Seabrook TX

We've been in Seabrook now for almost three weeks.  Lots of things to tell everyone about.  We finally have everything on the boat put back together after some really cold days put us about a week behind in finishing.  We also sent the outboard for our dinghy out for repair.  The bad news is it has a scored piston and needs to be replaced and parts need to be ordered.  The first weekend we were here our friends June and Kelly drove from College Station and spent the night with us.  Sarah and Abigail, there twin English Shepards also joined us and Chloe made sure that they minded there manners.  It was fun spending time with them and hope to see them again along the way.  Captain Larry's Boat Service has been doing a few things for us such as hook up the inverter that I put in while in San Diego and change the oil.  They also were in charge of receiving the boat when it arrived and making sure the radar arch got installed, bottom painted, and hull polished.   Had to pick Captain Larry for obvious reasons.  We had a nice Thanksgiving , but of coarse missed family and friends.  We bought a butterball turkey that was pre-smoked and had to only heat it up in the stove.  Friday after Thanksgiving we, including Chloe, went to Galveston and checked out what's called "The Strand", which is like Old Sacramento with all the shops and touristy stuff.  Then we went to Moody Gardens for the Festival of Lights where you walk thru many different themes of lights and sounds.  Next day was bye bye turkey and get out the Christmas decorations.  I even put lights on the railing around the bow of the boat.  Thursday we had an unexpected visit from our dear friend Mike D.  He was down by Brownsville teaching a class and then flew to Houston rented a car and spent the night with his nephew in Conroe and drove here to visit us for a few hours before he had to go back to Houston and catch his flight to Sacramento.  We had lunch together and got caught up on our home town happenings.  Today the weather is bad again with a North wind of 20 knots and a wind chill outside of 32 degrees with rain.  We thought we were going to  get our outboard motor back today, however we were told more parts were needed.  We have a person coming to inspect our car on Monday so we can turn in our leased car to Ford.   If everything goes as planned we hope to be leaving mid next week.  Our first stop will be in Port Arthur, Texas and next day in Lake Charles, LA.  I hear the wifi along the way is far and few so I will try to post when I can.  Today we went into Houston and stopped at Costco and the biggest Galleria Mall I have ever seen.  Too big and crowded to get through the whole thing.  Hopefully will be writing next time somewhere other than Seabrook.

Looking out the back of the boat

Chloe, Abigail, and Sarah doing quiet time

Kelly, June, and us

Happy Thanksgiving

Galveston Festival of Lights

Our tree

More decorations

Panacea Festival of Lights

Our friend Mikey

History of the Great Loop

THE GREAT LOOP

The Great Loop became possible with the completion of U.S. and Canadian canals: Erie Canal (1827), Rideau (1826), Trent Severn Waterway (1850-1920) and the Welland Canal (1824). These land-cut channels connected the Eastern Seaboard with the Great Lakes. The completion of the Illinois and Michigan Canal (1848) connected Lake Michigan to the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1900 congress funded the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from Boston to the Florida Keys, completed in 1935. In 1985 the Tenn-Tom Waterway allowed for a more regulated, short-cut route to Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
An early account of a circumnavigation is A Year in a Yawl, the tale of four boys from St. Joseph, MI, who slid a homemade sailboat through the Illinois and Michigan Canal, then the Mississippi to the Gulf and around the Keys. At the Erie Canal they bought an old gray mare that pulled them through the Canal.

Heading to Seabrook Texas

We left on the 16th early in the morning from my sister's.  The plan is to spend the first day going to Tucson, then to El Paso, San Antonio, and finally Seabrook.  Since we had Chloe with us we stayed at only pet friendly hotels.  Did you know the speed limit in parts of Texas is 80mph?  We really did enjoy San Antonio, we probably could have spent an extra day there.  The riverwalk and Alamo was very cool.  We arrived in Seabrook on the 19th and got to see Panacea up on blocks with a new bottom job and buffed out hull.  The next day she is going to get her bottom wet and we can move back on board. So here we are back on board trying to get everything cleaned up and put back together.  First thing is to get the canvas and windshield back on because they're talking about a cold front coming in with rain on Friday.  Today is Thursday and it is 80 degrees with 100% humidity.  Welcome to Texas!

