PHOTO ABOVE: Sunset at the Tiki Hut, Harbour Cay Club, Vaca Key, FL

Well this past week marked 1 year since Far Niente left Holland, MI.

And what a year it has been. We have learned a lot and we have a lot more to learn.

So as promised, here are some random thoughts on the cruise so far and bits of information we have collected. If you are a future cruiser or looper, there are a few tidbits of information you just may find useful.

OK - here we go........


Get a 3G/4G smart phone - you will find it invaluable for weather forecasts, marine forecasts and weather radar, even 7 miles off shore.  You can also access Pandora (think free XM music), text messaging, take photos, use email, google maps, tides, currents, Cruiser’s Net, Waterway Guide.  You can also ‘tether it’ to your PC (at least you can with Verizon) which you will find works better than most marina WIFI connections.

The overwhelming majority of marina WIFI systems fail to perform adequately.  Most won’t have adequate signal strength.  You can invest in a WIFI booster, but then you are likely to find the servers and bandwidths are severely limiting.  The people that work at marinas almost never know how to reset their WIFI or what to do when no one in the marina can connect (ISP problems).

If you want to do 'the Loop', don't buy a sailboat; buy a trawler. If you have a sailboat and plan on doing the loop, think long and hard about selling or trading it for a trawler. The ICW is much less fun in a sailboat that draws 5' or more.

You’ll anchor less than you plan; you’ll motor (if you are a sailor) much more than you’d like.

A deck accessible wash-down pump is invaluable when raising and stowing a muddy chain/anchor.

Get up to date electronic and paper charts; use both.  While there is a great amount of free information on the web about marinas, etc. we have found the Dozier’s Waterway Cruising Guides invaluable.  Cruiser’s Net, Active Captain and online Waterway Guides are all great resources.

Know how to use your chartplotter and and learn to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your particular system.

Learn to use and use RADAR when you are offshore. It is essential off shore at night and in fog, which you will eventually encounter.

Have a handheld VHF radio in addition to your standard VHF. There are numerous times when being able to monitor 2 channels at once is invaluable, think locks, bridges and marinas.

Weather becomes a focus and major factor for all of your trip(s)

Tides & Currents - learn, understand, monitor them. Ignore them at your own peril.  We sat in Cape May 8 days waiting for the timing of the flood up the Delaware River to coincide with our 7:30 am departure.  We left Charleston at 1:30 am so we’d have the flood heading up the 20 mile Port Royal sound and Beaufort River.

Even though we did not have a schedule per se, each day is it's own schedule.  You need to (should) complete your travel before dark (on the ICW) and you don’t want to enter a channel from off shore at night if you can help it.  Plan your daily itinerary and give yourself plenty of viable bail out points, both in the ICW and offshore.

Know where the navigational aids 'switch' sides in the ICW. It happens more than you might imagine on rivers and inlets that are part of the ICW. While there is always a small ICW mark in yellow on the aid, they generally aren't visible from a distance, even with binoculars.

You’ll adjust to the temperature and changes.  Except when you can’t - then the AC is really welcome.

Get good folding bikes – e.g. Strida.com

The large majority of cruiser’s are simply great and generous people.

Use Boat U.S. (call on phone or ch. 16) for recommendations on inlets, tough ICW stretches, etc.

You can save money at some marinas by not using shore power, but they may not let you run a generator (we’ll be getting solar panels soon!)

Be sure and ask if the dockside water is potable; some marinas supply untreated well water for washing boats at the dock and they may or may not recommend using it as potable water.

When you are heading into a marina, let them know exactly what you are comfortable with when it comes to slip selection.  If you don’t like the location due to wind, current, neighboring boats, tell them and most will give you other options.  If weather is bad when docking ask for 2 or more dock hands to assist.

When you prepare to dock, set up with dock lines and fenders on both sides.  You don’t know when you’ll have to change your slip or you’ll find that there was miscommunication with the marina on whether it was a port or starboard tie up. This is true for locks too. You may need to switch sides at the last minute due to wind or current or another wayward boat.

Be sure and know if you are docking on floating or fixes docks.  Confirm the presence or absence of cleats versus pilings.  Know if the dock is the entire length of your boat or just the first 10’ to 15’ before you pull in.

Have 2 sets of high quality dock lines. At least 4 should be 1 to 1 ½ the length of your boat. In the Welland Canal we had to tie off on a bollard that was more than 50' from the wall of the lock. My 50' was not long enough and we had a few dicey minutes until I could grab another set of lines to extend our bow and stern lines to reach the bollards.

Many marinas on the Great Lakes use summer help (read teenage boys and girls) to work the docks at times.  They seldom have the boating knowledge and strength to adequately assist you in docking when things get dicey.

I am not sure why, but MOST dock hands don’t know what to do with the spring line, the only line you need to throw a person on the dock.  Bow lines are useless in all but the stiffest wind.  With a spring line attached on the mid-ship cleat and then to the very first dock cleat or piling coming into a slip, your boat will be pulled toward the dock and will cease its forward motion.  Next secure the stern line; finally the bow lines.

Traveling the major waterways (rivers, ICW, etc.) on holiday weekends can be very stressful. We now plan to sit in one place for the big holidays and travel during the week.

Sometimes you have to get off the boat and get somewhere via car. Enterprise Car Rental is very common even in some of the smaller towns and is great when they can come a pick you up. However, be aware that many of the smaller Enterprise agencies, at times, will not pick you up in spite of their corporate tagline. These are single person operations and they will not leave to pick you up. You need to tell them the exact street address of the place you are staying (marina) not just the name. The can and do get lost. They rent a lot of cars over weekends and some of the smaller agencies may not have cars to rent you on Monday mornings. If you want/need a car on a Monday morning, speak with the branch manager on Friday to get the confirmation that one will definitely be available. Almost missed my daughter's college graduation because there were no cars available on a Monday morning and in spite of my reservation.