Atlantic Yacht Basin thru Cobbs Marina, Little Creek, Va 6/13 - 6/20/2022

 June 13 thru 18, 2022  Atlantic Yacht Basin, Chesapeake, Virginia

Coming back to this marina feels a bit like coming home – we spent several weeks here when we first bought the boat.  At that time, we had them remove the old and deteriorating radar arch and install the new tubular one.  Having the tubular arch allows us to fold it down (very easily) to get under the very low bridge at the western end of the Erie Canal!  We also had purchased newer electronics, and they were installed there as well.

This time, our friends Donna and Tony from Tranquility Eh! had arrived there before us.  We really enjoy our times with them. 

There are things we like, and some we don’t like, about this marina.  The bathrooms and showers need to be replaced – I didn’t even like to go in there!  Other than that, we like the location, quite close to grocery stores and restaurants – with our Ebikes, it is a piece of cake!

Dan’s daughter, Annie and family came to visit – they live about 25 minutes away.  They insisted on taking us to a very nice place for dinner!  Always good to see those folks.  The boys look so different – Eric is 20 years old!  He looks like a man, instead of a boy.  Jared is going to be 17 in July and a senior in high school next year!  Chuck’s mom now lives with them, and she came along as well!  On the 18^th, we were moving to the Navy Base on Little Creek for a few days.  Chuck drove the crew to us, and then picked them up in Little Creek.  They all enjoyed the ride (mostly) – when we left the Elizabeth River and got into the Chesapeake Bay, suddenly we were rolling pretty bad.  I wasn’t too happy, nor were the boys!  But, we got there safely, and now they know what it’s like traveling on the boat!

 

June 18 thru 22, 2022  Little Creek Navy Base Marina

For Dan, being back on this base is very nostalgic.  He came here early in his Navy career and spent a few years in and out of here.  For the few days we were in the Navy’s marina, we relaxed some, Dan washed the top side of the boat, and I cooked our meals on board.  We had Chris, from the boat docked in front of us, over to dinner.  Later, he brought his two very well-behaved dogs over for some doggy love.  We miss having a dog, but on the other hand, we are really glad to not have a dog while living this boating life!

Somehow, Dan had lost his military ID, so we had a bit of a struggle getting it replaced – the office was, of course, not open all weekend, then Monday was a holiday.  On Tuesday, turns out they are closed because of budget constraints! 

We had a rental car on Wednesday, so took a drive over to the ID office…. to see a line about a block long waiting outside the office!  Having better ideas about how to spend our time, we retreated until the following day – still a line, but not near as long.  Good grief!

 

On Wednesday, June 22, we drove the boat a short distance from the Navy marina to Cobbs Marina.  They will have out boat for a while – some maintenance, some bottom work, various things.  They put the Kittiwake on their travel lift and deposited her in their yard.  We had rented a hotel room for the next few days.

Oriental, NC thru the Dismal Swamp Canal 6/6 - 6/13/2022

 June 6 thru 8, 2022   Oriental, NC

Our marina in Oriental was both a marina and a hotel.  Not much in this little town, BUT they had a great store called “Provisions”.  We spent some time in here, browsing and buying.  They had a little bit of everything – I fell in love with some costume jewelry and bought several pieces.  We bought a few things for the boat.  They even had a ‘consignment’ area for boat stuff.  Most of the things looked like sailboat items.  They also had a book shelf, leave one, take one!  I can usually find a book in those places, even though I already have too many books!  Actually, there’s no such thing as ‘too many books’!

We were happy to see our friends Donna and Tony from Tranquility Eh! Again.  Our paths are converging for the next few days.  Yay!  Donna and I rode through the neighborhood on the water – wow, some really beautiful old homes.

 

June 8 thru 9, 2022 Belhaven, NC

Belhaven became one of my absolute favorite stops on the Loop!  The marina works hard to please their guests – there are big jars situated in several places, with pens and paper to receive suggestions.  The dockmaster/manager couldn’t have been more helpful.  They have beer and wine at the office for $3 (a result of several suggestions); they have games throughout the grounds (corn hole, bowling, several more); books; rocking chairs; a really nice pergoda with comfortable seating; FREE laundry! 

 

June 9, 2022   Alligator River Anchorage

Well, we have had better anchorages!  We put our anchor down at the mouth of the wide Alligator River where it opens to the Albemarle Sound.  While the anchor did hold all night, we were rocking and rolling all night too – quite an adventure to get out of bed and go to the bathroom!  I was glad when daylight came and we could continue on our journey!

 Albemarle Sound Loop

There are a few small towns around this body of water who have agreed to allow boaters to use their town docks (many with electricity and water!) for 48 hours at no charge.  The goal, of course, is to get us boaters to visit their town and spend some money. 

