May 22-29, 2014 Morehead City NC

We'll do this one by topic rather than chronological.

Duration: Ger's fault. When he was cleaning the raw water intake strainers, he decided that the one for the main engine had too much "junk" in it (mostly shells) and needed to come completely apart and get a new strainer and gaskets. Good idea except no Marine stores had parts in stock and no one at the warehouse over the long Memorial Day weekend to send them. So had to wait from Saturday until Wednesday for parts to come in - and then they were wrong. I called a distributer I found on-line and had them overnighted. Installed this morning, Thursday, and we hope to leave tomorrow  morning. We miss Gordon and Capt. Ryan from the Daytona Beach store!!

One of several trips...

The Marina: Very close to downtown, but not much of a downtown. Very nice facilities, but the A/C in the showers/laundry/club house was out and still not fixed. It is also geared, as all marinas in town, to sport-fishing. Nice boats, well maintained and (Judie hates this) able to rotate on a dime for docking. On Saturday, a bride and her bridesmaids got dressed on one sport-fisher and then delivered to the wedding along with two groomsmen. We are amazed at the rods and reels used by these guys. Ger asked the cost - $500-2000 just for the reel!

Ever feel like you are in the wrong boat?

Our neighbor!

Mahi for dinner!

Here comes the bride!

 

 

Food: Only a few restaurants this time. By using the loaner car we had good access to the Super Walmart and Harris-Teeter groceries. First was Floyds 1921, in an old house. Simply wonderful! Ger had Oso Buco (?) and Judie had Meat Loaf - both superb but nothing next to the bourbon pecan pie and the death by chocolate deserts. Our friends from Judie's sorority, Bobbie and Julian Phelps, steered us toward "The Sanitary". Odd name, great seafood. Ger had Broiled Blue fish and Judie King Crab. We were sharing a little kiss, when the owner saw us and stopped over and says - "I see some loving going on over here", and proceeds to chat for about 10 minutes. He is the founder (we think) and "helps out the third generation" in keeping the clients happy. What a great guy.

Our table at the Sanitary

Judie trying to avoid blinding sun

Fish trying to avoid the dinner plate.

Beaufort (Bo-fort, so as not to be confused with Bew-ford SC. We are able to borrow a loaner car - $10 for 2 hours, so visited the Maritime Museum in Beaufort while waiting on our parts. There was a great exhibition on Blackbeard and his ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, as this was his home port and the ship was sunk just off the inlet. Parts of the ship and artifacts, are in the museum along with lots of displays about his "accomplishments". Also several boats built in the area and across the street was an active building where small wooden boats are still being built today for locals.

An early rescue craft that would hold 11 people lying down - any room for air?

Queen Anne's Revenge

Whale!

Making a display case instead of a boat.

Finished products

Nice "Gingerbread"

May 19-22, 2014 Myrtle Beach SC to Morehead City NC

Day 1: We left Myrtle Beach at 8:00 with a parade of boats. We went the entire day with a boat in sight at all times. We had the sun and wind in our faces all morning as we were headed east all day. Thank God for our polarized sun glasses. We discovered "Active Captain" website which is an interactive site that combines our cruising guide with all it's notes on routes, marinas, shoaling and all such navigation aids with the same Garmin charts on our GPS system. The recent notes by cruisers told us that the many inlets we were traveling this day had been dredged in the spring and markers were adjusted accordingly was invaluable timely information that greatly removed the worry from the day's trip. We now use it every day and it really simplifies planning. We arrived at South Harbor Village Marina in Southport NC shortly after lunch, had a lazy afternoon, and then had a great Italian dinner before hitting the sack.

These docks were empty the day before when we were at the Crab Fest.

Judie likes this one.

Great center window!

The ultimate house

Damn Hurricanes!

Day 2: Nice slow 2 mile run down the waterway to the Cape Fear River before turning north past Wilmington to Seapath Marina in Wrightsville Beach. Tried to time the tide so we could have it's help - but we missed it, along with everyone else, and did 12 miles against a nice tide in the opposite direction. Passed the Marine supply depot for the Atlantic Operations and saw lots of security patrol boats and many signs to "keep you ass away" (my interpretation). Even a "no photo's" sign. "Snow's Cut" from the Cape Fear to the barrier island channels was about 15 minutes of our roughest water yet. Strong current that changed direction mid-way, lots of eddies, and fishermen. When we passed thru, the water turned a beautiful blue-green and remains that way. Nice marina, but Ger came in a little too fast and is thankful for the built-in rub rail that trawlers have. Another learning experience!. No damage.

ICW meets the ocean

The reason for the beautiful water!

Day 3: Good get-away from the dock - SLOWLY. We had several bridges this day, made the first 10 minutes early, did not have to wait for the second bridge since tide was out and we could sneak under it, and had to wait 40 minutes for the third. Just so you know, many low bridges near towns only open on the hour or half hour during the day or at rush hour. Every bridge is different and needs to be part of your planning for the day. Played "Hare and Tortoise" with a new 50 foot sailboat - he would travel faster than us between bridges, but we would catch up when he got there too early or had to wait for an opening. They were on their way to Maine. First half of the day was lots of homes along the shore, and the afternoon was deserted - trees and sea grass. We stopped at Swan Point Marina in Sneads Ferry NC for the night. It is small - 20 boats, rustic, but with great folks! We had a great dinner a t "Riverview Café", but needed a ride to and from. We called the restaurant and the owner, who was at home, came and picked us up and then brought us back after dinner. Restaurant has been in the family for 3 generations.  Some of you may think that we are "eating our way up the ICW" and that was one of our goals, to taste the local food and meet local folks, while not having to cook the evening meal when in port. We did take a nice walk after dinner around the marina yard and the neighborhood.

