Georgetown, Great Exuma

Georgetown, Great Exuma
There is a Paradise!!!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Friday December 17th 2010

Happy Holidays! Just a quick update. We spent most of the last week in Vero Beach, Florida, riding out the cold weather front that came through. Got down to 27 degrees for 2 nights, highs in the mid 50’s. We were on a mooring ball, so had to use a small propane heater, and lots of blankets at night. This is central Florida??

Vero Beach was very cruiser friendly, and we did enjoy our time there. There were a lot of people to get information from about the Bahamas, and for Dave to talk to about mechanical issues. The city also has a very good, free bus service that allows you to get to the ocean, and to the downtown area for almost any retail store you could need.

By Wednesday the 15th, the temperature warmed up just enough, so we left Vero Beach and headed for Fort Pierce. We decided that the boat needs new batteries before we cross to the Bahamas, so we have arranged to have them put in while we are here. It will take a few days. In the meantime, the temps are back up in the 70’s, and it may even hit 80 tomorrow. We are staying in a marina, and they are having a holiday potluck Saturday evening, with live music and smoked hams. Sounds like it could be fun!

As soon as the new batteries are in, and the weather is right, we will head on down the coast to Miami. In the meantime, we are preparing for Christmas. The cards have been mailed, packages have been sent, and all of the shopping is done. I’ve never been ready for the holidays a week before!! In fact, we won’t celebrate Christmas until the 29th, when Austin and Cindy will be with us, so I’m really ahead.

I hope all of your holiday preparations are going along as scheduled. If you don’t hear from us again before the big day, have a fabulous Christmas!!

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Monday November 29th 2010

We intended to leave Beach Marine early this morning, but because of the tides, we missed our chance, and had to stay another day. But last night we had the opportunity to reconnect with some sailing friends from Jacksonville, Jennifer and John. We had a great time sharing our summer adventures with them.

We spent this extra day doing boat projects, paying bills, and washing bedding. All things that needed to be done, and now we had the time to do them. It was a quiet and peaceful day.

Tuesday November 30th 2010

The last day of November??? How did that happen? We left with the early high tide, and headed down the ICW to St. Augustine. What a great city! And, they have one of the nicest municipal marinas. We arrived in the early afternoon, and spent a few hours walking around town, before meeting up with Phil and Roxy-the wonder dog, our friends from Green Cove Springs. Fortunately, we happened upon a dog specialty shop, and I was able to buy some treats. Can’t meet Roxy unarmed!

I wasn’t sure that Roxy would remember me, but I needn’t have worried. The moment she spotted me in the crowd, she was ready to break into a dead run. Thank goodness, Phil saw what was happening and had already set the brake on his wheelchair! After a few doggie treats, we were on our way to “Scarlett O’Haras”, a restaurant we had discovered on our walk. It was located next to “Rhett’s Piano Bar”. We had dinner outside on the veranda, with Roxy under the table, just waiting for the occasional scrap. Her favorite is French fries. We enjoyed hearing about the gang back in Green Cove, and Phil enjoyed a night with “normal “ people. Do Dave and I really fit that description?

We had a fabulous time! Phil seems to be doing well and is working hard on his boat, getting it ready to sail up to Long Island, New York in March. He and Roxy have their own adventure in store. We wish them well!

Wednesday December 1st 2010

We spent another day in St. Augustine, as we needed more time to investigate this old town, and because the winds are causing havoc on the seas. It was a cool, but sunny day, and we tramped from one end of the city to the other, and back again. They have a very nice walled off shopping district with many interesting shops. We poked our noses down every street we had not been on before. We also stopped in to see the dorm at Flagler College. It used to be the Ponce de Leon Hotel and Resort, back in the 1920’s-30’s. It really is too beautiful to be used as a dorm, but it was donated to the college, and had the perfect set-up to be transitioned to a dorm. Those lucky students! It looks like you are stepping into a great villa in Italy. Lots of tile, marble, and wood adornments.

We also strolled by several museums, but each one charges a steep admission price, so we decided not to stop. We had already been to the famous fort and its’ museum on a previous trip to the city, so figured we knew enough already about the oldest city in Florida.

After a long day of walking and shopping, we decided to get some dinner. Right across the street from the marina, is an old sea captain’s home, called O. C. White’s. It is now a great restaurant, with live music. We enjoyed a fantastic meal and listened to a guitarist, who sounded a lot like James Taylor. All of his music was from our collection and genre. We stretched the meal out over several hours, and left there with our tummies full and our souls filled with spirit. It was a lovely evening.

Thursday December 2nd 2010

The winds were not cooperating, so we stayed another day in St. Augustine. It is actually one of the nicest places to get stuck. The city marina is soooo nice, and also low in price. You just step off the boat, walk up the dock, and you are right in the heart of the city. All of their Christmas decorations are now up, and at night it looks like a fairy tale city, with a ton of twinkling lights. In the town park, there is a giant Christmas tree, complete with wrapped packages beneath its boughs. Every afternoon one of the churches in town has an organ playing Christmas carols for about an hour. The only thing missing is snow. Thank goodness!

We walked back into town to do some Christmas shopping. What a fun place to do that! Late in the afternoon we stopped at a New York pizza parlor to grab something to eat, and ran into Andy from “Sisu”. We arrived in town on the same day, and have been running into him and his family on several occasions. That’s how it is cruising. You meet someone, and then every few days you may see them again in another location. We are all basically headed in the same direction, with the same goal of getting to the Bahamas, so in every harbor, we see boats and people that we have seen or met before. Everyone is very friendly, and there are a lot, I mean A LOT, of Canadians out cruising. It also seems as though most of the people in trawlers (power boats), were once on sailboats themselves, so there is a much better relationship between sailors and power boaters on this coast. Since we have not been able to sail much while on the ICW, and we have now traveled over 1800 miles, we feel like we are a trawler with a mast. We look at the big comfortable trawlers go by, with their indoor steering, and wonder why we are sitting out in the cold wind. Although I must say, the new dodger is wonderful. It really helps cut down on the cold wind, except when the wind is directly behind us!

After inhaling a slice of pizza, we walked back to the marina and decided to see what musician was playing that night at O. C. Whites. We bellied up to the bar for a drink, and since it was very cold outside, I decided I would like something hot. There was a drink on their menu called the “millionaire’s coffee”. To the original brew, they add Bailey’s, Frangelica, Grand Marnier, and rum, then top it with whipped cream drizzled with chocolate. I was skeptical. It looked like too much straight coffee was in it, for my taste. Boy, was I wrong! It was so delicious, I had two of them!

When the musician showed up, it was not the same one we had seen the night before, and he was not even close to being as good. So, after warming our innards, we moseyed on back to the boat for dinner and a quiet evening at home!

Friday December 3rd 2010

Today the winds calmed a bit, so we piled on the extra clothes and headed down the ICW for Daytona. The nights have been getting very cold for Florida. Down into the lower 30’s at night, with highs in the mid 50’s during the day. Even the water temperature is in the 50’s. Feels like home, except for the sunshine!

As we pulled into the marina harbor, the channel became very shallow. We got into the harbor and the instructions we received from the harbormaster, did not jibe with what we were seeing. OOPS! We were in the north harbor and should have gone in the south. So, out through the shallow channel again, and down a bit farther to another shallow channel, and in to the gas dock for refueling. We were surprised to find no deck hands on the gas dock, as they had told us there would be, so Dave and I managed to get the boat safely moored, then Dave went looking for help with the fueling. He found all of the deck hands up in the marina office decorating for a Christmas party. AAAARRRGGGGHH!

After refueling, we slipped into our nights mooring, and then walked to the local West Marine store to buy some new water hose. It was right on the marina property, so very close, but they did not have what we needed. It was now Happy Hour, so we stopped into the Blue Bar next door. We decided to eat on the patio, as the evening temperature was quite pleasant, and sat next to a gentleman from Montreal. We exchanged stories with him. He was French-Canadian, so we had to listen to him very intently, to make sure we understood what he was saying. It was really very interesting! Our meal was nothing to brag about, and, after the sun went down, it got quite cold on the patio. Thank goodness it was just a short walk back to the boat!!

Saturday December 4th 2010

APPLE CUP!!!!! Today we headed to Titusville, Florida. Right down by Cape Canaveral. You would not believe the Mega mansions we have seen on this waterway. And, we have seen quite a few dolphins. Even some doing flips out of the water!! After getting situated at the dock, we walked up to the marina office to check in, and find out where the nearest sports bar was located, so we could watch the Huskies beat the Cougs. Lucky for us, there were a couple of options!

We ended up taking a cab to, of all places, “Dogs R Us”. We were ushered to a small booth in a corner alcove, where they turned the game on, not one, not two, but three different flat screens!!! And, they even turned on the sound for us! So, while we watched the game, we also enjoyed Rib-eye steak, a baked potato, and onion rings. Yummy! And, it turned out to be a great game, too!! Can’t believe the Huskies are really bowl bound again. Finally! What a great way to end the regular season.

Sunday December 5th 2010

Today is laundry day. Didn’t we just do this??? Oh well, the machines are plentiful and cheap, so it was easy to do. I think I picked up some kind of flu bug. Just didn’t feel too good, so sitting in the laundry room was easy to do. We had tried to go into town. We hiked up to the bus stop the marina office had told us about, only to find that the buses don’t run on Sunday. So, we were marina bound.

After my laundry duty, I went back to the boat and took a long nap, under a nice warm blanket. We spent the rest of the day in quiet mode.

Monday December 6th 2010

This was a busy day! Thankfully, I was feeling better. We started the day by renting a car, so we could get all of our errands done in one day. After a good breakfast at IHOP, we stopped at Walmart to do a little grocery shopping. It turned into a huge provisioning trip. We decided that with easy transportation, we should take advantage and really stock up for the trip over to the Bahamas. Everything in the islands is super expensive, and sometimes hard to get, so they recommend you stock up prior to crossing over. So we did!! We filled up the trunk and part of the back seat. Then off to the hardware store for the water hose. The closest West Marine was not very, so we hoped to avoid going there. Thankfully the Ace Hardware store had what we needed.

