4-11-2019 Ft. Myers Beach

3/31/2019 Cayo Costa

2-22-19 Matlacha Florida

2-8-19 Tween Waters, Captive Island Florida

09-14-2018 Fort Myers Beach

7-4-2018 Punta Gorda fireworks celebration

6-23-2018 Oregon, but not by boat

     We can't always have our good times on the boat.   Occasionally, we need to have fun on land.  We visited our son and his girlfriend in Oregon.  We camped and hiked in the Mt. Hood National Forest.  It is a beautiful area of the country.

5-10-2018 Cabbage Key

     We took a day cruise to Cabbage Key  https://cabbagekey.com/  for lunch on Thursday, May 10th.   It is about a 2.5 hour cruise from our slip at Burnt Store Marina.  The ride was a little warm with a tail wind and not much breeze to keep us cool.  The skies were a bit overcast but no rain was in the forecast.

       We anchored off of the GICW across from the channel to Cabbage Key.  We anchored in about 10ft. of water with plenty of room.  We dropped the dinghy and headed in to Cabbage Key for lunch.

     We beached the dinghy next to the docks, which appear to be for larger boats, and walked through the weeds to the beach.

     It was a weekday in the off season so the crowds were not too bad.  Ferries come in from Port Charlotte and Captiva dropping off people for the restaurant.  It was a nice day so we decided to sit outside on the patio overlooking the water.

     Lunch was very good, I had blackened grouper over rice and beans and Elaine had the Stone Crab lunch.  There were only five days left in the stone crab season.  The drinks were small and the beer list was very thin.  Service was excellent, very attentive and friendly.

     After lunch we walked around a little and saw the tortoises moving about the property.

     The ride back home was a little more comfortable.  The boat rocks less going into the wind so the ride was smooth.  As we were approaching our entrance channel we realized this was our first cruise where we had not seen dolphins.  As we were saying this we looked up the channel and saw two dolphins swimming towards us.  They turned around and followed us into the marina and hung out by the fuel dock for a while.  Better late than never.

3-24-2018 Captiva Island

     We cruised out to Captiva Island for the weekend.  The weather was sunny, warm, and dry.  The seas were fairly calm and the wind was light.

     We anchored between Buck Key and Captiva just past the Green Flash restaurant.  We had about six feet of water just off the channel.  The way in was tight but we saw plenty of water.  While coming in the channel we saw a dolphin jump straight up out of the water.  It was the first time we had seen a dolphin do this. 

     The anchorage was not very crowded, about three or four other boats and there was plenty of room. 

     We went ashore for an early dinner at the Green Flash.  https://www.greenflashcaptiva.com/  They let you tie up your dinghy if you are going to the restaurant.  The food was very good and the service was great.  We had a table overlooking the water and our boat.

     After dinner we walked over to the beach side.  The beach is beautiful and would be a great place to watch the sunset.  We then walked up the road a little to The Island Store for an ice cream.  http://www.captivaislandstore.com/   

     The anchorage was perfectly calm overnight and we slept wonderfully.  The next morning the wind had shifted and we encountered a lot of smoke from some wildfires near Naples.

     The ride back to Burnt Store Marina was calm and relaxing.

2-10-2018 Cayo Costa state park, Florida

Fort Myers FL to Burnt Store Marina FL

Moore Haven FL to Forty Myers FL

Pahokee FL to Moore Haven FL

Start time and hours                 0840                     3525.66                   MM 50 OWW Rim Route

End time and hours                  1400                     3530.51                   MM 89 OWW Rim Route

     We awoke in the luxurious confines of the Pahokee Municipal Marina to find that we were unable to locate the showers.  We found the bathrooms, but wish we didn’t.  They were serviceable at best, probably close to your worst roadside gas station men’s room.  We had good water at the dock so we got to take boat showers with extra water, what a treat.

     We paid our $1 per foot marina fee and got off th[JD1] e dock without too much trouble.  There was an old tug with someone living aboard that had lines going across the fairway blocking it completely.  This limited our room to back up and turn but we managed.

     The first few miles of the Rim Route was a little exposed to the lake.  The winds were from the Northeast at about 15mph most of the day and there was a moderate chop of about 1-2feet.  After about eight miles of this we got into the sheltered portion of the route.  It has the levee on one side and spoil islands on the other that blocked the wind. 

     The Rim Route is scenic.  The spoil islands are filled with birds, trees, mangroves, and a few alligators.  It is better than staring at open water for twenty five miles.

     There was one bridge along this route that opens manually.  It is the Torry Island Swing Bridge.  You need to call them before you get there so someone can come out and open it.  The person uses a long pole to turn a gear in the center of the bridge to make the bridge rotate.  It is fascinating to watch.

