A Southern Christmas

It's still a little strange to me that Christmas here comes with 80 degree temps, shorts and tee shirts, and possibly a run up the river in the dinghy tomorrow. In a perverse way, I miss the snow and the cold this time of year. But only a little. It's easier to adopt what my niece's husband (and frequent boat visitor) calls the Florida attitude. 

To me that means paint the toenails, put on my flip flops, walk on the beach and try to remember to wear a sun hat! Another big part of the Florida scene are the boat parades all along the waterways at Christmas time. I've always wanted to see one, but we never seemed to be in the right place at the right time. 

This year we saw two-- the first quite by accident in Fort Pierce where these photos were taken and the second here in Fort Lauderdale was a bit more planned. We were fortunate to have the company of our niece and two of her friends join us for the last day of our southern trek, from North Palm Beach to our marina here in FTL. They were lots of fun and are old hands at parades, Mardi Gras or otherwise, and were smart and considerate enough to buy folding canvas chairs and stake out a place on the dock for us. We watched the parade in comfort, with a glass of wine perched in the arms of our chairs.

Since the parade last Saturday, we've begun to settle in here, as we expect to be here for a few months. A kind friend has loaned us a car, which we've been enjoying. We had given up on rentals, which are barely available here during the holidays and ridiculously expensive.

Paul has been working hard to get both of our computers back up and running properly, and I think mine is finally healthy, not to mention a great deal faster! 

Now we're ready to kick back and enjoy the holidays-- the red velvet cupcakes just came out of the oven, next I'll start the sauce for the pasta. We'll put on one of our Christmas CD's, pour a glass of wine and put aside our projects. 

And to all our you, we send our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas and all the best in 2013!

Warm At Last

Finally we are warm. It's been such a chilly, gray and damp fall, or maybe just that's the way it's felt to me, with the extra blast of weather from Sandy and the two week northeaster that followed on her heels. Finally we are out of our fleece jackets and layers of blankets at night and reveling in 80° temperatures in Fort Pierce. Out to dinner without a sweater or jacket, to the farmers market nearby in shorts-- it does feel good.

Finally, too, I'm back on line. My computer has been plagued by frozen screens and spinning balls. We think Paul has corrected at least the major problems and he's on standby to check out any quirky happenings before they become bigger problems. 

We've had an uneventful trip down since I last wrote three weeks ago from Wilmington, NC. North Carolina seems like a distant memory probably because while we've had so much gray and damp weather, the inland sounds and large rivers that can be so nasty were flat and pleasant to cross. We stopped in Charleston for Thanksgiving week and celebrated our anniversary there, remembering our honeymoon there 36 years ago. We also stopped in Hilton Head to visit an old friend and enjoy our favorite breakfast place on the entire east coast (that's the Sunrise Grill, if you're ever that way)!

Looks like Trouble

The Real Thing

As we were going up Broad Creek to our HH marina, we were rather alarmed by the AIS target in our path. That's the big blue ship shaped mark on the chart at right. We love our AIS (automatic satellite identification) which tells us the name, size, course and closest point and time of encounter with our boat. It is also sized on our chart in proportion to the size of the vessel. We trust it almost without question. And we still do, but it took a moment or two for Paul to realize that the captain of the vessel in question had clearly entered the wrong data for the size of his vessel! Still we looked for the biggest boat we could on the docks that we passed. 

Of course, when we located the vessel by the name on it's stern, it was this small blue cruiser, laying quietly at it's dock. We can only guess that the owner does not have the proportional size feature on his AIS! 

After a nice visit with our friend in HH, we left on a calm Sunday afternoon to travel outside overnight to Fernandina Inlet and Cumberland Island National Seashore anchorage. We had lots of company during the night, mostly sailboats taking advantage of the same quiet, moonlit conditions that enticed us. There have been few weather windows for going outside this fall, and this trip outside was a great opportunity to miss a couple of days of shoaling and bridges on the inside route.

