Parting Words From the Three ERYC Captains

Parting words from Captain John


After a few weeks of detailed, meticulous planning, our adventure began with much anticipation and excitement. This was not going to be a trip of leisure, as we needed to get the Golden Eagle III, a 340 Sea Ray Sundancer to its new marina home on Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans in two weeks. The 2000-mile journey ahead of us seemed enormous, but day-by-day, as the miles grew longer from the departure point and shorter toward the destination, we settled into a routine that worked well for all of us. The 700-mile voyage for the first 5 days from Philadelphia to Charleston was familiar, as we had made this trip in the opposite direction four years earlier.

Today we stopped for a day in Charleston, SC for propeller repair, which provided a much-needed rest from our hectic dawn-to-dusk schedule. Rested and refreshed, the remainder of the journey would be in waterways that were new to us. The weather was balmy with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the 80’s. We were running ahead of hurricane Ida, however at times we felt a brush of her head winds and experienced bumpy waters with three-to-five foot seas. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway with its “outer banks” provided shelter from the open Atlantic Ocean and made for a rather pleasant passage to Stuart, FL. Leaving Stuart, we traversed 5 locks and several bridges of the St. Lucie-Lake Okeechobee-Calooseahatchee Waterway before exiting at Ft. Myers on the west coast of Florida. We then headed north along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, through the Tampa Bay area, and on to Tarpon Springs, FL.

Since the tail winds of hurricane Ida were kicking up heavy seas we decided to stay in port for a half-day at Tarpon Springs. This gave us an opportunity to experience the lifestyle of natural sponge harvesting, as Tarpon Springs (according to the local residents) is the “sponge capital” of the world. At dawn the following day we left Tarpon Springs and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and entered the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Using the “Big Bend” route, we made a fuel stop at Steinhatchee (“Stein” rhymes with “bean”) and after 12 hours of five-to-eight foot seas, arrived in Carrabelle, FL at dusk. What a relief! From Carrabelle, we re-entered the protected waters of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway where calm waters prevailed for the remainder of the trip. As we passed by Pensacola, FL we caught the ending of an air show by the Navy Blue Angels.

The Alabama and Mississippi coasts passed by quickly, and suddenly we realized that Lake Pontchartrain was coming into view on our chartplotter and radar screens. After passing under the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, we could see in the distance the red-green markers of the channel leading to the narrow, shallow entrance to the Tchefuncta River and Marina Del Ray, the new home of the Golden Eagle III. It was “high five” time for all three captains!

We hope you enjoyed following our voyage as we shared our view of the magnificent scenery, abundant wildlife, grand mansions, luxurious megayachts, memorable people, and other interests along the way. Would I do it again? Most definitely. Would I do it tomorrow, not likely. I need a couple days to recuperate!



Parting words from Captain Will


After a few days of rest and a mad dash back into the familiar world of work, friends and family I had a chance to reflect on the journey of late. Philly to New Orleans will remain in my memories as a great adventure with good friends.

I was afforded this opportunity not only from the owner and friend Shirl Gilbert but also from my friend John Cannon who did so much of the initial planning and plotting. I want to thank deeply; God, my family, contractors, employees, customers and other friends, for without all of them it would not have been possible. I also want to thank so many of the people we met and did not meet for all they did even though most will never read this blog but may they feel the warmth of my thoughts. Some of the people are the people who prayed for us, gave us shelter, a place to dock the boat, car rides to and from destinations, harbormasters, dock line handlers, repair yards, people who gave us directions to places, the weather channel, other boaters, gas station attendants, the restaurant servers and cooks, “GM” the engine builder for the boat, and YES SHIRL “SEA RAY”. I want to say a special thanks to a man who’s name I do not know but one who allowed us to vary from the norm and stay at a marina that was closed as we were lost in the dark and he provided a dim light, shelter, sleep and a place to eat our make-shift dinner on the boat.

