Year: 2011

Island Spirit and the Ravenal Bridge over the Cooper River Charleston, SC Maritime Center Docks

We arrived Charleston, SC Tuesday and secured a dock on the favored side of town at the Maritime Center where BoatUS members get a discount at $1.50/foot. We booked in for two days but due to weather and the temptations of a fabulous city, we stayed an extra day. Not bad….a “room” right in the city for $52.50 per night (35’*1.50) – we had a difficult time moving out. We usually do not take docks because of the cost and also we have a 44 lb Bruce anchor and 250 feet of chain anchor rode, so we always prefer to use that and save the fee. Charleston does have an anchorage field on the Ashley River, but that is on the opposite side of town from where the action is location. Lucky for us, one of our Island Packet members alerted us to the Maritime Center and we docked there. Thank you, Lamar and Sherri, IP-420 Winterset.

While at Charleston, we enjoyed Harris Teeter Shopping, one of the finest grocery stores on the planet. We also enjoyed Caviar and Bananas, a New York style deli that is better than any NY deli. Of course this was created by a family who moved here from….you guessed it…NYC. We also enjoyed a do-it-yourself historical walking tour that we bought at the visitors center. We walked the city, taking in the beautiful Georgian Architecture and historic cobblestone lined streets. East Bay Street is wonderful to explore. After the walk, we enjoyed a class of wine at one of the many pubs along East Bay.

Charleston, SC is a city I could live in…it was a joy to visit. We departed there and motored 45 miles south to a beautiful anchorage on Bass Creek, just off Parrot Creek near the Coosaw River. Our next stop will be Beaufort, SC.

4 Island Packets: Island Spirit, Habibi, Winterset, Cutter Loose

SERIOUS Coast Guard Cutter: USCGC STRATTON Third of eight the USCG will be building, just launched in Oct 2011

Loaded weapons and guns, this ship is ready to protect.

Typical Charleston Home, narrow on the street, portico to the SW homes were taxed on their street frontage, so this beat the system

Homes along the southern tip at the Battery

The Three Sisters, the finest example of Charleston Single homes

The Battery, when viewed from sea

After departing Charleston, we anchor in a most remote area Bass Creek off Parrot Creek

Nothing but marsh grasses….beautiful

Sunset over the stern of Island Spirit, Bass Creek

Next stop….Beaufort, SC….that is pronounced….BEWwwww-fert!

Spectacular Place, my 4 minute video shows the beauty and the isolation of this location. Enjoy!

William and Mr. C. at Watts Barracks, The Citadel, SC

With great pride and respect, we visited one of my top high quality students who is now attending The Citadel in Charleston, SC. William, or Will as he is know to most, graduated from the High School where I spent my 31 year teaching career. Over those 31 years, several students rise to the top of the list as outstanding students who are obviously in a league of their own. William is one of those few students and I am proud to have been his computer applications teacher in 2010. As we neared Georgetown, SC, we sent a text off to William to alert him of our impending arrival in Charleston in a few days. Will replied and informed me that it was Homecoming this weekend and that it also was Open Barracks and that it would be a shame we would miss all the fun.

William in Watts Barracks, Citadel, SC

Don’t give “Team Island Spirit” a challenge like that, because….WE WILL MAKE IT….and make it we did. We dropped anchor 66 miles short of Charleston, in charming Georgetown, booked a rental car, departed the boat at 7 am on a frosty 40 degree morning, drove down Rt. 17 to The Citadel and breached the fortress of WATTS BARRACKS where we sent a text to William and said….”WE ARE IN THE COURTYARD….where are you?” William alerted us to climb the NOVEMBER tower staircase up to the 5th floor and there he was, looking better than ever. We visited for an hour, toured his barracks and met Frank, his local host family, who is a civil engineer and a 2006 Citadel graduate.

Watts Barracks, Citadel, SC

After the barracks closed at 1000 hrs, the corps formed up and the entire brigade was presented on the parade field where hundreds of family members and Citadel graduates lined the field. William told us where to stand in order to locate his NOVEMBER Company. We enjoyed watching the precision marching, the presentation and firing of the cannons and recognition of dignitaries and awards to honored graduates. I am so proud of William and his dedication to this Military College of South Carolina. The academics are difficult and the disciplined program even more challenging, but I am positive William will excel, just like he did in all his previous years. Congratulations and thank you again for alerting us to the Open Barracks and Homecoming festivities. You make me proud….very proud!

Citadel BULLDOGS

Brigade Parade marching into the parade field

Smoke covers the main hall as the cannons are fired

November Company, with William in the center

William in formation, November Company, Citadel, SC

William in the center, 4th row back in this photo

You make me proud, William!

Typical shoreline along the Waccamaw River, SC

Spectacular, breathtaking, beautiful, winding, inspiring, ever changing…that is the Waccamaw River south of Myrtle Beach, SC. This is our second time passing through here and it is more beautiful than I recall. I shot 140 pictures today in the river and none are as beautiful as I saw it. Either I need a better camera or I need a better memory, because one of these is off. Refusing to exit this fantastic river valley, we pulled over behind Butler Island and dropped our anchor just 8 miles short Georgetown, SC. Tomorrow we will leisurely meander our way down to Georgetown in the AM and explore that town where we will connect with family vacationing in the area.