June 9 – 10   Our first stop was Columbia, NC.  We were here in 2018 when we first bought the boat.  Therefore, we technically have ‘crossed our wake’!!  Kind of a big deal!  So, we dug out the gold looper flag we’ve been saving for this occasion.  I am surprised at how that felt.  Suddenly, we knew that we had faced every test and trial that comes along the 6,000 or so miles of the Loop – we know stuff!  It makes a difference – whenever we saw that someone had a gold flag, we knew that we could ask them anything and they could help!  Now that’s us!

Sadly, Columbia has not fared well in recent years.  There wasn’t much in town 4 years ago – now, there are less places to eat, not really any shops either.  There was a Mexican restaurant where we had a decent lunch.  There were two council members who stopped by to welcome us, and they said that the pandemic really hit the town hard.  Some restaurants closed their doors for good.  There is an interesting monument in town next to the County Hall.  It is a tribute to the Confederate soldiers who gave their lives for the cause.  There is one part of the monument was in remembrance to our devoted slaves…..yikes.

 

June 10 – 11   Albemarle Plantation

Now that place is really nice!  I don’t know how many acres were developed, but they have condos and single homes in a beautiful setting.  There is a championship golf course and clay tennis courts, and two restaurants.  The restaurants were closed for the one night we were there.  They also had free laundry!

 

 

 

June 11 – 12  Elizabeth City

Four years ago, we used the city docks, but they were so rough we didn’t want that experience again!  Our friend Sam, on his boat Tidbit, had contacted us to let us know he was on the free dock at the Christian University in town.  We had another nice dinner with Sam that night.  Elizabeth City has a bad reputation for crime, but we didn’t see that while there.  There were several restaurants to choose from, plus there is an interesting-looking museum of the Albemarle Sound.  Unfortunately, we weren’t there while it was open. 

 

June 12 – 13, the Dismal Swamp Canal!   We had been looking forward to this experience, a repeat of our visit four years ago.  The canal was surveyed by George Washington!  It used to be used by commercial traffic, but in recent years a different canal, The Virginia Cut, has taken all that traffic.  We love that, since traversing the Dismal is a very lovely and peaceful experience!  There is one lock at the beginning and another towards the end.  They have to use a lock system and only open it a few times a day – without the locks, the canal water would all flow into the Albemarle Sound and dry up!  We actually took two days to do the canal, spending one night at the Visitor’s Center.  I was planning to fix dinner for us and our friend, Sam.  However, another boat pulled up and I expanded our dinner plans!  We had a delightful evening with Sam and the two men from the other boat.  I love this boating life!

 

Southport, NC to the "other" Beaufort in NC 5/27 - 6/4/2022

 May 28 thru 31, 2022   South Harbour Marina, Southport, NC

We were excited to go to Southport, NC, because of a legendary Harbor Host that lives there, Robert and Kay Creech.  Apparently, their house has a big front porch and looks out onto the Intracoastal Waterway.  Their boat, C-Note, is docked right by their house.  We see postings in the Looper Forum and on Facebook about the famous Porch Tales at the Creech house.  They watch Nebo (software that tracks Looper boats) and meet the boats at the dock to invite them to their house or to offer rides for provisioning, etc.  We’ve seen pictures where 8 or 10 people all have gathered on the porch!

Well, unfortunately, we weren’t able to get into the marinas that are right by the Creech home.  South Harbor is about a 6 mile drive, and not good biking terrain.  So, the first and second day we were there, we did boat chores, met and socialized with other Loopers and MTOA folks, but didn’t hear from Robert.  I was so disappointed!  On our last day there, I decided not to be shy, and I called Robert.  He said he couldn’t come get us because after “Porch Tails” he couldn’t drive us back.  He suggested Uber, and to come around 5 or 5:30.  Around 1:45, Robert called, said he’s like to come get us, show us around town, drop us off to explore a bit on foot, after which we could walk back to his house.  Done!  He came around 2:30, drove us around the pretty little town, then dropped us off in the middle of downtown.

Dan and I stopped off at the Oyster Bar, had couple of appetizers and a beer.  From there, we strolled along looking for ice cream!  We found some delicious ice cream at Southport Market, and sat in a pretty park to enjoy it.

Continuing the stroll, we continued to the waterfront.  On our way to the Creech’s we were ‘waylaid’ by the town Lion’s Club who were selling raffle tickets for a bass boat.  I was of the opinion that we have as much boat as we can handle!  But, Dan and those guys got into talking about our journey, as we often do!  We bought a ticket, and spent a few minutes on our continued walk discussing what we’d do with the boat should we win the raffle!

