Happy Easter!

SUNDAY:

We'll leave Fort Pierce on Tuesday then leave Lake Worth, for the crossing, on Wednesday; wind and waves should be ideal.

Mike has made several trips forays for last minute supplies. I've been flat on my back for a day and a half nursing a pulled back muscle. Happily, today's better and Mike's glad to have me at least semi-operational again. Louie has been a great help, keeping my back warm with his cuddles and bringing me his stuffed monkey for company. I got ashore today for a long slow walk to loosen up.

Linda and Steve joined us for Easter dinner at the marina restaurant, then we boarded SeaDram to plan our Bahamas approach and compare charts.

We expect to leave Lake Worth at 3:00AM Wednesday morning, approach the Little Bahama Banks north of Grand Bahama Island, round Memory Rock then head straight for Great Sale Cay to anchor. It's a 104 mile trip but a safe anchorage.

Final Preparation Day!

MONDAY:

Why do todo lists always grow with each passing day, even though we've been chipping away. Mike and I made one “last” grocery and West Marine run this morning. He's had the lion's share of the work, as my back is still tender. I'm better but don't want to push my luck. I reviewed most of the trip charting today with Louie supervising the process.

There's a beautiful sunset now in Fort Pierce. We'll leave for Lake Worth around 10:00AM tomorrow. Be sure to click on the big boat picture at the top of our blog and watch our SPOT as we head South then on to the Abacos, Bahamas. After 3:00AM Wednesday we'll be without internet connections until Friday.

Linda & Louis studying charts.

Mike working on dinghy on flybridge.

Antenna Delight!

WEDNESDAY:

Another work day. For Bahamas internet access, Mike installed a super sensitive Wifi antenna on the flybridge, and it's working great! Planning the wire runs had been tedious but worked out well. I scrubbed the deck, organized stowed items and made a Walmart run.

THURSDAY:

Mike replaced a faulty shower sump switch first thing this morning with our spare. The 10 year guaranteed sump switch lasted only 3. Then back to getting all systems ready and I made another “final” trip to the grocery store. The frig and cabinets are chock full with two months of stores. Louis had a bath then collected his daily kiss and treat bone from Kim, Whiticar Marine's office manager. He's well known to have “babes” in every port!

Sunday is still our expected “leaving for Lake Worth” day. Our great friends Steve and Linda Samson docked this afternoon in m/v Coral Bay, their 48' Kady-Krogen, to make the Bahamas crossing with us. We're so pleased they decided to make the run. Tonight we'll all go out for shrimp dinners and swap boat stories.

New Wifi antenna on side of flybridge near railing.

Sea Dream at dock in Fort Pierce, Florida. Cloudy day!

Here in Harbortown Marina, Fort Pierce, Florida

TUESDAY:

Mike planned antenna wiring,

I did grocery acquiring.

Not much to say

Another a beautiful day!

We Are Back!

SUNDAY:

What a life! We awoke at the cabin to sun rising in the Blueridge mountains and saw it set in Fort Pierce, Florida, after driving 635 miles.

Louie's full dose of doggie drug barely relieved his riding “anxiety” for about 4 hours. We've tried three others without success. He'll never be a drug addict... they simply don't work on him! Inexplicably, he's anxious only when riding in the car and in rough seas. Wish he could just relax.... rum?

SeaDream looked great.... clean and ready to head for the Bahamas.

MONDAY:

Today was our unpack and organizing day. Where does the time go?

• Sleeping-in to rest from long drive.

• Watching the sunrise with coffee.

• Unpacking clothes and rearranging tee shirts.

• Waiting for carpenter to install a new guest room shelf.

• Lunching at Wendys.

• Retrieving parts packages at the marina office.

• Watching two very large manatees gulping water from our AC cooling water spouts. One at least 8 feet long and the other a little smaller, they rolled around while the spouting water poured into their mouths. They have tiny eyes and no teeth.... very strange gentle giants.

The day is nearly gone and where did it go? Who knows, but we had fun!

This week we'll provision, test and prepare, move 55 miles south to Lake Worth then wait for a fair weather day for the 9 hour Gulf Stream crossing to The Bahamas.

Manatees enjoying AC cooling water spout.

DOUBLE DOCKING in FORT PIERCE!

