Offshore to Miami

As predicted, Molli left for home on Monday afternoon and Captain Robert Brown arrived soon after. 

Robert and I did a little provisioning, getting some of the essentials for ocean voyaging...cold cuts, some cheese, some crackers

Tuesday morning, Nov 3 was rainy, cold and a bit blustery but we cast off at 7:30 am, aided by our good friends Hayden and Radeen

Off we went into the cold and dreary morning.

We passed Fort Sumter on the way out..its a share the city or federal government hasn't invested anything in restoring what is now a burnt out hull 

It soon cleared, the temperature rose, but the wind died and we motored on through the day and night, logging 155 miles that first 24 hour period. 

The watch Robert favors at night is 3 hours on, 3 hours off, which is too long to watch and too short to sleep...so its a good compromise...there really is no good watch schedule for just two people. 

By morning we were off Jacksonville and turned south towards Miami. The main determinant of our route is the gulf stream and the strategy is to maximize speed and minimize total distance travelling. I purchased route and weather planning from Chris Parker, a well known (in eastern seabord cruising circles as an excellent weatherman. 

He did get the route perfect for us, as we had no adverse currents during the entire trip, but the weather prediction, especially as regards the strength and direction of the wind was entirely wrong for the latter two days of the trip. It ended up being on the nose for the second of our three days and much stronger (15 -22 as compared to the predicted 5 - 10 knots...the wind strength and direction led to a bumpy ride for the latter two days. 

On Wednesday eveining the wind was on our nose (not on our beam) and the wind induced waves were also on our nose from Jacksonville to Cape Canaveral. The boat was "hobby horsing" all through the night, making precious little headway. 

Around 5am Thursday morning we passed the Cape and turned more westerly, putting both the wind and the waves on our beam. On the one hand we were finally able to sail, but on the other hand we had traded the up and down hobby horsing for a side to side rolling ride....Its hard to decide which was worse. 

On Thursday the skys were lcear and the weather warm...actually it was hot and humid, but it wasn't raining and we were making good time again.

sunset off the Florida coast

Dawn the next morning

We were joined by dolphins through much of the day which was fun to watch

One of the many Dolphins that kept us company

The  night was clear but the wind got stronger (gusting into the 20's) we sailed for a while but then we put in some reefs and ran the motor (slowly). One nice thing was the boom brake that I had installed last year worked wonderfully, holding the boom tight against the main sheet controlling the main regardless of the wind strength and direction. 

There were several exciting moments passing some of the inlets as impressively large boats came in and out. Passing Lake Worth inlet an large mostly unlit cargo ship steamed out of the inlet, which I saw  on both the AIS and the radar, but I couldn't see it againsts all the lights of the shoreline. I radioed the captain (AIS provided the name of the boat) and asked if he saw me. He responded by turning on all his lights and suddenly an enormous brightly light structure loomed right in front of me!. I made a shart irght (starboard) turn, barely missing an embarrasing (and dangerous) collision. I was no longer sleepy the rest of that night!

Several squalls passed during the night...they are kind of fun to watch on radar, and the ones that missed us were the most fun.

As tye sun rose on Friday we were off South Beach rushing toward Government cut, the inlet for Miami. 

South Beach seen from the sea...that's te Loews hotel in the center

Coincidentally a large cruise ship was entering the inlet at the same time and we stopped tp l;et oiit pass. 

But soon it was on to Miami snd through its harbor to Biscayne Bay and the Dinner Key Marina...the end of an almost one month voyage. 

Enjoying Charleston

One of the benefits of cruising is enjoying the cities you visit. Over the past several weeks we visited several cities, including Hampton, Coinjock, Myrtle Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Southport and Georgetown. We saw the sights, enjoyed the food and all in all had a great time...Visiting cities with their hustle and bustle, some more than others, provides a nice contrast to anchoring out.

