two of our challenges.  Can you guess which ones?

July 13, 2017

Ben's Rock Art

Whitney's  Rock Art

Today was a mixed feelings day.  Good feelings because the kids are here and we are having a great day, exploring a light house, swimming, and each other.  Bad day because they left and are heading home much to soon.  The weather sort of cooperated and it didn't rain all day, and the temperature got above 68.  We took advantage of it too.  We hiked to a lighthouse, climbed all over the rocks, saw snakes, and other non Florida things, plus the sun was shinning and we came home Hot.  They have a 2 hour taxi ride to Sudbury tonight and then 2 planes to get home.  We will be staying in Killarney tomorrow to get caught up on the laundry and then off to the North Channel.  Jim and I sat down and sort of planned our way out of the North Channel to Michigan.  It should be interesting

After A Nippy Dip

Before Swimming

to say the least.

Add caption