Author: Darci Smith

Chesapeake is derived from a Native American word meaning “the great shellfish Bay.” J.C. Lore & Sons Oyster House…

Calls from his kids, trains at Children’s Museum of Virgina and Smith Family Lunch, a.k.a. ice cream

+ 2 of 5M protesters in 2100 cities covering every state.

Hello Chesapeake! Goodbye Bob423 ICW Tracks.

Picked up Lynn in Elizabeth City, NC, crossed state lines to Norfolk, VA. She got a smorgasbord of boating…

Added 22 microbreweries since starting up in May. You be the Judge(brewdy.com)!

It was the best of times, and the worst of times (not really ;). Windy night further exasperated the…

Off the coast of Edenton, NC, there once lived a famous clam digger named Sam, carrying buckets of clams…

Albemarle Sound Loop folks trip over themselves with kindness and generosity. Picked up veggies and fruits at local farmers…

Brewery bust and bow railing bust with too robust roping in by dockhand . Busted out of dodge 12…

To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Bern (by Christoph von Graffenreid in 1710) an outdoor…

In late 1800’s, the postmaster’s wife thought the village needed a better name. She had found the nameplate from…

NC. Not to be confused with Beaufort, SC pronounced Byew-fort. Whatever!

Bridge Tender Marina, Swansboro, NC

Put fenders on BOTH sides

Little boxes all the same…There’s a pink one and a green one…And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky…And they…

…and Robert Creech, topnotch AGLCA harbor host!

Last stop before North Carolina

14-mile side trip off the ICW and up the Waccamaw River winds through Conway, one of the oldest towns…

Never get tired of the sunsets (though our readers may differ :0)

Intended consequences of our microbrewery hobby are live music and local intel.

The first shots of the Civil War were fired in Charleston at Fort Sumter in 1861. South Carolina was also the…

Fun facts about Charleston: Bill Murray is part owner and “Director of Fun” of the town’s RiverDogs baseball team….

Horseflies converged on B2 from marshy nowheresville midstream. Then took off an hour later, minus few 100 succumbed to…

What started as 1 day trip turned into “why not?!” 4 days. The benefits of retirement.

Part 1 of 3 anticipated travel segments in 2025 – we hope! Afterall, it’s a BOAT!

Hauled out B2 in 30 minute window between 8 foot tides.

Though Georgia’s coastline is only 196 miles, it bends and curves for 800 miles.

Jacksonville is just 16 miles south of Georgia border. Florida – check!

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 59-acre Ravine Gardens State Park is in Palatka, Florida.

Silver Glen Springs (not so) hidden gem pumps 65M gallons/day of natural spring water. Originally a haven for manatees…

St. Johns river is known as old Florida compared to its Atlantic and Gulf boating borders.

Down and back the longest river in Florida at 310 miles, with a slow flow of 0.3 mph makes B2…

…up and down St. Augustine 16th century lighthouse. Light Keeper’s son tossed Tabby testing parachute peril. Pittance to Haeseler’s…

…and moonset

Note to self–add timing for slack tides to mitigate strong currents when docking.

Almost a minyan!

Also known as sea cows, manatees can be 13 ft and weigh as much as 1300 lbs. While in…

Waaaaay over our paygrade, we stopped at Boca Resort to visit Lenny and Rhonda. B2 was docked on the…

Tarpons, pelicans…us! By far our biggest expense while on the Loop.

Unlike our 35-year old cars, we swopped out the 1986 frig for 21st century energy efficiencies and no risk…

Docked at Ft. Lauderdale boatyard waiting for new frig delivery.

First big city on our Loop!

From heading south for 3 years to going north for another 3 years.

Waiting for winds to die down, we left at the crack of dawn from Islamorada Key heading to FL…

25,000+ attendees at Founders Park, Islamorada Key. More than 50% of the attendees are from outside FL, including 2…

Introduced seasoned sailors to the dark side of power boating. Biggest take-away was gliding over 3 feet of water…

You make the call! Found stowaway in bilge.

