Thursday, November 24, 2011 Thanksgiving

  I spent all morning cooking, and that’s no fun on a small boat with no counter space, no room to maneuver, a fridge that is so small and deep, that everything has to come out each time I’m looking for something.  I made a double batch of cabbage salad (which was unnecessary because there was soooo much food), deviled eggs that would not peel (so I kept them for our table), and a gelatin cheesecake (only because that cream cheese had been in the fridge almost from the beginning) for us for later.

  At noon Ken and I dinghied over to the park to help set up.  All the tables inside were already claimed so we moved a round table on to the lee side of the building and set it for our group.  Lisa was coming from Ft Lauderdale to join us, and Katja and Geoff and Tom and Cathie would be at our table.  All the boaters converged at the park between 1:30 and 2pm , tying off dinghies to the two small docks or pulling them onto the grass.  An estimate of 150 of us turned out for an amazing buffet of food.  We pigged out and drank our fill of wine (everyone supplied their own), then listened to the live music and talked to other cruisers.  We saw Burt and Prue from Exuberant and they’d been here a week and a half and we hadn’t even seen them! (oh, we were shopping—we didn’t run into them on the buses.)

  Late afternoon we came back to the boat where we could hear the music and eat that gelatin cheesecake. Yes, we apparently had room.  We took Lisa to the dinghy dock and came back and scratched our no-see-em bites.  My legs are peppered with bites.  There is a downside to paradise!

 

 

  

Vero Beach

  Vero Beach, also known as Velcro Beach, because it’s so hard to get away from here.  We’ll be relieved when we actually leave here, although we’ve definitely appreciated being here:  free bus service, wonderful marina where, for $13+ a night, we get the use of laundry facilities, showers, Captain’s lounge, a mooring ball, and to talk to other cruisers.

  We have been stocking the boat with as much stuff as we can use, although shopping in the Bahamas is not the problem it used to be.  There’s a huge market now in Marsh Harbour; Georgetown has a great market; and there are even supplies in the more remote areas.  Ken and I usually try to get the first bus out of the marina, 8:15am, and will go to the Miracle Mile Plaza to Publix, West Marine, and other stores, or take #1 bus to the hub, transfer to #2 bus and go out to the mall, Lowes, Target, or Walmart.  We do spend an inordinate amount of time on the bus, or waiting for a bus.  Then after a day of shopping or finishing a project, of course we need some downtime and will meet for happy hour at the local restaurant, Riverside, where we can take out dinghies and tie up to their dock, or on a boat.

  Boats have been coming and going, depending on the weather.  We were lucky to get in Thursday night before the strong winds hit the area.  The talk is always when the next weather window is and sailors will be chomping at the bit to get going and make it over to the Bahamas.  The first weather window is Tuesday, the 22nd, or Wednesday, the 23rd, so there was a parade of boats leaving Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.  And then there are boats coming in for Thanksgiving, so as boats are leaving, more are coming to replace them. 

  Sunday we walked the mile, or so, down to the beach, taking a side road where live oaks line the road, some with huge leafed vines going up the trunk and branches.  It’s like a jungle with all the different plants.  We could hear the surf before we saw the ‘white stallions’, yet we still saw boats in the distance heading south.  Nancy and Jim met us at Mulligan’s, driving up from West Palm Beach.  What a treat to see them and spend the afternoon with them!

  Monday after our usual early morning shopping, we waited to hear from Jan and Bob (Jany K) and spent the afternoon with them, visiting their condo on South Hutchison.  I was sold and would move there in a jiffy, if we didn’t have a house in VT to consider!  What a beautiful location and condo!  Then we came back to meet Geoff and Katja at Riverside.

  Tuesday started with our usual early morning shopping.  No matter how many times we go in, it seems  we’re always needing something else and will have to do another shopping trip in the morning!  We’re finally getting this bus system down pat!  One trip I made it to the hub with a group from the marina, and there was no room on the #2 bus to go to Walmart and the Indian River Mall!  We would have to wait an hour for the next bus!  The #9 bus driver beckoned us to come over and said to get on, that it was better to go w/him than stand around for an hour.  He took us to a stop where we caught the #8 bus to the mall.  With the holiday week, we were afraid every day might be like this, but they added and ‘Express’ bus to go to the mall and Walmart, and that helped.  See….our lives are being run by the bus schedule, and here we thought we could get away from this!

