Robert & Kay...

"It has been very difficult to write this final edition of our adventure around the Great Loop. While we have had many diversions since arriving home, the real reason is that this final edition really brings the whole event to a close, and as you can guess, that comes with mixed emotions. After approximately 6,500 miles, 107 locks, xxxx gallons of diesel fuel, $$$$$ and untold numbers of new friends, we have arrived home in Southport, and therefore, this is the final leg and final log of our first Great Loop adventure. "

"After a couple days in Beaufort, SC, with Bella Luna and Nightingale it was on to Charleston. We had some really windy days while in Charleston but managed to work in a little excitement along the way. Gene, of Nightingale, and I made our way over to the location of the Loopers Rendezvous and were able to get Gene and Gail their first America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA) flag. While in Charleston we also made a trip to Fort Sumter, named for South Carolina Revolutionary War Patriot Thomas Sumter, and the location of the beginning of the Civil War. One of our dining locations while there was at a home cooking location called Jestine's Kitchen. Great food and great company made it a wonderful evening. "

"While making our way from Charleston to Georgetown, we crossed the South and North Santee Rivers. Most notable in this area are the large bays that once were large rice fields. The rice fields were fed by the freshwater coming down the rivers. Because of the freshwater coming down the rivers, it is also home to a large population of alligators. We were able to see two "gators" while crossing the rivers. Just south of Georgetown we saw two more bald eagles, one perched in a tree and one soaring high above. We were met in Georgetown by our middle son John, his wife Sharon, and their children Kylie, A.J., and Ivey. They traveled with us all the way back to Southport. While in Georgetown we visited a rice museum and learned a lot about the "Carolina Gold" that was a major crop of the area from around 1690 until the late 1800's. The rice from the Georgetown area was in demand worldwide. After the Civil War most U.S. rice production was moved to Louisiana and Texas where mechanized equipment could be used for harvesting. "

"Within an hour of leaving Georgetown, traveling up the Waccamaw River, we spotted another bald eagle. It was a real thrill for John and his family to see a bald eagle in the wild with us. This evening we anchored on the edge of the Waccamaw River with Bella Luna. After anchoring and putting the dingy in the water, John, the children and I just played around on the dingy. John, A.J., and I went dingy ridding back in the cypress trees looking for alligators and were able to spot two. The "gators" would not let us get to close before they would dive under the water, not to be seen again. That evening for dessert Louis and Diane, of Bella Luna, prepared grilled Twinkies for all of us, complete with ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and cherries. WOW! To entertain the children, Louis tied one of his Crocs (shoe) to a rope and threw it out the back of his boat and told the children that he was trolling for alligators. He had no bites! The next morning, still anchored on the Waccamaw, was Easter, and somehow the Easter Bunny made his way past all of the alligators with surprises for the children. Later in the day we boated to Barefoot Landing at Myrtle Beach and Sharon hid Easter eggs for the children to find. Oh, I didn't mention that the boats swung around several times during the night and the anchors and chains of C-Life and Bella Luna were quiet tangled. "

"At Myrtle Beach we dressed in western clothing with John's family and had an "Old Time Picture" made. What a hoot! The ladies were all saloon girls and guys were mean looking cowboys. A.J. caught a baby turtle while at Myrtle Beach which we kept on board for several days and Kylie and Ivey enjoyed greatly. He put the turtle back in the water as we were leaving though. "

"We caught back up with Bella Luna at Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, where one of their daughters met them with all four of their grandchildren, what a treat! That evening we all went to Calabash, where we had great seafood at Capt. Nance's Restaurant. At Calabash we were back in Brunswick County, North Carolina, very close to home, wow! "

"On April 15, 2009, it was our last day on the adventure! We left Myrtle Beach Yacht Club and crossed into North Carolina at 12:20 pm. At approximately 6,500 miles, with mixed emotion, we were happy and sad at the same time! We passed through the floating pontoon bridge as Sunset Beach just before 1:00 pm when a tug and barge had the bridge open for him. The pontoon bridge is being replaced with a 65 foot bridge and next summer will probably be its last season of operation. Just past Sunset Beach the Coast Guard came by on a Brunswick County Sheriff boat, questioned where we were coming from, and going to, and left us alone but boarded the boat just ahead and just behind us. That was the first time that we had been questioned by law enforcement the entire trip other than Canadian and U.S. Customs. "

"Our welcome home started just north of the Sunset Bridge with A.J.'s grandmother waving as we went by. Then Jerry and Ginny Harbica had a welcome party formed on the docks at St. James Marina. Next we were met by Bert & Becky Felton on their boat Solomon T a couple of miles south of home. We went past out home to marker 1, “crossed our wake” at 4:55 pm, where we put up our Gold Looper flag. Steve Simon paddled out in his kayak and met us in the harbor with a large “Welcome Home” sign. We were then greeted at the dock by our youngest son Jay and his family Ryan and Lindsay, and many friends, as we backed C-Life into the slip for the final dockage of the trip. The Champagne cork popped! "

"The whole Great Loop trip was one big breathless adventure. WOW! "

Robert & Kay...

"At 4:55 pm on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, Kay and I, aboard C-Life, "crossed our wake" as we arrived back in the Old Yacht Basin in Southport, NC. What a ride, what an adventure! The most exciting adventure of our life, well, maybe other than children and grandchildren! While we have been a lot of places and seen a lot of things from the Hudson River, to the "Mighty Mississippi" nothing can top the people that we have met and friends that we have made along the way. I would encourage those of you doing the loop, to dock or anchor rafting up, with as many other loopers as possible. We have made friendships that will last for a lifetime. "

"C-Life was given a wonderful "welcome home" by our family and friends. We were welcomed by friends at marinas and on boats as we approached Southport, as well as boats in the harbor and friends and family on the dock who cleated off our lines for the last dockage of this adventure. All of this made completing the loop and flying our gold flag so special by having a warm welcome home. "

"Kay and I will be excited to see each of you LOOPERS as you arrive, and you better stop, in Southport, NC, at mm 309. Skipper Bob documents a number of docking options in the Old Yacht Basin, or marinas/anchorages in the area, and you will see C-Life at the dock in the back of the basin. If we are not on the boat, please come up to the house across the street behind C-Life. We will make sure that you have a Wal-Mart stop while here! Looking forward to seeing you all. "

Robert & Kay...

