Captain's Log

06 January, 2015
Posted by tuck on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 - 07:49

Happy New Year!

Holiday’s over, time to get back to the serious business of cruising.  Christmas, as usual, was a happening.  Suzanne’s sister, Sheila, and her husband, Mike were gracious hosts, as usual.  Over the course of ten days they fed and berthed 20 some-odd nieces, nephews, siblings, significant others, and etc.-you get the picture.  Both of our kids and their significant others were able to make it too.  Made Yours Truly happy, as I hadn’t seen them since July.  All the while a bacterial bronchitis was ravaging the older adult (our) generation.  We all dropped like flies, only to resurface after the antibiotics kicked in-good times.

Back in Jacksonville, Jan and Doug arrived at Ortega Landings Marina at the same time as we pulled in.  We all agreed that we were too tired for any activities that night, but would meet in the morning for some bike riding and local exploration.  After provisioning and returning the rental car, we rode bikes to Avondale and had lunch at the Biscotti’s, discovering that it deserved its’ high ratings.  After the multiple flat tires on Jekyll Island, I found a bike shop where I purchased some additional heavy-duty tubes, and a pump.  Chamblin Bookmine kept us entertained for a few hours.  I’m not sure that I’ve ever been to a used book store of this magnitude and scope.  There were over 60 winding aisles of bookshelves, packed with (hundreds of) thousands of books.  The aroma of the tons of old paper was pervasive, reminding me of the stacks in the Grad Library back in school.  It’s difficult to convey the feeling, but the space was close, and quiet, and such a maze that there were signs directing you to as to the way out.  Next stop was Sailor’s Exchange, sort of a nautical flea market, where I picked up some used chain for our 3rd anchor (cheap, cheap, cheap), and some scraps of teak to build the Admiral another shelf for the galley.  The night before our departure on January third was chilly and windy, so we enjoyed a campfire with Jan and Doug on the marina patio.  A word about Ortega Landings Marina.  It is a beautiful, fairly new facility with all of the amenities: Heated pool, hot tub, free laundry, clubhouse with flat screen TV and full kitchen, as well as several outdoor gas grills and a fire pit for the use of guests.  Dockside, there is water, electric service, and free pump-out.  Even though it is 20 miles off the Intracoastal Waterway on the St John’s River, it is well worth the trip for a few days stay.

St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, was our next destination.  After picking up a mooring ball, we dinghy’d in for a quick reccon before dark.  OMG!  The old town was jammed.  Kids were still on break from school, and it was Saturday night.  I guess we really didn’t realize what a tourist destination St. A was.  We purchased our “Olde Town Trolley Tour” tickets, good for 3 days, scoped out the breakfast joint recommended by a local boater on the radio earlier in the day, and checked the Mass schedule at the Basilica (oldest Christian church in the U.S.A.) before beating a hasty retreat to The Girl.  Well, we really lucked out.  We were at the Cathedral on the last Sunday before it was scheduled to be closed for renovations until late Spring.  Mary’s proved to be a great spot for breakfast,  then we spent the rest of the day hitting the high spots on the trolley.  Besides its rich history from colonial days, St. Augustine was the beneficiary of the attention given by “Gilded Age” magnates.  Several opulent hotels, built by Henry Flagler are still standing, housing Lightner Museum, and Flagler College facilities.  After an exhausting day of touristing, we stopped at the A1A  AleHouse and sat on the 2nd floor porch overlooking the harbor for a brew and a light snack while we waited out a cloudburst.  Monday morning, the crowds had thinned out.  Our trolley ticket allowed us to grab a bus out to Anacostia Island, where St. Augustine lighthouse and the beaches are located.  Alligator Zoo is also on the loop.  Sounds kinda hokie to me, but we were headed out that way, so thought we might as well check it out.  As it turned out, it was really cool.  It is the oldest alligator breeding and research facility in the country (maybe the world-not sure).  They’ve been in business since the late 1800’s, and are the only facility on the planet that has all 23 species of crodilians on site.  We end up spending a good part of the day there, watching a feeding and listening to educational presentations.  After that, it’s off to the St. Augustine Light to climb the 219 steps to the top, which affords a fantastic panorama of the surrounding area.  This is a wonderfully restored light and keeper’s house.  Even if you’re not into lighthouses, this one’s worth visiting.  Our chilly day is capped with a visit to Fort San Marcos, back in the center of St. A.  Hot coffee, not cold beer is in order today, so “Casual Coffee” provides a warm-up for our farewell walk through town.  We’ll head to New Smyrna Beach tomorrow to visit some friends who moved there several years ago after being our neighbors on Lake Charlevoix for the previous 2 decades.