Upstate NY accent and family friends never fade away.

Launched B2 under typical bait & switch plans. Delayed start waiting to squeeze out with barely 3.5′ rising tides…

” Maybe the only people who show up at the airport with a backpack, no carry-ons, and 4 cases…

Jumped on May 3rd in Iuka, MS and jumped off June 27, 2024 in Port Charlotte. Dining out (44%…

76 hours later B2 prepared and in safe hurricane hands at Safe Cove Boat Storage, Port Charlotte, FL

First greeted by 2+’ turtle who never returned after we were warned.

…on Florida’s 90+ degrees and 90+% humidity, and fly by thunderstorms . However, makes for yet more wonderful sunsets.

Rough seas out of nowhere crossing Charlotte Harbor. This time 1 hour vs 9 hours across the gulf.

Though most bridges we can duck under 18 feet, some we get by with little help from our friends.

Sarasota, Florida

Pick your fav!

B2 looks so puny!

St. Petersburg, not to be confused renamed St. Pete beach.

Welcome to crazy Florida waterways!

See video

Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US, with 10.4% of residents who had…

…despite double, triple checking multiple weather apps.  First, we hit a mega squall 5 miles out – 30mph winds,…

These guests can never overstay their welcome (click video below)

Testing my 30 degrees wussy weather range and marriage.

Peel ‘n eat shrimp, gumbo and oysters breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breaking 500 microbreweries on www.judgebrewdy.com

Oddities along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway between Choctawhatchee Bay (Destin area) and West Bay (Panama City area).

Earthquakes, tornados, floods…HURRICANES! Checking daily the National Hurricane Center. So far so good!

Stereotypical Florida beach bar scene

Quiet before the storm, rescued by Pensacola Marine Center from threatening thunderstorm warnings.

A Marti Gras-like celebration of 5 flags that have flown over Pensacola in more than 450 years: Spanish, British,…

In search of multiple microbreweries there is no shortage of snark and oysters

Popular anchorage for good reason

…to see Blue Angels practice while anchored at Fort McRee.

“Select, collect, preserve and display historic artifacts related to the history of Naval Aviation”. “Select” also meant Uber drivers…

Don’t let the door hit you on your way out

Let the gulf oysters feast begin!

Imagine if I had Dark & Stormies? Shared hair wrapping kiosk with mostly tweens. One other woman takes the…

Florida here we come – ready or (k)not! First siting of dolphins!

Nestled amongst 3 marinas, we could either dinghy to marina restaurants or walk 2 miles on connecting road.

Midwest rivers – check!

Video of anchor on Tensaw River

Surprised Loopers and tows Demopolis lock reopened 2 weeks early – May 16. Had the river and lock to…

Snort, snort!

Better than cicadas which (so far) are staying in their lane in the trees.

450 miles to go to Mobile, AL down the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway

After 5 months, 2 weeks and 6 days – but who’s counting? – we’re back on B2. Another week…

Rah roh….trapped above Demopolis broken lock and Gulf. Left B2 in good hands with Lee Spry boatyard in Iuka,…

We’ll need a Crayola box of colored pins by the time we cross our wake – 2023 yellow and…

Muscles Shoals recording studio, Music jam, Model Trains, (un)Muted Helen Keller’s homestead…oh MY!

No crowding, everyone will get their chance…unless you’re boat #120+!

Graduated from customer to player. Taking copious notes on Great Loop segments, hosted Loop Crawls, passed Coast Guard Auxiliary…

Actual meaning of “Opa!” is more like “Oops!” after someone drops and breaks an object. As waiters piled plates…

Front row seats to ChattaJack: 31-mile Tennessee River Gorge paddle board and kayak race starting in downtown Chattanooga to…

Batting 500 today, Harriman was planned as an alcohol-free utopian experiment, a model industrial city while avoiding the vice-driven…

Sealed the deal for BEST EVER anchor!

