Kerri On's Walkabout

George, it great reading about someone else's adventures since we boated along with you at Lake Powell. You must have spread the disease. After Lk Powell we stopped at Flagstaff for 5 days to visit with friends who traveled over from LA. We all stayed in a FS campground outside Flag and enjoyed the wind, hail, snow and rain with the freezing temperatures, during which I gave up my short pants. Then we headed east on I-40 spending one night in a rest area in N Texas when I thought the boat was going to get blown off it's trailer. The Tornado scenes from TV kept passing though my mind. Then to Lake Barkley where I tried to boat like Lake Powell but kept plowing mud and bent my prop. Then to the gathering in Apalachicola where I did get in shorts and ate lots of yummy oysters. Then to the Looper's gathering on the Tennessee River where it rained, the temps dropped (long pants again). Leaving a campground there were great grinding noises coming out of a trailer wheel bearing. Lot of hastle, but it turned out to be a bunk bolt loose. Then we decided to join fellow boaters on a run to Chattanooga. Then more rain came and cooled things down even more. We got run out of Chattanooga because they are hosting a rowers contest: 12,000 of them so they ran all the boats out of town to leave the waterways clear. We're 30 miles back down river and we hope to get back to truck and trailer in 4 more days. Then we will be looking for warm weather again (shorts please) and are thinking of Corpus Cristi for a week. After that we'll be heading west on I-10 to the Colorado River. Will Lk Havsu-? be suitable by then? After that we will head home through Nevada. Want to convoy along?
Chuck & Penny
 
After almost 5 weeks in the Sedona/ Lake Montezuma Arizona area George and Kerri On are set to make a departure Monday morning the 28th. My new friends Casey and Sandy (Katmai) and family and neighbors I'm going to miss. I have been welcomed and treated to the most amazing and delightful time since arriving. Morning walks at dawn and backyard campfires in the eventing have made for a memorable time and happy hour of course for sundowners. I've explored all over the local area and had family visit, and it's time to be on the road again. I leave reluctantly as I've had time to feel at home here, but I'll be back. I'll be heading now for the Sacramento Delta, and if the weather is fall decent, I'll launch Kerri On at Rio Vista for a few days of cruising. Then on north to homeport Nanaimo for christmas. I'll keep you posted. George
 
Hi Bill. It is a wondeful experience! I ran across the mojave desert today. At Edwards AFB there was a B2 in the pattern doing a low altitude 60 degree bank turn very cool. I got up north of Bakersfield to a rest stop on I5 near Huron. All those threads asking about what a c dory can take at sea came to mind. If a c dory can stand hwy 40 and I5 (and kerri on did). They can take anything the sea dishes out! Great product testing roads. What did the governator spend the $ on? Hard knocks minute by minute. All is well though. Rig is all great. The charging circuit that casey and I installed is great. (I'll let Casey post the blow by blow action. Rio Vista tomorrow to launch. George
 
Hi George,

It is predicted to be a bit windy here on the Delta for a couple of days. The last few days have been cold with fog but that will blow away with the wind. They are saying 15 to 35 mph with possible gusts to 50 mph in the afternoon.

There are always places you can get out of the wind but you might want to launch close to them. If you want some ideas give me a call.

Steve
925-381-1855
 
Hi Steve windy for sure. I got to Rio Vista at Delta Marina. Pretty spot got launched and booked a couple nights moorage. It's doing low 30's at the moment with big gusts. Nice and cosy at the dock. Will run out tomorrow for a look around and overnight again at Delta. I'll spend a few days poking about. George
 
George-

The restaurant right there at the Delta Resort is very nice, as I remember, overlooking the river and all.

Also, I haven't eaten there for years, but there's a restaurant with history in "downtown" Rio Vista, about a half dozen blocks away:

Foster's Big Horn

The story is that the original owner made so much money running a house of ill repute and bar back in the Prohibition Days that he spent tons of money hunting big game in Africa, which were mounted and now adorn the entire restaurant walls.

You might ask the manager at The Delta Resort about the restaurant's current quality status for a more up to date recommendation.

Have you noticed that big impressive Spanish house on the river right next to the resort on the East side next to the RV Park? It belongs to a guy who owns a big fishing boat in Alaska, but I don't know where it's primarily berthed/located. You might ask the resort manager if he knows.

I miss The Delta! I used to spend many a weekend there when we lived in Fremont in the Bay Area and had my CD-22 berthed in The Delta up at Ox Bow Resort on Georgiana Slough between the Sacramento River at Walnut Grove and the Mokelueme River down by its confluence with the San Joaquin River.

