Florida--Almost Home!

Sunday, November 16, Georgia to Florida
Finally across the border into Florida! We left Jekyll Island, Georgia, after a cold overnight stay.  The weather is not getting any warmer as we head south!  We were heading to St Augustine when we ran aground...AGAIN!  Although the MollyBelle has an affinity for sand bars, Capt Dick now has enough practice at getting off.  And so we did. Without any further damage to boat.  Enough said.

Monday, November 17, St Augustine, Florida
Stayed overnight Sunday and the whole day Monday in St Augustine.  Enjoyed some sightseeing--more old historic buildings--and nice food.  Rested up on a rainy afternoon.

Tuesday, November 18, St Augustine to Daytona
More cold weather!  Hope it warms up by Thursday when we get to Vero Beach!

REFLECTIONS ON THE JOURNEY

It's been fun!  We've certainly had a lot of boating experiences--some better than others!  We've seen a lot of places and met a lot of very nice people.  Spent a lot of time together!  We're ready to go home and look forward to planning another trip!

Favorite Prop Guy!

Adventures in the Deep South - Part 2

Tuesday, November 11, Savannah to Brunswick and St Simons, Georgia
Tuesday morning we took a bus tour of Savannah while waiting for the props to be repaired.  It was a beautiful day, there was a Veterans Day Parade in the city, and we were on a tour with a very animated tour guide.  We almost forgot why we were there!  Until we got a call from the shop telling us they could not repair our damaged boat props.  After anxious calls to the boat manufacturer--it would take several weeks and a ton of money to get new props--and to the boat yard where the MollyBelle was waiting on stilts without her propellers, the owner of the boat yard suggested we take the props to a bigger repair shop farther south in Brunswick, Georgia.  So off we drove to Tyler Dominey's propeller and metal work shop in Brunswick...thank goodness for GPS directions!  Tyler assured us that he could fix the props.  Our anxiety was growing so we decided to treat ourselves to a relaxing overnight stay at the beach on St Simons Island!

Launching the MollyBelle

Wednesday & Thursday,  November 12 &13,  St Simons to Beaufort
This story is getting too long!  I'll try to summarize:  Wednesday afternoon we picked up the repaired props and drove back (almost two hours north) to Beaufort.  Thursday the props were reattached and the MollyBelle was launched at Marsh Harbor Boat Yard at high tide.  We went back to the boat and stayed overnight at the Beaufort City Marina in preparation for our Friday morning departure and return to cruising and heading home.

Friday, November 14: Beaufort, SC to Isle of Hope, GA
MollyBelle is back to cruising!  We are heading south and will be home in Florida in a few more days!  I guess we were in too much of a hurry to get home because we got a ticket for going too fast in an "idle speed only" zone on the ICW in Georgia.  Although the Captain is usually very careful to slow down in the designated slow zones, he must have missed a sign.  It wasn't until long after we had tied up at the Isle of Hope Marina, near Savannah, that the zealous Georgia Ranger pulled up alongside our boat and told us that he was in his truck when he saw us cruising too fast on the waterway.  So he drove his truck to his boat and proceeded to search the ICW until he tracked us down at the marina.  He wrote up a violations ticket with a phone number to call for more information.  Upon calling that number, Dick was informed by the office of the Assistant District Attorney for the county that it would take at least a month for them to determine the outcome of our case.  So the Southern Saga continues...

Adventures in the Deep South

November 3-6, Charleston, North Carolina
Charleston is one of our favorite Southern cities so we spent three days there enjoying the sights, great food, shopping and meeting up with friends old and new.  We took a wonderful walking tour given by Anne Middleton Herron, a charming and animated 13th generation North Carolinian who guided us through hidden courtyards and alleyways as well as past centuries old churches and buildings, giving us a real sense of the city and its rich history.