-Later

 

20 December, 2014
Posted by tuck on Monday, December 22, 2014 - 14:30

Good Morning.

Time to say goodbye to Georgia.  0815, and we’re anchor up on our way to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, FL.  We woke to “The Star Spangled Banner” being played over the P.A. system at the sub harbor over a mile away-the wind musta’ been just right.  Crossing the Cumberland Sound, we’re accompanied by a pod of dolphins.  Fort Clinch, on the North end of Amelia overlooks the channel to our port side.  Nearing town, we’re well aware of its history and reputation as a “border town”  between the Spanish, and English-held Americas.  Over the years, 8 different flags have flown over F.B..  It is also said to be the home of the modern shrimp trawling industry.   After sidling up to the dock to drop off our bikes and take on water, we grab a mooring ball by 0925.  To the north, a shrimp boat is on the shore, lying on its’ side with the tide running in and out.  The boat actually looks pretty good, and has all her gear apparently still onboard-must be a story.  Yep-there is.  After we dinghy to shore, the dock lady tells that the boat belongs to a guy who isn’t a local.  The story is that it was chained (and padlocked) to the pier one evening when it somehow broke loose and drifted with the wind to the lee shore.  Since it was a full moon, the tide was abnormally high, so the boat was REALLY high and dry when the tide went out, and has been there since.  No attempt will be made to salvage, she’s been declared a total loss.  Very suspicious-just sayin’.  After a stop at the visitors center for maps, it’s off to Fort Clinch by bike.  One of the coastal fortifications built after the War of 1812, this masonry fort was garrisoned during the Civil and Spanish American Wars, as well as World War II.  Since the end of the war it has remained a Florida State Park.  During tourist season, interpreters dressed in period costume bring visitors back to the Civil War era.  Now, in the off-season, we touristas are on our own-still worth the trip.  As we retrace our ride to the main gate of the park, 2.9 miles away, we roll through a continuous tunnel created by the Live Oak branches dripping with Spanish moss overhead.  The understory is dense, a combination of plants dominated by Sawtooth Palmettos.  We get a call from Jim and Louise, who we’ve agreed to meet at “T- Ray’s” (reported by USA Today to be one of the top burger joints in the country, located in an old gas station back in town).  Bad news-the place closes at 1430, and we won’t make it back from the fort in time.  Plan “B”, we’ll meet at “The Salty Pelican”, where we can eat outside.  Sooooo…….. Back at the “S.P.”, I order tuna nachos on the recommendation of our waiter/bartender.  Unbelievable.  8 ounces of barely seared sushi-grade Ahi strips over crispy wontons with pickled seaweed garnish, and a wasabi dressing on the side.  Hardly had to chew it!  After lunch/dinner, Suz and I stroll along the main drag doing the tourist shopper thing.  Of course we finished the day with sunset and sips with Jim and Louise on our back porch.  Next morning, Bill and Lisa steam in before we can even get to shore.  The 6 of us will meet for lunch at “T- Ray’s at 1400.  Suz and I are off to bike the Egan’s creek Greenway Park, which runs North-South in the middle of the island, encompassing a marshy wilderness area said to be full of wildlife with an emphasis on birds.  Bill and Lisa will bike out to the fort, and Jim and Louise have errands and housekeeping chores.  Although the weather was kinda’ cool and gray, the bike ride was way cool.  Lots of Egrets, Herons and etc.  Much to The Admiral’s chagrin, no ‘gator sightings.  At the southern terminus of the park, we hopped on to the highway and went out to the beach.  Stopped at the “Hammerhead” Bar.  Walked into the smoke filled room full of good ol’ boys shootin’ pool and drinkin’ buckets of beer (5 Bud’s for $8).  When I asked the bartender if she had a coffee pot going, she looked at me like I had three heads.  Okay, just a couple Cokes.  The atmosphere was pretty thick-obvious we didn’t belong here.  When Suz went to the restroom, it was obvious that I needed to do something.  Since I didn’t think that punching the biggest guy there was a prudent move, I ordered a double shot of rum for my Coke, signaling the bartenderette that “Mum was the word”.  Mood changed 180 degrees.  By the time Suz returned, we were all chattin’ it up like long-lost relatives.  After we left, Suz observed that these “were some pretty nice guys, they just needed a few minutes to warm up to us”.  I confessed the icebreaker.  We rode different trails back up the greenway , and killed a few minutes at a REAL hardware store back in town.  You can always count on some good conversation with the boys that work in old time hardware stores, and we were not disappointed.  “T- Ray’s” was as advertised.  One gallon bottomless Cokes, and handmade half pound burgers, cooked exactly the way you ordered it, surrounded by thick cut fries-“Heaven on Earth with” (sautéed) onions.  When we split up, Suz and I rode out to the North end, and “Old Fernandina Beach” to see “Pippy Longstocking’s House”.  Good fast ride to burn off some of those calories.  Rode back to town through a Civil War era neighborhood house gawking.  Parked our rides, and rewalked Center Street, catching a few shops that we had missed the day before, wanting to take in all the ambiance that we could before heading back to the boat (to say nothing about burning off a little more dinner).  Atlantic Seafood had the pounds of shrimp that we had ordered in the morning nearly frozen for us, so we picked up the goods and headed back to The Girl for a last sunset with “The Gang of Six”.

