Today, Dec. 7 2000, we reached our resting place here in Daytona, Florida. We left Port Washington in Wisconsin on July 7, 5 months to the day ago. During that time, we have covered 3133 statute miles, an average of 21 miles per day (however we did not run every day). We have averaged 9 miles per hour, 5 hours per day for an average daily run of 40 miles. We went as fast a 20 mph at times. Generally our fast cruise was 15 and our slow cruise was 8.5. Our longest day was 78 miles (which we have done twice), our shortest only a couple of miles. One day, we did 10 locks. Our farthest north was just a bit over 46 degrees North Latitude and we and currently at our farthest south, at about 30 degrees N (finally south of San Diego)!

We have crossed Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, The Georgian Bay Small Craft Route, the Trent-Severn Canal, Lake Ontario, Erie Canal, Hudson River, New Jersey ICW, Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River, and Atlantic ICW. During this time we have locked up or down 85 times. We have never had an incident or accident but we have touched ground 3 times (twice in Trent-Severn, once in Chesapeake) with no damage any time other than a minor ding in the starboard prop which I will finally hammer out here before going on.

Indiscipline, our 1985 Wellcraft Californian with our twin Caterpillar 3208 NAs, has performed very, very well. One engine coolant hose broke. One radiator clamp leaked. Those have been the only mechanical problems. We averaged 1.4 miles per gallon. We ran about 615 engine hours on each engine. . We put about 300 hours on our Onan 4.0 KW generator with one fuse blown and one leaking radiator clamp.

Other broken items: radio antenna masts broken on low bridge and on a tree overhanging the Trent Severn canal. Sawed off masts and continued to use old antennas. VHF flybridge radio kaput. Replaced. Electric stove burner glass broke. Replaced. Nissan 8 HP outboard constantly overheating. Replaced with new 5 HP Mercury. Constant sewing repairs to flybridge canvas. Amy stepped through the forepeak hatch bug screen. Sewed up. Bug screens for salon doors made in route. Salon chair folded up when I sat on it. Replaced. Fixed backflow valve in toilet. All in all this is a very short list - we have not even replaced a light bulb in all this time!

Maintenance performed: Oil change, filter change, stuffing boxes adjusted once, fresh water and sump pump filters cleaned. Batteries topped off monthly. Daily engine room check.

While we ate dinner tonight at Pizza Hut, we recalled some of our best and worst times.

Favorite Beach: Kids - Manasquan Inlet and Beach Boardwalk in New Jersey. Also Cape May. Adults - Cumberland Island, Georgia

Favorite Dinner: All agree - Cow and Pig pub in Fenlon Falls, Ontario

Favorite Place: Kids - Meldrum Bay, Ontario. Adults - Croaker Island in the Benjamins

Favorite Lock: All agree - Healy Falls, Ontario

Favorite Critter sighting: Kids - armadillos in Cumberland Island, Karen - minks in Meldrum Bay, Jim - racoons in the boat at Healy Falls.

Favorite Fishing moment: Kids - catching Blue Gills at Pentwater, MI, Jim - Coho at Sheboygan, WI, Karen - Pikeral at Fenlon Falls, Ontario

Most exciting storm: Kids- the thunderstorm on the Erie Canal, Adults - waterspouts at Sheboygan, WI.

Favorite marina/town: Kids - Pentwater, MI, Jim-Solomons, Md.

Favorite side trip: Washington DC

Favorite free dock (tie between The Shrimp Box at Manasquan Inlet and North Carolina Welcome Station, no, the NC Welcome station was better)

Worst Memories:

Shipping the boat

Nor'easter Storm at Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Being out of food in New York City

Every time we crossed the Chesapeake (especially both encounters with Smith Point)

The best part has been the people, boats and crews met along the way. This was a surprise. I was expecting lots of sunsets in quiet anchorages, empty beaches, and fishing, but the best part has been making new friends. Without question we have met some great people.

Hi from San Diego! We have returned home to a life of unimagined comfort! We can take power and water and heat for granted (well almost). We can sleep in big beds and nothing is damp. We have all the gadgets of modern life. We have private rooms! We can lay on a couch and watch cable TV!

In 6 months of constant activity, most of those things were forgotten. We didn't really miss anything until we returned home. The kids are spending a lot of their time playing alone in their rooms, or we drive them to friends. They have gone to the regular school every day after school to meet and play with old friends.

When I was planning this trip on TWL last year, someone wrote to me about our choice of boat "Yes, you can do it, but you won't be comfortable". That has been found to be true. It was not much of an issue in the summer. In the summer we could tie up to a lock wall, eat on the picnic tables, the kids could run and play all over the lock area, there were other kids around, and it was light until 9 PM. But fall on the ICW has been a different story. Rain and cold means we can't eat in the cockpit. That makes the boat smaller. It also means that the kids can't play and pass time up in the flybridge (when the boat is at rest). Even though I added bright night lights up there for them, it is too cold and dark up there much of the time. That makes the salon and living spaces of Indiscipline so much smaller.

