GO BULLDOGS! (since we are in GA)

We had one more stop in South Carolina before we moved on to Georgia.  Our friends, Chuck and Claria, live in Beaufort SC and generously let us stay at their dock for a visit.  Claria served a wonderful dinner and we reminisced and traded war stories about our adventures.  The next day we contacted other boating friends Oliver and Sally who also live in Beaufort and the 3 couples spent time at a local harvest festival and shared more stories over cocktails.  We met both couples while on our Great Loop adventure in 2007-2008.  The boating lifestyle is really more about people and friendships than it is about the actual boating.

Mary, Chuck, Claria, Sally, Scott & Oliver

With the Carolinas in our wake, it was on to Georgia where the water is shallow and the current is swift.  We timed our departure to coincide with the rising tide to ensure safe passage through some of the many shoal areas.  Georgia has tides averaging 8’ which is comparable to the North Shore of MA.  This comes in quite handy when the waterway at low tide is only about 3-4’ deep in places.  Too much tide height is not always a good thing either.  Our first stop in Georgia was Delegal Marina on Skidaway Island.  The evening tide was exceptionally high at 10’ caused by astronomically high tides (full moon etc.) as well as strong onshore winds which pile up water in the small creeks.  As the tide went out, our dock became hung up on the piling.  Had we not noticed this condition, the results would have been very bad.  A little persuasion with a battering ram did the trick and the dock dropped about 20” under my feet!  Other than the near disastrous mishap, the marina was great.  Dockmaster Billy could not have been any nicer to us.  The island is a wonderful place with 6 golf courses and beautiful homes on streets lined with palm trees and live oaks dripping with Spanish moss.  Just by staying at the marina, you are granted visitor privileges at the local country club restaurants.  We drove a golf cart (at night!) to one of them and had a wonderful dinner.  

1-Scott noticed something didn't look quite right here.

2-With the battering ram used to knock it down.

3-Problem averted - back to normal

Other stops in Georgia included Sunbury and Darien, neither had we visited before.  Both had funky restaurants and local color and both were recommendations from boating friends.  Word of mouth is the best travel guide.  We will likely visit them again some other time.  As I write this we are at Morningstar Marina at St. Simons Island and the dock parties are in full swing.  This is the big weekend of the Georgia / Florida football game and people from all over the state descend on this area.  St. Simons Island is ground zero.  Go Bulldogs!

Bucket of clustered oysters - oh my!

Entering South Carolina

The water level in SC from heavy rains has created concern to boaters navigating the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW).  We closely monitor various social media lists for updates.  The main message is proceed with extreme caution, mind the buoys and go slow.  Boats are responsible for their own wake and under these conditions sending any kind of water toward yards, homes and businesses would be horrible as they try to recover.  

We spent a couple of days tucked into Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach where we also took on fuel at $1.98/gallon which is a great price, the lowest we've paid on this trip so far.  They carried a full line of homemade jams, jellies and chutneys made by R.E. Kimball Co. in Amesbury, MA.  Small world!  We were told to visit Brookgreen Gardens, with sculpture gardens, native wildlife zoo and lowcountry history & wildlife preserve.  Lucky for us, there was a Uber driver at the marina who was available to take us over to Murrells Inlet.  It was the perfect day to walk around the gardens and visit the animals.  I highly recommend checking this out if you are in the area. 

Diana of the Chase

Pegasus

Pancho Sanchez

Scott in the Live Oak Allee

Inside the waterfowl aviary for afternoon snack was very fun!

Charleston is a great place to visit by boat, or land.  We are docked at the Maritime Center right in downtown so everything is close by, and if it's not we hop on the DASH Trolley and it takes us all over for free.  It's been an eating frenzy since we arrived, there are so many great restaurants.  Trip Advisor had 799 restaurants listed!  We went back to a few we really enjoyed the last time here, 82 Queen and Hominy Grill.  Excellent meals at both.  We did try 167 Raw for oysters which was really good.  Only 18 seats and there was a waiting line out the door when we left.    Great recommendation - thanks Bill Callahan!  Harris Teeter beckoned us to pick up a few items before heading back to the boat after a long day of eating, shopping and enjoying the sights of Charleston.

Guess where?

