SAVANNAH TO THE "SANDY" BEACHES OF FLORIDA

We finally slipped the dock lines at the Sail Harbor Marina and started heading South again on Tuesday, October 23rd. We have our problems resolved for now with a new anchor and chain and a lot of local knowledge on how to avoid losing our anchor again. I even got my phone replaced and delivered to me on Monday before we left. We also had a great time with Captain Mark and Kat (I hope I spelled that right) who made us a fantastic brunch and Mark and I played a few songs on the guitars. Mark is an exceptional musician and it was a pleasure to jam with him. We have been making a habit of picking out several possibilities for our next stop, depending on how far we can go that day. A lot depends on the tides, the weather, bridges, and other complications we may encounter. We had been planning on doing an overnight trip from Savannah to St. Augustine on the outside in the ocean. Captain Mark was going to sail single handed and thought it would be good to have the company. The only problem was this tropical storm, soon to become a hurricane, called Sandy around Jamaica that was heading our way. We decided to stay on the intercoastal and Mark decided to stay put. We were followed into the ICW by another sailboat that we later learned was named Windfall. The trail down the ICW at this point was a maze of winding creeks, rivers and "cuts" that stay close to the shoreline and takes us through several inlets with direct access into the ocean. The rivers and creeks tend to be relatively calm with less wind exposure, the cuts tend to be narrow and shallow, and the inlets are generally open to the high winds and waves from the ocean. It provided a variety of scenery and challenges as we worked our way down the coast. A classic Southern Home in Isle of Hope

The changing shoreline

There were many wildlife preserves and some classic southern homes along the shoreline. We began to talk with Windfall on the radio and found he was headed South to Miami. We decided to anchor together in the Crescent River as the sun started getting lower on the horizon. Since this was our first attempt to anchor with our new equipment, we wanted to make sure we would not have any challenges like we had before. The anchorage was far enough up the river and around a bend that provided some wind protection, there was plenty of depth at 10 to 12 feet at low tide, there were only 2 of us, so there would be plenty of swing room. The only thing we could not control was the tide changes that would make us swing 180 degrees. With our new ground tackle, we could put out a 7 to 1 scope with all chain. With that much chain on the bottom, our reliable CQR anchor, and the good sand and mud bottom, we were not going anywhere and the chain would never get close to our keel. We invited Windfall over for dinner and cocktails and learned that his name was Derrick and was an Englishman who was retired and had a condo in Miami. Denise prepared a nice dinner and we had good conversation as the sun went down and the moon and stars came out. We called it a night with the idea of getting up at sunrise and going as far into Florida as we could. Another sunset on Crescent River

Although we instinctively checked our position several times during the night and set the anchor alarm, we had a good nights rest and were up before the sun and on our way as she popped above the horizon. The wind was steadily increasing all day as Sandy had become a hurricane and was plowing through Jamaica and Cuba on it's way to the Bahamas. Sandy was already frustrating our efforts to go outside and now looked like it was going to stop us for a few more days as it was projected to create havoc along the Florida coast. We were following Windfall as we came up on our first inlet called Altamaha Sound. The winds increased and the seas became a little choppy, but we ducked back into the protection of the barrier islands with little discomfort. St. Simons Sound was next and it brought us further out into the open ocean area and we began to feel the force of the wind and waves that were reported to be 3 or 4 times worse on the open ocean. St. Andrews Sound was different. It had a narrow channel that brought us out beyond the barrier islands before it turned back into the protection of the ICW. This was a little more challenging. There were depths as low as 3 feet on each side and the waves were building the further out we went into the sound. If we were to run aground in the shallow areas, the waves would make it very difficult to get off without severe damage since they, and the tide, were pushing us towards those shallow areas to our starboard. The channel marker that signaled the end of the shallow areas was about 2 miles out and had an ominous warning of "BREAKERS" on it's port side. The chart plotter showed a path on the port side of the bouy and then a sharp turn to starboard and another 2 to 5 mile distance until we regained the shelter of the islands and the ICW. Although exciting,and a little unnerving we were able to negotiate the channel, despite our charplotter showing us in the very shallow areas while the channel markers and our depth sounder showed us well into the deeper channel. We were a little more confused when Windfall cut straight across the shallow area that was showing 3 feet or less! He had said he was having some trouble with his autopilot and even his chartplotter, but we were hoping that he had a tremendous amount of local knowledge to give him the confidence to cut that corner. Although tempted to follow, we held to our course and finally made the turn without running aground or getting into the breakers. We were now on a downwind run with the wind and our waves on our stern. The tide and waves that was slowing us to 5 knots was now pushing us over 8. Ducking behind the islands after crossing an inlet.