     We also had one lock to contend with today.  The Moore Haven lock is on the western edge of Lake Okeechobee and opens up into the Caloosahatchee Canal.  It was a windy day and we first entered the lock for a port tie but the wind quickly changed our decision to starboard side.  Once again we were the only boat in the lock and that helped us maneuver inside.

     After the lock we tied up at the Moore Haven town dock.  It is a convenient side tie with good power and water.  The bathrooms and showers are nothing special.  At $1 per foot it is a bargain.

     We met some folks who are just finishing up the Great Loop.  They only have to go to New Smyrna to finish but they said they might go to the Bahamas first.  It sounded like a great adventure, five thousand miles and eleven months on their boat so far.

---

 [JD1]doc

Wabasso Beach FL to Stuart FL

Umbrella River FL to Jacksonville FL

Start time and hours                 0715                                            3484.90                  MM 687

End time and hours                  1500                                            3492.16                  MM 746

     The Umbrella River was a wonderful anchorage.  We would be leaving Georgia and entering Florida today.  The quiet secluded anchorages of South Carolina and Georgia in their deep creeks and rivers would be few and far between when we reached Florida.

     We came out of Umbrella Creek and crossed St. Andrew Sound.  This would be the closest thing to going into the Atlantic ocean since Norfolk VA.  Because of shoals in the sound you need to go way out southeast and then turn 90 degrees to southwest.  You can see the ocean side of Jekyll Island.  The winds were calm and the crossing was very easy. 

     After crossing, we cruised down beside Cumberland Island (we didn’t see any wild horses) and crossed the Cumberland sound and into Florida at Fernandina Beach.  There is a large navigational tower that appears to be right on the border between Georgia and Florida in the middle of the sound.  Since we were going into Florida I assumed it was a toll booth.

     We had thought about stopping in Fernandina for a night but the city marina is still undergoing repairs from hurricane damage.  Government work moves slowly and it had been more than a year since the damage and they were still taking bids for the repairs.  So we moved on to Jacksonville Beach.

     We cruised down the Amelia River, crossed Nassau Sound and went into Sawpit creek.  This continued into Sister’s creek and then across the St. Johns River.  Just before crossing the St. John’s River we had to go under a bridge that had a boat ramp beside it.  This being a Saturday in Florida there were hundreds of small fishing boats zipping around all day.  As we approached the bridge there were at least 25 boats congregated around the ramp, some moving and some just sitting blocking the bridge.  Elaine did a great job weaving around the little fishing boats and making it under the bridge. 

   After crossing the St. John’s River we headed into Pablo Creek and just as we were finishing going    under another bridge we got viciously waked by a big go-fast boat that came under the bridge and passed us about 25 feet away from our starboard.  It sent everything on the starboard side of the boat to the port side.  It was totally unnecessary and dangerous.   If you see a forty foot motor yacht named Gypsy Soul, stay out of its way.

     We had one more bridge experience today.  At the Atlantic bridge there was a construction barge parked under the center span for work on the bridge.  This blocked about half the horizontal clearance of the bridge.  We were running against a strong current and the barge made it stronger.  Recently, a post on Trawler forum described this as his most terrifying experience as a boater as the currents threw his bow back and forth while trying to navigate the narrow channel.   As you can see in the video, the current is strong and the boat is moved around quite a bit.  It took almost full power to maintain control and get through.   At one point I increased power because Elaine did not want to take her hands off of the wheel.  I did not tell her about the Trawler forum post until after we through.

     After these bridge experiences it was only a few short miles down to the Palm Cove marina in Jacksonville Beach FL.

     The Palm Cove Marina  http://www.palmcovemarina.com/  was a nice place to spend a couple of days.  We needed to do laundry, pump out, get fuel, and re-provision.  There was a good grocery store about one half mile away.  There was also a McDonald’s where we had a wonderful breakfast before leaving.

     The marina had a captain’s lounge with a tv.  We went to watch the football games on Sunday but there was a man there already and he was watching Ant Man the movie.  Fortunately he left after the movie but by then we had missed the first half of Patriots/Raiders in Mexico city.  

Dewees Creek SC to Ashepoo River SC

Butler Island SC to Dewees Creek SC

Start time and hours                                  0715                                 3447.23

End time and hours                                    1415                                 3454.38

     We woke up early in the Butler Island SC anchorage as we had a 60 mile run ahead of us.  While not quite as cold as yesterday morning it was still a little chilly, about 42 degrees.  I fired up the generator and turned on the heat to take the chill out of the boat while we dressed and got ready to go.