  Wednesday, another day of shopping—a long, tedious day of being on buses, changing our phone plan, walking from store to store—exhausting.  Only to cap it off with happy hour on Interlude!  I tell you, cruising is the life!  Oh….we’re stuck in Velcro Beach.  Well, having happy hour every night is the life!

Thursday Nov 17, 2011 Vero Beach mooring ball

  Listening to the weather on NOAA, it sounded forbidding with strong NE winds tomorrow and rough on the ICW.  Hailing Katja and Geoff, we again agreed to go for the SE corner behind the causeway of the Melbourne bridge where we’d be protected from the NE.  Once on our way Ken checked the radar and a huge band of storms were 50 miles north of us and moving south.  I hailed Blue Planet to see what they wanted to do and we agreed to confer again after going through the Addison Bridge.

  Once past the bridge we hashed over possibilities.  We were getting a big push from the current and we could possibly go to Vero Beach even with our late start.  I called the marina to ask if there’d be a mooring ball for tonight and said we might be arriving late.  They would have one waiting for us, although we’d have to raft with another boat, making 3 on the mooring ball, which is norm for the busy Thanksgiving.  We agreed to confer again once near the Melbourne bridge. We’d pulled out the jib and were getting a boost from that, plus the boost from the current, so we agreed to go to Vero.  There would be no possibilities of anchoring, so it was a go, and we were hoping we’d be there before dark.  We hailed the marina a mile away and they told us our mooring and the boat we’d raft to, and we were able to pull in and get situated just as it turned dark.  Whew!  It was a long hard day sitting in that cockpit all day, reading a book, with the sun beating down!!

 

  

Wednesday, Nov 16, 2011 Titusville anchorage

  As we were preparing to leave, one large sailboat motored past and yelled at Ken that the anchorage got shallower every year.  There were numerous boats anchored without any sign of crew, and one sailboat was listing at low tide.  We were happy to leave and took off about 7:20am.

  Going around Ponce Inlet 'Vulcan' was hailing Blue Planet, but they didn’t respond so I answered the hail.  The skipper proceeded to say how he went aground on that same shoal when leaving St. Augustine and we were joking about needing to read instructions.  Then on to George Musson Memorial Bridge where it opens every 20 minutes, only I’d forgotten about that and thought it was on request, so we had to putter around for nearly 20 minutes.

  Motored on through Mosquito Lagoon and the Haulover Canal Bascule Bridge where numerous little fishing boats were anchored.  Coming up in the spring of 2009 we’d seen wild flamingoes on the island, but none this fall.  We love all the birds.  The terns soar around then will flutter just above the water before they make a straight dive in and out.  The brown pelicans plunge into the water with a belly flop which looks like it could hurt until I read they have air pockets in their breasts that they inflate before the dive.

  On into the Indian River and the anchorage at Titusville.  The marina had put in a mooring field that takes up some of the anchorage area, but there is plenty of room north of it. We anchored by a boat that looked like it had been abandoned with torn sailcovers.

It was a beautiful, hot, sunny day and a beautiful evening.

Tues, Nov 15, 2011 Daytona anchorage

  There was no fog.  Katja and Geoff were off for showers.  We hauled out the dinghy motor and put the dinghy on the deck and were ready to leave, heading out about 7:50.  I was at the helm and immediately grounded us on a shoal right outside the mooring field.  To my credit, there was no indication of it on the chart plotter, but Skipper Bob mentioned it and Geoff said he’d been warned of it when he stopped at the dock.  And we were aground!, in less than 4’, and we draw about 4 ½ feet.  So….we sat there.  And sat there.  I called the marina and they said back out into the mooring field.  We tried that every few minutes and would really gun it on a passing wake, to no avail.  Finally we figured we were backing into the shoal and Ken went forward and got us off, after an hour of rising tide.  We knew we could get off eventually with the 5’ tide, but didn’t want to wait forever.  We were even considering staying another day, if it got any later.