Marineland Beach

We spent several nights between the National Seashore, Fernandina Beach and St Augustine, doing some errands and provisioning and enjoying a rendezvous with friends that we met last year in Jacksonville. The last stopover was Marineland, at a little marina that we almost passed over as it's so close to St Augustine. We're so glad we didn't. The marina operators who double as ecology tour leaders could not have been more delightful (the dockmaster reminded us of our nephew, never a bad thing to us!), the setting was so  not touristy (a great contrast to St Augustine) and there was one of the most spectacular (and deserted) beaches I've ever seen. It's unusual rock formations are coquina clams and other tiny shells that have combined over the centuries with the soft silica based rock there. Just beautiful!

Only two more days underway, interspersed by a few days in North Palm Beach, and we'll be in Fort Lauderdale. We'll spend at least three months there and I have to say that we're both looking forward to settling in for a while.

Sunrise, Sunset

Watching the Sun Rise

Good morning from rainy Wrightsville Beach. We're altering our routine this morning, which is a welcome change for all three crew members. Breakfast at the table for us and a game of fetch for Bubba. We have a short day planned today, largely so that we can ride the strong currents down the Cape Fear River rather than fight them. Today was to have been a lay day, a chance to walk on the beach, one of my favorites, but it's raining and very chilly, not yet 48°. Not so appealing.

Daybreak, Great Bridge, VA

After our enjoyable 6 weeks in Baltimore, we're anxious to keep moving. With the exception of three beautiful sunny days over the long Veterans Day weekend, it's been gray and chilly. Very chilly. My three turtlenecks, which were meant for foggy days in June in Maine, are in constant circulation. Fleece is the fabric of the day and of the night. We've moved the extra blankets from the guest stateroom onto our berths and I encourage Bubba to snuggle closer. The first move of the morning is a run to the generator, to start it and get some heat going.

We've seen a lot of early mornings. We're usually underway at 6 am, hauling anchor in the dark and tucking in at our anchorage for the night by sunset. Once we're in the routine, it's not a bad one. Despite the chill, we've had many days of almost glassy water. The shallow sounds, open bays and large rivers of North Carolina can be unpleasant when there's a lot of wind moving against the current, but our two long days traversing them were easy ones. Lots of open space, little traffic and easy piloting for the most part.

Black Bear Fording the Canal

As we cruised through the 21.2 mile land cut, the Alligator River- Pungo River Canal, on a quiet, sunny morning, Paul noticed something large swimming across the canal. When the creature was halfway, we realized that it was a young black bear. I think he was as surprised as we were, judging how quickly he hauled himself up the bank and disappeared into the woods! You can see him in the photo if you look for the little ears on the dark spot closest to shore, OK, it's not a great shot, but it's proof, right? Spotting him was definitely a thrill and a first for us and I can't remember other cruisers talking about such sightings.

Washing Chain, Gale Creek

All these early mornings, while not always so pleasant while washing down muddy chain and foredeck, have provided some beautiful sunrises. There's nothing quite like watching the sun rise, sipping coffee and thinking about the day ahead. I noticed most of my photos come from this part of the day, although we've seen some beautiful sunsets. I think we're always too busy anchoring and settling the boat before it's seriously dark to take the time to snap a photo. Maybe it's the time of day, but maybe the roses just smell sweeter in the morning.

Southbound__Almost!

our last morning in Baltimore and while it's still windy and chilly here in the aftermath of Sandy, we were spared the brunt of the hurricane that caused so much damage in so many areas. There are many things I've come to appreciate about Baltimore, but one at the top of my list right now is the protection the inner harbor offers in storms such as Sandy.

We did see lots of wind, with gusts of perhaps 50- 60 miles per hour, and lots of rain which came with a big chill down. While friends reported balmy temps in Boston much of the week, we haven't been much above 55 degrees here since Sunday. But we were safe throughout the storm, for which I was especially thankful as I was here on the boat without Paul who was away in Florida (what's wrong with this picture) at a long planned business meeting. My intrepid friend, who had scheduled a visit long before seeing a weather forecast, did not cancel and we rode out the storm together with lots of catching up, laughter and good meals. There were so many things here that I wanted to share with her, but we felt lucky that we could doll up in foul weather gear and hurry over to the hotel health club a block away!

