October 6, 2006 First Mate

Okay, does anyone know where we can sign up for Anchoring 101??? As Craig told you it was a chinese fire drill, but we finally got the job done. For some reason after all these years of boating, we still have issues with anchoring. At any rate we finally got on the hook (boating language) and sat very nicely for the rest of the evening. The moon was full and absolutely beautiful, the crickets chirping and a nice crisp fall evening. If we were 25 years younger we might have taken advantage of it, but instead spent the evening apologizing to one another for the lousey job of anchoring. We didn't sleep very well since we had no power and the carbon monoxide detecters kept beeping, so we had to get up and turn the generator on. In an effort to save fuel, we didn't want to run them very long. Turns out that was a good thing since when we got to Turtle Bay we took on 359 gallons of fuel. We were showing less than a quarter tank on both engines and I was sweating it until we got to the fuel dock. Got up early and leaving the anchorage was a piece of cake with the first mate at the helm. Now we may know why we have so mjuch trouble anchoring. Craig always drives. We traveled 8 hours today and covered 149 miles. After two hours we were in the Ohio River. Go Figure!!!! Some people are really crazy eh??? We made our way up the Ohio and had to keep reminding ourselves that we were not going South anymore. We kept telling the tows that we were southbound out of habit. We are in the Land Between the Lakes and will be entering the Tennesee when we leave here. We may stay at this marina a couple of days. WOW!!!! Craig just figured out that we are about 430 miles to our condo in Sandusky as the crow flies. This is a very nice marina and we have finally caught up with loopers. About 8-10 boats going south. We haven't had a chance to meet any yet, but figure we will before we leave on Monday. Going to dinner at the Yacht Club tonight. I get a night off from cooking again. Seems like we have done a lot of that lately. Not complaining....just enjoying. Have discovered that boating does not allow for sculpured nails or good hair days. I need my crew from Illusions to get on board and give me a make over. The eyebrows are growing together, the lip needs a perm and my all my nails are off. This will be a test of how much the captain really loves me. He is most certainly seeing me at my worse. Not even a shower today since we left early and were anchored out. Well folks, guess that is it for now. We will be here a few days, so we really won't have lot to add, but we may just give you some updates on our daytime activities. They do have vans available to use to go to town and there are a few things to do. I'm sure the captain will have to add the technical things about the day. I have to give him something to do besides sit at the helm all day. Hugs, ML Picture is pretty much the view we had most of the day. That is when we weren't dodging barges.