Friday, November 13, 2015

Fuss and Bother on the ICW.. so out to the Great Atlantic to Georgia

November 9th to 12th
First a little venting... The ICW is becoming a sadly neglected important waterway. I know that South Carolina has had some horrific flooding but the near impassibility of several areas, confusing markers, bridge schedules, and confusing "advise" from several on line forums..power yachts with little regard for their wakes, fishing vessels who totally ignore everyone else on the waterway,  our crossing from Wrightsville to Charleston was one of the most miserable, tense, frustrating experiences we have had.

We left Georgetown at 6:15 AM in cold rain... Tom at the helm... We needed to made a stretch around McClellanville, where we were warned the passage was impossible at low tide. There were coastal flood warnings and fortunately we made it through this area with little bother, more to the blessing and curse of the cold rain. We finally hit the wall close to the Ben Sawyer Swing bridge where the markers and shallow water conspired to finally run us aground and we waited 1/2 hour for higher water to get back to moving on.

We made it to Charleston Harbor Marina... this is suppose to be a #1 facility and they charge accordingly. Sad to say they are not maintaining the facility, their pump out boat still is not functioning. The staff is helpful but it is not worth the charge. Unfortunately the other marinas we would have preferred to be in were full so it was our only choice.

Tom and I discussed staying on the inside and dealing with more frustration or waiting a day and going outside and making the 147 nautical mile trip in 25 hours instead of 4 days on the inside.
It was not sailing weather, but the ocean was calm and we are now safely at hour Thanksgiving Holiday dock in Brunswick GA.
Tom at the helm leaving Georgetown

view from our berth at Charleston Harbor Marina

Leaving Charleston 

Dinner in the Atlantic, 

and of course I am still knitting only 8 projects going 

I popped out and the landscape was drizzly wet marsh with one
lone dead tree with a wet Eagle

Leaving Charleston, in the harbor was a large swath of what looked
like soap bubbles 

sunset in the Atlantic... 



sunrise after a cold and quiet night

entering St Simons Sound


Sidney Lanie Bridge,185' tall.
no problems

marsh land view from our berth. Great during the day
then the mosquitoes came out in the evening 

Cool Hand Too at rest till December 1st.
Now to fetch our car from Oriental NC



Saturday, November 7, 2015

Georgetown South Carolina 11/7/2015

We are here for the weekend... maybe until Monday. There is a nasty storm headed this way so we have found the safety and comfort of a marina... We have visited Georgetown several times, and will enjoy strolling through the downtown area which is just a block up from our slip. Temperatures are suppose to drop, but right now the sun is hot and clouds are gathering.

I will try and update this more often... now that we have access to Wi Fi and Cellular net works

Rain, more rain, flooding, rain .. good thing we live in a boat

sunsets are always wonderful

scarf I finished ... still knitting and getting more yarn to
knit some more. Loved the Shop in New Bern 


ain't she pretty

going down the ICW on a still morning ... no traffic
I love the reflections of stumps and trees in the water



this Osprey was looking up at trees, did not fly away when wake
came ashore



another finished knitting project

so many photos ... here are a few Lunar Eclipse

It was a rain soaking week in New Bern and I had little hope that we would actually see the eclipse. As it turned out the clouds were blown way with a change in fronts and we had a perfect view. 
so it bagan













Heron on the banks at low tide

turtles sunning themselves 

just a really neat spider web... not on my boat on the dock


So many Photos... So Much Time New Bern North Carolina

We spent several weeks in New Bern North Carolina. During that time we made one side trip to Swansboro... a yarn shop called the Salty Ewe... Drove around the area, loved senior day at the Harris Teeter grocery store, had a great spa day a gift from Jennie, sampled the local cuisine. In general we like the area and will be back again.
This area of North Carolina has a population of wild black bears
New Bern has taken that as a theme and all around town there are
bear statues that are dressed to convey a business or theme

It was National Breast Awareness Month so many
of the bears were decorated with pink accessories  



Joy gave me the gift of a trolley tour around New Berm
This area is filled with history that is unusual for the area.\

one of our favorite eateries



Halloween decorations in the downtown area
New Bern


Tryon Palace... Never took the tour inside.. our next visit

signs like this are everywhere ... quick captions of
history

entrance to the cemetery...