Day 14 November 25, 2010

Tables of food before seconds

Lindsey with their PILE of deserts

Thanksgiving day! Beautiful, sunny, 82 degrees, sun shinning off the water making it look like sequins floating on top of the water. Michael took Skipper in for a walk and set our table up for dinner (and to get my newspaper) while I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, called everyone to wish them a happy turkey day and hunted for something to take to the dinner. I was going to go shopping but that didn't happen so I have to hunt through my cabinets to find something. My sister suggested roasting cherry tomatoes and add them to green beans (which I have an abundance of) and throw some fried onions on top That worked! Michael brought Skipper back and we went to shore. Thought we couldn't find a spot for the dinghy yesterday, you should see today...if there are approx 150 boats here then there are probably about 100 dinghys (some boats are at the dock).  Our friends from NAS JAX are here John and his crew of 3, Lindsey, Sally and Joey on "Leeway", and Ed and his son Shawn on "Hooligan" all having dinner with us. We got on line at 12:30 for a 1:00 dinner. How is it that everyone I bump into is from NJ, not only that but from Toms River, Forked River and Bay Head. Betsy and Ed from Bay Head cruise every other year and do the RV thing on the off years. There was so much food this year that there were leftovers. Someone made about 20 lbs of mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potatoe casseroles, mashed potatoes, there were all sorts of green beans, carrots, coleslaw, stuffing of every type, cranberries, grits, rice noodle casseroles just everything and anything you could possibly think of and then the desserts...eiii. I was so full I couldn't get up but I volunteered to help put out more food so off to work I went. The hotel and bar Seagull lets us use their facilities for the dinner and the town folks make the turkeys and hams for everyone. It is the friendliest town and they join us for dinner also. The tables are set up all over and each person brings their own dish and table decorations. John, from Leeway, has a crew of 3 that are joining him in his sail around the world. They leave tomorrow and are so excited. He found them online thru a crew finder website. They are 24, 31 and 30 from Kansas, Michigan and Hong Kong. These kids have been all over the world already and not one of them have reached the age of 35. I give them so much credit for leaving home and following their dreams. We went back to the boat and John and crew came over for more wine...boy can those kids drink. It was really interesting hearing about their lives.

Day 13 November 24, 2010

Port of Arrival: St Mary's, GA
Time of Arrival: 1600 Hrs
 Engine Hours: 3588.2
Fuel:
Log:22300
Trip: 62.73
Weather: Tad cloudy in morning sunny and hot afternoon
Time of Departure: 0744 Hrs

I read the entire trip so it was uneventful. St Mary's anchorage is very crowded, with many more boats coming in behind us. Need to stay away from the catamarans because they ride all around their anchor due to the strong current in the basin.  We dinghyed to shore and had to wiggle our way onto the dinghy dock due to the large amount of dinghy's tied up to it. Boat people everywhere, going to oyster and cocktail party. Not too many folks we know, they are all mostly first timers. Michael had his fill of oysters, I chatted with people with dogs and back to the boat we go because the no-seeums are eating us up because it is hot and no breeze. 

Day 12 November 23, 2010

Port of Arrival: Sepalo Island, GA
Time of Arrival: 1900
 Engine Hours: 3573.5
 Fuel: 34.03 gal $112.47
Log: 22237
Trip: 86.09
Weather: Warm and sunny
Time of Departure: 0645
Left Beaufort at around 0645 under a cloudy sky but warm. We watched the sun rise over the Beaufort River with such calm serene water. Stopped at Hilton Head Marina to get fuel and water. Skipper and I took a walk and found that this marina is a really beautiful trailer park (the kind you drive). There was a restaurant, store, and it was landscaped really nice. Off we go though the Calibougue Sound into the ocean. Not too bad, just a little rolly. At about 1:30 we spotted a fin sticking up but not moving and decided to investigate. It was a dolphin about 6 to 8 feet long dead amongst thousands of brown jelly fish. It hadn't been dead too long because it was still intact, not bloating or anything and it looked as tho it had a rope around it's belly. I think it got caught in someones crab trap and couldn't get out. So so sad. I called the Coast Guard and reported it to them...don't know what they would have done but I at least wanted someone to know about it. I'm hoping that it didn't die from digesting the funny brown jelly fish. We sailed until way past dark and had to enter the Doboy  sound in the pitch dark (that gets kinda scary). My captain, oh captain , got us in and anchored just fine right off Sepalo Island (as usual). He took Skipper in for a walk (too scary for me) and I tried to get "Dancing With the Stars" on the TV..NOT..14 weeks and I can't even see the finale. (next year I don't come until my show is over. Tracy put her phone next to the TV and let me watch it that way. Atta girl Tracy, so innovative. Love ya.