High tide was at 0620 today, the 19th, so we left this morning at 0630, since we have a few shallow areas to contend with on our way to the St. John’s River and Jacksonville.  Our passage has been uneventful since a beautiful sunrise on this partly cloudy, 60 degree day.  We’ve seen a few dolphins along the way.  Right now, Suzanne is reminiscing as we pass the baseball field at Jacksonville University.  Her Dad was the baseball coach there in the 60’s, and she points out the spot on the riverbank where she played as a child when her Dad was “at work”.  As we pass under the Matthews Bridge, she relates as to how she was “scared to death of that bridge” as a child, because the center section of this narrow, old suspension bridge is metal grating, and you can see down to the water.  She’s happy that her Pop took the Athletic Director’s job up at University of North Carolina-Asheville.  Waiting for the railroad bridge to open, we had a chance to take a good look at Jacksonville Landing, the waterfront park area downtown.  “Kismet”, a 300’ motoryacht, is berthed at the city wall.  She has a stainless steel sculpture of a jaguar, about 8’ long standing with one paw on a football helmet on her bow.  Wonder who she belongs to?  At Ortega Landing, there’s a pair of guys on the dock waving their arms.  As we close in on our slip, we recognize Gary and Doug, who were cruising Lake Superior with their wives when we met them last Summer.  Doug and Jan are spending the Holiday with some local relatives, while Gary and Jacquie  will head back to Michigan to see their grandkids.  It’s a gorgeous afternoon, so we spend it giving the Girl a good bath.  Afterward, it’s sushi with Gary and Jacquie.

Have a Merry  Christmas.  See Ya Next Year.