That evening at the Creech’s we had the whole porch and the Creeches to ourselves!  What gracious hosts they were.  We stayed until the sun started going down, when Kay, who had done no drinking, was comfortable driving us back to the marina before dark! 

After Southport, we had planned to anchor out for two nights at two different anchorages.  We had a perfect cruising day and arrived near the first planned stop very early in the day.  We decided to cruise on to the next stop, another 40 miles up the ICW.

 

May 31 – June 1, 2022   Mile Hammock anchorage, near Marine Base Camp LeJeune.

We arrived at around 5:30 after a long cruising day.  The cruise wasn’t stressful, just longer than we usually cruise in one day.  We had left Southport around 9:00, so we were cruising 8-1/2 hours.  There was one boat in the anchorage, but there is room for many boats.  We had a little problem getting the anchor to grab – had to pull it up once and reset it.  But, it set well, and we had no concerns about the spot.

While I was fixing dinner, three other boats pulled in.  At least two of them had Looper flags, but neither of them appeared on Nebo.  Interesting!

We had a lovely evening, turned in early, about 9:30.  I got up around 7:30 – two of the boats were long gone.  By the time we had coffee, the other two boats had left.  We took our time, had breakfast, then got ready to go. 

Dan handles the setting and pulling of the anchor.  Once we started getting the chain onto the boat we found they chain caked with fine black mud!  Yuck.  Dan used the washdown pump on the bow to clean as much off as possible.  Once the anchor is out of the water, I start to slowly exit the anchoring spot. 

Great anchorage – always nice to find the boat is in the same spot in the morning as when we went to bed!

 

On June 1, we headed to Beaufort, NC (pronounced BOfort in North Carolina!).  Since we had done two days’ travel in one day, I called the marina to see if we can get in one day early (we can).

June 1 through 4, 2002  Beaufort City Docks Marina

On our way to Beaufort, about a 44 mile cruise (so 5-6 hours), we enjoyed seeing the homes along the waterway.  The ICW at this point is very close to the ocean.  On our right as we travel north are barrier islands.

One thing interesting thing we saw was 14 paratroopers coming down – we never saw the plane that dropped them!  As Dan was a jumper himself, he was interested to see two boats with marines sitting in the waterway – waiting in case any jumper came down in the water.  Fun blast from the past for Dan!

We enjoyed our stay in Beaufort, NC.  There  were several other Looper boats there:  Silver Linings, Blessings, Tranquility Eh!, The Wright Place. We did some socializing, including dinner , and Tranquility Eh! In stops after Beaufort.

Beaufort had an interesting museum about Blackbeard, the pirate.  His ship has been discovered where it sank, and many artifacts are being brought out and recovered.  There was also a facility where volunteers actually build boats.  You can stand on a higher level in the building to observe their activities.  If we lived there, I imagine Dan would enjoy some of that work.

 

 

 

 

 

Osprey Marina, Myrtle Beach, SC 05/26/2022

 May 26,  2022   Osprey Marina

We pulled in here for one night.  There isn’t anything nearby, but the marina is very nice.  The dockhands were great – I love it when they wait for my instructions on where to place the lines! 

I always check on Nebo to see if there are other Loopers in the marina.  This time – bonanza!  Jim and Peg Healy are here on their boat, Sanctuary.  We had met them at other looper events.  Jim is famous for his generously shared knowledge on all things looping, especially anything to do with electrical.  He is an engineer, and he does a terrific job of describing electrical issues and solutions for non-engineers.  I’ve always been amazed at the amount of time and the patience he shows on both the AGLCA and MTOA forums with questions I’m sure he has handled many times. 

Once we knew he was in the marina, I looked him up, expressed my gratitude for his generous help, and offered to take him and Peg out to dinner.  There is one nice Italian restaurant who will come to the marina to take boaters there and back.  Cool.  I called Scatori’s, and, unfortunately, they don’t have the personnel to ferry boaters back and forth.  But, we can order and they will deliver!

After I had collected Peg, Jim, Dan, and my picks from the menu, here come three other Looper boats into the marina!  After greeting each of them, I told them about our ordering from Scatori’s in case they want to do the same.  Two of the boats jumped right in.  There are two picnic tables right by the docks – we had a very nice time eating the food from Scatori’s.  I think it surprised and touched Jim for us to express our gratitude in that manner.

Next morning, May 27, we left Osprey, intending to anchor out for the night.  However, we weren’t too excited about the looks of the two anchorages available, plus some storms were moving in.  So, as we cruised up the channel, I started calling marinas to see about a one-night stay.  About 2:30, as we were passing Cricket Marina, I called them.  The woman on the phone said that, yes, they have a spot for us, but we would need to be there by 3:00.  No problem! 