To anyone who may be planning a trip like this, or a great circle, or something similar, I can offer the following advice. Many of the old hands on TWL can of course skip this because they know so much more than I!

(1) Make sure the boat is comfortable. I would say a regular queen size bed for us as a couple is mandatory on our next boat. The kids bunks in a shared stateroom have not been a problem. A galley separate from the salon is mandatory - don't want to have people trying to play games, eat or relax and watch TV in the galley space. Salon couch, comfortable chairs, reading lights, and coffee table is needed. Too much crowding makes tension and stress. The kids need a space of their own and the ability to get away from each other or parents for their own time. To me, this would mean a boat minimum in the 40 to 45 foot range for a family of 4 (ours is 35 to 40). Other very desirable traits: office space and workshop space with a place to mount a vice (these will be hard requirements for me on our next voyage).

Speaking of workshop, I took all kinds of tools and used them all. A drill is essential, as are wrenches and sockets and visegrips of all kinds. Spare hardware, radiator clamps, and sealant. What I didn't take was woodworking tools. Who would need a crosscut saw on a fiberglass boat? Wrong. I will be taking my wood tools back with me in the airplane.

(2) Our all electric boat has not been a problem except for one thing - if you are planning on cruising the ICW in the fall a diesel heater is nearly a must. I will not run our generator all night and that means we have to turn off the electric heat when not at a marina. Boats we have been on with diesel heaters are warm, dry, and comfortable. Our flybridge is not heated but fully enclosed and weather tight. That was OK.

(3) It is comfortable to pilot the boat from the flybridge while school and play is going on down below. A separate pilot house or flybridge station that is comfortable, weather proof, and has some kind of method for keeping the forward windows rain free is required. Lack of heat up there was never a problem. Days were not that cold. No one except locals travels at night. Not having windshield wipers on the isinglass was a big problem. Rain-X didn't work. I still have not solved this one. Mainly, we don't go when it is raining hard.

(4) Our ground tackle - a 45 lb CQR on 100 feet of chain followed by 300 feet of 5/8 nylon worked fine. In fact, we never set more than the chain, almost always anchored in less than 10 feet of water (once in 4 feet). In 95% of all anchoring situations, the boat rode to the chain alone - the anchor rarely felt much of a pull. However, there was some really bad holding in the Georgian Bay laying to weeds and the CQR doesn't set well in hard sand. For the sand you need the Danforth. We have a 25 lb and a 15. For the weeds nothing helps much but getting as much weight on the bottom as possible. The CQR did OK. The Danforth did nothing. I once set two anchors plus a line to shore before a storm. Lines to shore are used everywhere in the North Channel. We carry 250 feet of 1/2 inch nylon for this. Almost every time it takes a couple of times to get the main anchor set where I want it. It is no fun to up anchor and try again but it has to happen. Unlike the Danforth, don't drop the CQR and let out chain/rope and back down hard. It takes a long time and a very gentle pull to dig in and set the CQR in most bottoms.

What is needed is a hose and a water pump for cleaning the chain and anchor as it comes up. We have one - but it doesn't work and we use a bucket. That will need to be fixed. Otherwise the boat gets so dirty and muddy. A power windlass is a must. Ours works great. It only lifts up and that is all we need. I lay and weigh the anchor while Karen does the boat. If I drive and Karen sets I never know if it has really grabbed. I have to know, so I have to do it. I think if you tried to have a fully automatic remote operated windlass you would never know if it was set.

When lifting, it is not the 45 lb CQR - it is the weight of 100 feet of chain and pulling against the wind and current that gets you. By the way, we have anchored in places with 5 knot currents that reverse with the tide plus 15 knot winds and never even laid against the anchor. We use an anchor buoy and it is great to be able to see where the anchor is and if it is dragging the buoy goes under. It is funny to see the buoy off your stern when the current reverses and the boat is lying to the chain.

(5) A long range between fuel stops is nice, but not really needed on this trip. We only twice went as far as 250 miles between fill ups with our 400+ mile range. What range buys you is the ability to keep going until you find fuel at a decent price. Everyone takes credit cards (we use a debit card) and there are ATM machines everywhere.

Speaking of range, it is the range between water and pump-outs that is more important. I have seen pumpouts that cost $35. Usually, they are $5 to $10. A way to pump overboard when the legal distance offshore is a must! Ours works, and it is really important. Our 75 gallon water and 40 gallon waste worked out OK, but.... We have a rule: When you can go to the bathroom ashore, you must go to the bathroom ashore. Plus we put as much toilet tissue as possible in the trash, not the tank. 40 gallons of waste tank fills very fast with 4 people aboard. Water was never a problem, although we use it carefully. We drink and make coffee from jugs. 6 gallons lasts a week. We carry 12 gallons. We can go 2 weeks on water, even with 4 people taking a shower once every couple of days. Trash storage is very important and never properly designed into boats. I have toured a cruisers boat who proudly showed me a full size trash can built into the galley. Others proudly show off manually powered compactors. Keep this in mind at the boat show. After several days in the wild anchorages, we often arrive with a dinghy full of black plastic trashbags. Some places charge $ for trash disposal. We try to throw away all packaging after shopping and before storage.

