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Okeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
  • AICW Great Loop Segment
Jan – Mar 2025

Okeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon

Okeechobee WW out and back with a 5 star marina resort stay to the Hontoon Gathering on the St. John River. Read more
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  • Trip start
    January 10, 2025
    AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon

    Travel Day 1, PNS-Hilton Garden N Tampa

    Jan 10–11 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 63 °F

    We hitched up in Pensacola onboard PNS NAS in the dark with a 470 mile goal (500 miles is our usual max goal). This hotel has lots of parking room and no I-75 noise and a Bob Evans 2 blocks away. There are lots of less expensive options, including state parks, but that requires us to re configure the berth and we're too lazy to do that. Only 150 miles to our fav FL 5 star marina resort, PInk Shell, which has essentially the same weather as Key West but is much closer. However, lacks the amazing water colors of the Keys.Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon

    Logistics Day 2

    Jan 11–12 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Complex logistics are part of trailer boat segment cruising. Today we moved the boat out of tight quarters at the hotel, fueled up the boat at a RaceTrac, arranged truck and trailer storage, and launched at Salty Sam Marina short ramp, returned the rig to storage and cruised 3 miles to dock at the Pink Shell Marina. Tomorrow we hope to start a Okeechobee out and back before returning to Pink Shell until the March Hontoon Hoot.
    Safe Travels!
    John    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Pink Shell Resort rooms overlooking the Marina
    Complex Manatee speed limits depending on month, date, and whether in the OWW channel or not7 foot closed RR bridge, usually open if a train isn't comingFranklin Lock, Number 215 for usGetting used to and breaking in new Yamaha F150's!LaBelle city dockMarina grounds1918 Rotary Steam engine (take that, Mazda!)Nice protected pedestrian walkway over bridge

    Ft Myers Beach to LaBelle

    Jan 12–13 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 59 °F

    Beautiful cruise uprive to LaBelle city dock. Calm waters and very easy Locking. The Bridge moise is not a big deal to us with fans and heat on. The Franklin Lock had a mechanical gate issue that added a half hour to the transit time. The lift is only about 3 feet with ropes to grab about every 10 feet. There are some prolonged Manatee zones.Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Warp Speed Controller. MS Eileen, You have the stick
    Saved my old accurate to 2 gallons gas gaugesRiver House dock, Moore HavenIntegrated electric steering gets rid of 4 hoses & liquid tie bar issuesFinally, our fenders are Big EnoughRiver House Marina. Moore HavenPark setting

    Labelle to Moore Haven, W of Lake O

    January 13 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Labelle to Moore Haven

    This is bass tournament country with rodeos going on this week, so the few marinas are pretty full. We had a pleasant cruise down the canal with sunny weather and high of 82 degrees. There’s not a whole lot of reviewed anchorages, but we favor marinas since it gets down to the mid 40’s some mornings and we prefer shore power for heat and cooking. The new Yamaha control has 16 switches, buttons and lights not including the gauge panel. I asked to keep the old analog gas gauges because they are the most accurate ever in 13 trailer boats over the years.

    The OWW locks are unique in that there are no valves or plumbing that fill and empty the lock…they just open the gate about six inches and the water comes sluicing in. I wish I could have taken video of eight vertical feet of water pouring in but I can’t manage that one handed with one hand on the rope. Were having a great time. I wish more boaters understood Florida’s definition of ‘Slow Speed Minimum Wake’...The vessel must be level with the waterline with no part starting to come on plane. The video shows two; the first not in compliance while the second boat is.

    Our NEBO report for the day is here:

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…

    What broke:

    Garmin can’t plot an Auto route without running over a dam, dry rocky land, a cluster of 30 story condos, or all three within a mile or two.

    Oh, wait! That means it’s operating normally. Sorry.

    Safe travels!    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Two C-Dorys in their garage

    Moore Haven to the Elliot's Dock

    Jan 14–16 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 36 °F

    Moore Haven to the Elliot’s Place near Okeechobee

    We found that Ken and Sharon Elliott were at home on the North shore of Lake Okeechobee near Okeechobee city. The lake was in a snotty but not dangerous mood and we crossed without a drop on the windshield. They live on Taylor Creek and the Taylor Creek Lock is a unique one. You have to maneuver up to the timbers to pull a cord to notify the lockmaster that you want to pass through. The lock is so short it was barely long enough for our boat. It took five tries to get the gates closed satisfactorily. It was all a hoot for us.

