Onboard MicMac

Home again in Williamsburg

2010-05-12T15:41:00.012-04:00

Captain Pete and new swabbie Jake back MicMac into her slip.

We can now cross out "cruise up and down the ICW to Key West" on our Bucket List.

Seven months after MicMac left Deltaville (10-11-09), she backed into her old slip at Stingray Point yesterday, thanks to help from good friend, Jake.

This "first rate first mate" gladly turned over the crew position for the final day because 1) Jake is always happy to sail, and 2) some feisty winds were still possible. Jake and Pete had a rolicking good sail up the bay and it was indeed "rolly," chilly, and drizzly. I picked them up in Deltaville. We loaded the SUV to the top with LOTS of clothes (many of which were neither worn nor needed since we only got in the water once) and many of the 40+ books we've read during this voyage. Most marinas have book exchange shelves, so we kept swapping.

Our laundry room now looks like a disaster area because I want to wash everything that was on the boat. The pile of magazines is gargantuan, and the yard has lots of weeds. So it's back to normal for now. I don't think I need any long cruises on MicMac for awhile either. We did fly home in December for about a month and again in March, but 7 months is a long time.

Captain Pete compiled some nifty figures about this voyage.

Departed: Oct. 11, 2009
Returned: May 11, 2010
Farthest point south: Key West, FL
Total days: 212
Days on board: 115
Days ashore (flew home twice, ashore with friends, famiy visits, travel etc.): 97
Miles covered: 2728 statute miles
Marinas: 56 (more than we really wanted)
Anchorages: 37
Engine hours: 530 hrs.
Diesel fuel consumed: 300 gallons
Wine consumed: Don't ask!

Tied up in Hampton, VA

2010-05-10T20:52:00.005-04:00

Where did all this scrap metal come from?

The day we left the Dismal Swamp Canal was delightful and much cooler than the day before. We were happy to see the sights of Norfolk and Portsmouth, commercial though they are. Even the huge pile of scrap metal looked great. The Norfolk Navy Shipyard and Navy Base never looked so good to me either.

"Star Wars" anyone?

This stealth ship was impressive too. I called it a "Star Wars Ship."

Sailing through Hampton Roads always involves dodging barges, tugboats, and Navy warships. Today was no different, but Captain Pete remained calm as usual.

But the weather forecast for the next three days did not look so appealing for sailing up the Bay to Deltaville the next day. Winds of 30-35 knots and 5-6 foot seas in the Bay? I think not.

So MicMac has been tied up at Bluewater Marina in Hampton since last Friday night. We phoned friends Jake and Diane to come rescue us and drive us home. Yeah, they were happy to oblige. Three or four nights at home (with the big luxury of flush toilets) sounded too good to pass up, as we wait for less wind--and NOT from the north.

Back in Virginia

2010-05-10T20:41:00.005-04:00

Last Thursday night, just before dinner onboard at the Dismal Swamp Visitor Center, four more sailboats arrived. They needed to raft up with us and the two other boats on this short dock. We finally got to meet Dwayne and Janet on Mystic Rose (after talking to them on the radio several times during the past few days) as they rafted up on our port side. Then we enjoyed happy hour with them and Warren and Patty from Warr de Mar. Those blasted no-see-ums and skeeters drove all of below after impromptu cocktail parties. It was really hot then. Thank heaven for fans.

That's a LOT of honeysuckle.

After awakening to a bird concert (there are 200 species here) and a cool morning, we enjoyed a “Honeysuckle High” as we passed through the upper half of the Dismal Swamp Canal the next morning. The honeysuckle (probably the invasive variety) was in bloom and covering the banks up to 30 feet high along both sides. Guess it’s better than kudzu, but it really chokes out everything, and the scent was almost overwhelming.

The canal is only a small part of the Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge’s 112,000 acres. We noticed that the trees immediately changed when we entered the manmade canal. Maple, oak, cedar, and the infamous sweetgum (Jeez, I hate those gumballs) joining the loblolly, tupelo, and bald cypress.

Bambi had to find a rare spot along the honeysuckled banks to get a drink.

A state park staffer showed us on a map where the 3-month long fires burned in the Virginia portion of the swamp bogs a few years ago. Nothing burned along the canal!

We really felt like we were getting close to home when we saw this sign. Goodbye North Carolina; you offered some great sites and sights.

After about 20 miles (and one thunk as we hit a small submerged log), we arrived too early at the lock and bridge at the north end of the canal, so Pete had “fun” keeping MicMac in the deeper center. Ever try to tread water with a boat?

The Dismal Swamp ICW passage cuts through the heart of the great swamp that straddles the North Carolina-Virginia state line. Part of the route is composed of the long Dismal Swamp Canal, which is situated between two locks, one at Deep Creek, Virginia, and the other in the small North Carolina village of South Mills. Both locks raise or lower cruising craft about 8 feet, and care must be taken when mooring to the lock walls. The locks currently operate four times a day, and skippers must take this schedule into consideration when planning their voyage.

Deep Creek lock is filling up.

The Deep Creek lock-tender (and bridge tender), Robert Peek, is a legend of sorts among the cruising folks. He can blow a conch shell like you've never heard. He can coax an entire song out of one! He has a "conch garden" (gifts from cruisers) and some healthy looking banana trees growing nearby. Our last look at tropical foliage for a long time as we waited less than 30 minutes for the water level to fall!

He easily fit all six of us boats along the sides of the canal. He's been at this job for 16 years. He told me had once fit 32 boats into the lock at once. That's gotta be tight!

The Dismal Swamp passage is definitely a treat for those interested in natural scenery and isolation. The canal allows a magnificent view of the swampy terrain, still for the most part in its natural state. The water is like strong coffee, although at this time of year, it has some pollen on top. We encountered very little boat traffic either. It's definitely the "road less traveled." Robert Frost would enjoy it.

Cruising the Dismal Swamp Canal

2010-05-06T16:24:00.004-04:00

Open Sesame.

After a very hearty artery-clogging breakfast at Colonial Restaurant (where all the locals eat), MicMac requested a 9 a.m. opening of the Elizabeth City bridge and slowly meandered up the rest of the Pasquotank River. It's a pleasant hybrid of the Chickahominy and Waccamaw rivers. The only things in abundance (in addition to water and trees) were mistletoe and turtles. We only saw one water moccasin (identified because it swims with most of its body above water), one cormorant, one osprey, and one fishing boat.

After about 18 miles, the waterway got very narrow, thanks to George Washington, William Byrd (of Westover Plantation fame), and some guy named Turner for whom Turner Cut is named. The other boats on the Elizabeth City docks left early and we had the lower section of the infamous Dismal Swamp Canal all to ourselves. Kind of eerie and serene.

Tranquil Dismal Swamp

This 22 mile canal is the oldest continually operating canal in the United States. Now a National Historic Landmark, a National Civil Engineering Landmark, and on the National Register of Historic Places, the Dismal Swamp includes a new visitors’ center (that we visited after tying up to their dock for the night) and is part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program

The South Mills lock opened (and closed) just for MicMac. The lock we had gone through in the Virginia Cut on our way south had a minimal few inches of difference. But the water level in this one changes about 8 feet. As we floated out of the lock, two powerboaters who didn’t know about timed openings arrived.

“Dismal” it is not—unless you come here in buggy hot July or August. But hey, it’s upper 90s right now. A breeze makes all the difference. I wonder what it was like when George surveyed it in 1763 (so they say) or when the hundreds of slaves cut and dug through here for 12 years, ending in 1805. Now the Corps of Engineers keeps it dredged and free of flotsam and fallen trees.

South Mills Lock opens for MicMac.

Gentle Bens

There are only two other boats with us on this free dock. Free is OK, but AC would be great on this first really hot day of our trip. Tonight we’ll watch for black bears after dark. Pete is cooking mahi mahi tonight and I understand that they like that, and the Visitor Center log indicated that some had been spotted here this week. NOT these friendly chaps.

The "Rose Buddies" of Elizabeth City, NC

2010-05-05T21:32:00.008-04:00

On “crab watch” across Albemarle Sound to Elizabeth City, NC

We lucked out on our return crossing of Albemarle Sound today. No major wave action or high winds to make it fearsome; just more crab pot floats concentrated in one body of water than we’d ever seen. It was an obstacle course of the worst kind and we had to keep all four eyes (or eight eyes including sunglasses) open all the time.

Was Goodyear Blimp born here?

Blimp City
As we headed into the Pasquotank River (related to the Piankatank?) to Elizabeth City, we noticed a huge structure to port. A huge blimp next to it reminded us that we had read in the cruisers’ guide about this “blimp factory” being here since WWII days. It seems that the blimps of that era greatly reduced the number of German U-boat sinkings along the NC coast. Now all blimps except for the Goodyear one are manufactured here.

Elizabeth City Legends
We had read so much about the welcome mat that Elizabeth City lays out for cruisers and were anxious to experience it. I’m happy to report that the “Rose Buddies” legend of hospitality continues.

Although Elizabeth City was founded in 1793, it wasn’t that important economically until the Dismal Swamp Canal was completed in 1805. That’s when the area planters and lumber companies got their link to the port of Norfolk, and commerce thrived. It's a city on the cusp of their Renaissance to to speak. LOTS of old commercial storefronts and historic homes. There's a humongous walking tour if you're gung-ho. Pete and I were only mini gung because it was kinda hot today, so we only walked around a small bit of the town, plus visited the Museum of the Albemarle--that includes a cool exhibit about the nearby Coast Guard aviation base (largest in the US). They've had their hands full lately overseeing the oil leak in the Gulf.

Nearly another 100 years later in 1983, the complimentary (as in free) city docks were built and cruisers (who love anything free) began to arrive. Two long time residents, Fred Fearing and Joe Kramer (may they rest in peace) started hosting free wine and cheese parties for visiting cruisers and giving roses to the “First Mates.”

Dave Thomas and his wife are "Rose Buddies."

Dave Thomas, a friend of both Fearing and Kramer, is now the “Senior Rose Buddy.” He and his wife now come by when the Elizabeth City Area Visitors Bureau lets him know that 5 or more boats have arrived. Dave warmly welcomes everyone and briefs cruisers on what to expect on the Dismal Swamp Canal. At least he did tonight since all of us were heading north. Dave's been offering this volunteer sevice since 1986! Talk about devoted!!!!

The ex-mayor, Steve Atkinson, also gave us heads-up on the local restaurants, wine tastings, free concerts and classid movie nights, Saturday farmers market, and Museum of the Arbemarle (also free though they accept donations). He's quite an ambassador for the city too. Elizabeth City Convention & Visitors Bureau Director, Charlotte Underwood, warmly welcomed all of us as well.

Roses are still given to the wonderful first mates at the end of this party. Small town hospitality never felt so warm and genuine. I asked Dave if he’ll hand the Rose Buddy baton to anyone some day, and he assured me that there’s someone in the wings.

This was only the second Rose Buddy party this year since they only hold it when 5 or more boats are in the slips. Guess we’re on the front end of the snow bird parade north. Hope you can be so lucky.

Southern NC Hospitality

Cruisers will also meet the very super-friendly Sam, a WWII vet (not many still with us) who has unofficially appointed himself dockmaster. He stops by every afternoon around 2 to greet the cruisers. I asked him if he'd be staying for the "party," but he said "No, I go visit an elderly lady in a nearby nursing home every day from 4 to 4:30 because no relatives visit her." That's the kind of folks who live in Elizabeth City.

After the Rose Buddy wine and cheese, we headed to a yummy dinner at Cypress Creek Grill.

Elizabeth City deserves this self-proclaimed nickname, "Harbor of Hospitality." Sometime ya just gotta toot your own horn.

Now at Alligator River Marina

2010-05-04T16:48:00.002-04:00

Rain throughout the day, and nothing too remarkable in the Pungo River-Alligator River Canal except for one Stevens tug and barge and some wild turkeys. Too dreary for photos.

We passed Mile Marker 85 today. Wow, only double digits to Norfolk! Staying again at the Alligator River Marina where Miss Wanda herself helped us tie up. They have a strong signal Wifi connection here too. Our BVM (Blessed Virgin Mobile) has not been getting signals out here in the NC boonies for the last few days. I'm lost without my internet umbilical cord.

Captain Pete just phoned the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center to confirm that they have enough water for a 5' draft boat. So tomorrow we'll cross Albemarle Sound and stay in Elizabeth City tomorrow night. All the powerboaters at Dowry Creek were talkin' scare stories to us yesterday about bent props, etc. But we're not listening to them. We came south in the Virginia Cut, and really want to experience both Elizabeth City's hospitality and the Dismal Swamp.

Mile Markers promise home soon

2010-05-03T11:35:00.012-04:00

Mile Marker 200 on the ICW

The ICW in North Carolina has mile marker signs indicating the miles to Norfolk. That is real incentive for us to tackle some longer motor-sailing days. This voyage has been terrific, but it's feeling great to be getting closer to home. Only about 180 more miles, so less than a week to go! Key West, by the way, was at Mile Marker 1250.

After leaving Surf City, we had great southwest winds and were able to use those big white things on our boat. With the sails up and a current that was with us for a change, we were flying to Morehead City at 6-7 knots all day. We had stayed in Beaufort, the cutesy touristy town with lots of fine restaurants and bistros, on the way down and opted for a change this time because we had two pounds of shrimp that needed to be consumed soon.

Would you dine at an Unsanitary Restaurant?

Morehead City is a major NC port city and a sport-fishing mecca. Not too many sailboats in the Morehead City Yachtbasin marina. But the town is famous for its "boat to table" seafood restaurants. Where else would a restaurant called “Sanitary Restaurant and Fishmarket” be a big success since 1938?

Sanitary landfill is a misnomer as well!

The “Reelin’ for Research” fishing tournament and fundraiser for the children's hospital was ending, and the testosterone-laden fishing crews were heading in with their wahoo and dolphin. Lots of hoopin’ and hollerin’ on the docks as they weighed their catches. Little kids got into the act too.

Wow, that's an impressive catch.

There were a few open antique stores and gift shops within walking distance of the marina, so I had enough to keep me happy as Pete took a long walk.

There’s still a lot of nasty looking orange and red “stuff” on the radar heading our way (caused tornados in Arkansas and flooding in Tennessee) and the winds were very favorable, so we bypassed Oriental yesterday, instead anchoring much farther north in Campbell Creek last night.

Record-breaking highs yesterday along eastern North Carolina and an approaching front encouraged us to think marina for tonight. The 15 knot breezes kept us cool in our anchorage last night. But AC tonight will be even better.

I spotted Bum’s Rest with the binoculars and radioed them as they were heading to Oriental. We met them last January before they headed to the Bahamas with Sheet Music, and have been following each other on our mutual blogs since then. “It’s a small world after all” on the water. Perhaps we'll meet up farther north. We're planning on taking the Dismal Swamp route home--if there's enough water in it.

Examples of upcycling

We stayed in Dowry Creek Marina in Belhaven, on the advice of Stu and Claudia. What a nice place. I loved the upcycled items that showed real creativity. Have you ever seen such a large hummingbird feeder? And what a great use for old Crocs!

We reserved their loaner car to go into Bellhaven's "downtown" after we got barnacles off the dinghy (sounds like a nasty venereal disease, doesn't it?)

Just got back after a 30 minute drive in which we saw only one interesting sight: an old guy on a bike that was too small, peddling slow past the huge newly-plowed fields with his knees out at about a 45 degree angle from the bike. Belhaven has one nice little restaurant, Fish Hooks, where we enjoyed a tasty dinner last October. But it's the definitive sleepy little NC town. No, not town; how about village or hamlet?

Had to get back to the marina anyway for showers and the dock happy hour at 5:30. Jeez, it's hot today.

"Surf City, USA"

2010-05-03T11:29:00.005-04:00

Surf City Buddies

Shades of Jan and Dean . . .
When we left Southport, our next destination was Surf City (the North Carolina one, as opposed to the West Coast's). Do NOT plan on using this marina's showers—unless they replace the mildewed shower curtains. Yuck! Thankfully, we had plenty of water for showering onboard.

We chose Surf City and the Beach House Marina so we could again get together with John and Patti Suggs because we always have a great time with them. After docktails on MicMac (Patti is now very experienced at climbing onboard!) and a yummy dinner with them at Daddie Mac’s, they drove us around Surf City and to their home to view all their "yard art." Patti is really into frogs. This town reminded me of the Jersey shore of my childhood, or more recently the Keys. Mostly residential, and no mega highrises. The kind of town where everyone gets to know all their neighbors along the canals in no time.

We chatted with Pelican’s Captain Bob for a short time. He has also been on an October through now cruise down to Key West (and also the Florida west coast). His Sailing Life blog is great, so I’ve added it to my blog links on the right. His Pearson 42 was quite a bit faster than MicMac, so he blew by us the next morning as we headed north to Morehead City. Maybe we'll meet him again the next time we're in Long Island Sound.

Interesting "yard art" along the ICW

I had to take another photo of a "scenic wonder" along the NC ICW. Talk about yard art and a great sense of humor!

Southport beckons again

2010-04-29T18:33:00.003-04:00

Fresh shrimp, anyone?

Another long day (47 miles) brought us to one of our favorite towns and marinas in Southport, NC. We were part of a 10-boat parade leaving Barefoot Landing and the three required bridge openings. We just heard that one of them, Sunset pontoon bridge, may be closed nowfor high winds (what else is new here?), so we're glad we got through before that occurred.

Laundry kept me busy this afternoon for a few hours (as Pete changed the impeller and cleaned filters), and now we're heading to Mr. P's Bistro for dinner. We're trying not to repeat the marinas and towns on the way north, but this was one of our favorites. LOTS of shrimp boats along the way today, so I may just have to eat some more of those tasty little critters. Sure glad we're not sailing aling the Louisiana Gulf coast today. Those plumes from the burning oil slick may not be very healthy.

