South Carolina

The day started off nice but quickly deteriorated after we passed through Calibogue Sound just south of Hilton Head. To get to Beaufort (B'you Fert) we had to cross an even larger sound, Port Royal, and the effects of tropical storm Ana were still plaguing us so we decided to call it quits and get a slip at a marina that was just south of the sound. Perfect.

Our traveling companions (Neil and Susan) were right behind us but decided to proceed on. We got an email the next day that they had arrived in Beaufort in a "cloud of salt spray". Nothing we would miss.

Skull Creek Marina had a nice long face dock protected from the NE wind by the other boats so we called them up and tied up with no problem. Rate was reasonable, very nice people and hot showers! This is looking over all the boats towards the marina office.

Hilton Head is one of those prestigious islands with lots of private "plantations" or gated communities.

The marina had free loaner bikes so we had a nice long bike ride on paved biking trails through the very nice homes, golf courses, and country clubs to the beach where we went for a walk. Good to get some exercise. Of course we forgot to take the camera!

Nice quiet evening and off the next morning early for an easy run up the sound. Saw this mega yacht anchored in the sound. It's hard to it make out but in the aft side there is a "garage" where they could keep several boats. Nuts.

Just as you start to go up the Beaufort River you pass Parris Island, where they proudly declare "We Make Marines". I just had to include this for my buddy Bob Starks (once a marine, always a marine).

Perhaps this brings back fond memories for him.

Blew through Beaufort (B'you Fert) or however they say it there. We had originally planned on stopping there for at least one night but after the stop at Skull Creek we decided to make some progress towards our goal.

Passed some pretty heavy duty cranes and dry dock for large ships.

As you can see the tidal variation here is significant, about 6-7 feet. Buddy's boat is quite a ways in the air at low tide.

It's hard to do this justice but the pier from the house to the dock must be several 100 yards long, just to get to enough water to float a boat.

There were kids jumping off the roof and we didn't quite catch two of them doing multiple somersaults in tandem - pretty good.

This is what they call the Low Country area of South Carolina. Seems to be an apt name.

We made it to an anchorage just off the ICW and south of Elliott's Cut - the narrow entrance into Charleston. Made 90 miles, best day yet.

7:15 departure to get the flood tide through misty Charleston Harbor. On the way past the main marina area we saw what looked a lot the the Bluenose (the famous yacht from Nova Scotia) along with the usual mega yachts.

After we passed through the Harbor and Ft. Sumter, we entered a very narrow and very shallow passage. At one point we had to sneak by a barge that was aground and I think we only had 4' of water (we draw 3.5').

Not sure what happened here but buddy isn't going anywhere soon.

  

Again we saw really long walkways from the houses out to their docks - I have no idea how they placed all those pilings or what it would cost to do so.

This is a pontoon bridge that floats across the ICW when there is traffic. Don't see too many of those.

This boat passed us and I wish I had gotten a better picture. This is a 1947 "Trumpy" yacht in immaculate condition. Trumpy was famous for building stately motor yachts (wooden) and I'm pretty sure several Presidential yachts were Trumpy's.  

Another uneventful day (75.5 miles) and anchored in a great spot behind and island off the ICW with several other boats.

Off early again (7:00) and up the scenic Waccamaw River towards Mrytle Beach.

Lots of nice older homes on the waterway with their own docks.

  

 But then the developers got into and started building homes packed in as tight as they could legally build them. You can almost shake hands from one balcony to the other.

This is also the place where you take a gondola from the main drag over the ICW to the golf course on the other side.

One more swing bridge, then through the 'rock pile', a narrow channel with large rocks on either side.

And finally to an rather uncomfortable anchorage on Calabash Creek. We managed to get in a spot where the current and winds caused us to swing around like a top while the boat only a 100 yards away sat as serene as could be. Calabash Creek is on the border between South and North Carolina so as we spun around, the stern would be in North Carolina one moment and then back to South Carolina the next! Enough for one day!

PS - if you want to see our daily progress you can go to this web site:

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=09gIadbAR57q4yaL640RZgpYIKfqgur8r

We are using a satellite locator device called SPOT that allows us to track our position and send OK or SOS messages. It only holds the tracked positions for 7 days but you get the idea.

Georgia

We left the anchorage in Alligator Creek and made a long circuitous route to anchor opposite the Carnegie "cottage" on Cumberland Island.

The 'cottage' was built for George Carnegie and his wife Margaret Thaw in 1898 and then expanded over several years to now have 30 rooms, 11 bathrooms, an indoor heated swimming pool (9.5' deep), indoor squash court, etc. and etc. The land and the mansion are now owned and maintained by the National Park Service.

The grounds have obviously been let go but this must have been quite the place in it's heyday. Apparently there was a golf course, badminton and croquet fields, a landing strip, docks for the yachts and anything else they could think of.

