Official Cliff Posting from the U.S.

Hello everyone.  I  am well and safe.  I know it has been a long time since I sent an update so I will begin by saying I am back in the US.  I did the crossing from the Abacos to Fort Pierce, Florida on April 25th.  Although a relatively rough crossing, with seas range from 3 to 5 feet, with the occasional 6 foot wave, there were no mishaps and the captain and NAVIGATOR came through fine.

So…what have I been doing all this time.  Well, I liked the Exumas well enough that I stayed there for a couple of months, mostly in the Georgetown, Exuma area.  The weather over the winter was quite good.  For much of the time I was anchored in the lee of the easterly trade winds off the west side of Stocking Island, which is across Elizabeth Harbor from Georgetown, making the anchorage much quieter.  I did a lot of exploring of Stocking Island as it had numerous hiking trails that crisscrossed the island, plus miles of sandy beaches to walk and swim off, both on the ocean side and the harbor side.  I found a couple of great Tiki Bars on the island as well, Big D’s and Chat & Chill.  It was fun to dinghy ashore for a unique rum punch from each place.  Once a week Bid D’s had an evening bonfire on the beach, so groups would get together and drink and have dinner ashore by the fire.

Big D's Tiki Bar & Grill

Stocking Island

But, eventually it came time to leave the Georgetown area and begin to head north.  In early March I started the journey back to the Abacos.  I spent time at Stocking Cay (as opposed to Stocking Island), which was formerly a research center that had been closed for a couple of years.  Did lots of hiking and beach walking for nearly a week as the weather was not particularly suitable for transit in the ocean.  The water was still clean and clear, and all shades of blue.  Hopefully the center will find funding to continue its work before all the facilities become too run down to be usable.  From Stocking Cay, I went to Little Farmer’s Cay and spent a couple of days.  This was a small cay with a small settlement, and an airstrip.  The people were wonderful and  friendly, the drinks cheap, and the food good, with lots of fresh fish.  I then went to Black Point settlement for a few days on Guana Cay, Exuma.  Among other things, I did laundry there, one of those things that need doing even in paradise.  Then it was on to Staniel Cay, known for having a grotto on a small cay just off its shore where the James Bond movies were filmed, to pick up water and diesel fuel.   As I continued north, up the Exuma chain, I arrived at the Exuma Land and Sea Park, and spent time on several of the cays in the park,  including Cambridge, Warderwick Wells, and Hawksbill Cays.  Did swimming and snorkeling at Cambridge and Hawksbill cays, and spent 5 days at Warderwick Wells walking trails, sunbathing on deserted beaches, and snorkeling.  A period of good weather was imminent, so I continued north to Highbourne Cay and prepared for a crossing to Eleuthera (bought fuel and water).

Land & Sea Park

A little after the middle of March, I did the crossing from Highbourne Cay, Exuma across Exuma  Sound to Rock Sound, Eleuthera in a day.  A couple of days were spent walking the settlement of Rock Sound, meeting the people, searching out bars/restaurants, and seeing the sights.  Then I took NAVIGATOR to Hatchet Bay, which is surrounded by Alice Town, Eleuthera.  Spent another few days here learning about the people  and enjoying the bars and restaurants.  There are only a few hundred inhabitants in the settlement of Alice Town, but all seemed very friendly and helpful to cruisers, like most everywhere in Eleuthera and the Exumas.

