Log 52
Wrightsville Beach to Alligator River, NC.
Note: I finally got to send this log on Memorial Day (Monday), so this turned out to be three days of logs.
5:30 AM
Saturday, May 27, 2000
Beaufort Docks Marina
Beaufort, NC.
Day 55
Well, we’re back on the boat again, after a couple of day delay. The trip to Richmond that Steve and I made was definitely a good one. We spent some good time with the customer, and our management team as well. We all came up with some ideas, and plans to make the facility more successful. (Deb will be writing a log about what she and Chris did while we were gone)
On Thursday, we worked at the facility till about 8 PM, and then drove back to the boat. We arrived about Midnight. At 6 AM we were back up, and getting the boat ready to roll, and we left the marina in Wrightsville beach about 7:30. It was a gorgeous day for boating. Storms had rolled through the night before, and in the morning we were left with a beautiful sunny sky.
The trip to Beaufort was very relaxing, and very pretty. We were very close to the Atlantic almost all of the time, and there were many sandy beaches that separated the Intracoastal from the Ocean. In most cases the markers were fairly easy to follow, and the water deep.
Side note: Which brings me to an interesting story. In 92 when we brought a friends boat from Florida to Philadelphia we were coming through this area, and Steve was driving. We were coming under the Beaufort Bridge. I was down taking a shower, and everyone was just getting up and around. I came up to the bridge, to see the waterway open up, with several channels, and markers everywhere. Steve said to me “which way should we go?” I said, “I don’t have a clue. What do the charts say?” He said he didn’t know, and it was obvious he had lost he place on the chart. (Or wasn’t following it at all) I leaned over to look at the chart to see if I could tell where we should go, and out of the corner of my eye I looked at the depth gauge. It read 17 feet……then 10………then 3……….then we came to an almost immediate stop, throwing me, and everyone else, and everything to the front of the boat. (Oh I forgot to mention we were traveling at top cruising speed) We had run aground. Hard aground! The boat was sitting in about 6 inches of water. If I had a lot of time I would tell you a great story that would have you laughing for some time, but I don’t, so let’s just say that it was quite an experience, and it cost over $3,600 to get the boat back on the water. It was also a great lesson in watching the charts, and the depth gauge.
Anyway…as we came up to that bridge yesterday Steve said “I don’t want my hands anywhere near those controls as we come into Beaufort. But he did look at the charts, and say, “I don’t know what the problem was, this harbor is pretty straightforward”. Another lesson learned.
We arrived in Beaufort about 3:30. I toped off the fuel, ($1.30) and Steve washed down the boat, while the girls straightened up, and we got ready to go into town. Well not really into town, because we are parked right on the main street of the town, so we only had about 100 feet to walk. When I checked the boat in they gave us 4 tokens for draft beer at a bar/waterside restaurant next to our boat so we walked there to have our free beer while we made a decision on where we would eat. We had all of these choices; it was a decision of which one. After a couple of beers, we all decided we didn’t want to go take showers and go someplace fancy, and we ordered bar food, and sat next to the main boardwalk and ate. It was not what we had planned but it worked out great. Afterwards we got an ice cream cone, and walked the rest of the boardwalk, before making it an early night. (After we watched a great sunset)
Today…..
We have two big bodies of water to cross today. The Pamlico Sound, and the Nuese River. These are about 20 miles each of crossing, and it should be a beautiful day for it. These are two areas they always give you lots of caution about, but today they should be easy.
6:20 PM
Same Day
Just so we’re clear on times……I started this log at 5:30 this morning, but it got late, so I couldn’t finish it. It’s now later that same day, and we are at a marina, and I had some time, so I thought I’d continue this, and see where we end up. I’m waiting to eat dinner (actually waiting for Steve to cook the chicken) now so if I don’t finish this I’ll do it in the morning.
Today (Saturday, May 27, 2000)
We had another great day of boating, but a tough day in general. (I spent a good part of the day on the phone, talking to our management team that is working on the Richmond start-up. It’s tough going, and I really feel for these guys. I’ve been there, and I know what their going through) I promised myself I’d make every day count in this journey, and today I had to work at it, to make it enjoyable.
Back to boating…
The wind today picked up earlier than they had predicted, and by early morning we had 15 MPH winds. The good news was, the winds were from the Southwest, and that was on our stern, so the going was pretty easy. In fact the long crossing was very nice, pretty, and enjoyable.
I got a good opportunity to use my chart plotter today. I would set the waypoint about 4 to 6 miles ahead of us, and set the autopilot to follow that course, and voila (I wanted to put "wa....la" but I asked Deb how to spell it and she told me viola was a real word.....who knew?) 20 minutes later (depending on our speed) we were on that marker. It made the cost seem worth it.
By the time we got close to our marina for the evening the winds were blowing fairly good, and we were glad we had a marina to tie up to. (In fact as I sit here writing this, there are tornado warnings out, and the sky to the north looks very black. I hope they miss us.) By the way, I’m not sure you should call this a marina. Really it’s a gas station, with a hole dug out back where you can tie up some boats. I’m serious. Have you ever been to a small convenient store that sells gas? One that is on a back road, and appears out of nowhere? This is that place, with water behind it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s clean, and nice, and I’m glad to be here. It’s just not a marina. One thing that is great is the fuel prices. If you buy over 100 gallons, the price is 96 cents. Which is a lot cheaper that we have been seeing. (As we were fueling up I asked the owner how he could sell diesel so much cheaper than everyone else. He said, “Well… it’s half water”). Like I said it’s not marina.
5:25 AM
Sunday, May 28, 2000
Day 56
Well as you can see I didn’t write very much last evening. There was too much going on. And I may not have time to write too much this morning, as we need to get going early.
Meanwhile, back at the “almost” marina………….
When we tied up the boat, I went over to pay for the (½ water) cheap fuel. On my way back I saw an old sailor and he ask me how I was doing, and I said “great, how bout you?” He said, “I’m here, and that’s good”. “Yea?”, I said, “If you were somewhere else, would that would be bad?”. He went on to tell me he was glad to be here because he thought it would storm later. I told him we had this fancy satellite TV on the boat, and I had just looked at the weather channel, and the weather was north of us. “I don’t think so”, he said, “I can feel it. It going to be here”. As I walked away I thought…….. codgy old sailors, what do they know.
