11/30/15   Monday

Up early but sat around on the boat and enjoyed the quiet and the warming morning sun. A lovely anchorage, Bass Creek. Very plain, lacking variety but so lovely. The tide went out and we were level with the top of the sea grass. The tide came in and we were high enough to see into the sea grass and see other pools of water. I've been surprised at the height of the tides. I guess I was expecting the tides to diminish as we came south. I do think the FL tides are much slighter. Here they are 7'!

Bass Creek sunrise

The beauty was beautiful and peaceful. However, we were totally alone....and I've been reading a murder mystery....at night. For the first time, I locked the cabin doors when I went to bed. I felt foolish and I felt safer.

They might lock their doors, too.

Short day, mostly traveling with the tide...which made it shorter than traveling against the tide. We made the 1100 swing bridge at Ladies Island and were on a mooring at Beaufort City Marina before noon. I think David did a small project. I read my book (finished it tonight - murder mystery by an Israeli writer). A dingy buzzed up and we were delighted to see our friends from Charleston, John and Darlene. They were anchored here We chatted and decided to dine together tomorrow night on their boat. Darlene is definitely allergic to Amelia. She started coughing and coughing when she was on our boat on Friday. Didn't know she was allergic but got over her cough within an hour of leaving. 

A little later we notice that Sacajawea, our next slip neighbor in Beaufort NC, (owners Jon and Alice) was one mooring line away and they were getting into their dinghy. They came over to remind us that they owed us a beer. We agreed to meet in town and take the loaner car to the hardware and grocery store together. Did that. Then went to their boat for the beer they owed us from NC. Sat on their aft deck to talk, drink and watch the sun set. Another friend of theirs joined us. Then we excused ourselves to come home to dine.

What a social afternoon, with more in store tomorrow. No need to lock the doors tonight as we are surrounded by friendly boats and our boat friends.

11/29/15  Sunday

Amelia writes:

Well, my humans have finally settled into some sort of a routine. It's only taken them 2.5 months. They ARE slow learners...or slow to commit to something. I've had my routine from Day 3, latest...sleep, eat, sleep, stretch, ask for treats or food (if treats aren't available), sleep, demand a petting, walk on the deck early morning and late evening, roam around the cabin at night. I'm easy.

But my humans are incorrigible. Take today, for example. They were so excited to see dolphin and close to the boat. Nancy worried that she might run over them. Really!? Now dolphin are swell animals. We've seen them a lot in pods and as soloists. They act like fish in that they live in and apparently like water. They're big. They have a big fin and a big nose. But, you know. When you've seen one you've pretty much seen a dolphin. They aren't very different, one from the other, at least as far as I can tell. And, I think my humans are no more observant than I am.

And the birds - pelicans are a hit here on Grace and there have been a bunch of snowy white egrets. The female human, Nancy, told a story of seeing a flock of about 30 flying over our boat in Charleston harbor Saturday morning. And then there is the marsh, the sea grass, the low country with all the water and little islands and sunshine. And, again, the marsh, the sea grass, the low country with all the water and little islands and sunshine. Do you wonder why I sleep so much?

I've pretty much grown accustomed to the sound and the rattle of the boat. I'm still not excited to be in cities with all their unusual noises. Sometimes I look longingly at what appears to be the solid surface of a dock but really, what would that get me? A fish? And some panic-y humans. I have become more vocally demanding, and I've even taken things into my own paws and walked on the table or counter tops when the humans don't respond quickly enough. Early this morning I had to play w/female human's earring - the one in her right ear - to get her to get up to feed me.

Ah but they do pet me and let me sleep under the covers with them. And the food is varied enough that I don't get bored. And...we all do love each other. And they are taking me further than any of my predecessors have traveled before. Hey, for an elderly, trailer-trash cat I'm making out wicked good...wicked well.

