June 4, 2014

We took it easy this morning as we waited for the traffic restrictions to expire on bridges we will encounter on the way to Portsmouth. We caught the 9AM lock through at the Great Bridge Lock. It was a short run from there to the Steel Bridge where we had to wait for the opening.

The wait at the Steel Bridge was nothing compared to what we experienced next. We arrived at the Gilmerton Bridge with 2 other sailboats only to find the #7 Norfolk & Southern railway bridge in a half closed position and maintenance personnel working on it. The Gilmerton Bridge operator suggested we contact N&S to find out when they would open for river traffic. Attempts to contact N&S via VHF were unsuccessful. After waiting almost a half hour, the Gilmerton operator called on the radio and said the N&S would be opening shortly. It took another twenty minutes before they raised the bridge to fully open. The Gilmerton operator opened immediately and we proceeded onward.

As we were approaching the Belt Line railroad bridge, we heard an announcement that it would be closing in approximately 15 minutes. I pushed the throttle to the limit in hopes we could beat the closing. We were almost to the bridge when I saw the large pulleys at the top of the towers start to rotate. We could not make it safely, so we did a quick 180 and idled back to sit and wait again.

The bridge lowered and the train appeared on the far shore. Instead of continuing on, the train stopped, someone got out and proceeded to walk across the bridge with the train slowly following. It seemed to take forever for the train to clear the bridge. A slow lift of the bridge followed and we were allowed to proceed, but only a short distance.

The next obstacle was an inbound cargo ship which we cleared by staying way right which really upset the Navy security boat at the ship yard. Clearing the ship yard, we then encountered a Navy Riverine group of 3 boats practicing for a demonstration at the upcoming Harborfest. Boy did those boats ever have the river churned up. Again we stayed way right and got by them.

The remaining quarter mile to our marina was uneventful except for a quick stop to chat with John and do a pumpout at the Portsmouth Boating Center. 

No wind and no current made docking easy as we entered our slip. Lines were made fast, shore power connected and it was beer all around. We are home!

 

 

June 3, 2014

We got an early start this morning even though we only plan on a thirty mile day. We departed the marina with a little current assistance, but it only lasted until we entered the Currituck Sound. We did manage some motor sailing which helped stabilize the boat as we quartered into some 2 foot waves. Add lots of fetch and the shallows of the Currituck and you get waves with a short period of 2 seconds and that ain’t comfortable.

Things became much calmer as we reached the upper section of the North Landing River. We jockeyed our speed to time the North Landing Bridge, Centerville Turnpike Bridge and the Great Bridge Bridge.

 
After passing through the Great Bridge bridge, we pulled over and stopped just before the Great Bridge Lock. We called it a travel day and took the rest of the day off.
 

 

 

We’re almost home.

Start: 0650

Stop: 1310
Distance Traveled: 37 miles
Avg Speed: 6.0 mph
Max Speed: 7.7 mph
Location: Great Bridge, Chesapeake, VA MM 12

 

June 2, 2014
I am awake early. The winds are light and ENE. They are predicted to remain light, so all the cruisers are eager to get moving. We grab some coffee and get underway.
 
Out on the ICW, we push onward hoping the winds do not increase or switch back to the NE. If they do, it’s going to be a long bumpy day. The wind did shift back to the NE after we were about two-thirds across the Albemarle Sound. Thankfully, they remained light and we were able to slip into the North River without any difficulties.
 
We contacted Midway Marina and secured space on their face dock for the evening. We arrived shortly before 1PM and enjoyed the remainder of the day as downtime. Being Monday, Crabbie’s Restaurant was closed so we had to rough-it and prepare our own dinner, something we normally don’t do here.

Here’s an interesting sight from the Midway docks.
 

It was a short day, but we’re getting closer to home.
 
Start: 0700
Stop: 1246
Distance Traveled: 35 miles
Location: Midway Marina, Coinjock, NC MM 49

June 1, 2014
We got a late start from Dowry. The plan was to cruise about thirty some miles and anchor at the south end of the Alligator River. Today was not the day for plans to work out.

We had one exciting event coming through the Alligator-Pungo Canal. We sighted a pretty good sized black bear. He was near the water’s edge when he spotted us. He turned and raced up the bank and back in to some tall grass and trees. Boy could he move. Don’t think I could out run one of these guys.