Smiley Face!

10 foot high Siren trying to capture us....

Jimmy Buffets' home??

We are on the ICW, they are on the Ocean!

Day 4: Ready to go for an 8:00 departure after "Queen Anne's Revenge" left from behind us. We had heard this yacht on the radio several times since Georgia and finally met up with them. The boat name is that of Blackbeard's famous boat - which we learned later in Beaufort NC at the Maritime Museum. Hank. and his wife, Anne, are contributing editors to the Waterway Cruising Guide that we use and are spending the season visiting small marinas along the ICW in Georgia and the Carolinas to review for the guidebook. We made an 8:30 bridge opening 5 miles along, but only because the operator held it for about 7-8 minutes as we ran wide open to get there. The following tide helped also. Passed "Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Military Installation". Saw no marines but heard lots of artillery fire. They often close to ICW when they are using live fire ranges over the ICW or have landing craft maneuvers. Closing can last 2-4 hours. Lucky for us we missed this. Just past Swansboro, we traveled next to the practice field for Harriers doing vertical take-off and landing. Pretty cool to watch! Arrived, slowly, at Morehead City Yacht Basin by mid afternoon; after passing the City port where Judie took the picture of the "Captain Phillips" life boat on the back of freighter being unloaded.

Sunrise over the shrimp boats...beautiful!

Leaving Swan Point in our wake.

Slowing for landing

Our first, and nicest, shrimp boat on Bogue Sound -" The Captain Phillips"!

Ready, set, go!

March 17-21, 2014: The Trip to FL

The trip to Florida: Monday morning Ger woke at 3:15, so it was up and out the door by 4:00. We made a long day of it - 923 miles and found a room in Abilene TX for the evening. Tuesday was much easier and 670 miles later we were Hattiesburg Mississippi. Wednesday we drove to Homosassa FL to Ger's sister Cath's house to visit with her and his other sister Chris (and husband Bill) who had traveled from South Bend IN. Spent Thursday and Friday visiting, doing a little yard work, and touring Cedar Key on the Gulf.

April 6-16, 2014 Projects

Ten days of projects! Nothing fancy but a great feeling of accomplishment for both of us. Last time we showed you Gary Wolfe, our mechanic, and I underway on the water testing the Autopilot, well now you see the results of the test and tweaking - installing some replacement parts. It is amazing how much of the boat needs to be opened up to run new wires! All turned out great - now just a short trip on the water to calibrate the system.

 

Also spent 5 days sanding, caulking and varnishing some of the exterior teak. Although it is only Ger in the photos; Judie was right there doing her part. Ger also spent a couple days in the engine compartment changing the oil in the Main engine and generator and then cleaning and lubricating all the thru-hull valves  and making certain all corrosion was removed.

 

May 16-18, 2014 Myrtle Beach / Little River SC

Today was two days in one.

We awoke to cloudy skies, 10-15 mph winds, and 55 degrees. Put on our rain gear for protection and warmth, slipped away from the dock and pointed R Island northeast. It is amazing, not certain why, that we are traveling east and northeast a lot - but it doesn't take long with a map to realize how far east we will travel before we hit the Chesapeake.

The run up the Wacamaw River was beautiful. There are over 150 abandoned plantations that used to line the banks and you can clearly see how they may have been laid out - even the little cuts off the river that would serve as a dock  and get supplies closer to the main buildings. The plantations give way to Cyprus marshes dotted with small marinas, fishing lodges. You almost get lost in time.

Cypress trees at edge of river/fields.

Easy to see the rice patties..

Plantations give way to Cypress Marsh and deep river continues.

A Small Marina

Plenty of space for this guy.

Bald eagle nest on Channel marker (lower right corner).

"Extremo" resumes speed after a slow pass. Lots of tannins in the water.

 

This swing bridge marked the change to a sunny warm day and the development growth and civilization of the greater Myrtle Beach area. 

 

From here on there are houses, condos and golf courses along both sides of the ICW. Still some undeveloped areas such as "The Rock Pile", a 4 mile stretch with rock bottom and sides. Judie was preparing the boat for arrival at the marina and Ger was focused on the chart plotter, GPS and the depth sounder. Sorry, no photos, but there were pretty rock ledges down the sides and overhanging trees. Beautiful but challenging.  

 

Since it was a fairly long day, 57 miles, we arrived about 4:00, squared away the boat, registered at the office and hit the "Officers Club" for an early dinner. We are at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, not as fancy as it sounds but nice, convenient, and friendly folks.

 

On Saturday Ger Blogged in the morning, Judie helped and did chores, and in the afternoon we headed to the "Little River Crab Fest". An arts and craft thing with tons of vendors, great food and good music.

 

The waiting line for the bus.

 Field of yellow flowers next to line.

Typical vendors

Not Jimmy Buffet - just a parrot man.

This older couple and grand-daughter danced almost every number. 

 

 





After about 4 hours, we returned to the Officers Club for dinner and to watch the Preakness. They had quite the little event going on with Ladies in fancy hats and Men in Blazers - not us!

 

 

Today is Sunday and we are keeping to the guideline of staying off the water on weekends in crowded areas. We need some time to plan the next week and to figure out where to spend the Memorial Weekend.