St Augustine

   We are finally in Florida but we brought some of the northern cold weather with us. Here in northern Florida the temperatures vary wildly as cold fronts move through. Most days were in the 60s but we had two nights in the mid-30s. But, no snow so we aren't complaining.
   St Augustine is a very scenic, touristy town. We hit many of the highlights.   When you arrive by boat, the main symbol of St Augustine is the Bridge of Lions, the artsy drawbridge right downtown.

The other maritime symbol of St Augustine is the lighthouse marking the ocean inlet. We walked over the Bridge of Lions and out to the lighthouse on a warm but breezy day.

   St Augustine is the oldest city in America and there are many "oldest" buildings there. Most prominent is the old Spanish fort that guards the city, just inside the inlet and north of the Bridge of Lions. Unfortunately it was not possible to tour the inside of the fort as the national park is closed due to the government shutdown.

   One of the main reasons for Spanish exploring in Florida was Ponce de Leon's quest to find the Fountain of Youth. Its right here in St Augustine.

    The Fountain of Youth park is located on Magnolia Street which has been maintained in the historical Florida horticulture landscaping with streets lined with old Live Oak trees and draping Spanish Moss. Some of these trees are over 600 years old, meaning they were probably growing here when Ponce de Leon came through in 1513.

  Moving from the historical to the present, Trip Advisor reports that St Augustine is famous for having the second best pizza in America, coming from Pizza Time on St George's walkway. We had to try it and can confirm that it is very good pizza.

   We also sampled several of the coffee houses downtown. One picturesque spot was Coffee Perks. Initially we were sitting outside with our dog, Rivah, in the brisk cold breeze. We were told that dogs were welcome, so inside we went. St Augustine is one of the few American cities where dogs are welcome in some eating facilities.

     Walking back to the marina, we were treated to the decorative lights in the "Oldest town square in America." We ended up staying five days in St Augustine and only saw a small sampling of all it has to offer.

Heading to Sea, Finally

   After 12 days transiting down the ICW at 50 miles a day (8hrs of good daylight and averaging about 6 mph) and including a couple "lost days" sitting out high winds, we finally got a good weather window that would allow us to get out on the ocean for 48hrs of steady motoring/sailing. We exited the ICW for sea at Georgetown, SC at the Winyah Bay inlet.

   

  It turned out to be a good passage with initially around 18hrs of motoring in light winds down past Charleston, then a full day of pleasant sailing with steady westerly winds off Georgia.

   Highlighting the day was a large pod of dolphins, over 25+, that came to play with us, riding the bow wave and the side wakes.

   We had clear blue skies and steady winds for the entire day and hoped to see a green flash at sunset, but there was a little too much haze on the horizon - so, just a normal pretty sunset.

   The wind slowly clocked around behind us and gradually died during the night forcing us back to motor sailing but that was ok as we needed to proceed slowly so that we would not arrive at the St Augustine inlet before sunrise. The inlet has shifting sands from the currents and the buoys are moved as the channel changes - meaning the buoys are not where they are shown on the chart and you must navigate in using your "eyeballs" not your instruments. The inlet was rough as we entered at first light against a strong outflowing current but the channel is wide and relatively deep (18-30ft) and we had no problem safely entering back into the ICW.
   By 0900, we were secured at the St Augustine Municipal Marina and ready to enjoy the warm Florida weather. Heavy snow is forecasted for Virginia this weekend, so we are very happy to be in Florida, even if it is unseasonably cool (60 degrees).

   We are now on a mooring ball at St Augustine for the next few days enjoying the Florida weather and St Augustine sights. We will sit here while a cold front with thunderstorms and strong winds blows through, then head further south towards the Keys and even warmer weather.

Bucksport, SC - Hurricane Matthew Flooding Damage

   We were delayed by adverse current all day through the Myrtle Beach canal cut and couldn't get to our intended anchorage in the Wacamaw River, so we decided to stop at Bucksport marina where at least we could get power and heat for the night. Turned out that was a good decision as the temperature dropped to 36 degrees that night.