"With most every day of our trip being some kind of great adventure it is hard to single out one day as special, but there was such a couple of days last weekend. On Sunday, March 15, 2009, we anchored just south of Kennedy Space Center at Dragon Point. Kay fished and caught a couple catfish and several sea mullet. Kay said that the catfish really won the battle, but the sea mullet became dinner! Just after sunset space shuttle Discovery lifted off. We were close enough to hear the roar of the booster rockets as Discovery blasted off into space. We could see the booster rockets falling back to earth as Discovery continued its journey. The next morning we traveled to Cocoa, Florida, where we stopped for a few hours. First we toured Travis Hardware Store, where you could buy, new wooden wagon wheels, potbelly stoves, whiskey barrels, wrenches, wire, nuts and bolts. This was the most unusual hardware store that I have ever seen. For lunch we went to Ryan's Village Pizza for a great lunch. Back on the boat we headed to the Canaveral Barge Canal for an evening stop at Harbortown Canaveral Marina, where we paid $1.75/gallon including tax for diesel, the lowest fuel price since buying C-Life three years ago. When leaving the Canaveral Barge Canal the next morning, Kay spotted the first live alligator or crocodile, we were really not sure which it was, that we have seen on the whole adventure. We had seen one dead alligator in Alabama. WOW, what a day! Now back to the adventure since Boca Chita. "

"Prior to leaving Boca Chita, Ellen, from the boat "Our Turn" pulled the husk off, and broke open some of the coconuts from the wild coconut trees on the island. Eating the coconut from the shell reminded me of helping my mother open and prepare coconut for Christmas dishes when I was a child. "

"From Boca Chita we traveled by the stilt houses on Biscayne Bay and on to Miami. At Miami we anchored across from the downtown area in an old marine stadium where powerboat races were held in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. An exciting part of that anchorage was the Miami skyline at night. From the marine stadium we continued through downtown Miami, by the cruise ships, and on north through Hollywood and to Ft. Lauderdale. The yachts and homes in the Ft. Lauderdale area are spectacular! We stopped in Ft. Lauderdale for a few days, had dinner with fellow Loopers Cheryl & Harold of Victory, lunch with fellow Loopers Ellen & Roy of Our Turn, walked on the beach, and the guys went to West Marine and Sailorman while the girls went shopping (grocery and etc.). Then it was on to Pompano Beach and Peck Lake where we anchored out with fellow Loopers Diane & Louis of Bella Luna, and Margie and Larry of Wanderin' L&M, which we have been traveling with for most of our adventure. At Peck Lake we had an early celebration of Wanderin' L&M completing the LOOP and Larry's birthday, which would occur 2 days later on March 15th. "

"Then on to Ft. Pierce, location of the best farmer's market that we have seen anywhere. At the farmer's market was everything from fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh cooked breakfast meals, fruit and vegetables of all kinds, fresh meats and seafood, and even a craft fair area. While at Ft. Pierce I called Jones' Fruit Dock, a favorite stop of ours when traveling with Miffi and Charlie, of Southport, NC, on their boat Why Don't We. We had heard that possibly Mr. Jones had sold the property and moved on. "Not the case at all", said Mrs. Jones when she answered the phone. They still live there and the dock is still available for $10 per night, plus $3 if you plug into electricity. WOW! Jones' Fruit dock is a multi-million dollar piece of property, between the waterway and the ocean, owned by an approximately 90 year old gentleman and his wife, that operated an orchard on the land. As it ended up, we did not stop at Jones' Fruit Dock, because we wanted to get closer to the shuttle launch. North of Ft. Pierce we passed by Pelican Island, the first land ever set aside by the U.S. Government for the preservation of wildlife. Onward to Dragon Point, Cocoa, Canaveral Barge Canal, and Harbortown Marina, see the first paragraph."

"From Harbortown we traveled to New Smyrna, where we tied up to a town dock, stayed the night, and purchased a new battery for C-Life's generator the next morning before leaving for Halifax River Yacht Club at Daytona. Between the Canaveral Barge Canal and Titusville we could see the NASA Spacecraft Assembly Building, which has reportedly the largest display of the American Flag in the world, 209 x 110 feet, painted on the side wall. What a sight! The Vehicle Assembly Building is one of the largest buildings in the world. It was originally built for assembly of Apollo/Saturn vehicles and was later modified to support Space Shuttle operations. The building covers 8 acres. It is 525 ft tall, 716 ft long and 518 ft wide. It encloses 129,428,000 cubic feet of space. "

"As we went by Titusville Kay had to call Miffi, for a special hello, as Titusville has always been a favorite stop of hers and Charlie's. Also, just north of Titusville we saw large pink birds called spoonbills. From a distance the spoonbills look much like flamingos. We also saw may white pelicans, a breed of pelican with an 8 to 9 foot wingspan. These are the largest webfoot bird in the world. We also saw many of the white pelicans on the rivers in the Midwest. Before we could get tied up at Daytona, Brantley and Brenda, friends from the boat Reel Estate, stopped while driving back from NC by car, and brought some Bar-B-Que from Wilbur's at Goldsboro. What a treat! "

"Halifax River Yacht Club, in downtown Daytona, rolled out the red carpet. What a great stop that was. They have a great clubhouse, members that made Kay, Diane, Louis, and me feel very welcome, not to mention a restaurant that had wonderful food, and all at very affordable prices. We ate at the clubhouse 3 times in two days! The dockmaster recommended a great little restaurant for breakfast where I found wonderful cheese-grits and sausage! "

"Then it was on to Palm Coast. Kay and I have stopped here numerous times. It is also the location that Kay and I purchased C-Life, almost three years ago. She was known as Cater II then. How much water under the bridge, or gallons in the tank since then! Also, we had an additional surprise when we pulled into Palm Coast. We knew that Cathy and Jim Fisher, boating friends for years from Maryland, were at Palm Coast for the winter, but what a great surprise when we docked right beside their boat @ HOME! "

"Kay and I will be heading north and will probably be somewhere around the Georgia-Florida border by this time next week. It is beginning to cool off, and maybe we shouldn't be moving north quite so quickly! "

Robert & Kay...