Inner Harbor Marina from Federal Hill Park

I've been collecting some photos of things we've seen and done here and I'll start with the shot of our marina from the park across the road. We're near the center of the picture and if you can find the green hull, you've found Carry On!

Another thing we love about our urban experience is how easy it is to get around. The free hybrid buses run in a half dozen routes all over the downtown area every 15 minutes and they are a delight: clean, no graffiti and very quiet. In fact the whole city downtown is immaculate, a fact of pride for the city __Salem could learn a lesson or two.

Fort McHenry

If you remember your history better than I do, you'll know that Baltimore is home to Fort McHenry. The overnight onslaught of the British which was successfully held off by the local militia was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key's Oh Say Can You See. It actually had a few revisions along the way to produce what we all so immediately identify as our National Anthem. 

Baltimore is also the home of Edgar Allen Poe, which you probably would easily guess from all the purple jersey- wearing Ravens fans seen on game days.

At Ease on the Mess Deck

There are five historical ships
here in the inner harbor open for visiting. We toured the submarine Torsk and the Coast Guard Cutter Taney which was in Pearl Harbor and served for over 40 years after that. There's also the Constellation, a sister ship to the Constitution, our Boston institution.

Washington Monument in Mt Vernon

Our favorite neighborhood is Mount Vernon, home of the    Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Institute (a well respected music conservatory), the symphony and theatre venues. It's a lovely place to walk, even on a drizzly day, with beautiful newer, elegant row houses and condos, restaurants and a few small shops

The "Bus" at American Visionary Art Museum

And last, but not least, the American Visionary Art Museum, a jewel of a museum showcasing the work of self taught artists, sometimes called outsider art. The wonderful bus at right is just one feature of the outdoor works, a wonderfully whimsical mirrored mosaic with reflector lights, bits of ceramic and the odd plaster bunny and swan!

There are still things here that we didn't quite get around to doing, but it's time to move. It's getting cold and there's a reason people who live on boats go south for the winter. But before we get seriously on the move, we'll go to Solomons, MD, to see our boat guru Scotty for those few things we'd like him to do. Tonight we'll be on an anchor near Annapolis and I'll be encouraging Bubba to cuddle closer in my berth__Brrrr.

Trawler Fest Baltimore

It's a beautiful, clear and sunny day here in Baltimore, although it's more than a little crisp at just 44 degrees. We opted to stay here after the Trawler Fest show, thinking it would be a good base for a couple of business trips Paul needed to make and an enjoyable place to hang out for a while as well. After three weeks here, as an old friend would say, "we are not disappointed"! 

Elk River Anchorage at Sunrise

Getting here from Newport was less than fun, despite the company of our great nephew as we transited the East River through New York City. He's a sophomore at NYU and seems to know every tall building that we pass, and even without his local knowledge, it's always a special treat to have him on board. His visit was the highlight of an otherwise rough and exhausting trip down the Jersey shore, with 4-7 ft seas kicked up by Hurricane Nadine, who simply refused to move on. 

After regrouping in Cape May for an afternoon and evening, we crossed Delaware Bay and entered the C & D (Chesapeake and Delaware) Canal, breathing a sigh of relief to be in sheltered waters again. I always particularly enjoy the rural areas that we pass through before entering Chesapeake Bay__ even at sunrise hauling a muddy chain and anchor! And then a short day down the bay to Baltimore and again the now familiar rhythm of getting the boat ready for show. 

Trawlers on Display

The show ran from Thursday through Sunday, although the Trawler Fest seminars and events ended on Saturday. As our presence was not required on the dock until Sunday, Paul and I took the opportunity to begin our exploration of Baltimore and find the best marina option for our month long stay. We finally settled on the BMC Inner Harbor, for its location near the free Circulator buses, the water taxi, in slip pump out (always a practical consideration when you're living on board!) and the great October pricing special that made the our stay very reasonable, especially since we won't need a car most of the time.

