Welcome aboard! After months ( years) of intense activity, we were thrilled to throw off the lines and head down the river on Thursday. We’re delighted to finally begin the Southern Trawl Bahamas Expedition #2.  Since our 2014-2015 trip, we’ve had several personal home relocations, and renovations, and the boat has had some cosmetic and mechanical repairs and upgrades as well. Tom added solar panels and 2 “Marine Elegance” heads, and a complete Purasan treatment system, to name a few.

Let the provisioning begin!

This is what several trips of provisioning with a mini and a pickup looks like.
Getting rid of trash is always a problem when living on a boat, so all of these supplies needed to be taken out of their original packaging, stowed securely away, and then the cardboard, and wrapping removed before leaving the dock.  Even after years of preparation, there remained countless chores that needed to be completed.
A lesson learned from a wise and wonderful Aaron Rice: A clean boat is a fast boat, (7.5 kts is relative) so Southern Trawl got a final bottom cleaning.

We threw off the lines at last. We had to make quick work of it to leave at relative high tide, since there is a sandbar located just behind our slip, and running aground would have been a very anticlimactic part of our departure. Thank you Karen and Dawn for these fun departing shots!

It’s been years since we’ve been underway, making way, on such an extensive journey. We’re all adjusting and relearning how to be “one with the boat”. Slow is Pro… is an excellent motto. Even with Captain Tom’s patience and dedicated attention to detail and follow through, accidents can happen at any time. It also helps that he’s strong, flexible, and mechanically knowledgeable. At times he’s called upon to be navigator, weatherman, engineer, plumber, electrician, and coffee maker. ( Nobody makes and serves a better first morning cup of joe!)

       I’d like to introduce a very special passenger we have onboard.

STETSON RENCHER SNOW
In October, I had the privilege of meeting up with a fabulous group of women for our annual horse ride.  We affectionately call ourselves the YeeHaw Sistahs.  This past year we went to Torrey, Utah to attend “The Cowgirls Secret”, hosted by Stetson’s mother, Celia Rencher Snow. It was an amazing experience, filled with good times, laughter, incredible scenery, wonderful horses, and mules, delicious food, music, and just excellent female camaraderie.  We shared good times, concerns and sorrows.

Celia almost canceled the trip because of the heartbreak devastation of her son, Stetson’s death, just a few weeks prior to our arrival. She decided to carry on, and was an incredible inspiration to all of us with her gracious hospitality, as she and her extraordinary, all female, wranglers put our needs before theirs.
Stetson had written his funeral/celebration of life request as an exercise while he was in recovery.  He wanted his ashes to be put on a boat out at sea, and the boat lit afire. Celia and the family will be having a celebration of life ceremony for him out in San Diego; a place he loved and had hoped to return. None of the Ashes at Sea companies would carry out the specifics of his request. Celia has entrusted us with this honor. She has sent me a small wooden boat, and a bit of Stetson’s ashes. We look forward to honoring him, and carrying out her request, in an amazingly beautiful location, as yet to be determined.

Having a dog on board adds excitement, fun, and extra challenges. Robert Earl  has been in training since before whelping for this journey. While cruising, we anchor out about 80% of the time. We have a dinghy, that serves as our “car”. We’re intent on getting to Florida for our crossing, so there will be stretches of several  days where we do not go ashore at all. We made it as far as Beaufort last night, and plan to anchor in Vernon River, just before Hell Gate, just inside the Georgia line tonight. (Stay tuned for more to come on Georgia’s ridiculous, overreaching new HB201 anchoring and no discharge laws)

Even though Robert Earl definitely prefers dry land, we are so happy with his calm boat demeanor, and the fact he has learned to carry out business in his designated area!

In closing, we’re glad you’ve decided to come aboard. I think you can sign up to get notifications of new postings. Please stay in touch and send us your comments, suggestions, and gentle criticisms! It’ll keep us from feeling all alone out here !

Making way on a beautiful sunny day.