Steamboaat Creek Anchorage to Whiteside Creek Anchorage
Once again, it was wonderful weather for our journey. An easterly breeze was coming off the
Atlantic which allowed us to put out the genoa and motor sail part of the day. We gained an extra knot of speed which added to the powerful current propelled us along at a top speed of 7.8 knots.
The highlight of the day was passing through Charleston Harbor and passing closely by Fort Sumter. The harbor was full of boats of all types and sizes heading in every direction. The American River Cruise Line ship, Enterprise was again seen as she departed her berth and headed out to sea. One cruise ship was at dock and overshadowed the historic district. The cruise ship was taller than the tallest building of old Charleston. We diverted our course several times to give way to sailboats beating to windward. The harbor was full of boating activity.
Beaufort to Steamboat Creek Anchorage
We slipped off our mooring ball in time to make the 0900 opening of the Lady's Island Bridge. It is closed from 0700 to 0900 on weekdays for rush hour traffic. Six additional boats showed up for the opening. Foreign Affair was the first through followed by Enough and the rest of the flotilla. We were strung out in a long line winding our way down the ICW for several hours before the lead boats disappeared ahead of us.
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| Lady's Island Bridge - Beaufort |
Harbour Town Yachting Center/Sea Pines Resort - Hilton Head Island to Beaufort
We had an easy day since there were no obstacles and plenty of deep water between Harbour Town and Beaufort. Once again, the weather was perfect during our run to Beaufort. Janet was at the helm most of the day. We saw two Leatherback sea turtles as we crossed Port Royal Sound; however, we were too slow with the cameras to get any good pictures. The first one we saw was only 15 feet off the port side as we motored past. It took us a while to get cameras out and turn the boat for a closer look. By then, the turtle took his third deep breath and dove out of sight. The second turtle sighting took place about 20 minutes later. This turtle was farther away from the boat and disappeared as we turned to approach it. Still, it was interesting to see these creatures, as well as, the dolphins as we travel.
Herb River Anchorage to Harbour Town Yachting Center/Sea Pines Resort - Hilton Head Island
It was another beautiful day - sunny, mid-70s and slight breeze. We missed making the Causton Bluff bridge opening by 10 minutes and had to loiter for 50 minutes for the next opening. The delay might have worked in our favor because we barely had enough water to avoid grounding when we traveled through Fields Cut. The rest of the trip to Hilton Head went without any problems and we arrived shortly before noon. We entered the harbor, headed to the fuel dock to take on fuel and pump out our holding tank. We ended up in a great spot on a facing dock in the center of the marina.
Redbird Creek Anchorage to Herb River Anchorage
We arrived at Hell Gate at mid tide rising. We made it through without grounding; however, there was but a few inches of water between the river bed and our keel even with 4 feet of tide to help us through the low spots. We arrived at our anchorage in the Herb River at about 11:30. Shortly after, we launched the dinghy and went to Thunderbolt for lunch and resupply. We went to Tubby's Tank House for lunch. We all had the fried shrimp plate which was very good. After lunch, we walked to the Bi-Lo Supermarket to restock our refrigerator and food lockers. We were back on the boat five hours later. We decided supper was not necessary and opted for cheese, crackers and other snack food. Tomorrow we pass through Fields Cut and expect to arrive at the Harbour Town Yachting Center/Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island by noon.
South Altamaha River Anchorage to Redbird Creek Anchorage
We made it through the Little Mud River without difficulty. Fifty-five miles later we anchored in Redbird Creek to position ourselves for negotiating Hell Gate on a rising tide. It was a long passage but went by quickly as we took turns at the wheel and napping. The Cumberland River meanders through numerous islands and scenic marshes. There were not many boats on the waterway as this region is sparsely populated. We did pass an American Cruise Lines river cruise ship. A seven day river cruise is offered on these state of the art river liners for only $3,800 per person/double occupancy. Brian and Janet are getting a better cruise for much less money. They get to dine with the captain every evening and the passenger to crew ratio is 2:1.