These past few days we've been enjoying Charleston, a very cosmopolitan, historic, and charming city. We took a carriage ride through some of the historic areas, walked King Street (Charleston's version of Newbury and Boyleston streets in Boston) and ate exceedingly well

On Friday night we ate at the Oak Street Steakhouse - great food, great wine, great conversation with friends Hayden and Radeen

On Saturday night we ate at the Charleston Grille, a very upscale restaurant with outstanding service and food. One minor amusement was that - having lived on a boat for nearly three weeks and not having packed any "good" clothes we did not match the elegance of the surrounding, nor of the other diners. On seeing us enter the manager said we'd be much more comfortable in a "special" table which happened to be just behind a big column - somewhat hidden from the view of the other diners. But, as I said, the food and service was great and we didn't mind and very much enjoyed the evening.

On Sunday we toured Middleton Plantation with Hayden and Radeen It's about 10 miles out of town and sits on about 2,000 acres and features a fantastic garden, recreations of the buildings and activities of its pre-civil war heyday,  and some wonderful guided tours of the crafts and the house. We also took a carriage ride around the grounds and a guided tour through the gardens which are magnificent. I attach a bunch of pictures of the plantations to give a glilmpse of what we saw

Our Guide through the Gardens

Our Carriage Driver and guide showing us the grounds

the cruising tourists!

Today Molli heads home to Baltimore...It was wonderful that she enjoyed the trip and the experience and it was wonderful having her aboard. 

Later today Captain Robert Brown will arrive and we will prepare for the next phase of the trip, and offshore voyage to Miami. I look forward to continuing the most interesting conversations we enjoyed on last spring's trip from Miami to Baltimore.

We hope to cast off tomorrow (Tuesday)

Charleston!

October 30, 31

After an uneventful...no make that very pleasant...Thursday night at anchor we raised anchor at 8:15. That time was chosen to enable us to pass the reported shallow areas on a rising tide (so that if we did go aground, the rising tide would soon lift us off) and to get to the Ben Sawyer swing bridge near high tide. 

it worked perfectly!

We had plenty of water under the keel the entire way.

We arrived at the Ben Sawyer Swing Bridge at high tide, requested an opening, and the nice lady bridge tender quickly opened the bridge for us

Arriving at the Ben Sawyer Swing Bridge, in company with several other boats

It swings open on request (earning us the ill wishes of many drivers forced to wait as we meandered through)

That was the last hurdle before Charleston and within minutes we were in the Charleston Harbor, heading for the Charleston Maritime Marina

Charleston, a city without any building taller than 26 stories so its not an imposing skyline

We tied up without event and began a few days of touring and dining.

The marina...Priority is tied up on the right

Looking east, from whence we came in the morning.

Molli and I first went to the UPS office nearby to send some of her stuff home so there would be less for her to carry through the airport. 

Then we wandered through the Market, filled with lots of shops selling crafts and clothings and objets d'art...we resisted temptation and didn't buy anything....excepting lunch

That eveening we went with Hayden and Radeen to the Oak Steakhouse and had a wonderful meal of steak and some wine to celebrate a wonderful voyage. 

On Saturday, after changing the oil and oil filter (this time without mishap) we toured Charleston by horse drawn carriage

Our Driver/Guide on the carriage

We wandered through the historic district. Charleston has a long history, stretching back to the early 1700's and its inhabitants seemed to have figured out how to make lots of money and spend it on beautiful houses...wonderful to see

We left Baltimore on October 11 and arrived in Charleston 19 days later. We had a few long days, a fe cold days, a few windy, bumpy nights...but all in all it was a great trip

I'm glad Molli was able to make it, and I think she's glad too.

On Monday Molli flies back to Baltimore, On monday afternoon Robert Brown comes aboard and on Tuesday we head out to the ocean, aiming for Miami. 

Last anchor out

The part of the ICW from Georgetown to Charleston is famous and feared for its several very shallow parts, caused mostly by shoaling from water running in and out of inlets. States are responsible for maintainng minimal depths, but given budgetary constraints the work always falls behind.

