Perfect "Loop Cruiser" planning another adventure ??

We can hear Great Escape" whispering to us as we visit her to take freezable items off the boat for the winter.  She seems to be saying, "you really don't want to sell me do you?"  "How about just one more trip south where you'll cruise with porpoises and grey whales instead of jumping carp in the Mississippi!"  She doesn't understand how JoAnn and I aren't "spring chickens" anymore.  Great Escape is in better condition today than she was the day we bought her and much better equipped for long range cruising!

It's not an easy decision to sell her and the idea of another adventure down the Ole Mississippi is intriguing !    In our following blogs we will play the WHAT IF GAME and plan our next trip in case we haven't sold her by next fall.  Kinda  like,  "salt water here we come!"  To see our ad to sell our Bayliner 4788 Pilothouse see the "classified ad" section on RIVERBILL.COM 

Well here she is all winterized, under roof, and put to bed for the winter for the last time if we take her south next fall!

We will really miss the marina life and great care we receive at Port Charles Harbor.  This will be our last view as we leave the marina if Great Escape doesn't sell by next fall. All our friends are invited to join us for different segments of the cruise south.

We will pass the arch and down town St. Louis Mo. for the last time on our boat. With many memories of good times we've had on the river on our minds we'll head south.

I've already started a check list for "to do" jobs to complete in the spring like changing fuel filters impellers etc. and making sure all systems are in perfect shape.  You don't want to loose power while crossing the Gulf of Mexico!  This shouldn't be too hard as we have always given her great care and she's ready. Things like redundancy of instruments with 3 chart plotters 2 VHF radios 2 depth sonars etc. on separate breakers to insure safe carefree cruising.  None of the glitzy "one screen" for radar, depth and GPS instruments that leave you in an awful mess when they "shoot craps".

Our current plan will be to arrive at our sunny destination some where in the Fort Myer Florida Gulf Coast area after several months of leisurely cruising    This is a picture of a marina in Punta Gorda that is among the top of the list where "Great Escape" could become our condo, not on but in the water!

CAN "GREAT ESCAPE" BE FOR SALE????

To see by appointment at Port Charles Harbor at mile 221.5 RDB of the Mississippi river in Port Charles Mo.                                                  Call Dave Berg (636) 812 2585

Can it be true that JoAnn and Dave are actually listing "Great Escape" FOR SALE on the RIVER BILLS web. site ????   The Bayliner 4788 Pilothouse motor yacht  is one of the all time classics cruisers that has many desirable features  She is the perfect boat for long distance cruising or just anchoring out.

The galley has full sized fridg, stove with oven, and microwave.  Also a deep freeze is in the hallway.

Saloon is comfy and she has 3 bedrooms

So.. What's age got to do with it???

Well, here we go again. Another spring is coming.  After a horrendous winter I can't wait.  What does age have to do with boating?  Since I froze my age at 67 and stopped having birthdays, it seems on the inside I haven't changed a bit.  But,,, on the outside can this be true?  I don't look the same in the mirror.

 

When we visit Great Escape I feel her tugging at my heart strings like a young puppy pulling on a leash.  "Come on,,,lets go!  The sea,, and new adventures are waiting for us!!"  I guess a good boat never gets old if you take care of her.  But does she understand how my joints feel in the morning ?

My "bucket list" is really very short as we've  followed the philosophy of an old friend who used to say "memories are better than dreams"

When are you too old to cross Gulf of Mexico alone again and if I did should I hire a captain to help?  I DON'T THINK SO!

Can we manage the many locks and dams just to get to the open water of the Gulf again??

When we have the many wonderful memories of places we've been and the experiences that were great; do we really want to expose ourselves to the rigor of another trip ?  After all, we can just drive to the Keys or Ft. Myers  and probably have as much fun.

Sun room in our new digs.. A Villa !! 

 

           No more grass to cut!!  No snow shoveling!!  No gutter cleaning!! No swimming pool to worry about when we're gone!

new dinning room                                 

new galley                                 

lower level                                           

Our new living room, with a fire in the fireplace, makes me wonder if I really want to travel for months in a boat again .  Hummmm???  I guess with the kids gone a villa style of living is a reward of getting older.  I will still keep the age frozen at 67 though; and Who Knows What the Future brings ???!                                               Our blog has reached 20,000 hits from all over the world including many places I've barely heard of.  Someone in the Ukraine is a consistent follower.  My initial expectations have been more than met and we have met many new friends in boating thanks to the blog.  Thanks for bearing with me.....Captain Dave

 

When can we boat again????

Where is Al Gore??  This winter is getting a little ridiculous!  I was loving global warming!

