Southbound East Coast





 

 We were up at five loading the last bits on the boat and finally we're ready to leave. Our great neighbors came for coffee and Bon Voyage.

They snapped a picture of us posing, ready to go.



 

 Anchored in Mile Hammock Bay our second night, the Marines gave us touch and go demonstrations of the V22 Osprey.

Our neighbor John built them while working at Boeing.



 

 Sunrise on the water is often gorgeous. Mile Hammock Bay was no different. Lynn caught these two nice shots. If George had been a little quicker getting the camera to her there would have been a lot more pink.



 

 Motoring along Bogue Sound, Lynn took a break to read. Any time one of us sits down, it seems we have a lap dog not far behind.



 

 At first you may wonder why we took this picture. We were headed down the Cape Fear River in heavy fog. Looking out our port you can make out the handle bars on the bicycle but not much else beyond. Chart plotter, AIS, and radar were invaluable.

When we turned out of the Cape Fear into the ICW at Southport the visibility dropped even further. We opted to go into a marina and stay put until the fog lifted.









 

 It was a quiet and peaceful day on the Waccamaw River between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, NC. We love this secluded area.

 

Then roaring up behind us, dozens of high powered bass boats charging toward us. The peace is shred asunder by thundering engines and turbulent wakes.

 

It is a fishing tournament but there is a rush to get to the good spots first. It appears fishing has become a blood sport and the participants have to wear crash helmets.

 

Meanwhile, we race along at a modest 6 to 7 knots. George has no crash helmet but a watch cap to keep his ears toasty. Warm clothes and hot coffee complete our competition gear.





 

 Moving from Georgetown to Charleston, SC is scenic. George captured the sunrise behind clouds.

 

Lynn caught the brown marshes in fall. When we go north, they are vibrant green.



 

 The reason our windlass didn't work was a lot more serious than I hoped. The cast aluminum housing consisting of the mounting flange and gear box had corroded completely in two. There was no fixing it so a new windlass was ordered.

 

Getting the old one out and cleaning up the deck. Here George works on scraping while the electrician is gone for his 3" hole saw. The foot print of the new one is very similar but requires a larger hole through the deck for the main shaft.

 

The old windlass had a drum be we never used it in the decade we have owned the boat. We opted for a model without the drum to save a couple of hundred $$. This photo shows the new unit installed and working but I haven't cleaned up yet.



 

 The docks at Charleston Maritime Center seem to be in constant motion so getting time exposures is tough. We are just across the river from the USS Yorktown which is on permanent display at Patriot's Point.

 

The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge across the Cooper River is spectacular but we haven't captured a good night shot. It can be seen in the background with Sunspot Baby at the dock in the foreground.

 

It is not always this rough, but the photo shows the choppy conditions coming into the marina.

 

 

We rented a car to run errands and even make a quick trip to New Bern. Lynn took the last photo through the windshield as we crossed the bridge.

 

Lynn is fascinated with the big red tugs. She talked George into posing by one.



 

 The Charleston Maritime Center is very near the aquarium. We had never seen it and made it one of our stops after we got the Windlass installed. Lynn took this picture of George at their big tank. A volunteer said it was the deepest tank in any aquarium in North America.

 

 

They had a bald eagle on display. It was nice to be able to get so close. It took a while but it finally posed for me.

 

 

Lynn sits beside a bronze frog. She chose not to kiss him. Who needs a bronze prince anyway?



 

 Dark clouds and sun were playing games with the light in Charleston Harbor as we departed. Not wanting to take time to find a camera, I shot these photos with my phone. The first is looking out the harbor. Fort Sumter is in the lower right.

 

I cropped the second so it looks more like a panorama. The Charleston water front glistens against the dark sky.



 

 We paused on the way to Steamboat Creek to visit with our friends, Jim & Amy at their dock on the Stono River.



 

 A cold day at least offered a few interesting photo subjects. Lynn caught a row of pink clouds shortly after sunup as we were leaving Steamboat Creek, SC

 

The was no ice on the deck but the temperatures were in the 30's and with the 15 kt. winds blowing across the water were were all more than a little chilly. Poor old Toby can't stand the cold as he once could. Lynn wrapped him in a blanket in the cockpit. He could have gone in the cabin to be warmer but wants to be where we are.

