The boat

The boat has done well.   The engine did quit in Port Royal Sound as it did going to Manteo but both were after a couple of hours of pretty violent rocking and rolling.  I had plenty of fuel both times but it is possible the pickup tube sucked some…

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Calm

The day cleaned up very well and I rowed during the slack tide and returned at sunset riding the flood tide back to the boat.  It cost $10 but I filled a water jug and have until noon tomorrow to fill more jugs.  After a nice talk with my uncle…

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Can’t get settled

I just moved to the big anchorage south of the Bridge of Lions.  The wi-fi is a real challenge because the wind has me swinging wildly.  The next 4 or 5 nights are freezing so I have to figure out how to get to shore and buy firewood.  St. Augustine…

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Yes! I am in Florida

This is why people go to Florida for the winter because this is where winter lives.  I will fill in the last few days when I am plugged in somewhere.  I am anchored far from the marina but might attempt the row at slack tide for a can of fuel…

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Too many Sounds

I can group a couple of days in this post.  The weather was cold of course and the main worry was crossing all the Georgia sounds because some of the routes take you partially out the inlets.  Some went well while others were worthy of holding your breath wondering if…

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Kilkenny Creek

A couple of boats pulled into the anchorage last night.  One of the boats was hauled out at Sailcraft when I left Oriental a month ago.  I used to see this couple at the Silos sometimes.  Her name was Donna.  They left early this morning and the second boat not…

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Merry Christmas

I just had turkey dinner with Jerome and a  homeless guy down at the park.  We used the big white coffee filters for plates.  How many of you had avocado with your meal?  The one guy camps in a tent and of course Jerome camps on a Catalina 22 with…

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The Eve

I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such good friends and family.  I am so very grateful.  I hope everyone has the best of holidays and I hope not to be such a pain.  Soon.

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Jerome

I saw this guy rowing his dinghy pulling a Catalina 22 and hollered that maybe that is what I should have for cruising.  We got to talking and he introduced himself as Jerome.  He has been in Isle of Hope since the 70’s and pointed to the big white house…

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Equipment failure

I had joked that I was going to go until I broke down or the boat broke down.  I think it is appropriate that we both came to a halt on the same day.  My back has been getting worse the last few days and the motor hardly turned over…

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Isle of Hope

Some time after noon I motored up Turner Creek to dinghy in for fuel and food.  My back was pretty bad so I was glad the store was a short walk.  Plans of staying the night were abandoned and I left at 2 attempting to get through the bridge just…

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Unexpected Sailing

About three hours into the day I turned upwind where the Intracoastal crosses Port Royal Sound.  The waves were pretty big and there was some pounding going on with the bowsprit going underwater every few waves.  With just a couple of miles to go the engine just quit.  All the…

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Beaufort,SC

The current was ripping when I got up this morning and getting the anchor  loose caused the first bit of my back problems.  I had to try and power over it and then get some chain up before the current loaded it up.  It took about 3 hours to get…

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Charleston to Rock Creek

I should have waited for this day to pass.  It never let up for 7 hours and 46 miles.  Everything got wet.  When I finally got anchored I had the stove roaring and everything clipped to the overhead handrails where the cabin is the warmest.

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Last day in Charleston

Tomorrow around 9 I leave the comfort of the dock.  The tide should be slack but the forecast is 100% rain with some cold and blowing sprinkled in.  I bought 20 gallons of fuel and moved some stuff around to try and get the stern up a little.  The little…

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My old boat

I was walking the docks here in Ashley Marina when I spotted one of my old boats.  I bought this Cabot 36 in Florida and sailed her to Oriental for a big cleanup.  She is still owned by the person I sold her to and he has done a great…

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Brian departs to start his vacation

Brian says he will be back when the last 10 days of torture are erased from his memory.  Today he drives to see his sister in Jacksonville, FL and will use that drive as the vacation that he desperately needed.  His bad vacation was my gain because he has helped…

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Back to Oriental

The marina shuttle took us to West Marine yesterday so with new bilge pump installed I decided to go with Brian to pick up his truck and maybe get in on Spirit of Christmas in Oriental.  It takes 6 hours on US17 and I was surprised to see relatively empty…

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Friday entering Charleston Harbor

The Ben Sawyer Bridge is closed for rush hour(s) traffic between 7-9am.  We re-anchored off the channel to wait and almost were left to dry with the tide almost low.  We had to wait on a tug to pass and then a container ship.  Right after that the Coast Guard…

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