The Adventures of Monk's Vineyard - The Great Loop and Beyond

Epilogue

2011-07-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Since returning home, we’ve had the boat hauled at our local marina where it’s getting the bottom painted and hull waxed. We’re going to take most everything off, clean it up good, make sure everything is working properly and list it for sale (anyone out there interested in a Monk?) If we get a reasonable offer, we’ll sell; if not, we’ll continue cruising. In the meantime we plan to do a little exploring by land for a change. We just finished a week in the Williamsburg/Jamestown area. In September we’re taking a long road trip to Colorado where we’ll visit our cruising buddies, Jana and Michael from Second Star, and then on to Utah to visit family and friends. In early November we have plans to visit the Cape Cod area for a week as we’re using up our yearly vacation timeshare points before we lose them. For now though, this is Monk’s Vineyard …. Signing off.

Monk's Vineyard -- at home !!

Homeward Bound

2011-07-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

June 26-27 - After a short run back to Solomon’s Island, we dropped the hook, settled in, and then dinghied ashore to meet Sterling and Judy. We ended up at Catamaran’s for drinks and a light dinner and then walked the riverfront before returning back to the boats.

We planned an early departure for our long trip to Annapolis, but there was a morning shower that delayed us until 8:30. We had a perfect run to Annapolis – flat seas and a light breeze to keep things pleasant. We arrived at the mouth of the Severn River around 3:30 and then headed the 7 miles up river to our home on Plum Creek. We, along with Sterling Lady anchored just down the creek from our home. We dinghied ashore and were welcomed at Edna and Peter's for welcome home drinks and snacks and then on to Jim and Karen's for drinks and a great dinner.

Returning home is always a little bittersweet – we’re sad that the adventure is over, but, at the same time, happy to be home.

Monk's Vineyard and Sterling Lady at anchor - Solomon's Island

We saw a gaggle of geese ....

... and a lone swan

As we got closer to home, we passed Thomas Point Light

With no wind, the small sailboats had to be towed in by dinghy.
The kids still had fun (see them swimming on the left)

On the way to our friend's home for dinner, Sterling
volunteered to ride in the back -- it was a tight squeeze

Dinner at Jim and Karen's

The next morning we bid a fond farewell to Sterling and Judy
as they headed north, eventually to the Erie Canal.

Patuxent River – Solomon’s Island and Vera’s White Sands

2011-07-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

6/21 – 6/25 – We departed Washington, D.C. a little after 8:00 in the morning. It was a pleasant day on the Potomac and we had a push from the tides and ended up traveling to Canoe Neck Creek off St. Clement Bay arriving a little after 5:00. It was a quiet anchorage with very few houses and no boat traffic. The next day we had a much shorter trip to Solomon’s Island where we anchored in Back Creek. After settling in, we went in search of our friends Sterling and Judy on Sterling Lady. We found them, not surprisingly, at the Tiki Bar. We first met Sterling and Judy in New York when we were doing the Great Loop. We’d seen them several times along the Loop, but not since Key Largo (their homeport) over a year ago. We had a few drinks and then dinner at a local restaurant. The next day we did some provisioning and had happy hour aboard Ashton Gray, a 65 footer owned by Dwight and Carolyn.

On Friday we headed up the Patuxent River to St. Leonard Creek where we docked at Vera’s White Sands for an MTOA Rendezvous. We had been to Vera’s several years ago when she was still alive. She had lived in Hollywood before meeting her husband and had hopes of becoming a star. However, after her marriage, she and her husband traveled extensively and eventually bought a huge parcel of property on St. Leonard Creek and built a restaurant and marina. By the time she passed away, the property was quite run down, but it was bought by people that renovated the marina and restaurant and are currently turning her home into a Bed and Breakfast. We were given a tour of her home – very interesting. We had an enjoyable rendezvous with lots of socializing, food and, of course, drinks. There was even a wedding on our dock while we were there. On Sunday morning we headed back to Solomons.

Entering St. Clement Bay

Our anchorage in Canoe Neck Creek

Solomon's Island Anchorage - Back Creek

After settling in - we met our new neighbors --

-- and then found Sterling and Judy at the Tiki Bar

We had a nice sunset in the anchorage

Happy Hour aboard Ashton Gray

Our hosts, Dwight and Carolyn

Gerry checking out the good food

Arriving at Vera's White Sands
(left to right - restaurant, marina, Vera's home)

Vera's home -- every livingroom should have a swimming pool

Dining Room

Unique bathroom fixtures

This is Vera in her younger days

Even the bar had a bit of her "personnality"

Happy hour at the MTOA rendezvous

Tiki Bar on the beach

Gerry checking out the bar

Judy and Sterling on the
dinghy trip

Heads poking above the grass

Dinghies up the creek

Wedding on the dock
bride and groom

Wedding party

Wedding guests - very casual wedding

Reception at the tiki bar

Last morning of rendezvous -- don't be fooled by the coffeepot
Everyone's drinking Mimosas

Our Adventures in Washington, D.C.

2011-06-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

We stayed at the Capital Yacht Club for a week (well, we did stay an extra day because we needed an R&R day after all of our activities). The Yacht Club was very accommodating and we participated in several activities – happy hours, spaghetti Tuesday night dinner and Saturday morning breakfast. We were close to the metro and the circulator (which we used daily) and were able to easily get anywhere we wanted to go. The marina was a bit noisy with all the airplanes, helicopters and cruise boats, but after awhile you got used to it. Definitely worth the noise to be so close to all the action. We lucked out and had great weather while we were there – high temps in the high 70’s and low 80’s. It rained hard several times, but usually for no more than an hour.

6/13 – After arriving early on Monday we checked in, cleaned up, and headed out to get the “lay of the land”. We ended up having a drink and a couple of light dinner appetizers at Marina Cantina and then walked to the closest Metro stop so we’d know the easiest and fastest way to get there.

As we made the split into the Washington Channel,
we passed by Fort McNair

Up ahead is the marina (Capital Yacht Club) with the
Washington Monument in the background

Most of the boats at both the Capital Yacht Club and
the Gangplank Marina are liveaboards. Here at
the Gangplank, many of them are houseboats

The Presidential Yacht, Sequoia, is docked at the Gangplank

A view of the marina taken from Banneker Circle

The fountain at Banneker Circle

Every night there were several rowing boats that would
cruise by our boat

6/14 – Today we rode the circulator bus to the Museum of Natural History where we spent the morning. After a quick lunch at a British Pub, we caught the Metro to Arlington Cemetery where we took a tour that included the Eternal Flame at the gravesite of JFK and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That night we went to the spaghetti dinner at the Yacht Club. It was actually bbq chicken and pork, but they still call in Tuesday Spagetti Dinner -- Go figure.

The Museum of Natural History has
quite a variety -- here some
seashells millions of years old

The Hope Diamond. It
was our anniversary, but
Gerry thought it was a bit
out of his price range

A very large old elephant

The eternal flame at the gravesite of John F. Kennedy

The Changing of the Guard

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Inside the Arlington Memorial Ampitheater

The outside of the theater

Chicken and pork loin cooking at the Yacht Club

6/15 – We had a leisurely breakfast and then took the circulator to China Town where we wandered around for awhile. After a very good Thai lunch we went to the Verizon Store where Gerry got a new phone. The buttons on his old one (it was NOT really that old) no longer worked. He could not turn the phone off. Yesterday at the Changing of the Guard during complete silence, it rang – OOPS !!! After purchasing a new 4G phone we were off to our Segway Tour. What a great way to cover a huge area in a short amount of time with little effort. Based on a recommendation from the Segway personnel, we went to Matchbox for dinner and had great wood fired pizza

Mr. Segway ....

... and Ms. Segway

Jefferson Memorial

FDR Memorial

Washington Momument

Lincoln Memorial

Korean Memorial

World War II Memorial

White House

6/16 – This morning was spent at the Spy Museum, the afternoon at the Museum of American History and then dinner in the Capitol Hill area at a German restaurant with a friend that Gerry was doing some work with in DC. Unfortunately, as we got off the circulator, it started to pour. We walked about 3 blocks and were drenched by the time we got to the restaurant.

James Bond Car at the Spy Museum -- only picture I got
as you were not supposed to take pictures

6/17 – Today Gerry had several meetings (a work day) and so Linda did laundry and other boat chores and went to the fish market. Once Gerry and Jon got back from their meetings, we all went next door to Phillips for their seafood and Italian buffet. While we were there it rained hard again.

Crab Legs

One of the vendors at the fish market

Shrimp and lobster
(things Gerry can't eat)

My, what big eyes you have

Salmon fish heads -- $2 each

6/18 – We started the morning out with breakfast at the yacht club, then took the circulator to the mall area where we walked through the sculpture garden. We boarded the circulator and headed for U Street where we went to Ben’s Chili Bowl (an institution in DC) then on to Adams Morgan finally ending up in Georgetown where we sat at a bar facing the waterfront and had a few drinks while we did some serious people watching.

