6/7/16           Thursday              Leland Oil Marine, McClellanville, SC


Charleston Harbor sucks! Again today (as last fall) the seas in the harbor were washing machine type. We left our lovely dock around 8:30  with wind but calm water. Then, wham! White caps and winds of 27 k. Kitty was wide-eyed, water jugs and cat food dishes went skidding. Luckily I'd put flower vase and coffee pot in the sink. Holy cow patty! All this chaos only lasted for 5 miles - 43.9 minutes in case anyone was counting. Then we turned into the ICW and calmness prevailed.

We approached the Ben Sawyer Memorial Swing Bridge, asking "permission to pass at your earliest convenience." "Just keep coming captain." I love it when the bridge tender calls me captain. "Yes ma'am."...........almost there, cars have stopped on the western side. "I'm sorry Grace. I have to delay the opening. The (traffic) gate won't close." uh oh. So we throttled back and started circling, were told that maintenance was coming to fix the gate. hmmm, see my eyes slide side to side, expecting this could take all day. So, move out of channel and set an anchor. On second try the anchor finally sets. "Alright Grace. You can proceed."  "Grace come on through." "Okay, Bridge, we're just hoisting the anchor." "Copy that"  So we went through the bridge around 10 am, nearly one hour later than planned. North, up the ICW...we're going north, the push is on - sung to North to Alaska tune.

All was well until we got to skinny, make that anorexic!!!  water. Now our boat, we discovered yesterday only draws 4'3". So, we're pretty relaxed at 12' of water, even 10'. We start paying closer attention, maybe even slow down when the depth reaches single digits. Current was really swift today, too, so I (at the helm) was being pretty cautious. At 6' both of us were paying rapt attention. Where is the "deepest" water? On the magenta line? to the east of the magenta line? the west? Is there anything even close to consistency??? Not that I noticed. The most shallow I saw was 5.3'.....  a good foot of water beneath our keel. What's the worry? The good news was that the turn into the creek of our dockage was only a mile away and the creek had been dredged. Made the turn and David said, "Good job, you can relax." "Not yet, I'm in 5' of water again. You can take over, please."

So, we're here at the dock. David changed the fuel filters so that and the oil and ATF change yesterday and we're good for another 200 hours of engine time.

my favorite mechanic where he spends most of his time

I walked to the shrimp store while he was finishing up. David gets a shower (not at the shrimp store). We took a short walk around a portion of this sweet, beautiful town. Mid-spring is upon us and it is luscious and beautiful.

Azaleas are full to passing

The cluster roses and wisteria are in full bloom. Gentle warm breeze (away from the water).

The cluster roses below are a pale yellow. Also blooming are some little lilies that I've not seen before.

Wisteria

I definitely have spring fever! Only want to watch things grow. Better get back on the water before I start weeding someone's yard.

4/6/16           Wednesday          Charleston, SC


The joy of returning to places we've been is that we remember who we met and some of what we did. Returning to Charleston - it was MUCH easier entering this time from the other direction and much more laid down seas, not the 4'-5' chop of last fall; we're in the same marina as last time where we met Brian, and Craig and Dana, and John and Darlene, we're still in touch and have traveled with all of them; Sybil and Michael drove down and spent the day w/us and we had lunch in that fabulous place something like 248 Queen St (not the exact #s but that idea); and we know where the food store is and the laundry and shower facilities. Sweet. And tonight we walked further into town and had a hamburger at Henry's which is purported to be the oldest continually serving restaurant in Charleston. I needed a hamburger and not to cook it myself. We started on the outdoor, 2nd floor deck around 6:30. Quiet, only people out there. I leaned back in my chair and there were leaves on the mulberry tree over my head and light blue sky as background. Those raucous black birds than hang out on rigging wires were calling and chattering. Just lovely after an adventurous and arduous day on the boat.

Before boat excitement I'll mention the brilliance of the stars last night in Steamboat Creek. no light pollution so they were twinkling and so very many of them. I never see this many in Maine and, of course, we see different stars this far south. It was too cold to stay outside and really enjoy them. I did sit outside a very short while around 4:30 this morning. The Milky Way was so distinct and the lower horizon was cluttered with unfamiliar combinations. Breathtaking.

