Aprl 8 to April 12th Brunswick GA to Oriental NC

We left Brunswick, GA on April 8th after enjoying our BBQ lunch. After 2 days of high winds it had calmed down to under 10 knots.  Unfortunately not only had it calmed down, but it had also cooled off.  We had a chilly overnight to Price Creek (about 15 miles north of Charleston, SC).

Although it was cold on the water the views more than made up for any discomfort.  The sunset was gorgeous, the visibility all night was great because of the bright full moon, the stars were amazing, and the sunrise was beautiful.  We passed dozens of loons, their haunting calls are very eerie at night.

Bill made French toast and ham for breakfast. I am starting to enjoy these overnight trips.

We had a peaceful night at Price Creek after our 28 hour trip. Monday morning we left Price Creek and headed north on the ICW. After the peacefulness of the ocean the ICW was less enjoyable. The water was shallow all day so we had to constantly pay attention to the chart, day markers, depth sounder, and sonar.    We arrived at Georgetown SC a little after 4:00 and stopped at the fuel dock for fuel then anchored. The anchorage was quite shallow and  it was low tide. The tides are extreme right now because of the full moon so the tide was lower than usual.  When we ran aground in the place we wanted to anchor we decided this was good enough, dropped the anchor, then set it when the tide came up enough to float us free.

Tuesday was a beautiful morning with light wind and scattered clouds. Even the factories were beautiful in the early morning light.

We left Georgetown at 7:00 a.m. and did a 33 hour trip to Oriental, NC.  When we left the inlet and started sailing north we saw 4 large leatherback turtles. In the late afternoon two speckled dolphins came for a visit to play in the bow wake. We were fortunate and had an easy trip and were able to sail part of the night.  The sunset was again impressive.  I saw a shooting star before the moon came up.  Once the moon was up the stars were harder to see because it was so bright.  The golden sunrise was beautiful.

The Beaufort Inlet was a change of pace after the wide open spaces of the night. The inlet is being dredged, there were tugs, barges, commercial fishing boats, small fishing boats, and the big dredging operation in the middle of the channel. Even without all the boat traffic this section is confusing because there are many channels meeting in this area. We got through with no problem but we had to pay attention! 

After going through the confusion of the Beaufort/Morehead city area it was a relief to motor our way through the very simple Adams Creek Canal.  The canals are not only simple to navigate but are interesting.  There are small communities, boatyards, long sections of woods and swamps, and scattered houses.  One of the houses had a small helicopter in the yard.

We pulled into Oriental after 33 hours and were luck to find a space on the free public dock. After buying showers at the marina next door and treating ourselves to ice cream at The Bean we felt like humans again. 

April 4 - 6. Brunswick, GA

We left St. Mary's on Wednesday, April 5th and had an easy trip up the ICW and across St. Andrews Sound. When we got to Jekyll Island the stress level went up as it was just after low tide and the water was very skinny.  We spent a lot of time with the depth sounder reading less than a foot, and frequently zero. Luckily the silt on the bottom is very soft and the tide was rising so we were able to get through without going noticeably aground. 

Mid afternoon we tied up at the dock at Brunswick Landing Marina.  We had heard great things about this marina and they all turned out to be true.  They have free laundry, free beer, and free bikes and a huge book exchange. The first night we went to the happy hour at the clubhouse and not only did they have free beer, but they also had free wine! 

The next day the wind was 25-30 knots with gusts to 35 knots all day so I spent the morning doing 5 loads of laundry.  Free laundry within easy distance of the boat and the use of a dock cart made this usually difficult task much easier. The weather is getting very chilly at night and we have unpacked our winter clothes so it was nice to wash them since they were a little musty smelling.

We planned to leave on Friday but the wind was still blowing 20-25 knots with gusts to 30 so we decided to stay for another day.  In the evening the town has a First Friday walk. The shops stay open late, the little parks in town have music, and there is a small car show.

