The Great Adventure South
Ahoy Everyone: 11/11 We got a good forcast of 40 degrees with wind
10-15 North. Still cold. Motored thru Bogue Sound. Passed thru Camp
LeJune WhoooRay!!! Since it was a weekend there wasn't any shooting or
manuvers going on. We anchored out in Mile Hammock Bay at 2:30 pm. We
ended up with 9 boats also anchored here 5 sailboats. Made 32.5
statute miles. Pretty day sunshine feels good. Dolphins came into the
anchorage at night. You could here them breathing. There is a training
dumby ship near the shore made to look like a world war II troop ship.
This is to train the marines on how to use the nets to climb up the
outside of a ship.
11/12 - Depart 7:30 am for Wrightsville Beach. Weather sunny WARM
70's. Wanted to go further but the Figure Eight Bridge is under repair
and we had to wait from 1 pm to 4 pm for it to open. We all sat there
and had lunch (bunch of boats). By the time we got thru this bridge
and the the next one it was getting to late and you don't want to risk
being on the waterway at night. We followed some other boats into the
anchorage at Wrightsville Beach. This is the famous weather channel
place with Jim Cantory broadcasting when a hurricane is coming this way.
11/13 - Depart 7:30 am Motored Bogue Sound and Cape Fear River in
sunny calm weather to Southport, NC. Stopped early to get the only
free dockage in town. Very cute old town. Home port to pilot boats
that guide the freighter in to the Cape Fear River.
11/14 - 11/15 - Departed for free dockage at St. James Plantation
Marina. Met them at the boat show. We listened to their sales pitch
for condos. they gave us 2 free days at the marina. Weather 75. When
they built this place they carved out the marina and put in the
pilings before they let in the water. they also said that when they
built the houses and condos they just fill in the land and put big
pipes to take care of the many streams that are present. Boy this
could never happen on the Chesapeake. Talk about the environmenal
damage. We had a full day of pouring rain and the wind howling so I'm
glad we stayed in port that extra day.
11/16 - Hello South Carolina!! Departed in the morning first thing
then sunny but wind building to gusts of 22 kn from the NW. Motored
thru Lockwoods Folly. This is a guy that built a sailboat during the
Civil War for commercial purposes and could not get it out of the
inlet so the crew just abandoned it and it eventually rotted away
hence the name. Very tricking channel thru here. Also made it thru
Sallotts Inlet. Docked at Cricket Cove Marina early 1 pm. Motored thru
the last pontoon bridge on the ICU (ICW). Took a taxi to grocery store
and hardware store (propane). Propane is had to come by. You can get
the big containers but not anything small or different in size. Tom
got a chance to change the oil and filters for the motor. Getting rid
of the old oil is always a challenge. The showers here are great so
did that.
11/17 - Ice on the dock this morning. Had to wait to depart till it
melted. Temp got down into the 30's. Thank goodness for my little
office heater. Motored down the Wacamaw River. Made 53.1 sm today.
Long day!! Trying to find the warm weather. Tied up at Heritage
Marina. Current very strong. No services here not even ice. Saw our
first alligator. Don't go swimming here!! This was a boring motor day.
No holding breath to see if we are going to run aground.
11/18 - Not as cold a night. Departed 7:30 am wind calm. Anchored in
Graham Creek 25 miles north of Charleston. SC you all. Very shallow
entrance so we will have to leave early tomorrow on the tide.
11/19 - Depart 6:30 am winds calm. Motored to Church Creek and
anchored. Did 48 sm weather got warm in afternoon. Met the owners of
Water Walker a metal sailboat. Captain John told us that he built the
boat himself. His wife is along but is scared all the time. She does
not know how to swim or run the boat. You have to admire her courage
to go on a trip like this. She is really learning with a trial by
fire. Great to be warm all night and calm winds.
11/20 - Departed late to get mail in Beaufort, SC. Motored in warm
sun. Rafted up with Water Walker for lunch and then anchored in Rock
Creek behind them for the night. Big current running. We finished
dinner and discovered the anchor line had rapped around the keep and
we were facing against the current and sawing back and forth. That was
the end of any sleep that night. We starting dragging anchor and
charged into the "locker from hell" to retrieve the second anchor. Put
that down and stopped dragging. Bot wonders of wonders that anchor
line rapped itself arond the rudder. Now we are really in a mess. The
current is over a knot and the lines are bar tight. Tom goes out on
the swim ladder with a line tied to him to try and free the rudder.
It's pitch back out and he decides its not worth the risk. We call
Tow Boat US at 7 am. 1/2 Hour before they arrive the line to the CQR
breaks and we lose that anchor to Rock Creek. What a mess!!!
11/21 - Tow Boat US helps us pull up the Danforth and we make sure the
rudder and prop are OK. We are off again on the adventure. We arrive
in Beauford, SC and our mail is there waiting for us. Yeah, something
is going right. We are laying Downtown Marina. Water Walker is here
and so is little Andre that I gave chicken soup to so long ago.
11/22 - Happy Thanksgiving!! One of the churches in town puts on a
Thanksgiving dinner for all the boaters for free (small donation
please). They had the tables set up with tablecloths, linen napkins,
center pieces. It was just wonderful. The food was great even gave us
deserts to take home. Had much fun. After dinner scrubed boat to try
to get all the anchor mud off the boat. Went out that night for drinks
with John and Judy (Water Walker). Warm day 75.
11/23 - Laying Beauford, SC Water Walker hit us this morning when she
was trying to leave. The current here is incredible. It sounds like a
rushing stream. We spent day paying bills and had a great lunch at
Plum's. Used courtesy car to grocery store. We were able to finally
get block ice. Block ice is very hard to find. Everyone has cubes but
no block. They assume that all have refridgeration.
11/24 - Laying Beauford, SC - Forecast for today was cold with wind
gusts to 25. Decided to stay another day to try to locate another
anchor. We really can not anchor with only one. Not a good idea.
Besides I needed to get caught up on my e-mails. I am hearing lots of
Xmas music. It's so strange not to be running around getting ready.
Already have one wish list from Little One. Do you believe a skate
board. Yikees! Don't want him to get hurt on a present from Nana and
Papa. We are about 40 miles north of Savannah, GA so that will be our
next destination.
Bye for now - Till we meet again on the web.
The Salty Ones