There are about 150 wild horses that roam the island, also feral pigs, wild turkeys, and deer. Huge oak trees mixed in with palms and other vegetation. Before the Carnegies arrived, much of the island was a cotton plantation.

At one point the Carnegie's owned almost the entire island and had several houses and estates. On the north end of the island is the First African Baptist Church where JFK, Jr. married Caroline Bessett. The roads are all dirt and we decided it was too hot and late in the day to take our bikes on an 8 mile trip to see the church or the Dungeness mansion ruins to the south. Maybe next time.

The next day started off nice but the northeast wind licked up as we got into St. Andrews sound and had a rough crossing to Jekyll Island; gusts up to 25 knots. This picture doesn't do it justice.

We read about a small town about 7 miles off the ICW, Darien, GA, actually quite near the I-95, with a free floating 48-hour dock. There is a sub-tropical depression off the Georgia/Carolina coast that seems to be just hanging out there. So a nice secure dock seems like a good option.

Arrived there about mid-afternoon and had a little trouble docking because the current is pretty fierce. Another boat, "Meander", a 34' Mainship Trawler (Susan and Neil)  arrived a bit later and we helped them get tied up.

Darien is a very busy shrimping town now, but it was also an important port for rice and cotton, and then yellow Pine logs and lumber. It was established in 1736 as a military outpost by Scottish Highlanders making it the second oldest planned town in Georgia.

Here's a shrimper going under the fixed bridge with his booms out so he can fit under the bridge.

The next day we unloaded the bikes and all four of went to see the historic Fort King George site that General James Oglethorpe later commanded. He was a busy boy because his name pops up associated with all kinds of forts and battles.

The fort was first built in 1721 and of the 140 soldiers and officers who died there not one was from a battle wound but from disease, malnutrition and the heat. The original fort burned down in 1723; the fort and buildings have been recreated and they are quite something.

This is what they called a "wattle & daub" house. You build a framework, lace it with vines and sticks and then smear it with a type of mud.

Quite a nice spot, now.

Then back into town for a quick lunch with Susan and Neil.

Toured the local stores, bought some shrimp (fresh off the local boats), picked up some fly-swatters for the damn horseflies, and had a nice evening. Although we both worried about getting off the docks - the current is just wicked.

Got off the docks with no trouble at all about 7:30, supposedly slack tide but the river is still pouring past us.

We went though several sounds in rough and uncomfortable conditions and pulled into Cattle Pen Creek for lunch and assess our situation. It is not nice weather. "Meander" passed us and decide to try crossing the next big sound, St. Catherines. About an hour later they radioed back that it was not bad at all so we decided to keep plugging away. Bad idea.

By the time we got there the wind had increased to gusts of 37 mph and the current had switched causing short steep waves. Lovely. We closed everything up and bashed our way into it. We had spray going over the top of the upper steering enclosure, and that's about 15' high. Once we got through the sound we had pretty much had and started searching for a hidey-hole for the night. "Meander" radioed us and they had turned back from the next open area (Florida Straits) and we both ended up anchoring up a small creek off the ICW. Even though the protection seemed iffy it was fine and we got a good rain to clean off the salt. So much for nice May weather (that was the 7th.)

Up early the next morning and had an uneventful run Thunderbolt, just to the south of Savannah which is about 8 miles up the Savannah River. We passed Thunderbolt Marine where we have stayed before; they seem to specialize in mega-yachts - here's one up on the hard - how do they lift that monster?

And a sailboat with a mast so tall I can't get it in the picture.

Got a slip at the Morning Star Bahia Blue marina fairly early in the day. Hot showers, groceries, laundry, bike ride to the Bi-Lo for groceries, Walgreens and wash down the boat.

Off the next morning at 7:30. We were the third boat inside the long slip so Neil and Susan helped guide us past their boat and off we go to cross the Savannah River. Went through the cut and into South Carolina. As we looked back we saw a large container ship going up the river. Glad I didn't meet him at the crossing! 

And that's enough of Georgia. Now if the weather would cooperate and the tropical depression/storm called Ana would get out of here we'd be all set!

Florida to Georgia

So we are finally ready to cast off and get going. We spent Thursday night (April 24th, 2015) on the boat, got up early and took the truck back to the house, closed everything up, unfolded our little bikes and bicycled back to the boat, about a 20 minute ride.

Cast off and went to the fuel dock to top off the tanks, 70 gallons, and get the holding tank pumped out. A very uneventful day south to our old hang out in Cayo Costa. Uneventful except for the new Garmin GPS packing it in! Motoring along and all of the sudden the screen went blank - perfect!

Up early and down the ICW to Ft.Myers and up the Caloosahatchee River toward the La Belle. The usual crowd of weekend warriors were out in full force.