"Well, the great winter vacation in Marathon, Florida, had to come to an end. While you in North Carolina were experiencing temperatures well below freezing, and more snowfall than seen in a long while, we did see a low one morning of 55 degrees. Generally the highs have been in the 70 - 80 degree range. Our friend Bob Kassal took us out to the 7-mile bridge for a fun fishing day. We caught more grouper and grunts than we wanted to keep. Kay said that she must have caught at least 50 or more fish herself. We were using light tackle, with lead shot weights and live shrimp and cut fish for bait. What a great day! "

"We also went fishing back in the mangroves on our little dingy, along with Louis and Diane on their dingy. We did not catch as many fish as we did with Bob, but Kay assures me that she had just as much fun as if Joseph and I had caught a sailfish on our fishing trip the week before. "

"One of the best meals that I have had in Marathon was the Bar-B-Q ribs at the Dockside Restaurant. Our friend Bob Kassal joined Margie, Larry, Kay, and I for dinner that evening and we were entertained by one of the best known local entertainers on guitar and banjo, Joe Mama and John Holum. I talked with Joe Mama about common friends that we have back in Southport, George and Mary Beth, and I am bringing them back one of his CDs. "

"One afternoon while riding through the canals with Larry and Margie we saw one of the meanest looking iguanas that you can imagine. These brown and green large lizards look more like prehistoric monsters."

"Another surprise was a visit by friends of ours from Southport,NC, David High and Haila MacKay. They are anchored in Boot Key Harbor at Marathon on their sailboat Old Yeller. David worked with our son Joseph at the Southport Marina and he was very involved with keeping the Southport Marina from being sold to a developer back in 2005-2006. "

"The month, actually five weeks, at Marathon have just flown by, and it is time to move north. We left Marathon on March 4 and anchored behind Islamorada the first night. I have no idea what the white stakes on the sandbar out in the middle of Florida Bay are but isn't it interesting how each one has a bird (Cormorant) perched on it. We then moved up to Key Largo and anchored in Tarpon Basin. Each evening we have anchored with our traveling friends on Bella Luna and Wanderin' L&M. We have now traveled through part of Biscayne Bay and are tied to a basin wall in Boca Chita National Park. We can see the Miami skyline, and Turkey Point Nuclear Power Generating Station from the park. Kay and I did find time yesterday to prepare a Frogmore Stew (Low Country Boil) for ourselves and eight of our boating friends. "

"The park ranger at Boca Chita told us how to use a poem about how to read water color when boating. Kay thought this would be fun for young and old boaters to learn. Most of the shallow water that we encounter here is coral, which is high on the ranger's list of items to protect. "

• Blue, Blue, Cruise on through
• Green, Green, nice & clean
• Brown, Brown, Run aground
• White, White, You might

Robert & Kay...

"Hello from Marathon, Florida. Kay and I, along with Buddy, Jim, and Vicki, left Everglades City early in the morning to start our adventure south to the Florida Keys. The wind was moderate, out of the southeast, and the seas were moderate as well. Our initial plan was to stop and anchor in Little Shark River, a distance of 35 miles. With the prediction of worsening weather, we decided to make the 72 mile run all the way to Marathon, unless the weather got too bad, then it was to be refuge in Little Shark River. The weather cooperated, and at 5:30 pm we arrived at Dockside/Sombrero Marina. Buddy, Debbie and Cameron are members of the Dolphin Research Center at Grassy Key, Florida, so we just had to visit the research center and go to Key West before Buddy, Jim, and Vicki departed for home (the colder climate!). "

"Marathon is a location that Kay and I had planned into the Loop trip for an extended stay, at least through the month of February. So, we have settled in to boat life at the Dockside/Sombrero Marina. What a tough life of 80 degree days, 60 degree nights, and beautiful sunshine and water. There are dolphin and manatee right up into the boat harbor. While in Marathon our son Joseph and his family, Stephanie, Matthew, Joshua, Ashley, and one on the way, came to visit for several days. I think that they had a great time, as well as granny and granddaddy getting their "grandchildren fix". While here Joseph and Stephanie treated the children to The Dolphin Research Center, a helicopter ride over the keys, fishing, dingy rides, an Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Museum, and manatee sightings right here in the harbor. Joseph and I did go offshore fishing on a charter boat and caught King Mackerel and Dolphin, what a great day. "

"We have spent a lot of time socializing with other boating friends such as our long time travel partners Larry and Margie of Wanderin' L&M, Louis and Diane of Bella Luna, and Jim and Lisa of Kismet. In addition Charlie and Linda of Freedom's Turn drove down from Key Largo for a great visit. And, what a surprise to bump into our boating friends of many years from Southport, Charlie and Miffi Williams, down enjoying Sombrero for another winter. Also, Jerry and Ginny Harbica of Southport are staying at Sombrero Resort next door to us for a couple weeks and we have visited on several occasions. "

"Our month has flown by so quickly, and it is hard to believe that we are to leave Marathon in one more week and start our journey up the east coast toward home. As much as we are looking forward to getting back to Southport, it is sad to be nearing the end of This Great Adventure!"

Robert & Kay...

