Beaufort, SC to Wrightsville Beach, NC

May 11, 2020 - May 16, 2020

Bob got up in the middle of the night and redid our schedule so I was surprised at 6:15 am when he told me we had to leave by 7:30 am or earlier.  The original plan was for us to have a leisurely morning and leave at 9:30 am.  When he explained his reasoning it made perfect sense.  We quickly took showers, emptied the trash, bought ice, untied the dock lines and were off at 7:15 am.  We had an easy day of it passing through trouble spots at high or close to high tide and made 61 miles to our anchorage on Stono River.  Bob grilled steaks and I fixed corn on the cob! Wonderful! 

I enjoy reading boat names.  I liked this one.
Do you think the owners of "Play'N Hooky"
were school teachers?

Our anchorage was right in front of this house.

Our main trouble spot on Tuesday was Elliot Cut which is a narrow channel dug between two rivers with a tremendous current except at slack tide.  We left at 7:15 to get to the cut as the tide finished going out and was ready to change and start coming in.  It was perfect timing.  Unfortunately the bridge on the other side of the cut did not open until 9:30 am.  We anchored near by and had breakfast and waited for the bridge to open. We passed by Charleston and Isle of Palms, two of our frequently visited spots. Since our day was so long yesterday we decided to cut our day short and were anchored in Whiteside Creek by 1:00 pm.  We had a little trouble getting the anchor to hold (we are particularly anxious about this because of dragging) but finally found a good  spot and relaxed for the afternoon.  

It seemed odd not to stop in Charleston.
This was our view from the harbor.

A few clouds make a great sunset.

Wednesday we traveled past McClellanville on the narrow and shallow Jeremy creek.  We crossed the South Santee and the North Santee Rivers and along a canal to Winyah Bay.  We passed Georgetown and up the Waccamaw River to one of our favorite anchorages behind Butler Island.  The anchorage was beautiful with Cypress trees and so much wildlife.

Lola and I stayed on the cabin top watching and listening to the birds for a while.  It was a calming stop!

Of course, I was able to capture
a beautiful sunset.

Our goal for Thursday was to traverse the Waccamaw River until we branched off to a canal on the ICW.  The Waccamaw River is one of the most beautiful Rivers on the ICW. It winds through banks lined with cypress trees standing in the water some draped with Spanish moss.  We were west of Myrtle Beach for the several hours where the canal dug for the ICW is lined with spacious homes most with infinity pools.  We stopped around 1:30 at Barefoot Landing Marina for the night. 

Our goal for Friday was a marina in Southport.  We usually stay a few days at the Southport Municipal Marina, but it was full.  We had heard a couple on s/v Lucille who’s home port was Rockhall MD on the VHF calling bridges just behind us.  We had even passed under opening bridges in tandem a couple of times.  They docked right behind us in Southport and we finally got to meet them a chat for awhile sharing stories and strategies for the next few days.  It was refreshing to talk to other people (we practiced social distancing, of course) especially since we weren't going to be able to visit any of our favorite restaurants in Southport.

We got a late start on Saturday morning to take advantage of a rising tide on the Cape Fear River.  Since the river has a two to three knot current it was a wise move and our destination was only four hours away.  Cape Fear River was busy with pleasure boats, but it was wide enough to give all boaters plenty of room.  That was not the case when we left the river and entered the canal of the ICW.  It was pure chaos with jet skis, small boats, large boats, kayaks, and standup paddle boards everywhere.  We vowed never to travel this bit of the ICW on a weekend  again (it was that crazy).  We arrived at the Seapath Marina in Wrightsville Beach early afternoon.  We registered and got the lay of the land. When asked about shower facilities the dock hand told us they were being renovated. So no showers here.  I’m thankful we took the time to shower in Southport.  

 We are debating about staying in Wrightsville beach until the predicted tropical storm passes through.  We’ll see what happens.

Thank you for reading my blog.