We decided to head for a safe place to wait out Sandy and made reservations at Amelia Island Yacht Basin that claimed the locals used them as a hurrican hole. Amelia Island and the town of Fernandina is the first town in Florida right across the state line from Georgia. St. Mary's Inlet is the dividing line between the two states, but was pretty much a non event after St. Andrews Sound. We also were having a problem with our packing gland. This is a packing around the shaft that allows water to seep in and keep the propeller shaft cool. If it is too tight, it could damage your shaft and cause vibrations. If it is too loose, too much water will drip into the bilge. We had our packing changed a few years ago, but we never seemed to get the right balance. Fortunately, it always had too much water coming in, which kept the shaft cool and did no damage. We have adjusted this several times ourselves and had professionals do it at least 3 times and it never seems to hold, so we will have the marina fix the problem for good. (We hope). We arrived just in time as the winds from Sandy had increased as it battered the Bahamas. We did everything we could to secure the boat and so far, other than being pressed against the dock for a few days, we seem to be in a safe place while we wait for Sandy to go away. Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island is a beautiful little town and a favorite of locals and tourists alike. It has a rich history, beautiful buildings and natural scenery, and friendly people. A submarine base just before crossing over into Florida.

A welcoming rainbow from hurricane Sandy

Some Beautiful houses and buildings in Fernandina Beach

A lot of other cruisers have taken refuge at Amelia Island Yacht Basin and they have a tiki bar called Somewhere where we can gather and talk about boats and cruising. Except for the relentless wind, we are enjoying our unscheduled stop, even though it will make us late for our arrival in Key West. Although the eye of Sandy has gone North and looks like it is going to make landfall in New Jersey, we are still getting pounded by gale force winds. We can't imagine what some of our friends we met along the way are experiencing in those areas. Good luck to all in Sandy's path. The winds died down on Sunday and we anticipated leaving Monday, but we awoke to winds in the 20's and gusts into the 30's. Even though we are staying in the intercoastal, the winds can make it hazardous and we still have to go across open inlets with potential for rough waters from the ocean waves and tides. Apparently with Sandy turning West, we are on the outer rings of wind from this huge storm. We decided to stay put and see what happens. We'll let you know when we get moving again. In the meantime, tell Hurricane Sandy to go away! To my sister Sandy and all our other friends with the same name, no offense intended and you are all welcome!

SWANSBORO TO BEAUFORT

No, we're not going not going back to Beaufort (Bofort), North Carolina, but South to Beaufort (Buford???), South Carolina. We left Carolina Beach, North Carolina on October 8th early enough to catch the tide and current to push us down the Cape Fear River towards the ocean. We caught it just right as we "flew" down the river at 8 to 9 knots and into the intercoastal near Southport just before going outside. Besides the not so favorable forecast for going outside, we calculated that we would save about 30 or 40 miles by staying inside. We had several options picked out for the next stop but a lot depended on how far we could comfortably go. With the tides, currents and scheduled bridge openings, it is difficult to accurately plan how far you can travel so we have learned to be flexible. The tide and currents were helping quite a bit on this leg as we seemed to be maintaining the speed from the river. Being so close to the ocean, each inlet provided an additional push, (mostly in our favor) as we passed them. I had shared my Currents app with Phoenix and our friends on Seaya that helps you calculate how to take the best advantage of the currents. A tug taking advantage of the current on Cape Fear

Cape Fear???

