"Tranquilo II" Is Official

Conducted a "renaming" ceremony to make Tranquilo II's name official. Many friends and family attended and stayed for our first party. Daughters Julie and Jennifer, and Jennifer's entire family surprised us by coming all the way from Fortson, Georgia! What a fabulous night! A huge thank you to everyone who attended to wish us well, and help us celebrate!

Robbie was presented with a scrimshaw carving of our old boat, Tranquilo, given to us by Stu, our brother-in-law, many years ago. Our friends, Alif and Tom, mounted it in a gorgeous shadow box. It will hang on the wall in Tranquilo II.

Robbie with his three daughters.

Our departure has been delayed by a problem with the generator and severe weather predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday, hoping to leave on Thursday.

Splash Down

Repairs are all done, put her back in the water today, then sailed to Palafox Pier to the marina.

Master Stateroom

Settee off the Galley

Guest Bedroom in the Bow

Back Deck

Salon and Lower Helm

Home For Thanksgiving!

11/26/15 Thanksgiving Day
Left Mobile Bay and headed East into the Intercoastal Waterway. Made it into Pensacola, FL in time to have Thanksgiving dinner with Kristin's family!

We Make It To Mobile, Alabama

11/25/15
We traveled 116 miles today, through the Coffeeville Lock, and through Mobile Bay. It's HUGE. Found several marinas, stayed at Dog River Marina. Still following Andiamo.

Bobby's Fish Camp

11/24/15
Traveled 96 miles and went through the Demopolis Lock, made it to Bobby's Fish Camp with three other boats, India Jayne with Kit and Pam, Andiamo with Jay and Billy,and a Scottish guy named Mick came in after dark. They opened the restaurant just for us, and we had a lovely meal together. This is what Looping is all about.

Freezing Temps

11/23/15
Awakened at 6 am to go through the lock with three other boats. COLD! Couldn't see out of the windows, they were frosted over, so I had to hold them open with wet hair. Went through Hefflin Lock, Stayed at Demopolis Marina.

Sam brought the right hat!

Sunrise, temps in the 20's.

Andiamo

11/22/15
Day Three. Went through the Aberdeen Lock and the Stennis Lock. Followed four other boats, we all made it to Pirates Cove Marina.

Andiamo, about 80 feet long.

Blue Heron in the lock.

Our First Locks

11/21/15
Went through the Whitten Dam Lock today, our first lock experience. Sam showed us how to loop a rope around the bollard, then they drain the water out of the lock and we go down, down down...Then we went through the Montgomery Lock, the Rankin, the Fulton, and the Wilkens. Five locks! We stayed at Aberdeen Marina.

This is a bollard, it floats along with the water level.

Leaving the lock.

Maiden Voyage

November 20, 2016

Picked up the boat in Pickwick Lake, at Aqua Harbor Marina in Iuka, Mississippi where she has been stored in a marina. Stocked her with groceries, fueled up and headed south to the Tennessee Tom Bigsbee Waterway. This was our maiden voyage and the first 550 miles on the Loop.

This is a map of America's Great Loop, our route.

Getting fuel.

OMG, we are finally on our way.