The wind never made the forecasted shift so we had wind on the nose in the canal. Actually we had two foot roller waves meeting us head on the last couple of miles in the canal. When we exited the canal, it was immediately apparent that we were not going to use any of the several anchorages there. Anchoring meant we would have endured a miserable night on the hook so we continued up the Alligator River toward the marina just on the north side of the bridge. Phone service is almost non-existent in the area so we waited until we were almost there to contact the marina. Fortunately, they had space for us.

 
When we arrived, we met several other cruisers who had been at Dowry Creek the night before. We decided to do a group dinner at the little restaurant there. We dined and Miss Wanda (owner) stopped by to say hello and chat with us. The food was good, the company excellent and a good time was had by all.
 
We retired for the evening with cool temperatures, the wind still out of the NE, a forecast for light ENE winds in the morning. Hope the forecasters are better than the ones we had today.

Start: 0800

Stop: 1600
Distance Traveled: 58 miles
Avg Speed 7.2 mph
Location: Alligator River Marina, NC, MM 81

May 31, 2014

We’re up early and already the northerly breeze is kicking up. Not what we want since we are traveling the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers today. Northerly winds make for a lumpy ride. The humidity and temperature is low and I am again wearing a sweatshirt and shorts.

We get to do some motor sailing and it helps our overall speed. As the morning wears on, the winds increase, waves build and our discomfort increases. As we reach the turning mark and enter the Bay River our sailing ends for a while. As the Bay River narrows and becomes enclosed by riverside forests, the waters calm until we cross the Pamlico River. It’s a bumpy ride across.

We reach the Pungo River and are near our destination, Dowry Creek Marina. We are running low on diesel in our main tank and I have emptied the jerry cans a couple of days ago. We arrive as the winds peak for the day. Cross winds at the fuel dock…fun, fun.

We dock portside to and are immediately pinned to the dock. We refuel, fill the jerry cans, and after four attempts manage to perform a pumpout. Then with the help of the staff, we were able to get away from the dock and move to a slip, again fighting a very strong cross wind.

We have just enough time to square away the boat before the usual Dowry Creek Happy Hour. There were about twenty boaters present and we had a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Later we showered and retired to the boat for a restful evening.

Start: 0700

Stop: 1530
Distance Traveled: 56 miles
Location: Dowry Creek Marina, Belhaven, NC, MM 131

May 30, 2014

We were up early and I contacted the Marine Range Control to make sure the ICW was not going to be closed due to live fire exercises. Assured there were no scheduled closures, we weighed anchor and was the second boat out of the anchorage. We passed through the Onslow Beach Bridge, the range and headed on toward Swansboro.

The weather turned cloudy, gray and much cooler. I even pulled out a sweatshirt and put it on. Later as light sprinkles set in, the sweatshirt felt even better under a light slicker.

We had planned to stop in Morehead City, but our early arrival caused us to revisit that decision. We decided to save the expense of a marina and continued on toward an anchorage in Cedar Creek.

We bucked a strong tidal current in Core Creek which really slowed our progress. Despite this, we arrived at the Cedar Creek anchorage around 1645. A houseboat and a trawler were already anchored. Later two more sailboats and another trawler joined the group.

We do have a new problem though. The mast head anchor light has decided to stop working. We will use the backup low hanging unit to make it home. No sense climbing the mast if we are just a few days from home.

Start: 0715

Stop: 1645
Distance Traveled: 59 miles
Avg Speed: 6.2 mph
Max Speed: 8.7 mph
Location: Cedar Creek, NC, MM 187

May 29, 2014
We were up early and caught the first scheduled opening of the Wrightsville Bridge. We were able to ride the tide and made good time. Otherwise, the day was a typical ICW day. Leave early, run hard, drop the hook and call it a day.

We arrived at Mile Hammock Bay and were the first boat there. That was unusual. Sailboaters are usually the late arrivals. Trawlers and motor yachts typically get a late start, pass everybody and arrive at the destination first.

We were later joined by 2 more sailboats and 3 trawlers. We all experienced a calm night as the marines were not conducting maneuvers.

Start: 0700

Stop: 1530
Distance Traveled: 39 miles
Location: Mile Hammock Bay, NC, MM 244

May 28, 2014

Boy, what a night. Thunderstorms were all around us on the radar. They finally reached us a little after midnight. There was a lot of heavy rain coming. Thankfully, the temperature dropped before the rain arrived otherwise it would have been miserable inside the boat.

