Following their dreams, Bob and Karen Jones set out from Corpus Christi, Texas, in their 15 year-old, 30-foot sailboat, Watercolors, to explore the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts taking them to Chesapeake Bay. Their adventure mostly follows America's Intracoastal Waterway that winds through remote bays and inlets formed by numerous barrier islands. In these estuaries, they encounter an abundance of osprey, pelicans, herons, ducks, geese, cormorants, and dolphins, as well as the rarer bald eagles and whooping cranes. The Waterway also leads to villages and towns that make their livelihood from the water as is very much evident in the delicious oysters, blue crab, and shrimp served up at local cafes. Other stops are at major seaports including Galveston, New Orleans, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Savannah, and Charleston which serve a delightful dose of history extending back to early colonial times.The Chesapeake is an ideal cruising ground with villages such as Deltaville, Onancock, Crisfield, St. Michaels, and Oxford wedded to the water by crabbing, oystering, and boatbuilding. Bob and Karen enjoy exploring rivers with such enticing names as Wicomico, Choptank, Piankatank, Rappahannock, Patapsco, and Potomac, as well as the major cities of Baltimore and Washington, and the sailing center of Annapolis. In the late fall they return to Florida where they abandon their plans to return to Texas in the spring in favor of returning to the Chesapeake for further sailing adventures and a chance to traverse the Dismal Swamp.They encounter the usual cruising challenges of navigation, dragging anchors, provisioning, mechanical and electric breakdowns, water leaks, and approaching hurricanes.Karen's Living Aboard sections describe life aboard a boat for many months from a women's perspective.Bob's Nature Notebook sections explore conservation efforts preserving wetlands and migrating birds as well as looking at future challenges of overfishing, protecting sea turtles, and rising sea levels.303 pages, 109 B&W photographs, 3 maps
About the Author: Bob and Karen were experienced sailors on inland lakes, but then they took on the new challenge of extended coastal sailing along America's Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. Karen was a former teacher, parent of two children, and caregiver who has become a watercolor artist. Bob is a retired research scientist with an ongoing interest in nature and the environment.