Phoenix had left an hour or so before us using the app, and was well into the intercoastal before we passed them. They had just purchased Phoenix up North and were taking her home at a leisurely pace, trying to sail as much as they could. Seaya had left Carolina Beach after us and passed us a little later with their sleek (and fast) cruiser that they had also purchased and were taking home. We also heard Kantiki on the radio and wound up making contact to try and meet up with them a little later. We are meeting more and more boats on their way South and keep running into them along the way. Kantiki was stopping at a marina in North Myrtle Beach called Barefoot Landing and we agreed we would stop there too. Trouble is, there was a Barefoot Landings and a Barefoot Resort Marina that were right across the river from each other. We wound up at the Resort, and they were at the Landings. Kantiki was meeting a relative at the Landings and we decided we would just stay on our side of the river since they would not be free until late that evening. Seaya had also decided to stop at the Resort so we wound up having dinner with them and a couple from a little 22 foot boat called Seaquest. It seems they had "downsized" to the little boat and had always wanted to take an exteded trip on it. The six of us from 3 different boats had a fun evening of conversation at the local restaurant and bar. We left early the next morning behind Kantiki and followed her most of the day. We had picked a spot on Minum Creek to anchor for the night, which was reported to be a protected and quiet anchorage in the middle of a swampy area about half way to Beaufort. The scenery began to change as we left Myrtle Beach.

There had been reports of alligators and dolphin sightings in this popular anchorage. Kantika decided to join us there and we finally got to meet them on their boat, close up and personal. They were wonderful people and we enjoyed our evening with them. The anchorage, although we did not see the alligators and dolphins, was everything it was reported to be. Very, very quiet, peaceful and protected. With the clouds still hanging around after dark, it was also pitch black outside the boat. We had a good nights rest, until the fisherman started buzzing by around 5 AM. It seems they almost enjoyed "waking" us in the early morning hours. As a result, we got up very early and were on our way with the sunrise. Sunset over the marsh.

The next destination was supposed to be an anchorage just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. The major challenge was to get to Charleston before 4 PM when the bridge shut down until to 6 PM. We were calling the bridge at about 3:40 PM for the 4 PM opening and were told that they would not open again until 6:30. We turned around and called the Charleston Megadock Marina to see if we could tie up there for a couple hours. The Mega Dock caters to some very large yachts and we looked tiny tied up next to them. The little 22 foot Seaquest had passed us earlier and was already docked at the same marina. We had dinner with them with the idea of still trying to get to the anchorage on the other side of the bridge. We were told that Jimmy Buffet's yacht was on the same dock as we were. Continental Drifter III was tied up a few boats away from us and we later confirmed from the internet that it was indeed Jimmy's boat. Denise wanted to try and meet him, but I figured he probably wanted his privacy. With all the excitement, and the fact that it was soon going to be dark, we decided to anchor across the river from the marina (and Jimmy's yacht). The anchorage was fairly crowded and there were two sunken sail boats with one near the shore and another right in the middle with just the top of his mast sticking out. There was plenty of room however and it was a very peaceful anchorage. We had a good view of Jimmy's boat, (just in case he was aboard), and a dolphin kept circling our boat. He seemed to be fascinated with our dingy as he swam around bumping it a few times and then would stick his head up to take a better look. It was a beautiful evening, but we knew we would have to be up early to catch the 6 AM opening of the bridge before they shut down again at 6:30. Distinctive Bridges as we near Charleston.

Jimmy Buffet's Contintental Drifter III

Our anchorage at Charleston

We were pulling up the anchor at 5:30 on October 10th in the dark. We made the bridge opening and were on our way. We had another hour and a half before the sun was coming up so we motored very carefully with one eye on the chartplotter and the other watching for anything that might pop up in the dark. The sunrise, when it came, was impressive. The pre-dawn glow

The sunrise

Beaufort would be our next stop where Denise would meet two couples that were long time friends of hers from Detroit. This was another long and twisting path, but with the early start, we arrived in plenty of time. Seaquest came up behind us as we were approaching the last bridge before Beaufort. They were going to the Beaufort City Marina and we had decided to do the same. The marina was very busy with a lot of boats coming in at once, and the tide and currents were making docking difficult, especially for those that are not used to it, (meaning us). The tide in the area ranges from 6 to 9 feet, which means the huge amount of water that goes in and out of the area has to do so very fast, creating a very strong current. We finallly got settled in after learning a few tricks from the dockmaster, that included backing the boat into the slip with the strong current trying to push us out. Denise invited her friends Dave and Sue who live in Bluffton, out to the boat and she had a great time catching up with her friends. The next day they picked us up and gave us a driving tour of Beaufort and then a tour of their beautiful home and community in Sun City. We even got to try our hand at shrimping and crabbing! Didn't get anything, but it was fun trying. Denise's other friends, Stan and Linda, lived in the same community and planned on joing all of us for dinner and then went back to the boat. Sailboat Races at Beaufort

