After two and a half great weeks at Lake George we are back on board and slowly heading north to Washington DC. We expect to pull into the Capital Yacht Club on August 8 and will spend 10 days there in a slip.

Before leaving Charleston I took time to visit Fort Sumter which is located smack in the middle of the Charleston Harbor. On April 12, 1861 Confederate artillery opened fire on the fort. Fort Sumter surrendered 34 hours later. The Civil War had started. There is very little left of the original fort but the museum and overall experience is worth the effort.

Original Fort Sumter Flag

Fort Sumter

Left Charleston Harbor Marina around 9AM on July 18 and headed down the Cooper River. Picked up the ICW south of Charleston and turned north. Six hours later after an uneventful cruise thru the South Carolina low country we dropped anchor in Minim Creek.

Sunset on Minim Creek

Minim Creek

Weighed Anchor and continued north for a lunch stop at Georgetown SC. There are two town docks that provide free daytime tie ups and we were able to find a completely free one to side tie. Georgetown is an old village near the mouth of the Waccamaw River. They revived and rebuilt their waterfront and now it’s a destination by both car and boat. Many restaurants line the shore and a youth sailing school operates off the waterfront. We met a retired wife of an International Paper Executive and she recommended the “Big Tuna” raw bar for lunch. Perfect…. Also found Kudzu Bakery which sold frozen soups, shrimp and grits and many other southern delights.

Georgetown, SC

Georgetown Sailing School

Pulled out of Georgetown and continued up the Waccamaw River. Like much of the coastal water in South Carolina the Waccamaw River is a golden brown or tea color. This is due to tannins and other pigments that have leached out of vegetation growing in the extensive wetlands adjoining the river. The Intracoastal Waterway joins the Waccamaw near Bucksport and shares the river channel for over 25 miles to Winyah Bay and Georgetown. Despite the uninviting color of the water we loved the Waccamaw River. It was very peaceful and provided several hours of beautiful scenery. We spent two nights off the Waccamaw on Prince Creek. Prince Creek is roughly two miles of winding, narrow, tree lined waterway. it is deep along its length. We anchored in the center of the creek in 20 feet of water. The slow flow of the river held us in the middle. It was a perfect creek for kayaking. We saw an alligator for the first time. It was resting in the water on the edge of the creek. Its eyes and head barely above the waterline. As we approached it slowly lowered and disappeared. We also heard an alligator attack and kill a meal no more than 100 feet from our anchorage.

Prince Creek

Prince Creek

Anchored on Prince Creek

On to Myrtle Beach. Five miles north of Prince Creek we left the Waccamaw and spent the next several hours slogging thru the ICW and along some ugly built up waterway behind Myrtle Beach. It was essentially a ditch cut and blasted to create this portion of the ICW. Homes and developments lined the shores. Spent two nights at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club. Great place with nice pool. Rented a car for a day to explore Myrtle Beach.

Along the ICW

Myrtle Beach

Cath’s friend at Myrtle Beach YC

Mytle Beach to Carolina Beach was a long seven hour ride but was much more scenic. After a few hours of ICW you exit the canal portion and enter the Cape Fear River. There was an outgoing tide confronting an East wind creating short steep seas for five of the nine miles you are on the River.

Driving up the Cape Fear River

Carolina to Mile Hammock Bay was also an interesting and scenic cruise. Mile Hammock and the property around it is owned by the Federal Government and controlled by the Marine Corps. Camp Lejeune covers 246 square miles and has 14 miles of beaches. Construction of the camp started in 1941 and it has served the USMC since then as a major amphibious assault training facility. It houses expeditionary forces and special ops. While we were anchored for the night amphibious training was taking place.

USMC training at Mile Hammock Bay

It was an easy 36 miles from Mile Hammock to Morehead City. Morehead is industrial and a bit gritty but the Yacht Basin was very nice. Just don’t look to the north as a large Potash plant obscures the view. A major sport fishing tournament was about to happen over the weekend and many sport fish were docked around us.

Unusual sailing rig

Sport Fish at Morehead City Yacht Basin

Arrived on Wednesday June 12 in blazing heat. 103 degrees to be exact and 100 percent humidity. Fortunately that lasted only two days and we had perfect weather for two days to explore the historic city of Savannah.

