Beaufort, NC to Georgetown, SC

November 3, 2019 - November 9, 2019

We left Beaufort at around 7:45 am on Sunday which is later than usual, but we needed to time the tides to some areas we would be encountering later in the day.  The weather for the first two days of travel was mild and sunny and our days ended by 3:00pm.  The first night we anchored in Mile Hammock Bay which is within the grounds of Camp LeJuene.  We were one of the first of twelve other boats to anchor there for the night.  Lola had been a little lethargic lately so I made a point of playing with her out on the cabin top that afternoon.  She attacked a line I teased her with with great vigor.  We have to remember that she needs this kind of play time. 

The Pink House, as we have named it,
sits on its own island on the west side of the ICW. 

Our second night we anchored at Wrightsville Beach.  The wind had picked up in the afternoon, but calmed down in the evening.  We woke up to cloudy skies, warm temperatures, and a short rain storm. We raised our anchor and headed off to Southport. On the Cape Fear River we were joined by a pair of dolphins.  They swam, dived, and surfaced along side the boat for several minutes.  The pair was most likely a female and her young as the young dolphins stay with their mother for about three years to learn the social and food gathering behaviors necessary for survival.  It was a short trip and we arrived in time to have lunch at one of our favorite spots, Fishy Fishy. As we were walking home the rain that had been threatening all day began in earnest. We relaxed inside listening to the sound of the rain on the boat.  Southport is one of our favorite stops on the ICW, it seems almost like a home port.  On our stay over day in Southport we got out our folding bikes and road around town and out Howe Street to a great Italian Restaurant, Bambini’s. The whole trip was about five miles. 

Brightly painted shutters at Fishy, Fishy

The seafood market with brightly colored floats hanging outside

Pelicans are one of my favorite marine birds.

On Thursday we had three trouble spots to get through.  We left at 6:30 am just as the sun was rising in order to hit these spots with a favorable tide.  At low tide we would be more likely to go aground or touch bottom at some point.  Lockwood’s Folly Inlet was the first trouble spot, next came Shallot Inlet.  We got through both with no trouble.  Bob studies many sources of information on issues like these and plots our course meticulously saving us from making mistakes. He is usually at the helm through these tough spots and I am watching with binoculars to identify buoys and day markers. We make a good team. The last spot of concern was Little River Inlet which we breezed through with no problems.  Inlets from the ocean like these are particularly difficult to navigate because of the strong currents which produce ever changing areas of shoaling. 

Seeing this large casino boat as we rounded
a bend in the ICW channel was quite a surprise!

We docked at Barefoot Landing Marina by 2:00 pm, tired, but happy to be through the trouble spots.  Barefoot Landing is in the Myrtle Beach area.  Jimmy Buffet’s sister, Lulu, has recently completed a complex including a restaurant, arcade and rope climbing area across the ICW from Barefoot Landing Marina.  It looks like the area is headed toward being a major stop on the ICW.

 At night Lulu’s takes on a carnival spirit with bright lights and music.

Leaving the marina at 7:30 am we were in for a rather boring day of canals and a long the winding Waccamaw River. The weather changed drastically from the day before.  I was in shorts and a tank top yesterday, but in jeans and a sweatshirt today.

 Palatial houses lined the ICW in the Myrtle Beach area.

We were docked at the Dry Stack Marina in Georgetown, SC by 2:30pm.  After checking in we walked downtown to get some ice cream.

Sweeties has delicious ice-cream.

On Saturday the marina dock master gave us a ride to the Food Lion and back to the marina after we purchased all of the supplies we needed.  After I stowed all of the groceries I took my camera for a walk around the marina and town. Georgetown is the third oldest town in South Carolina and contains historic houses, the rice museum, and the old shrimp dock.  Nearby are old rice and indigo plantations that can be toured.

This is the view of the harbor and Harbour Walk
from our dock.  The shrimp boats are docked
in front of the old shrimp processing plant.

Here's the entrance to our Marina.

This is a window in the old fish house
next to the marina.

The Cleland House, pictured here, was built in 1737
by John and Mary Perry Cleland on Front Street.
Local legend claims it is haunted.
To read the story go to this link
.https://www.hauntedplaces.org › item › leland-house

Front Street is lined on both sides by live oaks.

The Harbor Walk a is lined
with restaurants and shops.

Costal Carolina University docks its
marine research vessel in Georgetown.

On Saturday afternoon we watched the PennState vs. Minnesota game.  Penn State lost (their first loss of the season) 26 - 31.

Tomorrow we will start our three day trip to Beaufort, SC.


Thanks for reading my blog.