"Hello to all; It is really great to be back on C-Life again, after a wonderful December back in North Carolina. Kay and I had a great time over the holidays visiting family and friends. We, or course, got to see all of the grandchildren! We decorated "C Breeze III" and participated in the Southport Christmas Flotilla, decorated our home and yard appropriate for the holiday season, visited with all our children and their families, as well as family and friends in Southport and back home close to Raleigh. After Christmas we quickly put away all of the decorations and headed back to Panama City, Florida, on December 28 to continue our adventure. We spent a couple of days getting C-Life restocked, cleaned and ready to travel again. Ed McKinnon, a friend from Southport and a retired high school teacher and coach, came back with us to experience part of the adventure for himself. We left Panama City and traveled to Apalachicola, the Gulf Coast king of the oyster. Reportedly 10% of the U.S. supply of oysters come from Apalachicola. We had another Bald Eagle sighting on New Year's eave. We stayed in Apalachicola two nights before moving on over to Carrabelle to make preparations for crossing the Gulf of Mexico. Happy New Year to all, as I am sure that we made a toast that evening ringing in the New Year. "

"On New Year's day we had our traditional meal of pork, black eyed peas, and greens, with our friends Louis and Dianne of Bella Luna and of course our guest Ed. The crossing that we chose amounted to three 70 to 80 mile legs around what is referred to as the Big Bend. Weather becomes a significant factor in making the crossing, and there is an individual at Carrabelle named Buddy that lots of others have relied on to make recommendations on when to cross. Buddy was tying our lines for us at the marina in Carrabelle and telling us that the next day should be our departure for stating our crossing. Buddy said that we would have at least one good day and maybe a second. As it worked out we had three good days in a row, the first being just ok, and the next two being great days for the crossing. The first day we left Carrabelle in the fog headed for Steinhatchee, about 72 miles away, with three to four foot seas, the fog did not lift until about 3 in the afternoon, and there were crab pot floats everywhere! Kay spent most of the day down below reading. "

"The second day was a 82 mile leg in perfectly flat sea conditions, but again the fog sat in for part of the trip, but we arrived in Crystal River just before dark as scheduled. "

"The third and final leg of the "crossing" was another 70 or so mile run, to Tarpon Springs where we are now, and again in flat sea conditions. There have been more dolphin during this part of our trip than any other part. Kay took some great photos of the dolphin swimming along under the bow of our boat. We had another Bald Eagle sighting, and did I mention that crab pot floats were everywhere! We have now been in Tarpon Springs for three days, a wonderful Greek Community established in 1905 by the Greek sponge fishermen who harvested the sponges of the Gulf of Mexico. Tarpon Springs is mostly a Greek Orthodox community, and we just happened to arrive on their largest holiday of the year, January 6. This is the Greek Orthodox holiday of Epiphany which is the celebration of the baptismal of Christ in the Jordan River. On this day the young men also dive for the cross that their priest tosses into the water, and the young man who comes up with the cross is granted a year of good luck."

"What a celebration. We have also sampled some of the Greek food at the local restaurants, but as for me, I will stick with Kay's cooking. We are having temperatures mostly in the 70's with crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. Next is on down to Tampa Bay and beyond. "

Robert & Kay...

"Hello to everyone. Actually we are at home in Southport now. We decided to leave C-Life in good hands at the Bay Point Marina in Panama Beach, Florida, and spend the holiday season in North Carolina. "

"While in Fairhope, Alabama, Kay and boating friends of ours went shopping for our Thanksgiving dinner. They also found time to enjoy some more clothing, gift, and craft shopping, as they usually find time somehow to do. We also went out for a pretty good "off board" dinner one evening. We managed to find 10 pounds of fresh shrimp just off a boat, which we were served part of a couple of nights later. We completed our stay at Fairhope by helping a fellow boater from Atlantic Beach, North Carolina repair his on-board water system. Every day on this adventure seems to be a learning experience."

"We then left Fairhope and Mobile Bay, Alabama. As we left the bay we could see oil rig platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Our travels then led us into the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway. We passed by, no we did not stop, Lu Lu's Restaurant and Bar. Lu Lu is the sister of Jimmy Buffett and we understand that he stops by the restaurant periodically. We passed by Orange Beach, Alabama, and anchored for the evening in Ingram Bayou for another beautiful sunset and brown pelicans sitting on poles like yard ornaments. Our fellow boaters on Bella Luna prepared a shrimp dish that evening to die for.

"We then crossed to Florida, and docked for the evening in Pensacola, home of the Navy Blue Angles and the Naval Flight Training facility. Myself and two other boaters visited the Naval Air Station Flight Museum, while the girls again found some shops to explore. We went out for dinner and afterwards Kay managed to win two games of billiards (8 ball). She beat our friend Diane and me, as we both "scratched" on the 8 ball."

"It was interesting how the entire "climate/geography" changed as we crossed into Florida. From wilderness to beach communities, from brown to clear, green water, more regulatory signs such as "no wake", warmer temperature, boats with triple motors, dolphins jumping, and people fishing. "

"We hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We celebrated Thanksgiving at Pensacola, Florida, with two boating couples that we have been traveling with. We had a great Thanksgiving feast, and Kay cooked the turkey. Our feast was complete with cranberry sauce, turnip greens, oyster dressing, deviled eggs, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, corn, green beans, rice, gravy, pumpkin pie, and caramel cake. Too much food, but very good. "

"We then left Pensacola, and stopped for the evening at a courtesy dock at Ft. Walton, FL. Then it was on to Panama Beach. During this part of the trip we spotted two bald eagles, and a tow (tugboat & barges) with a large bolt-on front section that was a 500 horsepower bow thruster to help him around sharp bends. At Panama Beach our friends on Wanderin' L&M, that we have traveled with since Clayton, NY, prepared a wonderful meal of baked ziti. I think that it is a northern thing, and it was great, with meat balls and sausage on the side. We take our turn at preparing a meals for other boaters as well. Several days earlier we had prepared our traditional "Frogmore Stew"."