November 6, Charleston, NC to. Beaufort, SC
The one event every boater would like to avoid is running aground.  And we had avoided that mishap until Thursday, November 6, when we left Charleston and headed down the ICW planning to tie up at Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island.  We hit a sand bar in the ICW just off Beaufort shortly after noon.  We were stuck hard with only about two feet of water under the boat and the tide was going out.  We were finally towed off the bar at 5:30 when the incoming tide brought enough water under the boat for us to get off.  It was a very embarrassing and uncomfortable situation because at one point we were entirely surrounded by land and tipped way over on our side.  All the slow vessels that we had passed earlier in the day sailed smoothly past us and, although sympathetic to our plight, I'm sure they must have been glad it wasn't them sitting on that sand bar!

High and Dry!

Fortunately we were close to the Beaufort City Marina and although the props were damaged, we were able to proceed slowly to the dock and tie up before they closed at 6pm.  We called a nearby boat yard and tried to make arrangements to have the boat hauled the next day to assess the damage.  But they couldn't do that until Monday.  The good news was that we didn't take on any water and were able to stay on the boat overnight.  The bad news was that we had to wait until Monday to find out how badly we banged things up!

November 7-8, Bluffton and Hilton Head
Since we had to wait until Monday for the boat to be hauled, we rented a car and drove to nearby Bluffton, SC where old friends George and Mary Duva had invited us to spend the night at their lovely Colleton River Plantation home.  We enjoyed visiting and catching up with them and also with Brian and Terri Haley the next day when we drove over to Hilton Head for lunch at the new beach club.  Our visits with friends took place as planned, but not with our boat docked at Hilton Head!

Monday, November 10, Beaufort-Savannah
Monday morning at high tide Capt. Dick drove the MollyBelle at idle speed to Marsh Harbor Boat Works, where she was hauled and the damaged props were removed.  The owner of the boat yard recommended that the props be sent to Savannah for repair.  Dick wanted to deliver them to the repair shop himself.  So we loaded the props in the rental car and drove to the repair shop in Savannah, Georgia where we dropped them off Monday afternoon.  We were told they might be ready by Tuesday afternoon, so we decided to stay overnight in Savannah and see some of the sights in that charming city.  We were tired and our anxiety was high!

North Carolina Notes: Coinjock, Belhaven, Beaufort and Southport

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Tuesday, October 28:  Portsmouth, Virginia to Coinjock, North Carolina

Smooth sailing on Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and Currituck Sound.

Coinjock is a very interesting rural outpost!  Local roosters provided wakeup call at zero-dark-hundred. At least 15 boats lined up at long face dock.  Good overnight stop.

Wednesday, October 29:  Coinjock to Belhaven

Windy on Albemarle Sound, smooth going on Alligator River to Belhaven Waterway Marina.

One of our favorite places to stop.  Small charming marina, husband and wife owners and two small dogs, Belle and Haven, very welcoming and helpful.  Met Wendy and Peter and Rylee on board Adventuresome.  Brilliant sunset.  Found great restaurant in this small hamlet: SpoonRiver.

Thursday, October 30: Belhaven to Beaufort

Slightly choppy on Pamlico Sound and Neuse River; very windy with strong current entering Beaufort.  Delicious dinner, enjoyable camaraderie with new boat friends Wendy and Peter at Blue Moon Bistro.

Belhaven Sunset

Friday, October 31:  Happy Halloween in Beaufort!

Trick or Treaters of all sizes, many dressed up as pirates, throughout town.  Grocery shopping at Food Lion in loaner car from Beaufort Docks.  Poked around in some of the shops and took some photos in Old Burial Grounds.  Ended the day with a stroll to Cedars Inn for fabulous dinner!

Old Burial Grounds in Beaufort

MollyBelle at Rest in Beaufort

Saturday,  November 1:  Beaufort to Southport
Brrrrr!  Long day on ICW.  Long waits for hourly bridge openings.  Periods of sunshine provided some respite from the cold, rainy conditions that caught up with us before we reached Southport.  Docked and tied up in the rain.  Ugh!  Thankful for heaters on boat! Provisions picked up in Beaufort on Friday (and leftovers from restaurant dinners) provided nice dinner on board.

