Committed To Go

It has been an agonizing couple of months mainly due to the disaster in the Gulf but Linda and I have decided that we are going to start America's Great Loop. We have been following daily reports from the Gulf not only via the news networks but also the reports from members of the AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruising Association). This is a great association that is proving invaluable to anyone who is considering doing the Loop. The current situation is such that Mobile Bay (the area where we will be entering the Gulf in the November time frame) is still clear. In fact, fishing and swimming is still going on as usual in the Bay. We will be entering the GICW (Gulf Inter Coastal Waterway) ((aside: get used to the short forms I won't be spelling things out for long)) from this Bay at Perdido Pass. This pass and all others eastward to Carabelle have been boomed off and are doing are pretty good job of keeping the oil out of the waterway. The booms can be opened during an ebb tide so with proper timing we should be able to get into the GICW and pass the worst of the diasaster. The rest of Florida is still clean and we hope that it will stay that way.

Of course all of this can change within a couple of days or after a storm but we will remain hopeful.

So now the push is on. I thought that we were in pretty good shape to take off but everything seems to be taking 5x as long as it should. Little things are croping up that are unexpected; the dinghy cover got ripped, the dinghy developed a couple of pinhole air leaks at a couple of the seams, the ice maker severed a water supply line, the anchor light is not working any more, my US phone won't allow me to add air time, etc, etc, etc. There are a million things to still do around the house to get it ready for a year's vacancy. I will not bore you with all of the details but it seems that I am spending as much time on the phone and doing things around the house as I am on the boat.

The plan, if you can call it that, is to leave Windsor in early August. Our first target or objective is to reach Chicago shortly after Labour Day. We want to be off Lake Michigan by mid September in the hopes of avoiding rough seas. Lake Huron in 2008 turned us off to travelling in 6 foot seas or greater. Leaving that early will give us plenty of time to explore some of the neat places on Lake Michigan that we have not visited and will allow for a sufficient number of weather delay days so that we can travel in comfort.

That is about all I have regarding the trip so I must get back to all of the details that need addressing.

PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR CONTACT INFO WILL BE CHANGING:

Effective July 19 service ends for our home phone number (250-0221) and internet service @ sympatico. On August 8 our primary cell (903-0221) will not work. Please, please take down the new contact information. It is already in effect.

When in Canada we are are going to use Linda's cell phone:  519-903-0223 .

When in the US we will primarily use our Net 10 phone:  313-434-1246.

We have 2 direct lines from Canada to the US Fone:
Ottawa -- 613-686-2385
Toronto -- 647-724-2270

Both phones have voicemail so I will likely, when I remember, check the voicemail on the Cndn phone once a week or so.

New Email Address:  tlgeiger@hotmail.com

Of course, I hope to find frequent WiFi connections throughout the trip so we can keep in contact that way as well.
I am still not really into this blogging business but I will try to keep that up to date and if possible (that is if I can get Linda to take some pictures) I will add more photos in the blog. www.qsend.blogspot.com

That is all for now.

Tom and Linda

Cdn Cell: 519-903-0223
US Cell: 313-434-1246
Email: tlgeiger@hotmail.com