Please let me also thank Albert Gallatin, the former United States Secretary of the Treasury, who in 1808 published a report to the United States Senate and also Secretary of War John C. Calhoun who in 1819 posed an urgent need for an improved internal transportation system including waterways “The ICW or Intracoastal Waterway” and of course the Army Corps of Engineers who built it, as without them we would have been in the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean.

I also want to take this time to say “I HATE YOU” to Davy Jones’ Locker and may his saucer eyes, three rows of teeth, horns, tail, and blue smoke coming from his nostrils stay at the bottom of the sea and not claim another cell phone, gas cap, screw, or bar-b-que cover.




Parting words from Captain Shirl


To all who have followed this final entry on the Philly to New Orleans Blog Report, I too want to THANK YOU for staying with us and helping us bring meaning to our effort beyond just the transportation of the Eagle and a FUN vacation with two of my best friends. To write the Blog Report everyday, knowing many of our friends and acquaintances would be reading it and following our adventure was something we looked forward to each evening. We took special pains to jot down on paper our memories of things which happened each day, and at the end of most days, the three of us talked about the day, looked at the pictures, and helped the day’s Blog Report author gather his thoughts as to what the Blog Report would report on that day. This activity each day was therapeutic for all of us as we wound down from the day.

John did a great job of summarizing the trip; I want to add a few more lines about the two guys who accompanied me on this journey. Though we don't see each other often, and only sometimes talk on the phone, we are clearly connected by the water and the "Love of Boating". They are my Brothers, and I love them as if they REALLY were.

This is the second time I called on them to assist me in moving the Eagle. Four years ago, I ended a stint in Charleston, SC, and was about to join the Philadelphia, PA School District as Superintendent of the West Region Schools, and I did not want to again truck the Eagle (I had allowed my employer to truck the Eagle from Tacoma, WA to Charleston. In order to do so they needed to remove all the electronics and the entire fiberglass arch from the top of the vessel, and while they reinstalled it all upon arrival, the electronics didn't work correctly for almost a year, after having the boatyard work on them seven times. I didn't want to do that again !!!). Both John and Will are competent and knowledgeable boaters (much better than I) and not only did they agree to join me on the trip, but from the beginning right up until the end of the trip, they were teachers, building my capacity as a boater and helping me to understand the why's and wherefore's of boat handling, navigation, radio usage and jargon, repair and upkeep, and protocols and courtesies appropriate to being on the water. Having them on the water with me for 16 days was better than any safety and/or boating course I could have taken, and they provided me with more information about the Eagle, and boating in general, than I had learned in five or six boating courses over the seven years I have owned the Eagle. Don't get me wrong, I have boated for more than twelve years, and have become reasonably competent at it, but they are sooooooooo much better!! Their willingness to share their knowledge and expertise finds me a much better boater now than when we started.

There are no words with which I can express the thanks and appreciation I feel for their saying yes to my request that they join me again for a second journey out in the waters of the Americas to move the Golden Eagle III, yet again, to a new home. I could go on-and-on sharing all the specific assistance they gave me before, during, and after the 2000-mile trip, but suffice it to say I love these men, and appreciate all they are and ever will be. I thank GOD for their friendship, and will treasure their association for as long as I live.

God Is Great, and Life Is Good !!! ALOHA !!

The Three ERYC Captains are putting the finishing touches on their final post. Keep an eye out for their parting words.

Day 17 – Captain John returns to the keyboard.

Hello Houston New Orleans, The Eagle has landed!

With such a beautiful day yesterday, what could possibly add to the adventure today? We got an early start from the Bear Point Marina at 6:15am before the sun rose. Waters were flat calm and the wind was nil. After negotiating our way out of the marina, we found the lighted red and green markers of the Gulf Intracoastal Water Way (GIWW) and brought the Eagle up to a slow cruise speed of 15 knots.