Swing Bridge Opening in the Rain

Sunday November 2: Southport, NC to Georgetown, SC
Another cold day but brilliant sunshine kept us warm on the enclosed flybridge.  Slow travel on ICW.  Bumped the bottom while passing a sailboat.  All is fine.  Opened a few swing bridges tendered by smooth talking southern gentlemen!  Tied up at Harborwalkwalk Marina in Georgetown along with several other boats we've encountered along the way.  We are like nomads wandering along and meeting up from time to time.  Looking forward to planned meetup with Adventuresome in Charleston tomorrow!

Norfolk to Coinjock

One of the best places to see some awesome Navy vessels is Norfolk, Virginia.  We had perfect viewing of these vessels on our way into Portsmouth yesterday and upon leaving that port this morning.

Navy Vessels in Norfolk

Today's cruise to Coinjock, North Carolina took us along the Intracoastal Waterway through Virginia into North Carolina where we are tied up at Coinjock.  As we travelled slowly along the intracoastal

we came across some interesting sights:

Slow Moving Vessels along the Intracoastal Waterway

Short post today...weather is beautiful, MollyBelle and crew are fine!!

Sunday in St Michael's

Captain at the Helm

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Sunday, October 26, was a beautiful day for exploring this charming old Maryland town which came highly recommended by several friends and fellow boaters.  We certainly were not disappointed!  Started the day with a complimentary breakfast at the Harbour Inn followed by 10:15 Mass at Sts Peter and Paul mission church located a mile from the marina.  The Inn provided a van service and after mass we had the van drop us off at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum where the captain especially enjoyed delving into maritime pursuits of the past.

Maryland Crabs!

A huge mound of fabulous Maryland crabs took care of Sunday dinner...for Dick!  I was very satisfied with a most delicious crab cake dinner and I didn't need to use a hammer to eat my meal.  We attempted to walk off lunch with a stroll around town and up and down side streets lined with lovely clapboard homes dating back to the 1800's.  Finished off the day with another gorgeous sunset and a light supper on the boat which included some delicious  coleslaw that we brought back from the Crab Claw Restaurant.

Monday, October 27.  We bypassed our scheduled stop at Solomon's Island on the western shore of the Chesapeake and cruised steadily for eight hours all the way to Portsmouth, Virginia.  The seas were calm, the sun was shining and the engines were purring.  All contributed to our decision to keep going.  Also Tuesday's weather forecast was not as favorable and we are trying to avoid any more WOW-ing!  However, bypassing several planned stops along the Chesapeake has us vowing to return at a more leisurely pace.

Sassafras River and Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay

We didn't plan on spending four nights in Georgetown, Maryland but we were "WOW-ing" or "waiting on weather" as some of our boat friends would say. At least we weren't "WOP-ing" or "waiting on parts" to fix the boat!  We had time to meet some very nice fellow boaters, clean up the boat a little and catch up on chores while anxiously monitoring conditions on the Chesapeake from this little safe haven tucked up on the Sassafras River.  I love the name!  Apparently it is the name of a root that the Indians used to make bread...I also had time to learn something about the history of the area.  European settlers to this area go back to the 1600's and they were mostly farmers and fishermen.  Most of the area was burned down by the British in the War of 1812, except for the home of Kitty Kitteridge.  She yelled at the British general and he went away!  Strong woman!

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Sassafras Sunset

Finally, Saturday was a beautiful day and we cruised out into the Chesapeake and down the eastern shore to St Michael's where they were in the midst of an Oyster Festival.  Most of the marinas were full for the weekend but we were able to get a slip at the busy Harbour Inn Marina where we tied up next to a beautiful new 44' Beneteau similar to ours but newer, prettier and more spacious!

Saturday afternoon, we visited with the owners of that boat, newlyweds Ken and Melissa from Bethesda, Maryland.  What a delightful afternoon we spent chatting about boats, travel, exchanging contact information and now we've got the "boat bug."  Is there a MollyBelle II in our future??

On our way into St Michael's yesterday, the starboard engine started balking and Captain Dick had to coax it along into the marina.  He replaced the fuel filters and we are hoping that has solved the engine problem.  Our itinerary has us off to Solomon's Island tomorrow and then down to Norfolk, Virginia. Hopefully no WOWing or WOPing is in our immediate future!