Maw on the Waccamaw

2010-04-29T18:24:00.001-04:00

The Waccamaw River is definitely one of Maw's favorites; so I took the wheel yesterday for most of the 25 or so miles up this delightful river. Nothing but Spanish moss draped from the cypress trees, lots of turtles (though not as many as on our trip south since it was now high tide), and few fellow boaters and homes.

We arrived at the Barefoot Landing Marina after about nine hours, our longest day in miles and hours so far in one day. I think we're thinking about our golf clubs gathering dust in the boat and the weeds that will need to be addressed when we get home. Plus the days are so delightful weather-wise and much longer than on our way down south.

I enjoyed shopping in Barefoot Landing (saw this tiger behind glass, seriously) and we both enjoyed dinner at T-Bonz last night. No fresh veggies or food onboard right now, so it's either pizza, rice and beans, or eat out. Duh!! No choice there.

Can you get seasick tied up to a dock?

2010-04-29T17:57:00.004-04:00

Or is is "docksick"?

Jim and Susan greet us in Charleston.

I almost found out when we were tied to a dock in Charleston Harbor at Patriots' Point. Last Saturday night, the wind started honkin' (Captain Pete's term for gusts of 30+ knots). We cancelled our tee-time due to the rain, but the wind never let up for three days. Waves were crashing over the dock as the time approached that afternoon for Jim Brinkley to pick us up for a stay with Susan and him in their almost new home on the Wando River. Nothing like putting on foul weather gear just to get off MicMac and make our way off the docks.

We really enjoyed our visit with the Brinkleys, and their elegant and quiet guest room too, especially without waves crashing against a hull. This was our view of the marsh the next morning. Pete and Jim shared some stories of high school days in Columbia that neither of their wives had heard before.

Jim loaned us his car for the day so that we could visit Pete's parents in Columbia. Then back to MicMac for docktails. Jim and Susan were real sailors as we rocked and rolled at the docks, with waves again crashing over the dock. Just as we adjusted to land legs, we had to rev up for sea legs again.

After another night of honkin' winds, we left Charleston Harbor behind (goodbye Fort Sumpter) and headed to Minim Creek, a quiet little anchorage at last.

Landfall on Toogoodoo

2010-04-24T12:46:00.006-04:00

Docked on Toogoodoo Creek, SC

I began Jimmy Carter’s biography, “An Hour before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood,” as we left Georgia waters a few days ago, and I’ve been imagining his childhood way of life. I’ve become enamored with the names of several rivers and islands we’ve been on or near: Ogeechee, Coosaw, Sapelo, Ossabaw, and so on. Last night, I watched a PBS special on the Congaree, Santee, and Wateree. Lots of "ee" waterways!

But my all time favorite name is Toogoodoo Creek—an Indian name, but no one seems to know the meaning. It’s a long creek with plenty of water, halfway between Edisto and Charleston—and coincidentally the family home (for 4 generations) of Bill and Susan Stevens. Pete hadn’t seen his Clemson fraternity brother, Bill, for 40 years until we got together over dinner last October on our way south. That’s a cool story in itself if you want to read about it in an October 2009 posting. "I can see your anchor light" was the cover story a few months later in their SAE fraternity newsletter.

Lem's Bluff Plantation

But now we have “Toogoodoo Chapter Two,” after staying with Susan and Bill last night in their Lem’s Bluff Plantation home on Yong’s Island, SC. Pete had even had a fraternity party in this home 40 years ago! One of their sons was off working in the family’s towboat business, but younger son Robert met us in the whaler at the opening of the creek to lead us in. The cruising guide indicated plenty of water, but better safe, than sorry. We soon tied up to their brand new dock, and began the "nickel tour" of the grounds and house.

The last 18 hours recreated what I’ve been reading in Jimmy Carter’s book, especially sitting on their “poach” last night enjoying wine before the no-see-ums drove us inside for dinner.

Bill and Susan--and Captain Pete

The oldest portion of this historic home was built in 1842 and enlarged first by Steve’s parents in the 1960s and later by Susan and Bill. The painted tiles around one fireplace were painted by Bill’s grandmother many years ago, copied from a recently discovered children’s book of nursery rhymes.

We thoroughly enjoyed their “Southern hospitality” along with the unique setting and other “tenants” (2 donkeys, 2 horses, 2 dogs, and 1 cat). Following Susan around on her animal feeding duties was a hoot. She promised us a donkey’s loud braying at dawn, but they must have understood that company was around, or that it was Saturday and their breakfast would be delayed. I had also hoped for a ghost, but no go there either.

Susan and Bill couldn’t believe that Lem’s Bluff Plantation got its own paragraph in Claiborne Young’s Cruising Guide to Coastal SC and Georgia. She only knew that the home was built sometime in the 1840s but not the specific year! They got quite a kick out of learning this from a cruising guide.

Two Democrats discuss politics.

We are now heading to Charleston and a slip at Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina in Patriot's Point. We'll meet up with Jim and Susan Brinkley tomorrow (after a round of golf if it's not raining), accept another night of Southern hospitality at their lovely home, and drive to Columbia on Monday to see Pete's parents for a quick visit. At this rate, we'll never get back to Williamsburg, but we're sure having a lot of fun.

Moving north through South Carolina

2010-04-22T20:17:00.002-04:00

All alone on Bull Creek, SC

We've anchored for two nights--last night in Bull Creek across from Harbortown Lighthouse in Sea Pines, and tonight in another deseted creek.

Both are marsh anchorages and we're becoming more fond of them. At first we compared them to snug little creek hidey hole anchorages in the Chesapeake, and were disappointed they were soooooo open.

But now we're enjoying the constant chatter from the clapper rails that I wrote about on our way south. They are more vocal as the tide drops, and tides around here are about 6 feet. Then too, the dolphins like to swim by the boat, and we have only seen them out on the Chesapeake Bay, not in snug shallow anchorages.

Hold your breath

2010-04-22T20:12:00.001-04:00

Paper mills are so "fragrant"!

Paper mills are not my favorite sight because of the odoriferous winds that can accompany them. I sometimes wish my sense of smell was not so discerning.

But menhaden processing plants win first prize. We thus avoid anchoring in Reedville, VA.

Obsessed with cemeteries??

2010-04-22T19:59:00.003-04:00

I wanted to see the Bonaventure Cemetery (visible from the ICW just north of Thunderbolt) that was very involved in the bestseller, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," as a voodoo site. [see earlier post during St. Mary's visit]

Another famous angel

I thought the famous statue in the book was the angel, but it turned out to be "The Bird Girl" which is not even there anymore. So here's the angel and the Bird Girl (now in a museum).

Look familiar?

On our way to Bull Creek anchorage in South Carolina

2010-04-21T09:57:00.005-04:00

"Looping" in this little boat?

I haven't posted in many days. Not much to write about except lots of dolphins along the way--and they are very camera-shy. I haven't been able to get a good photo of any of them either.

But get a look at this very tiny sailboat that is doing the loop. Now this is camping on the water!

The Georgia portion of the ICW reminds us of the Chickahominy back home since it meanders back and forth. That makes sailing rather difficult.

After staying in Golden Isles Marina in St. Simons (and a great dinner at the Coastal Kitchen), we had anchored out in Georgia on two nights, first in the Wahoo River with only one other sailboat, and then alone in Redbird Creek.

Remember Sunday School?

Yesteday we got a slip at the attractive Isle of Hope Marina (just outside Savannah) because we planned to meet Bill Wessinger, one of Captain Pete's Sunday school friends from Columbia, SC. a "few" years ago. We hadn't seen Bill in 25 years or so--not because Pete had dropped out of Sunday school, but because Bill and Karen were living in Isle of Hope, just outside Savannah. We enjoyed catching up with Bill last night over docktails.

We just had a delightful walk around Isle of Hope by the waterfront. Lots of Southern mansions that have been backdrops in many movies because the streets look soooo Authentic South. I have never seen so many humongous live oaks in one place! The Spanish moss drops my blood pressure, so I'm now very mellow as we move north. Hope to stay near Daufuskie Island across from Hilton Head tonight.

Cumberland Island Round Two

2010-04-16T22:01:00.006-04:00

Shadows along Cumberland Island trail

We hadn't even heard of this terrific and isolated (can only get here by boat) National Park along the Georgia coast before last fall, and now we're back for the second time. Since we've now qualified for National Park Free Perpetual Senior Passes (62??), it was easy to decide to come back here today. Plus it was a lot warmer than it was last November when we visited this great natural wonderland. Thank you Carnegie family for keeping it like it was in the 1920s. What a great legacy!

Marooned?

We nearly had the whole beach to ourselves again today, and then the wild horses arrived. Lucy Carnegie and her grand-daughter Lucy Ferguson insisted that their horses be given permanent reign (rein??) over this island. We had seen them on the Cumberland River anchorage side when we were here last fall, but today they walked the beach as if they owned it. Guess they do!

Wild horses on Cumberland Island, GA

Fewer boats here tonight at the anchorage too. Only 2 sailboats and 2 trawlers. The snowbird parade north is slowly beginning.

Good humor in a cemetery???

2010-04-16T21:43:00.002-04:00

After dinner last night at Lang’s Seafood in St. Mary’s, I convinced Pete that I really needed to revisit the Oakgrove Cemetery that I had walked around earlier that day. I had been a bit nervous walking around it alone, snapping photos of long-ago residents’ graves. But I'm really into cemeteries, and this one was from 1788.

An Oakgrove Cemetery Angel

During dinner, I looked up at a photo on the restaurant wall of the same "Awaiting the Resurrection" tombstone angel that I had photographed a few hours earlier. Shades of Savannah’s “Garden of Good and Evil” kinda gave me the heebie geebies.

So I just had to show the Captain the grave, but now it was dusk. Is that the ideal time to visit the dead, or what?

I had read that during the yellow fever era in St. Mary’s, the undertakers supposedly tied strings connected to bells on the hands of the deceased—in case they were in a coma and not dead. That may have been the origin of “saved by the bell” or maybe it’s an old wives tale.

But there we were at dusk, walking through this cemetery, when we heard a very loud bell. Yegads! Chill down our spines.

But it was the local Good Humor truck (and we had skipped dessert) so we enjoyed some ice cream treats in the cemetery as we finished out “graveyard shift” tour.

On to St. Marys

2010-04-16T21:31:00.003-04:00

No pirates onboard?

Yesterday we sailed up the St. Marys River to St. Marys (what else?), Georgia, after leaving the Fernandina mooring field.

We passed by this area in mid-November, one week too early to attend the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Dinner for cruisers. So we wanted to see the great town that gives such a warm reception to boaters every year.

This cool ship was anchored in the harbor. Sure makes you wonder—pirate wannabe or anarchist?? We tied up to the dock at Lang’s Marina after checking in with dockmaster Nat, then enjoyed a light lunch at the Madhatter’s Tearoom.

Orange Hall in St. Mary's, GA

While Captain Pete visited the Submarine Museum, I walked around this Georgia makes you think of “gone with the wind” town, and checked out the Orange Hall antebellum home, where I had a private tour.

This cute town is worth a visit although I held my breath as I walked past the demolition of the old elementary school. A nearby antiques shop owner told me it was a “sick building,” but that they were taking it down while the new school (next door) was in session. It was recess time too! Guess lead and asbestos aren't scary to these folks.

I got some coloful photos of fishing boat markers at the docks here tonight too, plus a great marsh shot with a sunken derelict boat.

Colorful floats

Last days in Florida waters

2010-04-14T16:27:00.007-04:00

We just picked up a mooring in Fernandina Beach. The wind has been howling an almost steady 15-20 knots from the Northeast all day. Grabbing a mooring ball is so much easier than docking in this wind. No need to embarass ourselves if we can avoid it!

The last time we were here in Fernandina was November 16, as we were heading south. A lot of water under the bow since then! But 5 months??? We did fly home twice for about 10 weeks off MicMac, but this has been a journey.

It's time to swap out the cruising guides and charts too. Thank you, George and Denise, for loaning us so many of yours. Non-boating friends might be amazed at how expensive these necessary charts are. $70-$100 is the going rate. But cruisers can't simply rely on GPS and electronic chartplotters.

I just had a "happy sad" moment, realizing we'd be leaving Florida tomorrow morning. But golf, lawn, garden, and friends are waiting back in Virginia. We estimate another 4 weeks before we see them.

Last night, we stayed in Jacksonville Beach at Palm Cove Marina. We arrived at dead low tide and had about an inch under us in their channel as we very slowly approached. After an invigorating walk to Publix to restock the frig, we enjoyed one of our best dinners of the entire trip at Marker 32 Restaurant next to the marina. We are growing gills and fearful of looking like grouper, but had to order more swimming creatures. Pete enjoyed his Florida pompano, while I devoured my Florida shrimp and grits. Food and Service were terrific. Ask for Tiffany or Steve.

The night before that, we stayed at Camachee Cove Marina, in St. Augustine where we shouted "Ahoy" at one of our heroes, Tom Neale, when we spotted him on "Chez Nous" at the end of the dock. We've been Tom Neale wannabes since we first heard him at a cruising the Chesapeake seminar at some boat show back in the '70s. We even have some of his old cruising newsletters onboard. He and his wife Mel inspired us to cruise the Chesapeake and "do the ICW."

More Masters at New Smyna Marina and Palm Coast Marina

2010-04-11T16:02:00.005-04:00

We requested one of our final bridge openings for quite some time yesterday morning as we left Florida's "Space Coast." Most of the bridges ahead of us are either fixed bridges or open on demand. It's still quite fun to watch all that traffic stop for about 5 minutes as we pass through. There were googads of them around Fort Lauderdale, so Captain Pete is glad to see them behind us.

After another "o dark thirty" departure, we got to New Smryna Marina yesterday just in time for the Captain to watch the Masters (otherwise we would have anchored out) and the First Mate to walk downtown (all of two blocks away).

New Smyrna car rally

An antique car rally was taking place and it sounded like a Nascar race (or what I imagine one sounds like) as many of the engines revved up as the cars sat parked along Canal Street. It was sorta like a "BIG ENGINE" contest for guys with lots of tats. Many of the women were heavily tattooed also. I had hoped for a quiet little stroll downtown, but kinda enjoyed the people-watching.

Pete got to enjoy it too a few hours later, after the Masters, as we walked to the Dolphin Watch restaurant for more good seafood.

Landshark goes with everything.

We've been supporting Jimmy Buffet lately since we discovered Landshark Beer. It goes well with fish sandwiches. Shrimp sndwiches too!

Today we're again hooked up to cable, this time at the Palm Coast Marina and watching Phil, Tiger, Lee, and the gang.

Cocoa Village Marina again

2010-04-11T15:43:00.003-04:00

Another easy motor sail up the Indian River with a nice breeze to Cocoa Village Marina. This is a terrific place to stay because of the cutesy downtown nearby--with lots of great restaurants. Our goal was to get there in time to catch the second round of the Masters. Gotta have cable sometime!

One of the big trawlers that Captain Pete admired (as they passed us) was Moon Beam from Charlottesville. Owners Peter and Didi are "loopers" on their way home and invited us onboard for docktails later that afternoon. They are on their way home on their counterclockwise loop (up the Hudson, through canals and some Great Lakes, down the Mississippi, along the Gulf Coast, etc.) All with a Golden Retriever and a cat! They shared some great loop stories during dinner at The Black Tulip restaurant nearby.

Back In Melbourne Harbor Marina

2010-04-08T21:53:00.003-04:00

After two more days of boat chores in Fort Pierce, diesel maintenance (Pete's job, not mine), more docktails with Pete and Ginny, laundry, a fun round of golf at Indian Hills Golf Course (complete with an alligator by my drive), and a tasty Italian dinner at "A Touch of Brooklyn," we headed north today. A long day of about 45 miles brought us back to Melbourne Harbor Marina.

On the way here, we admired a motor cat that blew by us at about 9 or 10 knots. Kinda gets sailors wondering, doesn't it? Should we too "go to the dark side"? Many of us abandon the sails and move to trawlers. But a motor cat might at least feel a bit more like a sailboat. Hmmm. Food for thought!

Our slip had no cable at the dock, so we hung out at Ichabod's Dockside Bar for the first round of this year's Masters. What a lively place for a Thursday night too. Unfortunately, after getting back onboard MicMac, we realized that the end of the harbor where we now have a slip is lively too--with ambulance sirens heading to the nearby hospital, plus bridge and railroad noises. Guess we'll run the AC to drown out the noise, and hope for quiet anchorages in the future.

Tiger certainly looked somber today--as well he should! We were happy that Phil Mickelson is just off the lead. Our goal for tomorow is to go to Cocoa Beach Marina (and their comfy boaters lounge with a huge TV) to watch round two. Go Phil!

Back in Fort Pierce after a successful NASA blastoff

2010-04-05T13:58:00.010-04:00

Discovery launch "telltails"

We set our alarms at 6:15 a.m. this morning to watch the Discovery space shuttle take off from Cape Canaveral, even though it's about 70 miles away. The launch was set for 6:21 a.m. and I can't discover why that exact time was chosen. Any rocket scientists out there who can explain????

Lo and behold, (at exactly 6:22) Pete got a quick glimpse of an orange ball as the shuttle passed through a break in the clouds. A few minutes later, we both saw the first stage booster falling to the sea. Then the rising sun did a light show on the exhaust trail tendrils a bit later. Kinda cool.

We had missed a launch on the way south because I had forgotten what day it was. It's always "boat time" onboard. So we're happy we got to see one this morning (even from afar), since it's supposedly the last one launched in darkness.

Captain Pete was ecstatic to sail all the way from Stuart to Fort Pierce. Mary Ann was ecstatic to NOT listen to the diesel. The quiet was so welcome. We have motor sailed too much of this trip. Why does the wind always come from the direction sailors want to go? Finally a long stretch of perfect Florida weather too! Of course, it's also been in the high 70s in Virginia.

Pete and Ginny from Stingray Yacht Club

As we pulled into Harbortown Marina in Fort Pierce, Pete and Ginny (fellow Stingray Harbor members) greeted us. They just arrived here two days ago on their new and bigger Joy Ride from the Bahamas. We enjoyed lots of stories with them over docktails and dinner tonight.