Next, we stopped at Wendy’s for a cheap lunch from their 99 cent menu, then went across the street to the JC Penney store to search for a new swim suit! No luck there, so we moved to the Sears mall and got lucky. Not only did we find one, but it was on sale! All you ladies out there know how difficult it is even to find a suit, let alone, one that is on sale!! Florida is probably one of the only states where this could happen in December!

We also stopped at Walgreens for their sale on Diet Coke, and managed to finish up on our Christmas shopping. We even got some snowflake lights for the boat. Now I just need to get all of the Christmas cards ready to mail, before we leave the United States. Seems surreal!

After gassing up the rental car, we headed back to the marina and prayed there would be a dock cart available to help get all of our goodies to the boat. Voila!!! We were in luck. It only took two trips to get everything down the dock, then we just had to get it all on the boat. In this particular mooring, we are in a 50 foot slip that is a fixed pier. That means it does not float. There is a tide here, of a few feet, so sometimes the boat is two feet below the dock and with the current, it is a foot away from the dock. This makes passage of all the goods, very tricky! It took us awhile, but we did manage to get everything on board. Then the real work began, finding space to put everything away! Plus, I had to remove the labels from all of the cans, and write what was in them, on the top, with a permanent marker. This is to prevent a cockroach infestation. They like paper, cardboard, and glue. So, I also had to take everything out of cardboard boxes, and put the contents into plastic bags, and label that. Kept me busy for a few hours!!! We still have to provision with our fresh foods and meats, just before we cross the gulfstream. When we purchase the meats, I will have to vacuum pack them for freezing. Gee, I can hardly wait!! Thanks to Norm and Kathy, I have a new Food Saver to use!!

Tuesday December 7th 2010

Time to move on down the road, to Melbourne, Florida. We had a good, but cool day on the water, and ended up in a very nice small marina. I had my doubts as we entered the channel. They told us it would get shallow, and to favor the red markers, but the depth sounder showed 3.5 feet, and then 2.9!! Because of where it is located on the boat, you have to add 2 feet for the real depth, but we draw 5.5 feet so we were sloshing through the muddy bottom! It got better, once we were in the marina harbor and safely docked.

We were next to a trawler from Vancouver, BC. They had their boat trucked to Lake Huron and then traveled to the East Coast from there. Yikes!! They really traveled a long way!! We had fun talking about the San Juan Islands and Victoria. Sounds like they will be staying on the Florida coast this winter. We will probably run into them again before we cross over. The name of their boat was “Twin Spirits”.

Speaking of boat names, we have seen: “Tuition”, “Happy Our”, “Atsah’mibote”, to
name a few. That last one took me a few minutes! Some people are way too creative!

We had dinner at the marina restaurant, “Ichabod’s”, before getting a good nights sleep in this peaceful harbor. Tonight we were expecting an all time low temperature! Great!!!

Wednesday December 8th 2010

It was so COLD last night!! A low of 31!! And this day the wind was blowing, too. We cruised on down the ICW, dressed in many layers! It seemed so unreal. We were dressed like we would have, if we were sailing at home in Seattle, in December!! Only, if we were in Seattle, I would have been smart enough to stay home!! It was so funny, we decided we needed some pictures, so those back home would believe us! The only difference is, there are palm trees here, and the sky is blue!!!

Today the ICW was a little more interesting. Instead of the usual straight line south, the route was more twisting and turning around some strategically placed islands. It just got prettier and prettier! Then suddenly, we arrived in Vero Beach, Florida. The locals call it “Velcro Beach”, since some people arrive here and never leave. They have a very large mooring field. We are very near the end of the inlet, a long way from the marina dock, on number 54. Most of the mooring balls have two or three boats on them, as boats wait here for a good weather window, to cross to the Bahamas. We actually are on a mooring, all to ourselves.

We motored over to the dinghy dock, to check out the marina facilities, and found out they have a free bus line that runs all over town. We were just in time to catch the bus, so we hopped on. Only blocks from the marina, a small car ran a stop sign, and the bus nearly collided with it. Thank goodness the bus driver was alert, and managed to avoid disaster!! After that, we had a quiet and nice drive through the ocean beach area. It looked like Palm Springs. Lots of high end shops, expensive cars, and beachfront condos. Then we turned around and headed for the downtown area of Vero. The bus took us to a large shopping area with just about anything you could need. We got off the bus and went into a large watersports store to look for fins. They had quite an assortment, but we wanted to do a little research before purchasing, so we will go back in a few days.

We then caught the bus back to the marina, and had a cold dinghy ride back to the boat. With the sun down, it was getting quite cold, and since we are on a mooring ball, we have no AC power, so we fired up the Little Buddy propane heater. Very soon, it was quite toasty in the boat. It helped that I also fired up the propane stove and made spaghetti.

Thursday December 9th 2010

Didn’t get quite as cold last night, as the night before, but it was still cool, and for the first time in a long time, cloudy this morning. I woke up some time last night, and heard rain falling, but it has stopped this morning, and left everything wet outside. A good day to stay on board and do boat projects. Our next voyage will be to go offshore down the coast to Miami, so we will have to wait here until a good weather window opens up. That may be until early next week. It is supposed to start warming up here tomorrow. I hope so!

I may not write again until after we have crossed to the Bahamas. Depends on the timing, the weather, and whether we get wifi when we get there. Don’t worry about us. We are being uber careful!! And, we are in the company of a lot of people who have done this many times!!

Until then, stay safe yourselves. Hope the winter weather in your area is as good as it can be for this time of year!

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Tuesday November 23rd 2010

We decided we would spend another night here in Fernandina. We had a visit from another Whitby 42 owner that is here. Andy and his youngest son Eli came over in their inflatable to introduce themselves. They are from Topsham, Maine, and have been sailing down the coast since the end of September. They, too, are headed for the Bahamas, along with Andy’s wife Chris and their two teenagers, Rachel and Jake. Five people on their Whitby!!!! They told us about a Thanksgiving for boaters in St. Mary’s, Georgia, just up the river, that sounds too good to pass up. It is a lot closer than going all the way into Jacksonville, as we had planned.

Andy told us that the city of St. Mary’s provides all of the turkey and ham, and the boaters are asked to bring a side dish or two. I didn’t have much on the boat that would be good for a turkey dinner, so we decided to go into town and do some shopping. We took the dinghy into shore and then called for a cab to take us to Walmart. It was maybe a 10 minute ride, but it cost $10.00, one way!! Ouch!!! Then we discovered that the Walmart did not have groceries. Fortunately, there was a Winn-Dixie right next door. We picked up an apple pie, a pecan pie, and a bag of dinner rolls, as well as a few other things to supplement our stores.

When we got back to the marina, we took the bags to the dinghy, then walked back into town to the Green Turtle for happy hour. Dave had hoped that some of his buddies at Rayonier would show up, but no such luck. We had a nice cold beer, and then found out that it was Taco night. Just like back home, Taco Tuesday!!! They weren’t that great, but they were cheap! Afterwards, we strolled down to the corner and had ice cream for dessert.

Wednesday November 24th 2010

This morning we headed for St. Mary’s, Georgia. Not sure what to expect. It was a beautiful day and a short cruise up the river. The anchorage was huge, but there were already close to 100 boats there. It was not easy to find a good place to anchor. We tried a couple spots, but were not certain that we had adequate space, so we moved on. Eventually we found a spot that looked pretty good, but the current was really running. We decided we would sit and watch for awhile after setting the anchor.

A short time later, an old friend from Green Cove Springs came over in his dinghy. He had seen us come in. He told us that there were several other boats from Green Cove there as well. He also mentioned that there was to be a Pain Killer Party, on the end of the dock, at 3:00PM, and an oyster roast at the Seagle Restaurant at 5:30. Cool!!!

About 2:00, we headed into the dinghy dock to check out the town. They have a very nice and well kept waterfront park. All of the walls around the park are concrete mixed with clam shells, and look really nice. They have a band shell, a fountain, restrooms, and benches and swings that face the water. The town also looks well kept and very old fashioned. We walked over to the Seagle, which was a part of the Riverview Inn, and headquarters for this holiday event. We were able to secure an itinerary for the next few days. It actually is a weeklong event, with something special happening each day.

We headed back to the dinghy to pick up our cups for the Pain Killers, and ran into Gordon and Susan from Green Cove. The four of us walked over to the dock party, where we found more old friends. Even the Pain Killers were like an old friend. Haven’t had them since we left the BVI. There was lots of good conversation and I marveled that everyone managed to stay on the dock. It got pretty crowded, and the dock was fairly narrow!

Pretty soon, the party broke up and everyone headed to their boats to get their appetizers for the oyster roast. As we neared the boat, we could see that Dream Ketcher was awfully close to another boat, and pretty soon, one of the officials came by and asked if we were adrift. We weren’t, but with the current ripping through, the boat was kiting quite badly. So, we decided we had better move. We hauled up the anchor and once again, circled the bay looking for a good spot. We then set the anchor once more, and hoped that this would be the last time.
I hadn’t planned on having to provide an appetizer, but found a head of cauliflower and some ranch dip to take. At least Dave would love it! Then we hopped in the dinghy and headed to shore again. Oddly enough, we ran into Gordon and Susan again and walked with them to the restaurant. Although we did not partake in the oysters, we did enjoy the vast array of appetizers that were brought in by the boaters, the beer, and the conversation. It was a nice ending to a very nice day!

Thursday November 25th 2010

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! Our morning started off with a presentation in the band shell, for those interested in how to get to the Bahamas, and where to go when you get there. A lot of good information from those who had been there and done that! We’ll take all the advice we can get.

At 12:30, it looked like the town was being invaded, as every boat had a dinghy headed for shore for the big event, a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and then some. They had planned for 300 people, and I think that was a good estimate. A long line started to form outside the doors, and after a brief prayer heard only by those at the start of the line, they opened the doors, and everyone filed by one of the three tables piled high with food. We spent the next three hours, eating and conversing with people from near and far. We met one man whose home is in Iceland and another young couple from Sweden.

Afterward, Dave, Susan, Gordon and I, walked farther into town to the used bookstore. They open on Thanksgiving, just for the boaters. It was a nice walk that took us by some very old homes and historic sites. They had a great selection of books, and a reading room, whose walls are covered with the names of boats and their owners who have visited. Of course we joined in and added our names to the wall!! As the sun began to set, we made our way back to the boat, where we spent the rest of the evening watching football and making phone calls to our loved ones. We missed being with them, but they were close at heart!!