Braised Beef & Grits w/Fried Egg, Biscuit and Boiled Peanuts - my kind of lunch at Hominy Grill

Military Action & Bug Weaponry

After stops in Belhaven and Oriental NC (good sushi at M&M’s Cafe!) our next stop was Morehead City to meet our friends, Louis and Diane, whom we met on The Loop trip.  One of the wonderful things that happens in boating is that people you meet along the way become instant friends, and friends do what friends do.  They carted us around, showing us their home turf and taking us anywhere we needed to go including to some of their favorite local restaurants (Cox Family Restaurant for fried chicken livers and El's Drive for shrimp burgers to name a few).  Thank you Louis & Diane!  

Shrimp boat in Bogue Sound

El's Drive-in: Best Shrimp Burger ever!  The cars pull up and waitresses somehow keep everyone's order straight.  There must have been at least 25 cars there when we went for lunch.

After spending 2 days it was time to move on down the waterway.  Bogue Sound was rough when we arrived 2 days prior but docile when we left.  We passed a couple of shrimp boats with their nets dipped in the water.  This stretch took us through Camp Lejeune NC which is a training camp for the marines.  The waterway goes right through one of their firing ranges and is sometimes closed for an hour or so while they have live firing exercises.  Dozens of signs warn of “Un-exploded Ordinance Keep Out”.  They were not firing so the waterway was open and we traveled past old military relics that were used for target practice and are showing the wounds of battle.  In the distance there are several great ‘Booms’ as they fire big guns in (hopefully) another direction.  Our destination is a place called Mile Hammock Bay.  This is a dredged harbor maintained by The Marines for their use.  Pleasure boats are allowed to anchor here but don’t dare go ashore.  It is very protected from the weather, and The Enemy as well.  We arrived about 14:00, the first boat in however 4 more boats arrived before nightfall.  During the afternoon we were entertained by a parade of small boats at high speed with about 8 occupants each and all of them hunched over as they fly by while helicopters of various types circled overhead.  Then more large ‘Booms’ where we can feel the concussion of the shock wave.  There was something happening on shore that we can’t quite figure out.  A large machine is being used by 5 Marines to inflate some sort of bladder thing, perhaps a hover craft?  Just when they finish, they deflate it again!  As night falls, parachute flares are fired in sequence into the distant sky to illuminate the area beneath and unseen helicopters continue to fly in the night sky.  We hear sounds on the shore but it is too dark and we cannot see what is happening. Must be top secret.

One of the many fly-overs while we were anchored.

I bet you are wondering about 'bug weaponry'.  Well, we were forced to purchase fly paper and a fly swatter, as well as Thermacell Mosquito Repellent (manufactured in Bedford, MA).  The fly paper did attract some but the fly swatter won hands down.  With all the rain we figure we need to be prepared for the influx of mosquitoes we may encounter.  We'll have to update you later on the effectiveness of Thermacell.

Entering the Intracoastal Waterway

We’ve been on the move, making good progress on our southbound migration.  Crossing Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk is always interesting, there is so much going on.  The CG Cutter, Forward, cruised alongside the main channel announcing their intention to come about between the Bay Tunnel/Bridge and just off Hampton, VA the entire time we were crossing the bay.  We’d see container ships far off in the distance and then all of sudden they were big as can be coming in behind us.  Passing the military fleet is very impressive, whether they are in port short term or longer in dry dock for maintenance.

Ever Dainty - Singapore

BAE Systems Dry Dock

 The Dismal Swamp Canal is one of two routes from Norfolk VA to Albermarle Sound and is “the one less traveled by” so which did we choose?  It is rich in history and lore, and dates back over 200 years.  Today it is on the National Register of Historic Places and is used for recreational boats but in the past it was a route for barges laden with goods and passengers.  The Halfway House hotel (guess where) is said to be where Edgar Allen Poe wrote “The Raven” during one of his stays there.  Robert Frost was not born yet.

Mile Marker

Blimp Hanger & Blimps - Elizabeth City NC

After the two routes rejoin, the waterway opens up into various rivers and sounds and the miles pass by a little more quickly.  The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway or ICW is marked every mile from Norfolk VA (mile 0) to Miami FL (mile 1089).  In many places there are physical mile marker signs that are fun to watch for.  Places along the route are identified by their mile marker.  As I write this, we are at a marina in Belhaven NC, mile 136.  Only 881 more to go until we cross to the Bahamas!