It's sorta bittersweet to be here because this marina was where we left MicMac last December on our way south. Lots of water under the bow since then, and we're on our way home.

Easter Sunday Sunrise

2010-04-05T13:45:00.006-04:00

We left Lake Worth anchorage at sunrise early Easter morning. We didn't see anyone on Tiger's yacht across the anchorage! Guess he really is planning on practice rounds for the Masters.

No leg of lamb onboard, so Captain Pete whipped up a mega-pizza for Easter Sunday dinner.

No jelly beans onboard either, but we've been enjoying the two chocolate Easter bunnies that Brody's Grandma gave Mimi and Pop Pop in Boston when we celebrated Brody's first birthday. They are specially yummy with red wine. Thanks, Judy.
I've been wearing my new super-visor that I bought in Islamorada. Pete now calls it my Easter bonnet. However, I think of Sally Fields since I also look like the Flying Nun.

My new Easter bonnet

Bridges are no big deal anymore, and we got a hoot when one of the bridge tenders called us an "Easter Parade" as we approached his bridge. There were four sailboats all under power moving north (two from Canada).

Many snowbirds are returning home.

Pete talked to Charlie Egan as we passed Jupiter Inlet Light, but didn't get to see them. Guess he'll have to play golf with him back at Two Rivers.

Jupiter Inlet Light

We anchored in Manatee Pocket, after going through the newly dredged Crossroads. LOTS of water under us today! Thank you, Corps of Engineers, for not adding to our distress this time.

Easter Weekend in Lake Worth

2010-04-03T21:15:00.002-04:00

An Easter bunny?

Easter on Peanut Island, FL

Today we were constantly reminded that it's Easter weekend. First we saw some cute kids on an Easter Egg Hunt in their gorgeously landscaped backyard on the ICW. Captain Pete thought he saw their Bunny Mom.

Today we even got to see "Easter weekend on Peanut Island" as we left the Palm Beach area and closed in on Peanut Island about halfway up Lake Worth. HUNDREDS of locals had poured onto its beaches, setting up tents and partying like it was Spring Break. Guess it is! Today is the day before Easter.

I felt like I was in the Easter parade, and I wasn't wearing my Easter bonnet. But it was both families frolicking in the water and young folks dancing on the boat decks. Alcohol seemed to be a factor at 5 p.m. as we proceeded north to the upper end of Lake Worth to anchor for the night.

No Privacy here!

We are now anchored safely (and quietly) in Lake Worth--again opposite Tiger's yacht, Privacy. His boat's name is again covered by canvas, as it was when we were last here in January. Looks like Tiger will need to pay a diver soon to get the barnacles off Privacy's bottom. For non-sailors, I am not making a critical comment. But barnacles and algae need to be scrubbed off a boat's bottom when it sits unused for a long time. No further explanation offered.

Why we like the Florida Intracoastal Waterway

2010-04-03T20:53:00.012-04:00

Lots of fellow sailors choose to "go outside" into the ocean and bypass the Intracoastal Waterway in the more "congested" areas. But we chose to see this stretch of the ICW from Fort Lauderdale to Fort Pierce TWICE--on our way to the Keys and now home again! Why? Because it's like being immersed in "Architectural Digest" for a few days, wowing one home after another. You can even peer inside some of them.

I still don't know how all these folks made the $$$ to build and maintain these homes. True, some are modest and don't have "For Sale" signs in front of them. But some come complete with yard sculptures, infinity pools, more glass than I'd ever want to Windex, and mega-landscaping.

I get bored on long ocean legs, because I whine about "there's nothing to look at" and "it's too bouncy to read." So I'm in my glory when there's lots of "eye candy." And there's an abundance of that here.

Captain Pete is tired of hearing about Palladian windows, columns, and solar panels.

Typical homes in Fort Lauderdale

Last ocean leg

2010-04-03T19:08:00.003-04:00

Key Biscayne Light

Weather forecast was favorable to get up at 0-dark-thirty yesterday morning and head out the Florida Channel from No Name Harbor to the Atlantic for our run up the coast, past Miami to Fort Lauderdale. Got to see Key Biscayne Lighthouse from another perspective, before I was "rockin' my soul in the bosom of Abraham" and went below for a nap. This first mate does not like 0-dark-thirty.

Captain enjoyed the ride more than the first mate too, especially since he got both sails up while motor-sailing. I prefer smaller waves than 3 footers. But it wasn't too late when we got to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, so we kept going. No cruise ships again either to raise our blood pressure!

LOTS of "eye candy" again as we passed gorgeous mega-homes in Fort Lauderdale, all of which seemed to own a mega-yacht to keep on their docks. A few even seemed to strategically place their mega-yacht to block the view of a more modest home across the waterway.

We anchored in Pompano last night in Lettuce Lake, an ananchronism if I ever heard of one. There was no lettuce and no lake either. It was simply a wide spot in the Intracoastal and pretty open to the wakes from the boats passing by--until sunset.

Spring has arrived in Florida

2010-04-03T18:53:00.004-04:00

We enjoyed a great motor-sail from Islamorada to Pumpkin Key in Card Sound. Very few boats were out today as we headed north through more narrow channels than I remembered on the way south.

Gotta remember now to keep those red marks on the left! No more "red right returning" as we head for home.

The Florida weather that we expected in February finally arrived, and we only shared the Pumpkin Key anchorage with two boats. It's a private island with lots of "No Trespassing" signs, so we took their advice. A quiet night with a beautiful sunset.

Ragged Key

The next day, we took a lunch stop at Ragged Key where Captain Pete rowed us into shore and on the return trip back to MicMac. Guess we all forget some basic things when on land for too long. But an outboard won't keep running with the gas vent closed. Mr. Dumass finally remembered as we got back onboard.

Ragged Key is an uninhabited very small key and we thought we had the place to ourselves. OOPS. It was Holy Thursday and school was out. Five boats with children soon arrived and our Robinson Crusoe experience and quiet lunch on land was soon over.

We pulled up the anchor and headed to No Name Harbor where we had stayed on our way south. It's only about 15 miles south of Miami, on Key Biscayne, but you feel like you're a world away from Miami. Lots of boats were anchored there, but most took off around sunset. We dinghied in to shore (outboard now working with gas vent open!) and ate dinner at The Boaters' Grill. Crabcakes were OK, but I miss Two Rivers' creation.

Back to Islamorada

2010-03-30T14:44:00.007-04:00

The photo below shows Islamorada on February 3, when we left MicMac at the marina to fly north. Winds of 20-30 were forecast for the rest of that week. So it seemed like a good time to visit all the family--in Delaware, Philly, SC, and Boston.

One month later, it looked the same as we walked down the dock last night. The winds were still howling, with gusts more than 30 knots. Yegads.

Windy in Islamorada

My 91 year old Mom told us on the phone that Miami had experienced a tornado today as we were in the air, flying back here. Then we read today that a tornado had also touched down on Grand Bahama (the same line of storms, no doubt) and killed 3 people.

So we'll do "boat chores" today, restock the boat, and probably leave Islamorada tomorrow.

We had to give up on the idea of heading over to the Bahamas. We wouldn't get enough Bahama Mama time with this late arrival. We wouldn't get home until late June. So we'll experience the Bahamas vicariously through our linked blogs to fellow sailors, and maybe charter there before too long. But we're sure seeing a lot of the Keys.

So we'll aim for a leisurely trip home north to Virginia, which will most likely take 6 or 7 weeks. No life in the fast lane for MicMac.

Flying north

2010-03-02T09:56:00.029-05:00

On AirTran, not MicMac
Another week of fronts from the north and continuing high winds are on the way. So we're flying back to Virginia tomorrow for a few weeks. We look forward to catching up with friends and of course driving to SC and Delaware/Philly to see our parents, the SC family members, and Dave and Heather. Skype is a wonderful way to see Brody, but he's having his first birthday soon, so we'll fly up to Boston to see him and Julie and Rob in person. Then there's the foot and a half of magazines and mail, and doctor and dentist visits. Sure hope that a cortisone shot can address my bum knee.

MicMac will wait for us here in Islamorada at the Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina under John's watchful eyes.

Plantation Yacht Harbor's beach

I recommend Plantation Yacht Club Marina in Islamorada for anyone with a boat that doesn't draw more than 5' and who wants good protection from these blasted fronts in the Keys. The mangrove breakwater makes the whitecaps out on Florida Bay a non-issue. John is their terrific dockmaster with an amusing sense of humor. A marina slip includes all the amenities of Founders' Park: a sheltered beach with showers; bocce, volleyball, and tennis courts; a huge pool; a dog park; a community band shell with free concerts; picnic tables and gas grills that work; locked showers and laundry room for marina residents; and cable and pump outs at EVERY slip, a real luxury.

It's warm today (mid 70s) but blowing 20 -25 (gusts to 30) all day. I walked to the park/marina beach, where 3 kids and their parents had the whole place to themselves. Maybe we'll even try out the community pool before the thunderstorms move in.

While home, I'm going to try to learn how to blow our conch shell at sunset. Something new to introduce at Two Rivers?

Every night here in the Keys, you can hear a cacophony of conch shell blasts. Some sound like beached walruses, some rather melodic.

No postings for about a month.

A nice break from sailing

2010-02-28T16:05:00.005-05:00

Before we hopped on a motor cat at Robbie's Marina this morning for a visit to Indian Key and Lignumvitae Key State Parks, we really had little knowledge of the significant history of the many Keys. Obviously, we had already been impressed by the efforts of Henry Flagler to construct a railroad all the way to Key West. But we didn't understand that he accomplished this (just before he died, by the way) by dredging the bottom of these ecologically sensitive waters to build the entire railroad on a causeway because bridges were too expensive to construct. No "environmental impact statement" to worry about then, and he had the dollars to do what he wanted.

But good ole Mother Nature gave her answer during the Hurricane of 1935 when she blasted her way (200 mph winds do blast!) through these causeways and reconnected the ocean side of the keys with the bay side. Thus the MANY bridges of the Overseas Highway from Key Largo to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.

Indian Key

The two keys we visited today are only accessible by boat and controlled by the Florida Park Service. Indian Key reminded us of Jamestown because only foundations of the town where 40-50 folks lived are left. The successful hotel (and bowling alley) can only be imagined since they've been entirely replaced by trees. The nearby dangerous reefs turned this 10 acre key into the center of the "wrecking" industry and the original seat of Dade County.

There were only 5 streets, and I loved the sign for "Forth St.".

After the self-guided tour of Indian Key, we motored to nearby Lignumvitae Key, where we really enjoyed an hour and a half tour with an extremely knowledgeable park ranger. This is what the Keys would have looked like if Flagler and future vacationers never arrived. After out tour, we recognize trees such as lingumvitae, gumbo-limbo, poisonwood, mastic, and strangler fig. Perhaps "Tropical Trees" that will be a category on Jeopardy some day and we can look intelligent!

Lignumvitae Key

After whining so much about the colder than average temps here in the Keys during our time here, we rejoiced today when the ranger told us that the mosquitos are a terrible curse here during warmer weather. Today we wore foul weather gear because the 58 degrees this morning felt like 40s with the wind chill.

We bought "Charlotte's Story" on the way back to the marina. Charlotte Niedhauk and her husband Russ must have been something. They lived in this coral home as caretakers on isolated Lignumvitae Key and Elliott Key in the 1930s, including during the Hurricane of 1935.

"Low Key" Pops in Islamorada

2010-02-28T14:55:00.002-05:00

Before dinner last night, we experienced Americana at its best at a "Pops Concert" by the proud local community band at the amphitheater near our marina. It wasn't Boston Pops, but it was free. Thank you, Islamorada, for these beautiful facilities at Founders' Park.

Back in Islamorada

2010-02-27T20:47:00.029-05:00

We left Marathon at first light yesterday in order to get to an Islamorada marina before another front arrives with high winds. This is starting to get old! But my mother in Delaware and our son Dave, in Philly, are also saying that about the unusual round of snowstorms they've seen this year. Global weirding!

My first activity on shore was to give myself a haircut. Seriously, I was that desperate. The only other woman in the ladies shower room had a skeptical look on her face as I started chopping an inch off the sides and top. I handed Pete the scissors when I got back to the boat and asked him to trim the back. He kindly obliged, after saying "You have a mullet; all business up front; all party out back." Then we went out to dinner, since I now looked more groomed!

We rented a car and drove down to Duck Key and up to Key Largo today, looking at the waters we had sailed through and the bridges we had sailed under from a different perspective. Kinda strange.

Winds were perfect for the many kiteboarders out for a thrill. Enjoyed lunch at Green Turtle Inn, some shopping for Brody's upcoming first birthday, and dinner at Marker 88.

Another beautiful sunset last night from Founder's Park's Plantation Yacht Harbor:

Islamorada Sunsets

Hello, Towboat U.S.

2010-02-27T20:36:00.002-05:00

'Tis better to drop anchor than to drag anchor

There's always the first time for everything, including dragging anchor. It finally happened to us a few nights ago (after 11 years of sailing on 33' plus sailboats) during another mega-wind night at Boot Key Harbor in Marathon. MicMac had always stayed put at anchor with lots of chain out. But this anchorage was so blasted crowded that Captain Pete had to pull in some anchor rode to avoid swinginging into nearby boats. That left us susceptible to the howling 30 knots plus winds that arrived with another cold front.

At 10 p.m. (at the end of a Marathon marathon Scrabble game), we started to heel over even more than in the gusts. OOPS. As we scrambled up the steps to the cockpit, we saw mangroves VERY close. We had drifted about 100 yards, all the way to the shallow edge of the anchorage and were aground at low tide, broadside to the wind, and held there by continuing gusts. We knew we were in for another night of trying to sleep at a very uncomfortable angle. "Not much we can do until morning," said a calm captain. First mate was less calm and wanted to call Towboat U.S. immediately.

In the dark, we could see another boat that was hard aground. But that's hardly reassuring. The morning photo shows how our jib is parallel to the other grounded boat's mast. Parallel lines are only cool in math class, not in an anchorage. Note too the other boat headed correctly into the wind.

Hauling us off the bottom at high tide was an easy task for the towboat another 14 hours later, in spite of the 25 knot winds still blowing. The add-on of $125 per year for towing insurance paid for itself again. Towing services are NOT cheap, but at no cost if you're covered. Kinda like AAA towing. Our engine konked out years ago in the middle of the Chesapeake and we had to be hauled back to the York River.

Embarassment aside, no real harm done. We also learned to check our boat's position frequently during a storm in spite of who is winning at Scrabble; to never anchor out in a crowded anchorage where you can easily converse with nearby boats, and to swallow our pride when MicMac under tow is the local entertainment.

Stingy thingys

2010-02-24T14:21:00.001-05:00

“All creatures great and small . . . the Lord God made them all.”

Now I hesitate to second-guess Our Creator, but what was He (She?) thinking when the concept of sharks, no-see-ums, and jellyfish popped into His (Her?) mind?

James Herritot’s book (and subsequent TV series) focused on great and small creatures, and Samuel Coleridge also used this phrase In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Neither must have tried to enjoy a sunset near mangroves keys on a quiet night, or enjoyed snorkeling.

We and another young couple, who had never snorkeled before, took off on a chartered motor catamaran one day in Key West to Looe Key for a fine day of snorkeling. It was one of the few warm days (in the 70s) that we’ve had, but windier than we’d prefer. We planned to wear our shorty wetsuits, and top them with the diveboat’s heavier ones for extra warmth. The water temp was only 72 degrees. Yellow vests are required for visibility.

I incorrectly assumed that a “Key” was above water level. Not so. It can also refer to a reef. When 15 knot winds blow water over your snorkel air intake tube (as happened to me as I was back-tracking from the docile nurse sharks basking on the bottom 20’ below), that is NOT the relaxing snorkeling experience I enjoy.

As I sputtered and coughed, Pete advised me to put my tube back in my mouth and try to relax. That’s when the 6’ hammerhead (photo by Google) swam by beneath us. Relax? Ya gotta be kidding. I promptly sputtered and kicked my way back to the boat. Lunch was a good choice then. Even the boat crew and captain said they had never seen a hammerhead shark in the wild before. Perhaps that was just good marketing, but there was little snorkeling after that. A few juvenile Man o’ War tentacles found the arms of the young couple too. Vinegar to the rescue!

We witnessed a plethora (I’ve overused “googads”) of Portuguese man o’ wars floating ominously on the turquoise waters of Hawk Channel as we motor-sailed from Key West to Marathon yesterday. They supposedly have no means of transportation and depend on the wind to carry them (it seems to prime swimming spots and beaches!). I’ve seen them on Hilton Head and Ocean City beaches, but never in the thousands like this. The adult ones were almost fluorescent as their oval-shaped bodies float above the surface. The little dudes (I don’t think they have dudettes) are small whitish blobs with shorter tentacles, but they are in even larger supply than the older ones.

Shortly after we anchored back in Boot Key Harbor, a lovely sunset arrived, and so did the no-see-ums (real name Ceratopogonidae, also called biting midge or punky) that apparently have extremely sharp biting apparati. No-see-ums wake up when the sun goes down and are most active at dawn and dusk. Citronella candles kinda work, and they're cetainly better than spraying yourself with DEET. That would require a shower before sleeping. Thank you, Lord God, for creating man and woman, who then created screens to deter most of them, and duct tape for blotting up those who got into our cabin earlier.

As you can see, in my Boot Key Harbor photo, the anchorage is a VERY crowded one, but gorgeous at sunset.

More Key West activities

2010-02-24T14:07:00.001-05:00

Lest you think that all we did in Key West was wine and dine, or margarita and dine, we walked many miles, especailly around the Truman Annex. It's a pretty condo neighborhood that used to be Navy housing during the '40s and '50s. Truman's "White House" is here too.