Pancakes for breakfast. Mediocre coffee which is the fault of the coffee, not the cook, and on our way. We had a brief conversation about our short yelling match yesterday, resolved that we just had different opinions of what the most treacherous hazard was. David thinking running aground, I thinking wrapping the prop. And, he pointed out that our relationship was not one of taking orders and commanding. All true. We've survived another...something...difference of opinions.

Pretty relaxed day of motoring and then.....a Coast Guard boat came roaring toward us with its blue lights flashing. It was meeting us so we moved over to give it room. I waved as we do to most all boats. It turned around and followed us. Oops! Excitement. Slowed right down, stuck my head out the door and said "Good morning, gentlemen." One of the young, handsome gentlemen (there were four of them) asked when was the last time I'd been boarded by the Coast Guard. "I've never been boarded by the Coast Guard. Is this my lucky day?" Turns out it was. We were instructed to continue on our way but at a slow pace and the CG boat would come alongside and tow men would come aboard. "Welcome" and introductions including Amelia who was a little wide-eyed, having never seen Coast Guards before. The two men did a pretty thorough safety and documentation check - the bilge, documentation papers for vessel, photo IDs, life jackets, head containment, notices of overboard waste and oil/fuel discharge. Very pleasant fellows and we, very pleasant hosts. Everything in order. We would have received an A+ and Good Citizen awards if they gave them out. Instead we got a yellow copy of the form that said our boat was in good, safe, legal order. I wanted a gold star. The CG boat that had been following about 20' behind came up alongside again, the young men left and David and I did the Charleston we were so excited to have been boarded by the CG. Felt as if we'd come of age somehow. Had to call someone immediately to tell them, so David called Joe Field who had been a CG trainer sometime in his past. They chatted until we came to Elliot Cut which empties into Charleston Harbor.

WOW! We were boarded by the Coast Guard! Got to put this on Facebook. Not sure why it tickles both of us so much but it does. Giggle.

Got into the Charleston Maritime Center around 1:00 PM (1300 hrs) and had to stay on the fuel dock until the tide came in. We now know that our exact draft is 4'3". David changed the oil (after a couple of false starts and ordering a oil filter wrench) and the trannie fluid. I did the laundry including our cushion covers. Well done, both of us, but exhausting. I had to take a short nap. Then we moved Grace over to the dock we were supposed to be on not that water was high enough.

Talked with boating friend, Clint (and Lori), who had an encounter with a rock in the "Rock Pile", a tricky, narrow, carved out part of the ICW. Fun to chat w/him about his mis-adventure, recovery and appreciation of Lori being with him (she's not right now). They're enough ahead of us that we probably won't see them again, or maybe in the Chesapeake.

Then a walk to dinner, maybe 1/2 mile in each direction, lovely place, delicious hamburger and fries, walk back and did a bit of food shopping as we'll be away from such easy access for the next several days.

David's gone to bed. Kitty is curled beside me. And I'm on my way to bed. Oh but last night's dreams: I needed to mow Kathleen's yard but took my time tying these silly little princess shoes that show the cleavage in your toes and were Not appropriate for mowing lawns but then I expected Dale would take care of the mowing. Some conversation with my mom about yes, good idea to help Kathleen.
There was another dream part I remembered this morning but it is lost now.

4/5/16               Tuesday          boonies between Beaufort and Charleston, Steamboat Creek


Sleep in morning for me. I got up at 6:30 AM to pee and feed Amelia. Back to bed since we weren't planning to leave until after noon so as to avoid some, at least, of the negative effect of the tides. Work up at 9:00 Back to sleep. David woke me at 9:20, just to check on me, I think. Up and at 'em, I say.

It was a morning of thwarted projects for David. He'd planned to change the oil but after opening the engine compartment (a task that includes moving some furniture, rolling the rug, lifting the engine compartment doors, removing some enclosures around engine) and getting the oil and filters all laid out, he remembered he was supposed to change the oil when the engine is warm. Bummer. So he decided to replace the internal zincs. Got those tools and parts out only to discover the zincs had to be assembled. He DID get the water filter washed out which was a good thing. We'll check the zincs at another time. Oil change in Charleston.

I, on the other hand, made mac & cheese, 1/2 recipe, with Bisquick rather than flour. So, who knows (yet) how that will taste. It looks pretty. Dinner later tonight.

