Horse Flies and Weddings

There is a bit of a war that is going on around here.  If one stands out of the wind in the sun and gets still for more than 10 seconds, one will be attacked by Green Heads (horse flies).  Of course one can wear bug juice and keep some of that to a minimum but sooner or later one will feel the sting and see the results.  Some of the bites don't go away soon and I have doozie that keeps getting bigger.  It is sort of entertaining in a weird way to see  which bites bloom and which do not.  Could it be that cruising in the heat is getting to us in a Shining (the movie) sort of way?  "Oh honey, I'm home.

Last evening a large river boat pulled up to the Megadock and embarked a wedding party.  Beverages were flowing even before the thing left the dock.  They were docked across from us and we, being the smallest boat on the dock, were the subject of many comments from the poop deck some twenty five feet above us.  Most were from folks that are not sailors.  What's that thingy on the front?  Looks like they have a lot of rope going all over the place. Where's Port Aransas, Texas? 

There is a sailing vessel just arrived from the Caribbean Sea.  Been there for a year with two youngsters aboard.  They enjoyed it thoroughly but were looking forward to getting off the boat and hitting the stores and restaurants of Charleston.  The girls were "home schooled" but not like doing that at home on land.  We have read several articles that seem to indicate cruising youngsters are generally very well prepared for college since they have not been in front of TVs or IPods much during the cruising and since there are fewer distractions whilst aboard.  Might be a good thing to send the kids to sea for a year sometime in their early years.  Imagine how being away from TV, IPods and cell phones might impact their thought processes. Thinking-  what a concept.

Being aboard forces one to deal with stuff as it occurs. Find the problem.  Evaluate the problem, Develop solutions.  Implement the solution then see if it worked.  Sort of basic but we do it daily.  For instance, our latest challenge is the air conditioner.  Instead of air, a vessel system uses sea water to cool and condense the refrigerant.  Said seawater is usually full of stuff like jelly fish, leaves, seaweed and other stuff.  There is a strainer that keeps that stuff from going through the unit.  Although the water here is "clean", that strainer needs constant attention, sometimes at the most inopportune time.  We discovered that there is some sort of slime building past the strainer in the lines and that causes the unit to stop.  Just after dinner (supper to those from SC and GA) it happened-  no cooling!!!!  Yikes Hal, get on it..  Heat index at the time was 117 degrees so I had to jump on it.  That is twice in two days. Bear heads top side so as to not listen to me heatedly discussing the problem with my inner self.  Inner self gets testy at times like that particularly that late in the day.  Got it done but it dis not take long to heat the cabin.  This is one system that, next to a water tight hull, is most important to this crew.  I think I will experiment with bromide tablets (same stuff used in spas) in the strainer.  Maybe it will keep the slime cooties moving. 

Thunderstorm Afternoon in Charleston

Even at the dock there are almost daily maintenance items to fix. The air conditioner strainer filled and stopped up to the point that the a/c was short cycling. The probable cause: a growth of some type in that element that one could easily flush out. Not so. The stuff that was in the strainer was affixed firmly to the basket and looked like short cropped blond hair. It would not simple flush out. I am calling it swamp fur. With such a small space to air condition, one would think that maintenance is very seldom. Again, not so. The filters are a weekly cycle. The strainer is on about a three week cycle unless we anchor in some grassy place in which case it can be on a three hour cycle. So, life in our small liquid world is maybe more intense than at home. Stuff that breaks must be addressed at the earliest possible moment.


I took the first part of today before returning the rental car to tour two more places, the South Carolina Aquarium and the National Military Museum. The latter is more to the point a heraldry museum with complete uniforms from just after the Revolutionary War to Afghanistan today. The curator will not display any uniform unless it is authentic in every way. They have a recently found uniform from WWII missing the Eagle/Globe/ Anchor collar brass. If and until they get the exact brass worn on that uniform, they will not display it. It belongs to a native son of Charleston, graduate of The Citadel and KIA in the South Pacific when his was shot down. The family could not find the original collar brass so this uniform may never go on display.

With no car, we are now back to cruising mode though we are not making way. That means backpacks to the local convenience store for stuff and the courtesy bus to the local hardware supply should we need a quirkwheeler to two. Of course, we have the fold bikes not likely to be used by Bear. The afternoon thunderstorms are regular, big and spectacular. We are trying to Zen ourselves into small so that the lightening does not find us.

