Mirage Great Harbour 37 Trawler - Cruising Adventures

Mirage Great Harbour 37 Trawler - Cruising Adventures.

Double JJ, a Great Harbour 37 (GH-37) is now for sale. The owners, Judie and Jonathan Jenkins bought the boat in the late spring of 2005, and spent the next three years full-time cruising.

Double JJ was bought with the purpose of cruising the Inland Waterways and specifically to do The Great Loop. The first summer was spent getting used to the boat on the ICW up to the Chesapeake Bay. The next summer was spent cruising The Great Loop, up the ICW to NY then up the Hudson River across the Erie Canal to the Great Lakes then across Lake Ontario to the Trent-Severn Canal System to Georgian Bay, across Lake Huron to Lake Michigan, down to Chicago and then south on the river systems - Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and the Tenn-Tom to the Gulf of Mexico and back across Florida and back to the Bahamas for the winter. We’ve now spent three winters in the Abacos, Bahamas.

Double JJ is a wonderful boat and has exceeded all our expectations of a comfortable, easy to maintain and operate boat that has allowed us to enjoy the past three years as we accomplished our dream of full time cruising aboard. The GH-37 is economical, easy to maneouver, exceedingly comfortable, safe, and a real joy to live aboard for an extended period of time. She has more storage space than any other 37 foot boat, and the living accomodations are without a doubt the most spacious of any 37 foot boat - in fact, she has more living space than most boats much longer.

The following is a description of the adventures of Double JJ / Judie and Jonathan Jenkins.

June 2005
Left Green Cove Springs Marina on the St John’s River with the first owners of the boat, up past Jacksonville, Florida and on to Georgia where the boat was purchased.
Up the ICW (Inland Coastal Waterway) past Fernandina Beach, St Mary’s, Fredrica River, Herb River, Beaufort South Carolina, Charleston, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach.

July 2005
Cape Fear River, Topsail, Dudley’s Marina, Beaufort North Carolina, Oriental, Alligator River, Elizabeth City, Great Dismal Swamp, Norfolk.
Chesapeake Bay: Mill Creek, Tangier Island, Calvert Marina at The Solomons where we met and started cruising with Odyssey a GH-37 owned by Sue and Paul Graham.

August 2005.
Annapolis, Maryland - on a mooring ball in Luce Creek for two weeks, exploring Annapolis every day.
Baltimore, Maryland - spent two weeks in the inner harbour, exploring the waterfront every day on our bicycles.

September, 2005
Across Chesapeake Bay to Chestertown and Rock Hall for a week. Then south to Swan Creek, St Micheals - anchored in San Dominigo Creek, and on to Oxford and Cambridge, then back to the Solomons and down the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk.

October 20, 2005
Great Dismal Swamp, Elizabeth City (a wonderful place to visit), Alligator R., Eastham Crk, Morehead City, Mile Hammock Bay, Harbour Village Marina, Calabash R, Beaufort Landing, South Santee R., Tom Point Crk., Lady’s Island Marina in Beaufort S.C., Redbird Crk, Altamaha R., Cumberland Island, Jacksonville Florida, and back to Green Cove Springs on the St. John’s River.

November 2005
South again on the ICW past Melbourne, Vero Beach, and on to Lake Worth at North Palm Beach where we waited two weeks for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream to the Abacos, Bahamas.
End of November - crossed from Lake Worth to Mangrove Cay, Crab Cay, Baker’s Bay at Great Guana Cay and finally arrived in Marsh Harbour, Abacos where we rented a slip at Boat Marbour Maina at the Abacos Beach Resort.

December 2005, January 2006, February 2006, March 2006
Cruised and used our fast dingy to explore the Abacos. Visited Great Guana Cay, Hopetown on Elbow Cay, snorkeled at Mermaid Beach, kayaked at Snake Cay, visited Man-O-War Cay, Tahiti Beach, Little Harbour, Treasure Cay

April 2006
Left Boat Harbour to Grand Lucayan waterway and the Bahama Yacht Club at Freeport. Crossed the Gulf Stream - it was totally calm with ocean rollers less than 6" high - a perfect day to cross - to Lake Worth at North Palm Beach in Florida.
Cruised back up the ICW to the St John’s River to Green Cove Springs. Decided to do THE GREAT LOOP, along with Paul and Sue Graham on Odyssey, and Gene and Judy on LoQueSeA

May 2006
Cruising with Odyssey back north on the ICW. Duplin Crk., Harb R., Savanna R., Lady’s Island Marina, Stono R., Minim Crk, Little R. Inlet, Masonboro Inlet at Wrightsville Beach, Mile Hammock Bay, Campbell Crk, Dowry Crk, Belhaven, Alligator River, Elizabeth City (one of our favorite stops), Deep Creek Lock on the Great Dismal Swamp (another favorite area), and on to Norfolk at the start of the Chesapeake Bay.
Started up the Chesapeake Bay, stopping at Solomon’s.

June 2006. -
Annapolis, Chesapeake Bay C&D Canal, Cape May N.J., Tom’s River, Metedeconk R., N.Y. City where we passed the Statue of Liberty on the Hudson River, Croton-On-Hudson, Catskill Crk, Schodeck Crk, Waterford NY (another favorite stop), and on to the Erie Canal across the State of NY.
Our three Great Harbour 37 boats were joined by Sandy and Chris and their dog Sammy aboard Critcher Cat. All four boats cruised together most of the Great Loop.
Stayed on free lock walls across the Erie Canal - Amsterdam, Canajoharie, Little Falls, Utica, Sylvan Beach, Winter Haven, and up the Oswego Canal to Oswego NY on the southern edge of Lake Ontario.