Underwater Basket Weaving

Paul kept himself busy working on real estate business, as well as the presentation which he'll make at the end of the month in Florida (I'm staying here with Bubba and a friend from home to keep me company). For my part, I kept myself entertained by attending a few seminars, including an "underwater basket weaving" class__ underwater because all of the reeds must be soaked in order to be bent into shape. In less than an hour and a half, our unskilled class each turned out a reasonable looking basket. It was a fun group and the time went quickly, although I don't see any more basket weaving in my future! 

The show was busy, and attracted an audience who should be most interested in a boat such as Carry On. There were lots of boats on two docks and a surprising number of very large and expensive boats. We felt the show went well for us, but we're still waiting for that phone call with an offer.

Soon enough the show was over and we anchored out in Baltimore Harbor to enjoy the sunset. We were well settled in when we had a visit by the Harbor Police who told us we needed to move, as the area we were in was illegal, despite charts to the contrary. So we moved as directed just as it began to rain and with limited swinging room, reset our anchor a couple of times before it held. I had just put our dinner on the table and we were all set to toast the end of the boat shows, when the State Police boat signaled us and told us we needed to move yet again. ARGHH. He kindly agreed that we could eat dinner first, and as it was now pouring rain, we were thankful for that. Then after dinner, we moved again and finally settled in for the night. Not exactly relaxing!

Sunrise and Moonset, Baltimore Harbor

The next morning we were treated to the view shown on the right and then saw Carry On laying at anchor in a shot of the harbor on the local CBS station. We haven't quite figured out where the web cam is, but we see shots of our current marina and the alternate harbor view every morning before Charlie Rose, our current morning show favorite.

We're enjoying our stay here and have even had guests from Marblehead on board for a few days. Despite rainy and chilly days, we had a great time exploring museums and some of the neighborhoods, walking the beautifully laid out waterfront and enjoying some of the local restaurants. But more on all that later!

Boats, Boats and More Boats

I'm writing this morning from the Harbor View Marina in Baltimore, a huge marina and condo development offering a panoramic view of the harbor. It's quiet here this morning, but the docks are gradually filling with boats for the TrawlerFest show and tomorrow morning we hope it will be crawling with people shopping for their next boat. But first, back a couple of weeks to Newport and the brokerage show there.  

In retrospect, the two day trip from Salem down to Newport was not a bad one, despite forecasts of seas that seemed a little higher than normal. Entering Newport harbor to anchor out the night before moving into our show slip, we saw an AIS label (automatic identification satellite) pop up on our computer screen. Yes, it was our friends from last winter's dock in Jacksonville__ what a nice surprise, although I had thought and hoped they perhaps might be around for a day or two. Emails exchanged, then phone calls and by the end of the week, there was lunch and a couple of nice dinners together, including one on board their boat overlooking Newport's shoreline. Other friends from NH also visited the show and we had another nice meal out with them and their RI friends on Saturday night. There were a couple of receptions for exhibitors as well, so it we had a busy social schedule and a lot of fun. 

We waited most of the day scheduled for the show move- in until our time slot came and went. It was clear things were running behind schedule, despite the best efforts of the organizers. We had an interesting hour or so, moving slowly around the harbor, looking at the beautiful boats that fill Newport Harbor. And finally it was our turn to move into our slot in the raft.

The Raft

Imagine about 55 boats, tied stern to the dock, beam to beam and almost bow to bow__ that's the raft. It doesn't sound unusual to you boat show regulars, but let me tell you, it was something else to be part of the scene. By 5:30 pm, Carry On was finally situated, but as we left for dinner out at 7 pm, the big sailboats were still being wrestled into place in the twilight. 

HIgh Tea

We were surrounded by lovely boats. Off our bow were two unusual and beautiful offerings. High Tea, built in the 30's and presented in Bristol condition, and WanderBird, which we saw last year in Ft Lauderdale at TrawlerFest and most recently while on a boat ride around Marblehead Harbor with friends one evening when the New York Yacht Club was in town.