Sunset off Eleuthera

Another weather window was opening for the crossing to the Abacos, so it was time to leave Hatchet Bay and head to Royal Island Sound, Royal Island being off the northwest shore of Eleuthera.  Only one night was spent at Royal Island Sound, which was not bad as there is really nothing to do on Royal Island since the resort closed, before heading for the Abacos.  The next morning fleet of 6 sailboats left Royal Island Sound at about 5:00 AM in route Little Harbour, Abacos, with NAVIGATOR in the lead.  We made good time so I bypassed Little Harbour inlet and took NAVIGATOR into the Sea of Abaco through North Bar Channel, which is a much better inlet than Little Harbour.  As I had made good time, I continued on to Marsh Harbour, Abaco for its protection as the wind was expected to become stronger the next day (which it did).  It is now the end of March, and I have nearly a month to spend in the Abacos before returning to the States.  I did some sailing to the outlying cays, including Great Guana, Elbow Cay, Talloo, and Linyard Cays.  Did a lot of healthy walking around Marsh Harbour and the beaches of the cays.  Went out to dinner several times to a couple of good restaurants, including Firefly’s on Elbow Cay and The Jib Room in Marsh Harbour.  Also did the pig roast at Nipper’s on Great Guana Cay as well.  But all good things must end, it seems, so I had to begin my plan to cross the Gulf Stream back to the US.  The problem was the weather did not want to cooperate.  The wind started to blow, and the seas built, some days to as much as 8-10 feet.  So the plan became to go out into the ocean for a short passage round Whale Cay on the first day the seas dropped to 3-4 feet, then spent time at Powell Cay waiting for the seas in the Gulf Stream to die down to 3-5 feet.  Powell Cay provided me access to the internet through my cell phone card so I could keep an eye on the weather.  I needed to plan three days in advance of a crossing as it takes two days to get to the Gulf Stream from Powell Cay.  When I saw a window approaching, I headed out to Great Sale Cay, and spent the first night there.  The next morning I made a short run to Mangrove Cay and spent the afternoon and evening there trying to get a little sleep, then took off for the edge of the Little Bahama Bank at 10:00 PM at night to begin the crossing.  I had estimated 6 hours to the edge of the Bank, but it only took 5, so I reached the edge of the Gulf Stream shortly after 3:00 AM on Thursday, April 25th and the crossing began, in the dark with 3-4 foot seas.  As the morning wore on, the seas built to 3-5 feet, before subsiding to 2-3 feet about 2 hours out from Fort Pierce inlet in Florida. 

Marsh Harbour

I made the inlet by noon, and Harbor Town Marina by 1:00 PM.  Spent the afternoon checking in with Customs and Immigration with the help of friends from Satellite Beach, Rick and Clayton, driving me to the airport to meet with Immigration.  We had dinner at the marina before Rick headed home to Satellite Beach.  Clayton stayed on board helping me bring NAVIGATOR up the Waterway to Satellite Beach, with a one night stop at Vero Beach. 

We got into the Banana River at Satellite Beach around 2:00 PM and anchored, then took the dinghy ashore to their house on a canal in Satellite Beach.  I have been enjoying their hospitality for nearly a week now, but I will head out tomorrow (Friday, May 3) on the journey north up the Intracoastal Waterway.

I hope everyone had as enjoyable a winter as I did.  I will let you know when I get into Chesapeake Bay.

Cliff Baker
S/V NAVIGATOR

Back in the U.S. of A.

Cliff arrived back in U.S. waters this week.  Clayton and I drove down to Ft Pierce, Florida when he arrived.  Then Clayton sailed up to our home in Satellite Beach, FL with Cliff.  Cliff has some great photos of his winter in the Bahamas, and will be posting them here soon (we hope).

Rick

Motoring up the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida

Cliff at the Helm

Back in Marsh Harbour

I am in Marsh Harbour, Abaco at the current time.  I plan to cross back from the Bahamas to Florida in about 10 to 14 days, then start heading up the Intracoastal Waterway.

Cliff

Eleuthera to the Abacos

I left the Exumas a couple of days ago for Eleuthera.  Spent a day in Rock Sound, Eleuthera.  Then went to Hatchet Bay Harbour at Alice Town for a couple of days.

I will head to Royal Island tomorrow, then on to the Abacos on Saturday, weather permitting.

January/ February 2013 Update

Hello everyone, I know it has been a long time since I sent any information on my whereabouts, but I have been having trouble getting decent internet access, and e-mail access in particular.  So, I will try and update you on what I  have been doing.  I will assume you got the e-mail on my arrival in the Abacos, but not the one about my arrival in the Exumas, so I will start with leaving the Abacos.

On December 17 I left Linyard Cay, Abaco for Eleuthera.  After the better part of the day sailing and motoring, I arrived at Royal Sound, Eleuthera, where I spent the night.  Then It was off to Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera for several days.  Governor’s Harbour is the government seat in Eleuthera.  The town is quite clean, and has all the necessities except a place to get fuel and water.  I spent several days there enjoying walking around the town, meeting the people, and enjoying the library.  Also went out to dinner one evening.  I then headed down to Rock Sound, at the southern end of Eleuthera, and spent several days in the protection of the harbor as a cold front went through.  Rock Sound was a smaller town than Governor’s Harbour, but still enjoyable.  I found an inexpensive Bahamian restaurant one evening, and the food was quite good in the home cooking style.  But one does have to the pace of Bahamian service!

