After a great few weeks cruising and learning about Elvin Ray, the trip was marred by a flat tire caused by inattention, a near disaster on the interstate caused by the incompetence of the SeaTow contractor who changed the tire, and the exhaustion caused by it all.  

Since it has been a little while since we updated the blog, thought we would share a few photos of rare peaceful moments in our recent two week adventure that had us heading out from Holden Beach, NC and traveling up to Norfolk, VA.  This two week trip deserves a good long blog entry, but you will have to wait a bit longer for that.

We were on our way east on I-10, after the tire change by the guy sent by SeaTow. Over the years of towing boats, I’ve learned to always be aware of the sounds and vibrations that come with the territory. My senses were on high alert now that we were towing a large, heavy trailer with an expensive boat on it. Most often, a change in road conditions, such as asphalt to concrete, cause a change in sound and “feel”. Sometimes, however, it’s an indication that something is wrong. 

There was one thing that happened on our cruise back to Pensacola that I didn’t mention in the last post: the holding tank filled up. It’s really the only system on the boat that doesn’t have a monitor on it. It had been about 24 hours since the pump out at The Wharf marina in Alabama - it couldn’t be full, could it?  Well, it was. We learned that we have to pay attention to pump outs. The only thing that could have happened is that we didn’t get a full pump out in Alabama. I called ahead to marinas in the Pensacola area, but the hurricane damage left all of them without pump out capabilities.  A minor inconvenience that would mean we wouldn’t be able to use the bathroom until we arrived at the boat ramp. It also meant that we would be leaving Pensacola with a full tank of crap, which reminds us of this famous scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation...no worries, we didn’t do what Cousin Eddie did. 

Recap:  We are at the Baytown Marina that is part of the Sandestin Resort in Miramar Beach, Florida.  Read more in our last blog post.

We had headed west from Pensacola on a relatively short cruise to Orange Beach, Alabama.  Now, it was time to extend our range and head east on a cruise that would be more than eighty miles.  Eighty miles - that doesn’t seem like much in an automobile.  Just a little more than an hour of interstate driving.  On the water, however, it’s quite a journey, especially in unfamiliar territory.  

We woke up on Sunday (Nov 22) at The Wharf Marina ready to start the next cruising adventure. After breakfast at the Southern Grind Coffee House, we went back to the boat and started getting ready to go. This involves stowing everything that can move. It also involves setting up navigation plans, plotting routes, checking weather, verifying bridge heights, etc. 

Let’s recap the week so far:

We had originally planned to cruise around the Pensacola area for a few days to get familiar with our new boat.  While we’ve been boating on some type of craft for more than 20 years, this was a whole new level of fun, but also complexity.  It’s seemed like going from a bicycle to a motorcycle - the basic principles are the same, but that’s about it.   We went from a boat that had a single battery to one that has five.  We had a good trainer, though, and it was time to see what we had learned.  

We got to Pensacola on November 15th, with our training to start on November 17th.  Edgewater and Ranger Tugs make sure you are familiar with your new boat before you set off on your own.  Even though Elvin Ray is relatively small, she has all the systems of a much larger boat.  For example: she has seven water pumps serving different functions.  She has three bilge pumps, a raw water wash down pump, a fresh water pump serving two different sinks, a raw water pump for the air conditioning/heat, and a pump for the shower drain.  Cruising is serious business.  If your boat (or a system on your boat) breaks down, you can’t just park it and walk to a store. And, if you know Dave, you know he will study and learn everything there is to know about his boat. 

We ordered Elvin Ray, our 2021 Ranger Tug R-23, in June of 2020.  The COVID-19 pandemic was well underway.  We chose Edgewater Yacht Sales (ModernTugs.com) as the dealer we wanted to work with.  

It was mid-June. We had just finished the test ride and were sold. We completely loved being on the water in the R-23. While we sat with Emile to place the order for our Ranger Tug R-23, we were surrounded by many other Ranger Tugs, as well as many other boats at the Oyster Bar Marina in Pensacola, Florida. Edgewater Yacht Sales was on the first floor, with the restaurant on the second floor. There were R-23’s scheduled for Edgewater in October and November - everything else was already sold.