We chatted with Sharyl to catch her up with where we are and catch up w/her a bit...say hello. Keep trying to figure a way, multiple ways, to support her best interests as she meets the challenges of aging and compromised health. And, keep getting frustrated that our efforts aren't effective. At least they don't look effective from where we sit. These are not easy times. I can't imagine how/if I would cope with chronic pain. Still. How to support/assist. Stymied.

We made good time - traveled long and didn't stop until 7:30 (1930 hours) tonight. David did most of the helms work. He seems to want the helm more now than coming down. Not sure what that's about. The water was skinny (shallow) much of the time. It is tense, always alert, driving. I took over for awhile on a broader, deeper stretch. We got into a tiff when I was at the helm late in the day. Both tired. I didn't respond as he demanded I respond in what he obviously felt was an emergency situation that I didn't see the same way. His concern was that I was going to out run out of the channel into a marked 2' area (it was high tide going higher). I was concerned about hitting a crab pot and wrapping the prop (stopping us dead in the water as we've done before). Yelling match. No running aground. No wrapping the prop. We'll probably process, both think we were right, and move on.  We were successful in our efforts to cooperate and get ourselves anchored securely. The place is so isolated, at least from the water. A little creek/river and marsh, marsh, marsh. Only lights are a tower and a couple of navigational aid lights just over there above the marsh grass.

Charleston tomorrow!

4/4/16          Monday                   Beaufort, SC          


We left Turner's Creek/Wilmington Island/Thunderbolt/Savannah....and our new friends/magenta line angels, Bridget and Brad, and their friends, Annette and John....late in the morning. It was just hard to leave them. David and I had planned to visit and say goodbye at 7:30 AM but there were some delays, then Annette and John had appointments so we finally had our visits and said goodbye around 1000 hrs.

I cried leaving Bridget and Brad. Their hearts are so big and generous. This has happened to me twice in the last week. These obviously spiritual people who don't spew religion but are clearly confident in their faith in God through Jesus (through Jesus being the part that always makes me cautious) who I immediately love and am stressed to leave. I suspect they are deep friends from previous lifetimes. But what do I know. Except that I'm so grateful to meet (re-meet) them and know they are in the world, loving lots and passing it on. I hope to stay connected with Brad and Bridget but no matter, really. We've been connected....again....still. My throat tightens as I write.

Bridget and Brad Whipple

David and I talked a great deal about all the "hooks" (good hooks) that kept showing up on the dock there - the swim noodle we could use, the extra chain laying around, the 2x4 needed for a project. I wondered to David if he regretted not staying. No. Agreed.

I often consider how my life would have been different/be different if I'd chosen another choice/decision rather than the one I made. - continuing college at UNC-G rather than transferring to NCSA, for example. A very different life but probably lovely enough. How would our lives differ had we stayed at Turner's Creek, even another day/week? No way of knowing. I remember Bridget asking if we couldn't stay longer. No, some family and community responsibilities and we're on this particular sailing return journey now and want to follow through with it. Another time we'll stay longer or re-meet again or....not. The love and appreciation and generosity continues anyway.

Meanwhile, let's remember the wonder-full environment we stayed in for two nights...

All that rigging. We rafted up with "Wings"
who is being renovated for an around the world trip

Wings is tied to a derelict barge that is slated for destruction when Wings leaves, who knows when. It was quite an act of faith to get from the barge to the pier that was sometimes 4' above and 3' away from the barge. But we're flexible and with good strength and balance. Bridget and Brad each and both have some amazing work and travel stories. She is an Air Force baby and, I suppose, has traveled with her family lots. His dad worked for the State Dept so he, too, seems to have travel in his family history. He has captained a salmon fishing boat in Alaska. She crewing during the salmon runs. Cold, dangerous work. They ran a PI business in California. They both volunteer in human services arena thought not through state organized opportunities, more through religious organizations. For my memory I'll note Christian Boaters organization and Mercy Ship, to research later. She is interested in taking n immersion course in teaching English as 2nd language. I'm curious about this opportunity that will happen in PA in June. Anyway, interesting, lovely people.

stern of Wings. We never got below

The boatyard where they and another person and lots of cats are living is a story...which we only have pieces of - in the family for generations, very productive during good shrimping times, fire (s) destroyed it, rebuilt, fire (?), now owned by John and sisters. Maybe not enough interest or resources from whole family to rebuild again??? in the same way? for fishing?  Hard to know. A wonderful volunteer project but even volunteering takes financial resources for goods if not services.
Not ready to be diverted from our journey north...in spite of the wonder and delight of the people.