Tonight, for the first time since starting the cruise, we will be grilling. I know, I know that long time since our last grilling does jeopardize our citizenship as Texans but we will get one in just under the wire. Starting small so as to work our way back into grilling, we will be doing burger meat. Don’t want to take on brisket until we get back in shape. Dang, I am looking forward to firing up old Bessemer and burning some animal. Brisket does not exist in the meat counters of the local grocery stores. Mark, whilst in the Corps at Camp Lejeune intentionally sought out a brisket for the 4th of July a few years back. The butcher immediately asked him if he was from Texas and how to cook the thing. Had only one in the “back” and commented that only Texans ask for them. Seems BBQ here is “pulled pork” or pork ribs. The aforementioned is usually dripping with some sweet foul sauce and is more like a sloppy Joe’s sandwich. I tell you, it jest ain’t right. Besides that, they usually drink it with ultra sweet tea. Dang!

The more we see of this place, the more we recommend it to be on everyone’s bucket list. Don’t come for a day. Come for a week. Bye ya’ll.

CS H.L. Hunley

One of the many fountains along the Cooper river park

Bear suggested I take another museum trip yesterday or wax the boat.  I thought about it for a long millisecond and drove to the warehouse where the CS Hunley is being de-salted.  Said vessel is a Confederate Submarine and has the distinction of being the first submarine to complete an attack successfully on another ship.  The Hunley was discovered a few years back after being on partol for over 135 years.  Her crew was still aboard and the hatches were dogged from the inside, meaning they made no attempt to escape.  The Hunley now resides in a very high tech fresh water tank at the old Charleston Navy Yard.  It will be there for another four years while the hull is cleaned of salt. 

Cooper River front park

The Hunley actually did three patrols and sunk three times.  The first two missions resulted in three deaths.  General Beauregard consented to the third mission after Lt. Dixon asked for another chance to get at the Yankees.  Beauregard approved the mission but told Dixon not to submerge the Hunley.  It was not until the Hunley approached the USS Housatonic and sunk her that he broke out a blue lamp and signaled the shore party that he may have decided to take her down and wait for better currents.  After all, she was powered by seven sailors manning a hand crank and the currents here can reach 5 knots or better.  The thing is that her only lights were candles and her snorkel not long enough to reach the surface at 27 feet.  The only air they had was what was in the four feet diameter tube. 

The crew was recovered and given a full Confederate Military Burial and equivalent of the Medal of Honor.  There were three descendants in attendance at the ceremony.  These Americans showed the highest form of courage, just like the young lions of today. To learn more about the Hunley, just google it.  There is much to the story. 

Inside the larger movie version of the CS Hunley.  Note bench seat to the left and hand crank to the right. 

About the Bear:  we are on track and have an appointment for a very high tech torture session on August 16th.  Until then, we are staying in Charleston where there is much boat work and many museums.  This marina, like several in Georgia and Florida has a courtesy van that will deliver a bi-pedially motivated sailor to places for parts and provisions.  It leaves every hour.  Not bad, huh?  Some marinas have a courtesy car that transient crews can take for an hour to the store or pars  shops.  Guess the attorneys have not found them yet.  Charleston has a trolley bus line that charges $5 for a day pass, so getting around is not a problem. 

The Beneteau 411 owners group has an active bulletin board and one of the long timers is the owner of Pied-a-Mer ( I think hull 157).  I discovered the boat last Wednesday whilst strolling the dock.  After a brief chat, I was invited to join the crew for the Wednesday races followed by an invitation for Bear and I to join them at the Charleston Yacht Club for post race festivities.  The crew I met included a fellow from the Empire of Britain (never can tell the accents) and a fellow from Ireland, I think.  We are looking forward to Wednesday.  It is always good to encounter another 411 to see what modifications have been made.  This boat cruised the Island for three years so I am sure there are things to be learned. 

Being the smallest boat along this dock, we have one small technical problem:  Internet access.  Since the dock is wired quite thoroughly, one should not have problems with signals.  The reason is that the signal is line-of-sight and when one of the "regular" size boats dock, we are shaded by huge walls of fiberglass.  I mean huge walls.  They block the breezes and even without looking windward, we know when they are windward. 

I have inherited the laundry duties which were completed before 0800 this morning.  One wants to hit the "wash house" before the dryers make it unbearable.  All of our laundry is starting to take on the same color since I do not separate the former whites from the other colors.  Many of our towels have been turned into sweat towels and they impart vivid colors to the tidy whities. 