On Thursday my grade school buddy “Chip” drove over from Athens GA where he is a professor at the Univ of Georgia. Because of the heat we did our exploring with his car and since he knew the area we were able to see Tybee Island and some historic areas outside of Savannah. Chip spent the night on board and dropped us downtown early Friday so that Cath and I could get a full day exploring.

Dinghy ride in Savannah

Beautiful live Oaks and homes in the town of “Isle of Hope”

We started with an all day trolley bus pass which we have found over the years to be a great way to see and learn. We hopped on and off all day and toured several historic homes. Each trolley driver narrated in his/her own unique way and each had different facts and stories to tell along the way. “Hollywood” was our favorite driver and he kept the trolley in stitches.

Mercer Williams House Museum

Forsyth Fountain in Forsyth Park

Savannah’s recorded history begins in 1733. That’s the year General James Oglethorpe and the 120 passengers of the ship “Anne” landed on a bluff along the Savannah River in February. Oglethorpe named the 13th and final American colony “Georgia” after England’s King George II. Savannah became its first city.

Scale model of the ship “Anne”

The plan was to offer a new start for England’s working poor and to strengthen the colonies by increasing trade. The colony of Georgia was also chartered as a buffer zone for South Carolina, protecting it from the advance of the Spanish in Florida.

Savannah is known as America’s first planned city. Oglethorpe laid the city out in a series of grids that allowed for wide open streets intertwined with shady public squares and parks that served as town meeting places and centers of business. Savannah had 24 original squares; 22 squares are still in existence today.

Savannah is an easy city to tour. Its flat and easy to walk. There are many museums and original homes to tour and all of the remaining 22 squares are unique. The waterfront is steep and is home to the original Cotton Exchange. In addition to the history eating is a favorite pastime and we managed to indulge along the way.

It is Monday morning and we are anchored on the Coosaw River. We are on our way to Charleston and expect to arrive midday Wednesday.

One week on the hard at Cracker Boy Marina was enough. It is a safe, friendly place but waking to sanders and the hoist each morning gets tiring. 4:30 Monday afternoon we launched. It also happened to be approaching low tide and Cracker Boys lift slip has shoaled somewhat. It took quite a bit of manhandling to get the slings past the stabilizers but after unbolting one of the slings we slipped out and anchored a quarter mile away.

Tuesday morning brought beautiful weather with light, NE winds. At 7:15 AM we weighed anchor and proceeded out Ft Pierce inlet to start our 250 mile trip up the Florida coast. The weather held throughout the day and the auto pilot steered us past Cape Canaveral. The shoals off the Cape extend out several miles and as we rounded we were treated to 8 dolphins swimming beside and in front of our bow. Cath took the first night shift and watched offshore cargo ships till 1AM. I picked it up after that and had not a single boat appear within 8 miles on the radar.

Dawn broke and the weather changed to colder NE winds. We approached St Marys entrance and heard the Navy warning all boats to stay away from a nearby Lat/Long position as they were practicing live fire. We stayed away. St Mary’s entrance is long, stretching over 8 miles from the first entrance buoy to the front range marker. It is well marked  along its path as it serves the Kings Bay Naval Base. Our destination was the anchorage on the west side of Cumberland Island. We dropped the hook about 4:30 in the afternoon. It was our longest single trip to date and all went well.

Sea Camp Dock Cumberland Island

We left Cumberland Island for our final destination at Morningstar Marina St Simons, Georgia. The weather was cool and rainy but the trip up the ICW was superb. The 36 miles was well marked until you entered St Andrews sound. A couple of greens were missing providing some navigation excitement.

Green marker stuck in sand below abandoned light house. South side of St Andrew Sound

Cruising up the ICW

Shrimper in St Andrews Sound

By 2:30 we were safely tied up at Morningstar Marina, Golden Isles. This will be Big Smiles home for the next six weeks or so while we empty out the house in NJ. We had time to spend two nights on board before driving north. Morningstar has an awesome seafood restaurant attached to it and we enjoyed a dinner there. On the next dock was a beautiful 169′ Trinity motor yacht the “Norwegian Queen”. A quick google search identified it as having lots of custom Italian Murano colored glass which can be seen in the photo below.