  We were lucky that power had been restored to the Bucksport dock allowing us to turn our heater on as the marina was heavily damaged by flooding during Hurricane Matthew in Sept 2018. This area saw 8-10ft of flood waters from the heavy rains as the hurricane moved through and stalled in the western Carolinas. The rails and pylons of this fixed dock were completely underwater. Here are a few photos showing the flood water levels.

    Transiting down the Wacamaw river, you could see the flood level measured by the black stains clearly visible on the trees.

      The marina manager reported they intend to refurbish the marina but, I'm not sure how they are going to protect themselves from future floods of this magnitude, given the increased frequency and severity of storms apparently resulting from global warming.

Through LeJeune Marine Base to Swan Point

   Today was a transit down the North Carolina Bogue Sound and ICW waters just inside the Atlantic Ocean barrier islands and through the Camp LeJeune Marine Base. We got as far as Swan Point before dark where we needed to find a marina to stop at because of the high winds and 32degree temperature forecasted for the night. There really was only one option - Swan Point Marina. The good news was that they had one available slip and it was a straight shot in to the floating dock. Unfortunately, this marina was heavily damaged by Hurricane Matthew and no repairs have been made. We knew ahead that there was no fuel or water or heated restrooms (all ok) but they didn't tell us that it was really only 4ft deep with a foot of mushy silt. They said there was a "little hump" at the entrance.
   We entered at good speed and slid over the hump, and then plowed our way through the silt up to the pier. Fortunately we ended up in the right parking spot by the time we stopped because there was no further moving, being held in place by the mud.
   Here's a good photo of where we ended up. You see our bow pulpit at the right of the photo. (BTW, the catamaran ahead is not wrecked, it is lifted up to repair the starboard rudder.) The dockmaster was very friendly, but I would not recommend anyone stay here.

    Unfortunately, we ended up having to stay two nights here. The next morning the wind was blowing hard, blowing us up against the dock. There was no way we could leverage ourselves off the dock into the wind without striking one of the pylons ahead or behind us, which had large metal brackets holding the dock in place (not very well) without any protective padding. Additionally, we can only leave at high tide which means a 10am departure. That does not give us time to reach are next desired destination, but we can adjust.

   Like most days on the ICW there is always something interesting to view while passing by. Today passing through the Marine Base we got to watch Ospreys (Marine aircraft - not birds) and CH-53 heavy helicopters performing training ops. We also got to pass through the LeJeune swing bridge that connects the base to the beach.

Neuse River Transit to Beaufort

   It was a cold, crisp and foggy/misty morning as we left Hobucken for Beaufort. I got to use the radar and the fog horn function on our VHF radio and PA system. Sue got this artsy photo of the sun shining through the mist and foresails of Tides Inn.

   At Beaufort, NC, we anchored over by the US Coast Guard station where we have stopped several times before. It was a breezy night, but this area is relatively protected with just a small swell coming through and, the holding is good. We watched a great sunset before turning in for the night.

Hobucken, NC

   It's not all island resorts and palm trees for the sailor - you first have to get to the tropical waters. And, the safe path in winter from Yorktown goes down the ICW through the Carolinas. After anchoring at the mouth of the Alligator River Canal last night, the next stop is Hobucken, NC and there is only one choice for stopping with power available for heat - the Mayo Seafood Plant.
 

   Hobucken is really miles from nowhere in the eastern North Carolina waterways but is actually not a bad place to stop. It has fuel, water and power and a convenient face dock to tie up to. The facilities are spartan, but we bring our own bed and bath facilities onboard so not a problem.

   Rivah was fearful of the docking which had long slots between the boards allowing a good view of the water below. She displayed a great "commando" walk down the pier with paws widely splayed for maximum surface contact. 

    While it is slow, winding and boring in many places, the ICW still presents many spectacular scenes and wildlife. Sue took this picture of a stately visitor posing next to our boat.

   We have also seen two pairs of bald eagles along the way. One set in the Alligator River Canal and a second pair in the canal cut just before Hobucken. Here is a picture I tried to catch of one. You can just make out the eagle in the distance over the trees. They flew right next to our boat. Quite magnificent big birds with their white heads and tails. We have also seen several dolphins along the way but none have come over to play with us. That will come in South Carolina to Florida. 

