CAVE IN ROCK

MY NEW HOME SINCE RETURN TO GREEN TURTLE BAY

"THE END OF THE ROAD"

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BAD DAY ON THE WATER , THEY ARE ALL JUST DIFFERENT!

FRIDAY AUGUST 10TH WE TIED UP CASHFLOW TO THE DOCK BACK AT GREEN TURTLE BAY IN LAKE BARKLEY. AFTER ELEVEN MONTHS OF CRUISING WE WERE BACK TO OUR HOME PORT AND I MUST ADMIT IT FELT GREAT.

SAFE , SECURE , TIRED, EXPERIENCED, ENLIGHTENED, WISER , STRONGER , OLDER , AND QUITE A BIT POORER, BUT WE WERE BACK.

BEFORE I END THIS BLOG OF THE "CASHFLOW VOYAGE" I WILL ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THE QUESTION EVERYONE ASKS US "WAS IT WORTH IT?" BEAR WITH ME IF I WANDER AROUND A BIT BECAUSE THE LAST FEW MONTHS WHICH WERE NOT DOCUMENTED ON OUR BLOG HAVE DRASTICALLY IMPACTED OUR LIFE AND LEFT A FINAL VIEW ON OUR OVERALL CRUISING EXPERIENCE.

ITS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT SANDY AND I HAD BEEN DREAMING AND PLANNING AN EXTENDED CRUISE ON OUR OWN BOAT AFTER RETIREMENT FOR MANY YEARS. IT WAS NOT JUST A LARK OR A HAIR BRAINED IDEA BUT RATHER SOMETHING WE HAD TO GET OUT OF OUR SYSTEM AS ONE OF THE NEXT STEPS TO OUR SELF ACTUALIZATION. (SOUNDS EMPRESS IVE). WE HAVE BOUGHT AND SOLD AT LEAST TEN BOATS OVER OUR LIFETIME AND WE WORKED OUR WAY UP TO THE BOAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE THE PERFECT BOAT TO CRUISE AND LIVE FULL TIME ON WHICH WAS A 1986 FIFTY FOOT CHRIS CRAFT CONSTELLATION. WE WERE CORRECT! OVER 4000 MILES WERE PUT UNDER HER HULL DURING THE LAST ELEVEN MONTHS AND SHE PERFORMED "ALMOST" FLAWLESSLY. ANY PROBLEMS WE HAD WERE USUALLY CREATED BY ME NOT THE BOAT. ANY PROBLEMS WE HAD WERE NOT MAJOR BREAKDOWNS BUT RATHER ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OR BASIC WEAR AND TEAR OF A SALT WATER ENVIRONMENT. WE HAD PLENTY OF SPACE AND NEVER FELT CLAUSTROPHOBIC OR NEED TO GET OFF THE BOAT AND ESCAPE TO A HOTEL. WE HAD PREPARED AND REPAIRED ANY MECHANICAL NEEDS AHEAD OF TIME AND HAD PLENTY OF SPARE PARTS BEFORE WE LEFT THE DOCK. THIS BRINGS ME TO A SUBJECT THAT I MUST EXPAND ABOUT!

SALT WATER SUCKS!

I DON'T CARE IF I EVER TAKE "MY BOAT" BACK TO SALT WATER. SOMEBODY ELSE'S BOAT , NO PROBLEM , BUT NOT MINE. SANDY AND I HAVE BOATED IN THE GREAT LAKES , CANADA , AND OF COURSE KENTUCKY LAKE AREA FOR YEARS AND YOU DON'T REALIZE HOW GREAT FRESH WATER BOATING IS UNTIL YOU BEGIN TO SEE EVERYTHING ON YOUR BOAT DISOLVE AND CORRODE WHEN IMMERSED IN SALT WATER. LITTLE ANIMALS AND CRUSTACEANS ATTACK EVERY SPOT ON THE HULL AND RUNNING GEAR AS SOON AS YOU SLOW DOWN , ANCHOR OR TIE UP. SALT GETS INTO EVERYPLACE WHERE THE SUN DOES AND DOES NOT SHINE. I INVESTED IN DIVING GEAR , SCRAPERS , SOAP ("SALT AWAY" WHICH IS A GREAT PRODUCT IF YOU MUST HAVE A BOAT IN SALT WATER) AND SPENT MORE TIME HOSING AND SCRUBBING THAN I DID CRUISING BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP OUR BOAT CLEAN AND FRESH AS WE WERE USE TO WHEN IN FRESH WATER. ITS TRUE , IF YOUR BUYING A USED BOAT TRY TO FIND ONE THAT HAS NOT BEEN RUN IN SALT WATER. UNLESS YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY A CREW TO MAINTAIN YOUR BOAT FULL TIME BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE WATER , EVERY BOAT WE SAW BOTH NEW AND OLD WERE TRASHED DUE TO THE SALT WATER AND THE CREATURES THAT LIVE IN IT.

