Dear Family and Friends,

We have sold Marco Polo, our beloved, floating second home of nearly 8 years! Her new owners are an experienced sailing couple from Texas, who we are confident, will enjoy Marco Polo's uniqueness. They are appreciative of her pristine condition, meticulous maintenance record, and sophisticated equipment on board. They are excited to continue their cruising adventures on such a proven sea-worthy, well-equipped vessel. Captain Pete and I wish them "fair winds and following seas".

Sometime during boat ownership, all boat owners hear the old saw "The two best days of your life are the day you buy your boat and the day you sell your boat". This maybe true for some, but we believe that the best two days are somewhere in between buying and selling. For those of you who have followed our sailing adventures, you know we have definitely enjoyed many, many memorable "days" during our travels on Marco Polo.

As I reflect on our sailing experiences, I am first of all grateful to Marco Polo under Captain Pete's direction for safe passages on the oceans, seas and rivers through beautiful scenery, gorgeous sunsets (a few sunrises), and interesting ports-of -call. But most of all, our time on the boat offered us the opportunity to meet like-minded people from all walks of life, coming from different states as well as many other countries who were also living the dream! You may share a conversation of only a few minutes as you are docking, or become acquainted over several days (drinking sundowners) in a marina possibly waiting out the weather or perhaps share experiences spanning several years as with our wonderful TMCA friends. What remains a constant in all of these encounters is the friendliness, helpfulness and camaraderie we enjoyed with the people we met- be it for a day or for many years. Even though our sailing days have ended we know these relationships will continue.

Thanks for reading our blog and please stay in touch.

All the best,
Captain Pete, Barbara, Harry and Annie

Charleston Harbor Marina and Resort
Mt. Pleasant, S.C.


Dear Family and Friends,

After eight busy months in Houston which included trips to Chile, Argentina and Italy as well as New York and Wisconsin, we have returned to a more leisurely lifestyle onboard the Marco Polo. Docked in Charleston Harbor Marina, we have a great view of the impressive Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge which connects downtown Charleston to Mt. Pleasant. The marina is located next to Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum which offers a variety of educational and interactive activities and exhibits honoring the men, women and families who sacrificed to preserve our freedoms.

For those of you who have not heard the news, S/V Marco Polo has two rookie crew members- (Prince) Harry and Annie- our adorable 5 ½ month old miniature poodles! After only two weeks onboard we are pleased to report they are adjusting well. Annie fell in the water once but fortunately was able to swim to the edge of the dock where Captain Pete fished her out with no apparent harm done. A few days later, with life jackets on, both puppies jumped into the dinghy and enjoyed a cruise around the marina. Friendly, rambunctious pups that they are, they run up to everyone in sight and are making lots of new friends. People often comment on their unusual red color and of course “twins” always seem to draw extra attention. Unlike Houston, Charleston/Mt. Pleasant has numerous dog-friendly restaurants as well as several leash-free parks for them to romp in. However, the beaches are not so welcoming. A few days ago we went to Sullivan’s Island and found out dogs not only had restricted hours for using the beach but need a special license to be on the beach! It was very hot so we took our chances and all of us went into the ocean for a refreshing swim which Harry and Annie loved despite a bit of surf. Dogs were welcome at the nearby Edgar Allan Poe’s Tavern where we had a great lunch. BringFido is proving to be our most useful app!

Our cruising itinerary for this year was purposely left flexible because we knew we had the puppies to consider. It would be difficult for them to be confined to the boat for the several hours it takes to sail between destinations therefore we are staying in Charleston. We are looking forward to enjoying the city and visiting friends in the area until mid-September.

We wish everyone a safe and wonderful summer on land or sea!

