Thursday, July 15th 2010
Got up this morning, ready to take off, and the instruments would not function properly. Then we couldn’t even start the engine!! Finally had Tow Boat US tow us over to the St. John Marina, about 200 feet away. After many, many phone calls, we finally found someone who could be here Friday morning. In the meantime, swimming!!! This is a brand new marina, with a beautiful pool area, and the nicest restrooms, yet! We took advantage of the nice pool, and spent several hours there and lounging in the shade. There was a nice cool breeze blowing off the bay.
Dave has found a new profession. Deer Fly Terminator. Sitting by the pool, his count got up to 14! Much better than having them buzz your head while in the pool. I’m sure the other pool people thought he was nuts! They are not very smart insects though.
It was kind of nice to have a day off today, and we are certainly in a beautiful place to have it.
Friday July 16th 2010
Up early! Electrician came – was here for 1 hour. He replaced a broken terminal, and we were on our way. The trip through Charleston Harbor was wonderful! Sailed right by Fort Sumter again.
After many long hours, we dropped the anchor in the South Santee River. Had another wonderful deck shower, and turned in for the night.
Saturday July 17th 2010
While Dave was pulling up the anchor, I spotted my first alligator!!! About 10 feet off the boat. Thankfully, his beady little eyes were not looking at me!
Not too far from there, Dave spotted another alligator, this time in the North Santee River. This day was a beautiful trip through the cypress swamps to Osprey Marina, just south and West of Myrtle Beach. We turned into a small break in the cypress trees, through a narrow canal, and in a hole in the swamp, was the marina. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get the boat into the narrow slip they indicated. I swear it was 5 feet from the bank. Right next to a 48 foot Carolina Kingfisher Power Boat. I got her in, but I wonder about how we’ll get her out.
Local restaurant, Santori’s Italian restaurant, came by and picked us up and delivered us to a delicious meal. Afterwards, we went next door to get a few groceries, then they zipped us right back to the marina. Such a deal!!!
Sunday, July 18th 2010
We tried for over an hour to find a rental car, with no luck!! One of the employees offered to let us use her car. Can you believe it?? We drove from Murrell Inlet, through Myrtle Beach, and to the South Carolina-North Carolina border and back down.
We took a loooooonnnngggg walk on the Atlantic beach, and had lunch at the Wacca Wache Marina at Hannah Bananas. Then we were off to DQ for our sorely missed Blizzards. Mmmmmmm!
After washing, vacuuming, and gassing up the car, we arrived back at the marina with 10 minutes to spare.
Monday July 19th 2010
On our way again, after expert assistance from the dockmaster in getting her out. After a short time, we were in North Carolina, where the cypress swamps continued and we found a lot of palatial homes with beautiful swimming pools, complete with waterfalls. We ended up at the St. James Plantation, where we had a drink and dinner at the Tiki Bar. We met Al and Peggy (think “Married With Children”) from New Jersey. They are building a new home at St. James.
Tuesday July 20th 2010
We didn’t leave St. James until almost 11:00am, due to the low tides. I had worried a bit about how to get away from the dock and turned around, but Dream Ketcher didn’t let me down. We were on our way and enjoying the cypress swamps in no time. We cruised all the way to Wrightsville Beach, NC. We had to go down another narrow and shallow canal to get to the anchoring grounds, where we finally got anchored (after the 3rd try). The wind was really blowing, and it was difficult to get the anchor to dig in.
We then had our first inflatable launch. As we slowly lowered her down from the dinghy davits, the line going through it, which looked fairly new, began to crumble and fray, right before our eyes!! But we got her down. Back at the Isle of Hope, Dave needed to get some of the rain water out of the dinghy, so he managed to pull the plug out of the end of the dinghy. It never got replaced. We figured that as soon as Dave stepped into the dinghy, it would begin to fill with seawater, and he would have to work quickly to put the plug in. Boy! Were we ever lucky! With Dave in the dinghy, the plug was still just above the water level, so it was fairly easy to get the plug in!
Next came the excitement of starting the outboard motor for the first time! More power!! Dave was doing everything he thought he should, but it just wouldn’t start. Time to get out the manual!! I checked to make sure he had done everything correctly, and came to the conclusion that he had flooded the engine with gas. So he waited a bit, and “Voila!!” it started right up!
Our next challenge was to get from the boat to the dinghy dock. Some sailing club was having their weekly sailing regatta, that we had to motor around. Dave did a good job, and soon the dinghy was tied up to the dock.
We walked around town a bit, then ended up having a beer and a burger at the local Mexican restaurant. Afterwards, we walked a block and saw the great Atlantic, before heading back to the dinghy. On the trip back to Dream Ketcher, we noticed that Aussie Dave had sailed into the harbor while we were at dinner. Back safely on the boat, we chatted with Dave on the radio.
After another refreshing deck shower, we headed for bed.
Wednesday July 21st 2010
This was a very strange day indeed!! Our first mistake was in not checking the tide chart before we left Wrightsville Beach. We went aground in the channel 3 times, each time managing to put the boat in reverse, and get us going again. The trip North was a little scarey, as we kept encountering low water.
We got to one of the bridges a little early for opening. While we were circling, we managed to go aground again!!!! This time, we were having trouble getting off, and the bridge was preparing to open, when a fisherman came along side in his skiff, and offered to pull us off. After 2 tries, it finally worked!! The bridge tender was kind enough to wait until we were free, before opening the bridge. Very Nice!