Coinjock, NC to Beaufort, NC

October 27, 2019 - November 2, 2019

On Monday we crossed the Abermarle Sound which is one of the largest bodies of water on the ICW.  Consequently, the winds can kick up some substantial waves.  Even though the wind was stronger than expected it was mostly behind us and did not effect our comfort.  The problem of the day was power boats.  Most power boaters will hail us on the VHF and warn us that they will be passing us and then have the courtesy to slow down as they pass (we slow down too).  On Monday we had several power boats wake us badly.  One was so serious that it caused one of our bikes to fall out of the quarter berth.  We had to traverse the Alligator River as well.  When we left Baltimore the information we had was that the Alligator River Bridge was being repaired (it had been shut down for several days) and had a very limited opening schedule.  By the time we got to the bridge it was back opening on request and we sailed through in a long line of sailing and power boats without even slowing down. That night we anchored just before the start of the Alligator River/ Pongo River Canal.

We passed the R.E. Mayo seafood market
with two shrimp boats docked out front.

The next morning we left our anchorage at 7:45 and headed down the twelve mile canal.  The canal is straight and mostly boring, lined on both sides with North Carolina Pine and a few deciduous trees showing fall color.  I amused myself by looking at things with the binoculars and asking Bob questions.  After all there was no cell service and I couldn’t access “Google”.  I also found Lola’s cat nip mouse and refilled it.  Lola played with it for quite awhile and then I played with her in her drug induced energy spurt.  She soon calmed down.  Around lunch time we excited the canal and started down the Pongo River which has clusters of water front houses and more to see. We anchored in Goose Creek after we crossed the Pamlico River. I did some baking - a ham and gruyere quiche and a batch of brownies.  We weren’t as protected from the wind as we had hoped and the evening started off with rocking and rolling but calmed down by bedtime.  Bob put the anchor harness on the anchor chain which also helped to lessen the motion.

We love quiche for breakfast while we are underway!

Our plan for Wednesday was to head down the Pongo River and anchor off Adams Creek in Cedar Creek.  The Pongo River is also a large body of water and we encountered shrimp boats and a tug pushing a barge.  I cooked hamburger stroganoff (one of our favorite meals) for lunch.  Something about eating under way makes it all the more delicious.  After anchoring at 1:15 we caught up on the days news, emails and some blogs Bob follows.  Lola and I played out on the cabin top in the warm sun and cool breeze.  Her new favorite toy is a length of line we use for securing items on deck.  Anchoring out is one of my favorite parts of this journey; it’s always so peaceful.

There was no need to get up early on Thursday as we had only 17 nm to go to get to Beaufort, NC.  We were docked in Beaufort by 10:30 am with just enough time to shower before we had lunch.

Bob and I enjoying pizza at the
Black Sheep Restaurant
on the waterfront.

This is the luxury vehicle we borrowed from the marina
 to drive to the grocery store for provisions.
Yes, there is a red door on this green car!

On Saturday we walked to the Farmers Market in the Court House Square.  We bought some winesap apples, fresh whole wheat bread, and a fragrant soy candle.  Soy candles work well on the boat because they burn at a lower temperature and don't create smoke.  

After lunch I took a long bike ride around town and took some photos.

The historic A.M.E. Church on Ann St. 

Beaufort is filled with houses built in the mid to late1800's.
I thought this one was particularly charming.

The old train depot (circa 1907) now sits on Broad Street.
Trains ran from Beaufort to Moorehead City
 from 1907 to the 1980's.

Sitting on the cabin top looking around the marina caused me to think of the ever changing variety of boats and crew that we encounter on our trip.  We often share anchorages and marinas with familiar boats, but there are always new boats, too.  Even though we cruisers are all unique and diverse we share a similar lifestyle and a camaraderie.

This is the view of the marina I had while sitting
 on the cabin top filling our water tanks.

Thank you for reading my blog. 

St. Michaels, MD to Coinjock, NC

October 21, 2019 - October 28, 2019

Monday’s weather was a great improvement over yesterday.  It was partly sunny with temperatures in the 60’s.  We were toasty warm in our enclosure as we motored south on the Chesapeake Bay to Solomons.  After getting fuel and water we arrived at Zanhisers Marina at 4:30 just before the office closed at 5:00 and got help with docking on a T-head.  We both took nice long showers and had pizza for dinner.  Zanhisers is one of our favorite marinas on the Chesapeake with great facilities and a shuttle to the grocery store.  

On Tuesday, one of our propane tanks had run out and the shuttle driver kindly agreed to take us to get it filled after she dropped the other boaters off at the grocery store.  Since neither of us had gotten to eat any of the crab mac-n-cheese I had made for the rendezvous I made some for lunch when we got back to the marina.  It was yummy! The rain and wind (the reason we stayed an extra day in Solomons) started at 4:30 and was quite strong all evening.