Bear Watch Update

Little sailors being pulled

The ball is rolling for Bear to have the back procedure around August 16 in Tampa.  We are definitely looking forward to getting the checklist fixed and underway.  The procedure will take place over a four day period then we can return to the boat with her status no longer crew but upgraded to honored guest for some time thereafter.  Barring any unforseen complidcations, we can get underway soon thereafter.  She will be free to move about the cabin and cockpit but cannot participate in boat duties.   That's fine with me as long as it meets the objective.

Littler sailors being pulled

Yesterday, I visited Ft. Moultire on Sullivan's Island.  That place (the entire island) has been heavily armed since the Revolution.  One soldier stationed there was none other that Eddie Poe, who had this fixation with a Raven of Nevermore fame.  Seems that just after that posting, he decided to do something else, anything else other than the Army. 

The floatage along this dock is like a who's who of the big boat world.  We were sitting in the breeze yesterday when I looked out to see a huge wall of fibergalss dock between us and the wind.  Methinks it was about 200 feet in length and it took on fuel for several hours. One of the crew spoke to us but we did not offer to help wax the thing.  Their dock lines are bigger than our cleats.  This morning a USCG Cutter, The Chicoa docked for fuel.  They are headed to the Gulf for six weeks to go on station directing traffic at the spill.  They took on 2800 gallons just to "top off".  Very professional and friendly crew.  Then  again who wouldn't be nice if one has two Maw Deuces aboard.  (.50 cal. machine guns).   

I went museum hopping again but aborted the idea due to the heat.  I don't remember summers being this hot except for that senior trip to sunny Southeeast Asia.  One can shower and ruin the whole thing walking  back to the boat.  Hardly pays to do it. 

So, we become locals for a month and that will give Keeln Time time to catch us about when we are ready to go again. 

Charleston Hold

Fort Sumter

What a place! This is an area that the earliest Europeans occupied in the New World so the documented history here starts in the 1600s. This area declared independence from Britain well before old Tom Jefferson and the boys formalized it. The first shot of the Civil War was fired not more than three miles from our dock at Fort Sumter from a Live Oak island some 2000 yards away. Today, Charleston has several distinct sections. The old town is on a peninsula flanked by the Ashley and Cooper rivers (named after Lord Ashley Cooper, a prominent Englishman). I wonder if our roots cross somewhere in which case, perhaps I might have claim to some of the turf here. Yeah, right. Anyway, the sections of town are designated by such phrases as “East of the Cooper” or “West Ashley”.

Charleston from East of the Cooper

It has been incredibly hot here so yesterday Bear decided to stay in the cool and kick me off the boat to visit museums. That I did. First was the Patriot’s Point area where the USS Yorktown carrier and a post WWII submarine are docked. That took all morning wandering around those vessels. As hot as it was outside, it was even hotter below decks. What a grand ship with a magnificent history.

Not a sight one would want a sea

The next place was Fort Sumter, which is accessible only by boat. The trip across the sound took about thirty minutes but was worth the effort. I always made a point of taking out of town visitors to the Alamo. They always said that they thought it would be bigger.

We await the response from the Spine guys so that we can plan our next move. In the meantime, we have stuff to do to the boat and we continue to enjoy being aboard, though the scenery may not change for a bit. I met another 411 owner yesterday. It turns out to be someone with whom I have corresponded on the 411 website. He invited me aboard for the next Wednesday “beer can races”. We exchanged ideas on modifications to our boats.

Bargain slips at low tide

Bear did lasagna and King Ranch Chicken while I was off the boat yesterday so the bill of fare will be off the chart for a few days. It has been a few weeks since we last had home cooked scratch grub. She said she enjoyed doing it.

Off to more history stuff today while Bear cools it aboard. Gee, I wonder if I set the wax out she might get inspired while I am gone? Taking bets here.

Relativity

850 to zero

850 to 1500

This marina has a unique feature, a 1,500 feet long dock.  They call it the Mega Dock and it is the trademark of Charleston City Marina.  We were first docked at 850 meaning 850 feet from the ramp.  Said ramp is not the ramp to shore but the main street to the shore ramp.  Said main street is another 1000 feet to shore.  I asked for and received a closer dock so now we are at 150 plus the 1000 to shore.  One does not want to forget one's keys and make the trip twice.  Now the dock is obviously not meant for 40 footers.  There is a 180 feet rag ship docked at about 850 on the outside that topped off their tanks upon arrival.  The high speed pump has 1500 gallons pumped at the price of $4,358.  Just a top off.  Heck, we topped off and took on a whopping 30 gallons.  Made the marina bottom line for the day. 