We pulled into Surf City, NC around 2:00pm. After more depth stress, going through the channel, we finally got moored at the Beach House Marina. The dock was quite nice, but as we approached the marina office, I realized that this place wasn’t quite as nice as the marina book said it was. We had to walk through a sandy-grassy field to get to the office. Then we found out that the $1.00 per foot fee, was now $2.00 per foot, per night. Yikes!! The restrooms were filthy! And, there was only one shower! Also filthy!! One washer and one dryer, but it was only a buck a load (one bright spot!). The biggest disappointment?? No swimming pool!!! We had selected this marina because it was very close to the home of one of George Kuchenbecker’s old B-24 buddies. It was time for them to join us on our journey North.
Dave and I did a little exploring around town, and found that the DQ was only across the parking lot from the marina. After partaking of our favorite diet food, we went back to the boat and started our clean-up and project time.
His parents arrived around 7:30pm. We visited for a bit, then went with them to their friend Bill’s home. It was beautiful! Right on the Atlantic Beach. After a brief visit, we had dinner at “Daddy Mac’s”, then back to the boat.
Thursday July 22nd 2010
Right next to us in the marina, is a big boat called “the Belle of Topsail”. She looks like an old riverboat. They take out groups of people for one or two hour cruises. One that they do is a Pirate Cruise, for kids. They are encouraged to wear costumes. They also do a cruise with Captain Tiger, the circus dog, and he does tricks for all the people. The owners of this operation were very friendly and fun to talk with.
This morning, Bill’s daughter and her 2 grandsons, accompanied him to come see the boat. The boys are 5 and 3, and were totally infatuated with the sailboat. Very well behaved boys, too!
We spent the rest of the day making a trip to Wilmington, to get some supplies at West Marine, and do our provisioning at Walmart. Our biggest challenge was trying to fit everything we bought into the trunk of the rental car. Dave, the masterpacker prevailed!!! After a late lunch, we headed back to the boat for the chore of packing everything away!
George and Gloria took a nap while we were waiting to hear from Bill. It was too late for dinner, when we heard from him, and we were still full from lunch, so we ended the day with a walk to the slowest DQ ever. Then we headed back to the boat and a good nights sleep.
Friday July 23rd 2010
We are still having some intermittent electrical problems, so Dave arranged for an electrician to come at 8:00am. By 10:30am, he had still not arrived! Rather than sit around and wait, I decided that it was time to do the laundry. I hauled it all up to the marina office, and the ONE washing machine. After numerous trips back and forth, it was nearly all done, so Gloria and I decided to do a little shopping!
We spent nearly 2 hours in the same store, looking at all they had to offer, and laughing at the card selection they had. What fun!! Then it was back to the boat, where Dave had abandoned his wait for the electrician, and was now deep into sludge from a blocked head (toilet). He was finally able to get it cleared, after another trip to Lowe’s for more tools. One more project on his list completed! (The electrician finally called and said he would come first thing Saturday morning! Yeah, right!)
We ended the day by going to dinner with Bill at one of his favorite places. It was really good seafood!!
Saturday July 24th 2010
The electrician did show up!! Looked around, changed the battery connections and asked for $100.00. After he was gone, we headed into town to find a Post Office and an auto parts store. Easier said than done. Traffic on and off of Topsail Island, on a Saturday, is quite the test of patience. Being a vacation mecca, old renters are leaving and new renters are arriving. It can be quite the mess!
After our chores were done, we headed to Bill’s and some fun in the surf and sun. The ocean water was almost too warm, but felt great! The surf was a little wild, so I spent most of my time sitting in the shoreline, letting the water come to me. I sifted through the sand to find interesting and colorful shells. So relaxing!!
While George and Gloria returned the rental car, Dave and I stayed on the boat and worked on more projects. Later, we all had a fine meal and then watched a movie until it was time to go to bed! Tomorrow we will cast off our lines and continue the journey.
Sunday July 25th 2010
This morning we had a bon voyage party, when Bill showed up along with his daughter and great-grandsons. The boys loved being on the boat again, and thy waved and waved as we headed out of the harbor.
We headed up the ICW and ran into a few shallow areas, but managed to make it to Swansboro, NC. It was very hot all day! The wind was really blowing when we arrived at our destination, Dudley’s Marina. We were not too excited about the dock where they wanted to put us, and were rather nervous about how deep the water was, but they assured us that it would be okay. It was NOT okay! We ended up aground, very near to the dock, but had to sit for several hours until the tide came in, so we could actually tie to the dock. AAAARRRRGGGGGH!!!
We had thought about switching to another marina after we were afloat, but the wind had us trapped at the dock, so we elected to stay. George and Gloria took us out to dinner. Yummmy!
Now I sit here trying to catch up on my blog responsibilities. How did I get so behind?? It’s late, and we want to get up early and go out on the high tide, so I really need to get this posted and get to bed.
It has been fun sharing our adventure with Dave’s parents, and with all of you as well. We are really enjoying ourselves, and hope that all is well with all of you. We would love to know what is happening back home, so please feel free to leave a comment or email us. PLEASE!!! I may not get an email back to you for some, it’s hard enough to get this blog done.
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Friday July 16th 2010
How could it possibly be a week since I last wrote?? The days are flying by so fast!!
We finally left Isle of Hope, Georgia on Tuesday morning, but not without first finding the only DQ in the entire Savannah area. And it was only a short distance from the marina! We spent our last day there, getting the alternator repaired, doing some last minute shopping and seeing a little more of the area.
One moment of panic occurred when I got pulled over by the Savannah Police. I could not imagine what I had done wrong. Seems the license plate tabs on the loaner car had expired. What a relief that was!!!
Our last night there, we had another terrific thunderstorm. When it was all over, we met with Della, who went over our charts of the ICW and told us what they had experienced in all of the areas they had been to. They later gave us all their charts, and said they would not be needing them, as they don’t plan to go North again! Really nice!!
