Spirit Dancer is now en route to the Chesapeake. We anticipate spending the summer there before retreating back south to sit out the next winter cold weather. As we are this year, we'll stay the winter mostly in Florida and the Bahamas.

Below are links to Google Maps of our location, links to marinas if applicable and links to Kem's blog on the Houston Chronicle. Most recent event on top.

Tentative Plans

August 1, 2010

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"LIGHTHOUSE TRIVIA"

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Excerpt: " Since we are now in the land of lighthouses, some little known facts might be helpful so I did some research. The photos I’ve posted don’t necessarily represent the trivia below, but are ... "

"NUNS AND NURSES"

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Excerpt: " I attended a very small, three year diploma nursing program in Fort Scott, Kansas, and the school has a great history. Two Sisters of Mercy arrived in Fort Scott, Kansas on April 26, 1896. They were ... "

More fun with Nuns and Nurses - Kemba's RN Class Reunion in St. Louis at the Mercy Center.

Mercy School of Nursing Class Reunion 2010

"NORFOLK VA"

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Excerpt: " Just a short 5 minute ferry ride across the Elizabeth River is Norfolk, Virginia – also a very old city, just like Portsmouth. Our marina faces the Norfolk mall and city docks, a central location... "

"ICW MILE O"

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Excerpt: " How exciting! We’ve reached SM “0” in our adventure. We opted to dock at Portsmouth, VA, instead of Norfolk, VA, and will be here for several days – with a quick side trip to ... "

LCS 2 YouTube video

"WHAT A DAY!"

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Excerpt: " Yesterday was one of a kind – we hope. We had that great prime rib dinner the evening before with our new friends Charles and JoAnn, aboard their beautiful Irwin 46 Ketch, Osprey. Their home po... "

July 31, 2010

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July 30, 2010

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Allegator River Marina

No cell phone service

Allegator River kicks up a bit - movie clip

"ALLIGATOR RIVER"

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Excerpt: " The Alligator River and the Red Wolves sounds a bit like the start of a mystery novel. Unfortunately, it is just that. At one time, red wolves freely roamed our country from the Great Lakes to the Gu... "

July 29, 2010

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Dowry Creek Marina

No cell phone service

July 28, 2010

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River Dunes

No cell phone service

July 26, 2010

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July 25, 2010

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post "GOING BUGGY"

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Excerpt: " We have been fortunate in that we really haven’t been bothered much by insects of any kind since we began our life on the water. I did get more than my share of “no-see-um” bites wh... "

"PERFECT HOUSE"

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Excerpt: " Stop the bus (or boat) we want to get off – we just found the house of our dreams. It has everything we both want (well, Bob wants) in a home.  It’s on the ICW. It has a great water ... "

July 24, 2010

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Dockside Marina Wrightsville

Great place to watch the action. Hundreds of boats and only one crash (big boat ran aground, lost an engine and drifted into 100 foot motor yacht on T head. We had to fend two boats off from colliding with us.

July 23, 2010

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St. James Plantation Marina

• Beautiful well protected shallow water marina (5.5 feet at MLW)
• No WiFi at slips unless you have a booster antenna
• No at&t cell phone coverage unless you have a booster antenna

"SC TO NC"

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Excerpt: " We left Barefoot Landing at the crack of dawn and headed out for what we thought would be a quiet trek up to St. James Plantation Marina. The banks, trees and water were breathtaking in early morning... "

July 21, 2010

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Barefoot Landing Marina

16 restaurants and over 100 shops. This could take a while.

Unfortunately, the electric (50 amp) popped the dockside breaker at 35 amps. We were only able to run one AC at a time (plus the ice maker, freezer and two refrigerators).

VIDEO: Kentucky River flash back Just A Couple Of Good Ole Boys

Video Demonstration of the Shag

"SHAG CITY"

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Excerpt: " When we were recently in Georgia, some boaters we just met asked if we “shagged.” My mind immediately went all Austin Powers, but that wasn’t the right direction at all. It seems th... "

"SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY"

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Excerpt: " One of the main reasons we made it a point to stop in Myrtle Beach was to catch up with our friends Gayle and William. We met them this past march when we were docked in Staniel Cay, the Exumas, Baha... "

"TIME TRAVEL FAST FORWARD"

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Excerpt: " Once the ICW left the curving bends of the river, and cut a straight route though to Myrtle Beach, we felt as if we had fast forwarded in time. Everything changed about mile 377 - The waterway became... "

"TIME TRAVEL"

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Excerpt: " We left Georgetown at dawn to take advantage of the high tide, and we knew we were in for a long, slow day on the Waccamaw River. The ICW follows this river from mile marker 375 to mile marker 403 (o... "

July 19, 2010

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Harborwalk Marina

Historic Seaport Georgetown SC

"SEAPORT GEORGETOWN"

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Excerpt: " We have worked our way up to Georgetown, SC. People have told us that it’s like a mini-Charleston, but we found that it has its own personality. Our marina, Harborwalk, is one block from Front ... "

"BACK IN TIME"

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Excerpt: " We have recently been visiting and exploring cities and towns that were founded and established hundreds of years ago. It was really hard for me to put all of the history in perspective until Alice, ... "

July 14, 2010

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City Marina Charleston

We're on the Megadock!

