Queen Bess Creek Anchorage, GA

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It’s hard to believe that it’s November 1 and our 7 month voyage is nearing its end.  We are getting nostalgic as we travel along these beautiful southern shores on the last few days before we reach Jacksonville.  We will be staying  at anchorages for our last three nights.  Anchoring out in creeks and byways off of the ICW in rural South Carolina and Georgia helps us feel very connected to the beauty and peacefulness that is out there for us if we only take the time to seek it out. On the morning of November 1 we awoke in Beaufort to a stupendously dramatic sunrise.

Now that we are further south, the weather is getting warmer.  This day was sunny and a little bit windy as we traveled through the South Carolina lowlands.
 
Since Jonny does most of the driving, Lynn keeps busy during long long travel days reading, blogging and doing various needlework projects.

We crossed the border into Georgia (which one would only know by studying the charts) and cruised past the Savannah River and the many beautiful homes lining its banks.  We passed Turner’s Rock where our friend Lange grew up.

We were making good time so we decided to go beyond our original destination of Thunderbolt to an anchorage beyond Hell’s Gate.   Hell’s Gate is a notoriously tricky passage because of its shallows.  Fortunately the tide was going our way and we made it safely through the winding passage by following the extensive notes captured on the Active Captain website.  We also followed a fellow cruiser who reported on depth soundings as he motored ahead of us.

We continued until we reached the Queen Bess Creek anchorage off of the Ogeechee River.  This  a beautifully scenic offshoot of the ICW nestled behind tiny Queen Mary Island.  The boater who we followed through Hell’s Gate was traveling solo and he followed us into this idyllic setting and anchored about 100 feet away from us.

Relaxing over a cold beer, we called Stephanie to get an update on her decision regarding a recent job offer.  She’s had to deal with a lot of changes over the last year and a half  (job changes, moves, etc.) and we feel confident that she will make the best decision for herself.  Our hearts goes out to her as she wrestles through a tough decision-making process!
That evening we had one of our easiest dinners yet, hot dogs, baked beans and salad.  It was quick, easy, and satisfying!  Afterwards, we watched The Sapphires, an enjoyable movie about an aboriginal female singing group in Australia that was very enjoyable with lots of good music!
This is the life!  Sadly, it feels like our extended vacation is almost over.   Pretty soon, we will be back in civilization dealing with the everyday issues that are  part of our newly emerging life!

Beaufort, NC (return trip)

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October 31 is always a special day for us, not just because it’s Halloween but  because it is Stephanie’s birthday.  This is her 24th!  On this Saturday we got up early and had a quick breakfast with our guests John Carr and his girlfriend Ann.  Jonny hurried us all along so we could leave by 7:30 because we had a 9 hour travel day ahead of us and it’s getting dark earlier and earlier.

As we left  Charleston Harbor we got a few more shots of the cruise ships that were entering the harbor.

We traveled on a really beautiful winding passage on the ICW with birds soaring and white blossomed bushes lining the coastline.  We saw dolphins and pelicans!  Traveling through these low country marshlands is quite a wonderful experience!

We arrived at the Beaufort City Marina around 5 and got the easiest tie-up possible next to Lady Catherine, an elegant 60 foot river boat.  Many of the boats on our pier were gorgeous including– a couple of Flemings (our favorite trawler).

We hung out and relaxed for an hour or so before getting changed and walking into town.  We had 7:30 reservations at Griffin Market, the Italian restaurant that we loved so much on our first visit.  We had some time to kill so we walked through some of the charming neighborhoods in the center of town.

We were hoping to see some trick or treaters since it was Halloween.  And  indeed we did.  Several homes were decorated for the occasion and parents were out in full force with their little ones.  There was an amazing haunted house that only people with costumes and children could enter.  It was an old historical home that we had seen on our first visit.  It would have been fun to go inside!

We arrived at Griffin Market where we learned that the great prix fixe option that we had last time was only available on Sunday night.  That didn’t deter us and we proceeded to order another terrific meal and an especially exquisite bottle of wine (which we took a picture of so we remember the name).

The  restaurant is owned by an Italian couple from the Piedmont area of Italy.  They recreate dishes from their region and serve them in the traditional manner – appetizer, primi, secondi and dessert.  We enjoyed our meal tremendously and felt as though we had really treated ourselves.

After returning to Zendo, we immediately tumbled into bed looking forward to an extra hour of sleep because it was time to turn the clocks back.

Charleston, SC (return trip)

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Leaving at dawn from our Price Creek Anchorage, we had yet another beautiful sunny day heading for Charleston on Oct. 30.

 

 

We are so lucky to be having such excellent weather.  In fact, throughout the trip the weather has been great the majority of the time.  It makes the journey that much more pleasant and makes us ever so thankful!

We are headed to Charleston because it’s such a great town and also because we are going to see John Carr and his girlfriend, Ann.  Jonny worked with John at the Miami Herald for several years.  Since then, John has retired and recently moved to Summerville, outside of Charleston. This would be the perfect opportunity to get together and we invited them to stay overnight with us on Zendo.