After Gerry's day of work on Friday,
he said he felt like this statue

... or maybe this one

.. or this headless guy

This one is called Lunar Bird

The Thinker

A bunch of headless bodies

This fountain was popular on a hot day

Here's something obsolete -- a typewriter eraser

Gerry standing in line at Ben's Chili Bowl

Linda with the Chili Bowl Bear

A view of the Potomac from a restaurant in Georgetown

6/19 – Today was Father’s Day so Linda made Gerry a nice breakfast. Later in the morning our friends from the neighborhood, Jim and Karen, came to visit us. We went out to lunch and had a great time catching up on everything that’s been happening since we left last October. In the evening our daughter and grandson joined us for dinner. It was great seeing them as we also hadn’t seen them since leaving home. With the visits from our family and friends, it almost feels like we’ve never left.

Cheers!! Our friends Karen and Jim

Our daughter, Kara, and grandson, Cameron

6/20 – We were going to leave today, but we were exhausted from our week’s activities and the forecast was for rain most of the day – so we stayed put and rested.

Cruising up the Potomac

2011-06-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

6/10 – 6/13 - We have lived in Maryland for over 20 years and have been to DC numerous times, however, never by water. With a very loose schedule and some extra days before our next planned event (an MTOA Rendezvous at Vera’s on St. Leonard’s Creek off the Patuxent) we decided it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do some Potomac cruising.

We departed Deltaville early in the morning and had a pleasant cruise up the Bay, into the mouth of the Potomac and then to the Yeocomico River where we spent the next 2 nights at Olverson’s Lodge Creek Marina (1 night free for MTOAers). Freddie and Cas Olverson are the owners and they really know how to make a person feel welcome. Fred was on the dock ready to take our lines as we arrived and we docked across from friends, Jim and Julie on Insight (also MTOAers).

The next day we took advantage of the courtesy car and explored the local area. That night we were guests of Freddie and Cas at the Lodge Creek Yacht Club toga party. Olverson’s serves as the home port to this yacht club and transients are included in the activities. After waiting out a horrendous rain storm, we made our way up to the club house in our “spur of the minute” togas. Linda’s toga was a lace tablecloth and Gerry’s was made from 2 flags (one was a pirate flag and the other was the Conch Republic flag) along with a pirate hat (instead of leaves) for a headpiece. The food was great - chicken and fish – along with the trimmings. At one point they gave a prize for the best male toga and best female toga. The person selecting the best male toga was a young boy who bee lined straight for the “pirate toga and hat”. Way to go Gerry!!

At this green buoy we were officially in Maryland, but not
for long. The Potomac splits VA and MD so we cruised
in and out of the two states as we sailed up the Potomac.

Look at all those crab pots !!!!

Approaching Olverson's Marina

Freddie in his toga

Cas and Freddie

The winning "pirate" toga

Osprey at sunset

The next day we had an 8-hour cruise up the Potomac to Mattawoman Creek. As we entered, there were several boats in the anchorage, but within an hour or so they were all gone except for two boats anchored next to us (it was Sunday and those working folks needed to get home).

There had been severe storm warnings all afternoon, but we had lucked out and only encountered a few sprinkles on our trip up. Well, after being anchored for about an hour, that all changed. We were hit by an intense storm – probably one of the 3 worst we’ve encountered over the past 2 years. We couldn’t really agree on the worst – once you have strong wind, lighting, thunder and rain it’s hard to differentiate. Suffice it to say it was pretty strong and we swung back and forth and heeled way over several times as gusts blasted us on the beam, but the anchor held with no problem (fortunately, so did the anchors of the other 2 boats around us). Within an hour, the storm passed and we had a delightful evening in the anchorage.

View from our anchorage at Mattawoman Creek

An interesting sky

Mother Goose, the boat next to us in the anchorage

Mother Goose, during the storm

The sailboat in the anchorage looked like it was heeled over
and underway through much of the storm

After the storm -- a nice evening

The next morning we attempted to raise the anchor, only to find we had several pounds of seaweed, grass and other gunk attached. After a half hour or so of cleaning off grass, the boat anchored next to us dinghied over and helped us pull the crap off the anchor and we were on our way (thanks for the help, Mother Goose). We cruised past some enormous homes, Mount Vernon, under the Wilson Bridge, past Regan National Airport, and into the Capital Yacht Club where we plan to spend a week and see the sights of Washington we have not seen before.

One of the "small" homes on the Potomac

We cruised past Mount Vernon ....

...and Fort Washington

Alexandria, VA

Approaching the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (with plane overhead)

As we cruised under the bridge
we were in Washington DC

MOA Rendezvous, Deltaville

2011-06-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

6/5 – 6/9 - We left Urbanna and made our way back down the Rappahannock to Deltaville. We stayed at Dozier’s Regatta Point Marina for 5 days while attending the Monk Owner’s Association Rendezvous. We’ve had the Monk now for 5 years, but have only attended one other MOA rendezvous and that was when we first bought the boat (but hadn’t taken possession yet) and we’d gone by car. It was great seeing old friends and making new ones. There were several educational sessions (we even gave one on cruising in the Bahamas), yummy breakfasts prepared by Sandra on Punches, a couple of outings at local restaurants and a catered BBQ dinner. We had a great time. A big thanks to all the organizers.

We were the first to arrive, followed shortly by Jim and Peg
Healy on Sanctuary. They were docked across from us

Six Monks

Five Monk's all in a row (over 20 boats at the rendezvous)
We'd never seen so many Monks all in one place

Out to dinner -- there's always one in every crowd

A Bunch of Monker's
(we're at the left)

Out for a walk one morning, we found a couple of "fixer-uppers"...

... and some dumb bunny

A tornado in April caused considerable damage in Deltaville

Another shot of the church showing the destruction of the tornado

Dozier's Regatta Point Marina - a very nice place

Back in the Chesapeake

2011-06-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

6/2 - 6/4 - We timed our departure this morning to make it through the Gilmerton Bridge opening at 9:30 a.m. It had an opening at 6:30 a.m. and then not another until 9:30. That was our last bridge of the trip --- yeah! Just as it was closing a sailboat called the bridgetender to ask if they could stay open a few more minutes so he could make it … the answer was no … and the next opening wasn’t until 10:30. I had checked on line that morning and it had given us the early morning restrictions, but said after 9:30 it opened on the hour and half hour. That didn’t appear to be the case. Glad it wasn’t us that missed it by a couple of minutes.

We cruised through Norfolk, Portsmouth and Hampton, amongst all the military boats and freighters, and into the Chesapeake Bay. It was a little windy and the Bay was quite choppy and uncomfortable. We entered Mobjack Bay and eventually ended up at Put-In-Creek for the night. It was a very peaceful anchorage. The next day we went up the Rappahannock and anchored in the small town of Urbanna. The anchorage was very picturesque and, in spite of a fair amount of boat traffic, we were never waked. The town itself was small and quaint and definitely met the adage of “small-town” America. We had drinks (root beer float and chocolate shake) at the drug store soda fountain and very good pizza at Angelo’s Colonial Pizza. We stayed 2 days.

Gilmerton Bridge -- our last bridge!!

Aircraft Carrier

Norfolk waterfront - we stayed here 10 days last year
(family visitors on board) - so didn't stop this time

Army landing craft

We passed the entrance/exit of the Chesapeake Bay
Tunnel and were then "officially" in the Chesapeake Bay

Sights at Put-in-Creek

We passed New Point Comfort Light on our way back into the Bay

Our anchorage at Urbanna

Grounded sailboats

Sun setting over the anchorage

Waterfront at twilight

Monk's Vineyard in the anchorage

Payne's Crabhouse -- run by two sisters -- perhaps this
helps explain the flowers and pink chairs

Downtown Urbanna

Lansdowne House

Old historic courthouse -- now used by the
Middlesex Woman's Club

Gerry patiently waiting for his root beer float at the
drugstore soda fountain
(interesting conversations at this counter)

Are these foam-type and large can-sized curlers still in fashion??

Impressive building on the hill

All for Naught

2011-06-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

5/30 - 6/1 - Our travels over the next few days proved to be quite frustrating. Our first day out we anchored in Pungo Creek and the second night in Broad Creek. We woke up to millions of blind mosquitoes (aka mayflies) that completely covered the boat, including the flybridge. If that wasn’t bad enough, they left little green poop deposits that stained the boat. After several days of cleaning the boat it almost caused a major melt down of both the Captain and the Admiral. All that work for nothing. Linda spent most of the day underway trying to wash them off the decks and vacuuming them off the flybridge. Add to that the fact that we had several bridges and one lock today, all with really screwy opening hours (some on the hour, some on the half hour and some with early morning or late afternoon time restrictions where they didn’t open at all.) We ended up having to wait at almost every bridge, one for almost 45 minutes. It was a most unpleasant day.