Saturday there was a farmers market next to the marina with beautiful vegetables and a BBQ Cook Off challenge. Life is good.

Mar 31 to Apr 4. St. Mary's, Georgia

Bill spent some time on Friday morning adjusting the carburetor on the outboard. 

Midmorning we left Cumberland Island against the tide and with a 20-25 knot headwind on our way to St. Mary’s.  It was a good thing this is a short trip because it was slow going.   We found a space on a fingerpier on Lang’s West dock and then treated ourselves to a late lunch/early dinner at the Riverside Café.

Saturday we tried calling members of the yacht club who volunteer to drive cruisers on errands.  It was a beautiful day so they were all busy and we ended up taking a cab to the Publix.  The grocery store is in a small mall that also had a hairdresser so I stopped in for a much needed trim.  In the evening we had dinner with Roger and Maddie from BLUE GOOSE II. We met Roger the last time we were in St. Mary’s. They have a home in Islesboro and we are very much looking forward to spending more time with them in the future.

Sunday was bath day for CORRET.  It has been an embarrassingly long time since we have had the availability of fresh water to scrub the decks.  She looks much better clean!  In the afternoon we walked around town.  St. Mary’s is a lovely little town with live oaks overhanging wide boulevard style streets lined with well kept old houses and beautiful gardens.  The riverfront park is beautifully laid out with pergolas with swinging benches, a fountain, a playground for kids, and an amphitheater.

Monday we borrowed a car and refilled one of our propane tanks.  I spent some time at the Visitors Center using their wifi to update the blog.  In the afternoon we went for a walk to the historic trail and the Oak Grove Cemetery.  While we were there it started to rain so we had to hurry back to the boat. In the evening impressive looking storm clouds rolled in and we had several severe thunderstorms with high wind during the night.  The boat was bouncing around at the dock so we did not get much sleep between the movement, the noise, and getting up frequently to check lines and fenders. 

Tuesday we played tourist.  The St. Mary’s Submarine museum has interesting exhibits about diesel and nuclear submarines and their history and evolution.  One of the exhibits was about submarine tenders and there was a plaque from the HOWARD W GILMORE,  one of the ships that Bill was on during his time in the Navy.  In the afternoon we toured Orange Hall, a Greek Revival Style mansion built in 1830.

March 22 to March 30, 2017

Vero Beach, Florida

Our plan was to spend only one night in Vero Beach.  Yet again, we were Velcroed in place.  Thursday we rode the bus into town to pick up groceries.  We were going to do laundry in the afternoon but there was a torrential downpour and an intense thunderstorm so we stayed on the boat.  Friday we went for a long walk in the park and then spent the afternoon finally doing the laundry.  While we were hanging out in the lounge waiting for the laundry we met a couple who will be spending the summer at Sequin Island.

Saturday we went to Ribfest (the real reason we stayed in Vero so long).  There is no charge to attend the festival but everyone has to buy tickets as none of the food vendors accept cash.  Each ticket was worth $1 and every $5 of tickets equals one voting ticket for best ribs.  We sampled many types of ribs and enjoyed the music, the beer, and seeing all of the craft tents. 

 Vero to Fernandina

 We finally left Vero Beach on Sunday, March 26th.  We had a surprisingly nice sail most of the way to Cocoa.  Monday we passed dozens of manatees on the way to Daytona Beach.  We also saw roseatte spoonbills for the first time.  Tuesday an RV7 plane was doing acrobatics just north of St. Augustine. We spent the night anchored at Pine Island and were treated to a beautiful sunrise which made getting underway early worthwhile.  Wednesday was a good bird watching day as we were mostly in swampy or woody areas.  We saw  herons, pelicans, red winged blackbirds, and flocks of wood storks.  The ospreys like to nest on the day markers and as we pass we can hear the babies chirping in the nest.  Watching an osprey with a struggling fish trying to land on a nest without landing on its mate or the hatchlings is impressive.