July 2006
Crossed Lake Ontario (in fog thick as sea poop... er ... pea soup!). Arrived in Canada (eh?) at Trenton Ontario and went through customs in Picton Ontario. Entered the TRENT SEVERN CANAL SYSTEM and stayed on lock walls most of the way across Ontario.
Hastings, Peterborough (what an incredible set of locks!), Lakefield, Buckhorn, Bobcaygeon, Cameron L., Kirkfield, Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching, Orillia (where we picked up Jonathan’s brother Jere, and sister-in-law Laurie who travelled aboard up to Georgian Bay), The Big Chute railroad (an incredible experience), Sparrow Lake, Burrow’s Bay, Frying Pan Bay, Beausoleil Island, Echo Bay, Kilcoursie Bay, Sandy Bay, Killarney, Bustard Island, Collins Island, Mill Lake, Covered Portage Cove (which was spectacular, similar to a Norwegian Fiord)

August 2006
North Channel of Georgian Bay. Baie Fine (spectacular), Little La Clothe Island, Little Current, Spider Bay, Croker Island, Robinson Bay, Cockburn Island, and back to the USA and through US Customs at Drummond Island.
Government Bay, Macinac Island, south on Lake Michigan, Petoskey, Lake Charlevois, Leeland Marina (where Emmy our boat cat missed jumping from Double JJ to Odyssey and went swimming), Portage Lake, Pere Marquette on Lake Ludington, Pentwater Lake, and WhiteLake Marina where we left the boats for a week’s visit to the Double JJ Ranch in Michigan.

September 2006
Grand Haven, Holland, Sangatuck, Benton Harbor, Michigan City, Chicago (where we spent four days in the inner harbor right downtown. Took in the philharmonic orchestra, went to The Blue Men Group theater, the Museum and generally enjoyed living downtown for a few days) then took the Sanitary Canal south of Chicago to the Illinois River, Joliette, Ottawa, Chillicothe, joined the Mississippi River and down to Beardstown, Grafton, Material Sales in St Louis where we visited the Arch, stopped at Hoppies Marina (a little bit different!), Kaskaskia Lock, Brady’s Barge, Ohio R., Olmstead Lock, Barcklay Canal Rec Area, Kentucky River, Green Turtle Marina on Lake Barkley in Kentucky.

October 2006
Cypress Crk, Tennessee, Swallow Bluff Island, Wilson Lock, Pickwick Lake, Joe Wheeler State Park (where we attended the fall rendezvous of the America’s Great Loop Cruiser’s Association), Florence, Tenn-Tom Waterway, Piney Grove, Glover Wilkins Lock, DeWayne Hayes Rec Area, Columbus, Warsaw, Foscue Crk, Okatuppa Crk, Three Rivers.

November 2006
Tensas Cut-off, Eastern Shore Marina, Fort Walton, Laird Crk, Appalachacola, Carabelle Florida, Steinhatchee, Cross Florida Canal, Venice, across the Okeefenokee Swamp canal, LaBelle, Moore Haven, St Lucie Inlet where we completed the Great Loop and crossed our wake from last spring. The complete Great Loop took a total of eight (8) months to complete. Then south on the ICW to Lake Worth, Florida.

December 2006
Back to the Bahamas. Left Lake Worth to cross the Gulf Stream to Great Sale Cay

January 2007, February 2007, March 2007
Slip at Boat Harbour, Marsh Harbour, Abacos, Bahamas. Enjoyed the many friends we made with the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club, the warm weather, the fantastic clear water, the fish, the lobsters, and did I mention the warm weather.

April 2007
Leave Abacos via Great Sail Cay, to West End Harbour.
Across Gulf Stream to Lake Worth, through Customs. Anchorage at North Lake Worth, Faber Cove, Melbourne Harbour, Titusville, Rockhouse Creek, Fort Matanzas, St Augustine, Pine Island, Fernandina Beach, to Brunswick Landing Marina, Brunswick, Georgia.

May 2008
Rented slip at Brunswick Landing Marina (BLM) for the summer.

June, July, August, September, October 2008
We drove back to Colorado, picked up our fifth wheel RV that was stored at a friend’s ranch and spent most of the summer in Denver with Judie’s 93 year old Mother who is in a nursing home. Judie’s brother Jim, who lives in Highland’s Ranch near Denve,r has been looking after their Mother, and it was good to visit with him and his wife Marta. We also managed to spend some time up in the mountains near Gunnison, Colorado where Judie enjoyed a few days of fly fishing, and camping with her cousin Terry Began and his wife Sharon.

October 2008
Drove from Colorado to Georgia to pick up the boat.

November 2008
Boat work done at BLM - bottom paint job, new cutlass bearings, some fiberglass work to fix small nicks on bottom of hull. Ripped off by the marina yard with huge overcosts and an owner who was extremely rude and couldn't or wouldn't explain how our yard bill went from just over $2,000 (that we pre-approved on paper) to almost $12,000. We certainly will not recommend Brunswick Landing Marina although the ladies who run the marina are excellent. Beware of the owner who is one of the most rude people we've ever had the misfortune to meet.

December 2006
Left BLM, down ICW to Fernandina Beach, St Augustine (anchored beside the fort), Rockhouse Creek, Melbourne causeway anchorage, Ft Pierce Inlet, and then across the Gulf Stream to Mangrove Cay, Great Sale Cay, Green Turtle Club Marina, and finally, Boat Harbour Marina for the winter.


January, February, March 2008
Winter in the Abacos, Bahamas.

April 2008
Back to the states where we will leave the boat at Green Cove Springs in Florida with the Mirage Boat Mfg Broker to sell.