One day, after a morning of laundry, we set off for Fort Zachary Taylor, its nearby beach and Coast Guard ships, and its outdoor art sculpture. But hunger ruled and we took a lunch detour to Blue Heaven, a stereotypical mostly outdoors Key West restaurant with chickens and roosters strutting by.

MY bum knee was not happy after we walked a few extra miles after getting completely different directions to the sculpture “garden” from three different locals. Then the "sculptures" were less than impressive to our artistically discerning eyes, except for one made by school kids out of plastic bags. So we had to stop at Sloppy Joe’s for a medicinal margarita on the way back to dinner onboard MicMac.

On our final Key West evening, we enjoyed our own mini-pubcrawl, beginning with a look at some of the "entertainers" on Mallory Square and a beautiful sunset and vino (an hour after 24 hours of rain). The huge cruise ships on the nearby docks have to leave at 4:30 p.m. so they don't block the sunset.

We then returned to Kelly’s for vino and lots of conversation with fellow and once-were sailors, and finally a return to the Schooner Wharf Bar where I learned another useful phrase for being over-served. One of the band members was “spurring his sleech” after a few satisfied customers tipped him with shots. Schooner Wharf rules!

Key West entertainment

2010-02-20T09:12:00.004-05:00

So many bars, so few days

We’d never seen a female impersonator perform, and we are in Key West, so . . . we went to La Te Da on Thursday night to see the “Randy Roberts Live” cabaret show. He really sounds like and looks terrific as Bette Midler, later as Cher, and last as himself/herself, Randy. Now I have to go to that show in Boston with Julie that we missed a year ago! How did the term “drag queen” originate? If you want to know, click on http://www.answers.com/topic/drag-queen It's a real education on the differences between drag queens, transvestites, female impersonators, etc.

“Lunch out” is an attraction too, even the few that don’t have live music, like B.O.’s Fish Wagon and Pepe’s. The décor is the main attraction (see photos below), and they’re both institutions here. Every bar seems to have live entertainment darn near around the clock. Almost all are open to the street, even with this cold spell. A few guys in minimal “budgie smugglers” were dancin’ up a storm on one bar last night as we walked by. Ya gotta look.

Then there’s The Bull, known for its clothing-optional bar on the 3rd floor roof. So many ideas for E-Series at Two Rivers! Why am I not surprised that The Full Monty will be offered at the local theatre next week?

Pete and Gary

Bob Marley’s son, Stephen, performed here last night, but one big night out is enough for us. Plus, friends from Governor’s Land, Gary and Marie, are in Duck Key in their big RV. So Gary drove down to Key West last night to see us (Marie didn't accompany him since she wasn’t feeling well). We walked down Duval Street to Willie T’s for a few margaritas. We are in Margaritaville!

Cowboy Bill’s Honky Tonk Saloon and Captain Tony’s Saloon (the original Sloppy Joes’s) look promising for another night.

Only the pelicans don’t seem to mind this 50s and 60s degree weather. We’re still waiting for the high 70s and even 80s that are supposed to arrive tomorrow.

We finally have cable now that we’re in a marina, so I can watch some of the Olympics.

Arrived in Key West yesterday!

2010-02-18T17:04:00.001-05:00

I thought we'd never see Duval Street again, but here we are. The winds were only 5-10 today, so we motor sailed for 8 hours to get here in one "fell swoop."

We had enough of anchoring out (and the mooring field here is WAY out), so we got a slip at Galleon Resort and Marina for a few days. The yacht next to MicMac provided lots of protection from the wind last night!

Out of the multitude of bars and restaurants here in Key West, we opted to eat dinner at Kelly's Caribbean Bar and Grill last night because Wayne and Millie (now back in VA) had recommended it as one of their favorites. What a coinkydink! Mike, Audrey, Pete, and Mary Lee were there, after driving down to Key West for the day. Another happy hour with them!

Today we went to another of Wayne and Millie's favorites, Schooner Wharf, for lunch and to listen to legend Michael McCloud. Of course I had to buy one of his CDs. Chatted with a nice young couple from the cruise ship that's in port today who were on a pub crawl. I think that's what everyone in Key West, since Ernest Hemingway, is on!

We tried to find the cute B & B we stayed at 5 years ago, but it's now for sale, along with LOTS of homes here. Perhaps the mortgage fiasco has opened up the real estate down here.

Windjammers from NJ in Marathon

2010-02-18T16:42:00.002-05:00

Terrific! We got to see more old sailing friends from NJ.

Audrey and Mike, from our Windjammer days on Barnegat Bay, spend half the year in their Tampa area home. They drove down to Marathon to visit other former Windjammers, Pete and Mary Lee, who spend Februarys in Marathon on their Endeavor 44 power catamaran, "Twin Chariot." Audrey read our blog and emailed us that they'd be in town while we were marooned here. They picked us up in a dinghy and we enjoyed lunch with all of them at another Marathon spot, Hurricane's (famous for their $5 lunch). Then back to "Twin Chariot" for happy hour.

If NOAA isn't lying and the wind is from the north, we planned to head south the next day to get closer to Key West.

Our layover in Marathon, FL

2010-02-18T16:31:00.001-05:00

I am going to be in serious need of Weight Watchers when we get home. My bum knee is still talking to me, so I'm getting little walking exercise. We enjoyed a humongous lunch at Keys Fisheries one day. It's a legendary spot for $1 stone crab claws for lunch, but the open air deck was not appealing on that cold day. Instead, Pete bought a pound of them another day and we cracked them onboard. MIGHTY tasty. The cool thing about these huge claws is that they are taken from the living crab who is then returned to the seas to grow another one. That takes about 18-24 months, but it's "sustainability" at its finest.

We walked to Crane Point Preserve and Nature Center one day. It's a nifty little slice of Florida like it used to be: thick black, red, and white mangrove forests, the oldest tabby house in Florida (outside of Key West), and lots of trails to explore. They also house the Wild Bird Center that rescues and releases injured birds.

I found one crab trap float the day after the big storm that I'll add it to my flotsam collection on our porch at home.

These blasted things are spread out in no obvious pattern across Florida waters, both in the ICW and outside in Hawk Channel. Captain Pete just loves dodging them. Some mark stone crab traps and some are tied to spiny lobster traps. They kinda remind you of Tom Hanks' "Wilson."

We had anchored FAR away from the City Marina's dinghy dock because the 250+ mooring balls were already in use, and many (as in another 150) boats were anchored out. It was a long ride in. So I chose to stay aboard two days, catching up on my reading, instead of getting a bouncy wet ride in to shore.

But we had "cabin fever" one day. Luckily, Deb and Dan invited us to a Sunday afternoon of Mexican Train Dominoes on shore. It took Pete and me a while to get the gist of it, but it's the traditional Sunday afternoon pastime for Marathon sailors. We met lots of nice folks and now have another past-time other than Rummikube and Scrabble.

Our son Dave also introduced us to a challenging website with challenging trivia categories. Try http://www.sporcle.com/ and try any category. Pete and I must have killed a lot of brain cells, because we haven't aced any of the categories.

BIG winds

2010-02-18T16:03:00.000-05:00

Wow, glad we were prepared for that big storm. Ony poor guy was in his dinghy returning to his boat when the winds arrived. MicMac danced around "like a ballerina" on her anchor (according to the sailor anchored behind us) when the winds jumped from 20 to 30-40 knots in one minute. A local restaurant clocked one gust at 50 knots. That was probably the one that sent everything on our table crashing to the floor as we heeled over. The excitement lasted for about 45 minutes, then the winds stayed around after the rain and lightning. NOT a good night for sleeping as the winds howled.

Waiting for Mariah

2010-02-12T16:32:00.005-05:00

As Andy Rooney might ask, why do they "Call the Wind Mariah"?

Chilly in Marathon

There’s something funky about this photo, taken yesterday, during the calm before the storm. Why would a photo of tropical paradise in Marathon include a Tiki Hut and First Mate Mary Ann in fleece? In February? The temps continue below average here in the middle Keys, but I can’t complain since it’s MUCH colder up north. But we're at anchor, and waking up in the 50s on MicMac in the morning makes me think twice about a marina. And we're waiting for a mooring ball?

But it was perfect weather yesterday for a brisk mile walk to Publix to restock MicMac. We also found a great Cuban restaurant in town, El Siboney. Neither of us needed much dinner after polishing off their Cuban Mix sandwiches for lunch.

One good effect of the January cold snap (into the 30s) was the death of some invasive species in Florida. The local paper just reported that the headcount of those pesky Burmese pythons, and other invasive iguanas and fish is way down. Survival of the fittest, however, means that many of them are still lurking in south Florida.

Many folks in Boot Key Harbor are sitting on their boats this afternoon, waiting for the big winds and thunderstorms NOAA is predicting. Click here to see Boot Key Harbor on their live web cam.

In spite of the frequent false alarms and faulty predictions we listen to on our VHF radios, well-prepared sailors still “batten the hatches down.” Captain Pete now has live radar as well on his new smart phone toy! Then there's Accu-Weather and the National Weather Service. NO Weather Channel out here on the hook though. TV reception is practically nil here. Cable rules!

When that blasted disembodied NOAA voice (the robotic one) issues gale warnings, we check and re-check the anchor, put out more chain if possible, remove anything topside that’s loose, secure the dinghy, and reduce as much “windage” as possible. No need to be whipping around the anchorage like a whirling dervish when “it” hits the fan.

And I had hoped to take Patti on Bum's Rest advice and get some tasty stone crab claws tonight. $1 a piece sounded great. Guess they'll be there tomorrow too.

Fried Key Lime Pie!

2010-02-10T11:54:00.008-05:00

What do sailors do in Marathon when they’re “stuck in port” with very windy conditions predicted for the foreseeable future? Dine ashore. And it's even better with friends.

Dan and Deb recommended nearby Burdine’s Chiki Tiki (doncha love that name?), so we dinghied there around 6:30 last night after some vino onboard MicMac. It’s the stereotypical Keys restaurant with atmosphere out the wazoo.

We enjoyed catching up with our "About Time" friends and hearing their stories of past trips down the ICW and crossings to the Bahamas. They raved about one specific dessert, so we ordered ONE fried key lime pie to share. Wow. Hope I get to walk a good bit while we wait here for calmer seas.

We dinghied back to MicMac under starry skies just in time. 30 minutes later, a rapid wind shift (as in 180 degrees in 5 minutes) occurred as a front came in. The north wind has been howling ever since, gusting to 25 or 30 knots, even in this sheltered harbor. I doubt any sane sailor will leave this anchorage today. I probably won't post anything on this blog for days since the winds are supposed to continue for days.

Hats off to fellow sailors on Sheet Music and Bum's Rest for safely arriving in Bimini yesterday. Glad the two skippers and one canine crew member didn't succumb to seasickness. First mates and other puppy were not so lucky. See their blog for all the details.

Our condolences to all our family and friends who are AGAIN seeing snow today, even in Williamsburg. Y'all must think you fell asleep and woke up in Minnesota.

This morning, we listened to Cruisers’ Net on VHF Channel 68. One of the sailors moderates this daily opportunity at 9 a.m. for sharing news (there’s a book signing and pot luck tonight) and announcing items for sale, want, trade, or giveaway. One boater ranted about the lack of courtesy flags on some “foreign” boats, prompting a venting by a few Canadian yachters. Quite a few boaters want to share rides to the Miami Boat Show this coming weekend. One announced that gale force winds were coming, which was corrected by another sailor who noted that the Beaufort Wind Scale defines a moderate gale force wind as 41.6 knots. I get a little green just hearing that number. Reminding us that lots of cruisers homeschool their children onboard, kids participate in a Trivia portion at the end of the broadcast.

“Marooned” in Marathon

2010-02-10T11:48:00.002-05:00

Captain Pete wanted to leave Matecumbe Bight at first light due to predicted shifting winds. I am NOT a morning person, but was a bit concerned as I took this photo at sunrise. Does not “red sky in morning; sailors take warning” have a nice ring to it?

We crossed “outside” to Hawk Channel and I never went below for the next 6 hours. NOAA lied again, forecasting 15 knots and 2’ seas. Instead we experienced 18-22 knots with 4-5’ waves; I was a tad “green around the gills.”

I entertained myself by taking a series of bridge photos. See the remains of one of Henry Flagler’s railroad bridges of the early 1900s. What a visionary and entrepreneur he was. Ya gotta admire his fortitude. But he underestimated the power of the hurricanes (especially the unnamed one of 1935) that destroyed his efforts to link Miami to Key West by railway. Cruising sailors weren’t so prevalent then either, and we welcome those 65’ bridges that allow us to pass back and forth between the ICW and the ocean.

We were very happy to see Flagler’s 7 Mile Bridge (called the 8th Wonder of the World when it opened in 1912), and dropped the hook in sheltered Boot Key Harbor in Marathon.

This is the heaviest “populated” anchorage we’ve ever seen. About 400 boats are anchored or on moorings here, many of them for months, many waiting for that elusive weather window to cross to the Bahamas. Boot Key used to have the reputation as the anchorage most fouled by its residents. Derelict boats were removed, pumpout boats now remove that fouling “stuff,” and clear waters are returning.

Pete took a long dinghy ride in to the marina to put our name on the waiting list for a mooring. We’re # 18 but no one will want to leave with windy days forecast for the next 4 or 5 days. On the way back to MicMac, he spotted “About Time” and left our card aboard. Our non-boater friends might not know that most of us have business cards with boat names, blogs, email addresses, etc. to exchange with those we meet along the way. Cruisers become instant comrades!

We met Dan and Deb, now full time liveaboards on their roomy 46’ Hunter, "About Time," last summer at a Stingray Yacht Club party and have been emailing each other our respective progress south stories since last October. Pete's card didn't blow away, so Deb dinghied over an hour later and we invited them to join us later for libations before dinner ashore.

Skinny water

2010-02-08T16:05:00.000-05:00

We keep our eyes on the depth meter (on the right) for a good reason. We set it to measure the distance under the keel. So .5 of a foot is 6 inches! No naps for the navigator on watch!

Cormorants standing on the bottom.

Papa Pete's Pizza

2010-02-08T15:58:00.000-05:00

The Captain prepares one of his specialties.

Super Bowl XLIV in Islamorada

2010-02-08T15:53:00.001-05:00

We knew we were in the Keys when I spotted this flamingo pink Nauti-Limo near our marina. VERY classy, doncha think?

We would have missed the Super Bowl if we had been anchored out because TV reception is spotty in the Keys. So we opted for a marina and cable TV, but instead walked down Highway 1 to Chilly Willie’s to catch the first half. We did not need to dress up for dinner!

Hog Heaven is the infamous sports bar in Islamorada, but that would have been a major hike. Two bar seats at Chilly Willie’s were our home for the entire game. Who could leave with the lead changing hands a few times, “buy one drink, get one free” for the night, dollar nachos (pretty bad), and free shots if your team scored? We were offered a ride back to the marina by fellow Saints fans, but chose to walk, singing “Oh when the Saints go marching in” and with our free Bud Bowl t-shirts across our chests for visibility to drivers. New Orleans folks have so much to celebrate now. Whoopee!

Islamorada is called the “Sportfishing Capital of the World” (George Bush Senior loved to come here)with VERY pricy bonefishing trips extremely popular. And you can’t even eat those things.

The local artists have an arts village, the Rain Barrel, near the marina too. No Beebes here however! You can’t miss the spiny lobster sculpture out front. Lack of space on MicMac inhibits my purchases. Our ARB would really love that concrete manatee and a few colorful whirlygigs by our mailbox.

We are now the only boat anchored in Matecumbe Bight and the winds have finally been light today. The water is like glass. NOAA of course forecast 10-15 knots. They must use a Magic 8 ball. We now hear that the Mid-Atlantic coast may get another snowstorm in a few days. Y'all come on down.

We are sailing southwest now. Most folks think the Keys are directly south of Miami, but they string out to the southwest. Tomorrow we plan to head out Channel 5 (not 4 or 6 ;-) to Hawk Channel and get to Marathon. The harbor promises to be very crowded. The Harbormaster told Pete there were 26 on a waiting list for a mooring ball yesterday. So we'll enjoy our solitude at this anchorage today.

Why we're in the Florida Keys

2010-02-07T17:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks, Mindy, for sending us the photo of our house last week. You reminded us why we're not in Virginia during January and February.

"Slight chop" on Biscayne Bay, my eye!

2010-02-06T17:28:00.001-05:00

Weather forecast had the wind direction correct this morning (from the west), but they sure goofed on the velocity. NOAA predicted 10-15 with gust to 20 knots, so we left No Name Harbor after hanging out there for two days, waiting for a favorable forecast to sail down Biscayne Bay. First three hours made NOAA weather forcasters look like soothsayers.

Then the conditions turned "snotty." That really is a sailor term, and it means yucky. The wind gods slept in this Saturday, but woke up around 11 a.m. to kick it up a notch, as good ole Emeril says. We experienced a consistent 28-30 knots with a few gusts greater than that for the next 5 hours. That is NOT fun sailing conditions in my humble opinion. I know that the East Coast is also seeing high winds, along with googads of snow, so I guess I can't complain. Plus it could have been a lot worse--if Biscayne Bay had deeper water.

Speaking of water, we saw Biscayne Bay in many different colors today: turquoise, then pea soup, then dark blue, then coffee with a lot of cream, and finally now black. But a very CLEAR black that let us see the dolphins under us as we dropped anchor.

Captain Pete and crew are enjoying a well deserved happy hour on the hook right now, in Tarpon Basin, off Key Largo. We are now officially in the Keys, and we're still listening to a howling wind at this anchorage. It's really "honking," another perfectly apt term.

We've reserved a slip in Plantation Yacht Harbor on Key Largo tomorrow. Gotta watch those Saints and Colts!

It's a "beautiful day" in Key Biscayne

2010-02-04T17:25:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was a perfect day too, weather and wind wise, to leave Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades inlet and motor sail out in the ocean down the coast to Port Miami. We looked for the new world’s largest cruise ship, the Oasis, but she was out cruising.