Our next marina is South Harbour Marina in Southport, NC.  We will be there through the Memorial Day weekend – no need to get out there with all the boats sure to be speeding around.

Georgetown, SC 05/24/2022

 May 24, 2022   Georgetown Harbor Walk Marina, Georgetown, SC

Georgetown is another charming South Carolina town.  The marina is right downtown.  We tied up around 1:30 and went looking for lunch!  The very first restaurant we came to, SoCo Grille, had an interesting menu.  I had the best seafood gumbo and fried green tomatoes of my life!  Dan liked his pulled pork sandwich too. 

We had been told to not miss the Rice Museum in town, so that was our next destination.  We enjoyed the tour very much.  We learned about how the rice industry got started (in the early 1600’s) , how Georgetown became a port that shipped more rice than any other place in the world for a time, how the rice industry faded after 1920.  The confluence of 5 rivers there made for perfect conditions to raise rice.  Of course, their forays into raising the rice were made possible by the extensive use of slave labor, starting in the early 1600’s through the end of the Civil War. 

Turning the cypress swamp land into rice fields required amazing effort.  The land was so soft, even when it dried out, that no big equipment could be used.  Horses weren’t strong enough to haul out the huge trees.  Oxen were strong enough, but their slanted hooves sank down so far in the mud that they couldn’t move!  Someone devised boots for the oxen so that they didn’t sink.  Once the land was cleared, rice fields were created by digging dykes to control the flow of water.  Young slave children were used to taste the water as it came in.  When it started to taste salty, the water flow was shut until the flow reversed.

The end of the rice industry, in the 1920’s, was hastened by 10 hurricanes in only about 12 years.  But the main reason the industry died out is that other areas were beginning to raise rice – the main advantage in these areas (Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and others) was that their soil, when dried, was hard and could support heavy equipment.  Georgetown’s soil remained soft.  So, the other markets could be much more efficient and produce, process, and ship so much that Georgetown could not compete.

After the Rice Museum, we wandered on down the street.  The establishment called Big Tuna looked interesting, so we went in.  Our first thought was just to look around, take pictures of their interesting décor.  The manager was so friendly, offered to show us around.  Their back porch was on the water by the boardwalk that spanned most of downtown.  He pointed out the alligator and about 6 turtles who were hanging out by their back porch – apparently they’re there all the time!  No idea why….

Well, first, we decided to sit and have a drink in this friendly place.  Next, the real “Big Tuna”, Bucky (owner) came by to say hello.  Turns out he had flown jets for the Navy during the time Dan was in Viet Nam.  Well, several whiskeys later, Dan and Bucky had talked Navy and got to know each other.  We ended up ordering some food and enjoyed that too!

These encounters are what makes this journey we are on such a wonderful experience.

After we left Big Tuna, we strolled back to the boat on the boardwalk.  I wasn’t good for anything else that night!

 

Charleston, SC thru McClellanville, SC 5/22 - 5/24/2022

 May 22, 2022  Charleston!

The city of Charleston is on a peninsula – at least the old part of the city, the most interesting part!  The Intracoastal canal from Beaufort, SC to Charleston is a winding, narrow waterway.  We had a very long day cruising that day!  We had selected the Charleston Mariner Center as our marina while in Charleston.  It is located on the eastern peninsula.  Most of the other marinas are on the western side.  We chose the Mariner Center because (1) it is small, less busy, (2) it is much cheaper, and (3) it is equidistant to the historical district and City Market.  Turns out, there was one more good reason to stay there – there is a terrific grocery store only 3 blocks away, Harris Teeter!  We were out of many things, and I took advantage of the closeness of a good grocery store – I walked to the store with my wagon.  The wagon, on the return trip, was loaded down! 

When we arrived at the marina, there were two Looper boats there, Tidbit and Nano.  We have encountered Nano before – not very friendly, plus they waked us badly on the cruise up to Charleston without a word on the radio.  Bad manners!  But, Tidbit’s lone cruiser, Sam, was delightful.  He caught our lines, then came aboard for a drink and conversation.  We went to dinner with him, to a Vietnamese restaurant a few blocks away.  Sam is from Midtown in Manhattan – he’s been on his small boat for about a year, with breaks to go home on visits.  His wife isn’t interested in traveling on the boat with him. 

