Bridges and Beers - Great Loop Adventure

The first day out was amazing. we cruised over 11 and a half hours and made it 110 miles to mile marker 0 in Norfolk, VA on the Intercoastal. We stopped at Fish and Ships restaurant and bar where we met Jenny the bartender and had taco Tuesday and beers. It was a great day with no issues along the way.  Day two proved to be a little more challenging. We were planning on changing oil in the morning before leaving, but couldn't get the pump out to work properly to remove the oil. So after a couple hours, we decided to move on and stop somewhere to get help down the way. Around 3pm we stopped for fuel, but ran into issues with the diesel full burping back up the fill. It took an hour an a half to slowly fill the tank. We were originally going to anchor out for the night, but decided to stop in Coinjock, NC for the night and see about help with an oil change in the morning. We found Brian Scott through is wife Candice at the Coinjock Marina Restaurant (which has the famous 32oz prime r...

 After much anticipation, I have finally begun the adventure! My friend Randy Brown has decided to come with me on trip from Coles Point, VA to Lighthouse Point, FL. Originally, we were going all the way to Miami, but last Friday, I met an amazing woman named Collette who offered to let me keep the boat for a month at the pier at her Air BnB. Thank you so much Collette! We plan to cruise long days the first few due to good weather and open waters. We are trying to get to Lighthouse Point in 10 days, and at an average of 8mph, we need a lot of hours when we can move faster (10-12mph).  Backing up a little, I flew into Baltimore yesterday morning (9/13). Randy picked me up at the airport with his brother n law, Norm, and we drove into Coles Point so make sure we had everything we needed for the journey. Although we found most of the supplies, we are having to cruise 12 hours to find the right oil filters to do the oil changes on the diesel engines. I am a little nervous not maki...

 After 21 days and more than 220 hours of working on the Dorothy Scott, I am tired, sore, and ready to head back to Austin. I was originally planning on leaving early Tuesday morning, but by mid morning today, I was done. Any project I would have started seemed too overwhelming, so I decided to pack up my stuff and head out a little early. It was a whirlwind of three weeks and I can't believe it is already over. Although I didn't accomplish everything I set out to do, I accomplished a lot and learned more than I expected about the interworkings of the boat. The trials of troubleshooting the port engine and not being able to fix the cut off switch on the generator cut into my remodeling time, but gave me a hands on education that will help me when I am on the year long trip. I am actually thankful for all the trouble and thankful to Pete Salter, the previous owner, for all his help. I hope I am able to make him proud with the adventure I will have with the boat he loves. I met s...

 I have been hard at work on the boat the last 10 days. We finally got the port engine running. It was just a clogged fuel line. Replaced the line and she runs smooth and strong. Took her out for a couple hours on Saturday morning and it was a fantastic time. I went out by myself and was able to get her in and out of the slip with no issues. There is nothing like cruising from the fly bridge. It is so peaceful and fun and exciting all at the same time. I think that is where I will spend the majority of my time while driving the boat. See the video below. Friday night I went to Coles Point Tavern for dinner and met some really great people. We sat and talked about boats, the Great Loop, Florida, retirement, and just how to live your best life. The food and the staff there are great. If you are cruising through the area, be sure and meet the owners Chris and Anne. Anne works the bar and Chris is a fantastic cook. The picture is of me in front of the restaurant. It is located on the V...

Right after I finished my last blog post, I took the boat out by myself for the first time. I was very nervous, but if you don't take the first step, you never make the journey. Although it was my first time to drive a boat this size and one with twin engines, I exited the slip and the marina with no problem. I maneuvered around the docks with no problem. I have always been told that twin engine boats are very easy to control, and they were right. It didn't take long to feel comfortable driving.  About 20 minutes into my maiden voyage, the port engine shut off and would not restart. I immediately turned the boat around to start back in the direction of the marina. I was surprisingly calm and went through the checklist of what I needed to do to stay safe. I brought the starboard engine down to idle and slowly made my way back toward the marina. While a twin engine boat is easy to control, a large twin engine boat with only one operational motor is not nearly as easy! I knew once...

 I left Austin at 7am 7/5 to make the 22.5 hour drive to the boat at Coles Point Marina, VA. I made it almost to Bristol, TN the first night. Arrived at the hotel a little after 1am EST, about 17 hours with stops for food. I got up at 6:30am and made the last 6.5 hours by 1:40pm to meet with Pete, the previous owner. He graciously spent over 4 hours walking me through many details of the boat and how to operate her. I have many videos and will be studying the videos all month. There is a lot to learn, and he is coming back later in the week to continue my education. I can't thank Pete enough for taking the time to make my voyage a success! I spent most of the evening cleaning the kitchen and unpacking the basics. I still haven't changed clothes from Monday! I didnt get much sleep as I havent changed out the mattress yet and still havent showered, but plan on doing so sometime this morning. The photo is of the sunrise on Wednesday morning on the beach next to the marina. To see ...

 Now that the excitement of finally purchasing the boat is calming down some, it is time to prepare for the Journey. Although the boat is beautiful, there is quite a bit of work to do to get her ready for the journey. Most of it is cosmetic to make the trip comfortable for me and for any guests that come along for part of the ride. So, I am loading up my truck and will be driving out to Coles Point Marina in Virginia in the next couple weeks to start working on the boat.  I will start with completely redoing the V-Berth bedroom (sleeps 3), including all the existing carpet and wall coverings, as well as replacing the old mattresses. I am taking out all carpet and replacing it with waterproof laminate that looks like hardwood. I have ordered all new furniture for the salon that is modular so it can be easily changed from a sofa, love seat, chairs, 2 single beds or 1 queen bed. This video is of the inside of the boat as it currently looks. I will be posting pictures and videos o...