    Here’s today’s NEBOLINK report.

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…

    Tonight we get a free Elliot laundry (none near marinas to date). We’re having a great time exploring. Safe Travels!    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    1st boat is not let w cresting wake

    Elliot's Place, Day 2

    January 15 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Elliot’s place, Day 2

    Today was not a good cruising day on Lake O, so we stayed put. NOAA issued a small craft caution and blue Windy app predicted winds of 15-20 with gusts to 24. That’s in our No Go range so we had a weather day here. We got a tour of the Rim walk for two miles. One particularly hard slam yesterday resulted in ‘LOSS OF SONAR MODULE’ (which was showing 89 feet in the 4 foot canal) and ‘LOSS OF RADAR MODULE’ warnings. I tracked that down to a Garmin Network plug that got jarred loose despite a screw on cap to keep it in place way up on the back of one MFD.

    Tomorrow should be much less windy and it’s only 52 miles to Stuart via three locks and two 7 foot RR bridges, hopefully both will be open. The two engineers are asking why Find Penguins is mapping us zooming from Ft Lauderdale to New Orleans. I have no idea…my understanding is that the phone provides the mapping data. The good news is that the USAA Safe Pilot app is giving me credit for driving hours and hours at 24 MPH without touching the phone, which will give me a @ 29% insurance discount.
    First boat is NOT at FL reg Slow Speed Min Wake, second one is.
    ‘    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon

    Elliot's Winter Estate to Stuart, FL

    Jan 16–18 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F

    Ken and Sharon's place is near Okeechobee, FL, a part of the lake not frequented by cruisers or Loopers. The Taylor Creek lock was so short Cat O' Mine barely fit between the red lines. You have to maneuver up pull the cord, even though the lockmaster is watching you out the window. No phone or radio. We had a sloppy ride to the Mayaca Lock at the west end of Lake O, then two more locks and three 'automatic' 7 foot RR bridges. One was down and stayed down for 30 minutes after we arrived before it finally opened vertically at a majestic rate. More rural scenery down the St Lucie Canal to the bustle and crowds of Stuart.

    NeboLink report here; we try to stay over 20 MPH since no C-Dory wants a track that's not white.

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…

    Safe Travels!    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon

    Stuart Safe Harbor Yacht Club Day 2

    Jan 17–19 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 39 °F

    Stuart, FL day 2

    We’re aboard Safe Harbor Harborage Yacht Club, one of the largest marinas we’ve ever seen…apparently by merging two adjacent giant marinas into one. It’s 1.9 miles to the bath house and back (you can call for a golf cart ride 7am-10pm if you want). We rate it within the top six 5-star marinas we’ve ever docked at. There are adjacent train tracks and horn noise. Tomorrow should be a good day to cross Lake O according to the sources we trust most (blue Windy.com, NOAA Lake O Marine Forecast and local knowledge).

    What Broke:

    Garmin VHF 215 won’t turn on or screen light up with power button, although the speaker is emitting a regular ‘ticking’ sound each second. Fuse is good.

    Garmin 8212 MFD is reporting Garmin GFS10 fuel data for both engines, but twin 8012 MFD is not.

    Brand new HH VHF #2 is transmitting but not receiving.

    It’s a boat, it’s always something.

    We walked to Publix (2 miles round trip) for a bit of re-provisioning.

    Great marina! To the west is Old Roosevelt 14 ft bridge and ‘automatic’
    RR bridge adjacent at 7 feet, but don’t get caught between them if one is down!

    John    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Cooking Filet Mignon on the NuWave skillet
    Docked by the Roland Marina Tiki Grill Sat Nite

    Stuart, FL to Clewiston, Roland Martin's

    January 18 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Great cruise at mostly 24 MPH through scenic St. Lucie river and canal!

    What got Fixed:

    Garmin VHF 215 responded with a 'soft reset' by pulling the fuse for 30 sec (thanks Mr Google).