The loaner golf cart in Belhaven came in handy for a grocery run

Heavy rains - high winds - coastal flooding >>>>Joaquin

First of all, we are safely tied to floating docks at Oyster Farm-Kings Creek Marina in Cape Charles, VA.  We had planned to be here this week anyway while attending an MTOA (Marine Trawler Owners Association) northern rendezvous, but heavy rains and high winds have delayed our departure to next Tuesday or Wednesday (hopefully).  The good news is, we are here with 9 other MTOA boats.  Today we had a potluck lunch and have plans to gather a few more times over the next few days.  The marina has been very accommodating to us, offering free dockage beyond what we originally planned.  When Joaquin was more of a threat, they even offered their villas at no charge if we needed to get off our boats.

We joined MTOA over a year ago, knowing the organization would be an important resource for us. As first time attendees to one of the events, we were welcomed by fellow boaters with open arms.  For 3 days we attended sessions on everything from 'Fire Hazards - Prevention & Avoidance' to 'Apps, Navigation Systems & Options for Integration' to 'Maritime Law' and 'Insurance' and many more.  Also on the agenda were options to explore Cape Charles.  We signed up for a delicious and endless supply of steamed oysters and clams on the waterfront.  One afternoon, Scott toured the local Coast Guard Station, Cape Charles Yacht Center and Museum while I enjoyed a much needed pedicure and manicure.  Since we would be staying longer than planned, our boat neighbors gave us the keys to their car so we could re-provision groceries, beverages and hardware store items.  We have met so many wonderful people here, all with the same passion for boating and willingness to help each other.

Endless buffet of oysters & clams

Delicious = Happy Face

Pot-Luck Lunch

Cruising Chesapeake Bay (Eastern Shore)

Internet connectivity has been bad for a many days so we have some catching up to do!

We had a wonderful time in Havre de Grace but after two days it was time to move on.  The forecast was favorable when we went to bed but when we awoke at 06:00 a Small Craft Advisory had been put up on the NOAA marine forecast. This did not make sense since the waves were only forecast to be 1’ high!  We decided to leave anyway and had no problems.  We found out later that small craft = 20’ vessels on the Chesapeake.  The wind and waves were behind us in what is called a ‘following sea’.  The plan was to go to Rock Hall, MD but we did have bail-out points picked if things got too rough.  Rock Hall is another nice, quiet, organized, clean town.  We walked to town to get a flag pole at West Marine.  Mary has felt the boat was naked without a proper Stars & Stripes flying from the transom.  On the way back, we got a ride from the Trolley, actually a trailer type thing with seats similar to what you might find at Disney World.  In this case though, it was towed by a Jeep driven by a guy named Gary at a much faster speed than I think it was designed to go!  Hold on!

Monument to Oystermen - Rock Hall, MD

With the flag stick custom fit to the necessary dimensions and finished with teak oil in the shop (engine room), the next morning we left Rock Hall with our new flag flying.  The next stop was St. Michaels where we anchored in the basin and took the dinghy to town.  There are many shops and restaurants (I like the restaurants) and after some excellent Oyster Po Boy sandwiches and beer, we went back to the boat for a nap.  Have I mentioned how important naps are in a successful journey by boat?

The sun came up at about 07:00 and was shining brightly.  We had not seen it for a couple of days so this was looking to be a good day.  Again, the wind was a little strong but was behind us (see ‘following sea’ above).  Our intention was to go to Cambridge, MD and stay on a free dock that was listed in one of our guide books. Well, it did not look that good when we arrived so we changed plans and anchored in a beautiful cove off the Choptank River.  Typical of this kind of journey, last minute changes sometimes yield a better outcome than the original plan.  Hot dogs, corn on the cob, and macaroni salad for diner.  What could be better?

Anchorage on Choptank River

Cocktails on the aft deck

Sunset is a time to reflect & appreciate the day we've had

It’s not always sunshine and a following sea.  The next day was one of those days.  We headed to visit our friends Carol & Lee on the Wicomico River.  The day began with fairly light winds, the usual following sea and overcast skies, although the temp was quite comfortable.  Sometimes it is better to travel when it’s overcast because you don’t have the sun glare to play tricks with your eyes.  About half way through our 7 hour trip, the wind turned to the east and started to blow 20-30 kts.  To make it even more challenging, this was an area with fish traps (weirs) that forced us further away from the coast.  When we finally made the turn to go through Hooper Strait, the wind and waves were hitting us square on the nose.  All we wanted to do is to get to the other end of the trip without a mishap because as they say, that would be bad.  We did make it without incident and decided to stay a couple of days, let the weather blow through and visit our friends.