St. Augustine, FL to Beaufort, SC

May 5, 2020 - May 10, 2020

We love St. Augustine and it seemed odd to be leaving after spending only one night  and taking no trips into town.  But our health and safety come before fun.  Our trip on Tuesday turned out to be longer than we expected. Our planned anchorage for the night turned out to be much shallower than indicated on the charts and we went aground.  It was dead low tide so we waited for about 45 minutes and then were able to get going again.  Apparently it was a full moon tide and was almost one foot lower than usual.  We continued on north and grabbed a mooring ball in Fernandina Beach. It was 5:00pm before we were settled.  Fortunately we had some left over pasta and sauce which made for a quick and easy meal. The tidal current in this mooring field was extremely strong and when the current changed during the night the mooring ball kept hitting the bow hull with a loud bump disturbing our sleep.

Since we went farther than expected yesterday our trip to Jekyl Island Marina was shorter than originally planned; which was a good thing as we had some important boat chores to complete (changing the engine oil and emptying the solids container of our composting toilet).  During this process Bob also found a crack in one of the fittings on the hot water tank (it’s always something) and had to replace it.  The restaurant on the marina property was serving take out so we ordered our lunch and ate it on the restaurant porch before we started our chores. I had a delicious shrimp salad salad (kind of like a Cobb salad, but with shrimp salad instead of grilled chicken). We got to take real showers and settled down for the night. 

s/v Rainy Days docked at Jeckyl Island Marina

With a boat neighbor’s help with our lines we left Jekyll Island at 6:30 am.  We had two problem spots to deal with and scheduled the trip around the tides.  We hit Little Mud River at mid tide and falling and made it through nicely. Johnson Creek was the next trouble spot and with the full moon tides it was more shallow than usual with mud flats and sand bars galore.  We went aground briefly but got off  quickly.  When the tide was with us we were doing over eight knots and decided to go all the way to Kilkenny Creek for the night.  We arrived just after five and anchored. 

The mud flats at this point reached almost
to the red channel marker.

We thought our anchor had dug in, but in the morning we were  surprised to see we were right up against the spartina grass and badly aground.  It was almost high tide and Bob worked the boat back and forth until we broke free.  Phew. I was getting ready to call “Tow Boat US”. Our last day in Georgia was complicated by Hell Gate.  We wanted to pass through that area at mid and rising tide so we didn’t leave our anchorage until 8:30 am.  We had time for a great breakfast of egg, cheese, and bacon burritos.  It was my watch when we went through Hell Gate and because it was high tide I sailed through unscathed.  The lowest water I saw was 15 feet, but with a ten foot tidal range it would certainly be a problem at low tide.  We crossed the Savanna River at at 2:00pm and Bob had to fight a strong tide pushing us down river the whole way across.  We anchored in New River in South Carolina and were happy to be done with Georgia.  As we were anchoring the wind picked up quite a bit and was opposed to the tidal current creating a situation where the anchor was under the boat, but we are sure it was well dug in tonight.

Just south of the Savannah River
are many elegant houses.

I haven’t said much about Lola this trip, but she has been a real trooper.  She spends the day in the cockpit with us alternately sleeping and keeping watch.  She dislikes power boats and gives them the evil eye everytime they pass by rocking us with their wake.  She caught her first green head fly while we were in Georgia and managed to swat many of the flies away before they entered the boat. What a great 1st mate!  

Lola is glaring at a noisy motor boat as it wakes our boat.
She has her ears back! Look out!

No dragging of the anchor last night! We left our anchorage at 6:45 and motored about 35 miles.  Both the Calibogue and the Port Royal Sound were rocky due to opposing current and wind, but other than that it was a pleasant trip to Beaufort SC.  Since we needed to buy groceries and do laundry we decided to stay over at the Lady’s Island Marina for two days.  It will be nice to be in one place as this constant moving is getting exhausting.  It’s a lovely marina just across the Beaufort River from downtown.  Publix is in walking distance as well as some sandwich shops and restaurants that are open for take out.  

The sunset on Saturday night was gorgeous!

