Rocking and Rolling

As I wrote the other day, Bill and I decided to stay in Charleston for a few extra days since the weather didn't look so good. Today, like yesterday, it has rained all day. Around 6:00 am we woke up to big "bangs" against the hull --- waves crashing against the swim platform. There is a fairly strong current in Charleston Harbor. Since we are on the outside (the Charleston Harbor side) of the 1000 yards of T dock at Charleston City Marina and the strong winds and current were occurring in the opposite direction, the water became very, very choppy and basically ricocheted off the stern of the boat. After the current / tide and wind settled down a bit, we went to a local sports bar to watch the Redskins vs. the Giants game at 1:00. When we got back around 4:30, the wind started to pick up again. Right now we are watching the Patriots vs. Steelers game and we are again rocking and rolling in the slip. We just saw 28 knots directly off our port beam. So we are enjoying a cozy night inside down below, albeit heeled over in the slip.

It has been a nice luxury to have a rental car. We did some exploring outside of the downtown area and it has made food shopping etc. easier. Yesterday I took the car and explored the waterfront on the Cooper River side of Charleston. I had every intention on going to the Aquarium but ultimately decided not to go. It was a rainy Saturday and the lines to the Aquarium were long and complete with big families with strollers and lots of unhappy kids. So, I walked around the waterfront but opted out of the aquarium. I did get some Christmas shopping done though. And Charleston is a great city for Christmas shopping!

Last night Bill and I put on a little Christmas music (the Oklahoma game was on, just muted) and wrapped presents. I managed to find an all Christmas music station on the radio. The Constantino Christmas is simplified this year as we have switched to a grab. Bill and I are trying to get our gifts off early since they will have to be shipped to Weymouth. We will put up the tree once we are settled somewhere. Bill also got some garland to decorate, which we might put up tonight. Things are feeling festive (and rolly) on the sv Mary Elizabeth.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Folly Beach and Isle of Palms - Charleston, SC

Bill and I had a fabulous Thanksgiving. We had a traditional turkey, stuffing, veggies, mashed potatoes, biscuits, etc. dinner at Poogan's Porch, which was great. We had dinner at 3:30, which we thought would be a quiet time; it wasn't. Poogan's Porch is a popular place. Thanks Mary Alice for the recommendation. We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving as well.

After fixing the aft sump in the head, today we rented a car and did some exploring outside of the downtown area. We went to Folly Beach and to Isle of Palms after doing some errands (Harris Teeter and West Marine). Both beaches were beautiful and we were surprised at how many people were enjoying the beach with their families and dogs. The morning and afternoon were sunny and warm. The clouds have rolled in now and the wind is picking up. We are going to stay in Charleston until Monday since the weekend is supposed to be rainy and cold. With Bill still not feeling 100%, we don't want to be in the rain for our trip to Beaufort, SC which is our next destination.

When we got back to the marina a mini cruise ship was docked behind us. The bow of the America Spirit looks massive off our stern.

Another exciting thing we did today was get a small fake 3' Christmas tree (complete with lights) and mini decorations. We are going to wait a bit to put it up but I am glad that we are going to be able to bring Christmas to the sv Mary Elizabeth this year since we aren't going to Boston or Florida.

To see a million pictures of Charleston, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family. We hope that everyone has a relaxing enjoyable day!

Bill and I have plans to go to Poogan's Porch (as recommended by Mary Alice) this afternoon for a traditional "southern" Thanksgiving meal. It is a beautiful day here; warm and sunny.

Happy turkey day!

Charleston, SC

Charleston is a fabulous place. We have mostly been taking it easy since Bill is still suffering from a bad cold. Today we took the marina courtesy shuttle downtown and walked around. What a beautiful city. Here are some pictures of the churches, parks, fountains, streets lined with more shops and restaurants than you can imagine. More later.....

Charleston, SC

We arrived in Charleston, SC yesterday afternoon. We are on the outside T dock behind a 100+ HUGE motor yacht. We are staying at the Charleston City Marina, which is on the Ashley River. We didn't do much more than check in at the marina office since Bill is really under the weather. He has an awful cough and being in the cold just hasn't helped. Most of the sailboats that we have seen have an enclosed cockpit meaning that they have canvas all around the cockpit to protect from the wind and cold. While we have been wearing two or three sweatshirts, hats, scarves, gloves, foul weather gear, we have motored past others in jeans and a t-shirt since they are "inside." I have always loved the fact that we don't have canvas around the cockpit because I love the sun and wind and heat. But these few weeks have made us both start to think....