We had only one full day in Charleston, so we wanted to see as much as possible.  We signed up with a bus tour.  It left from the Visitor’s Center, about a mile from the marina.  We rode our e-bikes there.  The bus driver/guide was very good.  He talked a mile a minute on the 90 minute tour – I would have preferred the get on/get off tour we have experienced in other cities, but apparently the city of Charleston does not allow that.  Anyway, we got a dose of history, and understanding of why so many homes there have a single door on the right side of the house.  This door is a privacy door, giving entrance to the piazza.  The houses face in one direction with lots of windows on two sides, allowing the constant breeze from the two rivers’ conjunction to flow through and cool the house.  The history in this town is astonishingly long and rich.  Fort Sumpter is in the harbor, and we have toured it on past trips.  All the buildings in the city are built on very low land, marsh.  Fort Sumpter was created by hauling thousands of pounds of rock and debris to the middle of the harbor.  I’m astonished that it has held for hundreds of years, against storms, hurricanes, and wars!

After the tour, we rode to the City Market.  I bought a few things, some Carolina gold rice, a shawl.  Then we went looking for a good place for lunch.  We picked “Well Hung Vinyard”, partly because of their fun logo.  We had a good lunch, then rode our bikes down to “The Battery”, the park and wall at the tip of the peninsula. 

Charleston is well set up for visitors – the Visitor Center is in an old train station and is quite attractive.  There are lots of parks, with clean public restrooms.  We love the many architectural details on the old buildings.  The historical district is one of the first created in the country.  If your house is in that district, you are prohibited from making changes to the outside of your home without prior approval from the city organization in charge of the historic district.  If there is something that is older than (?) years, you may not move it!  Because of that, there are standing walls left from a building that burned or was otherwise demolished – those walls cannot be torn down!  If your siding needs replacing, you must use original material, i.e. wood, not aluminum or wood-looking material.  To paint your house, you must get the color approved!  Any renovations/changes to the inside of your house is totally up to the owner.

We enjoyed our brief stay in Charleston – I’m sure we will return.

 

May 24, 2022   Leland Oil Company in McClellanville, SC

This small town is lovely.  The ‘marina’ is a working dock, basically, with space for 2 or 3 pleasure boats.  There is a fleet of shrimp boats that call this home – I took pictures after they were all returned for the night.  Plus, we bought shrimp, oysters, and pickled shrimp.  The huge, beautiful shrimp came in that day.  Yummm!  Guess what we had for dinner!  I had bought fresh green beans at the market. Those cooked with a little bacon and some red potatoes, some sliced tomatoes, plus a pound of those delicious shrimp was our dinner.  We bought enough shrimp to freeze 2 pounds.  I also froze the pint of oysters – one of these days, I’ll make some oyster stew to honor my dad – that was his very favorite thing to eat!

Besides the shrimp boats and seafood market, this little town has many many huge and very old oak trees.  The trees are so beautiful.  One is over one thousand years old!  It’s amazing to me that they have stood so long, in an area that gets hurricanes occasionally.  Apparently the town has arborists in to care for the health of these treasures.  I took many pictures – but, my camera just cannot do justice. 

 

 

 

From Brunswick, Ga. thru Beaufort, South Carolina 5/15 - 5/22/2022

 May 15, 2022

Brunswick Landing Marina, in Brunswick, Georgia

Brunswick is a charming, old town, and we had visited them briefly on a road trip this year.  The marina is huge, stretching a full mile along the river!  While on the river, we encountered our first annoying insects of the season – horse flies!  They started out with one, then two, then a swarm.  We are luc to have an enclosed, air conditioned driving station in the pilot house.  So, we closed all the doors and windows and retreated! 

We arrived on Sunday, and turns out nothing much was open!  One restaurant, Reid’s Pharmacy, isn’t a pharmacy anymore, but is a very nice, relaxed, attractive restaurant.  On Sundays, they offer a full dinner, with dessert, for $10.95!  A real bargain.  We had a very nice meal,with wine.  The restaurant was busy – no reservations were available, but we went on a standby list for seats at the bar.  We went for a walk while waiting, got about one block away, and received the call to come back!

The only other thing that seemed to be happening downtown that evening was a dance recital – cute little girls in tutus with their parents arriving at the theatre.

Next morning, we departed, to continue our journey on the Georgia portion of the waterway – not very long.

 

May 16, 2022  Anchorage in Duplin River. 

Not much to say, except that it was pretty and quiet.  Excellent holding for our anchor, so we got a good night’s sleep.

 

May 17, 2022  Anchored in Wahlburg Creek

Another good anchorage, quiet, good holding for the anchor.  We picked this spot because it is close to the Sunbury Crab and Marina, a place highly recommended by a few boaters. 

 

May 18, 2022   Sunbury Crab and Marina

Such beautiful country there.  We arrived aroud noon. One young man, dressed in loose clothing and rubber boots, helped us dock.  One reason we wanted to come here is that their diesel fuel was reputed to be low at $5.399. We got that information from good sources, Waterway Guide and people who always stopped there.  We only needed 100 gallons (We hold a total of 500 gallons!).  At these times of rapidly rising costs, we decided to top off at Sunbury. 