Mother’s day was busy.  We borrowed the courtesy car from the marina and bought groceries and new line for the fenders (we lost one between the bridge and Lady's

’s Island Marina) at West Marine. After stowing all of the groceries it was time for lunch and I whipped up some comfort food - tomato soup and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.  Since Lady's Island Marina did not have fuel we opted to transfer the auxiliary tank fuel into the main tank and empty all of our Jerry Jugs of Diesel fuel into the auxiliary tank so we could keep going until our stop at Barefoot landing Marina (three days away).  I heard from all of my children and enjoyed our lengthy phone calls catching up on what’s been happening.  After doing some cleaning, I relaxed for the rest of Mother’s Day.  Tomorrow we resume our trek up the ICW.

Grocery shopping has sure changed!
I'm glad to see so many protections
in place for the employees.

Stay safe and thank you for reading my blog.

Vero Beach, FL to St. Augustine, FL

May 1, 2020 - May 4, 2020

We left the marina at 8:45 on Friday morning with a boat neighbor’s help with our dock lines.  It was smooth going with light winds, sunny skies, and a cool breeze.  We made it to Coconut Bay (28 miles away) by 1:00pm and anchored.  We waited until stopping to have lunch which consisted of reheated left over pizza from Geogios in Vero Beach.  What a treat!  I’ve got to figure out what cheeses they use on their pizza.  Whatever it is, it is a delicious combination.

Rising early we weighed anchor by 7:00 am.  It was a chilly morning with a temperature of 59 degrees.  It was the first time we had our fleece jackets out in a very long time.  We motored into the wind for a little over 50 miles on the Indian River and anchored for the night at Titusville.  Except for the chill it was an easy day with no bridge holdups or groundings.  The scenery along the sides went from grand houses to scruffy pines and palm trees.  Traveling on a river is much more interesting than crossing the ocean since there is so much more to see. Bob brushed off his grilling skills and cooked some delicious pork chops for dinner.  One of the advantages of anchoring out is being able to use the grill.

On Sunday we traveled from Titusville to Daytona Beach which is a very busy and crowded section of the ICW.  Jet skis and small boats buzzed around us like wasps.  Both big and small fishing boats were out everywhere especially in the Hauloverer Canal and Mosquito Lagoon.  It was a tiring and frustrating day with all the boat traffic.  No one seemed to be taking any precautions for the coronavirus either.  Something tells me there will be another surge of infections in a couple of weeks, but I hope not.

On Monday we set out early once again.  Our plan was to anchor North of St. Augustine, but after traveling many miles decided to go the easy route and take a mooring ball in St. Augustine after re fueling, filling the water tanks, and buying ice.  I hailed our friends, Judy and Stephen on s/v Bantana (they wintered in St. Augustine) once we settled in.  Low and behold it was Stephen’s birthday and we were invited to take part in a surprise dingy parade to help him celebrate.  Unfortunately, our dinghy was not ready for use so we couldn’t participate, but it was good to hear our friend’s voices once again.  Now that we are back in the states we can keep in touch with them.  One interesting occurrence today was the loss of my "Rainy Days" hat.  A few miles after the loss a boat full of young people pulled alongside and said they had retrieved my hat and wanted to return it .  I stuck the boat hook out and one of the guys put the hat on the hook.  I was so excited about getting the hat back.  This is the second time the hat has gone into the water and been retrieved.  It must have nine lives like a cat!!!!!

Sorry, no pictures this time.  I’ll try to do better with my next blog.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Great Stirrup Cay to Vero Beach, FL

April 25, 2020 to April 30, 2020

As we left Great Stirrup Cay Harbour we noticed eight cruise ships anchored on the North side of the cay.  I was wondering where all the cruise ships would be stored during the pandemic.  Four from Norwegian Cruise lines and four from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines were here in the Berry Islands.

Eight cruise ships were anchored
off of Great Stirrup Cay.

