NEW BOATING FRIENDS & ACQUAINTANCES

Sept. 28 - Oct. 8 - Meeting and getting to know other boaters is one of the highlights of our trip. Since we arrived back at Goose Pond in Scottsboro, AL two weeks ago, every day several boats arrive and stay for a night or two. Many of them are doing the Great Circle (Loop) trip and are arriving in this area now. There is a AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruisers Assn.) rendezvous scheduled for Oct. 23-25 at Joe Wheeler State Park, and many of these folks plan to attend. Some of them are just starting the Loop and will be wintering down in Florida while others left home in the Spring and are on the downleg of their long cruise.

Just to give you an idea, some of the Loopers we have met are Ralph & Ann from Ft. Lauderdale, Rick & Betsy on Rick & Roll from Sneads Ferry, NC, Joe & Joyce on Takitez II from Goderich, ON, Bill & Nancy on Watauga from Oak Ridge, TN, and Marty & Barbara on Glory Be II from Finksburg, MD.

In additions to the Loopers, there are other boaters coming and going who are either up here on the Tenn River to stay away from hurricanes (like us) or just out for a Fall cruise. On our anniversary (Sept. 28), Don & Rosie Peck from Spring, TX aboard Just Rosie arrived, and they joined us for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. The next evening they invited us for dinner aboard Just Rosie, and we had a great evening together. Top photo, l. to r.: Don, Ron Wilkerson & his girlfriend Dianne from Huntsville, Lee Wooten (on staff here at Goose Pond Colony), Charlotte & & Bill. Middle photo: Rosie on left.

There is a boatyard here at the marina, and Bill enjoys watching the work going on there. He got to know Greg Raasch from Minnesota who was doing some extensive work on a yacht in the yard, and he quickly observed that Greg is extremely talented. Greg's wife is back in Minnesota, so we invited him for dinner on Oct. 5. He & Bill had a lively exchange on yacht maintenance and restoration.