Listen to the music - see the dance

"EXPERIENCE CHARLESTON"

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Excerpt: " We have tried to cover as many sights, sounds and tastes of Charleston as we could during our brief stay. I researched some and we lucked into many others. Our first stop was the Farmers Market and i... "

"POOGAN'S PORCH"

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Excerpt: " Many women prepare tasty creations from recipes. I really never quite got the hang of that. It’s not that I’m a bad cook, I’m pretty good in fact, it’s just that I’m a c... "

"WHAT'S IN A COLOR?"

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Excerpt: " Charleston is colorful – really, the city has its own historical colors.   Charleston Green – This nearly black shade of green was popularized after the Civil War when the Union dona... "

"SOUTH OF BROAD"

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Excerpt: " Pat Conroy, the southern author from Charleston, is famous for his books Prince of Tides and Beach Music, among others. In preparation for visiting Charleston, I read his latest work, South of Broad ... "

"TO CHARLESTON"

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Excerpt: " We have been looking forward to visiting Charleston since we started this trek, and I’m sure we won’t be disappointed. It was a long and very interesting cruise up the ICW from Beaufort y... "

July 13, 2010

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Downtown Marina at Beaufort SC

Challenge with shore power - only had 190 volts, we're 220. AC motor needs at least 200 to be happy. Ran generator.

July 12, 2010

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Harbor Town Yacht Basin. Web Cam

Oh yeah, this is nice. Even bring you a welcome bottle of wine. What a difference a foot can make. Rates jump at 50 feet in length. On the side of our boat it says, "DeFever 49." Sweet.

July 10, 2010

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"SAVANNAH SIGHTINGS"

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Excerpt: " Bob must have misunderstood our quest for finding spirit "orbs" Music in the squares is sometimes unexpectedly great. Carriage horses need heat relief too! Cotton Exchange, ask for table 20 ... "

"SAVANNAH SPIRITS"

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Excerpt: " A few years ago, Bob and I were enjoying Savannah with a group from The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce. Eight of us were having dinner at a well-known restaurant in an old colonial home - widely reput... "

"SAVANNAH SQUARES"

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Excerpt: " I’m going to treat you to a segment of interesting Savannah history. When James Oglethorpe and Colonel William Bull laid out the design for the city of Savannah, they included squares – n... "

"SAVANNAH DOCKS"

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Excerpt: " We have always had good luck tying up to major city docks and marinas. They are usually located right in the heart of the cities and within walking distance to all the fun places and historic destina... "

June 20

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Isle of Hope Marina

We're settling if for a few weeks to catch up on client work and make a quick trip back to The Woodlands to take care of business and party with friends over the holiday.

"SKINNY DEPARTURE"

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Excerpt: " We waited until high tide to depart our Isle of Hope dock space. When we arrived, Bob was considered Captain Marvel for wedging Spirit Dancer between all of the boats and into our allotted space on t... "

"A BRIGHTER STAR"

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Excerpt: " A brighter star will shine in the sky tonight. Phil Land left his earthly place and is twinkling in heaven and shining down on all of us. Many would argue that he was taken from his friends and famil..."

"AHOY MOVIE BUFFS"

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Excerpt: " Today, Bob and I enjoyed one of our last early morning walks in this “movie setting” environment. It’s true - this has been a haven for movie directors for decades. Our dock neighbo... "

"BEST VACATION EVER"

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Excerpt: " We just had the very best vacation ever – at our loft! Our time back in The Woodlands was limited, but we managed to make the rounds of many friends and places. The ones we missed this time, we... "

"HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY"

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Excerpt: " Erma Bombeck said it best, “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of stre... "

"MERMAID HAIR"

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Excerpt: " Not too unlike the Kudzu draping every riverbank in Tennessee, Spanish moss hangs on most trees everywhere in the south. It’s not Spanish. It’s not moss.   Legend has it that an Indi... "

"BUDGET FACT &FICTION"

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Excerpt: " Many of you have asked (or secretly wondered) what this cruising lifestyle is costing us. To be fair, the monthly budget we set a year ago when we started out does indeed need to be tweaked. The ... "

"LIGHTNING STRIKE"

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Excerpt: " Yesterday we experienced another dockside catastrophe – no loss of life, but tragic just the same. The day started out great – it was a little cooler than the usual 100 plus degree temp m... "

Storm Video June 27, 2010

"WORMSLOE"

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Excerpt: " Our morning walks have taken us about as far as we can explore on foot, so we borrowed the marina courtesy car, I donned my Southern Belle hat, and we headed out to visit Wormsloe, a real southern pl... "

