Wonderful Time in Stuart. Anchored in Lake Worth; West Palm Beach

We had a great time in Stuart with Alan, Patti and John. John even did my laundry! What great people. They own beautiful homes down here...I'm so jealous!

Alan and Pattti took us to PetSmart, Publix and West Marine. Chuck and Alan went to a few other stores while we grocery shopped.

We spent the day touring Stuart, first by car and then walked around a bit. Patti and Wayne went out to dinner with Bill and Connie and we went out to eat with our hosts. Dinner was at Prawnbrokers and, boy, was it delicious. One of the best meals I've had this trip. We will definitely go back there.

I ordered a coconut shrimp appetizer with raspberry sauce that we all enjoyed. Chuck ordered that as his entree. I had the recommendation from our waitress...red snapper with sun-dried tomatoes with a light cream sauce, garlic-mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. It was absolutely delicious!

We went back to our boat for coffee and carrot cake that I promised Chuck for his birthday...finally!

Our hosts were disappointed that we didn't take advantage of the guest bedrooms they readied for us. Maybe on the way back north.

Winds were only 5 knots so no sails. We have seven bridges today. Half open on hour and half hour, others are fixed.

We saw Bill Cornell at our dock at Mariner's Cay...former owner of Cornell's Auto Body in Egg Harbor City. He was on a beautiful Viking.  He is good friends with Nelson Post who was best man at our wedding. Small world!

I'm still typing with one hand. Lots of swelling, but I have some knuckle definition today and can move my fingers.

We anchored in Lake Worth right off West Palm Beach. It was a beautiful Florida sunshine-filled day. Temperature was mid-70s.

The Bumms are at Peanut Island about a quarter mile north so they can dinghy Sailor to shore.

Spending Two days in Stuart with Friends

We are on our way to Stuart to visit Alan & Patti Blumberg and John Conover. We'll be there tonight and tomorrow.

My hand is very swollen but looking better. I can't wait to get the bandage off! It's so tight that I think it's causing more discomfort than the incision. I believe I can take it off Monday but can't get the hand wet for five days after that. I have to call the surgeon on Monday and e-mail him pictures so he can evaluate my progress.

We caught up with Bum's Rest yesterday and are traveling with them. Patti made dinner last night, my first real meal since Tuesday. She made salmon with mac and cheese and peas and it was delicious! Tonight we are going to Alan and Patti's for dinner and John is coming too.

I'm learning to do things with my left hand, but cannot help on the boat. Chuck is afraid I will fall or lose balance and I can't grab anything with my right hand. I have to keep it up and iced. Very frustrating. Occasionally I take the wheel so he can do the lines, fenders, etc.

Looking forward to seeing our friends.

Recovering from Hand Surgery; Back on the Boat

Surgery went well. Penny brought me back to the boat 9 p.m. yesterday. Taking Vicodin and antibiotic.

Rested today and plan to go to Vero Beach tomorrow to catch up with Bum's Rest.

Typing with one hand so making it short. We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We will celebrate when I feel better!

Hand Surgery Tomorrow; Chuck and Mal in Melbourne

I'm having hand surgery tomorrow at Ocala Regional Medical Center. No food after 7 p.m.  Show up for pre-op at 10:30 a.m. Surgery around 12:30 p.m. You know the drill.

Chuck and Mal are in Melbourne, FL, and Chuck will stay there two nights. I think Bum's Rest is moving south, but not sure. My sister, Penny, will take me to the boat after surgery, as long as I'm feeling okay, so Chuck doesn't go too far south.

I'm including a photo of Mal and Chuck on Sheet Music from Patti Bumm's blog.

Wish me luck!

Sheet Music in Titusville; I'm in Ocala

Chuck and my brother-in-law, Malcolm, are in Titusville for the night with Bum's Rest. I'm going to the hand surgeon tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, I'll get my hand fixed and can get back on the boat!

Wish me luck!

