... and so it goes!  They are a sheer delight to have aboard.  I hope you have enjoyed the blog as much as I have enjoyed posting it.  ... and now, I just wanna go on home, plant a flower (I hope it's not to late in the season) and watch it grow!  Love you all.  See you soon!!  Ron, Jean, Gilligan and Bella 

Let me try it this way.

Dumb @#$ -- that fender is INSIDE the boat!!!

Hi!  I'm up!  Come on!  Get me out 'a here!  

Lord?  Why?  Seriously!  Could We talk!  Are you listening at all?  

Gilligan get off the radio!  They do NOT want to do a Dog Overboard Training session

June 7, 2013
. . . and pro-active we became!  The boat is listed with a broker in Annapolis and we will hand deliver her as soon as the weather breaks.  Our plans are to rent a truck from that point and offload a ton of items we had anticipated needing over the next three months, and return home.  Its all good.  Ron and I feel very settled and contented that we have made a good decision in a timely fashion.  Besides ya' can't duplicate a trip like the Great Loop has provided and we will treasure those moments as we look forward to the next adventure in whatever form it may take.
We had some priceless moments with the crew this trip.  I thought you would like to see a few of them.

I'm so seasick I could die!  Wonder if this would put me out!

Let's see?   If I slipped her off the bow while we are underway . . . . Naw, they will probably have a life jacket on the little hair ball.

Hay, I didn't have any accidents today!

Do I HAVE to get up?  Is she gone yet?

Here, I can get that for ya!  Watch me pull

Great Loop was 10 days short of a year! This trip? Guess there's the extra 10 days!

June 6, 2013
We thought you might like to see a few of the sights from our very brief voyage.  All things considered, both of us felt it was the right decision to return to home port.  It appeared we would be in Cape May for at least 5 days after we arrived.  We'd just spend three days waiting to get out of Blades Marina, from rain and windy conditions.  Even at that, the passage to Tighman Island was 3 - 4 feet waves.  Not unsafe, but not enjoyable either.  Our latest crew member was seasick.  Predictions for this year have not been favorable for the type of journey we had planned.  Both Ron and I feel good about the change in plans and we have valued the time we have had aboard.  We are now totally serious about selling our Dubhe III and have begun the process on a more proactive path.  Up until now, we really didn't care if she sold or not and I guess that was our internal barometer telling us we were not ready to let her go.  This brief journey has given us the joy of having owned her, and resolved within that it is time she moved on.
So we have journeyed three days.  The first day was to Tighman Island where we stayed at Knapps Narrows Marina.  and tonight we are at Delaware City Marina which is located at the end of the C & D canal.  I wish I had not been at the helm the second day because the birds were spectacular and I wanted to take pictures of every one.  Maybe on our way back!!!!

Leaving the Nanticoke River

I did not angle the bow to "get him" while he was up there!  Would I do That?  

Introducing - the newest crew member - This is Bella.  11 weeks old and new to the boating experience! OK, so she's new to LIFE! and such a joy in spite of Gilligan's plans to leave her on some distant shore.
Our current voyage is called The Little Triangle.  It will take us into some new territory as well as enable us to revisit a portion of the trip we did in 2007.  Ron and I wanted to spend a little more time in parts of Canada but we were "chasing the sun" to complete the Great Loop in a timely and safe manner, avoiding hurricane season which we certainly hope to do again this trip!!
We welcome you back aboard and hope to share with you, some of the scenic blessings along the way.  I am learning about a new camera which we hope will enable us to get a little closer to some of the action we tried to capture last time around.  Please continue to e-mail and stay in touch -- The boat is a wonderful seaworthy vessel but it is truly our network of family and friends that keep us afloat!

We have crossed our Wake!

Tonight we are in Liberty Landing, Jersey City. If I look to our stern, I can see Lady Liberty and to our starboard is the Manhattan Skyline. This evening should be beautiful with all the lights and excitement. Ron, Gilligan and I would like to thank you for being a part of our journey and for all the support we've received along the way. It has been a trip of a lifetime and we are glad we did it and glad it's ended. Now to plant a flower and watch it grow! There was a ceramic plaque in our pilot house area. It reads: "Lord, keep your arm around my shouldner and your hand over my mouth." We give thanks and praise to our loving Father for his guidance and protection along the way. We look forward to where He will lead us next!

Dubhe III Crosses her wake!