Norwegian Queen

Currently at anchor off Man O War Cay. Our Rogue Wave Wifi antenna has picked up an open channel which is good since Bahamas Wimax is either out or doesn’t reach here.

Boat in Man O War Harbor

Methodist Church on Man O War

Hopped from Green Turtle Cay to Great Guana to Elbow Cay. Weather has been nice but only in the 70’s. Winds have clocked around to the east over the last week bringing lighter breezes.

Settlement Harbor Green Turtle Cay

Easter Sunday found us anchored in Fishers Bay on Great Guana. Nippers was having their usual Sunday pig roast plus an Easter egg hunt both in the sand and water. The day was perfect and the place was packed.

Easter Sunday at Nippers

Cath having a Nippers special

Spent two nights at Sea Spray Marina on Elbow Cay. Wonderful little marina with a pool, bar and beautiful restaurant. Dock Master “Junior” runs a great establishment. Easy 3 mile bike ride into Hope Town. Golf carts are the main mode of travel on Elbow Cay but for $50/day the bikes work fine. Took the dink out for a 15 mile sight seeing adventure including a trip to Cracker P’s on Lubbers Quarter for lunch. Weather was perfect with light winds so rode out thru Tilloo Cut into the Atlantic. Anchored at Tahiti Beach with several other boats.

Low tide at Sea Spray Marina

Tahiti Beach

Moving on today to Treasure Cay. Strong winds are expected out of the southwest and we want to find an anchorage with less fetch.

After more than two months at Sunset Bay Marina we finally untied the lines and left for our expected trip to the Bahamas. But like the start of the year plan changes are the rule of the day and that’s how and why we are at West End Grand Bahama again. After a final dinner in Stuart Saturday night with our dock neighbors, Gary and Terri we awoke at sunrise. A quick fuel up and we headed down the intracoastal for a Sunday ride to Lake Worth. As it was a beautiful Sunday and the end of the Palm Beach boat show the ICW was busy and we did a bit of waiting for bridges to open. Some open on request while others open on the quarter or half hour. A leisurely motor got us to Lake Worth at 2:30 where we anchored in the large lake basin amid many sailboats.

I must give kudos to the entire staff at Sunset Bay. They were polite and professional and made the entire stay enjoyable. Kudos too to Bobby and Mary McKee, our dock neighbors and owners of Mary T Yacht Services. Under Bob and Mary’s direction Big Smile was washed, waxed and had all the teak stripped and refinished with 12 coats of All Spar and Awlbrite. All caulking between teak and other finishes was removed and recaulked. It looks superb and we highly recommend them. I can’t forget Danielle Heaton owner of Alpha Diver who came on a Saturday to scrape and clean the bottom and replace zincs as required. Great person.

Two blue Selene 53’s, Jimmy Buffets old Nordhavn and a beautiful Marlow.

Bob and Mary McKee

We left Lake Worth early Monday morning to head across the stream. Monday was the day as a weather front was arriving and would delay us for at least three days so with a decent forecast we weighed anchor. We arrived at Old Bahama Bay Marina after a relatively easy nine hour crossing from Lake Worth. The wind picked up to 15+ knots but the seas remained on our port quarter so not too much rolling. We pulled in to an almost empty marina which surprised us as last June the place was packed. There were 5 mega yachts side tied and they were impressive. The tie up and customs procedure were easy. The dock master hands us the forms after he gets us tied up and tells customs I will be over in a few minutes to clear us in. The process is simple except for shelling out the $300 cash for cruising in the Bahamas.

Mega Yachts at Old Bahama Bay

We are hear again instead of heading to the Exumas because of events back in New Jersey. Several weeks ago we put our home on the market expecting 3 months or so to sell it. We had four offers in two days and signed a contract on the third day. Now this of course is great news but it forced us to stay much closer to the US and shorten our Bahama excursion. So right now we are spending a second night at Old Bahama Bay and spent part of the day on the phone with our attorney and sending emails to our realtor and others involved in the sales process. So far, so good. We will need to find decent internet access again in a couple of days as we will push out of here tomorrow.

The new Dahon Jack folding bike

Cath’s Dahon Mariner