Some people avoid this stretch altogether, heading outside (i.e. out into the ocean) at the Nynya Bay inlet from Georgetown and then, about 8 hours later, back in at the Charleston Inlet. We did this last year.

We decided to brave the shoals and go inside this year, but we had a plan...we would leave early to  catch the first of the shallow regions (near McClennanville) near high tide, and then we would anchor just about 10 miles shy of Charleston so that the next morning we would catch the remaining shallow regions on a rising tide, with the added benefit that it would bring us to our slip at the Charleston Maritime Center near slack tide (i.e. when there is no current to contend with as we maneuver into our slip).

So we cast off from the dock at Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown at 7:30 and motored out into a beautiful sunrise, in the company of about 20 other boats with the same idea. Some heading towards the  ocean, some towards the ICW.

Boats heading  out of Georgetown

This stretch of the ICW is nearly as beautiful as the Waccamaw river valley, tree lined in places, marshland in places, the occasional dolphin jumping alongside the boat...nice. 

Looking forward down the ICW

Looking back along the ICW

As it turned out the current was against us most of the way, so we were a little delayed getting to McClennanville. High tide was at 10:30 and we didn't get there till noon, but the tide had only dropped a foot by then, so we made it through without any problems

There were a few areas that were a bit shallow,,in a few spots there was as little as 1.5 feet under the keel, but that was more than enough to keep us from running aground. It did make me appreciate the fact that Priority has a relatively shallow draft of 4.5 feet..it would have been challenging with a 6 foot or deeper keel!

We arrived at our anchorage - Long Creek - aat 3:30, set the anchor and just sat and admired the surroundings. It's fairly flat, with tall grass and few trees in all directions. Off to the west you can just about make out Charleston. The problem with Charleston in this regard however is that it has no tall buildings so its not very dramatic from 10 miles out. 

Setting the anchor. I'm at the Bow, Molli at the helm

Looking South

Looking East, with Island Spirit anchored near by

Looking North

Looking West, towards Charleston

Some views of Priority, courtesy of Hayden, taken as the sun was setting.

This was a nice way to end a nice day on the water, and a great place for our last anchoring out - for this trip!

Tomorrow, on to Charleston

Georgetown

October 27-28

First, before anything, I have to urge you to take a look at Hayden Cochran's blog <IslandSpirit35.blogspot.com>. Hayden is a talented photographer and he was able to capture the beauty of the Waccamaw river valley remarkably well...you owe it to yourself to take a peek.

Our night at anchor in Cow House Creek was, to say the least, interesting. In the first place a reasonbly strong current runs through the creek. When we came in to anchor it was flowing against us and we lined up along the axis of the creek. Several hours later it turned, and so did we...and again several hours (about 6) it turned again. But there was also wind (even though the anchorage was reported to be "protected". There was a constant interplay through the night between the current and the wind. The result was that we rotated around the anchor, sometimes facing north, sometimes east, sometimes west and of course sometimes south. With each turning of the boat the chain would clunk up against the keel..the upshot was there was much rocking and rolling and clunking all through the night. Oh yes, did I mentioned it rained...sheets of wind driven rained banged up against the deck most of the night, adding to the clunking and the howl of the wind.

But the anchor held perfectly, we never went aground, and all was well (excelping we didn't get as much sleep as we would have liked.

We raised anchor at 8:15 and headed towards Georgetown. 

The river was just as beautiful in the morning as it had been the previous afternoon but soon we came to the Laffeyette bridge that marked the end of  the Waccamaw river, where it joined with the Great Pee Dee river and then merged with the mighty Nynah to take us into Georgetown. 

As we approached the bridge we saw a catamaran right next to the bridge, and looking closer we saw someone at the very top of the mast...This catamaran had a very tall mast, the river was high, with all the rain we'd been having, and the crew of that boat was worried they wouldnt fit under the bridge...They drew close to the bridge, and sure enough the man at the top was higher than the bridge. Hopefully they'll make it through at low tide, but with all the rain even low tide isn't all that low.

