1 Experienced Looper Boat (Great Harbour N37) seeks New Owner

My owners are leering at <gasp!> the land!  I just know they’re going to break up with me!  So, I’m putting out this personal column.  Yes, I love Pina Coladas!  

I’m a Great Harbour N37 trawler, one of the roomiest, most stable and comfortable live-aboard boats on the planet.  I’ve done the Great Loop 4 times.  (Three times with Joe & Punk Pica and once with Jerry & Sam Williams).

I’m as rare as I am stable. I have a flying bridge, two helm stations, a stand-up engine room, two staterooms, a walk-around queen and an amazing galley with a 23 cubic foot refrigerator -- all this in 37 feet with a bodacious 16-foot beam.

With 5 gangways and a walk-around deck, I’m easier to get on and off of than a barstool.  

You may think I’m shallow when I tell you I draw 2’10”. My head’s not in the clouds either.  My 18’ air draft folds down to 14’8”.  Easily get under the bridge south of Chicago or the one on Lake Champlain.  

If you want all my measurements, please click here.

Click for a really cool 360 virtual tour.

Hugs and Kisses!  Muh!

Tanuki 

PS: I’m looking forward to getting a new owner, and escaping to the dunes on the Cape, taking more trips around the Great Loop, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll take me to the Islands (I’ll bring the water maker)! 

___

While Tanuki seeks a new owner, we're renovating a cute little 2 bedroom house in Treasure Beach.  It's on the Eastern shore of the ICW, so we'll get to watch the boaters on their migrations north and south and those looping round the Great Loop.  The house is just 8 miles north of Marineland.  We hope our boating friends will let us know when they're in the area.

Sharing lessons and memories

An article about cruising in NY City

A lot of cruisers helped me create this piece about New York.  Even if you don't float in, there's lots of tips for things to do, what to eat and more.  So if you're thinking about taking a trip to New York City, click on the link above to learn more.

We crossed our wake in style!

TANUKI crossed her wake at 12:31 on 2/24/2019, near Marathon Key and the 10th Annual Sunset Celebration where 200 AGLCA members (Loopers) were gathered to party.  Kim, the leader of the American Great Loop Cruisers Association gave us a shout out and we got a nice round of applause.  We didn't totally hijack the party, but we feel like we had the biggest, best attended Looper Crossing Party ever!

We bid a fond farewell as the 10th Annual AGLCA Sunset Celebration draws to a close.  

 And for our next trick... 

After crossing your wake, it's traditional to make an announcement on the AGLCA Forum.  We used all the names of the boats on the back of the Fleet of 2018 Tee shirt in our crossing post.  

We are JUBILANT!  SOMEDAY came AT LAST! It’s time to EXHALE and cross that off our BUCKET LIST.  Our NOMADIC SPIRIT’s ODYSSEY has come to its SUMMATION, ending our BUSHRANGER ways. 

Even though we were TYRO (novice), it was HIGH TIME we followed LE REVE (the dream) and took the VIRIDIAN colored SEA TROLLEY and got on the BANDWAGON for GETTING’ LOOPED.  

After having a PHARM LIFE (we spelled it Farm), it was SUM ESCAPE from HARDWORK!  (Even though we took THE HOME OFFICE with us).  STILL WATERS at an EASY PACE made for a HAPPY DESTINY of HALCYON DAYS and FOREVER FRIDAYs.

IMAGINE, the BEST DAY EVER, A STATE OF BLISS, or a SABBATICAL that comes along once in a BLUE MOON.  Our INTUITION told us, this was no WILD GOOSE chase.  Our PUB TRAWLER had plenty of WHISKEY BUSINESS, WINE SPEED and DOCK TALES – bring the CORKSCREW for the GRAND CRU, and some MONTEREY and crackers too! 

Smuggling only CONTENTMENT on this KESSEL RUN, we took our EXODUS from Key West on 2/27/2018, and followed a WANDERING STAR, or was it VEGA?  Ringing a DIXIE BELLE, the FIRST FORTY were done SOUTHERN STYLE, cruising CAROLINA (South, then North).  

OUR BACKYARD spent many HAPPY OURS on the circular BLUE HIGHWAY, arriving at a PROPER STATE OF MIND for QUIET COMPANY.  It was a CHANGE OF PACE, but not a SEA CHANGE.  In this HYPNAUTIC SHANGRI-LA we were DONE DIGGIN’.  It was PLANE RELIEF to go TRUE NORTH, or was it EASTNOR?

PLAN SEA turned into LAKE EFFECT as our VOYAGER’s new REALITY was the AMAZING GRACE of Canada.  It was our LAST CHANCE to be a LAZY LOOPER. Did we SEA LOONS?  Yes, and a BLUE GOOSE and a KITTIWAKE. EAGLE ONE?  Heck no – saw tons of eagles, but never a NEPIDAE with GREEN EYES or even BLUE AYES.

