Home for the winter

 

We arrived at this fall's destination, Midway Marina in Fulton, Mississippi, today at 3:30.

All told this trip covered 1,750 miles and passed through 7 states and a little bit of Canada. The waters we traversed include lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St Clair, the St Clair River, the west coast of Lake Huron, the Mackinac Straits, the east coast of Lake Michigan, the Chicago, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers, Kentucky Lake, Pickwick Lake, and the Tenn-Tom Waterway. My crew was super. Many thanks to Jeff, Denny, Chuck, Skip, Dave, Mo, Mike, and Jack, it was a ball.

 

I plan to leave Midway in the spring with a voyage down to the Gulf, then around the Florida Keys and up the Atlantic coast to Osprey Marina (on the ICW near Myrtle Beach) where the boat will spend the summer months. Technically we will have completed the Loop when we pass by Hilton Head Island (we left Hilton Head earlier this year). "Whatever It Takes" will return to Cleveland from Osprey next fall via the Erie Canal in time for the fall foliage.

 

I am always looking for crew hands.

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This trip was the first time discipline was required on any voyage. The video below contains the graphic violence of the discipline. I felt it was necessary to publish  this in order to thwart any future problems. Make sure your sound is on.

                                                      http://youtu.be/4SpxHZ7iPjU

 

The next two videos were taken as we entered and left the "Jamie Whitten Lock" located at mile marker 411.9 on the Tenn-Tom Waterway. This lock has an 84 foot lift (we were locking down) and is 600 feet long X 110 feet wide. This is the highest lock I have encountered to date.

 

ENTERING LOCK

                                                      http://youtu.be/EUtdgDjJnKw

                                  

                                                               LEAVING LOCK

                                                       http://youtu.be/07vB5yGjT9s

 

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Jack started his morning by pumping out ****.

 

 

Fellow Looper.

 

 

Mo and I played 26 games of gin rummy over the past 7 days. Mo lost 21 of 26 games and owes me $40.76 (at a penny a point).

 

 

   

                                   

                Evening at Midway Marina on the Tenn-Tom canal. I think "Whatever It Takes" will enjoy the winter here.