 The pump wasn’t at the dock, but in a room higher up on the dock.  The young man, Clay, pumped the gas – we both walked over and looked at the pump – the price on the pump was old.  We offered our credit card, but Clay said we should settle up at dinner that night.  With that, he hopped into his crab boat and took off for parts unknown to us!  The young man was Clay, and he turned out to be the owners’ son.  He had been left to run the place while his folks were out of town for the day. 

We had a nice relaxing afternoon.  There was a very comfortable porch swing on their covered dock, which I utilized for a while!  Another boat came in around 3, another Looper called Trinity.  We made arrangements to meet them for dinner at 5.

We had a lovely dinner and conversation with the boaters, CJ and Stick.  We were presented for a bill for the dockage and diesel – the diesel price was $6.75!! – yeowch!  Dan asked Clay (who, by the way, had not only caught the blue crab served that evening, but was in the kitchen cooking them!) about the diesel price and the Waterway Guide information.  He said that Waterway Guide had not contacted them for their fuel price recently.  He offered us some coosies and a shirt to compensate for our surprise.  We learned something that day – CALL the marina about their fuel price!!

With the exception of the fuel price shock, we really enjoyed our stay.

 

5/18/2022    Savannah, Georgia – one of our favorite cities!

We read about various marinas in the Savannah area, but we wanted to be IN the city!  There were three choices in the downtown Savannah area.  (1) was at the Westin Hotel, one on either side of the Savannah River, (2) a commercial marina on Savannah’s River Street, charging $2.50 per foot, with only electricity – no restroom/showers/laundry, or (3) the Savannah City Dock, FREE!, also offering only electricity.  We quickly decided that, if there was room (no reservations, only first come, first serve), that was where we wanted to stay!  We arrived rather late (6:00, after a long day’s cruise), and there was no other boat on the dock!  Yay!  In reviews about the dockage on the river, some folks said it was really rolly from tugboats and other commercial craft and small sports craft.  We have had plenty of experience with rolly dockages, so had few qualms about staying there.  We docked with little problem, put out four fender balls, tied four lines to their docks.  Right after we got settled, we saw a tugboat coming, so waited to see the effect from their passage.  Yes, we rocked and rolled a bit, but our boat never touched the dock – docking job well done!

We were hot, sweaty, and tired after our long day.  Fortunately, there were about 8-10 places to eat right there by our boat!  We picked a bar with fresh seafood – I got the Low Country Boil, and Dan ordered something similar.  We ate our fill – we actually had enough for two meals!  After strolling around a bit, we relaxed for the rest of the evening and turned in early. 

After a very quiet night, we got up ready to see what we could see.  We had one full day there.  We first went to Two Cracked Eggs for a delicious breakfast.  Our e-bikes then carried us all over the historical portion of Savannah!  We stopped for pictures, or just to check out something closer.  But, we made it to almost all of the historical squares (about 16, I think).  So beautiful, even though the prime flowering season was earlier in the year.  There were still plenty of flowers, though.  It’s impressive to me how much land Savannah has dedicated to beautiful wooded, landscaped park lands.  We remembered a place from a previous visit, but couldn’t remember the name or location….!  After asking around and some Google research, we found it!  It’s called the Gryphon Tea Room.  It is lovely, with a Tiffany glass dome and lovely old décor – lots of wood and crystal.  It used to be a pharmacy, way back in time…I sense a theme – old pharmacys!  The inside tables were all reserved for lunch, but we sat outside and had a refreshing drink.

We ended our bike tour in the City Market.  We strolled around, got a Pina Colada with moonshine!  As we sat for a bit to watch people (one of our favorite sports!), I spoke to a young couple about the pizza they had just eaten.  I asked if it was the best they’d ever had or just ok.  They looked at each other, and said it was fine but the best pizza is Detroit pizza!  Turns out they live near us in Royal Oak!  We discussed the best places for pizza in our home area.  They just hopped on a plane for a few days’ getaway to Savannah.  We meet the nicest people on our journey!

Before going back to the boat, we stopped at an Irish bar – we had hoped it was the same company that we remembered at a different location during our previous visit.  We had our taste buds set for a Scotch egg… Nope, this place only served liquor.  OK!  So, we had a couple of drinks, joked around with the bartender and fellow bar sitters, then returned to the boat. 

It was still early evening, so, realizing that we were in a larg-ish city that probably had a TMobile office downtown, we decided to deal with an issue we had with a TMobile device we had purchased.  We walked to the office, acquired a different device (at no extra cost?!).  After returning to the boat that time, we were really tired.  Plus, we had a long cruise for the next day – early to bed!

