We were hosted on Salty Abandon Podcast the other night as we talked about the routes into the Bahamas. There are two sections of the Bahamas that most people will sail to. One: and the easiest is the Abacos, the northern section. Two: the Exumas are more challenging to sail to and are the southern islands. Yes in the middle are the Berry Islands and some will make this area be their exploration. For us, we have made over 10 trips into the Bahamas and we prefer the Exumas and the far out islands like Cat, Conception, Rum, Long Island and Eleuthera.
Looking at the big picture below, you will see route #1 east into the Abacos and then you can see route #2 heading down into the Exumas. We have done both many times. The two pages I published discuss and show each of these routes in details.
Hayden & Radeen in Stuart Fl ready to sail to Caribbean Sea season #24
We plan to add some catch-up blogging posts now that our season #24 has ended. We sailed from Georgia to Florida to the Bahamas to the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico to USVI to St. Martin and then finally onto Antigua. We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in Stuart Florida then moved down to Biscayne Bay and stagged there for the Bahamas.
Our Island Packet 35 ready to sail south
This year’s sailing was incredible because the winter had many strong cold fronts that came off the USA East Coast and these strong fronts pulled the tradewinds north or south making it a great sail to sail EAST! The run from Florida to the Caribbean Sea is 1,200 NM on a course of 120m. With the normal headwinds of 090m this places the winds 30 degrees off your port bow as you push southeast for a month!
So, with these fronts, we ended up sailing 9 legs from Miami to Antigua and we sailed 90% of all of these. We had so many north winds that we sailed from Puerto Rico past the USVI and directly out to St. Martin. Then two weeks there, we turned around and sailed back to USVI on yet another north wind. Then two weeks later we sailed back to St. Martin. This is unheard of, but we enjoyed this all and will always sail east on any north winds the Caribbean Sea gives!
You hopefully are following us along on our public Facebook page for svIslandSpirit, that blog has been easier faster, and more current for posting. We have been using that page as our newer blogging platform for years. Yet, this platform has all our 13+ years of blogging, and tracking maps, so we need to resume this and update this as we have before. Thank you for checking in, I will try to post a summary of the legs we sailed to reach Antigua.
Here is a map overview of this season #24. Look at this run, we are very proud of our 5th Caribbean Season. We have stored the boat in Antigua and we hope to keep it based in the Caribbean Sea for a year or two. We will see….
Season #24 GA to Antigua, our 5th Caribbean Season
Interactive Tracking Map
If you look into this archive map you can zoom into and click on a point to see the date and time for that location. I use these archive maps to help me review times and distances. See this link
This is my 21st year of creating the Island Packet Yacht Owners’ Association Calendar. This year’s edition is more global than ever, with fleet members sending in photos from as far away as Cape Horn, Alaska, Mexico, and the Netherlands! Island Packet Yacht Owners really get out and go sailing. It is always amazing where we see our fleet sailing too. Take a look at these photos and you will agree, that the IPYOA is global!
2024 IPYOA Calendar Cover, Jesse Shumaker and Mike Parsons Connie Hamilton ParsonsRodd and Shelly Benfield 379 Tasi at Isla Carmen, Sea of Cortez, MXHayden Cochran Warderick Wells, Bahamas, Paradise 350 Traveller, 380 Painkiller, 35 Island SpiritSuzy Suzanne Hurwitz 37 Cay Paraiso Water Cay, JumentosMarlene Adam Reasoner 420 Trance Sailing Wing on WingJonell Bowman and William Bowman 350 Kharis on Port Clyde mooring, MaineJim Martin IP44 Alisoné rounding Heron Neck Light, MaineKevin Hornback 420 Catharpin Blue, Sailing Glacier Bay AkJudith L. Jacobsen 380 Touché in Fiordo Falcon, PatagoniaJesse Shumaker 440 Vita Beata View of the boat at mooring from hike on Jones Island in the San Juan IslandsCarla and Jeff Hale 485 Latitude, Pot of Gold at the end of the Rainbow in AntiguaJohn Bartges Lisa Speer Bartges 445 No Wahalla between the Pitons in St Lucia.Richard Hage 440 Big Bear and 27 Carpe Diem Big and Small in Leiden, Netherlands
Thank you everyone for looking at and enjoying our sailing adventures! This has been a lifetime passion of ours. Radeen and I appreciate you sailing along. Please add a comment as they are emailed to us when you comment. Thank you!