We pulled into the Top Rack Marina in Chesapeake, VA a little after 4:00. We topped off with fuel as it was about the cheapest in the area ($3.44/gal). They had a “dock and dine” deal where you got a dollar off your dock fee for each $2 you spent at the restaurant (The Amber Lantern). This is where the day got a whole lot better. The food prepared by Chef Carmello was fabulous. We had dinner, a little wine, shared a dessert and watched a great sunset. Maybe boating isn’t so bad afterall. We stayed another day and had a second great meal that night after a day of cleaning the boat – again.

Entering the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal

End of the canal -- 20+ miles of perfectly straight canal

The Alligator River Bridge. It was, according to the
bridgetender, a bit "sick". Fortunately, it opened
okay for us. We heard on the VHF the next day
that it was closed for repairs.

We woke up to these ....

... and these .... everywhere. They worked themselves into
every nook and cranny on the outside of the boat.
(click on picture to enlarge to see just how many there were)

Locking through the Great Bridge Lock

Oh, did I mention that in addition to the flies
and bridges it was also HOT !!!! 100 degrees

Cheap fuel (well, not cheap, but cheaper than most
everywhere else)

Seared tuna

Rockfish

Mahi Mahi - all wonderful

... and a nice sunset as we ate

Oriental, NC for a Week

2011-05-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

5/22 – 5/28 – We decided to stay in Oriental for a week at the Whittaker Point Marina. We stayed here last year as we were finishing up the Great Loop and really enjoyed it. They have a great rate, especially for MTOA members, a beautiful clubhouse with spotless showers and laundry facilities. They also have a courtesy car. We were the only transients at the marina and so the car was pretty much ours whenever we wanted it and for as long as we wanted it. We used it every day, and a couple of times drove into New Bern where we have a townhouse (currently rented).

While at the marina we cleaned the boat up which included “dejunking”, waxing, polishing stainless, cleaning eisen glass and a bunch of other small stuff too numerous to mention. It was looking pretty ragged after its winter in the Bahamas. As our treat for working so hard, we ate out almost every night. For a small town, Oriental has some great restaurants.

We got a big bunch of mail forwarded to us at the marina. That usually takes several hours to go through. There's always a few surprises when you get mail in one big shipment that's been accumulating over the past month or two. Oops, boat insurance due in 5 days. Now you think we would have remembered that since we're on the boat -- nope, totally slipped our minds. Linda has an excuse - she's getting old. In this bunch of mail she got her "welcome to Medicare" package. Holy crap!*#!#*! -- been declared old by the Federal Government.

Since this is a marina where you buy the boat slip, most of the other folks were only around on the weekend – but with this being a holiday weekend, many arrived early. We got to know our neighbors quite well. Weather permitting, we’ll be heading further north on Sunday. It was a great stay, but it’s time to move on.

View from Whittaker Marina -- our boat is
right in the center of the picture

Nice porch, rockers and view

View during an early morning walk

We had great food (twice) at this unique restaurant
named -- appropriately -- Silos

Cheers !!

Typical view from the club house

Pelicans at the dock

Clubhouse at dusk -- notice the port and starboard lights

Cape Lookout - A Great Stop

2011-05-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Continuing with our quest to visit places we’ve not seen before, we decided to spend a couple of days at Cape Lookout National Seashore. It is a 56 mile section of North Carolina’s Southern Outer Banks. It is comprised of 3 barrier islands, along with Portsmouth Historic Village and Cape Lookout Light. The islands are not commercialized at all – not even any place to leave garbage – you must take it out with you. One of the islands (Shackelford) has wild horses. There are numerous beaches with lots of shelling and a variety of birds and other wildlife. Linda got Gerry to walk the beaches four times in the two days we were there – probably a record. Although it is not known as a seaglass beach, Linda did find one good amethyst piece. Our two days were very peaceful with beautiful sunrises, beach combing, bird and turtle watching, capped off with gorgeous sunsets. This is definitely a place we would revisit.

Arriving at Cape Lookout - we worked our way through all
the fishing boats and entered into the protected cove of Lookout Bight

Our anchorage -- a little threatening the first night,
but nothing materialized

We had a great view of the lighthouse -- here's
the light flashing at night

Morning at the beach - the dinghy with Monk's Vineyard
in the background

A couple of American Oyster Catchers

Sea birds in the sea grass

These are Eastern Willets (I think)

A pair of Laughing Gulls

Cape Lookout Light

Another shot of the lighthouse as we
walked by it

Gerry - just hangin'

Birds doing a flyby

At sunset

Sun sinking fast

New day -- this is just before sunrise

Here comes the sun

Boats aground -- people anchor their boats at
the beach and then set up camp on the beach overnight.
In the morning they have to wait for the tide to come
in before they can leave

Lots of shelling on the beach - starfish 1

Starfish 2

.. and starfish 3

Now a couple of shots of the beach

As the tide went out it left little pools of water and lots of shells

This is our electronic chart showing where we were.
Shackleford, Harkers and the Core Banks,
along with the area where we were
(a little north of Catfish Point in Lookout Bight)
make up the Cape Lookout National Seashore

Straight Runs

2011-05-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Our journey over the next 2 days might be what you’d call “straight runs”. This is truly a ditch portion of the ICW. Quite narrow and very straight – not much exciting to speak of. The first night we stopped at Wrightville Beach. We’ve stopped here every time we’ve passed through. We dinghied ashore, walked to the beach, then walked the other direction a mile or two down to the ICW and the Wrightsville Beach Bridge. We stopped at a bar/restaurant and had a drink or two before heading back. We had a quiet night and turned in early.

The next morning we timed our departure to make the 8:00 opening of the bridge. We had another bridge (Figure Eight Island Bridge) shortly thereafter, but were able to sneak under without an opening. Good thing, as the bridge was having some repairs and was closed for awhile. The next bridge was the Surf City Bridge which definitely required an opening as it only has a 12 foot clearance. It opens only on the hour, so we tried to time our arrival such that we wouldn’t have to maneuver around waiting for it to open. However, the current was with us this morning and we went way faster than normal arriving about ½ hour before opening. There were osprey all along the way, so we slowed down and watched their antics while we waited (see pictures below).

We had planned on stopping at Mile Hammock Bay to anchor, but we arrived there early in the afternoon, so pressed on. We checked the guidebooks and Active Captain and decided on an anchorage at Swansboro. However, when we arrived it was quite windy plus a lot of current and we really didn’t feel comfortable with the anchorage. We called one of the marinas in the area and got dockage for the night. Ended up staying at Dudley Marina where the rate was only 75 cents a foot – almost like free. Bob and Gayle, friends on Chateau de Mer, pulled in shortly after and docked beside us.

The marina was definitely “homey”. Docks were not the greatest, but the staff was very friendly and helpful. The big draw in this area is the fishing, so the marina store had tons of fishing gear. Gerry looked a lot, but inasmuch as he doesn’t have a license he didn’t buy anything. The food selection at the store was a bit weird. They had ice cream, candy bars, beanie weenies and Vienna sausages.

We spent a quiet night (except for a few wakes from fishing boats) and headed out early the next morning.

Departing Bald Head Island Marina -- that's Old Baldy you see
peaking through towards the left

Passing by the Carolina Beach area

Wrightsville Beach - a bit crowded - guess we've been
spoiled by the beaches in the Bahamas

Wrightsville Beach anchorage at dusk

Starting out the next morning, the water was dead calm

Interesting yard art along
this stretch -- here's King Neptune

... A giraffe

... and of course, the pink house. I wasn't
going to take a picture this time,
but I just couldn't stop
myself

Mama Osprey seemed to be
in a bit of a huff -- think she
was waiting for "hubby" to bring
back some building material

Oh good -- here he is now with more sticks

That last twig fit just perfect --
I'm quite comfy now

Finally, the Surf City Bridge opened and we were able to pass through

Around mid-day, Winndecks, the Loopers we
met at Myrtle Beach and again at Bald Head
gave us a slow pass, but then "left us in their dust"
as they cruise about 3 times faster than we do.

Bald Head Island, a Place to Kick Back and Relax

2011-05-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

5/16-5/17 - Bald Head Island sits on the northeastern shore at the mouth of the Cape Fear River’s inlet to the ocean. It is accessible only by water. In spite of a push for major development in the 1960’s (which was somewhat thwarted) it has retained much of its unspoiled beaches, marshland and interior forests. There are many expansive home sites, cottages and condos, but they seem to blend in well with their natural surroundings. The streets are narrow and the mode of transportation is by electric golf cart. The marina was nice, but susceptible to quite a surge from the ocean inlet. As luck would have it, the dockmaster had mistakenly assigned us to a slip at the far end of the marina where the surge was not as bad. This area had smaller docks, but we were able to get in okay and tie off the bow of the boat along the short dock and the stern to the pilings. We seemed to ride the surge better here than the boats along the longer docks that were closer to the marina’s entrance channel.

We rented a golf cart and explored the island including Old Baldy Lighthouse, many beaches and the nature preserve. As part of our dockage, we were given a $20 coupon to the restaurant by the marina, Ed and Flo’s, so we happily used it for lunch one day. The weather was a little unsettled while we were here, but the only mishap was Linda getting caught in a downpour during a morning walk. All in all, it was a relaxing 2 days.