Fernandina Beach, Florida

Approaching Fernandina from the ICW the town does not look welcoming. The large factories on either side of town and the closed marina are the prominent features. The Fernandina Municipal Marina was severely damaged during the hurricane.  Last fall it was completely closed. They now have a dinghy dock open and are renting moorings so accessing town is much easier. Once ashore the beauty of the town becomes apparent.  Unlike most towns where the main street is parallel to the waterfront in Fernandina the main street is at right angles to the river.  The main street is vibrant with a variety of shops, no empty storefronts, and has shade trees and small parks.   I had to visit the customs office to finish my clearing in process. The officer was very nice and it was an easy process. 

 Cumberland Island, Georgia

Tuesday, March 30th we left Fernandina and went to Cumberland Island.  We went for a long walk ashore and saw many mild ponies (they are not really wild, they are just loose untamed horses) and armadillos.  The ruins of the Carnegie mansion have new residents.  A pair of osprey are nesting on the top of the old chimney. 

After walking for several hours we were tired and ready to go back to the boat.  Unfortunately the outboard would not start. The tide was going out so I had to row against a 2 knot current.  I feel like I had a great full body workout today!

March 11 to March 21, 2017

Hope Town

Saturday, March 11th, we left Lynyard Cay and headed for Hope Town.We had a wonderful time in Hope Town catching up with friends from our previous trips.  After anchoring out for a night we were able to pick up a mooring in the very crowded harbor next to Scott and Kitty on TAMURE and the newlyweds Walt and Lynn on IOLAR.  Hope Town is a beautiful town with charming Victorian style cottages with intricate and imaginative woodworking and gardens full of flowers. Throughout town there are public access paths to the beach. The most prominent landmark in town is the candy cane striped lighthouse.  The Elbow Cay Light is the last hand operated lighthouse in the world.  The lighthouse keeper has to carry kerosene for the lamp and wind up the turning mechanism. 

Hope Town is not only beautiful, it is delicious.  We went for long walks everyday and  made several trips to the top of the lighthouse to justify the coconut ice cream, the meal at Wine Down & Sip Sip,  the fresh out of the oven cinnamon buns and bread from Vernon's Grocery,  the fancy coffee and muffins at the coffee shop, appetizers at the stand up at the Sailing Club, and lunch at the marina.

 

Marsh Harbor

March 17th was the anniversary of CORRET's delivery to Maine.  This has been an amazing year!

We moved to Marsh Harbor in time to watch the world's shortest St. Patrick's Day parade.  After the parade there was free green beer and jello shots at the end of the parade route.  A 5 minute parade is thirsty work!

We spent the next two days in Marsh Harbor re-provisioning and doing laundry.  We had a chance to have a brief visit with DAGNY and OUR DIAMOND and had a fun evening on SEQUEL. 

Green Turtle to Great Sale Cay

On Sunday we had decent weather to get by "The Whale" as the cut near Whale Cay is known.  This cut is notorious and is impassible during bad weather.   We spent the night at the Green Turtle Club on Green Turtle Cay. 

Monday we saw our first Bahamian parrots as we were leaving Green Turtle.  We then had a great sail to Great Sale Cay where we spent the night.  When we arrived there were over 20 boats in the anchorage waiting to cross the Gulf Stream.  Most of the boats left very early in the morning. We decided to wait until noon time so that we would arrive in Ft. Pierce after sunrise. 

Crossing

My goal for crossing the Gulf Stream is for the trip to be boring and to have no interesting stories to tell about the crossing.  It is nice to meet a goal.  The day was clear, the sunset was spectacular, the seas were calm until 9:00 p.m., then we were able to sail until 1:30 a.m. when the wind shifted to the usual on-the-nose direction.  The waves were 3 -5 feet with a 10 second period and only a chop on top so it was relatively comfortable.  The sky was filled with stars so it was a beautiful night to be at sea.