Charleston

We left Beaufort at 0900 yesterday and sailed through some of the prettiest ICW we have seen.  It winds through marshes and follows ancient rivers and sounds along which there are few homes.  Those that do exist along the way have some of the longest piers from high ground through the marshes to the edge of the ICW.  We actually did sail some in the open sounds along the way and we encountered some very thin water at five places.  That required some planning to get in the thin water during a rising tide so that if we stuck, we could expect more water to help us out of the situation.  We arrived in Charleston, SC at 1900 hours fully tired and ready to tie up.  Because of the situation with Bear's back, we have decided to hit marinas often.  Charleston will be the interim port for us while we determine if we can get resolution of our situation from the Laser Spine Institute of Tampa, Florida.  That place did some serious magic for a friend and it involves as the name says, Lasers.  It is an out-patient three day program with spectacular results.  Throw in a couple weeks of rest and we might be underway in a month after the procedure.  Until that happens Why Knot is just a floating condo.   So, we do not yet know how long this "mission hold" will be but we must  get-r-done. 

Charleston promises to be a good place to hold and with all the history and this marina, we are confident that we could find no better place.  I have enough museums and related forts to keep the ADD down while Bear heals.  Then again, if the procedure is long off, we might move---or not.  Thing is that if Bear ain't happy, Bligh ain't happy either. 

Will report out on Charleston and the Bear situation.

Practical Tacky

The Water Fest has spooled down on this Sunday afternoon.  There is much to still see here at the waterfront.  For instance: 

Misters and fans on the poop deck. Practical tacky, huh?

There was a tee shirt that has this week's best slogan:

I'd rather be on the boat with a drink on the rocks than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

Finally, here are two shots of the waterfront in Beaufort without the crowds:

Cool Grey Light of Dawn

After the early posting this morning, we awoke to hear some folks just leaving the dock.  These folks know how to party.  Good to have had sleep and not too much of the stuff that will make their day miserable for a while. 

Bear wanted to sleep in and I wanted to see some of the town before it gets too hot.  Camera in hand and a Gatorade in my pocket, I strolled the bluff overlooking the ancient Beaufort River.  Few were out that early so I had the streets to myself.  There are Spanish Moss covered Live Oaks here that are easily six feet across.  We are told that most are in the three century range.  Evidence of such trees far older are around.  The town is built on a bluff about twenty five feet or so above the high tide level.  That means that the houses built thereon have seen and survived centuries of hurricanes and rogue sailors.  Though Savannah is so charming, this place captures the earliest days of this country and before in a smoother way.  The old downtown is straight our of a Norman Rockwell scene.  It is also the place where many movies were made.  GI Jane, The Great Santini, DI and Big Chill to name a few.  Kevin Kosner seems to really like locations here.

Before returing to the boat this morning, I picked the aroma of breakfast from upwind.  Ten blocks later, I found Blackstone's Cafe.  This too is a Rockwell place with folks having breakfast before church and grubby sailors avoiding it.  It is a place to visit whenever in the area.  The festival continues for the next nine days but we will leave tomorrow.  One reason is that the slip fees have doubled for the festival at just under $4 per foot per day.  Get the message?  More later.

Beaufort, SC

Lawn Bowling at the Festival

We spent another day in Hilton Head to change oil and do some other stuff.  From the marina, given Bear's back situation, there was little to do there other than by car.  We chose to do people watching instead.  Yesterday, we sailed (motored) to Beaufort, a short 20 miles north.  The reason to this stop so soon in the day was the fact that virtually all of the cruising guides mark this place as a "must see" along the wayter way.  One guide said that this is perhaps the prettiest of all along the ICW.  Can't pass that one up. 

It so happened that Beaufort is celebrating a 55 year festival called, are you ready for this?, the Water Festival.  The entire waterfront of this old city is covered with trade days type vendor tents selling everyting from stuffed lobster to really weird tee shirts.  Next door is a pavillion that housed exhibits from West Marine, the US Army and other corporate stuff.  Beyond that is a huge stage for concerts in the evenings during the 10 day event. 