 

May 20, 2022  Beaufort, South Carolina

Note:  this town’s name is pronounced Bew-fort.  The same named town in North Carolina is pronounced BO-fort.

We landed at the Safe Harbor Marina in very high winds.  As my very skilled captain edged our boat into the dock, the dockhand motioned to me to lower the fender ball I had hung….lower, he signaled, lower!  So, I lowered all the balls until they were touching the water!  He was right.  The dock was only about 12 inches thick, and with the heavy winds pushing us on to the dock, we would never be able to reposition them!  We were impressed with the young dockhands, and they were impressed with us!!

We had arrived around 2:00.  Even though we were tired, we wanted to go somewhere for a meal.  The woman in the Ship Store recommended Heminways, a local favorite, only about 100 yards from the marina!  We absolutely LOVED this place.  We had some French onion soup and split a meatloaf sandwich.  A couple of beers polished off our lunch.  The place was full, and we soon realized why – they had a singer there with a guitar who was terrific!  He did everything from Johnny Cash to James Taylor to Prince!  We sat there until he quit at 5, retired to our boat for some needed rest.  I got a load of wash done, took a shower (in not very warm water), defrosted the fridge, and quit for the night!

Next morning, we filled our water tanks, got a needed pump out of our sanitary tanks, and took off.  We were really sorry not to have more time.  The town looked very pretty and interesting – we just didn’t have the time this trip – we will be back, either on the water or by road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last stop in Florida, Fernandina Beach 5/14/2022

May 15, 2022

Our last stop in Florida was Fernandina Beach.  What a delightful town!  Lovely vibrant downtown, with interesting architecture and hardly any vacant storefront.  We strolled the town, had appetizers and wine at one restaurant, ice cream (at one of the FOUR places in town), and then a sandwich and beer at another restaurant. 

Interesting to note that we saw more dresses on women than we have seen in a very long time.  I really wanted to ask someone about that, but didn’t find a good candidate!  I took quite a few pictures of the downtown area. 

Today, Sunday the 15^th, we left out of Fernandina Beach around 9:00, and headed up the ICW with a planned stop in Brunswick Georgia.  In conversations with other boaters, we were told to watch for the green biting flies – we’ve seen them before north of Atlantic City.  We heard that the mosquitoes in Brunswick are the largest this one boater has seen!  And the last piece of advice was that we will experience ‘no seeums’ that bite all the way through Georgia and South Carolina!  We were given some dryer sheets that, according to one boater, when rubbed all over your head and torso, will keep the no-seeums away.  We’ll definitely try that.

Just near the Cumberland State Park, we are starting to see many horse flies in the fly bridge.  So far, we’re able to keep up with them, swatting the ones who hitch a ride.  We’ve closed up the rest of the boat so they cannot get inside.

Sanford, north to Jacksonville! 3/23 thru 5/14/2022

 March 23 thru April 28, 2022  (We went home for 3 weeks in there!)

We arrived at Sanford Boatworks and Marina on March 23.  This was a ‘homey’ place, and reminded us of our first marina, Olverson’s.  It’s been run by one family since 1924.  We got comfortable there, ate at the Gator’s Restaurant a couple of times.  We welcomed our friends, Dennis and Denise Sprenkle, for a visit.  They came once and took us to Deland to visit friends of theirs.

Dennis picked us up for our flight home – spent one night at their Orlando house.  We were home for about three weeks – as much as I enjoy traveling on our boat, I do miss my house, my neighborhood, my family and friends.

Dennis met our return flight and returned us to the boat.  The Boatworks is about 2 miles from the downtown of Sanford.  We did ride our bikes that way once, but it isn’t a very kind route!

After returning from Michigan, we got a few days in Monroe Harbor, right in downtown Sanford.  Lovely town.  Lots of interesting shops and restaurants.  And, we were lucky the weekend we were there, that the Art Festival was held.  We don’t have much room on the boat for more ‘stuff’, but we do have room for jewelry!  I bought several unusual pieces!

We also got the chance to meet the couple whose Youtube channel we follow, Technomadia.  They have the same boat as us and were kind enough to let us see their recent carpet installation. 

road just outside the Sanford Boatworks & Marina

In canal by Sanford

home near Sanford Boatworks

love this home near Sanford Boatworks!

another home near Sanford Boatworks

Love this tudor style!

lovely Spanish moss-draped trees

even the electric boxes in downtown Sanford are lovely!

piece of mosaic art in the square

whimsical sculpture in a Sanford restaurant

piano art in the visitor's center

fountain in the square

lovely gardens througout downtown

love this old clock

bright mural in an alley (and Dan!)

me as a butterfly!

on the wall of a store in downtown

a visitor!

we finally saw an alligator on the river!

riverside home with great boathouse/deck!