  Florida is a straight shot south, which is nice because progress is fast, but it tends to be rather boring.  We had 4 bascule bridges to go through but all were accommodating and fast.  Came into the anchorage field south of the Memorial Bridge and anchored next to Blue Planet.  There was only 8-9 feet of depth, not the 14 feet shown on the chart plotter.  It was a beautiful, calm, peaceful night.

Monday, Nov 14, 2011 St Augustine

  Let’s see.  Went into the marina early and then out to breakfast at a little café on Avenida Menendez.  Checked out where the internet café was at Casa Monica Hotel.  Ken asked the marina personnel about discarding oil—they have a place at the marina.  After working on the blog and Ken fixing the ‘looky bucket’ and eating lunch, we went back to post the blog at the internet café and met Katja and Geoff there.

  We agreed to meet at a pizzeria for supper and were there at happy hour when drinks were 2 for 1 and 10” pizzas were $5 off plus they gave each of us a free slice of pizza!!  Talk about a deal!!  And it looked like the word was out to all the boaters.  Debi and Kevin from Grace were stopping at a bar across from the marina for raspberry beer so we had to stop there, also.

  We talked about what to do in the morning, whether to plan on spending another day in St Augustine with a dense fog predicted in the morning, or continue on.  The consensus was to check it out in the morning and make a decision then.

Sunday, Nov 13, 2011 St Augustine mooring ball

  We dawdled around until 9am leaving only 1 boat in the anchorage, and it looked like they were planning on staying.  It was high tide and everything was flooded, the ICW impossible to discern without the markers.  I called St Augustine Municipal Marina to see what side of the Bridge of Lions our mooring balls would be.  I’d requested the south side to get us through the bridge, and they appointed us #16 and #17 on the south side.

  We debated whether to try to make the 11am opening of the bridge, and finally made a run for it, as well as a sailboat can make a run for it, although we did get the benefit of the current coming in from St Augustine Sound and went through the bridge with a large trawler.  Blue Planet went to the dock first and we headed to our mooring.  After lunch we headed into the marina to sign up, take showers, do laundry, and catch up on the internet, only to find the marina’s internet was defunct.

  Later we went out for supper at the A1A Ale House then walked around historic St Augustine, but were in for the night at 7:30.  We could hear partying all around us and the dinghy dock was full of late (?) revelers.

  Oh, waiting for Ken and to do the laundry, a mother manatee and baby were under one of the dock bridges.  We’d never seen them so close and they looked like 2 blobs, the mother huge, over 1000 pounds.  We were all gawking down at them, and would see the baby come up for air, but the mother didn’t move.  Much later I saw through the lounge window her flipping her tail and leaving. 

 

  

Saturday, Nov 12, 2011 Pine Island anchorage

  Leaving early, 7am, we motored out the anchorage past 2 boats at the entrance, a large trawler and sailboat that looked like they’d come in from the Atlantic.  The trawler weighed anchor and passed us in Cumberland Sound and headed out to the Atlantic.  We stopped at Fernandina Harbor Marina for fuel and water and to discard our garbage.  It was early and a beautiful day and we decided we’d try for this anchorage instead of the nearer one at Ft George River.  I hailed Richard on Kilissa to get his advice about this anchorage and he said it had good depth on entrance and in the anchorage.

  Through Sisters Creek Bascule Bridge into the St Johns River, and on under 2 hi-rise bridges with very strong current.  Boats were anchored before the 2^nd bridge to wait for slack tide.  The current was so strong, we were down to 2.4mph before we got through.  One boat said there were waves 3 feet high when they saw a boat pass, so they anchored and ate lunch and waited.

  We knew we were in Florida through the long straight canal with huge homes on one side, some with screened in yards.  We came in here seeing no less than 10 feet at the entrance and anchored in 9 feet with one boat in front of us and one boat behind, with Blue Planet between.  Our last beautiful, secluded, unique anchorage!—until the Bahamas, anyway.  It was a beautiful evening only marred by a loud open small helicopter buzzing past.  All of us sailors stood in our cockpits and waved to the pilot.