    The MFD issues pointed to an N2K problem (hint: all images were working, but N2K can only carry non-image, numerical data like depth, temp, AIS, direction etc). I disconnected/reconnected four transom area N2K backbone T-connectors and all became G

    One of two brand new HH VHF radios will not transmit but receives OK. Nothing I can fix here.

    We docked at Roland and Mary Ann Martin Marina in Clewiston, FL today; a Looper fav and we are right beside the Tiki Bar and Grill. Sunny and 81 degrees, so you should be here too.

    NEGOLINK report for today is here, see the whole three pages:

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Crossing Lake O, least choppy section
    South Rim Route Lake OShort Clewiston Lock left open for the season82 yo Capt Sam, Dockmaster, put us by the Tiki Bar86 degrees in the cockpit, shorts and ice waterJumper cable repair. Space vs tools always a compromiseLive music (guitar duo) all day SundaysBig Bird seemed impressed by the new engines...or maybe just looking for an open bait bucket

    Clewiston, Day 2

    January 19 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    A short clip of the Lake O crossing, after the roughest part (we're both fully engaged when it's rough, defined as needing to use the wipers). At least the wind was at our backs. When we returned from Stuart, Lake O looked pretty calm but the NOAA forecast was a Small Craft Caution, winds 15 MPH with gusts to 25 and choppy (worse in a shallow lake like this). We have well-established 'NO-GO’ criteria, which saves a lot of time and agonizing debates.

    NO-GO CRITERIA:
    -Any NOAA marine forecast Caution or Advisory in effect on the route
    -NOAA wind over 18 MPH or gusts over 22 MPH
    -NOAA Choppy or Rough in Protected Waters
    -Windy.com (blue app) winds over 18 MPH or gusts over 22 for any block of time on route
    -Either of us prefer not to. We’re retired, we have all month.

    The boat can handle a lot more than that and the boat won’t break (but a femur might, and they are harder and more expensive to replace).

    It got to over 85 degrees in the cockpit today and it was windy.

    What broke:

    An exterior roof rail bolt drips in heavy rain. Of course the proper repair is disassembly, clean out core, epoxy and redrill. The temp repair is caulk on the outside (never the inside, or the water will infiltrate the core). You likely knew that.

    The cockpit lights are inop. When the shop replaced all the fuel lines for the new engines, a wire bundle was rerouted and too short; pulled off the switch blade in chop. I made a jumper extension long enough to remove the strain.

    A cockpit light lens screw went AWOL. There’s an ACE hardware store close to the cute church, so I bought a couple of extra 6-32 ½” replacements just in case.

    Safe Travels!    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Video from three days ago when it was calm!

    Clewiston Day 3

    January 20 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Today we cleaned some boat windows.
    And did laundry….whoo-weee date!
    And walked 2.1 miles to the Super Walmart for provisions. We could not get a Uber back, and had to walk back with bags. Eileen’s left knee and my right hip were complaining loudly and swelling.
    No by T
    This all confirms my long-held belief that cruising new areas on your C-Dory is THE most fun you can possibly have with your pants on. Agree?

    YMMV.

    Best wishes for those in the freezing latitudes.

    John    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Lots of overpowered bass boats around
    Lonely dock todayPower Pedestal Pork Roast (PPPR)PPPR and saladToday we are the largest yacht at the marina!700 foot linear dock, but not much room to turn around

    Clewiston, Weather Day 4

    January 21 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    Clewiston, Weather Day 4

    Gale warnings and gusts predicted to 36 MPH have us deciding to stay put here at Rolands’ and extend another two nights. There are a few hard core bass fisherpersons…this is the ‘bass fishing capital of the world’. There are lots of fishing guides, but for $1,500 Roland Martin himself will take you and a buddy out for the day in his bass boat.

    We have everything we need with RR and showers nearby. Most of the front should be over in 48 hours. Pink Shell marina in FMB has a long fetch of exposure to these Northerly winds, so there’s not much sense in running down there. This afternoon the winds have moderated to 10-15 for a while but will get back up to Gale force gusts tonight and tommorw. Today we are the largest yacht at this marina!

    We had Pedestal Power Pork Roast for dinner (that calls for 400 degrees, which is a bit much for the toaster oven in the boat so we run it on another pedestal). We caught up on some reading, routing and IRS rithmetic (via TurboTax). We might still get back to the FMB marina on Jan 23 (as reserved eight months ago).