Time for a nap.    Amelia

Nancy writes:

Gentle day of twisty, turn-y motoring. Warm. Bugs tonight. Almost to Beaufort, SC. Anchoring in Bass Creek tonight. A sweet thing - this afternoon our Charleston boat neighbor who helped us land on that awful Thanksgiving afternoon, Brian, hailed us, passed us then called back to alert us to some shallow water and a tricky turn, then stopped his boat to make sure we made that tricky passage successfully. Told us to call is we got in trouble, otherwise we'll see him in Beaufort.  I'm smiling. And grateful.

twists and turns

Not sure this will show up clearly enough but start in the upper right corner with the wide river and follow the magenta line to about center where there is a yellow/red marker, through the narrow vertical line into the skinny creek, then left to another narrow vertical line to the big curve w/yellow highlighter, through the skinny, skinny cut - Fenwick Cut- that dissects Fenwick Island into that big large intestine curve. That was typical of today's journey. Luckily, much of the water was deep - 16 - 20'.

joy in spite of the no-see-ums.

11/29/15  Saturday

A gentle and short day of motoring south on the ICW. Left Charleston with some trepidation, I had trepidation. David suggested it was based on Thursday's experience which was...troubling. I think it had most to do with the fact that I don't know too much about anything south of Charleston, even on land. We're in new territory again. Also, I'm thinking cell/internet contact could be more sketchy...the out of touch anxiety.

However, this day has been extraordinary in the MOST positive way.

Saluting the sun and this bridge

Fellow cruisers

Given our experience with falling tides, and our friends' experience, on Thanksgiving day we've decided to travel on rising to mid-falling tides, thus today we traveled only 2.5 hours, travelling through beautiful SC low country, and anchoring in the equally beautiful Church Creek.

Some stuff got done after we anchored...the laundry, for example, was hung out to dry, David fixed the anchor light and the AIS antenna, I made some screens for the aft cabin portholes...since we have BUGS in the warm South...mosquitos and no-see-ums...a little scraping the rails, etc.

Our laundry 

MY hunk!

Good day. Good night.

11/27/15  Friday HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sharyl Webster!!

Forgot to share these photos from yesterday's passage of houses with long, long piers across the marshlands to the deep water.

Pier runs between the white dot on right to the house on left

more visible pier

The houses are modest but the expense of the piers that are tremendously long has to be fierce.

We stayed in port today, recovering from the arduous 3 hours of hard mental work getting across Charleston harbor, up Wapoo Creek, down Wapoo Creek, back across Charleston harbor, deciding to not anchor, searching for an open marina (it was Thanksgiving holiday, after all), and finally getting ourselves into the slip at Charleston Maritime Marina. So today we chilled!

Morning spent cleaning for ourselves and our visitors, showering (!joy!), laundry (!joy again), and David negotiated a dockage deal since there were no services yesterday and we hadn't used any power or facilities other than the dock.

Sybil and Michael, our dear friends from Rock Hill, SC, arrived around 10:30.

Michael and David did a construction project _David had asked Michael to bring some power tools to make the project do-able) and Syb and I finished the laundry. Then off to downtown (82 Queen St?) for a wonderfully delicious lunch in an amazing place. We sat outside in one of the fine alleys under a giant magnolia tree. Brick walkways around same giant tree, some tables under umbrellas, ours under a sort of porch, really beautiful...and WARM! and GREAT company with our friends.

So many of these sweet places, some of them only driveways

They took us to the food store and helped us shop to re-provision for the next leg of our trip. Then back to Grace to unload and say goodbye. So wonderful that they made the 3 hr drive each way to visit. Non-stop catch up conversations about travel, work, retirement, elders, health, ambitions, where to live, where to travel, how to create and/or maintain community....regular stuff.

This evening David and I took another walk into/around town, had snacks for dinner, did some planning for the next couple of days. We've decided to travel tomorrow. And, decided to not press the river and, rather, plan shorter days based somewhat on the tides, especially in this next leg where the water is ... "skinny" and twisty, turny and shoaly...all complicated, slow going if we want to stay in the water rather than running aground. And now that we are further south and in warmer weather we aren't having to move so fast to out run the cold....we hope. So a more relaxed schedule, perhaps.

