Charms of Charleston and South Carolina

After our quick visit to Savannah, we needed to move on as our food supplies had diminished considerably. A count in the vegetable and fruit basket yielded 5 onions and that was it. We had no bread, meats, and our reserve spaghetti supply was dwindling. In fact, our cooler was stark except for a container of French’s Mustard and a jar of mayonnaise. We knew from the way down that we could restock in Beaufort, SC so that is where we headed. We tried to anchor outside of the marina in Beaufort and encountered the same problem as on the way down, it is just too deep for us to comfortably anchor, so we went under the bridge that joins Ladies Island to the mainland and anchored up the quiet Factory Creek. Aside from our food deficit, we had not had a proper shower in a week! We set a day aside to complete these tasks. We paid a modest fee to use the facilities of the marina nearby, where a grocery store was about a kilometer away and showers available with hot running water!!! It took us two trips to the grocery store to fill our lockers and wine cellar (the bilge). We smelled wonderful and ate like kings that night enjoying some mahi mahi tacos and a few pieces of sushi. The next morning we were ready to move on.

High Tide

Low Tide - a very different view

Wednesday May 3^rd we were passed by about 5 other sailboats heading north. We exchanged words with a passing Canadian boat that was from Ottawa, and they recognized our boat as being a Rob Roy, which is very rare as not many people have heard of them. Soon we were all by ourselves and had entered a wider river. The current was with us, the winds were right, so we took the rare opportunity to put up all the sails and turn off the motor. We were sailing. Unfortunately the ICW does not provide a lot of these opportunities as it’s often narrow, with numerous turns and the currents are so strong in some areas, if we tried to sail we might end up going backwards. So we savored these couple hours of sailing until we had to change direction having the wind right on the nose, on came the motor and down came the sails. After a long day we anchored in a quiet little creek with 2 other boats. After about midnight the wind picked up and howled the rest of the night.

Busy doing the cooking

We had plans to head to Charleston the next day, but the wind was still strong and it looked as though it might thunderstorm. We decided to stay for a couple more hours to see how it played out. We left at 11 but in hind sight should have stayed because the current was against us the entire way making our predicted 5 hour day a 7 hour day and we were still 5 miles shy of Charleston. The wind was very shifty and gusty and we would pull out the jib to try to help us with our battle against the strong current. A sudden gust tipped the boat uncomfortably far over which resulted in the dinghy flipping over. Luckily we didn’t have the motor on, and all we lost was a sham-wow. We furled the jib half way but when we thought the gusts had died down we again let it out, only to be knocked over again and once again the dinghy flipped. This was not a good day, and after the frustratingly slow pace, I could see why so many leave their boat down south and fly home. We decided to anchor short of Charleston because there was only about an hour of sunlight left and the way we were going our chances of anchoring in the light were slim to none. We were glad we anchored where we did in the quiet and somewhat protected Stono River as again the wind piped up overnight which, if we were in Charleston in the crowded anchorage, would have caused a sleepless night worrying about all the other boats around us.

Replica of the first sub to take out a boat.

The wind died around 11am the next day after we had a leisurely breakfast. We left at a time which allowed us to catch the tide to Charleston. Our experiences anchoring in Charleston on the way down left me a little apprehensive as I did not want to do any late night re-anchoring, so we chose our spot carefully. There are lots of boats anchored out, many are neglected/derelict and some on mooring balls, so one knows for sure how each will swing when the tide turns. We put out two anchors in a Bahamian moor style to keep us from swinging too much. Once we were fairly sure we were secured and wouldn’t be playing bumper cars we put the engine on the dinghy and went ashore. We were able to find the dinghy dock this time, though it was quite a ride away. We walked to the downtown area and decided on a tour for the next day. We were thinking about staying the next night in a marina but decided to save our money on marina costs and instead use it towards exploring the city. Once we decided on what we would do the next day we walked back to the boat and had a quiet night at anchor.

