Finally in the Bahamas!

We spent exactly 4 weeks in Vero Beach which wasn't in the plan.  Oh wait, we don't really have a firm plan.  Maybe that is the problem!   We left the Fort Pierce inlet (2 hours south of Vero Beach) on Thursday at 4:30 pm.   We traveled all night, crossing the Gulf Stream (deep water- we saw 2400 feet depths on the chart) getting to the Bahama Banks (shallow blue water!) around daylight.  The crossing was a little rolly but uneventful (meaning nothing broke!).  Our first stop was an uninhabited Cay (pronounced Key), named Great Sale Cay.   We didn't go ashore but rested there for the night.   Technically you are supposed to clear customs within 24 hours of entering Bahamian waters so on Friday we lifted the anchor early in the morning and headed for Spanish Cay where we could clear customs.    We were concerned about checking in on New Year's Eve because we knew the Custom's official would be anxious to go home.  However, we arrived at 2:30 pm along with one other boat and there was no problem. 

Last year when we cleared customs we only received a permit to stay in the Bahamas for 30 days.   That meant we had to check into customs AGAIN at the end of the first 30 days and beg for more time.   Actually, they are happy to give you more time and the permits vary from 30 days to 6 months.   It is totally at the discretion of the immigration officer that checks you in.   The trouble with a 30 day permit is that you can not renew (e.g. ask for more time) until less than a week before the 30 days expires and you can't be late to renew.   No big deal except only a few islands have immigration offices so you need to make sure the wind and weather get you to the next island before your ticket is up!   A bit of a hassle so Joe had been practicing his groveling technique (well honed during the last 24 years of marriage) so we could get a nice long permit on the first try this time.   The practice must of worked because we received a permit for 120 days which is all we need!

We will probably move on tomorrow and find a good anchoring spot for a big front which is expected to blow in next week.   Weather is critical down here and where we go next will be totally dictated by it. 

There is a great Internet connection here in the marina but we won't be in marinas much while we are here.  The only way this lifestyle is affordable is to spend the vast majority of of time in the Bahamas on the anchor.  So I'm not sure how often I will have good Internet connections to update the blog.   There appears to have been some hurricane damage here on Spanish Cay (see dock picture below) and there are reports of damage on other islands so the connections may be variable.   However, since we get our mail via the Internet, we will eventually find a hotspot and file updates.

It's great to finally be in the land of the gorgeous blue water.   Can't help but smile when you see the color.   Arriving here we are reminded just how lucky we are to be doing this again. 

Happy New Years to all!

View as we leave the Fort Pierce Inlet

Welcome to the gorgeous blue waters of the Bahamas!

Sunrise at Great Sale Cay

Cialis chairs at Spanish Cay Resort

Hurricaine damage at Spanish Cay

Short Walk at the dock at Spanish Cay

Still in Vero

Apparently Vero Beach is really made of velcro because as of December 20, we are STILL here.   We were planning to leave with Tootsie, headed to the Abacos on December 16th.   Joe was doing some pre-departure engine checks on Thursday the 15th and long story short, discovered a crack in the thermostat housing which was leaking coolant.   Since we knew we would be motoring or motor-sailing across the Gulf Stream, it is very important to have a properly cooled engine.   Not to mention it is much more difficult to get boat parts in the Bahamas and there is a pesky 40% duty on many of the parts.  So, we had the part shipped overnight to Vero and Joe installed it the next day.   But in the meantime, the weather window we had been waiting for was gone.   We needed at least 24 hours of good weather to cross (and we really wanted at least 48 hours of clear weather) and the wind predictions after Saturday were between 20-30 and not from a favorable direction.   Tootsie didn't make the crossing either so we are both still in Vero and depending on weather may be here until Christmas.   There is still a slight chance for a crossing window on Friday/Saturday which would get us to Green Turtle Cay by Christmas.   That would mean re-stowing the solar Christmas lights and decorations for the crossing.  Actually, we have made lots of friends here and love the place but we don't usually stay in any one place this long (going on 3 weeks now!).   Short Walk likes to move when cruising.  Joe would tell you I get cranky after 2 weeks in one place.   Maybe I'll drag him to the Art Museum to get even for that remark.

Merry Christmas to you all!  

