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OLOH will be chasing 80 (degrees) this season*

Time For a Latitude Adjustment

As the leaves begin to fall and the temps continue to drop, it is just about time for the OLOH Crew to make our way south once again.  Our working plan is to begin cruising in a few weeks and we’ll likely be on the move most, if not every good weather day. We’ll be applying our approach of only cruising when it will be enjoyable, not simply tolerable, which makes a big difference in our overall enjoyment of this journey. While we’re not on a schedule, we anticipate arriving in the Hilton Head area by Thanksgiving week over the course of 17-19 travel days.

We’ve been very busy at work on OLOH with several upgrades and repairs along with regular and preventative maintenance and feel as ready as possible for the season ahead. Among other things, we appear to have finally resolved a longstanding issue with our autopilot by replacing our heading sensor. It’s perhaps the most critical component on our autopilot system which is an essential part of our navigational gear and it has been degrading in reliability for a few years, so this was a big win.

‘Round and ’round we go. It takes around one and a half circles on a calm day to calibrate our heading sensor and this is what that track looks like. It was no small victory when the autopilot’s display proclaimed our calibration to be a success!

 We replaced our galley fridge over the summer (which failed after a mere five years) and the Admiral has been hard at work on the exhausting job of replacing the trim that surrounds it. The addition of a Starlink high performance dish has been a game changer with the consistency of our connectivity and allowed for a long-desired upgrade of our on-board audio system to now include SONOS components, a favorite in our world. We’ve also updated some furnishings and soft goods which always freshens things up. With all of the effort spent on boats on stuff you never see, we find it an important balance to put energy in the the aesthetic as well.

Out with the old… This LG fridge was awesome. Until it wasn’t. What a disappointment after only 5 1/2 years.

Having now done the trip between New York and the Florida Keys several times, we admittedly don’t anticipate it with the same wonder and enthusiasm as we once did so we’re simply trying to be relaxed about it and will hopefully figure out some new ways to make it interesting. As much as we hope to try some new stops along the way, we have learned what marinas we like and what works well for our needs, and comfort in the familiar helps to balance out the inevitable challenges of this trip. We’ll be posting daily on Facebook and Instagram so p[ease be sure to follow us on those platforms if you don’t already. We hope that you’re able to feel like your a part of our adventure and, as always, we love to hear from you with any comments or questions.

See you out there…

*One of the great highlights of our summer was a rendezvous with the Chasing 80 Crew at our home port after their trip up from Florida. Their beautiful Chris Craft bears the inspired name that is a shared pursuit among us. And  if it happens to be a little warmer than 80°, we’ll deal.


 

This Post Has 22 Comments

  1. Hello gentlemen! Thanks for this update. Can’t wait to follow your journey. My wife and I love the channel. Great news about updates. Though don’t you wish they made appliances to last like they used to???!! What the heck! Anywho, we’re sure the admiral has it under control. We sadly just put our 41’ away for the winter as the water turns hard up here in Georgian bay, so really need to have you guys help us through the winter as we live vicariously through your adventures. Big rub for Jasper and see you soon on the big screen (we stream onto our main TV screen in our home or boat, lol)
    1. Thanks so much for your kind note - we're so glad you're along for the ride and that we can provide some vicarious boating enjoyment while yours is tucked away (you've got to do something about that). Jasper says thanks for the extra love!
  2. “Bears” not “bares” or is there a subtly elusive pun ? Will be interested to know diesel prices along your always interesting trek.
    1. Ha! Spell check getting the better of us but maybe you're onto something there. We suspect diesel prices won't be a fun part of the trip and will likely be around where they were when we last came north in 2022 - we'll be tracking that. Also of note is that most marinas along the route have raised rates, some not insignificantly since last year. But hey, our autopilot is working and our fridge is cold!
  3. Me and my GF watch your channel religiously. Enjoy all your adventures. We just purchased a 341 Meridian Sedan which we will be taking from NY to Florida the first week of November. Hopefully we both get great weather for ride down. It will be our first time doing the trip. Would love some helpful tips if possible … thanks
    1. Hey Paddy - thanks so much for the kind words. How very exciting about your new boat and trip! We'll shoot you an email with some thoughts.
  4. Just recently started seeing your posts. Don't go on facebook too often, but started getting notifications!! Wonderful to feel as if I'm sharing your journeys with you!! Much love to you both. Maybe this year I'll go visit Marty in Port St Lucie & we'll make the drive to meet you, wherever you are. We'd really love that!! Hugs & Kisses, Amy Sue (my facebook name ????). Happy Birthday a few weeks early AJ ????????????????
  5. WoW! So happy to learn you will be "on the move south" soon. Safe travels. When you navigate the Caloosahatchee River and get to LaBelle, there is a new "Tiki Hut" on your starboard side (just past the Hwy 29 bridge) with docking accommodations where you will find a wonderful food/drinks menu (can't possibly upstage the Admiral's creations, but good nonetheless) and plenty of grass for Jasper. We'll be following and enjoying your journey!
    1. Glad you'll be along for the ride and thanks for the suggestion. Don't think we'll be crossing the lake this year but that sounds like our kind of place!
  6. Looking forward to updates about the southward migration. Will you be putting together YouTube posts of the trip?
    1. Thanks! And that's our plan. We'll be posting close to real-time on Facebook/Instagram but hope to compile new YouTube videos about the trip once we're settled in.

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