Day 11 November 22, 2010

Port of Arrival: Lady Island, SC
Time of Arrival: 1645 HRS
Engine Hours: 3561.7
Fuel:
Log: 2215.1
Trip: 60.8
Weather: Sunny &damp; warm
Time of Departure: 0800

Just to set the record straight it was a huge flounder (head included) but I only ate one side. OK, now that that has been cleared up. It took Skipper and I 13 hours to drive to Charleston but luckily there were absolutely no cars on the road.  We walked Skipper, Carl and Mike rode to get a newspaper (yes, now that I'm aboard we have to have a paper every day.) and then we said our good-byes to Carl, thanked him profusely and he cast off our lines. Skipper and I haven't been on the boat very much this summer so we have to find our sea legs and it isn't taking too long. We passed Wapoo Creek Bridge at 0900 and pulled into Lady Island anchorage while it was still light outside. Took skipper for a walk and hurried back to watch "Dancing with the Stars".

Day 10 November 21, 2010

Port of Arrival: Charleston SC
Time of Arrival: 1545 Hrs
Engine Hours: 3552.9
Fuel:
Log: 22091
Trip: 64.8
Weather: Sunny & warm
Time of Departure: 0800
Short day to get to Charleston.  Made a reservation at the Maritime Center for dockage tonight.  A following current gave us a push all day.  We arrive early enough that we could clean up the boat, wash the outside of the boat and even go to town for grocery shopping.  Diane and Skipper will join us tonight.  She arrived around 1930 Hrs.  After unloading the car,(how can she fit so much into the smallest car I could rent is beyond me) we went to town for dinner.  Diane ate most of the largest fried flounder I've ever seen, Carl had the all you can eat Alaskan King Crab and shrimp dinner, and I had two crab cakes.  Back to the boat afterwards to help Carl load up his things for his return to Toms River.  He will be driving the rental car back to Myrtle Beach airport catching the 2057 Hrs flight back home.  Since we will be leaving early in the morning, Carl plans to visit some friends along the way to the airport.  Thank you my friend, Its been a pleasure having you aboard.  Hope you can do it again either on the way home or next year's trip south.

Day 9 November 20, 2010

Port of Arrival: Butler Island
Time of Arrival: 2010 Hrs
Engine Hours: 3544.1
Fuel:
Log: 22020
Trip: 105.3
Weather: Clear
Time of Departure: 0600
Trying to make as much distance as we can today.  Short goal is Myrtle Beach, stretch is somewhere on the Waccamaw River. Carl spotted a very large bald eagle today.  Arrived at Barefoot Marina too early to call it a day.  We fueled up and continued down the to Waccamaw River.  Planning to anchor in one of the many spots off the river.  We decided that since we would have a full moon tonight, we would continue on until we reached the anchorage behind Butler Island.  Using the moon light, chart plotter and the radar, we were able to safely navigate the twisting and turning river.  I don't think I would have like doing this if we didn't have the moon light to help.  Sometimes the chart plotter can have you traveling over land instead of being in the center of the channel.  This would turn out to be the longest day of the trip so far.  We traveled just over 14 hours today.

Day 8 November 19, 2010

Port of Arrival: Wrightsville Beach, NC
Time of Arrival: 1750 hrs
Engine Hours: 3529.8
Fuel:
Log: 21921
Trip: 79.53
Weather: clear & cool
Time of Departure: 0610 hrs
While at the Sea Gate Marina, we met a couple from Michigan.  They have been at the marina for two weeks after returning home for a visit.  The captain asked us if we would lead them down the ICW because his First Mate had grown roots to the bottom and wasn't anxious to move on.  We agreed and they followed us to Moorhead City.  Their plans were to go out side and do an overnight trip down to Charleston SC.  We called them late in the day on the radio and they reported all was going well.  At 1000 hrs. near mile marker 235, we saw our first pod of dolphins.  A few of them were traveling along side the boat for about 10 minutes.  Always hard to get a picture though because they only surface for a second or two.  Passing through Capt LeJeune, we saw a very large area of smoke and fire.  The Marines had been conducting live fire exercisers that morning and I suspect something caught fire.  Another long day ahead as we will attempt to make it to Wrightsville Beach or beyond before dark.  The timing for the bridges becomes critical in order to stay on a schedule.  Some only open on the hour, others on the half and hour.  If you don't catch them in the correct sequence, you wind up waiting for up to an hour for the bridge to open.  When I called the bridge tender at the Figure Eight Swing Bridge, he returned my call by telling me that he was a retired postal employee.  We later found out that he has a daughter that lives in Toms River.  I invited them to go for a sail when he is up that way.  At the next bridge, Wrightsville Beach, we met two of the slowest sailboat that I have ever encountered on the ICW.  They had a half hour to get to the bridge for the next opening.  They traveled so slow that they missed the bridge and had to wait till the next hourly opening.  That was an hour and a half to go three miles.  When they passed through ahead of us, I found out why.  They were traveling less that 3 mph.  Typically boats their size should be able to do better than twice that speed.  We managed to squeeze past them and found our way to the anchorage for the night.  Cocktails were a little late tonight.  However, today being Friday, its tomato pie night.  Carl was checking his email when he came across a friend who was anchored in Wrightsville Beach tonight.  Turn out that they were anchored directly in front of us.  He called and invited his friend Mike over for an after dinner drink. We managed to stay up talking to well past 2200 hrs.  That's late for us two old guys, and mornings come very early.