Cocoa/Vero Beach

We arrived in Vero Beach yesterday after spending 3 fun days in Cocao.  Cocao Village Marina is conveniently just a few blocks from town.  They also have washers/dryers for $1!  (I’m totally obsessed with laundry!!)  As we approach Cocoa, Joe (Onward) was planning to anchor on the other side of the bridge but found to his dismay that the bridge height only showed 63 ft–about 1 ft less than his mast height.  He decided to anchor off of the marina and do some research into why the bridges are lower than they were last year.  To keep you in suspense, I’ll report on his findings later…

Bridge too low?

We ate and shopped, shopped and ate for 3 days in Cocoa.  The town is neatly arranged around a center square that houses the “Dog and Bone” English pub.  It’s a favorite stop, not only for the beer but because all manner of dogs are allowed inside.  Bailey met a furry chow, 2 labs and many other varieties while we enjoyed the brew.  Saturday night, we sampled the sushi and thai food at Thai Thai.  Sunday, we had breakfast at Ossorio and then waited until after noon to check out the shops.  We found a neat used paperback bookstore but, although the doors were open and the lights were on, nobody was there to wait on us–strange!  We went back on Monday and met the nice owner who will probably give her son the business for leaving the store unlocked!

The streets of Cocoa village are lined with unique stores.  A favorite find is ‘From Olives and Grapes’ where large urns of olive oils and vinegars are available for tasting before purchase.  The best part was that the owner had 3 shelties and loved meeting Bailey.   After stopping at the Dog and Bone for refreshments, we enjoyed an early dinner of wood-fired pizza at Ossorio.  Joe also let us sample his Brioche–a pastry he always wanted to try.

On Monday we hit the rest of the stores.   Travis Hardware is the highlight for some folks.  If you like several blocks of the oddest, most dusty assortment of stuff, this is your kind of place!  Cocoa village has the same holiday set-up as last year, including a small ice rink.  I didn’t brave it this time (hideously dull hockey skates for rent–ugh!)  The General Store served delicious pulled pork sandwiches for lunch.  For dinner, we tried the Brazilian steak house.  It was okay–not my favorite.  They bring freshly grilled meats out on a skewer and keep serving you until you say ’stop’.  For dessert, they bring fresh grilled pineapple with cinnamon–yummy!

Having seen all of Cocoa, we left early Tuesday for the trip to Vero Beach.  To finish Joe’s bridge saga, he made a bunch of calls to FL state offices, Core of Engineers and the Coast Guard.  No one seemed to know why the bridge height markings were changed.  The person who handles bridge maintenance said that he would look into it.  Fixed bridges on the waterway are supposed to have 65ft clearance at mean low water.  Joe did happen to see a large catamaran go under the bridge on Monday and talked to him on the radio to find out that his mast was 64ft high.  Joe inched his way slowly under the bridge (and the 4 other fixed bridges along the way) with only his VHF antenna hitting.  Hopefully, they’ll find out more about the bridge markings and provide more specific information (e.g. height is at the fender boards–add 2 ft for the center.)  Another boat that arrived the same time as we did ended up going offshore rather than risk losing his mast–not a decision some people would prefer.

Close fit for Onward

Vero Beach is an interesting place to hang out.  They have docks and many moorings where boats are usually rafted 3 to a mooring.  We rafted next to a Canadian boat with Vic and Marilyn aboard.  They were fun to talk to and even took Bailey for a walk when we went ashore to check in and get showered. 

The Thanksgiving feast will be a ‘pot luck’ with cruisers signing up for various dishes.  I’m going to make dressing tomorrow.  I boarded the local free bus this morning to buy groceries.  As I left Publix, a nice woman asked if I needed a ride back to the marina.  She lives in Vero and took some cruising friends shopping.  How nice to avoid the crowded bus ride back!

I’m looking forward to the festivities tomorrow.  There are lots of people here that we met last winter in the Bahamas.  We’re starting to feel like real cruisers!

Cloudy, rainy day before Thanksgiving at Vero Beach

St. Augustine

We left St. Augustine early this morning after 3 nights at Camachee Cove marina.  What a nice place to hang out!  Our friends Mike and Angie from Lady of Lorien had just come in ahead of us after sailing offshore from Cape Fear for the past 2 days.  Angie was fed up with cold weather and just wanted to get south!