    Safe Travels and hope to see you at Hontoon!    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Wind, rain, more wind, more rain, much more wind...
    The fisherpersons head out into SCA conditions but can hide by the Rim banksToday We're the Biggest Yacht at this marina!The Biggest this wayBiggest that wayBiggest from one end to the otherWind at 22 MPH with gusts to 32...stay another day!Record snow for Pensacola as well as for FloridaMore windNow Second Largest YachtNow Fourth Largest YachtSome more wind and rain, but better than snowNobody tries to do a 180 in the canal...not even usStuckees with a Captain's Seafood Platter at the Tiki Hut

    Clewiston, Weather Day 5

    Jan 22–27 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 54 °F

    We Planned (and God laughs) on one night at Roland's but had four more Weather Days. However, this storm is the worst for Florida in 120 years. The marina never lost power (switching to propane heat and cooking in the cabin would be a pain and not very safe) so we're thanking our lucky stars.

    An aside:
    We've gone under a lot of RR bridges, but we avoid getting under a train like avoiding COVID. I once had to pass the DOT HAZMAT course test required of locomotive engineers etc. You wouldn't believe what some of those tank cars (especially) are carrying...Benzene, Molten Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid, etc etc.
    https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p…

    If one is leaking Something, you don't won't it in or on or near your boat. So just wait for the train to pass.

    NOAA Marine and Windy Blue version and Local Knowledge all predict the wind will settle down to 10-15 with gusts to 20 tomorrow, with a high of only 55 with fog and mist. We don't have a cabin heater (other than propane Lil Buddy) so we plan on four layers and keeping the cabin buttoned up. We need gas, but be aware that many marina fuel docks refuse to allow dipensing in the rain (so you won't blame them for water in their fuel). We'll see how that goes.

    Hope everyone is doing OK with this record setting snow storm!
    Safe travels...    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    What Broke
    Cold, fog, mist, rain, wind!Egret on the biminiEgret admiring the new F150sA little clearing late in the dayLock slips $30, $15 w your Geezer CardC River, I can't pronounce itHomes onC RiverHigh dock at Hinckley Yachts Marina

    Escape from Clewiston, FL to Sweetwater

    Jan 23–24 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Clewiston, FL to Hinckley Yachts Sweetwater

    We moved to the fuel dock at sunrise in light rain. Luckily the dockhand didn’t make us wait for the rain to stop, because it didn’t stop all day. The high was 55 and it was a cold ride in misty, foggy to rainy conditions. At least there weren’t many boats out. The Sweetwater marina is on a long protected canal with good protection from wind and wakes. We put more hours on the wiper motors than in the past 12 years combined. Good to be cruising again!

    John    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Manatee zones
    More manatee zonesManatee areasPoking along the Miserable Mile off Ft MyersGusts over 20 MPH make for a rolly night

    Sweetwater to Ft Myers Beach

    January 24 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    Finally, a decent cruising day that’s not too cold, 55. Through Ortona and WP Franklin locks again uneventfully. There are prolonged manatee slow speed zones on the lower river plus the Miserable Mile approaching Ft Myers Beach.

    We’re so glad the Pink Shell Marina re-opened after H Ian in Sept 2022. They still offer a real bargain for boats staying over 30 days and the amenities even better (now including buffett breakfast and omelet station with servers) and free beach chairs with umbrellas. Since then we’d been wintering at the Perry Marina, Key West but this year the same dates (Jan 23-Mar 2) rose from $3,800 to over $10,000! As usual we get put on the dinghy dock side of the big boats, which helps protect us from the predominant N winds this time of year. Blue skies and sunshine and 60 degrees, though there are some gusts to over 20 MPH.

    Our very favorite mod is an entire camperback made of breathable Phifertex that provides unbelievable privacy as well, plus moderate wind and rain and bug protection. All nine panels can be deployed or not as desired, with a separate panel for three egress points (sides and boarding ladder). If you get one, be sure to specify bungy loops rather than snaps to secure the panel bottoms to the boat. Snaps are a pain as fabric ages.