We had hardly gone 3 miles when we encountered a fog bank with visibility around 50 feet. Slowing to an idle, we followed the GPS and Radar to try and stay on course. But try as we did, it was too difficult to maneuver the boat slowly within the narrow waterway. After a few harrowing minutes of steering we found ourselves face-to-pole and on the wrong side of a red channel marker, and gradually came to a halt on a mud bar, stalling one engine. Easing the other engine into reverse we managed to nudge the boat off the mud and into deeper water with no damage to the underside of the boat.




Ahead of us was an extremely narrow dredged channel that Captain Will felt was unsafe to traverse under current conditions, so we eased the boat out of the main channel into a safe spot to wait for the fog to rise. Gradually, as the sun rose, the fog lifted and we were on our way.

A mile further down the narrow channel there was a tugboat and barge blocking most of the waterway – glad we decided to wait for the fog to lift!

We made a fuel stop at Fort Morgan and after talking to the local fishermen, continued on toward our final destination – New Orleans.

Along the way we saw numerous oil rigs, barges, trawlers, and other remarkable scenery.

The waters were extremely calm and most of the time the boat remained on course, seemingly steering itself, with minimum effort from the Captains. Upon entering Lake Pontchartrain, we could feel the relief and excitement of a safe journey and a job well done.

After crossing under the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge, we soon sighted the markers at the channel leading to the Tchefuncte (chuh-FUNK-tuh) River where the Marina Del Ray is located. Hailing the harbormaster, we were directed to the fuel dock where we took on 186 gallons of fuel, then gently glided the Eagle into her new berth.

 

 

WELCOME HOME GOLDEN EAGLE III !

Stay tuned - the Captains will post one final blog entry at a later date.

Day 16 Philly to New Orleans




Captain Shirl (SEGII) coming at you again tonight !!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES !!!

Rough and tumble yesterday to absolute smooth and calm today We left the marina at 6:15am, and unlike yesterday, we found the waters calm and the winds low and warming as the morning melted in to afternoon..

View from the Captain's seat at the helm

             

Here is a small cabin tucked away against the side of the river

We ran the morning running through picturesque small fishing communities which reminded us of greeting cards and pictures of muted colors with the sunlight shining through as painted by the likes of Thomas Kincade.

Unlike the Eastern ICW, the Gulf Intracoastal Water Way (GIWW) was not reflective of Express Cruisers, Sedan Bridges, Aft Cabins, Motor Yachts and other crafts, but rather we saw mostly Trawlers, Sport Fishers, Commercial Outriggers, Small Fishing Boats, Charter Fleets, and other working boats, and Cities, Towns, and Villages whose livelihood depends on the water, fishing, crabbing, shrimping, charter fishing cruises, diving, and other related industries which supply seafood and recreation for the East Coast and many inland Cities of America.

Again we saw hundreds of sea birds, beautiful water filled marshes, seemingly unending forest lands adjacent to the rivers, channels and canals which made up our route. We consistently ran a 25 or 30 miles and hour, and made great time across the lower panhandle of Florida.

This picture is not upside down. The water was

unbelievable calm and mirror smooth.

At one point in one of those channels, we came upon a couple of kids in a small fishing boat, with its engine cover off (a sure sign that they were having engine trouble), John was running the Eagle, and opened the window at the helm and asked the young men “are you having trouble”, one of the boys said “yes, our engine won’t start”. Shirl queried further and found that they would appreciate our towing them a mile or so down the channel to their Village, and that’s what we did !!



Will, who was busy cooking breakfast, felt our stop and heard our discussion with the young men, and leapt to their aid, throwing them a line, and then (as it was obvious they didn’t know how to tie-on the line) tied the line appropriately to the bow eye of their little boat. Slowly, John gradually sped up the Eagle and towed the young men to a small dock down the channel. As luck would have it, the channel was rather narrow at the dock, and faced another dock at our bow, making it difficult for John to maneuver out of the very tight and dangerous position (we didn’t want to ding the props again), but with Will’s assistance on the bow of the Eagle, and my pushing the vessel off the dock with the Eagle’s dock pole/hook, John was able to maneuver the Eagle off the two docks with no damage to the Eagle or the dock. The young men thanked us, and were on their way to get their engine repaired.