There are two Selenes on the dock (the 48 we have seen along the way and a 43). They are such beautiful boats! We did meet another guy on an IP485 who is a few boats down in the marina. He has been here in Charleston for a few weeks working on teak. His final destination is also the Bahamas. We have found that most of the people we have met are either cruising to Florida or to the Bahamas. Bill and I will take off for the Exumas after the New Year. Looking forward to it!

So Charleston looks like it is going to be a lot of fun once Bill is feeling better. The marina has a courtesy shuttle that goes downtown if we don't want to walk the mile and a half or so (as well as to West Marina - score!) The harbor is beautiful, although yesterday once we went under the Ben Sawyer Swing bridge and into the harbor we had 30 knots of wind on the nose and there were whitecaps on the water.

The marina was also nice enough to accept our mail. I received my wallet (which I left in Norfolk and was forwarded by Tidewater Marina [complete with the cash that was in it and everything]), tons of magazines, cookies from my grandmother, Thanksgiving cards, etc. I love getting our mail! I also got a copy of the latest issue of Living Aboard Magazine. Earlier this summer I submitted an article about blogging while cruising (what else?!) and it was published - complete with pictures of Bill and me and sv Mary Elizabeth. I even got paid. Ha! Living Aboard used to be available at Barnes and Noble and West Marine for non-subscribers, although I am not sure if it still is. When the Living Aboard Magazine website is updated with the Nov/Dec issue, I'll post a link to the article.

So that's really all that's going on. We are looking forward to staying put for a few days and giving Mary Elizabeth a rest. She has been so good to us.

Georgetown, SC

Bill and I left Myrtle Beach around 8:00 (our standard time), had a little coffee, checked email, and settled in for our continued voyage on ICW. We passed under 7 bridges, 5 of which were 65 feet fixed, in the 50 or statute miles between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown.

Myrtle Beach to Georgetown was my favority part of the trip so far. The Waccamaw River was beautiful. It winded back and forth through trees, marshes, reeds - beautiful. Although parts of the river were lined with homes, most of the Waccamaw was purely scenic. I took the helm for a bit and gave Bill a (short) rest from steering. The waters today were deep although we did see lots of logs etc. floating in the water.

We arrived in Georgetown around 3:00 and docked for the night at Harborwalk Marina. Again, we ran into several of the same boats on a similar schedule. It is just too cold to anchor and be without heat (for us anyway; we did see some boats on the hook)

After settling in, filling the water tanks, and spraying off the boat Bill and I explored a little of Georgetown, which is another sleepy little place. Walked the boardwalk with shops and restaurants; the Rice Museum was already closed. We stopped and had a drink before heading back to the boat for a spaghetti dinner and some TV. Bill is not feeling well and we called it an early night.

For more pictures of our trip from Myrtle Beach to Georgetown, SC Click Here.

This morning we woke up around 6:00 and waited for the sun to rise before leaving Georgetown. It is the coldest day on the water yet and poor Bill is sick and miserable. The 20 knots of wind makes things feel even colder.

Right now we are at mile 445. We have about 25 more miles to go until we reach Charleston, SC where we will stay put for a week. Both Bill and I are really looking forward to exploring since everyone says that Charleston is a great city. We are disappointed that we won't be able to meet up with Carol and Bill (who live in Charleston) since they will be in MD winterizing sv Rigel. We do have several restaurant recommendations for a Thanksgiving meal.

Myrtle Beach, SC

The trip from Southport, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC was about 65 statute miles. Today was one of the more exciting routes for Bill to navigate because of tides, currents, bridges under construction (which closes the ICW for four hours a day), etc.