Well it turns out they know plenty, because it stormed. (So much for the weather channel) Big time stormed. Not only that, in the middle of the night it stormed again. This time even worse. The power went out about 11 PM, and is still not on. Last night was by far the biggest lighting show I have ever witnessed. Deb had to cover our front hatch with the sun shield because it was so bright in the front bedroom. This morning is very windy, and overcast, and it probably will rain.
7:50 AM
Monday, May 29, 2000
Waterside Marina
Norfolk, VA.
Day 57
Well I should be able to finish these 3 days of logs this morning. I no longer have any excuses of not having enough time. We’re sitting here in Norfolk, the weather is cold, and rainy, Steve and Chris just left for home, so today is get organized day. Both on the boat, and in my business.
Yesterday……
The day started out very ominous. (I’m not even sure if I know what that word means, but I think it describes what I was feeling) The electricity was still out, (we ended up running the generator all night) and it was dark, and windy. If you read the cruising guide there is a special section that talks about the Albemarle Sound, and the fact that “even the slightest wind can stir up this wide open sound, and sailors have been stranded for several days waiting for the weather to lift”.
We were sitting about 5 miles from the Sound, and the NOAA weather was saying the weather would continue to get worse each day for the next 2 to 3 days. We needed to get going. The reason I cut the log so short yesterday was it was starting to get light out and I could see the waves building out on the Alligator River, and I knew that the Albemarle would only be worse, so I went and woke everyone up, and said we need to go. Now. And they were all champs. They got up with no questions, and no complaining.
When we untied the lines, it was not quite light yet, but two boats had left before us, and I could see them off in the distance. So between following the boats in front of us, our radar, and our chart plotter, we were in good shape.
As it turned out, the waves weren’t too bad (2 to 3 footers). And more good news, they were on our bow, so it was bumpy, but not as uncomfortable as if they were coming from our side. In fact the ride was an adventure, and the farther we went, the better the weather became.
The 85 miles to Norfolk was a combination of the wide-open sound, and very narrow waterways. It was fairly easy to navigate, and normally deep. The only problem we had was as were entering the Norfolk Harbor, and I almost ran aground, but I was watching the depth finder, and I caught it in time to put the boat in neutral, and get back into the middle of the channel.
I ran the boat from the lower helm almost all of the way to Norfolk, and that was great. As I have said before, that is one of the reasons I bought this boat, and it paid off yesterday. I was warm, dry, and it was very comfortable handling things from below.
We arrived in Norfolk about 3 PM. The weather was a little better, but it was still very cloudy, and it looked like rain. After some discussion about where we should park the boat (because we would be here for 11 days) the marina finally decided on a slip along the walkway. (Which, as it turned out, was about the same size as the boat itself). With a few nervous looks from my crew, (and the people’s boat we would hit if I were off by a couple feet), we slipped in our slip. We washed the boat, and straightened up a bit, and it stared to rain. (You won’t believe this, but as we were washing the boat a sailor walked by and said “no need to wash it, it’ll be raining here in a few minutes”)
We had thought we would clean up, and go downtown for dinner, but we were all relaxed, and with the rain coming down, we opted to find a way to eat on the boat. Deb solved the problem by finding out that Outback Steakhouse delivered to the boat. (Can you beat that?) So…..we sat back, relaxed, and ordered off of their menu, and 30 minutes later, they delivered us hot, great food. We ended the day with a little TV, and early to bed. (There’s a big surprise)
Today….
It’s cold (60 degrees) windy, and rainy today. The weather channel says to expect more of the same. It’s one of those days where you always feel cold. It may clear by late today, but we’re not counting on it. This is really the only bad weather we have had since we left FT. Lauderdale, so I am not complaining a bit. We have been very lucky.
Steve and Chris left at about 7 AM, to catch an 8:30 flight back to Chicago. Deb is watching movies that she has already seen several times, and I am trying to finish this log, and get it off to those who are thinking we have dropped off the face of the earth. (I haven’t gotten my e-mail for 3 days)
As I said earlier, I’m going to use today to get the boat reorganized, and I need to spend a fair amount of time on work stuff. (Things are going better, but we have a lot to do)
I’ll be back to a normal work day (if there is such a thing for me) tomorrow, so I’m not sure how if I will be doing any logs until we take off for New York on June 9th, when Rome and Theresa get on board.
Maybe Deb can keep everyone posted on what it is like to be a “short time live aboard in Norfolk”
Happy Memorial Day.
BK.
Saturday, May 27, 2000
Friday, May 26, 2000
Deb's Memorial Day Update
Meanwhile, back at Headquarters…
Friday, 5/26/00
Hey Everybody! Debbie here. Just thought I’d fill y’all in (that’s how they talk down here) on what was happening on HQ while the guys took care of business in Richmond.
I wanted to get this written before Bob moved on to the next log but it looks like I missed my window. It’s not surprising, given the time BK gets up each morning to write these things. In any case, here’s what the girls were up to while the guys concentrated on work.
First of all, Chris & I talked BK into getting the dinghy ready for us before they left. We were docked at Seapath Yacht Club in Wrightsville, NC, just off the Intracoastal and not far from the ocean. There were small islands all around us with beaches loaded with shells just waiting to be picked up. We were also looking forward to a dinghy ride to the ocean for a swim. Anyway, Bob took the cover off the dinghy, pulled the pole out from the middle and took off the extra bow cover and pontoon covers (*#!@*%!),and ran us through a quick lesson on how to use the dinghy motor & the hydraulic swim platform. They left on Wed. morning with plenty of “be carefuls” & “use your heads”.
The morning started out cloudy & windy (I hate the wind) and we looked at the dinghy with a little uncertainty. We had been talking by phone to my cousin Laurie Cunningham/Connors who lives in Wrightsville and had made a tentative plan to meet for lunch. We did some cleaning, a little laundry, and soaked up the sun while we waited for her call. She came by at noon, took a quick tour of the boat and then took us to a great restaurant where we had a table on a dock sticking out over a sand beach on the ocean. It was fun to see Laurie again and try to catch up on family. She was very busy with work and could only join us for a short time. As it was, her beeper called an end to lunch and she drove us back to HQ. (P.S. I had the very best Pina Colada so far on this trip!)
By then it was 2:30 and the sun had come out and was very warm, though it was still a little windy (I hate the wind). We had been having a problem with the cable on the boat and the folks at the marina took this time to try a bunch of different things to remedy the problem. Even as we looked longingly at the dingy, we allowed the work on the cable to continue. After all, it was Wednesday and West Wing was on!