We reached the Ft. Pierce inlet at 10:00 a.m. where we had planned to anchor and rest from the crossing. We had such an easy night that we had enough energy to keep going and headed up to Vero Beach.

February 26 to March 10

On Sunday, February 26^th we left Rock Sound.  The wind was flat calm followed by very light and variable so it was a motorboat ride the 62 miles to Cambridge Cay where we anchored for the night.

Monday morning we had planned to leave early but the engine would not start.  We had a loose wire on the solenoid which Bill fixed. Then the toggle switch for the engine starter failed so he had to replace it.  We finally left at 9:45 a.m. and had a very energetic sail to Sampson Cay in 20-25 knots of wind.  This gave me the opportunity of mending the genoa as we ripped this on the way.  All in all, it reminded us once again that cruising is really just working on boats in exotic places.

Thursday we left Sampson Cay after a fun time visiting with Wilson and Gale. We had been hoping to sail to Cat Island but the weather had other plans so we decided to head back to Rock Sound. The sailing was nice for a change and we put the spinnaker up for the first time this trip.  


Wilson said he believed we would catch three fish on the way.  We hooked three fish.  We feel like real fishermen because we have a “one that got away” story. The first fish we hooked was very big!  When it jumped out of the water we were amazed. Bill tried to reel it in for 15 minutes then the line broke.  We hooked another fish as we were coming onto the banks by Eleuthera and managed to catch this one.  It was a bonito.  After landing the fish I put the hook back in the water then had to reel it back in as fast as possible because two dolphins surfaced by the boat.  Once the lure was back in the boat they stayed with us for awhile keeping their eyes on our bonito!  Eventually the dolphins wandered off to catch their own dinner and we tried for our third fish.  Unfortunately the fish we caught was a barricuda so we threw it back.

Friday was laundry and errand day in Rock Sound.  I organized all the laundry and loaded it in the dinghy and thought it would be a great idea to hang the quilt over the boom and bring the pillows outside to air while I was at the laundromat and Bill was at the grocery store.  This was only a good idea if I was trying to leave an offering to the rain gods.  While we were ashore we had a heavy downpour. On the bright side a fresh water rinse made everything smell nice.

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday the wind was 25-30 knots with higher gusts so we stayed on the boat listened to the wind while going stir crazy.  There were 31 boats in the harbor waiting out the weather.  Sunday morning one boat started to drag their anchor and someone else blew a horn to alert them, and everyone else, to watch out.  After that anytime a horn blew on land all the boaters would get up and look around. We looked like prairie dogs.

Tuesday the wind had dropped to 20 knots so Bill changed the oil in the morning.  He waited until the weather was slightly better as we did not want to disable the engine while the weather was bad in case we needed to move in a hurry.  In the afternoon we went for a walk and did a little bit of grocery shopping.

Wednesday we had one of the best sails we have ever had. The wind was 20 knots from a useful direction and the seas were mostly flat.  We averaged over 7 knots all the way to Hatchet Bay.  This is why we have a sailboat!  The 90 foot wide entrance to Hatchet Bay between two rocky cliffs is very impressive.  We had an uneventful entry to the harbor and found a place to anchor then went for a walk through Alice Town.

Thursday the wind was light so we motored to Current Cut.  We had the tide with us so we had a nice ride through the cut.  We were going over 10 knots even after idling back.  On the west side of the cut there was a little bit of wind so we had a leisurely sail to Royal Island.   In the afternoon we went for a walk ashore through the ruins of old buildings then had a great visit with Phil, Donna, and their very cute little dog, Molly, on SEAQUEL.

Friday we left Harbor Island early which gave us the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful sunrise.  We motorsailed most of the 78 miles to Lynyard Cay.  The last couple of hours was nice sailing weather.  Little Harbor Cut was interesting.  Two other boats were entering the narrow cut between the breaking waves at the same time we were surfing down the waves into the cut.