This was our 9th season in the Bahamas after spending the past 4 winters in the Caribbean. So, this was a review tour of the best places. The best part of the Exuams is between Shroud Cay and Rudder Cay. We focused on these places. Here was the planned route inbound, A direct run from Miami to No Name Harbor….No need to stop at Binini when the wx window is open. Run east as far as you can reach.
This is a short 20-hour run from Miami to Great Harbor in the Berrrys
After checking in, we powered on east to Highbourne Cay, then south to Staniel Cay, and onto Black Point as well. After Black Point, we pushed down to Rudder Cay and swam the Piano. From there we turned around and sailed back to Black Point, Staniel then Compass and Cambridge, and Warderick Wells and Shroud. Here are the best photos of the past month. Enjoy.
Photo Essay of Sailing the Exuamas 2023 One month…
Blue Blue Blue with a storm coming off Shroud CayOur pet nurse shark that loved the shade of our boat off Staniel CayThe anchor chain in 20 feet of waterRadeen and the blue water of Black PointSwimming with Eagle Rays at Warderick WellsThe beauty of Warderick Wells is breath takingLazy sailing in 10-12 knots on the beamBuddy boat 35 JUST DUCKY and us sailed for Black PointWarderick Wells never gets oldSailing our fav, the Code Zero in 12 knotsThe best sailing photo ever, 35 Just Ducky and 35 Island SpiritIsland Spirit with all three sails outBahamas blueDown with the Q and up with the Bahamas flagRadeen taking in the blue water of the banksWalking Staniel Cay
This was a very short Bahamas season for us, only a month. We usually are over here in Jan, Feb, Mar, and April, then we sail back to the coast May 1. This season we did not sail over until the second week of March! Still, it was well worth the effort and time, and the push east to reach the 200 nm it takes to reach the Exuma Chain of Islands. No place has better watercolor and better beaches. Hands down, the Bahamas are a dream.
Heading North
We are sailing north to Freeport Bahamas where we will dock for one week at OCEAN REEF CLUB April 16-23. Then after that, we will sail for the Florida coast. This season we will store the boat May 15-Nov15 at Brunswick Landing so we can get an early start at the Caribbean. We want to spend Christmas in the USVI. One more Caribbean Season for us. That is the plan.
We are excited to share with you our recent sailing adventure from No Name Harbor near Miami to Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands.
The Planned 130 nm route direct to the Berrys.
We have a fleet of five boats!
We departed from No Name Harbor on March 7, 2023, at 7 a.m. We were eager to set sail on this exciting journey with IP 35 Just Ducky, IP 350 Traveller, IP 370 Sea Lyon and Fleming 55 Our Eden with former IP380 & 440 owners aboard. Our destination was Great Harbor Cay, in the Berrys, a group of islands in the northwestern Bahamas. We charted a course via North Rock, which is located north of Bimini. After passing North Rock at 2:45 a.m., we prepared ourselves for a night of motor-sailing on the Bahamas Banks which are only 10 feet deep.
Cape Florida Lighthouse as we head out to sea.
Sunset brought Full Moon Rise!
As the sun began to set, we eagerly awaited the rise of the full moon on the Bahamas Banks. Finally, at 7 pm, we were greeted with a spectacular view of the full moon as it rose above the horizon to the east. The moon’s radiant glow illuminated the surrounding shallow waters and gave us an amazing view of the white sandy bottom. It provided us with awe-inspiring sights that we’ll never forget. The sound of the waves against the hull and the gentle rocking of the boat put us at ease as we motor-sailed through the night.
Sunset as we push east on the very calm Bahama BanksFull Moon RIse at 7 pm, perfect for an all-night run, no reason to stop and anchor in this calm.
Digital Radar Approach at Night
At 3 am, we navigated the approach to the island and dropped anchor at last, feeling a sense of accomplishment and excitement for what lay ahead. The Berrys are known for their pristine beaches, crystal clear waters, and abundant marine life, and we couldn’t wait to explore Great Harbor Cay from the marina of the same name, renowned for its friendly staff and fun activities.
Navigating at night under digital radar and chartplotter as we arrive at 3 am!