Miami skyline through the dodger

This was the first truly turquoise ocean waters we've seen on this trip. The ICW in Florida was quite blue and clear, but the ocean today was beautiful, with only 2-3 foot swells.

The Miami skyline was quite impressive, especially with the Goodyear blimp making a practice run over us for next Sunday’s Super Bowl. Toto, we’re not in Willieburg any more.

We were allowed to enter Government Cut without any consternation from the Coast Guard. Since 9/11, cruisers like us can't use this inlet if more than 2 huge cruise ships are in the harbor.

Five hours later, we entered Biscayne Bay and grabbed a Coconut Grove Sailing Club mooring. Their launch picked us up and we walked around the cutesy downtown and found a Fresh Market within walking distance.

Today we sailed across the bay to Key Biscayne, and anchored in No Name Harbor (really). Whoopee, I can finally post a sentence with the word “key” in it! This is the key (actually cay) where Nixon enjoyed some relaxation at his other White House. I believe it’s where the infamous Watergate planning began as well.

We have now travelled 1095 miles since October 11. As we leave the hustle and bustle of Miami behind, it’s time for Jimmy Buffett “changes in attitude.” The Keys are full of colorful history and persons, such as those in the lower Keys, the “Conchs,” who proclaimed their independence from the U.S. in 1982, declared war (over the Border Patrol stopping cars and causing roadblocks), then immediately surrendered, applying for foreign aid. The spirit of the Conch Republic remains, and quite a few anarchists love living here.

Cape Florida Lighthouse

No Name Harbor is a terrific anchorage, especially in an east wind. It's hard to believe we're only 15 minutes from downtown Miami. We dingied ashore, walked to the end of Key Biscayne, and explored the Bill Baggs Florida State Park, its Cape Florida lighthouse, and lighthouse keeper’s home. Pete again climbed to the top, while I played lighthouse keeper's wife.

Florida truly is a jungle in its natural state, sans condos. This area took a direct hit from Hurricane Andrew, and all the invasive Australian pines were toppled. So the state replaced all the fauna in this park with native plants.

Those are remaining Stiltsville houses!

There's this cool sight as you look out the inlet here. It's called "Stiltsville," and it reminds us of the softshell crab sheds built over the water in Tangier Island. Some fishermen did the same thing here many years ago. After Hurricane Andrew, only a few were left. That in itself is amazing.

Just spotted “Sheet Music,” a sailboat we last saw on Thanksgiving Day in Melbourne. Chuck and Kathy have already been down to Key West and are now on their way to the Bahamas. They have a blog too, so I’ve added a link to it. Blogging is not just something I do in lieu of boat drinks (I am ambidextrous), but a great way to check the whereabouts of fellow cruisers, in case we cross paths again. We also met Patty on Bum's Rest who also has a blog. They are cruising with Sheet Music to the Bahamas. I just had to stop and talk to her when I saw Williamstown, NJ, on their transom. I taught there for one year in 1974-75, as a newly wed!

No Name Harbor sunset

Enjoy the sunset from No Name Harbor. . .

Fort Lauderdale, the Venice of America

2010-02-01T12:25:00.002-05:00

So many canals, so little time.

This city is REALLY impressive from the water. I realized my mouth was hanging open (guess I looked like a mouth breather, Arthur!) as we motored past Las Olas Marina and up the New River yesterday. Countless megaboats (excuse me, yachts) surrounded us. Fiberglass on the grand scale and gorgeous megahomes (like the one on the left) have replaced the dense jungle and swamp of the 1800s. Fort Lauderdale has 270 miles of canals to explore, compared to 45 miles in Venice.

It looks like we’ll be spending a few more days here, waiting for that “weather window” to offer a calm day to motor/sail down the coast to Biscayne Bay, where we can begin our next leg to the Keys. We are looking for 2-4 foot seas or less before we go out the inlet. No need to be a hero bashing around in 6 foot plus seas. Been there, done that. Not fun.

We are tied up at the New River Downtown “Marina” in the heart of downtown, just a few blocks from the restaurants and shops on Las Olas Boulevard. I put “marina” in quotes because boats literally tie up to both sides of the New River and we’ll be showering on MicMac (second boat from the bottom of photo). But the price is right.

For entertainment yesterday, we watched the tour boats, river taxis, and other cruisers parade by, while watching the nearby bridge going up and down, and listening to a jazz guitarist singer at the Downtowner Saloon on the promenade by our side. It’s kinda like anchoring a boat on Fifth Avenue right in the thick of things.

An Arts Festival was taking plae just across the dock. Sorry, but I just had to take a photo of this dog lover. Her face was tighter than a drum, but her plastic surgeon had not yet mastered love handles. I gotta get more exercise!

Today it’s raining cats and dogs, as the weatherman predicted. So we saw Avatar this afternoon at the nearby IMAX. WOW! The special effects were awesome in 3D, especially on a five story tall screen. Perhaps our ticket purchase will push it over the top to the highest grossing movie ever.

Tomorrow we’ll move MicMac closer to the inlet to the Hyatt’s Pier 66 Marina, hoping for an early morning departure to the ocean on Wednesday—unless the weatherman lied. Laundry duty should keep me busy tomorrow.

How could I forget to post this bit of gossip?

2010-01-30T17:59:00.000-05:00

Guess where Tiger's megayacht is hiding? We saw it in a marina on our way to the Lake Worth anchorage where we were aground for part of the night (see earlier posting).

I knew what it looked like because I had googled it weeks ago just in case we spotted it--or Tiger was out of the treatment facility for a little R & R.

The only reason I could identify it was the large piece of canvas covering the boat name, Privacy. He never got much of that.

Boat names can be quite revealing, can't they? Remember Gary Hart's boat name when he was involved in an extramarital affair? Monkey Business!

Bridges, bridges, bridges

2010-01-30T15:06:00.003-05:00

But NOT over troubled waters

Flagler Memorial Bridge, Palm Beach

After a not so restful night hard aground a few nights ago (see below), we had more stressful hours, trying to time bridge arrivals. South of Lake Worth, bridges need to open every few miles, some on demand, but most on an hour and half-hour schedule. The photo shows the prettiest one so far, the Flagler Memorial Bridge in Palm Beach. Two French guys on that catamaran were language-challenged when it came to hailing bridge tenders. Listening to them on the radio got to be quite funny.

If you miss an opening, you need to circle around at snail pace, sometimes in a strong current, to wait for the next opening. So there’s a bit of self-induced pressure to get there in time. We found some mighty friendly and understanding Florida bridge tenders (probably some irate drivers on the bridges!) who kept their bridges open for the “caboose” boat which was usually us. Hunter 36s are a tad underpowered, so we’re usually the slow boat on the waterway.

After 9 bridge openings, we pulled into Delray Harbor Club Marina to relax. We decided to stay here for two nights since this marina offered shelter from the ICW wakes, clean showers, and close proximity to restaurants, movies, grocery, etc. Finally got to see “Up in the Air” and get my regular “George Clooney fix.”

MORE BRIDGES, NOW WITH WIND TOO

A "Got Rocks" home

Now we know why most cruisers go “outside” in the Atlantic on their way south to Fort Lauderdale, Bahamas, and points south. However, in missing all these bridge openings, they miss some amazing mega-homes, mega-boats, and sights around Palm Beach, Delray, Boca Raton, Pompano, etc. Many have yard sculptures that vary from classical statues to modern bronzes of quasi-mermaids.

After a short day today (only 4 hours on the ICW, but 7 more bridge openings), we’re anchored right now in Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano. It’s a dandy little anchorage with shelter from today’s 20+ knot south winds. I think white caps on the ICW are rare, but I can’t imagine what the ocean must look like today.

Some crummy weather is coming tomorrow and wind direction will not be favorable to us going “outside” from Fort Lauderdale to Biscayne Bay south of Miami. So we plan to arrive in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow and stay for a few days, waiting for a good “weather window.” But we can’t complain since our friends and neighbors in Williamsburg are experiencing a major snow storm with up to 14 inches accumulation predicted.

Pirates in Florida?????

2010-01-30T14:55:00.002-05:00

The Bounty without a mutiny

As we sailed past the Bounty a few days ago, I realized that we did NOT yet have a good pirate repellant onboard. Not that I'd want to repel Johnny Depp, aka Jack Sparrow.

But thanks to Vicki P and Judy L, we'll buy one product soon. They both just sent me an email recommending not pepper spray or guns, but wasp spray. It's an excellent weapon if you're ever mugged, or confronted by pirates.

Thanks for the helpful tip!

Better than Prilosec

2010-01-30T14:48:00.003-05:00

We’ve found a treatment for reflux

We finally endured the humiliation of what most sailors experience at least once—if they anchor out enough. We dropped the hook in the north end of Lake Worth with 5 feet showing under the keel, with the tide about half way down in its 2.5 foot range. With MicMac’s 5 foot draft, that seemed sensible, and we enjoyed a nice dinner and some TV. Then I went forward to sleep in the v-berth to get some additional air. But around midnight, I awoke to the sound of something falling off the galley counter. Turned out to be the plastic bottle of tonic water that had slid into the sink. Then a few more things started shifting.

Captain Pete calmly stated, “Oops, we’re on the bottom.” Then I felt MicMac slowly heeling over a few more degrees, then more, finally stopping at about a 15 degree list. I moved sideways in the v-berth, and began to worry about books falling on my head from the shelf above my head. Pete calmly returned to the aft berth, saying “In three hours, the tide will come back in.” We then discovered that it’s quite difficult to sleep at a 15 degree angle. Kind of feels like you’re sleeping standing up.

But no reflux that night!

Passed 1000 mile mark as "leg two" of this voyage continues

2010-01-27T16:22:00.003-05:00

After a lengthier stay in Fort Pierce than we planned, thanks to a holding tank "issue" (IT happens!), a wait for a parts delivery, and some mighty gusts up to 35 or 40 knots, we didn't get underway until yesterday morning.

That gave us a chance to visit the Navy Seal Museum. It's located here in Fort Pierce because the Seals program (formerly known as Frogmen or "Underwater Demolition Team") began here in 1943. It was pretty impressive and worth a visit especially if the only thing you know about the Seals was their recent rescue of the Maersk captain kidnapped by Somalia pirates. The Seals' training is exceptionally tough, earning one week of it "Hell Week." Only 30 percent of each class makes it to the end of training.

The delay also gave us the time to visit the super duper Fort Pierce Farmers Market last Saturday, restock the wine cellar, and enjoy more "docktails" with Stu and Claudia, who also left the Fort Pierce Harbourtown Marina yesterday morning.

The weekly Farmers Market with 100 plus tents really wowed us. They had a live band too. We bought too many fresh veggies, I'm sure. Here is Captain Pete as he began with an empty basket. We didn't know they'd have food/cooking tents, or we'd have planned to have either breakfast or lunch there.

Yesterday we moved south to Stuart, got a mooring, and walked around the cutesy historic district. We called sailing buddies from NJ who now live here, were in luck to catch them at home, and met them for dinner at Duffy's. We hadn't seen Ed and Patty Donnelly for 7 years, so it was great to catch up. They've traded in sailing for visiting national parks in their motorhome. Real travellers, they've been to almost ALL the national parks in 47 states. Only North Dakota has eluded these road-hungry tourists.

What a small world story too--Ed saw us with the jib up on MicMac as he played softball earlier in the afternoon, not knowing it was us of course. We were the only sailboat on the ICW yesterday on the way to Stuart.

Today we passed the 1000 mile mark on this trip, and "enjoyed" 10 bridge openings from Stuart to Lake Worth (North Palm Beach area). Most of the bridge tenders were extremely happy to hear from us. We also were stopped by a Coast Guard boat and asked if we had any firearms on board before they boarded us. After saying "No guns," Pete mentioned that he's a Coast Guard Auxiliarist. "No need to board, then," one Coastie then said, "but we need to ask you a bunch of questions to keep our numbers up." We tried to be cordial but we were trying to make a bridge opening. If you miss most of these, you drive around in circles on your boat to kill time for 30 minutes.

Two other sailboats traveled with us today. One of them is now anchored beside us. A manatee just welcomed us to Lake Worth. Weather has been chillier than we'd like, but sunny. We saw googads of lovely mega-homes on this stretch today, especially along Hobe Sound. Ya gotta wonder how these folks made so much money!

A photo is worth a thousand words

2010-01-17T10:05:00.002-05:00

Why we sailors do what we do

Here are two photos from our sailing buddies, Harriet and Skip, who are in the Exumas as I "borrow" these amazing photos from their blog.

Exumas photos by Harriet

Florida Serious about Recycling?

2010-01-11T22:48:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently released its report to Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida legislature with recommendations to achieve a new statewide recycling goal of 75% by the year 2020.

"The 75% recycling goal is the highest of any state," said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole.

This amazing news from a state where boaters find nearly NO RECYCLING BINS in most marinas along the ICW? We're a "trained fleet of recyclers" from northern states with all sorts of curbside programs. And we're moving down the ICW. We're separating out our recyclables onboard and drowning in the stuff before we find the rare marina with recycling opportunities.

Florida generates more than 32 million tons of municipal solid waste annually, almost two tons per resident per year. After more than two decades after the Legislature passed Florida’s first 30% recycling goal, Floridians collectively recycle only 28% of their solid waste. Yikes, that's NOT Good, Guv. . . and we non-Floridians want to help you reach that 75% goal.

Just give us the bins at every marina!

The next step in the process is for the Legislature to consider these recommendations during the 2010 legislative session.

Surprise, Surprise

2009-12-01T22:29:00.002-05:00

A final blog posting tonight (for about 6 weeks) for "Onboard MicMac" as we finish leg one of our trip down the ICW. We're heading back to Virginia, Delaware, Philly, Boston, and SC for a "Christmas break."

We had a BIG surprise this morning as we left the ubiquitous (but necessary) pumpout station at our marina.

We heard "Hello, Pete" from the nearby dock. Then we saw Stu and Claudia, old cruising buddies from York River Yacht Club on their new "home" (a Viking 63' Widebody motoryacht). Hadn't seen them for more than a year. What a coincidence that we'd be staying in the same marina.

Pete with Claudia and Stu

After a round of golf at Indian Hills and laundry duty, we joined them for "docktails" on their new floating mega-home with 4 bedrooms/cabins, 3 heads, full-sized galley, dining room, and huge living room.

Returning to MicMac after a visit aboard this spacious floating home was an adjustment. But as Stu pointed out, "there's always a bigger boat out there." Bigger and bigger mega-yachts are still being built. Then there's the world's newest cruise ship, the Oasis, that's now in Fort Lauderdale. It can handle 5400 passengers, Now that's a really big holding tank!

Thanks, Stu and Claudia, for a fun night of catching up on "Evening Star."

Captain Cook did NOT have a blog

2009-11-29T10:32:00.006-05:00

And he didn't fly home after 53 days. But WE will!

During this leg of our ICW voyage, both of us read Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before by Pulitzer winning journalist Tony Horwitz. It was a 2002 NY Times bestseller that you might have missed. Cruisers and volunteer crew on replica ships would especially enjoy it.

Horwitz succeeds in telling Cook's story by following in his wake (pun intended) in TODAY's world, talking with South Seas, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Alaska folks about Cook (He was NOT a hero to the indigenous people!), and using Cook's detailed journal for accuracy. He pulls the past and the present together, within the native and English perspective, and with humor too. It's a "laugh outloud" book on many pages.

We learned how Cook redrew the map of the world when we studied "early explorers," but that was in 4th grade. 50 years later, Pete and I stood at the Cook Monument near where Cook was killed on the Big Island of Hawaii after motoring to this hard-to-get-to place. Now we understand the "big picture" of Captain Cook's explorations.

We are SO thankful that we were not onboard the 97-foot long Endeavour with Captain James Cook or on any of his three voyages, from 1768 to 1780. What a tough and demanding life during an era when a third of the world's maps remained blank. Pete and I now hold him in high esteem and respect his navigational abilities. I thought of him often as we used our GPS chartplotter to weave our way down the ICW, kept up with the non-ICW world through emails and WiFi, never went hungry, and met no cannibals.

Cook's first voyage lasted three years! He sailed more than 200,000 miles on his three trips. Seven and a half weeks is sufficient for this first leg of our voyage and we've covered just over 1000 miles from Two Rivers Marina to Fort Pierce, Florida.

Vero Beach anchorage

We arrived here yesterday, along with Harriet and Skip on "Moondance." We missed them at the Vero Beach anchorage (see photo) where there were more than 100 boats on moorings and got together with them over dinner to swap plans for leg two of our respective trips.

After a few days of clean up and maintenance work, we'll leave MicMac tucked into her slip at Harbortown Marina in Fort Pierce. We'll fly home to Willieburg on Wednesday to reacquaint ourselves with friends (hope they remember us!), eat up three months of food minimum at the club, and celebrate Christmas. The planned second leg of our ICW trip will begin in mid-January when we fly back here and head to Key West, where we'll turn into Parrotheads for a few weeks. The Bahamas will then look inviting, so who knows where leg three will take us.

We'll look for Moondance and Harriet and Skip farther south after Christmas. Maybe I won't get my shadow on Skip's shirt next time! Thanks for the ride to West Palm Beach Airport.

Pete with Harriet and Skip from Moondance

Happy Thanksgiving from Melbourne, Florida (#3 of 3 postings today)

2009-11-25T11:11:00.009-05:00

Looking at Daytona

The Daytona area gave us our first glimpse of mega-condos and highrises. I'm afraid that we'll see lots more of this look as we get farther south, especially around Miami. The St. Augustine city fathers (and mothers?) got it right when they ruled against any additional buildings higher than two and a half stories in the historic area. But the Florida coast is the major example of development gone wild in America. Plus, most of it is build on swampland!

We prefer to see the natural areas surrounding the ICW, although some of the most natural are the man-made canals connecting the rivers. We passed by a number of non-Ritzy "fish camps" yesterday.