Seven Seas Marina, Daytona Beach, FL

The alarm went off at 5:40 a.m. and I was so tired that I turned it off and went back to sleep! Mistake. We were to leave at 7 a.m. and Chuck fell asleep last night without setting his alarm. He woke up at 6:45 a.m., got dressed and stepped outside and Patti and Wayne were ready to go. I heard Chuck open the companionway doors and saw it was 6:50 and jumped out of bed. Not a good way to start your day.

We pulled away from the dock at 7 a.m. and I made coffee with the stovetop percolator and made breakfast while under way.

We motored through the San Sebastian River and into the Matanzas River. We went under the Crescent Beach Bridge, a bascale bridge that opens on demand. At 11:20 a.m. we went under Palm Coast Parkway Bridge and then the Flagler Beach Highway Bridge, both fixed 65 ft. clearance.

At 12:05 a.m. we went through the L.B. Knox Highway Bridge, another bascule. Winds averaged no more than 5.5 knots, so we didn't bother with the sails. We passed through Ormond Beach Bridge at 1:27 p.m., M824.9. At 2 p.m. we went through Seabreeze Highway Bridge, another 65 ft. fixed bridge.

At 2:12 p.m. we went under the Main St. Highway Bridge, the Carlton Black Highway Bridge. At 1:18 went went through Memorial Bridge at M830.6. The pillars have beautiful murals of dolphins and manatees and scallop shells at the top of the bridge. Really beautiful (see photo).

We arrived at Seven Seas Marina, right off the waterway, so the boat is rocking from the wakes. Boats can go up to 25 mph here, so it will be a rocky two days.

There's a little restaurant here that serves breakfast and lunch, so we'll probably go there in the morning. Then Patti and I will go to Publix to stock up on groceries. I'm jumping ship tomorrow afternoon to visit my mom who is recovering from a bad car accident and I have an appointment with a hand surgeon for Tuesday afternoon in Ocala. I'm still fooling around with a growth, a cyst of some sort, on the back of my right hand that popped up on Aug. 25 and my doctor suggested that I get the nodule removed by a hand surgeon.

Meanwhile, my brother-in-law, Malcolm, will join Chuck to keep moving the boat south while I'm in Ocala. On Tuesday, my nephew, Hayden, will switch places with Mal and travel with Chuck for 4 or 5 days. So I may be having Thanksgiving with my FL family.

Chuck will give me updates at night to post on the blog while I'm away.

St. Augustine Municipal Marina, Fla.

We pulled anchor at 6:50 a.m. There was a change of tide at 5:30 a.m. and we were up. The current was 2.6 knots. You can't set a Fortress Danforth anchor with 2.6 knots of current! The aluminum is too light and it just wants to move through the current like a kite moves in the wind. You need some weight. So back we go to the plow with 100 ft. of chain for added weight.

Meanwhile, Chuck added a kellet and that helped. Note: If using nylon line, a bucket or sea anchor is needed in the back to keep the tension on the line constant so the line doesn't stretch then catapult the boat and pull the anchor.

We were up several times last night, once with the anchor dragging. We waited a few minutes and it caught.

At 7:47 a.m. we went through Sisters Creek Bridge MM739.2, which opens on demand. It's a Bascule Bridge, meaning it opens like this /  \. See photo. We noted that bridge openings are on Channel 9 in Florida, not channel 13 as in other states we've gone through. We crossed the St. John's River. At 8:30 a.m. we went under another fixed bridge.

At 8:45 a.m., we were going by Jacksonville Beach and hollered hi to my niece, Lisa, and her family.

The McCormick Bascule Bridge that showed on our chart was replaced by a 65. ft fixed bridge, which was still under construction. The construction worker had to leflt himself up under the bridge to get out of the way of our mast! (See photo at left). They were swinging a steel beam to our left. At 9:07 we went under another fixed bridge.

At MM750 there was lots of dredging equipment and piping. The two diamonds on the left of the equipment, one hanging above the other, indicated that the safe side to pass was starboard to starboard. The bow of the dredger was facing us. If it was nightime, two green lights, one over the other, would have indicated the safe side to pass.