Short Walk and Tootsie moored together in Vero Beach

Sunset on the bridge behind our moored boats

View from underneath the bridge into Vero Beach

View from top of Bridge looking south on the ICW

Kites flying in park near the marina

Pelican under the bridge

Egret in park

Kingfisher in park

The tranformation is complete

For those of you who haven't seen us in a while, there have been a few changes.   One of us has decided to let his hair down (literally).   Last year, when we were on the boat for almost 9 months, Joe somehow neglected to get a haircut.   Eventually, I realized he wanted to have a ponytail by the time his daughter and family visited us in the Bahamas.   They visited in February and he was a bit shaggy by then but alas, no ponytail.  I dragged him to my hairdresser in Doylestown when we got home last summer for a "trim" however, once Joe sets a goal, not much gets in his way.   So just recently, he achieved the goal of becoming a pony-tailed cruiser!    I have to wonder what is next (an earring?   a tattoo?  a parrot?).  If the guys at work could see him now.   And for those of you who have been teasing him (calling him "hippie", "freak" etc.); thanks for the support but in reality it just egged him on!  Interesting because I get a VERY short haircut (called boat-hair) when we travel because it is more convenient and the shorter my hair gets, the longer Joe's gets.   Actually, I love the new look-very salty!   Who'd have thunk it?

What to do in Velcro Beach

Now that I've got the ranting about credit cards and weather out of my system (see post below "Stuck in Velcro Beach"), I can focus on having some fun.   Vero is actually a good town to be in if you have to sit and wait somewhere.   The moorings are inexpensive ($15/night), the marina is friendly and the town provides free bus service Monday-Saturday.  We arrived on a Thursday and that happens to be the night of the weekly happy hour for all cruisers in the mooring field.   So, we met some old and new friends and made plans for other get togethers.   Jill and Parker on Tootsie showed us the ropes of the bus system and we ran all over town to a great used book store, marine store etc...On Saturday, half a block from the beach, there is an incredible Farmer's Market that runs all year long.   I never thought about fresh local produce 12 months a year.   Heaven!   

Once we exhausted all culinary and retail opportunities, we were looking for something new.   So, we hiked up our double-knit pants above our waists, put on our white shoes and belts and took the bus to the shuffleboard courts!   Actually, boaters who had wintered here previously (Island Spirit and Cat's Paw) invited us to join them for a lunch of southern barbecue to be followed by several strenuous sets of shuffleboard.   The city built approximately a dozen pristine shuffleboard courts in a park in the middle of town.   The equipment is maintained by volunteers and the competition can be downright serious.   Oh it looks easy but it is not.   However, it is somehow quite satisfying to knock your spouses puck off the course or even better into the "minus ten" scoring block.   Nine of us played on various teams until we developed some semblance of skill (skill is perhaps not the best choice of words) and then we played the women against the men with spouse against spouse.   Who won is not important (OK-so the men actually won) but it turned out to be a hoot!   And the octogenarians who supervise the court and provide strategic advice were just as much fun as the game.   I know I have created a somewhat scary vision for you but don't knock it until you've tried it-great fun!

When we first arrived in Vero, I thought we would provision and leave right away.   I detected a little stalling attitude in Joe and was puzzled.   However, as the date for the Army-Navy game grew closer, I began to understand why.   We don't have a TV with us so we need to go ashore to watch the game that represents quite a rivalry in the Morton Family.   Joe's Dad, one brother and one niece were in the Army.   Joe, another brother and niece were in the Navy.   The e-mails have been flying for weeks and the cell phones will be buzzing during the game.   It is pouring rain as I write this but I have no doubt that before the 2:30 kickoff, we will be in the dinghy in our rain gear headed for a bar and a TV.   The things I do for this man.

GO NAVY!!!!!!!!!!    GO NAVY!!!!!!!!!!       GO NAVY!!!!!!!!!!  

