Eclipse photos

Here are the promised photos of the lunar eclipse that occurred on this year's winter solstice. It was hard to get up at  2am but it was worth it.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to all...

As we celebrate the day commemorating the birth of our Savior, Jesus, we wish all our friends and family a blessed and safe Christmas season and a fantastic New Year. It is 70+ degrees and sun here in Florida and wish everyone could share it with us.  The following are a few photos of lights on our boat and another that was here for a day. And lets not forget the one with us in the jacuzzi on Christmas Eve.

We also were able to see the lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. A few shots are also included.

The next post will have the upgrades and additions to the boat since we got here. Two collapsible bikes, LED/LCD TV and brightwork. Til then have a great holiday season!

Soteria decked out in lights

Visiting yacht on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Day in the jacuzzi

Ok, Who Turned Off the Heat???

We have been in Stuart for a little over one week enjoying the sights and supposedly warmer weather. But some cold fronts have moved in with a vengeance. Even the locals are bundling up with the below freezing temps. At least the sun during the day warms it up a bit. And the weekend is looking good with warmer air moving in.

We have started repairs and upgrades on Soteria as the wallet allows. Bikes have been ordered and should be arriving within the next week. Walking has been the mode of transportation lately, but the 2-3 mile hikes are wearing on my feet!

The brightwork is progressing as warm sunny days allow. At least the bulk of the paint has worn off, making the sanding easier.  Photos will be forthcoming. The traveler will have to wait until we figure out how the old track was attached and how we can attach a new one. No way we can put a new car on the older track.The old alcohol stove will be coming out, replaced with shelving for a microwave or toaster oven and more storage.

One of the best things about the marina has been the fellowship of other sailors, both sail and power. We have been blessed with new friends who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with us and other "newbies".  Makes us realize just how much we still need to learn.

Until next time, fair winds and warm days to all.

We Have Arrived in Stuart, FL !

We are now in Stuart, FL and having an extended vacation at the Loggerhead Yacht Club and Marina.  It is fantastic. It has a heated pool, jacuzzi, weight room and three restaurants on site, and it within walking distance to grocery and department stores. The weather is typically winter here, with highs around 70 and lows around 40. Perfect Iowa spring weather!  Sorry, folks.  This is what we have been working for. The following photos show the marina and other cool things we have seen since we've arrived.

The trip from Ft. Pierce was another great run with speed up to 7-8 kts.  The trip up St. Lucie River was against the tide, but we still made 4-5 kts.  The river by the marina is wide and deep enough to do some sailing as well. It was sunny but cool with another cold front that passed through. It was 28 degrees in Stuart last night.

We've seen more manatees, and surprisingly, jelly fish in the harbor.  We will be attending the local marina's Christmas party on Thursday. Should be a great time to meet new people who are also on extended vacations!

Thanks to all who have followed this blog, and we will have more to come as we explore Southern Florida.

Melbourne Harbor

Traffic jam on the ICW

Walkway to Yacht Club from dock

Coconut Palms everywhere 

Heated swimming pool & jacuzzi

Jellyfish in the Harbor

And on we go..

A lot has happened since our last post. After Fernandina Beach, we set off for St. Augustine. We made it just before dark and was able to get our anchor set. Not so good for our fellow traveling companions. They arrived at the same time, but the anchorage had been turned into a city owned mooring field and space was limited. They had gone a little too far past the 6 ft depth and wound up going aground. Our solo sailor was able to get off with the help of a towing service, but our friend on the Cheoy Lee were hard aground on the sand bar. The tide at St. Augustine is quite severe, and when it went out, they were 45 degrees heeled over on the bar. We were helpless to assist them as we could have gotten stuck as well. It is not good feeling helpless, but they were at least safe. The tide came in and they were able to get to the mooring field for the night. When we checked the tide the next am, it was predicted more severe, so we got a mooring ball for two nights. We were able to have a great time touring the city, as one of our new friends had went to school there and knew her way around.

St. Augustine Marina

 Original city gates

San Marcos Fort





After several good nights rest, we set off for Daytona Beach. We anchored out and were able to have a potluck on board a Jeanneau 44, with a really great family from Quebec, as well as our two convoy friends. The next day we anchored at Titusville, just above Cape Canaveral/Kennedy. You could see the assembly building for miles and miles, and the space shuttle on it's launch pad. It's scheduled to launch Dec. 7th.. We saw places we visited on land, but from a different view.

 Daytona Beach anchorage with a surprise guest!

An osprey on top of the mast.

We crossed from Mosquito Lagoon to the Indian River through a canal that was packed with fishermen. Boats anchored everywhere with little room to maneuver. the Indian River was wide and shallow and smooth as glass. We got there at the right time. It is not a good place to be when the weather turns ugly.