I awoke when the rain started and closed everything up tight. Then I did my usual check for leaks. Satisfied we were ok for the moment; I lay back down and tried to sleep but it was a while in coming. Then about 0230 hrs, a second thunderstorm and rain hit us. This one was more violent and the rains were heavier. More lost sleep!

At 0500 I was awakened by thunder again. This cell seemed to be moving off shore. I’m awake now so it’s make the coffee and get ready to be underway. We need to leave Southport by 0700 so we can ride the tide/current up the Cape Fear River, through Snow’s Cut and over to Carolina Beach.

We don’t plan to travel far as more violent weather is expected anytime from midday to mid-afternoon. There is a fishing tournament going on up at Wrightsville Beach and the marinas are full so we will probably anchor near there. Actually, there aren’t many anchorages between Southport and Morehead City, a distance of over a hundred miles.

We get underway and are really moving at 8+ mph or more running up the river. We reach Carolina Beach and continue on towards Wrightsville following two other sailboats. I call just to see if any slips are available and what do you know, Dockside Marina’s fuel dock is shut down and they say we can tie up there for the night.  

We arrive about 1030 hrs and tie up to the fuel dock. Their pumps are bagged over and a sign says “No Fuel”. Couldn’t get a straight answer about the fuel, but the situation is good for us.

A little after noon, we decided to have lunch at the Dockside Restaurant. We split some BBQ, have a couple of brews and Donna discovers they have Banana Pudding, so we split a desert too. Naturally, after all that, it’s time for a short nap back on the boat.

We spend the rest of the afternoon reading, washing the boat and planning tomorrow’s travels. Oh, BTW, those violent midday storms never materialized. The evening storms look very promising though.

Start: 0710
Stop: 1030
Distance Traveled: 27 miles
Avg Speed: 7.1 mph
Max Speed: 10.3 mph
Location: Dockside Marina, Wrightsville Beach, NC, MM 283

May 27, 2014
The plan is to reach Southport, NC today. There are a couple of trouble spots we have to negotiate, but they were dredged over the winter and reports say these spots are still in good shape. Donna is still under the weather, but she is improving.

We get underway and are immediately presented with two swing bridges that are slow to open. The second bridge operator insists on delaying the opening for over twenty minutes to allow a slow moving vessel a couple of miles back to reach the bridge.

We move on toward the Little River inlet. Here we depart SC and enter NC. We also pick up some wind which allows us to motor sail. We are running hard against the current and the motor sailing helps keep our speed up.

We arrive at Shallotte Inlet just before low tide and pass through with no problems other than white knuckles and a death grip on the wheel and throttle lever. A few miles later we arrive at Lockwood’s Folly Inlet and endure the same kind of passage. Breathing a great sigh, we move on toward Southport. The wind increases steadily and by the time we get there it’s blowing 15-17 and gusting to 23 mph. Docking is a zig-zag course through the marina to get to our assigned slip. Thankfully, there are two dock hands there to grab our lines and get us secured to the dock.

Showers and dinner make both of us feel better. Tomorrow is questionable as there is a weather change coming.

Start: 0800

Stop: 1510
Distance Traveled: 44 miles
Avg Speed: 6.3 mph
Max Speed: 9.2 mph
Location: Southport Marina, Southport, NC, MM 309

May 26, 2014
We’re up before daybreak again. This could turn into a habit. We want to catch the last bit of incoming tide and ride the current up the Waccamaw River to Myrtle Beach. We find plenty of water, depth wise, in the Esterville-Minim cut. We catch a good boost when we enter Winyah Bay and head toward Georgetown.

As we pass Georgetown, cruisers who have overnighted there are heading for the mouth of the Waccamaw. This river is probably some of the most enjoyable part of our entire journey. Being it is Memorial Day, there is lots of boats full of fishermen, jet skis and people out joy riding.

We make good time and decide to pass by the oxbow we anchored in on the trip south. Instead we headed for that crown jewel of rip-off outlet stores, Barefoot Landing.  It appears Donna needs a shopping fix. We arrive in mid-afternoon in just enough time for Donna to have a little shopping time and for me to do a little catch-up work around the boat.

Start: 0610

Stop: 1435
Distance Traveled: 62 miles
Avg Speed: 6.8 mph
Max Speed: 8.9 mph
Location: Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach, SC, MM 353

May 25, 2014

We’re up before daybreak. Coffee gets the system pumping as we prepare to jump on the current and depart. As usual, with no audience, we perform flawlessly. As we enter the channel, we watch the sun rising from behind the aircraft carrier over at Patriot’s Point. What a sight!