Stuck in Velcro Beach

Well, the nickname for Vero Beach (Velcro Beach) is proving very accurate.   We arrived here December 1 with the plan to reconnect with friends, see the city, reprovision and then scoot to the Bahamas.   We've done the first 3 but the scooting to the Bahamas is proving elusive.   Just a couple obstacles to our escape:  we had credit card fraud and the Credit Union shut our card down when they detected the fraud.   We discovered the fraud when some automatic payments we send to the card were rejected and the vendors e-mailed us (don't ask me why the credit card company didn't e-mail us).   So we ordered a new card and then the fun started.   The credit card company would not issue a new card until we filled out a fraud report. Fine, I said, please e-mail it to me.   Oh no ma'am, we have to mail it to your home address.  Ok.....I explained that we have a mail service that will forward our mail to us but obviously there is a time delay.   Can't we get a new card in the meantime?   No can do!  So we wait and get the fraud report form and mail it back around Thanksgiving.   When we arrived in Vero, we checked our mail and there were 2 envelopes from the Credit Union.   The mail service scans the envelopes so you can see who sent you mail.   Then they will either open and scan the contents or forward the mail to you.  We have them mailed to us in Vero but neither contained a new credit card!    A phone call revealed that the new card was indeed sent to us at our home address but the Post Office will not forward envelopes with Credit Cards so it got sent back to the Credit Union (gee-didn't I already explain to them that our mail was being forwarded?).   So bottom line, we had to change our official address for our credit card accounts to the marina in Vero so they could send the card directly here.   In the meantime, it was looking like there would be a weather window to the Bahamas next week so we paid to have the card Fed Exed.   Ummmmm....still don't have it.....where is it?    Still working on the answer to that so stay tuned.  

However, checking the weather today, the window to the Bahamas next week has pretty much slammed shut.   This is the portion of the trip where you sail east from Florida, crossing the Gulf Stream and then onto the Bahamas Banks.   The Gulf Stream runs north between 3-4 knots of speed in an northerly direction so it tends to push the boat north too; even if you are crossing at a 90 degree angle.   Typically, you aim southeast before going east.   When there is a north wind blowing onto the Gulf Stream (therefore wind direction against the current), the waves get rough very quickly so we are looking for a southerly component to the wind.    We use a weather service on the single sideband radio and also check several sites on the internet.   One great program on the internet (www.passageweather.com) shows you wind and waves and animates the display for the next few days.   Here is a picture of the wind direction and speed for a typical day next week.  The tail of the flag (looks like an F) shows the direction of the wind and the color indicates velocity.   Twenty-five to thirty knot winds from the northeast would create a quite challenging and uncomfortable passage across the gulf stream so we will wait.  

The predictions for everyday do not look like this but the general pattern for next week shows building winds from the wrong direction. And as we all know, weather predictions are only predictions. We can't count on the wind arriving exactly when passageweather.com says it will. A little early, a little late....one might say it's all in the numbers. You can say that unless you are out in a forty foot boat in the Gulf Stream and then it becomes a little more real than numbers. So, we will wait until the weather pattern is a little less "colorful" and a little more southerly. We like to see southerly winds and small waves (under 5') that are predicted to last for 2-3 days before we attempt the approximate 24 hour crossing.  

In the meantime, there are lots of things to do to occupy ourselves in Vero.  When in Florida.......