I scrubbed the boat while Skip worked on a few projects.  Joe (Onward) anchored outside in the harbor and came over in his dinghy to buy parts from the marine store.  We all climbed into a courtesy car in the afternoon and really didn’t have a plan other than find an office supply store and buy a few boxes.  I wanted to box up same cold weather clothes and send them home.  I didn’t want to tempt fate too much so I kept a few items on board! 

We met Mike and Angie for dinner at the Kingfish Grill–the restaurant at the marina.  The specials were delicious–freshly caught salmon and tuna.  We had a grand ‘reunion’ although they both were still very tired from their trip.

Skip had a refrigeration mechanic come by on Wednesday morning to look at our engine-driven unit.    Skip had recently installed a new timer and it still wouldn’t come on.  Turns out the timer was defective so a new one will be mailed to our friend’s house in Port St. Lucie (thanks Jim & Binnie!)   Skip also had a mechanic come to look at our engine.  Although we had a new thermostat installed before leaving Annapolis, the gauge was reading cooler than normal.  Sure enough, he removed the thermostat and it was clogged with gunk in the ‘open’ position.  The mechanic had said that running cooler would cause problems in the long run and didn’t necessarily need to be addressed immediately but we just wanted the engine to run normally so we had him replace the thermostat.  The gauge now reads 180 degrees–right where it should be!

Angie reserved the courtesy car so she and I could shop in Target.  I didn’t need much but still managed to fill up a cart!  Later in the afternoon, we took the courtesy car again and mailed our 2 boxes of cold weather stuff home.  Now we have room for more food for the Bahamas!  We went for dinner at a place called Gypsy Cab Co. that the marina staff recommended.  It was fantastic and very reasonably priced. 

Thursday morning, Angie and I had another shopping date–this time we went to the outlet shops.  We didn’t have a whole lot of time but managed to check out a few stores–especially the Chico’s outlet (my favorite!)  The woman in the marine store offered Skip the use of her business card that allowed us to get 4 free tickets to one of the local town tours.  We took the train ride that ran through town and learned about all of the sites.  Since it was late in the day, we didn’t get off anywhere–we just rode the train and enjoyed the tour. 

We left early this morning and made it to the 7am opening of the Bridge of Lions.  They’re still re-building the bridge.  It’s an amazing project.  They built a temporary bridge next to itso they could renovate the original bridge.  Once it’s finished, they’ll remove the temporary lift bridge and donate it to another town.  They also plan to rip out the temporary bridge roadbed and dump it in the Atlantic to create a reef.  The tour guide said that it’s the most expensive bridge project in the country.  I’m not surprised.  Too bad they couldn’t just use the money to build a high bridge and eliminate the opening which is a pain to boaters and cars!

After we passed through the L.B. Knox bridge north of Daytona we were boarded by the Florida Dept of Natural Resources (also known as the Potty Police.)  They came alongside and 2 men jumped on board.  They asked to see the valve that directs waste to make sure it was locked in the holding tank position.  We were warned last year that in Florida they want you to have a padlock on the valve, not just a wire tie.  When the guy saw our padlock, he was very pleased.  They jumped off and left us alone (of course Bailey thinks he chased them off!)  There were 4 sailboats in a row and they boarded every one (including Onward.)  They didn’t board the power boats–I guess because the sides are too high to jump on.  That’s not fair!!

We anchored tonight in Rockhouse Creek which is below Daytona and near the Ponce Inlet.  Tomorrow, we’re going to visit Cocoa!

BTW, I didn’t take any pictures in St. Augustine except this one of my Bahamas quilt:

Bahamas quilt

Cumberland Island

We left Brunswick on Saturday–at last!  It was a nice place to hole up during bad weather but we were ready to move on.  The weather was sunny, calm and warm as we motored the 30 miles to the anchorage off Cumberland Island.  Crossing the St. Andrews sound, we passed Sandy and Meryl on Amber Marie who left early in the morning.  The main excitement on this trip is coming through a narrow creek that hasn’t been dredged in a while.  We were warned that the red markers were not in the right place.  As we approached, I used the binoculars to see how the boats in front of us went through.  They kept to the green side of the channel, almost on the shore.  We followed their lead and missed the shoals.  A while later, we heard Amber Marie and another boat on the radio.  They both went aground.  Later, Sandy told us that a friendly couple on a small motor boat helped them off.  We really do meet the nicest people on the waterway!

Amber Marie

Later in the evening, Joe (Onward) came into the anchorage.  We invited him and Sandy and Meryl over for dinner.  My cruising skills are rusty–I need to practice hosting!!  Skip cooked a turkey tenderloin on the grill and I sautéed sweet potatoes and fried some okra (for the first time.)  It all turned out pretty good!

