We've done a lot since our last post. Here's the highlights! Later, I'll expound it.
2013- We wintered at Bennett Brothers in Wilmington, NC We would highly recommend them.
2014-
May.
We attended our second AGLCA event. First one in Port St Joe, this one in Norfolk.
We visited Tangier Island & Deltaville.
June.
We brought the boat to Liberty Landing. Hated the NJ ICW! What a view!
We stayed at Liberty landing for over a month. We had the best time. (More later)
July
We went to Block Island, RI. Lobster Rolls are better hot.
August
We had Jimbo & Deanna join us in Mystic thru the Hampton's to Long Island.
We watched Jimmy Buffett, Rod Stewart, & Santana from the boat at Jones Beach with
Mike & Dara Zeringue.
September
We headed up the Hudson River watching the leaves slowly change.
We wintered in Brewerton at Winter Harbor . They are the WORST!
2015
May
We got the Bayou Gypsy out of boat prison! It's called Winter Harbor, LLC! They
charged $56k for incomplete, shoddy, unprofessional, work and left the boat an
utter disaster. Thank God for Ess-Kay Yards! We spent several days at Ess-Kay
repairing things Winter Harbor broke or did not finish (even though we paid them)
Glad to be out of there!
June
We visited Blodt's Castle in the 1000 Islands region of NY, then headed for the TSW.
We spent almost 2 weeks traveling the Trent Severn Waterway. A good bit of the trip
we travelled with Reggie & Emmy on M.E. Lou II. We loved the Peterborough lift
and the big chute!
July
Jimbo & Deanna joined us again. We played around the Georgian Bay for a few days,
and traveled the big chute again.
We loved Henry's Restaurant near Parry Sound, and stayed several days in Tobermory's.
We added a battery isolator in Midland, Ont and a new water pump to the port engine in
Drummond island.
August
Mimi, Cha, Sophie, & Katie All joined us for a week on Mac Island. Mimi & Cha stayed
at the Grand Hotel, while we "slummed it" in the marina. There's something nice about
your own bed.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Everyone keeps asking about our budget!
We weren't sure how long or how much our adventure was going to take or cost.
We figured it would be more expensive to loop the "back & forth" way, but we wanted to at least start our adventure. Our food & entertainment expenses are still about what we pay while at home (maybe even a little less, because we often cook on the boat).
The biggest expenses thus far have been marina dockage and airfare. The dockage has been anywhere from $450/month to $208/day at Atlantis. We try to reserve monthly rates whenever we can. Our highest monthly rate has been $1600 at St Augustine. But that will change this Summer in NY!
Our airfare, for 2, has been as cheap as $98 to Tampa and the highest was $600 for a last minute flight to Charleston.
I would guess we have spent about $12,000 in fuel expenses so far. We've traveled about 2,000 loop miles, but taken 4.200 miles to get there.
We've had several oil changes and some necessary & cosmetic repairs to the Bayou Gypsy along the way that have totaled about $22,000.
At this rate we'll spend about $20,000 more on dockage for the next 2 years, $15,000 in fuel and $10,000 in airfare, although the airfare may decrease with the increased time spent on board. :-)
We figured it would be more expensive to loop the "back & forth" way, but we wanted to at least start our adventure. Our food & entertainment expenses are still about what we pay while at home (maybe even a little less, because we often cook on the boat).
The biggest expenses thus far have been marina dockage and airfare. The dockage has been anywhere from $450/month to $208/day at Atlantis. We try to reserve monthly rates whenever we can. Our highest monthly rate has been $1600 at St Augustine. But that will change this Summer in NY!
Our airfare, for 2, has been as cheap as $98 to Tampa and the highest was $600 for a last minute flight to Charleston.
I would guess we have spent about $12,000 in fuel expenses so far. We've traveled about 2,000 loop miles, but taken 4.200 miles to get there.
We've had several oil changes and some necessary & cosmetic repairs to the Bayou Gypsy along the way that have totaled about $22,000.
At this rate we'll spend about $20,000 more on dockage for the next 2 years, $15,000 in fuel and $10,000 in airfare, although the airfare may decrease with the increased time spent on board. :-)
Fall 2013 up the ICW to Wilmington, NC
We traveled from Nassau back to the good ole USA back in mid July. We stopped at Stuart FL's great Boatworks shop of Whiticar. The did about $19,000 worth of repairs & upgrades. Bottom paint, varnished all the teak rails, rebuilt the rudders and shafts and lots more! We couldn't be happier with the work they did!
We picked up the Bayou Gypsy from Whiticars in Mid September and began our trek north on the AICW. Our next stop was St Augustine. We stayed at the municipal marina because of its ideal location for walking to places of interest.
We headed further north with numerous stops along the way. We really enjoyed the Mansion house in new Smyrna beach, the stop on Jekyll Island was wonderful! And we felt at home at Harbourtown on Hilton Head.
We stayed in Charleston, SC but found it way to touristy! We loved the Christmas show at our stop in Myrtle Beach at the Alabama Theatre.
We ventured on up to Wilmington to "store" the boat till Spring 2014, when we plan to resume our Loopy Travels!
We are scheduled to attend the AGLCA in Norfolk in May, then enjoy a 4th of July in NYC.
Hope to see ya on the water!
We picked up the Bayou Gypsy from Whiticars in Mid September and began our trek north on the AICW. Our next stop was St Augustine. We stayed at the municipal marina because of its ideal location for walking to places of interest.
We headed further north with numerous stops along the way. We really enjoyed the Mansion house in new Smyrna beach, the stop on Jekyll Island was wonderful! And we felt at home at Harbourtown on Hilton Head.
