She's cooperating today!!

Well, we have settled in for a long winter's sleep in Georgia and it looks like it's going to be another cold one!! Again, it started around Thanksgiving and mostly cold and windy since then. We are about to start a warming trend which is good as we have one more coat to get on the windows. We can't paint if it is below 50, so that has been limiting us, along with the wind. It will be good to get them done, so we can move on to the next project - there's always several waiting!! The marina didn't put on the usual Thanksgiving shindig so several of the people went to one of the staff's home for dinner. There was quite a group, so we decided to order a prepared dinner from one of the local super markets, along with another couple. It was absolutelly delicious and we ate on our sundeck - best seat in the house as it was a cold, windy day and we were toasty warm with a great view!! The past couple weeks several friends have shown up for the season and there has been quite the social whirl!! We have discovered an awesome pizza joint in Brunswick which has wonderful food, including pasta, that can also be prepared gluten free. Wish we had found it sooner!! Some of our dock friends have been fishing from the dock and one day caught several red bass so threw a fish fry. Alan has been looking for one in all our travels and this was his first, believe it or not. It was to die for - reminded me of all the fish fries we had in Minn when I was a kid. The next day we had fish tacos with our leftover fish - yum!!!!! The island is all decorated up for the season, and the historic district especially so. They will have a bagpiper piping ( ? ) next week in the early evenings, as they did last year. We will go up, have a drink on the veranda of the club house and pretend we are members of the "Millionaires Club" who spent their winters here. It only lasts for about 45 min and that is good as that is about all your ears can take!! Several boats are planning to leave, for good, in Jan. Some changing marinas, but most just leaving the rat race and heading south or where ever. There has been quite the southern migration on the waterway these past weeks and that will all but die off after the holidays and then pick up again in April when we all start heading north. Our big family news is that grandbaby #13 arrived this past Tues - Gabriel Lucas, 7#4oz - mom and baby doing well. This is the 3rd boy for Gillian - she is going to be busy!! We have decided to drive to son Ben's in LA on Christmas Day and return here New Years Eve day. It has been tooooo long since we have seen him and LIlly, and Gillian and family will be there as well!! Sure wish our kids were all situated in the same place!! The marina is sponsoring a Christmas feed, but we will miss that this year. A lot of folks are leaving for the holiday, so there won't be many there. We hope this finds all you enjoying this holiday season and we you, and yours, a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with love, laughter and peace.

 

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Cruise ship passing just off our slip

An early HH and picnic supper at the beach, sans dogs!!

 

Sea oats

BBQ at friend's home in central Ga

 

No sunset is ever the same

Morning walks on the beach

Suesea - our fav dock dog ready for Halloween

 

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So far, so good!

The first week or so back at Jekyll was primarily spent getting Panacea cleaned up. It is amazing how dirty she gets, both inside and out during a trip. We cleaned every square inch of the outside as she was covered in salt along with a little good ole dirt! The isenglass was cleaned as well as all the stainless. We didn't work all day, every day as it took almost a week for us to feel rested up. We would work about 4 hours a day and then just relax. Most of the old crowd is still here along with some new folks. The restaurant on the premises has changed hands and the food is very good which is a welcome change. Every Thurs nite they offer free beer to the marina so most of us go up and enjoy a good meal together. One of the couples on the dock hosted a Cajun Boil (she is from New Orleans) at the picnic area. It was a really cold evening, but there was a fire and the boil was delicious! Yes, we have had the cold weather, too! It's all relative, but for here it has been very cold for this time of year. Looks like it will be another one of those winters!! One of the dock couples have a home about an hour from here and one Sunday we all drove out there for the afternoon to BBQ. They have such a beautiful spot in the country with their own pond that they stock. The men all brought their guns and practiced shooting. Guns are VERY BIG down here. A couple of them let Alan use their guns. It was a great afternoon. The are not far from Okefenokee Swamp - a must see, I hear. Hmmmmm........they say that alligators roam the parking lot. Seriously? I am going to have to think this one over!! Our friends here, from New Hampshire, just purchased a trawler (they say it is our fault!!) and arrived yesterday to spend a couple weeks on her. They are so excited and yet overwhelmed. Exactly how we felt. We have spent the last week stripping caulk from around the windows, sanding the frames and recaulking. We finished just before the rains started. Once the weather breaks for awhile we will paint the frames. There were a few areas that needed to be addressed and we just felt we might as well do all of them now, rather than later. No different than a dirt house folks - same maintence issues!! That will be the last outside job until spring. Now we will move inside as there are always projects there, too. I'm going to attempt to publish some pix, so if you don't see them you will know why?!?!

