The View from Vero Beach

Thanksgiving has come and gone and we hope you all had a day filled with good food, lots of laughs and time with those you love.  We spent ours with our daughter Courtney, her boyfriend Paolo and their two dogs, Vandenhoff and Gus.  We had great food, lots of laughs and a few adventures.  But, we are getting ahead of ourselves. (Click on photos to enlarge)

Greg, Courtney, Paolo at Deerfield Beach Pier

Deerfield Beach Fishing Pier

Vandenhoff (Boston Terrier) and Gus (White Lab) worn out.  

It was a beautiful, sunny day when Dream Catcher arrived in Vero Beach on November 10th.  Since we were two days ahead of schedule, we pulled into another marina, Loggerhead Marina, about two miles north of Vero City Marina (our intended home for a couple months).  Loggerhead is lovely with nice showers, a pool and great staff.  It is inside the large gated community of Grand Harbor, so when you come and go in a car you have to drive two miles between the front gate and the marina.  Plus, it is on the western side of the waterway, making it impossible to get to the beach on foot.  But, it was a place we had been wanting to check out and it gave us a chance to get our car out of storage and get a bit settled on land.

Of course, the car would not start - dead battery.  AAA arrived in about one hour and got it running, inflated the tires and sent us on our way.  Great service with a huge smile and positive attitude!  We made a stop at Walmart to get jumper cables, a trickle charger and a large battery pack to jump it again if necessary.  After begging a spot near an electrical outlet at the marina and setting up the battery charger, we headed back to the boat hoping it would start again in the morning.  Next morning, no go.  We discovered that, though we connected and thought the charger was running, in fact, it was not turned on.  Darn!

Another call to AAA after a few tries to jump it, we had to replace the battery.  Next time, we will disconnect it, or add a solar trickle charger.

Friday the 13th, Greg pulled out of the slip to head the two miles south to City Marina and Sharon drove the car the 10 miles by land.  Greg drove masterfully into the slip which will be home for the next couple months.  We were greeted by friends we had made last year, Rick and Kay on "Bittersweet", and the locals who hang here all year.

Since we arrived we have been enjoying morning walks and jogs up to the beach, driving around drooling at homes for sale, cheering for the Patriots at local taverns, and sharing special time with friends.  The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we had a scare.  We had dropped the dingy off the davits to lend to friends Pat and Eric whose outboard motor was in the shop.  (they were on a mooring and needed some "wheels" to get to land).  They had just returned it the evening before and we tied it up to the stern rail, figuring we would raise it back up in the morning.  However, the next morning - it wasn't there!  OH NO!  Could someone have stolen it - here in Vero City Marina - no!  So we immediately searched as best we could from land, two friends got in their dingies and searched up and down the area, thinking maybe someone found it and had it tied up, or maybe it drifted to land?  While checking in with the harbormaster, we found that a call had come in that a Highfield (our brand) dingy was found wedged under someone's dock overnight.  So Tim (Harbormaster) took Greg two miles (!!) South on the waterway in the marina work boat, figuring he would tow it back.  Fortunately, it was ours, and we figured it must have come untied in the stiff winds we had overnight.  A little worse for wear - the starboard (right) side pontoon was deflated from a hole about the size of the tip of Greg's little finger and the paint on the motor cover was all chipped off.

The dingy came with a very substantial patch kit.  So Greg went to work on it, patching the hole and cleaning it up.  We left it deflated so the glue would set while we went to Courtney's for Thanksgiving, and inflated it upon our return.  A small leak still there, Greg went back at it with the glue and it seems to be fine now.  Whew!!  That would have been a huge expense if we had had to purchase a new dingy and motor.  One more thing to add to our already long list of things for which to be Thankful!

Vero Beach

Sunday night's football game was very frustrating for us, as you might imagine.  During the game, Sharon texted her Uncle Willis to see if he was at the game.  He and Aunt Helen live in Denver and have Broncos season tickets.  We didn't hear back until the end of the game - which of course they thought was a "great game!"  Oh well.  Anyway, to our surprise, they were not at the game, but hanging out in Miami waiting to board a cruise ship later in the week.  So, we got to see them when we met in the middle for lunch.  What a nice surprise!