Master Stateroom, WanderBird

WanderBird was finished in just 2004, a custom boat built in the US at an enormous cost.  The estimates I heard ranged from $8-12 million. Tragically the owner for whom the boat was built died in a crash of his private plane shortly after the boat was completed. She is now in an estate and has been available for charter and up for sale for some time. What's interesting to us is the philosophies embodied in her design__ she has dry stack exhaust, paravanes for stabilization and even two ample twin berths in the master stateroom. No center island queen here! The list of specs is intimately familiar to us, as that's exactly what we have on Carry On, albeit in a far less luxurious embodiment.

The Newport shows were blessed with absolutely gorgeous weather this year. From the set up days through the end on Sunday, it was clear, cool and crisp with sunshine sparkling off the water. We felt there was a lot of traffic from not just brokers as we had expected, but also from individuals, some of whom seemed to be in buying mode. 

The raft began to break up Sunday after 5 pm when the show closed. As we were planning a 6 am departure Monday morning, we were watching carefully as it became clear that most of the boats were not leaving as previously advertised. We finally decided it was all going to work out whatever, however and began looking at the scene with interest as docks were moved, boats pushed out and redocked with the aid of work boats. Of course all of this was more fun due to the graciousness of a gentleman who served wonderful heavy hors d'oeuvres in a tent on the dock with a great view of all the proceedings!

Paul's Next Boat

One of our amusements was looking at the fabulous boats in Newport Shipyard as we came in and out of the dock area. The boat on the right particularly captured our fancies. Her name is Scheherazade and we really don't know how long she is, but that's me standing in the middle by the jackstands, so you get the idea!

We did make our 6 am departure for a long day to Port Jefferson at the eastern end of Long Island, thanks in part to the help of a delivery captain who stayed on board with us during the show. He was a great help in putting Carry On in position to go the night the raft broke up, and we enjoyed swapping stories with him and sharing laughs __ a great diversion for Paul and me.

Now we're focusing on getting ready for the show which begins here tomorrow, but more coming soon on the rough trip down and TrawlerFest in Baltimore!

September Already

It seems as if I start almost every post by declaring, "it's hard to believe, but..." , but that's what I'm going to say again in regards to how fast the summer here has flown by. We're leaving Salem in just a few days, heading for the Newport Brokerage Boat Show which starts a week from today. Boat interest, not just for Carry On, but boats in general, seems to have been at a low last spring and over the summer, but we're hearing reports that boats may be beginning to sell. We hope so and even as I'm writing, a crew of three is detailing the exterior of the boat__ cleaning, polishing and buffing__ to make us "stand tall" for the show in Newport. Needless to say, Paul and I are working on the inside, clearing and cleaning, so much so that I'm afraid we may be so empty that we'll rattle underway!

It's been really nice to spend an extended period here in our home territory, watching the New England summer develop and lately begin it's wane into fall, seeing friends and getting back to some of our old favorite routines, even if it's just temporary. We know the resident "fishermen"__ the blue heron, the night heron we see occasionally, even the green heron I saw catching a crab on a piling one early morning. Mostly though, I have enjoyed the ducks and through them, marked the passage of time. 

Swimming Practice

In June, we first noticed the mother duck and her eight little ducklings. A friend warned me not to get too attached because certainly some of the small creatures would disappear due to predators. Although I'm still not sure what species those might be, he was right. In a few weeks, half the ducklings were gone. 

Often I would see them swimming in formation off the dock, sometimes the mother frantically trying to keep her children close by. It seemed there was always one who was under the dock or striking out on his own. The ducklings grew quickly, and one morning I came home from a walk to find the mother and four babies  resting on our swim platform. 

Adopted by Ducks

Over time it became clear that Carry On was the haul out of choice for the mom and her brood, and it has been a delight to see them roosting off our stern. 