Friday November 26th 2010

The only event on the schedule today, is a swap meet. So we headed to shore, not only for the swap meet, but for the showers!! We waited until late in the morning, and it paid off. Neither of us had to wait in line. Afterwards, we did a little Christmas shopping and had a snack, then headed for the dock. On the way, we noticed that several of the boats were moving and kiting quite badly. In fact, the boat next to us, was getting quite close. As we watched, it came right over and bumped against us! We took off at a trot and got Dave into the dinghy. I had scheduled a ride to the local Walmart, so needed to stay close to the pick-up point. I was worried as to whether Dave could handle the situation alone, but as I looked back out at the boat, I could see that someone else had boarded our boat to help out. Not sure what was going to happen, I boarded the van for the ride into town.

I spent the next hour picking up some more groceries, and having some “me” time, then went back out to the drop site, for a ride back to the dock. There were 8 of us that needed a ride back, plus all of the stuff we had bought. I don’t know how we did it, but we got everyone in, and all of the stuff, too! On the way back, I got a phone call from Dave, saying that he had to move the boat again and re-anchor. It was the only way he could get us away from the wandering boat. He asked if I could get a ride out to the boat with Chris (the wife of the other Whitby owner, Andy). Turns out, the good Samaritan that had boarded our boat, was Andy. He helped Dave move the boat and get re-anchored. Then he realized that his boat was having problems, too! So, while Dave and Andy watched the boats, his son Jake came to the rescue and picked up Chris and I on the dock, with all our stuff.

We spent the rest of the day on the boat, listening to the rain and the wind. There were a lot of boats that had to reset their anchors, due to the wind and the current. We thought that we might be able to watch the Oregon/Arizona game, but it was not on a channel we were able to get. Instead we spent a quiet night reading and watching TV.

Saturday November 27th 2010

Time to keep moving! We said good bye to all of our friends here and headed south again. It was sunny, but COLD! The wind was really whipping, so we had to bundle up in several layers. When we got to the St. John River, we were entering into unknown territory. We found the southern entrance for the Intercoastal Waterway and began to see an area we had not previously seen. It looked a lot like the rest of the canal, but seemed to be deeper.

We ended up at Beach Marina in the Jacksonville area. I’m not sure how I got the boat into the dock. They have a narrow entrance and even narrower fairways. It was a tight squeeze. After securing the boat, we went ashore to check out the facilities. We have laundry that needs to be done!!

After our long day at sea, we were parched! We headed into the Beach Marine Bar & Grill for a beer, and found ourselves in the middle of the Florida/Florida State game. It suddenly occurred to me that we might be able to listen to the Husky game, since the bar had WIFI. Dave ran back to the boat and was soon back with his laptop. In no time, we had our earphones in and were listening to Bob Rondeau. What a game!!! We had ordered some appetizers, so we moved from the bar to a table, where we could spread out. This lasted for quite awhile, then suddenly, as the Huskies were on the move, getting close to the goal line, Dave’s battery went dead!!! We made another move to another table that was close to an electrical outlet, and voila!, the game was back again. This was a nail biter to the bitter end, and I mean end. The Huskies made a touchdown on the last play of the game, with the game clock showing just 2 seconds, to win 16-13!!!!!!

Sunday November 28th 2010

We slept in this morning. Last night, as we got into bed, we heard these funny crunching noises. Dave decided it was either mice or cockroaches!! Not a happy thought to go to sleep on! We found out today that what we were hearing, was shrimp!!! I’ll definitely sleep better tonight!

Today was laundry day. They have a very nice laundry facility here, with 3 washers and 3 dryers. And, while the laundry was washing, Dave and I took showers! Then back to the boat for chores and blog updating, and football! Tonight we have friends from Jacksonville that are meeting us for dinner, and in the morning, we will leave for St. Augustine, where we will meet up with Phil and Roxy – the wonder dog!!!! Can’t wait to see them!

So, here we are at the end of November!! I can’t believe that in just a few weeks, we should be in the Bahamas! If the weather cooperates!!! We have been living on this boat for 7 months now. Unbelievable!

Hopefully, you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and you are now getting into the Christmas spirit. The end of the year will soon be upon us. Good luck with all of your shopping and holiday preparations, and check in again next week for more about our unconventional life. We do miss you!

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

Monday, November 22, 2010

Hooray!! I’m back on line. We left Charleston, SC on Saturday morning, November 20th at 6:45am, and headed out to the open ocean on the outgoing tide. Twenty-nine hours later we entered the harbor at Fernandina Beach, FL, and it was so warm, I traded my jeans for my shorts, right after we tied to the mooring ball.

This was my first time being offshore in the USA, however, we did sail on the ocean down in the British Virgin Islands, but never on an overnight passage. I was a little anxious, since I wasn’t sure how my stomach would do, or how I would handle my four hour watch alone from midnight to four am. I needn’t have worried, I came through it all just fine, including having chili for dinner.

The entire trip we had no wind - nada, zip, zero! But, since there was no wind, we also had no waves, just the ocean swell, which was considerable. We rocked and rolled the entire trip! Twenty-five degrees to one side, then twenty-five degrees to the other side. All day and all night! It made cooking dinner rather interesting, but I was determined to have a hot meal. Thank goodness for the gimbaled stove. The chili on Fritos was delicious!!!

After dark, it wasn’t too cold out, as long as you were wearing a long sleeved shirt, a sweatshirt, and a raincoat over that. Then later, when the dew set in, you needed rain pants, too. About 8:00 pm, I decided I should try to get a little sleep before my watch, so I went down below and climbed into my nice warm bed. Dave was listening to the Stanford vs. California football game on the satellite radio, and since we have speakers in the aft stateroom, I tried to sleep with the game blaring in my ears. Where were my ear plugs??? I finally got up and put on my headphones, but that only muted it a little bit. I was thankful when at halftime, we lost the broadcast. All the while I had to combat the rolling of the boat. First all of my innards would slide all the way up towards my head, and then they would slide down to my feet, and then back again the other way. I think, of the 4 hours, I probably slept about 2.

Right at midnight, Dave slid the hatch open and woke me up for my turn at watch. I once again donned all of my clothes, including a watch cap and my PFD (personal flotation device), and a pair of gloves. I also raided the galley and found a bottle of water and a bag of cinnamon and sugar pita chips, for my midnight snack. Now I was ready to brave the elements. Out of the goodness of his heart, or for his own peace of mind, Dave decided to sleep in the cockpit, in case I had any problems. Thankfully, he is able to sleep just about anywhere, at any time.

While out on the ocean, we use an auto pilot program that steers the boat and keeps it on a set compass course. During the dark hours, you can’t see where the boat is going, so you rely on your radar to tell you if there are obstacles in your way, and you must also do a visual check every so often to see what lights you can see on the horizon. We set a timer for 20 minutes, and when it goes off, you carefully peer around the dodger and carefully scan the horizon. We also take an hourly chart position and enter it in the log book. You also need to be watching the chart on the GPS for marked buoys (you don’t want to run into them!), and the radar screen for blips indicating other boats, buoys, or land. Once you get into a rhythm of doing all of this, it is rather easy, and the radar is very reassuring. It is a wonderful feeling to have a blank radar screen all around you!

The time passed very quickly, although I wasn’t doing anything, just thinking, and watching the water in the moonlight. It was a beautiful full moon, and a nearly cloudless sky. The moon was so bright that we could only see the usual amount of stars. I really wanted to see dolphins, but never spotted any that night.

Around 3:30 am I looked at the chart and saw that our projected course took us straight over land!! Not good!!! I woke Dave up, so he could help me change course. Thank goodness for the GPS. At the time the land mass showed up on the screen, we were already in 9 feet of water, but since the water in this ocean is so shallow anyway, I don’t think we were in any imminent danger, but would have been if I had been asleep at the helm. I actually was quite alert during my watch and even let Dave sleep an extra hour, since I had had to wake him, then went back down to my bed at 5am, and after peeling off all of my layers, snuggled back in for a few more hours of sleep.

I awoke to beautiful sunshine! As each hour passed, it got warmer and warmer, and we started peeling off layers. We must be getting close to Florida!!! The auto pilot took us straight to the channel into Fernandina Beach, and as we made our way in, a huge freighter crept up behind us. We were startled when he called us on the radio and informed us of his intention to pass us. Seeing that big mass of steel pass us, I was glad that we only saw a few of them during the night, and they were all quite a distance from us. The biggest boats we saw close, were fishing trawlers.

So, now that we are safe in Fernandina Beach, let me tell you a little bit about our stay in Charleston. It started off not so good. We had planned to stay at a small, cheap marina in the Isle of Palms. When we arrived, it was very windy. The opening to the marina was very narrow and shallow. As we proceeded in, the waterway stayed very narrow, not leaving a lot of room for maneuvering. We were trying to call the marina, first by VHF and then by phone, to find out where they wanted us to dock. We could not get an answer!! So, we decided to tie up to the gas dock, but with the wind blowing, it was going to be tricky! A man came out on the dock to help us, or so we thought. As I got the boat close to the dock, Dave threw the man a line and told him to tie it to the cleat. He said, “Yeah, right!,” and threw the line back onto the boat. At this point, a gust of wind began blowing us down the dock and very close to some power boats that were docked on the end of the pier. Somehow, I managed to get us past them, and back into the channel. We would have to try it again, but now we were headed in the wrong direction. So, we decided to go all the way out, and come back in again. I was not a happy camper. It was difficult the first time and I was not happy to have to try it again. As we were leaving the marina entrance, I got a little too far to one side and the boat went aground! Now I was really not a happy camper!! I threw the boat into reverse and managed to get us back in deeper water, and out into the canal where we could turn around and go back in. On the way back in, we spotted a section of dock that we thought we could temporarily tie to, and attempted to do so. Between the wind, the angle, and the length of the dock, I just couldn’t make it happen, and I lost my cool!! I managed to get the boat turned around again, and headed back out of the marina!! After a few minutes time out, we decided that we would go on into Charleston and try to find space in a marina there, where we would hopefully have some help in docking. Dave got on the radio and found space for us at a marina on Patriot Point, just east of downtown Charleston. I was so shook up after our fiasco, I let him steer to the marina, then took over again when we got there. Although the wind was still blowing and the current was ripping, I got the boat safely docked with no trouble at all. That was a big confidence booster! And, this place was beautiful!! We walked up the long dock to the Marina office to check in, then went up to check out the resort it is attached to. There is a four story hotel with a swimming pool, a hot tub, a sandy beach with a volleyball net and lounge chairs, fire pits, and, a very inviting bar! After the morning I’d had, I needed a drink! As beautiful as it was, I knew it would be expensive, but it would make a great home for the next couple of weeks.