We've been looking at the Cape Canaveral missile launch towers in the distance for the past two days as we zigged and zagged in the ICW channels around Titusville. Sure hope that a blastoff is scheduled when we come north in the spring. THAT would be a sight from a close-by anchorage. Most Americans are so blase these days about space launches too, except for the folks who live here.

The Titusville Marina dockhand was very friendly, but we won't get a slip here again. The Titusville Chamber of Commerce should make some effort to make this neighborhood more cruiser-friendly. No sidewalks into "town," no cutesy shops or restaurants within walking distance, sketchy folks hanging out in a nearby park, and no Bobuli pizza crust in the nearest grocery store! The grocery clerk suggested a crust mix in a box. How bad could it be? REALLY bad, but we were hungry and it had started to rain by the time we got back from our less-than-scenic walk. But we were thankful for the wine!

The funniest thing was courtesy of the frozen Mrs. Smith pumpkin pie that we bought last night. I put it in the frig to defrost and woke up today wanting a slice for breakfast. Captain/MicMac chef Pete took it out this morning, mumbling about the box being drippy. Then he described the pie as "soupy." Not knowing that you needed to bake this pie, we have now earned the "Mr. Du Mass Award" of the month!

We've gone under (or requested openings) from 19 bridges since we left St. Augustine! We noticed the Christa McAuliffe Drawbridge on the chart, but it's off the ICW. That provided the most somber moment of the day as we recalled that tragic mission.

Today's a glum, gray, rainy day. But we can't complain since it's the first day that we've motored in the rain. Not bad when you consider that we've been gone for more than 6 weeks. We headed to Cocoa Village Marina today since it's raining. What a nice marina--with super showers and laundry. If it stops raining, I just might tackle some of the laundry. We got to Cocoa in time to visit all the cute shops. Pete was just thrilled! We enjoyed a fantastic lunch at Cafe Margaux. Then we visited the unique, humongous, historic (built in 1885) Travis Hardware Store. It's the old-fashioned kind of hardware store that has everything and then some.

Tomorrow, it's south to Melbourne Harbor Marina where we have Thanksgiving dinner reservations at the Chart House. We'll finally get that pumpkin pie! So much to be thankful for! Then onto a mooring at Vero Beach, and then a few more miles to Fort Pierce.

Like Being in Sea World

2009-11-25T10:07:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed a short day (2 hours) on our way to the Rockhouse Creek anchorage two days ago. Pete explored the mini-island off to the south which turned out to be a spoils area for the sand the Army Corps of Engineers dredged out of the nearby ICW. I spent a LOT of time looking for the elusive manatee.

Yesterday we motor-sailed down Indian River to the Titusville Marina since rain was forecast and it's sometimes a tad bouncy at anchor during a thunderstorm. Again we looked for manatees.

First thing I wished for on this trip (6 weeks so far!) was a dollar for every dolphin that we saw. Hardly an hour goes by on the ICW that we don't see one. There are loners, devoted pairs, and the occasional pod. None of them have had SeaWorld training, however, so they don't leap out of the water. We usually only see their backs and dorsal fins. But one scared the beegeebers out of me one day by blowing out his/her airhole inches from the side of the boat as I was immersed in my book. Captain Pete found my levitation very amusing.

Then I wished that I had a dollar for every pelican we saw. They are definitely NOT endangered any more. Their droppings on docks even less so. We even saw lots of pelican rookeries.

Mary Ann looking for manatees

But what we really kept looking for were manatees. If you believe that "Manatee Zone" signs equate to the manatee population, they must be lurking throughout Florida waters.

This morning we lucked out, just as we were getting ready to leave our slip in Titusville. Thanks to a leaky water hose on the dock near us, five of these huge gentle mammals were taking turns getting a drink. Four of them were at least 6-7 feet long, and one must have been a juvenile. They politely took turns, although one big old guy kept swatting his buddies out of the way.

All of them did indeed have boat propeller scars on their backs or sides. Ouch!

Finally found some thirsty manatees

Ouch! Those are propeller scars.

Potty Police board MicMac

2009-11-25T09:18:00.001-05:00

As we left our quiet anchorage, the Volusia County Sheriff's Department boat speeded up to visit us. We had read postings on fellow boater's blogs about the POTTY POLICE who have been very vigilant about the holding tanks on boats in the ICW.

They politely asked, "When you flush your head, where does it go?" We assured them that our holding tank's Y-valve was locked down and we were frequent visitors to pumpout stations. After Captain Pete told them that he's a Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel safety checks examiner and looks for locked down Y-valves too, they knew we were kindred spirits. I've been on a pumpout crusade for a few years as well, and written in a number of publications about boaters who choose to dump overboard. My solution is that they should be forced to jump overboard and swim in the "stuff."

They told us that about 40 percent of the boats they check do NOT have locked down holding tanks--and that most of the offenders are sailboats. Yikes. I assumed that sailors were especially environmentally wise. Guess not.

The manatees and dolphins are dumping enough "stuff" in the ICW, fellow boaters! Puleeeze use those pumpout stations!

Now In Daytona

2009-11-22T17:52:00.003-05:00

We've had uneventful but relaxing two days after leaving St. Augustine. No scary bridges or shallow spots, and the current was with us all day yesterday--but against us all day today.

Last night we stayed in the super-quiet residential-like Palm Coast Marina and enjoyed a steak dinner on board. It was like staying in Two Rivers Marina.

Now we're in the huge Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona. I have no idea where the name Halifax came from here in Florida. Maybe we'll sightsee tomorrow and find out. I am NOT interested in any Daytona 500 activities. They must have something here besides cars.

The good green news is that Halifax Harbor Marina gets a gold star for having recycling bins on the docks. This is REALLY a "Clean Marina." MicMac will no longer look like a "garbage barge" with bags of recyclables in the shower and v-berth! We'll have so much free room onboard!

Pete will cook some salmon in a bit. We have NOT gone to the dark side by staying in so many marinas, but good anchorages are few and far between. Plus we have to eat down our freezer, so we can leave it empty when we fly home in 10 days (MAYBE?)

The game plan is to end up in Fort Pierce, Florida, in about a week. It's only about 135 miles. We've reserved a marina slip there on a monthly fee basis. So we'll tidy her up, change the oil, and leave MicMac there and fly back to Williamsburg and north points for Christmas. Then fly back in mid-January and go to the Keys. After that, who knows.

The Fountain of Youth is fictional

2009-11-21T08:49:00.002-05:00

So we're still the same age today as we leave St. Augustine.

St. Augustine is lovely!

But it sure is a beautiful town and we felt like we were in Spain in the "Old Town" area. There's the oldest house, oldest school, oldest church, oldest drug store, etc. to provide the authentic atmosphere.

We decided to stay at the Municipal Marina for a third night since I wanted to visit the Lightner Museum (in the former Alcazar Hotel) and Pete preferred (anything but shopping) to climb up the Lighthouse and see alligators up close and personal. The Alligator FARM (a real zoo) provided this thrill.

Touring Henry Flagner's Ponce de Leon Hotel (now Flagler College) was one of the highlights of our trip. It opened in 1888 to much fanfare, and it still awes visitors--and the girls who now experience it as the girls' dorm. The dining room has the largest collection of Tiffany stained windows in the WORLD.

The "gilded age" certainly was an opportunity for the rich and famous to spend money. Flagner required hotel guests to book a suite for the entire 3-month holiday period (Jan-March). Women changed their jewelry 6 times each day. The largest indoor pool, spa, bowling, etc. were available across the street at the Alcazar Hotel (also built by Flagler.)

Today, it's the cutesy pedestrian-only St. George Street that entertains most visitors--plus the great restaurants. We left the Grenada look for an hour for lunch in the French Bistro de Leon. It was the first day for the release of Beaujolais Noveau, so ver y appropriate. Then we again boarded the touristy sighseeing trolley-train to check out the rest of St. Augustine.

Gary and Rita join us for dinner

Pete had called one of his old Bristol-Myers buddies and lucky us, their grandkids had just left town. We hadn't seen Gary and Rita for about 14 years, so we had lots of catching up to accomplish over dinner. We'll catch up some more next spring on our way north. Re-connecting with old friends has really been another highlight of this trip. Time and distance are obstacles we can easily overcome.

On our "separate afternoons" yesterday, I walked all over Old Town, found something I liked for Dave's 29th birthday in a gallery (sorry Dave, but this small frog bronze was priced at $450), and toured the super eclectic collection of the Lightner Museum. Mr. Lighner took advantage of the 1929 financial demise of many rich Chicago folks and bought up their "stuff." Then he bought the Alcazar Hotel here in 1947 or so and started moving this humongous collection here. In addition to the crystal, furniture, Churchill's stuffed lion, artwork, stained glass from homes that were being demolished, and all kinds of other collections, there's even a shrunken head.

Shrunken head in Lightner Museum

How many blogs have a photo of this shrunken head?

Luckily I was there at 2 p.m. when one of the docents shows off the collection in the music room. She wowed us by playing the 1904 nickelodean, 1800s German orchestrarian, and a gizmo that included a violin.

Flagler College

It's NOT easy being green. . . on a boat!

2009-11-18T15:45:00.005-05:00

We recycle on MicMac (just like at home)--or at least we attempt it. And I'm now on my environmental soapbox.

Plastic drinking water bottles accumulate faster onboard than wine bottles or soda cans. Fluid intake is important. Vineyards and breweries can't supply it all! And I don't completely trust the water in the 70-gallon tank. We buy a local newspaper too whenever we can.

So MicMac's recycling container fills up faster than our garbage can, but we were able to "deposit" the recyclables in ONLY 3 marinas so far.

Green Kudos to the Oriental Marina (even though in a very small NC town), Charleston City Marina Megadock, and Beaufort (NC) Downtown Marina for providing recycling to boaters.

Much to Captain Pete's chagrin, I insisted on stashing the overflowing bags of recyclables that the NON-GREEN marinas (Coinjock, Alligator River, Beaufort (SC), Swansboro, Southport, Georgetown, Edisto, Thunderbolt, and St. Simons) didn't accept. "Fooey on them," I said, "We can wait until Florida. That state has always been ahead of the recycling curve."

But NO. Fernandino Beach, and now St. Augustine Municipal Marina, do NOT recycle either. We finally had to throw the recyclables into the garbage. Otherwise, wharf rats might have invaded MicMac! Plus I had to move the stuff to take a shower onboard.

I don't understand how the state of Florida can award its "Clean Marina" sticker so generously. Yes, this program does keep lots of gunky stuff away from the dolphins and manatees (we finally saw one today!), but the program sure doesn't address the waste disposal problem for boaters. I do commend Florida's Department of Environmental Protection, however, for increasing the number of pumpout stations in the state from 135 to more than 600 during the past ten years.

Maybe we'll find some more "super-green marinas" farther south. I'll keep my fellow boaters informed. If you share my concern, complain to the marinas you visit.

We just pulled into a slip here in this historic oldest U.S. town after a very relaxing day of motoring. The nuns taught me lots of info about St. Augustine that I've forgotten. After some engine needs are addressed, we have some serious sight-seeing to do. At least two days here in St. Augustine.

Yesterday was NOT relaxing as we motored against a 5-knot current in the narrow span under the Atlantic Beach bridge. Our speed went from 3.5 to 1.7 knots, and we felt like we were almost "standing still" in the water. The dockhand told us that going with the current was even scarier since you lose control of the boat more when you're being flushed through at 8 knots.

Into Florida waters . . . MILE 717!

2009-11-16T16:40:00.006-05:00

After two peaceful nights and hike-filled days at the Sea Camp anchorage on the Cumberland River in Georgia, we motored into Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida today. Mile 717! Yeah! Only took us 36 days to get here from Norfolk—with a nice side trip to the Suggs’ Edisto beach house. Too bad that there is NO sign on the ICW to welcome boaters to Florida.

Pete the pirate with his parrot

Here is Captain Pete in his pirate motto shirt, along with our new onboard pet, Jekyll. The mustache is back! Baffi!

We got a slip at Fernandina Beach Marina since our batteries needed "topping off." The new solar panels work nicely but the freezer is making it difficult.

I had never heard of Fernandina Beach before a week ago, but what a memorable little town. It seems that Henry Flagler bypassed Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach when he chose the path for his new Florida East Coast Railway.

Fernandina Beach is a cute town.

So Fernandina is almost frozen in time. Little has changed since 1900. It's the epitome of "old Florida." We walked around town for a few hours trying to see the 450 historic buildings in the 50 blocks that are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Now it's 5 o'clock somewhere. The Palace Saloon claims to be the oldest bar in Florida. Dinner at Gennaro's was fantastic.

Below is the Lesesne House, one of the oldest homes here. I think we'll prefer this "Old Coast" of Florida to the "Gold Coast" of mega-condos.

Lesesne House in Fernandina Beach

Bigfoot was in Georgia

2009-11-16T16:07:00.000-05:00

I never knew that pelicans had such big feet!

Last stop in Georgia

2009-11-16T16:03:00.015-05:00

Finally, blue skies! It was time to leave St. Simons Island at slack tide on Friday. Melissa at the docks was a great help. Getting through Jekyll Creek's shallow spots was a "piece of cake" thanks to Captain Pete's adept use of our depth sounder. The sailboat in front of us was a good guide too!

We anchored alone on Friday night in Delaroche Creek where I saw three shooting stars after dark--which comes very early these days (around 6 p.m.). I was hoping for a pitch dark night for sky-watching, but the nearby Navy's Kings Bay submarine base is lit up like a Christmas tree.

Delaroche is another marsh creek anchorage where we heard a unique new sound--that of the marsh hens called Clapper Rails. They should be called clacker hens since they make loud and rapid clack-clack-clack calls as they look for dinner as the tide drops. They are skinny little things (although we never saw them) and supposedly the source of the saying "thin as a rail." They go to sleep at dark, so their loud noises soon stopped. Photo is from Google.

Yesterday we saw a sub (they are huge!) coming down the Cumberland River as we turned to go up a side branch to a popular anchorage. Friendly-looking fellows in flak jackets with machine guns were in small Navy patrol boats to "discourage" cruisers from approaching.

Anchored off Cumberland Island, GA

We soon anchored, "splashed the dinghy" for the first time this voyage, and dinghied to the nearby Sea Camp dock where campers can arrive. The only way to get to Cumberland Island is by boat and it's now run by the Park Service as a National Seashore.

We took a 5-mile hike to the ruins of Dungeness, a big mansion built by Thomas Carnegie (Andrew's brother) that burned down in 1945. Mrs. Carnegie requested that her horses always be allowed to remain, so MANY of these wild horses wander the beaches and island. MANY piles of road apples were proof. It was much worse than Duke of Gloucester St. in Williamsburg. We saw some armadillos too. No one knows how they got here.

Dungeness House ruins

The history of Dungeness dates to James Oglethorpe, founder of the Georgia colony, who built two forts and a hunting lodge he called Dungeness on the island in 1736. In 1783, Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene (who sounds familiar to Governor's Land folks) acquired nearly 11,000 acres of the island in exchange for a bad debt. After Nathaniel died from sunstroke, his widow built her own Dungeness house in 1803, which burned in the middle of the 1800s. Looks like bad karma for a home in that spot!

We walked along the almost deserted beach for a mile or so, then returned to the dinghy where we bumped into Art and Jeannie. We had talked with Art back on the docks in St. Simons, so of course we were invited to their trawler, Change-O-Pace III, for happy hour. Art is a bronze sculptor who has done some impressive life-size golf scuptures.

Then we noticed Moondance anchored near us, so dinghied over to say "Hey" to Harriet and Skip, whose progress we've tracked on their blog. We last saw them in Beaufort, NC, and they invited us onboard later for a drink. But we really didn't want to drink our way around the anchorage, so we had to decline. If you see a trend here, you're not mistaken. Cruisers do become instant buddies, and we have one major common interest--happy hour!

On the next day, we took another long hike to Greyfield, a very exclusive luxury inn on Cumberland Island. We had hoped to dress nicely and eat lunch there today, but a phone call confirmed that we could merely peer in through the gate. If I was paying $500+ per night, I guess I'd prefer to not see riff-raff boaters in my dining room either. BTW, this hotel was the site of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's hush hush wedding reception.

Hunkered down on St. Simons Island, GA

2009-11-12T19:10:00.006-05:00

We have a mild case of "cabin fever" as we wait at the Golden Isles Marina for three days/four nights. But Coastal Cafe is a great place to dine out, and the marina delivers muffins and a newspaper to your cockpit every morning!

Looks like Willieburg is getting more rain than we got here from Ida, but the winds have been relentlessly howling here. 30 mph gusts are not what we want when we go across two rather notorious sounds south of here. So we wait, and wait.

Christ Church on St. Simons Island

We rented a car for two days, got our land legs back, and did laundry.

We checked out historic Christ Church and the National Monument "ghost town" of Fort Frederica on St. Simons (no apostrophe) Island and were quite impressed. Each home site ruin has a storyboard about the 1740s era family that lived there after James Oglethorpe founded the place. We don't have that advantage at Jamestown, but then again, that was in 1607.

The Georgia live oaks could really tell some stories, I'm certain. They reminded me of the walking trees in Lord of the Rings, and they have more Spanish moss than any trees I've ever seen.
Barbara Jean's on St. Simons is a great choice for lunch for good home cooking. St. Simons was more developed than we expected, and boaters definitely need a car to sightsee.

Jekyll Island "cottage"

Yesterday, between raindrops, we drove to Jekyll Island where the rich and famous (Vandebilts, Rockefellers, Astors, Pulitzers, etc.) "wintered" from the late 1890s to the "last season" of 1942. It was aptly called the "Millionaires Club." We expected Newport, Rhode Island type "cottages" and were surprised to find a rathered deserted "compound" of big homes, centered around a clubhouse. It's the off season and things are really slow. But it's a popular spot for destination weddings and golf vacations.

Robin Leach missed the heydays of grand living, but it must have been quite a scene. By law, 65 percent of Jekyll must remain undeveloped, so it won't change much. It actually looked like it was frozen in time--in the 1950s.