Entrance to the Bald Head Island Marina

Once checked into the marina, we wasted no time renting a golf cart.
It's the major form of transportation on the Island.

With map in hand, we went exploring. All of the beaches are
public and there are many beach access points.
This one had several long tubes extending out into the ocean.
They were geotextile tubes used for island reclamation and
shoreline protection.

We visited Old Baldy (the lighthouse, not Gerry)

Here at the entrance Gerry is looking pretty happy.
That was before the 180 steps he had to climb

This and the next 3 shots are views from the top

The wind and waves picked up at night.
A shot of one of the piers with water washing
through the boards

The full moon rising over the Island

Threatening skies in the morning

Sun trying to peak through

Linda headed out for a walk (stinkin' weather
won't stop her)

Two houses along the way with dark clouds building overhead

Things were looking pretty threatening by the time I reached
the beach. Watched a boat heading out (storm hit 5 minutes later
so I doubt they made it across to the ICW before getting blasted
by the wind and rain).

Looking this direction, things didn't seem so bad,
as there was a bit of clear sky

Oh oh, pretty dark clouds --- should I head back????

Too late -- wind and rain came and within seconds,
I was drenched.

A few hours later, it was beautiful -- here we're
exploring the Cape Fear Frying Pan Shoals area.
Sandbars stretch out for 20 miles into the ocean
and have been responsible for frequent shipwrecks,
making it part of the reason for the "Cape Fear" name.

A large part of the Island is a nature preserve

Although this is part of nature, they were kind of creepy --
hundreds of little crabs scurrying everywhere

Interesting trees

Overlooking the marsh

Flowering cactus

Live oak tree with hanging moss

They have bins for oyster shell recycling here on the Island

... and maybe also for a beer bottle or two

We enjoyed lunch at Eb and Flo's overlooking the harbor

Gators, Greenheads and Skeeters (and Osprey – as in the marina, not the bird)

2011-05-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

5/12 – 5/14 - We departed Charleston and made our way to an anchorage at Minum Creek. The scenery definitely changed along the way from low-lying marsh grass to tree-lined banks. We were surprised to also see quite a few alligators. We didn’t remember seeing any in this area during our other trips. However, we also had greenheads and mosquitoes – a pretty uncomfortable combination. Fortunately the temps were pleasant so the trip wasn’t all that unbearable. There was another Monk in the anchorage with us tonight – Chris and Ginny on Ginny C. We talked with them on the radio and they told us they planned on going to Osprey tomorrow – so we’ll meet up with them in person then.

The next day was a pretty uneventful trip to Osprey Marina where we fueled up ($800+) and then settled into our slip. Gerry had estimated we’d take about 209 gallons of diesel and it took 210. Guess the logs he’s keeping are pretty accurate. We were surprised to see a boat we recognized from the Bahamas when we pulled into the marina – Ted and Diane on Boatel I from Toronto. They run their boat as a bed and breakfast during the summer. They dropped by the boat later and we whipped up a pitcher of Bloody Mary’s using the recipe we'd gotten at the bar in Charleston with the great drinks. Very yummy and it was great chatting with them again.

As we did last time we stayed at the marina, we took advantage of the hospitality offered by the Italian restaurant, Scatori’s. They pick you up and then allow you extra time to shop at the supermarket after you eat before returning you to the marina. The food was, again, fabulous with enough for leftovers even for Gerry.

The next day we had a short run to North Myrtle Beach. We’ve never stayed here before, so decided to give it a try using our MTOA discount staying at Barefoot Landing. Just so happens it was Biker Week in Myrtle Beach. We walked through all the tents – very different from the boating scene we are used to – we're pretty sure they could tell we weren't bikers. However, we found something we needed. Gerry has been looking for Ratchet Stainless Steel tie-downs for quite some time. We use them to help secure the dinghy while underway. The ones we have now are not stainless steel and they are very rusty and leave big rust streaks on the boat. We found some at the motorcycle tents for a great price. Linda wouldn’t let Gerry buy any other “biker” stuff.

We ran into several other Looper boats while we docked here: Quest, Q's End, Lady Royal and Winndecks. We had met Q's End and Lady Royal in the Abacos earlier in the year.

After a not-so-pleasant evening of listening to the ramp on the floating dock squeak all night long, we had an early morning departure for Bald Head Island – another place we have never been.

Sights along the ICW -- lots of trees now instead of just marsh grass

A few shots of Osprey Marina -- very nice and peaceful

Diane on Boatel I

These houses seemed too close

This house was too big

... and this house was too purple

An interesting place for a couch -- under the bridge -- looked to be in good shape but not sure I'd wanna take a nap with traffic rolling
over the top of me.

Barefoot Landing -- lots of shops and restaurants

Strolling through the tents at the Bike Show, we saw an
area with many service bays where bikes were getting chrome
accessories installed

Thousands of bikes in town

I (Linda) don't know much about bikes, but
this one looked pretty cool

What do you do when you can't get a line detached from a cleat??
Why you saw it off (look close and you'll see the saw).
Seems a small cruise ship had gone by the marina too fast during
the night before and had caused a huge wake that did some damage.
Appears it had pulled the line too tight around the cleat and they couldn't
get it undone -- hence, the saw.

We Stopped in Charleston, Finally

2011-05-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

5/9 – 5/11 - We hadn’t stopped in Charleston our last 2 trips through the area, but it had been over 2 years since we’d been here and because we’re moving slowly, we decided to stop for a few days. Our next decision was deciding where to stay. We thought about docking at Isle of Palms (right outside Charleston) and renting a car, but after checking all the marinas in Charleston, we decided on the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina. It’s on the Cooper River across from Charleston, but the Resort/Marina had a courtesy van (usually Ollie the Trolley – but it was getting a few repairs so we had a regular van) that went into downtown Charleston several times a day and the city water taxi made hourly trips between the marina and Charleston Maritime Center downtown. They were also offering a 20% discount so that sealed the deal.

The marina is a little unique in that it has a “floating” breakwater system. It seemed to work quite well. On one of the nights during our stay we had a storm roll through with lots of lightning, thunder and pretty gusty winds. However, we were comfy at the dock –a small bit of rolling, but no banging back and forth into the dock as we’ve done in many other marinas. All in all, we really enjoyed the marina and the staff was excellent. There was a nice bar, grille, pool, small beach and nice shower/laundry facilities. They even arranged for a diver to clean the bottom of our boat – we were getting lots of growth.

On one day we took advantage of the free shuttle and went into Charleston where we explored the downtown area by foot and then in the afternoon took a horse-drawn carriage tour. On another day we took the shuttle to Sullivan’s Island where we walked the beach and explored the small town. They also stopped at West Marine for us so Gerry could pick up a few items – very accommodating. We looked at a 25 ft. C-Dory while we were in the area. The seller picked us up and took us to her home so we could see it and then dropped us back off at the marina.

Tomorrow we’ll head out for an anchorage in the McClellanville area.

Approaching the Charleston Harbor Marina

A drawing of the marina - we were on Sailfish Dock at the far end
by the breakwater

Big tide swing here in Charleston. Here is the area
on the way to the dockmaster's office at low tide

... and here it is at high tide

A shot looking down our dock - we're at the very end

The Yorktown dock was connected to the marina docks

A great view looking out over the harbor at sunset

The "Market" in Charleston. There are 4 buildings
full of "stuff" you don't need

Gerry at the Waterfront Park

The pier at the park. They had loveseat swings all
the way out to the end.

We found a place that made really good Bloody Mary's

Some of the small gardens

Interesting old buildings

Some of the churches in town

A couple of the old historic homes

This is Cooper, the star of the show
He pulled the carriage on our city tour

The lighthouse on Sullivan's Island - square instead of round

The beach at Sullivan's Island

The 25 ft C-Dory we looked at. It was in excellent condition

Lady’s Island and Beautiful Beaufort

2011-05-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

5/5 - It was chilly this morning as we pulled away from the Thunderbolt Marina. Linda had on a long-sleeved shirt and long pants and Gerry had on a light jacket. We kept the flybridge closed for most of the day. It was in the 60’s, but with a north wind that made it feel cooler. We passed Daufaskie, but didn’t stop there this time. Next it was Hilton Head, Port Royal Sound and Parris Island, finally arriving in the Beaufort area in the late afternoon.

We anchored in Factory Creek, the same location we had anchored in November on our way south. This anchorage gives you quick and easy access to both Lady’s Island and downtown Beaufort – Lady’s Island has grocery, drug, and hardware stores for provisioning while Beaufort is the more historic town with quaint shops, nice restaurants, stately old homes and a waterfront park.

