This time, I’m here with my dad and am traveling by land. We booked a room at Davis House Inn which has been the best overnight accommodations of the trip! Check out our room. Each of the 12 rooms at the inn are uniquely decorated, and the customer service is outstanding. Across the lawn and small street is the inn’s beach front property. The dock is a little too high and the water level is a little too low to count on a place to tie up, but beaching a small outboard would be no problem.

The other option is to dock at Squid Lips next door.  In fact, we visited Squid Lips for dinner and had the pleasure of seeing the Top Hats Band. Each band member had a fairly impressive background. Lead by Billy Mure on guitar, and Debbie Brown on keyboard, they had the place jumpin’. The average age of the band and its listeners was right around 70, which at times made for a rowdy bunch.  One of Billy’s many credentials included being the guitar player for the song Rag Mop –that’s R A G G M O P P… RAGGMOPP.  And Debbie had some gigs on American Bandstand.

I’m two for two on my visits to Sebastian, FL so I highly recommend this place as a boat trip or road trip stop.

This was definitely eye-catching. The boat floats on its pontoons, submerging the diver below the waterline while passengers sunbathe above deck. The driver can get an above-the-water view by looking at the screen on the steering wheel which is connected to the camera you see between each of the pontoons. Practical? I’m not convinced. While the camera can oscillate from side to side, the pontoons definitely limit visibility. Also, a water level view is not ideal for even the most experienced captains. That being said, I would love to give this boat a test drive –it looks like fun.

Up next… A propane powered engine. Unfortunately I don’t have pictures, but check out http://www.golehr.com/ for more info. The engine is light weight, and allows boaters to push their vessels for 2/3 the cost of gasoline. I was told the engine performs at comparable levels to its gasoline powered counterparts, and requires no winterization maintenance. Perhaps the coolest part is that the same Coleman propane canister that powers your camping grill and lantern can slide directly into your motor to take you for an hour-long boat cruise. For longer boating trips the motor hooks up to larger refillable propane tanks.

This upscale pontoon boat takes your party barge outings to a classier, more sophisticated level. It’s hard to see in the picture, but glassware has a special storage rack on the sun canopy above the bar.

It seems like the Floridian boat of choice is the center console, deep-sea fishing boat. My dad and I were fortunate enough to get a short boat ride on the intercostal in this Everglade. Mike Conner, Duroboat’s Honda rep. from the Northwest, was test driving the boat with two brand new 250’s. The motors were electrically wired, meaning no steering cables required. I sat towards the bow making the most of the quick acceleration, and loving every minute of it. Thanks Mike!

Can’t wait for next year.

Traveling on ‘The Spirit of Whitby II’ a single engined Camano boat, Brian and Jean Orr departed Annapolis Maryland in 2008 – the beginning of their first 4-month stint around the Great Loop.  In the winter they return to the UK for the holidays.

Read more in the Whitby Gazette

The Rymer Gallery in Nashville Tennessee has many of this images on display in an exhibition titled “View From a Small Boat.” The Show opened Saturday November 5th and runs through Thanksgiving weekend, November 26th.

Visit John Guider’s Great Loop Photo Gallery

Trent-Severn on a busy day

Lockmasters packed up two weeks ago, and the next scheduled lock opening will be in mid May. Until then, those who know the waterway are left to reminisce over picturesque scenery, clear water, the slow pace of lock life, and friendly boaters.

We highly recommend boating the Trent-Severn. Check out journal entries Aug 13^th – Aug 17^th in the Canada section to see how hospitable and beautiful the Trent-Seven can be.

Awe, not enough time to do both?!

Hmmm, what to do . . . what to do?

(Found this little gem at Duck Works Magazine)

Along several stretches of the Great Loop, dolphins will play in the current of your propeller. A risky game for sure! On our trip, we saw one dolphin with a beat up snout. He didn’t let a busted up nose stop his fun; he was right there along side our boat with his head above the gunwale of our little 16′ Duroboat.

Replicas of two of the three ships used by explorer Christopher Columbus to sail across the Atlantic in his voyage to discover new land, the Nina and the Pinta, are in the midst of a year long voyage to complete The Great Loop – heading down to the Gulf Coast, around Florida and up the East Coast, and then back through the Great Lakes.

