From Beaufort SC to Jekyll Island GA

January 28, 2017 - January 31, 2017

I should have named this post "Going Aground in Fun Places" since that seems to be the theme of our travels in the final days of January, except going aground is no fun at all.

 On January 29th after a hot shower, we left Beaufort early since it was our plan to make it to Georgia.  It was cold and windy, but we were bundled up for that.  Things went fine until just before the Savannah River where the chart we have been following showed skirting a shallow area by staying to the left when we really should have stayed to the right.  We went hard around and all the maneuvers Bob and I tried didn't help.  About an hour later we flagged down a boater who helped pull us off. After that harrowing experience, we decided to stay at Thunderbolt Marina in Thunderbolt, GA rather than anchor out as planned.

The next morning we both still felt beat up by yesterday's grounding and weighed the pros and cons of staying in Thunderbolt another day.  We decided to keep going and Bob assured me there was no chance of going aground today.  We travelled the ICW through some beautiful areas with magnificent homes.

This home is a great example of Southern architecture
with Corinthian columns and a wide front porch, 
all in the shade of live oak trees.

Right after lunch I was looking ahead on the chart and found a spot called Hell Gate - this can't be good.  I looked it up in the guide book and found out how really bad it was, but we were upon it before we could make the decision to do anything else.  Bob piloted through the mile long area carefully at slow speed and when the shallow water alarm started beeping we only scraped bottom a bit.  We arrived safely at our anchorage in Kilkenny Creek just off the ICW and celebrated our "no going aground" day with a bottle of champagne.  I've found that sailors celebrate just about everything on a journey like this.

It was still very cold and windy in the morning, but we left our anchorage by 7:30 in order to cross the next shallow section of the ICW at high tide.  Things went smoothly until a missing navigational marker caused Bob to cut a turn  too short and that alarm went off again and before Bob could change directions we were aground.  Again he tried several maneuvers to no avail.  I suggested backing up and that did the trick.  It was smooth going until we anchored.  The scenery all day had been stark marsh grass with a few trees.  The natural beauty was marvelous and it lead to an exquisite sunset.

The most stark and natural scenery 
can be the most beautiful.

This morning it was still cold, but we had the prediction of a 70 degree day.  Mud River was our challenge today. We left at 8 am so we would traverse the 15 miles of shallow areas ahead of us during rising and high tide.  We have learned our lesson from our previous incidents of going aground.  We took it slow through the most treacherous areas of the ICW and came through safely.  The scenery now included homes and boat docks as well as marsh grass and trees.  We anchored in St. Simon's Sound just before the entrance to another tricky section of the ICW.  By the time we anchored I was in capris and t-shirt.  This weather is closer to what I expected on this trip.  Tomorrow looks challenging, but we can do it!!!!



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Rockville to Beaufort

January 14, 2017 - January 27, 2017

We had expected to have the re-powering of the boat completed by January 18, 2017, but several delays prevented that from happening.

1. The engine shaft seal leaked when the boat was underway.  This was corrected by changing the forward flexible motor mounts to slightly stiffer motor mounts.  
2. Anthony Back (the owner of Marine Propulsions) noticed that the boat was under propped for the new engine (all that means is that the propeller was too small).  This was corrected by ordering a new propeller and doing a short haul to switch the propeller.  
3. When the propeller was being switched the bushing (I don't have any idea what that is) was too small.  This was corrected by ordering a new bushing and doing another short haul.
4. Our battery charger was not working.  This was corrected by buying and installing a new battery charger.

All of these corrections took time which delayed our departure until January 27, 2017.

On top of all of this, my "surrogate mother" (actually my ex-mother-in-law and very dear friend) became ill with pneumonia complicated by her existing condition of congestive heart failure.  On January 20, 2017 I rented a car and drove to Sarasota, Florida to be with her in the hospital.  I stayed with her until I was sure her condition was improving and she would be moved to a rehabilitation facility soon.  

When I returned to Folly Beach on January 24, 2017 I had to help with packing up all of the items we had brought to the apartment for our 6 week stay and transport them to the boat.  It was a busy day with the bright spots being lunch at Black Magic Cafe and dinner at St. James Gate Irish Pub. 

The next day we packed up the rest of our belongings and the cats and moved onto the boat.  