Before arriving there, we had decided that our present dodger (canvas over the cockpit) would not make it through the harsh winter sun in the Bahamas, so we opted to have a new one made. We researched and contacted a company in Charleston, and they came down to take a look at what we would need, the day after we arrived. They said they would have it done by the 18th of November. A little longer than we had hoped for, and a little more expensive, but what the heck! It turned out to be a great decision.

We spent the next two and a half weeks working on boat projects and playing tourist. We were able to get a great price on a rental car from Enterprise, so we were able to visit some places that were at a distance. We took one beautiful Sunday and drove up to Columbia, SC, where we hoped to see some fall colors. It was a really nice drive, but not too colorful. We did see the University of South Carolina, or USC, as is locally called. Boy, was that ever confusing. They kept talking about USC on the news, and we would automatically think of the other USC. The one in southern California! Anyway, the campus is right in the middle of this capital city, so we saw it, as well as the state house for the government. After the last election, SC now has its first woman governor! And the first of East Indian descent.

We took a day off from boat chores and went into downtown Charleston, where we took a carriage ride around the city. Our horse was an older male named “Bob”. He loved his job, and did very well. He did get spooked if he had to pass any construction areas that were covered with netting, or had to go by those big “cherry pickers” parked on the sides of the road. We saw some beautiful old antebellum homes and old cobblestone streets.

We also spent some time walking in the old slave market area, and sampling praline candy and fudge in some of the shops. Oddly enough, we also drove to the West Marine stores on the opposite side of the city for boat parts. One foray found us hunting for the Citadel Mall where we did some window shopping and had dinner before heading back to the boat.

Another day we traveled to the city aquarium, where they have one of the only albino alligators in captivity. Now that is a really strange sight! He doesn’t look real! They had the usual aquarium displays, and in addition, they had a 4-D movie. It was one of the Planet Earth series, ”the Ocean Deep”. It was amazing how many times they showed whales or dolphins spouting, so they could spray water on you. It was a lot of fun though!

We also drove out to the Boone Hall Plantation where they were having a Civil War Re-enactment of the Battle of Secessionville. What a hoot! There were probably a thousand re-enactors there in period dress. We got to see the inside of the plantation house and they have about 10 slave quarter homes still standing. There was also a presentation made by a woman whose ancestors had been slaves on the plantation. She explained how the slaves came to be there, and the traditions they followed. Very interesting! We also visited the dock house down by the river, where the ladies were having tea and a display of the quilts they had made. On our way back up to the main event area, we met up with General Robert E. Lee. Looked pretty good for a man that old!

We had lunch sold from a tent, where they cooked Indian Tacos, just like the ones my Aunt Toby used to make. They were delicious! After lunch, it was time for the big battle. We even had a regiment of very young soldiers, on the sidelines, fighting with their stick muskets, with a captain in command. They were soooo cute. True to the day, the Yankees outnumbered the Rebels, yet the south won the battle! The old muskets they used were noisy enough, but when they fired those cannons, it really got your attention! And your ears!!!

It was a really enjoyable day. We loved looking at all the campers in their old canvas tents and cooking over the fire pit in cast iron pots and pans. They really know how to rough it!! Made our boat seem quite comfortable by comparison.

Because we were in a big city, we also were able to watch some Husky games. There was a pretty nice sports pub, only a few blocks away, and we watched the last game against California, in the bar at Sticky Fingers, a fantastic barbecue restaurant. The food was great, and the game even better!

The marina is a home to a whole pod of dolphins. They were great entertainment for us. The water is so clear that we could see them swimming and chasing the small fish they wanted for lunch. We would stand on the dock and watch them, just under the surface of the water.

So, all in all, we had a great time in Charleston. However, I think both Dave and I were anxious to get under way again and head for Florida. The Bahamas beckon!!! We plan to stay here in Fernandina for another night, and then head in to Jacksonville for a stay at the city marina. According to some friends here, the city has some great Thanksgiving events going on down at the waterfront, and they have asked us to join them at the dock. Sounds like too much fun to pass up.

Sorry it was so long since my last blog entry. While in Charleston I had to take my computer in to Staples for a clean-up. It was taking way too long to boot up.

Thanks to Angie, Mary, Nancy, and family for your messages. It was wonderful to hear from you. We even got snail mail from home. Even junk mail can be fun, when you don’t get it all the time!

We hope that you all have a great Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with friends and family. I know we will be missing our own, but we will be with new friends this year. Stay happy and healthy!

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Tuesday October 26th 2010

The thunderstorms have subsided, so we decided to move on down the waterway, to Southport, North Carolina. This is a town just off the Atlantic ocean, that was one of the states earliest seaports.

First on our list of things to do? Take a shower! After that, we walked into town to see what they had to offer. It was pretty sleepy. We did find a few stores to look through, then we found ourselves down at the beach, where we found an outside bar for a quick drink. We were then introduced to the “Back Porch Gang”, a group of locals who inhabit the back porch during happy hour. They were very friendly and we talked for quite awhile.

Another friendly entity in town were the mosquitoes! They were huge!! After the recent thunderstorms, there was a lot of standing water in the area, which, of course, they loved! They wasted no time feasting on my body, even through my clothing!!!

On the way back to the boat, we stopped at a dockside restaurant called “The Provisioning Co.”. It was highly recommended to us by one of the locals. It was very unique. As soon as you walk in the door, you are in the kitchen, where you enter your dinner selections with the hostess, and then pick out the drinks you want from the coolers opposite the kitchen. Then just seat yourself in the outside eating area, where they will bring your dinner to you. It was delicious! I had “Thee Special”, which consisted of one half pound of peel and eat shrimp, plus a crab cake. Dave had a ceasar salad topped with Ahi tuna. While we dined, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset, thanks to the clouds left over from the storms.

Wednesday October 27th 2010

The weather conditions will not allow us to leave Southport, so we opted to stay another night. Today was laundry day! While doing the laundry, we met another sailor from Canada. They arrived on their boat, just about the same time we did. They were planning to take a cab to Walmart and invited us to go along. BONUS! So, after lunch we got together and went grocery shopping.

After returning to the marina, we decided to all have dinner together in town. We met again at the head of the dock and walked to the “Cape Fear Restaurant”. It is the home for the bar we visited yesterday. Although it was after happy hour, we were able to see some of the Back Porch Gang. We had another fabulous meal, and had time to get to know Bob and Gracie from “Gratia”. They are also headed for the Bahamas, so we may meet up with them again.

Thursday October 28th 2010

Once again, the weather is not cooperating! It should be better tomorrow. We spent the day doing errands, then decided to go back to happy hour and see our new friends on the back porch. We were the first to arrive, but soon they started to trickle in. Our friend Peter, really wanted us to stay a couple more days so we could participate in a sailboat race they were having on Saturday, but we are anxious to be on our way.

On our way back to the marina, we stopped at another waterfront restaurant called “Fishy Fishy”. They had some really different salads on their menu that we decided to try. They were awesome!! You’ll have to take my word for it, ‘cause I can’t remember what they had in them. I know Dave’s had steak bites and mine had strawberries on greens, but I can’t remember the details. Must be getting old!

Friday October 29th 2010

We were finally able to leave Southport today, and crossed the line into South Carolina. It was a beautiful day as we motored down the ICW. As we did, we passed by a catamaran that we had seen anchored in Southport. It’s name was “Oh Be Joyful”, and there were three young persons aboard, all from Colorado. They too, are headed to the Bahamas.

When we arrived in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, we pulled into Dock Holiday Marina. It is just off the main highway that runs through this resort town. We walked up into town and found a hair salon next to the grocery store and the local West Marine store. My hair had become quite long and was hanging in my eyes! So, I had them cut quite a bit off. Yeah!!!! In the meantime, Dave hit the marine store and the liquor store.

On the way back to the boat, we passed by a restaurant that was having some kind of big shin dig on their back patio. We decided to investigate! They were having a grand opening celebration, for “Boom Boom’s Raw Bar”, so we joined right in. The local radio station was there, broadcasting live, and there were free appetizers. It was really fun to sit and people watch. Most of those in attendance were our age or older, and the music was good!

Saturday October 30th 2010

Another beautiful day, so we headed on down the waterway to South Myrtle Beach and a place we visited on the way north, Wacca Wache Marina. Remember our lunch at “Anna Bananas”? We had another nice lunch and talked with another couple who were new to boating and heading back to North Carolina after a few days in Charleston. Needless to say, they were on a small power boat.

That evening we turned on the TV to watch Oregon and USC battle it out, and were surprised to find ourselves looking at Husky stadium on the screen. We were so excited!!......until…..it was apparent that this was to be the worst game ever. Poor Huskies! It really could not have been any worse. Even the weather was terrible! Seattle looked very wet and soggy. We switched back and forth from the Huskies to the Oregon/USC game. At least they both started at a decent time. Our misery was short lived!

Sunday October 31st 2010

Happy Halloween! Not too many scary monsters near the water! We sailed a wee bit farther south and ended up in Georgetown, South Carolina. This is another old seaport. We had fun looking at the old town and having a great lunch at “Buzz’s Roost”. Afterwards we treated ourselves to some yummy ice cream.

As we pulled into Georgetown, we saw “the kids” on the catamaran. We have passed them nearly every day since we first saw them, but they are usually staying in other anchorages. It will be fun to see how often we run into them.

We spent a quiet Halloween, just checking in with Austin and Matt, and I had a great time chatting with my friend Kathy. No, we didn’t have a single trick or treater, but I did have some candy, just in case. Not too many kids on the docks. Like none!

