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Naming one's boat is a lot like trying to name a child. It's a never ending search for that special something that rings well to your ears, while trying your best to allow every stranger turned acquaintance to recognize you. We looked at an array of cute names, and a few drastic names, such as "Haluskanations" but after committing to the Defever with all of its traditional lines and character, we wanted a traditional name that would show the dignity of our new home on the water.
After much thought, the name "Emery el" came to mind. Emery is a family name that has been handed down through several generations of our paternal family tree. It is the very name of my father, Emery Louis. I also share this name, along with my son, as a middle 'family' name.
It is here that the name takes a twist, as my 1st grandchild inherited this name, Emery Elizabeth. It has been a pleasure to have the name passed on and now represent both genders and true to form, my granddaughter is every bit an 'Emery' that her forefathers were.
For the love of one's family and the pride in one's passion, it was only fitting that Emery would carry on a little farther.
Thanks first go to J.C. Kennedy and his traveling companion John White for planting the seed for this journey so many years ago with their pictures and presentation on their trip, something called the "Great Loop".
I also want to thank all of my many friends in the U.S. Power Squadron and the USCG Auxiliary; their encouragement and the continued promotion of all things boating.
I want to thank, Tom Little, the previous owner of the Emery El, then called Kalani. He spent two days with me explaining over and over the systems on the boat. I am sure he shook his head when we finally pulled off his dock.
A very special thanks goes to the crew of friends who assisted me in bringing the Emery El home from Punta Gorda Fl, to the Tennessee River. Thanks goes to John Clark, Andy Nuckolls, Reese Austin, and Rudy Schiffer. Each of them spent approximately a week on the boat putting up with a skipper that was extremely nervous, learning how to drive a heavy two engine power boat.
I also need to thank JC Kennedy and Gary Wildman for their support. They were both in Florida at the same time I was getting the boat and served as tremendous sounding boards throughout my journey.
And last but not least, I offer thanks on bended knee to my son for his encouragement and my wife for her total confidence and support.
The blog will chronicle the journeys and adventures we share aboard the Emery El, listing our most recent entries at the top. If you want to start at the beginning, scroll to the bottom (CTRL+END) and work your way back up! Please be sure to check the bottom of the page for links to possible previous pages!
The Blog Menu will list archives of blog entries from previous months. Click any of these to review the notes from that month.
Yes. If you would like to receive a weekly email update you may sign up here: email me updates.
The "Highlights" section contains our favorite pictures from all of our cruises. And the "Daily Pics" section contains pictures from each leg of our trip in reverse chronological order, just like in the blog.
After many hours of thought, sleepless nights, daydreams and apples, we have decided to embark on our biggest journey yet, The Great Loop.
In November 2008, We are planning to leave Aqua Harbor, departing the Tennessee river system, heading south through the Tombgbee Waterway to the Gulf
of Mexico. From there we will head east to Florida's North Coast, across the Gulf to Florda's West Coast. We will then head down around the Florday Keys
and back up the eastern seaboard through the entre length of the Chesepeake Bay, down the Delaware Bay, around Cape May and up the Jersey shore to New York City.
After being greeted by the Statue of Liberty, we plan to head up the Hudson river to Canada, cross the Great Lakes and return south via the Chicago, Illinoise,
Missippi, and Ohio rivers and then back up the Tennessee River to our home port.
We hope to complete this journey within 12 months, in time to celebrate a nice Thanksgiving with family.
What makes it Great is not the miles traveled nor the days that pass, but putting the color back into the film of our memories. The greatness is seeing our beautiful country from a whole new perspective, while sharing it all with you that are joining us for the ride.
Thank you again for coming along, we hope we all enjoy each day!
The Emery el is a 49' Defever trawler built in 1986 at the Sen Koh Ship Building, Kaohaiung Taiwan.
I currently have no information regarding the original owner.
The second owner was Tom Little of Punta Gorda, FL. The boat name was "Kalani". Tom cherished her for about 12 years, taking several trips to the Bahama's and other caribean islands. When I purchased her from Tom on April 1, 2008, she was in fine shape and ready to move on. My first 10 days were spent getting used to her systems, outfitting her for the trip home, and getting her name changed to the "Emery el". We then departed for Tennessee. We made our way north up the West Coast of FL, across the Gulf from Tampa Bay to the North Coast of FL, then west to Alabama and up the Tombigbee Waterway to the Tennessee River.
The plans are to make the Tenn River my home base for the summer, getting the boat ready for the big trip this fall.
| Make | 1986 Defever |
|---|---|
| Model | Raised Pilothouse, Plan B |
| Hull | Fiberglass |
| Stablilized | Naiad | Hull & Deck |
| Builder | Sen Kouh Ship Building Kaohaiung, Taiwan |
| Designer | Arthur Defever | Dimensions |
| LOA | 49' 9" |
| Draft | 4' 6" |
| Beam | 15' | Power |
| Manufacturer | Ford/Lehman |
| Engine(s) HP | 135 hp Diesel |
| Model | 2725E |
| Hours | 2600 |
| Cruising Speed | 8 kn |
| Max Speed | 10 kn | Capacities & Weight |
| Displacement | 50,000 gal |
| Fuel | 800 gal |
| Water | 500 gal |
Naming one's boat is a lot like trying to name a child. It's a never ending search for that special something that rings well to your ears, while trying your best to allow every stranger turned acquaintance to recognize you. We looked at an array of cute names, and a few drastic names, such as "Haluskanations" but after committing to the Defever with all of its traditional lines and character, we wanted a traditional name that would show the dignity of our new home on the water.
After much thought, the name "Emery el" came to mind. Emery is a family name that has been handed down through several generations of our paternal family tree. It is the very name of my father, Emery Louis. I also share this name, along with my son, as a middle 'family' name.
It is here that the name takes a twist, as my 1st grandchild inherited this name, Emery Elizabeth. It has been a pleasure to have the name passed on and now represent both genders and true to form, my granddaughter is every bit an 'Emery' that her forefathers were.
For the love of one's family and the pride in one's passion, it was only fitting that Emery would carry on a little farther.
Captain
Chef
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Medical Officer