FRIDAY- The past nine days in Vero Beach have been very pleasant. Besides much fun with Betty and John Rhodes, we've enjoyed meeting other boaters, mild weather and that “beachy” feeling. We've stayed much longer than planned, validating Vero's nickname among boaters, “Velcro” Beach.

This afternoon at Vero's City Marina, we topped off with 413 gallons of diesel and pumped out, our first fuel purchase since Swansboro, NC, last Fall. This evening Larry and Susie MacDonald, of www.frugal-mariner.com fame, friends we met in Elizabeth City, NC, came aboard for drinks, food and fun. We had a great time catching up and discussing mutual interests. For many years they owned a camera store in Pennsylvania and their son is a photopro in California. Their website is a valuable mariner's resource!

SATURDAY- Today was ideal for the Fort Pierce run, with virtually no wind & clear skies, although patchy fog delayed us until 8:30 AM. We docked SeaDream in Fort Pierce about 10:30 where she'll remain while we drive home for three weeks; I'll fly to Seattle to visit my daughter and Mike will be working. We expect to return to Sea Dream the last week of March and prepare for our Bahamas crossing.

Our assigned slip here at HarborTown Marina has a short, single finger and tall pilings for the lines, an unfamiliar setup for us. With all docklines ready, we entered bow first, slowly and well, then sighed with relief. But . . . the finger dock for exiting SeaDream was six feet too short and useless and, egress over the bow was nearly impossible plus dangerous! I wasn't ready to re-dock but, considering our dilemma, we simply had to leave and re-enter backwards (stern to). With two seasoned Dutch sailors from a neighboring boat (3 Atlantic crossings) on board to help with lines, we left the safety of our slip and spun her around in the narrow fairway. The wind was still light but building; Mike slowly and smoothly made a good stern-to docking so SeaDream's aft gate meets the finger dock, for easy access. With relief and thanks to our impromptu crew for their great help, we relaxed and napped. The evening brought a delicious BBQ pot luck and music for everyone. Our emotional scale had been fully exercised today. Captain Mike always says, “This will be fun!” and, against all odds, it sometimes, usually, always is.

SUNDAY- Today Susie and Larry brought our car down from Vero Beach and lunched with us. This evening our new Dutch friends, Adrienne, Gerard, Dede and Tony came over for drinks, snacks and absolutely enthralling conversation. They're so much fun and their custom designed 53' aluminum sloop is beautiful! They've truly traveled the world, with three Atlantic crossings, Caribbean and North Sea experience.

MONDAY- Mike was engrossed in “admin” work all day, organizing for the Bahamas as well as home. I repacked cupboards and closets, reorganizing too. SeaDream is a continual reorganization project! We also had another delightful evening with the Dutchmen. Their family fishing and chandelier businesses are very traditional. We'd love to visit Holland someday. The next few days will be busy, preparing to leave.

Plans for docking.

Linda drives dinghy.

Sea Dream docked at Fort Pierce.

A Simple Trip to the Grocery Store?

TUESDAY- How can getting groceries be such an all-day adventure?? Christy offered us her car for shopping so about 1:30PM we dinghied into Cocoa Village Marina. The city marina would have been closer to her car but not as secure. Sea Dream was anchored on the bridge's south side, protected from the brisk northerlies. After passing under the bridge the waves drenched us in the dinghy. We tied up behind Christy's boat and wrung ourselves out as best we could for our two mile walk to her home office and the car. Louis & Boozer played there while we shopped. At Publix we got a few staples then stopped at West Marine (of course!). Christy returned us to the marina just as a squall arrived. After it passed, we and the groceries dinghied back to Sea Dream, boarding just before dark. Each bag of groceries was passed up to the deck and down into the galley. It was dusk by the time we finished a simple trip to the grocery for “a few things” but we had another adventure!

Leaving Cocoa Village, on to Vero

WEDNESDAY- Left Cocoa Village in the morning and cruised to Vero Beach, catching a mooring ball about 4:45PM at Vero Beach Marina. The wind was gusting to 25mph but I caught the ball on the first try. Hoorah! In the evening John and Betty Rhodes, good friends from Atlanta, invited us over to their condo for John's fresh caught fish dinner. It was absolutely delicious so we may have to learn to fish. They have a lovely place and Louis really enjoyed meeting their Westie, Chloe. We visited until late and then back to the boat.