I spoke to one of the Army recruiters who said that being as close to Parris Island, the place that changes young person's lives forever, they found a target rich environment to recruit Marines.  Kinda makes your heart flutter a bit, huh?

The waterfront yesterday was really active with all types of skiing exibitions and more to the point, many boats of all kinds.  Methinks it is not like this all year round.  In the middle of it all were two regattas of Sunfish and scows.  Add the visitors such as we and it is a sort of Renaissance Fair sailing style. 

We are now getting far enough that folks strolling the docks will ask if we are really from Texas after seeing the hailing port on our stern.  We get a kick when we confirm that we sailed from Port A and have been underway for six months.  The next question usually is "Where you going?".   The look we get next is funny when we say we don't know.  We have no schedule, destination or plan.  That usually gets an approving nod.  We consider this to be the ultimate dream the length of which is unknown but for now it continues. 

By now, we have a few thousand miles under the keel and although most of it has been in shore, we think they have been more challenging than offshore.  Sand bars, mis marked channels and other wierdos such as we make the ditch interesting.  The lack of a plan or a monster storm chasing us has made the offshore needs somewhat give way to the desire to see the coast. 

We met a Coast Guard crew at the fuel dock in Hilton Head and saw them today in Beaufort, same crew.  They crew one of those orange inflatable looking high speed boats about 30 feet in length.  When we met them, they had only 8 gallons of fuel left and were buying gas at the civilian dock.  They had been, as they said "chasing shadows" all day in the Atlantic at 30 knots.  Said it was a 12 hour day taking a beating.  Seems that that boat has seats designed to absorb most of the beating.  They were just replaced with new but worse seats, so the crew was ragged.  One offered to sail with us. I asked him if he could cook to which he replied "sure".  I think he was getting out soon. 

It is 0230 as I write this.  The party is not done yet.  There are still some on the dock in the party mood.  Not us. We hit the rack at sunset as usual. The huge tidal swing here makes the boat sound as though it is underway even tied at the dock.  Nine feet tidal range in a narrow channel makes for the need to place the helm in steering angles to minimize the dock bang.   How's that for not being off duty. 

Parris Island Marine Training Facility where lives are forever changed.

More later fellow scurvs.  My lights are flickering and I think I will mosey back to the rack.  Sleep well all.

Hilton Head South Carolina

We spent the night last evening at anchor in the middle of northern Georgia.  It was an uneventful evening and we slept well.  We think that we are now in the middle of bug world.  Today, we spent the day underway smacking biteing flies.  After about four hours with a fly swatter, it was aparent that the body count was mounting but we were losing.  They are capable of getting their way quickly and they leave an itching spot for about thirty minutes.  So, the war was on.  I started to just kick the bodies into the scupper with the thought of flushing them out later.  After about 10 pounds of them, it was a simple case of just ignoring all but the biters.  

The area around the Savannah River is beautiful, yet the river, touted in the guides as a busy place is a non-happening place compared to the CC Ship Channel.  We crossed the river and into South Carolina about noon.  There was a distinct difference in that there are fewer homes along the waterway.  The area is like savannahs with the marsh grass for miles.  Our destination was Hilton Head and we made it around 1500 hours.  We are now docked next to the ICW and even as late as 2000 there are still boats in transit.  We are told that during the migration in the fall, boats are not only more plentiful but
dock space is hard to find.  Not so on the summer trek north.  The tides continue to amaze us.  At this dock, it is almost 9 feet from low to high. 

This morning, we found a stowaway, a crab.  Yummy is a cutie and is only about 1 inch across.  He has chosen to hide in the anchor locker and eludes me at every attempt to throw his butt off the boat.  When we are in the cockpit, he roams the foredeck at will.  Most likely we will stay here just tonight and tomorrow since we want to get to Beaufort soon. Our long stop for history purposes is Charleston. 

Tonight, we are hooked to shore power and will cool the boat to the max.  Tomorrow is boat maintenance and virtually no site seeing.

Good byes, thunderstorms and a long day

We really looked forward to cruising with Keeln Time but that is not to be.  They have family duty for most of August thus left their boat at Jekyll Island as we sailed away.  It was a moment like leaving family on shore.  We really enjoy time with them.