For us, the summer has been a busy one, and although we have looked a lot of real estate and even thought we had found something suitable, we are still without a land home. We are at peace with the idea of renting for a while if Carry On sells before we find the perfect place, and  we, our friends and our realtor here will keep our eyes and ears open as we head south and do the things we need to do. Those things include the Newport Show and then the show at TrawlerFest in Baltimore, Paul's talk at a Business Process meeting in Florida at the end of October and then a move to Fort Lauderdale if the boat is not sold. So it may be yet one more trip down the waterway for us, another winter in Florida? Who knows? Stay tuned!

Almost Grown Up

Settling in for the Summer

Breakfast with the Birds

Hard to believe it — at least for us — that we've been in Salem for almost two weeks. Since my last post almost a month ago, we've spent 15  days traveling up from the River Dunes Marina in Pamlico, NC with only one layover day in Portsmouth, VA. We used up our planned lay days waiting for our engine repairs there, and faced with a deteriorating forecast for winds and waves, we struck out with intentions of doing some long days in order to arrive in Salem a few days before an old friend arrived from Tokyo to stay with us through the MIT Sloan School Reunion weekend. On the morning we left North Carolina, we were treated to these small and lovely birds sitting on our lifelines as we opened the salon curtains and began our preparations to get underway.

Massive Crane Delivery

Our first two days out were through several very large and shallow bodies of water: the Alligator River, the Pamlico, Currituck and Albemarle Sounds, all prone to choppy, nasty conditions when high winds and currents are in opposing directions. Our tactic was to get underway at first light and make as much progress as possible before the winds built up during the day, and for the most part, we were comfortable and able to read and knit underway. We heaved a sigh of relief when we reached the locks at Great Bridge, VA, but realized that we still had about 750 miles to go.

One of our favorite days is transiting Norfolk Harbor, which brings back memories as both of us lived in that area long ago, and always has lots of interesting things to see-- particularly for the captain, who really gets a kick out of seeing all the naval vessels docked there. On this particularly gray morning, we watched an immense crane being delivered by a team of three tugs. If you look at the blue cranes on shore, which are very tall and can be seen from far away, you get an idea of just how big this piece of equipment is — huge!

Carry On at Portsmouth Free Dock

As the next good stopping place was farther than we felt like going, we decided to check out the two free docks in Portsmouth, just across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk, which we had read were great places for a layover-- and we were ready for a break. We found space at the second dock just as it began to rain and were helped with our lines by one of two  small Canadian power cats on either side of us. We were also ready for some company and invited both couples, one from Vancouver, the other from Ontario, over for drinks, planning to go out for dinner after they left. But as these things go, we all were having fun, wine was flowing and by the time they left, we were no longer very hungry or very excited about venturing out on such a drizzly night. So we stayed in, which turned out to be a very good decision. As we settled down for the night, we looked outside and discovered that at high tide, our free dock was 6 inches under water! 

We had a sunny morning the next day, good for an exploration of the historic homes near our dock, had lunch out and a catchup afternoon with good internet service, not always a given in the areas we had just covered. Then the next two days, back on plan, up through Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay to Solomons, MD, our usual stopover to rendezvous with Scotty, our boat guru. No Scotty, who was still in Florida this season, but a whirlwind afternoon to pick up the mail and packages waiting for us and a power grocery shopping trip in the ancient Mercedes courtesy car provided by the marina. In the hour limit for usage, we managed to reprovision for the next 11 days, including travel time!

Back on track the next day, up the Chesapeake to Still Pond. Up early again, through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, with an early stop so as not to fight adverse currents through the Delaware Bay. Then up very early, through the Bay, through the Delaware- Cape May Canal, through Cape May and all the way to Atlantic City. A long day, ending with a truly nasty stretch of seas before turning in to the relative calm of the anchorage off the bright casino lights. 

Freedom Tower and Lower Manhattan

By this point, the choice we faced was waiting for a week in Atlantic City for seas to calm down, or continuing to move despite a forecast of 3-5 ft seas. We opted for the later and were rewarded with a reasonable day of no more than 1 ft seas, arriving at our anchorage in the shelter of Coney Island on a hot summery feeling evening. The next day through New York harbor is always exhilarating, and our Memorial Day transit coincided with the end of Fleet Week and a visit by the tall ships. We've enjoyed watching the progress of the construction of the Freedom Tower, which now looks, at least from the outside, near completion.