So, onward...slowly.

11/26/15   Thanksgiving Day and our 32+ Anniversary

The day was beautiful. After a lovely night's sleep we were up early and out by 7:30 anticipating a short 4.5 hour day to Charleston, SC. Said "see you in Charleston" to our friends and we were off on a high tide...or maybe it was rising but "good"water.

McClellanville sunrise leaving Jeremy Creek

We anticipated some "skinny" water - aka shallow and shoaly - as we'd read warnings in active Captain and hear stories abt this stretch of the ICW. Full moon high tide gave us 12-25' rather than the reported 6-10'. Again, I love this land-seascape with the layers of water/marsh grass/inlets and the layers of colors, blue/straw/green/yellow with sunlight glitters and sparkles. And the long view, the sameness with variations. Maybe the hidden or unexplored potential that I can perceive because I'm not able to investigate closely. Maybe this land-seascape is a metaphor for life/living for me... the layers, the sameness that is never the same, the occasional guides - the navigational aids/signs, the need to pay attention and the beauty of the journey, the unexplored potential that could reveal additional insights/information/knowledge. Something about being securely on the edge...however one can be securely on the edge....of discovery, danger? Whatever, I love it. It looks so plain. And it so isn't plain.

Then there were these surprising outcroppings of islands!

An obstacle of water snot (the brown line in foreground) sometimes in a mat and sometimes in a long line about 3' wide and 20' long, reeds or grass all about 8" long, more or less. My tape measure wasn't easily available. Adding another layer of color.

And then...island homes, deserted today but definitely NOT abandoned. Pretty much in the middle of nowhere in particular...just an expansive marsh in SC.

And then we ran aground, gently in the mud. David got us off. And then we ran aground again. Maybe we were pushed aground this time by the wind and cross-currents where a river/creek crossed the ICW canal. Hero David, again! His boat handling IS really good. Now we were REALLY alert and the tide was falling so "skinny" water for real.

Made it to Charleston Harbor - which btw is HUGH - where there was deeper water (!)...and strong current and winds up to 30 knots. YIKES. yikes. yikes!!!  We pounded and pounded. Amelia meowed and looked at us as if she was going to throw up (she didn't). We held things down, hoped the dinghy would stay with us and that we'd all "stay with the boat." (Stay with the boat is our good luck admonition when either of us goes out when underway, and what we tell Amelia when we leave her aboard by herself).

We looked at two anchorages that we'd considered on paper. One was by the coastguard station buy was pretty exposed and crowded with derelict boats. Another was up a creek and through a bridge (for which we waited to open both coming and going). Too exposed. So back to Charleston where we hailed several marinas and guess what? It's Thanksgiving in the US. Nobody was working. Nobody answered the phone or the radio call. So we roamed around and looked for possibilities.

We'd planned to stay tomorrow at the Charleston Maritime Center Marina and after circling were hailed by a man on its dock. He'd seen us circling and came out to tell us there was no one at home. He also told us he had 10' of water in that marina. Whoopee! Enough water for us so in we went. He helped us land and tie up and gave us a bit of the lowdown on the place. We're here for the night, snug and secure if a bit rocking and rolling in the slips. David and I called our friends from Oriental and last night at McCllelanville to see where they were. Sadly, they'd run aground at the same place we did but damaged their prop and were towed to Isle of Palms, just before the Charleston Harbor. They're down through the weekend and until they get towed again on Monday to a Charleston repair marina. This is their 2nd serious repair. We met them in Oriental because they were having some engine work done. Keeping them in our prayers and "safe journey" thoughts.

