We are back!

We are back! After getting successfully through the winds and squalls in Green Turtle Cay, we dropped the mooring on Sat. morning and left to sail to Great Sale Cay and wait to leave for States on Monday.  After arriving we decided to leave along with another boat on Sunday afternoon instead. This was a poor choice. We should have gone with our original plan.

The winds were light  at first so we motor sailed up past Mantinilla Shoal and out into the Atlantic after dark on Sunday night where we had a bumpy ride in large swells with shifting wind direction all night long keeping us from getting much sleep at all. Monday the wind was again light and we finally decided to motor due west to the Gulf Stream in hopes of getting some assistance from the current. Well that worked and we motor sailed at over 8 kts the rest of the day and through the night until on Tuesday about 5 a.m. we exited the Gulf Stream to turn toward Charleston. The winds were pretty much non existent at that point and without the current to help we just slowly motored north. It made for a slow go. 

The good new was that with such a flat and quiet sea we both could catch up on some much needed sleep. The best part was we had 3 different groups of dolphins meet up with us and swim along in Spunky's bow waves for quite some time welcoming us back. The first group had about 4 or 5 large dolphins and the second and third groups were smaller but each had 7. They would gather at the bow and swim along side Spunky just under the surface and then come out of the water and swim off to the side. They are so graceful and keep pace so effortlessly.  We also saw 6 huge sea turtles swimming past.

 The bad news was that without wind it took us til after 11:00 pm to reach the harbor entrance in Charleston and we did not reach our anchorage until midnight. We were both exhausted and it was challenging to find a spot to drop the anchor in the dark. 

This morning we moved into Charleston City Marina and filled fuel and water tanks and washed all the salt off Spunky. We are trying to take it a little easy. We have heard from another boat that the ICW is quite shallow in spots north of Charleston. We had planned to take off Friday and go up the ICW to avoid the 30 kt. winds forecast off shore for Thursday and Friday. Now we are not sure what we will do. We will have to try to get through the shallow areas at mid to high tide and timing that can be iffy. Then we must go outside again at Winyah Bay or Cape Fear to bypass a bridge at Snow's Cut which is being worked on so that we can no longer fit under it. We will sail overnight and come back inside at Beaufort, NC and then stay on the ICW the rest of the way back.

Things are never easy. However the weather today here is beautiful and warm. We are hopeful that Spring has indeed arrived and we shall be back in the Chesapeake soon. 

Look forward to hearing from everyone on your springtime/summer plans.

E and J

Back in the USA

We are now in Charlestown, SC.  We sailed 400 miles from Great Sale in the Bahamas directly here.  Our timing wasn't good and we arrived here in the middle of the night.  We did great riding the Gulf Stream at over 8 knots.  When we left it there was no wind and we motored the last 24 hours.  I have never seen the ocean so flat.  We had lots of dolphins swim along with us and also saw some giant sea turtles.  It was very pleasant but boring and slow.  I finally took down the main sail and never bothered to turn off the auto pilot or turn the boat.  

Hope you have a wonderful week.  Our phones are now working and we get regular internet almost anytime we want.  I think it will be Netflex tonight. 

After leaving Barefoot Marina we made good time and arrived at Minim Creek where we dropped anchor. We began to notice there were, would you believe it, mosquitos in the cockpit enclosure. That was our first indication that we were indeed in the south. The next morning at daybreak it was once again COLD so I guess the mosquitos were sorry they made an appearance. I know we where.

We made it through Charleston on the day before T-day. Our timing was right and we were able to get through the Ben Sawyer and Wappo River Bridges on request which was helpful to our schedule. Mon. - Fri. they are both closed from 6-9 in the a.m. and 4-6 in the afternoon. We anchored on the Stono River. It has strong current and often brisk winds but we were fine with our trusty anchor and new windlass. On the way, in the morning after the sun had come up, we passed two eagles. One was sitting on an ICW marker post and the other was standing on the shore. I believe they were soaking up the warm sunshine which I was doing as well.

The past 2 days we have motored as there has been very little wind. By the afternoons we begin shedding all the layers of clothes we pile on every morning. Each day it seems the weather is getting better. We have passed 3 barges in 2 days going down the canal and bumped the bottom twice trying to move over to the side to let the barge,being pushed by a tug, go by. It is nerve wracking when that happens. The barges are huge and really fill up the canal.

We spent the next night, Thanksgiving evening, anchored just south of Beaufort, SC knowing that we would arrive in Hilton Head early the following day giving us time to get up Broad Creek and into our marina for the week we will spend there. We arrived around noon and got checked in. We then washed down the deck and cockpit enclosure which was covered with dirt and salt from our travels. We plan on spending the day organizing and cleaning both ourselves and Spunky.