Across the Abermarle Sound

   After sitting in Coinjock for two days waiting for winds to die down we headed out across the Abermarle. As we departed the marina, winds and seas were dead calm. That was not the case in the Abermarle.    Seas were still 2-3ft and very close together. Sue commented she was getting her seasick training in. Winds were down to 15kts and just enough abeam to let us motor sail. We made good time but a bit uncomfortable.



      During the crossing we noticed the bilge pump was working overtime, something we had never experienced before. We were taking on water somewhere.  My first thought was it was the water coming over the bow down the anchor chain openings. I checked the fore bilge and it was bone dry. Next culprit could be our new cutlass bearing and packing gland were leaking. We emptied out the aft stateroom (big job) to get access to the shaft. No problems there but I could see water coming in from aft of the stern tube. That means emptying the lazarette to investigate.

 

   Its hard to believe all this stuff was in the one lazarette but they are pretty big on the Island Packets. Mystery solved. Our port scupper hose that is meant to drain the cockpit was leaking. With the wind and seas heeling us to port, the sea was backing up the hose and leaking into the boat. We could also see signs that the exhaust hose and starboard scupper hose were dripping and would eventually need replacing. We stuck a wooden plug from our emergency bag in the scupper hose and I grabbed our rescue tape and wrapped the exhaust hose. That will get us to Florida where we can reassess when to make final repairs.
  
   
     Anchorage for the night is at the end of the Alligator River just before the long canal. No heat tonight but is was only in mid-40s so not worth getting the portable generator out to heat up the boat. We donned pajamas and jumped into the cozy bed. It was quite comfortable (after a few minutes of warming up).  Tomorrow it is off across the Pamilico River to Hobucken, NC.

   Big news is that Rivah is quickly back into the swing of boat dog life. Sue took her up to the bow before bedtime and she promptly did her business. Check out the fancy lighted collar, Christmas gift from the Nashville Lawrence's.

Coinjock, NC - Day 2 (and 3)

    We arrived Friday at Coinjock after an uneventful transit (the best kind) down the Virginia Cut and Currituck Sound in steady showers. We ended up staying 2 nights because there were gale warnings for 20-30kt winds out of the southwest on Saturday. That's exactly the direction we need to go so, no sense bashing into those headwinds and waves. Tomorrow the forecast is for sunny again and 5-8kts of wind. We will proceed on to the Alligator River Canal anchorage area. A night with no heater coming up - but, we can heat the bed up with our electric blanket and portable generator.
   We took a day off today and walked around in the sunshine and 25kt winds. Here is a view of the channel cut through Coinjock. We are tied up at Midway Marina way up at the top left of the photo.

 
   I am updating our position reports on the blog via Winlink Maps so you can click on the link at the top of the blog to see the latest position of Tides Inn (displayed in a red google drop). Our latest report is from Coinjock, NC.

Finally Underway - 3 Jan 2019

   After 8 months of preparations on the boat and on the skipper, we finally shoved off today for Florida.

   9 hrs later we had made it through the busy Norfolk waters, 8 bridges and 1 lock (getting through the restricted bridge 45mins before it closes for rush hour traffic) and arrived for our first night enroute at Great Bridge, VA.  Norfolk Naval Base was full with 4 carriers in port.

   It was a dreary, rainy day but there were a couple special events that make boating so enjoyable.  As we approached the Hampton Roads / James River narrows, with a max ebbing current flowing at 3kts, we spotted a whale (probably a right whale) feeding along the edge of the channel where the water upwells from the 45ft deep channel to the 15ft shallows. We saw the whale blow several times and were able to get one photo. This is the first whale we have ever seen inside the Chesapeake in 25yrs of boating.
 

   The other rewarding event was that, in spite of the rainy conditions, we were able to sail for several hours down the bay at 5-6kts with steady westerly winds. It was a chilly and damp ride but not so bad inside our full enclosure which blocks the wind and rain. Rivah is enjoying her trip, as long as Sue is alongside keeping her warm.

   Tomorrow it is off to Coinjock, NC, as the trip continues. Supposed to rain all day - but temp in the 60s.