THIS was a bonus believe us! At Cape May we met a wonderful couple from Ottowa, Canada aboard the Janbarre III. There were about five boats land locked due to inclement weather. We had gone out to dinner a few times together and we traveled to the next two marina's with Janbarre. As it worked out, we were both going to Liberty Landing Marina in Manhattan at the end of this days journey and we crossed our wake (completed the Loop) at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Because they were traveling along side, they were gracious enough to take these shots. We will treasure the gift!

WE'RE ALMOST THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Morning Star

Another bed and breakfast. As you can see we are still in Cape May. This morning we were completely disconnected, lines singled back, and good to go when fog began to settle in. On the ocean, 1/4 mile visibility which wasn't the problem. The real problem is the wind took a turn and was now NE to become East this afternoon. That's over the water folks, and not a nice ride. We rode to the ocean on our bikes this afternoon and thankfully it was every bit as nasty as we all thought it would be. This way we weren't kicking ourselves for not going "anyway!" Tomorrow morning is supposed to be SW and all of the boats who have been stuck here for five days, plan on leaving around 6 and hopefully making it to the Manasquan Inlet tomorrow evening. Keep your fingers crossed! This is a very nice place, but we are tired of being here at this point and want to get on and done with the trip! It's time to go home folks!!!!

Angel of the Sea

Just had to go back and get a picture of this beautiful bed and breakfast. The second half was undergoing renovations as you can see, but it was such a pretty place, I had to get a picture.

Hummmmmmmer

Yes, they say it's a hummer and is used for brush fires. Not very effective we are told as the unit was not really designed to carry the amount of water they carry. I thought this would be great fun for our guys back home, but the people we spoke to said it's not at all what they would have chosen. I just thought it was a great looking apparatus and thought you firefighters back home would enjoy it too.

Cape May, New Jersey

Yesterday we walked along the beach. We are still held by weather at Utsch Marina -- a great place if you have to be stuck anywhere. Three of the boats held here for the past three days left this morning and radioed back their impression of sea conditions. Four of us decided to give it another day to lay down and the sea conditions for tomorrow (Monday) are far more favorable. This was a little sand shark we saw one of the anglers bring in. It gave quite a nice fight and he showed it to his children and gentle released it back into the ocean. Gilligan's take on the sand shark -- don't ask!

Cape May Canal

We were grateful to see this part of the journey today. The Delaware Bay had a 3-4 foot chop. It was unpleasant but not a bad transit. We hope to have two more days along the New Jersey ICW. Then out the Manasquan Inlet to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge where our loop officially closes! We had planned on going up the East River AGAIN and through Hell's Gate to head out to Connecticut but that has changed at this point due to our former marina not having any room at this point in the beginning of the boating season. Therefore, we plan to reverse course once we've closed the loop and head back home where a berth awaits us. We will then drive back to CT to gather all the "stuff" and bring it home! Our daughter and son-in-law are helping in the moving process. We are grateful for the helping hands. Neither of us can believe it is almost completed. Some days it felt like an eternity and other days it felt like we'd just begun. I'll be posting a few entries along the way and you can bet you'll see the Verrazano!!!!

Ship John Shoel Light and Frost Ledge Light

St. Georges East and West Bridges

We entered the Delaware Bay today and headed south to Cape May! South again?? Come on Ronald! Go North, Go North! We're so close now! But of course you must go south on the Delaware Bay where we pick up the intercoastal again in Cape May, NJ

Behold, a car carried Ron tells me.

Rock Hall Landing

We were in Rock Hall Landing for what we'd hoped would be a two day stay. We came in last Saturday and was to see our son and his family on Sunday, which we did. However, the weather picture did not look good for departure on Monday or Tuesday so we remained at Rock Hall and enjoyed every bit of the town, the friendly people and the great restaurants.

It's a visiting bird!

Ahh, no no no no no I'm not going to risk getting in trouble with you Audubon folks! It's a bird. What kind of bird? Well, you can tell us. It came "a visitin" and I took it's picture for you! Enjoy!

Grandeur of the Seas

This passenger ship was piloted by a very strong will woman. We particularly enjoyed her radio coms all the way out of the Chesapeake. Reminded me a little of Chief Smith in her approach and I had a great deal of respect for her and her abilities. Ron was impressed with the way in which she maneuvered among those fishing boats and a few times she had to request larger vessels to share a bit more of the channel.