The Bahamas Waters are the BEST
In conclusion, our sailing journey to the Berrys was an incredible experience that we’ll always cherish. It was the calmest Gulf Stream Crossing we have ever experienced. From the stunning full moon rising on the Bahamas banks to the exhilaration of motor-sailing through the night, this adventure was one for the books. If you ever have the chance to sail in this beautiful part of the world, don’t hesitate – you won’t be disappointed!
Radeen taking in the beautiful Bahama Banks Blues as we push eastDown with the Q flag and up with the Bahamas Flag, welcome to the Bahamas, our 9th season here!
Thank you for reading our blog, yes, we are a bit behind and trying to catch up. We are also posting nearly in real time on our public Facebook PAGE. Please like and follow our page there, you do not need to have a Facebook account. Thank you all. PS: Messages and comments are sent directly to our email. We will see them immediately.
We never leave Florida and go to the Bahamas without first spending time sailing Biscayne Bay and enjoying “The Grove” and Miami Beach! I have said many times that Biscayne Bay is the second-best sailing and cruising area on the entire USA East coast after Block Island Sound which to us is #1. So, after departing Stuart Florida, our first destination is always Miami. Many people pass right on by this dream sailing area on their race for Marathon Key or Key West. We love boating around this area! Upon arrival at Government Cut we were met with a cruise ship heading out. But first our route…
Stuart to West Palm
We ran down the ICW inside on the waterway from Stuart to Peck Lake, to Hobe Sound to West Palm Beach where we always head south one bridge past the inlet and anchor between the bridges. West Palm Beach is a dream spot to anchor, except for the reversing current and some boat traffic. We spent a few days here and enjoyed the famous ROCCO TACOS.
Queue Up to Depart for Miami
We left the town and moved up to the Lake Worth inlet where we anchored just inside the inlet and to the south. This spot is perfect for heading out the inlet at 0500, which is zero-dark-hundred. Being anchored here makes it so much easier to simply get up, brew some coffee and up anchor and set your main sail to a double reefed main and go. This Lake Worth Inlet is short and very easy to navigate. This was a first-time run of the inlet for our buddy boat, 35 JUST DUCKY and it was simple. Still very nerve-racking when you have never done this, but it was a great day.
0500 the view out the galley port
Before nightfall, Steve Job’s yacht motored on by with a route to the Bahamas as the weather was fantastic. We were planning a direct run to Miami where we could wait for the next weather window to cross on the FULL MOON on March 7th, 2023.
Our Buddy Boat, 35 JUST DUCKY with Steve Job’s Yacht, Lake Worth Inlet
The OFFSHORE run to Miami
Heading out to sea at 0500 it is DARK, and there was no horizon except for the city lights to the shore to the west. That was comforting as we simply headed out the inlet and, at the 35-40 foot water depth past the jetty, we turned south and pointed towards south Florida. Within an hour and a half, 0630 the sun rose and we had a spectacular day of motor sailing down the coast.
Sunrise is always a joy at sea. This one was great as well.
Hello South Florida
By keeping the beach to starboard and staying close in the 30-40 foot or less water depth, we avoided a south-flowing counter current to the north-flowing Gulfstream and picked up 1/2 a knot of speed closer to shore.
Motor Sailing because the winds were calm, 5-8 knots
Hello MIAMI Inlet, (Government Cut)
Arriving at the inlet we were early with the ebb tide coming out and the east winds blowing in so you know about wind against current. YUP, it was crazy rough going in. Then add to this the insane 50-60 foot sport fishing boats doing 30knots as they pass you on port then another on starboard and they hit your beam with their 4 foot waves, your boat is going midship cleat to midship cleat water to water. Plus all items below deck have now hit the cabin sole and your boat is trashed. Yup, welcome to Miami. Oh yes, add in a cruise ship and this is typical.
Cruise Ship coming out as we are going in
South Beach Hotels and condos as we navigate the inlet
Fishermans Channel to the left
You are not allowed to enter the main channel due to the cruise ships, so you have to turn into Fishermans Channel to the south. This takes you by all the container ships and their cranes busy loading and offloading the containers. Look at the size of these ships!!!!
Miami in the distance as we pass the container ship terminal19 across and 10 high, that is ON TOP of the deck. There are more below the deck. These are tractor-trailer boxes, and containers. It is how all imports arrive in the USA!!! No, we do not own a single ship. We just allow them to use our many ports in USA. ????
