Written and photographed by Larry McCullough

Jamie and I are now in Brentwood Bay, a tranquil setting that is just a short walk to the world famous Butchart Gardens. Being a tranquil setting and having the terrible habit of waking up early, way too early this morning at 3:45, it gives me time to reflect which for the most part is good.

The Butchart Gardens were truly beautiful and a must see if in the Victoria area, Vancouver Island has much to offer over it’s 12,000 plus square miles. I must say that I enjoyed the experience tremendously but what fascinated me the most were the bees! Little pilots, or captains if you will, buzzing around a harbor trying to navigate their way into a tiny slip to find sustenance, pollen, much like us. We have navigated into the thousands of marinas throughout North America to find sustenance, usually beer!

Maybe not thousands, but there have been many. Laying there in bed this morning thinking about this leg of our 8 year journey brought many thoughts. Definitely a major check mark on the Bucket List. Over 20,000 miles by sea, rivers and lakes. A circumnavigation of North America, not quite, but in my mind, and as you get older that is what matters more, a true accomplishment. From as far south as Honduras on the East Coast as far north as Lake Superior. Thousands of miles of rivers and canals, 220 miles of the Hudson, the Illinois, the Ten-Tom, the Erie Canal, the memories, the stress. The West Coast: from Bahia de la Concepcion hundreds of miles up the Sea of Cortez around Cabo San Lucas all the way to Glacier Bay and as far north as Skagway in Alaska.

So many miles, so much scenery, so much stress. I was recently reminded of the stress by a digital add in Passagemaker magazine for “Trawlerfest” in Baltimore. The picture was of me, well the back of my head, as I was driving Independence toward the fixed bridge south of Chicago that is only 19.5 feet high (Independence was 25 feet in height but 18 with a hinge in the radar arch). The original picture was used in an article that had other pictures that Jamie took of me, one which has been used several times shows my face with a very stressful look on it as we slip underneath one of the very low clearance bridges leaving Chicago and I am looking at the next one that looks like it even has less clearance.

Stress…yes, the 20,000 plus miles have had its fair share of stress. Low bridges, shallow water, waves (not splashes) coming over the bow (of both boats) headed straight at me sitting at the helm. Not to be forgotten was the nasty storm that grounded several boats in the Bahamas that woke me in the middle of the night. The anchor dragged as the boat turned 180 degrees before it caught. Yes stress, but it was worth it. If it was easy everybody would have done it. But as I reflect it was worth it. Even the harrowing experiences added so much to memories, we survived, we did what we were supposed to do, it made the beer taste so much better once the boat was tied up or at anchor. When we were in Baha, Nordhavn sent a great guy, Doug and his lovely wife Laura, to do a 10 minute video biography on us. In the outtake at the end of the video I am talking about the stress of our travels and the anchor alarm goes off, a loud “whoop-whoop-whoop”, it’s hilarious and unscripted, as is life, as is boating!

I reflect often, but it is the reflection that I must admit truly does bother me, the mirror reflection. That expression, as I am approaching the bridges outside of Chicago, now seems to be burned into my face. Not the rugged tanned look of an old salty sailor, but of a guy who has gotten older with stress thrown in. But what the hell, I am turning 68 in a few weeks and in a few months I’ll attend my 50th High School Reunion. I am older and it beats the alternative. The important part - Jamie does not appear to be getting ready to leave me, well most of the time, so looks don’t matter as much.

Going back to the title, I have covered the Bees, and the Reflection, now the A’s and a bit more observation. Independence and Independence II cannot be any more different. Jamie and I both loved Independence, it took us over 16,000 Nautical Miles and was a big comfortable safe ocean going boat. What we did on that boat would be impossible to do on our new boat. From Honduras non stop to Florida, almost 4 straight days in open ocean through the Caribbean Sea around Cuba to Key West. The Great Lakes, the Hudson, the Mississippi, truly a great boat. No way could we have done with the Nordhavn, what we did this spring and summer with the Life Proof. It would have been so much more of “here or there”.

The reactions we get with the Life Proof have surprised me tremendously. I did not expect the attention it has received. The most frequent comment is “it’s beautiful!” - I did not expect that. I thought maybe “Bad Ass” which it does receive, but infrequently. The motors draw people, especially the men. Some are in awe, some infer that I have, how shall I say this, manly issues. I started to think it was a Socioeconomic issue, in other words the hoity toity snobs put their nose up at it. But that was not it either. Living in California I have learned “to each their own”, whatever, I don’t care. I spend a lot of time talking to people about the boat, what it has allowed us to do and how very safe the the boat is. I would say that 60% of the comments are very favorable, 20% just favorable, 10% just curios, 10% disdain.

As with the Nordhavn, the Life Proof has had issues. We had originally planned on putting it on a trailer to be trucked to Florida to do the Great Loop again but we have had to change those plans. Our boat is the first model where the cabin was extended towards the bow eliminating a cockpit area which accommodated a standard “windlass” anchoring system where our model uses a drum. The drum binds, in other words, it does not load properly like a fishing reel going back and forth. Life Proof has been very good about this and will work on it over the winter to insure that a safe, easily retrievable alternative is installed. Additional life issues have us changing our plans too, as Jamie’s Mom is in need of more care.

Lots of thought and reflections in this post. When we are done with our travels we plan on having Jamie’s Blog printed into a book, as at times it is kind of like a diary, hopefully not like a Fauci diary though!