An uneventful ocean passage

Front coming into St. Augustine

Bridge of Lyons in St Augustine

After the front blew through

Sunset while on the ocean St. Augustine to Ft. Pierce

Welcoming committee in Vero Beach

Pelicans at rest in Vero Beach

We waited a few extra days in St. Augustine for the wind to change direction and drop down a bit.   The St. Augustine inlet is not the best and we have very experienced sailor friends who almost broached in the inlet so we take it very seriously.   The day we arrived in St. Augustine on the ICW, we cruised past the inlet to the mooring field and noticed rolling and breaking waves in the inlet.   I looked at Joe and thought "no way pal".   Maybe I actually said that out loud with a few choice words sprinkled about.   The waves didn't die down until the front blew through on Monday.   We waited an extra day for the seas to calm and on Wed Nov 30 conditions looked relatively settled in the inlet and the ocean forecast was good for a transit to Ft. Pierce (approximately 24 hours).   However, the inlet can only be described as tricky in the best of conditions.   The charts don't include the markers for the inlet because the sand is constantly shifting and they move the markers to match the natural channel that the water carves out.   There were still small (3') rollers from the northwest but no breaking waves in the inlet.   The channel makes some abrupt turns and we got a little too close to the side of the channel in one spot and banged the bottom.   That will focus your attention rather quickly.   But Joe steered the boat out of trouble (whew!) and shortly we were out in the ocean with up to a 20 knot wind behind us.   We made it to Ft. Pierce without any issues 25 hours later.   On Joe's shift he juggled 3 cruising ships and a cargo carrier going into Cape Canaveral plus several fishing boats and another sailboat.   I was in blissful slumber down below.   We are now in Vero Beach which is actually 2 hours north of the Ft. Pierce inlet.   We missed Vero last year and knew Parker and Jill on Tootsie were here so we put it on the itinerary.   The city marina has moorings in a snug section of a creek right off the waterway.   It is very popular so they put multiple boats on each mooring.   Right now, we are rafted with Tootsie and another boat.   Kind of weird; we never rafted on a mooring before and it's kind of like talking over the back yard fence to your neighbors. Luckily, we have very good neighbors and it sure makes happy hour convenient.   Vero Beach is nicknamed "Velcro Beach" which the cruising guide indicates is because so many boaters come and never leave.   I'm thinking they named it after the boats stuck together on moorings.  There is a free bus system 6 days/week so it is a very easy town to get around in and we will take some time to reprovision, let our mail catch up with us and prep for a crossing to the Bahamas.   We would love to get to the Bahamas before Christmas but as usual it is all weather dependent.

The ICW is definitely not for sissies

Last year when we traveled south, we stayed inside on the ICW the entire way from the Norfolk, VA to just above Miami.   Joe had transited the ICW several times, helping friends move their boats but I had never seen the waterway and wanted to experience as much of it as I could.   At times it is drop-dead gorgeous and at times it is congested and tedious but in my opinion it was definitely worth doing the entire "inside" ICW route once.   This year we planned to hop outside to do several ocean passages.   On the inside ICW route you only travel during the day and at an average of 6 knots (yes, that really is analogous to 6 mph) making anywhere from 45-70 miles a day depending on current, ambition and of course the availability of good anchorages.   Sailing outside in the ocean allows us to bypass the more tedious sections and since there are no anchorages in the ocean, we sail for 24-48 hours, clicking the miles away.   However, if weather is important on the inside ICW passages, it is downright critical to making a safe off-shore passage.   And weather has not been in our favor for too much outside sailing yet this year.   We did get outside from Port Royal, SC to St. Marys GA and we had hoped to go outside from St. Marys to Ft. Pierce.   We get our weather data from several sources on the Internet and also from Chris Parker on the single-sideband radio.   All the data indicated the sea and wind conditions would not be comfortable outside so on Saturday after Thanksgiving we headed back down the inside ICW route towards St. Augustine, FL.   One of the reasons we were trying to avoid the ICW in Florida is the bridges.   The bridges get more numerous and closer together the nearer you get to Fort Lauderdale and Miami.   Many of them are low bridges that require waiting for an opening.   After leaving St. Marys we had only 5 bridges to deal with before St. Augustine.   However, the first bridge set the tone.   The Kingsley Creek Railroad Swing bridge has only 5 feet of clearance when closed (we need 56' of clearance for the mast). The cruising guide indicates the bridge is usually open but will close for trains hauling logs to the area's 2 paper mills.   The bridge gives no warning when is going to close (really-why the heck not???) and it does not have a VHF radio (seriously?).  Every other low bridge we encounter on the ICW has a bridge tender with a radio so we can talk to them.  A direct quote from the cruising guide:  "If you are in this area and hear train whistles, be aware that the bridge could close as you approach it".   So of course we hear train whistles as we approach, and we slow down looking for a train.   Nothing in site, waiting, floating, current pushing us so we go through the bridge and all is fine.   Whew.   Then comes the second bridge with about a 3 knot current against us.   No problem except it was Sunday and lots of boats transiting the bridge in both directions.   Finally, there is the Atlantic Blvd Bridge.   This bridge is 65' high so we can easily pass under it.   However, there is an island on the north side of the bridge that very effectively blocks your view of boats coming from the south to the north.   And they are working in the area so there is a HUGE barge tied off on the right side of the bridge.  And again the current is against us.   Another direct quote from the cruising guide "currents are very swift at the bridge itself, yet not noticeable when approaching from either side.  The flood tide flows in a southerly direction and at right angles to the bridge with a velocity of 3.5 knots.  The ebb tide flows at 10 degrees off the channel line at a velocity of 5.5 knots".   We were moving south on an ebb tide (of course) and that water really is rushing through the bridge towards us at a speed almost matching our average boat speed.   And to complicate things, we just get to the bridge and see a ketch coming towards us (with the current) at at least 8 knots.   We spun around and waited for her to go through and then muscled under the bridge only making 2.1 knots (SOG) against the current.   I glanced over and realized the bridge has rubber fenders (they are usually wood) and they have lots of scuff marks on them.   Gulp.   We made it through but those of you who think the ICW is a leisurely float down the east coast couldn't be more wrong.   Lots of navigational challenges to keep us on our toes everyday.   That must be why it is so beautiful or no one (not even the crazy sailors) would do this!