Since we left our anchorage at noon on Saturday we were expecting to get to Ft. Pierce between 7:00 am and noon on Sunday.  However, the weather gods fooled us again.  Not only were the winds stronger and the seas higher than expected we apparently had something on the propeller that was keeping our boat speed between four and five knots even with the jib out.  This is considerably slower than we had planned on.  The speed was so troubling that Bob encouraged me to go below the boat and check for grass around the propeller shaft.  At first I refused  (it was pitch dark), but once I thought about it I realized it was the only solution to our speed problem.  I donned my bathing suit and snorkel mask and got into the pitch black water.  I felt around the prop with my feet and found the grass.  After rigging a rope around the prop to guide me down to the problem I went below the boat and wrenched the grass free.  It was definitely a scary swim.  Unfortunately, removing the grass didn’t help our boat speed much. Finally, about 40 miles out of Ft. Pierce the boat speed picked up.  Something must have jarred whatever else was on the prop loose.  With all of these issues going on we didn’t get to Ft. Pierce until after 5:00 pm.  We were able to get fuel and ice (oh, by the way, our fridge stopped working again) and were eating dinner in our anchorage by 7:00pm.  Bob and I have totally sworn off nighttime passages.  

We slept like logs and awoke to a cool day (high was 72).  We weighed anchor and caught the 9:30 opening of the North Ft. Pierce Bridge.  We had a short trip to Vero Beach where we were in our slip by noon.  I went to get the rental car and stopped at the Burger King drive through on the way back to the boat to pick up our lunch.  Impossible burgers never tasted so good.  That afternoon we did some grocery shopping and stopped at the liquor store to provision.  The Bahamas did not consider liquor stores as essential businesses so we had gone through most of the wine, beer and liquor aboard in our two months of sheltering in place.  We were happy to see almost everyone here wearing face masks and gloves and practicing social distancing in the grocery store.  We will have to make one more grocery run before leaving Vero Beach.  

After being so isolated for two months, it is unnerving to be in a town with so many people. We actually hadn’t left our marina on Great Exuma for two months.

On Tuesday the refrigeration guy came in the afternoon, fixed some freon leaks, evacuated all of the freon, and refilled the fridge with freon.  Thank goodness, again it was an easy fix.  Next step was cleaning out the bottom of the fridge (remember the mayo jar that came open in the bottom of the fridge).  After reloading all of the food the fridge continued to cool down properly.  

Wednesday I did laundry and helped Bob with some jobs around the boat.  I finally got to take a nice long walk, too. I walked to the beach and observed several groups of people on the beach.  They were staying at least six feet away from each other ( the groups that is), but I still don’t think it is wise to have the beaches open just yet.

Thursday, we provisioned for the ten days we will be anchoring out so as to avoid going ashore as much as possible.  Our next provisioning stop will be in Beaufort, SC. 

Stay safe and well.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Marina at Emerald Bay to Stirrup Cay

April 19, 2020 - April 23, 2020

We got up at 6:00 am on Sunday hoping to get out of the marina by 7:30.  After final showers, we readied the boat for taking off.  One glitch in our plans was that we weren’t able to get the ice we needed for the trip until 7:45 am.  One of the dock hands helped us push off at 8:00 am.  It was a long hot day.  The wind was behind us and at approximately the same speed as we were motoring.  Consequently, no refreshing breeze.  In the afternoon Lola started panting regularly which worried me, but she seemed to be okay.  We anchored off Big Major Spot Cay (remember the pigs)  at 4:00 pm.  Bob grilled some red snapper we had gotten in our grocery order and with sides of peas and rice and cole slaw it was a perfect Bahamian meal.

Rocky islands line the channel
through Galliot Cut which takes
us from the Exuma Sound to the
more protected Exuma Bank.

On Monday we hauled anchor at 7:00 am. Not being allowed to get off the boat at any stop and only being permitted to stop at designated marinas to re-fuel on weekdays made us anxious to get back to the US.  Our schedule gets us to a refueling stop it Port Lucaya on Thursday night just in time to refuel the next morning.  Obviously we can’t take the trip slow and easy.  The wind was stronger than predicted which gave us a cooling breeze but also big swells that rocked the boat uncomfortably.  Occasionally, there were seven foot swells. When in the trough all you saw was water and on the crest all you saw was sky. It was a little unnerving to say the least.  We made it to our anchorage off Highbourne Cay at 2:00 pm. While anchoring My hand accidentally got caught in the chain stop and I suffered a big scrape on my left index finger that bled profusely.  We finally got the injury under control with lots of gauze and bandage tape.  Hope it heals well.

