Nov 23 and 24th- finally crossed into Fl in heavy fog. We now leave the sulfer laden air behind (a product of all the paper mills that seem so prolific along this stretch). After meandering thru the saltmarshes of Georgia this section of Fl is rather plain. Miles of canal cut thru the woods finally open up into the Tolomato River which brings us thru St. Augistine and on to Datona.
Nov 25 and 26th- The waters open up in this stretch and steady north winds give us two days of great sailing. Decided to head into the Canaveral Canal and spend Thanksgiving in the marina there. We were invited to join group of live aboards having a dock party/thanksgiving feast and we spent a pleasant evening enjoying their hospitality.
Fri, Nov 27th- Stayed around to watch the space shuttle land(We didn't have a choice since all the drawbridges are closed during launches and landings and we couldn't go anywhere) Had a good sail to Melborne with another day of north winds.
Sat-Motored to Ft Pierce under cool blue skies where we anchored in a protected cove on Hutchinson Island.
Tomorrow will be a short day to Jensen Beach where we will dock the boat for a while and move ashore. This will bring a close to this leg of our journey. We have been traveling for ten weeks and have covered nearly 2000 miles. The trip has gone very smoothly and was much more relaxing than last years. Chris is looking foreward to traveling north for Christmas but for the next couple of weeks I'm sure we will be busy getting 32 Palm Circle in shape after being empty all summer.
Look for our next journey "On to the Bahamas" to start once we return south after New Years.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
on thru Georgia
Nov 14/15/16- two days of motoring thru the marshes of South Carolina has brought us to Beaufort SC where we have mail waiting. Spent 2 days biking about this beautiful old town before moving on by mid day Monday.
Nov 17 thru 19th- Arrived Jeckyl Island late wed and spent Thursday biking about. Sunny but the air was a little cool to spend much time on the beach. Chris did humor me with biking on the wide beach (she doesn't see the novelty in this but I think it's great).
Nov 20 thru 22- We have enjoyed the past two days exploring Cumberland Is. National Park. A side trip up the St Marys river brought us to the village of St Marys where we spent a day exploring this charming town. We debated about staying here for Thanksgiving but decided it was time to move on. Each year the townspeople put on a feast at the local hotel for the traveling boaters. The townspeople supply the turkeys and each boater brings a dish. It has turned into a weeklong event and last year 200 boaters attended.
Nov 17 thru 19th- Arrived Jeckyl Island late wed and spent Thursday biking about. Sunny but the air was a little cool to spend much time on the beach. Chris did humor me with biking on the wide beach (she doesn't see the novelty in this but I think it's great).
Nov 20 thru 22- We have enjoyed the past two days exploring Cumberland Is. National Park. A side trip up the St Marys river brought us to the village of St Marys where we spent a day exploring this charming town. We debated about staying here for Thanksgiving but decided it was time to move on. Each year the townspeople put on a feast at the local hotel for the traveling boaters. The townspeople supply the turkeys and each boater brings a dish. It has turned into a weeklong event and last year 200 boaters attended.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
On thru South Carolina
Friday, Nov 6th- Bright sun and a cool north breeze carried us 24 miles down the Cape Fear River to the historic village of Southport NC where we tied up to the free town dock. Have decided our 3 house batteries are failing us so I biked to Walmart and hauled replacements back via taxi. As I was unloading them a neighbor came out of his house and offered his pickup. Said he felt bad we had to take a cab. Took him up on his offer to return old batteries and do some shopping. It is amazing how often we experience this type of hospitality.
Sat- After a morning walk along the waterfront and downtown we are off to Calabash SC. where we spent a quiet night at anchor.
Sun-On thru Myrtle Beach on what I consider the least attractive section of the trip. The waterway is cut thru a rocky stretch with high banks. without anywhere to stop to visit the town except a few high priced marinas. After motoring 50 miles we anchored off a sandy beach up Thoroughfare Creek where we were invited along with another couple aboard Sanctuary to a potluck supper aboard the 45 foot catamaran Just Imagine. Both couples have called their boats home for a few years and it was a wonderful evening sharing stories.
Mon and Tues.- As we head down the beautiful Waccama River our plan was to stop in Georgetown for a day or two but with hurricane Ida heading our way we decided to press on south. The Ben Sawyer bridge above Charleston won't open in winds over 35 mph and we wanted to get thru before the winds built. Anchored in Weems Creek after a 63 mile day then arrived in Charleston by lunchtime where we plan to wait out the weather. Biked for groceries and some sightseeing most of the afternoon.
