It’s about the journey and the destination!
Another Day (actually 56), Another Dollar
Jumped on May 3rd in Iuka, MS and jumped off June 27, 2024 in Port Charlotte. Dining out (44%…
Strip Tease
76 hours later B2 prepared and in safe hurricane hands at Safe Cove Boat Storage, Port Charlotte, FL
Look Out for Pirates (and Alligators)!
First greeted by 2+’ turtle who never returned after we were warned.
Burnt Out
…on Florida’s 90+ degrees and 90+% humidity, and fly by thunderstorms . However, makes for yet more wonderful sunsets.
Foiled AGAIN!
Rough seas out of nowhere crossing Charlotte Harbor. This time 1 hour vs 9 hours across the gulf.
Swing Your Partner
Though most bridges we can duck under 18 feet, some we get by with little help from our friends.
Twin Separated at Birth
Sarasota, Florida
What’s Your Sign?
Pick your fav!
Where’s Waldo?
B2 looks so puny!
Tacky Tiki
St. Petersburg, not to be confused renamed St. Pete beach.
Stay in your Lane
Welcome to crazy Florida waterways!
Catch of the Day
See video
Tarpon Springs
Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US, with 10.4% of residents who had…
Double Crossed at Crossing
…despite double, triple checking multiple weather apps. First, we hit a mega squall 5 miles out – 30mph winds,…
Traveling Companions
These guests can never overstay their welcome (click video below)
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Testing my 30 degrees wussy weather range and marriage.
Covering all the Food Groups
Peel ‘n eat shrimp, gumbo and oysters breakfast, lunch and dinner.
DEI Microbrewery
Breaking 500 microbreweries on www.judgebrewdy.com
B2 Fan Club
Oddities along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway between Choctawhatchee Bay (Destin area) and West Bay (Panama City area).
Pick your Poison
Earthquakes, tornados, floods…HURRICANES! Checking daily the National Hurricane Center. So far so good!
Destin Destiny
Stereotypical Florida beach bar scene
Pensive Pensacola
Quiet before the storm, rescued by Pensacola Marine Center from threatening thunderstorm warnings.
Fiesta of Five Flags
A Marti Gras-like celebration of 5 flags that have flown over Pensacola in more than 450 years: Spanish, British,…
Pensacola Pontification
In search of multiple microbreweries there is no shortage of snark and oysters
360 Fort McRee
Popular anchorage for good reason
Box Seats
…to see Blue Angels practice while anchored at Fort McRee.
Naval Aviation Museum
“Select, collect, preserve and display historic artifacts related to the history of Naval Aviation”. “Select” also meant Uber drivers…
No way!
Don’t let the door hit you on your way out
we Just F’d our Location!
Crossed from LA* to FLA (*Lower Alabama)
The Wharf
Let the gulf oysters feast begin!
2 Beers in at Lulu’s
Imagine if I had Dark & Stormies? Shared hair wrapping kiosk with mostly tweens. One other woman takes the…
Gulp!? Gulf!!
Florida here we come – ready or (k)not! First siting of dolphins!
Dinghy 200 yards or Walk 2 miles
Nestled amongst 3 marinas, we could either dinghy to marina restaurants or walk 2 miles on connecting road.
B2 dips its Toe in Salt Water
Midwest rivers – check!
Tranquil Tensaw off The Tombigbee
Video of anchor on Tensaw River
Busted Through Busted Lock
Surprised Loopers and tows Demopolis lock reopened 2 weeks early – May 16. Had the river and lock to…
1 Ringy-dingy, 2 Ringy-Dingy
Snort, snort!
Unwelcome Mothers’ Day Visitors
Better than cicadas which (so far) are staying in their lane in the trees.
Down The Ditch
450 miles to go to Mobile, AL down the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway
On the Road Again
After 5 months, 2 weeks and 6 days – but who’s counting? – we’re back on B2. Another week…
Dam! Demopolis Demise
Rah roh….trapped above Demopolis broken lock and Gulf. Left B2 in good hands with Lee Spry boatyard in Iuka,…
That’s All She Road
We’ll need a Crayola box of colored pins by the time we cross our wake – 2023 yellow and…
Muscle Shoals Medley
Muscles Shoals recording studio, Music jam, Model Trains, (un)Muted Helen Keller’s homestead…oh MY!
Bass Menagerie
No crowding, everyone will get their chance…unless you’re boat #120+!
2023 Fall Rendezvous
Graduated from customer to player. Taking copious notes on Great Loop segments, hosted Loop Crawls, passed Coast Guard Auxiliary…
You had me at “Opa”!
Actual meaning of “Opa!” is more like “Oops!” after someone drops and breaks an object. As waiters piled plates…
On Your Mark – Get Set – GO!
