The End of the Trip, Or Is IT?

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Nov 4 Day 17 Sailed 10 miles

We started our day with breakfast at Pinini Pete’s. Christa and Peter will remember Pete’s. Pete offered to let Rick ride his Segway that he rides to work. Another new experience for Rick. We visited a Marina just across from the Yacht Club. We were looking for someone to lift the boat out of the Water. This particular Marina didn’t have a lift, but we got to meet the manager and his wife. They are from Rockford, IL and sail in the Apostle Island every summer. So we had a few sailing stories to exchange with them. In the afternoon we took Carolyn and her best friend’s husband, Bob, with sailing. Carolyn is a sailing instructor so she is an old pro at sailing. This was Bob’s first sailing experience and he loved it. It was a warm day with light breezes. We all gathered at the Yacht Club for a cat fish dinner. One more day down and not many left to go.

Question of the day: What is a Segway?


Nov 5 Day 18 Sailed 32 miles

We decided to do a little more sailing today. We departed the Fairhope Yacht Club at 8:00 AM and headed towards the Mid Bay Lighthouse. We didn’t know exactly where it was so we just sailed towards the middle of the bay. We had a good breeze and before too long we thought we could see what looked like a house on the water. We thought we would have to cross the ship channel to get to the light house. Since a large ship was coming down the channel we decided to hang back until it passed. A good decision! It turned out that the ship channel was on the other side of the light house. Distances are very deceiving on the water. We took a number of pictures of the old light house and then started back. The wind speed increased to 15-20mph. And of course it was from the direction we had to sail. So under reefed main and jib we beat our way back to Fairhope.
When we got back we decided to see if the launch ramp had enough water depth to float Amber Lee onto the trailer. All the marinas we checked with wanted to charge $178-215 to lift the boat out of the water. The 2 cheepsters backed the trailer in the water and it looked deep enough so we attempted to pull Amber Lee out of the water. We got the boat most of the way on the trailer. Wayne now needed to get off the boat and help Rick get her on all the way. The problem was that 10 feet separated the boat from the dock. Rick had a brilliant idea to lay the spinnaker pole between the boat and the dock and have Wayne walk across it. It actually worked. We finally had the boat ready to pull out, but the 2 wheel drive Dodge just spun its wheels on the wet cement ramp. The tide was coming in so we had to take action, and fast. Rick got Don, one of our Fairhope acquaintances on the phone. Don arranged to have his friend Glen come over with his 4 wheel drive GMC and tow the truck and boat up the ramp. Tonight we slept in the boat on the trailer in the parking lot. We have an invitation to help Don sail his boat across the Bay tomorrow afternoon. It sounds like a good way to help repay him for all his help. These Southerners are just so hospitable.


Nov 6 Day 19 7 delightful miles sailed on Moonglade

Today we take down the mast and secure it to the boat. We scrub the boat and clean the black diesel soot off the stern. We can’t find our boat hook. It’s not on the boat, not in the truck and not laying near the boat ramp. Darn!
Don’s wife and daughter-in-law drive us to the other side of Mobile Bay to where their boat is moored. We have a late lunch of burgers and bushwackers at the Mobile Yacht Club. A bushwackers tastes something like a chocolate milk shake with a kick. It was a pleasure to support the Dairy Industry in this part of the country.
We had heard over the radio that our friends on Sparkies Dream and Periwinkle had arrived at a Marina on this side of the Bay. We find them and wish them well on their journey to Florida and the Bahamas. We will be following their journey by reading their blogs. Sharpies Dream Periwinkle
When we get on Don’s boat we find out that his wife Tracey is really the skipper and that Don, Rick and Wayne are her crew. She steers the boat out of the Marina and into the Bay like a professional. We sail across the Bay in light winds and watch another beautiful sunset. Tracey asks us to spend the night at their house and sleep in real beds for the first time in 3 weeks. It doesn’t take too much convincing for us to accept the offer. We also have the use of their washer and drier to catch up on some laundry. More Southern Hospitality that is very much appreciated.

Question of the Day: What is a Moonglade?

Critter count: Lots of pelicans flying across the sunset to roost on the outer islands.


Nov 7 Day 20 No sailing today. Trailered Amber Lee 5 miles.

Don and Skipper Tracey are participating in a double handed sail boat race today. We wish them well, and then begin unpacking the boat. Everything needs to be moved back into the truck for the trip home. We also change oil on the boat engine that has served us so well. We pull the boat to the Boothe Farm and cover it with a tarp. Amber Lee looks like she will like her southern home, unless a hurricane comes along. Gene helps us and lets us pick some Satsumas, an orange like fruit, to take home satsuma There are also a number of pecan trees in the yard with lots of pecans laying under them. Gene tells us to pick as many as we want before the neighbors tractor drives over them. We say our goodbyes to Gene and Carolyn and wish them well in their travels and activities.
We return to the Yacht Club to see how our new friends did in the race and watch another lovely sunset. We are invited back to Don and Tracey’s for our last night in Fairhope. Tracey, Don and Rick cook up a great shrimp dinner while Wayne snacks on Wisconsin cheese and drinks an Alabama beer. The shrimp are fresh and are rumored to have been caught by Forest Gump’s shrimp boat. The meal is Great! The conversation is Great. Our new friends are Great. They are invited to come to Wisconsin. They will be welcome, summer or winter. A great way to finish our stay in South Alabama.


Nov 8 Day 21 800 miles north to Lafayette, Indiana

We leave at 7:00 AM for the long trip home. The weather is still sunny and warm, a great day to travel. When Rick reached to move the truck seat forward his hand came back holding a boat hook. Now who could have put that boat hook under the seat? Another senior moment Wayne! Or Rick?
When we get to our motel room in the evening we turn on the weather channel and the lead story is that Hurricane Ida is headed towards Mobile Bay. Hurricanes aren’t suppose to occur in November? Well, all we can do is watch the news and see what happens. Stay tuned. This story may not be over yet.

IDA

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Photos

Ship in Channel
We will let that ship have the right-of way.

Tracey and Don Love Sailing
Practicing for their Carrbean Cruise

Moonglade Headed for the Start Line
She is a Pearson Flyer

Comments

[carie]

Segway - A motorised personal vehicle having two wheels on one axle that balances itself using gyroscopes and tilt sensors. Moonglade - The bright reflection of the moon's light on an expanse of water. Wayne: Hopefully Ida has let you be and you had a safe trip back to Baraboo. Beautiful pictures and story. You are wetting my appetite for retirement! Carie