Finally the crowd cleared out and we anchored just west of the first of many locks, Franklin lock.

Nice calm night and then through the lock at 8:00 and off up the river through two more locks to the large man-made Lake Okeechobee. The lake is about 25 mikes across; they basically drained part of the Everglades so the sugar farmers (US Sugar) had lots of water and land.

I continue to feel sorry for the 1% of Americans. Think of the upkeep and maintenance on these summer cottages! And what about paying for the fuel and crew for the boat? It's no damn wonder they need some tax breaks.

Saw some neat Cypress trees growing by the lake.

We decided to take to take the "rim route" around Lake Okeechobee rather than across it. Had a great little anchorage off to one side of the rim in a small pond. Happy birthday to my sweetheart, 39 again!

The next morning we went through the last manually operated swing bridge in Florida. This made the long run around the lake worth every minute. You call up buddy on the VHF, he rides to the bridge on his bicycle, grabs a pole about 10' long and starts unwinding the bridge.

Amazing.

Talked to him on the way by and he didn't seem out of breath or anything.Just another day. I'm really glad I got to see that. The last bridge in FL like that; I've never seen another one.

The last few miles across the lake were exposed and not nice but through the Port Myacca lock (down just a few feet) and under the 49.5' fixed railroad bridge which is a bane to sailboats.

Many (most) sailboats can't fit under that bridge and thus must either go around Florida through the Keys or get "tipped" (local guy drags barrels of water off your mast to tip the boat) and hopefully slide under. What can happen?

We had came up about 16' in three locks on the other side and then went down 14' in the St. Lucie lock; the final lock to Stuart. So that's five locks down and more than a hundred to go!

So we spent several days on a mooring-ball in Stuart replacing the GPS and out-living a nasty storm front with torrential rain and hail the size of walnuts! Some fun!

Then finally turned north and passed Vero Beach (affectionately known as Velcro Beach by many cruisers because you can't seem to leave).

And past Cocoa (not Cocoa Beach which on the Atlantic side) where we had spent several months on Zydeco years ago.

Up past the old Cape Canaveral. This bridge had us puzzled for awhile. Turned out one side was under construction.

And then the old buildings for the space shuttle appeared on the right.

Through the Haulover Canal, Nothing like a hard day of fishing.

And then there is the working guy. Got shrimp? Maybe crabs?

There are all sorts of boats doing the Great Loop. Here's one fellow who has just come down the seaway from Chicago. And he is having a great time! Nice Loop burgee!

Past a long stretch of houses with docks on the water. 

And then we bypass Fort Matanzas. Construction started in 1740 as part of the Spanish effort to retain control of Florida. This is a sister fort to the larger Castillo de San Marcos fort in St. Augustine.

This is a very shoaled in pass as we saw a sailboat aground as he had drifted just slightly off course.

We arrived in St. Augustine mid-afternoon and picked up a mooring ball in the north field just across from the fort, Castillo de San Marcos. We had very strong NE winds and this was a very rough and uncomfortable stop. We decided to move to the lower field (got the last available mooring) to await the arrival of Josh, Darcy and Ian.

St. Augustine is the oldest permanent settlement in North America (excluding the local Indians who were there a long time before that!). It was established in 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez of Spain. Very nice old homes along the waterfront with cobble stone streets.

We moved the boat to a floating slip at the marina (that was fun in the current and wind) and spent the day walking through the town, having lunch at Harry's and exploring the fort.

The fort is really massive. At one point the British attacked St. Augustine (this seemed to happen on a regular basis) and the entire town, 1,300 residents and militia (200 or so) spent 50 days in the fort until eventually defeating the attackers.

Lots of volunteers in period costume, cannon firing and parading.

These mortars could fire a 15" ball up to a mile and a half.

I don't think Ian totally trusts Josh on this one.

Poppi and Ian working on their computers while Grammy makes blueberry pancakes.

Nice barge.

Dry dock for huge yachts north of Jacksonville.

And found a very nice anchorage near Ameila Island in Alligator Creek. Hello Georgia, goodbye Florida.

Le Voyage - Part Deux

So after fours winters (five?) of working on the boat we are finally going to do the Great Loop.

Here's what the the loop looks like:

We start on the west coat of Florida, go across the state, head up the east coast to New York. Up the Hudson, through the Erie Canal (or perhaps all the way to Montreal/Ottawa) through the great lakes, down to Chicago, down the Illinois river to the Mississippi, and then to the Gulf and back to Florida, See you back home in about 8-9 months, 6,000 miles. What can happen? Some folks take several years to do the trip (wintering their boat along the way) but we think this is doable. If not, we'll store it somewhere.

Here's the boat:

Look's some smart! Who? The boat or the captain?