Indian River

One last day of moderate winds led us to Melbourne and a marina. The winds were forecast 15-20 and building to 20-25 from the NW. Not a good time for an anchored boat. The city marina was nice, but a little overpriced. It was the only one open as the others hadn't recovered from the storms last year, so there were no choice. It would not have been smart to go farther as tired as we were.  It was half way between Titusville and Ft. Pierce, our next stop.

Ft. Pierce is the next to the last stop before we finish our journey to Stuart.  We were planning on anchoring, but our holding tank decided otherwise.  It decided to spring a leak, so we needed to stop for a pump out and figured we could use another good nights sleep. We can start repairs on the holding tank, traveler and other  items in Stuart.  Dolphins are in abundance, but always gone before we can get the camera ready. Today we saw our first manatees, with one right behind the slip we are in. Of course, the camera was not ready, but there is always tomorrow.

Till our next posting, Merry Christmas to you all!

We're Back and What a Story to Tell!

We returned to Beaufort after a great week with the family in Georgia to continue our journey. There was a social and we discovered two other boats were leaving the same time as us, but were going "outside" to save time. Needless to say, I was a little hesitant, but after being reassured and convinced (Thanks Elden!) we decided to join them. Safety in numbers, right?  So, 10:45 am on Saturday we set off on for St. Mary's inlet in Florida, 122 miles away. The one sailor reassured me that the farthest we would be offshore would be 3-4 miles. Right, we were 20 miles offshore at one time and averaged around 10. Good thing we could still see land or the lights at night.

The trip was going well, except for the lack of predicted NW winds (they were SW and really fluky), until the predicted winds hit us around 10-10:30. It caught us off guard, and we wound up having an accidental jib, breaking the main sail traveler. For a few seconds it was scary, but praying and training kicked in big time. We were able to get the engine started, the main down and secured and told the Coast Guard we were OK and didn't need their assistance. One of the other boats called them when they saw us having problems and couldn't see us very well.  Thinking about it now makes us realize just how fragile life is and makes you appreciate what you have now.  It was a dangerous situation, but with God's help and teamwork, we came through safely. We have learned to rely on God and each other so much more than before, and just how much we can handle.

Now for the fun part, after the excitement, the motor sailing went really well. We took turns at the helm, resting a bit while off watch and watched the sun rise over the Atlantic. We tied up to a mooring buoy in Fernandina Beach for two days to recover from the trip after 22 hours of traveling. We saved 5 days of travel and over 50 extra miles.  15 hours of sleep later, we felt a lot better, so we went to tour the town.

Next installment: the trip to St. Augustine, FL.

Enjoy the photos!

Philadelphia Express bound for Savannah 

Our convoy: Esperenza and Summer Wind









Sunset at Fernandina Beach mooring field

Sunrise on the Atlantic

Farther and farther South

Since the last post, we have ventured past Myrtle Beach, Georgetown and Charleston, SC and are 30 or so miles north of Beaufort. Wednesday we traveled through the "Rock Pile" section where large unmovable rocks stick out at low tide, and we managed to hit it (no pun intended) at the right tides. Yesterday we logged 67 miles in under 10 hours and were exhausted. We had wind and currents with us and we just went for it. Never again! It was great getting that far, but was not worth the fatigue. So today we traveled only 49 miles to an anchorage on the South Edisto River. Tomorrow we head to Beaufort and a weeks mini vacation in Atlanta next week for Thanksgiving with the kids & grandkids.

This may be the next to the last posting with photos. So, enjoy and have a great weekend.

Sunset fisherman north of Charleston

Dinghy finally where it belongs, instead of on deck in a sack!

Fall foliage along the "Rock Pile" section of the ICW and another story later

 Believe it or not, these are carrying golfers across the ICW to a course in Myrtle Beach!

Charleston harbor & bridge

Sunset at Thoroughfare Creek anchorage

Plantation house on the Wacamaw River above Georgetown

On to South Carolina...

We decided to venture out this am to the next anchoring site on the Calabash River in South Carolina. The weather radars showed no thunderstorms and a partial clearing, so we left around 8 am. (Saved us some $$ in dock fees, too!) We made it to the anchorage by 2 pm. There were 4 boats already anchored and one more came in with us.  The ride was wet and cool.  It was in the low 70's, but the winds made it feel cool. Tomorrow we head out past Myrtle Beach for another 30 some mile day in sunny and warm weather. 

So far we have logged 196.27 nautical miles (225.86 statute miles) in 38 hours and 12 minutes over 7 days. Man, no wonder we feel tired at the end of the day! We stand 2 hour watches at the helm at a time, with the other being the navigator.  Spotting channel markers isn't as easy as it seems. Different shapes, sizes and don't forget the ICW marks on the markers, makes for interesting discussions. Red right returning doesn't always work. On the ICW red is on the right (starboard) going south and green on the left (port). So it is really important to use ALL navigation aids to make sure where you are.

Back to Calabash anchorage: we saw two huge ships coming in. Casino boats. Seems Myrtle Beach is the starting point for the casino ships to head off shore. It is legal to gamble 3 miles off shore. I can think of a lot of things that money would be better spent on.