16 December, 2014
Posted by tuck on Saturday, December 20, 2014 - 10:31

Hey Ya,

0808 on the 10th, and we’re off the dock at Thunderbolt.  We’ll split the 88 mile trip to Jekyll Island into 2 pieces.  The Admiral has an anchorage scoped out in the Wahoo River for tonight that sounds like it should be way cool.  Once we clear the Savannah area, the waterway becomes much more rural.  Marshes line both sides of the ICW on this idyllic leg.  It’s pretty clear and cool (high 54 degrees) so the pilothouse doors are closed to keep us nice and snuggly.  Six and a half hours later, we’ve motored up the Wahoo, and have the anchor down, the place to ourselves.  As the sun begins to set, we see a few guys on the far shore at low tide, picking oysters, and tossing them into 5 gallon buckets.  They load about 15 pails of ‘em into their skiff, and are off as darkness closes in.  I wonder what they’re doing with them, as all the local eateries have told us that nobody eats the local oysters (don’t know the reason why-maybe with the warmer water down here, the bacterial counts are too high-just guessin’).  It’s 36 degrees and partly cloudy as we pull anchor up at 0709, and we have an uneventful trip down to Jekyll Island, where we shoot the anchor down about a half mile from the marina.  We decide to stay on the Girl for a tidal cycle, as there are pretty good currents, and there have been a few reports of poor holding here.  Next morning, we haven’t budged an inch and are comfortable heading to shore.  Toss the bikes in the dinghy, drop ‘er in, and we’re off to the marina, where we’ll land and drop off the bikes.  As we near the marina, we spy a sailboat that we saw on a ball in Beaufort, SC, on the river in Thunderbolt, and in Sapelo Sound on our way here.  Time for an introduction, so we pull in behind “Salacia” and meet Louise and Jim, veteran sailors who are on their first cruise out of Portland, ME.  We agree to get together for sippies around 1700, exchange phone numbers, and head off on our separate ways.  Like Newport, RI, Jekyll was a playground for the rich and famous during the Gilded Age.  Carnegie, Rockefeller,Morgan and the boys all built hunting cottages on this remote island just off the mainland from the railroad spur which ended in Brunswick,GA.  The train would haul their personal cars down here for the winter “Season”, after disembarking; they would board their private yachts to be ferried to the island.  The good news was that these activities kept the island free of the unwashed masses, and therefore, largely undeveloped.  As personal income tax and the Great Depression arrived, the wealthy left the island, and the state of Georgia acquired most of the land here.  As of now, only 25% of the island is developed, with a mandate of no more than 35% to be developed.  There are paved bicycle trails traversing much of the island, making this a paradise for weekend bikers like us.  Over the next few days, we’ll put on around 75 miles.  First, we hit the historic village, where many of the “cottages” have been restored.  Of course there are some shops and a museum to see as well.  Riding out to the north end of Jekyll, there is a “driftwood beach”, which is actually a part of the island which is slowly being reclaimed by the sea as it erodes.  The result is that the beach is littered, not with driftwood, but with whole live oaks, toppled with their roots and canopies exposed.  It’s surreal in the fading light at low tide.  While we are there, the phone rings.  It’s Louise, and she reports that the marina is having a potluck and bonfire tonight, held by liveaboards and locals at the marina.  She’ll cook a double batch of something, so we’ll be covered.  She and Jim would love it if we showed up.  Okay-no need to ask us twice about food and new friends.  It’s getting late, so we hustle the 5 miles back, dinghy out to the Girl for a bottle of wine and some tools to eat with, and are ready to roll by sundown.  The food, the fire, and especially the new friends were an awesome close for a spectacular day.  We all agree that we’re having too much fun together to quit at one night, so we’ll pack lunches, meet in the morning, and bike the south end of the island.  Stopping for lunch at a beach on the south end, we find out that they rode right by the driftwood beach (which is kinda off the beaten path) the previous day, and decide that we gotta see it at low tide this afternoon.  So, it’s off to the north end to the beach.  As we near the historic village (in the center of the island) Suz’ front tire goes flat.  No worries, I’ve got a spare tube in my backpack.  The girls shopped, while I changed the tire, then Jim and I went to look for a compressor to fill the tire (I have a gas canister, but wanted to save it for when we are out in the stix).  Ended up at a bike rental place that we had passed a couple miles back after stopping at the golf course and stables with no luck.  A third of the way to the beach, I’m getting a mushy tire-I don’t have 2 tubes in my pack, #$@%!!  I want them to see the beach, so I head back to the rental joint to see if they, per chance, have a tube that I can requisition.  The tire is now flat to the rim, so I stop at a convenience/knickknack/hardware store to see if they have a tire pump.  They usually have pumps, but they’re sold out-BUT- they have one I can use, and by the way, they also have a bigger assortment of tubes than I’ve ever seen at a bike shop.  Bonus!  Whodathunkit?  Half hour after I’ve left the gang, I’m hummin’ down the road at 25mph in hot pursuit.  I catch them just as they’re leaving the beach, so we zip back in and snap a couple before the people assembled here for a wedding get started.  Dinner back at the marina restaurant, and we decide that we’ll meet up at Cumberland Island, 24 miles down the line.