5/6 – This morning held a hint of rain, but we decided to go ashore at Lady’s Island to get some needed supplies. The Lady’s Island Marina will let you dock your dinghy for free and will even let you use their restrooms and laundry facilities for a small fee. We walked to Grayco Hardware, which was really a large home/garden/marine/clothing store – very nice. Next it was on to Publix and then the Islands Meat Market where we purchased some very yummy looking stuff, including 2 steaks which Gerry will be grilling on Mother’s Day. All of these things are within a ½ mile walk of the marina – very convenient. Later in the evening we walked back to Upper Crust Pizza for dinner – twice – because the first time Gerry forgot his wallet. The pizza was outstanding and well worth the effort of the double walk. We had another boat in the anchorage tonight. As we passed by in the dinghy, Gerry thought they looked familiar. We stopped and sure enough, it was a sailboat we had met in upstate New York in Kingston when we first started the Loop. We had anchored next to them during a big storm. We saw them again at Waterford as we started the canal system, but they headed for the Erie Canal, while we went north through the Champlain. Small world.

(Editors note:) As I prepare to post this entry, Gerry is grilling the steaks mentioned above. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MOTHERS OUT THERE!!!

5/7 – Today we went into Beaufort. There was a special festival going on called The Taste of Beaufort. Many of the local restaurants were offering samples of their specialties. Tickets were $1 each and food and drinks were sold for 2-7 tickets. In addition to the food, there were bands, dancing, a 5K run and kids activities. We spent the better part of the afternoon wandering through the festival, first checking out all the food tents deciding what we wanted to eat. So many choices and they all looked great, but we finally decided on a couple of Thai dishes for starters. After that we strolled through town checking out several of the shops. Last spring when we passed through Beaufort it had been unbearably hot – quite a contrast to today’s pleasant temps. We eventually ended up back at the food fest, tried a couple more dishes, listened to the band and did some people watching until the event closed. Back at the boat we watched a nice sunset overlooking the marsh. Our anchorage in Factory Creek had been an enjoyable 3 days.

A pod of pelicans sunning themselves

We had to slow down for a freighter leaving Savannah

Shoreline along the way

We passed by Hilton Head

Yuck - anyone for a mud bath. We anchored about an hour
before low tide. As the current changed and swung us around, it
looked like we were close to being grounded, but no problem -
still had 3 feet under the keel. There is an 8-foot tidal swing
in this creek.

Sunsets over the marsh are beautiful

A group of early morning kayakers and paddleboarder

A shot taken from the Lady's Island Marina

Enticer, a neat old boat

Another shot

A Taste of Beaufort as seen from the dinghy

Sign for the festival

Taking advantage of the day - doesn't get any better than this

The food tents

Gerry trying to make friends

People watching -- or should I say kid and dog watching

The band was good - Heywire -- Gerry bought a CD

Thing One

Thing Two -- not to be confused with Dr. Seuss
Interesting "art" work?

Another sunset over the marsh grass

Free Dockage and Krispy Kremes

2011-05-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

5/3-5/4 - We’ve stayed at Thunderbolt Marina the last 2 times we passed through the area and had planned to do so again, but what cinched the deal was the fact we had free dockage. Yup, at the MTOA Rendezvous we’d won a free night’s dockage at Thunderbolt. This is a huge marine center that specializes in big boats – well, make that huge boats. They have a big marine facility and yard that works on mega yachts. However, they also have a marina and there are lots of smaller boats (like ours) that dock for a night or two. It’s fairly easy to get to Savannah from here, but we’d done that this past fall, so we were content with just passing the time in Thunderbolt. They have a terrific restaurant and bar – Tubby’s, and we spent the better part of one afternoon and early evening just sitting on the porch in rocking chairs people watching …. well, along with a few drinks and then dinner.

We also managed to get a few chores done while we were here. Gerry installed a new shower sump pump and rebuilt the holding tank vent filter. Linda did the usual stuff like laundry and boat cleaning. We also arranged with the marina to have one of our air conditioning units serviced. On a couple of the recent “warm” days we’d tried running the unit and kept getting “error” messages. He was able to fix it with a minimum of trouble and, even better, a minimum of cost.

After a couple of days, we were ready to move on so we released the lines and said good-bye to Georgia.

Monk's Vineyard at the dock at Thunderbolt Marina

The view from marina

Grounds at the marina

View of the ICW while walking into town

Tree-lined street

We ate at Tubby's

They have tubs at Tubby's

Another tub

They have a huge front porch where one can rock while
eating and drinking -- Gerry was certainly happy

When we woke up this morning it was chilly -- 55 degrees
coldest we've had since last December

An added bonus -- newspaper and Krispy Kremes,
courtesy of the marina

Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me

2011-05-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

5/1 – Our travel today was dictated by the tides. We figured it was pretty risky passing through the Jekyll Creek/Jekyll Island area at low tide, so we had a fairly short run stopping at Umbrella Creek just before the Jekyll Harbor Marina. At this point we were at dead low tide. We were the only boat in the anchorage.

5/2 – We departed early Monday about 7:30. It was not yet high tide, but it was a rising tide and we figured we’d have enough water to get through Jekyll without any problems. We then reached the next shallow area, Little Mud River, on a falling tide but still with enough depth to get through that area. All in all, it was a pretty big run for us to the Big Tom’s Creek anchorage, almost 10 hours. To complicate the issue, we had millions of flies – (not sure the proper name but we think greenhead flies, black flies or horse flies – probably the whole damn family). We’ve heard horror stories about traveling though this area being inundated with the little buggers, however our past two trips had been mostly fly-free. Not so this time! Gerry had sore muscles from swatting at them and Linda was sure she had lots of “fly parts” in her hair – pretty creepy. By the time we got to our anchorage at Big Tom’s they had disappeared, so we were able to open the doors and let the breeze blow through. Tonight, there was one other boat in the anchorage.

5/3 – Our departure this morning was timed so we’d arrive at Hell Gate, another possible shallow water area, at high tide. We had no problem whatsoever and arrived at Thunderbolt Marina, our stop for the next two nights, just before 1:00.

Leaving Fernandina, we saw the local shrimp boats
getting ready for the "parade"

Another boat getting decorated -- gator theme

As we cruised by Kings Bay, we saw a submarine in port

... along with its tenders

We did not stop at Cumberland Island this time.
However, as we passed by, we saw the wild
horses on the shore.

Early morning as we passed by Jekyll Island

The Millionaire's Club at Jekyll Island

A shot of the marsh grass with a bridge in the background

Danger -- shallow water

Pelicans doing some fishing -- ready to dive for the "kill"

Swat Man

.. and the "swatees"

We passed this unfortunate boat that was aground.
We stopped to see if we could assist, but they
had already called TowBoatUS. Seems
a cruiser had waked them and in so doing, had
pushed them out of the channel and grounded them.

The anchorage was nice after a long day
and we witnessed a very interesting sunset.

Fernandina Beach – Pirates, Shrimp and Art – What a Combo

2011-05-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

We left St. Mary’s and headed back to Fernandina Beach a little before 11:00. We anchored in the same spot we were at a few days ago (anyway Gerry tried to get us in the exact same spot, but we might have been off a few feet). In the late afternoon we hopped in the dinghy and headed into the Shrimp Festival. The festival started in 1964 with the blessing of the “shrimp” fleet. Since then it has grown into a huge event that includes, among other things, an art show of over 300 juried artists, over 24 food tents (most selling some locally-caught shrimp dish), a pirate parade and pirate attacks, fireworks, musical entertainment and the blessing of the fleet. When we first arrived, not a whole lot was going on. The food tents officially opened at 6:00 Friday night, with the artist tents opening Saturday morning. We walked through the festival area, finally deciding to eat at the Espana, a Spanish/Portuguese restaurant. We had checked it out earlier and Gerry was excited about the fact they had one paella dish that was meat only (no shellfish) so he could eat it. The dinner we had there was outstanding – one of the best we’ve had in the past 2 years of cruising. We met 2 couples that have been vendors at the art show the past several years and they eat there every time they are at the festival (all 3 nights).

The next day Michael and Jana drove up from Palm Coast and we spent the day together checking out all the booths (both art and food). It was great seeing them again. By late afternoon we split company, them to drive back to Palm Coast, and us to meander back through the festival and then to the boat. Gerry ended up buying a pirate hat before boarding the dinghy as you just never know when you might need one!

Early Sunday morning we went back to a couple of booths that had some stained glass and shell work we really liked. We ended up buying a couple of pieces for the house. Linda carefully stored them in places on the boat where she hopes they won't get broken. After that we raised anchor and headed north out of Florida.

This was a shot of the festival
just as it opened

...and this was a shot later in the night --
much more crowded

The pirate theme was definitely prevalent at the festival

Lots of pirates out and about

She posed for me -- now that's one "red hot mama"

This is us at the restaurant Espana - very very good food
and excellent service

Monk's Vineyard at sunset

There was a fireworks display later in the evening

Great people watching at the festival -- including this little
guy with a very big drink

Michael enjoying some of the food. They had a great idea
for stand up tables. Boards on top of garbage cans with a
slot to deposit the garbage after you finished.

We had some very good "pirates punch"

Michael and Jana in deep discussion -- probably
ranking the "world famous" punch with some of
those we'd had in the Bahamas.