After the front past, I did a day sail across Exuma Sound to the northern cays of the Exumas, spending the first night at a marina on Highbourne Cay where I was able to obtain diesel fuel and water.  The next day  left for The Exuma’s Land and Sea Park headquarters at Warderwick Wells.  I spent eight days in the north anchorage of Wardrick Wells and explored the cay, as it had lots of walking trails to follow, and did several days of snorkel when the wind was not blowing to hard.  It was a good place to sit out another cold front  passage.  The Park Administrator and his girlfriend opened their house to the cruisers that were at Warderwick Wells on Christmas Day for dinner.  They provided a turkey and ham, and the cruisers provided all the sides (NAVIGATOR providing stuffing and brownies).  We also had a beachside get together on New Years eve, though no one stayed up until midnight, at least not on the beach.

After leaving Warderwick Wells, I did a couple of days of snorkeling at Cambridge Cay, also in the park.  The water was so clear, and on the first day I found a place called the Sea Aquarium that had lots and lots of tropical fish to swim with.  It was actually nothing more than a small cay off Cambridge Cay that seemed to attract a t lot of fish.  The next day was not so successful, as I was going to snorkel an area known for its elkhorn coral, only a shark wanted to call the area home that day, so I let him have his way and tried elsewhere.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find anyplace as good as the place I had been the day before.  From Cambridge Cay I headed further south to the Staniel Cay area and anchored behind Big Majors Spot Cay to spend a couple of days.  The first days was pretty windy, so I stayed put on the boat.  The next day I met some other Island Packet owners who were going snorkeling at Thunderball Cave, the cave in which they filmed the underwater scenes for the James Bond movie Thunderball.  Unfortunately, I managed to scrape my leg getting into the dinghy to head out.  By the time I got to the cave, my scrape was bleading, so watched the dinghy while the other two snorkeled the cave.  I didn’t want to go into the water with blood, in case we ran across another shark.  I will snorkel there on my back north.  The next stop on the way south the George Town, Exuma was a settlement called Black Point on Guana Cay.  This settlement appeared to be poorer than the previous ones I had been to, but the people were still very friendly and helpful.  I walked the island, crossing to the ocean side for the view, and walked around town finding a Laundromat, which I used, and grocery store to get fresh vegetables, and three bar and grills, where, naturally, I had to try out the bar.  After 2 days in Black Point, I headed south once again, spending most of the day underway to Cave Cay for the night.  I did not go ashore here as it is a private cay, as are many of the cays in the Exumas.

The next day I headed out for George Town, Exuma.  The initial ride out the cut by Cave Cay was quite rough, with 4-5 foot seas that were very steep, as a result of and outgoing tide and incomeing wind blowing about 20 knots.  But once NAVIGATOR got about half mile off shore, things smoothed out and I had a nice passage to George Town.  The entry into the harbor was fairly straight forward, and I found an nice anchorage off Stocking Island off Monument Beach.  So, I have been in George Town since January 7, 2013, except for a couple of trips about 8 miles north to Emerald Bay Marina for fuel and water and a change of scenery.  George Town is the largest settlement in the Exumas, but no where near as large as Marsh Harbor in the Abacos.  It has been fun to meet new people, both cruisers and native Bahamas.  One of the Bahamians who is quite knowledgable bout computers, has helped me get decent internet access.  I have eaten out a fairly broad selection of restaurants, from beach bars to fine dining (which is very expensive here), though not that often due to the cost.  There are also a lot of activities going on in George Town.  The cruisers put on seminars on travel experience, technical problems, sprots, yoga, you name it, someone will discuss it.  The water is very clear here, both on the harbor and oceans sides.  Water colors are fabulous.  The weather is also better here, the temperature about 10 degrees warmer than Marsh Harbour, and the winds usually 5-10 MPH less when a cold front goes through.  The only real problem is there is not a lot of protection from wind blowing  from the SW to the W to the NW.  Fortunately the easterly trades  winds predominate.

Well, I guess this brings me up to date.  Sorry for not writing more often.  I will try to do better.

Cliff Baker
S/V NAVIGATOR

To the Exumas and Beyond

Made Eleuthera and went on the Exumas.  I have been through the Exumas Land and Sea Park, been to Staniel Cay where the movie Thunderball was filmed, and am now in Blackpoint Settlement on Great Guana Cay, Exumas.