There were beautiful homes, all with boats, all along the port side of the ICW. We went through bridge #6 for today at 10:30 a.m. Chuck was getting ready to pull out the jib as winds were about 10 knots. Jazzy hates the sails (they sound like thunder)and she bolted down the steps! She's never done that before, always cried for me to take her down. They are steep and I panicked, but she was so quick she made it down fine. Now we're really in trouble!

We took the dogs and walked all around St. Augustine--what a beautiful city. Patti and I did some shopping and came across this beautiful garden behind one of the shops.

I bought a sailing sweatshirt. I was planning on cooking tonight, but there's a nice restaurant that Wayne and Patti enjoyed on their last visit that we're going to instead. We have reservations for 6:30 p.m.

Tomorrow: Daytona.

Anchored in St. George's River, Fla.

After my posting yesterday, I groomed Jazzy then showered and we took a walk with the dogs to the Jekyll Island Historic District where the winter homes of some our country's wealthiest people used to winter. Their homes, from the turn of the century, are now museums and there are shops and restaurants there. I hope we can return on our way home to spend some time there, but we're on a push to get south.

We took the dogs back to the boats, then went to Sea Jay's Restaurant and Cafe in our marina to celebrate Chuck and Patti's birthdays. We returned to our boat for coffee.

This morning, the alarms went off at 5:45 a.m. and we were up and dressed, only to be held back by a thick fog bank. We could barely see the bridge that 1,000 ft. away. We made breakfast and waited for the fog to clear. We launched about 9:35 a.m., traveling through Jekyll Creek, Jekyll Sound, through the Cumberland River and Cumberland Soundings.

The magenta line on the GPS disappeared for a little while, so we resorted to paper charts to make sure we stayed in the preferred channel. I follow along as we go each day noting our markers with post-it note strips.

We crossed the Georgia/Florida border around 1:45 p.m. We went past Fernandina Beach, through the Amelia River and the magenta line reappeared. The sun finally made an appearance. We went down the South Amelia River. Winds were variable from 0-5 knots all day, so no sails. We went down Sawpit Creek and the sun was glaring.

At about 4:45 p.m. we turned into the St. George's River and dropped anchor. Patti is cooking tonight, so we'll dinghy over to Bum's Rest.

Tomorrow: St. Augustine Municipal Marina

Happy Birthday, Chuck! Celebrating in Jekyll Island, Ga.

Happy Birthday, Chuck! Last night was a little rough for the captain. There was a 7 ft. tidal change where we anchored, so it would give Chuck a chance to try some of his anchoring equipment. He got about 5.5 hours sleep. I slept all night, but woke up 3 or 4 times to check on him and see if he needed me.

He went to bed around 11 p.m. and set his alarm for the tide change at 2:30 a.m. All the captains were up checking their boats at that time. A catamaran was running up on a trawler. We had no problems, but Chuck made some interesting discoveries.

The current was about 4 knots. We used the plow anchor as our main anchor, but wanted to add a Fortress anchor to stop the boat from hobby-horsing. The current was taking the Fortress downstream and wouldn't let it hit bottom. Chuck added a kellet that he made for weight. That allowed the Fortress to go to the bottom and stopped the boat from swinging back and forth. He tried the sea anchor off the back to stop the lines from singing. That worked well, but it needed to be smaller. He looked for our bucket in the lazerette, but didn't want to make too much noise at 3 a.m.!

It was overcast and chilly when we pulled anchor at 8:10 a.m., but the sun was brightly shining by 9:30 a.m. We passed this house on the way out and it was on an island with water in front and in back of it.

It is a T-shirt and capris day today. SOG was 6.5 knots for most of the day. We traveled down North River, Little Mud River, Buttermilk Sound, Mackay River and St. Simon's Sound to Jekyll Island. We're docked at Jekyll Harbor Marina. They have a nice restaurant here, so we'll celebrate Chuck's birthday there tonight. Cruising guide says they have a hot tub. I will have to check it out!