Finally, on January 27th we got up early and headed south.  Since it is late January and the temperature was expected to be in the low 60's with 15 mph winds out of the west we bundled up. I mean gloves, hats, scarves, down vests, warm socks, the whole nine yards.

Bob at the helm.

Lizzy is a big help while we are
under way as you can see!

We made it to Beaufort, SC by 4:00 and got a slip at the Downtown Marina.  It was a long, but wonderful day getting back on the water.  I think I smiled for at least the first two hours of the trip.  I'm thrilled to be back on our journey.

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Back to Folly Beach - Part 2

January 7, 2017-January 13, 2017

Our big trip this week was to Savannah, GA. After the two+ hour drive we took the Old Town Trolley tour that allowed us to get off and on at any of their 15 stops.  The conductor narrated the tour giving us much of the history of the city.  

The Cotton Exchange Building is on Bay street which
is 42 feet above the level of River Street
that is one block away and runs
along the Savannah River.

Churches are everywhere in the low country especially in the cities.  There were seven that we traveled by just in the historic district. Churches always captivate me wherever we visit and I think some of my best photos are of churches. 

Saint John the Baptist Church was
gorgeous inside with numerous
stained glass windows created
by Tiffany Co. 

This close up photo gives you a better idea
of the beauty of the stained glass.

The Old Market on River Street was full
of unique shops, restaurants, and cafes.
These shops are on the ground floor
of converted cotton warehouses.
The market area was saved from demolition in
the 1970's by a very forward thinking mayor.

Some good advice I found on a poster
in an Old Market Shop.

This is a photo of one of the hundreds of
 beautifully restored historic homes that line the 22 remaining(park like) squares in the city.  Surprisingly, Savannah
and Charleston are uniquely different, but have the
same southern charm that I so appreciate.

Six Pence Pub was used in the movie
"Something to Talk is About" starring Julia Roberts
and Dennis Quaid. This  Pub is where Quaid is caught with another
women by Roberts in a flowing night gown.  A fight
ensues between the couple outside the Pub on Bull Street.
I loved this movie depicting an old southern town
and the gossip that surrounds the townspeople.

After visiting the boat to check on progress (the boat will be back in the water on 1/16) we drove to Charleston for what may be our final visit this trip.  We had lunch at the famous Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B. for short) and were very pleased.  It definitely met our expectations.  After lunch we strolled around Broad Street for some final photographs.

It was a gorgeous warm day. Washington Park
is just off Broad and contains this
monument and statue.

A beautiful Charleston Church

This historic building caught my eye because
of the unusual roof and dormers.

Bob had been talking about taking Lizzy (our cat) to the beach to explore. So one day this week we put her on a leash and walked her to the beach.

As you can see Lizzy is actually walking me
not the other way around.  Except for all of the dogs
Lizzy enjoyed this outing.

Next week will be our last in Folly Beach.  In my next blog I will reflect on our stop over here.


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Back to Folly Beach

December 31, 2016-January 6, 2017

Bob and I are staying at Folly Beach, SC in an apartment by the beach while our boat is being re-powered in Rockville, SC.

New Year's Eve day was warm and sunny which was a welcome change from Pittsburgh where it was snowing the day I left. I got settled back into the cottage, took a power walk on the beach, and spent the afternoon and evening watching college football bowl games.

Lots of people were enjoying the warm weather
at the beach on New Year's Eve Day.

The big spectacle in Folly Beach on New Year's Day was the Polar Bear Plunge which is held to benefit Special Olympics.  There were at least 1000 people on the beach.  Half of them were participants.

The enthusiastic crowd runs into the water,

and exits after a quick plunge.

New Year's Day (observed) was filled with college football bowl games.  The crowning game was the Rose bowl where Penn State sadly lost to University of Southern California 52-49.

One of our favorite pastimes here the Carolina low country is eating lunch in some of the quirky cafes in Folly and the surrounding area.

The Black Magic Cafe claims to have been
casting spells on Folly Beach since 2009.
The BLT with avocado sandwiches we had
were delicious.

During the rest of the week we did some sightseeing at Edisto Island (a barrier island south east of Charleston) and Charleston, SC.

Edisto Beach is the main town on Edisto Island.
The lack of commercial development is one
of the attractions of island.  The island had
one small grocery store, a few local restaurants,
a seafood house (pictured here), and one gas station.