So, we left our oasis and kept cruising North. Was a lot of fun when we reached Hilton Head, South Carolina. There were boats everywhere, and parasailors, and jet skis galore!! We could see the famous lighthouse, and the golf course that has its 18th hole right at the lighthouse! Hilton Head is a HUGE island. As we motored between the islands, a severe storm warning was issued. We could see it coming! We decided we should cut our day short, for safety sake, and pulled into Skull Creek marina at the North end of Hilton Head. No sooner were we settled at the dock, and the storm hit. Boy! Did it rain! The thunder and lightning were loud!
Wednesday morning we left Skull Creek, and soon after, the instrument panel went dead! Just when we were about to turn around and go back, they came back on. They were fine the rest of the day!
We decided to make up for lost time, so we kept going, and going, and going! Mission accomplished. We logged in 82 miles for the day, and made it to Charleston, South Carolina. The trip was a little more interesting. We got to see lots more mansions, and long, long docks. We arrived in the Charleston area about 8:30pm, and anchored close to the St. John Yacht Harbor. Had a refreshing deck shower and a quick dinner before heading to bed.
Thursday morning we got ready to leave early. Uh oh! No instruments again! And shortly thereafter, no engine either. We were dead in the water. Dave felt that it was an electrical problem, so we went over our options.(which weren’t many!) Decided to call Tow Boat US. Within 45 minutes, Hamilton had us in tow and took us over to St. John’s. Dave had already called and left messages with about 8 different electricians, and we were waiting to hear from them, but Hamilton gave us the name of his personal mechanic, so we called him too!
While we were waiting, we decided to give the pool a try. Ahhhhhh! Very nice. The marina had just undergone a huge renovation, and everything looks great. We enjoyed watching all the little kids play in the pool, and our time in the shade. We stayed several hours, and finally starting getting some call backs.
Back to the boat for a dinner of burritos and beer, and a good nights sleep.
It’s Friday morning, and the electrician just left. He found an old corroded and broken connection, hidden somewhere in the engine. Once he replaced it, the boat started right up. Yeah!!!!
Dave has gone up to take a shower, and when he gets back, we are on our way again. We will try to get as far as possible, to make up for yesterday. We’ll let you know how it goes!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
PS – HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACINDA!!!!! Our fabulous daughter-in-law celebrated her birthday on July 14th. She has been a great addition to our family and truly makes Matt complete. Her birthday present this year is the new house they get the keys to on July 28th. We wish them the very best in their new home!!!
How could it possibly be a week since I last wrote?? The days are flying by so fast!!
We finally left Isle of Hope, Georgia on Tuesday morning, but not without first finding the only DQ in the entire Savannah area. And it was only a short distance from the marina! We spent our last day there, getting the alternator repaired, doing some last minute shopping and seeing a little more of the area.
One moment of panic occurred when I got pulled over by the Savannah Police. I could not imagine what I had done wrong. Seems the license plate tabs on the loaner car had expired. What a relief that was!!!
Our last night there, we had another terrific thunderstorm. When it was all over, we met with Della, who went over our charts of the ICW and told us what they had experienced in all of the areas they had been to. They later gave us all their charts, and said they would not be needing them, as they don’t plan to go North again! Really nice!!
So, we left our oasis and kept cruising North. Was a lot of fun when we reached Hilton Head, South Carolina. There were boats everywhere, and parasailors, and jet skis galore!! We could see the famous lighthouse, and the golf course that has its 18th hole right at the lighthouse! Hilton Head is a HUGE island. As we motored between the islands, a severe storm warning was issued. We could see it coming! We decided we should cut our day short, for safety sake, and pulled into Skull Creek marina at the North end of Hilton Head. No sooner were we settled at the dock, and the storm hit. Boy! Did it rain! The thunder and lightning were loud!
Wednesday morning we left Skull Creek, and soon after, the instrument panel went dead! Just when we were about to turn around and go back, they came back on. They were fine the rest of the day!
We decided to make up for lost time, so we kept going, and going, and going! Mission accomplished. We logged in 82 miles for the day, and made it to Charleston, South Carolina. The trip was a little more interesting. We got to see lots more mansions, and long, long docks. We arrived in the Charleston area about 8:30pm, and anchored close to the St. John Yacht Harbor. Had a refreshing deck shower and a quick dinner before heading to bed.
Thursday morning we got ready to leave early. Uh oh! No instruments again! And shortly thereafter, no engine either. We were dead in the water. Dave felt that it was an electrical problem, so we went over our options.(which weren’t many!) Decided to call Tow Boat US. Within 45 minutes, Hamilton had us in tow and took us over to St. John’s. Dave had already called and left messages with about 8 different electricians, and we were waiting to hear from them, but Hamilton gave us the name of his personal mechanic, so we called him too!
While we were waiting, we decided to give the pool a try. Ahhhhhh! Very nice. The marina had just undergone a huge renovation, and everything looks great. We enjoyed watching all the little kids play in the pool, and our time in the shade. We stayed several hours, and finally starting getting some call backs.
Back to the boat for a dinner of burritos and beer, and a good nights sleep.
It’s Friday morning, and the electrician just left. He found an old corroded and broken connection, hidden somewhere in the engine. Once he replaced it, the boat started right up. Yeah!!!!
Dave has gone up to take a shower, and when he gets back, we are on our way again. We will try to get as far as possible, to make up for yesterday. We’ll let you know how it goes!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
PS – HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACINDA!!!!! Our fabulous daughter-in-law celebrated her birthday on July 14th. She has been a great addition to our family and truly makes Matt complete. Her birthday present this year is the new house they get the keys to on July 28th. We wish them the very best in their new home!!!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday July 10th 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN!!!