Sunday morning, we took Bailey ashore for a walk.  He loved the quiet trails under the massive moss-covered oak trees.    The beach was even more fun.  We walked on the beach and saw our first wild horse in the distance.  We walked by the road that leads to Greyfields Inn —very private—known for being the location for JFK Jr’s wedding.  Coming back along the “main street” a bicyclist told us he had seen a bobcat about a mile up the road.  After that, I was so worried about Bailey being bobcat bait that I couldn’t wait to get back to the boat!

Cumberland Island

Bailey with his shadow and reflection

After lunch, Joe picked us up and we dinghied to the southern dock which is closer to the ruins called Dungeness.  Cumberland Island is a National Park.  Visitors arrive by boat and can camp there for up to a week.  We learned all about the island and the Carnegie family that lived there from a short walking tour with a ranger.  There are a few private homes, wild horses, armadillos, raccoons and other wildlife.  The mansion where the Carnegie family lived burned in 1959.  All that remains are the shells of ruined buildings.  I must have taken 30 photos of the horses–you’d think I’d never seen a horse!

wild horse

Ruins of Dungeness

After coming back to the boat, we stopped by to say hello to Mary Ann and Pete on Micmac.  We met them back in Belhaven and have been communicating through our blogs.  Some other cruisers we met last winter in the Bahamas stopped by to see us.   We hope to see them again next week in Vero Beach.  We’re having much more fun traveling the waterway this trip–meeting new people and seeing folks we met last year.  Joe invited us for dinner–yummy pasta with meatballs along with way too much red wine!

We woke up earlier than the alarm and got ready to leave in the early morning light.  The highlight of today’s trip was seeing the Space Shuttle launch.  We were about 100 miles from Cape Canaveral and could see the bright orange flames atop the plume of smoke climbing into the sky–really cool!  After seeing rocket launches all my life on TV, it was exciting to actually see it live.

Space Shuttle launch

It’s starting to feel like summer, especially since we’ve now entered Florida waters.  I saw plenty of dolphins and a large turtle today but no manatee sightings yet.  Several of the high bridges had fierce swirling currents below them with opposing currents of about 3 knots–not fun!  I made Skip take the helm to get us through.  We anchored behind Pine Island amongst about 12 other boats.  Tomorrow, we’ll head about 10 miles to a marina in St. Augustine.  We’re having a mechanic look into a refrigeration problem that we’d like to solve before leaving the US.  Hopefully, we’ll see Mike and Angie (Lady of Lorien) there tomorrow.

Brunswick, GA

I’ll start out with some pictures of us passing under the Lanier bridge on our approach to Brunswick.

Approaching the Lanier bridge

Lanier bridge

We’re staying at the Brunswick Landing marina until tropical storm Ida passes through.  The weather was so beautiful, we didn’t expect to encounter a late season hurricane.  In fact, we got a rider from our insurance company so we could continue past Savannah before Nov 15th.  So here we were, sitting in Brunswick Georgia with no insurance–great!  Luckily, the remnants of the storm passed over today and all predictions of high winds didn’t come through.

The marina is very nice and so is the town.  It’s a huge marina with sturdy floating docks, clean showers and free (can you say FREE) laundry.  We’re tied up at the 1st dock which is mainly for transients and can fuel up from our slip.  On Sunday, we hung around the docks, did boat chores and laundry.  Yesterday (Monday), we went out for breakfast and walked around town.  It’s basically 2 main roads with businesses and restaurants.  We found the library and hardware store.  There’s a really nice bookstore called Hattie’s where we were greeted by Mr. Wiggles, the resident schnauzer.  We also bought 2 lbs. of shrimp (for $8) from one of the the shrimp boats tied up alongside the nearby dock.  We had dinner last night at Arte Pizza–a woodfire grill restaurant where we chatted with a couple from a sport fisher that fueled up earlier.   They kept their boat in Ocean City MD, hon!

Mr Wiggles

Shrimp boat dawg

Last night we were glued to the weather channel watching the approach of hurricane Ida.  I’m so glad that it turned out to be a non-event for us.  We had some bands of rain and wind today but nothing too bad.  I’m also glad that we came into Brunswick instead of Jekyll Island as the docks are very secure here, it’s protected from wind and current and we can walk to restaurants and stores close by.