Monday November 1st 2010

We had a long day today, but it was beautiful and just the right temperature, so we kept going ‘til the sun was nearly gone. We even had a chance to raise a sail for awhile!!

We decided to anchor out, so we chose a little creek right off the main waterway, called Whiteside Creek. We were all alone, so spent a very quiet night. Even in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, we were still able to watch “Dancing with the Stars”.

Tomorrow we will arrive in Charleston, SC. Just in time! The weather is starting to deteriorate, and rain and cold nights are in the forecast. It’s a good thing we’ll be in one place for awhile. We will have a new dodger made for the cockpit, and spend some time preparing for some offshore sailing. We plan to leave the ICW and go out into the Atlantic for a coastal sail down to Fernandina Beach, Florida. It will take us about two and a half days of 24-7 sailing, if we go offshore. If we continue down the ICW, it will take us 10 days! We’ve already seen the Georgia waterway, so we are ready for something new. Don’t worry, if the weather will not allow it, we will opt for plan B and continue down the ICW. Safety first!!

We are still waiting to hear from all of you. My thanks to cousin Carolyn for sending an email! I’m anxiously awaiting some news from my former coworkers. Kathy doesn’t count, she’s like a sister.

In the meantime, I’ve decided I’ll share with you some of the funny boat names that we have encountered:

Fishful Thinking

Reel McCoy

Yachta Yachta

The Other Woman

Stay happy and healthy, and I’ll check back in next week!

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

Monday, October 25, 2010

I know it’s been far too long since I last wrote, but the last week has been an exciting one!!

Sunday October 17th 2010

Last night we walked over to “Big Woody’s Bar and Grill” to see if we could possibly watch the Husky game. It was about 9:00pm when we got there, and boy, was it crowded!! Luckily, another couple was just leaving, so we were able to get a table. We had a late dinner while we waited for the game to start, and we were serenaded by a rather loud live band.

When the game started, we had an okay view of the TV, if no one tall stood in the way. Fortunately, a party in a back room left, so we were able to move in there, and had a front row seat for a big screen viewing. We were the only ones in there, and could actually hear the commentators! The game seemed to go on and on, and ended in a tie. It was already 1:30am, and here we were going into overtime!! The bar wanted to close at 2:00, but the game was in its second overtime, with one more play to go, so they let us stay. Huskies win 35-34 over Oregon State!

Needless to say, we slept in this morning. It’s been a really long time since we closed down a bar! We a sure had fun though.

Today we took advantage of a beautiful day and moved down the ICW to Coinjock, North Carolina. There are two marinas here, one on each side of the canal, and little else. Dave did decide, late in the afternoon, to go see some football in the bar at the restaurant. He came back to the boat a short time later and told me I had to go with him back to the restaurant.

As we neared the place, I could hear someone singing with an acoustic guitar. He was good! He was playing out on the patio, and it was crowded, so we asked another couple if we could join them. They were happy to do so, and we ended up having a wonderful time talking with them, and listening to the music. We also enjoyed a fabulous meal! They had a 32 oz. prime rib on the menu that we were told we must get, so we did! Oh my god! Dave and I shared the meal, and managed to eat most of it. What we didn’t eat was consumed by the marina black lab, who had his eye on it from the start. We had a fabulous time, eating, listening, and watching the sun go down.

After our late night before, by the time we both had showers, we were ready for bed.

Monday October 18th 2010

Today was another beautiful day! Highs in the upper 70’s. We continued on down the canal and into Albemarle Sound. The water was perfectly flat and the little bit of wind that there was, was on our nose, of course! So, no sailing.

We continued on down the Alligator River, to a small bay that would be our home for the night. There were already two other sailboats there, so we found the perfect spot and lowered our anchor. Then the show began. Four F-15’s were using us for target practice. They flew over us, and over us, and over us… and not all together. They flew over one at a time, then circled around, and flew over again and again and again. At first it was fun, but when it didn’t stop, we headed into the boat to get some peace and quiet.

When we were sure they were gone, Dave went on deck to get some air. All of a sudden, I heard, ”Get me the binoculars! Quick!” I figured he must have spotted an alligator, since we were in the Alligator River, but when I asked him what it was in the water, he said it was a dog!!! Since we could only see its wet head, it looked like a beagle. It started swimming circles around the boat next to us. There was an elderly man, alone, on that boat, and he shouted to us, asking what he should do? We told him to haul the dog on board. So, he did. After a quick inspection, he discovered a tag on the dog, with a name and phone number. His cell phone had no coverage, but ours did, so Dave called the owner and told him that we had his dog. We were expecting that maybe he had fallen off a passing boat, but instead, his owner had sent him out that morning, bear hunting, and he had not returned. He was not a beagle, he was a hound dog, and a very determined one. His owner arrived just about dark, in his skiff, to pick him up. He was one happy, wet, dog!! I decided to call him “Jim Bob”, a real southern name, and because when we saw him, he was bobbing along.

Tuesday October 19th 2010

We were up early today, anxious to get further South. We found ourselves in a parade of boats, also headed south. When this occurs, it is inevitable that a large power boat, or two or three, will come up behind us and want to pass. The rule is, that the boat being overtaken will slow down, and the power boat will also slow down as it passes, so it will not rock your socks off. Then, once passed, it will resume its faster speed. If it is a very polite captain, he will call your boat on the VHF radio, and let you know that he wishes to pass. We really appreciate that, as sometimes they sneak up on you. This arrangement works out really well, until a power boat doesn’t obey the rule.

As we were cruising along our way, we heard a plea on the radio from another boat, a trawler (most mid-size power boats). Two large Carolina Kingfishers (big, long, pleasure fishing boats) had passed “Partners in Paradise” at full speed and without warning, tossing the trawler on to its right side and back up again. This is not normal for a trawler. Everything on the left side of the boat, ended up on the right side, including a freezer and two large heavy tool chests that were previously bolted down. Needless to say, a lot of damage was done, and “Partners in Paradise” wanted to catch the two boats that caused the damage. They needed the names of the boats, and their home ports.

So, the hunt was on! We knew that the two boats in question were still behind us. As they continued south, you could hear the reports on the radio from all the other boaters, who were more than happy to provide “P in P” with all the information they would need. By the time they reached us, they did do a slow pass, but did not try to call us on the radio, nor would they return our calls to them. Obviously, the two kingfishers could hear the chatter on the radio, and were choosing to avoid the situation. However, the coast guard had been notified, and could be waiting for them, somewhere down the waterway! A call had gone out to all the marinas to please report their presence to the police, if they should enter one of them. We were not sure we would ever hear how this would turn out.

However, that afternoon, we pulled into Bellhaven, North Carolina, and dropped anchor. A short time later, “Partners in Paradise” came in and tied up at the marina. We had planned to go ashore anyway, so we did, and strolled down the dock to talk with “P in P”. They were awaiting a visit from the authorities, and were more than happy to retell their story, now that they had had a chance to collect their wits. Maybe some day we’ll find out whether there was a happy ending or not. Fortunately, no one was injured. The owner’s wife’s 84 year old father was aboard, and could easily have been injured!

The rest of our time in Bellhaven was a bust! We were told by others that this was a must stop place, but we are not sure why. It is almost a ghost town. One very short main street in each direction, with mostly vacant stores. The laundromat seemed to be the busiest place in town, other than the hospital. Our tour of town lasted all of 45 minutes, then we headed back to the boat.

Wednesday October 20th 2010

This morning we awoke to a very heavy fog. We could not see the boats anchored closest to us. Around 10:00am we thought the fog was clearing and decided to leave the harbor. No sooner were we outside the harbor breakwall, then we decided we may have left a little too soon. Thankfully, with the GPS and our radar, we could find the way to go and stay out of trouble, but fog is very disorienting. We had to keep our minds from being tricked. I was extremely relieved when the fog started to lift and we could see land around us.

Today we returned to one of our favorite places, Oriental, North Carolina. We stayed there when we were boat shopping, a few years ago, and then again on our way North to DC. They have a very nice small marina and inn. You dock your boat and can then walk right up to the Tiki Bar and pool, and have a nice cold drink while you sit on the shaded deck or on the well manicured lawn. They also have one of the nicest shower facilities, and they provide you with towels, shampoo, and soap. My only complaint is that they have but one washer and dryer, and charge $2.00 a load. But, if you must do laundry, it’s nice to have a tiki bar to wait at.

Thursday October 21st 2010

We decided to get a little exercise today. We hiked about a mile to the grocery store. It wasn’t like the supermarkets in the big cities, but we were able to pick up a few things we needed. We took our shopping bags and a back pack, and were prepared to haul everything back to the boat, but one of the locals asked if we were headed for the marina, and offered to give us a ride. They are so nice!!

Of course, we decided to spend happy hour at the tiki bar. While there, we talked with “Kentucky Jim”, one of the locals. The community is having an apple event this weekend. You can participate by baking something with apples, or making something that is not apple, and entering it. The apples, all purchased in Kentucky, are provided for the asking. Even though we were not going to be there for the event, Jim insisted that we take some apples. We left with about 8 different kinds of apples, including one called a “Mutzu”, that I had never heard of. I really should make something with them before they rot!

Those of you that know me well, know that I do not drink coffee. I did get hooked on Caramel White Chocolate Mochas, especially the 99 cent ones at AM/PM mini-marts, but I’m not sure that qualifies as coffee. In this, our new life, mochas are few and far between. I actually crave them and look forward to opportunities to purchase them. Fortunately, Oriental has an espresso stand called “The Bean”, so I was able to satisfy by craving! I have come upon so many towns and marinas that could do a booming business with a coffee stand. Anyone need a business opportunity???

Friday October 22nd 2010

We shoved off today, headed for the big city of Beaufort, North Carolina. It was another beautiful day on the water. The weather has been great! We pulled up to the city marina, right on the city waterfront, and went for a stroll.

First up was lunch, on the deck of one of their recommended restaurants. There is an island just across the waterway, that can only be reached by boat. On this island are wild ponies! While we ate lunch we saw a herd of them in one area, and further down on the beach we saw a few other ponies. We could see them very clearly, without binoculars, that’s how close the island is.