Biscayne Bay Fun #1 BOCA CHITA
With our first anchorage off Virginia Cay and watching the Miami City lights come on, it was a very peaceful night. After a few yacht services at Crandon and a tour of Dinner Key, it was off to Boca Chita for a night. Linda and Mahlon wanted to see this island, part of Key Biscayne National Park and the beautiful building that is NOT a lighthouse. It is a simulated lighthouse built by Honeywell because he could. Lucky for us a park ranger/tour guide was there and we all got to climb up the lighthouse and take a tour. We really enjoyed our time at Boca Chita.
Hayden, Radeen, Mahlon, Linda atop Boca Chita LighthouseOur two Island Packet 35s at the Boca Chita park
Our hero sails by, Jeffrey and family
While we were running south for Boca Chita, our dear friend Jeffrey Cardenas and his family were sailing south to Key West on their new catamaran! So, we all decided to meet up at Boca Chita and enjoy a bottle of bubbly to celebrate their new yacht. We followed Jeffrey for the past few years as he solo circumnavigated the globe on his Island Packet 460 named FLYING FISH! We first met him in person a year ago in St. Croix. His blog is a fascinating and a wonderful read. Jeffry is the best of the best writers. Please see his worldwide stories here:
Hayden, Jeffrey, Ginny, Radeen, Mahlon, Lilly and Linda. This is a lifetime photo here. What are the chances of this?
Good Bye Boca Chita, you are one special place
Sailing out of Boca Chita, I am reminded of the many, many fun times we have shared with great friends here. Thank you, Honeywell. Thank you, National Park Service.
Next….Miami Beach…OH NO!
From here, we sailed back up to Dinner Key where we enjoyed “THE GROVE” and then…..oh yes….then we moved over to Miami Beach. Well, that is the subject of the next post update, as I try to catch up on this blog……
Meanwhile, please see my menu link for all the great places to explore in the Biscayne Bay area.
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We have been here in Stuart Florida since Nov 14, 2022, and as we have always posted and said: “This is the BEST Place in the USA to winter your boat!” So here we have been here for nearly three months! We have no complaints.
svIslandSpirit on mooring ball #20 at Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, FL.
What have we been doing?
That is a very good question, and the answer is, simply living on our boat in one of our favorite towns and upgrading and working on yacht systems. We had thought that all of the refit work we did this past summer in Rock Hall, MD, would have made our boat totally ready for her 5th winter in the Caribbean. Our destination was Bonaire this year, but with a busted KBW10 transmission, we lost a good month or more just with that issue
When you rip out your transmission and it is on the counter….not good.
So, let’s work on da boat!
With the transmission ripped out and sent back to Schooner Bay Marina for Alfred Holzer to review why his repair in June failed, we decided to focus on what else we could rip out. Ha Ha. Well, that led us to…..why not the sewer hoses, as we have not ripped them out in 7-8 years. Oh, that sounds like fun, yea, let’s take the Dremel tool and cut the sewer hoses out. Well, we did, and it took us 6-8 hours, one day only and we had all new sewer hoses and a new head. Now that was a quick turnaround.
New vented loop installed into the head cabinet.Radeen and the 30 feet of new $$$ odor safe head hoses. KaChing
Well that was fun, what next?
Once the head and sewer were rebuilt and all brand new we decided to look into the water heater which was rusty and leaking. Nothing lasts in the saltwater, salty air of the yachting world. This water heater was installed in 2013 by the Island Packet factory when we gave them our yacht to explore the brilliant idea of creating the Island Packet Yacht Refit program. Well, after 6 months and a full refit yacht, the IPY factory said, NO THANKS, and shortly thereafter they went out of business. Next, I present the idea of the IPY Refit program to Colin Mack, and being a smart businessman, he decided to go after the work. Today, 2023, I bought my new water heater from Colin because he has now built the ULTIMATE Island Packet Yacht service company. Every Island Packet Owner can no benefit from his work. www.MackYachtServices.com
Radeen and her new water heater gift delivered by Colin…. also notice those new block!!!
So, with a newly delivered water heater, we went after that job and now we have a new system there:
Why Stop???