Shrimp boats

We visited the farmer’s market this morning and bought fresh vegetables.  I looked online for recipe ideas and made shrimp and okra tonight (first time cooking okra for me!)   We took Bailey for a long walk to the boater’s lounge at the other end of the marina to check out the book exchange.  Many marinas have book exchanges where you can leave and take books.   Every once in a while, I find something I want to read (but not today.)  

 Tomorrow we might walk to the grocery store.  We’ll check the weather to see when we can leave.  Our next stop is Cumberland Island and hope to anchor out for a few days under calm conditions.

Georgia

We haven’t touched land since leaving Charleston!  Warm and sunny weather is just perfect for motoring on the ICW.  The best thing about the ICW in Georgia–only 2 bridge openings!!  After crossing the Savannah river, we joined a line of boats waiting for the first bridge to open.  It’s supposed to open on demand but the operator appeared much more sympathetic to motor traffic than boaters.  He kept yelling at the boats in front to approach the bridge before he even stopped the motor traffic.  With screaming currents pushing us into the bridge, no one is going to approach it until it actually starts opening (no matter what he says!)  The second bridge operator was a little kinder although the sound of emergency vehicle sirens made us a little nervous.  After the first lock in the Dismal Swamp, we were almost at the open bridge when the operator suddenly started screaming “All stop, reverse!!”  Skip slammed the boat into hard reverse as he dropped the bridge right in front of us to let an ambulance cross.  That was scary!

As we passed by Beaufort, we saw Joe (Onward) anchored in the harbor.  I chatted with him on the phone.  He’s waiting for a hot water heater to be delivered at Isle of Hope so he can’t travel down there too soon.  He promised to buy us some ‘real’ bagels in Beaufort.  We had some Thomas’ bagels the other day and they are just WRONG!

Dolphins swim by the boat

Larry and Suzi (Kanau) also stopped near Beaufort to visit friends.  The rest of the boats we followed all day turned off into Killkenny Creek.  It’s reputed to have a decent seafood restaurant.  Around midday, we both heard some splashing beside the boat and peered over to watch 2 dolphins swim alongside us.  So cool!!  I didn’t get a very good picture–just a fin.  After a long day of motoring, we anchored in Cattlepen creek.  It was chilly and windy when we stopped here last fall.  This year, it’s warm and calm.  We settled in for a nice meal and watched a movie (Indiana Jones — predictable, but entertaining.)

Today, we meandered through the marshes of Georgia.  The scenery is beautiful.  Many cruisers talk about how much they hate the ICW in Georgia because it’s a such winding route.  I love to watch for birds and dolphins.  If you see a large dead tree, it’s bound to have a eagle perched on top.  We saw 2 today.  The current either pushes us faster or slows us down…it all evens out.

Eagle eying us

By early afternoon we arrived in the Frederica river and anchored near the old fort.  We were disappointed to see that they haven’t rebuilt the dinghy dock yet so that we could go ashore.  Even so, it’s a beautiful anchorage.  Our quest for the day was to find a water leak.  We’ve seen some clues lately that indicate a problem.  Our bow tank emptied too quickly, the bilge pump was running too often and Skip heard the water pump running in the middle of the night—not good!  Starting from the forward tank, we traced the pipes looking for leaks.  Rummaging under the galley sink, I finally spotted the drips coming from a hot water hose.  Mission accomplished!

Moon over the marsh

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching football (Skip), reading (me) and sleeping (Bailey.)  Dinner was pizzas on the grill.  Tomorrow, we’re going a short distance to dock in Brunswick.  We haven’t been there before and want to check it out (and do some laundry.)  Weather looks good until Tuesday and Wednesday when it’s supposed to rain. 

We like warm weather

Charleston

Charleston is a hard place to leave.  We left the city marina this morning after excessive eating, shopping, sightseeing and walking for the past 3 days.   To recap, we left Isle of Palms on Sunday morning.  We were supposed to leave just in time to make the 9am opening of the Ben Sawyer bridge but our friend Joe was challenged by the daylight savings time change and called us early.  He was anchored north of us and we planned to head to Charleston city marina together.  We left and had to circle for a while before the bridge opened.  The fast running current makes it just a little challenging.

We arrived at the city marina (also known as the megadock) and were disappointed to hear that we couldn’t dock on the inside.  The outside of the dock is plagued by wakes from clueless powerboats.  Anyway, the weather was calm so we tied up outside while Joe got the last inside slip (darn him!!)  The megadock is an interesting place.  It’s probably 1/4 mile long and there seems to be an invisible line behind which they put all the sailboats–all at the very end of the dock.  To walk ashore, we need to allow at least 20 minutes!  It was fun to meet all of the other sailors in our own little ‘community’.