We decide on a late start for a favorable tide, so at 1020, the anchor is up.  Along the way, the Girl is escorted on several occasions by groups of dolphins.  It never gets old standing on the bow pulpit watching these graceful mammals swerving, diving, and breeching 8’ below you.  A few miles above Cumberland, the Nav computer is chirping about a trouble spot where shoaling and shallow water is happening (there are plenty of these spots daily-some worse than others).  Through this one, the chart plotter shows us on land, good thing we’re looking out the window.  Just an aside here.  We use a crowd-sourced application, called “Active Companion from Active Captain”, which is free.  Among other things, this app allows us to get current conditions, as reported by fellow cruisers, along our intended path.  This information helps us to find the deepest water along the ever-changing waterway, and calculate departure/arrival times based on states of the tides.  I could go on for a long time about what AC is and does, but this piece regarding current conditions is an invaluable aid to navigation.  Other pieces concern reports on anchorages, marinas, fuel prices, and locations/plans of boater friends, all compiled from reports by fellow cruisers.  On the way to Cumberland, Suz gets a call from Lisa (Changing Course) for a report on Jekyll, as they are a day behind us.  As we approach the island, we get a visit from a Navy patrol boat, whose intention it is to keep us away from King’s Bay submarine base that we’re passing by.  It doesn’t look like there are any subs in the floating dry docks as we pass so no excitement today.  It’s been a slow and easy trip today, so as we arrive, we find “Salacia” in the anchorage with her hook down.  Cumberland Island has a long history, being first settled by the Spanish, who were succeeded by the British.  Subsequent to the revolution, General Nathaniel Greene (Washington’s second in command, in charge of the southern continental army) was deeded most of the island, and built a plantation here.  When he passed away, his widow lived in Savannah, and the land changed hands.  After the Civil War, the plantations here were no longer profitable, and the island was pretty quiet until the Carnegie clan started building places here.  After their heyday, much of the land here reverted to the National Park System, so it’s mostly wilderness-hiking and camping.  Access to Cumberland is by boat only, as there is no bridge from the mainland.  When we dinghy our bikes to the ranger station, we discover that there is a ranger talk every afternoon at 1600, and there will be a ranger-led tour of the Dungeness (Carnegie) ruins at 1000 tomorrow.  Jim and Louise will have dinner at our place tonight, then bike and hike with us tomorrow.  The next day was fabulous-clear and in the 60’s.  We got a great tour from Ranger Ron of the ruins, along with a history of the island.  A couple mile walk took us to the ocean beach where we ate our picnic lunch, without a soul or structure in sight for miles.  As we hiked to and from the beach, we traversed a forest with a live oak canopy covering a palm understory.  Along the way, we saw deer, wild hogs, feral horses (by the dozens), armadillos, and multiple species of birds including wild turkeys.  That evening, Louise cooked a tasty, healthy vegetarian dinner that we all enjoyed at our place.  The following day, a 6 mile dinghy ride was in store to visit “Plum Orchard”, one of the Carnegie kids’ places to the north.  It was closed for tours, as there was no ferry to the island that day, but we decided to go up anyway, to peek in the windows and have a picnic lunch.  With temperatures approaching 70 and clear skies, it was a great day for a ride, lunch, and hike around the north end.  On the way home, the skies darkened, and the wind kicked up as we bucked an incoming tide.  I took more than a little grief (‘cause this trip was my great idea) from Louise, as she got a pretty good dose of spray sitting in the bow of their tender.  When we returned, “Changing Course” had just arrived, so we introduced the four as we passed, and agreed to get together for an “hour of charm” and sunset at 1700.  The 6 of us enjoyed a fabulous solar show off our back porch, and didn’t break up until the stars were out in full glory.  “Salacious” and “Alizann” would be heading to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island the following day, so we bade Lisa and Bill farewell (again).