After lunch we perused the many shops, and of course we felt obligated to spend some money there. We have to do our part for the economy!! As I was looking over the merchandise in one of the stores, a cute little monkey dressed in pirate garb asked me if he could be a stowaway. Of course I had to say yes! I had a hard time trying to come up with a name for him. I thought maybe I should name him Jock Robin (instead of Jack Sparrow), but it seemed too formal. So, he ended up being “Matey” (as in Aye, matey!) He has Velcro on his paws, so when he hangs from the grab rail, he is about a foot long, and so cute in his striped pants, red vest, captains hat, and eye patch!

That night, all hell broke loose on the waterfront! We were trying to get to sleep, or I should say, I was trying to fall asleep, Dave was having no problem!!! I kept hearing all this shouting, and women screaming. I envisioned that there was a fight going on. Suddenly I heard a whistle blowing. My first thought was the keystone cops, but that seemed a little silly. I think it might have been someone on a sailboat just trying to distract the crowd. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally heard the police sirens and knew that there would be an end to this madness!

Saturday October 23rd 2010

We awoke to another beautiful day, and set sail for New River, North Carolina. Although we passed through this same area, back in July, it looks different from this direction. It isn’t until I see something specific, that it jogs my memory and looks familiar. So, every day is still very exciting.

Today we spotted dolphins!!! It has been quite awhile since we saw them last. It’s fun to see them glide through the water and sometimes they will start their own special ballet, jumping up out of the water, and then gliding back down into the water.

We had some anxious moments while we were waiting for bridges to open. Most of them only open on the hour, or if you are lucky, also on the half hour. However, it is very difficult to time your arrival just when the opening occurs. Sometimes, you are forced to do circles, or if there is no current, to come to a complete stop. This can be very tricky if there are multiple boats waiting. It can be especially nerve wracking if it is shallow water and you do not want to run aground!

While we were headed north, we saw very few other boats in the ICW. On this trip south, we have been accompanied by a lot of other boats, both power and sail. We are now officially traveling with the “snowbirds”. We are one of them! We are all headed south, as fast as we dare, looking for warmer weather. The nights are getting colder and colder. The days are still nice and warm, but for us boats with no heat, we must get to warmer nights. We are about 5 days away from being in Charleston, South Carolina. Once we are there, we will wait until after November 15th to head south down the outside of the coast, and make an overnight passage all the way to Fernandina Beach, Florida. That is, if the winds will allow us to sail!! We will be able to skip the meandering ICW in Georgia, and go straight to Florida. Our insurance does not allow us to be south of Brunswick, Georgia until after November 15th, hence the reason for the delay. We decided that Charleston would be a good place to spend a little time.

The marina ( ? ) here in New River is actually a trailer park, with a few docks for small fishing boats. They do have a gas dock, and that is where we spent the night. I don’t think they have overnight guests very often. They had to find an extension cord to hook us up to power. Then, when we went to check out the shower facility, we found only cold water. They discovered that the pilot light on the water heater was out! We did get a good nights sleep, and it was cheap, only $1.00 per foot.

We tried hard to stay up and listen to the Husky game against Arizona, but it was another late game, 10:15pm, and not very interesting. Dave konked out about halfway through the 2nd quarter. I hung in there until almost the end of the 3rd quarter, when I realized there was no way they could bridge the huge gap in score. I went to bed! Won’t they ever have a game again that starts at the old 12:30pm PDT that they used to start?????

Sunday October 24th 2010

This morning we shoved off and caught up with a group of sailboats. We followed each other most of the day, then scattered for different places for the night. We ended up anchoring at Wrightsville Beach. We stayed here before, on the trip north. The town is all along the coast, and we are in a bay on the other side of the town.

We decided to go and have dinner at the same Mexican restaurant we ate at last time. They have excellent food, and Dave can watch a little football. He really does miss it!!

I think we have gotten the launching of the dinghy, down to a science. It all goes pretty smoothly now. And we are really enjoying our new inflatable. Even the outboard engine seems to start relatively easy now. It is also much easier to get on and off Dream Ketcher, than it was on Altair, our other sailboat.

Speaking of Altair, we have been getting emails from her new owners, informing us of their adventures, asking questions, seeking advice, etc. It has been really interesting, and fun to know that she is still sailing in Puget Sound.

Monday October 25th 2010

Oh boy! How the weather has changed. Today we have had severe thunderstorm warnings all day! Three times the wind picked up and the rains came, only to be replaced with relative calm.

Now, however, we are smack in the middle of a thunder and lightning show. Needless to say, we have remained here in Wrightsville Beach, and are hoping the weather will get better, soon!

We have both been on the computer all day. I couldn’t wait any longer to share all of our adventures with you! I am still waiting to hear from all of you. I have only gotten one email since last I wrote (thanks, Nancy!) I really do want to know what is happening at home, so please, please, please send me an email….or even a text message. Just something to let me know that someone is really reading this blog. In case you lost it, I can be reached at kuchmeister@gmail.com.

Hope things are well with all of you. By the time I write again, we should be in Charleston.

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

Friday, October 15, 2010

Sunday October 10th 2010

Amid beautiful sunshine, we finally departed from Point Look Out Marina and headed South. It was one of those mornings where you are grateful to be alive! And, there are more boats out and about, than there were on our trip North.

After a fabulous day on the water, we headed into Dozier’s Regatta Point Yacht Center, in Deltaville, Virginia. This marina is on the opposite side of the peninsula from Deltaville Marina, where we stayed on the way North. We went aground in the channel on our way out of Deltaville, previously, and did not want to do it again. We decided to give Dozier’s a try, and are we ever glad we did!!! It is a beautiful marina!! We liked it so much, we decided to stay a second night when the weather went bad! This allowed us the opportunity to talk with a couple from Canada that are also traveling south to the Bahamas. I’m sure we will run into them again.

Tuesday October 12th 2010

We left Deltaville early, on another beautiful sunny day. The wind even decided to cooperate so we could sail!! We saw several other sailboats heading South, and even a few freighters. Around 4:00 we pulled into Bluewater Marina in Hampton, Virginia, and guess who was there?? The same Canadian couple.

By this time, the temperature was pretty warm, so we decided to take advantage of it, and went for a dip in the pool. It was fairly cold, but very refreshing! As the sun started to fade, we headed for the restaurant bar for a beer and some dinner. With our tummies full, we headed back to the boat. As we got closer, we could hear the sounds of a marching band, and realized that they were having a practice directly across the water from us, at Hampton College. It brought back a few Husky band memories!!

Wednesday October 13th 2010

Today was overcast and gray. Quite a contrast to yesterday. We left early, and headed for Norfolk/Portsmouth. The water was a little choppy, and for awhile we were surfing on the waves. As we made our way past the Navy base and Ocean Marine Yacht Center, it looked so different without the bright sunshine we had when we were there last time. We were able to put up the Yankee sail, to increase our speed and help even out the boat, but it had to come down when we got to the first bridge.

All in all, we had to go under three bridges, and go through one lock, to get to our destination, the Atlantic Yacht Center in Chesapeake, Virginia. It is very near the North Carolina border. We will stay here for several days while we wait for a break in the weather. It is supposed to deteriorate rapidly.

We walked up the road towards town, and the first thing we saw was…. a Dairy Queen!! So, we had a late lunch there, then walked to the grocery store to pick up a few items, and then returned to the DQ for a blizzard.

Thursday October 14th 2010

On the road again….We decided to take advantage of being stuck, and rented a car. Destination? The Outer Banks of North Carolina. We headed south and had no sooner gotten across the border when a severe thunderstorm blew in. It was raining so hard that it became impossible to see the road. We pulled over into a gas station to wait it out, along with about a dozen other cars. Not only did we have thunder and lightning, but a steady downpour, and hail the size of nickels. It reminded us of the storms you see that precede a tornado. We were expecting a cow to go flying by! Fortunately that didn’t happen. After about 20 minutes the storm let up, and we were on our way. A few miles down the road, the sun came out and everything was dry!

We drove through Kitty Hawk, and on to Kill Devil Hills, where we visited a monument erected for the Wright Brothers and their successful attempts at flying a motorized glider. The monument sits atop what was the highest sand dune in the area. From the top, you can see for miles in all directions: the Atlantic Ocean to the East, Albemarle Sound to the West, the Outer Banks stretching South to Cape Hatteras, and North to Virginia.

Next, it was past time for lunch, so we drove down the main street by the beach, looking for someplace to eat. Most of the restaurants were closed for the off season, but we finally came upon the “Kill Devil Hill Grill”. The parking lot was packed, so we figured it had to be good. It wasn’t good, it was great!!! The locals told us to have the steak and cheese egg rolls. They were fabulous! We even got an order to take back to the boat for later. We also had a fried chicken salad, with corn, cucumber, bacon and tomatoes. It was yummy!! As if that wasn’t enough, we also tried the fresh strawberry shortcake. Homemade and to die for!!!!

When it was time to roll out of the diner, the thunderstorm had hit there, so we waited a bit to let it blow over. Then, we headed for Roanoke Island. It is the site of the place where Sir Walter Raleigh built a fort for the 116 people he brought to the new world. Ten years later, someone finally got back to the settlement and found it abandoned. The colony was gone and never found. They call it the Lost Colony, and there are several theories as to what happened to the colonists. During the peak tourist season there is a lot to see and do, but in the off season, they were doing some renovations and there was not a lot to see, especially in the rain, so we headed back to Chesapeake.

Friday October 15th 2010

Today, high winds are predicted, so we will stay put! The weather has been changing all day long. Sunny and warm, to cool and raining, but always windy. I tried to cook breakfast this morning, but could not get the propane stove to work! Dave fooled with it for awhile, then decided we had better hang on to the car in case we needed to get parts. Which we did. The propane tank needed a new regulator.

So, while Dave works on the boat, I’ve been paying bills and am now working on the blog. It’s nice to have the time, with power, to work on it. Tonight we are taking our neighbor out for dinner, so he can advise us on anchorages as we head south. He is all alone on his 50 foot Gulfstar sailboat.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!! We are looking forward to listening to the Huskies play Oregon State. It is so hard though, when the game doesn’t start until 10:00pm EST.

We are hoping to leave here on Sunday, and it looks like we’ll have a week of good weather to sail in. Next stop, the Alligator River! We did finally get a chance to buy some warmer clothes to wear as we head south. It’s tough without a heater on board. We can’t get to Florida fast enough!!