Front row seats to ChattaJack: 31-mile Tennessee River Gorge paddle board and kayak race starting in downtown Chattanooga to…
The Town That Temperance Built
Batting 500 today, Harriman was planned as an alcohol-free utopian experiment, a model industrial city while avoiding the vice-driven…
Titillating Tennesse
Sealed the deal for BEST EVER anchor!
Smokin’ Smokies
Tellico Lake on the Little Tennessee River
Knox-Knox. Who’s There?
Mike and Danielle, train friends now boat friends and microbrewery friends. I think we have too many hobbies.
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Steve getting his train fix.
I could have danced all night…
Arthur Murray watch out!
You can Choose your Friends AND Your Family
Darci’s cousin Cindy and husband Mike from Chattanooga, a.k.a. Uber drivers, personal shoppers, laundromat and Amazon package receivers.
I’ll be Dam!
Hales Bar Dam claim to fame is ranked one of the top haunted dams in US. Story goes War…
Another River Angel
Looking over us as we gander up the Tennessee river
“You Can Go On Through There”
Leaving Decatur AL, had to pass under Norfolk Southern’s lift bridge over the Tennessee River. Wait for the train…
Hunting for Breweries in Huntsville
Never ending quest and quench
Space…The Final Frontier
Huntsville, AL: Builder of NASA Mercury, Gemini, Saturn and Apollo space rockets, US Space & Rocket Center and epicenter…
Wilson Chock-A-Lock
Highest single lift east of the Rocky Mountains raising 94 feet. Major feat in architecture and locking through for…
Waterfront Real Estate
Tall legged houses with surprisingly small insides according to Zello
Antithesis of Bay Area Temps
Hunkered down inside with A/C on the Tennessee River
Party on, Garth!
Party headquarters on the TN river
Pebble Isle Marina, TN river
Can never get tired of these sunsets
Schwing!
Kentucky Lake quarry with Jan and Mark visiting us at Green Turtle Bay, Grand Rivers KY.
Planning in Pencil
Divide and conquer the copious chores of boating. Steve-Engineer, Marine Mobile QSO and Captain. Darci — Provisioneer, Planner and…
Mayfly Mayhem
Ew! Double eeww trying fried catfish and waking up to massive mayflies at E-Town dockside restaurant in Elizabethtown, IN.
Ohio River Medley
18 days, 672 miles and 8 locks cruising upstream (5-6 knots) to Madison, IN and back (7-8 knots) down…
Nulu stands for New Louisville
And new microbreweries to add to our blog www.judgebrewdy.com
Madison Music, Moonshine & Muse
Jeff, displaced San Franciscan now residing in Cincinnati, jumps into the fray.
Room with a View
“Jeffersonville, the sunny side of Louisville” as described by a local.
Captive in Jailhouse Pizza
Built in 1906 and closed in 1976, Jailhouse Pizza was once the old Meade County Jail in Brandenburg, IN.
We don’t need no stinkin’ pump!
Nor safety switch to turn on 30 AMP. “Just plug her in. You’re in Indiana now”, claims Ralph. After…
Mail Call!
Where Steve’s “new” phone was sent at Nu Plaza marina, Evansville, IN. Yes, we’re still with antique Androids.
Newest Member of Eagles Post 1717
Got invited into the Mt. Vernon Eagles Home for a beer after being sworn in and vouched by the…
Gullible Golconda
Harbor host assured us plenty water depth–not! Kicking up mud, slowly backing into covered spot–boing! Hit the anchor light….
Sew What?
Never thought I’d be wowwed at the National Quilting Museum in Paducah, but I was!
Paducah, KY
The Ohio Valley Flood of 1937 was the greatest natural disaster in the history of the U.S. and drove…
Hails Bells!
Channel 16 VHF blasted hailstorm warnings way, way far away. Or so we thought as we scrambled to tie…
Two’s a Charm at Towhead
Second anchor ever – good to go! At the junction of Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Lucky for us the…
The Gateway to the West
St. Louis riverside with barges bookending the Arch.
On the Road Again…
After 246 days (but who’s counting?!), we’re back on the Great Loop trail. As honorary citizens of Portage des…
River Angels
Ken & Cheryl Pfeiffer, Gold Loopers, rescued us in November 2022 as we limped into Grafton marina on 1…
Gaggle of Geese & Friends
Gas run up to St. Charles – all aboard!
Heat + Humidity = River Refuge
Atáscate Que Hay Lodo! (When in the mud, get stuck!)
Shoveling Sh*t
No end to entertainment at Sioux Harbor marina. Ron is the Master Excavator
Ode to Old Games
Art Foundry, St. Charles, MO
Screaming Screening
Best thing since sliced cheese. Seamstress Sharon masterfully MacGyver’s a magnetic bug barrier.
Good Enough!