Tomorrow we hit the Florida border: Anchoring  in Ft. George River, FL.

Anchoring in Duplin River off Supelo Island, Ga.

We left Kilkenny Creek Marina at 8 a.m. Winds were 3.5 knots, temperature was 67 degrees and very sunny. We went through Bear River and St. Catherine's Sound into the North Newport River and Johnson Creek. At R130, the current was in our favor. SOB was 8 mph. Winders were 6.9 knots. We saw dolphins.

We went through Sapelo Sound and the wind decreased to less than a half knot and the current was against us. SOG was a3.9 knots. As we were entering the mouth of the Front River, a large fuel cargo ship passed close to us (see photo). It was really narrow through Creighton Narrows. We traveled through Old Teakettle Creek to Duplin River.

We are anchored right past Marsh Landing Ferry, two small ferries for those who live on Sapelo Island (see photo at right).

I'm making salad, veal parmigiana and pasta tonight using the generator and toaster/convection oven and chocolate pudding and ff cool whip for dessert.

Tomorrow: Jekyll Island, Ga.

At Kilkenny Creek Marina in Richmond Hill, Ga.

We left Hogan's Marina at 8:30 a.m. Bubba was very hospitable. It was a bright a sunny day, high 60s and we were in long sleeved T-shirts.

At 9:35 a.m., R50, we saw a sunken sailboat! I took a photo of the protruding mast. How sad.

We passed through Isle of Hope and Long Island. We went through Skidaway Narrow Bridge at MM592.8, which opened on demand at 9:48 a.m. SOG was 9 mph. Temperature rose to high 70s and I changed to capris and a T-shirt.

We went up Moon River, Burnside River and Vernon River, then through Ogeechee River and through the Florida passage to Kilkenny Creek. No wind today, so no sails. We arrived here at 1:10 p.m.

Patti and I took the dogs for a walk and saw some beautiful trees
overhanging the street with Spanish moss hanging. It was beautiful.

I took the photo of our boats from the top of the ramp. Unfortunately, there's a power boat blocking Sheet Music. There's a 6 ft. tidal change from low to high tides. It was low tide when we arrived and we walked up a steep ramp. It was level when we left this morning at high tide!

They lift the boats up to ground level at low tide b/c of the difference in the road vs. the water. Very cool to see. Of course, I didn't have my camera handy when I saw it!

Lanudry was only 75 cents to wash and 50 cents to dry, so of course we did laundry!
Tomorrow we'll anchor out and may not have signal so don't worry if there's no update.

Happy Birthday, Patti Bumm! Settled in Savannah, Ga.

Happy Birthday, Patti Bumm!

We left Downtown Marina in Beaufort, SC, at 7 a.m. It was a beautiful, sunny day. We were sandwiched in at our dock. Wayne and Patti were tucked in a corner with a dock at their bow and starboard. We were 6 ft. behind them with the dock at our starboard and our dinghy at our stern. Six feet behind us was a large sailboat. Chuck backed us out of the slip as I pulled in the lines and the the dinghy on the "short leash."  We had 50 miles ahead of us.

The sun was glaring so much on the water that we couldn't see Bum's Rest backing out. No wind, lots of current.

At 9 a.m., we entered Port Royal Sound. Chuck saw dolphins. Port Royal Sound runs into Broad River and Chechessee River, then passes by Pinchney Island and Hilton Head. Pelicans were divebombing for fish.

At 11:30 a.m., we passed Daufuskie Island and entered Ramshorn Creek. There was only 3 knots of wind, so we were stilll motoring. SOG was 4.9 at 3000 rpms. We entered New River to Wright River through Fields Cut to the Savannah River, then Queens Island Cut. There was lots of current holding us back. We were motoring at 3000 rpms, but only moving at 3 knots. We started in long-sleeved T-shirts and I changed to capris and short-sleeves as the day went on.