All the best,
Captain Pete, Barbara, Harry and Annie

November 13, 2017
Houston, Texas

Dear Friends and Family,

We arrived in Houston a week ago and are very grateful to be safely back at home. As you know, during our absence Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on Houston and the area surrounding our neighborhood was heavily affected. Fortunately, our small neighborhood did not flood which was absolutely amazing as the homes in subdivisions adjacent to us received several feet of water. Our prayers go out to our friends who suffered losses and all others in the Houston-area who will be re-building for months to come.

Cruising the East Coast was an incredible experience. For nearly six months and for over 2,400 miles, Marco Polo was our comfortable home as well as providing us with safe passage in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean to the shallows of the Intracoastal Waterway. We highly recommend the trip to our fellow cruisers.

One of the most memorable aspects of the trip was the wonderful people we encountered along the way. Whether we shared a drink, a meal, a dockside conversation or the pleasure of your company for a few hours or a few days, we treasure the memory of your friendship, hospitality and camaraderie. We would also like to acknowledge all of you who "cruised " with us by reading our sail blog and sending encouragement and prayers for our safe voyage!

Have a blessed holiday season!

Barbara and Captain Pete

October 3- October 26, 2017

Dear Friends and Family,

On October 3rd, we started the long trip to Marco Polo's winter port- Charleston, S.C. At the time we had a tentative plan which allowed for "weather" days along the way. As it turned out there were more W.O.W. (waiting on weather) days than anticipated. Much of our north-bound cruising in June and July took place offshore with 12-14 hours of daylight which allowed us to cover longer distances. However, in October not only did we have to contend with shorter days but with the ever present threat of bad weather as well. This was frustrating as we were anxious to get home.

For three days, we traveled down the Potomac River, making overnight stops at the same marinas we stayed in on our way to D.C. After making our way down the Potomac, we reached York River Yacht Haven in Yorktown, VA on Saturday, October 7th. Shortly after arriving we were pleasantly surprised to receive a text from Texas cruising friends, Hope and Kevin (SV Fidelity). They were checking out the marina and saw Marco Polo docked. It was great catching up with them. Later that evening, dear friends Valre and Stewart Welch picked us up and we enjoyed their warm hospitality at their home on the beautiful James River.

On Monday we toured the historic Yorktown Battlefield, the site of Lord Charles Cornwallis's massive defeat in 1781 by General George Washington and his French ally, General Comte de Rochambeau. The American victory secured independence for the United States and changed the course of world history. The Visitor Center has a great film, "Siege of Yorktown" and many artifacts, including General George Washington's tent on display in the museum. Did you know the Badge of Military Merit (now known as the Purple Heart)originated after the Battle of Yorktown? Following this famous battle, General George Washington issued a directive to create a decoration "for military merit "to honor any common soldier who displayed 'singularly meritorious action" or "extraordinary fidelity". It was symbolized by an embroidered heart of purple silk. After WWI the medal was reserved for those wounded or killed in battle.

Continuing south we returned to Tidewater Marina in Portsmouth, VA. Taking advantage of a rainy day, we took the ferry over to Norfolk and toured the MacArthur Memorial. This is the final resting place for General and Mrs. Douglas MacArthur. We easily spent several hours in this interesting museum. Nine galleries portray the major periods of the general's life as he served our nation through some of its greatest crises and finest hours.

Leaving Portsmouth, we started the 204-mile trek down the Intracoastal Waterway, starting at mile 0.0.

On the trip from Coinjock to Belhaven we slogged through 11-hours of wind and rain. Despite the" waterproof case", the iPad took on water. Burying it in rice as suggested by Dr. Goggle did not revive it. Pete's phone became our secondary navigation tool.

We were looking forward to our stop in Belhaven, N.C. because of Spoon River Artworks and Market, a first-class restaurant run by a really neat couple, Theresa and Mark Van Staalduinen. Sunday brunch did not disappoint, it was just as amazing as the dinner we enjoyed during our visit in July. Theresa even remembered we liked red wine and gave us a nice bottle of Argentinean wine.