Stay warm, stay healthy, and I’ll report in next week! Our love to you all!

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

Saturday, October 9, 2010

WOW!!! Another week has gone by. As usual, it was terribly busy.

Friday October 1st 2010

Woke up this morning to more rain!! Time to blow this joint!!! We called our local Enterprise, arranged for a car, and couldn’t pack it fast enough. We were soon on our way, surprised to find that we were close to PAX, the local naval air station. It took about an hour and a half to get to the Bethesda Marriott, where we quickly made ourselves at home. First on the schedule…laundry! They had two washers and two dryers; well, make that one good dryer and one broken dryer. But, they were free!! It took all evening to do our 4 loads.

Saturday October 2nd 2010

We were up bright and early, and had breakfast at “The Original Pancake House”. It was delicious!!! They had a huge menu, including about 12 different crepes. Dave was in seventh heaven! Plus, it is a beautiful sunny day!!

After gorging ourselves, we made our way to Austin and Cindy’s apartment, where we were introduced to “Tiger”, the newest Kooky Monster. She is adorable, and was a little overwhelmed with new people, since in addition to the four of us, Cindy’s parents, Jim and Jelan were there as well. Once we had gotten our puppy time, we all left for Annapolis, leaving Austin with a quiet house to sleep in, now that he is working nights at the Marriott. We even took the puppy with us, to ensure that he would be able to sleep.

Once we were parked in Annapolis, we met up with Cindy, Jim and Jelan, then had lunch at a sidewalk restaurant. Then, off for some window shopping. No trip to Annapolis would be complete without ice cream. So, we found a great shop and indulged!! Fortunately, they had my favorite, Rum Raisin. Mmmmm! After a few more shops, and a few more purchases, we headed back to Silver Spring.

By this time, it was 5:00!! Time for some drinks and appetizers. We met up again at “Austin’s Grill” in the Silver Spring center, which allowed Austin a little more sleep, then met up with him at “Mama Lucia’s”, about a block from their home, for dinner. Afterwards, we raced back to the Marriott, where we watched the last 7 minutes of the Husky game against USC. What a game!! It ended the same way it ended last year: a last second field goal by the Huskies for the win!!! WOOF!

Sunday October 3rd 2010

This morning it was back to clouds and cool weather. We decided to brighten it by returning to the Pancake House for breakfast. Another round of good food was had by all, then we moved MaryLynne and Ted from the Marriott, to the Hilton, where they will stay for the remainder of their time here in DC. We did make one more stop to see Tiger, but she was super tired and not interested in company.

Time to head back to the boat! Half way there, the rain started in again, which made moving back on board a little difficult. And, it was definitely time to break out the heater! We went up to the restaurant for a late night snack, and learned that Friday night had been as bad as Thursday, high winds and all.

Monday October 4th 2010

It was soooo cold this morning!! After a little repacking, we hit the road and headed for Galesville for the Whitby Rendevouz. We arrived just in time for the social hour, and a dinner of ham, beans, and pot luck. There were about 50 people there, but only 12 boats. Seventeen boats were expected, so we were not the only ones whose boat could not make the destination.

After the first session, we headed to Annapolis, where we stayed with Mark and Joelle Whitson. Mark was in the Husky Band with Dave, back in the ‘70’s. He played Bass drum. He read about our adventures in the Husky alum newsletter, “The Lyre”, and invited us to come visit. Little did he know that only a few days later, we’d take him up on it. They were great hosts! We spent 3 nights in their beautiful home, and had a great time catching up on the last 30 years.

Tuesday October 5th & Wednesday October 6th 2010

We spent these two days at the rendezvous, attending classes in diesel engines, paint, projects, sewing, first aid, etc. In between, it seemed like all we did was eat!! We did have time to just chat with the other boat owners, and take a look at the boats that were there. We came away with all kinds of ideas and new friendships! Certainly a worthwhile gathering! And, though I know I’m prejudiced, I think we have the best interior, of all the boats we saw. It made me realize what great condition it’s in, for its age.

Each night we would return to Mark and Joelle’s, and reminisce a little more. They will be chartering a sailboat in Croatia in July, and asked if we would join them. We’ll have to give it some serious thought. Sure looks like a beautiful country!!

Thursday October 7th 2010

Another beautiful day! We headed into downtown Annapolis for the Boat Show, one of the biggest in the country! One of the first persons we saw, was Mike Lochatell, our boat broker. We agreed to meet up with him a little later, to share a Pain Killer, that most delicious rum drink, we learned to appreciate while in the BVI.

We had a limited amount of time, so we avoided going aboard the many new sailboats. Instead, we perused the booths of the many merchants that were there, trying not to spend too much money!!

We also enjoyed our lunch and Pain Killers with Mike. He is a great friend and super broker, and it was great to see him again. If you should ever need a broker, he is the owner of Discovery Yachts in Seattle.

After the boat show, we drove to Baltimore, Maryland, to see our old college pal, Avi, and his wife,Noris. After all these years, it was great to see their home, and catch up on events in our lives. Avi is a fisherman in Alaska, who owns his very own set net site. He fishes there in June and July, whenever the fish run occurs, then ships home a lot of the salmon, to smoke and sell in Maryland. It has been a nice profitable business for him. His wife, Noris, and daughter, Celia, join him in Alaska and help with the fish harvest.

We spent the night in their lovely home, and were joined on our bed by their cats, Onyx and Chinook.

Friday October 8th 2010

Time to go home! To the boat!! We woke to a beautiful sunny day, and were soon on our way back to Point Look Out. When we arrived, it looked so different! NO RAIN!!! It made unpacking the car, so much easier!

After opening up the boat, we headed back up the road to WALMART, where we loaded up on food for our next voyage. We also bought a few more warm clothes, to ensure that the weather will be hot on our trip down the coast. Then, once again it was time to do the laundry. We loaded up the washers, then headed to the restaurant for some drinks and appetizers. While the clothes were drying, we watched the Phillies and the Cubs play baseball. I’ve never seen a game where so many players got hit by pitches!! The Phillies came back to win by a score of 7 to 4.

Saturday October 9th 2010

Another beautiful day!! We headed back into the nearest town, Lexington Park, and picked up a few more things at Walmart that were forgotten, then returned our rental car.

Back at the boat, we both turned to the many chores that needed doing. For Dave, changing the oil and filters, and repairing the on deck wash down, etc., and for me, lots of wood polishing, vacuuming, washing windows, etc. It was so nice out and felt good to open up all the ports and let the clean air in.

Now, we are listening to the Husky game via computer. The game is about to start, and we are hopeful that they will beat Arizona State. It is 10:15pm, so we will be trying to stay awake!!

Our love and best wishes to you all!!

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Hello again! We arrived back in DC on Thursday September 23rd, late, and stayed the night at a Marriott. My sister, MaryLynne, and her husband Ted, came back with us to spend a week with us and a week in the DC area. After a good nights sleep, we spent Friday showing them Austin’s hotel and getting the boat ready for cruising. Fortunately, our wonderful daughter-in-law, Cindy, agreed to help us return our rental car, and ferry us back to the marina, so we treated her to dinner. It was also our 33rd wedding anniversary, so MaryLynne and Ted graciously picked up the tab!!

Saturday, September 25th 2010

We left Fort Washington marina and headed south down the Potomac River. It is hot today!! No wind to speak of, so no sailing. We traveled as far as the Tobacco River, then anchored in the same bay we stayed in on the trip up the Potomac. After a full day of traveling, we were hot and sweaty, so ML and I opted to go for a swim. The water was very refreshing, and was not yet salty. It had been many years since we had last swum together off “Trojan”, our family’s boat while we were growing up. It brought back many memories.

That evening, we were watching “Grumpy Old Men”, when we got a call from our sister Judy. She informed us that our Uncle Jim had passed away. This brought back a whole slough of other good memories, but left us feeling very far from home.

Sunday, September 26th 2010

We awoke to a cold, damp, foggy morning. As we continued our travels southeast, the weather worsened, so we decided to cut our journey short, and motored into Colonial Beach to sit it out. I could not believe our luck! As we entered the harbor, we hit some shoaling in the channel and went aground. Fortunately, I was able to put it in reverse and got us off.

The Colonial Beach Marina is almost a mile from town, so we decided to take a taxi into town. The taxi driver was not a great representative of the area, as he could not think of one thing that we should bother to see. He gave us a quick tour of the town, then dropped us at a restaurant he thought we should try. We passed, and found a lunch spot of our own. We spent the next hour or two browsing through some of the gift shops and art galleries. When we called for the taxi to take us back to the boat, we were informed that he was out of town and wouldn’t be back for an hour. So, we spent the next hour at the tiki bar on the beach, having cold drinks and watching football. It actually was an hour and forty-five minutes before he picked us up!

Monday, September 27th 2010

Since the weather refused to cooperate, we decided to rent a car and see some of the sights in the surrounding area. We drove south to Stratford Hall, a plantation that belonged to the family of Robert E. Lee, and the home where he was born. It was in a beautiful setting, and we were with a handful of other tourists, so we really got a good tour. We were allowed to see 18 of the rooms in the house, as well as the kitchen, housekeeper’s room, overseer’s room, and stable, complete with carriages and buggies. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, then headed back to the boat for the evening.

Tuesday, September 28th 2010

Today Dave had some engine repairs to make, so ML, Ted and I took off and headed to Fredericksburg, Virginia, the site of 3 civil war battles. We stopped first at the Civil War Life Museum. We had read a write up about this unique museum, which turned out to be only a private collection of war antiquities in a one room space. We paid $5.00 each for maybe 15 minutes. They did have a 3D slide show, of pictures from the civil war era, that made you feel as though you were there!

We then perused the gift shops and had lunch in a deli, before heading across the river and up to Chatham Hall. This was another famous plantation that had the distinction of having 3 presidents visit. It became the headquarters for the Union army during the battle of Fredericksburg, and afterwards, it became a hospital for the wounded soldiers. You can still see the blood stained floorboards and graffiti written by the soldiers, on the walls. The house was later restored in the 1920’s, and was then used as a private residence before being willed to the National Park Service in 1973. It was surrounded with beautiful gardens and lawns.