Meanwhile the wind, which was bad all day, seemed a little worse (I hate the wind) and we decided to pack a cooler and walk to the beach. We headed out but found that it was going to be quite a hike, so we turned around and jumped in the dinghy (the heck with the wind). We were both a little nervous (ok-mostly me) but we finally got the dinghy floating and pointed toward the ocean. I must have looked very nervous because at one point Chris said, “We’re ok Deb, don’t cry.” We found the public dock, tied it up and crossed the street to the beach. Yahoo! We were finally there! It was 4 o’clock! We dropped our gear and ran to the water. The waves looked huge and in fact there were a few surfers skipping along on them. We swam, jumped, dived, got knocked off our feet, swallowed salt-water and generally had a blast until we were exhausted! We left the beach at around 5:45pm.
Earlier that morning, we helped a small day fishing boat into dock…just grabbed his lines is all. We asked how they did and the captain said they caught a mess of mackerel. He said he’d be back later to clean & filet them and we could have some if we wanted. We weren’t so sure…we thought, “Mackerel? How the heck to you cook mackerel?” Well, he showed up with a ziplock bag with about 8 filets just as Laurie was getting on the boat.
So after a great lunch with Laurie, a romp in the surf and nice long showers, we had a wonderful fresh fish dinner, compliments of a local fisherman, and Chris the chef.
The next day the guys were supposed to be back at noon so we could get in a half day on the water to move the boat north. But they called saying they needed to stay a little longer and wouldn’t get back till midnight. Hm-m-m…could this mean another dinghy ride? We had been talking to a local live-aboard about the cool islands around there and all the shells that were on this 8 mile stretch of beach and so we decided to do some beach combing. Chris had a work problem she had to sort out first and so the plan was to leave after lunch.
Thursday started out a much nicer day… warm, sunny and not very much wind (I hate the wind). And we both had much more confidence with the swim platform and dinghy operation. At least Chris said I didn’t look like I was about to cry! We spent the day motoring from island to island. We even got the depth finder to work. We swam a little and walked the beaches and picked up a bunch of shells. It was a great afternoon, something neither Bob nor Steve would take time from the journey to enjoy. Too bad, they’re missing out on some great stuff! I know, I know…we’re on a schedule!
We got back to the boat by 5:45 and squared everything away because it looked like it might rain. Then I walked down to the office to put in a load of laundry and to pay for our extra night’s slip. As I walked into the office I told Danielle (we were quite friendly with the marina people by now) that it was starting to rain. Bill looked out the door, said “Here it comes!” and slammed the door. Two seconds later I saw a bicycle and a lawn chair fly by the window! Lot’s of wind, lot’s of rain for about 15 minutes. I stayed in the office and Chris was stuck on the boat. She said there was lightning all around, the wind came up and then a sheet of rain washed over her. The dock hand came back from checking the docks and said, “Your friend is standing on the back deck with a big smile on her face saying, “This is so cool!” When the wind let up after a while (I hate the wind), Chris came by dressed in a yellow poncho & carrying a huge golf umbrella. She brought a poncho to me at the office! What a pal.
Meanwhile we had ordered a pizza to be delivered and a half hour later, right on schedule, here comes our piping hot pizza. BIG tip for the pizza guy! The storm at it worst, lasted only about 20 minutes. Then only sprinkles the rest of the evening but major lightning all around us all evening. So we settled in to watch TV and eat our pizza. A sad note: No West Wing!
We had called it an early night and at about 11:15, it started raining pretty hard again. I was laying in bed listening to see if the boat was going to be ok in the wind (did I mention I hate the wind?) when I heard a couple of light ba-booms on the boat. It sounded like the boat hit the dock so I got up to see if a line had loosened up and here’s BK & ST standing in the salon, dripping wet and breathing hard from their dash in the rain. They’re back! Everyone made a fast job of getting the boat shut down and we wend to bed.
I knew the next day would be back to normal, BK’s whirl-wind tour, but for a couple of days, we stopped and smelled the sea-breeze.
We had only one casualty during the storm. We had forgotten to check the cover on the radio on the fly bridge and it got wet. The speakers made some interesting sounds all night…pop-pop-pop! Hopefully, when it completely dries out it’ll be ok. We don’t have much luck with radios and speakers on HQ, do we.
Hope y’all are doing well back home. As BK says, Headquarters standing by…
Seeyabye------DK
Friday, 5/26/00
Hey Everybody! Debbie here. Just thought I’d fill y’all in (that’s how they talk down here) on what was happening on HQ while the guys took care of business in Richmond.
I wanted to get this written before Bob moved on to the next log but it looks like I missed my window. It’s not surprising, given the time BK gets up each morning to write these things. In any case, here’s what the girls were up to while the guys concentrated on work.
First of all, Chris & I talked BK into getting the dinghy ready for us before they left. We were docked at Seapath Yacht Club in Wrightsville, NC, just off the Intracoastal and not far from the ocean. There were small islands all around us with beaches loaded with shells just waiting to be picked up. We were also looking forward to a dinghy ride to the ocean for a swim. Anyway, Bob took the cover off the dinghy, pulled the pole out from the middle and took off the extra bow cover and pontoon covers (*#!@*%!),and ran us through a quick lesson on how to use the dinghy motor & the hydraulic swim platform. They left on Wed. morning with plenty of “be carefuls” & “use your heads”.
The morning started out cloudy & windy (I hate the wind) and we looked at the dinghy with a little uncertainty. We had been talking by phone to my cousin Laurie Cunningham/Connors who lives in Wrightsville and had made a tentative plan to meet for lunch. We did some cleaning, a little laundry, and soaked up the sun while we waited for her call. She came by at noon, took a quick tour of the boat and then took us to a great restaurant where we had a table on a dock sticking out over a sand beach on the ocean. It was fun to see Laurie again and try to catch up on family. She was very busy with work and could only join us for a short time. As it was, her beeper called an end to lunch and she drove us back to HQ. (P.S. I had the very best Pina Colada so far on this trip!)
By then it was 2:30 and the sun had come out and was very warm, though it was still a little windy (I hate the wind). We had been having a problem with the cable on the boat and the folks at the marina took this time to try a bunch of different things to remedy the problem. Even as we looked longingly at the dingy, we allowed the work on the cable to continue. After all, it was Wednesday and West Wing was on!