The Delta is 50-75 miles from the Bay Area by car, but you're 1000 miles away once you get there, if you know what I mean! Sometimes it's kinda hard to head home!

Have Fun!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Everytime I read a post about the Delta and Rio Vista, it reminds me of my mom. She was from that area, Isleton specifically, and graduated from Rio Vista High. Maybe one day I'll participate in the Delta CBGT in honor of her.

Keep them posts coming George. I love following your walkabout.
 
Hi Joe and Peter. I'm having coffee across the street from Fosters Bighorn right now. Will go in. Going to have dinner at the Point this eve. This is a town day. Have a look at the historic downtown. It's still blowing 25 gusting 35 out of the north. The marina is really nice and cosy with leaves covering everything. Put up the bimini or I'd have 3 feet deep leaves back there. Will head for three mile slough tomorrow if the wind goes down. Really enjoying the town.
 
George, Hang in there, looks like some more blow from down south. How'd you get a North wind? Stay safe.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
My new C Brat friends Steve and Karen ( sea spray) graciously invited me to their home for dinner one night last week. Thank you guys! Then Steve got a hold of me the next day when I'd gone down the delta a ways to find out where I was. He launched sea spray and came on down to Happy Harbor were there is free moorage as long as you eat and drink there, free power too! Nice spot, very delta funky. Before that, I'd gone into Owl Harbor to have a look, the entrance is almost choked off with hyancinth weeds. Weed is a real problem in many marinas as it grows extremley fast and is tenacious. It was a really funky place when I got in there. Steve and I overnited and he beat me at scrabble, and then the next morning worked out into the river into a building breeze to go around for a cruise. Steve showed me how to drive a c dory into the tules for an overnight, (it's demo'd in his album) The tules really block the wind and seas. Coming up fishermans cut, we had a pretty strong breeze and 3 foot chop that cleaned off the windows and house tops. Following a ship down channel , very odd seeing an ocean going ship in the slough, we entered Brannen park for an overnight stay. Really a nice spot. The following day was calm, the 3 days of wind dropped off. We went over to rio vista for an overnight stay. Running the few miles up from the 3 mile slough bridge we let the ponies run. Hammer down in the flat water, we ran fast for a few miles, what fun! It is so cool to have a boat that runs well at 5 knots as well as 28 knots. Kerri On is performing 100%, no issues anywhere. A great first visit to the california delta. "I'll be back" like Arnold says
 
Kerri On is back in home waters after an extremely succesfull 3 and a half month 8500 mile walkabout. my reasons were many for this first long trip. Mainly to see if the traveling lifestyle was one I enjoyed. Earlier this year I leased my house and stored my stuff and made Kerri On home. IN late August I left Nanaimo and traveled south down hwy 101 as far as Coos Bay with my partner Carolyn then she took the train back to Canada at Klamath Falls. I then made my way to the ill fated Reno air races that I've attended for 20 years. My buddy Doug and I were on the tarmac the afternoon Jimmy Leeward crashed and only about 1 second down range from impact zone. I feel the official findings will eventually be that the P51 lost an elevator trim tab causing a very high G pitch up that rendered Mr Leeward unconcious and caused the crash. We feel fortunate to have escaped the accident unscathed. Leaving Reno I then continued on to Lake Powell via hwy 50, "the lonliest road" and it is. Then on down to lake Mead, Lake Mojave and Lake Havasu. I then did a tour of northern Arizona and then down to my friends Casey and Sandy's place (Katmai) in lake Montezuma. I spent almost 5 weeks in this area with some time in a resort at Sedona and then onboard Kerri On at Casey's house. Leaving Lake Montezuma was difficult, but I wanted to be back in Nanaimo pre xmas this year. Next year will be somewhere warmer. I trailered to the California Delta at Rio Vista for a week of cruising and my new c brat friend Steve, (Sea Spray) joined me for a few days. Him and his wife Karen graciously brought me to thier home for a meal while there. Leaving the Delta I ran north up I5 into some really cold weather. I made a fast run up to Sequim Washington to spend a couple days with Roger and Janet, (Dreamer) I was treated to a couple of nights in their wonderful home with Janets home cooking and baking, and Roger and I toured around the area. A highlight was the maritime center in Port Townsend and the air museum also. While in Sequim my buddy Harvey, (Sleepy C) joined us for an evening of church concert and dinner afterward. I made my way to the Blackball ferry Coho and got back into Canada. I'll stay with my partner Carolyn while we do christmas events and family gathering at Calgary Alberta and then a 2 week trip to Waikiki in February. Then it will be time to do a couple things to Kerri On to prepare for 2012 cruising. The rough plan for next year is some time in the San Juans in April, Friday Harbour gathering then Sunshine coast and Desolation sound in May and June. Off to the Broughtons thru the current passes for a part of June and most of July. Attend the Comox gathering in July then to Nanaimo to prep for the long tow to Lake Powell. Tour Lake Powell, then run thru Sedona for a while and then pick a warm spot in Texas gulf coast and look for a place to leave the rig while we fly to Canada to keep under our 6 months visiting status. Then return after xmas 2012 to a warm place. This is the rough plan, and will be adjusted as time goes on. The walkabout just completed taught me many things. First of all, the cd22 is an awesome boat for this sort of travel. Easy to tow and launch alone and comfy while on the road or afloat. I have no real changes to make for comfort. I also was overwelmed with the kindness and generosity of my c brat friends and the freindship that was extended to me. I felt at home everywhere I went. I also found that the average US citizen I met, and I know many of you are challenged in this economic tough time, I found kindhearted, happy people, interested in making a good life for themselves and others and genuine American spirit still aflame. I always thought of American people as a brave, capable, can do sort, ready to pitch in and get any job done. I want you to know, that although times for many are challenging, that spirit is still there and I am glad to have traveled amoung you. Thank you all for the kindness and fellowship I enjoyed in my walkabout. I look forward to many years of exploring your great country and meeting many more of the c brats.
 