Maybe this rainbow is a good omen for tomorrow! MicMac is itchin' to get off this dock.

Fort Frederica ruins

For the birds

2009-11-12T18:39:00.001-05:00

Good news yesterday (unless you walk the docks frequently): The brown pelican is coming off the endangered species list. Thank you, Rachel Carson!

Teddy Roosevelt set up the first national wildlife refuge at Florida's Pelican Island to protect the species. We must have seen 100 pelicans plunge headfirst into the waterways last Monday on our long haul down the ICW. We see them now on the Chesapeake too as they move farther north. Global warming?

DDT had reduced their numbers, along with that of eagles. Overhunting was a serious threat to them and egrets too during the early 1900s. Hats with egret feathers made quit a fashion statement then!

After DDT was banned in 1972, pelicans and eagles had a fightin' chance. But I've watched the endless washing down of docks every day at this marina--as we wait for the winds from Ida to lessen. It's a losing battle to deal with pelican, heron, and egret "droppings" on the docks.

Ida watchin' & waitin'

2009-11-09T18:37:00.004-05:00

Ida was still a hurricane in the Gulf this morning, so we decided to make it a LONG day (as in 9 and a half hours) of motor sailing to get to a marina tonight. It looked like the Georgia coast was in Ida's path, and we prefer safe docks during any major blows and rain.

We celebrated our LAST bridge opening for a while! I've stopped counting.

We left our Walberg Creek anchorage, off St. Catherines (no apostrophe) Island, at 7 a.m. today. We had hoped to anchor out 3 nights as we slowly made our way down the chain of Georgia sea islands. But Mother Nature intervened.

Plus, Walberg Creek turned out to be a much more wide open anchorage than we expected, and the super bright security light on the dock (at the nearby NY Zoological's survival center for endangered animals) ruined my sky watching plans. The island actually made us think of Jurassic Park. But neither dinosaurs or zebras could be seen.

Captain Pete called ahead yesterday to reserve a slip at Golden Isles Marina in St. Simons (no apostrophe) Island. Better safe than sorry. We plan to hang out here for three nights. Better safe than sorry. But it looks like heavy rain and moderate winds is all we'll get.

Size is relative

2009-11-07T21:36:00.003-05:00

We are in a slip at Thunderbolt Marina in Georgia. Across the way sits this 177' megayacht, Maridome. (MicMac is 36 feet.) I googled her and discovered that she's available for charter! Only $182,000 a week! The bad news is that she can only handle 10 guests, and she has a crew of 14. There are many private yachts bigger than her. Microsoft's's Paul Allen only has a modest 413' yacht, but the newest biggie yachts are 500' plus.

When Maridome (above) was built in 1989 in Great Britain, she was the largest private yacht to be built there for more than fifty years. To get an idea of her size, notice the deckhand on the dock scrubbing her. Maridome can cruise at 16.5 knots (MicMac at 5-7 knots). Maridome includes a private cinema, a large air conditioned tender, parasail, and 4 waverunners. (MicMac includes a TV and DVD player that are finicky and an 8' dinghy.)

Kinda puts things in perspective. But, then again, ALL of us get fresh Krispie Kreme donuts along with our newspaper at this marina tomorrow morning. Some things are equal!

Thunderbolt, Georgia--Mile 583

2009-11-07T21:20:00.001-05:00

Betcha never heard of this town! Never did we until we read the cruising guide. It's a little town along the ICW just south of Savannah that's known for its shrimp boats and boatyard for mega-yachts. Plus a friendly marina.

We left Hilton Head this morning and motor-sailed past Daufuskie Island. I wore Pop Pop's "dopey hat" as we went by, since my parents had toured Daufuskie many years ago before it was developed and included spas and golf courses.

Mindy and Tom played golf with us here a few years ago in August. Tom remarked that it "was the hottest place on earth that I've ever experienced." November temps were about 70 today.

Pete and I talked, of course, about the movie Conrack and Pat Conroy because this was where he taught the local kids for a few years. Never could teach them to swim though, since the locals have an overwhelming fear of drowning.

Then we passed a humongous "convoy" of tug-pulled barges loaded with dredging pipes (we think) in one of the cuts. Glad it was high tide. This train-like string of barges was about 200 yards long. I was a tad spooked, but Captain Pete said that we had "plenty or room and plenty of water."

Got a slip in Thunderbolt Marina, famous among ICW boaters as the marina that brings you fresh Krispie Kreme donuts and newspapers in the morning. Can't wait. We ate at a local hotspot, Tubby's Tank House tonight.

"Someday" finally came -- going to Hilton Head

2009-11-06T18:01:00.007-05:00

We drove over the bridge to Hilton Head Island MANY times over the last 30 years, going to our August timeshare weeks in Sea Pines. I'd look at the ICW under that bridge and say "maybe someday we can come down the ICW and arrive by boat." Someday was yesterday, and it was a nostalgic moment for us. LOTS of happy memories on Hilton Head with our "kids" and parents. It was very appropriate that I was enjoying leftover boiled shrimp for lunch as we motor-sailed (on another picture-perfect day) past Hudson's Seafood Restaurant.

We passed near Sea Pines' well-known Harbortown Lighthouse on our way up Broad Creek to Shelter Cove Marina (in Palmetto Dunes) to rendezvous again with Ray and Betty for dinner at Bistro 17 --an excellent choice! I enjoyed a scallops with fois gras appetizer and mac and cheese with black truffles! If you see a pattern with our onshore dining choices, it's due to Captain Pete's perference for bistros. We're definitely doing a comparative study of bistros on the ICW. Looking for Anthony Bourdain too.

Ray and Betty at Palmetto Dunes

Played golf with the Whites today at Palmetto Dunes. What a beautiful course. I was distracted by the views--especialy the signature hole with an ocean view. My sketchy back problems for the past week have improved a bit, and I lasted for 18 holes. Hope I don't pay for it tomorrow.

Distracting views

If we hadn't wanted to play golf, we would have anchored out, since Shelter Cove is a definite "destination." It took us about 90 minutes to go the 5 miles up the creek, refuel, pumpout, and get into a slip. Current and wind were against us.

This harbor is the mixed residential-retail development that we used to visit by land. VERY few shops however--then and now--but a charming and scenic place.

Beaufort, SC

2009-11-06T17:53:00.000-05:00

Motor-sailing from Edisto Island to Beaufort, SC, we saw more gorgeous homes, dolphins, lots more Spanish moss on a picture-perfect day. Ray and Betty White (from our Stingray Harbor Yacht Club) heard us on the radio. They were right behind us for the next opening of Ladies Island Bridge, as we docked at Beaufort Downtown Marina.

Pete and I walked around the beautiful old section of Beaufort and marveled at the well-kept old homes--most of them very large homes from the days when cotton was king.

We got together with the Whites for a MicMac happy hour, then went to dinner ashore at Plum's.

More on boat tappings

2009-11-06T09:22:00.001-05:00

I "misspoke" in an earlier posting about the Snap, Crackle, Pops we sometimes hear on MicMac's hull when we're below deck. It's a minor tapping, but it drives me to earplugs when I want to sleep.

I was half-right when I attributed it to shrimp-like krill critters. A Beaufort, SC diver added even more info than what I just found in one of our cruising guides. He told us that he sees these "grass shrimp" under hulls as he scrapes off barnacles and other "under-boat growth." He laughed when I asked if these shrimp are eating the algae, and said "that would put me out of a job."

The cruising guide says it's the sound of snapping shrimp. It seems that these little guys eject water jets as their claws snap shut at 62 mph. Really--not at 60 or 65, but at 62 mph. There's a bit of trivia for your next onboard happy hour!

The technical term is "cavitation" or similar to the the water jets formed by boat propellors. Scientists still don't know if they do it to stun their prey or to attract a mate. Whatever it's called--or whatever the reason--it's a distraction to my sleep.

A spectacular Edisto sunset

2009-11-03T10:14:00.001-05:00

Getting our "land legs" back, in Edisto SC

2009-11-01T12:23:00.002-05:00

We're here in Edisto, SC, at Laurel & Arthur's beach house with two infants and two toddlers--and their mommys and daddys. Brody is having fun with his cousins. Water was a tad too cold for him--NOT bath tub warm!

Brody is REALLY into his first Halloween!

Captain Pete can always have a corkscrew with him now!

An ICW Alert

2009-10-30T14:02:00.003-04:00

I almost forgot to post this warning to fellow boaters: We had a tense hour yesterday in the Dawho River, as we left the North Edisto River. It began at Red 110 and ended at Green 143. The narrow Watts Cut to the South Edisto river was the most intense as a barge pushed by a tug came into view at a bend at the narrowest part at the end of the cut. Yikes, which way will the tug turn? Do we have time to move starboard for a traditional pass. Unfortunately, it was also mean low tide. NOT the best time for this to occur. We certainly will wait for a rising tide on the way north—whenever that is.

We tried to stay at the edge of the channel, as the tug churned up LOTS of the bottom as it passed by VERY closely—closer than we’ve ever been to a barge! Then the depth sounder went from 3 feet under the keel to .2, then to ,1 foot. That’s just more than an inch! We like to set it to water under the keel instead of true depth, to save us the seconds it would take to add 4 feet 11 inches for the draft of MicMac. One theory we came up with was that the chunks of mud affected the depth sounder reading.

Then we heard lots of chatter on the VHF from boaters just entering the Dawho River. They were also finding VERY shallow water. The funds for dredging have been very inconsistent during the past few years, and it may get worse.

"I can see your anchor light!"

2009-10-30T14:00:00.001-04:00

That's what Susan Stevens called to tell us on Wednesday night after we anchored in Toogoodoo Creek. Don't you love these Indian names?

We didn't know that Pete's Clemson fraternity brother, Bill Stevens, and his wife, Susan, lived on this beautiful creek. We could see a few homes further up the creek, but all that surrounded us was marsh, egrets, and dolphins. Then we saw their porch light too. Susan invited us to "come to supper," but Pete already had the chicken on the grill.

Pete then remembered that he was actually in this home in 1968--for a barefoot blacktie fraternity party. But he had no idea what body of water it backed up to at the time. Now ain't that a coinkydink and small world story?

We met up with Bill and Susan at the Edisto Marina dock last night, and then went out to dinner with them. Susan and Bill entertained us with lots of tugboat stories (Bill's family has run a tug business for 4 generations now) and of course fraternity stories. They invited us to visit on our way north. I really love this "Southern hospitality" that we've experienced so far.

We're leaving MicMac later day at the Edisto Marina as we stay at Laurel and Arthur's beach house from tomorrow on. Lots of shrimp boats and gulls keep passing by.

More krill nibbled on our hull here last tonight. It will be SO nice to sleep on land after 3 weeks. Plus my back "went out" a few days ago, so I need some R&R time. Some rum "Painkillers" might help too.

I'm writing my newspaper column for next Saturday. Pete just returned from a round of golf. He was paired up with a guy who graduated from Pete's high school--only 2 years earlier. South Carolina is providing lots of small world stories.

I'll be on sabbatical from blog postings for a few days. I'll be too busy being a Grandmom (Mimi).

A Nice Way to Spend a Rainy Day

2009-10-30T10:07:00.008-04:00

On Tuesday, we rented a car and drove in the rain to Columbia, where we enjoyed a nice, relaxing lunch with Pete's parents. Mother's appetite is strong, even if it does take her a long time to finish a meal. She seemed very happy to hear that Julie and Rob would introduce her to Brody (now 7 months old) next week, after our long weekend with them in Edisto, SC. Dad's reading Frank McCourt's Teacher Man and entertained us with his LIMITED Irish background.

Then we drove back to Charleston in heavy rain to visit Jim and Susan Brinkley, who built a fabulous home off the Wando River a year ago. Pete and Jim were good friends in high school in Columbia, went to Clemson (where they roomed together for a while), and then dropped out of USC Law School (again together) after 6 weeks. No torts for them!

But they certainly reminisced a lot. Susan and I hadn't heard some of these tales! We hadn't seen the Brinkleys for 6 years--after a Clemson game. After lots of laughs and a great dinner at Shem Creek Grille in Mount Pleasant, they drove us back to Charleston City Marina. It's also called Megadocks--for a good reason. It's about a quarter mile hike from the entrance to our dock. Not a bad marina (although I can hear those blasted krill on our hull again), but a long way from downtown Charleston. They do have a courtesy van if you need transportation. There are MANY great restaurants in town. I wish more of them served krill.

I was at the wheel all the following day (down the Stono and Wadmalaw Rivers) since Pete was "enjoying" a 4-hour TRCC board meeting by speaker phone.

Into the salt marshes

2009-10-26T19:42:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed a short day (only 15 miles), heading to one of Sista Suggs' favorite little towns, Georgetown, SC. where we tied up at Hazzard Marina. We bought 2 pounds of shrimp right off the shrimp boats nearby. While I visited all the shops and looked at cool historic homes, Captain Pete walked 3 miles round trip (he said he wanted some exercise) to the Piggly Wiggly ( a southern grocery chain--really!) to buy some cocktail sauce.

We opted to eat out at GOG (Goat Island Grill) and save the shrimp for tomorrow.

After we left Georgetown, SC, we saw another new vista--lots of salt marshes and few homes. The best way to describe it is to say that it feels like you're sailing through Kansas wheat fields. But an occasional dolphin swims by. Now I know how "Low Country South Carolina" got that name.

Googads of power boats passed MicMac today. While dealing with the wakes of these power boats, I cooked the shrimp we bought yesterday (for a low country shrimp boil) on the way to a secluded anchorage in the marshes at Graham Creek. That's why we have gimballed cooktops on sailboats. It does a decent job especially with the screw-down-gizmos that hold the pots.

This anchorage was the best so far with no light pollution from ANYwhere. LOTS of stars really are out there. But we need our sailor buddy, George Jones, to identify them for us.

Today we motored across busy Charleston Harbor, where we got a slip at Charleston City Marina for two nights. Little time to be a tourist, but we did that (by car) a few years ago. We rented a car and will drive to Columbia tomorrow to see Pete's folks. Dad will be 91in December and Mother is 88.

"An ode to a paper mill"

2009-10-25T18:01:00.002-04:00

Too long at sea? Perhaps you'll think so. With apologies to Joyce Kilmer’s “I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree,” I composed a few verses at about 2 a.m. last night in Georgetown, SC. Then the wind finally shifted again! ZZZZZZZZ

I think that I shall never sniff,
On land or sea, a stronger whiff,
As paper mills make grocery bags,
A shifting wind can make me gag,

But menhaden plants win the prize,
For bringing tears to my eyes.
Then of course there is the head,
For raising sailors from the dead.

“The smell of money” they always say,
As if that sends the smell away.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only man can make sailors flee.

Paper doesn’t stink. Trees don’t make me gag. Cut pine has a wonderful holiday smell. Even sawdust has an agreeable odor. So why do paper mills, especially those making Kraft paper, usually emit such unpleasant aromas? It’s the chemicals they treat the wood pulp with that produces that awful sulfur gas smell.

The EPA finds these odors are a "nuisance" but not a health concern at “normal levels.” But when you’re anchored out near either a paper mill or a menhaden plant, and the wind shifts, it can make for a restless sleep—and an early departure before breakfast.

Now I discover that SC has more than 40 paper mills! I remember well the scent in Hilton Head on many of our visits there with the "kids" and my parents--when the wind was blowing from the "wrong direction."

Life in the slow lane

2009-10-23T19:22:00.003-04:00

Today we covered almost the first 50 miles of the SC ICW in 8 hours, motoring at 5-7 knots. For you land-lubbers, that’s about 6-8 mph. SLOWly we watch the world go by.

There is only one boat slower than MicMac on the ICW at the moment. It’s a unique “home-built” sailboat with only 14” draft that can go almost anywhere (MicMac’s draft is 5 feet). We keep leap-frogging them as we move south.

The first 26 miles today were through the infamous Pine Island Cut (by North Myrtle and Myrtle Beaches) where the cruising guides warn you to be “Heads Up” all the time. There are rock ledges (rocks are hard!) along a lot of it, and they’re invisible during high tide (when we were there). But Captain Pete kept us in the middle of the channel and all went well.

ICW by Myrtle Beach

Now I know why the Shag, the state dance of SC, began in Myrtle Beach. Everyone is slow dancin’ as they watch the snowbirds travel slowly down the ICW. They even have cable cars to slowly take the golfers to one course across the ICW!

Lots of golf courses in Myrtle Beach, but we were here in February. So we'll pass for now. But we do have our clubs onboard.

Lovely Waccamaw River

We went down the beautiful and truly secluded Waccamaw River today--for hours. Nothing but cypress trees and Spanish Moss for 20+ miles. It was mesmerizing. I didn’t even want to read. Instead I counted turtles (some were a foot long). I stopped at 40. They were sunning themselves on logs on this beautiful warm day. I am obviously easily amused onboard.

We’re anchored out again tonight on Thorofare Creek off the Waccamaw. Unfortunately, it’s accurately named as it’s the short cut to the Pee Dee River. These cruising guides do NOT share our definition of “quiet anchorage.” But the good news is: No casino boats! We just battened the hatches for our first big downpour of our trip. Not bad for 12 days.

Atlantic off the port side

2009-10-23T19:11:00.000-04:00

As we motored south past two shallow inlets after leaving Southport yesterday, we could see the Atlantic. She looked so calm out there, but I’m glad we’re in the sheltered ICW and not “outside.” Lots more lovely homes and shrimp boats too. The architects of America are doing a great job down here. I'm really enjoying all these mega-homes and the more modest ones too. Looks like the building boom was successful along the "Ditch."

Suddenly yesterday, I knew we were in SC. FYI: the “stars and bars” also fly in front of the state capital in Columbia--and perhaps along the Appalachian Trail?

We anchored in secluded Calabash Creek last night. Then a few large tour boats and casino boats (Polsons onboard???) motored by. So much for solitude.