A historic church in Bluffton

Denise's ski club buddies (and me)

Another perfect sunset in Beaufort

We took a little walk in downtown Beaufort the next morning and pulled away from the docks around 11:30 AM, on October 13th. We We had a lot more excitement from the currents and wind, but, with a little instruction from the dockmaster, finally broke away from the docks without running into anything. The waterfront in Beaufort

The tides helped push us along and the winds continued to increase until they were blowing more than 25 knots with gusts over 30. We had to cut across several large rivers or inlets to the sea and the wind and tide combination was creating a fairly "bumpy" ride as we traversed them. We had planned to get as far as we could and then drop in one of several anchorage opportunities. Skipper Bob's is a publication that describes anchorages along the way and we had picked Herb River because it was supposed to have good wind protection from almost every direction and was a quiet anchorage. It was getting late when we got there and we motored almost a mile into the river looking for the well protected anchorage that was "supposed" to be 1/2 mile in. We were the only boat there and there appeared to be little or no wind or wave protection. We trusted our anchor, however, and decided to drop it rather than having to go find another place in the dark. The winds continued to blow and even increase in intensity. We took our bearings to make sure we didn't drag the anchor and, after about four hours, we had not moved at all. As we were getting ready to go to bed, the tide began to change and would be flowing the opposite direction from the wind. This usually creates a problem, so I sat in the cockpit for another hour or so just to see what would happen. The anchor still did not move, but the boat kept turning 180 degrees as the wind and tide fought each other. When the wind slacked off, the tide pushed us West. When the wind picked up, it pushed us East, but the anchor still held. We finally decided we were ok and went to bed. As I was dozing off, I noticed that the boat was turning back and forth quite frequently and got up to check the anchor bearings one more time. At about 2:30 AM, I awoke to a very quiet boat and, as I got up to use the head, I noticed the boat was leaning a little to starboard. I rushed on deck to see we had dragged our anchor and ran aground at low tide! I turned on the instruments to see where we were and was confused to see that we were about 1/4 mile up the river and around a bend from where we had anchored. Wow! How did that happen? We called Boat US and proceeded to check the tides. We were very close to low tide with about 4 feet of water and we needed 5' 7" to float. I decided we would pull in the anchor, start the motor and try to force our way out of the sand and mud to deep water. To my surprise, as I was pulling in the anchor rode, the end of it came in all shredded, without the anchor! Boat US informed us they couldn't do anything except wait for high tide. Ironically, as I was talking to him, the water started coming up and we were free! With our favorite anchor gone, and our secondary anchor not rigged up yet, we decided to try to get back to the nearest marina and tie up for the rest of the morning. As we motored past all the docks with boats, we realized we were very lucky that we did not drift into them while we were sleeping below. We made it to the docks, left a note and crawled back into our berth at 4 AM. One of our 110 foot Dock Partners at Thunderbolt Marina

The next morning we were given the name of a diver who might be able to help us retrieve the anchor but he would need a team of people to help him and it would be expensive. The cost he quoted, however, was about one third of the cost of buying a new anchor and rode, so we thought it was worth a chance. Unfortunately, after several hours of searching the area, over and over again, we could not find the anchor. It appears the rope part of the rode, with all the turning back and forth, got wrapped around our keel and cut the line. We are now delayed another day, and will probably lose a few more as we find a way to get another anchor. We only have a few more days of traveling before we are out of this high tide area and into the clear waters of Florida and , believe me, I can't wait to get there!

THE COAST TO CAPE FEAR

We left Oriental on Thursday October 4th with the idea of taking another short hop to Beaufort, North Carolina. Beaufort is known as a great stopping place along the Intercoastal with an abundance of marinas, anchorages, and boat yards. We wanted to get there a little early to get a good look at the town. The guide books give a lot of warnings about crossing areas such as the Ambermarle and Pamlico Sounds and the large rivers along the way. They tell you about currents and potential problems for shoaling, certain wind directions and other hazards that could create problems. So far, although we are cautious and heed all their warnings, we have not had any serious problems that they warned us about. A shipwreck on the way to Beaufort (hurricane casualty?)