THURSDAY- Betty and John arrived just before noon for the “boat tour”. The weather was sunny and very pleasant so we sat on the deck and lunched in the galley. Later we had a delicious Italian dinner in quaint Vero Beach. There's a lot to see and do so we plan to stay for several days.

Boozer & Louis in motion.

Mike in Cocoa Beach famous Travis Hardware Store.

Playing in park fountain.

Not Leaving

FRIDAY- Our only motion is swinging on the hook near Seabeeze Bridge in Daytona, Florida. Luckily there's civilization nearby..... the navigation computer's hard drive has crashed! Even in small town Daytona though, a google search located a repair shop close ashore. The helpful young techy confirmed the drive is completely dead so Mike bought & installed a new one. Connecting it's a snap but the arduous process of installing & configuring windows and all the other navigational software & devices takes many hours so we're doing what cruisers always do..... staying another day! If the hard drive had been readable, cloning it to a new one would have saved many hours. I bet we'll clone this new one!

SATURDAY- Mike got up late after working on the computer until 4:00 AM. Louis & I followed each other around, doing chores and not disturbing him while he continued the configuration. Progress is solid but slow. No shore time today but it's sunny and 72 degrees, a great day for sitting on deck. Tonight will be a movie night, gently swinging on the hook.

SUNDAY- Yay! We left this morning. All systems were go, with great weather. Hauled anchor at 9:00AM and anchored again at 6:00PM in Coca Beach, just south of Cape Canaveral. These I.C.W. waters are all very, very shallow except in the marked channels. Many places people are standing knee deep just outside the day markers. There must be plenty of sea life, though, because there are so many fisherman, birds, and a multitude of dolphins in these 2 to 4 foot deep waters.

Tonight we watched Downton Abbey on PBS! Tomorrow we'll go ashore and explore the little town of Cocoa Beach. “Christina Sea” GH 47 number 4 (we're hull 6), owned by George and Christy Comrie is docked here. We'll visit Christy (George is away) and catch up on their news. We may stay in Cocoa Beach a couple of days.

Old Kress building in Daytona Beach

Mike loading software on the computer.

Sunny Warm and Beautiful St. Augustine

TUESDAY- The best time to visit Florida is this warm winter; few tourists or bugs and moderate weather. We “set sail” in early darkness and passed through downtown Jacksonville and the RR bridge at dawn, before it closed for the day. The I.C.W. south of Jacksonville has houses to port and swamp to starboard. There were narrows but no traffic. After a beautiful day, often accompanied by dolphins, we picked up a mooring ball next to Lion's Bridge, in the heart of St. Augustine, at 1:30PM. New mooring tackle, plenty of swing room, gentle breeze and a gorgeous location, all for only $21.00! The newly refurbished, “old” Lion Bridge crowns the harbor. Ashore, Louis, Mike & I enjoyed walking around the 16^th century Spanish fort and all through America's oldest town. Tonight, little white lights twinkle from most downtown buildings, an especially festive sight from the water.

WEDNESDAY- This morning I enjoyed the pink, glowing sunrise over Lion's bridge. Such a beautiful old city so we stayed another day and walked then re-walked the brick streets and old neighborhoods. Before dark Louie got in a good run around the old fort, wearing himself out.

THURSDAY- We left St. Augustine about 11:30 AM after replacing the dinghy davit brake, emptying the trash and walking Louie ashore. It was very scenic but we had to watch the depths (shallows) very carefully. At 6:00PM in downtown Daytona Beach, we found a tight but adequate anchoring spot. It is a squeeze near a big bridge but a good hold. No shore time tonight. Left over chili waits!

Fort Castillo De San Marcos

St.Augustine Lion Bridge namesake with Sea Dream.

