Today ends the third leg of our Great loop adventure. I am not sure if I have even told EJ about this, but I broke the trip into 5 legs when we started. The legs were ways of grouping some of the key elements together.

Leg 1 was the North Channel and Lake Michigan, somewhat familiar fresh water territory, I did not expect many surprises and we did not get any. Leg 2 Included the rivers and the open water crossing to Clearwater/St. Pete. It was all new including our first exposure to salt water, and the surprises it brought with it, and there were a number of them. Leg 3 from St. Pete to Norfolk, new challenges, but many familiar situations, busy harbors, salt water, narrow long rides up channels etc. Leg 4 is the Chesapeake, Delaware, and New York area up to the canal. Similar salt water, but more open and with the northern early summer weather issues. Leg 5 is the New York State Canal system and the trip across Lake Ontario and Erie to get home.

Leg 3 was generally uneventful. We met great people in Marco, Naples, Marathon and Tavernier. South Florida was busy north Florida was desolate, South Carolina and North Carolina were beautiful, but swampy and with an above average number of very large spring bugs. Virginia brought some new surprises, starting with the lack of grocery stores at available stopping places. Food got a little thin towards the end.

Leg 3 ended in beautiful Norfolk/Portsmouth Harbor. Wonderful people, friendly attentive Marina staff and wonderful views. Throughout leg 3 we transited many areas that house Military operations, from the closure of the ICW 5 minutes after we exited to allow for live fire exercises to the take off and landing of some of the newest Military aviation and watching the Navy Seals training in the Tea Black South Carolina waters. As I entered Norfolk I was in awe of the USS Eisenhower undergoing a retrofit, and some of the plastic cloaked ships housing who knows what.

Leg 3 encompassed a total of 41 days and 1314 nautical Miles, during that time, we had 7 lay days due to weather and 6 days to take EJ back to Cleveland. EJ and I did the first 30 days, Ed T. joined me for 8 days and I did the last 3 alone.

The EdE J is now 4429 miles into this adventure, and only 563 miles straight line from our Dock at CYC.

So far it remains the trip of a lifetime, do not wait too long before you do it if you are thinking about it.

More as we start on Leg 4 later this week with Meghan and other CYC friends.

Ed