Got to touch a horseshoe crab - only allowed to use 2 fingers though

Friday May 6^th we discovered the “Charms of Charleston”. We elected for a motorized tour and it worked out well as it rained on and off this day. Buba, our tour guide, was absolutely amazing. We have never had such an interesting, fun but informative tour. We got to see the sites of historical significance as well as some of the absolutely gorgeous huge homes in the city. After our tour we visited the Aquarium, boasted as Charleston’s #1 attraction. We battled the school children for views of the giant aquarium, which housed over 700 fish, including enormous sharks, tuna and Pompanos. I’m not a fan of captivity but I have to admit it was amazing to see all the fish. Nothing compared to actually snorkeling a coral reef though. After seeing all those fish we were a bit peckish so dined on some food along the way back to the boat. Our night ended with fireworks over Charleston harbour in celebration of some special occasion.

Time to move on. We were planning on leaving early, but were prevented due to fog making for poor visibility. We left at about 8:45 in almost complete calm. We were delayed about 45 minutes for a bridge opening but other than that it was easy going. The usual weekend traffic died down once we were a few miles out of Charleston and we had a beautiful day. We anchored in the wilderness and I once again appreciated nature and enjoyed what the ICW has to offer.

We are ticking off the miles of the ICW and currently have less than 400 to go until the Chesapeake. Time is just flying by.

Georgia Revisited

On April 25^th we said a sad goodbye to Florida, but a warm welcome to Georgia as we crossed over the imaginary State line. We felt that on our way down, we just skimmed over Georgia and never really got to see it. All we remember is lots of uninhabited marshlands with clumps of trees here and there. This time we took a few days to explore some areas.

(Wild horse on Cumberland Island, GA)

Our first stop was Jekyll Island, once known as the most exclusive club, ‘The Jekyll Island Club’, it is now a state run tourist destination where you can walk the grounds where the Rockerfeller’s, Morgan’s and others took a winter retreat in their not so humble “cottages”. The island also has many nature and bike trails to explore. Sal and I weren’t sure if we would want to stay another day here, but after a long walk from our anchorage to the historic district, I decided another day would be well spent here.

(Bike path through the forest)

On Tuesday morning, we woke to birds chirping. It seems like the last few places we have anchored in have been noisy: Jacksonville with the city sounds, Sister’s creek with the helicopter noise and the port, and Fernandina with the mill. It was so peaceful here at night. Waking in a good mood, we put on our walking shoes, as we knew it would be a long day. We took a bike path that cut through a small, forested area to cut across to the ocean side of the island. We walked along the beach in search of a breakfast place. We walked and walked and walked until we came across the restaurant. We had a well-deserved greasy breakfast to rejuvenate us for the rest of the day. We were going to head straight to the museum, but couldn’t resist first playing a round of mini golf on the way. At the museum we signed up for a trolley tour of the grounds, which included entry into 2 of the cottages. We were given a guided tour describing who was part of this exclusive club, when they came, what they did and of course little anecdotes to bring life to the members. The cottages were not what we would call a ‘cottage’, but more what we would call a large mansion. There were beautiful lawns and landscaping that they continue to upkeep. We were glad we elected the trolley tour because by that time our feet were starting to get a little sore, and we still had to walk the 5 km back to the boat. We were exhausted to say the least when we got back. We forgot how hard it is to be a tourist. Well worth the visit though and we even saw some wildlife – 2 alligators, a deer and of course lots of birds.

(One of the many 'cottages')

The next day the winds started up. Severe weather was happening further inland and we kept glued to the weather reports for any severe weather coming our way. We just received strong winds on Wednesday. The next day we had hoped to do another 30 miles, but decided to call it quits before having to cross a larger sound as the winds were in the 20 knot range and gusting higher. We found a comfortable anchorage where we were by ourselves with lots of swing room. We settled in for a lazy afternoon of movie watching, when of course the wind died. But we stayed, and were glad that we had because a series of thunderstorms passed through the area, bringing winds, rains and some lightning that seemed a little too close for comfort. It really makes you feel vulnerable in a little sailboat looking out and counting the Mississippi’s between flash of lightning and the bang. We were lucky once again and nothing bad happened, except for discovering we have a little leak and have no idea from where the water is getting in.