We didn’t get off SCOTTFREE. Our NEW FREEDOM was interrupted by a CONFLICT OF INTEREST.  In Petoskey, we had to STEALAWAY and told TANUKIwe’d BE BACK IN A MINUTE. Actually it was 9 ½ days. In a FLASH, our INDEPENDENCE was reinstated.  LET’S GO!

Next came the RIVERDANCE. We LET IT RIDE at the CROSSROADS of JUBILEE and TYRE-LESS, the UNRULY ZENDEAVOR pushing thoughts of UTOPIA from our heads.  Did you HEARKEN to chants of MIZZOU RAH at the FRATT HOUSE near Missouri too?  

Like a FREE BIRD, it was pure RHAPSODY as this VAGABOND splashed into the CAERULEUS colored waters of Mobile Bay!  This SALTY DOG was back in DIXIE.   And even though we anchored off Homosassa Springs, we didn’t see a MANATEE.  In Tarpon Springs we found sponges, but no LOOFAH.

We listened to lots of Jimmy Buffet, but never at LA CIGALE in Paris.  For me and my BABE, Our daily SPIRIT SONG was “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me! Hey!”  (While in Canada, “Hey!” became “Eh?”).  

OBSERVERs of our NOMADIC SPIRIT want to know what our NEXT ACT will be on our LIL HIDE AWAY.  As it WAS MEANT TO BE, we don’t have NINE LIVES, so perhaps we’ll take a SHORT VACATION, CHA CHA lessons, celebrate FESTIVUS or take a CAJUN FLYER for some crawfish.

It was AL DI LA (beyond) MOLTO BENE (very good)!  This SEA WOLF is now a SATISFIED FROG.  It’s HI TIME this TIKI QUEEN STEELs AWEIGH to enjoy the warm BREEZEs of Key West.  VIVA THE GOOD LIFE! We’re on ISLAND TIME contemplating a trip to the Dry TORTUGAs, or perhaps the Triangle Loop. 

THE JOURNEY is far from over for A.G.L.C.A. OPTIMYSTIQUE GYPSYs.  Each MORNING SUN brings BRAVEHEARTs and NAUTICAL DREAMERs to a fresh DREAMQUEST, not of THISTLE, but of a SEA JAMM SERANADE and MOONDANCE in SCORPIO or AQUARIUS with CHIRON and ELPIS, during a TOTAL ECLIPSE.  Let your SOULSHINE!  OAR KNOT!  Remember, it’s JADIP (Just Another Day In Paradise).

Cruising is FAHFROMWURKEN, and a GOLDEN opportunity to find XANADU and maybe even ALLISON LEIGH, ALYSANA, ANGEL LOUISE, ANGELITA, ANNE MARIE ROSE, ANTONIA, CAREB, DONNA MAE, FELICITY, FRANCESCA, ISLAND GIRL, JOJOFA, JOY GIRL, KAILINI, KARA MIA, LADYBUG, LINDA ANNE, MARY LISA, MAZIE C, MERIAKI, MISS LIBERTY, MISS NATALIE, MISTY (and her cousin MISTY PEARL), NED PEPPER, NELLIE MAY, PAMELA ANNE, Mick on PHANTOM (and Herb on PHANTOM), SALTY LADY, SAOIRSE, THE LITTLE HOOKER, and the TRIBE OF G. HEY JUDE!

And on THE 7^thDAY: SELAH

Hopefully we worked in all the names on the back of the Fleet of 2018 AGLCA tee shirt.  If we missed yours, please don’t take offense. What a ride!  

A Loopy Trip Around the Sun

In just a few days I hope to celebrate my 60^th birthday and start my 61^st trip around the sun.  

 

A sunset, and one of the reasons we love cruising.
The view changes everytime we move.

We’re also very close to crossing our wake on the Great Loop.  We started the Loop from Stock Island Marina, just north of Key West on February 27, 2018.  We’ve listened to lots of Jimmy Buffet songs along the way.   “Trip Around the Sun” is playing in my head as I create this blog post.

The Great Loop is an allegory for life itself.  Like Spring, we left the Florida Keys fresh and new.  Traveling north, Spring felt endless as robins sang and flowers bloomed all the way up the East Coast. 

Summer found us in Canada, where we were much closer to the North Pole.  The incredibly long days gave us ample time to hone our cruising skills. 

Heading south, Fall’s shorter days forced us to slow down.  We worked to master our skills and enjoyed Fall’s spectacular colors and cooler days.  

View from an anchorage along the river system.

We’re now in the Winter of our Loop.  I know this, because we’re in Florida, along with piles and piles of people with snow-colored hair enjoying warm Florida Winters.  

Some of Florida's seniors with snow-colored hair.

To paraphrase Jimmy Buffet’s “Trip Around the Sun”, ‘I’m just hanging on while this old world keeps spinning.  It’s good to know it’s out of my control.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all this living, it’s that it wouldn’t change a thing if I let go.’

The centrifugal force from our spin around the Loop seems to have helped us let go. And you know what?  Letting go didn’t change the fact that the world keeps on spinning!  It’s really is not in our control.