Meanwhile the wind, which was bad all day, seemed a little worse (I hate the wind) and we decided to pack a cooler and walk to the beach. We headed out but found that it was going to be quite a hike, so we turned around and jumped in the dinghy (the heck with the wind). We were both a little nervous (ok-mostly me) but we finally got the dinghy floating and pointed toward the ocean. I must have looked very nervous because at one point Chris said, “We’re ok Deb, don’t cry.” We found the public dock, tied it up and crossed the street to the beach. Yahoo! We were finally there! It was 4 o’clock! We dropped our gear and ran to the water. The waves looked huge and in fact there were a few surfers skipping along on them. We swam, jumped, dived, got knocked off our feet, swallowed salt-water and generally had a blast until we were exhausted! We left the beach at around 5:45pm.
Earlier that morning, we helped a small day fishing boat into dock…just grabbed his lines is all. We asked how they did and the captain said they caught a mess of mackerel. He said he’d be back later to clean & filet them and we could have some if we wanted. We weren’t so sure…we thought, “Mackerel? How the heck to you cook mackerel?” Well, he showed up with a ziplock bag with about 8 filets just as Laurie was getting on the boat.
So after a great lunch with Laurie, a romp in the surf and nice long showers, we had a wonderful fresh fish dinner, compliments of a local fisherman, and Chris the chef.
The next day the guys were supposed to be back at noon so we could get in a half day on the water to move the boat north. But they called saying they needed to stay a little longer and wouldn’t get back till midnight. Hm-m-m…could this mean another dinghy ride? We had been talking to a local live-aboard about the cool islands around there and all the shells that were on this 8 mile stretch of beach and so we decided to do some beach combing. Chris had a work problem she had to sort out first and so the plan was to leave after lunch.
Thursday started out a much nicer day… warm, sunny and not very much wind (I hate the wind). And we both had much more confidence with the swim platform and dinghy operation. At least Chris said I didn’t look like I was about to cry! We spent the day motoring from island to island. We even got the depth finder to work. We swam a little and walked the beaches and picked up a bunch of shells. It was a great afternoon, something neither Bob nor Steve would take time from the journey to enjoy. Too bad, they’re missing out on some great stuff! I know, I know…we’re on a schedule!
We got back to the boat by 5:45 and squared everything away because it looked like it might rain. Then I walked down to the office to put in a load of laundry and to pay for our extra night’s slip. As I walked into the office I told Danielle (we were quite friendly with the marina people by now) that it was starting to rain. Bill looked out the door, said “Here it comes!” and slammed the door. Two seconds later I saw a bicycle and a lawn chair fly by the window! Lot’s of wind, lot’s of rain for about 15 minutes. I stayed in the office and Chris was stuck on the boat. She said there was lightning all around, the wind came up and then a sheet of rain washed over her. The dock hand came back from checking the docks and said, “Your friend is standing on the back deck with a big smile on her face saying, “This is so cool!” When the wind let up after a while (I hate the wind), Chris came by dressed in a yellow poncho & carrying a huge golf umbrella. She brought a poncho to me at the office! What a pal.
Meanwhile we had ordered a pizza to be delivered and a half hour later, right on schedule, here comes our piping hot pizza. BIG tip for the pizza guy! The storm at it worst, lasted only about 20 minutes. Then only sprinkles the rest of the evening but major lightning all around us all evening. So we settled in to watch TV and eat our pizza. A sad note: No West Wing!
We had called it an early night and at about 11:15, it started raining pretty hard again. I was laying in bed listening to see if the boat was going to be ok in the wind (did I mention I hate the wind?) when I heard a couple of light ba-booms on the boat. It sounded like the boat hit the dock so I got up to see if a line had loosened up and here’s BK & ST standing in the salon, dripping wet and breathing hard from their dash in the rain. They’re back! Everyone made a fast job of getting the boat shut down and we wend to bed.
I knew the next day would be back to normal, BK’s whirl-wind tour, but for a couple of days, we stopped and smelled the sea-breeze.
We had only one casualty during the storm. We had forgotten to check the cover on the radio on the fly bridge and it got wet. The speakers made some interesting sounds all night…pop-pop-pop! Hopefully, when it completely dries out it’ll be ok. We don’t have much luck with radios and speakers on HQ, do we.
Hope y’all are doing well back home. As BK says, Headquarters standing by…
Seeyabye------DK
Wednesday, May 24, 2000
Chapter 51: Myrtle Beach to Wrightsville Beach
Log 51
Myrtle Beach, SC. to Wrightsville Beach, NC.
6:30 AM
Wednesday, May 24, 2000
SeaPath Yacht Club
Wrightsville Beach, NC.
Day 52
It will be a short log today. First of all I’m in kind of a hurry, and secondly there isn’t much to report on yesterday’s trip.
Yesterday…
We left Myrtle Beach at about 7:30. Our plans were to go about 85 miles, but as soon as I got my e-mail, and then my voice mail, I knew there may be issues. Then I talked to our customer in Richmond, and I knew there were issues. Bottom line is we had a lot more volume to handle through the facility than we ever had before, and we told them we had concerns that things were not ready yet, and it turns out they weren’t. So…..Steve and I are going to drive to Richmond (today) to have a meeting to sort out how we work together, with Perdue, to get these issues handled. I’ll be in Richmond the next two weeks, but this is the right thing to do.
Handling all of this yesterday took almost all of my morning, but there were a couple of highlights. First of all there was the pontoon bridge just north of Myrtle Beach. The center part of this bridge is built on a boat and sits in the middle of the water. (I’m serious) Once an hour they stop traffic, and a cable pulls the boat sideways (kind of like the bow of the boat pivots, and the stern of the boat swings). This takes away the center part of the bridge (which is sitting on the boat) and allows for the passage of boats. Once the boats have passed, another cable pulls it back into place. (Wouldn’t it have been fun to be around for the meetings when they talked about some idea someone had to construct that bridge. You want to build WHAT?)
The other thing is that as we got closer (and I was off of the phone) the scenery got very pretty. We were following the coastline, just inside small barrier islands, and the watercolor, and beaches were very pretty. We reached Wrightsville Beach about 3 PM.
Once we got here we cleaned up the boat, and Steve went and got the rental car. I got the dinghy ready for the girls to use while we’re gone. We took advantage of the rental car, by going out to dinner at a local favorite (King Neptune’s), and also went to the store to get some needed items.