Enough of my soap box. Enjoy the next batch of photos and more blogging as internet access allows.

Red Sky in the Morning at Southport, NC

One of many, many bridges on the ICW

One unique view, the gold ball is a radar reflector. 

One of the casino ships

The Atlantic Ocean at Shallotte Inlet

A catamaran casino boat

A Challenging Start and Calm Finish of the Day

We didn't make it to Carolina Beach, but Wrightsville Beach. Found out later that day we should have gone the 10 miles further to get the right tides for Cape Fear River on Monday. However, let me get back to yesterday am: We started out from Mile Hammond Bay early again, just after the fog (supposedly) lifted. Found out it socked in the ICW for miles. So thanks to God and the chartplotter and GPS, we were able to make our way to Wrightsville Beach. Three bridges had to open and we managed to get through two right on time. The last one we had to wait about 10 minutes. But by that time several more sailboats and cruisers arrived, making for interesting position jockeying. And don't forget the weekend fishermen who "own" the waterway!

"Nuff said, we left later (7:30) after an evening of rocking and rolling at Wrightsville from all the weekend boaters. Winds were calm and it was WARMER! Didn't need the foul weather gear and 4 layers of other jackets underneath. We made such great time, we decided to go to Southport. Worked out great! We heard stories that would curl the hair on Popeye and wasn't sure what to expect. We hit the Cape Fear River 2 hours before high tide, had a slight drop in speed and still made it to Southport by noon. It was jsut like the Mississippi River at high water, only a little larger and more channel markers.

So we will check the weather and see if we are staying here another night as thunderstorms could be moving in.

Enjoy the photos!

Finally a photo of a porpoise!

                                                                Exiting the fog bank

 Another tow

 
     
What happens when you don't pay attention!

Cape Fear River

Farther South...

We were able to leave Beaufort today at 6:30 and make it to Mile Hammond Bay near Camp Le Jeune. 8 hours of motor sailing with good winds and lots of sunshine. 77 degrees! Gotta love it!  We off to Carolina Beach tomorrow to the next anchorage. Spending two days in Beaufort broke the budget and we need to anchor to build it back up. I didn't realize how expensive the city docks were! Next time through, we anchor across from the docks and row in.

More tomorrow if internet is available. Photos will have to wait until we can get wifi, or 110.  Battery conservation is a must at anchor.

Til then, stay warm!

The Real Journey Begins...

We have begun our journey to the South by leaving Washington at 6:15 am Wednesday. We motor sailed to Oriental, and made such great time (8 hrs.) that we kept on going. We anchored in last night in Cedar Creek, just off Adams Creek on the way to Beaufort, NC. This seemed the best idea, even though Beaufort was 12 miles away. The winds kicked up to 10-15 out of the north.  We left Cedar Creek at 6:50 am and made it to Beaufort at 9:50 am. We had to wait for the bascule bridge to open at 9:30 and the best part was using the horn to get a john boat, that was fishing, out of the main channel. The current was a little challenging when we docked, but we did OK. Tomorrow we decide if we go on or wait another day for better winds, (yeah, right!).
Photos below with more to come.

Sunrise on the Pamlico River

Elden bundled and at the helm

Passing a shrimp boat unloading  on the ICW Goose Creek

And you think we were done with tow boats?
At least they are only 1  or 2 in the tow!

Entrance to Adams Creek ICW

Sunset at Cedar Creek

Fellow cruisers anchoring at Cedar Creek

No Turning Back

As of Saturday, we have been without a vehicle as we sent it to the kids in Atlanta. We are in the process of taking care of a few last minute details and should be leaving for parts South on Wednesday. So this post will be short till we have more to post.

Next stop: Oriental or Beaufort, NC weather permitting!

Graduation and photos too!

We finished our passage with flying colors and passed our ASA 103 & 104 tests.  The trip was 101.8 nautical miles (117.15 statute miles) round trip and took 20 hours total traveling time over 2 days. The ICW was not as overwhelming as I had thought and big water can really be fun. We learned just how far we can push ourselves in heavier weather, and just how wise we've become in our maturity. The main lesson we learned was: if we don't have to go in rough weather/conditions, we don't have to. That is what cruising is. Enjoying the trip is more important than pushing the boundaries when safety is concerned.  The day back we sailed about 15 miles before conditions became more challenging than we were comfortable with. The decision to motor back was the best one we made all weekend. We will continue to learn and become more at ease in those type of conditions as we travel down the East Coast.

Enough about that. Sit back and enjoy the following photos while we catch up on some z's!

 ASA Instructor Gary with Susan sighting the next channel marker

The Intracoastal Waterway at Hobucken

Coast Guard Station on the ICW

View from Soteria at Oriental Harbor(Yes, that is a shrimp boat bow we docked under)

Tow on the Neuse River/Pamlico Sound
(Can't get away from them, can we?)