A huge (and I’m talking really huge) yacht named Turmoil was docked at the other end of the marina (the privileged motor yacht end).  I looked it up on the internet and found out that it’s included on the list of 100 largest privately owned yachts in the world.  It was built for the founder of Land’s End who passed away only 4 months after enjoying his 209 ft yacht.  Read this story, it’s really interesting… http://www.showboats.com/Purpose-Driven.  The boat left yesterday.  Wonder where they’re headed…

Turmoil leaves Charleston

For the benefit of  my (unnamed) friend who has been known to make snarky comments on ‘mooching cruisers’, I saw someone pull their dinghy up to the dock and open up their laptop to use the wifi.  Now that’s mooching!

It was a beautful warm sunny day so we worked on some boat chores.  Skip changed the oil while I did the first real deck scrubbing since we left Annapolis.  In the afternoon we took the marina shuttle into town and met Joe for dinner at Basil – a fabulous Thai restaurant that Justin recommended.

Monday started (and ended) chilly and dreary.  We had breakfast at the restaurant next to the marina (creamy grits and flaky biscuits).  We took the shuttle into town in the afternoon and met Joe for lunch at 82 Queen, a restaurant that specializes in low country cuisine.  If you want to try the best shrimp and grits or she-crab soup, this is the place!  Afterwards, we walked through the market and looked at all of the ‘crafty stuff’.  The most interesting items sold are the sweetgrass baskets.  They’re beautiful but expensive and not something I’d have room for on the boat.  We walked back to the marina (quite a hike!)  As soon as we got back to the boat we were invited for drinks by Bill and Carol on Interim.  They have a cute Westie named Simon on board.  He and Bailey got on well when they met earlier in the day.  It was fun meeting other cruisers and hearing their stories.  We also met Mike and Catherine on Falbala, a 49 ft boat they sailed over from England.  I later read their blog–they have had some experiences!!

Originally, we planned to leave on Tuesday but it was so warm and sunny, we decided to stay one more day.  I started polishing the topsides (now that the boat was clean.)    After lunch, we took the shuttle into town and bought tickets for a carriage tour.  While waiting for our tour, we visited the shops around the market.  Skip was in heaven at the Moonpie store.  The routes for carriage tours are decided by the city to control traffic congestion.  They pull up to a booth and a machine popping bingo balls around spits out a ball that determines your tour route.  Our tour was fascinating.  We learned about the historic homes and churches (most of which have burned down a few times.)  Did you know that Charleston sits on an earthquake fault line?  They’ve had some big ones here!

Historic Home

 

Skip is in heaven

 

 Our new friends Carol and Bill were heading into town with another couple for dinner.  We met them at Hank’s for yet another wonderful meal, seafood this time.  We all decided to get icecream after dinner.  I voted for a cab back to the marina since I had already walked it twice–that was enough for me!

We left Charleson this morning and followed the parade of boats down to the Wahoo Creek bridge where we waited for the 9am opening.  Fierce currents make it very challenging to wait for bridges to open.  After the bridge, we shot through the Elliott Cut at over 8 knots.   Clear blue skies and warm, calm winds made today’s travel very pleasant.  We passed through various cuts into different rivers with the current either pushing or pulling us.

Our friends Larry and Suzi also left today after resolving some engine problems.  After the bridge, they had to pull over and work out an air lock in their water system that was causing the engine to overheat.  We were sorry that they couldn’t make it to where we anchored, Wimbee Creek.  We enjoyed another beautiful calm night at anchor.  It would be absolutely perfect if there weren’t so many &^%# noseeums!

Wimbee Creek

Interim is anchored nearby and they joined us for drinks.  Skip braved the bugs to grill some fresh shrimp we bought in Charleston.  Tomorrow, we’ll head past Beaufort and in a few days, we’ll be in Georgia!

(You’ll have to look on my Flickr site for more pictures…this internet connection is toooo sloooow.)

Isle of Palms

Leaving Bucksport, we zigged and zagged on the Waccamaw river until emptying into the canals that lead through the marshes north of Charleston.  Early morning fog made the Waccamaw river seem more eerie than usual.  There’s nothing around except for cypress swamp. 

