Sebago Marquesa

The Florida Keys are one of my favorite places. From driving over that beautiful blue and green water, stopping to check the mangrove swamps on Longboat Key, or taking a quick wade along one of the pullouts. I love every mile of highway 1 from Homestead to Key West.

Key West is a lifestyle, it is the closest thing to being in the Caribbean without leaving home. Of all the fun things to do in Key West the sunset celebration is a must do. Everyone gathers in Mallory Square to watch street performers like tightrope walkers, fire eaters and trained house cats. Its a party to the setting sun, and when the sun finally disappears under the horizon, the crowd erupts into applause.
One of the best ways to view the sunset is from the deck of a sail boat. We sailed on the catamaran Sebago Marquesa. Its 70 foot length gave us plenty of deck space to walk around for the 2 hour cruise. Complimentary beer and champagne made for a relaxing evening. The crew were friendly and hospitable.

Sebago

Enjoying the sunset cruise

Time to celebrate!

Other sail boats available for the sunset cruises include the tallships Appledore and the Western Union, an old cable laying scooner built in 1939.

Launched December 1999
L.O.A. 70 '

Beam 36'

Passenger Capacity 125

2300' of deck space

Built by Multi hull Technologies- Key West, Florida

For more information on the Sebago Marquesa visit http://www.keywestsebago.com/

For a taste of Cuba visit El Meson de Pepe before or after your cruise. Dine among chickens or the famous six toed Key West cats. Try the Lechon Asado with saute'd yucca or sweet plaintains. http://www.elmesondepepe.com/index.htm

The River Ferries of Calhoun County, Illinois

Elaine and I recently camped at Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton Illinois. A mile or so south of the park the Brussels ferry shuttles vehicles across the Illinois river into Calhoun County, Illinois. Calhoun County is a sliver of land bounded by rivers on three sides. The Mississippi River on the west side, the Illinois River on the east, and the confluence of both rivers at the south end. The influence of the rivers is evident in the lush crops, large orchards, and abundant wildlife. During the winter months eagle watching is a popular pastime. The topography is varied with bluffs, rolling hills and flat bottom lands. On warm spring weekends the roads are filled with people from the St. Louis area, which is 30 miles to the south. One of the attractions to the area is its remoteness. Being surrounded by rivers the county's access is limited to one fixed bridge and four car ferries.

The Brussels ferry, The Belle of Calhoun.

Two of the ferries cross the Illinois River. The Brussels ferry, north of Grafton, Illinois and the Kampsville ferry at Kampsville. Both of these ferries are run by the Illinois Department of Transportation and are free.

The other two ferries cross the Mississippi River, the Winfield ferry at Batchtown and the Golden Eagle ferry near Golden Eagle, Illinois. Fees are charged for the Mississippi ferries.

The Golden Eagle

Other area ferries are the Grafton ferry in Grafton, Illinois and the Ste. Genevieve ferry in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri about thirty miles south of St. Louis.

"Deer Plain"

If your unsure about car ferries the only bridge into the county is in Hardin, Illinois. Built in 1930 and recently renovated this vertical lift bridge is eligible to be on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a unique bridge and worth the side trip.

The area around the confluence of the Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Illinois rivers is one of the country's best kept secrets. For more information on this beautiful area see http://www.greatriverroad.com/mgrindex.htm

Enjoy this little dity by the Well Hungarians about the Winfield Ferry

Lignum Vitae

Mill turbines at Bridgeton Mill in Bridgeton, Indiana

I live in Byrnes Mill, Missouri on the Big River, slightly upriver from the ruins of the mill that gives our little burg its name. I, along with one of our alderman, am spearheading an attempt to remove and preserve the old mill turbine and other equipment from the river. In doing research on old mill construction I came upon a diagram of a mill turbine with the words Lignum Vitae and a line pointing to the bearings. Recognizing vitae as a botanical name I did some 'digging' and found some information on this very interesting wood. Also called the Wood of Life, Lignum Vitae is the one of the hardest woods known. Its uses include cricket balls, wooden mallets, English Bobby nightsticks ( it has the same effect as steel without the damage.) and propeller shaft bearings. Its high resin and wax content make it self lubricating and nearly decay proof when submerged in water, making it ideal for propeller shaft and water tubine bearings.

The turbine from Dawt's Mill in southern Missouri.

Many shipbuilders have used Lignum vitae in their vessels. Some of the more famous ships and uses include the propeller shaft bearings on the U.S.S. NAUTILUS, the first nuclear powered submarine. The the belaying pins on the U.S.S. CONSTITUTION, . U.S.S. PAMPANITO, a WWII submarine and other ships such as the St. MARYS CHALLENGER, which just celebrated its 100th birthday on the Great Lakes. Other uses include hydro-electric plants and possibly, a little gristmill a few hundred yards downriver.

Visit the U.S.S. NAUTILUS website. http://www.ussnautilus.org/history.html

Centennial- Steaming through the American Century. A wonderful book about the St. MARYS CHALLENGER. http://www.runninglightpress.com/books.php

Here is a little information on the Byrnes Mill. www.byrnesmill.org/turbine/index.html

Michel Desjoyeaux Wins Vendee Globe

Michel Desjoyeaux won the Vendee Globe around the world race. It took 84 days 3 hours 9 minutes and 6 seconds to sail the 28303 nautical miles. After having to return to Les Sables d'Olonne early in the race to fix electrical problems, FONCIA blasted through the pack to take the lead south of Cape Leeuwin, Australia. Armel Le Cleac'h in BRIT AIR, and Samantha Davies in ROXY expected to finish next. Eleven of the original thirty were still sailing. Several demastings, structural failures, a broken leg, and a capsize with a dramatic rescue have whittled down the fleet. For more information go to the Vendee Globe website. www.vendeeglobe.org/en/