We are having problems with the alternator, so have decided not to leave here until we have had an electrician take a look at it. Could not find anyone to come out on a Saturday, but Dave gave it a valiant effort.
While he was working on boat problems, I decided to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure at a shop inside of WALMART. My feet really enjoyed the attention. Wearing flip-flops all day, every day, is brutal on the feet, especially in dusty or sandy marinas. They haven’t been this clean for months! I know, wear your sneakers! No way, they are way too hot! All that sweat would probably give me foot rot!
We gave Austin a call to wish him a Happy 30th Birthday. Can it really have been 30 years ago that he made his debut into the world and changed our lives forever??? He and Cindy are in Seattle for a friend’s wedding. I’m glad he got to do something fun and memorable for this special birthday!
The locals here in Isle of Hope are having a benefit fundraiser luau tonight, up in the pavilion at the top of the dock. They are raising money for their community pool, so we donned our Hawaiian duds and joined in the fun. They had a Hawaiian band that was okay, but later, a guy with an acoustic guitar joined them, and the music changed to Southern Country. Much better!! The food was good, the drinks were weak, but we enjoyed the music and a chance to people watch. Just as the event was getting rolling, a thunderstorm blew in, with high winds and a torrential downpour! Everyone had to move into the center of the pavilion to keep from getting soaked. Dave suddenly remembered that he had left the hatch on the fore deck open. OOPS! He borrowed an umbrella and braved the elements to check on the situation. With the wind blowing hard, Dave was afraid he would do a Mary Poppins, and become air born. The umbrella only kept his head dry, the rest of him was soaked, as well as the port side of the V-berth. Oh well! Everything will dry out!
After the luau, we walked back down to the boat and discovered that the sailboat across the dock from us had a couple on board. We sat and talked with Della and Steve for about an hour, until the rain started in again. They are both retired Navy and were aircraft mechanics. While we were talking to them, in the dark, a man in a kayak paddled up. He had a light on his forehead and said he had been down to the other end of the dock to see the alligator. The gator is about 6-7 feet long. Longer than the kayak. No way, Jose!!!
The rain really helped cool things off, so we were able to sleep without the use of the AC, just fans.
PS- Rainbow News - MaryLynne sent me a text message to let me know that my good friend Mary’s daughter, Kristina, had been elected Grand Worthy Advisor. I am so thrilled for her! She will make a fantastic GWA. I wish I could be there to join in the fun and see her installed, but it will be even more fun to be at Grand Assembly next year and see her preside. Hopefully, I will get to see her in action when Dave and I are home in September.
Sunday July 11th 2010
No one came to work on the alternator yesterday, so we figured Sunday was out of the question. After taking a long refreshing shower, I was able to secure us a loaner car for the day.
We have been having some problems with the pump in the aft head. So, our first stop was at West Marine, where we purchased the new head. They said to bring in the bad pump and they would exchange it for a new one. Yeah!!!
Next, we decided to go in to downtown Savannah, which probably took about 20 minutes. On the way, we saw some beautiful old homes and very big, sprawling, magnificent oak trees, with Spanish moss swaying gracefully from their limbs. We parked and took a walk down Riverfront. Lots of “tourist traps” and restaurants. We stopped in at “Wee Willies”, home of the frozen daiquiri, and I tried the Mango daiquiri. Very refreshing, in spite of a little brain freeze! We browsed some more and watched 2 large cargo ships go by on the river.
Time to take a break, so we sat down on a park bench by the river and gave Dave’s parents a call. Austin and Cindy were there for a brunch of roll-ups, plus Matt and Jacinda. It was good to hear their voices and laughter, but it made me a little homesick. I was a little surprised! I really am happy with what we are doing, and where we are going!! Besides, we will be seeing all of them, very soon, on this coast, and then again in September in Seattle.
After a wonderful chicken-walnut-cranberry-feta cheese salad for lunch, and gelato for dessert, we made our way back to the car and headed for the marina. Dave pulled the pump from the aft head and we made a quick dash to West Marine to exchange it. We made it with only 5 minutes to spare! Just as we were leaving, the sky opened up and the rain began to fall. FAST! The steam rose up from the hot asphalt parking lot. Sauna City!
We got back just in time to welcome Danielle and Dave, who had just arrived in their 20 foot Pacific SeaCraft Flicka. TINY!! Less than half the size of our boat! I’m not sure where they started from, but Dave is Australian, and is an old salt from way back.
Dave went right to work on the new pump, not exactly a fun job. He has really become quite the handy man. I think I’ll keep him around a while!
Now we are both on the computers, catching up before going to bed. Hopefully our alternator will get fixed tomorrow, and we can be under way again. The Carolinas are a calling. South Carolina is only about 15 miles away.
Take care and stay tuned. You never know what we’ll be up to next!!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUSTIN!!!
We are having problems with the alternator, so have decided not to leave here until we have had an electrician take a look at it. Could not find anyone to come out on a Saturday, but Dave gave it a valiant effort.
While he was working on boat problems, I decided to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure at a shop inside of WALMART. My feet really enjoyed the attention. Wearing flip-flops all day, every day, is brutal on the feet, especially in dusty or sandy marinas. They haven’t been this clean for months! I know, wear your sneakers! No way, they are way too hot! All that sweat would probably give me foot rot!
We gave Austin a call to wish him a Happy 30th Birthday. Can it really have been 30 years ago that he made his debut into the world and changed our lives forever??? He and Cindy are in Seattle for a friend’s wedding. I’m glad he got to do something fun and memorable for this special birthday!