George,

Sure enjoyed the telling of your walkabout and look forward to more in the coming year.   You have been a fine good will ambassador from my favorite country other than my own.  Think you have been enjoyed by the people you met along the way down here as much or more than you did  them.  Know Jo-lee & I did at Lake Powell & hope to see you there again next year.

Jay
 
George,

Great write up of your travels, and an ambitious itinerary for next year. We enjoyed the time we spent with you this summer in Nanimo, Echo Bay ( Broughtons ) and at Lake Powell. We hope to cross paths next year. The reason people are so friendly, is that you are so interesting, gracious and easy to be with.

Say hi to Caroline from us.

Brent and Dixie
 
Thanks so much Jay, Jo-lee and Brent and Dixie, I look forward to cruising with you guys down the road, hey Martin we'll catch up with you at the Comox gathering if not before. I'm going thru Kerri On right now seeing what I didn't use or don't need aboard. So far it isn't much. I was running pretty well with what is needed for comfort and safety. George
 
Carolyn and I took a 2 week break from downsizing her situation so she can join me this season. We went to Oahu for a warm up. Busy this year. Wow. Nice surf and warm though. Just right. Got a car one day for a visit to the North Shore. Big surf. Had not done the Polynesian cultural centre before. A very good full day I have long been a fan of the voyaging canoe with navigation by stars and sea waves and swell patterns. It was fun to see the resurgence of interest in voyaging by Hawaiians and others. Just got home the midnight flight had mechanical issues so was a bit late. Great to get to Hawaii again. This week is declutter and realtor visits to list. Next week is clean and prep Kerri On for mid March weekend trip. Spring is just around the corner. See you on the water. George
 
George,

Congrats on the trip and hope the spring cleaning goes well. Looking forward to seeing you this summer.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
I toook advantage of the fine weather to unload the "boat room" and reload Kerri On. I foamed all the lockers this winter with 1/2 inch closed cell foam and have set plastic bins on top to hold stuff. Hammocks in the v berth will hold a weeks worth of socks tee shirts under wear etc with aloha shirts and jackets stored under the berth. Carolyn will join me full time by summers end with an extensive schedule for spring and summer. Our first overnight is Saturday March 24. C says it's too early but the boat is going in so .......hey we're young and have a heater. No worries. Be happy.. We will spend 4 to 5 days at Easter in the gulf islands to gear test and find what works and what doesn't. What works solo may not work with two. Friday Harbour is another week trip and then June to Desolation and July to Broughtons with Comox CBGT in there. August will be rig prep and new trailer tires and brake maintenance then head south on I5 for Reno air races. Yes they are scheduled as a tribute to those lost in 2011. Then run south thru Vegas and st George and Kanab and over to Page Out route 50 from Reno was pretty lonely last year so will miss it this year. A couple weeks or so on Lake Powell and then to Sedona Az for a rest up. Then tropical tip of Texas for a winter roost San Padre or Rockport Next year? Alaska? Or Tennessee? Or Florida keys? Maritimes? Or? Have truck will tow. Spring is almost here see you on the water. George :smiled :smiled
 
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