After that adventure, we returned to the serenity of our cruise, and found ourselves in a beautiful bay adjacent to Panama City, FL, and motored on to Fort Walton, FL, for a fuel stop for the Eagle and for the Captains. We fueled the Eagle, and then made a quick lunch stop a the marina restaurant, the Crab Shack, for hamburgers which reminded us of our lunch stop in Charleston, SC, at Five guys.



After getting out hamburgers in to-go bags, we ran back to the Eagle and got underway, heading for the Blue Angles Air Show at Pensacola, FL. About an hour and a half later, as we were approaching Pensacola, John woke me from a brief nod-off, to see the Blue Angles in their State-of-the-Art, Blue and Gold F/A-18 Hornets, streaking through the sky out in front of the Eagle, in maneuvers just inches apart, and then rearranging themselves into a single file line, and one by one landing right in front of us. What a sight !!!

As we ran past the Naval Air Station Pensacola, the home of the Blue Angles, we encountered hundreds of boats which had been anchored off the base to watch the air show, and had to work our way through them as we continue our route. Less than forty five minutes later, we arrived at the Bear Point Marina, at Orange Beach, Alabama, tied up the Eagle, ate dinner, and returned to the Eagle to watch a couple of collegiate football games, prep the final route for the trip, prepare this Blog Report, and readied for another and final great nights sleep.

Tomorrow night at this time we will have arrived in Madisonville, LA after a successful 2000 mile journey, moored the Eagle at Marina Del Ray, and be resting in the living-room of my home in Baton Rouge, shortly to ready John and Will for the night, and myself for a Great Nights Sleep in My Own Bed.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES !!!

WHAT A TRIP, WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE BLOG REPORTS, AND WATCH FOR OUR STORY IN SEVERAL NATIONAL AND REGIONAL BOATING MAGAZINES. SEE YOU FOR A FINAL BLOG REPORT TOMORROW NIGHT !!!

Day 15 Philly to New Orleans




This Blog Record is again brought to you by Captain Shirl (SEGII)

Remember when you were a kid, and you went to the amusement park and rode the roller coaster, or maybe the Wild Mouse coaster, you spent a few minutes going up and down, being jerked right and left, and coming to a sudden stop, well, everything but “a few minutes” and the “sudden stop” was what we went through today.

We arose at 5:00am, and by 6:30am we had washed-up, dressed, started the Eagle up, untied her, and were on our way, with fond memories of Tarpon Springs, FL. We spent approximately 15 minutes retracing our route back down the Anclote River from Tarpon Springs, and arrived at the mouth of the open water known as the Gulf of Mexico. From the very beginning we were in two to three foot sea swells, which quickly grew to five to six foot sea swells, with periodic waves which seemed to be more than ten feet, raising the Eagle above the surface of the Gulf, and slamming her back down with a bang.

Everything else that happened today was a repeat of the last sentence above. We saw no beautiful homes, no beautiful boats, no docks or marinas, no birds, or dolphins, or manatees, the only thing we saw for twelve hours (save a quick fuel stop at Steinhatchee, FL) was WATER, WATER, WATER as far as the eye could see. This was the most challenging day of the trip so far. The Eagle was tossed and turned by the sea, we were beat-up as we secured ourselves inside the Eagle against Mother Natures wrath. Things inside the Eagle which weren’t in locked cabinets or tied down with bungee cords or elastic nets, were thrown around the vessel, requiring our attention to re-secure and/or store them.

For many of the twelve hours there was dead silence while the Captains were focused on navigating though this soup, and trying to stay on course. Despite the treacherous conditions, the rocking and rolling of the surf and everything in it, we maintained our course and after twelve long and tough hours of cruising, we arrived in Carrabelle, FL, after dark (the only time we have allowed the daylight to leave us on the water since we began the trip), we just did catch the Harbor Master for the Moorings Marina, who was closing the office when we radioed, gassed up, docked, and tied down the Eagle for the night.