We had a long day of motoring with a little bit of motor sailing on Friday. After the thunderstorms of Thursday the wind shifted around to the north cooling things down. We hardly saw a boat all day, but saw many, many dolphins and baby dolphins swimming in and around the rivers. We still get excited about seeing dolphins and will always look if we hear or see a splash around. We didn’t get anchored until after sundown that day. Both were a little cranky as we had been on the go for 13 hours. We had a revitalizing sleep and the next day took another little detour off the ICW to visit the city of Savannah.

We had heard many good things about the city. We arrived on a Saturday which of course meant lots of people, but we were looking forward to that after being in quiet anchorages for the past few days. We docked at the city docks since there was no place to anchor as the river is very deep and busy with freighters, as well there is a swift current and the tidal range is about 9 feet. We were warned that the docks might have cockroaches, so we bought some spray and drenched the lines. We didn’t see any cockroaches on the dock, but we did see some in the streets, which freaked me out a bit. I am fearful that we might find some on the boat, but haven’t seen one yet (knock on wood).

(Touring of a restored tall ship)

Savannah is an old and charming city. The river street is down about 2 stories from the main streets which was designed a few centuries ago because of it being a major shipping port. The downtown streets are cobblestone and narrow. There were lots of shops and restaurants and tours going on. We decided to take a ghost pub tour, to get to see a bit of the city, hear some history, and of course enjoy a drink or two. We found Savannah an interesting place because the whole downtown area is licensed, so you can buy a beer and just walk around with it. The first time we did that I felt like I was doing something wrong, but there are rarely anyone in the bars during the day, as everyone is enjoying their beverage by the water. Savannah was also the first place that we got internet in about a week, so we got to check up on our emails and let our parents know we were ok. We just stayed one night and then it was time to continue northward and out of Georgia. We are glad we took the extra couple of days to do some sightseeing as we really enjoyed what we did and saw.

Jacksonville

Instead of just crossing the St. Johns River, and continuing up along the ICW, we decided to make a side trip. On Tuesday April 19^th we timed our departure to correspond with the tide and took it the 20 miles up river to Jacksonville. Our guidebook informed us about a free dock for 72 hours that was offered in the heart of downtown.

The part of the river that we did see en route to Jacksonville was very industrious, lots of cargo ships and barges getting emptied and filled along the ports. Our first sights of Jacksonville included the Stadium, where they held the2005 Super Bowl, then the Maxwell Coffee factory followed by buildings and a beautiful downtown. The city dock runs in front of what is known as Jacksonville Landing the tourist base with shops, restaurants and a stage for entertainment. We ended up docking between an outdoor gym and a Hooter’s Restaurant.

Getting there all I wanted to do was get off the boat and go exploring, however first we had a little boat situation to deal with. Our head (marine toilet) has been acting up a little lately and not pumping as well as it should, so Sal took to dismantling it and cleaning off the calcium buildup on the parts as we left in the morning to head up the St. John River. However it was still in pieces when we got there, and of course we couldn’t remember how to put it back together. So we went on the internet and found a schematic diagram, then put our brains to work and figured out which way the valves went. A sweaty, frustrating hour and a half later after a couple of times redoing it, and we had it back together and working!

The first thing we did once we got the boat and ourselves cleaned up is to treat ourselves to an ice cream. This put us both back into good moods. We then visited the tourist office and found out about the local attractions. We went for a walk around the area. Having just left St. Augustine, “the oldest continually occupied European established city in the USA”, Jacksonville seems so modern by comparison. The city is very clean and easy to get around. We have become pedestrians and as we haven’t been in a car for about 8 months our judgments are based upon how easy it is for us to get around the city on foot. They even have a free trolley with airconditioning!! (a luxury for us) that will took us around the city. Our greatest find of the day was a place that offered $5 pitchers! Yes, you heard me right $5 pitchers of beer. Unheard of prices in Canada. We were happy people.

Wednesday, our second day in Jacksonville, we did a little bit more exploring. We also were getting desperate in our grocery situation, so took a hike and picked up some essentials. Then we took the air-conditioned trolley and stopped at a region called the ‘5 points’ where they have lots of funky shops. We browsed around for the afternoon. Time seemed to fly by actually and before we knew it, it was dark.