The goal for today was to get north as far as possible but we had to leave at a rising tide, meaning after 0830.  So, we decided to go as long in the day as possible then drop the hook somewhere just as our energy died.  We are now anchored at the mouth of Kilkenny Creek, Georgia having decided to stay on the hook.  All afternoon we crossed several outlets to sea thus we faced tides opposed and with us at various times today.  At one time we saw over 10 mph then not more than ten minutes later 5 mph when we turned into the ebb tide.  Just before we dropped the hook, we went through a blinding thunderstorm.  The amazing thing is that we are in the marsh land in the boonies and can still get three bars on the air card.  We are bushed (no offense to W) and it has been a 71 mile day.  Tomorrow we hit Hilton Head and then Charleston.  We will sail passed Ft. Sumpter.  Having had dinner, we are now ready to rest for the day.

More on Jekyll Island

Bear and the crew of Keeln Time (that's right I misspelled it for a long time) and I took a tour of this place.  It has a great history and it was a place that the club members owned one sixth of the world's wealth during the time.   The Jekyll Club was most exclusive and it included Goodyear's, Cranes, Rockefeller's, Morgans, and Vanderbilt's.  It was developed to allow the super rich to go fishing and clubbing out of the sight of the common man.  The cottages were intentionally built to downplay the opulence of their lifestyles and served as a three month escape from the city life.

A typical cottage on the island

It is a grand place which tells of the time when there was a true aristocrat class in this country.  The place had only a few members and it was patrolled by armed horsemen with orders to shoot to kill.  Only accessible by boat, it was easy to control.  If one landed in a location other than the formal dock, one was shot.  Simple huh?

We had a chance to eat soul food for Texans today.  We had, for the first time in five months, chicken fried steak.  It was done perfectly. Now we are re-calibrated.  Felt good, dang good.  We can go on.

Tomorrow, we sail for St. Simons Sound and for we will be out of Georgia the day after.   Bear's back is serviceable and we will continue until she hollars "calf rope".  The folks in Georgia are more our style than Floridians.  There seems to be no pretensions here.  What you see is pretty much what you get.  We are looking forward to the Carolinas since this boat was a product of Marion SC and once, several years ago, I stood at the swing bridge at Onslo Beach (Camp Lejeune) and said that someday, we would sail through that opening.  Soon, very soon, we will do just that.

The Chesapeake is now withing range.  If I do not manage to  mess up, we will be in that place soon also.  We have a goal to sail past two places: Fort Sumter and Fort Mc Henery.  Not sure if I got the spelling right.  Stay with us as we try not to make artificial reefs.

Wind, Tides and Thunderstorms

 Along side looking at the Jekyll Creek south entrance

Due to shallow water through the Jekyll Island, GA area, we decided last night to go offshore all the way to Charleston, SC.  This morning we were under motivated to do a 154 nautical mile passage in the heat particularly due to the fact that the winds are forecast from the right direction but at speeds of 10 knots or less.  The heat index is forecast to be at least 108 degrees thus we decided to do a short sail to Jekyll Island then wait for high tide to transit the Jekyll Creek on high tide.  That short stretch from Jekyll Sound to St. Simons Sound is only about four miles long but it has not been dredged for some time due to lack of funding.  It is one of the places in Georgia that is "thin".  Nevertheless, we wanted to see some of Georgia in shore and decided on the short day. 

 The marina office, restaurant, pool and even a ship yard are all behind that hedge row.

In transit today, we passed the Sub Base, Fort Clinch and Cumberland Island.  The latter was owned exclusively by the Carnegie family but was given or sold to Georgia with the proviso that any family members, en perpetuity, could live on the island.  One such decedent does live on a boat in Fernandina.  Wild horses roam freely on the island. 

Jekyll Island is equally historical since it was the exclusive playground of such tycoons as the Morgans, Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts.  Is was the site for a secret meeting in 1908 for the meeting that developed the modern monetary system that led to the Federal Reserve System.  The private ownership declined in the Great Depression and during WWII.  The State of Georgia purchased the island in 1947 and started restoration of the mansions of the previous owners.  Many movies were filmed on the island including "Glory" and "The Legend of Bagger Vance".  The first transcontinental telephone call took place here between Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Watson and President Woodrow Wilson.  We might just take the tram tour of the restored houses. 

It is just past 1500 hours and the thunderstorms (biguns) are stacking up to the west.  Good to be tied up.  Bear made it the whole way today without too much pain and lots of sleeping in the cockpit.  She said she was up to 75% of full capacity.  We will take that and make the most of it.  At least she is smiling. 