Waccamaw River

 

Fall Colors

We stopped about 26 miles north of the Isle of Palms and dropped the anchor in Graham creek.  On a calm, serene night we were surrounded by marshlands and clouds of no-see-ums.  We vetoed the grilling idea and had pasta instead.

Graham Creek

I love a nice, quiet night at anchor!  We didn’t need to leave too early on Thursday so I made cinnamon french toast for breakfast.  We arrived at the Isle of Palms marina a little before noon.  The marina was short-handed so we easily managed to dock on our own (we tipped each other;-)  I couldn’t wait to take a shower (a real one with lots of running water.)

Our niece Catherine (Cat) came to the marina and joined us for lunch.  Afterwards, we loaded up our dirty laundry and overnight bags to stay at her house for a few days.  She picked up baby James at school–he’s only 14 months old and loves it.  He’s such a sweet baby with loads of energy!  Our nephew Justin came home later from work and brought pizzas for dinner (I really miss getting pizza on the boat.)

On Friday Cat took us out to lunch at Taco Boy in Charleston – a really fun and funky place.  The tempura shrimp taco and the tuna taco were fresh and delicious.  After lunch, she drove us through downtown Charleston to see the beautiful homes that line the Battery. 

James likes his cheese quesadilla

Cat and James got into the Halloween spirit for a party at her office–she was Jungle Jane and James was a cute little monkey.  Too bad she couldn’t convince Justin to don a gorilla costume!

Jungle Jane and Monkey boy

Dinner was a grilled feast with steaks, sausage (from Bucksport), fried okra and baked potatoes.  I made a blueberry crumble (thanks to Donna for the blueberries!)

Today (Saturday) we loaded up the car with everyone (including dogs) so that their house could be shown to a potential buyer.  Justin showed us his impressive flooring showroom (http://www.precisionflooring.info/index2.htm).  We would like to get hardwood floors in our house someday –so many choices!  We drove to Folly Beach and had lunch at a spot that was dog-friendly as it was too warm and sunny to leave them in the car.  They dropped us off at the marina where we said our goodbyes.  Happily, we’ll see them in about a month in Chattanooga for Skip’s mother’s 90th birthday party.

Back on the boat, we napped and did some chores.  As the sun went down, we walked a few blocks to the beach and enjoyed a beer while watching the ocean.  Tomorrow morning we’ll move on to Charleston and stay in town for a few days.  Joe (Onward) will join us there.

Isle of Palms beach

Moonrise

Southport and Mrytle Beach

Crossing the Cape Fear river requires careful timing with the tide.  You definitely don’t want to go against the current there!  We came through Snow’s Cut with the current fiercely against us (but at least it’s a short distance) and entered the Cape Fear river.  Not too much excitement other than staying out of the way of the container ships on their way to and from Wilmington. 

 We decided to stay at a different marina in Southport, one that other cruisers recommended last trip called South Harbor Village.  I didn’t like as much as the Southport marina.  It was too far away from town to walk and, other than a few restaurants, there really wasn’t anything there.  Although they advertise as being ‘transient friendly’, they didn’t put us at the transient dock.  We were directed to a slip in outer slobovia–about as far from the bath houses as possible.  While approaching the slip, the dock guy hollered to me to cofirm that we were a 30 ft boat.  Obviously, we’re much bigger.  He got confused with our request for a 30amp hookup.  Anyway, he still wanted us to come into the short slip and we eventually made it in there with some difficulty as we were docking with the current.   We hit the piling coming in and the dock guy insisted we ‘broke it’ and wanted us to pay for a new piling.  What a jerk!  He had a diver come over and check the piling but the diver didn’t find any cracks–it was just leaning a little.  Lessons learned: (1) Don’t stay at that marina–not cruiser friendly!, (2) Always ask for a  face dock transient slip, (3) Always ask about the direction of the current and make sure we dock against the current.

Cathy and Callie

It's impossible to get both dogs to face forward

Our friend Cathy picked us up and drove us to her house to spend the night.  Cathy and Ken live nearby at Red Brick Landing.  It was soooo nice to have a home-cooked meal and sleep in a bed!  They had just adopted a new puppy – a 6 month old terrior mix named Callie.  She was adorable and after Bailey got used to her, they had fun chasing each other around the couch.  The next morning, Cathy took us back to the marina because we thought the dock master wanted to move us so he could fret more about the piling.  Well, he never came by and we didn’t look for him.  It poured down rain and the wind blew hard from the south so we weren’t real anxious to move anywhere.  Later in the evening, we had dinner at the Dead End Saloon.  The owner also had a restaurant by the same name in Fells Point.  I have a rule against ordering Maryland style crabcakes outside of Maryland but was assured that they were good.  They were!