"We are going to be at home in Southport until after Christmas, so the next C-Life update will be in early January, 2009. We plan to enjoy our family and friends while we are home. "

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Robert & Kay...

"An interesting stop of our adventure was at Columbus, Mississippi, the birthplace of playwright Tennessee Williams, which we visited. Two of his plays were Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire, which won a Pulitzer Prize. Also in Columbus were many mansions from the early to mid 1800's which were spared destruction during the Civil War because the homes were used by both the North and South as hospital facilities. One such home that we visited was the Waverly Mansion, built in 1852, the family home of a 15,000 acre cotton plantation. In Columbus was Friendship Cemetery, a national cemetery of The Confederate Army. There were many monuments and unknown and known graves of the CSA soldiers. At this cemetery was the site of a recognition developed by some local women, which years later became known as Memorial Day. "

"At one of the locks on the Tombigbee River a "Snaggboat" operated by the Corps of Engineers to remove debris from the rivers was on display. This boat was the last steam powered vessel in operation in the United States."

"An unbelievable amount of cargo moves up and down the Tenn-Tom Waterway and rivers from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. We have met and passed four or more "tows" (tugboats and barges) daily. Each tug would be pushing from two to nine barges. Probably that many passed us at night while we were at anchor. "

"Another interesting stop down the rivers was last week at Bobby's Fish Camp. There on the shoreline of the Tombigbee River was a dock which appeared to be just long enough for 3 boats. By "rafting" boats up beside each other we were able to secure 10 boats to the dock. Bobby said that the record was 17 boats, one can only imagine. Then it was up to the "fish camp" restaurant, where the sign on the door reads "hot beer, lousy food, and bad service - Welcome". The food was really quite good, and their specialty was catfish, either pond raised, or fresh out of the river. I had hamburger steak, and Kay had a catfish sandwich. "

"At 7:10 am on November 21, we were locked through the Coffeeville Lock in southern Alabama. This was the last of approximately 125 locks we will go through on our adventure, we lost count at 43 somewhere in Canada. That means we are now back at sea level, in saltwater, with tidal flow, and tide changes. It also means that we will not have to contend with spiders like we experienced in the freshwater environment. Our first lock on the adventure, where we left saltwater back in June, was on the Hudson River at Troy, New York. It almost makes us fell like we are at home with the brown pelicans, dolphins, and crab pots. Did I mention the crab pots?!"

"And boy has it been cold lately. Late last week we were anchored in part of the Alabama River and the Tombigbee River. When we got up the next morning it was 26 degrees outside, and 45 degrees inside the boat. Wow, was that good sleeping! The waterline that I use to wash mud off the anchor was frozen. I had to route a water hose from inside the boat that morning. "

"The riverbanks continue to be wonderfully carver limestone creations through parts of the rivers."

"We have now completed our travel down the river systems and are in Mobile Bay, Alabama, at the town of Fairhope and have made it to the Gulf of Mexico.Having now completed just over 4,000 miles since leaving Southport on May 14, 2008, we have completed approximately 2/3 of our loop around the eastern United States."

Robert & Kay...

"Since leaving Chattanooga, Tennessee, we traveled back down the Tennessee River, stopping for several days again at Joe Wheeler State Park. The fall colors were at their peak as we traveled back down the river. Each day we thought that the colors could be no more brilliant, but each day they were. We have anchored several evenings with fellow boaters, and stayed overnight at several marinas. At one anchorage we observer 6 turkeys walking along the riverbank as the fog lifted. Pictures of turkeys and eagles are very difficult to capture. The camera and operator are just not fast enough. Each day is new and exciting, and an adventure. From one of the marinas we rented a vehicle and traveled to Tupelo, Mississippi. The significant findings in Tupelo were the birthplace of Elvis Presley, and an antique car museum. A special exhibit at the car museum was a display of 30 or so well built roadsters. "

"We traveled down the Tennessee River with a unique boat named Annie. It was a 52 foot boat built by a retired doctor. As a special touch he added a hand made, air powered calliope. He enjoyed playing it, and we enjoyed listening. It was like riding down the river listening to a carousel. "

"We are continuing to see white pelicans. We saw a large number around Decatur, Alabama, and more here in Columbus, Mississippi. "

"The leaves are now turning brown and beginning to fall. Gone are the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows! We are traveling down the TennTom Waterway, a waterway completed by the Corps of Engineers in 1985 connecting the Tennessee River and the Tombigbee Rivers providing a commercial route from Tennessee to Mobile Bay, Alabama. "

"Yesterday we saw 5 bald eagles on the TennTom Waterway."

"We have also been surprised by the number of tows (tugs and barges) on the TennTom Waterway. Today we passed four tows in just 23 miles of travel as we continue toward the Gulf of Mexico."

Robert & Kay...

"Kay and I spent last week attending a rendezvous with approximately 180 other boaters in some phase of doing the Loop, at Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama. Mostly we talked about the next part of our adventure, but one of the fun activities was a dingy race, in which I was blindfolded and had to go backwards, with one other person on the boat as navigator. My friend Larry and I came in second in the race. We also made a side trip by car to Memphis, Tennessee. We visited Graceland, home of Elvis Presley, walked Beale Street and listened to blues players and singers, went down to the bank of the Mississippi River, and drove over the Mississippi to Arkansas. We also made a side trip to Huntsville Alabama and visited the Space Museum, and Botanical Garden, finishing the day off with a great local Bar-B-Que meal."