We closed the gap between us and Bums Rest in preparation for the Causton Bluff Bridge, which opens on demand. Then we went through the Sam Varnedoe Bascule Bridge  The Georgia Memorial Bascule Bridge that appears on the charts is no longer in existence, replaced by a 65 ft. fixed bridge. We beared left to Turner Creek to Hogan's Marina (around Whitemarsh Island). We passed the Savannah Yacht Club...beautiful floating docks... Chuck was nervous going through Turner Creek at low tide...a few shallow spots and a 6 ft. tidal range.

We docked our boats and a dolphin was playing alongside our boats.

Patti and I walked next door to the Publix (it's the closest grocery store to a Shop-Rite) and stocked up. We walked the shopping cart back to the marina and loaded up the boats. Looked like bag ladies...LOL. We went to dinner at Bulluck's BBQ and ate outside, while listening to a local band. It was fish-fry night ($10 for all-you-can-eat) and it was delicious! We decided to stay in Savannah for a few days on the way home.

We came back to our boat for WW Brownies A La Mode and coffee.

Tomorrow: Kilkenny Marina off Ossabaw Island, Ga.

We're at Downtown Marina in Beaufort, SC

Hi all. We're at the Downtown Marina in Beaufort, SC (pronounced Bew-fort), not to be confused with Beaufort, NC (pronounced Bo-fort).

We left B & B Seafood's shrimp boat dock in Green Pond, SC, around 8:45 a.m. The current was so strong in Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff that it tried to push us sideways. We motorsailed at 5.4 knots at 2800 rpms. When a turn in the river caused us to lose the wind, we pulled the sail and lost more than 1 knot of speed, taking us down to 4.2k in Coosaw River.

At 11:20 a.m., we pulled the jib sail out, mm525. The sun was shining bright and it felt so good!

At R200 we could see just how fast the current was going against us, slowing our speed. At R216, the current was finally in our favor. We were moving at 10 mph!

We made the 1 p.m. Ladies Island Swing Bridge opening and arrived at Downtown Marina a few minutes later.

We walked around town and went to a wine tasting for Low Country Winery. All wines are made from local grown fruits and berries. We got to taste 5 wines of our choosing. The Bumms bought a blackberry wine and we bought a cranberry wine. There's a beautiful park at the marina that is newly-built with wooden swings for three, tables and chairs, a playground and a few stores. Brick walkways, with squares of concrete filled with oyster shells, wind around the Beaufort River. Horse carriage rides give visitors an opportunity to hear some history while enjoying a ride around town.

We came back to the boats and I cooked dinner: salad, steak with mushrooms, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus and jello for dessert.

We've been hearing a sizzling sound for 5 or 6 days now and Chuck has ripped the boat apart looking for what sounds like a wire sizzling in water. Turns out, it's shrimp eating the algae on the bottom of the boat! It's a loud sizzling sound and has been driving us crazy. At least now we know what it is.

We expect to be on the water around 7 a.m. tomorrow. Destination: Savannah, Ga.

At B & B Seafood Near Mosquito Creek, SC

First, Happy 25th Birthday to our son, Ryan!

We left Charleston City Marina at 9 a.m., under the 65 ft. fixed bridge and arrived in time for the 9:30 a.m. opening of Wappoo Bridge. We motored at 3200 rpms and only traveled 1.6-2 knots SOG because of the 4k+ current through the Elliott Cut! We never experienced anything like it. We entered Stono River and our speed picked up to 6 knots SOG for a few minutes, then decreased to 4 knots due to the current off our starboard. It was a cold, nasty day on the water and I made hot chocolate. Yum.

We entered a very narrow channel to enter the Wadmalaw River. SOG was 8.2 knots at 2800 rpms.

At MM490 we passed Yonges Island Boatyard where they build commercial ships.

At 1 p.m. SOG was 6.1 knots with 12 knots of wind and we motorsailed in the South Edisto River. We originally planned to anchor at Steamboat Creek, MM496.7, but Wayne called and said we would try Fishing Creek. After going under the fixed bridge there, we waited in the channel while Wayne explored the area to see if it was a good place to take Sailor to land. It wasn't, so we decided to continue on to MM513.5 to B & B Seafood where there's shrimp boats and a floating dock for two boats.