Today we enjoyed lunch with our friends Hayden and Radeen at Waldo's by the sea, a funky old restaurant on the water in downtown Vero.  How fortunate are we!

Egret fishing

The North mooring field at Vero City Marina

We will enjoy our time here and hope to see some of you as you make your way South, or land here for winter.  'Til then - 

Hilton Head and Beyond

We finished up our fabulous time in Charleston with a visit from one of Sharon's old bosses, Ben, and his girlfriend Karen.  It was great to see them and catch up on life in the last several years.  While enjoying lunch on board, we had a great surprise when Pharrell Williams walked up the dock with a film crew in preparation for a documentary.  So cool!  (For those of you who do not know who Pharrell Williams is, he wrote the "Happy" song, is a current host on "The Voice", and is extremely accomplished in many ways - see his Wikipedia page!) He waved at us when he went by - cool!

After that, we went into town for Halloween, accompanied by "Popeye" (Eric) and Pat.  After dinner we did our own ghost walk to several in-city grave yards and finished our gastronomic tour of the town with a dessert treat at Carmella's - delish!

Our friend Pat, Popeye and Greg

Sunday morning, we waited for the tide to slacken and with Eric and Pat's able assistance, scooted out of the harbor and got on our way down the waterway.  It was a lovely, sunny day and we enjoyed the scenery along the way to our anchorage at South Edisto River.  With only one other boat in the distance we were the only masts to be seen amidst the trees, grasses and water.  Such peace.  

A nice shot of Dream Catcher taken by our friends on "Cutter Loose"

Weighing anchor at dawn the next morning, we pushed on to our next stop.  After a quick fuel stop in Skull Creek (on the north side of Hilton Head Island), we made our way around the south side of the island and up into Broad Creek, which bisects the island.  About mid-way up the creek, we took a sharp right and navigated our way into the lock at the Wexford Plantation.  Some of you who have traveled along with us, may remember our experience about this time last year when we were welcomed into this marina as guests.  Check the place out by clicking here: Wexford Plantation.

While there last year we made some new friends with whom we have stayed in touch.  This time, we were invited to dock at our friend Karen's house and stay for a couple of days.  Though we told her we were happy to stay on board, she insisted we enjoy her luxurious guest suite.  The clincher was when she said she thought she probably had a bigger shower than we did on board.  Ha!  Righto Karen!  

We had a lovely visit, meeting some of her friends at dinner, enjoying some yummy meals and seeing the sights on the island; but mostly enjoying seeing Karen and relaxing at her home. We hope to return again one day on our way north or south.  Thank you so much, Karen, for your generous and kind hospitality.  We had a great time!

View from our guest room balcony

Karen's home (and her neighbors) with Dream Catcher resting at dock

Karen's beautiful home

Our friend Karen after we enjoyed a yummy meal at "Ombra"

The Shower

After hugs and the promise to get together again soon (hopefully in the Keys or Vero), we made our way back through the lock and headed south down Broad Creek, across Calibogue Sound and down the waterway.  We had decided to take advantage of the pleasant weather and go "outside" for one overnight.  This would mean we'd leave the safety and security of the ICW, enter the ocean, and sail or motor until we arrived at either Jacksonville or St Augustine, 140 - 170 miles away.  We hit the Savannah River ten miles south of Karen's house and followed a 700 foot container ship out the Savanah River Channel and into the ocean.  