We ate a real meal on the Eagle tonight of Roncini (spiral spaghetti) and meat balls and spaghetti sauce, which Joyce and Jonn Morlin gave us as we left her beautiful home in Rockledge, FL last week. I did most of the cooking, after a quick trip to the grocery store across the street from the marina, but John and Will assisted. Will poured off the water (and half the Roncini) into the sink, John warmed the meatballs and sauce, and sliced and toasted the Italian Bread loaf and prepared, with Will’s help, drinks for the meal (Lemonade for Will, Pepsi for John, and Diet Coke for SEGII). We thanked theLlord for the safe traverse of the Gulf of Mexico and for the food we were about to devour, and chowed-down !!!!



We ended this most difficult day of the trip, planning for tomorrow (the entire remainder of the trip will be in calm inside protected waters, we never have to go back into open water), preparing this Blog Report, watching the Atlanta/Boston NBA game, and winding down in preparation for bed.



Even when the waters are rough and the wind is high, and the boat is rocking back and forth in the surf, a day on a boat is ten times better than a day anywhere else.


Tomorrow we head for Pensacola, FL and with good weather on our side, should make it to New Orleans Sunday - stay tuned.
LIFE IS GOOD !!!!

Day 14 Philly to New Orleans.




Today’s Blog Report is again brought to you by Captain Shirl (SEGII)

“Life is beautiful”, but this day was a bummer in terms for our making way to Madisonville, LA. We left St. Petersburg, FL this morning at 6:30am, and with the exception of a little misty rain, the day began fine. I fixed pancakes for the crew, and after throwing away three batches of experimentation, we finally had some decent pancakes which we enjoyed while underway (at least Will and I did, John decided to opt out). We saw more beautiful homes, boats, and many facets of nature. We saw signs of manatee (circles of bubbles where they very slightly surfaced to breath), blue herons, dolphins, pelicans, egrets, eagles, hawks, osprey, and many birds which we can’t name.

Where we cook and clean

Where we eat, work, and Captain John sleeps










We continued to run in protected waters from St. Pete to Tarpon Springs, FL, about ninety five miles across a fairly bumpy body of water in the Gulf ICW, gassed up and prepared to cross the Gulf of Mexico. Then we listened to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. (NOAA), and found out that the path across the Gulf of Mexico which we were taking had winds of 25 to 30 knots and waves (seas) of eight (8) to ten (10) feet for the day - that’s as high as the Eagle is measured from the water to the satellite dome. We would have disappeared between waves had we gone out, and been out of the water half the time as we slammed from wave to wave.

                                       Where Captain Will sleeps




The Three Captains had no disagreement, we collectively decided to find a marina, and stay the day, as the forecast for tomorrow is fair winds of ten (10) to fifteen (15) knots, and relatively calm seas of two (2) to three (3) feet, much more manageable, and conditions which we have navigated several times during the trip.

Where Captain Shirl sleeps









We ended up five miles up-river in the downtown Municipal Marina of Tarpon Springs, FL, which is the natural sponge capital of the world. “Sponges everywhere”.

 We docked and tied up the Eagle, and began to walk around the tourist city of Tarpon Springs for the remainder of the day, ducking in and out of stores, museums, the Sponge Factory (where we saw a very interesting documentary about sponging, and how sponge divers go down sometimes twenty of thirty feet to harvest sponges. We ate lunch, bought maple nut and caramel fudge, and I caught a local bus and made the trip to West Marine and CVS to replenish a few provisions for the Eagle.

Captains Shirl & John getting instructions from

the Tarpon Springs Harbormaster

The early evening found Will and John working to have a redundant set of route plans on John’s laptop computer and the Eagle’s Chartplotter/GPS in preparation for tomorrow’s run.

Later this evening we gathered in the salon of the Eagle, prepared a light dinner of brat and lunchmeat sandwiches, fudge, cookies, grapes, and sodas. We then popped in a DVD, “Righteous Kill” with DeNiro and Pacino, and we enjoyed the Golden Eagle Theater prime time showing.