At MM505, G151, the current and wind going against each other was creating a lot of turbulence and SOG was 6 knots at 2800 rpms. At MM152A we were surfing, so we had to slow down a bit. The South Edisto River had 2 ft. seas!

We arrived at B & B Seafood at 4:30 p.m. and are staying here for the night. Cost is just $25 to tie up, but no power, so it's like being anchored but we don't have to worry about anchor drag! The bonus is, we each bought 2 lbs. of shrimp fresh off the boat and I steamed mine with some Old Bay seasoning for tonight's appetizer. Patti will freezer hers for another time.

Tomorrow: Beaufort, SC (pronounced Bew-furd), not to be confused with Beaufort, NC (pronounced Bow-furd).

In Charleston, SC, for two nights

Ben Sawyer Bridge

The alarms went off early this morning and we pulled away from the dock at 6:15 a.m. to try to beat the rain. It appeared we would have a very rainy day, so we donned rain gear. We motored through Winyah Bay, moving at 9 knots/10 mph with the current and tide in our favor. That's a record speed for us.

At 7:30 a.m., it started raining, but by 8 a.m. it stopped. The current was against us now, so our speed  wascut down. We entered Four-Mile Creek Canal and favored the green due to shoaling.

At 9:10 a.m. we saw a dolphin dive under our boat! We took a look at satellite weather and saw a huge storm going across five states and were thankful that it was west of us!

We watched for shoaling at several mile markers thanks to updates from Skipper Bob online. At this point, we were averaging 7 mph.

At about 1 p.m., we saw 50-60 pelicans on a bank. We made it through the Ben Sawyer Bridge, which is being shut down for 10 days beginning Nov. 30. We were pushing to get past the bridge because the original date of closure was Nov. 13 (our son, Ryan's, 25th birthday) and we would have had to go outside to the ocean. Whew!

While entering Charleston Harbor, we saw a large school of dolphins. The weather update showed the rain was across seven states now, but was still miss us, thank God!

At 3:30 p.m., we pulled into Charleston City Marina. It's huge and a long walk to everything. I did a load of laundry before dinner and another after. Patti cooked the shrimp we bought off the boat in Georgetown yesterday with spaghetti, a salad and peaches with cool whip for dessert. It was delicious!

(At left, Bum's Rest coming into Charleston Harbor. We're on dock E and they're on dock F.

Tomorrow we'll don our raingear and take the shuttle into town and maybe pick up some groceries.

We're at Boat Shed Marina in Georgetown, SC

We  left Barefoot Landing at 7 a.m. Sun was high in the sky and bright! Started in T-shirts with sweatshirts. No long underwear or coats needed today! We reset our trip odometer today. We had gone 860 miles before resetting, so we're close to the 900 mile mark now.
Went under several bridges, including a few swing bridges.Visibility was 10 miles, it was 73 degrees and winds were 16 mph from the East.

Around  1 p.m., the sun disappeared and the sweatshirts went back on. We motorsailed the Waccamaw River most of the day and landed at Boat Shed Marina a little after 3 p.m. Patti and I walked to a little seafood store and bought shrimp right off the boat.

Mom is improving by leaps and bounds. She came home today and Penny moved in for a week or two to help her get around. She is able to take a few steps with a walker. A big improvement from yesterday, when she couldn't move while standing! She called me and spoke for just a minute, but sounded like her normal self to tell me she was in her own bed and is determined to walk by herself by week's end.

Thanks for all the prayers and keep them coming!!

At Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach, SC

We're at Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach. Too bad we're not here tomorrow night for Alabama's Christmas Show.

Woke up at 5:30 a.m.and pulled anchor a little before 7 a.m. Winds were variable, 8-16 knots. Speed over ground was 7.7. The current was in our favor. There was a four-foot tidal drop during the night. Of course, Chuck was up checking the anchor and had the anchor drag alarm on.