  I made a l pot meal out of James Barber’s One Pot Wonders.  And plugged up the sink with the sand from the Cumberland shells.  Ken had to use the air horn to unplug it—which worked!!  I never did tell him how it got plugged.  Shhh.

Friday, Nov 11, 2011 (11/11/11) Cumberland Island anchorage

Happy birthday, Morgan!

  I was up early to light the alcohol stove and check the anchorage.  All 3 of us boats had weathered the wind and were sitting in the same spots.  The morning was calm and sunny.  We heard the moorings in Fernandina Beach were miserable with 3 foot waves coming into the mooring field.  We were much better off in our little anchorage.

  We left the anchorage late morning and anchored across from the Sea Camp Ranger Station.  After we got settled, a whole line of boats came into the anchorage.  We ate lunch then launched the dinghy and went ashore.  The Ranger Station was closed for the season but there was a ferryload of school children and other children camping.  We saw no armadillos—do they hibernate??  Walked to Dungeness Ruins and saw horses all over the fields.  Then on to the cemetery and beach where the walkways took us past some marsh at low tide and a large flock of egrets and ibis were feeding in a tidal pool.  I also saw a ray stirring up the mud and coming up to feed.

  Walked along the beach and gathered shells, Shark Eye, Lightning Whelk, and Fig Whelk.  Lots of horseshoe crabs of all sizes washed up along with the shells.  Children were playing in the surf, some in jeans and shirts.  We took the long walk up the Sea Camp Beach then through the forest of live oaks laden with Spanish moss, almost blocking out the light.  After a rest in the rocking chairs at the Ranger Station, we converged on Blue Planet for drinks.  It was a beautiful, calm, peaceful night—quite a change from the previous night.

Thursday, November 10th, 2011 Delaroche Creek anchorage

  Another early start to get the benefit of the high tide and through the trouble spots, we hoped.  Little Mud River, the notorious trouble spot of Georgia, gave us no problem at high tide, with the water overflowing its banks.  We saw nothing less than 12’, but with an 8 ½’ tide, that would make it less than 4’ at low tide.  White birds were conspicuously perched in the trees—mostly ibis but also some egrets.  A bald eagle regally sat on a high branch.  And white pelicans were sunning on the banks.  A large,50’, trawler passed us on the Mackay River and we later heard them being boarded by the Coast Guard, something that happens on a regular basis for them to check safety gear, or whatever they want.

  Through Buttermilk Sound and on down the Mackay River where we had planned to drop the hook, only it was early and I suggested we continue.  Geoff was worried about the tide in Jekyll Creek.  I said we’d be ahead of them and give them the depths.  Through St Simons Sound and into Jekyll.  It wasn’t low tide yet, but the entrance was ominous with exposed oyster beds and rocks.  We stayed on VHF channel 17 and I relayed the depths as we went through with no less than 7+ feet, but mostly around 12 feet.  Jekyll Island looked inviting with the mansions and beautiful beaches and boats were at the marina, tied down for the impending strong north winds. 

  Through Jekyll Sound then almost out into the ocean to get through St Andrews Sound, but all was sunny and calm until we turned into Cumberland River and the wind started kicking up with black clouds in the west.  We were debating what river to drop the hook and had some advice from another boat to go into here.  None of them were going to give much wind protection being streams surrounded by marsh, although they would be protected from building waves.  A large trawler also came into the anchorage and I wondered how well they’d fare in the 30K predicted winds with a small craft advisory on the ICW.

Wednesday, Nov 9th, 2011 New Teakettle Creek anchorage

  We left early to catch the high tide through Hells Gate.  As you can imagine, just the name scares boaters.  At high tide, it was no problem.  On through the long Sapelo Sound into Creighton Narrows and here.  It was a short day. 

  The anchorage was beautiful.  A powerboat came in and anchored farther on and all we could see was the top of it over the marsh, looking like they were sitting right in the middle of the marsh.  2 other sailboats came in.