Today,
Steve and I are off to Richmond. It’s about 250 miles, and we need to be there mid afternoon, so we’ll leave about 8. If things go well, we’ll stay the night, and head back in the morning. I’m sure the girls will have a great time. It looks like the weather will be great, and Deb’s cousin called (Lori Cunningham, who lives in the area), and so they will be fine. Actually this works out pretty good, because we were trying to get together with Deb’s Aunt JoAnn Cunningham, in Myrtle Beach, and that didn’t work out, and Lori is JoAnn’ s daughter, so Deb can at least see some of the family that she doesn’t see that often.
I’m not sure there will be a log tomorrow, but we’ll see.
BK.
Myrtle Beach, SC. to Wrightsville Beach, NC.
6:30 AM
Wednesday, May 24, 2000
SeaPath Yacht Club
Wrightsville Beach, NC.
Day 52
It will be a short log today. First of all I’m in kind of a hurry, and secondly there isn’t much to report on yesterday’s trip.
Yesterday…
We left Myrtle Beach at about 7:30. Our plans were to go about 85 miles, but as soon as I got my e-mail, and then my voice mail, I knew there may be issues. Then I talked to our customer in Richmond, and I knew there were issues. Bottom line is we had a lot more volume to handle through the facility than we ever had before, and we told them we had concerns that things were not ready yet, and it turns out they weren’t. So…..Steve and I are going to drive to Richmond (today) to have a meeting to sort out how we work together, with Perdue, to get these issues handled. I’ll be in Richmond the next two weeks, but this is the right thing to do.
Handling all of this yesterday took almost all of my morning, but there were a couple of highlights. First of all there was the pontoon bridge just north of Myrtle Beach. The center part of this bridge is built on a boat and sits in the middle of the water. (I’m serious) Once an hour they stop traffic, and a cable pulls the boat sideways (kind of like the bow of the boat pivots, and the stern of the boat swings). This takes away the center part of the bridge (which is sitting on the boat) and allows for the passage of boats. Once the boats have passed, another cable pulls it back into place. (Wouldn’t it have been fun to be around for the meetings when they talked about some idea someone had to construct that bridge. You want to build WHAT?)
The other thing is that as we got closer (and I was off of the phone) the scenery got very pretty. We were following the coastline, just inside small barrier islands, and the watercolor, and beaches were very pretty. We reached Wrightsville Beach about 3 PM.
Once we got here we cleaned up the boat, and Steve went and got the rental car. I got the dinghy ready for the girls to use while we’re gone. We took advantage of the rental car, by going out to dinner at a local favorite (King Neptune’s), and also went to the store to get some needed items.
Today,
Steve and I are off to Richmond. It’s about 250 miles, and we need to be there mid afternoon, so we’ll leave about 8. If things go well, we’ll stay the night, and head back in the morning. I’m sure the girls will have a great time. It looks like the weather will be great, and Deb’s cousin called (Lori Cunningham, who lives in the area), and so they will be fine. Actually this works out pretty good, because we were trying to get together with Deb’s Aunt JoAnn Cunningham, in Myrtle Beach, and that didn’t work out, and Lori is JoAnn’ s daughter, so Deb can at least see some of the family that she doesn’t see that often.
I’m not sure there will be a log tomorrow, but we’ll see.
BK.
Tuesday, May 23, 2000
Chapter 50: Georgetown to Myrtle Beach
Log 50
Georgetown to Myrtle Beach, SC.
5:15 AM
Tuesday, May 23, 2000
Myrtle Beach Yacht Club
Myrtle Beach, SC.
Day 51
I woke up way too early this morning. The first time I looked at the clock it was just before 4 AM, and I finally got up about 4:30. One of those deals where you have a lot on you mind. Have you been there?
It’s an absolutely beautiful morning. About 68 degrees, and a 100% clear sky. I can’t wait to finish this, and take a walk on the dock.
Yesterday…..
We untied the lines about 7:30, and left Georgetown. AS my log said yesterday, the skies were very overcast, and it was raining all around us. And that is what continued to happen. It was raining around us, but not on us. There were a couple of times that is sprinkled, but that was about it. As the day went on the weather got better, and it turned out to be a very nice day. These folks here need rain bad, but it just didn’t happen.
A good portion of the morning was spent on the phone working on Pro Source business. (Maybe that’s why I woke up so early this morning) I’m not complaining though, because cruising along and working is just fine with me. Speaking of cruising. The waterway was just beautiful almost the entire way here. A good portion of the way, we wound around through rivers, where the water went all the way up to banks of cypress trees. It was absolutely gorgeous. I think I misread the waterway guide, about where the great cruising was, because yesterday was special. It would be very interesting to see exactly where we were on a map of South Carolina, because some of the time it felt very remote.
The only issue we had along the way was as we were being passed by a large sport fishing boat, and I quickly got behind him to avoid his large wake, it felt like we hit something. I looked to see if I may have gotten out of the channel, but we were in 12 feet of water. Two things could have happened. He may have stirred something up in the water, and I hit it, or with all of the maneuvering by his boat, and mine, the boat may have cavitated. In either case there is no vibration in the boat, so I guess we’re fine.
Quick story: We met a couple on BONNIEBOB that lived on their boat and had been cruising for a couple of years. They said that last year they hit something under the water, (which they still don’t know what it was), and it took about 3 feet off of their keel. They kept going, and didn’t even know the extent of the damage until they pulled the boat to have some other repairs done, and saw the bottom. The stories you hear on the docks are absolutely amazing.
We got to Myrtle Beach Marina about 2:15. After taking on some fuel ($1.20) and getting a pump out, we were in the slip by 2:45. The girls went to look for a liquor store, while Steve and I cleaned the boat. The girls found the liquor store, but they didn’t sell beer. I know, it doesn’t make sense to me either, but that’s what they said. While we were cleaning the boat we noticed that the back deck drain was not draining properly. After further investigation we found out it was clogged, and it took us the better part of an hour to fix that. (A very messy hour)
By the time all of this was done, and we made a quick trip to the marine store, it was time to go to dinner. We ate at a great Italian place, located right next to the marina. Not only was the food great, but also the portions were HUGE. I know you won’t believe this but Steve’s pork chops were over 3 inches thick. And there were two of them. I had a small strip steak (12 oz's) and it could be the best I’ve ever eaten. To add to this, every meal was 4 courses. Soup, Caesar salad, spaghetti, and then your main dish. It was great.
Today…
The sky is getting bright now, and it looks like the day will be beautiful. I’ve been watching the weather channel for about an hour now, and we may get a late afternoon shower, but otherwise it will be perfect. Our plan is to go about 80 miles, and end up in a town called Hampstead, in North Carolina. (Mile 267 on the Intracoastal) Actually we enter North Carolina in just a few miles from here. I don’t remember what the waterway is like for the next few miles, so I’m looking forward to finding out.