 I may be heading to George Town, Exumas early next week.  Weather has been quite good, and it is warmer here by nearly 10 degrees than in the Abacos. 

After leaving Rick and Clayton in Satellite Beach, I continued down the Intracoastal Waterway to West Palm Beach and crossed to the Bahamas on November 27.  The trip started out a little rough from Lake Worth Inlet, but got smoother as I crossed.  Instead of 3-4 foot seas with an occasional 5 foot sea in the morning, by the time I got to the Little Bahama Bank, the seas were only 1-2 feet. 

I spent the night at Mangrove Cay, then moved on the next day to Great Sale Cay and spent several days there waiting for better weather.  The next stop was Green Turtle Cay to clear customs and officially enter the Bahamas.  Weather again kept me in Green Turtle Cay for several days, so I did not arrive in Marsh Harbor until December 5. 

I spent about a week in Marsh Harbor restocking the boat with fresh vegetables, fruit, fuel, and water, did the sight seeing thing to see if things had changed much (and they haven’t), and then decided to go the Great Guana Cay on the 14th. 

Shark Trash in Marsh Harbor

From Great Guana, I headed to Linyard Cay to stage for a crossing to Eleuthera.  I plan to do this crossing tomorrow.  I should not be a difficult crossing as it is only about 60 miles, but it is all open ocean, so I will have to be careful.  Looks like I will have several boats in company, as the anchorage here at Linyard Cay is pretty crowded.  I plan to spend at least a couple of weeks in Eleuthera before heading to the Exumas for more adventure.

I hope everyone has a great holiday season.

Cliff Baker
S/V NAVIGATOR

Back in the Bahamas

Cliff has made it across the Gulf Stream, and is back in Marsh Harbour.  Here's what he reports:

Weather has been quite rainy.  Saturday I rained hard all afternoon.  In the
two previous years I have been here, I have never seen it rain so hard for
so long.  Usually it rains for half hour or so, then stops, but not
Saturday.  Front is coming through on Thursday, winds to 25 with higher
gusts, so I will stay in Marsh Harbor for that.

Weather Improves - Cliff Departs

Cliff waves goodbye in Indian Harbour

After a week of wind and waves,  the weather is improving in Florida.  Cliff spent the last few days with us in Satellite Beach.  Today he returned to Navigator to continue his southward journey.  Tomorrow he plans on reaching Vero Beach, followed by Palm Beach, and then the crossing to the Bahamas.

Rick

Sunset in Indian Harbour

In Satellite Beach

Hi.  Rick here.

Cliff dressed for the windy wet as he pilots his dinghy.

Cliff arrived safely at our home in Satellite Beach, Florida yesterday.  I joined him on the cruise down from St Augustine - much fun!

Our fishing boat serves as tender to S/V Navigator

But it's windy (and occasionally wet)  now - and the swing bridge that provides access to our canal is not working.  So Cliff is anchored south of the bridge, and we ferry him on our little fishing boat.  He'll probably wait until the winds subside before heading further south.

Finally Found Florida!

Cliff at the Castillo de San Marcos

I have finally found warm weather in Florida, but not before a long cold journey through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.  It wasn’t until I got past Charleston and Beaufort South Carolina that the morning temperatures got out of the 30s and 40s.  Near the boarder of North Carolina and South Carolina, I stopped for two nights to visit with a friend I new from work before I retired, Lee Bragg.  We had a fine dinner together, and did a wine tasting the next day.  As moved south from Lee’s, I anchored in places like Charleston and Beaufort, South Carolina, and Thurderbolt and St. Simons Island in Georgia.  In Georgia, even the low 50s seemed cold due to the dampness from rain.  But by the time I got to Fernandina Beach, the morning temperature was 62 degrees, and I was beginning to thaw out.

I stopped in St. Augustine, FL for a couple of nights to meet up with friends Rick and Clayton.  We had dinner the first night, and toured St. Augustine the next day ( Thursday, November 15).

Cliff inspects a cannon

The Castillo De San Marcos was interested as was a restored boarding house we also toured.  Naturally, we did wine tasting at San Sebastian Winery as well.  Clayton took their car back to Satellite Beach, while Rick came with me down the intracoastal waterway toward Satellite Beach.  We anchored in Daytona, and then stayed in a marina in Titusville.  Tomorrow, it will be on to Satellite Beach to spend a few days with Rick and Clayton.