  Traveling the ICW, the VHF radio is the means of communication, and channel 16 is the channel of distress, safety and calling frequency. The United States Coast Guard will regularly transmit information, saying:  ‘Securite, securite, securite.  All stations, all stations, all stations.  This is the United States Coast Guard (Charleston) sector.  This is the United States Coast Guard (Charleston) sector.  This is the United States Coast Guard (Charleston) sector.  Break.  Information regarding the (Charleston Harbor) will be transmitted on channel 22 alpha.’  Then you go to channel 22 and listen to the broadcast.  Sounds like a foolproof plan.  The only problem is most of it is completely incomprehensible with loud echoing in the background, or the person talking too fast, there is no way to follow it.  If there’s an emergency broadcast, the Coast Guard will say the same, except start it with ‘Pan pan, pan pan, pan, pan.’  One would think this would perk up any boater, only usually, again, the message is incomprehensible.  ‘Mayday’ is used when there is grave and imminent danger and immediate assistance is needed.

Tuesday Nov 8th, 2011 Vernon River, GA anchorage

  We weighed anchor at 8am and came onto the ICW right as a barge was coming towards us.  Luckily it was wide at that part of the river, but I would not want to meet them in any narrow section, like Fields Cut, our first narrow section of the day.  A large trawler overtook us in Fields Cut, and then stopped cold just as he got into the Savannah River.  We couldn’t see what was going on, and were about to overtake him when a large containership came around the corner!  We quickly backtracked.

  On to our first bridge of the day, Causton Bluff Bascule Bridge, which is on demand and seemed very accommodating.  And on past Thunderbolt Marina where Mirabella V was docked.  Her mast is so tall, I heard she was unable to get under the Golden Gate Bridge!, and she charters for $250,000/wk plus fuel and food!!

  The second and last bridge in Georgia was Skidaway Narrows Bascule Bridge, and we could see they were replacing it with a hi-rise.  Then on to this anchorage up the Vernon River by the little village of Beaulieu where the trees sheltered us from the strong north wind.

Monday Nov 7th, 2011 New River, SC anchorage

  We’d decided to leave late, 10am, to get some help with the current down the Beaufort River and still have good tide most of the way.  It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny, and going around Hilton Head seeing a beautiful beach and impressive homes was nice.  A large cruise boat was coming into the Sound.  Then on past Daufuskie Island (gullah for ‘the first key’), through narrow Ramshorn Creek, around the long shoal and into here, a perfect wide anchorage, with not much protection from wind, just marsh and grass, but very peaceful.

  Later at dusk the cruise boat came through the ICW, so wide, we wondered how it could get through the cuts.  We saw its lights slowly moving over the marshland towards Savannah.  And Savannah’s lights shone in the distance.  Two more boats came into the anchorage, one a solo sailor in a small boat with no dodger or bimini for protection on his way to the Bahamas. 

Sunday, Nov 6th, 2011, Port Royal Landing

  It was a day of shopping.  We all went to Super Walmart, West Marine, Piggly Wiggly, then over the bridge to Grayco Hardware on Ladys Island to fill G&K’s propane tank.  As soon as we got back, I started making pizzas so we’d have enough for supper and lunch tomorrow and our propane ran out!  Ken ran into Grayco again and got our tank filled.  The Port Royal Landing Marina is very generous with their courtesy cars…well, trucks.

  Katja and I went over Georgia and a schedule so we’d be at the trouble spots at high tide.  Tom from Perseverence2 stopped by to ask if we’d meet them at Back Porch Grille at 5pm.  We all had a great time telling war, oops, I mean, sailing stories.

Saturday, November 5th, 2011 Port Royal Landing

  Awful night.  Due to the strong north wind and the current, the boat got butt slapped until about 2am when the tide changed.  It sounded like the boat was going to fall apart.  Ken looked to see if we could move the boat, but without help, there was no way.  I fell asleep early and woke when it grew quiet!, then didn’t sleep well after that.  I waited until dawn to walk the long dock to the shower.