Wed- Even though Ida has been downgraded to a tropical storm it still brought rain by the bucketful all day. By evening the winds built and are expected to stay at gale force for a couple of days. This anchorage is definitely not my favorite as the tidal currents run fast and it is a long dingy ride across the Ashley River to town. We were stuck here in May for 5 days with the same kind of weather and if Charleston wasn't such a beautiful city I would hesitate to recommend anchoring here.
Sat- After a morning walk along the waterfront and downtown we are off to Calabash SC. where we spent a quiet night at anchor.
Sun-On thru Myrtle Beach on what I consider the least attractive section of the trip. The waterway is cut thru a rocky stretch with high banks. without anywhere to stop to visit the town except a few high priced marinas. After motoring 50 miles we anchored off a sandy beach up Thoroughfare Creek where we were invited along with another couple aboard Sanctuary to a potluck supper aboard the 45 foot catamaran Just Imagine. Both couples have called their boats home for a few years and it was a wonderful evening sharing stories.
Mon and Tues.- As we head down the beautiful Waccama River our plan was to stop in Georgetown for a day or two but with hurricane Ida heading our way we decided to press on south. The Ben Sawyer bridge above Charleston won't open in winds over 35 mph and we wanted to get thru before the winds built. Anchored in Weems Creek after a 63 mile day then arrived in Charleston by lunchtime where we plan to wait out the weather. Biked for groceries and some sightseeing most of the afternoon.
Wed- Even though Ida has been downgraded to a tropical storm it still brought rain by the bucketful all day. By evening the winds built and are expected to stay at gale force for a couple of days. This anchorage is definitely not my favorite as the tidal currents run fast and it is a long dingy ride across the Ashley River to town. We were stuck here in May for 5 days with the same kind of weather and if Charleston wasn't such a beautiful city I would hesitate to recommend anchoring here.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Bogue Sound
The past few days have brought clear skies along with north winds. Days have been in the upper 60's but bright sun has kept us comfortable. We have been able to motor sail down much of the open water of Bogue Sound .
Tues Nov 3rd-Sail much of the 45 miles anchoring for the night at Camp Lejune's Mile Hammock Bay. Had new friends from S/V Hook over for dinner. This young family Steve and Kirsten, along with their daughters Maddy and Emma have traveled from Maine and we have shared a number of the same anchorages along the way.
Wed and Thurs-Sail in sunny skies with a north wind 41 miles to Wrightsville Beach. We missed this spot on our last trip and enjoyed biking about and spending a sunny 70 degree day on the wide beaches. Biking on the beach was a first for us and the hard flat sand was perfect for this.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Outerbanks pictures
The lighthouse is on Ocracoke Is. The ship "Elizabeth II" was at Roanoke Is.
This lighthouse which also contained a museum was also on Roanoke Is.
Our boat "Andros" at a free town dock at Roanoke Is.
Our boat "Andros" at a free town dock at Roanoke Is.Friday, October 30, 2009
Side trip to the Outer Banks
On this trip we had planned to explore areas we missed last winter
and the Outer Banks of North Carolina was at the top of the list.
Our plan is to transit the Ablemarle and Pamlico Sounds then rejoin
the ICW at Oriental.
Tues Oct 27th- The winds have veered to the north and an exodus of
boats is taking place in the early morning fog. We waited for the
fog to lift and were off by 8. Had a great sail down the wide
Pasquotank River into Ablemarle Sound and on to historic Roanoake
Island. As we entered the protected harbor after a 47 mile run we
were suprised to see the only boat at anchor was the ketch
Moonshadow belonging to Wes and Snow whom we snorkeled with in the
Tortugas last winter. We tied to a free town dock along the
waterfront boardwalk and found Snow nearby busy weaving her
hammocks. She and Wes joined us aboard later and we had a great
time catching up.
Wed-After a rainy start the day cleared and temps climbed into the
80's. Snow took us on a tour of the Outer Banks (she grew up here
and was a great guide). In the afternoon we took a long bike ride
to the Fort Raleigh National Park, site of the historic lost
colony.
Thurs- Headed out at daybreak in strong north winds for our 70 mile
run down the Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke. This is a huge body of
water at least 80 miles long and over 30 miles wide near Cape
Hatteras and the rough seas kept us at the wheel all day. Our
autopilot is useless in big waves but a great crewmember when it's
calm. Arrived in the protected harbor (Silver Lake) at 5PM and anchored in calm waters
among 5 other boats.
Fri- Sunny but still cool, biked around the area ending up with a long walk on the beautiful wide ocean beach.
Sat- Sunny and warm, our first real summerlike day. Great sailing all day as the wind built and we kept reducing sail. By afternoon it was blowing at 20 kts and we had double reefed main and just a bit of jib. Covered 40 miles before anchoring in the calm waters of Broad Creek. Warm evening under a nearly full moon.