Around mile 321 we went through the Lockwoods Folly inlet. We had read in our cruising guide and online on cruisers net and the USCG site that this area was very shallow and subject to severe shoaling. We were in communication with a boat in front of us that had a larger draft. Bill slowed down and we followed the channel in their wake 300 yards or so behind. They went through no problem and reported seeing no less than 7 feet. We weren't so lucky. Right after we passed the mouth of the inlet we hit and went firmly aground -- so hard that the boat was actually listing. We must have been on some sort of mound or something. It was frustrating because we would get off the bottom and have some movement only to run aground again. It was difficult to know which way to try to move the boat. A few other sailboats went by and reported the depths that they had seen so Bill decided to try to get Mary Elizabeth off the bottom and head in that direction. We were aground for about 1/2 an hour before Bill was able to successfully rev the engine and use the bow thruster to knock us off, put the boat in reverse to "trace our steps" and get further to port into the channel. Whew. The old saying goes..... there are those who have run aground, those who will, and those who lie about it.

The rest of the day was just as interesting since the Shallotte Inlet at mile 325 had not been dredged in several years, severe shoaling, shallow depths and many groundings were reported here as well. We got through Shallottes ok and continued on. Around mile 343 we passed into South Carolina.

Bill and I stayed at the Barefoot Yacht Club in Myrtle Beach, which is about half way through the Pine Island cut. After straightening up the boat, we walked over the Barefoot Swing Bridge to Barefoot Landing - a "complex" of shops and restaurants (which was deserted except for a handful of cruisers.) We chatted with a few fellow boaters while picking up some takeout at one of the restaurants before heading back over the bridge to the boat. Myrtle Beach definitely seems like a great place to vacation in the summer; beaches, shops, restaurants, 120 golf courses!

Today was even colder than yesterday, but the winds weren't as strong and there was a little sunshine. Brrrrr...... Unfortunately Bill has come down with a cough.

For more pictures of our trip to Myrtle Beach, SC Click Here

Southport,NC

We left a very chilly Surf City in order to make the 8:00 bridge opening. Today we only saw a few boats on the ICW, one of which was a beautiful Selene 48. Since there were a series of timed bridges today, Bill pushed it up to after the Surf City bridge so we could make it for the Figure 8 bridge 18 miles ahead at the top of the hour. The next bridge at mile marker 283 only opens on the hour also, so we slowed way down to go the next five miles. It all worked out perfectly. We were glad because an extra hour on the water waiting for bridges would have been cold.

Today we had literally every warm piece of clothing on that we could find. I sat in the companionway up by the dodger for most of the day. Bill used the remote auto pilot and did the same to try to get out of the wind.

When we went through Snows Cut and entered the Cape Fear River, the waves and wind picked up a bit. And we actually saw a few snow flurries. WHAT? Yesterday we saw dolphins.... today snow. The water is starting to get a little bluer/greener near the inlets to the Atlantic, however.

We stayed at Southport Marina, which was a great facility. The marina staff was very helpful, the floating docks all new.

Since we got to Southport fairly early in the afternoon, we walked downtown and explored a little. Southport has a great little waterfront with lots of shops and restaurants. We decided to et take out Thai and cozied up on the boat in front of the TV.

For more pictures of our trip via the ICW to Southport, NC Click Here

Surf City, NC

We decided to stay in Beaufort another day and finally left this morning (Monday). As we left Beaufort we had the current with us and saw 9.6 knots at one point. As we entered the Bogue Sound the current wasn't as much of a factor and we motored at our standard 7 knots. We followed the Bogue Sound for about 25 miles and then entered New River. At about mile 235, we passed through Camp Lejeune, which is a Marine Military reservation. Bill and I were lucky since not long after we passed through Camp Lejeune we heard via the VHF that they were closing mile 235-248 of the ICW from 1:00 to 5:00 for amphibious training.

At mile 240 we approached the Onslow Swing Bridge, which opens every half hour. Unfortunately we arrived at the bridge at 12:32 and had to wait until the 1:00 opening. Not really a big deal but we were both cursing under our breath since we were literally 20 yards from the last boat that was able to make it through. But we do understand and respect that they have a strict schedule to adhere to ... so we had lunch while we floated for a half hour until the next opening.

Today was a day when we didn't really know where we would end up for the night. If everything worked in our favor and we could time the bridges right we might have made it to Wrightsville Beach. But because of the delay at Onslow and the timing of the other bridges (the Surf City Swing Bridge only opens on the hour and that would have put us at mile 270 or so [the next stopping point] after dark) we decided to stop at Surf City. We arrived at Beach House Marina in Surf City around 4:00. We cooked dinner on board and played a little scrabble. Tomorrow we will leave in time to make the Surf City Swing Bridge at 8:00 am.