River Dunes Marina in Oriental, NC was a new stop for us. It is a newly-built marina but in a remote location away from restaurants and shops. Fortunately, we got docked just before a frontal storm arrived dropping the temperature significantly. Our friends, Bob and Clare (SV Sofira) drove over from New Bern about 30 miles away. So although it was a cold, windy and rainy evening, we had a pleasant time over drinks and dinner, catching up on happenings since our last visit in early July.

The cold front persisted as we left Oriental for Morehead City, another previous stop. After Morehead City we went offshore for a distance of about 70 miles to reach Wrightsville Beach, N.C. After a very long day, our dear friend, Terry met us at the marina and treated us to a great seafood dinner. We had a wonderful visit with her.

Our stop in Georgetown, S.C. on Sunday afternoon coincided with the last day of the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show. Many of the 120 classic wooden boats exhibited were still on display either in the center of town or the marina. In this part of the country, wooden boat- building is a craft handed down from one generation to the next. We were sorry to miss seeing our Georgetown friends, Micky and Deanie who were out of town.

When planning our route from Georgetown to Charleston on the ICW, the shallow areas shown on the charts were cause for concern. Captain Pete decided even though it would add an extra day of travel, it would be best to travel the next 45 miles over two days taking advantage of high tide each day.

We left Georgetown at 8:45 a.m. and arrived at Leland Oil Company Marina in McClellanville, S.C. about four hours later and before low tide. As we cruised to McClellanville, we were surprised to see a pod of six dolphins swimming in the ICW. McClellanville is a small fishing town of 543 people. In the late 1860's it was an economic center producing timber, rice, cotton and seafood. Today it is best known for its shrimping fleet and seafood industry. In 1989, the town was devastated by Hurricane Hugo which destroyed homes, downed century-old oaks and otherwise altered much of the picturesque character of this historic fishing village. Residents took refuge in the local high school which was a designated storm shelter. The storm surge threatened to drown them. In complete darkness, they helped one another crawl into a space above the false ceilings of the building and no one died. The people here take care of one another. We had lunch at T.W. Graham and Co. a local favorite cafe, where you got the impression it is a very close-knit community.

From McClellanville to Isle of Palms Marina in Mt. Pleasant, we timed our cruising to coincide with the four-hour period of maximum tide. Captain Pete calculated it just perfectly and again we made it through the "skinny water" with no problems. After a nice lunch at Isle of Palm, we had a wonderful time visiting with our dear friend, Janice (MV River Girl).

To avoid the notoriously strong currents at Charleston Harbor we planned the nine-mile trip around the currents and arrived at Charleston Resort and Harbor at slack tide and docked with ease.

Wow! Finally after 157 days, 2,400 miles, 53 stops in 10 states and D.C. we docked Marco Polo in its winter port. It has been a great adventure however the Captain and I agree we are ready to go back to Houston and enjoy our life on land!

Thanks for all of your well wishes, prayers and encouraging comments. We appreciate everyone who has joined us on this adventure by reading our sail blog. Once we get back to Houston we will post a note to let you know we are safely "docked!"

All the best,

Barbara and Captain Pete

September 24-October 3, 2017

Our reason for including Washington, D.C. on our itinerary was two-fold. First of all, we looked forward to sailing Marco Polo up the historic Potomac River past Mount Vernon and secondly, Captain Pete's 50-year high school reunion from the American School in Beirut was September 29-October 1st in D.C.

