First time visits to Oriental, Bellhaven and the Virginia Cut

Oriental, NC is a quiet little harbor with a town dock and an anchorage area that were both full of visiting cruisers when we motored through.  All of the rainy threatening weather we have been having for the past week makes many cruising folks seek shelter.  

We traveled on to anchor inside the breakwater at Bellhaven, NC. The town is somewhat protected by a breakwater built all the way across the river with an opening for boats to travel through. We dinghied ashore for a peaceful stroll through the small river front town.

Our daily weather is in a pattern of chance of rain and afternoon thunderstorms.  During the breaks in stormy weather,  we motored north through the Alligator River and across Albemarle Sound.  There are two routes through northern Virginia.  We traveled south on the Dismal Swamp path and decided to come north on the other route called the Virginia Cut.  Getting filled with diesel fuel at Coinjock was a convenient stop along the Virginia Cut.

The Virginia Cut had lots of bridges and one lock at Great Bridge. We were able to lock through just before those dark blue clouds brought a rain squall.  We arrived in Norfolk to anchor off Hospital Point at Mile Marker 0.  This is where we began the ICW portion of our journey on October 12, 2011, almost eight months ago.

North to Georgetown, SC and on to Wrightsville, NC

Rainy weather leaving Charleston,SC led to some cool weather.  We even had to dig out the winter hats buried deep in the bow to get started in the mornings for a few days.

By the time we got to Georgetown, SC on the Sampit River warm weather had returned.  A Sunday morning walk around the historic town and along their revamped waterfront boardwalk included breakfast with the locals at a cafe on Front Street.

The Kaminski House Museum along the waterfront is a stately home built in 1769.  It sits just down river from a paper mill and a steel mill that were in full operation and lit the night with all of their lights.

We left Georgetown and traveled up the rambling and beautiful cypress tree lined Waccamaw River.  Above the Waccamaw the ICW is a narrow channel for several miles.  Most boats travel faster than Priority like this tug pushing a barge.

On Wednesday we met again with our friends, Duncan and Laura, in Wrightsville, NC.  They led us for a walk on the "Loop".   We had dinner at the local South Beach Grille and a refreshing walk on the ocean beach before returning to the Seapath Marina.  Duncan and Laura live in Wilmington, NC which is just across the ICW from the marina where we are staying. Tomorrow we head north towards Beaufort.

Having fun in Charleston, SC

After anchoring along the ICW a few nights, we arrived in Charleston, SC on Tuesday, May 15th, to dock at the Charleston Maritime Center.  Wednesday we gave Capt. Jay a rest from navigating as we boarded a tour boat to visit Ft. Sumter where the first shots of the Civil war were fired.  The guide said we could visit by coming in our own boat but after seeing the swift current flowing and the barnacles covering the pilings at low tide, we were glad we left the driving to the tour boat.

The flags hung limp over the Fort in the calm winds. The park guides and exhibits did a great job of explaining Ft. Sumter's role during the Civil War.  Ft. Sumter saw much more action than Ft. Clinch that we visited in Fernandina Beach. It was interesting to see Charleston Harbor  with its busy boat traffic from kayaks to large freighter ships.

Many original Charleston homes had a main front door like this one opening on to a long porch with several doors opening into rooms of the house. We learned this was to take advantage of any breeze that may be blowing from the north, east or south harbor.  We enjoyed long walks around Battery Park in downtown Charleston.

 

Charleston has a beautiful promenade called Waterford Park along the Cooper River.  A large pineapple fountain is a focal point.  As Jay was snapping a photo, some nice young fellows visiting from Massachusetts came to join me for a kodak moment. 

On Wednesday Tara and Tegan drove to visit us from Aiken.  Tegan enjoyed playing inside and outside Priority and took a dinghy ride.

Tom and Marge came to visit from Delaware and Tegan entertained us all.  His little plastic boat on a string not only was fun in the water but also followed us down the street. We ventured out to the park playground nearby.

Uncle Jay got a turn to give Tegan a shoulder ride, too.

We walked to a play-pool fountain in Waterford Park where Tegan enjoyed the water still pulling the little boat.  He had company at the fountain as other families and children played in the water.  We all needed a nap by late afternoon as Tegan, Tara, Tom and Marge said goodbye. It was a fun visit for everyone.  We will use the marina laundry and water to fill tanks on Thursday before leaving Charleston and heading on north up the ICW.  Afternoon and evening rain and thunderstorms are getting to be a normal occurrence.