We passed under three fixed 65 foot bridges today and again the wind vane hit. Nothing else has fallen from the mast. Each time we go under a fixed bridge we hold our breath.

Two VERY cool things about our cruise today were 1) the many dolphins that we saw (one played in our wake about 3 feet from the boat), and 2) the three different V-22 Ospreys that flew overhead -- one of which flew directly over the mast of Mary Elizabeth. The V-22 is a mix between an airplane and a helicopter and Bill was more than excited because he had never seen one in person before.

For more pictures of trip to Surf City Click Here

Beaufort, NC

We are still in Beaufort, although we do plan on leaving tomorrow. Today there was a tornado warning in effect for most of the afternoon; glad we decided to stay put a few more days. Yesterday in between raindrops we took a cab to the closest movie theater, which is in Moorehead City. Bill was very excited to see the latest 007 James Bond movie, which we both gave two thumbs up. Last night we made a few friends at the marina bar and hung out. The marina is pretty much full at the moment. Everyone is holed up waiting for a weather window in order to get to their next destinations.

Weather

Beaufort is a great place. A little sleepy and quiet, but lovely. The marina is adjacent to the "main drag" so we have been able to walk everywhere. On Tuesday we visited the North Carolina Maritime Museum after we had a nice lunch on the water. We also walked around town and saw lots of the historic homes (from the outside). Like everywhere, there are a ton of homes for sale - it seemed like every other home (historic or not) had a sign out front. Bill and I popped in and out of some of the shops before heading back to the boat.

On Wednesday we did errands. There is a great laundromat right across the street so I was able to do three loads of laundry at once. We also borrowed the marina courtesy car and went food shopping and to CVS. Wednesday night we had steak and salad on board and watched TV. We have been having early nights lately. 6:00 feels like it is 11:00 for some reason....

So, Thursday (today) is the day that Tommy was supposed to fly into New Bern from Boston to help Bill and me take Mary Elizabeth on the outside straight from Beaufort to Charleston. However, earlier this week, after repeatedly checking the weather forecasts and talking to Cap' Dave, Bill decided that the timing just wouldn't work and we will continue south via the ICW and skip the Atlantic Ocean (for now). The winds were predicted to be a little too strong (20-25), and the waves just a little too high (5-7 ft) at small interval (every 7 seconds). It would have made for a less than ideal trip. And we really are in no rush. Our only goal is to be in Boca around the third week in December. Why push it. We are disappointed that we will not see Tommy (and thank him even though things didn't work out), but I am glad that Bill decided to continue our journey via the ICW - I am enjoying it!

So we had plans to leave early on Thursday morning and try to make it to Wrightsville Beach, NC (which would have been a fairly long day for us) via the ICW. We knew going to bed on Wednesday that it might be a "no go" since the weather was supposed to be bad, although we decided if it was only rain we would suck it up and go. Early Thursday morning when we woke up the radar showed an awful lot of rain and thunderstorms heading our way. We agreed to stay put in Beaufort for another day. The weather for Friday and Saturday is not supposed to be much better, so we'll take it day by day.

We have pretty much spent the entire day below since it has rained hard all day -- so hard that we couldn't see past the entrance to the inlet. And at least one boat on anchor was dragging. the big excitement for the day has been a large (10+) pod of dolphins apparently feeding on something in the harbor. They have been around all day swimming and playing. When it hasn't been pouring, we have sat topside to watch them and have been thoroughly entertained.

Beaufort, NC

Happy Veterans Day everyone.

Bill and I left Belhaven with every intention on stopping at Oriental, NC for the night. However, once we were underway we decided to push on and go all the way to Beaufort instead. It was only another two and a half hours or so, and we arrived at the Beaufort Docks around 5:00.

After we got a pump out, Bill did a fantastic job docking the boat (stern to) while fighting a current. The marina is 100% transient and is parallel to Main Street, where all the shops and restaurants are.

I have really been enjoying our trip via the ICW. It is picturesque; tree lined canals and marshes. Today we saw two dolphins. There is some boat traffic, but it is mostly others heading south. We have been fortunate to have such great weather and marine conditions.
We are going to stay in Beaufort until Friday. Today we are going to explore Main Street after Bill checks the strainers and engine / generator oils. Tommy should fly into New Bern (about 1/2 an hour away) on Thursday afternoon and we'll take off for Charleston in the morning. We are keeping an eye on the off shore weather, though. As of right now conditions are not supposed to be good.