So Many Forts

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Time is flying and we cannot believe that it is approaching mid July. The events of the past few months are a blur and we have trouble keeping which port at which date in proper order. It is a good thing we are keeping a log of our cruise. Several times daily, some place or someone comes to mind for which we discuss when it was or where we were. We are now 716.5 statute miles from the zero marker on the ICW in Norfolk, Va. This is right at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, our destination unless weather allows us more northern ports.

From this place north, things get more congested boat wise. This is mostly due to commercial and military traffic. Sub and surface Naval activity seems to occur every few miles or so from here north. The ICW gets narrower in spots and shallower in others. Tides will play more of a roll in the planning. Just yesterday in this marina, the tides were almost 8 feet. We depart tomorrow and the tides will be plus 7 at 0900. Guess that is a good shove off time since at low tide we are sitting in the mud at this slip.

We have enjoyed this place with much history within walking distance. The dock master and his staff are very professional and helpful. Being at the inlet to sea, we have seen some really interesting boats of all kinds, we have seen no submarines to date. My guess is that they might depart or return in the middle of the night (something about those pesky satellites).

Amelia Island is the place where a Third System Fort was built in the 1840’s, Fort Clinch named after General Duncan Lamont Clinch of the Second Siminole War. It is the most preserved one we have seen thus far. It actually has a supply room with supplies, barracks with beds and even living history troops. They actually do reenactments here on certain holidays. The fort was never completed but was occupied by Union Soldiers during the Northern War of Aggression as well as several Confederate Infantry regiments. Like all Third System Forts built of brick and stone, the invention of the rifled barrel cannon with heavier shot and greater accuracy spelled an end to this technology. Nevertheless, it was occupied off and on thru 1945 with elements of the Army, Navy and Coast Guard keeping spies out of these waters. Now comes the dilemma; if we are to get north, given the number of forts from here to the Chesapeake, I will have to skip a few lest we get nowhere. Dang, so many forts------.

Mooring Field at Fernandina Beach

Bear terms her readiness at 75 to 80% which is not great but she is ready to get underway again. We know that to get back to 100%, more drastic measures will be required should she choose to play rugby again. Then again, has there ever been a crew that hit on all cylinders?

Keeling Time left for Jekyll Island where they will leave their boat for about six weeks. We will catch them again on Monday and sail past. Methinks we may not see them again until the Chesapeake.

Last stop in Florida

A Junk

One thing that influenced our decision to stay in this marina for a week was the plan to get Bear's back fixed or substantially resolved.  We will have to settle for the latter since no amount of non surgical therapy can fix two ruptured disks and some other related issues.  The stop for the past few days with attendant clinic visits has given her substantial relief.  We now know how to prevent further deterioration non-surgically.  The pain is now mostly dull and manageable and it is her decision to continue the cruise north.  As plan B, we know of a place to receive fairly quick minimally invasive laser solutions to the problem should they flare up again.  So, we leave this place Monday morning on the tide.

Bear decided today that it was the last day of treatments and she will not be going in tomorrow.  We have the rental car for another day and two more days at this marina (paid in advance and non-refundable).  Tomorrow we take to the road and scout out marinas to the north.  Then there is the Fort Clinch here in Ferdandina that is a must see for the Capt. 

Fernandina Beach Harbor Marina, A crossroad of the world

We have gotten questions about the cruise at this point.  The bottom line is that we have thoroughly enjoyed it with the obvious exceptions.  It has exceeded our expectations and we have met some wonderful and entertaining folks along the way.  Heck, at times they were both.  As we sail past the Atlantic inlets, we see boats from everywhere on the globe.  One hears languages from everywhere in the local eateries and bars.   This place, being a port of entry, has one of the friendliest Customs and Border Protection offices we have enountered.  Usually, those guys are humorless.  In one stop lasting fifteen minutes we applied for and received our "Local Boater's Card".  It is a way to cut through the re-entry red tape without having to actually visit the CBP office.

We, as we have said, will continue this cruise until we cannot.  So far, so good.