"LIFE, LIBERTY, PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS"

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Excerpt: " Having served its original purpose in announcing independence, the text of the Declaration was initially ignored after the American Revolution. Its stature grew over the years, particularly the secon... "

"ISLE OF HOPE"

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Excerpt: " If you are fortunate to visit the enchanted Isle of Hope, South of Savannah on the ICW, you will indeed step back in time. Locals describe this charming town as a short trip across a narrow river bri... "

"SUMMER SOLSTICE"

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Excerpt: " Happy Summer Solstice to all of you! This day ends the longer days of summer and begins to shorten the days for winter. WOW – with over a 100 degree temps in most of the country, winter seems l... "

June 19

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June 18

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June 17

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June 15

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June 14

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Palm Coast Resort Marina

June 13

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June 8

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"COCOA VILLAGE"

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Excerpt: " We have enjoyed Cocoa and this marina so much, we stayed several days longer than we had originally intended. Cocoa Village is a block from the marina and is a redevelopment of “Old Cocoa&rdquo... "

"KENNEDY SPACE CENTER"

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Excerpt: " This complex is a must see for anyone in the Florida East Coast area. We rented a car and drove the short distance from our marina and spent the entire day there – that that really wasn’t... "

"6 MONTHS INTO 2010"

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Excerpt: " It just dawned on me, when we started out this New Year in Key West, Florida; we were at ICW mile marker 1240. We just docked this afternoon at Cocoa, Florida, that’s ICW mile marker 897. For m... "

June 7

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June 5

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Fort Pierce City Marina

Not one, but two tiki bars. Yesterday they hosted a steel drum band. Great food. Today we're heading over to listen to the band de jour.

June 3

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Town of Palm Beach Town Docks

This is where Jimmy Buffett kept his boat. The marina is a block from Worth Avenue. Oh yeah, we met him coming out of his unmarked Margaritaville office located in one of the "via's" (alley)on the south side of Worth Ave.

May 21, 2010

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Marina Bay Marina is about 4.5 miles up the New River just West of Interstate 95. What a ride that was. Narrow river through the heart of the revitalized town.

Side ties on the river most of the way. 50 foot wide bulkheaded river most of the way. Boats tied to either side, festivities, restaurants, and river walk. Love this waterway. Great facility here. Had some initial challenges with the WiFi but they were all over that and got it fixed. They do have an incredibly popular restaurant with live entertainment on the weekend. The pool and club house are a welcome addition.

Nothing outside the gate without a car. Connie was quick to make the call and get us set up with a local outfit that picked us up on 10 minutes.

"BRIDGE TO BRIDGE"

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Excerpt: " The title of this blog is really a double entendre. There are many radio frequencies that we hail and receive info on, channel 16 is for standard hailing, channel 9 is usually where the “road a... "

"MARINA BAY MARINA & RESORT"

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Excerpt: " What a place this turned out to be - Joy at MarinaLife wasn’t wrong when she said it would have everything we needed to enjoy ourselves while we got our long list of boat maintenance done. Not ... "

"COCO and SoBe"

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Excerpt: " Since we have a rental car, it would be a shame not to spend a day just seeing the sights by road. We elected to opt out of the Connie Francis Great American Beach Party in Ft Lauderdale, and we head... "

"DINGHY DAY"

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Excerpt: " In the past several days we have worked hard to get all of our maintenance items checked off as accomplished, so we decided we deserved to take a day off to explore the New River by dinghy. We picked... "

Download and open or save the Power Points Presentation. This is a compilation of photos of family and friends who've come to visit and of old and new friends we met along the way. We hope we didn't miss anyone.

"A YEAR ABOARD"

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Excerpt: " This blog is for all of you out there who made this past year so very special for us. First, we shout out a great big thank you to Buck and his crew at ProYacht Services. Without your skills and expe... "

"BURGEE EXHANGE"

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Excerpt: " At sea, flags are used for visual signaling nationality, organizational membership or messages taken from the International Code of Signals. The national flag is known as the ensign and the burgee, u... "

"RETHINKING PLAN"

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Excerpt: " I know we aren’t supposed to really have a date and destination “plan” at this point in our cruising career, but alas, we did. Our goal was to be in DC mid-June for several weeks to... "

"RIVERWALK FLORIDA STYLE"

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Excerpt: " We’ve got wheels! This is only the fourth time in 12 months that we have had to rent a car, so we got out and about and headed for the Riverwalk. I must say, it made me a bit homesick for our W... "

"STREET MAP NAVIGATION"

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Excerpt: " In the past year, we’ve used all sorts of sophisticated navigational devices and systems to get us from port A to port B. This is the first time we needed to use a street map! We had always wan... "

May 20, 2010

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"WE'RE BACK IN THE USA!"

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Excerpt: " We’re back in the good ole’ US of A and glad to be here. Our two plus months in The Bahamas were fantastic, and we will definitely go back to visit other islands and cays, but it’s ... "