Only in Myrtle Beach would you have gondolas carts taking golfers from one side of the ICW to the other!

Grissom Parkway Bridge, Myrtle Beach and the ICW…beautiful

Typical home on the waterway at Myrtle Beach, SC

OH NO….barge traffic meeting at the bridge, he told us to keep on and pass him to starboard…OK!

Same barge filling the entire bridge opening that we just passed

Myrtle Beach golfers along the waterway

Yachts lined up and passing through the Socastee Swing Bridge This bridge is now on the National Historic Register and will be preserved forever

Socastee Bridge swinging closed behind us, very interesting process

Waccamaw River navigation aids

Our good friends Eric and Patricia on Cutter Loosen avigate the turns of the Waccamaw river

Endless beauty…

Spanish Moss hanging in the trees

Fantastic day running down the river valley and also a great stay at Barefoot Landing. Life is so easy, so peaceful, and so much fun when traveling the Intracoastal Waterway, especially with good friends. Island Spirit and Cutter Loose are two happy boats….

The ship that pushed us out of the channel and pushed Cutter Loose aground

 Another beautiful day on the ICW – sunny, warm, with clear skies and interesting scenery. There were beautiful homes (many, many for sale) dilapidated docks, winding turns, and ocean inlets, some navigable, some not.  Some exciting moments were two floating casinos and a barge passing us northbound. It felt like these huge vessels took up all of the waterway. We docked at Barefoot Landing Marina, adjacent to an enormous shopping center  The best part of the day was dinner ashore with friends – see the happy photo below!

Milestones:
     500 miles since leaving Rock Hall, MD
     Mile Marker 353, halfway from Norfolk to St. Mary’s,GA, our Thanksgiving destination
     Crossed into South Carolina
     Thursday will be our 20th day on the water

Pelican convention on a dock

Holden Beach Fishing boat

Fun with color and photography, Holden Beach

Island Spirit at the Barefoot Landing Dock, Myrtle Beach

Local resident, Myrtle Beach preparing for winter

Required ice cream stop…can’t resist

90 footer docking behind and over Island Spirit

Island Spirit under the bow of a 90 footer

Dinner visit with good friends Debbie and John

Next stop….the beautiful Wacamaw River Valley and then Georgetown.

Hayden, Patricia, Eric, Radeen, Jeff and Sandy Team Island Packet Owners meet at the Causeway Diner

After a quick stop in Wrightsville Beach, NC and a breakfast gathering with Jeff and Sandy, IP380 Xperience owners Bahamas bound, we ran an easy leg today of 27 miles from Wrightsville Beach to Southport, NC where we always turn into Dutchman Creek and drop anchor. This creek is big enough for 3 to 4 yachts and lucky for us, we had it all to ourselves with our buddy boat Cutter Loose. With an Island Packet 35 and an Island Packet 460 anchored, we have called the creek CLOSED to more vessels. It is narrow, and we dropped anchor in 8 feet of water in mid creek. Your bow will point into the current as the tide floods and ebbs. Obviously the current runs in and out of the creek so your boat will face one or the other direction. Tides are 4 feet so at low we may be in the mud but that is OK. We will depart at 6:30 AM and that is also high tide, so we are good to go.

Tonight we will drop the tender and motor over to Cutter Loose where we will share a fantastic meal and some fine wine as Eric and Patricia are fantastic chefs and always make beautiful meals. Tomorrow we plan another easy run of only 43 miles to Myrtle Beach where we will take a dock at Barefoot Landing and enjoy the OUTLET SHOPS and restaurants! Where else can you dock your boat to an outlet mall? Should be fun….

Island Spirit and Cutter Loose at anchor, Wrightsville Beach, NC

Anchored off Wrightsville Beach, NC, what a great town!

IP380 Xperience and IP460 Cutter Loose on the ICW southbound

Notice the piling height for hurricanes! I am guessing 20 feet.

Brown Pelicans work the scraps at a fishing boat

Destination: Dutchman Creek among the grasses….BEAUTIFUL spot

Cutter Loose anchors off our bow, the creek is now closed. Only room for 2 boats….so we say

Tomorrow….we take on the Myrtle Beach Shopping Outlet Stores at Barefoot Landing Marina!

The fleet passing through the Surf City, NC swing bridge

Running the ICW south from Mile Hammock Bay is so simple and so easy that a “caveman could do it” as the commercial says! All you have to do is stay in the middle between the shore line 25 yards on either side of the boat and also follow all the other boats. Yes, we have a boat parade going south. Today was really fun with boats from New York, Maine, Maryland, Canada and even New Zealand in a pack of about 15 boats.

