The year is rapidly coming to an end. What a year it has been. Our travels continued with the month of January seeing our new motor home the Phaeton. WOW! What a start. We have traveled about 8,000 miles this year aboard our trusted Phaeton without any major mechanical or injury issues. As seen in these pages, we have traveled from Florida to home after our upgrade, with a stop along the way in Red Bay, AL. Followed by many excursions to Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake with a much longer trip through the southeast (1,500 miles) in early summer. Again, the Phaeton rolled along caring for our every need in comfort we could not improve upon. August say another voyage up north. Pennysalvania, New York and Vermont were explored. Lake Champlain became our favorite stop with a 4 day charter of a 32 ft. Grand Banks Trawler. As written in these pages, do not miss Vermont and the Lake Champlain area. Spring and summer must be awe inspiring. We hope to venture there in the next few years aboard "0 Regrets".
Speaking of our Trawler. We have cruised "0 Regrets" since September along the shores of Kentucky Lake and limited travel on Lake Barkley. We cruised to Paris Landing (80 miles round trip) with an overnight at the marina and one night on the "hook" on the Land Between Lakes side of Kentucky Lake. Listening to the Coyotes sing each night is bone chilling and wonderous. The skies are clear with more stars than though to exist. Relaxing on the deck with a good glass of wine and the galaxy above reminds one of the smallness of our existence. But, I am glad to be here.
"0 Regrets" has not disappointed us. She has performed very well for the older lady she has become. We have not managed to run aground or hit docks with any force to create damage. We have had our blunders of course but nothing to stop the cruising. Like RV travel, boating offers the opportunity to make many new friends along the way. Our Pier 7 group welcomed us with open arms. We are the smallest boat on the Pier but one of the most famous. Infamous will come in future months. As we sale her we plan future cruises to Nashville, TN. and maybe Chattanooga, TN. along the Tennessee River. Later, maybe next fall, a trip south for the winter with docking in some Florida port. I have witnessed so many boats visiting Green Turtle Bay Marina this fall only to leave in the AM for ports in Florida, Key West and Bahamas. Envy is the right expression as I waved to the departing boats. We must be a part of this cruise in fall of 2012.
Part of our boating experience has been our new dock mates. PR, Harold, Linda, Kathy and Dick have welcomed and helped us along the way. I find myself buying adult beverages in payment for help rendered. One of the first events was the retrieval of our retriever. Yes, Bailey fell into the lake and was swimming playfully around the docks. PR fired up his Dingy and we made like the Navy Seals completing a water rescue. Seems Ms. Bailey got too inquisitive and just let her ample but overload the balance and plunged to the depts. This has occurred twice in the short time aboard the boat. While she does swim well, here ability to climb the dock is lacking. I am certain further adventures will be spilled on these pages in coming months. Standby.
The Commonwealth Yacht Club has welcomed us. Yep, a yacht club. Can you imagine. The yachts vary from 20 ft sailboats to the 90+ ft. houseboats. Everyone is welcome. Just bring you own adult beverage as the community is "dry". The food is wonderful with a young chef offering new specials each weekend. Not to be over looked, the monthy celebrations offer a good reason for a party. The bar patrons do remind me of the Star Wars Bar scene as Luke Skywalker makes his way in this alien crowd. Our crowd is not alien just a wide mix of real characters. I fit right in.
Our most recent major event, after purchasing the Phaeton and "0 Regrets" is a strong urge and consideration of moving to the lake area. After spending considerable time at the Canal Campground and Grand Rivers area we have rekindled our love of the lakes and water life. Therefore, we are earnestly viewing housing options in the area in anticipation of a major move. We hope to relocate in 2012 calling Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake our home base. This would require some commuting for work but not a great distance. The new location would give use quick access to "0 Regrets" and our Phaeton. I-24 intersects the area permitting rapid travel in any direction. Both major lake offer hundreds of miles of cruising waters with good access to the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. This just may be the year for another chapter in our life of 0 Regrets!
We hope to see you along the road or sailing into the sunset.
Barry, Denise, Bailey and Bella