On Tuesday the weather was much calmer by mid-morning. The winds were light but still provided us with a cool breeze.  Our destination was Rose island which is just east of Nassau.  We were avoiding traveling through Nassau Harbor because that is where all of the Coronavirus cases have been diagnosed.  We anchored at 4:00 pm in a lovely deserted anchorage and spent a restful night.

We left our anchorage early on Wednesday, around 7:00 am. We made it past the small islands around New Providence headed to the Berries which ( according to our auto pilot) was eight+ hours away.  The countdown to anchoring dragged on and on as we took our one hour shifts at the helm.  We reached Great Stirrup Cay at 4:00 pm and anchored in a sandy patch amongst the sea grass.  We experienced significant boat motion all night, but still got some sleep. 

The sunrise as we prepared to leave our
anchorage at Rose Island was spectacular!

We passed the huge Atlantis Resort on Paradise
Island just across Nassau Harbour.  This is a
totally different side of the Bahamas than 
 we experience in the out islands.

In the morning Bob and I discussed our options for travel.  He was concerned that if we continued as scheduled we would find a rage condition in the seas around the entrance to Port Lucaya since the winds would increase as the day continued.  We decided to move the boat to a more protected area and remain in the Stirrup Cay Harbour until noon on Saturday and then make an overnight passage across the Gulf stream to Fort Pierce, FL. So we have a couple of days without traveling. The islands near our anchorage are used by different cruise lines for passenger excursions.  On one island I can see what looks like elaborate play equipment.  On the bigger island there are buildings that may be kitchens to provide a beach buffet. 

In the afternoon we transferred all of the diesel fuel in the jerry jugs to our auxiliary tank in preparation for our 24 hour journey starting Saturday at noon.   

Hopefully, my next blog will be posted from Vero Beach, FL.

Stay safe and healthy!

Thank you for reading my blog.

The Marina at Emerald Bay, part ten

April 12, 2020 - April 17, 2020

Easter Sunday started out as usual, Bahamian coconut bread French toast for breakfast and my morning walk.  We decided to have lobster tails (from last weeks grocery order) for lunch and we thought peas and rice would make a delicious side dish.  We had been sent two cans of pigeon peas accidentally in one of our grocery orders.  I looked up a recipe for Bahamian peas and rice and got to work right after my walk. I’m glad I started early because as it was we didn’t have lunch until 2:00 pm. Although it seemed like it would be simple to make there were many ingredients and several steps to preparing the dish.  First, I minced a small onion and bell pepper and sauteed them along with a small piece of ham which I chopped up.  Next, I added tomato paste, chopped tomato, thyme, salt, pepper, water and pigeon peas.  This I simmered for an hour.  I added the rice just before I started to boil the water for the lobster tails.  I was nervous about how the peas and rice would  turn out, but they were delicious.  Of course, the recipe made enough to feed an army so we will have a ready made side dish for many meals to come! 

We had been noticing an abundance of marine growth on the rudder.  On Monday after my walk I put on my bathing suit in preparation for cleaning the rudder.  It was Bob’s idea that I sit on the lowest rung of the swim ladder and scrub the rudder with the long handled brush.  Once I got the hang of it the marine growth came off easily.  We supposed that the boat bottom was covered with the same type of growth (this happens when we sit in a marina for two months).  Since the growth was easy to get off the rudder we are hoping that the growth on the bottom will come off easily once we are under way again.  Since I was already in the water, and enjoying myself, I brushed the growth off of the water line, too.

The water was a perfect temperature.
I hadn't been in the water for over a month.

The weather has been getting hotter and Wednesday morning was no exception. If it weren’t for a breeze we would be sweltering outside.  On my walk I always take note of the sea state, which depends on the direction and the force of the wind.  Some days the waves roll gently into shore, but today they were crashing onto the sand and the rocks making a delightful sound. Even though the sea seemed a bit angry the sound of the waves never ceases to calm my spirit. That afternoon the grocery truck got to the marina early (1:30).  I was walking back to the boat from taking a shower when it pulled in.