We are just ahead of the high tide cycle so we pass through several trouble spots with plenty of water beneath us. On we go, passing the Ben Sawyer Bridge and out into the Cape Romain marshlands. Don't know if you can see it, but that's an eagle sitting on the shore. Double click the photo to enlarge it.

We pass through the McClellanville area “shallows” without even one bump. Nice of the CG and ACOE to let us know there is a shoal here.

We can’t make it to Georgetown without running the Esterville-Minim cut at low water so we decide to anchor in Minim Creek. We are boat number two in the creek. Rose Anna, a Shucker, is a familiar sight from Stuart. We’re in good company.

Location: Minim Creek, near Georgetown, SC, MM 415

Start: 0615
Stop: 1530
Avg Speed: 5.5 mph
Max Speed: 8.4 mph
Distance Traveled: 52.7 miles

May 23-24, 2014


We played tourists for a couple of days. Most importantly, we celebrated our 39th Wedding Anniversary. Unfortunately, Donna has contracted some kind of bug. She’s congested and has a horrible cough.

 Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

May 22, 2014

Today is the day. Our parts are in and the technician is supposed to be here at nine so Donna heads off on a shopping, site seeing tour.

Nine o’clock means sometime before noon hopefully and it’s about 1015 when the technician arrives. He has the shiny new parts already assembled, but, OH NO…one part is wrong! We have the end mount exhaust elbow and he has brought the side mount type. A quick call to the office and the correct part is on order…be here tomorrow. Just dandy!

The technician, his name is Chris, a nice young fellow, proceeds to remove the defective exhaust successfully. No broken bolts…YEA! He departs, taking the both exhaust assemblies with him. I’m thinking maybe he will try to salvage the old exhaust elbow.

Two hours later I get a call from the Bill, the service manager. They have found the new part we need on one of their service trucks and Chris is being sent back to finish the job. Being a suspicious type, I’m thinking they salvaged my old exhaust elbow, blasted it, painted it and are going to “sell” it back to me as a new part. Happily, I am proven wrong. Chris arrives with both the new and old exhaust assemblies, hands me the old, and then proceeds to install the new.  He has great difficulty installing the new exhaust hose, but finally gets it secured. The engine is cranked and it runs much quieter. We have water flow and no leaks…Woohoo! Chris is the man! Thank you Chris and Bill at the Charleston Boat Yard!

Donna returns with lots of bags, fortunately, they are groceries. We celebrate the engine success and decide to take advantage of the marina’s weekly rate, and essentially stay the next two days for free.

Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

May 21, 2014

We slept in a little, did the coffee routine, took showers and I did a little blog update. We watched a Carnival Cruise pull into the dock a little down the waterfront. It came by the entrance to the marina really close.

Donna wanted to go down to Market Street so we decided to visit Fleet Landing for lunch and then shop the shops nearby. Lunch was so-so. Typical fern bar type food with a view of the river. Ho-hum!

Shopping the old market buildings was also Ho-Hum! There were some unique items, but most were just more made in China stuff. All of it hugely overpriced.

The afternoon had really heated up and neither of us was up for a long walk back, so we boarded the free trolley back to the visitor’s center. It seemed like lots of folks had the same idea. At the center we changed trolleys and headed back to the Maritime marina. Back at the marina, we find new boaters have arrived and we now have neighbors again. We exchange a few pleasantries as they head out to tour the town.

Back on the boat, we relax and then take a nap. It’s a rough life.

Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

May 20, 2014
I’m up early. I make coffee and try to prepare myself mentally for the task of troubleshooting that infernal engine noise. But, the daily chores have to be done first. Empty the trash, fill the water tank, wash down the deck, etc., etc. Then it’s back to the engine problem.

A thorough visual check reveals nothing except a light layer of soot all over everything in the engine compartment. I have two thoughts, a belt or belts wearing excessively or an exhaust leak. I pretty much eliminated the belts yesterday so I start examining the exhaust system. It’s very hard to see in the back of the compartment so I remove the companionway steps, the portside access panel and the starboard side firewall next to the fridge. This allows more light in and gives me better access to the exhaust components. More inspection reveals a soot buildup  and a possible leak where the wet hose attaches to the mixing elbow. To confirm this I start the engine. Sure enough the noise is back and I detect hissing and air movement where the infamous Yanmar coupling joins the exhaust elbow to the mixing elbow. I think we have our problem and it won’t be an easy or cheap fix.