There was a new bridge under construction at mm 319 and a new 65 ft. bridge under construction to replace the cable bridge at Sunset Beach. We arrived at Sunset Beach Bridge 10:55 a.m. for 11 a.m. opening at mm 337.9. We saw some pelicans (see photo).

I finished my fourth novel on the trip, A Little Magic, three short stories by Nora Roberts. I forgot how much I love to read and missed it!

At 11:40 a.m., we crossed the border into South Carolina. We saw a lot of logs and debris floating in the ICW and, for a little while, I sat on the bow to make sure we didn't hit anything.

The current in the ICW reversed, sometimes as much as two knots, as we passed various inlets from the ocean. Just about the time our speed was really slowed, we would pass an inlet and it nearly doubled. At one point, we recorded our speed over ground at 9 knots.

Pulled into Barefoot Landing around 2 p.m. I walked to the store, came back and gave Jazzy a bath, took a shower, then Patti and I went shopping. I bought three pairs of shoes (boat, sandals, clogs), socks, a jacket and two shirts.

Patti bought caramel apples for dessert in honor of Chuck's birthday (a little early, but we've been hearing about the one he passed up in Wilmington, LOL).

Tomorrow we head to Georgetown and Tuesday we head to Charleston for a two-night stay.

Thanks for the prayers for my mom. She is unable to walk yet b/c of the hairline fracture in her pelvis, but can move her legs while sitting down. Looks like she may be in rehab for a little while. All prayers are greatly appreciated!

Anchored in Pipeline Canal, 3 miles south of Southport

We're anchored in the Pipeline Canal, 3 miles south of Southport. Had a wonderful time in Wilmington, NC. It was great to see my friend Mike and his lovely wife, Joan.

Short posting tonight b/c our batteries are not charged as much as we would like so I can't plug in and I used the computer on battery earlier today. We're traveling to Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach, SC, tomorrow.

Please pray for my mom who was in a bad auto accident yesterday and totaled her car. She was T-boned and has four broken ribs, a small puncture in her lung and a hairline fracture in her pelvis. They moved her out of ICU today b/c hr lung is healing and her breathing is good. She was sitting in a rocking chair and called me for a minute. She was in pain and couldn't talk long but wanted to tell me that her doctor is the same who operated on her and my dad before, so she has confidence in him.

More tomorrow!

We're in Carolina Beach, NC, for two nights; Meeting friends for dinner

Hi all. Got up early to take a shower at Swan Point Marina, which was like being in a campground. I got locked in the shower! They door was a wooden door like a bedroom and the door knob kept spinning around and I couldn't get out. The one time I didn't take my cell phone with me! I escaped after a few minutes of turning the knob and pounding on the door. By then, it was 6:50 a.m.

We left for Carolina Beach at 7 a.m. It was a beautiful, sunny day, but a little brisk. We motorsailed for a while, but winds were 0-5 knots. With our motor at 2800 rpms, SOG was 6 knots. There was a lot of current against us.

We went through several bridges today, some only opening on the hour or half hour, so sometimes we had to wait. We tried for reservations at Wrightsville Beach, but all marinas were booked. My friend, Mike Loch, made reservations for us at Joyner Marina in Carolina Beach, formerly Oceana. It is about 10 miles south of Wrightsville and was just remodeled. Very nice.

On the way here, there was severe shoaling between markers 153 and 155, so we stayed close to the green as recommended by Skipper Bob. Boaters were talking on the radio that someone with a 6 ft. draft bumped, so we were glad to have that information.

We arrived at Joyner at 3:15 p.m., got pumped out and fuel and pulled into our dock, A7, about 3:30 p.m.

We're waiting for Mike and Joan to arrive. We have dinner reservations for 7 p.m. at a restaurant they recommend called Michael's.

Another boater told us we can walk to the beach from here and the guys have to change the oil tomorrow, so Patti and I may take the dogs to explore. Mike and Joan are leaving us a car and I want to get to visit Crescent Moon, their new business venture, and pick up a few groceries.

We're here for two nights. Our next planned stop is an anchorage, so we may not have signal. Don't worry if you don't hear from us for a few days.

