It has been awhile since the last post, so, we thought it was time for an update. We have decided that it is time to change our cruising grounds. Instead of the inter coastal waterways around Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, we will be cruising the canals and rivers of Europe.
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Map showing some of the waterways in Europe
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To accomplish this, we need to have a different type of boat. Hence, our trunk cabin trawler, C.A.R.I.B. II, is for sale. Once we sell her, we will be looking to purchase a Dutch barge, similar to the one pictured below.
We recently attended a barge rally in Auxerre, France, where there were 31 barges that we had a chance to check out and talk with their owners. This rally celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Dutch Barge Association (DBA) which we joined to help us with questions and planning for this new adventure. This organization is very similar to the America's Great Loop Cruisers Association (AGLCA) which we were members of while doing the Loop. Attending the rally answered many of our questions and has given us a fairly good idea of what to look for once C.A.R.I.B. II is sold.
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| 2017 DBA 25th Anniversary Rally, Auxerre, France |
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This barge in the front is in the "Dunkirk" movie released in July 2017, its wheelhouse is down in this picture, so it will look a little different in the movie.
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Below is Auxerre, France, and shows some of the views we will experience as we cruise the canals and rivers of Europe.
Our plan is to spend summers in Europe and return to St. Petersburg, FL, for winters. However, there is one "catch" to this plan...our cat, Zipper. She's now 19 years old and still looking pretty good. At her age, we don't think a trip overseas would be good for her, so we may have to satisfy ourselves with shorter trips as long as she is still with us. But, one step at a time.
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