Myrtle Beach, SC to Morehead City, NC

Marsh along the ICW

We were the last boat to leave Barefoot Landing Marina Saturday morning at eight. We soon caught up with the other boats at a bridge we all had to wait for an opening at.

Weekends are always a challenge for us with all the weekend boaters out playing around in narrow rivers and canals of the ICW. Well this weekend was no exception! We rocked and rolled all day from the wakes of boaters.

We anchored for the night in an off-shoot of the ICW in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Being Saturday night, there were a number of party boats around and bars along the shore. It was a rather noisy night, in a very crowded anchorage. At 3:45, our anchor alarm went off, waking us both up. Bob went up to the pilot house to see what was going on. He had set it to go off if the tide shifted, which it had, putting us rather close to another boat. So, he got me up to re-set the anchor. After two tries, we got it re-set, without apparently waking any of the other boaters. On the way back into the boat, I slipped on one of the steps and managed to rub the back of my arm on the boat that was coated with non-skid. As a result, the back of my arm looks like it was put through a vegetable grater.

The alarm went off again at 7:00 and we got up and just left the anchorage. One thing nice about boating is that you never fear that you left something behind, like a pair of shoes under the bed, like you might at a hotel!

This part of the trip, we are very near the ocean and can easily see the houses that run along the coastline from the ICW.


Beach along the ICW

Sunday started out very cloudy and hazy and ended cloudy and hazy. It was a horrible day to take any photos. Getting the photos is sometimes a bit tricky. When I see something of interest, I first have to garb the right camera. Our old one is OK for some photos, but if I need the telephoto lens, then I need our newer camera. I then have to run up top of the boat or out the back after I decide on the perspective from which to take the shot. I have this dream that I can someday just wear a hat that has a camera built in and just say “click” and it automatically takes the photo! That would be real cool. .

Sunday night, Bob found us an idyllic anchorage called Spooner Creek, in Morehead City.to wait out the bad weather coming. This anchorage is surrounded by beautiful homes and one Condo building. It has a protected entrance, so even though there were waves in the ICW on Monday, we hardly moved in the anchorage. To top it off, there was a dinghy dock and just three short blocks away, there were a whole gagle of stores like Wallmart, Food Lion, Lowes, Staples, Belks, etc. What a treat. We ended up making three trips to the Wallmart before we left.

After we arrived, two other boats also came in to anchor – Skinwalker, and Winnie-the-Pooh. We met the folks on both boats the next day and had them over in the afternoon. Mark and Joyce on Winnie were an interesting couple, cruising on $9k a year. Pretty amazing. Lynn and Wayne on Skinwalker are doing the full loop. Lynn and Wayne had found out a pizza place near the Wallmart would deliver pizza to the dinghy dock and they ordered two large pizzas. What a treat! I hadn’t had pizza for months.


Skinwalker and Winnie-the-Pooh in "Secret" anchorage
The folks on Skinwalker and Winnie-the-Pooh don’t want to pass the word on this great anchorage, so please keep it a secret.

We were really glad that we had stayed at anchor on Monday given that the storms caused much havock North of us in Suffolk. We woke Tuesday to a clear sky and low winds, so we decided to proceed passing Morehead City proper.

Beaufort, SC to Myrtle, SC

An interesting windmill along the ICW.


Bob had us up and underway by 7 A.M. Ugh! We passed Charleston, SC on a nice partly cloudy day with low wind. Here are some photos of Charleston from the water.


Homes along the Battery in Charleston


Hotel on Battery Row

Its not often you see a windsurfer with a spinnaker.



We were almost in sight of our anchorage for Thursday night, when we ran aground. It was bound to happen sometime. We were in the middle of “nowhere” and “nowhere.” Luckily, the tide had just turned from low tide to rising tide. So we just waited a while and Bob tried again to back the boat off the bump under us. Success! Our little blunder was corrected in just about 20 minutes. We were lucky.

Our anchorage was a little river offshoot of the ICW. It was a very peaceful night, however, a little buggy. Those darn no-seeums!

Bob started the engines at 6:15, my alarm clock, and we were underway by 6:30. I got this photo of the sunrise.


Sunrise at anchor

Most of our travels during the day were through marshy area. Around noon, we entered the Waccama River. One side is a natural reserve. This is a pleasant cruise, although there are lots of turns and curves. The leaves on the trees have come out, so it is quite green. I remember how drab it was on the way down toward the end of November. There is a real jungle feel about this part of the ICW. Apparently, someone else thought so too and runs a "Jungle Cruise" through this area.