We were happy to hear from Ryan today that our friend, Freddie Green, won council-at-large in Absecon, with the help of our absentee ballots. He was behind by three votes before the absentee ballots were counted and won by about 50.

Settled at Swan Point Marina

We left Beaufort, NC, 9 a.m. It was a beautiful sunny, warm day. We started in long-sleeved shirts and ended up in T-shirts by the afternoon.

We set out for Casper's, but decided to go 10 more miles to Swan Point. Winds were only 0-5 mph (we're converted to miles for the ICW). We were moving at 7.3 mph. No wind, no sails. We went through a few very narrow channels where, in some places according to our GPS, there was only 6" of water to our right or left!

At 12:45 p.m. we were seeing palm trees and a few times dolphins were moving along with us and jumping up in pairs. Pretty neat.

At about 2:10 p.m., we hit a 2 ft. piece of driftwood while approaching a swing bridge which was holding up traffic to wait for us.

The ICW runs along Camp Lejeune here and we heard "war games" going on over the radio. Marines were pursuing a non-compliant vessel and ordered them to "stop immediately and move to the front of the vessel or they would be under fire." It was interesting to listen to them on the radio.

At about 3:20 p.m. we arrived at Swan Point Marina. It was my turn to cook dinner...salmon, rosemary potatoes, zucchini and salad with banana nut bread for dessert.

My friend, Mike Loch, made reservations for us for the next two nights at Joyner Marina in Carolina Beach near Snow's Cut. I'm looking forward to having dinner with he and his wife, Joan, tomorrow night!

In Beaufort, NC, for the night

We left Oriental Marina around 9 a.m. and arrived in Beaufort, NC, around 2 p.m., which gave us time to enjoy the town. It's a really neat seashore town. It was beautiful and sunny today. The sun finally came out, after a few days of overcast. It felt great but the glare made it really hard to see. A 2 x 6 piece of lumber with nails was floating in the water and we hit it. No damage, thank God!

Chuck and I walked with Jazzy in and out of the shops and I bought a few shirts.

Then we walked back to the boat and Chuck took Jazzy to the beach in the dinghy and I walked back to the shops that didn't allow pets and to the post office.

A woman came by the boat selling homemade banana nut bread, cinnamon cake and pumpkin bread. Chuck bought the first two and Wayne bought the third.

We ate dinner outside at the Dock House Restaurant, then walked back to our boat for coffee and cake.

I connected with my old friend, Mike Loch, formerly of TAPCO, a web printer that I worked with for years who relocated to Wilmington, NC. We're meeting him for dinner on Thursday night when staying in Wrightsville and he generously offered to bring us a car and leave it for us to use on Friday.

I'm excited about seeing him after 6 or so years since he closed TAPCO, to be a liveaboard on his 42 ft. trawler and taking the trip we're on now. He and his wife, Joan, are now retailers of handcrafted glass and metal art in their new business venture, Crescent Moon, in Wilmington, Check out their Web site, http://www.crescentmoonnc.com/.

A special happy birthday to my friend Stacey's twins, Abby and Josh, who turned 4 today!

Tomorrow another short day to Swansboro, NC.

We're in Oriental, NC, for the night

We left 7 a.m. for Oriental, NC. It was a cold, overcast day. We wore rain gear and I put on my long underwear and Uggs to keep warm.

A trawler passed us on the water and called us on the radio. They are live aboards from Ocean City, NJ, and have family at our marina, Cha-Ching. He is a retired land surveyor.

I read a book all day (Wild Nights) and we pulled into Oriental about 2:10 a.m. We walked up the street to Inland Waterway Provisions and bought a fire extinguisher b/c one of ours is in the red and I bought a long-sleeve shirt.

Patti and I took the dogs to the outdoor Tiki Bar and had a rum punch. Yum!

Getting ready to pay my bills online. Missing my friends at the NCMPR Dist. I conference.

Either Beaufort or Moorehead City tomorrow. The guys are discussing it now.