I bring out the repair and parts manuals and the computer for an internet parts search. I find it will take two to three days to get the five parts shipped, about $500 for the parts, express shipping costs plus my labor to fix the problem and that’s if there are no complications.

A call to the local Yanmar service group reveals they would also need to order two of the parts and they could have a Yanmar technician here on Thursday. They estimate the job will be finished in a couple of hours. I take the safe way out and employ the service group. A quick cleanup and Donna and I are back to playing tourist for the afternoon.

Donna has a set of brilliant ideas to get my mind off the engine situation. A mid-afternoon lunch at our favorite pizza place downtown, find a post office or mail box, and continue our walking tour of Charleston.

Mellow Mushroom’s House Pizza and brews are a hit. Being mid-afternoon, we almost have the place to ourselves.  The music is great and we leave stuffed and mellowed out. LOL! The second quest, a mail box, is a lofty goal. Have you tried to find a blue mail box on a street corner lately? We walked and walked and walked, searching in vain for a blue USPS drop box. Damn smart phones were absolutely no help. We finally gave up, boarded a free trolley and headed back toward the marina.

Near the marina, Donna announces we need to visit the Harris Teeter and stock up on some items that go off sale today. I start to object, but then learn beer is one of the items. We leave the trolley, and right there on the corner is a blue mailbox. Go figure.

It’s a two block walk to Harris Teeter, but then it’s about 4-5 blocks to the marina. Those two cases of beer sure got heavy before we made it back to the boat.

Turn on the TV, fall asleep, wake up and turn off TV. A long day is finally over.

 

Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

 

 

May 19, 2014

Charleston is one of Donna’s favorite places to visit. The town is still great, but this marina facility is not going to make it to my list of favorites.  Don’t get me wrong, it seems to have a lot of pluses, but it does have one big drawback. The marina has about 20 transient slips, a cordial and courteous staff, fuel and pumpout facilities and rates lower than the marinas on the Ashley River side. It is also within walking distance to a grocery, hardware store, restaurants and the historic district. So what’s the drawback? Wake/wave action in the basin/slips. It’s constant and at times violent! Combine a NE wind, lots of fetch on the river and ferry wakes and you could get seasick right in your slip. Sleep restfully at night? Only in the wee hours of the morning. Work on the engine this morning? FUGEDABOUTIT! 

That said and thinking things would quiet down in the evening; we decided to go sightseeing instead of looking at the engine. We did our version of a walking tour of the city including historic sites, churches, graveyards, the retail shops and restaurants along Market St, King St, Meeting Street and the Harris Teeter market near the marina.

Back at the boat after a long day of sightseeing and shopping, I tackled the engine. I removed all the belts and started the engine. The darn noise was still there. Now the noise seemed to be coming from the recesses of the dark backside of the engine compartment. Enough work for me today. To quote the oft used phrase, “Tomorrow is another day”.

Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

May 18, 2014

We had a quiet uneventful evening and awoke to another cool morning and winds out of the NE. We delay departure to allow the water to rise a bit and then head toward Charleston.

We reach the point where we are running against the tide coming in Stono River and our progress slows a bit. The current in Elliott’s Cut is horrific and our speed is cut to 1.9 mph. Somehow, we manage to arrive in time for the scheduled Wappoo Creek Bridge opening. It was only a short distance from there to the Ashley River and Charleston’s waterfront.

Lots of cruisers have told us we should stay at the Charleston Maritime Center which is about five miles further on the Cooper River side of Charleston.  We have reservations and dock around 1230. Tomorrow I will see if I can find out what is making that infernal noise.

Started: 0830

Stopped: 1230
Distance traveled: 23 miles
Avg Speed 5.7 mph
Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

May 17, 2014

We delayed departure from Beaufort to get some assist from the incoming tide and also to arrive at the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff at high tide. This trouble spot is a two part man-made cut with the southerly section being prone to shoaling. Our arrival and passage were pretty much uneventful.

However, we are experiencing, again,  some strange noise from the engine. It sounds sort of like a dry old belt rubbing against the sheave. I cannot seem to isolate the noise and elect to continue on toward Charleston and investigate it there.