With the transmission still not back, and with it getting lost in the mega snowstorm over Christmas, I decided to take Colin Mack up on his new upgraded deck hardware. YUP, we bought all new deck hardware and removed our old 1994 blocks, and installed all new MYS blocks which are made by Garhaurar Marine custom for Mack Yacht Services. This Island Packet Yachts Refit program really seems to be a great idea I outlined back in 2013. Colin was smart enough to take it up when the IPY factory said no. Great job Colin! Check out these new custom blocks.
Bling Bling $,$$$ new deck hardware for the yacht.
Who wants White sails? I do!
Again, since we were not going anywhere, we dropped the jib and the staysail and sent them over to Mack Sails for upgraded WHITE sun covers. I really do not like the color on the sails, we had blue for many years. I prefer white sun covers, so we had them changed up to white. I know, the white will not last as long as the blue, but I like white sails and so now we are back to all white. Thank you Travis.
White sails, Jib and Staysail now match the code zero.
We test sail the transmission!
Well, the transmission was found lost in a trucking center in Michigan, and it finally made it back to us at the end of December. It took me 3 hours to reinstall the transmission. I then hired Simply Yachts #1 mechanic Chris, to do an engine alignment, and off we went for a test sail. On Jan 1, Team Island Spirit was back on the launch pad ready to make her run for the Caribbean Sea…
All systems check out, and the transmission is back up and running.Radeen is one happy sailor girl. She love to travel and she loves to sail….
Wait, did I tell you about the welded lifelines?
While waiting for the transmission in Nov Dec, we decided to hire the most creative and artistic metal fabricator and welder in the Stuart area. Alexander and his team replaced our top and bottom lifelines around the cockpit with custom hull-matching curved solid stainless steel bars. WOW, I never expected these to be curved to match the hull shape, and he said if they are straight, they do not look as good. Well, he is right. These curved hull matching bars are a work of art, and he is very proud of his work. We are thrilled and we love the added safety of these bars around the cockpit. Look at this work!
Top and bottom lifelines replaced with solid curved welded bars.Alexander and his team are true artists, and I really admire their work
Did someone say STARLINK?
Well ok then, let’s add StarLink satellite high-speed internet to the boat. Elon Muck and his company SpaceX have been launching 2 rockets a week with 55 satellites on each launch for a long time now. He has placed these Starlink low earth orbit satellites to provide internet around the world. Well, guess what? It really works and it works very well. It is not cheap, as the antenna and router cost $700 and the mobile RV service is $135/month. The RV version allows you to relocate and move to a new location. Reports are that this works down the island and nearly everywhere, so we will give it a test run this March and April. We installed this into a standard fishing rod holder and clamped that onto the bimini frame. The power consumption is about 4 amps 12v, but it runs on 120-volt AC, so we have to run the inverter to power the outlets.
Our Starlink antenna is mounted over the side of the Bimini. I plan to move to an aft location to prevent it from overlapping the solar panel.
So, here we are….on the launch pad
With all systems upgraded yet again, and with some new systems, we are once again on the launch pad and will be heading out soon. We always like to move to Miami and sail Biscayne Bay testing all systems. There we will also fire up the Spectra watermaker and get that system running before sailing over to the Exumas. We plan to simply sail the Exumas this remaining season and then for a new process, we will store the yacht in-water at Brunswick Landing Marina, May 15-Nov 15. When we return we will set sail ASAP and as fast as we can to return to our Caribbean challenge. For now, Sunset Bay Marina is a dream stop.
Sunset Bay Marina, is our favorite winter home in the USA.
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This is my 20th year of creating the Island Packet Yacht Owners Association calendar. I create this to make $5.00 profit off each sale. The profits go to offset the $1,000+ cost of hosting the website for IPYOA.com where we have nearly 20,000 digital photos uploaded by IP owners. My calendar sales are usually 75-100 calendars total, netting me $350-$500 per year. So, you can see that I am living off this income and going sailing…ha ha ha! NOT. Please take a look at these fantastic photos. Enjoy…
If you want a sailing calendar, then please place your orders here.. Three days of work, 47 photos submitted, plus the 10,000+ I have taken, and here is my 20th edition. Truly a labor of love for IPs.