Gerry, the pirate

Cruisin’ the Border – Fernandina, FL and St. Mary’s, GA

2011-04-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

4/22 – 4/24 – We released the mooring ball and were on our way from St. Augustine before 9:00 this morning. With the low tide, we fit comfortably under the bridge so didn’t have to wait for an opening. We had an easy trip with very pleasant weather and decided to stop at an anchorage in the Amelia River about an hour from Fernandina. We were the only boat in the anchorage.

The next morning we headed out around 11:00 for a short run to Fernandina Beach. We have never stopped here by boat so this was a new experience for us. Our only other visit was by car and then we only stayed a couple of hours. We were unable to get a mooring ball (we learned the secret later – you have to call as soon as the marina opens in the morning and get your name on the list) as we hadn’t called until our arrival. However, there was plenty of room to anchor and the holding was good. After settling in, we dinghied into the marina and paid our money (for 2 days) to land our dinghy. It’s $2/day. We explored the town, had a late lunch and browsed through the shops. This is a very vibrant town – all the store fronts along the main street and several of the side streets are occupied – nothing vacant as we have seen in many towns we have visited.

On our way back to the boat we noticed Dawn Treader in the mooring field. We stopped by and visited with them a while and made plans to meet up with them in town on Sunday for Easter dinner.

The Bridge of Lions just before sunrise, with its lights
reflecting in the water

There was a nice sunrise as viewed from the mooring field

Underway, we were "waked" by several Customs and Border
Control boats. Seems they were doing some kind of training.

There was lots of traffic at the St. John's River entrance,
including this megayacht

We had a nice sunrise at our Amelia River anchorage

The marina at Fernandina Beach

Lots of interesting buildings in Fernandina, including this church

The main streets are all lined with trees

The Historic Court House

Lots of baskets placed along the sidewalks

... or positioned next to the streets

This town is all about the shrimp

... so you find them everywhere throughout the town

Easter dinner at Gennaro's Ristorante Italiano.
At the back is Ron and Dawn of Dawn Treader
Middle is Ed and JoAnne of Dream Weaver
and, of course, us in front

4/25 – 4/28 – On Monday morning we raised anchor and headed for St. Mary’s. This is another place we have never stopped. It was a short trip from Fernandina, just over the border into Georgia. We had called Lang Marina on the phone and they told us there were plenty of slips. However, when we got there, it took us awhile to reach the dockmaster, Nat, for a slip assignment. To say this place is “laid-back” would be an understatement. The marina is divided into 2 parts (east and west) and he assigned us a slip in the west portion. They don’t have dockhands, so you have to dock without assistance. It was quite breezy, but the wind was blowing in the right direction so we were able to dock and tie up without any trouble. We made arrangements to stay for 2 nights, but later extended to 4 nights. The weather was a little unsettled, with tornado warnings throughout the south. Although Georgia did not suffer like many of the other southern states, we decided to stay put until the weather improved.

We rented a car and drove into Jacksonville. Gerry’s computer had died (would not turn on at all), so off to Best Buy we went. He now has a new computer. We also visited St. Simon’s Island and Brunswick while we had the car. A lot of charm and history in this part of the county.

We really enjoyed our stay, but with the weather forecast calling for fair weather we’ll head out on Friday – but not far – we’re going back to Fernandina for the annual Shrimp Festival for a couple of days.

A calm morning at the Fernandina anchorage just before raising anchor

Lang's Marina, St. Mary's. It was a loooooong dock.

There was a very nice park next to the marina that included fountains,
gazebos and swings along the waterfront

Gerry checking out the scenery from the waterfront park

A very quiet morning resulted in
several interesting shots -- this is Ms Ruby,
a boat we met on the Illinois River

A small cruise ship at the dock

Marsh grass and sailboats

Park fountain in the early morning sunlight

Lots of historic buildings in
St. Mary's - Goodbread Inn

Spencer House

Randolph Riggins House

St. Simons Island

It was a windy day -- note the flag flying straight out

St. Simon's Light

Another shot of the light

Lighthouse and museum building

Main Street in St. Simon's -- lots of shops and restaurants

Sunset overlooking the marshland at the Lang Marina

Gerry and his new computer - oh look, he's logged on to
an interesting website !!

Going Solo

2011-04-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

4/18-4/21 - On Monday we headed for Palm Coast. We stayed at a friend’s dock for a couple of days and Michael and Jana on Second Star parked their boat in front of the home they bought last fall. This was the end of the road for them. One night we all went out for pizza and the next night they grilled steaks and shared some exceptional wine with us while Linda used Jana’s washer and dryer to do laundry. We also did a little last minute provisioning. After that we said our goodbyes with the idea that we’d see them again this summer in Colorado.

The next morning we headed out solo (first time in over 4 months). We had a short run to St. Augustine where we picked up a mooring ball. We spent the afternoon wandering the town and had a late lunch/early dinner. We walked off dinner with a rousing game of miniature golf - we tied. On our way back through the mooring field we found we were next to 2 other boats we’d met in the Bahamas: Dawn and Ron on Dawn Treader and Laura and Graeme on Sweet Chariot. We chatted a bit and then returned to the boat for a relaxing evening.

The next day we decided to take the trolley car tour of St. Augustine. We’ve been here several times, but never taken the tour. It proved to be quite interesting and, with the very warm weather, a lot easier than walking around. In the evening Michael and Jana drove from Palm Coast and picked us up and we went out to dinner at O’Steen’s Restaurant. This is quite the institution in St. Augustine. It’s been around for years and is famous for its shrimp. It’s a rather small family-type restaurant that serves mostly seafood (however Gerry did have the hamburger steak with onions and said it was the best he’d had in quite awhile). Linda went with the shrimp dinner and proclaimed it excellent. Although fried, it was only lightly breaded and not the least bit greasy – very very yummy. Michael and Jana dropped us off at the marina and we said our good-byes (again).

Back at the boat we made plans for our northbound travels tomorrow.

As we left our anchorage in Daytona there was another Monk 36
in front of us going under the bridge. It was Prime Time. They are also
from Maryland. We saw them at the MTOA Rendezvous, but met
them first last fall at an anchorage in Calabash Creek.

We passed an unusual boat on the ICW.
It had a small dinghy hanging between its 2 hulls.

Second Star heading into their canal at Palm Coast

Monk's Vineyard at the Kipnis dock at Palm Coast.
Thanks Barb and Barry for your hospitality!

Gerry at the dinghy dock at St. Augustine marina with
Bridge of Lions in the background

Gerry trying for a hole in one

Sign at the old fort

Part of the Castillo de San Marcos

One of the oldest homes in the area

Many streets are lined with oak tree canopies

A small part of Flagler College, once the Ponce de Leon Hotel

Sign at the seafood restaurant - yummy food

On the Road Again

2011-04-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

4/15 – 4/17 - Even though we really enjoyed the MTOA Rendezvous, it was great to leave the marina and be on the road again. We are still traveling with Second Star and will, until we part company in a few days at Palm Coast where they now have a home. The weather today was cloudy and breezy and we even had a few squalls move through, but the rain didn’t amount to much. We initially were going to stop at Pine Island located just a few miles from Vero Beach, but we reached that anchorage pretty early in the day so we pressed on to Melbourne. By the time we got there we’d been traveling over 8 hours – a relatively long day for us. It was rather windy, but we were well protected and had a comfortable night.

Saturday morning we raised anchor and were on our way by 9:00. We made a side trip up the Canaveral Barge Canal where we bought diesel, got a pump out and had lunch at the Harbortown Marina. They have the cheapest diesel of any place in the vicinity. Even so, it was almost a dollar more today than it was in December when we passed through before. By the time we left the marina and got out of the canal the wind was gusting to 35 and the ride on the ICW was pretty choppy. We dropped anchor in Titusville where there were about 20-30 other boats. As was the case last night, we were pretty well protected and didn’t have much chop or wave action during the night.

On Sunday we experienced one of those days on the ICW where every boater was out and every one of them must have thought they were the only one out there. We were “waked” hard more times than we could count and hundreds of little boats were buzzing around like mosquitoes. Arugghhhhh …… boating in Florida on the weekend. By evening we were exhausted and happily pulled into our Daytona Beach anchorage for the night – southeast of the Memorial Bridge close to the shore in the “no wake” manatee zone. We’ve stayed here twice before and really gave it high marks. While it is right off the ICW, it is reasonably well protected and the “no wake” zone means that, at least, most of the boats slow down when they go through the area. One thing I might mention, is that we’ve seen hundreds of dolphins the past 3 days – as usual though, no good pictures. We even had some playing beside the boat tonight at the anchorage. The weather was cooler which meant we had great sleeping weather. We were happy.

Shortly after leaving the marina, we passed the Ft. Pierce Inlet

We saw lots of osprey on the channel markers

Passed a beautiful wooden sailing vessel

Going up the Canaveral Barge Canal we passed our friends,
Dick and Elle, on Summer Wind. They are officially
now on the "Great Loop"

A family with a child and two dogs were
waving, so we took a picture.

The shoreline along the canal is most interesting. Very
thick vegetation.