"After traveling on the Loop since May 14, we finally caught up with Lorenzo Johnson and his wife Lois. Lorenzo and I worked together at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant for over 30 years and discussed and dreamed of doing this adventure one day. Lorenzo and Lois live in Shallotte, North Carolina, and they started the Loop in April. "

"We made a side trip by boat up the Tennessee River to Chattanooga, where we currently are. Wow! It is really beginning to get cold on the Tennessee River now. Two days ago we recorded 32 degrees and there was lots of ice on the deck. There were also approximately a dozen wild turkeys walking along the shoreline as the fog lifted. The leaves are really beginning to change now, the reds, yellows, and orange colors are glowing. "

"On our trip up the Tennessee River we passed by Brown's Ferry Nuclear Plant, a sister plant to the Brunswick Nuclear Plant. We also passed by an Andrew Jackson Memorial carved on a cliffside by the Daughters of American Revolution (DAR) organization close to a cave where he hid Civil War supplies. The memorial was carved in the year 1911. "

"A childhood friend, high school classmate and college roommate, Stewart Creech and his wife Frances, who now live in Knoxville, Tennessee, came by to visit, and stayed with us overnight on C-Life. The four of us took in the incline (72 degree) railroad, the Chickamauga & Chattanooga Civil War National Military Park (one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, 34,000 casualties), and a ride on the Coolidge Park Carousel which was built in 1895. Stewart & Frances also brought us some wonderful eastern Tennessee Bar-B-Que pork for our enjoyment! Today we mostly watched preliminary activity for a rowing regatta to be held here this weekend. Reportedly, the largest rowing event in the world. We also celebrated Halloween with our fellow boating friends on the dock this afternoon. "

Robert & Kay...

"We crossed Lake Michigan from St. Joseph to Chicago several days ago, just before the weather turned worse. We can truly say that Lake Michigan was kind to us! We only had one day in the past two weeks coming down the lake that got a little uncomfortable. This is one large freshwater lake! Along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, the state has developed "Safe Harbor" anchorages and marinas approximately every 20 or 25 miles. We picked our days carefully, would travel only when the weather was good, and stop at another of the "Safe Harbors" for a day or two, until it appeared safe to travel another day. Some of the towns that we visited along the way were Petoskey, Charlevoix, Frankfort, Ludington, Grand Haven, Saugatuck, and St. Joseph/Benton Harbor. Each town had its own personality, and various activities to enjoy. In Charleviox was an school building from the 1920's which had been restored to be a public library, the nicest public building that I believe I have ever seen. Salmon fishing was very popular this time of the year in several of the towns. A fisherman in Frankfort gave us some Salmon that he caught, and our friends on the boat "Bella Luna", a couple from Morehead City, NC, who started this adventure the same day Kay and I did, May 14, 2008, grilled it for us and several other boater friends to try. We saw the largest musical fountain in the world in Grand Haven, and we had to stop in the channel while going into Saugatuck to wait for a ferry, which was powered by a person turning a hand crank to pull the ferry across the river. Along the eastern shore of Michigan the coastline was made up of sand dunes reaching as high as 480 feet, and the lake was a deep as 700 feet in some places, WOW! This sand accumulated from the constant wind and waves from the west across Lake Michigan. "

"While in Chicago we had a wonderful visit by a former workmate and his family from North Carolina, Ken Nicely, his wife, and two young boys. Kay and I really enjoyed having their two young boys on board for a while, it reminded us of our grandchildren. Oh, we enjoyed Ken and his wife's visit also. We rode a Segway (a two wheeled gyroscope controlled transportation device) and went on a tour of downtown Chicago. We also went on an architecture tour of the city by boat. "

"Our plans from here are to enter the Illinois River tomorrow and begin our adventure down the rivers, arriving at the Gulf of Mexico in late November. Friends of ours from Southport, Bert and Becky Felton, are to join us this afternoon in Chicago for the next ten days or so of the adventure, what excitement!"

Robert & Kay...

"On August 11 Kay and I left Little Current, Ontario, a small village at the eastern end of the North Channel and traveled west to an anchorage in the Benjamin Islands. For the next few days we anchored in various islands in the North Channel with other boaters from New York, Florida, Washington State, and North Carolina, who are also doing the Loop as we are. All of the islands of the North Channel are formed of granite of various colors ranging from white, gray, pink, to an orange color, with trees and brush. As large as the wilderness of Canada is, we have seen very little wildlife, not even any bears or moose. We have however seen chipmunks, snakes, frogs, turtles, seagulls, and herons. Other islands that we anchored at were John Island, and the Grant Islands. "

"On August 13, while traveling between John Island and East Grant Island we traveled the furthermost north that we will be on our entire trip, 46 degrees 09.721 minutes north at 10:15 am, and the next morning was the coldest temperature that we have experienced so far, 53 degrees. That evening was also one of the prettiest sunsets of the trip. For four days we traveled just north of the Island of Manitoulin, the largest freshwater island in the world. I thought that we would never get past it. Finally, on August 14 we could see Drummond Island, Michigan, USA, the location where we would clear U.S. Customs back into the United States. As great as our time spent in Canada was, it was really good to be back in the USA. "

"We entered U.S. waters at 10:42 am on the 14th and one of the other Loopers, a boat from Beaufort, NC, played The Stars and Stripes on the boat radio as we all entered the United States. After clearing customs and an overnight stay at Drummond Island, it was on to Cedarville, Michigan, where we anchored in Government Bay. Interestingly enough, we anchored just around the corner from where Neal and Karen Sage, friends of ours from Southport, have a summer cottage. The Sage's were not at their cottage however, they were in Southport. From Cedarville it was on to Mackinac Island, Michigan for a couple of days. Mackinac Island is a resort island at the western end of Lake Huron, with notable tourist attractions such as Fort Mackinac, a British fort built in 1780, and taken over by the U.S. in 1796, the Grand Hotel, a hotel built in the 1850's with the longest covered front porch in the world, and fudge shops. Our next travels will take us down the eastern shore of Lake Michigan to Chicago."

Linda Williams & Gene Campbell...

