11/27/16 Florida

We have traveled a long distance and had many experiences since my last post in Georgetown.  We left there 11/19/16 and passed through Charleston SC

and tied up to a dock on the Stono River. We met a very nice couple on a Monk 36 trawler, who had a bad experience that morning getting out of the marina.  The current caught them and crashed them into another boat's bow and anchor.  This caused much damage to the wooden cap rail, stancions and sliding door. The anchor managed to catch the first mate and she required stitches.  They definitely needed someone to commiserate with, and we found new friends.  Up early the next day and on through Beaufort SC to an anchorage in Cowan Creek.
Leaving early in the AM we decided to go outside around part of Georgia.  It was beautiful traveling and we were making great time.

WE decided on an inlet that we had not used before.  This was a bad idea as even though the charts said there  was plenty of water in the Chanel, at 1700 we discovered they were wrong.  After bumping a couple of times tried turning around, but tide was ebbing and we became abruptly stopped. After contacting Towboat US and finding they do not recommend using that inlet and we should be floating a little after midnight.  We ended up being towed into  2 Way Fish camp at 0300 to do some repairs. Our raw water filter had sucked in a lot of sand and the anti syphon valve plugged open spraying water all over the engine room. This made using the engine a dampening expierence. We also needed to tighten the stuffing box, as that was leaking as well.
  11/22/16 we left 2 Way  Fish Camp and headed to St Simons Island anchorage and arrived in time to take Skipper ashore at a boat ramp by the bridge. After a peacefull evening and meal we left for St Marys GA and their Thanksgiving day week.  Traveling past Jeckell  Island we once again pushed mud past green can 19 and on to deeper water around Cumberland Island.
    We arrived at St Marys wed afternoon in time to take in the oyster fest at the hotel and then a great burger at Bessies. Thursday we awoke and did some boat chores.  We were ahoyed by a small boat at 0930 delivering Bloddy Marys.  What a hell of away to start the day!!!  Thanksgiving has been put on here for boaters by the local towns people for 16 years.  The locals furnish turkeys and hams ect.  Boaters furnish side dishes, appetizers and deserts.

It was a great meal and all were stuffed with lots left over.  We returned to Both Sides Now with full bellies and a satisfied grin. There were arond two hundred boaters.

  Friday after changing the packing in the stuffing box, my wrench slipped and I broke off a fitting attached to the stuffing box.  I hammered a plug into the hole (which led to outside water...) and was given a ride to the hardware store by Pete and Dean.  This was also a grocery run and we were resupplied. Replaced the fittings and we were good to go.
    We  went to a Happy Hour that was hosted by the St Marys Yacht Club on Friday evening. It was interesting as their clubhouse is a houseboat and we enjoyed many appetizers and drinks.
  We left on Saturday and then anchored at Cumberland Island with Dean and Susan from Autumn Borne, friends for years. Today we passed through Fernandina Beach noticing the damage from hurricane Matthew. There were boats being loaded on to a barge and others pushed up onshore from the surge and winds. The Municipal Marina and moorings are closed for dock repair indefinite. We traveled  on to the St Johns River and Jacksonville FL  where we tied to a free dock at Metropolitan Park next to the Ever Bank Stadium.  Great place for Skipper to run. We also rinsed the boat of some of the salt. Tomorrow we will  find a marina to leave Both Sides Now for our trip home in December.

11/19/16 Georgetown SC

 We stayed through Sat Nov 12 at Matthews Point for the Beast Feast.  It was quite the culinary tribute.  We had pork cooked on a neat BBQ,
 Bambi Burgers Moose burgers, venison kabobs and wild boar sausage cooked on a grill,

 oysters,

clam chowder,

 and many other treats contributed by the boaters.  We departed Sunday and made our way to Swansboro NC for a comfortable evening on the dock at Caspers.  Unfortunatly we were pushed againt the dock and had to wait for the tide to change so did not get an early start, but made Wrightsville Beach anchorage that nite.  Skipper was very happy to see the beach and made quite a bit of it.  Tuesday we managed an early start after a beach walk for Skipper.  We caught the tide right at Carolina Beach and made great time to Southport, NC. Quite often we stop in Southport, but it was early so we continued on through Lockwoods Folly, a little shallow on an ebbing tide. Shallot Inlet has always been a trouble spot and we were lucky enough to see a Tow Boat US who told us we could probably get through, but hold the red and there was one spot coming right up that we might bump.  We scraped bottom, but afterwards there was clear "sailing".  We  continued to the Calabash River anchorage.  This is on the NC/SC border and a good anchorage with a place for Skipper to walk, even though I had to use my new boots to get ashore. Wednesday, with an early start, we went through Little River, Myrtle Beach, Bucksport and to Sandy Island on Thorougfare Creek. We had time to explore the island and spent several hours walking around. Thursday we exploed the creek with our dinghy before moving on to Georgetown SC where to stayed at Harbor Walk Marina and rented a car for a day. We enjoyed a great meal, drank a few beers, and had a peacfull night.  The car was handy to resupply groceries and we had to trave to Murrell's Inlet for parts and a new light for the galley.  We stopped at a restaurant for breakfast and noted a tire going flat.  After calling Enterprise we decided to change it ourselves, after our breakfast.  However, Chris and Dave, two very kind locals who had noticed our plight, were almost done changing the tire, and had also paid for our breakfast! They would hear nothing about pay; just pass it on was their response.  We were lucky in another way as well:  we visited in the parking lot for quite a while, enjoying their tales of life in the Low Country of SC.  There are some truly wonderfull people still in this world!!    We managed to get our errands completed and the macerator pump rebuilt as well as a new light over the galley sink which has been a very dark spot for all. We also hired a diver to scrape the bottom of BSN and change zinks.  Happily, he gave us a very good report (our first since purchasing BSN) and only changed one zink.