See you in Texas

Entering Arizona

Leaving New Mexico

This one is for you Gary

Texas

Remember the Alamo

The Alamo

San Antonia Riverwalk

New bottom and shiny hull

Let the fun begin

Our Last Hurrah with Family and Friends Before Leaving

I know it's been a while since our last post.  We spent time with family in Southern Calif. and drove to Northern Calif. to see more of our family and unfortunately not all of our friends, just not enough time. We had fun in San Diego and loved Cabrillo Isle Marina.  Our first weekend in San Diego our friends David and Susan stayed with us and we took Panacea out for a harbor cruise.  We also went downtown the next day and had breakfast at Croce's.  For all you senior citizens, like me, Jim Croce was a talented singer, ( Time in a Bottle, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, etc.) that had his life cut short in a plane crash.  His wife opened the restaurant some 30 years ago in homage to his legacy.  Much of our time was spent organizing with boat yards and truck transports for preparing the boat for its long journey over the asphalt roads to Texas.  We did buy an inverter and installed everything for it except the AC wiring to the electrical panel.  We just ran out of time and will have that done in Seabrook.  My sister drove Mike down and dropped him off to spend the last five days with us to help get the boat ready for transport.  We had to take all antenna, radar, windshield, canvas top and anything higher than highest point with the windshield removed.  Then we had to take the boat over to San Diego Boat Repair so they could use the crane to remove the radar arch.  Then back to the marina to start taping all the windows and doors.  The way the boat yard put it is, image your boat going backwards at 70mph so make sure you tape every crack and cranny so no water can get in.  We also had to store all breakables, chairs, tables, and on and on.  Thank you Mike for all your help.  Not sure we could have done it without you.  After the boat was loaded on the truck we drove to my sister's and the next day went to NorCal and stayed with our son Michael, Jess and Carter and Dylan, our Grandsons.  We also got to see our Granddaughter, Ashley, play in her last volleyball game.  Gary, Tiffany, and Ashley joined us at Michael and Jess's to celebrate Jan's birthday and the next day we went to Gary and Tiffany's to watch the 49er game and have dinner.   Two of the days I got to play golf with the Boys and my friend Mike D.   After four days we packed up and headed back down to my sisters.   We're going to miss ya all.  Leaving for Seabrook on the 16th.

Cabrillo Isle Marina

Susan, Jan, and Chloe on bay cruise

USS Midway

San Diego

Captain Larry

De Radar Arched

Strapped to the bow for transport

Ready for haul out

We'll see her in Texas

Do you see the 49er pillow?

Our Family

Here's to you...Pat, Linda, Jan, and Me

Linda and Jan

Jess, Carter, Dylan and Jan

My sister Lu-Lu and Mike

San Yippee Diego

Yeahh!!!!!  We made it to San Diego, our final destination on the West coast.  Jan and I had a great time in Long Beach and visiting family in the area, it would have been nice to spend more time there.  Mike and Lu-Lu, my sister, came on Saturday the 12th and after spending the afternoon together she and Jan took the cars back to Lu-Lu's house while Mike and I stayed on the boat looking forward to an early start on Sunday for San Diego.  We untied the boat and were on our way about 6:45am Sunday morning.   I told Mike it looks like a smooth ride but of coarse things happen.  It wasn't too bad the first half but about the last 30 to 40 miles we had this continuous 2 to 3 foot wind ways hitting us on the side of the boat making it rock and roll.  Glad Jan took Chloe with her so she wouldn't have to deal with it.  Finally we pulled into Cabrillo Isle Marina at Harbor Island at 4:00pm.  Jan and Chloe were there to meet us and we all joined in with a shot of tequila to celebrate the moment, except for Chloe. Now we are in the process of coordinating our move by truck to Texas and the boat yard to help with the preparation.

Point Loma.  We had to stay a mile off so not to get into the seaweed.

Looking at downtown San Diego

Coming into Harbor Island

One happy captain.

 

One happy puppy, not on the last leg of the trip.

Alamitos Bay / Long Beach, CA

We left Ventura on Monday morning and arrived in Alamitos Bay at 4:00pm.  Got some great shots of dolphins just off Pacific Palisades.  It's amazing how different the ocean is here in Southern Calif. verses North.  I guess that's why there are so many boats down here.  We're on an end tie and have a great view of the harbor.  The day after we got here a long ago friend of Jan's called and drove over to visit.  Pam was a next door neighbor and classmate growing up with Jan.  We all lived on the same block growing up and Pam's sister was my age and a classmate.  It had been probably some 22 years since we all saw each other.  After trying to get caught up she then drove us over to have dinner.  At dinner we continued to get caught up and later drove us back to the boat.  Yesterday we put the dinghy in the water so Chloe and I could take Jan across the bay to a hair salon.  After we picked her up we had to take the boat over to the pump out and empty the holding tank, one of the things I miss about Tower Park was the pump out was at the shed so you never had to move your boat.  Miss you Tower Park dock friends.  Gary, our son, drove our car down from Sacramento after he got off work and arrived here at 11:45pm.  I can't believe how fast he got here. Next morning we went to lunch and then back to the boat and hung out the rest of the day.  That night we drove over to Famous Dave's BBQ in Long Beach and had a great rib dinner.  When we got back to the boat the Santa Ana winds started to blow.  For of those that don't know about the Santa Ana winds, they come from off shore and can get up to 50 mph.  That night the bow line was rubbing on the hull with the strain of the wind blowing and I had to get up to put a rag between the line and the hull to quiet the noise so we could sleep.  In the morning we left to take Gary to the Ontario airport and then we continued on to my sisters in Pinon Hills.  We were surprised to find our Nephew and his family, our Niece, my Dad and Edie waiting for us to show.  We're going to spend some time in the area to visit and won't be updating the blog the rest of the week.  The plan is to leave for San Diego this coming weekend.

Pacific Palisades

Dolphins leading the way

Light house to the entrance of Los Angeles harbor

 

Jan's friend Pam she grew up with

Sunset in Alamitos Bay

Lunch with Gary