Postings:
· The boat is running perfectly. The only maintenance items are the preventive kind. In fact Steve asked me yesterday if we had any boat projects he could work on.
· I heard yesterday that the New York barge canal is closed because of low water. I have not been able to verify this but that is what one of the captains told me. This could be an issue, because that is how we were planning to get from New York to Lake Ontario.
I’ve got to get going. The sun is up now, and the docks are calling……
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Georgetown to Myrtle Beach, SC.
5:15 AM
Tuesday, May 23, 2000
Myrtle Beach Yacht Club
Myrtle Beach, SC.
Day 51
I woke up way too early this morning. The first time I looked at the clock it was just before 4 AM, and I finally got up about 4:30. One of those deals where you have a lot on you mind. Have you been there?
It’s an absolutely beautiful morning. About 68 degrees, and a 100% clear sky. I can’t wait to finish this, and take a walk on the dock.
Yesterday…..
We untied the lines about 7:30, and left Georgetown. AS my log said yesterday, the skies were very overcast, and it was raining all around us. And that is what continued to happen. It was raining around us, but not on us. There were a couple of times that is sprinkled, but that was about it. As the day went on the weather got better, and it turned out to be a very nice day. These folks here need rain bad, but it just didn’t happen.
A good portion of the morning was spent on the phone working on Pro Source business. (Maybe that’s why I woke up so early this morning) I’m not complaining though, because cruising along and working is just fine with me. Speaking of cruising. The waterway was just beautiful almost the entire way here. A good portion of the way, we wound around through rivers, where the water went all the way up to banks of cypress trees. It was absolutely gorgeous. I think I misread the waterway guide, about where the great cruising was, because yesterday was special. It would be very interesting to see exactly where we were on a map of South Carolina, because some of the time it felt very remote.
The only issue we had along the way was as we were being passed by a large sport fishing boat, and I quickly got behind him to avoid his large wake, it felt like we hit something. I looked to see if I may have gotten out of the channel, but we were in 12 feet of water. Two things could have happened. He may have stirred something up in the water, and I hit it, or with all of the maneuvering by his boat, and mine, the boat may have cavitated. In either case there is no vibration in the boat, so I guess we’re fine.
Quick story: We met a couple on BONNIEBOB that lived on their boat and had been cruising for a couple of years. They said that last year they hit something under the water, (which they still don’t know what it was), and it took about 3 feet off of their keel. They kept going, and didn’t even know the extent of the damage until they pulled the boat to have some other repairs done, and saw the bottom. The stories you hear on the docks are absolutely amazing.
We got to Myrtle Beach Marina about 2:15. After taking on some fuel ($1.20) and getting a pump out, we were in the slip by 2:45. The girls went to look for a liquor store, while Steve and I cleaned the boat. The girls found the liquor store, but they didn’t sell beer. I know, it doesn’t make sense to me either, but that’s what they said. While we were cleaning the boat we noticed that the back deck drain was not draining properly. After further investigation we found out it was clogged, and it took us the better part of an hour to fix that. (A very messy hour)
By the time all of this was done, and we made a quick trip to the marine store, it was time to go to dinner. We ate at a great Italian place, located right next to the marina. Not only was the food great, but also the portions were HUGE. I know you won’t believe this but Steve’s pork chops were over 3 inches thick. And there were two of them. I had a small strip steak (12 oz's) and it could be the best I’ve ever eaten. To add to this, every meal was 4 courses. Soup, Caesar salad, spaghetti, and then your main dish. It was great.
Today…
The sky is getting bright now, and it looks like the day will be beautiful. I’ve been watching the weather channel for about an hour now, and we may get a late afternoon shower, but otherwise it will be perfect. Our plan is to go about 80 miles, and end up in a town called Hampstead, in North Carolina. (Mile 267 on the Intracoastal) Actually we enter North Carolina in just a few miles from here. I don’t remember what the waterway is like for the next few miles, so I’m looking forward to finding out.
Postings:
· The boat is running perfectly. The only maintenance items are the preventive kind. In fact Steve asked me yesterday if we had any boat projects he could work on.
· I heard yesterday that the New York barge canal is closed because of low water. I have not been able to verify this but that is what one of the captains told me. This could be an issue, because that is how we were planning to get from New York to Lake Ontario.
I’ve got to get going. The sun is up now, and the docks are calling……
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Monday, May 22, 2000
Chapter 49: Charleston to Georgetown
Log 49
Charleston to Georgetown, SC.
5:30 AM
Monday, May 22, 2000
Harborwalk Marina
Georgetown, SC
Day 50
I woke up before the alarm this morning. I’m not sure why, because we are in no hurry this morning, but I guess I had just had enough sleep.
I did this morning, what I do the first thing every morning I’m on the boat, and that is to turn on the weather channel (then I put on the coffee). Today is the first time in a long time that the weather doesn’t look good where we’re heading. In fact the radar shows that there is rain all around us, and not moving very quickly either. But you if you didn’t have the weather channel, you’d think the world was pretty cool, because outside, although it is still dark, it is a mostly clear sky, and it is 75 degrees. Since we have left home in September, I have only driven the boat from the lower station twice because of rain, so I guess we’ll just have to see if we end up in these storms, or not.
Yesterday…
I sent the e-mail about 7:00, and we left Charleston about 7:30. It was a beautiful morning, although a little cloudy. The guidebook says the miles we traveled were some of the most beautiful of the Intracoastal. I don’t know…… it was pretty in some places, but some of the most beautiful? I’m not sure, but maybe it was because we were spending our time dealing with all of the flies. They were awful. Every one of the boats we passed was swatting them, and not only that, they were biting as well. We had to go fast just to be able to deal with them.
Because we had to go fast, we made the short 67 miles by about lunchtime, and by 12:45 we were tied up in Georgetown for the night. My plan was to stop here, because the Waterway guide said this was a neat stop, (plus the picture of downtown looked great) and the grocery store was a good one, and they would come to your boat to pick you up. As we were coming into the harbor I thought I’d gone to the wrong place. The picture in the book showed this quaint small town with a boardwalk that looked like something out of a movie set of the Wild West. What we saw was a small group of docks with shrimp boats tied up to all of them, and at the end of the waterway was a coal factory spewing out coal smoke. The Harbortown Marina consisted on two small docks the have certainly been here a while. I think they took a few liberties with this one. We said, “Oh well, we’re here, lets stay”. And we did.