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

I have been seeing lots of dolphins and pelicans on the waterway, as well as a couple of manatees.  The scenery never seems to be dull, even if this is my fifth passage on the waterway.  Many of the waterfront homes are amazing, the wildlife interesting and exciting, and even the cities can be interesting.  I am certainly blessed to be able to  do this during my retirement.

My next big event will be crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas, and I will attempt to send an update just before I leave.

Cliff Baker
S/V NAGIVATOR

On the Road Again...

Hello again,

I got some sailing in going to the Solomons on October 21st.  Anchored in Mill Creek for a couple of days.  Spent most of the next day cleaning up the boat and stowing more of the food and gear that didn’t get stowed before I left the Corsica River to begin this voyage.  It still isn’t all stowed, but I am getting there.  As a result of my efforts on the boat, I did not go ashore in the Solomons.  On Tuesday, October 23rd, I again headed south, this time crossing the bay to Onancock.  Spent two days here also, only this time I did go ashore.  Onancock is a quaint little town, with lots of antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants.  Also found a hardware store that had a good supply of o-rings that I did for a check valve, so made out well on that little problem.  Had a good dinner in an Irish Pub (on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake no less).  The next day, I stayed on the eastern shore and visited Cape Charles, near the end of the Delmarva Peninsula.  I stayed at the town dock, which is quite inexpensive ($1.00/foot), and again walked around town.  It is mostly gift shops, bed and breakfasts, and restaurants.  So had another good meal at one of the establishments.

I was going to stay another day, however, the weather was beginning to deteriorate, and I needed a place to settle in for Hurricane Sandy.  I decided Norfolk would be the place, so headed over to Tidewater Marine, fueled up and put on water, then got a dock space.  They were pretty full on the floating docks, but had plenty of space on the fixed docks, which was fine with me.  I wanted to know that what I tied NAVIGATOR to wasn’t going to float away.  So, with the wind building with gusts to 30 knots, I spent most of Friday, October 26th, and Saturday getting NAVIGATOR tied down and ready for the blow, along with keeping an eye on the weather reports.  I doubled up all lines, and, because the slip next to me was empty, added a couple of more lines to hold me in place that extended across the adjoining slip and were tied to that slips piling.  That worked great in holding me in the center of my slip.  Because the weather reports were beginning to say that the storm would stay out to sea and bypass the Hampton Road area (including Norfolk), I elected to keep the sails furled on the stays, and the mainsail furled in the mast.  I also left the canvas cockpit enclosure on, as it had already stood up to 50+ knots of wind in the Bahamas, and gusts were projected to be in that range.  Sunday and Monday, the wind did come, along with the tide.  Fortunately, the winds only blew 25-30 knots, with gusts to the mid 40s (probably around 50 mph).  The tides ran 4-5 feet above normal, which put about 2 foot of water over the docks at the marina.  I just hunkered down on NAVIGATOR and road out the storm.  If I needed to get about, I just had to slosh around in the water.  But there wasn’t much reason to go out, everything was closed, mostly due to a loss of power.  By Tuesday, the wind had died down to somewhat (15-25 knots), so I did an oil change on the main engine.  Also went out to dinner at a place called the Bier Garten, with authentic German Food, and it was good.  But time was passing, it was getting colder, and I needed to move on.

So, on Wednesday, October 31st, I was under way south to an anchorage just south of Coinjock, NC.  Went through a lock and then a bascule (lift) bridge.  I ended up here because I was concerned that downed trees had closed the Dismal Swamp route.  Besides, it was something different to try.  It was a pleasant trip, although long.  I didn’t get the anchor down until 6:30 pm, after the sun had set.  November 1 was spent going across Albemarle Sound, up the Alligator River, and through the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal, to the most desolate place on the trip south.  Absolutely no cell phone coverage.  What a peaceful night at this anchorage, but it was still cold.  I need to get south!  So, the next morning I headed NAVIGATOR south toward Oriental, and spent 2 days at a development/marina called River Dunes.  The first night, I took friends that I had met in Baltimore out to dinner as they were also staying there.  After giving them a send off for points south the next morning, I did laundry, one of the bugaboos about boating life.  Also took a long 4 mile walk to keep my doctors happy (can’t walk very far on the boat).  Also watched a wedding Saturday afternoon.