The most popular anchorage in Beaufort was on Taylor Creek, right across from the town. We were warned that the anchorage was very crowded most of the time and there was a strong current that swept the boats from one direction to another with the tide change. It was a pleasant trip to Beaufort and after we passed through the only bridge along the way, we turned into the Beaufort waterfront. It was definitely crowded with anchored boats. Ironically, the shore along the town was loaded with docks but they were more than half empty. I guess it's hard to justify paying $70 to $100 per night when you can stay for free! We went up and down the anchorage area looking for an open space. We finally found one and proceeded to pull up to a boat and drop the anchor about 20 or 30 yards behind and to her starboard. A lady came flying out of the cockpit and started cursing at us about anchoring too close to her and that we were going to hit her boat. I tried to explain that we were going to put out about 100 feet of rode and would be well behind her. She continued to curse and scream at us the whole time we were setting the anchor. This was apparently a hazard the guide books didn't tell us about! I told her that we were concerned about our boat too, and if it became a problem we would move. She proceeded to turn her stereo up, apparently in an effort to irritate us into leaving. We have met many people along the way and everyone of them have been extremely nice. This had to be the rudest person I have met anywhere. She had two anchors out, appeared to have a short scope, was already in the channel (main path for boats), and did not "swing" much for those reasons. We asked another local sailor about the problem and he informed us that she screams at everybody who comes near her and thought we would be ok. We asked him to call us if there was a problem while we went into town. The tide changed while we were gone and all the boats had swung 180 degrees. We appeared to be a comfortable distance away from her. Beaufort was a very nice town. Some touristy stuff, but mainly just a friendly local sea town. A unique home on Beaufort's Front Street

Denise at the Back Street Bar, a local cruiser hangout.

Manana at anchor in Beaufort (note the distance from the boat off the bow.

When we got back to the boat, we were a little closer to her boat than we liked, but I did not think it was a problem. When the neighbor came back to her boat around 11 PM, she started the cursing again and blasting her stereo. I pulled in some rode to shorten the scope to get further away to satisfy her. In pulling in some of the scope, however, we apparently dislodged the anchor and started to slowly drag back closer than we were before. OK. She wins. We lifted the anchor and tried to find another place to anchor. Not so simple, since it was pitch black, more crowded than when we came in, the tide was running 3 to 4 knots and the wind was blowing 10 knots and more. The key to manuevering in the dark is to go slow, which can be a problem with the wind and tide pushing you around, since the slower you go the less steerage you have. After several tries, we finally tucked in a spot in front of a small beach on the island to the south of town at around midnight. It seemed deep enough, but I was concerned that we might swing toward the beach and into shallower water. The other concern was to avoid the same problem we had with the other boat. I decided to stay up until the tide turned and the boat made a complete 180 swing. That way, I would know that we were in good shape. Denise went to bed and I sat in the cockpit reading my kindle and waiting. There were a surprising amount of fishing boats going in and out, but it was a beautiful night. Even dolphins swam buy to say hi! By 3 AM, we had swung all the way around and we were in the perfect location. Now I could go to bed! The next morning, as I was making coffee at about 6:30 AM I looked out at the beach to see wild horses grazing! I woke up Denise to take advantage of the scene. Wild horses grazing off our "private" beach.

We went into town to take a second look, got back to the boat, raised the anchor, got fuel, pumped out and were on our way by 12:30. We were going to take a short hop to Swansboro, North Carolina for the night. Swansboro was a pleasant anchorage, except for the swarming little power boats that seemed to enjoy flying past the anchorage at full speed with a huge wake. The town was also very comfortable, with some nice restaurants and just the right amount of touristy shops. Some of the scenes from Swansboro

We had a good nights rest and raised the anchor around 7 AM the next morning. The next leg would take us all the way past Wrightsville and on to Caroliina Beach State Park. The intercoastal was very busy with a lot of power boats flying past us with their huge wakes. We traveled with another sailboat named "Kantika" and hope to run into them at another anchorage soon. The scenery became more interesting as we were just inside off the ocean. Part of that scenery included Camp Lejeune. Military Equipment