Sun- Headed out in thick fog on glassy water. After about an hour the wind was howling as the temps dropped 20 degrees and we ran for cover into Oriental Harbor. Spent the afternoon wandering about town. Rainy and cold late afternoon. I bought a few needed items at a great marine consignment shop.
Mon-Cloudy and cool, We are now back on the ICW, motor sail 23 miles to Beaufort, anchor in town creek, walk around town.
and the Outer Banks of North Carolina was at the top of the list.
Our plan is to transit the Ablemarle and Pamlico Sounds then rejoin
the ICW at Oriental.
Tues Oct 27th- The winds have veered to the north and an exodus of
boats is taking place in the early morning fog. We waited for the
fog to lift and were off by 8. Had a great sail down the wide
Pasquotank River into Ablemarle Sound and on to historic Roanoake
Island. As we entered the protected harbor after a 47 mile run we
were suprised to see the only boat at anchor was the ketch
Moonshadow belonging to Wes and Snow whom we snorkeled with in the
Tortugas last winter. We tied to a free town dock along the
waterfront boardwalk and found Snow nearby busy weaving her
hammocks. She and Wes joined us aboard later and we had a great
time catching up.
Wed-After a rainy start the day cleared and temps climbed into the
80's. Snow took us on a tour of the Outer Banks (she grew up here
and was a great guide). In the afternoon we took a long bike ride
to the Fort Raleigh National Park, site of the historic lost
colony.
Thurs- Headed out at daybreak in strong north winds for our 70 mile
run down the Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke. This is a huge body of
water at least 80 miles long and over 30 miles wide near Cape
Hatteras and the rough seas kept us at the wheel all day. Our
autopilot is useless in big waves but a great crewmember when it's
calm. Arrived in the protected harbor (Silver Lake) at 5PM and anchored in calm waters
among 5 other boats.
Fri- Sunny but still cool, biked around the area ending up with a long walk on the beautiful wide ocean beach.
Sat- Sunny and warm, our first real summerlike day. Great sailing all day as the wind built and we kept reducing sail. By afternoon it was blowing at 20 kts and we had double reefed main and just a bit of jib. Covered 40 miles before anchoring in the calm waters of Broad Creek. Warm evening under a nearly full moon.
Sun- Headed out in thick fog on glassy water. After about an hour the wind was howling as the temps dropped 20 degrees and we ran for cover into Oriental Harbor. Spent the afternoon wandering about town. Rainy and cold late afternoon. I bought a few needed items at a great marine consignment shop.
Mon-Cloudy and cool, We are now back on the ICW, motor sail 23 miles to Beaufort, anchor in town creek, walk around town.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Dismal Swamp, North Carolina
Fri,Oct 23rd- Sunny and warm, bike to town for a few supplies(groceries and kerosene). Met a local fisherman on the dock who gave us 2 nice seatrout, which after filleting fed us for 2 nights of excellent dinners. Motor thru the canal to the NC visitor center docks. We were the 13th boat to arrive and we were rafted 4 deep.(the dock has room for 4 boats) Met many of the boaters at happy hour ashore. (It may sound like all we do is party each night but this is the only time we get to interact with with other people. We have met many interesting boaters thru these gatherings and get to share a lot of information this way.)
Sat- sunny and warm hi near 80. Borrowed real bikes from the visitors center(our folding bikes have 20" wheels) and rode to the next town on a paved bike trail. Many boats headed out early but another batch came in so we had a dozen boats for the evening gab fest.
Sun-Motor to Elizabety City where the town supplies free docks and a wine and cheese party each night. There were at least 20 boats docked ,many that we have been traveling with for at least part of the trip.
Monday- strong n-e winds kept everyone holed up here. The 2 boats that ventured out into Ablemarle sound were back within a couple of hours because of the rough seas. We biked for propane and a few supplies, Chris got caught in the rain and came back cold and wet just in time to catch the end of the Rose Buddies coctail party.
Sat- sunny and warm hi near 80. Borrowed real bikes from the visitors center(our folding bikes have 20" wheels) and rode to the next town on a paved bike trail. Many boats headed out early but another batch came in so we had a dozen boats for the evening gab fest.
Sun-Motor to Elizabety City where the town supplies free docks and a wine and cheese party each night. There were at least 20 boats docked ,many that we have been traveling with for at least part of the trip.
Monday- strong n-e winds kept everyone holed up here. The 2 boats that ventured out into Ablemarle sound were back within a couple of hours because of the rough seas. We biked for propane and a few supplies, Chris got caught in the rain and came back cold and wet just in time to catch the end of the Rose Buddies coctail party.
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