Our week in Hilton Head was wonderful. It was a very quiet and relaxing time with friends. Hilton Head is a beautiful island that has been comparatively cautious with development as opposed to many resort areas. There are thousands of acres preserved in their natural state with abundant flora and fauna. Our marina was populated with many dolphins that swam between the docked boats throughout the day. We were sorry to leave but Friday at daybreak we motored down Broad Creek and headed out to sea. The day was fair. We had moderate wind and motor sailed throughout the day and into the night taking shifts of about 3 hours each (actually John took longer shifts than I). By nightfall the waves were coming across the beam and tossing us back and forth. Everything not tied down below fell to the floor and what was tied down shifted it's location. Every time that I tried to sleep I was tossed off the settee. At 4 a.m. we reached the point at which we could turn toward St. Augustine and enter the inlet or try for the Canaveral Canal, and although the guides caution on shoaling and the need for local knowledge in St. Augustine we were ready for a rest and we decided to go for it. We slowed down as we approached the entry bouys to try and time our entry for sunrise so we would be able to see the inlet markers and called the City Marina for advice on which areas to watch. We made a successful entry and were safely at the fuel dock by 8:15 a.m.

Tomorrow morning we will once again depart at daybreak heading for the Melbourne area where we will visit friends and family and possibly attend the SSCA gam. Today we took a mooring ball, showered and treated ourselves to a nice lunch at A1A Restaurant. This afternoon John is tracking down small leaks and topping off oil and coolant. The air temp was close to 70 degrees and the water temp over 50!! We are finally getting far enough south to be comfortable.

Elyse and John

Heading South, Fall 2012

Well all is well. The windlass was completed by Monday morning and we left at 10:30 hoping to make Norfolk. We entered Hampton Roads in the dark and made for an anchorage at Hospital Point which is named for the Veterans Hospital there. As we motored past the navy yard with all the ships in port we were shadowed by a patrol boat with flashing lights. The anchorage when we arrived had about 6 boats but we found a spot and dropped anchor for the night. It is always a relief to find an anchorage where there is room for us.

We were up at 5:30 a.m. when it was still dark in order to travel the distance to the Gilmerton Bridge before 6:30 at which time it closes to passing vessels until 9:30 a.m. We needed to get through so we could get through the Deep Creek Lock on the Dismal Swamp by 8:30 so we could make it all the way through the swamp in one day and end up in Elizabeth City at night fall. We are still hopeful that we can make Hilton Head in time to meet our friends. While pulling up the anchor for the first time we discovered that the windlass would not set the anchor. So John used the winch to set it and we were off and running to the bridge.

The dock master at the Deep Creek Lock where vessels are raised to canal level, invited the crews on the 3 boats in to his house for breakfast and a short history lesson on the canal. It was wonderful to be inside as it was raining hard and very cold standing on Spunky's deck with our ropes tied to the lock wall as the water rose to canal height.

We left there and headed for the South Mills lock and made it through in great time but alas were held up for the scheduled opening at the Elizabeth City Bridge resulting in our trying to find our slip at Pelican Marina in the dark and cold. Neither of us see too well after dark. While we were waiting for the bridge, I called the bridge tender and passed along a hello from friends Chris and Sheila on the catamaran Never Bored who we met in St. Mary's, GA last year. They had met and enjoyed a friendship with Jack the bridge tender the previous year on their way south.  He said it made his day to have a message from Chris and Sheila and offered us the use of his truck while we were in town.

We stayed 2 nights at Pelican Marina and our friends Don and Jean came over from Southern Shores, NC to pick us up and take us to their home for a great dinner, a shower and laundry. They drove us down the outer banks to see the damage inflicted by Sandy. What a mess. There were piles of furniture on the roadside awaiting pickup. On Thursday morning we were back on our way south.

Due to the Northeast winds we were able to put our genoa out and make great time. The first night we anchored outside the entrance to the Alligator River-Pungo River canal. The winds were hight but we were fine. We were on the way by 6:30 the next morning but just as we entered the canal the engine overheated and John discovered a leak in a coolant hose. We dropped anchor in the canal and in 20 min. John did a quick repair  with Rescue Tape and we were on our way. We could not believe how many boats were passing us going south. Must be the late start for everyone due to Sandy.

We spent Friday night just north of Oriental, NC  at River Dunes marina and left at the crack Sat. morning heading for Beaufort, NC in the hopes we could go off shore but no such luck the waves outside were 10-14 ft. and the winds were high so we committed to the ICW and put out our genoa. With a good NNE wind we made great time and pulled into Hammock Bay to anchor along with about 10 other vessels. Hammock Bay is at the south end of Camp Lejune and is the only anchorage available in that stretch. The winds were high throughout the night and a small sailboat pulled in over our anchor chain late in the evening. We were concerned about leaving in the a.m. (neither of us got much sleep) as we are usually the first ones out at daybreak and we knew it would be difficult to pull anchor with the other boat sitting over our chain. It was a problem but fortunately the captain heard us start our engine and came up to move his boat.