St. Marys Thanksgiving

Approximately 10 years ago, a small group of boats was stranded in St. Marys for Thanksgiving because of weather.   The owner of the local hotel/restaurant/bar asked them what they were planning for Thanksgiving dinner.   Since the plans were loose at best (there were boaters-who needs plans?) he volunteered to cook them a turkey and said they could bring side dishes into the hotel and eat there.   The story continues that they had such a good time that they came back the next year and then the next year....Last year there were over 100 boats and now the town sponsors an oyster roast on Wednesday and donates the turkeys for Thursday.   The parties actually start on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  There is a happy hour every night at the bar.  We buy our drinks but bring our own hors d'ouvres because the bar doesn't serve snacks.   Joe's never thrilled but this ends up being dinner Sunday-Wednesday (snacks are a food group-right?).   Ann and Lynn on SV Seatramp, check in all the boats, organize the side dishes so there aren't too many duplicates, provide rides to the grocery store, laundromat, liquor store and generally keep the boaters focused which has to be like herding chickens.   Actually they and the town do a great job and the shop and restaurant owners couldn't be more gracious.   This year there were only 80 boats (about 200 people) for Thanksgiving dinner.   I swear it is so well organized it runs more smoothly than our family celebrations at home.   We caught up with lots of friends from last year and made a few new friends.   There are only 2 things wrong with St. Marys that we have observed.   They have a never ending infestation of  sand gnats (they insist they are not sand fleas-whatever!) that swarm as soon as you arrive on land.   Bug spray is a must.   And second, just like most of Georgia and northern Florida, the anchorage has a strong current with about a 7-8'tide.   Usually it is fine but of course on Thanksgiving morning, the wind kicked up to 20-25 and when it was against the currents, many boats began to drag their anchors.   Now there are 80-90 boats in the anchorage and when about 1 dozen of them start moving randomly, it gets a little dicey.   Joe was in the dinghy trying to help 2 boats that became tangled on each others anchors when I noticed us starting to drag.   Luckily the anchor drug a short distance and then took hold.   However, that left us too close to another boat so we had to pull up and re-anchor.  All this while prepping stuffing to go in the oven (and you thought it was all fun and games out here right?).   All's well that ends well:  the wind diminished and a great dinner and time was had by all.   Thank you St. Marys for a great holiday!