North through Georga to Port Royal, SC

Priority flew at 8 knots with the current out of St. Mary's Inlet very early on May 8th.  We motored in calm winds and watched a beautiful sunrise grow out of the clouds to the east.  While on the west coastline storm clouds brewed as we traveled north towards St. Simon's Inlet.

The storms traveled all around us but we were only showered upon.  As we entered the inlet with St. Simon's Lighthouse on our starboard the skies cleared.  All that remained of the storms were raindrops dripping off the bimini frame.

Jay shows he has a good sense of humor since he let me put this photo on the blog.  The temperature climbed along with the humidity each afternoon to make thunderstorms appear.  The calm winds allowed those Georgia horseflies to attack us from the marshlands along the shores of the ICW.  His only defense was to cover up exposed skin and swat the flies close by.  His blue towel cape kept the flies from biting through his long sleeved shirt. That cute butterfly flyswatter we were given in Elizabeth City, NC coming south came in very handy. The daily forecasted thunderstorms kept us traveling on the more protected waters of the ICW instead of hopping offshore. 

We motored by the cemetery referred to in the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" that we read about the city of Savannah, GA.  After anchoring out several nights we arrived in Port Royal, NC which is just south of Beaufort, SC.  We stayed at the Port Royal Landing Marina to visit friends, Mary and Roy aboard Gideon. We met them in the Bahamas and they live aboard their boat at the marina during the summer months.  A delicious potluck Friday night dinner was enjoyed by 35 of us from the marina docks and neighboring village.  On Saturday we headed on towards Charleston, SC.

Leaving Florida headed north

We stopped at Beach Marine, a marina near Jacksonville Beach, FL, for Saturday night and had a great visit with Charlie & Fran. Just like on our way south in the fall, they were very  kind to taxi us to dinner and to visit the grocery store again. It made jugs of juice and bags of groceries much easier to get back to our boat.

With the super full moon our low and high tides have been rather extreme, so we had to wait till later morning to leave the marina on Sunday to have deep enough water on the ICW.  While we changed the engine oil and waited until we could depart, we also learned beginning paddleboard techniques as we watched a group next door from a public dock. We see all aged folks on paddleboards as we travel and it looks like great exercise.

Priority went out the St. John River Inlet to the ocean to sail north to St. Mary's Inlet. Thunderstorms teased us but eventually moved west as we sailed by Fort Clinch at the northern tip of Amelia Island.  We motored on in the inlet to a mooring at Fernandina Beach which is the northern most seashore town in Florida.

Monday we rented bikes and rode out to visit Fort Clinch.  It was built after the War of 1812 when it was decided that each inlet along the shore needed a fort so an enemy would not be tempted to enter.

The soldier appeared and acted as if it were 1864 to tell us interesting details about the fort and life within it.  He said he may get in trouble having his photo taken since he was not wearing his full uniform which should be worn at all times on duty.  He was missing his dark blue buttoned up jacket but said it was just too hot today. So don't tell anybody....

We rode out to find Amelia Island Lighthouse but could not get closer than this.  We enjoyed riding around the historic old town for the day.  The mornings are clear and cooler but the hot and humid afternoons make the storm clouds roll in.

Back on the boat as we were putting the dinghy away on the bow we found a surprise passenger hiding in the shade of a fuel jug.  The tiny crab must have washed up onto the boat yesterday as we were sailing out in the ocean and some waves splashed the deck. We helped it get back in the water.  Tuesday we leave Florida as we continue our journey north.

Sailing up the ICW in Florida

After a good night's rest anchored at Ft. Pierce we had beautiful east winds to sail up the ICW to Vero Beach. We stayed at the marina behind these moored boats.  Using fresh water to give Priority and our dinghy a good bath to clean off four months of salt.  Free fresh water was available by the jug full in the Bahamas but we learned to use it sparingly.

We found a lighthouse we had not visited at the Ponce de Leon Inlet.  It is one of the few lighthouses restored with all three keeper's house as well as all of its support buildings.

We climbed the 203 steps up to the gallery deck below the rotating third order Fresnel lens.  We looked out later at night to see the lighthouse beacon shining bright.

The Lens Exhibit Building seemed added just for Jay.  He especially enjoyed the collection of lighthouse lenses that were restored by a team of museum staff and volunteers. We noted in our log on the way south in November that we should visit on the way back north.  It is great to have time to make the stop.  We stopped at Ft. Mantanzas for a breezy beach walk before heading on up to Jacksonville Beach.