Tall Ships at Fleet Week

We had planned to spend two nights in Port Washington on Long Island Sound, but opted to stay only one and continue up the Sound the next day to Duck Island Roads, a Connecticut anchorage. With an early start from Duck Island, we stopped early the next day, taking a mooring at a boatyard in Jamestown found for us by our old and dear friends, who took us out for a tour of their recently purchased Grand Banks and then for dinner. A welcome respite!

Almost home, just two long days to go, but motivated by the increasingly dire forecasts for high seas even near the coast. We felt fortunate to travel through Narraganset Bay and Buzzards Bay in calm conditions and opted to lengthen our day to make it all the way to Plymouth, by which time we were feeling gentle swells. Plymouth Harbor is a very long way in and we consciously decided not to seek better shelter than behind a small stretch of land extending out from the harbor. We still don't regret the decision, but it became increasingly obvious toward early morning that the sea conditions were not getting better. At 4:45 am, neither of us sleeping, we roused ourselves and were underway, even hauling 125 ft of chain, in less than 20 minutes-- a record for us, although we are very adept at a half hour departure straight out of bed!

It was not a pleasant morning. The seas were easily five feet, on our starboard quarter. Nasty, but all three of us, including Bubba, endured, realizing that we would be on the dock in Salem by noon. The nastiness lasted until an hour out from the dock when we reached some sheltering from Cape Ann and we were able to regroup, get dock lines ready and pull in the paravanes in relative calm. It was a beautiful sunny day here, and despite being exhausted, we were very happy to finally make our destination. We'll be here for the summer, where we can catch up with friends, look for a place to live on land, and make the boat more available for showing. We will miss Maine, but it's also really good to just settle in here for a while.

Covering Ground

Wild Ponies on the Beach

It seems like ages ago that we were at Cumberland Island, maybe because we've covered a lot of ground since then. I'm looking back now at the photos I took on our excursion through the old oak trees that cover the middle of the island on the way to the Atlantic beach where I watched these ponies, plus two others that eventually joined them. They seemed to be aware of my presence, although I was moving slowly and was never less than 50 feet away from them, and at first hardly moved. Gradually, as I moved away and they were joined by two others, they trotted off down the beach and into the dunes.

Campground Laundry

The woods at Cumberland are almost as beautiful as the beach, but the beach is always the real draw for me. The half mile long path is an easy walk and a chance to see an armadillo, although their population has been diminished by two very cold winters (not this last!) and the drought of the last several seasons. We encountered several groups of campers pushing huge carts full of gear on their way to meet the Park service ferry back to the mainland. All had glowing reports of their experience, but I have to say that I am very grateful that I can return to comfortable Carry On.



We traveled several days on the ICW, arriving at Beaufort, SC on a Sunday afternoon to meet an old fraternity brother of Paul's and his wife for drinks and an early dinner. It was a nice respite, but short, and then on to Charleston the next day. We had planned just a two day stop in Charleston at a marina near the cruise and freight ship terminals as well as all the charms of historic Charleston, but our stay extended to three while we had a nagging engine problem looked at. Anxious not to lose one of our flex days and just anxious to get moving, we took advantage of a perfect weather window and headed overnight up to Wrightsville Beach. It was a smooth trip, not too exhausting, and the next morning we made an early start on a thirteen hour run up to Cape Lookout, NC.

Carry On at Cape Lookout

We've wanted to go to Cape Lookout, another National Seashore, ever since we've been moving up and down the coast on Carry On, but have never hit the weather conditions required for a comfortable trip out and back and pleasant anchoring. We were in luck this time, and had a lovely evening in one of the more beautiful spots on the East Coast.


It was busy, a Saturday night and such settled weather, but we found a quiet corner with only one boat nearby. We launched the dinghy the next morning and took a long walk in the dunes, collecting shells and admiring the view of the harlequin patterned lighthouse across the water. It was a wonderful diversion from the waterway while it lasted, but all too quickly we were on our way back to the mainland again, with forecasts of deteriorating weather.

