The Forecast Seems Partly Oily...

Todd and I have been watching the situation in the Gulf very closely since it began.  The Great Loop website had dedicated a whole thread to it.  The whole vision makes us feel somewhat melancholy with all the planning we've done as well as our growing excitement for 'cast off'.

The Loopers in the area are scampering to rivers and lakes north of Mobile Bay.  Their talk it peppered with seeing boats working the slick bringing tricklings of oil into the Bay when they come home, places to run their boats in the rivers and lakes to avoid the inevitable, and concerns of flood waters coming from the north with debris that could damage their boats.  If we think we've got problems as we anticipate the 'what if's, all we have to do it consider the boaters that are already in the Gulf or in the area of Mobile Bay.  We are fortunate.

So where are we in the 'what if's ?  Todd and I do continue working toward the final goal and 'cast off' date (August 12, 2010).  Yesterday Todd did more research on the Loop while I researched digital cameras.  However at the end of the day, we were still saying,"What will we do if...".  Neither of us wants to dive into that depressing dark hole.

We've decided two decision points, June and August.  If the Gulf Oil Spill is still unresolved by June (the well continues to pump with no relief in sight), we may consider taking the Eastern route out to the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway and going to Florida and the Keys to winter.  Should the Gulf Stream pick up the oil and send it up the Atlantic, my preference would be to take Ocean Breeze to the Thousand Islands, go into Montreal, Quebec, CA and follow the summer side of the Great Loop.  We would bring the boat back by way of Lake Huron instead of going down Lake Michigan to Chicago and the rivers, delaying the rest of the Loop until next year.

Should BP have the secondary rigs actively pumping mud into the bleeding well by June, it would make sense to continue active planning with no diversion.  We would be able to abort the trip the first of August and, realistically, even in September if necessary.  We won't magically be sucked from Chicago into the the river system and carried ultimately to Mobile Bay.  At any point, we can turn 180* and bring Ocean Breeze back to her dock in the clean water of Lake Erie.

Time to get out the worry stone and rub a little!