Thursday we had made plans with a gentleman who I first met in the Bahamas. He lived a few hours from Jacksonville and kindly offered to take us out to Jacksonville Beach for the afternoon. We met him just after 12 and he took us in his car and drove us to the beach. It was so great to be in a car again and to get to see the surrounding area. We crossed over the waterway and it was neat to get a different perspective. I didn’t even recognize the area that we had passed through a couple of days ago from above. He took us to a restaurant on the beach right off the water called Joe’s Crab Shack. We have always wanted to go to a crab shack but the opportunity never arouse until now. It was a complete experience including entertainment consisting of periodic dancing done by the waiters. We got to try three different types of crab and boy, they were delicious, a lot of work to get the meat out, but they provided us with neat little tools and of course a full body bib for the inevitable mess that was to come. After the meal we checked out the beach and enjoyed the cooling breeze that was coming off the ocean. After a tour of the area and ride back to the boat we parted ways after a great afternoon (Thanks Pat).

Being docked in front of restaurants, the music got louder and turned off progressively later as the weekend neared. We enjoyed our time in Jacksonville, but by Friday we were ready for a change of scene. And that’s what’s great about a boat, to take a quote from the Simpsons, "if you don't like your neighbors, you can pull up the anchor and sail some place else!". Though we’ve never had problems with our neighbours, if we want a change of scenery, we can just move our home someplace else. And that is what we did. We returned down the river and anchored in relative wilderness where it was just us. We ate dinner in the cockpit and enjoyed the change of pace and remembered what fun we had in the city.

Retracing Our Steps

(Ponce-de-Lion inlet lighthouse a few miles before Daytona Beach)

Sal returned to me Monday afternoon, a few hours earlier than expected. I promised to be ashore where he could find me, instead I was hanging out in the cockpit, trying to stay cool. The heat that week was a few degrees away from unbearable. He got a dinghy ride over with a couple that we had met briefly back in North Carolina.

(Sal pulling up the anchor)

To describe my week in Vero Beach in one word: hot. Days were in the 30’s and nights only cooled down a little. I planned to have my showers at about 6pm when things would finally cool down a bit. I did a bit of exploration on my own around the area. I also met quite a few people in and around the marina or people stopping by the boat to say ‘hello’. I was even fortunate enough to be invited aboard for dinner with a couple from Newfoundland when my planned dinner of hummus and chips turned into a delicious meal of ham/turkey and salads with DESSERT!!

I was glad when Sal got back as this meant we could start to travel again. Staying anywhere for more than a few days starts to give me the itch to move on.

(Fort Matanzas)

Tuesday we had a long day of traveling and made 53 miles in 10 hours. We anchored in Cocoa, where we had dinner and promptly crashed into bed afterwards. We had a relaxed morning and went ashore at Cocoa to catch a few sights. We enjoyed coffee on an outdoor patio, shopped in a farmers market and bought a few small items. When it was time to head back to the boat, we got in our dinghy and tried to unlock our combination lock. Then we tried again, and again, and then started banging it, swearing at it, and got some tools and tried to hammer it open. Nothing could get that lock open… the rust had taken hold. We were discussing walking over to the hardware store when another boater offered to get his bolt cutters and we thankfully accepted the offer. One cut and the lock was free and we were finally able to get on our way. We left shortly after getting back to the boat as we had about 20 miles to Titusville. We arrived in the afternoon with enough time to fit in a short run and shower before dinner and bed.

(Sal's Crocs went for a little swim in the river, but were luckily saved by another cruising couple with a dinghy)

Thursday was another long day of travel. We take turns, switching tiller duty ever half-hour to an hour. On our time off we read, spend time finding a good radio station, or in Sal’s case, make a conch horn. We had brought back a few conchs from the Bahamas. Sal cut off the tip, which is not easy as the conch is tougher than steel. After a few broken hack saw blades and some sore arm muscles he proudly picked up the conch and blew into the end, producing a loud horn type sound. Then he blew it again, and again, and again until I had to yell at him to stop as it was driving me crazy.