-Next Time

10 December, 2014
Posted by tuck on Thursday, December 18, 2014 - 10:00

Pretty dark, but a lot better visibility than when we arrived as we pull off the mooring ball at Beaufort.  0523 is an early start, but we want to hit the tide just right for a shallow spot a few hours down the line at Field’s Cut.  As we reach Port Royal Sound, the mouth of the Broad River, it’s light enough to see that we’re going to have a gray, windy day.  Up ahead a smallish (35’ or so) catamaran is making her way out to the ocean.  We wonder if the captain has checked the weather report, as they’re calling for 6’-8’ seas and 20 knot winds today and tomorrow.  On our starboard is a Coast Guard patrol boat at anchor in 20’ of water, guarding the waterway entering Parris Island Marine Camp.  Bet it’s been a fun night, bobbing around in 2’-3’ seas in a 40’ boat.  As we pass Hilton Head Island, we are joined by a pair of dolphins swimming in our bow wave-very cool.  As we enter the Savannah River, we call the City Dock to see if there are any spots open on the first-come, first-served face dock.  The young lady informs us that the dock is closed through Tuesday. (What?)  As the $3/foot rent at the Westin’s dock is a little dear for us,  we decide to head down to Thunderbolt, GA, which is around 5 miles from Savannah.  Hinckley and SeaRay boats both have yards there, and transient docking is often available.  On the way, Suz calls Amy, the lady that runs the dock at Hinckley (on the cell # that Lisa (Changing Course) gave us).  She’s home, decorating for Christmas, but she thought a boat was leaving from her otherwise-full dock today.  We were welcome to pull in if there was room.  As it turned out, there was about 45’ vacant on the end of the face, so we backed in between the highway bridge pilings and the sailboat behind us on a 1.2 knot current with 15 knot winds.  Time for an undergarment change!  The Girl didn’t mind hanging 8’ past the end of the dock as long as she was securely tied, so all was well by 1117.  After a quick rinse of the boat, we walked over to Thunderbolt, on the other side of the bridge, to Tubby’s (a local watering hole recommended by Amy) for a little NFL football.  Multiple screens indoors and out, with NFL Ticket make this an ideal spot to watch “your” game.  The waitress doesn’t know where they come from, but there is a huge local contingent of Cleveland Browns fans here that comes in every Sunday.  They’re here in force, and not a bit too quiet, as the game comes down to the last play when their boys lose a tough one.  Monday morning, we’re on our way in to Savannah, but stop by the office to check in with Amy first.  At the end of the dock where there should be land, we find nothing but water.  The winds have been up, and the tides extreme due to a full moon.  Our sea boots get us across the lot-it’s kinda comical to see boats up on blocks surrounded by water.  The techs drive their trucks up to one, set up the ladder in the truck bed,  then climb aboard.  Amy tells us its waaaay too far to walk into Savannah, she’ll call her trusty guy, Jack, who’ll drive us in for $18.  Jack is not answering his phone right now, but she’s sure he’ll call back.  We’re chompin’ at the bit, so after she tells us that there are sidewalks all the way in, we decide to start walking.  Jack can call us and pick us up along the way-sounds good, right?  A mile later, we’re out to the main drag, a 4-lane boulevard, with an overgrown median and shoulders, but no sidewalk.  The traffic is jammin’ during rush hour, so we decide to brave the median until a sidewalk appears.  After picking our way maybe a mile farther, we figure plan “B” is order.  The Admiral spots a bus stop sign, so goes to the website, which is virtually indecipherable, with small print in the bright sunlight.  While she’s doing this, a young man arrives by foot, and sits on the guardrail by the sign.  Oh yeah, the bus should be here in 20 minutes, and will drop us off at Martin Luther King Boulevard, where a transfer will get us to a stop just a short 4 block walk from our downtown destination.  He’s a valet at the Hyatt, and is going that way, but seems kind of puzzled by us wanting to ride the bus.  $6 gets us 2 tickets and 2 transfers as we board, and we’re off.  As we take our seats, we can see why he was puzzled-we’re strangers in a strange land.  Oh well, we’re all folks that need to get somewhere, never stopped us before.  At our stop, the bus driver gets out of the bus, and walks us around the corner to our next stop, while the bus and passengers wait at the corner for him.  Our young guide gets out too, as he’s transferring as well.  After waiting for a few minutes, we decide to walk to the next stop down the line.  Our young friend does too-I think he’s looking after the old folks.  Savannah’s historical district is gorgeous.  There are many pre-revolutionary structures, and tons of history here.  After an obligatory trolley tour, we retrace some of the route to see the sights on foot, along with a tour of the history museum.  Along the riverfront, we check out the town dock to see what’s going on there.  It’s about a 250’ floating dock, well-maintained, and empty but for a 40’ sailboat.  We talk to the lady next to the boat who turns out to be the Harbormaster.  She’s off on weekends, and this boat pulled in over the weekend without contacting anyone.  She has a small cruise liner coming in today, (which was why the dock was closed to transients) and is trying to figure out how to move this padlocked craft out of the way.  She’s just about to call the Sheriff, when the owner saunters up, and asks “Can I help you?”  We don’t stay for the ensuing conversation, but are sure that it was interesting.  I can say that Savannah is definitely worth the stop.  The restaurants are said to be excellent, and there are plenty of them.  (Can’t say first-hand, ‘cause we’re restauranted(?) out)  The renovation of the downtown historic district appears to be a decade or so behind Charleston, but has been well thought out, and is a quality effort, to say the least.  Getting near dusk, so we head back to the bus line for our next adventure.  A walk through the neighborhood will obviate the need for a transfer, so off we go to the #12 line.  We’re back at the ranch way before Monday Night Football, so all is well.  Next morning, we check in with Amy, who tells us that Jack had called.  He was up at the hospital in Savannah having cataract surgery.  Had he been here, we would have missed some story value.  Today, we’re headed to St. Bonaventure Cemetery, featured in the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, featuring some really old, really cool markers .  It’s just back up the Intracoastal a few miles-we passed it on the way in.  It’s a great walk there, and we spend a few hours snappin’ and strolling amongst the parks’ 28,000 inhabitants.  By noon, the sun’s coming out, and we walk back past the Hinckley yard to Thunderbolt, where we want to check out the marina and a marine supply store that’s purported to be very well stocked.  The marina is pretty plush-lotsa pretty boats.  Along the way, we stop at the dive shop, and chat it up with “Gear”, who is very much in need of some conversation.  A quick stop at “Tubby’s” for a Pepsi and some popcorn, and we’re off to River Supply Marine store.  Ohmygosh, it’s a great store, and we spend over an hour there, yakkin’ with the knowlegable folks about thisandthat.  That was the day, leaving tomorrow.