We stayed in Charleston, SC but found it way to touristy! We loved the Christmas show at our stop in Myrtle Beach at the Alabama Theatre.
We ventured on up to Wilmington to "store" the boat till Spring 2014, when we plan to resume our Loopy Travels!
We are scheduled to attend the AGLCA in Norfolk in May, then enjoy a 4th of July in NYC.
Hope to see ya on the water!
Monday, July 29, 2013
Whiticar Boat Works July 2013
We brought the Bayou Gypsy into Ft Pierce from the Bahamas. We stopped over at Harbortown Marina. While there, we met Tom B with Whiticar North Boat Works. He represented the company greatly! He convinced us to take the Bayou Gypsy to their Stuart boatyard. We did.
We met Randy & the crew of Whiticar's and have been very impressed.
We've left the oat for a bottom paint job and estimates for other repairs to cosmetics.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
Smooth seas
We met Randy & the crew of Whiticar's and have been very impressed.
We've left the oat for a bottom paint job and estimates for other repairs to cosmetics.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
Smooth seas
Bahamas in July
Laura, Bill & Guy Armond flew to Key West in early July for a month long trip to the islands of the Bahamas!
We left Key West on July 11th headed to Bimini. We stopped in Marathon & Miami along the way. We got to Bimini on the 14th. We spent the next day snorkeling with sting rays on Gun Cay.
After all that fun, we left to visit the Berry Islands. A chain of islands just north of Nassau.
We spent the night on anchor next to a big cruise ship off Great Stirrup, before heading to Hoffman Cay to visit the blue hole.
We had a slight port prop issue in shallow water and had to replace it with the spare. Lesson #1, when you have 2 engines, one of them counter rotates! Put on the correct prop! They are marked now!
We had a great time in spite of this incident.
We limped in to Nassau with the incorrect prop. Once there, we corrected the problem and had Garth repair the bent blade on the spare.
After a couple of days in Nassau, Debbie (Guy's wife) flew in. We moved the boat to Atlantis for the next 3 nights. Boy was that fun.
On Wednesday, the 24th, Laura & Debbie flew back to NOLA, while Bill & Guy brought the boat back to FLA. the trip back included a storm with 2 active waterspouts!
Once back in FLA, they rented a car and drove to Key West to pick up the MB (roving dock box).
Then a couple days later, they drove the MB back to NOLA, with no A/C!
It was a great trip. We'll have to do it again in a few years.
Smooth seas
We left Key West on July 11th headed to Bimini. We stopped in Marathon & Miami along the way. We got to Bimini on the 14th. We spent the next day snorkeling with sting rays on Gun Cay.
After all that fun, we left to visit the Berry Islands. A chain of islands just north of Nassau.
We spent the night on anchor next to a big cruise ship off Great Stirrup, before heading to Hoffman Cay to visit the blue hole.
We had a slight port prop issue in shallow water and had to replace it with the spare. Lesson #1, when you have 2 engines, one of them counter rotates! Put on the correct prop! They are marked now!
We had a great time in spite of this incident.
We limped in to Nassau with the incorrect prop. Once there, we corrected the problem and had Garth repair the bent blade on the spare.
After a couple of days in Nassau, Debbie (Guy's wife) flew in. We moved the boat to Atlantis for the next 3 nights. Boy was that fun.
On Wednesday, the 24th, Laura & Debbie flew back to NOLA, while Bill & Guy brought the boat back to FLA. the trip back included a storm with 2 active waterspouts!
Once back in FLA, they rented a car and drove to Key West to pick up the MB (roving dock box).
Then a couple days later, they drove the MB back to NOLA, with no A/C!
It was a great trip. We'll have to do it again in a few years.
Smooth seas
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
April 2013 Key West
Well the Bayou Gypsy survived LSU's Spring Break!
Sophie and a few of her buddies made a trip down to Key West for Spring Break. Sounds like they had a great time. This is the 2nd Spring break she's spent onboard. Last year she went to Orange Beach Hangout Fest. Good thing she leaves the boat is cleaner conditions than her apartment.
Laura & Bill made several trip from Nola to KW since November, when we moved the boat here. This week we are headed to Key Largo (by car) to dive the Christ of the Abyss. We are excited about seeing this 7ft underwater statute.
Rob C & family are planning a trip in late June to KW and plan to use BG as their place of refuge from the madness of Duval. I know they'll have fun.
Check out this awesome sunset:
Sophie and a few of her buddies made a trip down to Key West for Spring Break. Sounds like they had a great time. This is the 2nd Spring break she's spent onboard. Last year she went to Orange Beach Hangout Fest. Good thing she leaves the boat is cleaner conditions than her apartment.
Laura & Bill made several trip from Nola to KW since November, when we moved the boat here. This week we are headed to Key Largo (by car) to dive the Christ of the Abyss. We are excited about seeing this 7ft underwater statute.
Rob C & family are planning a trip in late June to KW and plan to use BG as their place of refuge from the madness of Duval. I know they'll have fun.
Check out this awesome sunset:
Monday, February 11, 2013
Dive Key West over New Years
Laura, Bill, Sophie & Katie left grandma Ann & Pap Pap's 50th Anniversary celebration and headed to Key West!
We booked a dive trip with Dive Key West! Saw Joe's Tug & the hump reef system.
Southwest flight out cancelled, so we used TAC airlines to return home.
Yes, we were spoiled!
We booked a dive trip with Dive Key West! Saw Joe's Tug & the hump reef system.
Southwest flight out cancelled, so we used TAC airlines to return home.
Yes, we were spoiled!
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