We spent a somewhat rough night anchored outside of the channel at Daytona Beach. We find once we get into the larger cities the boater courtesies tend to decrease which means we get rocked with wake. From Daytona we made a stop over at Matanzas River for a night. The anchorage is near the inlet and the current was very strong there as a full moon was approaching. We could hear the rush of the current around the boat as we tried to sleep after a movie night with popcorn made in a pot on the stove.

Finally after 5 days of travel we made it to St Augustine just before the gusts of almost 30 knots started roaring through the area. We gladly picked up a mooring ball and got to exploring the city as soon as we were settled. We took many leisurely walks around the historic city and relaxed and enjoyed an ice cream and some beers.

(Blessing of the boats on Palm Sunday)

We spent the weekend in St. Augustine enjoying the atmosphere and the vibe of the city. We had our fill and were ready to head off on Monday morning. Less than an hour out of the city along the ICW we were in complete isolation. Trees and grasses on both sides, not a person or boat in sight for hours, with just the amazing Florida wildlife to keep us entertained.

(Curious bird checking out the dock at St. Augustine)

Florida has a remarkable amount of wildlife. One day we had hundreds of butterflies fluttering across the waterway en route to some destination only known to them, manatee noses appearing along the way followed by gentle tail splashes as they retreat from the surface, the sleek dorsal fin of the dolphin gliding by or one of the many birds searching for a meal in and among the luscious habitat of the waterway.

Next Destination: Jacksonville

To Canada and Back

I have been asked by Kerry to contribute to the blog by writing an entry about some of the experiences I had the last few weeks while travelling to and from Canada. Mainly the differences of living on a 23 foot sailboat to life on land. Now, although we were rarely out of sight from land, the entire cruising lifestyle is drastically different than the lifestyle one lives ashore.

I first noticed this the moment I stepped into Fort Lauderdale International Airport from the Bahamas, my first time back in a densely populated location since leaving the US. The level of activity was not what I had grown accustomed to and nothing like the relaxed pace we try to maintain aboard Second Wind. The energy levels were through the roof, the anxiety and stress from travelers was palpable, and the overt annoyance shown by both customers and the airline representatives was almost an overload on my senses. It seemed as though as soon as I left the easy going atmosphere of the Bahamas I was transferred into a world that moves 100 miles per hour. Rush here, hurry there, no time to slow down, and if you even think of trying to…you’ll get left behind.

My arrival at Pearson International in mid March greeted me with the reminder that March in Canada is as unpredictable as ever. Not having the forsight to remember this, I was the only person wearing shorts in Canada when there was snow still on the ground. At least I remembered my shoes (I had not worn shoes, only sandals or Crocs for the entire trip, unless going on jogs).

Staying in an actual, permanently fixed dwelling compared to living aboard made me realize how much living space, or lack thereof, we have as sailors. My parents’ modest one storey home felt like a mansion, and Sean and Whittney’s 2 floor ( 3 with the basement) townhouse felt like a palace.

The amenities of the land based life is one that I have taken for granted in the past. Not having to walk several blocks, carrying a load of laundry in a mesh bag or backpack was welcomed while I was at home. Having moderately priced fresh food from anywhere in the world a five minute car ride away was not something I appreciate the way I do now. And a shower that I could have for as long or whenever I wanted was sincerely missed. Cold drinking water and beer, a temperature controlled climate, and unlimited internet are things that are also scarce for Kerry and I so it was nice to have them readily available.

All the “luxuries” of home; the TVs, the washer/dryer, the showers and running water, cars to get to and from places, all the food you could want in grocery stores, and a refrigerator have been undoubtedly missed by Kerry and myself. However, I think we can both agree that we would give these material items up to do another trip like this one. A trip where we can once again, get up whenever we feel its time to get up, eat when we’re hungry, go snorkeling and fishing and experience nature and the ocean up close and personal. To experience the sunset after a long day of travelling or the sunrise after a restful night under a million stars in the clearest of skies. To live a lifestyle, where we live life in a pace dictated by ourselves, discovering new places, and meeting new people.

We have been very fortunate to be able to do this trip, and my experiences back in “the real world” reminded me of how special this undertaking is. Not very many people our age have this incredible opportunity and we are very lucky to be doing what we’re doing. Watching the world through the eyes of a cruiser, I know for certain that I wish to one day take on another adventure such as this one.