We arrived at Georgetown in a downpour but nicely made it to our slip, only 3 and 1/2 hour after raising anchor. 

Priority in her slip (in the background) at Harborwalk marina in Georgetown

view from the dock

After tidying up the boat we went for a brief walk about town, but the rains came back and we went back to the boat. 

Hayden and Radeen invited us to dinner on their boat...it was wonderful.

The next day (today, Wednesday, started out rainy but by noon the rains had eased and we ventured back into town.

Part of the main street (Front Street) in Georgetown were flooded

But the rest of Georgetown was dry

Downtown Georgetown is about 4 blocks long qwith several restaurnat, clothing stores, candy and ice cream stores,  a department store, a general store a maritime museum and a rice museum. 

We visited the Rice museum  and got a wonderful history of Georgetown, which at one time - before the Civil war - was the rice captial of the worlk...they shipped more rice than any port in the world. But that industry was built on slave labor and with the civil war, and the emancipation proclamation, the rice industry in Georgetown collapsed. They still talk about that "damned Lincoln" in Georgetown.

In between touring the town and avoiding the rain, we refueled the boat and refilled the water tank. 

This evening we had a fantastic dinner at the TownHouse restaurant which far exceeded expectations. We insisted on having the chef come out so we could thank him and praise his abililties. He was surprisingly very modest. 

Tomorrow we head towards Charleston, but will anchor just short of that, so we can cross a shallow area on a rising tide Friday morning. 

Waccamaw River Valley

We had a wonderful dinner last evening in an Italian Steakhouse in the Outlet mall. The restaurant appeared to be thriving (a testament to the good food) but sadly it seems the rest of the mall is falling on hard times. Many stores were shuttered and the only ones with any semblance of a crowd were some restaurants and ice cream parlors...ah well.

We were only going about 28 miles  today, aiming for an anchorage in the Waccamaw river valley, and so we didn't cast off till 11am...

The trip was interesting. At the beginning we went through some fairly built up areas, with fine homes 

Two of the many nice houses we passed. This last one has a lifelike statue on the water's edge

(and some not so fine homes.

One notable feature was passing through a golf course which used cable cars to connect one hole with another...weird to use the ICW as a water hazard!

Cable cars carry golfers over the waterway

But after a few hours we left civilization (if that's what you want to call the Myrtle Beach area) behind and entered the Waccamaw River Valley...a truly beautiful nature preserve, with a largish (300 feet across) tree lined (mostly cypress), winding river with many creeks feeding into it. There are also many "oxbows" which is the term for a small branch of the river which winds around a small island and returns to the river. For most of the trip it was only Island Spirit and us meandering down this wonderful piece of nature.

I include some pictures that don't do justice at all to the beauty of what we could see as we wound our way down river.

After about 5 hours we came to an oxbow called "Cow House Creek" (if you zoom up the map in the link at the upper right of this blog you can see it). It is protected from the wind by  the trees lining each side and the current we saw in the river is a little reduced in the creek. The creek is about 100 feet wide and only one other boat is anchored (boats anchor in a line in this creek).  Later, around 6:30 just before it began to get dark, three other boats came in, for a total of 6 boats in the creek.

I include some pictures looking around the compass.

a

Looking North..Island Spirit and another boat infront of me in the creek

Looking East

Looking West

Looking South (behind us)

Excepting for the wind in the trees (and there isn't much wind..it is protected) and a few birds it is very quiet.

I'm writing this while sitting in the cockpit, very much enjoying the scenery before the sun goes down. Molli is reading a book on her kindle....just fantastic!

Later, after sundown, we'll go below and have a nice dinner (and maybe a bit of wine), read some more, and turn in ready to do it again tomorrow...on to Georgetown