     After a quick breakfast we brought the anchor up and got under way.  We continued down the Waccamaw river past Georgetown SC and into Winyah bay.  We can't stop everywhere on our journey because of time constraints.  Georgetown will be an eventual stop on one of our trips.

     From Winyah bay we turned into the Estherville Minim Creek Canal and through the Tom Yawkee Wildlife Center.  A nature preserve donated to South Carolina by the former Red Sox owner.  This part of the cruise was scenic with an abundance of wildlife and deserted pristine shoreline.  We saw an eagle, river hawks, pelicans, osprey, and many dolphins.

     We had a great following current for most of the day.  We travelled about 60 miles in only a little over seven hours.  We got to our anchorage at a great time to spend the afternoon relaxing.  We anchored in an unnamed creek off of Dewees Creek right off the ICW.  It is just west of Isle Palms SC.  Our first spot we tried was a little narrow and we could not put out enough scope.  We dragged a little and pulled up the hook and tried a wider spot.  Here we put out enough line to set the anchor on the first try.  Like some of the other anchorages it always looks like you are closer to the shore than you are. 

     We manned the recliners for the afternoon and watched a pelican feeding frenzy all around the boat.  There were probably about eight to ten hovering around and diving into the water for fish.  They were very successful in their pursuit of dinner.

North Myrtle Beach SC to Butler Island SC

Start time and hours                      0900                               2441.23

End time and hours                       1500                               2447.23

     We had a short forty mile run today so we slept in little.  When we were ready to leave we had a little engine starting problem.  The start battery was dead and the engine would not turn over.  I asked the dock hand if he knew anyone who could help and he said yes.  He made a call and said that Kenny would be right over.  Kenny is a live aboard on dock A and is retired. 

     Kenny helped me trouble shoot the problem and we ended up jumping the start battery with the house battery.  I still don’t know why the start battery died, but now I know what to do if it happens again.  We had to force Kenny to take some money as a thank you.  This little problem did not put us off for too long.  We only lost about 30 minutes troubleshooting.

     As we headed down the ICW through North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach it was not very scenic.  We saw the backs of lots of restaurants and stores and their billboards.  There were some nice homes and golf courses to see but they looked like all the other homes and golf courses that we had seen.  We also passed the bridge being built that cost us an extra day in Barefoot Marina.

     As we approached the Socastee swing bridge we saw that it was opening.  Elaine called ahead and told them we were about 1000 yards away and asked if we should wait for the next opening.  The bridge tender said to come on through, she would wait for us.  We cranked the boat up to almost 9knots and made for the bridge.  It was the first time on our trip that a bridge had waited for us and not us waiting for a bridge. 

     Immediately after the bridge the trip turned into the most scenic portion yet.  We were cruising down the Waccamaw River.  The Waccamaw River is very wooded right down to its banks, with trees growing in the water.  Moss covered cypress trees abound.  The river is windy in most spots and feels both private and serene.  Lots of river hawks and a few ospreys were seen.

     After cruising this scenic river, we tucked in behind Butler Island for the night on anchor.  We found a great spot and the anchor stuck on the first try.  We held fast for the night and slept well.

     I broke out the pressure cooker for dinner and we had short ribs with onions and peppers with risotto.  We ran the heater a little bit to take the chill off during dinner and then went to bed.  I was able to use my new Red Sox fleece comforter, thanks Fran,  as an extra blanket for the night.  The temps were predicted to go down into the low 40s and the fleece was perfect.  

Carolina Beach NC to North Myrtle Beach SC

Start time and hours                  0740                               3433.57

End time and hours                   1550                               3441.23

     We left Carolina Beach NC at what is to us early.  We knew that we had a longer run today of about 58 miles.  We started out going down Snows Cut to the Cape Fear River.  We had some good current going down the Cut but when we got into the Cape Fear River we were fighting an incoming tide and cruising at about 4.5 to 5.5 knots.  The winds and seas were calm though and the ride down the river was pleasant if not slow.

     We turned off the Cape Fear River at Southport NC  http://southportnc.org/  to continue on the ICW.  We can’t visit everywhere on our trip south but Southport looks like a nice stop on our way back up north.  Once off the Cape Fear River we again picked up a following current that pushed us southwest.  Along this stretch of the ICW the tides and currents are stronger.  For a slow boat like ours they tend to even out over the course of a day as everytime you pass an inlet the current changes.  At one point we were hit 10 knots and about 400 yards later on the other side of the inlet we were down to 4.5-5knots.  The currents also come from the side into the ICW from small rivers and creeks.  We have to watch for these currents as they can push our boat quickly out of the channel.