The good, bad and ugly of Cumberland Island

Last year we discovered Cumberland Island (CI) and were really looking forward to spending even more time there this year.   We arrived from our offshore passage on Nov 13 and anchored at the northern most anchorage on the Brickhill River.   The first day was great, we stretched our legs on the walking paths and enjoyed the scenery.   CI is the largest barrier island off the coast of Georgia (17.5 miles long; 36,000 acres).  They trace settlements back to the Spanish in the 1500s but development didn't stick until one of Washington's Generals (Nathaniel Greene) built a 4 story tabby home named Dungeness here in 1783.   That house burnt down and in 1881, Thomas and Lucy Carnegie (brother and business partner of Andrew) built a mansion named Dungeness on the same site.   Subsequently, they built several other mansions for their 9 children.   At the height of occupancy, the Carnegies employed 300 people to run the houses, stables and farms on the island to support their clan.   The property was given to the National Park Service (NPS) in the 1970s.  Two mansions and many of the barracks for the Carnegie employees remain today.   One of the mansions is a $500/night B&B (somehow we never get to see that one).   The other mansion is a Georgian-style building and has been restored for tours.  There is a squash court and indoor swimming pool and every imaginable luxury available at the turn of the century.   They had huge generators and both AC and DC power, large refrigerators and supposedly, china service for 100.  And there never has been (nor will be) a bridge to the island so everything arrived by boat.   Truly a fascinating step back in time.   When the land was deeded to the NPS, there were a few restrictions, of course.   Primarily, it was to return the land to the wild and to let Lucy's horses have the run of the island.  Not sure how many there were at the time but now there are over 200 horses roaming free.   We have seen them in the marsh, the woodlands and even on the beach.   The beach is a sheller's delight and we walked over 3 miles checking it all out.  Perhaps the most magical part is the woodland trails.   There is a unique mix of live oak trees literally dripping with Spanish moss providing the elevated canopy and then shorter palm trees all along the trail.  Almost in the center of the island, the live oaks give way to huge pine trees with pine cones the size of footballs.   And you walk for hours with only seeing a few other people.   Besides the $$ B&B you can camp or anchor on a boat; no other comercial enterprises remain   A few private homes remain but as time goes on, their deeds expire.   My camera talents never seem to truly catch the beauty of the place but I haven't given up trying.  

And now for the ugly.   The first anchorage is up a narrow river and somewhat sheltered by the marsh.  However, the tide runs 7-9 feet here and the current runs very swiftly (approx 3 knots) to exchange that much water.  The first day, there wasn't too much wind and we swung with the tide relatively comfortably.   That was just the initiation.   As the wind picked up and a storm blew in, the wind and tide begin to compete for control of the boat.   I'm not sure which one every claimed victory but I know it wasn't us!   In gusts of wind, the boat would move (or to be accurate it would jerk) on the anchor chain.   When the wind subsided for a minute, the swift current would jerk the boat back in the direction of the ebbing or flooding current.   At some point, we began to hear the anchor chain  loudly dragging across the hull of the boat-not a pretty sound.   I still don't understand how but at one point the anchor chain was completely under us and the back of the boat was facing the anchor.   Never saw it do that before.  I described this phenomenon in an anchorage north of Charleston but it really became acute here as the winds picked up to a steady 20-25 with gusts easily to 35 knots for about 24 hours.   We hadn't gotten off the boat the day before because of rain and there was no way we were going for a dinghy ride in 35 knot gusts.   All in all we ended up sitting on the boat for most of 3 days while the tide and wind fought it out.   We literally rotated about 300 degrees on the anchor chain and jerked back in the other direction.   With the 35 knot winds, surface waves picked up in the anchorage making it a lumpy and noisy couple of nights.   There were 8-10 boats with us and nobody drug anchor nor budged off their boats!  Three shrimp boats came in and anchored to ride out the storm so you know it has to be bad when they aren't working.  Finally, the front blew through and we had 2 calm nights and lots of time to tour and walk the island again.   Never know what you are going to get out here.  When we pulled up the anchor today to move to St. Mary's, it was so dug in so far it took us twice as long as usual and we tripped the breaker on the windlass bringing it up.  There was a lot of blue paint on the anchor chain so we have to wonder what the bottom of the boat looks like.   But a little bottom paint (and some lost sleep) is still a small price to pay for the beauty of this island.

We left CI today (Sunday Nov 20) and are now anchored up the St. Mary's River where the boats are beginning to gather for Thanksgiving.   Last year we celebrated with 100 other boats here and had a great time.   The Happy Hours start tonight so we'll keep you posted.   Happy Thanksgiving!

The calm before the storm-literally

Ann in a Live Oak Tree

Horse in front of mansion

Plum Orchard Mansion open for tours

Flocks of woodstorks everywhere

The "road" or walking path since cars are very restricted

Horse helping himself in front of Carnegie employee barracks

Marsh view with sailboat on the ICW in the background

Shrimper off the beach

Oyster Catcher playing in the surf

Shelling is easy (and I did not pose these)

Live Oak Trees and palms line the walks

Warblers really do exist!