A giggle was one of Brad/Bridget's cats fetches! There are a bunch of wharf cats that another boater feeds and neuters. Yes!  Annette and John are the in situ owners, actually they are real owners and the ones who seem to have the most interest in renewing the marina.

John and Annette above

Goodbyes said, hugs given, photos taken, addresses exchanged, tears shed and we're off.

Past our neighbors astern where we did NOT pay to bring our dinghy ashore.

neighbors astern in Turner's Creek

Easy passage to Beaufort, SC where we re-fueled and took a shower. Up late. Finished my most recent John Grisham novel, The Chamber. Hard story of racism, murder, who did it (actually we always knew who did it), will the client/granddad be executed or can the lawyer/grandson prevail. Quite an indictment of the death penalty. Now for a lighter book. Maybe something about getting rid of clutter.

4/3/16          Sunday          Turner's Creek, Wilmington Island, GA


TOURIST DAY!   Well.Up and off the boat around 8:30. Our new friends (Brad, and Bridget and their friends, John and Annette) let us borrow a car, a convertible but we didn't convert it, tempted as we were, to take to town - Savannah. Then Brad lead us there and he and Bridget gave us lots of ideas of what to see. We drove ourselves into town to park (free on Sundays), searched for a good, strong cup of coffee and were thwarted twice before success, found where and when to get the public horse cart tour of the downtown, took a long walk down the waterfront and returned to the tour beginning via the high road. Savannah, the part we saw, is beautiful and it is spring here. The azales are past full bloom but the dogwoods are just beginning. Fountains bubble everywhere. Warm and breezy. Photos galore.

A central fountain

paddleboat on waterfront

No longer slaves (waterfront)

City Hall (above waterfront)

Scott our guide studied film making and
is a screen writer

Robin took us lots of beautiful places

beautiful buildings

Another

another

Another w/Bobin

Another

Cotton Exchance

decorating Cotton Exchange entrance

Other side of entrance- Pegasus (?)

Bored yet? We still wanted to see the inside of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist which is famous for some reason as well as being beautiful Maybe it is the third largest in the U.S.

twin spires

main alter

Mary Chapel

Organ and rose window

ceiling

Ceiling

Then David and I found the car, amazingly enough after all our walking and riding and shopping and walking. I really wanted to see "Wendy the Bird Statue" from the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil which I'd read ages ago. I knew it was located in the Bonadventure Cemetery. We went. We searched. Turns out it HAD been located there but moved downtown very close to where we'd been much of the day. So. Didn't get to see the statue but did see these beauties:

Dogwood w/moss dribbles 

Fully blooming dogwood loaded with Spanish moss

Time to find our way home. We bought shrimp as we'd promised to share dinner with our rafting-up friends, the same ones who let us borrow the car and told us some things to not miss in Savannah. Made our way home with not too many expletives from "Siri" our gps personification.  Prepared dinner which we ate alone as friends had forgot other obligations. Both Bridget and Brad came over around 8 PM and Brad finished some shrimp. Glad to have them both visit for a couple hours.

On board dinner w/flowers

A delightful day from beginning to end. Savannah is such a lovely town with so very many squares (not to e confused w/parks which are really the same). So much green space. There was a yoga class going on in one of the squares we walked by. There was a walking street, the mall, and a main merchant street about 3 blocks from the water front. Lots of places to eat and coffee bars, alcohol bars too. And, Savannah is one of three cities in the U.S. where you can drink on the street - not that that is a good thing.

Pooped and so happy at the end of this day. Beautiful city to visit. Wonderfully generous and interesting new friends The couple is not as young as first thought. They have grandchildren so, really, how young can they be. Given things we've learned about them and the kinds of work they've done I'm uping their ages to 40's.  More about them tomorrow.

