Preparing for the trip

Captain Jerry has been making the final preparations to North Star, our 32 foot Cape Island down east trawler. We are anxious to leave our landlubber lives behind and begin our long awaited journey around the Great Circle. Join us as we travel 10, 000 kilometers: through the historic Trent Severn Waterway; the pristine waters of Georgian Bay; the North Channel of lake Huron; and hop from beach to beach on lake Michigan. We will visit Chicago and begin our trek along the rivers: Illinois; upper Mississippi; Ohio; Cumberland: Tennessee; Tenn-Tom Waterway and the Black Warrior. We will have transited through 68 locks at this juncture. We have chosen the inner route from Mobile Alabama to Tarpon Springs Florida and the shorter Ocheechobee Waterway to reach the East coast of Florida. We will skip over to the Bahamas to wait out the winter before heading North on the Atlantic Inter Coastal Waterway.
The 10 years of researching and planning are finally at an end and we invite you to come along on our adventure.























Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Portsmouth Virginia

We only went 10 miles further today. I is too windy to attempt the Chesapeake Bay so we are tied to a free dock in Portsmouth.
A very old cemetery in a church yard in Portsmouth
We had breakfast with Robert the Deep Creek Lock master again today and locked through on the first lock at 8:30.  We then had to hurry to make the 9:30 Gilmerton Highway Bridge that only opens every hour. There were 6 of us in the lock and our buddy Gary delayed everyone with his sailboat with a rough running outboard.  He is single handing so it was difficult for him to get into the lock.
We are stocked up to the nines since we made several runs a half mile into town yesterday.  The lock master even took all the boys to the liquor store for a run after his shift. What a nice guy.
Order dinner by phone while you watch a surround sound movie
Quite the historical district here in Portsmouth with old cemeteries, churches and homes.  There is a 1940s theatre with state of the art surround sound that offers dining while you watch a movie. We will go and have dinner there tonight.
The harbour is busy, there are many navy ships and boatyard for large ships. Barges and tugs are going by as well as a paddle boat ferry.


No wonder it takes many newfies to change a light bulb

Our trip meter, 5000 statute miles behind us

We fueled up and got some water so we are ready to go early tomorrow although it looks like we should leave around 10:00 to get the best weather possible.  Thursday looks like a lay day because the winds will come up again. Friday and Saturday look good though, we shall see.

free dock in Portsmouth Virginia
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Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA

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