    NEBOLINK report here:

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…

    It’s predicted to get into the 80’s next week, hooray!

    Safe travels,

    John    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Phifertex camperback at night
    $981/night rooms by marina charge resort feeBath house for marina with plush resort towelsImpressive elevator with 12 foot ceilingsCat O' Mine buttoned up in Phifertex camperback modeExcellent privacy with some breeze and rain protectionPhifertex camperback; better than any clear vinylPhifertex so much better than any clear vinylonly the egress panel is missing here

    Settled in at Ft Myers Beach

    January 25 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    We are settled in at Ft Myers Beach Pink Shell Marina. The OWW out and back was a great cruise despite the 120 year record snow storm. Sun and blue skies today to the point we had to abandon the 2nd floor lobby and sun chairs because the tablets got to hot and shut down.

    Hope the pics of the Phifertex camperback show what we like about it. The whole nine panels fold up into a custom 4" x 6 ft bag. Unlike clear vinyl of all types, it can be folded into a small form and stored on the Nav seat foot rest.

    Provided you stay over 30 days, this is the best marina deal in all our travels bar none with the 'resort fee' included in the $1.30/ft (no 40 ft min) charge and metered power. It's cheaper than staying at home!

    John    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon

    Pink Shell Marina

    January 26 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    We didn't a 360 under power just to show off and get a std tie. We forego the massive free breakfast buffet for our usual to keep the wgt off. Then wgts or aerobics at the gym overlooking the marina and a beach walk and pool walk in the 82 degee water. Nearby osprey nest with young ones is fun to watch. Safe travels, JohnRead more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Very wide groomed beach
    Pool towel with microchip dispensing macine

    Pink Shell Marina

    January 31 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Day 22? Every day we face important decisions...beach walk? Beach chairs and umbrella? Excellent gym. Pool walking? Publix run today and for the first time ever we can park the truck here long term, nice. Sunny, blue skies and 79. Great resort spot at $33,80/day plus metered shore power, free bikes, pool or beach towels, even shower towels, free laundry, kyaks and SUP, 8 miles of wide beach to walk.

    Every beach towel has a microchip, sign one out withresort RF wrist band. How cool is that?

    Safe travels!    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    2 hour bike ride on the beach
    Resident pelican likes to dive beside our boat from this pilingCamp chairs rec’d by Molly BrownLots of bait fish school behind floating docksResort at sunsetHot tub, anybody?.....Anybody?

    Pink Shell Resort

    February 5 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Beautiful place, we rode free beach bikes 8 miles to the other end of Estero Island. Weather has been great, sunny blue skies and 83 degrees. Lots of interesting boat traffic goes by. I'm planning our summer Trent Severn Waterway to Chicago or further cruise 1 way...always makes the logistics complicated. Hope to see you at Hontoon!
    John    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    1Free tram south to the library. Trolley to Publix is $0.35 each for geezers.

    Pink Shell Resort

    February 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    We're enjoying the resort, esp walks on the wide, level, groomed beach. I think Eileen tore a meniscus back at Stuart when we unexpectedly had to walk nine miles when we couldn't get a Lyft back from WalMart. Pool walking/aerobics is a great option, though at 87 degrees the water is too warm. Growing old is tough, but better than the alternatives.

    Ken and Sharon Elliot dropped by to share a sunset at the pool bar.

    Watching the pelicans dive bomb on baitfish schools by the boat is hilarious. I hope they don't pop a fender, they get so close.

    Although we're right beside the very busy river traffic, the wakes don't bother us much since we're not on the boat during the day and traffic dies way down at sunset.

    Safe travels!    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    The river is wakey during nice days but calm most nights
    Full moon risingThe floating docks and big boats give us some wind and wave protectionSunrise50 amp to 15 amp adapter for toaster ovenFilet Mignon on the NuWave skilletFree tram down Estero IslandHotel Lobby/Captain's LoungeTrying to get a fingerprint and ALMOST suceedingVery nice place and cheaper than Bahia Honda State Park Marina

    Day 46, Pink Shell Resort

    February 23 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    Day 46, Pink Shell Resort