SO YOU WANT TO GO SWIMMING? YOU DON'T JUST DIVE IN ANYWHERE LIKE YOU DO IN FRESH WATER BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHATS DOWN THERE IN MANY AREAS WE CRUISED. I DON'T MEAN JUST CREATURES LIKE SHARKS AND BARRACUDAS BUT WE ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE SURROUNDED BY JELLY FISH OR SOMETHING NASTY LOOKING THAT PULSATES.

AFTER SIX WEEKS TIED UP AT KEY WEST (WHICH WAS THE HIGH POINT OF OUR TRIP) WE LEFT THE DOCK AND FOUND THAT THE BOAT WOULD HARDLY COME UP ON A PLANE AND BEGAN OVERHEATING. THE BOTTOM (WHICH I HAD JUST CLEANED AND PAINTED) WAS ALREADY FOULED AND BARNACLES HAD GOT INTO THE SEA STRAINERS LIMITING THE COOLING FLOW. WE FOUGHT THIS PROBLEM FOR THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS TO THE POINT WE CRUISED BACK FROM DAYTONA BEACH , AROUND THE KEYS , AND UP THE TENN TOM WATERWAY AT 12 MPH ALL THE WAY BACK TO GREEN TURTLE BAY. I SAY AGAIN "SALT WATER SUCKS"

CRUISING MAGAZINES PORTRAY A LIFESTYLE OF RELAXATION AND ADVENTURE TO PRISTINE LOCATIONS WHICH ARE WAITING FOR YOU TO SLIP INTO WITHOUT THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF HUMANITY THAT SURROUNDS YOUR DAILY LIFE. SOME MAY SAY THAT YOU CANT ALWAYS EXPECT TO FIND A QUIET ANCHORAGE ALL TO YOUR SELF OR A PEACEFUL MARINA TO ENJOY A COCKTAIL IN WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN BUT I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND THIS DREAM ANYWHERE UNLESS YOU PLAN TO CRUISE TO ANOTHER PLANET.

WE WERE EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED ON THE CONDITION AND THE CONGESTION OF THE WATERWAYS. TRUE THE TENN TOM WATERWAY IS STILL QUITE UNDISCOVERED BUT ON THE OTHER HAND IT IS NOT EXACTLY A BOATING WONDERLAND. THE HOT SPOTS THAT YOU HAVE READ OR HEARD ABOUT ARE OVER RUN WITH HIGH RISE CONDOS AND FLOATING CASINOS AND DOCK SPACE IF YOU CAN FIND IT IS UNDER ATTACK FROM DEVELOPERS WHO PLAN TO BUILD MORE CONDOS OR FLOATING FRANCHISE OF SOME TYPE OR ANOTHER.

I AM RETIRED AND I HAVE NO TIME TABLE OR COMMITMENT THAT SHOULD GET IN THE WAY OF CRUISING OR LIVING A LEISURE LIFE EXPLORING THE NATIONS WATERWAYS. THE KIDS ARE GROWN WITH GOOD JOBS AND EVERYONE IS SELF SUFFICIENT. BULL SHIT!

CELL PHONES AND EMAIL MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ESCAPE FROM THE REALITY AND COMMITMENTS WE HAVE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOLLOWED US TO EVERY SEA PORT WE ENTERED.YOU CANT ESCAPE IT AND IN REALITY YOU DON'T WANT TO. ONLY IN THE MOVIES AND IN THE CRUISING MAGAZINES DO YOU SEE PEOPLE LEAVING HOME FOR ADVENTURE AND LEAVING THERE CARES BEHIND , IT CAN NOT BE DONE, THEY FOLLOW YOU EVERYWHERE.

THE GOOD NEWS!

YES IT WAS WORTH IT!

I HAVE COMMENTED ON THE DOWN SIDE OF OUR CRUISE BUT THEY DO NOT OUT WEIGH THE UP SIDE. SANDY AND I ARE WITH OUT A DOUBT RICHER (NOT IN REGARDS TO MONEY) AND WISER BECAUSE OF OUR YEAR TOGETHER EXPLORING OUR GREAT COUNTRY BY WATER. WE HAVE DONE THINGS AND SEEN THINGS THAT FEW WILL EVER DO AND WE DID IT ON OUR OWN WITH OUT THE SAFETY NET OF AN ORGANIZED VACATION PLANNER OR CRUISE LINE. WE DID WHAT WE SET OUT TO DO AND WE NOW HAVE BRAGGING RIGHTS AND MORE AMBITION TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE WHICH WE HAVE ON OUR LISTS OF THINGS TO DO BEFORE WE TURN 160 YEARS OLD. (I PLAN TO LIVE A LONG LIFE). IF YOU READ THE COMPLETE BLOG AGAIN INCLUDING THE OLDER ARCHIVE POSTINGS YOU WILL SEE AND EXPERIENCE THE GOOD TIME WE HAVE HAD.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON CRUISING ... DO IT!

BE PREPARED TO WORK BECAUSE ITS NOT JUST FLOATING AND DRINKING MARGARITAS.

THE FUTURE ... STAY TUNED ... THE BLOG WILL CONTINUE BUT IT WILL BE DEDICATED TO EVERYTHING WE DO NOT JUST OUR BOATING LIFESTYLE.