This is an easy section of the ICW, Georgetown SC to Charleston SC, with your biggest challenge being the Ben Sawyer Bridge and the Charleston harbor current. After a lovely few days walking the town of Georgetown and buying shrimp at the coop, and taking in the many beautiful homes on self-guided walking tours, we decided to move on. Again, we have no schedule, no agenda, just working our way south to the warmth of Florida. Of course, our near-term goal is to be in Stuart Florida for the best Thanksgiving on the waterway, but other than that, no rush at all.
Anchored in the Georgetown SC harbor is a joy. We have been stopping here since 2008!Obe of the sunset rewards of this harbor.
Shrimp and Grits…..ahhh
Radeen is a great boat chief and she loves to cook, so when in “low country” you always buy some shrimp. In Georgetown, there is a local fish coop where the fishermen dock and sell directly to the public. Large shrimp with the heads off costs $7.00/lb! We bought two lbs and steamed some for a chilled shrimp cocktail and then Radeen made some wonderful shrimp and grits for a mid-afternoon meal. What a joy…..
Happy Radeen cooking up some Shrimp & Grits in Georgetown.The presentation…soooo good.
Walking Tours of Georgetown, SC
With the many rice plantations and then indigo plantations nearby, this was a very prosperous town. Add in the deep water harbor and the close ocean access one can easily imagine the many colonial ships docked here in the early 1700s. The town’s museum is amazing and has been here for decades. The visitor’s center has a free self-guided walking tour of over 50 homes. These homes are within blocks of the harbor and we always walk the town and study the architecture of these beautiful colonial homes. Here are two beautiful examples.
Georgetown, SC Colonial HomesGas lanterns light the front door. This is my favorite.
Moving on to Whiteside Creek
Departing Georgetown, takes you back into the ICW for a simple two-day run to the next dream stop of Charleston, SC. Day one is about a 40+ nm run to a remote creek called Whiteside creek. These long and deep (15-20 ft) creeks run into the salt marshes and wind their way back off the ICW. With four Island Packets running together, this creek was a perfect stop for our fleet. We easily arrived by sunset and anchored for the night. The current will ebb and flood in and out of the creek, and your boat will always bow into the current. Your anchor may be under your stern with the anchor chain going aft, but that is the way it is in a fast-flowing creek. Not a problem at all, just something to get used to,
Sun set as seen from Whiteside CreekHigh tide as told by the salt marsh grasses and the small finger of water off the main channel.
Charleston in Sight….YES!
The next morning we planned our short run to make the Ben Sawyer Bridge opening at 10 am, then once thru there it is a quick 45 min run up the Cooper River to the Charleston Maritime Center. The challenge to docking in the fast currents of Charleston is to time your docking at slack tide. Today for our docking this was at 11 am and we hit it right on. I have seen many yachts crash into other yachts when trying to dock in these currents. It is something to take seriously.
One of the photos we always try to capture is the view of the Ravenel Bridge from just after the Ben Swayer Bridge. This always raises excitement because that is a landmark of current-day Charleston. When we see this bridge over the horizon we know we are near one of our all-time favorite stops. Charleston South Carolina.
The famed Ben Sawyer Swing BridgeTHERE SHE IS…..the Ravenel Bridge….ahhhh Charleston is near.
Docked at the Maritime Center
Many boaters will arrive in Charleston and dock over on the Ashley River to the west at the MEGA DOCK. but, those that know the city and where all the action is will dock on the Cooper River to the East. This places you directly on East Bay Street where you want to be. From the Maritime Center, you are a few blocks from Harris Teeter grocery store and all the fine restaurants and markets on East Bay Street. You are an easy walk a few blocks into the College of Charleston where you will then intersect King Street for a fun walk past all the amazing shops. This will lead you down to Market street where you turn east and take in all the local vendors and maybe even a horse-drawn carriage ride. Charleston, what a joy to discover and re-discover. We always book one week here and have for over ten years. We love this town. This is a must-stop location on the ICW.
Our fleet of 5 Island Packets docked at the Maritime Center, all but one have never been here before!Our first of many walks into town, Each day we walked over 15,000 steps. You Gotta Love CHS!The centerpiece of the College of CharlestonThe lobby of Charleston Place, someday we will spend a day here!The typical side porches of a Charleston Home
The next post will show more of Charleston….
