Monday, January 15, 2007 Single sailor finds great lady & adventurer After living on a boat for approximately 15 years and having acquired my ideal vessel for extended cruising I also found the ideal soul-mate for not only waterborne travel, but she even has expanded her horizons for the first time ever to include motorcycling (but that's another story). I would have never thought a Bellaire lady would be attracted to a old salt and biker--but some of us just get lucky. Great Loop Preparation Began in Phil's Childhood This adventure began many years ago. It started as a Kansas boy building rafts and floating creeks and then moved on to wandering the banks of the Republican River wishing for a suitable craft for the swift current. The next step came when a great uncle in Beatrice, Nebraska gave me his tin double ended boat with oarlocks in the middle. The boat was his design for use in narrow streams where he could change direction by rowing from the other side of the oarlocks. After experimenting with rowing in the swift river current I added a rudder and determined a permanent bow and stern. All of this was to accommodate easier steering in the wider and swifter river. I now had a means of travel for longer distances. I could either float along with steering in the current or I could propel myself along by use of the oars. Trips were now possible and I made many trips down river, eventually I found that by proper planning I could include a friend and we could reach nearby river towns. All of these adventures were while I was in elementary school. As I got involved in athletics the boating faded, but I was forever attracted to water. Next came a period where I acquired a used Thompson wood lap-strake runabout (boat motor, and trailer for $200) while in graduate school at Arizona State University. After several humorous learning events, I eventually learned to check first that the theft prevention device (chain holding the boat to the trailer) was detached before attempting to launch the boat. Next I learned to always insert the drain plug before launching and starting the engine and leaving the launching area. I learned to always carry a spare impellor and know how to change it (a tool kit is handy). And finally, I learned to check for cooling water flow before heading out across the lake. All of this was an important first step to bigger and faster boats. A new aluminum boat (Crestliner), motor and trailer was eventually purchased for skiing and camping. We explored the mountain lakes of Arizona and learned to love boat camping in an open runabout along the river lakes of the high mountains. Between childhood in Kansas and 2006 I have progressed to a motorized dingy and a 41 foot twin engine motoryacht. I After living on a boat for approximately 15 years and having acquired my ideal vessel for extended cruising I also found the ideal soul-mate for not only waterborne travel, but she even has expanded her horizons for the first time ever to include motorcycling (but that's another story). I would have never thought a Bellaire lady would be attracted to a "ole" salt and biker--but some of us just get lucky. Posted by Moyer's Great Loop at 9:49 PM 0 comments Recent river/bayou trips Between childhood in Kansas and 2006 I have progressed to a motorized dingy and a 41 foot twin engine motoryacht. In October 2006 13 boats made their way from Seabrook, Texas to Downtown Houston, Texas using Buffalo Bayou as our route. Who would have thought one could take a boat of that size to downtown Houston? The waterway was quite interesting given the industrial plants (refineries and chemical plants) and later the manicured banks of the bayou with many park-like and even some wild areas within the downtown area. Virginia's Thoughts About the Great Loop While Phil was floating down the river on his homemade raft, I grew up land-locked in Oklahoma and in San Antonio. As an adult, however, I have always been drawn to the beach or to the lake. I have always found a solace in the peaceful almost still water of lakes and bays. I call our great loop trip, "The Great Adventure", a trip I am both excited and anxious about taking. It is the dream of a lifetime for Phil. For me it is a brand new concept ~ this idea of being away from family and home for so very long. The planning of this trip has taken a long time and is still not completely finished. In fact, a lot of it we will do on the actual trip itself. Phil has been working very hard, getting the boat ready. He is in charge of making the boat safe and as trouble free as a boat can be for a trip like this. I am in charge of making the boat feel comfortable and homelike, as well as stocking the galley and freezer. This has included new bedspreads and linens, new draperies in the master stateroom, as well as new cushions, and new curtains in the galley, dinette and bathrooms. A new chair for the salon was also purchased. I have cleaned out all the storage cabinets inside the boat and rearranged the kitchen. The list goes on and on. Phil's list goes on and on, also. It has been and is a lot of hard work. If we can just survive long enough, get everything left done and get on the boat, it will be a miracle! We leave a week from today!! Oh, my! |
About Us: Phil and Virginia
Here we are
enjoying one of
our last meals on
land. This was at
our Bon Voyage
Party. More on
that later.
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