s/v 'Puff' the Snapdragon, a great loop Great adventure!

[Snapdragon]

Sunday, 9/9/12
Weather is considerably improved this morning. Watched the sun rise to a beautiful clear sky and a cool breeze. Got Puff under way about 08:00and motored the few miles to lake Wimico. By the time I entered the lake the sky had become completely overcast again, but it made for a very pleasant sail on a broad reach for the entire length of the lake. Entering the Jackson River I again motored, this time With the current, all the way to Apalachicola. Anchored in a tiny tidal basin on Scipio Creek. It's a nice spot just across the creek from "marina row" where a lot of trawlers are docked. I only have to share it with two alligators, the usual turtles, two semi-derelict sailboats, and a half sunken crane barge. 

[Frank]

Gotta love going "with" the current. Great updates...post a pic or 4 if you can.  Have fun.

[Snapdragon]

Monday, 9/10/12
Pleasantly cool, clear morning. Up at about 07:00, and after tinkering about a bit, moved Puff out of the basin and down the creek to the city dock.  It's the off season, and Puff had the entire place to herself. Took several walks through the town finding stores to reprovision, and met several people who were helpful and friendly. Kinda strange, they were all about my age and dressed very much like I do. Spent the last hour of daylight chatting with strollers on the dock, then motored back up to the basin for the night. I think I'll hang out here for another day or so. 

[Cruiser2B]

Monday, 9/10/12
Pleasantly cool, clear morning. Up at about 07:00, and after tinkering about a bit, moved Puff out of the basin and down the creek to the city dock.  It's the off season, and Puff had the entire place to herself. Took several walks through the town finding stores to reprovision, and met several people who were helpful and friendly. Kinda strange, they were all about my age and dressed very much like I do. Spent the last hour of daylight chatting with strollers on the dock, then motored back up to the basin for the night. I think I'll hang out here for another day or so. 

I felt the same way when we were in Oriental, NC. We were lucky enough to stay there 3 nights. Enjoy!

[Travelnik]

How are the twin keels handling the trip?

Oh yeah, we need pictures!  :P

[Snapdragon]

Tuesday, 9/11/12
Moved back to city dock at about 09:00. It sure is nice to be able to slip in and out of these tiny, shallow basins and creeks with little concern for running aground. Each time i've found the bottom, it's been a simple matter of shifting to reverse, swing the tiller a few times, and she backs right off. I'm really beginning to appreciate the advantages of the twin keel design for a cruising boat.  Although slower than a fin keel, it's very stiff under sail and directionally stable when motored. Kinda like having training wheels. 
Did another walk about through town, then stopped by to chat with a fellow I met yesterday as he was working on his boat. Spent several hours talking with him and his wife under the shade of the cedar trees in their front yard, then gave him a tour of my boat. Very nice people. He insisted that I use one of his bikes to explore with until I decide to move on. 
There's been a steady twenty knot East wind since about 11:00 today, which has churned Apalachicola Bay to a muddy froth and it's forecast to continue for several days. Puff was pinned against the dock by it, but I was able to turn the motor and back down at full throttle, and slowly crab away from the dock without causing any embarrassment. Back to the basin for the night. 

[Snapdragon]

Wednesday, 9/12/12
Dingied down to the city dock, Then took the bike on another tour of the town. Spent a very pleasant day meeting some of the locals and learning a bit about the culture here. 
It looks like I'll have to make a trip home tomorrow. I've put out three anchors, and arranged for someone to keep an eye on her, so Puff should be ok until I get back. I hope this doesn't take too long!  

[Snapdragon]

Here's Puff at the Apalachicola City Dock

[Snapdragon]

Note the broad expanse of sawgrass and open water.  The wind can really howl across here.

[Snapdragon]

One of my neighbors.  Fishing and tourism are the only industries in Apalachicola.

[Snapdragon]

Yeah, I'm parked in the low rent district.

[Snapdragon]

It's a small town, but friendly and not too touristy.
I like it.

[CharlieJ]

There's a pretty nice marine resale shop there too.

I've spent several days there in Appalach on two different occasions. Both up at the hotel/marina or anchored out. I've had a dinghy tied to that same dock,

Great little town. Thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the waterfront.

Where bound from there? Around via St Marks and Steinhatchee Rivers,  Cedar Key. Or across to Tarpon?  I've done both, With your draft you'd have no problems going around- interesting stuff to see that way.

It's about 30 hours across to Tarpon. I've made that jump twice- once with crew and once singlehand.

[Snapdragon]

Charlie, I should have time to browse the local shops before I move on.  "The Tin Shed" is supposed to be an interesting place, and there seems to be a few watering holes I haven't visited yet.  And then, of course, there's the museum.  My plan is to keep my jumps as short as possible, and my next stops will be Carabelle, Alagator Point, St Marks, Steinhatchee, providing that the cooler weather doesn't push me south too quickly.  I'll be keeping an eye out for crew along the way for the jump to Cedar Key or Tarpon Springs. 

[CharlieJ]

Steinhatchee to Cedar Key, to Tarpon should be pretty easy one day shots. Years ago, did it the other way, and made Tarpon to Cedar Key by early afternoon.

Also did Steinhatchee to Carrabelle by late afternoon.

I WAS in a faster boat than Tehani though- I could run 7 Kts under power.

[mikederosa]

I have read through all the entries of "Puff's" voyage of the Great Loop. 
It has been a great journey to read about and I am excited to read still more.

I am looking at a Snapdragon 26 I found stranded here in Massachusetts. She needs work
but is so strongly built I am not at all discouraged to take on the work.  She is in need of
several important items, however, sails, stanchions, lazarette cover for the outboard engine, etc.
In your travels and improvements to both Puff and Tahani have you found a good supplier?
Have you had any luck finding bits from England?

Charlie, how can we find more about your boat?  Would love to see more photos and what you have done to her.

Many thanks,

Mike

[CharlieJ]

Mike- go to "Sailfar Gallery" up above, click on that, then "Members Galleries". On page 2 is a gallery for Charliej... Then  look at Tehani (same place) Quite a few pics there.....


Or- here's links

CharlieJ-

http://sailfar.net/gallery/index.php?cat=10069

and Tehani-

http://sailfar.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=20


But she isn't mine anymore- now belongs to Laura

[Snapdragon]

OK, time to do what by now has become my annual ?retreat?.  Things have not gone well at the farm, and once again I have to postpone my Great Loop Cruise till next year.  This is the third consecutive year that I have had to do this.
After several adventures at home during the past month ( hospitalization, wrecked car, another hospitalization, tending family issues, etc ) I finally just pulled the trailer down to Apalachicola, loaded up Puff, and brought her back to the barn.  Therapy for that trauma includes sitting on the back porch admiring the perfect weather while consuming large quantities of coffee and other adult beverages, and pouting a lot. 
I would really be able to feel sorry for myself in grand style if it wasn't for the knowledge that there are a lot of people in the northeastern states that have some real problems to contend with in the aftermath of a storm called Sandy.  They have real needs.  Mine are just selfish ?wants?. 
Well, it looks like I'm going to have a little extra time to work on the Nissan 9.8 that failed me at the beginning of the trip.  Hey, life is good.

[CharlieJ]

Plans gone awry, is things that happen. At least you still have the plans, and that matters. As long as you don't quit.

Hope things improve, and maybe NEXT year, it'll happen.

I know I'm planning to be out again next spring. Maybe we'll anchor next to one another one day ;)

[s/v Faith]

Is puff sitting at the marina at bayou grande?

I was down checking on Faith and thought I saw her sitting in the lot near the seaplane ramp.