“Krill crazy after all these years”

2009-10-23T18:29:00.001-04:00

Sleep was spotty as we again heard light tappings on the hull throughout the night. Kinda like in Poe’s “The Raven.” Or sleet during a wintry storm.

We experienced the same thing in Barnegat Bay many years ago and mentioned it to sailing friends. “Not to worry,” they advised, “It’s not errant electrical current, but tiny shrimp-like krill munching on the algae on the hull.”

Guess that $250/gallon bottom paint doesn’t include krill-repellent!

Cape Fear and Southport, NC

2009-10-21T18:10:00.005-04:00

We left Beach House Marina in Surf City, NC, early yesterday to catch the 8 a.m. bridge opening. Our lives seem to revolve around bridges these days.

Finally had a fantastic weather day with no need for longjohns! Saw some mighty fine houses and lots of egrets and dolphins on the way to anchor out off Carolina Beach.

I've noticed that the blad cypress and loblolly pines have given way to longleaf pines, and now we're seeing lots of live oaks too. When we start seeing more Spanish moss in them, my blood pressure automatically drops. It's so peaceful.

Also saw a giraffe and a metal mermaid. I can just see the ARB approving these artistic statements in Governor's Land!

I just love individual expression of eclectic folk's tastes.

Today we left our anchorage early to motorsail down the 15 miles or so of the Cape Fear River to the really cute village of Southport. We stayed in a B&B here a few years ago and really loved the town. It's across from Bald Head Island, which we'd like to visit on our way north--whenever that is.

I kept looking for Robert DeNiro or Robert Mitchum to turn up onboard on the Cape Fear. I remember both the '60s and '90s remake as powerful terrifying movies. But the actual river was relatively calm today--but the current swift.

Pete had some nostalgic moments as we passed by Sunny Point Army Military Ocean Terminal, the largest ammunitions port in the world. Lieutenant Pete spent some time there in 1970 putting googads of nerve gas onboard a WWII Liberty Ship to "dispose" of it permanently--by sinking it 150 miles off the NC shore. Then we saw lots of Lientenant Dans on their Bubba Gump shrimp boats too. Are the shrimp here neurologically impaired?

I had lots of time today to walk by the many well maintained homes in Southport from the early 1800s to the early 1900s. It's like a "mini-Charleston" here--complete with horse-drawn carriages. A touch of Willieburg!.

Enjoyed dinner onshore at Mr. P's Bistro. Actually needed reserations, and the place was full.

We just met a couple from Warren, PA, across the dock who are friends of Mai and Paul Ignatius. Small world on the water. There are quite a few of us in this parade down the ICW.

Tides & Currents 101

2009-10-20T07:35:00.000-04:00

Wow, blue skies greeted us this morning for the first time in 3 days. Still cold, but the sun makes a big difference in the crew's attitude.

Super fast currents down here are a challenge that we've had little experience with--other than Delaware Bay and River. So we had an ugly departure (sideways for a few seconds) out of the slip this morning as the current and wind were stronger than our diesel. Then it was all smiles as we caught the current and traveled down the ICW at 7-8 knots for much of the day.

ICW goes through Camp Lejeune for about 15 miles and views were great--even a few Marines getting ready to enter the ICW on amphibious vehicles.. They sometimes stop boaters from coming through when live ammo practice is taking place (definitely a good idea), but today was too nice for maneuvers. Pete said they usually hold them on nasty weather days.

We've gone 260 miles down the ICW so far, and got a slip in Topsail, NC, tonight where we met friends John "Poopie" and Patti for dinner. We hadn't seen them for a year--since Edisto weekend last October, so we had lots of catching up to do.

Beaufort, NC

2009-10-18T10:02:00.002-04:00

It's pronounced "Bo-fort" here in NC ("Beu-fort" later on down the ICW in SC). Kinda like NewARK, Delaware and Newark, NJ! We passed ICW Mile Marker 200 today--in 6 days!

What a charming town this is--lots of restaurants, shops, and well-maintained historic homes. Plus a great little NC Maritime Museum--with some artifacts from Blackbeard's recently discovered ship, Queen Anne's Revenge.

We arrived here after watching the Dolphins and the Eagles (NOT football teams, but the real thing) in another narrow channel. We got a slip at the town docks (new since Hurricane Isabel), looking across the water at some wild horses (perhaps descendents of conquistador days).

Wifi is fleeting, since large megayacht (on left in photo) is blocking the signal. See photo to judge MicMac (in center of the photo) in relation to the mega yacht and a custom yacht next to us that was modeled after Joshua Slocum's circumnavigation around the world yacht. But MicMac is proud of herself. They say size isn't important!

Had a great dinner at the Blue Moon Bistro last night with fellow sailors, Harriet and Skip (s/v Moondance from Baltimore). They "did the Ditch" and continued to the /Bahamas last year--on a 8 month voyage on Moondance. I'm getting really inspired to keep on movin' south on MicMac. Harriet has a blog too and I'm including her link.

It's even chillier today--in the 40s. The long-johns Julie gave me for Christmas are coming in handy. We plan to head to Dudley's Marina in Swansboro today--just to have shore power for some heat.

Brrrrrrr!

2009-10-16T13:32:00.010-04:00

Temps are way below normal here for mid-October, but we're cozy inside our full enclosure. It has paid for itself many times over. We previously looked down our sailing purist noses too, as we were bundled inside our foul weather gear. No more. Comfort is VERY important!

After my 2-hour HOA board meeting by speaker phone yesterday, we anchored out last night in Eastham Creek, which is off Goose Creek, which is off the Pamlico River. Nothing there with us but one Bubba Gump shrimp boat and one lone trawler.

A lone eagle watched us this morning from his perch as we entered a narrow canal leading eventually into the Neuse River. Only other "highlight" was the very large barge and tugboat we crossed paths with at a bend in the canal. First commercial traffic we've seen in a long time too.

Arrived in the charming village of Oriental, NC, which has 3000 boats and 1000 humans around 1 p.m. Took a long walk around the town to get some exercise and shop. Kudos to Oriental. It's the first town along our route that recycles, and our recyclng container was overloaded.

Lots of shrimp boats at the docks. Throughout the afternoon, we've seen lots of our fellow ICW boaters that we recognize pulling in here too. Should be a lively night at the marina's Tiki Bar.

On our walk around Oriental, Fran, a 85 year old resident, finally "shanghaied" us. She had driven by us 3 times, offering us rides since she knew we were "boat people." Finally, she gently ordered us "Get in, I want to show you the pretty parts of town." We figured that was safe although I asked her if she was "stalking" us! Fran had moved here 27 years ago and her son runs a local boat yard. She drove us around for a short while, enjoying our company as much as we enjoyed hers. I'm not sure I'd offer a personal tour back in Williamsburg, but it sure was a "touch of small town America." Thanks, Fran!

There's a cool live web cam on the Oriental harbor at http://www.towndock.net/harborcam-slideshow/last-hour.

Went to dinner at M & M's Cafe tonight. Local shrimp (from Bubba Gump's boat) and crab quesadillas were yummy.

Captain Squid

2009-10-14T20:37:00.003-04:00

Take a deep breath, as I tell our refrigerator story. When MicMac was hauled out for three weeks to have her bottom painted, prior to our departure, Captain Pete turned off the refrigerator, forgetting that we had some squid fish bait in the freezer section. Do you know how long “perfum de squid” fragrance can last in a refrigerator? We’ve scrubbed it with baking soda, bleach, vinegar, enzymes, and even tried vanilla in a dish. I expect gulls to circle overhead every time I open the frig.

Captain Kidd was legendary for his reign of terror, but Captain Squid (AKA Captain Pete) will also go down in history as a menace to humanity.

A Change in the Weather

2009-10-14T20:32:00.002-04:00

A cold front with 15-20 knots of wind greeted us this morning, but no problem. We requested a bridge opening and entered the sheltered Alligator River. There actually were 15 foot alligators here until the 1930s. But I used the binoculars to look for black bears and deer. The cruising guide said that you can occasionally spot a black bear swimming across the river, but no luck today—even at Bear Point. Then we motored past Rattlesnake Bay, Catfish Point, Stumpy Point, Frying Pan Landing, and other cute names. Dolphins welcomed us as we approached the Alligator-Pungo Rivers Canal—a long 20 mile narrow canal cut through NC boonies. Saw LOTS of waterfront property with no timeshares!

Then it started raining as we sailed down the Pungo River to Belhaven, a town of 2000 that’s popular with ICW boaters. It’s about as far south in NC as Cape Hatteras, but inland—if you want to know how far we’ve gone in 4 days.

We’re staying at Belhaven Waterway Marina, a lovely small (and clean) mom-and-pop marina run by a friendly couple from Richmond, VA. Best showers/restrooms in any marina we've ever stayed in! Like staying in a friend's home. Really!

Dinner on shore at Fish Hooks Cafe tonight (WOW!)—the ONLY restaurant open in this booming metropolis and it was terrific. Love these small towns! Everyone is so friendly.

Amazing Day Crossing Albemarle Sound

2009-10-14T20:24:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, 10-13-09

After leaving Coinjock and the NC Cut in some dense morning fog, we heard on the VHF that two sailboats had run aground just up ahead. Fog is tense enough, and we soon had 2 inches under our keel. But Captain Pete steered the right way (away from the still-grounded boat), and we were off to Albemarle Sound.

All boaters have heard about the horrible wave action that can occur in Albemarle Sound, but today was wonderful—after the morning fog lifted. We sailed all the way in bright sunshine to Alligator River Marina, a nice clean stopping place but right off the highway for the “flotilla” we were travelling with (about 10 of us). It was a shorter day of 35 miles, so more time for reading.

First Day on the ICW

2009-10-12T18:20:00.003-04:00

Captain Pete and "first crew" Jake Kirchner brought MicMac down from Deltaville last Thursday and Friday to Two Rivers marina, where we fully provisioned her. That's LOTS of water, wine, beer, books, food, and clothing (in approximately that order).

We also enjoyed happy hour and the "last supper" with Kirchners, Polsons, Knuppels, and Raphaels before taking off to Norfolk/Portsmouth, where we anchored off Portsmouth's "Hospital Point." Captain Pete used to fish off this point as a little boy when he lived here (Granddad Bob was Chief of Medicine here at the time).

First light in Norfolk

We left Norfolk at "first light" this morning, in a "parade" with 3 other sailboats and 2 powerboats. Since it was a federal holiday (Columbus Day--how appropriate!), we got a few bridges to open "on demand" as opposed to waiting for "on the hour."

Got to enter (and exit) our first lock, which only raised the water level about 18 inches. NOT the Panama Canal!

Traveled about 50 miles today in 9 hours down the North Landing River and across Currituck Sound to the "hamlet" of Coinjock, NC. We're tied up to the thousand-foot dock here on the ICW. Mega power yachts on one end and we salty sailors on the other end. Going to eat ashore tonight. No galley duty for this first mate.

What's the Intracoastal? Watch this.

2009-10-01T20:41:00.006-04:00

This video catches the essence of why thousands of boaters go down the ICW each year.

The "Bucket List" beckons

2009-10-01T17:19:00.022-04:00

In about 10 days (around October 11), Captain Pete and I, his faithful first mate, will sail off on MicMac down the Intracoastal Waterway. Why? Because it’s there, and no small wonder either. It’s also one of the biggies on our mutual “Bucket List”—those things we just gotta do before we kick the bucket! Two other biggies are to visit more of the 50+ National Parks and Caribbean islands.

Our first goal is to arrive in Edisto, SC, by Halloween—for a family reunion with SC and Boston family members. Yes, we’ll probably be motoring much of the way, not sailing. But we’re heading to a warmer climate. Yegads, we’re now gonna be Anne Murray “snowbirds.”

The Intracoastal—or ICW or The Ditch—is part natural waterway and part man-made canals, and it’s through lots of marshes and swamps (oops, wetlands). Most say that it begins at “Mile Zero” in Norfolk and ends at “Mile 1095” in Miami. It actually begins north of Boston and keeps going all the way to Key West and up the Gulf Coast to Brownsville, Texas, if you want to get technical. So we’ve already done part of the Ditch on earlier cruises to New England.

The ICW opened in 1805, twelve years after it was begun. Because parts of it are so shallow, its use was limited to flat boats and log rafts that were manually poled or towed through. In 1933, the ICW was dredged to 50 feet wide and 9 feet deep, but it silts in quite frequently these days. MicMac has a 5' draft--probably more right now with all that wine, beer, water, and books stowed in every nook and cranny. The Corps of Engineers is supposed to keep the ICW dredged to 12 feet, but we'll see.

So many cruising guides and charts!

Captain Pete bought lots of charts and cruising guides, and has been researching this trip for months (I just began today). He has googads of notes on where we might "touch bottom." Supposedly the curse of the first 20 miles of the Ditch is the nine bridges, each with its own opening schedule. It's still fun, after all these years of hailing bridgetenders, to watch the line of cars forming as bridges open to let us pass. The power of a 60' mast is quite amazing.

For history buffs: In 1728, Colonel William Byrd II of Virginia (yes the same Byrd who lived up Route 5 in Westover Plantation) proposed this regional trade route from the Elizabeth River to Albemarle Sound after making a survey of the Virginia-North Carolina border for the English Crown. During the expedition, he and his party had to struggle through the dense undergrowth and forests of the great swamp. Byrd, finding the place repulsive, is said to be responsible for the addition of “Dismal” to the name.

In 1793, after the Revolutionary War, construction on a canal began at both ends of the Dismal Swamp. The earliest canal on the Intracoastal was dug almost completely by hand so progress was slow and expensive. Most of the labor was done by slaves hired from nearby landowners. Some of the slaves became so familiar with the swamp during this period that it eventually became a haven for runaways.Both George Washington and Patrick Henry felt that canals were the easiest way to transport goods and favored a route through the Dismal Swamp. Although Washington was not involved in the canal’s construction, he was familiar with the region. He and a group of business “adventurers” owned some 50,000 acres in the Dismal Swamp that they were logging. Washington Ditch, a separate cut through the swamp, was built to transport their timber. The remnants of it are still visible today.

Back to the Rappahannock & Home

2009-06-22T22:22:00.015-04:00

A Swell Day

The Bay was still a bit riled up from yesterday's winds, and it was a swell day. That's not "swell day" as the Beav and Wally would have meant it. It was big swells, but not big waves today. So we rolled sideways most of the way home, but it was nothing like yesterday. Notice the calm look on the Captain's face.

The big highlight of the day (other than returning to terra firma) was being in the midst of a huge pod of bottlenose dolphins (about 30-40) --off Fleet's Bay. They followed us for about 30 minutes. Quite entertaining. Some of them came right up to MicMac. Maybe she looked like a big momma dolphin to them??

We have only seen dolphins further south in the bay and never as many as today. We felt like they were guiding us home--quite a touch of good luck! I got a few videos, but they couldn't capture the moment.

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN . . . after 33 days

Five weeks is a long time to spend on a 36' sailboat, with only a few shore excursions. I have no idea how John Smith and his men on a shallop smaller than MicMac did it. It was quite refreshing to round Windmill Point and enter MicMac’s major stomping grounds, the Rappahannock River. Deltaville never looked so good!

We’ll most likely be seeing crab pot floats (which we have to steer around) and fish pound nets in our sleep for a few days after we get home to Willieburg. Nor will I try any of Chef Tony’s famous crabcakes for a few weeks, since I’m growing claws.

Sailing is definitely not the Ritz, but it's a lifestyle that opens up more horizons than you can imagine. Now, however, I'm looking forward to AC, electricity that does not depend on batteries, and non-marine toilets that really flush.

Our kitchen is bigger than our entire boat. We just figured out that we've been living in approximately 150 square feet.

As we sail more and more of the Bay, I wonder just how much of its shorelines have been reinforced aginst erosion. Of the 9000 miles of shores, I'd suspect that at least 1000 miles of it are hardscape--and 500 miles of that riprapped. As the sea rise in our area, invest in a riprap company. They'll always have work.

Victory at Sea

2009-06-22T22:10:00.009-04:00

Back to the Northern Neck
Hind-sight is always 20/20. When we sailed past Solomon’s Island in 10 knot winds, NOAA was still predicting 15-20 knot winds with gusts of 30 from the Northwest. But NOAA has had a bad track record this past five weeks and we were doubting Thomases. In fact, I joked that NOAA stood for “No One Accurate Answer.”

This time, NOAA was right on the money and the seas tested both Captain Pete’s and MicMac’s overall ability to handle big winds and rolling seas. Crew’s as well. I hate roller coasters and got the ride of my life for 6 hours. Lifejackets were on, and later the tethers. Those are straps that tie you to your boat. Bondage for sailors!

When we made the decision to cross the Potomac, it was too late to turn around. That would be worse and we’d have been heading directly into 5-6’ waves and gusts of 30 knots. Crossing the 10 mile wide mouth of the Potomac is always best when it’s over. It can be very feisty as winds, tides, and currents converge. It’s rarely placid. But this crossing was memorable. I kept looking at the stern, warning Pete when the biggest waves were coming. The earlier whitecaps had transformed into breaking waves. White everywhere. At one mesmerized moment, I even commented how beautiful it looked and how I just saw our first brown pelican of the trip. Pete later stated, “Those were the biggest waves we’ve ever been out in.”

For you non-boaters, the Chesapeake runs north-south, so if the winds are from the north (or the south) there's a lot of fetch (miles of water) for the waves to build. NOT good.

Smith Point still looked so far away. But we finally happily motored back into our first anchorage of this trip, Mill Creek off the Great Wicomico, after a nine-hour trip. Happy hour immediately commenced.

We have always avoided Reedville as an anchorage ever since an odoriferous evening there a few years ago. The mendaden fleet out of Reedville is a big business, but the processing plant is most unfriendly to one's olfactory senses. It may be the smell of money to Reedville folks, but we never experienced any smell so awful. The fleet uses small planes to sight the schools of these small fish--sometimes called alewife or bunker.