After washing the boat, and getting things organized, Deb and Chris went to the store. (No pickup on Sunday, so they either had to walk…….2 blocks up---and 12 blocks over…….or get a taxi. You got it. Taxi) I wasn’t there but the conversation over dinner about what the shopping experience was like was very entertaining. Two things come to mind this morning as I recall the discussion. First was the girls filled up a shopping cart full of beer, only to be told they don’t sell beer on Sunday. (Chris thought she’d try and negotiate this point because after all “we” were from Illinois, not South Carolina) The other thing that we laughed about was Chris saying it was like shopping in the Middle East. (And, to my knowledge, she’s never been to the Middle East. Wait a minute….I guess South Carolina is in the middle part of the East Coast) Anyway, you get the picture. We are in a small rural town.
The rest of the afternoon was spent putting stuff away, and relaxing. Deb and Chris got to read a little, and Steve and I watched the rest of the Nascar race we taped the night before. For dinner we cooked pork chops on the grill, and laughed about the shopping trip.
Side note: We have been seeing several of the same boats, as we make our way north. Some travel fast, then stop. Others travel slow, but put in long days, and they make their time that way. Last night we met a guy, and his friend/captain, who was taking his boat to New York. We shared some boating stories for a while, (he was about the 20th person to tell me that I was very smart to make this trip while I could, and I’m am definitely starting to agree with them) and as soon as I finish this I need to go over to his boat to get some places to stop, and great restaurants along the way.
Today…..
Depending on how the rain treats us, we are planning on getting to Myrtle Beach. Easy trip. Only 55 miles. I remember part of this leg from our trip in 92. We stopped along the way, in the middle of nowhere, at Bucksport Marina, and had a “Bucksport Belly Buster Burger”. (I’m sure if you think for just a minute, you can picture this place)
Who knows maybe we’ll stop there today.
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Charleston to Georgetown, SC.
5:30 AM
Monday, May 22, 2000
Harborwalk Marina
Georgetown, SC
Day 50
I woke up before the alarm this morning. I’m not sure why, because we are in no hurry this morning, but I guess I had just had enough sleep.
I did this morning, what I do the first thing every morning I’m on the boat, and that is to turn on the weather channel (then I put on the coffee). Today is the first time in a long time that the weather doesn’t look good where we’re heading. In fact the radar shows that there is rain all around us, and not moving very quickly either. But you if you didn’t have the weather channel, you’d think the world was pretty cool, because outside, although it is still dark, it is a mostly clear sky, and it is 75 degrees. Since we have left home in September, I have only driven the boat from the lower station twice because of rain, so I guess we’ll just have to see if we end up in these storms, or not.
Yesterday…
I sent the e-mail about 7:00, and we left Charleston about 7:30. It was a beautiful morning, although a little cloudy. The guidebook says the miles we traveled were some of the most beautiful of the Intracoastal. I don’t know…… it was pretty in some places, but some of the most beautiful? I’m not sure, but maybe it was because we were spending our time dealing with all of the flies. They were awful. Every one of the boats we passed was swatting them, and not only that, they were biting as well. We had to go fast just to be able to deal with them.
Because we had to go fast, we made the short 67 miles by about lunchtime, and by 12:45 we were tied up in Georgetown for the night. My plan was to stop here, because the Waterway guide said this was a neat stop, (plus the picture of downtown looked great) and the grocery store was a good one, and they would come to your boat to pick you up. As we were coming into the harbor I thought I’d gone to the wrong place. The picture in the book showed this quaint small town with a boardwalk that looked like something out of a movie set of the Wild West. What we saw was a small group of docks with shrimp boats tied up to all of them, and at the end of the waterway was a coal factory spewing out coal smoke. The Harbortown Marina consisted on two small docks the have certainly been here a while. I think they took a few liberties with this one. We said, “Oh well, we’re here, lets stay”. And we did.
After washing the boat, and getting things organized, Deb and Chris went to the store. (No pickup on Sunday, so they either had to walk…….2 blocks up---and 12 blocks over…….or get a taxi. You got it. Taxi) I wasn’t there but the conversation over dinner about what the shopping experience was like was very entertaining. Two things come to mind this morning as I recall the discussion. First was the girls filled up a shopping cart full of beer, only to be told they don’t sell beer on Sunday. (Chris thought she’d try and negotiate this point because after all “we” were from Illinois, not South Carolina) The other thing that we laughed about was Chris saying it was like shopping in the Middle East. (And, to my knowledge, she’s never been to the Middle East. Wait a minute….I guess South Carolina is in the middle part of the East Coast) Anyway, you get the picture. We are in a small rural town.
The rest of the afternoon was spent putting stuff away, and relaxing. Deb and Chris got to read a little, and Steve and I watched the rest of the Nascar race we taped the night before. For dinner we cooked pork chops on the grill, and laughed about the shopping trip.
Side note: We have been seeing several of the same boats, as we make our way north. Some travel fast, then stop. Others travel slow, but put in long days, and they make their time that way. Last night we met a guy, and his friend/captain, who was taking his boat to New York. We shared some boating stories for a while, (he was about the 20th person to tell me that I was very smart to make this trip while I could, and I’m am definitely starting to agree with them) and as soon as I finish this I need to go over to his boat to get some places to stop, and great restaurants along the way.
Today…..
Depending on how the rain treats us, we are planning on getting to Myrtle Beach. Easy trip. Only 55 miles. I remember part of this leg from our trip in 92. We stopped along the way, in the middle of nowhere, at Bucksport Marina, and had a “Bucksport Belly Buster Burger”. (I’m sure if you think for just a minute, you can picture this place)
Who knows maybe we’ll stop there today.
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Sunday, May 21, 2000
Chapter 48: Crew Change in Charleston
Log 48
Crew change in Charleston, SC.
6:00AM
Sunday, May 21, 2000
City Marina
Charleston, SC.
Day 49
I’m up a little late this morning, because we are in no hurry to head out, as we only have about 55 miles to go today. I’m watching the local weather channel, and they are saying we are going to have a pretty good day to resume our trek north. Partly cloudy and about 85 degrees.