"Mona Lisa"

Turning south, we set a course of 201 degrees and realized we were going to have a rolly and bumpy ride.  Passage Weather called for light winds and waves less than two feet.  We found that even with those light winds and small waves, there was a very confused chop.  So, instead of a calm ride with some downwind sailing, we got a lot of roll and a lot of motoring.  Though it could have been much worse, it was not the best of passages.  In addition to the roll, it was extremely humid and damp.  We had the cockpit enclosure up and you could barely see through it half the night due to the heavy dew.  Throughout the night we relied on radar and occasional visuals by unzipping the enclosure and sticking our heads out (thank goodness for radar!)  Snacking our way through the night to prevent having to go below for too long to make a meal, catnapping in the cockpit and keeping an eye on the ships coming and going from Brunswick, GA and Jacksonville, FL, we were thrilled to see the sun rise and the trip meter grow.  By 9am we chugged into the channel at St. Augustine, turned a bit north and into the Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor.  After a boat wash, a dip in the pool and a shower, we both crashed for a couple hours, exhausted and happy to have air-conditioning!  The good news was that we were 170 miles further south and could poke our way to Vero casually since we aren't due there until after the 12th of November.  

The next morning we headed out by 8am and were happy to be back in flat water. We enjoyed the sunshine, the great photo ops of the ICW's birds and flora, and ended up anchoring just south of Daytona.  Yesterday, we weighed anchor again at 7:30, meandered our way past the Ponce de Leon inlet, New Smyrna Beach, through the Mosquito Lagoon, across Haulover Cut and into Titusville Marina for a couple nights. Titusville is adjacent to Cape Canaveral and we planned to visit the Kennedy Space Center.

Our view along the waterway - click on any photo to enlarge

We wanted to stop here in Titusville last year to visit the Kennedy Space Center, but couldn't find a way to anchor near the Center.  This time, we rented a car for a day to take us the 14 miles and back.  It was well worth the visit and if you ever have the opportunity we would highly recommend it.  For us, who grew up during the "Space Race", it was much like a look back in time.  Add to that the Space Shuttle, a couple of really cool IMAX movies and it was a terrific visit!

Lunar Module

Vehicle Assembly Building - you can see this building from at least 10 miles away on the waterway.
The flag itself is 21 stories tall

Space Shuttle Atlantis

Monday we'll be back on the water again.  We expect to be in Vero Beach in a couple of days and our plan is to hang out there for a couple of months.  Sharon's car is there and so we will have some land freedom to visit friends and family.  Come see us if you are in the area!

'Til next time.

On to Charleston

River Dunes was a welcome visit since we were able to plug the boat in and ensure we had a couple of warm nights.  Oriental is a pretty small town, but we shared a great meal at MandM's with our boat friends, other "Island Packeteers" traveling south.  After a couple days, we continued on the waterway and made our way to Beaufort, NC.  We enjoyed this little town immensely, both last Fall and this past Spring, and were happy to stop by again.  We tried the Blue Moon Bistro and were very impressed by the food and service at this chef-owned restaurant.  We both got some work done and headed out again onto the waterway a couple days later.

Our travels took us past the Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune.  All of a sudden, there was a huge helicopter 100 yards away, idling on land on the side of the waterway with a bunch of guys hanging out.  One of them, in his flight suit, walked straight into the water up to his neck!  What!  Then, he walked back out - guess he just needed to cool off?  Around the bend, we pulled into an anchorage with several other boats and dropped the hook for the night.  But, instead of being a nice quiet anchorage a military "Osprey" was doing touch and go maneuvers.  An Osprey is a plane with very large propellers on wings that tilt so that it can land and take off like a helicopter.  It was flying in, landing, hanging out, flying out, flying back in, hanging out, etc, etc, etc!  It stopped around 5pm and we figured they were done for the night, but it started up again around 9pm.  It was pretty loud and we hoped it would stop soon so we could sleep - which it eventually did.  We were familiar with the Osprey because a small squadron of them delivered President Obama to Martha's Vineyard directly over our boat in Lake Tashmoo last summer.

A more noisy "Osprey" then the bird

Up early the next morning, we continued on our way to Southport, NC.  By this time, we were traveling again with "Cutter Loose" and we anchored near one another in Dutchman's Creek.  (just south of Southport).  Again, up early and off to North Myrtle Beach and Barefoot Landing Marina.  Here there is a large outlet mall right at the docks, with a man-made lake and lots of shopping and restaurants.  We shared a great Italian meal at Umberto's.  Yum!