Everyone bunched up at the bridges to wait for the scheduled openings and then we all ran through the bridges in a single line. “Bring it on, keep it coming, get up here” are the calls from the bridge tenders as they urge the fleet of southbound yachts to get close and keep the speed up. Boaters really get nervous when close together and they all tend to slow down to a crawl. This compounds the problem of getting through the bridge and then getting OUT OF THE WAY and moving on. Sailboats seem to take FOREVER to get back to full speed after these bridges, whereas powerboats make the bridge and then HIT IT. Sailboats like to putt-putt through the bridges at 2 MPH and then slowly, like 10 minutes worth of slowly, come up to speed and get back to 6 or 7 knots of speed….whoa…hold on, Nellie!

So, it was bridge #22 today as we approached Wrightsville Beach, NC. This is a wonderful beach town, where you can dock the dinghy and walk one block to the ocean beach! Pizza, ice cream, pubs, and many shops make it a joy to explore the town. Yes…Wrightsville Beach is a place I could move to, it is a great town…..

Sand dunes at the Swansboro, NC turn

Two Pelicans fly by the dunes, Swansboro, NC on the ICW

Yes, it is really PINK…a pink house on the ICW, and we are not even in Florida yet!

Yacht YEHBUDI II from Auckland, NZ

An interesting dock to the water from a huge shoreline home

Figure Eight Island Swing Bridge with IP460 Cutter Loose

The Wrightsville Beach Bridge is #22 since Norfolk, VA

A cottage on the Motts Channel, Wrightsville Beach, NC

Finally….access to our first beach from the boat. We love to take our boat to places where we can walk to a beach!

Dinner was delicious Beef Pot Roast and warm biscuits and WINE

Sadly, we departed Beaufort, NC, where we were totally spoiled by Greg and Kate, IP350 owners and gracious hosts. Greg and Kate provided shelter from the strong Nor’easter low pressure that was blowing 35-40 knots for 2+ days. Friday we stayed out of the rain and then went to the Ruddy Duck for dinner in Morehead City. Saturday, we toured Fort Macon, had lunch at the Beaufort Grocery Restaurant and re-visited the waterfront. Then we capped off our visit with the most delicious home cooked pot roast in the history of the world! Yes, we were spoiled indeed, with good wine and many laughs at the Home for Wayward IP Sailors!!

We needed to press on to points south, so we untied our lines and powered along with a strong 25-30 knot wind at our backs. Exiting Beaufort & Morehead City, we entered into Bogue Sound which is protected and secure from the ocean rollers offshore produced by the gale winds that have been blowing. Our buddy boat, Cutter Loose, was boarded and inspected by the Coast Guard off Swansboro. They passed the routine safety inspection with a 100% and kept moving on. These boardings are intimidating, yet I guess needed when looking for yachts breaking the law. Possibly due to the current Coast Guard Auxillary Inspection sticker on our mast, they skipped over us and then selected the next boat after us to board and inspect. The 44+ mile day ended in Mile Hammock Bay, a basin inside the Camp Lejeune Marine training base.

Fort Macon, a beautiful restored fort

Departing Beaufort in 25 knot winds

Peak winds of 33 knots true….Gale winds are 34…close

Sand dunes along Bogue Sound and ICW

IP460 Cutter Loose is boarded by the Coast Guard

Bogue Sound with a parade of boats running south

ICW has these MILE MARKERS, here is #245 The is the number of miles from Norfolk, VA, mile #1

Eric, Hayden and Greg, what fun we had…

Everyone in the cruising community always talks about the real treasure of cruising is not the journey, but rather the people you meet and connect with along the way. That is what makes this life so special. Our trip into Beaufort, NC was one of the finest examples of this as we were invited to visit with a fellow Island Packet Yacht owner and enjoy the town and a home cooked meal. No cruiser, living on a boat, can refuse such a generous offer and we took Greg and Kate up on the plan. Arriving at their private marina and docking next to Greg’s IP350, ei’Lean, we backed Island Spirit into a slip and tied off to the pier. Greg welcomed us and made us feel right at home with a full tour of the grounds, clubhouse, and bathhouse. Kate is a dream! They are like your long lost college roommates! We feel like we have known them for many years, yet this is our first meeting. We have never visited anyone’s home for the first time where they made us feel so welcome and so comfortable. Truly amazing….

Too much Champagne is a GOOD thing…Kate, Radeen and Patricia

After touring of the facilities and their beautiful home, we were swept off to town for a walk down the waterfront, the main street and around town. After seeing the area, we returned home where we were treated to a spectacular Italian meal with homemade bread, salad and plenty of wine and Champagne.  With lots of lively stories and conversions and plenty of laughing we party into the night nearly up to midnight! Most boaters pass out around 9pm, but with the endless hospitality of Greg and Kate, we had no clue we had stayed so late. We walked back to our boats at midnight and slept in with no worries of the building Nor’easter off the coast.

Today, we will stay in dock, enjoy the company and friendship with Kate and Greg, sincerely appreciating their hospitality!

Island Spirit meets ei’Lean

Custom homes surround the private marina

The Marina is home to the Morehead City/Beaufort Yacht Club, this is the pool area

Look….just like on our boat….china from France and linen table cloths with candles What a treat….Thank you so much!