Crew change day went pretty well. Darrell and Donna left about 8:00, and went to the Charleston airport to get a rental car, and drive to Myrtle Beach to fly back to Chicago. Deb was up early to do laundry, and it was a good thing, because she said as she was leaving people were lined up to use the machines. She spent the rest of the day (until about 3) cleaning, and getting everything ready for our next leg. (Except there was no need to clean Darrell and Donna’s room because they left it cleaner than they found it….thanks)
I spent the same amount of time with routine preventive maintenance. I cleaned the water strainers on both engines, and the generator. (Each engine has an intake to pull water from the bottom of the boat to keep the engines cool. These intakes have strainers on them to keep “stuff” from getting into the engine exhaust) I also cleaned the strainers on the air conditioning. Then I looked at each battery (we have 7 of them) to make sure they were full of water. It was a good thing, because a couple of them needed water badly. And finally I cleaned the air filters on all of the air conditioners. With the maintenance done, I worked on the charts for a while, planning the entire week, and making some marina reservations for the next two nights.
Deb and I were done about the same time, so we grabbed a beer, and went up to the fly bridge to sit and watch the hustle bustle of all of the boat coming in to the marina for the night. This is a very busy time of year for transient boaters, like us, who make the trip from Florida to the North. About mid to late afternoon everyone is looking for a marina for the night. (Except sail boaters, who are looking for a place to anchor. Hey…there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a fact) Anyway, this place is very busy with big boats coming in at a very rapid pace. They have about 5 or 6 dockhands here, and they have trouble keeping up. It’ a lot of fun to sit and watch all of these captains put their boats in some very tight places. Plus, I always learn something.
Steve and Chris arrived about 5:00, and they lost no time getting into shorts. (It was over 90 yesterday) In fact Steve wore his shorts from home, even though it was cold in Chicago. The original plan was for Deb, and Chris to go to the store for the week’s groceries, but we bagged that plan in favor of getting a taxi and going out to eat. We talked to some folks, who gave us some ideas, and we chose The South End Brewery. Funny thing about it was we have only been to Charleston twice, (in 92 when we came through here in my friends boat) and we ate there the last time, although we didn’t know it until we pulled up front of the place. Oh well, it was good then, and now. (Rome-Theresa-Les-Annie…..remember the mud pie??)
Back at the boat Deb and Chris went up top, and Steve and I watched the Nascar race on TV. Well at least part of it. When the girls came in and went to bed, we taped the rest, so don’t tell me who won. OK?
Today..
As I said we only have about 55 miles to go today. (The guidebook says the next 50 miles are some of the prettiest on the entire Intracoastal Waterway………I’ll let you know) In fact all week the maximum amount of miles we are planning for any single day is 86, so it should be an easy week. Today’s destination is Georgetown, SC. The guidebook says it is an old historic town with a neat boardwalk, and we are in the downtown marina. (Supposedly on the boardwalk, but as you may remember these adds for the marinas take a few liberties when they describe their amenities)
The sun is up now, (sunrise was at 6:17) and it looks to be a little cloudy, but it is still 75 degrees, so it will be fine for today’s travel. The marina store opens at 7 AM, and they have an e-mail plug in, so I’m going to try to send this before we head out at 7:30.
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Crew change in Charleston, SC.
6:00AM
Sunday, May 21, 2000
City Marina
Charleston, SC.
Day 49
I’m up a little late this morning, because we are in no hurry to head out, as we only have about 55 miles to go today. I’m watching the local weather channel, and they are saying we are going to have a pretty good day to resume our trek north. Partly cloudy and about 85 degrees.
Crew change day went pretty well. Darrell and Donna left about 8:00, and went to the Charleston airport to get a rental car, and drive to Myrtle Beach to fly back to Chicago. Deb was up early to do laundry, and it was a good thing, because she said as she was leaving people were lined up to use the machines. She spent the rest of the day (until about 3) cleaning, and getting everything ready for our next leg. (Except there was no need to clean Darrell and Donna’s room because they left it cleaner than they found it….thanks)
I spent the same amount of time with routine preventive maintenance. I cleaned the water strainers on both engines, and the generator. (Each engine has an intake to pull water from the bottom of the boat to keep the engines cool. These intakes have strainers on them to keep “stuff” from getting into the engine exhaust) I also cleaned the strainers on the air conditioning. Then I looked at each battery (we have 7 of them) to make sure they were full of water. It was a good thing, because a couple of them needed water badly. And finally I cleaned the air filters on all of the air conditioners. With the maintenance done, I worked on the charts for a while, planning the entire week, and making some marina reservations for the next two nights.
Deb and I were done about the same time, so we grabbed a beer, and went up to the fly bridge to sit and watch the hustle bustle of all of the boat coming in to the marina for the night. This is a very busy time of year for transient boaters, like us, who make the trip from Florida to the North. About mid to late afternoon everyone is looking for a marina for the night. (Except sail boaters, who are looking for a place to anchor. Hey…there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a fact) Anyway, this place is very busy with big boats coming in at a very rapid pace. They have about 5 or 6 dockhands here, and they have trouble keeping up. It’ a lot of fun to sit and watch all of these captains put their boats in some very tight places. Plus, I always learn something.
Steve and Chris arrived about 5:00, and they lost no time getting into shorts. (It was over 90 yesterday) In fact Steve wore his shorts from home, even though it was cold in Chicago. The original plan was for Deb, and Chris to go to the store for the week’s groceries, but we bagged that plan in favor of getting a taxi and going out to eat. We talked to some folks, who gave us some ideas, and we chose The South End Brewery. Funny thing about it was we have only been to Charleston twice, (in 92 when we came through here in my friends boat) and we ate there the last time, although we didn’t know it until we pulled up front of the place. Oh well, it was good then, and now. (Rome-Theresa-Les-Annie…..remember the mud pie??)
Back at the boat Deb and Chris went up top, and Steve and I watched the Nascar race on TV. Well at least part of it. When the girls came in and went to bed, we taped the rest, so don’t tell me who won. OK?
Today..
As I said we only have about 55 miles to go today. (The guidebook says the next 50 miles are some of the prettiest on the entire Intracoastal Waterway………I’ll let you know) In fact all week the maximum amount of miles we are planning for any single day is 86, so it should be an easy week. Today’s destination is Georgetown, SC. The guidebook says it is an old historic town with a neat boardwalk, and we are in the downtown marina. (Supposedly on the boardwalk, but as you may remember these adds for the marinas take a few liberties when they describe their amenities)
The sun is up now, (sunrise was at 6:17) and it looks to be a little cloudy, but it is still 75 degrees, so it will be fine for today’s travel. The marina store opens at 7 AM, and they have an e-mail plug in, so I’m going to try to send this before we head out at 7:30.
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
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