 

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Let's hope this works!!

Well, folks, it has been awhile. My blog program was/is really jacked up. It APPEARS that the problem has resolved itself (certainly nothing I did). I am going to break up the blogs into smaller consecutive sections as I don't know that it has not be saved until after I have published it. It will say it has been published and saved, but it LIES!! Anyway, I will begin with a short synopsis of our trip down "the ditch" to Jekyll. I think I left off about a week or so into it. All in all, it was a great trip. Much easier than the first trip - learning curve getting smaller and comfort zone getting larger!! The last 13 days we had great weather windows so decided we better run with it. We would leave at the crack of dawn and pull into a marina around 4-5 pm. Mostly 9-10 hour days. After arriving the routine was to secure the boat, get the doggies to shore to take care of business, back to boat for HH and dinner, take dogs out again, take a shower and hit the bed. No time for anything else as the days are shorter now, and besides we didn't have the energy. By the end we knew we were getting pretty worn out and it was a big relief to arrive at Jekyll. Scott was good enough to put us on the face dock again, per our request. This marina is getting busier and busier and they have added/upgraded a lot of amenities. We had a really good feeling upon completion of this trip - learning all the time, but actually taking the time to relax and enjoy the trip. Panacea performed flawlessly and you can just feel how happy she is to be back out on the water. The boys were angels, including Alan!!

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Testing

Testing

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Test

 

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Success so more pix

Our marina just south of Myrtle Beach - beautiful and quiet!

Beautiful ride on the Pasquetank Riner near Ekizabeth City, SC

Typical shrimper - they are in high season now!!

Sunset in Beaufort, SC, one of our favorite places

It's not because they like each other - Sam just decided he wanted Ted's bed!

Slipped across the Savannah River before this big guy

Dawn - arrived at Jekyll this afternoon. Alan doing what he loves!!

 

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Hopefully pix show up; having problems with text

Love this - our table top at Fishy Fishy in Southport, SC

One of the homes across from the marina

A boat-tel is what they call these :)

Happy, warm turtles!

This gondola carries golfers from one side to the other near Myrtle Beach, NC!!

This is actually one of the "smaller " homes you see along the ICW

 

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jekyll test

 

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Arrived at Jekyll!!

 

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Pix

Alligator marina - no man's land - but the only one around!!

Cruisin' down the Alligator River - yes, it has gators!

End of the day at Dowry Creek - time for HH!!!

Crossing the Pamlico River. 6 sailboats in front and 6 behind. They had great wind!!!

Barge coming our way!!

Who knew there were giraffe in NC. NOW THAT IS A LAWN DECORATION!?!

Oops!!!

 