4/2/16         Saturday             Turner's Creek near Savannah, GA



Well, that thunderstorm was short last night but it was pretty intense....having never been in a thunderstorm while anchored in a strange river in GA. Chalk it up to another adventure.  The storm wind was fierce so the boat leaned over quite a bit. Oh, I don't know. A 5 degree incline. Doesn't sound like much but I'm glad we put the vase of flowers and the coffee pot in the sink and the pee bucket locked in the head so it didn't slide around and spill. David Amelia and I sat on the settee in the Pilot House and watched the storm go by. Talked about how to "deal" with a tornado - life vests for us, halter for Amelia, all of us huddled under the table. I wonder, though, if we don't need some additional covering for Amelia. Ditch bag, of course, with ID, checks and credit cards, eperb. Thank goodness none of this has been necessary and hoping it never will.

All that rain and wind and stress made for a GREAT night's sleep after the danger had passed. I don't thin any of us moved except for a pee trip in the night until around 8 AM, quite late for us these weeks, pushing to get miles and waves under our keel.  So we lifted anchor and were off on yet another adventure before 0900 hours....back down Crescent River and out into the Sapelo river heading north. I had beginning symptoms of vertigo so took a drug my doctor had prescribed. And drank a LOT of water (stress, dehydration, tiredness are contributors to vertigo). Couldn't go too much at that point about tiredness and stress and I already had a great 8 hours of sleep. But the drug worked. No additional dizziness throughout the day.

The day of motoring and sailing was long. I think we covered 58 miles today, maybe a record for us. I ran us aground and I was exactly on the magenta line - that line on the electronic chart that is supposed to be in "good" water. NOT. "Gush", the sound running aground in sand/mud makes. Actually it is more of a feeling than a sound since you really can't hear over the engine running. So there we were, aground. David...Capt.David....took over the helm and backed us out of the shallows. There was lots of wind today. We flew the inner jib to steady ourselves a bit and get some lift when we were running against the tide or current. Traveled anywhere from 5-8 mph depending upon where we were with the tide. Not too stressful. Tedious. Tiring. Boring a lot of the time. David asked me at one point how I was. "Falling asleep", I said and I was at the helm. Time to change jobs.

Dolphins frolicked in front of us several times. The barn swallows seemed to be migrating. They were flitting all around crossing St. Catherine's Sound. Singles, duets and ensembles of 12 or more. And the marshes are really greening up. Hard to tell from the photo but some really tender yellow green color

Tonight we're in Turner's Creek just south of Thunderbolt. I'm not sure we're in a town though there is a food store and drug store just several hundred yards from where we're rafter next to a 42' sailing vessel. We'd planned to anchor in this creek and dingy in to a dock where we could get showers and tie up for tomorrow while we took a bus into Savannah. No moorings or slips were available in the vicinity. We came up along this boat under repair to ask the men on board who we might call for dockage. They said to raft with them while they gave us a number to call. We did. We made friends. We were invited to stay this night and tomorrow. And the young couple who are refurbishing the boat are going to give us a ride to Savannah tomorrow morning. They're hoping to leave for an around the world adventure by the end of this month. Oh my!

Long day. Savannah early tomorrow. Off to bed.

4/1/16             Friday             Crescent River, near Sapelo Island, FL

APRIL FOOLS! Yes, we are. And very lucky ones too. Easier travel day today, though we did run aground very briefly but pushed through with no problem.

We anchored early today, around 1400 hours (2 PM) so that we were as secure as possible and ready for thunderstorms predicted at 1530 hours (figure it out). Now at 1800 hours we are hearing our first thunder. Okay with us and, really, we wouldn't be disappointed if that one roll of thunder is all we have. The initial forecast was for storms all tonight and until tomorrow afternoon. Animated radar suggests that the major storm has passed quite a bit north of us. Hurrah! And we'll get smaller pop-up storm or two. Bet we're anchored, as close to trees as marsh land allows. So, we're not the only tallness in the area.

Both David and I have done some boat projects: he, securing the battery box on the starboard side, the port side one is still in his future; I, scraping varnish off the rails, mostly done but there is always that little spot that was/is hard to get from the on deck perspective and perch; and I cooked, brownies first, baked potatoes second, rice earlier in the day as we traveled along, and upcoming dinner will be veggies with the rice and some black eyed peas.

Now we're all kind of hunkering down for some rain and a very limited, we hope, storm. Long day planned tomorrow so that we can make Savannah Sunday morning.

Feeling protected and blessed.