Big Birds flocking in small trees

Inlets to the Ocean

We had found Carilina Beach State Park in Captain Bob's book. It is a full service marina in a beautiful protected setting with access to the state park and Carolina Beach. All for only $30.00 per night. The entrance was a little close but as we came in we saw our friends on Seaya had already found this little jewel. They are in a trawler and we were a day or so ahead of us but had decided to stay here. The marina is excellent and has been totally renovated. We will stay and explore another day and then head out down the infamous Cape Fear River! Part of the Carolina Beach Park

A "Pirate Ship" run aground

A Cape Fear River Sunset

ALLIGATOR RIVER TO ORIENTAL, NORTH CAROLINA

We left the Alligator River Marina early on October 1st. Onnce we were inside the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal it was deeper and wider than the Dismal Swamp. The water was not as brown as the Dismal but still had that brown color. There was more traffic going both ways and, although we saw no alligators, there was an abundance of wildlife, including a wide variety of birds. A wider Alligator/Pongo River Canal

Alligator hiding places

Lots of unusual birds.

The trip was rather uneventful and we wound up getting to the Pungo River around 3 PM and decided to try to anchor at Belhaven, which was reported to be a very popular anchorage for ICW travelers. When we got into the protected Panga River, there was only one other boat anchored. The marinas also seemed very empty and we were starting to have some doubts as to the popularity of Belhaven. The anchorage was very "bumpy", even inside the storm breakwall and the wind continued to increase and it began to rain. We decided to just stay on the boat and wait until morning to go to town. The morning wasn't much better. The rain continued and the wind continued to blow 15 to 20 knots. We decided to stay put for the whole day and wait for the weather to clear. By mid afternoon, the rain had let up and we decided to go into town. The guide books said the town was a throw back to the 1960's and they were not too far off. The bulk of the town is on two streets and most of the buildings were vacant. There was only 3 "sit down" restaurants and one carry out. One of them was only open from Thursday through Saturday. Another little cafe was only open until 2 PM and the other "sitdown" closed at 2 PM and re-opened at 5 PM. The only other "attractions" were a drug store, a musemum, and a "convenience" store, where Denise was able to get a huge serving of ice cream since the flavor she wanted was near the bottom of the container and the owner just decided to give her all that was left for free. The museum was very interesting and very unusual. It was a collection of a local lady who had passed away and her children had sold everything she had collected in her home to the museum. It appeared to be displayed in a similar manner as it was in her home, dust and all. It included all kinds of memerobilia including, buttons, toys, dolls, military clothing and equipment from World War I and II (including a 100 year old machine gun used in World War I), household items spanning almost 100 years, original newspapers, and hundreds of other items too numerous to mention. Harvest Moon rising at Belhaven, North Carolina

A REAL skeleton in the closet at the museum

Fetus in a jar? Yuch! you can decide what they are.

After we toured the museum, we went back to see if we could get together with some of the other cruisers we had seen. The other sailboat in the bay was from France. The two Frenchmen were sitting on the dingy dock having a few beers and we heard some hilarious stories about his trip. The other couple had run into us at Cape May, New Jersey and Elizabeth City, North Carolina. We had dinner with them at the one restaurant that re-opened at 5. The next morning we were up before the sun and were able to raise the anchor and leave at 7 AM. We made great time going down the Pungo River, across the Pamlico River, into Goose Creek, out Bay River and up the Neuse River. There was a lot of scenery and we saw our second pair of dolphins frolicking in the Pungo River. We decided to stop in Oriental, North Carolina since it was consiered the sailing capital of North Carolina since it has more sailboats than residents. We decided to go into a marina to get the luxuries they had to offer that we can't get at anchor and decided to stay at the Oriental Marina and Inn. Oriental, itself, was a little disappointing. It had a few more stores and restaurants than Belhaven, but not by much. The sun going down on the fishing trawlers and processing plant in Oriental.

One of 20 artesian wells that early settlers used for fresh water.

One of the many beautiful and historic houses in Oriental

I have not figured out how to put all my google maps together, and I apologize for that. There are now 3 seperate maps when you click on "our map" at the top of the blog. They are in order, but the first one stops at Lake Oneida in New York and the 2nd one stops at Botkin Creek in Maryland. Tomorrow we will head further South along the intercoastal. If the weather is right, we will even try to hop out into the open ocean for a while.