Sunrise over Lion Bridge

Events while docked in Green Cove Springs

SUNDAY- I'm tempted to deny or even forget two events from the past few days. 1.) Baron, at Holland Marine, repaired the fiberglas ding on SeaDream's bow in only three hours. When it happened at the Dismal Swamp Canal, we felt awful and couldn't speak of it for a day. Even though 35 mph wind was the main reason we bumped the lock wall, we should have been more better prepared to move. Now the blemish is gone my horror is fading as well. It's like nothing ever happened. 2.) The other event was my 65^th birthday on Friday! The number has a scary sound even though I enjoyed the special day with all the calls and well wishes. Sister-in-law Carol suggested I simply deny it and claim the age I want to be. Why not! Great idea! So. . . turning 65 is an event I might forget.

Otherwise, we've had tremendous fun visiting with Dee & Brook Williams aboard GH47 East Passage, dining on BBQ from the local Elk's lodge, Mexican with live music at our favorite spot and endless story sharing.

We'll leave in the early afternoon Monday after UPS delivery for an anchorage just South of Jacksonville. We plan to cruise south to the Lake Okeechobee canal and cross over to Florida’s west coast by the end of February.

Nothing ever happened to the bow.

I turn "55".

Through Jacksonville, on to Green Cove Springs, FL

WEDNESDAY - Hauled anchor on a beautiful clear day at 11:00AM, crossed Nassau Sound and hit Sisters Creek at high tide for an easy ride! (We grounded there 3 years ago.) Entering the St. John's River at about 12:30, we had hours to kill before the Jacksonville railroad bridge 5:00 PM opening. Turning East instead, we found a nice sandy spot at the St. Johns River entrance to anchor and wait. A sheriffs boat came by and asked if all aboard were U.S. Citizens and our origin and destination. All okay but the Canadian sail boat anchored near by was boarded for two hours.

Passing through Jacksonville was lovely, exactly at sunset. Several dolphin played at our side. South of Jacksonville, at La Vista point, we anchored in near pitch dark. The river is so wide, with moderate depths, that numerous places out of the channel are good anchoring.

THURSDAY – We left around 10:00 AM in light fog. To my surprise and relief, there was little mud on the chain or anchor. Making Green Cove Springs took about two and a half hours. We were confused as to where we should dock at Holland Marine but all ended well. It felt like coming home. Neat friends Dee and Brook Williams greeted us at the dock. Louie savored being on land again, sniffing everything.

It's 71 degrees at 5:00PM and the sun is shining. Florida sure is alluring this time of year. Tonight we watched a great 1948 movie call “A Song is Born”, with Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Gene Kruppa and Danny Kaye. What a lineup! Fun story! I've felt tired, with a cold coming on for two days but hope to feel more normal tomorrow.

Jacksonville as we passed.

Green Cove Springs in Hollands Marina.

Pea Soup & a VERY Short Cruising Day!

MONDAY – We woke early to very heavy fog and could barely see the bow. It lasted until nearly noon, so reaching the Jacksonville RR bridge before dark wasn't possible. We hauled anchor, knowing the tide was nearly out, too. Ugh! Lots more shallow water to transit now. Approaching the Nassau River inlet, we saw a fog bank building and more fog rising over Amelia Island. To avoid more fog, we anchored at Alligator Creek. One short cruise day, only about 90 minutes but, what a spot!! Our short day turned playful, playing Jimmy Buffet on the front deck as we sun bathed, exercised some and even danced a little, with marsh grasses swaying in the breeze and dolphin swimming by. The fog never arrived but we had fun!

Tomorrow morning fog is predicted again. We'll see. Tonight is movie night (The Thing!) so I better get the popcorn ready.

Leaving Fernandina. See dolphin in middle of picture.

Mike and Louis sunning.

Friends Coming!

SUNDAY – Did boat chores and prepped for Bob & Julie Neaderthal's arrival (by car) from Beaufort, SC, where their sailboat, Doc Holiday, is docked. Louie greeted best friend, Snickers, their Labradoodle, with delighted yelps. What a scene! So much fun getting caught up.

MONDAY – We all walked Brunswick, pointing out the sights and discussing the 99 Liberty ships built here in the 1940's. Great shrimp dinners from B&J's, accompanied by endless and animated chatter, completed the day.

TUESDAY – I rode back to Beaufort with Julie, Bob & Snickers so Julie & I could sightsee. We spent the afternoon visiting historic Gullah sites and Wednesday morning doing fun girl stuff before finally meeting Mike & Louie in Hilton Head to return to Brunswick. We really enjoyed ourselves!