     The rest of the cruise down to North Myrtle Beach was comfortable and scenic.  There are lots of marshes, forests, houses, inlets, and creeks.  Also, a wide variety of birds all around the boat. 

     We had only had one bridge opening today and that one opened on demand with almost no waiting.  We consult the WaterWay cruising guide as one of our resources.  We believe that the purpose of the WaterWay guide is to scare the bejuses out of ICW cruisers.  The guide is filled with wonderfully useful information but is also filled with lots of dire warnings about shoaling, rocks, obstructions, and other nefarious nautical affairs whose sole purpose is to ground or sink your boat.  It is a wonder that anyone who reads the WaterWay guide ever takes their boat out on the water.  For-warned, we venture out almost daily and at the conclusion of the day’s cruise we marvel on how easy it was. 

     We pulled into the Barefoot Marina in North Myrtle Beach for two nights.  We wanted to go to Umberto’s over at Barefoot Landing.  We had been there about 25+  years ago and they had the best grilled Veal chop I have ever had.  It is still on the menu, I looked.

     While at Barefoot Marina   http://www.myrtlebeachbarefootresort.com/#  we met up with some cruising friends that we had met previously in Belhaven NC, Mike and Tina aboard Cheroka.  They introduced us to some other cruisers and we had an impromptu cocktail party before dinner.  One of the couples, Scott and Kitty Kuhner have circumnaviged the globe twice on two different boats.  They were very interesting to listen to.  Here are some links to their trips.  http://www.pbase.com/akuhner/bebinka    http://www.pbase.com/akuhner/greatescape   http://www.pbase.com/akuhner/atlantic_circle 

     After the gathering we retired to our boat for beef fajitas and a restful nights sleep.

Surf City NC to Carolina Beach NC

Start time and hours                 0840                      3428.14

End time and hours                   1400                       3433.57

     Overnight we set the clocks back one hour.  Because of this and the fact that we had a short ride ahead of us to Carolina Beach we got to sleep a little later and still get under way before 9am.

     This was a very straight forward cruising day.  We had a well-marked ICW and plenty of depths.  The scenery was great with marshes, inlets, creeks, and homes.  It was fascinating to be in the calm waters of the ICW be able to see the turbulent Atlantic Ocean through the inlets, especially the one at Wrightsville Beach. 

     We only had one bridge opening today, the Wrightsville Beach Bascule Bridge.  The Figure Eight Island Swing Bridge is listed as 20’ of clearance and it had 21’ when we went under it.  I think we can get by with 18’.  The Wrightsville Beach bridge is also listed as 20’ clearance but when I called ahead the bridge operator said that he only had about 15-16’ of clearance.

     The Wrightsville Beach Bascule Bridge only opens on the hour so you really need to time it correctly.  We did not.  We are a slow boat and sometimes timing bridge openings while also trying to figure out the contrasting currents caused by the many inlets is difficult.  We got to the Bridge at 11:20 and had to futz around for forty minutes until the next opening.  By the time it opened there were four other boats waiting to get through.

     After the Wrightsville Beach Bascule Bridge opening it was an easy cruise to Carolina Beach  https://www.carolinabeach.com/  and Joyner Marina.   http://joynermarina.com/  At the marina we pulled in for some diesel fuel.  While at the fuel dock a sport fisher getting diesel had a problem with their fill tube and put 26 gallons of diesel into their bilge.  They immediately turned everything on the boat off and evacuated their boat.  TowBoatUS had to come and take them back to their marina so they could get the problem repaired.  They were lucky to not have their bilge pump put any of the diesel overboard into the water.  That would have been an expensive clean up.

     After getting fuel, we moved over into our slip.  We would be staying for two nights while we visited my brother Chris and his wife Ellen.  They have been living in the Wilmington area for about 20 years and lived about 8 miles from the marina.  We called them after tying up and had cocktails on the fly bridge before going out to dinner at Brasserie du Soleil in Wilmington.  http://brasseriedusoleil.com/

     The next day we took our bikes out for a ride to see some of Carolina Beach.  It was obviously off season and not crowded.  Also, not much there.  We had lunch at a BBQ place, Holy Smoke.  http://www.holysmokebbqnc.com/  We spoke with the owner and had a great lunch.  We then rode up the road to the grocery store to re-provision a little.

     Later that evening we had dinner ashore at my brother’s house.  We had a very nice visit and then got back to the boat to settle in for the night.  They had offered us their spare bedroom but we explained that it was easier and more comfortable to sleep in our own bed on our boat.

The next day we were expecting a long run down to Barefoot Marina in North Myrtle Beach. 

 

Marina Wildlife

Joyner Marina

Monday morning fog looking north.  

Looking south down Snow's Cut

Very good BBQ