St. Simon to South Altamaha River Anchorage
We did a short day of only 15 miles from St. Simon to the South Altamaha River to position ourselves to negotiate the Little Mud River at mid to high tide. Again, it was a beautiful sunny day with a slight breeze. We spent the day relaxing (all of us took naps). Carla and Janet cleaned and polished the stanchions and life-lines. Dwayne planned the route for the days ahead. We had Paul over for taco dinner. After dinner drinks were in the cockpit watching the sun go down. We went to bed early knowing we would have to weigh anchor shortly after sunrise to arrive at the Little Mud River with a rising tide.
Cumberland Island to St. Simon
We left our anchorage at the north end of Cumberland Island and had a smooth crossing over St. Andrew Sound. It was a much less exciting crossing than our passage heading south. In November, we encountered winds in the low twenties and big breakers on the shoals. This time, it was sunny and there was only a little chop on the water. Janet, who was on the helm and had no reason to cry out "Sweaty Palms!" as Carla did when she clutched the wheel during the trip south.
It was a short day of about 20 miles to St. Simon. We arrived early enough to refuel, take on water, pump out, and shower prior to bicycling into town for lunch. We ate at the Blue Water Cafe overlooking the public pier. Dwayne and Janet had the steamed shrimp. Brian went for fried clam strips and Carla had a bleu cheese burger. After lunch, we walked along the waterfront, strolled past the light house and ambled over to the Del Sur Bakery and Moo Cow Ice Cream Parlor for desert.
St. Marys to Cumberland Island
We left St. Marys and headed over to Cumberland Island's Sea Camp to anchor and explore the island. We saw wild horses grazing at the water's edge as we approached the island. We anchored just off the Sea Camp dock. So, it was a short dinghy trip to the landing. The park is only accessible by boat and the ferry from St. Marys' was coming in just as we launched the dinghy. Dwayne stayed with Foreign Affair to make sure the anchor did not drag. Carla, Janet and Brian went ashore. They visited the various points of interest within reasonable walking distance from the ranger station.
St. Augustine to St. Marys
We made a long run from St. Augustine, Florida to St. Marys, Georgia in beautiful weather. Brian and Janet quickly settled in and we enjoyed the scenery. Janet and Dwayne guided Foreign Affair down the waterway. Brian and Carla passed the time in a running commentary of the houses along the ICW and checking the internet to learn more about those which were listed for sale.
The urban development is disappearing as we move further north. We arrived at St. Marys well before dark but did not go ashore since there was a bit of a chop on the water and we didn't want to get wet dinghying to the dock. Instead, we stayed aboard, had sun-downers and a great meal of BBQ pulled pork, slaw and potato salad.
Paul and Enough are continuing to follow us north. He is good company and our boats are very compatible when it comes to speed and handling.
Brian and Janet Arrive
Brian and Janet flew into the Jacksonville airport and were picked up by Dwayne and Paul. The drive back to St. Augustine was a quick hour. Baggage was stowed and we went ashore for dinner at Harry's which features cuisine from New Orleans. We ate outdoors in a beautiful courtyard setting. A duet on guitar and mandolin played and sang a variety of songs from an interestingly odd repertoire - Jimmy Buffet, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Gordon Lightfoot, etc. Janet chided Dwayne for commenting on how bad the musicians were as we passed them taking a break in front of the restaurant. He didn't realize they were sitting on the curb and advised her they probably didn't hear him after so many years of playing loud music. They were definitely tone deaf.
St. Augustine
We had a very peaceful night on the mooring as the winds finally went to less than 5 mph. We skipped breakfast and launched the dinghy at 0730 so we could get to Carla's final appointment with the orthopedic doctor who did the surgery on her broken leg three months ago. The x-rays looked fine. No follow-up required.
To celebrate, we went to the Metro Diner for breakfast. This restaurant is highly rated and was featured in the TV show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The food is great and the prices are very reasonable. As a result, the place is always full at breakfast and lunch time.
Daytona to St. Augustine
We had a good run from Daytona to St. Augustine. We just made the last bridge opening at Daytona before the morning rush hour restrictions. The current had us cruising along at over 7 knots for several hours. We got through our one potential trouble spot at Fort Matanzas without any problem. We called BoatUS to get current information on how to negotiate this tricky piece of river and just followed their instructions. We were so close to the river bank at one point our chart plotter showed us on land. It was shallow but not dry land where we went. We were pretty well protected from the winds today until we got to St. Augustine where getting on the mooring ball was a bit challenging for Paul who was single handing his boat which kept blowing off the ball before he could rush to the bow to grab it. We missed the ball on our first approach when the bow blew off in a gust. Once on the mooring all was fine as there was no chop in the mooring field. We still had to deal with the current and wind when launching the dinghy. Dwayne went ashore for a shower and get the car which we left at Camachee Cove. We are all set for the next few days.