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4 days on the water

Four full days ont he water and a short break this afternoon. We left our marina just north of Elizabeth City, NC on Thur after waiting out the weather for 2 days. It was the day to cross the Abermarle Sound, the wind was still up around 10 or so, but we decided to poke our nose out there and would turn around if it was too much. It is a 2 hr ride down the river to the Sound and the last hour or so it is nothing but crab pots. We had left at 8, so the sun was right on our nose and those pots were all but impossible to see! It took the two of us straining our eye balls for probably 1.5 hours min.The reflectio of the sun and the wave actions can really play tricks on your eyes. You honestly start to see things that aren't there - I thought I saw Brad Pitt's head rolling around out there a couple of times! It did make the time fly by!! By then we were in the sound and it was blowing pretty good but just off our nose so not too rocky and we decided to go for it. It was a long ride but we made it and stopped at a marina just at the other side for the night. We were now in now man's land, but the marina had all the services and we were pooped after a stresssful day. Walk the dogs. fix dinner, take a shower and hit the rack. Up and leaving at daylight the next day -another long one to a marina near Belhaven, NC. We had a couple hours to get down the Alligator river, then thru the Alligator-Pungo canal for 22 mi. This area is full of stumps along side the channel as well as debris/logs floating. Again, it takes two sets of eyes on the water constantly. It was a pretty ride and we were in line with 6 sailboats. At one point, ahead of us, one of the snagged on a stump and had to be towed into Belhaven. It appeared he had been towards the side of the channel - big mistake! Boaters are always very helpful and he had several stop to help him by the time we got there. The marina we stayed was very nice - we had stayed there last spring. They always have a HH in the club house so we met the few that had spent the night there (we are a little ahead of the snow bird rush which is a good thing!) We met a very nice fellow who had done the Loop a year ago ( a Gold Looper) who was so nice, offered any info he could and give us his card telling us to call him anytime for help/info. That's the way boaters are. Another couple, both who are 75 and have been boating for 40 yrs!!! Maybe that could be Alan and I in another 10 yrears?? I know - scary thought!!! They were heading back to Ft Lauderdale. Up again the next am at daylight and planned to head to Oriental, but decided to push on to Morehead City and the wind appeared to be cooperating. We had to cross the Pamlico River in the am and it can be a doozy, but there again it seemed manageable. Our comforft zone is definitely widening. Again, we were in a group of 6 sailboats ahead of us, and 6 behind. They werel loving all the wind!! After we crosed the river we were in a small river and protected. For once we didn't have to worry about pots or floating debris!! I studied my Spanish and Alan quizzed me. When it is smooth boating he hass the boat on auto pilot and he does knee bends and push ups. I should be doing the same, but am thinking about it!! Ted eats and sleeps, Sam moves around a little and tries to steal Ted's bed. If we wants it bad enought he will just ssit on Ted until Ted moves!! Tpical big brother!! Don - did Alan ever sit on you??? Very windy coming into Morehead City, and the water is starting to shallow up but Alan is getting very good at maneuvering the boat. We were tired so decided to eat out. It was walking distance to a very nice restaurant and no dishes to do on the boat. After studying the weather, which said is was going to continue to be very windy the next day (today) we went to bed not knowing for sure what we were going to do. In the am it looked like the land would protecti us from the direction of the wind so we casted off. We were hoping to be able to move today as it is Sun and the day we would be going thru Camp LeJuene. There are no live fire exercises on Sun which can delay a transit by up to 2 hrs. It was very quiet today!! Pulled into a marina at Sneads Ferry, NC around 3 - our shortest day for awhile. Some time for a nap!! Winds look good tomorrow so planning to head for Southport, NCTR - more to come!!

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sunrise in Hampton VA

locking thru the swamp

 

original home of the Swamp Commander - for real!

Sam's nemesis - it is a daily show down - Sam wins

oyster boats as we were leaving Dville - there were probably 60 or so - they are allowed 4 doz per person on the boat. The season has started!!

 

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Greetings from near Elizabeth City, NC

It is raining hard here, so good time for a blog! We left Hampton on Monday as the wind was better - and headed for the Dismal. We decided on that route as the wind was supposed to pick up again, which it did, and we were really glad to be in some protection. The port of Norfolk was very quiet, thank goodnes, and we were able to make the first lock opening at 11:30. We locked thru with another trawler and 5 sailboats.

The swamp was beautiful, as usual, and an easy ride tho we did "bump" something 5 times. The first one was a "what the hell was that?" one, 2 more were "yeah, there was something" and 2 more were "did you feel that?". We did not feel any new vibration or anything to indicate that damage was done. Two of the sailboats dropped out to spend the night at the Visitor Center dock (which we did last spring) and the rest of us continued on. We were all hell bent on making the 3 pm opening of the second lock - and we made it!!

We planned to stop at a marina about a mile before Elizabeth City and daylight was running out. We knew from last year that if the wind was from the south (which it was) you could really get beat up at the dock in Eliz City, so we chose this marina which is very protected. We arrive at 5:45 to a welcoming crowd of 5 men to help us in. The dockmaster and 4 residents just being helpful! For once we are the "big fish" in the marina, which isn't saying too much considering the marina, BUT they have clean showers, laundry, courtesy car (which we are taking today into Eliz City), a well stocked convenience store and a GREAT, inexpensive restaurant. The people could not be nicer and the WIFI is one of the two best we have had on all of our travel, so far. Interesting how the more "rustic" the marina the better the service and WIFI. We are quickly learning the ropes!! So - yesterday and today waiting out the weather which is pretty craptastic. Wind just won't let up. Now we are looking at leaving here (to cross the Albermarle) possibly tomorrow or Fri -otherwise it will have to be the beginning of the week. We also have to look past that as there is a marina just after you cross, but it is in the middle of NOWHERE!! No way do we want to be stuck there for more than a night, two at the most. This is really a delicate dance and Mother Nature is the correographer. The trip from Hampton was an 11 hour day, so we really zoned out yesterday. Today is boat clean up day and running a few errands. All is well and looking at the weather ahead, we should be able to make Jekyll about the time to start heading north again! Remember, a schedule is your biggest enemy on a boat!

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