After more than four months into our sailing adventure, we reached Washington, D. C. The weather was glorious upon our arrival. We decided to visit as many outdoor monuments as possible and if the weather changed, museums would be a good rainy day option. On Monday we walked to the National Mall and caught a trolley to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. The grounds and the monument itself were peaceful and impressive. Passages from the Declaration of Independence and other Jefferson writings surround the 19-ft. tall statue of our third U.S. President. From there we walked to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. This was one of our favorites. You could sense FDR's strength and humanity by the inspiring quotes selected for his monument as well as the decision to depict him sitting in his wheelchair with his little dog by his side. Serving as president for 12 years he is ranked by most political scientists and historical scholars as one of the top three U.S. presidents. From here we walked to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Dr. King's statue designed by Chinese sculptor, Lei Yixin is carved in white granite and named "The Stone of Hope." It was a very majestic rendering of Dr. King. Next up was the Korean War Veterans Memorial. This one is eerily realistic as you walk close to a column of 19 larger than life-size soldiers in full combat gear. The figures represent a platoon on patrol. They are surrounded by granite and juniper bushes representing the rough Korean terrain. I visited this monument several years ago on a rainy October night and it made quite an impression on me. Seeing it in daylight was moving but the images of our brave soldiers on patrol that cold and misty night will always stay in my mind's eye. Another striking tribute was the Vietnam's Women's Memorial. This statue commemorates over 265,000 women, mostly nurses, who served during the Vietnam era. During our stay we also visited the National WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Arlington Cemetery. At the three war memorials and Arlington Cemetery we saw many former servicemen visiting under the Honor Flight Network program. Some were very elderly WWII veterans. The Network's mission is to transport America's Veterans to D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor the service and sacrifices of themselves and their friends. By the emotional expressions on their faces, you could tell they were likely recalling many memories.

We spent two days in the National Gallery of Art. Focusing on Dutch Masters and some European works the first day. The second day we saw the work of numerous American artists. Both Pete and I were captivated by the "Voyage of Life", a series of paintings created by American artist, Thomas Cole representing an allegory of the four stages of human life: childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. You find yourself reflecting on your own life.

We visited the National Air and Space Museum over a two-day period. One activity we really enjoyed was the IMAX film Aircraft Carrier: Guardians of the Sea 3D. Wearing your nifty 3-D glasses, you found yourself aboard the aircraft carrier as 5,000 highly skilled sea and air personnel carry out flight operations during a simulated war exercise. I was particularly impressed seeing how the aircraft stopped by "hooking" the cable on the landing area of the aircraft. Wow!

A personal highlight of our stay was attending Pete's 50th class reunion. On Friday afternoon we had an impromptu gathering on Marco Polo. Fifteen classmates and guests enjoyed sharing memories, lunch and adult beverages. That evening quite a few classmates were at the "meet and greet", many of whom Pete had not seen since his school days in Beirut. He had a great time catching up with everyone. Saturday night the entire group gathered at Bacchus of Lebanon in Bethesda and had a fabulous family-style Lebanese feast. Monday evening six of us had dinner at the Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington's oldest saloon. It was a great finale to our week in Washington.

Of interest to those cruisers planning trips to D.C., the waterfront area where we docked was days away from completing a 2.5 billion dollar expansion project which included new marina facilities' for the Capital Yacht Club. Numerous businesses such as retail shops, a marine store, restaurants, hotels and condos where also getting ready to open. It was a beehive of activity when we were there but promises to be a first-class place to stay or dock your boat.

The next day we left as scheduled heading down the Potomac River with overnight stops planned for the three marinas we stayed in on the way to D.C.

Next blog posting: Cruising to our Winter Port- Charleston, S.C.


Take care,
Barbara and Captain Pete

Solomons Island, Maryland

September 20-21, 2017

Before leaving the Chesapeake Bay area, we sailed over to Solomons Island. We hold fond memories of the island from a previous sailing trip with our friends, Pat and Jim. It is a very picturesque town on the mouth of the Patuxent River. For many decades the island was largely isolated. During WWII this changed dramatically. The area's isolation, long beaches and deep water made it an ideal location for amphibious training. Thousands of troops trained here for the attack on Guadalcanal and the Normandy invasion.

Walking around town after dinner we noticed banners advertising the Solomons Plein Air Festival. Popularized by the French Impressionists, the plein air method advocates painting outdoors working with natural light. Numerous artists were at their easels taking advantage of the evening light and scenic views of the town and beach.

Solomons Island was our final port before traveling up the Potomac River.