Cocoa to Daytona Beach
We spent an additional day and night in Cocoa riding out the heavy winds and rain. The Nor'easter continued to blow in the high teens and low twenties with gusts up to 30 miles per hour. Dark clouds and storm warnings convinced us to just ride it out since our anchor was holding well. We took a quick dinghy ride to get our income tax returns in the mail before the filing deadline. Cocoa looks like an interesting town which we plan to visit on our way south next fall.
We left Cocoa at 0815 on April 17. This was a little later than our planned 0730 departure. We took our time finishing our coffee and when we started to weigh anchor, the windlass quite working. As a result, Dwayne had to haul in 175 feet of chain and the 45 pound Rocna anchor by hand. It was a bit of a workout; however, Carla made the job easier by skillfully nudging the boat forward to create slack in the chain as Dwayne hauled it aboard.
Day One of Year Two - Vero Beach to Cocoa
We made the 48 mile run from Vero to Cocoa in about 8 hours. The weather was turning against us as we had scattered thunderstorms through out the afternoon. They were not too severe or long lasting; however, the forecast for the night was for heavy rains and high winds (20 - 25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots). We anchored south of the bridge just off Cocoa. The anchor quickly took hold and we laid out 175 feet of chain. The winds picked up as the night went on and the boat danced a bit but it wasn't enough to keep us from getting a decent night's sleep. Dwayne hooked up a back-up snubber line in case the primary snubber line chaffed through or broke under the heavy load it was handling. Foreign Affair got a good washdown in the overnight rains.
What is a snubber? http://www.bwsailing.com/bw/cruising-news/the-snubber/
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| Back-up Snubber |
Enough anchored with Foreign Affair. Hakuna Matada remained in the slip she took yesterday. She will remain in Cocoa until repairs can be made to her engine mounts. She sheared one of her engine mounting bolts during her approach to Cocoa. Fortunately, she was able to get into her slip at the marina. Repairs will begin on Monday and she won't be able to depart Cocoa until Tuesday at the soonest. Foreign Affair and Enough will continue on to St. Augustine. Hakuna Matada will eventually rejoin them there.
Fort Pierce to Vero Beach
We slept in and still arrived at our destination before noon. We covered all of 13 miles today. Foreign Affair and Enough headed into Vero Beach for resupply and maintenance. We refueled, pumped out our holding tanks, filled our water tanks, did our grocery shopping, showered and did our laundry. Hakuna Matata continued on to Cocoa to spend the evening with Tom and Christina of Tadhana who were also with us and served as co-leaders for the SAIL ICW Rally.
West Palm Beach to Fort Pierce
It was another wonderful day on the waterway. Again, the temperatures were in the mid-70s with sunshine and slight breeze. We left beautiful West Palm Beach in time to make the 0915 opening of the Flagler Bridge. The tide was with us most of the day and we cruised along at close to 7 knots which helped us hit the bridge openings in stride and allowed us to travel an extra 10 miles beyond our originally planned anchorage. We made it all the way to Fort Pierce and anchored just south of the bridges along with a half dozen other cruisers heading north.
Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach
We had a wonderful day on the water today. The temperatures were in the mid-70s, sunny and a slight breeze. We left the Las Olas Bridge anchorage in time to make the 0745 opening of the Las Olas Bridge heading south to the Lauderdale Marina for fuel and a pump-out. Enough and Hakuna Matata traveled with us. We passed through the Las Olas Bridge heading north at 0845. We made good progress as we were timing the bridge openings to allow us to continually move forward without delay. We passed through 17 bridges before deciding to anchor. We originally intended to anchor in the Lake Worth north anchorage; however, we arrived at the Flagler Bridge an hour and fifteen minutes before the next opening and decided to anchor just south of the bridge rather than wait to only proceed another three miles.
There was plenty of room in the anchorage as we are at the tail end of the cruisers heading north after wintering in Florida or the Bahamas. West Palm Beach has great docks for getting ashore. We didn't have time to take a shore excursion; however, we plan to spend more time here sometime in the future.