11/10/16 Mathews Point

We had a few chores to do in Solomons Island, one of which involved Ken climbing the mast to change the anchor light.

This was done with more ease than on Release, and I was able to do it instead of hauling Francie up the mast on a halyard.
   We have had a busy few days after leaving Solomons on Saturday.  Saturday we pulled into  Godfrey Bay near Deltaville, a nice beach for Skipper.  Sunday we had a very good day and traveled through Hampton Roads, Norfolk,and Portsmouth to Great Bridge VA where we tied to a free dock.

 This fall we are taking the Virginia cut as the Dismal Swamp route is closed from the hurricane and high water. The dock is located after the lock and Great Bridge.

 There was a very nice walking path we were able to enjoy.  Up early Monday and we were off before 0600 to make the Centerville 0630 bridge opening.  This bridge is closed from 0630 till 0900 and would have delayed us had we not arrived  when we did. We traveled past Coinjock and then some shallow places to the Albermarle Sound, which has a lot of fetch and was rolling pretty well. We continued across the Albermarl Sound to an anchorage in South Lake on the Alligator River.

 Tuesday we once again left at o dark thirty and  traveled to Belhaven NC, another good anchorage. Our passage Wednesday involves the Neuse River which has not often been friendly to us. We very surprised to find it quite comfortable all the way to Oriental.  After ducking our heads in the harbor and not finding docks available to shop the consignment store, we left.  We caught up with friends Cori and Dale on HiFlite at Mathews Point Marina.

 They are leaving next week for St Thomas and points south, nine to twelve days of open water, quite an adventure. They have loaned us charts for our trip next year on the Great Loop. We will leave friday for points south and warm weather

   

Oct 29/16Beach Haven to Solomons

   We left Beach Haven NJ and went out Little Egg Harbor Inlet to the Atlantic.  It was a nice trip for a couple of hours as we went past Atlantic City

and then the wind shifted to the south and brought some rough waves. We decided that it was better inside even if we had to go through the bridges. We went back inside at Great Egg Inlet after talking with Tow Boat US about how to get in. We continued till we found a bridge that couldn't open and had to turn around.  The tide was going out and we were pushing mud even with our shallow draft.  We were told that we could get back  to the Atlantic at Townsends Inlet and that was a lot easier than I imagined.  Our trip on the Atlantic the last 10 miles to Cape May was a little rolly. We arrived and anchored by the Coast Guard Station and took Skipper for a beach run.  In all our 45km trip took 69km and was too exciting.  We spent the nite at Cape May and caught a favorable tide for our trip up the Delaware Bay. We managed to ride the tide through the C&D canal and part way south on the Chesapeake.  We anchored in the Sassafrass River and prepared for a rough nite with a front moving in. Following day we elected a trip on the Chester River and through Kent Narrows.  Great idea and we were timing the bridge when we heard a radio  call for help from a sailboat who had run aground just before the bridge right in the middle of the channel. They were only 4.5 ft of draft and the tide was ebbing. We reasoned that they would either be in the way or we would also get caught on a high spot, so another turn around and went under the Bay Bridge. We continued to Tilghman Island and through Knapps Narrows

 to Dun Cove and a relaxing meal from our grill. First time on this trip!!  Tuesday we went to Oxford a very beautiful town Just off the Choptank River. There were four skipjacks (sailing oyster boats) working on the Choptank just outside of Oxford.

 We continued farther on the Choptank to Cambridge Md. where we toured the historical district and had a closeup of two skipjacks docked near by.

We ate dinner at Snappers a local restaurant on the dock. We arrived Solomons yesterday after a great night at Cambridge MD on their free dock.

 We are currently in Mill Creek on a friends dock with family for a few days. Ken is very happy to be dressed in shorts again