  When I came back 2 deckhands, Ken, Geoff, and Katja were turning Blue Planet to put her bow into the wind and decrease the butt slapping.  It was all they could do to hold the boat, but they managed and it was a relief for them and the boat to be pointed into the wind.  Then it was Plumpuppet’s turn, and I panicked!  There was no way I wanted to be a part of bringing her around the end of the dock, near the bridge pilings, buffeted by the winds and the current, onto the inside.  I grabbed the backpack, stuffed in the computer, and left for the marina office.  Poor Katja was left to hand the lines to the men, but Ken said it was easy.  They held the bow at the end of the dock, the wind and waves pushed the stern out, Ken motored out and they pulled him around and the wind pushed him over to the dock.  By the time I got back, Ken had the electric reconnected and the boat buttoned down.

  We four took the courtesy car, or truck, into Beaufort and walked around the historical district looking at the impressive antebellum homes.  And then on to some shopping and back to the marina.  We met a family with 2 girls on their way to the Bahamas.  Blue Planet came into a protected slip close to us.  Later we all went to the First Annual Beaufort Pirate Festival at Back Porch Grill where most everyone, but us, was dressed in outrageous pirate costumes and a live band played outside in the cold and wind.  We stood under a propane heater and listened to the music.

 

Friday, November 4th, Port Royal Landing Marina

  When we finally actually got up about 6am, I noticed the boat next to us was gone, and we thought they’d left early, which we thought would be too early to allow for the tide at the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cut.  Oh well.

  Later Geoff hailed us and asked if we saw where the boat had dragged past us during the night, so we looked out our little peephole in the companionway boards and there they were!  Right behind us!  Luckily they didn’t drag into us during the night!  They were in the process of reanchoring.  Later they were not too far from Blue Planet when they came out into the Coosaw River, and the waves must have stirred up the sediment in their fuel tank which caused the motor to stop, and they had to anchor right there in the wild Coosaw!  After TowBoat US towed them here, we noticed their jib was chewed up.  They did not have a good day!

  On NOAA on the VHF gusts of 35K were reported in the South Edisto River, right where we were going.  Again, to allow for some tide, we got underway at 10am, with Blue Planet a little after us, allowing for some strong gusts to pass before they weighed anchor.  The South Edisto was windy but the waves weren’t too big, so it wasn’t bad.  It was skinny at Fenwick Cut and we hailed Blue Planet to warn them to stay on the green side.  Then on to the Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoffs.  The first was fine with plenty of water, but the second was very shallow with a reading of only 5’8” at the end going into the Coosaw.  I warned Geoff to slow down and we got out into the Coosaw where the strong NW wind had built the waves and we’d plow right into them and they’d crash over our dodger.  Ken went below to don all his foulies and goggles, even putting handwarmers in his Gill foul weather gloves.  6 miles of that slosh and we were sick of it.

  Finally we turned into Brickyard Creek and came to Ladies Island Swing Bridge which only opens on the hour now, and not at 8am, noon, or 5pm.  At least it opens!!  Last time we came south it was closed for a day and we went into the Ladies Island Marina for a night.  We hailed Port Royal Landing and they put us on the outside dock.  They’d offered an inside dock but with the wind and the current and so near the bridge abutments, we were leery of turning the tight corner into it.

  After Blue Planet came in and tied up behind us, we all met at the Back Porch Grille for drinks and appetizers and to hash over our experiences for the day.  One couple introduced themselves and we’d recognized them from the VHF.  They’d made it to the Ladies Island Swing Bridge right after 11am and had to wait until 1pm for the next opening.  10 minutes before, their motor stopped and they threw out an anchor and had to call TowBoat US to tow them here.

  Later that night an Island Packet sailboat came in to tie up at the dock.  They were headed outside but said they were being beaten up by the wind and waves, so turned around to dock for the night.  We are going to be here 3 nights, taking the marina up on their 3 for 2 special. 

 

Thursday, November 3rd, South Edisto River anchorage

  This morning was a 10am departure to allow for some higher tide.  We went through the Wappoo Creek Bascule Bridge, and then followed the line of boats through Elliott Cut where we zoomed through at 8K.  Then on down the magenta line to this anchorage where 5 boats, including us two, anchored.  The weather was predicted to deteriorate with the wind clocking around from the south to the NW and we woke up at 3am to screeching winds and loud waves buffeting the boat.  Everytime either one of us would get up, we’d check the anchor lights of all the boats around us to see if we were dragging, and all seemed in place.