"Our boating experience has been wonderful. It's so peaceful on the river in the mornings. We intend to go out in the evening soon. Thanks so much for making the purchase of our boat so smooth and informative. Your explanations of how everything on the boat operates was very thorough. We appreciate the many hours of training ( driving the boat) you provided us on the river. The tip you gave us about noticing the flags on the boats to estimate wind speed has been helpful. It's comforting to know we are operating with a new engine as you made sure the boat was thoroughly inspected before we took ownership. The new topper on the boat looks great! Chad, the mechanic, did a great job! We will definitely contact you in the future should we decide to purchase another boat."

Melinda & Keith Hopkins...

"Attached are pictures of my husband and I on our 36 Marlago. We got married in May and had the boat with us for the weekend at the wedding location on the Wye River in the Chesapeake Bay. The photographer did a series of shots of us on the boat during the reception."

Thank you!

Tim McDonough...

"Pictures of our 2000 Jefferson Marlago, the Blue Martini in the Chesapeake Bay. We still love it and it still turns heads!"

Suzanne & William Pomenti...

We met when you when you were in Islamorada for the Marlago Photo shoot with Michael and David Cavallaro.

We purchased our 35 Marlago when we moved to Islamorada from NJ. Our dream was to someday take the Marlago throughout the Bahama Islands from Islamorada. This summer we fulfilled our dream. We started in Islamorada to Chub Cay, Harbor Island in Eleuthera, through the Exumas, onto Long Island, then San Salvador. We fished and went diving along the way.

Attached photo from Chat and Chill Restaurant in Great Exuma andanother from a beach in Great Exuma. Please submit for photo contest.

Still loving this boat

Chuck & Heide Moeling...

"Hope you all had a GREAT 4th. I got a week of family time at the beach last week and managed to get out fishing quite a bit. Not sure how many Swordfish have been caught aboard a Marlago, but you can add 1 to the count. The fish measured ~7 feet long and hit about 3:45am on Thursday morning.

The OceanLED lights worked great and the boat performed flawlessly on the 200 mile/24 hour journey. Thanks for helping make this the memory of a lifetime!

We also caught two huge Jack Crevally and got to let CJ and my Mom reel one in.

Thanks for an AWESOME fishing machine!

Robert & Kay...

"Hello to all from Catskill, New York, just one day, approximately 40 miles, south of Albany, and the start of the Erie Canal. Except for a few individual e-mails, and a summary of our stay at the Great Kill Yacht Club on Staton Island, New York, this will be the first update since Chesapeake City, Maryland, on the Chesapeake & Delaware (C&D) Canal. You probably have no problem figuring out that the photographs are of ground zero in New York, The Boardwalk and the amusement park in Atlantic City, and C-Life in front of the Statue of Liberty."

"We left Chesapeake City and observed our first Bald Eagle of this trip sitting on a pole beside the canal. We then boated down the Delaware River/Bay and came by the Salem Nuclear Power Plant. We stayed one night at Cape May, NJ, and then on to Atlantic City. We had a great time, went to the Trump Casino (Kay broke even, but I lost about $25, all on the quarter slot machines), the City Aquarium, and biked on the boardwalk. From Atlantic City, on to New York and the Great Kill Yacht Club for three days. We left Staton Island, NY, and up the Hudson River. WOW, all the shipping traffic, and off in the distance was the Statue of Liberty, the City skyline, right by Ellis Island, and on up the Hudson. I saw what my Daddy saw when he came back from Europe after World War II, the New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty."

"On up the Hudson we then stopped for the night at Haverstraw, NY, marina, a 1000 wet slip marina, WOW. On up the Hudson we passed by the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. Last night we had dinner with Don and Linda White, a couple that we met at Nashville, Tennessee, while on vacation at Opryland Hotel and Resort. Don and Linda told us then that they had a family marina on the Hudson River, and we kept their information and told them that we would see them again, and we did. Then on up the Hudson, by and through, the Catskill Mountain Range, by West Point, and are here tonight at the village of Catskill, NY. We continue to meet other boaters doing the LOOP, some that we have met along the way since leaving Southport, and some that we have not met before. Weather and equipment permitting, it is on to Albany, NY, and the start of the Erie Canal."

Dan & Colleen Moran...

"As we searched for our next level of boat, graduating from 16 to 18 to 21 to 25', we found our boat of choice was the Carver 350 Mariner. Approaching our 40's with no children, we found it had the design, space, and length we were content with for entertaining family and friends. We spent months looking at site after site on the web. Finally, we found exactly what we were looking for at KYS. Not only was the boat perfect, but the personal and professional manner with which the deal was constructed was beyond great customer service. Scott Pullem is exceptional! He treated our purchase as if we were buying one of the many gorgeous, new, high-cost, much larger yachts from KYS. It was extraordinary to find that kind of attention to detail in today's marketplace. Always accessible, he handled all details, including facilitating a few minor repairs, boat-handling lessons, and demonstrating systems operations, with a patient, friendly, and caring disposition. We had several phone calls returned and pictures emailed after hours because of his diligent customer service. Scott is clearly an above-and-beyond member of the KYS family. We would certainly return to KYS for future purchases, and also recommend them based on our wonderful experience."

Jeff R. Ellis...

"You have the highest mark in customer service of all companies that I have dealt with. I retired from a catering company in Washington, DC. I have served from 1970, every president in the White House, State Department and every Washington embassy. I know customer service and yours is the BEST!"

Tom and Muffet Harmon...

"Attached to this E-Mail are 3 pictures of our 56 Rivanna as we passed Chicago last week. We have now traveled 3500 miles with a great boat, performing superbly in all conditions. Tell everyone at Jefferson 'HELLO.'"

Iain Morris...

"I wanted to drop you a note to let you know how much I appreciate Alans’ work with me this summer as we go through the commissioning of my new Pilothouse 57. I was concerned about the service aspects of owning this vessel and am happy to report that Alan has more than risen to the occasion! I don’t know if you get emails like this but I do think you should know that I am very happy with the contribution Alan is making to my enjoyment of the boat."