Wednesday, September 29th 2010

We caught a break in the weather today, and decided to make a break to get farther down river. As soon as we left the marina, the rains settled in, but there was very little wind. We motored all day and arrived at Point Look Out Marina at about 4:30PM. It was a bit foggy as we entered the channel, and still raining, so the visibility made it a tricky entrance. We had just docked the boat and Dave was hooking up the power cord, when he took a step backward on the extremely narrow dock and walked right into the water. Ted yelled, “Man Overboard!!”, but ML and I were down below, with the air conditioner on, and did not hear him yell. Between the two of them, they managed to get him back on the dock!

We are now only 5 miles from Chesapeake Bay. They have a restaurant on the premises, so we took advantage of that and had dinner there that night.

Thursday, September 30th 2010

This has been the worst day yet!! All last night, and all day today, it has been raining. HARD!!! The docks are now covered with water and it has moved into the parking lot. It has also been very windy! We have been cooped up in the boat, since it is not fit for man nor beast outside. And, the weather forecast for the next few days looks BAD! We decided that there is no way we can safely make it to Annapolis by Saturday, or any day in the near future, so we will rent a car and drive back to DC for a few days, for a little bit of fun.

Cindy’s parents, Jim and Jelan will be visiting this weekend, and, we are dying to see our new grand puppy, Tiger. She is a Shiba Inu, and absolutely adorable!! Try googling it , and take a look for yourself. You will fall in love with this breed. They look like a miniature Husky. Tiger is red and white. So, in one weekend we can say hello to the in-laws, say hello to our new grand puppy, and deliver ML and Ted to DC, where they hopefully will have a better time the second week of their vacation.

From where we are at Point Look Out, we can drive up to Galesville, Maryland, where we will participate in our Whitby rendezvous, then drive to Annapolis for the Boat Show, and then, if the weather will give us a break, we will head south to warmer and hopefully dryer climates. We are watching the hurricane forecasts daily!!! We have no schedule after this next week, so we are in no hurry, and will stay safely holed up when we need to. We are disappointed that the weather has changed so dramatically, especially since ML and Ted came all this way to spend time on the boat with us. They will have to join us later, while we are in the Bahamas, to make up for it.

I hope this finds all of you in good health and hopefully better weather!! Please send me an email and let me know what has been happening with you. We will be away from home now, for quite a while, so emails from home would really be appreciated.
Sorry for the long delay in writing. We had a fabulous time back in Olympia, catching up with almost all of our friends and family. Matt and Jacinda have a beautiful new home, and were very gracious enough to let us stay with them, for quite a lot of our trip. Our thanks also to Norm and Kathy for letting us stay at the “Inn”, while we stayed in Longview. It was so good to see you both!!!

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral

Thursday, September 2, 2010

September 2nd 2010

Hello friends and family!! First I want to reassure all of you that we are fine and unless hurricane Earl takes a real wide swing to the west, we should be very safe where we are at. We are about 100 miles up the Potomac River, off of the Chesapeake Bay, at Fort Washington. We have spent the past 2 weeks in Washington DC, having a family reunion with Austin, Cindy, Matt, Jacinda, and James. We were sightseeing every day from early morning until late at night, and there was no time for me to update the blog. Sorry, but family always comes first!

We had a fabulous time in DC. The boat was moored at the Capital City Yacht Club, right on the waterfront, in the hub of the city. If we could have jumped over the freeway bridges, we would have been standing at the Jefferson Memorial, and we could see the top of the Washington Memorial from the marina. We were a block away from the busline, and only a few blocks from the subway, so we could get anywhere in the city in a very short time. We were thoroughly spoiled!! The yacht club had great facilities: floating docks, showers, library, computer access, bar, and brand new washers and dryers for only $1.00 a load!! Plus, they had a very active club with events about twice a week!

On August 21st, we made our way up the Potomac River, a very long and wide river, but also very shallow. It has a dredged channel to follow, that allows the ships and barges to get up to DC, but on either side of that, it is only 4 to 8 feet deep! It is a beautiful trip though. We were especially impressed with seeing Mt Vernon, Washington’s home, and Fort Washington across the river. Then cruising right up into DC was spectacular!

We only had a short time to wait, and then all of the kids joined us at the marina, so they could see the boat. After a tour of their parents new home, we all went to the Chinese restaurant upstairs from the yacht club and had dinner. Then, our first night in DC was over!

On Sunday the 22nd, we took a tour of the city on Old Town Trolley Tours. Our first stop was the Archives Building, where we saw the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. James was a little young to understand the importance of what he was seeing, but he was a real trooper! Next we visited the major monuments: Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Teddy Roosevelt Memorial, and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. James had studied Abe Lincoln in school, so he was most impressed with this monument! We ended the day by meeting Austin for dinner at a restaurant up by the Marriott where he works .

On Monday the 23rd, we spent nearly the entire day at the Air & Space Museum. This was a big hit with the guys!!! It was pretty amazing to see the Wright Brothers very first airplane. We ended the day with dinner at Union Station.

Tuesday the 24th, we loaded our old inflatable on the roof of Cindy’s Jeep Cherokee, and transported it to Annapolis. We dropped everyone off in the downtown area for sightseeing, and Dave and I worked out the exchange of inflatables and getting the new one registered in Maryland. Then we met up with the group for lunch at Chick and Ruth’s Deli. It is a quaint New York Deli that was featured on the Food Network. Austin had wanted to eat there the last time we were in Annapolis, but it was too crowded. This time we got in, and everyone seemed to enjoy their food. Too bad Austin had to work that day!

We got the new inflatable back to DC and had time to put it to work. Dave took James for a boat ride that I’m sure he’ll always remember! The yacht club had a BBQ dinner that night, so we decided to stick around for some great food!

On Wednesday the 25th, we spent most of the day at the Woodley Park Zoo. We saw some great animals. The best one was the lion. He was really putting on a show. He was roaring, and strutting his stuff! We also enjoyed the gorillas, especially the baby, and getting to watch some research they were doing with the orangatangs.
After that, we met up with Austin, who drove us to the National Cathedral. We got to see the inside this time. Quite impressive!! Then we were off to the National’s baseball game against the Chicago Cubs. It was a perfect night for baseball, but they still lost. We had a great time anyway! We paid $10.00 a head to get in, and because of the low attendance, we were able to sit on the first level, right off third base, in foul territory! Awesome!

Thursday the 26th, we played spy all day, at the International Spy Museum. Everyone had a great time, especially James! He liked crawling through the air ducts. I liked seeing James Bond’s car!! After our mission, we went out to Austin and Cindy’s apartment in Silver Spring. It was time for a dip in the pool. Boy! Did that feel good!

After the sun set, it was time to eat, so we jumped in the car and headed to the Pyrate Tavern!! We had so much fun!!! All of the staff is dressed in pirate garb, and we had us a pitcher of grog!! AAARRRGGGHHH! Was it ever strong! I finally had to add some coke, in order to drink it! James received a gold dubloon from a pirate captain, and had his face painted by one of the wenches. We stayed long enough to watch the “stupid fire tricks”, out in the back alley of the restaurant. A good time was had by all.

On Friday the 27th we split up. Cindy, Jacinda and James went to the Crime & Punishment Museum, and Matt, Dave and I went to the American History Museum. Afterwards, we met up at the White House, then went to a jazz concert in the Sculpture Garden, not far away. Then right about sunset, we met up with Austin and we all went to the top of the Washington Monument. It was spectacular!! What a way to see the city at dusk! When we finally came down to earth, we took a cab over to the Georgetown waterfront, and had dinner on the veranda overlooking the water. Another great day!

Saturday the 28th came all too soon, and before we knew it, we were saying good bye to Matt, Jacinda, and James at the airport!! We had such a great week together!

On Sunday the 29th, Austin, Dave and I took off in the car for Mt. Vernon, George Washington’s home, not far from the nation’s capital. The grounds and buildings have been completely restored and there are demonstrations going on in some of the buildings, from artists in period costumes. You also get to tour the house itself, which was quite interesting! George Washington and his wife, Martha, are buried on the estate, as well as many other family members, and the slaves that worked the plantation. After leaving Mt. Vernon, we drove back to Silver Spring and met up with Cindy for dinner at Red Lobster.

Monday the 30th, we had planned to leave DC and move the boat to Annapolis, but weather reports on Hurricane Earl have caused us to change our plans. If we leave now, we will be in the middle of the Chesapeake when Earl hits. Not a good idea!! Soooo, we will stay put for a few days. With more time on our hands, we decided to visit the Natural History Museum. With temperatures in the mid 90’s, we needed to stay air conditioned. Inside the museum, we were too cold!

Tuesday the 21st, we spent the day at the Newseum. They had a great display of all of the Pulitzer prize winning photographs from years past, as well as an exhibit about the fall of the Berlin Wall. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to see everything the Newseum had to offer. We went back to the club, where they were having a grilled pizza dinner. Delicious!!!

Wednesday September 1st we left DC and moved the boat to Fort Washington Marina, a little further down river, but we will leave the boat here during the storm that Hurricane Earl is bound to send our way, and during the time we are back in the Pacific Northwest. We will fly to Seattle on Wednesday, September 8th, and return to DC on Thursday, September 23rd. During this time we plan to visit family and friends, attend 2 Husky football games, and take care of medical and dental needs. I do not plan to update the blog during this time, as our adventures will be put on hold, but come the end of September, you will be able to read about our newest adventures!

I do have to regress, just a bit, to tell you about an adventure we had on the Yaecomico River in Virginia, after we had just entered the Chesapeake. We needed a place to anchor for the night, so we left the bay and headed up the Yaecomico. We had just gotten settled, and the sun was going down, when a figure silhouetted in the dark, asked if we were friend or foe. Lo and behold, it was a pirate at the helm of his very own ship!! Pictures are to the right. He takes it upon himself to be the welcoming committee to Virginia. What a kick!! We talked with him for several minutes and exchanged emails. We will never forget our evening on that serene little bay. Dave laughed and laughed for hours after our encounter!

So now you know what we’ve been up to, having a wonderful time!! We hope that all of you are doing well and having wonderful adventures of your own.

Love & Hugs,

The Admiral