SeaDream

SeaDream
Sea Dream - Mirage Great Harbour N47

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Holidays!


We are now in Nashville again for the holidays. I am posting the last picture of us with the boat. We wish everyone a wonderful time with family and friends.
Check this blog again when we return to Sea Dream in mid-January.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Docked Again in Brunswick, GA

Our final voyage south included warm weather, calm seas and some ocean fog. We cruised the Intra Coastal Waterway on Monday before anchoring in a delightful, secluded marsh creek near Sapelo Island. Tuesday we voyaged offshore into patchy fog from Doboy Sound, reversing our northbound tracks last July, and returned to Saint Simon's Sound, then to Brunswick. After 1,881 cruising miles, it was a homecoming
We've had an adventure of a life time and learned many things about ourselves, Sea Dream and live-aboard boating. A best part was meeting many more boaters and sharing adventures. Our adventure has included the shear wonder of nature, learning through mistakes, shuddering over near misses and the thrill of new discoveries. Seeking adventure, one must be willing to put them self at some risk while making ready for and being open to handling what comes your way.
Adventure makes life much fuller and live-aboard cruising will certainly bring it to you! It's nearly impossible not to want more.
We'll spend the next three days cleaning and maintaining Sea Dream. We expect to leave Brunswick on Sunday and drive to Savannah to visit Molly & Matt in their cottage. Then it's on to Blue Ridge to winterize the cabin and finally back to Nashville. Our stay in Nashville will depend on weather and responsibilities; could be a week or even several months. I will begin blogging again on our return to Sea Dream.
Until then, “Life is what you make it.”


Peasoup fog a few miles offshore

Beautiful skies on the Waterway

Friday, November 11, 2011

Almost Southern Weather in Beaufort

WEDNESDAY was a 40 mile (short) from Steamboat Creek to Beaufort. The marshes were golden and some Fall colors appearing. Many dolphins played in our wake. We anchored in Beaufort about 2:00 PM. Our good friends Bettie and Klaas VanEsselstyn of Moon Beam, an N37, treated us to a really fun dinner at their home. Their beautiful lot is surrounded by live oaks on the bank of an small river nearby. They tie Moon Beam at their own back yard dock. Bettie and I enjoyed walking the dogs, Louis and ChiaSia, in the warm evening while Mike and Klaas swapped boat stories. Both dogs managed to get covered with “Hitch-Hike Burs” so we picked them off sitting on the dock watching a full moon rising. She made southern “Frog More” a stew of boiled shrimp, corn, sausage and new potatoes seasoned with bay leaves and crab boil spices. Delicious! We all talked boat adventures until 10:00PM before they drove us back to the dinghy and Sea Dream.
THURSDAY- Today Mike changed the engine oil and diddled on Sea Dream while I Bettie and I went shopping and out to lunch in perfect, low 70's weather.
FRIDAY- The sun was shining and I was sipping my coffee when Mike suggested we stay another day. It will be warm and beautiful, so why not? We are having such a good time in the mild weather, unlike the summer heat last August. This morning we went to town for the Veteran's Day parade. What a treat! There were several marching bands with great rhythms. Louis hated the drums, though, and shuddered as they passed. Afterward, we had hot chocolate at a water front cafe and warmed in the sun. Mike said tonight,”Let's stay another day!"

Viewing Beaufort, from SeaDream

Louis enjoying the view from his bed

Bettie where we had lunch in Beaufort.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Continuing South Where the Sun Still Shines

MONDAY- We really enjoyed Barefoot Marina, with a huge grassy field for Louie to run and dock fees of $1.25 a foot, electricity and pump out included! We pumped out and were on our way by 8:30 AM this morning. We shared cheery goodbyes with Gene & Judy as they tossed our lines. There was only one bridge to wait for today. It was the Socastee Swing Bridge, which should have opened on demand. Unfortunately, just as we reached the bridge, a gaggle of sail boats slowly peeked around the far end of the canal, well behind us. The bridge tender waited for them all to catch up, insuring a ½ hour wait for us, doing the bridge dance. From there on the day was lovely with Fall colors as we moved further South.
Our anchor spot tonight is in the South Santee River, somewhere between Georgetown and Charleston, SC. The sun is setting and the moon is up with the marsh grasses glowing golden all around. We're completely alone. Louis and Mike are romping on the front deck and all is well.

Looking out the port hole at the Fall colors.


Mike and Louis romping on the deck.


The golden marsh grasses and the moon are our view this evening.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Winds on the Waterway

THURSDAY- We took on 501 gallons of diesel before continuing south from Swansboro about 10:00AM. There were four bridges, restricted to opening on either the hour or half hour, to juggle on the day's agenda. We lucked out at Camp LeJeune: there was no live firing practice across the ICW, which often stops all boat traffic for several hours. At 5:30 PM we dropped anchor at Wrightsville Beach, with winds building. Shortly afterward, Bob and Greg on Doc Holiday, Bob & Julie's new Juneau 45 sailboat, entered the inlet from the open ocean and anchored behind us. Today they had had wonderful off-shore sailing but tomorrow, waves are expected to grow to 20+ feet. They've wisely opted to travel the ICW, instead, for the rest of their trip to Beaufort, SC.
I barbecued hamburgers and we watched T.V. as the wind gathered strength. A gale warning for North Carolina's southern off shore waters is predicted.

FRIDAY- It was was rainy and windy, as predicted, but we traveled southward, leaving the worst behind. We only had one bridge to wait for in strong winds before ending our 70 mile day at Barefoot Marina near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Bob and Greg soon docked behind us and came over for potluck dinner. We had a great time eating and swapping stories.

SATURDAY- The rain left but the high winds with gusts to 35 mph continued. We're staying here today and may tomorrow to see two other Great Harbour owner couples. I did wash and we walked over the swing bridge, a very eerie feeling, wondering if it would move!
Fellow GH owners Gene and Judy Koetitz on LoQueSeA, a GH37, have been here for several weeks. We had a lengthy Happy Hour, comparing notes and trying to learn from their seven years of live-aboard cruising experience. Tomorrow Henry and Debbie Dennig, from Seven Tenths, a GH47, will arrive for even more cruiser talk. We had a lot of fun with them in Baltimore a few weeks ago.

Misty morning in Swansboro.

Going down the ICW in North Carolina.

View out our side door in Barefoot Marina, South Carolina.

Picture of Rachel, Linda's daughter, and puppies with Fall colors in Seattle.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Moving South

WEDNESDAY- I can hardly believe it's Wednesday already! After a long run, Monday night we found a secluded anchorage in the Pungo River in northern North Carolina before Pamlico Sound. The wind blew 20-25 mph with heavy rain but our anchor held and we were warm and dry in Sea Dream. Tuesday we made another 65 miles or so in good weather, finally anchoring in one of our favorite spots in the South River across the Neuse River from Oriental, NC. The sky was filled with stars and no one else was in sight. We had a nice dinner and watched TV. Phone and internet service were terrible but TV reception was good.
Early today we joined another sailboat parade making its way South. The weather is still good and the wind stays about 15mph. We anchored in one of our favorite little towns, Swansboro, NC. The wind isn't blowing much but the current is very strong here, running 2-3 knots. After taking Louis for a nice walk in the quiet streets we had dinner in the local seafood restaurant. It was a treat to walk and eat ashore. Now the dinghy is back in it's cradle and we're off to bed.

Happy Halloween!
Truck with fishing polls mounted on front in Swansboro.
Sea Dream anchored in Swansboro.