Jungle Cruise Boat


Another cruise boat at a shipyard

We planned to stop for the night at the Barefoot Landing Marina. It is really only a wall that you tie up to that has water and electric service that is right be a nice shopping area. There are no showers, or other services. So, I decided to take my shower on the boat. It was a shock to find out that Bob had not had the power to the hot water heater on. I managed to get through my chilly shower.

I’m not sure how this photo will come out on the web the wake from the boat. The water looked liked Coca-cola. Not at all like the clear waters of the Bahamas.


Coca-Cola Water

Some homes on the ICW.


Home on the ICW


Another Home on the ICW

My son, Michael, and his family came from Johnsonville, SC to meet us for the evening. Amanda, his wife, has the Presidential Math Teacher Award for the state of South Carolina and is to go next week to receive her award from the President in the White House. We are so very proud of her. We had also managed to arrive on our Grandson Riley’s birthday. We couldn’t have planned that if we had tried. Needless to say, he purchased a skateboard with his birthday money. Casey is to go to Governor’s school in Charleston, SC this summer for a month. Quite a group of high achievers.


Mike, Casey, Amanda, and Riley (the birthday boy)

St. Augustine, FL to Beaufort, SC

We arrived late afternoon and walked to the only store near downtown that had some food items. It was more of a variety store. Later, we went out for dinner at the restaurant we ate at on the way down called Gennaros. It is a suburb Italian restaurant. Does going their twice make it a “favorite”? Afterwards, we invited the folks from Pekasus, Charlie and Marty, over for wine. They had been cruising along with us for the last few days. It was nice to finally meet them. They are headed to Solomons, MD, so we may see them again along the way.

Bob had us up and underway early on Monday. Monday was much quieter as most of the weekend boaters were back at work. Saturday and Sunday was quite challenging.

We weren’t underway long when we crossed over into Georgia. We knew we were in Georgia when we saw the large repair and re-fit buildings at Kings Bay Submarine Naval Base. Bob noticed that all the markers and ranges were very well maintained and larger than usual. Good thing, we wouldn’t want to hurt a sub.

We passed this bridge near Jekyll Island. It is the same type as the new bridge in Charleston, SC.


Bridge near Jekyll Island

We anchored for the night in an off-shoot of the river we were traveling. It was very peaceful. The only lights we saw were from a cell phone tower several miles away and a few lights on shore off in the distance. We also had a full moon to keep us company. Going through this area last November had been almost bug-free. That is not the case now that it is spring.

We got underway about 8 on Tuesday for a short run to Skidaway Island where we visited Bob’s former co-worker Mark, and his wife Shirley. We arrived around noon on Tuesday, which gave us time to go with Mark to a “real” supermarket. What a treat! We then got our showers and Bob washed down the boat. We made some of our Lobsters that we got in the Bahamas for an appetizer, then Bob seared some Tuna for dinner. Shirley brought a wonderful salad.


Mark and Shirley and the Lobster

After dinner, Mark and Shirley took us into Savannah for a live show covering music of the 50’S. The show had some audience participation. That occurred when one of the men in the cast sang to me sitting on my lap! Unfortunately, Mark wasn’t able to get a photo of that to post on the blog.

We walked around the square that the theatre was on prior to the show and I got these photos. We would like to come back to and spend some time in Savannah next year.

Steeple of the Independent Presbyterian Church


Statue of Oglethorpe in Savannah


Base of Oglethorpe Statue

We took our time casting off in the morning. It was a very grey morning. On an island across from the marina was an island that was loaded with wild pigs – not the swimming kind that we saw in the Bahamas. I took this photo with a telephoto lens.


Wild Pig

As the day went on, the sun came out and we passed the Hilton Head area. We had hoped to stop and visit Barbara and Al on Explorer that we had traveled with on the way down, but were not able to do that time-wise.

We passed a shipyard on the way that serviced large megayachts. Take a look at the picture below. Whoever owns this boat evidentally wants to not be limited as to the type of boating "toys" he has along. Yes, that is a real sailboat on the deck of this boat, beside a sport fishing boat. Amazing!


Boat with its own sailboat at shipyard


We stopped for the night at Beaufort, SC. It was sunny when we arrived, but dark clouds soon rolled in. We walked into town and stopped for beer at a little restaurant on the water before heading back to the boat.


Resting Birds

Titusville, FL to St. Augustine, FL

Early Morning Fishermen
Friday was a very peaceful day. After several days of high winds, the water was like glass. With the exception a a wake from a passing boat on occasion, it was smoother than driving on land.

