JOURNEY TO THE LOOP
Who knows when our journey to the Loop began? What we can say is that it has been in our thoughts for several years, and more recently in our plans for "retirement" - something that we can do together to keep us active and something that, at the same time, can indulge Rowland's lifelong love of the water and boats. He has never forgotten his high school English class study of Kenneth Graham's classic Wind in the Willows and Rat's immortal line to Mole:
Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing...messing - about - in - boats; messing...
Regardless of when our journey to the Loop may have begun, our adventure began with a refresher Mariner Training course over nine weeks at the Chapman School of Seamanship (www.chapman.org) in Stuart, Florida, beginning at the end of March, 2012. "Refresher" because, although we had owned three boats and had lived aboard for a year during which we travelled to The Bahamas, we hadn't been around boats for quite a few years.
We drove to Stuart from Calgary, a distance of 5000 km (3000 miles), right across the middle of middle America. The trip was itself great fun (we dodged blizzards in Montanan and tornadoes in the mid-West) at a liesurely pace (10 days), with interesting stops at...
We drove to Stuart from Calgary, a distance of 5000 km (3000 miles), right across the middle of middle America. The trip was itself great fun (we dodged blizzards in Montanan and tornadoes in the mid-West) at a liesurely pace (10 days), with interesting stops at...
...Mount Rushmore...
...and Graceland, Elvis' home in Memphis, TN.
In Memphis, we had our first "Triple D" experience: a southern BBQ meal at Marlowe's, which had been featured on one of our favorite Food Network shows - Diners Drive-ins and Dives. Nothing "lite" or "low cal" on the menu here!
We were chauffeur-driven to and from the Heartbreak Hotel in Marlowe's pink Caddie - talk about travellin' in style! Don't you just love Alex's fashionable colour coordination?
We arrived at the Chapman School on Saturday, March 24 and settled into a comfortable one-bedroom apartment right on campus, with a pool just steps from our front door. Imagine - swimming in an outdoor pool in March, which Alex did a couple of times a week during the nine weeks we were there!
Classes began on Monday, March 26 and they worked us pretty hard.
But it wasn't all in the classroom. This is engine maintenance, where we learned to strip down and rebuild an engine (there were only a few bits and pieces left over!).
And painting and fibreglass repairs. Here, Alex shows the boys how it's done.
But the best part was lots of time on the water, starting with safety - Alex learning to fire distress flares.
And learning to handle a twin-screw vessel under the watchful eye of Captain Jack.
Captain Chris was great - if he said "turn port" (i.e., left) and you turned right, he'd just calmly say: "Other port!"
Then there was Captain Rich. We've hooked up with him again, to do the lettering for our new name - see Our Boat.
The navigation work in the classroom was challenging, even though we had some experience, but it was interesting and quite satisfying. Even with the electronic aids that are available (GPS, etc.), you still need to be able to read a paper chart and plot a course with a ruler and pencil.
The GPS may not tell you you're heading for the rocks until it's too late!
We also took the time at Chapman to start looking for a boat that would be suitable for our Loop adventure. It wasn't hard to find something we could afford...
...or something that appealed to the romantic, like this classic 1980 Grand Banks - in mint condition.
Nice boat, but not for us!
Maybe this one?
But then came PRIME TIME, seen here on our first viewing at Punta Gorda, FL. She is now TOSCA II (see Our Boat).
Along the way at Chapman, we did have some time off - Alex on Easter Saturday at Key Largo.
And here we are cutting a rug at Sailors Return at Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, FL where we've since returned in our own boat - how cool is that!
And at Riverwalk Cafe - our favourite restaurant in Stuart.
And then, all too soon, at the end of May, it was over! We drove back to Calgary, via Yellowstone National Park. Here we are at Old Faithful.
Oh, by the way, during the course of this 5000 km road trip, and through the electronic magic of IPads and cellphones, we BOUGHT A BOAT, back in Florida!
Oh, by the way, during the course of this 5000 km road trip, and through the electronic magic of IPads and cellphones, we BOUGHT A BOAT, back in Florida!