Greeted by birds nest nestled on the sundeck rolled entrance door–flown & now flung! Steve’s to-do’s list goes up…
WEEEEEEEEEEE
A break from one recreational vessel to another.
Shall We Dance?
St. Louis Schnuck’s grocery A.I. “Tally”, not to be confused with Tali. (Click on video below)
Miss Tiki
Looks like Tiki bars can be anywhere, including on the Mississippi River at Portage des Sioux. Enjoying lunch with…
Mo Back
Arrived back in Missouri after a 5 am flight from SFO. Friends welcomed us with a wonderful dinner. Barry…
Head Shot
The starboard engine had the trouble, but we pulled the port head just to check it out. Some of…
Not so Cool
Barry found that the engine’s cooling system was not in good shape. Oil cooler and intercooler (part of the…
Back in The Saddle Stringer
The short block was placed back in the boat today. The rest of the engine will follow. Yee Hah!…
Pin the Trail on The . . .
Bought the map and pushpins. 2022 was the green year.Wintering back home in San Francisco Bay area. Heading to…
Winterizing – b Too Chapter One Closes
Even though Barry said he could get us going by the end of the month, we decided to put…
Block Party
Barry got the engine totally apart and brought the block to the machine shop. We got great news today…
Excellent Excavator Engine Extraction Exercise
The next morning Barry returned and continued taking the engine apart with. He wanted it out of the boat….
The amazing barry
We took the boat 5 miles south from Grafton to a marina in Portage des Sioux that was a…
Puttering through the Palisades
36 hours later with laundry done and reprovisioned, we left Grafton Harbor for Sioux Harbor just a couple blocks…
Susie Says . . .
Optimistic boat found in Grafton marina
The Jam
“Friends, like flowers, give pleasure just by being.” As we safely pulled into Grafton Harbor on 1 engine, Susan…
Anchor Success
We had been nervous about our first anchor, but needed to do it because we only had one engine…
Beardstown Barge
Logsdon Tug Service in Beardstown was kind enough to let us tie up to their barge when we lost…
Uh Oh!
Had a beautiful cruise south from Tall Timbers marina. Admiring the stilt houses. All of the sudden, the starboard…
His Neighbor is his Son . . .
True story. And they both have trains hanging from the front porch. Interestingly, the son got the engine and…
Chocka block Lock
A three-wide barge pulled in behind us at Peoria Lock. It kept creeping towards us until we could almost…
Getting High in Peoria
President Roosevelt called Grandview Dr in Peoria Heights the most beautiful street in America. The views, and homes, are…
Meow….ROAR!
Cat(erpillar) museum in Peoria where men are always boys playing with erector sets X 100000000000
Falling for Fabulous Fantastic Foliage
Accepting all commentary that starts with “F” (and doesn’t end with “k”)
Red sky in Morning, Sailors take Warning
Hunkered down in Peoria waiting for a weather window.
Tequilla!
Karaoke initiation at IL Valley Yacht Club, Peoria
River Banks, bridges & barges – oh my!
Breathtaking foliage to counter holding my breath when passing barges.
Chicago
Chicago river with 17 bridges
No Seat-Backs
Plop down on that toilet seat – even if you are just testing the fit – and it is…
Making Hammond Feel Warm
Hit an unseasonable cold spell in Ottawa – is that freaking snow?!!! Fortunately, we were at a wonderful marina,…
Location, Location, Location
If you were a dentist, wouldn’t you want to share a front door with a cupcake shop? Found in…
Try Ham Radio – Urine for a treat
Chicago’s Columbia Yacht Club facility is a former Canadian ice cutting ferry. They have a ham (amateur) radio club…
We’re not in Kansas anymore
Needed a dock cart to haul our marina deliveries while in CA. Should have ordered an electric blanket.
Play Dead
🎵 . . . at least I’m enjoying the ride . . . (found in New Buffalo, MI)
Found Religion! He-Brew
Just in time for the holidays
Lake Washing Machine
“Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies… Rivers and seas boiling… Dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!”…
Finally, An Accurate Forecast
Found in South Haven
#1 Point of Interest . . .
another grave mistake
Someone had a Bad Day
A Charlevoix, MI boater went out in bad weather and did not make it all the way back to…
Did you Check Zillow?!!!
not kidding around in Charlevoix, MI
Thank You, Captain Obvious
Found in Charlevoix, MI
A Grave Offence
No garish garlands allowed in Charlevoix, MI
I’d pedal a mile for a brewery
…actually 8 miles and in 20+ mph headwinds. Time to consider an intervention or buying electric bikes.
Worth the Wait
Stayed in St. Ignace waiting for a weather window without gale winds and 4′ swells. Left at the crack…
Tiny Homes
Upper Peninsula Michigan Les Cheneaux Islands answer to Southern Florida Intercoastal ‘hood
400 NM down, 5,600++ to go
Back in the US of A – Drummond Island. See you in Canada next year(ish).