Shortly after we left our pristine anchorage we passed some white pelicans and later on some playful dolphins.  We  continued to pass by many lovely homes lining the coastline,  each with their own dock and boat house

We also passed the occasional fisherman.  Now that autumn is here, we see many fewer fishing boats and fishermen in general.

We cruised through some more skinny waters on a stretch where we had run aground on our way north.This time we timed our departure to correspond with high tide so we would avoid those difficulties.  And so we did!  Every day we get a little better at this cruising business!

Before long we arrived in busy Charleston Harbor and made our way to the Charleston Maritime Center.  We chose this marina because it is located in the center of town, it had good reviews and the price was right.  It is located close to the graceful Cooper River Bridge.  It is the longest cable stay bridge in North America and it connects the City of Charleston and the Town of Mount Pleasant. 

Last time we had stayed at a well-reviewed marina but it was across the river and we had to take a cab into town.  This situation was a better choice for us.  When we arrived, the dockhands had us tied up in no time.  Because this is a maritime center rather than a private marina, there were a variety of vessels tied up there.  We were docked across from a party boat that was playing music rather loudly.   However, when we listened more closely it was music we liked so the result was quite a festive atmosphere.  There were some significant ships in the Charleston Harbor, many of them docked not far from us.  

To our delight, our marina had at least six Island Packets (our favorite sailboat) docked there and we met a few of the owners. 

Having been at anchorage for the last few nights, we took advantage of the free washer/dryers at the marina and Lynn did a couple of loads of laundry while Jonny washed down Zendo.

Jonny rode his bike to the nearby Harris Teeter to buy a few essentials.  We have to restrain ourselves from buying much food because our journey is ending soon and we still have too many provisions aboard!

We met a very nice young couple named Gary and Heather with 2 boys (10 and 7) who were from Halifax and living aboard their sailboat heading south.  They were so enthusiastic about their journey  and the opportunity to provide their boys with a unique experience.  In our opinion, the boys  were the perfect age for such an adventure and they surely were enjoying it.  They only occasionally stay at marinas but they decided to do so in Charleston so the kids could enjoy Halloween!

John and Ann joined us at 4 and we had wine and cheese on the aft deck and caught up with each other’s lives. 

We then went to a great restaurant called Cru and had a wonderful dinner with one of the best waiters ever.  He had a dry sense of humor, steered us in all the right directions, gave us plenty of space and time and was quite charming.  We shared a deliciously moist creamsicle cake for dessert.  He was wise enough not to share the ingredients with us until we had finished eating  it.  It was a great story that included an 80 year old baker, orange juice, box mix and cool whip!

John and Ann stayed overnight on the boat with us and in the morning Jonny hastened us along so we could get an early start (7:30) on our 60 nautical mile journey to Beaufort, SC.  

Butler Island Anchorage, Waccamaw River, NC

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We started off the day on Oct. 28 in cloudy, drizzly weather leaving our Calabash River anchorage at 7:35.  We cruised by Myrtle Beach – one of the busier areas on the ICW. 

We passed a surprisingly large casino boat – probably the biggest passenger ship we’ve seen on the ICW.

By 9:30, a torrential rainstorm hit for a short while but fortunately there was no thunder or lightening.

We soon entered the Waccamaw River which rivals the St. John’s River in Florida for beauty.  It is a gorgeous river winding through lush greenery and comfortable waterfront homes all equipped with their own private docks. 

About midway through our journey we stopped at the Osprey Marina for fuel. We waited for a thirsty  power boat to finish fueling before it was our turn.  We had stayed at this very pleasant and conveniently tucked away marina on our way north but it was only noon so we planned to continue our cruise  after taking advantage of their excellent fuel prices. 

Speaking of fuel – we had anticipated that the biggest chunk of our cruising “kitty” would be spent on diesel.  However, we’ve been able to take advantage of the dip in fuel prices throughout this trip.   So instead of fuel being our highest expense category, eating out has taken its place!

It eventually stopped raining but the day remained overcast.  For the last few days, we have frequently been in a procession of boats all making their way south towards warmer weather.

We reached our anchorage around 3:00, an early “quitting time” for us.   We debated if we should proceed further because it was so early and the current was in our favor.  But we decided not to  and we took the rest of the afternoon to relax.  Jonny actually slowed down enough to read and take a brief nap!

Our anchorage next to Butler Island was indeed a beautiful setting.  We were the only vessel there amidst a completely undeveloped landscape of open shoreline and waving grasses.  The only sign of civilization was a backhoe on the shore that may have been there to repair a nearby dam (we hope it wasn’t a portent of encroaching civilization)!

Lynn made an extra good dinner that evening (chicken breasts with bacon and vinegar) along with acorn squash (stuffed with apples and dried cranberries) and sautéed zucchini and onions.  All the while cooking and eating, we were on the phone with Stephanie who is considering a couple of job opportunities that are likely to have her working in New York City.  She has been faced with a lot of job placement  decisions since she’s been at Aramark, and she is definitely exhibiting a strong ability to manage change effectively!

The day was topped off with an awesome sunset.  Afterwards, we had a very quiet night at anchor.  It was so calm it felt like we were sleeping in our land bed!