Another shot of the shoreline

Since it was the weekend, there were lots of boats out.
This one appeared to be a little overloaded.

That's the buildings at NASA you can see in the disance.

Birds are always hanging out at the bridges. Here's 3 pelicans

... and a few more

The new bridge at Titusville has been completed,
but parts of the old one are still there.

Sunset at Titusville anchorage

The next day (Sunday) we passed by several spoil islands
with Roseate Spoonbill nesting in the trees. Unfortunately, we
couldn't get close enough for a picture, but we could
see them through the binoculars. Beautiful bright pink birds.

Looking back as we entered the Haulover Canal

Lots of fishing boats out today. It was Sunday and the
weather was nice.

We passed by Rockhouse Creek which was loaded with
boats. We stopped here last fall on our way down and
there was only one other boat.

Second Star and a gazillion other boats in front of us.

Peace, quiet and a full moon rising in the anchorage at Daytona

MTOA Rendezvous - A Good Time Was Had By All

2011-04-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

We cruised to the Hutchinson Island Marriott Resort on Sunday to attend the MTOA Rendezvous. Once we arrived and settled in we rented a car and headed out to do some serious shopping. West Marine, ABC Liquor Store, Wal-Mart, Sams and Publix were all on our list. By the end of the day we were in a daze. We were on overload – way too many people, too many choices and too much traffic. We hadn't been in places like this for 4 months. We spent much of the next day looking at property. We are still considering the possibility of buying a condo in the area.

On Monday evening the Rendezvous officially started with a happy hour on the dock and then pretty much went non-stop for the next 3 days. There were seminars on all types of subjects dealing with the marine and boating environment and more happy hours, lunches, dinners and dancing. These things are always a lot of fun and we are getting to know more and more people. We have now been to 3 national rendezvous and several of the local Chesapeake Bay Cruiser events. It is really a first-rate organization.

Following Second Star up the ICW

Spotted a heron -- didn't see these in the Bahamas

More sea birds in the shallow water

All the MTOA boats at the marina

Linda went on a beach walk - a sponsored program
at the Rendezvous. The beach was nice, but more
crowded than those in the Bahamas.

We saw the nests of the Leatherback Sea Turtles.
It is currently their nesting season. These turtles
can grow to as much as 7 feet and over 2,000 lbs.

There was a T-shirt contest at the Rendezvous. The theme
was Sea Florida, See Florida. We didn't participate
as we had just returned back to the states and didn't
have time to design a T-shirt or get supplies.

More of the T-shirt entries. The couple with the
black t-shirts with the red fish won the contest

At the awards dinner we sat with a group from Tarpon Bay
Yacht Club. This is the place where we've been looking for a condo.
Going left to right there is Ed, Dolores, Bob and Gayle

Don and Bo

Bill and Barbara

The Crossing - Goodbye Bahamas

2011-04-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning at 7:00 we released the docklines and sadly said goodbye to the Bahamas. Our visit of just a few days short of 4 months had been everything we’d hoped for (and more). Along with buddy boats Second Star and Czech Mate we had an uneventful crossing taking exactly 9 hours. No fish, no waves, no problems. We entered the Lake Worth Inlet and docked at the Riviera Beach Municipal Marina. There is a Customs and Immigration Office right next door to the marina. Oh wait – that didn’t matter. They closed promptly at 4:00 and we were a few minutes late. We called the Florida Small Vessel Call Center (CVCC) and, after providing all the necessary clearance information, got our “special return number”. We were told we had 24 hours to report in person to Immigration. Since the office by the marina was not open on Saturday, our only choice was taking a taxi to the airport to clear in with them. When they tell you to go to the airport, they don’t really mean the main airport, but Customs does not tell you that. Fortunately, our cab driver knew where to take us (the private plane terminal across from the main airport). Once there, it only took as a few minutes, but we were out $80 for the taxi ride and $15 for temporarily docking at the marina. (NOTE: There is now a new system in place called the Small Vessel Reporting System (SVRS). Before departing, you visit the Dept. of Homeland Security and obtain a SVRS card to come back into the US after returning from the Bahamas. This eliminates the need to report in person. Only a phone call is needed. Unfortunately, this system was not in place when we left.)

After our long day we all decided we needed a treat. Before returning to the boats, we stopped by the Tiki Waterfront Sea Grill adjoining the marina and had a burger and a couple of cold ones to celebrate our return to the states. We were pleasantly surprised with the cost – much cheaper than the Bahamas. After that we made the short 5 mile run to our anchorage where we found other MTOA’ers, also on their way to the Rendezvous.

Over the next few days we’ll try to acclimate to life back in the states and later, after some reflecting, post our overall impressions and thoughts about our experiences in the Bahamas.

Michael and Jana on Second Star leaving the dock at Old Bahama Bay

Jack on Czech Mate (another Monk 36) followed us out

Goodbye Bahamas - we'll miss your beauty and unhurried, simple life style

We followed Second Star out the channel and into the ocean

We were treated to a beautiful sunrise, our last in the Bahamas
(for now)

We didn't see much during the crossing .. a few freighters ....

.... and another .... it kept the guys busy checking their AIS systems to
make sure we wouldn't collide

We saw lots of incredibly blue deep water

A shot looking back. Seas were less than 2 feet.

We stayed close to our buddy boats, Czech Mate on the left
and Second Star on the right

This photo is courtesy of Jana on Second Star. They had a huge
pod of over 20 dolphin playing at their bow.

Before we knew it, we saw tall buildings .....

Lots of people on the beach ....

and boats and bridges.

...and all too soon, our Bahamian adventure was over (but we have the memories)

Grand Bahama Island (Freeport/Lucaya) by Bus

2011-04-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

4/4-4/7 – The weather forecast continued to hold true: unsettled weather for a few days, but some pretty good crossing days coming up after Thursday. On Monday we decided to try out the Straw Bar for breakfast. It is a beautiful setting right on the beach. We both had coconut French toast which was absolutely delicious. The better part of the day was spent doing our taxes with Michael (he’s a retired CPA). Not exactly fun, but we are getting a refund. Later in the day we went back to the Straw Bar for happy hour and then ended up at the restaurant, Bonefish Folley's, where we treated Michael and Jana to dinner – a small price to pay for getting our taxes taken care of. Had the best Key Lime pie ever !!!!

On Tuesday we decided to take a walk into the settlement of West End. Not much there, plus it started to rain. Fortunately, the local bus/van came by and we were able to get a ride back to the boat. We also arranged with the driver to pick us up tomorrow for a trip into Freeport/Lucaya. We decided since we had some time, we might as well see the sights in the local area. The rest of the day was spent hunkered down inside the boat while the wind howled and the rain, lighting and thunder put on quite the show. By evening the front had moved out and we actually had clearing skies and lighter winds.

Wednesday we took the bus into Freeport/Lucaya. It is actually considered one town, with the Freeport area being the older and more commercial area having the largest port in the Caribbean. Lucaya is newer and better known for its shops, restaurants, beaches, hotels and casinos. We spent the better part of the day taking it all in and then called the bus/van to see if he could pick us up. He told us he’d be there in 20 minutes. When he arrived the vehicle was half full of school-aged children. Seems he contracts with several parents to get their children to and from school. He stopped by several other schools along the way picking up more passengers. To say the bus was loaded was an understatement (we even had them sitting on our laps), but this proved to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the whole day. The kids were adorable, well mannered (for the most part) and full of all kinds of questions. We made it back to the boat around 5:00 and later went to the restaurant for pizza. All in all, a nice day.

On Thursday we did boat chores readying the boat for the crossing and then in the evening went to a birthday celebration happy hour on Ken Bane. During the day another Monk, Czech Mate, had come into the marina so now there were three. For once, we outnumbered Krogens !!

There were many other boats that came into the marina today -- most of which will be crossing to the states tomorrow. We should have lots of company.

The beach view from the Straw Bar

Yummy, yummy breakfast -- coconut French toast

The pool at the resort - two levels

Michael, Jana and Gerry enjoying happy hour and the view
at the Straw Bar

The landside entrance to Old Bahama Bay

A pretty intense storm passed through the area. It's
around 1:00 p.m., but very dark.

Michael adding extra lines to keep Second Star secure

Arriving at the shopping area in Port Lucaya

Michael and Gerry strolling through the shopping area.
It seemed pretty empty, but we were later told by the bus
driver that, by chance, we happened to pick the one day
of the week when there were no cruise ships in town.
Otherwise, we would have shared the area with thousands of
tourists.

Browsing through the straw market. This was an area
with probably 40 or 50 shops that all seemed to be selling
exactly the same thing -- T-shirts, beads, bags, hats, etc.

One of the convenience stores in the area had Anne's House of
Nut's products for sale. This place is very close to our
home in Annapolis. I bought about 20 bags of the
Oriental Party Mix to have on board the boat before leaving.
I paid 69 cents a bag. Here they cost $4.35 each. Packaged products
such as cereal, chips, crackers and nuts are very expensive in the Bahamas.

