We officially became CLODs on July 10, 2019 when we exchanged keys for a mortgage. We have purchased a home on Michigan’s Sunrise Coast–about a block from Lake Huron.
For us it is the beginning of a new adventure—looking for that perfect (for us) land base. We put Tumbleweed on the hard in Florida, procured a new broker, and then head north to Michigan where we have been pre-approved for a home loan. We’ve been studiously narrowing the field by pre-shopping online. Stay turned . . .
Tumbleweed is looking for a new crew to call her home. She is small enough to be single-handed, but large enough to accommodate a couple comfortably. SOLD!
(11/24/2004 — 11/19/2018)
We have lost a dear furry family member to liver failure–Trouble the Boat Cat. He was well traveled by boat and land although he hated water. May his generous heart and loyalty serve him well across the rainbow bridge.
After several months of discussion and contemplations, it is with both sadness and exhilaration that we have decided to become land cruisers, hopefully in the near future. Our sailboat is for sale and we are researching travel trailers and volunteer camp host sites.
We returned to Sarasota a week before hurricane season began–just in time to greet Sub-Tropical Storm Alberto. As Alberto cleared our path, we realized we no longer had time to reach a safe harbor with an acceptable and vacant live-aboard slip for Tumbleweed, so we began calling every marina in a 50 mile radius. We have been on the waiting list for Dock on the Bay since 2015–they had one opening that they thought we might be able to squeeze into for a few months. So, here we are on Longboat Key in Buttonwood Harbor–just off the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway We are just a few miles from Cortez where we bought Tumbleweed.
A Taste of Home
Many cruisers prepare to head south to warmer waters once the official hurricane season is over. The cruisers at Brunswick Landing Marina held a series of information exchanges during the fall of 2017 in preparation for traveling to new destinations. The subjects range from provisioning, boat tools, and diving for lobsters in the Bahamas to routes to take and places to stop in the Eastern and Western Caribbean. The exchanges turned into extensive notes with valuable cruiser information we’d like to share. Please don’t rely totally on this information for making decisions about cruising, but rather use them as a
guide to do your own research. I may add to these documents as more information is
available.
BAHAMAS BOUND
INFORMATION EXCHANGE NOTES Bahamas 2017 with Table of Contents Final.pdf
TOOLS AND PARTS FOR CRUISING
Information Exchange Tools and Parts 2017.pdf
CRUISING THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN
Western Caribbean 2017 BLM Cruisers Information Exchange Notes.pdf
BOOT KEY HARBOR CONDITIONS POST IRMA 10/25/2017
BOOT KEY HARBOR UPDATE OCT 2017.pdf
VHF CRUISER NET SCRIPT FOR BLM
Brunswick Cruisers Net Controller Suggested Format 2018
SPEAR FISHING
If it looks like we back-tracked, well, we did! We are currently hanging out in Sarasota for a bit before we journey on to our new destination–Corpus Christi.
SV Tumbleweed Paradise, Michigan 