Goodbye Nettles Island Marina, a gated trailer park with terrific people and an excellent restaurant. We leave in the morning. Is this the calm before the storm???

 

The clock turned and it was one year later.

 The trip that was to start in April, 2018 turned to April, 2019 in what seemed like a heartbeat. Many hours were spent seeking our dream.

During that year, trials, obstacles and misfortunes became attainment, openings and blessings. It was a difficult and incredibly busy year.

It seemed like Denny replaced every system, hose, pump and screw on Dream Seeker and finally decided we can never be entirely ready.  The pilings and piers at Nettles Island Marina (our home away from home for the past year) can take no more of our docking exercises.

We are going!!! Come what may. The time has come.

 

 

The CT Wagners were proud to be the first guest aboard, followed shortly by the Buckleys of JAX.  We toasted to the success of the voyage, the health of the captain and crew, and the many adventures that lay ahead while recognizing the optimism and deferred gratification that underlie the realization of Denny’s ambition to complete the Great Loop.  We are thrilled that he equally embarked on the adventure of a second marriage which is destined to sustain him in other ways long into the future.  We regret that in the excitement of a grand toast with a glass of Pappys we neglected to photograph the first party on the flybridge, but its not the first time a fine bourbon has made us forgetful!

 

This is the first of many blogs documenting our progress in purchasing and refurbishing a boat to traverse “The Great Loop”, a longtime dream of Denny’s and a newly acquired fancy of Arden’s.

Dream Seeker is almost purchased.  The sea trials have finished, the replacements are almost completely installed.  This is the fourteenth boat we have considered and hopefully it is the last at least for this year.

Number thirteen proved true to its number and after three months of negotiations it was cast adrift before purchase because of innumerable difficulties with the various and sundry systems.

A new day is dawning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We met Denny for the first time on the beach in California, learned about his passion for the Loop trip an his fondness for good Kentucky bourbon.  Denny also showed us how easily he joined in and lent a hand –