September 21-24, 2017

Cruising the Potomac River- Dodging Crab Traps, Debris and Friendly Fire!

Navigating the approximately 140 nautical miles of the Potomac River to Washington, D.C. demands vigilance due to an assortment of hazards: crab traps, floating debris and friendly fire. Crab traps, the bane of boaters but a livelihood for others, are typically attached to colored floats, strung out in a line of a dozen or more. Watermen are legally restricted from placing their traps in the navigation channel. However, traps present a challenge around marina entrances and in broad spaces outside the channels where there are fewer regulations. Snagging a crab line and getting it or heaven forbid the actual basket caught up in your boat's propeller can cause severe damage and ruin your day! Lighting and wave action affect visibility of the floats. When traveling through an area known for crabbing, we planned our day to take advantage of the best conditions. We have enjoyed many delicious crab dishes during our travels but the traps have kept us in a constant state of alertness while on the water. On the other hand, we are respectful of the folks for whom crabbing is their livelihood. We learned the lean years have taken their toll. Tom Horton, a professor and frequent chronicler of the waterman culture, wrote in the Washington Post, that the estimated the number of full-time watermen fell from 10,000 or more in the 1990's to fewer than 3,000 in 2016. He went on to say," The people I know who still make a full-time living off the water are the ones who thank God every day they have a wife who is a nurse at the hospital." (As a salute to all my nursing colleagues, I could not resist quoting this guy!)

Recent storms resulted in high water throughout the Chesapeake Bay, and this caused debris on the beaches to flow into the river. Again, we were on continuous alert and avoided many floating logs and branches as well as a dangerous piling stuck in the channel. We notified the Coast Guard of its perilous location.

About 50 miles up the Potomac is the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center. This location on the River was specifically chosen for the development of a long ballistic test range required for the testing of modern, high powered munitions. As we approached this area, the Navy contacted us by radio and gave Captain Pete specific instructions on how to alter our course to safely avoid their target practice exercise going on at that time.

St. Marys, Maryland

The first night we docked in St. Marys, Maryland. Denis Point Marina is nestled inside a peaceful, wooded campground that is 5 miles up the beautiful St. Marys River. When we arrived there were no dockhands available. One of the office staff came out to catch our lines, unfortunately she had no experience in docking and looped the line around the cleat and then let it go...and so did our boat! We were both calling out directions and she grabbed the stern line just in time. To complicate things further, we arrived at high tide and there was additional tide from hurricane Jose that had pushed a lot of water into the dockage. The electrical outlets were close to the water level delaying hook up. It was "one of those days!"

Colonial Beach, Virginia

The next night we stopped at the Boathouse Marina in the friendly little town of Colonial Beach which claims a population of about 3,500 people. Bill, the marina owner, is right out of Central Casting for a genteel Southern gentleman. Not only does he run a first-rate marina, he is very cordial, inviting us to his boat for drinks and loaning us his golf cart to get around town. Surprisingly for such a small town, we found a terrific Thai-French restaurant and enjoyed a wonderful meal. Another highlight of Colonial Beach was listening to The Southern Bred Band at the Tidewater Tiki Bar. They billed themselves as "country boys who just like to play music." Several were local firefighters and E.M.T.'s. They had a great sound and as a former bass player himself, Captain Pete thought their bass player was outstanding.

Occoquan River, Virginia

Our third night on the Potomac was spent at the pleasant if remote Belmont Bay Marina. It is located a distance from the town of Occoquan and we were happy to cook dinner on the boat. We departed early the next morning. As we neared Washington, D.C. it was an extraordinary experience to see President George and Mary Washington's impressive estate, Mt. Vernon, from our boat.

We arrived in early afternoon at our highly anticipated destination- Washington, D.C.

Please check the Photo Album- Solomons Island-Potomac River for a few pictures of the above locations.

Next installment - our Nation's Capital.

Barbara and Captain Pete