The locals here in Isle of Hope are having a benefit fundraiser luau tonight, up in the pavilion at the top of the dock. They are raising money for their community pool, so we donned our Hawaiian duds and joined in the fun. They had a Hawaiian band that was okay, but later, a guy with an acoustic guitar joined them, and the music changed to Southern Country. Much better!! The food was good, the drinks were weak, but we enjoyed the music and a chance to people watch. Just as the event was getting rolling, a thunderstorm blew in, with high winds and a torrential downpour! Everyone had to move into the center of the pavilion to keep from getting soaked. Dave suddenly remembered that he had left the hatch on the fore deck open. OOPS! He borrowed an umbrella and braved the elements to check on the situation. With the wind blowing hard, Dave was afraid he would do a Mary Poppins, and become air born. The umbrella only kept his head dry, the rest of him was soaked, as well as the port side of the V-berth. Oh well! Everything will dry out!
After the luau, we walked back down to the boat and discovered that the sailboat across the dock from us had a couple on board. We sat and talked with Della and Steve for about an hour, until the rain started in again. They are both retired Navy and were aircraft mechanics. While we were talking to them, in the dark, a man in a kayak paddled up. He had a light on his forehead and said he had been down to the other end of the dock to see the alligator. The gator is about 6-7 feet long. Longer than the kayak. No way, Jose!!!
The rain really helped cool things off, so we were able to sleep without the use of the AC, just fans.
PS- Rainbow News - MaryLynne sent me a text message to let me know that my good friend Mary’s daughter, Kristina, had been elected Grand Worthy Advisor. I am so thrilled for her! She will make a fantastic GWA. I wish I could be there to join in the fun and see her installed, but it will be even more fun to be at Grand Assembly next year and see her preside. Hopefully, I will get to see her in action when Dave and I are home in September.
Sunday July 11th 2010
No one came to work on the alternator yesterday, so we figured Sunday was out of the question. After taking a long refreshing shower, I was able to secure us a loaner car for the day.
We have been having some problems with the pump in the aft head. So, our first stop was at West Marine, where we purchased the new head. They said to bring in the bad pump and they would exchange it for a new one. Yeah!!!
Next, we decided to go in to downtown Savannah, which probably took about 20 minutes. On the way, we saw some beautiful old homes and very big, sprawling, magnificent oak trees, with Spanish moss swaying gracefully from their limbs. We parked and took a walk down Riverfront. Lots of “tourist traps” and restaurants. We stopped in at “Wee Willies”, home of the frozen daiquiri, and I tried the Mango daiquiri. Very refreshing, in spite of a little brain freeze! We browsed some more and watched 2 large cargo ships go by on the river.
Time to take a break, so we sat down on a park bench by the river and gave Dave’s parents a call. Austin and Cindy were there for a brunch of roll-ups, plus Matt and Jacinda. It was good to hear their voices and laughter, but it made me a little homesick. I was a little surprised! I really am happy with what we are doing, and where we are going!! Besides, we will be seeing all of them, very soon, on this coast, and then again in September in Seattle.
After a wonderful chicken-walnut-cranberry-feta cheese salad for lunch, and gelato for dessert, we made our way back to the car and headed for the marina. Dave pulled the pump from the aft head and we made a quick dash to West Marine to exchange it. We made it with only 5 minutes to spare! Just as we were leaving, the sky opened up and the rain began to fall. FAST! The steam rose up from the hot asphalt parking lot. Sauna City!
We got back just in time to welcome Danielle and Dave, who had just arrived in their 20 foot Pacific SeaCraft Flicka. TINY!! Less than half the size of our boat! I’m not sure where they started from, but Dave is Australian, and is an old salt from way back.
Dave went right to work on the new pump, not exactly a fun job. He has really become quite the handy man. I think I’ll keep him around a while!
Now we are both on the computers, catching up before going to bed. Hopefully our alternator will get fixed tomorrow, and we can be under way again. The Carolinas are a calling. South Carolina is only about 15 miles away.
Take care and stay tuned. You never know what we’ll be up to next!!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Monday, July 5th 2010
HOORAY, HOORAY, WE ARE UNDER WAY!!!!!! Left Green Cove Springs about 8:30 am, and headed up the St. John River. Took a little getting used to steering this much bigger and heavier vessel. It was a beautiful day, with just a little bit of a breeze. We had a few bridges we had to have opened, but it was easy as pie. Jacksonville, FL looks a lot like Portland, OR. Built on a river, with lots of bridges spanning across the city. All systems seem to be working well, so we decided to test out the new anchor. We pulled into an adjacent river inlet to the St. John, and dropped the new Manson anchor. Dug in very well in about 15 feet of water. One thing about the East coast, they don’t have the deep water we have in the NW. We were hot and sweaty, and needed to cool down, so we got out the old solar water shower. We filled it with cool water from the tank and set it up on the fore deck. Did it ever feel good!! Then we tried to fire up the BBQ, so we could grill some steaks, but it would not stay lit, so ended up frying them on the stove. Tasted great! We had a mostly peaceful night, with a little adjustment to having the generator going to cool us with the AC. All in all, a very good first day!!
Tuesday, July 6th 2010
Up and at ‘em early this morning. Hauled up the anchor and headed into the Intacoastal Waterway (ICW). I thought there would be a big sign saying “You are now entering the ICW”, but there was none to be seen. Just looked like another branch of the St. John. That is, until we passed under the first bridge! From that point on it looked like we had entered the savannah grasslands of Africa. Miles and miles of marshy grassland, dotted with a few trees, and no human habitation in sight. The waterway itself is very narrow and shallow, so you must follow the channel markers very carefully. It reminds me of the Swinomish Slough in Washington. We did not see another boat all day, until we got close to Fernandina, FL, our second stop. This is the same town that Dave and I visited on Mother’s Day. We had hoped to meet up with some of the people that Dave used to work with there, from Rayonier, but no one was available!! Instead, we had dinner at Pablo’s, followed by ice cream down the street, then sat on a bench and watched the people go by, and the sun go down. By accident, Dave and I stumbled upon a Jazz bar, where every Tuesday night, musicians from all over get together and jam. Far out!!! We spent the next few hours listening to some great jazz, including some talented vocalists. Dave almost went down and got his pocket trumpet from the boat. We definitely will plan to be in Fernandina on a Tuesday night, when we come back South in the fall. It was so much fun!!
