#34 Happy New Year!!
Butch:
Venice! And finally time to write a bit and post some pictures. We’ll be here till Wednesday the 7th, weather permitting we’ll head out then bound for Ft Myers. On a boat you never say you’re going somewhere, you are always “bound” for wherever. Too many things can happen that can change plans, so you don’t assume you’re going to get there until you get there. We’ve got a cold front today and tomorrow visiting us from up north so it’s an inside day, or sorts. After all it’s only 62 outside!
Recently Cheryl asked me if I was having fun. Sure, but it’s not that simple. Many of the things we do and see are fun, but this trip is way more than just “fun.” It has far more layers to it than that. It’s a lifestyle, not just “fun”. I feel engaged with life, alive in a focused way, and the new impressions are coming rapid fire, like they did when one moves to a new city or goes to college for the first time or goes to a new place for a vacation. So much to see and do and the days are just too short. There is an old saying “The time you spend sailing is not subtracted from your life.” There is more than a grain of truth to that thought. Common sense and science both tell us that activity, learning, challenges, problem solving, all those kinds of things, make time pass in a way hard to define but completely different than the “average” day, where you get up and do the same things over and over. It doesn’t slow down time so much as extend it, make it so that you live it, you don’t merely watch it pass by. People keep asking us what do you do on a boat all day, and we both just laugh out loud. I used to take naps almost every day, since we left Knoxville I’ve taken maybe four or five. Who’s got time for a nap? There’s too much going on, even if it’s just motoring down the intracoastal waterway marveling at the homes, the dolphins, and trying to pick out Stephen King’s place, the one with the copper roof. Yeah, I’m having fun.
I think if I was going to have a spirit animal, it would be a pelican. They look easy going, but to a fish, they are efficient killer velociraptors that fall out of the sky without warning. The birds that swim through the water and fly through the air with equal ease just amaze me. Interesting that no fish do that. Flying fish are close, but they don’t fly around like birds do, they just glide. So we have birds that fly underwater, but no fish that swim in the air. Did evolution miss an opportunity here?
If y’all would like a taste of boat life without the expense and trouble of actually buying a boat, try this: Tomorrow morning, at sunrise, get up and put on a bathrobe and slippers, pack a shower bag with toiletries and go walk around your neighborhood in the half-dark. If possible, ask ten of your neighbors if you can pop in and use their shower, a different one every day. If necessary, you can wait until they’re done using it. Once showered, walk back home. That’s a bit like what it’s like using different marina facilities as you travel by boat.
I may have mentioned this already, but of all the things I’ve had to fix/tinker with on the boat so far, not a single thing that I installed or worked on has given us any trouble. Fingers crossed we’re about done fixing. The boat will probably be perfect about the same time we get home!
Oh yeah, we crossed the Gulf. Eight hours, 20 mph, and this time we had internet all the way across.
Cheryl:
Well, we are back in civilization! We crossed the Gulf on Christmas Day. Even though we had Starlink, so were electronically connected with the world this time, it was still a daunting experience to be the only boat for 176 miles- surrounded by the vastness of the open Gulf waters. So many things needed to go right and only one thing needed to go wrong to make the difference between a successful crossing and a rescue mission. The first time we crossed the Gulf to bring the boat home, I was blissfully ignorant. This crossing, I knew just enough to know that as careful and caring as Butch is, he simply cannot guarantee our safety in the open water. To augment his installations, preparation, and fastidious planning, I packed the world‘s largest ditch bag – one that required its own life jacket!