There is an inside joke between a few of my birding friends concerning warblers.   First, let me qualify my "birding" status.   I am a rank amateur that hangs around with some serious birders.   Don't get me wrong, I love the walks in the woods spotting birds but I do confess to loving the walks as much (or maybe a little more) than the serious endeavour of identifying the birds.   To me, it's all about being outside in a great place and seeing all the things that go on in the quiet of the woods or meadow or pond.  So....on these walks, my birder friends are always trying to point out warblers.   Warblers are generally small (4-5") birds and in the Sibley guide book to North America there are almost 40 varieties; all of which look very similar to me with brown/black and varying degrees of yellow feathers.   Obviously, the more you study or actually see these birds, the more you are able to distinguish the different subspecies.   But, since I never actually spotted one (and my friends were spotting many!), the differentiating bits were mute.   The inside joke is that another friend (Judie) never saw them either and we maintained that the whole species was fictitious!   Low and behold on our 24 hour ocean passage from Port Royal to St. Mary's, GA, two yellow-rumped warblers came along for the ride.   I had no idea what type of bird they were at the time but did get a picture of them both.  The first stopped in when we were between 10-15 miles off the coast.   He looked healthy, perched on the lifeline for a short time and then moved on.   The second visit didn't have such a happy ending.   The second warbler joined us sometime between 3:30-6:30 am when Joe was on watch.   When I took over at 6:30, Joe opened up the cockpit enclosure and the little bird hopped right in.  There was almost no wind but his feathers looked a bit ruffled and he was restless, wanting to get out as soon as he got in the cockpit and then he wanted back in again.   There was plenty of pooled dew on the deck and I saw him drink a time or two.   He also tried to peck at the red on our life jackets (hungry?).   When he left the cockpit several times, he would hop/fly back to the dinghy and jump down in there.   We thought that was a great place; out of the apparent wind from the movement of the boat but still out in the open so he could fly away when he wanted.   However, when we finally anchored, we found the warbler had died in the dinghy.   A brief burial at sea ceremony followed (after I pulled out the bird book and actually realized he was an elusive warbler!).   So Judie, take heart......Warblers really do exist (however there is one less of them around to spot).

First visitor

Second warbler-looks like a tear in his eye!

Hopped all around the cockpit and tried to eat the red strap to the right

Safe Overnight Journey to Cumberland Island, GA

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the weather has not been cooperating with our plans to shorten our ICW journey by traveling "outside" (meaning out in the ocean as opposed to following the many creeks, rivers, bays...of the ICW)).  However, the storms, wind and waves of the last few weeks finally calmed down and on Saturday November 12, we left Port Royal, SC (near Paris Island) and had an easy 24 hour passage to the St. Mary's GA inlet.   The good news is there were no waves to speak of (just a 2-3' roll with a large interval so no issues) and a full moon to light the night sky.   The bad news is there was also no wind so it was a motoring trip.   We have used the sails since we left (on the Chesapeake and the Alligator River) but not much.   This is pretty typical of ICW travel and we often comment that when this boat grows up, she wants to be a Kadey Krogen ( a BEAUTIFUL power yacht with a steadying sail). 

After coming in the St. Mary's inlet, we actually traveled north on the ICW for about 1 hour.   Joe will say this was all to indulge me.  We are currently at the northern anchorage of Cumberland Island (on the Brick Hill River).   This was one of our favorite stops from last year and we plan to spend 2-3 days at this northern anchorage and then move south about 5-6 miles to the lower anchorage on Cumberland Island (CI) for another 2-3 days.    There is no bridge to CI so all traffic arrives by boat or small plane.   The Carnegies originally owned much of the island  but now the majority of the land belongs to they National Park Service (only a few private homes and one B&B remain).   There is a campground and great walking trails.    On the ICW side where we are anchored, the island is  a mix of marsh and creeks.   There is a 7-9 foot tide in this area so it is fascinating to watch the landscape change with the tide (it makes anchoring fun too).   On the ocean side, the beach.......is fantastic.   There are more than 10 miles of wide open beach with nothing but shells, wild horses, birds and the occasional strolling camper, boater, or photographer.  This is one of those places in the US that just feels like another world unto itself.   No pictures yet.....you'll just have to wait but in this case the wait will be worth it.   This place is gorgeous.

Charleston-one of our favorite cities because....