Barefoot Landing

We were going to spend another day in Southport but Skip checked the weather and it looked like Sunday was a good day to move.  We left the marina (never did hear from that idiot again and I hope we never will.)  The warm weather was very enjoyable as we motored towards Mrytle Beach.  Three bridges and several inlets later, we tied up at Barefoot Landing Marina situated behind a nice shopping center (my kinda place!)  Larry and Suzi were already there and we quickly hooked up for dinner at TBonz.  When we returned to the boat and were watching TV I heard a loud motoring noise.  We looked outside and watched in awe as a tug passed towing dredging equipment.  It must have been at least 1/4 miles of barges with large hoses – amazing!

Bev and Al

We awoke to dreary rainy weather on Monday morning.  I perused the shops (mostly beachwear and tourist junk) until lunch time when Bev (former SSAer) and her husband Al came to meet us for lunch.  They live nearby in Calabash and Bev & I keep in touch on Facebook.  After lunch, they offered to take us to their house (along with Bailey) to spend the afternoon.  They have a beautiful home in a golf community.  It was so nice to spend the afternoon in a warm, dry place enjoying the company of friends.  After dinner, Al dropped by the Walmart so we could get a few fresh food items before taking us back to the boat.  They offered to put us up overnight but we didn’t feel comfortable leaving the boat unattended since the marina doesn’t have any security.

Danny, Judy and Skip

Today (Tuesday) started drizzly but cleared up a bit in the morning.  Judy and Danny came by at lunch time and took us to one of Skip’s all-time favorite restaurants, Hamburger Joe’s, for lunch.  We had a really nice time getting caught up with them.  After we returned to the marina we decided to head out and try to make Charleston before the weekend.  Tonight we’re docked at Bucksport marina–one of our favorite spots.  The young owner is very friendly, rates are cheap and they sell delicious frozen sausage!

BTW, I took a break from blogging when our friend Joe (Onward) showed up.  We heard him on the radio earlier and, sure enough, he caught up with us!  We snacked on appetizers and a light dinner while getting caught up on our respective travels.  (Of course there was red wine and rum involved too…)

We’ll be near Charleston on Thursday and are looking forward to seeing Justin, Cat and baby James (who surely is walking by now!)

Wrightsville Beach, NC

Here we are anchored near Wrightsville Beach enjoying the sunshine and warm, calm weather–finally!  We ended up staying 3 nights in Beaufort.  It was just too darned cold and nasty to leave.  Not much was open on Sunday so we slept in and ate a wonderful buffet breakfast at the Boardwalk restaurant.  In the afternoon, we visited the free museum and learned about local history and wildlife.  The most interesting exhibits were paintings of historic boats by a local artist and a map that showed all of the different types of sea beans and where they come from (I would love to get a copy!)  It was still gloomy and cold so a walk around the Old Burying Ground was just the thing to do.  There were markers dated back to the 1700’s and a guide told the story of the most interesting residents, including Confederate and Union soldiers, sea captains, children and a girl buried in a barrel of rum (she died at sea and her father had promised her mother that she would return to Beaufort.)

Old Burying Ground

On Monday we visited to laundromat and took care of some boat chores.  In the afternoon, Larry and Suzi picked us up in a courtesy car from the marina where they had pulled into dock after spending 2 very cold and windy nights at anchor.  We managed to find a liquor store and a grocery store before their time was up for the car.  They walked back into town and joined us for lunch at the Beaufort Grocery restaurant which, according to Dan and Donna, is the best restaurant in Beaufort.  They were right!!

Larry and Suzi from Kanau

Getting out of our slip on Tuesday was an adventure.  We got the dock hands to help us by holding some lines so that Skip could back the boat out against the swift current.  From now until we get to Florida we’ll need to contend with swift currents, not always in our favor.  Only one bridge today–not too bad.  We arrived about 44 miles further south in Mile Hammock bay inside of Camp LeJeune.  The anchorage is a dredged area that was used during WWII for marines to train safely away from German U-boats.  There is still a lot of activity there.  We heard distant booms along with other strange noises and saw smoke rising.  Noisey helicopters circled above well into the night.  Bailey was not amused.  He took a lot of coaxing to finally go potty on deck.  There was a beautiful sunset with a fingernail moon in the sky.