At about 9:00pm we left the theater, made a few calls, and prepared the Blog Report, selected pictures to be inserted with the Blog, posted the Blog to the web, and prepared to turn in for the night. Life Is Good !!!!

Day Thirteen (13)




Today’s Blog Record entry is being sent to you by Captain Shirl (SEGII)



We began the day in Fort Myers, FL after a great day of running across the State of Florida from the East Coast (Stuart, FL) to the West Coast, across the Okeechobee Water Way to Fort Myers. Leaving the Fort Myers Yacht Basin (probably the worse marina we have stayed in on the entire trip, save the broke down marina we spoke of earlier in the Blog record, with none of the anticipated bad water and weather.



Most of the day was uneventful (no pictures today!!), with continued great weather and good water. We continued to see beautiful Florida Coast houses and boats (lots of Sea Rays), and the Golden Eagle III was running like a top, but eating up lots of gasoline. We made four gas stops between last night and tonight, and the cost was nearly one thousand dollars, but hey, this once-in-a-lifetime trip is well worth the cost, and to do it with my two best boating buddies is priceless.



Surprisingly in the early afternoon we began to get rain as we left Sarasota, heading for Tampa/St. Petersburg. For more than an hour and a half, we endured a pretty heavy rain shower, and began to approach the infamous Tampa Bay, a large choppy and intimidating body of water. Having seen a peek of the Gulf of Mexico though a cut out of the inland route we were taking, for the first time during the trip, the Three Captains had a difference of opinion as to what we should do, go out into the Tampa Bay’s windy, choppy, rainy, waves and current, or turn back and wait a day for the effects of Ida to settle down. I was the scardy cat wanting to go only if both Will and John could assure we were not taking unnecessary chances. Will was the cowboy, feeling with the strength and performance of the Eagle; we should go and get on to St. Pete. John, the most level headed and most experienced, had us all to settle down and suggested we take a peek run to the mouth of the Tampa Bay, and see what it looked liked, and then make a decision.



That’s what we did, we got there, and though it looked treacherous we went out a few miles, and John turned to both me and Will, and said “well what do you think?”. Will, of course wanted to go, and after a few minutes of observation of the conditions and a feel for the rocking and rolling of the waves, I agreed we should go on. We all now agreed, and began the rough and tumble run to St. Petersburg, FL, and after about an hour of careful steerage by John, great navigation assistance by Will, and nervous banter by myself, we arrived at St. Petersburg, and The Harborage Marina, where we gassed up again (just a little needed), contacted the Harbor Master by VHF, got instruction for moorage, docked and tied down the Eagle, and began to query about a good restaurant, as we all were tired and very, very hungry.



As we left the Eagle, walking down the dock finger, I noticed another African American boater in the marina a couple of fingers away, and on, would you believe, a Sea Ray Sedan Bridge, the boat of my dreams. I called across to him, told him about our trip and shared with him that we had not seen many other African American boaters since we left Philly, and he was a sight for sore eyes. Will and John went over to his boat, while I worked with the Harbor Master to identify a restaurant and get us a cab. After the Harbor Master returned with the list of restaurants, and called a cab for us, I call John and told him to come on, that the cab was coming. By then they had befriended the boater (Mike), and he had agreed to take us to the restaurant. Turned out that while we told him we wanted to go to Outback Steakhouse, after a brief tour of the “hood” (very close to the marina) he recommended the Park Shore Grill. We accepted his recommendation and had a WONNNNNDERRRRFULLLL dinner, in a beautiful restaurant, with great service by all, the hostess, the waiter, and the manager.



After dinner, we walked (a considerable distance) back to the marina, planned the day tomorrow (when we will have to go straight across the corner of the Gulf of Mexico from St. Petersburg to just east of Pensacola, a full one hundred fifty miles), completed the Blog Report, and turned in for the night.



WHAT-A-Day !!!!!!