Tarts After Trent’s BUTT
We started our loop in Killarney, ON, so we missed the Trent-Severn’s BUtter Tart Trail. But fortune was smiling…
Under the Boardwalk
…down by the sea (at Gore Bay). Boardwalk and Noble Nature trails.
Rubber Uber App
Dinghy across for dinner reservations.
Provincial Park Promenade
Testing our biking capabilities (and patience) as Darci’s 20″ wheels trumps Steve’s 15″ wussy wheels.
B2 Great Loop Starting Line
Killarney in Georgian Bay is where we will cross our wake…one day.
Cheers to Mom’s Favs
Cream ale and oysters. Big Willy’s Bait Shop, Killarney
Spanish Harbor, Ontario
Super friendly harbor master overseeing grounds with modern conference center. 2KM walk to town with grocery, Liquor Control Board…
Wait! I’m getting my money!
Shouted my brother hidden behind treelined patio. Ding….ding…ding. Varoom starts up the good humor truck. “Don’t go! My mom…
Ô Canada
Passed Customs with a little white lie about a lot of white wine. North Channel cruising.
DeTour, MI. Population 263
This community garden rivals San Francisco Golden Gate Park botanical gardens. Population 876,063.
Bloody Mary, Anyone?
Because how can you throw axes without an adult beverage?
“Golden” Gate Bridge
Not to be confused with the other “red” Golden Gate Bridge. Mackinaw bridge connecting northern to upper peninsula Michigan…
You in redneck country! Don’t be drinking any of that fancy assed beer!
Ironworkers Festival in Mackinaw City, MI featuring throwing darts with daggered 5 lb wrenches, speed wire rebar knot tying…
BFF’s Ellen & Kevin
There are good ships, and there are wood ships, the ships that sail the sea. But the best ships,…
Moonrise, Petoskey
Not to be confused with all the sunrises and sunsets
Judgebrewdy.com
Building Great Loop microbrewery repertoire
“I’m not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different than yours.”
…Cheshire Cat. Mushroom houses in Charlevoix, MI.
How Far?
Great street name in Charlevoix
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
…entering Charlevoix, MI. Wait for it. Gusty winds, 80′ Cherry Bomb obstacle departs, deck hands tied up. Whew! Another…
Smoke Fish Not Tobacco
Harrowing narrowing docking at Leland Harbor, MI, a historic fishtown. Stern thrusters and 3 helpful dockhands earned their keep.
Maiden Voyage
Going full circle. Woke up to the surveyor tapping sound on a boat for sale hull in Onekama Marine…
Rite of Passage
42 days since officially taking ownership, Steve takes the wheel under gentle guidance by dockhand expert. Three times a…
Size Matters
Couch legs crossed over to engine hatch access. Mr. MacGyver sawed off 4″ back-end piece, fortified with re-purposed chart…
Onekama Watering Hole
Onekama, where we spent about half of May and all of July, is not a big town. But it…
Cousin Rick
July was a busy month as we raced to complete boat upgrades. One thing that kept me going was…
MI Sunrise
Two shifts from “working for the man” to not. I no longer set my alarm and I make our…
“Norm!”
We’re on a first name basis with every hardware store, breakfast cafe and microbrewery within 100 miles. I’m smitten…
Boat prep on steroids
Steve and his “fix it” shelf. Darci having organization orgasms–“If I were aluminum foil, where would I live?” Great…
Who shall Live and Who shall die
Staging for home goods travel cross country in 1-way rental car. Precious prized picks–Irving street olive oil, an addicts…
Making the Cut
Looper conventional wisdom says you’ll do what you do at home, don’t expect to do start new habits. I…
Local Boy Makes Good
Cousin Curtis back in the ‘hood at Onekama Block Party.
Fourth of July fireworks
Boat side, Onekama Marine marina. Check out the video we took also
Local Boys Make Bad
Nice try, Scottville Clown Band at Bear Lake Days.
Wordle
Every morning we start our day with coffee and Wordle. Our first word attempt relates to the day at…
Namesake
Balclutha San Francisco Maritime, Balclutha Corte Madera, Balclutha Too. (OK, a little out of control on the swag, but…
Surprise me
Taste testing local breakfast cafés, overheard a locals response to “White, wheat, rye, English muffin or biscuit?” from the…
1986 Meets 2022
Hulled out Easy Bake Oven and go-nowhere senseless fan, channeled my inner Julia Child and replaced with 21st century…
Clean as We Go, That’s the Motto.
An empty boat with tucked away products all screaming “Pick me! Pick me!”
Road Trip
Packed a rental car with a bunch of stuff for the boat. Even had to squeeze in a ladder…
Hell YES!
Two years of scouring boats for sale from typical and skeptical sources, vetting hundreds that made our rolling excel…