Fort Lauderdale April 8 - 11
We spent four nights in Fort Lauderdale at anchor just north of the Las Olas Bridge. We arrived on April 8 and rested after our run from Rodriguez Key. April 9 and 11, we moved cars from Marathon to Fort Lauderdale and on to St. Augustine. April 10 was a rest day. Dwayne did his income taxes. Carla had a "Carla day" and did whatever she wanted to include taking a nap. Frank and Carol toured Fort Lauderdale on the water taxi. Paul had a "Paul day" and stayed on Enough most of the day. We re-provisioned and had a great meal on Foreign Affair - green salads, pasta and meatballs in marinara sauce, rosemary laced bread, and wine. Shortly after dark, everyone was back on their own boat trying to get to bed early so we could weigh anchor and make and early start for our journey north.
Boot Key/Marathon to Rodriguez Key to Fort Lauderdale (Las Olas Bridge Anchorage)
We departed Boot Key on April 7 along with Paul on Enough and Frank and Carol on Hakuna Matata bound for Rodriguez Key. It was a beautiful day - sunny with temperatures in the mid-70s. Unfortunately, we had to motor nearly the entire day since the wind (what little there was of it) was in our face. We made good time and anchored well before dark. The anchorage was a bit rolly until shortly after mid-night by which time the winds had clocked around to the north and Rodriguez Key finally gave us good protection from the wind and waves.
Last Day in Key West
We took a mooring in Boot Key harbor for the nights of April 4 through 6. On April 6, Frank and Carol drove us to Boca Chica to get our car. We proceeded to Key West for one last day of sight-seeing and fun. Frank and Carol toured the Hemingway House and met us later for Happy Hour.
We went to the Audubon House which contained an extensive collection of Audubon prints featuring the birds he found and studied in Florida. The house itself belonged to Captain John Huling Geiger, a wealthy Key West wrecker captain/businessman and was restored to look much like it did in the period prior to the Civil War.
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| Found at the Green Parrot (Not an Audubon specimen) |
Boca Chica to Marathon
We remained in Boca Chica two days longer waiting for better weather which wasn't really much better. We made the run from Boca Chica to Boot Key on April 4 with dark clouds, intermittent rain, wind on the bow and up to 2 foot waves. Paul on Enough closely followed us and took a mooring near ours and settled in for a quiet night.
On April 5, Paul picked us up with his dinghy and we linked up with Frank and Carol on Hakuna Matata. They have their car and drove us all to the Stuffed Pig for breakfast. It is a favorite spot with the locals for breakfast and lunch. The restaurant consists of a couple of very small detached building and a an open tiki hut. The food was good and reasonably priced. The place doesn't look like much from the highway and I doubt many tourists stop because it looks more like a bait shop than a restaurant. I suppose that is why the locals like it (no tourists). Carla and Carol spent the rest of the day in Islamorada while they guys did boating things like adding a wind generator to Minuet and measure volts and amps on Hakuna Matata which has a new solar panel. Dinner was lettuce salad, roast chicken and potato salad from Publix washed down with wine and beer.
Blue Angels Bid Us Farewell
The marina staff must have told the Navy Foreign Affair would be leaving port tomorrow because we were provided with a fine air show. The local pilots were the warm-up for the Blue Angels which were the feature performers. We could watch the show from our cockpit as the marina served as a reference point for the pilots. For nearly an hour the Blue Angels screamed by as they performed their aerial acrobatics right above our heads. Getting a good picture was challenging because they were so close and flew by so fast. We did manage to get a few for the blog.
We spent much of the day preparing for our departure. Pump-out, fresh water, dinghy tie-down, laundry, provisions, showers, etc. Our time here went by too quickly but it was fun while it lasted. We'll be back one more time to move the car north sometime after we hit Miami.
Theater of the Sea
We drove to Islamorada to visit the Theater of the Sea which has trained dolphins, seals and parrots to entertain the visitors. Animals which inhabit the Keys are also on display such as alligators, crocodiles, iguanas, sea turtles, birds and various fish. There is also a small beach and glass bottomed boats which give you a view of the animals in the water below you. We had a fun time during our half day visit. Dwayne checked out the parrots, just in case we decided to turn pirate.
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