Remembering Sal's Many Stages of Beardliness

Random Post #3

Sal’s Stages of Beardliness

Over the past 8 months Sal and I both feel that we have changed in many ways. However the most obvious changes to everyone has been the growth of hair on Sal’s face and head. We look back at some of the earlier pictures and we have to giggle.

He’s a recap of changes to his beard and hair…

Our first night on the trip. Sal had previously tried to ‘trim’ the sides of his beard with a cheap old razor, requiring him to even out the missing chunks later with an electric razor giving him a goatee appearance to his beard.

A couple weeks later and the beard was starting to fill in nicely.

This was the caveman stage of his beard.

A stunning resemblance to Blackbeard the pirate.

This picture was taken November 1st, about 6 months of hair growth. I remember wanting to take this picture because he just couldn't get his hair to stay down.

Very full and thick beard.

Hahaha I took this man to Disney World...

Bam! My Christmas present. 10 years younger! It was a bit sensitive for a few days, and I honestly couldn't stop staring at him and giggling. It took a few days to even out the tan.

He still had the long hair, and even let the beard grow back a bit.

The longest his hair got. He flew back to Canada a few days later and got it all chopped off for the interview.

After coming back from his interview, I hardly recognized the clean-shaven man who greeted me.

You may be wondering how I felt about the beard. I must admit that it did grow on me after a while. Then after a while more I came to detest it. Not because of the look or the feel but because of the smell. As we didn’t shower every day, the beard would pick up odors (as well as small particles) of food throughout the days leaving a mixture of o-not-so-pleasant smells. The only other complaint about the beard I had was that he had a bad habit of subconsciously pulling his beard while reading. He would end up pulling out numerous hairs and they would constantly be all over the boat!!!

How to Recognize a Fellow Cruiser

#2 Random Post

How to Recognize a Fellow Cruiser

Early on in our sailing trip we have learned how to pick out the sailors among the crowd. It’s not very difficult. It is especially easy in towns near popular anchorages, marinas or mooring fields (such as Vero Beach, Marathon, Stuart, etc). Now that we have been cruising for a while we have acquired some insight into why cruisers look the way they do.

Let me give you a little rundown…

The typical cruiser will present as a man and women together usually between the ages of 50 to 65+. Their footwear will consist of either deck shoes, Crocks or some other sort of sensible sandal. Firstly, proper footwear on the boat is essential for safety. Slipping or tripping is dangerous and we have learned from experience that there are numerous items on the deck that you WILL stub your toe on if not wearing the right shoes. Secondly when ashore the cruiser may have to walk many miles to get where they need to go. The cruising man will wear a ball cap and most likely be sporting a good amount of facial hair. Shaving is hard on a boat where you don’t have running hot water or sometimes you don’t even have a good-sized mirror. I think it’s also the ‘salty look’ that men like to embrace. Sal had quite the beard before he (thankfully) shaved it as a Christmas present for myself.

The cruiser will be wearing comfortable clothing usually Kaki pants or shorts and a t-shirt (sometimes with a nautical logo or souvenir shirt with the name of a coastal town that they have visited along the way). Their clothes may have a ‘well worn’ look. This is because storage space is limited, especially since the boat stuff, safety items, spare parts, food and water storage take priority. Also it is sometimes weeks before a cruiser will get ashore to a laundry facility so it’s important to get a few extra days of wear out of your clothing. I brought a festive sundress – it’s untouched at the bottom of my clothes bag. Sal brought some nice collared shirts – they’ve gone untouched and taking up space in the hanging locker: Fancy clothes just don’t get used.

The cruiser will walk, sometimes many, many miles to get where they need to go, usually that’s a grocery store, marine store, hardware store or the Laundromat. They will have a backpack and at least one sturdy reusable grocery bag per hand to carry all their purchases.

The cruiser will be friendly and to other recognizable cruisers are always willing to share information and their knowledge of the area. Being notoriously frugal the cruiser will be able to tell you the location of a nearby dollar or thrift store, where you can get a cheap meal and places with good happy hour specials….in fact, they usually know any good deals to be made.

I often wonder if Sal and I get picked out of the crowd as cruisers…