By the way, you need to be able to carry 2 weeks of food, and always have things like soup and Dinty Moore Beef Stew stashed for when you run out of everything are in a remote place where it is hard to shop, like New York City! Bread is the hardest to keep and I wish I took my bread machine. (Bread spoils so quickly on a boat). We compensate by making a lot of Bisquick biscuts.

(6) Everything, everywhere we went was more expensive than we expected. Diesel fuel was between $1.23 per gallon and over $2.00. Usually around $1.50. Dockage was from free, to $0.50/foot to a high of $2.50/foot. $1/foot I considered fair. $40 per night for 6 months will pay for a really good anchoring system, chain, generator, fuel, etc. Nights at anchor were often the best. We also seem to get going about an hour earlier those mornings, even with the need to take the dog to shore. That said, by far we docked most nights. It is a must for us in really cold weather. Of course every night in the canals dockage was "free" (no electric) so why anchor.

The Onan 4 KW costs about $0.50/hr to operate, or less. Get a sound shield. I wish I could build one in right now, even though most people say ours is quiet. Keeping it quiet inside the boat is a must. Only 1 person has ever complained about noise outside and that was sharing dockage inside a lock - he was directly across from our exhaust so he moved. We have a CO/Smoke detector mounted right by the hatch and near our beds - it is loud enough to wake the dead. It has never gone off except when starting the mains on a cold morning with diesel smoke coming in the rear doors.

Speaking of the Onan, the Statpower Invertor works great and we use it all the time. Next time, I would get a 2000W or even a 3000W. Even though I calculated our AC needs at 85 Watts and so bought a 1000W, every day we plug more things into it. We have 400 amp-hours capacity on the house bank and I am going to expand it to 600.

One thing Arlid didn't tell me about the Statpower is that it has a fan that comes on when it gets warm. This fan makes a lot of noise. This is not a quiet hum like a computer fan. The fan is on about 75% of the time. Not noticable when underway or when the boat is busy, it seems loud at night. Ours unit is mounted in the salon and perhaps next time I would put it in a locker or find some way to shield it to make it quiet.

One other thing, on the subject of fuel, we carried 3 gallons of gas for the dinghy plus another 3 gallons in a spare tank. After 6 months we have finally used up the first 3 gallons! IE. that 2nd tank was quite un-needed! I guess if we ever needed the dinghy as a liferaft we could have used it.

This makes me think about transportation. We carried our bikes and rarely used them. Plus they rusted. I would not take them again. A couple of times, however, they were the only way we could get to a store. So maybe they are important. I wish I had taken a kayak instead. If Karen takes the dinghy to shore and can't start the outboard there is no way I can get over there short of swimming. Sometimes that is not possible (cold water and she is a mile away). So she learns to row. Before the Bahamas I will store the bikes and buy or trade for a kayak.

(7) a salon VHF is very nice to have and it should be turned onto Channel 16 all the time. You will make many friends and they will call you when they are going by and you're anchored or docked. Or someone may be coming into the dock very late and want a hand. Or it could be one of the many days you are not going anywhere and your friends are simply calling to see where you are. Even though most people have cell phones and email, the radio is still most used. I can't remember ever calling another boat on the cell phone although it is essential for calling marinas and making reservations or getting directions. You would be surprised how many don't answer the radio but get the phone on the first ring. And you can call and make a reservation from 100 miles away.

One friend carries a handheld VHF everywhere, even in town. He got a call saying his anchor was dragging (the caller thought they were aboard and was simply calling the boat - however we were all in town shopping). You should have seen them fly back to their boat! Because of this no damage occurred other than badly tangled rodes.

(8) Everyone has email, Pocketmail is very popular. We use a cell phone modem, it has worked everywhere. It was very expensive in Canada. Boat cards are a must. Everyone has them and if you don't you will feel left out when everyone is exchanging them. Still, many times you don't get around to giving them out. We have a guest log where we write the boat's name, where we met them, the crews name and the dog's name. If they are cruisers, you WILL see them again. It is real nice to be able to look up people's names as their boat is coming in and then say "Hi Jane! Didn't we meet you in Deltaville last October?". And ask about your friends. Probably they have met them - everyone seems to know everyone. The coconut telegraph is real!

(9) When having mail sent, have your person put it all in one envelope or box and send Federal Express. Don't be tempted to try to save money with some other carrier. They handle customs and international delivery better. We always call the mail destination and get their permission to receive our box. You need their street address. Call and arrange at least 7 to 9 days in advance. Sometimes planning where you will be in 7 days is very hard to do. There is nothing worse than waiting through a good weather window or at a place you don't like for mail. I have always had my prescription meds put in the box and this has never been a problem except when Fed-X was not used.