Even though we order our food and pay for it I still
feel like a refugee getting my food out of the back of a truck. 

New restrictions came from the government on Wednesday, also.  Foreign boats were encouraged to leave, but would not be allowed to stop anywhere and go ashore on their trip home. Certain marinas where designated as refueling stops during passage through the Bahamas.  We still hoped to stay at the marina until mid May and Bob emailed a request to extend our stay.  However, that evening we talked about the possible outcomes of the situation and decided to prepare for departure on Sunday, April, 19, even though we were still anxious about the covid-19 situation in the US. Our major concern was that restrictions would continue to get stricter and if the Marina was required to close we would have to leave on short notice.  Plus, hurricane season is quickly approaching. We will miss the clear water, our resident nurse sharks, sea turtle, sergeant majors, friendly marina staff, and the relaxed atmosphere of the Bahamas.

On Thursday we started preparing to depart.  I inventoried all of our food stuff and assured Bob that we had plenty of food to get back to the US.  Bob started plotting our route and determined that it would take us seven days to get through the Bahamas, cross the Gulf Stream, and anchor in Fort Pierce, FL. Of course we would stop each night and anchor away from shore.  We converted two gasoline jerry jugs to diesel jugs and filled them, giving us enough fuel on board to make it to Port Lucuya for refueling.  We will try to sail as much as possible, but we had to make provision just in case we had to motor the whole way.  

On Friday, I washed and polished the windows of the enclosure, filled the sun shower, cleaned and reapplied bug repellent to all of our hatch screens, and made two pizzas (one will be for lunch on our first day out). I finally found an easy way to make face masks without sewing (thanks Nancy).  Saturday, will be taken up with final preparations.

My next blog will be when we are on our trip back home.  Stay safe and well!

Thank you for reading my blog

The Marina at Emerald Bay, part nine

April 3, 2020 - April 11, 2020

Our daily routine here in Emerald Bay Marina has been to get up between 7:30 and 8:00 AM. We each have a cup of tea or a cup of coffee—I almost always have two cups of coffee. While Bob is drinking his tea, he reads the news (from 3 or 4 different sources) on his iPad. I play games (designed to keep my mind sharp) on my iPhone. Then we have breakfast onboard which varies daily between French toast, whole wheat pancakes, eggs, oatmeal, and cereal. At this point, I usually take a walk around the marina property (maybe 45 minutes) while Bob works on the day’s blogpost. Around noon or a bit later we have lunch onboard, our primary meal for the day—what we have for lunch varies widely too. We’ve been searching online for new recipes. After lunch, we usually go up to the marina lounge where we can use their free WiFi—we spend a couple hours there each day. We generally take showers every other day, usually in the afternoons. We typically start our Happy Hour at 4 PM with some light snacks (carrot sticks, pieces of cheese, crackers, or popcorn) to accompany our (alcoholic) beverages. When the sun goes down, Bob usually goes to bed (and reads for a while in bed). I sit on the port settee for a couple more hours and do jigsaw puzzles on my iPad or read my current kindle book. Once a week we have been getting groceries delivered.  The day varies according to when the fresh produce boat arrives in George Town.

The best part of my day is my walk for the following reasons:

• It builds my stamina. 
• I get off the boat.
• It prevents victim D deficiency.
• The sound of the waves feeds my soul.
• I have alone time to pray for the safety and health of my family.
• I can appreciate the turquoise water of the ocean and the emerald water of the marina.
• I get to observe wildlife. 
• The physical exertion helps me sleep better.

The sound of the waves each
 morning calms me.

I can't walk along the golf course
anymore, but it is beautiful.

The color of the water is
always so beautiful.

This might be the best beach picture
I have ever captured.

The restrictions on movement in the Bahamas have been extended until after the Easter Holiday weekend with a further rule requiring everyone to wear masks when they leave their residence. Fortunately, the marina grounds are considered part of my residence so I still have the freedom to walk everyday. I have also started to wear gloves when I pick up our groceries and sanitize everything before bringing items onto the boat.  I am taking this extra precaution because all provisions come through Nassau where the outbreak of the virus occurred.

Thank you for reading my blog.