Wednesday we planned to make up the stay over day we had in Solomons and traveled 55 nm to an anchorage in Fishing Bay near Deltaville, VA.  We had been surrounded by numerous boats as we motor sailed on the calm bay with the wind behind us. Several boats had their spinnakers out.  Most of those boats had also chosen the same anchorage in Fishing Bay.  There were 22 boats in the anchorage by nightfall.  We enjoyed the peaceful, beautiful setting grilling chicken for dinner and eating in the cockpit while the sunset.  

We never stopped at this anchorage before,
but found it peaceful and quiet.
We will definitely put it on our favorite list,

Sunset on Fishing Bay

Thursday we motor sailed to Hampton, VA near the start of the ICW.  While we are out on the water we get to watch the marine life as it changes as we get further south.  We have been seeing lots of brown pelicans which are one of my favorite marine birds.  They usually fly close to the water to take advantage of the updraft and dive recklessly into the water to catch fish.  They aren’t attractive, but are very efficient birds.

The first thing we did in Hampton was have pizza at Bull Island Restaurant.  Their menu is limited but they have a gazillion craft beers on tap.  Hampton is a favorite stop just before we enter the ICW and we had a coupon for a free night so, of course, we stayed two nights.  Friday we did a little maintenance (my part was cleaning) in the stern area and then went out to lunch.  Have you noticed that eating is one of our favorite pastimes (LOL). 

We ate lunch at Venture and they had eleven
craft beers on tap!

Restaurant row in Hampton

The first real fall color we have seen

Can you tell I'm trying to be more
artistic in my photography?

On our walk to the water we encountered
this seafood market which had a huge
seafood processing building behind it.

This shrimp boat supplies the
seafood processing plant.

I'm a sucker for carousels, and
Hampton has a beautiful antique one.

Across from our marina was
Joy's Marina.  The reflexion
that afternoon was great.

Our next destination was Great Bridge where there is a free dock.  We got through the lock easily.  Just as an aside, the first time we went through the lock I was extremely apprehensive, but this time it was easy.  We got through the bridge only to find that the free dock area was full.  I searched the charts for a suitable anchorage near the bridge and found one at mile 27.  On the charts it looked iffy, but when we got there it was fine.  We spent a quiet, peaceful night anchored out.

Sunrise!

Our plan was to dock at Coinjock marina on Sunday, but when we called them they were full.  I did another search for an anchorage close by and found one seven miles past Coinjock.  We did stop at Coinjock for fuel, water, ice and a great lunch (they have great food - never been disappointed).  The anchorage was quiet and well protected from wind.  At around 7:00 pm there were some thunder rumbles but no rain or wind.  It should be a quiet night. 

Lola is enjoying the trip!

Thank you for reading my blog.

Final days in Baltimore - St. Michael's

October 14, 2019 - October 20, 2019

Monday was a day to clear the boat of all of the items we needed to take to storage before our trip and finish up some last minute projects.  I repaired a Rainy Days burgee that we had used the last time we were in the Bahamas and did some cleaning in the cabin and in the cockpit. We did some provisioning and stowed all the purchases.

One of our last meals in Canton was at the Claddagh Pub.

I had a cardiology appointment on Tuesday morning and afterwards we completed all of our final errands in Annapolis including purchasing a whole pizza from Italian Market to pack up and store in the fridge for the times we are having pizza withdrawal symptoms.  That evening the friend and neighbor group we socialized with over the summer had a going away party in the boater’s lounge.  Since we are all going south to different destinations and at different times we wanted a chance to say good by to each other.

Our happy group of cruisers enjoying the last party of the season.

I had an echo cardiogram scheduled for early Wednesday morning and another doctor’s appointment later in the day.  Bob opted to stay home and I drove to Annapolis on my own.  All went well with both my medical visits.  It was pouring down rain by the time I got home and continued raining for the rest of the day.  I did some last minute laundry in preparation for leaving.

On Thursday morning the dinghy had about
three inches of water in it which I bailed out.

Thursday was our scheduled day of departure, but there were gale force wind warnings and we decided (wisely) to postpone our trip until Friday. It was reported that 53 mph wind gusts were recorded on the Bay Bridge so we’re glad we stayed put.

Friday was chilly (high of 64) but sunny with winds out of the NNW.  We had an eight hour trip across the bay to St. Michael’s and were anchored for the night at 3:30 pm.  It was great to be back out on the water again. Bob grilled some steaks and I cooked corn on the cob for our first dinner in the cockpit.  Lola spent the whole day in the cockpit with us, but seemed to be confused about what was going on. That night the outside temperature went down to 46 so I was glad I put an extra blanket on our bed.  Lola joined us in the v-berth to sleep and share the warmth. 