The weather was pretty crumby during the day. Lots of heavy rain and wind. It was cold as well.  We put out our genoa and made it to Carolina Beach where we anchored in 25-30 mph winds for the night. Our anchor held tight and the next morning on the Cape Fear River the winds continued high but we kept going and made it to Barefoot Marina inside South Caroling for the night. John took a taxi (no curtesy car) to West Marine to get the required hose to repair the leak and then changed the oil. The long days are beginning to catch up to us.

This morning we left at daybreak and  there was no wind so here we are motoring along hoping to pass Georgetown, SC today and get to Charleston on Wed. Nov. 21. The sun is out and the Wacamaw River is beautiful. 

Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving.

Elyse and John

Back Home

Friends & Family,

We are headed north.  We are just short of Myrtle Beach tonight in a little marina on the ICW.  We are leaving early to head up to Southport.  Sunday the weather is supposed to be bad Sunday morning so we may try to stay put someplace.  There is a restaurant in Southport that will let you dock with them if you buy a meal.  We are hoping they have a spot.  We stayed with them going sough.  We will see.

I hope all is well with you.  More later.

John

Back Home

Dear Friends and Family,

We left Great Sale, Abaco Sunday morning at 4:30 a.m. after waiting 3 days for a weather window and arrived in Charleston, SC on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. It was a rough crossing with each of us taking 3 hour watches through the days and nights as we sailed toward the US. In the Gulf Stream the slides on our mainsail broke which caused the sail to blow off the stern when John tried to lower it. He was able to pull it back aboard and lash it to the cockpit cover while I tried to keep Spunky level in the wind and ocean swells and we continued sailing on with just our genoa. We are happy to be back and tonight had long showers at the Charleston City Marina where we are awaiting a repair on our bilge pumps which also failed on our crossing requiring John to bail out the bilge with a pump and a bucket. The Immigration officer was here to meet us at the dock when we arrived and we took on fuel and washed all the salt off Spunky's decks.

This trip has such mixed feelings for us. We met some wonderful and extraordinary people who we will hope to keep as friends and stayed in some beautiful places that I may never have had the opportunity to see without our trip on Spunky. Our sadness is so great that we lost our little Moose in a car accident and he will forever rest in our hearts and on a bluff overlooking the Sea of Abaco.

Now we return to the Chesapeake to have repairs and maintenance done to Spunky and ourselves and to regroup and figure out the next step in our journey.

Our plan now is to make our way up the ICW and visit with some friends along the way and perhaps sail up the Potomac to anchor close to DC to be able to see our children and DC friends using the metro for transportation around the area.

It has been such a blessing to hear from all of you over the past 4 months and we hope to see many of you over the next several months. During our trials we were reminded how important you all are to us. You all encouraged us to continue our dream and enjoyed it along with us. You were there with encouraging words when boat systems failed and during my medical crises. You cheered our successes and Moose's new sailing skills. Words cannot describe what that has meant to us.

Please continue to stay in touch with us and share your lives and adventures as we will with you,

Love to you all,
Elyse and John

Update, Heading South

We left Wrightsville Beach a little later than usual to try and miss the current in the Cape Fear River. It can cut our speed way down. Going under the bridge at Carolina Beach, the fellow in the following boat told us later when he caught up to us that he kept saying to himself "don't do it" as he was sure our mast would not clear the bridge. Another sailboat held back for a couple of hours for the tide to drop as they were afraid their mast would not clear. There is a measure board on the side of each bridge that shows the clearance and this one showed it would be tight but John was confident although he later admitted his stomach jumped to his throat as we went under. We were close but made it through into Snow's cut and on to the Cape Fear River.

We arrived in Southport by noon and turned into a slip at Provision Co. It is a very funky restaurant on the harbor with only outside seating in a rustic setting so to speak. The slips are free if you have a meal at the restaurant and so we did. A burger and a beer. It was great!!  There is no water or electricity but it is safe and does not require a dinghy run to shore in the a.m.