The two Columbus replica ships, belonging to the Columbus Foundation, are the most historically accurate replicas of  Columbus Ships ever built.

This time, they’re not out to discover new land, but rather to provide a sailing museum-experience for port towns all over the Western Hemisphere.

Click here for the Schedule

Some basics to consider when selecting a trailer or evaluating yours.  Read it all.  This goes from what many think of as obvious to some possibly new tips.

Know the weight of your boat, motor, fluids, gear and luggage you will carry.  Make sure your trailer is rated to carry all of that plus a substantial margin.  We would choose a trailer rated for substantially more than that. The on the other side make sure the total is not greater than your vehicle is rated to tow and it would be wise to keep your towed weight below the rated weight of the tow vehicle.

Know when you are required to have brakes on your trailer.  This varies from state to state.

Tongue weight is the amount of the towed weight that  rests on your vehicles rear bumper.   Except in unusual circumstances it should be between 10% and 15%.  Too little tongue weight and trailers can sway and be difficult to control.  Too much and the rear end of a vehicle will squat down and possible take weight off the front steering wheels which could also impact ability to steer.

Tongue weight is adjusted by moving the load forward or back relative to the rear axle.   If it is not possible to move the load sometimes it is necessary to move the trailer axle.  It is important that a trailer is adjusted to fit the boat it will carry.

A proper trailer for a given boat will allow the boat to be on the trailer so that there is full support for the hull from bunks or rollers.  Longer bunks is typically better than short, more rollers better than few. With bunks it is wise to fully support the transom of the boat (ends of bunks visibly beyond the end of the boat).   Rollers are best positioned under structural supports within the boat.

Your decision as to which type to buy is beyond the scope of this article but make sure you know why you are choosing what you choose and you are not just buying a trailer and boat matched up without thought or specific purpose.

The trailer with the boat properly mounted should still have sufficient length to allow for proper handling and should not allow the boat to be so close the vehicle as to allow maneuvering to be difficult or allow for interference of hatch backs or tailgates.   A tongue with enough room remaining for the tongue jack and a spare tire carrier is desirable.

A trailer wide enough for your hull to sit inside the width of the wheels as opposed to above them is usually desirable.

Consider how high or low you want the trailer to ride.  HIGH. provides ground clearance for the hull and running gear ….. but LOW provides for  easier launch and recovery and a lower towed center of gravity.  Different boats may lend themselves to different decisions.  The important point here is know how you are set up and why.  Some boats require trailers designed especially for that type of boat.  Know for sure if yours does.

Trailers should have the following items.

• A tongue jack appropriate for the tongue weight.
• A strong smoothly operating coupler.  (The devise that sits over the trailer ball when towing) Note:  there are different sized couplers and trailer balls.  Make sure yours are matched.
• Safety or secondary chain from just below the trailer winch to the bow eye of the boat.  This is in case of winch failure or winch strap failure.
• Safety chains or cables from the tongue of the trailer to the hitch.  In case the trailer ball fails or the trailer coupler releases from the trailer ball.
•  Operating lights.  ( spring for the LED lights, more $$ but worth it.)
• A substantial winch, bigger and better than your boat needs.
• Tires in good condition, a spare is highly recommended.

These are options we think you should consider and for a few $ you will not regret.

•  LED lights as mentioned before
•  Torsion axle.  If you don’t know what this is look it up and discuss when you buy the traier.
• Spare tire carrier and tire. (This will not help if you have bearing failure so consider a spare pre-mounted to a bearing assembly.)
• Guide on posts.  Helps to line up and position a trailer.
• Properly fitted tie downs and a positive place on boat and trailer to attach them.
• Hard plastic bunk covers.  Makes launching easier but also requires caution on steep ramps.
• A transom saver.  Locks outboard motors to the trailer to reduce wear on the boat and motor from road caused bouncing.
• A plank bolted to the trailer tongue can provide a walking surface for reaching out from the shore to the boats bow eye. Better than the slippery trailer tongue.
• Small garage consider a swing away tongue a better option than skimping on trailer length.

After you have your boat and trailer don’t forget maintenance of both.   Have a check list for before you leave home, as you launch, as you retrieve your boat and for when you put it all back in the garage.