It was overcast all morning, turning the world shades of grey. It seems like the photos I took were in black and white. It is quite a change from a week ago when the water and surroundings were in such vivid color.

How would you like to have your own observatory like the person who owns this house? Interesting. I caught this photo in New Smyrna Beach area.


Observatory House


Boat called "A Tiny Little Cruise Line" near Titusville, FL
We got into St. Augustine early around 1:30, got showers, and headed out to see the area. You could live in St. Augustine and eat out every night all year and I don’t think you would hit all the restaurants in the downtown area alone. It is a nice stop along the ICW. Good chance to get out and walk and see all the shops. They are best known for their Art Galleries.

We talked by radio with a couple on Molly Blossom and they recommended a restaurant right by the docks. It was a Cuban Restaurant, where the food and live music was great. The patrons all got up and danced.


Molly Blossom at Titusville Anchorage

We left St. Augustine in the Sunday morning heading toward Fernandino Beach, FL. Being the weekend, we encountered a lot of small boat traffic. Most boaters in Florida do not seem to have learned the Coast Guard rule that “you are responsible for your wake.” As a result, I have to put more things away, or they will go flying around the boat.

Dania Beach, FL to Titusville, FL

We got underway by 8 A.M. on Wednesday. Through this stretch, there is an area where the homes sit back from the ICW atop hills. It is one of the few areas where that is the case along the ICW is Florida. Most all land along the ICW in Florida is low-lying.

The wind was so strong on Wednesday and Thursday, that we had whitecaps on the ICW. We anchored Wednesday night where the ICW was very close to the coast, enough that we could hear the high waves breaking on shore. Winds were 20 mph with gusts higher. There was no way we would take the offshore route in those winds..

Wednesday, Captain Bob said we clocked in around 57 miles, which considering all the “no wake” zones and bridges we had to wait for openings, that was really pretty good. The Captain is focused on getting home, so pressing on is the plan now.

In the morning, we passed through Hobe Sound, with Jupiter Island to starboard (on our right side). This part of Florida is the most natural, unbuilt, part of the ICW. It was an extremely windy day, making the autopilot act weirdly when we crossed streams and inlets.

Jupiter Lighthouse


Here are some photos I took of beautiful homes along the way.


Home on the ICW


Another home on the ICW


Canal off the ICW


Swiss Alps-Style Home on the ICW

We anchored for the night in a nice narrow cove off the ICW. Bob finally figured out a jury-rig for the TV hook-up so we could watch TV. The bad news is that we have electric cords running all over the place. The good news is that anyone breaking into the boat at night would trip and wake us up!

Four Krogan Trawlers travelling together entering a marina
In the morning on Thursday, we noticed an osprey nest right near the boat and got this photo.


Osprey Nest

Thursday, we came in sight of the NASA Vehicle Assembly building and were still in sight of it at anchor. It is such a huge building and land so flat here, that we will see it for almost two days. This part of the ICW is quite wide.

My job in the morning is to spray the anchor chain as it comes up and clean it before it gets on the boat, and remove the bridle from the chain. In the Bahamas where the water is clear, that is an easy job. However, we are now back in the land of muck, I’m here to tell you. It’s going to be a nasty job from here on North. On Friday morning, there was a horseshoe crab hanging on the chain.

Friday, the winds died down and the water was like glass.


Morning Calm


Sunrise in Titusville.

Dania Beach, FL to Lake Worth, FL

We spent the day we arrived in Dania Beach cleaning all the salt off the boat. It’s nice to not have to pay for water like we do in the Bahamas. Sunday we rented a car and ran around doing errands to the grocery, the West Marine, and an Outlet Mall. I was feeling “shopping deprived.” One thing that the Bahamas does not have are many stores of any kind. From what we could see, there were no “chain” stores of any type. The little out islands we visited, were lucky to have a small grocery with very limited selection. Of the small islands, Staniel Cay had the best selection. The only native crafts are woodcarving and basket weaving.

Monday we contacted two companies to see about getting the generator fixed. One could not get to us till Thursday and the other estimated a cost of $2,500 and would have to send the part to Miami for repair, so it would take at least a week. Captain Bob’s Type A came back as soon as we cleared customs! He says, “if we can’t be in the Bahamas, I'd rather be home.” So, we decided to press on and get the generator fixed when we get home.