Thank you again, for sailing along with Team Island Spirit. with this being our 11th year of running south, we still love this activity. As long as the boat systems are running well, life is good. So far, lucky for us, all systems are running well. Imagine, after a full summer of tearing apart the entire motor and drive train, along with Autopilot, radar, B&G network, and the windlass, we simply then took off. Today, we feel relieved that all systems are performing well. Lucky we are and we know it.
In the words of Neil Young….LONG MAY YOU RUN…..
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The ICW, Intracoastal Waterway from Mile Marker Zero to Georgetown SC is so diverse and so interesting. We never get bored with this trip due to the many changes in the waterway from place to place. This diversity is the true beauty and joy of this run. Again, this is our 11th run south (we think, as we are losing track) but still, it is a real joy. It is even more fun with a fleet of Island Packet Owners and lifetime friends, Jeff & Sharon on 420 Lucille. At various times, we have been joined by RuthAnn & Larry of 37 Cambiar, Linda & Mahlon of 35 Just Ducky and Rose & Mark of Painkiller. Presented here are the best photos along the way as we moved into the ICW.
Departing Mile Zero
The famous GILMERTON BRIDGE at Norfolk. This is a combination railroad bridge and a highway bridge. This bridge is one hour from Portsmouth and it is your first challenge. The large vertical lifts are the structure to lift up the highway bridge. The bridge is restricted from 0630 ( which is oh dark hundred) until 0830 when they provide the first lift. With that schedule, you leave Portsmouth at 0730 and plan to arrive here for the 0830 openings. As we experienced, there might be a train coming that causes the RR bridge to lower and now you need to wait on the train. Eventually the two bridges open and off you all go heading south into the waterway.
The Gilmerton Bridge, Norfolk VA
On to Coinjock vs the Dismal Swamp
We used to run the beautiful Dismal Swamp, but with the convenience of Coinjock with fuel, water, and pump out at each slip, we have started to run the VA Cut and go that route. Plus who can resist a PRIME RIB dinner and a class of Red Wine? Not me. But the first stop on the way to Coinjock is the town of Great Bridge. Due to speed, time and distance, you really can’t easily make it from Gilmerton to Coinjock in one day. You can, but you will arrive late in the day 5-6 pm and who wants to do that? So, you stop on the free docks at Great Bridge and enjoy the town. The Great Bridge lock is simply a lock to hold the brackish waters of the river, back from the saltwater of Norfolk. It does not change in elevation very much, so there is only one lock on this VA Cut vs. two locks on the Dismal.
Locked up in the Great Bridge Lock, Radeen is a happy GrL….Leaving Great Bridge in the morning with the sunriseHELLO COINJOCK and their wonderful restaurant where I had another Prime Rib meal…This is our team
Cross the Scary Albemarle Sound
The next leg takes you on a sail across the 14 miles of the famed Albemarle Sound. It is shallow and with a strong wind, it can be rough. Like 1-2-3 foot waves! YIKES, and many people are always concerned about this crossing. With many crossings, we have never had a bad crossing, Usually, we can sail across, and this day we had a dream sail. We fley the code zero and deployed it on a wing on wing set. Unreal.
Sailing the Code Zero on wing on wing, a first-time experiment. I do have a pole and could even add that.
Alligators and Pungo River Canal
The anchorage at Deep Point, the stopping point before running the 22nm canal, is always a sunset paradise. Arriving about 1-2 hours before sunset, we all anchored in the 6-8 foot waters along with many other boats running south. Then at sunset, there it was again, the famed Deep Point beautiful sunset. For me….schedule the tugboat pushing a pile driver for sunset….perfect….thank you!
Tugboat at Deep Point sunset, perfect
The next day, we had to wait out the fog and by 9 am it lifted and we could see the canal, and off we all went into the beautiful 22 nm canal where you might see turtles, eagles, deer, bears, egrets, and osprey, all of which I saw none. A first for us. I still enjoyed the reflections of the morning light and the peacefulness of this run. I like these long canals, you can’t go wrong with your navigating, just stay in the middle 🙂
Reflections on the Pungo/Alligator River canalWith the sun on the port bow, I captured this cool shadow to starboard as we head southbound….