May 14, 2022   

We say goodbye to the St. Johns River.  We passed Jacksonville and entered the St. Johns River on March 20, and are just now exiting the river.  Wow!  We have enjoyed our exploration of the river very much!  I already wrote about Sanford, the town that is as far south as our boat can go.  We left Sanford on May 4.  Between March 20 and May 4, we stopped four times before arriving back in Jacksonville.

1.      Hontoon Island State Park – our favorite!  The Island can only be reached by private boat or the ferry that will take you across the river.  Because the slips at the island marina are for 25 foot boats, we had two possibilities for our 50 foot (over all length) boat.  The two T-heads provide 50 foot length – we just had to reserve two slips.  Turns out we were the only boat in the marina when we arrived!  We stayed there 5 nights.  During that time, there were several boats that came and went, plus one that came and stayed 2 nights.  After the park closed at 5:00, there was only our boat and one ranger who lived somewhere on the island.  So beautiful and quiet.  We saw a turtle throwing sand out as she dug for a nest.  A crow was standing by to snatch eggs as she laid them!  We saw all kinds of birds.  The scenery was beautiful – cypress trees and knees, Spanish moss, huge live oak trees.  We rode our bikes all over the island.

While we left the boat in Hontoon Island, we went for a two day visit to my cousin, Anne’s place in Pierson, Florida.  Always good to connect with our last relative on my dad’s side. 

We took our dinghy out and cruised completely around the island.  It was a bit challenging, since parts of the way were completely covered in lily pads!  We slowly cruised through each of those sections, then stopped the motor while Dan picked off the huge bundle of lily pads, then continued on until the next!  It took about 3 hours to go around.

While on our dinghy journey, we stopped at Blue Springs State Park.  Going from the river, where the water is tan from the tannin, to the water in the springs was dramatic!  The water in the springs was crystal clear – we could see blades of grass, every detail of fish in that water!  During colder weather, the manatees gather there to enjoy the warmer water of the springs.

Dan trying to read the sign facing the water!

Dan, to demonstrate size of the tree!

Love these cypress knees

Nice color, along with the birds!

2.    Drayton Island anchorage.  Nice quiet place, boat was still in the same place when we woke up – always a good sign!  Not much to say about the anchorage.

3.    Palatka City Dock.  Very nice docks, and our favorite price – free!  There were some nice murals all over town.  Many of the storefronts were vacant; however, many of those had projects underway.  We were shown plans that showed what a couple of those blocks will look like in a year or so.  I’d love to go back next year to see that!  There were only 2 restaurants, one serving outside from their food truck kitchen, and one Mexican restaurant.  We chose to eat in the Mexican restaurant, and the meal was very disappointing!  There was a diner from the 1930’s that looked interesting, and we stopped there for a delicious milk shake.

4.    Doctor Lake Marina, just north of Green Cove Springs.  We needed to collect our accumulated mail in Green Cove Springs.  The marinas there were full, and with the windy conditions, we didn’t want to try the town’s free docks.  We had pulled in there on the way up the river, and their docks are a bit shaky.  So, we stopped at Mandarin Holiday marina (also no room for us) for their less expensive fuel ($5.25!), and stopped for the night at Doctor Lake Marina.  People in the marina were friendly – I don’t think they see many transients!  We took an Uber the next morning to pick up our mail.

 

Jacksonville – where we entered the St. Johns River.  We have friends we met in Key West a few years ago, Lee and Betty Kryskewski.  They just moved to a condo in Jacksonville, the Plaza.  The property has a marina, so we took a slip there.  We were warned to come in at slack tide, because the marina is right on the river there and the tide could cause problems with docking.  We didn’t wait until full slack tide, but we did ok.  We walked to dinner with Lee and Betty.  We stopped at a little hole-in-the-wall Italian place that they hadn’t yet tried.  We decided that, if we lived in Jacksonville, that little restaurant would be one of our go-to places!  Delicious meal.  Next day, Lee drove us to the Navy Exchange, the hugest we’ve seen.  Got some needed provisions, particularly some large items that would be difficult on the bike!  We spent the day doing chores, including laundry on Lee and Betty’s machines, then had dinner on the boat.  Lee and Betty came to the boat after dinner for a glass of wine and conversation.  Super nice couple – we enjoyed their company!  Around 9:30, the nearby ballpark had fireworks, which we enjoyed.

Next morning, we couldn’t leave until the tide turned to slack, so we went to breakfast with the Kryskewskis.  What a delightful place – a used book store/café.  Jacksonville has a lot going on – they are turning the docks that were the shipyards into a museum district for the city. In a couple of years, that will be a big draw!