Barefoot'n is now in Carabelle, FL!
Hi everyone! We are at our last stop on this incredible journey. Carabelle, FL is a popular holdover for Loopers, while they wait for the elusive weather window. Tomorrow, Sunday, November 17th, Barefoot'n and a few other Loopers will make the crossing to the west coast of Florida. Some will go into Tarpon Springs, Dunedin or Clearwater, but we will head straight for HOME! So the next blog will be from our back porch in Treasure Island.
But where did I leave off with the last blog? Oh yes, we were just about to enter the Calumet River after a great time on the coast of Michigan. So..as Jackie Gleason used to say..."and away we go~!"
The Calumet or Cal-Sag is a very industrious area. Lots of tow traffic and factories of all kinds along the river.
The Asian Carp are a real problem in the Great Lakes and the upper river system. We passed through this electronic fish barrier on the Illinois River which was really interesting. You are supposed to contact the US Coast Guard and let them know that you are entering this area. Only one boat at a time is allowed to pass through this area. Everyone on board has to wear a flotation device while passing thru too.
Going through the locks on the river was interesting too.
This is a lock that we went through with some other boats. Notice how close to the lock wall you are. And kinda slimy too~ But all goes pretty smoothly. The lock masters know their stuff. You grab onto a floating bollard with one line and that's pretty much it.
OK, so I'm not the only one to leave our handiwork on the bollards......After 150 locks, you just gotta.
Most mornings we were off the dock early to make the locks ahead of the tows. With a little light and a lot of fog, it makes for pretty neat photos.
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| Foggy fishin' at the lock |
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| Sunrise in a lock |
This is a photo of our Furuno screen with the AIS function being shown on the chart. THIS is why you want AIS for your boat! Barefoot'n is the vessel (in red) on the left, and a tow named the Gilbert Taylor (in blue) is pushing a barge on the right. We met at the bend on the river. Thankfully we could radio each other and determine which side to pass on before we met.
There were some derelict boats along the river that I'm sure were the belle of the river back in their day.
We stopped in Grafton, Illinois to welcome 'Bucket List' (Cindy & Larry Kreissler) home as they crossed their wake and earned their prized gold Looper flag. We stayed there for a few days with our friends and got the royal tour of Grafton and Alton. Lots of fun! Thank you Larry and Cindy!
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| Welcome Home 'Bucket List' ! |
Some local artwork in Grafton
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| Cant go to Alton and miss Fast Eddies |
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| The Gentle Giant's hand and mine |
Alton is home to the Gentle Giant, Robert Wadlow. He was born 2/22/18, a completely normal baby. By 16 years of age, he was 7'10" and weighed nearly 400 pounds. At the time of his death in 1940 he was 8"11.1", making him the world's tallest person. Above is a life-sized statue and his hand compared to mine.
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| Sunset in Grafton atop a hill |
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| Guess where this is? :o) |
Moving on down the Mississippi River, you can't pass up Hoppies Marina, in Imperial, Missouri. Calling it a marina is a little loose, as you can see below. Welcome to Hoppies!
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| Notice the electrical wires running down the paved ramp |
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| Decorations around Hoppies |
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| We like to call this ambiance. :o) |
But this is why you come to Hoppies. Not for the amenities, but for Fern and her husband, Hoppie. They have lived on the river most of their lives. Everyone who passes this way wants to stop and visit with Fern. At 4:00 p.m., she sits down with all the boaters and gives them the latest information on traveling & anchoring safely down the river. She is truly fantastic and one of a kind.
Moving on...
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| City marina at Paducah, KY |
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| Anchored in KY Lake |
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| My favorite shot! |
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| Old submerged building on KY Lake |
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| Last lock! A very happy day! |
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| YEA! |
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| Spent a couple of nights at The Wharf Marina, Orange Beach, AL |
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| OK, so maybe he's not the real Toby Keith |
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| "...my red Solo cup, I lift you up, let's have a party...." |
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| The girls at Lulu's |
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| A lunch stop at Lulu's (Buffett's sister) in Homeport, AL |
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| Dolly Parton Bridge, Alabama |
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| Downtown Mobile, Alabama |
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| Retired research vessel anchored to shore, wow |
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| And another one |
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| Shrimp boat in Mobile Bay |
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| Beautiful Emerald Coast, FL |
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| Pensacola Lighthouse, built 1859 |
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| Fort Pickens, Pensacola, FL |
So that brings us to where we are today, Carabelle, FL. Today is the gulf crossing and chances are by the time you read this, we are just coming into our home port of Treasure Island and crossing our wake. There are no words that I could write that would capture the past 10 months aboard Barefoot'n. Adventure? Challenging? Fun? Excitement? Thrilling? Tedious? Breathtaking? Intense? Relaxing? Important? Yes.
But for now.......
the adventure continues!