Wednesday July 7th 2010
Spent another day in the African savannah. We crossed into Georgia, although you would never know it. Not even a “Welcome to Georgia” sign. The scenery still looks the same. Quiet, serene and peaceful. Saw just a few other small boats. As we got close to our stop for the night, we saw a pod of about 100 dolphins in one of the larger bodies of water. It was fun to see they swim and frolic. There was even a sightseeing boat with tourists, out to see them. We cruised on in to Jekyll Island Marina, and on the second attempt, I got the boat into the dock. Not too bad with a new boat and a cross wind. While we refueled, I took a visual look around, and saw the word POOL!! After we got the boat settled for the night, we went and took full advantage of the pool. The dock attendant told us the pool was too cold for most people, so we knew it would be perfect for us!! And it was! We both jumped straight in with no hesitation. We spent the next hour in the pool, talking with another couple from Georgia. Then we took a cold shower and had dinner on the porch of the restaurant overlooking the pool. There were squirrels climbing in and out of the huge old oak trees surrounding the pool. We even saw a raccoon make his way across the grounds and climb up into an old oak, right to restaurant level, so he could see what food might be available. The sunset was gorgeous! A big old orangish-red ball sinking slowly through the majestic oaks and in to the water. We were told that the temperature had been in the high 90’s, but that tomorrow the temps were to be in the low 100’s. Heaven help us!!!
Thursday July 8th 2010
Up early and on our way, into Savannah land. All of Georgia seems to look the same. We got to a part of the ICW that needed to be crossed at high tide. We were there a little early, so we decided to anchor off the channel and take a siesta. We were there about 2 and a half hours, and then started through the sticky channel. We were in the middle of nowhere, and it was getting late, so we motored off into an adjacent creek, New Tea Kettle Creek, to anchor for the night. We were both drenched in sweat, so we got out the solar shower again and cooled off on deck. This time there was no one around for miles, so there was no need for swim suits! We had dinner in the cockpit and opened a bottle of champagne that had been given to us as a bon voyage present. Boy! Did it taste good. So good we polished off the whole bottle. I can’t remember the last time we did that! It was so hot that we both had trouble sleeping. It was a night I will never forget. Just the two of us, in the middle of nowhere. We used to go backpacking to find that kind of isolation. This was a lot easier!!
Friday July 9th 2010
We wanted to get in 50 miles today, so we got an early start. More savannah!! Being almost the weekend, we saw a few more small fishing skiffs than usual. We did have one rather disconcerting incident! We believe that what happened is a bird hit our rigging, then fell on to the solar panel, and on into the water. We heard it hit, then saw it hit the solar panel with our peripheral vision. It happened so fast we weren’t really sure what had happened. We motored back a ways to see if we could see anything floating in the water, but found nothing! You can bet that we did check the rigging to make sure everything was fine.
As we neared out destination, we started to see signs of civilization: bridges, roads, cars, mansions on the waterfront, long docks extending across the marsh land. We pulled into Isle of Hope, Georgia. A quaint, rich community. Lots of beautiful old homes, all with big front decks and surrounded by oak trees with Spanish moss decorating their limbs. The marina is just as nice. They even have loaner cars. WALMART here we come!! We needed to get resupplied with hydration materials, plus a few grocery items that we went through faster than I expected. Then it was back to the boat to unload and then head to the community swimming pool. It is a private pool, with special guest privileges for the marina patrons. This time the water was a little too warm to be really refreshing, but it felt good to get wet. We then watched the kids at play. Big and little. Seems Friday night the pool is the place to be for the families in this community, especially when it is this hot!!
After all the hot weather this week, I had a pile of sweaty dirty clothes that needed to be washed, so back to the marina and laundry duty. Even though the sun went down, it still remained hot, so when I was done with the laundry, I opted for one more shower before bed. Maybe tomorrow won’t be quite so hot!!
Sorry for the delay in news, but we never know what kind of connection is available in some of these areas, so just have to wait for a good one!
A note to all my Rainbow friends: I have been thinking about you all week. Knowing that Grand Assembly is in full swing, and I'm not there, is very surreal!! I hope you have a fun and fabulous session!!!
Also, a special note to our son Austin: Happy Birthday!! He celebrates his 30th (how can that be??? I'm only 29!!)on July 10th!! Wish we could be there to celebrate with you, but very soon we will be sailing into Annapolis, and can celebrate then!!! Love you!!
Please send us emails or comment on our blog. We are starved for news from home! Hope all is well.
Love & Hugs,
the Admiral
HOORAY, HOORAY, WE ARE UNDER WAY!!!!!! Left Green Cove Springs about 8:30 am, and headed up the St. John River. Took a little getting used to steering this much bigger and heavier vessel. It was a beautiful day, with just a little bit of a breeze. We had a few bridges we had to have opened, but it was easy as pie. Jacksonville, FL looks a lot like Portland, OR. Built on a river, with lots of bridges spanning across the city. All systems seem to be working well, so we decided to test out the new anchor. We pulled into an adjacent river inlet to the St. John, and dropped the new Manson anchor. Dug in very well in about 15 feet of water. One thing about the East coast, they don’t have the deep water we have in the NW. We were hot and sweaty, and needed to cool down, so we got out the old solar water shower. We filled it with cool water from the tank and set it up on the fore deck. Did it ever feel good!! Then we tried to fire up the BBQ, so we could grill some steaks, but it would not stay lit, so ended up frying them on the stove. Tasted great! We had a mostly peaceful night, with a little adjustment to having the generator going to cool us with the AC. All in all, a very good first day!!