David and I had a beer, traded foot massages, appreciated each others' skills, patience, forgiveness when we weren't patient and went to bed for a nap. Up for brief dinner and giving of thanks. We'll rest here for a couple of days. Hoping for a visit from Sybil and Michael tomorrow. Now music is on "shuffle" so we get Christmas songs next to Spanish songs next to Blood, Sweat & Tears. Eclectic! Keeping some love for ourselves and love going out to all, especially those we know we love.

Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Anniversary.

11/25/15   Wednesday before Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Our friends from Oriental - Vicki and Ed - just left. So terrific that they found us as we were on our walking tour of McClellanville, a small shrimp fishing village where we are docking tonight. Apparently we passed them as they were leaving their marina this morning. We didn't see them and we travel faster than they by about 3 knots/hr. But here we are together on the face dock of Leland Marina. They brought wine and crab dip. We provided the space and the chips and napkins. What a deal. We'll get to Charleston ahead of them tomorrow and sus-out the anchorages and report back.

Out early - 7:00 AM - this morning for a long journey through the lowlands of SC coast. Such a beautiful journey today with only a few stresses about low water. I did miss a turn and had to back track for half an hour. Aside from that we were pretty much tourists in these beautiful wetland marshes that used to be rice paddies - think Uncle Ben's - slave labor for the most part.

First the wide and wild, seemingly, and flooded Waccamaw River that spilled into the Winyah Bay.

so wide and one side of river has trees w/leaves 

the other side has Spanish Moss and dying trees
River is really flooded

As we left the Waccamaw River for Winyah Bay and then "the ditch again, the scenery changed. At one point, and because it was really low tide, you could see the sea grass was abt 3'-4' tall.

later there was only tall grass in what was once rice paddies

We passed this "bridge" which is really for the ferry - cars? And the instruction sign for boaters that goes w/the ferry bridge.          

floating bridge is black

"stop if flashing"

We arrived at Leland Marina around 1400 hrs (2:00 PM) wanting to be on a mooring or at a dock since all the anchorages in the next 20 miles talk about swift or strong currents. We've had our anchor-dragging experience and don't want to chance that in the marshlands here.  Our overnight accommodations below. Excellent and very FRESH shrimp.

Being so early we took a long walk around town, found a place to buy shrimp, ran into the above mentioned friends on our walk, and talked with a retired couple who moved here from PA about 5 years ago.

there is a 100 year old live oak tree. I don't think this is it but beautiful

nearly hidden path turns right at the spiky palm

short history was "continued on other side"

canape of Live Oaks w/Spanish Moss

This is the 100 year old...TREE

So this village tugged at my heart strings, representing all my romantic notions of the beauty of "the South"...the narrow lanes, tree covered, the Spanish Moss dripping, the slow dipthonged speech, flatness, working waterfront with shrimp boats. This is NOT the South I know or grew up with but the one I saw in movies and books and others' fantasies and my own imagination. We spoke w/and waved to many people on our walk including a gentleman of color sitting in his back yard. We were aware of when we had left the white Historic District and entered the perhaps equally historic but not manicured and kept up, the poorer historic district of color and working poor. So here I am again with that romantic South love/desire and the reality of the horrible violence toward black people that made it possible for some very privileged whites. F*#%, this is hard to embrace/hold/figure out/enjoy/hate this privilege of inequality that I have. Meanwhile, the landscape and the people we meet are quite beautiful.

11/24/15  Tuesday

On my goodness! 37 degrees on a boat is cold. Saw my breath. Put on all the winter clothes I have including my long underwear. Warm enough.