Circled by helicopters in Mile Hammock

 

Serene sunset in Mile Hammock

Leaving Mile Hammock yesterday, we encountered 3 bridges before arriving in Wrightsville Beach.  We made the first bridge at a good time to make the next 2.  Since some open on the half-hour and some only on the hour, you can end up spending 1 1/2 hours to go only 5 miles!  We also went through a mess of small fishing boats near Swansboro who must have thought all of the fish were hiding in the center of the channel!  There weren’t nearly as many boats anchored in Wrightsville Beach as we saw last year.  I guess we must still be pretty far ahead of the folks who left after the Annapolis boat show.

We dropped the dinghy for the first time since leaving the bay and ran the motor for a while to get the kinks out.  There’s a nice dinghy dock here that’s just 2 blocks from the beach.  Bailey got to run and chase his tennis ball–one of his favorite things!  This is such a friendly beach town…no excruciating lists of rules on the beach and access to the beach at every street.  There aren’t many businesses nearby but there are some places to walk a few miles away (if inclined.)

Enjoying the beach

Larry and Suzi joined us for dinner last night on Moondance where we enjoyed telling sea tales and drinking G&T’s.  We slept in this morning and were invited to Kanau for blueberry pancakes – yummy!  Bailey took us for another long walk on the beach and now we’re just relaxing…

Bailey loves his tennis ball

Tomorrow, we’ll cross the Cape Fear river and stay in Southport.  Hope this good weather lasts a few more days…

Beaufort, NC

We had planned to leave Belhaven on Thursday but the drizzly cold and windy weather kept us there one more day.  More relaxing PLUS we got to visit the Belhaven museum…a must see.  If you can imagine a collection of anything and everything old, dusty or weird–they’ve got it!  According to the curator, one of the early citizens of Belhaven started collecting stuff and pretty soon everyone just gave her all their old stuff.  They had musty old clothing, magazines (Nat’l Geographics back to 1907), rattlesnake skins, war relics, farm tools and really gross stuff like one-eyed piglets in jars and a 10 lb tumor that was removed from somebody–yuck!  Best of all, the ‘curator’ must have been pretty lonely because he followed us around and talked non-stop…not sure about what…

Our friends Elliott and Ina from New Bern were going to meet us in Belhaven for dinner but they were busy getting ready for travelling the next day and couldn’t make it.  We joined Gray and Betty from Gray Ghost for dinner at the local oyster bar.  They were on their way home to Cypress Landing in Chocowinity and knew Jim and Kay. 

We already knew she was a lady!

We left Belhaven eary Friday under cool, foggy skies.  Crossing the Pamlico River was not bad since the wind was behind us.  Once we got out into the Neuse River, the wind was still behind us so it was a comfortable trip–especially with our cockpit enclosure!  We arrived in Oriental and tied up at the marina.  Our friends Dan and Donna picked us up in the evening for dinner at their house.  What a pleasant change to actually be in a house!  After only 2 weeks living on the boat I forgot how nice it was! to be on solid ground.   We enjoyed catching up with Dan and Donna as we drank wine and ate an excellent meal.  They have a beautiful house in the woods off of a creek near Oriental and are living the good life in retirement.  We recounted our old stories about our days at SSA…they seem to be getting dimmer (but not exactly rosey;-)

Leaving Oriental

 

 

After breakfast at The Bean, we left Oriental (again, foggy and cool) crossed the Neuse River and entered Adam’s canal.  This is where the scenery starts to change from inland waters to coastal waters.  As we turned east we start seeing dolphins and greener water.  We passed a tug and barge close to Beaufort and I like using our AIS to call them on the radio by name.  The tug operators seem to appreciate the calls to confirm their intentions.

Sun shining in Beaufort, NC

There are 2 ways to enter Beaufort and we decided to go around rather than wait for a bridge opening.  It was a little bit longer but we avoided fighting the current while waiting for the bridge to open.  Making a smooth landing into the Beaufort docks we were pleased to see a bustling town with lots of people about–civilization!!  Better yet, the sun actually came out!

We walked around town to check out the shops and restaurants. Later in the afternoon, Pete and Mary Ann from MicMac came over to introduce themselves.  We saw them in both Belhaven and Oriental.  We invited ourselves to join them for dinner at the Blue Moon and enjoyed talking about our combined sailing experiences.  They were comtemplating staying an extra day but we saw that they left this morning.  It’s too cold and windy for us…we’re staying another night!