Tellico Lake on the Little Tennessee River

Mike and Danielle, train friends now boat friends and microbrewery friends. I think we have too many hobbies.

Steve getting his train fix.

Arthur Murray watch out!

Darci’s cousin Cindy and husband Mike from Chattanooga, a.k.a. Uber drivers, personal shoppers, laundromat and Amazon package receivers.

Hales Bar Dam claim to fame is ranked one of the top haunted dams in US. Story goes War…

Looking over us as we gander up the Tennessee river

Never ending quest and quench

Huntsville, AL: Builder of NASA Mercury, Gemini, Saturn and Apollo space rockets, US Space & Rocket Center and epicenter…

Highest single lift east of the Rocky Mountains raising 94 feet. Major feat in architecture and locking through for…

Tall legged houses with surprisingly small insides according to Zello

Hunkered down inside with A/C on the Tennessee River

Party headquarters on the TN river

Can never get tired of these sunsets

Kentucky Lake quarry with Jan and Mark visiting us at Green Turtle Bay, Grand Rivers KY.

Divide and conquer the copious chores of boating. Steve-Engineer, Marine Mobile QSO and Captain. Darci — Provisioneer, Planner and…

Ew! Double eeww trying fried catfish and waking up to massive mayflies at E-Town dockside restaurant in Elizabethtown, IN.

18 days, 672 miles and 8 locks cruising upstream (5-6 knots) to Madison, IN and back (7-8 knots) down…

And new microbreweries to add to our blog www.judgebrewdy.com

Jeff, displaced San Franciscan now residing in Cincinnati, jumps into the fray.

“Jeffersonville, the sunny side of Louisville” as described by a local.

Built in 1906 and closed in 1976, Jailhouse Pizza was once the old Meade County Jail in Brandenburg, IN.

Nor safety switch to turn on 30 AMP. “Just plug her in. You’re in Indiana now”, claims Ralph. After…

Where Steve’s “new” phone was sent at Nu Plaza marina, Evansville, IN. Yes, we’re still with antique Androids.

Got invited into the Mt. Vernon Eagles Home for a beer after being sworn in and vouched by the…

Harbor host assured us plenty water depth–not! Kicking up mud, slowly backing into covered spot–boing! Hit the anchor light….

Never thought I’d be wowwed at the National Quilting Museum in Paducah, but I was!

The Ohio Valley Flood of 1937 was the greatest natural disaster in the history of the U.S. and drove…

Channel 16 VHF blasted hailstorm warnings way, way far away. Or so we thought as we scrambled to tie…

Second anchor ever – good to go! At the junction of Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Lucky for us the…

St. Louis riverside with barges bookending the Arch.

After 246 days (but who’s counting?!), we’re back on the Great Loop trail. As honorary citizens of Portage des…

Ken & Cheryl Pfeiffer, Gold Loopers, rescued us in November 2022 as we limped into Grafton marina on 1…

Gas run up to St. Charles – all aboard!

Atáscate Que Hay Lodo! (When in the mud, get stuck!)

No end to entertainment at Sioux Harbor marina. Ron is the Master Excavator

Art Foundry, St. Charles, MO

Best thing since sliced cheese.  Seamstress Sharon masterfully MacGyver’s a magnetic bug barrier.

Greeted by birds nest nestled on the sundeck rolled entrance door–flown & now flung!  Steve’s to-do’s list goes up…

A break from one recreational vessel to another.

St. Louis Schnuck’s grocery A.I. “Tally”, not to be confused with Tali. (Click on video below)

36 hours later with laundry done and reprovisioned, we left Grafton Harbor for Sioux Harbor just a couple blocks…

“Friends, like flowers, give pleasure just by being.” As we safely pulled into Grafton Harbor on 1 engine, Susan…

President Roosevelt called Grandview Dr in Peoria Heights the most beautiful street in America. The views, and homes, are…

Cat(erpillar) museum in Peoria where men are always boys playing with erector sets X 100000000000

Accepting all commentary that starts with “F” (and doesn’t end with “k”)

Hunkered down in Peoria waiting for a weather window.