Susan and George Donovan...

"My wife and I own a 1999 4300 International Jefferson Yacht. From the first day of ownership, we have experienced nothing less than superb customer support...they stand behind their product and regardless of the time of day, provide thorough, friendly, and professional service with no second guessing. Unlike most boat builders, they do not abandon their customers. Perhaps that is so because it is a family run business with a lot of pride in their work and we were made to feel part of the family. We are very fortunate to experience the ownership of a top quality boat from a top quality company. It has been a wonderful experience and we can highly recommend the firm to any boat buyer whether they be experienced or first time buyers."

Bill Deane...

"It has been many months since my first introduction to the Jefferson Marlago at the Louisville Boat Show and subsequent test ride at the Miami Boat Show. I wanted you to know that everything from the minute we decided to make the purchase through our first few weeks of cruising has exceeded my expectations. I feel like I know almost everyone at Kentuckiana Yacht Sales and Jefferson Yachts on a first name basis. Everyone involved made the buying experience through construction and commissioning truly enjoyable. The quality and design put into this boat really shows and is proven when you are out on the ocean. Safety and integrity are apparent in this solid boat. Sometimes I get questioned about purchasing such a significant "fishing" boat when I don't even fish! As you know, our interests are primarily cruising, diving and overnighters, with fishing fourth and we outfitted the boat accordingly. The fishing will surely come, maybe even sooner than I thought. There is nothing quite as exhilarating as standing at that helm and flying across that water with such a great ride. Keep up the good work."

Mike Springer...

“Some weekends I take Outlaw 94 miles offshore marlin fishing, the next weekend I’m towing the girls on a nearby lake,” described Springer.

“The boat does everything I want. It’s seaworthy, very maneuverable, totally stable, gas is no issue, it’s dry and I can easily manage it by myself at the launch ramp.”

During the year, Springer tows his Marlago to five or six ASSC tournaments. He usually places near the top at these events held in locations such as Destin and Mexico Beach in Florida or Venice, Louisiana.

Recently, Springer powered the only Marlago in the tournament fleet of 16 vessels over to the Port Lucaya, Bahamas. On alternate days, the group fished and relaxed. Springer reported with pride that on one of the play days, Outlaw ferried 15 people over to a little island for snorkeling and picnicking.

“For my purposes the open bow with forward seating is perfect,” added Springer. “I love to go after fish, but this style also gives me lots of flexibility with my daughters. At this age, they adore sitting up front!”

Gregg Filtch...

"I had heard how they like to run, and everything that is said is true."

The gulf is nasty, trips up to 50 miles in 4-6 foot sea are the norm (we have a very bad chop in the morning out to 30 miles). Usually it is 70+- mile runs to the grounds. I like the fact that I am able to cruise 25-30+ in just about anything without beating the boat and myself. It quarters the waves very nicely and is bone dry. We have won and placed in lots of tournaments over the last 2 seasons I have had the boat.

And had a 600+lb Blue Marlin die on us on July 30th. We were unforatully not able to get away from work and be in the tournament we had planned on fishing that weekend, or we would have had a nice payday cause only few bills were caught.

Lee and Susan Pinkard...

The Marlago Cuddy is far more than versatile or that it just happens to do a lot of things, " explained Lee Pinkard. "The Marlago is multi-dimensional in that it is designed to do lots of things well."

What sold them on the boat? Doug Wilson of Discover Marine in Ft. Myers took the Pinkards out for a demo ride on shallow Charleston Harbor amidst a thunderstorm with up to 35-knot winds and a nasty, short-troughed chop. "I was amazed when Doug cranked up the engines and we were flying at 50 mph through 3-foot, choppy waves," recalled Pinkard. "The boat was stable and when Doug encouraged me to turn in tight circles, the boat responded perfectly!"

The Susan Rae II serves as a keystone to the couples' active retirement. When not fishing 40 to 60 miles offshore for grouper and reef shark, the Pinkards can be seen cruising to are beaches with their children and grandchild. Sometimes they stop at Ophelia's Restaurant for dinner and the five-star, dining crowd openly admires their sleek, multi-dimensional Marlago.

Ray and Arline Cutro...

You all know me as the guy who came to the boat shows for the last five years saying I wanted to buy a Jefferson some day. I even visited your facilities in Jeffersonville Indiana. Over those years the Jefferson Sales and Management team helped me understand more and more about the quality and reputation of Jefferson Yachts and most importantly the integrity of the people behind the product. I am now the proud owner of a 46’ 2001 Jefferson Rivanna Cockpit Motor Yacht that I am embarrassed to say I did not buy directly from Jefferson Yacht Sales only because of the limited availability of this model and options. As I went through the purchase process the Jefferson staff helped me evaluate this boat and provided advice, design drawings and background information full well knowing the purchase situation.

The level of interest and commitment that Jefferson has to satisfying the need of its customers was above my expectations and I want to thank you all for helping me during the purchase and afterwards with resolving some of the minor problems that I might add were not even your responsibility. Now for my testament of the ability of this vessel to comfortably handle what ever the Atlantic could throw at us on a twelve day trip from Scituate Ma to Clearwater Fl; the boat just took it all in stride; the spin off effects of hurricane Helena, and a fierce thunderstorm. I never felt intimated by the bad weather conditions and in good conditions it was like being on a cruise ship. This is all from the captains prospective, but if you ask the first mate what she thinks about the accommodations the answer would be “this is nicer then home”. We plan to retire in a couple of years and are looking forward to extensive travel.

Michael Scher...

I spent a lot of time researching various vessels before picking the Monticello as my new living space. I am totally convinced now that I made the right choice. The only major improvement I have made to the modified design you built for me was to add an MSD. I needed that because my marina does not operate its waste dumping pump during the winter months.

Thanks again for this great boat and please extend that thanks to the people in the shop that built it for me. If you ever need someone to talk to prospective customers about living aboard a Monticello, I will be available.