This is one of the marinas in Port Lucaya. Very colorful
picnic tables on the dock.

One of Gerry's favorite stores

Finally, a good picture of Dolphins jumping
(oh wait, they're not real)

Bird of Paradise

More beautiful flowers

Ghost, a pirate ship used in Pirates of the Carribean

Another shot of the boat

Michael and Jana aboard the pirate ship

Gerry, a pirate at heart

The beach at Lucaya

The hotel had a nice pool that ran parallel to the beach

Our new friends on the bus

Looking forward at some of the kids on the bus

Our seat mates

Couldn't bake a cake, so made birthday salmon dip for happy birthday
happy hour for Keith on Ken Bane

Westward Ho

2011-04-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

4/1-4/3 – The forecast was for improving weather on Friday, but not until afternoon. Unfortunately, by afternoon, the tide was low and we were afraid we couldn’t make it out of Black Sound. The consensus was to wait until Saturday morning and leave around 7:00 a.m. We had a 58 mile run to Great Sale Cay that was on flat seas and totally uneventful except for the fact that Gerry caught 3 barracuda. We were safely anchored by 4:30. It was great being on the hook and with only about a half dozen other boats in a huge basin. We enjoyed a nice sunset and great steaks on the grill.

On Sunday morning at 8:00 we headed for our next destination, West End, Grand Bahama Island. The seas on the Little Bahama Bank were pretty flat, albeit quite shallow, especially as we neared West End. At times we only had about 6 inches under our keel. We arrived at dead low tide (in hindsight, perhaps a later departure would have been better). As we approached West End and the Atlantic Ocean around 3:30 we gave serious thought to continuing on and making the crossing to Lake Worth, Florida. The winds were out of the east and the seas quite flat. We tried to get NOAA weather, but it was pretty garbled. We had our weather forecast from Saturday morning for both West End and Lake Worth and they seemed doable, however we weren’t sure about the Gulf Stream. We made a call on the VHF for weather information from “any boat with knowledge of the wind/waves in the Gulf Stream” and immediately got two replies. One from a boat that had just made the crossing from Florida to West End and one from a boat that tried to make the crossing from West End to Florida, but turned back. The boat that had just crossed reported waves from 6-12 feet in the stream and said the trip was “hell”. They were an 80 foot boat. Enough said – we turned around and headed into Old Bahama Bay marina. The other boat that tried to make the crossing, but turned back was Ken Bane, another Monk 36, that we had met at Green Turtle Cay. Then said as they hit the Gulf Stream their rail was in the water – definitely not fun. After a short while in the stream, they decided to give up and head back. At his point they were close to half way across.

This is a very nice resort, but a bit pricey. It does help a little that we are RMHYC members as we get a 20% discount and do not have to hook up to water (we don’t need any as our tanks are full) and we get metered electric instead of the set daily rate. We will probably be here a few days, but it does appear we’ll have a good weather window towards the end of the week. Our plans are to be in Stuart, Florida at Hutchinson Island by Sunday for the upcoming MTOA Rendezvous.

It was a rainy morning. Looking through the raindrops
you can see Sharpie's Dream docked next to us.

On Saturday morning the weather was great and we
headed out from Green Turtle Cay

Not much to see on the way -- here we're passing by
Coopers Town on Great Abaco Island

We were with many sailboats at first, but they eventually
took another tack to head straight across to Florida

Gerry did some fishing

and caught not 1......

not 2 ....

but 3 barracuda.

Second Star in the anchorage at Great Sale Cay

We had a nice sunset

... and an equally nice sunrise the next morning

Second Star in the early morning light

We saw several boats coming east today. It was kind of
sad thinking these boats were just starting their Bahama adventure
while ours was drawing to a close.

Arriving at Old Bahama Bay

The boats at the dock -- two Monks on either end
and two Krogens in the middle.

Manjack, Crab and Fiddle: Exploring the Nearby Cays by Dinghy

2011-03-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

3/28- 3/31 – On Monday we dinghied across the harbor and went into town. Most businesses had been closed on Sunday, so even though we’d walked through town, we weren’t able to check out the shops or do any provisioning. After that, we spent the rest of the day on board, doing chores, checking weather, etc. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating with our plans for crossing back to the states. We’ve had great weather almost the whole time we’ve been in the Bahamas. Now that we’re ready to leave, it appears we’ve become victim of the “Marathon effect”. For those of you that followed our blog last year while we were on the Great Loop, you may remember we wanted to come to the Bahamas, but were not able to because of weather conditions. We spent one entire month in Marathon, FL checking the weather daily, hoping for a couple of crossing days, but it never happened. Now we are here in the Bahamas and it appears it may take us awhile to get back. We are going through a very unusual weather pattern now. The prevailing wind in the Bahamas is out of the east. However, for the past week or so, and predicted for the next week, we’ve got winds out of the south, west and north which continually keep clocking. We’ll have a day of light wind, then it builds to 20 or 30 for a couple of days, then back to light and then the cycle repeats. We need 3 days of acceptable wind strength and wind direction to get across. We have one day from here to Great Sale Cay, one day from Great Sale Cay to West End on Grand Bahama Island and one day from West End to Lake Worth in Florida. So far, we don’t see 3 good days in a row. We might try to go as far as West End and wait it out there, but there is only one marina and it is very expensive (not like the 50 cents/foot we have here). Well enough about that!!

While we were going through the “light wind” part of the cycle we decided to explore the surrounding cays by dinghy: Manjack, Crab and Fiddle. These cays are uninhabited with interesting shorelines that looked promising for fishing, lobstering and beachcombing. We went out on both Tuesday and Wednesday and had a great time, except for the 1+ hour dinghy ride back on Wednesday. The winds had built and we encountered 4 foot waves in the Sea of Abaco – not exactly fun in a dinghy. We had lots of water in the dinghy by the time we got back to the boat and not one dry spot on us anywhere. Nice hot showers were in order.

By Thursday the winds were in the 30+ range so we spent the day on the boat. We actually tried to tidy everything up preparing for a crossing (deflated the kayaks, fixed a problem with the anchor, stowed stuff we’d become comfortable leaving loose on the flybridge, etc.) Now we’ll just wait and see what the weather brings.

Heading out in the dinghy for some exploring.
This is the northern end of Green Turtle Cay

Arriving at Manjack Cay. Lots of rocks and reefs
as shown in the next 3 shots.

Driftwood along the shore with Gerry in the background
doing some beachcombing

This is a shot of Crab Cay. We found quite
a bit of seaglass on this beach

We also encountered a wild pig/sow

The sow seemed interested in our anchor. We think
she wanted a ride off the island

An interesting tree on the island

This is a local fisherman doing some "still fishing".
Seems as though you'd need good balance for this.

Now we're at Fiddle Cay. Here are Michael and
Jana collecting sea biscuits.
What are sea biscuits you ask ????

These are sea biscuits -- hundreds of them in the sand
on the shore and out several hundred feet

There were hammocks and picnic benches on Fiddle
Cay. Seems there is a festival here once a year.
I sacrificed my feet to take a picture. Didn't have
my Crocs on and got lots of burrs in my feet.
Gerry had to perform minor surgery back on the boat.

Looking out at the Sea of Abaco from Fiddle Cay

After returning from our dinghy explorations, we went into town.
We ordered pizza from Harvey's (had to order by 5:00 - we
ordered at 4:59), but it wasn't ready until 7:00. What to do
for 2 hours? Why, go to Sundowners for a couple of drinks.

Bill enjoying a cool one.

Cheers !! These are people we met at the bar.
One couple had been coming the past 40 years.

View from Sundowners just before dusk

Our next stop was Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar.
Here's Bill pointing at the sign

... and Gail, outside the door. Miss Emily's is home
of the World Famous Goombay Smash.

And here comes Gerry with 2 now. See below for the history and recipes.

http://www.artofdrink.com/archive/popular-cocktails/goombay-smash/

At the Blue Bee Bar, just like at many other Bahamian Bars,
there are dollar bills and T-shirts hanging everywhere.
We found his one interesting, as Linda attended a
Women for Sail course about 20 years ago
in Key West.

This is either the daughter (or granddaughter) of Miss Emily.
We had a fun time. We brought in our pizza from
Harvey's and ate it in her restaurant and drank Goombay Smashes.

The next day we were back at Manjack. Here
are Michael and Jana getting ready for some
spearfishing and lobstering. Michael did
get a lobster (sorry, didn't get a picture).

Shoreline on the other side of Manjack.

Another shot -- very interesting shoreline

The beach ended at the mangroves

It was very low tide. You can see the ripples
in the sand left by the receding water

Our camp on the beach - umbrella and sand mat

Gerry caught 3 or 4 of these little grunts -- but let
them all go. He also hooked a shark which took most of his line.

The laundry boat. Linda was doing laundry when the
power went out (probably because of the high wind).
Fortunately, it had finished washing, but we had
to use the "blowin' in the wind" method to dry them.
Shorts on the rail ....

... and shirts on the flybridge. Sometimes you just have
to improvise on a boat.