 

We often meet ships of the American River Cruise line. This one was approaching as we exited Calibogue Sound near Hilton Head. It is their Independence,

 

Shortly before getting to Fields Cut and the Savannah River we met this bundle of dredge pipe. The whole string was about 1/4 mile long and took three tugs to maneuver.



 

 One of the reasons we bought our Canon camera was to get the ability to stick on a long lens and, just perhaps, capture some of the wildlife we see along the ICW. It is hard enough to hand hold a long lens when one is on solid ground. When on a moving boat the difficulty goes up by an order of magnitude. We have tired many shots, few with usable results. Lynn did get a couple of pictures of the white pelicans that inhabit the banks between Fernandina and the St. John's River. These are two of the better ones.



 

 The Fort George River is a nice place to spend the night and break up the trip from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine. In the spring, with longer days we can do it but not on these short late fall days.



 

 St. Augustine was a very nice if short stop. The new mooring field is great. Coming in we always enjoy seeing the cars parked on the sand at the inlet.

 

The panorama is a composite of three photos merged into one. The Bridge of Lions is lit up across the river and downtown is on the left.

 

The Salt Run light house peeks over the hill with the sunrise befind it as we motor out of the anchorage.



 

 We were up and headed out of Daytona before first light. The bridges lit against the dark sky were beautiful even if the unlit channel markers were hard to spot.

 

 

About the only people up as early were the rowers. We saw three individual shells and two crews practiving.



 

 Along the way Lynn often shoots pictures of things on the boat. Toby looks distinguished with his graying muzzle, don't you think?

 

Our helm is the "office" radios, cell phones binoculars, horn and thermometer add to the clutter of gauges and displays.



 

 The Haulover Canal is always a fun place to take shots. There are tons of birds.

 

 

 

 

 

The banks are lined with fishermen.

 

 

As we exit the canal, there is a little island that is one of Lynn's favorite sights along the waterway.



 

 Shortly before getting to Vero Beach is the old Jone's Fruit Dock. Old Mr. and Mrs. Jones are gone now, but the family keeps their tradition alive. The have spiffed up the dock a little with colorful designs on the dock house and posts.

We were privileged to stop on our first cruise. and visited with the Jones' for a while. They stopped by early in the next morning with fresh grapefruits for us.



 

 An egret ruffles its feathers in a dead tree near our mooring in Vero Beach.

George is shown in the process of pulling the carburetor off the dinghy.



 

 Each day Lynn lists all the bridges, inlets, etc. for that day. The list you see on the bulkhead in front of the helm includes 18 bridges to get from Hobe Sound to Boca Raton.

 

 

 

Last time we were here, George had a hard time anchoring because he speared a beer can with the anchor. Well guess what, he did it again. Here he holds the offending can. Looks like he wants to hit it with the winch handle.

 

 

Lynn loves blimps and had to snap pictures when the Goodyear blimp flew by almost directly overhead.

 

 

Boats were rafted up to see the parade of lights and fireworks.

 

There was a colorful sunset to usher in the parade.

 

 

Buildings along the waterfront had lots of lights. We liked these snowflakes projected onto the building

 

 

 

There was a barge leading the parade setting off tons of fireworks. Where we were anchored was the main viewing area and they really put on a show.

 

 

 

As they went by, they had a mortar sweeping fore and aft firing off hundreds of rounds per minute. It was quite a show.

 

 

The boat shown is not one of the more imaginative or completely decorated boats in the parade. It is however the photo that is not blurry.



 

  

Sunspot Baby tied up along the wall of the New River, Downtown Docks, Ft. Lauderdale.

 

 

Lynn takes a rest bicycling along Las Olas Blvd.

 

George with back pack and folding cart treks home loaded from Publix.



 

  

Sunspot Baby anchored in No Name Harbor.

 

 

What looks like a sunset picture of No Name is actually an attempt to photograph a manatee. Look in the lower left area where the sunbeam points to see the lump in the water. That's about all the manatee you get to see.

 

The harbor has plenty of room.  The fewest cruising boats here we have ever seen.



 

  

The houses that constitute "Stiltsville" fascinate Lynn. They are among the last sights we see as we depart No Name Harbor to round the Cape of Florida and head to the Bahamas.

 

Cape Florida

 

 

We have rounded Cape Florida and are headed east and to the Bahamas. This is officially the the last of the pictures designated Southbound East Coast.

Next photos southbound Bahamas