Soon, Mon          

10 December, 2014
Posted by tuck on Sunday, December 14, 2014 - 13:01

Hola Amigos!

We depart Myrtle Beach Yacht Club at the civilized hour of 0930, as we want to hit the part of the Intracoastal affectionately known as the “Rock Pile” around low tide.  This part of “The Ditch” was cut out of rock, so instead of the usual silty shoals, the edges of the channel are rock ledges.  Read somewhere that low tide is a good time to transit, as you can clearly see the edges.  This approach worked out well as The Girl cruised through on a beautiful, sunny, 67 degree morning.  The Admiral declared this to be “Turtle Day”, as the shores and downed trees along the way were littered with turtles sunning themselves.  After leaving the Myrtle Beach area, the ICW meanders through miles of Cypress swamp.  Lots of good scenery.  Suz picked out an anchorage in Cow House Creek for our evening stop, and it was a good call.  Shot down the anchor in 12’ of water, in a narrow creek, surrounded by cypress swamp and marsh-felt like we were a thousand miles from anywhere.  Got a little reading in, then an early night, as we hoped to get to Georgetown, SC by midmorning.  By 1027 we had the hook down in Georgetown’s harbor, which was a little tricky, as the anchorage is filled with private mooring balls, and there isn’t much room to swing when the current reverses as the tide changes.  In Canada, we wouldn’t have hesitated to pick up a private mooring, but here in SC, we weren’t sure about the local customs, and didn’t want a confrontation with “Bubba”.  It was a drizzly day in G’town.  First things first, we walked a mile or so to the boatstuff store, as I needed to pick up some plumbing fixtures for the external fuel filter (remember fouled-up outboard on dinghy) that I’m installing on “White Star”.  After that, it’s to the UPS shop at the local newspaper office to send back the extra 2 filter rigs that Boater’s Plus sent me when I had only paid for, and wanted only one.  The Rice Museum (that’s right-the Rice Museum) was next.  Rice made this area the richest in the United States (per capita-I’m pretty sure counting Whites only) prior to the Civil War.  After Emancipation, the rice-based economy went into a steep decline, and the economy stayed depressed until the World Wars brought the good times back.  It looks to me that the local economy is hovering on the brink right now, but the steel and paper mills provide steady employment, and the development of tourism will be a plus.  As we finish our stroll through historic Georgetown’s Pre-revolutionary neighborhoods, and boardwalk on the harbor, we stop at “Independent Seafood” for some fresh shrimp.  The Admiral is thinkin’ about cookin’ up some shrimp “gumbalaya”-I’m in.  A day is about what we need to spend to see the sights here, so we’ll be off in the A.M..  Not much on the ICW, and lot’s of trouble (shallow water) down the way.  We vacation in Charleston every summer, and have for thirty years, so no need to stop there, so we’ll pop offshore to get to Beaufort, SC.