We will anchor out as much as we can, but expect to stop in a few marinas on the way back. Without the generator, we don’t use electricity in the evenings. We read using those silly lights that you wear on your heads and go to bed early.

It is quite a bit colder in Florida than it was in the Bahamas. We are trying to get used to the shock. I’m fighting a cold at present with Zicam, and Bob keeps sneezing all the time from the different pollens. I hope to “bring spring” North with us.

This part of the trip, the ICW is loaded with gorgeous homes and huge boats docked in front. Here is an example of one.


Home on the ICW

We just passed this cruise ship when they left dock right behind us. We had been monitoring Channel 9 for the bridges and not Channel 16, where the ship had probably announced their departure, so it came as a shock to us when they blew their horn right beside us.


Cruise Ship Departing

We have to go under many, many bridges. Some are too low for us to pass under and we have to request their opening. The Captain does not wait for bridges very well – another sign of the Type A returning. This bridge is the most ornate and unusual of all we’ve seen.


Castle Bridge
We anchored for the night in Lake Worth. Without the ability to run the heat on the boat, it was a little chilly. I “layered up” and snuggled down for the night early.

Crossing the Gulf

Well, we did not have much of a sunset our last night in the Bahamas, but boy did we have a beautiful sunrise to see us off.


Sunrise at Cat Cay - Last Sunrise in the Bahamas this Trip

We were up early Saturday so that we could leave by 7. The seas were quite calm and the day warm and sunny. Bob put out a couple of fishing rods and we just sat back and eased across the Gulf. Arrival estimate for the crossing was 2 P.M. We left the bright turquoise waters of the Bahamas for the deep cobalt blue of the Gulf. With our speed of 9 knots and the wind of 10, we were traveling with the wind. This made the trip rather warm in the boat. Bob took a chair up top and watched from there. On the way over, we had seen few boats, on the way back we saw boats all around us most of the way. We certainly weren’t lonely.


Joining the "Cat Parade" Leaving the Anchorage

We are a little early crossing back than what we had planned. We don’t need to be back at home till around the 17th of May, which means we would need to reach Florida around May 1st. We just want to get the generator fixed and we have to take advantage of weather windows when we can.

Bob yelled “Land Ho” around 10:25 and I went up to the pilot house to see the tops of the buildings in Florida as specks on the horizon. We left the clear blue skies of the Bahamas and arrived to overcast skies in Florida. I spotted this cruise ship leaving FL.

Sea Escape Cruise Ship Leaving Florida

When we got to the Marina, there is a boat across from us called “One More Toy” we had just seen when we were leaving the Nassau Harbour. I guess it's a small world.


"One More Toy" in Florida


"One More Toy" in Nassau Harbor

Some other photos taken in the ICW coming into the marina.


Cruise ship at dock


Another Cruise Ship at Dock

We finished docking into the marina in Dania, FL at 2:37. Now we can rest. Even the parrot needs a rest!


Fred the Parrot

As the Chuck Berry song goes, “We’re back in the U. S. A.”!

Chub Cay and Cat Cay

We ended up staying at Chub Cay Marina after leaving Nassau. It was our second rough day in a row as we try and meet a “window of good weather” to cross the Gulf on Saturday. Chub Cay Marina is a “work in progress.” It will be really beautiful when complete, although what they have done now is very nice. It was the most expensive marina we've stayed at yet. There is an infinity pool, a club house in progress, and numerous houses under construction. They cater to the sport fishing crowd, more that recreational cruising boaters. We had a great dinner in the temporary club house. I even ordered cracked conch. Conch was something that I had not liked until this year. I think the first time I had it, it must have been bad.


Pool Bar - not yet used


Sunset by the Infinity Pool


Only Permanent Resident of Chub Cay - with the biggest sandbox you've ever seen!


I took some photos of what it looks like in “Penny’s Perch” behind Bob in the pilot house. The weather is rough, so watch out - if you tend to get seasick, you may want to skip these photos. Notice the horizon.


Normal Horizon


Low Horizon


High Horizon


View out the back of the boat. Bob is trying to turn the boat into a "mix-master."
Luckily, Friday was a calm day and we had a nice crossing over to Cat Cay where we anchored for the night off the airport landing strip and a marina. There were four small airplanes that landed between 6 and 7. Since this island is so close to Florida, I think the planes brought "commuters" home for the weekend. What a way to live - eh?


Penny's Best Yet Sunset Photo Goodbye Bahamas till next year

Tomorrow we take down our Bahamas courtesy flag when we reach Florida and our first order of business is to replace our American Flag - which has had a rough winter.