Tuesday, July 6th 2010
Up and at ‘em early this morning. Hauled up the anchor and headed into the Intacoastal Waterway (ICW). I thought there would be a big sign saying “You are now entering the ICW”, but there was none to be seen. Just looked like another branch of the St. John. That is, until we passed under the first bridge! From that point on it looked like we had entered the savannah grasslands of Africa. Miles and miles of marshy grassland, dotted with a few trees, and no human habitation in sight. The waterway itself is very narrow and shallow, so you must follow the channel markers very carefully. It reminds me of the Swinomish Slough in Washington. We did not see another boat all day, until we got close to Fernandina, FL, our second stop. This is the same town that Dave and I visited on Mother’s Day. We had hoped to meet up with some of the people that Dave used to work with there, from Rayonier, but no one was available!! Instead, we had dinner at Pablo’s, followed by ice cream down the street, then sat on a bench and watched the people go by, and the sun go down. By accident, Dave and I stumbled upon a Jazz bar, where every Tuesday night, musicians from all over get together and jam. Far out!!! We spent the next few hours listening to some great jazz, including some talented vocalists. Dave almost went down and got his pocket trumpet from the boat. We definitely will plan to be in Fernandina on a Tuesday night, when we come back South in the fall. It was so much fun!!
Wednesday July 7th 2010
Spent another day in the African savannah. We crossed into Georgia, although you would never know it. Not even a “Welcome to Georgia” sign. The scenery still looks the same. Quiet, serene and peaceful. Saw just a few other small boats. As we got close to our stop for the night, we saw a pod of about 100 dolphins in one of the larger bodies of water. It was fun to see they swim and frolic. There was even a sightseeing boat with tourists, out to see them. We cruised on in to Jekyll Island Marina, and on the second attempt, I got the boat into the dock. Not too bad with a new boat and a cross wind. While we refueled, I took a visual look around, and saw the word POOL!! After we got the boat settled for the night, we went and took full advantage of the pool. The dock attendant told us the pool was too cold for most people, so we knew it would be perfect for us!! And it was! We both jumped straight in with no hesitation. We spent the next hour in the pool, talking with another couple from Georgia. Then we took a cold shower and had dinner on the porch of the restaurant overlooking the pool. There were squirrels climbing in and out of the huge old oak trees surrounding the pool. We even saw a raccoon make his way across the grounds and climb up into an old oak, right to restaurant level, so he could see what food might be available. The sunset was gorgeous! A big old orangish-red ball sinking slowly through the majestic oaks and in to the water. We were told that the temperature had been in the high 90’s, but that tomorrow the temps were to be in the low 100’s. Heaven help us!!!
Thursday July 8th 2010
Up early and on our way, into Savannah land. All of Georgia seems to look the same. We got to a part of the ICW that needed to be crossed at high tide. We were there a little early, so we decided to anchor off the channel and take a siesta. We were there about 2 and a half hours, and then started through the sticky channel. We were in the middle of nowhere, and it was getting late, so we motored off into an adjacent creek, New Tea Kettle Creek, to anchor for the night. We were both drenched in sweat, so we got out the solar shower again and cooled off on deck. This time there was no one around for miles, so there was no need for swim suits! We had dinner in the cockpit and opened a bottle of champagne that had been given to us as a bon voyage present. Boy! Did it taste good. So good we polished off the whole bottle. I can’t remember the last time we did that! It was so hot that we both had trouble sleeping. It was a night I will never forget. Just the two of us, in the middle of nowhere. We used to go backpacking to find that kind of isolation. This was a lot easier!!
Friday July 9th 2010
We wanted to get in 50 miles today, so we got an early start. More savannah!! Being almost the weekend, we saw a few more small fishing skiffs than usual. We did have one rather disconcerting incident! We believe that what happened is a bird hit our rigging, then fell on to the solar panel, and on into the water. We heard it hit, then saw it hit the solar panel with our peripheral vision. It happened so fast we weren’t really sure what had happened. We motored back a ways to see if we could see anything floating in the water, but found nothing! You can bet that we did check the rigging to make sure everything was fine.
As we neared out destination, we started to see signs of civilization: bridges, roads, cars, mansions on the waterfront, long docks extending across the marsh land. We pulled into Isle of Hope, Georgia. A quaint, rich community. Lots of beautiful old homes, all with big front decks and surrounded by oak trees with Spanish moss decorating their limbs. The marina is just as nice. They even have loaner cars. WALMART here we come!! We needed to get resupplied with hydration materials, plus a few grocery items that we went through faster than I expected. Then it was back to the boat to unload and then head to the community swimming pool. It is a private pool, with special guest privileges for the marina patrons. This time the water was a little too warm to be really refreshing, but it felt good to get wet. We then watched the kids at play. Big and little. Seems Friday night the pool is the place to be for the families in this community, especially when it is this hot!!
After all the hot weather this week, I had a pile of sweaty dirty clothes that needed to be washed, so back to the marina and laundry duty. Even though the sun went down, it still remained hot, so when I was done with the laundry, I opted for one more shower before bed. Maybe tomorrow won’t be quite so hot!!
Sorry for the delay in news, but we never know what kind of connection is available in some of these areas, so just have to wait for a good one!
