Even though the mast is back up and we’re officially a sailboat again(!), we’ve got a scary long list of boat projects to complete before we can leave the dock in Mobile, Alabama.
We put the mast back up and we’re pretty dang stoked about it. The electrical is reconnected, the boom goes back on, and Kirk takes a stab at tensioning our standing rigging himself. Soulianis is finally feeling more like a sailboat again.
Ooo this has been a long time coming… We make it to SALTWATER! After leaving the freshwater of Lake Michigan and traveling 1300 miles down the rivers (Mississippi and all the rest!), we’ve made it to the Gulf of Mexico!
We were apprehensive of the Mighty Mississippi. How would our boat handle in the swift 4-5 knot current? What would navigating around the commercial traffic be like?
As far as we know, we’re the last sailboat on the river. The only other watercraft are tows with barges, a couple motorboats being delivered for winter storage, and bunch of duck hunters. It’s a bit desolate, but beautiful. It feels like we have the river all to ourselves.
At the end of our last episode, we left you thinking we ran aground. Yeah, we did. Though in all fairness, it was more of a “nudge the bottom” situation. The question was, how did we manage to run aground in 8 feet of water, when we only draft 4?
This is it! After years of preparation, we’re finally untying the dock lines, leaving our homeport, and pointing our bow south.
Have you seen Episode 11: Cruising the West Coast of Michigan? Thought so. That's probably why you're here. In the video I make one of Kirk's and my favorite childhood treats: Muddy Buddies, AKA Puppy Chow.
The middle of the Lake -- the unknown -- unnerves me. Fellow boaters have described the Great Lakes as wild and unpredictable.
It’s all coming together. The surveyor just emailed us the official survey report, which means we can sign the Acceptance of Vessel agreement, sign up for an insurance policy, and schedule the closing.