THURSDAY & FRIDAY – More boat chores preparing to leave and, admittedly, quite a bit of laziness and important socializing. Steven & Linda Sampson visited for dinner Thursday night.... what fun! We love telling/sharing all the live-aboard stories.

Bob and Julie's boat.

Trees on beach at Hunting Island, S.C.

Finally Away, to Fernandina, FL

SATURDAY – With SeaDream resupplied and all systems A-okay, friends shoved us off the dock at 8:15AM into calm waters and warm sunshine. Steve and Linda Sampson heaved our lines then waved and cheered us all down the marina. Dockmaster Sherrie sounded her air horn as we passed so of course we answered; we were misty eyed leaving great friends, but excited underway.

Leaving Saint Simon's Sound we took the 3 to 4 foot waves of the Atlantic Ocean on the port bow. Louis wasn't happy with the extra motion (maybe a pending earthquake?) and I kept my eyes on the horizon. Our trip went smoothly, motoring due south to St. Mary's River entrance at Fernandina Beach. By going “outside” into the ocean, we avoided the I.C.W.'s shallow waters behind Jekyll and Cumberland Islands and the tedium of following the channel. By 2:30PM we were anchored across from Old Fernandina and lowering the dingy for a quick trip into town where Neil , Mike's brother, and wife Kay met us with their new Apricot-colored poodle, Joe, a recent rescue doggy. He's really sweet and loves everyone. We saw a beautiful sunset from their favorite bar then back to their home, as the poodles played; we relaxed and happily visited. Kay prepared a delicious Dungeness crab boil with homemade blueberry cobbler for dessert. Life just doesn’t get any better!

SUNDAY- Awoke to pea-soup fog. Today we'll meet Neil, Kay & “Lil” Joe for lunch and more visiting. It's cloudy, in the 60's. Tomorrow we head for Green Cove Springs, Florida. The Jacksonville railroad bridge is being repaired so it's closed most of the day, only opening before 8:00AM, between 11:30 & 12:30 and after 5:00PM. Timing it will be complicated. If the town dock isn't full, perhaps we can wait there but the current is nasty. This is a challenge for tomorrow. Today is for fun!

Kay with "Little " Joe

Dinner with Kay and Neil.

Awakening Sea Dream

TUESDAY – We finally left Nashville about 1:00 to drive 526 miles, about 9½ hours. As usual, the car was packed tightly with clothes, parts, linens & supplies, Christmas loot and Louie stuff. Rain and fog obscured Atlanta. Moving southward it warmed nicely, making 62 degrees when we arrived at 10:30PM in Brunswick Landing Marina, GA. Mike unloaded while I put things away. By 12:30 we were snoozing.

WEDNESDAY – Awakening to a gorgeous sun and brisk wind, it took awhile to reorient and get into boat mode. Most of the day we unpacked and organized. A Christmas present, the SodaStream soda-maker is a huge hit. Mike makes his own style fizzy beverage aboard. Much less sugar, cheaper, no lugging heavy cans or bottles onto the boat and NO TRASH.

I found a few pecan nuts from nearby trees on the deck, where birds were cracking and eating. Otherwise the boat was clean. It's pleasantly balmy but a cold front is coming.

THURSDAY – We tackled the clothes dryer's failure-to-heat issue today. Removing it from it's cabinetry, Mike was alarmed at the poorly run vent installation. A terrific local repairman confirmed that a hidden overheat switch had tripped because the hot air flow was restricted. Hurrah! The only damage was a $75 service call; no parts needed, no waiting! All's okay!

FRIDAY - Mike rerouted the dryer vent. It wasn't easy, squirming through a floor-level kitchen drawer; it's his very special style of all-day Yoga! But, the hot moist air now has an easy flow. Sure enough it got cold and the wind is whistling, gusting to 35mph. I cut Louis's walk short because I was freezing. Tonight we'll eat out with our neat friends Linda and Steve. They were very attentive to Sea Dream during our absence, helping us relax, knowing she was in good hands.

Foggy drive through Atlanta

Dock with Sea Dream at low tide.

Louis with wind blowing his ears.

Pelican on dock next to Sea Dream.

Mike (yoga position)with head and shoulders in drawer opening fixing dryer vent.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.