At 0700, it’s so #$%@!! Foggy, that we can’t see the bow.  Let’s hear it for Radar and GPS!  For the next 17 hours, we see many types of fog-brighter, dimmer, thicker, and thinner, with the only constant being that we can’t see diddly.  With 6 foot swells, the big green seasick monster is always knocking at the door, so no reading or movie watching.  As we cross Charleston Harbor approach, crossing traffic is an issue.  The good news is that it is soooo foggy, that traffic is one-way, with a 5 mile separation, so after talking to the pilot boat, we slip across, 1/8 of a mile behind a container ship that we don’t see until we’re about 300 yards away.  It’s a peasouper heading up the river to Beaufort,SC at midnight.  We can’t even see the bridge as we go under it, but as we make the final approach to the mooring field at Beaufort Marina, the fog lifts for around 15 minutes, and we get secured and fall in to bed at  Beaufort.  I could live here.  The 3rd oldest town in SC, with many of its’ pre-revolutionary homes still standing (and beautifully restored).  Downtown is vibrant, with more shops and restaurants than you can shake a stick at.  First order of business is to take a carriage ride to get the highlights (highly recommended).  Seems that Hollywood loves Beaufort (The Big Chill, Great Santini, Forces of Nature, Forrest Gump, G.I. Jane, and etc.).  The carriage driver related a story-can’t speak to its’ veracity, but…..It seems that Barbara Streisand had rented a house in town while directing a movie here.  She called the commander of the Marine base at Parris Island, and demanded that the flights be stopped, as it disturbed her naps-guess she wasn’t real ladylike in her choice of language.  The following day, a pair of aircraft roared over the neighborhood at minimal altitude.  That Sunday, in the local paper,  appeared a piece by the commander apologizing to the residents of town for the uproar, before saying “to Miss Streisand, That, my dear, is the sound of freedom”.-or somethin’ like that.  It’s a good story, anyway.  So, after the ride we took a couple hour walk through the old neighborhoods, filled with centuries-old Live Oaks dripping with Spanish Moss.  We checked out the “Big Chill” house, and snapped a couple.  Some friends from Michigan moved here several years ago, so we went out to dinner with Chuck and Zoe to “Saltus”, and had a too-short evening of catching up and great grub.  Next day, the owners of the marina, Rick and Mandy lent us their car, and we were able to pick up some fresh stuff at the grocery.  After we returned, the Admiral needed to do some Christmas shopping.  Since that’s not in my job description, I stayed aboard and put the new fuel filter on the dink.  Meanwhile, we get a call from Bill and Lisa (Changing Course).  They’re at the marina up the next creek, and she saw Alizann while walking in town.  We’ll get together the next day, ‘cause we’re all in withdrawal.  After breakfast at “Blackstone Cafe”, which has manfood breakfast for cheap, we hike over to their place, that we had driven by on our previous roadtrip.  Their marina is pretty cool, and very funky.  The couple next to them came in to spend 1 night 7 months ago-still there.  Several liveaboards there, many working on boats.  The marina maintains a large, well-equipped workshop, and the boaters are free to use the facility at any time.  Great concept, I’m not sure how they make $.  Later in the day, I’m trolling with hamburgers, and have the hook set hard, and Bill reeled in before he knows what hit him.  They’ll be over to our place for dinner and the Beaufort Holiday Boat Parade (Christmas lighted boats) that evening.  A good time is had by all.  We bid them a “See Ya”, as we’re headed out tomorrow and Bill has some projects to finish up before they leave here.  Our next stop will be Savannah, GA, so we’ll…..

See You Then.   

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