batate
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- Joined
- Oct 4, 2021
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- Fluid Motion Model
- C-30 S
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- Currently
Hi, folks! TL;DR is that Currently Away, our book about our 2022 Great Loop, is done and available. If you want to get a copy, find it at the Pragmatic Bookshelf. at https://pragprog.com/titles/btloop/currently-away/.
It's been a long time since I've posted here. We finished our Great Loop in October 2022, and sold our tug in early 2023. Currently's looping again with her new owners.
We saw many tugs on the loop and as harbor hosts in Chattanooga: We're jealously following Hoppy Trails along their route. We spent time with them while they were in Chattanooga this fall. We also saw Red Fox as she was tied up downtown, but never were able to connect. On our loop, we connected with Long Recess, YOLO, Amy Marie, Tern, Magnetic North, the Lone Ranger, Smile with the Rising Sun, Changing Latitudes, and a half dozen others. I haven't talked to anyone yet who didn't love their tug. We'll be Ranger Tug owners again when the time is right.
The book is about the trip, but it isn't written as a technical looping book. It's a story about two people, depressed from the Covid isolation and work situations, scraping up enough will and resources to make this journey, and finding ourselves again. I am a pretty big technical author, but have never written a memoir. If you are into this kind of thing, we'd greatly appreciate your support. Typical publishing houses are dying because of the pressures of AI and Amazon, so if you value this kind of thing and you have the means, we'd love to have you aboard!
Here's our route. We started in January in Chattanooga on January 15, went through four locks to the TennTom, headed south, and were in the Gulf within two weeks. From there, we slowed down. We followed the ICW to Appalachicola, and crossed the Gulf from there to Clearwater because marina space was thin and crossing windows were narrow. Our crossing was flawless.
Then, we followed the ICW to Marco Island, and anchored twice in the Everglades, and crossed to the Keys at Bahia Honda. Then, we took the inside route through the Keys (highly recommended) and stayed in Miami for a bit, and then headed up the ICW.
We stayed inside all the way up through Georgia, South Carolina, and took the standard route through North Carolina, and took the Dismal Swamp route. Then, we headed up the Chesapeake, took the C&D canal, and a mixture of inside/outside routes through the Jersey coast to make the most of our weather windows. We crossed to Great Kills Yacht Club, then headed up the Hudson, and after Federal Lock 1, took the Lake Champlain up instead of the Erie across.
We headed up to Montreal through the Chambly Canal, then to Ottawa, then Kingston through the Rideau, and then Trent. We took the Trent Severn waterway to Georgian Bay, then the Small Ship Channel, then crossed near Drummond Island, and then took Lake Michigan down to Chicago. From there, we took the Illinois, the Mississippi, the Ohio, and the Tennessee back home.
For side trips, we took side trips to the Keys, Lake Champlain, the Chambly canal, Montreal, the Rideau, and our home in Chattanooga. All of these side trips were amazing. Currently was just about perfect for the Loop. At 29 feet, we had the extra foot of beam and took advantage of the shallow draft many times. 500 boats started the loop in 2022, and it was useful to be able to sneak ahead of the pack at strategic points to provide a little separation when we wanted it or to lock through as one big group when we needed to. The slight air clearance meant we could get under bridges others couldn't.
High points were Miami, Lake Champlain, Montreal, Ottawa/Rideau, and Georgian Bay. Low points were getting Covid twice (each), losing my brother, and losing our 14 year old dog. Life still happens when you are traveling.
If anyone wants to talk about our experience of writing or looping, feel free to reach out at bruce@grox.io.
We'd be happy to answer any questions.
It's been a long time since I've posted here. We finished our Great Loop in October 2022, and sold our tug in early 2023. Currently's looping again with her new owners.
We saw many tugs on the loop and as harbor hosts in Chattanooga: We're jealously following Hoppy Trails along their route. We spent time with them while they were in Chattanooga this fall. We also saw Red Fox as she was tied up downtown, but never were able to connect. On our loop, we connected with Long Recess, YOLO, Amy Marie, Tern, Magnetic North, the Lone Ranger, Smile with the Rising Sun, Changing Latitudes, and a half dozen others. I haven't talked to anyone yet who didn't love their tug. We'll be Ranger Tug owners again when the time is right.
The book is about the trip, but it isn't written as a technical looping book. It's a story about two people, depressed from the Covid isolation and work situations, scraping up enough will and resources to make this journey, and finding ourselves again. I am a pretty big technical author, but have never written a memoir. If you are into this kind of thing, we'd greatly appreciate your support. Typical publishing houses are dying because of the pressures of AI and Amazon, so if you value this kind of thing and you have the means, we'd love to have you aboard!
Here's our route. We started in January in Chattanooga on January 15, went through four locks to the TennTom, headed south, and were in the Gulf within two weeks. From there, we slowed down. We followed the ICW to Appalachicola, and crossed the Gulf from there to Clearwater because marina space was thin and crossing windows were narrow. Our crossing was flawless.
Then, we followed the ICW to Marco Island, and anchored twice in the Everglades, and crossed to the Keys at Bahia Honda. Then, we took the inside route through the Keys (highly recommended) and stayed in Miami for a bit, and then headed up the ICW.
We stayed inside all the way up through Georgia, South Carolina, and took the standard route through North Carolina, and took the Dismal Swamp route. Then, we headed up the Chesapeake, took the C&D canal, and a mixture of inside/outside routes through the Jersey coast to make the most of our weather windows. We crossed to Great Kills Yacht Club, then headed up the Hudson, and after Federal Lock 1, took the Lake Champlain up instead of the Erie across.
We headed up to Montreal through the Chambly Canal, then to Ottawa, then Kingston through the Rideau, and then Trent. We took the Trent Severn waterway to Georgian Bay, then the Small Ship Channel, then crossed near Drummond Island, and then took Lake Michigan down to Chicago. From there, we took the Illinois, the Mississippi, the Ohio, and the Tennessee back home.
For side trips, we took side trips to the Keys, Lake Champlain, the Chambly canal, Montreal, the Rideau, and our home in Chattanooga. All of these side trips were amazing. Currently was just about perfect for the Loop. At 29 feet, we had the extra foot of beam and took advantage of the shallow draft many times. 500 boats started the loop in 2022, and it was useful to be able to sneak ahead of the pack at strategic points to provide a little separation when we wanted it or to lock through as one big group when we needed to. The slight air clearance meant we could get under bridges others couldn't.
High points were Miami, Lake Champlain, Montreal, Ottawa/Rideau, and Georgian Bay. Low points were getting Covid twice (each), losing my brother, and losing our 14 year old dog. Life still happens when you are traveling.
If anyone wants to talk about our experience of writing or looping, feel free to reach out at bruce@grox.io.
We'd be happy to answer any questions.