Shells!

Now we're in a really nice and really cheap marina-- what a combination-- off the Neuse River near Oriental, once again enjoying the company of the local Deere dealer. We're waiting for a fuel injection pump, which we hope will arrive tomorrow, so we can be on our way again.

There are many empty slips and very few transients in the marina, part of an attractive new residential development that was caught in the real estate crunch. We were lucky enough to dock next to a sailboat from Great Britain and have been keeping company with its owner, whose wife is back home at the moment-- dinner out in Oriental last night via the courtesy car and tonight dinner here. It's nice to have a bit of a social life!

Goodbye Jacksonville

Magnificent Magnolia

We finally left Jacksonville yesterday after a flurry of last minute errands, an attempt to foresee all the things we might need before the next time we have a rental car. We were at Ortega Landing for a total of three months this winter, a first for us, and if we still have a boat next winter, I'm sure we'll return.

On the Other Side

Paul has been feeling well and we've had a good time poking around town a little, eating out a lot, enjoying life while still getting a lot done. It's gotten really hot here-- well into the high 80's most days-- so I've been trying to get myself out early for my walks. I've been enjoying the beautiful magnolia trees which were blooming all over our neighborhood, with their incredible smell which always seems strongest in the early morning humidity.

Since we arrived at the marina in late November the bridge closest to us has been under repair. Remember the photo of us transiting with only one span open? I've been waiting and waiting to take a walk from my favorite little park across the bridge to see the neighborhood on the other side while the closed bridge detour signs have promised a reopening almost every month since February. 

Finally, on May 1, the bridge reopened to car and pedestrian traffic.  I finally got to take my walk on our last day in town-- talk about timing!

What Do You Mean, No More Dock?

We had a quiet day in the waterway for our first day off the dock in a month, and Bubba hardly moved from his favorite chair. We anchored last night at one of my all-time favorite anchorages off Cumberland Island National Seashore Park-- more to follow on that.

For now, I'm signing off. The mechanics of blogging can sometimes send me to the edge, it's hot out and it's time to think about a cool shower, a beer and grilling dinner on the flybridge!

Carry On "Standing Tall" at Ortega Landing

It's hard to believe that we've been here for two and a half weeks already, but we've been preoccupied by a few things—Paul's surgery, his recuperation and preparing the boat for a showing after two weeks in a dirty boatyard and a salty offshore passage. Paul's surgery went well and he's well on the road to recovery, and the boat looked beautiful for its showing. I worked very hard, cleaning for quite a few days, and was starting to complain about my daily drudge. The showing went well and our prospects commented that it was the cleanest boat they had ever seen. I think they meant that as a compliment, but I wasn't quite sure whether to feel proud or embarrassed!

Living Aboard, Miami River

We've started poking around Jacksonville's attractions again, but more on that next time as we have a guided tour of downtown planned for next week, as well as the art museum and gardens. For a while now, I've been saving photos of boats that catch our attention for some reason other beyond the usual "that's a nice boat"—sometimes because they are so huge and over the top, sometimes because they are so derelict. Most I've taken in Florida waters.

It's kind of a rainy day file and since today seems to be full of passing showers, it seems like a good day to share these pics. 

The Miami River, where Spencer Boat is located, is lined with funky crab and lobster (of the spiny variety) shacks, as well as a some kind of charming hippy looking houses set on the river. This boat had that same look—though it didn't exactly look seaworthy, it had a certain Bohemian appeal. 

Just Open the Hull

Here's a huge boat that we saw somewhere in the Palm Beach area on the ICW. It's so big that the tender is stored in the hull—and we're sure it was at least a 30 ft high speed motor boat. 

We wonder how many days a year a year it's used!

Helipad on Top

Here's another favorite. We've seen this boat a few times as we make our way up and down the ICW. Check out the helicopter on the aft upper deck—great for a quick getaway!

That's all for now, but one of the joys of traveling the waterway is the sight seeing!