    We can’t get over what an incredible South FL marina resort deal this is if you stay over 30 days or bring a group of 7 boats, the rate drops from the typical $5/ft/night to $1.30/ft/night. And unlike all the others, there is no 40 ft minimum…you’re charged by your actual LOA, shorepower is metered, not $10/night. Free massive daily breakfast buffet with waiters and servers, pool towels, beach chair & umbrella, resort towels gel etc at private washrooms, free laundry, free truck parking, good gym overlooking the marina etc. Guests in the rooms overlooking this marina are paying $650/night PLUS the $60 ‘resort fee’ but boaters get all that included with the slip fee, which is cheaper than Bobby’s Fish Camp in the boondocks on the TTW plus you won’t get shocked here if you touch a power pedestal. We stored the trailer nearby for $120/mo but Neighbor.com has a 40x10 driveway for $99. We’ve previously explored all the nearby waterways and Keys and are using the boat like a floating RV until Hontoon next month.

    What broke:
    An odd bolt on the back of a camp chair. Fixed with a quick trip to ACE and the Helpful Hardware Man.

    The one year old, $4,400 tankless gas water heater froze up and self-destructed during the record cold front a few weeks ago. The manual says the optional anti-freezing recirculation feature still functions even if power is turned off at the heater. Well, I made the mistake of turning it off at the breaker panel, not at the heater. Not covered under warranty. My Bad, but Ouch.

    We still count the Phifertex camperback as our best mod to date…very good privacy, deflects most rain, allows breezes through, and very compact storage when folded (you can’t do that to any clear vinyl).

    The new fly by wire engines with integral electric steering have some great features. The OWW was a fun way to get the 20 hours break in period, but haven’t yet got up to WOT since it’s all 25 MPH max manatee zone around here.

    Safe Travels, and hope to see you at Hontoon!
    John    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    Blue Seas EZ-ID blown fuse LED indicator
    Pelican feeding frenzy...they have dived BEWEEN the propsPhifertex in heavy rain deflects most overboardLunch at Roland Martin Tiki BarLeader Board from last tournamentParking lot Bass LinesFormer giant parking lot at Hilton Garden is No More!Alternate parking in employee lot

    Pink Shell to Winter Park

    March 2 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Eileen’s sister Pam drove over from Aventura horse races to meet us halfway for lunch at Roland Martin Marina in Clewiston on the OWW.

    Pink Shell resort departure day means lots of logistics challenges. The trailer storage lot and launch ramp at another marina 2 miles away don’t open until 0800, so we chose the free breakfast buffet for only the second time (though we took a small bowl of fresh fruit each day). Drove the truck over, hitched up, tire pressures all good, towed the trailer to the ramp marina and parked, got a Lyft back to the Pink Shell, checked out, cruised downriver to the ramp marina, backed the rig down a very difficult S shaped path to the shallow ramp with a massive hole that must be avoided between forklifts taking boats in and out next to us, towed back to the storage lot to rinse the brakes and reconfigure and finally got underway at 1230. The Pink Shell dockmaster didn’t charge us anything for five weeks of shore power. I-4 is always a nightmare but we got into the Hilton before dark. I chose it because it has a massive parking lot on Google Earth, but it was mostly closed off for constructing a new parking garage…oops. A manager came out and directed us into the staff parking lot across the street, which worked out well. The original plan was to get to Ed Stone and launch and check in at Hontoon Landing before 4PM, but that would not have worked. This is our first night off the boat since Jan 10.

    What broke:

    The cab reported a failure of the right trailer turn signal. Turns out the white ground wire had broken off at the ring terminal at the frame stud. I didn’t have a ring terminal on the boat, so we MacGyvered stripping the end around the nut.

    The front portion of the bunk slick on one side had fractured and fell off, leaving the heads of 4 screws protruding ½ inch where they could have scraped the hull. Luckily we had a Phillips screwdriver big enough to back them out.

    Somewhere along the way we lost a hub dust cap, which I don’t think is an urgent issue but will ask the hive about.

    The berth Marinebeam LED array lights quit working, but are too bright so we usually use a small 4D lantern. That turned out to be a blown fuse. I really like the Blue Seas EZ-ID fuses that include an LED that lights up when the fuse is blown.

    I’m glad Eileen was reluctant to make it to Hontoon landing before 4PM! Hope to try launching at the BYC ramp tomorrow.