But it was time to get moving again, so on Sunday, November 4th, I headed out for an anchorage on the Marine Corps base, Camp Lejune, called Mile Hammock Bay to spend the night.  That is one of my long trips, 70 miles in one day.  But I made good time with the help of an incoming tide.  The anchorage was crowded, but quiet, it being Sunday.  No heavy equipment running around as on other visits to this anchorage.  Today I had a short day, only 40 miles from Mile Hammock Bay to Wrightsville Beach, NC.  Stopped at Wrightsville Beach Marina to pick up water and 52 gallons of diesel fuel for the engine before anchoring behind the marshes across from the oceanfront beach of Wrightsville Beach.  Should be a quiet night.  Then tomorrow it will be off the North and South Carolina where I will meet a friend from my previous work to have dinner with.  Then farther south toward Charleston to, hopefully, warmer weather.

I have attached some pictures I have taking so far, please enjoy.  The first is the sunset at Mile Hammock Bay, the second is of the boats in Mile Hammock Bay, the third is of one of the many swing bridges that NAVIGATOR must pass through on the way south, and the last is of the ramp the Marine Corps uses for launching its amphibious vehicles in Mile Hammock Bay.

Cliff Baker
S/V NAVIGATOR

After Sandy

Today I asked Cliff if he stayed safe and dry after riding out Superstorm Sandy in Norfolk.  He replied:

Safe and not so dry.  It poured here in Norfolk for three days.  The boat is
so humid, water is dripping off the metal parts of the ports and hatches,
making a mess of everything.  Need to get south where it is warmer!  I
should leave tomorrow (Wednesday) and head into North Carolina.

Navigator Braces for Sandy

As of this writing, Hurricane Sandy is heading up the East Coast.  Where is Cliff?  Here's what he reported today:

I am tied up in a marina in Norfolk, VA, at the bottom of the Chesapeake for
the duration of this storm.  We shall see what happens.  I am hoping it
stays out to sea until it passes Norfolk.  Then I can start to head south.

The Adventure Begins (Again)

The S/V NAVIGATOR and I have begun our annual trek down the Chesapeake then onward in the Intracoastal Waterway on our way to the Bahamas.  The trip started on Saturday, October 20, from the Corsica River, which is off the Chester River, down the Bay to the Rhode River, just south of Annapolis.  On Sunday we continued south in bright sunny weather to Solomons to spend a couple of days.  Today is also sunny, but I remain in the Solomons to do sum cleaning and continued stowing of the food and gear I am bringing south.  Fortunately, the bright sun heats things up on the boat, especially the cockpit, but it will cool off quickly when the sun goes down.  Can’t wait to get south for warmer weather.  I will head to Onancock tomorrow for a couple of days, then to Cape Charles for a day.  Then it will be time to head to Norfolk to begin the trip south through the Dismal Swamp.  Unfortunately, there is weather coming next weekend through Monday, so my departure from Norfolk will be delayed a couple of days, most likely until Tuesday.

I hope everyone reading this is having a great fall and enjoying the weather.  I will attempt to keep you abreast of my adventure at least once a week, so stay tuned.

Cliff Baker
S/V NAVIGATOR

Back Home Again

Cliff reports that he made it back to the Corsica River in Maryland on June 3.  He's getting the boat cleaned up, and them maybe he'll provide a final update on this year's trip.

Back in Maryland - But Not Home Quite Yet

Here's an update from Cliff:

I was being chased up the East Coast by Tropical Storm Beryl.  It is supposed to get windy this week, so I have holed up in a place called historic St. Mary's City, Maryland.  The only thing here is a small college, and I mean the only thing.  No grocery store, no bars, no
restaurants, no nothing but a quiet, protected anchorage.  Now we will wait
to see what the weather produces.

May 20 - North Carolina

My last update had me in Satellite Beach, FL visiting Rick and Clayton.  I was able to spend 6 days with them.  Did some bike riding to the beach, walking, swimming (in the pool as well as the ocean, sat in the sun, did some work on the boat, and the bottom of the boat cleaned, and generally had a great time.  Leaving them, I continued to St. Augustine, with an overnight stop in Daytona Beach.  I took a day off and did the sightseeing thing in St. Augustine, including the old town section and St. Augustine Winery for wine tasting and lunch.  While visiting Fort San Marcos I bought a senior citizens pass for $10.  The good news is this pass will allow me to get into tall the national parks and seashores free for the rest of my life, the bad news is it means I am getting old!  The following day I made my last stop in Florida, anchoring for the night in Fernandina Beach.  Then I had to tackle Georgia and all its shallow water. 