Off early the next morning, we enjoyed the ride through Myrtle Beach - golf heaven and beautiful homes lining the waterway.  Somewhere in here, Greg decided to re-program the "smart" regulator because he was not happy with the charge level from the engine's alternator to the batteries.  When he opened the compartment to do this, he found that saltwater had infiltrated this area (in the engine room).  The sound insulation was wet, the pads below the engine to catch any oil drips were soaked and you could see signs of salt dried on parts of the engine.  What!  The good news is that Greg has been a motor head (just like his brothers!) ever since he was a teenager, so he knows engines - which is great since Sharon is totally clueless in this department.  He finally found out that it was a tiny drip coming from a vacuum switch on a device called a "vented loop" and when the engine was revved beyond 2600 rpm's it became a quick drip.  He was able to do a temporary fix and immediately went online and located the manufacturer in Florida.  The owner is a boater and was very helpful.  He sent two new replacements for the vacuum switch that was bad (the piece of the vented loop), to arrive at the marina in Charleston in a few days, where we had plans to stay.

We navigated the Waccamaw River, which is very beautiful, and were deciding whether to stop in Georgetown or continue on.  We talked about going offshore from Georgetown to Charleston, but the weather was deteriorating and we were not comfortable with our engine situation, so we stayed inside.  Another beautiful anchorage at the South Santee River got us within a day of Charleston.

A Great Blue Heron and a Kingfisher - Ha!  What are the odds?

We got an early morning start from the Santee and motored along at a good pace keeping the engine running at 2500 rpm's, slightly slower than our normal 2700 RPMs (we didn't have the new part yet!)  We navigated the inlets and creeks as we got close to Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island, just north of Charleston.  We were happy that we stayed inside as winds were up.  When we got to the Ben Sawyer Bridge - the last bridge that you have to wait for an opening before Charleston - the bridge tender wouldn't open due to winds that she was apparently clocking at 26 - 30 knots.  So - we hung out just north of the bridge awhile, kept calling and asking if she would open, kept getting a no, she couldn't open, and finally decided to drop the hook in a nearby creek.  That was interesting!  The currents are strong in that area with the five foot tidal range and the currents were fighting with the winds. Dream Catcher kept spinning in circles!  "Cutter Loose" was nearer the mouth of the creek and the wind was keeping it in place.  Before night fell, we decided to move Dream Catcher and went back out into the waterway and dropped the hook.  There is very little, if any, night traffic on the waterway, but we lit the cockpit up pretty brightly as a precaution. There were three other boats anchored with us, so we felt relatively safe for the night.  Plus, Greg has this cool anchor alarm app that will tell you if you are dragging anchor.  We both got a better sleep than expected.

A cool shot of ""Cutter Loose" at anchor

We saw three Bald Eagles this day!

The next morning, we had to wait until at least 9am to call the bridge since they stay closed for rush hour.  We got the same report - "No, sorry, I can't open due to high winds."  So - we relaxed, hung out, tried to get some work done and called her every hour.  Finally at 1:45pm, she called and announced, "To all the sailboats north of the Ben Sawyer Bridge, I will have an opening."  By this time, there were about 10 of us.  Of course, we had to scramble, stop what we were doing, get the anchor up in the rain and get close to the bridge opening.  Fifteen minutes later we were through the bridge and motored the last two miles up the harbor to Charleston Maritime Center.  We pulled in just at slack tide and tied up next to three more Island Packets.

After a boat wash and shower, we buddied up with Eric and Pat on "Cutter Loose" and headed into town for a long anticipated meal.  First night was a beer at Craftsman Kitchen and Tap House and then dinner at Hank's Seafood.  Second night was a treat at 167 Raw filled with oysters, crab claws and shrimp - washed down with some great beer!  Last night was a French/Sushi restaurant (crazy combination) called 39 Rue de Jean that was very good!  Only two nights left to eat our way around Charleston with friends.  It has been a blast!