Even the Ospreys in Florida are freezing from the artic blasts !  I hear there was ice on the streets in Orange Beach Ala.                                                 

BUT, the cranes are ready to go north

ALSO, our eagles are ready to go back north.

"GREAT  ESCAPE"  wants to head south !

Merry Christmas (to all our friends)

Decorated and ready to celebrate another Christmas.  We have soooo many blessings, and Wish You A Very Merry Christmas !

First snow of this year to make it easy for Santa to get to our house!!!  (snow for the sleigh you know)

Santa at the "Duck Club Yacht Club" greeting children at our annual Christmas party on the river.

Even some adult members like Debbie got a chance  to tell Santa her wishes.

While the river and pool became desolate looking and cold outside, we dined to an awesome buffet and enjoyed the fellowship of the other boating members of Duck Club Yacht Club. 

Pork rib tips, cheese burgers, loaded potatoes and all the fixings  were great.

.

And a big THANKS to our chef Mark for another good year of good food at Duck Club on the river.

And Santa's helpers were great too, tending to our food and drink wishes..

The party was complete with the artistic touch of one of the "Elves" being creative with balloons for the children.  Although we celebrate the season with gifts and merriment, the true meaning of all this including our salvation must always be kept in our hearts.  God bless you all and have a wonderful Christmas. .....

 From Captain Dave and the Admiral JoAnn on Great Escape. (come see us next summer at Port Charles Marina, or the Duck Club next door)

Great Loop Boat Perfection (The 4788 Pilothouse)

Yep, That's me in the saloon.  Happiness living aboard requires space to be alone at times.  I love my mate "the Admiral" but at times you need your own space.

Our "Great Escape" at dock in Palm Beach Fla.  (a 1997 Bayliner 4788 Pilothouse Motor Yacht)  The 4788 although not being built any more was a very popular model that in my mind still can't be beat by anything out there for cruising. And, its affordable!

JoAnn and me with Great Escape in back round.

A spacious pilot house with unobstructed view is a MUST!!

Good ground tackle to handle different sea beds is required.  We have a 60# Bruce with 200 feet of chain and a lighter Danforth with chain and rope.  A smaller aft hook in cockpit is also available.

 Flying bridge when the weather is good with a good canvas cover is a great way to travel. 

Ease of anchoring out is facilitated by two pilothouse doors.  Locking through is also a chore made very easy with the pilothouse doors. The doors also allow options for easy access to the boat when dealing with tides while doing the loop.

Space in the pilothouse is well managed. Instruments include 3 chart plotters (one on fly bridge), radar, 2 ship to shore radios (one on fly bridge), a wind direction indicator, a haler with automatic fog horn,  and an auto-pilot. See sliding door on the left.  Redundancy of instruments on different power supplies is a good idea when you actually need them at sea.  The new glitzy devices with overlays of radar and gps sound good but can be a disaster when they fail  at sea.

Master bed is a king size (in boat language) which means Queen size but very comfortable. Nothing beats it with a gentle storm rocking you to sleep.

The lounge, or saloon, is an open area that allows entertaining fellow "loopers" or friends who are traveling with us.  The pilothouse 4788  has another two bedrooms and baths (not shown in the blog) for  traveling guests.  

AGLCA flag.  White back round means in process of doing the loop.  Gold back round means loop has been completed. 

JoAnn (the admiral) and me enjoying dinner at a marina restaurant following a great day of cruising.  The time we spent living aboard and cruising was wonderful. Even though we're currently "dirt dwellers" we still have these memories.  Jim White once said Memories are better than dreams.  So if your are thinking some day may be .Just do it!  And when you do, come see us at Port Charles Harbor where JoAnn and I are "Harbor Hosts" for the AGLCA ( American great loop cruisers association )

Should you eat turkey? (SHOULD YOU GO OR NOT?)

Moorings Marina in Carrabell where many "Great Looper" boats are waiting to make the cross to Tarpon Springs or Tampa Bay.

BUT,,,,Thanks to Tom Conrad's "Weather Musings" (on the American Great Loop Cruisers Assoc. site)  they will shut down their engines and stay put til the weekend and enjoy a nice "Thanks Giving dinner at the dock with other boater friends. 

View of passage way to the Gulf on a calm day . According to our weather wizard Tom,  the Gulf is kicking up today with 30 mph winds and eight foot seas. Tom's advice on when to cross and when not to are very valuable to those of  us who make the crossing.  The next weather window will not be until after Thanksgiving and since Several marinas like "Dog River" in Mobile and "C-Quarters in Carabelle  will have complimentary turkey dinners ENJOY!