Karaoke initiation at IL Valley Yacht Club, Peoria

Breathtaking foliage to counter holding my breath when passing barges.

Chicago river with 17 bridges

Needed a dock cart to haul our marina deliveries while in CA. Should have ordered an electric blanket.

Just in time for the holidays

“Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies… Rivers and seas boiling… Dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!”…

…actually 8 miles and in 20+ mph headwinds. Time to consider an intervention or buying electric bikes.

Stayed in St. Ignace waiting for a weather window without gale winds and 4′ swells. Left at the crack…

Upper Peninsula Michigan Les Cheneaux Islands answer to Southern Florida Intercoastal ‘hood

Back in the US of A – Drummond Island. See you in Canada next year(ish).

…down by the sea (at Gore Bay). Boardwalk and Noble Nature trails.

Dinghy across for dinner reservations.

Testing our biking capabilities (and patience) as Darci’s 20″ wheels trumps Steve’s 15″ wussy wheels.

Killarney in Georgian Bay is where we will cross our wake…one day.

Cream ale and oysters. Big Willy’s Bait Shop, Killarney

Super friendly harbor master overseeing grounds with modern conference center. 2KM walk to town with grocery, Liquor Control Board…

Shouted my brother hidden behind treelined patio. Ding….ding…ding. Varoom starts up the good humor truck. “Don’t go! My mom…

Passed Customs with a little white lie about a lot of white wine. North Channel cruising.

This community garden rivals San Francisco Golden Gate Park botanical gardens. Population 876,063.

Not to be confused with the other “red” Golden Gate Bridge. Mackinaw bridge connecting northern to upper peninsula Michigan…

Ironworkers Festival in Mackinaw City, MI featuring throwing darts with daggered 5 lb wrenches, speed wire rebar knot tying…

There are good ships, and there are wood ships, the ships that sail the sea. But the best ships,…

Not to be confused with all the sunrises and sunsets

Building Great Loop microbrewery repertoire

…Cheshire Cat. Mushroom houses in Charlevoix, MI.

…entering Charlevoix, MI. Wait for it. Gusty winds, 80′ Cherry Bomb obstacle departs, deck hands tied up. Whew! Another…

Harrowing narrowing docking at Leland Harbor, MI, a historic fishtown. Stern thrusters and 3 helpful dockhands earned their keep.

Going full circle. Woke up to the surveyor tapping sound on a boat for sale hull in Onekama Marine…

42 days since officially taking ownership, Steve takes the wheel under gentle guidance by dockhand expert.  Three times a…

Couch legs crossed over to engine hatch access. Mr. MacGyver sawed off 4″ back-end piece, fortified with re-purposed chart…

Two shifts from “working for the man” to not. I no longer set my alarm and I make our…

Steve and his “fix it” shelf.  Darci having organization orgasms–“If I were aluminum foil, where would I live?”  Great…

Staging for home goods travel cross country in 1-way rental car.  Precious prized picks–Irving street olive oil, an addicts…

Looper conventional wisdom says you’ll do what you do at home, don’t expect to do start new habits. I…

Cousin Curtis back in the ‘hood at Onekama Block Party.

Boat side, Onekama Marine marina. Check out the video we took also

Nice try, Scottville Clown Band at Bear Lake Days.

Every morning we start our day with coffee and Wordle.  Our first word attempt relates to the day at…

Balclutha San Francisco Maritime, Balclutha Corte Madera, Balclutha Too. (OK, a little out of control on the swag, but…

Taste testing local breakfast cafés, overheard a locals response to “White, wheat, rye, English muffin or biscuit?” from the…

Hulled out Easy Bake Oven and go-nowhere senseless fan, channeled my inner Julia Child and replaced with 21st century…

An empty boat with tucked away products all screaming “Pick me!  Pick me!” 

Two years of scouring boats for sale from typical and skeptical sources, vetting hundreds that made our rolling excel…