The first thing we let go of was a lot of our “stuff” – no more cars, houses, furniture, excess clothing and more. It was surprisingly liberating.  

The most dangerous thing on a boat is a schedule.  The next thing we let go of was the need for a schedule. Initially I scheduled to blog once a month.  Whew, what a relief when that plan went overboard somewhere on the Great Lakes.  

We thought we’d be in Clearwater around Thanksgiving.  The world snickered at us as we drove from Mobile AL for Thanksgiving.  This change of plans also changed our route and we got to spend some quality time with Jerry’s brother and sister-in-law on our way to the big family celebration in St. Augustine.

Yeah, Lisa and Chris are a ton of fun!

Thanksgiving 2018
Nine grands, three wonderful children and their spectacular spouses and Momma.
So grateful!

We also got to visit the USS Alabama and a submarine museum when we were in Mobile.

We had plans to be in Boca Grande and home for Christmas Eve.  Once again, the world rolled its eyes and asked, “Are you guys slow learners, or what?” The weather changed our plan and we drove home from Steinhatchee.  On the bright side, the drive was considerably shorter, and this afforded us time to reacquaint ourselves with friends we’d made in Steinhatchee; a town we’d lived in about a decade before.

Someone in the little sleepy town of Steinhatchee put up an amazing Christmas display.  

Nothing says "Christmas" like Minions.  

We were there long enough that we got to see them take it down.

By the time we had returned from Christmas visits, I guess the world thought we still needed more lessons on letting go of scheduling.  Doctors’ visits turned into tests.  More tests held us in Sarasota for longer than we had planned. 

In its kindness, the world gave us lots to do.  We enjoyed Sarasota and visited with lots of friends and family while we waited for results.  The upshot of the tests is that, for now, all is well.  We’ll just watch and wait.  

 

Jean and Joe Abrams were the best man and maid of honor
at my parent's wedding more than 62 years ago.

Cousin Mary, on my Mom's side.
She lives in Bradenton and saw my Facebook post and came to visit.
Our friend Gretchen also came to visit from Venice Beach.

Lynn and Byron on Miss Understood
were also at Marina Jack in Sarasota.
 We visited the Ringling Art Museum and
other attractions with them.

Audubon Society park in Celery Fields

A "walking tree" aka Banyon tree, part of the park near Marina Jack.
While in Sarasota we also enjoyed visiting with Wanda and Dave aboard SoulShine, John and Marilyn aboard Blue Goose, and Pat and Janet aboard At Last.
A different trip took us to the new dirt home in Punta Gorda of Nancy and Jeff abord Exile.

Since the last blog on November 1^st, we’ve met many Loopers who are in medical “watch and wait” situations.  We’ve all learned to enjoy the ride and not fret.  It doesn’t do any good to worry.  We’re eager to take more trips around the sun, so we’ve improved our diets and walk more. 

The beach on Fort Walton Beach is a good place to walk.
We enjoyed our walks with John and Donna aboard Socially Sea Cured.

Along the Loop, we heard about minor and major mechanical failures affecting Looper boats.  Just four cruising days from crossing our wake in Key West, we counted ourselves lucky to have avoided a “no-go” mechanical situation.  

As we were leaving Salty Sam’s Marina a critical part of Tanuki’s electrical system failed.  Right now, as long as she’s getting power at the dock, her appliances, like the refrigerator, work fine.  But they don’t work when she’s underway or at anchor.  That makes this a no-go situation.  

Salty Sam’s Marina welcomed us back and it looks like we’ll be here for about a month. We’re happily stuck in Fort Myers Beach with plenty of room to walk, good restaurants and stores nearby, and pretty good weather too.  And, since we won’t have to drive home from Key West for events in February, our drive back home has been cut in half. Not only that, but I find myself with time and inspiration for updating the blog!

It's easy to get seafood here.
Just walk in either direction and you'll find shrimpers and fishermen selling their catch.

Left: Jerry and Debbie aboard Whiskey Business, Lauren and Jim aboard Oar Knot, Don and Jan aboard Time to Breathe and us at Cape Coral's Ford's Garage for an impromptu gathering.  

We have tickets to ride the Key West Express, a commercial ferry that brings passengers to Key West and back.  It’s 2 blocks from Salty Sam’s.  We’ve booked a couple of nights at the hotel at Stock Island Marina where we began the Loop and we’re looking forward to reconnecting with cruising friends in the Keys.  

As it turns out, we’ll probably finish the Loop before Tanuki does.  She’ll probably complete the Great Loop when she’s ship shape again.  We don’t know when, and we don’t know exactly where we’ll cross our wake; but we think we’ve finally learned the lesson about letting go of schedules. Time will tell.

Some of the souvenirs we have from this trip around the Great Loop are these lessons, a closer relationship, more relaxed attitudes, our ship’s log, this blog, pictures, videos, stories and memories. 

Only time will tell if it was time well spent.  This old world keeps on spinning.  We’re glad we went when we went.  

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery; today is the day.  Enjoy each day of your trip around the sun. 

My brothers' and their families.  My new IPad wall paper!