We keep pushing northward trying to get as close to Charleston as possible. We pass through the Dawho River and experience extremely low water near White Point. Another eight miles beyond, we decide to stop in an old familiar anchorage, Church Creek. We find a trawler already anchored in our favorite spot and a private mooring ball in our second favorite spot. So, we anchor closer to the mouth of the creek. This means experiencing more current and wakes from ICW traffic. The anchor goes down, sets nicely and we settle in for the evening.

Started: 0930

Stopped: 1800
Distance traveled: 48 miles
Avg Speed 5.6 mph
Location: Anchored Church’s Creek, Beaufort, SC, MM 488

May 16, 2014

Don’t know why, but I’m up early this AM. It could be the cold air. The temperature plummeted to 54F. It wasn’t any warmer in the boat as we went to bed with all the ports and hatches open. I decided to take another hot shower and then get the boat ready for departure.

After the shower, I return to the boat, make coffee, start prepping the boat and wait for the Krispy Kreme doughnuts to arrive. They plunked down on the deck a little before 0700.  Donna is awake now and we share coffee and the “freebie” doughnuts. Freebies are a big hit with snowbirds.

About 0800 we are ready to shove off. I had setup extra fenders and a long spring line in preparation to back away from the pier, around two boats behind us and out of the marina. When we released the stern line, the boat started swinging away from the pier due to some strange current swirling about the floating dock. I jumped aboard and took advantage of the situation. Who wants to spring-off the dock if you don’t have too? We executed the departure flawlessly. Text book even. No damage to the boat, the dock, or other boats. Film at 11.

Back in the ICW, the current has us moving way to fast. We will arrive at Causton Bluff Bridge before its restricted period ends. We do a long loop back toward the marina to kill time and then proceed back to clear the bridge at 0900.

We reach the Savannah River and cross over in to South Carolina. Two states down, two more before we reach Virginia. We enter and pass through troublesome Fields Cut at high tide and continue on past Daufuskie Island. Brisk and gusty NW winds give us a chance to motor-sail as we enter Calibogue Sound. In fact, we had to reef the jib down and there were some gusts that showed us we needed to reef a little more.

The wind was giving us thoughts of stopping in Hilton Head, but we really wanted to make it to Beaufort. So, we continued on out into an angry Port Royal Sound. It didn’t take long to cross the sound, but it was a bumpy and wet ride. When we reached the Beaufort River it was a long haul northward past Paris Island before we reached calmer waters. Our goal was to reach Lady’s Island Marina. Unfortunately, we were going to be late for the 1600 opening of the Ladies Island Swing Bridge. That meant we would have to wait 2 hours for the next opening. Not wanting to wait, we contacted the Downtown Marina at Beaufort and were able to get a mooring for the evening.

 

 

We arrived at the mooring field, secured a ball, lowered the dinghy, went ashore and registered. Since we were already ashore, we decided to find a restaurant and have dinner. The lady in the marina office recommended we try Emily’s. So off we went, on foot, to find dinner. Turned out Emily’s was only about 2-1/2 blocks away. We split a huge 14oz steak and it was great. Teamed up with a salad, steamed broccoli, roasted potatoes, hot yeast rolls and a couple of brews and we were stuffed.

After dinner, we walked, window shopped the historic district and then headed back to the marina for a quick dinghy ride back to our floating home. All-in-all a very enjoyable day!

Started: 0815

Stopped: 1630
Distance traveled: 41 miles
Location: A mooring at Downtown Marina, Beaufort, SC, MM 536

May 15, 2014

The anticipated overnight rains waited until early this morning. They even delayed the delivery of the “free” Krispy Kreme doughnuts given to overnight boaters. I already had one cup of coffee before they arrived. The rains increased throughout the morning, giving me cause to appreciate our decision to remain in port today. Despite the bimini, the helm seat isn’t a dry location with rain and winds from astern.

We took showers again this AM, enjoying the marina’s ample supply of hot water and high water pressure. Invigorating, some of the best showers I’ve experienced on the ICWW. Later we did our laundry and cleaned up the boat.

It’s now about 1730, the rain appears to have ended and the skies are beginning to show little blue patches. The cooler temperatures and northerly breezes are sure to follow soon.

Almost forgot to mention this. Some very friendly cruisers from Hampton, VA., which we met in Stuart, pulled into the slip next to us. They are experiencing some drive line problems on their trawler, Luna Azul. They are now scheduled to be hauled out for repairs tomorrow. Tough luck, but they could not have picked a better place for repairs.

Location: Thunderbolt Marina, Thunderbolt, Ga. MM 583