For more pictures of our trip from Belhaven to Beaufort, NC Click Here.

Belhaven, NC

We left the Alligator River at statute mile 84 of the ICW about 8:00 and continued our trek south. Periodically throughout the trip we have spotted ICW mile markers. Today we saw several.

We have been using Dozier's Waterway Guide in addition to paper charts and the electronic GPS. Doziers warned of several reported trees / logs in the water. And sure enough We hit a log (or something) this morning. There was no damage and sv Mary Elizabeth continued on. It was just a strange sound.

Today was also a test since we had to pass under the Wilkerson Bridge at mile 125.9. The Wilkerson Bridge has a 64-foot fixed clearance -- a foot less than any other bridge in the ICW. Bill motored sv Mary Elizabeth under the bridge at less than 2 knots; if we were going to hit, we wouldn't hit hard. And we did hit. Not the mast, but the wind vane and lightning grounder at the top of the mast. Something came flying down, hit the dodger and then crashed on the deck. When all was said and done (and our hearts returned to a normal heartbeat) we realized that it was only the metal piece sticking off the wind vane that keeps away birds. Whew....

So, it was an interesting day -- to say the least. We pulled into Belhaven, NC around 2:00 or so. The marina is small and cute. No cable, but they do have a movie "lending library" (which we took advantage of).

For more pictures of the trip to Belhaven, Click Here.

Alligator River

Coinjock was fun. Last night we went to dinner and had the famous prime rib. The marina was pretty busy since everyone seems to be on the same schedule. We met a bunch of nice folks.

This morning we had a very short trip from Coinjock, NC into the Alligator River. We are staying at Alligator River Marina; a sleepy little place. The weather started nice this morning and got darker as the day went on. For the most part, though, we had a comfortable, scenic trip in the ICW.

Dinner and a movie are on the agenda for tonight.

Tomorrow we are going to be in Belhaven, NC.

For more pictures of trip down the ICW to Alligator River, Click Here

ICW

Bill and I had a very low key four days in Norfolk. It rained and was very windy (sustained wind of 25, gusts 30-35 knots) the whole time. We pretty much just stayed in; we watched a lot of movies, did laundry, and went food shopping. I am sorry to say that we did no exploring outside of the marina. It was just too miserable outside!

This morning we left Norfolk and entered the Intracoastal Waterway. Since the recent weather has delayed several other cruisers making their way south, Bill and I have found ourselves in a fleet of about 25 boats all heading south via the ICW. Sv Mary Elizabeth was in the middle of the pack waiting for the first bridge opening at 8:30. It has been interesting traveling with so many other boats on the same schedule.

So far today (and we are only at mile 18) we have gone under 12 bridges (most of which we have had to wait for, which has been interesting with so many boats trying to go through / wait at once). Two of the bridges were 65 foot fixed bridges, which we went under while holding our breath. ME's mast is 63 feet. We also went through one lock (see pic above) which was pretty much uneventful.

Our destination tonight is Coinjock, NC, which is at mile 50 on the ICW.

We should make it to Beufort, NC by Wednesday. Tommy Murdock, our friend from Quincy, is going to fly into New Bern, NC and help us take the boat on the outside from Beufort straight to Charleston, SC. We are very happy that Tommy is able to help us out, since the trip will require an overnight passage (it is about 30 hours) and I do not feel comfortable doing a watch by myself.

We have seen about a dozen F-18s fly overhead in the past few minutes. There must be some training ground or auxiliary field around here. It is strange; it is very desolate and quiet -- except for the roar of the fighters overhead.

The other "news" is that yesterday I threw my wallet away. Anyone who knows me knows that I lose my wallet about once a week. This time I really lost it. Yesterday after I went food shopping I put my wallet in one of the bags, which Bill unpacked and threw away. Thankfully I retraced my steps and realized what had happened. Bill called the marina and someone at Tidewater actually went out to the dock, found the trash bag, looked through the garbage and found my wallet. Talk about customer service. They are going to put it in the mail. I am so thankful that Bill called the dockmaster, the marina agreed to search our trash, and that they actually found it.

I have taken a ton of pictures today. To view the album, click here.