The support and contact with our friends and family, as we were crossing, made all the difference in the world. Butch’s brother, Bill, was literally our lifeline. He closely followed our progress and held our float plan and vessel information that the Coast Guard would require – just in case. My personal lifeline, Diane, kept up with our progress as well and kept in touch throughout our journey. She had Bill‘s contact information just in case she noticed something unusual. My sister was not far out of the loop either. But since she’s generally more nervous than I am when I find myself in situations, I didn’t tell her exactly how far from shore (90 miles) we actually were until we were safely tied down in Clearwater. Our boating buddies, Will and Jackie, were monitoring our progress throughout the trip (eight hours and 22 minutes – we have a fast boat!) and warmly greeted us as they caught our lines on the other side. It was such a relief to see them. Then, there were friends who just reached out and chatted for a while, not realizing we were sailing across the Gulf. It was reassuring to hear the encouragement. Thanks, BJ, Janet, Brad, Jane, Patti, Debi, Barb, David, and Aunt Lynda.
We spent three lovely days in Clearwater. We took a short ferry ride to Dunedin and met up with high school friends Sharon and Mitch with their lovely family of future Loopers Alicia, Jerry and Mason.
Once in Venice, I felt like we’d finally “made it“. Diane graciously loaned us her car, washer & dryer, and bathtub that I immediately dove into. I did laundry, went shopping, got a mani/pedi, colored my hair, and dug out my makeup bag. It feels great to be me again!
I lived in Venice for five years, so have many wonderful friends here. Butch and I met for happy hour at Tom and Leslie‘s. Our friend Linda treated us to breakfast at my favorite restaurant – Suncoast Café. We have plans to meet with Barbara & John and Norma & Ira later in the week. Rus and Sharon are hosting a dinner party for us. And Francisco and Charlotte will deliver all Butch‘s accumulated mail and packages that he’s had shipped to their house. Our friends mean the world to us and we love spending time with them.
I certainly can’t say this always has been an easy trip so far. I’m hoping that now we can slow down and relax a bit as we move forward. Butch and I are learning a lot about each other and what each of us is capable of. (I helped him change fuel filters on the engines and generator yesterday!) I can’t help but imagine what this trip must’ve been like years ago when Butch was sailing with a wife and five-year-old son. They had no cell phones, no Looper support systems, no Google maps, no Nebo, no Waterway Guide, no GPS, no AIS, no radar, no Starlink, no Internet, and months on end on a sailboat no less with no end date. I can’t imagine doing this trip with a dog, let alone a five-year-old!
It’s a new year and I’m refIecting on how blessed I feel to be on this adventure with a wonderful man supported by the love of friends and family. I wish you all the adventure you can handle and all the happiness in the world- make it happen.
“The leading cause of injury in old men is them thinking they are still young men.”
Happy New Year! We are enjoyng the blog and it’s fun to check your location from time to time. Some days I wake up thinking “I wonder where Butch and Cheryl are today”.
Happy New Year to you and Andrea!
So glad to call you friends. See you soon we hope.
We will see you again very soon. Enjoy your time off and best of luck with the new one.
What an adventure! Enjoy this special time and travel safely until you come back to us!
All the best in 2026!
Peggy & Jim
It certainly has been an adventure! By the time I return, I’ll know a lot about boating and absolutely nothing about square dancing! Happy New Year!
You’re amazing!
Hahahaha. Amazed is more like it!
Great writing guys. I hope you’re able to share with the loopers or trawler forums. You’ll get thousands of followers. I loved Butch’s description of the the shower. I thought of Butch as cousin Eddy. lol
But your descriptions are so great.
Happy New Year y’all.
It’s fun writing it. Happy New a year to you and Chloe!
And to think I was worried (a little) about doing the inland waterway from Alanson to Cheboygan! Great commentary from you two- keep savoring the experience.
Thanks! The fun has begun!
Way to go Cheryl and Butch
So nice to have you in Venice for a few days.
❤️
Sooooooo fun to be here!
Beautiful pictures! Happy New Year
Happy new year. Sorry, I have been absent. I have been dealing with a lot of heart-lung issues. Does that have worsened over the years. Spent a lot of time in the hospital. But I am home now and am anxious to follow you more closely. I know you are having a great time.Despite the challenges that you have run into. If if all goes well, I will be in Marco Island in May. If you’re in the area.
You two adventurers are so amazing and confident! Thanks for the tour of your boat and for the time together during your Venice visit. Enjoy your adventure and one another!!