Galesville, MD (Annapolis) to Oriental, NC

Boat Show weekend in Annapolis was very fun!  We reconnected with our sailing friends, Jim and Cynthia on Neverland, Eric and Pat on Cutter Loose, Hayden and Radeen on Island Spirit and met new folks as well.  We shared time with our land friend Pat and checked out a lot of gear and boat stuff.  Our favorite purchase was a set of pots made of silicone with a metal base to use on the stove. These collapse to become 2 inches high, and will better fit in the cabinet.  Greg also bought a bucket that collapses.  More space saved (and very cool stuff)!  See Nautical Scout cookware!

The warm trend we had for a couple days brought a way-too-close thunderstorm, rain and cooler weather.  Monday morning dawned sunny and we cast off the dock lines in Galesville (Annapolis suburb) and headed south down the Chesapeake Bay.  The first day was a long day of motoring as there was very light wind, right on our nose.  We left early so we could reach and enjoy a favorite anchorage in Mill Creek off the Great Wicomico River.  Seventy five miles later, we dropped the hook and settled in for a nice night.

Early the next morning, we pulled the hook up again, and headed out.  Seeing 12 knots on the windometer before we were out of the harbor, we decided to raise the main in preparation for a good sail.  As we motored out into the Bay, past the point of land that shielded us from the south, we felt the full force of the south wind - a steady 18-20 knots with higher gusts.  We unfurled the jib half way and moved along very quickly, but it became difficult to head in the direction we wanted - south.  So, we started the engine to give us a little push and we were able to point south.  This meant we sailed at hull speed, near 8 knots, with wind and three to five foot waves coming directly at us.  The apparent wind became 25 knots or more.  The waves became more of an obstacle.  The result was that we bashed into the chop for hours and saw more water over the cabin top than we ever have before.  In fact, the water splashed into the dorades (those funnel like things on top of the deck designed to bring fresh air into the cabin) and we ended up with a wet floor and slightly wet bed.  Yuk!  We bailed as soon as we could find a spot to hide and went into a calm bay.  Inside the bay you never would have guessed the wind was blowing and waves were crashing outside.  Whew!  A welcomed relief.

The next morning, it was back to calm waters and light winds.  We motored the rest of the way down the Chesapeake and grabbed a free dock for the night at Hampton Public Pier (thanks to our kind friend Radeen who nabbed a coupon for us).  We shared a beer with friends Eric and Pat at the Taphouse followed by a lovely meal with eight other Island Packet owners at Venture.  What fun!

Sunrise on Godfrey Bay
(remember you can click on all photos to enlarge)

A day on the Bay

Wolf Trap Light - kind of a funny looking light

Leaving Hampton the next morning we headed south down the Elizabeth River through Norfolk and onto the intracoastal waterway.  Within the first two miles we got stopped by two railroad bridges that are "usually open" with trains slowly crossing.  And so it begins.  The waterway is beautiful.   Challenges along the way include: assuring you pay attention all the time so as not to leave the channel and run aground, or run into anything else; negotiating bridges all along the route by speeding up or slowing down to meet their scheduled openings; slowing down so large motor yachts can pass you without sending you rocketing to shore from their wakes; and finding suitable anchorages along the way.

Cypress roots in the Waterway 

Birds!! We think Storm Petrels - click this one!

Just in case you think we are the only ones doing this!

Waiting for the train to get by

Friends on "Cutter Loose" dwarfed by carrier

Tonight, we are anchored off Buck Island in North Carolina, about 10 miles north of Albemarle Sound.  It is a quiet spot and we are the only ones here.  Our friends Pat and Eric are anchored on the south side of the island.  We will catch up with them on the water tomorrow morning for a long
70 mile day across the sound, down the Alligator River, through the Alligator/Pungo Canal and into another picturesque anchorage in the Pungo Creek.

Sunday we will do a short day and reach River Dunes in Oriental for two days, where we will meet up with three other Island Packets.  The added bonus is that we'll spend Sunday and Monday evenings there for the weather forecast of 40-45 degrees at night!  We'll have the benefit of heat while plugged in at the marina - excellent timing!

'Til next time -