The beach on Edisto Island is one of the nicest
we have seen in the low country.

We always visit the City Market when we are in Charleston.
Here you can see the famous sweet grass baskets on display.
At the market you can see the creators of these baskets at work.

On this trip we visited the Old Exchange and
 Provost Dungeon Museum.

The Old Exchange Building was used for business dealings and storage by the merchants of the city who had it built in 1771-1772.  Before the Revolution it was used as a meeting place for the Sons of Liberty who elected representatives to attend the 1st and 2nd Continental Congress in Philadelphia.  The British occupied Charleston in 1780 (during the Revolution) and used the basement of the building for a prison for patriots who refused to pledge their allegiance to the British Crown.

This pictures captures some of the beauty of
East Bay Street in the French Quarter of
Charleston SC.

We got the good news that our new Transmission for the boat was delivered on 1/6/2017 at 12:20 pm.  Maybe we will be able to get back to cruising soon.


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Home for the Holidays - Chicago

December 26-30

I arrived in Chicago at 10:45 AM and was picked up at Millennium Station by my daughter Rachel.  After picking up Juan (Rachel's boyfriend) and Liliana (Juan's 6 year old daughter) we had brunch at Meli in the West Loop neighborhood. 

We spent the afternoon catching up and preparing for Christmas dinner.

Rachel, Juan, Liliana, and I are ready to
enjoy this delightful Christmas dinner in
Rachel's West Loop loft apartment and
photography studio.

We spent the next day walking around downtown Chicago.

I found this sign on the way to downtown.
It's something Bob and I won't see in
warmer climates.

The Cloud Gate is a huge bean shaped polished
stainless steel public sculpture
in AT&T Plaza at Millennium Park
that distorts the reflection
of the city sky line.

According to Wikipedia the Cloud Gate sculpture was created by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor.  Constructed between 2004 and 2006, the sculpture is nicknamed The Bean because of its shape. Made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It measures 33 by 66 by 42 feet (10 by 20 by 13 m), and weighs 110 short tons (100 t; 98 long tons). Visitors can walk through and around the sculpture.  

In this view of Chicago's Millennium Park (taken
from the terrace of the Chicago Athletic Association)
you can see "The Bean", the ice rink, the Pitzker Pavillion,
Lake Michigan, and part of the Chicago skyline.

Here we are (Lili, me, and Rachel) enjoying the view
from the terrace of the Chicago Athletic Association
after enjoying a great lunch in the Cherry Circle Room.

On the way back to Rachel's loft I took this
photo of two angels.

I spent two more days with Rachel, et al. eating, playing board games, and just generally having fun.

I ended my whirlwind visit to as many family members as possible in 17 days by flying to Pittsburg and staying over night with my sister Becky and her husband Al.  It turned out that my daughter Jessica and her husband Joe were visiting them that night, too.  The next morning I drove to Annapolis and then to BWI for my trip back to Charleston and finally to Folly Beach where Bob and I are staying with our two cats while our boat is being re-powered.  It was a wonderful holiday with my children and sisters, but it is also wonderful  to be back with Bob and the cats.  I have many blessings to count in the 2016 year.


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Home for the Holidays - Pittsburg and South Bend IN

On December 23, 2016 I drove from Baltimore to Pittsburg to visit my sister, Becky, and her husband, Al.

Becky and Al in their dining room during a game of Scrabble.

That evening, my niece, Allison, her husband, Ryan,
and their nine month old son, Ronan,
drove down for a visit
from Oil City, PA.  

I got up the next morning at 3:00 am in order to catch my flight to Chicago.  From Midway airport I took a taxi to the South Shore train station.  I boarded the train at 8:30 am (CST) and arrived in South Bend by 10:30 am (EST).  Needless to say I was exhausted, but I met my youngest daughter, Grace, at the grocery store to buy what we needed for dinner on Christmas day.  We made some preparations for dinner and I went to my hotel early that night.

I spent Christmas day with Grace and her friend Ben cooking,
eating, talking, and laughing at Christmas movies and
Christmas sitcom episodes.

When I got back to my hotel I watched the disappointing Ravens vs. Steelers game that ended with a score of Ravens - 27  Steelers - 31.


The next morning I was up early to take the train to Chicago to visit my daughter Rachel.


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