Fernandina Beach, Florida

Jacksonville Beach to Fernandina Beach


We decided to move closer to the Georgia line on our unplanned and unscheduled cruise up the Atlantic Coast. The voyage was a short one but there were some anxious moments. For one thing, the cruised guides are loaded with warnings of blind spots, huge tides and currents and fast commercial traffic on the St. Johns River near Jacksonville. When we approached the intersection of the ICW and the SJR, we noticed the tides/current predictions were on target. We had to cross and go upstream to the Sisters Creek bridge at the opening of the ICW to the north. The current was just under three knots opposing but fortunately, there were no ships in sight. The southern approach to the river is lined with many buoys marking various channels and can be somewhat confusing. It would be really tough without a chart plotter in low visibility. If one misses the channel, there are really big rocks to help one toward a shipyard and a new bottom.

The rest of the short sail to Fernandina was spectacular, and we enjoyed a cool, dry morning underway. In fact, it was cooler here yesterday than in New York. Just a small respite from the muggy summer Florida coastline was quite a surprise. So far, we have been also amazed at the lack of bugs along the way. In the areas of Texas with salt grass marshes, bugs develop stealth, aggressive tactics. Not so here so far. We are told that they are waiting just north of the Florida/Georgia line.

We arrived at Fernandina Harbor Marina around 1300 and were met at the slip by three dock crew to catch our lines. I wonder if we showed up in some database as one boat needing that many folks to protect the dock. This is a wonderful, historical place built on the just inside St. Mary’s Inlet on the Cumberland Sound on the Amelia River. We think those names really sing. This is the inlet from sea for the boomers of Kings Bay. Accordingly, the channels from here through the Sound are deep and have respectable currents. By that I mean the currents must be respected. Look down at the charts for an instant too long and the current and eddies will challenge your skills. Docking in two knots astern, with fifteen knot side wind and a downwind slip and you get one chance to get it right. Ah, that is why they had three catchers on the dock. Our ground tackle (anchors) lined up perfectly with the power pylon on the dock. A miss and there would be sparks.

Bear takes more treatments in Jacksonville tomorrow through Friday so we will have time to see (you guessed it) the local fort: Fort Clinch. There are several museums here in town and if I can get Bear warmed up enough, we will visit them all- or not.

Short on signal bars so I will post pics later.

This Weekend

Three hundred and four years and hopefully still counting for this grand experiment.  Some of us believe the Republic is in dire danger and heading for an early demise but for this weekend, Bear and I plan to celebrate the birthday.  This marina is very quiet and with the exception of our music and the noise of our flags, there is not much going on here.  St. Augustine is throwing one grand party this weekend at the fort with real cannons to boot.  The most memorable 4th we ever spent was sitting on the parade deck at Camp Lejeune with Mark, Amy, Grant, Madison and Ethan at sunset.  Our Marine and a few thousand other Marines were treated to a very lively fireworks show along with the 1812 Overture and real howitzers.  It was spectacular and very much an honor to be at that place with all those Devil Dogs.   It would be very hard to top that.

Bear's treatments are working and we plan to leave this place on Monday for points north.  We learned a very important thing about the back and the aging process:  use it or it will attack you.  Movement through the range of motion as often as possible will keep the discs happy and actually help heal them to some degree.   Wait too long and it gets ugly.

Spells "Liberty"

Have a very happy weekend and remember that it is sponsored by the boys and girls of the US Military through their generous contributions for the past three hundred years.

Thoughts About the Cruise

With the exception of the few weeks in the yard in New Orleans, Why Knot has been underway since the end of January.  The cold and rain of the first few months has now given way to the southern heat and hurricane season.  We will take some time to cover the next few legs of our cruise north due to the medical issue we face but we will still be moving. 

We know the feeling and the required executions of getting ready for a hurricane yet this time it aimed at Texas, we were not part of the preparations.  We were part of the emotional aspect of it since our Texas friends were in the cross hairs.  Even the ex patriots of Rima were in the path.  As I have said before, those not in the path pay little attention to the oncoming storm.  For the boaters in this area, little was said and things were normal but they know (as we do) that our turn will come a bit later in the season.  I really hate hurricane season wherever they go.  

Our friends aboard Keeling Time are underway again after extensive lightening damage.  They spent two weeks or so in Fort Pierce.  It is a quaint place and can entertain one for a few days.  Two weeks stretches the patience to get underway again.  They are now headed this direction and will soon catch up with us.  Glad that is so. 

Our cruise has turned into a hybrid of a sort because we are tied to Jacksonville for the next few weeks.  That tends to leave one with a similar feeling of being on a sort of leash.  Until we can complete the treatments, we will be chewing on that leash.  Until then, we will be sightseeing in the surrounding area.  There is much to see and we are glad to be where we are ---- for now.