So there's this section of the ICW, a little inside SC, called "the Rock Pile". People scare you with stories of mis-adventures through "the Rock Pile". Deep breath. Coffee. Cheese toast with raisins. Gird the loins. Ready. I was at the helm. A sailboat came out of a marina and I slowed down t let it in the canal. Followed along, through a bridge then that captain hailed us to "let us pass". And I was hoping he would be the leader through "the Rock Pile." But, no. I/we/Grace were going to lead. Deep breath and we're off. We entered just past half tide and falling. I didn't seem a good idea to enter on a falling tide. What if we ran aground? We'd have to wait several hours to be flushed off. However, no worries. Well, we worried a bit but with no bad consequences. The fact of low tide allowed us to see all those rocks that would have been submerged. We stayed in the middle of the channel, called ahead to alert other traffic that we "were constrained by draft" and were coming through (so please, please stay out of our way!). David was TERRIFIC in that, worried as he was, he didn't hover at my shoulder. I watched and steered very carefully, slowing when the water depth changed rapidly or lower than was comfortable. I (we) DID IT! I came through "the Rock Pile" without hitting a single rock!!! Then I took drugs...ibuprophen for tight shoulder muscles...and sat awhile.Only about 1 hour but exhausting.

Not dangerous when you can see them

After the sweat of "the Rock Pile" the passage was really quite easy. The canal is wide and relatively deep, 12'-23' and lots to see...opulent homes along the canal, our first Spanish Moss (w/golf greens in the background). The boat we were "leading" caught up w/us at bridges. Otherwise, we saw very few boats traveling today. We did hear a bridge call from Claire de Lune with whom we anchored 2 nights ago.

I think this belongs in CA but here it is

Spanish Moss w/golf course in background

I love how the graffiti is sandwiched between 2 layers of rocks and is then reflected in the water

David installed our AIS transmitter last night so now other boats can "see" us coming as we've been able to "see" other boats on our computer/gps screen. Funny. On our screen of our electronic chart we have our boat symbol that is moving along the ICW and we now have this AIS triangle tailing the boat symbol. The triangle will get closer and closer then....pounce!  and the two symbols travel along as one for a few seconds. Then the boat symbol takes the lead again. David tells me that the AIS "updates" less often so lags behind then pounces.

Tonight we're anchored at Enterprise Bow, a lovely turn out around a tiny island where the ICW is a river. We're close to Bucksport SC. and south of Myrtle Beach which is a BIG vacation beach. We planned to stop here then blew right past it, noting what a lovely place another boat had found to overnight. A couple of navigation markers later we realized our mistake and made a U-turn.
This what we expected the Dismal Swamp to be like.

We sat on the fore deck with Dark & Stormy drinks and enjoyed the quiet and the beauty. Amelia came out and sat with us then got cold so enjoyed the view from inside. Sun setting. Moon rising. All being reflected all around us.

Something large-ish swam across the water some distance away and disappeared in the undergrowth. Wasn't a bear or a dolphin...maybe a beaver? an alligator? too fat and short for a snake or manatee. Will, likely, never know.

Patience, but find the moon twice.

11/23/15  Monday

Who ordered the COLD temperatures??? 41 this morning and I was seeing my breathe. It was really hard to get out of the warm, comfortable bed. But we did it. We did lollygag a bit, had breakfast at Giggy's where we have taken advantage of the free dock. Turns out the "free" dock cost us $50+ because we had two meals there. Enough of spending money....except tonight we're on the face dock at Ocean Isle Marina because getting to the anchorage another hour away would have put us in near dark after dealing with shoaling. No a good idea to us fair weather sailors.

Another sailboat just took advantage of the free dock at Gibby's. We'll learn from them AND from the sailboat that just dropped its hook on the other side of the ICW from the Ocean Isle Marina. Duh!
Who knew that was an option? Perhaps it is more true now at the end of the travel season that it would be earlier in the fall. I don't know.

The day was pretty uneventful. We were really attentive at the charted shoaling areas but had no problems other than nerves and sweaty armpits. We traded off helmspersonship pretty easily today. When I was at the helm and we'd just come around a difficult, shoaly bend we encountered a PARADE of tugs and their barges. Honestly, there were at least 7 tugs pulling and pushing and another at the tail end of the parade was another smaller tug keeping the tail of the line from lashing one way or the other. I was reminded of a big dragon. So much machinery on these barges. I was also thanking my sailing angels for the timing. We didn't meet this parade at the shoaly bend. We did meet the parade in a straight away with 12-15 feet of water. Thank you uncles Daryl, Delford, Bud, Jim and all other unnamed sailing angels.