Wednesday, Nov 2nd, City Marina, Charleston

  We followed Subtil out the creek and Kitty Hawk, another sailboat, came up behind us.  It was a little shallow at DeeWees Creek, but fine after that.  Dolphins were playing in the water and would swim beside our boat.  All of us converged at the Ben Sawyer Swing Bridge and Kitty Hawk hailed the bridgetender.  I think it’s the same bridgetender as last time with the attitude:  ‘Like I said, Captain, as soon as all of you boats north of the bridge get here, I’ll open it.’  None of us made a peep after that.

  When all of us got up to the bridge and we went through, I said, ‘Plumpuppet clear. Thanks for the opening.’  Then I hear, ‘Plumpuppet, what are the names of the 2 sailboats in front of you?’  I tell her ‘Kitty Hawk and Subtil’.  Then she asks me the name of the 2^nd boat again, so I spell ‘Subil’.  Neither boat chimed in.  Blue Planet identified themselves.

  We proceeded across Charleston Harbor and hailed City Marina.  They met us on the long, 3000+ft megadock and we both tied up on the outside, which was fine and not too bumpy for the night.

  After showers and lunch we met in town and checked out some galleries, ate at the Noisy Oyster, and stopped at a few of the numerous churches.  Jan and Bob called to say they’d arrived at the City Marina so we stopped there for a drink before going to our boats at the end of the long megadock, past all the mega yachts, many 150’ long!

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 Whiteside Creek anchorage

  We left at 9am to let the tide rise a little.  It was skinny, 7feet, just getting out of Minim Creek into the ICW, and again at Fourmile Creek Canal, where we stayed too far to the green and a sailboat met us under sail at the turn!  And here there were 4 boats southbound in that strong north wind!

  Across from McClellanville we noted where we’d grounded coming up last time (due to our fault—cut the corner and were on the wrong side of the marker).  We came into Whiteside Creek at high tide, which is confusing because there are no indications where the banks are.  Last time we’d come in at low tide and watched the oyster catchers on the banks.  This time we’d see them fly by and hear their ‘ghee, ghee, ghee’ cry, but were sorry Katja and Geoff would not see their bright red bills picking among the oysters.  Two other boats came into the anchorage, one, Subtil, that we’d met at Elizabeth City.

Monday, October 31st, Halloween! Minim Creek anchorage

  We followed Bob and Jan in Jany K out into the ICW with Blue Planet after us.  Traversed the remote Waccamaw River where there had been huge rice plantations before the Civil War, but nothing remained of them.  Ships would come into the river with round ‘Belgian stones’ as ballast and would remove that along the banks to put in the rice.  None of the stones could be seen at high tide and most have been removed, some used in the cobblestone streets in Charleston.  We did see a bald eagle. 

  Through Winyaw Bay pass Georgetown where we heard on the VHF the anchorage was full, then into the Western Channel (no alligators—must be too cold) and a 90 degree right turn into Estherville Minim Creek Canal.  The anchoring was tricky with the north wind in one direction and the current in the other.  Ken said the anchor was sitting side saddle.

  The batteries weren’t charging and Ken had to replace a broken wire on the alternator.  It was very cold and windy outside but toasty inside because I made porkchops and steamed veggies.

Sunday October 30th, 2011 Osprey Marina

  Very cold…saw 30 on the boat with frost on the sailcover in the morning.  Put in some washing then Miles, the dockmaster, offered to drive us to the grocery story.  Katja and I took him up on it and he regaled us with stories coming and going.  Yesterday after a 9hour day, I didn’t know my starboard from my port and had directions from Miles how to get into the marina.  I was trying to relay directions to Geoff and got it all mixed up, finally telling him to just follow us in.  Miles had been following the conversation and hailed Blue Planet to give him precise directions, which was good.  He was impressed with me getting into the slip, though.  It was a tight squeeze with only 1 boat separating us from the bank and I gently brought the boat right in there.  He was calling me Captain Ron after that…..

  I asked everyone over to our boat for happy hour.  The boat was spotless and I’d made hot artichoke dip.  Even though it was chilly, we stayed in the cockpit, eventually bringing out blankets and even the little heater.