OUR PLAN

We are writing this blog for one reason and one reason only. To provide a vehicle to make it easier to remain in touch with our family and friends back home.



Our plan is simple. Depart our home port of Goderich, Ontario in the Summer of 2011. Cruise Georgian Bay and the North Channel of Lake Huron while visiting some of the ports and anchorages we have missed over the years. As well as revisiting some of our favourite haunts hopefully with some of our very good friends with whom we have cruised with many times before. All the while adding up the miles and gaining experience with our new trawler. Our first and only self imposed deadline is to be in the Chicago area around Labour Day. South of Chicago, weather and circumstances will guide us!



Wednesday, November 28, 2012

NOVEMBER 15-29,2012- ISLAMORADA, FL



Terrmar is on the move again to Plantation Yacht Harbor, Islamorada Key.  We have been exceptionally blessed with great travelling weather and we are so very grateful!   We travelled along the ICW, once again dodging crap pots but otherwise uneventful.  Plantation Yacht Harbor is located at Founders State Park.  The park is wonderful with near new facilities, Olympic size pool, beach and children’s playground, dog park, volleyball, basketball, soccer and baseball fields, and band shell  but unfortunately not really convenient to groceries, restaurants etc.

It was time to provision and we had no choice but to call a taxi for a ride to the nearest grocery store.  The most expensive cab ride we have ever had!  4 miles north, approximately 6 minutes straight road @ $17.25!  The same on the ride back with the same cabbie after he had a verbal tussle with an employee at Winn Dixie for blocking the drive and complaining the whole time about how he is ill done to by the Mom’s Taxi cab company owner – believe it or not – a woman named Terri.  Mark queried the dock master about the taxi rates and he called 2 companies to confirm their rates.  Funny, the next day I took a Mom’s taxi 4 miles south and surprise, surprise, a flat rate of $9.00 (different cabbie, but just as grumpy)!

Just an observation while cruising in South Florida and the Keys, do big fishing vessels tend to be equipped with big dogs?  Fine and dandy if they stay on the boat, but when one boat has 4 huge pit bulls aboard and they are frolicking on the dock, not tethered and unsupervised it might make one a tad nervous.  That was our experience the other day while taking Smudge on her daily walk-about (on leash, I might add).  One of the bruits (dog not owner), decided to charge poor little Smudge.  Mark put himself between the bruit and Smudge and proceeded to shout and pound his feet at the dog until the beast retreated!  This ruckus got the attention of the woman owner as well as the whole marina and she expressed her offense quite loudly at Mark for treating her dog in such a manner even threatening to call the police when Mark countered.  As we walked away, an observer nearby advised us, under his breath that we should carry a small sharp knife and pepper spray and not hesitate to use it as he does when walking his 2 Rottweilers past the bruits.  Wow! 
Thank goodness for Margaritas – that’s all I have to say!
 
Can’t believe we are finally up to date with the blog!  Ha- ha, just in time to head back home tomorrow for Christmas break, leaving the magenta sunsets and trading them for snowy winter wonderland.  See you in the New Year – if the world doesn’t end on Mark’s birthday, December 21!  Merry Christmas, Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year!
Terri
Travelling ICW bordering Everglades National Park

Life is Good!

Founders Park view from the Fly bridge

What a view!

All is calm!

Going for a toot

Mark with Betsy the Lobster

Feeling civilized again after a visit to the salon

Lunch @ Mile Marker 88

Day is Done








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