The landscape today was interested in some ways. Cape Fear River was wide and deep. There was Army territory on the starboard bank. There were sections both in the river and later in the canal that were really reminiscent of my memory of the Outer Banks. Such a beautiful place with sand beaches, marsh land, ocean and inlets. We loved the width and depth of the ICW from South Port on the "other" side of the Cape Fear. There were long, long docks reaching out into the ICW's deep water (15' is deep - how did that happen in our consciousness?). Some tremendously opulent houses or condos beside some reasonably sized one family homes. Some 3-4 story, pastel-colored houses next to some campgrounds of RVs.

I saw my first Confederate flag flying this afternoon. Sigh. Supporting every one's rights but it is such an oppressive symbol to me, personally. I love my southern roots and heritage. There are so many wonderful aspects and so many unresolved hurts.

So here we are closing in on Charleston at the Thanksgiving weekend and a full moon promised as well as a FREEZE warning "after 1:00 AM tomorrow."  We'll make some more concrete plans for tomorrow's travel. Gotta get into the warmth of further south.

11/22/15  Sunday

Such a lot of events today for such a short travel day.

Up early so that we avoided low, low tide at our anchorage. Coffee. Cheese toast w/raisins. Brownies. and out of the anchorage at 7:15 or so. It is so unfortunate that  the sailing day can't start simple. We crawled through the entrance to the anchorage, knowing that the sandbar extended. The most shallow was 8+ feet. No problem. But then we arrived at the Wrightsville Beach bridge and this was

barging through at us. Well, it wasn't quite that dramatic. The bridge tender told us a big barge was coming through and than we should pull over to the side out of the way. But David had to keep us in deep enough water, against a tide and current with this coming up the canal. And then there was the warning on Active Captain of the shoaling at a particular inlet. And then there was the Green marker way out in the shallows. Really. Couldn't we start without difficulties and ease into them as the day continued???  But then there was the spotting of 14 (!!) snowy white egrets along the coast all within 30 seconds. They were playing leapfrog - leapegret? - as they made their way along the water...feeding?? And Pelican beach

And then it rained. and rained. and got colder. but we were in Carolina Beach! so who cares?!? We pulled in at Gibby's Dock & Dine as a convenient place to meet Conni and Al later in the day.

At Gibby's Dock & Dine where we are holed up for the night.

And while I was innocently doing bills (!) and calculating receipts and discovering that we can never never again spend a week at a marina because that. is. expensive. And we tend to go out to eat rather than cooking in.....So while I was calculating expenses over the past 20 days, David was shopping Craig's list. Thus his new mode of transportation....matches his clothes (roll my eyes)

And now compacted for boat travel

Does he not look like that veritable cat who ate the canary? David has been lusting after a folding bike for months...more month than we've been sailing and has talked w/owners, ridden a couple, turned one down. Finally, his own which is, for now at least, stowed on the aft deck. So much for my yoga studio back there. Good thing I can get off the boat occasionally for a sun salute.

And then Conni and Al arrived and we dined at the dock then they visited our boat. Conni is my cousin and I claim Al as cousin, too. They brought us mail, having agreed to be a mail drop place on our trip, and some requested onions and toilet paper. What good friends to provide these basics for us. This time we remembered, at the last minute, to take a photo.

They left and we took a windy and chilly walk on Carolina Beach. I don't think I've been here since I was about 7 years old. Lots of beach time in NC but not here as it is quite south and not deserted even 40 years ago.

The beach was steep here. Not what I'm accustomed to at the Outer Banks and it was cold, windy...but so beautiful and compelling. Sigh.

Tonight's task is to stay warm! Expecting low 40s and only into high 50s tomorrow. Hoping to cross the Cape Fear River tomorrow.