The dreaded Georgia Green Fly

In addition to the shallow water, Georgia was teaming with green flies, I counted 4 dozen I had killed and had fallen in the cockpit.  Plus there must have been another couple of dozen than I had already thrown overboard as I killed them.  All that in one day of motoring up the waterway.  Fortunately, I only had to spend 2 days transiting Georgia, but the flies were around for both days.  One night was spend near Cumberland Island on the South River, the other just south of Savannah in Thunderbolt, GA.  Once I got into South Carolina the flies pretty much disappeared, which was good.

The first stop in South Carolina was Beaufort.  After anchoring, I took the dinghy ashore, walked around town, stopped for wine and oysters, and had dinner.  I had hoped for another wine tasting, but the winery that was there in the fall must have gone out of business, because it was nowhere to be found.  Next stop was Charleston.  I spent an extra day in Charleston doing more sightseeing.  I had lunch in town and went to a museum, but was not feeling well, so went back to NAVIGATOR in the early afternoon and had dinner there.  It gave me time to rest up for the rest of the trip. 

South Carolina Intracoastal Waterway

The next day I left early, and got as far as Winyah Bay, spending the night on Minim Creek.  Next stop was and small anchorage behind Richmond Island on the Waccamaw River, which is across from Wachesaw Landing and Wacawache Marina.  A very quiet and secluded anchorage.  The last stop in South Carolina was the Lightkeeper’s Marina in Little River.  I have a friend from where I used to work you lives in the area, and I stop to see him when I go by.  He buys dinner on the trip south, I buy on the trip north.  I got tied up at the marina early, so we went wine tasting in the area.  Found two wineries, and ended up buying 5 bottles of wine.  The white are pretty good, and one winery had a nice, dry cabernet franc. 

Waterfront Homes near Isle of Palms, SC

The next night I spent anchored off Wrightsville Beach, NC after getting 54 gallons of diesel fuel to keep the engine happy.  It had been raining a lot over the past week, and today was no different, having to anchor in a shower.  It is good for sleeping though, listening to the pitter-patter of rain on the cabin roof.  The next night I anchored in a little cove on Camp Lejune, the Marine Corps base.  It is wonderful they allow boaters to use the cove as there is really no other place to anchor for a long stretch of the waterway here.  That afternoon, they were practicing the use of their small landing off the beach in the cove.  Morehead City was my next stop, staying at the Morehead City Yacht Basin Marina.  I got in late Friday afternoon, so did not walk around town, but I did go to my favorite restaurant in Morehead city, Floyd’s 1921.  A very good meal as usual.  The next morning it was blowing fairly hard (25-30 knots), so I decided to stay put for another day.  I did an oil change on the main engine, then went into town and walked around a boat show and art exhibit.  The boats were all small fishing boats with outboards, so sail boats, so that wasn’t all that interesting.  The art exhibit was interesting though.  I also had mussels and wine for lunch.

Today I left the marina, and headed toward Oriental, NC.  It was a relatively short and uneventful trip, so I thought I would take the opportunity to update everyone on what I have been doing and where I am currently located.  Just down the Neuse River from Oriental is Broad Creek.  I am anchored in Broad Creek in a quiet spot just upriver from a fancy marina associated with a planned community called River Dunes.  The creek banks are all lined with trees, making it a lovely spot to spend a quiet afternoon.  I should only have about 4 more nights in North Carolina before I reach Norfolk, VA, although I can easily stretch that to 5 nights if I spend 2 in Elizabeth City, which I usually do.  Well, now your are up to date on my happenings.  This year has been a wonderful adventure, particularly after my heart attack last winter.  I certainly am already looking forward to another trip next winter.  I am attaching some pictures of this portion of the trip.  I apologize for not taking more, but is a lot of work to run the boat, steer, be lookout, navigate, watch water depths, and all the other things required for a safe trip, I usually have little time for taking pictures.  What I need is a partner to help out with some of the duties, including taking pictures!

North Carolina and Beyond

Hi - Rick here,

Since Tropical Storm Alberto is brewing along the East Coast, I asked Cliff what progress he was making on his trip North.

Today he is in Morehead City, moving to the Oriental, North Carolina area.  He doesn't think the storm will effect him.  He thinks he'll be somewhere around Norfolk, VA if and when it comes anywhere near him.

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