For the second year, we spent a full week in Charleston.   It is a great restuarant city and in between indulging ourselves, we try to cram in as much walking history as our feet can handle.    The Charleston Maritime Center is a very convenient marina with a Harris Teeter 2-3 blocks away and the center of the historic section only 2-3 blocks further.   Literally which ever direction you walk, there is something to see or do.    Many boaters stop in Charleston so we caught up with some friends from last year (Cara Mia and Jesse Marie) and made some new friends as the week progressed.   The week was capped off by a visit from friends, Donna and Jimmy from Charlotte, who got kind of a rough initiation to boating life when the wind and current rocked the boat pretty hard the night they visited.   The rocking is the only disadvantage of this marina; the entrance to the marina is on the Cooper River and at times, the winds just funnel in kicking up a swell and some nice little whitecaps.   Other nights it is like a bath tub.   Oh well, we still found a way to have fun and to celebrate my birthday.  

I am fascinated by the architechture in Charleston and especially by the doors.   Many houses have side porches that are built to the length of the house.   They enclose the front of the porch at the street level and add a formal front door; often a very formidable door with great hardware. 

Just to add some contrast, the picture of the houseboat below is from the last anchorage we were in just north of the Ben Sawyer bridge going into Charleston.   We never saw anyone but the nets looked recently used.  

And of course, there were a few large ships to welcome us to Charleston.   The Navy docked a training ship near us and several large cargo, car carriers and large tankers passed the marina every day rocking the boats.   Our lines actually got chaffed and one snapped from all the rocking.   Yikes!

We had planned to leave the ICW and go into the ocean from Charleston to St. Mary's but with predictions of waves 16-26' we thought the prudent course might be to stay inside and go the slow way (again).   So after Charleston, we headed for Beaufort, SC., another great small town.   We only had about 1/2 day in town because the last big cold front predicted for a while blew through yesterday afternoon.   However, the good news is that giving the ocean waves and swells a day to settle down, this means we can finally go outside in the ocean, shake out the sails (if we remember how!) and fly down the coast to St. Mary's Georgia starting on Sat. Nov 12.   Next stop Cumberland Island, Georgia for shelling, hiking, touring.  

Happy Veterans day!

Check out the porches!

Love those doors and windows!

Rear entrance to the market

Facade in the middle of a parking lot

Ship

Houseboat north of Charleston

Happy Veterans Day!

Go Navy!

A great day on the Waccamaw

Goats on the ICW?   We saw a second herd of goats on the small islands before entering Myrtle Beach.   Never seen these before on the ICW.   There really isn't a lot of land to these barrier islands so I can't imagine how they survive.  The weather was predicted to turn cold and rainy so we spent two nights at a dock in Myrtle Beach waiting for rain that never came. The temperature did drop to 37 at night (the coldest night to date!) so we were grateful to be plugged in with heat.

Goats near Myrtle Beach

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  Swing bridge and ICW parade of boats

The section of the ICW after Myrtle Beach is one of our favorites. For us, the real beauty begins with the Waccamaw River and ends with Winyah Bay near Georgetown, SC. The Waccamaw River is wide and very undeveloped (the little house in the picture below is one of very few houses to be seen for miles).  

Life of the Waccamaw River

There are literally osprey or eagle nests everywhere you look along the Waccamaw River.   At one point, we could see 4 large nests without the aide of binoculars and we easily saw 3 dozen nests as we wound our way down the river.   For the first several miles, we didn't see any birds; just nests.   Then we started seeing Turkey and Black Vultures and finally Bald Eagles.   In one 3 hour stretch, we counted 29 Bald Eagles.   We also saw a very large brown eagle-like bird and are not sure what that was (young Golden Eagle?).

Turkey Vulture nest shopping

We anchored for the next two nights in "quiet" creeks off the rivers.   "Quiet" is in quotes because although the anchorages were undeveloped and marshy with lots of wildlife, the current through the creeks was at least 3 knots at the peak.   Considering that our typical speed of travel is 6-7 knots that makes for a very interesting night at anchor.   At times we also had 15 knots of wind against the current so Short Walk was a bit confused.   The boat actually gets pushed and pulled between the current and the wind.   At the change of tide, we could hear the 75' of anchor chain dragging across the bottom of the boat.   Trust me when I say this is not a pretty sound nor something you can sleep through!   However, the journey down one of the prettiest rivers on the ICW and the multitude of eagles sitings were worth the loss of sleep and anchor anxiety.