The first sunset of many on our trip south.

Bob took the chill off the morning by lighting our propane fireplace, but we spent most of the morning in the cockpit where the sun warmed up the space inside our enclosure nicely.  Before lunch we took the dinghy into town to touch base with the C&C rendezvous group.  We walked down Talbot Street stopped  in a few shops and ate lunch at The Galley. 

Some amusing coasters in one of the
shops we visited

A witchy mermaid decoration

Back with the C&C group we talked about our adventures since our last meeting in 2018.  I made some crab mac-n-cheese to share with the group after our tour of the Lyon Distillery.  The tour was informative, but the tasting was more fun.  The craft distillery produces several varieties of rum, vodka, gin, and agave. Distilling is quite an involved process. After the tour Bob and I headed back to the boat to watch the Penn State Game; they beat Michigan 28 to 21.  It was an exciting game with lots of cheering from the crowd who were all wearing white (a famous white out). Quite impressive!

Some shiny distillery equipment

On Sunday it poured rain all day.  To get into town we had to don our foul weather gear, bail out the dinghy and motor through the rain.  We ate lunch at the Crab Claw and just as we were finishing the C&C group came in.  We sat with them while they had lunch and helped teach the Canadians how to pick crabs.  

The happy group of C&C sailors eating crabs!

Back at the boat we hung up our foul weather gear to dry and settled in for a quite  evening. 

Thank you for reading my blog.

Final weeks in Baltimore, MD

September 30, 2019 - October 13, 2019

Our preparations for heading south are in full swing.  Even though the weather continued to be warmer than usual for the first couple of weeks of fall we have to remember that soon the nights will be cold even if the daytime temperatures are in the 70s.  

We decided to buy the folding bikes we had looked at last week at Fawcett's.  We got the boat show price on the bikes and the bags to store them in.  Once we got them home we made quick work of assembling them and testing them out on the dock.  The next morning we road the bikes into Fells Point to the Pitango Cafe for breakfast. 

 

These bikes will get a lot of use on our trip and here in Baltimore.

On Wednesday the boat ladies breakfast group decided to change things up a bit. We went out to lunch in Fells Point and then to the movie theater in Harbor East to see Downton Abbey.  It was wonderful seeing all the Downton Abbey characters once again.

On Friday afternoon I drove to Delaware for my 50th High School Class reunion.  Before checking into my hotel I stopped at Total Wines in Claymont, DE to buy a case of our favorite wine to take on our trip.  In previous years we have bought two cases (enough to fill the “wine cellar” Bob created behind our settees), but for some reason we haven’t been drinking much wine lately. My sister, Becky, had agreed to go to the reunion with me and she and a friend from high school, Sharon Brinkmann, met me at the hotel later that evening.  On Saturday we had made arrangements to have lunch with our long time neighbors, Linda Taylor Huth and Steve Taylor, and a long time friend, Jeannie Morgan Conte. My younger sister, Laurie, drove down from NJ to join us for lunch, also. The conversation was lively filled with reminiscencing and catching up on each others lives.  That night the reunion was held at the Newark Country Club and was more fun than I could have expected.  It was wonderful seeing friends from elementary school to high school.  We all looked older, but it was amazing how little our personalities had changed. 

Sharon Brinkman, me, and Becky at the reunion

Sherri, my best friend in elementary school, and I

All the members of my class who made it to the reunion

Back in Baltimore we continued to get ready for our trip.  I had some final sewing projects I wanted to complete.  One was getting a good start on the quilt I am making for my second daughter, Rachel.  I sewed the strips together, cut the squares, and began sewing the rows of squares.  I have completed 8 of the 12 rows I need to complete the quilt. I sewed those 8 rows together.  I will complete the last 4 rows by hand on our trip when I get the urge to be productive and then have it quilted in the spring. I did most of the sewing on the boat, but was able to join my boat neighbor at her friends house one last time. It has been fun having fellow quilters to work with.  Since I am still a novice at this craft I have learned much from these friends.

The quilt is made of batik fabrics with
a plant theme. The pattern is called "Shoebox."

Our older cat, Captain Jack, had been losing weight over the last two years. He started throwing up his food or just not eating most days this past month. He was fifteen years old and we made the difficult decision to have him put to sleep rather than prolong his misery.  On our way to the Annapolis Boat Show on Friday we dropped him off at the vet.  It was hard to leave him there and even harder to try to enjoy the boat show, but we are confident that we made the best decision for Jack. 

Jack in healthier times

My next blog post will be about the beginning of our trip south.

Thank you for reading my blog.