    NEBOLINK report here:

    https://reports.nebo.global/c39be3b5-c00c-4ce8-…    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon
    1Hilton Garden Winter Park invited us over to their Employee parking lot and even provided cones
    Hontoon Landing Marina looking across the riverFrom Hontoon Landing marina slipGusts tp 46 MPH, 35 sustained is 'Gale Warning'Cat O' Mine snuggled up on A Dock. Big fenders are Good

    Winter Park to Hontoon

    March 3 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Day 53 already? This is one of our longest cruises ever. I’m running behind in posting due to the complexity of our logistics etc but no matter. We launched at a steep and deep ramp at the Beresford Lake Yacht Club, which Tom and Joyce negotiated about with the management. It’s a much closer walk than Ed Stone to the State Park parking area (we were providing the ride to pick up the Publix Fried Chicken lunch). They invited the group for a last night dinner at the Club, which was really good and a first. Their docks are too high for our boats, but they were trying hard to accommodate us.

    There were some windy days (gusts to 46 MPH per our Windy Blue version app) that made docking ‘interesting’. It’s great to visit new and old friends (sorry, I meant ‘experienced’) at this Gathering. Kudos to Tom and Joyce for managing (if that’s the right word for herding cats) another Hoot again this year!    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon

    Hontoon to home!

    March 8 in the United States ⋅ 🌫 66 °F

    Day 58 is our longest cruise to date! We got home safely and thanks to you all who are following our travels. Hope tp see you next year as a group of 7 (min) at Pink Shell Marina prior to the Gathering on the St John.

    Safe Travels! Maybe we will see you on our cruise from the start of the Trent Severn to Chicago and maybe beyond! This is the end of this cruise. Thanks to all who are Following, and may your cruise be as as fun as ours has been! PM me if we can be of help in any way.
    John
    John

    1    Read more

  • AICW Great Loop SegmentTravelerOkeechobee-Pink Shell-Hontoon

    Pensacola to Columbia, TN

    June 17 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    We arrived at the West PNS NAS gate opening at 0445, hitched up and pulled out. However, within just three weeks before planned departure, we had three different problems, each of which could have cancelled this cruise.
    1: The lawn tractor battery which powers the trailer EOH brakes r drained to 11.5 volts, implying that the truck was not charging it while underway on the last trailer haul. I replaced the seven pin wiring connector from when the 2015 trailer. We recharged the battery successfully with a trickle charger. Ford Engineers insured that the charging pin is not activated unless the truck is in gear, the parking brake is off, all the doors are closed, so the brakes have to be on. I measured only 12.4v then, but with the brake pump on maybe that’s normal. The next Ford appointment was 3 weeks away. We bought a small solar panel to keep it charged up when not underway. And called it good.

    2: The truck air conditioner blower was intermittently not coming on. We had the same issue last year, and if it’s working at the dealer the technicians refusd to do any diagnosis on it. The third time bringing it into the shop it finally was in hard failure mode and turned out to have a burned blower pin harness. For the 3 weeks prior to leaving, the next 15 to 20 episodes of turning on the truck, the blower spring into action every time except twice and then came on within 5 to 15 minutes. We decided to press on.

    3: We had an electrical failure of the windless at the most at the most embarrassing possible time. We were the race committee boat for the annual Navy cup sailboat Regatta race, the largest of our Navy Yacht Club races for the year. When positioned at the precise coordinates needed, the windlass was totally unresponsive. I always carry a Lemar windless clutch winch and the senior race committee member knew how to use it to lower the heavy Manson Supreme anchor, but getting it back up was very difficult with one person having to hold back the control lever and the other dropping the chain down into the anchor Locker where Eileen was trying to keep it from getting too fouled into a huge muddy mess. Back home I was able to see that a connector had pulled off the solenoid control box, but only because I had a expandable tilting mirror to see such things. We were able to press on.

    There were serious major thunderstorms passing through on our way up to Tennessee, and the I-65 roadway was very bumpy. We enjoyed a quiet night at Hampton Inn and took off the next day. We found it if you're ever Park your seat door and a hotel parking lot you need to place pylons so that some idiot won't block you in.    Read more

    Trip end
    March 9, 2025
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