We are now back in the world of tidal currents and big tides where from the time we arrived at noon when we stepped off the boat onto the dock until  3 1/2 hrs. later when we needed a ladder to climb from Spunky's deck to the dock. I was hopeful that if we waited until 5 or so we could get Moose off for his evening constitutional. We could with a hand up from Stephen our neighbor. Then I  fixed dinner and we turned in. We have a minimum of 65 miles tomorrow-75 if we can make it with the currents-and we will once again be up very early and on the way before daylight. In two days we should be in Charleston. If we had our genoa we would have gone out into the Atlantic at Cape Fear and sailed all night down to Charleston cutting the trip down by a day. We would like to make St. Mary's, GA by Thanksgiving Day which is at mile marker 712. It will be doable but could be iffy depending on wind and current. Since loosing the opportunity to go outside in the Atlantic, we will probably wait to take possession of our new genoa til we arrive in Stuart, FL where it is being made. 

Things are falling into a pattern now and I am especially pleased that Spunky is running well. John used this afternoon to check the fluids in the engine and batteries. The engine is slow to start in the a.m. because diesel engines do not like cold but the temps are getting slightly warmer as we inch our way south. I can really identify with our engine. 

It is 5 a.m. and we anchored last night near McClenllanville, SC in Five Fathoms Creek. We are getting ready to depart. In a few minutes we will take Moose out to a small strip of beach near the ICW. It is dark and the wind is up and the wind generator is whining. Yesterday afternoon I called a small fuel dock in McClellanville for local knowledge about the depth in the Town Creek Channel. The chart said only 2 ft. but the cruising guide said that the shrimp boats use it to go out so we believed it must be a deep channel. It turned out that we were correct and we took it out to the creek where we anchored. The channel is marked but narrow. When we left the following morning in the dark it was very foggy. 

Last night we stayed in Osprey Marina in South Myrtle Beach. It was off the Wacamah River and the only place where we could stop to walk Moose. We have to get him to go on the boat. He does when he gets scared so I know he can learn that the boat deck is his"yard". The Wacamah is lined with cypress swamp. All you see along the shore are cypress trunks and tress with massive roots. It is beautiful but no landing possibilities. In order to access the marina you make a left turn into a forest of cypress tress in the middle of nowhere. It was so cool and very pretty but the ramp to the clubhouse was very steep. 

Today we head for the Charleston area and hope to anchor in Stony Creek. A lot depends on the wind and tidal current as to where we will end up. We left Five Fathom Creek in very dense fog. It was a challenge to get out of Town Creek and back on the ICW. The travel was intense watching for the markers in the fog. John was at the helm and I was tracking the chart and we made it through. 

Here we are in Stony Creek just past Charleston. We had a very challenging day. We were in fog like California has on the "5". It would be zero visibility for a long time and then ok. Very stressful. On the ride across the Charleston Harbor, in choppy conditions, Moose jumped down about 5 ft. to the salon and found a place on his cushion with his blanket. We think that was a forward step for him. He slept there until we slowed for the Wappow Creek Bridge and then asked to come up top.

We anchored in Stony Creek near Buzzards Roast Marina which is a large body of water and we are tuned into the weather alerts and are hearing tornado warnings with high winds and t-storms. We are on alert. John is up top watching the weather and our anchor. I am below on the computer. Our plan is to wait until morning before we decide whether to go toward Georgia or to hold here until the weather clears. The good news is that the temps are fairly warm and Spunky is running well. 

Well here we are in Hilton Head. Yesterday we battled wind and current to get to Mosquito Creek by late afternoon. There is a seafood company there that has a dock that will accomodate two boats. We were too late and both spaces were taken. We anchored in the creek in front of the store but the woman who was working there (owner?) said we would have to move as she had a 60 ft. shrimp boat coming in to deliver and it would leave to go out again at 5 a.m. and we were in the way. She directed us to an anchorage around the bend which she said would be better. Well perhaps better for her but we ended up on a sand bar as the tide fell. Who knew it was there? Only the locals and we didn't get to talk to them.The tides are between 6-9ft here in SC. There we sat as the tide went out and Spunkyt listed so far over that we were standing on her side while eating dinner. Sometime after 10 p.m. the tide had risen enough that when we put out our small jib we floated off. We moved and set the anchor in the dark. Always a touchy activity since one has limited vision and space perception. We went to bed but were up at 3 a.m. repeating the anchoring as we were too close to the bank and concerned we would go aground again as the tide went out. The great part was we were able to wait for a change in tide and handle everything ourselves and we were off in the early a.m. followed by a line of 6 sailboats who may have sat out the rough winds of the day before and were headed south once again. The winds continue and we are now tied to a fuel dock this afternoon with the wind and waves pushing us hard against the dock. It sounds like someone is hitting Spunky's hull with a hammer. We took showers and now  will do laundry and we plan on leaving tomorrow for Georgia. The temp only got to 62 today but the forecast is for lighter winds and warmer temps over the next few so our spirits are high. We hope to get to St. Mary's by Thanksgiving and it is looking like we may make it. 

Take care everyone and please send notes.