A note to all my Rainbow friends: I have been thinking about you all week. Knowing that Grand Assembly is in full swing, and I'm not there, is very surreal!! I hope you have a fun and fabulous session!!!
Also, a special note to our son Austin: Happy Birthday!! He celebrates his 30th (how can that be??? I'm only 29!!)on July 10th!! Wish we could be there to celebrate with you, but very soon we will be sailing into Annapolis, and can celebrate then!!! Love you!!
Please send us emails or comment on our blog. We are starved for news from home! Hope all is well.
Love & Hugs,
the Admiral
Sunday, July 4, 2010
July 4th
Happy Independence Day!! We thought we would be leaving Green Cove Springs this morning, but there was a torrential down pour. It also took us a little longer than we thought to do a few of the chores we had left. We also had to bail out the dinghy, after the rain finally letup. Everything we now own, in the state of Florida, is now on this boat!!!
One of the things holding us back from leaving, was the car. We ended up selling it back to Cheap Cars, the place we bought it from. We didn’t make any money on the deal, but we no longer have a car that we are responsible for. Seems really strange to be carless. We even had to ask for a ride back to the marina. It was a great car. It had 129,467 miles on it when we bought it, and the same amount when we sold it. (the odometer didn’t work!) Neither did the cruise control, the intermittent windshield wipers, the radio, the lock on the right rear passenger door, or the nonexistent visors. The only things we added to the car besides miles and age, were a battery and a new belt. We called her “The Black Pearl”.
The most important thing that happened, since last I wrote, is that the engine is running wonderfully, and loves her newly polished diesel fuel. I think the boat is very thankful for all the attention she has been getting lately, and all of the upgrades! We’ve found that she was sorely neglected for the last 7 years. But she is ready now for some new adventures, and so are we! It’s time to move on and meet some new people. The people here are very kind, but I have never seen so many functional alcoholics in one place. What a sad life they must have!
I will dearly miss my new friend Roxy. I spent a little time with her today, and gave her the last of our milk bones. Last night she and Phil came by the boat, just about dusk. Several fireworks were being set off around the area. Roxy became visibly uncomfortable and started to shake. She finally crawled up into Phil’s lap. Who knows, maybe someday our paths will cross again. I hope so!
With all of the driving we have been doing, we have noticed that Florida must have about 30 different license plates that people can choose from. We have seen very few vanity plates, but a huge variety of plates, from the generic one with oranges and the outline of the state, to ones with different animal species, or sports, or sports teams, etc. We looked very odd, with our Washington plates. We did see one other car from Washington, and one each from Alaska and Hawaii.
The Dairy Queen Diet has been going very well. Dave and I have both lost 25 pounds. Now that we have no car, the chance of us getting to a DQ are pretty slim. We do have a half gallon of Rocky Road ice cream in the freezer, so we’ll have to see if that will keep our weight loss going!! The other changes we have experienced are big bruises and scrapes, cuts, and bug bites. And don’t forget the bumps on the head. They are the most painful!!
Well, today may be Independence Day, but we will gain our independence tomorrow. We plan to leave early, so I better get to the showers, and then to bed. The captain wants to get an early start in the morning!!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
Happy Independence Day!! We thought we would be leaving Green Cove Springs this morning, but there was a torrential down pour. It also took us a little longer than we thought to do a few of the chores we had left. We also had to bail out the dinghy, after the rain finally letup. Everything we now own, in the state of Florida, is now on this boat!!!
One of the things holding us back from leaving, was the car. We ended up selling it back to Cheap Cars, the place we bought it from. We didn’t make any money on the deal, but we no longer have a car that we are responsible for. Seems really strange to be carless. We even had to ask for a ride back to the marina. It was a great car. It had 129,467 miles on it when we bought it, and the same amount when we sold it. (the odometer didn’t work!) Neither did the cruise control, the intermittent windshield wipers, the radio, the lock on the right rear passenger door, or the nonexistent visors. The only things we added to the car besides miles and age, were a battery and a new belt. We called her “The Black Pearl”.
The most important thing that happened, since last I wrote, is that the engine is running wonderfully, and loves her newly polished diesel fuel. I think the boat is very thankful for all the attention she has been getting lately, and all of the upgrades! We’ve found that she was sorely neglected for the last 7 years. But she is ready now for some new adventures, and so are we! It’s time to move on and meet some new people. The people here are very kind, but I have never seen so many functional alcoholics in one place. What a sad life they must have!
I will dearly miss my new friend Roxy. I spent a little time with her today, and gave her the last of our milk bones. Last night she and Phil came by the boat, just about dusk. Several fireworks were being set off around the area. Roxy became visibly uncomfortable and started to shake. She finally crawled up into Phil’s lap. Who knows, maybe someday our paths will cross again. I hope so!
With all of the driving we have been doing, we have noticed that Florida must have about 30 different license plates that people can choose from. We have seen very few vanity plates, but a huge variety of plates, from the generic one with oranges and the outline of the state, to ones with different animal species, or sports, or sports teams, etc. We looked very odd, with our Washington plates. We did see one other car from Washington, and one each from Alaska and Hawaii.
The Dairy Queen Diet has been going very well. Dave and I have both lost 25 pounds. Now that we have no car, the chance of us getting to a DQ are pretty slim. We do have a half gallon of Rocky Road ice cream in the freezer, so we’ll have to see if that will keep our weight loss going!! The other changes we have experienced are big bruises and scrapes, cuts, and bug bites. And don’t forget the bumps on the head. They are the most painful!!
Well, today may be Independence Day, but we will gain our independence tomorrow. We plan to leave early, so I better get to the showers, and then to bed. The captain wants to get an early start in the morning!!
Love & Hugs,
The Admiral
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