Dream Sail Across the Neuse
We spent the night on the anchor in Belhaven and had a great walk around town. The next day we had a surprise sailing day. None of us anticipated this, and we all started out with a motor and a jib, only to discover 12-15 knots on the beam, so up went the mainsails as well. Now we had a race! Everyone out on the water was racing down the river to cross the Neuse River and it was incredible. One of the best sailing days on the ICW ever. This rarely happens. What a joy this was. Of course Big Momma 420 LUCILLE blew us all away, and the 35 Just Ducky and Island Spirit and 37 Cambia tried to sail with her. NO WAY, not possible. What a fun day! This photo will make the 20th edition of my IPYOA sailing calendar.
420 LUCILLE and 35 JUST DUCKY sailing down the Neuse River in 15 knots.
A new SOUTH RIVER anchorage
Thanks to IP owners Jim and Lynn, local to this area, they told us about South River. We needed a place to wait out one day as the strong SW winds of 20-25 were blowing down on the coast at Beaufort NC. We did not want to run that, so we decided to wait a day on anchor. So into the South River off the Neuse, we diverted, and what a joy that was. Thank you. We stays an extra day there and waited out the winds. It worked out great. Of course with a lay day, that brought out the baker on Island Spirit and we made our first batch of coconut cranberry scones. See www.BoatRecipes.com for my recipe.
Scones, wonderful homemade scones, Island Spirit bakingOn anchor waiting out the 20-25 SW winds down in BeaufortIPYOA custom coffee mug with our own baked scones….yum yum
Cold in the Mornings
It has not been that cold this year, and our lowest inside boat temp has been 49f. Usually, by mid-day, it is up to 60-65f, but at nighttime when the sun goes down, it gets cold fast. This is our usual gear in the morning…ha ha ha
Hayden with his proud Drexel hoodie and Radeen with her cute homemade knitted hat by friend Kate of 350 Eilean and two fleece tops.
We Reach Wrightsville Beach, a fav.
The first beach that we can access to walk and go shelling is Wrightsville Beach, NC. This town is an all-time favorite of ours. We always take an extra day here to enjoy the beach, walk the town, access some great places to eat, and simply slow down. This town is so active, people are walking, jogging and working out all the time. It is a college town with UNC nearby, but it is also a very wealthy town with really beautiful homes and docks on the harbor, The harbor is near perfection with easy access from the ICW and also a class-A ocean inlet. You can not get better than this. Wrightsville Beach, is a dream. PS: This day, Radeen and I walked 15,500 steps, 7.5 miles…ahhhhh
We hit the beach with 37 CAMBIA, Larry and Ruth Ann to go shelling. Always a must doThe walk of 1-2 miles up the beach takes you to the cool photo spot of the fishing pierOur first shelling success. These shells I sent home to our neighborhood children for a Halloween treat.
Southport Friends, Bill, and Trish
We all spent 5 winters together in the Florida Keys and Bahamas. Boating friends are lifetime friends, and this was yet another example. We have not seen each other for years, but it was like we just left. Bill and Trish build a custom cool home in Southport and someday we will drop anchor or dock at the Fish Camp and Provisioning company and walk up and see this. But with time and distance, we passed on that and docked at St James. So, they drove down and we had a great night together on Island Spirit just like in old times. Thanks for the gifts, you two are too kind.
Hayden, Trish, Radeen and Bill, next time, bring the guitar!
The Wealth of Myrtle Beach, insane
We always can’t wait to push thru Myrtle Beach, because the waterway has been abused with concrete walls and mega homes on the waterway where t-topper boats can’t really go anywhere. So what is the point? It is a crazy contrast to what will follow, the historic Socccatee bridge and the Waccamaw River Forest. Here are a few homes in this area……
An original home between the “NEW” look at me, see me mega homes….Someone has way too much money and knows a mason!This shack is only 14,500 sq feet and is for sale at $7,500,000.00, Pocket change!
Finally Waccamaw River Valley
The way it used to be…..before Myrtle Beach was built….
Hayden and Radeen
A happy healthy selfie as we push down the river valley
Georgetown, SC Reached
This is another town we always anchor off and spend a few days. There is Rice Museum and the Fish Co-op along with a fun waterfront and nice shops on the main street. Within a mile walk is a CVS and Piggly Wiggly and more. Welcome to Georgetown SC. We are two days from Charleston SC where we will be halfway to Florida. We are so grateful to be here….thanks for sailing along
Island Spirit on anchor off Georgetown, SCSunset Georgetown SC
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